In Touch Summer 2021

Summer 2021

Consolidated Awarded Business of the Year !

Consolidated

“Since 1961, Consolidated has been providing customers across SW North Dakota with incredible telecommunication services. In March of 2020, Consolidated stepped up and stepped in to provide their services so that EVERYONE was able to learn and work remotely to keep our community moving forward, safely,” said Laurie Strommen, presenter.

One of the many things we learned over the course of the last 18 months and through the COVID pandemic, is the need for reliable Internet service. We had to think “outside the box” and come up with ways to serve our existing customers and connect new customers safely. Our employees are our greatest resource and they helped with new processes and procedures needed to serve our communities and get families connected.

In 2020, when the governor closed schools, our area schools were greatly impacted. Businesses, as well, had to close or reduce staff. Because we quickly put in place new infrastructure, we were able to help schools and businesses keep moving by setting up remote connections for them.

The mission of Consolidated is to deliver a state-ofthe-art network that provides advanced services to our customers. We strive to treat each other, and our customers with respect and dignity, honesty and

integrity, doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason. Arguably, no one could have foreseen what the impact of the pandemic was going to entail, but when challenges arise, communities come together and support one another.

As we celebrate our 60th Anniversary this year, we look forward to serving our customers for the next 60 years and beyond with the same values we conduct business with today.

Photo by Nolan Overton

Dickinson Area Chamber’s 114 t h Awards Banquet

Pictured L to R: Ron Rhoades, Rhonda Fitterer, Marleah Marsh, Robbin Schwindt, Chris Klaman

was named Business of the Year at the Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce’s 114th Annual Banquet on April 27th.

Kenny Kostelecky started his career at Consolidated in 1990 as a wireless cable TV installer. Over the next 30 years, he worked in different departments doing various jobs from installing, fiber splicing, to most recently supervising the construction department. Kenny was instrumental in the growth of Consolidated with his “can do” attitude, willingness to learn and get the job done right. Kenny’s commitment and dedication to Consolidated will be missed. We wish Kenny the best retirement!

Luci Dullum started her career at Consolidated on December 30, 2000. She had previously worked for Charter Communications. Luci worked in our Customer Service Department providing total customer care from selling services to scheduling appointments to answering billing questions and everything in between. She took an active role in many Consolidated projects near to her heart. She helped with our annual holiday drive, Angel Tree at Christmas, and was the Project Hope coordinator in which employees donated money for cancer awareness. Luci’s non-stop humor and dedication to Consolidated will be missed. We wish Luci the best in retirement!

Ken Weisenberger started his career at Consolidated in May of 1989 as an accountant and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in 1999. Ken was an instrumental member on the management team over the past 32 years. Ken stated, “I am proud that I was a part of the growth of this company and was able to participate in many projects that set us up to be successful into the future. I am so fortunate and thankful to have had the opportunity to be employed at Consolidated over the past 32 years. Thank you to the Board of Directors, staff and management at Consolidated for a great career at Consolidated.”

Travis Wolf was promoted to Construction Supervisor on May 1st. He has worked for Consolidated for 19 years in the construction department. He is now directing all company construction projects along with the improvement and maintenance of exchanges and other facilities. Travis, his wife Melissa, and three sons, Colten, Jacob and Teigen live in Dickinson.

Sarah Haich was promoted to Director of Finance & Accounting on April 1st. She has worked in the accounting department at Consolidated for 13 years and will be in charge of planning, developing, directing and evaluating the organizations fiscal functions and performance. Sarah and her husband, CJ, live in Dickinson, with their two children, Aiden and Adria.

Michelle Wolfe was promoted to Accounting Supervisor on April 1st. Michelle has worked in the accounting department for seven years and will be supervising the accounting staff and will oversee the accounting departments processes. Michelle and her husband, Kyle, live in Dickinson with their two children, Paige and Tori.

