Community Corner

Five Things to Know Today, April 2

Guaranteed to tell you something you didn't know yesterday.

 

Welcome to Monday and a new week. Happy spring break to Gwinnett public school students. The rest of you: Enjoy the easier commute.

The weather: Get out your summer gear and your mosquito spray. The high today will be about 87 degrees, the National Weather Service says, though we may have a little wind. The low tonight will be around 61. Get ready: The high tomorrow is predicted to be 88 degrees.

Find out what's happening in Lilburn-Mountain Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Gas prices: Over the weekend, the lowest price went up and the highest went down of those reported to www.georgiagasprices.com. A gallon of regular could be had on Sunday for $3.77 (at Kroger, 3050 Five Forks Trickum Road and at five other places). The highest price was $3.85 (at Shell, 612 Rockbridge Road).

Are you blue? It’s the fifth annual World Autism Awareness Day, a commemoration by autism groups to help raise awareness. You may have seen the news last week that the latest tally by the CDC found a national rate of autism in the U.S. of 1 in 88 children, higher than previously thought. And that doesn’t count all the teens and adults affected. It’s a widespread condition, unexplained and incurable but helped by lots of therapy and understanding. One of the ways of marking the event is with blue lights, and the group Autism Speaks has some great photos of that happening around the world.  

Find out what's happening in Lilburn-Mountain Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Land ho. Before Atlanta named a street for him, Juan Ponce de Leon was a 16th century Spanish explorer recorded as the first European to lead an expedition to Florida. He sailed from Puerto Rico, where he was governor by Spanish royal decree. On April 2, 1513, he landed for the first time somewhere in southeast Florida. His fleet of three ships explored the coast, discovered the Gulf Stream, and sailed through the Keys up the Gulf coast before returning home. Ponce de Leon returned in 1521 with a colonizing expedition but ran into resistance from Native Americans. He died of a wound from an arrow that may have been poisoned.  

Puppets. For the days off from Gwinnett County public schools, the public library is hosting Spring Break Puppet Shows at branches around the county. Check the schedule for a branch near you, including Lilburn and Mountain Park. The shows are put on by the Library Puppeteers.


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