In Touch Spring 2022

Building the Nation’s Best Broadband Network—Together !

In 2021, internet providers like Comcast and Sparklight have announced plans to expand their fiber networks and deliver gigabit speeds to rural communities across the country.

For the Americans who are just now receiving access to fiber internet, this technology is life-changing affording them faster-than-ever connectivity to family, friends, and the world. But for thousands of rural North Dakotans, it’s old news. While big, out-of-state broadband providers are making a big deal about starting to bring fiber to rural communities, the local members of the Broadband Association of North Dakota (BAND) have already done it.

Over the past 68 years, BAND members have invested millions of dollars, empowered one another, and embraced the tenacious work ethic that North Dakotans are known for. Together, we’ve built the most robust fiber network in America and now, customers like you are reaping the benefits.

When you sign on for service with your local BAND member, Consolidated, you receive more than just internet. You benefit from the shared resources, knowledge, and unparalleled infrastructure that have been built over nearly seven decades.

Laying the Groundwork for Innovation:

The work to bring fiber broadband to rural North Dakotans began in 1953, long before the directors of nine North Dakota telephone cooperatives could have imagined what the internet would one day become.

Those original members joined forces to expand high-quality, low-cost telephone service across North Dakota. At the time, most North

Dakota residents still relied on party-line service, in which wires were strung from pole to pole and long distance calls were prohibitively expensive. While the technology that we have used to communicate has evolved over the past six decades, our mission—to ensure the highest quality communication technology is accessible to all North Dakotans—has not wavered.

In 1996, this commitment led 14 BAND member companies to form the Dakota Carrier Network (DCN), a high-speed, large-capacity fiber backbone. Today, locally-owned providers serve 97 percent of North Dakota's geographic territory, offering internet speeds of at least 1 Gig in over 300 rural communities. We have laid over 40,000 miles of fiber across the state, connecting businesses, residents, and schools with internet speeds 100 times faster than the national average.

Collaboration between the member organizations that make up DCN and BAND has laid the groundwork for innovation in our state and served as inspiration for rural networks across the country. In 2021 alone, the member organizations that form BAND and DCN have made extraordinary strides to connect more North Dakotans to fiber.

While some of the biggest names in broadband are just beginning to deploy fiber to rural communities, the 15 members of BAND are already working toward the future accelerating speeds up to 5 Gig, 10 Gig, and beyond. Because when you work hard, and work together, the possibilities are endless. That’s the power of connected collaboration. That’s the power of BAND.

A group of telephone cooperatives realized, more than half a century ago, that they could get farther by working together.

Rhonda Fitterer, Editor

Photo by Jacob Witte

• 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.

-- 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 29, 2022 . Include child’s name, age, and phone number.

BEST INTERNE T PROVIDER

Thank you

co n solidated n d.co m

Notice of Forfeiture of Property Rights

Notice is hereby given that the persons or entities listed below have outstanding capital credit checks issued in the year 2016. The amounts of these outstanding checks will be forfeited to Consolidated Telcom unless money is claimed and proper evidence of ownership is submitted before May 15, 2022.

KOHANES KELLY

MATTHEWS ROBERT & DEBRA LUTZ BROOKE BOWMAN HALEY MARINA BART LARSEN TRUCKING SHEPARD ALISA RAMIREZ VICTOR WESTERN EDGE CAFE & LANES NELSON KAYLA CODGERS BAR EHLERINGER LELAND

5 STAR SALES

VAAGEN REID M & ANN

CMC WEAVER TRUCKING GRUNDLINGH LINDA

THE BOWLING ALLEY LLC

VONDRA MILES MILLER ERIN

THE FARMERS DAUGHTER CAFE

IVM CONSTRUCTION INC

JRS INDUSTRIES, LLC MAXXON ENERGY

If your name is listed or you know the whereabouts of any of the members listed above, please call us at our Dickinson office at 483-4000 or email capitalcredits@consolidatedtelcom.com.

Important Dates & Notes:

• Happy Easter on Sunday, April 17th.

• 2022 Home Show in Dickinson. Visit our booth at the West River Ice Center (at 2004 Fairway St.) on Friday, April 1s t from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm, and Saturday, April 2nd from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

• Blackout Bingo ends on Tuesday, April 26th.

• Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 8t h

• Office Closed. The Consolidated office will be closed on Monday, May 30 th for Memorial Day.

for voting for us!

Oriental Salad

Salad:

3 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 cup red cabbage

1 cup Napa cabbage

1/2 carrot, julienned or shredded 1 green onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. sliced almonds 1/3 cup chow mein noodles

Dressing:

3 Tbsp. honey

1 1/2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar 1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp. Dijon mustard 1/8 tsp. sesame oil

Prepare dressing ingredients in a bowl or shaker and set aside while preparing salad. Prepare salad by tossing the chopped romaine with the chopped cabbages and carrots. Sprinkle green onion, almonds and chow Mein noodles on top of the lettuce. Serve salad with dressing on top or on the side.

Taco Salad

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. chili powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper

1 medium head lettuce, torn 2 medium tomatoes, diced 1 cup shredded taco cheese 1 can (2 ¼ oz.) sliced ripe olives, drained 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup taco sauce 1 package (10 ½ oz.) corn chips

In a large saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in ketchup, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, olives & beef mixture. Combine mayonnaise and taco sauce. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Sprinkle with chips. Serve immediately.

Rotini & Crab Salad

8 oz. Rotini pasta uncooked

1 – 1 1/4 cups ranch dressing

1/3 cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 l b. imitation crab

2 medium tomatoes – chopped or cherry tomatoes halved 1/2 cup chopped green onion 1/2 cup celery

3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese Cook pasta according to package directions; cool completely. Combine ranch dressing, mayonnaise and Italian seasoning; mix well and stir into pasta. Add remaining ingredients; chill a couple hours before serving.

Shrimp Salad

5 qts. water

3 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt

1 lemon cut into quarters

4 lbs. uncooked shrimp

2 cups Mayo (NOT Miracle Whip)

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. white wine or white wine vinegar

1 tsp. black pepper

6 Tbsp. minced fresh dill

1 cup minced red onion (1 onion) 3 cups minced celery (6 stalks)

1 Shrimp Boil packet

Bring 5 quarts of water, 3 Tbsp. salt, shrimp boil packet and the lemon to a boil in a large saucepan. Add half the shrimp and reduce the heat to medium. Cook uncovered for only three minutes or until shrimp are barely cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice with a little cold water. Bring the water back to a boil and repeat with the remaining shrimp. Let cool.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayo, mustard, wine, 1 tsp. salt, pepper, and dill. Combine with the cooked shrimp. Add the red onion & celery and check the seasonings. Serve or cover and refrigerate for a few hours. Serves 12.

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.”