Can Facebook Transform a Community?

It's hard to serve the community with two young children and one on the way.

Dobbs Ferry's Nancy Vuletic has found a way. Last year she started a facebook page—"Dobbs Ferry Our Beautiful Rivertown"—dedicated to the pursuit of making the village live up to the page's name.

"I have no specific agenda," said Vuletic. "But I think Dobbs Ferry has so much more potential; it could be so much more."

The site is almost entirely business-focused. She posts business openings, closings, ideas for new businesses and polls. 

"I spend a lot of time talking to people and I throw up their ideas on the site," she said.

One successful poll has been to ask residents which pharmacy they generally

A social studies teacher by profession, Vuletic now works as a homework helper in the city in addition to being a full-time mom. She moved to Dobbs Ferry in 2008— a transplant from New York City after growing up in Ardsley.

"I wish there were more kid-friendly places in Dobbs Ferry—an open gym, a toy store," she said. "And with so many crafty people in the area, it would be great to have them work on some projects to improve the look of the village."

But Vuletic stressed that she's the moderator of the site—it's not just a reflection of her opinions.  

"People have some great ideas," she said, referencing a crafts fair at the Waterfront, a flea market or a half-marathon to make Dobbs Ferry more of a destination. 

Of course comments can get out of control, and Vuletic said she stays on top of what people are saying...sometimes deleting inappropriate posts. 

Vuletic hopes to generate more engagement on the facebook page, hopefully inspiring the village to make constructive changes. 

Visit 'Dobbs Ferry Our Beautiful Rivertown' here on facebook. The site has more than 200 active users an constant quippy engagement.To see the results of surveys, click on the notes section of the facebook page.