Current News

Governor Jim Douglas today announced that the state has approved an emergency request for funds to help rebuild the historic Anchor Seafood Restaurant in Wilmington that was destroyed in a fire earlier this year at a ceremony at the site of the South Main Street structure. The Governor presented town officials with a check for $196,429 that will be used to help rebuild the restaurant in a 19th-century style that will blend in with the village’s Historic District.
“This is an important structure in Wilmington, both from a commercial and an historic standpoint,” Governor Douglas said. “The Anchor restaurant was an important employer and draw for tourists and residents alike, as well as providing rental housing in its upper floor.”
An historic preservation consultant will oversee the projected $818,000 reconstruction of the Greek Revival-style building, especially its façade, to ensure it fits in with the surrounding historic structures.

The Vermont Energy Partnership (VTEP) today released its latest issue brief, “Renewable Energy Sources in Vermont: A Status Report.” Authored by VTEP Communications Director Guy Page, the issue brief details Vermont’s current renewable power capacity and projects likely development in the near future. It also provides analysis about the benefits and challenges of renewable power and demand-side management in meeting Vermont’s 21st century energy needs.
Key finding of the document include:
· At present, instate renewable capacity totals an estimated 84 megawatts. It is reasonable to project that in the next five years an additional 95 megawatts of instate and regional renewable electricity sources may come online.
· Efficiency efforts have reduced the rate of growth of electrical consumption but have not significantly reduced net consumption from year to year; nor is reduced consumption likely to occur without major, as yet untried measures.

With a recent report from Law360 indicating that women make up on average just 19 percent of partners in law firms, Dinse/Knapp/McAndrew continues to exceed the national average with 42% female partnership in the firm. When compared to the firms included in the Best 50 Law Firms for Women, Dinse has significantly better female participation and a higher percentage of women lawyers, associates, equity partners, management/executive committee members, compensation committee members, and partners than any of these firms.

Average retail gasoline prices in Vermont have fallen 5.6 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.88/g yesterday. This compares with the national average that has fallen 3.5 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.87/g, according to gasoline price website VermontGasPrices.com.
Including the change in gas prices in Vermont during the past week, prices yesterday were 59.3 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 1.1 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 0.4 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 58.4 cents per gallon higher than this day a year ago.
Source: VermontGasPrices.com. 5.17.2010

Green Mountain Power has received a Certificate of Public Good from the state of Vermont to build a nearly 1,000-panel solar array on property it owns in Berlin, Vermont. The project will generate 200 kilowatts of electricity, and is the largest permitted solar project in Vermont, GMP officials said.
"This project is an important part of our overall energy and climate strategy to increase the amount of renewable energy generation in our state," said Mary Powell, president and chief executive officer of Green Mountain Power. "Using renewables benefits our customers by supplying them with low-carbon emission, low-cost and highly reliable energy sources."
As part of this strategy, Green Mountain Power will soon file for approval of its Kingdom Community Wind project which will generate up to 63 megawatts of renewable wind power in Lowell, Vermont.

Mayor Bob Kiss, CEDO Director Larry Kupferman, Local Motion Director Chapin Spencer, Kelly Devine, Executive Director of the Burlington Business Association and others will officially welcome Liz Robert’s new business, Terry Precision Bicycles, to the Queen City, with a bike tour of the City tomorrow, May 18. The event coincides with Way 2 Go Week, and kicks off with a press conference at 11AM inside the first floor gallery at the JDK Building, 47 Maple Street. At the news conference Mayor Kiss and Kupferman will present Robert with a brand new ‘They Chose Burlington’ poster, one of a series of cobranded images CEDO has developed to acknowledge several exceptional Burlington companies and their commitment to the local economy. The Mayor will also issue an official proclamation declaring a Day of Recognition of Terry Precision Bicycles.

