Blackburn Mfg. Co. – The original and still the best
Blackburn Mfg. Co. was started in 1953 by E.A. “Bud” Blackburn in the basement of a small family homestead near Royal, Neb. Bud’s uncle, Ray Blackburn, who was a surveyor, asked him if he could attach a piece of cloth … More from our cover sponsor →
Cities continue to cope with gun violence
After the Virginia Tech shooting occurred in 2007, I vividly recall assessing each of my college classrooms with new eyes, highlighting points of escape, nooks for hiding and objects that could be hurled in a worst-case scenario. It’s a habit … Continue reading →
Outsourcing municipal street sweeping
Outsourcing any public works function can be an economical solution for a municipal government. Utilizing a third-party contractor such as Sweeping Corporation of America for street sweeping and jet-vac service can provide a range of cost saving options for a … Continue reading →
Hampstead, N.C., residents grapple with incorporation
To incorporate or not to incorporate — that is the question. The answer? Not so simple. Hampstead, N.C. has been trying for years to incorporate, according to Suzann Rhodes, FAICP, who has been closely involved with the so-far-unsuccessful endeavor and … Continue reading →
High friction surface treatments cut accident rates
One of the most important tasks for any state department of transportation is to save lives. That’s why road construction and repair is so vital to pretty much every municipality. Yet vehicle-related fatalities are still a major cause of … Continue reading →
Salt Lake City embarks on wireless communications journey
Society’s fast-paced ways have transformed internet access from a luxury into a necessity and important quality of life issue. Equally relevant, technological developments have proven so beneficial in society that more and more advancements continue to arise at record speed … Continue reading →
Bloomington, Ill.’s, successful, frugal merger
When Bloomington, Ill., Public Works Director Jim Karch watches his pennies for a whole year, he saves on average $250,000. But it’s not really his money; it belongs to Bloomington because Karch, PE, MPA, oversaw a successful merger of the … Continue reading →
Combatting air pollution
The most prevalent commodity shared by human beings is the air we breathe. Unfortunately, especially in municipalities to varying degrees, that air is not always clean. The stakes are dire. According to www.healthaffairs.org, air pollution contributed to 6.1 million deaths … Continue reading →
City seals: Chandler, Ariz.
The city seal of Chandler, Ariz., adopted Feb. 8, 1994, is simple enough, but it symbolizes three major components of the city’s heritage: the San Tan Mountains, an irrigated agricultural field and a silhouette of an industrial plant. Overarching the … Continue reading →
Cities have an app for that
As technology improves, it’s up to municipalities to provide more and more modern conveniences. This often means adding information and functionality to a city’s website. But how people access the internet has dramatically changed over the years and will continue … Continue reading →
‘Grand’ new attractions: Grand Junction makes improvements to its downtown district
As the most populous municipality in western Colorado, the city of Grand Junction, located in Mesa County, is working hard to make improvements to its downtown district that will encourage new businesses to flourish, encourage visitors to stay a while … Continue reading →
Winterthur Museum Winterthur, Del.
In 1951 Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969) opened his boyhood home to the public. Today Winterthur, pronounced “winter-tour,” stands as the premier museum campus of American decorative arts and naturalistic specimen plantings. Winterthur is situated about a mile and a … Continue reading →
Montgomery cements its position as a smart city in national Smart Cities Challenge
The city of Montgomery, Ala., has recently been recognized for its technological advances in becoming a smart city. It began with a collaboration and consultation between technology advocate and entrepreneur Boyd Stephens and Mayor Todd Strange. Their goal was to … Continue reading →
Privacy concerns as technology advances
As technology continues to evolve, privacy has become a constant juggling act. This fine line is particularly seen in today’s debate on facial recognition. Some cities are embracing it — often seeing considerable value in the realm of public safety … Continue reading →
Handheld battery-powered technology to aid America’s infrastructure upgrade projects
By Denene Williams, MAX USA CORP. In 2019, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the nation’s infrastructure a D+ grade. The infrastructure referenced on this report card represents the roads and bridges Americans use daily to commute back and … Continue reading →
Glenwood Springs goes fully renewable
The city of Glenwood Springs, Colo., was recently distinguished as the seventh city in the United States and the second in the state behind Aspen to be powered entirely by renewable energy. The perfect set of circumstances came together to … Continue reading →
St. Tammany Parish brings forth forward-thinking decentralized management program
Water quality isn’t limited to drinking water. St. Tammany Parish, a municipality in Louisiana, won the state’s only Outstanding Achievement Award for a forward-thinking decentralized management program. This program, funded in part by the Environmental Protection Agency, reduced pollution … Continue reading →
Help Part II: Weathering the worst and stepping toward recovery
Dardanelle, Ark., is a historic city that lies on the banks of the Arkansas River and this year added to its history when a flood of historic proportions overcame the city at the end of May. Mayor Jimmy Witt … Continue reading →
Bringing new life to brownfields
Many progressive municipalities, like Waterbury, Conn., are giving renewed life to previously industrial brownfields, turning them into brightfields or cleaned up spaces that residents want to visit. These often toxic barren grounds all over the nation are home to decaying, … Continue reading →
