Thirteen illuminated eagles rose during the New Year's Eve countdown to 2012 as about 800 cheering revelers filled the 100 block of East Broad Street Saturday night during the 14th annual Tamaqua New Year's Eve Eagle Rise.
The event was held outside the ABC Tamaqua High Rise.
Relatively warm temperatures, in the mid 40s, and the lack of precipitation contributed to one of the largest crowds in the history of the Eagle Rise, which was coordinated by the Tamaqua Area Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by the TIMES NEWS.
The celebration, which is held free of charge to the community, has been an annual event since 1998 as part of the borough's founding Bicentennial celebration.
Frank Fabrizio, Brockton, who has set up the lighting each year, noted that the first five years, a ball drop or rise was utilized at the high rise, modeled after the well-known Times Square New Year's Eve event.
Later, the ball was replaced with illuminated eagles, the mascot for