Current News

A Senate panel today adopted a proposal by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) to make big oil traders divulge reserves held in offshore tankers to skirt reporting requirements, distort supply records and artificially drive up prices. As oil prices rose to $69 a barrel, near the record high for the year, Sanders also announced that he will introduce legislation to require the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to use emergency powers to stem oil price manipulation.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee folded Sanders proposal on offshore hoarding into legislation aimed at promoting oil and gas exploration. The amendment would require the 50 largest traders of oil contracts to report to federal regulators all of their oil reserves that are stored offshore.

Zutano, the Vermont-based designer of children's clothing and toys and Northshire Bookstore, the Manchester, VT-based independent bookstore, are proud to announce that they will be launching a Zutano "store-within-a-store" in the upstairs children's department on June 8th.
The Zutano store captures the whimsical essence of Zutano, known for its one-of-a kind colorful patterns and stylish design. The space is modeled after Zutano's flagship store in Montpelier as well as their store within New York City's famed FAO Schwarz Toy Store. White-washed bead board wainscoting meets walls painted with Zutano's signature sunny yellow. The center of the 250 sq. ft. space features an amazing sculptural display made of 'tumbling' red baby chairs with spaces for Zutano clothes to hang. A fantastic chandelier created from baby milk bottles casts a warm glow over the entire space.

The Rev. Brian J. Cummings, S.S.E., Director of Edmundite Campus Ministry at Saint Michael's College in Colchester, Vermont, was praised by the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf for orchestrating a campaign at Saint Michael s in support of the Food Shelf. Rob Meehan, director of the Food Shelf, said the gift of $25,000, given on April 28, 2009, affords us the capability of providing nutritional necessities to a large number of families and individuals in our community who really need our support especially during these challenging times.
The CEFS website describes the organization this way: The Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf works to alleviate hunger by feeding people and cultivating opportunities. As the largest direct service emergency food provider in Vermont, CEFS serves over 11,300 people each year.

Today, Vermont Secretary of State Deb Markowitz announced that over $85,000 in grants were awarded to 19 municipalities to help them to continue to meet the mandates of the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) which was signed into law on October 29, 2002. HAVA provides opportunities for municipalities to improve the administration and access to elections in Vermont. As Vermont s chief election officer, the Secretary of State oversees this process.
This year grants in amounts of up to $20,000 will be used by municipalities to improve accessibility to polling places used for the primary and general elections. Since the program began, the Secretary of State s Office has awarded 119 grants totaling $481,538. Markowitz said, This round of grants is intended to help ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to polling places. Funds may be used for improvements such as paving parking areas, building ramps, and improving lighting.

The first program in North America to naturally decrease global warming gases caused by cows' burps (enteric emissions) has been announced by environmental pioneer Stonyfield Farm, the world's leading organic yogurt company. An unexpected benefit of the program is that it also significantly increases the nutritional value of the milk. The Stonyfield Greener Cow pilot program began in late 2008 with 15 Vermont Organic Valley farms which supply the milk for Stonyfield's yogurts. The company learned about this approach from its global partner French-based Groupe Danone. Stonyfield had been measuring its carbon footprint for over a decade, and had known milk production was the biggest part of its footprint. While it developed programs for emissions from growing feed for cows, manure, transportation, and farm energy, handling its greatest source of milk emissions, the natural digestion of the cow, was a challenge.

Saving money while benefitting the electric grid just became easier for Vermont's Green Mountain Power customers. EnerNOC, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENOC), a leading developer and provider of clean and intelligent energy solutions, today announced that it has signed a partnership agreement with Green Mountain Power, an electric utility that transmits, distributes and sells electricity in the State of Vermont in a service territory with approximately one quarter of Vermont s population. Under the terms of the partnership, customers currently enrolled in Green Mountain Power s demand response program will be rolled into EnerNOC s demand response network. In addition, Green Mountain Power and EnerNOC will work together to actively recruit additional commercial, institutional, and industrial customers into the program.

The 2009 Small Business Person of the Year and Champion Award recipients will be honored at a ceremony sponsored by Vermont Business Magazine and the US Small Business Administration (SBA). Governor James Douglas will present the Small Business Person of the Year award to Mark Bonfigli, CEO and Founder of Dealer.com, Burlington, with additional remarks from Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss, SBA Vermont District Director Darcy Carter, and others.
Champion awards will be presented to:

Jim Sault, Porter Music Box, Randolph
Tara Lynn Scheidet, Tara Lynn Studio, Sutton
John Vincent, Vincent s Drug & Variety, Waterbury
Gail Wheel, Wheel House Designs, Hyde Park
Matt Cota, VT Fuel Dealers Association, Montpelier
Major Randall Gates, VT National Guard, Colchester
Stephen Paddock, VT Small Business Development Center, Middlebury
Mary Peabody, University of Vermont Extension, Berlin

On Monday, June 1, at the Waterbury Area Senior Center, Governor Jim Douglas signed into law H.222, An Act Relating to Senior Protection and Financial Services. It contains several provisions to protect older Vermonters who purchase certain types of lending and insurance products. The Governor was joined by area seniors, Administration officials, aging issues advocates, and representatives from the American Council of Life Insurers, the Vermont Mortgage Bankers Association and the Vermont Bankers Association, among others.

The 2009 Hospital Report Card Comparison, now available on-line, features quality of care, pricing and financial data for Vermont hospitals. The data is on the website of Vermont’s Department of Banking, Insurance Securities and Health Care Administration (BISHCA). Commissioner of BISHCA Paulette Thabault said, “Putting these hospital report card measures on public view creates transparency for Vermont consumers who can now weigh this information, along with other important factors, when choosing hospital services.” Posting the data also results in better patient care and experiences for Vermonters. Said Commissioner Thabault, “Hospitals look at the comparative scores and ask, ‘How can we improve this measurement?’ They sharpen their focus on the issues, commit resources, and the improvements follow.”

It would be easy to think of Williston-based Vermont Organics Reclamation as an agricultural business, since its first phase will be to improve the processing of manure. And manure will always be a major resource for their recycling of unused plant nutrients. But the project that Tim Camisa has been conceptualizing since 2001 and actively developing with partner Mike Rooney since 2005 seeks a more comprehensive change in the way Vermont maintains and grows its economy. It s a vision that VOR has pursued through five patents, four generations of processing equipment, three grant applications involving two agencies, and the arrival of a private equity backer.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) today announced that management is scheduled to make a presentation regarding the Company on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at the Piper Jaffray Consumer Conference in New York City.
About Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) today announced that management is scheduled to make a presentation regarding the company on Wednesday, June 10, 2009, at the William Blair & Company 29th Annual Growth Stock Conference in Chicago. The investor presentation is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CDT and the event will be webcast under the Investor Services section of the company's website at www.GreenMountainCoffee.com. The webcast replay will be will be available for 30 days.
About Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.