Current News
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Vermont Quadricentennial Commission Endorses Events for 2009
MONTPELIER, Vt. -- The Lake Champlain Quadricentennial Commission Events Committee has given the green light to more than 40 event proposals for the 2009 celebration that will honor the anniversary of Samuel de Champlain's arrival to the lake in 1609. Application review and approval is ongoing with even more events anticipated to be added over the next several weeks and months.
While the year-long celebration will feature several unique, special events in and around the Champlain Valley, the Lake Champlain Quadricentennial will also feature existing events that explore Quadricentennial themes. Events recently approved for the Quadricentennial celebration include the Regatta for Lake Champlain, the Winooski River Sojourn, Teddy Roosevelt Day in Isle La Motte and the D'Olobaratz Voyage, which is a weekend race between re-created French and British longboats on Lake Champlain.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: David Mace (802) 828-5229
March 4, 2008
State Launches New Economic
Development Web Site
Revamped Site Will
Make It Easier To Use For Businesses, Entrepreneurs
MONTPELIER, Vt. – The state has launched a newly
overhauled website for economic development that officials say will make it
easier for people who want to do business in Vermont.
The Department of Economic Development’s new Thinkvermont.com
site has an updated look and improved navigation that makes it more user-friendly
and consistent with state government’s main site, Economic Development
Commissioner Mike Quinn said.
“The goal of this new website is to
provide businesses with easier access to the information, resources, and
tools that the Department of Economic Development offers,” Quinn said.
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General Dynamics Armament invests in Maine production site
Arlington, VA based General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products is investing over $50,000 in production equipment and hiring 60 to 90 new employees to accelerate its enterprise-wide focus on Lean/Six Sigma-based process improvements at its Saco, ME, gun manufacturing facility. The site serves as General Dynamics' core production site for single- and multi-barrel aircraft and crew-served weapon systems.
Products manufactured in Saco include the MK19 and MK47 40 mm grenade weapon systems, high-speed multi-barrel Gatling guns and M2 50-cal. machine guns.
The company employs approximately 83,500 people worldwide and reported 2007 revenues of $27.2 billion. General Dynamics' Gatling gun systems are onboard every U.S. fighter aircraft, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and the company has manufactured more than 30,000 MK19 gun systems.
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Breaking News
Dave Provost to Become New Deputy Commissioner
Dear Friends,
Dave Provost, CFE has been named the successor to Len Crouse as Deputy Commissioner of Captive Insurance. Dave is an Assistant Chief Examiner within
the department and is a veteran of the captive industry having spent 18 years in both the private and regulatory sector.
"His strengths should help Vermont build on its long established pre-eminence in the field of captive insurance regulation. He can offer us both continuity and perspective for maintaining responsive regulatory paths, and bring vision for
shaping our future." said Commissioner Paulette Thabault.
Provost will take over as deputy when Crouse steps down on June 1st.
Click here to read the complete release from the Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration.
Upcoming Events:
March 5
Scottsdale, AZ
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EXHIBITION SPACE STILL AVAILABLE AT BARRE GARDEN SHOW
Barre, Vt. (March 3, 2008) Organizers of the first-ever Central Vermont Garden Show are looking for more vendors and exhibitors.
The event, slated for March 14-16 at the Barre Civic Center, includes landscape exhibits, a garden railroad, floral competitions, a silent auction and educational workshops. Well-known author and herbalist Rosemary Gladstar -- founder of the Sage Mountain Retreat and United Plant Savers International, respectively -- will deliver the keynote address. In addition, industry experts will present on several topics, such as rain gardens, landscaping and bonsai.
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For more information contact: Melissa Hersh, (802) 865-5402
BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Champlain College's Workforce Development Center has formed an alliance with HRSentry, an online human resources management and compliance service, to deliver online workshops in human resource management, using HRSentry's 6,000 plus resources as the virtual textbook for each workshop.
The workshops feature facilitated online readings and discussions led by noted human resource professionals. Real work scenarios are integrated into each class. The opportunity to share resources and problem-solve with colleagues across the state and country will be invaluable to those who are responsible for HR functions. The workshops are specifically designed to meet the needs of managers who work in small and medium-sized organizations and businesses.
by tim
Merchants Bancshares, Inc. Announces Director's Resignation
SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT - The Board of Directors of Merchants Bancshares, Inc. announced February 27, 2008, that Charles A. Davis has given notice of his departure as a director of Merchants, in order to decrease the number of public company boards on which he currently serves.
