e-Vermont | Ghost of Midnight

Different posts for different folks…

Posted on Monday, February 28, 2011 by Michael • No comments yet

People differ on their interest and even tolerance for various topics on their FPF neighborhood/town forum. One person posted recently complaining about too much conversation about the proposed roundabout road project in Cambridge, Vermont. Here’s a response posted today by a neighbor, Jim…

A comment was made recently suggesting that Front Porch Forum be renamed the “Cambridge “roundabout” forum” because of the volume of responses the topic elicited. I vehemently disagree! I feel that this is EXACTLY why FPF was created. Stimulating and fostering dialogue among LOCAL residents should be applauded!!!

FPF is an just a modern, electronic version of the conversations that used to take place in the feedstores, general stores, post offices, etc. that were the gathering places for inhabitants of the towns and villages of “old” Vermont. To simply dismiss these important interactions, whether electronic or face-to-face, is missing a major part of what makes Vermont so unique and such a great place to live in! Think of FPF as the conversations that take place before, during and after Town Meeting. It provides those of us that are not fortunate enough to have jobs that allow us to attend Town Meeting and similar venues make our thoughts, ideas and concerns known. How can this be a bad thing?

Let’s face it, the proposed roundabout will impact virtually all of us living in our town, now and well into the foreseeable future. It’s probably the biggest point of discussion to hit here since the idea to re-establish a Cambridge High School several years back. Why would we want to stifle it? It’s a sign of a healthy, vibrant community!!! What a great way for our governmental representatives to help to better understand what’s on our minds.

Leaving all of the decisions to our elected officials because they are “in the know” is a recipe for disaster! Can you say “Iraq”?

So let’s continue to grow and contribute to FPF. Consider it as an opportunity!

Thanks to e-Vermont for bringing FPF to Cambridge!

#VT Heat Emergency? Neighbors to the Rescue

Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 by Michael • No comments yet

Vermont is cold… about 5°F as I type. So this Front Porch Forum posting in Bristol yesterday caught my attention…

A family in need is about out of wood. We have donors lined up. But are in need of a truck to pick up the wood and deliver it in Bristol. The need is today, so it would be great if some can let me borrow a truck or drive with me for a couple hours.

That evening, Bob from the Bristol Energy Committee posted again…

Even with the posting of my request for a truck around 2pm Tuesday – very last minute – I did get responses. Thank you so much!

It turns out we could not wait for the truck – so a car trunk load was delivered this morning – enough for a couple days for the family in need.

We now have a truck lined up to deliver half a cord of wood on Wednesday evening, thanks to a very generous donor. More may be needed, but this amount should hold them for a few weeks.

Thank you all for your generosity – neighbors helping neighbors – YOWZERS!!! Bristol rocks!

Thanks to e-Vermont for bringing FPF to Bristol! Here’s the list of 60 Vermont towns where FPF is now available.

FPF available in 60 #VT towns

Posted on Monday, January 10, 2011 by Michael • 4 comments

Don’t miss this Vermont-original community-building opportunity.
Another dozen Vermont towns can now benefit from Front Porch Forum thanks to e-Vermont, the Community Broadband Project, and the Knight News Challenge.

Front Porch Forum (FPF) was created in 2006 in Burlington and now more than 23,000 households subscribe across 60 Vermont towns.

If you live in one of the towns listed below, SIGN UP for your community Front Porch Forum today at: http://frontporchforum.com. Join in the conversations that are already happening in your community.

Also, please let friends and family in these Vermont towns know that Front Porch Forum is available, and encourage them to sign up! Only through more participation, will these towns realize the full community-building benefits of FPF. To sign up go to: http://frontporchforum.com

Why join Front Porch Forum?
FPF hosts online neighborhood/town forums where nearby neighbors connect and get involved in their local community. In this era of busyness and individual isolation, where it’s hard to find volunteers for local committees and people increasingly don’t know their neighbors, Front Porch Forum helps people meet those around them and talk about issues. And it’s free to residents in any of the Vermont communities below.

