5 Things You Need to Know Today: Jan. 31

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. Do you represent or own a Marlborough business? If so, look it up on Marlborough Patch and claim the listing. It's a great way to let everyone know what you have going on! Also, if you know of a great local business that isn't yet in our directory, email josh.gray@patch.com with the name of the business and I'll get it in the works. 

2. At its annual meeting held on Jan. 25, The Marlborough Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) appointed eight new board members. These new members represent leading personalities in the community in their respective fields. They are: Wes Tuttle, senior vice president, ; David Ferris, vice president investments, Ferris Development; Martin Levins, board president, Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce; Richard Skinner, general manager, ; Chris Berglund, senior vice president, commercial lending, ; Deborah Fairbanks, owner, Fairbanks Development LLC; Robert Kays, owner, and prominent local entrepreneur and hospitality promoter; Michael Kennedy, owner, & . Newly elected city council president Trish Pope will also take a seat on the executive committee. 

3. If you have a Kindle, a Nook, a Tablet PC or any other device that you want to be able to read e-books on, the is offering a free workshop especially designed for you Wednesday, Feb. 15 from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Bigelow Auditorium. This workshop will focus on using your device to download the free electronic books that are available through the library’s membership in the CW MARS network. Contact the library at 508-624-6900 with questions. 

4. To all current Marlborough STEM program: At 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6, all current STEM students (grades 6 and 9) and their parents/guardians are to meet in the Auditorium. The STEM leadership team will present highlights of the first semester, discuss plans for the future, and distribute laptops to all STEM students. STEM ECHS students have been using the laptops while in class, and the program is moving to the next phase in which students will be able to take the laptops home for homework, team projects and other assignments. To receive a laptop, a STEM student's parent/guardian must attend this meeting. Families already should have received notification of this meeting via mail or backpack mail; those who have not received this information should contact Whitcomb Assistant Principal Bethany Pritchard or MHS Assistant Principal Dan Riley.

5.  employees recently presented the United Way of Central Massachusetts with a check for $67,000, representing the donation by the bank and its employees for their 2011 fundraising campaign.

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