Good thing Monticello was prepared

   This time of year can be a bit slow when it comes to story ideas, so I tend to look through our newspaper archives of old newspapers to see if I can get any ideas from years past.

   As I was doing so last week, I came across the front page of the Express from Dec. 1, 1999. The headline read: “Monticello Y2K complaint.”

   I had to chuckle!

   Obviously at the time, I’m sure some people and businesses and the city were in a panic; but now, just thinking about the mass hysteria Y2K created, you have to shake your head and laugh.

   On Nov. 29, 1999, a public work session was held in Monticello to address the many aspects of life Y2K might impact. Just, judging by the apparent turnout, it seems most people weren’t worried at all. A panel of 10 was up against a “crowd” of 16.

   The purpose of the meeting was “to let the public know where local government, utilities, and banks stood in regard to the millennium bug – Y2K.”

   Y2K was the name given to Jan. 1, 2000, when the calendar turned from the 1990s into the 2000s.

   “The predictions for Y2K have ranged from worldwide mass hysteria to business as usual,” read the article, which was written by then-Express Editor Ryan Suchomel. “The panel was assembled to let the people of Monticello know the truth was closer to business as usual.”

   The panel consisted of representatives from Alliant Energy, People’s Natural Gas, U.S. West (phone company), local banks (First Iowa, Union Planters, and Citizen’s State), city officials, county officials, and business owners (Randy Monk with REM Electric).

   Alliant noted that power would remain on when the clocks struck midnight. Y2K was something Alliant had been addressing since 1997.

   The gas company noted they were in compliant with the change in decade.

   The phone company informed people that “calls are not date-sensitive;” therefore, calls would not be interrupted when the time changed.

   The banks said they had been working on compliance checks for the last two years. They also urged people not to run to their bank and pull all of their money out of their accounts, and that the money was safer in the banks.

   As the city was updating everything for the New Year, they were forced to purchase all new computers for the city clerk’s office, the mayor’s office, and the police department.

   Monk informed people that their appliances would be fine. His only concern was with VCRs. (What’s a VCR?)

   Apparently pre-1995 VCRs locked up when 2000 rolled around…

   While the information reported up until now was funny, this bit seemed overkill knowing now that Y2K amounted to nothing…

   “On New Year’s Eve, city workers Larry and Deby Tedrow from the ambulance service; Louis Soppe, chief of police, and all his officers; the fire chief and three other firefighters; city clerk; waste/wastewater superintendent; street superintendent; sanitation superintendent; and the Berndes Center director would all be present at City Hall from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. and will have a non-alcoholic New Year’s Eve in case they are needed.”

   Really?? Was it worth the crowd at City Hall?

   You never know what “fun” and “funny” stories you’ll find from Monticello’s past in the Express archives…