Company News

Holiday Closings

United Telephone will be closed for the Thanksgiving Holidays on Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28, 2008. Technical Support will be open on those dates.

The Chrismas Holiday Closing dates are Thursday, December 25 and Friday, December 26, 2008. The office will also be closed on New Year’s Day, Thursday, January 1, 2009. Technical Support will be open on those dates.

Employee Anniversaries - 2008

Jamie Isom – 5 Years – October 20

Bobby Garvin – 10 Years – August 24

Ronnie Burton – 15 Years – October 11

Gary Webb – 20 Years – March 28

Employee Anniversaries - 2009

5 Years
Gwen Brasher– July 6
Lisa Frost – October 18

10 Years
Debbie Reeves – January 20
Bryan Byrd – January 25
Tammy Welch – January 28
Cindy Autry – February 15
Scotty Liggett – April 19
Greg Hill – April 26
Pat Green – August 30
Kevin Edmonson – November 29

15 Years
Lisa Hedgepeth – May 2

30 Years
Randy Corley – March 23
Judy Daughrity – March 28

40 Years
Donnie Glasscock – October 28

Billy Curtis will be retiring on February 27, 2009 after 35½ years of service.

Specials

High Speed Internet/DSL Free activation on all speeds, starting at just $29.95/month
Sign up for High Speed Internet/DSL from UTC and get free installation with a 12-month agreement. For stable, fast and constant bandwidth, nothing outperforms DSL for Internet access – and adding it to your existing phone service is as easy as can be. With three packages to choose from, you can get the speed you need so everyone in the family can get the online time they need:

Just Right DSL
$29.95/month
512 kb

High Speed DSL
$49.95/month
Up to 3.0/512 kb

Static IP DSL
$74.95/month
Up to 3.0/512 kb
with static IP/domain

*DSL may not be available in all areas. Prices are for residential customers. Call for business rates. Free activation for new DSL customers only. Some restrictions may apply.

UTC Longdistance
Calling Plans that Make Connecting with Friends and Family Easier than ever!
With United Telephone Company’s Residential Unlimited Plan, you can talk all you’d like to your friends and loved ones for the low monthly price of only $39.95.
The ultimate long-distance deal! Call anyone, anywhere in the domestic U.S. for one low monthly rate.
Our other plans include:
600 Nationwide Plan - $19.95 monthly
600 minutes of nationwide long distance you can use whenever you want.
Additional minutes are just $.09.

1200 Nationwide Plan - $34.95 monthly
Just like our 600 Nationwide Plan with twice the minutes, at less than twice the cost!
Additional minutes are just $.09.

9 Cent Plan – No Monthly Fee
Direct dial anytime, to anywhere within the domestic U. S. for just $.09 a minute.

*Residential unlimited, 600 and 1200 nationwide plan prices apply to voice calls only. All data/Internet calls will be billed at $.09 per minute.

New Remote Sites - 2008

Chapel Hill

Kenny Nelson
Lunns Store
Powell Lane
Warner Ridge (2009)

Unionville

Rover
Hopkins Bridge - 4th quarter

Flat Creek

Hilltop
Joe Hart

Nolensville

Ballenger Farms
Burkitt Place
Camille
Catalina
The Hills at Concord Place
The Villas at Concord Place
Peppermint Lane
Sawmill Place
Silverstream
Split Log
Sunset Hills
Sundown
Rossi Road

New Developments

Inns of the Cove – located on Covington-Eudailey Rd. near Arno Rd. in Williamson Co.
300 Lot Subdivision - $400,000 to $800,000 Homes Building to begin soon – 4th quarter

Sanoma Development – located on Split Log Rd. in Williamson Co.
Approximately 70 Lot Subdivision $600,000 and up Homes

Lombardy Development – located on Split Log Rd. near the Ragsdale Rd. Intersection
in Williamson County 60 Lot Subdivision - $600,000 and up Homes Building to begin in 2009

Bonner Estates – located off US Hwy 41-A in Estill Springs
60 Lot Subdivision Building to begin in 2009

Warner Ridge – Located off US Hwy 31-A in Chapel Hill
204 Lot Subdivision Building to begin in 2009

Elmbrooke Subdivision – Located at the intersection of Concord Rd. & Crockett Rd
in Davidson County 46 Lot Subdivision Building to begin in 4th Quarter 2008

Waterford Subdivision – Located off Cane Ridge Rd. in Davidson County
72 Lot Subdivision Building to begin in 2009

UNITED TELEPHONE COLORING CONTEST OCTOBER 2008

Since 1998, United Telephone Company has proudly sponsored a Coloring Contest for 2nd Graders in our service area. We’re especially excited about this year’s contest because one of the winning posters will be selected for the cover of our 2009-2010 Telephone directory. Our coloring poster shows United Telephone’s commitment to providing the latest technology and quality service to our customers; and our involvement in our schools and community.

We select a winner from each class and they will receive a $10.00 Wal-Mart Gift Card. We will also select one over-all winner from each school. Those winners will receive a $25.00 Wal-Mart Gift Card. Out of the five over-all winners from each school in our service area, we will select the winning poster for the cover of our telephone directory. That winner will receive $100 cash. In addition, the classes that participate in our contest will get to enjoy a Popsicle party when we come to announce the winners.

UNITED TELEPHONE ESSAY CONTEST

The concept for United Telephone’s Essay Contest was developed by Chaz Taylor, Inc. and employees of United Telephone in 1987. The contest was designed to motivate student’s thinking about technology and how it affects their lives and future.

The first essay contest was held at Forrest School for sixth grade students and expanded to include fifth and sixth grade students for several years. The contest is now open to all fifth grade students in our service area. These include Chapel Hill Elementary, College Grove Elementary, Community Elementary, Nolensville Elementary, and Rock Creek Elementary.

