A wonderful note from Rosemary to her Starr Farm Neighborhood Forum today…
To all in Starr Farm neighborhood: While browsing one day I discovered FrontPorchForum.com when it was just the “Five Sisters” of the South End. I was curious because I was born there (Catherine Street) and lived there with my children later. I expressed an interest in Starr Farm neighborhood, and lo and behold, became the founding member!
I was ready to begin my contribution if, and when, the sidewalk snowplows once again tore up the front lawns, but it didn’t happen this year!
Meanwhile I love hearing how many neighbors have joined and love watching the “happenings” of this end of town. It is reassuring in this day that people are still generous, kind and caring about the people who live in this town. In short they are still “Neighborly.”
Hope I can someday be of real help to someone in need.
Thank you, Rosemary… what a lovely sentiment.
Sharon of the NE Winooski Neighborhood Forum writes today…
A great guy to know… A few weeks ago I posted a message about needing someone to help with removing some shrubs. That’s how I met Josh N., one of our great neighbors. He did a great job and I keep finding more things for him to do.
I wanted to recommend Josh to all of you who need landscaping or carpentry. He’s professional, friendly, knowledgeable, honest, and charges reasonable rates. I think he’s terrific and I think you will too. Hiring Josh is a sure way to get quality work and a great opportunity to keep your business in Winooski.
That’s just how Front Porch Forum is supposed to work… meet an immediate need and get to know the neighbors in the process. Another small success!
As reported by the Burlington Free Press yesterday…
South Burlington – This year’s recipient of the Community Appreciation Award, which is given out each year at National Night Out, will go to Michael and Valerie Wood-Lewis, who founded Front Porch Forum. The Front Porch Forum is an email based service organized by neighborhoods, where neighbors talk about topics from baby-sitting to vandalism.
The Community Appreciation Award “recognizes someone in the community whose efforts have made a difference in our community” and who has worked toward crime prevention and youth services, said National Night Out coordinator Catherine Welch. The Wood-Lewises will receive the award at 7 p.m. on Aug. 7 at the Dorset Park band shell. Gov. Jim Douglas will present the award.
“After only a half-year of operation, more than 5,000 Chittenden County households have joined Front Porch Forum,” Michael Wood-Lewis said in a press release. “FPF hosts 130 contiguous online neighborhood forums covering the entire metro-Burlington area. People use the free service for many ends, including finding a babysitter or lost cat, selling a canoe, recommending a plumber, announcing a school play, reporting a car break-in, organizing a block party and so much more. And, the best part of it, all of these activities are done with clearly identified nearby neighbors, so the sense of community in each neighborhood grows.”
Wood-Lewis said he and his wife are “humbled” to be nominated for the award and they will share it with the thousands of local Front Porch Forum members, volunteers and sponsors.
By all means, this award is shared with the more than 5,000 local FPF participants… definitely a group effort.
I encourage local folks to attend the various National Night Out events… sounds like a fun bash (and free!) taking shape… carnival, parade, fireworks, live music, rides, food and more. We’re taking our kids. August 6 at 6:30 PM at Dorset Park, and then the main event on August 7 from noon until 10:00 PM at the park (rain date is August 8 ).
Update: Details about the event are now available on the South Burlington Police Dept. website. Also, Sgt. Tom Fraga and organizer Catherine Welch recorded a Channel 17 TV show about it all the other day. Click here and then select “South Burlington’s National Night Out Preview Show (7/17/07)” under Special Events. They mention Front Porch Forum at 22:40 into the 30-minute program.
Sounds like a local artist is onto something in Huntington. Kelly O’Brien posted to her neighborhood forum less than two weeks ago…
Hi All – I’d like to paint your mailbox! Especially interested in mailboxes on the Main Road, or any well-traveled roads in or near town.You’d be helping me out by letting me paint & take photos for my portfolio… and you’ll benefit by getting a one-of-a-kind mailbox. And if you hate it, I can repaint to the original black, gray or white. If you’d like to get a sense of my style, look at our mailbox. I do polka dots, circles, stripes, and any bold graphic design, or just a solid fun color.
Since then, the comments are pouring in…
- Yesterday Kelly O’Brien painted my mailbox – check it out. It is beautiful! Thank you Kelly!
- Kelly O’Brien painted our mailbox too. Plain and plastic transformed into fun and funky! Thanks, Kelly!
- Oh my good lord in heaven! You have a gift! So beautiful – the mailbox you painted at Bonnie’s place… YOU GO GIRL!!!!
- I came home today to find my sad little rusty mailbox transformed into a work of Kelly O’Art! I saw Cindy’s on the Main Road and signed right up. Huntington will soon be known for its colorful mailboxes. Many thanks to Kelly O’Brien!
I love to see artists and micro-business owners use Front Porch Forum to jump start their efforts!
Here’s an interesting post from today’s ONE West Neighborhood Forum about the old armory at Main and Pine Streets in Burlington, VT. It’s most recent incarnation has it hosting Sha Na Na’s (right?) club with several small offices above. Dave D.’s idea reminds me of Eastern Market in the Capital Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC.
So… anyone care to discuss hopes for 101 Main St. Given that without community intervention, it’s liable to become yet another jewelry store or glass pipe shop – I thought it would be great to hear people’s hopes for this fantastic old building.
Here goes… Personally, I’d love to see a large public market – similar to Pike’s Place (Seattle, WA), North Market (Columbus, OH), etc.
