LA PLAZA--NEWS FROM THE MOUNTAIN Volume 1, Number 2, April 1994 This is the second issue of the La Plaza TeleCommunity's newsletter that is designed to keep you up-to-date on the progress of the La Plaza Telecommunity. The newsletter is available online or in hard copy. If you do not already receive La Plaza--News From the Mountain, please let me know, and I will gladly add you to our subscription list. Richard W. Bryant, Editor, and Director of Projects & Development La Plaza TeleCommunity P.O. Box 1828 El Prado, NM 87579 Direct Tel/fax: 505-758-1919 rbryant@hydra.unm.edu *********************************************************************** Information in this newsletter may be freely distributed, but it must include a reference to the source: La Plaza--News from the Mountain Vol x, No. y, Month, Year. ********************************************************************** New Mexico State Funding Bills Pass--La Plaza Receives $250,000 La Plaza was recently informed that it will receive $250,000 from the State of New Mexico, through the University of New Mexico Taos Education Center, to develop the La Plaza Telecommunity network. This is the largest chunk of funding yet for La Plaza, and because of this funding, Phase I of La Plaza will become operable. We are not certain when we will receive the funding, but Phase I should be operable shortly after the funding arrives. La Plaza--Phase I To Become Operational The awarding of the $250,000 from the State of New Mexico will expedite the development of the La Plaza Phase I. Phase I will utilize the UNM Taos Education Center's computer laboratory in order to provide immediate access to La Plaza and its resources, including the Internet. We are currently gathering equipment and components, and still are awaiting permission to utilize the T-1 data line that has been provided by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Anyone willing to provide technical assistance, particularly those with expertise in LANs and networking, are requested to contact Paul Cross, Director of Operations, at 758-1836. La Plaza Internet Class a Resounding Success The basic Internet course being taught by Marty Meltzer on Monday evenings at 7:00 PM at the University of New Mexico Taos Education Center, has proved to be extraordinarily successful. This free course is being used to help develop the curriculum for a more extensive Internet course or courses to be held at the Taos Education Center, and of course, to provide local Taosenos with a basic understanding of the Internet and its tools. The course is still open to those who would like to sit in. We have put background information on-reserve at the Harwood Public Library for those needing a review. The course will run until the end of the UNM semester in the second week of May. The students have been surfing the Internet using various search tools over the last month, and it is rumored that certain exotic recipes which have been discovered will be tested during the last class in May. La Plaza and UNM Taos Education Center Developing Community Networking Academic Program As a result of the success of the La Plaza Internet class, the University of New Mexico Taos Education Center and La Plaza are discussing the development of an academic program on community networking that will lead to an Associates Degree. As envisioned, the Community Networking Program would provide an individual with the basic knowledge to develop, operate, and maintain a community network system. The program would include courses on basic programming, Unix, hardware, software, platforms, Internet, administration, fundraising, etc. The first two courses under development include a basic Internet survey course and a more advanced search tool course. More on this program will be included in this newsletter, as the program develops. La Plaza Partnering for NTIA Grant Funding The La Plaza Telecommunity Foundation is partnering with a number of companies and organizations to apply for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP) funding. An Request for Proposals (RFP) for the TIIAP was recently issued. The program will allocate approximately $26 million for demonstration and planning projects. La Plaza is partnering with the UNM Taos Education Center to go after a planning grant to help support the development of the Community Networking academic program discussed in the preceding article. In addition, La Plaza is attempting to form a consortium with several companies to apply for a demonstration grant. Discussions are currently underway with several potential partners. The grant proposals are due on May 12, 1994, so as one can imagine, the La Plaza staff are up to their ears in proposal writing. La Plaza Submits Grant Proposal to the Town of Taos To Put Its Information Online La Plaza submitted a grant proposal to the Taos Town Council to support putting Town of Taos information online on La Plaza. The first phase of the project, if funded, would make the following information available to the public through La Plaza: * Information on building permits, inspections, and related information * Information on conventions, meeting facilities, and receptions * Council meetings announcements, agendas and minutes * Information on business licenses, vendor permits * Job openings and employee assistance. The Town of Taos would provide La Plaza with this information in electronic format. La Plaza would then make it available in the Government section of the La Plaza Telecommunity. La Plaza Submitting Grant Proposal To the Taos County Lodger's Tax Board La Plaza has submitted a grant proposal to the Taos County Lodger's Tax Board to make available through La Plaza electronic brochures on the Taos region. If funded, this project would involve the development of special electronic brochures providing tourist-related information on Taos County. La Plaza Interviewed on KRZA and KUNM In early March, KRZA's David Nicklous' Eagle Watch program, originating in Alamosa, Colorado, was devoted to a discussion of community networking, and the Information Superhighway. Patrick Finn and Richard Bryant were interviewed about La Plaza and the other issues surrounding the development of the Information Superhighway. A group in Southern Colorado is beginning to look at the possibility of linking communities in the San Luis Valley through community networks. They discussed their plans and views. La Plaza's Patrick Finn was interviewed on a post-Information Superhighway Summit meeting program on KUNM, Albuquerque. This post-summit program discussed issues brought out at the 29 March, Washington, DC-based summit meeting. Issues included: who pays for the information superhighway, should there be universal access to services, the role of community networks, etc. .