Check out "Yellow Springs Area" on Facebook

This blog is heavy on announcements, lost dog and chicken reports, and local conversation and commentary. It gets about 350 hits-a-day, a number that has held steady for at least a couple years. It gets competition from a number of other blogs, the local newspaper, the Yellow Springs 45387 discussion board, and Facebook, mostly Facebook. I'm fine with that. And just to prove to you how fine I am with it, I am going to tout the blog's biggest competitor, a particular page on Facebook.

"Yellow Springs Area" is a Facebook page that was started just a few months ago by Beth Bridgeman. Today, it has 527 members. That number grows, daily. It's attraction is its ability to generate an ongoing conversation, something blogs rarely do, because commenting on a blog post seems to be a somewhat obscure process. Facebook, once you become a member, is a more open forum.

My first impression of "Yellow Springs Area" was that of a virtual swap-meet or an interactive classified section. I found villagers offering to give away, sell, or trade items. This was soon followed by announcements of local events, much like I have on the blog. In no time, villagers found uses for it that its originator may not have imagined. As a village-wide lost-and-found, it cannot be beat, as long as folks are aware of it. Hence, the write-up I am giving it, today. Be aware of this; it's a valuable tool for our residents.

Here's a sample of what you will find on it today:

• A plea to pick up your dog's poop at Mills Lawn (with photo)
• An invitation to something called the "Hobbit Second Breakfast"
• A suggestion to start a lost-and-found rack in town (isn't this one?)
• An ask for moving boxes
• A quest for a good house-cleaner
• Praise for a school board speech
• Someone looking to carpool to the Biden appearance at WSU 
• An offer to give away a pair of stereo speakers

 Virtually every post is followed up by a long scroll of responses. And get this! Unlike the 45387 discussion board, the conversation is always polite.

So, kudos are owed to Beth Bridgeman for starting this service to the community. I heartily embrace it and use it to good effect. I have used it to promote Community Foundation events and my own blog; reported found dogs and chickens; given away a pair of soccer shoes; and responded to a post about a pair of found eyeglasses that possibly belonged to us (they didn't). Only when cartoons start appearing on it will I become concerned about the competition.