Current News

by Secretary of State Jim Condos The August 14^th Vermont Primary Election is just two weeks away. While there has been some indication of lower voter turn-out, I hope that as Vermonters, we can make sure that’s not the case in our state.

Voting is the foundation of our democracy. When you go to the polls on Primary Day and Election Day, you’re helping shape the future of our towns, our state and our country. Mark your calendars today – August 14 and November 6 – and be sure to vote!

Early voting is also a great way to increase voter participation. You can vote early for the August 14^th Primary right now, either in-person at your local Town/City Clerk’s Office, or by requesting a ballot be mailed to you. Requests can be made by phone, email, walk-in or online at https://mvp.sec.state.vt.us.

Vermont Business Magazine With just shy of 500 square miles of water, Lake Champlain is what a boater’s dreams are made of. Yet, boat traffic can result in pollution from sewage, fuel and other contaminants. Burlington Marina is joining the effort to do its part for the Lake all boaters enjoy. In August, Burlington Community Boathouse Marina will become the Vermont Green Business Program’s newest member, after having achieved environmental standards that protect Lake Champlain. The Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation will present Burlington Boathouse Marina with their certificate of achievement on the docks of the Marina on August 10, 2018.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont joins states across the country in celebrating National Farmers Market Week from August 5-11. Featuring blueberry festivals and other events with live music and kid friendly “Power of Produce” activities, there’s something special for everyone at your local farmers market this harvest season!

Vermont Business Magazine Hunger Mountain Co-op in Montpelier is now accepting grant applications in support of local businesses and organizations whose work enriches the central Vermont community and furthers the Co-op’s mission of building a dynamic community of healthy individuals, sustainable local food systems, and thriving cooperative commerce.

Hunger Mountain Co-op began its community fund endowment in 2005. With support from Co-op member-owners, Twin Pines Cooperative Community Fund, and the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, the fund has grown steadily. Since 2011, the Co-op has awarded grants annually, with a current total of $45,302 to 36 different recipients. Last year’s grants totaled just under $7,000 and benefited NOFA-VT, Good Food Good Medicine, The Growing Peace Project, Just Basics, Inc., Barre Area Senior Center, Vermont Foodbank, Capstone Community Action, Calais Agricultural Committee, and Northfield Community Development Network.

Vermont Business Magazine Today (8/3/18), Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront saw visual indications of cyanobacteria at North Beach, resulting in a closure. All other beaches remain open. North Beach has historically been more vulnerable to these blooms due to the orientation of shoreline to the prevailing winds and its proximity to the Winooski River, which carries nutrient loads into the Lake. Given public concern and interest in the state of its beaches, the city offered the following information on these algae blooms.

CYANOBACTERIA (“BLUE-GREEN” ALGAE) BLOOM CLOSURES

● Parks, Recreation and Waterfront conducts visual inspections of the beaches everyday during recreation season

● Upon the presence of cyanobacteria (“blue-green algae”), a beach will be closed

Vermont Business Magazine Road Pitch, founded in 2014 by Cairn Cross, co-founder and managing director of FreshTracks Capital visited eight communities in Vermont between July 30th and August 2nd. The event is a multi-day motorcycle trip around Vermont where a pack of “business bikers” with investing, entrepreneurial/business and business advisory experience ride together and stop in small towns where “Local Organizers” have organized a pitch session for entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas to the group. There were 56 riders this year.

Vermont Business Magazine Casella Waste Systems, Inc (NASDAQ: CWST), a regional solid waste, recycling and resource management services company based in Rutland, today reported its financial results for the three month period ended June 30, 2018. For the quarter, revenues were $165.6 million, up $11.6 million, or 7.6%, from the same period in 2017, with revenue growth mainly driven by: robust collection and disposal pricing; higher solid waste volumes; higher organics and customer solutions volumes; and the roll-over impact from acquisitions; partially offset by lower recycling commodity prices and volumes. Shares were trading at $26.745, down -$1.355 (-4.82%) Friday mid-morning.

Vermont Business Magazine Northern Power Systems Corp (TSX:NPS), the Barre-based wind turbine and energy storage company, announced Thursday that it completed the initial closing of a private placement financing effected under the financial hardship exemption available to companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under certain circumstances. At the initial closing, the company issued Convertible Subordinated Promissory Notes to certain new investors as well as certain existing investors, including John Simon and Richard Hokin, who are both current and significant shareholders of the company and members of its Board of Directors, in the aggregate amount of C$2,446,642 or US$1,880,000.

Vermont Business Magazine The Bikers rode to the Vermont Granite Museum in Barre for the Central Vermont Road Pitch on Thursday. By the time the dust settled, there was no question: She Flys was the “Riders’ Choice." She Flys was also the “People’s Choice” winner. The Central Vermont Road Pitch was the final stop on the on the FreshTracks Road Pitch eight-city tour in which forty venture capitalists, investors, angel funders and financial advisors ride in to hear from entrepreneurs eager to make a “pitch” for funding for their based-in-Vermont projects.

In a competition in which six entrepreneurs made a pitch to the bikers, She Flys clearly rose to the top. Still Thyme Botanicals, a sparkling herbal tea brewer, was the riders’ second choice.

by Dustin A Degree From his first day in office, Governor Scott has made expanding our workforce and getting more Vermonters into good paying jobs the foundation of his economic mission. Putting folks into jobs we know are available in Vermont is one of the most effective ways to grow the economy. That emphasis, combined with the Administration’s new efforts to get more Vermonters into the work place, is beginning to show progress. And under Governor Scott’s leadership, we have finally started to reverse a nearly 10-year decline in the size of our labor force.

In June 2018, there were 348,287 people in our labor force – 4,656 more people than in December 2017. Six straight months of labor force expansion, after nearly a decade of decline and stagnation, is a reason for optimism. We’re back on the right track!

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims were largely unchanged last week and remain extremely low. For the week of July 28, 2018, there were 309 claims, 5 more than than they were the previous week, and 11 fewer than they were a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), the ranking member on the Senate Budget Committee, on Thursday detailed the priorities he fought for in the “minibus” appropriations bill that passed the Senate Wednesday by a 92-6 vote. “As a member of Democratic Leadership, I am proud of the many initiatives I fought for in this bill on behalf of Vermonters."