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Officials: Security tight for New Year's Day activities

Confetti pours down on New York's Times Square moments after the start of 2004.
Confetti pours down on New York's Times Square moments after the start of 2004.

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PASADENA, California (CNN) -- The focus of security concerns shifted coasts Thursday from Times Square's confetti-filled atmosphere at midnight to the chilly but flowery Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, where police officials said they expected no damper on the day's festivities, despite the nationwide orange terror alert.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Dave Disbro, a mounted officer who annually brings up the rear of the parade, said that, while "all our lives have changed since 9/11," the Rose Parade has always been a secure operation.

"Crowd management is crowd management," said Disbro. "Most people have some horse sense. When they see a deputy coming up on a horse, they have enough sense to get out of the way."

The Pasadena Police Department said 1,000 police officers would be on hand through the end of the Rose Bowl game Thursday night. Pasadena itself has 227 officers -- the others have come in from surrounding areas, the department said.

Airspace over the parade route and the Rose Bowl were to be restricted to military and police aircraft, and people who attend the game should expect to be searched, the department said.

Also, no umbrellas are allowed into the stadium Thursday -- even if it's raining, though forecasters said they expected no rain until Friday.

Security measures across the nation were stepped up after the Department of Homeland Security on December 21 raised the level to orange, or high, the second-highest rank on a color-coded, five-tier scale.

The department said intelligence chatter suggested terrorists may attempt attacks in the United States during the holiday period.

'Just a typical New York event'

On the East Coast, 2,500 miles from the Tournament of Roses, New Yorkers cleaned up and sobered up from a night of revelry closely guarded by what officials said was an unprecedented level of security.

As many as 1 million people gathered Wednesday night in New York's Times Square to usher in 2004 with confetti, fireworks and joyous laughter.

Overnight, site of the United States' most famous New Year's Eve celebration was monitored by helicopters and thousands of police officers. Visitors to the world's most televised celebration had to pass through metal detectors and have their bags searched.

On Thursday morning, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg downplayed the extra precautions, calling the celebration "just a typical New York event."

"Just your average 750,000 people getting together on Wednesday night to enjoy themselves. And do it together with virtually no problems whatsoever," he said.

Despite his studied nonchalance, extraordinary precautions were taken. For example, late Wednesday, all eastbound lanes of the George Washington Bridge -- going into New York City from New Jersey -- were closed. Electronic billboards had warned commuters since the start of the week that this closure would take place.

In Washington, authorities on Tuesday had begun random checks of cars outside the Capitol, but would not discuss other security measures for the nation's capital.

The hotel-and-casino-filled Las Vegas Strip closed the city's airspace for six hours ahead of its New Year's celebration.

Bowl games and breaking the ice

A reveler welcomes the New Year in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A reveler welcomes the New Year in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Aside from the Rose Bowl Thursday afternoon, other college football games expected to be played under heavy security include a quartet of games in Florida: Tampa's Outback Bowl, Jacksonville's Gator Bowl, Orlando's Capital One Bowl and Miami's Orange Bowl.

Miami Police Chief John Timoney said the added measures are something people will learn to live with.

"Life has changed post-September 11," Timoney said. "It's something we'll have to get used to, but as much as possible, as much as humanly possible, people should resume normal activities."

On New York's Coney Island, Coney Island-Brighton Beach Ice-Breakers resumed their "normal" activity.

As they have for 169 years, club members spent New Year's Day swimming in the frigid Atlantic Ocean.

Spokesman Bob Stewart said the experience is "like a baptism, it clears you out for the new year."

The Ice-Breakers are a sturdy breed: 82-year-old Holocaust survivor Mileya Friedman said his daily winter swims are his "best medicine."

Club President Rabbi Abraham Abraham toasted the U.S. armed services with goat milk before dedicating this New Year's swim to the "young men and women serving our country overseas." He then led his compatriots into the 41 degree water.

Official members of the Coney Island-Brighton Beach Ice-Breakers must make two ocean swims during each of the winter months, though many of them say they swim daily.


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