A sparkling new 700-pound ball, tons of confetti, and over a million people helped ring in the New Year from Times Square last night/early today. Mayor Bloomberg and police Police Academy valedictorian Karolina Wierzchowska, who also served in the Iraq War, hit the switch that brought the famous Times Square New Year's ball down. The Daily News called it a "shimmering pole dance," and it was the 100th time Times Square has had a......

For some reason, Naomi Campbell can only carry one bag at a time. The Post breathlessly reports that on the supermodel's second day of community service at the Department of Sanitation warehouse on South Street, Campbell's bodyguard tried to get a DOS employee to carry her tote for her. But the employee refused, and a DOS police lieutenant John Fitzgerald, a 24-year vet, got stuck carrying it! The DOS explained to the Post, "Our policy......

Aha! Supermodel Naomi Campbell did bring workboots with her to perform community service at a Department of Sanitation warehouse on South Street yesterday - they were just slung against her back. We didn't notice them before because we were trying to figure out her overall get-up. The Daily News reveals that while Campbell was wearing $1,000 Christian Louboutin boots and a $1,500 Azzedine Alaia coat, DOS employees only get a $900 uniform allowance each......

What a cool surprise for the Department of Sanitation: A DOS cap that is officially licensed by the city is a big hit with consumers. The DOS Patch Cap, which sells for $14.99, has a frayed and weathered brim - hello, hipster market! The licensing VP of NYC Marketing Lloyd Haymes told the AP, "There's a chance to make it this underground style brand, kind of like, 'You don't know how cool Sanitation is,......

Residents of Chinatown, Lower East Side, Soho, Nolita, Little Italy, etc., get your cameras and Culture Club vinyls ready: Boy George will be cleaning your streets starting August 14. The Department of Sanitation told the Daily News that Boy George will get a "shovel, broom, plastic bags and gloves" when he starts his 5 day community service stint (required after he pleaded guilty to falsely calling in a break-in). The DoS says that the singer......

Yay for optimism, because that seems to be the key word at the Department of Sanitation. The DoS and the city have launched a new anti-littering campaign - "Stomp Out Litter." And it features the cast of Stomp traipsing around the city, from Times Square to the Bronx Zoo - even Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Funny, it looks so glamorous, so "Rent" when the cast of Stomp stomps out litter. DoS Commissioner John Doherty......

It's drip drip drip in the city these days, and the mountains of snow are melting, thanks to Mother Nature's sunny disposition - and the Department of Sanitation's cool snow melters. These orange monsters melt up snow and then inject a more liquidy mixture directly into the sewers - we know this from yesterday's NY Times article. Next up: The DoS figures out how to suck all the slush from street corners! Weather-related ails......

Gothamist was searching for some NYC Sanitation rules for this holiday week when we came upon the DoS's NYCWasteLe$$ Holiday Tips. The DoS has suggestions on how to make the holiday, well, less wasteful:- Give homemade gifts, such as cookies, handcrafts, or framed photos. - Give entertainment, such as museum memberships; tickets to movies, theater, concerts, or sporting events; gift certificates to a favorite restaurant. - Give learning, such as language or music lessons; classes......

Mayor Bloomberg and the Department of Sanitation will agree to a new contract that includes a 17% raise, because it involves a special one-person truck that improve productivity. The DoS will agree to cut 200 jobs and enforce longer hours to pick up more of our stinky garbage. The Koch administration had reduced the number of workers on san trucks from three to two, and the NY Times says that the Bloomberg administration has wanted......