5 Things You Need To Know Today—Thursday, Dec. 22

Check the traffic out there before heading out the door!

Today is Thursday, Dec. 22—55 years ago today, Colo became the first-ever gorilla born in captivity—and here are Melrose's five fast facts for the day:

1) When the ice clouds roll over the day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 53. West wind between 8 and 14 mph. Tonight, showers likely, mainly after 4 a.m. Increasing clouds, with a low around 35. North wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. (Forecast by the National Weather Service.)

2) Library pictures of the quickening canoe: All high school-age teens are invited to attend the monthly meetings of the MPL's Teen Advisory Group. —bring your ideas and suggestions on programs you would like to see at the library.

3) Flimsy as it is, it's open-mic punk rock: It's . Sign-up starts at 7 p.m., host Mike Walsh plays at 7:30 p.m. and then the mic is open until 11 p.m.

4) Got the flavor: Here are today's specials around Melrose:

• : Soup—Corn Chowder; Lunch—Buffalo Chicken Wrap; Dinner—None [Note: menu subject to change.]

• Do you own a Melrose eatery? E-mail your daily specials to danield@patch.com by 6 p.m. and we'll include them in next morning's .

5) The Thursday days and the humerus bones: Here's today's lineup of weekly columns that run each Thursday on Melrose Patch:

• Get Out: Looking for something to do this weekend? Our roundup of stuff to do this weekend in Melrose and nearby posts at 11 a.m.

• : Find out if you have new neighbors. Our roundup of five home sales in Melrose this past week posts at noon—Realtors, add your own recent sales to our gallery!

• Poll of the Week: We'll run a poll every Thursday asking you to weigh in with a quick click on the topic du jour. Check back at 1:30 p.m. for this week's question. We'll compile the answers into an article next week.

• : Each week, we ask you for your top picks in a wide variety of categories. Check back at 3 p.m. for your answers.

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