InterBel Fall 2021 Newsletter

InterBel

FALL 2021

happenings

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: FRONT PORCH DEWEY BURGER & FISH CO. BOARD SPOTLIGHT: PRESIDENT MIKE HEDGES TECH TIPS: COMMON REASONS FOR WEAK WI-FI .

PC: Roberto Caucino

What’s Inside InterBel Happenings has been carefully crafted to bring you the information you need and the stories you want to read. We will keep you in the loop with news and updates from our cooperative, celebrate the businesses and individuals doing good work in our community.

A MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER

FRONT PORCH DEWEY BURGER & FISH CO.

One year ago, in September 2020, InterBel embarked on a mission to equip the entire town of Eureka and our surrounding communities with fiber.

Jim Monroe’s Eureka “Bubba” Burger—featuring spicy Cajun sausage, jumbo shrimp, chipotle sauce, and cheddar cheese atop a hand-pressed patty—was voted the best burger in the nation on the Ultimate Hometown Grill Off.

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04

BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

TECH TIPS

The InterBel that Mike now helps lead is a far cry from the cooperative of his childhood.

He has seen our team grow, our service territory expand, and our technology advance in once unimaginable ways.

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12

Wireless internet is one of the most significant and time-saving technological advancements of our time. It allows us to build a network without all the hassle of running cable. However, these networks are highly dependent on signal strength, and there’s nothing worse than a weak Wi-Fi signal..

A Message from the General Manager

by JASON MOOTHART One year ago, in September 2020, InterBel embarked on a mission to equip the entire town of Eureka and our surrounding communities with fiber.

I am proud to announce that we have reached an important milestone in this project. Our Olney build is completed and conditional upon regulatory and permitting requirements. We are also nearing the completion of the West Kootenai, which marks the end of our rural fiber buildouts!

The total buildout consisted of 60 miles of transport and 10 miles in our CLEC. This new fiber network will provide our members with broadband capabilities that are equal to or exceed the services found anywhere in the country, let alone the services currently found in rural Montana.

In this second edition of InterBel Happenings, we are highlighting the stories of four individuals who have impacted, and been impacted by, our cooperative over the years. On page 08, you will meet our board president Mike Hedges, whose history with InterBel goes back almost six decades; on page 10, we have featured Paul Torres, an InterBel technician who is following in his family’s footsteps with the Eureka Volunteer Fire Department; and on page 04, you will learn more about our neighbors and proud InterBel members Jim and Andi Monroe, owners of Front Porch Dewey Burger & Fish Co.

we do. We believe in making our region the place that we want to live,

Jason Moothart

work, and play. It is important for us to improve InterBel’s offerings

General Manager, InterBel

People like Mike, Paul, and the Monroes are the reason we do what

beyond Eureka’s city limits, providing our members the technology they need to communicate now and into the future.

As your local connected cooperative, it is our responsibility to keep you informed, entertained, and connected. Our door is always open; please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Jason Moothart

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Front Porch Dewey Burger & Fish Co. A burger put Front Porch on the map, and the service keeps customers coming back.

In 2009, Eureka, Montana made national news for one unexpected (and delicious) reason: a hamburger.

Jim Monroe’s Eureka “Bubba” Burger— featuring spicy Cajun sausage, jumbo shrimp, chipotle sauce, and cheddar cheese atop a hand-pressed patty—was voted the best burger in the nation on the Ultimate

Hometown Grill Off, sponsored by the

received an unexpected phone call with

television show “Live! with Regis and Kelly.”

a request to serve their famous burger at a reception following the lighting of the

That burger, concocted from leftovers

Capitol Christmas tree.

thrown together after a long day, became a permanent fixture on the menu at Front

The Monroes made the trek to D.C. that

Porch Dewey Burger & Fish Co., which

December to serve their award-winning

Jim owns and operates with his wife, Andi.

burger to a crowd of more than 300. They

It has had foodies from across the country

also offered attendees a more recent

flocking to the little town of Eureka for more

addition to the menu: the Montana

than a decade; it also caught the attention

Huckleberry Burger, topped with cheddar

of a few very important people all the way in

cheese, jalapenos, huckleberry jam, bacon,

Washington, D.C.

and a scoop of huckleberry ice cream.

