Tuesday, December 28, 1999
Security boosted for festivities
National Guard, checkpoints set for Peace Bell
BY TERRY FLYNN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Crews from Wurzelbacher Staging and On Location Staging set the area near the World Peace Bell in Newport.
(Craig Ruttle photo)
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At the Tristate's two community-based New Year's Eve celebrations, in Newport and Hamilton, security will be in evident but not suffocating.
But just in case, the National Guard will make an appearance in Newport, and state police in Ohio and Kentucky have taken riot training.
As the World Peace Bell rings in the New Year in Newport on Friday, the first of Rozzi Brothers' fireworks will explode over the Great Miami River in Hamilton.
The largest celebration in this part of the nation will be at Fourth and York streets in Newport when the 33-ton World Peace Bell rings officially with its clapper for the first time, to mark the new year and conclude a full day of activities and entertainment.
“In terms of security, it's a controlled area and that helps to increase the level of security,” Newport City Manager Phil Ciafardini said Monday.“Streets around the (bell) site will be closed and people have to come in through clearly defined checkpoints.”
There will be 15 National Guardsmen, each paired with a Newport police officer, working the various checkpoints and roadblocks and generally directing traffic.
All 51 Newport officers, including Chief Tom Fromme, are on duty throughout the day.
Hamilton will have additional officers on duty Friday night for the community party downtown, similar to what the department does for other special events in the city.
Elsewhere, most departments will simply bring in more people, although posts of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Kentucky State Police took extra riot training recently to be ready in case of a significant problem.
Covington will have 29 extra officers on duty from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., including both assistant chiefs and the chief. That's on top of the 15 officers regularly scheduled on a weekend.
In Springboro, extra officers will be on duty, too. The same is true with the Boone County Sheriff's Department, the Cincinnati Police Division and Lebanon Police Department. Many departments, including Delhi Township, allowed no vacations.
Across the nation, U.S. border crossings are on heightened security as officials gird against possible terrorist attacks this week.
Seven Jordanians were arrested at the Canadian border near Blaine, Wash., on what officials on Monday called routine illegal immigration charges — not terrorist suspicions, as originally announced.
In Newport, officials with the Millennium Monument Co. and Southbank Partners, the organizations promoting and running the celebration, are satisfied that everything is ready for the big day and night which starts at 6 a.m. Friday when the Peace Bell rings to mark the New Year in the Fiji Islands. It will ring every hour thereafter to mark another time zone.
Events for families are scheduled throughout the day. All the daytime events are free until 5 p.m., when visitors will need a $5 pin to enter the heated tents around the bell area.
Wally Pagan, Southbank's executive director, said officials urge people to park away from downtown Newport and ride a transit bus or a Southbank Shuttle bus to the block bordered by York, Monmouth, Fourth and Fifth streets where the celebration will take place.
“Celebrate Hamilton 2000 — A Community New Year's Eve,” begins at 6 p.m. and ends after midnight.
Hamilton's party will offer music performances, children's programs, trolley and carriage rides worship services and food.
A warming tent and food will be available on Front Street.
At 10 p.m., Hamilton Mayor Tom Nye will perform a group marriage ceremony. Several couples have made arrangements to participate.
The Associated Press contributed.
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