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Vermont Business MagazineA core group of Vermonters, with experience in natural science, public policy and environmental history, have released The Mountain Manifesto, an urgent and public call to action to protect Vermont’s mountains, according to Annette Smith, Executive Director ofVermonters for a Clean Environment, in a statement released Sunday(http://mountainmanifesto.org).

Published online, the Manifesto declares, “the mountains are now under siege, as they have been before, but this time for the seemingly-insatiable human craving for energy. The siege is relentless, the need for defense more urgent.”

The Manifesto’s core statement begins, “The ecological integrity of the Green Mountains is essential to the health of Vermont’s lands, its air and its waters, and to all the life — human and otherwise — that dwells on and in them.” It is that integrity the group seeks to protect.

by Bill SchubartMany young people are, by nature’s design, rash and impulsive andin loco parentiseducators must often deal with the fallout from their students’ lack of experience. Real-life consequences and good mentoring, mature them over time or they become infantilized adults. The recent protest that turned violent at Middlebury College is likely to be a hard lesson for those students who succeeded in preventing Charles Murray from having to defend his questionable philosophies - at the price of injuring one of their own.

Middlebury President Laurie Patton and Allison Stangar, the faculty member in charge of the event, had sought to promote – not the views of the controversial guest – but a diverse and open learning culture; to encourage civil discourse and support the First Amendment – all fundamental to education.

by Mike Smith What was supposed to be a recent protest against a controversial writer turned into a near riot and left many wondering if diversity of thought is even allowed on college campuses nowadays. Charles Murray, a political scientist and author, was scheduled to speak at Middlebury College after being invited by the American Enterprise Club. MrMurray is controversial because more than two decades ago he co-authored the book, “The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life.” The authors concluded intelligence is the best predictor of success. The book became controversial when the authors wrote about differences in intelligence based on race. Many have disputed how Murray used and interpreted the data in his book, calling it flawed. Others have labeled him a racist because of his book.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Cheesemakers Festival will mark its ninth annual appearance on the shores of Lake Champlain at the historic Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms on July 16, 2017, from 10 AM to 4 PM to celebrate the art of cheesemaking in Vermont. Attendees can meet cheesemakers and taste the cheeses of Vermont, enjoy the creations of artisan food producers, savor the fruits of wine and cider production, and experience the skills of craft brewers and master distillers.

Vermont Business Magazine Ben & Jerry's is giving everyone a taste of the days of carefree (and responsibility-free) Saturday mornings with a new lineup of ice cream flavors inspired by cereal, available in Scoop Shops, which beganonMarch 7, National Cereal Day. The three new Cereal Splashbacks bring the awesomely unmistakable taste of some favorite milk-splashed morning cereals, just frozen. The new flavors pay a nostalgic tribute to childhood cereal favorites, and the Cereal Splashbacks are available only at Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shops.

The new flavors are:

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott joined local, state and federal partners Friday, to announce a $525,000 community development grant to the City of South Burlington. The federal Community Development Block Grant will help build City Center Senior Housing – 39 units of affordable senior housing located in the City’s Tax Increment Finance District (TIF). Private developers Chris Snyder and Kevin Braverman will join forces with Cathedral Square, a non-profit affordable housing provider, to build new senior housing on Market Street. This is the first of many proposed projects located in South Burlington’s new City Center.

Vermont Business Magazine A record-setting 2,303 cheese entries from 33 states were evaluated during the two-day 2017 United States Championship Cheese Contest competition inGreen Bay, Wisconsin, which concluded Thursday. Vermont cheesemakers walked away with seven firsts:von Trapp Farmstead (blue veined); Cellars at Jasper Hill (brie & harbison & Willoughby); Vermont Creamery (creme fraiche); Cabot Creamery (reduced fat jalapeno cheddar); and Grafton Village (hard sheep's milk).

Vermont Business Magazine Personal Income tax revenues were well ahead of targets last month (21.4 percent) and are now ahead of fiscal year targets and last year’s totals (+$16.7 million). The PI is the state’s most important revenue source and had been suffering for the last two years. However, the Corporate tax, the state’s fourth most important, continues to slide (-$3.9 million behind monthly targets), especially against last year’s impressive performance (-$12.8 million). The Sales Tax, number two on the list ahead of Rooms & Meals, has been limping along (down $1 million for the year), which also affects the Education Fund.

Vermont Business MagazineAs part of an ongoing partnership to revitalize community centers and increase transportation options, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) and the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) are pleased to announce the Better Connections (BC) Grant Program has funded 3 projects that align land use planning and community revitalization efforts with transportation investments.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims were nearly unchanged last week last week, but are up over 300 from the same time last year. By industry, Services reported the most claims with 314 claims (40 percent of the total). Services typically report the most claims, though Construction had led the way for most of the winter. The spikes in the graph below reveal the volatility in hiring and firing in Service positions around the holidays.

For the week of March 4, 2017, there were 785 claims, up 2 from the previous week's total and 312 more than than they were a year ago. Year-to-year claims had been running lower the last several weeks.

​Vermont Business MagazineThe USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H7 avian influenza (HPAI) of North American wild bird lineage in a commercial chicken breeder flock in Lincoln County, Tennessee. This is the first confirmed case of HPAI in commercial poultry in the United States this year. The flock of 73,500 is located within the Mississippi flyway. APHIS is working closely with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to respond to the disease and have quarantined the affected premises to prevent the spread of the disease. While not known to impact human health, this highly contagious poultry disease can be devastating to chickens and turkeys, and the farmers who depend on them for their livelihood.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing up to $15 million in technical and financial assistance to help eligible conservation partners voluntarily protect, restore and enhance critical wetlands on agricultural lands. Restored wetlands improve water quality downstream and improve wildlife habitat, while also providing flood prevention and recreational benefits to communities.

Berlin Pond wetlands. State of Vermont file photo.