Colo Telephone Company and Central Iowa Broadband (CIB) 303 Main Street / PO Box 315 Colo, IA 50056 Colo Telephone Company: 641-377-2202 CIB: 888-377-0067 Call Before You Dig: Iowa One Call 811 Office Hours: M–F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Office Closure: • Thurs., Nov. 23 & Fri., Nov. 24 - Thanksgiving Holiday • Mon., Dec. 25 - Christmas Day • Mon., Jan. 1 - New Year’s Day Email: support@colotel.org Visit Us Online: www.colotel.org Find Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ColoTelCo JOIN US OUT IN THE COMMUNITY Colo Public Library Book Sale Fri., Nov. 3: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm Sat., Nov. 4: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Christmas in Colo Sat., Dec. 7 Cornerstone Group © 2023 WE MADE PROGRESS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES IN 2023 Colo Telephone Company and CIB have worked hard in 2023 to build strong connections in the communities we serve. Some of these connections involved fiber technology. Others focused on helping friends and neighbors enjoy local special events. Here are a few highlights: • We brought fiber to 30 underserved locations in South Nevada to provide access to highspeed internet. • During the summer, we participated in Collins Days and the Colo Crossroads Festival. • Staff and retirees from Colo Telephone Company and CIB volunteered at the Harper Telco Museum at the Iowa State Fair. (It’s been confirmed that this group tried five out of the 10 top new fair foods for research purposes!) • Our technicians attended TechTalk Training hosted by Huxley Communications and learned the latest techniques and equipment for fiber installs. • We gave away LED lights and safety checklists to help kids gear up for safe trick-or-treating. • We applied for the NOFA8 Grant, which will allow us to serve 100+ unserved/ underserved locations in Story County. Thanks for supporting Colo Telephone Company and CIB by using our communications services. This helps us continue to make progress. CONNECTIONS HOLIDAY 2023 NEWS FROM COLO TELEPHONE AND CENTRAL IOWA BROADBAND
GOBBLE UP THE CONTENT ON THESE SITES You’ll find a feast of Thanksgiving information and inspiration to take your holiday to a whole new level. Check out these sites: Plimoth Patuxet Museums plimoth.org Explore the history of Plymouth Colony and the Indigenous homeland through this site’s photos and other content. Included is the Mayflower II, a full-scale reproduction of the tall ship that brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth in 1620. History history.com/topics/thanksgiving/ history-of-thanksgiving Learn about Thanksgiving at Plymouth, how Thanksgiving became a national holiday, Thanksgiving food, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Thanksgiving’s ancient origins. Food Network foodnetwork.com/thanksgiving Look through turkey recipes that are sure to impress, plus 100 showstopping sides, easy cranberry sauces, vegan Thanksgiving recipes, and more. Better Homes and Gardens bhg.com/thanksgiving/crafts You’ll find “easy as pie” Thanksgiving craft ideas here, including a pretty DIY centerpiece. Involve the kids in crafting to make the Thanksgiving holiday feel even more meaningful. Once you’ve finished eating the pumpkin pie and done the dishes, it’s time to sit down and relax with a Thanksgiving movie at home. Because of streaming services, you can be thankful for all the options. To get you started with your search, here are some of the best movies with Thanksgiving scenes, listed in order of release: ENJOY A FEAST OF THANKSGIVING MOVIES Rocky (1976) In addition to plenty of boxing by Sylvester Stallone’s character, there’s an unforgettable Thanksgiving dinner scene. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) Steve Martin’s quirky, high-strung character must endure all kinds of antics to make it home for Thanksgiving dinner. Scent of a Woman (1992) This movie takes place over Thanksgiving break when a student (Chris O’Donnell) agrees to take care of a blind veteran (Al Pacino). Addams Family Values (1993) As you would expect from the Addams family, this is not your everyday reenactment of what happened between the Pilgrims and Native Americans. Grumpy Old Men (1993) Old neighbors, a mutual love interest, and a funny Thanksgiving scene add up to an entertaining movie. Home for the Holidays (1995) The protagonist’s Thanksgiving gets off to a bad start, including losing her job, but she’s gained a new outlook by the end of the movie. You’ve Got Mail (1998) This romantic comedy with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks features an iconic Thanksgiving grocery store scene. Pieces of April (2003) A young woman invites her distant family for Thanksgiving dinner and has lots of problems in the kitchen. The Blind Side (2009) This based-on-a-true-story movie about football player Michael Oher includes a touching Thanksgiving dinner with his adoptive family. Free Birds (2013) Voiced by Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Amy Poehler, and George Takei, this animated comedy is the perfect family-friendly Turkey Day flick. Although it’s a TV special and not a movie, no list would be complete without A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973). It’s a classic that never fails to entertain the whole family. To enhance your streaming experience, consider increasing your internet speed. For details, call Colo Telephone Company at 641-377-2202 or CIB at 888-377-0067.
