Projects

There are public projects and private projects…  Carl, the idea guy, rarely stops coming up with new solutions for local people who need help.  Just a guess but Wal-Mart and other retailers probably would rather Carl didn’t fix that yard rake today for a neighbor in need.

Public Projects:

  • Armstrong Habitat for Humanity – if you want to help Carl help a good cause, you can sign up for construction (House #6 is being dedicated May 16th), fundraising (needed for House #7), serve on a committee, or simply be a volunteer cheerleader at the Crooked Creek Triathlon on September 18th, 2010.  If it’s not too much to ask, we wouldn’t mind if you also help out with a stop watch (timer) or hand cups of water to runners as they go by. And, by the way, Carl says it’s ok to say no.
  • The “Parent Quiz” – on the surface, a bunch of fun because the kids get to watch their parents try to answer one question.  Below the surface, a childhood development exercise.  After reading “The Competent Child” by Joseph M. Strayhorn, a Pittsburgh child psychologist, Carl put together a children’s activity tied in with a little advice on parents having fun with their kids, appropriate for ages 3-10, then 11-15 with some modification.  Age 16 and up?… well, they tend to be distracted trying to borrow the family car.
  • Story-telling: Did you know that the Kittanning Medal is the first military medal awarded in what would someday become the United States of America?  Also:
    • Did you know that American history could have been dramatically changed in 1753 within 50 miles of Pittsburgh?
    • Did you know that Pittsburgh was the Gateway to the West before St. Louis?
    • How about a brave local woman in 1792 who escaped from Indians on her own and walked 45 miles barefoot through the forest to get back home, carrying her one-year-old baby?
      • Carl the entertainer looks just like Carl the idea guy.
  • Help for small businesses and nonprofits – Countless hours have been invested in creating the online forms that allow nonprofits save a lot of money, sometimes a lot of time, sometimes both.
    • Publishing events – the form for events was put to use for the Crooked Creek Triathlon for the first time in 2003 and the posting, event #509, is still working.  Every year Carl goes in and edits the content so as many questions are answered as possible whenever an athlete feels like checking it out.  Although it may look intimidating, it’s just paragraph after another with some pictures, bullets, and text color changes… kinda like this page except with a short web address to make it easy to find.  Check it out if you have time – http://cc.local4all.com.
    • Creating a unique online map – the Local4All mapmaker form has gone through a few upgrades.  Benefits:
      • Automatically assigned a short web page address
      • Two maps that can be individually ‘tweaked/zoomed in or out’ before printing.
      • No street address needed
      • Zip code sorted and accessible by drilling down through a list of maps for a community
      • Best of all for a small business, no ads from competing businesses on the results page.
        • Sample:  m18.local4all.com.  In eight years as Race Director, Carl hasn’t wasted his time giving turn by turn directions over the phone, not even once, and also not a single complaint.
    • Saving money big time – In 2008 when Armstrong Habitat for Humanity was searching for its first Executive Director, Carl published the meat and potatoes version on his website, then had the URL included in all newspaper and online ads for the position.  Savings:  $2000 to $3000

Private Projects:  Sorry, these pages are password protected.