In Touch Winter 2023

2022 Toy & Food Drive

Thank you to all who donated to the 24th annual Toy & Food Drive. This year, the drive was a huge success! We were able to distribute much needed household products and supplies as well as toys to the Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Center which serves all of southwestern North Dakota. We were also able to contribute to Head Start, Kids Program and local food banks. I would like to thank everyone that donated to this year’s drive, your generous spirit has touch so many and made the holidays brighter. THANK YOU, and all of us at Consolidated wishes everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year !

CONGRATULATIONS to the WINNERS of the Apple iPad and the $50 Cornerstone Gift Card ! Go to consolidatednd.com, or our Facebook page for the winner’s names!

2022 Consolidated Eagle Award presented to Amanda Kessler !

CEO/General Manager, Bryan Personne, presented the Eagle Award to Amanda Kessler at the Employee Appreciation Social on December 16, 2022. “Choosing one employee each year for the Eagle Award is always challenging as we have so many exceptional employees that work for Consolidated,” Personne says.

Amanda has been employed with Consolidated since 2014 and is a Customer Service Representative. She goes above and beyond to help both customers and employees. Amanda has been an integral part of training the new hires in the Customer Service department, and is the “go-to” person in her department for questions. She is always positive and ready to “rally the troops” to get everyone on board! Amanda gives much of her summer free time to Mustang Baseball in Dickinson. On behalf of the Consolidated management team and board of directors, thank you Amanda for a job well done!

Photo by Tammy Mackey

Amanda Kessler

The 2022 Consolidated Telcom Eagle Award Winner

New Roles!

Welcome New Employee!

Jaden Bachmeier started October 3rd as an IT Systems Specialist with our Business Services team. He is a Dickinson native and a graduate of Dickinson High School and Bismarck State College. Jaden’s education was focused on cybersecurity and networking, and he is looking forward to the diversity of tasks that this position will provide. Jaden enjoys gaming, sports, fishing, and spending time with friends and family.

Matthew Marsh joined Consolidated on October 10th as an Internet Tech on our Internet Support Team. He is a Dickinson High School graduate and enjoys many hobbies including Brazilian jiu-jitsu, painting, graphic art, podcasting, running, lifting weights, snowboarding, skateboarding, and boxing. Matthew enjoys the family atmosphere at Consolidated.

Joel Emter has moved to the IT Supervisor position. He has been with Consolidated 23 years and has worked primarily with our Central Office Team. He will oversee our IT Systems Techs. He and his wife, Jessica, live in Dickinson and have 5 children.

Jim Berger has moved to our Internet Support Team. Jim has been at Consolidated for 16 years and has worked in both the residential and business areas. He and his wife, Gayle, live in Dickinson and have two children.

Promotions!

Chriss Hurley was promoted to Business Customer Service Representative. She has been with Consolidated 14 years as a Customer Service Representative. Chriss lives in Dickinson with her husband Kurt. They have two children, Jade and Kyle, and 3 grandchildren.

Marleah Marsh was promoted to Business Systems & Sales Supervisor. She has worked for Consolidated for 10 years in both the Service Center and Business Services, and she will now oversee the Business Communications Consultants and CPE Technicians. Marleah lives in Dickinson with her two children, Emma and Barrett.

Jared Sykora was promoted to IT Systems Specialist. He has been with Consolidated for 8 years in our Internet Support Department. Jared lives in Dickinson.

Ali Zastoupil has been promoted to GIS Data Management Coordinator. She has been a Locator with Consolidated for 8 years. Ali and her husband, Cody, live in Dickinson with their children, Kalvin and Sadie.

Lynn Bullinger has been promoted to Network Supervisor. He has been with Consolidated for 25 years and worn many hats in that time! He will oversee the Network Group. Lynn and his wife, Jenn, live in Dickinson and have three children.

Keith Frederick has been promoted to Network Technician. He has been with Consolidated for 9 years, working in both our internet support and cable TV headend. Keith lives in Taylor.

Eirik Ravenwood has been promoted to Headend Tech. He has been with Consolidated for 11 years with the internet support team. Eirik and his wife, Reyka, live in Belfield with their two canine kids, Octy and Tyber.

