Tim in Burlington’s South End just posted this gem to his nearby neighbors on Front Porch Forum…
Hey neighbors! – Our front yard garden is now producing some wonderful sugar snap and snow peas. Come eat some as you stroll by [address redacted]! It’s a free garden for anyone who wants to partake.
And what makes this even more special, we’ve been seeing plenty of property crime postings lately in this area… what a refreshing departure!
Kristine loves her neighborhood! Here’s her pronouncement in her own words (via Front Porch Forum this evening)…
I just wanted to say how moved I was this weekend by the kindness and friendliness of neighbors on my street. I feel so fortunate to live on my street as I am surrounded by many amazing people. It was great to see so many people out this weekend doing yardwork and home improvement projects. I had a couple neighbors lend me their push mower so I could mow my lawn. A neighbor was gifted 2 bags of mulch from another neighbor. Another neighbor while driving by stopped and asked my next door neighbor if she needed anything from the grocery store. A few neighbors did morning yoga together at the Archibald garden. I brought a couple of neighbors out for lunch and retail therapy. Another neighbor shared veggies from his garden with a few neighbors. A neighbor gave me a plant from her yard. A few neighbors went out for creamies together. I am sure there were plenty of other amazing things that happened between neighbors this weekend. Let’s keep it going! This is what it is all about.
And, from someone else in a different part of town, a concern posted on FPF…
Yesterday afternoon, Eugene stopped Paddy and me to use our phone because his telephone was not working. He was concerned about being without a phone in case of emergency, as he is elderly and has some health issues. It seemed like Carol, his next door neighbor, had everything under control by the evening, but I’m just checking in to make sure that he is ok. I tried calling him this morning and either his phone line is still down, or he is not answering.
UPDATE: Jean responded today…
Cheers Kristine – I have to second her thoughts and feelings about our neighborhood! It is truly a testament to how kind and generous people can be to one another. This is one of the greatest streets in the ONE and I am so grateful to be a part of it…I say this at least once every week. How many people can say they feel this way about their neighborhood? I hope quite a few. It’s a great feeling to know that people care enough about their neighbors to extend a friendly helping hand, advice, or just a moment to sit and visit. Thanks St. Louis St (and beyond)!! Keep it up!
From Erin in Burlington today…
I love Front Porch Forum! You have helped us find cat sitters, child sitters, garage sales, too much to mention. We are so happy this exists — in an age where everyone’s porch is now a back yard deck, how nice it is to have a “virtual” front porch. Keep up the amazing work.
More FPF member comments here.
Some sample bits from Front Porch Forum members today…
I am the president of my condo association. I am encouraging the residents here to sign on to Front Porch Forum as a great networking tool.
And…
More shinguards than shins… Thanks to the many responses about borrowing shin guards! I got four responses in the first 12 hours of my posting!
But it’s not all roses and sunshine…
to the owner of the dog who left a giant steaming pile of mess in my newly planted front yard garden today: may karma crap on your doorstep.
to the respectful dog owners who, like me, bag the waste their dog creates: thank you for keeping our neighborhood (and our lake) clean.
The Burlington Police Dept. is stepping up its community policing efforts, the Burlington Free Press reported today, including this bit…
Some officers are already reaching out. Officer Mike Hemond, for example, posted a message on the Front Porch Forum for the Five Sisters area, providing a link to the department’s Web site, updating residents on graffiti arrests, alerting them that he was going on vacation for a few weeks and making himself available to chat about whatever when he got back. “Heck,” he wrote, “e-mail me in advance, and I’ll bring coffee.”
On Front Porch Forum in Burlington’s Old North End today…
Hello Neighbors! We wanted to thank everyone who saw our home on Pitkin Street catch fire and called it in. Nobody was home and, thankfully, you were there. Thanks especially to [those who went] out of their way to contact us that night. There was so much concerned response from the neighborhood – we are very grateful! The incredible fire department got there QUICK and put the fire out fast. They were not only fast but very professional and considerate the night of the fire which put us all at ease (as much as we could be). We will miss Pitkin Street dearly and hope to be back some day soon!
Mark Glaser and Paul Lamb each blogged about online community information hubs recently. Good discussion in the comments of both postings. Here’s my response to Paul’s piece…
U.S. local communities are suffering from a lack of engagement and a decline in social connections… people are not as involved locally as they used to be and they don’t know those around them as much. People move more, they work more, fewer stay-at-home moms, TV and internet wrestles people’s attention away from the neighborhood, suburban sprawl development leads to more hours a day in a car by yourself, etc.
So, while access to information is critical, the more fundamental problem to address is to increase local social capital and civic engagement. And many new e-tools don’t really go there. People are anonymous and distant. They likely will never meet in person the others with whom they are interacting. Many tools encourage more screen time, which translates to less sidewalk and face-to-face time.
Front Porch Forum is designed to pull people into neighborhood conversations, like a low-key, low-tech online block party. Once they get rolling, FPF members report increased connection and community involvement. Indeed, one study found 93% reporting increased civic engagement.
Front Porch Forum hosts a network of 130 online neighborhood forums that blankets Chittenden County, VT. An AMAZING 50% of Burlington’s Old North End participates. This area has the state’s largest concentration of urban poverty and associated social ills. It’s wonderful to watch how this community chooses to develop it’s FPF neighborhood forums.
For example, last year, a mother of young kids went out at 2 AM to the playground next to her apartment to ask basketball players to obey the signs and stop playing ball so her baby could sleep. She was beaten by one of the players. Awful.
The neighborhood rallied through FPF, got the word out, organized several meetings, got the electric utility to upgrade lighting, the parks dept to improve signage, the police to seek the assailant and patrol the park more, and the city council, mayor and media to all get involved. Several months later, neighborhood leaders were able to keep the underlying issue (drug-trade violence) in front of everyone through FPF and a new community policing initiative is underway.
This is one of many FPF stories of low-income and other communities doing great work when given simple and effective ways to communicate… no fancy maps, video-streaming, avatars, wikis, etc. needed.
First it’s missing gnomes in Hinesburg, now we hear from Alex on Front Porch Forum in Williston about his escaped tent…
Sometime during the 40 mph winds Thursday night, our tent (which was staked to the ground with 8 stakes!) for some reason decided to see where the wind would take it…. literally.
Perhaps it was not feeling appreciated, or just wanted a change of scenery…. whatever the reason, the tent is gone and could not be located as I drove through the neighborhood early this morning.
For all I know, it could have ended up in Winooski by now, but if someone sees or has heard of a ginormous camping tent blowing through your backyard, please let me know.
Description: It’s a large beige colored tent. Poles may no longer be included… may have some stuffed animals inside enjoying the ride.
I don’t spend much time in Hinesburg. Maybe that’s a good thing, gnome-wise. From the FPF Hinesburg Neighborhood Forum today…
Our Family Gnome who went missing last week has been safely returned!
A HUGE Thank You to all who helped with his safe return!
Thank you,Thank you,Thank you!!!
The Whitakers
Chalk up one more use of Front Porch Forum… gnome rescue.
P.S. And just how many people does it take to engineer a gnome’s safe return?
Indeed they do. A long-time FPF subscriber (who gladly pays a monthly donation), shared the following today…
We are in the middle of an eight-month tour of the world with our kids (right now in Kathmandu), so we are enjoying Front Porch Forum more than ever, as it keeps us in touch with what’s going on back home.
And then Mary, in response to someone complaining about neighbors who speak up on FPF about local issues wrote…
There are millions of people around the world who don’t have a venue for their voice in any form. I celebrate the fact that we have a place right here (Front Porch Forum) for all our voices, whether I agree with them or not.
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