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. Did you know that the Police Chief Flannery and Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone will be unveiling the new drug collection unit at the Hopkinton Police Department? Check back this afternoon for a write-up.

2. Tonight at 7 the Hopkinton Sustainable Green Committee will be hosting Solar 101 at the Senior Center so residents and business owners can learn about the grant the town has received from the state. The grant gives residents and business owners the ability to purchase/lease solar systems and ultimately reduce their energy bills.

3. Also at 7 p.m., the Hopkinton Public Library will be holding an event to help you learn about container gardening. Learn about when to plant and where to grow containers, potting soil, feeding and watering techniques and how to harvest herbs and produce.

4. Have you been thinking about getting more involved in some aspect of town? Do you want to say what everyone is thinking but no one wants to say? Do you have a special skill or knowledge that you want to share with other Patch Readers? Start blogging! It’s as easy as writing a Facebook post and you use the some login in that you already have to comment on the site tomorrow.

5. It down poured pretty hard last night for about ten or 15 minutes and it looks like showers will continue through the morning. Keep your eyes out for tonight though, the sun might come out for an hour or so before it sets.