Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Founded in 1999 as a project of New York Sea Grant and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), creation of an independent Lake Champlain Sea Grant (LCSG) program in 2002 received strong support from Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy during deliberations about the National Sea Grant College Program Reauthorization Act. There, he advocated for an amendment that would include Lake Champlain in the National Sea Grant Program. Today, LCSG is a collaborative effort between the University of Vermont and SUNY Plattsburgh. The program has evolved over the years, earning promotion through NOAA’s four-tiered system in recognition of its successes along the way.

by Mike Smith Senator Bernie Sanders and billionaire Donald Trump are two candidates for president of the United States. One might easily conclude that they have little in common, and yet their respective wins in Vermont’s presidential primary shows they have similarities. 

They both champion the same message, which is: The political system is rigged against average Americans and controlled by elites whose sole interest is preserving their own influence over our politics and our economy. While Sanders and Trump have astutely recognized the power of this message, the political elites have not. 

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington City Arts is very pleased to announce the  newly formed Burlington City Arts Community Fund, a fund in its pilot year providing $35,000 to Burlington-based practicing artists, creative professionals, or small arts organizations. The City of Burlington and the BCA Board of Advisors have partnered to create this annual fund that will support artists’ and arts organizations’ projects that contribute to the public good through a competitive grant process.

“The City of Burlington has a rich and growing arts and cultural community that contributes to livability and economic growth. To continue to foster a robust, healthy, creative community, support artists, and encourage innovation through the arts, this funding is vital, and we are excited to be spearheading this initiative,” said Doreen Kraft, BCA Executive Director.

Vermont Business Magazine The Arlington School District, in southwest Vermont, was selected to receive a $20,000 rebate to help pay for a new school bus that will emit less pollution than older buses currently in use. This funding was made available under EPA’s Clean Diesel Program. The funds are part of approximately $925,000 that are being awarded to school bus providers in New England to replace 46 buses, in 12 fleets, and of more than $7 million in rebates nationwide to replace or retrofit 400 older diesel school buses in 85 fleets across 35 states.

“Investing in clean diesel school buses will help ensure cleaner air for our children and for all community members,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “Thanks to the Clean Diesel Program, thousands of children can breathe easier and enjoy better health.”

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin issued the following statement after public drinking sources in Merrimack, New Hampshire, were found to be contaminated with the the potentially harmful chemical PFOA (perfluorochemical). Last week, a number of private wells in North Bennington tested positive for elevated levels of PFOA. The public drinking water systems in North Bennington and Bennington have been tested and are not affected.

by Sarah Tuff Dunn If you’ve ever seen the funky flowers for Om Records, the flying Burton penguin, or the groovy graphics for Nordica Skis and Anon goggles, then you’ve seen the work of Capacitor Design Network, whose president and cofounder is Josh Brown ’92. His Vermont-based business cranks up edgy illustrations, graphics, and designs for the music industry, ski and snowboard companies, and corporate clients around the world. Originally, however, Brown intended to spin the globe as a cartographer after studying geography at UVM—a switch from environmental studies. But when the Woodstock-raised music lover found himself headed in the wrong direction, he returned to his roots, turning up the creative volume to pursue a more design-oriented career.

Josh Brown. Photos by Shem Roose

by Mike Faher/The Commons, Brattleboro It’s safe to say Louis Josephson has his hands full. As the Brattleboro Retreat’s new president and chief executive officer, Josephson is in charge of more than 800 employees and an array of programs including 122 inpatient beds for children and adults; multiple outpatient offerings; a school; and a busy “hub” for treatment of opiate addiction. Josephson has taken the reins of a community institution with 182 years of history, along with a more-recent history of difficulties with federal and state regulators.

Louis Josephson, the new president and chief executive officer of the Brattleboro Retreat. Photo by Mike Faher

by Secretary of State Jim Condos I would like to wish Vermont a Happy 225^th Birthday. On March 4^th, 1791, the 1^st Federal Congress admitted Vermont into the Union, making Vermont the 14^th state in the United States of America. Vermont’s history began before it officially became a state. The name Vermont was chosen in July 1777, at a convention of 72 representatives known as the “freemen of Vermont”, who met in a tavern in Windsor, Vermont, and adopted the state’s earliest constitution. Innovative for its time, the 1777 Vermont Constitution was the first written constitution in all of North America. (The Articles of Confederation would not be drafted until November of 1777 and were not replaced by the United States Constitution until 1789. See the Vermont 1793 Constitution below.)

Such innovation existed in Vermonters from the beginning and still thrives in Vermonters today.

Vermont Business Magazine Consumer advocate Erin Brockovich and the law firm Weitz & Luxenberg announced today they are expanding their investigation intoperfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) water contamination to include North Bennington, Vermont. The announcement comes after new tests by the State of Vermont revealed several wells in the town contain the same chemical that was found in the Hoosick Falls, NY and Petersburgh, NY water systems. “We are facing a water contamination crisis across our country,” said Erin Brockovich. “North Bennington is the latest in a long line of communities who can no longer trust the most basic necessity of life. I hope this investigation will help residents understand more about the size and scale of the problem.”

Vermont Business Magazine In November 2015, Underhill residents formed the Mansfield Cooperative to investigate purchasing the Underhill Country Store from current owners Peter and Nancy Davis, who are planning to retire. The cooperative model has been a popular one with Underhill’s 3,000 residents and over $50,000 was pledged by potential Co-op Members between early November and mid-December. In January, the Onion River Co-op (which currently operates City Market in Burlington) and the Mansfield Cooperative formed a partnership to transform the Underhill Country Store into a Member-owned food cooperative.

Underhill Country Store, courtesy Onion River Co-op.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine Rusty DeWees, actor and Vermont icon, continued his Winter Star Series at the Stowe Town Hall last weekend by bringing in former Governor Jim Douglas and banjo whiz George Woodard for an evening of merrymaking and history, which included a Vermont trivia contest. They also plugged their books and other stuff. So in that spirit we offer this review, of the review.

DeWees, who grew up in Stowe, of course is most famous for his one-man performance as “The Logger.” He’s also been on TV and in the movies, but it’s his over-the-top take on back woods Vermont for which he’s best known.

It was also a Republican-centric evening. In fact, it’s possible that every Republican in the state of Vermont was in attendance in the upstairs meeting room of the historic building. We suspect this for three reasons:

Vermont Business Magazine When it comes to wireless network quality in the Northeast region, Verizon Wireless ranks highest among wireless providers, according to the latest JD Power 2016 Wireless Network Quality Performance StudySM, Volume 1. The study queried more than 41,000 wireless subscribers across the US about their experiences with their last 10 calls, messages, emails and Web connections on their mobile devices. In the Northeast region, which covers Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont, Verizon scored higher than every other wireless competitor with an overall PP100 score of 10, while the Northeast average was 12.

The study, conducted between July and December 2015, covers six regions of the US, including 48 states and the District of Columbia, and recognizes the highest-ranking companies in each region based on the results.