The Wisdom of Rick Pitino and Andy Dufresne

"All the negativity in this town sucks. It sucks, and it stinks, and it sucks." -- Rick Pitino

"Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And a good thing never dies." -- Andy Dufresne

Pitino, of course, was talking about the Boston sporting fan base, mostly callers to WEEI, when he went on his classic rant. He may as well have been talking about many Fitchburg residents.

We've been holding off on a screed/manifesto on the future of the Fitchburg, but we're not holding back any more.

It all starts with a mindset and a vision, which is in short supply in Fitchburg. Officials are generally not optimistic and proactive (outside of notable exceptions like Councilor Dean Tran). They are often reactionary, and usually to bad news. There is no one consistently, and loudly, proclaiming the greatness of the future of Fitchburg.

No place does a better job selling itself than Lowell. Downtown Lowell sees restaurants open and close with regularity. There are a number of low-end clothing stores, and a higher number of homeless outside the downtown Dunkin' Donuts. But Lowell officials, from top to bottom, bill the city as the best mid-size city in Massachusetts/New England/America/the world (depending on the day). And that constant drumbeat has become the perception of the city.

That doesn't happen in Fitchburg, and it clearly drips down to its residents.

Is Fitchburg a great city? Not right now. Does it have a lot of problems? Yes. Is it starting to move in the right direction? Yup.

Putnam Place is a success. Period. Any time an empty and rundown building is rehabilitated and active, that is a success. Riverside Park is a success. Period. Any time a former industrial site is turned into open green space, that is a success.

The building blocks are being put into place in Fitchburg. The MART garage has the potential to be a valuable tool in the future. People are moving to Fitchburg, partly because of the commuter rail connection (a brother of Save Fitchburg is in that growing number). Developers are starting to look at downtown and other mill buildings for housing. Housing leads to residents, residents lead to commercial growth.

Will it happen overnight? No. Will it happen in three to five years? No. It may take 20 years. But Fitchburg is putting the foundation in place, and people like Lisa Wong are working at a long-term plan for the city's future.

There are certainly problems in the city. Crime is a factor in any city (seen the Globe lately on Boston's issues?), and it's an issue in Fitchburg. The lack of leadership in City Hall is an issue (one that we as voters can tackle). The lack of a major attraction to downtown or the city in general is an issue. The attitude in this city is an issue. Save Fitchburg knows a little about public relations, and nothing would help this city more right now than a good public relations campaign, for both residents and outsiders.

This blog is called "Save Fitchburg" for a reason. It was started to protest a proposed override, but we didn't name it "No Fitchburg Override" for a reason. We were motivated by the override issue, but our long-term focus is on the success and future of the city. If we're not willing to look ahead, we might as well change the name to "Give Up on Fitchburg."

We're not giving up, and others like Wong and Tran aren't either. The city is starting to generate momentum. Housing projects like Bridle Cross Estates and The Falls are bringing hundreds of new residents to the city. Young families squeezed out of the greater Boston housing market are looking at Fitchburg. The slow, steady return of Downtown is starting.

Andy Dufresne, the hero of "The Shawshank Redemption," crawled through 500 yards -- thequivalentnt of five football fields -- of the foulest smelling stuff. And he did it because he had hope. It truly is the best of things, and we have hope for the future of Fitchburg. We're certainly not starry-eyed optimists, but we have hope that despite all its problems, Fitchburg is moving ahead, and is getting better all the time.

If it's not good enough, and Fitchburg is a lost cause, now might be a good time for another course of action. The housing market is probably at its peak, so sell now and move to Leominster. Let others invest in the city and its future, and reap the dividends later.