Current News

by Laura Malieswski Strike up a conversation with the locals at one of the general stores in West Burke and you’re bound to hear a little history of the village in its heyday. Depending on their age, it might be a firsthand account or one passed on to them from parents and grandparents who remember West Burke Village as a bustling railroad stop where the historic Mill Pond and adjacent bandstand were the town center.

Vermont Business Magazine For the first time ever, Burlington City Arts moved its annual art auction online—and it was a resounding success. Anticipated to draw in about $30,000, the event raised over $63,000, returning $22,000 to participating artists and generating $41,000 for BCA’s arts-based learning programs. The auction featured the works of over 60 local artists working in a variety of media, ranging from Lincoln-based Rory Jackson’s oil paintings to Burlington artist Shana Bentley’s handmade earrings and Waterbury artist Jeremy Ayers’ handmade stoneware bowl.

Vermont Business Magazine The Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce (OVRCC) was recently awarded a Restart VT Regional Marketing & Stimulus Grant from the VT Department of Tourism. This successful application was the result of a regional collaboration with joint applications from other partners including the communities of Chester, Londonderry, Ludlow & Weston. Individual community grants of $10,000 each were maximized to a larger $40,000 project benefitting the entire Okemo Valley region.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University’s Design+Build Collaborative earned a design excellence Merit Award from the American Institute of Architects, New England chapter for a project to design and build NEST, an outdoor classroom/playhouse as part of playground renovations at Montpelier’s Union Elementary School. Their entry was on of 163 from across the region.

Vermont Business Magazine On any given day, a walk-through Maple Landmark’s factory is like walking through Santa’s workshop, demonstrating the range of products that are hallmarks of the company. However, a look around will also show how many unique custom-ordered items are being produced for customers near and far.

Vermont Business Magazine Noting Vermont is exactly one month into the school year, state officials at Friday’s press conference thanked the school communities for their hard work in opening schools and expanding in-person learning. The Agency of Education has sent a survey to school districts to gather up-to-date information on their reopening plans. Officials expect to be able to release those results next week.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims were again little changed last week, but remain near their lowest levels now since the first week of March. Ongoing claims continue to fall precipitously and Vermonters fall from the unemployment rolls as benefits are expiring.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) Friday pressed Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) not to proceed with Supreme Court confirmation hearings next week unless stringent COVID-19 testing procedures are implemented immediately. Pointing out that two Judiciary Committee members have tested positive for COVID-19 and others have thus far refused to be tested, the senators told Graham that without testing procedures in place, the hearings could threaten the safety and health of all who attend in person.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) announces grants totaling $299,350 for seven projects to benefit Vermont fruit, vegetable, and value-added producers and increase consumer access to locally produced food. These grants, funded through the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), were awarded to six agricultural organizations to undertake a range of research, development, education, business planning, and marketing projects. The grants will leverage an additional $190,026 in matching funds.

Vermont Business Magazine At a meeting on September 16, the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board awarded $1.18 million in state funding and nearly $1.5 million in federal funding to protect 646 acres of farmland in South Burlington, Sheldon and Starksboro, to support a new recreational network in Cambridge, to expand a Wildlife Management Area in Vernon, to restore riparian land and improve water quality in Morgan, and to help restore historic details at the Fairbanks Museum in St Johnsbury.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Public Safety would like to hear from first responders and members of the public as part of the process of enacting a fee structure for dispatch services through Vermont State Police Public Safety Answering Points. Dispatchers most often are the first contact that people have with the Vermont State Police and the 100+ agencies for whom we provide dispatch services. VSP dispatch centers are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide emergency and non-emergency support to the people of Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Treasury Department, today released a simpler loan forgiveness application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $50,000 or less. This action streamlines the PPP forgiveness process to provide financial and administrative relief to America’s smallest businesses while also ensuring sound stewardship of taxpayer dollars.