From Middlesex #VT…
I enjoy Front Porch Forum so much. My husband has lived in town all his life. I have lived here 32 years. We miss all the closeness we used to have when our son was in school. Now, the way the world has changed and everyone’s busy day lives, we have just lost touch.
I used to walk the Center Road several times a week when I was younger. I knew about 98% of the people that drove by. They would stop and talk or just wave while driving by me. Now when I walk, I do not know 98% of the people. I never even thought this would happen, but sadly it has.
Please send me an FPF sign-up sheet and this will give me the opportunity to go find and meet some new and old faces and hopefully get them on board. Take care and thank you so much for this fun page.
Thanks to e-Vermont for supporting FPF in Middlesex.
People differ on their interest and even tolerance for various topics on their FPF neighborhood/town forum. One person posted recently complaining about too much conversation about the proposed roundabout road project in Cambridge, Vermont. Here’s a response posted today by a neighbor, Jim…
A comment was made recently suggesting that Front Porch Forum be renamed the “Cambridge “roundabout” forum” because of the volume of responses the topic elicited. I vehemently disagree! I feel that this is EXACTLY why FPF was created. Stimulating and fostering dialogue among LOCAL residents should be applauded!!!
FPF is an just a modern, electronic version of the conversations that used to take place in the feedstores, general stores, post offices, etc. that were the gathering places for inhabitants of the towns and villages of “old” Vermont. To simply dismiss these important interactions, whether electronic or face-to-face, is missing a major part of what makes Vermont so unique and such a great place to live in! Think of FPF as the conversations that take place before, during and after Town Meeting. It provides those of us that are not fortunate enough to have jobs that allow us to attend Town Meeting and similar venues make our thoughts, ideas and concerns known. How can this be a bad thing?
Let’s face it, the proposed roundabout will impact virtually all of us living in our town, now and well into the foreseeable future. It’s probably the biggest point of discussion to hit here since the idea to re-establish a Cambridge High School several years back. Why would we want to stifle it? It’s a sign of a healthy, vibrant community!!! What a great way for our governmental representatives to help to better understand what’s on our minds.
Leaving all of the decisions to our elected officials because they are “in the know” is a recipe for disaster! Can you say “Iraq”?
So let’s continue to grow and contribute to FPF. Consider it as an opportunity!
Thanks to e-Vermont for bringing FPF to Cambridge!
Robin posted this on Westford’s Front Porch Forum yesterday…
Dear friends, neighbors, and fellow gardeners – I have been an avid gardener for years. But last fall I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and I am undergoing chemotherapy treatment every four weeks, which leaves me feeling very weak and sick. So this year I will not be working in my gardens. (I will try to grow some vegetables in containers on my porch, though – I HAVE to have a garden!)
So, my greenhouse and raised beds will lie fallow this season. And I need help to put my garden beds to sleep. I would like to have fertilizer put on the greenhouse beds and cover them with weed mat and my raised beds covered with weed mat before the spring weeds start growing.
The greenhouse has three raised beds that are 4′ x 18′. The outside garden has fifteen raised beds that are 4′ x 4′. All the work could probably be done in one Saturday morning.
Is there anyone – teen or adult – who would be interested in helping me put my garden beds to sleep this spring? Once I find a willing gardener, we can discuss compensation.
Followed by her posting today…
Thank you so much to all my neighbors – many of whom I have never met – for all the offers to help me with my garden! There has been an overwhelming response to my request for help, and as I told some folks already, it truly humbles me and warms my heart! What a community we have – I treasure it!
I have accepted an offer from a local 4-H group to help with the job, so I wanted everyone to know that my need is being met. And again I want to thank all of the kind folks who have offered to help me. It was extremely kind and generous!
She does live in a wonderful town, full of good neighbors. And so do most people in most places. The challenge is unlocking that neighborliness in this era or busyness, individual isolation, and distraction. Reading stories like Robin’s above gives me heart that FPF is succeeding in fulfilling its mission… helping neighbors connect and build community.
A few months ago I formed a book club via FPF — what a fantastic way to connect with neighbors — and while the attendees have shifted each month, the meetings have continued…
Posted by Kate on Front Porch Forum in Burlington today.
Vermont is cold… about 5°F as I type. So this Front Porch Forum posting in Bristol yesterday caught my attention…
A family in need is about out of wood. We have donors lined up. But are in need of a truck to pick up the wood and deliver it in Bristol. The need is today, so it would be great if some can let me borrow a truck or drive with me for a couple hours.
That evening, Bob from the Bristol Energy Committee posted again…
Even with the posting of my request for a truck around 2pm Tuesday – very last minute – I did get responses. Thank you so much!
It turns out we could not wait for the truck – so a car trunk load was delivered this morning – enough for a couple days for the family in need.
We now have a truck lined up to deliver half a cord of wood on Wednesday evening, thanks to a very generous donor. More may be needed, but this amount should hold them for a few weeks.
Thank you all for your generosity – neighbors helping neighbors – YOWZERS!!! Bristol rocks!
Thanks to e-Vermont for bringing FPF to Bristol! Here’s the list of 60 Vermont towns where FPF is now available.
From Kevin Harris… “Here’s a little parable, offered in a blog comment here by Steve DeSanto:”
A man moved to a new town. He asked a local resident whether the people there were friendly or not.The resident asked the man, “What were people like where you used to live?”The newcomer scowled and said, “They were really an unfriendly and rude bunch, and I couldn’t wait to get away from that place.”The resident said, “Well, I’m afraid you’ll find the people here are pretty much the same.”A week later, another man came to town. He happened to meet the same resident and asked him the same question. The local asked this second newcomer the same question: “What were the people like in the town where you used to live?”This newcomer smiled and said, “Oh, that town was the friendliest place you could ever imagine.”The local returned the smile and said, “Well, I’m glad to hear it, I think you’ll find people here are very friendly too.”
A friend reported that one of the things he loves about Front Porch Forum is that it inspires him to be a better neighbor. For evidence, he cited this recent posting from Deb in Burlington…
A elderly friend is turning 88 this week and he loves rhubarb pie. Does anyone have rhubarb in their freezer from last summer that I can buy or trade for (pie or cookies)?
I see what he means. I especially love the way Deb’s posting will rope others into her act of neighborliness. Kinda makes me want to go clear the iced-up snow covering my neighbor’s impassable front steps. Maybe I’ll get a cookie!
From Sarah in Burlington’s Old North End today on Front Porch Forum…
I would like to thank my neighbor for helping to free my car from the snowbank at the end of my driveway this week. Relying on each other makes a neighborhood, and you came to my rescue when I really needed help, with my dog barking at you the entire time to boot! Thanks again for your help.
We’re seeing many such postings during these past few weeks of extreme snow in Vermont.
Front Porch Forum has people from across Middlesex communicating in ways they haven’t in years.
Received this quote tonight from a very plugged-in person in her rural Vermont town. I love it. That’s a critical part of FPF’s mission… to help neighbors connect… and not just online. Rather, once FPF gets rolling in a community, people start talking with neighbors more face-to-face at the store, school, church, sidewalk, etc. This becomes ever more important with Town Meeting in a couple weeks.
Here’s a Front Porch Forum posting from Winooski today. During the last few weeks of heavy snow, we’ve seen a lot of this kind of thing.
I wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you to my neighbors on Dion St who have cleared my driveway on several occasions this winter. Your random act of kindness is so appreciated, thank you again and again!
It’s heartening to read about these kind actions and the gratitude of the recipients… especially as we head into Town Meeting Day, a time when debate among neighbors inevitably heats up.
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