The Vermont Chamber of Commerce presents the 2003 Vermont Business and Industry Exposition (EXPO) on May 21 and 22 at the Burlington Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center. With over 20 seminars, nearly 200 booths, and 3,000 attendees, EXPO 2003 is proud to be the largest business trade show in northern New England.This year the EXPO theme is “Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Excellence: Survive and Thrive in the Vermont Economy.” Curtis Picard, EXPO Director, stated, “EXPO is built around keeping Vermont competitive in a rapidly changing global economy. Do businesses have the tools to compete and raise the bar for excellence? How do we keep our companies fresh and our ideas on the cutting edge?” From the sole proprietor to the larger ventures, Vermont has long planted the seeds of future growth with our entrepreneurs. The new EXPO seminar lineup reflects these themes and more.Other EXPO highlights include the IBM/Verizon Technology Pavilion featuring adaptive applications to maximize workplace efficiency for employees of all abilities; Governor Douglas’ Press Conference; the presentation of the prestigious Deane C. Davis Award sponsored by the Vermont Chamber and Vermont Business Magazine; the International Trade Luncheon honoring Tubbs Snowshoes as the Vermont International Business Council Exporter of the Year, and the Vermont Technology Luncheon featuring the Segway Human Transporter and 3-dimensional motion tracking by Ascension Technologies and Microprocessor Designs.After 19 years, EXPO remains the annual “reunion” of the Vermont business community. The ORCMacro on-site survey shows that EXPO offers:● 63% repeat attendees● More than half (51%) of EXPO attendees who visit EXPO for the networking● 90% attendees who feel that the seminars made EXPO more attractive● 87% of the exhibitors returning for EXPO 2003● EXPO attendees who have the authority to make decisions for their company For more information about EXPO, online attendee registration, exhibitors, or to view a detailed schedule, browse www.vtexpo.com(link is external).
Articles from January 2021
Howard Center for Human Services appoints medical director
Dr. Sandra Steingard has been appointed Medical Director of The Howard Center for Human Services, with specific responsibilities for the adult division. She served as acting agency medical director since late fall, and has been Medical Director of the Community Support program at Howard since 1995.Steingard was trained at Harvard and Tufts Universities. She is currently Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UVM College of Medicine and Medical Advisor to NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill)
Woodridge receives $25,000 Quality Incentive Award
Berlin, Vt — A $25,000 Quality Incentive Award was presented to Woodridge Nursing Home of Central Vermont Medical Center during National Nursing Home Week.Patrick Flood, Commissioner of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living presented the award to members of the Woodridge team.Awards are made annually to nursing facilities providing and sustaining a superior quality of care in an efficient and effective manner. The award must be used to enhance the quality of service provided to residents of the facility. In order to be eligible for the award, a facility must participate in the Vermont Medicaid program and meet the following criteria:1. Resident satisfaction surveys above the statewide average.2. Designated Gold Star Provider.3. No substantiated complaints in previous 12 months related to the quality of care, quality of life, or residents’ rights.4. The most recent health survey report resulted in a score of five or less, no deficiency with a scope and severity greater than the A-D level, with no more than two A-D level deficiencies in the general categories of Quality of Care, Quality of Life, or Resident Rights.
