Category Archives: Burlington

Theater troupe engages audience in word-of-mouth

Posted on Saturday, October 13, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Mark Nash of the Vermont Stage Company wrote the following in his recent e-newsletter to theater supporters…

Spread the word!
We depend on those who have seen and loved our shows to tell their friends and families about their experience. One way you can do this s through Front Porch Forum,which connects neighbors through the Internet. Though commonly used to share news about good babysitters, lost cats, and annoying potholes that never get fixed, it’s also a place for people to share knowledge of local cultural events. Check out Front Porch Forum, join, and let your neighbors know about Vermont Stage!

We’re seeing more and more of this kind of thing as FPF becomes integrated into its pilot community.

Tire Slashing Victim Turns it Around with FPF

Posted on Thursday, October 11, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Carrie in Burlington’s Old North End felt as deflated as her car tires when she came outside the other day and discovered that all four had been slashed.  Enter Front Porch Forum.  She posted a note to her neighbors…

 Most regretfully, I’m writing to let you know our tires were slashed on Saturday night while our car was in our driveway. It’s one if the more unpleasant ways to spend $200.

Not sure what you should do with this information…..I hate to inspire fear. My hope is it was a random act committed in a moment of severely compromised judgment. I feel a bit better sharing it with all of you, like instant empathy.

May your lives be peaceful!

Just the opposite of inspiring fear, her posting rallied people.  She followed up today with…

thanks so much for setting up our forum. i received a bunch of very supportive and helpful e-mails in response to my message about our tires being slashed. thanks to the forum, we were connected with the parallel justice program which will pay for our new tires. good work!

For those of you keeping score at home… one bad experience poured through FPF results in… one problem solved (money for new tires), victim feeling supported by neighbors, neighbors on the lookout for vandalism, and the neighbors all feeling a little better for the experience… the sense of community a little stronger.

Bike “Borrowing” Binge Barrages Burlington

Posted on Thursday, October 4, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Gail writes today from the ONE West Neighborhood Forum in Burlington, VT…

I have a friend in the New North End whose back yard is right next to an entrance to the bike path.  Every weekend she ends up with several bikes of all shapes and sizes in her yard.  It seems that the new teenager thing is to “borrow” a bike to get around town, and then dump it where ever it’s convenient.  I once heard of a government program in Norway I think, with bright yellow bikes parked all over town for people to use to get around town.  This Burlington bike borrowing is the same thing, only on a criminal scale.  The police are aware – but honestly, what can they do about it?  The kids who are taking the bikes don’t think there’s anything wrong with it because they don’t keep them, just borrow them.  (Tell that to a devastated 6 year old whose bike is missing!)   I’ve also ended up with at least 7 mystery bikes left in my driveway since last May – and had a few bikes stolen from my backyard.  It’s a bit of a quandary.

FPF Members Rally for Homeless Shelter

Posted on Monday, October 1, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Good news from COTS (Committee on Temporary Shelter)…

Today we got lunch donated by a “Neighborhood” that was coordinated through Front Porch Forum, They made a variety of sandwiches, even brought garden fresh tomatoes separate to put on the sandwiches, AND a survey for us to fill out & let her know what worked & what didn’t – Very Awesome!!!

College kids take in refugee family; neighbors rally

Posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

I was moved when I read the following post by Therese on the ONE East Neighborhood Forum yesterday…

My neighbors have temporarily taken in a refugee family from Somalia who fell through the cracks during a resettlement move. The family landed in Burlington last night with only the clothes on their backs. There is a mom, dad and four kids. The boys are 2 and 5 and the girls are 8 and 10 and they are average size kids for their ages. My neighbors are college kids who have opened up their home to this family until they get into the system. Whatever vouchers, etc, that they are supposed to have….did not come through yet.

Regardless, they need some more clothes and we have done okay with the parents but need to get some children’s clothes and shoes. I gave them some stuffed animals but am sure toys would be helpful too. If you have anything in decent shape lying around that you don’t need in sizes that you think might fit these kids….would you be willing to donate it to them? We will give anything not needed or that does not fit to the Salvation Army or St. Vincent De Paul or anywhere else you might suggest that it could help people. If you have anything you want to donate please just leave it on the front porch. Thank you in advance for anything you donate. Peace to everyone!

So now today’s follow up really made my day…

When I posted last night asking for some clothes and toys for the Somalian refugee family I had no idea that people would be so incredibly generous!!! The response we received today was overwhelming. We have plenty of clothes and toys for them right now. In fact we will be bringing the extras to other refugees and to some local thrift store/charity places.

The college students who are putting them up said that the family will hopefully be moving into an apartment within a week or so and at that point they may need some more things for the house. I will post again if and when they inform me of specific items the family might need.

I wish everyone who donated things could have seen the looks on the children’s faces when we gave them the toys and clothes. Last night they were timid and scared and wearing clothes that did not fit. Tonight they were not scared, already learned some English (wow, kids can learn a language fast) and bewildered but happy. It was also important that they had some warmer clothes and now they do!!! Thanks to all of you who donated to help this family!!

In a neighborhood that has it struggles with irresponsible college students, the beautiful action taken by these UVM kids to help a family in need is wonderful. And I’m glad that their neighbors can see that through Front Porch Forum, and that so many folks are pitching in with clothes, toys, etc.

American Machine – Must See

Posted on Thursday, September 27, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Front Porch Forum is about people connecting with their neighbors and getting involved in their neighborhoods. That involvement ranges from organizing a blow-out block party, to watering the next door neighbor’s plants when she’s away, to just becoming aware of a spate of bicycle thefts on the street. All that tuning in adds up to a heightened sense of community within the neighborhood… a simple and powerful thing.

