5 Things You Need to Know Today: February 27

1. Belmont High School Fine Arts Department is holding its Solo and Ensemble Concert at 7 p.m. in the High School's auditorium. Come see just how talented these musicians are at this annual event.

2. Come enjoy a private tour of Cambridge's Longfellow House/Washington’s Headquarters courtesy of the Belmont Council on Aging. The approximately 50-minute long of the (heated!) through this historic Cambridgehouse interprets both George Washington's first headquarters as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and the home of America's most famous poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Seats on the bus are filled, but a second, simultaneously run tour will be given to those who can get there on their own (#73 and #74 busses that run to Harvard Square go by the house. Ask the driver.). If you have a handicapped placard or plates, please call; there are two spaces at the site available to us. Call Dena at 617-993-2977 for more details. The tour is free.

3. Belmont Public Library's Storytime for 1's is for walkers and toddlers under 24 months.  Share simple stories, songs, finger plays, nursery rhymes and puppets in the Flett Room (across from the Children's Room) from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

4. Come hear about the latest advancements on saving people's eyesight as Dr. Eric A. Pierce will speak on "Catching Up on Research Advances for Retinal Degenerative Diseases" tonight at Belmont Public Library. Pierce is the Director of the Ocular Genomics Institute, the Associate Director of the Berman-Gund Laboratory for the Study of Inherited Retinal Degenerations, and a Lecturer in the Department of Ophthamology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and at Harvard Medical School. This free lecture is sponsored by the Foundation Fighting Blindness. All are welcome to attend the lecture from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library's Assembly Room.

5. Duplicate Bridge Club meets from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Beech Street Center at 266 Beech St. Every Wednesday the club holds American Contact Bridge League-sanctioned games. All are welcome to play. Cost is $5. Phone: 339-223-6484 for more information.