Five Things You Need to Know Today: December 13

1. New baby lambs were been born at the yesterday.  Stop by for a look at the first Cotswold lambs!

2. Gleaners are needed again today. This time volunteers will be collecting and distributing potatoes. No digging is required. 2 pm. For more information, contact Jamie O’Gorman at jamie@islandgrown.org or 508-687-9603.

3. There will be a School Committee meeting at the today in the school library. Important budgeting decisions will be made for next year. Additionally, anyone interested in learning more about the efforts to to support the lunch program and that of the Chilmark School, can come discuss strategies at a planning meeting prior to the Committee meeting in the school cafeteria. Planning meeting 4:30 pm; School Committee meeting 5 pm.

4. This evening, as part of the , Tony Horwitz presents Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War. Plotted in secret, launched in the dark, John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry ruptured the union between North and South. Yet few Americans know the true story of the militant idealists who invaded Virginia before the Civil War. Midnight Rising paints Brown’s uprising in vivid color, capturing a nation on the brink of explosive conflict. Horwitz proves the troubled soul of Brown, the desperate passion of his followers, and the spirit of a sundered nation. Books will be available for purchase and signing. 5:30 pm. $8

5. presents the newly released movie: The Help, based on the book by Kathryn Stockett.  A small 1960's southern town gets a surprise when an aspiring white writer decides to write a book from the perspective of the African-American household help. Popcorn and cider will be served. 7 pm. Free