Current News

From a snow groomer waxing philosophic, to an apple grower explaining the art of "pie-chi," the characters starring in the new video vignettes featured on ThisIsVT.com offer viewers a glimpse into some of the personalities that are the life of Vermont's vibrant tourist industry. The short films were shot as part of a campaign for the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing that emphasizes the state’s diverse human assets.
‘Our recent research on the Vermont brand showed that vacationers are looking for ‘good value,’ ‘diverse experiences,’ ‘unspoiled landscape’ and ‘warm, friendly people,’" said deputy commissioner of tourism and marketing Steve Cook.
‘With this in mind, Spike and VT Tourism conceived and created ThisIsVT.com.’

Housing Vermont and an affiliate of the Springfield Housing Authority have partnered to redevelop Main Street’s historic Ellis Block, which was destroyed by a devastating fire on July 8, 2008. The renovated building will include a three-screen movie theatre and nine affordable apartments. During a groundbreaking ceremony at the Ellis Block in Springfield on Friday, US Senator Patrick Leahy announced he has secured a $125,000 federal appropriation to help rebuild workforce housing and a theater lost to a 2008 fire. The appropriation, finalized earlier this summer, ensured that the project could break ground.
The $3.4 million reconstruction project also includes a $1.286 million federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program grant made possible by another Leahy-authored provision, included in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.

At a press conference today, Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss announced that the City will be conducting a “Complete Streets” demonstration project as part of the repaving of Colchester Avenue. Mayor Kiss was joined by City Councilor Sharon Bushor of Ward 1, staff from the Department of Public Works, and Jennifer Wallace-Brodeur of AARP-VT, as well as representatives of several other organizations involved in the project.

Vermont Business Magazine New unemployment claims in Vermont returned to numbers resembling those of early May last week after a one-week jump. Claims have been going through a cycle of steady increases followed by a steep drop the last several months, climbing about 1,100 before settling back to under 600. This has been the case while the unemployment rate has kept falling. However, weekly claims have been consistently below the numbers from 2013.

For the week of May 24, 2014, there were 573 new, regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance in Vermont. This is a decrease of 128 from the previous week's total, and 110 fewer than they were a year ago.

Republican gubernatorial candidate and current Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie released his economic development proposal on August 30.
Brian Dubie's plan is below. The full version can be found at:
http://briandubie.com/

Pure Vermont
Blueprint for Job Growth and Economic Expansion

My blueprint to grow the economy starts with an honest assessment of Vermont’s strengths and weaknesses.

State highway conditions are the best they’ve been in 19 years, according to Reason Foundation’s 19th Annual Highway Report. Unfortunately, the recession is partly responsible for the improvement in road conditions: people are driving less, which has helped slow pavement deterioration and reduced traffic congestion and fatalities.
The annual Reason Foundation study measures the condition and cost-effectiveness of state-owned roads in 11 categories, including deficient bridges, urban traffic congestion, fatality rates, pavement condition on urban and rural Interstates and on major rural roads, and the number of unsafe narrow rural lanes. National performance in all of those key areas improved in 2008, the most recent year with complete data available.
Overall, North Dakota, Montana and Kansas have the most cost-effective state highway systems. Rhode Island, Alaska,California, Hawaii and New York have the least cost-effective road systems.

USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Dallas Tonsager announced yesterday that two Vermont towns were among 61 organizations in 46 states, the Western Pacific region and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico that will benefit from funding made available under the Rural Business Enterprise Grant program (RBEG).
The town of Shoreham was selected for a $59,457 grant to conduct a feasibility study in bulk processing and quick/long-term freezing to allow more regionally produced foods to be used in local institutions. The project will include market analysis, operational design of a USDA approved facility and financial strategy to convert a former apple storage warehouse to a multipurpose regional food center.

For three weeks this month, VPR reporter Steve Zind will report from Afghanistan, where he’ll be embedded with 1,500 members of the Vermont National Guard.
Zind will be based at Bagram Airbase in Kabul, and will travel with the guard to rural outposts where Vermonters are stationed, providing a unique and local perspective on the war in Afghanistan. He’ll file stories and interviews from the field, capturing the sounds of the soldiers’ daily lives, and accompany them on patrols and training missions.
He will also keep an online journal, where he’ll post photos and share thoughts and observations about his experience. He has also asked listeners to share the questions they would like answered about the mission, or suggestions for stories he should pursue.

Governor Jim Douglas announced today that a new cheese manufacturing company will be locating in Swanton, creating up to 55 jobs over the next several years. Swan Valley Cheese will occupy the former Via Cheese facility in the Swanton Town Industrial Park. Via Cheese stopped production and laid of its workers in May.
‘I am very pleased to welcome Swan Valley Cheese to Vermont,’ Governor Douglas said. ‘This new entity will not only create jobs in Swanton, but will also use milk from Vermont farms. Swan Valley Cheese will occupy a production facility that has been vacant for some time.’
The company received assistance from the Vermont Economic Development Authority and has initial approval for $384,133 worth of Vermont Employment Growth Incentives from the Vermont Economic Progress Council.
With extensive experience in the cheese-making industry, Swan Valley will produce asiago, fontina and other artisanal cheeses, as well as mozzarella.

Is your nonprofit a century old? If yes, then the Secretary of State is looking for you! Secretary Deb Markowitz is seeking applicants for the 2010 Vermont Centennial Nonprofit Awards program. This program honors nonprofits that have operated in Vermont for at least 100 years. Any nonprofit that has been in operation in Vermont for 100 years or more can participate in this awards program by filling out an application form.
Secretary Markowitz said, “The Vermont Centennial Nonprofit Award acknowledges Vermont's oldest nonprofits for enriching our heritage. This program deepens our understanding of how Vermont's nonprofits have enhanced our community life during the last hundred years.”
“It is important to recognize Vermont's nonprofits for their longevity," added Markowitz. “It takes a tremendous amount of dedication to keep a nonprofit active for 100 years.”

Construction is well under way at the new Tupelo Music Hall in White River Junction, and all systems are go for the grand opening performance on Friday, October 1. Scott Hayward, the owner of the venue, has also booked an ambitious and eclectic schedule of almost forty shows, already stretching into May of 2011.
The grand opening weekend will kick off with Vermont favorites Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams followed on Saturday night by veteran folk-singer-songwriter Tom Paxton. On Sunday, Tupelo will host the awards presentation for the ‘First Upper Valley Owl Awards for Excellence,’ sponsored by The Complete Hoot, who has named Tupelo as co-sponsor.

The Vermont Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) has received a 2010 Consortium Development Competition Award of $185,000 from the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) to fund a research project entitled, ‘The Vermont Frozen Landscape Monitoring Project".
‘This is an exciting project at the intersection of NASA research interests and a critical Vermont concern,’ says Dr. William Lakin originator of the grant request. ‘It is also a clear indication that NASA recognizes the quality of the research teams being developed by the VTSGC with our Space Grant faculty research funding.’