Current News

Many older outdoor wood-fired boilers (OWBs) that are not certified to meet Vermontâ s emissions standards are required by law to be permanently retired by the end of 2012. Specifically, uncertified OWBs that are located within 200 feet of a residence, school or healthcare facility, not served by the OWB, must be removed and destroyed by December 31, 2012 (See 10 V.S.A. §584(g)).
To assist Vermonterâ s with complying with the new law, the Vermont Air Pollution Control Division (APCD) is offering a voluntary OWB Change-out Program that provides financial incentives to encourage the replacement of old OWBs with cleaner, more efficient heating units.

byChuck Ross and David MearsWe would like to congratulate VEC (www.vecgreen.com) for hosting their annual conference this year entitled â Charting a Path to Successful Farms and Clean Water in Vermont’at Middlebury College. They brought together an interesting array of panelists who were able to put the water quality challenges facing agriculture into context over time and within the broader framework of our state.
The conference succeeded in creating a space where people from many perspectives were able to listen, learn, and attain a better understanding of this challenging and complex subject. Most importantly, attendees began to develop a vision of where and how Vermonters can collectively address this challenge going forward.

Every quarter, New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) selects four recipients at random to receive $625 each, for a total of $10,000 annually. Recently, NEFCU announced its community giving donations for the first quarter of 2012:

Northeast Disabled Athletic Association will use the funds to benefit the Vermont Chargers Power Soccer club.

Vermont Youth Conservation Corp will use the donation to benefit the High School Leadership program.

Lucyâ s House for the Prevention of Homeless Pets will use NEFCUâ s donation to help provide free pet food, supplies, and veterinary assistance to pet-owning families experiencing financial hardships.

Women Helping Battered Women will use their funds to benefit the 5thAnnual Run for Empowerment event.

New England Federal Credit Union. 4.11.2012.

byArmando VilasecaEvery session our Legislature considers hundreds of bills, all of which aim to enhance our current status. This year legislators have an incredible opportunity to fundamentally improve the lives of thousands of Vermont students, and make a concrete investment in the future of our state. House Bill H.776 and Senate Bill S.233 expand the existing relationship between our public high schools and colleges to allow more students to take college-level courses while enrolled in high school, earning both secondary and postsecondary credits.
Less than half of Vermontâ s high school graduates continue their education beyond high school. As the stateâ s population has grown stagnant and our student enrollment has dropped, it is important that we provide opportunities to keep our young people here and thriving in Vermont.

by Alan Panebaker vtdigger.orgThe big guns in the Vermont utility world converged on the Statehouse Tuesday to warn lawmakers against passing legislation that would direct the state Public Service Board to a specific course of action.
In testimony before House committees on Natural Resources and Energy and Commerce and Economic Development, utility CEOs, business representatives and a former chair of the board all cautioned against proposals that would, in effect, tell the board or the Department of Public Service to ensure ratepayers get $21 million in a cash or refund. The Legislature has yet to consider as a body any of the proposals.

Secretary of State Jim Condoshas announced a new online resource at www.BusinessIDTheft.org designed to serve as a critical resource to help business owners understand and protect themselves from business identity theft.
The Identity Theft Protection Association (ITPA) created and launched the website with input from the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), which convened a national business identity theft task force in October 2011.
â As a member of this important task force, I have been at the forefront of the business identity theft issue at a national level, and recognized the need to raise awareness with Vermontâ s business community about this sensitive and little understood topic. ‘stated Secretary Condos.

According to Genworth's 2012 Cost of Care Survey, the cost to receive care in the home through home health aide services inVermonthas declined over the past five years.
"Overwhelmingly, Americans prefer to receive long term care in the home and the relatively muted rise in home care costs nationally over the past few years can be viewed as a positive for consumers in Vermont," saidSteve Zabel, senior vice president of Long Term Care at Genworth. "Consumer demand for home care services has led to a proliferation of home care services providers and more choice for consumers. This competition has kept home care costs relatively stable, especially when compared to the cost of care in a nursing home or assisted living facility."

Northern Power Systems (NPS), a company that designs, manufactures and sells wind turbines to the global marketplace from its headquarters in Vermont, will receive the Renewable-Energy Exporter of the Year award from the Export-Import Bank of the United States(Ex-Im Bank). The award will be presented at the Bank's 37th Annual Conference, "Ex-Im â Your Competitive Edge," onApril 12inWashington, DC.
"Northern Power Systems is a great example of an innovative company that is creating American jobs by helping other nations meet their energy needs," saidFred P. Hochberg, chairman and president of the Ex-Im Bank. "Ex-Im's financing for renewable energy projects exceeded$720 millionlast year, and the Bank remains committed to supporting U.S. exports in this vital sector."

The Shumlin administration and the Legislature should specify how $9.6 million in small business tax revenue will be spent even though the program for which it is collected will no longer exist, said the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
â Small businesses opposed vigorously the passage of Catamount Health Plan from the beginning because the numbers didnâ t work,’said Shawn Shouldice, who serves as NFIBâ s Vermont State Director. â Now the program is going under because it is unsustainable just like we predicted but policymakers in Montpelier intend to leave in place the tax on small businesses.â
Catamount Health Plan provides a rich set of health care benefits for certain Vermont citizens and is financed in part with a tax on employers ‘the Employer Assessment, which raises over nine million dollars.

The Addison County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce a change in ownership of Almost Home Market in Bristol. The new owners are Beth Marr and Gary Smith, residents of Vergennes and Bristol, respectively. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on April 8 to celebrate Almost Homeâ s new ownership.
Smith, a long-time Bristol resident, is an excellent chef, gardener and wine buyer. Marr is a southern transplant, now living in Vergennes, and brings 20 plus years of wedding planning and conference sales experience influenced by her flair for southern hospitality. Both Marr and Smith have worked in the hospitality arena for more than 20 years and both are in love with great food.
â We promise to bring a level of friendly service to the area that is unsurpassed. We want our customers to feel at home when they walk into our doors and to stop in oftenâ even for just a coffee,’Marr said.

Attorney General William H. Sorrell announced today that Tammy Thomas, age 21, of Granville, New York, was arraigned on April 10, 2012, in Vermont Superior Court for Windsor County on four felony counts of Medicaid Fraud and one felony count of False Pretenses. The court imposed conditions of release governing Ms. Thomasâ s conduct while the case is pending.

Governor Peter Shumlin was joined by Green Up Vermont officials Tuesday to announce the Green Up to Recover Initiative to renewvolunteer efforts to help the state recover from the damage left by Tropical Storm Irene, being kicked off on Green Up Day. This yearthe annual clean-up event scheduled for May 5will target the increased trash left by Irene's floodwaters as well as other recovery projects in hard hit areas.In addition, the Governor announced the generous $25,000 donation from Ernie Boch Jr, CEO of Boch Enterprises, to help with Green Up to Recover efforts across the state.