Current News

A celebration took place on Thursday evening, April 14, at the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, where individuals and organizations were recognized for their leadership and contributions to Vermont’s environment.
Green Mountain Environmental Leadership Award recipients:
(left to right)
Citizen Scientist Award: Lori Fisher, Lake Champlain Committee
What a Great Idea! Award: Richard Travers, Freeaire Refrigeration
Courage in Leadership: Sarah Dopp, S. Burlington Land Trust
Fourteen finalists from around the state were present at the first annual Green Mountain Environmental Leadership Awards that drew close to 150 people and was hosted by both ECHO and FreePressMedia.

Governor Peter Shumlin announced today that the superintendents of the Chittenden Regional and Northwest State Corrections Facilities in St Albans will switch facilities as part of the inmate relocation planned for later this year.
The inmate relocation ‘ moving the female inmates from the St. Albans prison to the Burlington facility, and the men at Chittenden to Northwest State ‘ is part of the Governor’s effort to reduce recidivism in Vermont. There are more services available in Chittenden County to help the female inmates successfully transition out of prison, and the St Albans prison has additional space and more suitable facilities for male inmates.
Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility (CRCF) Superintendent Greg Hale and his St. Albans counterpart, Superintendent Dave Turner, requested the job shift.

This week, hundreds of Vermont hospitality industry professionals from across the state, gathered at the Hilton Hotel in Burlington, VT for the 68th Annual Vermont Travel Industry Conference. During the conference's awards ceremony, VTIC honored the Town of Killington for excellence in marketing; Bill Orleans, owner of PP&D Brochure Distribution, for Vermont Travel Person of the Year; and Morgan Goodyear, junior at Johnson State College, as recipient of the VTIC Scholarship.
After a series of educational and motivational workshops led by industry specialists representing hotels, state tourist attractions, PR and marketing firms and more, the opening day, May 12, concluded with an awards banquet honoring some of the great people and projects in Vermont hospitality.

by Anne Galloway, vtdigger.org April 14, 2011 The Senate Health and Welfare Committee passed a new version of the single-payer health care bill out of committee Wednesday on a 5-0 vote. The unanimous decision was made shortly after the senators also agreed to incorporate amendments from two conservative senators on the committee, Senator Hinda Miller, D-Chittenden, (pictured) and Senator Kevin Mullin, R-Rutland, into the bill.
The groundbreaking legislation, which was drafted by the Shumlin administration and passed by an overwhelming margin in the House creates an overarching vision for a single-payer system that would go live in 2017 ‘ and only then if the state is granted a waiver from the federal government.

The City of Burlington announced today that Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Jonathan Leopold has tendered his resignation and will leave his position as of July 1, 2011. Leopold is one of the central figures involved in the on-going problems with the municipal Burlington Telecom. He has struggled with health issues the last few years stemming from an auto accident in 2007, which has caused him to reduce his workload.
‘I have accepted Jonathan’s decision with regret,’ said Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss. ‘I want to thank him for his hard work and personal commitment to the City throughout his career. Among many other accomplishments, Jonathan’s management of the budget has resulted in 5 straight fiscal years of a level general services tax rate and an increase in the City’s undesignated reserve fund from $75,000 to over $5 million. Jonathan has also built a strong management team in the Clerk-Treasurer’s Office which will ensure a successful transition.’

Darn Tough Vermont founder and owner Ric Cabot has been chosen to be a member of CNBC’s Small Business Council and will appear on live television this Friday, April 15 during CNBC’s show, ‘Squawk on the Street.’ The CNBC Small Business Council, an exclusive group of 15 executives, provides insight about the challenges and opportunities facing small business owners in a variety of industries and sectors.
‘I am pleased to offer my commentary on the state of small business in this country through the national platform provided by CNBC,’ said Cabot. ‘I am hopeful that the lessons I have learned as the owner of a multi-generational family business will help guide other small business owners and entrepreneurs toward their own successes.’

