Current News

Burlington has long been recognized for its scenic beauty, lifestyle, business climate, stellar health care, and educational opportunities; and is a magnet that attracts individuals and families interested in relocating. Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty enlisted local film company FlyBy Films, to create a short video on living, working, playing, and learning in the Queen City.
‘Roughly 20% of our business comes from individuals and families moving to or from our area,’ says Leslee MacKenzie, President/Owner of Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty, ‘For several years we’ve been creating tools for use by our corporate clients to attract the talent they need in new jobs. Our role as Realtors involves acting as a community Ambassador ‘ educating people about the communities and lifestyle our area has to offer. ‘

FairPoint Communications recently donated a combined $11,250 to 11 Vermont nonprofit organizations in recognition of volunteer efforts by FairPoint employees.
The FairPoint Volunteer Incentive Program recognizes employees' contribution of time and talent to nonprofit organizations where they live and work. Under the program, FairPoint employees who volunteer at least 50 hours during the year can request that FairPoint reward the organization with a $750 grant. Employees may request funds on behalf of two separate organizations for a total of $1,500 each year.
FairPoint employees and their favorite nonprofits include:

· All Breed Rescue in South Burlington received $750 on behalf of FairPoint employee Debra Rocheleau of Colchester.

Prime Lube, Inc, one of the largest distributors of lubricants and anti-freeze in the Mid-Atlantic, announced today that Sandri Energy based in Greenfield, MA, has become a major distributor of BlueSky Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF). Sandri will offer the the mandated fuel supplement to its transportation and construction fleet customers throughout the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Eastern New York.
‘We are very pleased to welcome the Sandri Energy family into BlueSky distributorship,’ said Prime Lube CEO Robert Arbasetti. ‘Sandri is a well-diversified, progressive energy supplier, and we are confident that our new locally-manufactured BlueSky DEF will satisfy their customers’ needs for quality, value and effectiveness.’

Vermont’s Congressional Delegation ‘ Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I) and Congressman Peter Welch (D) ‘ reported Tuesday that 18 Vermont farms and rural businesses will share $3,750,930 in grants and loans to support energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy projects. The loans and grants are being made through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

The Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant reconnected to the New England power grid at 5:18 am, Thursday morning. Operators manually shut the plant down on Sunday night to repair a leak on a 24-inch feed water pipe located in the turbine building feed pump room.
The minor leak was found to be from a weld on a one half inch metal access plug in the pipe. The access plug was used for radiography of pipe welds during the original construction of the plant. Technicians have replaced the seal weld with a more substantial weld to the plug. The minor leakage, estimated at 120 drops per minute was collected via a floor drain and returned to the reactor. There was no threat to public health or safety or to plant personnel at any time.

By James Dwinell. Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont and former chair of the Democrat National Committee traveled to Paris earlier this week to share his conclusions on the 2010 mid-term elections. Billed as Vermont’s six-term governor, Dean followed Ms Anita Dunn, former White House communications director.

Weekly unemployment claims increased last week for the third consecutive week and for the fifth time in the last six weeks. For the week of November 6, 2010, there were 1,377 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance, an increase of 296 from the week before. Altogether 8,495 new and continuing claims were filed, an increase of 437 from a week ago and 1,739 fewer than a year earlier. The Department also processed 2,261 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 44 more than a week ago. In addition, there were 761 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program, which is a decrease of 68 from the week before. The Unemployment Weekly Report can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/. Previously released Unemployment Weekly Reports and other UI reports can be found at:http://www.vtlmi.info/lmipub.htm#uc

FairPoint Communications has announced the arrival of super-fast Internet service in Tunbridge, Chelsea and parts of Thetford.
FairPoint’s VantagePoint network, a fiber core, IP-based network, is now available to more than 1,000 additional homes and businesses in Chelsea, Tunbridge and part of Thetford.
With speed options as fast as 15Mbps, downloading entire movies will take seconds. Broadband service on the VantagePoint network provides customers with the ability to smoothly stream live video, play online games at lightning speeds and upload photos and large files with ease. Always-on broadband access provides almost instant connections to information, news and entertainment.
‘VantagePoint is enabling us to expand broadband service into areas with no high-speed Internet access and provide enhanced services across the state,’ said Michael K. Smith, FairPoint state president for Vermont.

Understanding the struggles facing many businesses, TDS Telecommunications Corp. (TDS®) is introducing a new communications solution in Northfield and Ludlow, Vermont.

Known as managedIP, this hosted Internet Protocol (IP) communications solution integrates voice and data as a single communications solution. Unlike many voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services, TDS managedIP never uses the public Internet. The TDS solution is delivered over a private, secure, and dedicated network ‘hosted’ at a secure TDS facility, according to Marc Violette, market manager for TDS.

Already available to customers in parts of the northeast, TDS managedIP provides business with improved productivity and greater efficiencies.

Burlington's Community & Economic Development Office (CEDO) has published "Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice." The 50-page report examines hurdles that might prevent Burlington residents from equal access to housing opportunities and suggests potential solutions.
The report cites five primary impediments to fair housing choice in Burlington:

High rental and homeownership prices, and limited land and public resources
Policies and practices of some housing professionals that intentionally or unintentionally limit housing options
Ongoing fair housing violations left undetected and unaddressed
A limited supply of housing with features needed by people with disabilities, elders, larger families and others
Development and occupancy policies that constrain the availability of affordable housing

Governor Jim Douglas, Senator Bernie Sanders, Congressman Peter Welch and a host of national and local rail officials and advocates today drove a golden spike along the tracks outside of the St. Albans Amtrak Station to signify the beginning of a two-year, $70 million construction project that will significantly improve track speeds along the Vermonter Passenger Rail line between St. Albans and New York City, with continuing service to Washington D.C.
The project, which received $50 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, involves installing new rail, rail ties, crossing improvements including new signals, and bridge rehabilitation along the Vermonter’s 191-mile Vermont corridor. Once complete, the improvements will reduce by about 30 minutes the time it takes the Vermonter to travel through the Green Mountain State.

Officials representing the downtown associations of Coaticook, PQ and Newport City formally celebrated their new Jumelage or ‘sister downtown’ relationship at a ceremony in Montpelier Tuesday, the first of what supporters hope will be many such connections made.
‘Both of these communities have thriving downtowns, and both are working to further enhance the economic and social vitality in their downtowns,’ said Governor Jim Douglas, who attended the ceremony. ‘I hope this initiative will provide yet another opportunity for Vermont and Quebec to learn about each other’s best practices, this time in downtown revitalization, and set the stage for greater cooperation in the future.’
Officials from Quebec’s downtowns and the Fondation Rue Principal (Main Street Foundation) were in Vermont for several days visiting their Vermont Downtown Program counterparts in several of the state’s designated downtowns and village centers to learn more about their efforts.