All Entries in the "Featured" Category
Falling concrete caused temporary closure to I-91 in Rockingham
Photos and story by Shawn Cunningham ROCKINGHAM State Police and Rockingham volunteer firefighters responded to a report of concrete falling from the I-91 North bridge over Route 103 South around 3 p.m. Friday, according to VTrans spokesman Wayne Gammell. Firefighters on the scene reported that a passing motorist had noticed the shards of concrete […]
Two Londonderry parks seek volunteers for building projects
Flood Brook School Two parks in Londonderry will soon be needing help in building playgrounds. Both the Flood Brook School and Pingree Park have projects in the wings. The Flood Brook School Community Playground Build will be taking place Thursday through Sunday, May 15 through May 18 at the school. The organization says it […]
Chester board backs grant application for wet suits; continues to mull fairgrounds proposal
By Shawn Cunningham Answers were scarce as the Chester Select Board, during last Wednesday’s meeting, continued to discuss several topics including how to pay for water rescue gear, whether to move forward with a proposed festival venue and what to do about water and sewer rates. The last question was take off the agenda […]
Proposed zoning changes in Chester: Part I, Districts added, altered, eliminated
At 7 p.m. Monday May 19, the Chester Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at Chester Town Hall, 556 Elm St., to receive comments on the latest draft of the Unified Development Bylaws, which combines the rules for zoning, subdivision and flood hazard mitigation and has been in the works for about four years. In […]
Illegal burning sets Williams Road brush fire
By Shawn Cunningham The Chester Fire Department and eight other departments responded to a brush fire on Williams Road early Sunday afternoon. The fire, which covered approximately 2 acres, began when an illegal burn got out of control. “The conditions are very dry at this time of year,” said Chester Fire Chief Matt […]
Construction of Chester town solar farm expected to begin by fall
By Cynthia Prairie Construction of a 500-kilowatt solar farm on Chester town land should begin by this fall, according Luke Shullenberger of Green Lantern Capital of Waterbury, the developer of the project, with completion in eight to 10 weeks from start. The project, slated for a 5-acre Jeffrey Well parcel at Route 103 North and […]
Chester’s proposed development bylaws available for viewing here
The Chester Planning Commission will hold a public meeting on Monday, May 19, 2014 to take comments on the proposed Unified Development Bylaws it has been working on for more than a year. The bylaws are a combination of three documents that currently govern land use in Chester – the Zoning Regulations, the Flood Hazard […]
Chester Select Board discusses water rescue gear, approves historical marker
By Shawn Cunningham Water rescue, historical markers and potholes were among the items discussed at last Wednesday’s Chester Select Board meeting. Fire Chief Matt Wilson came before the Select Board to request permission to apply for a grant to cover a portion of the cost of equipment needed to train for water rescues […]
Ladd Scholarship fund-raising pulls in more than $17,000
By Cynthia Prairie M ore than 100 people turned out Saturday night at the Fullerton Inn to celebrate the legacy of learning created by the late Andy and Heidi Ladd and to raise money for scholarships for graduates of Green Mountain Union High School who are seeking a college degree. The total raised […]
How to shadow the lunar eclipse of Tuesday, April 15
By Claudio Veliz From anywhere in the United States with clear skies, including Vermont, you will be able to enjoy a total lunar eclipse in the pre-dawn night of Tuesday, April 15, when the sun, Earth and moon align and Earth’s shadow fully covers the moon. Eclipses come in two basic forms. Lunar […]
GM junior Joe Epler of Chester skates to national hockey tournament
By Greg Hart Sports editor Green Mountain Union High junior Joe Epler and his Keene (N.H.) Cobras (18 and under) hockey team are heading to Wayne, N.J., for USA Hockey’s National Championships. The tournament begins with preliminary pool play on Wednesday, April 2 . Epler’s Cobra team will be in one of three pools of […]
Donors rock the Heath Gordon Scholarship fundraiser
By Cynthia Prairie Sam Gordon is a happy man. On Friday evening, as the Chester American Legion began buzzing with activity, Gordon said he hoped the Heath Gordon Scholarship Fundraiser that was just kicking off would raise $2,000 to add to the college fund that he and a group of friends set up to […]
Fairground proposed as economic development tool for Chester
By Shawn Cunningham After more than a year of discussions on economic development, the Chester Select Board heard a proposal and a request for seed money to establish a fairground from artist and chainsaw carver Barre Pinske at its Wednesday, March 19 meeting. Pinske noted that he had read about the board’s economic development […]
Ready for some football? Agreement allows high schools to share athletic programs
By Shawn Cunningham One item in Assistant Principal Mike Ripley’s weekly reminders that is emailed to Green Mountain Union High School parents may have been a head-scratcher for many. The announcement of an information meeting about high school football for next fall doesn’t seem odd on the face of it, except that GM doesn’t […]
April 5 Ladd Scholarship fund-raiser a time for reflection and the future
On the cover: The Ladd family, clockwise from rear left, son Gabe, parents Heidi and Andy, and daughters Georgia, Lily, Abbie and Marguerite. Laughter and a sense of fun. The desire for world experience. A love of learning. An allegiance to community. Five children who embody those values. A scholarship to offer students a […]
Bolstering existing businesses suggested as way to aid Chester
By Shawn Cunningham Noting that this was a once-a-year occurrence, David Pisha opened the first Select Board meeting after Chester’s elections of March 4. At its annual reorganization meeting, the board re-elected John DeBenedetti as chairman, Derek Suursoo as vice chair and Arne Jonynas as secretary. As it has at recent meetings, economic development dominated […]
School budget issues pass; two write-ins take school posts; incumbents re-elected in Chester
By Cynthia Prairie With 402 Chester residents voting on Tuesday, all the school budget items passed and every incumbent seeking re-election was returned to office. The River Valley Technical Center budget issue was approved 307 yes to 92 no. With votes of both Chester and Andover co-mingled, the Chester-Andover Elementary School budget passed 307 […]
Chester voters OK all articles: Whiting Library issue creates a ruckus
By Cynthia Prairie Chester Town Meeting was quickly thrown a curveball on Monday night when Select Board chair John DeBenedetti sought to amend an article to give the Select Board authority over how and if money for repair and rehabilitation of the Whiting Library is spent, stunning members of Whiting’s board of trustees and […]
Large, agreeable turnout for Andover Town Meeting; budget, elections are unanimous
By Madeline Bodin A lot of discussion, but not much disagreement dominated the Andover Town Meeting on Saturday, March 1. None of the elections was contested and all votes were unanimous. Andover Town Hall remained chilly, and most of the approximately 60 participants kept their coats on throughout the meeting. Moderator Jon Bliss opened […]
Economic development gets a once over at Chester Select Board
After reviews of the financials and other housekeeping at its Feb. 19 meeting, the Chester Select Board turned to two lengthy discussions – one on proposed new water rates and one on economic development with an eye to growing the Grand List, the total assessed value of a town’s taxable real estate. It was noted […]
