In Touch Spring 2021

P.O. Box 1408 Dickinson, ND 58602

www.facebook.com/ConsolidatedTelcom A Publication of Consolidated Telcom 701-483-4000 • consolidatednd.com • Rhonda Fitterer, Editor Photo by Shannon Kvaale

Spring 2021

Consolidated Creative Video Services!

RDFC Grant Funds

STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION

consolidatednd.com/pick-it

4

Consolidated Telcom is the recipient of Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice & TDD). The person responsible for coordinating this organization’s nondiscrimination compliance efforts is Bryan W. Personne.

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S., STOP 9410 W., Washington, D. C. 20250-9410, or call toll free (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay). “USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.”

Consolidated is a member of the Rural Development Finance Corporation (RDFC). As a result, communities in our service area were eligible to apply for a grant of up to $2,000 for community-based projects.

RDFC is making these funds available in order that more people become aware of their larger loan program that funds community-based projects and non-profit entities with low interest loans.

RDFC gave a $1,000 grant to the Mott Fire Protection District. Grant funds will be used to replace six large garage doors on the fire hall that are over 30 years old.

Troy Mosbrucker, Fire Chief, is awarded a RDFC Grant check from Cody Brown, Fire Marshall and Consolidated Technician for the Mott area.

Whether the story you want to tell is about an idea, a person, a place, or a product, CV Production can provide you with a creative solution to reach your targeted audience.

We offer High Quality HD and 4K Video Production, Live Streaming Services, Ariel Drone Footage, On-Location Video Footage, In-Studio Green Screen Options and more.

CV Production can also create a custom made commercial using little to no on-location footage, Stock Footage or After Effects Graphics and Templates.

With the video market always changing and consistently becoming more important in the digital world of social media and digital advertising, CV Production can help come up with the right content and the right plan for your brand or campaign. From Concept to Consumer, we offer a wide range of video production services.

• TV & Social Media Video Production • Brand and Product Videos • Agency Partnerships • Ariel Footage • Testimonial Footage • 3D Animation & Visual Effects • LIVE Events 701-483-4000 • Training Videos 1-888-225-5282 • Green Screen Composting • Corporate Image Video

Remember to contact ND One-Call to equest a locate by calling 811, or 800-795-0555, or go online to www.ndonecall.com.

It's free, simple, and it's the law!

Each year Consolidated holds a COLORING CONTEST for children! PRIZES will be awarded to the winners in these three age categories:

• 0 to 4 years old • 5 to 7 years old

• 8 to 10 years old

• 11 to 13 years old -- For the official rules and to download the coloring page according to your child’s age, go to consolidatednd.com/coloring, or click on the contest banner on the homepage.

BEST INTERNET PROVIDER

Thank you for voting for us!

Homemade recipes made easy on TV with your chef hosts Laverne & Rhonda!

2021

consolidatednd.com

Business Phone Systems

Don’t Pass By This Password Reminder!

Place the cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes in a large bowl; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Pour over salad mixture and toss to coat. Chill at least two hours before serving.

You’ve heard it before, but we'll say it again. It's important to have strong passwords and change them regularly to help keep your accounts safe. Here are the basics: • Don't use personal information.

This includes names of people in your family, your address, or birthdays, since this information can be publicly available to hackers.

• Don't use real words. Password cracking tools can process every word in the dictionary until a match is found. Instead, use uppercase and lowercase letters combined with special characters such as "&" or "#."

• Create longer passwords.

The longer it is, the better. Try for at least 10 characters.

• Don't use the same password for multiple websites.

If one website has a data breach and you've used that password elsewhere, it's easier for hackers to steal more information.

• Change your passwords.

Get in the habit of changing them twice a year when you reset your clocks for Daylight Saving Time.

Important Dates & Notes:

• Happy Easter on Sunday, April 4th.

Sausage Kraut Casserole

Note to All Home Cooks!

Send in your favorite recipes by either method listed below and become part of the Cooking Crave TV show!

Laverne & Rhonda will share your favorite recipes with their viewers!

1. visit Website at: consolidatednd.com/cookingcrave 2. Mail to: Consolidated/Rhonda Fitterer PO Box 1408 Dickinson, ND 58602

• 2021 Home Show in Dickinson. Stop by and visit our booth at the West River Ice Center (2004 Fairway St.) on Saturday, April 10th from 10am to 5pm., and Sunday, April 11th from Noon to 5pm.

2

• Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 9th • Office Closed. The Consolidated office will be closed on Monday, May 31st for Memorial Day.

1 1/2 lb. pork sausage 10 oz. egg noodles 1 large can sauerkraut with juice 1 tsp onion salt 1 Tbsp. poppy seed 1 cup cream 1 cup half & half Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook sausage and cut into half inch piece; set aside. At the same time the sausage is cooking; cook egg noodles until about half cooked; drain and set aside. In a large bowl combine noodles, sauerkraut, onion salt, poppy seed, cream and half & half; mix until well combined; add sausage and transfer to a large casserole dish with cover. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

Manage your account easily!

