Our daily column, 5 Things You Need to Know Today, will help you to get your day started and offer you some fodder for water cooler conversation.

1. The Town of Framingham will hold a Household Hazardous Waste Day at McCarthy Elementary School from 9 a.m. to 1p.m. today. NO LATE ARRIVALS ACCEPTED! The event is free to all Framingham residents, but those participating most show an ID. So check your closets, sheds and garages for outdated and unused chemicals and bring them to this free event. Please review the attached flyer carefully for a list of acceptable and unacceptable items. We will not accept items on the unacceptable list. If you have questions, contact the Solid Waste Division at 508-532-6001 or email recycling@framinghamma.gov.

2. Today starts the tax-free weekend in Massachusetts. What are you looking to purchase? Tell us in the comments. Or tell us what you best deal was.

3. Framingham posted for new crossing guards this week. A guards primary responsibility is to ensure the safe crossing of school children at designated crosswalks. A crossing guard shall use recognized hand signals to direct vehicles to stop/proceed. A guard shall make sure that all vehicular traffic has stopped before allowing children to enter the crossing. After the Crossing Guard has checked that all children have safely crossed the street he/she may then direct the traffic to proceed. Framingham residents, who possess the minimum educational requirements of a GED, and are able to competently perform the above-mentioned duties, are eligible to become crossing guards. The position is for 180 school days and pays $5006. For more details and to apply, click here.

4. Monadnock Bluegrass Band  will take the stage at Amazing Things Arts Center at 8. The website states: "Monadnock is a group of five musicians from varying musical backgrounds who have found a love for Bluegrass music both traditional and contemporary. Some of the group have been classically trained, some have been playing bluegrass music for 20 years. Some grew up with Rock n' Roll and others have roots in the folk genre. They specialize in the sound of the early Bluegrass groups such as Flatt & Scruggs or Bill Monroe but then take a Buddy Holly tune or even a contemporary tune and adapt it to the bluegrass style." Tickets are $15, $14 students and seniors, $12 members and $8 for children under 12.   

5. On Day 14 at the 2012 London Olympic games, the U.S. women's 4X100 relay team not only earned the gold medal but broke a 27-year old world record.

U.S. wrestler Jordan Burroughs earned Team USA a gold medal.

Today, Aug. 11 in London, Team USA women's basketball will play France for the gold medal. In women's volleyball, Team USA will match up against Brazil for the gold medal.

Track and field highlight include the men's 4X100 relay and the women's 4X400 relay.

Telemundo will play live the gold medal men's soccer game between Brazil and Mexico scheduled for 10 a.m.