Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Crews from Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront (BPRW) and over 45 UVM student volunteers were called in Wednesday to improve the newly acquired 12 acre park space behind the former Burlington College property. This project is a partnership between the City of Burlington, BPRW and the University of Vermont's Rubenstein School of Natural Resources. Since February, Dan Cahill, the BPRW Land Steward, has been working with Professor Bill Keeton's Ecological Restoration class on a student service learning project at the former Burlington College site. Students visited the park several times during the semester to collect data and make assessments. They also met with key stakeholders involved. Nine student teams designed restoration projects for the park and created an adaptive management plan. After further review, Professor Bill Keeton pulled together the revised plans into one cohesive plan to implement on May 4th Work Day.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power today announced it has begun customer installations of the Tesla Powerwall home battery for customers. The cutting edge technology empowers customers to become more energy independent by storing power for use during outages. When paired with rooftop solar, customers can generate and store their own energy, increasing reliability and the production of clean power. The Powerwall also allows the company to reduce peak demand on the system, providing cost savings to all customers. GMP is the first utility in the country to install the Powerwall for its customers.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s General Assembly today gave final approval of H620, the Access to Birth Control bill. The legislation increases access to the full range of reproductive health care. The bill received strong tripartisan support in both chambers, passing 128-15-7 in the House and by unanimous voice vote in the Senate. The legislation is now on it’s way to Governor Shumlin for his signature. Representative Ann Pugh, lead sponsor of the legislation said, “Access to contraceptive services is essential to women's health, equality, economic opportunity, and the well-being of families.  I am proud that Vermont has long recognized the central role that contraception plays in women’s health and lives and has led efforts to expand access to reproductive health care.”

Vermnt Business Magazine Norwich University is partnering with the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) to offer science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) scholarships for qualified Vermont students beginning this fall. Students identified by school representatives, including VSAC GEAR UP and Talent Search representatives within each high school, will be eligible to apply for this premier scholarship, which ranges from $25,000-$30,000 a year for each of four years.

Vermont Business Magazine US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced more than $4.8 million in grants from the Federal Highway Administration’s Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID) Demonstration program to fund projects in Arizona, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Vermont and the Gwichyaa Zhee Gwich’in Tribal Government in Fort Yukon, Alaska. The grants will be used to improve safety, mobility and project delivery, and encourage use of innovations that reduce time-to-completion for highway projects nationwide. VTrans will use its AID funds to streamline its right-of-way acquisition process on a large roadway project between Pittsford and Brandon.

Vermont Business Magazine The Board of Directors of NBT Bancorp Inc (NBT) (NASDAQ: NBTB) elected President and CEO Martin A Dietrich to the position of chairman on May 3, 2016, following the retirement of Daryl R Forsythe. Dietrich also announced his intention to retire from active employment in December 2016. Dietrich began his career in financial services with NBT Bank, NA in 1981. He joined the Bank’s senior management team in 1995. NBT is based in Norwich, NY, with branches in upstate New York and western New England, including Vermont.

Dietrich became president of the Bank in 2000; advanced to president and CEO of the Bank and president of NBT in 2004; and ultimately became CEO of NBT in 2006. He joined the Bank Board of Directors in 1993 and NBT’s Board of Directors in 2005. Dietrich is a graduate of Colgate University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) today announced Vermont will receive $3 million from the National Housing Trust Fund. The funds are part of $174 million that is being dispersed nationally to build, preserve, and rehabilitate affordable rental housing. Sanders helped lead a 15-year effort to pass and fund the National Housing Trust Fund. “Since my time as mayor of Burlington, increasing the availability of affordable housing in Vermont has been one of my top priorities,” Sanders said. “After 15 years of fighting for the National Housing Trust Fund, I am very pleased to see all 50 states receive funds to provide housing for people who are most in need.” 

Vermont Business Magazine Close to 400 Chittenden County business and community leaders gathered on Thursday, April 28th, for the Alzheimer’s Association’s 7th Annual Reason to Hope Dinner at the Hilton Burlington. Over the past five years, Dan Feeney, President of North Star Leasing and Co-Owner of Armistead Senior Care, has served as a lead organizer of the Reason to Hope Dinner planning committee and has helped to raise over $500,000 for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. In recognition of his myriad contributions to the health and well-being of the greater Burlington community, the Alzheimer’s Association, Vermont Chapter, presented Dan Feeney with the 2016 Community Leadership and Activist Award. 

Vermont Business Magazine College Choice has published a ranking of the 50 Best LGBT Friendly College and Universities. The University of Vermont ranked 39th and was the only Vermont college on the list. The following ranking highlights many universities that have a strong history of creating quality programming for the LGBTQ community and its allies.These standout schools are some of the best in the country at committing time and resources to equipping their students, staff, and faculty with tools that encourage education, support, safety and inclusion campus wide. 

Vermont Business Magazine Shires Housing, Inc of Bennington, and Cynthia McTaggart of Rutland, two Vermont landlords, settled claims that they filed false lead paint compliance documents in violation of Vermont consumer protection and lead laws.

Every landlord with pre-1978 rental properties is required to submit annual compliance statements which show that the landlords have performed the essential maintenance practices (known as EMPs) and the properties are in compliance with the lead law. The Department of Health conducted inspections of properties in Bennington and Rutland and found that several properties were not in compliance, contrary to certified statements that were filed with the Department.

“Being truthful that rental properties are lead safe and compliant is one of the most important requirements of the lead law. Strong consequences will follow for violating that trust,” said Attorney General Sorrell.

Vermont Business Magazine In order to help people with criminal convictions find employment and build successful lives, Governor Peter Shumlin has signed a bill to remove questions about criminal records from the very first part of job applications in Vermont. “Banning the box” will give those with criminal records a fair chance at a good job and reduce the risk of recidivism and incarceration. The law follows a 2015 Executive Order signed by Governor Shumlin to implement a “ban the box” hiring policy for state jobs.

Vermont Business Magazine Vision for the Future, the largest capital campaign in Gifford’s 113-year history, is making a final push to wrap up its $5 million fundraising goal. With just $397,000 to go, the campaign committee is asking everyone to consider contributing to help raise this final amount. Silently launched in 2013, the campaign has raised more than $4.6 million to support a 3-phased project: building a new Menig Nursing Home to anchor a senior living community, the creation of private inpatient rooms at the main medical center, and a new, updated Birthing Center.