So many of your offices haveviews of the National Mall that we figured this would be of interest.The last time the Mall had amajorrenovation was the1976 Bicentennial. (Maybe the damage was done by all thefireworks that year.) Yesterday, the Trust for the National Mall announced a new benefactor is chipping in$10M.Akridge founderChip Akridge donned a bright blue suit and kicked off the Trust's6th annualbenefit luncheon withfriends from theCapitol Band Brass.

Renovations have actually beenongoing, including the restoration ofgrass panels like the ones between3rd and7th streets. Other new features the Trust hopes to have completed by2016(the 100-year anniversary of the National Park Service) are the redesign and restoration ofConstitution Gardens and the construction of a new tree-linedamphitheater.National Mall superintendent Bob Vogel(whom we snapped with Chip and Westbury Partners'Joe Fogg) says the restorations should "prevent damage, rather than repair it." He also says public/private partnerships are the only way to keep "America's Best Idea" sustainable.