The construction in Chelmsford is part of Phase One of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, which will ultimately go through the communities of Lowell, Chelmsford, Westford, Carlisle, Acton, Concord, Sudbury and Framingham. Phase One starts at the Lowell/Chelmsford line near Cross Point, and will follow the old rail line through Chelmsford Center to the the intersection of Routes 27 and 225 in Westford.

Construction information and trail maps are available on the Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail website. They also have planning information for the rest of the trail, and a link to the MassHighway project website which reports on construction status. This Friends group has been working on the trail with State and Local officials for many years, and is always open to new members.

A recent Boston Globe article outlined some of the issues surrounding the trail. There have also been many articles in the Chelmsford Independent and the newspapers of other communities along the line. And to see exactly where the trail will go, there is an interactive map available that overlays the trail route on street maps and aerial photography.

Phase One of the trail is scheduled to be completed in August 2009. Visit the Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail website for more information.

Blazing Horns / Tenor in Roots by Tommy McCook (Blood & Fire Limited)
Saxophonist Tommy McCook, who died in 1998, was one of the founders of the Skatalites. This disc actually combines two LP’s from different periods in McCook’s career. He is backed up by the famous session duo of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare on many of the tracks.

Alpha Boys’ School: Music in Education (Trojan)
An interesting compilation of tracks by musicians who attended the school in Kingston, Jamaica, including Don Drummond, Lester Sterling (who is still in the present incarnation of The Skatalites), Rico Rodriguez, and Tommy McCook. The first few cuts are mainstream jazz, while the majority of the selections are ska.

Studio One Scorcher (Soul Jazz)
Downbeat the Ruler: Killer Instrumentals from Studio One (Heartbeat)
Two very good compilations of ska and reggae. The sound quality on Downbeat the Ruler is surprisingly clean. Be sure to tie down your sub-woofers; the bass is thundering.

Trojan Rude Boy Box Set (Trojan)
Trojan Skinhead Reggae Box Set (Trojan)
More of the inexpensive 3-disc compilations that Trojan is famous for. Rude boy and skinhead reggae were offshoots of ska. Rude boy is considered a form of rocksteady, while skinhead reggae, as its name implies, grew out of the British working-class sometime between the Mods (think Quadrophenia) and punk. The late 70’s saw a revival of sorts with the British bands, Madness, The Selecter, and The Specials. Nowadays, most of us think of skinheads as right-wing xenophobes, but that isn’t always the case. See Wikipedia’s entry on skinheads for more information.

For more ska and rocksteady, try these discs:

This Is Ska! (Music Club)
This Is Ska Too! (Music Club)
Trojan Ska Box Set (Trojan)
Trojan Rocksteady Box Set (Trojan)

In addition to books, the Library has movies on DVD and VHS, books and music on CD, cassette, Playaway, and downloadable audio files, computer games, newspaper and magazines in print and online, internet access, passes to local museums and parks, programs and events for kids and adults, and a lot more - and it’s all free!

A writer for The Consumerist came up with a list of 7 Ways Your Public Library Can Help You During A Bad Economy, even if you’re not a big reader. Also, National Public Radio recently aired a story on how Libraries Shine In Tough Economic Times, and how people can benefit from libraries now more than ever.

If you’re looking for something to do, or help with a question, or just a cool place to spend some time, check out the library.

This week’s performance by InkasWasi, brought to life the color of Peruvian culture, through their costumes, songs and dance. Check out some photos from past concerts to be part of the fun.

There are three more concerts scheduled for this summer:

• July 30 - Mariachi Mexamerica - songs of their colorful culture Guadalajara, Mexico
• Aug 6 - Jolly Kopperschmidts - traditional German music in ‘oom pa’ fashion complete in lederhosen
• Aug 13 - ContraBanditos - New England Contra, Barn Dance, Celtic, Old Time Fiddle and contemporary

All performances start at 6:30 p.m., and are held outside at the MacKay Library - in case of bad weather, performances are moved indoors at the Chelmsford Senior Center.

For more information and a complete schedule, please visit http://www.chelmsfordlibrary.org/programs/programs/world_wide_wednesdays.html. This program is supported by the Chelmsford Friends of the Library with technical support from the Music Academy of Chelmsford.

ChelmsfordVolunteers.org is a website designed to bring together people who are willing to lend a hand within the community with those organizations who have a need for volunteers.

The Chelmsford Library developed and sponsors it, but ChelmsfordVolunteers.org is really for the community to use and maintain. Organizations can submit their information and volunteer needs, and adults and teens of the town and search to find volunteer opportunities that fit their interests and abilities.

ChelmsfordVolunteers.org is actually two tools in one. First there is a calendar of upcoming events, at which people can volunteer their time. These can range from helping out at the Friends of the Library’s book sale to setting up for the Lowell Folk Festival, and be for one hour at a time or an ongoing weekly schedule.

The second component is the Community Information Database, which is sponsored by the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC). This database lists non-profit groups from all over the Merrimack Valley, and includes contact names and information, description of purpose, meeting times, and more.

If you’re a volunteer, check out ChelmsfordVolunteers.org to find the volunteer opportunity that is right for you.

If you’re an organization and would like to have your group and events listed, please use the event submission form or organization update form. Or, contact Kathy Cryan-Hicks at the Library at kcryanhic@mvlc.org or 978-256-5521 x109 with questions.