Updates and Admin | Ghost of Midnight

FPF Expanding to more Vermont Towns in 2010!

Posted on Friday, March 26, 2010 by Michael • 2 comments

Front Porch Forum will be expanding to more Vermont towns this year, thanks to federal stimulus funds. Contact VCRD (below) to get your town on the list!

This is part of the e-Vermont project… an exciting mix of resources coming from a great collection of entities to two dozen Vermont towns. Here’s the skinny…

From:   Vermont Council on Rural Development
RE:   Broadband Stimulus Fund Project
Date:   March 25, 2010
Contact:   Paul Costello, VCRD Executive Director
802 249-8051 or 802-223-6091

$2.5 million Stimulus Grant Launches e-Vermont: the Community Broadband Project

MONTPELIER, VT – A $2.5 million federal Stimulus Grant from the federal Agency of Commerce, announced today, completes the funding to launch the $3.7 million “e-Vermont Community Broadband Project.” This major campaign to stimulate broadband use in 24 Vermont towns will be produced by a partnership of organizations dedicated to expanding broadband access and its practical use. The e-Vermont Partnership will be led by the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) over the next two years. VCRD is a non-profit organization dedicated to the support of the locally-defined progress of Vermont’s rural communities. Additional support for this project came from Vermont philanthropists and corporate associates.

By reaching the bedrocks of Vermont communities-schools, businesses, municipal government, libraries, health and social services groups-the e-Vermont Project will drive the benefits of the digital age to parts of the state that have been left behind, both economically and in digital culture, and are just now getting broadband services.

In addition to VCRD, the e-Vermont Partnership is made up of the Vermont State Colleges, the State Department of Libraries, Vermont Small Business Development Center, the Snelling Center for Government, Front Porch Forum and Digital Wish. Their application has been financially supported by the Vermont Community Foundation, the Jan and David Blittersdorf Foundation, the Evslin Family Foundation, UVM’s Center for Rural Studies, the Vermont Rural Partnership and by donated services and equipment from Dell, Microsoft, and Comcast.

“The federal stimulus money provides a tremendous opportunity for Vermonters to ensure that our communities take full advantage of broadband technology, including advancing the bottom line of our businesses,” said VCRD Executive Director Paul Costello. He emphasized that none of the 24 towns are selected yet, but will be through a competitive application process that will be announced soon.
Vermont’s congressional delegation have been strong supporters of the e-Vermont concept. Senator Leahy pointed out: “The impact of e-Vermont will yield both short-term and long-term community development benefits, creating new jobs, educating children and using technology to improve Vermonters’ lives.”

e-Vermont Partners worked closely with Vermont’s stimulus office through the application process. According to Governor Douglas, “This effort is a key part of the SmartVermont strategy. In order to reach our goals in e-Education, e-Health, e-government, and e-Energy, we need to remove all obstacles to Internet use for Vermonters. Even when the problem of access is solved, other challenges like lack of equipment and training remain.”

e-Vermont will help municipal, school, community and business groups in rural Vermont towns design and implement campaigns to expand the use of digital tools and resources to serve a wide variety of local needs including social networking downtown marketing, community engagement, business development, and school innovation. Local committees in these towns will work with VCRD staff to customize a two year plan from a menu of e-Vermont programs and services such as:

-e-government – training and consultation on podcasting, on-line meetings, community scheduling, website development
–Front Porch Forums that link neighbors to each other and to local services
-Computers and training for libraries and senior centers
-Free Netbook computers for 4-5th graders and extensive teacher training to imbed technology in the curriculum
-Specialized classes ranging from basic computer literacy to advanced applications to meet the range of community and business needs
-e-commerce classes and one-to-one counseling for local businesses
-Building community calendars, business directories, buy-local maps, arts and crafts tours, sports schedules, ride shares, and a variety of new locally-driven digital applications
-Expanding on-line computer health information and opportunities
-Expanding the use of web-based tools to facilitate community engagement and advance locally-designed initiatives

The e-Vermont project will learn from each of the selected towns and share these best practices in the uses of digital tools through symposia and conferences statewide.

Municipal leaders and other local organizations that are interested in adding their community to the list of towns to be considered should contact VCRD at 802-223-6091 or by email at info@vtrural.org. Details on the applications process will be announced soon and posted at www.vtrural.org

VBSR Networking Get-Together Jan. 27 in Burlington

Posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

Front Porch Forum is glad to be co-sponsoring this upcoming Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility event. Looking forward to seeing lots of folks there.