Paul Schuetzler will retire after 24 years with Consolidated. He has served as Consolidated’s CEO/General Manager since 2003. Prior to that, he served as Chief Operations Officer for over five years. In Paul’s 40 years in the telecommunication industry he is a leader by example. He was part of the team that created our core values which we live by every day. We are committed to our community’s long-term prosperity and actively participate in making them a better place to live. We will treat each other, and our customers, with respect and dignity, honesty and integrity, doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason. Paul has led Consolidated into the broadband company that it is today with our customers benefiting from his efforts which will continue on into the future.

On June 1st, the Consolidated Telcom Board of Directors President, Bill Schaller, announced that Bryan Personne was selected by the Board of Directors as the new CEO/General Manager of the company effective this November.

Bryan has been employed by Consolidated Telcom since July, 1998. Prior to his selection as CEO, Bryan held the position of Chief Operating Officer since 2002. Bryan has a law degree from John F Kennedy University School of Law.

Kenny Kostelecky

Travis Wolf Sarah Haich Michelle Wolfe

Ken Weisenberger

Luci Dullum Promotions!

Congratulations Retirees!

Paul Schuetzler

Paul Schuetzler, CEO/Gen. Manager, Announces Retirement

Bryan Personne

Board Announces Bryan Personne, New CEO/General Manager Effective November 1, 2021

Mexican Chicken Fajitas

1 lb. chicken breast

1 green, 1 red bell pepper

4 jalapeno peppers, seeded

2 Tbsp. oil

2 medium onions cut into strips

2 Tbsp. lime juice

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. cumin powder

1 tsp. celery salt

1 Tbsp. garlic, minced

1 package large soft tortillas

1 package shredded cheese

Cut chicken, red and green peppers, and jalapeno peppers into strips. Heat oil in skillet on medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken and continue to cook on medium, stirring constantly. Add peppers, lime and lemon juice, and seasonings. Continue stirring while sauce thickens. Cook until chicken is cooked through and peppers are slightly soft. Serve on warmed tortillas, topped with cheese.

Kung Pao Chicken

Raspberry Balsamic

Glazed Chicken

1 tsp. olive oil

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

Salt to taste

4 chicken breasts (4-6 oz. each)

1/3 cup seedless raspberry spreadable fruit

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 1/4 tsp. pepper

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet; add onion and sauté 5 minutes. Remove and set aside in a small bowl. Combine thyme and salt to taste, sprinkle over chicken. Add chicken to skillet and brown on both sides, then transfer to an oven-safe dish and keep warm in oven. Add raspberry preserves, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste to the skillet, stirring and cooking just until smooth and melted. Return the onions and let simmer on very low heat for about 3 minutes (just to infuse the onion flavoring). Return chicken to the sauce and let it coat the chicken. Serve, spooning sauce over chicken.

1 1/2 lb. chicken breast or thighs cut into cubes

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 cup snow peas

1 cup mushrooms sliced

1 cup zucchini cubed

1 Tbsp. ginger paste

1 tsp. pepper powder

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Red chili flakes (optional)

1/2 cup peanuts

Salt to taste

For Sauce:

2 Tbsp. rice vinegar

2 Tbsp. ketchup

4 Tbsp. soy sauce (low sodium)

2 Tbsp. sweet and sour sauce

1/4 cup water

3 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder

ingredients for sauce and set aside. In a large non-stick skillet, place olive oil over medium heat; add chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Add pepper, ginger, chili flakes and mushrooms. Cook and stir occasionally until it is almost cooked (5 minutes). Add snow peas, bell peppers, zucchini and cook for 2 minutes. Add sauce and peanuts. Cook until sauce thickens for about 1

all

Wednesday, August 4 t h – Mirror Lake Park, Hettinger 6:00 pm ... Concessions by Hettinger Public School 7:30/8:00 pm ... DreamWorks Abominable

Wednesday, August 11t h – New England High School Football Field 6:00 pm ... Concessions by New England Public School 7:30/8:00 pm ... Disney’s Raya & The Last Dragon

Wednesday,

Awarded

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 has recently granted $1,000 to the Hettinger Golf Association. The Hettinger Country Club is a beautiful 9-hole golf course with grass greens and has a full club house for hosting events, parties or just a snack after 9 holes. The grant funds will be used for the removal of several dead trees on the golf course. The plan is to replace the dead trees with conservation grade established trees.

