Current News

EXHIBITION SPACE STILL AVAILABLE AT BARRE GARDEN SHOW
Barre, Vt. (March 3, 2008) Organizers of the first-ever Central Vermont Garden Show are looking for more vendors and exhibitors.
The event, slated for March 14-16 at the Barre Civic Center, includes landscape exhibits, a garden railroad, floral competitions, a silent auction and educational workshops. Well-known author and herbalist Rosemary Gladstar -- founder of the Sage Mountain Retreat and United Plant Savers International, respectively -- will deliver the keynote address. In addition, industry experts will present on several topics, such as rain gardens, landscaping and bonsai.

For more information contact: Melissa Hersh, (802) 865-5402
BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Champlain College's Workforce Development Center has formed an alliance with HRSentry, an online human resources management and compliance service, to deliver online workshops in human resource management, using HRSentry's 6,000 plus resources as the virtual textbook for each workshop.
The workshops feature facilitated online readings and discussions led by noted human resource professionals. Real work scenarios are integrated into each class. The opportunity to share resources and problem-solve with colleagues across the state and country will be invaluable to those who are responsible for HR functions. The workshops are specifically designed to meet the needs of managers who work in small and medium-sized organizations and businesses.

Merchants Bancshares, Inc. Announces Director's Resignation
SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT - The Board of Directors of Merchants Bancshares, Inc. announced February 27, 2008, that Charles A. Davis has given notice of his departure as a director of Merchants, in order to decrease the number of public company boards on which he currently serves.
Mr. Davis has served on Merchants' board since 1985. He commented, "I have made this very difficult decision in the interest of respecting best practice in corporate governance. I have a strong, long-standing commitment to Merchants, and remain fully confident in the management and direction of our company. Although my affiliation with Merchants as a director has come to a close, I look forward to continued success as a major shareholder."

This month's gift of a tucked-away day only comes once every four years. Here are 29 things to do in Vermont this Friday! "Ring in the 29th and watch it go with the Leap Year Special overnight stay at the Mountaintop Inn & Resort in Chittenden (www.mountaintopinn.com). "Browse 29 books by Vermont authors at the independent Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne (www.flyingpigbooks.com). "Order 29 seed packets from the Vermont Wildflower Farm, and deliver spring to your doorstep (www.vermontwildflowerfarm.com). "Experience 29 minutes of nostalgia at your local antique shop (www.vermontada.com). "Play 29 holes of indoor mini golf at Pizza Putt in South Burlington (www.pizzaputt.com).

UVM proposal calls for construction of new campus facilities

A report issued by University of Vermont's Campus Task Force II suggests a $100 million dollar expansion of athletic, health and recreation facilities, which would make the renovation the biggest capital project in the univerity's history. The renovations would require considerable private funding, due to the schools constraints on borrowing capacity.

The project will add 350,000 square feet of indoor space to the 400,000 square feet area already in use, and would probably happen in multiple stages over the period of many years. UVM is using the consulting firms Cannon Design and Brailsford & Dunlavey, who they also worked with to construct the $61 million Davis Center project.

CVPS Donates Plug-in Car to UVM for Research on Hybrid Vehicles in Northern Climates
UVM president Daniel Mark Fogel was handed the keys to a new car today. But he wont be taking it for a joy ride.
Instead, he received the plug-in hybrid electric vehiclea modified Toyota Prius donated by Central Vermont Public Serviceon behalf of UVMs Transportation Center. UVM researchers will use the vehicle to explore how a new generation of hybrid cars, which recharge from a standard outlet, perform in the cold, hilly conditions of Vermont.
Bob Young, president of CVPS, presented the vehicle to President Fogel and Transportation Center director Lisa Aultman-Hall as part of CVPSs "plug n go" program, the nations first utility program that allows customers to use plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to reduce driving costs and air pollution by substituting off-peak electricity for gasoline.

FAST COMPANY RANKS THE WORLD'S 50 MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES:
EIGHT OF THE 50 ARE BASED IN THE NORTHEAST
(FAIRFIELD, CT, NEW YORK, NY, STRATHAM, NH, ARMONK, NY,
BURLINGTON, MA, BURLINGTON, VT, CORNING, NY)
NEW YORK, February 20, 2008 Fast Company magazine has announced
its "Fast 50" list of the world's most innovative companies. Eight of the 50
firms named to the 2008 list are based in and around the Northeast (Fairfield,
CT, New York, NY, Stratham, NH, Armonk, NY, Burlington, MA, Burlington, VT,
and Corning, NY). The Fast 50 firms in the Northeast that made the list are:
No. 4 GE (Fairfield, CT)
No. 12 News Corp. (New York, NY)
No. 21 Timberland (Stratham, NH)
No. 22 IBM (Armonk, NY)
No. 24 Anomaly (New York, NY)
No. 31 IRobot (Burlington, MA)
No. 35 Burton (Burlington, VT)
No. 38 Coring (Corning, NY)
Expanded profiles of theses companies can be found at

IRS drops plan to change captive insurance tax status
The Coalition for Fairness to Captive Insurers, CICA and VCIA are pleased to report that today (February 20, 2008), the Internal Revenue Service announced that it is withdrawing proposed IRS Regulation §1.1502-13(e) on consolidated returns that would have adversely affected single parent captive insurance companies. Consequently, the public hearing requested by the Coalition on this issue which was scheduled for February 29th has been cancelled.

A WEEKEND OF RECORD BREAKERS FOR OKEMO
LUDLOW, Vt. For the second year running, the Sunday of Presidents' Day Weekend was a record-breaker for Okemo Mountain Resort. Skier and snowboarder visits were up three percent for the day, compared to last years historic milestone, and up more than five percent compared to the previous best day in February 2005.
Skier visits for the two-day period including Sat., Feb. 16 and Sun., Feb. 17 placed the weekend as the second-best two-day period over the past five years and the resort posted record revenues for the weekend. As of Feb. 17, skier visits for the season were 38 percent ahead of last year.

The RightThing Acquires AIRS, First-of-Kind Recruitment Deal
Acquisition Combines Best-in-Class Services with Award-Winning Recruitment Software and Training Solutions

Vermont Public Service Board approves FairPoint-Verizon deal
The Vermont Public Service Board finally approved, February 15, 2008, the massive deal between FairPoint Communications and Verizon to buy the 1.6 million telephone landlines in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. However, the Vermont regulators added another $31.7 million in stipulations to the $2.7 billion deal.

FairPoint's initial reaction to the new stipulations was guarded, in that the North Carolina company was not sure that Verizon would go along with the add-ons.

Verizon would be required to pay $25 million for a performance enhancement plan that would spend up to $12.5 million a year to upgrade service if some milestones were not met. Also, Verizon would have to deposit $6.7 million in an escrow account to fund the removal of dual utility poles around the states.

Lake Champlain Chocolates (LCC), a gourmet Vermont chocolatier and maker of a gourmet line of organic chocolates was selected as "Best Milk Chocolate" in a taste test of more than a dozen varieties of organic chocolates.

In a recent taste test hosted at Martha Stewart's Body + Soul Magazine, organic chocolate bars from more than a dozen different manufacturers were tested in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and "wild" categories. At the completion of the taste test, Lake Champlain Chocolates was chosen at the best milk chocolate "bar none." Amongst the positive reviews, the milk chocolate bar was described as "a buttery treat that's as rich as a slice of chocolate cake."