What if your town is not on the list?
Interested in bringing FPF to your community? Please add your town to the waitlist at http://frontporchforum.com/join

– Alburgh
– Arlington
– Averill
– Avery’s Gore
– Bloomfield
– Bolton
– Bridgewater*
– Brighton/Village of Island Pond
– Bristol
– Brunswick

– Buells Gore
– Burlington
– Calais*
– Cambridge
– Canaan/Village of Beecher Falls
– Castleton*
– Charlotte
– Colchester
– Dover*
– Essex Junction Village

– Essex Town
– Fairfield*
– Ferdinand
– Grand Isle
– Hardwick*
– Hinesburg
– Huntington
– Isle La Motte
– Jay*
– Jericho

– Lemington
– Lewis
– Ludlow
– Middlesex
– Middletown Springs*
– Milton
– Moretown*
– Morristown*
– Newport City
– North Hero

– Norton
– Poultney
– Pownal
– Richford*
– Richmond
– Sandgate
– Shelburne
– South Burlington
– South Hero
– St. George

– Starksboro
– Stewartstown, NH
– Sunderland
– Underhill
– Vergennes*
– Warner’s Grant
– Warren Gore
– West Rutland
– Westfield*
– Westford

– Williston
– Winooski

* e-Vermont communities newly participating in FPF

#VT’s new Lt. Gov. pushes Civic Engagement

Posted on Friday, January 7, 2011 by Michael • No comments yet

New Vermont Lt. Governor Phil Scott (Rep.) was sworn in yesterday and gave a speech centered on civic engagement. I invite our new Lt. Gov. to see how Front Porch Forum is helping Vermont neighbors connect and get involved locally… e-Vermont too. Some choice quotes…

… as many of you know, 46 percent of registered voters didn’t vote in November. That’s 209,000 Vermonters whose only choice on November 2 was not to show up. They decided it wasn’t worth it, or it didn’t matter, or it wouldn’t do any good, to make their voice heard. My experience shows that’s just not the case… I don’t think any of us fully realized until November 2 what that frustration had turned into; it turned into 209,000 people who had apparently given up… Civic involvement isn’t something that’s only relevant on even-numbered years.

All of us here in the Legislature need to reach out to those folks and welcome them in, even when we might not agree with their views. We need to open our doors. In order to live up to the intentions and the expectations of our accessible government, we ourselves need to be more accessible. That will mean different things for each of us. For me, that means literally opening my office door downstairs a morning or two a week and inviting you in for coffee and conversation. It means opening my virtual doors…

When I challenge Vermonters to get involved, I’m not just talking about the work we do in Montpelier. Because I really believe we all want to help each other; sometimes we just need to know how… one theme that I’ve stressed… is self-reliance, and its partner, volunteerism. In my mind, those are two sides of the same coin. Being self-reliant doesn’t just mean looking after yourself, although that’s important… But self-reliance also means looking after our neighbors, and giving them the support they may need to get to the next step in their lives.

That has a lot of implications.

That means buying local, and supporting the merchants on Main Street instead of the website in California.

That means helping Vermont’s manufacturers to identify suppliers and trading partners who are here within our borders or close by in our region.

That means making it easier and more affordable for more of us to eat local food, supporting our farmers, reducing transportation costs, and getting fresher and healthier things to eat.

That means investing in energy policies that help us become more independent.

Personally, I suspect that a great deal of the collective frustration that caused those 209,000 people to stay home on November 2 was the sense that our elected officials and candidates kept talking about the goals — creating jobs, jump-starting the economy, and helping our most vulnerable — but didn’t talk enough about how we would get there. Buying local and encouraging innovative local partnerships are part of my vision for how we do it…

Our challenge in Montpelier is to come up with solutions that will strengthen Vermont. Your challenge is to come up with solutions that will help your neighbor and strengthen your community. If we all work together, we will strengthen the legacy of the state that we love to call home.

Bristolites Rally Around Neighbor in Need

Posted on Wednesday, January 5, 2011 by Michael • No comments yet

Just before Christmas, Bruce posted the following to his Bristol, #VT neighbors via Front Porch Forum…

Action needed now! I recently became aware of a neighbor in need of wood to heat his home. Like many of us who are just a paycheck away from financial hardship, this person suffered a loss of income due to illness and now is facing winter with a soon to be gone woodpile. I have a line on a free wood that needs to be split and is in downtown Bristol. Here’s my plan, I will spend my from 12noon – 4pm this Friday (Christmas eve), splitting, loading and delivering wood to this neighbor in need. I have a small pickup truck. I need 6 volunteers, a wood splitter and three more trucks to pull this off. If this post gets out there by tomorrow, you can just call my cell if you want to help.