VBSR Networking Get-Together
Date: Wednesday Jan 27th, 2010
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: Magnolia Bistro
Address: One Lawson Lane, Burlington, VT 05401
Cost: FREE and open to the public
To Register: Please RSVP to info@vbsr.org or call 802-862-8347; RSVPs appreciated, but walk-ins also welcome
For More Info: Call 802-862-8347 or email info@vbsr.org

Ten Words for 2010 Raffle Winners!

Posted on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 by Michael • 3 comments

We’ve got raffle winners! Nearly 1,000 Front Porch Forum members posted entries to their neighborhood forums for the Ten Words for 2010 Raffle. Thanks to our sponsors and to all who entered. Congratulations to our lucky drawing winners…

Tamra & Tony Augostino, Milton: One-night stay at The Essex Resort and Spa ($269 value)
Steffen & Kathryn Parker, Williston: Solio portable solar charger for iPod/digital camera/etc. from Seventh Generation ($100 value)
Olga Vrana, Burlington: $100 gift certificate toward any youth or adult art class at Davis Studio
Roger Kohn, Hinesburg: Three-month membership to Hammerfit Athletic Club and Motion Studio ($100 value)
Alida Duncan, Burlington: $100 opening deposit for a Power Saver CD at Opportunities Credit Union
Carol Ode, Burlington: Great Harvest Bakery “Year of Free Bread” – one loaf/month for a year ($70 value)
John and Debbie McMahon, Isle La Motte: One pair of tickets to Higher Ground Comedy Battle Jan. 17 ($30/pair value)
Rob Stumler, Burlington: One pair of tickets to Higher Ground Comedy Battle Jan. 17 ($30/pair value)
David Gray, Essex Junction: Five-class pass to South End Studio ($60 value)
Sherridan Beyer, Winooski: $100 gift certificate from 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
Deena Frankel, Burlington: Personal Training Session at Greater Burlington YMCA ($65 value)
Jane Agran, Richmond: An assortment of 20 greeting cards from Sweet Basil Cards ($60 value)

See some of the many, many entries from FPF members.

FPF Members Prove a Clever Lot

Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 by Michael • 15 comments

I love this contest! Last year’s Nine Words for 2009 was such fun, and now the entries are pouring in for Ten Words for 2010. Enter by posting a ten-word item to your FPF neighborhood forum between Jan. 10 and 12, 2010. Ten great prizes worth $1,000 to be raffled off. Here are some samples from across Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties, plus Starksboro…