A new video from the nonpartisan Vermont Working Landscape Partnership looks at the difficulties facing our farm and forest economy as well as the opportunities the state can pursue to reverse alarming trends. The video, Vermont’s Working Landscape: Keeping it Vital, is narrated by Chris Graff with original music from Colin McCaffrey. It includes stunning photography and trend line graphs, as well as the Partnership’s proposed Action Plan for state policy. The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is leading this effort and the 8 minute video is posted at its website www.vtrural.org. It was produced for VCRD by Montpelier’s Flywheel Communications.

Ranking Member Elijah E Cummings sent a letter yesterday to Chairman Darrell Issa requesting that the Committee invite Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin to testify at today's congressionial hearing entitled ‘State and Municipal Debt: Tough Choices Ahead.’
Cummings, as the highest ranking Democrat on the committee said:
‘As an executive of a state in the process of navigating its own projected budget shortfall, Governor Shumlin will provide valuable insight as his state and the entire country continue to recover from the recent economic recession,’ said Cummings. ‘Governor Shumlin will also bring a perspective that is markedly different than that of the majority’s witness, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, allowing the Committee to obtain a wider and more balanced range of views on these issues.’ Walker, of course, is a newly elected Republican and Shumlin is a newly elected Democrat.
Shumlin's prepared statement offered today follows:

Michael Smith, whose vision and leadership turned a largely forgotten, bedraggled forest into a 300-acre city park crisscrossed by one of the nation’s top trail systems, received the 2011 CVPS-Zetterstrom Environmental Award today at a Statehouse ceremony.
The award, named for famed osprey advocate Meeri Zetterstrom, includes a $2,500 cash award to support continued improvements in the park.
‘Michael Smith has not only devoted his life to making Pine Hill Park accessible and enjoyable to thousands of people, he has done it in a way that highlights its importance as an environmental oasis in the middle of an urban center,’ CVPS Executive Chairman Bob Young said. ‘Michael, much like Meeri Zetterstrom, has educated thousands of Vermonters about the importance of preserving natural spaces for future generations.’

Peter Shumlin will deliver the commencement address at Green Mountain College's 174th graduation ceremony May 14, and receive an honorary doctor of laws degree. The ceremony is at 10 a.m. on the College's Griswold Library lawn.
Governor Shumlin is the 81st governor of Vermont. His career in public service began in Putney, Vt. almost 30 years ago when he was elected to serve on the town's selectboard at the age of 24.
He earned his bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University and has worked for many years in his family business, Putney Student Travel in Putney, Vt. Today, Putney Student Travel has nearly 20 full-time employees, with another 200 working around the globe during the summer months.

Vermont Administration Secretary Jeb Spaulding delivered good good news on tax revenues Tuesday as the General Fund and Education Fund both exceed targets for the month of MArch. The Transportation Fund, however, fell below its anticipated mark.

General Fund
March is the ninth month of fiscal year (FY) 2011. General Fund revenues totaled
$74.87 million for March 2011, and were +$5.98 million or 8.68% above the $68.90 million
consensus revenue forecast for the month. The monthly results closed the February year to date
shortfall and pushed March year to date results slightly above target. March year to date
revenues were $813.33 million or +$1.65 million or +0.20% ahead of target. Compared to the
same period for the prior fiscal year, FY 2011 GF results are 8.67% ahead of FY 2010, but
remain below the pre-recession FY 2008 results by -2.70%.

The RE/MAX of New England Housing Report indicates that for March every state in New England experienced an upswing in transactions as home sales increased 37.7 percent across the region. Vermont was the only state to see a year over year increase at 5.4 percent. According to RE/MAX, this bodes well for a strong spring market.

RE/MAX of New England Executive Vice President, Jay Hummer, has to say about the market in his monthly podcast: http://www.remax-newengland.com/audio/2011-3-HousingPodcast.mp3