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Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Read on for:
First CEDRR Mixer was a Success |
CEDRR Hosts Amtrak Reopening Ceremony |
Martin Henry Freeman Descendant Moves to Rutland |
BCBS Rate Decrease Proposal | Pine Hill Park Celebrates 100 Years |
Made at the MINT | Membership Spotlight | Career Hub |
Upcoming Events
On Tuesday, July 13th, CEDRR invited the community to come together for the first time in over sixteen months. The first mixer since the merger of CEDRR, we hosted over 70 people at Roots the Restaurant. Many were eager to see one another in person again to enjoy the live music, food, and company.
Congressman Peter Welch joined to celebrate with us and announce the House Appropriations Subcommittee has approved community project funding for over $1.6 million for a major development at the Vermont Farmer’s Food Center in Rutland. If approved by the U.S. Legislature, the subsequent expansion of the VFFC would not only bring 50 new jobs to the area, but it would also work to tackle food instability and better connect the food systems in our region.
Please plan to join us at our next mixer on August 10th hosted by Proctor Gas – stay tuned for more information!
CEDRR Hosts Amtrak Reopening Ceremony
Monday, July 19th marked a historic milestone for the Amtrak passenger train which had not traveled through Downtown Rutland in over sixteen months.
“Amtrak is back. We are all back,” said Lyle Jepson, Executive Director of the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR) during a ceremony held by CEDRR Monday morning at the Rutland Amtrak station.
Nearly 50 community members were present at the event which consisted of speeches prepared by Jepson, Rutland City Mayor David Allaire, State Representative Butch Shaw, AMTRAK/Operation Lifesaver Manager & AOT Rail Grants Manager Toni Clithero, and Rutland Regional Planning Commission Transportation Planner Devon Neary.
The reopening of Amtrak is an asset to both Rutland County and the State of Vermont as travelers from NYC and beyond have readily available access to our region. Speakers also mentioned plans in the coming years to have a direct route from Downtown Rutland to Burlington and then on to Montreal. The State of Vermont is currently working on completing the new plans for the direct route from Rutland to Burlington, which is set to run by the second quarter of 2022.
Individuals who attended the event had the opportunity to ride the Ethan Allen Express from Rutland to Castleton where they were greeted by music, homemade goodies, and Castleton residents equally excited for the reopening of Amtrak. The first passenger aboard, a 6-year-old Rutland County resident named Grayson, wore a Thomas the Train shirt and was accompanied by his mom and grandmother.
“Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region and our entire region are overjoyed by the reopening of the Amtrak station here in Rutland,” said Jepson. “Not only is our community now able to easily return to their travels, but individuals from far and wide are able to visit us, shop at our businesses, and bring additional vibrancy to our region.”
Last December, community organizers in Rutland were searching for descendants of Martin Henry Freeman, a city native who in the 19th century became the first Black college president in the United States. The city was dedicating a sculpture of Freeman as part of a project that honors distinguished locals.
Around the same time, and 500 miles to the south, Kaifa Dennis had set out to learn more about Freeman, his great-great-great-grandfather. Freeman had moved to Liberia, an African nation established by freed former slaves, in the mid-1800s. Dennis was born in Liberia before immigrating first to England and then to the U.S. when he was still a child.
Dennis, who lives in the Washington, D.C., area, discovered the Rutland project online. Eight months later, after getting to know many of the people working on it, he's moving to Rutland to take a job with a medical device company, closing a circle that opened in 1826, when Freeman was born in the city.
The Vermont Chamber of Commerce is encouraging small businesses to submit comments and weigh in on a proposed average 7.8% annual decrease. Below are highlights of the proposal. The last day to submit a comment is July 22.
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBS) has proposed an average annual rate decrease of 7.8% for small group plans (aka small business plans) offered on Vermont Health Connect in 2022. The changes could save small businesses 7% to 19.8% on health insurance benefits for their employees.
- The Green Mountain Care Board (which reviews rate requests) is seeking comments from the public regarding the proposed decrease. We would appreciate your input about how the changes could benefit your business.
- Highlights:
- These changes could save small businesses an estimated $17 million.
- Health care benefits are an important recruitment and retention tool and we need them to be affordable.
- Businesses will be recovering financially from the pandemic for years to come and any savings on employee benefits are important to us.
One hundred years ago, a Rutland resident had the foresight to donate 273 acres of land on Pine Hill to the city of Rutland to be used as a park and it is still fulfilling that vision today.
