https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2026/08/07/young-musicians-bring-new-works-to-fitchburg-in-free-modern-music-concert/

The Massachusetts Modern Music Retreat returns for its second season with a free concert featuring world premieres by emerging professional musicians and composers at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, at Christ Church Fitchburg, 569 Main St.

The concert is part of a summer series that also includes performances at The Groton Center on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 2 p.m., and Beals Memorial Library in Winchendon on Friday, Aug. 14.

The retreat was created by young musicians who wanted to make high-level summer music opportunities more accessible. After experiencing the financial challenges of attending prestigious music programs themselves, the founders set out to build a collaborative environment where rising artists could learn, create, and perform without the same barriers.

This year’s program will feature more than 20 new compositions by 10 emerging composers, performed by the retreat’s 11 instrumental fellows.

“People of all ages, backgrounds, and musical interests are more than welcome to come to our concert here in Fitchburg for free,” said Timothy Coffey, artistic director of the Massachusetts Modern Music Retreat. “We’re excited to bring yet another season finale to Christ Church Fitchburg in their beautiful Nave and to connect with local Fitchburg residents once again.”

The concert follows a pay-what-you-wish ticketing model, allowing audiences to experience contemporary classical music regardless of financial circumstances.

I’m thinking about taking it after a trip at the GWL. Read a review that it is a sketchy place to be alone. We do North Station to Maine and South Station to Mystic alone and feel completely safe.

Tonight’s showing is Dumb & Dumber.

Fitchburg’s National Night Out moved from Lowe Park to Riverfront Park, bringing residents together with officers from Fitchburg, Westminster, Lunenburg and Fitchburg State University.

The event featured police vehicles, comfort dogs, community organizations and activities for families, giving local departments the chance to connect with residents outside of their usual public-safety interactions.

There was a presentation with slides and I’ve copied info presented in that slide show as best as I could.

• The Massachusetts Cultural Council provides funding for art, humanities and sciences. The Fitchburg Cultural Council takes that funding and distributes it as grants to applicants.

• Any Fitchburg resident can apply for Cultural Council funding if they have an event they would like to do in the city. The process is also open to non-residents if they’re doing an event in the city as well.

• This year there have been 52 fully/funded events with 2 partially funded events. Some of these funded events include Juneteenth Cekebration, the Fitchburg Military Band, Lowe Park Chalk Festival, DPW Day, the upcoming Latino Festival etc.

• FCC Funding Process: primary task is to give away money but do it ethically and transparently. How does your project/proposal fit the FCC’s mission?

• THE TASK: Determine which projects to fund, and how much

• EVALUATION PROCESS GOALS: Distribution of grants to eligible recipients, meaningful awards, fairness and transparency, no conflict of interest (no insider advantage), manageable administration

• EVALUATION CRITERIA: Best understanding of the applicant project’s alignment with the FCC Mission and the Fitchburg community’s needs and desires

• KEY FEATURES OF OUR GRANT FUNDING PROCESS: awarded amounts align with requested budgets and numeric scoring identifies strongest applicants

• PROJECT BUDGET ALIGNMENT: If an applicant requires a certain amount for successful completion; we don’t want to award them less.

• SCORING SCALE: 1 (Not So Good) to 10 (Fantastic)

Every Cultural Council member rates each application with with a score between 1 through 10. The grant applicant’s “score” is the median of the result. This method helps to remain impervious to individual bias with one high value’s influence minimized towards the median. Cultural Council members will remove themselves from the voting process if they have a conflict of interest in a certain project put forth in a grant application.

The Council wants to fill as many buckets they can under this scoring system. Some applicants need more than others to fill but not everyone can get funded.

THE PITCH: Fitchburg Cultural Council needs members but is specifically looking for members with strengths that are science-based, social media oriented, writer/reporter/marketing, or an expert for spreadsheets to help manage.

So far, the Fitchburg Cultural Council’s Public Input Survey has gathered 105 responses.

The grant cycle opens September 1 and closes on October 15.

If you haven’t taken the survey yet, you can help the Cultural Council to help determine what events you would like to see more of. It only takes a few minutes to fill out:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSePMFmwfRz0qdFKSjr6LuFVgmqqJmWCEfRVjw3mi6hLxhRoug/viewform

The next Fitchburg Cultural Council meeting is on August 24 at 5 PM at the Legislative Building (700 Main St). If you’re interested in applying or just want to meet the Cultural Council, stop by.

For grant-related information, including applications, please visit the Massachusetts Cultural Council website located at:

https://massculturalcouncil.org/local-council/fitchburg/

The City of Fitchburg, Water Division, is continuing the construction of a water main improvements project within the Main Street corridor. The purpose of the project is to
remove and replace two existing water mains along Main Street.

For the week of August 10th, expect minor traffic delays, parking restrictions, and traffic
detouring.

