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. More than 400 pounds of Halloween candy from the Milford area were sent to troops serving overseas, as a part of the Treats for Troops program, organized by Milford resident and 4 Better Health owner Lisa Vasile. She partnered with Michael Shain a Milford resident and founder of Thanks To Yanks. Lauren Marciszyn of the Hockomock Area YMCA, Caring for Women, La Rose Muscular Therapy and Point of Healing Acupuncture …

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. Good morning, and welcome to Cyber Monday, the traditional day for online deals for the holiday. Some of the larger retailers posted them in advance. Others will be available today.  2. Are you the parent of an elementary aged child who is going through or recently went through a divorce? A new support group through Community Impact will help children whose parents are going through a divorce. The first meeting is at 5…

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. Seeing more teens and kids in the coffee shops? Milford students are now out for the Thanksgiving holiday, and the school administrative offices will close at noon today. 2. An effort by residents of Bancroft Avenue and surrounding streets to make Bancroft a one-way has failed. Town officials, including Police Chief Thomas O'Loughlin and Fire Chief John Touhey, recommended denying the application, made by a petition of…

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. A reminder that for many workers, the Thanksgiving holiday begins Wednesday. Many offices plan to close early on Wednesday. Milford Town Hall, for example, will close at 1 p.m. Wednesday. 2. Milford's Community Use Program is now taking registrations for adult education winter classes. The list of offerings includes "Paddlesports America" for novice and experienced canoeists and kayakers, GED prep, and classes designed…

1. Have you tried out the new self-service stations at Panera Bread? I was there over the weekend and an employee guided me to a touch screen, on which I could customize my order and swipe my credit card. Being new to this service, I'm guessing the process took me twice as long as it would have were I waited on by a professional, but maybe it'll get easier next time. Anyone else try it out? 2. Traveling on the Pike the day before Thanksgiving? Plymouth Rock Assurance will be sponsoring tolls at the Allston/Brighton tollbooth (#19) between 3 and 4 p.m. this Wednesday, Nov. 21. Plymouth Rock …

1. Lock your car doors. This may seem obvious, but it's apparent from the recent rash of car break-ins that many don't lock their doors. Police say the majority of car break-ins that are reported are of unlocked cars. So, take the second to use that automatic clicker that comes with most cars; if you don't have one, turn the key the old-fashioned way! 2. Milford native Brian Swindell has been named to the Capitol One Academic All-District soccer team.  Below is an excerpt from a press release from Keene State, where Swindell is on the soccer team:A blue-collar midfielder on the Keene State …

1. Kudos to the Milford Police Department for making a big arrest yesterday. Thanks in part to a call from a woman who noticed suspicious activity, officers spotted and arrested a 20-year-old Hopkinton man in connection with break-ins throughout Milford and area towns. 2. A reader asked us on Facebook how she might find out if the above-mentioned break-in suspect had any stolen goods in his possession, including a GPS she said was taken from her. You know...we're not sure! But we're going to ask police today about how it works when a suspect is arrested with such crimes, and how people might …

1. Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, and Rep. John V. Fernandes, D-Milford, welcomed the 2012 Milford High School Girls' Softball Team to the State House in honor of their extra-inning win over Malden High School in the 2012 Massachusetts Division I State Championship. The victory capped an undefeated season and earned the squad distinction as the first softball team to win a state championship in Milford High history. Team members include Taylor Archer, Giovanna Arcudi, Kayla Barys, Sam Bonvino, Carolyn Chaplin, Caroline Fairbanks, Katie Griswold, Lauren Hanna, Taylor Lebrun, Rachel Levine…

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. Milford Police were dealing with a spree of break-ins two nights ago. Did you hear any commotion?  2. Residents turned out to celebrate Veterans Day yesterday. If you missed photographer Jim Calarese's pictures, pop back and peruse the gallery now. He got some great shots! 3. Cute as a button was the winner of last week's photo contest! This week's contest, which starts tomorrow, will be looking for pictures of local …

