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July is a delicious time of year and we hope you're getting a taste of all it has to offer. Of course, the Internet is a little like a slice of watermelon - you have to deal with a few seeds while enjoying the good stuff. Speaking of which, be sure to check out our alert about the GameOver Zeus malware, including warning signs and a helpful resource. Another "seedy" online threat is the Remote Access Trojan, which is covered in This Month's FAQ. To enhance your privacy, we share quick-and-easy instructions on how to adjust who sees your Facebook posts.
Also on the menu of this July issue are recipes featuring summer produce and a video showing an unusual apple-peeling method. Since so much of summer is spent outside, don't miss the tips for protecting your skin against the sun, the inspiration of an amazing mountain climb without ropes, and a cool idea for a skateboard swing.
We think you'll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience. As always, we appreciate your feedback and suggestions. Please send your thoughts, comments or questions to newsletter@gmavt.net.
- The Green
Mountain Access Team
Aaron, Adam, Amanda, Eric, Kris,
Phil, Richard, Seth, and Scott
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WCVT Employees Celebrate Milestones
We had the pleasure of hosting our annual service awards luncheon last week. Twenty-one employees were celebrating a milestone anniversary representing a total of 455 years of service. Congratulations to all of our wonderful employees on an amazing milestone. Thank you for all of your years of service to our communities. Also thank you to Sugarbush Resort for a great lunch!
Try Faster Internet Free For 60-Days
When was the last time you upgraded your Internet speed? Times have changed and many households now need more Internet speed to handle more users and more devices. Now you can get a lot more Mbps for just a little more money! Choose the high-speed Internet plan with the download/upload speeds that best meet your household’s needs and try it free for 60 days! While not currently available to all of our Internet customers, we can currently reach approximately 60% of our subscribers with higher speed packages. To find out if higher speeds are available at your location, click here. Give us a call at (888)-321-0815 or e-mail us to learn more.
WCVT Announces Scholarship Recipients
Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2014 Eunice B. Farr Incentive Award scholarships. “It is a pleasure to award these scholarships on an annual basis. We wish these motivated students the best of luck in their future endeavors,” said Gregg Haskin, President and CEO of Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom. This year’s recipients were as follows:
- Champlain Valley Union High School - Steven Robert, Williston
- Harwood Union High School – Siena Damon, Waterbury
- Mount Abraham Union High School – Louissa Rosendaal, Starksboro
- Mount Mansfield Union High School – Kohlton Butler, Underhill
- Middlebury Union High School – Seth Wright, Middlebury
- Vergennes High School – Mary Flood, Vergennes
Each year, Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom grants six scholarships, one to each of the public high schools that students from our service area attend. These scholarships are donated in memory of the late Eunice B. Farr, former owner and operator of the Waitsfield-Fayston Telephone Company and grandmother of Gregg Haskin. The criteria of the scholarship is as follows, “The award should be presented to a graduating senior that plans subsequent education, be it college or trade school. The faculty should select an individual that has shown a steady improvement in his or her academics, but is not necessarily at the top of the class. The award is designed to benefit a hard working graduate that his or her instructors have found to demonstrate a sincere effort to improve grades/results and plans continuing education.”
Win A Round Of Golf At Rocky Ridge
 Each month, we raffle off a prize from a local business, so be sure to enter your name every month for your chance to win. Congratulations to James Walker of Bridport who won last month's prize, a gift certificate to Livingston Farm in Bristol. This month, we have another great prize. Enter for your chance to win two greens fees to Rocky Ridge Golf Club in St George. It's that time of year and opportunity to play a round of golf with a friend at this beautiful course. The drawing will take place on July 18. Good luck!
Click here to enter for your chance to win a round of golf for two at Rocky Ridge.
WCVT In The Community
Employees Help Paint Bridport Landmark
A group of Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom employees volunteered to help paint the historic one room school house in Bridport. Thanks to those employees who volunteered their time to help.
Richmond Community Camp Awarded FRED Grant
Our Community Cares Camp (OCCC) in Richmond was awarded a Foundation for Rural Development and Education (FRED) Grant for $1,200 with support from WCVT. OCCC provides an enriching summer camp experience to children from Bolton, Huntington and Richmond. OCCC also offers important job training opportunities for teens. In 2013, OCCC served over 5,000 meals in the month of July to 240 children. A total of 1,368 hours were volunteered by teen interns and adults. OCCC provides a safe and caring environment for children to explore the arts as they learn to make good choices in food and behavior. OCCC helps to address the achievement gap, helping children's minds to stay active over the summer break. WCVT employees will also be volunteering to help setup the camp.
