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Mr. Rogers helps old neighborhoodNBA player donates computers to put youths on internetBy LYNETTE BLAIR MITCHELL, Staff Writer DURHAM -- When Rodney Rogers was growing up in the McDougald Terrace public housing complex off Fayetteville Street, he never had access to a computer, let alone the Internet. But Thursday, the NBA player made sure the children who live in his old neighborhood can't say the same thing. Rogers, a forward for the Los Angeles Clippers, donated two IBM computers to a library branch in the complex. And with the help of several companies in the community, Rogers also gave the children unlimited access to the Internet. With their newfound technology, they'll be a part of the Rodney Rogers computer club and be able to dial into Rogers' Web site, Rodney's Place. With the computers, the McDougald Terrace library branch has become the first in the Durham County Library System to have public access to the World Wide Web. "This is something I didn't have growing up," Rogers said by telephone to an audience of six children and several officials who gathered for the public unveiling of the donation. "This is an opportunity for kids to get a chance to work on the Internet." Rogers' donation was a collaborative effort. EasyWeb Inc., a 15-month-old software company in the Research Triangle Park, installed the computers and provided technical assistance; GTE provided Internet access, software and technical support; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. will train the youngsters to use the computers; and the Durham Housing Authority will pay for the telephone line. Not counting the three-month period that it took to bring the entire project together, organizers estimate that about $3,000 went into bringing cyberspace technology to McDougald Terrace. "The Internet is like the library to the world," said Cecil Hollar Jr., director of marketing for EasyWeb. "We know how powerful this tool is. We'd like for them to have the opportunity to be exposed to this." While the adults at the news conference Thursday did a lot of talking, the children sat down at the two computers for their first look at the Web. Atiya Tobias, 10, was excited to tread new ground. "I've worked on the computer before, but I've never been on the Internet," she said. Because several of the children can't type very fast, EasyWeb President Erroll Reese helped them send questions to Rogers during a chat session. Atiya immediately wanted to know if Rogers had won any games. But Desiree Carrington, 7, had a more timely question. Was the NBA player going to make it home Christmas? As the kids anxiously waited for an answer, they learned another lesson about the Internet: Sometimes it's slow. |
