Residents May ‘Practice’ For Computer Crisis

Tue., Jan. 12, 1999

From Staff Reports

Inland Northwest residents can experience the Year 2000 a year in advance during a Y2K Practice Day that will be announced today in Spokane.

Organizers are calling on residents to voluntarily go without electricity, heat, automobiles, telephones and running water from noon Jan. 29 through 3 p.m. Jan. 30.

The object is to learn how to cope without services and amenities that might be affected if computers do not function properly in the Year 2000. Some old software programs and electronic devices may not recognize the Year 2000, possibly disrupting basic services.

“The idea is to see if our human systems are Y2K compliant, so we can unplug for a while and not freak out,” said Judy Laddon, co-founder of the Y2K Neighborhood organization.

The group will announce plans for the practice day at 7 p.m. today at the West Central Community Center, 1603 N. Belt St. For more information, call the Spokane Y2K Information Center at 742-3646.

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