Document:

Exhibit 10.8

                           CHANGE IN CONTROL AGREEMENT

AGREEMENT, made as of October 1, 2004, by and between VALLEY BANK, a banking
corporation organized and existing by virtue of the laws of the State of
Connecticut (the "Bank") and ROBERT L. MESSIER, JR. (the "Employee")

WHEREAS, Employee is currently rendering services to the Bank as its President
and Chief Executive Officer; and

WHEREAS, the Bank considers the performance and dedication of its management
team to be significant for its overall corporate strategy and to be essential to
protecting and enhancing the best interests of the Bank; and

WHEREAS, the banking industry is a dynamic one with independent public
institutions like the Bank subject to unexpected changes in ownership; and

WHEREAS, the performance by Employee of services to the Bank may be negatively
affected by his uncertainty over the possibility of a change in ownership of the
Bank and possible affect thereof on his employment with the Bank; and

WHEREAS, the Bank wishes to mitigate the fears of Employee regarding a potential
Bank ownership change, so as to avoid a negative effect on his performance of
services to the Bank, and in that interest the Bank desires to afford certain
protection to Employee in the event of dismissal or substantial change in duties
or compensation upon the occurrence of certain events as specified herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, to further the above recited corporate objective, and for other
good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which each party
hereby acknowledges, the Bank and the Employee agree as follows:

1.    (a)   The term of this Agreement shall be from October 1, 2004 until
            December 31, 2006, subject to renewal and extension as provided for
            in subparagraph (1)(b) hereof. Such period, as from time to time
            renewed, is referred to herein as the "term hereof".

      (b)   On each December 31st commencing in 2004 (a "Renewal Date"), this
            Agreement shall be automatically renewed for an additional year, so
            that after such extension,

<PAGE>

            this Agreement shall have a term ending three (3) years after such
            Renewal Date, unless prior to such Renewal Date either party hereto
            shall have given notice to the other that such renewal shall not
            take place (but no such notice shall have the effect of terminating
            this Agreement prior to the expiration of three (3) years from and
            after the Effective Date hereof); provided, however, that upon the
            occurrence of any Change in Control Event (as defined in paragraph 2
            hereof) during the term hereof, this Agreement shall be
            automatically extended for the three year period following the date
            of Change of Control.

2.    Should at any time there occur any one of the following events (any one of
      which shall be referred to as a "Change in Control Event")

      (a)   Any person shall become the beneficial owner, directly or
            indirectly, of securities representing 20 percent or more of the
            combined voting power of the then outstanding securities of the Bank
            (as used in this subparagraph (a), the term "beneficial ownership"
            shall have the meaning ascribed to that term from time to time under
            the rules and regulations promulgated by the Federal Deposit
            Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") (currently codified at 12 C.F.R.
            Section 335.403 or any similar, successor statute and rules); a
            "person" shall include any natural person, corporation, partnership,
            trust, association, or any group of persons, whose ownership of the
            Bank's securities would be required to be reported collectively
            pursuant to rules and regulations of the FDIC; and "affiliate" shall
            mean a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more
            intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common
            control with, the person specified, pursuant to the rules and
            regulations of the FDIC.

      (b)   The Bank shall be a party to any merger or consolidation with
            another corporation, association or business entity, which merger or
            consolidation shall be consummated or shall sell, exchange or
            transfer all or substantially all of its respective assets to some
            other person (as "person" is defined in subparagraph (a), above),
            except in any such case in a transaction in which immediately after
            such merger or consolidation or such sale, exchange or transfer, the
            shareholders of the Bank, in their capacities as such and as a
            result thereof, shall own at least 50 percent in voting power of the
            then outstanding securities of the Bank or of any surviving
            corporation or business entity pursuant to any such merger (or of
            its parent) the consolidated corporation or business entity in any
            such consolidation or of all the persons or their parents to which
            such sale, exchange or transfer of assets is made; or

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      (c)   The Bank shall cease to be a publicly owned corporation; or