No one in this area should be worrying about heat as Winter begins with such a bounty of natural fuel all around us. This year let’s say we care with wood 🙂

And now today, ten days later, he followed up with this…

Wow. What a heart warming response to my last minute request to help a Bristol neighbor who needed wood to keep his homefires burning!

Thanks so much to all the people who spent 3 hours of their Christmas eve making a difference. Especially to Phyllis, you saved the day with your splitter and expertise.

We had probably 10 people come by Park Place and three hours later we had split and delivered 3 cords of wood. Also special thanks to Chris for donating some of his already dry and split wood and trailer to the cause.

The rest of you made this a labor of fun, with three trucks and many hands.

I wish I could post a picture on FPF (not allowed) but for now just picture a wide grin and happy neighbor. Happy New Year!

An amazing 30% of Bristol has signed up for FPF in the first several months of service there. As of this week, FPF is available in 60 Vermont towns. Please encourage your neighbors to join and put it to work! Special thanks to e-Vermont.

e-Vermont and FPF expanding to 12 more #VT towns

Posted on Tuesday, December 21, 2010 by Michael • No comments yet

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 12/21/10
Contact: Helen Labun Jordan, e-Vermont Project Director, 802 225-6091

e-Vermont Selects 2011 Communities

MONTPELIER, VT — The e-Vermont Community Broadband Project will bring digital tools and in-depth internet training to 12 additional rural communities in 2011. The twelve, announced today, will benefit from the expertise and resources of e- Vermont’s statewide partners as the local groups develop ways to take full advantage of the Internet for creating jobs and innovative schools, providing social services, and increasing community connection. These towns join the first 12 pilot e-communities, selected in spring 2010.

The 2011 e-Vermont communities will be Bridgewater, Calais, Castleton, Dover, Fairfield, Hardwick, Jay/Westfield, Middletown Springs, Moretown, Morristown, Richford, and Vergennes. “As we work with rural communities to support the best use of high speed Internet tools in business, government, community and education, we are bringing Vermont one step closer to truly eliminating the digital divide,” says Project Director Helen Labun Jordan, “Rural regions can’t be left behind in digital skills — we may be receiving high speed Internet later than more urban areas, but we’re going to make up for lost time through programs like e-Vermont.”

e-Vermont is one of the few national broadband adoption initiatives focused on rural needs and it is being viewed as a national model. These towns are among the first to explore how the Internet can be harnessed as a tool for community development.

Although the e-Vermont Community Broadband Project can only bring in-depth services to 24 communities, it will be offering tools and resources to all of Vermont through workshops, conferences, webinars, online tools, and the continuing programs of its partner organizations. e-Vermont updates are posted at www.e4vt.org. Contact e- Vermont with any questions at 802-225-6091 or helen@vtrural.org. e-Vermont is not stringing cable or fiber, but is working to make better use of broadband where it is available. The 2010 communities are already seeing benefits.

In Middlesex, almost 60% of the households are using a new community e- newsletter called Front Porch Forum to buy and trade household items, learn about local special events and volunteer needs, share wildlife sightings, and support area businesses.
Five towns (Bristol, Ludlow, Poultney, Newport and West Rutland) are exploring the feasibility of creating public access Wi-Fi zones in their town centers in order to promote their communities and provide visitors with information about local events, services, entertainment and hospitality.
Small business owners in West Rutland are getting one-on-one analysis and advice on how to update and grow their e-commerce from the Vermont Small Business Development Center.
Sunderland – Arlington – Sandgate are adding technology as part of their celebration of their 250th Town Charter Anniversaries in 2011. High school community service students will create a website based on the historical holdings of Martha Canfield Library’s Russell Vermontiana Collection.
In Canaan churches, sports teams, and community groups are implementing an online calendar which will allow for greater event coordination, promotion, and cross-pollination.
Bristol’s 5th graders are learning to create podcasts and other interactive projects as the teachers integrate technology into their classroom. Digital Wish brought new computers for these students along with the training to unlock their potential.
Libraries in all the e-Vermont towns are trying new ways to offer the public better access and training, as computers become essential to obtain social services, find jobs, and keep up with research.

e-Vermont’s partners include Digital Wish, Front Porch Forum, Vermont State Colleges, Vermont Department of Libraries, Vermont Small Business Development Center and the Snelling Center for Government. The Vermont Council on Rural Development is overseeing e-Vermont, and will bring its expertise in community organizing to help each town connect its schools, government, businesses, and nonprofit providers in new and exciting ways.