Which brings me to American Machine, the new play created by local artist Jim Lantz. Jim has done a rare thing… he’s written, produced, and directed this show on his own… with a great team of people around him, but not housed within some larger organization. He’s taken the creative, career AND financial risks.

In doing this, he’s offering all folks local to the Burlington area a chance to tune in and get involved in local arts and national political discourse.

It’s simple, if you want to live in a place that has this kind of creative economy coursing through it, then you need to turn out, buy tickets, and take in the play. The show is clearly an artistic success. Now it’s up to local residents to make it a financial success by filling the seats. Get tickets here (show runs through Oct. 7, 2007).

To the play… my wife and I attended tonight’s performance with friends. While Front Porch Forum is a sponsor of the play and American Machine advertised in FPF, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I thought it might be lean toward a heavy-handed political piece… not at all.

Simply, I was enthralled. The production grabbed my attention and kept it the whole show. The six characters, their stories and their relationships all rang true, even when the drama flared. I know I’ll be thinking of the characters for some time, wondering what comes next for them. And the political message struck me as timeless, not about policy minutia.

I look forward to discussing the play with neighbors out on the sidewalk in the coming days… lots to mull over.

One last idea for locals… post a message about American Machine on your FPF neighborhood forum… help spread the word and build local community! Here are some details.

Martha Tormey: Is you a girl?

Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Martha is funny.  I still laugh thinking of some of the bits in her first show.  She just posted this on her neighborhood’s Front Porch Forum and I see it spreading to other neighborhood forums.

Hey! I am very excited and proud to announce that my second solo standup comedy show will premier on Saturday, October 6th at Waterfront Theatre [Burlington, VT]. It’ll be a great night – Mike Robideau (winner of last year’s Comedy Battle) will open. Tickets are available through the Flynn at 86-flynn or online at http://www.flynntix.org. Hope you can make it.

Neighborhood Volunteers breathe life into FPF

Posted on Monday, September 17, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Alan Sousie of Burlington’s New North End posted this message today on his neighborhood’s forum…

I am sending out my encouragement to everyone for use and promotion of Front Porch Forum.   In my mind, the more we demonstrate the Forum’s usefulness by example, the more likely we are to get others to join us.   I consider the Forum to be a community voice.  With it we can encourage, serve, inform, debate, recognize, and protect our community.  With it we can buy, sell, barter, give away and recycle items that are appropriate to respectful and neighborly exchanges.   I believe that all computer literate persons would want to use this neighborhood network, if only they knew of its existence.   I believe it is up to us, who are already informed, to spread the word.  I urge everyone to recruit other Neighborhood Volunteers and other neighbors who will grow our Forum network.

Alan is on his ward’s Neighborhood Planning Assembly, the City’s Board of Health, and he’s an FPF Neighborhood Volunteer.  Thanks for all you do for your community Alan!

Neighborhood organizers put FPF to work

Posted on Sunday, September 16, 2007 by • 1 comment

The Neighborhood Planning Assembly in Burlington’s New North End is recognizing neighbors who make a special contribution to community. Here are two they singled out…

CARMEN GEORGE: After the murder of two women in Burlington, Carmen didn’t feel as safe walking at night. She wanted to get some exercise but was a little too fearful to go out by herself. She wondered if there were others who might be interested in getting out at night.She sent out an email on the Front Porch Forum. It was a simple invitation to go for a walk. The response was good, mostly mothers who were up for getting out of the house for a bit and having some good adult conversation. It’s a nice way to connect.

Carmen does a lot of other things in the neighborhood. She plans block parties, progressive dinners, playdates. She likes knowing her neighbors. She lived in a neighborhood growing up that was close knit and she wants that for her daughter. “We don’t want to walk down the street and see strangers, we want to be among friends.” Thanks to Carmen, this is becoming a reality for many people in her neighborhood. We salute you, Carmen.

I love Carmen’s quote… “We don’t want to walk down the street and see strangers, we want to be among friends.”

BOB DINAN organized a neighborhood sporting event using Front Porch Forum.

  • Softball, Soccer, Frisbee (Ultimate) Is anyone in the “Neighborhood” interested in putting together a neighborhood game of some sort? Nothing ultra-competitive, keeping it fun, maybe even playing against another neighborhood. Any ideas?
  • Neighborhood softball Friday August 3rd at 6:45 I was communicating with Jim Flint and we decided to try for next Friday. It will be at the Flynn school. I have a few bats I can bring, one is a smaller one for kids. If anyone else has a favorite bat bring it along.
  • Just a reminder and a note to the new people we are having a softball game this Friday at the Flynn School field on Starr Farm Rd. Time 6:45pm, meet & make teams, hopefully start playing by 7:00pm. All are welcome.

This is the awakening neighborhood spirit that Front Porch Forum has brought to us via the internet.

Glasses found, Neighborhood the better for it

Posted on Saturday, September 15, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

This kind of thing happens so frequently in neighborhoods that embrace Front Porch Forum, that it slips my mind to share.  So, here are two postings from the Five Sisters Neighborhood Forum.  First from Lanny last night…

pair of women’s glasses found near Catherine Street. seem to be prescription. brown and blue narrow plastic frame. call Beth.

And then from Sara this morning…

These were mine! and while I’d finally given in and replaced them this week, I don’t like the new glasses as much and was feeling bereft. Just thought you might like another success story!

(1) Immediate problem solved.  (2) Two more neighbors become acquainted in a way that they’ll likely remember next time they bump into each other.  (3) The sense of community within the neighborhood — of neighbors watching out for each other — grows just a tiny bit.  Day after day, neighborhood after neighborhood.

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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

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