Current News

The Humane Society of Chittenden County shelters as many as 90 companion animals on any given day. Hot and cold days make a very real impact on the comfort of both the animals and the people in the building. With a $5,800 grant from Green Mountain Power and a cost share from Efficiency Vermont, HSCC is now saving an estimated 8,089 kWh and 106 ccf of natural gas per year AND 10,600 pounds of carbon emissions each year. HSCC estimates a savings of nearly $1,000 per year in energy costs.

Like many small non-profit organizations that rely exclusively on gifts and grants, HSCC is always looking for ways to save money. Improving the energy efficiency of its South Burlington shelter was an important investment to lower the organization’s overhead costs and keep its precious residents warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

The People’s United Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of People’s United Bank, announced today that it has awarded $10,000 to the Sara M Holbrook Community Center. As a federally designated refugee relocation site, Burlington continues to grow and grapple with changing community needs. One of the greatest needs for newly arrived families is mastering the English language.

Situated next to a classic red-clapboard barn on land farmed since the early 1800s, a new piece of Vermont history is taking shape: an award-winning community solar array poised to provide energy to both Brattleboro businesses and residents. Contributing companies Soveren Solar, the Vermont Agricultural Business Education Center (VABEC), and Brattleboro Savings & Loan will ‘throw the switch’ on a 150kW, 64-rack array on Tuesday, June 23 at 5 p.m., which represents one of five Vermont Community Solar projects in the state. Gov. Peter Shumlin is scheduled to speak.

Tomorrow, a representative of Attorney General Bill Sorrell’s office will testify before a subcommittee of the US House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce on HR 1599, a bill that, if adopted, would preempt Vermont’s GE food labeling law (also known as GMO) – Act 120.

At the request of Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D – NJ), Assistant Attorney General Todd Daloz, who worked on the drafting of the regulations implementing Act 120, will testify before the Subcommittee on Health as it hears from witnesses representing biotechnology and food manufacturers on the proposed federal ban on state-level GE food labeling.

Beginning at 10 AM tomorrow, the testimony will be streamed at http://ago.vermont.gov/.

Vermont AG: June 17, 2015

Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and a bipartisan group of House members this week unveiled an updated version of their legislation to level the playing field for small local businesses competing with Amazon and other large internet retailers. Similar to the Marketplace Fairness Act, the Remote Transactions Parity Act would require remote sellers to collect the same sales tax collected by brick and mortar stores, but goes further by including additional protections and exemptions for small online retailers.

“This is an issue of fairness,” Congressman Welch said. “Small mom-and-pop businesses in Vermont struggle every day to offer competitive prices to their customers. They simply cannot compete against Amazon and other large retailers who sell the same products online at a lower price because they are not required to collect state or local sales taxes. Vermont’s small businesses need a level playing field. Our bill will give them a fighting chance.”

People’s United Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of People’s United Bank, announced today that it has awarded $5,650 to the Stern Center for Language & Learning in Williston. The funding from People’s United Community Foundation will support Building Blocks for Literacy in Franklin County, an early childhood literacy skills development program. The program trains early childhood providers and parents on strategies for teaching pre-literacy skill development to ensure children have a solid foundation for success in school and life.

Brenda Buzzell, Building Blocks’ Coordinator, was delighted to learn about the grant. “This donation from People’s United Community Foundation for our early care and education providers in Franklin County is fabulous! Our communities are so very fortunate to benefit from People’s United’s high level of commitment to support children and families.”

In response to a growing regional and national skilled labor shortage, GW Plastics is leading the way in workforce training, career development, and community educational outreach through an innovative high school program. The company is proud to announce that their first year of “School of Tech” students has graduated. GW Plastics began their “School of Tech” in January. Local students from Randolph Union High School in Randolph, Vermont were bused to GW Plastics’ state-of-the-art facilities for a semester-long course focused on manufacturing technology.

Kay Wright of West Lebanon, New Hampshire, has been charged with one felony count of embezzlement and three counts of misdemeanor false pretenses. According to documents filed with the court, Wright was the chief of the Veteran’s Affairs canteen store in White River Junction.

During her employment with the VA, she took money belonging to the VA from the safe, petty cash, cash registers, and a bill changer and used it for her own personal expenses. She also falsified petty cash records to indicate money had been spent for office supplies when it was used for another unauthorized purpose. According to the AP, she allegedly stole $1,300 during the summer of 2013.

Wright pleaded not guilty Tuesday at her arraignment in Vermont Superior Court, Windsor Criminal Division. If convicted she faces a penalty of up to thirteen years in prison and a fine of up to $3,500.00.

Source: Vermont AG. June 16, 2015

Appearances by former Vermont Expos/Major League shortstop Orlando Cabrera and former Boston Red Sox great Bernie Carbo, a Ted Williams Bobblehead giveaway, three "Hot Dog Heavens", and three post-game fireworks shows highlight the Vermont Lake Monsters 2015 promotional schedule, the team announced today. Opening day is June 19.

A member of the 1995 Vermont Expos and the 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox, Cabrera will be at Centennial Field on Saturday, August 29th to sign autographs pre-game and throw out the first pitch.

A few of the other great giveaways at the ballpark this season include: children's BMX bike helmets on July 12th, Burton Backpacks to the the first 500 kids (5-18 years old) on on August 8th, a Ted Williams bobblehead to the first 750 fans on August 13th and Lake Monsters caps will be handed out on August 20th.

Vermont Business Magazine With the Burlington Boathouse and Lake Champlain as a backdrop, Governor Peter Shumlin today signed into law the state's most comprehensive legislation in its history, which will address the problem of polluted storm water runoff into Vermont’s lakes and waterways. Shumlin said there are three major contributors to the pollution: runoff from farms; roads, particularly dirt roads, and impervious surfaces, including paved roads, parking lots and roofs.

The legislation (H.35) recognizes that clean water is fundamental to Vermont’s quality of life and economy and gives the state the authority and capacity to control pollution and keep waterways free from the most significant threats to these shared resources.

A tiny fly from the Pacific Northwest may provide new hope for towering hemlock forests dying along the East Coast. Deep-green hemlock forests stretch from Georgia to southern Canada. Or at least they used to. Over the last few decades, the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect, has killed millions of these trees as it spreads north and south along the spine of the Appalachians — leaving behind only ghostly acres of gray trunks.

But now a team of scientists, co-led by Kimberly Wallin with the University of Vermont and U.S. Forest Service, and Darrell Ross at Oregon State University, have shown that two species of silver flies from the Pacific Northwest — Leucopis piniperda and Leucopis argenticollis — will attack and eat adelgids not just on western hemlock, but also on eastern and Carolina hemlocks.

by Bill Schubart I no longer believe in economic development. There, I said it. Now, let me clarify. I believe the best business development strategy is being a great place to live, educate, and conduct business, as the Business Roundtable likes to say. I’ve become pessimistic about conventional “tools” in the economic development tool box designed to entice businesses to locate or relocate here. Historically the location of most businesses is serendipitous, occurring because the owners chose to live here full or part-time for a wide range of reasons. I believe seductions such as tax incentives or green cards for foreigners are a race to the bottom.

In 2005, Toyota was locating a new auto assembly plant and chose Ontario over Southern states that offered hundreds of millions in tax abatements because Canada has a national health care system and a better skilled and educated workforce, not because Canada bought them with tax incentives.