Front Porch Forum is in the running again for a Knight News Challenge grant. Check out our entry here and please give it five stars! (Just click on the rightmost star.) We’d love to read your comments about the proposal too (scroll to the bottom of our News Challenge page to leave a comment).
Thanks and thanks too to the Knight Foundation… they catalyze and fund loads of important work at the intersection of local news, community, democracy and technology.
Some heartening sample postings from Front Porch Forum in the past day or two…
First, a simple case from Meg in Essex Junction…
I wanted to extend a huge thank you to all who replied to my message posted just yesterday. I have been fortunate to receive at least 10 (yes, 10!) auto mechanic recommendations…happy holidays.
Second, from Sarah in Burlington’s South End…
Thanks to the Front Porch Forum and my fantastic neighbors, I recovered my stolen bicycle within 12 hours.
And third, from Allen in South Burlington to his nearby neighbors…
When neighbors help neighbors very good things can happen!
A month ago I posted a notice on Front Porch Forum about loosing our 12 year old tiger cat, Scooby (he disappeared the evening of November 8th). Well, on Saturday a minor miracle happened. I got a call from the Humane Society that someone had brought in a cat that matched Scooby’s description. The person who brought the cat in was Jay Pasackow, a person I knew of through his real estate business. Jay had had this cat hanging around his house in the Laurel Hill area near Shelburne Road (almost 3 miles from our house) for several days.
I excitedly, but apprehensively, agreed to meet with the Jay knowing full well that after a month this stray cat was very unlikely to be our Scooby. When Jay came to my house and showed me what was in the cat carrier I couldn’t believe my eyes – IT WAS SCOOBY! And, other than being emaciated from probably eating little in a month, he seemed to be in good shape!
Now Scooby is back in our house, curled up in front of a crackling fire, with a full belly and quite content. He hasn’t even asked to go outside once yet! So much thanks to Jay Pasackow for taking the time out of his busy day to help Scooby get back home!
When neighbors help neighbors very good things can happen!
Followed by…
To Allen – Thanks so much for sharing the story of your joyful reunion with your kitty cat. It was really nice to read. It came at the end of a tough day and was just the thing to lift my spirit. -Ellen
I haven’t laughed this hard in awhile. From Matt Gang in Burlington’s Old North End tonight on Front Porch Forum…
Free toaster
Are you tired of your trust worthy toaster, tirelessly toasting your toast to the desired toastiness? Boring!!!
Are you ready for an adventure? My toaster won’t let you down. You won’t start every morning with loud expletives and a smoked filled kitchen, just enough mornings to keep you constantly paranoid, and your neighbors heavily invested in fire insurance. Yes sir, the folks at Silex Proctor really broke the mold with this one. This toaster doesn’t view it’s temp. dial as an order, more as a suggestion. Sometimes brown means it will burn your bread product to a point that would require dental records for identification. At other times brown means the moment after you exit the kitchen, it will fling the still white bread into the stratosphere. Sometimes brown means that it won’t even accept the toast, preferring to make a loud buzzing noise whenever it’s overly sensitive lever is depressed.
I’m sure that at this point most everyone is just waiting for information on where to pick up this little beauty, but my conscience requires me to unearth a few of it’s less redeeming qualities.
This toaster is possessed by several malignant spirits.
It may be a portal to hell.
It cannot stand bagels, british muffins, or any other bread products come to think of it.
It can shoot flames as far as it can hurl fiery hunks of crust.Please, please, please, take my toaster. I’m afraid of what will happen if I throw it out. Don’t tell it that I wrote this.
From a family who makes the most out of FPF…
As Front Porch Forum is high on our list of FPF we appreciate about this neighborhood and this community, we decided to make a financial contribution to support this very worthy cause. We encourage you to do the same in whatever amount fits your budget. Clearly we all want this forum to be around for a long, long time!
Where else can you possibly find out about all of the amazing things happening right in the neighborhood, and engage in such lively dialogue with your neighbors about Burlington happenings? Our FPF is tailored to the ONE and its fantastic blend of personalities, opinions, and politics — so evident with each edition landing in our in-box. Our family calendar routinely fills up each week (and quickly!) with events and activities we read about on FPF — often they are free and within easy walking distance. Bumping into friends once there only further reminds us of the value of FPF.
FPF has helped us to… meet our neighbors through buying, selling, and bartering, find a dog sitter, learn about nearby businesses we love to support, formulate our opinions regarding local politics, better connect our kids to local sports, theatre, music and art, sample new and delicious foods, and advertise a variety of school-related events with outstanding results. There is nothing else out there that helps us feel connected and stay connected in quite the same way, whether it be by posting information or by reading someone else’s news. Financially supporting this local venture helps to ensure that a quality service that we all increasingly rely on stays viable and strong during these trying economic times. Supporting this local Vermont venture just feels right.
We hope you too will support Front Porch Forum! Now’s the time.
-Siobhan Donegan
-Vince Brennan, Burlington School Commissioner
And another note just arrived from the O.N.E…
I’m also urging my neighbors to support Front Porch Forum. Look at what we all gain by gathering online to share tips, questions, and information that bind all of us together based on shared interests and concerns. During this season of gratitude, please consider donating to preserve the wonderful effort behind FPF. Thank you!
