Current News

Governor Peter Shumlin has announced that 20 Vermont communities will receive a combined $3.58 million for 2012 Transportation Enhancements projects. The Vermont Transportation Enhancement Program is a federal-aid reimbursement program established as part of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users federal transportation bill.
Transportation Enhancements are awarded for 12 categories offering communities the opportunity to expand transportation choices. Activities such as safe bicycle and pedestrian facilities, scenic routes, beautification, historic restoration and other investments increase opportunities for economic activity, recreation, accessibility, and safety for everyone beyond traditional highway programs.

800response, the Burlington, Vermont headquartered provider of vanity 800 numbers and web-based call tracking, announced today that the company is donating seven thousand dollars to charitable organizations throughout the state in support of the local communities and families affected by Hurricane Irene.

The Vermont Country Store is partnering with The Vermont Community Foundation to create an innovative model program that will assist VCS employees experiencing disasters and other hardships. The program, called the Good Neighbor Fund, is the first of its kind in Vermont, and enhances The Vermont Country Store’s longstanding philanthropy program, which provides support to over 600 non-profit and community organizations annually in the 65 communities where its employees live and work.
While The Vermont Country Store will provide program funding, the Vermont Community Foundation will manage the process of accepting tax-deductible contributions to the fund, confidentially review and consider VCS employee applications, and make independent grant decisions and payments. The Good Neighbor Fund is the first of what The Vermont Community Foundation expects will be similar partnerships with other Vermont companies.

The chief executives ofVermont’s leading businesses appear poised to maintain their growth plans through the first half of 2012, improving on results from the previous survey. The survey was completed between December 9 and December 23 and released today byVermont Business RoundtableChair Steve Voigt, CEO, King Arthur Flour and PresidentLisa Ventriss.

The University of Vermont began a new chapter in its fundraising history January 1, 2012, with the formal start of the University of Vermont and State Agricultural Foundation, Inc.
The foundation was incorporated in March 2011 and has since been engaged in organizing its administrative and governance structure. The purpose of the UVM Foundation is to secure and manage private support for UVM. It will devote itself to raising financial support for the academic and related priorities of the university, including gifts that will build a supplemental endowment.
"This alliance has broad implications for the financial health of the University, and its impact will be felt throughout the institution," said UVM Interim President John Bramley. "With the establishment of the University of Vermont Foundation, UVM has signaled its intent to become more engaged in the broader scope of American philanthropy."

Sara Blum, President & CEO of PostScript, Inc, announced today that the company has changed its corporate name to Acorn Marketing, Inc as of the first of the year.
‘The new name, Acorn Marketing, better represents the company and our services,’ states Blum. ‘As an organization, we are driven by four core values: integrity, quality, creativity and community. The organic nature of our vision and values is evidenced in our tagline, marketing for growth,’ she continued.
The original name, PostScript, Inc reflected the founder, Peter Post who is no longer an interest holder in the company. The company has used the brand identity of the acorn and tagline since 2005.

Secretaryof State Jim Condos reminds Vermont businesses that if your business registration with the Division of Corporations/Business Services has a Fiscal Year End of December (i.e. FYE 12); your annual reports are due between January 1stand March 15th2012.
‘The December annual reports filing is our busiest time of year. We have sent out close to 40,000 notices to Vermont businesses informing them that it is time to file their annual report’, statedSecretaryCondos.
‘Maintaining your status as aVermontentity on an annual basis is an important part of your statutory responsibilities as a business inVermont. Furthermore, the process is quick and we encourage clients to file online.’
With a greater emphasis on reducing government waste, while being more environmentally conscious, Secretary Condos is asking Vermont businesses to file online rather than print the form and mail it in.

Four St Johnsbury non-profits’Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium, St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, St. Johnsbury Academy and Catamount Arts’will jointly promote the combined arts-and-culture resources that exist within their organizations and develop new opportunities for collaboration to enhance St. Johnsbury's cultural climate and creative economy. The group is recognizing their proximate area in St Johnsbury as the Arts & Culture Campus.

As requested by Central Vermont Public Service in November, the Vermont Public Service Board has authorized a 4.8 percent rate increase under the company’s alternative regulation plan. The change will take effect with bills rendered on January 2.
Even after the increase, the company’s rates will remain competitive with the major utilities in New England. The bill for a residential customer who uses 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month will rise from $82.26 to $86.22. By comparison, the same customer would pay as much as $114.03 elsewhere in New England, according to the Edison Electric Institute.
The rate change is being driven by a variety of factors, which include new power contracts at competitive, yet slightly higher costs, and investments in its system to improve reliability for customers. Meanwhile, the rate impact was mitigated by a reduction in CVPS' allowed return on equity, which will drop from 9.45 to 9.17 percent.

Green Mountain Power (GMP) has announced that it will conserve more than 2,700 acres of land in the Northeast Kingdom. The land is being protected as part of GMP's Kingdom Community Wind project on Lowell Mountain that will produce enough electricity to supply 24,000 homes.
"GMP has protected more than 2,700 acres to mitigate the 159 acre impact of the project," said Mary Powell, President and CEO of Green Mountain Power. "The conserved land provides for important habitat to offset the overall project effects and provides connectivity to other conserved lands. This level of mitigation is unprecedented in Vermont."

The post-Irene mobile home de-construction team assembled by Lt. Governor Phil Scott and Secretary of Commerce and Community Development Lawrence Miller has reported that they removed 68 homes in six parks around the state, completing the first phase of their work in early December.
Scott and Miller launched the project in late September after hearing that many Vermonters whose mobile homes were destroyed in the flood were facing disposal costs of $3,500 to $4,500. A total of 385 mobile homes throughout the state received some level of FEMA assistance, and 141 of these were deemed "substantially damaged" and beyond repair. However, the average FEMA award to mobile home owners - which was to cover repair or replacement of the home itself as well as damaged contents and temporary housing costs -- was only $4,500.

The final segment of Vermont’s state highway system closed due to damage from Tropical Storm Irene reopened to traffic Thursday. A celebration was held at Stockbridge Central School to commemorate the reopening of the ‘Last Mile,’ actually just over seven miles of Vermont Route 107 between Bethel and Stockbridge. State and local officials joined with VTrans workers and representatives from the many groups that played a part in the reconstruction process to celebrate, remember and mark the beginning of the next phase of recovery for the hard-hit region.
The reconstruction of Route 107 was accomplished in 16 weeks through a combination of innovation and hard work. More than 46 companies, including two major contractors and two railroads, worked with VTrans, National Guard units and law enforcement personnel to complete the project.