Chriss Hurley

Jaden Bachmeier

Matthew Marsh

Marleah Marsh

Jared Sykora

Ali Zastoupil

Lynn Bullinger

Keith Frederick

Eirik Ravenwood

Joel Emter

Jim Berger

Every year at our Company Employee Appreciation Party, a SILENT AUCTION is held to raise money for area organizations. This year, Consolidated was able to distribute $4,000 in funds to Camp Recreation, Elder Care, Able of Hettinger, Bowman, and Dickinson, Sunset Senior Center, and Heartland Hospice. Our employees have a great time bidding up items and helping organizations at the same time!

Fluffy Dumpling Chicken Soup

10 cups chicken stock

2 - 3 cups diced or shredded chicken

3 stalks of celery, diced

3 diced carrots

Heat in large saucepan until vegetables are soft (20 - 25 min.)

Dumplings:

1 ½ cups flour

1 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. butter

¾ cup milk

Mix flour and salt then rub in butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in milk. Drop golf ball size dumplings into pot. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes – DO NOT LIFT LID.

Sauerkraut Soup

2 -3 cups cubed cooked ham

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

2 Bay leaves

1 large can of sauerkraut, drained

1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes or 1 qt. homemade tomatoes

1 can tomato soup

2 tsp. beef bouillon

1 cup instant white rice or barley

4 medium potatoes peeled & cubed Salt & Pepper to taste

2 Tbsp. butter

Sauté onions in oil until tender ; drain any excess liquid. Fill a large kettle half full of water; transfer onions to kettle. Add ham, bay leaves, beef bouillon, rice or barely to water and bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes. Add potatoes, tomatoes and sauerkraut and cook another 15 minutes; add tomato soup and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt & pepper and butter; remove bay leaves before serving.

Homemade Crouton for Soups & Salads

A partial loaf, about 1/2 pound, of slightly stale bread

1/4 cup olive oil or melted butter

Salt Optional: 1 clove of garlic

1 tsp. dried herbs such as oregano, basil or thyme or 1 Tbsp. fresh herbs, minced 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. For rustic croutons, pull rough pieces from loaf, or for more uniform pieces, cube bread with a knife. Drizzle either half of the oil or butter onto a baking sheet. Add bread, bunching it close together in a single layer. Drizzle remaining oil or butter on top, add a heavy pinch of salt, and toss lightly to coat (if using any optional ingredients, toss with salt). Spread the croutons out so that they are no longer touching. Bake for about 5 minutes, carefully toss and stir croutons, bake for another 5 minutes. Cool & store in an airtight container.

Nacho Potato Soup

1 package (5 ¼ oz.) au gratin potatoes

1 can (11 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained

1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

4 cups water

2 cups milk

2 cups cubed American cheese

Dash hot pepper sauce

Minced fresh parsley, optional

In a 3 quart saucepan, combine the contents of the potato package, corn, tomatoes and water; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-18 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add milk, cheese and hot pepper sauce; cook until the cheese is melted. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Cable TV Costs Explained

Over the past decade, broadcasters have abused outdated rules to boost their bottom lines. To this day, they continue to threaten viewers with blackouts. Retransmission consent fees (“retrans fees”) are the payments that TV distributors (cable, satellite, and other TV providers) make to broadcasters to carry their TV channels. Retrans fees are a relic of a time before the Internet. Consider that:

• Retrans fees were established by the 1992 Cable Act

• The rules were written at a time when most of us had only one choice for pay TV service

• Today, we have multiple TV options, but our video rules are still based on the old model of only one pay TV provider

Making a bad situation worse is “Reverse

Retrans”:

National broadcast networks are forcing local stations to charge higher retransmission consent fees and demanding a cut of the profits. Retrans fees were intended to support local broadcast journalism, but station owners in faraway places are stripping resources from local communities to fatten their profits. If the demands for higher fees are not met, broadcasters yank their signals from consumers, leaving you without your favorite programming indefinitely. Broadcaster’s blackout their channels until their ransom demands are met. And when they are, it results in much higher prices to you the consumer. Big broadcasters are paying an army of Washington lobbyists to keep the current retrans fee system in place because they want to continue to charge higher and higher fees for their programming. Despite tremendous changes in how consumers watch TV, the rules governing the video marketplace have stayed the same.

