Current News

Morrisville, VT On February 9, 2009, Chittenden Bank will open its newest full-service branch at 19 Morrisville Plaza. This location will replace the existing branch that currently resides inside the Price Chopper Supermarket, which is also located within the Morrisville Plaza. The new branch will offer many features to customers, staff, and the community. These benefits include: Two Drive-up Windows, a Drive-up ATM, convenient Banking hours Monday through Saturday, Safe Deposit Boxes, private office space for face to face customer service, and a customer waiting area.
On Monday we are moving into our new branch in the Morrisville Plaza and closing our existing branch inside the Price Chopper. The people that we serve are our friends, neighbors, and family members. We are so pleased to be able to offer them all the convenient and customer friendly features of a full-service banking office, said Chittenden Bank Market Manager Deanna Wood.

BRATTLEBORO, VT The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) announces its fourth annual Business Plan Competition, which again will include two entry categories and multiple prizes totaling more than $40,000.
For the Existing Business category, the top prize will be $12,000, the second-place prize will be $6,000, and the prizes for up to four runners-up will be $2,000 each. For the New Business category, the top prize will be $6,000, the second-place prize will be $3,000, and the prizes for up to four runners-up will be $1,500 each. The premise behind the Business Plan Competition is to help raise awareness in the community about small business and entrepreneurship, and to encourage new business development by helping interested community members develop viable business plans, gain public attention, and earn financial rewards.

Howard Dean, former Vermont governor and recent chair of the Democratic National Committee, will deliver the commencement address at the University of Vermont's 205th commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 17, 2009. The university will present Dean with an honorary degree at the event.

Although Congress has passed legislation to allow TV stations to extend their analog broadcasts until June, local stations in Vermont and northeastern New York plan to shut off analog broadcasts on the original deadline of midnight February 17. Stations WCAX (Channel 3), WFFF (Channel 44), WNNE (Channel 31), WPTZ (Channel 5), WVNY(Channel 22), Mountain Lake PBS (Channel 57) and Vermont Public Television (Channels 33, 20, 28 and 41) looked at the high level of readiness of the local market and the confusion a delay could bring and decided to stay with the February date.

Burlington, Vt.--With snow piled high and winds from the north keeping temperatures at record lows, it's hard to imagine that spring will ever arrive! We remain optimistic when it comes to both the weather and the economic climate as we plan our Spring Job Fair on Monday, March 30th.

Central Vermont Public Service met all of its service quality standards for 2008, the fourth straight year the company achieved that goal. Given the tremendous challenges Mother Nature dealt, I am proud of how our employees performed, President Bob Young said today. Not only did we meet all the customer service goals, but we met the reliability goals despite trying weather patterns.
CVPS, Vermont s largest utility with about 158,000 customers, has 17 service quality measures known as SERVE standards. SERVE stands for Serving Everyone with Reliability, Value and Excellence.
The company measures and reports to state regulators on everything from how quickly customer care representatives answer phones to bill accuracy, customer service, outage numbers and duration, and safety. All Vermont utilities have specific service quality standards and must report the results regularly to state officials. Penalties can be imposed for failure to meet the standards.

The Boulder Outdoor Specialty Group, a collection of six of the best known and best loved brands in the outdoor world, will retain Pale Morning Media of Waitsfield as their public relations Agency of Record.
Effective January 1, 2009, Pale Morning Media will be the official representative of Kelty, Kelty K.I.D.S., Sierra Designs, Ultimate Direction, Slumberjack and Wenger.
We have stories of innovation, value and heritage that need to be told. Pale Morning Media has the ability, perspective and experience to help us tell those stories, said Kenny Ballard, president of the Boulder Outdoor Specialty Group.
Though based in the Green Mountain state, Pale Morning Media has deep roots in Boulder. In addition to representing Kelty and Kelty K.I.D.S. since 2002, Pale Morning Media founder Drew Simmons calls Boulder his hometown.

Marking 19 consecutive quarters of growth, Bruegger's Enterprises, Inc. has announced revenue for comparable sales grew 6.6 percent at company locations and 6.9 percent system-wide for the fourth quarter ending December 30, 2008. For the 2008 fiscal year, same store sales increased 4.2 percent for the company and 3.9 percent for the system, aided by one extra week versus 2007. Bruegger's gross sales reached $198.9 million system wide in 2008; an 11.3 percent rise over the same period in 2007.
"Hitting the mark of reaching our 19th consecutive quarter of sales increase was indeed an accomplishment," said Bruegger's Chief Executive Officer Jim Greco. "By focusing in on our core values of providing great service, great food and great value, we were able to continue to build sales in spite of the economy. It is a testament to the entire Bruegger's team and our loyal following."
New Menu Items and Locations

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. today announced the launch of Energy$ense, a multi-faceted initiative to help local nonprofits and its Citizens Bank and Charter One customers address heat, utility and other energy costs.
As part of the program, Citizens is providing more than $500,000 in energy assistance grants to homeless shelters and non-profit organizations that offer home weatherization and utility payment assistance to consumers. Through its Citizens Bank and Charter One divisions, the company also is providing below market-rate loans to eligible consumers who want to make their homes more energy efficient, with a limited-time option to defer their first payment for 90 days.

Booth registration for the 25th Annual Vermont Business and Industry EXPO is open and booths are selling quickly! The trade show is scheduled for May 20 & 21, at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center in Burlington, Vermont. In today's economy, your company cannot afford to hide in the shadows. Get in front of the business community and use EXPO as your key marketing vehicle for 2009.
The Vermont Business and Industry EXPO is northern New England's largest business-to-business trade show attracting over 3,000 business leaders during the two day exposition. Nearly 200 exhibitors and themed pavilions fill the two floors of EXPO. In addition to EXPO's spectacular line up of educational seminars, award ceremonies and networking opportunities, you can expect new, special additions to celebrate 25 years of creating connections.

WHAT: Governor Jim Douglas will announce a partnership with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company at a news conference on February 12th to give away free $50,000 life insurance policies to families in need across Vermont.
WHEN/WHERE: The Governor will hold a news conference on February 12th, 11AM at the State House, 109 State St., Montpelier, VT in the Governor s Ceremonial Office to announce details of the program, including the date and time of a public application event where people can apply for free life insurance policies. He will also announce who qualifies for the program and how it benefits the children of Vermont.
WHY: The free life insurance program is called LifeBridge. This is strictly a philanthropic program with no additional obligations or commitments from families who qualify for the free insurance policies. MassMutual is the only company in the nation giving away life insurance as part of a charitable giving program.

Montpelier, VT -- Following a two-day marathon of presentations, ten artists have been chosen to receive nearly $250,000 in total commissions for The Art of Action: Shaping Vermont s Future Through Art . The finalists nine Vermonters and one from Massachusetts will receive commissions ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 to create projects that grapple with diverse issues facing our state, as identified over the past two years through the work of the Council on the Future of Vermont. The project, coordinated by the Vermont Arts Council, is funded by visionary philanthropist Lyman Orton and his associates Craig Byrne and Janice Izzi. The finalists were chosen from more than 300 applicants spanning the United States and three foreign countries.