Economic Development

FRA donates $50K to OWL Campaign for library project

October 11, 2023 by pkzadmin

FITCHBURG — The Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority (FRA) has reaffirmed its commitment to the community’s educational and cultural enrichment by generously donating $50,000 to the Fitchburg Public Library’s OWL Capital Campaign.

The OWL (Offering a World of Learning) Capital Campaign is a visionary initiative to enhance the facilities and services of the Fitchburg Public Library and has garnered significant support from various community partners within the city. The FRA’s contribution further underscores its dedication to fostering growth, accessibility, and innovation in the heart of Fitchburg.

“Libraries are integral community resources that empower individuals, promote lifelong learning, and foster a sense of unity,” said Meagen Donoghue, executive director of the FRA. “We believe that by investing in the expansion and modernization of the Fitchburg Public Library, we are investing in the future of our city.”

The $50,000 donation from the FRA will play a pivotal role in advancing the library’s capital campaign goals, including the renovation and creation of innovative spaces, expanded programming opportunities and improved accessibility for all patrons.

The FRA is an independent economic development agency for the city of Fitchburg. A quasi-public agency created almost 60 years ago, the FRA is responsible for urban renewal planning, land acquisition, business relocation, demolition of obsolete structures, and public improvements within the Urban Renewal District of Fitchburg.

(Courtesy the Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority)

GLCF’s new fund to support the local LGBTQ community

June 13, 2023 by pkzadmin

LOWELL — The Greater Lowell Community Foundation announced at its annual meeting on June 7 that it established a new field of interest fund to support the local LGBTQ community.

While GLCF is comprised of more than 500 charitable funds dedicated to improving the quality of life in 21 neighboring cities and towns, the Greater Lowell LGBTQ fund is the first foundation fund dedicated to nonprofits serving LGBTQ individuals.

“For more than 25 years, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation has pooled and invested charitable donations from generous donors for the benefit of the local communities we serve,” said GLCF President and CEO Jay Linnehan. “We are proud to launch this new field of interest fund to support the LGBTQ community. It’s our hope that for years to come it will continue to grow and assist members of this often over-looked and under-served community.”

Two pioneering Asian-American women, life-partners for more than 30 years, started the fund as a way to give back to the LGBTQ community. UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen, and her spouse, marketing executive Susu Wong, donated $25,000 to start the fund.

“We have seen the great work that GLCF has done and wanted to support the foundation by opening our own fund,” Chen said. “When we started considering what should be the focus of our fund, once we were made aware that an LGBTQ fund did not exist, we thought it was a great idea to support a group that is underserved.”

“We also wanted to plant a seed and hope others will come forward and contribute, too,” Wong added.

GLCF’s Board of Directors voted to match the initial donation.

Jennifer Aradhya, GLCF’s vice president of Marketing, Programs & Strategy said field of interest funds encourage donor activism and support specific areas of interest, including the arts, environment or education. According to Aradhya, in this case, Chen and Wong wanted to focus their support on the LGBTQ community and create a fund that would serve the community in perpetuity.

“In the future, GLCF will award grants from this fund to support nonprofit organizations working to improve the quality of life for the LGBTQ community in Greater Lowell by providing legal, health, education, advocacy, or other high-demand services/program,” Aradhya said.

Chen and Wong are focused on helping the LGBTQ community flourish in the GLCF service area, which includes Acton, Ashby, Ayer, Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Dracut, Dunstable, Groton, Lowell, Littleton, Pepperell, Shirley, Tewksbury, Townsend, Tyngsboro, Westford and Wilmington.

“It’s our hope that the LGBTQ community will become more visible,” Wong said. “Ideally, as more people recognize that our community is out there, more people within the community will feel safe about identifying as LGBTQ.”

The Wilmington couple is active in academic, business and LGBTQ circles. Wong is CEO and founder of Tomo360, a marketing agency, which is a state-certified LGBT Business Enterprise. She helped launch the Massachusetts LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, and is on the board of OUTbio Boston, the biotech industry’s largest LGBTQ professionals group. Wong is also co-founder of Women Accelerators, a grassroots organization that helps women advance their careers.

Chen is the UMass system’s first LGBTQ chancellor. A mechanical engineer who earned a doctorate, master’s and bachelor’s from MIT, Chen is a recognized leader in research, STEM and economic development. Appointed UMass Lowell’s fourth chancellor in 2022, Chen previously served as UMass Lowell’s vice chancellor for research & economic development.

Chen and Wong — who married in 2006 — have been open about their relationship for years. Chen’s new position as chancellor has put them in a brighter spotlight.

“We were out before,” Chen said, “but not as out, I guess. The difference is now people know about me being LGBTQ before they know me. However, I think it’s important for people to see there are so many different types of identity that make up a person, and a leader.”

