Current News

by C.B. Hall, Vermont Business Magazine Does anyone here remember welcome wagons? The organization, which once upon a time sent "hostesses" around to new neighbors' houses with helpful information, gifts, and coupons from local businesses, has evolved - some might say degenerated – into a Florida-based marketing company that, in its website's words, offers businesses a "multiple touchpoint strategy spanning direct mail and digital channels" – junk mail and cyber-promotions, in other words.

Vermont Business Magazine Several programs aiming to help new Americans adapt to life in Vermont are getting a boost thanks to the generosity of a local credit union. The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) Vermont has expressed its appreciation to the NorthCountry Federal Credit Union for their donation of $30,000 in recognition of the positive impact refugees and immigrants have on the Vermont community.

by Brennan Duffy, CEcD, Executive Director of the Rutland Redevelopment Authority Continued momentum on several fronts continues in Rutland City. On the economic development side plans for several significant investments were announced in the summer of 2018. These included two national restaurant chains pursuing business locations on busy North Main Street/ Rte. 7. Also announced was a plan to redevelop the Berwick Site, a currently vacant and underutilized location in the Center of downtown Rutland, with a 100 room hotel, restaurant, and meeting space. Financing for this project is currently being defined by the prospective developer, DEW Construction Corporation, with a decision expected in early 2019.

by Rob Roper The North Carolina congressional race between Republican Mark Harris and Democrat Dan McCready could be heading for a re-vote because it appears absentee ballot fraud may have influenced the outcome.

Harris is ahead by around 900 votes, but the suspicion of fraud arose from fact that he received an improbably high percentage of absentee ballot votes from one district, while in another district where Republicans statistically shouldn’t fare as well, a suspiciously high number of absentee ballots went unreturned. What this indicates is that in the former case absentee ballots were manufactured and/or manipulated, and in the latter case they were intercepted and destroyed. The courts will have to sort out these allegations.

by Bob Bick People underestimate the power of a thank you. When most of us think about writing a thank you note or making a call, we might decide against it. Perhaps we think it won’t mean much to the recipient or that it will make them feel awkward. Or we worry about our ability to find the right words. But by not offering our gratitude we’re missing out on some real benefits. It turns out that showing gratitude—saying thank you—improves the well-being of both the recipient and the person saying thanks.

Researchers at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business did a series of experiments in which participants wrote letters of gratitude to people who had helped them. The letter writers estimated how the recipients would feel about the letters, and the researchers surveyed the recipients to see if the writers’ expectations were accurate.

Vermont Business Magazine On Thursday, December 20, at approximately 5:05 p.m., a 61-year-old male pedestrian walking a dog was struck and killed by a southbound vehicle in the vicinity of 1205 North Avenue. Police investigation suggests that the pedestrian was crossing between intersections, in a location during low light conditions. Preliminary calculations suggest the driver was driving below the posted speed limit and obeying all applicable traffic laws.

In response, Department of Public Works Director Chapin Spencer issued the following statement:

Senator Patrick Leahy On Saturday nine of our 15 federal departments, and several dozen agencies have shuttered their doors, denying vital services to millions of American citizens. Since midnight last night, and just a few days before Christmas, more than 800,000 public servants and their families have been told not to expect their next paycheck for the foreseeable future. There is one reason and one reason only that our federal government has shut down today and countless Americans are living with uncertainty – and that reason is President Donald J Trump.

Improvements Made to Margin Protection Program

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont dairy farmers could see much needed relief in the 2018 Farm Bill which was signed into law last Thursday in Washington. Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) Secretary Anson Tebbetts said in a statement today that the 2018 Margin Protection Program provided valuable dollars to our state’s dairy farmers and began to increase the confidence of our farmers in this type of insurance program. With the signing of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, more improvements have been made to the renamed Margin Protection Program, now called the Dairy Margin Coverage program.

by Robert Zulkoski Why do we wait until a pig is dead before we cure it? Vermont recently lost its longstanding triple A bond rating with Moody’s Investors Service as the influential credit rating agency factored in the state’s slower-than-average economic growth, aging population and high pension obligations as a reason. The financial cost of this downgrade may not (yet) be devastating, but the message to Vermonters should be. Crisis is not coming, it’s here. Wake up and deal with it. Stop Cussing the Mule and Load the Wagon!

On the farm, there are always dirty jobs that no one is eager to do. Simple errands, important duties, and critical and difficult special projects can stack up over time. Sometimes we lock horns with a chore or project that, without doubt, we absolutely, positively don’t want to tackle.

Vermont Business Magazine Southern Vermont College (SVC) is pleased to announce a new major in Environmental Sciences effective Fall 2019. The major is part of the curriculum within The John Merck Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. “We are excited to find more ways to utilize the many resources of our campus,” said Chair Jennifer Nelson, PhD.

Our environment is faced with a network of interlinked challenges in climate change, natural resources management, population growth, and sustainability. Students in the Environmental Sciences major will acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to develop solutions to complex issues while integrating sustained economic growth with respect for integrity of the environment.

Vermont Business Magazine In 2018, the Vermont General Assembly passed Act 183, directing the Vermont Commission on Women, in consultation with the Vermont Attorney General and the Vermont Human Rights Commission, to develop a public education and outreach program designed to make Vermont employees, employers, and members of the public aware of, methods for reporting employment and work-related discrimination and sexual harassment, laws, best practices, and prevention.

Vermont Business Magazine Aqua ViTea has launched two new CBD-infused Kombucha flavors, Chaga Chai and Green Tea, creating some of the most functional – and delicious – beverages out there. The new CBD Kombucha currently is available only in Vermont through Farrell Distributing but following the passage of CBD (Cannabidiol) federal legalization in the Farm Bill, Aqua ViTea will begin spreading the benefits of its new CBD Kombucha throughout the eastern United States.

“We want the funktional here at Aqua ViTea, and these two tasty CBD flavors really go to work for you,” said Aqua ViTea founder Jeff Weaber. “We’ve been looking to make CBD Kombucha for some time but wanted to take our time to create a premium, functional beverage from scratch.”