HOWDY!

.......this is ORTRACKM's

2003 Annual Report

ORTRACKM.Net Inc is now in it's 7th year of Operation.
We have grown to 677 paying customers (Alton 374, Couch 160, Thayer 143)

We have 6 public workstations in Oregon County:

We provide free Internet Access to the following entities:

2001 Annual Report

Since the last annual report of June 2000, ORTRACKM.Net has 631 current members. This past year our membership has stabilized to some extent, but we are still growing and giving Oregon County residents a modern means of communication thru a local dial-up number.

Twenty workstations throughout the county are providing a free service to many in the county. This past year we replaced 7 workstations with new modern equipment. The plan is to replace as many workstations each year as financially possible, thus providing the best access to information to the greatest number of people in Oregon County.

Current list of public workstations in Oregon County:

ORTRACKM.Net office, Alton-4

Alton Public Library, Alton-5

Alton Senior Citizen Center, Alton-1

Koshkonong Public Library, Koshkonong-1

Myrtle Public Library, Myrtle-1

Thayer Public Library, Thayer-3

Thayer Senior Citizen Center, Thayer-1

Thomasville Public Library, Thomasville-1

Thomasville Fish and Grill, Thomasville-1

Rover General Store, Rover-1

Myrtle Quick Stop, Myrtle-1

This past year the board has moved any idle monies to interest bearing accounts. We also made arrangements with a local bonding agency to bond all 4 officers of the board to insure the safety of Ortrackm funds. We are striving to keep ORTRACKM's future on solid financial footing.

Ortrackm has always promoted education on the use of the Internet. This year we entered into an agreement with the Thayer High School to provide free access for the laptop computers used by the students. I believe the year's outstanding achievement for Ortrackm in the field of education has been in the providing of 4 computers to the Missouri Department on Mental Health. This equipment will be used in Oregon County to provide classes to the handicapped and disabled. We will also provide access to the net if need be to further support the educational program.

All Modem pools in the county are now digital at 56K. We added another 10 lines to the Alton pool. Also more lines have been added to the Couch pool. At the present time we have upgraded as far as current local technology will allow.

The board has revised the by laws to better meet our present needs and hopefully insure for a stable and smooth transition from year to year.

Ortrackm goals remain much the same to maintain and upgrade equipment as needed, sponsor classes on computers, provide and informational outlet for all of Oregon County. And last but not least providing the best informational service available in Oregon County.

2000 Annual Report

Since the last Annual Report of June 1999, ORTRACKM.Net has grown from 370 members to 552 members. ORTRACKM.Net is currently gaining membership at an average of about twenty per month. ORTRACKM.Net has made it possible for Oregon County residents to more effectively communicate to local and global sites using local dial-up numbers. This rapid growth has taken place since the opening of the office for service on October 29, 1997. Workstations throughout the county are now constantly being upgraded and maintained to provide free service to many in the county. Two new workstations have been added this year at the Rover General Store and Myrtle Quick Stop. Current list of public workstations in Oregon County:

1. Ortrackm.net office, Alton - 4
2. Alton Public Library, Alton - 5
3. Alton Senior Citizen Center, Alton - 1
4. Koshkonong Public Library, Koshkonong - 1
5. Myrtle Public Library, Myrtle - 1
6. Thayer Public Library, Thayer - 3
7. Thayer Senior Citizen Center, Thayer - 1
8. Thomasville Public Library, Thomasville - 1
9. Thomasville Fish and Grill, Thomasville - I
10. Rover General Store, Rover - 1
11. Myrtle Quick Stop, Myrtle - 1

Total Public Workstations in Oregon County is twenty. ORTRACKM.Net is dedicated to not only providing low cost Internet access to Oregon County residents but to also provide a means of posting community activities for local organizations. As a member of MACIN (Missouri Association Community Information Network), organizations of each community have a means of advertising their events. The board has worked diligently to use your tax money that helps fund Ortrackm. as well as your membership dues and equipment to the best use possible. Several participated in web page design classes offered. The board is willing of offer additional classes to keep our membership up-to-date as the need arises or as requested. The Ortrackm Board realizes that the Couch modem pool has been full in the evenings, and customers are receiving busy signals. We have taken steps throughout the year to alleviate this problem, and more modems should be installed as early as possibly next week. The Alton modem pool now has the phone capacity to install 56k modems. The latest upgrade to this system will digital and to these higher speed modems. This equipment has been ordered and is due to arrive and be installed this week. This should result in faster Internet access and downloading time if you have the modem capacity in your computer.

Some of ORTRACKM's future plans include:

1. Maintaining and upgrading equipment as the need arises.
2. Sponsor additional classes on various computer needs.
3. Provide an information outlet for all of Oregon County.
4. Providing the best service available in Oregon County.

1999 Annual Report

Since the last Annual Report (June 1998) ORTRACKM.Net has grown to 370+ members, but the growing pains have been minimal.

ORTRACKM.net did have one major obstacle to overcome during fiscal year 98/99. With then elimination of C.O.S., ORTRACKM.net had to purchase an additional modem pool for Thayer which was placed in the Thayer Public Library in December 1998. This provided the Thayer library the opportunity to network their computers and the ORTRACKM.net public workstation for internet access. ORTRACKM.net also helped the Alton Public Library acquire a dedicated line (through MoreNet) and with networking their public workstation computers and the ORTRACKM.net public workstation to bring the total to five as of August 1998. ORTRACKM.net was also instrumental in providing a workstation and internet access to the Koshkonong, Myrtle and Thomasville Public Libraries.

