Published: December 30, 2008 10:30 pm      

Plans vary for New Year’s Eve

With only one night to go before the 365th day of 2008, area residents were willing to talk Tuesday about their plans for New Year’s Eve. Many of them revolved around family.

“I’m going to my brother’s house in Chatsworth,” said Diane Parker, who lives in Resaca.

“It’s a tradition for me to go over there,” she said. “We all play board games — he and his wife and daughters and me. We’ll wait for the (midnight countdown), and a lot of times we’ll have confetti.”

Joe Davis of Eton, along with a few friends — C.L. Dunn, Jason Parker, Craig Cagle and Billy Callahan — will start the New Year healthily.

“We’re going to Chattanooga to run in the Karen Lawrence Run for St. Jude,” he said, pointing out the fundraiser was celebrating its 30th year. “I don’t do it every year, but have run it four or five times. I’ll probably come home and celebrate there, and be asleep before midnight.”

Davis said they were going for the 4-mile distance instead of the 2-miler.

David Lambert of Emerson was in Varnell on a painting job Tuesday.

“I have plans to go out and have a good time,” he said, mentioning his destination as The Alley Pub in Cartersville. “I rarely ever go out so that’s what I’m going to do. But I’ll also tell you this — I will be going out by taxi and coming back in by taxi. That’ll be $10 each way, $20 in all.”

Brent Bagby of Dalton said New Year’s Eve would be a working night for him. His employer is A-1 Bonding, a business that helps people bond out of jail.

“We’re expecting to be very busy,” he noted.

Brandon Weaver of Dalton said he would probably “chill out” with his family.

“We’ll barbecue, eat some cake, and that’s basically it, along with playing Xbox with my nephews and beating up on them a little bit,” he said with a smile. “Madden 09” is their favorite game, he added.

Asia Johnson, 7, who is a youth cheerleader during football season, said she would likely go to church with her family.

“We may go to eat out and go to the movies, too,” she said.

Elasha Tibbs said she’d be “sitting at home with the kids, and probably watching TV and the famous (New Year’s Eve) shows that come on. We’ll probably go to church with my grandma too, and we may get some fireworks.”

Baltazar Magana said he’d celebrate, but wasn’t sure how yet.

“We’ll probably have a little party with the family and get old together since it’s almost a New Year,” he quipped.