Ghost of Midnight
… about neighbors, community and Front Porch Forum
Keep Going Vermont Strong
The 2023 floods brought much devastation to Vermont. The recovery will be long and difficult, but not without signs of hope. Here are some snapshots of inspiring stories we’ve seen of neighbors coming together…
- “We have been stranded since Monday – no access to food, medical care, etc. However, the bridge that has been built is a human one. Our neighbors have all banded together in helping each other in any way needed.”
• Paul, Berlin
- “I have a Plethora of dehumidifiers now. That was quite the outpouring. Already feeling dryer inside. Thank you so much Waterbury neighbors.”
• Jim, Waterbury
- “Just popping in to say I have a working, unflooded car with 4 seats and spare time this weekend! I can’t fit much in the way of Stuff, but if anyone needs rides to work, appointments, errands, etc- please feel free to shoot me an email, I’ve been checking every couple hours lately.”
• Grace, Montpelier
- “Our road was hit very hard and it was not an easy job. Not only that, but the sense of community on our street was nothing like I have ever experienced. I met more of my neighbors in 36 hours than I had in the three years since we moved here. Me and my family received numerous check-ins, offers of places to park or stay, offers of food and water. The feeling of support all around definitely made weathering this whole experience much easier. Words can’t express how thankful I am to live on such a wonderful road surrounded by so many wonderful neighbors!“
• Nikola, Middlesex
- “I was driving though Plainfield, hoping to find an alternative route to Hardwick, when I spotted the sweetest sign in front of a black plastic bucket with flowers inside, at the end of a driveway. The cardboard sign stated “Bad day? Free flowers.”
• Rose, Woodbury
- “Hoping to find the man who came to my door last night, during the storm, to tell me that there were sparks right near the side of my house and he was worried about a fire to my house. A huge tree had fallen and turned out there was a live wire under the tree that was sparking. The fire department came immediately and took care of everything; they were great!! I am hoping this man may have told some friends the story and they might read this and I can find out who this kind man was who saved my house. I want to be able to thank him!!!”
• Joan, Woodbury
- “To the off-duty rescue worker who helped get a neighbor out of her swamped apartment. Even carried her dog to safety. Appreciation to the canoe couple who helped a neighbor on Franklin St with belongings and waited patiently for the flooded neighbor to get her things and self together to leave. Thank you to the guy who carried items out of an apartment to dry ground. Every person who walked flooded Franklin St and was asked for help, stopped to assist people. Thank you to all who asked if anyone needed help. Things were happening so fast and those caring folks were needed to do just what they did in that moment. You assisted many and asked nothing. Molto Gracia.”
• Barbara in Montpelier
Check out FPF’s new emergency feature: the Regional Disaster Response Board. It’s designed to facilitate mutual aid across communities and share vital updates. Just post to your local Forum, and any disaster-response-related postings will show up on your region’s board.
If you’re looking for ways to support neighbors, check out the Regional Disaster Response Board today. You’ll see requests for assistance (along with many updates) from all the Forums across your county.
NEW: Regional Disaster Response Boards
FPF just launched an emergency feature to facilitate mutual aid among Vermonters and help communities support each other in recovering from the July 2023 floods.
View your region’s Disaster Response Board.
The board brings together in one place all disaster-related postings in a given county (or group of counties). Members have access to any county or counties where they currently have an FPF account.
To add a posting to this board, simply post to your local Forum. If your posting is related to disaster response, it will appear on the board shortly.
Who wants to deal with a broken kitchen sink?
These handy-people recommended on FPF do! Many members turn to FPF to ask neighbors who they use to fix faucets, screen doors, broken heaters, you name it… Then, members share their positive experience back on FPF. See these success stories below.
What do you have that needs professional fixing? Ask for recommendations on your FPF, and check out FPF’s Community Directory with over 13,000 listings of local businesses in all categories!
- In Middlebury… “A valve malfunction shut down my kitchen sink and Shawn Frost, previously recommended here on FPF, went above and beyond in his efforts to get me out of my quandary the very same day at no small inconvenience to him and his plans. He is very experienced across the board in all things related to plumbing, pleasant, efficient, and professional, so I too am happy to recommend him.”
- In South Burlington… “We want to let everyone know that we had a great experience finding a handy person on FPF this week and would like to recommend him. Do not hesitate to contact Craig Bujold for any of your home projects. He’s a super nice person that works in Human Services and can tackle projects with competence and a smile.”
- In St. Johnsbury… “Several weeks ago I found a listing here on FPF for a handyman and I reached out to Isaac Poe. Now I am back to tell you what a positive experience it is to work with him. He was very responsive, on time, reasonably priced but most of all he did a high quality job. I could not be happier with the work he did for me. I highly recommend him.”
A pleasant way to sell a bike…
A sweet note from Sheryl in Waterbury:
“It has been many years since I have used Front Porch Forum and I have had the best experience selling my bicycle today! Friendly emails and very nice people! I am grateful for this community service.”
Want a Response? Try Front Porch Forum!
Members get an amazing response when they post on Front Porch Forum. Check out these examples just in the first week of June!