      (d)   During any period of two consecutive years, individuals who at the
            beginning of any such period constitute the Directors of the Bank
            shall have ceased for any reason to constitute at least a majority
            thereof unless the election, or the nomination for election by the
            Bank's shareholders, of each new director of the Bank was approved
            by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Directors of the Bank then
            still in office who were Directors of the Bank at the beginning of
            such period, provided, that a majority of the Directors of the Bank,
            which majority is composed of Directors who were Directors before
            the occurrence of an event which would otherwise constitute a Change
            in Control Event (the "Continuing Directors") together with any
            Directors whose election was approved by a majority of the
            Continuing Directors in office at that time, may specifically
            determine in the good faith exercise of their judgment that such
            event does not constitute a Change in Control Event because it is
            not likely to change the existing management, personnel or
            management policies of the Bank;

then (i) if in any such case within three (3) years thereafter there shall be a
termination of Employee's employment other than for Good Cause as defined in
paragraph 3, or (ii) if within three (3) years thereafter the Employee
terminates his employment for Good Reason as defined in paragraph 4, then in
either such case the Bank shall, subject to the restriction contained in
paragraph 5 hereof:

(A)   within fifteen (15) days of such termination, make a cash payment to the
      Employee in an amount equal to three (3) times Employee's Annual
      Compensation as defined below in this paragraph less one dollar and minus
      any and all cash compensation that has actually been paid to Employee
      following the Change in Control Event by the Bank or its successor; and

(B)   maintain and provide for a period ending at the earlier of (1) one (1)
      year after the date of termination of the Employee's employment, or (ii)
      the date of Employee's full-time employment by another employer (provided
      that Employee is entitled under the terms of such employment to benefits
      substantially similar to those described in this subparagraph (B) at a
      cost to Employee not greater than it would have been had he continued as
      an employee at the Bank) Employee's continued participation in all group
      insurance, life insurance, health and accident, disability and other
      employee benefit plans, programs and arrangements (other than any
      retirement benefit plan, program or arrangement) in which the Employee was
      entitled to participate immediately prior to the date of termination,
      provided that the Employee's continued participation is possible under the
      general terms and provisions of such plans, programs and arrangements.

<PAGE>

Unless otherwise prohibited under paragraph 5 hereof, in the event that the
Employee's participation in any plan, program or arrangement as provided in
subparagraph (B) above is barred, or any such plan, program or arrangement is
discontinued or the benefits thereunder are materially reduced, during such
period the Bank shall arrange to provide Employee with, or reimburse Employee
for his cost of obtaining, benefits substantially similar to those which the
Employee was entitled to receive under such plans, programs and arrangements
(other than any retirement benefit plan, program or arrangement) immediately
prior to the date of termination. At the end of the period of coverage
hereinabove provided for, the Employee shall have the option to have assigned to
him at no cost and with no apportionment of prepaid premiums, any assignable
insurance owned by the Bank and relating specifically to the Employee.

For purposes of this Agreement, Employee's "Annual Compensation" shall be deemed
to mean the greater of (i) the annual base salary of Employee plus the average
of bonuses paid in the previous three (3)years as in effect on the date of the
occurrence of the Change in Control Event immediately preceding Employee's
termination, or (ii) the annual base salary of Employee as of the date of
termination of Employee's employment, Employee's annual base salary for purposes
of calculating Employee's Annual Compensation shall include any annual base
salary paid to Employee by any subsidiary (as defined in subparagraph 9(d)
hereof)

3.    For purposes of this Agreement, termination of the Employee by the Bank
      for "Good Cause" shall mean termination only by reason of one or more of
      the following occurrences:

      (a)   His conviction, by a court of competent jurisdiction, of a crime
            involving moral turpitude, whether or not committed during the term
            hereof; or

      (b)   His commission of an act of fraud upon, or materially evidencing bad
            faith toward, the Bank; or

      (c)   A willful breach by him of any material duty or obligation imposed
            upon him under the terms of his employment with the Bank, as to
            which breach the Bank shall have given him thirty (30) days' notice,
            and which breach shall not have been cured within such thirty-day
            period; or

      (d)   His inability, by reason of physical or mental disability, to carry
            out the normal and usual duties of his employment for six (6)
            consecutive months. Such disability shall, in the event of a dispute
            between Employee and the Bank concerning Employee's physical or
            mental ability to perform his duties, be finally determined by a
            competent physician mutually agreeable to both parties; or

<PAGE>

      (e)   His breach of a fiduciary duty to the Bank or violation of any
            banking law or regulation.

