Walsh: City of Boston prepared to celebrate New Year

The city of Boston was preparing Monday to welcome tens of thousands of New Year's Eve revelers with preparations for First Night celebrations well underway and public officials, including Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, urging visitors to be safe and have fun.

"It's a great fun way to ring in the new year," Walsh said at a press conference Monday afternoon.

Walsh said there would be a "strong public safety presence" downtown and in the city's neighborhoods on Tuesday night, and he urged people to "dress appropriately" even though the forecast does not call for the freezing temperatures that have marked some past First Night celebrations.
Walsh also said that this year's festivities would have " a little bit of a cloud over it" after 34-year-old Brandon McSweeney of Sherborn was killed on Saturday working to set up for First Night when a ballast to be used as the base for a light tower fell on him.

"This was a horrible, tragic accident and I want ask people to continue to keep Brandon's family in your thoughts and prayers, and his co-workers in your thought and prayers," Walsh said.

Walsh was joined at City Hall by the heads of the city's first responder agencies, and First Night organizer Dusty Rhodes, who repeatedly stressed that people of all ages should feel welcome at the festivities..

"Remember please that this is a family event. A family event. So we don't need anyone drinking alcohol in public, smoking marijuana in public. Do it at home. Please. For the safety of every one," Boston Police Chief William Gross urged.

"No flying drones as well," he reminded.

Gross also said that his officers would not just be downtown in plain clothes and uniform, but the department would be fully staffed throughout the city.

"You're first responder family will be out there in abundance, not only downtown but we want you to know that the neighborhoods are covered as well," Gross said.

The festivities are expected to include concerts, light shows, ice sculptures and a parade down Boylston Street from Copley Square to Boston Common – though the rain will force the ice sculptures to be kept inside until noon.

There will be over 100 performances by over 50 different performers, fireworks on the Common at 7 p.m. for children and two more displays – one off the roof of the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel and another at midnight over Boston Harbor.

And there will Olympic-style ice skating on Frog Pond and dueling stages in Copley with musical acts playing "non-stop" until midnight, Rhodes said.

"It's free. It's fun. And it's for family," Rhodes said.

Officials also urged revelers to use public transit, if possible.

The city will begin towing vehicles from closed streets beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and the T will have additional late-night service with trains running at rush-hour levels from 3 p.m. until 2 a.m.

The commuter rail will also have late-night service with many lines running a final train from Boston at around 1 a.m., though scheduled may vary.
The forecast calls for light rain, clouds and temperatures in the low 40s. The weather could affect turnout, officials said, and though there are no projections for crowd size Rhodes said about 250,000 turned out to celebrate the start of 2019 last year.


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