-Megan Humphrey
UPDATE: Another nice note from nearby the two above today… from Maggie…
I loaned a guitar to someone for four weeks and was unexpectedly rewarded with baked goods! Thanks for building community.
Jeannette in Huntington posts on FPF today…
Hello Neighbors, We have a seven year old “Frigidaire” brand gas cooking range for sale. White. Excellent condition. Oven takes 1 to 2 hours to heat up to temp. You will need to arrange pick-up. $50…all proceeds from sale will go to Front Porch Forum.
Thanks Jeannette!
Jeremy Bull in Burlington just posted this to his FPF neighborhood forum…
Just wanted to let everyone know that a neighbor from right across the street responded immediately to my plea for a used bike yesterday. She had exactly what we were looking for right in her garage! So we were able to replace the stolen bike, making mine available again for me to start a new job tomorrow. Another fantastic success story thanks to Front Porch Forum!
On a related note: if you love FPF as much as I do, but haven’t gotten around to donating yet, please consider doing so. It’s quick and easy, and feels great to support such a worthy cause.
UPDATE: Something about stolen bikes, Front Porch Forum, and happy endings! Here’s another. This one from Cindy in Burlington…
Greetings, From an earlier posting you might have read that my son’s bike was stolen last Wednesday in front of Edmunds Middle School. We were all upset by the theft, most of all my son, but then something wonderful happened. A neighbor offered us an old bike this weekend. It was a little rusty and in need of repair but an afternoon of father and son elbow grease and the bike works great. So I just wanted to share this “act of kindness.” We love our neighborhood, especially all the wonderful people in it.
We’ve been swamped with loads of postings on Front Porch Forum recently… about all sorts of topics. This one Charlotte by Cheryl jumped off the monitor today…
Hi neighbors, This is my first time posting. I wanted to let you all know that our neighbor’s small spaniel was snatched out of their backyard by a coyote this evening 11/12 about 6:00 pm. The owners were able to recover the pet by chasing the coyote across the fields behind our houses. We are on Mt Philo Rd north of the intersection of Hinesburg Rd. Please be careful of your pets. This is not the first time a coyote has come close to the houses. This one seems quite bold.
UPDATE: And this just into FPF from Ann in South Williston…
Hi – I saw a coyote walking through Meadowridge yesterday (walking in the street) during the afternoon. Are there an unusual amount tooling around? Should we be concerned? I’ve never seen them strolling around neighborhoods before.
Kevin Harris reports on Keith Hampton’s new Pew-funded study today… Social Isolation and New Technology: How the internet and mobile phones impact Americans’ social networks. I look forward to reading it. From Kevin…
The study surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,512 adults in summer 2008. It finds that Americans are not as isolated as has previously been reported. People’s use of mobile phones and the internet is associated with larger and more diverse discussion networks. Internet use in general and use of social networking services in particular are associated with more diverse social networks.
The researchers claim that the number of Americans who are truly isolated is at most only slightly higher than it was 30 years ago. Few people have no one with whom they can discuss important matters, and even fewer have no one who is especially significant in their lives. But they do confirm a more pronounced change, over the past two decades, in the size and diversity of people’s core networks.
These paragraphs, I feel, are important:
“Compared to the relatively recent past, most Americans now have fewer people with whom they discuss important matters, and the diversity of people with whom they discuss these issues has declined. There is a wealth of scholarship to suggest that the implications of this trend for individuals and for American society are starkly negative. Smaller and less diverse core networks diminish personal well-being by limiting access to social support. There are simply fewer people we can rely on in a time of need – whether it is a shoulder to cry on, to borrow a cup of sugar, or to help during a crisis.
“Small and narrow core networks also impede trust and social tolerance; they limit exposure to the diverse opinions, issues, and ideas of others. If we increasingly rely and trust only a small inner circle of likeminded others, it becomes increasingly difficult to recognize, accept or understand opposing points of view. A great deal of research has shown that diversity within our closest relationships – even in the age of the internet – is vital for the flow of information, for informed deliberation, and to maintain the participatory ideals of a democracy.”
UPDATE: Mike Lanza at Playborhood does a good job of digging into this issue and study.
The great comments about Front Porch Forum keep rolling in since we opened our member appeal. (Here’s the background and some media coverage.) We are so grateful for our members’ support!
When I sit and start to tally all the ways that the Front Porch Forum has enriched the lives of me and my family, I realize I can’t put a value on it.
Some things I can conceivably put a value on: Things like always getting good referrals for honest car mechanics (I just got more than a dozen yesterday!), or chimney sweeps, or house painters. Or borrowing things like ladders, power tools, canners, or turkey fryers (I’ve borrowed them all and more).
I think that if I really worked at, I could probably come up with $1,000 – $2,000 worth of benefits per year that I could get past an accountant.
But what is the value of meeting someone you’ve never “met” before and realizing you’ve already heard from them a bunch of times?
What is the value of knowing that when you post something, there are literally dozens of other people checking their email before going to bed and knowing that some of them will respond before you get up in the morning?
The coolest thing about the forum is that half the time it’s actually hard to help people out b/c so many other people beat you to it!
But it’s not free. I know Michael works incredibly hard to make the Forum a great resource and has several paid staff on top of that. And I have to confess I’ve always felt a tinge of guilt that it was free, so that’s why I was happy to hear that the FPF is accepting support and why I donated toward the high end of the suggested range.
