Category Archives: Burlington

FPF ads strike a chord

Posted on Monday, November 5, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

We’ve been getting very positive feedback on the ads running on Front Porch Forum.  And a certain amount of community pride seems to kick in when a particular neighborhood forum really catches hold.  Here’s a note from the ONE Central Neighborhood Forum in Burlington’s North End today…

Just wanted to say well done to all who post here and those who run and advertise on this forum. From what I’ve learned talking to other folks this is the liveliest front porch around. Its great to see a neighborhood dialogue happening.

Economic Development through FPF

Posted on Wednesday, October 31, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Amy Kirschner writes in Money in the Mountains this month…

Getting to know your neighbors leads to economic opportunities…

If you’re a Burlington resident, you’ve probably heard of Front Porch Forum. The service was started in the Five Sisters neighborhood by Michael Wood-Lewis and his wife, Valerie as a way for neighbors to share news by email.

Front Porch Forum has gotten a lot of press and recognition lately as a community building tool. It’s interesting that beyond building social capital, being neighborly and coming together on community projects, members have found FPF to also be a place to be creative economically.

In the Old North End Central neighborhood, the Soup Mama, started a business delivering soup to neighbors – by bike! – and has been advertising weekly on the forum. A student has taken the fundraising-for-a-school-trip-bake-sale online by offering pumpkin pies delivered to your door the week before Thanksgiving.

Testimonials featured on the website list people who have found plumbers, bought and sold homes, and found tenants for rental properties.

Many of us have skills that we couldn’t pursue full time in the market economy but that could be used to supplement our income. People can sometimes find communities of interest online or in their area that might make a transaction possible, but Front Porch Forum has made it possible to market those skills to your geographical community.

To strengthen and diversify our local economy, there are two strategies we must pursue: creating the capital and creating the market. Front Porch Forum has filled a gap in marketing and exchanging services among neighbors while building community.

Pickle the Cat Reunited after Crosstown Jaunt

Posted on Friday, October 26, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

I’ve always wondered about those stories of pets finding their way across unfamiliar terrain to get back home.  Now we have a Front Porch Forum version.  First, Lara posted her “lost cat” announcement on her new neighborhood’s forum and got no response.  Then, she got it posted on an FPF neighborhood forum in Burlington’s South End…

I moved from Adams Street [in the south end] last month to Rose Street in the north end. Since Monday night (10/15), my cat Pickle has been missing. He’s a black and grey tiger-striped short hair. He’s long, lean, and very soft. He’s also double-pawed (he has extra toes that make it looks like he has thumbs). He may be making his way back to our old place.  Photos on MySpace and SnapFish.  Please call with ANY sightings at 802-318-6125. Thank you!

Now today we see…

The Cat Came Back!  Actually, Pickle didn’t technically come back. He went all the way to our old place on Adams Street in the south end! It took him 10 days, but the new tenant Rebecca called me this morning to say that Pickle was on her front porch. He’s healthy (not a scratch), happy, and finally home. THANK YOU to everyone who contacted me with possible Pickle sightings. We moved to ONE a month ago, and I can’t tell you how much it means to me that my new neighbors are so thoughtful. And yay Front Porch Forum!!

Special Offer on Burlington Telecom

Posted on Thursday, October 25, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

I’m pleased to share this special offer for residents of Burlington, VT…

Sign up for Burlington Telecom service (phone, internet, cable tv) now and receive a $25 CREDIT when you mention Front Porch Forum at the time you place your order. Referral also supports your neighborhood forum. Order at 540-0007 or http://www.burlingtontelecom.net (check the Front Porch Forum box under “How did you hear about us?”).  Limited time offer: For new orders placed between 10/25/07 and 12/31/07.

Burlington Livable Community Project

Posted on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

This appears to be a genuinely valuable project locally here…

As the age boom impacts Burlington, can residents say with conviction “this is a great place to grow old?” The Burlington Livable Community Project is engaging residents, community organizations and the City to make changes so people of all ages can live in the setting of their choice, get around the city in a variety of ways, and engage fully in the life of our community.