In 2017, eight years after the “Bubba”

“As crazy as the burger sounds, it is

Burger first made headlines, Jim and Andi

surprisingly delicious,” Andi said.

as they eat. Luckily, the Monroes And diners agree. The Huckleberry

don’t have to look far for high-

Burger has since become one of

speed, reliable Internet; InterBel’s

Front Porch’s most popular menu

headquarters is right across Dewey

items, even tying in the Whitefish

Avenue from their front door.

Burger Battle for People’s Choice.

“Every single InterBel employee

More Than the Menu All of the positive press is unsurprising for the locals who have enjoyed dining at Front Porch over the years. With Jim’s long culinary history and Andi’s years in customer service, they’ve created an environment that keeps

we interact with is always friendly, professional, and actually cares about the quality of service received,” Andi said. “Our Internet service has been terrific. 80 percent of our customers are using some type of Internet during their stay in our establishment. Everything has been running smoothly with no interruptions in service for our customers or restaurant food ordering.”

“In these times, anywhere we can ease pressure on the staff we have is a true blessing.”

-Andi Monroe

Owner of Front Porch Dewey Burger & Fish Co.

customers coming back. They go above and beyond to ensure that every item on their menu is of the highest quality: using fresh ingredients, hand-pressing their burger patties, even baking their own rolls and buns from scratch.

And these days, running a successful restaurant is about so much more than the food. Jim and Andi know that today’s customers, whether they come from down the street or across the country, expect to be able to access the Internet

In addition to offering Wi-Fi for every customer who walks in their doors, with fiber from InterBel, Front Porch is able to stream simultaneously on four televisions throughout the restaurant. They also utilize a tableside ordering system, allowing customers to order and pay on an iPad and experience reduced wait time.

With a Voice Over Internet Phone (VoIP) system, customers can call in and have most of their questions Continued on next page

answered without needing to talk to a real

out for each other is the norm here,” Andi

through all of their awards and acclaim.

person, allowing staff to spend more time

said. The waves of hellos, the ‘have a nice

InterBel is proud to support Jim and Andi

helping guests in the restaurant. This time-

days’ while walking down the street...Who

Monroe, whether it’s by providing the high-

saving technology has proven especially

wouldn’t want to be a part of that?”

speed Internet they need to operate their

helpful as Front Porch has

business, or simply by walking

navigated the changing tides of

across the street to enjoy a

the COVID-19 pandemic.

burger.

“In these times, anywhere we can ease pressure on the staff we have is a true blessing,” Andi said. “These upgrades allow us to concentrate on providing quality products consistently.”

Good Food, Great People A hamburger may have made

“Our town is so unique in that it is always there for their people. Coming together is the town’s superhero quality ”

Eureka a culinary destination, but residents like the Monroes agree that it’s the people who

.

-Andi Monroe

Owner of Front Porch Dewey Burger & Fish Co.

make it a great place to live.

is the town’s superhero quality. Looking

provider. They enjoy our food and use Internet service while in our establishment.

If there is a problem, they are right there to help out,” Andi said. “It is great to have neighbors across the street that have the same goals and intentions for our wonderful community.”

Front Porch Dewey Burger & Fish Co. is located at 307 Dewey Ave. in Eureka, Montana, directly across the street from InterBel Telephone Cooperative.

Stop in to try one of their

“Our town is so unique in that it is always there for their people. Coming together

“We like having a local

famous burgers or delicious seafood dishes!

The community of Eureka has rallied

More information and online ordering is

around Front Porch, cheering them on

available at frontporchgrillhouse.com.

HIGH SPEED INTERNET

PACKAGES DSL High Speed Internet is available through your existing copper phone services. With speeds up to 20 Mbps, you can take care of your daily activities online such as web browsing or watching Netflix.

FIBER With fiber service available to the majority of our rural members, InterBel High Speed Internet with fiber will connect you at the speed of light. With packages up to 1 Gigabit, InterBel has you covered!

Sign up today at https://interbel.com/

BOARD SPOTLIGHT

President Mike Hedges The InterBel that Mike Hedges now helps lead is a far cry from the cooperative of his childhood just enjoying the freedom of the great outdoors. He enlisted in the military shortly after high school graduation, and after 20 years of service, he knew right where he wanted to be.

“With the service, I was all over the world, but there’s probably not a nicer place than right here,” Mike said.

Weldon Hedges relocated his family to Eureka, Montana in 1962, when he was hired as the first superintendent of InterBel Telephone Cooperative.

While Weldon was trusted with leading a brand-new cooperative, his son, Mike— just ten years old at the time—was also given a very important job.