-Greg Fanslow
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Hi neighbors! Just wanted to follow up on yesterday’s posting and encourage you to join me in supporting Front Porch Forum. I have been contributing monthly for over a year now, and it feels great to be supporting the fantastic work Michael and his team are doing. But I also believe it’s great value for money. In addition to helping us meet and connect, this is where I often first read about important local stories, or find myself inspired and challenged to get involved in local issues. If you also love Front Porch Forum, please take a minute to think about how much it’s worth to you, and remember that we owe it to Michael to support his amazing vision and ongoing work. Please be as generous as you can.
-Jeremy Bull
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Often I wonder, “How did we manage before computers?” Lately, I’ve been trying to remember the times before Front Porch Forum when I just happened upon that perennial sale or simply wondered who had the long ladders stashed away and ready to loan as needed. Now I make those connections efficiently on Front Porch Forum. My favorite post was the family looking to borrow a car for their daughter’s driving test at the DMV. As I recall, she had six to choose from. The longer we participate, the easier and more natural it becomes to share our resources, ideas, and creative endeavors.
The time has come to return the favor to Michael and his co-workers for all they’ve given to us, free of charge. It felt great to write them a check, a meaningful way to keep all this afloat, and say thank you at the same time.
-Sharyl Green
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I value this Front Porch Forum enough to support them financially…
When I saw Michael’s message asking for donations, I thought about how important this neighbor to neighbor “conversation” is in my life. I also thought about Vt Public Radio and their appeals for donations.
The FPF is totally democratic. We say what we want here and we read what we want. It’s more democratic than VPR where others decide what gets put on the airwaves and if we don’t change the station, we hear some programs (not to mention funding appeals) in which we may not be interested.
C’mon – please join me in supporting our FPF. We need this now and maybe will need it even more in the future. Thanks to Michael, Nina, Linda and Jamie – the FPF staff team.
-Joan E. Knight
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O.N.E. East Friends: I know something about most of you. I know that you open your Front Porch Forum emails dutifully, looking to help a neighbor in need with a referral, a lent item, or a barter OR to read up on the latest Front Porch Forum debate. (What, the O.N.E. East debate about an issue? No!).
Help Front Porch Forum sustain their service by becoming a supporting member. (Think VPR). They are conducting their first annual member appeal.
Every bit helps and you can donate directly online: http://frontporchforum.com/about/donate.php
Thanks neighbors and Happy All Saints Day!
-Llu Mulvaney-Stanak
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Hello Neighbors – I just wanted to “publicly” give my thanks and appreciation to Front Porch Forum. I tell everyone about it and how amazing it is. I encourage everyone I know, in all of Chittenden County and in Starksboro to join and think they’re crazy if they don’t.
I have made new contacts, reconnected with old ones and shared many things via FPF. I had posted asking if someone was available to mark out some mileage for me on a run that I do and I got tons of offers from people with ATV’s, trucks and bicycles with odometers. And most people said they didn’t even want to be paid.
FPF is such a great way to share resources, recycle things you don’t use anymore and borrow things you do need.
If you can, I strongly encourage you to support their efforts by making a contribution at:
http://frontporchforum.com/about/donate.phpLet’s hope they never run out of funding so we can keep using Front Porch Forum.
-Jamie Shaw
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It was with pleasure that I signed our family up to make a monthly contribution to Front Porch Forum. It is now a service that I cannot imagine doing without and I feel it is definitely worth paying for. For the same reason that I donate to Vermont Public Radio (that’s what I wake up to every morning), I wanted to donate for this service too. It is easy by going to this webpage.
http://frontporchforum.com/about/donate.phpHow do we say thank you enough to the Wood-Lewises for creating this wonderful business that we all benefit from!
-Mary Sullivan
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I have been a member since the day Front Porch Forum started. It has made working at home so very much better. I feel so much more connected to my neighbors. When I have had a need for something for work, like a schoolhouse that is now a home, or a painter for my house, or want to tell people about my pro bono portraits, FPF has been the very best way to talk with my neighbors. Now I do not have to spend hours putting leaflets in doors. I can just write a note. And when a neighbor is sick, or when my friend Marjory lost her house to a fire, FPF has been the very best way to get the neighbors together to help out.
So please reach deep into your pockets to help keep FPF going. I sure do not want it to disappear. Do not worry if it is just $5. Every dollar helps. And please pass this on to your neighbors.
I have been supporting them for years on the side, as have many other people. Please go to this link to contribute.
-Carolyn Bates
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We can’t count the ways that Front Porch Forum has enriched our lives – from helping us find a truck to borrow (Thanks Jason + Susan!), to referrals for our annual house-swap vacation source (http://www.intervac.com), to helping raise money for our Somali Bantu family, and of course, spirited dialogues about issues near and dear to us – including our schools and political candidates! We’re happy to contribute to making FPF possible, it’s invaluable!
-Dawn and Darren Moskowitz
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Why not take the plunge to support this great forum (I mean where else can you get cutting edge up to date scientific data on pressing local issues?). We decided to find a number that worked for us as an ongoing monthly donation, kind of like being a supporting member of VPR. Go for it.
