First Quarter 2002

Long Distance Service Pleases Many Customers

     Hundreds of NATCO customers have signed up with NATCO Technologies for their long distance service since it was first offered last summer, and the customers report a high level of satisfaction with it. 
     Diana Marks said, "AT&T tried to get me to switch from NATCO, and I said no." Marks is one who took advantage of NATCO Long Distance the first month it was available - in June. "I like it a lot," said Marks.
     Customers like having long distance service with NATCO because, as Marks explained, "If I have a problem, I can talk directly to them." 
     Customer Service Manager Melissa Merkel said many NATCO customers did not like talking to national long distance company people who didn't have any idea where Flippin, Arkansas was. Merkel said customers also like receiving just one bill a month from one company. 
     Additional long distance-related services are available to NATCO Long Distance customers, like calling cards and toll-free numbers. Marks said her family has a 1-800 toll-free number for their home. "I can call home if my plans change. I don't have to call collect, and that saves money. My son also uses it to call home." Many families find the 1-800 home number indispensable for a $5 monthly fee and 12 cents a minute on calls. For a NATCO Long Distance brochure or an authorization form to switch to NATCO Technologies Long Distance, call NATCO toll-free 1-800-775-6682 to speak with a Customer Service representative.

NATCO Gives $10,000 for Ambulance Services

     A meeting between Hospital Development Foundation Director Barney Larry and NATCO employees was a part of the Lend-A-Hand campaign to raise funds from the public for support services based at the Mountain Home hospital.
     NATCO contributed a $10,000 donation earmarked for ambulance services which serve the NATCO and South Shore area communities. The donation was given with the same concern for community betterment as grants made by the South Shore Foundation to equip volunteer fire departments with automatic external defibrillators for emergency care of heart attack victims.
     The Lend-A-Hand Campaign had raised more than $200,000 as of Dec. 1, 2001, approaching its goal of $250,000. 
     Picture to the right: Lend-A-Hand Campaign Comes to NATCO
     Barney Larry, Director of the Hospital Development Foundation, Inc., asked NATCO employees in November to raise their hands if they had used Baxter Regional Medical Center.

Prizes Awarded to Student Contest Winners

     NATCO has announced winners in the coloring/drawing and essay contests it sponsored in the South Shore area elementary and middle schools this past fall. Students received cash prizes totaling $425 and honor certificates at an awards presentation. The theme of the contest this year was the 50th anniversary of Northern Arkansas Telephone Company.
     Winning essays and drawings are now online at www.southshore.com/ coloring.htm, or can be reached by clicking the Coloring & Essay Contests button on the South Shore home page www.southshore.com. All the winning entries were displayed at the NATCO office in Flippin.

5th & 6th Grade Essay Winners L-R: Flora Rose Taylor - 1st, Justin Rogers - 2nd, Tara Johnson - 3rd, and Jake Fisk - honorable mention.	7th & 8th Grade Essay Winners   Seated left: Ben Thompson - 1st, Jamie Hessenflow - 2nd and Jeremy Smith - 3rd. Standing left: honorable mention winners Travis Ezell, Tara Lambe, and Blake Curtis. Not pictured are honorable mention winners Liberty Fassett, Dennis Connors, and Rose Chism.

          The top prize winner in the seventh-eighth grade division of the essay contest was Ben Thompson, who attends Lead Hill school. He wrote about a relative who came to Arkansas during the Dust Bowl. Jamie Hessenflow, who attends Bergman school, second prize winner, wrote about a relative from the "baby boom" generation and life without the modern conveniences like air conditioning and computers. Third place winner, Jeremy Smith, who attends Flippin School, chose the alternate topic about budgeting for telephone and Internet use at home. 
     Six students received honorable mention certificates in the seventh-eighth grade division as follows: Blake Curtis and Tara Lambe of Bergman, Dennis Connors of Lead Hill, and Travis Ezell, Rose Chism and Liberty Fassett, all of Flippin.
     Top prize winner in the fifth-sixth grade division of the essay contest was Flora Rose Taylor, who attends Bruno-Pyatt School. Justin Rogers, second place winner, Tara Johnson, third place winner, and Jake Fisk, honorable mention winner, all attend Lead Hill school.
     Coloring contest winners are listed in order of prizes won, from first through honorable mention, with their schools as follows: 

• Kindergarten: Paige Caraway, Bergman; Katy Lewis, Flippin; Sara Lemanski, Bruno-Pyatt; and Taylor Mellein, Bruno-Pyatt.

