Category Archives: Community Building
Lost and Found: Dog and Glasses
Front Porch Forum is often used as a lost and found among neighbors… keys, cell phones, cats, hats and gloves. This week it was dogs and glasses.
From The Addition Neighborhood Forum:
Hello Neighbors – Yesterday while walking my dog I took off my dark glasses (prescription bifocals and very new) and put them in my jacket pocket because they were fogged up. Somewhere en route they fell out of my pocket. If you spy them, could you please give me a call? Many thanks.
Three days later… success!
Hello – Thank you to the neighbor who retrieved my glasses and got them back to me. Great neighborhood to live in!
This past week a member of the South Union Neighborhood Forum posted:
A woman who lives [nearby] had someone break into her apartment which resulted in her dog escaping through a window that was left open by the intruder. Please be on the look-out for her very friendly 2 year old dog. The dog is a border collie mix, black/brown/white, wearing a blue collar. If found or seen anywhere, please call her. She is also offering a reward.
At the same time, a member of the adjacent Summit Neighborhood Forum wrote:
Found Dog! I know I have seen this dog in the Summit Street neighborhood with owner but don’t know who you are?! The Dog is a multi-colored Border Collie?! Beautiful Dog and very friendly. Please call me to claim.
Good news… word spread from one neighborhood to the next and the connection was made:
Thank you all for your phone calls. The dog found in the Summit Street area was the dog lost in the So. Union area and safely returned. Dog and Owner are re-united. Thank you all again.
Seems that word spreads from one neighborhood forum to another through various means… this merits further study.
No Neighborhood is an Island
Each week brings another neighborhood forum or two across the threshold of success… very exciting for Front Porch Forum.
Now we’re seeing a rise in demand for a secondary service across neighborhood forums. E.g., a woman lost her dog and posted the message on her neighborhood forum. An hour later, a different person posted a note in an adjacent neighborhood forum saying she had found a dog of the same description. Should we have formal way of making that connection?
In this case, informal took over. People talk about what they read on their forums… it’s interesting micro-local stuff. So folks talked over the water coolers or via email or whatever and within an hour or two the connection was made and dog and owner were reunited… a great happy ending.
We’ve also seen examples of an issue occurring at the intersection of multiple neighborhood forums. The topic is raised on all the relevant neighborhood forums, but it only really catches on in one. After a dozen postings, that one neighborhood has moved the issued forward… but what about all those people in the other neighborhood forums?
E.g., Burlington is looking at reworking the very steep block of Cliff Street between S. Willard and Summit Streets. An announcement was posted on the Summit, South Union and DeForest neighborhood forums… but only the DeForest members have really delved into the issue on their forum. Should we have some mechanism for connecting those neighborhoods around this issue?
There’s a technology fix for this kind of thing, but I’m afraid any increase in complexity will move Front Porch Forum from a widely adopted service to one that is only accessible to the tech elite. So, we have four solutions to offer now:
1. Informal… a member of one neighborhood forum asks a list of folks across other neighborhood forums to each post his message to his/her forum. This approach is being put to good use now. This carries the added benefit of the messages coming from a resident of each neighborhood instead of being broadcast by some likely unknown “outsider.”
2. As a participating local official to post the message across all forums in his/her district. This is also used, and, while easier to implement, is in turn a notch less effective.
3. Nearly every neighborhood forum has one or more Neighborhood Volunteers… essentially forum boosters. These folks are knit together across the county by an online forum too. So, a person could become a Neighborhood Volunteer and then share their message with the 200 or so NVs and ask them to pass it on on their forums.
4. We’re developing a message-for-a-fee feature, something like a classified ad, whereby members will be able to post in other neighborhood forums (in a very limited way) for a fee.
Neighborhood Forum too Small/Big/Just Right!
The majority of Front Porch Forum members that we talk with list the small scale of their forum as a leading attraction… “how could I not subscribe to my neighborhood’s forum?”… especially when the forum area includes just a few hundred nearby households.
