Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Copley Hospital celebrated with Richard Page on Friday, April 20, 2018, as he became the first person to receive a total ankle replacement at Copley Hospital. Dr Bryan Monier, a foot and ankle specialist at Copley’s Mansfield Orthopaedics, led Mr. Page’s surgical team. Dr Monier joined Copley Hospital in October. Dr Monier treats problems of the foot and ankle as well as lower extremity trauma, including arthritis, bunions, fracture fixation, foot reconstruction, ankle instability, and sports related injuries of the foot and ankle.

Vermont Business Magazine The Alzheimer’s Association is pleased to announce Tammy Johnson, Director of Sales and Marketing at FoodScience Corporation will be honored with the 2018 Community Leadership & Activist Award on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at the 9th Annual Reason to Hope Dinner at the Hilton Burlington. The Alzheimer’s Association annually presents the Community Leadership & Activist Award to a community leader in recognition of their civic and humanitarian efforts. It is given to individuals who have had a distinguished professional career, who are involved in and committed to community affairs, who are leaders among peers and who lead by example. It is given to those who strive to improve the quality of life today and create a better world tomorrow.

Vermont Business Magazine More Vermonters are snowshoeing, doing yoga and participating in sports and exercise classes, thanks to $15,000 distributed by The Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. The grants, called Exercise Is Medicine Community Wellness Grants, support local organizations in developing new initiatives for improving health and fitness. The application process is competitive: Of the 14 groups that applied, only four were selected to receive funds this year.

A young Vermonter learns how to ice skate at the local hockey rink as the result of the Exercise is Medicine Community Wellness Grants.

Vermont Business Magazine People’s United Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of People’s United Bank, Monday announced that it awarded $134,629 in Vermont during its first grant cycle of 2018. Funding was allocated to 18 nonprofit organizations in support of activities that ranged from basic needs services and affordable housing initiatives, to education and workforce development programs.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC), in partnership with Efficiency Vermont, Liebert Engineering, Inc. and Control Technologies Inc., will unveil an interactive energy kiosk that graphically displays CVMC’s energy usage and costs in a real-time dashboard. The kiosk will also help staff, homeowners, tenants and businesses discover ways to reduce energy consumption and costs at home and at work.

The free public event, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday, April 25, takes place in CVMC’s main lobby at 130 Fisher Road. Free Efficiency Vermont refrigerator thermometers will be available to all attendees.

Vermont Business Magazine The Community Health Centers of Burlington (CHCB) have announced their Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program has reached a milestone of serving over 400 patients in need of addiction recovery care, nearly tripling their numbers since 2013. As a non-profit primary care organization, CHCB delivers the largest office-based opiate treatment program in Chittenden County. The MAT Program, which is offered free of charge for patients, incorporates buprenorphine (Suboxone) together with education, counseling and other support needed to manage opiate addiction for a lifetime. Medication Assisted Treatment for opiate addiction is an ongoing process, much like treatment for any other chronic illness.

by John McClaughry The Vermont General Assembly is in its final weeks of trying to assemble a school finance “reform” bill. Their product so far has become an ever-shifting grab bag of proposals that even veteran legislators must be struggling to follow from day to day. The longer this goes on, the more it reminds us of the memorable closing words of Gov. Scott’s explanation of why he signed the gun control bill on April 10: “We choose action, over inaction. Doing something, over doing nothing.”

Admittedly, “doing nothing” about school finances for 2019 will lead to some unwelcome consequences, mainly thanks to unwise actions of the 2017 session. But “doing something” doesn’t assure any better outcome, unless the doers start thinking creatively about the problem.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan announced today that Vermont has received $58.9 million from tobacco companies; $29 million of the total amount is the result of a recent settlement with tobacco companies. This $29M is on top of the annual payment Vermont receives each April from these companies related to the 1998 “Master Settlement Agreement” (MSA). Between the recent settlement and annual MSA payment, Vermont received the $58.9 million last Thursday. In March, the Attorney General’s Office projected that Vermont would receive approximately $28 million from the recent settlement.

The Vermont Legislature will determine how the settlement funds will be spent. Legislative leaders and the Governor have pledged their intention to use half of the settlement funds to fight opiate addiction in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Twenty entrepreneurs throughout Vermont have been selected to participate in a free executive-level training course that started April 20 at Vermont Technical College in Williston. Emerging Leaders is a Small Business Administration training program for entrepreneurs wanting to expand their small businesses. During the seven-month course the 20 students will work with their instructor and a network of industry experts to create a three-year strategic growth action plan.

Vermont Business Magazine On Monday, April 16 the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) Board of Commissioners committed federal Housing Tax Credits and Vermont Affordable Housing Credits to construct and renovate apartments for low-income Vermonters over the next several years. The $3.5 million in 10-year federal capped credits, $319,000 in 10-year federal uncapped “bond” credits and $173,000 in 5-year state credits will support the development of 251 apartments in eight communities across the state. VHFA permanent and construction financing totaling $19 million was also approved for five of the projects.

Vermont Business Magazine On April 20, 2018, the Montpelier Development Corporation announced the hiring of Laura Gebhart as the Corporation's Executive Director. Gebhart will be re-locating to Montpelier from Lancaster County, PA, where she has been serving as an Economic Development Manager. Gebhart will start work in Montpelier on May 7th.

Vermont Buisness Magazine An event to honor Bill Doyle, a Johnson State College political science professor since 1958 who will retire at the end of the semester, will be May 7 on campus. Doyle also was a longtime Republican state senator for the Washington District. The tribute to Doyle, at 3:30 pm at Stearns Dining Hall, is free for the public. Doors will open at 3 p.m. Members of the public must register to attend by May 1 at jsc.edu/SenatorDoyle and may share recollections and photos of Doyle at that link.

Historical photo courtesy JSC.