5 Things You Need to Know Today: Jan. 4

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 Milford Play Initiative, which is working to create two new modern, accessible play areas at Fino Field (for small kids and larger kids) has launched a fundraising campaign, to help pay for play area equipment. Check out what is planned and needed for both play areas. All donations will be tax deductible.

2. If you love the New England Patriots, Monday is a day to mark on the calendar. Tickets for the Patriots Playoff game, at Foxborough, will go on sale. A limited number of tickets will be placed on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. exclusively through Ticketmaster. Playoff tickets will not be sold at the Gillette Stadium Ticket Office.

3. The full board will make the decision on which of the applicants should be interviewed.

4. Photo-Fabrication Engineering Inc. of Milford has received a $65,800 state Workforce Development grant to train 26 existing employees and create seven new job openings, the Patrick administration announced Thursday.

5. The deadline for developers to apply for the first phase of review for either a casino license or a slots parlor license before the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is 5 p.m. Jan. 15. As of Thursday, no developer proposing a Milford location had applied. The commission has received Phase 1 applications from the following entities: MGM Springfield, Penn National and Plainridge Racecourse, according to an email from the state commission. MGM and Penn National are pursuing a resort-casino license. The state will allow up to three. Plainridge Racecourse is competing for the state’s single slots-parlor license.