Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un4cmp050508.html
UNITED NATIONS, May 5 -- It was a sunny morning Monday as UN officials and Ambassadors used shiny ceremonial shovels to break ground in front of the East River for a temporary conference building for some function to move to during a renovation of its headquarters. But storm clouds were gathered one block west, at the Albano Building to which 700 UN staff members are slated to move. A Partial Stop Work Order was glued to the glass front door of 311 East 46th Street, for unsafe work conditions
Of even more concern was a stop work order for the construction site next door at 315 East 46th, where the Buildings Department notes a "violation served for cracks of non load-bearing wall at cellar level of adjacent building at 305-311 East 46 Street
Even after this warning, of cracks in the building to which the UN wants to move its staff, work continued illegally at 315 East 46th Street. The Building Department notes "work contrary to Stop Work Order," specifically, "drilling
Inner City Press reported exclusively on Sunday about the violations at 311 East 46th Street. On Monday at the ceremony, Inner City Press raised the issue to Under Secretary General for Management Alicia Barcena, who said she would have more to say about it later. We'll be here. As the ground breaking celebration took place, the sound of drilling was heard from across First Avenue.
For now, these impressions on the sunny day on the North Lawn. Some Ambassadors had not been told they would be wielding shovels. The UK's John Sawers, for example, expressed surprise but then took his place. Chief of staff Vijay Nambiar wore large dark sunglasses. There were Ambassadors everywhere, of Japan, Ghana, Cyprus, Morocco, and too many to count. Assistant Secretary General Michael Adlerstein read out a list of corporations. Dollar-a-year Under Secretary General Joseph Verner Reed was said to be representing the Rockefeller family. Plus ca change.
And see, www.innercitypress.com/un4cmp050508.html