July 2024

		I hope you are enjoying the start of summer and are able to get out and enjoy all the great things Vermont has to offer. Whether it’s a hike, visiting a local farmers market or getting out on the lake. Once again I am happy to award six $1,000 scholarships to a senior at each of our local high schools. These scholarships are donated in memory of my grandmother, Eunice B. Farr. Summer is always a busy time here at WCVT and our employees and contractors are taking advantage of our limited construction season. Just a reminder that in addition to our technicians, you may see our contractors working in your area. We use the following contractors for field collection, engineering, line construction and buried service work: Eustis Cable Enterprises, JA McDonald, JSI, and Menard and Sons. Sincerely, Eric Haskin President and CEO Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom Apply for a FRS Grant Once again, we are excited to let you know that the application window is open for the FRS Community Grant Program. As part of its ongoing commitment to rural communities, FRS offers grants to communities served by NTCA members. These grants are designed to provide support to a variety of local efforts to build and sustain a high quality of life in rural America. The grants awarded each November support a variety of projects concentrated in four major categories and ranging from $250 to $5,000. Potential grants are available to nonprofits, schools, or community organizations with a project or program idea in one of these categories: Business and Economic Development: Help grow small or existing business, develop a new one, or create jobs that attracts key talent for our community. Community Development: Create outreach programs that help promote advancing technology skills of our community members, incorporate innovation into learning or raises the visibility of our community's talent and artistry. Education: Support advances in education by helping schools get technology (computers, smart boards, etc.) in the classroom, build resources for curriculum development, strengthen extracurricular activities and programs or promote distance learning programs. Telecommunications Applications: Show how you plan to turn your community into a technological powerhouse by promoting the implementation and use of broadband-enabled applications for telehealth, education, government services, safety and security, and efficient energy distribution and use. Please note that FRS will not fund grants to the following: Individuals Scholarship programs International organizations Lobbying and political activities Ticketed events Capital campaigns For-Profit Businesses Infrastructure/building campaigns Endowments Event sponsorships Community food programs Loan programs Religious-based activities Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom will review applications and submit the ones that best meet the FRS criteria. Grant awards will be announced by NTCA in November. Grant applications can range from $250 to $5,000 with 10% of the total grant award coming from WCVT and the rest from the Foundation for Rural Service. For more information, visit www.frs.org/programs/grant-program/community-grant or contact Lorraine Keener at 802-496-8379 or lkeener@corp.wcvt.com. Win a $50 Gift Certificate to Canteen Creemee Company in Waitsfield 'Tis the season for indulging in ice cream! This month, we have another great prize from a local business to raffle off. Enter for your chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Canteen Creemee Company in Waitsfield. Canteen Creemee Company isn't just any snack bar—it is a modern Vermont treasure. Treat yourself to their classic creemees, handcrafted sundaes, mouthwatering fried chicken, juicy burgers, and so much more. To enter the raffle, simply click the link below and provide your name and contact information. The lucky winner will be drawn on July 15th. Click here to enter for your chance to win! Beware of Phishing Scams: Protecting Your Account In recent times, cybercriminals have become more sophisticated in their attempts to deceive unsuspecting victims. One common tactic these malicious actors employ is phishing scams, where they impersonate trusted entities to steal personal information. We'd like to warn our customers about a new phishing attempt that has come to our attention. Some customers reported receiving an email that claimed to be from the "Gmavt Team." The message asserts that if the user does not confirm their email for the "new privacy security upgrade," their email account will be closed. While this may sound alarming, it is essential to be vigilant. How to Identify the Phishing Attempt: Check the Sender's Address: Verify the email address. In this case, the sender's address is likely to be suspicious and not from an official WCVT/GMA domain. Grammar and Spelling: Phishing emails often contain grammatical errors or awkward language. In the example provided, there is an unusual phrase, "account will be closed before these terms become effective." Urgent and Threatening Language: Scammers often use threatening language to induce panic, as seen in the message's warning about account closure. Hover Over Links: Before clicking on any links within the email, hover your mouse over them to see where they lead. In a phishing email, the link address may not match the official website. Protecting Yourself: Do Not Click on Suspicious Links: If you receive an email that appears suspicious, do not click on any links within the message. Verify the Sender: Contact us through official channels to verify the legitimacy of the email you received. Use Two-Factor Authentication: Enable two-factor authentication for added security on your Gmavt account. Remember that legitimate organizations will never ask for sensitive information, such as passwords or account details, through unsolicited emails. If in doubt, call us. Your online security is of utmost importance to us. Stay vigilant; together, we can help protect your account from phishing scams and other cyber threats. Go Paperless with SmartHub Save time and money by managing your account at any time from anywhere! Manage Your Account - Your account information is all in one convenient place. Access it anywhere at any time. View & Pay Your Bill - View your charges, go paperless, and set up a one-time credit card, bank payment, or monthly automatic payment so you never have to worry about remembering a due date again. Report Service Issues & Outages - Contacting us has never been easier. If you are experiencing an outage at your location, you can report that through SmartHub and provide other important details, which help us identify the cause. Visit www.wcvt.com/smarthub for more information.

		Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom Announces Scholarship Recipients Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 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 Eric Haskin, President and CEO of Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom. This year’s recipients were as follows: Champlain Valley Union High School – Molly Dubois Harwood Union High School – Melanie Snell Mount Abraham Union High School – Shelby Bartlett Mount Mansfield Union High School – Lila Brillhart Middlebury Union High School – Julian Cottell Vergennes High School – Kaelin Sullivan Each year, Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom grants six $1,000 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 Eric 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." Congratulations to all graduates! WCVT Employees Help OCCC Prepare for Summer Camp In June, a crew of WCVT employees volunteered at Our Community Cares Camp (OCCC) in Richmond to help it get ready for the summer season. OCCC is a free day camp that provides food and fun for children from Bolton, Richmond, Huntington, Jericho, and Underhill. WCVT is a proud supporter and happy to lend a hand! For more information on OCCC, visit www.ourcommunitycarescamp.org.

		Movies in the Park After Dark | On the Green in Bristol Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom is proud to be a sponsor of Movies in the Park After Dark. This summer, the Bristol Recreation Department is once again showing classic films on a theatre-sized screen on the Town Green. Movies are free and open to the public. Movies start at dusk. Be sure to bring a blanket and your bug spray. July 12 – Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace August 1 – Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie For more information, visit bristolvt.myrec.com. Hinesburg Concerts in the Park – Summer 2024 | Wednesdays | Hinesburg Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom is proud to sponsor the Hinesburg Concerts in the Park once again. Each summer, the Hinesburg Recreation Department presents the Summer Concerts in the Park music series. Concerts are held Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. throughout July and early August at the gazebo behind the Hinesburg Community School in Wainer Park. July 10 - Rodney Putnam July 17 – Lost Edges July 24 – About Time July 31 – Atlantic Crossing August 7 – Hinesburg Community Band For more information, visit hinesburgvt.myrec.com. Spamalot at the Valley Players | June 27 – July 14 | Waitsfield Based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, this musical offers a highly irreverent parody of the Arthurian legend. Show dates are June 27 – July 14 (Thursdays – Sundays). All shows take place at the Valley Players theater at 4254 Main Street in Waitsfield. For more information on show times and to buy tickets, visit www.valleyplayers.com. Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom is a proud sponsor of the Valley Players!

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