Current News

New Hampshire Thrift Bancshares, Inc (NASDAQ: NHTB), the holding company for Lake Sunapee Bank, fsb, today announced results for the quarter ended March 31, 2015. Consolidated net income for the first quarter of 2015 was $2.3 million, or $0.28 per diluted common share, compared to $2.1 million, or $0.25 per diluted common share, for the same period in 2014 and $2.9 million, or $0.34 per diluted common share, for the fourth quarter of 2014. Lake Sunapee Bank has branches in New Hampshire and Vermont.

by Maureen Cregan Connolly, Home Builders and Remodelers Association The Small Business Administration (SBA) regulations indicate that 96.3% of businesses in Vermont are classified as small businesses. According to the SBA more than 75% of Vermont businesses have no employees, and the majority of the remaining employers have fewer than 20 employees. The practice of contracting services as needed is the framework that allows these businesses to shrink and grow in response to economic conditions. Contracting with other small businesses allows for flexibility and keeps them nimble to client need and accommodates economic fluctuations. It’s just the way the Vermont economy has worked—and until recently Vermont has been relatively small-business friendly.

In order to help people with criminal convictions find employment and build successful lives, Governor Peter Shumlin today signed an Executive Order to implement a ‘ban the box’ state hiring policy and highlighted progress of a bill to expand Vermont’s expungement law. The ‘ban the box’ Executive Order removes questions about criminal records from the very first part of job applications for state employment.

Agencies will continue to conduct background checks, but only after an applicant has otherwise been found qualified for the position. The policy will prevent applicants from being immediately screened out of state jobs because of a criminal conviction. The policy will not apply to law enforcement, corrections, or other sensitive positions. A number of states, including Virginia, Georgia, and Nebraska, as well as the District of Columbia, have taken similar actions to combat hiring discrimination against workers with criminal records.

The Princeton Review has released its sixth annual guide to the most environmentally responsible colleges — a listing of the schools with "the most exceptional commitments to sustainability based on their academic offerings and career preparation for students, campus policies, initiatives, and activities." The University of Vermont is ranked 10th.

UVM scores highly for its percent of LEED-certified campus buildings constructed or renovated in the past three years — 93 percent — and for the percent of school energy that comes from renewable resources — 88 percent. Also of note in the guide is UVM's support for alternative transportation, from free transit passes and a free campus shuttle to a bike share program, secure bike storage, and showers and lockers for bicycle commuters.

Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty has released its "Northwest Vermont Market Report: Spring 2015." Overall, despite the tough winter weather, sales of residential properties rose in Chittenden, Franklin, and Addison County. Grand Isle County saw a decline in activity - however the county typically has the least amount of activity and one sale can have a relatively large impact on trends.

The report finds that while employers are hiring and the unemployment rate continues to drop - wage growth continues to lag putting pressure on consumer spending. During the past two years, home price appreciation has outpaced wage growth in the majority of US housing markets, creating affordability challenges for some buyers.

The Vermont Department of Taxes today announced its 50,000th electronic property transfer tax (ePTTR) return since the online application first launched in 2011.

The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for March was 3.8 percent. This represents a decrease of one-tenth of a percent from the revised February rate (3.9 percent). The national average in March was 5.5 percent, which experienced no change from the previous month’s estimate. Vermont’s unemployment rate was lowest in the East and again tied for sixth lowest in the country. March represents the sixth consecutive month without an increase to the unemployment rate.

SEE TABLES BELOW: By Vermont Labor Market Area, By Industry, By State

For those who have sustained a serious injury, it is important to know when it’s okay to return to work. SVHC has a new service that removes the guess work. Michaelia Dix, occupational therapist at SVHC Outpatient Rehabilitation, has completed an advanced training course in performing Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE) from Roy Matheson’s System for Functional Capacity Evaluations.

“Michaelia’s interest in performing Functional Capacity Evaluations will be a welcome service for patients, providers, and employers who want to know if their strength and endurance have returned after an injury,” said Mark Epler, physical therapist with SVHC Outpatient Rehabilitation.

FCEs are a systematic way of assessing an individual's physical capacities and functional abilities. The assessment evaluates physical abilities through use of standardized tests, including grip strength and dexterity, for instance.

To address the problem of abandoned dog poo, the Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) and community partners are hosting April Stools' Day events to clean up parks and trails and protect waterways. Organized clean ups will take place on Wednesday, April 22 from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM at Burlington's Oakledge Park and on Saturday, April 25 in Bristol, St. Albans and Williston. Additional "scoop the poop" events will be held in other communities in May. Gloves, bags, trowels, pails and hand sanitizers will be provided. Participants who doggedly pursue the poo will receive a package of lake note cards (while supplies last) and be entered into a drawing for cash prizes of $25, $50 and $100.

Q: What's worse than picking up dog poop?
A: Stepping in it.

United Way of Chittenden County and a group of community partners are inviting residents countywide, aged 60 and over, to participate in a survey on the unique services and activities that help them stay healthy and feel good. The survey will gather information about what types of services older adults want, where they want to receive them and how they want to hear about them.

As part of a focus on health, United Way of Chittenden County works to ensure that all people have access to the supports and care they need for optimal health and well-being. “We want to hear from a broad range of older adults about what they need and want. Based on the survey data, we will identify areas where more information is needed,” said United Way Community Impact Manager, Diana Carminati. “Following the survey, we will host small group discussions about how Chittenden County could better meet the unique needs of our residents as they age.”

Work has begun on Northwestern Medical Center's project to relocate Crest Road which provides access to the hospital, Doctor’s Office Commons, and Cobblestone Health Commons. This project will provide greater access to parking in close proximity to the main entrance to the hospital, increase parking, improve pedestrian and traffic safety throughout campus, and improve the overall look and feel of the campus through lighting upgrades and landscaping.

Crest Road will be moved to the east, closer to the Doctors Office Common. Parking will be added at the front of the hospital and on both sides of the “new” Crest Road. This will provide a needed increase in parking spaces for patients and visitors. With the movement of the road to the east, parking will also be near NMC’s Conference Center an important convenience for community members attending meetings and educational sessions at NMC.

Perhaps the single biggest assumption that public health campaigns make is that humans are logical creatures. Give them good information and they’ll act on it. But, what if we’re not logical? On March 26, Matt Dugan of Shadow Associates in Behavior Change presented A Case for Evidence-Based Health Communication at the Vermont Department of Health. This hour-long presentation explored how advances in behavior science are benefiting public health campaigns.

“Behavior science is about how we really act—not how we think we act. By using an evidence-based approach and persuasion science, we can achieve much better results in public health campaigns. This is critical in the realm of disease prevention, health maintenance, immunizations, and other important issues,” said Dugan. “It’s fair to say that in the past, lots of public money has been spent on campaigns that have been ineffective or worse.”