Five Things to Know Today, Dec. 1

Welcome to Thursday, December and the beginning of the meteorological winter. That calls for at least three rabbits, I think. Here are some things to know today.

The weather: Sunny, with a high of about 59 degrees, the National Weather Service says. The low tonight will be around freezing.

Gas prices: A gallon of regular in Lilburn costs between $3.05 (at Murphy USA, 3950 Lawrenceville Hwy near Lester Road) and $3.16 (at Gulf, 127 Arcado Road at N River Drive), according to reports to www.georgiagasprices.com. The average price in Georgia is $3.181, and nationwide it's $3.295, 15 cents less than a month ago.

Christmas. Get in the mood with music, crafts, food and decorations at the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse starting Friday evening. The Gwinnett County parks department hosts "An Old Fashioned Christmas" again this year, including live entertainment and story telling by Santa. It's $8 per person and you should register in advance.

Hero. It was another Thursday, Dec. 1, when a department store seamstress headed home from work, boarded a Montgomery, Ala., city bus and took a seat in history. On that day in 1955, Rosa Parks refused the driver's order to stand up and give her spot to a white passenger. Others had challenged segregation in public transportation before, but Parks' quiet resistance and arrest helped spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott that became a crucial stepping stone in the Civil Rights movement. Congress later dubbed her "the first lady of civil rights" and Dec. 1 has been marked since 2005 as National Transit Tribute to Rosa Parks Day by the American Public Transportation Association.

Bah humbug! Charles Dickens' famous old miser Ebenezer Scrooge comes to life on the stage at Brookwood High School in Snellville tonight. Performing arts students present "A Christmas Carol"  starting at 7 p.m.tonight. Tickets are $7 for adults, $6 for children and seniors.