Feb. 18: Basketball Playoffs, Village Election, Flushing Update, Local Deals and More Things to Know TODAY

Friday has finally arrived, but before you unplug for the weekend take a look at the top stories today on Patch and the local events, deals and more happening this Saturday and Sunday.

This is your Daily Five list for Feb. 18:

1. Basketball Playoffs: The Rams delivered a riveting performance during Thursday's playoff game against Lawrence High School. They put up a fierce fight, keeping the score close, but in the end could not topple the Golden Tornadoes. Get the full recap, photos and Coach Cosgrove's post-game thoughts on Patch today. Best of luck to Malverne's Mules, who will have their chance at a playoff run this Saturday at 5 p.m. when they take on East Rockaway at C.W. Post. 
2. Flush Away: Holding true to their promise, the Long Island Water Company has spent the week sending crews throughout Malverne, West Hempstead and Lakeview to flush all of the hydrants. (Not to mention, they also had to fix a main break Tuesday in Malverne, which is believed to be unrelated.) Their goal is to completely flush out the system in the area by the end of the week, hoping residents will see an improvement in the color and quality of their water. We'll check in with LIAW President Bill Varley and residents later today to see how the project is going.
3. Newcomer Enters Elections: In less than a month, Malverne residents will take to the polls in the village's general election. This year, the position of mayor, two trustee seats and village justice will be on the ballot. Three incumbents are in the running, Mayor Patricia Norris McDonald and Trustees Michael Bailey and James Callahan, and a newcomer recently announced that he has entered the race for one of the seats on the board. Patch sat down with village trustee hopeful Dr. John Hassett Jr. to learn about his past and what the future would be like if he were elected to Malverne's government. Get the story this afternoon.
4. Fun for Kids, Deals For You: Patch gives you several resources to help you plan out your weekend. Yesterday we gave you our to local activities in Malverne, West Hempstead and neighboring towns and today it's all about our young residents. Check Patch at 12:30 p.m. for our Grab & Go Kids Planner,  a roundup of this weekend's local events and activities that are perfect for your youngsters. Then, at 3 p.m. find out how you can save money when shopping locally with our list of the top deals of the week.
5. Think You Know Your Community? Test your knowledge of Malverne and West Hempstead in our weekly photo hunt contest. We'll post a shot taken in the neighborhood today and ask you to guess exactly where the photo was snapped. Post your answers in the comments section of the article for a chance to win a prize from Patch.

Stay on top of the big regional stories too. Watch our daily PatchCast video at 6 p.m. for the best stories of the day from the South Shore and look for the Nassau County and Town of Hempstead notebooks this weekend.