The Daily Five: East Lyme School Budget Hearing, Rodent Predictions, And Athletic Excellence

1. Today will be partly cloudy and windy, with a predicted high temperature of just 31 degrees and an overnight low of 20 degrees, according to Weather.com.

2. In case you missed it, Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck emerged on Groundhog Day and didn't see their shadows, portending an early spring. In Connecticut,  VIII, popped her head out, saw her shadow, and hunkered back down for another six weeks of winter. Only time will tell which rodent is right. 

3. East Lyme residents will get their first opportunity to weigh-in on the proposed school budget for 2013-2014 tonight. The public hearing, originally scheduled for last Monday but was postponed because of the snow, will be held tonight in the East Lyme High School auditorium at 6 p.m. Superintendent James Lombardo will kick it off with a presentation, followed by a question and answer session. Here are a few questions people have posed so far.

4. The East Lyme Board of Education regular meeting will be held immediately following the public hearing at about 7 p.m. but will relocate to Room B101 at the High School. In addition to continuing its discussion of the proposed budget, the board is expected to take action to firm up the calendar for the rest of the school year and discuss the 2013-2014 calendar. 

5. The main event at tonight's Board of Education meeting will be a ceremony for High School student athletes and coaches who were recognized for their outstanding performances during the fall season by the EEC, All State, All Area, New London Day, and Norwich Bulletin. 

I'll be publishing the full roster tomorrow morning but the coaches who were singled out for excellence this past season were: Boys' Cross Country Coach, Sam Harfenist, (Bulletin Coach of the Year and ECC Coach of the Year); Girls' Soccer Coach Rachel Redding (The Bulletin Coach of the Year and Head Coach Senior Bowl); and Girls' Swimming Coach Jack Stabach (The Bulletin Coach of the Year and ECC Coach of the Year).