5 Things You Need To Know Today—Thursday, Feb. 2

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Today is Thursday, Feb. 2—it's Groundhog Day, first celebrated 125 years ago—and here are Melrose's five fast facts for the day:

1) You want a prediction about the weather, you're asking the wrong Phil: Oh, you must've known you were getting some Groundhog Day clips today. Partly sunny, with a high near 42. North wind around 9 mph. Tonight, a slight chance of rain and snow showers before 7 p.m., then a slight chance of snow showers between 7 p.m. and 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. North wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent. (Forecast from National Weather Service.)

2) Believe it or not, I studied 19th century French poetry: Take your 3 or 4-year-old to the Melrose Public Library . Listen to a story, sings songs and do crafts.

3) It takes a muscle to fall in love: Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School is celebrating “Go Red for Women Day” today and encouraging everyone to wear red to school to raise awareness and support research to prevent heart disease.

4) Don't you worry about cholesterol, love handles? Here are today's specials around Melrose:

• : Soup—Roasted Tomato; Lunch—Grilled Cheese w/Bacon & Tomato; Dinner—Hungarian Goulash [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) I don't know where you're headed, but can you call in sick? Here's today's lineup of weekly columns that run each Thursday on Melrose Patch:

• 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. We'll compile the answers into an article next week.

• : 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!

• : 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!