Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Effective April 1, Green Mountain Orthopaedic Surgery (GMOS) will join University of Vermont Health Network - CVMC Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. The integration will combine GMOS Orthopedic Surgeons Dr. Christian Bean and Dr. Christopher Meriam with CVMC Orthopedic Surgeons Dr. Mahlon Bradley and Dr. Sara Graves into one practice. “The integration will give all general orthopedic patients the benefits of being part of a larger group, not only in terms of improved clinical and surgical access, but also through shared electronic medical records and consistent financial assistance,” said David Turner, CVMC Vice President of Physician Services. “It will also allow for a single point of entry through one shared phone line.”

Vermont Business Magazine The SVHC Foundation is pleased to announce sponsors for the Dine to Your Heart’s Delight “Shop Local” Week April 1 – 8. The ‘Shop Local” Week is a part of a series of Dine to Your Heart’s Delight events, including an upscale dance party at the Taconic Hotel in Manchester on April 9, and $10,000 cash raffle. The proceeds of all three events will support heart health programs and education at SVHC.

Sponsoring businesses include:

GOLD:            Elm Street Market, Bennington
                        The Four Chimneys Inn, Bennington
                        Pangea Restaurant, North Bennington
                        Taconic Hotel, Manchester
                        Time for Yourself Massage and Personal Training, Bennington

SILVER:         Anytime Fitness, Bennington

Curves Fitness, Bennington
            Madison Brewing Co., Bennington

Man of Kent, Hoosick Falls

Vermont Business Magazine Eight public media stations in New England, including Vermont Public Radio, have received a $625,538 grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to establish a regional news collaboration. The New England News Collaborative (NENC) will produce multimedia coverage focusing on the region's energy usage, climate, transportation infrastructure, and its people and immigration issues. This robust partnership will produce dynamic reporting projects for on-air broadcast, digital and web presentations, and a series of public Town Hall-style meetings centered on issues facing New England and its residents.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power crews are ready to respond to a windstorm that is forecasted to hit Vermont late this evening through tomorrow afternoon.  The storm has the potential to blow down trees and branches onto power lines, causing outages. Green Mountain Power has already lined up additional lineworkers to assist GMP crews in any power restoration work required. Crews will be available in all parts of the state to begin to restore outages as they occur.

“Our top priority is restoring power as quickly and safely as possible,” said Dotty Schnure, GMP spokesperson. “We are prepared to respond to outages and have crews placed around the state.”

The forecast is calling for wind up to 55 mph, mixing with rain and snow. The storm is expected to hit late Monday evening, and continue through 3 pm Tuesday.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont, with 16,400 workers, is among the leaders in adding construction jobs over the last year, according to the Associated General Contractors of America. New England overall had a good year, with Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire ranking second, third and fourth respectively. Forty-three states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between February 2015 and February 2016, while construction employment increased in 27 states between January and February, according to analysis of Labor Department data. Association officials said the pullback in energy prices and farm income appeared to be dampening demand for construction in some states while firms in other states continue to expand.

by Mike Smith According to the poll, 57 percent have an unfavorable view of Trump, and 52 percent view Clinton unfavorably. These are disapproval ratings no candidate should feel good about. Yet both seem to be on their way to winning their respective parties’ nomination.

Donald Trump has experienced success in the Republican primaries by connecting with a group of voters that feels disenfranchised and who have a strong emotional reaction to Trump’s style and willingness to challenge the political elites. They are mostly white middle class Americans who feel the Democratic and Republican parties have abandoned them for other constituencies.

by Representative Sarah Copeland Hanzas (D-Bradford) The Vermont House has a proven track record of fighting for Vermont’s working and middle class families. These families are the backbone of the state and deserve a fair shot at success. Every March, the House passes a budget for the state that affirms our commitment to the safety, health, and success of every Vermonter. During this tough economic time we stand by this commitment and concentrate on the promises we’ve made and by funding our core priorities, rather than on starting new programs.

by Bruce Lisman Vermont’s budget process is broken. Year after year spending rises more than the economy expands, the Governor and Legislature search around at the last moments for tens of millions of dollars in higher taxes and fees, with hard-working Vermonters pay the price. Over the past five years Governor Shumlin has overseen an increase in taxes, fees, and surcharges of more than $640 million, a staggering 23 percent increase for a state of Vermont’s size and declining population. For the typical family of four, this means that nearly $4,000 a year more are taken from family budgets.  This money could have gone to college tuition, savings, or just paying the bills but instead is taken and put into state coffers.

This year there is another budget gap which we are told will require up to $48 million in new taxes and fees. Enough is enough.

Agency of Natural Resources The recent passage of Act 64, the Vermont Clean Water Act, is a game-changer for Vermont, providing additional tools and resources to support comprehensive water quality planning and remediation. The Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) will take steps towards developing concrete plan for each of Vermont’s watersheds to effectively direct all available resources towards reducing pollution in rivers, streams, ponds and lakes.

Public Assets Institute Vermont lost about 300 non-farm payroll jobs in February. But despite earlier losses in the leisure and hospitality sector due to the snowless winter, jobs overall last month numbered 5,000 more than in the previous February. Since the start of the recession in 2007 Vermont has seen an increase in service sector jobs and a decline in production jobs.

Vermont Business Magazine Nine holes on Stratton Mountain Resort’s championship golf course are set to welcome golfers on April 15, 2016, nearly a month earlier than typical opening day. While the mild winter proved challenging for snowmakers, it was paramount in preserving the golf course greens, according to Head Golf Professional Matthew McPhillips. Nine holes will kick-off the golf season on April 15, with nine additional holes projected to open April 30, and the entire 27-hole course planned to open for golfers by the second weekend in May.

Vermont Business Magazine Test results received today from a municipal well in Pownal show levels of PFOA that are slightly above the advisory level set by the Vermont Department of Health. Three samples taken from the Fire District #2 municipal water source in Pownal – which serves up to 450 residents – showed PFOA levels of between 26 and 27 parts per trillion (ppt). Those results are slightly above an advisory PFOA level of 20 ppt that has been set by the Department of Health. Water buffalo filling stations are expected to be available at 4 pm Friday. A community meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 28, at 6:00 p.m. in the American Legion Hall. Vermont DEC and Health officials and others will be on hand to answer questions. If residents have questions or concerns or need water because they are connected to the Pownal Fire District #2 supply, they should call 2-1-1. Because the results indicated PFOA levels slightly above the advisory level, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is advising impacted residents to stop drinking the water.