Patch is Now Mobile with a Free iPhone App

Today is Tuesday, April 19. Here are five things you need to know today.

1. There's a free Patch app available now for download at the Apple store. So if you've got an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, you can take the Patch with you. The app is actually pretty useful -- and I can say this after giving it a test run myself. It gives you the top five stories of the day, but it also has an easy-to-navigate directory -- so you can find all the businesses in town (and their phone numbers if, say, you want to order a pizza on the way home). You can also access events and skip around with a few taps to other Patch sites. This is kind of helpful if you find yourself in another town craving an Italian sub, but you don't know where to go to find it. Click here to download it for free. And if you've got an Android, don't worry. Word is that app is on its way. 

2. Charlestown recently lost an important woman in the history of the town and the Massachusetts legal system. Judge Mary Brennan died on April 10. She was 91. Brennan was the first woman presiding justice of the Charlestown District Court -- and a native of Charlestown herself, born to Irish immigrant parents in 1919. She was also a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War II and she earned degrees at Radcliffe College, Harvard College and Boston College Law School. And she was a mother, on top of all of this. For a woman to accomplish so much today is impressive. For a woman of her generation, it's nothing short of heroic. 

3. I got this notice last week: There's a free Help for Homeowners community event coming to the city next week. If you (or someone you know) is a homeowner at risk of foreclosure, this is an opportunity to get some information on what your options are. Here's what the notice said: The event is open to the public and provides a chance for homeowners to meet face-to-face with their mortgage company and a HUD-approved counseling agency to work on a solution to help them stay in their home. It runs from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Hynes Convention Center at 900 Boylston St. For more information, go to www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov. 

4. This year, two local businesses are teaming up with Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer to raise awareness for breast cancer -- and funds for research on the disease. From May 2 to 8, The Warren Tavern and Figs will offer unique desserts on their menus -- and 100 percent of the sales from these will go toward research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. More than 250 restaurants and cafes around the state will participate in this. If you're interested in a full list of participating establishments, check out www.bostonbakesforbreastcancer.org.

5. Today's forecast: Showers likely after 2 p.m. Otherwise cloudy with a high near 49.  For more info on what's happening around the neighborhood, check out our events calendar.