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Vermont Business MagazineMettowee Mill Nursery, Garden Center and Landscaping Inchasbeen sold to David Lawrence. This business is a full-service nursery, gardencenter and landscaping service and has been owned by Steve and Lee Jonessince 1973. David Lawrence owns Rising Sun Landscaping also of Dorset. Heplans to continue both businesses.

Vermont Business Magazine The Small Business Administration Vermont District Office is accepting nominations for its 2018 small business awards.Previous Vermont winners include Ben and Jerry’s, Switchback Brewing Company and Maple Landmark, 2017 Small Business Person of the Year winner. Since 1963, the SBA has recognized the outstanding achievements of America’s small businesses for their contributions to their local communities, and to the nation’s economy.

The award categories are:

by Mike Smith When we think of Washington, DC, we often conjure up images of a city filled with political and social elites focused on self-preservation and personal enhancement. Where responsibility for others is supplanted by self-aggrandizement and concern for one’s own comfort. A city disconnected from the struggles and interests of those outside its boundaries.

Columnist Peggy Noonan depicted these elites this way: “They’re barricaded behind the things the influential have, from good neighborhoods to security alarms, doormen and gates. They’re not dark in their imagining of the future because history has never been dark for them; it’s been sunshine, which they expect to continue. They sail on, oblivious to the legitimate anxieties of their countrymen who live near the edge.”

Vermont Business MagazineThe Vermont State Colleges System (VSCS) Board of Trustees announcedFridayat the conclusion of their meeting that Castleton University’s Spartan Stadium will be renamed Dave Wolk Stadium in honor of his 16 years of visionary service as University President.Governor Phil Scott was on hand to read the official VSCS resolution, which lauded Wolk’s vision, values, passion, and dedication. The resolution highlighted the nearly $100 million in infrastructure improvements as well as the additions to athletics, the arts, and academic offerings during Wolk’s tenure.

Designed to pay tribute to the region’s rich railroad history, the stadium’s architecture mimics that of the historic railroad depots in the area and is the crown jewel of the Castleton Student Initiative, a $25.7 million project designed to enhance all aspects of the student experience.

Vermont Business Magazine Older Driver Safety Awareness Week (Dec. 4-8) reminds drivers and families that resources are available regarding driving in the aging population. It’s a fact of life that individuals experience physical and mental changes with age, sometimes so minor they may not even be noticed. But older adults can also experience other changes, such as slower reaction times, night blindness or pain and stiffness, which can affect driving skills.

Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) offers comprehensive clinical assessments for those who may be at high risk for an automobile crash. The process for this assessment typically involves the following steps:

Vermont Business Magazine Barred Woods LLC is pleased to announce a new line of healthy, handcrafted Maple Granola products.The granola is produced in Hardwick, VT at the Vermont Food Venture Center.The granola is made from organic oats and sweetened with Pure Vermont Maple Syrup.Two flavors are available: maple pecan with pumpkin seeds and cranberries and maple pecan with almonds and raisins.It is available in three sizes - 8 ounce, 12 ounce, and 16 ounce - and will be available is stores across New England as well as online.

by Julie Moore, Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources In the year I’ve spent at ANR, one of my favorite moments came at a meeting of the Endangered Species Committee, an advisory group made up of academics, working professionals and scientists who volunteer their time to help inform the Agency’s actions. One of the Species Advisory Group chairs was describing his research to look for emerald ash borers - an exotic beetle that has been decimating ash trees in many states across the country but, thankfully, has not yet been spotted here in Vermont.

As he explained, colleagues had identified a species of wasps that seemed to feed solely on emerald beetles, and that, because they like hard-packed sand for their nesting sites, these wasps are often found in baseball infields.

Vermont Business Magazine Northwestern Medical Center’s new multi-specialty Medical Office Building in St Albans. The $32 million project is the third and final phase of the facility’s comprehensive master plan, designed to facilitate optimal treatment delivery to 45,000 patients treated annually by Northwestern Medical Center and Northwestern Occupational Health. E4H Environments for Health Architecture, an architecture firm exclusively focused on healthcare, designed the new facility.

Vermont Business MagazineLamoille Economic Development, a nonprofit committed to strengthening the county’s economy, has been selected as a beneficiary of the Hannaford Cause Bag program for the month of December. The Hannaford Cause Bag program launched in October 2015 and is designed to support local nonprofits through the sale of the reusable Hannaford Helps bag.

LEDC was selected by Hannaford store leadership as the December beneficiary of the program at the Morrisville Hannaford store. For every Hannaford Helps reusable bag with the “good karma” message purchased at the Morrisville Hannaford during December, LEDC will receive a $1 donation.

“We appreciated being chosen for this award, as it will help us to spread the word about our commitment to growing business partnerships in Lamoille County”, said LEDC Executive Director, John Mandeville.”

by Andrew BrewerIt is with a heavy heart that I reach out to you to let you know that after almost 18 years of ownership, I am making the difficult decision that it is nearly time to close the doors of Onion River Sports and the Shoe Horn. This decision does not come lightly, not least of all because it means the end of employment for an incredible group of talented, loyal, and hard-working staff that have come to feel like family. It also means the end of a business venture started by my dear friends and mentors Jack Nash and Warren Kitzmiller, whose legacy I had hoped to strengthen and pass on to the next generation. Alas, it is not to be. The financial situation of the business is such that my only option at this point may well be closure.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine On Monday, Betty Miller, a resident at the Wake Robin retirement facility in Shelbume, admitted to health care providers about manufacturing Ricin, a highly toxic powder produced from the seeds of the castor oil plant, and placing it on food and/or in beverages ingested by other Wake Robin residents. Miller also indicated that she intended to injure herself and wanted to test the Ricin on other residents.According to initial police and Wake Robin officials, no one was taken sick or inured in the alleged incidents, including Miller. However, the Associated Press reported Friday that Vermont Health Department officials said one person likely had been sickened by Ricin and had recovered.

Vermont Business Magazine Following four years of advocacy by Representative Peter Welch (D-VT), the US International Trade Commission (ITC) today provided long overdue relief to a key employer in the Northeast Kingdom. Columbia Forest Products, which maintains a manufacturing facility in Newport, Vermont, has been struggling to compete with illegal Chinese imports. In a unanimous ruling, the ITC voted 4-0 to impose significant tariffs on dumped and subsidized imports of Chinese hardwood plywood.

“Today’s decision is great news for the employees of Columbia Forest Products,” said Welch. “The company and its employees have been reeling from subsidized and illegal competition from China. This important decision will level the playing field for the company, preserve jobs, and ensure its continued contributions to the regional economy.”