• First grade: Eva Graddy, Bergman; Mason Arrowood, Flippin; Tara Wilson, Bergman; Brady Boone, Omaha. 

• Second grade: Gregory Aliano, Bergman; Josh Wilkins, Bergman; Ariel Truxler, Yellville-Summit; Deborah Ellis, Omaha. 

• Third grade: Jennifer Bressler, Bergman; Abby Morgan, Yellville-Summit; Laura Risley, Lead Hill; Holly Mackey, Bruno-Pyatt.

• Fourth grade: Chelsea McCune, Yellville-Summit; Synthia Markle, Lead Hill; Hannah Richey, Lead Hill; and Zach Dodillet, Yellville-Summit.

     NATCO thanks all the teachers who encouraged their students to take part in the contests, the students for their great work, and the parents for bringing them to the Awards Presentation at NATCO. It was wonderful to see so many great young people together at one time at NATCO.

Winners in the NATCO 50th anniversary coloring contest are pictured at an Awards Ceremony held Oct. 16. Seated, from left, are:  Kindergarten winners - Katy Lewis, 2nd. Sara Lemanski 3rd, Paige Caraway, 1st, and Taylor Mellein, honorable mention;  First grade winners - Tara Wilson, 3rd, Mason Arrowood, 2nd, and Brady Boone, honorable mention.  Standing, from left, are:  Second grade winners - Josh Wilkins, 2nd, Gregory Aliano, 1st, and Ariel Truxler, 3rd;  Third grade winners - Jennifer Bressler, 1st, Abby Morgan, 2nd, Laura Risley, 3rd, and Holly Mackey, honorable mention;  Fourth grade winners - Hannah Riche, 3rd, Synthia Markle, 2nd, Chelsea McCune 1st, and Zach Dodillet, honorable mention.  Two winners are not pictured, Eva Graddy (first grade - 1st place) and Deborah Ellis (second grade - honorable mention).

Recycling Concludes Successfully

NATCO thanks you for recycling your phone books. 
We recycle books in August and September each year.
This year we saw an increase in the number of phone books recycled through NATCO, according to Steven Sanders Jr., plant manager (pictured). We collected about 12,000 pounds of phone books from the recycle bins placed throughout the NATCO service area. It was a successful drive and a way to help preserve the environment by keeping telephone books out of landfills. Again, thanks for your help.

Ozark Regional Directory Ad Sales Dates Set

     Even though the 2001 NATCO / Yelcot telephone directory may still seem new with all its improvements and changes, businesses can expect a call from The Berry Company for the NATCO / Yelcot "Ozark Regional Directory" in early March. On-premise sales dates will be between mid-April and mid-June.
     "All businesses benefit from a listing in our yellow pages," said Steven Sanders Jr., NATCO plant manager. "A person always knows where the phone book is, so your advertising is at their fingertips when they need to contact you. Plus, our directory is used throughout north-central Arkansas because it has listings for all our NATCO and Yelcot customers, plus the Mountain Home and Harrison areas," he said.
     Next year's directory will continue listing together all numbers in the north-central Arkansas area: the NATCO territory - Flippin, Bull Shoals, Diamond City, Lead Hill, Pyatt, and Omaha; Yelcot's exchanges in Summit, Yellville, Gassville, and Cotter; Harrison's six exchanges; Mountain Home's four in-town exchanges; plus Gamaliel, Henderson, Lakeview, Mallard Point, Midway, Norfork, Salesville, Tracy Ferry, and Whiteville.
     "All businesses in Marion, Boone, and Baxter counties can reach their customers easily by advertising in the Ozark Regional Directory. We think it is just the most convenient book that is on the market, due to its size and format, and all the areas it now includes," Sanders said. 
    NATCO supplies additional directories free for use in businesses, for visitors, and residents. Some of the locations where additional books are available include: Marion and Boone County Judge's offices; Bank of Yellville locations; Firstar bank locations; First National Bank locations; Chambers of Commerce; city halls; and realty offices such as Diamond City, Lead Hill, Ozark, Beaman, and Davis & Associates. Our book is a compact 6 x 9 inch-size, which is convenient to carry in a vehicle or briefcase.

