Many have asked how Front Porch Forum fits into the local news-scape. Most of the local news outlets here have run pieces explaining how we operate… much appreciated. But the one regional local daily newspaper has kept its distance so far.
Now today they’ve found a use for us… as a way to reach their dissatisfied customers. An FPF neighborhood forum in Essex Junction has been aflame with complaints about fouled up newspaper delivery recently. So a thoughtful resident offered the paper a chance to respond through his FPF account, which a responsible circulation manager took. Now most of their customers in the neighborhood will know the reason for the poor newspaper delivery service… message delivered by Front Porch Forum.
Glad to help.
Philip Baruth writes today about a controversy in Burlington’s New North End…
Fascinating little snafu in Burlington last week. A very hard-working local activist, Lea Terhune, called a meeting to organize against a new Senior Housing development slated for the Apple Tree Point section of Burlington’s New North End. Wet-land is at issue, and Terhune says that Infill Development Group’s project would “warehouse [seniors] in a swamp.”
When Infill representatives arrived at the meeting, they were barred from attending. The meeting was declared a private gathering of concerned neighbors and not a public meeting. The announcement that was posted on Front Porch Forum was not clear on this point and should have been. I certainly regret any misunderstandings.
FPF is breaking new ground… nothing else like it out there. So we openly request constructive feedback on ways to improve our service. And, as always, we invite participation (join your neighborhood forum in Chittenden County, VT, here). As Philip says…
What we do know is that the Front Porch Forum has now been elevated beyond a mere local-networking tool: it has become required political reading for those on any side of any issue, any policy debate, any ongoing campaign.
What other web service finds lost kittens? Especially with a foot and a half of snow on the ground?
We are missing a kitten that was visiting for the holidays. He is an orange tabby wearing a red collar with a bell. His name is Cringer. Please let us know if you have seen him. -Marianne, Centennial Neighborhood Forum
And a few hours later…
We found the kitty! Thank you Front Porch Forum.
I’m not very good about sending out holiday greetings, but I just received this wonderful one posted to my own neighborhood’s FPF forum…
I just want to thank Michael Wood-Lewis and family for such a great job this year with the Five Sisters Neighborhood Forum and to thank everyone in this forum for all of their great letters. It really feels like a wonderful extended family and makes a tremendous difference to my life and living in this neighborhood.
Burlington was hit with back-to-back snow storms this week, leaving about 15 inches of the white stuff, on top of a little left over from the previous dumping… and the first day of winter has yet to arrive!
On Front Porch Forum we’re seeing a growing number of city residents upset with the City’s snow removal effort, especially concerning sidewalks and curb cuts. Several tax payers with limited mobility (e.g., wheelchair users and stroller pushers) have weighed in.
So far, no official response from the City.
As a past chairman of Burlington’s Public Works Commission, I’m aware of many of the challenges involved. My own observation (and I tend to pay attention since our family has a wheelchair user)… it looked like a good first pass to remove the bulk of the snow, but there hasn’t been the follow-through to get down to pavement, push back the piles, open up the curb cuts at intersections, etc. that I’ve seen in past winters. That’s just an impression… no thorough survey done on my part. However, I’m not alone, as the postings to Front Porch Forum make clear. Here’s one example…
I took a walk downtown yesterday with a double stroller-two kids. It’s about the equivalent to a wheel chair in width and possibly ease of mobility. My walk was quite exhausting and frustrating. There were numerous places where I had to walk in the middle of the road, wasn’t able to cross the street and had to go two blocks out of my way to get to the place I wanted to be (Post Office). The whole time I was thinking, what about people on wheelchairs, or mom’s who don’t have a car and need groceries (kinda like me). What about people who have a hard time getting around all the time? How are they getting around? –Tiffany
I assured Glenn today that her message below was a wonderful use of her neighborhood’s Front Porch Forum…
Hello Neighbors – I would not usually see this forum as a site for solicitation but given this situation (and the time of year), I am making an exception.
