UVLists and Vital Communities sign transition agreement

SOUTH ROYALTON, VERMONT — UVLists, a new Vermont nonprofit formed by longtime volunteer list administrators, signed an agreement with Vital Communities on October 1 to assume the administration of 38 Upper Valley town discussion lists, often referred to as “listservs,” and will move them to its own system in the coming weeks. UVLists’ board of directors, assisted by current list administrators and other volunteers, will manage the lists going forward. For now, UVLists will maintain the lists as they function today. It will also explore new ways to foster sustainable online communities in the Upper Valley.

“UVLists is excited to continue and expand the lists as one place where virtual communities can be created,” said Kevin Perron, president of UVLists. “We are thankful to Vital Communities for their stewardship of this community treasure since 2014 and their cooperation during this transition. The lists have played a remarkable role in developing and fostering a sense of community throughout the Upper Valley by disseminating local information, linking buyers and sellers, and keeping residents connected with their neighbors and towns.”

In announcing the agreement to subscribers on October 1, Vital Communities said: “Vital Communities has been honored to have stewarded the Upper Valley town-based listservs for over a decade, and we thank the many volunteer list managers who made that possible. We are glad to help with this transition, allowing subscribers who want to keep participating in the town-based listservs to do so. Although Vital Communities will no longer have an ongoing role in the town-based listservs, we wish UVLists the very best as it stewards these lists into the future.”

Fundraising
ECFiber has stepped up to be a key sponsor of UVLists, and UVLists has received an outpouring of offers of support from the community since the lists’ potential closing was announced in August. “ECFiber is proud to help keep another Upper Valley internet-based service local,” said F. X. Flinn, its governing board chair. “The lists were an instrumental resource in getting ECFiber started in 2008, when 24 towns voted at town meeting to join.” UVLists plans to begin fundraising from subscribers in early 2027.

Usage
Lists are a forum for local news, events, and occasional small business postings, a place where residents buy, sell, and swap, and a way for nonprofits and emergency services to reach their neighbors. Towns use them to post agendas, minutes, and road closures, and after Tropical Storm Irene the lists were critical in coordinating volunteer efforts. Many users say they value the information and entertainment the lists provide as they savor their morning coffee.

History
Since 2004, when ValleyNet took over the Thetford list, the free discussion lists have grown to cover 38 towns and more than 21,000 subscribers. (Vital Communities took over lists administration from ValleyNet in 2014.) Stan Williams, who has helped guide the lists since 2004, noted, “The lists are another legacy of ValleyNet, which introduced local dial-up internet service to the Upper Valley in 1994.”

List Guidelines and Volunteer Administration
Town lists are locally administered by dedicated volunteers, and their guidelines require that posts come from town residents, relate to town-specific issues, be signed and civil in tone, and limit commercial content.
UVLists thanks the list administrators, past and present, who have donated approximately 75,000 hours of volunteer time to keeping lists local, civil, and non-commercial since 2004.

Subscriber Transition
Our target is to automatically move all current subscribers to the new list platform by the end of October, unless they opt out. Current subscribers will receive emails beforehand explaining the move and how to opt out. New subscribers will be welcome to join at that time.

More information, including how to opt out and how to post to the new @uvlists.orgdomain, will be sent to subscribers by email and will be available at www.UVLists.org.

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UVLists, a nonprofit organization based in South Royalton, Vermont, is dedicated to preserving
locally-controlled online community discussion forums throughout the Upper Valley.

UVLists Directors and Officers
Director and President– Kevin Perron, Thetford
Director and Co-Treasurer – Ted Mortimer, Vershire
Co-Treasurer – Co-Treasurer – Kerry Claffey, Strafford
Director and Secretary – Miranda Clemson, Fairlee

UVLists Volunteers
Kurth Bemis
Benjamin Brickner
Dave Celone
John Erickson
Niko Horster
Stan Williams