5 Things You Need to Know Today, 3/31

1) Today rain is likely, mainly before 10am. It will be cloudy, with a high near 45. Tonight will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. 

2) Today at 2pm, the  will host Civil War Memories and Memorabilia, presented by Massachusetts collectors Brad Peters and Jan Ross, who will share their experiences visiting major Civil War battlefields and their extensive assemblage of Civil War artifacts. They will give a brief talk with special emphasis on the Battle of Gettysburg, providing handouts to clarify the events of this complex battle. This will be followed by an opportunity for audience members to view & handle the artifacts.  

3) Come on out to an American Spring Potluck this evening at 5pm at the . This free event will feature great food, live music, and a presentation by a Boston Phoenix journalist and author of the recently published 99 Nights with the 99%. This is an informal gathering, and all are welcome. The sponsor is Occupy Falmouth.

4) Tonight at 7pm in the  auditorium, the Falmouth Band Parents will present the Ninth Annual Evening of Jazz, featuring the Falmouth High School Jazz Band and award-winning jazz musicians Matt Leder, Ross Novgrad, Manuel Kaufmann, Renato Malavasi, and Patrick Mottaz. Refreshments will be served after the show. Advance sale tickets are $10 per person; the "family special" is $25, which includes admission for five, with at least one accompanying student. Tickets at the door are $12 for adults and $5 for students. Proceeds will benefit Falmouth High School music programs. Tickets may be ordered at falmouthbandparents.org or purchased from Eight Cousins Books, Kaleidoscope Toys, The Bank of Woods Hole, and the West Falmouth Library.

5) This day in history: the 15th Amendment is adopted (1870); a bomb explodes outside the U.S. Embassy in Saigon (1965); and President Reagan is shot (1981).