Category Archives: Vermont

Found in Brandon: lost cat and person to mow

Posted on Thursday, April 28, 2016 by No comments yet

“I posted on Friday with two requests… got someone to mow right off, and, as of today, have my lost cat back… both thanks to Front Porch Forum and some wonderful people on Carver St.”
• Judy, Brandon FPF

Husky vs. porcupine in Waterbury

Posted on Thursday, April 28, 2016 by 1 comment

“Or dog Sarah is back. Many thanks to everyone who kept an eye out for her, and to Joel and Dale who took her to the hospital for the quills. I love that we have moved to a community with Front Porch Forum and caring neighbors. Thank you, everyone.”
• Laura, Waterbury FPF

Northfield appetite for ping pong tables unsated still

Posted on Thursday, April 28, 2016 by No comments yet

“The ping pong table has been spoken for, with a waiting list if the first person doesn’t take it as planned! Thanks Front Porch Forum!”
• Denise, Northfield FPF

Williamstown break-in and neighbor connection

Posted on Friday, April 15, 2016 by No comments yet

“New to the forum and felt this is the next best thing to the cops doing their due diligence. Yesterday, my wife arrived home to find that our house was broken into and a number of things were taken. I’m waiting to hear back from the Post Office to see if the carrier noticed any suspicious vehicles. Looks like we’ll be purchasing an alarm system to at least help deter them during the day. Any other suggestions please let me know. Thanks for all you do on Front Porch Forum!”
• Patrick, Williamstown FPF

Lost Fitbit in Middlebury? No problem

Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 by No comments yet

“Another win for community facilitated by our Front Porch Forum!  I went for a lovely walk on a section of the Trail Around Middlebury Sunday afternoon.  Unfortunately, I lost my new Fitbit somewhere in a two-hour stretch.  With no time to search, I headed home resigned to my loss.   Later, a friend suggested posting on FPF.   Wow!  Within hours we had three responses, including one from someone who had picked it up and was holding it for me.  Reunited with the Fitbit today.  Thank you FPF friends.”
• Tom, a Burlington FPF

Click local! When will “local first” arrive on digital shores?

Posted on Monday, April 11, 2016 by No comments yet

I couldn’t agree more with former Vermonter, Dan Gillmor’s recent piece…

Journalists: Stop complaining about Facebook, and do something about it

Dan focuses on Facebook’s growing dominance as a news distributor…

How should we respond? From my perspective, two primary schools of thought have emerged. One is to embrace that dominance, albeit with some unease, and fully participate in Facebook’s ecosystem. Another is to persuade Facebook to take seriously its growing responsibility to help get quality journalism in front of as many people as possible.

Both of those approaches assume that Facebook is too big, too powerful to resist that we have no alternative but to capitulate to its dominance. But if that is true, the consequences will be disastrous. We will be living in the ecosystem of a company that has repeatedly demonstrated its untrustworthiness, an enterprise that would become the primary newsstand for journalism and would be free to pick the winners via special deals with media people and tweaks of its opaque algorithms. If this is the future, we are truly screwed.

I say: no. Let’s not give up so easily. Instead, let’s resist and find a way out of this trap… (click to read the full article)

And… to add to Dan’s call… let’s go beyond journalism.  Let’s click local for retail, for discussion, for classifieds, for reviews, for sports, for entertainment, for networking and more.  Many communities have local efforts underway, and they struggle to capture people’s attention as so many of us habitually scroll through our Facebook feeds, go to Amazon, Yelp, etc.  Why not try local efforts?  While the internet and mobile devices still hold the promise of decentralization of power, we now know that the digital juggernaut is also acting as a giant concentrator of wealth into a small number of pockets.  Thousands of local taxi companies replaced by Uber and Lyft.  Thousands of local bookstores replaced by Amazon.

To quote Dan one more time…

I say: no. Let’s not give up so easily. Instead, let’s resist and find a way out of this trap.

