TeleTimes Magazine Article Features NATCO

A national telephone industry trade magazine, TeleTimes, published an article about NATCO in its January/February edition. Publications Manager Mireille Mather invited NATCO to be featured in a new section of its magazine called TeleCommunity. The topic of the section is how telephone companies help out in their communities. NATCO is the first company to be selected for this new feature in the magazine.

TeleTimes is the trade magazine of the United States Telecommunications Association.

Mather said NATCO was selected on the basis of its activities to assist communities in its service area through the South Shore Foundation grants, scholarships, and other efforts. She invited the article and assigned its preparation to Brooks-Jeffrey Marketing, Inc. of Mountain Home.

NATCO Improves Internet Speeds, Network Function

Travis Sullivan loads software into the Nortel Access Node.

NATCO has upgraded its telephone system in the past decade, just completing another major project - integrating new equipment to eliminate any drag on the system where old-style analog signals had to be converted to digital signals causing system slow-down.

Steven Sanders Jr., plant manager for NATCO, said the project's completion means faster Internet dialup speeds in the Flippin, Omaha, and Pyatt exchanges and better delivery of advanced telephone services in remote areas. Network Services Supervisor Travis Sullivan and his technicians will find the network somewhat easier to manage now, also, due to the elimination of certain analog to digital conversions.

According to Sanders, "Essentially, the integration project creates a fully digital network, eliminating the analog to digital conversions that limit digital transmissions, including Internet."

This project is a refinement in the company's digital switching system, installed in 1993 with the main switch at Lead Hill - one of the six exchanges NATCO serves. Eight years ago, NATCO completely rebuilt the telephone system, using fiber optic technology to carry advanced digital services such as call forwarding and many others, two-channel lines for Internet and telephone (or fax/data use simultaneously), and today's high bandwidth telephone/Internet services.

The digital switching rebuild project cost $16 million, and the recent improvements were also costly, Sanders said.

NATCO's next improvement project is installation of similar but smaller sized equipment in the Harmon and Cricket Creek areas to continue to allow NATCO to provide the most current technological services to customers in those areas.

NATCO Turns 50

Northern Arkansas Telephone Company turns 50 this year. The company is planning a special event April 27th to celebrate the occasion, including activities for customers.

The late Raymond E. Sanders and Artel Chamberlain established NATCO in 1951 with the help of attorney David Bridewell as the third incorporator. Mr. Sanders died in 1982, Mr. Chamberlain died in 1981, and Mr. Bridewell is also deceased.

Two succeeding generations of the Sanders family - Steven Sr. and Steven Jr. - remain active in the company as President and Vice President, and Steven Sr. is also President of South Shore Foundation. Ray Sanders' widow, Millie, was a director until 1998, and still resides in Bull Shoals. As company directors, Shirley Chamberlain, Artel Chamberlain's widow and her son Warren Stidolph still represent the Chamberlain family's interest in the company.

Please watch for further announcements in the media concerning the NATCO 50th anniversary.

Grants Presentation Now on Web Site

Nonprofit organizations in the area could benefit from information now available on the South Shore Foundation's Web site.

Taken from last year's Foundation Grants Workshop 2000 a presentation made by the Arkansas Department of Rural Services is now available in full on the Web site, accessible at www.southshore.com/foundation.

At the workshop, DRS representatives Pam Ullrich and Richard Harris described funding programs available through the Arkansas Rural Development Commission (ARDC). Projects involving community services, such as civic centers, fire departments, and public parks can receive funding, up to $15,000, from the ARDC. The grants require a 50/50 matching commitment from the organization, which can be from cash or in-kind donations.

There are four programs with funding available for Arkansas communities: the Rural Community Fire Protection Grant Program, the Rural Community Development Grant Program, the County Fair Building Grant Program and the Rural Services Block Grant Program.

The online presentation includes information on how to complete the ARDC application for each of these four programs. There is also a description of how the selection process works, what kinds of proposals will be most successful, and how to ensure the information provided is complete.

Help Directory on Web Soon

One hundred service organizations in Baxter and Marion County will soon be listed together and their services explained on a new Web site. A project of the United Community Resource Council of Baxter County, which is a cooperative effort of 24 such groups, the Web site is funded with grants from South Shore Foundation at Flippin and the TEA Coalition. The Web site is now being developed and will be online in about 60 days, according to Susan Partney, spokesperson for the UCRC project.

For more information about the UCRC, call Mrs. Partney at (870) 425-7974.

Students to Receive Environmental Study Kits with South Shore Foundation Grant of $2,745

Marg Bangert (left) and South Shore Foundation Trustee Phyllis Speer show Audubon materials for students.