This spring, RDFC granted $1,000 to the Maah Daah Hey Trail Association. The Maah Dahh Hey Trail is a 150 mile trail that traverses the Badlands, Little Missouri National Grasslands, private land and the North and South units of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The grant funds will be used to resurface the MDH Trail around Sully Creek State Park, south of Medora, extending the length of the all-weather surface in that area.

Congratulations to the Consolidated Scholarship

Consolidated has invested in our youth through a scholarship program for over 33 years. The purpose of our scholarship program is to assist students from the communities we serve to further their education.

Ten students were chosen to receive $1,000 scholarships by area business leaders and educators based on essay content, academic accomplishments and community involvement.

To be eligible for a Consolidated Scholarship, students can submit an essay who graduate high school in the year the scholarship is awarded and whose parents receive Telephone, Television, and/or Internet service from Consolidated Telcom.

This year’s essay topic was “How has COVID-19 changed the need for reliable Internet service and how will this year academically impact students in the next decade?”

Stetson Urlacher, senior from New England High School, was one of 31 students selected from across the United States to win a scholarship from the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) in May. The FRS awards college scholarships to students in rural communities served by members of NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association. The FRS College Scholarship Program awards one-time scholarships to students from rural America for their first year of college, university or a vocational-technical school. Each student is sponsored by a NTCA member company. Stetson is pursuing an Agricultural Communications degree from NDSU this fall.

Monica Lefor H ome Schoo l

Landon Aman D i c ki nson H S

Jocelyn Kulset h Bo w m a n C o u nty H S

Beth Ann Lien H e tt i nge r H S

Amy Jeffers Bo w m an C ounty H S

Brady Yoder D i c ki nson H S

Campbell Clar ys South He a r t H S

Jaycee Frank D i ck i nson H S

Zoie Johns S c ra n ton H S

Nat haniel Jilek Tri n i ty H S

Jonna Praus will help assist our residential customers with connecting and billing services. Originally from Scranton, Jonna now calls Dickinson her home along with her husband, Wayne, and three children, Alyssa, Alex and Abby. She spent 25 years in the travel industry before coming to Consolidated and is passionate about customer service and is excited to learn and grown in her new role.

Jacob Kostelecky was hired as a construction technician. He was born and raised in Dickinson, is a graduate of Dickinson High School, and served in the Marines before returning to Dickinson to make his home with his wife, Ashley. Jacob enjoys fishing, hunting and wood working.

Important Notes

• Directory Changes Deadline is August 15, 2021. Call our office at 701-483-4000

• For our customers’ protection against fraud, we are now blocking International Toll. If you need to make international calls, we will remove the restriction for you.

• Check out our “chat” feature on our website at consolidatednd.com. Chat connects you with a live customer service representative during our office hours, Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm.

• Our office will be closed on Labor Day – Monday, September 6th.

• The 2021 Dickinson Press Women’s Expo: Stop by and visit our booth at the West River Ice Center (2004 Fairway St.) on Saturday, August 28th from 9 am to 4 pm during the Women’s Expo.

Planting a tree?

Digging a hole for a mailbox? Installing a fence?

Remember to contact North Dakota One-Call. There are a number of utility lines buried on your property –electric, telephone, gas or propane, water, sewer, cable TV, etc. Damaging an underground facility can cause injury or even death. It's free, simple, and it's the law. To request a locate, call 800-795-0555 or 811, or go online to www.ndonecall.com.

STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION

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.”

• Calendar Contest – Submit your favorite photos on our website by August 13th for a chance to be entered into Consolidated’s 2022 calendar contest. If your picture(s) are chosen, you will receive a $25 gift certificate. Good luck! For more details, go to www.consolidatednd.com/company/ calendar-photo-contest.

Jacob Kostelecky

Jonna Praus