This shows the power of Twitter in the hands of public servants--at it best

This is a great use of Twitter. For those of you who think it's all 'I'm eating a chocolate bar now', be sure to read:

I will dig you out.": "It began with a simple “let me know” Tweet a few hours after Sunday’s blizzard dumped more than two feet of snow on New Jersey’s largest city. Soon, Tweets by Newark residents were providing Mayor @CoryBooker with critical real-time information as he directed the massive cleanup.

Booker is no stranger to Twitter. He has logged nearly 5,000 Tweets and gained more than one million followers since joining in 2008. In the last four days, he’s demonstrated to his community tangible examples of individual engagement that may have even inspired others to act in kind.

Patrolling the streets of his city with a Blackberry in hand, Booker responded to a report of a woman in labor – arriving to aid the expectant mother before EMS could get to the scene. As residents reported unplowed streets and stuck cars, the mayor dispatched city plows and tow trucks, often showing up himself to help shovel or push.

Booker is setting a great example for how local public officials can use Twitter to better manage crisis. His effort did not go unnoticed. Check out Vanity Fair’s list of the “10 Most Valiant Snow-Rescue Tweets from Cory Booker,” and coverage from the New York Times, Washington Post, Time, or this piece by Frank Reed for more.

PS I tweeted a this story on my feed hoping @JimGrayLexKY (our new mayor) will read it.

Ah, the Garden State

Middlesex County attempts to neutralize landfill odors using fragrant spray trucks

EAST BRUNSWICK — Deep within the countless mounds of trash at the Middlesex County Landfill, a special truck is waging a desperate battle for the hearts and minds — and noses — of nearby residents.

On one side — well, every side, really — are piles and piles of trash, with more than 1,000 tons arriving each day at the East Brunswick site. Atop one of the largest active dumps in the country, the garbage oozes methane gas, the stench of which has tested neighbors’ olfactory nerves for years.

But an unorthodox solution has entered the ring: A flatbed truck equipped with special nozzles now winds clumsily through the garbage, releasing a secret weapon: hundreds of gallons of a fragrant, soapy, slightly citrus-scented spray.

"It has a pleasant, showery smell," said Richard Fitamant, executive director of the Middlesex County Utilities Authority, which runs the landfill. "It’s not offensive and it’s not overpowering. It’s a light scent."

It does make you rather wonder what sort of chemicals are being sprayed in the attempt to 'solve' the problem. In my opinion, they're covering up the odour, but not really dealing with the cause. There must be better ways to run a landfill than this.

And sorry about the potshot of a title, but an old friend of mine from New Jersey used to make fun of Kentuckians all the time, nevermind that he went to college classes barefoot, so I couldn't resist.

Here's hoping...

Camden, NJ Libraries Get Lifeline

Officials in New Jersey have apparently found a way to save the city of Camden's public library system in whole or part.

Last week came the report that Camden's library board had voted to close the three-branch system by the end of the year for lack of funding.

And the board said it wasn't bluffing in an attempt to squeeze more money out of Camden Mayor Dana Redd.

On Monday, Redd said a new plan called for the city's library system would join the county's, thereby maintaining library service in the hard-scrabble city across the Delaware River from Philadelphia.

According to Wikipedia:

Although once a thriving center for manufacturing and industry, Camden is perhaps best known for its struggles with urban dysfunction. Three Camden mayors have been jailed for corruption, the most recent being Milton Milan in 2000. Since 2005 the school system and police department have been operated by the State of New Jersey; the takeover will expire in 2012. In 2009, Camden had the highest crime rate in the U.S. with 2,333 violent crimes per 100,000 people while the national average was 455 per 100,000 Camden public schools spend $17,000 per student per year yet only two thirds of the students graduate. Two out of every five residents are below the national poverty line.

Public libraries are not a luxury; they are vital, especially in a world where you can't apply for a job at even low-end jobs without going online. In a city like Camden, this is even more so. I hope they can save the libraries. It was looking last week like they would be the first system to totally shut its doors and liquidate their collections and facilities in the country. I'm glad there's a good chance that isn't going to happen now.