NATIONAL HQS OFFICE 212.997.0050
GENERAL PRE-REGISTRATION: JORG HELLER AT EXT 215
LEADERS CONFERENCE REGISTRATION: KANAE SUEISHI AT EXT 283

What will happen when we arrive with four kids in tow? Hopefully you will have pre-registered with your local church center, or by phone at headquarters extension 215. In that case you'll turn in your receipts at the 34th St. entrance to the New Yorker Hotel, anytime on the 30th afternoon or 31st or even morning of the 1st. (Otherwise you can pay by cash, check or credit card at the same place.) You'll get a bag full of goodies really including wristbands for all and various vouchers. If you are staying the night, you will be able to go to your accommodation place, probably the MC 7th floor, and deposit sleeping bags and duffel bags. That room will be accessible only by participants like you otherwise we cannot guarantee safekeeping. You can enjoy the city or stay in the room until the doors open at 10 pm.

What? You say - enjoy the city?

Yes, why not? Make a special day of it! The weather is expected to be pretty warm. A quick cruise through the web will serve up lots of information to help you and your family enjoy the last day of this year in New York as you await the True God's Day activities. Make it a family day to remember! Here are some pointers:

Weather forecast: Friday, Dec 31: Cloudy, low 41, high 50. Saturday, Jan 1: Partly cloudy, low 34, high 42

Street traffic: The Times Square area will not be good for vehicle traffic. Broadway and 7th Ave will both be closed on the West side between W 42 and W 47, all day Friday until noon Saturday. W 47th through W 59th will be closed between 6th ave and 8th ave, 5 pm Friday until 3 am Saturday. In addition, 6th Ave and 8th Ave may be closed at 9 pm on Friday. For current information, go to www.metrocommute.com.

Subways and trains: Extra subway and train service will be provided Friday evening and all night.

Security: The NYPD state that they have been preparing for this event for three years and will have 19,000 police on duty.

Times Square: For those who do not come to New York City often, you will be amazed at how Times Square has been transformed into an upscale media and entertainment mecca. The Times Square New Year's Eve program will begin at 6:30 am (that's right, 6:30 in the morning) on Friday morning, Dec 31, which is the moment that the year 2000 begins in the South Pacific. There will be continual, non-stop multi-media performances throughout the day commemorating the coming of the new millennium to each time zone of the world, until 6:30 am on Saturday, Jan 1. For details, check out www.timessquare2000.org/new"year.

Other activities: There are music and dance programs offered at Lincoln Center, Wollman Rink, St. Bartholomew's Church, St. Peter's Cathedral, and the Museum of the City of New York, beginning between 6 pm and 8 pm. There are admission fees for these programs. You can purchase vouchers at the Times Square Visitors Center on Broadway between 46th and 47th. For information, go to www.nycmillennium.org.

The big question: The $120 per adult fee why? I'm writing this not to anyone in particular, but to everyone in general. Midtown Manhattan may be the most expensive site on earth to hold a New Year's event this year. The opportunity cost alone (i.e., what we are losing by being able to rent 175 hotel rooms and all the Manhattan Center space) is between $1 and $2 million. We are committed to at least covering the hotel's and MC's out-of-pocket expenses for the event. They need to employ dozens of union workers at twice standard wages, overtime goes three to four times standard. Tech equipment is the same story premium prices. A good illustration is that of the printed programs. We usually print a thousand one page b/w flyers for the performance, costing about $20 or $30. This time we are printing 5,000 copies each of three 16 page 8.5X11 programs with full-color covers, costing about $12,000. I hope that's enough to convey the reason for the fee. Our usual NY Holy Day budget when True Parents are here is under $40,000. This time it's - excuse me, I'm about to faint. But remember that your $120 does count toward the $2,000 True Parents Birthday offering requested by the FFWPUI. And if anyone still thinks $120 is too much, well, you can always go to the local nightclub here in Manhattan that is offering a dinner and dance for $175 a person.

I will do my best to keep you updated as we prepare to welcome the new millennium with True Parents.

ITN, Tyler Hendricks

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