Want to do something different this summer and save money too? Pittsburgh Water Limo created two new packages that offer fun ways to enjoy attractions along Pittsburgh’s riverbanks: The Weekend Loop and Pirate Ticket Packages. [more at Pittsburgh Happenings on Blogspot]
In addition to the usual strategic and creative challenges of creating any website, building one by a committee of volunteers for a whole community—of many opinions!—adds some additional layers of complexity. Here is the solution we came up with for the new Deutschtown community website.
My personal assessment is that it turned out very well considering the volunteer-driven, multiple personality process. I’d still like to see a few “missing teeth” filled in. And I’d like to see a more consistent writing style throughout—the inconsistency is a result of a variety of contributors from the committee. Maybe a stronger social media strategy going forward. Etc. Nevertheless, the site does a pretty good job of branding the community and demonstrating the benefits of living, working or playing here.
The marketing of “Green” thinking and technologies—I call it the Green R/evolution— continues to grow, in spite of the down economy and lower gas prices. Much of the media have embraced the new thinking, including a National Geographic cover story this month, for example. But that’s no real surprise, since NG has always been about protecting the natural environment.
The cover story this month is an interesting approach. A senior editor chose to experiment with his family and neighbors to try to reduce their household energy consumption—to 80% less than the national average. The story of their efforts interweaves with much info about national energy consumption patterns. Who knew that the energy lost in just TRANSMISSION to your home is twice what we actually USE in our homes?!
On the cold morning of January 4th a fire ravaged an apartment building here in East Allegheny (aka Deutschtown). The fire gutted the building, leaving 21 of our neighbors homeless, including 11 children. It followed on the heals of another fire on New Years Eve in an adjoining neighborhood. It was a bad start to a new year for many here.
No, this is not a story about cats, in spite of the photo here. But my cat launched the following reflections on this New Years Day 2009. I watched her march through new fallen snow in the bright, but rare Pittsburgh sunlight, leaving tiny footprints in her path— a record of her travels while doing her “cat work.” The footprints show me what she’s been up to, where she’s been. Unfortunately it doesn’t tell me what she’s up to next. 