-Anne Knott
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As a long time member of Front Porch Forum I encourage all of my neighbors to become FPF supporting members. As we all know FPF is an valuable community resource and a great way to stay on top of what is going on in our neighborhood.
-David Bardaglio
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Dear Neighbors – For the past few years Front Porch Forum has provided us with a simple and effective means to communicate with one another. Lost dogs, cars for sale, baby sitter wanted — it’s all been posted on the Eastwoods Forum. As one of the people who plans the annual block party and winter pool party, I’ve especially appreciated how easy organizing these events has become with Front Porch Forum.
When Michael Wood-Lewis created the Front Porch Forum model, he had the vision of giving each neighborhood a tool that would promote community. At this phase of development, this tool needs subscribers and investors. I’m encouraging all of us who use Front Porch Forum to consider making a monthly or one-time gift of support.
-Joanne Heidkamp
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I can’t say enough about the benefits I get and see from Front Porch Forum. Including the “local sponsors.” I can really see this as a way to bring back real communication for each town across the nation in this techno age. Glad to make the donation.
-Pat Kuhfahl
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Today my dog ate some raisins. Thanks to Jude’s post last week, I know that raisins are highly toxic to dogs – something that I never knew even though I’ve been a dog owner for 15 years. It was because of information that the Front Porch Forum passed on to me that I knew to call the vet after this incident and therefore was able to treat my dog before anything tragic happened to her. This is just one great example of the value of this incredible resource we have at our fingertips. Because of this, I hope that you consider making a contribution to keep FPF going as the connections made through the Front Porch Forum really do enhance our community and our lives! Thank you, FPF (and Jude!)
-Kathy Rossman
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It seems a bit redundant at this point to sing FPF’s praises, but I guess that’s the point — so many of us are so grateful for this amazing service!
Like many other people, we’ve saved tons of money, made a lot of friends, gotten some great advice, and been able to help out others thanks to the networking that happens through FPF. But as new arrivals to the neighborhood, there’s something even bigger that FPF has done for us — something that no one else has mentioned so far.
Susan, Amelia, and I have only lived here a year and a half, but we already feel far more at home here than we did after a full five years where we lived before. FPF is a significant part of the reason why. Above and beyond the practical help we’ve received or been able to give, the simple fact that a query on the Forum will often generate half a dozen responses has opened the way for connections that in a very short time woven us into the network of relationships that is Five Sisters. This neighborhood was no doubt a great place to live long before FPF came along. But FPF has made it that much easier for new arrivals to be welcomed and taken in. Thank you, Michael and Valerie.
-Jason Van Driesche
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Dear neighbors – I wanted to make a plug for supporting Front Porch Forum, which so many of us rely on for everything from apartment searches, beach clean up, bike thefts and more. Sponsorship does not cover all the costs associated with operating this amazing service. Please consider becoming a supporting member today.
-Kitty Bartlett
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The Front Porch Forum is a local treasure. I just donated a few bucks to help it keep us all connected — you can, too!
-Mary Chaffee
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I just made a donation to Front Porch Forum, in the same vein as I support VPR. If you’ve benefited from our local online community, perhaps you’d consider a donation as well.
-Alex Messinger
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Supporting Front Porch Forum wasn’t even something I needed to think about. I read the message, went on line, and donated right away. FPF has been an amazing resource for us in many ways. Thanks Michael and FPF!
-Lori Myers
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Hi, I have been a volunteer for Front Porch Forum as you all know. I do this solely because I believe in them and their mission of the old neighborhood style of communication. They are a great group and I think the best thing going since sliced bread! I also have done monthly contributions to FPF through Paypal for some time. It is very easy to set up and doesn’t hurt a bit when a small amount is taken out on a routine basis. Similar to VPR, if you use them, please support them. Now is time for us to step up to the bat and show them our continued support.
-Mary Heinrich Aloi
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Hi Neighbors – Just want to encourage you all to visit http://frontporchforum.com/about/donate.php and consider a contribution to Front Porch Forum! In our house, we turn on the radio, open the paper, and check FPF as part of the daily routine. Let’s support this invaluable service and keep it going strong!
-Lynn Lantz
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I’d like to add my voice, and my check to support this terrific forum.
-Mary Ann Samuels
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Three cheers for Front Porch Forum for reaching out to those of us who have used and benefited from it over the years! The Forum is one of the region’s true gems.
I write to encourage anyone who has enjoyed and used the FPF to show your support by making a donation through the following link: http://frontporchforum.com/about/donate.php
-Tiffany W. Bluemle
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With all of the excitement of Halloween last week I seem to have completely overlooked Michael Wood-Lewis’ posting about Front Porch Forum’s first-ever membership appeal. I’m now on-board and would like to encourage you to join me in your support of Front Porch Forum.
It’s been a tremendous help to me as I spread the word about events at Audubon or the Champlain PTO. Engaging neighborhood issues, great local leads on services, and an amazing source for borrowing (or getting rid of) stuff – there are so many ways that FPF has become a part of the fabric of our neighborhood. And it’s provided for free! Please take a moment to give back to FPF – they won’t even interrupt our regularly scheduled programming with an on-air pledge drive.