• Blackout Bingo ends on Tuesday, April 27th.

483-4000 consolidatednd.com

Salad: 2 large cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced 1 small onion, peeled & thinly sliced 3 small Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced Dressing: 1/3 cup low-fat sour cream 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp. white vinegar 2 Tbsps. low-fat milk 1/2 to 3/4 tsp sugar 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley 2 Tbsps. chopped fresh dill 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp salt, to taste

-- or STOP BY the Consolidated office and pick up the coloring page.

-- RETURN the coloring page by mail or bring it to our office by April 30, 2021. Include child’s name, age, and phone number.

German Cucumber Salad

MyAccount

My life, made easy!

®

• Intuitive design features a user-friendly experience!

• Monitor your account quickly and easily!

• View and pay your bill conveniently!

• Contact Consolidated quickly and easily!

• Download the Consolidated MyAccount App today!

German Pancakes 4 Tbsp. butter 6 eggs 1 cup milk

1 cup flour Dash of salt 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in a 9 x 13 pan in oven while it is preheating. Place eggs, milk, flour, salt and vanilla in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Pour batter into baking dish with melted butter. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Optional: once out of oven, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with syrup or Quick Mixed Berry Topping.

German Sauerkraut

16 oz. plain sauerkraut (do not use caraway seed) 1 lb. bacon cut into 1 inch strips 1 lb. potatoes skinned and cubed 2 cups flour 1 egg Pinch of salt Water Place bacon in a covered skillet on medium heat and cook till strips fall apart. Keep stirring through entire process between every step. Drain sauerkraut and place into skillet with bacon and bacon grease.

Put cubed potatoes in large pot and boil until tender while making the knoephla, after tender place potatoes into skillet.

Bring water to boil in a large Dutch oven. Combine flour, egg and salt in a bowl and stir. Add water slowly until a medium thick dough is created. Take a spoonful and spoon small drops into boiling water until bottom is full then stir pieces off the bottom of pot. Boil until floating and firm, then remove with slotted spoon and place into skilled with bacon and sauerkraut. Repeat until all knoephla is cooked and in skillet.

Fry all ingredients together while stirring until the knoephla, potatoes and sauerkraut start to get crispy.

Download at:

3

Each year Consolidated holds a COLORING CONTEST for children! PRIZES will be awarded to the winners in these three age categories:

• 0 to 4 years old • 5 to 7 years old

• 8 to 10 years old

• 11 to 13 years old -- For the official rules and to download the coloring page according to your child’s age, go to consolidatednd.com/coloring, or click on the contest banner on the homepage.

BEST INTERNET PROVIDER

Thank you for voting for us!

Homemade recipes made easy on TV with your chef hosts Laverne & Rhonda!

2021

consolidatednd.com

Business Phone Systems

Don’t Pass By This Password Reminder!

Place the cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes in a large bowl; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Pour over salad mixture and toss to coat. Chill at least two hours before serving.

You’ve heard it before, but we'll say it again. It's important to have strong passwords and change them regularly to help keep your accounts safe. Here are the basics: • Don't use personal information.

This includes names of people in your family, your address, or birthdays, since this information can be publicly available to hackers.

• Don't use real words. Password cracking tools can process every word in the dictionary until a match is found. Instead, use uppercase and lowercase letters combined with special characters such as "&" or "#."

• Create longer passwords.

The longer it is, the better. Try for at least 10 characters.

• Don't use the same password for multiple websites.

If one website has a data breach and you've used that password elsewhere, it's easier for hackers to steal more information.

• Change your passwords.

Get in the habit of changing them twice a year when you reset your clocks for Daylight Saving Time.

Important Dates & Notes:

• Happy Easter on Sunday, April 4th.

Sausage Kraut Casserole

Note to All Home Cooks!

Send in your favorite recipes by either method listed below and become part of the Cooking Crave TV show!

Laverne & Rhonda will share your favorite recipes with their viewers!

1. visit Website at: consolidatednd.com/cookingcrave 2. Mail to: Consolidated/Rhonda Fitterer PO Box 1408 Dickinson, ND 58602

• 2021 Home Show in Dickinson. Stop by and visit our booth at the West River Ice Center (2004 Fairway St.) on Saturday, April 10th from 10am to 5pm., and Sunday, April 11th from Noon to 5pm.

2

• Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 9th • Office Closed. The Consolidated office will be closed on Monday, May 31st for Memorial Day.

