Families join New Year's revelers in downtown Reno; no problems reported

"It's quiet. We're at about 21,000 now," Reno Police Chief Jerry Hoover said with 15 minutes to go until midnight. "It could go to 30,000 by the time we're done. That's less than a normal New Year's."

As the witching hour approached, only four people had been arrested.

"That's not even a busy Wednesday night in the summer, Hoover said.

"This has been basically a media event. There was a lot of emphasis on terrorism and potential problems and people said, 'The heck with it, I'm staying home.' People decided it was not worth the hassle."

A huge fireworks show attracted families along with couples in formal dress, retirees in party hats and revelers with foot-long margaritas tied around their necks in plastic souvenir "2000" cups.

Few expressed any concerns about the Y2K computer bug.

"It's all hype," said Terri Potter of Reno, who came downtown to see the fireworks with her 13-year-old son.

"There's no such thing as Y2K," said Kirk Pierce, 37, San Mateo, Calif. "I want to be out in the middle of the street with everybody else."

Rookie gamblers and vets alike plugged the slot machines with quarters and nickels and hundreds of people lined up for special New Year's Eve buffets.

"We came here to eat," said Tara Taylor, 7, Incline Village, Nev.

Actually, her father said, they came to Reno to see the fireworks - a $100,000 extravaganza set to explode off the roofs of a half-dozen hotel-casinos.

"We wanted to bring the kids to show them the Millennium so they'll remember it when they're grown up," said Tate Taylor, accompanied by wife, Sandy, and Tex, 5, and Terry, 1.

Hotels alerted guests that elevators would be shut down for about 20 minutes over midnight as an extra safety precaution.

Several hotels greeted guests with Y2K survival kits. In addition to party hats and favors, the basket at Circus Circus included a bottle of water and a flashlight keychain, "although we are equipped with back-up generators."

Barbara Kaiser of Reno was watching the excitement through a special pair of glittery eyeglasses shaped like "2000."

"We could have gone to parties but chose to be here with our children. It's not often you can bring in the Year 2000 with your 15-year-old and he actually wants to be with you," she said.

Meanwhile, an interagency task force greeted the New Year from the basement of a reinforced armory in Carson City, prepared for any eventuality. But the trays of cold cuts and bottles of sparkling grape juice signaled optimism for an upbeat start to the millennium.

"This is the biggest training mission ever. I don't think anything is going to happen," said Frank Siracusa, chief of the state Division of Emergency Management, as the countdown to 2000 approached.

All was calm at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, where airlines canceled an additional 12 flights scheduled Friday night due to a lack of travelers.

"It is quiet. There are no system problems and we don't anticipate any," airport spokesman Adam Mayberry said.

The armory's command center in Carson City was the focal point of the state's Y2K preparations. It was manned by representatives of the Nevada Highway Patrol, the Nevada Division of Investigation, the FBI, the governor's office and the Federal Emergency Management Agency mingling with the building's usual emergency management workers and Army and Air National Guard members.

"We've had no incidents of any kind. We planned for the worst but we kind of expected this," said NHP Col. Michael Hood.

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