      (f)   For purposes of this paragraph 3, no act, or failure to act, on
            Employee's part shall be considered "willful" unless done, or
            omitted to be done, by Employee not in good faith and without
            reasonable belief that Employee's action or omission was in the best
            interest of the Bank; provided that any act or omission to act on
            the Employee's behalf in reliance upon an opinion of counsel to the
            Bank or counsel to the Employee received prior to such act or
            omission to act shall not be deemed to be willful.

4.    For purposes of this Agreement, termination by the Employee of his
      employment for "Good Reason" shall mean:

      (a)   The assignment of duties to the Employee by the Bank or a Subsidiary
            which (i) are materially inferior to the Employee's duties
            immediately prior to a Change in Control Event, or (ii) result in
            the Employee having significantly less authority and/or
            responsibility than he had prior to a Change in Control Event,
            without his express written consent; or

      (b)   The removal of the Employee from, or any failure to reelect him to,
            the position(s) held by Employee immediately prior to a Change in
            Control Event, except in connection with a termination of his
            employment by the Bank or a Subsidiary for Good Cause; or

      (c)   A reduction by the Bank or a Subsidiary of the Employee's base
            salary as in effect on the date of a Change in Control Event or as
            the same may be increased from time to time thereafter; or

      (d)   The relocation of the Bank's principal executive offices to a
            location outside of the Bristol, Connecticut area, or the Bank's or
            a Subsidiary's requiring the Employee to be located anywhere other
            than the Bank's principal executive offices except for required
            travel on business to an extent substantially consistent with his
            business travel obligations at the time this Agreement was entered
            into, or, in the event the Employee consents to any such relocation
            of the Bank's executive offices, the failure by the Bank or a
            Subsidiary to pay (or reimburse him for) all reasonable moving
            expenses incurred by him relating to a change in his principal
            residence in connection with such relocation and to indemnify him
            against any loss realized in the sale of his principal residence in
            connection with any such change of residence; or

<PAGE>

      (e)   The failure of the Bank or a Subsidiary to provide the Employee with
            substantially the same fringe benefits (including paid vacations)
            that were provided to him immediately prior to a Change in Control
            Event, or with a package of fringe benefits that, though one or more
            of such benefits may vary from those in effect immediately prior to
            a Change in Control Event, is substantially comparable in all
            material respects to such fringe benefits taken as a whole; or

      (f)   The failure of the Bank or a Subsidiary to obtain the assumption of
            an agreement to perform this Agreement by any successor as
            contemplated in subparagraph 9(b) (ii) hereof.

5.    Nothing in this Agreement shall be interpreted as requiring the Bank to
      make payments which would constitute a prohibited excess parachute payment
      pursuant to Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code or which would be in
      violation of restrictions imposed, if any, pursuant to Section 18 of the
      Federal Deposit Insurance Act. The Employee expressly disclaims any right
      to a payment which would be so prohibited.

6.    Employee acknowledges that he relies for the payments to be made to him
      hereunder solely upon the contractual obligations herein undertaken by the
      Bank and solely as a general creditor of the Bank. The parties acknowledge
      that Employee shall have no right to receive any payments or benefits
      except at the time, in the amounts, and in the manner herein provided, all
      of which are essential terms of this Agreement and essential
      considerations to the Bank in obligating itself to make the payments
      herein provided.

