Five Things To Know Today, Sept. 7

1.  Today is Wednesday, Sept. 7. The National Weather Service predicts rain this morning and a high temperature of 67 degrees. Skies will be cloudy this afternoon, the low will fall to 63 tonight, then showers may start again.

2.  James Roy of Mystic, has proposed erecting a life-size bronze statue of Boston Marathon winner John Kelley, who died Aug. 21 at age 80. Kelley lived most of his life in Mystic and taught and coached at Fitch Senior High School in Groton. Roy proposed the statue be anchored on a large piece of granite and placed at Clift Street and Pequot Avenue. Kelley won the Boston Marathon in 1957 with a record time of 2:20:05. He competed every year between 1953 and 1970, finishing second five times.

3.  Town Manager Mark Oefinger is expected to provide a full briefing on Groton’s response to Tropical Storm Irene during next week’s council meeting. Groton ordered a mandatory evacuation, notified 1,400 people, opened a shelter at Fitch and opened the Senior Center as a comfort station to allow people to take showers and get a hot meal, he said. In addition, the town set up a commodities station at Poquonnock Plains Park to provide ready-to-eat meals, ice and bottled water. The town also added hours at the transfer station to allow residents to bring storm debris and will continue to pick up branches curbside in the coming weeks.

4.  An emergency medical fund set up by the Groton Animal Foundation provided $9,591 in medical care this year for 84 animals at the Groton Animal Control facility, plus 8 animals owned by Groton residents, Foundation President Mary Kelly said Tuesday. The fund also paid to spay more than 30 feral cats. Kelly said the purpose of the medical fund is to help care for animals so they become well and are more adoptable. The adoption rate for animals at Groton Animal Control has increased 10 percent from 2006 to 2010

5.  The bond rating agency Fitch will discuss the town’s bond rating this Thursday with Groton officials, Town Manager Mark Oefinger said. He said nothing specific prompted the review but it’s been awhile since it’s been done. He said Moody's and Standard & Poors are also expected to make similar calls in the coming months. Groton has a AA- rating by Fitch and last evaluated by the agency two years ago. At that time, the rating was upgraded.