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Chester icons under the aurora borealis

Chester icons under the aurora borealis

©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Chester resident Bruce Johnson sent over a few photos he shot during Tuesday night’s aurora borealis, a  spectacular atmospheric display that Vermonters — and much of the northern hemisphere — were graced with on Tuesday night. Johnson used his cellphone to take the shots around 8:30 p.m.  They show the aurora […]

Kirk MacGinnis, back to the camera, accuses the board and town manager of violations of due process. Image courtesy of SAPA TV

Chester board wrestles with Class 4 road issues

By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC There was no calm before the storm at the Nov. 5 Chester Select Board meeting with property owner Kirk MacGinnis forcefully making demands of the chair even before the minutes from the Oct. 1 meeting could be reviewed. In a confrontational style that includes handouts listing statute […]

A new year and new businesses coming to the Green, and more

A new year and new businesses coming to the Green, and more

Editor’s Note: Last week The Chester Telegraph took a look at what seems to be an uptick in Chester business activity through the lens of the hospitality sector – namely restaurants. This week’s focus is on what’s happening in the retail marketplace beginning with movement on the Green. By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing […]

Town Manager Julie Hance presents Trombley with his letter as Richardson and Randzio (right) and Sgt Noah Rheaume and Chief Tom Williams (left) look on.

Sen. Sanders thanks Chester Public Safety officers for life-saving work after motorcycle accident

By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Members of Chester Ambulance, Fire and Police departments got a surprise presentation at last week’s Select Board meeting as Town Manager Julie Hance read letters of thanks from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders for the work they did in responding to a motorcycle crash in Andover. On Monday, […]

With Create Together, Fletcher Farm turns the page toward a new community artistic vision

With Create Together, Fletcher Farm turns the page toward a new community artistic vision

By Lorien Strange ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Locals think they know what’s going on here,” says Kathryn Svec as she leans against a cabinet in a recently refurbished pottery studio. Outside the long, low building just north of Cavendish, everything is puddles and gray. But that’s not dampening the quiet enthusiasm of Create Together’s new […]

Restaurant openings point to business revival in Chester

Restaurant openings point to business revival in Chester

By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC As the days turn colder it seems the business climate in Chester is heating up with around a dozen businesses opening, moving, expanding or changing hands in industries as disparate as restaurants and livestock farming, home decor and childcare. And with all that, a number of prominent […]

Estimates for PCB fix at GM high school top $20 million

Estimates for PCB fix at GM high school top $20 million

By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC While officials at Green Mountain Union High School have reduced the amount of airborne PCBs to acceptable levels with air filtering, the long-term solution – as spelled out at last Thursday’s Green Mountain Unified School District board meeting will be more than $20 million and there’s no […]

Family Center Food Shelf fills the gaps amid an uneasy economy, SNAP cuts, federal shutdown

Family Center Food Shelf fills the gaps amid an uneasy economy, SNAP cuts, federal shutdown

By Cynthia Prairie ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC On a recent afternoon in late October, the buzz in the grocery store grew louder as more shoppers arrived. The aisles soon were packed with people — an easy occurrence in the small store. It was becoming a more typical day at the Food Shelf at the Chester-Andover […]

Chester Select Board agenda for Nov. 5

Chester Select Board agenda for Nov. 5

The Chester Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at Town Hall, 556 Elm St. To join the meeting click here. Below is the board’s agenda: 1. Approval of Minutes from the Select Board Meeting dated Oct. 1, 2025 2. Citizen’s Comments 3. Old Business 4. SEVCA – […]

Londonderry cemeteries to close Nov. 1

Londonderry cemeteries to close Nov. 1

The Cemetery Commission of the Town of Londonderry will be closing its cemeteries for the season on Saturday, Nov. 1. To allow for the observance of Veterans Day on Tuesday, Nov. 11, clean-up of the cemeteries will begin on Nov. 15. The Cemetery Commission requests that all decorations that were added to the cemeteries over […]

As federal funds for food benefits shut off, state officials scramble for stopgap measures

As federal funds for food benefits shut off, state officials scramble for stopgap measures

