ME AT A STATEN ISLAND BOROUGH HALL MEETING
During my tour, Mr. Molinaro explained to me that as borough President, his thinks the most important part of his job is to continue development of the Parks system, as well as to increase the amount of new business that comes to Staten Island. Mr.
Molinaro has led the campaign to revamp Staten Island Beaches, reconstructing the Boardwalks, adding a new fishing pier at Ocean Breeze, spray fountains, a snack bar, and new boardwalk amenities such as lighting, signage, and benches. Mr.
Molinaro has also helped to keep Staten Island the “Greenest Borough,” adding new parks to its already impressive collection, bringing the total amount of Staten Island parkland to 33% of the total land area.
STATEN ISLAND FERRY
After learning about the things that Borough President Molinaro has accomplished in office, I also wanted to learn more about the Staten Island ferry. So, after our Council meeting, I asked some questions. Mr. Molinaro explained to me that the ferry runs between Manhattan and Staten Island and is used mostly by New Yorkers going to and from work because it is much faster than driving. I also learned that the Staten Island ferry has been FREE to ride since 1997, when fees were eliminated by the DOT. The ferry departs Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry terminal, at the southernmost tip of Manhattan. On Staten Island, the ferry arrives and departs from St. George Ferry Terminal near Borough Hall. Service is provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Staten Island Ferry is the most reliable form of mass transit, with an on-time performance of over 96 percent. The Staten Island Ferry has been a municipal service since 1905, and currently carries over 21 million passengers annually on the 5.2-mile run.
After my tour of his office, Mr. Molinaro also took me to see the Statue of Liberty! We took the Ellis Island/Liberty Island Ferry to Liberty Island.
ME AND MR. MOLINARO ON THE LIBERTY ISLAND FERRY
At Liberty Island, we got to take a tour of the Statue of Liberty. People are no longer allowed to climb all the way to the top, but luckily for me, they made an exception and gave us a private tour. The tour guide said it was because I am a special visitor all the way from Canada, but I think it was actually because Mr. Molinaro is such an important person in Staten Island!
CAN YOU SEE ME???
Borough President Molinaro explained to me that The Statue of Liberty is known officially as “Liberty Enlightening the World,” and was designed by French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and funded completely through donations from the French people as a gift to the newly formed United States.
After Bartholdi finalized the design in miniature, the statue itself was created using wooden molds, a copper shell, and an iron structure designed by Gustave Eiffel, who later built the Eiffel Tower.
On July 4, 1884, the 151-foot-tall, 225-ton Statue of Liberty was delivered to the American Ambassador in Paris. In order to transport Lady Liberty to New York, the statue was dismantled into 300 pieces and packed into 214 wooden crates.
Fun NYC Factoid:After Bartholdi finalized the design in miniature, the statue itself was created using wooden molds, a copper shell, and an iron structure designed by Gustave Eiffel, who later built the Eiffel Tower.
On July 4, 1884, the 151-foot-tall, 225-ton Statue of Liberty was delivered to the American Ambassador in Paris. In order to transport Lady Liberty to New York, the statue was dismantled into 300 pieces and packed into 214 wooden crates.
Staten Island played a significant role in the Revolutionary War. On March 17, 1776, the British forces under General Howe, evacuated Boston and sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia. From Halifax, they prepared to attack New York City, which then consisted entirely of the southern end of Manhattan. General George Washington led his army to New York City in anticipation of the British attack. Britain's General Howe used the strategic location of Staten Island as a staging ground for the invasion. Over 140 British ships arrived over the summer of 1776 and anchored off the shores of Staten Island at the entrance to New York Harbor, which was the largest armada to set sail until World War II. The British troops numbered at about 30,000. Howe established his headquarters at the historic Rose and Crown Tavern. It is here that the representatives of the British government reportedly received their first notification of the Declaration of Independence, which is the document signed by the American leaders at the time, declaring their intent to be free from British rule.
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