- “Thank you to the over 2 dozen neighbors who wrote with suggestions about my hose leak! Turns out I needed to replace the anti-siphon valve. Multiple people sent helpful notes that walked me thru the process, and voila! No more geyser shooting out the top of the spigot and around the hose! Shout out to Martins for having the inexpensive part in stock. Gratitude to all of you who wrote, to Martin’s Hardware, and to Front Porch Forum!“
• Porter in Bristol
- “I want to express my thanks to those individuals who replied to my recent FPF posting requesting pressure washing help. I had nearly 30 replies (!) either offering to provide the service or making a recommendation.“
• Lee Ann in Salisbury
- “Wow, within minutes we had four offers of people willing to lend us their tampers for our patio project. And more offers still coming in! What a great community! And what a great resource Front Porch Forum is!”
• Doug and Renee in East Montpelier
Local Meet Ups
People make great use of their local Front Porch Forum every day. Check out this recent posting from a mother on the Wallingford Forum:
- “As nicer weather comes, I’m wondering if anyone would be interested in joining a semi-official playground meetup? I have an almost-3-year-old who loves swinging and 9-month-old who loves hanging out.”
And another from a neighbor in the Wimington forum:
- “Wow! I received so many recommendations for local in-person book clubs! I plan to attend most of them. The support of this Forum is really wonderful. Thank you so much!”
Here’s to more real in-person connections in our increasingly online lives!
Tips for a Better Yard Sale
Summer begins, and, along with it, YARD SALES! People are filling up FPF‘s local Forums and Community Calendars with sale announcements. Not only do members write in to advertise the details of their yard sales, they also use FPF to ask neighbors advice on how to have a better yard sale!
- “I’m a rookie at yard sales, and earlier this spring I sent out a request for Tips for a Better Yard Sale. The neighborly response was great — useful, friendly, and often amusing. Who knows, maybe I’ll meet some of you at our Sale this spring? Do you think I should leave extra time for socializing?”
•Vance in Randolph
In response, people posted great tips — make signs, start early, use bins and tables to separate items by price, have a free pile, wash items before selling — and… “Advertise on Front Porch Forum“
Dog runs away. Dog comes home!
FPF helps many get the word out about run away pets. We really want those pets to make it home! See how this story in Monkton, VT unfolds…
- “A small white brown dog was seen about 11:15 on Mountain Rd in Monkton near the steep rise half way down. It was trailing what appeared a leash. It disappeared rather quickly.”
- “Foster dog escaped about 11. Smallish 6 mo. white and brown with orange leash. Dogs name is Rutger. He’s very timid.”
- “The escape artist has been found safe and sound! Many thanks to Moe from Homeward Bound and next door neighbor dog, Lucy! And thanks to everyone else I called or accosted on the road. And a big thank you to FPF for getting the word out FAST!”
Neighborly Needs and Quandaries
Front Porch Forum staff work seven days a week to review the flow of postings submitted by members across Vermont. While challenging content appears occasionally, the vast majority of submissions are simple exchanges among neighbors. And many times each day we see gems that leave a smile. Here’s what yesterday’s shift looked like to one FPF staffer…
“Lost pets and wallets reunited with owners, snow shoveling and mud season angels, and tires for sale are all commonplace on FPF. We’re used to that. Then, you come across these really interesting postings… Like today, I saw ones about bat sightings as a sign of spring, someone trying to figure out what to do with a WWII uniform, and a story about losing a peacock (which — no joke — also happened to a different member last week!). I’m constantly surprised at what’s going on out there.”
When you give folks a place to communicate their neighborly needs and quandaries, they can really deliver!
A Recipe for a Better Internet
What would the internet look like if it weren’t dominated by a few huge corporations? And is such an internet even possible? A few smart folks at the Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure have some really interesting ideas about what a more humane and diverse internet might look like. In a short, highly readable paper called “The Three Legged Stool: A Manifesto for a Smaller, Denser Internet”, they outline a different world and explain how to make it happen.The “three legged stool” refers to the three core principles of a better internet:
- A “pluriverse” — as in, plural universe — in which the large platforms are complemented (and challenged) by a diversity of Very Small Online Platforms, or VSOPs. “Just as we do not exclusively gather in shopping malls in the physical world, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are not the right place for every community and conversation online,” they explain.
- A “loyal client” that allows people to follow, read, and post as they wish, across multiple platforms. They describe this as analogous to how your email client — whether you use Gmail, or Outlook, or something small like Hey — allows you to email anyone, regardless of what email client they use. And the “loyal” part means you get to both pick a client and adjust its settings to align with your own preferences.
- A “friendly neighborhood algorithm store” where VSOPs can pay a reasonable price to access capabilities that, at present, only the big guys can afford: things like recommender systems, spam detection, and anti-abuse tools. Just as small businesses have access to high-powered tools for accounting, payroll, and other core functions, small online platforms should be able to provide high-quality experiences without having to spend billions to develop it all from scratch.
Front Porch Forum is a strong believer in a diverse and people-centric internet. We’re pleased to be working towards that future in the company of smart and committed folks like these. Let’s build a better internet together!
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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