5 Things: Last Chance to Buy Gift Cards and Benefit Bedford Schools

1. Lower your flags and always remember. Gov. John Lynch has proclaimed Dec. 7, 2012 as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in New Hampshire. To that end, Lynch has asked that flags be lowered to half-staff on Friday.

2. Save now and benefit Bedford schools. Friday is the last day to pick up your gift card to almost all major retail stores and/or restaurants including The Olive Garden, Macy's, Kohl's and other venues through the Bedford PTG Gift Card fundraiser. For every gift card you buy, a percentage of the value of the card is donated by the sponsoring retailer to our schools while 100% of the value of the card that you purchased is available for you to spend. A complete list of available gift cards can be found on the PTG Gift Card Order Form, and you can click here for more information on the 2012 Holiday Gift Card Fundraiser.

3. Holiday Coat Drive. Riddle Brook School on New Boston Road is sponsoring a coat drive.  Items collected will be donated to local shelters. The drive runs through Friday, Dec. 14. Items to be collected include: clean hats, mittens, gloves, scarves and coats for men, women, children and infants.  Boxes are located in the RBS library hallway. For more info, visit http://www.bedfordptg.org.

4. Travel to Tasty Town. Frederick’s Pastries employees in Bedford and Amherst have completed the process of building their annual Gingerbread House Village Display. The village is ready for viewing and will be displayed through Christmas at the Route 101A store in Amherst. The public is invited to visit the store and vote for their favorite house. “This year’s theme is “A Kid’s Christmas." The employees placing 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place are given prizes, in addition, Frederick’s Pastries draws names from the voting ballots and award 12 lucky patrons a sweet prize from the bakery. The display is ready for viewing and your votes!  Visit Frederick's at 109 Route 101A, Amherst. Displays are also set up in Frederick’s Pastries Bedford and North Andover, Mass., locations, but voting only happens in Amherst. For more information visit www.pastry.net.

5. The weatherman says ... Temperatures are expected to rise slightely today. Weather.com projects a forecasted high of 45 degrees, up from yesterday's recorded high of 40, though today's skies won't be nearly as clear with predictions of a mostly cloudy day with a 40-percent chance of showers developing later in the day.