Pride and joy
Dedication ceremony for Fitchburg High School culminates years of
work
 By Andrienne Clark
 Staff Writer
 
FITCHBURG -- In a joyous ceremony that also left many people
misty eyed with nostalgia, the city paid a fond farewell to
the old Fitchburg High School Thursday night and dedicated
the new Fitchburg High School on Scripture Road.

A highlight of the program was a video presentation,
"Traditions of Excellence," featuring six decades of vintage
photos of the old high school, all taken from "The Boulder,"
the high school yearbook, and accompanied by a recording of
Frank Sinatra singing the nostalgic, "Our Town."

The celebration in the auditorium of the new school also
heralded the facility's completion as marking a new era for
the city.

"We are indeed finalizing a city project that I believe must
be one of the most significant events in the city of
Fitchburg in this century," said Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Philip M. Fallon.

"Because the school has been built, it already has made a
difference in this city. Take a look at your homes. Ask your
real estate agent. They will tell you your home is worth
more," Dr. Fallon said.

The new high school will attract young families to the
city. They will come here, Dr. Fallon said, because
Fitchburg is an educational center where their children can
get an education all the way from "kindergarten through
college."

The city built a state-of-the-art school because "50 years
from today, students will enjoy technology we cannot even
imagine," said Mayor Mary H.  Whitney.

"The city of Fitchburg is once again standing by our youth,"
the mayor said. She urged the students to "take advantage of
all the knowledge offered you and use it to the best of your
ability to make the right decisions."

The evening was a moment when those who had labored for 15
years, first to convince city residents and leaders to build
a new high school and then to help them plan it, were
recognized for their efforts.

Lenny R. Laakso, chairman of the Fitchburg High School
Building Committee for six years, was presented with a
Fitchburg High School chair in appreciation of his
efforts. Mayor Whitney presented Dr. Fallon with a plaque
commending him for "leadership, dedication and
determination" to have a school built.

Dr. Fallon was "the catalyst behind the project" and the
person "who makes the system go," said Fitchburg High School
Principal Bernard J. Welch, who served as master of
ceremonies for the event.

In his remarks, Dr. Fallon acknowledged the efforts of many
people who had helped with the planning. They included
Arnold and Howard Sumner, whose farm was acquired by the
city as the site for the school.

William Gates, who was chairman of the Site Committee,
introduced the members of Advocates for Better Community
Schools, a group organized in 1990 to lead the fight for the
high school building project.

Fitchburg High School students and alumni played prominent
roles in the program. The Fitchburg High School concert
band, directed by Paul Morey, and the concert choir,
directed by Ruth Lew, were applauded enthusiastically. The
band opened the program with "Cape Fear Chronicles," by
Robert Sheldon. The band was joined by the Fitchburg High
School Alumni Band for the closing numbers, "Roll Stone
Marches" from "Raging River Rolling Stone," a work composed
expressly for Fitchburg by Princeton University composer
Barbara A. White. The work was funded by a Continental
Harmony Grant and sponsored by R.E.A.C.H. Fitchburg, a
consortium organized to promote downtown Fitchburg.

Band members Michelle Barrett and Isaac Narbonne sang the
"Star Spangled Banner." The concert choir sang "Simply
Alleluia" by Donald Moore, and "One Brick at a Time," from
"Barnum," by Cy Coleman and M. Stewart. Soloist Michelle
Yang received a special round of applause for her
performance.

Students wearing gray shirts with the Fitchburg High School
insignia served as guides and greeters. Justin Tousignant,
president of the class of 2001, on behalf of the students,
thanked the city "for giving us such a wonderful gift."

The United States and state flags that will stand in the
auditorium were carried by the Fitchburg Fire Department
Color Guard. Dr. Paul Cochrane of the class of 1947
presented a U.S. flag that had been flown over the Capitol
in Washington, D.C., to the school for the flag pole outside
near the entrance. The new Fitchburg High School flag was
presented by Arthur Newcombe on behalf of the alumni.





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