On Tues., March 3, 2009, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden unveiled an official logo to designate projects funded by the ARRA. You can read the official notice on the recovery.gov Web site and watch the President’s speech by clicking here.
Category: Public Works
We Are Public Works Network
Visit We Are Public WorksLast month, the American Public Works Association (APWA) launched an online network for those of us working in the public works industry. Since beginning late in February, WEAREPUBLICWORKS.ORG has grown to over a hundred members. And even though APWA launched the site, you don’t have to be a member of APWA…
Public Works Industry Starting to Blog
Over the last few years, I have been on the lookout for blogs and other social media related to the public works industry. Up until lately that trough has been a little dry, but fortunately that seems to finally be changing. As I was working on a presentation I am giving in March in Springfield,…
Stimulus Money Won’t Stimulate?
I am disappointed to have to write this blog post but wanted to make sure others were aware of what is happening due to the language of the Recovery Bill with respect to road construction. So far, from what I have been told by DOT employees, the only roads that will be eligible to receive…
Frozen Meters Exposed – Don’t Try This at Home
A water meter usually sits in a basement or crawlspace off in a corner, forgotten, and often ignored. But when temperatures start to dip below 0° F, and the water in the meter freezes because no one thought to keep their meter nice and toasty warm, this water measuring device starts to get a little…
Your Social Media Journey Begins Here
So how many times have you tried to convince your friends and colleagues that they should be on Twitter or LinkedIn? Are you the person making the rounds in your office showing everyone Second Life and trying to convince them of the benefits of virtual worlds. I know I am one of those people shouting…
Stimulus Package Status Report
If your community is like ours, you have received very little information about the much publicized economic stimulus package currently under consideration by our legislators and President-elect Obama. For a small town, this is frustrating because if this does happen, the opportunity will be a once-in-a-lifetime deal. So we sit on the edge of our…
Civil Engineering in the Virtual World
For the past two years, I have been exploring Second Life as a potential tool for civil engineers, public works professionals, and local government. Now, thanks to Silverwing Benoir, a friend of mine from Second Life, I will have the opportunity to present what I have discovered, try to offer some insight into future applications,…
Low Hanging Fruit for Your Stimulus Basket
Ever since our city first became aware of the possibility of a federal stimulus package focusing on public works, we have been busy as bees finding “shovel-ready” projects to submit for funding. Because I realize efforts like ours are now going on all over the U.S., I thought it might be helpful to post some…
Inviting Utilities to the Public Works Feast
Yesterday, while our water crews were repairing a major water main break in our city, I spent some time talking with a guy from our local gas company. He had been sent to the site to watch out for the gas main that was located in the same trench. Our conversation made me realize that…