All Entries in the "Featured" Category
Weston board OKs tax rates, stream work bid
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Weston Select Board approved 2019 tax rates representing a 4.76 percent increase for residents and a 2 percent increase for non-residents and commercial property owners. Town Clerk Kim Seymour presented the numbers, which included a 6-cent increase in municipal taxes (from $0.4773 to $0.5375) and education […]
Derry board asked to weigh in on Lowell Lake Kuperberg says internal documents show state's intent was always overnight stays
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Londonderry Select Board was asked to “stand with” the town’s Conservation Commission Monday night in opposing plans for overnight lodging and expanded parking at Lowell Lake as internal state documents came to light. Conservation Commission chair Irwin Kuperberg told the board that after studying the Department […]
Cavendish Fire chief answers Ripley’s claim
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing, LLC The monthly Cavendish Select Board meeting hadn’t even begun last night when board member Mike Ripley’s radio came to life with a call for the Ludlow Ambulance – on which he serves – and he was out the door. That was unfortunate, because Cavendish Acting Fire Chief […]
Restoration begins on Chester Town Hall
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC For years, Chester Select Board members have complained about the state of Town Hall during their twice monthly meetings on the second floor of 556 Elm St. Former member Bill Lindsay was particularly vocal about the embarrassing state of the historic building, often taking time during meetings […]
Chester board sets tax rates, OKs festival parking
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing, LLC The Chester Select Board set this year’s property tax rates at a special meeting held on July 2. The meeting was held in the Town Clerk’s office due to the renovation of the second floor of Town Hall. This year’s municipal tax rate – the combination of […]
Derry Planning/Regional Commission to review state Lowell Lake plan for local compliance
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC At the request of the Planning Commission, the Londonderry Select Board decided to stick a toe in the Lowell Lake Park controversy last night by letting the commission meet with the Windham Regional Commission to look at whether the State of Vermont’s plan for the park is […]
Weston board mulls Priory solar; decommission of Devil’s Den Trail
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing, LLC One Weston Select Board member’s solitary action regarding a solar installation at the Weston Priory brought an annoyed reaction from chairman Denis Benson at the board’s June 25 meeting. Charles Goodwin said that he had registered the Town of Weston on the Public Utility Commission’s website to […]
Derry board tackles Flood Brook backups Changes in policy, hauler at Transfer Station; VSP contract renewed
By Bruce Frauman ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC At its Monday, June 17 meeting — and with just four days left in the school year — the Londonderry Select Board heard from Flood Brook School Principal Neal McIntyre on problems with cars backing up onto Route 11 during morning dropoff. Board Member George Mora remarked that […]
GMUSD board cures violation, increases oversight of supervisory union
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC The board of the Green Mountain Unified School District continued to move toward both greater autonomy from and oversight of the Two Rivers Supervisory Union at its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, June 20. In the wake of Open Meeting Law complaints and the revelation that there […]
TRSU boards split on curing transparency violations; only one follows the law
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Three boards of the Two Rivers Supervisory Union last week admitted to “errors” resulting in multiple violations of Vermont’s Open Meeting Law, but only one “cured” the violation according to state statute and to the satisfaction of the complainant. On May 7, The Chester Telegraph sent a […]
TRSU boards apparently kept in dark about suits
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC The overspending of a line item for legal expenses by nearly 500 percent led to the revelation by The Chester Telegraph Thursday night that the Two Rivers Supervisory Union is facing at least two lawsuits that virtually no board members of Green Mountain Unified School District nor […]
Chester board OKs gravel studies, source for Act 250 funds
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Town of Chester, through its attorney Jim Goss, is preparing to file applications for an ACT 250 permit and a zoning permit to extract gravel from a site on the 139-acre parcel it purchased in 2016 for siting a water tank as part of a system […]
Questionable executive session concerned Powden contract, evaluation
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC In the five weeks since Superintendent Meg Powden told The Telegraph that the executive session of the May 2 TRSU board meeting was “cited properly” and said she didn’t have to give any more information than that, the board of the Two Rivers Supervisory Union has admitted […]
Truck wreck sends diesel into Williams River Route 103 expected to be closed til 11 p.m. Tuesday
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing, LLC A Ryder tractor unit hit a guardrail on 103 North in Chester Tuesday evening, narrowly avoiding a roll into the Williams River. But damage to the truck sent gallons and gallons of diesel fuel into the water. At around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, while the Chester […]
Derry board walks line between zoning enforcement, resident’s need
By Bruce Frauman ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Londonderry Select Board member Bob Forbes on June 3 kicked off a 40-minute discussion on how to handle zoning enforcement at 213 Middletown Road. At the May 20 meeting, the board had given owner James Twitchell two weeks to take the burned-out house down and remove all the […]
TRSU displays pattern of Open Meeting Law violations Powden's question reveals boards go into executive session without knowing why
By Shawn Cunningham ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC A Chester Telegraph analysis of the meetings of the Two Rivers Supervisory Union Board of Directors and of those of its school district boards reveals eight recent instances of lax observance of the laws that protect the public’s access to public meetings. A May 2 revelation that TRSU […]
Telegraph rejects TRSU account, remedy of Open Meeting violation Suggests informing members early, in detail about prospective executive sessions
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Telegraph has rejected the account and remedy of the Open Meeting Law violation given by Paul Orzechowski, chairman of the Two Rivers Supervisory Union board, contending that he did not fully address the violation and that the complaint remains unresolved. On May 7, Cynthia Prairie, […]
Weston board considers plan for ash beetle threat
By Bruce Frauman ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Weston Select Board on Tuesday, May 28 moved forward on several ongoing projects including addressing threats from the emerald ash borer beetle, and upgrade of the town website. Tree Warden Raymond Mara distributed a packet of information and proposals from the state on how to deal with […]
Sweeping changes proposed to Chester zoning Information meetings set for June
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing, LLC The Town of Chester is undergoing the most comprehensive overhaul of its zoning regulations and zoning districts since they were first enacted more than 40 years ago. The Unified Development Bylaws – as they are known – have been completely revamped and, if approved by the Select […]
Sunday Artisans Alley Market debuts in Chester
By Cynthia Prairie ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC It was a perfect sunny and cool Sunday morning for the inaugural opening of the Artisans Alley Market in Chester, conceived by Sharon Baker of Sharon’s on the Common to highlight local, small creators and bring more people into downtown Chester during the weekends. Seven vendors, selling everything […]
