5 Things You Need To Know Today—Thursday, Dec. 8

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Today is Thursday, Dec. 8—31 years ago today, John Lennon was shot—and here are Melrose's five fast facts for the day:

1) If the rain comes, they run and hide their heads: Rain. Patchy fog. Low around 39. Breezy, with a north wind 7 to 10 mph increasing to between 17 and 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. Tonight, a chance of rain, mainly before 8 a.m. Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 45. Breezy, with a west wind between 13 and 21 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph. (Forecast by the National Weather Service.)

2) So this is Christmas and what have you done: It's opening night for .

3) So I sing a song of love: 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) I took my loved one out to dinner, so we could get a bite to eat: Here are today's specials around Melrose:

• : Soup—Corn Chowder; Lunch—Ham Panini w/ Caramelized Onion, Apple, Swiss, and Gruyere Cheese; Dinner—Meatloaf w/ Mashed Potatoes & Peas ($9.99) [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) Living for today: 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!