-Gwen Causer
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Hey Folks – Front Porch Forum has brought us this amazing community communications tool. They have a web site where we can donate to help support their efforts to keep running and managing this remarkable program and also help it to expand. If you feel like making a small donation you can do that at http://frontporchforum.com/about/donate.php
-Melinda Moulton
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I admit to being somewhat of a neophyte. I don’t Twitter or text message. I don’t instant message. Heck I don’t even have a cell phone. But the one social networking service that I count on religiously is Front Porch Forum. Patty and I were early adopters. We joined when it first became available and it has gotten better and better as more people have joined. I now view it as an essential service to help connect us to our neighbors.
Ever since its inception, I have wondered how they keep this service alive. Most of my posts are up within a day or so and it looks to me that they have to take each post give it a subject line and consolidate posts for our individual neighborhood. Multiply this by neighborhoods all over the county and I don’t see when these guys sleep.
Because we value Front Porch Forum so much, we decided to become sustaining members. So far this terrific service has cost us nothing. That doesn’t seem sustainable to me. So I was happy when they gave us the opportunity to contribute to keep it going.
Won’t you join me in contributing to Front Porch Forum?
-Jeff Forward
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Hi, As an active member of Front Porch Forum, I would like you to consider contributing in any way possible to the ongoing success of FPF. It has been a valuable source of information for my family and for our small business AO! Glass. I have found bikes for kids, a renter for our house and lots of community updates. Each week I come away with a comfortable feeling of neighborhood connection 🙂
If you would be interested in supporting FPF the LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS THAT SUPPORTS LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS please read this link from Front Porch Forum concerning how you can help.
-Rich Arentzen
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Neighbors: An adolescent has to confront the consequences of an innocent prank that turned unsettling.
A key tool is obtained to bring a project to completion.
Information on an important local event is publicized.
These are just a few examples of how the Front Porch Forum has impacted my life over the time since it was launched in our neighborhood. I hope you’ll join me in making a contribution to this great service so it can continue to be available. You can do so at http://frontporchforum.com/about/donate.php
-Jason N. Cadwell
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Greetings, neighbors – As the volunteer coordinator for our little forum, I’ve been involved with this for several years (3? can’t recall… how time flies!). I’ve seen what a valuable service it is in terms of building community and connecting all of us. The founder, Michael Wood-Lewis, has been making a go of this on his own and now it’s time for us to show our support. Any and all amounts are needed and appreciated.
-Deb Bouton
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If you are reading this, you are benefiting from the Front Porch Forum.
Most of you know that I am a regular poster on FPF, using it for a variety of notices, from our missing kitty (sadly, she never returned) to announcing dinners, pancake breakfasts and concerts to getting the word out on local kids accomplishing good things (like Nick Marshall who placed 11th in the State Cross-Country race in Thetford on Saturday and will be competing in the New Englands in Connecticut on November 14).
FPF has been an asset to those of us in the community who are trying to get the word out and, even though I try to not engage in discussion of town politics for obvious reasons, it has provided a vehicle for others to express their views on things that are happening in Huntington town government. You can’t even question the fact that the momentum on certain topics – traffic calming, Richmond detours (oops, I guess I was in that one) and the noise ordinance – was built through the discussions (Dare I say rants? No, I won’t.) on this Forum.
I encourage you to support this effort by making a contribution. Every bit helps. And, as someone who constantly asks for contributions for various causes, I am sure that it is needed, or they wouldn’t have asked.
-Heidi Racht
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Folks, I just went to FPF’s website and made a donation.
New social media is changing the world we live in daily. We now have the ability to communicate with each other directly and instantaneously, without having to wait for a television or print journalist to come knocking. Front Porch Forum is at the lead of the new era that is dawning in human communications and is a clear voice in the chorus of rapid and widespread access to information. FPF is allowing all of us to make Burlington a better place to live, work and play.
Please join me in supporting FPF with your donation today. Every little bit matters.
-Ed Adrian, City Councilor
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A feeling of community is at the heart of any good neighborhood. And we are no exception. One way to foster community is in the support of that which makes it stronger… and Front Porch Forum provides us with a FREE way to do that. We didn’t have to have multiple nights out at meetings to create this connection. (You’ve gotta love those meetings!) We didn’t have to copy, address and stamp mailings (The environment thanks you!) nor did we have to knock on each other’s doors. No Sir-ee! We stayed in our cozy homes and it came to us! Bruce and I are pleased to make a contribution in support of this innovative and neighborhood-connecting program. Won’t you join us, Neighbor?
Thank you, Michael and Valerie Wood-Lewis! You are to be congratulated for the gift of Front Porch Forum to our many communities.
-Pam MacPherson
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Dear Neighbors – Many of you may be aware (see Sunday’s Free Press) that Front Porch Forum is initiating an annual fundraising drive. I hope that others who find this service invaluable will join me and chip in to help keep FPF’s mission and of community building and empowerment thriving and growing.
While considering what my family’s fair share toward this service should be, I thought back to some of the ways we have directly benefited from this service over the past year or so. Here are just a few:
-Were alerted to the Pete’s Greens CSA coming to Shelburne (signed up and LOVE it!)
