Foothills Connect: Connecting Rutherford County

Our Challenge

As the Founding Chair of the Board of Foothills Connect, I see our challenge is to rewrite the economic landscape of our county.  By connecting existing resources and adding new layers of technology we are designing a new tomorrow.  Come join our journey and let us know your thoughts.

Facebook: Boomers are Booming

My Green Planet
Originally uploaded by msc-web.de

It's not for "kids" any more. Facebook has seen unprecedented growth especially from Baby Boomers. In the last 60 days for users over 35 the numbers have doubled. Created by Gen Y, it has now been discovered and used by the older generations. Grandchildren pictures, family snapshots, hooking up with old friends has become major competitors to news about where to meet and who is friends with whom. The numbers are amazing and I find more of my friends signing up every day! What do you think?

Location, Location, Location

Rainbow House On Clipper St.
Originally uploaded by mybluemuse aka PJ Taylor

Purchasing a house is about location and connectivity. This recent article points out how folks shun buying some homes if they don't include high-speed Internet access. It is an Associated Press article printed in the Charlotte Observer. What do you think?

We Don't Have 50 Years!

USI Wireless Access Point. South Minneapolis Pilot Project
Originally uploaded by pfhyper

50 years? It took more than 50 years for electricity to reach everyone in the United States in spite of its many benefits. The establishment of high-speed internet has vast benefits. Yet the major players are focusing on the most lucrative areas and leaving out the spaces that are harder to connect. But we don't have 50 years to become connected. The time is now to establish connectivity. About 25% of Rutherford County's homes have dial up only. It is not a function of whether someone can afford it. It is a function of geography. So communications companies are deciding who has economic development and who does not. The time is now for us to have a plan and implement it. What do you think?

Started With a Rotten Tomato

Rotten Tomato
Originally uploaded by macmanluke

Visiting a farmer and seeing tomatoes rotting on the vine was the start of a new idea. The Rutherford County farmer could not sell all the tomatoes he produced that year and they were left on the vine. A month later Foothills Connect Executive Director, Tim Will, visited a chef in Charlotte. The chef could not find enough tomatoes to cook with. It was the same tomatoes the farmer could not sell. The chef was paying $2 per tomato. Tim had an idea that was the start of the Farmers Fresh Market.

Connecting Rutherford County Farmers with Charlotte chefs was possible through technology. Going on-line the chef placed the order. The farmer had the product delivered. The end result was more money for the farmer for their produce and the chef's had products that were fresher than anything they had ever used. This has become the state model for connecting farmers and buyers.

Looking for more information? Check out this 10 minute video produced by the NC Rural Center.

The Little Ones Understand

steal this connection
Originally uploaded by dana~2

I am still amazed in my travels that the little ones understand. I am currently sitting in a higher end hotel of a major chain. The internet access is $25 for 24 hours. I am a member of their frequent guest program. The hotels at the lower end of their brand offer internet access free of charge. This is a major reason why I stay at these cheaper hotels ... free connectivity. I am in this hotel only because the meeting I am attending is here.

The bigger airports and the more expensive hotels charge for internet access. The smaller airports and cheaper hotels provide it free of charge. Some day the bigger ones will understand what the smaller ones already know ... people need access that is free.

To continue this story ... the next afternoon I am able to access wifi at Panera Bread. It costs about $4 and includes a huge brownie and drink. Clearly they understand their customers.What do you think?

Pencil Labs

Pencil labs? We wouldn't think of such a thing ... It was a point made by former Governor Angus, King, Jr. of Maine in a keynote address to the Rutherford County Blue Ribbon 21st Century Commission inaugural meeting. A pencil can do most things a computers can do. It might take a little longer. But imagine if we confined students to just 45 minutes each day to a "pencil lab." It would be the only time they could use a pencil during the school day. So why do we limit students learning through the same allocation of computer access? What do you think?

The County Vision

Deskolicious 3.1
Originally uploaded by Glenn Wolsey

The vision remains ... Foothills Connect Board on September 16, 2008 reaffirmed their vision. Every, home, business, and location in the county will have fiber or better connectivity. We are committed to seeing that the important first step is taken ensuring that everyone has access to ultra-high speed connectivity along with free access for the slower speeds. It is essential to our current economic growth.

Now is the time to be fulfilling this vision. We can use your support. Please join us. What do you think?

Another Success Story ... With Connectivity

Dogwood
Originally uploaded by kiteline

A rural nursery was successful then it opened its web presence. Meadowbrook Nursery's business exploded with online sales. So many orders went through on some days their host server went down. But the ironic point is the local internet provider does not run high speed connections to their business location. The nursery owners have to drive to their home to work with a high speed connection. Its another example how a lack of connectivity can hold down economic growth. What can we do to ensure everyone has opportunity for economic growth?

facebook or "space"book

DSC03967 - home office
Originally uploaded by RaeA

facebook has slowly become addicting to me and I could not understand why. facebook is difficult to decipher at first because you need friends to make it work. I was concerned about asking & accepting friends - would they like me or hate me. Once I understood how easy it is I became bolder in asking folks to be facebook friends. I emailed contacts not on facebook to get connected. Some of my peers are getting connected so they could keep up with their kids.

I enjoy adding pics, joining groups, becoming a fan, sending gifts, updating my status, and reading my friends additions. I find myself curiously spending more time on facebook. It seems to be taking up more and more "space" during my day. Then it dawned on me why I was spending so much time on facebook.

Over a year ago I became a virtual worker in a virtual organization. I had moved from a job where I went to another physical location with lots of people around me. I missed being around so many great people. facebook had become my new set of "office groupies." That's why facebook is taking up so much "space" in my life. Mystery solved. Have you found yourself in a similar situation?

Social & Economic Inequality

Peanut planet
Originally uploaded by gadl

It is frustrating the way connectivity access is "assigned." People who want to run a business from their residence are begging for connectivity yet cannot get it. One business can drive down the road less than .5 mile and see where the high speed line is tied off because of a county line. It is a parallel to giving people electricity or basic phone service from years ago. This assignment of just fundamental high speed service limits the social and economic equality from connectivity. We may live in an advanced time yet many cannot even if they wanted to because providers refuse to run high speed service to them. What is your experience?