Well, two big events are now behind us, what we like to call our “Halloween events,” and we have a few days’ break before we start the “Thanksgiving events.” I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what happened and how it all came together.

Chelmsford doesn’t have a full recreation department like many surrounding towns do, so it’s the residents and community groups who organize most of the events you see. These events don’t have large budgets or resources behind them, but what they do have is a tremendous amount of heart.

Whether it’s a trunk-or-treat, a small neighborhood Halloween parade, or a party and movie night in one of the old town halls, Chelmsford residents have figured out how to make things happen with just a few dollars and a lot of creativity.

Bill Edge / Deep Brook Reservation – 2025 Update The Bill Edge, also known as Deep Brook Reservation, sits quietly at 214 Dunstable Road in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts. This fifteen-acre property is mostly woodland and wetlands, centered around the twisting waters of Deep Brook. Despite its modest size, it is full of character, history, and […]

With the weather too cold for painting, our weekend work will shift to clearing the old silage pit at Koulas Farm. The pit sits just to the left of “Big Red” and is about 40 feet long. It’s only a few feet deep with gently sloped sides, making it a perfect and safe place for […]

Blanchard’s Meadow has been part of Chelmsford’s agricultural landscape since before 1671. For centuries, it functioned as a managed hay meadow with shallow ditches and channels designed to carry away excess surface water while keeping the soil moist and productive. These drainage systems were maintained by local farmers and community members and remained in use until the year the Town of Chelmsford acquired the property.

One of the most interesting features of Koulas Farm is its long, historic, and original dry-stacked stone walls. Once all the vines and brush are removed, the walls will be carefully restored and maintained to keep alive the traditional skills used in stone wall building and to preserve a visible link to the town’s agricultural […]

Ten years ago Town Meeting voted to try a different type of agriculture lease at Sunny Meadow Farm. The goal was long term thinking. Maple trees grown in a plantation style orchard take close to a decade before they can be tapped, so the town approved a ten year lease to make it possible. Like many experimental ideas, the timeline was interrupted by Covid delays and the process stretched out. Instead of tapping at year eight, the first real tapping will now happen this winter in year ten.

Well, it is the first work party at Koulas and I am excited to get back out there and make a difference. From all the prep work, the site is in good shape and this should be a great start. I would expect low exposure to ticks today which means good walking conditions if people stay on the main routes. Someone shared photos that deer have returned to the meadow which is a very good sign. There is also a very large coyote in the area and one was seen on Lantern Lane last night. So please make sure your dogs are always leashed on this site. This is required on all town land and especially important at Koulas.

What is going on at Wright is actually pretty simple. For as long as I have been in town, kids have been riding up and down the powerline trails on ATVs and dirt bikes. They always have and probably always will. Gates and No Trespassing signs do not make much difference. It has been part of the landscape there for years.

Today was another great E-Recycle Day, hosted by the Center School PTO and the McCarthy Middle School PTO. This is one of those events that really shows what community looks like in Chelmsford. The funds raised go right back into local PTO programs that support students and teachers, so every old TV, laptop, and toaster dropped off helps make a difference.

Yesterday’s work party at Koulas Farm gave me a chance to introduce some very old technology to new users. This wasn’t for a history lesson or nostalgia, it was because this technology just works, and it works well.