Current News

Northeast Cooperatives’ Board of Directors announced that it is recommending to the membership that Northeast Cooperatives be combined with United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) through a merger. The agreement is subject to approval of Northeast Cooperative’s members. Terms of the merger agreement are private.

Thinking about changing careers? Interested in learning more about the health care field? If so, the Champlain Valley Health Careers Showcase has just the information you need to get started.
Scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 13, from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Champlain Mill in Winooski, this free event will offer information about dozens of health occupations, many of which are currently experiencing staffing shortages. Employers, educators, health care workers, and representatives of professional organizations will be on hand to discuss the requirements for entering various health care careers and the rewards and challenges of working in this growing field.

Vermont farmers have always been eager to try new crops and ways to
produce them. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Sustainable Agriculture
Research and Education program (SARE), wants to help by providing funds to
assist with on-farm experimentation by farmers.
This year, there are two groups of grants available from SARE that are
aimed at helping farmers explore new ideas. The Farmer/Grower Grant
program awards funds directly to producers to test new crops, practices,
and systems in on-site experiments and to share their results with other
farmers. Since 1993, the Northeast SARE has awarded 58 grants to Vermont
farmers, totaling more than $245,000 over the years. Capped at $10,000,
the grants average $5,200.
New for 2003, Partnership Grants apply to on-farm research and
demonstration projects developed by agricultural professionals who work

Green Mountain
Power Corporation (NYSE: GMP) announced today that it has commenced a
"Dutch Auction" self tender offer to purchase up to 800,000, or 14%, of
its common shares (including the associated common stock purchase rights).
Under the terms of the offer, Green Mountain Power shareholders may offer
to sell to Green Mountain Power all or a portion of the shares they own
within a price range of $17.00 to $21.00 per share in cash. The offer
begins today and will expire at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on
November 19, 2002, unless the offer is extended by Green Mountain Power.
As of October 17, 2002, Green Mountain Power had 5,728,340 shares of
common stock outstanding. The closing price for Green Mountain Power
common stock on the NYSE on October 17, 2002, the last full trading day on
the NYSE prior to this announcement of the offer, was $16.17.

Banknorth Group Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG)
announced record quarterly net income of $76.9 million, or 51 cents
per diluted share, for the three months ended September 30, 2002, an
increase of 24% from net income of $62.2 million, or 45 cents per diluted
share, for the same quarter a year ago. Exclusive of special charges,
third quarter earnings were $78.3 million, or 52 cents per diluted share,
up 26 % from $62.2 million, or 45 cents per diluted per share, for the
same quarter a year ago.
For the first nine months of 2002, net income was $221.5 million, or $1.48
per diluted share, an increase of 25% from $177.2 million, or $1.27 per
diluted share, for the first nine months of 2001. Exclusive of special
charges, income for the first nine months of the year was $228.9 million,
or $1.53 per diluted share, up 26% from $181.1 million, or $1.30 per
diluted share, for the first three quarters of 2001.

VERMONT CONVENTION BUREAU TO HOST TELEPHONE SALES BLITZ

Three new trustees have joined the Vermont Law
School Board of Trustees. They are Edwin I. Colodny, Of Counsel to the
law firm of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, Washington, DC; Perez
Ehrich, principal, Hemmings Market & Tech Guides, Bennington, VT; and
Thomas Jorling, vice president for environmental affairs, International
Paper Corporation, Stamford, CT.
Dean L. Kinvin Wroth comments, "The board of trustees has been
strengthened by the addition of these highly competent and experienced
individuals."
Edwin Colodny has recently been appointed interim chief executive
officer of Fletcher Allen Health Care, after having served for a year as
interim president of the University of Vermont. Previously, he served
as chairman of the board of Comsat Corporation, a leading provider of
global satellite and digital networking services, and as president,

Barbara Snelling has been selected as the Vermont Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year. Mark and Senator Diane Snelling will present the prestigious award at the 2002 Citizen of the Year Banquet, which will take place Wednesday, October 23 at the Radisson Hotel in Burlington. Vermont Chamber President Chris Barbieri will lead a lively evening of roasts and toasts, with speakers Helen Riehle, Fred Hackett, Sheldon Prentice, Charlie Kittredge, and Rabbi Max Wall.
In the crowded field of awards given to Vermont community members, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year award has become one of the most prestigious. Presented annually for nearly four decades, the Citizen of the Year Award honors the person who contributes to Vermont communities through service, self sacrifice, and volunteerism.

IDX Systems Corporation (NASDAQ:IDXC) announced that effective January 1, 2003, James H. Crook, Jr will become Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Crook joined IDX in 1981and has been President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company since 1999. He will retain the title of President.
Current Chief Executive Officer Richard E. Tarrant will be named Chairman of the Board and Robert H. Hoehl, current Chairman, will become Vice Chairman. Mr. Tarrant and Mr. Hoehl founded IDX in 1969.
As CEO, Mr. Crook will work closely with Mr. Tarrant on strategy development and will assume full management responsibility for the company, including delivering on the IDX core values of customer success, employee opportunity, growth, and profitability.

Calling all Vermont businesses! The annual Vermont Chamber of Commerce Business and Industry Exposition (EXPO) is now accepting proposals for seminars, workshops, or panel presentations. The nineteenth annual EXPO is slated for May 21 and 22 2003, once again at the Sheraton Burlington Hotel and Conference Center.
In response to business community requests, the EXPO Special Events Committee is pleased to offer Vermont businesses the opportunity to design a seminar or workshop, sharing their expertise with business professionals throughout the region. Businesses may propose a single topic presentation, or propose to organize and moderate a panel discussion on a particular topic. Presentations are to be one hour in length.
Proposals must fall into the following broad theme categories:

●Excellence: May include quality, best practices, workforce development and training programs, and corporate responsibility.

Jim Fitzpatrick, Educational Consultant from So. Burlington, will deliver keynotes on “Developing Responsible Behavior” to international school faculties on Nov. 28 in Yokohama, Japan; Jan. 27 in Budapest, Hungary; Jan 31 in Paris, France and on March 14.

Green Mountain Power, in an effort to stimulate more use of technology by the private sector to spur economic growth, has contributed $30,000 toward Champlain College’s capital campaign to help fund three new facilities at the college.
“We chose to make a significant contribution to Champlain College because of its importance to Vermont’s economic success and to Green Mountain Power. Champlain College has done an incredible job of preparing its students for the marketplace. Since an impressive two-thirds of its graduates remain in the Vermont workplace, our contribution will have a powerful influence on the educational achievement of Vermont’s future workforce,” said Christopher L. Dutton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Green Mountain Power.