Blue skies and perfect weather over the Common. Photo by author.
Hello!
In anticipation of our six-month anniversary next Saturday (who can believe it’s already (only?!) been six months?!), I am changing things up a little bit this weekend. I am excited to announce we’ll be doing a little giveaway to celebrate. The winner will get a Burlington Buzz gift pack valued at $50 (conveniently the cost of an annual membership)!
To enter, all you have to do is (a) be subscribed to the Buzz, and (b) leave a comment on this thread on Substack telling us one thing you love about us and one thing you think we should do in the next six months to get even closer to achieving our mission of connecting our community. Be sure you sign your post or email me at hello@burlington.buzz so I can know who you are!
(8-20: I’ve been made aware of an issue which does not allow non-paying subscribers to comment, though everyone should be able to. I’ll update here and on Facebook when the issue is fixed!)
This time next week, I’ll pick a name out of a hat/bowl/other receptacle and announce the winner!
Drop me a line if you have a question, and we’ll chat soon! I can’t wait to see your feedback.
From Phyllis: The Burlington Buzz has filled a need long needed in this town, helping residents to learn about local government, politics and how the town works. Calling our attention to current issues, inviting us to participate and get involved helps make us stronger - over time. I know you had hoped the Buzz would have led to a greater voter turn-out, but don’t get discouraged. True change takes time. As for suggestions, how about an ongoing blog for Q & A that comes from your posts? Questions that get triggered by your posts could be helpful to more than the asker.
From Lindsey: One thing I love about the Buzz: it's such a scannable and conversational way to keep track of what's happening in town, from elections to fun photos. It makes me feel in-the-know and connected to the community.
One thing I think you should do in the next six months to get even closer to achieving the mission of connecting our community: Could you consider a regular profile/Q&A feature of a community member that readers might not know, maybe called "Meet a Burlingtonite," "Meet a Neighbor," "Q&A with a Burlington Star," or something similar? (I'm sure you could come up with a better name!) It could range from more influential/high-profile people to every-day residents who are more behind-the-scenes/less visible.
Nicci and the Buzz does a great job at bringing awareness of the daily workings of our community, and also provides a more in depth look at current issues of concern. I look forward to the growth of the Buzz and hope to see her membership grow beyond the social media platform and into every resident’s home!
Thing I like: to Burlington's benefit, you've single handedly taken up the near-loss of local journalism through an independently sharp focus on local government and community organizations.
6month goal: The past decade in Burlington has seen sharp growth in residents moving from areas outside Greater Boston (myself, included). Sort of like your history interviews, would like to understand Burlington on more of a contextual level. Despite having lived here 7 years now, it feels alienating to have not grown up here.
I love your town government coverage. As for the one thing you should do in the next six months, I’d say to find a way to advertise at the library. I’ll bet that’s an audience you could capture that you’re missing.
As a working mom of 4 under 5, I love finding out all the goings on in town in 1 neat little place. One stop shop is always appreciative here. Especially love the town govt coverage. hopes for next 6 months would be seeing the buzz grow in numbers.
We have been in town coming up on 16 years and had looked for a local news outlet that would provide us with a sense of the local community. It took 16 years but Burlington Buzz has fit that bill. I so appreciate the easy to digest daily updates and then some of the deeper dives into our local government bodies. I appreciate your balanced reporting and your ability to bring calm and logic to some of the hot topics./discussions. I hope to continue to see an increase in active participation in the burlington community and opportunities for us to all meet in the middle where the new and the old can find common ground.
Reading The Buzz has become part of my morning routine this summer. I enjoy how concise, but information packed, it is! Thanks for taking the time to reach your readership!
Love that the Buzz keeps me informed without a particular slant or bias, which is hard to find for anything that covers politics at any level.
One suggestion is to perhaps build a town events calendar? It doesn’t have to be populated way ahead of time, but maybe just for the week ahead… that way, after a year, we’ll have a complete view of what major events happen in which month.
Hello Nicci, thank you for brining buzz to Burlington. You are doing a great job, thanks for helping out the town.
I haven't read everything on the Buzz but one thing I would like to see is more interviews of various boards and administration on how they are doing + opportunity to advertise (paid or free) on buzz.
From Rose-Marie: I think you are providing a great service to the town by covering hyperlocal news. Local is where the important things start- water, schools, density, etc. So, thank you.
From John: I like the local politics ,events and news you provide. It gives everyone a chance to participate in their home town. I would like to see more updates on the water situation,new restaurants and new businesses and apartment developments going into town. It would be nice to see more affordable senior housing being developed. Keep up the good work
From Deb: I look forward to reading the buzz every time it arrives in my inbox. Nicci is such a great writer and I love her sense of humor. So grateful she carves out time for this one of a kind public service.
From Sarah: I grew up on the West Coast with a different town/city structure. As a relatively new (3yrs) resident to Burlington I want to be actively engaged and involved. The Buzz gives me ways, means, and knowledge to do so which I find incredibly valuable. I already feel like I know more about the town I live in and more connected to its residents. Thank you.
