5 Things You Need To Know Today—Friday, Jan. 27

Check the traffic out there and local gas prices before heading out the door!

Today is Friday, Jan. 27—124 years ago today, the National Geographic Society was founded—and here are Melrose's five fast facts for the day:

1) The drops the size of your hands and face: Rain, mainly before 4 p.m. Patchy fog. High near 52. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible. Tonight, mostly cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 32. Breezy, with a west wind 9 to 12 mph increasing to between 17 and 20 mph. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. (Forecast by the National Weather Service.)

2) It's playtime: The Melrose Kids Club, which brings free entertainment for kids 5 and under to Memorial Hall each month, , too. The drop ins offer a casual environment in a large open space where children can color, listen to children’s music, and play with toys.

3) Let's dance: All hail SRV. (That Bowie guy's all right, too.) Tonight is an MHS freshmen dance in the Marcoux Gym and a Winthrop Grade K/1 Dance Night.

4) Give me the first taste: Here are today's specials around Melrose:

• : Soup—Clam Chowder; Lunch—Salmon Salad [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) Weekend in New England: Manilow! Here's today's lineup of weekly columns that run each Friday on Melrose Patch:

• : Our roundup of open houses for the upcoming weekend runs at noon. Realtors, you can add photos and videos of any open houses you're hosting to the gallery!
  

• : Each week, we highlight a Melrose kid (or kids) who has been nominated for some recognition.

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