Current News

The Simon Pearce flagship location, The Mill in Quechee, braved the storm brought by Hurricane Irene this past weekend. All employees are safe, and no injuries were sustained onsite during the storm or in its wake.
Presently, The Mill is closed as the company executives and state officials assess the damage caused by the flooding of the adjacent Ottaquechee River. When the river peaked, the lower levels of The Mill building ‘ including the glassblowing, hydro turbine, and some kitchen operations areas ‘ received significant water damage. These areas will be the focus of renovation efforts in the coming weeks.

September 2, 2011 ‘ 8:30 am. The lights came on for many in the last isolated areas last night, but CVPS crews will not rest until every outage is restored.

Nationwide will have a humanitarian relief team in Vermont to provide aid to Hurricane Irene victims. The team will have much needed water, ice, snacks and some first aid supplies.

When:

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2, 2011

Where:

William Perkins Agency

124 N. Main Street

Rutland, VT 05701

Like a bus with giant mushrooms growing out of its top, a Mobile Command Operations Vehicle (MCOV) sat outside the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Joint Field Office, its roof covered with satellite dishes.
Inside, a dozen volunteers sat at desks taking calls from Vermonters all over the state who were seeking help in the aftermath of the massive flooding that occurred earlier in the week from Tropical Storm Irene
"Is he stranded in the house?" one volunteer asked. "Here's a number you can call for emergency shelter," another said. "Is it just your basement flooded?" asked a third volunteer, raising her voice to be heard above the constantly ringing phones.
Welcome to Vermont's new 211 call center, courtesy of FEMA.

Green Mountain Power Corporation (GMP) and Central Vermont Public Service (CVPS) today filed a petition with the Vermont Public Service Board (PSB) for the planned acquisition of CVPS by Gaz Métro Limited Partnership (Gaz Métro) and the merger of GMP and CVPS into one, stronger utility. Gaz Métro, GMP and CVPS announced in July the acquisition and the agreement to merge that provides significant benefits for customers, community, employees and shareholders, including a commitment to $144 million in customer savings over 10 years, a public ownership interest in VELCO, and the establishment of the Headquarters for Operations and Energy Innovation in Rutland.

US Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to the State of Vermont and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following Tropical Strom Irene.
Yesterday, President Obama issued a disaster declaration for Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, and Windsor Counties. The President’s declaration allows HUD to offer foreclosure relief and other assistance to certain families living in these counties.
‘Families who may have been forced from their homes need to know that help is available to begin the rebuilding process,’ said Donovan. ‘Whether it’s foreclosure relief for FHA-insured families or helping these counties to recover, HUD stands ready to help in any way we can.’
About HUD:

Just hours after Governor Peter Shumlin requested a major disaster declaration from President Barack Obama for assistance in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, the White House late Thursday announced approval of the aid ‘ public assistance to help with infrastructure repairs in all Vermont counties except Grand Isle, and individual assistance for homeowners and businesses in counties where early assessments have been completed. Because assessments continue in some counties ‘ particularly in hard-hit southern Vermont ‘ a supplemental request will follow to add those areas, as well.

Vermont’s delegation in Congress ‘ Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I) and Representative Peter Welch (D) ‘ Thursday asked President Obama to act ‘with all due speed’ on Vermont’s request for a disaster declaration, which would open the doors to a variety of federal programs to help Vermonters cope with recovery efforts in the aftermath of major flooding in the wake of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene.
Thy sent their letter on the heels of Governor Peter Shumlin’s (D) formal request to the President on Thursday, in which he asked for the declaration.
In their letter, the Vermont lawmakers told the President, ‘Winter is fast approaching and we must move without delay to secure our homes and restore our infrastructure. With just weeks to accomplish so much, we need the full and immediate support of FEMA and other federal agencies.

Central Vermont Public Service (NYSE-CV) has completed the purchase of the Vermont Marble Power Division of Omya.
‘We are pleased to add Vermont Marble’s 875 customers to the CVPS family, and look forward to offering them extensive new service options,’ CVPS President Larry Reilly said. ‘Over time, we will significantly improve the output from the former Vermont Marble hydro facilities on Otter Creek, adding clean, low-cost, new renewable generation to our portfolio.’
The transaction was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which regulates the hydro sites and transmission facilities involved in the sale, and by the Vermont Public Service Board.

The devastation from Tropical Storm Irene is evident throughout Vermont, from flood-blasted bridges to wrecked roadways to mud-crusted houses. But it’s the impact on small local businesses that got Todd Bailey motivated to create a statewide relief fund. The Vermont Irene Flood Relief Fund, administered by Central Vermont Community Action, will raise funds to help affected business owners get their doors open quickly. Donations can be made online or by check (www.vtirenefund.org) and fellow businesses in unaffected areas of the state and around country will be holding fundraising events to support the effort.
Bailey, a Montpelier communications professional at KSE Partners, has partnered with local organizations to launch the Vermont Irene Flood Relief Fund. Central Vermont Community Action Council will be acting as the fiscal agent, accepting these donations and providing the grant funds to businesses.

New Chapter, Inc of Brattleboro today announced the acquisition of its Canadian distribution rights by its newly formed subsidiary, New Chapter Canada, Inc. New Chapter Canada acquired the distribution rights of New Chapter products from the Canadian company Advantage Health Matters.
"Today marks a significant step towards spreading the healing mission," said New Chapter Founder, Formulator and Master Herbalist Paul Schulick. "We share many common bonds with Canada. Along with sharing a border, we share a commitment to educating on and delivering natural healing remedies. Purchasing our distribution rights was the logical next step. We are now able to bring our full capabilities to Canada."

Governor Peter Shumlin today requested a major disaster declaration from President Barack Obama for public assistance to help with infrastructure repairs in all Vermont counties except Grand Isle, and individual assistance for homeowners and businesses in counties where early assessments have been completed. Because assessments continue in some counties ‘ particularly in hard-hit southern Vermont ‘ a supplemental request will follow to add those areas.