All posts by Brian Herzog
Chelmsford Police Department: The SafeWatch Program
The Chelmsford Police is offering their SafeWatch Program, to help family members and caregivers of members of our community who may have conditions that cause them to wander, be unsafe, or pose a danger either to themselves or to others.
The Chelmsford Police is working to identify those individuals and their caretakers so that they can respond to crisis situations in a knowledgeable manner and ensure the proper steps are taken to protect the safety of the individual and others who may become involved.
Family members, caretakers, and friends are encouraged to make use of this program by completing the form (below) and meeting with Officer Jennifer Bellissimo to discuss the specifics of the form so that the most accurate information is available. This is a free, voluntary, and confidential program that is designed to better equip emergency personnel when responding to a crisis situation. The information is not for general release.
The form is available below both as a Word document and as a PDF file. If you’d like to enroll in the program, please fill out the form and submit it to the Chelmsford Police Department. A letter from the CPD explaining the program is also below.
- SafeWatch Program Form [Word Document]
- SafeWatch Program Form [PDF File]
- SafeWatch Program Letter [PDF File]
For general questions or concern, please contact Officer Jennifer Bellissimo at jbellissimo@townofchelmsford.us or 978-256-2521 x148.
Chelmsford Center Village Master Plan
Chelmsford’s Center Village Master Plan Committee has released the latest version of plan. It is a comprehensive vision of what Chelmsford’s Center Village could be, with better public access, scenic walkways, more parking.
Copies of the plan will be available at the Main Library and at the MacKay Branch – look for a display in the Main Library soon, too!
Read more in the Chelmsford Independent, or click the image below to see highlights of the plan: (PDF)
New Library StoryWalk at Sunny Meadow
To help celebrate Chelmsford Winterfest 2014, the library installed a new StoryWalk at Sunny Meadow.
This time, the StoryWalk is the entire story of The Emperor Lays an Egg, by Brenda Z. Guiberson. All of the pages have been laminated and placed on sign posts along the trail, so kids and adults alike can read the story as they hike the trail.
Even if you didn’t make it to Sunny Meadow during Winterfest, don’t worry – the StoryWalk will be up for the next few months, so enjoy it whenever you can (and however many times you like!).
This StoryWalk is located at Sunny Meadow Community Garden, at the end of Robin Hill Road near Route 27/Kate’s Corner in South Chelmsford.
View StoryWalk at Sunny Meadow in a larger map
Thank you for the Friends of the Library for funding our StoryWalk project, and to the COSS volunteers for their work in the field. Also, thanks to Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT, for coming up with the original StoryWalk idea!
Celebrate Chelmsford Winterfest 2014, Jan 31-Feb2
Come out and enjoy winter with Chelmsford Winterfest!
There are a variety of events around town this year, with both traditional Winterfest events and new activities. This year, the kick-off event is:
Friday, 5:30 -7:30 p.m. – Friday Night Lights: Night Snow Shoeing or Walk at Russell Mill Forest
Join the Chelmsford Conservation Commission for a special edition of “Friday Night Lights.” We will meet at the main parking lot of Russell Mill Soccer Fields (105 Mill Road) at 5:30 p.m. and break into groups to explore the town conservation land. Different groups will allow everyone to participate, from a slow, leisurely walk to challenging trails at a moderate pace. Please bring a flashlight or headlamp and your own snowshoes or boots. This event is free and family-friendly.
From there, the weekend of low temperatures and high fun winds its way through a family movie night, ice skating, farmers’ market, walks, photograph contest, stories, dancing, and lots of great food.
To conclude Chelmsford Winterfest 2014 in style, join us from 2:00 – 4:00 pm at the main library:
Exhibit/Reception and a WinterFest Sunday Social to kick off “One Book Chelmsford”
Stop in to the Library on Sunday. The Cultural Council will be holding a reception for the Photography exhibit. Winners of the Photography Contest will be announced. Music by the Washington Calvo Duo and refreshments. Enjoy art and conversation and pick up a copy of the 2014 One Book title, The Art Forger. Check the Library’s website for details on the One Book program.
Check out https://www.chelmsfordlibrary.org/winterfest/ for a full listing of events, locations, and sponsors – and be sure to get out, enjoy the cold, and have fun with your neighbors!
Volunteer as an Election Day Official
The Town Clerk of Chelmsford, Onorina Maloney, is recruiting residents to preserve the democratic process by helping out on election day.
We are looking for vibrant, energetic individuals who are interested in participating in the most important democratic exercise: elections!
We are hoping to attract sharp individuals who enjoy following rules and upholding the law, as well as, respecting the process in aiding all individuals celebrate their right to vote. We are looking for workers to check in and out, greeters and ballot box attendants. We are also eager to sign up several Wardens and Clerks. The Warden and Clerks roles are quite critical and this is where attention to detail, tact and impeccable people skills are a must.
If you know individuals who can commit a few days per year, plus some fun training, please send them our way.
I guarantee you, here in Chelmsford we do elections in a super FUN way and are PROUD of it!
Thank you for your gracious assistance.
Gratefully,
Onorina Z. Maloney, CMMC
Town Clerk
Volunteers can download and fill out the Election Worker Profile Sheet [pdf] and turn it into the Town Clerk’s office:
Office Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4 pm
Town of Chelmsford
50 Billerica Road
Chelmsford, MA 01824
Phone: 978.250.5205
Fax: 978.250.5208
omaloney@townofchelmsford.us
http://www.townofchelmsford.us/Town-Clerk.cfm
Thank you to everyone who performs this civic duty! For more election information, please visit the Town’s Voter Information webpage.
