Current News

Northern Power Systems, a subsidiary of Distributed Energy Systems Corp., will mark the 30th anniversary of its founding at a noontime event September 17 at the companys new headquarters in Waitsfield, Vermont. The event will also feature the formal opening and dedication of the new facility in the Mad River Park industrial complex.
Northern president Clint Jito Coleman will host the event, which will also include the participation of Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy and Bill McKibben, noted author of Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age, The End of Nature and other works.
As the company celebrates its 30 years in the distributed generation business in Vermont, Northern is experiencing significant growth and is in the process of adding more than 20 new local manufacturing jobs.
When:
12:00 Noon, Friday, September 17, 2004
Where:
Northern Power Systems headquarters
182 Mad River Park
Waitsfield, Vermont 05673
Background:

Governor Douglas Details Health Care Reform Plan
Stowe. - In a keynote address to the Vermont Chamber of Commerce September 14,
Governor Jim Douglas outlined his comprehensive vision for quality,
affordable health care for all Vermonters.
Governor Douglas' health insurance plan would immediately reduce premiums
by 15 percent for every Vermonter with an individual insurance plan;
decrease the number of uninsured Vermonters by 20 percent in the first
year; offer low and middle income Vermonters a premium discount of up to
60 percent; and reduce, by 50 percent, the cost for a small business to
start providing insurance to employees.
"Taken together, my reforms make insurance more affordable for individuals
and small businesses, reduce the number of uninsured Vermonters by 20
percent in the first year alone, offer an economic incentive to help

Gubernatorial appointments made by Governor Douglas in May, June, July, August.
Gubernatorial Appointments Made in August

(GMCR) Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
Appoints Scott McCreary as Chief Operating Officer
WATERBURY-Green Mountain
Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) announced the appointment of
Scott McCreary as Chief Operating Officer, effective September 25,
2004. Mr. McCreary brings more than 20 years of strategic operational and
business development experience within the consumer packaged foods
industry. He has a proven track record of improving capacity utilization,
operating efficiencies, quality and profitability. Mr. McCreary will
report to Bob Stiller, President and CEO of Green Mountain. Mr. McCreary
will be directly responsible for Operations, Sales & Marketing and
Management Information Systems.

The deadline for nominations for the Chamber Annual Dinner Awards has been
extended to September 24th. Nominate someone today for the categories of:
Community Excellence

Rising Star

Business of the Year
Call Betsy Cabrera or Lisa Quinlan at 802/863-3489 x221 for details.
Chamber Annual Dinner awards will be presented November 9, 2004 at the Sheraton Burlington.

The Women Business Owners Network (WBON) announces that Rachel Lee, President of Armistead Caregiver Services, Diana Jones, owner of Double Entry Bookkeeping, and Rhonda Freed, owner of So You Want to Do What?, will become the organizations new chapter coordinators for the Northern Vermont Chapters.
The Women's Business Owners Network (WBON) is an association of over 140 women business owners from Vermont and New Hampshire who support one another in the pursuit of business and personal success. WBON has monthly chapter meetings in Burlington, Brattleboro, the Upper Valley, Rutland, and Montpelier, as well as conferences and social events throughout the year.
For more information, go to www.wbon.org or call 802-363-WBON.

The Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC) has launched its 2004-2005 public workshop season and on-line registration is open for all sessions. VMECs workshops are offered throughout Vermont and cover a wide range of manufacturing topics such as: Principles of Lean Manufacturing 101, Cellular Flow Manufacturing, Supercharged Product Development, and Strategic & Long-Range Planning.
Through a combination of classroom instruction and simulation exercises, attendees learn the fundamental principles and processes for implementing lean initiatives that can dramatically improve productivity and operations. Experienced, professional presenters give attendees practical, proven tools and ideas they can take back to their companies and immediately begin using.

CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR
RALPH NADING HILL, JR. LITERARY PRIZE
COLCHESTER. Entries are now being accepted for the 17th annual Ralph Nading
Hill, Jr., Literary Prize. The contest was established to memorialize the
literary contributions of Ralph Nading Hill, Jr., one of Vermont's best
known writers and historians, who died at the age of 70 in December 1987.
The contest is sponsored by Green Mountain Power Corporation and Vermont
Life magazine. Mr. Hill was a long time member of GMP's Board of
Directors and the Vermont Life Editorial Board.
The Ralph Nading Hill literary prize is now considered by Vermont
writers to be one of the state's premier literary prizes. Entry
for the prize, as in past years, may be an essay, short story,
play or poetry. The focus of the literary work must be "Vermont -
Its People, the Place, Its History or Its Values." It must be

Secretary of Administration Michael K. Smith Announces August 2004
Revenue Results For The State Of Vermont
General Fund

Secretary of Administration Michael K. Smith released September 7 General Fund revenue results for
the month of August, the second month of fiscal year 2005. General Fund revenues totaled
$68.18 million for August 2004, $4.86 million or 7.7 % more than the $63.32 million consensus
revenue target for the month. August results were also $9.59 million (or 16.4%) more than
General Fund revenues in August 2003. Year to date, General Fund revenues totaled $148.65
million.
Secretary Smith noted, We are encouraged that after two months, General Fund
revenues are $9.03 million or 6.5% ahead of expectations.

For Immediate Release: Contact: Leigh Tofferi
September 8, 2004 (802) 371-3205
Many Vermont Families Now Eligible for Weight Loss Program
Berlin, VT Thousands of Vermonters and their families are now eligible for discounts in Vermont on memberships in Weight Watchers®, the leading weight-loss organization, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont announced today.
These discounts are the first of a selection of services in a new non-benefit discount program the states largest health insurer is making available to its members and their families for no additional cost, according to Kevin Goddard, Vice President of Marketing and External Affairs.
Goddard cited numerous studies that state that obesity substantially increases a persons risk of developing many chronic health conditions. The results of these studies, according to Goddard, were the primary motivation for launching the new program partnering with the popular weight loss program.

State Appoints New Deputy Commissioner of Securities
Montpelier, VT -- Commissioner John P. Crowley of the Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities & Health Care Administration (BISHCA) has appointed Tanya A. Durkee to the post of Deputy Commissioner of the Securities Division. Former Deputy Phillips Keller, III, accepted a new position with the Department.

Tubbs Snowshoes closing Stowe plant

Tubbs Snowshoes of Stowe will move its production facilities to China. The Vermont manufacturing plant will close by February 2005. When K2 Inc bought Tubbs a year ago, industry analysts expected the skiing company to move the snowshoe maker to its manufacturing facilities in China at some point. The Tubbs administration will move to Washington State, where K2 has its winter sports headquarters.

The move will cost 27 fulltime and 30-40 seasonal jobs in Vermont. Some sales and marketing positions will probably stay in Vermont.

Along with skis and snowshoes, K2's brands include Rawlings sporting goods, and Exofficio clothing and gear, among many others.