EPA, University of Vermont’s Gund Institute Team Up to Develop New Ways to Understand Ecosystem Services
EPA, University of Vermont’s Gund Institute Team Up to Develop New Ways to Understand Ecosystem Services (Washington, DC – July 8, 2008) A new partnership between the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD) and the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics at the University of Vermont will help decision makers more accurately weigh the costs and benefits of actions that alter ecosystem services — the goods and services of nature such as clean air and water, erosion and flood control, soil enrichment, and food and fiber. Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems.”We are pleased to enter into this collaboration with the Gund Institute, a leader in ecosystem services research,” said George Gray, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “Through partnerships such as this, we can work to better understand the relationships between our own actions and the impacts on life-sustaining services of nature. Ultimately, the research will enable us to make better decisions to protect and conserve ecosystems,” he said.Through collaboration, EPA is providing the information and tools needed to include the value of ecosystem services in decision-making by communities, states, regions and tribes.Planners can use the scientific models and tools developed through the partnership to make more informed decisions about the total costs and benefits of proposed land uses, including impacts on water, air quality, and other services of nature. They can apply models to predict impacts on ecosystem services from development options, and conduct long-range planning to sustain natural resources in order to meet the needs of both current and future generations.One area of collaboration will be to apply a suite of computer models developed by the Gund Institute to research projects planned by EPA to study ecosystem services in four different parts of the country: the plains in the Upper Midwest, the Willamette River Valley in Oregon, coastal areas of North and South Carolina, and Tampa Bay in Florida.EPA relies on quality science as the basis for sound policy and decision-making. EPA’s laboratories and research centers, and EPA’s research grantees, are building the scientific foundation needed to support the Agency’s mission to safeguard human health and the environment.For more information:” EPA’s Ecological Research Program: http://www.epa.gov/ord/erp(link is external)” The Gund Institute for Ecological Economics at the University of Vermont: http://www.uvm.edu/giee/(link is external)” EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD): http:www.epa.gov/ord(link is external)###
BioTek teams with Enzo to provide system for live cell study
Enzo Biochem, Inc. (NYSE:ENZ) announced today a co-marketing partnership between its Enzo Life Sciences subsidiary of Farmingdale, New York, a world leader in non-radioactive probe technology, and BioTek Instruments of Winooski, Vermont, a privately held global leader in the development, manufacture and sale of microplate instrumentation for drug discovery and life science applications, involving powerful, integrated solutions for high throughput live cell analysis.Aimed at research institutions, as well as biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, this reagents-instrumentation collaboration creates a highly reproducible and reliable platform for live cell analysis, offering a cost effective alternative to dedicated microplate imaging-based systems, which often are too costly for investigators to implement.The collaboration will be formally launched next month at MipTec 2009 in Basel, Switzerland with the presentation of the scientific poster, entitled “A cost-effective workflow for high-throughput screening of G-Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs).” The poster details the use of Enzo’s new FluoForte™ Calcium Assay Kit for monitoring intracellular calcium mobilization with BioTek’s Synergy™ Mx Monochromator-based Multi-Mode Microplate Reader.Drugs targeting GPCRs represent the core of modern medicine, accounting for the majority of the best-selling drugs and roughly 40% of all prescription pharmaceuticals on the market today. Using BioTek’s Precision™ XS Automated Sample Processor for all dispensing steps in conjunction with Enzo’s proprietary calcium indicator dye technology and Synergy Mx Microplate Reader provides a small-scale, cost effective, automated cell-based screening approach for identifying GPCR agonists and antagonists. The described assay workflow provides low sample-to-sample variability and excellent assay performance in a miniaturized format.“Through this collaboration, researchers will be able to obtain integrated instrumentation and reagent solutions that are high-performance, yet affordable,“ said Wayne Patton, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer for Enzo Life Sciences. “The collaboration will provide validated turn-key solutions to the research community.”