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--> --> Many saying New Year's will be quiet, economical By Martha Irvine AP National Writer It wouldn't be New Year's Eve without a little revelry. But a more subdued tone set, in part, by the events of Sept. 11 and a squeamish economy is prompting some Americans to stay home or celebrate at small gatherings with friends this year. Among them are New Yorkers Michael and Colleen Prichinello, who decided last-minute to make filet mignon and stuffed mushrooms for a dozen friends at their apartment just two blocks from Ground Zero. "A lot of them have been cautious about coming to our place in fear of what they might see," Michael says. "But I think that being there on the last day of 2001 with friends will give it a bit of meaning." Christine Sobolak of Chicago plans to cook dinner with her boyfriend instead of attending her usual parties. "Spending $150-plus on one night feels somehow inappropriate this year," the 23-year-old says. Karen Blinkhorn of Ocala, Fla., will forgo getting a baby sitter and, instead, has invited other families with children to her home. While some restaurants and hotels have had to run last-minute marketing blitzes to fill tables and rooms, more untraditional locales - among them, churches - are getting swamped with calls about New Year's Eve events. The Imago Dei Metropolitan Community Church in suburban Philadelphia, for example, is hosting its first-ever New Year's Eve party. Retailers who specialize in home party supplies are noticing the trend toward homegrown gatherings. Sal Perisano, CEO of Boston-based iParty Corp., says he's seen a double-digit increase in sales for New Year's party paraphernalia, compared with the same period in 2000. Top sellers include red-white-and-blue party hats and noisemakers, as well as buffet trays and devices used to keep dishes heated. Some larger celebrations - like Denver's citywide party - have been canceled because of concerns over safety and security costs. And a lack of money or volunteers and terrorism fears prompted about 20 of 200 communities nationwide - from St. Louis to Staten Island - to shelve plans for First Night events, a nonalcoholic, arts-oriented celebration. Bethany Young, 27, from Washington, D.C., says she's glad she's heading to Texas with her boyfriend to watch his alma mater, Washington State, play Purdue in the Sun Bowl. "I figure that with all that's been going on around here, it can't hurt to get out of town for New Year's, just in case anything weird happens," she says. "El Paso seems like a pretty safe bet." While it took a little longer than usual for the New York Marriott Marquis to sell out of rooms for New Year's Eve, the hotel just off Times Square did so late last week - and was on the verge of running out of spots at its $699-a-couple dinner dance. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing