MONTPELIER, Vt. — A partnership of state and federal entities is teaming up to provide small businesses a unique opportunity to discover their true love: More customers.The Vermont Agency of Transportation and Department of Economic Development, the U.S. Small Business Administration; and the Vermont Small Business Development Center are presenting their fourth annual Strategies for Winning Government Contracts event on Feb. 1.The highlight of the day is the matchmaker sessions that allow Vermont businesses to introduce their firms and products in one-on-one, ten-minute appointments with various state and federal agencies as well as large companies who already contract with the government.We like to call it, speed dating for businesses, said Greg Maguire, who runs the Vermont Procurement Technical Assistance Center, formerly the Government Marketing Assistance Center, at the Vermont Department of Economic Development.Being a small or mid-sized business looking for new customers is a lot like trying to find romance: Its all a matter of opportunity and time, Maguire said. This event gives businesses the opportunity to make lots of contacts with potential customers in a very short period of time.Businesses can meet with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; General Services Administration and Postal Service; the University of Vermont; Vermont National Guard; Agency of Transportation and Departments of Information and Innovation, Buildings and General Services, and Environmental Conservation.Its not only a chance to get contracts with government agencies, but with private enterprises, said Lenae Quillen-Blume, State Director of the Vermont Small Business Development Center, a program of U.S. Small Business Administration. Companies like Fletcher Allen Health Care, Husky Injection Molding, General Dynamics, Goodrich Aerospace, and Dubois & King engineering.Participants can also get hands-on help and practical advice on getting government contracts from experts like Maguire; the Small Business Administration; and the Vermont Global Trade Partnership.This event is really an example of one of Gov. Douglas core economic development strategies: Working with partners like the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center and the SBA to strengthen and grow Vermonts existing businesses, said Mike Quinn, Vermont Commissioner of Economic Development.Vermont is a small state, but many businesses still have trouble navigating how to do business with their state and federal government agencies, said Senator Patrick Leahy, whose office helped coordinate the event. Small businesses and government procurement officials have a great opportunity in this event to meet one another face to face and make connections that could help their businesses grow while helping these agencies line up good, reliable suppliers.The $35 fee also includes breakfast and lunch, with a keynote lunch address from Melissa Dever, Vice President of engineering for Competitive Computing and an enterprise systems architect with over 25 years of applications engineering experience. Governor Jim Douglas will be on hand to deliver opening remarks.The Fourth Annual Strategies for Winning Government Contracts event takes place on Thursday, February 1st, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Conference Center in Burlington.For more information, visit: www.vtsbdc.org(link is external) or call Colleen Montague at the Vermont Agency of Transportation, (802) 828-2715.-30-
Defensor even sought to revive the “fouro’clock habit” when people gather to clean their surroundings every 4 p.m. ILOILO – Brief rain showers did nothamper the province-wide cleanup drive dubbed “Limpyo Iloilo.” Hundreds ofvolunteers from the province’s 43 local government units took part inFriday’s simultaneous activity. For his part, Santa Barbara mayor RemaSomo, supports the revival of four o’clock habit or the “once a week search forkey containers and other breeding sites of mosquitoes and eventually destroythem at 4-o’clock in the afternoon in every household” as one of the preventivemeasure against dengue. “Cleanliness should become a way of life.We must first appreciate cleanliness, so we can make it a habit,” stressedDefensor in his speech at Santa Barbara National High School (SBNHS). Defensor also reminded Ilonggos of theprovincial ordinance that regulates the use of single-use plastics, which hepointed to as the top source of trash in the province. The program’s launch at the SBNHS wasattended by about 600 national and local government employees. According to Defensor, he wanted theprovince to have a “clean province identity” through the campaign. Volunteers from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology join the province-wide cleanup drive dubbed “Limpyo Iloilo” on Friday. The activity promotes culture and character of cleanliness, and spirit of volunteerism among Ilonggos, says Gov. Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr. IAN PAUL CORDERO/PN
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., who led thelaunching of the campaign in Santa Barbara, Iloilo, underscored the importanceof cleanliness in addressing not only visual pollution but also in curbing thespread of communicable diseases. The provincial government has previouslylaunched several cleanup initiatives amid the dengue scare last year. Theseincluded the Brigada Eskwela Kontra Dengue; province-wide cleanup drive heldevery Saturday which lasted for a month; and the one-day cleanup of the entireCapitol premises. (Capitol News/PN) The Provincial Environment and NaturalResources Office (PENRO) spearheads this campaign which will be done everythird Saturday of each month in line with Provincial Ordinance No. 2018-184,Series of 2019 (“An ordinance requiring all local government units in coastalareas of the province of Iloilo to conduct a community-based coastal clean-upactivity once a month”). “Single-use plastic is the number onesource of litter and we must use ‘alat’ (handwoven basket) when we go to themarket,” he said. Other “Limpyo” partners come fromnongovernment organizations, the religious sector, people’s organizations,youth organizations, and cooperatives. “We don’t end here. This is just thebeginning,” he said.
