Current News

TD Bank Financial Group to Become Majority Shareholder of
Banknorth Group, Inc.
Strategic acquisition provides TD with personal and commercial
banking growth opportunity in the US
Banknorth gains partner to expand its community-based banking model
PORTLAND, Maine--Aug. 26, 2004--Banknorth Group, Inc. (NYSE: BNK) and
TD
Bank Financial Group (TDBFG) today announced that they have signed a
definitive agreement for TDBFG to acquire 51% of the outstanding shares of
Banknorth for approximately US$3.8 billion (approximately CDN$5 billion)
in cash and TD common shares. This acquisition will provide TD with the
majority interest in a growth company that has a proven track record of
making strategic acquisitions.
"This strategic acquisition provides us with an expanding beachhead in

Civil Commitment Prevents the Release of Violent Sexual Predators
Montpelier-Governor Jim Douglas has called on the legislature to
create an end of sentence review process for sex offenders designed to
thoroughly review the offender's offense history, involvement and progress
in sex offender treatment, and mental health status.
The Governor said the review would include the possibility of involuntary
civil commitment to the Vermont State Hospital for those who have failed
to complete treatment and who meet a legal definition of a sexually
violent predator to be established in the legislation.
The sex offender registry bill championed by the Governor and victim's
rights advocates in the last legislative session included a provision
sponsored by House Republicans requiring a committee to study civil
commitment and other enhancements of Vermont's sex offender laws.

Fletcher Allen Health Care Reaches First Milestone in Nursing
Recruitment and Retention Campaign;
28 Registered Nurses Signed to Date
BURLINGTON - Fletcher Allen Health Care announced today that it has
reached the first milestone in its nursing recruitment and retention
campaign. Twenty-eight nurses have signed up through the program to
date.
The comprehensive recruitment and retention plan - which aims to hire
100 nurses in 100 days - is designed to attract nurses to the academic
health center and to retain the nurses who work there. The campaign runs
from August 2 to November 9.
In the first three weeks of the campaign, Fletcher Allen received 63
contacts and conducted 37 interviews, which have resulted in 28 nurses
who have increased their hours or joined Fletcher Allen.
Of the 28 nurses, five are Fletcher Allen nurses who increased their

Colchester, VTThe Vermont Council for Quality, partnering with the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center, will hold their 2004 Fall Quality Conference on September 27, 2004 at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in South Burlington. The purpose of the conference is to bring together a cross section of Vermont organizations to discuss how to implement performance excellence and continuous improvement measures to enhance an organizations efficiency, profitability and success.
The conference will include panelists from Manufacturing, Health Care, Small Business and Education to share their success stories and lessons learned. The afternoon will spotlight best practices in Balanced Scorecard, Outcome Based Planning, Action Planning, and Information and Knowledge Management.

Electricians union reaches deal with Vermont Yankee
Entergy Vermont Yankee and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers reached an 11th hour deal August 19 over a new three-year contract. The tentative contract agreement coincided with a visit to Brattleboro from Rudolph Giuliani, who is now a security consultant working with Entergy Nuclear.

Electrical workers at the nuclear plant, located in Vernon, were set to go on strike if a new deal had not been reached. Managers at the plant were set to take over those jobs to keep the plant operational. The sticking point was over health care costs. IBEW workers had struck twice in the plants history, once in 1974 and again in 1979.

VERMONT UNEMPLOYMENT
Montpelier -- The Department of Employment and Training announced Thursday (August 19, 2004)
a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.4 percent for Vermont in
July.

GBIC WINS NORTHEASTERN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION AWARD FOR
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
BURLINGTON - The Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation (GBIC) has been
awarded a 2004 Northeastern Economic Development Award for Literature and
Promotions for its Summer 2004 "Highlights" newsletter.
GBIC "Highlights" is a quarterly newsletter sent out by the organization,
which is the regional development corporation for Chittenden County. The
summer 2004 issue, which was issued in time for GBIC's 50th Anniversary
and Annual Meeting in June 2004, contains articles on GBIC's involvement
with new stormwater legislation, the regional technical academy, and the
Chittenden County strategic economic development plan.
"Winning a NEDA award is a true honor because GBIC has been recognized by
our peers for our most current fulfillment piece," said Frank Cioffi,

Vermont Files Suit Against FDA Over Drug Reimportation
Montpelier, Vt. - The State of Vermont this afternoon (Thursday Augst 19, 2004) formally filed suit
against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in U.S. District Court in
Burlington, Vermont, becoming the first state in the nation to challenge
the FDA's legal arguments for blocking reimportation proposals.
"Vermont will not sit back and watch as the cost of health insurance and
prescription drugs continues to rise. Nor are we content to simply ignore
the law," Governor Douglas said. "Real leadership means challenging those
laws and policies you oppose, and working within our systems to change
them. It is our hope and expectation that Vermont's leadership will result
in a legal precedent that benefits every Vermonter, and every American."
Governor Douglas acknowledged that the cost of prescription drugs is but

CHROMA NOMINATED FOR A NATIONAL BUSINESS ETHICS AWARD
Chroma Technology, Corp of Rockingham has been nominated to receive a Business Ethics Award from Business Ethics Magazine.
The nationally-known magazine's mission is to "promote ethical business practices and serve the growing community of professionals striving to work and invest in responsible ways."
Employee-owned Chroma has been nominated in the category of "Living Economy," which seeks to reward companies that are "locally based, human scale, stakeholder-owned, democratically accountable, life-serving, and which seek fair profits rather than maximum profits," according to the award criteria.

The 5th Annual Breastfeeding Friendly Business Awards, sponsored by the Washington County Maternal Child Health Coalition, will take place Thursday August 19 at 4 PM in the lobby of the Central Vermont Hospital in Berlin. The awards will be presented by Kathryn Saunders, of Central Vermont Midwifery.
The awards are given to area businesses that support new mothers returning to work who wish to continue to breastfeed their babies. Vice President of Communications Vicky Tebbetts will accept the award on behalf of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. Vermont Chamber President Duane Marsh stated: A happy baby is a happy Mom and a happy Mom is a better employee. Everybody wins when the employer can be flexible and allow its employees the privilege to continue breastfeeding as they return to work after the birth of a child.

FAIRLEE, Vt. Norwich University has received a gift of $1.1 million from Allen Doyle, a 1971 graduate who is a now a professional golfer on the PGA Champions Tour, and his wife Kate.
Fred Haynes '58, the vice-chairman of the Norwich University Board of Trustees announced the gift this evening at a banquet as part of the festivities for the Fifth Annual Allen Doyle Golf Classic, a charity golf tournament played at Lake Morey Country Club that benefits the Norwich University Blue Line Club and hockey team.

Jeffords Announces $2 Million in EDA Funding
For High-Speed Internet Link in Northern Vermont
WASHINGTON D.C. -- U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords, I-Vt.,
today announced that the U.S. Economic Development Administration will
award $2 million to support the North Link fiber optic network, a project
that will connect six northern Vermont counties to high-speed Internet
access. The counties include Caledonia; Essex; Franklin; Grand Isle;
Lamoille and Orleans.
The North Link project is the brainchild of the Economic
Development Council of Northern Vermont (EDCNV), working with Vermont
Electric Coop.
"Broadband access is so critical to our economy, and the
North Link project will allow these counties to operate on a level playing
field wth more densely populated, urban areas. It is truly an innovative