Current News

​Vermont Business Magazine Vermont has committed $2.32 million to expand the Working Communities Challenge and double the number of teams tackling tough local economic issues, from aging populations to low labor force participation. The challenge was created by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston to advance collaborative efforts to build healthy economies and communities in northern New England’s rural towns, regions, and smaller cities. The program’s expansion to eight teams in Vermont means that an additional 224,000 residents could potentially benefit from Working Communities Challenge efforts in the state.

​Vermont Business Magazine Leadership Champlain, the Lake Champlain Chamber’s flagship workforce development program, is accepting Service Project proposals from the region’s nonprofits and municipalities for the class of 2023. The deadline is April 18, 2022. Every year, Leadership Champlain gathers a cohort of professionals from diverse backgrounds who share a commitment to community leadership. The cohort explores Vermont’s political, economic, and cultural landscape through monthly seminars, tours, leader interviews, and a volunteer Service Project.

Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum has gathered an impressive panel of Stratton Mountain insiders to sit on the virtual “red bench” to share their memories and the history of Stratton Mountain as it celebrates its 60th anniversary. Stratton’s lifts began turning in December 1961 and it has since notched a succession of “firsts,” including flying lift towers in with a helicopter, hosting the first World Cup ski race in Vermont, being the first major resort to welcome snowboarding, and the 30-year home of the US Open Snowboarding Championships.

Vermont Business Magazine C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc, an industry leader in supply chain solutions and wholesale grocery supply in the United States has officially brought the iconic Grand Union supermarkets back to its beloved shoppers in New York state and Vermont. GU Markets LLC, an affiliate of C&S Wholesale Grocers, will operate these stores. These former Tops Markets include one in Rutland.

by Jeff Tieman, President and Chief Executive Officer, VAHHS I met my friend Mark Glaze when I was a senior in high school and he was a senior in college. He hosted me on a visit to my prospective campus in Colorado Springs. Right away I knew Mark was wicked smart. He was charming. He was student body president and his charisma told me he would be so much more. And he was. Mark went on to do amazing things. As an attorney and advocate, he led work on campaign finance reform and same-sex marriage, among other important issues. But it was his pioneering and brave work in the space of gun safety that made him a hero to so many.

Vermont Business Magazine This morning, via video announcement, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean endorsed Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray for Congress. Governor Dean served six terms as Vermont’s Governor from 1991 to 2003. He was a democratic candidate for President in 2004 and went on to serve as Chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Vermont Research News Although the mastodon remains from Mount Holly were discovered in 1848, successful dating of the remains was stymied until scholars from the university of Delaware performed radiocarbon dating on a rib bone this February. The data suggest that the mastodon was alive during the Younger Dryas and it's life may have coincided with the arrival of the first humans in the area. Judging by the bone’s low nitrogen content, researchers believe it lived during a period of climate warming, forcing it to consume a wider variety of foods to survive, including lichen, spruce, and alder.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets There are lots of great options for food, farm, and forestry businesses looking for support! The Vermont Housing and Conservation Board's Farm & Forest Viability Program offers programs to support eligible farmers, agriculturally-related businesses, forest products enterprises, and forest landowners.

by Graydon Stevens, VOGA The fact that recreation is a major contributor to Vermont's economy and contributes to the healthy lifestyle of an active public is well known. That said, one of the more problematic issues regarding recreation in Vermont is posted land. Landowners in Vermont have the option to post land if they are concerned about privacy, property damage, liability issues or any other reason that might arise by letting the public access their property for recreational activities. Information for legally posting your land is readily available to the public.

by C.B. Hall, VermontBiz Having faced down a pandemic and its side-effects for two full years, all of Vermont's downhill skiing areas remain open – and they've done it with a wide variety of business models: For-profit, non-profit, mega-corporations, mom-and-pops (literally), private or community-run. SkiVermont anticipates that Vermont will regain its status as the number four largest ski state.

by Richard Davis The February 19 edition of the Vermont Business Magazine carried a piece written by Dawn Schneiderman, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont, claiming that if Vermonters are allowed to enroll in Medicare supplemental plans after their initial six month eligibility period costs will rise for everyone else. I disagree. To make this issue real, look at the current cost of a Vermont Medigap Blue Plan G policy for someone initially enrolling during the initial six month window. It will cost that person $152.33 a month. If that person wants to enroll in that same plan after the six month window it will cost them $268.91 for the same coverage under Vermont Blue 65 Plan G.

Vermont Business Magazine Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is celebrating its 135th anniversary as a leader in banking, financial services, and wealth management in Northern New England. The Bank was incorporated on March 4, 1887, in Bar Harbor, Maine, where it is still headquartered. Bar Harbor has branches in Central Vermont and the Upper Valley.