Current News

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that approximately 200 million pounds of nonfat dry milk (NDM) will be transferred from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to USDA s Food and Nutrition Service for use in domestic food programs. This will help support families who rely on food assistance programs as well as dairy farmers struggling with low prices and high feed costs.
During these difficult economic times we need to use every tool we have to help those in need whether a family who needs food assistance or dairy farmers who are experiencing record low prices paid to them for their milk, said Governor Douglas. This move today by my former colleague, Secretary Vilsack, is an important step in supporting our rural communities and family farms.

Governor Jim Douglas today announced a new partnership with the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association that gives the go-ahead to expand tapping on some state land. The announcement came as the Governor kicked off the 8th annual Maple Open House Weekend at Marcia Maynard and Ken Denton s sugarhouse in Cabot.
Maple sugaring is a vital piece of our agricultural and forest products economy, the Governor said. I am very pleased that the state will be able to make this modest contribution to this important industry with an agreement that promotes responsible stewardship of sugarbushes on state land.
Under the agreement, the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation will license sites that it deems appropriate in state forests and state parks to sugarmakers, who will be required to abide by state land policies and management efforts while operating the sugarbushes. The Department expects to have as many as 11 sites licensed and operational for next season.

The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February 2009 was 7.0 percent, up two-tenths of a point from the revised January rate and up 2.6 points from a year ago.
Unemployment rates for Vermont s 17 labor market areas ranged from 4.5 percent in Warren-Waitsfield to 12.3 percent in Newport. Local labor market area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted. For comparison, the January unadjusted unemployment rate for Vermont was 7.7 percent, up one-tenth of a point from January 2009 and up 2.9 points from a year ago.
The national recession continues to have its impact on Vermont s labor market. said Patricia Moulton Powden, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Labor. The number of unemployed Vermonters rose in February, though not nearly as dramatically as in January. Construction and Manufacturing were hit particularly hard. Healthcare and Leisure & Hospitality remain bright spots.

In 1991, Anita Hill was thrust into the public spotlight when she testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee during then Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas confirmation hearing. The legacy of her testimony includes an increased awareness of sexual harassment in the workplace today. Hill, now a law professor at Brandeis University, has continued to speak widely on social and political issues facing our world. On Thursday, April 23, at the Bennington Center for the Arts, she will reflect on a premise from President Barack Obama s inaugural address in a lecture open to the public entitled, Choosing America s Better History: The Supreme Court, Civil Rights and the Promise of Citizenship.

The Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) released a study analyzing the total energy usage of very energy efficient homes constructed in Proctorsville. The results demonstrate that high levels of energy efficiency make a substantial difference in the cost of owning a home.
Bruce Whitney of the Rockingham Area Community Land Trust (RACLT) in Springfield commented, The amount of savings generated by these extremely efficient homes is incredible. They truly make homeownership affordable.
This study was conducted by Andy Shapiro, an expert in energy efficiency and green building. The Proctorsville Green Townhouse homes recently received the Best of the Best Award from Efficiency Vermont for energy efficient single-family homes.

Governor Douglas today announced a bold new economic plan to build SmartVermont by laying the foundation for a 21st century economy. The proposals will invest $17.1 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) State Fiscal Stabilization Funds (SFSF) to leverage nearly $160 million in direct support to new and exciting companies looking to grow and expand in the Green Mountain State as well as much needed support for existing Vermont employers. Initiatives will be largely administered by the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) which leverages private capital to maximize opportunities and investment in our struggling economy. The Governor s plan also calls for additional investment in our tourism economy as well as much needed support for agriculture.

Each June, REALTOR Magazine features 30 rising young stars in the real estate industry. This year, Adam Hergenrother of RE/MAX North Professionals in Colchester, is among the 50 finalists for this prestigious recognition.
The top 30 real estate practitioners will land a spot in REALTOR magazine's annual "30 Under 30" feature. The cover feature, which runs in June, highlights up-and-coming real estate professionals who are already making their mark with smart business practices, community leadership, and industry innovation. The candidate with the most votes will earn the "Web Choice Award," and will be honored at the Young Professionals Network event during the 2009 REALTORS Conference & Expo in San Diego this November.

More than $10.3 million for Vermont energy efficiency and conservation projects was awarded today, Senator Bernie Sanders announced.
The funds are Vermont s share of $3.2 billion included in the economic stimulus bill for a Sanders-sponsored Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program.
Helping states, cities and towns go forward with energy efficiency and sustainable energy projects will reduce carbon emissions, lower energy costs and create good-paying jobs, Sanders said.

Representative Peter Welch introduced an energy efficiency bill today designed to retrofit millions of homes and commercial buildings and increase efficiency by 20 percent or more nationally.
Welch outlined the bill at a Capitol Hill press conference Thursday with many of the bill’s 30 cosponsors and representatives from national efficiency, contracting and environmental groups.
The Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance (REEP) program would provide financial incentives to homeowners and businesses to reduce their energy use and save them money. The program would fund state and municipal investments of up to half the cost of retrofitting the nation’s existing homes and buildings, which account for 10 percent of global carbon emissions. REEP would create tens of thousands of middle class jobs and provide a significant boost to the economy.

The cold weather from this winter was greeted warmly by officials at IBM in Essex, which has started using frigid winter air to help produce the chilled water it needs to operate the plant s high-tech manufacturing facilities.
The new system, called Free Cooling, integrates cold air into the plant s large climate control system to produce 50% of its winter-cooling needs. By taking advantage of the plentiful wintry air, IBM can shut down some of its large chillers, resulting in a projected savings of $400,000 per year in electric costs.
Semiconductor clean rooms require that a precise temperature and humidity be maintained around the clock, so until now we have had to run many chillers even in the winter. Our engineering team worked to improve this process and they developed an innovative solution that reduces our energy footprint and cuts power costs by $2,000 to $3,000 a day, said Tim Baechle, Facilities Operations Manager at IBM.

On Tuesday, April 7, at 6:30 p.m., a panel of sports professionals and environmental advocates will participate in a discussion at Middlebury College titled Jocks and Treehuggers: Pro Athletes on Sustainability. The event is free and open to the public and will take place in Room 216 of McCardell Bicentennial Hall, located on Bicentennial Way off College Street (Route 125).
Middlebury College Scholar-in-Residence in Environmental Affairs Bill McKibben will deliver the introductory remarks and Middlebury College Athletic Sustainability Coordinator Andrew Gardner will moderate the discussion. Panelists include National Football League professional Dhani Jones, professional soccer player Natalie Spilger and Sports Illustrated Senior Writer Alexander Wolf.

Statement of Governor James H Douglas Regarding Same-sex Marriage: The urgency of our state s economic and budgetary challenges demands the full focus of every member and every committee of this Legislature. Ensuring that the federal recovery money is spent wisely, that the state budget is balanced and responsible, and that we do all we can to help our employers compete and create jobs is my top priority.
However, I recognize that legislative leaders have different priorities. So long as same-sex marriage consumes the time and energy of legislators, I will urge lawmakers to act quickly so they can turn their full focus to the economic needs of Vermonters as soon as possible.