Current News

Last Mile Celebration ‘ The planned reopening of Vermont Route 107 between Bethel and Stockbridge ‘ the final segment of state highway closed due to Tropical Storm Irene.
WHO: VTrans, State and Local Officials, Contractors, Local Partners, Community Members
WHEN: Thursday, December 29, 1:00 pm
WHERE: Stockbridge Central School
2933 VT Route 107
Stockbridge, VT
SUMMARY: To coincide with the planned reopening of Vermont Route 107 this week, state and local officials will join with project partners and community groups to celebrate this important step in Vermont’s recovery. This event is open to the public.

The Agency of Commerce and Community Development’s EB-5 Regional Center has again received the EB-5 Regional Center of the Year Award for the second year in row by the Artisan Business Group.
The Artisan Business group is one of the largest EB-5 brokers in the world, dealing primarily with the Chinese investor marketplace. In giving the award, the Artisan group noted that as the only government-run regional center in the country, Vermont stands out with its strong governmental support, including direct involvement in the program from Gov. Peter Shumlin and Sen. Patrick Leahy. Artisan further states that Vermont’s intensive application process and oversight has led to stronger than average projects, creating a strong market brand for Vermont.

New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) has donated $5,000 to the Vermont National Guard Charitable Foundation. Created in 2005, the Foundation serves to meet the emergency financial needs of the men and women of the Vermont National Guard and their families.
Bill Smith, NEFCU Senior Retail Delivery Executive, presented a check to Brigadier General Steven Cray on Wednesday, Dec. 7. According to Smith, ‘NEFCU is proud to recognize the men and women of the Vermont Guard in their significant service to our country and state, especially their contribution during Tropical Storm Irene and in Iraq and Afghanistan. We will not forget their service and loss.’
General Cray stated that ‘The Vermont National Guard Charitable Foundation is grateful for the donation and partnership with NEFCU. Donations like this will be used to improve the lives of the National Guard members and their families that are proud to serve the citizens of Vermont.

The City of Burlington responded yesterday to a lawsuit filed by Citibank over Burlington Telecom, calling the financier "disingenuous" and even going so far as to blame it for some of Burlington Telecom's troubles. Citibank filed the action in Federal District Court Monday saying the situation was "irreparable."
Burlington's response was swift and sharp. The city stated that Citibank knows very well, through agreements it signed, that it cannot simply repossess the BT equipment. The city also charges that Citibank had agreed to continue financial assistance through the process of BT's buildout. Citibank never came through with that support and the city maintains that without it BT's buildout was stunted and its business model suffered.

Lead developer Adam Winstanley of Winstanley Enterprises announced today that the company has entered into a joint venture agreement with Weston Solutions, Inc of Concord, NH, and West Chester, PA, for the development of a 25-35 megawatt woodchip-burning electric generating plant in the North Springfield Industrial Park. The companies filed a petition earlier today for a Certificate of Public Good from the Vermont Public Service Board for the project, which is known as the North Springfield Sustainable Energy Project (NSSEP). The project has been in the planning stages for several years.

At a meeting on December 6, the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board presented funding awards to the Addison County Community Trust and the Central Vermont Community Land Trust to create affordable rental housing in the towns of Hancock and Barre. The Windham and Windsor Housing Trust will rehabilitate two properties with 12 apartments in Chester and Gageville. Grants to the network of HomeOwnership Centers and non-profit housing organizations will provide financial counseling and homebuyer education to households who lost their homes in Hurricane Irene and assist communities in rebuilding after Irene. The Upper Valley Land Trust, the Nature Conservancy, the Stowe Land Trust, and the Vermont River Conservancy will use VHCB funding to conserve 413 acres of agricultural land, recreational land and wildlife habitat.

January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month, and there is no better place to experience the thrill of learning to ski or ride than in its original state. Here in Vermont, we have the best, and most experienced instructors in the world, and plenty of terrain specifically for those starting out. Best of all, first-timers can learn for as little as $29. This unprecedented offer is only in January; only in Vermont.
‘In a state that welcomes seven times its population in skier visits annually, we’ve truly earned our reputation as being the premiere learn to ski and ride destination,’ Ski Vermont President Parker Riehle said. ‘Newcomers to these sports can appreciate Vermont’s iconic landscape, its esteemed ski heritage and highly certified professional instructors.’

The Vermont Community Foundation and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture announced that the Vermont Farm Disaster Relief Fund has awarded $897,300 to 126 farmers affected by Tropical Storm Irene in the fund’s fourth round. To date, the grant committee has received applications from 210 farmers and has awarded grants to 171 farmers totaling in excess of $1.5 million. As of December 22, total contributions received or pledged to the fund exceeded $2.25 million.

The Pulp Mill covered bridge connecting the Towns of Middlebury and Weybridge is scheduled to be closed for rehabilitation starting January 3, 2012 and will remain closed through November 16, 2012. This span that crosses Otter Creek was built in 1820.
The pedestrian bridge adjacent to the Pulp Mill bridge is scheduled to remain open for the majority of the construction period but will experience occasional weekday closures to protect the public while crane work is being done in close proximity to the pedestrian bridge.
Rehabilitation of the Pulp Mill Covered Bridge consists of replacing the deteriorated bridge members, installation of new siding and metal roof, substructure repairs, installation of approach railing and reconstruction of roadway approaches. The work will be done by Alpine Construction, LLC of Schuylerville, New York at a cost of $1,638,629.

Vermont’s congressional delegation ‘ US Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Peter Welch (D-VT) ‘ announced today the release of $3.6 million for Vermont under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
‘As Vermont’s winter settles in, another installment of home heating aid helps. This allocation will keep many seniors and families with small children from going cold this winter,’ the delegation said in a joint statement. ‘But at a time when heating oil costs are rising and we’re in the midst of a major recession, we must do more. We must at least restore funding at last year's level for this critically important program.’
Sanders, Leahy and Welch are cosponsors of legislation to provide level funding for LIHEAP at $4.7 billion. Sanders and Leahy have called on Senate leadership to bring up the measure as soon as Congress reconvenes in January.

The leading international sign industry source magazine, Sign of the Times, featured Wood & Wood, Inc, of Waitsfield, Vermont, in the December series of traditional handcrafted-sign case studies entitled ‘From These Hands.’ The article showcased the company’s innovative branding solutions for Jay Peak Resort’s Tram Haus Hotel and Aroma Café, Tower Bar and Alice’s Table restaurants. Completed in December 2009, this project was Phase 1 of Jay Peak’s three year resort development plan.

The Vermont Agency of Transportation today announced that two accelerated bridge replacement projects on Route 12A in the Town of Roxbury have been completed and the roadway is now open to all traffic.
‘These are the final two bridge closures resulting from Tropical Storm Irene,’ noted VTrans’ Secretary Brian Searles. ‘We are very close to reaching our Irene Response mission of opening all our damaged roads by the end of the year.’ The final closed road under construction, Route 107 in Stockbridge, remains on track for opening at the end of next week.