Current News

by Mike Smith Has Bernie lost his mojo? It’s hasn’t been a good couple of months for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders recently penned an opinion piece for The New York Times urging national Democratic leaders to adopt a more progressive agenda. So far, the reaction from those national leaders can be best described as muted. A string of election losses of Sanders’ backed political candidates is also catching the attention of the media.

Last month the news outlet Politico ran a story titled, “Sanders revolution hits a rough patch.” Its premise? Sanders and his allies are struggling, “to capture the actual levers of power.”

Vermont Business MagazineFalling just below 2016's record level, this past season's maple syrup production in Vermont of 1.98 million gallons is still twice the size of any other state and 46 percent of the entire production in the United States. The total value (retail, wholesale and bulk) will not be available until next year, but based on average sales from last year, the 2017 crop will be worth about $59.4 million. Retail represents only about 10 percent of Vermont production. Price per gallon for retail sales is about $47.40. Retail alone is worth about $9.4 million. Bulk sales represent over 80 percent of total sales, but at a lower price point ($25.40 per gallon in 2016).

Vermont Business Magazine The Con Hogan Award for Creative, Entrepreneurial Community Leadership continues to seek nominations for its 2017 award. Now in its third year, the annual award is a tribute to Con Hogan’s life’s work and commitment. It’s intended to encourage and reward leaders who share his vision of a better Vermont—one that places the highest value on the public good—and who seize the responsibility for making that vision real by using data and measurement, monitoring a plan of action, and making adjustments along the way. The $15,000 award may be spent in any way the selected individual chooses.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University’s College of Graduate and Continuing Studies graduated over 580 students representing 11 online master’s programs and three online bachelor’s degree completion programs at a commencement ceremony held Friday, June 23, at 10 am in Shapiro Field House. The ceremony concludes a weeklong annual residency conference full of culminating academic work, including capstone presentations, several programmatic and interdisciplinary sessions and experiential learning activities. The students gathered from across the country and around the globe under the theme of “Leading Today, Inspiring Tomorrow.”

Nazanin Afshin-Jam, an award-winning international human rights activist and Master of Arts in Diplomacy graduate, delivered the university’s 2017 Commencement address.

Vermont Business Magazine - Community College of Vermont (CCV) student Joseph Chagnon has been selected as the recipient of CCV’s 2017 Legacy Scholarship in the amount of $1,000. The Legacy Scholarship is given annually in honor of a current or past CCV faculty or staff member whose work has had a significant positive impact on students and colleagues. This year’s scholarship was awarded in honor of longtime faculty member Gary Steller, who passed away in February.

Steller taught at CCV for over 30 years, at both the St. Albans and Winooski academic centers. CCV Executive Director Katie Mobley said that Steller impacted the lives of thousands of CCV students. “Gary had a way of drawing out the best in his students and helping them realize that they do have what it takes to be successful,” said Mobley. “I know I speak for students, faculty and staff at CCV when I say that Gary was someone special and we all miss him.”

Vermont Business Magazine Several signature food and drink festivals will make their return to Vermont this July, attracting thousands of visitors to destinations around the state.Headlining the calendar of these culinary events are the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival on July 16 at Shelburne Farms, the Vermont Brewers Festival at Burlington’s Waterfront Park on July 21 & 22, and the Killington Wine Festival taking place from July 14 to 16.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) deliver the following remarks at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Thursday morning: It is a pleasure for me to be here today at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. As you all know, Carnegie is a truly international institution with centers in five major cities across three continents, working to advance the cause of peace, democracy and the rule of law through engagement with all sectors of society in multiple countries.

As we approach Independence Day, it is a moment to reflect upon our history, what makes this country so special, and what an enormous obligation we as citizens have to protect American freedom and democracy.

Vermont Business Magazine The Community Health Centers of Burlington (CHCB) has added Winooski Family Health as their eighth location. Winooski Family Health (WFH) formed as an independent family practice over fourteen years ago, first by Ann Goering, MD and then joined by Anne Knott, MD, in the heart of Winooski. WFH is located in CHCB’s Medically Underserved Area and has since earned a stellar reputation for providing high-quality, personalized primary care to members of the community. In joining CHCB, WFH will now be able to offer their 4,500 patients access to the many benefits offered by Federally Qualified Health Centers, such as financial assistance and a Sliding-Fee Scale, prescription assistance, nutrition services, and connection to psychiatry, counseling, and dental care.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott Thursday issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Senate health care bill: “Since the U.S. Congress began its discussion of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), I’ve advocated that any changes ensure we do not undermine coverage or reduce funding that supported the Medicaid expansion, and that states should have a voice in the discussion. What we’ve seen thus far from Congress has not met those standards, and I have been clear I cannot support the American Health Care Act (AHCA) as passed by the US House."

Public Assets Institute After trending up for 14 months, the labor force—people working or actively seeking work—decreased slightly in April and more in May. The losses came from the ranks of the employed, leaving the workforce below its 2009 peak by nearly 15,000 workers. The share of women workers in any field has not changed much in a decade. Women comprise the minority in most sectors and are especially underrepresented in construction, utilities, and transportation. They make up the majority in many service-oriented jobs, such as health care and educational services, but tend to be more equally represented in other service fields, such as accommodation and food services and retail stores.

Vermont Business Magazine While the angst over a budget veto and hard-fought compromise over local teacher health plans might result in only a $25 savings for the average property tax payer, Governor Phil Scott does have a point on Vermont's level of property taxes. While statewide property taxes have fallen out of favor nationally, Vermont's has grown to the highest statewide property tax rate in the nation. This is somewhat offset by relatively low local property taxes. The result is that Vermont is above average in total property taxes collected (34.7 percent to 31.3 percent). This is typical of New England.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims rose slightly again last week but remain at their typically low summer-time level. There still could be some volatility coming as school jobs end and claims are made. Claims spiked to over 1,100 eight weeks ago and then again three weeks ago before falling steeply. Claims are lower than they were the same time last year, which has been the usual case for most weeks in 2017. For the week of June 17, 2017, there were 459 claims, up 90 from the previous week's total and 537 fewer than than they were a year ago.