NYC-WTC_000230573

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

THE NEW York post, Tuesday, September 16,2001

‘WONDERFUL a , - -JW'', ]U I eat Rudy working I

in reopened City Hali By TOM TOPOUSIS k' Mayor Giuliani reopened City .» ‘ J ’• Hall yesterday morning when he bounded up the front steps, hug- , : ced the building’s veteran custo­ dian and conducted a morning sH meeting of his cop aides. -A The ’flurry of activity was the I 491 ' first business conducted at City I pj Hall since the building was Hm evacuated during last week’s at- ■ tack on the World Trade Cen- ter, just a few blocks away. m “It's wonderful to be back and OK gfl to see it open.'This u a beautiful building. It's a "symbol of New . York,” Giuliani said. - The mayor and hi's cammis- I mi. stoners held a relatively routine I HH meeting that seemed to signify I m.-j that ciry goyemment,was-oper-—I ^3r^atJnB-^at^its/Qornial"rate more- SMELL OF DISASTER: The still-sooty air forces a worker yea. Uli < than anything else. terday to shield her face as she emerges from the subway. . . ap |H / ' During the meeting. Fire Com- missioher Thomas, Von Essen Officiab from both sides of bond, the council speaker’s QI ^d Police Commissioner Ber- City Hall .spent the day ham- press secretary, Michael Regan, |0 Hard Kerik .were'welcomed with raering.out details for what will was appointeo deputy commis­ 'a standing ovatiun.' be a World Trade Center Re­ sioner of the Fire Department. ' ■8 Outside the building acrid construction Commission tn Giuliani shot down sugges* smoke wafted through the air as oversee new construction on cioiLS that his term should be " the sound of emergency crews the city-owned prope^, tended because of the crisU.7 J K and diesel generators pounded VaJlone. a candidate for away. City Hall and its park had tnayor, said if it were up to him, “I think what I should do is do the jub until Dec. 31 and pree^

a been scrubbed clean of dust and debris. , Giuliani and the rest of the rsomeone else, whoever thdcitt . A large f^g hung on each side city's elected officials would zens select, as the next twot* of the . building .and black and stay put in their current jobs Giuliani said. U purple ' bunting was lashed to until the crisis is over. In another sign chat life is the portico over the front doors ff elected, Vallone vowed to slowly returning tn normal, the as a handful of staffers reported ask Giuliani to serve in a high- mayor cau^t up with a missed

i l.*1 '‘p for work. Access to City Kali was tion efforts: He also pledged co dian. Johnny Zissel — an. event limited, more than usual, with keep several Giuliani aides. In­ Giuliani usually makes- note, of cops, checking each individual cluding the police and fire com­ each year, “Johnny gave rn^ a package going past the parking missioners.. lot gates. Phones were spotty and reporters in the press room had Co rely on wireless phones. profile role in the reconstnic- binhday for long-time custo­

T see him (GiuftanjJ very reminded me that last Friday much Involved in the recon ­ big. hug and a big squeeze’and was his birthday,” said Giulj^. . struction and rehabilitation of "So, we’re going to have.a While Giuliani spent most of the city, like anyone who loves day cake, which I will get." ,, his day out in Che streets or at his it," said Vallone “If I’m fortu­ emergency conunand center, the nate enough to be here in a gov­ BOTH LARGER THAN LIFE; An NYPD oHicar guards Wall gSg "SlS Sk » erning capaci^, T certainly Baek ta work / would call on him,” Iditorial: P. 30 Street near the George Washington statue, n.y. Postj Michael Nweia talk about rebuiJdingdowntown. In another sign of a shared

Small biz struggles to get back on its feet By ERIKA AtARTNEZ and DENIS GORMAN The center, at 80 Pine Si., is staffed by “We came here to find out what kind of Mercurio, an SBA loai officer. He esti­ The owners of a computer software representatives of the federal Small Busi­ help we need," said Saks. "We need □ mated he saw “over 150 people." consulting company, shut out of their ness Administration, which is offering place to operate from, a way to pay our All over the lower downtown area Financial District office, have all they low-interest loans, and various city agen­ people and place our people. We are some of the merchants opened their need co set up shop elsewhere crammed cies, as wed as Verizon and Con Ed. looking for an office right now.” doors for the first time since the tragedy. into three duffel bags and a knapsack. Saks and partner Michael FridJiand Paul Lee visited the center to see what Others had to stay shuttered. 1 i> ‘This is our business," said Lev Saks. said officials had allowed them to return help was available for his restauranc, . ■'They may let us back in," said Daiiiel •'43, owner of New Age Network, pointing to their offices at 111 Broadway for just Soups, Etc., at 77 Pearl St. "We're won- DePrima, who works at Ashburns Ine’ o to the bags he and his partner toted to five minutes to gathet.up essentials. dering If we could get a loan because 90 manufaciurer and engraver of plaquea ai the center set up by rhe ciry to help small But they and their 60 employees can­ percent of my inventory was damaged 49 lohn St. “We were told if the building businesses affected by the World Trade not yet go back to work in the building and my gross was sabotaged." said Lee. couldn’t be used, the city would relocate Center disaster. because of its proximity to ground zero- The nfflce was busy all day. said Chris US. We’ve been here 50 ycirs."

CITY_21MC100_009893919

NYC-WTC_000230573