Current News

Margolis, Healy & Associates (MH&A), of Richmond, a leading professional services firm specializing in higher education safety and security, today announced that it has received a Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) 2010 Competitive Grant for Enhancing Law Enforcement and Crime Prevention. BJA received 42 applications and made six awards for a total of $3,194,243 in funding.
The BJA Grant Award of $399,800 will provide MH&A with funding to implement a project entitled, "Best Practices for Campus Crime Prevention: Developing Evidence Based Modern Crime Prevention Strategies for Institutions of Higher Education."
"We will use an inclusive, research-focused strategy to identify, evaluate, refine and replicate best and promising practices in modern evidence-based and age-appropriate crime prevention programming at institutions of higher education," said Dr. Gary J. Margolis, MH&A managing partner.

This winter many Vermonters who do not qualify or have not applied for heating assistance will find themselves in need of help. For more than twenty years, VFDA’s Neighbor-in-Need programs have helped those Vermonters who are often too proud to ask.
This year Vermont’s heating fuel dealers are continuing the proud tradition of giving back to their local community. Thanks to the generosity of the businesses and organizations listed below, the Split the Ticket program will provide more than 6,000 gallons of heating fuel this winter.
Vermont’s heating fuel dealers are mostly small, family-owned businesses that live in the same community where they work. They know about the military family that is struggling to make ends meet, or the senior citizen who is faced with an unexpected medical bill. Heating fuel dealers see the need first-hand and are often the first to respond in a crisis, especially when the family is unable to receive government assistance.

Vermont Trophy & Engraving of Colchester announced today that it is the feature article in the December edition of A & E magazine, the largest and most widely read trade magazine for awards, engraving and recognition professionals. The 4 page article showcases some of the company's work in photographs and discusses Vermont Trophy & Engraving's growth and success since its purchase by Steve and Margi Swett in 1996 when the focus was shifted to the business to business market.

Vermont Trophy and Engraving is a 51-year-old, woman-owned business in located in Colchester VT, which specializes in innovative awards of recognition, trophies and signage. The company engraves metal, plastic and glass, often using proprietary techniques. Vermont Trophy & Engraving is also area representatives for Matthews Bronze, the world leader in exterior grade metal signs.

Much like his first round of high-ranking appointments last week, Governor-elect Peter Shumlin announced key appointments to his cabinet today that contained a couple of surprises. The Governor-elect announced that Lawrence Miller will be the Secretary of Commerce and Community Development. Miller will work closely with Patricia Moulton-Powden who will be the Agency’s Deputy Secretary. Chuck Ross will be the Secretary of Agriculture and Annie Noonan will be the Commissioner of Labor. This team will work together closely with one shared mission, Shumlin said, job creation. Shumlin made these appointments a top priority in his transition as economic development and the creation of good paying jobs in Vermont will be his administration's primary focus.
Pictured from left: Pat Moulton-Powden, Lawrence Miller, Governor-elect Shumlin, Annie Noonan and Chuck Ross. Photo by Vermont Business Magazine.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) today announced that it will restate its previously issued financial statements for fiscal years 2007, 2008 and 2009 and the first three quarters of fiscal year 2010 (including the quarterly data for fiscal years 2009 and 2010 and its selected financial data for the relevant periods), due to errors identified in these financial statements. The company itemized $11.5 million in errors. Net income for the periods in question was expected to be reduced up to $6.5 million, or $.05 per share.
Financial issues have dogged the company the last few months (STORY), resulting in several lawsuits. The late-day announcement had little effect on company stock, as it was down only less than a point. It started the day at $30.97 and was $30.26 when this story was filed at 4:30 pm Friday.

by James Dwinell. We interviewed Governor Howard Dean at the Hotel de Ville (aka City Hall) in Paris. We were in a deep window seat overlooking the Notre Dame Cathedral. The Hotel de Ville has been on this same location, though not the same building, since the 14th century. Dean works with a law firm in Washington and is a board member of the National Democrat Institute (NDI), an organization formed by President Reagan to promote democracy around the world. (There is also a Republican institute, IRI, the International Republican Institute.)
Howard Dean with Senator Leahy at the Democrats' Unity Rally August 25 in Burlington. Photo by Anne Galloway, vtdigger.com

Released today, the Vermont Attorney General’s Proposed Bias-Free Policing Policy recognizes the civil rights of all people within Vermont’s borders.
The proposed policy clearly states that law enforcement will treat all persons living in, visiting, or traveling through Vermont, equally, regardless of race, ethnicity, immigration status, or other personal criteria. ‘This policy was developed in collaboration with law enforcement agencies and community advocates from around the state and it reflects the most fundamental concept of our democracy ‘ that government, in this case police, shall treat all people equally,’ said Attorney General William Sorrell.
‘This is certainly not the Arizona approach. Rather, this is a policy that I believe Vermonters and law enforcement agencies should be proud of,’ stated Sorrell.

KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) has announced that Chairman of the Board and CEO Henry L. Meyer III, 60, will retire effective May 1, 2011, and will be succeeded by Beth E. Mooney, currently Vice Chair of KeyCorp and leader of Key’s Community Banking business. In the interim, the Board elected Mooney as President and COO and a member of the KeyCorp Board of Directors.
Source: CLEVELAND, November 18, 2010 /PRNewswire/ ‘ KeyCor

During 2010 Northfield Savings Bank will donate more than $165,000 to fight hunger in Vermont. To help Vermonters who need short-term emergency food relief, Northfield Savings Bank donates to the Vermont Foodbank, Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf, and several other food pantries. To help build long-term solutions for a hunger-free Vermont, the NSB Foundation continues its partnership with the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger.

Gary Scudder Recognized For His Ability to Engage Students in Global Learning(Burlington, VT. Nov. 18, 2010) ‘ Gary Scudder, assistant dean for Global Engagement at Champlain College has been named the 2010 Vermont Professor of the Year by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He was selected from more than 300 top professors nominated by their colleges and universities across the United States. The award was presented at a special ceremony held in Washington, D.C. This is the first time that a Champlain College professor has been selected for this national honor.
The US Professors of the Year program salutes the most outstanding undergraduate instructors in the country’those who excel as teachers and influence the lives and careers of their students. It is recognized as one of the most prestigious awards honoring undergraduate teaching.

The Ethan Allen Institute, in cooperation with the University of Vermont and St Michael’s College is bringing Tom Palmer, PhD to the Burlington area on December 1 and 2 to speak with students at UVM and St Michael’s and at a public event at St Michael’s College McCarthy Arts Center in the evening of December 1.
Palmer presently serves as General Director of the Atlas Global Initiative for Free Trade, Peace and Prosperity; is a Senior Fellow at CATO and also serves as Vice President for International Programs, Atlas Economic Research Foundation based in Washington, DC.
Tom Palmer, Oxford University PhD, is an internationally known advocate for the advancement of liberty and free markets throughout the world. Seen on national television programs, read in prestigious journals, and sought after around the world as a speaker, Palmer is among the most knowledgeable experts on classical liberal thought, Constitutional history, globalization, and economic studies.

Boralex Inc. and Gaz Métro à ole Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gaz Metro Limited Partnership, announce the acquisition of the rights on a wind power project having an installed capacity of 69 megawatts. Kruger à nergie Bas-St-Laurent SEC, with the consent of Hydro-Québec, has transferred to the Consortium the electricity supply agreement concluded with Hydro-Québec in 2008 following the call for tenders for 2,000 MW of wind energy generated launched by Hydro-Québec in 2005. Gaz Metro is the parent company of Green Mountain Power, the state's second largest electric utility, and Vermont Gas, the largest natural gas company in the state.