Submit Your Entry for the 18th Annual Chelmsford Photography Contest
The Annual WinterFest Photography Contest, sponsored by the Chelmsford Cultural Council, is now accepting entries!
There are three categories – professional, amateur and student. Cash prizes will be awarded for winners in each category, and there will be a “Peoples’ Choice” award as well.
Entries will be on exhibit at the main library for the month of February. Join us for refreshments and music at the WinterFest opening reception on Sunday, February 2nd from 2-4 p.m., where the Photography Contest winners will be announced. The recipients of 2014 Mass Cultural Council LCC grants will be recognized as well.
The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014. To submit an entry and find out more about the contest rules, print and return the entry form [pdf], or pick up an entry form at the Reference Desk.
Early Christmas Gift for the Library
The Chelmsford Library received an early Christmas gift this week.
Nick Arena, 2013 CHS grad gave us in 2 lovely handcrafted benches for the Children’s Room. Nick made these benches out of the wood of the old purple beech tree from the Chelmsford Common.
He said that since the tree was originally planted by school children, he wanted to bring the benches to the Library for the kids of Chelmsford to enjoy. Nick, currently a freshman at UMass Amherst studying civil engineering, said that he wanted to thank two of his teachers at the high school, Matt Bartos and Doug Greenfield, for the idea and the inspiration.
Here’s a photo of Nick with the benches – look for them in the Children’s Room the next time you’re in the library.
The workmanship and character of the wood is wonderful – you can even seen evidence of the disease that ultimately was the purple beech tree’s demise. These benches are a great way to keep the history of Chelmsford alive.
Thank You Nick!
The Library’s Chelmsford Authors Collection
Did you know the library has a collection of books written by local authors?
In the past, the library has accepted donations from local authors to help get their work read, and highlighted these works in our “Local Author” section. However, sometimes books by well-known local authors have ended up in the regular collection, so we’re rewriting our policy to help showcase the breadth of Chelmsford talent.
We’ve renamed our “Local Author” section to be “Chelmsford Authors,” and will include in the section a copy of books written by authors with a connection to Chelmsford. This could be that they live or work here, were born here, graduated from Chelmsford schools, or other strong connection. We’re limiting the books in this section to just authors with a Chelmsford connection, because the prevalence of online print-on-demand services make it so easy for anyone to publish a book. We’ll still accept donations from non-Chelmsford authors, and those titles will be incorporated into our regular collection. Read our full policy here.
Items in the “Chelmsford Authors” section will get a special spine label so they’re easily identified, will be shelved together in the “Chelmsford Authors” section (in the New Book Room), and will get a special note in their catalog record.
If you have any questions about the Chelmsford Authors Collection, check with the Readers Advisory desk at 978-256-5521 x134 or email Christine Sharbrough at csharbrough@mvlc.org. If you are a Chelmsford Author and would like to have your work added to our collection, or be involved with our annual Local Authors showcase, contact Kathy Cryan-Hicks at kcryanhic@mvlc.org or 978-256-5521 x109.
Our Catalog is Now Mobile-Friendly!
Our Evergreen catalog underwent a software update this weekend. Most of the changes were fixes to staff functionality, but one change that should benefit patrons is a new mobile-friendly design.
The new catalog is implements “responsive design” coding. This means that the website “responds” to the size of the screen on which it is being viewed. For instance, if you’re browsing our catalog on a big desktop computer monitor, it should look just like it used to.
However, if you’re using your mobile phone to browse the catalog, it will detect you’re using a device with a small screen, and change the layout to fit better. A mobile device version of the catalog will look like this:
You can try it for yourself, even without a mobile device. Just visit our catalog and then slowly shrink the size of your web browser window. You’ll see the catalog reconfigure itself to fit different size screens.
All of the functionality of the full catalog should still be available in the different sizes, although buttons and information may be in different places. If you have any questions about the catalog, please contact the Reference Desk.
Book Review: Melt: the art of macaroni and cheese
Have you read Melt: the art of macaroni and cheese, by Stephanie Stiavetti & Garrett McCord yet? It was recently added to the library’s collection, and here’s a review from the publisher:
A cookbook that reinvents the American classic, macaroni and cheese, with gourmet ingredients, handcrafted artisan cheeses, and unique flavor combinations.
MELT: THE ART OF MACARONI AND CHEESE is the first book to marry the American standard, macaroni and cheese, with handcrafted artisan cheeses and a wide array of pastas, producing dishes that are both classic and chic. Home cooks of all levels will be encouraged to incorporate fresh, simple ingredients into the everyday comfort food they know and love. Featuring such unexpected and delicious combinations as Beecher’s Flagship Cheddar with Avocado, Lime, and Shell Pasta; Drunken Goat, Fennel, Edamame, Mint, and Rotini; and Pumpkin Stuffed with Fontina, Italian Sausage, and Macaroni, MELT takes mac and cheese out of the box and elevates it to a level that will delight even the most sophisticated palates.
With gorgeous color photography throughout, MELT is a compendium of inventive recipes that will add a fresh twist to the family dinner or play a starring role at your next dinner party.