Oak- Park- Journal

By ERIC LINDEN

On a typical New Year's Eve, about a dozen Oak Park police officers are
patrolling the village streets when the clock strikes midnight. For the
upcoming last New Year's Eve of the 20th Century, however, there will be
five times that number on the streets.

And neither police nor village hall expects anything horrible or
dangerous to happen at Y2K.

The beefed-up police manpower will be part of village hall's plans to
address any unexpected consequences from potential computer glitches
that are causing some trepidation about the calendar changing to the
year 2000. Other plans address fire, garbage, water delivery and other
public services, and they all were detailed Wednesday during a "State of
the Village Y2K" briefing for officials coordinated by Assistant Village
Manager M. Ray Wiggins.

Because computers designed and built throughout the world used what
Wiggins called "a shortcut" and used only two digits when years are
involved, many computers may not recognize the year 2000 when it occurs.
The computers may only recognize 1900 or another year, which, in turn,
could "corrupt or shut down" computers and their accompanying
operations, Wiggins said.

Village hall and other agencies also throughout the world have been
working to address the problem or, in the lexicon, make computers "Y2K
compliant." Wiggins and other involved officials again last week said
Oak Park's public computers have been modified or replaced so that all
the computers are ready and services should not be interrupted or
otherwise adversely affected.

"We don't see any interruption, but if the unlikely were to occur, we
have contingencies to address that," said Wiggins, who was joined at the
Dec. 15 briefing in the Veterans Room of the main branch of the Oak Park
Public Library, 834 Lake St., by Alvin Nepomuceno, the information
technology director; Deputy Fire Chief Cliff Hansen; Public Works
Director Joseph Euclide; Village Engineer Jim Budrick; Suzanne Vestuto
of village hall's Community Services Department; and Deputy Police Chief
Rick Tanksley.

"Where we got 'em I don't know," Tanksley joked about the extra police
manpower slated to work New Year's Eve, which normally is a holiday.
Probably having to double-up on cars because such a large number of
police are not accounted for on patrol, the officers on duty will
comprise more than half of Oak Park's 115-member department of sworn
officers. Those on duty will include police administrators, detectives
and others and will take on a variety of duties, including the
following, if necessary, Tanksley said.

-- constant slow-drive patrols of Oak Park streets so residents who need
police assistance can readily flag down officers

-- providing transportation to residents who need it to warming centers
or other locations away from their homes

-- manning positions at the two hospitals, three fire stations and other
key public institution in Oak Park. Tanksley said police do not
currently plan to be stationed at stations used by el trains and other
public transportation because the agencies have said they will shut down
their systems shortly before midnight on Jan. 1, but such stations or
patrols will be explored. "That might be a good idea," Tanksley said of
el and Metra line patrols.

-- foot patrols of business districts in Oak Park

Moreover, 15 state troopers also will be stationed in Oak Park on New
Year's Eve, Tanksley said, and Cook County sheriff's officers stationed
at the Fourth District Circuit Court complex in Maywood also will be
available should Oak Park need even more manpower or assistance.

Last week's Y2K briefing was village hall's "culmination of our efforts
to communicate with our public on our Y2K effort," Wiggins said. As
outlined previously in village hall newsletters, local newspapers and
cable television public access programs, village hall for the last year
or more has been getting ready for Y2K on a variety of fronts: reworking
and purchasing equipment, reprogramming computers, staying in touch with
other governments and more.

"I think we're really set for New Year's Eve," said Nepomucino, who has
been working on the Y2K project since shortly after taking over his Oak
Park post in April of 1998.

Euclide, the public works director, said Oak Park has "two or three
days" of water in reserve on hand to use in case--although
unexpected--there are Y2K problems in the City of Chicago, where Oak
Park buys its water. Euclide said sewers are run on gravity and, thus,
are unaffected by Y2K issues, and he also said the state of Illinois has
certified the continued operation of street lights and traffic signals
at the state of 2000--barring a power failure. But ComEd and all other
utilities have assured village hall that their systems will operate at
and through Y2K.

"One of our concerns is the weather," said Euclide, recalling the deep
snowfall that hit Oak Park on Jan. 1, 1999. Other issues involved
include the following:

-- Public Works, Information Technology and other departments also will
have additional personnel working on New Year's Eve to be available to
deal with whatever unexpected emergencies occur.

-- Village hall, the fire stations and other public buildings will have
either natural gas or diesel generators available to provide power in
case of electrical outages.

-- Personnel will patrol parking garages, which will be open as usual
but likely will have their elevators turned off shortly before midnight.

-- Most or all of the personnel working during the Y2K event will have
mobile telephones to insure communication.

-- Officials said West Suburban Hospital Medical Center, Erie at Austin,
and Oak Park Hospital, 520 S. Maple Ave., will provide warming centers
for residents who find that necessary after Jan. 1, 2000 hits.

More information can be seen by residents when the Dec. 15 briefing is
shown on cable television Channel 6 beginning Monday and on the
following schedule, according to Wiggins.

Monday, Dec. 20, 11 a.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 21, 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 22, 11 a.m.
Thursday, Dec. 23, 2 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 26, 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 28, 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 29, 11 a.m.
Thursday, Dec. 30, 2 p.m.

And in a final note, officials reminded residents that, because of the
schedule of the Dec. 31/Jan. 1 holiday weekend, village hall will be
closed all day on Dec. 31.