nterBe l HAPPENINGS SUMMER 2022
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WHAT’S INSIDE
A MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER PG 3 EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT PG 4 NEW WEBSITE PG 6 TECH TIPS PG 10
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A MESSAGE FROM THE
GENERAL MANAGER
by JASON MOOTHART
It’s hard to believe that we are already halfway through 2022, but as they say, time flies when you are having fun! It has been a busy year here at InterBel: we’ve continued to cut our customers within Eureka over to fiber, bringing us even closer to our goal of equipping every Eureka resident with highspeed, reliable fiber-optic internet. We have also continued to expand our fiber network into the surrounding communities. InterBel’s fiber network now extends as far south as Clydesdale Outpost, allowing us to support the growing population and increasing demand in Whitefish. The Tobacco Valley has seen unprecedented growth in the past two years, with new construction numbers doubling since 2020. As we welcome these new businesses and residents into the Valley, we are also experiencing increased demand on our network. Our customers are consuming 50 percent more bandwidth than they were two years ago, and we continue to meet that demand. I am excited to share that our InterBel family is also growing! We have added four new teammates in the past six months: Sean McCracken, Support Specialist, Caleb Ravitch, Student Intern,
Andy Escobar, Materials and Purchasing Manager, and Troy Unrein, Director of Operations. As a small, communityfocused cooperative, it is important for us to celebrate the individuals who make our work possible. In this third edition of InterBel Happenings, you can read about our Lead Customer Service Representative Rebekah Apeland, whose passion for serving others goes beyond equipping them with highspeed fiber-optic internet; and Central Office Technician Rick McCracken, whose nearly 30-year career in telecommunications has taken him all over the western United States before finally bringing him back to Eureka. Thank you to Rebekah, Rick, and every other member of the InterBel team whose hard work and dedication are making the Tobacco Valley a better place to live, work and play. And of course, thank you to you–our customers–for continuing to support your local connected cooperative.
Jason Moothart Jason Moothart
General Manager, InterBel
P.S. Have you seen our new website yet? We were thrilled to unveil this sleek, streamlined website in June. It’s now easier than ever to pay your bill, request support, and learn technology tips and tricks. Check it out at www.interbel.com!
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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT:
RICK MCCRACKEN Rick McCracken’s nearly 30year career in telecommunications has taken him all over the western United States–from Idaho to New Mexico, and finally back to his home state of Montana.
applied immediately, and the McCrackens were finally able to trade in the high deserts of New Mexico for the expansive forests and serene lakes of northwest Montana.
Growing up in Columbia Falls, just one hour south of Eureka, Rick admired both the lush landscapes and close-knit community of his neighbor to the north. As their own family grew, Rick and his wife continued to dream of raising their eight children in the small town of Eureka.
“30 years ago, the internet was just going from dial-up to DSL, where you could get maybe 20 megabits per second, up and down,” Rick said. “Now technology is changing so fast, and we are able to provide speeds over one gigabit per second.”
Today, as Central Office Technician at InterBel, Rick is responsible for coordinating the transport of fiber optic cables, installing new equipment, and ensuring that all technology is in place to provide users with the high-speed, reliable internet service they depend on. Over the past three decades, Rick has witnessed first-hand the transformation of the technology that we use to communicate.
“Eureka was always where we wanted to be,” Rick said. “It has that small-town feel, the way Columbia Falls was 20 years ago. We wanted to raise our kids in a place like that, where for the most part you can leave your doors unlocked, and your kids are free to run around.”
And it is not slowing down anytime soon. As users continue to demand access to more information at faster speeds, technology is being forced to evolve more rapidly than ever before. Rick knows better than anyone that in order to survive in the industry, an organization like InterBel must be able and willing to evolve along with it.
In 2020, their wish came true. After five years with a telephone cooperative in Artesia, New Mexico, Rick saw an opening at InterBel. He
“Technology changes every day. There are always new challenges, new opportunities to better yourself,” Rick said. “InterBel listens
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to their employees. If we recommend new solutions, they listen. They are always looking for ways to better their products and services for their customers.” Joining the InterBel team has given Rick the opportunity to improve the lives of others through technology; but for Rick, the opportunities that InterBel affords him outside of the office are even more valuable.
“InterBel is a small co-op that is very familyoriented,” Rick said. “You can put your family first here, and they are really good at supporting you and helping out in any way they can.” This flexibility allows Rick to attend all of his children’s sporting events and activities, lead youth activities with his church, and join his family on hiking and kayaking adventures across the Tobacco
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Valley. Most importantly, it gives him the opportunity to finally share the place he’s always dreamed of calling home with the people he loves. “Living all over the country, the biggest thing I’ve learned is to not take this place for granted,” Rick said. “It’s beautiful. It’s home.”
