Category Archives: Burlington
Bear and bird sightings abound on Front Porch Forum
People are reporting bear sightings to their neighbors via their local Front Porch Forum all across Vermont this week… ’tis the season.
Also, lots of bird sightings are being shared too, including… Indigo Bunting, Black-Crowned Night Heron, Scarlett Tanager, and a pair of Barred Owlets being fed by mom and dad.
Post your sightings on your local FrontPorchForum.com so your neighbors can be aware.
Lost and found in Burlington’s Old North End
“Thank you, Front Porch Forum! I posted something to “Lost and Found” and the item has been reunited with its owner. A neighbor knew the person and helped me close the loop. Front Porch Forum is such a great neighborhood resource. The more we use it, the bigger and better it becomes.”
• Megan, an Old North End FPF in Burlington
Car stolen, bogus Comcast repairman casing house, and windows broken in Burlington
Vermonters share news about break-ins and other local crime with their neighbors on Front Porch Forum every day across the state. Yesterday, e.g., the following three incidents were reported on Burlington FPFs:
“My Toyota RAV4 was stolen out of our driveway last night. We live on right on Colchester Ave. I reported it to the police but please if you see a blue 2008 Toyota RAV4 let me know. It is the only car for me and my husband. Make sure everything is locked up… turns out we don’t live in the most secure neighborhood. Please please help us find our car.”
• Rebecca, Centennial FPF
“We had an intruder on our property Sunday morning who said he was working for Comcast and left as soon as confronted. He was obviously casing our home. We called the police who stated he was looking for an ‘opportunity.’ This is just an FYI.”
• Lindy, South Union FPF
“Has anyone else had their car windows broken? This is the second time this spring our car has been vandalized while parked in the road near our house.”
• Jennifer, Oakledge FPF
Lost Fitbit in Middlebury? No problem
“Another win for community facilitated by our Front Porch Forum! I went for a lovely walk on a section of the Trail Around Middlebury Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, I lost my new Fitbit somewhere in a two-hour stretch. With no time to search, I headed home resigned to my loss. Later, a friend suggested posting on FPF. Wow! Within hours we had three responses, including one from someone who had picked it up and was holding it for me. Reunited with the Fitbit today. Thank you FPF friends.”
• Tom, a Burlington FPF
Local TV news… fear-mongering or reporting on crime? (Burlington burglaries)
One day and 3,000 miles apart, two local TV newscasts took diametrically opposed approaches covering crime and local online forums.
KGET-17 in Bakersfield, CA asked multiple times in their story (Neighborhood safety apps and websites, are they actually safe?) if services such as Front Porch Forum, NextDoor, EveryBlock and AmericanTowns are safe to use. While a local police sergeant advised caution about what a user shares — which is good, common sense, advice — his point that the Bakersfield Police Dept. has “only seen the programs used in a positive way” was buried in the closing sentence.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated story the next day in Burlington, VT (Police see city-wide spike in burglaries), WPTZ-5 reported that the local police chief had just posted on Front Porch Forum — to which more than 75% of local households subscribe — about a string of burglaries. The Chief provided details and told his FPF readers that “the department is using plainclothes, unmarked and patrol units to track down those responsible.”
We’re pleased that law enforcement in Vermont finds value in Front Porch Forum, and that local media here mine FPF for story leads. FPF is part of a healthy local media ecosystem and we’re glad to play our role.
Old House Journal focus on Five Sisters
VPR: Front Porch Forum turning 10
From Steve Zind’s recent piece about FPF…
Nearly 10 years after it was created, the online community known as Front Porch Forum is a well-established statewide service.
It’s a unique model that hasn’t been duplicated on a statewide level elsewhere, but Front Porch Forum CEO and co-founder Michael Wood-Lewis says the business is viable without expanding beyond Vermont.
The free online community message board was started by Wood-Lewis and his wife Valerie when they were looking for a way to communicate with people in their Burlington neighborhood.
