Current News
by tim
As part of its continuing network investment to support growing demand for advanced mobile devices and applications, AT&T today announced the activation of a new mobile broadband cell site at Pico Peak that will enhance coverage for area residents and visitors to the mountain. With mobile broadband speeds, AT&T customers can surf the Web, download files faster, and enjoy the very latest interactive mobile applications.
The new cell site is one part of AT&T's ongoing efforts to drive investment and innovation to deliver the nation's best, most advanced mobile broadband experience for customers. With the nation's fastestmobile broadband network, AT&T provides accelerated mobile data speeds and simultaneous voice and data capabilities.
by tim
Lender Processing Services, Inc. (NYSE: LPS), a leading provider of integrated technology, data and analytics to the mortgage and real estate industries, reports the following "first look" at February 2011 month-end mortgage performance statistics derived from its loan-level database of nearly 40 million mortgage loans. Vermont has the ninth lowest delinquency rate in the nation, and the lowest east of the Mississippi.
Total U.S. loan delinquency rate (loans 30 or more days past due, but not in foreclosure): 8.80%
Month-over-month change in delinquency rate: -1.2%
Year-over-year change in delinquency rate: -18.4%
Total U.S. foreclosure pre-sale inventory rate: 4.15%
Month-over-month change in foreclosure presale inventory rate: -0.2%
Year-over-year change in foreclosure presale inventory rate: 7.4%
Number of properties that are 30 or more days past due, but not in foreclosure: (A) 4,659,000
by tim
As part of its continuing network investment to support growing demand for advanced mobile devices and applications, AT&T today announced the activation of a new mobile broadband cell site in Cabot that will enhance coverage for area residents and businesses. With mobile broadband speeds, AT&T customers can surf the Web, download files faster, and enjoy the very latest interactive mobile applications.
The new cell site is one part of AT&T's ongoing efforts to drive investment and innovation to deliver the nation's best, most advanced mobile broadband experience for customers. With the nation's fastestmobile broadband network, AT&T provides accelerated mobile data speeds and simultaneous voice and data capabilities.
by tim
Travel including interline partners Aer Lingus and American Airlines, and expanded access to Cape Air's network in the Northeast and the Caribbean is now available for purchase on jetblue.com.
JetBlue Airways is making it even easier to travel on its interline partners with today's announcement that tickets that include travel on Aer Lingus, American Airlines and Cape Air are now available for sale on jetblue.com. Aer Lingus and American Airlines tickets that include travel on JetBlue are already available on aerlingus.com and aa.com.
"Our growing presence in New York, Boston, and San Juan has positioned us to take advantage of important partnership opportunities," said Robin Hayes, JetBlue's Chief Commercial Officer. "This ability leverages ourjetblue.com platform to drive even more benefit from our interline partnerships, while adding tremendous advantages to our customer, with more options and flexibility."
by tim
Search engines cannot do it alone. Search engines can prompt, list, narrow or focus on local results but are not industry experts. Freely Creative, Inc., an organization with a focus on "everything stickers," has launched the niche directory AllAboutStickers.comto support the "sticker" industry by streamlining the search process.
On Google, there are an overwhelming 220 million search results for the term "stickers" and another 196 million for "labels." Even when search terms are narrowed, the choices are overwhelming and don't include many sticker sub-categories such as: custom bumper stickers, paper labels, transfer decals, vinyl cut lettering, car wraps, free stickers, sticker collecting, etc. AllAboutStickers.com was developed as a one-stop directory narrowing the search for "stickers" or "decals" so people don't have to dig through results or understand all the industry-specific terminology.
by tim
The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) and Strolling of the Heifers announce the finalists for the 2011 Business Plan Competition. From the 39 submissions received by the April 11th deadline, the selection committee chose 20 finalists as follows below.
Finalists in the "General Business Existing Business" category are (in alphabetical order): (1) Dreamcatcher Entertainment by Bill Forchion; (2) Kaye Audio, Inc., by George Kaye; (3) Laura Zindel Design by Laura Zindel; (4) Saxtons River Distillery, LLC, by Christian Stromberg; and (5) Spirit Hill Farm Back Roads Granola by Virginia Vogel.
by tim
The Vermont Family Business Initiative (VFBI) and KeyBank have announced a partnership this week to assist Vermont family and privately owned businesses with transition, succession, and financial planning issues. KeyBank joins The Coaching Center of Vermont, Gallagher, Flynn and Company, and hmc2 agency as current partners of the VFBI. The VFBI works with business owners and their successors to identify challenging transitional issues and develop strategies for successful business transition and strategic growth.
Dann Van Der Vliet, Director of the VFBI, reflected on the new partnership, ‘Having KeyBank helps to round out our array of professional partners. They play a key role in sharing their expertise at our forums and helping us to plan towards the future.’ Family business owners routinely state that their banking relationship is one of the most trusted relationships they have, along with their spouses and financial advisors.
by tim
The Vermont Department of Labor announced today the seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate for March 2011 was 5.4 percent. This reflects a decrease of two-tenths of one percentage point to the statewide rate from the previously reported February level of 5.6 percent. Compared to a year ago (March 2010), the statewide unemployment rate has trended down by 1.2 percent.
by tim
Don Rendall of Green Mountain Power Corporation and the President of the Board of Directors of the United Way of Chittenden County announced today that Martha Maksym of Grand Isle has been named the new Executive Director to succeed Gretchen Morse who announced her retirement effective June 30th. A wide range of applicants was considered by a search committee of the Board during a process that took several months.
by tim
Associated Industries of Vermont Vice President William Driscoll issued the following statement Tuesday regarding Entergy Vermont Yankee's US District Court suit against the state of Vermont. Entergy is seeking to operate the Vernon nuclear plant until 2032, 20 years beyond its license expiration in March 2012. It recently received such approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It is challenging in court the state's insistence that Entergy receive approval from the Vermont Legislature. AIV is the state's largest manufacturers' association.
http://vermontbiz.com/news/april/entergy-vermont-yankee-sues-state-vermont
Associated Industries of Vermont Vice President William Driscoll, April 18, 2011:
"We have always had two fundamental goals and interests in the fate of Vermont Yankee, directly tied to our economy and the welfare of working Vermonters and their families.
by tim
The Green Mountain Club today announced the choice of Will Wiquist as the organization’s new executive director. Wiquist is the first new director in more than a decade for the 101-year old, 10,000 member club which maintains Vermont’s Long Trail network and seeks to promote the role of the mountains in people’s lives.
Wiquist previously served for more than three and a half years as press secretary for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Among other public relations responsibilities, he managed the senator’s highly active social media presence including leading the way in building the largest Facebook page in the U.S. Senate.
by tim
Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) will release the 2011 edition of ‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Housing and Wages in Vermont’ at a press event at 12 noon on Thursday, April 21, in the Statehouse Cedar Creek Room in Montpelier.
The 2011 update is the 10th edition of the annual report first published in 2002.
It shows, despite a long-term recession, that rental prices have continued to escalate making the gap between Vermonters’ wages and their cost of housing larger. Furthermore, the future of Vermont’s affordable housing is in jeopardy as federal subsidies are set to expire, and pressure grows to reduce national debt by cutting the federal budget.
WHAT
Release event: ‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Housing and Wages in Vermont’
WHEN
12:00 noon, Thursday, April 21, 2011
WHERE
Cedar Creek Room, Statehouse, State Street, Montpelier
WHO
Sen. Vincent Illuzzi