Being a local business means that our customers are also our neighbors and friends. At Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom, we feel strongly that community involvement is not just a nice thing to do; it is the right thing to do. If you have a community service project in the making and are looking for help, contact Alan Jones at 496-8328 or via email ajones@wcvt.com to see if we can lend a hand.
And The Winner Of One Free Month Of High-Speed Internet Service Is...
Congratulations William Reed for being this month’s winner of one free month of high-speed Internet service. William's name was chosen at random from customers who completed our monthly Green Mountain Access technical support surveys.
Each month, one name is selected at random from customers who complete our online technical support or new user surveys. Survey requests are sent out via e-mail to customers after calling technical support or establishing new service. So be sure to fill out those surveys!
Two to View — A Couple Of Amazing Videos You Don't Want To Miss
A Very A-Peeling Technique
click here for video
Who knew how handy a power drill could be in the kitchen? This chef must be in a big hurry to make apple pies!
Look Ma, No Ropes!
click here for video
You'll be mesmerized -- and on the edge of your seat -- when you watch this daring free-solo climb with no ropes.
Go Pinterest-ing! - Cool Stuff To Pin On Your Pinterest Boards
Pinterest is a pinboard-style photo-sharing website that allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, and hobbies. Users can browse other pinboards for images, 're-pin' images to their own pinboards, or 'like' photos. Here are some links to some:
Berry Delicious Greek Yogurt Smoothie Pops
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775850917986/
Make A "Shirt & Tie" Card Tailored For Dad
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775851177070/
30 DIY Ways To Make Your Backyard Awesome This Summer
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775851177096/
You haven't started pinning on Pinterest yet and you want to get started? To learn more visit http://about.pinterest.com/basics/ or to sign up, go here https://pinterest.com/join/signup/. |
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Malware Alert- Cyber Pandemic Known As Gameover Zeus
On June 2, 2014, the Department of Justice and the FBI announced a multinational effort to disrupt the dangerous cyber pandemic known as GameOver Zeus. The malware, which the FBI estimates has hit between 500,000 and one million computers worldwide, is believed to be responsible for the theft of millions of dollars from businesses and consumers. GameOver Zeus is capable of evading antivirus software. It monitors and injects rogue code into Web browsing sessions when users access banking and other popular websites from infected computers, and can infect a user's machine when they open a PDF or click on a link sent to them in an email. Once set up on the computer, GameOver Zeus will intercept all financial transactions and rewrite them, so that payments made by the user will be redirected into other accounts. The malware also has the power to disguise unapproved payments that are made, meaning that thefts might have occurred even if accounts appear normal.
Could your computer be infected with GameOver Zeus? Here are some warning signs:
- Your computer system operates very slowly.
- Your cursor moves erratically with no input from you.
- You notice unauthorized logins to your bank accounts or unauthorized money transfers.
- Text-based chat windows appear on your computer's desktop unexpectedly.
- Your computer files lock up and a ransom demand is made to unlock files.
If you notice one or more of these actions on your computer, you may have been infected with GameOver Zeus. The Department of Homeland Security's Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) has posted information on its website including an overview of the malware and actions you can take to remove the infection from your computer. Visit http://www.us-cert.gov/gameoverzeus for details.
This Month's FAQ - What Does The Acronym RAT Mean?
Question: I've seen the acronym RAT used in computer articles but am confused by its meaning. Does it stand for Remote Access Tool or Remote Access Trojan?
Answer: Actually, RAT can stand for either Remote Access Tool or Remote Access Trojan. What's the difference? A Remote Access Tool is a piece of software used to remotely access or control a computer; it can be used legitimately by system administrators for accessing client computers. For example, the IT person at your company could use a Remote Access Tool to see what's on your computer screen and help you troubleshoot a problem.
When a Remote Access Tool is used for malicious purposes by hackers, it's known as a Remote Access Trojan. This type of RAT (aptly named) infects the victim's machine to gain administrative access and allows hackers to perform unauthorized operations. To prevent unknowingly allowing a Remote Access Trojan to invade your computer, avoid unsolicited email attachments and links, run up-to-date security software, and don't believe anyone who contacts you claiming to be tech support for a major company.
Short Tutorial - How To Adjust Who Sees Your Facebook Posts
If you have a large number of Facebook friends, it's likely this list includes people who are actually distant acquaintances. Should you decide you don't want these people seeing all of your Facebook posts, simply follow the steps below to adjust your default audience.
