BOSTON (Standard&Poor's) Nov. 22, 2006--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services placed its underlying rating (SPUR) on Fitchburg, Mass.' GO debt on CreditWatch with negative implications. The CreditWatch placement reflects the increased uncertainty surrounding the city's cash and financial position arising from the city's unexpected recent issuance of RANs. Standard&Poor's is seeking additional information from the city to determine if the RAN issuance is a sign of further financial deterioration. Complete ratings information is available to subscribers of RatingsDirect, the real-time Web-based source for Standard&Poor's credit ratings, research, and risk analysis, at www.ratingsdirect.com. All ratings affected by this rating action can be found on Standard&Poor's public Web site at www.standardandpoors.com; under Credit Ratings in
