All Entries in the "Chester" Category
Act 181 is coming: How will it affect your property? Details of this Act 250 reform are being defined as law is rolled out
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC In 2024, the Vermont Legislature passed Act 181 that makes a number of changes to the state’s laws on land use with special attention to encouraging new housing in downtowns. But there may also be changes to the way rural land is treated and landowners should pay […]
Is Chester’s long-delayed sidewalk project in the Depot finally a go?
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Children in second grade at Chester-Andover Elementary today had not been born when the Town received an $800,000 grant to build a sidewalk from Bargefrede Road at the lower portion of Depot Street to Town Hall. But after an eight-year delay that doubled the project’s cost, the […]
Chester board talks Class 4 roads, economic development and flags Bill Dakin retires after 40 years as Town Moderator
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC In a relatively short meeting last Wednesday, the Chester Select Board covered a lot of territory including looking at forming an economic development commission and further refining the language of a policy on the maintenance and use of Class 4 roads. Economic Development Commission Town Manager Julie […]
Chester planners consider bylaw change to allow LED sign for GM, but zoning glitch may preclude it
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing On Monday evening, Chester’s Planning Commission got down to work on an issue that’s been on its radar for a while. That being “electric message display” signs or EMDs. The idea of such a sign for Green Mountain Union High School has been raised at past planning meetings […]
Chester board talks optional sales tax, Class 4 roads and 40-year-old money
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Last Wednesday’s Select Board meeting agenda was heavy with discussion and pretty light on action items. And for long-time Chester board watchers it was like old times with multiple comments from former members Derek Suursoo and Bill Lindsay. Three agenda items came in for substantial discussion: a 1 […]
‘Workers over Billionaires’ at Chester rally on Labor Day Peaceful protest follows organizers' rules
Drone video by Scott Wunderle By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC More than 200 people turned out on the Chester Green on Labor Day for a rally for workers’ rights and in opposition to the policies of the Trump administration. As a continuous stream of upbeat songs played on a large sound […]
Area firefighters repurpose FEMA houses for skill building Chester homes on Route 11 now ready for demolition
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Last Tuesday, two houses near the Williams River along Route 11 in Chester were put to one final use before they are to be demolished as part of a FEMA buyout. Dozens of firefighters from West Weatherfield, Ascutney, Proctorsville, Winhall and Chester took part in a hands-on […]
Chester to test pedestrian solutions for the Green
Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Starting this week there will be some strange looking construction around the Chester Green as the town tries out some ideas for solving a few traffic problems in an attempt to make the area safer for pedestrians and cyclists. From Thursday, Aug. 28 to Thursday, Sept. 11, Local […]
Chester considering a local option tax to support new housing initiative
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC At its Wednesday, Aug. 20 meeting, he Chester Select Board again broached the subject of a local option sales tax as a way to begin a town-wide conversation on generating money to spur the development of affordable housing in town. Last January, as the board was finalizing […]
Archeologists dig in Chester, give sewer project a green light
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC For three days last week, a crew of highly educated and well-trained people toiled in the heat and humidity, digging holes and finding nothing of significance. And that constituted “mission accomplished.” The group were archeologists working for Hartgen Archeological Associates of Rensselaer, N.Y., and their job was […]
Welcome to Chester, with style
New Welcome to Chester Village signs have been sprouting up around town, offering a warm greeting and introduction to Chester. On the left is the Welcome sign along the Grafton Road near River Street. On the reverse is the Thank You for Visiting sign, which can also be seen in the right-hand photo, taken along […]
Eagle Scout candidate works to raise funds for Cobleigh Field scoreboard
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC If Jacob Studin has his way, next spring people attending Chester Recreation’s softball games at Cobleigh Field will know the score, and he will have reached the pinnacle of scouting. For his Eagle Scout project, Studin, 15, decided to raise the funds to buy and install a […]
Chester featured in presentation on creating resilient public spaces beautifully Public invited to Aug. 21 event at Town Hall
By Cynthia Prairie ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC A stone table down a stone path on a dead end street, its backdrop a swinging bridge. A gracefully curling bench surrounded by flowering perennials. A town-owned flood area, with trees planted along the embankment. A flat expanse of land once dotted with homes is now a riverside […]
Chester ordinance public hearing and Select Board agenda for July 16
The Chester Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16 at Town Hall, 556 Elm St., and via Zoom. To join the meeting go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81988842129 Below is its agenda 1. Fire Department Reimbursement Ordinance; Public Hearing 2. Approval of Minutes from the Selectboard Meeting dated June 18, 2025 […]
State board orders Julian quarries to cease operations until conditions are fulfilled
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Vermont Land Use Review Board, in its administrative order against Julian Materials LLC posted on Monday, June 16, calls on the Julian companies to “stop work” at all three of its quarries in north Chester. The Land Use Review Board administers the Act 250 program. Since […]
Chester board tables American flag issue til fall Sets tax rate, approves zoning office shuffle
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Before being elected to the Chester Select Board, Tim Roper complained to that body a couple of times about the state of the flags displayed on Main Street. They can be found wrapped around their poles, sometimes tattered and even snared on splinters from the utility poles […]
CAES educators join statewide Friday morning protest of Vermont education reform bill
By Cynthia Prairie ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC The educators are concerned. They say that the proposed state law H 454 to remake Vermont’s public education system, which is to be voted on on Monday in the Vermont Senate, has been rushed and filled with too many holes. It seeks to reform the governance, the finance […]
Friends of Yosemite seek help to preserve ‘Hessie’ fire coat
By Lorien Strange ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Coming into Chester on Depot Street, I’ve often wondered about the Yosemite Fire House. It’s an unusual building, with its two tall towers topped by Mansard roofs, and clearly old. But other than a sign on the door to the first floor, there’s not much around the building […]
No Kings protest set for June 14 in Chester
From 10:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 14, join the Chester Town Democratic Committee on the Chester Green to echo Benjamin Franklin’s response to Elizabeth Willing Powel’s question about the new Constitution in 1787, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” “A Republic,” Franklin replied, “if you can keep it.” […]
GM school board to hold special meeting to revisit board appointment, complaint
By Cynthia Prairie ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Board of Directors of the Green Mountain Unified School District will hold a special meeting next Wednesday in part to cure violations of Vermont’s Open Meeting Law regarding executive sessions that occurred at its May 15 meeting and – in effect – to rescind its request that […]
