Tight budgets make for fewer New Year's fireworks around country

PHILADELPHIA - Many community organizers have been forced to scale back or cancel New Year&#39;s Eve festivities this year, as tight budgets and sparse giving have replaced security concerns as organizers&#39; top worry. <br> <br> First Night parties, family-oriented festivities that emphasize the arts, will be held in 139 cities this year, 21 fewer than last year, said Naima Kradjian, president of First Night International. <br> <br> ``Individuals aren&#39;t giving as much,&#39;&#39; Kradjian said. ``There&#39;s also corporate support that has not been as free-flowing as it has in recent years. A lot of communities are doing more with less, but it certainly hasn&#39;t cut back the enthusiasm.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> In Mobile, Ala., the First Night celebration will forgo fireworks after last year&#39;s $160,000 budget was trimmed to less than $100,000. Many contributors said they couldn&#39;t afford to donate, event director Chris Smith said. <br> <br> In Brunswick, Ga., the traditional shrimp drop a 9-foot papier-mache shrimp dropped into a 10-foot high satellite dish ``cocktail glass&#39;&#39; won&#39;t splash down for the first time since 1996. Merchants voted to support the town&#39;s Christmas parade instead. <br> <br> ``This year my wife and I will stay home and eat shrimp,&#39;&#39; said Bryan Thompson, executive director of Brunswick&#39;s Downtown Development Authority. ``We tap the same poor bankers we have great corporate partners but they get hit by everyone.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Despite the money concerns, some cities are adding celebrations this year after skipping last year&#39;s post-Sept. 11, 2001, holiday. <br> <br> First Night returns to St. Louis, where dancers can tango, disco or swing until a midnight fireworks show, said Kelly Webber, the event&#39;s executive director. Fund-raising was a ``challenge,&#39;&#39; she said. <br> <br> Denver is taking an investment approach to its party. Two late-night fireworks displays shot off downtown buildings are being sponsored by city and county governments funds and downtown hotels, said event spokesman Michael Krikorkian. Denver didn&#39;t hold a city-sponsored event last year. <br> <br> ``We&#39;re encouraging people to use downtown restaurants and bars as a way to complete their evening,&#39;&#39; Krikorkian said. ``We&#39;re trying to ... show off what downtown on a whole can offer throughout the year.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Toledo, Ohio, canceled its First Night because of money troubles. In its place is a downtown party hosting a Tejano band, country music and R&B music in separate halls. <br> <br> ``When it comes to New Year&#39;s, people segregate themselves. My dream was to get everybody under one roof and mix everybody up,&#39;&#39; said promoter Daniel Garcia. <br> <br> Event directors said security would remain at levels seen in previous years, but that security personnel might plain clothed or behind the scenes. <br> <br> Carl Monzo, owner of National Event Services in Philadelphia, which provides medical and security personnel at public events, said tight security measures such as personal searches will be less frequent this year. <br> <br> ``I think generally people have become I don&#39;t want to say a little more complacent but we went from a low ground (security-wise) to a high ground and now we&#39;re in back in the middle,&#39;&#39; he said.