Happy Earth Day!

1. Yikes! Patchy frost before 9 a.m., the forecasters say. The day will warm, but with warmth will come clouds. Ah, well, the vagaries of spring.

2. Today is Good Friday. Montville Town Hall is closed, school is closed, the senior center is closed… but the transfer station is open! Recycling will be picked up as usual. The transfer station will be closed on Sunday.

3. Joan Zujus would like to remind the citizens of Montville liens will be placed if real estate taxes aren’t paid by 4:30 p.m. on April 29. (That's one week from today).

Unpaid motor vehicle taxes go to the state marshal for collection, Zujus said Wednesday.

Citizens can pay their taxes in person at town hall, or through the mail, or can pay on the town’s website, using a credit card. There is a fee for this, Zujus said. If you pay by credit card, it’s a certain percentage of your total bill. If you pay by e-check, the fee is $2.95.

You can also pay over the phone, by calling 866-558-4073.

Real estate that is two years delinquent may be foreclosed, and taxes that are not paid by June 30 are listed in the town's annual report.

The town can’t offer payment plans, Zujus said.  But the town charges 18 percent interest per year. Your credit card interest might be lower.

4. There’s a toy swap at the Children’s Museum in Niantic today, from 2-3 p.m. Bring in your gently used toys and get others in return. A great Earth Day recycling event! Click for more info.

Here's another Earth Day celebration. Bring a travel mug to a participating Starbucks today, and you'll get a free coffee or tea. If you don't have a mug, they'll be 20 percent off at Starbucks today. Click here for more info.

Using a travel mug - even at the drive-thru - is a great way to reduce your use of hard-to-degrade materials. Just tell the drive-thru person, over the intercom, that you have a travel mug, and you'd like to bring it up to be refilled. I've never been turned down - and it's usually cheaper, too!

 5. Get out your calendars! The is holding its eighth annual pasta dinner fundraiser on May 1, from 4-7 p.m., at the on Norwich-New London Turnpike. Tickets at $7 for adults, $5 for children and seniors. Kids younger than 5 eat for free. You can buy tickets at the door, or call the Youth Center at 848-7724 for more info. Also on May 1, it’s the "Express Yourself 2011" exhibit at Saint Bernard School. The show may be viewed throughout the Visual Arts Department from 6:30-7 p.m.  A reception and awards program follows.

Extra! Extra! Michael Constanza rates the region's burgers. The winners might surprise you. Come back at 11 this morning, and bring your appetite!

On this day

On April 22, 1864, the U.S. Congress did something that many Americans have the opportunity to notice every single day. What was that? See Monday’s Patch for the answer.

Answer to Thursday’s question:

On April 21, 1856, the Mississippi River was crossed by a rail train for the first time. The train crossed from Davenport, IA, to Rock Island, IL. Those two cities are part of what is known as the Quad Cities, Davenport and Bettendorf, in Iowa; and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline, in Illinois.

Thought for the day

“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” - Mother Teresa