"Staycationing" (07/16/2008)

On my way to work this morning I was listening to The Wall Street Journal This Morning on WRTA radio. They had a little segment about the idea of a "staycation". Due to rising travelling costs, some people are deciding to take their time off work at home rather than travelling to other cities or countries. Some of these "staycationers" are planning to make their days at home fun and creative, rather than just firing up the grill and doing house work. Some of them can even "splurge" a little more because of all the money they've saved on travelling costs.

A friend of mine did this recently as well. She, with her daughter and her husband, took little day trips in the region, enjoying different attractions in the region.

It's really true -- there are a ton of things to do in Central Pennsylvania. For local residents looking to spend some great time locally, ILoveAltoona.com is a great resource for planning these out. Our "hidden" Around the Corner page lists many fun places to go. You can also go to thealleghenies.com and other local resources to learn more about fun right here at home!

If our team can help, don't hesitate to contact us.

- Matt

Reform and Leadership (07/09/2008)

A lot of anger was directed toward the state government three years ago when the "midnight pay raise" occurred. The Allentown Morning Call published an analysis of where the reforms are at. It's interesting to note how difficult it is to change an institution with so many demands, so much money and so many forces at work. But I believe it is a worthy effort.

After serving locally on City Council for two and a half years, I've realized that you certainly can't please everyone. However, one thing that many people will respect is when decisions are made deliberately, thoroughly, and for the good of the community. Another thing I've noticed that is respected (not always in the short term, but often down the road) is leadership. True, genuine leadership -- not just voting "correctly" or getting by, but having a vision and pursuing it, even in spite of temporary setbacks.

I've seen in Altoona some examples of fine leadership. I've seen people who have served our community and brought vision and energy to some organizations. Other areas I've seen a lack, and I've wondered, "Where are the leaders? Where are the people who will step up and provide the leadership needed to help us grow and thrive?"

Many complain, but few lead.

- Matt

PA Budget (07/04/2008)

As you may have seen in the news, Pennsylvania's lawmakers were close to passing the state budget right before the end of the fiscal year on June 30 (though it did not pass on time). Click here for a news overview and here for the thoughts of the state senator representing the Altoona region. Senator John Eichelberger keeps a regular blog at his site (www.senatoreichelberger.com) which gives his perspective on the budget and other issues facing Pennsylvania government. Also, for more information on the PA budget, you can visit the Governor's Office of the Budget site.

- Matt

Local customer service (06/30/2008)

Maybe it shouldn't be surprising, but sometimes I'm still taken aback when I run into great customer service. The other day, I was calling a state government office about a couple of business related questions. While the written information hadn't been the easiest to understand, getting to talk to a real live person made the process a lot easier. But the best part was that there was a local office... and the person who answered the phone took my questions, answered them thoroughly, and essentially provided quality service. It saved me time and hassle (or at least frustration) by being able to get what I needed easily (and without feeling like I was an annoyance to the person on the other end of the line).

In any business, restaurant, etc., customer service really does make a difference. My most-frequented restaurant has almost as much to do with the friendly service than it does with the food.

It's interesting to think that how we act around others reflects to a large degree on the things we represent. People get first impressions of families by the behavior of either kids or parents. Certainly how people feel about restaurants and businesses can be affected by any staff person. Out-of-towners judge Altoona in part by the interactions they have here. Were the locals friendly? Suspicious? Helpful?

On this Monday morning, I'd like to give three cheers for GREAT customer service in Altoona PA. If you know of a business that provides that kind of service, make sure you give them a little positive write-up in Altoogle.

- Matt

ILoveAltoona.com needs your help (06/23/2008)

If you haven't yet, please answer the poll at the right side of the home page! Our team will be taking the poll results into consideration as we begin to add "missing" features back to ILoveAltoona.com! Because ILoveAltoona.com is a grassroots website run by local residents, and because of the mission of the site, we have a lot of flexibility in pursuing features that will help inform, challenge and inspire the Altoona PA community. We want many of you to take part in this. We need some volunteers, and some business sponsors, to help us fulfill our threefold goals of (1) helping residents and visitors enjoy Altoona PA, (2) helping people and businesses find needed resources and information, and (3) encouraging people to take action to "love thy neighbor" and serve their community.

I was born in Altoona in the 70s and grew up in Altoona (Fairview) and in Bellwood, where my parents are from and moved us when I was a kid. I left the area for college, but during those years, I experienced a growing desire to return to Altoona. I wanted to be involved in ministry here and I wanted to make a difference in the Altoona community. Thus, I see ILoveAltoona.com as more than just a website -- it is a place where good ideas can be aired and (hopefully) turned into effective plans, resulting in helpful action.

To get to that point, ILoveAltoona.com is going to need some help. If YOU are interested in participating in some way at helping us serve the Altoona area community, please contact me. If you are a business owner and would like a solid (and very low cost) advertising deal, drop us a line and we can get you information. Have a great week!

