New year, new start
Walkabout: PI
Happenings in the Star City
Ringing in the new
It seems there’s this little tradition out there of dropping something from a height as a way to count down to the New Year. The most famous, of course, is Times Square’s crystal ball, but whatever the object, it’s a hands-on way to mark the start of something big: a brand-new year.
The famous ball drop from the top of One Times Square in New York City has been a tradition since 1907, according to the “Times Square” website. It has been dropped every single year except two, 1942 and 1943, when festivities were altered due to lights being dimmed during World War II. The ball got a “facelift” in 2007, its 100th anniversary, with LED lighting technology and bright colors.
Due to its new energy efficiency and beauty, the popular ball was made a permanent fixture atop One Times Square by the building’s owners. The orb is now comprised of 2,688 Waterford crystal triangles, illuminated with 32,256 LED lights.
Of course, those who won’t be in Times Square might have their own things to mark the evening — the peach drop in Georgia, a 100-pound lighted Peep in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a cedar in Cedar Falls, Iowa — and of course, the sardine in Eastport. You name it — somebody’s dropped it.
Here in the Star City, for a few years there was a brightly lit star, constructed by Northern Maine Community College sheet-metal students for the city’s 150th birthday in 2009. The first “Star Drop” took place on New Year’s Eve 2008, when the six-foot structure, lit with 1,000 lights, was dropped from a firetruck ladder to the delight of the small crowd gathered (this writer among them).
What is it about a countdown?
“Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it yet,” says Anne, of “Anne of Green Gables,” encouragingly.
Maybe that’s why we need something to help us count down to midnight, Jan. 1. Over the course of an entire year, along with all the wonderful and positive things we remember from 2015, mistakes may have been made, words misspoken, opportunities missed; we may have lost loved ones; and we may have some things we’d like to change.
Being able to herald a new beginning with our eyes and voices, sharing in a communal celebration, means we’re not alone. The whole world, in all its disparate time zones and traditions, is doing the same thing. Whether you’re home watching the ball drop or out celebrating, whether you’re by yourself, in a small group, or in a huge crowd, you’re part of it. New Year’s belongs to everyone.
Here’s to a brand-new year. May it be a celebration of friendships old and new, the love of family, and the blessings of health, happiness, prosperity and freedom. Happy 2016!
And even more progress
Despite the season, progress is still going on in different places around town. We have reported on Domino’s, AutoZone, Machias Savings Bank and the Presque Isle Community Center, but here’s another example.
Plastic can be seen covering part of The Aroostook Medical Center’s North Street Healthcare building, and the hospital’s development office has said work is progressing on the renovation project for the County Dialysis Center.
TAMC’s “Power to the Pedal” fund-raising project in May helped support the effort, and more information will be forthcoming as the project gets closer to completion, hospital communications staff said recently.