The “Big 4” networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX) provide programming such as morning and nightly national news shows, some daytime dramas and prime time and late night shows. That programming is then shown by their owned and operated (“O&O”) stations or their affiliate stations.

Cable and satellite TV providers already pay more than a quarter billion dollars in royalty fees each year for the programming content carried by these broadcast stations. Retransmission consent fees are charged in addition to these payments, meaning that Pay TV subscribers are essentially being charged twice to watch the same content.

How does Retrans lead to Blackouts?

Who Wins?

Broadcast Networks hold all the cards and win every time. Retrans fees are soaring – the fastest rising part of the monthly Pay TV bill. The fact that there are so many choices for Pay TV (and the same old video rules) enables broadcasters to play Pay TV companies off of one another and jack up the rates. When broadcasters can unilaterally blackout their programming and harm consumers with impunity, they are guaranteed to win.

Pay TV companies want to give their customers the programming they love, but in order to do so, they have to either pay the exorbitant amounts networks demand or put their customers at risk of a blackout.

Who Loses?

The broken retrans system is a lose-lose situation for consumers. Broadcasters abuse retrans rules and blackout innocent consumers until they get what they want. Pay TV subscribers are caught in the middle, they either experience TV blackouts when a broadcaster blacks out programming, or they see higher bills when companies give in to broadcaster’s demands – retrans fees are the fastest rising part of the pay TV bill. Either way, broadcasters are giving consumers the shaft.

On January 1, 2023, Consolidated will implement the following TV price changes:

· Essential Package: No change

· Elite Package: Increasing $3 00/mo

· Premier Package: Increasing $3.00/mo

· Premium channels (HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, STARZ): No change

· Local Network Retransmission: Increasing from $ 24.68 to $ 27 18 /mo Covers the cost of providing ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX.

S nce 2009, retransmission consent fees charged to Consolidated by local Networks have changed by over 2,718 percent ! Consolidated feels that you have been paying TOO MUCH for these channels, which are available for free over the airwaves. To voice your concer ns contact North Dakota’s local Congressman Kelly Armstrong and the local affiliates to let them know these price increases are unfair.

Washington Office: Congressman Kelly Armstrong 1740 Longworth HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-2611

Bismarck Office: Congressman Kelly Armstrong 220 East Rosser Ave Federal Bldg. Room#228 Bismarck, ND 58501 Phone: 701-345-6700

KXMA (CBS, CW) Tammy Blumhagen

1811 N 15th Street Bismarck, ND 58501 Phone: 701-223-9197

KQCD (NBC, FOX, MeTV) Barry Schumaier 200 N 4th Street Bismarck, ND 58501 Phone: 701-255-5757

KBMY (ABC, Xtra, Justice) Joshua Rohrer Phone: 701-241-5338

With so many choices, why choose your local TV Provider?

It’s not complicated. We are your one-stop shop for communication services in your community We offer a wider variety of services and extended discounted rates when you choose multiple services. We are your friends and your neighbors, and sometimes even your family! As a member of your community, we care about the quality of the service we bring to you, and we appreciate you and your business.

Battery Backup Power

NOTICE to Customers

Backup Power for Residential Voice Telephone Services during Power Outages:

For many years, your home telephone would allow you to stay connected to emergency voice services during a power outage. However, we have upgraded our facilities and now your telephone service may be provided over fiber optic or cable modem, rather than the traditional copper-based line. These technologies require backup battery power to allow your telephone service to continue functioning during a power outage. To avoid a disruption of home voice service during an outage, and to maintain the ability to connect to 911 emergency services, Consolidated Telcom provides you with a battery for the backup power for your residential voice telephone service at the time of the initial installation at no additional cost.

What Your Battery Can - and Can't - Do for You:

The backup battery provided by Consolidated Telcom allows you to continue to use your home voice services during a power outage. Without a backup battery or alternate backup source such as a generator, your residential telephone service will not be able to make any calls, including emergency calls to 911. The only way to maintain the ability to use your telephone is by using some form of backup power. Our backup battery does not provide power to any services other than voice. Home security systems, medical monitoring devices and other equipment will not run on a residential voice telephone backup battery.

