Hi everyone;^) when we took our 9 year old to the doctors today the truck in front of us had the words -Disaster Relief on all 3 sides. Now I'm 36 and never in my life have I seen one before. Is this out of the norm.? Mabe just a dumb ?

Retailers anticipate few glitches in 2000

By AMY CALDER, Staff Writer Copyright ) 1999 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. E-mail this story to a friend

Area retailers do not seem particularly concerned about what might happen when the calendar rolls over to the year 2000.

In fact, while some are stocking up a little bit on some items such as batteries and lamps, they expect that January will be business as usual.

"I'm not doing anything different, but people are buying things because they're scared," says John N. Lasso, owner of Top Kick Army Navy Surplus on Western Avenue in Augusta.

Buyers are snapping up gas masks and 5-gallon plastic containers to carry water in case there are problems, according to Lasso.

But he is not stocking any special items, nor is he expecting any problems, he said.

"We had electricity before we had computers," Lasso said. "I think a lot of people have made a lot of money by scaring people. It's too bad, but where there's a buck to be made, they'll try to make it."

Quinn's True Value Hardware in Skowhegan wants to be prepared, just in case. The store has ordered two or three generators to have on hand if someone needs one, according to co-owner Vanessa L. Quinn.

"We have stocked up a little bit on batteries and oil lamps," she said.

But like other retailers, Quinn does not see any great panic among people to horde items.

"I think people are still in Christmas mode," she said. "I don't know what's going to happen after Christmas."

Ames Department Store in Waterville is selling heaters, batteries and oil lamps, but it is difficult to say whether they are Christmas presents or purchases made in preparation for Y2K, according to the store manager Byron H. Brooks.

Neither customers nor store clerks have noted any rush on items being purchased for Y2K, he said.

"There's been no mention of people stocking up," he said.

Rob M. Tice, an employee of Red Oak Sports in Farmington, said some people have been buying freeze-dried meals, candles, stoves and stove-and-lantern fuel.

"They are stocking up on water filters and things like that, but nothing near epidemic," he said.

Likewise, Wal-Mart stores in Central Maine have seen certain increases in the sale of items such as batteries and bottled water, but store officials monitor inventory and restock accordingly, according to Wal-Mart spokeswoman Melissa R. Berryhill.

Berryhill said Wal-Mart is not projecting any problems at the turn of the calendar.

"We're expecting business as usual at Wal-Mart around Y2K," she said.

Six or eight months ago, former central Mainers who now live in Massachusetts called Caswell's Discount Wholesale Inc. on Armory Road in Waterville, asking whether they could come up with U-Hauls and buy all sorts of items to stock up for Y2K, according to store owner, Bill McKay.

But people now seem more complacent about the issue, he said. He and store co-owner Dana Caswell are not worried, according to McKay.

"We don't feel there's going to be an interruption in the flow of goods," he said.

-- Darlene (boomer@tdstelme.net), December 27, 1999

Answers

I saw a Disaster relief "chief's car" the other day in a suburb of Boston. Thought it was a fire chief's car at first: Painted red, red lightbar on the roof, gold lettering. Then I looked closer and saw "Chelsea Disaster relief" on the side (No, I don't live in Chelsea, hence my curiosity as to why they would be in my town). The car is a typical .gov Ford Crown Vic. It had way less antennas than a state trooper car, so I think it was a recent conversion from either a local cop car or fire chief's car, and I suspect it will be getting more radio equipment soon. I also suspect we will be seeing more of these in the next few days.

Jes' Thinkin'...

-- Little Pig (littlepig@brickhouse.com), December 27, 1999.

"We had electricity before we had computers," Lasso said. "I think a lot of people have made a lot of money by scaring people. It's too bad, but where there's a buck to be made, they'll try to make it."

What a stupid statement. The moron doesn't realize that the computer controls the machines that make the electricity that run the computers. A big, viscous circle.

-- Rob (maxovrdrv51@hotmail.com), December 27, 1999.

Hi Darlene,

Thanks for the post. Do you live in Maine? Did you see the disaster relief truck in Maine? What part of the state?

-- country folk (country folk@Maine.maine), December 27, 1999.

Hi country - yes I'm from Maine - live around Waterville,Oakland parts. Saw it first thing this morning (and not to add more to the white truck syndrome - BUT ) big white truck, black letters and a blue triangle between wording. I've never seen one before and found it odd and very scary. Take care.

-- Darlene (boomer@tdstelme.net), December 27, 1999.

Thanks Darlene,

I'm in southern Maine, close to BIW. Nothing out of the ordinary here yet. I'm going out tonight to make some last minute preps and will definitely be on the loookout. I've never seen a disaster relief truck in Maine, either, Even during our ice storm two years ago.....

-- country folk (country folk@Maine.maine), December 27, 1999.

Sunday, December 26, 1999

Utilities, phones, shelters stand ready for New Year's Day

By DAN McGILLVRAY, Special to Sunday Copyright ) 1999 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. E-mail this story to a friend

AUGUSTA  When Maj. Gen. Earl Adams arrives at the state's Year 2000 command post on New Year's Eve, a satellite telephone will be within his reach at all times.

