Current News

Champlain College will celebrate the grand opening of the College's MakerLab and expanded Emergent Media Center (EMC) on Friday, October 3 from 3:30-6:30 pm at Champlain's Miller Center at Lakeside Campus located at 175 Lakeside Ave.

BRP's Ski-Doo brand is partnering with Burton Snowboards, the world's leading snowboarding company based in Burlington, Vermont, with Ski-Doo becoming the official snowmobile for Burton Snowboards' team of pro riders. The two companies also agreed to co-develop products to suit the needs of snowboarders and snowmobilers and Ski-Doo becomes sponsor of the Burton Mountain Festival.

The emerging trend of riders using snowmobiles to access the backcountry is on the rise, as people find it a more economical way to enjoy their sport. Feedback from Burton and Ski-Doo pro riders will be used to develop products and activities that are exciting and relevant for snowboarders and snowmobilers.

A majority of home-based early educators have come together and asked the Vermont Labor Relations Board to begin the process certifying Vermont Early Educators United, AFT, as the organization that they have formed to negotiate as equals with the state.

"We have been organizing for this moment for five years," said Kay Curtis, a licensed home provider in Brattleboro, "once we prove our majority, providers will negotiate as equals with the state and advocate for what is best for Vermont's children."

Providers may now organize because of Act 187, signed into law by Governor Peter Shumlin in June. The new law allows home-based early educators in Vermont who provide child care services that are subsidized by the state to form a union and negotiate with the state over payment, professional development and other mutually agreed upon issues.

NPI (Network Performance Inc) a South Burlington Technology Management firm, has completed a survey gauging the use of technology at 178 Vermont based manufacturers. The results projected that the overall state of the Vermont manufacturing economy will be slightly above average in the coming year. However, the respondents indicated that their own businesses will perform well above average in the next 12 months due in part to the contribution of their technology investments. The survey indicated that technology will contribute significantly to their success; many anticipate significant capital investments in technology for the next 12 months. Most of the Vermont manufacturers also indicated their existing technology investments are not yet utilized to the full extent possible.

Site work has begun and construction officially gets under way Sept. 30 on National Life Group’s 500 kilowatt solar power project, which will help move Montpelier toward its “net zero” goal. Mehran Assadi, National Life Group president and CEO, and Gov. Peter Shumlin will formally launch the project September 30 at 10:30 am at the site at 157 Northfield Street. In case of rain, the event will be held at National Life Group’s headquarters building, 1 National Life Drive. Once the new solar arrays go on line by the end of the year, more than 15 percent of the electricity demands of the company’s 525,000 square feet of buildings will be provided by solar. The company’s first solar arrays were installed on the main building’s roof in 2008.

Local gear shop owners Marc Sherman and Mike Donohue are investing in the future of Outdoor Gear Exchange (OGE) by purchasing the building currently occupied by their store on the corner of Church and Cherry Streets in downtown Burlington. What’s different about this real estate transaction is they are rewarding customers for their help with the investment. OGE designed a tiered program (think Kickstarter) that allows customers to participate while being rewarded up to 130% with merchandise, discounts, quarterly certificates. “More or less participating customers will prepay for future OGE purchases and get a discount. For us and many of our customers it’s a win-win,” said store founder Marc Sherman. The program has several tiers of support that allow customers to participate at a level they can afford, ranging from $100 to $25,000, at which the reward includes a multi-day hike, bike, climb or paddle adventure with the OGE owners.

The University of Vermont is one of fifteen universities across the United States joining a new initiative designed to increase the percentage of their computer science undergraduate majors that are female and students of color. The “BRAID” Initiative (Building Recruiting And Inclusion for Diversity) — founded and led by the Anita Borg Institute (a non-profit organization focused on advancing women in computing) and Harvey Mudd College in California, was announced Sept. 24 by Hillary Clinton at the 2014 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting. BRAID is supported by three-year funding commitments from Facebook, Google, Intel and Microsoft.

Vermont Business Magazine New unemployment claims in Vermont edged up last week and remain at a relatively low level. Levels this year have been running consistently lower than those of last year. For the week of September 20, 2014, there were 398 new, regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance in Vermont. This is an increase of 40 from the previous week's total, and 32 fewer than they were a year ago.

by Hilary Niles vtdigger.org Staff at the University of Vermont soon will have another chance to unionize. The Vermont State Employees’ Association announced Thursday it had filed a petition with the Vermont Labor Relations Board to represent nearly 800 non-teaching personnel. If the petition passes review, the board will set the schedule for an official election. A kickoff event will be held at noon Friday on the front steps of the Royal Tyler Theater on campus. Staff, members of UVM unions, and community allies will “discuss the current climate at the University and their reasoning behind seeking unionization,” according to a press release from VSEA.

The filing marks a new chapter in a years-long effort by a group called United Staff to organize an independent union.

Kathy Carolin, a 20-year UVM employee, said the group is confident in its decision to band together with VSEA.

by Morgan True vtdigger.org Roughly $400 million in information technology projects, including one that would underpin a new single-payer health care program, are behind schedule and at risk of not being completed on time, according to the legislative Joint Fiscal Office. Those projects include an integrated system for determining eligibility for human services, Vermont Health Connect, and the Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS).

There is a “high risk,” according to JFO, that MMIS won’t be in place by 2017. That’s the anticipated start date of Green Mountain Care, the state’s planned universal, publicly financed health care program — often called single-payer.

Attorney General Bill Sorrell filed a lawsuit on September 24 against Matthew Terry who sells meat door-to-door in northwestern Vermont. The complaint alleges that Mr. Terry violated Vermont’s Consumer Protection Act. Mr. Terry misled consumers about the price-per-pound and cut of the meat. He did not provide notice to consumers of their right to cancel and did not return calls from individuals seeking to cancel. Additionally, Mr. Terry did not have the necessary licenses in Vermont.

“Vermont consumers have been targeted with aggressive door-to-door marketing” said Attorney General Sorrell. “The disclosure, cancellation, and licensing laws are designed to protect consumers in these high-pressure situations. They need to be followed.”

A former high-ranking aide to Governor Peter Shumlin, who currently works with Jay Peak Resort, has joined a top Montpelier lobbying firm. KSE Partners, LLP, a leading government affairs, strategic communications and research firm, announced today that Alexandra MacLean will join the firm as a partner.

“We are thrilled that Alex will be joining our firm,” Managing Partner Scott Mackey said. “Alex has played a critical role in Vermont politics and policy development over the past several years, managing Governor Peter Shumlin’s successful 2010 and 2012 campaigns and serving as his Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs. She is a seasoned political operative and an expert in strategic communications. She will head our strategic communications practice and be intimately involved in all areas of the firm.”