Philanthropist Set for New Year Honor

A shy, Southern woman who gave away her life savings from 70 years of taking in laundry will begin this year’s noisy, glitzy New Year’s Eve countdown in New York City’s Times Square. Oseola McCarty of Hattiesburg, Miss., will flip the switch starting the countdown to midnight, organizers said. At 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, the 88-year-old woman--who was honored by President Clinton for donating her $150,000 life savings to the University of Southern Mississippi--will turn on a powerful beam of light, which will illuminate the ball atop One Times Square that descends a 77-foot pole to count off the seconds to midnight.