5 Things You Need to Know Today: September 5

1.The and the will hold public hearing this week on their budgets. The County Commission will hold the first of two public hearings set for this month on Wednesday at 6 p.m. The county will present its final budget and set the millage rate at Wednesday's meeting. On Thursday the School Board will hold its final budget hearing at 5:58 p.m.

2. The of Manatee is hosting an eight week class on How to Start and Manage Your Business. The class will begin on September 8 at the Resource Center, 1926 Manatee Ave W. The classes, which will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., are open to women and men. The fee is $50 for the entire 8 week course, which includes putting together a business plan, budgeting, bookkeeping, designing a website and more. Andy Fox, president  of The Fox Business Group LLC., will lead the classes. For more information or to register call 747-6797.

3. A design meeting for the skatepark at the will be held Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at . The meeting is open to the public. If you have ideas for the design, speak up!

4. First responders and those directly affected by the events of 9/11 will share their personal experiences and stories at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee.  Presented by the university's Institute for Public Policy and Leadership, the program, “Triumph over Tragedy: Remembering 9/11 a Decade Later,” will take place in the Selby Auditorium, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota beginning at 4:00 p.m. Among those featured will be Dan Hoffe, who was on the 61st floor of the South Tower when the North Tower was hit and was still in the building when the second plane hit the south tower and Bonnie Greenball Silvestri, who worked at the Family Assistance Unit at Pier 49 in New York and helped victim’s families obtain death certificates. The public is welcome. Space is limited so those who want to attend are encouraged to RSVP to 941-359-4602.

5. In just their second season the Bradenton Marauders drew a total regular season attendance of 103,978 fans in 2011.  The number doubles the inaugural season attendance of 51,856. The Marauders also ranked highly in average attendance across the league, drawing 1,507 fans to per game this season.  Last year’s average attendance was 823.  The 2011 average was good for seventh best in the 12-team Florida State League.  Bradenton was one of seven clubs to eclipse the 100,000 mark overall. The Marauders return to the playoffs for the second time in as many years Tuesday night at McKechnie Field. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 941-747-3031, or go online to BradentonMarauders.com.