A SUNDAY WITH LADY LIBERTY!

"I feel the Statue of Liberty represents global unity, a sign that our world must unify. I don't think people's hardships are over when they come to America, but I still think that it is a beacon of hope. Even in a difficult economy and in a war, still the dream and ideology it represents is beyond words"

-Barbara McLean

Atlanta, Georgia

Good Morning! I can remember my teachers as far back as junior high school telling we kids that the crown atop the Statue of Liberty in New York was closed off to the public over structural concerns. However, a child's recollection--make that an adults recollection as a child--can be mistaken. The statue was closed to the public after the terrorist attacks against the United States of September 11, 2001. The base of the Statue and the Observation Deck were reopened in 2004, but the crown remained closed. This was due to concerns of The National Park Service over the narrow, double-helix staircases which were not designed for a safe evacuation in the event of an emergency. Moreover, the staircases did not comply with fire and building codes. I'm happy to share with you that positive, new changes have been made! For example, new handrails have been installed and only 30 people per hour can climb the stairs leading to the crown. Better yet, a Park Ranger guides the tourists along the way.

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In May 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Lee Iaccoca to head up the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation to raise funds for the renovation and preservation of the Statue of Liberty. Lee continues to serve on the board of the foundation. A word here about Lee: he's my kind of no-nonsense, maverick businessman. Most of you will remember Lee for his magnificent turnaround of the original Chrysler Corporation in the early 1980's along with then Chief Financial Officer Gerald Greenwald. Jerry later led United Airlines to prominence. Ironically, Chrysler went to hell in a hand basket after Lee's tenure and in my opinion, the same can be said for United Airlines after Gerald Greenwald left as Chief Executive Officer. Thank God Lee is still a board member of the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation because, frankly, there aren't many leaders left in the business world with Lee's vision and common sense! But I digress.

Here we have an inside view of the crown and some of the 25 windows offering a view of the Manhattan skyline. The statue is 305 feet tall to the tip of it's raised torch. It was designed to commemorate the 1876 centennial of the Declaration of Independence. The statue can be accessed with 354 steps from bottom to top. Who among us here in the United States remembers a tale of their immigrant parents or grandparents as I do? Like my Dad, most immigrants to America arrived with few possessions and little money. My 89 year-young Aunt still has the suitcase my Dad arrived with. I'm told he had very little clothing inside of that suitcase. But as I mentioned in an earlier BLOG, my Dad told me how awesome it was for him to see the Statue of Liberty from the ship he was sailing on from Eastern Europe to New York. Someday, I will visit the Statue of Liberty and climb those stairs in memory of my Dad and his brother (my late Uncle). They would surely be excited for me!

"Being able to perceive the world through her eyes, from Liberty's crown - I just feel it's so important to maintain the opportunity to literally be a part of liberty."

- Jennifer Stewart

Brooklyn Heights, New York