NATCO President is Panelist at Key Executives' Meeting

     Dr. Steven G. Sanders was one of the corporate leaders of our nation's communications industry on the program of the Executive ComForum 2001 at Boca Raton, Florida, on November 3, 2001.
Dr. Sanders was a panelist for the topic "Competition and Competing in Today's Environment."
     In his presentation Dr. Sanders compared what was supposed to have happened when broadband technologies were deployed compared to what actually did happen. "Technology drove the investment," he said, with the result being too few customers to pay for the infrastructure. "Customers did not rush to broadband services like they did to initial Internet access," he said.
     Dr. Sanders advised other executives to pay closer attention to their customers' needs, rather than their wants. Asked how the economic downturn had affected NATCO, he responded, "We have not detected much impact as a rural ILEC." But, he said the company is planning for two years of slow growth. "Our customers are several years behind California, and failures there mean we don't even start projects." Key ingredients for success in the future will be "Know Thy Customer" and "Know the Technologies," Dr. Sanders stated. The ComForum was organized in workshops with industry leaders on panels to optimize an executive's time by concentrating on highest-priority subjects and focusing on core issues, according to the sponsors, the International Engineering Consortium.
     Dr. Sanders, who has been president and general manager of NATCO since 1977, is a former physics professor who earned his bachelor's degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his doctorate in physics from the University of South Carolina. He has been active in professional organizations related to communications, electrical and electronics engineering, and physics education.

Your Best Yellow Page Advertising Coverage
Ozark Regional Telephone Directory Keeps The Ozark Region Connected...

     Regional Coverage
          It covers the entire region including:

     Accuracy
          Keeping accurate records is part of our telephone companies' responsibilities - 
             it's done every day.

     Improvements
          Larger type listings - makes locating that name or number easier.
          Combined white pages - lets you locate a residence or business in Baxter, Marion, 
             or Boone counties in the same section of the book. 
          Yellow Pages - include all businesses in Baxter and Marion counties. 
          Compact Size - makes directory perfect for car, home, or office use. 

     High Quality
          Our publisher, The Berry Company, uses quality paper and printing techniques, 
            and has the experience and knowledge to produce a directory that will be used 
            by your customers.

     Timeliness
          Including all new listings - up to the last possible closing date.

     Reliability
          NATCO and Yelcot Telephone Company have been providing reliable service 
            since 1951 and 1958 respectively, and in keeping with that tradition of quality, 
            we have again asked The Berry Company, a company with almost a century 
            of experience in the telecommunications business, to be our official publisher.

For Advertising Information, Call Us At 1-800-775-6682
Advertising Sales Begin March 2002

The Official Directory of  and Represented by

South Shore Receives Invitation from Cyber High

     An online, electronic high school now has a connection to the South Shore. NATCO has given Fresno (California) County Office of Education permission to link to NATCO's online newsletters as a reading tool for its students enrolled in their Cyber High, an online curriculum leading to a high school diploma or high school course credits. Instructor David Yoshihara requested a link to the newsletter from the 4th quarter of 1999, and permission to use a photo of a NATCO lineman.
     The online curriculum is called Cyber High and is fully accredited and aligned with California State Content Standards and Frameworks. Yoshihara said, "The Internet is a powerful tool when used to add meaning to existing curriculum. In this fashion the link to your site can serve as valuable enrichment material for teachers to build upon."
     According to the Fresno County Web site, "The goal of Cyber High is to integrate educational curriculum and technology in using the power of the World Wide Web to break down barriers imposed by classroom walls and provide students with experiences and resources not possible in the traditional educational setting."
     Cyber High's curriculum has been used from the traditional classroom setting to alternative education settings.

Congratulations, Rag Ball Team!

