Energy Credit Union, Waltham, Mass., recently opened a new full service branch in West Roxbury. Terrence Vigneaux will be managing the new location which offers a wide variety of deposit, loan and investment services, including free financial planning services for families in every stage of life. Some of the banking services will include: free checking, free ATMs, free home banking and free bill pay; statement savings accounts, CDs, IRAs and holiday and vacation clubs; real estate loans, including mortgages, refinancing, home equity and home improvement; and consumer loans, including cars, motorcycles, boats, RVs, computers and holiday loans. American Heritage Federal Credit Union, Philadelphia, Pa., recently celebrated the groundbreaking for its newest branch on West Hunting Park Avenue. The credit union is replacing its current branch on West Hunting Park Avenue with the new 3,800 square foot branch, which will feature six remote teller stations, member service offices, an Internet caf and a coin counting machine. It is scheduled for completion by year-end 2006. Texans Credit Union, Wylie, Texas, opened a new branch office in Wylie. The CU will hold a grand opening celebration with fun activities for the whole family and a grand prize drawing for two tickets to the George Strait concert on May 26 and two tickets to the June 16 Rascal Flatts concert. In addition to the grand prizes, there will be drawings for a chance to spend 15 seconds in the Texans Money Machine every half hour. Children will enjoy bounce houses, face painters and a paper-airplane making contest. The new branch will include a staff of tellers, an on-site loan officer, business account services, safe deposit boxes and a night depository. Vermont Federal Credit Union, Burlington, Vt., has announced the opening of a new downtown branch in St. Albans. The new branch is actually a relocation of the current downtown branch and opened May 1st. The new branch will be a full-service retail branch, which includes: a drive-up window, an ATM and plenty of parking. Kemba Credit Union, Cincinnati, broke ground on its 9th full service branch on Union Centre Boulevard in the Chappell Crossing development. The new branch will be four stories and 32,000 square-feet. The building will feature multiple drive-up teller windows and an ATM. Completion is expected at the end of 2nd quarter 2006. Eastern Financial Florida Credit Union, Miramar, Fla., has opened its Palm Springs branch in Hialeah. The CU's Palm Springs branch is a full service branch offering traditional teller services, auto loans, a suite of mortgage products and business lending services. In addition, the branch has a 24-hour walk up ATM and safe deposit boxes with a biometrics security feature. CUT: Guests at Heritage Credit Union's weekend grand opening celebration for its new Madison branch had a chance to go into the money booth and grab up to $1,000. Heritage Credit Union, Madison, Wis., recently held the grand opening of its newest branch in Madison. The CU held a weeklong grand opening celebration that included a ribbon cutting ceremony and a branch dedication in the memory of Don Bacon, the CU's longest running board member. During the celebration, members of the community stopped in for daily refreshments, to spin a prize wheel for daily prizes, and to take advantage of HCU's special promotions on checking accounts, home equity lines of credit, auto loans and CDs. A community celebration was held on the weekend and the public was given tours of the new branch, free hot dogs and soda, and a chance to go into a money booth, where they could grab up to $1,000. Heritage's new branch features a large lobby and waiting area, a state-of-the-art teller area, private rooms for loan inquiries, four drive-up lanes, an ATM and an Internet Caf. CUT: Everyone lends a hand at the groundbreaking of Public Service Credit Union's new Romulus branch that will serve as both a branch location and also the CU headquarters. Public Service Credit Union, Dearborn, Mich., held a groundbreaking ceremony recently at the site of the CU's new Romulus branch. The new location will serve as both its headquarters and a branch location. The 20,000 square foot building is scheduled to be open in Dec. 2006. CUT: Many were in attendance at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Wright-Patt Credit Union's new Twin Towers Member Center. Wright-Patt Credit Union, Fairborn, Ohio, held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new Member Center, which celebrates its reinforced commitment to the Twin Towers Community. WPCU's original facility in the Twin Towers neighborhood was located in the Twin Towers Food Mart, but usage of that Member Center increased and the services had become so highly valued in the community that a move to provide more space and an enhanced environment was a must. The Twin Towers Member Center serves approximately 1,600 members who have been able to make use of over $2 million in loan funds and maintain savings of over $3 million. CUT: Even in their suits, everyone lends a hand at the groundbreaking ceremony for University Credit Union's new retail/support center in the Tamiami Airport area. University Credit Union, Miami, recently celebrated the groundbreaking of its new retail/support center located in the Tamiami Airport area. Slated to open in Spring 2007, the new 22,000 square foot facility will house administrative offices, a call center and a full service branch including ATM and drive-up tellers. This new facility will bring the number of University CU branches to seven. Nevada Federal Credit Union, Las Vegas, celebrated the grand opening of its new branch in Pahrump. The new branch offers a teller line and extended business hours. In addition, the full service branch offers free checking accounts, competitively priced first mortgage and home equity loans, Visa credit cards and Internet home banking (with bill payer). CUT: Board members and staff of Guardian Credit Union all take part in the groundbreaking of the CU's new Prattville branch. Guardian Credit Union, Prattville, Ala., recently broke ground on its new, state-of-the-art Prattville facility. Attendees at the ceremony included: Mayor Jim Byard, Jim Givan from Design Build Concepts out of Atlanta, Ga., the CU's board, as well as various members of Prattville's Chamber of Commerce. The new branch will take the place of a modular building that is currently on-site and is scheduled to open before the end of 2006. CUT: It was a group effort to cut the ribbon at the grand opening of Digital Federal Credit Union's new Gold Star branch. Digital Federal Credit Union, Worcester, Mass., recently opened a full-service branch here, the Gold Star branch. The new branch celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony as the doors were open to the public. DCU members, employees and representatives from the DCU Center joined in the celebration, as well as Dick Kennedy, president of the Worcester Chamber of Commerce. The 5,000 square foot branch features an Internet Caf with computer kiosks, printers and free coffee for member use. The branch will have six teller stations and a 24-hour walk-up ATM. CUT: Local school board and township officials joined credit union officials and MacDade branch employees for the ceremonial ribbon cutting for Franklin Mint FCU's new MacDade branch. Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union, Broomall, Pa., celebrated the opening of its MacDade Boulevard office recently. Local school board and township officials were in attendance at the CU's ribbon cutting ceremony along with MacDade branch employees and credit union officials. The new 1,000 square foot branch includes two offices, a 24-hour ATM and night drop, an Internet station that provides access to the CU's online banking service and three remote teller stations. CUT: OMNI Community Credit Union brought out the gold shovels for the groundbreaking of its seventh branch. OMNI Community Credit Union, Battle Creek, Mich., recently held its Groundbreaking Ceremony for its seventh branch office. The new 3,600 square foot branch will offer members and area residents a modern and comfortable setting to conduct all their financial transactions. The new branch, to be constructed by the Redmond Group, is scheduled to open in November 2006. The branch will feature 4 drive-thru lanes and a drive-up ATM. CUT: K of C FCU had a baseball-themed Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for its new Baltimore Pike branch. K of C Federal Credit Union, Springfield, Pa., recently held the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for its new Baltimore Pike branch. Four pairs of baseball tickets were awarded each hour during the celebration that had over 100 attendees. Each guest received a chance to spin the Prize Wheel and was invited to participate in games such as Baseball Trivia, Baseball Beanbag Toss and Baseball Pitch. The CU also collected new and gently used baseball equipment for Pitch In for Baseball, a nonprofit organization that collects and gives youth baseball equipment and other assistance to children in underserved communities around the globe. Equipment will continue to be collected at all branches through the end of May.