5 Things You Need to Know in Hopkinton Today, 3/30/11

1. The Red Sox start the regular season tomorrow at 3 vs. the Texas Rangers. Boston lefty Jon Lester faces Texas lefty C.J. Wilson. Wilson throws unhittable stuff but a lot of it is unhittable because it's out of the strike zone. That means fewer hits and more walks. The Sox are looking to Lester as their ace this season. The Red Sox open at Fenway against the Yankees a week from Friday at 2.

2. Clouds, rain and snow forecast this morning, changing to rain this afternoon. Then the weather is expected to turn bad tonight and Friday.

3. The Hopkinton Parent Teacher Association online auction is happening right now! Sam Adams Beer for a Year, dinner for four at the American Girl Bistro at Natick Collection and a Bose Digital Sound Dock are three of 572 items. Click on the HPTA link above for more! (A big thanks as always to Amy Ritterbusch for the reminder!)

4. Jeff Moor from Jonathan Green lawn-care products speaks Saturday from 9 to 10 a.m. at Weston Nurseries. Learn how to get your lawn off to a great start and keep it healthy. Jeff will show you grass-seed varieties for various lawn conditions, how to establish a new lawn, patch, or over-seed. He explains different options for fertilizing, crabgrass control, and weed and pest control.

5. Today is the deadline for Hopkinton to tell the Massachusetts School Building Authority why a vote on a new school was defeated, what the town plans to do next and when. The letter, which has to be delivered to the MSBA electronically or otherwise by today's close of business, will be signed by School Committee Chairwoman Rebecca Robak and Chairman of the Board of Selectmen R.J. Dourney.