Current News

by C.B. Hall, Vermont Business Magazine The prospect of Amtrak service between Rutland and Burlington reminds one of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: The closer one gets to it, the more it recedes, keeping its distance on the aspirational horizon. Right now it appears to be at least three more years away. A 2014 Seven Days article reported that "state officials are saying that [the service] will begin in about three years" – that is, in 2017. (The same article cited then-governor Peter Shumlin's goal, announced in 2011, of restoring passenger rail service to Montreal by 2014 – but that's another story.)

Vermont Business Magazine In a joint statement today, Vermont’s congressional delegation, Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I) and Representative Peter Welch (D), responded to the Swanton sector border patrol’s planned immigration checkpoints: “While we sincerely appreciate the work of the US Border Patrol in keeping our country safe along the Northern Border through their actions to interdict dangerous criminal behavior such as human trafficking, we are concerned to learn of the US Border Patrol’s plans to operate a number of immigration checkpoints in the interior of Vermont.

"While these checkpoints will cause needless delays for travelers and hinder commerce between Vermont and Canada, we are not convinced that they will make Vermont or the United States any safer. Rather, they appear to be another escalation of the Trump Administration’s aggressive yet wasteful use of immigration enforcement resources.

by C.B. Hall, Vermont Business Magazine Legislators will be offered a distinctive breakfast ambiance Wednesday when AllEarth Rail, the startup commuter-rail initiative spearheaded by clean-energy entrepreneur David Blittersdorf, hosts them on board a rehabbed railcar parked on the Washington County Railroad tracks adjacent to Taylor Street in Montpelier, a short stroll from the State House.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power is alerting customers that outages are still being reported as snow continues to fall and crews are still on the job to get the lights on. The massive storm that started Monday night packed high winds and then heavy wet snow that is tearing down power lines and trees and creating unsafe conditions across the state. Crews have faced dangerous driving and working conditions due to slippery roads and falling trees.

Vermont Business Magazine Connecticut-based People's United Financial, Inc (NASDAQ: PBCT), the holding company for People's United Bank, NA, with branches across Vermont, announced today an agreement to acquire BSB Bancorp, Inc (NASDAQ: BLMT), the holding company for Belmont Savings Bank, a state-chartered savings bank headquartered in Belmont, Massachusetts, in a 100 percent stock transaction valued at approximately $327 million. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals and the approval of BSB Bancorp, Inc stockholders.

Vermont Business Magazine Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) will host an open house to unveil the hospital’s new surgical robot on Friday, November 30 from 11 am to 3 pm. Open to community members and the media, the event will feature the hospital’s recently acquired MAKO robotic-arm assisted surgical machine. BMH is the first and only hospital in Vermont to offer this surgical experience.

Vermont Business Magazine Riverbend Residential Care Home (RCH) in Chelsea has earned deficiency-free surveys from the Vermont Department of Licensing and Protection. “We are pleased to share the news of Riverbend’s recent deficiency-free surveys and thank our team for their commitment to high-quality home like care for our residents,” said owner Jennifer Doyle in a press release. “The survey results are made even more meaningful by the fact that, Riverbend has maintained deficiency free status for 15 years."

Vermont Business Magazine After careful deliberation Monday, Governor Phil Scott chose three Vermont Christmas trees from a Jeffersonville tree farm. The trees will stand in the spirit of the holiday season at the Governor’s home and Montpelier office. In 1962 the Zajchowski family planted their first balsam fir seedlings, over time growing the land into the choose-and-cut Upper Valley Tree Farm. In a timeless tradition, countless Vermonters continue to pick trees at the Lamoille County farm and many other Vermont tree farm destinations.

Vermont Business Magazine Community College of Vermont (CCV) and Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) have teamed up to provide a direct pathway to hospital jobs in environmental services. At a graduation ceremony last Tuesday at BMH, certificates were awarded to nine participants in the new Environmental Services Training Program, eight of whom have been offered employment at the hospital.

Vermont Business Magazine Home Care Assistance, the premier provider of in-home care for seniors, is excited to announce the next webinar in its widely acclaimed Healthy Longevity Series, “Seven Steps to Managing Your Memory”, led by Andrew Budson,MD, Chief of Cognitive & Behavioral Neurology, VA Boston Healthcare System, Professor of Neurology at Boston University, Lecturer in Neurology at Harvard Medical School, and co-author of Seven Steps to Managing Your Memory: What’s Normal, What’s Not, and What to Do About It. The webinar will be held on Thursday, November 29^that 1:00 PM Eastern.

Vermont Business Magazine Good Human Movement, the makers of “GOOD HUMAN HERE” pins of recognition, has launched a new website; goodhumanmovement.org and a Kickstarter campaign; kck.st/2DJcTLg, aimed at fueling a shift of social change by recognizing all the GOOD one HUMAN at a time through our pins of recognition. The website and Kickstarter campaign share a comprehensive and detailed story of what our movement is about.

Vermont Business Magazine Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc (NYSE: BHLB) the parent company of Berkshire Bank, with branches in southwest Vermont, announced today that Michael P Daly has stepped down as Chief Executive Officer, President and Director. Berkshire Bank President Richard M Marotta has been named Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank; and he has also been appointed as a member of the Board of Directors. Additionally, Berkshire Bank Chief Operating Officer, Sean A Gary has been named President of the Bank.