Locate Privacy Settings
- On your Facebook home page, click the down arrow on the top-right part of the screen.
- From the menu, choose Settings.
- You will be brought to a page titled General Account Settings.
- In the left column, click Privacy.
- You will be brought to a page titled Privacy Settings and Tools.
Adjust "Who Can See My Stuff"
- On the Privacy Settings and Tools page, under "Who Can See My Stuff," next to "Who can see your future posts," click Edit.
- You will see an image that looks like the status update box. Click the down arrow at the bottom of this image.
- Select who you want to be the default audience for your posts (remember, you can change this each time you post). Then click Close.
- Click the other links in this section and follow the instructions to adjust past posts.
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Warren 4th Of July Parade And Festivities July 4- Warren
For the 66th consecutive year, the Mad River Valley celebrates independence day with a wild, wacky, and wickedly fun parade, street dance, and family festivities! Parade starts at 10 AM. Main Street in Warren closes at 8:30am SHARP. Free Shuttle Buses are running from 8am until 4pm. Satellite parking for bus pick up is at Yestermorrow School on Rt 100 at Warren/Waitsfield town line and at Lincoln Peak at Sugarbush. For more information, visit www.warren4thofJuly.com.
Bristol 4th Of July Celebration – July 3-4 - Bristol
Bristol has carried on a 4th of July tradition for decades. Their celebration includes famous outhouse race, parade, fireworks and much, much more. Festivities begin on July 3. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit www.bristol4th.com
July 3
- 6:00 pm activities at the ballpark: Food and craft vendors Games Selling raffle tickets Good Live Music and Plenty Of It!
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Dusk: Fireworks
July 4
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7:30am 5k Road Race
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9:00am Great Bristol Outhouse Race
- 10:30am Parade
- 12:00 Live Music On The Green
Hinesburg 4th Of July Celebration – July 3-4 - Hinesburg
Hinesburg's annual 4th of July celebration begins on Thursday evening with the Foot race on Thursday evening. Registration begins at 6pm at the Hinesburg Community School. On Friday, don't miss the parade beginning at 11am, and the fireworks at dusk. For a complete list of events, visit http://www.hinesburg.org/recreation/July4th2014.pdf.
36th Annual Festival-On-The-Green – July 6-12 - Middlebury
A much anticipated highlight of the summer, the Festival has remained faithful to its mission of bringing top-quality, free, family-friendly entertainment to the residents and guests of Addison County since its debut at the end of the nineteen-seventies. Over the years, they have introduced more than 445 performance artists and groups to collectively more than 12450,000 audience members. The roster of “alumni” performers includes homegrown talent from the Green Mountain State and entertainers from half-a-world away, solo artists and entire parades, traditional entertainers and those who’ve earned a reputation as “cutting-edge.” For additional information and a complete schedule, visit www.festivalonthegreen.org.
Movies In The Park – Bristol – July 10 – August 21 (Sponsored in part by Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom)
Classic films on a theatre sized screen on the Bristol Green – a drive-in experience without the driving! Free and suitable for all ages. Bring a blanket and your bug spray.
- July 10-Frozen
- July 17– Jaws
- July 24 – Goonies
- July 31– National Velvet
- August 14 – Field of Dreams
- August 21- Wizard of Oz
For more information, contact the Bristol Recreation Department at 453-5885 or bristolrec@madriver.com. |
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Learn To Be Safe In The Sun
http://www.foh.hhs.gov/calendar/july.html
July is UV Safety Month. How much do you know about the sun's harmful UV (ultraviolet) rays and how to protect yourself from them? Take the Sun Safety Quiz here and find out. Be sure to review the tips provided on clothing, shade, sunscreen, and more.
Watch The World’s Wind
http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/1000hPa/
orthographic
Thanks to supercomputers and weather satellites, the Wind Map team has come up with a global map of the wind. Click and drag to rotate the globe or double click to zoom in. Click once to see what the wind is doing at any point in the world.
Discover Your Inner Artist
http://weavesilk.com/
This interactive site helps you create works of art using just your mouse or touchpad. Click on "Draw something" to begin the process, then let the spirit move you. Everything you draw will automatically be duplicated to make a symmetrical image.
Try New Recipes Featuring Summer Produce
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/photos/the-best-of-summer-produce.html
Summer fruits and vegetables are a rainbow of deliciousness. So whether you get them from your backyard, a farmers' market, or the grocery store, make the most of them with this crop of Food Network recipes including Watermelon Cucumber Salad and Fresh Peach Cake.
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