No Joke: Beach Parking Meters Turn On Today

Good morning, Hampton and North Hampton. Here are five things you need to know for Monday, April 1:

1. Sound Off: Are you happy the state will begin charging for parking at metered spaces today, which is April Fool's Day? Tell us how you feel about the meters — which will be $1 per hour through April 30, $2 per hour from May 1 through Oct. 1, and $1 per hour after Oct. 1 — in the comments.

On the bright side, it means the summer season is just about here.

2. Last Day to Help Great Causes: Two cancer-focused initiatives, as well as an annual 10-day Crimeline for the Hamptons fundraiser, end today.

 3. What Else Is Happening Today? There's a mandatory meeting for Winnacunnet High School coaches, parents and athletes from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the auditorium. Remember: Share photos and stats from your children's spring season games here.

Also, Passover continues today, a scholarship program begins, and the Hampton Board of Selectmen will meet at 7 p.m. at Hampton Town Hall.

4. This Day in History: On this day in 1700, English pranksters began popularizing the annual tradition of April Fools' Day by playing practical jokes on each other.

Although the day, also called All Fools' Day, has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery. Some historians speculate that April Fools' Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563.

People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes. These included having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as "poisson d'avril" (April fish), said to symbolize a young, easily caught fish and a gullible person.

5. Today's Forecast:

Day
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55.

Night
A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. Chance of precipitation is 30%.