I love that I finally have a handle on what is happening locally. I especially appreciate learning about the candidates for local boards. This was the first time I voted in a local election and really knew the people I was voting for. Thank you!
From Phyllis: The Burlington Buzz has filled a need long needed in this town, helping residents to learn about local government, politics and how the town works. Calling our attention to current issues, inviting us to participate and get involved helps make us stronger - over time. I know you had hoped the Buzz would have led to a greater voter turn-out, but don’t get discouraged. True change takes time. As for suggestions, how about an ongoing blog for Q & A that comes from your posts? Questions that get triggered by your posts could be helpful to more than the asker.
From Lindsey: One thing I love about the Buzz: it's such a scannable and conversational way to keep track of what's happening in town, from elections to fun photos. It makes me feel in-the-know and connected to the community.
One thing I think you should do in the next six months to get even closer to achieving the mission of connecting our community: Could you consider a regular profile/Q&A feature of a community member that readers might not know, maybe called "Meet a Burlingtonite," "Meet a Neighbor," "Q&A with a Burlington Star," or something similar? (I'm sure you could come up with a better name!) It could range from more influential/high-profile people to every-day residents who are more behind-the-scenes/less visible.
Nicci and the Buzz does a great job at bringing awareness of the daily workings of our community, and also provides a more in depth look at current issues of concern. I look forward to the growth of the Buzz and hope to see her membership grow beyond the social media platform and into every resident’s home!
I love that the buzz gets more people involved in things going on around town, and Sparks conversation among people who might otherwise never meet.
Thing I like: to Burlington's benefit, you've single handedly taken up the near-loss of local journalism through an independently sharp focus on local government and community organizations.
6month goal: The past decade in Burlington has seen sharp growth in residents moving from areas outside Greater Boston (myself, included). Sort of like your history interviews, would like to understand Burlington on more of a contextual level. Despite having lived here 7 years now, it feels alienating to have not grown up here.
I love how Buzz gives us a perfect daily summary of things happening in town and help glue to the town together.
I love your town government coverage. As for the one thing you should do in the next six months, I’d say to find a way to advertise at the library. I’ll bet that’s an audience you could capture that you’re missing.
As a working mom of 4 under 5, I love finding out all the goings on in town in 1 neat little place. One stop shop is always appreciative here. Especially love the town govt coverage. hopes for next 6 months would be seeing the buzz grow in numbers.
We have been in town coming up on 16 years and had looked for a local news outlet that would provide us with a sense of the local community. It took 16 years but Burlington Buzz has fit that bill. I so appreciate the easy to digest daily updates and then some of the deeper dives into our local government bodies. I appreciate your balanced reporting and your ability to bring calm and logic to some of the hot topics./discussions. I hope to continue to see an increase in active participation in the burlington community and opportunities for us to all meet in the middle where the new and the old can find common ground.
Reading The Buzz has become part of my morning routine this summer. I enjoy how concise, but information packed, it is! Thanks for taking the time to reach your readership!
The Buzz does an excellent job of filling an information gap that has existed in Burlington in a digestible, open and non biased way.
As to suggestions, maybe a a series of interviews with town personnel/committees who don’t get as much press to understand their role and challenges.
Love that the Buzz keeps me informed without a particular slant or bias, which is hard to find for anything that covers politics at any level.
One suggestion is to perhaps build a town events calendar? It doesn’t have to be populated way ahead of time, but maybe just for the week ahead… that way, after a year, we’ll have a complete view of what major events happen in which month.
In our house, The Buzz helps us get our day started.
You're helping more people understand how our town works (or doesn't) and how they can and should be involved.
Progress and improvement only happen when people pay attention, speak up and participate. Thanks so much for helping that happen.
Hello Nicci, thank you for brining buzz to Burlington. You are doing a great job, thanks for helping out the town.
I haven't read everything on the Buzz but one thing I would like to see is more interviews of various boards and administration on how they are doing + opportunity to advertise (paid or free) on buzz.
From Rose-Marie: I think you are providing a great service to the town by covering hyperlocal news. Local is where the important things start- water, schools, density, etc. So, thank you.
From Kelly: Great job Nicci on giving a great succinct yet super informative overview of what's going on in town. I appreciate it!!
From John: I like the local politics ,events and news you provide. It gives everyone a chance to participate in their home town. I would like to see more updates on the water situation,new restaurants and new businesses and apartment developments going into town. It would be nice to see more affordable senior housing being developed. Keep up the good work
From Deb: I look forward to reading the buzz every time it arrives in my inbox. Nicci is such a great writer and I love her sense of humor. So grateful she carves out time for this one of a kind public service.
From Sarah: I grew up on the West Coast with a different town/city structure. As a relatively new (3yrs) resident to Burlington I want to be actively engaged and involved. The Buzz gives me ways, means, and knowledge to do so which I find incredibly valuable. I already feel like I know more about the town I live in and more connected to its residents. Thank you.
I love that I finally have a handle on what is happening locally. I especially appreciate learning about the candidates for local boards. This was the first time I voted in a local election and really knew the people I was voting for. Thank you!