Village of Maple Bluff (WI)
www.villageofmaplebluff.com
Every once in a while we come across a gem, an unassuming website that has everything - charm, clarity and content. So it is with the Village of Maple Bluff, population 1,357, a residential suburb of Madison, Wisconsin with an interesting history and equally engaging concept for serving its residents.
Its simple home page currently tells residents how to get a registration form online for bocce ball, provides a link to its latest information-packed newsletter and shows a picture of its impressive, for so small a town, Village Center. That's all.
Access to the standard town service and contact information is tucked neatly and unobtrusively behind headers in the left margin. Navigation is intuitive. No large pictures of smiling mayors and councilpersons here. Just photos of residents, mostly having fun.
Information citizens really need is all there — directories, calendars of events, fees for various services, rules for recycling and pet registration, a zoning code, an archive of meeting minutes, and even meeting room availability and reservation forms.
It's obvious that those who run this village care about community. Residents of Maple Bluff get discounts at its village-operated country club and can enjoy its marina and gym, also operated by the city. Its beautifully written and illustrated 12-page .pdf newsletter excerpts tips from 150 Ways to Show Kids You Care, invites people to Boogie for Breast Cancer, dance at the Firefighter's Ball, send pre-schoolers to Camp Ya-Gotta-Wanna, attend a tree workshop, or act with the Stagecoach Players.
History buffs can read about the town's early settlers and industry, and learn that Maple Bluff was home both to populist leader Senator Robert LaFollette and playwright Thornton Wilder, who wrote Our Town. The site features collections of historic images and a scrapbook of current photographs and anecdotes.
This village is proud of its history, its community and its services, and its website clearly conveys that pride.
Take a look. Even big cities can learn something from this one!
Posted by WWC: June 21, 2004 Permalink