Obama to Reopen Lady Liberty’s Crown

[Hope And Change]

Obama to Reopen Lady Liberty’s Crown

By BRIAN THOMPSON

Updated 12:25 PM EST, Fri, Jan 23, 2009

Visitors to Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty will once again be able to climb the 354 steps from the base of the Statue of Liberty to the iconic crown that overlooks New York Harbor, the Obama administration is expected to announce Friday.

After Sept. 11, access to the crown was closed as a security measure, along with the rest of the Statue and Liberty Island.

When the island and base of the statue were reopened several years later, the crown remained closed. U.S. Park officials said the narrow spiral stairway first built for worker access was a danger for anyone suffering an injury or other medical event, such as a heart attack.

In addition, a 1999 internal study found that if there were a fire in the pedestal, the interior of the statue would act like a chimney, with smoke suffocating anyone on the stairs.

However, several politicians, including New York Congressman Anthony Weiner have pushed for reopening the crown to visitors, and have proposed a plan that would allow perhaps 10 at a time to make the climb.

Obama's new Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, is expected to approve some version of such a plan in a surprise visit to Liberty Island at 12 p.m. on Friday. A final decision will not be made until officials review of the report due in April, according to a Park Service official.


http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Park-Service-to-Reopen-Lady-Libertys-Crown.html">Full article here

[Enrique]

1. symbolic rebuke to Bush

:toast:

[Cha]

2. Interesting..

Buzz worthy.

[NYC_SKP]

6. Cha?

What have you done with zidzi??? :wow:

[Cha]

11. She's the

inner child and my incognito moniker. I decided to come out:bounce: and use my real name to celebrate Obama. I told my friends at work today what I did and they were all laughing(probably at my enthusiasm over a name change).

[NYC_SKP]

14. Cool, I'll try to remember your new name...

I think I'll keep my name, to avoid the risk of post-change regret.

And, I probably drive people crazy enough as it is without name switching! :hi:

[Cha]

15. We remember you..Name Removed

:crazy: :rofl: I was hestiant and made sure I did everything right after clicking the link a couple of times that started with big red letters saying You better be sure you do it the right way 'cause there're no second chances or something to that effect:)

And, when I first did it after 6 years of the same name it felt freaky and I didn't recognized me own name:silly:..it's all good now.

[NYC_SKP]

16. Hypno Toad changed his handle twice!

He had "Tadpole of HypnoToad" or some such, then it got changed to something else...

I like "Cha"! It's short and snappy..... Hey, Cha! Wassup?

Yeah, that works!

[Cha]

17. Maybe Skinner made the rule

after Hypno!

Wassup SKP:fistbump:

[liberal N proud]

3. Take that one bu$h

We took our daughters to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty the day after Christmas. They were both disappointed that you couldn't go to the crown.

Maybe next trip we can do it.

[Renew Deal]

4. Cool, I want to the the heart in the Statue of Liberty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6R_mI243e8

[FatDave]

13. That's not the Statue of Liberty

It's the Statue of Happiness. They just look remarkably similar.

[onehandle]

5. Good. I look forward to visiting that big French woman's head. nt

[BattyDem]

7. That's great news!

My health problems will prevent me from walking up to the crown, but it's nice to know that others will be able to do so. :patriot:

[Clio the Leo]

8. Gotta love those symbolic gestures....

.... Our President is the AWESOMENESS!!!!!

[crispini]

9. Wonderful, wonderful!

I climbed into the crown as a little girl and I think it's so happy and kind of symbolic that we will be able to do it again. How sweet!

[YOY]

10. You explain it for lurking FReeps.

You can't both stop people from their liberties and keep talking about "freedom" all the mother fucking time.

This is symbolically about Freedom. More than any of your empty jingoistic BS will ever be.

Feel free to look up "symbolically" (and look up "figuratively" while you're at it...your interpretation of holy works might benefit from that word.)

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

12. Cool. My Dad lives in Jersey City and I like to run in that area. It'd be nice to see again!