5 To Know Things in Sarasota: Wallenda To Be Tethered On Tightrope

1. Sarasota native Nik Wallenda will be contractually forced to be tethered to his tightrope by ABC during his June 15 walk across Niagara Falls, The Associated Press reports.

ABC will air a three-hour special and broadcast the walk live and wants to avoid a horrific live event, The Associated Press reports.

Wallenda is irked at the requirement, The AP reported:

"It seems as though that's what I'm going to be doing," he told The Associated Press as he prepared to walk a practice wire outside the Seneca Niagara Casino, where a fire truck sprayed water and a jet boat motor served as a powerful fan to simulate the mist and wind that occurs as water rushes over Niagara Falls to the rocky gorge below.      

"I'm upset. I'm not used to it," he said. "I've never worn a tether before so it's just something else I have to contend with when I'm out there."

2. Help Sarasota Bay's scallop population at a fundraiser by Sarasota Bay Watch called Scallopalooza - Repay the Bay. The event features a cocktail hour, dinner, auction and presentations by Charlie Hunsicker, director of Manatee County Natural Resources Department and Ed Chiles, restaurateur and chief executive of The Chiles Group.

The event will be at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 9 at the . Cost is $75 and includes dinner and presentations and auction. There are tables of 10 for $700 and tables of eight available for $560. Dress is coastal casual. Register at www.sarasotabaywatch.org by Tuesday, June 5

3. Sarasota's annual Memorial Day parade will be downtown at 10 a.m. Monday, May 28. Parade starts at Main Street and Osprey Avenue and ends on Main Street at Gulfstream Avenue. A ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. at Chaplain J.D. Hamel Park. 

Parade organizers are looking for those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.  An invitation is being extended to veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom to be the first civilian unit in the parade. For more information, call 861-2889. 

4. Congratulations to Health Care System for receiving the HealthGrades’ “2012 Patient Safety Excellence Award"– a designation given to the nation’s top 5 percent hospitals for patient safety. It is the ninth consecutive year that Sarasota Memorial has received the independent healthcare rating organization’s safety award. 

“Delivering safe patient care is not a process, procedure or safety list that you check off at the end of each day – it is a mindset and way of caring for patients every minute of every day that works only with the care and commitment of a competent, cohesive team,” said Sarasota Memorial CEO Gwen MacKenzie. 

5. The highly anticipated has its own Facebook page and is updating news about construction, hiring, products and it's opening. The page states that the store should open in July, and is hoping to be before Independence Day.