Current News

Secretary of Administration Neale F. Lunderville has released General Fund revenue results for the month of January, the seventh month of Fiscal Year 2009. General Fund revenues were well below target for the month as compared to the consensus revenue target revised in mid-January. The General Fund revenues of $119.20 million for the month of January 2009 were -$14.05 million or -10.54% below the $133.25 million consensus revenue forecast for the month. Year-to-date, General Fund revenues were $674.91 million or -$14.05 million (-2.04%) below the consensus revenue forecast for FY 2009. It is important to understand that these revenue results are not only unfavorable as compared to the most recent targets, but that they are also below where we were one year ago, said Secretary Lunderville.

The Vermont Department of Labor is proposing that the state increase the tax charged to businesses to support the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and should also decrease the benefits paid to unemployed workers in order to head off a deficit in the trust fund.
Labor Commissioner Patricia Moulton Powden presented her department s Unemployment Insurance Reform Proposal (http://labor.vermont.gov/Portals/0/UI/UI%20Brief.pdf) to the Government Affairs Committee of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce yesterday.

Governor Jim Douglas today announced the formation of a five-member task force to examine the Vermont State Colleges and University of Vermont systems to determine what academic and administrative efficiencies could be achieved through their consolidation.
The Governor announced in his recent inaugural message that he was recommending a 20% increase in the appropriations for both early childhood education and higher education. The Governor also announced that he would appoint a working task force to undertake a review of the structure, administration and program offerings of Vermont s two public higher education systems.

As Vermont is poised to make major financial decisions with far reaching policy implications, new research may prove instrumental in shaping the discussions. The Council on the Future of Vermont and St. Michael s College just published Vermont in Transition: Social, Economic and Environmental Trends, a comprehensive study of the major trends that are impacting life in the state. Over 300 graphs are included in this 150 page research book which documents and explains the key transitions that have occurred in Vermont in areas as diverse as education, the economy, agriculture, demography, crime, energy, climate and civic engagement. The study was commissioned by the nonpartisan Vermont Council on Rural Development as a facet of its two-year Council on the Future of Vermont program.

Washington, D.C.--Today Sean Cota, co-owner of Cota & Cota in Bellows Falls Vermont testified before the House Agriculture Committee. The committee asked for insight on how the Derivative Markets Transparency and Accountability Act could help heating fuel dealers and consumers. The goal of the legislation is to end the abusive practices by paper oil speculators that has created wild volatility in the energy markets.

Week Ending January 31, 2009. There were 1,339 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, an increase of 33 from the week before. Altogether 16,248 new and continuing claims were filed, 343 more than a week ago and 5,780 more than a year earlier. In addition, the Department processed 1,816 claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008, an increase of 8 from last week.
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

The College Board released its fifth annual AP Report to the Nation today, and highlighted Vermont as a national example in preparing students for college. Vermont saw the largest five-year increase in the country in the percentage of its student population scoring 3 or higher on at least one AP (Advanced Placement) exam in high school.
Vermont is leading the nation in getting its students college ready for the second year in a row, said Michael Bartini, Regional Vice President for the College Board. Kids are thinking about college, and behind that are the teachers and administrators who deserve credit for the work they have done to provide these opportunities.

The Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (VABVI) is a non-profit organization founded in 1926 with the assistance of Helen Keller and remains to this day the only private agency in the state to offer free support, education and rehabilitation services to all blind and visually impaired residents. VABVI s mission is to enable Vermonters with vision problems, whether blindness or impairment, to achieve and maintain independence. From its four branches located in Brattleboro, Montpelier, Rutland and the main office in Burlington (soon to be South Burlington), VABVI serves residents in all of the state s 14 counties.

The following was sent in a mass email to the UVM community from Daniel Mark Fogel, President of UVM.
I am writing to inform you that Ben Stein, a renowned economist and public personality, has informed me of his decision to withdraw from our Commencement ceremonies in May.
As you may know, Mr. Stein delivered an excellent Kalkin lecture on our campus last year, focused primarily on economic issues, to which our students responded warmly and enthusiastically. It was on the basis of that experience that I extended him an invitation to be our Commencement speaker.

Nicole L. Senecal of Omega Real Estate Associates, Inc was the listing agent of the 6,600 SF office building at 1191 S. Brownell Rd. in Williston. The Tenant was Dominion Diagnostics, LLC. of Rhode Island. Nicole L. Senecal was also the selling agent.
Nicole L. Senecal of Omega Real Estate Associates, Inc. was the listing agent of 5,436 SF of space at 104 Old Colchester Rd. in Essex Junction. The Buyers are Happy Land Child Care. Duncan Harris of Redstone was the selling agent.
Nicole L. Senecal of Omega Real Estate Associates, Inc. was the listing agent of 700 SF of space at 300 Cornerstone Dr. in Williston. The Buyer was Happy Land Child Care. Omega Real Estate Associates was also the selling agent.
Nicole L. Senecal of Omega Real Estate Associates, Inc. was the listing agent of 5,800 SF of space at 329 Harvest Ln. in Williston. The Buyer was Lumber Liquidators. Esther Lotz was the selling agent.

NEW YORK, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Communications announced today (Feb. 2) that it has completed the process of transferring to FairPoint Communications Inc. all responsibility for the systems supporting the operations of FairPoint in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.FairPoint Communications provided a Notice of Readiness to Verizon in November, indicating that FairPoint would conclude its Transition Services Agreement with Verizon at the end of January 2009.
FairPoint will complete the transition of its customers in the three-state region to its own new suite of state-of-the-art fully integrated systems over the next few days.
"Both parties have worked hard to make this cutover as seamless as possible for the residents of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, who have been served by FairPoint since March of last year," said Jim Brophy, Verizon director of business development.

CVPS SmartPower ¢, Central Vermont Public Service s planned meter program designed to reduce customer energy use, costs and environmental impacts while improving storm management and establishing a foundation for future grid automation, has taken a big step forward through an agreement on the rules of the road.
Last August, CVPS, the Vermont Department of Public Service and other utilities kicked off collaboration intended to improve electricity metering, storm recovery and efficiency technology statewide. CVPS and the Department of Public Service also announced a new program (CVPS SmartPower ¢) at the state s largest utility that could serve as a model for other Vermont utilities not already involved with meter and grid automation.