MILESTONES

Brockton CU, Brockton, Mass., has participated in a Brockton Housing Partnership. The partnership of eight lenders was formed during the Northeastern recession in 1992. The focus of the group has been to improve affordable housing. Accomplishments include hosting 1st-time home buyer and credit counseling seminars. The most significant achievement of the partnership, officials said, has been the 2-phase "Buy Brockton" program. Phase I encouraged city employees to purchase homes in Brockton. Phase II is called "Teacher Next Door," will help school teachers who buy homes in the city. Community CU, Plano, Texas, has celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of its new West Allen branch on S. Custer Road. This location offers a 24-hour convenience center and touch-screen computer for immediate home banking access. DuTrac Community CU, Dubuque, Iowa, has opened 2 new branches, the Maquoketa branch at Highway 64 west of Highway 61, to offer a more convenient location to members in Jackson, Jones, Dubuque, Clinton and Scott counties, and the Wal-Mart Branch at Dubuque's Wal-Mart Supercenter. The CU now has 7 locations serving 34,000 members. Energy First CU, Monterey Park, Calif., sent out 5,000 letters to members offering to allow them to skip a payment in November for the fee of $4. All the collected fees, $9,954 last year, go to children's charities, said Darlene Diamond, director of marketing. In December, children from Azteca School got to visit Santa at the CU, enjoying cookies and juice, holiday cartoons, stories, and then the big event, Santa Claus (AKA Ray Bartus, director of lending) and his elves handing out gifts. State Capitol CU, Madison, Wis., has celebrated the opening of its 5th branch. On hand for the ribbon cutting were WCUL President/CEO Ron Halvorsen; SCCU President/CEO Andy Faust; David Mills; Kathy Blumenfeld; and Diane Halvorson.