Five Things to Know: Plan for the Polar Bear Plunge

Essential daily information at a glance, including getting your plans together for Tuesday's Polar Bear Plunge.

Here are five things to know for the final day of 2012 in Swampscott: 1) Plan for the Polar Bear Plunge: The 7th annual Swampscott Yacht Club Polar Bear Plunge is Tuesday at Fisherman's Beach. Sign in begins at 10:15 a.m. with the icy dip at 11 a.m. Proceeds benefit the family of Dave Whelan. Forecast for the Plunge calls for sunny and highs of 36. Balmy! 2) Newsbit of the Day: Did you miss our Kitty of the Year that we posted this weekend? Then you missed out on our video (and a catchy original tune). If you watch only one video about a sweetheart cat with neurological problems, this is the one. 3) Tips for New Year's Resolutions: If you make them, here are some tips on keeping them. 4) Weather Watch: Mostly sunny, with a high near 35. …

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Five Things to Know: Swampscott Little League Registration is Open

Essential daily information at a glance, including how to register your boy or girl for Swampscott Little League.

Here are five things to know for Dec. 28 in Swampscott: 1) Little League Registration is Open: Swampscott Little League registration is now open for boys and girls ages 4-13. Glenn Paster has all the details in this blog post. 2) Newsbit of the Day: Here's a sign of life in the Swampscott economy: Building permits are up this year. 3) Swampscott Scholars: Kudos to Courtney Leblanc, winner of the Swampscott Firefighters Union 1459 Scholarship. 4) Weather Watch: Thankfully, we'll get some relief from the rain and high winds. Mostly sunny. Cooler with highs in the mid 30s. Northwest winds 15 to 20 mph. 5) Do You Tweet?: At Swampscott Patch, we aim to deliver news and help you connect to neighbors on whatever platform works for you. We …

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Five Things to Know: High Winds, No Snow Accumulation Expected

Essential daily information at a glance.

Here are five things to know for Dec. 27 in Swampscott: 1) Overnight Snow Not Expected to Accumulate: Last night's forecast was calling for snow before 1 a.m., switching to rain and snow from 1-4 a.m. and becoming rain after 4 a.m. Winds could have gusted as high as 50 mph. 2) Newsbit of the Day: The newest member of the Athletic Field Study Committee is lacrosse coach Josh Field. The group is tasked with the question of installing natural or artificial turf. 3) Swampscott Scholars: Congratulations to Tatum Pederson, who snagged the Edward I. Shub Memorial Scholarship. 4) Weather Watch: Rain. High near 46. Very windy, with a east wind 30 to 40 mph decreasing to 13 to 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New precipitation amounts…

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Five Things to Know: Babe Ruth Registration is Open

Essential daily information at a glance.

Here are five things to know for Dec. 26 in Swampscott: 1) Babe Ruth Baseball Registration is Open: Yes, we had snow yesterday, but remember baseball season really isn't far away. Registration for Swampscott-Nahant Babe Ruth League is open. 2) Newsbit of the Day: The town's Gingerbread House Contest is in the books. Take a look at this year's winners. 3) Swampscott Scholars: Let's hear it for Lindsey Marini, winner of the Faith R. Shoer Scholar-Athlete Memorial Scholarship. 4) Weather Watch: Mostly cloudy. Near steady temperature in the lower 30s. North winds 10 to 15 mph. 5) Gas Prices: Here are some of the lowest unleaded gas prices around Swampscott, according to Mapquest: $3.28 (that's low!) at Mobil on the Run, 525 Paradise Road; $3.…

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Five Things to Know: The Jewish Community Center is Open to Everyone Today

Essential daily information at a glance.

Here are five things to know for your Christmas Day in Swampscott: 1) The JCC is Open: If your family is like mine, your Christmas Eve meal alone was enough to pack on a few pounds. Today the Jewish Community Center of the North Shore is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a variety of activities. Open to everyone! 2) Newsbit of the Day: Other than the JCC, not much is open in or near Swampscott today. Dunkin' Donuts, at least until 1 p.m., are open. Here's a full list of what's open and closed. 3) Swampscott Scholars: Kudos to Francis Legere, winner of the David Sherman Rotary Scholarship. 4) Weather Watch: Good chance of a White Christmas. Snow and sleet likely, mainly in the morning. Snow and sleet accumulation around an inch. Near steady …

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Five Things to Know: Holiday Trash Pickup Schedule

Essential daily information at a glance.

