Thursday, May 16
Lend a helping hand
Have some time and want to help out South Coast communities?
The Friends of the Dartmouth Libraries will host a presentation about volunteering in South Coast towns from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Haskell Room at the Southworth Branch Library.
The talk will be given by Victoria Grasela, vice president of Marketing and Community Engagement at United Way of Greater New Bedford. 
Grasela will discuss how to search for volunteer opportunities using Volunteer SouthCoast, a free online database that connects volunteers with local opportunities.
Attendees are encouraged to pre-register by emailing vgrasela@unitedwayofgnb.org or by visiting unitedwayofgreaternb.org.

Friday, May 17
Welcoming Special Olympians
Dartmouth High School will host the 18th annual Special Olympics School Day Games from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The event will be held at the DYSA Soccer Field, 580 Russells Mills Road.
Roughly 500 Special Olympians from nine communities including Dartmouth will be in attendance.

Sunday, May 18
A learning adventure
Join Elements Learning Collaborative for its third annual Adventure Walk fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with 12:30 p.m. being the last course start time.
The collaborative is a nonprofit organization that provides children and families with nature-based education at Round the Bend Farm.
The adventure will take guests through a one-mile course at Round the Bend Farm, located at 92 Allens Neck Road in South Dartmouth.
The Adventure Walk coincides with Round the Bend’s Open Farm Day which offers a full farmers market, with produce, herbs, meats and more.
Those interested in donating or sponsoring can contact the organization via email elementslearning@gmail.com.

Flag Elm Street Cemetery
It’s that time of year again. With the Memorial Day holiday and accompanying parade and festivities drawing near, the town’s Veteran Services Office is seeking volunteers to help reflag the Elm Street Cemetery. 
The flagging will take place at 10 a.m. — rain or shine.

Thursday, May 23
Paddle in Padanaram
Join the Dartmouth Natural Resource Trust for a scenic paddle beginning in the Padanaram Harbor at the Arthur F. Dias Town Landing from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Attendees must bring their own kayak or paddleboard and must wear a life persevere and sign a waiver.
Register online now: https://dnrt.org/product/morning-paddle/

Importance of letters
UMass Dartmouth’s Claire T. Carney Library Associates will host its annual meeting featuring a lecture by Mel Yoken, UMass Dartmouth professor emeritus, at 4 p.m. in the Grand Reading Room. 
Yoken is known for his collection of letters from French authors of the 20th century, which he has shared in “A History of Letters.” The collection is housed at the John Hay Library on the Brown University campus.
Yoken’s collection began as a graduate student when he wanted to know more about the French authors he was studying and what their work meant to them. The authors took the time to respond, often in handwritten letters.
His lecture will cover the importance of documenting history through letters. 
The program is dedicated to the memory of the Associates’ namesake, Claire T. Carney, who died on March 24, 2024. 
The event is free and open to the public. Parking is available in Lot 13. Light refreshments will be served.

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