March 2024

		Happy March! It definitely feels like spring is just around the corner this year, which could mean an early maple syrup and mud season. We already have many of our 2024 fiber construction projects well underway and our technicians and crews are busy working throughout our service area. If you are included in one of our 2024 fiber build areas, we will be reaching out to let you know that fiber is coming to your location as things progress. In addition to our technicians, you may be seeing some of our contractors working in your area. We use multiple contractors for field collection, engineering, line construction and buried services to help accelerate these projects. The following contractors are currently doing work for us including Eustis Cable Enterprises, JA McDonald, JSI, and Menard and Sons. Building a fiber-to-the-home network in rural areas is extremely expensive, and takes time to engineer, construct and build. Thank you for your patience as we work to bring fiber-optic internet service to all our customers. While we can't get to everyone overnight, we will continue to work hard in expanding our fiber-optic network throughout our service area. Thank you for your continued support and being a customer of Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom. Sincerely, Eric Haskin President and CEO Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom Win a $50 Gift Certificate to the Hyde Away in Waitsfield We've got another great prize from a local business to raffle off. This month, we're raffling off a $50.00 gift certificate to the Hyde Away, a legendary tavern and restaurant in the Mad River Valley. The Hyde offers great food and a terrific selection of Vermont microbrews in a great atmosphere. To be entered into the raffle, simply click the link below and leave your name and contact information. The drawing will take place on March 15th. Click here to enter for your chance to win! Play Our March Mania Contests for Your Chance to Win Some Great Local Prizes! March is here and so is the Madness! You are invited to play in our FREE online bracket contests. Once again, we will be hosting 2 contests - women's and men's college basketball tournaments. Simply make your picks for the upcoming games (no basketball knowledge required) and have fun watching how your picks measure up. It's easy to enter, free to play and you will have the chance to win some great prizes! Get a head start and sign up to participate in the contests now! Men's Contest Prizes 1st Place - $150.00 Gift Certificate to Tourterelle Restaurant in New Haven 2nd Place - $100.00 Gift Certificate to Mad Taco in Waitsfield 3rd Place - $ 50.00 Gift Certificate to Old Brick Store in Charlotte Women's Contest Prizes 1st Place - $150.00 Gift Certificate to Bob Cat Cafe & Brewery in Bristol 2nd Place - $100.00 Gift Certificate to Hinesburgh Public House in Hinesburg 3rd Place - $ 50.00 Gift Certificate to Stone Corral in Richmond Register for Men's Bracket Register for Women's Bracket Your brackets will be available to complete after Selection Sunday, March 17th, when the NCAA announces which teams will be participating in the tournament. Have fun and good luck! Important Notice to Customers Enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) will be ending. Without additional funding from Congress, the allotted $14.2 billion to fund the ACP is projected to run out in April 2024. As a result, the FCC has begun taking steps to wind down the ACP, which means: No new ACP applications and enrollments will be processed (February 7, 20024 was the last day). Households who have applied, been approved, and are receiving the monthly internet discount before February 8, 2024 will continue to receive their ACP benefit until ACP funds run out, as long as the household remains enrolled in the program. After the ACP funds run out (projected in April 2024), households participating in the ACP will no longer receive the ACP discounts. What this means for current ACP Customers: Your Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom internet account receives a $30.00 monthly credit for ACP. When the ACP funding ends, your account will have the ACP credit removed and the amount invoiced to you will increase by $30.00. Please note, your service will remain at the existing service level at the full undiscounted price when the ACP credit is no longer available. If you do not wish to receive internet service after the end of ACP or would like to change your service plan, please contact or Customer Service Department at 800-496-3391 to discuss your options. What is the future of ACP: Congressional lawmakers have jointly proposed new funding that could keep the ACP credit in place for the nearly 23 million households receiving the benefit. If the proposed funding is approved, the ACP credit will continue. For additional information regarding the ACP, please go to: www.fcc.gov/acp. Apply for other assistance programs: If you do not already participate in Lifeline, we encourage you to apply. The Lifeline Program is another federal program that makes phone and internet service more affordable. If you qualify for Lifeline, you can get a monthly benefit of up to $15.70 (state and federal benefit combined) off the cost of phone, internet, or bundled services. For more information, visit: getinternet.gov. We realize the importance of ensuring that all households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more. We will continue to keep you informed on the status of ACP as information becomes available. If you would like additional information, please visit our website at www.wcvt.com/assistance. $500.00 Visa Gift Card Raffle Winner Announced Congratulations to Dominique Dube for winning our Annual Customer Survey Raffle ($500.00 Visa Gift Card)! When asked what she'll do with her prize, Dominique replied, "I plan on buying more chickens and plants for my garden." Congratulations Dominique and thank you to everyone who completed our survey. We appreciate the feedback!

