Current News

At the end of the first decade of the 21st century, life's curves seem more stressful and beyond individual control. While we can't do much about macro-economic forces, we can control self-care and rejuvenation and finding physical and emotional balance essential to coping with stress and improving health. No wonder, then, that more and more people are turning to the wellness movement and the spa industry is booming.

According to a survey released in 2007 by the International Spa Association (ISPA) and Price Waterhouse Cooper, the spa industry is growing at 16% a year, with approximately 14,600 spas in the United States serving more than 111 million people. While many people don't have time or the money to seek out day spas in their area or travel to a distant destination spa, they will now have the next best thing: a virtual spa experience on the worldwide web.

Governor Douglas and Agriculture Secretary Roger Allbee announce the availability of a new Mobile Slaughter Unit for poultry.
The Agency of Agriculture has designed and arranged for the construction of a mobile poultry slaughter facility that will soon be available to producers across the state. The mobile unit was designed to provide greater processing facilities to producers and will come directly to the farm.
"This mobile slaughter unit will help to meet the increased demands for poultry processing in Vermont. It will also help farmers expand existing markets and develop new markets for Vermont poultry products," said Governor Douglas.
The unit is approximately 36 feet long. It is estimated that, with a crew of two, the mobile slaughter unit will be able to process 200 chickens a day and 50 turkeys per day. It has its own power supply and will operate under state inspection.
Wednesday, November 19 at 1:30 p.m.
Statehouse lawn, Montpelier

McClaughry Awarded 2008 Pizzagalli Prize
Ethan Allen Institute President John McClaughry is the winner of the 2008 Pizzagalli Prize for "outstanding talent, vision, and commitment resulting in individual achievement in one's chosen profession ... having widespread impact on the public and our way of life."
Angelo Pizzagalli of the Pizzagalli Foundation presented the prize to McClaughry at the Ethan Allen Institute's fifteenth anniversary celebration dinner at the Sheraton Burlington Wednesday evening, November 12, 2008. The prize carries a stipend of $10,000. At left is Institute Director and emcee Bill Sayre.

Public Appearance
Schedule of Governor Jim Douglas
Monday, November
17, 2008 – Sunday, November 23, 2008
Schedule Subject
to Change
NOTE: View the Governor’s Public Appearance Schedule Daily
at:
www.vermont.gov/governor

Monday, November 17, 2008

No
Public Events Scheduled

Tuesday, November 18,
2008

2:45 p.m. Emergency
Board Meeting
Pavilion Building, 5th
Floor, Montpelier

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

10:00 a.m. National
Life Solar Panel Press Conference
National
Life
Drive, Montpelier

1:30 p.m. Mobile
Poultry Processing Unit Unveiling

Sanders: Stop the Wall Street Bailout
WASHINGTON, November 17 - Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said today he will introduce legislation to stop the release of a $350-billion second round of the Wall Street bailout.
Sanders, who voted against the $700-billion package Congress approved in October, said he has serious concerns about how the Bush administration and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson are spending the bailout money that was already released. He also said it was unacceptable that the oversight provisions in the bill were ignored.
"I have very serious concerns as to how the Bush administration is spending the first $350 billion they were provided. The second $350 billion tranche must not be spent in the same way," Sanders said.

Vermont Yankee Study Identifies Major
Environmental and Economic Benefits
Vermont Energy Partnership Urges Policy Makers and
the Public to Review Independent Expert's Findings
Montpelier, VT/November 17, 2008 - An independent assessment of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant finds that the facility provides major economic and environmental benefits to Vermont and that the consequences of closing it would be significant. In addition, the only potential solution to replace all or the vast majority of its power near term is to construct a combined cycle natural gas plant.
The effects of such a plant and the loss of Vermont Yankee include:
* Statewide average retail electric prices are estimated to increase by 19 to 39 percent.
* Without Vermont Yankee's power, carbon dioxide emissions, from all sources statewide, would likely increase by two million tons annually, a 100 fold or 10,000 percent increase.

Newport, VT - The Search Committee, with the approval of the Board of Trustees, is happy to announce Claudio Fort as North Country Health System’s new President and CEO.
Claudio grew up in Nashua, New Hampshire. His parents are both deceased but his in-laws and siblings live in southern New Hampshire. He and his wife, Brenda, have two children. Gabriela “Gabby,” is age 12 and in the sixth grade and their son, Camden, age 10, is in the fourth grade. Prior to having children, Brenda worked full-time as an insurance underwriter. She was a stay-at-home mom until their children began school. She now works part-time at a local insurance agency.
Claudio attended the University of New Hampshire and graduated in 1988 with a double major in Economics and History. He earned an MBA from New Hampshire College in 1997.

MONTPELIER, Vt. In a move designed to boost effectiveness and save money, the Douglas administration is proposing to merge the Departments of Economic Development and Housing and Community Affairs.
The move would create a single Department of Economic and Community Development according to Commerce and Community Development Secretary Kevin Dorn, whose agency includes both departments as well as the Department of Tourism and Marketing, and the Division for Historic Preservation.
This consolidation will result in a more integrated and coordinated effort to retain and expand Vermonts employment opportunities, invest in communities, foster economic vitality and build housing that working Vermonters can afford, Dorn said. In a time of shrinking revenues, state government must use innovation and technology to do more with less.

Greenworks Courier, a greener alternative delivery service, has opened in Burlington. The owner, Mike Dowling, uses a Toyota Prius Hybrid vehicle to make deliveries throughout Vermont with minimum environmental impact. Greenworks Courier office is located at 110 Main St in Burlington.

Three utilities solicit new energy contracts

BURLINGTION, Vermont – Tod Austin has joined TD Insurance, Inc. in Burlington as the Regional President. TD Insurance is among the top 50 agencies in the U.S. with a reputation for quality customer service and a disciplined approach to managing insurance risk.
Austin has 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. For five years prior to joining TD Insurance, he served as President of Hackett, Valine & MacDonald. Austin has earned the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designation.
A Shelburne resident, Austin is a past board member of the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Chittenden County. He is a 1979 graduate of the University of Vermont, where he received an economics degree.

Shelburne, VT-November 13, 2008- Kilawatt Technologies is pleased to announce Ashley Wright has joined the energy conservation software company as a Sales Representative. Ms. Wright will support the companys wholesale conservation partners who use Kilawatt's products, based on the company's EnerSuite software, to lower energy consumption, cut costs and reduce greenhouse gases in commercial buildings. Ms. Wright will also be working closely with organizations that are using Kilawatt's LEED products to achieve valuable points in the Energy and Atmosphere section of the LEED certification for existing buildings. Ms. Wright graduated from UVM's Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources in 2007 and currently lives in Burlington.