Cornerstone Group © 2023 BAKE COOKIES DAY IS DECEMBER 18 Look through your recipe box, stop by the grocery store, and gather your cookie cutters. December 18 is Bake Cookies Day—perfectly timed for the holidays. Many people have kept busy so far this season with shopping trips, gift wrapping, decorating, and Christmas cards. So, Bake Cookies Day is a great excuse to shift gears and focus on the fun of baking. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to spend time with family and friends in the kitchen, share plates of cookies with neighbors, or mail some goodies to loved ones in other places. If you’re looking for some new Christmas cookie recipes, check out the delicious assortment at foodnetwork.com, which not only features cookies, but festive bars and barks as well. Who knows? You may even be treated to a cookie the next time you visit the Colo Telephone Company and CIB office. We all know the mean and green character of the Grinch created by Dr. Seuss, who stole everything—down to the last crumb—from the homes in Whoville on Christmas Eve. Today’s holiday scammers have similarly cold-hearted goals, but they have a broader array of tricks up their sleeve to do the stealing. Scammers know that people are busy and focused on merriment during the holiday season, so they take advantage of the situation to deploy scams including these: Social media ads leading to fake online stores – If you buy from one of these stores, scammers can use the personal information you provide to access and drain your bank account, run up debts in your name, or commit other fraudulent activities. Phony “missed delivery” notifications – You may receive a text or email asking you to click on a link to supposedly get an update about the delivery date, track the package location, give your payment preferences, provide delivery instructions, or pay a shipping fee. Or you may find a note on your door claiming to have a package for you that couldn’t be delivered and containing a phone number to call to reschedule the delivery. If you call the number, you’ll be greeted with questions related to your personal identity that can later be used to commit fraud. Unbelievable deals on popular items – These schemes feature holiday gifts that many people have on their shopping lists. The scammers offer deals that seem too good to be true (and are too good to be true) to encourage you to order quickly. If you do, you’ll likely pay for the item but never receive it. Plus, your payment information will be in the wrong hands. Impersonations of well-known brands – In order to steal your personal information for identity theft purposes, scammers claim to be from companies you know, such as Amazon or Walmart, in their emails, texts, or phone calls. Fraudulent charities that steal your money – Scammers create fake charities or GoFundMe campaigns during the season of giving to trick you into sending money or sharing your personal information. Now that you know what these scams look like, we hope you avoid them and retain your Christmas spirit all season long! LIKE THE GRINCH, SCAMMERS TRY TO STEAL CHRISTMAS
Colo Telephone Company 303 Main Street / PO Box 315 Colo, IA 50056 Colo: 641-377-2202 CIB: 888-377-0067 www.colotel.org Cornerstone Group © 2023 CONNECTIONS NEWS FROM COLO TELEPHONE AND CENTRAL IOWA BROADBAND GET SOCIAL WITH US TO STAY IN THE KNOW There’s no better way to get the latest from Colo Telephone Company and CIB than to follow us on Facebook. You’ll pick up valuable information on topics including: • Current online threats and scams • Links to livestreams of local games • Community activities • Technology updates • News about our products and services To take a peek at what’s happening now, visit www.facebook.com/ColoTelCo. Then “Like” and “Follow” us to stay connected. We value you as a customer and enjoy interacting with you online and around town.
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