MEETING SET ON INTERNET FUNDING

Representatives of local governments, schools, community groups and private businesses will meet Friday to discuss formation of a community information network on the Internet. The meeting will focus on whether to apply for a grant under the state's new Missouri Express program.

The meeting begins at 10 a.m. at Cape Girardeau City Hall.

The Missouri General Assembly last year allocated $6 million for the program in order to help communities establish information networks. The networks would tie together the web sites of a variety of organizations in each community.

"The Internet is a unique way to interact with citizens," said Walter Denton, administrative assistant to the Cape Girardeau city manager.

Friday's meeting is to find out what groups in Cape Girardeau and northern Scott counties are interested in participating.

"It's all very preliminary right now. We'll just find out where it goes," Denton said.

If there is sufficient support for the concept, an application to the Missouri Express program will be submitted. Applications are due March 14.

A successful application would allow organizers to receive the equipment and technical support necessary to establish a community information network.

"The money to sustain it has to be generated by the participating partners in the network," Denton said.

Each participating organization would also be responsible for creating and maintaining its own web site.

The not-for-profit Show-Me Net Inc. launched a similar community information network in December 1995.

More than 300 subscribers in Cape Girardeau, northern Scott and east Perry counties pay $100 a year for Internet access through Show-Me Net.

Denton said any proposed new system is not intended to provide internet access.

A $49,000 grant to Riverside Regional Library allowed for the purchase of computer equipment for its six branches. Show-Me Net uses that equipment.

However, the network has not been as successful as its organizers had hoped. Larry Loos, president Show-Me Net's board, said the private funds to expand the network and provide users free Internet access never materialized.

St. Francis Medical Center and Southeast Missouri Hospital plus some individuals have provided the bulk of funding.

Also, many local community and government organizations have yet to develop web sites, limiting the number of links of regional interest.

"We certainly don't have all of the players we need to be as successful as we want to be," Loos said.

Both Riverside and Cape Girardeau Public Library sites can be accessed through Show-Me Net. Other sites include some local schools, the Community Caring Council and a directory of local places of worship.

Loos hopes the Missouri Express program can achieve the goals of tying the community together on the Internet.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to bring people together to sell them on the benefits of a community information network," Loos said.

Whether Show-Me Net becomes a part of the proposed new community information network or is supplanted by something else is irrelevant, Loos said.

"Show Me Net hopes to be able to work with whatever comes out of this group, but the goal we are trying to achieve is more important than the entity itself," he said.