- Matt

Great way to help (06/19/2008)

Did you see the recent news report about Meals on Wheels? They are experiencing a shortage of volunteers for the Meals on Wheels program. A number of years ago I worked for the summer at Blair Senior Services. One of the first things I did was go experience the Meals on Wheels delivery. It was really neat way to help people while getting to know some very tremendous individuals in the County. One of the things I enjoyed most about my job that summer was being around the stories and knowledge of some of Blair County's seniors.

Blair Senior Services (located in downtown Altoona) is designated as the Area Agency on Aging for Blair County. They handle numerous services for senior citizens and for the community, of which Meals on Wheels is one. To find out how you could volunteer with the program, call Lois Link at 946-1235. You can be involved daily, weekly, monthly or whatever suits best! They need dozens of additional volunteers, so consider calling today!

Reviews Wanted (06/12/2008)

Good morning Altoona PA!

Have you been over to Altoogle lately? Our business listings and reviews there get almost a third of our website traffic! The easy "tag" system on the right side of the Altoogle page lets you search for businesses by category. For example, just click on "Downtown" and you'll get a list of dozens of downtown businesses.

We've been getting some good business reviews but we're always up for more. So... do you frequent a local business that you could write a sentence or two of feedback about? Go to Altoogle and add your 2 cents :-).

- Matt

Car Fire Video (06/03/2008)

Car catches fire downtown! Fire began approximately 3:00 pm on 11th Avenue (on Friday, May 30). This video posted 3:21 pm Friday.

Some Old Photos (05/29/2008)

Do you like local history? Enjoy some old Altoona photos at a webpage called Altoona Archives. I haven't spent a lot of time on that site lately but they have some interesting shots. Check it out!

How Was Memorial Day Weekend? (05/27/2008)

Good morning Altoona PA! Hopefully you had a great Memorial Day weekend. Sunday, my family and I, as well as relatives visiting from out of town, were able to spend a lot of the day at Delgrosso's Park in Tipton. Yesterday, I was able to take part in the Juniata Memorial Day parade. The ceremony afterward, held next to the Juniata Ballfield, was brief but was, as usual, a pertinent reminder of the fact that our freedom has not been, and is not, free. I am thankful to God for providing our freedoms: to live, to have a fair trial, to own property, to travel, to worship without fear. I am thankful to the men and women who have served so faithfully to protect these freedoms.

As you know, summertime brings a great season to enjoy Altoona PA. I hope you will keep in touch with us at ILoveAltoona.com this summer. We are hoping to soon bring back some great features of the website that some of you are missing. Thanks for hanging in there with us as we remodel and reorganize.

Have a great day!

Matt

Amtran (05/22/2008)

Did you know that public transit is considered an important component of making cities attractive for young professionals who are looking for places to locate? While many residents don't take advantage of their services, AMTRAN continues to enable many people to work, shop and enjoy the community. Today, WRTA.com reports on progress on a major effort AMTRAN is making to use capital money (money that has to be used for infrastructure) to redevelop the old Roaring River Mills building. Parts of this project will be used to provide bus storage and part will be used to lease retail and/or office space to generate additional revenue for AMTRAN.

- Matt

Blair County Arts Festival (05/19/2008)

The Blair County Arts Festival, my favorite local event of the year, was this past weekend. My daughter and I enjoyed hours of free entertainment. We watched dance performance after dance performance. We had our fill of scrumptious festival food. We made crafts at the kids tent until we couldn't carry any more. And we marveled at all of the amazing artwork from both young and old. We filled up on festival memories to last us until May 2009.

- Christina

Gateway Project (05/15/2008)

If you follow local news, you may have seen Wednesday that the Blair County commissioners denied a funding request for the City of Altoona's Gateway Improvement Program. Last year, there was a tremendous outpouring of support from the community -- citizens, churches, community groups, businesses -- helping low-income residents repair their properties along some of one of Altoona's main corridors. The money given by the county's fund last year (over $35,000) went very far because it was used for supplies while labor and skill was donated by the volunteers.

Wednesday night, City Council discussed the issue of this year's program. Council wants to continue the program and asked City management to find a way. They also appealed to the local community to help. Donations can be given to the Gateway fund (they are likely tax deductible) -- supplies, equipment, money, etc. Volunteers are still needed. The City is planning to move forward and Councilmembers are calling on the community to help make an impact. To find out how to volunteer, go to the City webpage to learn more, or call Mary Anne Pellegrine or Paulette Cornet at City Hall at 949-2470.

- Matt

Calling Volunteers! (05/12/2008)

As we rebuild ILoveAltoona.com, we're going to begin asking a few community members for help as we maintain the site, expand it, and help turn the ideas we've collected for the community into useful conversation leading to action. For you "oldies" (as in reading this site for 3 years), you may remember that ILoveAltoona.com (or "ILA" as we call it for short) was initially launched as a political campaign website. But with all of the good ideas on the website contributed by members of the community, and with other potential of the site, the team didn't want to just take it down. So rather than become a dormant has-been -- ILA is being prepared to be the center of some great conversation about how to serve Altoona, PA.

