State Senator Merle Grace Kearns

Office 10th Ohio Senate District

Legislative Committees Education; Human Services & Aging; Finance & Financial Institutions; Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review; Rules

Years in Office 1991 to present

Personal Hometown, Springfield; BS, The Ohio State University; Married to Tom, 4 sons, 3 daughters-in-law, 7 grandchildren

Arts Support Former board member of Springfield Symphony and Springfield Arts Council

Favorite Cultural Pastime Reading and opera

Favorite Artists Vermeer, Van Gogh, Pavarotti

Proudest Creative Achievement Long-time supporter of the soon-to-be Heritage Center of Clark County



Have a computer? Use it for important business? Concerned about the widely discussed Year 2000 problem? This is for you.

Many computer applications use two digits instead of four to designate years, for example, 1/1/99 instead of 1/1/1999. So when the year 2000 rolls around some systems will not recognize that 1/1/00 should be read as 1/1/2000. That will lead to confusion and miscalculations.

Here are some steps you can take to get on the road to resolving your Y2K problems:

• Complete a comprehensive inventory of your computer hardware and software.
• Contact the manufacturers of your equipment and programs regarding Y2K compliance.
• Identify your critical systems.
• Take the necessary steps to upgrade, correct or replace critical systems that are non-compliant.
• Conduct year 2000 compliance testing of your software and hardware.
• Before you purchase new equipment ensure that all new software and hardware are Y2K compliant.
• Draw up a contingency plan to help your organization function if your critical systems fail or become unreliable.

The Ohio Arts Council cannot give advice on solving Y2K problems. But you can look for help on the Internet. Visit www.compliance.com, www.it2000.com, www.oy2k.state.oh.us, www.microsoft.com/technet/topics/year2k/default.htm, www.y2k.com or www.y2kjournal.com.

ArtFact: In fiscal year 1999 total state legislative appropriations to state arts agencies reached an all-time high of $370.9 million, a 22 percent increase over fiscal year 1998 appropriations.

Applications for Community and Traditional Arts (Operating and Project Support), Festivals and AIE Artist in Residence Sponsorships are due February 1. The Artist Projects Panel will meet February 3-4. For more information call 614/466-2613.

The insert in the hardcopy issue of ArtsOhio is provided as a service to ArtsOhio readers by Cleveland attorney William Joseph, a former member of the Ohio Arts Council Board, founding chair of Ohio Citizens for the Arts and a partner in the law firm of Weston Hurd Fallon Paisley & Howley. If you would like a copy please contact Katie Popoff.