“My dad didn’t like crawl spaces,” Mike said. “So he used to make us kids wire the houses, and we would crawl into these little tiny crawl spaces and pull the phone lines for him.”

Other than pulling phone lines and assisting the crew after outages, Mike lived the typical northwest Montana childhood: hiking, fishing, hunting, and

Today, Mike is enjoying his retirement here in Eureka— though he’s far from done working. He still assists his daughter and son-in-law with their local business, Eureka Hardware, from time to time. And for the past 8 years, he has served as the President of InterBel’s Board of Directors.

The InterBel that Mike now helps lead is a far cry from the cooperative of his childhood. He has seen our team grow, our service territory expand, and our technology advance in once unimaginable ways.

“In the early days they had one full-time employee and two half-time employees, and they were sharing managers and bookkeepers with Lincoln Electric,” Mike said. “So we’ve come a long way as a cooperative.”

Among the most exciting changes Mike has witnessed in his many years with InterBel is the transition to fiber optic internet. When his father joined InterBel in 1962, the cooperative was just beginning to run bare wire so that the community could access party lines. Today, we are equipping the entire town of Eureka and our surrounding communities with

fiber—enabling speeds up to 100 Mbps and ensuring that our members are more connected than ever before.

“I think what InterBel is doing for this valley with the fiber is just unbelievable. It has opened up the world to us and given new opportunities for the big city folks to come out here and work remotely,” Mike said.

“Without the fiber, that wouldn’t be an option.”

While much has changed since Mike’s early days of pulling phone lines, the thing he loves most about InterBel—our strong cooperative spirit—has never wavered.

From funding student scholarships to digging fiber out to our rural residents, InterBel has continued to put the needs of our members first. Not because it’s the most profitable way to operate, but because it’s the right thing to do.

“It would never survive in a business case, because you are never going to collect enough revenue. But that’s what I like about co-ops. It’s really about taking care of the community,” Mike said. “We’re not here to make a profit. We’re just here to serve.”

For Mike, being on InterBel’s Board of Directors isn’t just a matter of staying involved in retirement or supporting the cooperative financially. It’s about family: continuing what his father started, and giving back to the community that has given him so much.

“I have a lot of positive memories with InterBel back in those years,” Mike said. “I was part of the family as a young kid, and now I have the opportunity to pay it back.”

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@InterbelTelephone

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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Paul Torres Many young adults who grow up in small towns can’t wait to leave; but Paul Torres, a fourth-generation Eurekan, couldn’t imagine being anywhere but here.

“Once you’re born and raised

hanging Christmas lights to helping

in the mountains, you can’t go

out with events, whether it be

anywhere else,” Paul said. “It’s just

baseball games or 4-H or even the

home. This is where all my family is

fair and the rodeo,” Paul said. “We

and I wouldn’t change it. I’ve been

100 percent have the back of the

around the United States, seen

community.”

a lot of places, but I would never want to leave here.”

For Paul, caring for the community goes beyond hanging Christmas

Paul lives in Eureka with his wife,

lights or handing out hot dogs at

Chelsea, and their two young

sporting events. He goes so far as

girls, Morgan and Gracie. He

to put his life on the line for his

spent several years working in

hometown.

construction before joining InterBel as a technician. Today, he helps

Paul is one of the brave volunteers

connect the community he’s always

who give their time and energy

called home to the Internet, each other, and the world.

Paul is currently part of the team working toward equipping all Eureka homes and businesses with 100 percent fiber optic

Internet, but Paul believes that the most rewarding work happens away from the job site.

“InterBel is very community-oriented, from

to the Eureka Volunteer Fire Department. It runs in the family; his grandfather served for 50 years, and his father has been a member for another 50.

“It’s what everybody in my family did, and

it’s what I wanted to do, too,” Paul said.

has loaned a bucket truck to the fire department. And when duty calls, Paul knows that he is free to go where he is needed.

Paul has served the fire department for the past five years.

He has responded to

“InterBel’s told me, if there’s

everything from lightning

a fire and it’s in the middle of

strikes to car accidents,

“InterBel is very community-oriented, from hanging Christmas lights to helping out with events, whether it be baseball games or 4-H or even the fair and the rodeo”

the working day and you have

-Paul Torres

be fortunate enough to live in

and witnessed increasingly devastating wildfire seasons.

Despite the hazards of the job, Paul has never doubted his commitment to the department.

