Current News

If the Vermont transportation budget goes a little farther this year, and if the winter roads are a little clearer during storms, thank the Lyndon Institute of Applied Meteorology (LIAM) and the five students working with the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) to make that happen. Thank the road crews, too.
Since last fall, Kyle Blount (Peacedale, R.I.), Steve Breault (Wakefield, Mass.), Joshua Redinger (N. Scituate, R.I.), Tyler Southard (Rockland, Me.) and Matthew Clegg (Biddeford, Me.), all LSC meteorology majors, have been sending weather predictions to VTrans. The Agency, in turn, uses the information to help determine the best time at which to send out the plow, sand or salt trucks, often just before the storm hits. The weather information can help saves lives through improved road conditions, as well as save money in the long run.

The Vermont Public Service Board, in an order praising public outreach efforts and utility planning in southern Vermont, has approved a series of transmission upgrades designed to improve electricity reliability in Vermont and across the region.
The 122-page order, issued late Wednesday, approves construction of a 345-kilovolt transmission line between Vernon and Vermont Electric Power Company’s (VELCO) Coolidge Substation in Cavendish. The board also approved a new substation in Vernon and an expansion of the Coolidge Substation. These components are collectively known as “the Coolidge Connector.” To address local reliability problems on Central Vermont Public Service’s system, the board also approved a new Newfane substation and an approximately one-mile 345 kV loop between Newfane and the planned 345 kV Vernon-to-Cavendish line. The combined projects are known as the “Southern Loop Project.”

The state today announced more than $182,000 in 15 matching grants to projects for the restoration and preservation of historic buildings across Vermont, including two in the town of Windsor, the birthplace of Vermont.
Standing in front of the historic Stephen Jacob House, whose owner, Historic Windsor Inc., received a $7,690 grant to install a new roof to protect the building, Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Community Development Jim Saudade congratulated the grant recipients.
“These are difficult times, but we are continuing this administration’s commitment to historic preservation,” Saudade said. “Preserving our past is an important part of keeping Vermont a special place not only for our residents, but for the visitors who come and help support our tourism economy.”

Montpelier, Vt Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Roger Allbee, in collaboration with New York Agriculture Commissioner Pat Hooker and Pennsylvania Agriculture Commissioner Dennis Wolff (the principal members of the Northeast Dairy Leadership Team), yesterday sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting that he immediately implement Section 1509 of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008. This Act calls for the establishment of a Federal Milk Marketing Order Review Commission.
This action is in response to the downturn dairy farmers are facing that could be detrimental to the dairy industry in Vermont, the Northeast and the nation. Due to a complicated and antiquated milk pricing structure, one state acting alone can do very little to address the volatility of milk pricing.

Week Ending February 7, 2009. There were 1,377 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, an increase of 38 from the week before. Altogether 16,794 new and continuing claims were filed, 546 more than a week ago and 6,352 more than a year earlier. In addition, the Department processed 1,858 claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008, an increase of 42 from last week. The Unemployment Weekly Report can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/ Previously released Unemployment Weekly Reports and other UI reports can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/lmipub.htm#uc

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) will build Vermont s largest solar array on top of the distribution center of its Green Mountain Coffee facility in Waterbury. Construction of the 100 kW photovoltaic array is expected to begin in the spring of 2009 and be completed by summer.
The solar array is the result of an innovative partnership between the coffee company, the State of Vermont, Green Mountain Power, and groSolar, North America s premier provider of solar energy solutions. The electricity generated by the approximately 530 solar panels will produce a small percentage of the total electricity Green Mountain Coffee needs for its production facilities in Waterbury. Company officials say the greater benefit is in showing what is possible for the future.

Army programs making strides in endangered species protection, historic preservation, waste reduction, environmental restoration, sustainability, and pollution prevention earned Pentagon recognition in January as the Department of the Army announced the winners of its highest honors for environmental stewardship and sustainability.
Seven installations, three teams, and one individual will receive Secretary of the Army Awards for their environmental and sustainability program achievements. This year's winning accomplishments include: designing a multi-phase ethnographic oral history collection project, achieving significant waste and emissions reductions, securing special legislation that returns state timber revenues to the Army, construction of a photovoltaic array to reduce dependence on fossil fuel, and implementing performance-based contracting to save the Army millions of dollars in cleanup costs.

In the endless barrage of bad economic news and near-daily layoff announcements, one marketing company specializing in the design and production of custom stickers, labels and magnets is choosing to focus on the positive. Websticker.com (http://www.websticker.com), a division of Freely Creative, Inc. (http://www.freelycreative.com), is making some bold choices that fly in the face of the recession -- and set it apart from other printing services.

The Colchester, Vermont, campus of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has announced the hiring of its chief administrative officer, two department chairs and five additional faculty members for its fall 2009 opening for its initial 70 students.
ACPHS-Vermont will offer a four year Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program; the Pharm.D. is the degree required to practice pharmacy in the U.S. The pharmacy program at ACPHS-Vermont will be the only such program in the state.
Robert Hamilton, Pharm.D., will serve as the Vermont campus’ chief administrative officer with Ron DeBellis, Pharm.D., chairing the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Stefan Balaz, Ph.D., chairing the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
“The backbone of any academic program is its faculty,” said ACPHS Dean Mehdi Boroujerdi, Ph.D. “Both our students and the surrounding community will benefit from the energy and expertise of this talented group of individuals.”

An important research study to assess the progress of state manufacturers in adopting strategies to win in the global economy was launched today by the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC). The study is the first step in a long-term effort to help state manufacturers weather today s recession, improve their manufacturing competitiveness, and grow and be more profitable over the next decade.
The web-based Next Generation Manufacturing (NGM) Study questionnaire for Vermont manufacturers can be accessed at http://www.NGMStudy-NewEngland.com. Any manufacturing company owner, CEO, or senior level executive is eligible to participate. Participation in the 61-question survey is confidential and takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Participation can also be anonymous. The Deadline for participation is Sunday, March 15, 2009.

Vermont Secretary of State Deb Markowitz will be presenting the 2009 Democracy Awards to seven Vermont citizens and organizations at the Vermont Statehouse on Thursday, February 12, at 3:30 pm.
“These awards honor people who have promoted the tenets of democracy in Vermont. Each of this year’s recipients is a shining example of leadership in the democratic process,” says Markowitz.
The National Association of Secretaries of State Medallion Award will be presented to Kristie Bush, teacher at Montpelier’s Union Elementary School; Don Collins, former Franklin County state senator and educator; and WPTZ Television Newschannel 5.

For the Vermont building community, energy and affordability have increasingly become crucial aspects of the design phase. At the 11th Better Buildings By Design Conference, host Efficiency Vermont hopes to spark discussions about energy-smart and cost-saving building principles – and teach participants how to incorporate those building tenets into everyday practice.
Opening February 11, the two-day conference kicks off with a keynote address from celebrated homebuilder and developer, Fernando Pagés. He will discuss how to incorporate energy efficiency into building high-quality homes and businesses with less environmental impact and more affordable price tags.