That said, some areas are difficult to parse into reasonably sized neighborhood forums, e.g., tightly packed urban areas and thinly spread rural locations… where does one “neighborhood” end and another start?
We also are finding that while most of our now 4,000 local subscribers are happy with the service as is, some would have us rework their neighborhood forum’s boundaries… bigger, smaller, cut in two, join with the next one over. In fact, in some forums we hear each of these views from various members. That doesn’t make them invalid – no, no. All of this feedback is important and we’re soaking it in and working toward the best next steps we can take. This is the case in Charlotte, VT where we’re hearing every different angle.
Also, the ONE East Neighborhood Forum in Burlington has seen a surge in popularity and now has more than 200 households on board out of about 1,000 homes there. The 200 are great… it’s the 1,000 that’s too big. People tell me that they don’t know and don’t imagine that they’ll ever meet many of the people who post messages… 1,000 seems too big of an area for our mission of helping neighbors connect and foster community within the neighborhood.
I know community when I see it
What, exactly, is community? Can you define “neighbor?” The guy next door? Sure. Around the corner? Maybe. Turns out academics have been debating such questions for some time.
Kevin Harris’ blog pointed me to an article by Margarethe Kusenbach about such matters in Symbolic Interaction. Here’s her abstract:
This article investigates the practices and functions of neighboring. It is based on interviews and “go-alongs” with over sixty residents and on ethnographic observation of two middle-class neighborhoods in Hollywood, California. Building on Lofland’s (1998) model of three social realms (the public, the parochial, and the private), I conceptualize neighboring as a set of interactive principles that characterize parochial or communal territories such as neighborhoods. I discuss four distinct patterns in detail: friendly recognition, parochial helpfulness, proactive intervention, and embracing and contesting diversity. While integrating previous research and theorizing on neighboring, the article contributes to the continuing debate in sociology over what constitutes community.
So, while we have Kevin in London bringing some U.S. research to light, Lloyd Shepherd recently listed U.S.-based Front Porch Forum on his blog from London… ahh the internet. Thanks Lloyd!
Monthly Sampler: Neighborhood Poker Game
So I tried listing a week’s worth of message titles a couple times (here and here), and now a month and nearly 2,000 new messages have slipped by… too many to list. Let’s go with some samples of what Front Porch Forum members wrote in February:
Let’s get a neighborhood poker game started in the King Maple area of Burlington.- Dog lost in the big box parking lots. Dog found!
- Did anyone else’s propane price go up nearly 50% last month in Hinesburg?
- Warm maple-cinnamon buns delivered to your Charlotte home for school fundraiser.
- New baby coming and hand-me-downs needed in the Five Sisters.
- Lots of ideas discussed for underutilized corner store space on St. Paul Street.
- Neighbors stepping up to reclaim ailing pocket park at S. Winooski and St. Paul.
- Seeking kombucha tea culture… I have no idea what this is.
- Snowpants needed for Somali Bantu kids sledding this week.
- Details of emergencies sent to specific neighborhoods from Burlington Fire Department.
- Discussion about changing Barlow Street to one-way in Winooski.
- Intervale car break-ins reported and discussed.
- South End car ransacker nabbed; police ask forum members to reclaim recovered loot.
- The usual array of housing, cars, furniture, contractor, etc. postings.
- Free couch, iMac, printers, linens, baby stuff, desk, slip cover, ficus plant, misc. electronics, etc.
- Lots of discussions about broadband and TV options across the county.
- Lots of Town Meeting lead-up announcements and opinions.
- Lots and lots snow-related requests, offers, complaints and thanks.
- Oh… and there’s always cats. This month’s tip… look under your porch after a blizzard. Several folks found snowed-in kitties eager to get out, get fed and get warm!
Build Igloo for Chocolate… before it’s too late!
