The North Bellevue Community & Senior Center and Komputer Enthusiasts of Greater Seattle: Teaming Up to Provide Service to the Community

Komputer Enthusiasts of Greater Seattle (KEGS) is a local computer user group that has teamed with the North Bellevue Community & Senior Center to establish and maintain computer training tools that will serve our senior community today and has the flexibility to evolve with future needs.

KEGS has provided the volunteer personnel needed to establish this computer lab and is committed to providing all the ongoing support needed to upgrade and maintain its efficient operation. KEGS has also actively petitioned vendors for contributions to the success of this effort. The responses to our requests have been phenomenal.

We want to thank the following contributors for their generous donations to the implementation and ongoing support of our computer training lab here at the North Bellevue Community & Senior Center. The development of this state-of-the-art training facility is a shining example of what can be accomplished with volunteerism and local industry's commitment to community.

Cash Contributors

• Allstate Insurance - Seattle ~ This donation of $120.00 was part of Allstate's 1998 contribution to KEGS continuing community involvement.

Training Material

• Ed Bott - Author ~ Ed is a prolific writer of user manuals as well as a nationally published reviewer of software.  While Ed was still living in the area he graciously contributed a number of Training and User Support manuals that have been of great help to the users of this computer lab.

Hardware Contributors

• 3-Com - www.3com.com ~ This major supplier of networking hardware has provided support to this computer lab through their local Bellevue offices and their California headquarters. Their contributions include the Network Switch, Network Interface Cards and two US Robotics 56Kb Courier Modems needed for system implementation.
• Advanced Cable Systems - Bellevue, WA ~ These local Network Cable Installation Specialists provided all the cable needed for the network and the cable and video amplifier needed distribution of the instructor's video to display monitors at the student stations.
• Cabletron Systems - www.cabletron.com ~ This worldwide business communications company contributed a Uninterruptible Power Supply to protect the labs' network server.
• City of Bellevue Parks & Community Services ~ Bellevue's commitment to this endeavor is reflected by their donation of sixteen Dell Pentium II, 350Mhz computers with Sony monitors.
• Electra Technical Sales - Kirkland, WA - www.electratech.com ~ As the local representative for Advanced Micro Devices they arranged for the donation of a new AMD K6-2 350Mhz Processor for our network server.
• HardDrives Northwest - Bellevue, WA - www.hdnw.com ~ This local computer vendor has negotiated to provide a discount for all new hardware purchased for the computer lab.
• Merit - Bothell, WA - (as of 2002, Merit is no longer in business) ~ Merit, a local Microsoft Direct Original Equipment Manufacturer, supplied the new motherboard needed for our network server.
• Panduit - Tinley Park, IL - www.panduit.com ~ A major manufacturer of Wiring and Communication Products, Panduit's President, Bernie Westpher, personally approved their involvement and their local representative supported our every request. Donations included wire termination jacks, wall plates, panels, surface ducting, and relay rack. Their contribution also included training tapes and the tools needed for installation of the network.
• WinStar Northwest Nexus - Bellevue, WA - www.nwnexus.com ~ This local ISP is donating both Dial-up Internet access and e-mail.

Software Contributors

• Microsoft - Bellevue - Pacific Northwest District Sales Office - www.microsoft.com ~ Microsoft has given continued support to the training of seniors at this facility and when we requested their assistance in the modernization of the computer lab, their generosity was boundless. All donations included licenses or quantities sufficient to support all students and instructor computers in the lab. The donations included:
  • Microsoft NT Small Business Server 4.0
  • Microsoft Office 97 Professional Edition
  • Microsoft Publisher 98 Deluxe Edition with PictureIt! 99
  • Microsoft Front Page 98
  • Microsoft Works

  We have been informed that when Microsoft NT Small Business Server 4.5 is released we will be given a free upgrade that will include Microsoft Office 2000.

• PowerQuest - www.powerquest.com ~ This utility software vendor provided us with formatting and drive duplication software that was essential in the initial set-up of the computer lab.
  • Drive Image - Professional
  • PartitionMagic
• Intuit - www.intuit.com ~ Richard Katz of Intuit was instrumental in seeing that we received the accounting software "Quicken Home & Business 99" for every student & instructor computer.
• Symantec - www.symantec.com ~ Symantec donated the utility software that will be used for ongoing maintenance and support of this computer lab.
  • Norton SystemWorks Professional for our Windows 98 computers
  • Ghost for Microsoft NT

Personal Donation

• Gary Skelton of Bellevue, WA ~ One of our KEGS members, Gary donated the case for our network server.
• Anonymous Donors are responsible for the following items:
  • Two roll-around carts
  • One VCR
  • And finally, all of our great members of the KEGS organization, who are too numerous to mention here, but who have selflessly donated so many hours of time to making this lab work for everybody.

Again, we want to thank all the contributors for helping us make this installation a real showcase of technology and community cooperation.