Current News

Speaker Shap Smith and Senate President Peter Shumlin today announced their legislative priorities for the remainder of the 2009 session. Speaker Smith and Senator Shumlin made a commitment to passing at least seven pieces of legislation that will create good paying jobs for Vermonters, encourage the development of clean renewable energy, reduce the Governor s proposed tax burden on businesses and grant equal marriage rights to all Vermonters.
The legislative leaders highlighted seven pieces of legislation that they are committed to passing before the legislature adjourns in May.
● An economic development and jobs creation bill that will include targeted money for venture capital.
● The Speaker s $125 million bonding proposal that will fund a variety of transportation projects such as increased funding for state and local roads and bridges and capital projects to strengthen our public transit system.

Founded in 1959 as Baden s House of Trophies the company s primary focus was on bowling trophies. The company expanded into commercial engraving as Vermont Industrial Engravers and finally settled on Vermont Trophy & Engraving in 1973, since becoming the largest recognition manufacturer in the region. The company s motto is Recognition is Respect Made Visible
Current owners, Steve & Margi Swett, bought the business from Roger and Bobbi Merchant in July 1996, after many years in the corporate sector. Our initial interest in the business stemmed from its reputation for quality. The value we wanted to add was an expanded focus on customer service and relationship building - over the past 13 years our base of repeat and corporate customers has grown significantly, so we feel that was a pretty good business model, said Steve Swett.

Governor Jim Douglas will announce tomorrow the award of a $746,000 Community Development Block Grant to the City of Winooski. The ceremony will take place Friday, March 6, 2009 at 2:30 pm at Winooski City Hall, 27 West Allen Street, Winooski.

Almost $5.7 million was released to Vermont today for transit programs funded by the economic recovery bill, Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders and Representative Peter Welch announced.
The stimulus money for Vermont from the Federal Transit Administration was included in the bill that was designed to create some 8,000 jobs in Vermont to help jolt the economy out of recession.
Statewide, the Vermont Agency of Transportation will use $3.9 million to purchase 33 buses and vans for 10 local transit providers around the state.
The Chittenden County Transit Authority plans to spend $1 million on heavy-duty, low-emission buses. Another $700,000 is set aside for rehabilitating buses, wooden bus shelters constructed by Vermont companies, and vehicles for seniors and individuals with disabilities.
Nationwide, the bill provided $10.1 billion for the Federal Transit Administration, $773 million more than current funding.

Vermonters’ interest in the newly enacted economic stimulus bill is so high that registration requests for Friday’s workshops on the plan have quickly outstripped capacity. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who organized the sessions, says signup requests topped 700 just days after online registration opened last week. Leahy Thursday announced that a second conference will be held late this month in Brattleboro to help accommodate Vermonters unable to attend Friday’s session, with details to be announced later.
Leahy and Gov. James Douglas (R) are hosting the Vermont conference and workshops on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) – believed to be the first such statewide sessions in the nation since enactment of the stimulus package -- where free workshops will help Vermont families, businesses and towns learn how the stimulus plan will help strengthen Vermont’s economy.

On Feb. 27, the gas savings program that has put more than $10 million back into the pockets of consumers throughout New England returns to participating Shaw’s Supermarkets, Dunkin’ Donuts locations and Irving Oil gas stations.
Participating Shaw’s Supermarkets will once again be offering powerful gas savings to their customers, which can then be redeemed at Irving locations throughout Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and in select areas in Vermont and Rhode Island.
To make Override even more convenient, customers using their Shaw’s Rewards Card when they shop for groceries can use that same card right at the pump to lower their price of gas. For the past year, people participating in the program were issued paper coupons, which meant having to go into the store to redeem the savings.
Now, with paper coupons eliminated, everyone can lower their price of gas right at the pump, saving both time and money.

Katie Adams, who founded Cat Country Radio sixteen years ago, is now creating another Rutland based enterprise. Adams has taken a closed wood pallet mill in Clarendon, and, as she did with country music, is filling a void in the market. She s starting the first wood pellet plant in Vermont.

State Treasurer Jeb Spaulding announced today that Vermont successfully sold $50.5 million in general obligation bonds. Demand was so high that once the selling period was open, the bonds virtually sold out in less than three hours.
We are extremely pleased by the response of our bond offering, said State Treasurer Jeb Spaulding. We received approximately $123 million of orders for the $50.5 million in bonds that were available. The strong response indicates local investors and brokers are eager to invest in the State and support badly needed capital projects.
The bonds are scheduled to settle, or close, on March 11, 2009. The State was able to lock in a total interest cost of 3.82 percent. The interest yield investors received on their bond purchases ranged from 0.62 percent for bonds maturing in one year to 4.60 percent for bonds maturing in 20 years. Bonds were offered in amounts as small as $1,000, with maturities ranging from one to 20 years.

Thirty-six candidates have submitted entries for the first round of the Fourth Annual Business Plan Competition offered by the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC). Sixteen are in the New Business category and 20 in the Existing Business category.
Contestants range from a proposed kitchen store to a naturopathic health clinic. Several finalists from previous years returned with new ideas or refined plans. Three business proposals consider using the Internet as their primary medium for interacting with customers for various forms of teaching. Other proposals include candlemakers, timber-frame builders, architects with special design offerings, a farm-based brewhouse, and a Vermont liqueur maker. There are plans to expand a drum-making business, create a new high-end audio product, expand concrete businesses, and manufacture knapsacks.

Week Ending February 28, 2009. There were 1,543 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, an increase of 242 from the week before. Altogether 18,255 new and continuing claims were filed, 822 more than a week ago and 6,891 more than a year earlier. The Department also processed 2,804 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 957 more than a week ago. In addition, there were 898 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program. 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

Dennise Casey, Governor Douglas deputy chief of staff, has assumed the responsibilities of spokesman for the governor. His former press secretary, Stephen Wark, has accepted a position with the Department of Public Service as Manager of Special Projects. Wark will assume a leadership role in shaping the department s strategy to deploy the federal stimulus funds as well as the continuing development of the All Fuels Efficiency Program.

Governor Howard Dean -- a nationally recognized political figure, presidential candidate and six term Governor -- has agreed to serve as an independent consultant exclusive to the government affairs practice at McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP. Governor Dean will provide guidance to clients, particularly in the areas of healthcare and alternative energy resources.
Governor Dean joins MLA following his tenure as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) where he created and implemented the "50 State Strategy." In his new role as Senior Strategic Advisor and Independent Consultant, he will use his experience running national campaigns to the benefit of states and municipalities. Governor Dean will leverage his position as a thought-leader on policy issues to the benefit of his clients in the health and energy sectors.