Spring is here, and FPF members are looking to get fit with their neighbors.
“Spring is Finally Here – Let’s Play Tennis! Looking for other intermediate players to get out on the courts. Can play after 4 weekdays and anytime on the weekend. Hope to see you on the courts.”
“Hello runners. I know many of us run to clear our heads and have time alone. But sometimes it’s nice to run with other people too! I want to start a little running crew to run 3-5 miles on a regular basis, 9-10 minute mile pace. The specifics may change a little depending upon who participates. I think this could be great. Happy spring.”
• Kevin and Brittain in Morrisville
Have an idea to get outside with your neighbors and enjoy Spring? Get started on Front Porch Forum!
We’ve all begun to notice the trees beginning to bloom, and FPF member William, brings his insight about what it all means. Did you know there are male and female flowers?
“The red “buds” on the Red Maples and the green “buds” on the Sugar Maples and Norway Maples, are not leaves, they are flowers.
The reproductive biology of Sugar Maples is especially interesting. They are bisexual, producing both male and female gametes, so how do you avoid the ultimate incest of mating, not just with a sibling, but with yourself? Sugar Maples do this by producing the male and female flowers at different times. Some trees in the population are protandrous, and produce the male flowers first, then the female flowers second. Other trees are protogynous, producing the female flowers first, then the male flowers. The male flowers are long and pendulous, with the anthers which produce the pollen. The female flowers are bulkier but less obvious, with the stigmas, which capture the pollen, at the outside, leading down to the ovule at the base. If you look closely, the ovule looks like a pimple with ears. Eventually the ovule will ripen into the maple fruit, with the seed inside, and the “ears” will become the “wings”.”
• William in Warren
“On April 27, my 13-year-old was attacked just before 6 p.m. by a man with a folding pocketknife on the bike path near the train trestle between North Beach and Leddy Park. The man demanded my son hand over his bike and his wallet. Although my son was fortunate enough to get away with both his bike and his wallet, the man slashed him with the knife on his face and his shoulder. The cuts were superficial, but the whole event was incredibly frightening. Please take care on the bike path!”
• Lori, a Burlington South End neighborhood Front Porch Forum
UPDATE: “I’ve received several requests for a description of the man who assaulted my son on the bike path on Thursday, April 27. My son is still in shock and cannot recall all that happened, but here are the details he remembers about the man: White male, mid- to late twenties, approximately 5′ 7″ tall, average build, was wearing a very nice Nike zip-front black hoodie with the hood up and navy workout pants, and had two rings on his right hand—one on the pointer finger and one on his middle finger. The man first slashed my son while the knife was in his right hand, but then transferred the knife to his left hand before slashing my son the second time.”
In honor of Earth Day, the upcoming Climate March and Green-Up day, Front Porch Forum members share their love of our surroundings and mother earth.
“Through FPF I have gotten:
Two great bikes
A tennis racket (and a tennis instructor)
Field hockey sticks
A couch
An ironing board
Cross country skis
Reduce, reuse, recycle…. Save money and our earth by not buying new!”
• Jane in Richmond
“I’ll be driving to Montpelier on Saturday for the climate march, and have room in my car for 2-3 folks to ride along. If you’d like to join me, I’d love the company. (And it makes much more sense to carpool to a climate rally than drive alone!)”
• Sophia in Burlington
• Steve in Montpelier
“I would encourage everyone to get out and do some greening up this week. It’s a great idea to post where you’ve done cleanup.”
• Meg and Penny in Underhill
Front Porch Forum members experience kindness in the middle of the road.
“My Subaru died right at the stop sign – at 8 AM! Dead. Within 8 minutes, no fewer than 6 commuters stopped to ask if they could help. None of those people knew me. Thanks so much, neighbors, and especially thanks to the woman who helped me push my subie out of harm’s way! What a wonderfully heartwarming way to start the day!”
• Yvette in Morristown
“I had the terrifying experience of my car dying in the middle of Rt 2. I managed to get my car mostly off the road, but had no cell service. Chief Roland came along, arranged for a tow, called my husband and waited with me until the tow truck came. I can’t begin to express how grateful I am for his concern and kindness.” • Michelle in East Montpelier
Have someone you want to thank, but don’t know how? Post it on FPF!
After the recent passing of an elderly neighbor in Jericho, her stories of this community are remembered on FPF.
“Margurite was a prolific Jericho author, who wrote about moving to the country with her husband and doctor. Her short anecdotes were light and entertaining. They concerned the quirks of rural life and the characters she and George came across in the days before IBM, ski bums and back to the landers who changed life in these parts. She kept writing even into her 90s and there are many of her books at the library.”
• Wayne in Jericho
Share your own memories about neighbors who have left a mark on your town on Front Porch Forum.
Front Porch Forum is hiring! We are seeking a Ruby on Rails Developer to join our team. This position is full-time and based in Burlington, Vermont. Be part of a world-class team of software engineers, and help us fulfill our community-building mission. Check out the details and apply here.
Iran’s “Blogfather,” Hossein Derakhshan, in a recent interview on the NiemanStoryboard…
“The decline of the web in favor of social media entails grim consequences. Hyperlinks were the founding principle of the web; it secured a diversity, nonlinearity, decentralization and interactivity, which made the web so powerful. But social media’s very philosophy and monetization strategy, or the stream, cannot be friendly to hyperlinks, since they do not want their users to leave their space. This new environment, in addition to the currently dominant algorithms, which favors popularity and now-ness rather than diversity and quality, is worse than television in its potential damage to representative democratic societies, where majority is supposed to take informed decisions without jeopardizing minorities. The rise of identity politics and intolerance for diversity is directly linked to the current form of the internet. This is the deepest shock of this transition to me since my release. This shift from what I call books-internet to TV-internet.”
Unlike some other social media platforms, Front Porch Forum doesn’t aim to lure people in and hold their attention 24/7. FPF, for many Vermonters, is a 10-minute-a-day habit that leads to more face-to-face conversations with neighbors… and to friendlier, more informed, and more resilient local communities. Hyperlinks in FPF postings are an important part of that.
Neighbors across the state turn to their local FPF for recommendations on who to turn to when they need help and to support local entrepreneurs.
“Thank You for the Seamstress Reco’s! This forum is the best! Donna from SSE wins by popular demand. Will be sure to tell her of her overwhelming popularity when I see her.”
• Kate in Waterbury
“I’d like to offer a recommendation for Casey and her eggs. I’ve been buying them for a couple of months and they are tasty and fresh. Fun too as some are light blue shells… help support a local family!”
• Bets in Barre
“When we were looking for a carpenter/handyman/painter I looked here on Front Porch Forum and found recommendations for Jeremiah. Thank you, FPF, because he is great!”
• Martha in Shelburne
“I want to thank you so much for the work that FPF does. It connects communities in such an organic way. As a new homeowner I would be up a creek without it. Professionally I can cite it as a reason for my growth.”
• R.J. in Middlebury
New homeowner? Consider posting in your neighborhood FPF for answers you need.
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