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Show Thursday, September 30, 1999 Messenger-Enterpris- Page 7 e US West tackles Ephraim problems By Cindy Beck Nothings as frustrating as picking up the phone and instead of getting that familiar, comfortable buzz from the dial tone, theres only dead air space. It causes the heart to skip a beat. Grown women have been known to cry, grown men have been known to throw the phone out the window, and children have been known to grumble mostly because they cant get on the Internet! Interestingly enough, not j ust children are grumbling about being unable to get on the Internet, and yet Internet connection is actually a contributor to the problem. Widespread use of the Internet, : plus the influx of students arriving to attend Snow College are the major factors in the phone problems that Ephraim is experiencing. The heaviest usage on the lines seems to occur between 8:00 and 1 0:30pm, and as a result the phone lines and switches are overloaded. Many people in the commu- nity have made a correlation between the students returning to Snow College and the sudden dead air space, but in reality there is only a partial connection there. According to US West Area Manager, Gary Harrison, residential phone lines in Ephraim (including those at the dorms) are run on copper lines. The lines go into the US West Ephraim Office, where local calls are routed back to their destination. Snow College uses copper lines for their phones, but utilizes a 1 line which gives them direct connection to the fiber optics line for their educational networking. Therefore, any Internet usage by students on Snows computers does not affect the citys residential lines. However, students who are not utilizing the schools computers and are using personal computers in their dorms and apart-- . ments are having a major impact on the system. Mr. Harrison stated, With the students back, they get home in the evening and the first thing they do is get on the Net and thatll flat do us in. It used to be the average phone call was anywhere from about twenty seconds to three minutes. Now you get on that the Internet and youre on there for the better part of the evening, and our network wasnt built for that. T-- So thats w hat were having to try to catch up to. Mr. Harrison vv as quick to ex- plain that the problems experienced in Ephraim are not due to poor quality lines. He stated that the lines used in rural areas are of the same quality as the lines used in urban areas. Rapid, unexpected growth andor an increase in Internet use creates problems that have been experienced even in larger towns such as St. George. In particular, Internet use is the major culprit because people tend to connect and then stay connected, which holds the switches open and prevents other calls from going through. When asked if cell phones contributed to the problem, Mr. Harrison explained that the amount of usage from cell phones A shortage of phone lines is only part of the problem Ephraim, says US West. Increasing Internet traffic is blame for problems in telephone access. in also to had previously been anticipated and US West had taken action accordingly, so cell phones were not a factor. Outside of the inconvenience that is experienced by their cus Local women recognized tomers, US West is also concerned about the inability of individuals to connect in order to make an emergency call. They regularly track and monitor blocks of calls to see if problems are arising, since an inability to connect can impair or disable 911. US West currently has two plans to help reduce the overload problem in Ephraim. Electronic parts, including extra switches, have been ordered and are expected to arrive by the middle or end of October. It will take US West technicians about two weeks to install the new equipment. In addition, in an effort to stay ahead of growth, US West has plans to install a line w ith the ability to service nine hundred new residential customers north of site. town, near the new a new be will also installing They cable south of town that will include the lines needed for the South Towne Cinema and homes being built in that area. When asked what action the community could take to assist with the problem until the new equipment could be installed, Mr. Harrison suggested that people limit their usage of the phone lines during peak hours, and in particular their time spent on the Internet, in order to keep the lines open for emergency calls. The biggest thing they could do to help is, just dont get on there and tie up the phone network. If youre using it the Internet, thats one thing, but so many get on it and just keep it up because they know' its hard to get in to their server. So if youre not using it, knock it down disconnect. If an emergency occurs before the new equipment is in place and the emergency call cant be completed, don't panic. Emergency personnel can still be reached by Wal-Ma- rt dialing the Shenff s office rt 5 or on a cell phone. 