Check the traffic out there before heading out the door!

Today is Monday, Dec. 12—31 years ago today, American oil tycoon Armand Hammer paid $5,126,000 at auction for a notebook containing writings by the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci—and here are Melrose's five fast facts for the day:

1) I get a little warm in my heart when I think of winter: Sunny, with a high near 47. Southwest wind around 8 mph. Mostly clear, with a low around 30. West wind between 3 and 5 mph. (Forecast by the National Weather Service.)

2) Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker: The Melrose Liquor Licensing Commission meets tonight at 7 p.m. to amend its rules and regulations regarding sale of alcohol in restaurants on Sunday before noon, as approved by the aldermen in September.

3) Colonel Ralph Wade will be our auctioneer: Herzog movies, man. Whew. The property at 112 Tremont St. will be auctioned off on Wednesday at 11 a.m. It's a single family village colonial style home with 5 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. More info here.

4) "Tammy, I need you to work an extra shift on Saturday." "... No." Hey Melrose business owners—is your place open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve or New Year's Day? Email me at danield@patch.com with your hours on those days for inclusion in a wrap-up article of what's open and closed on those holiday days. 

5) Monday: Here's our lineup of weekly columns that run each Monday on Melrose Patch:

• Frugal Family: Our weekly deals column runs every Monday at 8 a.m. with five deals in and around Melrose.

• Viewfinder: Our weekly photo gallery runs every Monday at noon showing Melrose people in Melrose places (and asks you to upload your own pictures and videos). This feature will return next week.

• Where Is It in Melrose? Our weekly mystery photo runs every Monday at 3 p.m. and asks you to guess where the photo was taken in Melrose. Guess correctly and you can win a prize.

As always, check our calendar for the full slate of events—and add your own!