Current News

In the roughly ninety days since the program was announced, the Vermont Economic Development Authority s (VEDA s) Farm Operating Loan Program (FOLP) has approved over $6 million in emergency agricultural stimulus loans to help 107 Vermont farmers with spring operating needs. The special low-interest stimulus financing was facilitated through VEDA s agricultural subsidiary, the Vermont Agricultural Credit Corporation (VACC). The special agricultural stimulus financing was loaned at a variable rate as low as 2%. The average loan amount approved for farmers through the emergency stimulus funding program has been just over $58,000.
The economic challenges faced by Vermont s farm community are the most severe in generations, said Jo Bradley, the VEDA s Chief Executive Officer. As a result, many farmers needed to restructure debt quickly through refinancing, or seek assistance with spring operating needs.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) this week posted an expanded Web page on health care reform on his Senate website. The new feature offers Vermonters up-to-date information on health care reform plans currently before Congress and invites Vermonters to submit questions and comments to Leahy on each of the proposals. Leahy periodically will respond to comments, individuals own health care system experiences and questions submitted by Vermonters and will post highlights on the webpage.
Vermonters can access this webpage at http://leahy.senate.gov/issues/health/VermontVoices.html

Geoff Akiki, Chair of the Board of Directors of New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU), announced today that CEO David T. Bard will be retiring, effective January 2010. Bard assumed the position of CEO in 1986. Bard will be succeeded as CEO by NEFCU President and COO John J. Dwyer, Jr. As part of a carefully planned transition, Dwyer, who has been with NEFCU since 1987, became President and COO in 2006. Dwyer earned his bachelor s degree from the University of Vermont and his MBA from Rensselaer. A CPA, he began his career with KPMG in Boston, MA. He has held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility at NEFCU culminating in his assumption of the role of CEO.

Secretary of State Deb Markowitz announced today that 60 Vermont towns will receive grants totaling over $128,000 through the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Improved Administration of Federal Elections program. These funds will be used to improve the administration of the primary and general elections in 2010.
Towns will be able to use these funds to purchase equipment and services to ensure that our elections continue to run smoothly, said Markowitz.
The Improved Administration of Federal Elections program is intended to provide funding for services and equipment such as computers, installation of a telephone line at the polling place, signage, computer software and training. Towns were invited to submit applications for funding to the Secretary of State s Office. Since 2005, 284 grants totaling over $558,000 have been awarded to Vermont towns through this program.

Ledyard National Bank contributed $1,000.00 to SCORE for the sponsorship of four workshops this fall. The workshop topics are: So You Want to Own Your Own Business, Business Bookkeeping, Selling and Advertising, and An Introduction to Internet Marketing. Ledyard supports SCORE’s mission to help more entrepreneurs become successful small business owners through face-to-face and email business counseling. Score’s workshops are a natural fit with and a complement to Ledyard’s mission of educating and advising its commercial clients on all financial matters related to their enterprises.

Sherry Olson of Plainfield, Vermont, is the winner of the 2009 Ralph Nading Hill, Jr. literary prize awarded annually by Green Mountain Power and Vermont Life magazine. Olson's winning poem, entitled "The Paper Cutter," describes finding a skilled tradesman who takes pride in his work and always wants to do the right thing. While looking for someone to sharpen her paper cutter, she finds more: "I imagine his heart, not the bodily pumping one, but the one folks like to say, of gold, burnished and soft, something, almost, I might carry in my pocket, reach in and touch."

The Vermont National Resources Council has taken formal opposition against a proposal by the Douglas Administration to change guidelines regarding historical sites. The VNRC said that the changes would weaken protections for archaeological and historic sites across the state.
According to the VNRC, the proposal would effectively prevent even basic preliminary field reviews to determine if proposed developments would damage archaeological sites. They say that the proposal would also eliminate protections for Vermont's archaeological and historic resources.

In response to high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol and other drug abuse, domestic violence and mental health challenges among uniformed professionals (police, fire, military, EMTs, etc.) the Brattleboro Retreat is proud to announce the opening on Tuesday, August 11 of a new 16-bed, partial hospitalization program designed specifically to meet the unique mental health and addiction treatment needs of this population. Most participants will also take advantage of the program’s residential component, which offers single and double rooms in a newly renovated property on the Retreat campus.

Shirley Pewter of Williamsburg, Virginia, and Danforth Pewter of Middlebury, Vermont, have announced that as of August 10, Danforth has become the exclusive manufacturer and marketer of Shirley Pewter. Danforth will operate the Shirley Pewter Shop on Merchant’s Square in Colonial Williamsburg and the Shirley website at www.shirleypewtershop.com, and has become the exclusive importer and marketer of the Four Points Pewter wholesale brand.

U.S. Small Business Administration announced the appointment of Jeanne Hulit, as the regional administrator in Region I, to oversee the SBA’s programs and services in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The Region I office, headquartered in Boston, oversees the SBA’s district offices in Boston; Augusta; Concord; Montpelier; Providence; and Hartford.

Tom James, Chairman of the Vermont State Board of Education, announced today he will be stepping down from the Board. His final monthly meeting will be held September 15, 2009. James was appointed to the Board by Governor Douglas in February 2005 after filling two years of a vacant term. A retired IBM executive, James has served as a member of the Essex Planning Commission, the Essex Town School Board, the Essex Town Selectboard and the Essex Rotary. His State Board term was scheduled to end in 2011. However, State Board terms are six years in length, and James has served on the Board for over six years. He has served as State Board Chair since 2005.

On Wednesday, August 5, 2009, Stripes Group of New York completed a $13 million equity investment in MyWebGrocer Inc., a rapidly growing and profitable Colchester, Vermont-based software-as-a-service company providing leading regional and national grocery store chains and consumer packaged goods companies with online commerce and digital media services. As part of their unique platform, MyWebGrocer operates the nation s largest grocery ad network with over 4 million monthly shoppers.
Dan Marriott, Managing Partner of Stripes Group, will be joining the MyWebGrocer Board of Directors.
About Stripes Group