Making party plans

Making party plans

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Michigan may be facing hard times, but Grand Rapids plans to party like it’s 2009 this New Year’s Eve.

Mayor George Heartwell says the southwestern Michigan city will have a first-time outdoor celebration Dec. 31.

It features performances by country singer Darryl Worley and the pop-punk band Plain White T’s, as well as the local band Just Jake.

A Times Square-style ball also will drop at the event at the city’s Rosa Parks Circle. It starts at 5:30 p.m.

Fewer tourists visit Dominican Republic

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Fewer tourists are flocking to the beaches of the Dominican Republic.

New statistics from the Central Bank show the number of visitors began declining in the second half of the year as the global economy began to weaken.

The Dominican Republic is heavily reliant on tourism. It’s been the No. 1 Caribbean tourist destination in recent years.

The bank reported that total visitors between July and October fell to about 1.1 million. That’s a decline of 5.6 percent over the same period a year earlier.

The trend worsened toward the fall. Both September and October were down 10 percent.

Mayor-elect is saving Sacramento’s parade

SACRAMENTO — Sacramento’s mayor-elect is playing Santa Claus, saving the capital city’s holiday parade even before he takes office next month.

Former NBA star Kevin Johnson is donating $20,000 from his privately funded inauguration to pay for the 26th annual Santa Parade. Johnson says there will be money left over because his ceremony will cost less than expected.

The parade became a casualty of the sinking economy, as traditional sponsors halted or greatly reduced their contributions. It would have been the first cancellation in the parade’s history.

The parade, traditionally on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, has been rescheduled to Dec. 20.

Coffee shop joins list of historic places

KALISPELL, Mont. — A coffee shop in Glacier National Park is being added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Lake McDonald Lodge Coffee Shop, just east of Lake McDonald Lodge, was built in 1965 for $140,000, as part of an infrastructure improvement program called Mission 66. The National Park Service oversaw that program.

The coffee shop architect was Burt Gewalt of Kalispell, who designed several other Mission 66 buildings in the park. Architectural features of the coffee shop include a clipped gable roof in the manner of the Swiss chalet styling reflected in Lake McDonald Lodge.

Renovations in Philly

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center has been open only seven years but already officials are talking about making renovations.

Heading the list, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, will be increasing the use of public spaces and correcting the acoustics of Verizon Hall, which is home to the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Planning is well under way, the newspaper says, but its scope and cost are still fuzzy.

The $275 million arts complex opened on Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts in December 2001.

Associated Press