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What's in the GM renovation bond: Elementary schools to see upgrades in heating systems

What’s in the GM renovation bond: Elementary schools to see upgrades in heating systems

By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Both Cavendish Town and Chester-Andover elementary schools are slated to get upgrades to their fire alarm systems, should the bond proposal pass. Cavendish Town’s portion of the upgrade is worth $1.7 million; Chester-Andover’s is $2.6 million. Todd Parah, facilities director for Two Rivers Supervisory Union, says this […]

Chester board mulls gardens, housing, short-term rentals in wide ranging meeting

Chester board mulls gardens, housing, short-term rentals in wide ranging meeting

By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Coming in at just under three hours in length, the Oct. 19 Chester Select Board meeting got through a packed agenda that included a request for a lease to use the Canal Street well site for a community garden, a discussion of how to approach the lack […]

Colchester firm to develop Stormwater Master Plans for Chester, Londonderry

Colchester firm to develop Stormwater Master Plans for Chester, Londonderry

Fitzgerald Environmental Associates of Colchester will be developing Stormwater Master Plans for the towns of Chester and Londonderry in partnership with the towns and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Both projects are funded by State Capital Clean Water Funds. Stormwater Master Plans outline actionable steps toward improving water quality and reducing flooding through implementation […]

Chester board hears pros and cons of short-term rentals, ordinance

Chester board hears pros and cons of short-term rentals, ordinance Will look at ordinance again after lawyer's review

By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Last Wednesday’s Chester Select Board review of a proposed ordinance that would require the registration of short-term rentals – like those marketed online by Airbnb and VRBO – brought out those in favor of regulation and those defending their income stream, as well as an emotional appeal […]

Chester Police Dept. study finds communication lacking, training procedures outdated

Chester Police Dept. study finds communication lacking, training procedures outdated

By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Police Department needs to improve its communication with the public as well as bring its policies and related training procedures into the 21st century, according to a number of recommendations in an assessment of the town’s Police Department written by Jim Baker, a former director […]

Chester boards up 'health hazard' Hennessey house

Chester boards up ‘health hazard’ Hennessey house

By Shawn Cunningham © Telegraph Publishing LLC On Tuesday afternoon, employees of the Town of Chester boarded up the house at 138 Cummings Road to keep people from staying in the house that the town says has no running water or working septic and is surrounded by a junk yard containing hazardous materials. The house […]

Chester Fire Department wins $450,000 grant to replace old tanker truck

Chester Fire Department wins $450,000 grant to replace old tanker truck

By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Town of Chester will be awarded a grant worth more than $450,000 toward the purchase of a new tanker for the Fire Department. The grant comes through FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program and is the largest ever awarded to a Vermont municipality, according to a […]

State House candidates Ryan, Chase touch on variety of issues during Windham forum

State House candidates Ryan, Chase touch on variety of issues during Windham forum

By Cynthia Prairie ©2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC More than 40 people turned out on a stormy Tuesday night — in person and on Zoom — to hear the first candidate forum for a seat in the Vermont State House from the new Windsor-Windham District of Athens, Chester, Grafton and Windham. Democrat Heather Chase and Republican […]

Diversity grant allows Whiting to purchase more books and supplies

Diversity grant allows Whiting to purchase more books and supplies

Thanks to a grant from the Vermont Department of Libraries as part of American Rescue Plan Act funding by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Whiting Library received $1,715 to purchase books and supplies. With the distribution of these grant funds, VTLIB encouraged public libraries in Vermont to spend this second round of ARPA […]

GM board votes to put $20 million renovation bond before district voters

GM board votes to put $20 million renovation bond before district voters

By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC On Aug. 25, the board of the Green Mountain Unified School District decided to move forward with a multi-year, $20.5 million project to renovate its three school buildings. The vote was 6-1 — with three members absent — to put a 20 year bond before the voters […]

Chester planners send ordinance regulating short-term rentals to Select Board

Chester planners send ordinance regulating short-term rentals to Select Board

By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC At a special meeting held on Monday, Aug. 22, the Chester Planning Commission put the final touches on an ordinance to register and regulate short-term rentals (such as those offered via Airbnb and VRBO) and voted to send it to the Select Board for review and adoption. […]

Workers pump concrete into forms for abutment #2 on Aug. 16, nearly a month behind schedule

Popple Dungeon bridge reopening set for Sept. 5 Construction firm had sought three to five weeks more time

By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC The replacement for the culvert bridge across the south branch of the Williams River a little over 3 miles out on Popple Dungeon Road has been under construction since early June and was due to reopen this weekend. But Alpine Construction was pouring concrete for abutment #2 […]

Turnout is high in local primary voting; November matchups decided

Turnout is high in local primary voting; November matchups decided

By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Held in the hot and vacation rich month of August, Vermont’s primaries are generally sleepy affairs in which a relatively small number loyalists from the state’s three parties – Democratic, Republican and Progressive – come out to reaffirm the incumbents and chose the occasional challenger. But this […]

Chester planners wrestle with scope of short-term rental ordinance

Chester planners wrestle with scope of short-term rental ordinance

By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC While the main event was a warned public hearing for an amendment to the town’s Unified Development Bylaws — which includes its zoning regulations — Monday night’s Chester Planning Commission meeting spent far more time and energy on the undercard — a discussion of the latest draft […]

After 20 years, Chief Cloud to retire from Chester Police

After 20 years, Chief Cloud to retire from Chester Police

By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC After nearly 20 years with the Chester Police Department, Chief Rick Cloud has told the town he intends to retire. In a July 18 letter to Town Manager Julie Hance, Cloud said he was resigning effective Jan. 7, 2023 and appreciated the opportunity the town had afforded […]

Popple Dungeon bridge construction falls behind schedule

Popple Dungeon bridge construction falls behind schedule

By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC A nine-week bridge construction job in Chester may stretch to 12 if the company doing the work up on Popple Dungeon Road has its way. According to Town Manager Julie Hance, Alpine Construction of Schuylerville, N.Y., has asked for three more weeks to finish the installation of […]

Chester Business Coalition talks business growth, affordable housing, state funding

Chester Business Coalition talks business growth, affordable housing, state funding

By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Saying that there is no one – such as a chamber of commerce or other organization – representing businesses in Chester, Steve Mancuso kicked off the July meeting of the nascent Chester Business Coalition at the American Legion on Monday night. Founded by Mancuso, an electrician who […]

Chester planning panel to hold public hearing on zoning change

Chester planning panel to hold public hearing on zoning change

© 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Planning Commission will hold a public hearing concerning a proposed amendment to the town’s Unified Development Bylaws (which includes zoning regulations) at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 1  at Town Hall, 556 Elm St. The amendment concerns legacy uses and adaptive reuses and the change would affect every […]

Chester cannabis board agenda for July 27

Chester cannabis board agenda for July 27

The Chester Local Cannabis Control Commission meeting will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27 at Town Hall, 556 Elm St., and via Zoom.  To access via Zoom, https://zoom.us/join Meeting ID: 830 9497 4051 or  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83094974051 1. Approve Minutes of the June 7 LCCC meeting 2. Citizen Comments 3. Review and Discuss Information re: […]

Wayward semi snags Chester traffic

Wayward semi snags Chester traffic

By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC A tractor trailer trying to make a tight turn in downtown Chester got hung up on guardrails and snarled traffic at Routes 103 and 11 for about three hours last night. At 9:43 p.m. the State Police dispatch center in Westminster announced that Route 103 in the […]