Current News

On behalf of Governor Shumlin, Vermont Tourism Deputy Commissioner Steve Cook awarded Steve Wright and Jay Peak Resort the inaugural SMART Award for Creative Marketing in Tourism at the 31st Annual Vermont Travel Industry Conference at the Equinox Resort & Spa in Manchester. on April 2. The Governor’s SMART Award for Marketing Excellence in Social Media for Arts, Recreation, and Tourism honors a tourism-related business, region, association or special event that has leveraged the Vermont brand through a cohesive marketing strategy.
2014 Vermont Travel Person of the Year award was presented to Nancy Illemann Rock, left, of Smugglers’ Notch Resort presented by Vermont Tourism Commissioner Megan Smith, photos by Carrie McDougall.
Jay Peak Resort’s 2013/14 marketing campaign “Anthem” creates an emotional connection with existing Jay Peak’ers, inspires new guests to discover Jay Peak, and showcases the resort assets with a focus on the experience.

The US Senate Monday night approved the bipartisan Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act by a vote of 59-38, legislation which will reauthorize emergency unemployment insurance benefits for five months, allowing for retroactive payments going back to December 28, 2013, when the benefits expired. The bill now goes to the Republican-controlled House, where Speaker John Boehner has not agreed to bring it up.

Executive Director Bill Young is pleased to announce Maple Leaf Farm has been awarded a Three-Year Accreditation for its residential drug and alcohol treatment and detoxification programs by The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).
This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards. An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit that its programs and services are of the highest quality, measurable, and accountable.

More than 15 years ago, many states and tobacco manufacturers established restrictions to prevent youth exposure to the marketing of nicotine products. This follows regulations imposed 50 years ago that banned cigarette ads from TV. Despite these continued efforts, a new study by Dartmouth researchers reveals that not only are young people exposed to tobacco marketing, they are influenced by it. According to a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, exposure to “direct marketing” is associated with increased use of tobacco.
“For several years, the emphasis in the tobacco industry has been on direct marketing, especially to young people who are highly price sensitive and who may find coupons, samples, and promotions appealing,” said lead author Samir Soneji, PhD, Norris Cotton Cancer Center researcher and assistant professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.

Waterbury residents used to look at the 1927 flood high water mark on the brick building on Elm Street with disbelief, until Tropical Storm Irene hit the state in 2011.
Spring flooding is a potential hazard every year as ice floes break like jagged pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle, forming blockages at bridges and tributaries and causing rivers and streams to overflow their banks.
“Flooding is a leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S., and most are preventable,” said Chris Bell, director of public health preparedness for the Vermont Department of Health. “Public Health Week is a good time for us all to remind each other not to underestimate the power of water – especially moving water.”
Part of being ‘Vermont Strong,’ Bell said, is to be ready for any hazard, including the possibility of flooding.

Related Company: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Centerby Morgan True vtdigger.org When costs are shared by individuals and insurers the price tag can influence patient behavior and have an impact on overall health care spending as well as health outcomes for patients.
Cost sharing typically takes the form of coinsurance, the percentage of a service paid for by a health plan; copayments, a flat fee for health goods or services; and deductibles, a dollar amount one pays before insurance kicks in.

Related Company: University of VermontThe University of Vermont has named Nancy E Mathews dean of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. She will begin her UVM tenure July 1.

State Treasurer Beth Pearce and Vermont Municipal Employees’ Retirement System Board Chair Steve Jeffrey announced today that participants in both the State of Vermont and municipal defined contribution retirement plans will now have the option of investing retirement savings in a fossil fuel-free mutual fund.
The State and municipal defined contribution plans are modeled after private sector 401(k) plans. A defined contribution plan is offered to State and municipal employees within the Vermont State Retirement System who are either ineligible to participate in a traditional defined benefit pension plan or are in positions where they elect to place their retirement savings in the plan.

Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and Rep. Peter King (R-NY), the leading House advocates for funding the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), have rallied a bipartisan group of 137 lawmakers in support of this vital safety net program. In a letter to the House Appropriations Committee, the group calls for LIHEAP to be funded at $4.7 billion for fiscal year 2015.
“LIHEAP helps to ensure that people do not have to choose between paying their energy bills and paying for food and medicine,” the letter reads. “The record breaking and life threatening cold that has swept much of the nation this winter is a reminder of the importance of this program. A strong LIHEAP program is necessary to effectively meet the critical needs of our constituents, especially as energy costs remain high, the economy is still rebounding, and record numbers of families turn to the program for assistance.”

More than two dozen senators have called for a significant funding increase for Older Americans Act programs like Meals on Wheels in order to keep up with the increasing needs of a growing population of elderly Americans.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), chairman of a Senate subcommittee that oversees seniors’ programs, was joined by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and 25 of other colleagues in urging the chairman and ranking member of a Senate appropriations panel to provide at least a 12 percent increase in funding for the coming year.

Related Company: Norwich UniversityThe Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation and Norwich University present, "What Ails Vermont - Is There a Cure to the Drug Epidemic?" a special event featuring Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, state leaders and Norwich faculty to kick off the Foundation's national 2014 speaker series. This will be held on Tuesday, April 8, at 4 pm in Plumley Armory on the Norwich University campus.
The event will open with keynote remarks by Governor Peter Shumlin and be followed by a panel of experts who will address the recently realized statewide issue of opiate addiction. The panel will focus on prevention strategies, an under-discussed area in the ongoing state-wide discussion.
This event is free and open to the public and culminates with a reception with light refreshments.
Panelists include:
· Harry Chen, M.D., Commissioner, Vermont Department of Health, with perspectives on prevention.

Governor Peter Shumlin announced today that he has appointed Tommy Walz of Barre to fill the seat in the Vermont House of Representatives that had been held by Representative Tess Taylor.
A retired educator, Walz was chosen from a list of three candidates submitted to Governor Shumlin by the Barre City Democratic Committee.
“I am pleased to appoint Tommy Walz to fill this opening,” Shumlin said. “His long-term commitment and service to the Barre community will make him an excellent voice for his constituents in the Vermont House of Representatives.”
“I am proud to be joining the Barre contingent in the Vermont House of Representatives,” Walz said. “Barre has given us much and Leslie and I have had the chance to return some small measure through volunteering and serving on local school boards. Representing the people of Barre City in the Vermont House provides yet one more way for me to serve my community.”