Current News

Based on testing last fall, educational achievement in Vermont continues to show small but continued growth in reading, but little progress in math for grades 3-8 over time and a drop of one percent since 2009. Meanhwile, grade 11 progress indicates that writing and math have improved, while reading has remained flat over the last three years. Seventy percent of 11th graders achieved proficiency in reading and less than 40 percent of 11th graders achieved proficiency in math; writing scores were at 50 percent proficiency. Female students did much better in reading for all grades, while male and female students were on par in math. Economically disadvantaged students continued to make progress in both reading (up to 58 percent proficient) and math (up to 49 percent proficient) for grades 3-8.

US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has voiced his support for a proposal that Governor Peter Shumlin presented to Vermont lawmakers Tuesday to move the state toward a single-payer health care system.
‘I applaud the governor for presenting his health care proposal to the Legislature and I look forward to working with him. With 50 million Americans uninsured and the cost of health care soaring, Vermont can be a model for the nation as we move toward a Medicare-for-all, single-payer health care system,’ Sanders said.
Sanders introduced legislation on January 25 to help the state use a new national health care law to enact a single-payer system. Senator Patrick Leahy is a cosponsor of the Senate bill, and Representative Peter Welch introduced companion legislation in the House.

As an integral part of his economic development program, Gov. Peter Shumlin said today that he plans to present special awards to Vermont businesses that have an effective Workplace Safety program.
A commitment to workplace safety not only protects employees, but allows the business community to reap the benefits of reduced costs. Typically companies that maintain a safe workplace experience lower costs for workers’ compensation and medical issues, increased productivity and employee morale, and the ability to market their business more successfully in the global market.
‘Vermont businesses that provide safe workplaces for their employees should be recognized for their successful safety policies,’ said Gov. Shumlin.

CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX), a leading provider of information, analytics and business services, today released its December Home Price Index (HPI) which shows that home prices in the US declined for the fifth month in a row. Vermont was one of just seven states and the District of Columbia to see average home prices increase, albeit by less than one percent. According to the CoreLogic HPI, national home prices, including distressed sales, declined by 5.46 percent in December 2010 compared to December 2009 and declined by 4.39 percent* in November 2010 compared to November 2009. Excluding distressed sales, year-over-year prices declined by 2.31 percent in December 2010 compared to December 2009 and declined by 2.81* percent in November 2010 compared to November 2009. Distressed sales include short sales and real estate owned (REO) transactions.

A barn collapse in Chester on Monday night is the latest in a string of such structure failures that have occurred around Vermont over the past few days. Today’s extra snowpack is adding to the concern over snow loads on roofs around Vermont.
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Department of Public Safety divisions of Emergency Management and Fire Safety, and Vermont Health Department are once again urging homeowners to diligently monitor their roofs and clear off snow if it can be done so safely. If there is a concern for personal safety while clearing a roof, a professional contractor should be called in to inspect the roof, or to clear the roof of snow.
‘Farms have lost livestock to the barn collapses,’ Deputy Agriculture Secretary Diane Bothfeld said. ‘There has been no loss of human life, but there are often farm workers in the barn throughout the day and there is a real safety concern for them if a roof collapses while they are working.’

FreshTracks Capital announces the return of Peak Pitch Vermont on March 10th. Now in its seventh year, Peak Pitch gives entrepreneurs and investors an exciting opportunity to network on the slopes of the Sugarbush Resort. Peak Pitch brings entrepreneurs and investors together for a unique version of the classic "elevator pitch." In the traditional elevator pitch, entrepreneurs take advantage of an opportunity to share an elevator ride with a potential investor and present their business idea. At Peak Pitch, a shared chairlift ride gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business plans to a variety of venture capitalists, angel investors, commercial lenders, and other entrepreneurial advisors as they ride up the mountain on a chair lift.
Peak Pitch combines business networking and skiing or boarding in an
informal setting while providing the opportunity for entrepreneurs and