Chen and Wong are energized by the opportunity to influence future generations.

“One reason we have set up this fund is because we know if we’re not active and supportive of our rights, things can go backwards again,” Wong said. “Over the years, we have gained a lot of rights. But if we get complacent, we can lose ground. You have to stay vigilant. Julie and I will help jumpstart this fund. This GLCF fund is a good opportunity for other people to jump in and donate to help promote positive change in our communities. After all, it takes a community to build the momentum.”

For information about donating to the Greater Lowell LGBTQ Fund, visit glcfoundation.info/3Bd8Dzn.

Stephen DiNatale seeks fifth term as Fitchburg mayor

June 4, 2023 by pkzadmin

FITCHBURG — Mayor Stephen DiNatale has served four terms in his current capacity and his re-election bid shows he isn’t ready to quit anytime soon.

In a recent interview, DiNatale spoke about keeping his focus on the bigger picture and keeping a laser-focus on economic development. With traffic going two-ways on Main Street for the first time since the early 1960s, he wants to continue seizing the opportunity to reinvigorate downtown.

“We have challenges in Fitchburg that other communities don’t have, but these issues aren’t exclusive to Fitchburg.” he added in reference to housing issues.

Familiar with issues unique to the city DiNatale stated that he is aware of the forward most concerns in everyone’s minds.

“Everyone thinks about the conditions of the roads,” DiNatale said. “Maybe, I want to stress maybe, this is something that we put to the voters.”

DiNatale stressed how much time he has spent “fighting the state for more money” to help solve problems such as these.

“Rising tides raises all boats,” he said.

For DiNatale, the mayor’s office is also about public service.

“Our goal is providing the best service we can for the people of Fitchburg,” DiNatale said. With Fitchburg being a “small urban center with formidable challenges.”

Looking back on his career in Fitchburg, DiNatale referenced several projects that his administration has launched and completed. Dinatale mentioned the renovation of the library, building and restoring City Hall and building a new Crocker school as all clear signs that “Fitchburg is an alive and vibrant community.”

Throughout the city, there has been whispers that DiNatale’s fifth term would be his last. But for now, that’s just rumor.

“I have not decided on that yet, I am just focusing on running again.”

Anchor Collaborative stresses importance of keeping employment, revenue local

June 2, 2023 by pkzadmin

FITCHBURG — Keeping employment and revenue local is at the forefront of the North Central Massachusetts Anchor Collaborative’s mission.

CHNA 9 Executive Director Chelsey Patriss welcomed community participants to the North Central Massachusetts Anchor Collaborative conference on May 31 at Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)

That mission was also at the forefront of a conference held Wednesday at Great Wolf Lodge, which brought together regional stakeholders. NCMAC is currently funded by UMass Memorial Health Alliance-Clinton Hospital and Executive Director Chelsey Patriss said their goals and aspirations for this program are indeed attainable.

Patriss also works as the Executive Director for CHNA9, Community Health Network of North Central Massachusetts.

While Patriss said the grant is for three years, “this is not a three year project.”

Healthcare Anchor Network focuses on improving community health and well-being in order to “create the biggest gain for your community.” said President and Founder of Healthcare Anchor Network, David Zuckerman. Through their partnership with North Central Massachusetts Anchor Collaborative, they are working on joining economic engines with an embedded social mission, in order to keep the community thriving and its citizens healthy.

Zuckerman plans on doing this through a business model he created which keeps revenue within communities, something he calls, “community wealth building.” This idea connects the large places of revenue for cities and towns and partners them with locally employed or locally founded businesses such as; local governments, universities, hospitals and community foundations.

“Bring external resources into our community,” and “create economic security for everyone in our communities,” Zuckerman said.

More often than not, people’s healthcare and services are limited by their income and economic stature. This can mean communities just miles apart will have dramatically different life expectancies. This organization plans on combating that, through partnerships at a local level. Instead of paying someone’s way to good healthcare, which helps, their attention lies more on the cause. Why can’t these individuals afford good healthcare?

Healthcare Anchor Network Founder and President David Zuckerman spoke to the community members gathered for the North Central Massachusetts Anchor Collaborative conference on May 31 at Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)

“Address the root causes of why people don’t have the money,” Zuckerman said.

One organization that has adopted this method is Western Massachusetts Anchor Collaborative, which was formed in 2020. WMAC works on developing career pathway programs by hiring local citizens and developing talent.

Zuckerman believes this strategy “brings external resources into our communities.”

Joint Committee on Ways and Means convenes in Fitchburg, presents ‘opportunity’ for North Central Massachusetts

March 25, 2023 by pkzadmin

FITCHBURG — As the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Ways and Means convened in the Legislative Building Tuesday, the second leg of a six-part trek around the state, state Sen. John Cronin sensed opportunity.