Current list of public workstations in Oregon County:
1. ORTRACKM.net office, Alton - 4
2. Alton Public Library, Alton - 5
3. Alton Senior Citizen Center, Alton - 1
4. Koshkonong Public Library, Koshkonong - 1
5. Myrtle Public Library, Myrtle - 1
6. Thayer Public Library, Thayer - 3
7. Thayer Senior Citizen Center, Thayer - 1
8. Thomasville General Store, Thomasville - 1
9. Thomasville Public Library, Thomasville - 1
Total public workstations in Oregon County is 18.

Rural areas have the lowest online participation rate as reported by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at www.mtia.doc.gov

ORTRACKM.net's main goal is to provide Internet access without long-distance phone charges and public internet workstations accessible to all residents of Oregon County.

ORTRACKM.net is dedicated in not only bringing low cost internet access to Oregon County residents, but to also pioneer the development of strategies and programs that leverage the power of the emerging global medium to benefit society by improving the lives of families and children, and empowering the disadvantaged.

Some of ORTRACKM.net's future plans/goals include:
1. Purchase additional computers for public workstations.
2. Sponsor additional classes on the internet and web page building.
3. Upgrade the current modem pools to 56k as soon as MoreNet approves equipment.
4. Continual training of staff members.

1998 ANNUAL REPORT

ORTRACKM.NET Inc. began with a small group of people wanting to find a way to provide Oregon County with Internet Access without long-distance phone charges. Stacy Hambelton of University Outreach & Extension introduced this group to the MOExpress Project. As a successful applicant of this project, a local Community Information Network would be provided a Modem Pool that is linked to MOREnet in Columbia, MO. (a part of the University of Missouri System). This Modem Pool would connect the area residents to local and global sites using a local dial-up number.

A MOExpress application was prepared and sent in June 1997 and approval from the committee in Jefferson City was received August 6, 1997. Next, Bylaws were adopted and an application for Articles of Incorporation for a non-profit organization was sent to the State of Missouri. Non-Profit Corporation Status was granted by the State of Missouri on August 29,1998.

To comply with the MOExpress Project and provide public computer workstations, a Community Development Block Grant was prepared and sent to the Missouri Department of Economic Development in September 1997. The funds applied for would be used to purchase another Modem Pool and 9 computer workstations. The grant was awarded on October 24, 1997. To date, this grant is still in existence with most of the purchases have been made.

To comply with both the CDBG Grant and the MOExpress Project, 501 c 3 status was applied for on October 16, 1997. This allows ORTRACKM.NET Inc. to be federal tax exempt and any donations made to it may be tax deductible for the donor. This status was declared on January 29,1998.

Upon approval of 501 c 3, application was made to the State of Missouri for Sales Tax Exemption for Non-Profit Organizations. This was received March 10, 1998.

The first Modem Pool was placed into service in November 1997 and the second Modem Pool was in January 1998. There are Public Computer Workstations in the Alton and Thayer Public Libraries, Alton and Thayer Senior Citizens Centers, Thomasville General Store, and The ORTRACKM.NET Inc. office at the present time.

The ORTRACKM.NET Inc. Home Page is continually promoting the Oregon County region, area activities and attractions. The users Home Pages are growing and more members are encouraged to make use of this program. In the future, more information will be added to promote the area with the help of the membership supplying pictures, stories and histories.

The Board of Directors/Staff attended MOREnet Training in October 1997 and Internet Masters Classes from November 1997 through February 1998.

A promotion booth was set up at the Walnut Festival in early October to help identify Ortrackm to the public. The Alton Library provided Internet connection.

The ORTRACKM.NET Inc. office was opened at the present location at 517A High Street in Alton on October 29, 1997. All business was conducted at this location with borrowed equipment until purchases were made and new equipment installed. The official Grand Opening was held on February 12, 1998 after both Modem Pools were installed giving most of Oregon County local dial-up access to the Community Information Network and the Internet.

The first CIN (Community Information Network) Conference was held in March, 1998. Four board members attended and registered ORTRACKM.NET Inc. as a participating member of MACIN (Missouri Association Community Information Network). The web address is www.macin.org.

The problem concerning the elimination of COS by the telephone companies has been researched by the ORTRACKM.NET Inc. board of directors and a solution is being implemented at the present. Due to use of COS for the southern half of Oregon County being deleted by December 1998, the board of directors is purchasing a third Modem Pool from MOREnet to continue local dial-up access to all members. This will involve the placing of a new unit in the Couch School and moving the existing unit there to the Thayer Library. The board of directors passed a motion to move the larger unit from Couch to Thayer and purchase a smaller unit with ORTRACKM.NET Inc. funds to replace the original unit at Couch.

Goals for the future include additional public workstations, more instructional classes to better navigate the Internet and to use e-mail, continuing training of the staff members, and to eventually hire a coordinator for the office.

We welcome your comments...please

at ortrackm@ortrackm.missouri.org

Or call the Help Desk at 417-778-7523
Open Monday through Friday 8AM to 5PM Saturday by appointmant only.