Current News

Vermont Business Magazine A new nationwide survey suggests as many as an estimated 24.5 million Americans* would like to try growing marijuana for personal use -- if growing it was legal. The survey conducted earlier this year, also finds 70-percent of Americans sure of their response are in favor of seeing marijuana laws liberalized -- and 63 percent agree with the statement that "medical use of marijuana should be legalized." The survey findings are a benchmark, according to Bruce Butterfield, Research Director for the National Gardening Association, based in Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Health Network has announced the appointment of Adam Buckley, MD, to the position of chief information officer. The UVM Health Network is a four-hospital system serving the residents of Vermont and northern New York with hospital locations in Burlington and Berlin in Vermont, and in Plattsburgh and Elizabethtown in New York.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Medical Center has received the “Get With The Guidelines Resuscitation Gold Award” for sustained use of quality improvement measures in the treatment of in-hospital cardiac arrests, which occurs in the US 200,000 times per year. The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation Program is designed to save lives by providing hospitals with current research-based protocols for treatment, and by tracking their use. To earn the Gold Award, the Code Team at The University of Vermont Medical Center had to achieve a high level of compliance with the guidelines for two consecutive years.

Vermont Business Magazine Katie Nee, Resource Coordinator for Howard Center’s Comprehensive Care Program, says, “You don't have to be married, rich, or own a home to be a perfect foster or adoptive parent. You will be supported every step of the way by our team.” In addition to providing a variety of mental health support services to children and families in the community, her program helps find foster homes and respite foster care for children ages 4-18. Her team provides information and guidance for families who are considering becoming foster parents.

Nee’s program will sponsor an informational open house for adults interested in learning more about Comprehensive Care’s Foster Parent program:

Wednesday, October 14
5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
1138 Pine Street, Burlington, VT

by Robert Keren/Middlebury College Middlebury opened a new chapter in its 215-year history today, October 11, 2015, with the inauguration and celebration of its 17th president, Laurie L Patton, on a splendid fall morning punctuated by gusty winds and sunny skies Sunday. More than 1,000 people gathered in the quadrangle on the west side of Old Chapel to bear witness to history and absorb the words of the new president and several others as autumnal colors emanated from the maples, beeches, and hickory trees surrounding the pastoral scene.

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington Electric Department (BED) has announced that a 124 kW rooftop solar array at its Pine Street headquarters facility is now online. This is the latest project in the City’s ongoing commitment to add more community solar to its portfolio and brings Burlington’s total installed solar photovoltaic to 88 projects, generating 1.93 megawatts of power for the City. During the anticipated 25-year life of the new solar project, BED expects to save as much as $900,000 in power and related costs, an average of approximately $35,000 annually.

by Governor Peter Shumlin When I came to office in 2011, I made expanding broadband internet access to every last mile a priority. No one thought achieving that goal would be easy, especially since previous governors had set similar goals only to fall short in the end. The same features that make Vermont an ideal place to live – rural communities separated by rolling hills and deep valleys – make expanding broadband incredibly difficult. Despite the challenges, four and a half years later we have achieved the goal we set to get internet access to all Vermonters. Now our work must turn to increasing internet speeds so Vermonters and businesses can keep up with the ever-increasing demands of business, commerce, and everyday life.

Vermont Business Magazine Chroma Technology Corp (www.chroma.com), based in Bellows Fall, has announced Hisashi Okugawa has been named General Manager of Chroma Technology Japan. This creates Chroma’s third sales and technical support office outside the US. The first two are in Germany and China. Together they reinforce Chroma’s commitment to providing the best customer service and precision imaging solutions to the life sciences community worldwide. Okugawa brings over 30 years of industry knowledge and experience from his career with Nikon in their sales strategy, development, engineering and microscope divisions.

Vermont Business Magazine Three individuals will be enshrined in the Vermont Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame later this year. The VAB has announced that the trio of honorees will include VOX AM/FM owner and General Manager Ken Barlow, Local 22 WVNY/Local 44 WFFF Operations Director Ken Kasz and longtime WJOY morning host Ginny McGehee. In addition, the VAB has announced the 2015 Broadcaster of the Year award will be presented to the WPTZ-TV/WNNE-TV news team for its outstanding coverage of the Dannemora prison escape. Longtime WPTZ-TV news reporter and Vermont PBS host Stewart Ledbetter will receive the VAB’s Distinguished Service Award in honor of his outstanding career.

The Alan H. Noyes Community Service Award will be presented to Rutland radio station WSYB-AM in honor of their long-running WSYB Christmas Fund campaign.

Vermont Business Magazine PC Construction, based in South Burlington, will donate a total of $15,000 to colleges participating in an online contest. The winners will be determined completely by public voting. Champlain College, Saint Michael's College and the University of Vermont are among the six finalists. During the month of October, the public is invited to visit www.pcconstruction.com/donations/ to vote for one of six colleges or universities. At the end of the month, the school with the most votes will receive a $10,000 donation, with the second and third place institutions receiving $3,000 and $2,000, respectively.

This is the fifth round of the “Building Communities: PC Construction Gives Back” crowdsourced-giving program that the 100 percent employee-owned construction company started in 2013.

Participating colleges and universities include:

Vermont Business Magazine Secretary of State Jim Condos is pleased to announce the start of his third biennial Transparency Tour. The tour will stop at 12 locations across the state to discuss Vermont’s public records and open meeting laws with municipal and state employees and citizens who serve on local government boards. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

Secretary said, “Good government is open and transparent government! This tour will not only allow me to assist Vermont’s public officials who must abide by these open meeting and public records laws every day, but also explain these laws to citizens who are looking to hold their governments accountable.”

After a presentation, there will be a chance for Q&A and a general discussion with the audience. Secretary Condos welcomes the chance to answer any questions attendees may have regarding the nuances of these laws.

by Deborah T. Bucknam, Esq Act 46, the new state law which provides for mergers of school districts into larger districts, protects forever all school districts’ present systems whether the district tuitions its students or operates its own school, or a combination of both. The State Board of Education has interpreted Act 46 to mean just the opposite. It has stated: “There is no authority in Act 46 that authorizes a newly formed district/preferred model, to both operate and pay tuition, for the same grade level.” The Board is wrong. Not only does Act 46 allow school districts to retain their present systems, the Act prohibits the Board from disapproving a merger plan because each member district keeps its present system of educating its children.