By Ashley M. Casey
Staff Writer
The first rule of Positively B’ville is be positive.
The second rule of Positively B’ville is be positive.
As you can probably tell by the emphatic rules, the Positively B’ville Facebook group is the anti-fight club.
Tired of seeing their neighbors crab on Facebook about traffic and noise, local politics and potholes, Vickie and Donna Freyleue decided to stake out their own happy slice of social media. In late May, the Freyleues founded their Facebook group with the mission of spreading good vibes across the B’ville social media sphere.
“We started with the most positive people we know … the kind of people that make you happy to talk to,” Vickie Freyleue said.
Members are encouraged to share what they like about Baldwinsville: photos, memories and anecdotes about acts of kindness.
“Rather than complain that no one shovels their sidewalk anymore, post a pic of a neighbor who does a great job clearing their walk and say thanks!” reads the group’s Rule No. 2.
The Freyleues first dipped their toes into the conversation about life in Baldwinsville last year when a group of residents lobbied the village board of trustees to lift volume restrictions on musical performances on Paper Mill Island. Some residents and business owners were concerned that music from past events had been too loud and that people attending events on the island contributed to traffic congestion and parking issues.
“People complain about the noise about the traffic. To us, that’s the sounds of life. That’s fun and people being engaged,” Vickie Freyleue said. “If we don’t have traffic it means nobody’s here. … If we don’t have young people screaming at a concert, not a lot’s going on here.”
This year, activity has picked up at Paper Mill Island. In January, the village of Baldwinsville signed an agreement with Creative Concerts to coordinate concerts and other events.
Donna Freyleue posted a video of the singer Livvia performing at 93Q’s 10th annual Summer Jam, which took place June 13.
“She commented that the island was one of the most beautiful venues she’d ever seen. I would have to agree,” Donna Freyleue said.
In addition to sharing what they love about the Baldwinsville area, members of Positively B’ville are bandying about ideas for how to lift up their community offline.
“One member suggested we have a community action day where everybody commits to doing something positive, like a cleanup day or beautification,” Vickie Freyleue said.
Recently, Vickie Freyleue shared a post about a kindness campaign in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. A group of residents there are selling yard signs emblazoned with the words “Just Be Kind.” They plan to donate the proceeds to a local charity or other neighbors in need.
MaryAnne Williams, executive director of the Greater Baldwinsville Chamber of Commerce, responded to the post.
“Just yesterday as I walked into work, hearing car horns blaring, I thought wouldn’t it be great to get the village civic and volunteer groups, churches, government, and businesses together to start a Be Kind campaign. (And because it is B’ville, we’d probably call it Bee Kind!),” she wrote.
The Freyleues are not the only B’ville residents pushing positivity on social media. In 2013, Linda Clarke created the page “WE Love Baldwinsville NY.” The page now boasts nearly 3,500 followers.
“There’s so much good about Baldwinsville. There’s so much going on for people to do,” Clarke said. “I was hearing things like, ‘There’s nothing to do in B’ville,’ and I was like, ‘Really?’”
Clarke shares local events, news items and photos, many of which feature local landmarks, wildlife, rainbows and sunsets.
“Some are just too beautiful not to share,” she said.
Both WE Love Baldwinsville NY and Positively B’ville prohibit complaining, negative comments and political discussion. The pages are about celebrating B’ville instead of listing grievances.
“I don’t see anything good that comes out of bashing,” Clarke said. “Don’t complain on Facebook until you’ve made the phone calls. If you have a concern about the village, call the board members, go to a board meeting. Nothing gets done when it’s ‘let’s tar and feather everybody.’”
Clarke said she is not acquainted with the Freyleues, but she is pleased to see that Positively B’ville’s mission mirrors her own. She and her husband, Baldwinsville Mayor Dick Clarke, are both members of Positively B’ville.
“When I got the invite to the page I was happy. I said to Clarkey, ‘You can’t have too much positivity,’” she said.
Nearly 500 people have joined the Positively B’ville group. They have been posting pictures, restaurant reviews and general shout-outs to their hometown.
“I joined because I love B’ville and am often homesick,” wrote Terri Checkosky Maher. “I like celebrating B’ville and knowing what’s going on with positive people. It’s almost like being there. Best of all, I know when I come on here, negativity won’t detract from the experience.”
Karin Sloan DeLaney, a group member and local attorney, said she hoped the group would bring together like-minded people who want to improve and celebrate the village.
“Positive comments and suggestions create synergy and progress,” she wrote. “As a resident and business owner in B’ville, I am excited for the potential here and I am vested in our future.”
DeLaney shared her favorite aspects of living in the village.
“I love that I live in a place that has a parade through the town center, where you can still buy live bait at the gas station and watch the bald eagles nest on the river,” she wrote.
Burrill Wells, whose family has lived in Baldwinsville since 1830, said he was glad to have a new forum to accentuate the positives of the place he loves.
“Like others, I too, am tired of the negativity that is all too pervasive on local social media sites,” he wrote. “We are all neighbors here, and we have a lot to be proud of.”
Search “Positively B’ville” on Facebook to join the group, and like the “WE Love Baldwinsville NY” page at facebook.com/pg/WeLoveBaldwinsvilleNY.
