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Crimson Clouds

Photograph by Terence West, National Geographic Your Shot

Red storm clouds hang heavy over Spring Creek, Queensland, Australia. Photographer Terence West had been chasing the storm across the Southern Downs when he captured this image of the back of the storm just as the sun was going down. It made me feel that nature was at peace after the anger of the storm, he wrote.

This photo was submitted to Your Shot. Check out the new and improved website, where you can share photos, take part in assignments, lend your voice to stories, and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.

Gold Dust

Photograph by Kinga Sztok, National Geographic Your Shot

Pollen dusts the petals of a flower in Galway, Ireland, in this close-up by Your Shot member Kinga Sztok. What I love about macro photography is that it reveals the amazing details that are not visible to the naked eye, or things we're too busy to notice each day, writes Sztok.

This photo was submitted to Your Shot. Check out the new and improved website, where you can share photos, take part in assignments, lend your voice to stories, and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.

It’s refreshing to see a summer dress paired with a lightly-colored chukka boot instead of the super heavy looking and pretty cliché Doc Martens.

I might not always love her combinations (but I love the challenges she suggests)  but I’m always curious to what she will wear each time I see her in Paris.

The City of Hoboken will host its second Rain Barrel Installation Workshop on Saturday, August 2, 2014 from 11:00am to 12:30pm and will be providing a free rain barrel to the first 25 Hoboken residents who register and participate. To sign up, visit www.hobokennj.org/greenteam/rainbarrel.

Rain barrels can be used to capture stormwater runoff that otherwise would have gone directly into the sewer system. The stored water can later be used for gardening or other uses. Every gallon of water kept out of the sewer system through green roofs, rain barrels, street trees, rain gardens, porous pavers, and other green infrastructure helps to reduce flooding.

The workshop, which will provide information on maintaining a rain barrel, including keeping it free of mosquitoes, is open to all Hoboken residents interested in installing a rain barrel on their property. Participants will retrofit a 55 gallon recycled food grade plastic drum into a fully functional rain barrel and will receive a free rain barrel at the conclusion of the workshop.

All members of the Hoboken community are invited to a public meeting to provide input on the creation of a Redevelopment Plan for the Western Edge. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 20, 2014 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm in the conference room of the Multi-Service Center, located at 124 Grand Street.

The community is also invited to complete an online survey to provide input. The link to the survey is available on the City website at www.hobokennj.org/westernedge.

The Downtown Hoboken Farmers Market is cancelled today because of the predicted bad weather.

Paving, Sewer & Water Infrastructure Upgrades to Be Coordinated to Minimize Disruptions

Starting on or about July 21, 2014, PSE&G will begin a major project to upgrade 60 percent of the gas lines within the City of Hoboken as part of the Energy Strong program. The project is replacing 31,000 linear feet of low pressure old cast iron mains in or near flood areas with new plastic pipe. The new pipes will be upgraded to a higher pressure that prevents water from entering mains, increasing the reliability of gas service.

Also as part of the Energy Strong program, PSE&G will soon begin work to combine Hoboken’s three electrical substations into two and raise the substations to protect them from flooding.

“We advocated strongly for the Energy Strong program and are thrilled that we have this tremendous opportunity to upgrade our infrastructure to be more resilient,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “I also recognize that this will be a major challenge for our community, and we ask for everyone’s cooperation and patience as we coordinate with PSE&G to minimize disruptions and complete these upgrades.”

The gas main work will take place in two phases. In 2014, work will take place to upgrade approximately 1,000 services south of (and including) 6^th Street. In 2015, work will take place to upgrade approximately 1,500 services north of 6^th Street.

The City of Hoboken is coordinating its planned road resurfacing projects with PSE&G, United Water, and North Hudson Sewerage Authority in order to minimize road openings, construction time and traffic disruptions.

The City plans to repave approximately 50 blocks of roadway, make pedestrian safety improvements to 11 intersections, and upgrade more than 350 handicap-accessible curb ramps later this year. Hudson County has begun resurfacing work on Willow Avenue from 11^th Street to 13^th Street on June 30. The work is expected to be completed by July 30. North Hudson Sewerage Authority will be replacing three blocks of combined sewer along Jackson Street, from Newark Street to 1st Street. The work is expected to last approximately 8 to 10 weeks.

A map of the planned resurfacing, gas line, and sewer infrastructure upgrades is available at www.hobokennj.org/docs/env/Hoboken-PSEG-roads.pdf.

In order to shorten the length of the project as much as possible, PSE&G will have three crews working on the project in Hoboken. The work will involve digging trenches in the roadway, which will result in temporary closures and/or detours. If necessary, service lines that bring gas to individual homes and businesses will also be upgraded. This will involve digging in the street, at the meter, and in some cases, along the service line. PSE&G will contact property owners to arrange a date and time to allow access so crews can install new meters where existing meters are scheduled for replacement. Customers will be without gas service for approximately four hours while this work is completed. Upon completion of the project, PSE&G will restore the property to its original condition. Grass areas will be repaired and any concrete or asphalt will be temporarily patched until final restoration work can be scheduled. Customers will have access to their property at all time.

For the first phase of the project, PSE&G will be upgrading gas facilities in Hoboken on the following streets:

• Newark Street between Grand Street and Washington Street
• 1st Street between Adams Avenue and Washington Street
• 2nd Street between Grand Street and Washington Street
• 3rd Street between Willow Avenue and Garden Street
• 4th Street between Madison Street and Grand Street
• 5th Street between Willow Avenue and Frank Sinatra Drive
• 6th Street between Madison Street and Court Street
• Monroe Street between 3rd Street and 6th Street
• Jefferson Street between 4th Street and 5th Street
• Adams Street between 1st Street and 6th Street
• Grand Street between 1st Street and 2nd Street
• Grand Street between 5th Street and 6th Street
• Willow Avenue between 1st Street and 3rd Street
• Park Avenue between Newark Street and 4th Street
• Park Avenue between 5th Street and 6th Street
• Garden Street between 2nd Street and 6th Street
• Bloomfield Street between Newark Street and 2nd Street
• Washington Street between Observer Highway and 6th Street
• Court Street between 4th Street and 6th Street

More information on Energy Strong can be found at www.pseg.com/energystrong. A customer service representative will also be available to answer questions at the PSE&G Customer Service location at 615 Washington Street. An FAQ on the gas main replacement project is available at www.pseg.com/family/pseandg/energy_strong/pdf/faq.pdf. A fact sheet on Energy Strong is available at www.pseg.com/family/pseandg/energy_strong/pdf/factsheet.pdf.

Light in the Afternoon

Photograph by John Bragg

"The town of St. Magdalena, Italy, sits at the base of the Dolomite mountain range, with an amazingly beautiful view during the afternoon hours," writes photographer John Bragg.

This photo and caption were submitted to the 2014 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

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