Current News

Howard Printing Earns Neenah Award
BRATTLEBORO -- Howard Printing, Inc., a commercial offset printing company founded in Brattleboro in 1991, was recently recognized by Neenah Paper for outstanding quality on a printed design piece.
Neenah selected Howard Printing as the East Coast Silver Award winner in the Letterhead Contest. The award-winning entry was Retreat Healthcare letterhead.
Neenah Paper, founded in 1873, is a world class manufacturer of premium writing, text, cover, specialty and private watermark papers. Its parent company is Kimberly-Clark Corporation.
Retreat Healthcare, a client of Howard Printing since 1998, is a not-for-profit, regional specialty psychiatric hospital and addictions treatment center in Brattleboro. Originally founded in 1834, Retreat Healthcare provides a full range of diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitation services for individuals of all ages and their families.

VERMONT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (VEDA)
WINS PERFORMANCE AWARDS FROM TWO FEDERAL AGENCIES
AUTHORITY ENDS 30TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR WITH DOUBLE-DIGIT INCREASES IN COMMERCIAL LOAN VOLUME
Stowe - The Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) ended its 30th anniversary year with key national recognition, receiving awards from both the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Farm Service Agency for their work. Also, for the second year running, VEDA saw a double- digit increase in commercial lending activity. VEDA Chief Executive Officer Jo Bradley announced the awards, and the Authority's 2004 fiscal year performance at VEDA's 30th Annual Meeting, held this year in Stowe.

Champlain College trustees announced the creation of the College's first endowed chair, naming it in honor of retiring President Roger Perry. The Board of Trustees voted to create this $1 million academic fund, The Doctor Roger H. Perry Endowed Chair, as part of the College's successful Power of Three Capital Campaign.
The news came at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees on October 22, when Champlain College trustees announced the Power of Three campaign has already raised $15 million, exceeding its $12 million goal a full year before the official close of the campaign.
The campaign supports the construction of three new facilities at the private, career-oriented college: The Main Street Suites & Conference Center, The S.D. Ireland Family Center for Global Business & Technology, and the Student Life Complex. The campaign, the most ambitious in the Colleges 126-year history, included the goal of growing endowment by at least $2 million.

October 9, 2004 -- The McDonald Consulting Group was formally launched at a gala party on October 9, 2004 in Austin, Texas. Representatives from both the Austin, TX, and Burlington, VT, offices were on hand to unveil the company's new product and services offering as well as their new logo.
Mary McDonald, CEO, stated, "We were very successful for the past 9 years as Individual Solution Options/Quality Services, Inc., but it was time to rebrand ourselves to reflect the addition of our new services in the banking and service sectors as well as our new product lines in Lean Manufacturing, Restriction of Hazardous Substances support, and ISO management systems integration."

Last month at its Annual Meeting members of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce elected seven businesspeople to the Board of Directors.
The Vermont Chamber welcomes the following individuals to its Board of Directors:

Tom Donahue; Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce

Kevin Dwyer; Hackett, Valine, and MacDonald

Daria Mason; Central Vermont Medical Center

Bob Rogan; Burlington, Vermont

Kathleen Schirling; Chittenden Bank

Stephen Terry; Green Mountain Power

David Wolk; Castleton State College
Duane Marsh, Vermont Chamber President, stated, "We are very pleased that these individuals have agreed to bring their talents to the table. They will add to the Vermont Chamber's diverse representation of the Vermont business community."
Each new member will serve for a one-year term, effective immediately.
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Chittenden Reports Earnings and Quarterly Dividend
(NYSE: CHZ) Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Paul A.
Perrault, of Chittenden Corp in Burlington has announced earnings for the quarter ended September 30,
2004 of $19.5 million or $0.42 per diluted share, compared to $19.9
million or $0.43 per diluted share a year ago. For the first nine months
of 2004, earnings were $55.1 million or $1.18 per diluted share, compared
to $55.1 million or $1.23 per diluted share a year ago. Chittenden also
announced its quarterly dividend of $0.18 per share. The dividend will be
paid on November 12, 2004, to shareholders of record on October 29, 2004.

