Economy puts damper on New Year's Eve celebrations
By COLLEEN LONG – 7 hours ago
NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of revelers packed a frigid Times Square for the descent of the famous Waterford crystal ball on Wednesday, eager to say goodbye to 2008 and hoping to put the nation's economic troubles in the past.
The wind chill made it feel like 1 degree in the area, but that didn't deter the throngs who were cloaked in fur hats and sleeping bags.
"We're worried about the economy but hoping for the best," said Lisa Mills, of Danville, Ohio.
Mills and her husband, Ken, took her 17-year-old daughter, Kara, to Times Square for her birthday.
"We decided, we haven't taken a family vacation yet, and this was a great time to do it," she said. "We're staying positive."
Many other New Year's Eve traditions around the country were in place, but some festivities fell victim to hard times, and those that remained felt somewhat subdued. The nation's economic troubles made many people less interested in giving 2008 an expensive send-off.
Public celebrations were canceled in communities from Louisville, Ky., to Reno, Nev., and promoters in Miami Beach, Fla., reported slower ticket sales than expected for celebrity-studded parties that they say would have sold out in past years.
Tourism officials in Las Vegas expected more tourists in Sin City to celebrate New Year's Eve than last year, despite economic worries that have meant fewer visitors in 2008, Mayor Oscar Goodman said Wednesday night. Las Vegas casinos were putting on a midnight fireworks display and daredevil acts, including a 200-foot jump over the refurbished volcano at The Mirage hotel-casino by Robbie Knievel, son of the late Evel Knievel.
A spokesman for the biggest player on the Las Vegas Strip, MGM Mirage Inc., said more than 90 percent of rooms were filled, albeit at historically low prices reflective of a down year for tourism and gambling.
Around the world, people paused for a deep breath and a sip of ... perhaps something cheaper than champagne.
"We're not going to celebrate in a big way. We're being careful," said architect Moussa Siham, 24, as shoppers in the affluent area west of Paris were scaling back purchases for the traditional New Year's Eve feast.
Sydney, Australia, was the world's first major city to ring in 2009, showering its shimmering harbor with a kaleidoscope of light that drew cheers from more than a million people.
At the Vatican, in the splendor of St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Benedict XVI called for "soberness and solidarity" in 2009. During a year's end vespers service Wednesday evening, the pope said these times are "marked by uncertainty and worry for the future" but urged people not to be afraid and to help each other.
Former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Clinton were scheduled to help Mayor Michael Bloomberg lower the ball atop 1 Times Square for the 60-second countdown to midnight.
Pauleene Romero, from Anchorage, Alaska, came to the celebration by herself on a whim.
"I had a bad year," she said, not wanting to elaborate. "I just wanted to do this for myself, as a way to start off a new year."
Others waiting in the windy winter cold were optimistic about 2009. Sam Tenorio and his family drove to New York from Orlando, Fla., so his teenage daughter Brianna could see the Jonas Brothers perform live in Times Square.
"The economy is what it is. It's going to turn around. You just have to be positive," Tenorio said. "That's what we're doing, otherwise we wouldn't be here. I think that's why most people are here tonight: optimism."
In Milwaukee, Cherie Klaus, a retail manager, was adamant about maintaining her New Year's Eve tradition. Every year her parents fly to Wisconsin from the Philadelphia area, and her family reunites at different relatives' homes, wrapping up with the big event in Klaus's home.
"I probably didn't spend as much money on Christmas presents, maybe 25 percent less," said Klaus, 53, "but we never cut back on family."
Others weren't so lucky. Windy weather and rough harbor waters caused Baltimore officials to postpone a New Year's Eve fireworks celebration. In Reno, officials canceled their fireworks show for the first time since 2000.
"With the downturn in the economy, with people getting laid off and with the tightening of budgets all over town, we just didn't think it was right to spend $20,000 or $30,000 on something that goes up in smoke," Mayor Bob Cashell said.
Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson expected to save $33,000 by canceling a New Year's Eve party he traditionally throws, a spokeswoman said. Hundreds of revelers were still expected to watch the Times Square countdown on a big screen at a separate, free event in the city's downtown business district.
Elkhart, Ind., planned a party at its outdoor skating rink, with volunteers leading some games, instead of a $5,000 event with fireworks. The city hadn't gotten any complaints about the scaled-back celebration, said Arvis Dawson, executive assistant to the mayor.
"I think most people understand," he said.
The downturn has been a boon for some inexpensive New Year's Eve events.
Advance ticket sales for the U.S. Bank New Year's Eve bash in Madison, Wis., were up 20 percent from a year ago, spokeswoman Lisa Clark said. A $10 family pass buys access to a family-oriented celebration involving music, magicians, hay rides and fireworks.
"What can you do for $10 anymore?" Clark asked, adding, "For someone trying to pinch pennies and yet still have a good time, this is a good bargain."
Philadelphia planned to celebrate New Year's Day with its more than century-old Mummers Parade, though it had fallen into jeopardy when city officials withdrew about $400,000 in support.
After weeks of limbo, the Mummers Association successfully raised enough private donations to continue the pageant filled with flamboyantly dressed performers, sometimes described as the city's Mardi Gras.
Rich Porco, a Mummer for 51 years, said the uncertainty made this "one of the worst years I've ever been involved with."
Instead of preparing for the festivities, "you found yourself thinking more about, 'Is there going to be a parade?'" Porco said. "It was hard."
