Technology is a given

Michael Miller

Nowadays, a 5-year-old computer is too slow for most corporations.

But for a research paper, it’s more than serviceable.

Seven years ago, the Irvine Ranch Water District, a water service

and sewage collection agency, started a program to pass on its used

computers to local schools. Typically, the water district replaces

its computers after about five years to keep up with new technology.

If the computers are still in good condition, though, the water

district donates them to local schools. Earlier this year, TeWinkle

Middle School in Costa Mesa became the recipient of eight new Pentium

3 computers.

“We don’t accept Pentium 1 or 2s,” said Terry Stephan, the

information technology technician for the Newport-Mesa Unified School

District. “Pentium 3s are probably the bottom of their list. They

upgrade to 4s and higher-speed processors.”

The eight new systems, however, came in handy at TeWinkle, which

lately had been short of computers.

Some schools in the district only use Macintosh models, but

TeWinkle -- which has a number of older personal computers -- had the

means to hook up new ones.

On Jan. 31, the water district personally delivered 11 computers

to Stephan, who gave eight to TeWinkle and two more to Harbor View

Elementary School, and currently has one in his office for repairs.

The computers reside in classrooms and also libraries, where they

can be used to access the book cataloging system.

The water district, since the inception of its program in 1998,

has given more than 200 computers to the Irvine and Newport-Mesa

school districts.

“We don’t know which schools have the needs,” says Marilyn Smith,

a spokeswoman for the water district. “It just turned out that

TeWinkle Middle School needed them, so we directed them over there.”