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US Senate Special Election: Jan 19, 2009

The special election to fill the Senate seat formerly held by Edward Kennedy will be Tuesday, January 19th, 2009. This is the day after the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, so please remember to vote on Tuesday.

Polls will be open 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM

The candidates are:

• Scott Brown, Republican (view website)
• Martha Coakley, Democrat (view website)
• Joseph L. Kennedy, Libertarian (view website)
• Boston.com has more information on each candidate and their debates

The Town of Chelmsford's voter information webpage has the list of polling locations [pdf] and the precinct list by street [pdf]. For more information, residents should contact the Town Clerk's office.

US Senate Special Election

The Special Election to fill the Senate seat formerly held by Edward Kennedy begins with the primary elections on December 8th. The general election will be held on January 19th.

An article in the Chelmsford Independent reviews the candidates and their positions.

The Town of Chelmsford has a special election website, with links to registration information, a request for an absentee ballot [pdf], and a specimen ballot [pdf]. The Town's voter information webpage has the list of polling locations [pdf] the precinct list by street [pdf].

For more information, residents can contact the Town Clerk's office.

2009 Flu Shots and Resources

It's flu season again. And this year, in addition to the seasonal flu, the government is also making available resources to help combat the H1N1 flu.

Flu Shots
The Chelmsford Board of Health is sponsoring a seasonal flu shot clinic. The shots will be given at:

Chelmsford Senior Center
Route 40, North Chelmsford
Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009
2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
-- More information [pdf] --

Another list of area flu shots is available on the Massachusetts Public Flu Clinic Finder website:

• Flu shots in Chelmsford
• Flu shots in Lowell
• See other towns

General Information
A lot of resources exist to answer questions and provide tips on how to stay healthy this flu season. Here are some of the most useful:

• http://www.flu.gov - official Federal resource
• http://www.mass.gov/flu - official State resource
• Fall 2009 - Flu Guidance for Schools [doc] - MA Dept. of Public Health
• H1N1 Fact Sheet [pdf] - MA Dept. of Public Health
• More resources from Chelmsford Public Schools

Basic Tips to Stay Healthy
And as always, remember to practice these three simple tips this season:

1. Cover your cough
2. Wash your hands
3. Stay home if you're sick

The Library is Going Solar

Early next week, crews will begin installing solar panels on the roof of the Library!

As reported in April in the Chelmsford Independent, the Town chose to install solar panels on the Library not only to save money, but also to help inform the public on the benefits of solar energy. The article quoted Chelmsford Director of Public Facilities Gary Persichetti saying,

"We decided to go with the library because [panels] will also be a teaching tool. People will go there and look at them. It’s also the perfect building because the library is currently doing seminars on energy conservation."

And thanks to grants and rebates from National Grid, state and federal sources, the cost for the Town is exceptionally low. Usually, solar panels take at least 5 years to pay for themselves. However, the Library's 47 solar panels will start providing a cost savings during the very first year.

Installation is scheduled to being on October 13th, and expected to last a few weeks (depending on weather). The panels themselves are designed to last 30 years, but the Library is getting started right away with educational programming. The Clean and Green program series continues on November 7th with a Home Energy Savings Seminar, and more events will follow.

After the solar panels are installed, the Library will have a public kiosk with energy-related information, featuring real-time information on how the solar panels are doing. The display will indicate how much energy the panels are producing, the temperature on the roof, and other statistics.

For more information on the solar panels or energy conservation, please contact the Library's Reference Desk at askus@mvlc.org or 978-256-5521 x211.

UPDATE 1/10/09: Check out photos and specifications of our system at http://www.chelmsfordlibrary.org/library_info/solar.html

Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Opens August 29th, 2009

After more than 20 years of waiting and planning, the 6.8-mile section of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail from Cross Point Towers in Lowell to Route 225 in Westford will open on Saturday, August 29!

Details for Saturday, August 29, 2009

• 10:00 a.m. - Ribbon Cutting and Cake Cutting Celebration, Old Town Hall & Chelmsford Common
• 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. - Trail Activities, including a barbecue (with hot dogs, hamburgers, and soft drinks, for $1 each) at Agway on Maple Road in South Chelmsford

Parking
Parking for the event will be available in Chelmsford Center at Old Town Hall and the Sovereign Bank municipal parking lot, and at Byam School on Maple Road in South Chelmsford.

The ceremony will be held rain or shine. For more information, visit http://www.brucefreemanrailtrail.org/ribboncutting , check out the trail map, or read the Chelmsford Independent article and Boston Globe article.

UPDATE 8/28/09:

Despite the forecast of rain, the celebration of the opening of the first section of the trail will take place on Saturday, August 29 as scheduled. All of the festivities will be moved indoors to Chelmsford's Old Town Hall which sits across Route 4 from the common. The celebration will start promptly at 10 am.

Come enjoy the cake, ice cream, free water bottles, and the camaraderie of the many who have looked forward to the beginning of the rail trail. Visit the 20 trail and community groups who will have booths inside Old Town Hall. Get your trail map so that you can enjoy the trail when it stops raining.