Category Archives: Vermont
Does your Town Energy Committee need to reach neighbors?
From the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network (VECAN) today…
Would your Town Energy Committee benefit from being able to reach a majority of households in your community ““ for free ““ with a click on the keyboard? That’s just what many TECs do with their local Front Porch Forums. You can too!
Front Porch Forum helps neighbors connect and build community. Michael Wood-Lewis and his wife Valerie started FPF in their Burlington neighborhood in 2006. Since then, local FPFs have spread to every town in Vermont. More than 75,000 households participate. People use their FPFs to recommend contractors, recruit volunteers, find missing dogs, report break-ins, borrow ladders and much more.
The Richmond TEC, for example, uses FPF to get the word out about meetings and programs, as well as to solicit input from residents. 1,900 people subscribe to the Richmond FPF (in a town of only 1,600 households). It’s the most powerful communication tool in town.
FPF recently doubled its coverage area in Vermont to reach the entire state. The more people participate in their forums, the more vibrant they become. Now is a great time to get the word out. Send neighbors to FrontPorchForum.com to register for this free service. You can also download a local FPF flyer at FrontPorchForum.com, or contact membersupport@
frontporchforum.com for other ideas on how to grow your local FPF.
Local public officials in Vermont…
Local town officials in Vermont, whether paid or volunteer, have a tough lot. They take on many challenging tasks, and they frequently are criticized for their efforts.
Attorney Charlie Merriman, or Tarrant, Gillies, Merriman & Richardson, shared the following tidbit with participants at the 69th Annual Town Officers Education Conferences across the state…
Always bear in mind the constitutional goal underpinning our open meeting and public records laws: “Officers of government are trustees and servants of the people and it is in the public interest to enable any person to review and criticize their decisions even though such examination may cause inconvenience or embarrassment.” 1VSA§315
More than 1,000 local public officials participate on their Front Porch Forums in Vermont. As a citizen and tax payer, I’m grateful for their active participation… and their thick skins.
$20 bill lost and found
From Stacy on the Montpelier FPF…
A few days ago, I posted my concern about a wayward $20 bill I found on Liberty St. It seemed like a shot in the dark at the time, but would you believe, I found the owner?
Shortly after my post appeared, I received an email from a FPF member who lives near the corner of St. Paul Street and Liberty. (This is exactly where I found it, 5 days later, in a windstorm.) In her words: “I had it tucked into the console in my car, and as I was unloading kids and groceries, I remembered that there had been car break-ins in the area. So I thought, I better not leave money in the car — and from there I have no idea what happened. I thought I tucked it into one of my bags, but it never showed up. Looks like my own spaciness is more threatening than potential car-burglars!”
So the bill was lost …and then found…. all thanks to Front Porch Forum!
The sharing economy and FPF in Vermont
Just received this note from an FPF member in central Vermont…
I’m sure you hear this a lot… but not yet from me. I love Front Porch Forum and it’s such a great community-building resource. I use it for the farmers market often to borrow items that I use a couple times a year and don’t need to buy — just borrowed a 100′ tape measure to mark off the farmers market lot for the season.
Thanks so much for starting and operating this incredible resource.
Wow – Lots of People Looking for Swing Sets in Shelburne
Shared by Jeremy on the Shelburne Front Porch Forum today…
I posted an ad for a free swing set the other day and was blown away at how many families are looking for used swing sets. Ours is well used / loved but has some life in it – if you have one your kids don’t use, I encourage you to donate to another family. Feels good to know some other family will use and enjoy it.
Post your items to give away on your local Front Porch Forum today!
Fellow Jogger on Cochran Rd in Richmond, VT
Shared by Peggy on the Richmond Front Porch Forum today…
Yesterday morning. 7am. Running east on Cochran Rd. About one and a half miles from the Round Church.Coming towards me a woman stops her car and rolls down the window. “There’s a moose running this way down the road. You might want to get out of the way. They can get nasty.” Where do I go? I cross the road and, sure enough, here it comes over the hill. No antlers, is it female? I decide to stand very still and avert my face. Do I look like a tree? But I don’t want to miss any of this so I slide my eyes to the left. The moose takes no notice of me. She is in a big hurry and there are two cars following her. She goes her way and I go mine. Thirty minutes later I return to town and crossing the bridge I see a moose swimming downstream. I think I know her. I stand at the rail and watch until she disappears.
Stirring the pot in Poultney
Bob just posted this…
“Poultney Front Porch Forum membership stands at 199. Please tell 1 town member to join you on FPF. Who will be #200?!!”
Lots of ideas for adding neighbors to your local FPF on our website… flyers, tools, tips.
Robots, kids, classes and FPF
Christine at Robots 4 Kids 2 just shared the good news about their recent round of classes…
“Our classes filled in 2 days so that’s fantastic. We will definitely advertise again with Front Porch Forum.”
If you’re interested in advertising your Vermont business across many FPFs, please contact with ample lead time… space does sell out.
Community treasure in Williston
Shared by Nancy on the Williston FPF today…
A few weeks ago I posted an ad for several like-new printer ink cartridges that did not match our new printer. We had no luck finding family or friend who needed the same type of cartridge. Since they were taking up space on the kitchen counter, we advertised them on FPF in exchange for a donation to the Williston Community Food Shelf. Well! A person not only wrote a generous check but also delivered a “matching grant’ form from her employer. As she said, “It’s a win-win for everybody involved.” Front Porch Forum is such a community treasure!
Looking for flyers to help grow your local FPF?
Thanks to our friends at the Vermont Council on Rural Development for sharing four flyers about different aspects of Front Porch Forum. They look great! Click here to see the options for downloading.
Also, if you’re already an FPF member and would like a flyer about your specific local FPF, go to FrontPorchForum.com and click LOGIN (if not already logged in). Then click MY NEIGHBORHOOD FORUM and look for the orange button.
Every community in the state of Vermont now has access to a local Front Porch Forum. Thousands of Vermonters sign up every month. Please join and help spread the word.
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
Post Categories
- Uncategorized
- PDF2009
- Calendar
- Northeast Kingdom
- podcast
- Peer Rental
- Localization
- Big Tech
- Events
- PDF2007
- Web Traffic
- Google AdSense
- Pay It Forward
- Elections
- berkmansunlight
- Maps
- Video
- Upstate New York
- Coupons
- Wildlife
- Mobile
- Viral Marketing
- Raffle
- Crisis Response
- Donations
- Lost & Found
- Gratitude
- Real Estate
- College Students
- Social Responsibility
- Orton Family Foundation
- Start ups
- Make It Your Own Awards
- Best of FPF
- Online Civility
- Clay Shirky
- Newspapers
- Humor
- How To Use FPF
- Online Classified Ads
- Peer Reviews
- Politics
- Community Management
- Economic Development
- Local Reviews
- Case Foundation
- Borrow and Lend
- Neighborhood Watch
- Good Government
- Small Business Advertising
- Citizen Journalism
- e-Vermont
- Democracy
- Local Search
- Knight Foundation
- Burlington
- MacArthur Fellows
- Civic Engagement
- Social Media
- social capital
- Social Networking
- Vermont
- Neighborhood
- Community Building
- Local Online
- Front Porch Forum