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Valley fog conceals entry to new year By David Preszler of the Mail Tribune Amid fog and -- from early indications -- unfounded fear, the Rogue Valley slipped quietly into 2000. In fact, law enforcement officials said just after midnight, the evening was calmer than a normal New Year's Eve. "This is quieter than an average New Year's and, quite honestly, some weekends," said Jackson County Sheriff's Department Capt. Ed Mayer. "Everything is real quiet," added Medford police Sgt. Bob Hansen. And the power was on, the phone working and the natural gas flowing. "Everything is just fine," said Claudia Steinbroner of Pacific Power just after midnight. At least one area banking system moved through the transition without a hitch. Tim Alford, president of Rogue Federal Credit Union, welcomed the New Year at his office in south Medford, watching the credit union's computers to ensure everything was in working order. Midnight came and went and all seemed well, Alford said. "Everything is going fantastic," Alford said at 12:15 a.m. "We've had no rollover problems at all. None at all. It's perfect." Alford and three other staffers watched the midnight hour strike and the credit union's managers will come in today to recheck all the systems. The big Year 2000 fear was that the calendar switch would wreak havoc on computer-dependent systems everywhere, causing major disruptions in transportation, communication and utility operations. The fear was that microchips used in such systems might have confused Jan. 1, 2000, for Jan. 1, 1900, and malfunctioned. But from electricity and phone service to law enforcement and airplane flights, no unusual problems were reported locally. Law enforcement, utility and emergency officials spent the night monitoring everything from phone and power service to the usual New Year's Eve rowdiness from the county courthouse in downtown Medford. More than two dozen representatives were clustered on the fourth floor of the courthouse keeping watch by phone and computer. But they spent the last few minutes of 1999 chatting over bottled water and microwaved popcorn, with nary a problem to solve. As 2000 arrived, they -- like many others -- were clustered around a television watching celebrations elsewhere. A block away at Medford City Hall, city officials did likewise from a similar but smaller center that feature public works and water commission officials, among others. Ashland also had an emergency operations center. The uncertainty brought out hordes of law enforcement officials. Representatives of both the Medford police and the Jackson County Sheriff's Department said they had more officers on patrol than cars for them to ride in, so many officers doubled up. Twenty-two sworn Medford police officers were on city streets, about double the normal number. Another 20 were on standby. In Ashland, 17 police officers were on duty, compared with the normal staffing of four. The sheriff's department had 20 deputies on patrol at midnight, two to a car. On an average Friday night, three or four deputies would be out. Mayer said the two-deputy units made sense because the kind of calls expected -- domestic problems or alcohol-related issues -- often require more than one officer anyway. Law enforcement officials had a number of contingency plans to handle major problems. For example, if a large number of people needed to be detained, there were plans to use not only more of the jail building than normal but also the jail's secure parking area and -- if needed -- the pavilion at the Jackson County Exposition Park. A Jackson County judge was even on call in case mass arraignments were necessary. Utility officials from Pacific Power, US West and Avista Utilities were also on alert to be sure their systems would glide smoothly into the next century. Pacific Power, which spent $30 million on its Y2K program, had 40 to 50 employees working through the night locally -- only a slight increase from its normal New Year's Eve levels, said Steinbroner. From the county center, officials monitored the company's entire system. When the clock struck 11 p.m., Pacific Power's first systems in Utah switched over without a hitch. An hour later, its Oregon systems did likewise. US West, which spent $250 million across the 14 states it serves getting ready for Y2K, had about a dozen employees working, with dozens of others on call. The phone company's biggest concern was that an onslaught of people would make calls between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. and overload the system. That hadn't happened as of 12:10 a.m. "We've got idle lines," Gary Miller, US West's regional manager. Avista had about a dozen employees working, including four or five roving technicians, about double the normal number. Just after midnight, the natural gas company also reported no problems. Confidence was running high at the county command center for the hours before midnight struck. At a 9 p.m. press conference, county officials predicted a smooth transition. "We're looking good," said Commissioner Ric Holt. "I'm proud to say Jackson County is more than prepared for anything that could happen. ... Folks, we are in good shape." "We have had many people put in hours and hours of work for a year and a half to make sure everything runs smoothly," said Commissioner Sue Kupillas. Kupillas said she believed the calm with which people seemed to be greeting 2000 was tied to the extensive preparations that had been made. "I think people are mentally prepared," she said. The first place in the valley to greet 2000 was the Medford airport, where computers entered the new year at 4 p.m. Airport computers worldwide run on Greenwich Mean Time, which is eight hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time. Not a single commercial flight left the Medford airport after the aviation computers entered 2000. But it was fog rather than Y2K troubles that kept the planes grounded. United Airlines had 12 flights scheduled, but only four planes were able to arrive and depart, the last coming in around 3 p.m. Only two Horizon Airlines flights got in and out, the last landing at 3:45 p.m. Medford officials locked the doors to City Hall on Wednesday night; the building will remain secured until Jan. 3. Also, the U.S. Federal Courthouse on Sixth and Grape streets was roped off to prevent drivers from parking or stopping in front of the building. Jessica Smith and Peter Wong of the Mail Tribune also contributed to this story. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA