Current News

Vermont’s small businesses are key to the state’s well-being and account for a significant share of the state’s economic production and hiring, according to the Office of Advocacy’s Small Business Profile for the state, released today. The profile uses the most recent data available to provide details about small business employment, business starts and closings, bank lending, business ownership by minorities, women, and veterans, and firm and employment change by major industry and firm size.
‘Small business is a catalyst for economic growth in Vermont and in our nation,’ said Winslow Sargeant, Chief Counsel for Advocacy. ‘In today’s economic climate, we need to continue to support entrepreneurship and promote policies that help small businesses grow and prosper.’

Farm Stay US today named the top states for farm travel and tourism, finding that Pennsylvania, California and Vermont lead the nation in "haycation" destinations with the largest number of farm vacation listings in its FarmStayUS.com database.
The FarmStayUS.com searchable website has grown within a year to become the largest online source for farm vacations in the US, having expanded rapidly to 721 listings in all 50 states. That number has more than doubled since FarmStayUS.com launched in June 2010, and will continue to grow as farm tourism and interest in sustainable and local agriculture expands.
Farm Stay US found that Pennsylvania, California and Vermont lead the nation in farm tourism: Pennsylvania has 73 farm and ranch stay listings; California 52 and Vermont 45.

The February 2011 RE/MAX Housing Report indicates that New Hampshire was the only New England state to show an increase in month-over-month increase in sales, while Vermont was the only state to show year-over-year increase in sales for the month. RE/MAX stated that tighter credit standards and unfavorable weather conditions resulted in a decrease in home sales for the region in February. Overall sales declined -13.8 percent month-over-month in New England, led by Massachusetts, while prices declined overall by -2.6 percent.
New Hampshire was the only state to see an uptick in sales month-over-month, and Rhode Island was the only state to experience an increase in median price during the same period.
In Vermont, however, there were 243 homes sold in February 2011, a 12.5 percent increase from the 216 homes sold the same time last year. RE/MAX of New England predicts that with expected inventory increases, Vermont should experience a positive spring market.

The State Board of Education elected officers at its March 15, 2011 meeting, the Department of Education announced today. Fayneese Miller of South Burlington was re-elected Board chair, and Kathy Larsen of Wilmington will continue serving as vice-chair.
Miller of South Burlington is the Dean of the College of Education and Social Services at University of Vermont. She came to Vermont after a 20-year career at Brown University where she was associate professor of education and human development and an internationally recognized expert on the social, academic and political development of adolescents. She led Brown’s Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity and was the university’s first coordinator and chair of ethnic studies. Her State Board term will expire in 2012.

Governor Peter Shumlin and other state and local officials joined the staff of eCorp English and a host of supporters in celebrating the opening of their new global headquarters in Middlebury, Vermont today. The 6700 square foot facility will house the corporate office, IT development and serve as the primary remote instruction center for the international operation that provides online English-language training to the personnel of global corporations including Google, Alcatel Lucent, UPS, HSBC, BNP Paribas, etc.
‘I am very pleased to welcome eCorp English to Vermont and appreciate the caliber of jobs this company brings to our state and the Middlebury region,’ Gov. Peter Shumlin said. ‘English language training is a relatively new and expanding market, and we work hard to ensure eCorp English is able to prosper and grow here in Vermont.’

Secretary of Administration Jeb Spaulding announced today Vermont’s February tax revenues were above the February 2010 results, but are behind economist projections. February is the eight month of fiscal year (FY) 2011.
General Fund
General Fund revenues totaled $51.30 million for February 2011, -$2.71 million or -5.02% below the $54.01 million consensus revenue forecast for the month. Year to date, revenues through February are $738.46 million or -0.58% below target. Compared to the same period for the prior fiscal year, FY 2011 GF results are 9.7% ahead of FY 2010, but remain below the FY 2008 results by -3.6%.

Governor Peter Shumlin said today he’s pleased that the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) is designating the Northeast Corridor (NEC) as a ‘high speed rail corridor,’ a definition that allows NEC states to compete for federal rail funds.
As Chair of the Transportation Committee for the Coalition of New England Governors (CONEG), Shumlin has been working with his counterparts across the region to advance the vision for a regional high speed rail network.
‘This is an important step for advancing the New England rail network. It will finally enable the Northeast Corridor to compete for federal rail dollars,’ Gov. Shumlin said. ‘Enhancing passenger rail investments throughout our region will benefit Vermont’s vision of a robust and vibrant passenger rail network connecting Vermont with New York, Boston, and Montreal.’

Over 175 women (and a few men) in blue t-shirts turned out at the state capitol today as early educators from across the state gathered to support legislation giving them a voice in making decisions to improve the quality of early childhood education.
‘This is about children and the quality of care that we are able to provide. This is also about professionalism and respect for the 10,000 early educators who care for kids every single day,’ said Cathi Ste. Marie, who owns and operates a certified home care for 14 children in North Troy ‘I, and all the early educators here today are not babysitters ‘ we are professionals who care deeply about the children we are entrusted with. And our children will be better served if we are here as full partners in this process.’
H.97 has received hearings in the House and has been endorsed by Governor Shumlin, former Governor Howard Dean, 53 Representatives and 11 Senators from all 3 major parties.

Saint Michael's College biologist Dr Mark Lubkowitz and his students join a team of researchers from the University of Missouri, University of Florida, Purdue University and the University Nebraska-Lincoln, on a five-year project to study the genes that control the movement of carbohydrates in corn.
Saint Michael’s and the other four institutions, major research universities, have been awarded a $6.6 million grant from the Plant Genome Research Program at the National Science Foundation for a joint five-year research project that will involve undergraduates at each institution.
Working with 45 Saint Michael’s students over the next five years, Dr. Lubkowitz and his co-investigators across the country will do research that could lead to increased corn yield, more drought resistant plants, larger plants and easier production of biofuels.

FairPoint employees have donated $1,304.68 to Fletcher Allen’s Big Change Roundup for Kids benefit. This year’s total is a record-breaker for FairPoint, beating out last year’s total by more than $50. The annual event raises funds for Vermont Children's Hospital programs and services at Fletcher Allen Health Care.

About FairPoint
FairPoint Communications, Inc. is a provider of communications services to communities across the country. Today, FairPoint owns and operates local exchange companies in 18 states offering advanced communications with a personal touch, including local and long distance voice, data, Internet, television and broadband services. FairPoint is traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol FRP. Learn more at www.fairpoint.com.
Photo: FairPoint employees and ‘Change Marshals’ Melissa Blondin, left, and Michelle Pendris, right, join Dr Lewis First, pediatrician.

Mascoma Savings Bank recently received its Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Performance Evaluation from the Office of the Thrift Supervision (OTS). The Bank received an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’, which is the highest rating possible. This rating is awarded to less than 8% of banks nationwide.
The federal Community Reinvestment Act requires banks to meet the credit needs of the communities they serve, including low-to-moderate income households.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) held a hearing Tuesday on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the nation’s premier open government law. The nation is celebrating Sunshine Week, an observance of the importance of an open and transparent government.
The Vermont Legislature is going through the process of rewriting its open meeting and open records laws (ACLU explantaion).
‘The right to know is a cornerstone of our democracy,’ said Leahy. ‘Without it, citizens are kept in the dark about key policy decisions that directly affect their lives. Without public access to government information, officials can make decisions in the shadows, sometimes in collusion with special interests, escaping accountability for their actions. In the digital age, FOIA remains an indispensable tool in protecting the people’s right to know.