|
In a highly publicized project in 1979, then-President Jimmy Carter had solar panels installed on the roof of the West Wing to harvest the rays of the sun to heat water. In 1986 the Reagan administration quietly dismantled the installation while resurfacing the roof. In the current project, the General Services Administration,which oversees White House construction, says workers are updating a host of utilities in the East and West Wings of the building, including heating, cooling and electrical systems, as well as the fire alarm equipment. The last major upgrade to the utility systems was more than 40 years ago. And all the mess will be around for a while. The whole project is scheduled to run at least four years. Meanwhile, in order to modernize the utilities at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, workers have turned the North Lawn into a construction zone, erecting chain-linked fences, driving dump trucks up and down the White House driveway, and setting up rigs and cranes. The walkway leading into the West Wing has been rerouted. A 15-foot platform was built on what's referred to as "Pebble Beach"
-- the flagstone area alongside the driveway where television correspondents report live from the White House
-- so photographers can shoot over the top of the construction.
With all of that commotion happening just steps away from the watchful eye of the White House press corps, it's no surprise that there are plenty of conspiracy theories, from jokes that workers are drilling for oil to speculation that a new press room is being built to keep reporters out of the West Wing. Even Gibbs has his own theories. "A parking deck, I think," he joked. "Or they're moving the Washington Monument." But, for the record, GSA communications director Sahar Wali says there are no secret projects. ___ Online: http://www.whitehouse.gov/
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
News | Sports | Business | Rural Review | Teaching & Learning | Home and Family | Tourism | Obituaries
Community |
Perspectives
|
Law & Courts |
Leisure Time
|
Spiritual Life |
Health & Fitness |
Teen Scene
Calendar
|
Letters to the Editor