The NATCO rag ball team finished second in the Yellville Co-ed Rag Ball League and placed third in the Sept. 8 tournament. Members pictured: (front row) Allison Deady, Jessica Kimball, Mitzi Dodillet; (middle row) Rocky Hill, Kyle Hill, Stephanie O'Brien; (back row) Kevin Duffy, Tony Allen, April Hoyt, Rich Hoyt. Not pictured: Kary Duffy, Kristi Webster, Rick Webster, John Zurcher, and Cassandra Still.

Omaha Students Work on Water Quality Testing Project

     Students at Omaha High School are continuing a water well testing program funded by the Arkansas Department of Education ($10,000) and the South Shore Foundation ($6,300). The students have presented a report on the project to the South Shore Foundation trustees and will show their video and Power Point presentation to the National Conference of Environmental and Spatial Technology in February at Little Rock. They will also report to the Omaha School Board at its March meeting. 
     Bill Dirst, EAST facilitator, said the students have tested over 100 wells in Boone County. They began by researching area water quality, a part of which was to visit the county health department. They soon returned to the Health Department for training on water well testing and disinfecting. Water well testing was begun in the community and the students looked for funding to continue the project. 
     Most of the well testing work was done during the summer months as the Omaha Water Ecology Summer Program, and cannot be done when school is in session due to the amount of time required. However, students have created a training video to help homeowners who wish to test their water supply. 
     Dirst said, "This project was student-driven from the beginning," adding that the students are learning a great deal and enjoying being able to share their knowledge with members of the community. They are still searching for answers on some results, he said. 
     Additional students working on the project were: Kayla Blevins, Grant Rivera, Brittany Thomas, Abby Ellis, Andrea Mysinger, Cody Underwood, Ruth Ellis, Jeremiah Ellis, Aaron Bowling, Jane Conway, Cassandra Seals and Jennie Garren.

 
Students Test Well Water in Boone County 
     Students from Omaha High School in Boone County have been working on a water ecology project with a practical application - testing water wells. Because the project was funded, in part, by South Shore Foundation, the students pictured above made a report to the trustees at their November 2001 meeting. Students are (from left), Malinda Duggan, Keshia Koehn, Anna Mendenhall, Becky Brondel, Naomi Ellis, David Duckworth II, and Kari S. McGehee. They were accompanied by Bill Dirst, their facilitator, and Superintendent David Land.

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SS Foundation Explores Water Quality Topics, Programs

     Expressing their interest in water quality, South Shore Foundation trustees heard two presentations on the topic at their last quarterly meeting in late November. Trustee Phyllis Speer introduced speakers from two Arkansas state government programs. 
     Philip Osborne, from the state Department of Environmental Quality, talked about Arkansas WET (Water Education Team), a school-based program for junior high and senior high school students to understand and value water ecosystems.
     Then, Steve Filipek , from the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, talked about the voluntary program called Stream Team. Volunteers work under the direction of the Stream Team staff toward the goal of reducing siltation of Arkansas streams. Activities include clean-up, habitat improvement, water quality monitoring, and others.
     Each of the discussion leaders gave presentations explaining the programs and answered questions from the trustees. Osborne said the WET aquatic education program includes water quality monitoring, hands-on science, computer communication networking, and interaction of students and teachers with state and national natural resources agencies, private industry, and communities. The students - with their sponsoring teachers - obtain accurate baseline water quality data in the waters of Arkansas. Participating schools must share their experiences and knowledge with others.
     South Shore Foundation is encouraging South Shore area schools to participate in the WET program to help develop an interest among young people in water quality as well as develop interest and skills in science and technology projects. Osborne may be contacted through South Shore Trustee Phyllis Speer.
     The Stream Team concept extends water quality concerns to the general public. Steve Filipek, who is the state coordinator of the program, said there are 21 individuals and groups in the three counties of Marion, Boone, and Baxter who have formed Stream Teams. Each Stream Team adopts a stream to work on - from creeks on private land to rivers. Mini-grants are available for doing aquatic and landscape projects throughout the state.
     South Shore Foundation trustees are also interested in supporting citizen Stream Teams, and would welcome grant applications. For more information about Stream Teams, contact Speer or the northwest Arkansas Coordinator, David Evans at 870-741-5446 ext. 108.