Mr. Davis has served on Merchants' board since 1985. He commented, "I have made this very difficult decision in the interest of respecting best practice in corporate governance. I have a strong, long-standing commitment to Merchants, and remain fully confident in the management and direction of our company. Although my affiliation with Merchants as a director has come to a close, I look forward to continued success as a major shareholder."
by tim
This month's gift of a tucked-away day only comes once every four years. Here are 29 things to do in Vermont this Friday! "Ring in the 29th and watch it go with the Leap Year Special overnight stay at the Mountaintop Inn & Resort in Chittenden (www.mountaintopinn.com). "Browse 29 books by Vermont authors at the independent Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne (www.flyingpigbooks.com). "Order 29 seed packets from the Vermont Wildflower Farm, and deliver spring to your doorstep (www.vermontwildflowerfarm.com). "Experience 29 minutes of nostalgia at your local antique shop (www.vermontada.com). "Play 29 holes of indoor mini golf at Pizza Putt in South Burlington (www.pizzaputt.com).
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UVM proposal calls for construction of new campus facilities
A report issued by University of Vermont's Campus Task Force II suggests a $100 million dollar expansion of athletic, health and recreation facilities, which would make the renovation the biggest capital project in the univerity's history. The renovations would require considerable private funding, due to the schools constraints on borrowing capacity.
The project will add 350,000 square feet of indoor space to the 400,000 square feet area already in use, and would probably happen in multiple stages over the period of many years. UVM is using the consulting firms Cannon Design and Brailsford & Dunlavey, who they also worked with to construct the $61 million Davis Center project.
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CVPS Donates Plug-in Car to UVM for Research on Hybrid Vehicles in Northern Climates
UVM president Daniel Mark Fogel was handed the keys to a new car today. But he wont be taking it for a joy ride.
Instead, he received the plug-in hybrid electric vehiclea modified Toyota Prius donated by Central Vermont Public Serviceon behalf of UVMs Transportation Center. UVM researchers will use the vehicle to explore how a new generation of hybrid cars, which recharge from a standard outlet, perform in the cold, hilly conditions of Vermont.
Bob Young, president of CVPS, presented the vehicle to President Fogel and Transportation Center director Lisa Aultman-Hall as part of CVPSs "plug n go" program, the nations first utility program that allows customers to use plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to reduce driving costs and air pollution by substituting off-peak electricity for gasoline.
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FAST COMPANY RANKS THE WORLD'S 50 MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES:
EIGHT OF THE 50 ARE BASED IN THE NORTHEAST
(FAIRFIELD, CT, NEW YORK, NY, STRATHAM, NH, ARMONK, NY,
BURLINGTON, MA, BURLINGTON, VT, CORNING, NY)
NEW YORK, February 20, 2008 Fast Company magazine has announced
its "Fast 50" list of the world's most innovative companies. Eight of the 50
firms named to the 2008 list are based in and around the Northeast (Fairfield,
CT, New York, NY, Stratham, NH, Armonk, NY, Burlington, MA, Burlington, VT,
and Corning, NY). The Fast 50 firms in the Northeast that made the list are:
No. 4 GE (Fairfield, CT)
No. 12 News Corp. (New York, NY)
No. 21 Timberland (Stratham, NH)
No. 22 IBM (Armonk, NY)
No. 24 Anomaly (New York, NY)
No. 31 IRobot (Burlington, MA)
No. 35 Burton (Burlington, VT)
No. 38 Coring (Corning, NY)
Expanded profiles of theses companies can be found at
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IRS drops plan to change captive insurance tax status
The Coalition for Fairness to Captive Insurers, CICA and VCIA are pleased to report that today (February 20, 2008), the Internal Revenue Service announced that it is withdrawing proposed IRS Regulation §1.1502-13(e) on consolidated returns that would have adversely affected single parent captive insurance companies. Consequently, the public hearing requested by the Coalition on this issue which was scheduled for February 29th has been cancelled.