On May 2, 1921, Henry O. Carpenter gave the land to Rutland with the idea that it would be developed as a park, according to the Pine Hill Park website. “[He] saw it as a recreation tract,” said Shelley Lutz, a representative from Pine Hill Partnership (PHP). PHP is the park’s current steward. “It was a sheep pasture 100 years ago,” Lutz said.
Over the next 100 years, the site served many different purposes. In the early years, it was a quarry that was mined to create crushed stone for the city until 1933; then in 1934 a large fire burned 120 acres.
Previous volunteer days at The MINT have included projects like assembling shelves, organizing workshop materials, decorating, and more! Volunteer days are full of music, laughs, and the kind of work that instantly makes an impact. We can’t wait to see you on Saturday the 24th!
MINT-acular is Almost Here!
MINT-acular is coming and The MINT is looking for volunteers to help with preparation for our annual birthday celebration. The MINT will be hosting a volunteer cleanup from noon to 4 pm on Saturday, July 24th to put some finishing touches on our new studios as well as The Boiler - our kids and family makerspace.
There is a wide range of projects suitable for members of all ages and abilities. The MINT has been undergoing quite the transformation since our last MINT-acular. With your help, we’ll be able to really show off everything which has been happening over the past year.
Imagine spending a weekend at a country inn nestled in the mountains or tucked away in a small village. Your hosts, Rita and Corey Wood, have spared no effort in making your stay pleasant and peaceful. For breakfasts and dinners, you are seated at a small table spread with crisply ironed linens and a candle centerpiece appropriate for the season. A bountiful array of home-cooked seasonal specialties are set before you. The meals welcome you to your home away from home. It is more than just a stay, it is an experience that you will never forget!
Join us in congratulating Four Seasons Sotheby's International Realty for opening their newest location at 133 East Mountain Road (at Mountain Green Resort) in Killington!
CEDRR was pleased to perform a ribbon-cutting to kick off the excitement at the newest location and looks forward to seeing their continued success!
CEDRR would like to thank the following businesses for renewing their membership:
99 Restaurant | A. Tedesco Masonry | Allen Pools & Spas | Antique Mansion B & B | Atomic Professional Audio | Cairo Shriners | Casella Waste Systems |
Chaffee Art Center | Chris Fucci & Associates | City of Rutland |
Cleary Shahi & Aicher PC | Community College of VT | Facey Goss & McPhee |
Frank Webb Home | Gawet Marble & Granite | Green Mountain National Golf Course | Green Mountain
Power | Hathaway Farm | Homeless Prevention Center |
Kinney Pike | LaValley Building Supply | Rutland Magazine |
Markowski Excavating, Inc. | McCamley & Branchaud | Mendon Mini Golf |
Morton Buildings | Noble Ace Hardware | Northstar Fireworks |
Otter Creek Engineering | Page's Full Service Concierge & Cleaning | PEGTV |
Praticos Landscaping | Pratt Vreeland Kennelly Martin & White | Proctor Gas |
Proctor Pittsford Country Club | Rodeway Inn | Rotella Building Materials |
Russell Construction | Rutland Community Cupboard | Rutland Mental Health | Southside Steakhouse | Speedi Lube | The Mountain Times | The Richards Group | Tossing Funeral Home | Vermont Railway | Waffle Cabin
The Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region's Career Hub features full-time jobs across Rutland County that provide a salary higher than the Vermont living wage.
Accounting Clerk/ Bookkeeper
Ultravation is seeking an Accounting Clerk/Bookkeeper to become a member of their team.
Marketing & Events Coordinator
Downtown Rutland Partnership is seeking a Marketing & Events Coordinator to become a member of their team.
Radiology Technician
Community Health is seeking a Radiology Technician to join their community.
View Rutland County career opportunities & post your position →
July 20, 2021| 10 - 11 a.m.
If you’re ready to take the next step and explore turning your idea into a real business opportunity, then this is the workshop for you.
July 20, 2021| 11 - 11:45 a.m.
Join the Vermont Procurement Technical Assistance Center (VT PTAC) for this look inside the 2022 FedRooms RFP Process which is underway!
July 21, 2021 |12 - 12:45 p.m.
Join VMEC for a look at how processes, systems, and people integrate to further develop capabilities, toward what customers are willing to pay for, now and in the future.
