New Haven Independent

Years ago, making that climb up through East Rock’s 100-foot tower above the New Haven Harbor was a regular thrill for kids and tourists alike. The city parks department has just been awarded a state grant to make that possible again.

The Angel of Peace herself, the 121-year-old iconic guardian of the East Rock neighborhood, was cleaned and restored with dramatic flare in 2006.

Now it’s time for her perch — New Haven Soldiers and Sailors Monument — to follow suit. Over the years, the spiral staircase inside became corroded and the passage had to be closed, said Sabrina Bruno of the parks department.

The city just got a $200,000 grant from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism to pay for a new staircase, Bruno reported. Work is set to begin in 2009, she said.