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. Milford garbage and recycling will be collected today, and all week, on schedule. The Veterans Day holiday is one of several that does not affect collections. 2. Milford is searching for a new town administrator. Ads began running in The Boston Globe and other outlets in October. The deadline for applying is Dec. 7. Town Administrator Louis Celozzi will retire in March. 3. Eleven residents of Bancroft Avenue have …

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 National Honor Society at Milford High School is collecting canned goods at the Scarlet Hawks football game Friday night. Please bring your donations. Also, the NHS will collect at the Thanksgiving game. 2. The state championship Girls Varsity Softball team and their coaches will be feted Saturday night in a dinner and year-end banquet at Caffe Sorrento. 3. Still no word from Worcester Superior Court on an appeal …

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 area had its first snow Wednesday, part of a Nor'easter that covered much of southern New England. Milford was expected to receive about 4 to 8 inches before it ends early this morning. A winter weather advisory is in effect until 7 a.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. 2. The Patch Photo Contest this week is Baby Photos. Already, 49 photos have been entered. Submit a photo of your baby…

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. Congratulations to the Milford Hawks Girls 12U team, who won the 2012 Bellingham Fall Ball League in October, by beating Nipmuc 8-4 in the championship game. Good job! 2. Have you lost a purse recently with some cash in it? A good-hearted person turned in a woman's purse found with some cash. If you think it's yours, contact Lt. James Falvey at the Milford Police Department, at 508-634-2362, ext. 649. 3. As a reminder…

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. It's election day, finally! If you are a registered voter, make sure you make time to cast your vote today. Milford has three polling locations, and eight precincts. The polls open at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 8 p.m. 2. Two men accused in a violent home invasion at Rolling Green Apartments will remain jailed without bail while their cases proceed, according to Milford District Court records following a "…

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. If you've had enough of Halloween candy and it's still hanging around the house, consider donating it to the troops, who could use a sweet reminder of home. Halloween candy is being collected at several locations in Milford through Nov. 10, including Hannaford's, Athletic Based Training and Midtown Family Fitness and Raquetball Club. See the attached flier for more locations. 2. Milford Selectmen will meet at 7 p.m. …

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 one-mile Little Engine That Could Historic Walk will be dedicated on Friday with a brisk walk through Milford. We spotted Highway Department crews on Thursday putting a stamp into a paver outside Milford Town Hall, which will help guide walkers in the future. The walkers step off at 10 a.m. from Milford Town Hall. 2. Milford Regional Medical Center raised $600,000 at the recent Cirque du Melange event, for a new …

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. U.S. Sen. Scott Brown (R-Wrentham) will stop by Johnny Jacks Restaurant this morning, along with Maine colleague Sen. Susan Collins, to collect an endorsement from the Milford Police union. Brown is expected to be at the restaurant from 10 to 11 a.m. 2. The Milford School Committee meets tonight at 7 at Milford High School. The agenda includes an update about the opening of school from the Brookside and Memorial School…

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. It's Halloween today, and Trick or Treating is on for Milford this afternoon and tonight. Sidewalks are cleared of Hurricane Sandy related debris and most of the town has power. 2. Speaking of power, by Wednesday morning National Grid should have updated its website to reflect the expected restoration times for Milford customers still without power. Check to see your neighborhood by zooming in on the outage map. 3. …

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. All of the people who spent hours raking leaves the past few weeks could see their hard work scattered by wind today. The Milford Highway Department will start vaccuuming leaves Monday, and will keep it up unless Hurricane Sandy becomes a problem. If you haven't checked already, the leaf schedule is here. 2. Milford Selectmen were expected to meet on Monday night. It was not clear Sunday whether the meeting will be …

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. People may not know that Milford was the birthplace of Mabel Bragg, who wrote The Pony Engine, a children's book published in 1930 that became The Little Engine that Could in later publications. On Nov. 2, the town's Healthy Futures committee will host a dedication of The Little Engine that Could historic walk through downtown Milford. The dedication will include a guided historic walk. 2. We saw people raking leaves …