Here are five things to know for your Christmas Eve in Swampscott: 1) Trash Collection: If yours is scheduled for Monday, there will be a pick up today. For Tuesday-Friday pickups, collection is one day late. 2) Newsbit of the Day: Teacher John Romano, who grew up in Swampscott, relates how he packed up his stuff (including his cat Elroy) and drove down to Newtown, Conn. to deliver hugs. Keep a tissue handy if you read his account. 3) Swampscott Scholars:  Congratulations to Alexandra Chasse, winner of the Morton Sheinman and Elaine Sheinman Hoffman Memorial Scholarship. 4) Weather Watch: Another clear, cold December day. Sunny with highs in the upper 30s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.  5) Start Your Own Blog on Swampscott Patch: Everyone has …

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: Feb. 7

Quote of the day: "I never thought of losing, but now that it's happened, the only thing is to do it right. That's my obligation to all the people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life." Muhammad Ali

1) Weather Watch — Sunny. National Weather Service forecasters are predicting a sunny day with a high temperature near 44.  2) Tide Watch — Today's low tide at Fisherman's Beach is 4:17 am (.09 ft). High tide is 10:33 am (10.04 ft). The sun will rise at 6:51 am and set at 5:04 pm.  3) Swampscott Scrambler — Unscramble these letters to spell the name of a Swampscott person, place or thing (answer to be posted Monday): rytope Monday's answer: Baseball 4) Quote of the Day: I never thought of losing, but now that it's happened, the only thing is to do it right. That's my obligation to all the people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life. Muhammad Ali  5) Big Blue Watch: The boys and girls basketball teams play Danvers tonight …

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Patch Facts

Six Things You Need to Know Today: Nov. 4

From music history to local tides. Things to know in Swampscott on this fall day in November.

1) Weather Watch — National Weather Service forecasters are predicting a mostly sunny day. The day's high temperature will be near 50. 2) Tide Watch — Today's low tide at Fisherman's Beach is 1:05 pm (1.36 ft). High tide is 7:26 pm (8.78 ft). The sun will rise at 7:20 am and set at 4:32 pm.  3) Swampscott Scrambler — Unscramble these letters to spell the name of a Swampscott person, place or thing (answer to be posted tomorrow): aicmra Wednesday's answer: Gelfand 4) In 1961,  Bob Dylan made his concert hall debut in New York City. The show was seen by 50 people who paid two dollars each at Carnegie Hall. (From http://www.on-this-day.com) 5) Watch Watch — Daylight Savings Time falls Sunday at 2 am. If you set your clocks' back an hour on …

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Five Things You Need to Know Today: Nov. 3

From music history to local tides. Things to know in Swampscott on this fall day in November.

1) Weather Watch — National Weather Service forecasters are predicting a sunny day. The day's high temperature will be near 56. 2) Tide Watch — Today's low tide at Fisherman's Beach is 12 pm (1.31 ft). High tide is 6:24 pm (9.01 ft). The sun will rise at 7:19 am and set at 4:34 pm.  3) Swampscott Scrambler — Unscramble these letters to spell the name of a Swampscott person, place or thing (answer to be posted tomorrow): nadfegl Wednesday's answer: hockey 4) In 1957, At the Hop was released by Danny & the Juniors. (From http://www.on-this-day.com) 5) Big Blue Watch — The Swampscott High School freshman football team plays at home at 3:30 pm against Beverly High School.  

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Five Things You Need to Know Today: Oct. 7

Your daily guide to Swampscott.

Today is Friday, Oct. 7. Here are five things you need to know today: 1. Weather Watch — National Weather Service forecasters are predicting a sunny day with a high near 59. In other words, expect pretty much a carbon copy day to Thursday. 2. Tide Watch — Today's low tide is 2:40 p.m. (1.25 ft). High tide is 8:55 p.m (9.74 ft). The sun will rise at 6:48 a.m. and set at 6:16 p.m.  3. Swampscott Scrambler — Unscramble these letters to spell the name of a Swampscott person, place or thing (answer to be posted Monday): INIVNN UQRSAE The answer to yesterday’s Scrambler was BEACHES. 4. Water Main Break – In case you missed it, we ran an article about a water main break yesterday that cut off service to the Bertam House and caused a sinkhole on …

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