		Team WCVT Helps Out in the Sugar Bush A crew of WCVT employees spent the day at the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington in late February to help prepare for the sugaring season. Employees trekked through the sugar bush with drills in hand and sleds full of buckets to tap 500+ trees the old-fashioned way. WCVT provides each employee with 16 hours of community service time yearly to be used on local service projects. If your organization is looking for help, contact Lorraine Keener at 496-8379 or lkeener@wcvt.com to discuss the possibilities of our participation.

		36th Annual Chez Henri Cup - Saturday, March 16th - Sugarbush Resort The 36th Annual Chez Henri Cup benefitting Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice (CVHHH) will take place on Saturday, March 16th at Sugarbush Resort (Lincoln Peak). Skiers of all levels are welcome to this event! For more information and to download registration, visit: 36th Annual Chez Henri Cup. WCVT is a proud sponsor of this event! Mad River Valley Easter Egg Hunt - Saturday, March 23rd - Mad River Park Recreation Fields Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 23rd - rain, shine (probably snow), it's time for the annual Mad River Valley Easter Egg Hunt. Once again, the event will take place at the Mad River Park located at 236 Airport Road in Waitsfield due to parking constraints at Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom (WCVT) where the event has historically been held. The egg hunt will start promptly at 10:00 a.m. Refreshments will be served under the pavilion starting at 9:30 a.m. The egg hunt is open to children of all ages and is free of charge. WCVT is very excited to be partnering once again with the Mad River Valley Recreation District and thankful for the use of their fields. A reminder of the important Mad River Park rules for attendees: no dogs, pack-in-pack-out all trash, parking in the parking lot only or in designated areas per parking attendants at events. For more information, please contact Lorraine Keener at 496-3391 or lkeener@wcvt.com. We look forward to seeing everyone at this year's event! Spring Maple Open House Weekends - March 23 & 24 The most anticipated time of the year, Spring Maple Open Houses will take place over two weekends: March 23 & 24. Spring Maple Open House Weekends celebrate the first crop of the season as Vermont's sugar makers open the doors of their sugarhouses and invite visitors in to experience the joys and traditions of pure maple syrup. Whether it's the sight of steam rising from the sugarhouse, the inviting aroma of boiling sap, or the sweetly divine flavor of syrup as enjoyed in traditional sugar-on-snow, visitors are treated to an experience for the senses! For more information and a list of participating sugar houses, visit: Spring Maple Open House Weekend.

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		Dig Into Gardening Tips Grow your knowledge with expert tips on caring for flowers and vegetables, managing pests and weeds, and more. Learn more...		Dollars and Sense You'll find expert-reviewed articles on budgeting, investing, mortgages, insurance, economics, and banking. Learn more...		Easy Easter Crafts March celebrates National Craft Month and Easter. Time to make adorable eggs, baskets, wreaths, and bunnies. Learn more...

		Healthy Freezer Meals Make and freeze Teriyaki Chicken and Rice Bowls, Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Tacos, Meatball Soup, and other dishes.		11 3-Ingredient Desserts It's as easy as 1, 2, 3 to make desserts including Chocolate Ice Cream, Oreo Mousse, and Peanut Butter Cookies.

		Peacocks Show Off You'll be impressed by the enormous feather displays of these male peacocks, each with its own color combination.		Art Outside the Box This art is amplified by unique framing techniques, such as cracking the glass in front of a "boy swinging a bat" drawing.

		Tips and Hacks from Plumbers Take advantage of instructions from seasoned plumbers to easily solve common problems like leaks and clogs yourself.		Remove Heat and Water Stains Do you have stains on your wood furniture? Find out how to remove them using items such as an iron, mayo, and toothpaste.

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