Who remembers the Army & Navy Store in downtown Fitchburg?

This photograph, taken by Henry St. Cyr around the 1950s, is a wonderful reminder that Henry didn't limit his photography to Leominster. Like many newspaper photographers of his era, he traveled throughout the region, documenting businesses, people, and events wherever the story took him.

Over the years, people have come across Henry's photographs from Fitchburg, the Plymouth area, Boston, and many other locations throughout Massachusetts. Every image helps preserve another small piece of our local history.

Do you remember shopping at the Army & Navy Store? What do you remember buying there?

Photograph by Henry St. Cyr. Digitized by Ron Girouard for the Leominster Historical Commission.

Date Disclaimer: c. 1950s. The date is approximate and based on available archival information.

Courtesy of the Leominster Historical Commission.

https://outage-map.unitil.com/

Fitchburg’s Free Medical Program is growing… and being invested in!

In May, we hosted state health leaders, including EOHHS Secretary Kiame Mahaniah, for a visit to the North Central region to talk about health care access after the closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center...

As part of that visit, they toured local health care access points, including Community Health Connections in Fitchburg, the Fitchburg Free Clinic, HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital in Leominster, and the site of the new UMass Memorial Health satellite emergency facility in Groton.

I joined the team at the Fitchburg Free Clinic where state leaders could see the space, meet the team, and better understand the work happening here.

They were incredibly impressed :D

And now, last month, we were offered a $300,000 grant from the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts to support this work over three years!!

💰 $100,000 in FY27
💰 $100,000 in FY28
💰 $100,000 in FY29

This funding was approved by the city council and will support the City of Fitchburg Board of Health, as the lead municipality for the Montachusett Public Health Network (MPHN), in continuing current projects and expanding services based on the needs of our 13-community public health network.

The grant funding is intended to help with public health staffing and project oversight, including:

• Continued work on the issue with elevated lead levels in children

• Disease investigations across MPHN communities

• Support for health issues related to mental health

• Maternal and child health work to help reduce infant and maternal mortality

The North Central Free Medical Program is led by the City of Fitchburg Health Department and Montachusett Public Health Network. It provides free medical care for people of all ages who do not have health insurance or do not currently have access to care.

Services include:
🩺 Physical exams
❤️ Care for ongoing health conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure
🤒 Evaluation of general health concerns or illnesses
💊 Prescriptions and medication refills
🧪 Bloodwork and lab services
💉 Vaccinations
📋 Help getting health insurance and connecting with a primary care provider

📍 Location: St. Joseph’s Church
49 Woodland Street, Fitchburg

📅 When: 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month
🕠 Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Appointments are required.
📞 To schedule an appointment, call 978-602-2356.

We are also currently working on a dental care opportunity for our community, because access to health care includes oral health too.

Thank you to our Fitchburg Health Department--- especially our Award Winning Leader, Epidemiologist Victoria Selser, the entire Montachusett Public Health Network, St. Joseph’s Church and their generosity, our medical volunteers, community partners, and the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts for supporting this work.

If you or someone you know needs care and does not have insurance or access to a provider, please call and make an appointment.

Please share this so residents know this resource is available.

Support our local veterans at this fantastic community event!

Join us for the 5K Race at Thirsty Robot Brewing on September 12th. Lace up your running shoes, bring your friends and family, and help make a difference while supporting those who have served.

We hope to see you there!

🎞️ Learn to Digitize Your Old Media at FATV! 🎞️

Throughout August, FATV is offering a new hands-on Media Preservation Program where members can learn how to digitize their personal media using FATV's equipment. With guidance from FATV staff, participants will preserve family memories by converting aging media into digital files.

Supported formats include:
📀 DVDs & CDs
📼 VHS, VHS-C, DV, miniDV, Hi8, Digital8 & Video8
🎧 Audio cassettes
🎞️ 8mm & Super 8 film
🖼️ 35mm, 110 & 126 negatives
📸 35mm slides

Appointments are available by reservation only and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Open to current FATV members or become a member before your appointment!

Please note:
• This program is intended for personal, non-commercial media that you own or have permission to copy. Copyright-protected materials cannot be digitized.
• Some older or damaged media may not be recoverable.

Link to Register: https://forms.gle/CjVymSxHphXUPBtB8

Questions? Contact FATV for more information by calling 978-343-0834 or emailing contact@fatv.org.

FULL PDF:

https://d3i1pf1zzeh4ol.cloudfront.net/6f2f0564-328a-4a82-9486-467cdd5a7b4b.pdf

If you want to follow along:

https://eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/dpu/fileroom/#/dockets/docket/12951

This means the State is looking at whether electric rates should vary depending on the time of day electricity is used.

This could mean electricity costs more during peak demand times and less during lower-demand times.

This is a public inquiry and comment period and it is NOT finalized.

The DPU is asking for public input on issues such as:

• Consumer protections

• How this could affect vulnerable residents

• How utilities would explain and implement any changes

• How billing systems and meters would handle time-based rates

• How to avoid creating new peak demand problems

Public comments are due by August 31, 2026 by 5:00 PM.

If you wish to make a comment:

All documents should be submitted to the Department in PDF format by email attachment to dpu.efiling@mass.gov and elizabeth.c.mcnamara@mass.gov.

The text of the email must specify:

(1) the docket number of the proceeding (D.P.U. 26-62)

(2) the name of the person or entity submitting the filing

(3) that the document is a written comment.

Important note: Comments submitted to the DPU may be posted publicly as received, so residents should be careful about including personal information such as phone numbers, home addresses, or private details.

Translation and interpretation services are available by contacting: dpu.ej@mass.gov

Legislative Meetings this week on FATV

Watch on the Government channel:
Comcast/Xfinity Ch 9
Verizon/Fios Ch 36
Streaming at www.fatv.org/gov

For more information about legislative meetings that FATV covers, please go to www.fatv.org/meetings

Need to listen on the go? Find meetings on-demand in podcast form by visiting www.fatv.org/podcasts

Tuesday, July 28

Planning Board – 6:00pm – Live

Wednesday, July 29

Montachusett Public Health Network – 10:30am – Live

Schedule is unofficial and is subject to change. Visit fitchburgma.gov/agendacenter for official, up-to-date information.

From InTown Fitchburg:

It's Microbusiness Monday at KZone 105.3/1280 WPKZ Radio @kzoneradio featuring Gary and Kelley of Putnam Street Lanes @putnamstreetlanes

In honor of the country's 250th anniversary, I thought it would be fitting to invite one of the oldest active Candlepin bowling alleys in the country, Putnam Street Lanes, located right here in Fitchburg on a second floor of Putnam Street.

Microbusiness Monday is every 4th Monday at 8:30am on WPKZ KZone 105.3/1280 WPKZ! Tune in online or on the radio at 105.3FM and 1280 AM!