The early burst of warm weather brought sunny skies and Spring skiing and riding conditions to Stratton, but it also meant great things for golfers as well. Thanks to Mother Nature s glow, Stratton s 27-hole championship golf course opened on Monday morning, five days earlier than expected, a rare feat for an elevated mountain course.
Stratton has had a long tradition as a hotbed for summer golf. Designed by Geoffrey Cornish, the resort was a six-time stop on the LPGA Tour. Three different layouts (Mountain, Lake and Forest) will challenge golfers of all abilities, with picturesque views of Southern Vermont s highest peak. The fifth hole of the Mountain course is the longest Par 5 in Vermont at 621 yards from the blue tees. Stratton is one of only two public access courses in the state with more than 18 holes. Cedar Knoll in Hinesburg also has 27 holes.

The members of Vermont’s Congressional Delegation -- US Senator Patrick Leahy (D), US Senator Bernie Sanders (I) and US Representative Peter Welch (D) -- are urging the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Department of Commerce (DOC) to invest in Vermont’s broadband infrastructure. The lawmakers wrote to the agencies this week in support of the more than $219 million in broadband infrastructure applications submitted by Vermont companies and nonprofit organizations seeking Vermont’s share of $7.2 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act broadband infrastructure grants.“Each week our offices receive multiple pleas from Vermonters desperate for access to affordable, high-speed internet access,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Administrator Jonathan Adelstein and DOC National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Assistant Secretary Lawrence Strickling. “These constituents are disadvantaged compared to m

Entergy Vermont Yankee announced Friday that it had completed refueling of the nuclear power plant in Vernon. During the refueling the plant does not produce electricity. The refueling and maintenance outage began April 28. Vermont Yankee reports the plant is now in a state called demobilization, in which scaffolding and other equipment related to the completed work is being removed. Vermont Yankee states that much of the work has involved upgrades to improve the plant’s long-term reliability, such as the replacement of a reactor feed pump motor, sleeving the plant’s condenser tubes, and completing the third (and final) phase of the cooling tower upgrades, including the safety-related section of the west tower.

Governor Jim Douglas today announced the appointment of Sarah Clark as Commissioner of the Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation (FPR) in the Agency of Natural Resource. Clark, who has served as the Financial Manager for FPR for the past two years, replaces outgoing Commissioner Jason Gibbs.
Sarah will do an excellent job leading FPR at an exciting time for the Department, said Governor Douglas. I am confident that her experience will be a tremendous asset as we work to increase utilization of our parks and continue to responsibly manage state lands.
I am honored by the Governor s confidence in me and for the opportunity to serve as the Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation, said Clark. I am excited to lead the Department and its dedicated employees.

Okemo Mountain Resort is this year’s recipient of the Vermont Governor’s Award for Outstanding Workplace Safety in the Service Sector. This is the sixth year of the Workplace Safety Award that recognizes Vermont employers for outstanding achievement in workplace safety and health.
“Workplace safety is crucial for the health and well-being of our workforce and for the vitality and productivity of our businesses,” Governor Douglas said. “With changes in technology and business practices, employers are constantly challenged to keep their workplace safe. We are pleased to recognize employers who are committed to safety.”
Okemo’s management staff works hard to increase safety awareness and decrease workplace accidents by building a strong and sustainable safety culture. The resort’s philosophy on workplace safety begins with its first corporate Value - Safety.

Montpelier. 5.14.2010. The Vermont Speaker of the House, Shap Smith, offers his view on the legislative session that ended Wednesday night.
"Vermonters can be proud of the work the legislature did this year under very difficult circumstances. The legislature, working with the administration, put in place policies that will create new jobs and restore our state’s fiscal health while avoiding devastating cuts and new broad-based taxes.
To guide our decisions, we followed the long-held Vermont values that allow our state to remain the safest, greenest and healthiest state, known for being a great place to raise a family. Despite the worst economy in a lifetime, the legislature refused to compromise on the investments that make Vermont a place we are proud to call home.