Current News

The Brattleboro Retreat took home seven Lamplighter Awards from the New England Society for Healthcare Communications’ (NESHCO) 2010 Annual Conference held in Stowe, VT, May 24-26.
The Retreat was honored with the Gold Award in the category of “Marketing/Total Effort: Under $50,000 Total Budget,” for its campaign promoting mental health and addiction services for children and adolescents. The Retreat also received an Award of Excellence in the same category for its overall marketing campaign to promote the hospital’s innovative new treatment program for Uniformed Service Professionals (police, fire, military, etc.).
In the category of “Direct Mail Publications” the Retreat received a Silver Award for its series of direct mail postcards targeting clinicians and referral sources in southern New England.

Pine State Trading Co, and the Specialty Coffee Business Unit of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc (NASDAQ: GMCR), announced today that the companies have entered into an asset purchase agreement through which GMCR will transition direct customer support in its northeast region, including responsibility for sales representation, order management, delivery and equipment service, to Pine State Trading. The transaction is expected to close as of September 13, 2010. Terms of the agreement, which are not material to GMCR, were not disclosed.
Since we first began our wholesale business, GMCR has maintained a direct store distribution model in the northeast region of the United States

Governor Jim Douglas today kicked off a new program to provide local businesses and organizations with the opportunity to become Information Ambassadors through the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing (VDTM). The Governor was joined by Tourism officials and businesses at the Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce to inaugurate this new public-private partnership.
This program is a win-win for both businesses and travelers in Vermont, said Governor Douglas. Through the Information Ambassador program, travelers can easily find information, maps and facilities by locating the new blue INFO signs. Businesses and organizations that participate in the program will benefit from more visitors stopping by.

The City of Burlington announced today the release of Jobs and People IV, a comprehensive analysis of the Burlington area economy and strategic plan for maintaining and enhancing the city s economic vitality.
Jobs and People IV is a timely analysis for Burlington to maintain and enhance its economic vitality, said Mayor Kiss. Following Burlington s recognition by Kiplinger s as one of the nation s top ten cities for the next decade, we should look to build on our success and address our challenges. Jobs and People IV provides a roadmap for promoting sustainable economic growth now and into the future.
Jobs and People IV updates the economic and demographic data on Burlington s local and regional economy presented in Jobs and People III (published in July 1994).
Jobs & People IV:

Citing safety concerns caused by the reconstruction of the adjacent Champlain Bridge, Vermont state officials have announced the immediate closure of the Chimney Point State Historic Site in Addison.
Commissioner of Economic, Housing and Community Development Tayt Brooks said the combination of construction activity and limited road access to the area led to the decision to close the site for the season.
The Chimney Point site and the construction area share a single road, and are literally right next to each other, Brooks said. We had hoped to keep the site open, but in practical terms we can t place the public at risk by having them in such close proximity to a working construction area.
The Champlain Bridge, which was built to span Lake Champlain and connect Vermont and New York in 1929, was closed due to safety concerns in October 2009 and was demolished using explosives on December 28, 2009.

Average retail gasoline prices in Vermont have fallen 7.1 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.75/g yesterday. This compares with the national average that has fallen 1.9 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.70/g, according to gasoline price website VermontGasPrices.com.
Including the change in gas prices in Vermont during the past week, prices yesterday were 11.4 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 16.1 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 18.0 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 5.9 cents per gallon higher than this day a year ago.
Source: VermontGasPrices.com. 6.14.2010

US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has joined what appears to be a futile effort to urge Vermont Governor Jim Douglas to reconsider plans to reduce state benefits to seniors who are enrolled in the state s VPharm supplemental prescription assistance program, in response to the new Medicare Part D rebate checks. The Douglas Administration said Monday that it will continue to ask for the money back. Vermont Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders asked last week that the administration reconsider the move.
The rebate checks are intended to provide fiscal relief to seniors, not states, said Secretary Sebelius in a letter today to Governor Douglas. Seniors who enter the donut hole have serious illnesses, take more medication, and need additional financial help. They have extremely high out-of-pocket costs; for example, they must personally spend at least $2,830 to qualify for rebate checks in 2010.

NeighborWorks of Western Vermont won a $4.5 million grant for innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, the Vermont congressional delegation announced today.
The Rutland County nonprofit housing lender was awarded the grant one of only 20 nationwide for its proposal to save energy and create jobs retrofitting homes and municipal buildings.
The award comes through a nationwide energy efficiency block grant program created in legislation authored by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) played critical roles securing the grant funded by the economic stimulus bill that Congress passed last year.

US Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) today issued a joint statement about the state of Vermont’s plans to ask some seniors, who participate in the state’s VPharm supplemental prescription assistance program, to turn over part or all of their new federal Medicare prescription drug rebates.
“At a time when Vermont seniors are hurting, the state should reconsider its plans to ask many low-income seniors to return this much-needed help. The state’s rebate recall also would add confusion and new layers of complexity for seniors and for the state. Vermont seniors who are struggling enough already to pay for the medicine they need can use all the help they can get.”

Vermont Yankee was nearly forced to shut down due to a new leak from a valve in an emergency cooling system. The leak was fixed early on Wednesday, in time to avoid a required shutdown.
The allowable limit for leakage is 1 gallon of water per minute. Tuesday morning a valve in the main reactor building was leaking 1.6 gallons of radioactive water per minute. The water did not drain into the outside environment; it was being collected in a drain system. The leak was repaired in five hours.
Though there was no direct threat to the public, regulations would have required the plant to shut down within 24 hours if the plant could not repair the leak.
Source: The Burlington Free Press 6.11.10

Vermont s filing deadlines for candidates were changed during the 2010 legislative session. Independent petitions for statewide, legislative and county office, as well as justice of the peace, for the general election are due no later than 5 pm on June 17, 2010 (the same deadline as major party candidates).
All independent candidates, except for independent candidates for justice of the peace, must file petitions with the office of the Vermont Secretary of State by 5 pm, June 17, 2010.
Independent candidates for justice of the peace must file petitions with 30 signatures or one percent of the checklist, whichever is less, with the town clerk by 5 pm, June 17, 2010.
Major party candidate petitions and consent forms and minor party nominations for all offices - except justice of the peace - must be filed by June 17, 2010; all major party and minor party nominations for justice of the peace must be received by the town clerk by August 27, 2010.

Vermont Governor Jim Douglas and New York State Governor David A. Paterson today broke ground on a new Lake Champlain Bridge spanning the lake between Crown Point, New York, and Addison, Vermont. The governors were joined at the site of the approach to the former bridge by state and local elected officials, local business leaders and community members to officially kick-off the start of construction of the new bridge.
Those who live and work in the area surrounding the Lake Champlain Bridge share family, friends and business relationships on both sides of the lake, Governor Douglas said. The ease and timeliness of transportation across Lake Champlain is critical to their way of life and economy. Everyone involved in this bridge project should be commended for getting us to this point so quickly.