Bringing in 2013 with a “Crystal” Ball
With the final details being put into place, the City of White Plains is all but ready for its New Year’s Eve Family Spectacular come Monday night when thousands of people are expected to flood the downtown district to ring in the New Year.
White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach was at the city’s Department of Public Work’s garage Friday morning as the group tested the brightly lit ball expected to drop at midnight.
While there, Roach expressed his excitement for the event that’s been taking place since the turn of the millennium.
“Come in early, get something to eat at our many fine restaurants and enjoy a nice meal. Maybe if you’re here early enough, catch a movie,” Roach said. “And then come on outside around 10 o’ clock for the music and entertainment and join us in welcoming the New Year.”
As Roach alluded to, although preparation for the night will start Monday afternoon, the celebration gets underway at 10 p.m. with an MC and DJ kicking off the event. Live music will follow roughly an hour later up until the countdown for another year begins.
Once the 8-foot in diameter ball is dropped at midnight, fireworks will be on display, starting 2013 with a bang.
Joseph “Bud” Nicoletti, DPW Commissioner said each year public works tries to get a little more creative with the event and the ball drop. As interest in the event has increased, the size of the ball has doubled with many more LED lights.
“White Plains is the place to be on New Year’s Eve,” Nicoletti said. “We like to think we’re as good as Manhattan. You don’t have to fight all the traffic and crowds and everything else and still have a good time.”
The event has taken place since 2001 and each year the countdown has continued to get more extravagant. Music was added in 2003 and then confetti was added in 2004. After crowds kept swelling, the location in 2007 was moved from Mamaroneck Avenue to Main and Court Streets, according to Fran Croughan, deputy commissioner of the city’s Recreation and Parks department.
One concern more glaring than past years though, might be security at the event. Following the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, that killed 26 people; Public Safety Commissioner David Chong said people might have heightened uneasiness regarding safety, according to a Newsday article.
Roach declined to comment on the specifics of the security plan but said public safety during events like the ball drop has always been a priority.
The city wide effort for the ball drop includes multiple departments, and Roach said he looks forward to another family oriented event, one in which getting home once the fireworks are over is rather easy. The father of two said, “If the kids stay up a little late, it’s not too bad.”
“It’s also a good, positive feeling for our residents just to get out,” Roach added. “And have fun as a community.”
