Category Archives: Burlington

American Machine – Must See

Posted on Thursday, September 27, 2007 by • No comments yet

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 • No comments yet

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 • No comments yet

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 • No comments yet

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.

Neighbors watching out for each other

Posted on Monday, September 10, 2007 by • No comments yet

Earlier today we saw on the ONE Central Neighborhood Forum in Burlington’s Old North End…

My bike with kids tag-a-long and kids helmet were stolen yesterday from in front of the Multi-Generational Center on N. Winooski yesterday at 4:40. It was a dark green trek “ladies” knobby tired bike and a dark green alley cat shadow tag-a-long. The helmet was red with cars on it. A guy was seen riding south on it. If you know anything call. Thank.

And now this evening the beginning of a happy ending…

I found a guy with my bike today. I left the guy but took the bike. He gave it back very easily and said he was “borrowing” it from someone else. Unfortunately the tag along was no longer tagging along with it. (Hey “John” If you are reading this please ask the guy you borrowed my bike from to let you borrow the bike that was attached to it and get it back to me…) Thanks to the Front Porch Forum posting, a friend was able to recognize the helmet by her dumpster as the one that was stolen with the bikes, and so we got that back too! I suppose there is a moral in here somewhere. 1 bike and helmet back in my possession. 1 dark green alley cat shadow tag-a-long still out there in the dark somewhere.

This whole incident stinks! But I love to see neighbors helping neighbors.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, Melissa just weighed in too, from a few blocks away…

On Saturday Sept. 8th mine and my neighbors bikes were stolen right out of the back yard right in the middle of the afternoon in broad daylight.
-Mine is a purple & silver Road master women’s bike. Also has (Designed for women) printed on the side of the seat. Another clue that it is mine is that the brakes do not work.
-My neighbors bike is a maroon mountain bike.
These bikes may have been abandoned together. If you see them please call me. Thank you very much.

UPDATE 2: More success on the first theft, from Meghan…

So, because of the posting about the stolen bikes on Front Porch Forum everything got returned.  The tag-along bike was found in a dumpster on Grant st.   when J read the post she knew to call me and tell me she had found it. I’m just glad the joy-riding bike thief lives in my neighborhood and discarded the parts he didn’t need within my FPF reading area!

Grayboxx searching for “sweet spot”

Posted on Monday, September 10, 2007 by • No comments yet

Following up on our previous posting about Grayboxx, here’s the headline from Peter K. at The Local Onliner today… Grayboxx CEO: OK, Burlington Probably ‘Too Small’

I’m glad to hear a reasonable explanation for the funky results seen by people who live in Burlington.  I hope Greyboxx does well elsewhere and improves in Burlington.

Peter appears to have stolen Montpelier’s crown as Vermont’s capital and bestowed it upon Burlington.  😉

And while Grayboxx says it should work better in areas with more than 100,000 people, that doesn’t quite jibe either, since greater Burlington has about 130,000 (the City proper is 38,000).

American Machine – The Play

Posted on Wednesday, September 5, 2007 by • 2 comments

Jim Lantz, of Burlington’s South End, had a hit last year with his original play The Bus. Now he and his crew are hard at work preparing for the opening of his new play, American Machine (FlynnSpace in Burlington, VT, September 25 – October 7, 2007)…

Part parable on the American dream, part cautionary tale taken from the headlines, American Machine tells the story of a great factory that once made parts for classic American cars.

This local original production will rely heavily on word of mouth and any member of Front Porch Forum has an opportunity to help spread the word. First, write a short post on your own neighborhood forum announcing the play. Then, after you see it, post a brief review. While American Machine is advertising on Front Porch Forum, any posting from a neighbor will likely carry more weight with readers. Here’s how Jim put it…

One of Burlington’s great gems is Front Porch Forum, an on-line neighborhood forum created by Michael Wood-Lewis. If you live in Chittenden County, chances are you live in one of the 130 forums that neighbors use for all sorts of communication – finding a lost cat, recommending a plumber, to… letting people know about a new play!

One way you can help our production (and the Burlington Schools Food Project) is to place a free notice on your local FPF telling neighbors about our play and the opening night benefit for the Burlington Schools Food Project. Be sure to include our web address: www.AmericanMachineThePlay.com

Not a member of your neighborhood Front Porch Forum? Go to FrontPorchForum.com, take a tour, and join. … It’s free!

I’m looking forward to it! Get your tickets today.

Broken Window, Curious Neighbor and FPF

Posted on Wednesday, September 5, 2007 by • No comments yet

On Sept. 3, Front Porch Forum member Rob posted on the ONE West Neighborhood Forum…

A few nights ago, maybe 3 or 4 days back, at about 4am, there was a loud noise of breaking glass. It sounded like a storefront window had shattered. It was near the corner of North Street and Park Street. Police were called, 3 cruisers responded and they were parked the wrong way on Park Street while the scene was investigated — did anyone ever hear about what happened?

Now today (Sept. 5) he writes again…

Thanks to any and all who responded to my request.  I am sure there have been several incidents of broken glass in the neighborhood recently.  The definitive reply to my specific question came from Andi Higbee of the Burlington PD, who told me: “it was a burglary into Pete’s Ice Cream.  We apprehended 2 people and they were both charged.” Thanks to Lt. Higbee for the information from BPD. And thanks to my FPF neighbors!

This is the everyday low-key kind of thing that makes Front Porch Forum work for so many people.  Not only did Rob get his answer, but he connected with several nearby neighbors who he probably didn’t previously know, AND hundreds of FPF members in the neighborhood were informed of the crime and police work.

Front Porch Forum’s 1st Birthday

Posted on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 by • No comments yet

Hard to believe that Front Porch Forum was launched one year ago this month! The response to this local start-up (focused on its initial pilot area of greater Burlington, VT) has been wonderful and overwhelming. What a privilege to work on this effort with the likes of…

  • More than 6,000 local households who subscribe across 130 local neighborhood forums! And hundreds more who sign up each month.
  • About 250 FPF neighborhood volunteers who help recruit neighbors and stimulate conversation.
  • Nearly 200 members who have submitted testimonials.
  • About 80 members who have made voluntary subscription payments.
  • More than 140 local public officials who each participate within his/her jurisdiction
  • A growing list of local advertisers.
  • Dozens of local media outlets that have reported about FPF.
  • Many organizations that have recognized FPF (and all involved) with awards.
  • Loads of folks who read and comment on our blog about building community within neighborhoods.
  • And several great collaborators.

Moving forward, our goals are simple and challenging…

  1. Strengthen each local neighborhood forum… more neighbors on board, more discussion.
  2. Generate sufficient revenue.
  3. Make improvements to FPF based on member feedback.
  4. Expand the service to other areas… more than 100 other communities on our waiting list.

So thanks to each FPF member! And please post messages to your neighborhood forum and encourage those around you to sign up at FrontPorchForum.com Here comes autumn! -Michael and Valerie

About Blog

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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