Current News

Republican Kurt Wright will announce his run for Burlington mayor this Thursday, December 11th in Contois Auditorum at Burlington City Hall beginning at 5:45pm.
Kurt Wright has served for eight years in the Vermont House of Representatives, and was just re-elected to a fifth term. In 2007 Burlington voters made Kurt, a four term city councilman, the first Republican president of the Burlington City Council in 20 years. We look forward to helping Kurt achieve a similar feat in this, his latest race!

Week Ending December 06, 2008
There were 1,492 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, a decrease of 331 from the week before. Altogether 11,960 new and continuing claims were filed, 1,332 more than a week ago and 4,496 more than a year earlier. In addition, the Department processed 1,719 claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008, an increase of 575 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

Northern Power names new Chief Executive Officer
Company embarks on aggressive growth strategy following $50 million fundraising
BARRE, VT - December 8, 2008 - Northern Power Systems, Inc, a next-generation wind energy company, has announced that John P. Danner has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer. This appointment marks a significant step in Northern's transformation into a major commercial force in the wind power industry.

CEO of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters joins Saint Michael's Board of Trustees
Lawrence J. Blanford, president and chief executive officer of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Waterbury, Vt., has joined the Saint Michael's College board of trustees and attended meetings on campus Dec. 5 and 6.
"I felt very privileged to be asked to join the Saint Michael's board," Blanford said, explaining that he had become familiar with the college by attending Mass in the college's Chapel of Saint Michael the Archangel since moving to Vermont. Blanford and his family came to the area 18 months ago.
"We've been thrilled with the masses at Saint Michael's, he said. "The Edmundite priests are wonderful speakers and it's a beautiful mass with five, six or even seven priestsI look forward to it every week."

Dealer.com Wins Top International Emerging Media Award
Burlington, VT - (December 8, 2008) - Dealer.com (www.Dealer.com), the leading provider of online marketing solutions for the automotive industry, is a Leader Award winner in the 2008 Summit Emerging Media Award (Summit EMA) competition for their work with Checkered Flag Motor Car Corporation (www.checkeredflag.com). The 2008 competition included approximately 700 entries from numerous countries for which only 12% earned recognition. Dealer.com's work was recognized in the Consumer Product Website category.

Bruce Bouchard, Director, announced today that satirist and nationally prominent radio personality, Garrison Keillor will be bringing his "Evening with Garrison Keillor - Tales From Lake Wobegone" to the Paramount Theatre, in a co-production with the Rutland Herald on Monday, February 2, 2009.
Bouchard commented, "There is no question that Garrison Keillor is an icon; a Mark Twain/Will Rogers of his day and his generation. To say that we are agitated with excitement and anticipation for this very special event would be something of an understatement. A number of corporate leaders and friends of the theatre (beginning with the Rutland Herald) pulled together to help us make this happen. It is clear that a person of Mr. Keillor's stature certainly raises the bar for The Paramount."

Health Plans Achieve Bridges to Excellence Physician Incentive and Reward Program Endorsement

Intrawest's Eastern Ski Resorts Experience the Best Early Season Snow Conditions in Recent History
VANCOUVER, Dec. 5 /CNW/ - Intrawest, a leader in the development and management of experiential destination resorts, today reported outstanding early season snow conditions throughout its ski resorts in eastern North America. A favorable combination of natural snow and cold temperatures suitable for snowmaking is providing the best possible early season conditions at Snowshoe Mountain (West Virginia), Tremblant (Quebec), Stratton Mountain (Vermont), Blue Mountain (Ontario) and Mountain Creek (New Jersey).

VEC farm customer joins CVPS Cow Power(tm)

Whey-based Wood Finish Company Based In Hardwick
MONTPELIER, Vt. - A Hardwick company that makes wood finishes from a dairy by-product has won a prestigious award for environmentally friendly building products and hopes to parley that into continued growth.
Vermont Natural Coatings' PolyWhey(tm) product, developed with the assistance of the Vermont Department of Economic Development and the University of Vermont, was selected as one of BuildingGreen's 2008 Top-10 Green Building Products by the editors of Environmental Building News and GreenSpec(r).
This seventh annual award recognizes the most innovative and exciting green building products added to the GreenSpec(r) Directory during the past year or covered in Environmental Building News.

Duane Marsh, President of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, has accepted the position of Executive Director of the Illinois Funeral Directors Association. Marsh, who has been with the Vermont Chamber since September of 2003, will begin his new position in early January.

As a former funeral director, with family still in the business in Michigan, the lure of renewing the funeral service connection made this position highly desirable, Marsh said. I have enjoyed my tenure in Vermont and will leave here with many fond and lasting memories.

State Audit Says Railroad Contracts at Vermont Agency of Transportation Could Be Managed Better
Agency did not competitively bid $7.2 million in construction work; did not charge interest on late lease payments; and did not collect
salvage proceeds properly, among audit findings
MONTPELIER (December 5, 2008) - The Office of Vermont State Auditor Tom Salmon, CPA, reported today that oversight of railroad construction contracts in the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) is inadequate and is costing the State money.

"One conclusion of the audit is that the Rail Division is not ensuring that the required competitive bidding in these contracts is taking place," said Deputy State Auditor George Thabault. "Contracts are being 'sole-sourced' and this denies other companies the opportunity to compete for State contracts, and may be keeping the State from getting the best price for goods and services."