605 South Olympia #74 Kennewick, Wa 99336 Phone: 509 586-6481
e-mail: SYSOP@tcfn.org
Tri-Cities Free-Net©: 509 543-2900(modem)or tcfn.org(telnet)
Nearly everyone is familiar with the terms Public Television, Public Radio, and Public Library. And, the roles of these "institutions" are well defined and widely understood. Public Telecomputing, however, is neither well understood nor well defined - the RECA Foundation is working hard to remedy this. Community Network, Community Computing Network, and Free-Net are all terms that define some form of Public Telecomputing. The first Free-Net was conceived in 1984 and went online as the Cleveland Free-Net in 1986. The NPTN (National Public Telecomputing Network) was founded in 1989 and functions as the "PBS" of Public Telecomputing on an international level. Public libraries are taking an ever-increasing role in Public Telecomputing. Several libraries are working with their local Free-Nets to form a collaborative approach to public Internet access. The Seattle Public Library/Seattle Community Network and the Tri-Cities Free-Net/Mid-Columbia Library are examples in Washington State.
The Lewis & Clark Information Highway Project was originally developed as a grant application for the National Telecommunications Information Administration (U.S. Department of Commerce). Although we were not selected as one of the few recommended for funding, we continue to carry out the processes outlined in the Project (i.e. helping other communities organize and start their own community computing networks). The L & C Project was presented at Telecommunities '95, the International Community Networking Conference held in Victoria, B.C., Canada in August.
Columbia Basin Public Information Network (CBPIN). The RECA Foundation initiated this collaborative network of information providers and is spearheading the CBPIN Project Plan. "The Changing Role of Community Computing Networks" will be the theme of several presentations scheduled world-wide for 1996 as a part of the Plan. CBPIN will, thereby, take on an international role in further defining what "Public Telecomputing" is all about. More information on the Network is in this report and on the Tri-Cities Free-Net.
Cash income more than double that of 1994, while over $25,000 in goods and services were donated. We also received our first grant awards to fund projects in 1996. CBPIN played a major role in the grant awards and will continue to provide resources in the future.
Ronda Evans
President
The Tri-Cities Free-Net (TCFN) computer relocated to Pasco and gained Internet access in July thanks to the donated services of Computech and Franklin County. The TCFN is now interconnected with the Mid-Columbia Library (MCL) and, together, we provide a wide range of free, public access to the Internet including the World Wide Web and e-mail. We also upgraded the TCFN software to Galacticomm's Worldgroup. This retains the basic text based system (thereby continuing to serve the least capable computers) and, at the same time, provides for a Client/Server system for high end users. Worldgroup Manager operates under Windows (a MAC version is coming in 1996) providing a user friendly interface.
CBPIN (Columbia Basin Public Information Network) was founded in October. CBPIN Founding members include:
RECA Foundation, Arts Council of the Mid-Columbia Region, Franklin County, Washington State University (WSU) Cooperative Extension, Mid-Columbia Library, Basin Office SystemS, and ESD-123 (Educational Service District). The executive summary of the CBPIN Project Plan reads"
"CBPIN is a network of organizations dedicated to providing the widest possible access to the Information Superhighway. Our goal for this project is to ensure everyone has access appropriate to their needs - business, educators, students, children, non-profits, the rich, the poor, the homeless. The CBPIN will take the RECA Foundation's Lewis & Clark Project to the next level in Southeast Washington and Northeast Oregon. The RECA Foundation will act as the primary agent for the CBPIN and endeavor to expand the Tri-Cities Free-Net©; establish and maintain a World Wide Web Server for educational, government, and other not-for-profit organizations; and generally facilitate information dissemination among the network members and the general public."
COMPUTER RECYCLING PROGRAM is just beginning. We received a number of older computers (tax deductible donations) including 18 or so from Heritage College. 4 of the computers are being checked out and put in full working order by Tri-Tech (the area's Vocations Skills Center). The RECA Foundation has an arrangement with Tri-Tech where the students refurbish the computers as a part of their growing computer repair program. This is only a small part of the program and we are looking at ways to grow it into a fully funded program that will serve hundreds or even thousands of people and organizations.
RECYCLING OF DONATED COMPUTERS has already had a significant impact on families in the area. A MAC surplussed by the State of Washington is being used by a Kennewick family. They, in turn, are providing assistance to MAC users on the TCFN and helping us with other MAC/Apple related software issues. A low income (HUD) family is using a recycled XT. The husband is working full time and attending CBC. He uses the computer for college related work. The wife, at home with four kids, is providing clerical support for the TCFN and exploring a whole new world via Internet access thru the TCFN and Mid-Columbia Library. A disabled, single mother of three, is using a recycled 80286 to communicate on the Internet and research her disability. In time, we will encourage her to share her research with others in the community via the TCFN.
U.S. West Foundation - Civic and Community Improvement Grant This grant will cover the RECA Foundation's administrative costs for a series of 12 seminars on Internet business applications. CBC is providing equipment and space support for this program and we have been able to expand the scope of the grant to support businesses in both Benton and Franklin counties.
HUD Block Grant - City of Kennewick - Seniors On-Line. The grant will provide for purchase of a computer, phone service, Internet connection, and training for the Kennewick Senior Center staff and seniors using the center.
Community Resource Directory: We assembled and organized information from all three chambers of commerce, the Kennewick Advantage Program, and Contact HelpLine into an extensive online resource directory. The directory is a searchable files library on the TCFN with nearly 900 resources. They range from social and hobby clubs to support groups to human and social services. Check it out!
K-12 STUDENT EXCHANGE: Countless hours have been donated to this program to allow student-to-student and classroom-to-classroom e-mail exchanges around the world. The program is growing, especially in the Kennewick School District. A German exchange student is running a public forum for youth here in the Tri-Cities, while communicating almost daily with his family and friends in Germany. Financial support for this program was provided by a number of area businesses and are listed as sponsors on the TCFN.
FORUMS AND FILES LIBRARIES. Forums for kids of all ages, "ask a counselor", an Arts files library, Youth and Families, Tom Walkers "Eye on Kennewick", and much more. You too, can contribute! Become an information provider.
We are working with a quadriplegic and his voice actuated computer system. He is now on the TCFN (using the Worldgroup Client software) and helping us and other organizations with grant writing and research (Internet/WWW).
The CBPIN Project plan calls for hardware and software upgrades to the TCFN to increase our level of public service. The plan also calls for establishing and maintaining a Public WWW server that will provide free home page services to not-for-profit organizations. A vocational education program for the area's public schools is being pursued that will provide for programming and maintenance support of this server. A CBPIN membership recruitment program will be aggressively pursued in 1996.