1 1/2 lb. pork sausage 10 oz. egg noodles 1 large can sauerkraut with juice 1 tsp onion salt 1 Tbsp. poppy seed 1 cup cream 1 cup half & half Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook sausage and cut into half inch piece; set aside. At the same time the sausage is cooking; cook egg noodles until about half cooked; drain and set aside. In a large bowl combine noodles, sauerkraut, onion salt, poppy seed, cream and half & half; mix until well combined; add sausage and transfer to a large casserole dish with cover. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

Manage your account easily!

• Blackout Bingo ends on Tuesday, April 27th.

483-4000 consolidatednd.com

Salad: 2 large cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced 1 small onion, peeled & thinly sliced 3 small Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced Dressing: 1/3 cup low-fat sour cream 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp. white vinegar 2 Tbsps. low-fat milk 1/2 to 3/4 tsp sugar 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley 2 Tbsps. chopped fresh dill 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp salt, to taste

-- or STOP BY the Consolidated office and pick up the coloring page.

-- RETURN the coloring page by mail or bring it to our office by April 30, 2021. Include child’s name, age, and phone number.

German Cucumber Salad

MyAccount

My life, made easy!

®

• Intuitive design features a user-friendly experience!

• Monitor your account quickly and easily!

• View and pay your bill conveniently!

• Contact Consolidated quickly and easily!

• Download the Consolidated MyAccount App today!

German Pancakes 4 Tbsp. butter 6 eggs 1 cup milk

1 cup flour Dash of salt 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in a 9 x 13 pan in oven while it is preheating. Place eggs, milk, flour, salt and vanilla in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Pour batter into baking dish with melted butter. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Optional: once out of oven, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with syrup or Quick Mixed Berry Topping.

German Sauerkraut

16 oz. plain sauerkraut (do not use caraway seed) 1 lb. bacon cut into 1 inch strips 1 lb. potatoes skinned and cubed 2 cups flour 1 egg Pinch of salt Water Place bacon in a covered skillet on medium heat and cook till strips fall apart. Keep stirring through entire process between every step. Drain sauerkraut and place into skillet with bacon and bacon grease.

Put cubed potatoes in large pot and boil until tender while making the knoephla, after tender place potatoes into skillet.

Bring water to boil in a large Dutch oven. Combine flour, egg and salt in a bowl and stir. Add water slowly until a medium thick dough is created. Take a spoonful and spoon small drops into boiling water until bottom is full then stir pieces off the bottom of pot. Boil until floating and firm, then remove with slotted spoon and place into skilled with bacon and sauerkraut. Repeat until all knoephla is cooked and in skillet.

Fry all ingredients together while stirring until the knoephla, potatoes and sauerkraut start to get crispy.

Download at:

3

P.O. Box 1408 Dickinson, ND 58602

www.facebook.com/ConsolidatedTelcom A Publication of Consolidated Telcom 701-483-4000 • consolidatednd.com • Rhonda Fitterer, Editor Photo by Shannon Kvaale

Spring 2021

Consolidated Creative Video Services!

RDFC Grant Funds

STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION

consolidatednd.com/pick-it

4

Consolidated Telcom is the recipient of Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice & TDD). The person responsible for coordinating this organization’s nondiscrimination compliance efforts is Bryan W. Personne.

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S., STOP 9410 W., Washington, D. C. 20250-9410, or call toll free (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay). “USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.”

Consolidated is a member of the Rural Development Finance Corporation (RDFC). As a result, communities in our service area were eligible to apply for a grant of up to $2,000 for community-based projects.

RDFC is making these funds available in order that more people become aware of their larger loan program that funds community-based projects and non-profit entities with low interest loans.

RDFC gave a $1,000 grant to the Mott Fire Protection District. Grant funds will be used to replace six large garage doors on the fire hall that are over 30 years old.

Troy Mosbrucker, Fire Chief, is awarded a RDFC Grant check from Cody Brown, Fire Marshall and Consolidated Technician for the Mott area.

Whether the story you want to tell is about an idea, a person, a place, or a product, CV Production can provide you with a creative solution to reach your targeted audience.

We offer High Quality HD and 4K Video Production, Live Streaming Services, Ariel Drone Footage, On-Location Video Footage, In-Studio Green Screen Options and more.

CV Production can also create a custom made commercial using little to no on-location footage, Stock Footage or After Effects Graphics and Templates.

With the video market always changing and consistently becoming more important in the digital world of social media and digital advertising, CV Production can help come up with the right content and the right plan for your brand or campaign. From Concept to Consumer, we offer a wide range of video production services.

• TV & Social Media Video Production • Brand and Product Videos • Agency Partnerships • Ariel Footage • Testimonial Footage • 3D Animation & Visual Effects • LIVE Events 701-483-4000 • Training Videos 1-888-225-5282 • Green Screen Composting • Corporate Image Video

Remember to contact ND One-Call to equest a locate by calling 811, or 800-795-0555, or go online to www.ndonecall.com.

It's free, simple, and it's the law!