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Red Bank Ruritans Gets Funding For Computer Center-Claudville

The Claudville area has received funding for a community computer laboratory, to be located in the Red Bank Ruritan Building.

The Red Bank Ruritan Building Claudville gets funds for computer center The Claudville area has received funding for a community computer laboratory, to be located in the Red Bank Ruritan Building. Roger T. Hayden, chairman of the Patrick County Task Force, along with Tom Rose, economic development director, and Wilma Pendleton, county administrative assistant, have secured the funding from the TDF Foundation, located in Washington, D.C. Ninth District Congressman Rick Boucher also assisted local officials in planning and getting funding for the computer center. Hayden said the TDF Foundation was established to focus on communications problems not being addressed by for-profit businesses, especially projects in which the foundation would have a meaningful impact, with results that can be measured and replicated. The foundation's current project, in partnership with the Red Bank Ruritan Club, is to promote high-speed Internet and computer literacy in a rural area, Hayden said. He said the TDF Foundation is not giving a specific amount of money, but is providing the computers and installation, technical support, Internet service, and wages for a part-time employee for a year. "Basically they're paying for whatever it costs," he said. The Patrick County Economic Development Authority (EDA) has also contributed $1,000 to help refurbish the computer lab and improve lighting and other aspects of the lab. The center will consist of five computers with high-speed Internet service for use by the general public, with infrastructure in place to handle 10 additional computers which are available if there is demand, Hayden said. The Red Bank Ruritan Club and community members will maintain the lab, which will be located in the lower level of the community building. It will be operated by one employee on a part-time basis and rely on volunteers to keep it maintained. Hayden said he had been appointed as unpaid director and is now, along with his fellow Ruritans, in the process of coordinating the project. Citizens Telephone Company has been contracted to run fiber to the Red Bank Community Building and supply high-speed Internet service. "They were the best choice due to pricing, type of high-speed service and Internet speed," Hayden said. He said the lab will open four days a week for four hours (exact hours are yet to be determined) to give the community access to the computers for personal business, job searches and distance learning, and computer training will also be available. "I firmly believe that everyone should have accessibility to high-speed Internet connectivity," Hayden said. "Internet connectivity is just as important to the well-being of our rural folks as electricity was in the 1930s." The projected start-up time for the computer lab is approximately 30 days, Hayden said. "Access to high-speed Internet service is critical to achieving our economic development goals for the region, and I am pleased that this funding has been secured to establish a computer lab in Claudville," Boucher said. Some improvements in Patrick County's technology infrastructure have evolved over the last five years, Hayden said. "When I started this endeavor to supply rural Patrick County with broadband, there was not much support or interest from our local government," Hayden said. "Seemed that the most populated areas around Stuart had high-speed Internet and the communications companies were not interested in investing in the less densely populated rural areas. Now we have some movement by the telecommunications companies to supply service to some of our rural areas. However, my goal is to have broadband access to everyone in Patrick County." Hayden said he was grateful to Linda Nickell, director of the TDF Foundation, for choosing Claudville to receive this funding. "This was a competitive grant and we were fortunate to have Congressman Rick Boucher's support," Hayden said. "Mr. Boucher has been instrumental in offering grant opportunities to Patrick County." Hayden also expressed appreciation for the assistance of County Administrator Jay Scudder, Dan River District Supervisor Jonathan Large, and Dr. Roger Morris, superintendent of schools, for their assistance on the project. Hayden said he had been told by representatives of the Patrick County Education Foundation and Patrick Henry Community College that there had been discussion about setting up community computer labs. "Now we can all work together, and if it works out, go into other localities," Hayden said. To ask questions, make comments, or volunteer your services, contact Hayden at 4everharley@gmail.com. - Roger T Hayden, Chairman Patrick County BroadBand Taskforce 4evrharley@gmail.com *HIGH SPEED INTERNET,FOR RURAL PATRICK*