The 2010 e-communities announced last spring are Brighton, Bristol, Canaan, Cambridge, Grand Isle County, Ludlow, Middlesex, Newport, Poultney, Pownal, Sunderland-Arlington-Sandgate, and West Rutland.

New study: Neighborhood websites build community and get people involved

Posted on Sunday, December 5, 2010 by Michael • No comments yet

Congratulations to UK’s Hugh Flouch and Kevin Harris on the publication of the results of their new study…

Do neighbourhood websites have a positive social impact locally? For those who’ve suspected and long wanted convincing evidence, we think the wait is over.

The report of the Online neighbourhood networks study was launched yesterday during a lively conference in London…

Our study looked at three neighbourhood sites in London. The research shows that they serve to enhance the sense of belonging, democratic influence, neighbourliness and involvement in their area. Participants claim more positive attitudes towards public agencies where representatives of those agencies are engaging online.

We’ve produced a short (4-page) summary, an extended summary, a full report divided into digestible chunks, a selection of video interviews, together a number of other papers, and we will continue to add to these.

We see similar trends with Front Porch Forum in our pilot region. That is, FPF members report… (1) better connection to neighbors and neighborhood, (2) a more prominent voice in local decision-making, (3) a friendlier environment, and (4) increased civic engagement.

Miscellaneous findings from the UK report…

95% – Feel more informed about neighborhood
92% – Neighbors are helpful if asked for advice
69% – Increased sense of belonging within neighborhood
92% – Useful information gets shared efficiently
82% – People pull together to improve neighborhood
63% – Main source of local news
44% – Neighbors more likely to lend items or exchange favors
42% – Met a neighbor
54% – More likely to see a neighbor you recognize due to website – Active member
14% – More likely to see a neighbor you recognize due to website – Passive member

This collection of materials is worth a close look!

Vermont Citizens in a Connected Age Workshop Dec. 11

Posted on Monday, November 29, 2010 by Michael • No comments yet

The Citizens in a Connected Age workshop advances the computer and Internet skills learned through the Vermont State Colleges and Vermont Small Business Development Center courses offered in each e-Vermont project town.

However, ANY Vermonter with basic computer skills can attend this workshop!

Learn About

Website communication tools.
Social media – strategies for incorporating it into a business, government or personal life, with computer lab time.
Troubleshooting technology – how to diagnose a problem with applications.
Data security – backing up data, protecting private information.
Marketing a business online.
Google applications – why use Google apps, with computer lab time.
Weighing the risks and benefits of online financial transactions.
Digital storytelling for educators.
Best practices for e-government websites.

When and Where

Saturday, December 11, 2010
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Castleton State College, Castleton, Vermont
$10 registration fee – includes course offerings, refreshments and lunch.
Options for online registration: pay by credit card online, or register online and pay at the door. We cannot accept credit cards at the workshop.
Download the workshop poster (pdf).

For more information

Contact Joanna Cummings, e-Vermont Community Coordinator: joanna@snellingcenter.org

Visit

The e-Vermont Community Broadband Project website: http://e4vt.org
The Snelling Center’s e-Vermont website: http://www.snellingcenter.org/public-policy/e-vermont

Why Front Porch Forum in Middlesex?

Posted on Monday, November 29, 2010 by Michael • 1 comment

Sean Sheehan of the e-Vermont Community Broadband Project talks to Susan Clark of the Middlesex Town Meeting Solutions Committee about why the Committee wanted to bring Front Porch Forum to Middlesex, how many residents are using the forum, and what they’re doing with it.

Middlesex #VT… neighbors getting busy

Posted on Monday, November 1, 2010 by Michael • 4 comments

Wow… Middlesex FPF is on fire! Over the first few months of Front Porch Forum being available to the good folks of this small central Vermont town, they have really put it to work. Already 300 members (out of 720 total households in town) have joined and posted 670 messages!

This is thanks, in part, to e-Vermont. Applications from other Vermont towns are welcome by Nov. 17, 2010.

But the people of Middlesex say it best. Here’s a video clip and a recent newspaper article… both worth a quick perusal.

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