Parties support New Year's event

LOCATION: Laconia

BY: JOHN KOZIOL jkoziol@citizen.com
DATE: Friday, February 26, 2010

DETAILS: If the dozen people who met Thursday morning at City Hall have their way, there will be a New Year's Eve celebration downtown on Dec. 31.

Business owners, residents and City Manager Eileen Cabanel turned out for the morning brain-storming session led by Fire Chief Ken Erickson who earlier this month broached the idea of a New Year's event after speaking with a number of people downtown who told him it would be a good thing.

Erickson has said he envisioned a parade going around the downtown loop, with bands and floats. There would be food, fireworks and various performances at some of the more than a dozen downtown venues that could play host to small- to large-sized activities.

On Thursday, some of the those same ideas, along with many others for the New Year's event, were bounced back to Erickson who hailed the "tremendous amount of good ideas," adding that there "definitely [is] interest in doing it."

The ad hoc New Year's group will meet again on March 22 at 8:30 a.m. at City Hall to refine the ideas and to form subcommittees for different roles like fundraising and entertainment.

"I'm just so pleased that there's so much interest in this," said Erickson who fielded suggestions to have a parade between 4 and 5 p.m. on New Year's Eve and then, in deference to families with children, to culminate that portion of the celebration with a fireworks display around 9 p.m.

The second portion, from 9 p.m. on, would be more adult-themed, possibly with activities at the Belknap Mill or Hector's restaurant, and it, too, would end with fireworks either in the Rotary Park area or at the Laconia Train Station where the Hobo Railroad might be pressed into providing roundtrips to Lakeport.

The fireworks would be one of the evening's more expensive presentations and Erickson and several other attendees said the event organizers — whoever they turn out to be — would do well to tap the several downton banks for financial support.

Cabanel said downtown businesses must have an ownership stake in the event which is why it should not be run under the aegis of the city. She urged the attendees to think like "a consumer" and to come up with activities that are fun.

The city manager suggested the potential of a children's play space in the vacant Bloom's Variety building during the event while another speaker said babysitting services could be offered to parents and a third person spoke about having a prize-filled "poker run."

Whatever happens, "Go for quality instead of quantity," said Cabanel.

Doug Holmes, executive director of the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, suggested that, if there is a charge to attend the New Year's festivities — or some of them — it be under $10.

Several speakers warned that a Laconia New Year's shindig would be competing with other events in Wolfeboro and other communities, meaning it could be a challenge to line up musical entertainment.

While Wolfeboro's First Night was hailed as a model for a Laconia event, several people who attended that town's First Night said it required driving from activity to activity whereas, Erickson said, "this is a perfect downtown walking venue."

George Roberts, a member of the board of directors of the Belknap Mill — which held its inaugural New Year's gala ball this year — suggested that, if admission is charged to the downtown event, significant discounts should be offered for early purchases. Roberts also said event organizers should cast a wide net and send letters to all local fraternal and civic organizations, inviting them to participate in the planning and in the festivities proper.