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News

Like them apples? Orchard shifts strategy amid drought, pandemic

As September matures and the last of the peaches, blueberries, and corn disappear from farm stands around the South Coast, apple season is just getting into gear. But Dartmouth residents may find a change at an old standby: instead of the...

One shell of a fundraiser: Grange sells lobster rolls to go

Dartmouth Week - Dartmouth, MA news
Each year, the Dartmouth Grange’s annual fair is not only a great way for residents to get together and celebrate rural Dartmouth, but it is also the fraternal organization’s biggest fundraising event of the year. Because of the pandemic, the fair...

Pandemic preparedness at Dartmouth Middle School

Schools are normally colorful, busy places, with artwork, maps, and educational posters on the walls and — of course — plenty of books. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, Dartmouth Public Schools staff have been left scrambling to clear out...

Road construction season

The Dartmouth Department of Public Works will be reconstructing many of Dartmouth’s roads thought the fall. The work will be done from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The following roads began construction Aug. 27 and will...

Dartmouth goes for Kennedy with high turnout in Sept. 1 primary

Despite the pandemic, nearly a third of registered Dartmouth voters cast their ballots in the Sept. 1 primary election that saw a hotly contested race for a US Senate seat — more than voted in the presidential primary on Super Tuesday in March. New...

Town Covid-19 cases remain low through August

As the number of coronavirus cases surpassed six million nationwide at the end of August, new Dartmouth cases have remained low through the summer with just four in the week ending Aug. 28, according to data provided by the town’s board of health...

Applicants sought for historical commission

The Dartmouth Historical Commission is seeking three new members. The Commission is charged by the commonwealth with preserving, protecting, and developing historic or archaeological assets of the town. From time to time, Commission members are also...

Land trust opens new reserve at Dike Creek

After nearly a year of preparation and with little fanfare, local land trust Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust officially opened its new Dike Creek Reserve on Bakerville Road earlier this month. According to a DNRT press release, the 77-acre...

UMass freshmen move in despite rain, Covid

Grey skies and an unusually quiet campus marked the annual freshmen move-in day at UMass Dartmouth on August 29, as the new first year students came to school on a staggered schedule to start off their college careers amid the Covid pandemic. Yellow...

Planning board suggests removing tree-damaged sidewalks

Dartmouth Week - Dartmouth, MA news
A number of Dartmouth’s sidewalks could be removed to comply with Americans With Disabilities Act requirements , as the Planning Board voted to recommend the changes at a meeting on Aug. 24. The decision came following a Department of Public Works...

UMass Dartmouth associate provost appointed to MassCEC board

UMass Dartmouth Associate Provost Dr. Ramprasad Balasubramanian (Ram Bala) was chosen as the UMass designee to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Board of Directors by UMass President Marty Meehan. Balasubramanian currently serves as the...

Learn to sort waste with interactive game and prize drawing

Ever held an item and wondered if it belongs in recycling, trash, or hazardous waste? Now there’s a game to help out. The Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District is introducing Ready Set Sort! Dartmouth’s Waste Sorting Game,...

Flu fighters: First drive-thru flu clinic in Dartmouth

Anyone passing by the high school earlier this week would have seen police, pharmacists, tents and traffic cones welcoming people to the first drive-thru flu clinic in Southeastern Massachusetts, according to Public Health Director Chris Michaud...

Easy peasy lemon squeezy: Lemonade Day goes ahead despite delays

When life gives you lemons, apply zest. Dartmouth kids took part in the Lemonade Day event this weekend to learn about entrepreneurship even amidst a pandemic. The annual nationwide event — which aims to teach children how to manage a business — was...

Road reconstruction announced

The Dartmouth Department of Public Works will be reconstructing portions of Flag Swamp Road from Aug. 24 through Sept. 18. The work will be done from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reconstruction will take place on Flag Swamp Road from Faunce Corner Road to...

Three open town positions filled, others remain vacant 

Town Hall will contain a few new faces this week as officials announced their selections for a handful of the town government’s vacant positions at a Select Board meeting on Aug. 24. Current town clerk’s office employee Kelly Thompson has accepted...

