Current News

JAMES H. DOUGLAS
State of Vermont
OFFICE OF THE
GOVERNOR
State of the State Address

Achieving Prosperity through
Affordability
Rethink,
Revitalize and Reform

Mr. President, Madam Speaker, Members of the General Assembly, my fellow Vermonters:
As 2008 opens, the hope of a new year -of a new beginning- unfolds before us, touching the horizon of a new generation. For centuries, our people have been held by a faith in tomorrow, by the glory of God's gift: the promise of Vermont.

As public servants, we are stewards of this promise, a responsibility we bind with an oath, and why we have gathered in the people's house today. I welcome you back to Montpelier and offer my sincere wish that we may work together with the shared duty of improving the lives of our fellow Vermonters.

CVPS wins national award for storm response
SCOTTSDALE, AZ The worst storm in Central Vermont Public Service history brought national acclaim for the company, as CVPS recently received the electric industrys highest honor for emergency response.
CVPS President Bob Young was presented the Edison Electric Institutes Emergency Recovery Award for the companys response to the April 2007 noricane, a devastating storm with hurricane-force winds.
The company responded to unprecedented damage to its system by more than doubling its workforce overnight and effectively deploying those workers so that the power was back on as quickly as possible, with no injuries to workers or the public, said EEI President Thomas R. Kuhn. CVPSs effort in the face of this devastating storm offers a terrific example of a company bringing all of its resources to bear in order to get the lights back on.

ESSEX, VT (January 8, 2008) Dale Carnegie Training recently recognized Sarah Jo Willeys outstanding sales performance for 2007 by awarding her with a Sales Club Award. The award, given to consultants who produced between $300,000 and $500,000 in sales, was presented at Dale Carnegie Trainings annual international convention in Acapulco, Mexico. Sarah Jo is a Training Consultant at Vermont Training Solutions, Inc., the Dale Carnegie Training office for Vermont, Northeastern New York, and Western New Hampshire.

FairPoint Reaches Agreement with Staff of the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission
CHARLOTTE, NC (PRNewswire-FirstCall) -- FairPoint Communications, Inc. today (January 24, 2008) announced an agreement has been reached between FairPoint, Verizon and the staff of the Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (PUC) regarding FairPoint's proposed acquisition of Verizon's wireline operations in New Hampshire. The settlement agreement in New Hampshire is consistent with material terms of the amended stipulation agreement with the Maine PUC and the settlement agreement with the Vermont Department of Public Service and contains other terms and conditions specific to New Hampshire. In the agreement, FairPoint, Verizon, and the staff of the PUC recommend the New Hampshire PUC approve the settlement agreement.

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Cristian Balan of Plattsburgh, N.Y., has been named the new director of the Computer & Digital Forensics program at Champlain College. Balan joined the Champlain faculty in July and now steps up to direct a nationally recognized program that was built by founding director Gary Kessler.

Kessler will now focus his attention full time on the Champlain College Center for Digital Investigation, a US Department of Justice-funded center at the college, which has been designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education.

Balan is the owner and operator of a computer networks administration and security consulting business and he has extensive experience with the New York law enforcement community. He is also the chief of the Vermont Army National Guard Computer Network Defense Team.

Come celebrate the launch of The Nature Conservancys Corporate Conservation Council of Vermont, a program designed to bring together and recognize businesses that support conservation. Learn about the strategic nature of conservation and the importance of investing in the natural world. Businesses interested in finding out more about the Council and how the Conservancy works in Vermont and around the world are welcome to attend. Keynote speakers include Bill Stritzler, owner and managing director of Smugglers Notch which is the first resort recognized as a Vermont Business Environmental Leader, and
Bob Klein, Executive Director of the Vermont chapter of The Nature Conservancy. The luncheon will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Burlington on January 18, 2008 from 12PM to 2PM. For more information and to register, contact Jessica at 802-229-4425 ext 113, or email us at [email protected].

Burlington Comcast Spotlight, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, announced the promotion of Karen Marshall to VP/GM for Northern New England. In this role, Karen will be responsible for local, regional, and national advertising sales, marketing and operations for Northern New England which includes the Springfield MA DMA and Burlington DMA zones in VT, NH and NY.
Since joining the company in November 2006 as Area Sales Manager, Karen has done an exceptional job building and growing the local, regional and national sales teams in Northern New England. During her time at Spotlight, she has led the conversion of the Vermont/Adelphia operations to Comcast systems and standards. She has also developed strong ties to the business community serving as Chair of the Vermont Economic Progress Council, Board Member of the United Way of Chittenden County and the VNA, and past Chair of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce.

IBEW LOCAL 300 ANNOUNCES UNION PLUS SCHOLARSHIP CUTOFF

Awards Open to All Members of AFL-CIO Affiliates

South Burlington, Vt. - (Dec. 19, 2007) - The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 300 recently announced the deadline for the Union Plus Scholarship Program.
The nationwide post-secondary scholarship - open to current or retired AFL-CIO affiliated union members, their spouses and dependent children - will accept applications until Jan. 31, 2008 and is presented by Union Privilege. Since 1992, over $2.4 million has been awarded to 1,700-plus working families.

Rigby, ID December 17, 2007Life for new parents just got a little easier, and customer communication just improved at Broulims supermarket. The Idaho based chain launched its new web site (www.broulims.com) in May 2007, including thousands of recipes, a weekly circular, Fresh Ideas and specials. In addition, Broulims has just added Broulims.MyBaby.com to their online family as of December 17, 2007.

MyBaby is a grocery social networking site provided by MyWebGrocer, located in Colchester, Vermont. Broulims.MyBaby.com differs from other parenting social networking sites by aggregating a full range of information and networking possibilities. Parents can take advantage of blogging, recipes, personalized homepages, advice and more.

VTrans Declines to Purchase New Passenger Trains
December 7, 2007: MONTPELIER: The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), after collaboration with both the Vermont Attorney General and the Vermont State Treasurer, decided not to contract with a Colorado company to purchase $17.5 million worth of new passenger train cars.
VTrans approached the Legislature in 2006 about purchasing five new rail cars three engine cars and two passenger cars as a way to potentially lower costs because the new train sets would be less expensive to run than the decades old cars now used, and owned, by Amtrak on the Vermonter line that runs from St. Albans to Springfield, Massachusetts and eventually New York City and Washington D.C.

MARY POWELL DESIGNATED AS GREEN MOUNTAIN POWER'S
NEXT PRESIDENT AND CEO
----- CEO Chris Dutton to retire August 2008 ----
COLCHESTER, VT.December 4, 2007.. Mary G. Powell, 47, will become Green Mountain Power's next
President and Chief Executive Officer in August 2008 when CEO Chris Dutton retires after 11
years leading the Vermont electric utility, it was announced today.
"We are extremely pleased that Mary Powell will succeed Chris Dutton as Green Mountain
Power's new CEO, thus bringing to fruition a leadership transition plan started five years ago,"
said Robert Tessier, Chair of the Green Mountain Power Board of Directors.

McKelvey Foundation taps Champlain Colleges BYOBiz program
to co-promote entrepreneurial scholarships

--Entrepreneurial scholarship applications due January 15--

BURLINGTON, Vt.--The McKelvey Foundation of New York City has selected Champlain Colleges BYOBiz program as a partner in the McKelvey Entrepreneurial Scholarship program. Through its innovative entrepreneurial program for college students, Champlain College will help promote the McKelvey scholarships to young college-bound entrepreneurs.