Current News

by Win Smith, President, Sugarbush Dear Sugarbush Community Member: Today, Sugarbush officially became a member of the Alterra Mountain Company family. My family and I have thoroughly enjoyed our eighteen years of ownership, and we are grateful for your support and loyalty and all that you have done to make us successful. I am also very thankful for the support we have received from Adam Greshin and the other investors in Summit Ventures. And I remain grateful to Bob Ackland and Tom McHugh, who were responsible for bringing the Sugarbush opportunity to Joe Riemer and me, which led to our purchase of the resort from American Skiing Company in 2001, and who were an important part of our management in the early years.

Vermont Business Magazine Alterra Mountain Company announced today that it has closed on the purchase of Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont, bringing the company’s total year-round mountain destinations to 15 throughout North America, including the world’s largest heli-skiing operation. Alterra (as Aspen/Snowmass) acquired Stratton, Vermont, and Tremblant in Quebec in 2017.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Welcome Wagon has landed in the Northeast Kingdom with its second chapter in the State open and ready for participants. The VT Welcome Wagon Project (VTWWP) is a program where new arrivals or returnees are connected with current residents, or ‘hosts' through an informal meet and greet. It provides new folks with the opportunity to learn more about the region and ask honest questions with honest answers about the ins and outs of the community---where’s the nearest laundromat? Where do you go out to eat? What’s there to do on a rainy day? What’s the childcare situation like? The goal is to accelerate the time it takes to “figure out” VT and get connected to our community in meaningful ways.

Vermont Business Magazine Results from a follow-up measurement study of height and weight of young schoolchildren in Franklin and Grand Isle Counties show that rates of overweight and obesity have remained the same as of October 2019 compared to fall 2017. Monitoring rates of childhood overweight and obesity is one way to measure progress of community health improvement efforts like RiseVT, the lead primary prevention program of OneCare Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch wrote a letter to Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul calling on the Social Security Administration (SSA) to hire more staff for Vermont Field offices.

Vermont Business Magazine Northern Vermont University (NVU) has announced the launch of their new online Master of Arts in Education with a Concentration in Digital Media Instruction program. Featuring Discovery Education’s high-quality professional development content, NVU’s innovative program is designed for classroom teachers, educational technology specialists, and other instructional professionals seeking an affordable, flexible way to enhance their professional credentials and improve their classroom practice. Discovery Education is the leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, engaging content, and professional learning for K-12 classrooms.

Vermont Business Magazine The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation has awarded Lamoille Housing Partnership (LHP) a Vermont Economic Justice Grant. The grant will support the affordable housing nonprofit’s continued efforts to reduce housing barriers in Lamoille County and the Town of Hardwick.

Vermont Business Magazine Hula, a collaborative innovation campus on the shores of Lake Champlain, will partner with LaunchVT in a series of initiatives designed to identify, support and grow Vermont businesses. In 2020, Hula will host all LaunchVT events, including their flagship business accelerator program. The partnership will increase support for startups as they continue to grow after the program. LaunchVT works to develop and accelerate the next generation of businesses and the ecosystem at Hula will provide integral exposure, opportunity and connectivity for growing businesses.

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Rebecca Armell, 46, of Shelburne, pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington to a charge of credit card fraud. The total embezzlement including other actions by Armell may total around $290,000. US District Judge Christina Reiss released Armell on conditions pending sentencing, which has been scheduled for May 1. On December 2, 2019, the United States Attorney filed a one-count information charging Armell with access device fraud. According to the information, in 2018, while employed at the Chimney Sweep in Shelburne, Armell misused the company’s Lowe’s credit card to obtain merchandise having a value in excess of $1000.

Vermont Business Magazine eQHealth Solutions, a leader in population health management for commercial and government entities, has developed the first-ever care management technology certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Certification was given to the Software as a Service (SaaS) solution eQHealth Solutions created for the care management business area of the State of Vermont’s Medicaid program.

Vermont Business Magazine– Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Representative Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) sent a letter Monday demanding that the Trump administration end its delay in federal disaster assistance Puerto Rico in the face of the island’s urgent humanitarian needs following hundreds of earthquakes and aftershocks, just two years after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico.

"The hurricane devastated the island and today, tens of thousands of people are still living under tarp roofs,” the members of Congress wrote. “In recent days, the quakes have cost millions in damages, destroyed hundreds of homes, caused widespread electricity blackouts, and forced residents to resort to sleeping in roofless shelters due to the fear of being buried in their own homes by another earthquake."

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State Treasurer Beth Pearce today launched a video to raise awareness about the VermontABLE program and provide information about how Vermonters with disabilities can enroll in the tax-free investment plan to save for qualified expenses.VermontABLE gives individuals with disabilities the ability to invest up to $15,000 annually without impacting eligibility for certain benefits, like Medicaid and SSI. Participants can invest savings through five different investment options, and access online electronic funds transfers, easy withdrawals, and a loadable debit card. As of the most recent reporting quarter, VermontABLE participants had an average account balance of $4,772.09, which is approximately $2,700 over the benefit cliff level for individuals on means-tested programs.