She's back: Statue of Liberty reopening a bright spot for July Fourth
By Josh Levs, CNN
July 5, 2013 -- Updated 1118 GMT (1918 HKT)
(CNN) -- Hours before Americans celebrated their
nation's birthday by reveling in fireworks, one of its most iconic
symbols -- Lady Liberty -- reopened to the huddled masses eager to see
it up close.
The Statue of Liberty's
reopening was a sign of recovery from Superstorm Sandy's devastation
last fall and a big bright spot generally on an Independence Day
dampened by soaking rains
in a large swath of the country and limited by the across-the-board
federal budget cuts known as the sequester, which left numerous military
bases without annual fireworks displays.
"It is hard to imagine a
more appropriate or powerful way to commemorate our nation's founding
than to reopen the Statue of Liberty, which is a symbol throughout the
world of the freedom America cherishes," Secretary of the Interior Sally
Jewell said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Liberty Island, which
was hard hit by Superstorm Sandy in October.
On Thursday, crowds lined up to board ferries for one of the world's most iconic attractions.
"Today, Lady Liberty also
stands as a sign of the resilience of the region -- an area so badly
battered by Hurricane Sandy nine months ago, but that is on the rebound
thanks to the sacrifices and dedication of so many people," Jewell said.
The site is a "huge
economic engine," the Interior Department said. In 2011, 3.7 million
visitors contributed $174 million to the New York area economy and
supported more than 2,200 jobs.
"We've not only repaired
damage from Sandy, but we've also taken steps to protect Liberty Island
from major storms in the future, just as we're doing in the rest of our
city," said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
(Trivia alert: The statue is formally known as Liberty Enlightening the World.)
The first visitors arrived just before 9 a.m.
Peter Belvel of Phoenix made a stop on a tour of the country with his family. He said it was "amazing" to be at the site.
"It just makes your heart swell. ... People come from all over to see this and we're privileged to be here."
His young daughter, Katie Belvel, told CNN the visit "means a lot to me because it's our country and I love it."
New York City had other
reasons to celebrate. Across the harbor, thousands packed Brooklyn's
Coney Island -- one of many seaside areas in New York and the Jersey
Shore that were devastated eight months ago by Sandy -- to cheer a group
of professionals chowing down on one of the most all-American of meals:
hot dogs.
The top dog in the men's event, for the seventh straight
time, was Joey Chestnut. The California native somehow scarfed down 69
franks and buns in 10 minutes, topping his own record by one hot dog.
Sonya "The Black Widow"
Thomas also repeated as champ, but barely. When the clock ran out after
the women's division showdown, the scoreboard indicated that she and
Juliette Lee were tied at 36 piece. But the judges later ruled that Lee
had eaten ¾ more dogs.
The timing of both
festivities "couldn't be better" for the New York City area, CNN
meteorologist Pedram Javaheri said. After seeing rainfall for eight of
the past 10 days, the region saw dry, though hot, weather for July
Fourth festivities.
Other parts of the country, such as the Midwest, also saw gorgeous weather.
But there were
exceptions. The Southwest, as it has for days, continued to bake in
triple digit weather. And rain dampened parades and doused firework
shows in much of the Southeast, Ohio River Valley and parts of the
Eastern Seaboard.
Mother Nature isn't the only reason some Americans missed out on fireworks this year.
The sequester has left numerous military bases without the funds.
Fort Hood in Texas "managed to salvage its fireworks from dipping into profits earned from its recycling center," Time reports.
A Pittsburgh company
offered to provide a show for free for military families at Camp Lejeune
in North Carolina, but the military turned down the offer, CNN affiliate KDKA reported.
Military officials said
they did not have the funds to cover additional costs of putting on a
big celebration, said George Zambelli, whose family business has
provided the fireworks at Camp Lejeune before.
(Fun fact, or perhaps not so much fun: The overwhelming majority of fireworks are imported from China Same with U.S. flags.)
Still, for others the
show did go on. That include colorful and powerful fireworks
spectaculars over Lake Michigan in Chicago, along Boston's Charles
River, over St. Louis' famous Gateway Arch and along the Hudson River in
New York City.
Wet weather prompted
some communities -- from Grove City, Ohio, to Franklin, Tennessee, to
Decatur, Georgia -- to call off their pyrotechnic displays. But others
went on, like the hundreds of rain-soaked Atlantans and visitors who
watched the night sky light up over the Georgia capital's Centennial
Olympic Park.
