Current News

FairPoint Communications, Inc (Nasdaq: FRP), a leading provider of advanced communications in northern New England, has expanded broadband to 140 homes and businesses in Rochester. FairPoint’s new fiber-based, high-capacity network offers customers a better, faster way to communicate.

“Our next-generation network allows us to expand broadband service into areas with no high-speed Internet access and provide enhanced services across the state,” said Beth Fastiggi, FairPoint state president for Vermont. “Broadband availability opens the doors to the world for the residents and businesses in Vermont and is fundamental to the state’s future economic growth.”

Manchester Designer Outlets announces the opening of The Marble Mill, a new 20,000 square foot retail complex located in the heart of Manchester Center, VT at 135 Depot Street. Leading designer brands located at The Marble Mill include such world-class names as Armani Outlet, Eileen Fisher Company Store, Eddie Bauer Outlet and New Balance Factory Store.

With the addition of The Marble Mill, Manchester Designer Outlets is the largest retail group in
Manchester, Vermont. This development, the first new major commercial venture in Manchester in
more than five years, has stimulated new economic energy in the region with several new hotels and
restaurants forthcoming. It was designed, developed and built by Vermont architects
Contractors and artisans embracing historic New England architectural features such as Vermont
serpentine stone sitting walls, flower gardens, the addition of more trees and open stone plazas.

The Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) has announced that aggregate loan limits for agricultural and forest products borrowers have increased substantially. Effective July 1, 2014, the statutory limit on the aggregate outstanding loan balances to any borrower at any time through VEDA’s agricultural loan program, the Vermont Agricultural Credit Corporation (VACC), has gone from $1.355 million to $2.0 million.

“This significant increase in the agricultural loan limit will make a huge difference to farmers, forest product producers and other agricultural borrowers in Vermont,” said Jo Bradley, VEDA CEO. “VEDA’s and VACC’s efforts to secure this statutory change would not have been possible without the strong support of the Administration and Legislative Leaders, and for that, we are most thankful.”

Governor Peter Shumlin today signed into law a bill requiring manufacturers of products with toxic chemicals that can cause harmful health effects to disclose when those chemicals are present in children’s products. The new law identifies some chemicals of particular concern.

“This law now allows Vermont parents and all consumers to make choices about the type of chemicals in products they buy,” the governor said. “Preventing potential exposure to toxic chemicals is the best way to protect adults and children, as well as the environment. The first step in prevention -- and the point of this law -- is to make people aware of toxic chemicals in children’s products.”

Commissioner of Health, Harry Chen, MD, said, “The Department of Health supports and is ready to implement the law. Using good science to inform Vermonters of, and protect them from, toxic chemicals is the right thing to do.”

Keurig Green Mountain, Inc (NASDAQ: GMCR), based in Waterbury, a leader in specialty coffee, coffee makers, and innovative brewing technology, and the SUBWAY restaurant chain today announce a partnership to bring Keurig's single serve brewers to thousands of the restaurant brand's North American locations. The Keurig K150 brewer expands the restaurants' hot beverage options, providing freshly brewed coffee on demand. Currently, more than half of the SUBWAY restaurants in the United States and Canada have adopted a Keurig system. SUBWAY is the world's largest restaurant chain.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine Fewer days for making maple syrup. Twenty-five years with more snow for skiing. Summer heat stress for dairy cows. Longer summers. Longer falls. More mud for mud season. More weather spikes, with heavier rains following the occasional spring drought. These are a few of the forecasts from the Vermont Climate Assessment, the nation’s first comprehensive state-level climate assessment, presented Tuesday at the Vermont Climate Assessment conference at the University of Vermont. The Vermont report is partnered with the National Climate Assessment, presented by the White House in May. It is expected to be the first of many state-level efforts to “downscale” global climate models, combining them with local knowledge and data.

by Morgan True vtdigger.org The CEO of Vermont’s largest hospital and health care system is concerned about whether a publicly financed health care program can consistently bring in enough money to cover the needs of all Vermonters. But state officials say they’ll be able to design a program that avoids the budgetary battles that plague Medicaid, the state-run health care program for the poor, and other government programs that rely on appropriations of state money. Much of the dialogue around health care reform is focused on what health services Green Mountain Care will cover and what taxes will pay for them. However, it will be crucial that the program be able to operate in perpetuity.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Vermont HITEC announced today that the two institutions are expanding their workforce readiness efforts to immediately train and employ 20 medical assistants and 10 pharmacy technicians for Dartmouth-Hitchcock. This program is a collaborative effort involving the US Department of Labor, Vermont Department of Labor, NH Health Profession Opportunity Project, NH Works, NH Employment Security, Vermont HITEC, Inc (a not-for-profit education center), and Dartmouth-Hitchcock.

A world-renowned fighting force and a small Vermont Catholic liberal arts college might seem at first to have little in common, but Marine General Joseph Dunford (Saint Michael’s College class of 1977) proudly and fondly identifies with both. The Defense Department announced Thursday that President Obama is nominating Dunford – currently the commander of American and allied forces in Afghanistan -- to lead the Marine Corps as commandant. If confirmed by the Senate Dunford would succeed retiring General James F Amos as the Marine Corps’ top officer and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Dunford maintains close connections to Saint Michael’s College and has attended his last several five-year reunions for the Class of 1977, said Patrick Gallivan, the college’s Vice President for Institutional Advancement.

When women are choosing a contraceptive, health care providers should be aware that the things they want to discuss may differ from what women want to hear, according to a survey published in the recent issue of the journal Contraception. Most of the information women receive about contraceptives focuses heavily on the effectiveness in preventing pregnancy, but this information was ranked fifth in importance by women, according to the study conducted by researchers at Dartmouth College. The researchers conducted an online survey of 417 women, aged 15-45, and 188 multidisciplinary contraceptive care providers in the United States. Both groups were asked what matters most when deciding on a contraceptive method, rating the importance of 34 questions.

The researchers found several differences. Women’s number one question was about the safety of the contraceptive method, whereas for providers, it related to how the method is used.

Grace Cottage Hospital in townshend has been named one of New England’s Top 50 Hospitals based on patient satisfaction, according to a report recently published by GoLocalProv. Grace Cottage was rated #14 of all New England hospitals in the ranking, the highest among Vermont hospitals. Hospitals do not apply for this award, but are selected for this prestigious annual list based on a scoring process that incorporates Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) standardized surveys completed by patients; 88 percent of Grace Cottage’s patients who completed the surveys said that, “Doctors always communicate well” and the same percentage said that “Nurses always communicate well.”

“Everyone who works here at Grace Cottage goes beyond patient care,” said Grace Cottage CEO Roger Allbee, “and we are pleased that patients recognize this when they complete their patient satisfaction surveys.”

Project Independence of Barre and the Gifford Retirement Community, part of Gifford Health Care in Randolph, will merge at the conclusion of Gifford’s fiscal year on Sept. 30. Boards for the two nonprofit organizations unanimously agreed to the merger in May after studying the relationship for more than a year.

It will be a full asset merger with Project Independence retaining its name, location and fund-raising dollars. Project Independence’s board will become an advisory board to provide local perspective and experience, and employees will become part of Gifford, opening the door to enhanced benefits. Project Independence will benefit from Gifford’s staff, from financial to billing to nursing help, as well as its buying power as a larger organization.

The state’s first adult day center, Project Independence, got its start in Barre in 1975 when a nursing home activity director, Lindsey Wade, recognized an opportunity to do things better and more cost effectively.