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. In August, Town Meeting member Herb Chasan proposed a Hoops & Homework program for students in one of Framingham's poorest precincts. The program would be located in three housing developments in Precinct 17, and modeled after a program that had been in existence for 18 years.

Thursday night, Town Meeting after a lengthy debate approved spending $81,000 in seed money for the program. To read the debate and see the actual vote, check out Framingham Patch's live blog of night 3 of Special Town Meeting. Night 4 will take place Tuesday.

2. Tonight is the Framingham Fire Department's Annual Halloween Party. The event benefits Franciscan Children's Hospital. Tickets are $25 at the door. The event starts at 7 at the Sheraton and features a best costume contest, door prizes and music by a DJ.

3. The Framingham Flyers football team will battle Milton High at 7 p.m. at Bowditch Field.

4. Spirituality Not Religion is the focus of the lecture Mother Clare Watts, a christian priest & visionary who is the co-director of a mystical Christian school and Order called the Order of Christ Sophia. The author of Giving Birth to God: A Woman's Path To Enlightenment, Mother Clare will help you to see the difference between spirituality and religion and guide you to a return of a deep spiritual consciousness. Suggested donation $25.

5. Looking for some spooky fun tonight? Hanson's hosts Haunted Farm from 7-10 p.m. Tickets $16 adults and $14 for children 12 and under. Group rates available with reservations. The haunted hayrides are Friday and Saturday night this month.