-Bartered a lasagna for a potty seat
-Swiped up an extra ticket to a Neko Case show
-Found homes for unwanted furniture
-Got names of kids looking for babysitting jobs
-Knew to keep our eyes open for lost keys, bikes, and pets
-Were alerted to safety/vandalism concerns in the neighborhood
-Made connections with neighbors whom we might otherwise never have met
-Learned about events happenings in the wider community from the low-key & informative advertisements and announcements included with postings (and only with postings!)There are more that I could list, and, as I recall these benefits, I realize that being on FPF has actually saved and/or made us money from time to time. Certainly this alone is a good reason to contribute. Sure, there are many other media services out there that provide a venue for the exchange of goods, services, & information, but a service that binds and connects neighbors- thereby strengthening the community- is truly unique and special. It’s one of those home-grown “Vermont things” that make this place so wonderful.
I hope you will consider how your family has benefited from FPF and join me in supporting (even small amounts are helpful) the great work of Michael and the FPF folks. Here’s the link:
http://frontporchforum.com/about/donate.php-Peg Rosenau
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Dear Neighbors: If you are reading this, it’s because you are logged on to the Front Porch Forum. You probably agree with me that FPF is a valuable community resource. If you want to sell a car (I did in about two days) or give away a trampoline (I did in a day), or if you want to participate in the robust discussion about local issues like Burlington Telecom, FPF is the place for you.
Please consider a small donation to keep FPF viable! It will help keep you in the know and help keep our community vibrant.
It’s easy. Just go to: http://frontporchforum.com/about/donate.php
Thanks!
-Mary Kehoe, City Councilor
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I learned about FPF’s call to action from users and supporters in the Burlington Free Press over the weekend and immediately walked over to my computer to make a donation. If you value community connections and the service that FPF provides, please join me and make your donation today!
-Brendan Kinney
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Hello Neighbors – I want to second or third the accolades for Front Porch Forum and encourage you all to send them a little money. Since they provide a service for so many people, we could probably each donate just a little and it would add up to a lot!
I really appreciate the forum, and hope that more Huntingtonians join up so that we are talking to a bigger segment of our population!
-Sarah Jane Williamson
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Thanks to FPF for the chance to know what my neighbors think about the issues, for helping me find a sewer contractor, a back fence painter and much more. It’s a wonderful free community service — but, of course, it costs money to operate. I made a contribution this week and hope you will, too.
-Ann Curran
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Hello friends and neighbors. Last week the Front Porch Forum sent out message inviting us all to become members in order to help sustain and grow this valuable community resource.
We all know FPF is a terrific tool to ask for business referrals, get rid of unwanted stuff, keep apprised of wildlife sightings, but I also want to convey what an essential communications medium FPF is for issues that directly affect our lives and community.
It was a little over a year ago that a post to the FPF first announced that the Richmond bridge would be closing that day due to unsafe conditions. From that point on FPF was one of the main sources for updates about the construction effort as well as events and initiatives aimed at helping the downtown economy survive during the prolonged closure.
I have come to rely on the FPF for updates and information and am impressed by the quality and responsiveness of the team that runs it. I hope you see the value in it too and will consider becoming a member.
-Amy Klinger
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The first annual Front Porch Forum member appeal is underway. Please consider supporting this most excellent virtual enhancement of our neighborhood. We Meadowood folks enjoy meeting face-to-face while raking leaves, walking dogs or waiting at the school bus stop. FPF provides a forum for us to extend that personal connection by posting events, seeking or advertising pets, warning of local crimes and requesting information – all while sitting in our jammies at our computers at midnight with snow flying. What could be better?
Not convinced? Please check out http://frontporchforum.com/about/donate.php
-Ellen Vaut
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Dear Ward 6 Neighbors: Front Porch Forum has been an invaluable resource for me and many others in Burlington and Chittenden County. I used it to find a good sitter a few years ago, have used it for yard work and it’s a great way for me to communicate with you and you with me.
You could not ask for better neighbors in Michael and Valerie Wood-Lewis, the creators of FPF, a wonderful couple who, together with their four children, have given so selflessly of their time and energy to this community.
Please consider a donation to keep FPF alive and well! It took me less than four minutes to make a donation online. Thanks for your time and commitment to our community!
-Karen Paul, City Councilor
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Greetings, Neighbors – You probably agree that Front Porch Forum has developed into a terrific medium for us to communicate all sorts of useful information. I like being able to get tips and referrals to local services and to offer suggestions to fellow villagers. Please help keep this valuable service thriving by sending a donation. $24 is a modest amount to support Front Porch Forum for a whole year! And if you don’t have $24, any donation is welcome.
-Judy Raven
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I am very happy to contribute to the cause for two very important reasons.
1) FPF keeps me connected with my community. It gives me access to neighbors who are happy to help with so many important things, from making political decisions to finding my cat.
2) I want to see FPF expanded to every person in the United States. A well-functioning democracy REQUIRES access to critical and diverse information, and FPF is the only news source I know that is completely open for critique. Spin, distortion, and misrepresentation of ideas don’t last long when the dialouge is open, and I think every American deserve access to information that is critically examined.
-Dan Kent
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Neighbors in Starr Farm front porch forum… Please consider supporting Front Porch Forum. A modest contribution from everyone would probably help a lot to keep this service free. I think it has, and can continue to be, a very valuable tool for sharing information of importance to us.
-Mary McClintock
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As relatively new members to the community we have found FPF indispensable in establishing ourselves in the neighborhood. From becoming informed on divergent perspectives in local politics to finding homes for our household effluvia to simply finding new friends, FPF helped make us part of the 5 Sisters faster than we could have imagined. We urge you to support the forum, as well.
