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VermontBiz Emeril Lagasse is one of the most recognizable chefs in the nation. The celebrity restaurateur has built a vast food empire, with a portfolio of media, signature products and restaurants.

He shares his secret recipe for success on the 21st Century Business Forum on the May episode of 21st Century Business Forum.

The chef’s passion for food was ignited as a young boy growing up in the small town of Fall River, Massachusetts. As a teenager, he worked at a Portuguese bakery where he mastered the art of bread and pastry baking. Upon high school graduation, Lagasse turned down a full scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music to pursue his dream of becoming a chef.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to pass S.234, a bill that takes a significant step toward improving Act 250, Vermont's comprehensive statewide land use law. The vote was 99-43, with several members absent. In particular, S.234 facilitates smart growth housing development by making state incentives more accessible for designated downtowns and villages. The bill promotes mixed-income and affordable housing developments in smaller towns to facilitate state incentives with increased density, and the bill provides funding for towns to modernize their bylaws to implement smart growth measures.

​Vermont Business Magazine Casella Waste Systems, Inc, based in Rutland, announced Tuesday an offering of up to $60.0 million aggregate principal amount of Vermont Economic Development Authority Solid Waste Disposal Revenue Bonds Series 2022 under an indenture between the Issuer and the bond trustee. Initially, $35.0 million in principal amount of Bonds is anticipated to be issued under the Indenture, and Casella intends to use the net proceeds of the Bonds to finance and/or reimburse Casella for certain costs of certain capital projects in the State of Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott signed a handful of bills into law today, including the ethics bill, which he believes can still go further. However, he vetoed a charter change bill for Burlington that would have made it more difficult for a landlord to evict a tenant. Scott said he was concerned that landlords would simply avoid renting to some tenants in the first place to avoid a potential eviction down the road and thus cause an even tighter housing market than already exists in the city.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 304 cases of COVID-19 for Monday (98 Sunday, which tends to have the fewest reported cases). Vermont, meanwhile, has the lowest level of "natural immunity" from having contracted COVID in the nation at 29 percent, while the US average is over 60 percent with some states over 70 percent. He said this is from a combination of local mitigation measures and the subsequent high rate of vaccination uptake (number one in the nation in vaccine plus booster; second lowest death rate to Hawaii).

Vermont Business Magazine May is National Foster Care Month. It is a time to acknowledge the role of foster care providers statewide. This year, relatives and kin caregivers are being celebrated for their commitment to children and youth who are placed in their care. Acknowledging the unique role kinship caregivers play in providing stability for children as families work to achieve reunification is a key factor in the support of families that can help lead to more positive outcomes for their future.

Vermont Business Magazine GlobalFoundries Inc announced Monday a $117 million agreement with the US Department of Defense (DoD) to provide a strategic supply of US-made semiconductors that are critical to national security systems. Securely manufactured at GF's most advanced semiconductor manufacturing facility, Fab 8 in Malta, New York, the chips will be used in some of the nation's most sensitive defense and aerospace applications. Under the agreement, the manufacturing of these chips will be transferred to GF's Fab 8 from GF's Fab 10 in East Fishkill, New York.

Vermont Business Magazine As part of National Small Business Week the SBA Vermont District Office is hosting a webinar at 2 p.m. May 4 about its free executive entrepreneurship training series. THRIVE, Emerging Leaders Reimagined, is a free intensive strategic growth planning program for small businesses and small business owners can apply now for this program to take a business to the next level of growth. Vermont’s SBA office will select 20 small businesses to participate in the program, but you need to apply to show your interest and be interviewed by May 31 at www.sbathrive.com. THRIVE is slated to begin in the summer.

Vermont Business Magazine A bright spot of the pandemic was that Vermonters got outside to exercise more than ever before. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is calling on our neighbors to come together to enjoy Mountain Days, a fun annual event that brings people of all body types and abilities to the top of a mountain. The idea was sparked by the energetic Blue Cross Windham County Community Advisory Board in 2001, when they invited their community to join them in what became an annual hike up Mt. Wantastiquet. This event inspired hikes across Vermont on a series of weekends in the spring.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Business Magazine Vermont elected leaders and others are weighing on a report from Politico that the US Supreme Court is poised to overturn the landmark abortion rights decision on Roe versus Wade. The leak of this report is unprecedented among Supreme Court draft decisions. According to Politico, the decision is written by Justice Alito and is expected to be announced in June.

Vermont Business Magazine Democrat Sarah Copeland Hanzas of Bradford announced the launch of her campaign for Vermont Secretary of State today on the front steps of the Vermont State House. Copeland Hanzas was joined by over 20 state representatives who showed their support for her campaign. Secretary of State Jim Condos previously announced that he would not seek reelection in November.

Vermont Business Magazine Prevention Day brought together youth, prevention organizations, and supporters to educate decision makers and to celebrate the substance misuse prevention community in Vermont. Over 70 youth participated from 15 groups, and 68 adults from 14 prevention organizations, three Vermont state agencies and three other organizations for a total of 148 people were in attendance. This year, Prevention Day was held in collaboration with the OVX (Our Voices Xposed) State House Rally on April 7th, 2022.