Current News

by Mike Smith There was a philosophy instilled in me when I was training to become a Navy SEAL. Instructors would constantly bellow, “It pays to be a winner!” Although this philosophy was mostly associated with various physical exercises, the underlying meaning had real purpose: that losing could have serious consequences, it could even mean death, especially in combat.

In business and politics, there was once a similar philosophy: Work hard, be honest, persevere and you will succeed. In this context the “it pays to be a winner” philosophy was an uplifting message, meaning that striving for success would be rewarded.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Environmental Conservation announced Friday that the Environmental Court has issued an Order against Meadowcrest Campground, LLC for violations of the Vermont Water Supply Rules at the Meadowcrest Campground in Marshfield. The Order requires the campground owner to pay a $9,000 penalty and to implement various corrective actions. Meadowcrest owns and operates a Public Transient Non-Community (TNC) Water System which serves the Campground. The system serves approximately fifty-six people through twelve travel-trailer sites, two tent sites, and a one-bedroom house. On March 15, 2011, Meadowcrest received authorization from the Department to operate the system under the General Operating Permit for Class 1 A TNC Public Drinking Water Systems.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Children & Families is committed to keeping children connected to their families, communities, and schools. Foster and kinship families help us keep this commitment by opening their homes and their hearts to children in need. They provide safe and nurturing temporary homes for children, support parents as they work towards reunifying with their children, and truly make a difference in their lives.

Their commitment leaves an indelible mark on families for generations and we are extremely grateful for their dedication. Because of them, we are able to live up to our mission to "keep local kids local". Being able to stay in their own schools -with their friends, teachers, afterschool activities, and familiar surroundings - can make a huge difference in the lives of children and youth in foster care.

A petition calling on the gubernatorial candidates to make ending hunger in Vermont a campaign priority garnered hundreds of signatures and was delivered to candidates Matt Dunne, Peter Galbraith, Bruce Lisman, Sue Minter, and Phil Scott.

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, more than 80,000 people in Vermont are food insecure; however, the Foodbank serves 153,000 people each year, indicating that hunger and poverty in Vermont run deeper than the official numbers suggest. The petition has garnered close to 500 signatures, and been seen by more than 15,000 people on Facebook and other social networks.

Vermont Business Magazine - Arthur Arnold of “We Fix Trucks” at 248 Riverside Dr. in Littleton has sold his business to Robert and Malisha Montminy of Brownington, Vermont. The business transferred on August 1, 2016.

The Vermont Teddy Bear Company hosted a special off-site “Field Trip” event on Monday, August 8^th as part of this year’s Vermont Captive Insurance Association’s 35^th Annual Conference

“We couldn’t be happier to be a part of this important conference, especially as we are also celebrating our 35^th anniversary this year,” said Bill Shouldice, Chief Executive Officer of the Vermont Teddy Bear Company. “Captive insurance is an extremely important part of Vermont’s economy, and we are happy to share our experience and expertise to help further innovation and education in the captive insurance industry.”

by Timothy McQuiston You can quickly recognize someone running for governor this year: They’re too tanned. “It’s the parades,” Phil Scott said with a leathery smile. Scott is Vermont’s lieutenant governor and one of five major candidates hoping to succeed Governor Peter Shumlin, who is stepping down. Businessman Bruce Lisman is the other Republican and the Democrats are former Google executive and legislator Matt Dunne, former ambassador and legislator Peter Galbraith and former Transportation Secretary and legislator Sue Minter. 

The other commonality among them: They question the wisdom of the early primary, which will winnow the field down to two on Tuesday, August 9. It adds a wildcard to the race that could benefit the underdogs, or not.

As Galbraith put it: “I think it’s bad for Democracy. Whether it’s good or bad for me, I don’t know.”

by Chris Graff Matt Dunne’s recent mailing – like the candidate himself – makes no bones about it: If you like Bernie Sanders you should vote for Dunne in the Democratic primary for governor. The front page of the glossy brochure shows Dunne standing at a podium at a Sanders’ rally. The title of the brochure is “Matt Dunne’s Step-by-Step Guide to Making Bernie Sanders’ Progressive Vision a Reality in Vermont.”

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont has the third fewest number of African Americans as a percentage of its population, but has the highest level of college attainment and higher, as a percentage, than white Vermonters. In an article out Thursday, financial news and opinion website 24/7 Wall St. reports that Wisconsin is the worst state in the country for black Americans. The Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts of 1965 — ending decades of government-sponsored racial oppression and intended to reverse the effects of hundreds of years of slavery — by no means have resolved racial inequality in the United States.

Vermont Business Magazine More than 100 golfers played under sunny skies at the Brattleboro Country Club on Wednesday, August 3^rd, to help make the Brattleboro Retreat’s 11^th Annual Golf Tournament a record-setting success. With fundraising revenue marking an all-time high in the tournament’s history, the event netted more than $50,000 for the Brattleboro Retreat’s programs for children and adolescents. Tournament proceeds help fund therapeutic, recreational, and educational opportunities for children in five different Retreat programs including residential, inpatient, and school programs. 

Vermont Business Magazine SolarCity (Nasdaq: SCTY) launched new solar loan program—that will allow many Vermont customers to immediately pay less for solar each month than they previously paid for utility bills and pocket thousands in additional dollars from applicable tax credits. The company has leveraged its installation volume—SolarCity installed more residential solar in 2015 than the next 50 competitors combined—to negotiate extremely favorable terms on behalf of its customers.

by Scott A Giles Vermont students will be heading off to college in a few weeks and that means the first-semester payment is due as well. For most students and families, they will be borrowing to cover part of their education expenses. Education and training after high school is the single-most important investment a person can make in his or her future. Proof in point: of the 11.6 million jobs created since the Great Recession, all but 100,000 went to workers who had at least some college education, according to a new study, “America’s Divided Recovery: College Haves and Have-Nots,” from Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

Nearly seven out of 10 Vermont students will take loans to finance some of their education expenses; knowing how to compare loans and costs is essential to making college more affordable.