I work in a rural school system and I have a new student to my case load. This student just moved to the state a week ago. I noticed that this student (who walks to school every day) did not wear a coat. After further investigation, I learned that his family can not afford one. Typically I would find this student help through our amazing state agencies but I am running into many dead ends. Since he is new to the state he has not been hooked into the usual resources, and this time of year a lot of agencies are tapped out, I have had difficulty finding ways to meet his needs. I was able to place him on the waiting list for a Holiday food basket through the Salvation Army and I have obtained some money from the school to buy him a coat and hat and other essentials, but he still needs proper winter boots (size 11).
I also know that his family can not afford Christmas presents. One thing I know he would love is a disc man. I have also observed that he loves to sketch/draw and seems to have some talent with this form of art. If anyone in the neighborhood is interested in helping out, please let me know. Our last day of school before the winter break is Friday. I am sorry for the short notice, but I just found all this out today.
Again, please forgive this use of the neighborhood forum.
And now, less than 12 hours later, Glenn posts…
Thank you Five-Sisters Neighbors. I received fantastic response to my e-mail concerning my student. People were very generous and are donating wonderful things that will surly give this student a merry Christmas. This is a tremendous outpouring and a vivid reminder of just how wonderful this neighbor is and what this time of year is truly about.
Thanks to neighbor and musician James O’Halloran for the holiday message that he posted to his nearby neighbors on Front Porch Forum…
Hello friends – Just a brief note to all the folks back home to say ‘Happy Holidays’ and offer some perspective on the season of giving. For my third time this year, I’m in southern Arizona on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation teaching song writing and music. The ‘rez’ is right on the Mexican border where the wall is being built and the other night I answered the door to find two hungry and worn out border crossers begging for water and food.
I’m sure you all can imagine how dire the situation is for the tribe as well. There is a lack of hope for their children’s futures due to the dominance of gangs, alcohol, drugs, violence, the border, unemployment, abject poverty and the list goes on and on. Life expectancy is 48 years and diabetes hovers around 50%. It was only a few decades ago when there was active US government policy of de-culturalization forbidding the tribe to wear their traditional clothing, forced to cut long hair, not allowed to speak their language, made to change their family names and children kidnapped and sent to boarding schools. But the Tohono O’odham (formerly the Papago) survived and are still here numbering roughly 28,000 people.
I know it is a long way from our wonderfully peaceful Five Sisters neighborhood, but what ever you can do for those who are in need will make a difference.
With every good wish, James
Congratulations to Carolyn of the South Union Neighborhood Forum… her name was plucked from the FPF hat today. She won a pair of Vermont Frost Heaves basketball tickets. Thanks to the many who entered and to the Frost Heaves. We’ll try again in January, so stay tuned!
Any local businesses interested in contributing prizes for another round of Front Porch Forum member drawings, please let me know. Happy holidays to all!
We’re always grateful for the kind words we hear from Front Porch Forum members… really keeps us working. Here’s a member from the FPF Huntington (VT) Neighborhood Forum today…
I’m going to school in Ontario, and I’d love to have a forum here too! Why aren’t there any for Canada?
So far we’re just focusing on our pilot area of greater Burlington, VT (USA). Although we’re exploring expansion opportunities.
And her follow up…
I didn’t realize the Front Porch Forum was actually such a local thing! That’s wonderful! I joined it recently, and it’s been a nice way to get news from home while I’m away at school. I know my parents are really utilizing it, and they’re not very internet savvy people.
I love the last line about her low-tech parents making great use of FPF… that’s right on target!
I know people like to knock big institutions… take the U.S. Postal Service for example. But we’ve got a great postal carrier and perfectly fine post office. And now today Amy in another part of Burlington posts this on her FPF neighborhood forum…
Hi Everyone: By now, you may have heard that our wonderful postman, Ralph, is retiring, and his LAST DAY on the job is Wednesday December 19th. He’s like one of the family, and will be impossible to replace. SO – how about we make December 19th into a wonderful neighborhood send-off for Ralph? If everyone left him a card, and did something special to express our gratitude (balloons, banners, marching bands, whatever!), he’d know how much we appreciate his years of devoted service, and that he’ll be missed. Let’s get creative!
What a great neighborhood!
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