Current News

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $2,424,030 in recovery funding to the Burlington International Airport for taxiway rehabilitation and extension, Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced. The funding will be used to rehabilitate and repave the intersection of two taxiways and to extend a third taxiway. The projects are part of the airport's multi-phase South End Development program, which will enhance cargo, aircraft maintenance and general aviation capabilities. Airport officials estimate the program could create as many as 350 new jobs at the airport over the next 10 years.
The award is the latest federal grant made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which was signed into law in February.

Vermont continues to have by far the lowest foreclosure rate in the nation, more than four times lower than the next best state. RealtyTrac(R) (www.realtytrac.com), the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, has released its July 2009 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows foreclosure filings -- default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions -- were reported on 360,149 U.S. properties during the month, an increase of nearly 7 percent from the previous month and an increase of 32 percent from July 2008. The report also shows that one in every 355 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing in July.

The Douglas Administration has announced that Vermont State Parks are going solar as part of the state’s strategy to fight back against the recession, create jobs and grow the economy. The Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation is planning to install solar hot water systems at its toilet buildings and bathhouses in state park campgrounds statewide. The Department has designated $600,000 for these solar hot water conversions.
“The potential to tap renewable energy in more locations throughout the park system is a high priority for my administration,” said Governor Jim Douglas. “This project puts people to work, helps the state parks save money and is another small smart step in addressing climate change.”
As part of the 2010 capital bill, the Legislature approved the funds specifically for energy efficiency and alternative energy systems in the parks.

Via Cheese, a Swanton-based cheese manufacturer, will receive three-quarters-of-a million dollars from the state to help modernize the former Lucille Farms cheese factory. In a ceremony at the plant Wednesday, Commerce and Community Development Secretary Kevin Dorn announced the $750,000 Community Development Block Grant to the Town of Swanton, which will be loaned to Via Cheese, a manufacturer of mozzarella, provolone, and other products. Additional funding is being provided in the form of a $150,000 loan from the Franklin County Industrial Development Corporation. The total project cost is estimated at just over $1 million and work is expected to begin at the plant in the coming months.

Following announcements that they would be moving their corporate headquarters from Waterbury, Vermont, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters have revealed that the company will nonetheless remain in Vermont.
According to the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters had been planning to relocate out of state, possibly to Seattle, Boston, or Tennessee. The company ultimately chose not to leave Vermont, although it declined to explain what factors were involved in its final decision, or what towns and cities were being considered for the new headquarters.

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.