Monthly Archives: August 2012

Good to hear…

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2012 by 2 comments

#VT – Front Porch Forum is one of the best outreach formats we have well worth the money!” Cassandra Brush, CVSWMD.

FPF is hiring: Seeking ad sales reps.

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2012 by No comments yet

#BTV #VT – Front Porch Forum is growing.  Join our exciting start-up: http://bit.ly/FPFsalesopening

“Shoe Endorsement (Not Paid For By An Out-Of-State Super-PAC)”

Posted on Thursday, August 30, 2012 by No comments yet

#VT – Is it okay to post recommendations on FPF?  Yes!  Here’s today’s example by Frank on the Hinesburg Front Porch Forum, where we have 1,300 FPF members out of the 2,000 households in town…

It’s rare that I will endorse a product strongly enough to share it with my friends and neighbors, but today I discovered something that actually changed my life… a pair of sneakers. I’ve been a life-long competitive runner until this past spring, when I injured my ankle. I literally haven’t run 5 paces since late March. But I finally listened to my neighbor, Jim F., who told me about “Hoka” brand running shoes, sold locally by Green Mountain Rehab on lower Main Street in Burlington. They look just like the shoes work by Kramer in a Seinfeld episode – think: Sketchers, but even uglier. If you’re self-conscious or concerned with style, disregard this message. But, if you have the self-confidence to look like you’ve been recently released from Shepardson-6 (and your joints or muscles keep you from exercising), strap these babies on and get out there! I kid you not – they’re amazing!

Black bear neighbor

Posted on Friday, August 10, 2012 by No comments yet

#VT – Donna Faser-Leary writes in the Charlotte Observer this week

Early this summer a new resident arrived in Charlotte: a black bear. The Charlotte Front Porch Forum, an online neighborhood communication resource, has been instrumental in keeping Charlotters informed of the bear’s whereabouts and activities. What first appeared to be a chance sighting soon became a frequent occurrence from East Charlotte to West, especially around the Mt. Philo area. Reports of destroyed birdfeeders, strewn trash bags and raided compost piles have been evidence of a bear’s visit. Only one bear has been occasionally sighted, and it has not shown any aggression toward either animals or humans but has merely given a huffing sound as a warning of its presence, a normal bear response…

People need to put away birdfeeders and store trash and other bear-appealing items in lock-safe containers. Don’t leave cookout or other food supplies out in the open unattended, and lock your sheds. Prevention is key. If a bear keeps coming around, Drury suggests hanging heavy-duty balloons loaded with some cayenne (hot) pepper powder off a shed or porch overhang. The bear will pop it, and “one time is usually all it takes.” Shooting at the bear with rubber bullets, which will scare but not kill it, is also an option…

Another online resource to tap into is the Charlotte Front Porch Forum, a free neighborhood communication service open only to people in your town. To join, go to frontporchforum.com. It will help you track bear sightings, find your dog, sell your stuff, get robbery alerts and keep informed about local issues and events.