Digital replacement for “To Kill a Mockingbird” front porch in Roxbury

Posted on Sunday, April 10, 2016 by No comments yet

“Hello all – Where in the world is Linda T.? Am I dreaming that I saw something on FPF that she is doing alterations again? I was a regular customer over the years, but then she took in the shingle. Linda… are you out there? From a short guy whose pants are always too long!”
• Norm, Northfield Front Porch Forum

“Hi all, Well, with the help of many people who contacted me, I found Linda! From the very bottom of my hemmed pants, I want to thank you all for your help. Though the literal front porch, a la To Kill a Mockingbird, is no longer extant, it’s great that we can have this digital replacement. I always pull up a smile when I see people sitting and jawing on the Roxbury Country Store front porch, regardless of what the may be talking about. I hope it’s not me! Living history.”
• Norm, Northfield FPF, next day

Little cork cottage in Monkton

Posted on Friday, April 8, 2016 by No comments yet

“If anyone has a collection of corks that they no longer need or want, I would be happy to take them off your hands 🙂 I am making my daughter a cork board and would prefer to scavenge around for them, rather than buy them from Amazon or a chain store. Thanks!”
• Linda, Monkton FPF

“I received SO MANY responses to my request for corks that I could build myself a little cork cottage. There were offers of bags, drawerfuls, cartons, several years worth, 10 years worth, 40 years worth… Thanks to everyone for being so responsive. And thanks to the people that keep Front Porch Forum going. It’s a great community resource that allows us to meet and support each other in all kinds of interesting ways.”
• Linda, Monkton FPF, next day

Missing dogs… 1-day Max and 17-day Darby

Posted on Thursday, April 7, 2016 by No comments yet

Many lost pets find their way back home thanks to watchful neighbors who connect through Front Porch Forum.  Here are two examples from this week.  The first occurred over a single day, while the second example spanned more than two weeks!

“Max, a middle-age male pug, went missing from around Lee/Briggs Roads around 7am Tuesday, April 5. He was with a larger black dog, who was found on the road, but there is no sign of Max. He’s super friendly, and we hope some good citizen picked him up to keep him safe. Please email me immediately if you have seen or picked up Max…we are very worried.”
• Dody, Guilford FPF

“We found Max!! Thank you Marianne and Gordon. And FPF!”
• Dody, Guilford FPF later the same day

And…

“Darby is home, safe, warm and fed, with her foster fail family (Sally) after 17 days on the run.

“She covered a lot of ground in Essex and Essex Junction over those days. From Upland Drive to Essex Way to Pinewood Manor to Perkins Bend (several times) to ADL to Five Corners to the dam bridge to Route 15 near Lang Farm to Essex Way (again) to Grove Street and the railroad tracks and finally back to Upland Drive – no doubt she saw parts of this town most of us never will.

“After catching Darby on a trailcam back on Upland, we decided the time was right to set the trap and see what happened. We knew she might not go in it the first night since she had eaten a fairly big meal of McDonald’s hamburgers the night before. With fingers crossed, we watched and waited. She looped by it several times around sunset, checking it out, not sure. She wanted the food. She gobbled up the few small pieces outside the trap. And left. Once darkness fell, she was back. She checked it out again several times, looked around and then went in. She managed to NOT step on the trigger plate, gobbled a few bites and walked out of the trap!! Luckily she wanted more bread spread with bacon fat and scrambled eggs cooked with liquid smoke so back in she went. This time she stepped a little closer, reached a little further and the trap slammed shut. She spun around from the noise but eventually realized she wasn’t getting out so she finished eating and laid down. The end of her 17 day shenanigans.

“Darby is a little thin and had a bunch of ticks removed but otherwise in good health. No injuries – not even a scratch – and ready to eat some real food and get back to her family life.

“We have so many people to thank!

“Everyone who watched for her, called in a sighting, read a sign or a post here or on Front Porch Forum, all the “shares” and emails… Thank you all! Every little bit helped and kept us motivated. Thank you to all at Perkins Bend where several of us tromped in and out of your backyards several times a day (and night) to check the feeding station there. Thank you for listening to everyone we spoke to and for those of you that approached us letting us know you were watching. Thank you to the Essex Police who fielded calls when Darby was zipping in and out of traffic in the junction. Thank you to all the anonymous people who drove around looking for Darby. Thank you to Sally and Wole, Kristi, Lisa and Lorei – could not have managed her safe recapture without each of you and your help and support. (Thanks also to Bill and my mother for listening to me drone on endlessly…)

“I will removing the signs around town over the next day or so…

“Darby is enjoying her new bed and some well deserved rest. Happy life Darby!”
• Michele, Essex FPF

Need complete fly fishing set-up? Try neighbors

Posted on Thursday, April 7, 2016 by No comments yet

“Owing to great success, Front Porch Forum has become my “look here first” place for finding props for various productions I’m involved with. Currently, I am producing a feature film for a Burlington area filmmaker. We are seeking a complete set of fly fishing gear (rod & reel, waders, etc.) and possibly the expertise of the owner to consult on the film. Production of this scene will happen in late May or June, likely to be a one-day shoot. We are providing credit in the film. Thanks!”
• Kenric, Montpelier FPF