More Americans are celebrating the holiday at home this year than last year, according to estimates
by the motorist group AAA. About 41 million Americans are expected to
travel at least 50 miles from home by Monday, down about 300,000 from
those who made similar trips last year.
"Economic growth is not
robust enough to offset the impact of the sequester and the effect of
the end of the payroll tax cut on American families," said AAA CEO
Robert Darbelnet.
While some will sing the national anthem -- such Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey, who belted out the "Star Spangled Banner" at Nationals Park in the District of Columbia -- others are focused more on what's going into their mouths, from grilled greatness to apple pie.
President Obama, meanwhile, sought to bring the meaning of the holiday home.
In his weekly address,
he thanked service members and called on Americans to keep striving for
the ideals of "a small band of patriots" who declared American
independence. "Two hundred thirty-seven years later, the United States
-- this improbable nation -- is the greatest in the world," Obama said. "A land of liberty and opportunity."
Members
of the Old Guard attend the reopening ceremony of the Statue of
Liberty, marking the first day it opened to the public after being
shuttered by Superstorm Sandy in October.
The statue,
designed by sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, towers over Paris
rooftops during construction in 1884. It was a gift to the United States
from the people of France to commemorate 100 years of Franco-American
friendship as well as the centennial of America's independence.
Refugee children from England arrive in New York Harbor during World War II in 1940. 
The towering of skyline of downtown Manhattan rises with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground in 1950.
The New York Harbor and World Trade Center are shown behind the Statue of Liberty in 1980.
Workers remove
scaffolding from around the torch after restoration work in 1985. The
twin towers of the World Trade Center can be seen in the background.
In November 1995, a federal budget crisis causes Liberty Island to close to tourists.
The Statue of Liberty sports a milk mustache in this 1995 ad.
A representation of
a giant glass of Guinness is lowered from a helicopter over the Statue
of Liberty to publicize the city's first Irish Music & Arts Festival
in 1997.
The aircraft
carrier USS John F. Kennedy is anchored in New York Harbor near the
Statue of Liberty in preparation to carry President Bill Clinton and
first lady Hillary Clinton during Independence Day festivities in 2000.
The Statue of
Liberty is shrouded in smoke on September 15, 2001, four days after the
terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
The New York City skyline seen from Bayonne, New Jersey, in October 2001.
The statue's pedestal reopens to visitors on August 3, 2004, for the first time since the September 11 terrorist attacks.
A New York Waterway ferry moves along the water as the sun sets behind the Statue of Liberty in 2004.
During a special
2006 show by French champagne maker Moët & Chandon, the Statue of
Liberty is lit to show the contours of the sculpture.
The Statue of Liberty from above in 2007.
An aerial view of New York Harbor shows Lady Liberty, Ellis Island and Manhattan in 2007.
Clouds roll in over the Statue of Liberty in 2008.
The statue's crown reopens to the public on July 4, 2008, after remaining closed since the World Trade Center attacks in 2001.
A replica of the
Dutch ship Half Moon sails past the Statue of Liberty, commemorating the
English navigator Henry Hudson's entry into New York Harbor in 1609.
A memorial that
echoes the shape of the World Trade Center twin towers is illuminated on
the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Fireworks explode
over the Statue of Liberty on the anniversary of its dedication on
October 28, 2011. The celebrations for the worldwide symbol of freedom
and of friendship between France and the United States included the
naturalization of 125 citizens from 46 nations and the installation of
Internet webcams on the statue.
The sun rises in
front of the Statue of Liberty before the start of a ceremonies on
Liberty Island on October 28, 2011, to commemorate the 125th anniversary
of the dedication.
The Space Shuttle
Enterprise is towed in June 2012 on a barge past the Statue of Liberty
on its way to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.
On May 14, boats pass the Statue of Liberty, which had remained closed more than six months after Superstorm Sandy.
Visitors to the
Statue of Liberty disembark from the first ferry to leave Manhattan, on
Thursday, July 4, the first day the attraction reopened after suffering
damage from Superstorm Sandy. 
The Statue of Liberty stands in the morning sun on Liberty Island when it is reopened on Independence Day in New York City on July 4, 2013. Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty had been closed to the public since Hurricane Sandy. UPI/John Angelillo .
Read more: http://www.upi.com/News_Photos/Features/Statue-of-Liberty-reopens-for-Independence-Day/7789/#ixzz2YweQRqkO
No comments:
Post a Comment