How Has It Gone?

Some of this is tough to determine -- and might not ever be determined -- but it's worth five days later to start to assess who has done well and who has not in the aftermath of the Ice Storm of 2008.

We'll start with Lisa Wong. She seems pretty well organized, and has done a good job of holding daily press briefings and handling getting information out. The city side of services -- DPW tree removal, shelters, public safety -- has not been an issue. All in all, from what I can tell, a pretty good job.

City departments. Again, a good job. Especially when you consider something like happens once in a lifetime, and most city leaders haven't been through this before. No one is complaining about a lack of city services. Department heads have come up big.

City Council. They have been fantastic. One person who is smarter than me (I know, I know, that's 39,999 people in Fitchburg) was working at the shelter this weekend, and was blown away by well councilors were performing. They were attentive, listening, helping, and getting stuff done. Councilors have two jobs: Set policy in City Hall, and act a conduit for residents in their wards or around the city. There's no policy here, but councilors have been extraordinary in helping residents out. Collectively and individually, they've been the stars.

Of course, not all all is good here. I just got off the phone with Mrs. Save Fitchburg, and I told her regionally, we are significantly in the minority at this point, we still have no power. There are still murmurs that Unitil hasn't been, well, fully committed to getting things done here. For example, Wong said on Sunday a Unitil person had been with DPW employees for half the day. Not the whole day, half the day. Jeez. I think in a situation of this size, it's not unreasonable to think that some parts of the city will be without power for a week or a few days longer. But it's been five days and just over half the city has power at this point. That doesn't seem so hot, especially when you hear Unitil is just about done in New Hampshire. Throw in the history, and it's enough to have a bad guy in this whole thing. Congratulations, Unitil.