Today's 5: Happy New Year 4710

Chinese New Year, the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar, begins Monday. Based on the lunar calendar, it's a day of family gatherings to mark the Chinese year 4710: The Year of the Dragon.

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On Monday:

1. Chinese New Year festivities begin today and continue for 15 days, from the darkest night until the the moon is brightest. Local restaurants offer special meals. And the is holding a special "Dragon Parade" with costumes and other fun events. We'll have a video report later today.

2. The is holding tonight at the . Tonight it's Girls fielding/throwing. Grades 2-3 run from 7-8:15 p.m.; Grades 4 and up go from 8:15-9:30 p.m.

3. The meets tonight in the first of many public budget workshops. The meeting begins at a special time: 7 p.m.

4. You can sign up for a variety of tonight from 6:30-8:30 at the Plainview-Old Bethpage

5. Many of the stories we write about come from news tips just like you. Do you have a that needs covering? you want to tell us about? The ? Let us know by adding it to the calendar or sending us a . We read and consider every local coverage request. We try to accommodate everyone.