No boredom On the Forum, Seasonal expression’s Our new anthem!
Let’s remember how lucky we are to have each other.
Christmas cookies, bread and pie. Mega bakings made oven die.
Front Porch Forum, best way to get your neighborhood news!
I have always struggled to achieve the art of brevity.
Eloquence, utilitarianism, humor, appreciation, neighborliness, information, wishes, silliness, poetry ~ WOW!
Did you know that Chuck Norris counted to infinity – twice?
hockeY rink, pig rOast laUghiNG, — familieS, cookouTs, fRiEndships, bonfirEs, Trust
Five cardinal couples are hanging out here, who’s visiting you?
2010: Where are all the flying cars and moon shuttles?
Vermont in the snow. Get the skis! Ready to go! Lynne Robbins
Front Porch friends extend an electronic handshake, our 2010 salute.
The setting sun shimmers on the smooth silvery snowy surface.
Alpenglow in the west Cross country skiing at its best!
Sometimes I long for the simpler life, but with FPF.
2010 can be 3 or 30 depending on your addition.
The magic of a Sunrise is inspiring for the soul
Great seeing so much FPF activity. Incentives do work!
Pillowcase of dreams shakes snowflakes deep over old sorrow ground
National Gorilla Suit Day is one of my favorite holidays!
Front Porch Forum, Agent of Gentrification? You can’t be serious.
raw milk available thru Family Cow Farmstand, local pick up
Who came to visit? The snow tracks let me know.
Getting warmed up isn’t just for athletes, musicians; also writers!
Keep Conan and Let Jay Go, Hallelujah (tune Michael Row…)
All righty – here’s my ode to trash sheds (and a bid for some sweet local loot): Creaky doors, scurries, squeaks: a “trashy” deposit for squirrel feasts.
Horrified children, Lifeless garden, excrement. Leashed dogs make my day.
An awesome aardark advanced across Arizona and ate amazing apples.
Neighbors are poets, now I know it, thanks to FPF! (I love these contests – makes me want to meet all these neighbors who are so literate and creative! Coffeehouse in the NNE, anyone?)
Sun-soaked, elongated days knead the soul of Winter’s harshness…
THE 2. NORTH 3. WILLISTON 4. NEIGHBORS 5. TALK 6. TO 7. EACH 8. OTHER 9. IN 10. PERSON
…now funemployed. surfing the web now gives me no joy…
Always love to see informative posts on Front Porch Forum!
Meet your neighbors. Remember your neighbors. Make them friends forever.
small condo, tossing son’s baseball cards vintage nineties, want them?
Stimulus Money has paved the way to the Unemployment office.
Draw connections, not conclusions. Have the wisdom to join FPF!!!
More members make a meatier matrix- nudge a neighbor now!
One snowman says to the next, “Do you smell carrots?”
ORIGAMI . all ages, individuals, groups . so much fun . no failure.
Oh Barometer, Rise! Rise! Lift the ceiling of our skies!
The pristine snow brightens January, an otherwise cold, dark month.
Snow falls, kids sled, woodstove cranks, yep, this is winter.
Filled my house with plants. Free on front porch forum!
Please help build better neighborhoods by unrequested service to others.
Ah, January. Clean slate and fresh snow. Mind the ice.
Bliss; have book, haven’t read. Cosy, warm in feather bed.
Local is good. Farmer’s Market and FPF equal fantastic neighbors.
Snowflakes suspended in speckled sky Scaredy squirrels stare in silence
Deep within the compost heap, zucchini schemes to rise again.
There is no way to happiness, Happiness is the way.
In case you are curious, our chickens are doing fine.
Winooski for work, Alburg Springs for my heart and soul.
Surprising deep winter sight: Six baffled bluebirds quiver in birches.
Finally! Took 2 years Druggies gone Neighborhood returned? We hope.
Vibrating foot rest On my bed, The gray cat sleeps.
Snow comes, Snow goes, I wish we had more Snow!
Minimal sun, snow blankets, soup is simmering, must be January.
Here is my entry: Be yourself – everyone else is taken.
Have love to share, health to spare, friends who care.
How do I love FPF? Let me count the ways!
Where does the time go? Oh, one does not know!
“Listening more, talking less may be the path to mindfulness.”
Have a cervix? Protect it! Free Screening Day 2010. http://freepap.org.
“may two thousand and ten be your new best friend!”
Those silly, slippery skis kept me from work again today!
“Two thousand ten?” “Twenty ten?” Either way, like science fiction.
Luxuriating at the Essex Resort and Spa… Sounds like bliss.
Second Vermont winter, first one with wife… gotta love seconds.
The world wide web gets local? Why it’s about time!
Dwelling of truth, transparency, presence, vision, restoration… curing communities – 2010!
Shoveled two hours. Street plow. Shoveled again. Sidewalk plow. Cursed.
Can’t wait for the snow to melt at North Beach!
Miss Christmas tree pickup? Take it to McNeill. Create electricity!
Telecoms, crosswalks, apts. and such, FPF fun each day, much!
Kids bickering, dark 4:00, need vacation, settle for entering raffle.
January 11th is a numerical palindrome… backwards and forwards… 011110.
Just my two cents today, Stressed is desserts spelled backwards.
Oh please, oh please grant the wish of Don Slish.
Winter, a little hard, but living life in a postcard!
Here’s my entry: Cold January mornings turn hot coffee into warm java love.
FPF is a great invention: thank you Michael and crew!
Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died
smile, dance, hug, laugh – it makes a world of difference!
Ice age hits southern US. Frozen orange juice on trees.
Thanks, Front Porch Forum for all you do for Huntington.
My Honda Civic, cracked rear bumper and light, any info?
Snow’s deep, Frogs sleep, Phones peep, Many weep. Promises? Keep.
Stringing words together shamelessly to win big prizes, that’s me.
Front Porch rocks, from your hat down to your socks!
Why a whole porch–just the front step will do!
Bee, Ewe, Are, Ell, Eye, En, Gee, Tee, Oh!, En
Let’s finally shut down Vermont Yankee! Call your legislators today!
What’s a bird that flies over a bay? – A bagel
PLEASE post, Your words mean most! Write ten, Hit send!!
I was born at night, but it wasn’t last night. Mike Egan
Celebrate small victories, ignore negative people, look for the lesson.
Have you seen my barn roof? Godzilla ripped it off
2010, here we go, Front Porch Forum’s In the know!
“Be The Change You Wish To See In The World!” -Mahatma Gandhi
Do first things first, and second things not at all.
Please watch out for evil skunks that lie in wait.
Plip, plop. Dependable expert needed, To make ceiling leak stop.
Need firewood? Extra hens? Noise? Snows? Front Porch Forum knows!
Every year we all wish for the same thing, Peace.
I am very grateful that FPF is in my life:)
Teenage son moving back home. Need bed, bureau, and earplugs!
Life is full of sunshine – let a little more in.
Fabulous forum: message sent, published, received reply in five hours.
Almost Haiku, can’t find my shovel, guess I’ll go south. Take Care, Tawny
Shaker Hill listens. Barred owls call “who cooks for you?”¹
Live, love, laugh, labor, lounge, leap, look, learn, be present!
In need of styrofoam peanuts?Â  Perfect for your styrofoam elephant!
Sacrifice? Lonely Guard wife seeks answers on “War on Terror.”
Must turn our Country to positive light with World following!
“Jericho Tea, a pleasant event meeting friends, glad I went”
Spaces between fingers were created so another’s could fill them.
Is it time to swim at Maple Street Park yet?
Desi meows outside come to visit bringing a dead mouse.
Without Great neighbors, Great men would remain in the shadows.
woodworking tools desired: sanders, clamps, power tools, shop vac, vice.
Gauthier trash can remains unclaimed at George and Peru Streets.
Does the title count? I used numerals to be safe…
Seeking… peace, justice, joy, laughter, compassion, respect. Please reply all.
Borrow a ladder? A brick? A shovel? Forum for leeches…
Oh what the heck, it’s a raffle, so here goes: 2009 ended in night. 2010 holds the promise of light. Wendy
Discarded Christmas trees roll on greenways, making headless snow angels.
Haiku five seven five frigid night raffle entry ten words snuggled up: Starksboro forum rural Vermont cyber seeds news, sales, friendships bloom
Second son Sam shovels snow. Five S’s in a row!
Raffle entry: snow for sale; seeking cat removal; lost car?
gentrification inevitable with changing demographics — communication the heart of community.

