9 Of The Times: New Year's Numeral Arrives By Boat
7-foot tall piece completes 2009 sign at Times Square
Wednesday, Dec 17, 2008 | Updated 10:30 AM EST
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The New Year's Eve Ball is displayed at the Macy's Store in Herald Square in November. Another New Year's icon will be completed when a 7-foot tall "9" sign will complete the 2009 sign in Times Square Wednesday. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
Yes, 2009 is arriving -- by a Hudson River boat.
A 500-pound, 7-foot-tall numeral 9 is traveling by New York Waterway ferry to a Manhattan dock Wednesday and being driven to Times Square to complete the 2009 sign that will ring in the new year with the dropping of the famous crystal ball.
Organizers of the New Year's Eve party will be on hand to add the 9 to its colleagues the 2, the 0 and the other 0.
The numbers will be displayed for two weeks at the Duracell Power Lodge, where battery power to light them is being generated by visitors pedaling snowmobiles.
Last year, the 8 for the 2008 sign arrived by subway from the Bronx, hitching a ride on the 6 train before transferring to the N/R line.
