5 Things You Need to Know Today—Wednesday, Dec. 14

Check the traffic out there before heading out the door!

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 14 and here are Melrose's five fast facts for the day:

1) Sunshine and showers and everything comin' up daisies: A slight chance of showers before 11 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 41. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent. Tonight, a chance of showers after 4 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. (Forecast by the National Weather Service.)

2) I'm amazed by a divided nation: Well Melrose, I'm leaving you today ... until Friday. Your editor and his buddy Josh will be taking Manhattan for the My Morning Jacket concert at Madison Square Garden tonight. Because taking two days off mid-work week for a concert in another state is a totally reasonable thing to do. (Sorry, Patch.)

While I'm away today and tomorrow, if there's anything urgent, you can contact Associate Regional Editor Roberto Scalese at roberto@patch.com. Roberto, who you may recognize from his previous stint as Malden Patch editor, will be covering for me. And as always, Community Producer Amanda Kersey (amanda.kersey@patch.com) can help with posting Events and other submissions to the site. Behave while I'm away.

3) On a holiday: The will be held tonight at 7 p.m. in the MVMMS auditorium. Admission is $3 for students and $5 for adults. The Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School Band and Orchestra will be performing, as well as their Melrose High School counterparts.

4) Ever since I put your picture in a frame: Ever have a great Melrose photo that you want to share with everyone? But it's not necessarily related to a particular topic or news story? You can now share it with everyone through the Melrose Neighborhood Gallery. Click on the Gallery tab on the navigation bar at the top of the page and then click the big "Upload Photos and Videos" button to add your photo to the gallery.

5) But you won't give a damn by Wednesday Week: Here's today's lineup of weekly columns that run each Wednesday on Melrose Patch:

• Poll Results: Every Thursday we run a poll about a timely issue on Melrose Patch, and the following Wednesday, we'll bring you the results and invite you to continue the conversation.

• : Moms (and dads and guardians) are invited to spend lunch sharing their thoughts on the parenting topic of the day. Check back at noon and join in the conversation.

• : Each Wednesday at 3 p.m., we highlight a way for parents to get some much needed me-time.

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