Current News

Brian Harwood of Waterbury was elected chairman of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s Governing Board of Directors during the VSO Association’s Annual Meeting Wednesday night (September 21, 2010) at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe. Other officers include Victoria Young of Proctor, vice chairman, Sylvia Robison of Burlington, secretary, and Malcolm Severance of Colchester, treasurer.

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded Vermont $336,683 to help public housing agencies to retain or hire service coordinators to work directly with families who participate in HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher program. The coordinators will assist these voucher recipients to find employment resources and job training opportunities to put them on a path toward self-sufficiency.
‘In today’s economy, it’s never been more critical to help families obtain the skills that lead to jobs,’ said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. ‘With HUD’s help, these housing agencies will be able to assist families in finding employment, increasing their earning potential and putting them on a path to self sufficiency.’
Vermont

Burlington Housing Authority

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$101,685

Vermont State Housing Authority

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$234,998

A group of top state officials announced today that they have a plan to remove and dispose of mobile homes that were ruined by flooding in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene.
Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott and Lawrence Miller, Secretary of Commerce and Community Development, have been talking with private-sector partners for the last several days to nail down the framework for the plan, which they say offers a quick, responsible and affordable solution to a problem facing nearly 150 mobile home owners in more than a dozen parks around the state.
Under this plan, the total disposal cost for each individual mobile home owner will be $1,500. Typical disposal costs can run upwards of $3,500, particularly for older units. The group secured this reduced cost by requesting bulk pricing proposals from Vermont contracting firms on demolition, sorting, recycling and hauling of the mobile homes, and working with the solid waste districts to reduce or waive tipping fees.

Governor Peter Shumlin, along with the other five governors of New England states, has sent a letter to Congress urging members not to reduce funding for the Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Governor Shumlin made the following statement regarding the letter:

In recent weeks many have experienced disaster first-hand, including record-breaking floods caused by hurricane Irene last month. After a disaster strikes, homeowners and businesses can face many challenges in their rebuilding and recovery efforts. This month’s web chat will focus on what homeowners and businesses need to know after a disaster. September’s web chat hosts Phae Howard and Michael Mitravich will highlight key aspects of structural mitigation, rebuilding and preparedness.
WHO: Phae Howard, executive director of the National Center for the Prevention of Home Improvement Fraud, and Michael Mitravich of the SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance will host September’s web chat on Disaster Recovery for Business Owners: An Inside View. Chat participants can get answers to questions such as how to select a credible contractor, what questions to ask when their property damage is assessed, or on what do to if just dealing with water damage.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, Vermont was hit with what the Governor called the worst flooding in a century. Many roads and bridges are still out. For the latest information, scroll down this list to see more available map layers, and see the websites linked here:

VT Governor Peter Shumlin on Twitter

Vermont Agency of Transportation

Vermont Outage Map

CVPS Outage Information

VT Response

Fair Trade USA, the leading third-party certifier of fair trade products in the United States has named Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR), a leader in specialty coffee and coffee makers, the largest purchaser of Fair Trade Certifiedâ ¢ coffee in the world for 2010. In calendar year 2010, GMCR purchased over 26 million pounds of Fair Trade Certifiedâ ¢ coffee.
GMCR has actively supported fair trade since 2000, when it first partnered with Fair Trade USA and committed to bring fair trade coffee to mainstream coffee drinkers. Through its family of specialty coffee brands, GMCR makes fair trade coffee available through specialty and mass retailers, grocery, club and convenience stores, offices, quick-serve restaurants, and online. The Green Mountain Coffee® brand offers the largest selection of Fair Trade Certified coffees in the United States.

When communities and organizations need the most help, The Coca-Cola Foundation is there, steadfast in its commitment to create a positive difference. During the third quarter, the Foundation awarded more than $1.6 million in grants to nonprofit organizations across the U.S. and Canada.
In the last three months, the country has experienced unprecedented natural disasters including heatwaves, hurricanes and flooding. The damage from these has been devastating, especially for some parts of the Northeast U.S. The Coca-Cola Foundation is pleased to be able to assist affected communities in disaster relief efforts. In addition to providing beverages immediately following the devastation of Hurricane Irene, the Foundation also earmarked $50,000 to support disaster relief efforts. A $25,000 grant will benefit the American Red Cross to support relief efforts in upstate New York, while another $25,000 grant will support the United Way's Vermont Disaster Relief Fund.

Todd Warren, the Owner and President of Otter Creek Awnings, Sunrooms & Custom Closets, Inc. announced the purchase of Closet Crafters Inc. ‘We are excited and very proud to announce the addition of Closet Crafters to our growing closet division. This acquisition will provide our customers with an expanded product line and continued expertise in personalized closet design and professional installation,’ said Warren.

In August 2011, New England posted an 8.9 percent increase in sales compared to August 2010, indicating that the housing market continues to recover. Vermont helped fuel the surge, with year-over-year home sales up 18.8 percent. However, it was also the only state in the region to post month-to-month declines in both units sold, -6.7 percent, and median price, -3.3 percent.

Vermont Law School’s Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE) is playing a significant role in updating Vermont’s Comprehensive Energy Plan. A draft of the plan is open for public comment until October 10.
The IEE was commissioned by the Vermont Department of Public Service (DPS) to craft a background to the plan, which addresses Vermont's energy future for electricity, thermal energy, transportation and land use. The plan, which was last updated in 1998, is being developed by the DPS in collaboration with other state agencies, the public and stakeholders such as VLS.
‘Our goal was to support the plan and create a map of the regulatory and legal landscape of Vermont’s energy policy,’ said Professor Michael Dworkin, director of the IEE. ‘The plan is to be used by decision makers and a lay audience who are looking for the forest, not the trees.’

US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced this afternoon that the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved his amendment to add $1.9 billion in emergency assistance for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to help rebuild roads and bridges washed out by Hurricane Irene and other federal disasters. The committee’s bill also includes key waivers that would allow Vermont to access all of the funding it needs without overly burdensome cost-sharing requirements.
The provisions were included in the annual transportation funding bill that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved on Wednesday ‘ a key step for this legislation. Leahy is the second-most-senior member of the committee and also a senior member of its transportation funding subcommittee. The bill now moves to the full Senate for its consideration.