okay, brooksbie (and anyone else in the new england area): here's scoop- well, the press release anyway :)

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Quincy, MA - Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) and Boston University's "Center for Millennial Studies" (CMS) have joined forces to host the Boston area's first public forum on the "Y2K computer problem" and its effect on public utilities. The event, featuring experts from both sides of the utilities debate, will be held Wednesday, April 21st from 7-9 PM at Eastern Nazarene College's Cove Auditorium, on Wendell Ave. in Quincy, MA.

The forum will feature front-line industry Y2K experts and independent Y2K analysts who will discuss and answer your questions on the readiness of New England and of the U.S. for Y2K.

Panelists include:

Phil Prugnarola, Y2K Remediation Coordinator from Seabrook Nuclear Station;

Jim Sinclair, from ISO New England, the Independent System Operator, which manages and controls the power "grid" for the New England region;

Rick Cowles, national Y2K utilities expert, author and "critic" of the power industry's Y2K readiness;

Lou Marcoccio, lead author and most quoted Y2K analyst for the GartnerGroup; and

Steve Bray, CEO of Power Plus in Los Angeles, a national expert on the use of temporary and back up power, who will address inventory and safety concerns for those using back-up power supplies.

Representatives from the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and the North American Electrical Reliability Council (NERC) have also been invited.

The event will be moderated by ENC Professor Ned Vankevich, forum coordinator and author of Y2K MADE SIMPLE (Paraclete Press, 1999). Vankevich notes, "The electric utility question lies at the foundation of our entire modern infrastructure. This is a rare opportunity to cut through the 'smoke' and 'spin' and hear frontline power industry specialists and their critics address the true state of readiness for what Y2K might bring. We also hope to disclose some of the key concerns that could effect us all in the days ahead."

The forum is free and open to the public and is wheelchair accessible.

Panelists will be available for individual or group interviews immediately following the event, in the Cove Auditorium Media Room.

For more information or directions, please call Eastern Nazarene College at (617) 745-3715 or visit the "What's New" section of the ENC Website at www.enc.edu or The CMS's Website at www.mille.org.

-- Drew Parkhill/CBN News (y2k@cbn.org), April 12, 1999

Answers

Thanks Drew! It's an intriguing line-up. I'll report back if I'm able to go.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), April 12, 1999.