In Pasadena, Calif., hundreds of thousands of spectators were expected for the Rose Parade. Organizers said any economic hit they might have suffered was lessened because commitments to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on floats have been in place for at least a year.
"We may or may not feel the effects of the economy this year, but more likely next year," Tournament of Roses Chief Operating Officer Bill Flinn said. "We do feel one of our jobs is to bring optimism at a time when things are not so good for so many people."
And plenty of Americans seemed ready to celebrate — even the National Association of Realtors, despite a flood of foreclosures and a credit crunch that has made mortgages hard to get. The group has a float in the parade for the first time.
Associated Press video journalist Ted Shaffrey in New York and writers Damian Grass in Miami Beach, Fla.; Oskar Garcia in Las Vegas; Joelle Diderich in Paris; Frances D'Emilio in Rome; Tom Coyne in South Bend, Ind.; Robert Imrie in Wausau, Wis.; Dinesh Ramde in Milwaukee; Kathy Matheson in Philadelphia; Solvej Schou in Pasadena, Calif., and Thomas S. Watson in Louisville, Ky., contributed to this report.
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NEW YEAR IN BALI
That Was the Year That Was
At Least Four Deaths and Numerous Injuries Linked to New Year's Celebrations Across the Island.
Bali News: That Was the Year That Was
(1/4/2009) Bali ushered in the New Year with the loss of at least 3 lives in Bali's South and another fatality linked in North Bali at Lovina as the result of street violence. These deaths occurred despite the deployment of 3,500-4,000 police personnel to guard entry ports, entertainment centers, shopping centers and the island's roads [See: Better Not Shout, Better Not Cry, Better Not Pout, I'm Telling You Why].
An island-wide overview of the state-of-the-island during the transition to a New Year reveals:
• There were 81 vehicle accidents reported to police.
• The trauma center at the Sanglah General Hospital treated 225 patients, 40% of which were linked to vehicular accidents.
• 103 people were admitted to the Sanglah General Hospital. 49 of those were attributed to vehicular accidents, 51 suffering from drunkenness.
• Radar Bali listed the dead in South Bali as: • Dewa Gde Pandu Aditya Wirawan (31) of Jati Negara village who died after being stuck by a container truck at 6:00 a.m. on New Year's day on Jalan Gatot Subroto Timur. A friend of the victim said that the man was drunk at the time of the accident. • Hendra from Banyuwangi, East Java who lived in South Denpasar who died from massive head injuries after he struck an electrical pole just 30 minutes into the New Year on Jalan Sidarkarya. • Dewa Bunga Paksi died at a club on Jalan Teuku Umar in downtown Denpasar from an apparent drug overdose.
• Party makers were aided generally by weather conditions. Unlike 2007/2008 when heavy rains dampened festivities, Bali welcomed the year with only the occasion slight drizzle, insufficient to dampen the spirits of revelers.
• Kuta and the surrounding environs remained the party venue of choice for both local and foreign visitors. Traffic remained deadlocked for most of the evening.
• Traffic was also at a standstill in downtown Denpasar at the Puputan Field and the Monument of the People's struggle in Renon where food sellers and fireworks help to add to the festive atmosphere. Dance performances involving more than 80 village groups were presented on a stage at the Puputan field. Traditional sports and music from a number of bands continued throughout the night.
• Local tourist attractions including Taman Ayun, Kebon Raya and Danau Beratan all reported parking lots filled to capacity with the motorcycles and cars of local residents on New Year's eve.
• New Years in Bali was also marred by violent outbreaks among party goers at Lovina in North Bali. Fighting that erupted among local youths resulted in the death of Komang Ardi Wismaya (30) of Banjar. Three other local youths suffered serious injuries in the incident. Police continue to investigate if the man died from injuries inflicted by assailants or drowned in an attempt to escape pursuers.
© Bali Discovery Tours.
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BANGKOK (Reuters) – A fire at a top Bangkok nightclub killed at least 55 people celebrating the New Year on Thursday and injured more than 100 others, rescue workers said.
"We were all dancing and suddenly there was a big flame that came out of the front of the stage and everybody was running away," female partygoer Oh Benjamas told Reuters on the street outside the smoldering wreckage of the Santika club.
Dozens of bodies wrapped in white cotton sheets lay on the pavement as fire crews moved in to douse the smoldering embers of the club on Ekkamai, a street popular with foreign revelers and high-society Thais.
Many of the bodies were charred beyond recognition and the blaze had completely gutted the building. Rescue teams used pick-up trucks to ferry the corpses from the scene.
Witness Tos Maddy, who estimated 400 people were packed inside the building, said he heard what he thought was an electrical explosion around 1230 a.m. (1730 GMT), followed by a stampede for the exits.
"Everything went boom and people started running. The fire went very quickly," he told Reuters.
Others described flames licking the ceiling before it caved in.
"I was in the bathroom and when I walked out, I saw flames in the roof and it fell to the floor," 28-year-old Montika Boontang told Reuters in the nearby Bangkok Hospital, where the majority of the injured were being treated.
Thanat Wongsanga, deputy chief of the nearby Thong Lor police station, said the cause of the blaze had not yet been determined although local media said an electrical fault was probably to blame.
Local police superintendant Suthin Suppuang said 128 people had been injured.
Bangkok's nightspots, some of which can accommodate several thousand people, have often been the subject of safety concerns although they have been incident-free for the last five years.
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