“An important conversation,” the meeting was part of the Committee’s continued effort to craft the state’s budget for fiscal 2024. But Cronin said that their time in the city represented something far greater: an invaluable experience for themselves and an “incredible opportunity” for the entire North Central region.

“We had the privilege to host the Joint Committee on Ways and Means and to hear testimony from some of the most important stakeholders in the state,” Cronin said. “And we’re fortunate to have had the opportunity to inject the perspective of the North Central region into that process as they craft a budget that reflects the values of the Commonwealth and can truly address challenges faced across Massachusetts every day.”

“Beyond the budget, I believe this was a great opportunity to highlight the community at large and members of the North Central delegation. Not just their growing influence in the Legislature, but their ability to accomplish so much for people here in the city and the North Central region,” he said.

An assembly that focused on budgetary items related to health and human services, the nearly five-hour session consisted of testimony from those aforementioned “important stakeholders.” Executive Office of Veterans’ Services Secretary Jon Santiago spoke, as did Department of Transitional Assistance Commissioner Mary Sheehan, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission Commissioner Toni Wolf, Office of Refugees and Immigrants Executive Director Mary Truong and others.

Each agency present had the opportunity to question, clarify and voice concerns in regard to the budget as proposed by Gov. Maura Healey earlier this month. As he stressed the importance of those topics of discussion, Cronin praised the speakers as well as the Committee, which he referred to as “the most powerful in the legislature,” and said it was an “honor” to have led them on Tuesday.

“We received broad testimony from those on the ground in state government, those that deliver healthcare, deliver services to our veterans and monitor rising healthcare costs and the degradation of those services in rural and economically depressed areas of the state,” he said. “It’s an important conversation to have and one crucial to the Committee as we move forward with the budget.”

“There’s no more important sector for thoughtful focus than health and human services and we were absolutely grateful for the testimony received on Tuesday,” he said.

That said, Committee Chair Michael Rodrigues asked Cronin to lead the delegation Tuesday, alongside state Rep. Kathleen LaNatra, to “highlight needs and challenges faced by Gateway Cities.” With that in mind, Cronin reiterated the opportunity the Committee’s presence in Fitchburg represented not just for the city, but similar communities throughout Massachusetts.

“It’s important to bring people from across the state — policymakers, elected officials, commissioners — to North Central Massachusetts so that they can understand where we are, who we are and what we’re about,” Cronin said. “And it can make it easier for us, the North Central delegation, to advocate for our communities throughout the legislative session when members have a sort of shared experience and memories of being in your community.”

“The challenges of Fitchburg, Leominster and the region as a whole can be found almost everywhere and must be brought before those stakeholders so that they can truly understand those issues. And, through that understanding, we hope to shape policy in a way that would prove beneficial to everyone,” he said.

Mayor Stephen DiNatale and state Rep. Michael Kushmerek, who opened Tuesday’s hearing with remarks and thanks for the Committee, agreed. Kushmerek described Fitchburg as a “microcosm” of the entire state, while DiNatale, who served with the Legislature for nearly a decade, praised the Committee for their work and thanked them for their visit to the city.

“I truly believe that Fitchburg is a microcosm of the entire Commonwealth,” Kushmerek said. “You name it, Fitchburg has it — we represent the challenges of the Commonwealth but, also, the opportunities.”

“I’m just thrilled that you are here and thankful for the crucial work set to commence today and in the weeks ahead,” he said.

“Having spent nearly 10 years in the Legislature, I truly know the importance of what you handle every day,” DiNatale said. “This is a momentous occasion for [Fitchburg] — we’re proud that we were able to serve as host and thank you so much for the work you do for the Commonwealth and the people within the city of Fitchburg.”

With the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate set to review the budget in April and May, respectively, Cronin reiterated that Fitchburg and the entire North Central region, “poised for incredible economic growth,” presented a “tremendous opportunity” to the state and said hoped the Legislature would capitalize on that potential.

“We have an opportunity (in North Central Massachusetts),” Cronin said. “Our affordability, our cultural institutions, the incredible amenities and just the natural beauty of the area, we have the chance to foster growth in the local and regional economy in a way that would benefit everybody and create significant opportunities for people across the state.”

“This hearing was an opportunity for policymakers across the state to see that opportunity, to see our potential here — and I hope they seize it,” he said.

Connecting a community: Fitchburg Fiber wants to bring quality, affordable internet to city

March 10, 2023 by pkzadmin

FITCHBURG — Once seen as a luxury or commodity, internet access has quickly become a necessity for modern living, one that has only increased in importance as more and more people work or learn from home. And yet, many today are left without such access, their connection outdated and far too slow or the service from their local internet service provider too costly.

