Current News

The US Small Business Administration is reminding small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes that April 16 is the filing deadline for federal economic injury disaster loans available in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties in Vermont. The SBA declared a disaster because of the excessive rain, flooding, high winds, lightning and cooler than normal temperatures that occurred from March 1 through June 1, 2011.
"These counties are eligible because they are contiguous to one or more primary counties in New York . The Small Business Administration recognizes that disaster do not usually stop at county or state lines. For that reason, counties adjacent to primary counties named in the declaration are included, "said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA's Field Operations Center East in Atlanta.

Efficiency Vermont andVermont Gas Systems are among nine New England organizations that have received 2012 awards from the Energy Star Program.
Each year, EPA and the US Department of Energy (DOE) honor organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. Organizations are recognized in one of three major award categories: Partner of the Year, Award for Sustained Excellence, and Award for Excellence. These organizations are being recognized for their long-term commitment to greater energy efficiency.
‘EPA congratulates this year's Energy Star award winners,’ said Curt Spalding, regional administrator for EPA’s New England office. ‘Their commitment to energy efficiency makes these organizations valuable partners in the effort to save precious resources and reduce harmful air emissions.’
Partner of the Year Awardees

Governor Peter Shumlin today named Bonnie Johnson-Aten, principal at Edmunds Middle School in Burlington since 2006, to the State Board of Education, joining the 10 member board on March 20. Johnson-Aten, who lives in Montpelier, replaces Fayneese Miller of South Burlington, whose term on the board expired in February.
‘Bonnie has years of on-the-ground experience in Vermont’s public school system, working with students from rural communities like Calais and East Montpelier, and currently in the Burlington district,’ Gov. Peter Shumlin said. ‘I’m pleased she has agreed to serve. Bonnie will bring a common-sense perspective to the board on the educational issues facing our schools.’
‘I am very excited about having Bonnie Johnson-Aten join the State Board of Education,’ said Education Commissioner Armando Vilaseca. ‘Her extensive experience in education and perspective as a practitioner will serve us well.’

Vermont, eleven other states, New York City, and the District of Columbia filed a motion to intervene in federal court today in support of a Clean Air Act rule that will protect Vermonters by reducing toxic air pollution from coal and oil-fired power plants.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency recently adopted the rule, known as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, to curb power plant emissions of mercury and other toxic air pollutants, such as arsenic, cyanide, nickel and selenium, that are known to cause cancer, respiratory illness, and other serious health effects.

On the effective date of March 15, 2012, Fitch Ratings upgrades the long- and short- term rating assigned to the $200,000,000 ($170,000,000 currently outstanding) Vermont Student Assistance Corporation Education Loan Tax-Exempt Variable Rate Demand Revenue Bonds Senior Series 2008C-1 and 2008C-2 to 'A+sf/F1+sf' from 'Asf/F1sf'; Outlook Stable
The rating action is in connection with the substitution of the irrevocable direct-pay letter of credit (LOC) previously provided by Lloyds (rated 'A/F1'; Stable Outlook by Fitch) with a substitute LOC to be issued by State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street, rated 'A+/F1+'; Stable Outlook ).

by Alan Panebaker March 16, 2012 vtdigger.orgEntergy is going back to federal court asking for assurance that the state will not shutter the plant March 21, when its current license expires.
Despite a victory in federal court finding two Vermont laws unconstitutional, attorneys for Entergy expressed concerns that the board would not allow Vermont Yankee to continue operating.
The Public Service Board held a status conference March 9, and briefs are due Friday.
Entergy already asked Judge J. Garvan Murtha for assurance that the plant could continue operating during the proceeding. The Public Service Board at the conference would not guarantee that the plant would keep operating.
With the clock ticking, Entergy’s motion in federal court asks Judge Murtha to preserve the status quo.

by Anne Galloway | March 15, 2012 vtdigger.orgState workers will move back to Waterbury and the replacement facility for the Vermont State Hospital will be 25 beds.
Governor Peter Shumlin announced the double-whammy decisions today at a hastily called press conference with a phalanx of Democratic leaders and members of key committees standing behind him. In remarks, Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, lauded the plan.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet and winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, will explore this thought-provoking subject when he visits Middlebury College to deliver two lectures ― one to the campus community and another to the public ― on October 12-13.
Middlebury faculty, staff, students and ID holders may attend his talk, ‘Educating the Heart,’ at 1:45 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 12. His lecture at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13, ‘Finding Common Ground: Ethics for a Whole World,’ will be open to the public. Tickets for both events, which will take place in Nelson Arena, will be available through the Middlebury College Box Office.

After a year’s worth of quiet preparations, the Celebrate Vermont Festival is going public. The four-day festival kicks off with a Noah’s Ark Parade of pets and farm animals through the streets of Stowe Village on Thursday August 23h. The following day, Friday at 10 AM, the gates of the Stowe Events field open to all for the three-day session of Celebrate Vermont Festival, August 24-26, at the Stowe Events Field.
Vermonters and visiting guests from the Northeast and Quebec will sample and celebrate the traditional and emerging harvests of our working landscape ‘ a panoply of food, art, craft and culture that comes from our kitchens, farms, forests and the Vermonters who work in them. For 200 years the working landscape has been the major economic driver in our agriculture, forest products and recreational industries.

Online access to the state of Vermont finances got a near failing grade from the US Public Interest Research Group, in a report made public Wednesday. The D- indicates that there is some availability of the state's finances on line, but it is hard to find for the average user. Vermont was joined in the next-to-worst category by states ranging from Maine to New Hampshire to California.
InFollowing the Money 2012: How theStates Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data, researchers at the US PIRG graded all 50 states on how well they provide online access to information about government spending. States were given ‘A’ to ‘F’ grades based on the characteristics of the online transparency systems they have created to provide information on contracts, subsidies and spending at quasi-public agencies.

The City of Burlington has put the finishing touches on an update to its groundbreaking 2000 Climate Action Plan. The update, the culmination of a lengthy process of public input and prioritization, along with a sophisticated greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory and modeling tool, were developed by Shelly Martin, previously a Project Manager for Spring Hill Solutions, and paid for with Recovery Act Energy Efficiency Block Grant Federal funds.
‘Burlington has a long history of being at the forefront of the climate change issue. We were one of the first cities to join the ‘Cities for Climate Protection’ campaign in 1996,’ said Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss. ‘From there, a forward-thinking City Council adopted our initial Climate Action Plan in 2000. Now we know, beyond any doubt, that addressing climate change is a critical responsibility of good government. I look forward to seeing the updated Climate Action Plan adopted by the new City Council in 2012.’

With escalating tension in the Middle East contributing to rising oil and gasoline prices, Representative Peter Welch today outlined a set of policy steps to help break America’s reliance on oil from countries hostile to American interests.
‘Events half a world away are hammering hardworking Vermonters and threatening a fragile economic recovery,’ Welch said. ‘The best way to break the cycle of surging oil prices is to chart a green energy future built on renewable energy and investments in energy efficiency.’
Welch outlined his four-step agenda at NRG Systems, a global leader in renewable wind technologies:
Extend the Production Tax Credit (PTC). The PTC provides a tax incentive to companies that generate wind, geothermal and other types of renewable energy. The credit expires at the end of 2012.Thanks to the PTC, Vermont was the second fastest growing state for wind installations in 2011 ‘ growing over 650%.