Current News

Vermont Business Magazine In preparation for the legislative special session, Governor Phil Scott sent legislative leaders a detailed letter Tuesday outlining his goals for the session. The session began with a brief opening ceremony Wednesday and will reconvene in earnest May 30. Scott's goals are largely unchanged and focus mainly on using surplus of funds from the current fiscal year, which he calculates is about $78 million, instead of raising property taxes by $33 million.

Vermont Business Magazine When people hear the words ‘hazardous waste,’ they may think of high-profile large industrial disasters, but in reality, most hazardous wastes are materials we are all familiar with, such as unused paint and solvents, oily wastes like shop rags, and strong acids and bases used in cleaning. This Spring, the Department of Environmental Conservation is hosting a series of micro-trainings to help towns and businesses learn how to identify, manage, and minimize generation of common hazardous wastes.

“We wanted to provide a quick and easy training for anyone interested in learning how to identify manage, transport and dispose of hazardous waste. Attendees will also get a chance to hear about the simple strategies they can adopt to reduce the amount of hazardous waste they generate,” said Celia Riechel, Compliance Assistance Specialist with the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Vermont Business Magazine On Saturday, May 26, seven Vermont state-owned historic sites will open their doors for the 2018 season. This exceptional collection of sites is comprised of more than 60 historic buildings and hundreds of acres of forest and farmland. Scattered across the state, the sites house impressive museum collections and feature educational exhibits that chronicle the story of our region beginning with the first inhabitants who settled the area approximately 9,000 years ago. Historic sites including prehistoric encampments, Revolutionary War sites, and the homes of U.S. Presidents shed light on the remarkable history of Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine EspressoLuv, LLC (www.espressoluv.com), a small-batch coffee roaster based in South Burlington, Vermont, today announced its new e-commerce website for ordering freshly roasted coffees. Customers can visit the website and choose from a variety of globally sourced single origin, signature blends, and limited edition coffees from the Americas, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Coffee can be purchased by the bag or through a monthly subscription plan. The coffee is roasted in small batches in Vermont and shipped within 48 hours of roasting.

Vermont Business Magazine You can see wind energy in action this summer as Green Mountain Power brings back its free tours of the 21-turbine Kingdom Community Wind project in Lowell. The popular summer tours are open to Vermonters and tourists alike, and draw more than 1,200 people to the site each June, July and August.

Vermont Business Magazine Late last fall, Newbury Elementary School teacher Jeff Goodell approached Housewright Construction, Inc for assistance with a project that combined educational and community service opportunities for his 5th /6th grade class. His class, aka “The Otters,” was studying the Eastern Bluebird. Learning that this bird’s population struggles with a lack of suitable nesting spaces, the students were curious about ways they could provide assistance within Newbury. They decided to build bluebird houses.

Vermont Business Magazine The Hickok & Boardman Network of Companies is pleased to announce thirteen non-profit recipients of their 2018 charitable gifts, including: The Boys & Girls Club of Burlington, Champlain College Single Parent Program, Champlain Valley Down Syndrome Group, a private citizen in need from Town of Fairfax, Girls on the Run Vermont, Green Mountain Animal Defenders, Intervale Center, Jeremy Paul Boquet Foundation, Maggie’s Bright Side, Mobius Inc, Stowe Mountain Rescue, Tatum’s Totes, and The Veterans’ Place.

Vermont Business Magazine Forest tent caterpillars have hatched, according to forest health specialists from the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. These insects are expected to cause defoliation again this summer in maple forests in northern and southern Vermont. Forest tent caterpillars will continue feeding through June. They prefer sugar maple and ash but can feed on other tree species as well. In 2017, forest tent caterpillars defoliated 60,000 acres of forestland, affecting every county in the state.

Vermont Business Magazine System Integrators, a premier custom electronics and home technology integrator, has passed the rigorous requirements necessary to earn certification by the Home Technology Association. The Home Technology Association is the first independent organization to educate and empower homeowners in their technology purchases, recognize exceptional businesses, and elevate the technology integration industry’s status and stature with a rigorous third-party certification process.

Vermont Business Magazine The town of Fairlee will receive $3.6 million from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to repair and update the water distribution system. Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today announced that the USDA overall is investing $256 million in 81 projects to improve water and wastewater infrastructure in rural areas in 35 states. Fairlee is in Orange County.

“No matter what zip code you live in, infrastructure is a foundation for quality of life and economic opportunity,” Hazlett said. “Through strong partnerships, USDA is ensuring that rural communities have the modern, reliable infrastructure they need to prosper.”

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger today appointed Neale Lunderville as interim director of the city’s Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO), effective July 16, 2018. Lunderville has led Burlington Electric Department as general manager since July 2014. The mayor will ask the City Council to approve the appointment at its June 4 meeting.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest mountain resort in Eastern North America, today announced the closing day of the 2017-18 season will be Saturday, May 26, for winter operations while summer operations will open that same day.