Current News

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.

A Chittenden County Superior Court judge denied today a Vermont State Employees Association request for a restraining order against the Douglas Administration. The state workers' union sought the order against the administration to stop it from laying off more than 120 state employees, approximately 100 of whom were scheduled to begin departing state government today.
In a written statement, VSEA Director Jes Kraus said: "Our heart goes out to the hundred employees who are being, in our views, unnecessarily forced out the jobs that they work so hard at. VSEA will continue pursuing every option available to us in our efforts to avoid more senseless layoffs."

At its June 4 meeting the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees approved a resolution renaming the addition to Vermont Technical College s Morrill Hall Robert G. Clarke Hall, in honor of retiring VSC Chancellor and former VTC President Robert G. Clarke. VTC President Ty Handy recommended naming the addition to Morrill Hall on the Randolph campus Robert G. Clarke Hall in recognition of Clarke s outstanding service, and on behalf of the staff, students and faculty of Vermont Technical College.

Community College of Vermont (CCV) Provost Joyce M Judy was appointed Interim President of the College by the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees at its June 4 meeting. Judy begins her one-year interim term on July 1, succeeding Tim Donovan, who leaves CCV to become Chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges system. A national search will be launched in the fall for a permanent appointment.
In announcing the appointment, Gary Moore, chair of the Board of Trustees, said, I am delighted that Joyce Judy has accepted the appointment of acting president. She has the experience and the devotion to CCV that will help her lead the institution as it continues to move forward with strong growth and sound fiscal management.