7.    A waiver by either party of any of the terms and conditions of this
      Agreement in any instance shall not be deemed or construed to be a waiver
      of such terms or conditions for the future, or of any subsequent breach
      thereof,

8.    Any and all notices required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be
      in writing and shall be deemed to have been given when deposited in the
      United States mails, certified or registered mail, postage prepaid and
      addressed as follows:

            To Employee:     Robert L. Messier, Jr.
                             163 Boy Street
                             Bristol, CT 06010

            To the Bank:     Chairman Of The Board
                             Valley Bank
                             4 Riverside Ave.
                             Bristol, CT 06010

<PAGE>

      Either party may change by notice the address to which notices to him or
      it are to be addressed.

9.    (a)   Employee shall not have any right to commute, encumber or dispose
            of the right to receive payment hereunder or of the right to receive
            any of the benefits provided for hereunder.

      (b)   The Bank may: (i) remaining obligated with respect to this
            Agreement, cause its obligations hereunder to be performed by a
            Subsidiary or Subsidiaries, in whole or in part, and may, to the
            extent provided herein, cause Employee to be assigned duties with
            respect to any such Subsidiary or Subsidiaries; (ii) assign this
            Agreement and its right hereunder in whole, but not in part, to any
            bank, corporation or other entity with or into which it may
            hereafter merge or consolidate or to which it may transfer all or
            substantially all of its respective assets, if in any such case such
            bank, corporation or other entity shall by operation of law or
            expressly in writing assume all liabilities of the Bank hereunder as
            fully as if it had been originally named the Bank herein; but may
            not otherwise assign this Agreement or its rights hereunder.

      (c)   THIS AGREEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN AGREEMENT FOR THE EMPLOYMENT
            OF EMPLOYEE AND SHALL NOT GIVE EMPLOYEE ANY RIGHT TO BE RETAINED IN
            THE SERVICE OR EMPLOY OF THE BANK OR ANY SUBSIDIARY. THE BANK AND
            ITS SUBSIDIARIES RETAIN THE RIGHT TO DISCHARGE EMPLOYEE AT ANY TIME
            (PROVIDED THAT EMPLOYEE IS AN EMPLOYEE OF SUCH INSTITUTION) AT WILL,
            WITH OR WITHOUT CAUSE, AS IF THIS AGREEMENT HAD NEVER BEEN ENTERED
            INTO; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT UPON ANY SUCH TERMINATION AND
            DISCHARGE FOLLOWING A CHANGE IN CONTROL EVENT EMPLOYEE SHALL BE
            ENTITLED TO THE BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT, IF ANY, PAYABLE OR TO BE
            PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH SUCH TERMINATION.

      (d)   For purposes of this Agreement, the term "Subsidiary" means a bank,
            corporation or other entity at least 50 percent of the total
            combined voting power of all classes of stock of which is owned by
            the Bank, either directly or through one or more subsidiaries.

      (e)   Nothing herein contained shall affect the terms and conditions of
            any other written agreement between Employee and the Bank or any
            Subsidiary.

<PAGE>

10.   If any provision of this Agreement, as applied to either party or to any
      circumstances, shall be adjudged by a court to be void or unenforceable,
      the same shall in no way affect any other provision of this Agreement or
      the applicability of such provision to any other circumstance.

11.   This Agreement may not be varied, altered, modified, changed, or in any
      way amended except by an instrument in writing, executed by the parties
      hereto or their legal representatives.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the day and
year first above written.

EMPLOYEE

/s/ Robert L. Messier, Jr.
---------------------------
ROBERT L. MESSIER, JR

VALLEY BANK

/s/ James J. Pryor
----------------------
JAMES J. PRYOR, Its Chairman of the BoardEXHIBIT 4.1

          NUMBER                                               UNITS
U-__________

  SEE REVERSE FOR     MANHATTAN MARITIME ENTERPRISES INC.
CERTAIN DEFINITIONS

                                                                           CUSIP

       UNTS CONSISTING OF ONE SHARE OF COMMON STOCK AND TWO WARRANTS EACH
                     TO PURCHASE ONE SHARE OF COMMON STOCK

THIS CERTIFIES THAT ____________________________________________________________

is the owner of _________________________________________________________ Units.