South Shore Foundation has, once again, approved a grant to place environmental study kits - Audubon Adventures - in area schools. South Shore Foundation's grant this year is $2,745 to the Audubon Society of North Central Arkansas to purchase kits for 61 classrooms of third, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in Flippin, Bruno-Pyatt, Bergman, Lead Hill, Omaha, and Yellville-Summit schools. This is an increase of approximately $800 this year, which covers additional kits.

Each kit contains materials for 32 students on four specific topics, a classroom poster, a video, and a teacher's guide for additional environmental study activities for the students.

The Audubon Society meets the second Monday of each month at 1 p.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Highway 5 North, Mountain Home.

Travis Sullivan Promoted to Network Services Supervisor

Northern Arkansas Telephone Company has announced the promotion of Travis Sullivan to Network Services Supervisor. A 24-year NATCO employee, Sullivan will now supervise the daily activities of the network, planning, engineering, and activation of new services, according to Plant Manager Steven Sanders Jr.

Sullivan is a native of the area and a Yellville-Summit High School graduate. He received additional training at Twin Lakes Vocational Technical School and through numerous Nortel training courses.

Sullivan said he was looking forward to his new duties in order to provide the highest quality of service to NATCO customers, as well as to broaden his knowledge of the field. Sullivan enjoys golf and is a member of Big Creek Golf and Country Club.

Douglas Smith Named Resident Engineer

Northern Arkansas Telephone Company Plant Manager Steven Sanders Jr. has announced the employment of Douglas Fredrick Smith as Resident Engineer. With over 20 years of experience in telephone construction and engineering, Smith has joined NATCO to oversee designing of outside plant facilities and updating existing records. In his new position with NATCO, Smith said he would be able to utilize his knowledge of telephone engineering in new and challenging ways.

Smith has lived in the area since 1986. He is originally from Versailles, IN, where he graduated from South Ripley High School. His work with Hollingsworth Engineering Co. involved travel for 10 years until he settled in Harrison. Smith has also worked for CT&T Engineering in Little Rock, and, most recently, with Mitchell Engineering for over 10 years.

Doug and Shelena Smith, a teacher at Berryville High School, are parents of a son, Sean, who is a PFC in the U.S. Army, serving in Korea. Smith has been president of the North Arkansas Soccer Association in Harrison, enjoys other sports such as boating and skiing on Bull Shoals Lake and following the Arkansas Razorbacks as a fan.

Carson Joins NATCO as Outside Plant Supervisor

NATCO Plant Manager Steven Sanders Jr. announces the employment of J. David Carson, formerly of Chicago, as Outside Plant Supervisor. Previously a technical supervisor for AT&T, Carson is returning to Arkansas to be closer to his family in Springdale.

Carson will supervise installation, repairs, construction, and all other outside plant activities. Carson attended Southwest Missouri State University and received additional training through numerous AT&T courses during his 14 years of employment with the firm.

Carson and his wife Sally have three children. A private pilot, Carson enjoys flying whenever possible, reading books, and playing golf.

Sherrill Joins Construction

Shannon Ricky Sherrill has begun work for NATCO in construction. A lifelong area resident, Sherrill is an apprentice lineman. He has previous experience in the field as an employee of Grus International.

A graduate of Calico Rock High School, he also completed 10 weeks of training at DeVry Institute. Sherrill and his wife Sondra have two children. He enjoys hunting, fishing, racing, camping, football, basketball, and baseball.
 

Spotlight: DSL at Baxter Bulletin

The Baxter Bulletin newspaper in Mountain Home recently chose DSL service - digital subscriber line - from NATCO to bring high-speed Internet to the 36 employees who use the Internet in their company. Now, the DSL service is the primary Internet gateway at the newspaper, fed to each workstation via Ethernet.

Information Technology Manager at the Bulletin, Nathan Fahlenkamp, said DSL serves their needs well. "DSL is great for the upload speed because we send large files as well as receive large files." The Bulletin chose one type of DSL which does provide the higher uploading speeds (SDSL). However, this is not a factor for many Internet users, whose usual function is to download files.

Nationwide, businesses with 100 or fewer employees are finding DSL an attractive telephone and Internet service because of two primary factors - it offers high speed Internet service and works without having to install an additional phone line. The Bulletin fits into this size category with over 70 employees. "Now, we have the ability to have Internet service to all user desks," Fahlenkamp stated.

Just like NATCO is doing, companies which offer DSL nationwide are working quickly to provide the service to as many customers as possible. NATCO has announced that DSL is now available in Bull Shoals, in addition to Flippin and Mountain Home. A customer's exact location must still be pinpointed, however, to determine if the business or residence can receive DSL due to its geographic distance from a central office.

