The Nobel Prize Touches The Lives of New York Students

President Obama's Nobel Prize winnings are not going into his pocket, his savings account, or towards some new summer clothes. They’re going to help city kids, including a number from New York, get into college.
Most of the $1.4 million is being given to non-profit organizations that help get kids into and through college. The money--and the organizations--targets kids who are economically disadvantaged and might not normally have the support to attend a four-year college. Groups receiving money include College Summit, a national organization partnered with 46 New York City high schools; and the Posse Foundation, which sends kids in groups (“posses”) to top colleges so they can support each other. Having a strong network has been shown to make it less likely that students will drop out. The Posse Foundation received a $125,000 check from the Nobel Prize winnings.
Manhattan schools that partner with College Summit include Central Park East High School; the Richard R. Green High School of Teaching; The Urban Assembly School for Business and Young Women; and The High School for Law, Advocacy, and Community Justice. High schools in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens were also included.
As part of the College Summit Program, students sometimes take classes that help them understand the nuts and bolts of college, including why it’s important and how they can make college a realistic goal.
Organizations like these are desperately in need of money in this era of economic downturn.
In addition, there’s the “wow” factor for these students: Being able to say that, even indirectly, President Obama helped send them to college.

After Eight Years, Statue of Liberty Crown to Reopen July 4th

The crown on the Statue of Liberty will reopen to the public for the first time since the terrorism attacks on September 11, 2001, when it was closed due to terrorism and safety concerns. Starting July 4, 2009, the crown of this iconic symbol of America will be accessible to 30 people at a time, with 10 people allowed to climb the stairs at a time.
The limited number is for security and safety reasons. This limit of 30 will continue for two years before closing again for renovations to make access safer and easier. The 12-story spiral staircase to the crown is already very narrow with low guardrails, which has raised concerns for fire safety as it is the crown’s single entrance and exit, violating all kinds of fire codes.
However, it is being reopened on July 4th, as a boost to New York City tourism and a gift to the city from Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and the Parks Department. This is a victory for New York Representative Anthony Weiner, a Queens Democrat and prominent supporter. President Barack Obama also backed the idea, as the closure was originally enforced by the Bush administration. The formal announcement was made by Salazar on May 8, 2009 on NBC’s Today Show.