Current News

Vermont Law School will open a Center for Agriculture and Food Systems next spring to support advocates, agencies, food hubs, incubators and farmers engaged in the creation of community-based agriculture systems in the United States and internationally.
The new center will focus on legal and policy issues related to community-based agriculture, the regulation of food, the Farm Bill and agricultural subsidies, energy-efficient food production, energy independence for farmers and other issues key to retaining a successful working landscape for rural communities.
‘Vermont Law School is the ideal place to initiate this effort,’ said Professor Marc Mihaly, director of VLS’s Environmental Law Center. ‘Vermont is synonymous with the farming landscape and leads the nation in sophisticated efforts to implement a sustainable agricultural system.’

Governor Jim Douglas has signed a proclamation making the month of October Cyber Security Awareness month in the state of Vermont. Governor Douglas is joining other governors across the country in recognizing the seventh annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month.
“Technology, while necessary in our society today, is not without pitfalls,” said Governor Douglas. “Having an awareness and understanding of how to protect and secure technical devices, like computers, Smartphone’s and iPods, is critical in creating a more secure state and nation.”
National Cyber Security Awareness Month is an initiative to promote computer security awareness. Last year, President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Proclamation to show federal support to spread cyber awareness nationwide. The support from both federal and state levels creates a joint effort in calling to all Americans that cyber security is our shared responsibility, as a state and as a nation.

While a lethargic economy takes a toll on the membership rolls and financial stability of Jewish organizations, a group of investors is providing $1.5 million to a website development and hosting startup committed to helping these groups survive and thrive by strategically embracing web technology.
Jvillage Network, a mission-driven, for-profit company in Burlington, VT, engages and grows the membership communities of synagogues and Jewish community organizations by designing, building and hosting customized websites with content and features enabling member outreach and encouraging member interactivity. The company creates long-term relationships with clients to build community through a robust, sustainable web presence. It employs a dozen in Burlington.

Each year, a panel of independent judges chooses Vermont’s best activities, selected for their diversity and wide appeal. The Vermont Chamber of Commerce announces the highly anticipated 2011 Top Ten Summer and Fall Events. The 2011 award recipients display a wide variety of unique Vermont attributes that will provide something fun for everyone in all corners of the Green Mountain State.
In order to qualify as a Vermont Chamber of Commerce Top Ten Event, events must appeal to out-of-state visitors as well as Vermonters, and to a diverse audience, including children and families. Events should also be representative of the Vermont brand, featuring time-honored as well as contemporary experiences. Due to the additional attention a Top Ten Award garners, the event must be able to accommodate an influx of visitors up to twice the normal count.
The winners in chronological order include:

45th Annual Vermont Maple Festival: How SWEET It Is!

Attorney General William H. Sorrell announced today that Vermont will receive approximately $95,000 as part of a $75 million settlement with Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc, that involved all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the federal government. The agreement with Ortho-McNeil-Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., resolves allegations that the company promoted topiramate, an antiepileptic and migraine prevention drug which is marketed under the trade name Topamax©, for uses not approved by the Food & Drug Administration.

Vermont Technical College has learned it will be the recipient of a $25,000 grant from the John Merck Fund to help promote its new Bachelor of Science degree program in Diversified Agriculture.
The goal of Diversified Agriculture is to strengthen Vermont’s agricultural community by training future generations of farmers to manage diverse, sustainable and profitable farms that will supply the region with quality products.
‘The John Merck Fund is thrilled that Vermont Tech has launched a comprehensive program to support young farmers as they pursue their dreams of owning and running successful, diversified farms,’ said Holly Tippett, Vermont Program Advisor to the John Merck Fund. ‘With the growing interest in farms that produce a variety of food-related products such as eggs, meat birds, vegetables and fruit, cow’s milk and goat’s milk, this program is on the cutting edge of agricultural economics’

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) says a new $31,497,430 US Army contract with Goodrich for additional units of the company’s groundbreaking helicopter maintenance diagnostic system, produced by the firm’s facility in Vergennes, will further extend the plant’s planning horizon and underscores again how firmly the advanced system has quickly taken its place as a key maintenance feature of US military helicopter programs. Leahy just last month announced an extension of a Navy contract for the system.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) on Friday announced that 21 Vermont communities and the Vermont State Police have been awarded federal grants to purchase bulletproof vests for officers working in the field. The funding was awarded through the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program, a federal grant program authored by Leahy and administered by the U.S. Department of Justice. At a press conference in Williston Friday afternoon, Leahy also announced that he has secured $1 million for the Vermont Drug Task Force.

by Kevin Kelley. The City of Burlington announced September 30 that an agreement had been reached with CitiCapital to extend the period of forbearance ‘ set to expire on the 30th ‘ to October 29, 2010, with respect to payments under Burlington's lease-purchase agreement with CitiCapital for Burlington Telecom. Negotiations between Burlington and CitiCapital are ongoing and will continue during the forbearance period, according to a statement from Joe Reinert, Assistant to the Mayor.
As Burlington Telecom conducts these life-or-death negotiations with its creditor, the city official at the center of the drama says he is optimistic about BT’s future and is unapologetic about the decision to build a publicly owned fiber optic network.
‘We’re laying the groundwork for increases in customers, revenue and profitability for Burlington Telecom,’ Chief Administrative Officer Jonathan Leopold said in a September 21 interview.

Next week’s first national health care summit meeting on health quality and costs since enactment of landmark health insurance reforms six months ago will spotlight Fletcher Allen Health Care’s success with its innovative steps in boosting quality while lowering costs. The day-long conference will convene Monday (Oct. 4) on Capitol Hill in Washington.
At the suggestion of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dr. Melinda Estes, president and CEO of Fletcher Allen Health Care, will discuss Fletcher Allen’s model and experience in the conference’s first session, ‘Designing High Value Health Care: Lessons From The Field.’
Dr. Craig Jones, director of the Vermont Blueprint For Health, is a panelist in another session on ‘Fostering State-Federal Collaboration And Public-Private Partnerships.’

Fitch Ratings has assigned 'AAA' ratings to the $30,000,000 Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) mortgage revenue bonds (Mortgage Backed Securities Program) as follows:
--$12,000,000 series 2010A;
--$18,000,000 subseries 2009A-1.
The Rating Outlook for the bonds is Stable.
RATING RATIONALE:
--The $18 million 2009A-1 subseries is the first release from the $102 million 2009 A escrow bonds from the December 1, 2009 indenture. The bond proceeds were initially held in an escrow account and secured solely by amounts on deposit in the escrow account and investment earnings from the account;
--The $12 million 2010A bonds will be the second offering issued under the December 1, 2009 indenture. The 2010A mortgage revenue bonds are being issued under a mortgage backed securities program that pledges revenues and federal agency certificates as security for the bonds.
KEY RATING DRIVERS:

Vermont's 'AAA' rating for its general obligation bonds reflects its low debt burden which is maintained through adherence to debt affordability guidelines, conservative financial management, and sound reserves. Outstanding debt, which is nearly entirely GO and matures rapidly, has declined from previously moderate levels. The state budgets conservatively, and its diverse revenue stream includes a state property tax for education. Reserves in each major operating fund as of the close of fiscal 2010 were fully funded at 5% of prior-year appropriations.
Fitch Ratings assigned an 'AAA' rating to the following State of Vermont general obligation (GO) bonds:
--$49 million 2010 series D (Federally Taxable - Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds - Direct Payment);
--$33.395 million GO refunding bonds, 2010 series E.
The bonds are expected to sell via competition on Oct. 14, 2010.