Current News

Vermont Business MagazineGrants are now available to support projects through the South Lake Champlain Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation. The South Lake Champlain Fund supports projects focused on education and research concerning the cultural and ecological history and heritage of Southern Lake Champlain. Projects must be located on the southern portion of Lake Champlain (the area of Lake Champlain south of Crown Point in both Vermont and New York) with a preference for projects directly on the lake or in close proximity. School-based projects are encouraged.

The fund also aims to support projects that involve experts and others living in the southern Lake Champlain region. Matching funds are encouraged but not required.

Grants: $1,000-$7,500 grants to organizations for research and education concerning the southern portion of Lake Champlain.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Superior Court hassetspecific, narrow, limits on a proposed deposition of former Attorney General Sorrell and his disclosure of private emails. Sorrell had sought to block all inquiry into his private account, which he says does not contain work-related emails in any case. However,the Vermont Attorney General’s Office was successful in its fight against Energy and Environmental Institute’s (EELI) broad request for discovery into private e-mails of Vermont state employees. The Court balanced the public’s right to know and Vermonters’ right to privacy. The ruling denies EELI’s request to depose three Assistant Attorneys General about private email accounts.

SEE RULING BELOW

Vermont Business MagazineToday, Target announced plans to open its first store in Vermont, a 60,000-square-foot small-format store at University Mall in South Burlington. Target has signed a lease with LNR Partners for this small-format store, projected to open in October 2018. Following the opening of this Vermont location, Target said in a statement that "will proudly serve guests with stores in all 50 states." Target previously had considered a location in Williston. Vermont was also the last state to get a Walmart.

Vermont Business MagazineGovernor Phil Scott is one of 10 governors who onWednesdaysigned a letter to Congress advocating for quick action to stabilize private health insurance markets and make quality health insurance more available and affordable.

Vermont Business MagazineThe University of Vermont is ranked #4 in Princeton Review’s recently releasedGuide to 375 Green Colleges, 2017.The guide highlights the top colleges and universities among 2,000 schools the Princeton Review considered. UVM ranked first this year among institutions with larger populations. Five of the top ten colleges have 10,000 or more students.

Vermont Business MagazineCity Market has announced the 2017 recipients of its Co-op Patronage Seedling Grants, a grants program to support the local food system. In 2016, the Co-op Patronage Seedling Grant recipients received over $56,000 in grant funding to local food projects at this year’s Grant Celebration held in March. City Market sent over $656,000 inPatronage Refundsto 11,450 Members in November 2016. As part of the Patronage Refund process, the Co-op offers Members the opportunity to donate their checks to strengthen Vermont’s food system. Members who receive Patronage Refunds support these donations by choosing not to cash their checks within the required 90 day time period. This year, uncashed Patronage Refund checks from Members are funding 6 local food projects from community organizations doing amazing work in Vermont.

Vermont Woodlands AssociationOn Tuesday, October 10th, a group of interested landowners attended a Walk in the Woods tour on Alan Calfee’s 591 acre certified Vermont Tree Farm in Rupert. Calfee is a consulting forester and the owner of Calfee Woodlot Management, LLC. He led the tour with conservation biologist, Steve Hagenbuch, of Audubon Vermont. The tour was hosted as part of theWoods, Wildlife and Warblersprogram to demonstrate the management activities that Calfee has done in his woodlands to enhance the habitat for wildlife and birds while still remaining productive for timber, and increasing his forest diversity.

by Jake Claro, Farm to Plate Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs FundWhen you ask people their definition of the Vermont food economy, they’ll often talk about farms, farmers’ markets or CSAs. What’s often missing from the conversation are the supply chain of local businesses such as distributors, food processors and manufacturers, and seed, feed, and equipment dealers.

Vermont’s local food economy not only extends well beyond the farm, it’s also an important part of our state’s economic engine. Sales from food and beverage manufacturing and wholesale distribution in 2012 totaled $9.1 billion. In terms of employment across the food system—spanning farm inputs (seed, feed, fertilizer), production, processing, distribution, and retail—64,000 Vermonters are employed in the food economy.

In Vermont, local food is considered to be anything produced or processed in Vermont plus 30 miles.

Vermont Business Magazine NG Advantage LLC, based in Colchester and majority-owned by Clean Energy Fuels (NASDAQ:CLNE), has announced that William Hill has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer, continuing nearly 30 years of senior financial management to companies throughout Vermont, from banking and manufacturing to outdoor equipment and craft beer. He previously was with the former Eastern Bancorp (Vermont Federal Bank) in Williston, Otter Creek Brewing in Middlebury and Ibex Outdoor Clothing in White River Jct.

Vermont Business Magazine Today Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger joined Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Chapin Spencer, Champlain Elementary School Principal Dr. Dorinne Dorfman, and Dealer.com Senior Manager of Operations Grace Ciffo near the new sidewalk outside Champlain Elementary School to recognize DPW’s progress on its Sustainable Infrastructure Plan projects, and the launch of a new “projects portal” that will help keep residents informed on current and future projects. This work represents the beginning of implementation of the multi-year Sustainable Infrastructure Plan’s reinvestment in the city, approved overwhelmingly by voters in November 2016. This season, DPW has been focused on road repaving, sidewalk reconstruction and upgrading the City’s aging water infrastructure along multiple streets.

Vermont Business Magazine TRORC recently adopted a new Regional Plan and has also received approval from the Department of Public Service on its Energy Implementation Plan. On July 26, 2017, the Woodstock-based Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission Board unanimously adopted a new Regional Plan. The Regional Plan charts a course for land use, economic development, conservation, transportation, housing, and emergency management for the 30 towns within its region. The Regional Plan has a life of eight years, is consistent with state planning laws and is used in regulatory proceedings.

Vermont Business Magazine David Daigle ‘89, the chairman of the University of Vermont’s Board of Trustees, and his wife Beth Daigle ’89 have pledged $1 million to UVM’s proposed Multi-Purpose Center project. Their gift will be directed toward new facilities that will enhance student health and wellness on campus, as well as programs that encourage all UVM students to lead healthier lives.

The proposed Multi-Purpose Center will feature dramatic upgrades and a five-fold increase in the space dedicated to health, wellness and fitness facilities for the entire campus. The project also includes a spectacular new events center that will serve as the home for Catamount Men’s and Women’s Basketball while hosting a variety of campus and public events. Iconic Gutterson Fieldhouse will remain the home of UVM Men’s and Women’s Hockey, but with vast improvements for both players and fans.