Category Archives: Stories
Carpet shampooer is the new cup of sugar in Berlin
Posted to the Berlin FPF by Peg yesterday…
I asked my neighbors for a carpet cleaner and had one an hour later! Thank you Linda!!!!! And thanks to the folks who created Front Porch Forum! It’s a tool our community really needs!
Contractors, doctors, house painters and… muskrats
Shared yesterday across various local Front Porch Forums… first from Jim on the Middlebury FPF…
WOW! I posted yesterday that I was looking for suggestions for contractors who could enclose a deck we have on our house and within a half hour of FPF coming out, my email box was blowing up with responses! At last count I think I got about 15 suggestions! Looks like I am going to have alot of phone calls to make! FPF is the best!
From Carolyn on her FPF in Essex Junction…
Boy! Was my mailbox full! Thanks to all of you who took the time to respond to my request re a family doctor. I will compile them all and pass the info on to my friend on Thursday. FPF is a terrific resource – but it is really all you neighbors who are great.
William on the South Hero FPF…
The response from our neighbors has been fantastic! We’ve received over a dozen replies to our request for interior painter recommendations and have narrowed our list to 3 candidates to whom we’ve reached out. Thanks for demonstrating once again that FPF is a great community resource and for your valuable input.
And, finally today, from Julie on the Hinesburg FPF…
Thanks so much for the amazing replies regarding our need to trap a muskrat. I love Front Porch Forum and am so grateful to be in such a generous and helpful community.
Vermont’s FPF featured on NPR’s All Things Considered
Wonderful to hear Front Porch Forum stories playing to a national audience on NPR’s All Things Considered.
And thanks to Vermont’s own Angela Evancie for nailing the facts while conveying the neighbor-helping-neighbor spirit of FPF.
Front Porch Forum co-founders Michael and Valerie Wood-Lewis run the company from their home office in Burlington, Vt. Credit: Angela Evancie/Vermont Public Radio
Daily Yonder’s take on FPF
By Dale Mackey, published in The Daily Yonder on Feb. 25, 2015…
A Vermont-based social media platform helps residents communicate with neighbors. In the process, participants feel more connected to each other and their communities, says the project’s founder… [click to read full article]
A block party for the Five Sisters neighborhood in Burlington, Vermont, which was Front Porch Forum’s launch neighborhood. Photo: Carolyn Bates
With graduation in sight, neighbors help student theft victim
Arlene shared on her Morrisville Front Porch Forum recently…
My son’s backpack was stolen, and in it? His much-needed-for-school graphing calculator! As there are only 3 months remaining in school, and he’s a senior, I don’t want to run out and buy a new one. Anyone have a no longer being used one that they’d like to lend (preferably) or sell?
And then yesterday her follow up…
A big THANK YOU to both the respondents to my plea, and to FPF. What a valuable resource for the community. Thank you to the loan offers and thank you to the giver of the generous gift of a no-longer-being-used calculator. Great way to reduce, reuse, recycle AND help 🙂
Neighbor helps school kids by sharing old magazines
Judy shared on the the Barre City Front Porch Forum…
In hopes of making spring come early, I am cleaning like crazy. I have several years of Guidepost magazines and many Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, and Vermont Life. Great articles, recipes, decorating tips. Come and get them. They are all in good condition.
And then she followed up yesterday with…
Thanks FPF. I found someone who wanted my magazines. She is a teacher and will make good use of them. What a great resource!!!
Problem solved for Judy, the teacher and her kids got free materials, and some neighbors met and now will be able to greet each other next time they see each other… good stuff. This kind of thing happens through FPF hundreds of times each day across Vermont, helping neighbors connect and build community.
Very old, mostly deaf and blind dog finds self
Posted on the Huntington Front Porch Forum on Wednesday…
Our orange and white Brittany spaniel Emma is still missing. She’s very old, mostly blind and deaf. With the help of several neighbors, we spent yesterday, a chunk of the night, and again this morning searching the Camels Hump ski trails to no avail. Our best hope is that she wandered out onto a road and took refuge in someone’s shed or barn… She’s wearing a green collar that has our phone number on it.
And the happy-ending follow-up on Friday…
Some 20 minutes after yesterday’s Front Porch Forum was published, I stood at the window, as I have done so many times over the last several days, staring into the darkness, picturing in my mind Emma walking across the yard as she used to do. All of a sudden, the motion sensor light clicked on, and there she was! Exactly as I was picturing in my mind!… A mirage? Hallucination from lack of sleep? I yelled, we all yelled, and ran out the door to scoop her up. She was skinny, her paws were iced up, but she looked pretty normal and happy… and determined.
Our neighbor, a vet, stopped by a little later to look her over and she checked out pretty well… cold, a few raw spots on her feet and legs, but Wow.
