Hawaii 99.6 percent
ready for 2000

By Pat Omandam
Star-Bulletin

Those involved in Hawaii's Y2K efforts say state government is 99.6 percent prepared for the 2000 conversion.

And they are ready for any major problems come the new year, although none are expected.

"We're in very good shape," said state Y2K coordinator Mary Pat Waterhouse.

Waterhouse told Gov. Ben Cayetano yesterday she is confident there will be no major problems when the new millennium strikes. She praised private industry for working closely with the state.

Hawaiian Electric Co. officials assured Cayetano yesterday everything will be OK on Jan. 1, 2000. In September, Heco and its neighbor island subsidiaries, Hawaii Electric Light Co. and Maui Electric Co., declared their utility systems ready.

Officials from the city, the banking industry and Matson Navigation Co. also said their areas are Y2K compliant.

A spokesman for GTEHawaiian Tel said that their systems were 100 percent ready as of September.

Waterhouse said the remaining four-tenths of a percent include checking the student information system managed by the University of Hawaii community colleges, a general ledger accounting system operated by state housing, two routers for the state communication system, and five of more than 4,000 medical devices used by the state hospital.

Cayetano proclaimed Nov. 14-20 as "Y2K Awareness Week." The state will host a forum tonight at the state Capitol to discuss local efforts to prepare for 2000. Also planned are Y2K awareness booths manned by government and service industry officials from noon to 1 p.m. Friday at Tamarind Park, where the public can ask questions about the conversion.