5 Things: Cheerleaders Competing at Nationals Today

Here are five things you should know as you start your Friday.

1. Gingerbread House tour. 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.

2. Donate gifts for the homebound. St. Joseph Community Services, Inc., the provider of Meals on Wheels and Community Dining throughout Hillsborough County, is looking for holiday gifts for its elderly and disabled homebound clients. Members of the community who wish to contribute can do so in two ways. Donors can provide the gift of meals; one week of hot meals is $40; two weeks of hot meals is $80; and one month of meals is $173. Donors can also contribute by purchasing a gift. Our goal is to be able to present a gift to each and every one of our clients in time for the holidays. Some suggested holiday gift ideas include: Personal size hand sanitizer, unscented hand lotion, body lotion, shampoo, shower gel, soaps, facial tissues, washcloths, socks, crackers, non-perishable cheeses, cookies, chocolates, candies, tea, coffee, cocoa, coffee mug, puzzle books, blank note cards, stamps, playing cards. You may wish to buy anything listed above or you may substitute other appropriate gifts. For more information on the holiday gift program, corporate sponsorship or in- kind donations please contact Maribeth McCue at DevMgr@SJCSinc.org or 424- 9967. St. Joseph Community Services provides Meals on Wheels and Community Dining in Hillsborough County through 24 sites. For more information, visit www.MealsOnWheelsNH.org or find us on Facebook.

2. Tax bills due. Merrimack’s property tax bills have been mailed are due on Dec. 10 – that's Monday! Property owners who have not received their tax bill should contact the Tax Collector’s office at 424-3651 to arrange for a duplicate bill.  Bills not paid by Dec. 10, are subject to 12 percent interest, per annum.

4. Good luck, cheerleaders! Wishing the best to the Merrimack Cardinals Midget cheerleaders who are competing today in the National Championship at Walt Disney World in Florida. You've got the support of your hometown behind you!

5. Weekend weather. It's looking to be a pretty wet weekend, perfect for decorating the inside of your house for the holidays if you haven't yet! Here's your weekend forecast courtesy of the National Weather Service.

• Friday: Rain likely, mainly after 5 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43.
• Friday night. Rain. Patchy fog after 9 p.m. Low around 32.
• Saturday: Showers likely, mainly before 11 a.m. Cloudy, with a high near 48.
• Saturday night: A chance of showers, mainly before 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34.
• Sunday: A slight chance of showers after 3 p,m. Partly sunny, with a high near 45.
• Sunday night: Showers likely, mainly after 4 a.m. Cloudy, with a low around 34.