State Road improvements in the works

Frost heave repair and additional lighting are two improvements planned for Route 6 within the next few months, town officials stated at a Select Board meeting on Aug. 24. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will be undertaking work to...

Sheriff Hodgson speaks at RNC

Dartmouth Week - Dartmouth, MA news
Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson spoke on behalf of Massachusetts at the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina on Monday. During his brief appearance, Hodgson announced President Donald Trump had received all of the...

Salty dog: Sailor pup in Padanaram

All pet lovers will understand the appeal of bringing a canine companion along to relax on the water on a perfect summer’s day. And just like in the Jerome K. Jerome classic “Three Men in a Boat (to say nothing of the dog),” Dartmouth resident...

Early voting for September primary kicks off at Town Hall

Election season is underway as Dartmouth Town Hall opened its doors on Aug. 22 to residents for early voting in the Sept. 1 primary. There was no wait in the morning as a “steady stream” of voters made their way to the basement room 103 to exercise...

DPH finds health violations at Dartmouth jail

Dartmouth Week - Dartmouth, MA news
An infection control manual at the Bristol County House of Correction had no coronavirus-specific information — even as inmates were crowded in bunk beds, according to a Department of Public Health investigation. The Jun. 25 inspection was prompted...

Quack attack: Amid pandemic, annual duck derby floats on

Dartmouth Week - Dartmouth, MA news
Despite the setbacks of a challenging year, the Allens Pond Duck Derby made a splash for the 17th year in a row on Aug. 15. Normally, the annual fundraising race has a handful of spectators around to see the ducks released at Barney’s Joy. Because...

Up Dike Creek with a paddle: Land trust gets its feet wet

As the rain cleared on Wednesday evening, a group of almost a dozen people met up at Apponegansett Park to take part in a local land trust’s second post-pandemic event: a sunset kayak. Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust organized the paddle to visit...

Here's what the Council on Aging has planned for September

Although the Council on Aging has suspended its events, programs and classes at the senior center, it is still providing services to Dartmouth residents in need. Here are the COA services coming up for September. Council on Aging Newsletter...

Cumberland Farms worker tests positive for Covid

Dartmouth Week - Dartmouth, MA news
The Cumberland Farms at 244 Russells Mills Road closed for a few days last week after an employee tested positive for Covid-19, according to a statement from Cumberland Farms. The location was closed on August 13 “to be cleaned and sanitized by an...

Students to start in school on staggered schedule

Older students in the Dartmouth Public School system won’t begin in-person lessons until Oct. 19 due to a staggered start for the hybrid learning plan, following a unanimous decision by the School Committee at an Aug. 18 meeting. At the meeting,...

Drop off primary ballots at Town Hall for early voting

Mail-in ballots for the upcoming primary elections on September 1 can be hand delivered to the Town Clerk's office, according to a statement from Dartmouth officials. The primaries will select party candidates for the US Senate and House races in...

Select Board chooses interim town clerk

Dartmouth Week - Dartmouth, MA news
An early version of this story mistakenly said the vote was 4–1. The error has been corrected. The next time you need to stop by Town Hall for a copy of a birth certificate or a marriage license, expect to find a new face heading up the...

Ocean State Job Lot donates PPE to police and firefighters

Personal protective equipment hasn’t been the easiest thing to come by during the pandemic, but the local Ocean State Job Lot store helped out Dartmouth’s first responders with a large donation last week. On Aug. 6, the Dartmouth police and fire...

Teen injured in motorcycle crash

Police are investigating a motorcycle crash in which a teenager sustained minor injuries after crashing the vehicle in two separate incidents in Dartmouth on August 12, according to a police press release. The first crash occurred just after 7 a.m...

‘Dramatic drop’ in meals, hotel tax revenues last quarter

The last quarter of fiscal year 2020 saw a ‘dramatic drop’ in revenues from meals and hotel excise tax — and the full effects of the pandemic may not be felt until next fiscal year, according to Director of Budget and Finance Greg Barnes. Barnes...

