Sarasota's 5 Things To Know: Donate To Help Rescued Dogs

1. Can't adopt one of the ? Gulf Coast Community Foundation will match up to $21,900 in donations to help animal shelters take care of the 263 dogs rescued in Venice. Donations can be made through the Gulf Coast Gives website. So far $3,600 was raised, most of it Tuesday.

2. The Sarasota County Commission will consider today to remove an entry in the county's Comprehensive Plan for an interchange at Interstate 75 and Central Sarasota Parkway, which would be extended east past Honore Avenue, and instead add a full interchange for State Route 681 in Vamo where the interstate is expanding from two lanes in each direction to three. The request was initiated by Pulte Homes, according to a county memo. A public hearing will be held before the removal of the interchange in the plan, according to Commissioner Jon Thaxton in an email to a concerned Palmer Ranch resident. The county had already given consent in prior years and removed it from the Metropolitan Planning Organization priorities with this plan and this is another step in the process to make sure the county is consistent with its planning.

3. Sarasota's daredevil Nik Wallenda will walk 300 feet over Baltimore's Inner Harbor today about 90 feet in the air. The walk over water is a small tune-up for his death defying walk over Niagara Falls on June 15, but also a good PR event for the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Odditorium that's opening in Baltimore.

4. The City of Sarasota is looking for veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom to be the first civilian unit in the annual Memorial Day parade, scheduled for 10 a.m. on May 28.

Parade organizers would like to pay special tribute this year to the heroic men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. If you can help locate Iraq and Afghanistan veterans please contact Jerry Derrick with the Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee and arrangements will be made: 941-861-2899.

5. The U.S. Postal Service's annual Stamp Out Hunger campaign returns Saturday. Just collect a brown paper bag full of non-perishible groceries and set it by your mailbox for your mail carrier to pick up. Feeding America is a leading sponsor of the campaign, which is a network of food banks that All Faiths Food Bank belongs to. For more info, visit www.helpstampouthunger.com.