Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and six other local members of the House of Representatives asked the National Park Service Tuesday to reconsider its proposal to ban recreational activities on the grounds of the Washington Monument. The legislators also asked the Park Service to reconsider its proposed increase in fees for use of its ballfields elsewhere on the Mall and in Rock Creek Park. The Park Service said recently that it wants to permanently close the grounds of the Washington Monument to recreational activities and increase fees for use of its 28 athletic fields. The battered monument grounds were closed earlier this year for turf restoration, and the Park Service wants that closure to continue after the project is finished next year. One girl was charged with assault, possession of a deadly weapon on school property and disruption of school activities, according to police.

Source: Washington Post November 14, 2017 23:03 UTC