Current News

The Vermont Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations presents the Spring 2004 Technical Assistance Program (TAP-VT) Workshop Series. This spring, VANPO will offer over forty (40) TAP-VT workshops designed to enhance and expand the management and technical skill of nonprofit employees in the following areas:
Advocacy and Public Policy, Board Development, Financial Management, Fundraising, Marketing and Public Relations, Personal Development and Leadership, and Organizational Development and Management for the nonprofit sector.
The Spring 2004 TAP-VT Workshop Series has sessions scheduled March through June in the following Vermont towns:
Barre, Brattleboro, Burlington, Colchester, Lyndonville, Middlebury, Montpelier, Randolph, Rutland, Springfield, St. Albans, St. Johnsbury, Waterbury, White River Junction.
Full workshop descriptions and registration information is available at www.vanpo.org.

Discussions are underway in the Senate General Affairs Committee to direct the Vermont World Trade Office to be managed under the Vermont Chamber's existing international trade program, in conjunction with Champlain College, the U. S Department of Commerce and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. These partners collectively will strategically collaborate to encourage international trade on behalf of Vermont businesses. Funding would come through a memorandum of understanding and initially would be a $100,000 grant.
While this is a significantly different model than the current World Trade Office, this new business entity will be driven by the concerns of the business community while having capital knowledge input from the educational community as well as state and federal government.

Maponics, LLC. (www.maponics.com), the premier provider of ZIP Code maps and custom mapping solutions, announced today the release of its Nationwide ZIP Code Map CD.
State level ZIP Code maps are used to identify existing and prospective customers by ZIP Code, and to take advantage of steep USPS bulk mail discounts for mailing by ZIP Code. These maps are equally invaluable for managing sales/service territories, and exploring new site locations. For companies working in multiple states, the Maponics Nationwide ZIP Code CD offers unique value, providing access to the entire U.S. for less than the price of seven individual state maps.

98.9 WOKO and its sister station AM1230 WJOY are pleased to announce
$4,900, the most amount of money in 13 years, was raised for the Fletcher
Allen Health Care Breast Care Center during Bridal Expo 2004 on February
1st at the Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center in Burlington.
Bridal Expo 2004 admission proceeds will be donated to the Fletcher Allen
Breast Care Center during a check presentation at the Breast Care Center
in the University Health Center on UVM’s campus before the end of
February.
The Fletcher Allen Breast Care Center will be using the money to produce
free information books for women who have recently been diagnosed with
breast cancer.
This is the 7th year 98.9 WOKO and 1230AM WJOY have donated their Bridal
Expo proceeds to the Breast Care Center.

Champlain College’s Dr. Nancy Nahra has learned seven of her poems will be published in the March/April issue of the North American Review, a prestigious literary journal founded in Boston in 1815. Nahra teaches humanities courses at Champlain and directs the Honors Program.
Dr. David Whitmore, director of the Global Networks and Telecommunications degree program at Champlain College, contributed a chapter to the newly published Internet Encyclopedia, released in December by Wiley publishers. Whitmore wrote about multiplexing, an electronic technique for combining multiple digital signals on one medium, such as fiber optic cable.

Middlebury College received the Excellence in Energy Efficiency Award Feb. 11 from Efficiency Vermont, a statewide energy efficiency utility. According to Blair Hamilton, managing director of the utility, the award was developed to recognize an organization that has effectively partnered with Efficiency Vermont to fully integrate energy efficiency into its organizational practices. Middlebury has consulted with Efficiency Vermont on a number of construction projects, including a new library that is currently under construction, a new dining and residence hall, and a chilled water plant.
“This is the most prestigious award that Efficiency Vermont gives out each year. Middlebury College won because it is an outstanding partner in energy efficiency and a leader in the field. Middlebury incorporates environmental responsiveness and sustainability into the evaluation of every project,” said Hamilton.

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced a new legislative proposal that is expected to add at least $3 billion in lending authority to the 7(a) loan program this year. If enacted, the bill would allow the agency to increase lending authority by more than 30 percent, providing money for thousands more small loans in fiscal year 2004. The bill would also remove the current lending cap of $750,000, and allow loans up to $2 million.
"This proposal builds on the success of the SBA Express program, and by significantly increasing 7(a) lending authority, will allow the SBA to reach out to tens of thousands more small business owners every year," SBA Administrator Hector V. Barreto said. "The legislation provides more money for small business loans this year, at a time when the program is facing unprecedented demand."

Sonnax Industries Inc. has received a Worksite Wellness Award from the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
Sonnax was one of 17 companies around the state recognized for their efforts to promote the wellness and health of their employees. Gov. Jim Douglas presented the awards at a ceremony in Montpelier on Jan. 27. He said it was important to recognize businesses that are taking a proactive approach toward creating a healthier workforce.
"These annual awards honor employers that provide opportunities for employees to take responsibility for their health both on and off the job," Douglas said.
Douglas added that these companies also reap the benefits of such efforts, through lower health care costs, greater productivity, greater employee retention and less absenteeism.

For the second straight year, Rossignol has selected Tag New Media to design and develop its alpine product presentation.
The Flash™-based 04/05 presentation introduces
Rossignol's new product segmentation, and allows for multiple presentation modes, transitions, and uses. This years' presentation was distributed on CD to dealers last month at SIA, a skiing industry trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada. A French-version of the presentation is being
planned for later this year.
A sampling of the Rossignol 04/05 alpine product presentation can be viewed by visiting http://www.tagnewmedia.com/htm/portfolio/portfolio.php
Tag New Media, a leading web design and development studio, is focused on delivering value to its clients through thoughtfully conceived and appropriate interactive design and technology solutions.

Government agencies, private enterprises and academic institutions requiring complex, geographically distributed or mission-critical data networking and telecommunications services can now turn to Burlington, VT.-based Eagle Network Solutions (ENS).
ENS has served the United States Department of Defense, including the Pentagon Renovation Program, as well as the United States Marine Corps, the United States Supreme Court and various academic and enterprise customers.
“Our network of engineers have proven experience working on high-pressure, high-profile projects,” said Tim Banks, managing partner of Eagle Network Solutions. “We have successfully served large government, academic and corporate clients, and are currently focusing our expansion on New England-based corporate entities that require large or extremely complex data networking or telecom solutions.”

Directors of Green Mountain Power Corporation (NYSE:GMP) announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.22 per share on the utility's Common Stock, payable March 31, 2004 to holders of record at the close of business on March 12, 2004. The new indicated annual dividend rate is $0.88, an increase of 16 percent over the previous indicated annual rate of $0.76.
“The Company believes that, in light of the general practice in the utility industry, it should pay out 50 percent to 70 percent of anticipated earnings in dividends. Over the course of the next five years, we intend to increase our dividend in the first quarter of each year in a measured, consistent manner to the middle of this payout range, which we will sustain so long as our financial health seems assured. As earnings grow, of course, the opportunity for higher dividend increases is presented,” said Christopher L. Dutton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Green Mountain Power.

Maura O’Dea, Associate AIA, and Penny Miller, Associate AIA recently joined Arnold & Scangas Architects in Colchester Vermont.
O’Dea is a LEED consultant and intern architect. Since earning her Master of Architecture in 2000, O’Dea has worked in the Burlington area focusing on sustainable design practices. She is secretary of the Vermont Green Building Network and has served on the Burlington Design Advisory Board.
Miller brings her many years of experience in architecture to the firm and has recently begun her architectural internship with the Intern Development Program. Her special interests in the firm are historic preservation and renovation work and affordable housing. She is a member of Building for Social Responsibility.