In Praise of Joel Kaddy

The current City Council has been together for about a year, and at this point has any councilor been more proactive and forward-thinking than Joel Kaddy?

In the last year, Kaddy has separated himself from the pack outside of the Council chambers, and it's worth noting.

Early in the summer, Kaddy started weekly walks through downtown Fitchburg on Friday afternoons. They weren't always well attended, but it was a small step to drawing some attention to downtown and getting some people down there. I haven't talked to him about it in awhile, but I assume he'll back down there after the winter. I should have publicized it more. Shame on me.

Kaddy has also played a big role in getting Fitchburg First (finally) off the ground. The business organization works on getting residents to at least consider buying from local stores, promoting better services and competitive pricing. The birth of Fitchburg First was difficult, but Kaddy and a handful of other business owners (he owns Once Upon a Tile and Traders of the Lost Arts, both in West Fitchburg) have really gotten it moving in the last few months.

Finally, Kaddy took over getting the holiday lights up in the Upper Common. He rounded up volunteers, including some companies that provided bucket trucks while others donated food and a warm spot on a cold day. It might not have happened without Kaddy's crew, and if it did, it would have cost the city perhaps thousands more.

While councilors do a ton of stuff behind the scenes for their neighborhoods and individual residents, and some make sure they get plenty of air time during council meetings, Kaddy's work in the last year has been creative (downtown walks), important (Fitchburg First), and significantly community-supportive (the holiday lights). He's had a notable -- and noteworthy -- impact this year.