New to Bedford ~ Not quite everything you need to know, but close! (Even if you’ve lived here a while you might learn something)

Welcome to our new series, New to Bedford.

Bedford is a great place to live. There’s a lot to offer but it takes time to figure it out.  Here at The Bedford Citizen, we try to keep you informed on the day-to-day things but without any context, it might not be that helpful to a newcomer.

So, we’re trying to imagine ourselves with a house full of boxes, having just moved in.  What would we like to know?

First, a little shameless plug for some of our past work.  We have published “Bedford Guides” for 2020 and 2021,  before Covid touched on some of this.  Below is the link to both guides in digital format.  You can also pick up a print guide at the Library. (The guides are available in the Meeting Room of the Library during curbside hours. When the Library moves pickup outside again they will be on one of the tables (the target date for outside curbside is 4/5/2021)

Click Here The Bedford Guide 2020

Click Here The Bedford Guide 2021

First up: SNOWSTORM 

We got 17.5 inches of snow on Monday and Tuesday – What do I need to know?

First, school cancelations.  You can sign up for alerts on the Bedford Public School Site.

Department of Public Works (DPW.) Bedford has a richly deserved reputation for being one of the best-plowed towns in the state.  In fact, the DPW received a special commendation from the governor for their heroic efforts back in the blizzard of ‘78.  The Bedford DPW takes a lot of pride in its work.  If you have a concern, compliment, or question here’s a link to their website, Bedford Department of Public Works Winter Operations.

All right, with a lot of snow on the ground and no school, roads are taken care of, what should we do for fun?  We took a quick poll/search and came up with some good sites in Bedford and the adjacent towns.

SLEDDING, in Bedford and surrounding communities

Bedford

• Behind the Davis School – Davis Road.
• Town Center Building near the Skate Park behind the yellow building.

Burlington

• Simonds Park has a nice hill as well as the Marshall Simonds Middle School on Winn Street.

Concord

• Nashawtuc Hill on Nashawtuc Road has a pretty big hill.
• Concord-Carlisle High School has a few nice hills too.
• Punkatasset Hill on Monument Street is also popular.

Lexington

• Hayden Recreation Center, The hill you can see on Worthen Road but there is also parking on Lincoln Street.
• Pine Meadows Golf Course has a few nice hills, a bit of a trek to get in but some good hills.
• Tower Park on Massachusetts Avenue, near the entrance to Seasons Four.

Lincoln

• DeNormandie Dairy Farm on Trapelo Road in Lincoln

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING AND SNOWSHOEING

I reached out to the Bedford Trails committee for some recommendations:  Here’s what Mark Weinstein had to say: There are often good trails on Huckins Farm on the south side of Dudley Road. The trails can be accessed via “Cozy Lane” or the trailhead on Dudley near Emery Lane. Additional good trails are the narrow gauge railroad trail at Fawn Lake, heading toward Billerica, or the first portion of the Bedford-Concord railroad trail, from which there are side trails.

The biggest problem, in general, is these are all multi-use trails, and as more people walk on them, the less conducive to XC skiing.  Best to go within 1-2 days of any decent snowfall.

Michael Barbehenn also pointed me to the Bedford Trails Committee website where there are great maps for hiking/cross country skiing/hiking.  Click here for Trail Maps

The Bikeway Source on the corner of Railroad Avenue and South Road sells and services cross country skis but they do not rent them.  For rentals, the closest place I could find was the Weston Ski Track.

For downhill skiing the two closest are  Nashoba Valley Ski Area in Westford; they also have a snow tube park.  Wachusetts Mountain in Westminster, MA. 

SKATING

There are several ponds around town of various sizes and popularity.  Before you head out for a pond skate, a word of caution: Caution: Thin Ice ~ A Rescue at Fawn Lake, The Bedford Citizen January 21, 2021.  When the ice is safe, Fawn Lake is a popular spot.  

Also, of course, there is The Edge Sports Center on Hartwell Road with two rinks and an indoor turf field—there is a lot to keep you busy.  The Edge Sports Center of Bedford.

We hope you enjoy the series, and please let us know what else you would like to know.  As always one of the best ways to keep informed about what’s going on in town is to subscribe to The Bedford Citizen.