Current News

Governor Peter Shumlin’s proposal to increase funding to Vermont’s Blueprint for Health is getting a boost from two new reports that show the program is leading national efforts to slow the growth of health care costs – by up to $2,200 per person, per year, according to one study – and contributing to better health outcomes for Vermonters.

“It’s clear that the Blueprint is lowering health care costs for Vermonters, reducing the need for emergency care, and helping Vermonters lead healthier lives,” Shumlin said. “As we work to transition to a health care system that rewards quality of care over quantity of care, the Blueprint will be an important part of Vermont’s health care future.”

Community Bancorp, the holding company for Community National Bank in Derby, Vermont, (OTCQX: CMTV) has qualified to upgrade its common stock to OTCQX, the top financial marketplace for established, global and growth companies operated by OTC Markets Group. The company previously traded on OTCQB, the venture marketplace operated by OTC Markets Group.

The University of Vermont Medical Center has announced it is investing $419,336 in a broad range of non-profit social service and health programs in Chittenden and Franklin counties through its Community Benefit Fund. Seniors needing transportation, children lacking nutritious food, and low income residents seeking medical care will all benefit from this funding. (See list of organizations and grant amounts below).

The grants are part of more than $100 million in community benefits provided by the UVM Medical Center each year, including charity care and approximately $750,000 in Community Benefit Fund grants.

Spruce Peak Realty concluded record sales of the latest addition to Spruce Peak at Stowe, the 19-unit Club Residences, selling out in just six weeks. The luxury condominiums range in size from two- to five- bedrooms (1,300-3,600 square feet), priced from $1,100,000 to $4,000,000. The total sales is valued at $42 million. The Club Residences are being constructed at the heart of the new base village above the Adventure Center, another amenity being added to the 35-acre exclusive ski-in/ski-out community at the base of Stowe Mountain Resort.

“This is one of the most successful ski resort sales programs in the US during the 2014-15 ski season. Spruce Peak at Stowe has found the right product for the market with the Club Residences, offering a limited number of exclusive homes in a great location in this outstanding four season mountain resort community,” said Spruce Peak VP and Director of Real Estate Development Sam Gaines.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) is proud to announce the expansion of its Velocity All-Boys Program for 2015. Velocity is a unique afterschool program designed for middle school boys. Through guided discussions the six-week program addresses common issues that have significance for boys. We pair these conversations with opportunities to try new activities in a non-competitive setting. Past activities include hiking, climbing, break dancing, martial arts, weight training, cooking and more.

Goals of the program include increasing self-esteem, encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle, building confidence, developing communication skills and creating an environment where boys can challenge themselves both physically and mentally.

Velocity is ramping up in 2015 with nine schools from all over Vermont:

Governor Peter Shumlin, House Speaker Shap Smith and Senate President Pro Tempore John Campbell will attend a water quality forum on Wednesday, February 18, 2015, at the State House. The “Lake Day” forum was arranged by a coalition of stakeholders to emphasize the critical importance of addressing the state’s water quality issues, including those experienced in Lake Champlain.

“We all agree that we need to make cleaning up Lake Champlain and other Vermont waterways a priority in order to protect and promote Vermont’s economy and special way of life,” Shumlin said, who will speak at the event. “Cleaning up those waterways is going to take all of us working together to make real progress to preserve and protect Vermont’s natural beauty for future generations.”

The local food movement has been capturing media attention all across the country. Vermont, in many ways, is serving as the pace setter for focused, coordinated activity that is driving job and food business creation, economic output, and finding creative ways for all Vermonters to participate in this renaissance of ‘relocalized’ food.

“In 2009, when the Vermont Legislature set the Farm to Plate Initiative in motion, no one really knew what might come of it. As the Chair of the House Agriculture and Forestry Committee, I could not be more pleased,” said Carolyn Partridge, a state representative from Windham County. “We’ve seen incredible jobs creation, we’ve seen young people starting new farms, and we’re finding all sorts of creative ways to get fresh, local food onto the dinner table of Vermonters.”

Couchsurfing. CSAs. Neighborhood energy. Local food clusters. Coops. Promising alternative business models are cropping up all around the country. Do they constitute the new economy people have been out in the street demanding—the one that delivers social and financial benefits broadly while restoring the environment? Ecotrust and the E3 Network—a national network of economists focused on equity and environment—deployed researchers around the country to find out. Armed with an analytical framework developed by a prominent national steering committee, these researchers looked deeply into how new business models function, what their impacts are, how scalable they are, and how replicable they are.

February 11, 2015, marked the 10th anniversary of Vermont 2-1-1, the statewide information and referral program of the United Ways of Vermont. Annually, almost 50,000 callers to Vermont 2-1-1 receive free person-to-person service from Information and Referral Specialists and trained volunteers. People call the confidential 2-1-1 helpline looking for resources to meet basic needs, like heating or utility assistance, shelter, emergency help, or to find the closest food shelf. Vermonters also call for important everyday non-emergency needs, such as developmental screening for a child, home health care for a relative, job training or free tax filing support.

Vermont 2-1-1 during times of emergency

Green Mountain Power has announced that for a third year, due to power generation at its Kingdom Community Wind Farm on Lowell Mountain, five Northeast Kingdom Towns will receive Good Neighbor Fund payments, according to a statement from GMP. This year, GMP will distribute more than $188,000, an increase of $62,000 over last year as a result of increased power generation at the Lowell facility. The Good Neighbor Fund was developed by Green Mountain Power to share direct value to neighboring towns.

Eden just received its Good Neighbor Payment of $72,061. Candace Vear, the town clerk and treasurer in Eden, said, “It’s nice to see GMP follow through on its promise and deliver a benefit to towns around Kingdom Community Wind. Our town plan is supportive of the project because of the clean energy it produces and the value we see as a neighboring town. This money will support important priorities of our town.”

Governor Peter Shumlin, along with representatives from the City of St Albans and Williston-based developer PeakCM, today unveiled plans for an 88-room hotel on Lake Street in downtown St Albans. The hotel is the final piece of a major redevelopment project that brought together public and private entities to revitalize downtown St. Albans, grow jobs, and expand economic opportunity in the region.

“This is a very exciting day,” Shumlin said. “When City leadership came to me four years ago with this ambitious vision to revitalize downtown St. Albans there were many obstacles in the way. Working together, we met those challenges and figured out how to turn vision to reality. Now four years later, we’re here to celebrate the progress we’ve made and the progress we’ll continue to make for the city of St. Albans and the entire region.”

Parent Co., formed in Summer 2014, builds technology for internet connected parents around the world, a market that is both massive and surprisingly underserved. After raising an initial seed round of $1.8 Million from private investment, the company acquired Notabli(www.notabli.com). The mobile-first app, which just launched on desktop today, allows parents to save, organize, and share their kids' most memorable moments (photos, video, audio, quotes and notes) with those who care most.