First Quarter, 2000
Thanks,
Y2K Team
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NATCO President Steven G. Sanders Sr., (top right) presented a plaque to Steven Sanders Jr. (top left) and certificates to all the members of the NATCO Y2K Committee (below) on February 16, 2000, congratulating them on NATCO's smooth transition into the year 2000. Committee members pictured are (from left) David DeVore, Carlton Chapman, Larry May, Steven Sanders Jr., Travis Sullivan, Russ May, Steven Sanders Sr., Danielle Munson, Norman Erickson, and Mark Stockdale.
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Members not present for the picture are Shawn Dennis and Michael Nolan Jr. The committee conducted extensive upgrades on equipment, stocked up on supplies, and purchased a series of backup power generators for each office in case of power outages. The hard work of NATCO's Y2K team assured its customers of reliable service as we entered the year.
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During January, a survey company hired by NATCO called a sample of customers to determine whether NATCO's service was meeting the expectations of our customers. With approximately 18,000 people living in the South Shore area served by NATCO, it becomes difficult to know whether we are meeting our customers' needs, particularly when one recognizes that about half of our customers do not have direct contact with us during the year. With so many people to satisfy and limited direct access to them, the only practical way to get your opinion is to use statistical sampling and the telephone interview. In November we hired a company that had the expertise in statistics and the calling capability to perform the interviews. Telephone numbers were randomly selected in December to create a statistically valid sample and the interviews were conducted in January. Because we used sampling, not all customers were contacted. However, those of you who were contacted represent the opinions of those not contacted. Declining to answer the questions means not only that your positions are not represented, but that others who are similar thinkers are also not represented. We appreciate the help of those who participated in the survey. We are analyzing the results and will use the analysis to serve you better in the future. However, following the survey we received several criticisms about the survey, whether it was actually commissioned by NATCO and about the individuals carrying out the survey. In the future, we will attempt to be sensitive to these criticisms to avoid alienating those who viewed the survey as "telemarketing." In this case we were not selling something. Rather, we were seeking to improve our service. |
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Ozark Regional Directory Yellow Pages Sales Underway Attention, business owners! The time is here to reserve your advertising in this year's Ozark Regional Directory's yellow pages. Account executives from our publisher, The Berry Company, of Lincoln, Nebraska, started conducting sales by telephone February 14, and will continue until May 19, 2000. If you wish to visit with an account executive on premises, please check with us between March 13 and May 19. Call 1-800-775-6682. The account executives serving NATCO will be: Wallace Dawkins, Amy Dickenson, Julie Halloran, Larry Kurtz, Mary Nelson, Jeanette Potter, Christopher Vaughn, Jim Vaughn, Greg Vrbka, and Thomas Zastro.
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South Shore Grants Awarded, 4th Quarter 1999
New Equipment for Harmon First Responders Purchased with South Shore Grant Harmon Volunteer Fire Department First Responder John Pearson (center) displays some of the equipment the group was able to purchase with a $9,000 grant from the South Shore Foundation at Flippin. With Pearson are two of the trustees of the South Shore Foundation, Jodie Jeffrey-Sanders of Mountain Home (right) and Howard Evans of Yellville (left). The equipment includes an automatic external defibrillator for use with some who suffer cardiac arrest, additional radios and medical supplies. Oakland/Promise Land VFD Receives South Shore Grant
Oakland/Promise Land Fire Department volunteers (from left) Jim Ryan, Ed Pecora and Mike Scrima show South Shore Foundation Trustee Jodie Jeffrey-Sanders radios they were able to purchase with the help of a South Shore Foundation grant of $3,500. The department raised $2,500 to reach their goal of $6,000 for a new paging system, pagers, hand-held and mobile radios to improve communications among the all-volunteer department. Summit VFD Purchases New Radios with South Shore Grant
Summit Volunteer Fire Department Chief Dwayne McFarland (left) and department members John and Aimee Van Scoy (center) discuss the department's new radio equipment with two of the trustees from the South Shore Foundation at Flippin, Jodie Jeffrey-Sanders of Mountain Home and Howard Evans of Yellville (far right). McFarland said the radios are new 32-channel, scannable portable radios for his fire department members to carry with them for receiving fire calls, along with two vehicle radios and a base unit. The equipment is being purchased with a $5,355 grant from the South Shore Foundation. South Shore Memory Project Moving Ahead
The South Shore Memory Project has received additional funding from the South Shore Foundation. Allen C. Benson (left) is the director of the local history project, as well as Director of Library Services at Arkansas State University Mountain Home. Here, Benson explains details of the Internet-based local history project to South Shore Foundation Trustees Dr. Ed Coulter (seated) and Jodie Jeffrey-Sanders. The South Shore Foundation provided a grant of $9,400 to organize material that has been gathered by students at Flippin High School, working with Flippin school faculty members Petra Pershall and Dianne Wade. The students have interviewed older residents of the community, recorded sounds and taken digital photographs to include on the South Shore Memory Project Web site and to create local archives. |
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Racing
Information Now on the 'Net The times are changing for thoroughbred horse racing fans. At Hot Springs, Arkansas' own Oaklawn Park racing season is in full swing and continues through April 15. In Oaklawn seasons of the past, a race fan would select his or her race winners by studying the Daily Racing Form, maybe buy a couple of tip sheets, then keep alert for the latest "rumors" in the stands. But now, there is the 'Net for more and more information. These sites are particularly good if one is determined to become not only a bettor, but an investor or owner. Check out the following sites: Take a virtual visit to Arkansas' Oaklawn Park at Hot Springs. The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association National Thoroughbred Racing Association For official records on racing and horse ownership |
