Daily News from New York, New York • 317

Daily News, Friday, June 5, 1981 By PAUL NEEDELL Cookie-lovers finding their ship has come in 9 4 When Staten Islanders make the trip across the river on the ferry in the coming months, they will observe an ever-changing scene as they walk through the Whitehall Terminal. The terminal is undergoing renovation that will turn it into a modernized, mall-like area to welcome shoppers as well as commuters. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday in front of the newest of the terminal's stores The Famous Chocolate Chip Cookie Leonard Piekarsky, assistant commissioner for the Bureau of Ferries and General Aviation Operations; Transportation Commissioner Anthony Ameruso, Manhattan Borough President Andrew Stein and Frank Bonanno, president of The Famous Chocolate Chip Cookie chain, talked about the reconstruction of Whitehall Terminal. I "THIS IS THE FORMAL opening of the first of the new stores in the terminal," Piekarsky said. "This is at the keystone of the terminal, where people first walk in when they arrive." Piekarsky explained that Pete Smith's Hall of Fame Bar is being worked on at this time to become more of an oyster bar, and that Fruiterers Grocery will be replaced by a bookstore and souvenir shop.

He added that "the whole concept is to turn the terminal into something more akin to a ing, elevators, escalators, new roofingjust upgrading the entire operation," he said. "The terminal will meet today's standards and needs. Given that 17-18 million people come through here per year, we're trying to make it as efficient and comfortable as possible." MANHATTAN BOROUGH President Stein was one of those impressed by the project. "I just think it's a terrific addition to modernize the terminal," he said. Then he smiled, looked at the cookie shop and added, "It's going to make a lot of people fat and healthy." That was music to Bonanno's ears.

"When we first looked at the terminal as a possible store site, it was dismaying because of the way it looks," he said. "But then we began to count the number of people passing by, and decided if we built a typical store, it would be attractive enough to draw people." BONANNO SAID THAT the renovation of the terminal was a factor in the decision. "We like to be pioneers, the first ones on the block, only if we're confident it will work," he said. The Famous Chocolate Chip Cookie shops have been in existence for six years, and this is the 3Gth store in the chain. Bonanno was confident the terminal would be a worthwhile investment and nothing has changed his mind since it opened last month.

"We felt all the ingredients were correct," he concluded. No pun, or half-baked humor intended. JOHN PEDIN DAILY NEWS Manhattan Borough President Andrew Stein stops by to sample some of The Famous Chocolate Chip Cookie store's stock after ribbon-cutting ceremony at Whitehall Terminal yesterday. said, the longer the lease granted to them will be. "This is to everyone's benefit," Piekarsky said.

"And we don't plan to ignore the terminal in Staten Island, either. The concept is once we finish this side, the other side will follow." Transportation Commissioner Ameruso said that the modernization of the terminal, excluding the new stores, was being funded by federal grants. "Those will pay for new light ing the ferry can use the facilities," Piekarsky said. "We're going to attract more nationwide stores because of this. The cookie shop has been here for a month, and it has been so sucessful that it's bringing more business in.

We want to make the terminal more attractive." Piekarsky emphasized that the cost for the store renovations is being footed by the storeowners themselves. The more improvements they make, he mall," he said. "WE'RE MOVING THE turnstiles back, too, so people who are not board- Jy Ferry chief assails mean flag thieve wmmmmm By MARY ENGELS 4 Sf' Hiiil 4 4 A Education, everyone we could think of to attend the festivities. We'll have to come up with those flags pretty quick." Fortunately, only about 20 were up and eight were taken. The state flags missing are from West Virginia, Kan-, sas, South Carolina, Nevada, Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Georgia.

Why they were chosen Piekarsky doesn't know. "I GUESS THE VANDALS liked the colors or the materials. All I know is they had to climb pretty high to get them which now means we have to hang them higher still. I've told my men to put them at ceiling level. Unfortunately the public won't be able to get a closer look at them which is what I had in mind." The Friends -of the Staten Island Ferry are offering a reward of $200 leading to the arrest of the thieves.

"Someone in the terminal had to see it being done. In fact, I'm looking in to where my night laborers were at the time to see why they didn't notice this." Anyone with any information on the1 7 Frank RustoDMy Nwt The meanest thief in the world? "He's the guy or guys who stole eight state flags from our St. George Ferry Terminal late Tuesday night," declared Leonard Piekarsky, ferry director. Steamed up over the incident, Piekarsky, who has been busy the past few months collecting 50 state flags to display in the terminal, said he almost decided to cancel the whole thing. "When I first heard about it, I lost some of my faith in the City of New York.

Then I said to myself, 'I'm not about to let animals stop others from enjoying what I hope will be a major tourist THE ONLY TROUBLE is the flags were all donated by the various states. ''To obtain new ones means we will have to buy them from a commercial source," said Piekarsky. Once more the ferry director is planning to have the Hall of Flags dedicated on June 14, which happens to be Flag Day. "We've invited Mayor Koch, veterans groups, Boy Scouts, the Board of PS 54 sweeps in dough in 'Clean Up' competition Elizabeth Adinolfi (I.) holds a check for $200 and Todd Lubitsch (c.) displays certificate of appreciation from I Love a Clean New York, Inc. Along with teacher Leonore Miller, the two accepted the prizes for their participation in the third annual Team Up To Clean Up" competition which works to alert young people to the problem of litter in the city.

crime are asked to call Larry Nash at" (212)566-5779. ID.