By Theo Wells-Spackman ©2025 VTDigger.org The Vermont Department for Children and Families said Wednesday it was directed by the federal government earlier this month to pause food stamp distribution for November due to the continued shutdown in Washington, D.C. State officials said Thursday that they’re rushing to deliver stopgaps for food and heating assistance. The U.S. […]

Cavendish board adopts five-year Capital Plan

Cavendish board adopts five-year Capital Plan Winter event planned for Svec Green

By Lorien Strange ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Cavendish Select Board adopted the town’s five-year Capital Plan for fiscal 2027-2032 at its Monday, Oct. 20 meeting, following several years of development and discussion with the Mount Ascutney Regional Planning Commission. Kicking off the evening with a public hearing, the Select Board discussed the plan, which […]

Blue rally, red rally on the Chester Green

Blue rally, red rally on the Chester Green Festive No Kings protest draws close to 600; more subdued GOP event follows with 80

By Shawn Cunningham and Cynthia Prairie ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC On a picture perfect October Saturday, two polarized political factions shared Chester’s Green – at different times – to hold peaceful rallies with very different vibes and vastly different numbers in attendance. The Green was already crowded by the 10:30 a.m. start time for Chester’s […]

Londonderry residents continue debate over future of Williams Dam

Londonderry residents continue debate over future of Williams Dam

By Cynthia Prairie ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC For years, Londonderry residents have been arguing over the dam at the West River at Route 11, which for some is a much needed fire pond as well bucolic spot. The state, town government and other residents, however, see it as a festering problem that is best addressed […]

Tempest in a coffee cup? Area micro-roasters face harsh brew of tariffs, other price increases

Tempest in a coffee cup? Area micro-roasters face harsh brew of tariffs, other price increases Earlier price hike, bulk buying spares customers for now

By Lorien Strange ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC You may have noticed that your bag of fresh roasted coffee has been taking a bigger chunk out of your wallet lately. Or you may just be wondering just when those tariff-induced price hikes are going to kick in. The good news is that four local coffee micro-roasters […]

Windsor GOP elects Spaulding of Chester as chair; Saturday event on Green features four speakers

Windsor GOP elects Spaulding of Chester as chair; Saturday event on Green features four speakers

The Windsor County GOP elected Chester resident Roy Spaulding its chairman during its reorganizational meeting, held on Saturday, Oct. 11 at the Windsor Welcome Center. According to a press release, it was a standing room only crowd, and also in attendance were Vermont Republican Party chair Paul Dame as well as Rachel Burgin, regional director […]

Chester solons get Class 4 earful

Chester solons get Class 4 earful

By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC As the Chester Select Board wordsmithed a final version of its policy on the maintenance and use of Class 4 highways at its Oct. 1 meeting, two landowners addressed objections – not to the policy in general – but to how it impacts their properties specifically. Board […]

E-Court rejects Julian Quarries appeal of 'stop work' order

E-Court rejects Julian Quarries appeal of ‘stop work’ order

By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC On Sept. 30, Environmental Court Judge Joseph S. McLean sided with Vermont’s Land Use Review Board — and by extension a number of Chester residents — by rejecting Julian Materials’ appeal of the board’s “stop work” order at its three Gassetts Quarries. The LURB  posted its stop […]

Andover Select Board agenda for Oct. 13

Andover Select Board agenda for Oct. 13

The Andover Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday Oct. 13 at the Town Office, 953 Weston-Andover Road. The board’s agenda is below. 1. Call Meeting to Order. 2. Act on Agenda. 3. Act on Minutes of September 22 nd & 29th meetings. 4. Public Comment (Time allowance: Five minutes […]

A large banner mimics traditional Trump flags, but with an entirely different message.

Chester Dems sponsor No Kings Day Oct. 18

On Saturday, Oct. 18 residents of Chester and neighboring towns will gather together for No Kings Day, a nationwide day of protest. Join us on the Chester Village Green from 10:30 a.m. to noon as across our nation Americans take action to reject authoritarianism and show the world what democracy really looks like. The billionaires […]