“Previously, a major source of frustration for many researchers has been that selected assays were not compatible with a particular instrument and vice-versa,” said Peter Banks, PhD, Scientific Director for BioTek Instruments. “Our companies each provide key expertise and capabilities in the live-cell analysis arena bringing together BioTek’s capabilities in microplate and dispensing technology that matches perfectly with Enzo’s cutting-edge live cell analysis reagents and kits.”About EnzoEnzo Biochem is engaged in the research, development, manufacture and licensing of innovative health care products and technologies based on molecular biology and genetic engineering techniques, and in providing diagnostic services to the medical community. Enzo’s Life Sciences division develops, produces and markets proprietary labeling and detection products for gene sequencing, genetic analysis and immunological research among others. Its catalog of over 30,000 products serves the molecular biology, drug discovery and pathology research markets. The Company’s therapeutic division is in various stages of clinical evaluation of its proprietary immune regulation medicines for uveitis and Crohn’s disease and conducts pre-clinical research on several candidate compounds aimed at producing new mineral and organic bone, including technology that could provide therapy for osteoporosis and fractures, among other applications. Enzo’s Clinical Labs division provides routine and esoteric reference laboratory services for physicians in the New York Metropolitan and New Jersey areas. Underpinning the Company’s technology and operations is an extensive intellectual property estate in which Enzo owns or licenses over 240 patents worldwide, and has pending applications for over 200 more. For more information visit our website www.enzo.com(link is external).About BioTek InstrumentsBioTek Instruments, Inc., headquartered in Winooski, VT, USA, is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture, and sale of microplate instrumentation and software. The company has distribution in over 70 countries and an installed base of 75,000 instruments. BioTek instrumentation is used to aid in the advancement of life science research, facilitate the drug discovery process and to enable cost-effective quantification of disease relevant molecules in the clinic.Safe Harbor StatementExcept for historical information, the matters discussed in this news release may be considered “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such statements include declarations regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company and its management. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could materially affect actual results. The Company disclaims any obligations to update any forward-looking statement as a result of developments occurring after the date of this press release.Source: BioTek. Enzo. Farmingdale, NY, and Winooski, VT, October 2, 2009 —
Vermont minimum wage remains unchanged for 2010
Vermont’s minimum wage will remain $8.06 per hour during 2010, the Department of Labor announced today. Vermont’s minimum wage increases at the same rate as the August Consumer Price Index (CPI) each year or five percent, whichever is smaller. The August CPI fell by -1.5% for the period September 1, 2008 to August 31, 2009. Vermont law does not allow the minimum wage to decline, so it will remain the same as it was during 2009, $8.06 per hour. Vermont is one of only 13 states with a minimum wage higher than the $7.25 per hour federal minimum wage.“A steady minimum wage reflects our economic times,” said Commissioner Patricia Moulton Powden, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Labor. “The cost of living has fallen and the ability of employers to increase pay is limited by the recession.”The basic wage for tipped employees will also remains at its 2009 level, $3.91 per hour. Service or tipped employees are individuals working in places who customarily and regularly receive more than $120.00 a month in tips for direct and personal service.The tipped employees’ total earnings from wages and tips during a pay period must equal or exceed $8.06 per hour. If a combination of tips and the basic wage do not meet that requirement, the employer must make up the difference.All the Department of Labor’s mandatory workplace information posters can be obtained for free from our website at www.labor.vermont.gov(link is external).Anyone with a question about the minimum wage can visit the Department of Labor online at www.labor.vermont.gov(link is external) or contact the Department of Labor, Wage and Hour program at 802-828-0267.Source: VT Labor Dept
House passes jobs bill, closes loophole used by Verizon in FairPoint sale
The US House on Tuesday passed a provision advocated by Rep. Peter Welch that would close the Reverse Morris Trust (RMT) tax loophole and save taxpayers $260 million. The loophole was used by Verizon to avoid federal taxes when it sold its northern New England landline operations to FairPoint Communications in 2008.By a vote of 246 to 178, the House approved the Small Business and Infrastructure Jobs Act (H.R. 4849). The legislation, which invests in local infrastructure projects and small business tax credits, is paid for in part by closing the RMT loophole. It incorporates a bill introduced by Welch and 21 other members of Congress this January (H.R. 4486), which focused on closing the RMT loophole.