Current News

The Vermont Housing Data Website (www.housingdata.org) has added hundreds of Census data including Census 2010 demographic information and detailed estimates on home heating sources and housing cost burdens from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS).
‘Even though we created the site eight years ago, the recent housing market upheaval nationally has made it clear that an accurate and comprehensive understanding of the local housing market like Vermont helps prevent some of the mistakes we’ve seen in other states,’ said Executive Director Sarah Carpenter.
‘By including the newest data as it becomes available, Vermont is in a better position to understand what’s happening locally as housing needs change. This starts the conversation about the most appropriate policy and programmatic responses for the future,’ she continued.

Governor Peter Shumlin said a recent federal Department of Energy review of the Department of Public Service, which serves as Vermont’s State Energy Office, found that Vermont’s use of stimulus funds has helped schools, municipalities, businesses and others statewide switch to renewable energy sources, implement efficiency measures, and hold down power costs.
‘These funds have gone directly to communities to save taxpayers money, reduce energy consumption and create jobs,’ Gov. Shumlin said. ‘We have used our federal stimulus award to create long-term energy savings for Vermonters and to speed our transition to a clean energy future. I am very proud of our state employees in the Department of Public Service for their hard work in getting these funds out the door and into the hands of our schools, towns, and state buildings to create energy savings statewide.’

The City of Burlington is one of a handful of prominent cities around the country and the world participating in the 2011 Carbon Disclosure Project’s ‘Global Report on C40 Cities.’ The report, issued in June, summarizes carbon emissions from ‘C40’ cities ‘ large cities around the world which have joined together with a commitment to tackling climate change ‘as well as 6 additional cities, including Burlington, which voluntarily disclosed information on their carbon footprint. Burlington joins cities such as New York, Chicago, Berlin, Dhaka, Hong King, London, Lagos, Taipei, and San Francisco in participating in the report, among others.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc., (GMCR) (NASDAQ: GMCR), a leader in specialty coffee and coffeemakers, today announced its fiscal 2011 third quarter results for the thirteen weeks ended June 25, 2011.
Third Quarter Fiscal 2011 Performance Highlights*

Net sales up 127% over the same period in fiscal 2010
GAAP EPS of $0.37; Non-GAAP EPS of $0.49
GAAP operating income increases 215% over Q3'10; Non-GAAP operating income improves 185% over the year ago quarter
GAAP net income increases 206% over Q3'10; Non-GAAP net income up 167% over Q3'10

The touch of an iPhone’ which brought the last of 382 solar trackers into position perpendicular with the sun’ marked the commissioning of the largest solar installation in Vermont and the largest installation of its kind in all of North America.

The Vermont Investors Forum is seeking applicants for their 19th annual event to be held at the Stowe Mountain Resort, on October 21. Each year angel and institutional investors from around the region hear from a select group of companies seeking to raise equity capital and expand their networks at VIF.
Over the years, the Forum has proven itself as one of the best ways to connect companies with capital. Stephen Luhr, Founder and CEO of Hammerhead Sleds commented, ‘We found our first real investor at the Vermont Investors Forum, which lead to his angel group and our biggest investment to date. Any one investment group pitch is not the answer; it’s the culmination of fine tuning, practice and vetting your idea. VIF is a real good way to catch a wide variety of people in the 'circle'."

Bret Williams, President and CEO of Green Mountain Beverage, recently announced that the hard cider company is changing its name to Vermont Hard Cider Company, LLC effective August 1, 2011.
The name change comes at a time when the hard cider category is experiencing significant growth in the United States. The company produces the nation’s number one cider ‘ Woodchuck Hard Cider, which is available in all 50 states and is currently celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2011!
In June 2003 when Williams put together the deal to buy the company, the legal name became ‘Beverage Acquisition Group, LLC’ with Green Mountain Beverage as the d/b/a. At the time, it was uncertain if the company would survive, let alone be able to sell hard cider exclusively. Over the years, the Woodchuck Brand has grown three-fold and has enabled the company to remain solely focused on the hard cider category.

Secretary of State Jim Condos, in continuing his focus on access to Vermont’s public records, announces the launch of a new web presentation on the history of the Vermont’s public records law. This is part of an ongoing effort by the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA), a division within the Secretary’s office, to create greater understanding of the laws governing access to public records and, by extension, our right to know.
Secretary Condos noted that ‘VSARA initially focused on the origins of the various exemptions to the public records act. This should assist the legislative study review of those exemptions ‘ the committee begins its work on Wednesday July 27. We hope, as resources allow, to keep adding to the information on not only exemptions, but also the other sections within 1 V.S.A. §§ 315 ‘ 320.’

At the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees of the College of St Joseph, President Frank G Miglorie announced that he will resign at the end of the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Miglorie came to CSJ in 1970 and served on the faculty for nine years. He was then appointed Academic Dean, a position he held for four years. In 1983, the board of trustees installed him as the college’s fourth president. Miglorie was the first lay person and the first male to serve in this position at the Catholic college founded by the Sisters of St Joseph. Now entering his twenty-eighth year as leader of the College, Miglorie is perhaps best known for his entrepreneurial spirit, expansion of the college’s programs and campus, and his conservative financial management of the college’s resources.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: BHLB) reported second quarter 2011 core earnings per share totaling $0.35, increasing by 40 percent compared to $0.25 in the second quarter of 2010. This increase resulted from strong ongoing organic growth together with the benefits of the acquisition of Rome Bancorp, which was completed on April 1, 2011. Diluted earnings per share was $0.11 for the second quarter of 2011 compared to $0.25 in the second quarter of 2010.
Berkshire also completed the acquisition of Legacy Bancorp on July 21, 2011. This event will be reported in Berkshire's third quarter financial results. Berkshire incurred non-core merger related expenses in the second quarter for both the Rome and Legacy transactions. Net of these expenses, which totaled $0.24per share after-tax, GAAP earnings per share were $0.11 during the quarter.

More than 6,700 Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) members cast ballots during a special election completed on Tuesday, July 26th. Results for 3 ballot items and a director election in VEC’s District 3 were announced on Tuesday evening at a special meeting of the VEC membership which was held at VEC headquarters in Johnson. A proposed transmission line upgrade from Lowell to Jay passed with 5,340 votes in favor and 1,379 opposed; an agreement to purchase power from Hydro-Quebec passed with 5,970 votes in favor and 700 votes opposed; and a bylaw amendment allowing the board of directors to set methods allowing for the retirement of patronage capital passed with 5,572 in favor and 991 opposed.

The Goddard College Health Arts and Sciences Program and the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism (VCIH) are pleased to announce a new learning partnership. VCIH students can now apply their learning (and transfer credits at the undergraduate level) to their individualized program of study in Health Arts and Sciences. This is the only independent clinical herbalist training program in the country that can be applied towards completion of education at a regionally accredited institution.
Health Arts and Sciences is a low residency BA and MA program. Students spend eight days each semester in residency at Goddard and otherwise study from home in partnership with their academic advisor. The Health Arts and Sciences vision, founded on the principle that personal and community health are two dimensions of the same whole, helps students develop their wisdom and skills to cultivate wellbeing within a matrix of social and ecological health.