The following message has been posted by Front Porch Forum members in a number of neighborhood forums today across Chittenden County. I rarely know how these things spread from one neighborhood forum to the next… but they do.
A friend of a friend found six puppies in a bag on the street and is trying to find homes for them. They are a black lab mix and absolutely adorable. Probably around 2 months old. They have been treated for fleas and worms. My organization, The Bubba Foundation may be able to provide assistance with the first trip to the vet and/or spaying/neutering.
If you would like to see a photo, please email. Please pass the word to anyone you know who may be looking for a puppy. Thanks!
UPDATE: Goods news from a Front Porch Forum member:
I’ve heard through my husband that all six of those puppies had been placed. Just wanted to let you all know.
UPDATE-IER: Dave, another FPF member just added…
The “PUPPIES LOOKING FOR HOMES” I’m almost certain is a hoax all… that same email spread like wildfire through my (large) company. Social Engineering at its finest, preying on CUTE and many folks kind hearts. A co-worker found a link to an Atlanta web site where, oddly enough, those exact same caged lab mix puppies were looking for a home. Sorry to all those with big hearts who were willing to help. The Humane Society of Greater Burlington can still put those kind hearts to use however!
UPDATE-IEST: Okay, let’s go to snopes.com, the great urban myth debunker…
In September 2007 the following adoption appeal for black labrador puppies began circulating.
This appears to have been a genuine appeal that began as a Craigslist posting, but although the person whose name and phone number were listed on the earliest e-mailed versions has stated that all puppies have since been adopted, the same message and picture continue to be forwarded with a number of different names, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and locations now attached to them.
It’s not unusual to get 100+ messages a day flowing through the various neighborhood forums hosted by Front Porch Forum across greater Burlington, VT. Most are straight-forward affairs… “Lost Cat,” “Car for Sale,” “Yard Sale on Sat.” But once in awhile we see a headline that gives pause. Here’s today’s…
Free Breastfeeding Symposium – Lunch Included
All joking aside, as a father of two nursing little ones, I’d be remiss if I didn’t share the message that goes with the headline…
I am recommending this informative and supportive event as an interested man and nurse in the community who believes that breastfeeding should be more culturally accepted. I do not agree with the idea that breastfeeding is like sex and should be done in “private”. Its benefits far outweigh the social inconveniences perceived by some. I would like to see breastfeeding done wherever and whenever it is needed for a child’s well-being. It is clear to me that we need more supportive environmental conditions provided to nursing mothers in our community. I encourage everyone to become better educated about breastfeeding and its powerful effects. Come to the free symposium on Tuesday, October 23.
Please pass this message on as widely as possible and thank you!!
Your neighborhood volunteer,
Alan Sousie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Breastfeeding Symposium: Postpartum Depression and BreastfeedingVermont Department of Health
108 Cherry Street, Room 2B
8:30 AM – 4:00 PMSpeaker: Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, Ph.D., IBCLC
Dr. Kendall-Tackett is a health psychologist and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She is a Research Associate Professor of Psychology specializing in women’s health at the Family Research Lab, University of New Hampshire. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association in Health Psychology and Trauma Psychology, is the co-editor of Journal of Trauma Psychology, and is on the editorial boards of Child Abuse & Neglect, Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, and Journal of Human Lactation. Dr. Kendall-Tackett is a La Leche League leader, chair of the New Hampshire Breastfeeding Taskforce, and the Area Coordinator of Leaders for La Leche League of Maine and New Hampshire.Kathleen Kendall-Tackett specializes in synthesizing current research on breastfeeding and related fields, facilitating the provision of evidence-based care. She is an academic researcher who also works clinically with mothers as a Lactation Consultant/LLL Leader. Dr. Kendall-Tackett has a long-standing interest in maternal depression, the lifetime health effects of childhood abuse, the link between trauma and chronic pain, and the psychological aspects of breastfeeding. Her current work examines the relationship between stress, depression and inflammation, and how this combination increases the risk of depression in new mothers. Breastfeeding, with its stress-lowering effects, is protective of maternal mood. She is also interested in psychological trauma related to difficult birth experiences and the long-term impact of childhood abuse on women’s experiences of mothering and breastfeeding. Dr. Kendall-Tackett has authored more than 150 articles or chapters and is the author or editor of 15 books on maternal depression, family violence and breastfeeding.
Send registration by email, fax, or postal mail
Email: TCassi@vdh.state.vt.us
Fax: (802) 863-7229Questions: Call Tricia (802) 652-4177
Postal Mail: Tricia Cassi
VT Dept of Health – WIC Program
108 Cherry Street, PO Box 70
Burlington, VT 05402
I was moved when I read the following post by Therese on the ONE East Neighborhood Forum yesterday…
My neighbors have temporarily taken in a refugee family from Somalia who fell through the cracks during a resettlement move. The family landed in Burlington last night with only the clothes on their backs. There is a mom, dad and four kids. The boys are 2 and 5 and the girls are 8 and 10 and they are average size kids for their ages. My neighbors are college kids who have opened up their home to this family until they get into the system. Whatever vouchers, etc, that they are supposed to have….did not come through yet.
Regardless, they need some more clothes and we have done okay with the parents but need to get some children’s clothes and shoes. I gave them some stuffed animals but am sure toys would be helpful too. If you have anything in decent shape lying around that you don’t need in sizes that you think might fit these kids….would you be willing to donate it to them? We will give anything not needed or that does not fit to the Salvation Army or St. Vincent De Paul or anywhere else you might suggest that it could help people. If you have anything you want to donate please just leave it on the front porch. Thank you in advance for anything you donate. Peace to everyone!
