Current News

Small Businesses Look for Help on Health Care Coverage
BURLINGTON, VT, June 16, 2008 - Most Vermont small businesses see it as their responsibility to provide health coverage to employees, but all are struggling with the rising cost, according to a survey report released today by AARP Vermont. AARP conducted an independent telephone survey of some 400 Vermont business owners with 50 or fewer employees. Clearly, the study exposes a group that is buried under the escalating costs of health care and being forced out of the market, while battling high energy costs and an economy in recession. The survey reveals a better understanding of what Vermont's small business owners have been experiencing due to increasing health coverage costs, their opinions surrounding the issue and whether the Catamount Health Plan would appeal to them if made available.

Vermont Announces Annual Summer 'Vermont Fuels Your Vacation' Promotion
MONTPELIER, Vt. - Governor Jim Douglas has announced that the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing will kick off its third annual fuel-themed tourism promotion to encourage visitors and Vermonters to explore the state this summer.
"Vermont Fuels Your Vacation" is a 15-week promotion featuring a $100 gas card giveaway every week. Vermont residents and non-residents can register to win at www.VermontVacation.com/fuel and gas cards may be used at participating gas stations in Vermont. Entries will be accepted from June 16 through late September with the first gas card giveaway drawing on June 23.
"Vermont is well positioned geographically because it is within a 300-mile radius of more than 80 million people who may opt for shorter drives and closer destinations this summer," said Governor Douglas.

SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT Matthew Cohen the owner of Pinnacle Properties, a landscape installation and maintenance services company located in South Burlington, has announced that Chad Ransom has joined the growing company. Chad brings over 10 years experience in masonry craftsmanship allowing Pinnacle Properties to add hardscape installations to its already wide range of landscaping services. The company previously offered the installation of trees, shrubs, planting beds and various other commercial and residential property maintenance services. Now, with the addition of hardscapes, the companys already diverse list of services will include patios, retaining walls, walkways, outdoor living spaces and much more.

Vermont Employment Incentive Growth Program Audit

June 12, 2008

Contacts: Karen Marshall, VEPC Chair (802) 343-3740
Fred Kenney (802) 828-5256

Official Statement of VEPC Board Chairwoman Karen Marshall on Auditors VEGI Report

The Auditors report is largely favorable and the Vermont Economic Progress Council generally agrees with its facts; however we would take issue with many of the conclusions reached.

Basing background growth on company specific data instead of industry average data and updating model data as it changes throughout the year, as suggested by the Auditor, are contrary to statute, unsound economic modeling, and would make the program more costly and complex to administer. Further, if implemented these recommendations would not treat each application with consistent standards of evaluation.

On June 5, 2008, General Dynamics held its Tenth Annual "Engineering Excellence and Innovation Awards Conference and Banquet" to honor employees (solely or as part of a team) who were responsible for significant engineering achievements or advancement of the company's technical expertise.
The Conference was held at General Dynamics' Corporate Headquarters, and highlighted many of the accomplishments from this years award recipients through a series of presentations made by the recipients themselves. The event was capped with a banquet held at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, D.C., where each recipient received their formal recognition and award.

CVPS begins synchronous condenser project, demand-control effort
WINHALL -- Construction has begun on a new Winhall substation and voltage support equipment known as synchronous condensers to improve electric system reliability in southern Vermont, while a new program is being kicked off to help reduce energy demand by paying large customers to reduce their load.
"Thanks to public and regulatory input, we are being very creative in how we address growing demand and reliability issues on the transmission system in southern Vermont and the region," CVPS President Bob Young said.
CVPS and Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) are working to improve reliability in southern Vermont and the greater New England region, which face growing demand. Through an extensive public outreach process, the companies agreed to a series of solutions, including non-transmission solutions, to address transmission constraints.

Vermont ski areas recorded 4,354,621 skier visits for the 2007-08 season, announced the Vermont Ski Areas Association at its June 12 Annual Meeting held at Mount Snow Resort. This marked a 14% increase over the prior year's tally, and was well ahead of the industry's 10-year average.

"The resounding theme of this year's season was well-timed and record-setting snowfall that greeted skiers and riders with fresh powder for just about every weekend and holiday period," remarked Parker Riehle, President of the Vermont Ski Areas Association. "From start to finish, Mother Nature's bounty matched resorts' ever-improving snowmaking technology to enable Vermont ski areas to open early with more terrain than most rival ski states and continue right through April and into May."

Manpower Named to 2008 'World's Most Ethical Companies' List
Burlington, VT June 12, 2008 - Manpower has been named to the second annual World"s Most Ethical Companies list by the Ethisphere Institute. Ethisphere, a think-tank dedicated to the research and promotion of profitable best practices in global governance, business ethics and corporate responsibility, reviewed more than 10,000 companies on six continents to prepare the 2008 list.
"Manpower is honored to be affirmed for its commitment to ethics and social responsibility," said Amanda Niklaus of the Vermont office. "Every day, on a global basis, and right here in Vermont, we set out to do the right thing for people who come to us looking for a job."

Governor
to Announce Comprehensive Program to Help Vermonters Address Rising Fuel and
Food Costs

WHAT: Gov. to Announce New
Program to Assist with Food and Fuel Costs
Randolph,
Vt. – Governor Jim Douglas
tomorrow will announce a comprehensive new program to help Vermonters address increasing
home heating, gasoline and food costs.

The Governor will be joined by members of a cabinet-level inter-agency
task force charged with working with public, non-profit and private partners to
implement his plan.

WHEN: Thursday, June 12,
2008 – 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: Vermont
Technical College,
Administration Building,
Randolph
·
From I-89, Exit 4 ramp, turn onto Rt. 66 heading
uphill
·
Proceed 3/4 mile to intersection at top of hill (cars traveling

$10.2 MILLION IN PROJECT FINANCING APPROVED BY VERMONT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
June 9, 2008

Governor
Signs Health Care Bills Into Law
Highlights Wellness Efforts at Richmond Business;
Urges More Vermonters to Enroll in Green Mountain
Care

Richmond,
Vt. – (June 10, 2008) Governor Jim
Douglas visited Milton CAT, a business with an award-winning worksite wellness
program, to sign two health care bills into law. The Governor was joined by
legislators, advocates, insurance representatives and others as he signed H.
887 and S. 283.

H. 887 and S. 283 build on the groundbreaking reforms included in
Health Care Affordability Acts of 2006, including the new Catamount Health
Plans and Governor Douglas’ forward-thinking Blueprint for Health,
which is helping Vermont lead the nation in efforts to change our health care system
to one focused on preventing illness and complications, rather than reacting to