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NATCO Goes to Home Builders Show
The NATCO and NATCO Technologies booth will be set up at the Twin Lakes Home Builders Show April 14 and 15 at the Baxter County Fairgrounds in Mountain Home. Mark Morris, above, often explains NATCO Technologies Internet services while maintaining the booth at this and similar events. |
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Fishing For a New Computer? Here is Part II of a discussion on shopping for a computer. Last issue, this article covered processors and monitors/graphic cards. This issue, find information about temporary and permanent storage space, modems, and a valuable tip about software. Random Access Memory (RAM) Random Access Memory, or RAM, is where your computer stores data from the operating system and the applications you're using, allowing quick retrieval of the information. Whatever is stored there disappears when your computer is shut down. The more RAM there is, the better your computer will run. The standard "minimum" size of RAM is considered to be 64 MB (megabytes). But, 128 MB is better. Modems The modem packaged with a new computer is nearly always low quality, and is known as a "win modem." All Internet Service Providers recommend against trying to establish Internet service using a win modem, or soft modem, that is, one without its own hardware. So, look for a 56 K, v.90 hardware-based modem made by a reputable manufacturer for best results. A couple of cautions: An older computer that hasn't been upgraded will not perform at its peak even if it is hooked up to a new 56 K modem; likewise, a new machine will not perform well with an inadequate modem. Hard Disk Size New computers are packaged with storage sufficient for the average user. But, if you will be adding numerous additional software packages or working with large files, make sure there is plenty of space for storage. A 5-10GB (gigabyte) hard drive is now common. Software and Accessories Have the operating system (e.g. Microsoft Windows 98) compact disk for your computer in your possession. Sooner or later, you or a technician working on the machine will need it. Check your package for this CD because manufacturers have been known to "forget" to package it. And, don't overlook the audio accessories which are more important than ever! Homework Advised Buying a computer requires some study and forward thinking. Hopefully, the tips in these articles will be of assistance as you embark on your journey into cyberspace.
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NATCO Now Provides ADSL in Flippin NATCO is pleased to offer our customers in the Flippin area ADSL, or asymmetric digital subscriber lines. Many of you first saw demonstrations of high speed ADSL at the NATCO Open House last November 11. ADSL is a high speed line, with the ability to provide regular phone service and Internet, fax, data, or video at the same time. "ADSL is 'always on,' in terms of being connected to the Internet. There is no logging on and off with ADSL," said Steven Sanders Jr., vice president and plant manager of NATCO. Sanders emphasized that ADSL service is provided on the customer's own dedicated line, so the service is not affected by other users going online the way that cable telephone and modem services are affected where the backbone connection is shared with others. Also basic telephone service continues to work with ADSL even when you have a power failure. ADSL is over 50 times faster than the 28.8 Kbps modems and over 30 times faster than the 56 Kbps modems. ADSL delivers download speeds of 1.3 Mbps and upstream speeds of over 256 Kbps. While it is faster than NATCO's 128 Kbps ISDN, it does not offer the two voice channels simultaneously as ISDN does (or one voice channel and one data channel), and it is not available to all of our customers, as ISDN is. Gearing up for the next wave of Internet broadband services requires a technology such as ADSL or ISDN, Sanders points out. "The evolution from the Web's first generation services of text and still pictures to the next generation of audio and video streamed to the user in real time requires the new technology we are presenting to our customers," Sanders said. ADSL is a new modem technology that converts existing telephone lines into paths that can carry multimedia and high speed data communications, similar to broadband services. "More and more residents and small businesses now use the Internet or receive information in video and multimedia formats, increasing the demand for telephone lines," said Sanders. ADSL technology makes it possible for NATCO to deliver affordable high speed remote access to the Internet, to corporate networks and online services over ordinary phone lines. ADSL and Internet are packaged together for $65.95 per month. When you add the cost of the regular telephone line, the total is $78.85 per month for residential customers and $89.10 per month for commercial customers. Twin Lakes Region's First and
Largest Serving 17 communities in Arkansas, NATCO offers unlimited toll free Internet access (and the additional services below) for as little as $19.95 per month.
No toll charges for these towns and counties:
Unlimited Toll Free Internet Service We also offer a $28.95 Internet plan which includes all
of the features listed Free e-mail account - choose from any of these domains:
Sign up today at any of the three NATCO Technologies Partners!
We offer gift certificates for all Internet and Telephone services. South Shore's site features tourism, relocation and business information for 17 communities in or near the South Shore of Bull Shoals Lake. The site includes driving tours, online calendar of events, maps, online yellow page links and news from the South Shore Foundation, the nonprofit economic development organization funded by NATCO. NATCO's Web site features "NATCO News" newsletter online, current news about the telephone company and detailed information on the digital services offered. At www.natconet.com/newsletter/, you can find our new electronic newsletter for Internet customers.
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| About NATCO | Affiliations
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| Customer Info | Northern
Arkansas Telephone Company | 301 East Main Street | Flippin, Arkansas,
72634
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