CITY, OTHERS TO HOLD MEETING TO ASK QUESTIONS ON Y2K

How prepared are you for Y2K? Cape Girardeau officials say people shouldn't be concerned about hoarding food or water in fear of essential services shutting down on Jan. 1.The Y2K scare results from the fact that many computer systems recognize numbers as dates and aren't programed to recognize 2000. So there is a potential that businesses and industries could lose information once the date changes from 1999 to 2000.If any Y2K problems exist in Cape Girardeau "it shouldn't be any worse than a normal winter storm," said Terry Fulk, city Project Impact coordinator.But in case there are concerns, the city will hold a public meeting tonight at 7 at the Osage Community Centre. Residents who have questions about Y2K and how their utilities and city services will be affected are invited. Representatives from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Southwestern Bell, AmerenUE and the city will be on hand.The only way there will be disaster or mayhem in the streets is if people simply can't resist the hype leading up to Y2K and create problems themselves, said Sgt. Carl Kinnison of the Cape Girardeau Police Department. "People are reacting to something or the perception of something" disastrous, he said.That shouldn't be the case in Cape Girardeau. The city has been working to address any Y2K related problems it might face with the beginning of the new year. A management team has been studying Y2K issues like computer compatibility, 911 dispatching and even whether traffic lights will work.Fulk said the city has been addressing its computer glitches associated with Y2K since 1998. "I think we are pretty prepared," he said. "It's not that we haven't let it slide by.""We're preparing for the bad stuff and hoping for the good stuff," said Lt. Tracy Lemonds, patrol commander for the police department. New Year's Eve is typically a busy night for the department, and the end of a millennium should be no exception. Every officer in the department has been put on alert or standby for Dec. 31 in case they are needed to work.Besides being a night for huge parties, there is a potential that business alarms will sound or traffic-control devices won't work, Lemonds said. Fire Chief Dan White said a plan has been set up for mutual-aid calls or any problems that might arise. "We think, as best as we can tell, we are in good shape," said White.The department has tested its computer equipment and apparatus to see what would work. "We don't want it to come and go lightly, but we want to be ready just in case," White said.

TONIGHT'S MEETING

WHAT: Meeting to address Y2K concerns.WHO MAY ATTEND: Anyone with questions may quiz representatives from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Southwestern Bell, AmerenUE and the city.WHEN: Tonight at 7.WHERE: Osage Community Centre.