Category Archives: e-Vermont
Sunderland Selectboard takes action to fill vacant Town positions
Reported in the Manchester Journal yesterday…
In other business, [the chairman of the Sunderland Selectboard] said there has been discussion lately on Front Porch Forum, the social media site… about town government and… how to get more people involved in local government. He said Sunderland has been having trouble filling open positions, some of which include compensation…
“These positions are open routinely. The lister hasn’t been filled for years,” he said. “We just can’t get people to come in. The lister is a paid position. The auditor is a paid position; it’s 20 bucks an hour … it actually pays something. No one wants to do it.” Hyde said if these positions stay open, contractors would have to be hired…
The board decided to post meeting agendas to Front Porch Forum, to help disseminate the information.
Wise decision by town leadership! A new survey recently found that FPF subscribers are twice as likely to be “very informed” about local government services than those not using FPF. And the number of people who attend municipal meetings at least once a month increases 38% when joining FPF.
Baby spider plants and meeting neighbors in Morrisville
Yvette shared on the Morrisville FPF today…
I posted those baby spider plants on our Front Porch Forum yesterday and today? I got 7 “hits” with folks who were wanting to adopt them.They came and got them and carefully put them into their vehicles (one girl was on a bike) and took them home. Baby plants finding homes via the forum? You should be proud, FPF, for coming up with such a great plan for an online community bulletin board. Great service. Huge fan. Huge.
Discuss local civic engagement and Front Porch Forum
Michael Wood-Lewis, co-founder of Front Porch Forum, will be speaking at the following events this month…
Western Slopes Business Association session, Richmond, Vermont, Sept. 16, 2014, 8 AM- Vermont Connected Summit, Vermont Statehouse, Montpelier, Sept. 23
- First-Year Seminar about In The Neighborhood: The Search for Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time, by Peter Lovenheim, Castleton State College, Sept. 23, 7 PM
Please come and join the conversations.
Town animal control officer tips for finding lost pets…
Posted on a central Vermont FPF today…
Sunday’s FPF posting about the found cat on Center Rd sure brought me a lot of responses! Happily, she is back home with her family as of last night!
There are many other lost cats in our community, and I thought I’d post some suggestions.
First, do not give up hope. The kitty who made it home last night was almost FIVE MILES from her house, and had been missing for a week. When your cat or dog goes missing, you should post it on your local Front Porch Forum, and use the check-off to let neighboring FPFs see the post. You should also post on Facebook… and email all pertinent information to [your local] Humane Society.
If you find a stray animal, please call [your local animal control officer]… I’d also like to make a plug here for micro-chipping your pets — it’s safe, economical, and can make the difference for getting your pet back. And one more thing — LICENSE your dog with our town clerk – that really helps me to figure out where they belong! Thank you all for caring about our community’s animals.
Seeking cell coverage solution in Middlesex? Tap the power of neighbors…
Mark posted on the Middlesex FPF the other day…
Over the last month, perhaps due to summer foliage, we have almost completely lost our AT&T cell signal on Center Road. I have heard about solutions to this problem… I was wondering if anyone had had cell trouble and had tried any of these approaches. How did it work?
And yesterday he followed up with…
Thanks to all the good neighbors who took the time to respond about our poor phone service! We are going to look into setting up a microcell. The power of Front Porch Forum is really impressive.
Compelling one-day conference Sept. 23…
Registration just opened for…
Vermont Connected: Envisioning the Future of Vermont’s Digital Economy
Tuesday, September 23, at the Vermont State House in Montpelier.
Vermont Connected will be the culmination of the work of the Vermont Digital Economy Project, looking forward to Vermont’s future and sharing recent lessons learned from helping small businesses, nonprofits and towns in Vermont to effectively use digital tools. Tracks include:
- Educating for a Digital World
- K-12 and Beyond
- Bridging the Digital Divide
- Building Effective Organizations
- For Nonprofits
- For Small Businesses
- Creating Resilient Communities
- Open Data in Government and Beyond
- Resilience through Engagement
- Steering Vermont’s Digital Future
- Vermont’s Technology Industry
- The Creative Economy
Learn more and register today!
Front Porch Forum is one of many participating organizations.
Lost old blind dog in Bristol… Found!
Happy news posted on the Bristol FPF today, from Sharon!
I just want to let everyone who was so caring to call with sightings of my old dog-that he was just FOUND! I cannot express how much we feel like Front Porch Forum is so much like family! We could not have found him without you all! Thank you FPF for your creation – and thanks again so much everyone! xoxoxox
And a special thanks to our dear friends and the young folks whose lawn he was on for the phone calls. xoxoxox
It takes a village to shepherd your lambs
Posted by Kevin on the Middlesex Front Porch Forum today (following his previous FPF posting requesting help)…
My lambs are baaaaaaack on their home field.
I want to thank the community for their help with the search & return mission… Following 16 hours of adventure seeking through fields, yards & grassy logging roads, the lambs were returned to their shady paddock.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who helped. So, in random order, (& apologies to those I am inadvertently forgetting to list) THANK YOU!!! to Jim, Caleb, Steve, Peter, Mike, Brittany, Mom, Todd, Karla, Lizzie, Erika, Roan, John, Jos and Amy. And Thank You to everyone who left helpful messages. I also want to say a special thanks to Jim, Caleb and Peter who were instrumental corralling the lambs into my truck.
I am blessed to have so many neighbors who generously gave time, effort and shepherding skills on a beautiful & sunny Sunday. I could not have done it without you.
NEK and Upper Valley FPFs
From Penny in the Barnet Waterford FPF…
I cannot begin to tell you how much I love Front Porch Forum. I have been a part of the Front Porch Forum in Morrisville for quite some time I have sold swingset, kayaks, windows I have purchased tires I have connected people with a lost dog. I can’t begin to say how wonderful FPF is. I joined the one in Barnet as well due to the fact that we purchased a camp here. In a roundabout way due to Front Porch Forum as a matter of fact! I am disappointed that more people do not participate in Barnet yet but I am sure once people realize the value they will join. Thank you FPF!
Critical mass and communication in Waterbury
Posted by Debra on the Waterbury FPF today about the actions of the local long-term community recovery director (Tropical Storm Irene disaster coupled with closing of major employer)…
I want to publicly commend Barbara for her postings on the Waterbury Front Porch Forum.
I admire the way she gets the information out about what projects are happening around town and their status. Her updates to the proposed MC, and times of meetings that are being held, have always been non-opinionated and informative. Also, the inclusion of the various other things going on within our town (e.g., the demolition & reconstruction tours being done at the State complex and even info. about our town’s annual Green-Up Day), are all to the point and give good information for those with a possible interest.
FPF has proven to be a great media tool for passing information quickly, as often-times the date of a meeting or a special event cannot really be planned for because by the time we read about it in the Record, that day is almost upon us and it may be too late to do something.
More & more town citizens sign-up on FPF every day, and while not everyone in this community has a computer, or access to one, most do or they have a smart phone. I’m also guessing that not everyone takes time to log into Waterbury’s Town site. I know I don’t, as I often forget or cannot take time to go the extra step to do so.
But notifications for each FPF hit my personal email box on a daily basis and they are right in front of me. I have found, like I’m guessing others may have as well, that these postings are a a great way to stay in touch with what’s happening (be it projects, updates, for sale stuff, special events, etc.) within our community.
I hope Barbara, or someone else, will continue getting town information out on FPF – even when this current bond vote is resolved one way or the other – as I think it’s a great way to communicate to those who live here, and, for all of us to stay informed as a community. Thanks for doing these, Barb!
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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