EUREKA WAS ALWAYS WHERE WE WANTED TO BE. - Rick McCracken Central Office Technician
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INTERBEL SUMMER SUMMER 2022 2022 66 || INTERBEL
OUR NEW WEBSITE! InterBel provides businesses and residents across northwestern Montana with the high-quality internet and voice technology they need to communicate, as well as state-of-the-art security and web hosting services. Our home is the Tobacco Valley, and our customers are our neighbors, family and friends. That’s why we are so committed to providing the fastest internet speeds in the nation, with a quality of service and personal touch you can’t find anywhere else. As a cooperative, everything we do is for our members. Every year, we put millions of dollars back into our community in the form of capital credits, student scholarships, and donations to local organizations. At InterBel, we’re more than an internet provider; we are your local connected cooperative. Let us know how we can serve you.
Click here to check out our new website
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EVERYONE IS JUST FRIENDLY WITH EACH OTHER HERE IN EUREKA. IT’S LIKE A FAMILY. - Rebekah Apeland
Lead Customer Service Representative
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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT:
REBEKAH APELAND Whether she’s working in cosmetology or customer service, Rebekah Apeland has learned that her true calling lies in connecting with people. “I love what I do because of the people,” Rebekah said. “I love meeting new people, working with them, and hearing their stories.” And the people love her in return. As Lead Customer Service Representative at InterBel Telephone Cooperative, Rebekah is one of the first faces that customers see when they walk through our door, and the first voice they hear when they call in for support. “Everyone is just friendly with each other here in Eureka,” Rebekah said. “It’s like a family.” Eureka hasn’t always been home for Rebekah. She grew up in Portland, Oregon–a far cry from the rustic scenery and familial feel of northwest Montana. But
when her husband, a Eureka native, retired from the Marine Corps, he craved the comforts of home. So 24 years ago, the Apelands made the move. “It was a huge decision to move to a small town that, back then, didn’t have all the conveniences of a larger city,” Rebekah said. “But we made friends quickly, and it just became home. It’s a neat town. It’s very unique. I like the slower pace of life. It felt like a safe place to raise our kids.” Rebekah adapted quickly to the Eureka way of life. She was able to raise her three children in a safe, welcoming community where they could participate in a variety of activities, like sports and 4-H. She has embraced the many outdoor activities our stunning landscape has to offer, from floating the river in the summer to snowmobiling in the winter–though she admits to preferring the warmer months. “Summer here in Eureka is our reward for putting up with the winter,” Rebekah said. After moving to Eureka, Rebekah pursued potential careers in pharmacy and cosmetology before joining the InterBel team in 2015. From her first role as a cashier to her current position as Lead
Customer Service Representative, Rebekah is proud to be a part of InterBel’s mission to equip rural communities with high-speed fiber-optic internet. “Bringing fiber to this area is huge because we are so rural,” Rebekah said. “A lot of people are moving here from the larger cities and are able to work remotely. They can do whatever they want, right from here.” And of course, it all comes down to serving the people. One of Rebekah’s favorite memories from her time with InterBel is the annual Parade of Lights, when the entire team dresses up in a theme and works together to decorate a float. “We love the community, and we are proud to show it by supporting our schools and participating in local events,” Rebekah said. “We are always a presence, whether it’s walking in parades, having a booth at the fair, or giving scholarships to the kids.” Advancements like fiber-optic internet may draw people to move to Eureka, but Rebekah is sure that it’s the people that will make them stay–just like she did. “I believe in Interbel, and the fact that others are moving here means that they believe in InterBel too,” Rebekah said.
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Tech Tips
TAKE BETTER CELL PHONE PHOTOS These days, snapping a selfie or documenting your dinner is as simple as tapping a button. But if you really want to preserve your memories and impress your Instagram followers, there are a few extra steps you can take to up your photography game. Today, we are sharing a few tips and tricks to take the best photos with your smartphone. If you are more of a visual learner, watch our latest Tech Tip video to follow along with Tech Expert Katie. Trick number one is to set your camera to HDR mode, which brings out the details in your picture and creates a better balance of colors. From your phone’s camera settings, you
can choose to enable Auto HDR. Shooting in HDR does take a few extra milliseconds, so avoid using it on fastmoving subjects or when you can’t keep your phone steady. Next, follow the rule of thirds–a trick as old as photography itself. According to the rule of thirds, an image is split into a grid of nine equal blocks. Try to get the most interesting parts of your image, like a group of faces or a city skyline, near the corners of these segments where the grid lines meet. To make this even easier, enable the built-in grid setting from either your camera screen or your phone’s settings. As a general rule, natural lighting is going to make for the best photos, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to end when the sun goes down. Many newer models come with a builtin Night Mode to capture more detail and brighten your shots in low-light situations. But even without this handy tool, you can improve your evening shots by adjusting the exposure. Simply tap the screen and drag the exposure meter up or down to your desired brightness. Finally, don’t be afraid to explore. Most
smartphone cameras come with a multitude of tools, modes, and filters to tweak things like color and contrast before you even capture an image. Play around with them to discover a style that works for you. That’s it for this edition of Tech Tips! Check back soon for another tip to make your technology work for you.
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INTERBEL TELEPHONE COOPERATIVE INC. 300 DEWEY AVENUE. EUREKA, MT 59917 OFFICE: (406) 889-3311 TECH: (406) 889-1500
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
