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Policing expenditure proposal draws lots of questions during Londonderry's Candidates Night

Policing expenditure proposal draws lots of questions during Londonderry’s Candidates Night

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Although Londonderry was hosting its annual Candidates Night on Tuesday, Feb. 9, a number of the 55 people in attendance said they had turned out mainly to hear about a proposed expenditure for police protection that they will vote on on March 1.  The back-to-back meetings were […]

3 hopefuls for 1-year Chester seats weigh in on issues

3 hopefuls for 1-year Chester seats weigh in on issues

©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC There are three candidates running for two one-year terms on the Chester Select Board this year. Incumbents Tom Bock and Arne Jonynas and newcomer Ben Whalen are all hoping to secure one of these spots in the Tuesday, March 1 election. As we have done when there have been contested races […]

In Chester 3-year race, Lindsay and Cote talk town future

In Chester 3-year race, Lindsay and Cote talk town future

©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Two candidates are running for one three-year term on the Chester Select Board. Incumbent Bill Lindsay is seeking re-election and Dan Cote is hoping to unseat him when elections are held on Tuesday, March 1. As we have done for previous contested races, The Chester Telegraph asked the candidates a set […]

Chester introduced to erosion, runoff issues in relatively quick Select Board meeting

Chester introduced to erosion, runoff issues in relatively quick Select Board meeting

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC “Wow,” exclaimed Chester Select Board member Bill Lindsay as that body adjourned its Wednesday, Feb. 3 meeting after only an hour and 12 minutes. While there may have been a light agenda, that’s seldom kept the board from adjourning before two hours. Katherine Otto of the Southern […]

GM hoopster Cooper McCoy hits 1,000 points

GM hoopster Cooper McCoy hits 1,000 points

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Green Mountain Union High School’s Cooper McCoy passed the 1,000 point mark playing against Twin Valley on last Tuesday night. The 5-foot-8 inch point guard scored his milestone on a free throw as his parents — Jodie Parker Peebles and Brett McCoy and 30 friends and relatives  […]

Chester residents raise issues, ideas on economic development

Chester residents raise issues, ideas on economic development

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Business leaders said they see vast opportunities in Chester but told the Chester Planning Commission they are frustrated in their efforts to move forward with new ideas and plans. The commission was holding an information gathering session on Monday, Feb. 1, as part of the process of […]

GMUHS, CAES issue annual budget requests, annual reports

GMUHS, CAES issue annual budget requests, annual reports

© 2016 Telegraph Publishing, LLC The Green Mountain Union High and Chester-Andover Elementary schools have issued their annual reports for 2014-2015. The two reports, of more than 30 pages each, can be accessed online in The Chester Telegraph: GMUHS REPORT and CAES REPORT Each report contains the warnings for upcoming public meetings and votes, minutes […]

Challengers step up in Grafton, Chester Select Board races

Challengers step up in Grafton, Chester Select Board races

By Cynthia Prairie and Shawn Cunningham ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Incumbents on both the Grafton and Chester select boards will face challenges to their seats when voters go to the polls on Town Meeting Day, which this year falls on Tuesday, March 1. In Grafton, chair Sam Battaglino has decided not to seek re-election after […]

Andover Select Board discusses road, water issues, approves budget and warning

Andover Select Board discusses road, water issues, approves budget and warning

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC The replacement of a box culvert will close the Andover-Weston Road at Simmonds Road for up to 30 days this summer, according to engineer Everett Hammond in a presentation to the Andover Select Board last night. The work is part of a culvert replacement project that will […]

Londonderry board OKs $1.6M budget, adds gravel land purchase to articles

Londonderry board OKs $1.6M budget, adds gravel land purchase to articles

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC “It’s up to the voters. I don’t think it’s our job to sell any of this,” said Londonderry Select Board chair Jim Ameden on Monday night of the financial demands on the town that he says need to be slimmed down. The board was wrapping up its […]

Economic development for Chester: What does it mean to you?

