Five Things to Know Today: May 13

1. Weather: The National Weather Service forecast for our area says we'll see a few clouds today.

2. In Case You Missed It: Wow! Yesterday was jam packed with news, but the happiest of all was of all the schools involved for its production of Phantom of the Opera! Well done!

3. Dear Readers: Lower Macungie Patch is seriously interested in having you blog for us. Blog about your dog, your baseball team, your stamp collection, politics, the price of gas, the beautiful flowers in the Flower Park...you get the idea. Email me at mariella.savidge@patch.com if you're interested!

4. Coming Up: Photographer Ellis Stoneback shot a beautiful ViewFinder at the Macungie Fire Company carnival. But before that, meet each candidate for Macungie Borough Council individually.

5. Today in History: On this day in 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot  in the abdomen and in his left hand as he was passing through Rome's St. Peter's Square in an open car. He was rushed to Gemelli Hospital, where he underwent more than five hours of surgery after which he was listed in critical but stable condition. Four days after being shot, he offered forgiveness from his hospital bed to his would-be assassin, 23-year-old escaped Turkish murderer Mehmet Ali Agca.