5 Things You Need To Know This Weekend: January 14-16

1. County and City offices are closed Monday for the Martin Luther King holiday. The buses will run as normal and trash collection will be picked up as normally scheduled. In the City of Bradenton, yard waste normally collected on Monday, will instead be collected on Thursday.

2. It's awards season and The Humane Society of Lakewood Ranch will not be left out. They are presenting their on Sunday as part of the 2012 Walk of Fame, a pet parade and costume contest on Main Street in Lakewood Ranch. The pet parade will feature adoptable dogs and starts at 1 p.m. Look for Patch's very own Sadie. A deputy found Sadie in the Lakewood Ranch area. She was starving and pregnant. She and her litter of four puppies became the .

3. The Manatee Chamber of Commerce will host a Power Networking Lunch for Chamber members from 11:30 am to 1 p.m. on Wednesday at First Street Cafe.  Cost is $12 and reservations are required. For information contact Nicole Onorato at 941-748-4842, ext. 122 or email, NicoleO@ManateeChamber.com.

4. Manatee County has an opening for a citizens advisory committee that makes recommendations on animal issues. The Advisory Board is playing a critical role in Manatee County’s efforts to become a no kill community. Any Manatee County resident may apply for the At-Large position. The term expires July 31, 2014. Applications are due Feb. 7 and may be found online. The Animal Services Advisory Board meets on the second Wednesday of every other month at 5:45 p.m. at Manatee County Animal Services, 305 25th Street West, Palmetto.
For information, call Animal Services Chief Kristopher J. Weiskopf, at (941) 742-5933, ext. 8346 or e-mail him at kris.weiskopf@mymanatee.org.

5. Help Every Learner Progress (HELP) Ministry will host its inaugural Servant Leadership Seminar on Monday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  The seminar will offer tools, techniques and tips to enhance leadership skills to help serve your church or community. The seminar begins with breakfast at 9 a.m. at 1017 5^th Street West. The two hour seminar follows. For information call Alicia Cotton, 941-745-2975.