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Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said Saturday that the dairy crisis may make it easier to detect competition barriers that undermine prices paid to dairy farmers. Leahy, who chairs the U.S. Senate s Judiciary Committee, brought a field hearing to St. Albans to examine competition and consolidation in the Northeast dairy market. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joined Leahy in the questioning.
Leahy s long running concern about the concentration of economic power in U.S. agriculture in bigger and fewer corporations has intersected this year with the new Obama Administration s interest in reenergizing antitrust tools to protect consumers, farmers and smaller businesses. As witnesses, Leahy invited the newly installed chief of the Justice Department s Antitrust Division, the Department of Agriculture s Chief Economist, and Vermont dairy farmers with varying views and operations.

Nokian Tyres, Inc. has announced that its subsidiary, University Wholesalers, has purchased Maine Wholesale Tire, a Portland, Maine based tire distributor. The new entity will operate under the University Wholesalers name.
The operation gives us a much stronger presence in Maine and will enable us to improve levels of service to our dealers there and also in southern New Hampshire and eastern Massachusetts, said Jari Lepisto, General Manger Nokian Tyres, Inc.
One of the former owners of Maine Wholesale Tire will remain as management staff to ensure a smooth transition. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
About Nokian Tyres, Inc.

Governor Douglas today announced that the State of Vermont will be contributing $750,000 in grant funds to a major redevelopment project in Springfield. The grant, made available through the Vermont Community Development Program, will help repair sections of the former Fellows Gear Shaper/PVDC facility in downtown Springfield. The property, largely vacant for several years, is being redeveloped by One Hundred River Street, LLC.
“This award will not only help mitigate blighted areas of the former Fellows property, but also pave the way for new job creation, as well as restore an important part of Springfield’s historic downtown,” the Governor said. “This revitalization project is a perfect example of Vermont’s commitment to redeveloping its downtowns and villages as centers of social and commercial activity.”

The House Commerce and Economic Development Committee, joined by members of the Senate Economic Development and Finance Committees, will hold a FairPoint Communications briefing and update on Thursday, September 24. The hearing will be an opportunity for legislators to gain a fuller understanding of the challenges facing FairPoint and explore ways in which the legislature can ensure Vermonters’ interests are protected. The House and Senate Committees will hear from the President of FairPoint Communications, the Department of Public Service, the Vermont Telecommunications Authority, and Labor representatives.
The agenda for the hearing is pasted below and attached to this advisory.
What: FairPoint Communications HearingWhen: Thursday, September 24. 1:00-4:30 pmWho: House Commerce and Economic Development, Senate Economic Development and Senate Finance CommitteesWhere: Room 11, State House
AGENDA
Room 11, State House

Vermont State Auditor Tom Salmon issued a report today that says the state can do more to set goals for programs and to track actual results. In audits of the Department of Buildings & General Services, the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Economic Development, results indicate that agencies have established goals, but fall short in setting up relevant performance indicators, targets and methods to track actual results.
“Part of our fiscal challenge in state government is to get a better handle on which programs are working well and which aren’t,” Salmon said in releasing an audit report on the performance measurement systems at three key state agencies. Salmon noted that governments use performance data to weed out expensive programs that are underperforming and to more effectively deliver programs that show good results and potential.

FairPoint Communications on Thursday met its deadline to tell the Vermont Public Service Board why its Certificate of Public Good in Vermont should not be revoked. Since cutting over service from the Verizon network to its own last February, FairPoint has been deluged by complaints from customers and regulators over its performance, especially in regards to customer service. Below is the letter filed with the PSB. Attached are the letter, the testimony of FairPoint President Peter Nixon and supporting documentation.
In sending the materials to Vermont Business Magazine, M. Beth Fastiggi, FairPoint's Manager of Corporate Communications in Vermont, wrote:
"The filing discusses FairPoint s actions to address the post cutover service issues as referenced in the Department of Public Services petition dated July 14, and updates the Public Service Board, the Department and other parties of FairPoint s plans to address remaining service issues.

