Community Corner

🌱 How Fitchburg’s holiday duck campaign ties into your cookie baking

Coming up on the Fitchburg Patch calendar: Fitchburg State Party

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Hello Fitchburg! Here's our latest buzz. Let's get into it. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How Fitchburg’s holiday duck campaign ties into your cookie baking
  • Why are some Fitchburg homes seeing brown water from their taps?
  • Which Fitchburg standouts just earned major D3 football honors?

Also on today's calendar: Annual Family Holiday Pops and 7 more events.

Find out what's happening in Fitchburgfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did one tuna say to the other after getting caught stealing files from work? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Fitchburgfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Thursday: Windy; a p.m. snow shower, with a high of 34 and low of 17 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
  • Friday: Mostly sunny, breezy and cold, temps: high: 31, low: 18.
  • Saturday: Times of clouds and sun, with a high of 35 and low of 19 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Family Recipe Box: Christmas Cookies (lowellsun.com) — Fitchburg is pushing a new “Focus Local” holiday campaign, complete with Caps the Duck visiting city businesses and an invitation for local owners to grab a mascot duck at City Hall. Alongside that, columnist Sally Cragin shares cookie-exchange tips and detailed recipes for festive Five Layer Bars and family-favorite Cragin Christmas Cookies.
   

2. Year-long Fitchburg construction has neighbors seeing red—and brown (boston25news.com) — Fitchburg residents near Oxford and Essex Streets are dealing with year-long sewer construction that’s turning their tap water brown and making it hard to get home. The city says the federally mandated project is stirring up sediment but tests show the water meets safety standards. Neighbors remain skeptical, investing in costly filters and worrying about health impacts until work wraps up, likely in March 2026.
   

3. Jones, Zaire McKnight earn All-Region honors (sentinelandenterprise.com) — Fitchburg football fans have reason to cheer as a local native and a current Fitchburg State grad student both earned D3football.com All-Region honors for standout seasons. Damien Jones, a former St. Bernard’s star, set rushing records at the University of New England, while Falcons cornerback Elijah Zaire McKnight was recognized for his ball-hawking defense and all-conference performance.
   

4. National Braille Press raises $400K at its ‘A Million Laughs for Literacy' gala (massnonprofit.org) — Fitchburg singer Lavender Darcangelo helped light up a major Boston fundraiser, performing at National Braille Press’s 20th “A Million Laughs for Literacy” gala at Fenway Park. The event raised over $400,000 to support braille books and materials for blind and low-vision readers, while honoring longtime co-chair Tom Sullivan and showcasing young braille reader David Ducasse.
   

5. These 10 Mass. cities are so affordable you can retire there on Social Security alone (masslive.com) — Fitchburg stands out as one of Massachusetts’ most affordable cities for retirees, with housing costs estimated at 40% to 50% below state averages. A new ranking highlights Fitchburg alongside other budget-friendly communities where Social Security can stretch further, thanks to lower home prices, utility costs, and access to discounted services for seniors.
   

📸 Around Fitchburg

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Open Mic Nights for stand up comedy where you can go into a place and sign a sheet an take the mic...
    an give the crowd the funny a go. Worst case i get on stage and a number of things could happen more than falling on my face but final destination… (Nextdoor Fitchburg/Leominster)
  • USPS said my envelope was delivered to my mailbox but it wasn't.
    Just wondering if any one recieved mail that was not theirs! It contains a Christmas ornament (nothing worth keeping if not yours) (Nextdoor Summer St)
  • Life Care Centers of America posted a job opening for Housekeeping Assistant in Fitchburg. Apply here.
  • Fitchburg Public Schools posted a job opening for SY 25 -26 ESL Teacher in Fitchburg. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Fitchburg here.

Ok Fitchburg! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I could get canned for this!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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