I was already asleep, but the Globe has a whole self-adulating section on it if you care. It was as predicted in these pages long ago. There was a time when I did, but that time is now history.
"Philanthropist gives $18m to refurbish Lincoln Memorial" Associated Press February 16, 2016
WASHINGTON — Philanthropist David Rubenstein, who has already donated tens of millions of dollars to refurbish the Washington Monument and other icons, is giving $18 million to fix up the Lincoln Memorial.
The National Park Service announced the gift Monday. The money will be used to fix the memorial’s roof, clean the marble, and improve accessibility by adding a second elevator. The park service also plans to create 15,000 square feet of visitor space tucked beneath the memorial for exhibits.
Rubenstein said his admiration for Lincoln drew him to this project.
“Lincoln deserves to have his memorial in tip-top shape,” he said in a phone interview.
The Lincoln Memorial draws more than 7 million visitors annually and is the most visited attraction on the National Mall.
Park Service director John Jarvis said the memorial, dedicated in 1922, is structurally sound but does need some repair work.
“It’s pretty stout, and I think really has held up quite well for a structure of its age,” Jarvis said. “But you can’t build a 100-year roof.”
The memorial is built on pilings, and the park service is going to explore ways for visitors to see the foundations that anchor the memorial. The unseen superstructure is marked with graffiti from the workers who built the memorial over a seven-year period, including caricatures of former President William Howard Taft and memorial architect Henry Bacon.
Rubenstein, a billionaire who founded The Carlyle Group investment firm in Washington, has already given $7.5 million to repair the Washington Monument after a 2011 earthquake; $5.4 million for the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, Va.; and $12.35 million for Arlington House, the home of Confederate General Robert E. Lee located at Arlington National Cemetery.
Where do you start with the overlap (Bushes and Saudis were investors), and that last part makes me angry!
No uproar about it?
Really?
He said he hopes his donations have spurred others to think about giving.
The National Park Foundation announced Monday that a $350 million, five-year capital fund-raising campaign begun in October 2013 is about halfway to its goal.
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Why would he love Lincoln so much?
Also see: Are You Brave Enough to Read This Blog?
The question now is am I brave enough to keep it posted.
NDUs:
An unexpected theme on Oscars night
For clergy sex abuse survivors, ‘Spotlight’ Oscar win brings joy and tears
Vatican Radio, newspaper praise ‘Spotlight’ as courageous
Hugs from mom for an Oscar winner for ‘Spotlight’
Why Michael Keaton was sure ‘Spotlight’ would win best picture
Not everyone liked it, and I doubt I will watch it.