AARP Vermont is the lead and lots of other entities are involved.  I heard from their early “community listening” sessions that Front Porch Forum came up from citizens multiple times as a great resource for helping seniors feel connected to their neighbors and community.

Neighbors get organized to protect zoning

Posted on Monday, October 22, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Neighbors have plenty of cause to get organized.  One Burlington neighborhood nearly had its zoning changed by a last minute political move to allow lots to be subdivided… potentially a big deal for residents.

One neighbor got wind of it and posted a message… “contact our city councilors ASAP!”  That message was published to about 100 households today at 1:00 PM.  Here’s the note from one of the councilors…

As of 2:30pm on Monday October 22 I have already received almost a dozen emails from you all about the protection of Van Patten Pkwy.  To me clearly this shows the effectiveness of Front Porch Forum.

And, this just in (the city council meeting just adjourned)…

Great news, our neighborhood was restored to Amendment 34!  Our neighborhood will retain it’s unique flavor, and lessens the risk of over development.

Voices for the Lake Brainstorming Forums

Posted on Monday, October 22, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

This is a compelling program and Front Porch Forum will participate…

Voices for the Lake Brainstorming Forums

-Tuesday, Oct. 30th – 9:30 to 2:30 @ ECHO
-Monday, Nov. 12th – 9:30 to 2:30 @ ECHO
-Saturday, Nov. 17th – 9:30 to 2:30 @ Champlain College’s Hauke Family Campus Center

600,000 people CAN make a difference!  How do you get thousands of people talking about and, more importantly, doing something for the health of Lake Champlain?  Participate in the Voices for the Lake Brainstorming Forums and help set the course for engaging the public through new Internet technologies.

-EXPLORE emergent technologies, including wikis, blogs, and serious eGames
-INTERACT with technology industry leaders from Champlain College Emergent Media Center, IBM and Google.
-VOTE ELECTRONICALLY on your forum’s strongest ideas
-COLLABORATE on stewardship-themed Internet media and ECHO exhibits, website content, and school programs
-FREE lunch and parking
-ARTICIPATE in as many forums as you can – and spread the word

Please RSVP: Steffen Parker, Voices for the Lake Facilitator: sparker@vpaonline.org / 802.864.1848×135 http://www.echovermont.org

Member Feedback :-)

Posted on Sunday, October 21, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Awards are great, but comments about Front Porch Forum from a member carry even more weight for me.  So when I asked one of our longest-running members, a stranger to me, for constructive feedback today after helping her with a tech question, I was left with a BIG smile on my face by her response…

I LOVE Front Porch Forum and am encouraging any neighbor who is not on it to get on it.

We advertised a plant swap at the beginning of summer – it was a great way to get rid of some stuff, get some new plants and meet great neighbors.  We’ll be doing it again in the spring.

I enjoy the school board updates, crime updates, free stuff, sponsor advertising, etc.  We meet new folks with each posting.  We’re encouraged to try Dino’s a pizza place on North Street from the recommendation of someone on the fourm.

Honestly, I have no complaints.

You’ve taken the conversations between immediate neighbors that occur across the fence and extended them blocks away.

I thank you for that and for all your (presumably thankless) work to maintain the forum.

Neighbors get organized for local utility fix

Posted on Sunday, October 21, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Trouble getting your local government or utility to address a problem in your neighborhood?  People are discovering the power of Front Porch Forum in this arena.  Here’s the latest example from an FPF member today in Burlington’s New North End…

I’ve been remiss and want to belatedly express my gratitude to all my Village Green Front Porch neighbors who kindly contacted Burlington Electric.  The street lamp at the end of Van Patten Parkway and Brook Drive, which was knocked down last winter, was replaced!

Nothing like a load of phone calls from one neighborhood to get a municipality or local utility to tune in and fix the problem.

