Bits&Bytes A NEWSLETTER FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT BUTLER-BREMER COMMUNICATIONS You’ll Benefit by Switching to eBilling Are you still paying your BBC bill by writing a check and mailing it to us? If so, we encourage you to use eBilling and pay electronically instead. You’ll gain more security, cut costs, save time, and reduce paperwork. To sign up for eBilling, visit butler-bremer.com and follow the step-by-step instructions. Call us at 319.276.4458 with any questions. Cornerstone Group © 2024 SUMMER 2 0 24 Butler-Bremer Communications 715 Main Street / PO Box 99 Plainfield, IA 50666 Phone: 319.276.4458 24/7 Tech Support: 1.866.276.8253 Office Hours: Mon - Fri, 8am - 4:30pm Office Closures: Monday, May 27 for Memorial Day Thursday, July 4 for Independence Day Email: comments@butler-bremer.com Online: butler-bremer.com 220024 Congratulations C L A S S O F HATS OFF TO THE GRADUATES Best of luck in the future! BBC joins our community to celebrate the accomplishments of this year’s graduates. They’ve worked hard, learned a lot, and used their talents to grow as individuals. While there were undoubtedly challenges along the way, the tassel is worth the hassle. Did you know the graduation hat, with its stiff square top from which the tassel hangs, is often called a mortarboard since it resembles the square tray bricklayers use when applying mortar? Think of it as a reminder to graduates to keep building throughout life.
Celebrate Creatively This Mother’s Day There’s nothing wrong with taking your mom out to eat or sending her flowers for Mother’s Day. However, if you’d like to give her a more unique experience this year, check out these ideas. Conduct a Mother's Day interview. You’ll no doubt learn many things about her, whether it's stories about her childhood, first job, wedding day, or hidden talents. Head to StoryCorps at storycorps.org for tips about documenting your family's stories and oral history. Write mom a thank you letter. Instead of a short message in a Mother’s Day card, write a long letter of appreciation for all she’s done for you. Register for a class together. It could be floral arrangement, cooking, painting, or anything you know she’d enjoy. Plan a future trip. Spend some of Mother’s Day researching fun destinations you could visit with your mom in the months ahead. However you decide to celebrate, BBC wishes you a Happy Mother’s Day! BUTLER-BREMER COMMUNICATIONS • 319 . 276 . 4458 • but l er-bremer. com When damage or glitches happen, it can be tough to decide between device repair and replacement. Can the problem be successfully fixed, and if so, what will it cost? How do you know when it’s time to buy a new phone, tablet, or laptop? Before you make a decision, it’s helpful to consider these factors: How old is your device? On average, a phone can perform well for at least three years, and a laptop can last at least four to five years. So, if you're having problems with a newer device, it's probably worth fixing, especially if it just needs a simple repair. Don't ignore cracks, dents, or other physical damage. These are typically less expensive repairs, and fixing them sooner helps prevent bigger problems later. If your device is nearing the end of its expected lifespan, you may want to replace it. How much will the repair cost? Here’s a good rule to follow: If a repair costs more than half of what you paid for your device, it can make the most sense to get a new one, especially if it’s more than a few years old and the damage is serious. Remember, you can often trade in your old phone and apply that credit toward a new one. There are budget friendly repairs, however, that are well worth doing. For example, a phone battery replacement or a tune-up for your laptop can cost under $100, making them smart ways to extend the life of your devices. Is your device under warranty? Before you start shopping for a new device, check and see whether your current one is still under warranty. You may be eligible for a free or low-cost repair or replacement. Keep in mind that all warranties come with exceptions, including water damage, cosmetic damage (like scratches), repairs by unauthorized providers, and normal wear and tear. Should You Repair or Replace Your Device?
Cornerstone Group © 2024 A Mesh WiFi Network is Best for Larger Homes While a traditional router is a singular, centralized access point, a mesh network is created from multiple WiFi nodes that all provide web connectivity. For example, you could have a central hub in the kitchen and satellite nodes in the home office, kitchen, and bedroom. The main benefit of a mesh network is extended WiFi coverage. Mesh networks can often cover up to 5,000 square feet—much more than you can expect from one central router—to eliminate the annoyance of dead zones. They're a particularly good fit for large or multistory homes where the WiFi network has a lot of ground to cover and walls to travel through. In a home that's smaller than about 1,500 square feet, a mesh network might be more hardware than you need. BBC offers Managed WiFi, and our team will select the right network equipment to give your home the best coverage and signal strength. To learn more, call 319.276.4458. How does Informed Delivery work? Before your mail is delivered, USPS will scan the front of letter-sized mail that runs through the automated mail sorting machine. These grayscale images will then be sent to you in the email notifications. This information can come in handy in many situations. For example, with Informed Delivery, you can get advance notice that an important piece of mail—such as a letter containing a check—will soon be delivered, allowing you to plan your day accordingly. Other benefits of Informed Delivery include: • Security: It provides an added layer of security by allowing you to verify the mail and packages you should expect to receive. This can help you identify any potential issues, such as missing or stolen mail. • Convenient Access: In addition to getting information from your Daily Digest emails, you can access your Informed Delivery dashboard online or through the USPS mobile app, allowing you to check your mail and packages from virtually anywhere. USPS first released Informed Delivery as a pilot program in 2014 in selected zip codes, then expanded it to include most zip codes in 2017. About 30% of eligible users have signed up so far, and 90% of them would recommend Informed Delivery to their family and friends. If you’d like to join the club, follow these steps: • Go to usps.com/portal/register. You’ll be asked to enter your address to confirm that it’s eligible for Informed Delivery. • Create an account with a username and password. • Verify your identity to protect your privacy and personal information. • Watch for updates via email, the online dashboard, or the USPS Mobile® app. If you’d like to get less mail in your mailbox, you can always sign up for Paperless Billing from BBC and receive your monthly bill electronically instead. Visit butler-bremer.com for details. Preview Your Incoming Mail Before It’s Delivered Did you know you can see what’s coming to your mailbox before it arrives? USPS offers a free service called Informed Delivery®, which sends you Daily Digest emails with images of your incoming letter-size mail and status updates on incoming packages.
Have Fun in the Sun at These Town Celebrations Fredericksburg Dairy Days: May 30 - June 1 Pioneer Days: June 6-8 New Hampton Heartland Days: June 7-8 Water Over the Dam Days: June 27-30 Frederika Days: July 4 Shell Rock 4th of July Celebration: July 4-7 Plainfield Days: July 11-13 Tripoli Days: August 2-4 Denver Break-Away Days: August 16 -18 715 Main Street / PO Box 99 Plainfield, IA 50666 Phone: 319.276.4458 butler-bremer.com Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately while cold and enjoy! Makes 4 servings. Recipe Notes: Add more ice for a thicker drink or a small amount of water for a thinner drink. You can freeze any leftovers in a popsicle mold. 12 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate 2 cups milk ½ cup granulated sugar 4 tsp. vanilla extract 2 cups ice BUTLER-BREMER COMMUNICATIONS • 319 . 276 . 4458 • but l er-bremer. com Cornerstone Group © 2024 ORANGE Julius Employee Spotlights Ricky Johnson, Network Technician Years of Service: 14 Hobbies: Golfing, traveling, and being on the water Tyler Johnson, Network Technician Years of Service: 11 Hobbies: Cooking, riding my bike, watching (and randomly quoting) movies, and spending time with my family
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