On Independence Day, Liberty's crown reopens

2009-07-04 18:21:02 -

NEW YORK (AP) - The first visitors to Statue of Liberty's crown in nearly eight years have made the arduous climb _ and one couple marked the occasion by getting engaged.
Twenty-six-year-old Aaron Weisinger surprised his 25-year-old girlfriend, Erica Breder, by getting down on one knee Saturday as they and eight others admired the sweeping views of New York Harbor. Breder said yes and describes the proposal as «perfect.
The statue was closed to the public after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The base, pedestal and outdoor observation deck reopened in 2004, but the crown remained off-limits.
Thirty people an hour are now being allowed into the crown. Tickets for the July Fourth weekend sold out within hours.