5 Things You Need to Know Today: April 11

1. Register now for Hopkinton's Sharon Timlin Memorial 5K to benefit ALS research (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease) on June 18. This is a great Hopkinton event and always has a packed field. Registration and event details are here. Also in 2011, the Timlin Race goes green. Organizers have taken the FitPlanet Pledge of Sustainability and will  implement 18 out of 28 green initiatives. Check the Timlin Race Going Green page for details.

2. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR's) fifth annual Park Serve Day will be Saturday, April 16, in state parks and beaches across the Commonwealth. Hopkinton State Park is NOT one of the cleanup sites. But there are more than 50 state parks, many of them nearby, that are looking for cleanup help. For more information and a list of parks, click here.

3. More than 100 high school students, including six from Hopkinton High School, will work behind the scenes as spotters for WBZ-TV’s broadcast of the 115th Boston Marathon. Mackenzie Britt, Keaton Britt, Marquis Lockett, Brett Roskey and Kevin Windheuser will take positions along the Hopkinton-to-Boston course on Aprfil 18. When the students visited Boston’s WBZ studios earlier this month, news anchor and marathoner Lisa Hughes told them, “We can't do this without you and we thank you for joining our team.” WBZ sports reporter Steve Burton said, "You are our eyes and ears on race day.”  Former Boston Marathon race director and Hopkinton resident Tim Kilduff and Newton running guru Fred Treseler founded the Race Spotwatch and Spotters’ Network team 26 years ago. They trained a team of "spotters" for each mile along the Boston Marathon course.  At the WBZ station meeting, Kilduff, Treseler, Hughes and Burton shared their experience and the challenges of a live broadcast during a fast-paced sports event. The students were also coached and tested on effective communication, vocabulary and athlete identification. Burton and Hughes told the students to share their insights on runners, not just the facts. Congratulations to all the spotters!

4. Tuesday night, the Hopkinton Youth Commission, Hopkinton Youth Services and the Hopkinton Public Library will offer a free presentation by Medway's Judy Giovangelo, founder of Ben Speaks. Giovangelo will share her account of her 17-year-old son's suicide three years ago. She now uses the experience to raise awareness of helping teens to find positive and creative means of self- expression. The program is from 7 to 8 on April 12 at the Hopkinton Public Library.

5. The Hopkinton Elementary School Building Commitee will meet tonight at 7 in the Central Administration Office conference room, across the street from Hopkinton Middle School on Hayden Rowe Street. It seems ages since a townwide vote soundly defeated the Fruit Street school plan but it's only been two weeks.