We’re thrilled to announce that the City of Fitchburg has been selected for the implementation phase of the MassCEC On-Street Charging Solutions Program, with funding provided by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) in partnership with Commonwealth Electric Technologies (CET) and Leidos. This exciting opportunity means our city will soon install on-street electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in key public locations to support a more sustainable and equitable transportation future.
These chargers may be especially critical for residents without access to private driveways or garages and we want to ensure they’re placed where they’re needed most.
We’re asking for your input!
Please take a few minutes to complete our public input survey. Your feedback will help guide decisions on:
Rate proposed charging locations
Sites that may have been overlooked
Local priorities and concerns
Your voice is essential to build a cleaner, more connected community together!
We are proud to announce that Leominster has been selected as one of 20 finalists nationwide for the 2025 All-America City Award! Chosen from communities across the United States, Leominster was recognized for its commitment to strengthening environmental sustainability, using inclusive community engagement to create lasting, impactful solutions.
This year’s theme, “Strengthening Environmental Sustainability through Inclusive Community Engagement,” highlights how communities are breaking down barriers to participation while building programs that promote resilience and protect the environment. Finalists were selected through a competitive review process and evaluated for their civic innovation, collaboration, and efforts to empower residents. Representing 20 communities across 12 states — from small towns to major cities — this year’s finalists showcase the strength and diversity of local leadership nationwide.
Mayor Dean Mazzarella expressed his pride in this accomplishment, stating, “We take pride in all that our community does to work together to achieve what’s best for the city. To be a finalist among hundreds of applicant cities and towns across the country speaks volumes to us.” Leominster will proudly compete at the AllAmerica City Award Event in Denver, Colorado, from June 27–29, where finalists will present their initiatives before a jury of national civic leaders.
North Star Family Services, Inc. invites you to be part of Footsteps for Families, a community walk to raise critical funds and awareness to help end family homelessness in our region.
Event Details:
Date: Friday, May 17, 2025 Time: Registration at 9:30 AM | Walk begins at 10:00 AM Location: Doyle Field, Leominster, MA Cost: $15 per individual | $35 per family
Join neighbors, friends, and supporters for a meaningful morning filled with community spirit, music from a live DJ, and exciting raffle prizes—all for a great cause.
The City of Fitchburg is designing improvements for Coolidge Park to reduce downstream flooding, improve water quality in Falulah Brook, and enhance the park for the community. The project will focus on sections of the park near Falulah Brook and will aim to help reduce the downstream flooding along John Fitch Highway, which frequently occurs during heavy rainstorms.
The proposed improvements will use nature-based solutions to better manage stormwater and create flood storage, and may involve increasing green space. Planned features include a floodable field, a redesigned Wallace Civic Center parking lot with stormwater improvements, and a permeable parking lot with bioretention areas to collect and treat runoff from John Fitch Highway.
The City is asking park users and residents for input to help shape these designs. Community feedback is essential to understand exactly how the park is used by residents. This will help the design team to figure out the best ways to incorporate stormwater management and flood control techniques into the landscape without negatively impacting the existing uses of the park.
“We encourage everyone who uses Coolidge Park or lives nearby to share their experiences and ideas,” said Nick Erickson, Commissioner of Public Works. “This input will directly help shape the design of this project.”
Residents are invited to complete a short survey by May 3 to share their thoughts on flooding, recreational needs, and ideas for improving the park. Take the survey here at https://tinyurl.com/CoolidgeSurvey.
Once community input is collected, the City and project team will prepare draft designs to share with the public later this year.
This project is supported by a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, which aims to help communities reduce the risks of climate change impacts such as flooding and extreme heat.
For questions, contact Nicholas J. Erickson, Commissioner of Public Works, .
Do you have a disability, have a loved one with a disability, or advocate for accessible outdoor spaces? Join us for this virtual event on May 8th to share your experiences on Massachusetts trails and ideas for making trails more accessible.
Hosted by the Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation, this session is part of the Trails for All statewide initiative to improve outdoor accessibility and ensure everyone can enjoy Massachusetts’ trails.
Event to kick-off the 2025 Relay for Life of Greater Gardner with the Fitchburg community
WHAT:
The Relay for Life of Greater Gardner, one of the largest cancer fighting fundraising events in New England, will be hosting Light the Town Purple, an event to raise awareness about the Relay for Life and to celebrate the lives of those who have been touched by cancer in the community. In addition to music and local organizations providing information for those affected by cancer, the event will also include inspirational stories from cancer survivors and caregivers, as well as the ceremonial lighting of the Upper Common Gazebo in purple to signify unity, hope and survival.
