KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — 2017 snuck in with a ball drop but no loud chant, counting down the waning seconds of 2016 in front of Kalamazoo City Hall this year because there was no countdown clock.
The ball started dropping and the crowd got excited and pulled out their smart phones to get some idea of the time.
The fireworks appeared to start early and while the exact second the New Year began was a little fuzzy, it was still greeted with enthusiasm by the larger than usual crowd to appear for the annual event.
Milder weather and perhaps the fact that Grand Rapids cancelled their ball drop this year may have both contributed to the large number of citizens who packed Bronson Park and Lovell Street to participate in the communal greeting of the New Year.
2016 was a year of dramatic highs and lows in Kalamazoo, and in the rest of the nation.
Many are hoping for a happier New Year.