"It's just an additional backup. The governor, and the public radio station in Bangor will also have one," said Adams, commander of the Maine National Guard and one of Gov. Angus King's Y2K advisers.

Even though he expects no significant disruptions to occur in Maine when computer clocks change to the new year, Adams said he is prepared for the situation. Getting current information to the media will be vital, he explained.

Television, radio and newspaper reporters are expected to be at the Camp Keyes' command center to relay any news, whether eventful or uneventlful. The high-tech satellite telephones will guarantee an open line in a worse-case scenario, said Adams, who also supervises the Maine Emergency Management Agency.

Officials throughout the nation agree that a prolonged electric power outage would be the most serious result of a Y2K glitch due to the inability of computer systems to differentiate between the year 2000 and the year 1900.

Mark Ishkanian, a spokesman for Central Maine Power Co., said the utility has done everything necessary to rid internal and external computer equipment of year-related bugs.

CMP has been in close contact with electricity suppliers throughout the region, has tested grid substations, has made sure that accounting and billing software programs are Y2K compatible, and has equipped key workers with back-up communications devices, said Ishkanian.

"Our major concern is that people will jump to the conclusion that a local outage is thought of as a Y2K problem," he added.

Ishkanian said that at any one time, in any season, there could be an outage in CMP's vast territory of customers. As a precaution, the company will have up to 400 workers at various sites during the New Year's weekend to monitor events.

"We'll have lots of people in Augusta and at our service centers," Ishkanian said. The extra workers will allow the company to respond to problems quickly, he added.

HIGH CALL VOLUMES

Peter Reilly, a spokesman for Bell Atlantic, also is concerned that a local disruption in telephone service  or a temporary overload on the network due to high call volumes will be attributed incorrectly to a Y2K computer glitch.

"We've been working on the Y2K issue for three years and we completed the effort in June of this year," said Reilly. Since that time, the company has continued to assess Y2K concerns and is now confident that customers will experience no interruptions in service because of Y2K difficulties, he added.

Reilly fears that a large number of customers may dial their telephone lines in the minutes after New Year's Eve becomes New Year's Day. Doing so could cause a brief overload of circuits that is unrelated to any Y2K problems, he said.

WATER DISTRICTS

Officials at water districts throughout central Maine also say they are ready for the Year 2000 rollover and they anticipate nothing unusual to occur.

"We have three primary computer-operated systems. Filtration, pumping and billing," said Jeff Lacasse, general manager of the Kennebec Water District, which distributes drinking water from China Lake to Waterville, Fairfield, Winslow, Vassalboro, Benton and Oakland.

Lacasse said if electric power goes out, the district will use generators to keep pumps going and the Vassalboro filtration plant operating. Some employees will be working New Year's Eve, and in the hours that follow, and other workers will be on call.

The district's holding tanks will be "topped off" on New Year's Eve so there is a full supply of water inside. Lacasse said there is no harm in customers filling jugs, or a bathtub, with water as a precaution.

Brian Tarbuck, assistant general manager of the Augusta Water District, said the filtration and water movement system is also prepared for the computer clock turnover. The Augusta district can also put generators into use immediately.

EMERGENCY SHELTER

At Augusta City Center, Michael Lombardo said all computer systems are Y2K compatible. To prevent any possible damage from power surges or other electrical fluctuations during next weekend, computers will be disconnected on Thursday night and put back online by the following Monday morning.

"We have checked out our heating, electrical and security systems in our buildings and they're OK," said Lombardo, the assistant city manager.

If extended power outages occur, the Augusta Civic Center can be opened quickly as an emergency shelter, he said. The city's Y2K command center will be in the police station.

"We have an emergency operation plan that includes the police and fire department, and emergency personnel," Lombardo said.

Much of the city's outdoor equipment, such as trucks in the public works department, will be unaffected by any Y2K glitches, he explained. But Lombardo said that electric traffic lights, and the time-sensitive devices that keep them synchronized, could be affected by Y2K problems.

TESTED IN WATERVILLE

In Waterville, information services officer Louise Smith said that computers and servers in city hall have been tested and re-tested for Y2K concerns. They should run smoothly after the New Year's Day weekend, she added.

If the city needs to offer residents an emergency shelter, the fire department will oversee that operation, said Smith.

As for the state's preparedness, Adams said Maine National Guard equipment can be put into service promptly. Helicopters, trucks and heavy equipment will be sitting in armories with full fuel tanks, he added.

The general said that through the communications network, Maine will know in the hours before the Y2K rollover whether the year-related computer glitch has affected other countries. He noted that Europe and New Brunswick, because of time zone differences, will greet the New Year before Maine.

-- Darlene (boomer@tdstelme.net), December 27, 1999.

Actually, I would feel better if I saw SOME kind of SOMETHING where I am. I mean, no contingency plans whatsoever for my city....should I name it? What the heck, I have been very anonymous for a long time. Plano, Texas. Their motto: "Y2 WHAT?" The suburb of Dallas in which my parents live, Grand Prairie, on the other hand, has MASSIVE contingency plans, all spelled out in a 5 space, single space letter sent out to every resident of the city back in August.

Sheesh. William in Dallas, where are you? Has the city of Dallas proper done the same thing?

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), December 27, 1999.