Freedom rings
Lady Liberty reopens as Americans celebrate
NEW YORK — The Statue of Liberty reopened on the Fourth of July, eight months after Superstorm Sandy shuttered the national symbol of freedom, and hundreds of people marked Independence Day by visiting the famous landmark
“It is one of the most enduring icons of America, and we pulled it off — it’s open today,” National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis said. “Welcome.”
The island was decorated with star-spangled bunting, but portions remain blocked off with large construction equipment, and the main ferry dock was boarded up. Repairs to Adly Mansour leads Egypt’s interim government.
brick walkways and docks were ongoing.
But much of the work has been completed since Sandy swamped the 12-acre island in New York Harbor on Oct 29, 2012, and visitors were impressed.
“It’s stunning, it’s beautiful,” said Elizabeth Bertero, 46, of California’s Sonoma County. “They did a great job rebuilding. You don’t really notice that anything happened.”
The statue itself was unharmed, but the land took a beating. Railings broke, docks and paving stones were torn up and buildings were flooded.
The storm destroyed electrical systems, sewage pumps and boilers. Hundreds of National Park Service workers from as far away as California and Alaska spent weeks cleaning mud and debris.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, speaking at the reopening, cried as she told the crowd she was wearing a purple ribbon in memory of the Arizona firefighters killed Sunday.
“Nineteen firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty, and we as a nation stand together,” she said.
In his weekly radio address from Washington, President Barack Obama urged Americans to work to secure liberty and opportunity for their own children and future generations.
Later, the first family hosted U.S. servicemen and women at the White House for a cookout.
Boston hosted its annual Boston Pops Concert, the first large gathering in the city since the marathon bombing that killed three and injured hundreds.
Quincy, Mass., resident Laurie Tetrucci has been coming to the show since she was a child, but she said this year felt different.
“I think we’re just a little more aware,” she said. “I think we’re a little more appreciative and grateful. I think it means more.”
Also at Boston’s festivities was Carlos Arredondo, the cowboy hat-wearing marathon attendee who became part of one of the indelible images of the bombings’ aftermath: helping rush a badly wounded man from the scene in a wheelchair, his legs torn to pieces.
Arredondo said the July 4 celebration — an event authorities believe the bombing suspects initially planned to target — is a milestone in the healing process, not just for him but also those who were stopping to tell him their own stories of that day.
“I think there’s no better place to be,” said Arredondo, wearing his cowboy hat and a “Boston Strong” shirt in the marathon’s blue and yellow colors.
Philadelphia, Washington and New Orleans also held holiday concerts. A Civil War reenactment commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg drew 40,000 people to Pennsylvania.
Not everyone was welcoming the masses — Hermosa Beach, Calif., ramped up police patrols after years of drunken and raucous behavior from revelers.
“It’s been a gradual increase in unpleasantness over the years,” Mayor Kit Bobko said. “Last year we had a portion of the beach overtaken by minors who were intoxicated and in some cases completely incapacitated.”
Hartford, Conn., postponed fireworks because the Connecticut River was too high.
Other cities cancelled their fireworks displays because of financial problems. Among them were Glendale, Ariz., Springfield, Mo., and Medford, N.J. Officials in Dallas, Texas were about to cancel its municipal display until two corporations came forward this week with additional funding to save it.
In some parts of the country, Americans exercised their freedom of expression by protesting secret phone call and Internet monitoring by the National Security Agency.
In Philadelphia, more than 100 people marched downtown to voice their displeasure, chanting, “NSA, go away!”
In Seattle, 487 new Americans were pledging allegiance to their adopted homeland in a naturalization ceremony.
“This used to feel like someone else’s holiday. Now it’s my holiday too,” said Mario Campos of Mexico City, who now lives on Bainbridge Island, Wash.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee called it the most “refreshing, inspiring day that I have had” in office.
In Union Beach, N.J., which was destroyed by Sandy, residents had even more to celebrate. The working-class town won a party and fireworks contest from the television station Destination America and USA Weekend magazine.
“It’s wonderful. Everyone’s been so depressed,” said Mary Chepulis as she watched a local band perform on a stage that stood where the home next to hers had been.