Our weekday morning column, 5 Things You Need to Know, provides you with information that can help you plan your day and give you some fodder for water cooler conversations.

1. School officials got a chilly reception from the City Council’’s Finance Committee on Friday. Several councilors used the budget hearing as a chance to express their unhappiness with the ongoing controversies within the district. Watch for more coverage of this story Monday on Patch.

2. Seems a proposed state ban on school bake schools has really struck a nerve with Patch readers. Our ongoing poll on the ban--which state health officials proposed in response to the childhood obesity epidemic but have since backed away from--has already received more than 300 votes and dozens of comments. Where do you come down on this hot topic?

3. Gardening season is upon us and spots are still available in the new community garden on the Cider Knoll/Mello Family Meadow conservation land on Stow Rd. The city is renting a number of 200-square-foot plots to families interested in growing vegetables or flowers.  For more information call the Conservation office at (508) 460-3768.

4. Projects done by the city’s home-school students during the soon-to-end school year will be on display starting Monday at the Marlborough Public Library. Yes, home-school students have to do projects too.

5. After a summer-like weekend--temperatures hit 83 in Marlborough on Mother’s Day--why not take a moment to offer your thoughts on local ice cream favorite Trombetta’s, the subject of our latest Review This feature.