If anyone needed an explanation as to why the Solvay boys basketball team could break a 25-year Section III championship drought, Monday night’s memorable 74-69 overtime victory over Westhill provided it.So many things could have derailed the Bearcats, both early in this game and then late in regulation and the four-minute extra period, but Solvay weathered all of them and scored the game’s final five points to break a 69-69 tie – without its leading scorer on the floor.Clearly, the Warriors were far from the same team the Bearcats handled 71-56 on Jan. 2, having gone 7-1 since that game and moved into no. 25 in the state Class B rankings, eight spots behind Solvay at no. 17. And Westhill’s newfound confidence manifested itself in a first half that would have sank most opponents. Not stopping there, Bagozzi, along with Elijah Wright and Jaimen Bliss, pushed the Bearcats in front early in the fourth quarter, and it was up 60-52 with four minutes left, having gone on a 30-7 run.But Brown switched the momentum again with eight consecutive points, and by the time Elliott Rouse converted with 2:20 left, Westhill had tied it again, 64-64.A tense exchange followed, the Warriors going in front 66-65 when Rouse hit with less than a minute left. A Wright free throw pulled Solvay even 66-66, and when the Bearcats could not get a shot off in the final seconds of regulation, it went to OT.They were still tied, 69-69, when Bagozzi fouled out with 1:19 left in the extra period. Again, the Bearcats appeared to have absorbed a decisive blow, but again it responded in a convincing manner.Wright forced a steal, then powered in a layup with 53 seconds to play. On Westhill’s next possession, Antonio Gonzalez made a big block, the Bearcats ran down the clock and Will Evans, in the game for Bagozzi, hit a lay-up, was fouled and sank a clinching free throw.For the night, Wright had 23 points, just behind Bagozzi’s 26 points as Bliss got 18 points. Brown finished with 24 points, helped by 14 points from Rouse and 12 points from freshman Luke Gilmartin.This exciting win, plus clinching the OHSL Liberty National division regular-season title, made Wednesday’s 66-61 defeat to Fayetteville-Manlius in the regular-season finale a bit easier to take.Bagozzi was held to nine points as Bliss got 20 points and Wright 14 points. Ethan Page led the Hornets with 17 points as Charlie Gadsden, James Madill (12 points each) and Luke Davison (10 points) also hit double figures.Now, with its 16-4 overall record, Solvay would wait out two full weeks before finding out on Feb. 19 where it would start the sectional Class B tournament, hoping that, by that point, Justin Scott would return from the injury that sidelined him in the second half of the regular season.Share this:FacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditComment on this Story Zach Brown set the tone, hitting all four of his 3-pointers in the first quarter, and it didn’t stop there, the Warriors eventually connecting nine times beyond the arc in the first half.As if that wasn’t enough, Westhill’s vaunted defense appeared ready to shut Solvay down, shutting them out in the last four-plus minutes of the second quarter on the way to establishing a 43-25 margin at the break.Still trailing 45-30 in the third quarter, Solvay completely turned the game around, fueled by Brock Bagozzi, the senior guard burning Westhill for 16 points in that period to erase most of its deficit.
Tags: boys basketballSolvayWesthill
OSG plea to revoke ABS-CBN franchise ‘a duplicitous move’ – Lacson LATEST STORIES Margot Robbie talks about filming ‘Bombshell’s’ disturbing sexual harassment scene Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. MOST READ CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/PBA IMAGESSTA. ROSA — Paul Lee slogged his way out of Santa Rosa Multipurpose Complex Tuesday night. His head was slightly down, his gloomy face barely seen as he wore a black cap tilted downward.Star is one game away from getting swept by Meralco, which looked every bit of a top-seeded team, and the Hotshots could likely be without their prized guard as they fight for survival starting Thursday.ADVERTISEMENT Lopetegui wants focus on soccer after Pique jeered by fans Nueva Ecija warehouse making fake cigarettes raided, 29 Chinese workers nabbed View comments How to help the Taal evacuees The playoff schedule also didn’t help the 28-year-old’s health issues with teams playing every other day.READ: Top seed Meralco comes back to beat Star in semis opener“Our games have been in succession so our PT told me that this is expected to happen. There’s a slight meniscus tear,” said Lee, who scored 11 points in Game 1.Lee said his status is “day-to-day” and he offered no assurance on whether he’s going to be available in Game 3 on Thursday.“I didn’t practice yesterday (Monday). I just tried to play today,” he said. “It’s painful. I made a quick move in the first quarter and I felt something.”ADVERTISEMENT Carpio hits red carpet treatment for China Coast Guard PLAY LIST 02:14Carpio hits red carpet treatment for China Coast Guard02:56NCRPO pledges to donate P3.5 million to victims of Taal eruption00:56Heavy rain brings some relief in Australia02:37Calm moments allow Taal folks some respite03:23Negosyo sa Tagaytay City, bagsak sa pag-aalboroto ng Bulkang Taal01:13Christian Standhardinger wins PBA Best Player award It’s too early to present Duterte’s ‘legacy’ – Lacson Mos Burger to open in Manila; teases with a pop-up Jake says relationship with Shaina ‘goes beyond physical attraction’ In ‘Jojo Rabbit,’ Comedy and Drama Collide DAY6 is for everybody Lee logged only three minutes and 44 seconds in Game 2 in what could be his season-finale after his nagging knee injury recurred at the worst possible time for the Hotshots.READ: Meralco zaps lackluster Star, nears PBA semis sweepFEATURED STORIESSPORTSRedemption is sweet for Ginebra, Scottie ThompsonSPORTSMayweather beats Pacquiao, Canelo for ‘Fighter of the Decade’SPORTSFederer blasts lack of communication on Australian Open smog“It’s the old injury,” Lee told reporters. “I aggravated it last game. I actually just forced myself to play last game. I tested it but I couldn’t.”He has been bothered by the same knee injury since last year. It was also the reason why he was pulled out of Gilas Pilipinas last March and in May of 2016.