Many in the city find themselves amid similar circumstances. But, now, one group is doing everything it can to make sure those that need internet access can obtain it and do so affordably.

Fitchburg Fiber, a relatively new ISP headed by residents Tristan Taylor, Andrew DeChristopher and Nick Madden, is ready to provide the city with secure, high-speed internet access for the paltry sum of just $40 per month. Taylor, co-founder and CEO, said everyone at Fitchburg Fiber is committed to the community and he expects their service to play a significant role in the “revitalization” of the city.

“We’re investing a lot of money and unpaid time to build something that I’m absolutely convinced will be a big part of Fitchburg’s future growth,” Taylor said. “Our purpose here is to build a high-quality internet network and provide affordable service to as many people as we can — the community is the heart behind our mission.”

“We’re still very much in the early stages, but what we’re doing is impactful and, as more and more people learn about us, we hope to bring some serious change to the city,” he said.

Founded in December 2020, Taylor said Fitchburg Fiber was born out of his and DeChristopher’s frustrations with larger ISPs and local internet access, a lack of which “made [Taylor’s] blood boil.”

The fact that other residents shared similar stories pushed them to act.

“You know how it works, you sign a contract at a specific rate and, over time, they raise and raise and raise it,” Taylor said. “We wanted to get away from that model and provide others in the area with options.”

“Back when internet bandwidth was scarce, the typical pricing you see out there sort of made sense. But that just isn’t the case anymore,” he said.

Between COVID-19 and other pandemic-related delays, it took some time to get started. There was also the matter of startup cost: the price to dig up a paved street or sidewalk and deploy underground fiber around the city would have made the venture unfeasible.

Newer technology presented them with a solution, however: rather than physical cable, the Fitchburg Fiber team opted for wireless distribution — internet access served through point-to-point wireless transmitters. According to Taylor, their wireless network can deliver service that is “functionally the same” when compared to a physical cable connection for a fraction of the cost.

The technology made it possible for the group to move forward — and they did so out of their own pocket.

“Suddenly, this wasn’t something that we had to go and ask the bank to lend us a few million dollars for or apply for grant funding, it was something we could self-fund,” he said. “And, realizing the difference we could make, we took our savings and just dove in.”

Each transmitter, described as a “distribution node,” can be mounted to a building and, when able to “bridge” or communicate with another node in the network through a wireless, line-of-sight connection, can provide internet access to an area of about “500 or 600 feet,” according to Taylor.

If a node is blocked by a large building or other obstruction, a separate transmitter could be installed elsewhere to serve as an intermediary point between the established network and the obstructed node in order to re-establish a connection.

Work truly began for the trio midway through 2021 as Taylor, DeChristopher and Madden started to build up their operating infrastructure. A year later, in April 2022, they connected their first customers to the network and have not looked back.

“It was a bit slow at first, but we’ve had more and more people sign up,” Taylor said. “Eventually we’ll reach a point where we have enough customers that we can fund expansions into other neighborhoods.”

While Fitchburg Fiber’s current coverage is limited to the downtown area — stretches of Main Street and Boulder Drive — Taylor said the team had identified “several ideal buildings” as potential points to expand the network and avoid any connection issues.

He also made it clear that the venture was “not about profit” and said Fitchburg Fiber’s goal was to extend access “to every home and business in Fitchburg.” While that may prove “ambitious” in the short term, Taylor said the team’s dedication and commitment to the city would continue to push them toward that goal.

“If we can make a living off of this someday, that would be wonderful, but that’s not what this is about,” he said. “It’s important to us that people are able to get the quality of service they need, deserve and can afford — I don’t think you’ll find a group that’s less profit-motivated.”

“I’m not really sure how to articulate it, but we’re all just super excited about the future,” he said.

As he thanked those that have been early to adopt and or support Fitchburg Fiber, particularly InTown Fitchburg and the Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority, Taylor described the enterprise as the “most gratifying thing” he has ever been a part of and said the company “wouldn’t be here” without the so far ardent support of the Fitchburg community.

“We wouldn’t be anywhere without community buy-in,” he said. “People have to be willing to take a shot on us — and, to those that have taken that chance, we can’t thank you enough.”

“We literally wouldn’t be here without you — our customers, the community make us who we are,” he said.

To prospective customers and those on the fence, he also stressed that those at Fitchburg Fiber are “no BS” kind of people. “The whole point of what we do is to provide you with quality service for an affordable price, no contract, no hidden anything — and, if and when you’re ready to switch, we’ll be here for you,” he said.

“To the more skeptical customers, just keep an eye out. Our reputation is growing, we’re committed to the people we serve, to the Fitchburg community and we’re looking forward to being a real part of that community.”

For more information, those interested in Fitchburg Fiber can visit their website at fbfiber.net or contact the company at 978-696-8699.

Economic Development

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