January 01, 2003
Leading off the New Year
Holiday stories require foresight, innovation - and sometimes a bit of luck -- to rise above the prosaic. Here's a selection of some that succeeded and some that didn't.
Not Super, but Good Clark Kent
Fireworks, confetti, unusually mild weather and Superman himself -Christopher Reeve -combined to make the Times Square New Year's Eve Party a spectacular success, despite some of the tightest security ever.
New York Post
Not Even Super
New York popped the cork on a new year early today as 750,000 Times Square revelers greeted 2003 amid exultant cheers, intense security and almost balmy weather.
New York Daily News
Nicely Done
Surrounded by thick fog and concerns about the gathering clouds of war and a sagging economy, about 1 million First Night revelers poured into downtown Boston yesterday to shrug off their worldly concerns and welcome the New Year.
Boston Globe
The Endless Anecdote
First they begged her. Then they dragged her. Amy Kinder wanted nothing to do with the "Spider Web," the game she came across while strolling through Halsey Field House with her husband and three daughters during First Night Annapolis activities at the U.S. Naval Academy. But they insisted, and there she was, decked out in a baggy Velcro suit, ready to jump against an inflatable Velcro wall with the objective of being splattered, splayed and contorted in as many directions as possible.
Washington Post
Nattering Nabob of Negativism
Another year rolled off the calendar this morning, right on schedule, accompanied by the requisite collection of high hopes, angst, funny hats, drunks, black balloons and blacker coffee. It's an odd-numbered year, 2003 is. It's neither a new millennium nor a round number. Nobody cared.
San Francisco Chronicle
Un-notable Quotable
The crowd in Portland's living room for New Year's Eve was eager to party, ready for an improved economy and hoping the nation can avert a war. "My hopes for the new year are for my family and that there will not be any attacks," said Rene Wehrheim of Portland, who brought her 11-year-old son, Jacob, to the free party in Pioneer Courthouse Square.
The Oregonian
Click Here for Cliché
There was fire in the sky and dancing in the streets along the 16th Street Mall as Denver partied out the old year and blasted in the new.
Denver Post
Once Again, Don't Read This Story
Fireworks and the 16th Street Mall came together once again Tuesday night.
Rocky Mountain News
Simple, Effective
The possibility of military action against Iraq was on the minds of many of the more than 1,000 people who walked around Green Lake last night in a quiet, candlelit show of peace.
Seattle Times
Huh?
As the stroke of midnight approached, the Space Needle the elevator went up, then BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! -- the fireworks display at the Seattle Center began.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
This Story Brought to You by Tostito's
Ohio State football fans escaping the freezing temperatures back home found refuge at Tuesday's Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Block Party.
Arizona Star
The But Lead
The storms that swept through Central Florida on Tuesday night might have dampened a few party dresses, but it didn't drown out the New Year's Eve partying at downtown Orlando's Wall Street Plaza.
Orlando Sentinel
But Ugly Leads
Crisp and Clean
The few and defiant arrived early, numbering only a few thousand an hour before midnight. But the crowd grew under threatening skies to listen to glitter-clad Little Richard and ring in the new year at Underground Atlanta's annual Peach Drop.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
That About Covers It
Some families got their fun in early, while other party-goers stayed up late to welcome in 2003.
Indianapolis Star
Alluring Alliteration
Hundreds of thousands of Marylanders welcomed 2003 with revelry and reflection last night, from fireworks-filled festivities in Baltimore and Annapolis to area religious services with prayers for peace and unity.
Baltimore Sun
Needed: Nouns, Adjective, Verbs
The streets were still quiet as the opening ceremonies for Salt Lake City's First Night celebration concluded around dinnertime in the Rose Wagner Black Box theater. The small crowd watched a children's dance routine and heard local officials offer resolutions for the new year.
Salt Lake Tribune