The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

May 24, 2010

Lake Stephens goes wireless

By Jim Workman Register-Herald Reporter

Lake Stephens is a county park in Surveyor with a 272-acre lake, 25 miles of shoreline and over 1900 acres of forest.

Recreational activities such as hiking, camping, boating and fishing are popular attractions.

In a busy world, it sounds like a place to get away from it all.

It is.

But now it’s much more.

The park has installed fiber optic cable to make Lake Stephens a Wi-Fi zone, giving free wireless Internet access to visitors.

So now one doesn’t have to actually get away from the technology that so many depend on — even while vacationing or enjoying a day in the park.

“It’s something that a lot of campgrounds are doing,” said Mike Pinardo of the Raleigh County Recreational Authority. “A lot of people use laptops for communication. The Internet lets them stay in contact. It’s one of the things people look for now. It’s a service that will only help to promote Lake Stephens.

“We partnered with Greenbrier Communication, installing 6,060 feet of fiber optic cable,” Pinardo added. “The way we have it set up, we have the capability to expand in the future.

“People love it. It’s fast. We have two T1 servers coming in to the front side of the lake.”

Wi-Fi is available within a 500-foot radius of the boat marina, campground store and pavilion, as well as all 100 RV camp sites.

Wireless Internet access is not the only project tackled this off-season.

“We improved our trail from the pavilion to the dam, widening it from three feet to eight feet,” Pinardo said. “It’s much easier to access now. We also added two more cabins, which will also have wireless Internet. We’ve been busy this winter.”

The annual Beach Blast event will be Saturday, June 5.

“It’s our kickoff to the summer season,” Pinardo said. “Our gates will open at 11 a.m. and we’ll have activities all day. There will also be a free concert at 5 p.m.

“It will be a good chance for people to come out and see all of the improvements that we’ve done.”

Lake Stephens also has trails for walking, biking, hiking and horseback riding. It also has basketball courts, a skate park and a playground.

For more information, visit www.lakestephenswv.com.

— E-mail: jworkman@register-herald.com

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