“This loophole is bad for taxpayers, bad for consumers and bad for workers. By closing it and investing the savings in job creation, hardworking Americans – not corporations – will benefit,” Welch said.Under the Reverse Morris Trust, a parent company can spin-off a subsidiary that merges into an unrelated company tax-free, so long as the shareholders of the parent company control more than 50 percent of the voting rights and economic value of the resulting merged company. In northern New England, Verizon reportedly avoided hundreds of millions in taxes when it spun-off its landline operations to FairPoint, leaving the latter with overwhelming debt.Currently, parent companies must pay taxes on gains from their subsidiaries if they receive cash payments, but not if they receive payments in the form of debt securities. H.R. 4849 changes the tax code so that debt securities paid to a parent company are taxed the same way as cash payments, removing the incentive to leave a subsidiary saddled with debt.In addition to closing the RMT loophole, H.R. 4849 would:· Extend the Build America Bonds program to make it cheaper for state and local governments to finance the rebuilding of schools, sewers, hospitals and transit projects.· Exclude small businesses from capital gains· Increase the tax deduction for start-up expenditures to encourage the formation of new small businesses.Source: Welch’s office. 3.24.2010.# # #
Vermont Country Store teams up with CVPS to boost Shareheat, kick off annual campaign
Hoping to ensure no one goes cold this winter due to lack of crisis fuel assistance, The Vermont Country Store today committed $17,000 to this year’s CVPS Shareheat campaign.The Vermont Country Store will add $15,000 to Central Vermont Public Service’s $100,000 commitment for the upcoming winter to increase the pool of funds available to match contributions from the public. The Vermont Country Store will also donate $2,000 to Ski For Heat, an annual cross-country ski fundraiser for Shareheat held each winter at Wild Wings Ski Touring Center in Peru.‘Our employees want to make a strong commitment to Shareheat, because it helps their friends and neighbors,’ said Bill Shouldice, President of The Vermont Country Store. ‘The program’s neighbor-helping-neighbor design parallels our own philosophy toward community involvement. It is a fundamental priority of ours to address community needs and help make our communities stronger. Vermont is our home, so we just view this as the right thing to do.’The Vermont Country Store’s commitment is part of CVPS’s Shareheat Business Partnership program, which was created a few years ago to increase the pool of funds available. The company has been a Shareheat Business Partner every year since the program was created, and was the first business to commit to the partnership for the upcoming heating season.‘Vermont Country Store’s donation is a great start in our 2010 campaign,’ CVPS spokesman Steve Costello said. ‘We have just begun soliciting other potential partners, so it’s a welcome commitment and obviously a very generous one.’Shareheat was created in 1988 to provide emergency fuel assistance to CVPS customers. CVPS shareholders initially contributed $50,000 per year to the matching pool, though that figure has now increased to $100,000 annually. The funds from CVPS, The Vermont Country Store and other business partners will be used to match contributions from the public, dollar for dollar. The funds are sent to five community action agencies across the state, which pay fuel providers directly in crisis situations.Each donation is directed back to the donor’s community, so the contribution helps people in the same area. Matching dollars are applied on a first-come, first-served basis.Businesses that would like to join the Shareheat Business Partnership Program may call Steve Costello at 747-5427 for more information. Anyone needing crisis fuel assistance should contact their local community action agency.CVPS Shareheat is a program of last resort for over 1,000 Vermont families each year. Funds are available to assist people who face heating emergencies, often because they never expected to need assistance, lost a job, or have exhausted all other available assistance. Contributions should be made payable to the CVPS Shareheat Fund. Donations may be mailed with a CVPS payment, or sent separately to CVPS Shareheat, 77 Grove St., Rutland, VT 05701.Soruce: CVPS. 8.30.2010
Fair Haven man pleads guilty to home improvement fraud
The Attorney General’s Office announced today that John Burgart of Fair Haven, Vermont pled guilty in Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Criminal Division, to one count of Home Improvement Fraud.According to documents filed with the court, John Burgart of Burgart Roofing, Inc. entered into a contract with a couple from Underhill, Vermont to replace the roof on their home for $14,798.00. Burgart required and the couple paid a down payment of $8,525.00 in order to purchase the materials necessary to perform under the contract. However, Burgart neither purchased any of the materials nor performed any of the required work. In addition, Burgart failed to return the $8,525.00 down payment when the couple requested, in writing, that he do so.Pursuant to a plea agreement, Burgart was sentenced to zero to one year incarceration all suspended with probation. As part of his probation, Burgart must pay full restitution in the amount of $8,525.00. In addition, Burgart will be placed in the Vermont Attorney General’s Office’s Home Improvement Fraud Registry. Attorney General. 7.8.2011