911 835-234- Los Hermanos de los Andes Andean Band to perform at free Snow concert Holly Lynne Simonsen Snow College Media Representative Imagine for a moment that youve been transported to the highlands of the Andes mountains, you can hear the sounds made by the haunting winds, sounds that pierce your very soul. These are the very' sensations captured by the ancient Incans in their music. Los Hermanos de los Andes recreates this mystical journey for music lovers today. In 1989 a group of engineering students discovered they had more in common than crunching numbers, and started to meet together to share their love of Andean music and culture. After numerous requests to play at talent shows, their suc cess snowballed resulting in .k Hermanos de los Andes Using the modem guitar and native instruments including the g instrument charango made from an armadillo back!, quena (notched bamboo flute), wankara (goat skin bass drumi. and many others. Los Hermani" de los Andes captivate listener and invite them to take their ow n mystical journey to the Andes Whenever Los Hermanos de " Andes perform, the spirit of then music provokes audience partici(10-strin- w alks of life with many Along pation from all s perfoi-mance- throughout the Western U.S. and Hawaii, members of Los Hermanos de los Andes hav e per- formed throughout Canada. Mexico. Centra! America. Europe, and Asia. "Our purpose is to share our rich and unique musical heritage." states the group mission statement The Presbyterian Women As a group, we believe culture sponsor the event, and are pleased plays an important role in our to feature lunch, with homemade lives. Because we also believe its soup and sloppy joes, at the Ba- beautiful power can make a zaar. Items for sale include handimpact on people's lives, we made crafts, fresh flowers, books, to educate by shanng out strive Christmas and fall holiday decoheritage and bringing people of a'! rations, some antiques, plants, and races together a wonderful selection of white Los Hermanos de los Ande is elephant gifts. sponsored by the Utah Perform in c Arts Tour, and will be highlighting their performance at Snow Church dates Bazaar The First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant is holding their annual Holiday Bazaar on October 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proceeds from the ev ent help provide new baby layettes for the Sanpete Valley Hospital, contribute to the Sub for Santa program during Christmas, and add donations to the local Food Bank. for health care service pos-tiv- e v College Conv ocation on Thursday September 30 at 2:30 p m. in the Crane Theater. There will also be a special outdoor ev ening concert on the Noyes Building patio beginning at 7 p m The public is encouraged to attend both events, free of cost. , 1 The character most frequently portrayed on the screen is Sherlock Holmes, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. regarded with respect. How do you know that his future will not be equal to our present? A youth is to be Unsung Hero Awards given to Dorothy Killpack, Shirley Beazer, Phillis Burraston, Ester Frescas, Loraine Anderson, Joan Anderson, Diane Barney and Sandy New. Central Utah Area Health Education Center (CU-AHE- sponsored a Health Care Appreciation Dinner on September 17 at Snow College South in Richfield. President Carl Holmes, SCS, welcomed eighty-on- e guests, inviting them to enjoy the meal prepared by the Culinary Arts Department. Dr. Michael Magill, Director of Utah AHEC, delivered the Board keynote speech. members presented nine dedicated health care workers Unsung Hero Awards for service in the Six CU-AHE- C County Community. Sanpete County recipients of the awards include Shirley Beazer. Ephraim, who began working for the Central Utah Public Health Department on July 16, 1983. In her sixteen-plu- s years of serv ice, her name has become synonymous with caring, love, compassion and service. During a recent quality assurance survey conducted by personal interviews with patients of the CUPHD, 100 com face-to-fa- ce mented about positive quality of service Shirley provided. One commented that Shirley was like the Mom she never had. Another referred to her as the mother of public health in Sanpete County. The other local recipient, Loraine Anderson, of Gunnison, was asked in 1979 if she were interested in going to work at a local hospital as a nursing assistant. Having just sent the last of her children out the door to start a life of their own, she began her career at Gunnison Valley Hospital where she has worked for 20 years. Often, she has taken care of people much younger than she is with the energy and compassion that outlasts many of her counterparts Other unsung heroes included Judy Christiansen and Ester Frescas, Juab County, Phillis Burraston and Dorothy Killpack, Millard County, Joan Anderson, Piute County, Diane Barney, Sevier County, and Sandy New, Wayne County. Confucius (WMtf nSKfP Searching for information ? n look no manef. For more than a century now, weve been providing information. Whether its upcoming events, city council, county commission, school board, public notices, a lively forum for discussion, or just a sale down at the hardware store been providing the information people need longer than any other weekly newspaper in Utah. After all, if it affects vou...its your news. 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