Newark, New Jersey, is embarking upon a pilot project that will offer free legal advice to the thousands of former convicts living in the city. A coalition of legal services groups and the mayor's office are recruiting lawyers to volunteer for the Newark Re-entry Legal Services Network. The goal is to reduce crime by helping felons overcome obstacles that keep them from rejoining society. While the legal volunteers will not officially represent former prisoners, they will dispense advice on subjects such as obtaining drivers' licenses, making child support payments, and finding jobs.

Toronto has released bird-friendly guidelines for use by architects and developers when they design and erect new buildings. The suggestions include using less-reflective glass, installing lighting systems that reduce light pollution, and covering windows with film to mute reflections. Fatal Light Awareness Program, an animal advocacy group, estimates that a million birds die every year in collisions with city buildings, and that collisions are one of the leading causes of declining bird populations in North America.

D.C. drivers are being encouraged to participate in the Neighborhood Pace Car program, launched recently by the District Department of Transportation and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. By signing a "pace car" pledge and putting a special sticker on their vehicle, participants implicitly commit to respecting speed limits and being safe and courteous drivers. Pace Car is modeled after successful programs in Atlanta, Georgia, and Palo Alto, California.

Thirty-one U.S. states have unveiled a Climate Registry designed to uniformly track greenhouse gases emitted by major industries and to provide impetus for more effective policies against global warming. The registry is modeled after California's Climate Action Registry and will start operating next January. It is funded by a mix of industry fees, foundation donations, and public money, and, unlike a similar tracking system developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, it requires all statistics to be verified by an independent third party.

SmallBizU, the result of a partnership between Ohio State University, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the Ohio Department of Development, offers short online courses in business management to busy entrepreneurs. The interactive, self-guided classes are available any time or day. Designed by industry specialists, the courses cover a wide range of issues relevant to marketing, management, and finance.

The California Coast State Waters Mapping Project, a collaborative effort between state and federal scientific and conservation agencies, allows scientists for the first time to see highly detailed, three-dimensional images of the seafloor off California's coast. With the data, researchers can closely study ocean conditions, as well as better predict where tsunamis may crash or earthquakes may occur. The system, which uses advanced sonar and aerial light detection to generate the imagery, will also help conservationists track regional eco-systems and chart the optimal placement of marine-protected areas.

Under a new program in St. Charles County, Missouri, judges will now be able to sentence drug offenders to the county jail to get treatment. Overcrowded conditions in the state prison has often led to a delay in treatment, and the availability of services in the jail helps to unburden the prison system while allowing the county to monitor its community members more closely.

In California, the Irwindale Police Department is developing a database of local businesses' properties to guide officers in urgent situations. Officers will have secure wireless access to the web-based system in their cruisers, allowing them to examine floor plans and aerial and interior photos to develop strategies during hostage situations, burglaries, or natural disasters. The program is voluntary for businesses.

The "Clean Car Discount" bill is gaining traction in the California legislature, having just been approved by the Assembly Transportation Committee last month. By 2011, the state Air Resources Board each year would rank new car models by the pounds of carbon dioxide and other gases they emit, and buyers would find corresponding rebates or surcharges on the windshield stickers of new cars. California drivers who buy vehicles that emit high levels of greenhouse gases could pay up to $2,500.

Urban planners in the United States are devising new strategies to accommodate the transportation, energy, and water needs of a rapidly growing nation. Power substations are being placed underwater and underground. Water purification projects are turning sewage into water suitable for irrigation. Wireless technology is being enabled in buses and commuter rails to lure commuters out of their cars. With the expected addition of 100 million people by 2040, planners are busy ensuring that infrastructure needs will be accommodated.

Charlotte County, Florida, has opened Volunteerway, a clearinghouse to match citizens interested in contributing to the public good with the agencies that need them. The United Way of Charlotte County seeks to nurture volunteerism in a state where public service has traditionally been low. 

Newsletter produced by: Brendan St. Amant and Vanessa Ruget (researchers and writers); Joellen Secondo (editor).