Instructions for Proper Care and Use of Your Battery:

If you do not place your battery correctly, it may shorten its useful life. Environmental factors such as temperature

can shorten your battery's useful life. We recommend that you place your battery above 41°F and below 104°F. They will not last forever and should be replaced every 3 to 5 years, or when the indicator light for the battery shows that it is low or out of charge. You should also periodically unplug your battery backup from AC power to test your battery/cable modem to verify both the operation of the backup battery and its condition. Please remember to plug the AC back in after this test.

Provided Backup Power Duration:

The backup power duration differs based on the technology that provides your telephone service to your home. See below: ✓ Fiber Optic / Cable Modem — backup batteries are expected to last at least 8 hours on standby power.

Replacement Options:

As previously noted, a backup battery has been provided by Consolidated Telcom during the initial installation. However, the battery provided by our company may need to be replaced every three or five years or when the battery is no longer functioning.

Consolidated Telcom provided replacement backup batteries: Consolidated Telcom will provide and install at no cost to you, a replacement backup battery, upon appointment, when it becomes known that the battery needs to be replaced. A 24-hour battery is available upon request. If you have any questions, please call 701-483-INET (4638), toll free 888-873-4638 or email support@consolidatednd.com.

Winners of The 2 0 2 2 Great Pumpkin Hunt !

Congratulations to Kristin and Savannah Sevier of Dickinson! Consolidated and 28 local businesses awarded them a prize package valued at over $2,600 for finding The Great Pumpkin. This year’s Great Pumpkin was found among the trees at the track south of the Veteran’s Memorial and southeast of the Frisbee golf course. A huge thank you goes out to all of the area businesses that contributed to the fantastic GRAND PRIZE !

High School Students

Consolidated has invested in our youth through a scholarship program for over 34 years. The purpose of our scholarship program is to assist students from the communities we serve to further their education.

The eligibility requirements for the 2023 Scholarship Program are:

– Students who will graduate in the year the scholarship is awarded.

– Parents have Phone, T V, and/or Internet service from Consolidated.

– This year’s essay topic is: “How does cybersecurity impact your daily life, both academically and socially?”

• Scholarship applications can be downloaded at consolidatednd.com/scholarships, available from your high school counselor, or can be picked up in person at our main office at 507 S. Main Ave. in Dickinson. Scholarships need be postmarked by March 1, 2023 or delivered to our office, 507 S. Main Ave., Dickinson.

FRS Scholarship Program !

The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS), in cooperation with NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association, seeks to sustain and enhance the quality of life in America by advancing an understanding of rural issues. Through its various programs and initiatives, FRS strongly supports the continuing education of rural youth. The FRS Scholarship is for students who will graduate in the year the scholarship is awarded and whose parents receive Telephone, T V, and/or Internet service from Consolidated Telcom. The scholarship is awarded by the NTCA scholarship selection committee from a nationwide base of students.

To apply for the FRS scholarship, go to consolidatednd.com/ scholarships and click on the link to set up an account and submit application online. Applications must be submitted by the end of day on February 8, 2023, Eastern time.

Awarded

Rural Development Finance Corporation awards grants in Consolidated’s service area !

Consolidated Telcom is a member of the Rural Development Finance Corporation (RDFC). As a result, communities in our service area are 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 communitybased projects and non-profit entities with low interest loans.

RDFC has recently granted $500 to the Mott Visionary Committee. The grant funds will be put towards the expansion of the Cannonball Trail and the purchase of signage, posts, hardware, brochures and mapping.

The Rural Development Finance Corporation (RDFC) is a nonprofit corporation that encourages economic diversification and community vitality through the generation of funding that supports sustainable asset building. Funding for RDFC programs comes from fee income generated by Dakotas America LLC, a community development entity providing New Market Tax Credits in economically distressed census tracks across the United States. The North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives provides support to RDFC.

For an application, assistance, or questions concerning RDFC, please call Lori Capouch at 701-667-6444, or email her at lcapouch@ndarec.com