Artist Lydia Kern was commissioned to create a sculpture to grace Burlington’s City Hall Park on Main Street. She recently announced the unveiling in a posting on Front Porch Forum.
“A few years ago I posted a call for flowers on FPF as part of a public project. ‘Anthology’ is now complete and on Main St. across from the Flynn. THANK YOU to everyone who responded to the call!! Your participation built the work. Marie Davis, another Burlington-based artist, was key in seeing this project through and fabricating the work with me. It is a gift and a joy to be able to give this work to our city! This work belongs to all of us- especially the flower gatherers and those living in closest proximity to Anthology.
‘Anthology’ is a monumental public sculpture—an archive of light, memory, and collective presenceinstalled near Burlington, Vermont’s City Hall. Composed of hundreds of preserved flowers gathered by neighbors across Burlington, the work draws from the Greek anthologia, meaning ‘a collection of flowers,’ reflecting on transformation, interdependence, and participation.
Like a bloom or a sunset, ‘Anthology’ holds what is fleeting yet enduring. Flowers ascend and descend in a murmuration; stone-like pieces rely on each other to stand. The monument is a threshold—a space to celebrate, to grieve, to witness, and to imagine a future shaped by all that preserves life and the persistence of beauty.’
A treasure hunt ‘I Spy’ list for items inside the sculpture can be found on my website, along with a longer form description about the project : https://www.lydiakern.com/anthology
This project was commissioned through the Great Streets Project/BCA. Hope to see you soon!”
Learn more about this project in the story on Vermont Public. https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2025-11-06/new-public-art-revitalize-burlingtons-main-street
Front Porch Forum is seeking an Intermediate or Senior-level Developer to join our team. The position is full-time and based in Burlington (remote optional). Be part of a world-class team of engineers. Help us fulfill our community-building mission.
Join Front Porch Forum and dozens of Vermont tech firms at this year’s Vermont Tech Jam, presented by Seven Days. This free event will be held on Friday, October 19, at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction. Enjoy presentations, demos, and displays. Learn More about Tech Jam here. You can find FPF at booth G1!
“On April 27, my 13-year-old was attacked just before 6 p.m. by a man with a folding pocketknife on the bike path near the train trestle between North Beach and Leddy Park. The man demanded my son hand over his bike and his wallet. Although my son was fortunate enough to get away with both his bike and his wallet, the man slashed him with the knife on his face and his shoulder. The cuts were superficial, but the whole event was incredibly frightening. Please take care on the bike path!” • Lori, a Burlington South End neighborhood Front Porch Forum
UPDATE: “I’ve received several requests for a description of the man who assaulted my son on the bike path on Thursday, April 27. My son is still in shock and cannot recall all that happened, but here are the details he remembers about the man: White male, mid- to late twenties, approximately 5′ 7″ tall, average build, was wearing a very nice Nike zip-front black hoodie with the hood up and navy workout pants, and had two rings on his right hand—one on the pointer finger and one on his middle finger. The man first slashed my son while the knife was in his right hand, but then transferred the knife to his left hand before slashing my son the second time.”
Front Porch Forum is hiring! We are seeking a Ruby on Rails Developer to join our team. This position is full-time and based in Burlington, Vermont. Be part of a world-class team of software engineers, and help us fulfill our community-building mission. Check out the details and apply here.
Iran’s “Blogfather,” Hossein Derakhshan, in a recent interview on the NiemanStoryboard…
“The decline of the web in favor of social media entails grim consequences. Hyperlinks were the founding principle of the web; it secured a diversity, nonlinearity, decentralization and interactivity, which made the web so powerful. But social media’s very philosophy and monetization strategy, or the stream, cannot be friendly to hyperlinks, since they do not want their users to leave their space. This new environment, in addition to the currently dominant algorithms, which favors popularity and now-ness rather than diversity and quality, is worse than television in its potential damage to representative democratic societies, where majority is supposed to take informed decisions without jeopardizing minorities. The rise of identity politics and intolerance for diversity is directly linked to the current form of the internet. This is the deepest shock of this transition to me since my release. This shift from what I call books-internet to TV-internet.”
Unlike some other social media platforms, Front Porch Forum doesn’t aim to lure people in and hold their attention 24/7. FPF, for many Vermonters, is a 10-minute-a-day habit that leads to more face-to-face conversations with neighbors… and to friendlier, more informed, and more resilient local communities. Hyperlinks in FPF postings are an important part of that.
Front Porch Forum newsletters saw an abundance of offers to help those in need during Vermont’s Winter Storm Stella. Here are a few reflective of our members’ gracious community spirit!
“What an amazing community! I posted in the last issue, looking for help shoveling out because I’m disabled and can’t do it. Less than an hour after that FPF edition was sent out, I had TEN offers from folks wanting to help! I am so grateful and happy to live in an amazing community like this. Thank you!!” • Cara in Winooski
“Thanks for working together to dig each others’ cars out of the snow. It’s fun to shovel together! It allowed those of us without driveways to park in safety. Thanks for being good neighbors!” • Mindy in Burlington
“Two able bodies in town looking to help folks that need help getting shoveled out after the big storm.” • Dave & Eli in Charlotte
“I’m not a snow removal expert, nor equipped with a snowblower or plow, but if you’re in need of having your walkway or decks shoveled, I have a strong back and shovel and I’m available. Not looking to make money, just meet some neighbors in need.” • Adam in New Haven
“Thank you to the Snowblower Angel who was walking with their snowblower Tuesday night assisting their neighbors. I was out shoveling for the third time and your help was greatly appreciated.” • Carmen in Burlington
“From a security camera I just saw someone shoveling out our front sidewalk and deck/steps, which were buried under 26″ plus of snow. That person was our good neighbor who didn’t want my wife to shovel as I just got out of the hospital and can’t shovel.” • Sam in Burlington
“Thanks to 6 teens who came to our assistance with snow shoveling at our home. They were eager, very polite, and dug right in. When offered payment, they refused. When offered pizza, they refused. Our hearts are full of thanks for these young men.” • Bob in Bristol
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