Current News

Across Vermont, architects, builders and contractors are working to create more energy-efficient businesses and homes. Efficiency Vermont is proud to recognize a select number of those projects with its annual ‘Best of the Best’ Awards.
Black River Design Architects of Montpelier won this year’s Best of the Best in Vermont ENERGY STAR Homes Award for a Single Family Detached Home between 2,000 and 3,000 square feet, located in South Hero. The firm was also honored with a Merit Award for its work for the Washington Central Supervisory Union, located in Montpelier.
Black River Design Architects’ winning home features thoughtful design and attention to air sealing details, which resulted in an impressive air exchange rate which exceeds the Passive House air-tightness requirement. Other features include high-efficiency insulation as well as energy-efficient lighting and appliances.

The snow sports market surpassed the $3 billion mark for the 2010/2011 season but sales slowed significantly in February. Season to date, snow sports sales are up 13% in dollars sold and up 8% in units sold. Total sales last season never reached the $3 billion dollar mark, in fact, by the end of March 2010 all snow sports sales reached just $2.94 billion. However, comparing February 2011 to February 2011, units sold were down 2% and dollar sales were down 1.5%. Despite slowing sales, margins showed continued strength, up 8% compared to February 2010 and total sales for the 2010/2011 season sales (August to March) should surpass the $3.1 billion record set in the 2007/2008 season.

As previously announced on October 24th, 2009 delSECUR CORPORATION sold 100% of its Intellectual Property including the patents of its del-Id system to QTech Systems Inc. in an Asset Purchase Agreement whereby it acquired 49% of QTech's shares. Since that time and as mentioned in the Press Release on June 22, 2010, QTech's team of engineers has been working diligently on the del-Id prototype development for commercialization.
delSECUR CORPORATION intends to dissolve itself. In so doing, it will pay all its lenders, using its only asset, the QTech shares. It will then distribute all of its remaining asset, the balance of QTech shares, to delSECUR CORPORATION shareholders in the form of a "liquidating dividend" on a pro-rata basis.
After having distributed all of the assets of delSECUR, the CORPORATION will be dissolved in accordance with Nevada State Law and subject to shareholders' approval.

Governor Peter Shumlin presented Mack Molding with a Gold award for workplace wellness last week at the state’s annual conference hosted by The Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. Health Services Manager Kathy Hall, RN, received the award on behalf of the company.
Mack was recognized for recent lifestyle initiatives that were inspired by the company’s overarching wellness theme ‘ take personal responsibility for your health. The award-winning programs included the:
· Mack Community Garden -- planted and harvested by employees, the 15 gardens were also supported by a local nursery with planting tips and discounted seedlings, and Mack with cedar beds, gardening tools, and easy water access. To further enhance the area, Mack added a volleyball court, a driving range for golfers, picnic tables and barbecue grills;

Governor Peter Shumlin joined Governors from 16 other states calling on congressional leaders to reject a plan to turn Medicaid into a block grant program, essentially eliminating states' ability to reduce costs in the program while maintaining Medicaid's integrity.
"The current Medicaid financial structure is a partnership between federal and state government that provides basic access to health care for the poor and disabled," the Governors wrote in a letter to the Majority and Minority Leaders in the U.S. House and Senate. "A Medicaid block grant imposed unilaterally by Congress on all states that would cap the federal government's share of costs and provide fixed annual funding below the projected growth of program costs in simply unacceptable."

The US Small Business Administration reminds small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes in six Vermont counties of the May 2 deadline to apply for economic injury disaster loan assistance. The loans are available due to frost and freeze that occurred from May 9 through May 13, 2010.
Under this declaration, SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster. These loans can be up to $2 million with terms not exceeding 30 years. Interest rates are 4 percent for businesses and 3 percent for non-profit organizations. Farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers are not eligible to apply to SBA.
The disaster loans are available in Addison, Chittenden, Orange, Rutland, Washington and Windsor counties in Vermont.

Otelco Inc. (NASDAQ: OTT)(TSX: OTT.un), a wireline telecommunications services provider in Alabama, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire and West Virginia, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Shoreham Telephone Company, Inc. for approximately $4.5 million in cash, subject to certain purchase price adjustments.
‘The acquisition of Shoreham is a strategically important opportunity for Otelco to continue the expansion of our footprint in New England,’ said Mike Weaver, President and Chief Executive Officer of Otelco. ‘While Shoreham has similar roots to Otelco as a rural wireline telephone provider, its existing network in Vermont provides an excellent point from which our CLEC (OTT Communications) can begin serving our fourth state. We are very excited about this transaction and its impact as a catalyst for future growth.’

Lewis R. First, MD, MS, University of Vermont professor and chair of pediatrics, was elected chair of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) at the organization’s annual meeting on April 1, 2011. He will serve a two-year term effective immediately.

The Vermont Attractions Association (VAA) has accepted seven prestigious Vermont businesses into membership for 2011. New to VAA this year are: the Norman Rockwell Exhibition / Sugar Shack in Arlington, the Chocolatorium/Village Peddler in East Arlington, Hathaway Farm & Corn Maze in Rutland, the Timber Ripper at Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, ArborTrek Canopy Adventures at Smugglers’ Notch, Artesano Meadery in Groton, and Sharp Park in Milton.
Members of VAA enjoy many benefits, including a presence on 1.15 million copies of the Official Vermont Road Map & Guide to Vermont Attractions, which is widely distributed across the country and internationally as the State of Vermont highway map.
Focusing on education as a component of the visitor experience, VAA members meet high standards while offering unusual experiences in the areas of agricultural tourism, art, excursions, galleries, guided tours, history, museums, recreation, shopping, and specialty foods.

At the same time that Saint Michael's College has instituted a new Environmental Studies major, the college has made an arrangement that will help graduates enter Vermont Law School upon graduation. And, Vermont Law School was just re-named as having the top environmental law program in the country by U.S.News & World Report.
On March 17, 2011, SMC President John Neuhauser and Vermont Law President Geoffrey Shields signed an Articulation Agreement between the two institutions, which states the purpose to be
‘To guarantee admission into Vermont Law School’s JD, MELP, or Joint JD/MELP degree programs to Saint Michael’s College students who successfully complete Saint Michael’s requirements for the bachelor’s degree (BA or BS) and who also meet the entrance requirements stated below.’ The requirements are essentially to match the standards applied to current Vermont Law students.

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin joined governors from across the northeast today in urging the federal government to increase its investment in the nation’s most extensive high speed intercity passenger rail network.
As the current lead governor for Transportation Policy on the Coalition of Northeastern Governors (CONEG), Gov. Shumlin signed a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, signifying that the group collectively supports a set of rail infrastructure projects being submitted by nine states, the District of Columbia, and Amtrak for the recently available high speed intercity passenger rail grant funds. The eight CONEG Governors* were joined by Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett.
‘The projects that our states and Amtrak are submitting today will contribute to more reliable and improved passenger rail service in the near term,’ said Gov. Shumlin.

Maple Landmark Woodcraft’s Standard Chinese Checkers and the Montgomery Schoolhouse Rattles were selected among hundreds of entries as this years’ Best Classic Toys by Dr. Toy a.k.a. Stevanne Auerbach, PhD.
‘A classic toy is simple to enjoy, has a lot of play value, and its desirability has been proven over many years. There are other attributes that give a classic toy its value, such as durability, consistency, and creativity,’ stated Dr. Toy.
The traditional Chinese checker board was selected based on its education component. Through board game play, like Chinese checkers, children learn how to take turns, think ahead, plan strategy and follow the rules. By practicing these components, children gain basic skills that can be transferred on to more complex problems or situations as the child grows.