Trustees Encourage Water Quality 
Project Grant Applications
South Shore Foundation trustees, seated around the table at their fourth quarter 2001 meeting, listen as Philip Osborne from the Arkansas Dept. of Environmental Quality (standing) discusses water quality issues in the Bull Shoals Lake watershed. Seated at right (in cap) is another guest presenter, Steve Filipek, from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

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Spotlight: Norwood Moving Systems, Inc.

Staff Members (left to right): Bobby Alexander, Bookkeeper; Diana Norwood, Owner; Kelli Schmidt, Sales Manager; (front) Judi Neumann, U-Haul & Mini Storage Manager

'Useful Links' Sorts Web Sites for You

     Now that you are on the Internet, with a wealth of information about anything you can imagine, how do you find it? One way to get started is to try the South Shore Foundation's Useful Links page. It is located on the www.southshore.com Web site. Click on the yellow button called Useful Links. 
     Our Useful Links page is not a search engine that looks for key words, it's more like a previewer. South Shore's Useful Links page links you directly to Web sites which have proven useful to local residents interested in the subjects represented. There are over 200 Web sites listed and explained. More are added each month.
     Subjects include: Arkansas, Automobiles/Driving, Careers, Computers, Dieting, Genealogy, Government, Health, Libraries, Museums, News, Pet Owners, Seniors/Retirement...and there's more, like Sports, Stock Market, Travel, Weather. 
     All Web sites are previewed by us before they are put on the list. The Web sites are all arranged in categories, so you can look for a general term and find a useful site.
     There is no need to type the Web address in the status bar, save addresses, or create bookmarks. Just come back to this growing page of useful links whenever you are looking for something on the Internet. Simply click on the site you want to visit and you are immediately there.
     If you discover a site that would be a good addition to the Useful Links page, please call Melissa Merkel, Customer Service Supervisor, at 1-800-775-6682, ext. 280, or e-mail her at mmerkel@natconet.com. 
 

Internet Tips!

     NATCO Technologies does not sign up a Web customer and then forget them. We keep in touch with you on our Web sites with our electronic newsletter, online questions and answers, and with Technical Support Tips. Started last summer, the list of tips is growing. You're apt to learn something new at www.natcotech.com.
 
          Change the page that comes up on your Internet screen to any page you want.
          Quit typing in all those www's and .coms when you are going to a Web site.
          Personalize your e-mail...choose stationery for its background.
          Learn about viruses.
          Parents can review the Windows history - in other words, find out what sites 
            your computer has been visiting up to three weeks prior.

     We thank our technical support department for sharing these tips with you and hope you'll use the tips that are there and help us discover new ones.

South Shore Soccer News

     Sign-ups for new team members are accepted any time. Pick up a registration form at the Sports Page in Flippin or call Diane Duckworth at 453-7814.
     A "British Soccer Camp" is being planned for this summer and everyone is invited to attend. SSSA will be the host, and there will be a charge. Details will be forthcoming.
     Please support Flippin's"Bobcat Soccer" for the U-14 through U-18 age players this spring. These ages will not be playing recreational SSSA this year. Games begin in February at Hickey Park in Flippin.

South Shore Soccer Micro Plastics U-11 Team Earns Trophy 
The Micro Plastics U-11 soccer team, a recreational team that plays in the South Shore Soccer Association, finished third place in the Ozark Fall Finale in West Plains, MO. Pictured are: (back row, from left) Coaches Dennis Shrable, Roger Leonard and Cindi Eastwold; (middle row, from left) Shawn Curtis, Nicholas Bailey, Brittany Hotelling, Eric Statler, Kendall Le Compte, Jordan Dennis, Helen Cougar, and Michael Leonard; (front row, from left) Brett Rorie, Jonathan Shrable, Bradley Edmonson, Travis Chaney, Ryan Eastwold, Cody Dennis, Kimberly Carpenter, and Lucas Casey. Ashley Trivett is not pictured.

Web Sites of Interest