United Telephone selects a specific technology topic or question for the students to write about each year, encouraging them to draw illustrations to go with their essay. Students are asked to write between 250 and 350 words on the subject. A $50 Savings Bond was originally awarded for the winning essay, but as the contest progressed, we awarded $100 to first place winners, $50 to second place winners and $25 to third place winners.

In 2007, we celebrated our 20th anniversary of the essay contest. We hope it continues as an educational tool for students many years into the future.

LEADERSHIP THROUGH LEARNING PROGRAM

The Foundation for Rural Education and Development (FRED) and the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) recognizing the importance of providing educational opportunities to our future leaders, have created the Leadership Through Learning youth program. Students are invited to spend an all-expense paid week in our nation’s capital to learn about government civic affairs and telecommunications regulation as well as to meet students their own age from all parts of the country. The program is open to any high school junior or senior who lives in the service area or attends a high school that is serviced by a nominating OPASTCO Telephone Company Member such as United Telephone Company. Next year, the program takes place over the dates of April 19-24, 2009. The deadline for applications to be received (not postmarked) by FRED is December 8, 2008. For more information about this program or to download an application, visit www.fred.org.

Student requirements are as follows:

“B” average or higher, OR rank in the top 25 percent of their class
Show commitment to community or school involvement through participation in extra curricular activities
Complete an application form
Submit a letter of recommendation from United Telephone Company
Write a 1,000 word essay on certain criteria from OPASTCO
Be Available to travel to Washington, D.C.
Adhere to strict dress codes if selected to attend the program

Bethany Gamble from Forrest School was selected as this year’s winner. Bethany traveled to Washington, D.C. in March.

Travis Ryder, also of Forrest School, was selected as an alternate.

Previous winners include:

Kalah Mathis - Alternate – 2006
Danille Hooper – 2005
Holly Whitworth & Cord McLean – 2004
Vanessa Hitchcock - 2002

United Telephone is proud to sponsor this learning opportunity for local students in our service area.

FRED SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Each year, the Foundation for Rural Education and Development (FRED) awards scholarships to rural America’s best and brightest students. Scholarships range from $1,000 to $2,500 and are funded by the FRED Scholarship Endowment and by donations to the FRED Annual Giving Campaign. The Everette Kneece Return to Rural America Scholarship honors Mr. Kneece’s vital and pioneering efforts on behalf of FRED and is awarded in the amount of $5,000 to the year’s top applicant.

To apply for any FRED Scholarship, students must live in or attend school in an OPASTCO member’s service area.

In 2008, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of the OPASTCO membership during the FRED Annual Giving Campaign, a total of $72,500 was awarded to 61 scholarship recipients.

Students are evaluated based on five (5) specific criteria:

Academics (25 pts.)
Activities (20 pts.)
Letter of Nomination and Recommentation (5 pts.)
Financial Need (25 pts.)
Scholarship Essay Questions (25 pts.)

The 2009 scholarship applications are due to FRED by February 16, 2009. Please submit applications to United Telephone by January 30, 2009. Both high school seniors and students already attending post-secondary schooling are eligible to apply. For more information on this scholarship program, visit www.fred.org.

Previous winners include:

Bethany Gamble – 2008
Britt Elmore - 2007
Melanie Howell - 2006
Cord McLean – 2005
Vanessa Hitchcock - 2004

TECHNOLOGY GRANTS FOR RURAL SCHOOLS

As the role of technology in the classroom grows, it becomes a powerful tool to improve both teaching and learning. Many schools are incorporating new, innovative technology in an effort to help motivate and inspire their students. Their goals include bringing modern computers to every classroom, connecting every classroom to the information superhighway and making sure that effective and engaging software and online resources will be an integral part of every school curriculum. Many public schools in rural areas lack the resources to obtain new technologies and cannot meet these goals. The Foundation for Rural Education and Development (FRED) in cooperation with the Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative (RTFC) created the Technology Grants for Rural Schools program to help meet the growing need for innovative technology in the classroom. This grant program provides funding for projects that advance technology and foster cooperation among the Telco, school and community.

Technology Grants are available to public schools that are working in cooperation with their Telco to enhance learning by increasing the use of technology in the classroom. This includes adding new programs and curriculum for technology education and purchasing new equipment. Summaries of successful proposals in 2008 can be found at www.fred.org.

Any public K-12 school located in the service area of an OPASTCO telephone company can apply. A letter of nomination and support from the local telephone company must accompany all applications. Projects and purchases must directly benefit the rural school requesting the grant.

Chapel Hill Elementary applied for the Technology Grant in September 2008. We eagerly await the results of their application and hopefully anticipate the approval of a grant.

For more information on this program or to download an application, visit www.fred.org.

ETHYL GRANT PROGRAM

The Foundation for Rural Education and Development (FRED) created the Ethyl Matching Grant Program to help provide funding for rural communities and schools. The program provides matching grants ranging from $500-$2,500 to OPASTCO member telephone companies that are involved with projects aimed at bettering their schools and communities. By requiring a 100% match from donations outside the applicant’s funds, FRED hopes to promote cooperation among local groups to set the stage for future projects. An estimated $10,000 worth of grants will be available each year through this program. These funds have been made available through donations by Bennet and Bennet, Nortel Networks and FRED’s Annual Giving Campaign.

The two focus areas for this program are Education and Community Development. Examples of projects that may be considered are located on FRED’s website at www.fred.org. FRED will accept only applications per community, with a limit of three (3) applications from an OPASTCO member every 6 months. More information about the program and a downloadable application form can be found at www.fred.org.