So now today’s follow up really made my day…
When I posted last night asking for some clothes and toys for the Somalian refugee family I had no idea that people would be so incredibly generous!!! The response we received today was overwhelming. We have plenty of clothes and toys for them right now. In fact we will be bringing the extras to other refugees and to some local thrift store/charity places.
The college students who are putting them up said that the family will hopefully be moving into an apartment within a week or so and at that point they may need some more things for the house. I will post again if and when they inform me of specific items the family might need.
I wish everyone who donated things could have seen the looks on the children’s faces when we gave them the toys and clothes. Last night they were timid and scared and wearing clothes that did not fit. Tonight they were not scared, already learned some English (wow, kids can learn a language fast) and bewildered but happy. It was also important that they had some warmer clothes and now they do!!! Thanks to all of you who donated to help this family!!
In a neighborhood that has it struggles with irresponsible college students, the beautiful action taken by these UVM kids to help a family in need is wonderful. And I’m glad that their neighbors can see that through Front Porch Forum, and that so many folks are pitching in with clothes, toys, etc.
Liz just posted the following message on her neighborhood’s Front Porch Forum…
We are missing a very special stuffed animal, a white (well, it once was white) bunny about 8-10″ tall wearing green camo foot pajamas. If you have seen it, please call Liz. Many thanks.
Camo footie jamies? Sounds like this bunny knows how to take care of himself… hopefully the forum posting will lead to a happy reunion.
Recently Alex posted the following on his neighborhood’s Front Porch Forum…
I had a fantastic experience with Shane Hardiman, whose business is called The Squeegee Brothers. Tel. 802-279-8859. Aside from doing a wonderful job, in which he went way beyond the call of duty to get old windows working again, he’s just a heck of a nice guy. He’s also a musician who performs in local groups and does lots of work with youth music coaching.
Our family ended up hiring Shane based on this note and had the same great experience (and now our home is flooded with sunlight… toddlers seem to apply a special coating to windows that requires a professional to remove 😉 ).
Shane related that he got six jobs with first-time clients based on this single paragraph placed on one Front Porch Forum neighborhood forum. Not bad.
Just heard from Greg in the ONE East Neighborhood Forum…
Another Front Porch Forum success story. A pair of my sunglasses, stolen from my car, recovered by my next door neighbor, linked via FPF! The glasses were bifocal, worth about $90 and relatively new.
The chair of the board of a well known Vermont attraction just made a lovely offer to the folks on her neighborhood’s forum… send her a note and she’ll provide a free pass. As she put it…
Just forum hoodies, please, not everyone you know because I can only manage so much!
Yet another new use of Front Porch Forum.
I’ve gotta get out to Jericho! Posted by Dave Eaton on the Jericho Corners Neighborhood Forum…
Yes! Sue Eaton is reviving her practice of prior years by offering scrumptious, fresh baked apple pies at Dulcie’s Legacies, 132 Vermont Rte 15 in Jericho, VT. Pies can be ordered for pick-up on Friday. Or stop by and take your chances on remaining inventory.
Orders will be taken for apple, mince and pumpkin for the holidays.
The price is $15 for a 10″ pie in an aluminum pan or $20 in a deep glass pie plate including a $5 deposit on the dish for a green option. (You can keep the dish or return it for refund or credit on a re-order).
Call Sue Eaton at Dulcie’s Legacies at 899-5054. Watch for the flying pantaloon flag, a legacy from Dulcie. Remember, FRIDAY is PIEDAY!
Pamela Polston writes in this week’s Seven Days about the innovative marketing effort underway for the homegrown play American Machine…
Word-of-mouth is potent advertising for everyone from plumbers to playwrights. James Lantz happens to be one of the latter — his latest work, American Machine, opens next Tuesday at the FlynnSpace. But Lantz is not relying on the old-fashioned, no-tech kind of word spreading. In what may be a first-of-its-kind marketing approach — at least ’round these parts — the Burlington writer has been covering his electronic bases. Besides the play’s website, Lantz maintains an American Machine blog and e-newletter. The Flynn — which co-commissioned the work — follows the play’s progress on its blog. Neighbors and friends around Burlington are posting notices in support of the play on their Front Porch Forums(in part because opening night is a benefit for the Burlington Schools Food Project). And FPF founder Michael Wood-Lewis touts the play on his blog, called Ghost of Midnight, where Lantz reciprocates with a rave about Front Porch Forum.
That’s not all. Lantz has planned a special “Bloggers Night” — September 27 — when “we’re going to invite about 20 of Burlington’s bloggers to this show gratis,” says a recent post. “The only thing that we ask in return is that our bloggers do what they do best: blog about what they saw.”
The playwright, whose previous work was last year’s The Bus, is careful to note that the bloggers can say whatever they want about the play. But whether thumbs go up or down, there is no denying that Lantz’s grassroots — techroots? — approach is creative. In a Google search for “American Machine, the play,” Wood-Lewis’ blog entry actually comes up first. (Ironically, www.americanmachinetheplay.com is eighth on the list.)
Here’s a first… posted by Wendy on the North Winooski Neighborhood Forum today…
Yesterday was our 25th Wedding Anniversary. We had good weather that day too. Even after 25 years, my husband mystifies me. Lets take the lawn. It would seem that keeping the lawn clipped on a regular basis would make sense. But this time of year, he grows complacent. If he had his druthers, he’d let it continue growing until the snow hits. Except his wife grows as annoyed with the crab grass in the driveway as she does with him. Tomorrow marks the last day of summer officially. Maybe he’ll cut the lawn this fall? Keep your fingers crossed. We all know there is no mystical landscape fairy that sneaks in during the night to tame the grass’ growth…
Oh dear. Using Front Porch Forum for intra-marriage communication? I noticed the same author had a letter to the editor in today’s Burlington Free Press supporting Winooski’s schools.
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