Our local newspaper, The Ventura County Star, had an article in this morning's newspaper about Y2K readiness. The article states that there was a three-hour, state-wide, televised conference on Tuesday organized by the state Office of Emergency Services (OES), to examine how different local, county, and state agencies have prepared for the year 2000. Officials from Ventura County (fire dept, sheriff's dept. etc.) took part in the conference. Ventura County Sheriff's Cmdr, Christopher Godfrey is quoted in the article, saying:

"I think Ventura County will have a pretty calm night COMPARED with some of the other counties." (caps mine).

This simple statement says a lot. In my opinion, it's says that other counties in California will have problems to a greater degree than Ventura County.

-- Linda Hitchings (lindasue1@earthlink.net), November 17, 1999

Answers

Ventura County is an island by itself with no interaction with the world at large. All food consumed in the county originates there. All telephone calls are just from one County phone to another. All gasoline and petroleum products are produced there that the County consumes. All Ventura businesses have all on their suppliers in Ventura County. Of course, there must be a desalinization plant that's in Ventura to provide its water. All electricity is generated and distributed in Ventura County for the County. All employyes of Ventura County businesses live in Ventura not thirty or forty miles away from their families. All employees are personally prepared with necessary items in the event of shortages. And so on and so on and so on...

Indeed a quiet time for Ventura County with no contingency plans required....

-- PJC (paulchri@msn.com), November 17, 1999.

Linda I agree with PJC. There will be no place to hide.

-- Larry (cobol.programmer@usa.net), November 17, 1999.

Uh, as I recall the recent fracas about the county hospital in 'LA' being woefully behind - it was Ventura county hospital. Any news about how they're doing?

-- flora (***@__._), November 17, 1999.

Ventura area may have more food... but how's the water supply? (Love Ojai, BTW)

Small comfort, but at least Northern California *may* have more rainwater, etc.

Diane

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

Of course, I expect Ventura County to experience problems like the rest of the state and country. But, I found the statement contrary to the "we're ready, compliant, and all is well" gist of the article. That one statement says a lot to me.......it says there's going to be problems, but is trying to minimize the effects locally.

-- Linda Hitchings (lindasue1@earthlink.net), November 17, 1999.

In my small northern California town, there has been a lot of agencies training. This morning, I saw a helicopter crew from Sonoma County Sheriff's Dept.

I spoke to a local cop and he said that there has been a lot of this. He said he knew of I think he said Ventura county fire dept. training up here for something. There were others that he didn't name.

Why would they need to train up here in a rural area?

Also, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties running a lot of radio ads for Y2K. The director for the OES for one of the counties is saying to "prepare for Y2K. Don't delay, do it now."

What surprised me was the number of times that I have heard the commercials. They are spending a fortune in advertising.

-- Villain (villain@thedoghousemail.com), November 17, 1999.

Actually, I think it says that TPTB in Ventura County think they will have fewer problems. My impression over the last 20 months is that there is little dialogue among organizations within the state. I think we'll have to wait and see,....same as it ever was.

She in the sheet upon a hilltop in California,...

-- Donna (moment@pacbell.net), November 17, 1999.

CA has a population size larger than many a nation and it's complexity is on the level of an entire nation. It's like making an entire nation compliant.

Sure there'll be problems and some will be very serious if not outright deadly.

What is scary is that we'll end up on our own as a state. No one nor any entity can be of help to a state the population size of a significant nation. It's too many endless millions of people.

I'll tell you though we in CA the pseudo nation state had better come before all those governmental favorite nations from Israel to South Korea in aid. The little town of Iowa's gathered donations, the military and tech help, the relief food and Medical corps are all to come CA's way FIRST. We're not going to be the major financiers of the globe and the nation to find ourselves of secondary importance.

Oh no, uh, uh, those med team tents aren't heading out to the globe, not this time around!

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), November 17, 1999.

Hey Villian - I'm in Sonoma too, where are you?

Paula - could not agree more about the complexities of CA. Come what may ** it definately will not be dull.

-- karla (karlacalif@aol.com), November 17, 1999.

Well if it's any indicator,

my State employer in Sacramento finished installing a generator last weekend. Still, no word from management regarding any contingency plans - maybe next month?

--Can't

-- can't (say@not_even.com), November 17, 1999.

Not to rain on your parade, but the folks in that Little Town in Iowa *may* just think that *Iowa* comes first, *not* California.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), November 17, 1999.

Karla,

I am not in Sonoma. I am about 150 miles away. My question is why was the Sonoma Sheriff's dept training here?

-- Villain (villain@thedoghousemail.com), November 17, 1999.

Villain,

They train all the time, are you sure you're not afflicted with the red truck syndrome?

-- flora (***@__._), November 17, 1999.

Villian--

If this is not a periodic training program then the only thing I can think of; they do not want to alarm the locals. Y2K is not a problem, I repeat, Y2K is not a problem. Don't worry be happy ;-)

-- wishIwere150milesaway```````````` (karlacalif@aol.com), November 17, 1999.

Flora,

Even our local PD was wondering why there were so many agencies from other areas training in our remote area.

-- Villain (villain@thedoghousemail.com), November 17, 1999.

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr (pic), near Monterey, California

Villain: Maybe they're practicing for when they expect to evacuate all their folks to your place. =(8-0)

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage), November 18, 1999.

Have a swimming pool? Literally tons of water, ready to go.

-- pool in backyard (water@water.com), November 18, 1999.