Five Things for Thursday: Chilly, Controversy — or 'Non-troversy'?

Smithfield Weather:

• Thursday: Mostly sunny with highs in the 40s.
• Thursday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the 20s.
• Friday: Sunny and cold with highs in the 30s.

Controversy — or 'Non-troversy'?: Remember the hubbub last year after Gov. Lincoln Chafee named the State House evergreen a "holiday tree" — like former Gov. Don Carcieri had done, incidentally? Chafee announced that he's planning a tree lighting this year, too — do you think what the tree is called is still an issue? Let us know.

Bowling to Benefit: Town Hall Lanes in Johnston hosts a bowling tournament on Friday night to help the Smithfield Welfare Department's Holiday Fund. Throw a few frames and help people in need.

Feeling Lucky?: We've all been hearing about the huge Powerball jackpot recently — you could also try your luck at something that doesn't have quite the astronomical odds of winning: Bingo at the Johnston Senior Center. Fun kicks off at 1:15 pm.

Celebrity Birthdays:

• Howie Mandel, 57: Host of "Deal or No Deal."
• Vin Scully, 85: Longtime voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Kin Delaney, 51:  TV detective on "NYPD Blue" and "CSI: Miami"

A special sixth thing — Did you know?

Christian Doppler, born on this date in 1803, was an Austrian physicist who studied light waves. [Yep, he's the guy whose name is given to the "Doppler radar" system. You're welcome, Tony Petrarca.]