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. The first Find Yourself Friday dance and celebration of the new year will be 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Milford Youth Center. Each dance raises funds and awareness for a good cause, and the children decided that this first dance should be dedicated to the youth who lost their lives in the Newtown, CT tragedy. The JAG Youth Council asks all youth who attend to pledge to do at least one "Act of Kindness" this month. Bring in a picture of your Act of Kindness or to bring in "My Act of Kindness Pledge" with a written description of what you pledge to do. A wall will be created featuring the pledges.

2. A while back, Koopman Paint of Milford had a contest on its Facebook page, asking people to guess how many gallons of paint were used in the painting of Milford Town Hall. We checked back in and found the answer: "Cindy from Uxbridge" was the grand prize winner, guessing 213 gallons. That was the exact number of gallons, as it turned out. Other close ones: Roger from Uxbridge, who guessed 217 gallons and John, also from Uxbridge, who had it at 225 gallons.

3. Maria Sews a Lot, a sewing studio in Milford, will hold a class registration on Saturday for a group of classes that will begin anew in February. Classes include Sewing 101, knitting, Sewing for Kids and hand applique.

4. The Milford Performing Arts Center will present "My Big Fat Medieval Wedding," this weekend, featuring music, food and wedding desserts. The event is Friday and Saturday at Hopedale Unitarian Parish.

5. Michael Antonellis, a student at Milford High School, has been selected to represent Massachusetts as a National Youth Correspondent to the 2013 Washington Journalism and Media Conference this summer at George Mason University. Antonellis will join a select group of students from all over the country for an intensive study of journalism and media.