The National Trust for Historic Preservation received a $5 million grant from the Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust to disperse to projects nationwide. The money will hopefully be directed towards areas that have not received as much government funding. Campaigns are also being conducted to educate people on the "green" aspects of restoration, such as energy efficiency and environmentally-friendly materials. Wilson's donation is the largest the Trust has received, and he is hoping that his contribution will prompt other groups to fund the grant program as well in the Trust's quest to educate and raise public awareness regarding the significance of historical preservation. The entire story can be found at the link below:

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jQQ-T-jaf1paY5Jsm23EMGfnhbRQ

Cemetaries are one of America's most intriguing, sacred monuments honoring our nation's past. Arlington National Cemetary serves as a final resting place for some of the United States' most celebrated heros--the men and women that have preserved our country's freedom. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier stands for the men and women who never return to this holy ground, and is guarded by honorary Marines 24 hours a day, seven days a week--rain or shine. The National Trust for Historical Preservation recently discovered that the officials at the cemetary wish to replace the original monument, erected in 1932, because it is need of some cosmetic repair. Instead, they wish to simply move in a replica. Why not just fix the damaged monument that has stood for nearly 100 years? I firmly feel that the orginal monument is important as a legacy to those who have died for our country, as well as those who made the monument a reality. If we simply begin to make replicas of our past, imagine the possibilities for what will lost in translation...

The following link has the complete article regarding the fight to preserve the monument, as well as information on how the public can become involved in doing so: http://www.nationaltrust.org/advocacy/arlington.html

My current problem seems to be that I am interested in too many topics. Of course, politics and social matters generally flood the web, so I will try to stick with the trend. However, I am going to write about what I feel is an important issue in our nation that most people don't consider--historical perservation. Without documenting our past, how can we ever build for the future? With so many issues swirling around the media, it's hard to remember those that aren't "current." Because it is a field in which I hope to work in the future, I thought preservation would be a good topic to research and discuss.