P.S. Posting a comment to this blog will NOT enter you in the raffle! You must post to your FPF neighborhood forum to enter the drawing.

UPDATE: Raffle winners announced!

Ten Words for 2010 – Enter FPF Raffle!

Posted on Sunday, January 10, 2010 by Michael • 29 comments

To celebrate 2010 and have a little fun, we invite Front Porch Forum members (this means you!) to submit postings to their neighborhood forum between January 10 and 12, 2010. Any message that has EXACTLY ten words will be entered into a raffle for the following ten prizes…

One-night stay at The Essex Resort and Spa ($269 value)
Solio portable solar charger for iPod/digital camera/etc. from Seventh Generation ($100 value)
$100 gift certificate toward any youth or adult art class at Davis Studio
Three-month membership to Hammerfit Athletic Club and Motion Studio ($100 value)
$100 opening deposit for a Power Saver CD at Opportunities Credit Union
Great Harvest Bakery “Year of Free Bread” – one loaf/month for a year ($70 value)
Two pairs of tickets to Higher Ground Comedy Battle Jan. 17 ($30/pair value)
Five-class pass to South End Studio ($60 value)
$100 gift certificate from 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
Personal Training Session at Greater Burlington YMCA ($65 value)
An assortment of 20 greeting cards from Sweet Basil Cards ($60 value)

Don’t delay! Post your “car for sale,” “seeking snow removal” or “lost cat” message today… or share a neighborhood resolution, poem, joke, hope for your town… you decide. Any ten-word posting received by Front Porch Forum between Jan. 10 and 12 will be entered in the raffle! An individual may enter the drawing up to twice a day.

Thanks to our raffle sponsors and happy 2010!

P.S. Trouble posting? Just hit reply to an FPF email, or post via our website.

P.P.S. Posting a comment to this blog will NOT enter you in the raffle! You must post to your FPF neighborhood forum to enter the drawing.

UPDATE 1: See sample entries from FPF members.

UPDATE 2: Raffle winners announced!

Help distribute millions of dollars for local news projects

Posted on Monday, December 14, 2009 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

Front Porch Forum is in the running again for a Knight News Challenge grant. Check out our entry here and please give it five stars! (Just click on the rightmost star.) We’d love to read your comments about the proposal too (scroll to the bottom of our News Challenge page to leave a comment).

Thanks and thanks too to the Knight Foundation… they catalyze and fund loads of important work at the intersection of local news, community, democracy and technology.

Traditional Media Covers FPF Member Appeal

Posted on Sunday, November 1, 2009 by Michael • 2 comments

Dan McLean wrote a solid piece about Front Porch Forum‘s first membership appeal for today’s Burlington Free Press. Here’s the letter we sent to our local subscribers and the page where anyone can become an FPF supporting member.

