2001: THE NEW MILLENNIUM IS NEAR; SO WHAT?

It was perhaps the most memorable image of the international spectacle that ushered in the year 2000 -- the Eiffel Tower bathed in fireworks under a clear Paris sky.

The Parisians -- along with millions of exuberant revelers around the globe -- were, of course, premature to usher in the third millennium. The true crossover to the third millennium will be this Jan. 1.

But nobody seems to care. And the approaching new year, coined "the Reallennium" by pundits, isn't getting any of the attention of Y2K.

The new millennium date is based on the now globally recognized Gregorian calendar. There is no year zero, so we count upward from the base year of 1 AD. Consequently, the next millennium, or period of 1,000 years, cannot begin until the previous one ends, at the moment prior to Jan. 1, 2001.

Much of last year's hype had nothing to do with the calendar. It had to do with computers.

People lived in fear of the "Y2K Bug." Dates in the old computer language COBOL only progressed in the last two digits in the sequence -- such as "50" for 1950 -- and analysts warned of widespread computer failure if computers began mistaking 2000 for 1900.

In the worst case scenario, they said, world communications, power, and water networks would fail due to computer issues.

Various Cape Girardeau industries scoured their computer codes and revised commands which could trigger possible date glitches. The Federal Emergency Management Association urged Missourians not to horde groceries or withdraw large amounts of money as Jan. 1, 2000, neared, but to prepare household emergency kits containing common-sense items.

When the clock chimed in the year 2000, only the most insignificant Y2K-inspired glitches were reported across the globe. Cape Girardeau area emergency managers sat at their posts when the new year came, but life went on as usual. Area ATMs worked, the power stayed on, and phone lines remained open.

Chris Pritchard, software specialist at Square One Electronics of Cape Girardeau, reported that any threat of a date-induced international computer meltdown ended with Y2K.

"It's all been pretty much been taken care of. It kind of just died. Nobody talks about 2001," he said.

Pritchard is planning on going out with his wife this New Year's Eve. This differs from last year, he said, when he and his wife remained at home, glued to the TV waiting for word of Y2K catastrophe.

"We were watching TV to keep up with anything that was happening," Pritchard said, "to see if there were any problems."

It affected others' plans as well. Rob Huff of Cape Girardeau reported that last year he stayed home with his wife and kids -- "just kind of a family celebration," he said. This year, his family will chose one of two get-togethers they have been invited to.

For some emergency service workers, this New Year's Eve will look familiar.

Joyce Statler of Cape Girardeau said she spent last New Year's Eve at home, on call for her job at the Cape Girardeau Police Department. This year, said Statler, looks to be more of the same.

"I'm going to be working," she sighed.

Bar considerations

Even without last year's hype, local bars are gearing up for crowds.

On New Year's Eve, The Billiard Center will serve hot dogs, chili, and champagne. Mollies Cafe & Bar will serve dinner until 11 p.m. The Holiday Inn is planning a celebration with live bands.

Broussard's Cajun Cuisine plans to avoid the Sunday hours restrictions by celebrating the dawn of the third millennium on Saturday night. The restaurant will feature a live band blues band. Party favors, champagne, and Jell-O shots will be on hand.

And the holiday could send bar-goers migrating across the Mississippi River to the more liberal bar hours of Illinois.

Dave Pearce, owner of the Purple Crackle in East Cape Girardeau, Ill., said his employees are readying his establishment for the holiday.

"We're gearing up for it. We believe this the real millennium. We're going to have a lot of crowd interaction throughout the night," Pearce said. "We're billing it as Cape's finest entertainment."

And in Paris, this new year will be celebrated in much the extravagant style of last, with a parade on New Year's Day to be telecast around the globe. Hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected to line the parade route through the city.

But on the fireworks, the world will have to wait and see if they're as amazing as one year ago.