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 ball drop to welcome the new year. more ›

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! more ›

Aha! Supermodel Naomi Campbell 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 year for "shoes, vests, shirts and gloves." Check out this picture of Campbell working it in her DOS vest! more ›

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! more ›

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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. more ›

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 other than walking in slush: Home and business owners who didn't shovel the snow off sidewalks were ticketed yesterday and car owners keep getting plowed in. And be careful of falling ice or workers pushing snow off awnings - we've gotten nailed by that a couple times by now. Better that than pigeon poop, though. more ›

- Give to the greater good by making a contribution to someone’s favorite charity.In other news, it seems that many people have been returning Christmas presents - or putting up for sale on eBay. Were you happy with your holiday gift giving and receiving? Are will you go the "Human Fund" route next year? And we must give props to the city's graphics people - having reindeer pull a san truck is so awesome!
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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 to "containerize" garbage pick up. Which means that bins full of garbage would just be rolled onto the truck and then dumped. Gothamist is fascinated with the Department of Sanitation because picking up the refuse millions of New Yorkers (not to mention the workers that come in for the day) create is a monster job; check out our entries on the DoS. And this Sunday is tech recycling day in Manhattan at Union Square - see what you can recycle! more ›