-Juliet and Patrick Halladay
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…of Front Porch Forum. $o many of u$ have enjoyed u$ing it to buy Something, to $hare $omething, to give Something, to $ell $omething and more. FPF haS a value. 50 $ent$ a week is about $25 a year to $upport a worthwhile, neighborhood project. $ign up today.
-Bill Keogh, City Councilor
~~~~~~~~~~~Friends and Neighbors – Don’t miss this opportunity to make a financial contribution for a service that supports us all. We have an easy and efficient way to meet and connect with each other, a means to solve joint problems, and to communicate frequently and passionately with our elected officials. Making a contribution will help ensure that FPF can be the gift that keeps giving. Donate at: http://frontporchforum.com/about/donate.php
BTW – anyone have any recommendations on someone for snow removal?
-Suzy Comerford
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FPF has been so valuable to us as a family. Needed a tall ladder to borrow… got one. Giving away a rug… gone the next day. Mother in law’s car stolen… heard from folks who pointed us to victim’s advocates here in Burl and very reasonable rental car at Majestic. Found a cat… found the owner. And always very happy to share our timely and reliable plumber, Guy Henning, 578-6868, and electrician John Murray 233-0060. We will support FPF and look forward to it’s continuing success.
-katharine m. montstream
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Having been in the O.N.E. for less than two years, we are grateful for Front Porch Forum. FPF provides us with a sense of neighborhood and community. We have not met a lot of the folks who contribute to FPF posts but we feel that we know them. We quickly scan or read the posts everyday. If you use FPF and value it like we do, please contribute to keep it going. Every amount counts. Keep FPF online for our community. Follow this link to do your part and thanks.
-Terry and Ann Street Bailey
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Hi neighbors – I’m writing to encourage my fellow locals to chip in a bit in order to keep a gem close to home. Front Porch Forum has asked that we help keep this award winning community-building service going strong by making a small donation and becoming contributing members. Michael Wood-Lewis et al were very humble, in my opinion, in asking for such modest donation amounts. I’m sure many of us have saved much more via FPF than the minimal amounts they are asking from us! I’ve personally saved boatloads by getting free and highly discounted items. I will gladly contribute to keep the service going so I can continue to get wonderful discounts, leads, and info from my neighbors. If you feel the same way, go to http://frontporchforum.com/about/donate.php and become a supporting member.
While you’re at it, check out all the awards and accolades Front Porch Forum has received, not just locally and state-wide, but national recognition as well! Thank you, FPF, for helping to make our community even better!
Kristin & Jackson Kany
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We just contributed to help Front Porch Forum continue into our future. Please consider doing the same. Any amount is helpful, and of course, they love monthly pledges.
-Barbara Nolfi
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Hello neighbors – Just a quick post in thanks for the incredible service provided by Front Porch Forum. I am grateful for the ongoing community conversation, and for the wonderfully practical exchange of stuff.
I also have to say that the Westford Food Shelf would not exist without the Forum. The Forum helped us vet the idea, brought in the volunteers, and keeps us stocked with food and the resources necessary to make the Food Shelf happen every month.
For these reasons, I am happy to be a contributing sponsor of the Forum. If you’d like to donate, just follow this link: http://frontporchforum.com/about/donate.php
-Lauren Curry
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I thought to myself: would my life and community be diminished if FPF disappeared? Not hard to answer that question! So I clicked on the link to donate. I’m glad to support this wonderful community-builder service.
-Jeanne Keller
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Dear Friends & Neighbors – What did I learn about Richmond from Front Porch Forum in just the past few months? We have adventurous bears, chocolate walks and community talks, a free summer camp for kids in need, rutted roads, repaired roads, pets lost and pets found. I’ve read about neighbors helping neighbors, learned some local history, and timely local news. And, FPF helped us find homes for my daughter’s guinea pigs’ first, second and now THIRD! litter of piglets.
Even better, FPF has served as a forum for the many points of view our community holds. And much like discussions held on a front porch, the posts to FPF have always been respectful and heartfelt.
Front Porch Forum helps me meet my neighbors and understand their needs, and it keeps my family connected to the big and little things going on in Richmond. We value this community-building service so much that becoming members seemed downright neighborly. If you read Front Porch Forum regularly, then please join us in supporting it by clicking on the following link…
http://frontporchforum.com/about/donate.php
-Jon Kart, Richmond Selectboard
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Just wanted to let everyone know that a neighbor from right across the street responded immediately to my plea for a used bike yesterday. She had exactly what we were looking for right in her garage! So we were able to replace the stolen bike, making mine available again for me to start a new job tomorrow. Another fantastic success story thanks to Front Porch Forum!
On a related note: if you love FPF as much as I do, but haven’t gotten around to donating yet, please consider doing so. It’s quick and easy, and feels great to support such a worthy cause.
-Jeremy Bull
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As many of you know, especially this time of year, there are many organizations looking for more help for those who are truly in need. And with the economy the way it is, it is difficult to dig in and find the extra dollars to support others. While we will continue to support the organizations we generally do, we have also dug in and offered support to Front Porch Forum by making a contribution.