“A lot of people run from the fire and here we are heading into it,” Paul said.

“It can be a thankless thing when it’s three o’clock in the morning and it’s 20 below outside, but we’re out there.

Somebody’s gotta do it.”

InterBel Employee

From the moment he

an opportunity where you can respond, do it,” Paul said.

We are grateful for Paul’s service to the Eureka Volunteer Fire Department, his commitment to InterBel’s cooperative values, and his love for our community. To his credit, Paul has plenty to be grateful for, too.

“I’m grateful just to be able to Eureka, Montana and raise my family here. And I’m fortunate to have this great job,” Paul

joined the fire department,

said. “I thank my lucky stars

Paul has had the full support of his team at InterBel. The two

every day that I get to get up and come to work here because it’s

organizations frequently work hand in hand; the fire department

a great place to work. It really is.”

has washed the apron at the InterBel warehouse, and InterBel

Tech Tips Common Reasons for Weak Wi-Fi

Your Friendly Neighbor Tech Experts, Katie and Riley

It’s finally here: the job interview you’ve been waiting your whole life for! Of course, it has to be a virtual interview, but you don’t mind. You’ve done your research, practiced your responses, and put on your best suit.

You turn on your computer, open up Zoom… ...and then you notice your Wi-Fi is down.

Wireless internet is one of the most significant and time-saving technological advancements of our time. It allows us to build a network without all the hassle of running cable. However, these networks are highly dependent on signal strength, and there’s nothing worse than a weak Wi-Fi signal.

Today, we are going to identify the most common culprits for weak Wi-Fi and show you how to solve them. If you are more of a visual learner, watch our latest

Tech Tip video to follow along with tech expert Riley as he identifies and solves the most common Wi-Fi strength issues.

signal. If you would like to keep your router out of sight but keep your signal strong, we recommend placing it on top of something like a bookshelf.

Why Your Wi-Fi May Be Weak.

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There are countless reasons your Wi-Fi signal may be weaker than usual, but chances are, your problem is coming from one of these three sources:

01

The device you are using is too far from your router. The farther you are, the weaker the signal. To solve this problem, either move to a room closer to your router or purchase a wireless range extender.

02

If distance doesn’t seem to be the issue, other objects may be getting in the way. While you may be inclined to “hide” your router, objects like walls, cabinets, and mirrors can disrupt your

If neither of those solutions improve your Wi-Fi signal, ask yourself: When was the last time I gave my Wi-Fi system a break? Restarting your router is one of the simplest troubleshooting steps you can take to fix an internet connection that isn’t working properly.

Hopefully, one of these solutions will resolve your Wi-Fi connectivity issues and you will be crushing your job interview in no time. If you try all three and find that your connection is still weak, please give us a call to speak directly with one of our tech experts.

That’s it for this edition of Tech Tips!

Check back soon for another tip to make your technology work for you.

TOTAL WI-FI

Did you know that many Internet-related problems come from the lack of a quality wireless connection in your home?

Congestion, interference and bandwidth availability issues due to dated wireless equipment are some of the key factors that can cause your internet to run poorly.

InterBel has the solution to help you overcome these obstacles! With InterBel Total Wi-Fi, we will come and evaluate your specific conditions by heat-mapping your home. Then we will provide the solution for your individual requirement.

This could be as simple as moving your modem or router to a more ideal position in the home, providing an extender to boost signals to weak areas of your home, or in very tough conditions we can provide you with a mesh wireless network to cover your entire home.

In order to correct these issues, all Total Wi-Fi customers will receive, at minimum, a Dual Band Wireless AC modem or router. These devices will come with an extended warranty, giving you peace of mind the equipment will be covered for the life of the product.

Sign up today at https://interbel.com/

INTERBEL TELEPHONE COOPERATIVE INC. 300 DEWEY AVENUE. EUREKA, MT 59917 OFFICE: (406) 889-3311 TECH: (406) 889-1500

Upcoming Events Eureka High School 2021-2022 Activity Calendar

How to pay online https://interbel.smarthub.coop/Login.html or visit Interbel.com and click on Smarthub Bill Pay/Usage

EUREKA OFFICE 300 Dewey Ave, Eureka, MT 59917

OFFICE: (406) 889-3311 TECH SUPPORT: (406) 889-1500

Follow us at @InterbelTelephone

OFFICE HOURS 8am-4:30pm M-F