The business grew steadily. Then, in 2013, Front Porch Forum received a grant under the Vermont Council on Rural Development‘s Digital Economy Project that allowed it to essentially double its coverage area to include every town in Vermont.
Today the business has a dozen employees and is financially sustainable…
Vermonters listen to neighbors’ business recommendations
“I visited Deepa’s Beauty Salon after reading a recommendation on Front Porch Forum. Thanks for the review. I also found it to be very clean, have professional staff, good prices, and great services. Thanks.”
• Luba, Winooski FPF
Here’s the original post recommending this local business…
“Today my out of town friend took our daughters to Deepa’s Beauty Salon for manicures. They had an excellent experience–great customer service and quality of work. The atmosphere was clean, professional, yet also homey and inviting. My friend took off her very valuable (both financially and emotionally) wedding rings for the manicure and then left them there. Several hours later, she realized her mistake. The salon owners met us after hours on a Saturday night and very cheerfully opened up the salon and returned the rings. We are so grateful for their integrity, honesty, and friendliness. It’s businesses like these that bring pride to Winooski. I encourage you to support this wonderful locally owned business!”
• Arica, Winooski FPF
Small data vs. big data
Writing for the Brookings Institution and Huffington Post, Hollie Russon Gilman…
Until fairly recently it was not uncommon for new members of a community to bake muffins or a pie to introduce themselves to their new neighbors. Today, people have more robust digital social networks and are less likely to engage in these types of activities. Some organizations are attempting to translate these activities to the online world. Front Porch Forum a startup in Burlington, Vermont is trying to make a safe space for neighbors to discuss the nuts and bolts of their community. People must identify their full names and streets — helping build networks of trust. Neighbors post and discuss issues related to their communities. The platform serves as a source of information — ever critical with declining local papers and coverage. The ultimate goal is to get people out of the house by creating a feedback loop inspiring in-person activity.
In Burlington there are more than 15,000 users (out of 16,000 households) with some households having more than one account, as discussed on TechPresident. Front Porch is expanding to other cities. These types of platforms have the ability to use local data to create stronger, more resilient communities. Citizens provide and receive data from their neighbors, which, in turn, can improve the overall quality of life.
Grateful daughter lands biker dad mobility scooter from generous Charlotte neighbors
“Hello Friends – We on the hunt for a used scooter for my 86 year old dad, who still fancies himself a biker. His current used one just bit the dust. I’m also searching Craig’s List, but please let me know if you have one you’d like to part with and for how much. Thanks!”
• Melanie, Charlotte FPF
“Front Porch Forum comes through! I received several generous offers in response to my query for a mobility scooter for my biker Dad. He’s now all set and couldn’t be happier. Thank you Sue!”
• Melanie, Charlotte FPF
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
Post Categories
- Uncategorized
- PDF2009
- Calendar
- Northeast Kingdom
- podcast
- Big Tech
- Peer Rental
- Events
- Localization
- PDF2007
- Web Traffic
- Google AdSense
- Pay It Forward
- Elections
- berkmansunlight
- Maps
- Video
- Upstate New York
- Coupons
- Wildlife
- Mobile
- Viral Marketing
- Raffle
- Donations
- Crisis Response
- Best of FPF
- Lost & Found
- Gratitude
- Real Estate
- College Students
- Social Responsibility
- Orton Family Foundation
- Start ups
- Make It Your Own Awards
- Online Civility
- Clay Shirky
- Newspapers
- How To Use FPF
- Humor
- Online Classified Ads
- Peer Reviews
- Politics
- Community Management
- Economic Development
- Local Reviews
- Case Foundation
- Borrow and Lend
- Neighborhood Watch
- Good Government
- Small Business Advertising
- Citizen Journalism
- e-Vermont
- Democracy
- Local Search
- Knight Foundation
- Burlington
- MacArthur Fellows
- Civic Engagement
- Social Media
- social capital
- Social Networking
- Vermont
- Neighborhood
- Community Building
- Local Online
- Front Porch Forum