The ideal environment could provide a great community venue with real-live local small businesses. Perhaps one floor as small business incubator & another with more temporary “booth”-style traffic – ala juried/monitored flea market. Imagine something of Farmer’s Market, Artist’s Market/ART-HOP, alternative transportation hub, strolling in the park, city hall meeting place & simple community necessities all under one roof on Main St. The focus could be on filling the city’s gaps – rather than competing with existent local businesses.
At any rate – I think it’d be great to bring that style environment to Burlington – what do you think???? -Dave D., Pitkin St.
Interesting post of the day comes from the ONE Central Neighborhood Forum…
I found an 8′ longboard in the dump maybe six years ago. I used a role of duct tape, a trashbag, and some old waterski fins and turned it into a usable surface to pull behind a skiboat. However my cousin broke it beyond repair last week while shredding some gnarly waves. Now I am looking to replace it with another longboard. Preferably one with little duct tape. Hopefully not waterlogged. And sweet graphics are a must. Please call 558-0847 with any leads. Peace. Gabe.
First surfboard request for Front Porch Forum. 😉 If you can help out Gabe, post a comment hear and I’ll connect you.
I’ve said it before… the steady flow of wonderful member comments washing through Front Porch Forum keeps the FPF development team motivated and focused. The comment list grows continually. Some recent samples…
Thank you for Front Porch Forum — it is the internet at its best. -Lorinda Henry
Thank you for creating this wonderful resource to support our connection to one another. You’ve done a terrific job. I really appreciate it (and the last-minute tickets to Circus Smirkus, which was fantastic!) -Amy Todisco
I posted something about seeking help with dog sitting, and I received a wonderful reply, for which I’m very grateful. Thanks very much for starting this online community! -Andi Mowrer
I have relocated; I hope there’s a Front Porch Forum up this way! Thank you – I found it very helpful. I was able to pass along my beloved piano to a new piano player. -Rebecca Strader
I love Front Porch Forum. It is such a great way to be connected to different social networks and hear the opinions of my neighbors! -Rachel Weston, State Representative
I’d just like to offer some kudos here: (1) to Front Porch Forum for creating a medium for neighbors to communicate issues quickly and easily, and (2) to the police and government officials of all types for watching and responding to this forum on a regular basis. I think I can speak for most members of the community and say this: Whether or not we are satisfied with every response we receive, we appreciate everything our officials are doing to improve and maintain our quality of life. We have to acknowledge that FPF has created a communication path and that its being used, successfully, by our community. -Tim Curtin
About 30 neighbors attended our potluck. It was very successful and fun! See what Front Porch Forum’s vision hath wrought! -Edorah Frazer
I am really appreciating this forum – finding out about goings on in the community, and the conversations, connections, that are going on whether I am participating or bystanding. -Guthrie Smith
Thanks everyone for the mechanic recommendations! It’s been a great help and I’m glad this forum exists for such occasions. -Cody Silfies
Please update my account as I’ve moved to a new neighborhood. I love being part of Front Porch Forum and am hoping it will help me meet neighbors at my new place! -Abba Corliss
Ken Picard wrote an article in this week’s Seven Days about the assault of a woman at a Burlington basketball court when she asked some late night ballplayers to tone it down. What a terrible act against this 11-year resident. I reported on the Burlington Free Press’ coverage here previously.
With the publication of Ken’s piece, a vivid portrait is painted of how the neighbors are using Front Porch Forum to inform each other about events, express concerns, debate underlying issues, attract official responses from local authorities, and get organized. Some excerpts…
When residents living near Pomeroy Park in the Old North End first learned about the late-night assault last month on one of their neighbors, they probably didn’t get the news from the daily newspaper. More likely, they read about it on the Front Porch Forum…
This incident, like many relatively minor crimes that occur each day in Burlington, might have gone unnoticed and unaddressed were it not for the victim’s neighbor, Samuel Press. He asked her permission to post an account of the incident on their neighborhood’s Front Porch Forum…
Press’ posting sparked a flurry of email responses from other residents of the Old North End, some of whom recounted similar experiences with unruly and foul-mouthed park users. Others expressed dismay at the Parks & Recreation department and the police department’s unwillingness and/or inability to address their concerns, which appear to have existed for years.
The online back-and-forth eventually prompted official replies from Parks & Recreation Director Wayne Gross and Burlington Police Lieutenant Jennifer Morrison… Gross wrote that he asked the Burlington Electric Department to fix the street lamp that was bleeding light onto the court, enabling late-night play to occur. Likewise, Morrison informed residents that the police have stepped up nighttime patrols of the area, and asked residents to get good descriptions of anyone else engaged in suspicious activities.
Recently, a group of neighbors met to talk about longer term solutions. FPF is all about helping neighbors connect and foster community at the neighborhood level. This is a wonderful case study of people using Front Porch Forum in just this way.
A glitch in our software recently left this message untethered from the new Front Porch Forum member who posted it in his/her neighborhood forum… rats! Sorry about that. Too many new members to sort out who it came from. Who is the mystery pie donor?
Hello all! Just moved to the neighborhood in June. I would be happy to be involved in any way I can. I of course always have pies to donate for special events!
I posted a note this morning on Front Porch Forum for seven circus tickets that our family now cannot use for Sunday. By 10 AM we had five requests for 17 20 24 tickets… maybe I shouldn’t have sold them for face value! 😉
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