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. Framingham Farmers Market will be open from noon to 5:30 p.m. at Framingham Centre Common. Today is the last day to get your knives sharpened by On the Edge Knife Sharpening. Vendors expected: Copicut Farm, The Cookie Pup, EL Silvia Farm, Flats Mentor Farm, Globe Fish, Great Harvest Bread, Handmade Soaps by Jennifer Hoffman, Hanson Farm, Hillside Beef
La Mariposa Canta, Nobscot Artisan Cheese, Pasta by Fior Ditalia, Westminster Meat, Zoll Cellars Wine, oil paintings by Dave Gehman and Greeting cards, English Tea Cakes and more by Rosemary Fletcher.

2. Professor Barry Bluestone will be the keynote speaker at the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce Exec-Connect lunch today at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center. Bluestone will report on the state of Manufacturing in Massachusetts and will highlight the findings of the recently published Staying Power II: A Report Card on Manufacturing in Massachusetts. Bluestone will discuss key findings from this landmark study which show that manufacturing remains the sixth largest industry employer in Massachusetts, ahead of financial services, wholesale trade, construction, state government, and information services. Bluestone will lead a discussion regarding how to best position the MetroWest region to accommodate the growth in this industry. Walkins will be allowed at $30.

3. Registration for the Framingham Youth Lacrosse (FYL) 2013 season is Saturday, Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Elks. Framingham Youth Lacrosse is affiliated with the MBGLL and the MBYLL and has teams for girls and boys kindergarten through grade eight. For additional information, click here.

4. Framingham Patch loves letters to the editor and we've published 5 this week. Click here to read them. To submit a letter email editor susan.petroni@patch.com

5. Special Town Meeting resumes tonight at 7:30 p.m. On Day 2, Town Meeting members voted 94-2 to demolish the crumbling Lexington Street parking garage, next to the main Framingham Library at a cost of $320,000 and to build a 63-spot parking lot at a cost of $615,000. Framingham Patch was live blogging at Special Town Meeting. Click here to see what else you missed on Wednesday night. Framingham Patch will be live blogging again tonight.