Washington Monument reopens

WASHINGTON -- Steve Dallman was No. 1 on Monday. The salesman from Chesterfield, Mo., has the ticket to prove it.

He and his family, holding ticket numbers 1 to 6, were the first to go through the big metal doors and see the newly refurbished Washington Monument, the icon that just underwent $10 million worth of exterior and interior repair.

Monday was opening day, and the renovated observation and exhibit levels were the main attraction.

The Dallmans, also the first to come out, were besieged by reporters.

"So how was it?," a TV reporter asked.

"Absolutely beautiful," Dallman replied. "It looks the way it should look."

The ticket line was twice as long as on an ordinary summer day, park rangers said. Several hundred people were waiting when the kiosk opened at 9 a.m.