Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Lake Champlain Maritime Museum announced today that they are re-opening select indoor exhibit buildings starting this Friday, July 2. Just in time for long weekend and 4th of July holiday, included among the indoor exhibits re-opening is the museum’s signature exhibit Key to Liberty: The American Revolution on Lake Champlain which explores the important local connections and regional history from the Revolutionary War. The museum’s free admission extends to these indoor experiences, which will be open along with the rest of the museum’s outdoor exhibits every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

United Church of Hinesburg (UCofH.org)

by Bill Schubart When I was ten, a book arrived in the mail from my older cousin in New York City. Ann was a people person, often to her own detriment. A professional photographer, her only partner in life was the camera. She rode with the Freedom Riders in the South in the civil rights demonstrations, photographed Louis Armstrong and Martha Graham, anyone she felt enriched the spirit of humanity.

The book was The Family of Man. I was lost in what I saw. Having grown up in Morrisville, I saw white people and cows and had little idea of what the larger world was like.

Vermont Business Magazine Embodying the mantra “I Hike Vermont,” Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel raised $6,515 for the Green Mountain Club through a clever fundraising event this spring. Lenny’s teamed up with Darn Tough Vermont to create limited-edition Green Mountain Club hiking socks. Over 1,400 pairs of socks were released exclusively at Lenny’s in mid-March and the vast majority sold in the first few weeks. Lenny’s donated $5.00 from each pair sold to the Green Mountain Club.

Vermont Business Magazine Following a suit filed by Vermont Legal Aid regarding the termination of the hotel housing program run and paid for by the Vermont Agency of Human Resources, the court has approved a plan presented by Legal Aid and HHS to extend to program for two more weeks for eligible people with certain disabilities. It extends the program for those people by two weeks. For all people who must leave the program, which accounts for more than 600 people, HHS is offering $2,500 plus another $8,000 in housing assistance.

by Jack Hoffman, Public Assets Institute Vermont’s average annual wage rose to just over $54,000 last year. The increase, nearly 10 percent, was the largest since at least 1988. It’s nothing to celebrate, though. We aren’t really better off.

Vermont State Police Following a lengthy investigation, the Vermont State Police has cited Leonard Forte, 79, of LaBelle, Florida, on suspicion of two counts of obstruction of justice. The charges arise from an ongoing criminal prosecution related to allegations that Forte raped a young girl more than 30 years ago in Vermont. Forte, who was described as a former law enforcement officer with the New York Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, was convicted by a Vermont jury in 1988 of three counts of rape of a 12-year-old girl. Forte appealed his conviction, and a motion for a new trial was granted in 1989.

Vermont Business Magazine VSECU distributed $50,000 in grants to eight Vermont nonprofits significantly impacted by COVID-19. The $5,000 and $10,000 grants will help preserve and create job opportunities, support local economic development, and further important community services. The grants are funded by Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston’s Jobs for New England Recovery Grant program. The program was specifically created in 2020 to provide member financial institutions with grants to support local small businesses and nonprofit organizations experiencing significant losses because of COVID-19. This is the second round of funding FHLBank Boston and VSECU are providing to Vermont nonprofits through the Jobs for New England Recovery Grant program. They also gave $100,000 in grants to seven nonprofits in November 2020.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Green Mountain Care Board, in consultation with Vermont’s Agency of Human Services, submitted the Annual ACO Scale Target and Alignment Report for Performance Year 3 (2020), as required by the Vermont All-Payer Accountable Care Organization Model Agreement with the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. OneCare Vermont, based in Colchester, is the only ACO operating in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Electric Department (BED) issued a peak alert for today/Wednesday, June 30 as part of its Defeat the Peak program launched during summer 2017, encouraging members of the Burlington community to reduce their energy usage from 4-7 pm today. Among other measure, BED requests customers wait until after 7 pm or later to use washing machines, clothing dryers, dishwashers, and other appliances.

Vermont Business Magazine Through its Agency of Human Services, the State of Vermont recently received a $14,305,846 FEMA grant for community-based, COVID-19 testing of Vermonters. The Vermont agency contracted with Cambridge, Massachusetts-headquartered CIC Health to provide coronavirus testing throughout the Green Mountain State.

Vermont Business Magazine Head Chef and Co-Owner of Blake Hill Preserves, Vicky Allard, excitedly announced the local English preserve maker has won two Gold Medals, two Silvers and a Bronze at 2021’s World Artisan Marmalade Awards. This is their most successful year yet, and follows five previous years’ of Gold Medal wins for Blake Hill - the US’ leading artisan maker at these prestigious international awards. The Worldwide Marmalade Awards was founded in 2005 by Jane Hasell-McCosh to preserve, grow and widen one of the most British of customs – marmalade making.

Vermont Business Magazine The Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the 3rd annual ATHENA Leadership Awards Gala.

As we begin to lift restrictions and open back to business as usual, we can look back over the past year and see the value of great leadership and be a witness to those who are true leaders. On behalf of Vermont women leaders who are striving every day to make a difference, we ask that you please consider promoting the ATHENA Awards® throughout your network of family, friends, and business/professional colleagues.

To that end we are announcing a CALL FOR NOMINATIONS for potential recipients of these prestigious awards. Completed nomination forms must be submitted to Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce by 5pm on September 1, 2021.