Current News

A Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) line worker sustained a fatal injury on Wednesday afternoon while working on an electric utility line on the Sawmill Road in Essex, Vermont. Bruce Lamb (56), a VEC line worker with more than thirty years of experience, died at the scene of the incident where he was conducting routine maintenance work with another VEC line worker.
VEC CEO David Hallquist reported to the scene immediately upon hearing of the incident and an investigation is underway. ‘It is critically important for us to determine the factors which led to this tragic outcome. At this point it is too early to draw final conclusions,’ said Hallquist. Further information will be reported as details become available.
‘The Vermont Electric Cooperative family grieves today for the loss of a beloved co-worker,’ continued Hallquist. ‘Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Bruce Lamb.’
VEC 3.22.2012

The Manor, a residential care and short term rehabilitation facility in Morrisville, VT, was recently ratedDeficiency Freein a federal recertification survey conducted earlier this year by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Both federal and state survey visits are opportunities for the government to review a nursing facility's operations at all levels of the organization to ensure that services provided meet the regulatory and licensing requirements.
The Manor staff was delighted to learn of their ranking as it is rare to be awarded a deficiency-free survey. The rating, based on a review of medical, nursing and rehabilitative care; dietary and nutritional services; activities and social participation; and sanitation, safety, infection control and the physical environment, is an outstanding accomplishment for the facility and staff that are committed to a standard of excellence performance in short term rehabilitation and long term care.

At a ceremony held on campus today, the University of Vermont announced it was only the fifth school in the nation, and the first large university east of California, to sign on to a program launched last fall called the Real Food Campus Commitment. UVM students were instrumental in advocating for UVM’s participation.
By signing the commitment, UVM pledges to serve 20 percent ‘real food’ at all its campus food outlets by 2020. Real food is defined as that which is locally grown, fair trade, of low environmental impact, and/or humanely produced.

The March 2012 edition of Captive Review features their ranking of the 50 ‘most influential people in the captive industry’ and according to those contributing to the international poll Vermont has some considerable influence.

Vermont’s chief regulator, David Provost, Deputy Commissioner of the Captive Insurance Division is the highest rated US regulator and number three in the overall world ranking.
‘David would be the first to tell you that it’s really a testimony to the hard work of our entire team at the State ‘ they help make him look influential,’ said Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin. "We are excited that his contributions to the industry have been recognized. Congratulations David.’
Six of the seven captive insurance companies ranked on the list are domiciled in Vermont, and the Vermont Captive Insurance Association (VCIA) was ranked 21st overall.

Power 50 List

by Michele Ollie, co-founder and President ofThe Center for Cartoon Studies.I founded the Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) in 2005 on a very simple belief: the medium of comics was as potent and deserving of serious exploration as painting, sculpture, and poetry. Most of our students see comics as a calling as much as a career, a vehicle for personal expression. Although there is a deep reverence for the printed page, it would be wrong to assume we don’t embrace new technologies. In the school’s production lab, the old school screen-printing shares the same space as wireless state-of-the-art color laser printers and digital tablets. Students still dip steel nibs into inkwells while laying out their comics in Adobe InDesign.

TheVermontHouse of Representatives passed a major energy bill today to expandVermont’s use of renewable energy, decrease its greenhouse gas emissions, and increase its energy independence. Opponents of the bill maintain that it will increase electric costs to Vermont customers, while moving the renewable energy credits to other New England states.
The bill,H 468,sets out a target of renewable energy to be 75 percent of the state’s total power portfolio by 2032.The Department of Public Service estimates the bill will bring in more than half a billion dollars in capital investment in energy generation projects to the state.
‘Vermont’s energy portfolio is already made up of 59 percent renewables. This bill will continue the development of the state’s renewable power market by encouraging energy entrepreneurship,’ said Speaker Shap Smith. ‘It’s good for our environment, createsVermontjobs, and ultimately it’s good for our economy.’

The University of Vermont is calling for nominations for the first annual Family Business Awards. The awards, which are being organized by the Family Business Initiative at the School of Business Administration, will recognize UVM alumni and Vermont based businesses that have demonstrated a commitment to creating sustainable business through leadership and innovation.

Secretary of State Jim Condos announced today that the Vermont Historical Records Advisory Board (VHRAB) has been awarded a grant of $15,000 from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) to plan projects to support the identification, preservation, and use of Vermont’s historical records.

The funding will allow VHRAB to design a future re-grant program to assist local historical societies, municipal clerks, and other repositories around the state. Previous VHRAB re-grant programs from 1996 to 2000 secured $123,574 in federal matching funds to support initiatives related to disaster planning; improving access to archival records; and archival education. The planning grant also will be used to design annual Archives Month programs in October.

EatMoreKale.com and documentary producer, James Lantz, have just five more days to raise funds for the documentary ‘A Defiant Dude.’ $50,000 dollars has already been raised with $25,000 more needed by Sunday, March 25.

Funds are being collected on their webpage on Kickstarter.com. Kickstarter is the world's largest funding platform for creative projects. It is an all or nothing funding option.On Kickstarter, a project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands.

Funding is coming in from individuals and companies who are finding out about this program through social media. Kathleen and Jimmy LeSage, owners of New Life Hiking Spa in Killington, Vermont recently made a donation after seeing a YouTube post on a friend’s Facebook wall.

To accompany today’s release by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack of a report highlighting the ways in which USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) contributes to US energy independence, the Montpelier, Vermont based USDA Rural Development team assembled a group of stakeholders to showcase successes and encourage new projects.

Present at the meeting were prior program recipients Ernie Pomerleau, developer of the Ferrisburg Solar Farm and William MacClay, principal of MacClay Planners and Architects. Pomerleau and MacClay provided an overview of their development models and highlighted how USDA Rural Development services were vital to their respective projects.

Onion River Sports in Montpelier, an outdoor store specializing in human-powered sports including cycling, running and Nordic skiing, announces the launch of a new global lifestyle brand and socially integrated web site based on their motto, Muscles Not Motors. The new brand, Muscles Not Motors, and website, Muscles Not Motors.com, are targeted to individuals and families committed to building healthy, active lives, and sustainable communities. The blog-style site attracts a like-minded following through several areas of interest. Blog posts are filled with personal experiences of contributing bloggers from Vermont and around the US, with tips and information to inspire and empower readers to make positive changes in their lives, their families, and their communities.

The State of Vermont has lagged behind most of the rest of the nation in the growth in women-owned businesses. A recent report ranks Vermont 45th in the US in the growth in the number of firms over the last 15 years and 42nd in revenues. Total employment actually fell during that time.
Vermont overall has an estimated 21,800 women-owned firms, employing 13,300 and attributing to roughly $1.9 billion according to the State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, commissioned by American Express OPEN, a comprehensive study released today analyzing data from the USCensus Bureau.
Similar to the first report released this time last year, the unique analysis, reported by industry, revenue and employment size at the national, state and top 25 metropolitan levels, shares a new and nuanced investigation into the growth trends among the 8.3 million women-owned enterprises over the past 15 years.