#VT - The discussion on Front Porch Forum about the upcoming town meeting vote has been enlightening, not only for what’s been said about the issue, but also for the medium in which it’s been said. Being one who likes to think things over, I appreciate having the time to hear and digest different opinions before voting. I also appreciate the fact that more people have spoken up on-line than might have in person.
Submitted by Polly to the New Haven FPF today.
#VT - Just a quick thank you to all the awesome people I’ve met since moving to Plainfield less then a year ago, amazing to think that each time I ask FPFers for help, I get it by the truckload.
A quick thought as well, I have asked for help with flooring and cleaning, I received so many offers and then I received so many other folks asking if I would share the names/numbers of people who responded so they can call them. I am uncomfortable giving out info without the person’s permission and I don’t have enough time to contact each person to ask. I would say this, if you have a skill and are looking for new clients, POST IT HERE on Front Porch Forum!
Shared by Jill on the Marshfield-Plainfield FPF today.
#BTV #VT - Hi neighbors. Many of you may have noticed that Dave the mailman for our neighborhood has been absent. I found out that he had a knee injury, and probably will be retiring.
This simple post by Nancy on a Front Porch Forum for a South Burlington neighborhood has led to 20 more postings in support of doing something to recognize their long-serving postal carrier. And, per usual, each posting leads to more direct conversation among neighbors off FPF. This particular FPF covers a 150-household neighborhood and has 195 members… and they’ve been discussing this issue for about a week now. Lucky Dave… I’m sure he’ll get some lovely and well-deserved expressions of gratitude in the coming days.
#VT - A fresh batch of local elected officials took office this month in towns across Vermont and many of them are embracing Front Porch Forum to connect with constituents. Posted today on FPF by the newly elected mayor of Vergennes…
Dear Friends and Neighbors - FPF is a great way to keep abreast of local issues and create an atmosphere for the productive discussion of municipal business. I urge all citizens of Vergennes to join FPF as a way of communicating concerns to your municipal officers and the public at large. Please tell all your friends to join.
I will be posting questions and comments as well as notifying folks of volunteer opportunities for the upcoming spring and summer. I hope everyone can find the time to offer their time or expertise in helping our city move forward. Thanks.
Bill Benton, Mayor
City of Vergennes
#VT - My husband and I have been living in Cambridge, VT for 24 years. We don’t have children of our own which has made it difficult to get to know people in our community and the events that happen here. Front Porch Forum changed that for us… thank you.
The Cambridge FPF covers all 1,500 households in this small rural town, and it has about 1,300 members who use it in wonderful ways. No wonder FPF packs such a wallop for the member quoted above.
#BTV #VT - Increasingly, the answer to this question includes Front Porch Forum. Ninety Vermont towns are served by FPF and public officials, advocacy groups and voters alike use their FPF to share information, state opinions and encourage participation in local democracy. Occasionally an FPF will get heated in the days approaching Town Meeting… but that’s how community works. Ideally neighbors pull together and move the community forward after Town Meeting Day, regardless of which candidates and ballot measures prevail.
FPF is popping up in traditional media this week. Two recent front pages (one and two) of the Burlington Free Press mentioned FPF’s role in Town Meeting issues. And Seven Days quoted former City Councilor Ed Adrian today…
In a February 28 posting on Front Porch Forum, Adrian lodged five points of criticism against Bushor, including: “To the best of my knowledge, Sharon has never posted on FPF. Anything.”
Ed will be glad to know that Sharon posted a campaign-related item to her FPF today!
#VT - “Thanks to Front Porch Forum for the first time I have felt truly connected to the people and happenings in the town I live and grew up in.”
That’s from Elias, who lives in a small town in Vermont.
The tiny Argyle Front Porch Forum continues to outperform expectations. See these two recent postings from Shannon…
Sadly I have been asked to help with a very hard emergency situation. One of our fellow Argyle residents is losing their home. They have tried all the options out there and the last effort to do a loan modification ended up not working out after all. It looks as though next Friday the 8th could be the last day this family can be in their home.
They have 5 horses who all need a safe place to go. They are looking for homes for them and they do not need to stay together. Each horse will come with aprox. 55 bales of hay. There are 2 horses who are 9 and could be ridable when properly trained. The other 3 are mainly companions although the oldest (30) could still work with kids.
I realize this is a tall order to fill in a week’s time. We just don’t have the space here for them either. If we split them up perhaps they can all land in a safe spot. Please pass this on, post it on your facebook pages or any place you think it would help. The 2 younger horses would be great training projects. The gelding needs all his training and the mare already has lots of training e/w and some dressage but freaks out if you raise your voice. She is an Adn. TBX. Gray.
Shannon – Double L Stable Equine Rescue and Sanctuary
And her follow up…
Wow! Was I surprised at the number of calls I got in regards to the 5 horses in need on Coach Rd. Over 100 calls! Not only did Argyle animal lovers step up but I had at least half a dozen calls from folks who thought they might have info that would help the family losing their home… I believe all the horses may be spoken for but I will update everyone if any of the homes fall though. Way to go Argyle! You picked up the post and really ran with it… I had more success just posting this on the Argyle Front Porch Forum to spread the word then I have ever had before, even posting it on our national Petfinder site!
#VT - Front Porch Forum is one of the successful services being highlighted today at the Knight Foundation’s Media Learning Seminar in Miami. FPF is pleased and grateful to be included in this prestigious event.
#VT - How fortunate we are in Bristol to have Front Porch Forum at our disposal. I certainly hope that someone is recording all these postings using some media that is not ephemeral (imagine if the Constitution had been recorded on 8 track?) as future generations may be able to use current Front Porch Forum postings the way our generations use the old Bristol Heralds- a view into a time gone by.
I was talking with a good friend the other day who had been considering starting up another newspaper that would deal with only local issues, much like the last several efforts to do the same but which all met an early demise. We don’t need another newspaper- we have Front Porch Forum which meets all those needs.
I just hope that future generations can enjoy this as much as we do and that they will be able to look back to our time and try to understand the issues that confront us in the same way that we use old publications in our quest to understand the issues of earlier times, and as George Santayana observed, “Those who cannot learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.”
Shared by Ted with his Bristol, Vermont, neighbors on their FPF today.