newarking

One of the topics I will try to get into here at newarking is how Newark (and all of Delaware) plays a role in the much debated topic of energy. I think it’s a topic that we all put on the back burner and forget about, or expect others to solve the problem for us. That may have been the case for many years, but I think you’re going to see more interaction from many different people as more people discuss the topic on websites such as the one you’re currently on. To start, we’ll take a look at “Delaware’s Energy An$wers Program” to see what all the fuss is about. In addition, I’ll be going through much of their related website to see if I have and tidbits as to help make the program more popular (and more successful). I encourage you to check out the site as well and discuss any pros or cons here at newarking.com

I’ve just added a link in my blogroll to the community blog for Chesapeake City - Canal Side, from Janelle Higgins Jones. It’s filled with local stories, and some excellent photos.

If you know of any others from or about any of Newark’s neighboring cities, please let me know.

A recent letter to the editor at the News Journal noted that a local school district would be shelving 2,000 computers, so that they didn’t have to pay Microsoft $ 70,000 for licensing fees.

That’s sad on so many levels that it made me want to write a rant about the sad state of Delaware’s school administrators.

Before I do, take a look at this page on open source software for schools:

Why should open source software be used in schools?

Here’s a snippet:

We are well into the beginnings of the Information Age. It stands to affect the people of the world at least as profoundly as the Industrial Age. It is time for the opening of the tools that will be needed to build this new age. Teaching our children to be passive purchasers of closed, proprietary solutions to problems is not enough. Constraining students to move the mouse within the confines of the instruction set of a few closed, proprietary programs merely cages those students and constrains our future.

Why isn’t Delaware using open source software for computers in classrooms?

(more…)

Saw a commercial today on Dawn detergent, and their efforts towards helping with wildlife rehabilitation. I visited their web site, and found this - Dawn® Difference Diaries.

Seems like they are sending a blogger (contest winner Christy Buckley) to six of the best wildlife rehabilitation clinics in the country. One of those is the Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research Center in Newark.

Nice to see Tri-State getting attention like this.

Hope you have fun while visiting Delaware, Christy.

Back in August, I had the pleasure of attending Wordcamp 2006, which was a gathering in San Francisco for bloggers who use wordpress software.

It was a lot of fun to meet so many other bloggers, and I’ve wondered if it might be possible to have a one day conference or gathering in Delaware where people from Delaware could get together, and share ideas and tips about blogging, and maybe meet face to face.

I talked about this with my friend, Larry Sullivan, of Delaware Law Office, and Eric Hebert of Evolver Media, and both volunteered to participate in helping to make such a gathering work.

I’m going to be sending out some emails to Delaware Bloggers, or contacting them with contact forms if I can’t find an email address for them. If you blog in Delaware and aren’t contacted, please get in touch, and I’ll let you know more.

We would likely meet in Newark, and may have a venue for the event already. A date hasn’t been chosen yet, and I was hoping to get some feedback from people I contact as to when they might be available. The last week in November is probably not a good time, and the same with the last week in December.

Here are some of the reasons to attend:

1. Meet other local bloggers, and people who might be interested in blogging

2. Volunteer to speak on a specific topic (let me know what you might be interested in talking about, and I’ll make a list.)

3. Suggest guest speakers - if you know someone who might be interested in speaking to a group of bloggers, please let me know.

4. Explore how Delaware bloggers can work together in ways that can benefit Delaware and local communities.

5. Learn from each other some technical aspects of blogging and blogging software, including plugins, writing strategies, spam fighting, and more.

If I’ve contacted you, and you know of others who also might be interested, please let them know. And let me know, and I’ll make a list of people who may be interested in attending.

Thanks.

I’ll look forward to hearing from you.