5 Things You Need To Know Today: March 16

1. Another Bedford Championship? The fifth-seeded BHS boys basketball team , Wednesday night at UNH's Lundholm Gymnasium to advance to the Division II championship game at the same venue Saturday at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs face No. 2 Portsmouth, which defeated 11th-ranked Coe-Brown Northwood, 55-46, in the semifinals to set up a rematch of the D-III football title clash,

2. Rain Today. Cloudy day with occasional rain showers, but temperatures remain warm today with a high near 55 degrees.

3. Patch Academy. Bedford and Amherst Patch will team up at the Black Forest Cafe on Route 101 in Amherst at 1 p.m., on Wednesday, April 4, to offer a Patch Academy. We'll show you how to explore the many possible options Patch offers local residents. Learn how to post and browse local events and announcements, explore free blogging opportunities, learn how to promote your small business and much, much more. We'll answer any and all questions you may have and point you in the right direction in terms of the Patch possibilities that are best suited for you. For more information, or to RSVP, email Ryan.OConnor@Patch.com.

4. Academic Achievement of the Day. Alexandra Thomas, a resident of Bedford, was named to the Fall Semester 2011 Deans' List at Merrimack College. To be named to the Deans' List, a student must achieve a 3.25 grade point average or higher, based on a 4.0 grading system.

5. Manchester the host to big Martial Arts event this weekend. Downtown Manchester play host to the 5^th Annual Martial Arts Symposium the weekend of March 17-18.  

Attendees can expect two days filled with training from top martial artist from all over the country and entertainment style hybrid fighting tournament at noon. The final competition will be held during the banquet followed by The Josh Logan Band providing the musical entertainment for St. Patty’s Day.

“We are very excited to once again bring this event back to Manchester.  With every passing year the enthusiasm and attendance continues to grow,” says Terry Dow, organizer of the event and co-owner of The Training Station on Elm Street.

Special guests include Jeremy Oneail as seen on the History Channel series “Full Metal Jousting.”  Also in attendance will be Bill “Superfoot” Wallace, retired undefeated kickboxing champion, Michael Depasquale Legend of Ju Jitsu and former judge of the UFC and many more. The event will be held at The Radisson Hotel, 700 Elm St.  Hours of the event are as follows: Saturday, 9am to 5pm.  Sunday, 9am to 4pm.  Cost to attend is: $189 for both Saturday and Sunday.  Saturday only, $119.  Saturday night banquet with masters and a full armor demo by Jeremy Oneail, $55.  Sunday only, $109.  For more information please contact Christina Davidson at 603-505-0048.