FFP has become an important communication tool throughout the neighborhoods it serves. Just recently we were able to get a young man to rake our leaves, something we can’t do because of physical limitations right now. We had several offers from wonderful neighbors.
We have read about lost children (found later that night, thank goodness), we’ve read about neighborhood events, lost pets, political goings on, and news from all over the City, that we may not otherwise hear. It is a great place to have a chat over a neighborhood issue, concern over new construction or traffic, or exchange cookie recipes for Christmas.
Help the Forum continue by making a donation. Our’s wasn’t large or ongoing, but we know it will help. Please help keep this new and wonderful tradition going. Click on this link to make a donation and Happy Thanksgiving to all!
-Karen Kelley
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Hello neighbors – I encourage you to consider supporting Front Porch Forum with a donation of whatever amount you can afford. I just donated because I am grateful for the Forum. It is a great resource for connecting with neighbors, posting questions about the neighborhood, and building even more community within the O.N.E. I hope you will consider a donation if you can. Happy Thanksgiving!
-Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, Burlington City Councilor
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As Front Porch Forum is high on our list of things we appreciate about this neighborhood and this community, we decided to make a financial contribution to support this very worthy cause. We encourage you to do the same in whatever amount fits your budget. Clearly we all want this forum to be around for a long, long time!
Where else can you possibly find out about all of the amazing things happening right in the neighborhood, and engage in such lively dialogue with your neighbors about Burlington happenings? Our FPF is tailored to the ONE and its fantastic blend of personalities, opinions, and politics — so evident with each edition landing in our in-box. Our family calendar routinely fills up each week (and quickly!) with events and activities we read about on FPF — often they are free and within easy walking distance. Bumping into friends once there only further reminds us of the value of FPF.
FPF has helped us to… meet our neighbors through buying, selling, and bartering, find a dog sitter, learn about nearby businesses we love to support, formulate our opinions regarding local politics, better connect our kids to local sports, theatre, music and art, sample new and delicious foods, and advertise a variety of school-related events with outstanding results. There is nothing else out there that helps us feel connected and stay connected in quite the same way, whether it be by posting information or by reading someone else’s news. Financially supporting this local venture helps to ensure that a quality service that we all increasingly rely on stays viable and strong during these trying economic times. Supporting this local Vermont venture just feels right.
We hope you too will support Front Porch Forum! Now’s the time.
-Siobhan Donegan
-Vince Brennan, Burlington School Commissioner~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m also urging my neighbors to support Front Porch Forum. Look at what we all gain by gathering online to share tips, questions, and information that bind all of us together based on shared interests and concerns. During this season of gratitude, please consider donating to preserve the wonderful effort behind FPF. Thank you!
-Megan Humphrey
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As someone who lives in a (freakishly) close knit neighborhood, I’m amazed at the value that Front Porch Forum provides me still. Because we’re so close, I probably know too much about my neighbors’ lives, and whose car belongs in which driveway, but FPF regularly informs me about the other things happening in the area that I wouldn’t always catch. Sometimes, it is just a nice reminder of events I have been meaning to check out when I read the paper, but forget by the time breakfast is done, so I save the emails as a “to do” list. I finally got around to donating to FPF today, because if this service were to disappear, I would be missing a key local news source; I encourage my neighbors to do the same. I love bragging to out of state friends about FPF, and I realized that it’s not really fair of me to boast if I haven’t done my part to keep it going.
-Maura Collins Versluys
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Dan McLean wrote a solid piece about Front Porch Forum‘s first membership appeal for today’s Burlington Free Press. Here’s the letter we sent to our local subscribers and the page where anyone can become an FPF supporting member.
Social media venues such as Front Porch Forum, which are offered as free services to the public, are not spared the fiscal realties of business. Revenues must exceed expenses… Founded in 2006 after operating informally under a different name for several years, Front Porch Forum is being forced to adapt, Wood-Lewis said. “As we grow, our business model is evolving,” Wood-Lewis wrote to the forum’s 16,000 “subscribers” in kicking off the “first annual member appeal”…
“We are grateful for our local business partners and their support of our community-building mission,” he wrote. “Their ads cover many of our expenses, but not all.”
While the Free Press did find a “social media expert” to offer criticism of FPF, they regrettably didn’t print comments on the matter from any of the thousands of local folks who use it daily. I’ll cull some of those messages out of the neighborhood conversations to share in the next blog post.
UPDATE: This just in…
I disagree with the comment attributed to Joe Mescher in the article published on November 1st that FP forums “be shared more widely on the Internet instead of keeping the contents confined to each neighborhood.” The beauty of such “confinement” is knowing the information has relevance to me and my close neighbors. I occasionally submit information to my neighbors regarding actions of the Lake Iroquois Association – actions that matter to those near the lake and not necessarily to the residents of other areas or the Internet world at large. To remove such “confinement” just means everyone’s mailbox fills up with unwanted stuff – just another blog or tweet – stuff that I merely trash. The value of something like FPF becomes lost. I’m will support FPF financially and I strongly encourage others to do the same.
Keep up the great work, Michael.
Roger Crouse, President
Lake Iroquois Association
Ghost of Midnight is an online journal about fostering community within neighborhoods, with a special focus on Front Porch Forum (FPF). My wife, Valerie, and I founded FPF in 2006... read more