Northeastern = Fitchburg?

A most excellent winter of Northeastern University sports reaches one of its high points tonight when the Huskies tussle with Boston University in the finals of the Beanpot.

NU has had an excellent winter on the ice, leading Hockey East as late as I can remember in the last 20 years, and ranked No. 3 in the country. In hoops, the Huskies are in first place in the Colonial Athletic Conference, and are in the mix for a NCAA tourney berth. It would be the first trip back to the tourney since 1991.

Tonight, NU goes up against BU, and one of two things are going to happen. NU is going to get smoked, or everyone is going to walk out of the building thinking they just saw one of the best hockey games they’ve ever seen. BU isn’t going to get blown out. It isn’t going to be a 4-1, 5-2 kind of boring game. Blowout or nail-biter.

The funny thing is, for Northeastern fans, this excellent hockey ride now reaches an apex, and we’re scared to death. Everyone’s talking up the Huskies, and that makes us nervous. NU hasn’t won the Beanpot since 1988, so most of the NU people I know have never enjoyed a late night at Punter’s Pub celebrating the championship. After 21 years, we’ve been conditioned to expect the worst on one of the first two Mondays in February, especially when BU is involved.

BU, of course, is the Darth Vader of the Beanpot. (And that’s being generous. I can’t put into words how much I dislike BU, and “dislike” is charitable.) They’ve won half the time, and are a very tough out the other half. They will bring they A game tonight. They are beatable. But the Northeastern folk will have to see it to believe it.

However, tonight, we have hope. Perhaps the most hope going into a Beanpot final in 21 years. Since 1988 the Huskies have been in the final a handful of times, and each time they were the significant underdog. This is the first time in 21 years they have a realistic chance of winning this thing. While Northeastern fans and alumni are excited and looking forward to tonight, we’re holding a piece back because we know there’s a good chance that embarrassment or heartache is three periods away. We want to drink all the cheap Punter’s beer we possibly can tonight, but we know we must put up an insulator before we get there. It’s better to say “I thought this might happen,” than sit and watch in horror -- again -- as it goes down the way it always has.

In a lot of ways, rooting for the Huskies is like living in Fitchburg. The news has so bad for so long, that you don’t want to embrace the good. Destare moves downtown? Great, but it will be gone within a year. CoCo Key? Nice, another place for the dirty kids to go swim and pee in the water. Industrial development along Airport Road? Fine, but who really wants to move a business there?

And so goes. After riding out bad years like bad teams, or watching potential squandered, Fitchburg residents are conditioned – like Northeastern fans – to expect the worst. Even when something looks good, we expect it to go bad

Fitchburg has started to build itself back up in recent years, but there’s still a long way to go. Re-creating a city is a lot harder and bigger job than rebuilding a hockey program. Tonight, Northeastern goes into the Beanpot final with a chance – a good chance – to restore that faith and announce its return to prominence. For a Northeastern fan living in Fitchburg, a win tonight will illustrate that, yes, good things can happen, even in places where all hope seems lost.

Is tonight the night? I don’t know. But I hope so. Is now the time for Fitchburg? I don’t know, but I hope so. A Husky win tonight does nothing for Fitchburg, except stand as an example that rebuilding can happen, even in the face of giant obstacles, and it’s OK to hope for and want success.

One more thing: BU sucks.

Fitchburg in USA Today

As part of a series of stories looking at the presidential campaign in each state, USA Today features Fitchburg today.

Nothing overly new to folks who live here. But it's always interesting to see how someone dropped into the city out of nowhere looks at Fitchburg.

Fitchburg: The New Providence

So says the Providence Journal, maybe.

The View from Ward 4

So this is the infamous Ward 4. Worst crack house in the city at one time. What a fine old Victorian girl she is now with her grand stairway and polished wood floors. A few scattered burn marks from crack pipes remind one of the darkest days in her provenance, now an interesting detail to relate to visitors. This old gal stands as a flagship of the vision and hard work of the folks who rehabbed and restored her four years ago - long before the current Ward 4 councilor came upon the scene and into this neighborhood. If he had only seen it before the turnaround efforts began his mindset might have been far more positive.

From a cozy spot I look out on a panorama many don't realize exists here - the view begins at the South, and from here one can see the city on the South and countryside to the West . The former high school, now Academy, was built during the WPA days, what a blessing those work projects were to unemployed skilled craftsmen, and what a legacy they gave us in return. I am reminded by this tremendous stonework and masonry that Fitchburg has seen tough times before, and like then, she will rise again to shine as only this unique, diverse city can.

The historic churches with green tarnished steeples that have married and buried friends, loved ones and ancestors ... the hustle and bustle of downtown... It must have been something to see the first motorcars sharing the streets with the trolleys ... To the Southwest and due West are Laurel Hill, Rollstone Hill, Mount Wachusett in the distance, and finally the long straight ridge of Alpine Hill that seems to go on forever until it's out of my view.

The twinkling lights of the radio towers on Alpine Hill bring a rush of memories of my first days in New England, pulling transmitter duty babysitting and maintaining the huge AM and FM transmitters that were not just a primary source of entertainment, but of vital news, fire alerts so dreaded in those days when the mills and factories were in full operation, neighbors swapping personal goods long before Craig's List was a concept or possibility. Those towers and keeping those transmitters on the air - that was our lifeline in those days. Watergate and Hank Aaron, Gene LaVerne. Funny the memories that can be triggered by blinking red lights.

It's after 11 PM and other than an occasional car driving by and the ticking of the mantle clock, there isn't a sound.

Some days I hear kids laughing and talking when they sit on the stone wall out front, and in the melodic tinkle of their laughter I return briefly to those twelve year old days with Rosemary, giggling while discussing schoolgirl (and boy) "crushes", and I smile, comforted that life is indeed a circle, L'dor V'dor - generation to generation.

Some Saturdays or Sundays there is loud music for a couple of hours, and it's rhythmic, melodious, and musical ... not the foul obscene offensive racket that came from the cars in the FSC neighborhood. Accompanying the music are laughter and happy shouts of loud, demonstrative families celebrating another birthday or just celebrating the day. It smells and sounds delicious, this blending of cultures.

There are brown people in this neighborhood, and tan ones, and pale ones like me. There are languages I do not understand, and languages I speak. Color and flavor, scent and music, and the joy of living each day to its fullest ... that's all present up here in Ward 4.

What I haven't heard is a gunshot or a fight or obscene boom boom "music." What I haven't seen are drug deals or hookers or anything or anyone that has made me feel threatened or uncomfortable.

This neighborhood stands as a testament - an example of what happens when one person at a time takes on the challenge of revitalization and rehabilitation. And it stands as a testament to the turnaround that's possible with the cooperation of residents and a caring police department.

Chief Cronin should come visit sometime just to share the view from the top of Ward 4. It's a good place with lots of promise and potential. The turnaround has already begun. The time to tear down has ended. The time to build is at hand.

Shalom