The Chelmsford Farmers Market 2013 seasons opens Thursday, June 20th! Vendors from the local area and beyond can be found on the Chelmsford Town Common every Thursday from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., through October 3rd.

This year will see at least 30 vendors (the most in the market's history!), with possibly more later in the season.

Anyone interested in having their own tent at the Market, volunteering, or providing entertainment, please email chelmsfordfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

You can also read more about the Market at http://chelmsfordfarmersmarket.blogspot.com and http://www.facebook.com/chelmsfordfarmersmarket, or find other area farmers markets.

The Town of Chelmsford is participating in Solarize Massachusetts, a program sponsored by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) that will allow residents and organizations to install solar panels to generate electricity at reduced prices.

A public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 12, 2013, at the Chelmsford Center for the Arts, at 7-9 pm, that will include presentations by MassCEC, local volunteers, and the installer selected by the Town and State, SolarFlair Energy.

This is an opportunity to ask questions about whether solar electric systems will work for a home or business. For more info contact Marc Grant at Solarize@TownofChelmsford.us, or 978-656-1353.

More information is also available on the Town's Solarize Chelmsford webpage.

There is a new pass available this summer - discount ferry passes to visit the Boston Harbor Islands.

It runs May through October, and is valid for weekdays only. It is a 2-for-1 ferry ticket coupon for up to 4 people (so, two people could go for the price of one, or eight people could go for the price of four, etc) - however, it is based on the availability to either Georges or Spectacle Islands (good for one island only).

The ferry boats are run by Boston Best Cruises, and schedules and fares are available online or you can call call 617-770-0040 to make a reservation. You must present the coupon at the ferry center at Long Wharf North on the Boston waterfront.

This pass (and discounts to many other area museums) is available on the library's website, or you can contact the Reference Desk at 978-256-5521 x211 to reserve it.

Library museum passes are provided by the Chelmsford Friends of the Library.

The Chelmsford Library recently became a FamilySearch affiliate library, which means patrons interested in genealogy have greater and more convenient access to the wealth of resources available through FamilySearch.org.

FamilySearch is the world's largest repository of free genealogical records, based in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. It has amassed billions of birth, marriage, death, census, land, and court records of genealogical significance from over 130 countries.

You can search the Family History Library Catalog online at FamilySearch.org to see available records and to order microfilm. There is a nominal fee of $7.50 to order a microfilm, which is then sent to the Chelmsford Library. Once the film arrives, patrons use the Chelmsford Library's microfilm reader to view it.

More genealogy research tools are available on the library's website. If you have any questions about FamilySearch or researching your family tree, please contact the Reference Desk at askus@mvlc.org or 978-256-5521 x211.

If you have any question about genealogy

The Chelmsford Water District recently published their Annual Customer Confidence Report for 2012, and it is available online as a PDF.

The report contains useful information concerning the water quality of Chelmsford, the makeup of public drinking water, health information, water and plumbing facts, and questions and answers about the Chelmsford Water District and Chelmsford drinking water. For instance:

Where Does My Water Come From?

The Chelmsford Water District customers are fortunate because we enjoy an abundant water supply from 19 sources. The Chelmsford Water District draws water from the Merrimack and Concord river basins. Our reservoirs hold one of the state’s largest capacities: 15 million gallons of water. Combined, our facilities provide roughly 1 billion gallons of clean drinking water each year.

The online version of the report is available on their website [pdf]. If you'd like a printed version, copies are available at the library or you can request one by contacting tmelanson@chelmsfordwater.com or 978-256-2381.