BURLINGTON, Vt.--The U.S. Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has awarded Champlain College a $185,000 grant, which will be used to further develop the college's Computer & Digital Forensics program and promote it as the national educational model to help fight electronic crime and cyber terrorism.
Realizing that the United States is facing increasing incidents of electronic crime and terrorism and a lack of trained professionals to investigate these crimes, the NIJ has been charged with fostering educational programs in this field. According to Martin Novak, program manager at National Institute of Justice, there are very few college-level programs in computer forensics in existence, and the NIJ is looking to Champlain's program to help create a workforce within the law enforcement and business communities to combat electronic crime.

ESSEX, VT (September 2004) - Dale Carnegie Training welcomes Sarah Jo Willey to the position of Training Consultant at its Essex office. Willey will be coordinating area sales and marketing efforts.
Willeys background includes teaching Marketing Education at the high school level at the Cold Hollow Career Center in Enosburg Falls, VT as well as at Lake Region Union High School in Orleans, VT. Willeys marketing career also includes several years on the Vermont DECA (An Association of Marketing Students) Management Team. She was recognized by Vermont DECA, in 2002 as Advisor of the Year.
Willey successfully completed the Dale Carnegie Core Competency Training in June 2004 and will also be joining the Instructional Team.

Hackett & Company and Future Planning Associates, Inc. Merge
Williston, VT - on November 1, 2004, South Burlington-based Hackett &
Company's retirement plan and administrative group will merge with Future
Planning Associates, Inc. of Williston, bringing together two of Vermont's
leading retirement consulting and administration firms with over 60 years
of combined service.
The merged company, with a combined staff of 20 "qualified plan"
specialists, will operate as Future Planning Associates, Inc. under the
leadership of Suzanne Stewart as chairman and Luther F. Hackett as Vice
Chairman. The other directors of the merged company include Jan Emmons,
Marilyn Jae Lehto and Loretta Wood of Future Planning Associates and Patty
Barry, Erin Helmken and Daryl Straw from Hackett & Company.
"We believe that by combining our two companies we will be able to provide

Demont & Associates, Inc. of Portland, Maine honored Walter G. Bruska of Burlington, for his half century of service in several top development posts including Cornell University and the University of Vermont where he hired and trained some of the most successful and notable development professionals in the country. He is currently an officer at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, Vermont and Vice President of the Board at Prevent Child Abuse Vermont.

WESTAFF ACQUIRES SYNERGY STAFFING
Burlington, Vermont -- Westaff, provider of staffing services, of
Burlington, Vermont announced today the acquisition of the Essex
Junction-based Synergy Staffing. The acquisition was completed on
September 15, 2004.
³The acquisition has allowed a smaller, well-respected staffing service to
take advantage of the employee benefits available to Westaff employees,²
commented Dave Mount, Westaff CEO.
As a result, former Synergy clients now have access to the larger staff of
personnel specialists and broader pool of talent available through
Westaff. In addition to 40 new clients, Westaff gained 60 employees with
the acquisition.
A provider of essential staffing services including temporary,
temp-to-hire and direct recruitment placement services, Westaff Burlington
now serves more than 250 clients locally. Westaff currently employs more

Banknorth reports record earnings; Net Income Up 8%
PORTLAND, Maine Oct. 18, 2004 -- Banknorth Group, Inc. (NYSE: BNK) today reported record
quarterly net income of $97.8 million for the third quarter ended
September 30, 2004, up 8% from net income of $90.3 million for the third
quarter a year ago. On a per diluted share basis, net income was 55 cents
for the third quarter of 2004 and 55 cents for the third quarter of 2003.
Exclusive of merger and consolidation costs, income was $102.1 million for
the quarter ended September 30, 2004, up 12% from $90.8 million for the
quarter ended September 30, 2003. On a per diluted share basis, income
exclusive of merger and consolidation costs was 58 cents for the quarter
ended September 30, 2004, up 5.5% from 55 cents for the quarter ended
September 30, 2003.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, net income was up 10% over