5 Things You Need to Know Today

Welcome to "5 Things You Need to Know Today," a new Patch column where we give the readers essential information at a glance. Check back often  for more, and let us know what you think of the new feature in the comments.

1. If you start your day early, there's a business networking breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Porter Valley Country Club, 19216 Singing Hills Drive, Northridge.  Sponsored by the Chatsworth - Porter Ranch Chamber of Commerce, members pay $18 and guests $20.  Yum, business cards.
2. If you're a Veteran and looking for work, head down to the Warner Center Marriott Hotel, 21850 Oxnard St., Woodland Hills, for a job and resource fair sponsored by a partnership of public and private agencies. The job seeker hotline is 818-899-9541. Be there at 9:45 a.m. to register. Bring a stack of resumes, and dress for success. Today's your day.
3. Take your young one over to the Chatsworth Library at 2 p.m. and help break a world record for the greatest number of people reading the same book on the same day. Everyone will be reading Snowy Day by Ezra Keats, along with more than 2-million people around the country... or so they say.
4. Vote today.  You don't have to wait until November.  Just use a vote-by-mail ballot and your mailbox is your polling place. Secretary of state Debra Bowen has all the details.  Just don't electioneer when the postman arrives.
5. Ticked off by city salaries?  Spend the day poking through the updated database at  http://controller.lacity.org/index.htm. It now reflects the impact of furlough days and includes the actual earnings for more than 37,000 full-time city employees. But, no names, please.

And here's a bonus item: Hie thee over to the Devonshire Area LAPD District Meeting, 7 p.m. at Shepherd of the Hills, 19700 Rinaldi St., Porter Ranch. Officer Mark Cronin will be asking, "How safe are you on our streets?" They often have cookies in the lobby.

About this column: "Five Things you Need to Know Today" is a new Patch column where we round up events, facts and information at a glance. Stay tuned every day for our five informative tidbits.