Our weekday morning column, 5 Things You Need to Know, provides you with information that can help you plan your day and give you some fodder for water cooler conversations.

1.  Anthony DeLuca Jr., the longtime Milford building commissioner, has announced his plan to retire in September. DeLuca, a 24-year town employee, cited health issues in a letter to town officials. He wrote: "I am intending to concentrate on staying healthy and spending more time with my family."

2. If you have some good books, already read, that are gathering dust on your shelves, consider donating them to the Milford Town Library. The Friends of the library will hold its spring book sale from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday for members, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday for the public.

3. Hourly workers in Milford could get a 2.5 percent raise this coming year, under a recommendation to Annual Town Meeting approved by the town's Personnel Committee. In doing so, it rebuffed an effort by Milford Selectmen to get the board to reconsider. For their part, the selectmen on Monday agreed to recommend the same percentage increase for the four full-time, elected officials whose salaries fall under their budget. The town clerk, highway supervisor, town treasurer and tax collector are affected.

4. Torrential rain on Saturday cancelled the parade for the Milford Youth Baseball players. But it didn't kill the "President's Award" prize. On Monday, at the Milford Selectmen's meeting, baseball officials awarded the top prize to Maureen "Moe" Hutchins, the recently retired, longtime concession director at the games. Almost 1,000 children, ages 6 to 16, are playing baseball this year. Games began last weekend for kids 13 and above. The little ones stared playing ball Monday.

5. Did you get a report card from Middle School East? If you have a child attending the middle school, you should have. Report cards for the third quarter were issued Monday.