Unplanned departure: John Sousa resigns from Planning Board

Dartmouth Week - Dartmouth, MA news
After decades of work in town politics, longtime Planning Board member John Sousa made a surprise announcement Monday that he would resign from the office effective immediately. Just hours before the board’s August 10 meeting, Sousa sent an email to...

Simple solution for Rogers Street boat ramp

The town may put permanent concrete barriers next to the new Rogers Street boat ramp to prevent sand buildup on the recently renovated amenity. At a meeting on August 10, the board asked Town Administrator Shawn MacInnes to confirm that jersey-style...

Town to fill old Youth Advocate position

The town will be getting a Youth Advocate again after more than a year and a half, as the Select Board voted to advertise for the position within the next 30 days at a meeting on August 10. Dartmouth has gone without a Youth Advocate since Jennifer...

School year to start remotely on September 15

The verdict is in: Dartmouth Public School students will start the school year with remote learning on September 15, with the possibility of moving to a hybrid plan later in the year. At a virtual meeting on August 10, the School Committee voted 4–1...

Community members sought for Town Charter review

Dartmouth’s Select Board is seeking civic-minded residents to review the town charter and make recommendations for amendments to the Fall Town Meeting in 2021. Every 10 years, the town charter is reviewed by a committee made up of nine community...

Watch the trailer for an upcoming documentary on Dartmouth native Pete Souza

Dartmouth native and former White House photographer Pete Souza is the subject of a new documentary from award-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter set to be released this September. Born in New Bedford, Souza grew up in South Dartmouth, graduating from...

Trees downed around town as Isaias hits Northeast

Trees and branches went down all around Dartmouth on August 4 as Tropical Storm Isaias hit the Northeast after ravaging the Carolinas and other southern Atlantic states. One police officer, who withheld his name, stated that around 30 trees and...

School officials home in on hybrid reopening plan

Dartmouth school officials are focusing on fleshing out a hybrid model with alternating days for reopening public schools this fall, as the August 10 deadline for submitting a comprehensive reopening plan to the state looms near. Superintendent Dr...

Seed scam: Dartmouth resident among those getting mystery packages

Kerrie Parsons had been waiting quite some time for some strawberry seeds to arrive at her house. So when a package showed up at her front door, she didn’t think it was a big deal . But while the package did contain seeds, they were not labeled as...

New recreation center in the works for North Dartmouth

A large new community recreation center may go up at the corner of State and Reed Roads after the Select Board voted to craft a Town Meeting article selling the land to the Burgo Basketball Association at a meeting on July 27. The Association’s...

Lobster Tale: Claws for celebration as online buzz saves Big Blue

One lucky lobster got a stay of execution this week after a popular Facebook post about the blue-tinged crustacean led to owner Cape Quality Seafood promising not to sell it. Amy Nell was visiting the Dartmouth Street seafood market with her six-...

Dartmouth resident gets ready for cycling challenge

Dartmouth’s own Heather Mickool is one of five residents taking part in this year’s virtual Pan-Mass Challenge cycling fundraiser for cancer research on Saturday, August 1. They will join more than 10,000 participants cycling solo in the socially...

Town Hall opens to public

For the first time since the pandemic shutdown in March, Dartmouth Town Hall is resuming somewhat normal operations as it opened its doors to the public on Monday, July 27. According to Town Administrator Shawn MacInnes, who updated the Select Board...

New Democrat appointed to Board of Registrars

The Select Board appointed a new member to the Board of Registrars at a meeting on July 27. UMass Dartmouth professor of art education, art history, and media Kathy Meraglia was appointed to the three-person board to replace outgoing Democrat Thomas...

GNB Voc-Tech to hold socially distanced graduation August 8

GNB Voc-Tech will hold its Class of 2020 graduation ceremony on Saturday, August 8 after the event was approved by the New Bedford Board of Health, according to a statement from the school. Strict health and safety guidelines will be enforced for...

Possible trail connections for proposed solar array

A new solar array may link trails to town forests after a resident brought up the idea at a planning board meeting on July 27. At the meeting, the Planning Board offered suggestions over a proposed zoning change that would allow NextEra Energy...

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