Electricians Brian Sperazza, left, and Carlos Freire replace burned out bulbs on the Times Square New Year’s Eve ball in New York, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 1998 during a dress rehearsal for tomorrow night’s New Year’s Eve festivities. A tradition originated by The New York Times in 1907, the lowering of the lighted ball in Times Square has become a universal symbol of ushering in the New Year. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
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