Fourth Quarter, 1999
Five Decades of Progress and
Change
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Not since Bull Shoals Dam was under construction 49 years ago has a time period been so full of change as the 1990s has been for NATCO. Then, construction activity was very visible: Bull Shoals Dam, roads, homes, utilities, and more. Now, building the telecommunications "superhighway" rests on fiber optic cable, digital devices, and circuit boards, making possible electronic journeys into cyberspace to retrieve the information we see on our computer screens. (And, that's just technological changes. Deregulation of the telephone industry is another, complicated story of the 1990s.)
All this time, the Sanders family has owned and developed NATCO, one of the nation's independent small telephone companies that knows how to get things done and stay competitive.
From switchboards in the early 1950s to circuit boards for Internet connections in the 1990s, this company has remained true to its first telephone directory motto: "Watch Us Grow."
A quick review of how your telephone service has changed in the 1990s finds:
1990-1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
The Year 2000 is just around the corner, and whatever it holds, NATCO is as prepared as possible. As a result of our Year 2000 Committee's work, NATCO has made the necessary investment to provide continuing service for our customers at the turn of the century. According to NATCO officials, no one can say with 100 percent certainty that an individual or a company is ready for whatever may arise when the Year 2000 begins. But, you can be assured that we've made every effort to be ready. "Hopefully, the move into the Year 2000 and beyond will be smooth with no problems. If that is the case, the investments NATCO has made to provide backup and emergency services will serve us well in the future at times when service is normally stressed - bad weather and electrical storms," said Steven Sanders, Jr., Vice President. Our Year 2000 Committee has been at work since 1997 readying our equipment and procedures for the new millennium. All segments of the company have been represented. If you still have questions about your home or business telecommunications equipment, contact the manufacturers of your phone, fax and computer equipment to confirm Y2K compatibility. Links to some companies can be found on our Web site, www.natconet.com/y2k.htm. |
Deck the Town with Christmas Lights
NATCO helped the city of Bull Shoals put up its Christmas decorations on Thursday, November 18. At top, Doug Ferguson, a Bull Shoals city employee, brings a string of lights to NATCO's Denny Derrickson who is ready to go up in the NATCO bucket truck, driven by Terry Heptinstall. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all in the South Shore!
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Gift Certificates for NATCO Technologies Internet services were awarded to 13 lucky winners at recent public events when visitors came to the NATCO Technologies booth or table. At the 1999 Baxter County Fair, winners of Internet Service Gift Certificates were: Ron Stokes, Willie Weimer (Sept. 15.); Lisa Willis, Vicky Dunn (Sept. 16); Ray and Candy Barnes, Ted Lamkin Jr. (Sept. 17); Cindy Fowler, Dana Sherburne (Sept. 18). At the Mountain Home Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at the Comfort Inn in Mountain Home, winners were: Marsha Wait, Karen Hopper, Nicole Graham, Cleo Holm, and Hsuehju Williams. |
NATCO Open House
and Technology The NATCO Open House and Technology Showcase was the place to be on the afternoon of November 11, 1999, a beautiful autumn day in Flippin. Approximately 300 visitors arrived during the afternoon and early evening. Nearly all winners of the student art and essay contests (38 out of 46) along with their family members, came after 6 p.m. It was a great attendance! Demonstrations of our newer services were well-received. Included were demonstrations of ISDN, ADSL, Internet, Web TV, Video Conferencing, Centrex, and the free South Shore Bulletin Board System. This is an exciting time as NATCO customers discover how much technology is now available through our company and how to use it to their benefit. If you have additional questions about these services or any other service you are interested in, please contact our Customer Service Department at 1-800-775-6682 ext. 323. KTLO Radio's Bob Knight and Brad Haworth interviewed NATCO's president, Dr. Steven G. Sanders, who discussed the new ADSL high-speed service, and talked with Steven G. Sanders Jr. and Betty Barker Smith, NATCO vice presidents, about NATCO Internet Services and the South Shore Foundation. The Internet booth seemed to attract the most visitors, according to Betty Barker Smith, vice president. But, the other booths drew many interested customers as well. NATCO enjoys hosting the annual Open House and Technology Showcase because it enhances communication between our customers and our company. Thanks for coming! Winners of the door prizes awarded at the Open House are as follows: South Shore T-Shirt and Cap
Gift Certificates for Internet Service for 3 Months
Caller ID Telephone and 1 Month ID Service
ISDN Adapter and Free Month
Century Tel T-Shirt
Winners of the children's coloring and essay contests were awarded prizes and photographed for the newsletter and newspapers in the area, to the great enjoyment of their parents and family members. For those of you not involved with this children's activity, NATCO invites all six area local schools to participate in this annual contest, grades K-8. Some schools participate and others do not, and participation does vary from year to year. But, we always have some great drawings and essays. Each grade is given a topic for their picture, and the essay writers who compete can choose from two topics. This year's topics were "Freedom of Speech and the Internet" or "Preparing for Y2K." The top winners take home monetary prizes from $25 up, and certificates and ribbons. Winning entries in the coloring and essay contests were exhibited at the Open House. Again, thanks for coming. We hope you had a great time. See you again next year! Coloring Contest Winners Kindergarten
First Grade
Second Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Essay Winners
7th & 8th Grades
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1999 NATCO Coloring Contest Winners
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Fishing For a New
Computer?
These and other questions sometimes come up among our customers. In an effort to help you with these decisions, we offer these suggestions for you to consider: Processor
Monitors/Graphics Cards
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Web Sites Important to Tourism Businesses
Members of Ozark Mountain Region Tourism Association (OMR) discussed the value of a Web site to tourism-related businesses at a recent Internet seminar. Sponsored by Northern Arkansas Telephone Company, the day-long seminar was presented by Brooks-Jeffrey Marketing, Inc. of Mountain Home. Four sessions spread over a full day concentrated on making a business Web site more effective. The day began with general discussion of Internet basics and ended with talk about e-commerce and legal issues on the horizon. Three speakers from Brooks-Jeffrey Marketing, Inc. emphasized how important the 24-hour availability of information can be to a tourism-related business. Members of OMR in attendance included owners of resorts, tourist attractions and area shops; some had been online for more than four years, while others were still exploring the value of a Web site. "I'm encouraged to see so many forward-looking businesses in our area realizing the potential of this medium," Shannon Brooks, of Brooks-Jeffrey Marketing, Inc. said. NATCO Technologies, a division of Northern Arkansas Telephone Company in Flippin, serves the South Shore region of Bull Shoals Lake. NATCO Technologies offers Internet dial-up access service to 17 towns and communities in Baxter, Marion and Boone counties. In addition, NATCO Technologies offers Web site hosting services for businesses located throughout the Ozark Mountain Region. Twin Lakes Region's First and
Largest Serving 17 communities in Arkansas, NATCO offers unlimited local 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 Access 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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Arkansas Telephone Company | 301 East Main Street | Flippin, Arkansas,
72634
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05.08.2001bjm318FP2000