We want to thank our neighbors, friends and family who helped in the search, although it was Emma who got herself home, several folks put in hours and miles in the woods and roads to help look for her. And thanks to the community for some many hopeful and encouraging words. We were close, but we didn’t give up hope. And more importantly, Emma didn’t give up!
“Thanks for being a digital Town Meeting prep station”
It’s Town Meeting season. We get plenty of questions about how to use Front Porch Forum to address local issues this time of year, so we thought we’d share the following.
Postings about local Town Meeting topics, elections and ballot measures are welcome on each FPF. We ask that people who submit postings keep their tone civil one person’s witty remark is another’s cutting insult. Also, please focus on the topic rather than on specific neighbors. If you think someone is abusing this opportunity for open community dialogue, feel free to contact us with details.
Every single town in Vermont now has Front Porch Forum, and many of them become more lively this time of year as neighbors ask questions and share facts and opinions leading up to Town Meeting Day. We’re grateful to be able to make this contribution to Vermont’s centuries-long tradition of local and democratic decision making. We’ve heard repeatedly that people feel more informed and better able to participate and vote on Town Meeting Day thanks to their neighbors’ postings on their local FPFs. Please feel welcome to join in.
Of course the best way to participate is by showing up at Town Meeting and/or the ballot box!
P.S. From Susan in Montpelier today… “Thanks for being a digital Town Meeting prep station (ugh)… but you know what I mean, right?”
Huskies reunited with owner!
Posted by Suzi on the Hinesburg Front Porch Forum recently…
Just thought I’d share the good news and thanks to all… The owner of the missin huskies called me this morning from Starksboro (once again FPF saves the day) and it turns out she has 3 Huskies- their gate was accidentally opened on Friday morning and she managed to grab one but the other 2 bolted off. She searched by car for hours with no luck and they managed to travel all the way up through Huntington and into Hinesburg where I found them Friday night… amazing animals! Anyway, thought I’d share the happy ending to the story. 🙂
How does your community use your FPF?
Here’s a tiny sample of Front Porch Forum postings from across Vermont yesterday…
Bennington FPF by Kelly: “The Southshire Community Market received a huge amount of support using Front Porch Forum to test our new educational website. Thanks for all your help!”
Swanton FPF by Ken: “Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge is on Front Porch Forum now! Hello, after last night’s great meeting at MVU I have created an FPF account and will be posting events on FPF to try and get the word out about refuge activities and opportunities. I’ve added several events to the Swanton FPF Community Calendar stretching to June so please take a look.”
Danville Peacham FPF by Annie: “I’m in search of various items to furnish our new home and thought I’d put it to our Front Porch Forum before we went and bought new. We are looking for: Queen or full mattress and box spring, futon, night stands, kitchen table and chairs.”
Stowe FPF by Kyle: “We at Morrisville Lumber are also tired of this sub-zero streak and are also brand new to this Front Porch Forum phenomenon. With that in mind, for tomorrow only, Eric and Kyle will bribe you out of your cozy homes and into the Stowe store by offering 15% off your total purchase (regularly priced non-discounted items) for all cash or credit card sales! The only way to get this discount however is to mention that you saw this post on Front Porch Forum!”
Middlebury FPF by Marni: “Thank you to all that responded to my post about getting rid of kitchen scraps for compost! It sure is good to be back and enjoying the awesome community forum provided by Front Porch Forum. After a year in the south it sure is good to be experiencing such things as FPF… So grateful to be back in this beautiful state!”
Worcester FPF by Sara: “Still downsizing… So we have a few things left to offer if there are any interested neighbors. An antique bench ($25), a beautiful antique tea cart ($225), two air conditioners ($75 for newer, $25 for older) one dehumidifier ($85), a pub table with a few scratches but solid wood ($35)… It has been wonderful to meet some of you through Front Porch Forum!”
Waterbury FPF by Anne: “Running through Feb. 8, Waterbury’s Winterfest is a packed full schedule of all kinds winter activities. The complete 10 day schedule may be seen on the web site: waterburywinterfest.com, daily event schedules will be on Front Porch Forum, and the Waterbury Winterfest Minute will be heard on WDEV each morning of Winterfest.”
Shelburne FPF by Scott: “Four Blizzak winter tires for sale, $200. Still have 2-3 seasons left in these. They were taken off last spring and weren’t put back on in favor of all season tires. Great condition! Came off 2012 Subaru Outback. Size is 225-60-17. Front Porch Forum folks have first crack at them, then going up on craigslist.”
Northfield FPF by Gretchen: “How to build a community: Turn off your TV. Leave your house Know your neighbors. Look up when you are walking. Greet people. Sit on your stoop. Plant flowers. Use your library. Play together. Buy from local merchants. Share what you have. Help a lost dog. Take children to the park. Garden together. Support neighborhood schools. Fix it even if you didn’t break it. Have pot lucks. (Part 1 from Poster by K. Kerney)”
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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