5 Things You Need To Know Today: December 23

1. Heavy demand and low rain falls mean that reclaimed water users will experience low pressure. Manatee County utilities is working with large users to balance the system demand and allow the Utilities Department to provide service with the limited quantity of water available. The Utilities Department is asking that all reclaimed users, limit the use of reclaimed irrigation to the absolute minimum.  It is typical for plants and grass to enter into a more dormant stage requiring less water at this time of the year, so once a week watering is sufficient. Residents with non-reclaimed services have been limited to two days a week watering schedule according to the Southwest Florida Water Management District since early 2007. For more information call 941-798-6745 or visit on line at www.mymanatee.org/utilities.

2. The Way Church of Bradenton, 4220 59th St W., is sponsoring a Christmas Eve candlelight service under the stars beginning at 5:30 p.m. The outdoor candlelight service will be followed by a free Christmas dinner buffet! Nursery care is available for children 5 and under.

3. It's two days before Christmas but some offices are celebrating early. Expect fewer offices to be open and  more people to be on the road and in the stores. All county and city officers are closed until Tuesday.

4. Don't expect to pull out those Christmas sweaters this weekend if you plan on staying in town. Instead it looks like we will get near-record warm teamperatures over the next couple of days. Temperatures will be at 80-degrees and above.

5. The founder and president of Rasmussen Reports, Scott W. Rasmussen, will headline the annual Manatee County Lincoln Day Dinner on February 18, 2012. Rasmussen is a political analyst, author, independent public opinion pollster and frequent guest on Fox News, CNBC and the BBC.  Rasmussen is the author of Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System  and In Search of Self-Governance.  For Lincoln Day Dinner information, contact Event Chairman David Matthews at (941) 567 – 0454.