In today's Sacramento Bee, there is an article indicating that in a few weeks, Sacramento County will begin distributing to county residents a brochure asking the public to prepare for y2k as they would for "an impending flood requiring caches of extra candles, food and water." The brochure is apparently just one of many strategies by county officials to prepare for y2k problems.

The county's chief information officer is quoted as saying that court and district attorneys' computers containing pending court dates and criminal records are being reprogrammed slowly and may miss the December 31st deadline, cause trial postponements. Also the system that tracks child support payments may not be up and running in time to replace the old system that cannot recognize 2000, so child support checks may be late.

Sacramento city and county officials are apparently planning to operate an Emergency Response Center in the weeks before and after the new year to respond to public emergencies if massive disruptions occur.

Don't know if this article will be on the Sacramento Bee's online version or not. I just checked, and yesterday's newspaper is still up. If you're interested, you might want to check a little later at http://www.sacbee.com.

-- Pam G. (Pam95818@aol.com), February 17, 1999

Answers

Thanks Pam!

Since you're "up" in the Sacto area, at the Oakland Y2K gathering Senator John Vasconcellos said they'll have Y2K meetings in Sacto on Feb.24th to which the public is invited.

Is there any mention of it in the local paper?

This is supposed to be a big "figure out how in trouble California is" day.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 17, 1999.

The article about Sacramento County's y2k brochure is now online at http://www.sacbee.com/news/news/local14_19990217.html.

Hi, Diane --

Haven't read anything about a February 24th meeting in the paper, but I just checked the Senate File on the Legislature's web site and found that the Senate Finance, Investment and International Trade Committee is holding an informational hearing on February 24th: "Year 2000 Computer Problem: Impact on Financial Institutions and the Securities Industry." I assume that is the meeting Sen. Vasconcellos was referring to. The hearing is at 1:30 p.m. in room 3191 of the State Capitol.

-- Pam G. (Pam95818@aol.com), February 17, 1999.

Thanks Pam!

I usually slap the full-text of a newspaper article here at the forum because the news article links disappear so fast. (Allowed under copyright Fair Use protection, posting one copy for research purposes on an educational institution MIT computer system). -- Diane

http:/ /www.sacbee.com/news/news/local14_19990217.html

Brochure advises Y2K readiness:
Some Sacramento County computers behind in upgrading

By Pamela Martineau
Bee Staff Writer
(Published Feb. 17, 1999)

Sacramento County officials soon will ask the public to prepare for the infamous Y2K bug as if it were an impending flood requiring caches of extra candles, food and water.

"It's the same kind of thing that we advise people to do every fall," said Betsy Braziel, a county public information officer.

Braziel and other county employees are placing the finishing touches on a four-page brochure to distribute to county residents in a few weeks.

The brochure -- like myriad other Y2K preparedness Web sites and videos created by private companies -- will outline what people should have on hand should the county experience disruption as a result of computer glitches associated with the calendar switching to the year 2000.

The brochure is just one of many strategies by county officials to prepare for possible Y2K problems.

Stephen Ferguson, the county's chief information officer, said the county has made great progress in reprogramming its computer systems so they won't crash Jan. 1, 2000. But some trouble spots remain, he said in a briefing Tuesday to the Board of Supervisors.

Court and district attorneys' computers containing pending court dates and criminal records of residents are being reprogrammed slowly and may miss the Dec. 31 deadline. That could cause trial postponements. A new computer system for the District Attorney's Office that tracks and distributes child-support payments also may not be up and running in time to replace the old system that cannot recognize 2000. That could mean child-support checks might not be sent to families for a few weeks after Jan. 1, 2000.

"If it means typing checks on typewriters, that's what we'll do," said Ferguson.

While the county is busy trying to resolve its Y2K glitches, it remains to be seen how far along state, federal and private entities are in wrestling with theirs.

Sacramento city and county officials will operate an Emergency Response Center in the weeks before and after Jan. 1, 2000, to respond to public emergencies if massive disruptions occur. If few problems arise, the emergency team may be left with simply trying to calm out- of-control New Year's revelers.

Sheriff Lou Blanas "is gearing up for the biggest party of the century," said Braziel.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 17, 1999.

Pam, Ill be e-ing John Vasconcellos today about the Y2K meeting. He said anyone could come. -- Diane

California State Senate

http://www.sen.ca.gov/

Senate Finance, Investment and International Trade Committee

http://www.sen.ca.gov/ftp/sen/committee/STANDING/ FINANCE/_home1/PROFILE.HTM

Informational hearing on February 24th: "Year 2000 Computer Problem: Impact on Financial Institutions and the Securities Industry.

http:// www.sen.ca.gov/htbin/testbin/ agenda?INET_FTP:[SEN.COMMITTEE.STANDING.FINANCE]schedule.htm

State Senator John Vasconcelloss home page:

http://WWW.sen.ca.gov/ vasconcellos/

E-mail address: Senator.Vasconcellos@sen.ca.gov

California Senate White Pages - contact information for State Senators.

http:// www.sen.ca.gov/~newsen/schedules/finger.htp

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 17, 1999.

Thanks for the hot link and for posting the text of the article, Diane. After Declan's lecture about copyright infringement the other day, I was afraid I'd get my hand slapped if I posted the whole article. Loved your disclaimer -- I'll use it next time.

-- Pam G. (Pam95818@aol.com), February 17, 1999.

Also, as a reminder ...

Pam and others alerted us before, that there is a Y2K & preparedness show occurring this weekend up in Sacramento on Feb 19, 20 & 21st. (I have NO idea what youd find there!). You can find out more details at their web-site:

http://www.preparedness.net/

The site says ...

... OVER 40 GUEST SPEAKERS, AUTHORS & EXPERTS Seminars & Lectures

http:// www.preparedness.net/sacramentoseminars.html

... 200 BOOTHS  1000's OF PREPAREDNESS PRODUCTS

http:// www.preparedness.net/exhibitors.html

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 17, 1999.

Thanks Pam and Diane for the info! I hadn't seen the paper today yet. There has been a deafening silence here in town lately. Some of us in the south area are finally starting up a newsletter and preparedness group, because the knowledge vacuum is making us just a little nervous, ya know?

I did notice the sacbee site finally put up a Y2K section on their business pages.

M

-- Margaret Janssen (janssm@aol.com), February 17, 1999.