Fla. woman with carry permit faces 10 years for bringing gun on Statue of Liberty trip

A 52-year-old woman with a permit to carry a handgun in Florida could face up to 10 years in prison after being arrested in Jersey City while attempting to board a ferry to Ellis Island while carrying a gun, authorities said. Elizabeth J. Griffith, of Daytona Beach, was arrested by U.S. Park Police on July 14… Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Ellis Island Inaugural Celebration Cancelled Due To Weather

Governor Chris Christie’s press office has announced that the Inaugural celebration scheduled for tonight at Ellis Island has been cancelled due to anticipated severe winter weather.

• Tweet

Ellis Island Will Host Christie’s Inaugural Celebration

Historic Ellis Island will be the site of Governor Chris Christie’s second Inaugural Celebration, according to an announcement from the Inaugural Committee.

photo by Art Gallagher. click for larger view

Woodbridge, NJ – Governor Christie’s 2014 Inaugural Committee today announced that the Grand Hall at historic Ellis Island in Jersey City will be the host venue for the Celebration of the Inauguration of Governor Chris Christie and Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno.

The Inaugural Celebration will take place the evening of January 21, 2014, following the traditions of a morning Inaugural service and formal noon Swearing-In Ceremony for the Governor and Lt. Governor. More details on the full schedule of Inauguration Day activities will be announced in the coming days.

In addition, www.Inaugural2014.org has been established as the Inaugural Committee’s website. The site now allows for contributions to be made and will be updated to provide the public the latest information on all Inauguration Day activities, including ticketing information for the evening reception. Space will be limited and tickets are expected to sell out quickly.

New Jersey law limits all contributions to the Inaugural Committee to $500. All proceeds from the event will go to charity.

Today, Ellis Island stands as a symbol of the hope, freedom, and promise of opportunity afforded by our state and our nation and continues to be a powerful connection for millions of Americans to their family history. Estimates suggest that nearly half of all Americans can trace their lineage to at least one ancestor who was one of the more than 12 million individuals who passed through Ellis Island during its operation as a federal immigration station. Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty are part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument shared by New Jersey and New York.

 

The symbolism of Ellis Island for the celebration is important.  For 2016, the message is a reminder that the governor won the Hispanic vote in his landslide reelection. It’s a reminder that President Obama has not gotten anything done on immigration reform, and that Christie is the guy who gets thing done.

Happening just two weeks before the Super Bowl which will be played in the Meadowlands, the choice of Ellis Island for what will undoubtedly be a high profile media event, will add to the New Jersey/New York bragging rights debate.

Is Ellis Island in New York or New Jersey?  Both.  Under a 1998 U.S. Supreme Court decision, the original three acre site belongs to New York, but the surrounding 24 acres that was land-filled belongs to New Jersey.  Some structures on the island are in both States.

The price to attend the party is also symbolic.  At $500 per pop, it is not likely that the tired, poor and huddled masses will be attending.

• Tweet