A group of Lakeside Neighborhood Forum members in Burlington’s South End recently formed the Lakeside Climate Club… or something to that effect. They gather to take a hard look at global climate change and discuss a personal and neighborhood response.
But this group isn’t letting a little cataclysmic manmade disaster get in the way of some fun. Witness their first action… a neighborhood igloo building contest… “before it’s too late!” I love it.
And the kicker, all neighborhood participants (kids and adults) will get a treat from neighboring Lake Champlain Chocolates, with the grand champion carting home something even better from this favorite local sponsor… a chocolate polar bear? Have to wait until Sunday’s judging to see, I guess (March 4 at noon).
And this isn’t the only neighborhood group forming locally to address global climate change. Others in the South Union, Five Sisters, The Addition, and Lakewood Neighborhood Forums have met at least once. Some are using a program called the Low Carbon Diet from the Empowerment Institute.
In fact, my wife just told me that we’re hosting the second meeting of just such a group in our neighborhood this weekend… but, alas, no mention of igloos or chocolate. Gotta work on that.
Anyone in Chittenden County interested in getting something going in his/her neighborhood, it’s simple… post a notice on your neighborhood forum, hold a first meeting/social event, and get rolling. Use the Low Carbon Diet, watch Al Gore’s award-winning movie, or forge your own path.
Lemming vs. Neighbor
A dozen years ago I drove a pedicab in Washington, DC… think rickshaw built on a mountainbike frame. I hauled tourists and locals for a fee. The little company had four cabs and we stayed in touch with hand-held radios. Lots of stories from that experience.
But I thought of one in particular tonight over dinner with friends. I often found myself hustling fares at the Foggy Bottom Metro stop in the evenings half-way between the Georgetown bars and the monuments on the Mall.
When a train pulled in, I’d be enveloped in a sea of people flooding by. Once the tide ebbed, assuming I hadn’t landed a customer, I’d settle in waiting for the next wave. In those intervals, I realized that I wasn’t alone. A half-dozen of us stayed put, while thousands of strangers kept moving.
The cop, the souvenir vendor, the panhandler, the mechanic working on the escalator, the girl with the guitar and open case, and me.
After a few rounds, a rapport developed. “Did you see the guy with the hair?” “Yeah, I wonder what he does when it rains?” Whatever… my point is that we treated each other as humans; we shared friendly chit chat.
I had never stood still at a subway stop for 20 minutes before. What had I missed?
I viewed the teeming masses slipping by us as curiosities and potential customers. The street musician and homeless guy probably wondered who might be a soft touch. The cop was looking for troublemakers. The mechanic maybe just saw weight limits being exceeded. I don’t think any of us saw them all as people. None of us standing still tried to make a real human connection with the movers… although if one of them had stopped and hung out for 20 minutes he’d likely have joined our little social club.
Which takes me back 25 years to Cedar Point, a huge amusement park in Ohio on the shore of Lake Erie. Two of my older brothers worked summers there, and, as an impressionable high school kid I got to go for an overnight visit (what were my parents thinking?).
This park was filled with hundreds of 20-year-old summer staff standing still, while thousands of people streamed through every day.
After pitching in to get the place ready in the morning and connecting with dozens of co-workers, my oldest brother turned to me as the front gates swung open and said “hang on, here come the animals.” Same as the Metro stop.
So, all this reminiscing brings me back around to Front Porch Forum. Many folks I’ve talked to recently say that they feel like the subway passengers and “animals”/customers at the amusement park in their own neighborhoods. And they don’t want to be strangers in their own community, marching through it anonymously.
So, short of standing on the corner and attempting to engage any person who happens by, how do you become one of the folks who is tuned in and connected with your community?
It seems that Front Porch Forum can provide a way of “standing still” in the neighborhood, even while people move their busy day. An increasing number of our members report feeling this way… and that’s no mean feat.
