2010 VBSR Spring Conference and Terry Ehrich Award Dinner
ONLINE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! MORE INFO AND REGISTRATION...
Terry Ehrich Award Dinner
Sunday evening, May 16, 2010; 5:45 - 9:30 pm
Northern Lights Cruise Boat, Lake Champlain
For more information on the award dinner, visit the Terry Ehrich award web page.
Full-day Spring Conference
Monday, May 17, 2010; 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
Hilton Hotel; Burlington, VT
Join 400 of Vermont's most creative and innovative entrepreneurs and business owners for inspiration, practical ideas, public policy updates, and ongoing efforts from around the state, the U.S., and the world.
This year's conference features keynote speakers
 U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy AND
 Robert Fuller of Merrick Foods dba Leunig's Bistro
For more information and to register, visit our web site conference page.

VBSR June Networking Get-Together hosted by
Trust Company of Vermont
Wednesday, June 23, 2010; 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Trust Company of Vermont, 151 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT
Join us to learn more about one of the few employee-owned trust companies in the country.
To sponsor this event, please contact Rita at ritab@vbsr.org no later than Monday, May 24
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The legislative session is beginning to wind down as evidenced by fewer number of bills still in play and more Monday meetings. VBSR has been working on our end of session priorities and is tracking other relevant policy issues (e.g. Challenges for Change). Since the last e-news, the VBSR-led Benefit Corporation bill (S.263) has passed the Senate (on a unanimous voice vote) as well as the Health Care Reform bill (S.88). The Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund bill is stalled in the Senate. Please visit the latest VBSR policy blog for a more detailed legislative updates.

You can follow us on Twitter at VBSRPolicy for quick daily updates.
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A resource guide and coupon book exclusively designed for locally owned and independent businesses in Chittenden, Addison and Washington counties. The Buy Local Resource Guide and Coupon Book will feature savings from coupons, a place to tell your story, a business directory, and educational materials on ways to "Be Local" while visiting and living in Vermont.  

Visit www.localfirstvermont.org and click on the Local First Coupon Book link on the top of the page. Here you will find links for options, pricing and the specifications necessary for participation.  

Contact Lisa Curtis at lisac@vbsr.org to secure your space today!
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Tune in here for current news about Local First Vermont and other local economies features...

The New Rules Project's Community Banking Initiative
Making the Financial System Work for Us
by Stacy Mitchell, April 14, 2010

The New Rules Project launched the Community Banking Initiative to provide the empirical and conceptual underpinnings for a community-scaled financial system, which will reduce systemic risk and strengthen local economies, and to identify public policies that can revitalize such a system.

Continue reading on VBSR's web site...
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SBA announces Vermont's 2010 Small Business Winners
Katy Lesser, of Healthy Living Market, named Small Business Person of the Year
Nominated by David Blow, Jr, Vice President, Granite State Development Corp., Burlington, Lesser was selected for outstanding leadership related to her company's staying power, employee growth, increase in sales, innovative ingenuity and contributions to the community. As Vermont's Small Business Person of the Year, Katy Lesser will compete for the national title at National Small Business Week ceremonies in Washington, D.C., May 23-25, 2010. Ms. Lesser will be locally honored by the U.S. Small Business Administration on June 17th at a ceremony presented by Vermont Business Magazine at the Shelburne Farms Coach Barn, Shelburne, Vermont. Read more...

Groundbreaking for new Brattleboro yogurt factory
On March 18th, Vermont Governor Jim Douglas as well as federal, state and local officials joined Commonwealth Dairy officials at a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the company's Brattleboro, Vermont plant. The company is planning a $32 million, state-of-the-art, LEED compliant, Class II dairy processing facility that includes alternative energy sources and will be designed to accept milk from the open market as well as segregated milk streams, such as organic and local.
Read more...

e-Vermont Aims at Rural Towns - Deadline April 30
The e-Vermont project is a new $4 million initiative to help rural Vermont towns take full advantage of the Internet and advance a wide variety of local needs including economic development, school innovation, job creation, downtown marketing, community engagement, and e-commerce. Two dozen communities statewide will be selected to work with the new e-Vermont Partnership in a comprehensive effort combining online services, training, access, awareness, and planning. However, applications are due by April 30 to be considered among the 12 communities for Round One. Key to this major campaign is the new "e-Vermont Partnership" led by the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD). In addition to VCRD, the e-Vermont Partnership is made up of the Vermont State Colleges, the Vermont Department of Libraries, the Vermont Department of Public Service, Vermont Small Business Development Center, the Snelling Center for Government, Front Porch Forum, Digital Wish, Evslin Family Foundation and Vermont Community Foundation.
Read more...