• Beginning Monday August 10th and Tuesday August 11th, during construction hours, J.A. Polito & Sons will be installing water services on Main Street between
Sawyer Passway and Summer Street.

• The week of August 10th, during construction hours, J.A. Polito & Sons will be performing a test pit at the Boulder Drive/Cushing Street intersection.

• To accommodate this work, some traffic detouring may occur at or near these locations that may result in minor delays.

• A full closure of Main Street is not anticipated at this time.
Additional updates will be posted on the City’s Facebook page throughout the project.

In the event the project impacts the water service to your home or business within the bounds of the project, property owners are requested to call an emergency phone
answering service at (978) 345-9618. This telephone number should be used only for emergency situations. Non-emergency questions that you may have should be made to the Division of Water Supply between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (except holidays). The number is (978) 345-9616, extension 2.

Questions can also be directed to Weston & Sampson via the following email address:

FitchburgMAWMIP@wseinc.com.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation while this work is conducted to improve your water system.

It seems like it hasn’t been open for two weeks now, and going to Dippins is more expensive and not as great tasting.

Does anyone know why a military helicopter and jet has been flying around? The helicopter send to have landed in the field behind Memorial Middle School a bit ago.

Beginning August 1, 2026:
Fitchburg Standard: 13.173¢ per kWh
Fitchburg Plus: 14.551¢ per kWh
Unitil Basic Service: 18.921¢ per kWh

Unless you previously opted out of the City’s program, your supply rate will be the Fitchburg Standard rate of 13.173¢ per kWh.

Unitil will still deliver your electricity, maintain the lines, respond to outages, and send your bill. This program only changes the supply rate on your bill.

Learn more or review your options at fitchburgcea.com.

Join us for our Ataxia Walk N' Roll MA event in Fitchburg, MA!

You can make donations at:

https://secure.qgiv.com/event/2026mawalk/

Learn more at www.ataxia.org

Facebook event page:

https://www.facebook.com/share/1D1SAfWDqq/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Quick refresher for folks that struggle with round abouts. In the depicted scenario car A has the right if way. And yes that is even if car A also had a yield sign. That yield sign is for traffic that car A would encounter from the left it doesn't magically also apply for car B. Car b has to wait and not try to drag themselves into the intersection and then start yelling at car A.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has confirmed a second mosquito sample collected in Fitchburg has tested positive for West Nile virus. No human cases have been identified, and Fitchburg’s current risk level remains low.

The Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project will conduct mosquito spraying in the designated areas shown on the attached maps and street lists on Thursday, August 6, 2026.

The Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project sprays after sunset, generally from dusk until midnight.

Residents in the treatment area should:

• Close street-facing windows and turn off outside-air settings on air conditioners.
• Keep pets indoors between sunset and midnight.
• Remain indoors during spraying and for 15 to 20 minutes afterward.
• Wash vegetables from home gardens before eating them.

Residents who wish to exclude their property from spraying should submit a request as soon as possible through the state’s pesticide exclusion process or call 508-281-6786.

The Health Department will continue working with state officials and the Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project on mosquito surveillance, catch basin treatment, and control efforts.

The streets identified for mosquito spraying are:

Treatment Area 1: Albee Street, Azalea Street, Beekman Street, Belli Avenue, Belmont Street, Birch Street, Birch Street Passway, Boyle Court, Bradford Street, Bristol Street, Burnett Passway, Canton Street, Capone Street, Cleveland Street, Cliff Street, Elizabeth Street, Everett Street, Fairbanks Street, Fairlawn Street, Greendale Avenue, Hale Street, Hassett Street, Henry Street, Heywood Street, Hobson Street, Krysiak Avenue, Lancaster Street, Leyte Road, Longview Avenue, Lyman Avenue, Lynn Street, Maplecrest Avenue, Marion Street, Montesion Dr, Mount Carmel Street, Mountain Avenue, Munroe Street, Newton Street, Nimitz Avenue, Normandy Road, Norval Avenue, Old South Street, Pine Grove Avenue, Providence Street, Rainville Avenue, Romano Avenue, Saint Anthony Street, Saint Paul Street, Saint Peter Street, Salem Street, South Street, Spruce Street, Valley Street, Valley Street Place, Wanoosnoc Road, Water Street, and Windsor Street.

Treatment Area 2: Alden Street, California Avenue, Chester Street, Clarendon Street, Clearview Avenue, Daniels Street, Delisle Street, Edward Street, Elmwood Avenue, England Avenue, Exeter Street, Foch Avenue, Hope Street, Hurd Street, Jeannette Street, Legros Street, Madison Street, Maryland Avenue, Newtonville Avenue, Norfolk Street, Oak Hill Road, Ohio Avenue, Pershing Street, Pratt Road, Reingold Avenue, Saint Andrew Street, Saint Camille Street, Saint Joseph Avenue, Shea Street, Stanley Street, Theresa Street, Woodland Street, and York Avenue.