NY national monuments to get repairs with federal economic stimulus money

September 30th, 2009 Obama to announce $5 billion from stimulus for NIHWASHINGTON — The National Institutes of Health is getting $5 billion in economic stimulus funds to support research into cures for cancer and other diseases, and to create jobs. President Barack Obama was making the announcement Wednesday at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md., with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (seh-BEEL'-yuhs).

September 16th, 2009 Senate Dem: End 'bottomless pit' stimulus projectsWASHINGTON — A senior Democratic senator urged the Obama administration to suspend hundreds of millions of dollars in repairs to the nation's border stations Wednesday, saying Homeland Security officials were treating the economic stimulus plan like a "bottomless pit" of taxpayer money. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said he was not persuaded by assurances from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano that stimulus money was handed out appropriately for renovations at border checkpoints.

September 9th, 2009 AP EXCLUSIVE: Grass to be greener on National MallWASHINGTON — Frustrated with poor maintenance by the federal government, the group that built the Vietnam War memorial is aiming to improve its little corner of the National Mall by taking over lawn care for 13.5 acres marred by weeds, moss and brown spots. Officials with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund said they were moved to act after reading an Associated Press investigative story on the lack of federal money for the mall, despite needed urgent repairs to the area known as "America's front yard." The AP's story in July analyzed congressional spending since 2005 and found the mall has been at a disadvantage in competing for millions of dollars in extra funds doled out by lawmakers, compared with sites that are represented by powerful members of Congress.

September 6th, 2009 National Mall gets new leader to guide overhaulWASHINGTON — The new leader responsible for the overhaul of the deteriorating National Mall, with its crumbling sidewalks and dirty water, promises visible improvements within the next year. It's only been a week since John Piltzecker became superintendent of America's "front yard," but the 25-year park ranger and administrator understands the public outrage over the mall's current condition.

August 27th, 2009 STIMULUS WATCH: GOP opposes plan, then seeks moneyWASHINGTON — Georgia's Republican senators, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, voted against the $787 billion economic stimulus package, blasting the bill as a bloated government giveaway. Their disdain didn't stop them from later asking Defense Secretary Robert Gates to steer $50 million in stimulus money to a constituent's bio-energy project.

July 18th, 2009 Govs: Federal stimulus helped states plug budgetsBILOXI, Miss. — A bipartisan group of governors said Saturday that the federal stimulus package helped states avoid deep budget cuts during the recession.

July 17th, 2009 STIMULUS WATCH: No-bid contracts mean higher costsWASHINGTON — The Defense Department frequently awards no-bid work to small contractors for repairs at military bases under the new economic stimulus law, costing taxpayers millions of dollars more than when businesses compete for the work, according to an Associated Press analysis of 570 such contracts. The Pentagon saves more than three times as much money when companies compete, the AP analysis showed.

July 10th, 2009 Keep them playing: Stimulus money aids orchestrasWASHINGTON — Dozens of orchestras around the nation can keep playing for now, kept in tune by federal stimulus dollars aimed at saving jobs. The League of American Orchestras said Thursday that the National Endowment for the Arts has awarded 64 orchestras one-time grants of $25,000 or $50,000 to preserve administrative and artistic jobs at risk of being eliminated amid the recession.

June 3rd, 2009 Forest Service: $228M to fix roads, bridgesWASHINGTON — National forest roads and bridges in 31 states will get long-needed repairs under an economic stimulus spending plan announced by the Obama administration. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Tuesday that $228 million in economic stimulus money will be used for road maintenance and decommissioning and watershed restoration in dozens of national forests.

May 13th, 2009 Feds to cover up-front costs of tracking stimulusWASHINGTON — Cash-strapped states are getting help from Washington to keep track of how they spend the $787 billion in federal stimulus money aimed at boosting jobs and the economy. States will now be able to get federal funds to hire auditors and accountants and pay other administrative costs associated with the stimulus money, said a memo released Wednesday by the White House.

April 29th, 2009 Aide says Palin will OK most stimulus fundsANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will sign bills accepting most of the federal stimulus funds available to the state, her spokeswoman said Tuesday.

April 23rd, 2009 Stimulus millions to fix leaky Independence HallPHILADELPHIA — More than $5.6 million in federal stimulus aid will be used to repair and restore the leaky clock tower of Independence Hall, which once housed the Liberty Bell, and for other park improvements, officials said Wednesday. Independence National Historical Park officials said about $4 million will be used to stop the deterioration caused by water infiltration in the tower, install a new lightning protection system and add new clock faces.

April 23rd, 2009 Highlights of stimulus spending to improve parksInterior Secretary Ken Salazar said Wednesday that $750 million in economic stimulus money will go to restore and repair national parks nationwide, including about $55.8 million for the National Mall in Washington. Highlights of the spending include: WASHINGTON, D.C.

April 22nd, 2009 Interior announces $750M to restore national parksWASHINGTON — Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says $750 million in economic stimulus money will go to restore and repair national parks, including $30 million to fix the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. Other projects announced Wednesday include $26 million to repair buildings and a seawall at New York's Ellis Island, where millions of immigrants first entered the country; $5 million to refurbish Philadelphia's Independence Hall; and $54.7 million for dam removal and others projects at Olympic National Park in Washington state.

April 22nd, 2009 Stimulus money includes spruce-up of National MallWASHINGTON — More than $55 million in economic stimulus money will be used to fix the National Mall, even though money for the renovations was removed during congressional debate on the stimulus package this winter. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Wednesday that $750 million in stimulus money will go to restore and repair national parks nationwide, including about $55.8 million for the National Mall.