For the Bulletin, which was shopping for the fastest Internet speeds at the best price, DSL outshone T1 service because of its speed. And, the price was competitive, Fahlenkamp stated. All in all, Fahlenkamp rates DSL very highly, a 9 out of a possible 10, on the way DSL is performing for The Baxter Bulletin.

For information about DSL connections, residents of Flippin, Mountain Home, and Bull Shoals may contact NATCO Customer Service at 1-800-775-6682.

2001-2002 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, began sales by telephone in March, and will continue until June 2001.

If you wish to have an account executive visit your business, please check with us by May 1st. Call 1-800-775-6682.

The account executives serving NATCO will be: Mic Atchety, Jim Vaughn, Jackie Matulka, Andy Jakub and Chris Vaughn.

NATCO Offers New Conference Call Service

Any business, individual, or family in the region - not just in the NATCO service area - can take advantage of a new service being offered by Northern Arkansas Telephone Company. It is call conferencing using a phone bridge service.

"With just 24 hours' notice, NATCO can set up a custom phone-in number for your conference call connecting up to 25 callers. The first thirty minutes of your conference call costs only $75 with each additional thirty minutes billed at only $25." said Melissa Merkel, NATCO customer service supervisor.

NATCO officials say advantages of conference calling include reduction of expenses associated with business travel as well as the time and complications of travel. "We think the phone bridge conference call will help area businesses save time, save money, and get more work done faster," according to NATCO Plant Manager Steven Sanders Jr. "And, for some of the same reasons, volunteer organizations, families, and friends can take advantage of this service for getting together for a discussion when an in-person meeting is impossible."

Since conference calls are planned in advance, NATCO is providing a convenient way to set up a conference call. Planning ahead by at least one business day allows NATCO to reserve a time slot and set up the access number so a conference call will be held efficiently. Access to the special number will be disconnected following the call.

"By taking advantage of the NATCO phone bridge conference calling service," Sanders pointed out, "companies can budget well. Conference calling on a large scale is not something most businesses conduct on a regular basis," he noted, "so purchasing a telephone system that accommodates conference calling may not be cost effective."

For more information, contact NATCO Customer Service Representative Allison Deady at 1-800-775-6682.

Now Pay Bills Online at NATCO

Youth Leadership Team Adds South Shore to its Name

South Shore Foundation is proud to become a major sponsor of Marion County Youth Leadership Team. After awarding a $3,500 grant to the leadership team in January, South Shore Foundation will lend its name to the youth leadership training effort undertaken by Entergy, the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in Marion County, and area schools.

The youth leadership team, now in its first year, consists of ninth-grade students, usually seven from each of three Marion County schools. Students attend monthly sessions about goal setting and decision making skills, learn about civic responsibility, including a visit to the state Capitol, learn about business, careers, job interviews, and complete a personality assessment workshop and ropes course. As a group, they create projects that will benefit the community.

Dr. Steven Sanders, South Shore Foundation's president, invited the team to have one session at NATCO to learn about telecommunications technology. South Shore Foundation trustees will honor participants at the end of the year's program by presenting certificates of completion.

Others assisting the program next year will be UA Cooperative Extension specialists Mike Klumpp, (communications), Dr. Joe Waldrum (leadership development) and Heber Springs Economic Developer Bill Inman (business management), local public officials, and Arkansas State University Mountain Home.

The youth leadership team consists of the following members this year: Laura Bardsley, Amanda Hobbs, Valerie Settlemoir, Jeff Trogdon, Noah Chagnon, Mary Beth Patton, and Andrew Stroud of Bruno-Pyatt; Wendie Choudary, Amy Herbst, Ashley Myers, Brookee Davis, Amanda Lee, and Ashley Stevens of Flippin; and Katie Bertotti, John Cortez, Jo Jo Rinker, Joshua Brandow, Geric Fatheree, and Terra Layton of Yellville-Summit.

Advisory Committee Members are:

• Steve Hobbs and Renee Myers, cochairs
• Janie Purdom, treasurer
• Kary Duffy and Joyce Boggan of Yellville-Summit School
• Vicki Stokes and Ricky Walker of Bruno-Pyatt School
• Dr. John Carey, Cathy Long, Dale Query, and Treva Phillips of Flippin School
• Terry Davis, county Extension agent
• Mike Ragland of Entergy
• Attorney Sam Pasthings
• Yellville Mayor Janelle Kirkwood
• Suzan McKracken, president of Marion County Youth Leadership Team

For more information about the youth leadership team, contact Renee Myers, county Extension agent - family and consumer science, 870-449-6349.

Spotlight: Web Site of Fiber-Tel Contractors, Inc.