Climate change presentations coming to 8 Vermont schools
Schedule of Upcoming ACE Assembly Programs in Vermont schools Twinfield Union School: 9:00 – 9:55 AM, Monday, September 26thWaits River Valley: 1:30 ‘ 2:30 PM, Monday, September 26thStowe Middle School: 12:30 – 3:00 PM on Tuesday, September, 27thChamplain Valley Union: 8 AM – 12 PM on Wednesday, September, 28thBurlington High School: 9 AM – 11 AM on Thursday, September 29thEssex High School: 1:00 – 2:45 PM on Thursday, September 29thMount Mansfield Union: 8:30 ‘ 11:30 AM on Friday, September 30thSpaulding High School: 1:45 ‘ 3:15 on Friday, September 30th About the Alliance for Climate Education: ACE :: Alliance for Climate Education is the national leader in high school climate science education, reaching nearly a million high school students at more than 1,500 schools nationwide since 2009. ACE educates students through free in-person multimedia assemblies presenting climate science that sticks and inspires students to take action with carbon-reducing projects at school. ACE is headquartered in Oakland, California, with educators in New England, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Colorado, North Carolina, Nevada and Wisconsin. To learn more, visit acespace.org. About Vermont Energy Education Program: For more than 20 years, VEEP has been promoting energy literacy in schools and communities throughout Vermont. VEEP offers in-class presentations, teacher training programs, energy curricula, and assistance with school energy efficiency projects. Most of VEEP’s services are available at no charge. In 2010, VEEP reached 3,500+ students in 62 schools in all 14 counties in Vermont. VEEP is an independent program of the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation. www.veep.org(link is external). Vermont Energy Education Program (VEEP) is teaming up with the Alliance for Climate Education (ACE) to help Vermont high school students learn more about climate change and do something about it. This month, ACE is bringing their award-winning, all-school assembly program to eight high schools throughout the state. The one-hour multimedia presentation is designed to inspire individual actions and school-wide efforts that will reduce energy use, shrink the school’s carbon footprint, and save the school money. ‘The ACE presentation is an extremely effective way to educate students about climate change and inspire them to take action,’ notes Wendy McArdle, Managing Director of the Vermont Energy Education Program (VEEP). ‘The fast-paced presentation includes colorful images, pop music, current events, humor, and even the opportunity to text. It really keeps the kids interested and engaged. I’ve never seen 500 teenagers so riveted!’ Following the presentation, students and faculty are invited to start or join an Action Team at their school. ‘This fits perfectly with VEEP’s Green School program and our general mission to promote energy literacy,’ says McArdle. VEEP began forming and working with Action Teams at CVU, Waits River, Twinfield, and Spaulding last spring. The goal is to establish a committed team of students, faculty, staff and administrators who will take responsibility for learning more about how energy is used at their school, identifying opportunities to make energy efficiency improvements and inspiring the rest of the school community to get on board. Some of the recommendations may involve an upfront cost, such as changing light bulbs or ballasts, but, according to McArdle, many of the changes focus on new behaviors ‘ turning off lights and computers, unplugging energy vampires, rethinking appliances such as mini-fridges, keeping heating vents clear of clutter, and remembering to lower the thermostat. Schools that form an Action Team and document their efforts may also participate in ACE’s Biggest Loser competition this fall. According to their website, the Action Team that sheds the most pounds of CO2 in four weeks will win $1,000. This fall, ACE is also offering a one-day Leadership Training workshop to help students and teachers learn more about how to lead efforts to combat climate change at their school. Any high school student that has seen the ACE presentation or has a presentation scheduled at their school is welcome to participate, and there is no charge. The free workshop will be held on Saturday, October 1 at Crossett Brook School in Duxbury, Vermont from 9:00 am ‘ 4:30 pm. To register, please contact Brian Stilwell at brian.stilwell@climateeducation.org(link sends e-mail). VEEP offers in-class presentations that help students explore the science of energy, electricity and the impact of our energy choices on the environment. To schedule a VEEP presentation or learn more about ways VEEP can help increase energy literacy at your school, please visitwww.veep.org(link is external). 
ACE Leadership Training – for Vermont high school students who have participated in an ACE assemblySaturday, October 1 from 9am ‘ 4:30pm at Crossett Brook School in Duxbury, VT To sign up for either an ACE presentation or the Leadership Training, please contact Brian Stilwell: brian.stilwell@climateeducation.org(link sends e-mail) To learn more about ACE, visit www.acespace.org(link is external) 