Web surfing...

If you've got some time to kill on the internet, here are a few websites you should visit.

First is DataPlace. Based on Census and other data, this site allows you to look up all kinds of statistics and information about your community. You can make maps, tables, charts, and comparisons across communities. If you're a geek for this stuff (like me), it's sure to be worth a click.

The other site is called PlanNYC. Though, as the name suggests, it's about New York City, the concept behind the site is really great. It is meant to serve as a one-stop shop for specific information about development, construction, and other planning activities occurring in your neighborhood. Included are news stories, links to public information and reports, and a calendar to keep you up to date on the public meetings dealing with your community. Something like this would be a tremendously valuable resource for Howard County (or any county for that matter). From what I hear, it was built using Open Source code, which means free! If there are any enterprising web developers out there interested in helping with such a project in Howard County, send me an email.