Current News

Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy
In Support Of The Financial Bailout Package
October 1, 2008
This financial crisis is rooted in material actions involving executive greed and ineptitude, flawed economic policies, and the incompetence of on-the-scene regulatory agencies. And we are dealing with this crisis at the unfortunate intersection of two toxic trends: the loss of confidence in our financial system, and the public's loss of confidence in the Bush Administration. Many have come to agree with those of us who have long felt that 'trust me' is not enough when this White House asks for sweeping new powers.

The American Bus Association (ABA) announced that the 'Vermont Celebrates Champlain,' and 'Hudson 400th Celebration of Discovery' are the winning US events, respectively, as ABA released its 2009 list of the
'Top 100 Events in North America.'

The year 2009 will mark the 400th anniversary of when French explorer Samuel de Champlain traveled by canoe up the Richelieu River and came upon a lake spanning 120 miles in length and 12 miles in width.

Vermont will commemorate this event in 2009 with festivals, pageants, exhibits and much more. All are invited to share in the fun and help commemorate this historic moment.

The annual guide for professional travel planners and the general public highlights the top fairs, festivals, parades and regional events across North America. While the Top 100 are not ranked, ABA highlights the top US and Canadian events for 2009.

Governor, UVM President sign Vermont Climate Collaborative Charter
MONTPELIER - Governor Jim Douglas and UVM President Daniel Mark Fogel have formally adopted the Vermont Climate Collaborative framework, which will guide Vermont's effort to address climate change and further develop the green tech economy.
At a charter signing at the Statehouse Wednesday, Governor Douglas called the Collaborative a signature partnership that brings together the state's higher education institutions, businesses, legislators and nonprofit organizations to allow the state to forge ahead with confidence in protecting and enhancing Vermont's quality of life.
"This charter spells out a foundation and framework for action," the Governor said. "The Collaborative's mission is simple: to see that Vermont stays green, leads the nation in environmental policies and creates job opportunities for a thriving green economy."

State Treasurer Issues Statement on Need for Congress to Act Now
I understand that Vermonters are angry about the financial mess we are currently facing and not sure who to trust about what the appropriate government response should be. There is plenty of blame to be shared for the dilemma we are in. That can come later. Right now we need a bipartisan agreement in Congress to pass a comprehensive bill that will help to stabilize the financial markets sooner rather than later.
While it makes good sense to craft the proposal in a way that has the best chance of benefiting American citizens, hopefully phased in and as an investment, not just a bailout, I'm concerned the longer it takes to do so, the more serious the recession we face. Holding out for a perfect bill is risky business.

Winners for the Vermont Hospitality Councils
Summer 2009 and Fall 2009 Top Ten List

The Vermont Hospitality Council, a division
of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to announce the winners
for the Top Ten Summer 2009 events and the Top Ten Fall 2009 events. A
complete list of winners and descriptions of the events are available at
http://www.vtchamber.com/events/.

The Top Ten Events are chosen by a panel
of independent judges. Winning events are open to the public, scheduled
between April 1 and August 31, 2009 for the Top Ten Summer 2009 events
and September 1 and October 31, 2009 for the Top Ten Fall 2009 events,
appeals to out-of-state visitors, and has the potential to attract a large
and diverse audience, including children.

This letter was sent by University of Vermont President Dan Fogel on October 1, 2008, to the UVM Community
I am writing to alert you to a situation that is affecting nearly 1,000 higher education institutions nationwide, as reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education and The Washington Post (attached). We learned on Monday from the Commonfund that Wachovia (the trustee bank for Commonfund) had frozen 90% of the assets in its Short Term Fund. UVM invests the majority of its operating cash assets in the Short Term fund, and we immediately withdrew the maximum amount allowed under these new restrictions in order to maximize our ability to access sufficient cash to meet our payroll and other obligations.

ESSEX JCT, VT - The team from Baker Distributing bested over 130 exhibitors to take "Exhibitor of the Year" honors at the annual convention and expo for the Vermont Food Industry, which was sponsored by the Vermont Grocers' Association. The award is based on overall attractiveness, creativity and presentation of the exhibit booth as judged by the retail and restaurant attendees of the show. Baker's highlighted their product line and tied in a couple of new Harley Custom Bikes in their expanded presentation. Baker Distributing, with facilities in Colchester and Rutland, VT, is a full service beverage wholesaler to stores throughout the state. The exposition attracted over 1,200 members of Vermont's food industry and is the largest show of its kind in the state.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont President Milnes to Retire
Berlin, VT - William R. Milnes, Jr, president and chief executive officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT), has announced he will retire later this year after 10 years with the Plan and nearly 34 years with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield system.
Mr. Milnes, 62, will step down on November 30. Don George, vice president of managed health systems for BCBSVT and senior vice president and chief operating officer of the company's HMO affiliate, The Vermont Health Plan (TVHP), has been named to fill the role of interim chief executive officer of the plan.
"Under Bill's leadership Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont has grown, strengthened and improved in all areas," said Guy Boyer, chairman of the BCBSVT Board of Directors. "He will leave a strong company with a culture of constant improvement and a unique commitment to its members, customers and to the state of Vermont."

BURLINGTON, VT - Bruce Macmillan and the Cambridge Village Market, were honored by the Vermont Grocers' Association with the VGA "Retailer of the Year" award during the association's annual convention at the Sheraton Burlington. The award was presented in recognition of their involvement with the community, food industry, store operations and customer service. The Cambridge Village Market dates back to the 1850's and for the first half of the 20th century served the area with community lockers, where customers could store refrigerated items before they had their own refrigerators and freezers. Bruce and his family (Susan and son Alex) purchased the market in 1992. Under Bruce's ownership the market has doubled in size and grown from 6 employees to 26 today. They strive to support local farms by selling local produce whenever possible.

Council Honors Employers for Wellness Programs

Burlington -- 48 Vermont work sites will receive awards October 7 from the Vermont Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. The awards honor employers that support staff access to physical fitness activities and promote good health on and off the job. The council and Governor Jim Douglas will present the awards in a ceremony at a Work Site Wellness Conference at the Hilton Hotel in Burlington.
The following work places will receive honors:
1-25 Employees
Otter Creek Conservation District - RECOGNITION

Employees recorded the number of steps they walked each day for a "Walk Around Hawaii," and they try to make healthy food choices.
Rutland Housing Authority - BRONZE

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Vermont 100 Percent Broadband Exchanges in 2010
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Timothy McQuiston
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23
2008-09-23T21:43:00Z
2008-09-30T21:07:00Z
2008-09-30T21:07:00Z
1
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1168
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9
2
1370
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FAIRPOINT TO PROVIDE 100 PERCENT BROADBAND COVERAGE IN 51 VERMONT LOCALITIES
FERRISBURGH, Vt. (September 30, 2008) - More Vermonters will be able to quickly e-mail photos, download music and surf the Internet because FairPoint Communications today announced it will provide 100 percent broadband coverage to its customers in half of its Vermont telephone exchanges by December 31, 2010.
FairPoint acquired 99 telephone exchanges (in several cases exchanges cover multiple towns and prefixes) in its March 31, 2008 acquisition of Verizon's wireline business in Vermont. The locations of the 51 exchanges with full coverage are divided among all 14 Vermont counties.