Category Archives: Vermont
Sunderland Selectboard takes action to fill vacant Town positions
Reported in the Manchester Journal yesterday…
In other business, [the chairman of the Sunderland Selectboard] said there has been discussion lately on Front Porch Forum, the social media site… about town government and… how to get more people involved in local government. He said Sunderland has been having trouble filling open positions, some of which include compensation…
“These positions are open routinely. The lister hasn’t been filled for years,” he said. “We just can’t get people to come in. The lister is a paid position. The auditor is a paid position; it’s 20 bucks an hour … it actually pays something. No one wants to do it.” Hyde said if these positions stay open, contractors would have to be hired…
The board decided to post meeting agendas to Front Porch Forum, to help disseminate the information.
Wise decision by town leadership! A new survey recently found that FPF subscribers are twice as likely to be “very informed” about local government services than those not using FPF. And the number of people who attend municipal meetings at least once a month increases 38% when joining FPF.
Baby spider plants and meeting neighbors in Morrisville
Yvette shared on the Morrisville FPF today…
I posted those baby spider plants on our Front Porch Forum yesterday and today? I got 7 “hits” with folks who were wanting to adopt them.They came and got them and carefully put them into their vehicles (one girl was on a bike) and took them home. Baby plants finding homes via the forum? You should be proud, FPF, for coming up with such a great plan for an online community bulletin board. Great service. Huge fan. Huge.
Dachshund keeping up with the big dogs
Jim posted the note below recently on his neighborhood Front Porch Forum…
Seeking “Little Red Wagon” or Similar
We’ve tried the thrift shops and not much time to go garage-saling. We’re looking for an inexpensive small child’s wagon. (It’s not for a child…it’s for a middle-aged Dachshund who likes to go for long walks with his young Great Dane brother & Goldendoodle buddy, but can’t make the return trip without going flop-bottom).
Followed today by…
Elvin the Dachshund is FPF’s Newest Fan
You may see him around in his “little red wagon,” kindly donated by a neighborhood family in response to my post. Now he can keep up with the big dogs.
Discuss local civic engagement and Front Porch Forum
Michael Wood-Lewis, co-founder of Front Porch Forum, will be speaking at the following events this month…
Western Slopes Business Association session, Richmond, Vermont, Sept. 16, 2014, 8 AM- Vermont Connected Summit, Vermont Statehouse, Montpelier, Sept. 23
- First-Year Seminar about In The Neighborhood: The Search for Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time, by Peter Lovenheim, Castleton State College, Sept. 23, 7 PM
Please come and join the conversations.
Seeking relationship-based answer over computer-generated one
Eva saw a sign on a utility pole in her rural corner of Underhill, Vt. in late August announcing “The Rover is Coming!” She was eager to know more so that she could unload her household hazardous waste. But, alas, the print was too small on the sign and she missed the details as she drove by.
Later that day, she asked her neighbors for help by posting to her local Front Porch Forum: “Does anyone know where and when the Rover is coming and what it will take? Thanks.”
She got her answer and more, as she shared in her follow-up posting the next day:
I guess I am new school enough to use Front Porch Forum but just enough old school that “Googling” is still not an instinctive response.
There is just enough old school left in me to naturally seek out a relationship-based answer over a computer-generated one, albeit through the computer.
I am so glad that I did! I “met” my next door neighbor through my FPF inquiry and had a nice back and forth introduction via email.
I would have missed the opportunity by turning solely to “www”. And just maybe my inquiry let others know, who didn’t already, that the Rover was on its way next month.
This is FPF in a nutshell: solve a problem and connect with neighbors along the way.
Ride to Randolph’s New World Festival…
Patty shared the following tale on her Montpelier FPF recently…
Recently I posted on our local Front Porch Forum looking for a ride to the New World Festival in Randolph next weekend. I received several responses one of which worked out perfectly for the time I would like to go. Besides that several people who didn’t respond by e-mail asked me verbally if I had found a ride. WOW!
I so appreciate the service FPF offers all of us and how much easier it made this particular need for me. Because it felt so valuable to me, I sent a contribution to support the ongoing effort. Perhaps you too would consider visiting — http://frontporchforum.com/
supporting-members You can donate through pay pal or send a check.
Town animal control officer tips for finding lost pets…
Posted on a central Vermont FPF today…
Sunday’s FPF posting about the found cat on Center Rd sure brought me a lot of responses! Happily, she is back home with her family as of last night!
There are many other lost cats in our community, and I thought I’d post some suggestions.
First, do not give up hope. The kitty who made it home last night was almost FIVE MILES from her house, and had been missing for a week. When your cat or dog goes missing, you should post it on your local Front Porch Forum, and use the check-off to let neighboring FPFs see the post. You should also post on Facebook… and email all pertinent information to [your local] Humane Society.
If you find a stray animal, please call [your local animal control officer]… I’d also like to make a plug here for micro-chipping your pets — it’s safe, economical, and can make the difference for getting your pet back. And one more thing — LICENSE your dog with our town clerk – that really helps me to figure out where they belong! Thank you all for caring about our community’s animals.
Living without easy connection to neighbors…
Posted by Sarah on the Five Sisters FPF recently…
Just leaving a little love for FPF and the Five Sisters. This is a wonderful neighborhood – thank you for being you. I temporarily relocated to Western Massachusetts for nursing school one year ago. I will be graduating and returning to Burly in December; living without Front Porch Forum in my area has been challenging at best. This is such a gift. <3
Broody hen in Charlotte… what to do?
Alison asked her neighbors on the Charlotte Front Porch Forum the other day…
I’m looking for advice on what I can do with a broody hen who will not get out of her box, and is sitting on all our eggs. Does this inevitably happen when you have a rooster around?
And followed up today with this postings…
Thank you to everyone who sent me advice on my broody hen. I heard from 12 FPF neighbors! Not surprising that there are so many backyard chicken flocks here, but the number of friendly replies is impressive. Maybe we should form a club, or at least a list for future reference for coop emergencies!
Good neighbors are good for your health
Posted on the Huntington Front Porch Forum today by Holly…
Neighbors: A recently released study by Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health says that good neighbors are actually good for your heart!So keep loving each other & helping each other, and we’ll all live longer!Check out this piece from Nightly News re: the study.Thank you neighbors.
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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