Current News

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.

Robert Sparky Millikin, of Hinesburg, was recently named Managing Principal of TruexCullins Architecture and Interior Design.

Business law attorney Paul H Ode, Jr of Burlington has been elected managing partner and chief executive officer of the law firm Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC. Ode took over on January 1 for John H. Marshall, who has held the post since the firm first adopted a managing partner governance model in 2002.
Ode was elected by the firm s directors in December. He had previously served as deputy managing partner and is a former chair of the firm s Business Law Group. He joined the firm in 1982 after completing a clerkship with U.S. District Court Chief Judge Albert W. Coffrin.
Ode received the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce's 2003 Community Excellence Award. He has served on the boards of directors of several community organizations including United Way of Chittenden County. He chaired the 2002 United Way campaign.

MONTPELIER, Vt. The state has awarded nearly $438,000 in Municipal Planning Grants to communities across the state to help them plan for future growth and development. Governor Jim Douglas announced the Municipal Planning Grants Wednesday, which range from projects to update town plans and bylaws to funding downtown and village revitalization studies.
These grants support the planning activities that are at the heart of smart growth, Douglas said. These investments will help promote economic and housing development in our downtowns and village centers, while protecting Vermont s working landscape.
The Municipal and Regional Planning Fund was first established in 1988, and now offers grants of up to $15,000 to help Vermont municipalities develop their town plans and to conduct special planning projects.

MONTPELIER, Vt. Nearly 20 people attended and as many participated by phone in the first meeting of a team of government, business, and economic development officials designed to provide a rapid response to Vermont businesses in distress.
The Economic Response Team, an ad hoc group of the state s economic development leaders proposed by Governor Jim Douglas as part of his Inaugural Address, met Wednesday in Montpelier.
Already, concrete ideas have come out of this first meeting, such as improving access to capital by temporarily loosening restrictions on some of our incentive and loan programs, and allowing businesses to be eligible for the weatherization program, Douglas told reporters at his weekly press conference on Thursday.
The chairwoman of the Economic Response Team, Commissioner of Economic Development Betsy Bishop, said her department would take action on several items included in the group s discussions.

Stimulus bill would bring $1.2 billion to Vermont through infrastructure development and tax relief
WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Peter Welch supported and the House passed Wednesday the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), a major effort to rebuild the economy by providing tax relief, creating green jobs and investing in the future. The vote was 244-188.

DANBURY, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 21, 2009--Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. (NYSE: ETH) today announced the launch of a new initiative establishing a Contract Division. Daniel Grow, former President and CEO of Drexel Heritage Furniture and most recently President of D.M. Grow Inc., will join Ethan Allen to lead the initiative. In addition, Daniel Grow will also be responsible for the growth of Ethan Allen's International Design Center Development program.
Farooq Kathwari, Chairman and CEO, stated: "Today Ethan Allen is well positioned to participate in the contract business. We can leverage our design leadership, interior design and product engineering capabilities, strong domestic manufacturing and logistics network, and our highly recognized brand to create solutions for the contract business. Dan's experience and knowledge of our industry provides Ethan Allen the leadership to launch the Ethan Allen Contract Division."

The multi-talented Ben Stein, actor/comedian/lawyer/economist/presidential speechwriter/filmmaker, will address the graduates and receive an honorary degree at the University of Vermont's 205th commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 17.

The "Best Companies to Work for in Vermont" ceremony will take place April 1 at Main Street Landing in Burlington. We will honor five Large Companies (over 150 employees) and 10 Small & Medium Sized Companies (15 to 149 employees) as the Best Companies to Work for in Vermont. All the honorees are listed below. The rankings in each category will be announced at the event.
Presented by Vermont Business Magazine.
Partnered with: Vermont Chamber of Commerce, Society for Human Resource Management-Vermont State Council, Vermont Department of Labor, the Vermont Department of Economic Development and Best Companies Group.
Small/Medium companies (15-149 employees)
In Alphabetical order
Edward Jones
Insrumart
MBF Bioscience
NRG Systems. Inc
Resource Systems Group Inc
Small Dog Electronics
TPW Management
VELCO (Vermont Electric Power Company)
VocRehab Vermont
Wells River Savings Bank

WATERTOWN, Conn., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Vermont Pure Holdings, Ltd. (NYSE Alternext: VPS) announced financial results for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2008 and filed these results on Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday.
Operating Results for Fiscal Year ended October 31, 2008
Sales increased 6% to $69.2 million from $65.2 million in fiscal year 2007. This increase reflected higher volumes of coffee and related products and the effect of fuel surcharges, partly offset by small declines in water sales and cooler rentals.
Operating results were significantly impacted by a write-down of goodwill, a non-cash charge of $22.4 million. The net loss for fiscal year 2008 was $19.8 million compared to net income of $2.1 million in 2007. On a per share basis, the net (loss) income was $(0.92) per fully diluted share in fiscal 2008, compared to $0.10 per fully diluted share in fiscal 2007.

WATERBURY, Vt.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Just months after opening its new manufacturing plant in Knox County, Tennessee, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ:GMCR) today announced that it will begin installation of coffee processing equipment in the facility. The equipment will be used for cleaning, storing and roasting green coffee as well as for blending and grinding roasted coffee. GMCR will be investing approximately $8 million for this project through the end of its fiscal year 2009, consistent with capital investment plans.
Green Mountain Coffee will use the new roasting infrastructure to support its packaging lines from within the existing facility in Knox County. The facility primarily manufactures K-Cup® portion packs for the Keurig® Single-Cup Brewing System.