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by Rebecca Holcombe Ask anyone in Vermont about his or her favorite educator, and you are likely to get an animated response. In fact, chances are that if you ask people about who had the greatest influence on them, many will name a teacher. Even Vermont Governor Shumlin has attributed much of his success to the skill and patience of a Vermont teacher. On this Thanksgiving, when you sit down to enjoy a hearty meal with family and friends, take a moment to give thanks to our Vermont educators.

Vermont Business Magazine GasBuddy projects that by Thanksgiving Day the national average will be $1.99 per gallon, nearly 80 cents per gallon cheaper than last year and $1.29 per gallon cheaper than 2013. As prices at the pump have plunged, the number of states seeing average prices under $2 per gallon has more than tripled in the last two weeks, rising to 19 states, with nearly 60% of all US gas stations now selling below $2 per gallon. While some stations in Vermont might drop down to that level, the average price in the state is expected to be just over $2, or a dollar less than they were a year ago ($3.07). Americans hitting the road for Thanksgiving will certainly have something to be extra thankful for: the cheapest gasoline prices since March 2009. The low prices are showing up just in time for millions of motorists that are heading out, saving them $1.5 billion over the five days that GasBuddy’s recent survey found most motorists will be traveling.

Vermont Business Magazine The ribbon is cut at the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting Celebration for Town Fair Tire which opened recently at 162 South Main Street in Rutland. Town Fair Tire has 91 tire store locations throughout CT, MA, ME, NH, RI & has opened its first location in VT in Rutland. Town Fair Tire offers several brands of tires, tire rotation, tire change over, wheels and alignment.

Pictured: Front L to R:

Tom Donahue

Rep. Dave Potter

Rep. Butch Shaw

Nicole Kesselring

Jim Fuller, Regional Manager

Dave Correll

Terry Morton

Marleen Cenate

Glen Novack

Rear L to R:

Paul Crossman

Tom Leypoldt

Alderman William Notte

Alderman Dave Allaire

Trevor Bendig

Sen. Brian Collamore

Vermont Business Magazine Bernie Isabelle, President and CEO of Vermont Federal Credit Union, is pleased to announce the Credit Union has raised $25,420 for United Way. During the month of October Vermont Federal encouraged employees to fundraise for United Way through pledge cards and special events. Pledge cards allowed employees to deduct donations straight from their paycheck over the course of a year or make a one-time donation. In the spirit of involving members, Vermont Federal also hosted a 50/50 raffle event. The total of these contributions allowed the Credit Union to exceed its monetary goal by almost $4,000.

Vermont Federal is proud to support United Way, an organization that helps many communities throughout Vermont and all over the world.

Vermont Business Magazine As Vermonters head into the holiday buying season, Attorney General Sorrell reminds consumers to take steps to protect themselves from being the victims of credit card theft and fraud. Data security breaches and credit card fraud continue to be a significant problem, causing millions of dollars in losses each year. Consumers should take the following steps to protect themselves:

Vermont Business Magazine Skiers and riders will soon return to the slopes of Bolton Valley for the 2015-16 winter season. When they arrive they will be greeted by over $400,000 of improvements. Upgrades were mostly focused around the base areas and include new pavement, work in the base lodge, upgraded hotel rooms and two new restaurants.

“The mountain has been buzzing all summer and fall.” said Josh Arneson VP of sales and marketing. “The first thing guests will notice is the new pavement at the top of the access road and in our main traffic circle. After a smooth arrival we hope everyone enjoys an improved Bolton Valley this season.”

Thirteen suites in the hotel have been renovated. Rooms received new floors, countertops, carpeting, furniture and bedding. The exterior of the hotel received a facelift as well with significant power washing and painting.

Vermont Business Magazine Last season nearly sixteen thousand skiers and riders “checked in” with Ski Vermont to win prizes and bragging rights. After two successful years partnering with Trace Snow and Verizon Wireless, Ski Vermont is excited to partner with SnoCru to expand the Check In to Win program to cross country skiers and snowshoe enthusiasts.

“This season we wanted to be able to offer the same incentives to all snow sports enthusiasts, regardless of how they choose to recreate on snow,” said Ski Vermont’s Director of Marketing, Kyle Opuszynski. “We will award the first alpine skier, snowboarder and nordic skier that visits all of Vermont’s applicable resorts with brand new equipment.”

Vermont Business Magazine Former Vermont Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie is among those leading the opposition against an industrial wind farm proposed for Swanton, and he now has a FAA study to support his contention that the site would be unsuitable for a wind farm. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a report in October after it had conducted an aeronautical study. Initial findings of this study indicate that the structure as described exceeds obstruction standards and/or would have an adverse physical or electromagnetic interference effect upon navigable airspace or air navigation facilities. Pending resolution of the issues described below, the structure is presumed to be a hazard to air navigation. The structure will cause interference to the primary radar returns to FAA Saint Albans (QHB) enroute radar.

The study was conducted under the provisions of 49 U.S.C., Section 44718 Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 77, concerning:

Vermont Business Magazine Merchants Bancshares, Inc (NASDAQ: MBVT), announced today that its Board of Directors has appointed Geoffrey R Hesslink as the President and CEO of Merchants Bancshares, Inc. (Merchants), effective January 1, 2016. Mr. Hesslink currently serves as President and CEO and a Director of Merchants' operating subsidiary, Merchants Bank. The Board of Directors also appointed Mr. Hesslink to serve as a Director on the Merchants' Board, effective January 1, 2016.

Michael R. Tuttle, who currently serves as President and CEO of Merchants, will step down from those positions at the end of 2015, but will remain on the Boards of Directors of both Merchants' and Merchants Bank. Mr. Tuttle served as President and CEO of the Bank from January 1, 2006 until December 31, 2014 and has served as President and CEO of Merchants since January 1, 2007.

Vermont Business Magazine Millions of people get sick with foodborne illness each year in the United States. The Vermont Department of Health recommends cooking and handling food safely to prevent foodborne illness this holiday season. Food is safely cooked when it reaches a high enough internal temperature to kill harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. Refrigerate foods quickly since cold temperatures slow growth of harmful bacteria. Keep hot foods hot at 140°F or above by using chafing dishes or hot plates, and keep cold foods cold at 40°F or below by using ice.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Medical Center was recognized this month by The Joint Commission as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures for 2015. The quality measures cited by the commission were the medical center’s performance in treating heart attacks, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care and stroke. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards.

Vermont Business Magazine The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Burlington-based Vermont Oxford Network (VON) have announced a partnership to improve patient safety and raise the quality of neonatal care. Recognizing the dangers presented by increased antibiotic resistance, the CDC has developed core elements for hospital-based antibiotic stewardship programs designed to promote appropriate use. VON, a nonprofit voluntary collaboration of neonatal healthcare professionals, is partnering with the CDC to incorporate these core elements into its upcoming quality improvement collaborative iNICQ 2016: Choosing Antibiotics Wisely curricul