Saying “Thank You” says a Lot
We’ve seen a run of “thank you neighbor” messages in various forums. Not only is that a lovely gesture to counter a good deed, but it spreads the good will even farther. I’ve had several Front Porch Forum members (not involved with the good deeds in question) tell me that reading these thank you notes encourages them to act the
Good Samaritan role themselves. Examples:
I want to thank all those who have been so markedly supportive to my kids and me. My house stood burning and the kids and I were surrounded by you my neighbors who enveloped us with love and humor and so so much kindness. When I arrived on the scene my knees were giving out and I could barely stand… Teenagers on the street came to hug me. Parents would show up with such good intentions and humor that calm and possibly a half a smile showed on my face. Hats and gloves and blankets and leggings were placed on my person. I could regroup. The generous gift cards have saved my butt on a couple of levels but more importantly I was able to get the kids some new things at Old Navy which served quite well in the shopping therapy arena. Again a sincere thank you to everyone who has so generously reached out to all of us. -M.K., Five Sisters Neighborhood Forum
And the Valentine’s Day blizzard generated lots of this. First, a senior citizen received help from a neighbor, K.R., when the snow blocked even her attempts to let her dogs outside. She was grateful and posted a thank you and request that the K.R. stop by to receive the pay she felt she owed her. K.R.’s response:
I’m glad to have helped out shoveling your deck and side way. I’m pleased the dogs can go out and get some fresh air. No need to pay. I was happy to do it for you. What are neighbors for? -K.R., The Orchards Neighborhood Forum
Other examples:
I just wanted to send out a thank you to everyone who has been helping with this crazy amount of snow we have. Yesterday when I was attempting to unbury my car from a huge snow drift on the side of College St., numerous people stopped by to help or just to encourage. We’ve also watched from our windows as people rallied together to push cars up the hill or out of stuck driveways. Our neighborhood is coming together during this blizzard and it is wonderful to see 🙂 B.G., Buell Neighborhood Forum
The recent calls for help during and after the snowstorm reminded me of how much we count on our community to come together during times of need. I’m a single mom of a four year old. When we were getting buried last week, I resigned myself to shoveling in 5 minutes spans — going back inside to make sure she was still safely occupied with her dolls. So imagine my surprise and gratitude when I returned outside to see that someone had shoveled half my driveway when I wasn’t looking. And imagine my greater surprise and thanks when a couple of other neighbors joined to help me find my car inside a giant drift and finish the whole shoveling job. So amid the calls for assistance on this forum, I wanted to post public thanks for assistance given to my daughter and me… thank you. You are good neighbors. -C.C., The Addition Neighborhood Forum
So, thanks to all the great thank-you note writers!
Parents get Bus Issue on Agenda
Getting kids to high school… now there’s a challenge that will capture lots of families’ attention.
Burlington High School is in the New North End, two to three miles from the South End, but tough to get to for many people. And the school department does not have a fleet of school buses. Families are responsible for getting their kids to school.
Many people would like to use the local transit authority buses, CCTA. However, from the South End the bus will deliver kids tens minute late for the start of the school day… which obviously doesn’t work. The only less popular option is the one before which drops students 45 minutes EARLY… I can’t imagine why that one isn’t loaded to the gills. 😉
So a concerned parent started asking questions. It seems that the bus schedule can’t be changed easily as it ties into a whole web of interwoven lines. And the school can’t easily adjust its timing. So, in the past, that might of been the end of it.
In this case, however, the parent turned to Front Porch Forum. She set up a petition on a free web service asking the school to start classes ten minutes later. She posted a link to her online petition on her neighborhood’s forum. Then, she got creative and asked a number of other parents to do the same on their neighborhood forums.
In a flash, she had 85 signatures in hand when she made the case at the regular school board meeting. And many of the forums were buzzing with follow-up comments from other neighbors. An issue was born.
Today a member of the CCTA board weighed in across several neighborhood forums. While far from resolved, this longstanding problem moved into the spotlight overnight because one determined parent made effective use of Front Porch Forum. Who and what issue is next?
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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