LaGrange, Ga., has launched a city-wide Community Link program that allows residents with common interests to share information through highly-interactive, organization-specific Web sites. Groups and membership organizations such as neighborhoods, sports teams, schools, religious congregations and civic associations can create and respond to content which can include calendars, newsletters, classified ads, surveys, meeting notices, message boards, and community alerts.

Site administrators can provide sites with up to five custom news links and 18 global news feeds selected from a menu of 60 categories.

The Community Link system provides the ability to upload digital photographs and documents and allows for varying degrees of privacy ranging from "open to the public" to "password protected," where only members of the online community can access the site. Site administrators can control how users add to or modify content by granting various levels of access. Common-interest groups can request the establishment of a Community Link site by City Hall at any time. Sites are offered free of charge and can be sponsored by local businesses or organizations.

"This program is a virtual town square that truly connects the citizens of our city," said Joe Maltese, director of Community and Economic Development for the City of LaGrange. "People today are busy, but they want to stay involved in the groups that are important to them. Through sites on Community Link they can stay in touch even if they are out of town or have other commitments."

LaGrange is partnering with iVicinity, an Atlanta-based company that provides software technology for customized community sites. Organizations and groups can easily set up their individualized Web site by configuring a template provided by iVicinity. Training for site administration is offered free of charge by the City of LaGrange.

"Groups and membership organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to keep their constituents informed and in touch in a timely fashion because of hectic schedules and fast-paced lifestyles," said Bill Roberts, an iVicinity co-founder and vice president of Strategy and Business Development. "The natural, easy solution is an interactive Community Link site. These sites have moved beyond first-generation Web pages, which are difficult to maintain and provide little more than general information. Community Link sites protect private data and are easy to use whether you are a student or a senior citizen. They are the modern-day alternative to mailing paper flyers, sending out monthly newsletters or assigning phone committees to call members with meeting or event news."

The impact of the Community Link Intranet has already gone beyond city limits for LaGrange. They have established an interactive site with their sister city, Craigavon in Northern Ireland.

"We could telephone or send e-mail before, of course," said Maltese. "But now with our customized Intranet site, residents from both cities will be able to share information whenever they want."

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One year ago, LaGrange attracted international attention by offering free Internet access to all its citizens through their cable televisions. The city was recognized as a role model in bridging the digital divide by making the Information Age accessible to all its residents.

"When we initiated LaGrange Internet TV last year we wanted to make sure no one in our community was left out of the technological age," said Mayor Jeff Lukken. "Our Community Link Intranet is just one more step toward our vision of creating an electronic village where all our citizens can participate in what LaGrange has to offer as well as in the on-going opportunities of the Information Age."

A city with no local property taxes and a population of approximately 27,000, LaGrange is considered the economic center of a 150,000-person area stretching from West Georgia to East Alabama. LaGrange is home to more Fortune 500 companies per capita than any other city its size.

"The possibilities and benefits of the iVicinity platform are limitless," said Tom Hall, city manager of LaGrange. "It is significantly different from a static web site since people use the program as an Intranet to communicate with others who have common interests. With the number of people online in this City, the platform can connect our community in any number of ways -- all the way from how customers and citizens communicate with City Hall to how a young boy interacts with the rest of his scout troop."