Fiber-Tel Contractors, Inc., has employees who are going places. The firm truly works nationwide. In fact, a map showing "Where We've Been" reveals that Fiber-Tel has worked in nearly every state, except extreme Northeast locations. You can get to know Fiber-Tel Contractors because President Michael Mansfield has provided a convenient way to market his company's services to potential clients throughout the nation - a Web site at www.fibertelcontractors.com.

In Mountain Home since 1992, Fiber-Tel Contractors specializes in fiber optic cable services. Once offering just splicing and testing, Mansfield has recently expanded into placing fiber and copper cable and the engineering of such projects. Two new divisions bear the name of Fiber-Tel Contractors' founder and president: Mansfield Fiber Cable and Mansfield Engineering. By adding the divisions, Mansfield said his aim is to provide clients more of a turnkey operation.

But, his philosophy of business and his pledge to customers remain the same, to offer the best quality workmanship, utilizing the best equipment available, and performing work in a safe manner.

The Web site showcases the equipment Fiber-Tel owns and uses for remote site work, including photos of onsite work. Services are listed and described in detail. Products sold are listed. Locations where the company has worked are shown. Key staff members are pictured and their experience highlighted. Mansfield can be seen teaching an emergency service restoration class, and the company warranty proclaims this to be a group of people that provide reliable services.

How has a Web site helped Fiber-Tel? Mansfield answers, "I'd say it has saved us a lot of time that we would otherwise have used in introducing ourselves to potential clients." Mansfield lets his Web site do the part of the work it can, while he does the part that he is best at doing - serving his telecommunications clients throughout the nation.

Online Yellow Pages Expanded... Is Your Business Online?

From A to Z, or actually A to Y, area businesses are listed on the NATCO Online Yellow Pages. Is your business there? To check it out, go to www.natconet.com or www.southshore.com and then select the Yellow Pages button.

Recently, as a service to the businesses of our area, NATCO added to its Online Yellow Pages all the businesses with listings in our printed Ozark Regional Directory yellow pages. There is no charge involved in the additional online listing at this time. All the categories in the printed telephone directory are also available to businesses for the online directory now.

If your business has a Web page and you would like it linked to the Online Yellow Pages, NATCO will be happy to do so for you free of charge. Just fill out the Link Request form (go to www.natconet.com or www.southshore.com then select the Yellow Pages button) and send it to us. (We will not link a page without a request from the owner.)

But, don't think you must have a Web site to be listed. You do not need a Web site to have a business listing on the Online Yellow Pages. If you have a business in the NATCO area, we at NATCO want to help promote it. This is our way of doing so at no charge to you. We say "thanks" for being in the arena of commerce and taking the risks any business does to provide a service or a product to the public. Whether your field is aerobics or automobiles, baits or cakes, laundries or linoleum, or on down the list of categories to yard goods and youth centers, we're glad you're here in the south shore. See ya' online.

Web Sites of Interest

On NATCO's Web site - www.southshore.com/useful.htm, many sites of interest are hot linked for easy access. Various subjects and sources of information are listed and updated frequently.

www.southshore.com
South Shore's Web site features tourism, relocation and business information for communities in or near the south shore of Bull Shoals Lake. The site includes driving tours, a calendar of events, maps, online yellow page links, and news from the South Shore Foundation, the charitable foundation funded by NATCO.

www.natconet.com
NATCO's Web site features NATCO News online, current new about the telephone company, and detailed information on the digital services offered. At www.natconet.com/newsletter/ you can find our electronic newsletter for Internet customers.

Business
www.loglink.com or
www.world-exports.net/siccodes.shtml
Federal economic statistics are based upon the Standard Industrial Classifications of establishments in the United States. Find out what the codes are at these sites.

Health & Medicine
www.cancer.org
American Cancer Society

www.americanheart.org
American Heart Association

www.diabetes.org
American Diabetes Association

www.curearthritis.org
Arthritis National Research Foundation

Science & Nature
www.mbayaq.org
Web site of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The Web site has sections especially for children, families, and teachers, plus games. Readers can look up many sea life topics.

www.exploratorium.edu/sports/index.html
Learn the physics of skateboarding and mountain biking, or swing at virtual fast balls in the baseball demo.

www.madsci.org
Mad Science Network is the laboratory that never sleeps, answering questions and providing ideas for science projects.

www.biointeractive.org
A gallery of interactive biology and medicine exhibits lets you listen to a faulty heart or watch a salmonella bacterium invade the intestines.

www.natconet.com | www.natcotech.com | www.southshore.com

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Northern Arkansas Telephone Company | 301 East Main Street | Flippin, Arkansas, 72634
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