When I was in high school I used to love going into the City. I lived in Queens and as soon as you crossed over into Manhattan you could feel it. It's just a different pace and feeling altogether.
My first memories of Times Square were of a huge billboard there used to be there, that had a man smoking. I think it was Camels or Lucky Strikes. There was this h-u-g-e head with smoke billowing out every few seconds as he "puffed on his cigarette."
Now Times Square means my church to me - the Church of Scientology of New York. And the fondest memory I have in recent years was the day 47th Street was closed off for the grand opening and David Miscavige came to New York to welcome us to the church.
I remember so clearly the day Mr. Miscavige announced that the new church was going to be restored and renovated for us. It was at the anniversary of the founding of the Interenational Association of Scientologists in late October or early November 2001. It was only a short while after 9/11 and Mr. Miscavige honored us, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers of New York, by presenting the IAS Freedom Medal to three Volunteer Ministers who coordinated the relief effort we did for the rescue workers. I was so proud to have been a part of that team and to have Mr. Miscavige commend us it was such an honor knowing that Scientologists in every church around the world were seeing the event too.
