Post by Motorcity on Aug 3, 2004 11:48:33 GMT -5
Statue of Liberty Reopens Her Pedestal
By VERENA DOBNIK, Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK - With military music and Interior Secretary Gale Norton on hand to officially open the doors, the Statue of Liberty welcomed back huddled masses of tourists Tuesday for the first time since it was shut down after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The reopening ceremony began with a military choir singing to the applause of the crowd, with CNN anchor Aaron Brown serving as master of ceremonies.
"I can't imagine a higher honor than to be in this place at this time," Brown said. Also expected was a flyover by New Jersey Air National Guard fighter jets.
Plans to reopen Lady Liberty's pedestal to the public went ahead despite new warnings over the weekend of possible terrorist attacks on financial centers in nearby Manhattan, Newark, N.J., and Washington, D.C.
"I think it shows the world that liberty cannot be intimidated," Assistant Interior Secretary Craig Manson said during a media preview tour Monday. "I think it's significant that despite the raising of the alert levels, we are still going ahead with the reopening."
The public will be allowed to enjoy the panoramic view from the observation deck at the top of the pedestal, about 16 stories above ground. The rest of the statue will continue to be off-limits because it cannot accommodate large numbers of tourists and does not meet safety codes.
Tightened security measures at the 118-year-old national monument include a new anti-bomb detection device that blows a blast of air into clothing and then checks for particles of explosive residue. Bomb-sniffing dogs also were present during the preview.
Liberty Island, the statue's 12-acre home, was closed for 100 days after Sept. 11, 2001. Airport-type metal detectors were installed to screen visitors boarding the ferry from lower Manhattan, and the island was reopened in December 2001.
While he did not rule it out, Larry Parkinson, deputy assistant Interior secretary for law enforcement and security, said it was unlikely that visitors would have access to the statue's interior spiral staircases in the foreseeable future.
Visitors can tour a reopened museum inside the pedestal which tells the story of the statue, from its dedication in 1886 as a gift from France to its rededication after a major overhaul a century later. An alternative tour allows visitors to stroll the promenade atop the star-shaped former fort on which the statue and its pedestal rise some 30 stories above the harbor.
The tours cost $10 a head for adults and $4 for children. Tour choices must be reserved ahead, a move aimed at alleviating the congestion that in recent years forced some visitors to spend eight hours waiting in lines to get to and from the islands by boat.
Kevin Mason, president of the Circle Line, whose ferries serve the Statue of Liberty, said he hoped the reopening would help bring back tourists whose numbers fell 45 percent after the 2001 terrorist attacks _ from 4.5 million a year in 2000 to 2.6 million in 2002.
The 152-foot robed female figure with spiky crown and upraised torch became the most familiar symbol of America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, welcoming millions of immigrants arriving at nearby Ellis Island and later marking the departure and return of troops from two world wars in Europe.
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On the Net:
Statue of Liberty National Monument
State of Liberty Foundation
By VERENA DOBNIK, Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK - With military music and Interior Secretary Gale Norton on hand to officially open the doors, the Statue of Liberty welcomed back huddled masses of tourists Tuesday for the first time since it was shut down after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The reopening ceremony began with a military choir singing to the applause of the crowd, with CNN anchor Aaron Brown serving as master of ceremonies.
"I can't imagine a higher honor than to be in this place at this time," Brown said. Also expected was a flyover by New Jersey Air National Guard fighter jets.
Plans to reopen Lady Liberty's pedestal to the public went ahead despite new warnings over the weekend of possible terrorist attacks on financial centers in nearby Manhattan, Newark, N.J., and Washington, D.C.
"I think it shows the world that liberty cannot be intimidated," Assistant Interior Secretary Craig Manson said during a media preview tour Monday. "I think it's significant that despite the raising of the alert levels, we are still going ahead with the reopening."
The public will be allowed to enjoy the panoramic view from the observation deck at the top of the pedestal, about 16 stories above ground. The rest of the statue will continue to be off-limits because it cannot accommodate large numbers of tourists and does not meet safety codes.
Tightened security measures at the 118-year-old national monument include a new anti-bomb detection device that blows a blast of air into clothing and then checks for particles of explosive residue. Bomb-sniffing dogs also were present during the preview.
Liberty Island, the statue's 12-acre home, was closed for 100 days after Sept. 11, 2001. Airport-type metal detectors were installed to screen visitors boarding the ferry from lower Manhattan, and the island was reopened in December 2001.
While he did not rule it out, Larry Parkinson, deputy assistant Interior secretary for law enforcement and security, said it was unlikely that visitors would have access to the statue's interior spiral staircases in the foreseeable future.
Visitors can tour a reopened museum inside the pedestal which tells the story of the statue, from its dedication in 1886 as a gift from France to its rededication after a major overhaul a century later. An alternative tour allows visitors to stroll the promenade atop the star-shaped former fort on which the statue and its pedestal rise some 30 stories above the harbor.
The tours cost $10 a head for adults and $4 for children. Tour choices must be reserved ahead, a move aimed at alleviating the congestion that in recent years forced some visitors to spend eight hours waiting in lines to get to and from the islands by boat.
Kevin Mason, president of the Circle Line, whose ferries serve the Statue of Liberty, said he hoped the reopening would help bring back tourists whose numbers fell 45 percent after the 2001 terrorist attacks _ from 4.5 million a year in 2000 to 2.6 million in 2002.
The 152-foot robed female figure with spiky crown and upraised torch became the most familiar symbol of America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, welcoming millions of immigrants arriving at nearby Ellis Island and later marking the departure and return of troops from two world wars in Europe.
___
On the Net:
Statue of Liberty National Monument
State of Liberty Foundation