WHERE:
Upper Common Gazebo, Fitchburg (the intersection of Main Street, Mechanic Street and Prospect Street near the Rollstone Boulder)
WHEN:
Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 5:00 p.m.
WHO:
Limari Rivera, captain, Team Rosa’s Warriors, and leadership member, Relay for Life of Greater Gardner Luisa Fernandez, family and community engagement coordinator, Fitchburg Public Schools Captain Jeffrey J. Howe, Fitchburg Police Department
Cancer survivors, their caregivers, and families
Relay for Life of Greater Gardner participants and supporters
Local organizations that support cancer patients, survivors, and their families
About the Relay for Life In May 1985, Dr. Gordon “Gordy” Klatt walked and ran for 24 hours around a track in Tacoma, Washington, raising money to help the American Cancer Society with the nation’s biggest health concern: cancer. Friends, family, and patients watched and supported him as we walked and ran more than 83.6 miles and raised $27,000 through pledges to help save lives from cancer. Since then, the event has raised $3.6 billion across all Relay for Life events. In its 32nd year, the Relay for Life of Greater Gardner has raised approximately $15 million. To learn more about the Relay for Life of Greater Gardner, visit the event website and Facebook.
Clear Path for Veterans New England will host their Annual Charity Golf Tournament. This year, it’s coming to Massachusetts at Juniper Hills Golf Course, a gorgeous course with an easy driving distance centrally located in Northborough, MA.
All proceeds will benefit Clear Path for Veterans New England Veterans. The funds raised will go towards essential services for Veterans and their families, such as housing, wellness events and activities, food and clothing, and service dog training programs.
Care Central VNA & Hospice, Inc., a non-profit provider of skilled home care, palliative care, hospice end of life care in ninety-eight towns and cities across five counties in Massachusetts, is pleased to announce the appointment of Vera T. Tice, MSECE as Chair of the Board of Directors, from Vice Chair, effective April 9, 2025
Tice brings extensive experience in corporate governance, digital and cybersecurity risk, corporate strategy and growth, technology and innovation, R&D product/service development, and M&A expertise to her board and advisory work. Prior to this appointment, she served in board chair and committee leadership roles on several corporate and large non-profit boards. Currently, Tice is an advisor to businesses and global and national organizations investing in and commercializing health care innovation. Previously holding senior executive positions in businesses and non-profits creating the future of healthcare, Tice mobilized innovation, developing and delivering digital health, healthcare informatics, patient monitoring, and network security products and services from concept to market.
“I am honored to welcome Vera Tice as the new Chair of the Board. Her vision, integrity, and dedication to our mission inspires confidence and optimism as we look to the future” states Holly Chaffee, MSN, BSN, RN, President & CEO of Care Central VNA & Hospice, Inc.
Vera succeeds Norman Sczepanski, who served on the Board of Directors for over 40 years and as Chair of the Board since 2020. Sczepanski played a key role in advancing Care Central VNA & Hospice, Inc.’s strategic planning and community partnerships.
Care Central VNA & Hospice, Inc. provides compassionate care and trusted support throughout a variety of services to ensure comfort, dignity and expert care at every stage of life. For more information about Care Central VNA & Hospice, Inc. and its services, please visit the website (carecentralvnahospice.org ) or contact: Kristin Mattson, PT, Chief Development & Clinical Care Transitions Officer, 508-943-0612, .
This upcoming year (2025-2026) the Fitchburg Community Read is trying something new! Instead of selecting one book to read as a community, we will engage with multiple formats such as books, films, articles, podcasts and more! It is our hope that multiple formats will bring more of us together for insightful discussions.
The Committee has chosen REMAINING HOPEFUL IN OUR CHANGING WORLD as our overarching theme for the upcoming year. During this year’s Community Read, we propose to examine what the future will look like, embracing the concerns as well as the possibilities.
Within the theme of REMAINING HOPEFUL IN OUR CHANGING WORLD, the Community Read Committee has selected 6 possible topics. We are asking you to vote on the topics you want to learn about and explore together in the coming year. Here is a link to the voting form: https://forms.gle/cH2mnkBhm4X6nnoM8. We anticipate it will take 5 minutes or less to fill out the form.
Please place your vote by the end of the day April 28, 2025.