Social media venues such as Front Porch Forum, which are offered as free services to the public, are not spared the fiscal realties of business. Revenues must exceed expenses… Founded in 2006 after operating informally under a different name for several years, Front Porch Forum is being forced to adapt, Wood-Lewis said. “As we grow, our business model is evolving,” Wood-Lewis wrote to the forum’s 16,000 “subscribers” in kicking off the “first annual member appeal”…

“We are grateful for our local business partners and their support of our community-building mission,” he wrote. “Their ads cover many of our expenses, but not all.”

While the Free Press did find a “social media expert” to offer criticism of FPF, they regrettably didn’t print comments on the matter from any of the thousands of local folks who use it daily. I’ll cull some of those messages out of the neighborhood conversations to share in the next blog post.

UPDATE: This just in…

I disagree with the comment attributed to Joe Mescher in the article published on November 1st that FP forums “be shared more widely on the Internet instead of keeping the contents confined to each neighborhood.” The beauty of such “confinement” is knowing the information has relevance to me and my close neighbors. I occasionally submit information to my neighbors regarding actions of the Lake Iroquois Association – actions that matter to those near the lake and not necessarily to the residents of other areas or the Internet world at large. To remove such “confinement” just means everyone’s mailbox fills up with unwanted stuff – just another blog or tweet – stuff that I merely trash. The value of something like FPF becomes lost. I’m will support FPF financially and I strongly encourage others to do the same.

Keep up the great work, Michael.

Roger Crouse, President
Lake Iroquois Association

Where is Front Porch Forum available?

Posted on Monday, October 12, 2009 by Michael • 20 comments

Front Porch Forum is available to anyone who lives in one of these Vermont towns [list UPDATED 02/23/2011]…

Alburgh
Arlington
Averill
Avery’s Gore
Bloomfield
Bolton
Bridgewater
Brighton/Village of Island Pond
Bristol
Brunswick

Buells Gore
Burlington
Calais
Cambridge
Canaan/Village of Beecher Falls
Castleton
Charlotte
Colchester
Dover
Duxbury

Essex Junction Village
Essex Town
Fairfield
Ferdinand
Grand Isle
Hardwick
Hinesburg
Hubbardton
Huntington
Isle La Motte

Jay
Jericho
Johnson
Lemington
Lewis
Ludlow
Middlesex
Middletown Springs
Milton
Moretown

Morristown
Newport City
North Hero
Norton
Poultney
Pownal
Richford
Richmond
Sandgate
Shelburne

South Burlington
South Hero
St. George
Starksboro
Stewartstown, NH
Stowe
Sunderland
Underhill
Vergennes
Walden

Warner’s Grant
Warren Gore
Waterbury
West Rutland
Westfield
Westford
Williston
Winooski
Worcester

And we’re expanding to other areas in the coming months. Sign up or join our waitlist. FPF is free to local residents.

Contact us if you want to sponsor FPF’s launch in your town. Join our growing list of launch sponsors: Grand Isle County sponsors, Orton Family Foundation, e-Vermont, Town of Johnson, Johnson State College, Comcast, Lake Champlain Islands Chamber, Franklin County Caring Communities, Franklin Central Supervisory Union, City of St. Albans, Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, Revitalizing Waterbury, Town of Duxbury, Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, and others

Front Porch Forum arrives in Grand Isle County!

Posted on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 by Michael • 14 comments

What a pleasure to announce this… Starting immediately, the good people of Alburgh, Grand Isle, Isle La Motte, North Hero and South Hero, Vermont may subscribe to Front Porch Forum! If you live (or summer) there, please sign up today! And please tell your friends and contacts on the Islands to join FPF too.

A core group of organizers, led by Ruth Wallman of the local Chamber, Frank Driscoll, and Darcy Coates, have labored long to line up sponsors to support FPF’s launch in Grand Isle County. This is exciting stuff! So thanks to them, and to the these great launch sponsors (below). In fact, please take a moment to thank them and send some business their way!

Premier Sponsors

Local Sponsors

If you’re new to Front Porch Forum and live (full or part-time) on the Islands, please sign up… it’s easy, free and won’t clog your inbox. Then go ahead and post a message to your neighbors. Want to know more? Take a tour or read what the local and national media have to say about FPF.

National Neighborhood Day Award!

Posted on Monday, September 21, 2009 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

My family and I were happily surprised by the good folks at Burlington’s East Village Cohousing with their Award for National Neighborhood Day. The certificate reads in part…

for their creation of the Centennial Front Porch Forum, which has brought us together to lead creative and more peaceful lives with our neighbors [Centennial is the broader neighborhood in which East Village Cohousing resides)…

How flattering to be recognized by a group of thoughtful people already living in intentional community! Thanks to the cohousing folks!

P.S. I believe they have a couple of units open at this time for anyone looking for an incredible housing/community opportunity in Burlington. Details… click here.

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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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