Film Series focused on Community

Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 by • 3 comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 18 October 2007

COMMUNITYMATTERS07
Growth and Character: Having It All

COMMUNITY FILM SERIES

Tuesday, October 23
7:00 – 10:00 PM
The Film House
Main Street Landing, On the Waterfront, Burlington, VT
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

BURLINGTON, VT—The Orton Family Foundation and PlaceMatters are pleased to announce our mini film series, an evening of documentaries on what it means to live, work and play in true community—and the consequences of destroying community. The event is free and open to the public.

Patrick Farrington, Director and Producer of The Champlain Street Urban Renewal Project, will tell you about making his film and answer questions from the audience. See bio below.

The Champlain Street Urban Renewal Project
Ponderosa Productions Presents a Patrick Farrington Film
Opening Theme by Stephen Harrington. Produced by Patrick Farrington and Julie Dutra Farrington. Written, Edited and Directed by Patrick Farrington
Running time: 30 minutes

Imagine being forced out of your home to make way for commercial development. It happened to families living in the Champlain Street Urban Renewal Area in the 1960s. A seemingly forgotten piece of Burlington’s past comes to life in this documentary through heartfelt interviews with former residents and individuals close to the process. Childhood memories and rare photographs tell the story of an established neighborhood that was once the heart of downtown Burlington.

Grow Up Fresh! Vermont School to Farm
Vermont FEED: Food Education Every Day
A partnership of Food Works, Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT), and Shelburne Farms www.vtfeed.org
Produced by Bruce Gibbs, Betsy Rosenbluth, Cabin46Studios, 2007
Running time: 23 minutes

Vermont Feed raises school and community awareness about healthy food, Vermont farms and good nutrition. We act as a catalyst to rebuild health local food systems by cultivating links between classrooms, cafeterias, local farms and communities.

Made possible by the generous support of the Argosy Foundation, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board—Farm Viability Program, and the Center for Whole Communities.

Growing Together: Consensus Building Smart Growth and Community Change
A film by Melissa Paly, Cross Currents Productions, for the New England Environmental Finance Center. Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service. With Support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Running time: 52 minutes

Many communities are finding the issue of how to grow a divisive one. This film offers an alternative to the discord and stalemate that too often occurs over how to approach change as a community—“consensus building.” Speaking in their own words, community officials, concerned citizens and developers of smart growth and revitalization projects discuss how difficult issues can be approached collaboratively to find successful paths for change.

“An inspiring film about how communities and developers can transform can transform typically adversarial relationships into ones that enhance community character, sustainable development, and economic benefit.”
—Patrick Field, Managing Partner
The Consensus Building Institute, Inc.
Cambridge, MA

The Lost People of Mountain Village Jury Award Winner, Mountainfilm in Telluride
Written, Produced, Directed, and Edited by Neal Marlens ands Carol Black
Narrated by Christine Dunford; Director of Photography, Doug Berry; Associate Producer and Additional Photography, Jim Hurst; Sound, Stash Wislocki; Original Music, Mark Leggett; L.A. Producers, Mark Grossan and Raman Rao
Running Time: 15 minutes

Anthropologist Wade Davis calls it “no less than the most spectacular archaeological and anthropological discovery of our lifetimes.” Dr. Jerrold Sapphire, author of Vanished: Why Bad Things Happen to Bad Civilizations, calls it…well, you’ll find out what he calls it. But when a lost backcountry skier high in the Rocky Mountains stumbles on a monumental complex of structures—apparently completely uninhabited—the only thing that experts agree on is that we may never know what really happened to “The Lost People of Mountain Village.”

Patrick Farringtoin BIO: Patrick grew up in South Burlington, the son of Albert and Monica Farrington, both native Burlingtonians.

After living in Los Angeles for a couple of years he returned to Vermont and started working with the video medium in 1992. After several years of producing corporate videos and working on local television spots Patrick looked to produce a story with deeper meaning.

Events surrounding The Champlain Street Urban Renewal Project became the logical choice because there were several family connections to the renewal area. So, in 1998, to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the first home demolished, Patrick began production of his film cleverly titled “The Champlain Street Urban Renewal Project”.
____________________________________
CONTACT:
John Barstow
Director of Communications
The Orton Family Foundation
P.O. Box 111
Middlebury, VT 05753
802-388-6336
www.orton.org