Five Things To Know Today

1.  Today is Friday, July 1. The National Weather Service predicts sunny skies, a high temperature of 76 degrees, and a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. The low temperature will drop to 61 degrees tonight.

2.  Groton Town Hall, Groton City Hall, The Groton Public Library, Groton Senior Center and Groton Human Services will be closed on July 4 in observance of the holiday. The library will also be closed Saturday and Sunday. It will reopen on Tuesday at 9 a.m.

3. The Groton Town Council will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the Town Hall Annex on an ordinance authorizing $2.7 million to upgrade Groton’s wastewater treatment plant. The town is eligible for Clean Water funding and a low-interest loan to upgrade the facility, but the spending must be approved locally before November. A bond referendum is scheduled for Sept. 13.

4.  The Mystic flagpole is deteriorating. The Mystic Flag Committee met with Mystic Seaport Museum to discuss replacing part of the pole, and agreed to take down the flagpole as soon as possible, according to a report by the town manager. If you'd like to help, you may send a donation to Mystic Flag Committee, c/o Mark Densmore, at Densmore Oil Company, Bank Square, 1 Water St., Mystic.

5.  The state Department of Homeland Security has secured money to buy three traffic control trailers, including one of which will be kept in Groton. The trailers will hold items such as traffic cones, barricades and road signs that may be used in the event of fire, accidents or flooding, according to the monthly report by Groton Public Works. The trailer will arrive in August,