Led by a surge in both insurance premium and corporate income tax receipts, which offset a slump in personal income taxes, Vermont’s August revenue figures saw the state's General Fund stay slightly above the forecasted total, while the Transportation and Education funds continued their trend of being slightly below targets for the month. For the General Fund, Secretary of Administration Neale F. Lunderville released revenue results showing General Fund revenues totaled $73.82 million, up $0.38 million or 0.51 percent above the $73.45 million consensus revenue forecast for the month. Year to date, General Fund revenues of $157.36 million were $1 million and 0.64 percent above the year-to-date FY 2010 target.

Katy Lesser and Healthy Living, were honored by the Vermont Grocers' Association with the VGA Retailer of the Year award during the association s annual convention at the Sheraton Burlington. The award was presented in recognition of their involvement with the community, food industry, store operations and customer service.
Healthy Living is the state s largest natural foods market and has been family owned and operated for over 22 years. Its mission is to provide the community with a market that is dedicated to offering high quality food items at affordable prices, a child-friendly environment, and a place to gather, eat and learn. Lesser is joined in the operation of the store by her son, Eli Lesser-Goldsmith, and daughter, Nina Lesser-Goldsmith. The family has expanded the market several times culminating with the move to a brand new 35,000 square foot store on Dorset Street in South Burlington in 2008.

The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August 2009 was 6.8 percent, unchanged from the revised July rate and up 2.1 points from a year ago. The rate remained unchanged from July as a result of very little change in the number of unemployed and a decline in the total labor force. The same forces that kept Vermont's unemployment rate at the lowest in the region last month appear to remain in August. A strong summer youth employment program, continued growth in the Health Care & Social Assistance sector and a steady Leisure and Hospitality sector. Vermont’s observed August seasonally adjusted employment, unemployment levels and unemployment rate estimates were not statistically different from July values. For comparison purposes, the US seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July was 9.7 percent, up three-tenths of a point from the revised August rate of 9.4 percent.

Vermont Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie was in Alaska this week to visit remote Alaskan villages where Vermont-made Northwind 100 wind turbines have begun to replace diesel-powered electric generators with clean, renewable and more affordable wind energy. Dubie toured the sites with Alaska Lt. Governor Craig Campbell, and executives from Northern Power Systems of Barre, Vermont, where the Northwind 100 machines are engineered and built.
Dubie said, I m here to draw attention to a superior machine. The Northwind 100 is community-size and low maintenance which is a serious consideration when it s 40-below outside and you re hundreds of miles from the nearest city. The direct-drive, gearless design produces more power at lower wind velocities. Because it has fewer parts than conventional turbines, it breaks down less often.

The Vermont Grocers' Association has elected Darcy Nutter of Price Chopper Supermarkets as its new Chair. Darcy is a zone manager for the family owned chain with responsibility for their southern Vermont stores as well as their New Hampshire markets and some of their New York locations. Also elected were Todd Keyworth of Harborside Market as Vice Chair and Dwight LaFountain of Jiffy Mart as Secretary-Treasurer.
She has been a member of the VGA board of directors since 2003 and has served on various committees including the association s government affairs committee, convention committee and executive committee. Darcy co-chaired the 2007 convention. The most rewarding part of the zone manager position to her is the human connection with people, and making a difference in their professional lives. Darcy was the first woman selected for this position at Price Chopper, and strives to set a strong and proud example of what women have to offer in the business world.

Butler s Restaurant at The Essex Resort & Spa has earned distinction from two of the world s most prestigious organizations. Wine Spectator presented Butler s with a 2009 Best of Award of Excellence, and Fodor s Travel, the foremost name in travel publishing, recognized Butler s as a 2009 Fodor s Choice selection.
2009 Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence
Long an Award of Excellence recipient from Wine Spectator, Butler s in 2009 was honored to receive the added distinction of the Best of Award of Excellence for its outstanding wine selection. Butler s is one of only 650 restaurants in the United States and the only one in northern Vermont to receive the award.
The award honors recipients for, according to Wine Spectator, having wine lists that exhibit either vintage depth or superior breadth across select regions.