Around Town (05/31/2016)

Baseball drive

A missionary group traveling to Somoto, Nicaragua, in June is collecting new or used baseball equipment, such as gloves, bats, balls and cleats. Equipment donations may be dropped off at Ekizian Family Chiropractic Office, 790 Loughborough Drive, in Merced by June 1. For more info, call 209-261-8459.

CRTA memorial/luncheon

The California Retired Teachers Association will host a memorial and luncheon at 10 a.m. June 6 at the Fish and Game Building at Lake Yosemite. The general meeting and luncheon begins at 11 a.m. The memorial will honor those CRTA retired members who have passed away during the year.

Old-road exhibit

The Merced County Courthouse Museum will open a “Let’s Google That Old Road” exhibit at 5 p.m. June 16. Integrating Google Earth technology into the study of old hand-drawn road maps of Merced County from 1855 to 1899, the exhibit will bring a new level of understanding of demography, geography and the settlement patterns of the county in the second half of the 19th century. Along the way of searching these old roads, visitors can discover landmarks and homes that were destroyed or relocated because of construction or development. At the exhibit opening, Merced County ghost town historian Herb Wood will give a PowerPoint presentation, “Old Roads and Forgotten Trails,” at 6 p.m. For more information on the free event, contact the Courthouse Museum at 209-723-2401.

Young writers workshop

The UC Merced Writing Project is hosting its seventh annual Bobcat Young Writers Academy on June 20-30. The academy is for students entering first through eighth grades in the fall and will be held 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday at the UC Merced campus. Registration is $215 for the first child, $190 for each additional child in a family. During the two weeks, students write daily, sharing, discussing, revising and editing their writing with other young writers – all under the guidance of UC Merced Writing Project teacher consultants.

Agents’ lunch

All women who worked at the Farmers Insurance Group Regional Office are invited to lunch at 11 a.m. June 2 at DiCicco’s, 3360 Highway 59, in Merced. Cost is $15. To make a reservation, call 209-723-4317.

Swim lessons

Merced’s Parks and Recreation Department offers summer swim lessons Monday through Thursday in three sessions from June 6-16, June 20-30 and July 11-21 in the McNamara Park pool, 1040 Canal St. Cost is $10 and advance registration is required. For more information, call the office at 209-385-6235, visit www.cityofmerced.org, or stop by the office at 678 W. 18th St.

Giants vs. Dodgers

Merced Community Services offers a San Francisco Giants bus trip at 10:30 a.m. on June 11. The bus returns by 11:30 p.m. the same day. The cost is $115 for the trip and the game ticket. For more info, call 209-384-6224 or email communitysvc@mccd.edu.

Coupons for seniors

The 2016 Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program coupon booklets, which can be redeemed at certified farmers markets only, are available to low-income seniors 60 and older. For more on where to get the booklets and where they can be redeemed, contact the Merced Area Agency on Aging at 209-385-7550 or 800-510-2020.

This story was originally published May 30, 2016 at 2:08 PM with the headline "Around Town (05/31/2016)."