Five Things to Know Today, April 30

Welcome to Monday. Here are some things to know today.

The weather: It may be time to turn on the AC, if you haven't already. The high today will be around 90 degrees. We may have some patchy fog before 8 a.m. The low tonight will be about 62.

Gas prices: $3.58 is the lowest price in Lilburn for a gallon of regular, according to reports to www.georgiagasprices.com (at Citgo, 331 Rockbridge Road at Lawrenceville Hwy). The highest is $3.69 (at Chevron, 4784 Lawrenceville Highway at Killian Hill, and at Texaco, 4785 Lawrenceville Highway at Indian Trail Lilburn Road).

The night before: It’s almost May Day, the start of the summer half of the year, and the night before that is marked in many parts of Europe as a special festival. One common name for the observance in Germany and Scandinavia is Walpurgis Night. History says it’s named for a female saint, Walpurga, but in popular culture going back a couple centuries it’s more commonly associated with the occult. Classical authors portrayed witches and demons celebrating the night, sometimes on the German mountain called The Brocken. Among more ordinary people, it’s a night often marked with celebrations around bonfires, which seems an appropriate way to welcome the sun back from another long winter.  

Hail to the chief: This was the day in 1789 when Revolutionary War hero George Washington was sworn in to the first of his two terms as president. Washington was elected by the Electoral College without any popular national election; he remains the only president to have garnered unanimous support of the Electoral College, which he received both times. Washington voluntarily retired rather than serve a third term. His inauguration on April 30, 1789, was held on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City.

Contributions to our country: May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, created by Congress in 1990 to focus on the role of Asians and Pacific Islanders in American history and culture. One of many events around that topic will be at the Gwinnett public library in Duluth . The branch will hold a special story time on May 16 for kids aged 3-6.