5 Things You Need to Know Today: Jan. 30

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. Area businessman and Marlborough Patch blogger Dean Cavaretta will be announcing his candidacy for the state senate seat currently held by democrat Jamie Eldridge (also a blogger). Look for a letter to the editor in coming days from Cavaretta explaining his decision to run.

2. , author of a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's "Citizens United" decision and end corporate personhood, will be a guest speaker on a panel hosted by Clark University in Worcester entitled "Corporations are not People: People's Rights, Corporate Money, and What Comes Next." Marlborough's state senator Jamie Eldridge will also speak at the event to be held this evening (Monday) at Tilton Hall, 950 Main St., Worcester at 6 p.m. 

3. The recently had students prepare solar system projects and opened up their doors for a science fair. Jillian Bishop demonstrates to classmates a realtime planetarium using Google SkyMap in the attached photograph. 

4. The next scheduled date for an entrance test to the Assabet Valley Practical Nursing program for the 2012-2013 class will be Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 6 p.m. The test will be given at . Registration must take place at least 48 hours prior to the date, and can be done online. Payment must also be submitted online. To register, click on LPN Program and then go to Quick links-Entrance Exam to register and sign up for an exam. There is a Study Guide available at the same site. The examination tests your basic mathematical ability, verbal ability, reading rate, and comprehension will also be included. There is a TEAS V Prep course offered thru Assabet’s Continuing Education department and there is a link to it on the LPN site. Candidates should arrive 30 minutes prior to the start for check in. No one will be admitted once the exam has started. There is a $50 non-refundable fee for taking the exam. The program runs for 40 weeks, full-time, during the day (M-F 7:50 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.), beginning in late August and running thru mid-June.

5. Saturday Feb. 11, from 7 to 10 p.m., the Assabet Valley Booster Club will be sponsoring a Meat Raffle to raise funds to support the student athletes of the . The Meat Raffle will consist of 5 tables, each with a variety of packaged meats to be won. The various selections will contain an assortment of choice meats, from steaks, whole turkeys, beef and chicken kabobs, hams, chickens, and roasts, and even some surprises. Raffle tickets will be sold for each table, and drawings will begin with the selections on the first table, and on through the five tables until all packages have been won. Also happening during the Meat Raffle will be a Gift Basket Auction. Attendees may purchase raffle tickets and place them in the containers in front of the gift baskets and winners will be selected that night so that the lucky winners may take their prizes home with them that night. A concession stand will also be available with pretzels, popcorn, candy, coffee and soda for those attending to purchase. Admission to the event is free. If you have any questions email.

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