Dear Oakland 2001 list members,

Part of our mission is to spread the news about positive examples of outreach and preparedness. In that vein, the following items that you may not see in your local paper are nonetheless very worthy of note. (More info about each item below.)

1. Japan is shutting down 21 nuclear plants for the New Year as a precaution (All other countries should be following this example.)

2. The State of Iowa is storing 2 months of food for food banks as a precaution (This is the first state we have heard that is taking this kind of action. They deserve to be commended for doing so, and other states should be following their lead.)

At 10:36 PM -0500 12/13/99, Post Cassini Flyby News wrote:

>III. 21 plants in Japan are shutting down during the Y2K rollover period! > >Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 07:11:04 +0000 >To: y2k-nuclear@egroups.com >From: Paul Swann >Mailing-List: contact y2k-nuclear-owner@egroups.com >From: "Soula " > >NEWS: 21 plants in Japan are shutting down during the Y2K rollover period! >This is from the December 4th edition of the Asahi Newspaper, local edition >(Tokaimura area). This is big news. But they are trying not to make this >look like a big deal -- no headlines or anything. We are trying to get more >information from the activists in Japan, who are in close contact with some >of our members.

and from Iowa:

At 12:52 AM -0600 12/11/99, Robert Waldrop wrote:

> >Just in case, Iowa is stocking two months of food supplies in >Dec. 1999 for "food banks and congregate meal sites" in Iowa. > > > >http://www.state.ia.us/emergencymanagement/120199.htm > > > >PRESS RELEASE > > > >December 1, 1999 > > > >Contact: Ellen Gordon > >Iowa Emergency Management Division > >Hoover State Office Building > >Des Moines, Iowa 50319 > >(515) 281-3231 > > > >Des Moines, Iowa - The following is next in a series of press >releases to inform the public of Iowa state government readiness and >consumer information as it relates to any possible Y2K issues on food and > >commodities. > > > >The Y2K transition is not expected to cause widespread or severe > >disruptions in the food supply. Most large grocery chains >typically have several weeks of inventory reserve of basic non-perishable > >foodstuffs in case of delivery problems caused by such things as >a severe weather storm. These stocks provide a supply cushion in >times of unusual demand surges. The cash registers, scanners, credit >card readers, and check verifiers should be working as usual, if >there are no disruptions to the electrical supply. > > > >The Grocery Manufacturers of America, which represents food and > >beverage product companies, have reported that almost 90 percent >of its members have completed Year 2000 preparations and 97 percent >have contingency plans in place. > > > >The Iowa Department of Human Services has an agreement with the >US Department of Agriculture to store, deliver, and distribute > >commodities. These commodities are available to food banks and >their network of food pantries, soup kitchens, hunger relief centers >or other food or feeding centers that provide meals or food to >needy persons on a regular basis. In order to ensure that such >commodities are available to the above entities in the event of a Y2K date >change event, provisions are being made to provide all food banks and > >congregate meal sites with a two-month supply of commodities >during the month of December. This will ensure that in the event of an > >emergency that services will not be disrupted to these entities. >The Department of Human Services has also worked with the 8 food >banks located throughout Iowa to develop contingency plans to be >activated in the event of an emergency. > > > >Please visit the Iowa Emergency Management Divisions web page >at: www.state.ia.us/emergencymanagement/y2k.htm for preparedness > >information. > > >Information contained here is "YEAR 2000 READINESS DISCLOSURE" >under the Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act of 1998. > >

-- Daren Henderson (TryChange@aol.com), December 15, 1999