Economic development for Chester: What does it mean to you?

© 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC On Monday Feb. 1, the Chester Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to take suggestions and comments to use in drafting a new section about economic development for the Chester Town Plan. Several organizations — including the Chester Economic Development Committee, the Springfield Regional Development Corp. and the Okemo […]

South Londonderry fire company gets new front-line engine

South Londonderry fire company gets new front-line engine

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Less than a year after its purchase was approved at Londonderry’s Town Meeting, the new fire engine for South Londonderry’s Champion Fire Company has arrived and is being outfitted for service. According to Fire Chief George Lang, the truck arrived on Saturday, Jan. 9 and company members […]

Andover OKs Chester service MOU, finalizing full budget, then takes up a party issue

Andover OKs Chester service MOU, finalizing full budget, then takes up a party issue

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC ON THE COVER: Town Clerk Linda Bargfrede, far left, and the Andover Select Board. Photo illustration by Chester Telegraph.  The Andover Select Board moved closer to a final budget for fiscal 2016/17  at its Monday, Jan. 11 meeting, and worked out a number of housekeeping items including […]

Chester board adds full-time ambulance staffer, seeks clarity in capital bond plan

Chester board adds full-time ambulance staffer, seeks clarity in capital bond plan

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Select Board finalized the municipal budget for 2016 at its Jan. 6 meeting, adding a full-time ambulance position and approving the capital bond plan but sending Town Manager David Pisha back to the drawing board to come up with a clearer way of explaining the […]

Grafton Select Board rejects initial Planning Commission changes, asks for full Town Plan revision

Grafton Select Board rejects initial Planning Commission changes, asks for full Town Plan revision

By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Eric Stevens, the head of Grafton’s Planning Commission, says he was at first angered, then baffled by the Select Board’s recent rejection of the changes his group had made to the Town Plan, which is actually the 2008 Town Plan that was re-adopted in 2013. Vermont requires towns […]

Chester board questions Fire Department expenditures

Chester board questions Fire Department expenditures

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC With nearly all the income and expense for 2015 accounted for, the Chester Select Board used a short special meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 30, to move another step closer to finalizing a 2016 budget proposal to present to voters at Town Meeting in March. Town Manager David […]

A LOOK BACK: 2015 saw fires, rise in crime; but business, local controversies also grabbed headlines

A LOOK BACK: 2015 saw fires, rise in crime; but business, local controversies also grabbed headlines

Fires: All tragic, some suspicious © 2015 Telegraph Publishing LLC Early in the morning of March 6, 11 fire departments responded to a four alarm fire at the Monier home on Elm Street in Chester. While working one fire in nine below zero temperatures, firefighters were called to a house across the street to put […]

Chester board talks party to celebrate N.Y. charter; Townscape recaps volunteer work

Chester board talks party to celebrate N.Y. charter; Townscape recaps volunteer work

By Shawn Cunningham © 2015 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Select Board continued to wrestle with funding capital expenditures by municipal bond rather than through current tax revenues and worked on the budget at its Dec. 16 meeting, but not before talking about some partying. In fact, while it did not delve into the question […]

Christmas village returns to Chester Town Hall

Christmas village returns to Chester Town Hall

By Shawn Cunningham © 2015 Telegraph Publishing LLC After a year’s hiatus and a town office remodeling that gave him more space in which to work, Ken Barrett – Chester’s own Father Christmas – is back creating a spectacle of light and movement, nostalgia and whimsy with his annual Christmas village. It’s like having a […]

Chester board moves toward capital bond plan, discusses 2016 anniversary

Chester board moves toward capital bond plan, discusses 2016 anniversary

By Shawn Cunningham © 2015 Telegraph Publishing LLC In years past, late November and early December was a time of wrangling over what would go into – and what would come out of – Chester’s municipal operating budget. But at two recent meetings – Nov. 24 and Dec. 2 –  the plan for capital spending […]