Each Unit ("Unit")  consists of one (1) share of common stock,  par value $.0001
per share ("Common Stock"), of Manhattan Maritime Enterprises,  Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the  "Company"),  and two warrants (the  "Warrants").  Each Warrant
entitles  the  holder to  purchase  one (1) share of Common  Stock for $5.00 per
share (subject to adjustment). Each Warrant will become exercisable on the later
of (i) the Company's  completion  of a merger,  capital  stock  exchange,  asset
acquisition or other similar business  combination and (ii)  ___________,  2006,
and will  expire  unless  exercised  before  5:00 p.m.,  New York City Time,  on
____________,  2009, or earlier upon redemption  (the  "Expiration  Date").  The
Common Stock and Warrants  comprising the Units  represented by this certificate
are not transferable  separately prior to __________,  2005,  subject to earlier
separation in the  discretion of Ladenburg  Thalmann & Co. Inc. The terms of the
Warrants are governed by a Warrant Agreement, dated as of _______, 2005, between
the Company and  Continental  Stock Transfer & Trust Company,  as Warrant Agent,
and are  subject to the terms and  provisions  contained  therein,  all of which
terms and  provisions the holder of this  certificate  consents to by acceptance
hereof. Copies of the Warrant Agreement are on file at the office of the Warrant
Agent at 17 Battery Place,  New York,  New York 10004,  and are available to any
Warrant holder on written request and without cost.

       This certificate is not valid unless  countersigned by the Transfer Agent
and Registrar of the Company.

       Witness the facsimile seal of the Company and the facsimile  signature of
its duly authorized officers.

By

                      MANHATTAN MARITIME ENTERPRISES, INC.
                                   CORPORATE
                                    DELAWARE
_____________________________                      _____________________________
        Chairman of the Board         SEAL         Secretary
                                      2006

<PAGE>

                      MANHATTAN MARITIME ENTERPRISES, INC.

       The  Company  will  furnish  without  charge to each  stockholder  who so
requests,  a statement of the powers,  designations,  preferences  and relative,
participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series
thereof of the Company and the qualifications,  limitations,  or restrictions of
such preferences and/or rights.

       The following abbreviations,  when used in the inscription on the face of
this  certificate,  shall be  construed  as though they were written out in full
according to applicable laws or regulations:

TEN COM -  as tenants in common       UNIF GIFT MIN ACT - _____ Custodian ______
TEN ENT -  as tenants by the entireties                   (Cust)         (Minor)
JT TEN -   as joint tenants with right       under Uniform Gifts to Minors
           of survivorship and not as        Act ______________
           tenants in common                         (State)

Additional Abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.

       FOR VALUE RECEIVED,  ___________________________  HEREBY SELL, ASSIGN AND
TRANSFER UNTO

PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER
    IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE
________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________
  (PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE)

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ UNITS

REPRESENTED BY THE WITHIN CERTIFICATE,  AND DO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY CONSTITUTE AND
APPOINT

_______________________________________________________________________ ATTORNEY
TO TRANSFER  THE SAID UNITS ON THE BOOKS OF THE WITHIN  NAMED  COMPANY WILL FULL
POWER OF SUBSTITUTION IN THE PREMISES.

DATED _____________

                        ________________________________________________________
                        NOTICE: The signature to this assignment must correspond
                                with  the name as  written  upon the face of the
                                certificate   in   every   particular,   without
                                alteration   or   enlargement   or  any   change
                                whatever.

Signature(s) Guaranteed:

__________________________________________________________________
THE  SIGNATURE(S)  SHOULD BE GUARANTEED  BY AN ELIGIBLE  GUARANTOR
INSTITUTION  (BANKS,  STOCKBROKERS,  SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS
AND  CREDIT  UNIONS  WITH  MEMBERSHIP  IN  AN  APPROVED  SIGNATURE
GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15).

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