Luke Judge

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Whether it was flip flops or heels, friends and family flocked to watch fireworks light up the sky and beach balls rain on the streets of Pier Park Saturday night for the fourth annual New Year’s Eve celebration.

Glitter and excitement reigned supreme for children, as they prepared to greet the new year with the party designed specifically for them. Michael Newman, 9, said he couldn’t wait for the inflated beach balls to drop.

“I’m ready for the new year and I want to watch both ball drops, but I want to take home some of the beach balls,” Newman said.

The first beach-ball drop, during which 10,000 beach balls fell to the delight of the children, was at 8 p.m. Then as the clock neared midnight, a second beach ball drop was to mark the new year.

Natalie Campbell, 20, and Dillan Black, 21, came out for Campbell’s first ball drop and they weren’t the only ones enjoying the festivities for the first time. Charles and Mariyln Orr and Karen and Doug MacDuff of Lindsay, Ontario, are spending their winter in PCB.

“It’s the first time at the park for New Year’s for all of us. We wanted to experience all of it. We’re watching the beach ball drops, having dinner and drinks and we’re wandering around enjoying everything,” Karen MacDuff said.

One family traveled from Indiana for vacation, unable to resist the fun and sun of Florida and made plans to celebrate at Pier Park because the kids would have so many things to do. Heather Wilson, 9, and her cousin Jason Smith camped out under the beach ball nets waiting for the drop.

Preparations

Four generations of the Robinson family, ranging from 1 year old to 70-plus, gathered with other volunteers in Pier Park Friday to inflate more than 10,000 beach balls in preparation for the fourth annual New Year’s Eve festivities Saturday night.

Director of marketing and business development at Pier Park, Felicia Cook, said her family, the Robinsons, come down from Indiana each year to help.

Every year sees changes and additions to the New Year’s Eve celebration, such as adding the family oriented beach ball drop, using a professional rigger to set up the beach ball drop so it is easier for the kids to catch the balls, and this year, even more beach balls.

“every year, we critique and try to do something better,” Cook said. “That’s the ultimate goal, every year add an element and do something nicer than we did the year before.”

This year, there were two fireworks shows from PyroShows, who did nine separate shows on the coast. The first show was at eight and the second, accompanied by and synchronized to music, at midnight.

Another addition this year was technologically and gift-giving focused. Simon Property Group gave away chocolate squares for people checking in at the celebration on Foursquare and gift cards as prizes for text-to-win contests. other prizes came from sponsors and included gift bags, surfboards, and stays at various resorts.

Sarah Darling was set to sing “Auld Lang Syne.” almost There, the Barry Fish Band and Ryan Starr all were scheduled to entertain the crowd with live music until after midnight.

Cook said the TDC and the event sponsors have all come together to put this event on.

“We’re just trying to work as a community to make things better. It’s really going to be a good time,” Cook said.

Several people on The News Herald’s Facebook page wrote about their plans.

Christy Knight said her family goes to Pier Park every year and their youngest child, who is 8, enjoys it.

“Our youngest loves the beach balls for the kids,” Knight said.

Some people opted not to be in the midst of the crowds at Pier Park, and made other plans such as going to places like the Skate Factory and then having a party at home for adults or staying at home and eating oysters, soaking black eyed peas and watching football.

Jacob Nelson said he had loaded up on fireworks for a traditional neighborhood competition.

“I plan to sit on my lake front home on Crystal Lake and have fireworks competition with the other homeowners around the lake till the wee hours of the morning,” he said.

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Websites for child and mother products are providing parents with unlimited choice.

Till two decades ago, the birth of a baby in a middle-class family meant a few days of festivities, a few sets of new clothes, home-made nappies, sheets made out of old cotton sarees, a rubber sheet, a mosquito net and one or two feeding bottles. Parents would buy a crib at the most, for the first child, which was seen as an investment for the second and subsequent children. most visitors would bring packets of Johnson & Johnson baby products, ensuring the stock lasted till the baby grew up.

Even as children born 30 years ago become parents, they find that baby care has changed considerably in India. Considered a luxury that only ?the rich? could afford, diapers are a necessity now. You no longer shop just for feeding bottles, for you have to ensure the product is anti-colic and BPA-free (without toxins).

With malls and international retail chains opening franchisees in the last decade, branded clothes and other high-end products for babies became accessible to Indian households, at least in the metros and Tier-I cities. Though consumers have increased manifold, only a few shops sell these products. this means every time you need a new set of Mothercare teats or Chicco laundry detergent, you have to rush to the shop at the other end of the city. and even if your neighbourhood store sells these products, it may be out of stock when most needed.

This is where websites like FirstCry.com and Babeezworld.com come handy. Based on the model popular in the West, these websites stock everything ? from diapers and anti-mosquito wipes to prams and cots. and they do have takers, as people can place orders online and have products delivered at home, for no extra cost. At FirstCry.com, certain products are also available on discount.

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NEW DELHI, March 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — The Modern State of Bihar wascarved out of Bengal Presidency on 22 March 1912. To commemorate thishistorical event and promote a sense of pride and belongingness among thepeople, the government has decided to celebrate the foundation day on 22ndMarch as “Bihar Divas” every year. Gala functions would be held, startingright from the panchayat levels to State level (Patna) and it is going tomake a mark even at the national level (New Delhi). For the first time, thegovernment is organizing a handloom & handicrafts exhibition cum fair fromMarch 22, 2010 to April 05, 2010 at Hall No. 15 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.This Exhibition would also showcase Bihar’s historical and cultural heritage.

The Industry Department, Government of Bihar, has been given the chargefor this, while BIADA shall be hosting the event. In addition to depictingthe great cultural and historical heritage of Bihar, the great developmentstrides that Bihar is taking in the current scenario will also are adequatelypresented.

For the attraction of the coming visitor, there are around 40 stalls ofhandloom and handicrafts. Bhagalpuri skill, Mithila painting, Siki products,a Stone-made elephant of Bhbhua Stone, Jewelry from the ship of Mahesi,Motihari Terrocota products, Jute products like Jute Jewelry, Tikuli art,Nepura silk of Nalanda & famous handloom bed sheets of Biharsharif are someof the great attractions at this festival. Authentic Bihari cuisine will alsobe served in the fair. Hotel Maurya, Patna has been assigned to this job. Onthis occasion, the Department of Art & Cultural will have organized thecultural festivities. In addition to the Daily Program at the hall, a specialcultural event will be held on March 26 at Hansh Dhwani Theater of PragatiMaidan, New Delhi, where Padamshree Sharda Sinha, the famous singer of Bihar,popularly known as Bihar Kokila, will perform.

For Further Information, Please Contact: Rabindra Kr. Jha, (PRO of BiharUtsav in Delhi), M: +91(0)9899235055

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