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VermontBiz Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement:

“Today, I share my deep gratitude for all members of our military, and especially for those who lost their lives in service to their country.

“My thoughts are with all the families who are grieving those losses. Please know, their sacrifice – and your sacrifice – is not forgotten and I do not take it for granted.

“Reflecting on this sacrifice and loss is what Memorial Day is about. But our gratitude – and our obligation to live up to the values and ideals these soldiers fought and died for – needs to be something we pay attention to every day.

“There is no real way to repay those we’ve lost for all they gave, but at the very least, we can offer our thanks and our respect.”

VermontBiz Faculty, staff, family, and friends joined the Middlebury College Class of 2024 on the Main Quad to celebrate Commencement on a picture perfect May morning Sunday, May 26. As graduates lined up for the procession, the high energy sounds of Middlebury’s Afropop music ensemble welcomed guests to the seating area. 

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets An On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR) is a free, non-regulatory site visit to review safe produce handling on your farm. It serves as a direct educational opportunity for growers and producers to prepare for a Produce Safety Inspection or simply improve produce safety practices on their farm. During an OFRR you can expect staff from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Market's Produce Program and UVM Extension to review your farm's pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest conditions and practices. Staff then provide individualized feedback and identify priorities for improving produce safety. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Community College of Vermont (CCV) will hold its 2024 commencement ceremony at Norwich University’s Shapiro Field House in Northfield, Vermont on Saturday, June 1. The ceremony will begin at 2:00 p.m. More than 500 students will be awarded associate degrees. The College is pleased to announce that this year’s keynote speaker will be Aly Richards, CEO of Let’s Grow Kids, Vermont’s child care campaign. Richards’ leadership and vision resulted in the passage of the historic child care law last year, a first-of-its-kind law for Vermont and the nation. CCV-Montpelier graduate Caitlin McGinley will be the student speaker for the Class of 2024.

Vermont Business Magazine This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will impact traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the week of May 27. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it. 

by Kathleen Wanner, Vermont Tree Farm Committee member It’s a small world! When you hear that today, it usually has a global connotation. Not so for The Naked Table Project, the brainchild of Charles Shackleton, a furniture maker from Bridgewater, VT. Naked Table highlights just how small the footprint of forestry and wood products can be. Naked Table grew from the seed of an idea in response to a challenge by Sustainable Woodstock about 15 years ago. Since its founding in 2009, Shackleton has hosted more than twenty Naked Table events. The Statehouse lawn will be the backdrop for the next Naked Table on June 1, 2024.  Charlie has set a goal of twenty Vermont maple dining tables made by participants at a cost of $2500 each. Profits from this event will benefit Habitat for Humanity, which expands the “tree to table” concept to highlight Vermont’s housing challenges. 

by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First, Vermont Business Magazine Former longtime State Sen. Richard T. Mazza, D-Colchester/Grand Isle, who resigned last month due to health issues, died at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester on Saturday. Mazza built a lifelong reputation for honesty, kindness, ethics, humor and philanthropy – often behind the scenes and unknown to many. There are no visiting hours. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Malletts Bay. A celebration of life will be held immediately after at the Miller Building at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction. 

VermontBiz Bellows Falls’ rich industrial history and vision for the future will be celebrated in the dedication of the recently installed Robertson Paper Mill Historic Interpretive Kiosk, presented by Bellows Falls Area Development Corporation (BFADC) and Town of Rockingham. The public is warmly invited to the dedication which will take place on Wednesday, June 5th at 5:00 pm at the former location of Robertson Paper at 21 Island Street on the island in Bellows Falls.

Coinciding with the 2024 Vermont Downtown and Historic Preservation Conference held in Bellows Falls, the brief dedication will highlight a marker dedicated to the history of “Robbie Paper,” assembled almost entirely from materials reclaimed from the demolition of the mill in 2019. The event will also feature an installation of paper lanterns decorated by town residents with paper salvaged from the mill. The effort shines a light on the powerful, storied past and bright potential economic development future for this prime location.

by Cathy Solsaa The debate over educational equity in Vermont, particularly around the implementation of Act 127 and the Pupil Weighting Factors Report, touches deeply on the state's social and economic disparities. This conflict is starkly illustrated by the historical and current attitudes of certain towns towards neighboring communities, especially in the context of educational funding reforms. Historically, some towns have shown a preference for maintaining their educational and socio-economic exclusivity. This was evident when Vermont officials, in an effort to balance educational resources statewide, proposed merging smaller districts to create more equitable educational opportunities. The opposition from wealthier towns to merging with less affluent towns was perceived by many as a move to protect local interests and maintain a homogenous, affluent educational environment, rather than integrate with and support more economically diverse communities.

VermontBiz Windham County’s economy has a little bit of everything from large manufacturers such as Sonnax or wholesalers such as G&S Wholesale, so smaller startups, artisan food products, arts organizations, and higher education. Here, a few business owners and nonprofit leaders share their experiences working in the Southeastern Vermont economy.

VermontBiz Windam County’s shifting, transitioning and eclectic economy has claimed another victim: Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters, a multigenerational business in downtown Brattleboro, closed its flagship store at Flat and Main streets in April, just seven months after M&T Bank shuttered its nearby branch at the corner of Elliot and Main

But the news isn’t all bad. Several other long-running businesses, including Burrows Specialized Sports, Everyone’s Books and Mocha Joe’s Coffee House, have found new ownership and will live to see another day.

At a fundamental level, said Adam Grinold, executive director of Brattleboro Development Credit Corp, the local economy remains strong. Employers large and small across the county are seeking to add more employees and continue to grow.

Vermont Business Magazine Switchback Brewing Co, home to Vermont’s iconic Switchback Ale, faced a unique challenge when the COVID-19 pandemic forced bars and restaurants across the nation to close their doors. With thousands of gallons of beer brewed in anticipation of St. Patrick's Day Weekend at risk of going to waste, the innovative teams at Switchback and Appalachian Gap Distillery embarked on a new venture, partnering to create Essential Spirits. The process began by distilling approximately 1,500 kegs, equivalent to 250,000 cans of Switchback Ale at Appalachian Gap Distillery. After distillation, the whiskey is aged for at least three years in oak barrels in App Gap’s facility in Middlebury, VT, developing a beautiful amber hue, herbaceous notes and a warm, caramel whiskey body.