Current News

College of St. Joseph is excited to announce it has received a $50,000 grant from Community Funds, Inc.–The John Merck Fund to assist with the College’s STEPS (Students Taking an Effective Path to Success) program. STEPS is a unique program designed specifically to meet the needs of Vermont foster youth transitioning to college. This is the second year of the College’s pilot program in which six students are presently enrolled–three sophomores and three freshmen.

Challenged as to how to respond to the horrific crisis in Haiti, the Saint Michael's College community came together with a large outpouring of generosity from all quarters in rapid time. Prevented from travelling to Haiti, as many wished to do, instead students, faculty and staff put programs in place to raise funds and collected $33,574 for medical and humanitarian relief in about 10 days.
Saint Michael s Haitian connections
Many Saint Michael s connections with Haiti intensified these drives. Three SMC faculty members are Haitian and have extended family and many friends on the Caribbean island. Sixteen Haitians studied English at Saint Michael s from August 23 to October16, 2009. And a Haitian author who had once been an SMC Distinguished Visiting Scholar and his wife both lost their lives in the earthquake.

The color pink stood mighty amongst the crystal clear sky above. The pink shirts, pink hats, pink ribbons and everything in between, truly prove that strength is best shown in numbers. Stratton’s role in the Romp to Stomp dates back to the very first event in 2003 and the event continues to grow thanks to the numerous sponsors, volunteers and participants. In the event’s eight year history, over 2,500 have taken part, raising over $300,000 in the fight against breast cancer. Today, the army of pink raised over $47,000 for research, education, treatment and screening programs, which will be distributed locally.
Rachel Rodney of Wilmington, Vermont brought together a team of 13, but only a fellow cousin would brave the elements with her dressed as a banana, a tribute to her grandmother Anna, a breast cancer survivor for over three decades.
“It’s not keeping us warm, but once we got going, our bodies started to warm up,” Rodney said.

Executive Vice President Thomas S Leavitt announced that the newest office of Merchants Bank celebrated its Grand Opening on January 15. The new facility, located at 92 Woodstock Avenue in Rutland, replaces and doubles the capacity of the previously operating branch at that same location.
The new full-service ADA-compliant branch includes four lobby teller stations; two drive-up service lanes; an additional ATM drive-up lane; and offices for Community Banking, Corporate Banking, Government Banking and customer service.
Special events for the Grand Opening included a book signing by James A. “Buddy” Edgerton and Nan O’Brien, authors of “The Unknown Rockwell.” Bank hospitality also included refreshments and tours of the new facility. A ribbon cutting and bank official remarks complemented presentations of special donations to the Rutland City Rescue Mission and Neighborworks of Western Vermont.

For a few years now, folks throughout Vermont have been holding various Woodchuck Day celebrations on February 2nd – the most notable being the WDEV Woodchuck Day Competition and live broadcast at Rusty Parker Memorial Park in Waterbury. Phil and the folks in Pennsylvania haven’t been the biggest fans, but hey – in Vermont we do what we want! Because in Vermont, a woodchuck is a hearty Vermonter, a Vermont made hard cider, and an animal sometimes referred to as the groundhog. So, folks at WDEV, Woodchuck Draft Cider, Ski Vermont, and a collection of Vermont ski resorts and Vermont restaurants have joined together to help make Woodchuck Day the official holiday celebrated in Vermont on February 2nd! We’re hoping additional Vermont media will come on board and help us spread the word to all Vermonters – February 2nd is Woodchuck Day in Vermont!

KeyCorp CEO Henry L. Meyer III today announced that Key will give $5,000 to Haiti earthquake relief efforts in each of Key s 22 Key Community Bank districts from Maine to Alaska and in selected cities where Key National Bank has a presence. The gift will total $135,000. The donations will be made through a local chapter of the American Red Cross in each location.
In presenting a check for Haiti relief to the Vermont and New Hampshire Valley Region of the American Red Cross, Scott Carpenter, president, Vermont District, KeyBank, said: This donation comes with the thoughts and prayers of our entire Key community. We grieve with the people of Haiti and are proud to support them as they begin to rebuild their country.

A start-up solar panel manufacturer; a homegrown internet marketing firm; and an industrial pump manufacturer have been authorized to earn more than $12.5 million worth of state job creation incentives. A fourth firm's application was denied. Governor Douglas and legislative leaders recently increased the amount of money available for incentives, thus allowing incentive levels to reach all three companies.
The companies, if they grow in or locate in Vermont, could create 815 new jobs over the next five years, according to officials with the Vermont Economic Progress Council, which authorized the incentives on Thursday.
“These are Initial Approvals, but they are in important step forward in securing these jobs for Vermont,” said Karen L. Marshall, Chairwoman of the Vermont Economic Progress Council. “If created, these 815 jobs would represent more than 6% of the positions that were lost during the recession. This kind of growth is unprecedented. ”

The Orange and Windsor Counties Community Advisory Board of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont announces the release of its Worksite Wellness Grants for 2010. The grants, available to businesses in Orange and Windsor Counties, will range from $250 -$750 per site, according to program scope and need. The grant applications are due on February 26, 2010.
The organizations will be selected based on the strength or their grant applications – with a focus on the potential improvement of employee health, as well as the level of innovation, creativity, intended impact and evaluation plan. All of the organizations will report their programoutcomes to the OWCCAB.

The Senate Thursday night unanimously passed legislation introduced this week by Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to assist trademark owners in maintaining the protection of their brands. Last year, Vermont s Rock Art Brewery, a small micro-brewery in Morrisville, Vermont, was the subject of such a threat. The Trademark Law Technical and Conforming Amendments Act makes necessary adjustments to the nation s trademark laws, improving efficiency in the trademark system. Many small Vermont businesses that hold trademarks will benefit from improving the efficiency of the system.
The Vermonster wins in battle with Monster

Ethan Allen Interiors Inc, a manufacturer and retailer of high-end furniture, has reported a fall in sales and a loss in operating results for the three and six months ended December 31, 2009. Some of the loss is attributable to restructuring, including the closing of the manufacturing operations in its Beecher Falls, Vermont, plant, which resulted in the loss of 260 employees last summer. The Orleans plant was not affected.

ARC Mechanical Contractors of Bradford, Vermont, announced today the acquisition of Montshire Mechanical Services Inc in Lebanon, NH. For 20 years Montshire Mechanical has provided refrigeration and air-conditioning service to the Upper Valley. After years of dedicated hard work, owners Skip Spaulding and Joe Lukash are ready to slow down and enjoy the fruits of their labor. They are confident that ARC will continue their commitment to quality refrigeration and air conditioning service.
ARC Mechanical Contractors, located in Lebanon, New Hampshire and Bradford, Vermont, has provided quality heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R) service and sales to the Upper Valley for over 60 years. Not only can ARC service the equipment previously handled by Montshire Mechanical, ARC can service and install plumbing, mechanical piping, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, ductwork, and control systems.

The Board of Directors of Washington Electric Cooperative (WEC) has called on the Vermont Legislature to vote against authorizing continued operation of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant after its current operating license expires in 2012. They further urged legislative leaders to vote on the matter early in this legislative session.
In a resolution adopted unanimously at its January 27th meeting (attached), the WEC board cited several reasons for its position, expressing concerns about Vermont Yankee owner Entergy s poor track record in operating the plant, its proposed spin-off of plant ownership to a debt-laden entity Enexus, the growing on-site stockpile of high level radioactive waste, insufficient funding for decommissioning potentially worsened by recent leaks of radioactive materials, as well as WEC s potential liabilities for paying part of these costs.