So... stay tuned. If you are interested in helping us make ILoveAltoona.com a pivotal hub for community ideas and action, please contact us and let us know.

- Matt

Keith Photos (05/08/2008)

Lori, one of our most avid contributors, sent us these pictures of Keith Junior High School that she took during the recent open house. Enjoy!

Also, for you last minute Mother's Day shoppers, check out McIntyre's Candies downtown or on the Diamond in Hollidaysburg. They have a great selection of hand-made chocolates, candies, fudge and other yummies.

- Christina

Downtown Cleanup (05/07/2008)

This morning is a downtown business cleanup effort meeting initially at 9am at Heritage Plaza. Downtown has become a hub of many events throughout the summertime in thanks to the Greater Altoona Economic Development Corporation, the Community Action Agency, private citizens who have initiated, sponsored and coordinated events, and many others. Keeping the 11th and 12th Avenue areas tidied up is important for the attractiveness and future of our downtown area.

-Matt

Junior High Schools Artwork... and Win Every Day (05/06/2008)

Have you checked out Paul Stauffer's artwork for the junior high schools? Some of you have found it through his ad on the home page, but I wanted to take a minute this morning and mention it here. Mr. Stauffer is an accomplished local artist who has drawn some exceptional portraits of Keith Junior High School, Roosevelt Junior High School, and some other local landmarks. I would encourage you to check out his site.

In the meantime, a quick update about ILoveAltoona.com. We are going to begin adding some things to the site now that we have completed our basic website remodeling. Soon to come: Win Every Day prize patrol back "on the street". Actually, we might be able to use a couple of volunteers to help us with this program, so if you are interested in helping us out for a couple hours every week or so, give us a holler.

Have a great day!

- Matt

Yard Sales (05/05/2008)

Hello Altoona, are you having a yard sale or garage sale at your home this summer? Contact us with the date, time, location and general info on what you'll be selling. We'd be happy to post your yard sale at no charge. Maybe you could give out free ILoveAltoona bumper stickers for us or something. (Yeah, we're angling for a way to spread the word about our site!) If you want a lot of extra exposure for your yard sale, we can post basic info on the home page for only $30 for the week leading up to the sale. (We don't mind a little money to help us keep it running either!)

For those of you who have been wanting ILoveAltoona.com bumper stickers (now that there's no snow on our cars blocking the view), we're planning to "refill" at some of the retail locations who were making them available... soon. We're mostly a volunteer team so hold your horses. We know you can't wait to sport those bumper stickers and get a chance to Win Every Day.

Happy Monday!

(Posted by Matt)

May starts out great! (05/01/2008)

Were you able to make one of the National Day of Prayer gatherings Thursday? It was also the first official "Altoona Day of Prayer". I was able to be a part of a gathering at Heritage Plaza late Thursday afternoon. Gathered there were a number of residents, pastors, and local government leaders. I was really encouraged and moved by the prayers lifted to God for our City. The gathering focused on 10 different needs or opportunities of the community, including things like youth, safety for City workers, drugs & crime, a return to God's moral direction, and renewal of the people of Altoona. Many of those speaking or praying seemed to agree that each of us taking responsibility for our own failures and turning to truth was one of the keys to renewal of our community.

Unfortunately, I didn't make the other events. One of the events is a 3 day event which continues Friday and Saturday. For information check out our What's Going On page.

I'm hopeful and encouraged about the future of our City.

Tomorrow is the National (and Altoona) Day of Prayer (04/30/2008)

Did you know Thursday is the National Day of Prayer? The first Thursday in May has been set aside as a special day of prayer for our nation since the days of President Truman. The City of Altoona has followed suit and called that same day the Altoona Day of Prayer, encouraging the needs of the City to be held up in prayer on that day.

The resolution of City Council reads as follows: "recognizing National Day of Prayer to be held on Thursday, May 1, 2008 and annually on the first Thursday of the month of May and declaring this Day as Altoona Day of Prayer and praying for the City of Altoona to include city leadership, city departmental staff, city issues and city challenges."

Our community faces many challenges. Some of them, such as layoffs, job exports, some of the drug problem, etc., appear to be brought on by outside forces. Some of the challenges may be directly caused by our own failures. Either way, I think it is right for us to call upon God to turn away from ways we have rejected Him and His guidance, and to ask for His blessing and direction for our City and general community.

There are several events going on Thursday. You can find more info on the What's Going On page.

(Posted by Matt)

Welcome to the New and Improved ILoveAltoona.com! (04/28/2008)

Good afternoon Altoona! Welcome to the new and improved ILoveAltoona.com! Christina and I will be keeping you up to date right here on some of Altoona's happenings. We've taken the leap to our new layout. Now, we can get back into the groove of keeping you posted on the many things to do in Altoona, PA -- AND start to work on some of the new features we're planning.

You might notice a few pages missing. For those of you who loved the games section, you can find a link to it on the Win Every Day page. Look for Showtimes to return along with Around the Corner. You should gradually see some of the old favorites returning along with some great new stuff this summer.

Thanks for sticking with us during the remodeling! Talk to you soon.

- Matt