Brattleboro based business, Recycle Away has increased recycling at over
200 corporations, universities and municipalities in the past 18 months.
Recycle Away (www.recycleaway.com) assists corporations such as Google,
Hewlett Packard, Quaker Oats and Kellogg in ordering specialty containers
for corporate-wide recycling programs. Champlain College in Burlington VT
recently purchased several systems designed to serve a newly constructed
LEED Certified student center. In October 2010 the State University of NY
Medical Center dispersed hundreds of Recycle Away containers around campus
and hospital floors.
Municipalities around the country are stepping up recycling efforts on
main streets and city parks. Skagit County, WA, Galveston, TX and
Brattleboro VT are three examples of communities with proudly printed logos

Entergy Corporation reported fourth quarter 2010 earnings of $1.26 per share on an as-reported basis, compared to the same period last year of $1.64. For year-end 2010, earnings were $6.66 versus $6.30 for 2009. Entergy is the parent company of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon.
SEE FULL REPORT HERE

Based on soldier trials, technical compliance and best value pricing, Revision, leading developer of protective eyewear for militaries worldwide, has secured a UK Ministry of Defence contract for Protective Combat Eyewear. Following tender evaluation and user trials, Revision was selected for providing the best value and for being the most technically compliant bidder. The estimated contract value is £3.4 million to provide the UK MoD with Revision’s Sawfly Military Eyewear System and Bullet Ant goggles.

‘Revision is extremely proud to receive the UK MoD contract for Protective Combat Eyewear,’ said Jonathan Blanshay, CEO of Revision. ‘The focus behind all Revision eyewear is to meet and exceed the stringent requirements set forth by our military customers. It’s an honor to be supplying UK troops with what we believe to be the best performance-enhancing eye protection products.’

With the Mountain West in the strongest position, Vermont continues to have the lowest foreclosure rate east of the Mississippi. However, Vermont's foreclosure and delinquency percentages both rose in December from November (2.9 percent to 3 percent and 8.1 percent to 8.3 percent respectively, see table below).
The December 2010 Mortgage Monitor report released by Lender Processing Services, Inc (NYSE: LPS) shows a continued increase in the inventory of foreclosed mortgages in the United States as more loans advance through the default process. The number of newly delinquent loans declined during 2010, helping push overall delinquent inventories down 18 percent for the year. The volume of loans moving to REO (real estate owned by lenders - repossessed) remains extremely low as moratoria and process reviews continue, further pressuring foreclosure inventories.

Growth is on the horizon as Gordon’s Window Décor, a local family business that has been manufacturing custom window treatments in Essex Junction for 25 years, transitions to the next generation..
‘I think our growth is due to the fact that we manufacture insulating window shades that save substantial amounts of energy- a vital component in our country’s efforts to cut our dependence on fossil fuels’ Explains Gordon Clements, owner of Gordon’s Window Décor.
And grow they have. With distribution now well established in Ireland, as well as across the US, similar interest from Russia and recent sales in Japan Gordon’s has been hiring and just bought a larger factory/showroom in Williston. They will be moving at the end of March. That is a lot of change for any company especially combined with serious succession planning. It has truly been a busy year for Gordon’s.

The Pentagon awarded $285 billion in three years to companies that defrauded it, according to a report produced at the request of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). The study has generated editorials and columns in newspapers and magazines around the county.
‘The dollar amounts are large enough to justify public anger at the sloppy way the Pentagon conducts its ‘ our nation’s ‘ business. If our government’s going to spend all that money on behalf of military preparedness, at least the people should get their money’s worth,’ the Barre and Montpelier Times Argus said in an editorial.
‘Fraud is big business at the Pentagon. Always has been, always will be. When you're spending more than $1 million a minute, some is bound to be pilfered one way or another. But it's rare to find all such chicanery cataloged in one place. Thanks to Sen. Sanders we now have one-stop shopping for Pentagon fraud,’ according to Time magazine.