5 Things You Need to Know Today: Sept. 30, 2011

Good morning! What five things do you need to know to stay up-to-date about what’s going on in the community? Patch has you covered this Friday:

1. Expect a break from the rain today with partly sunny skies throughout the day and temperatures in the low 70s, according to the National Weather Service.

Weekend forecast: The forecast shows a 60 percent chance of rain on Saturday afternoon with temperatures near 60 degrees. The evening skies may be be cloudy on Saturday and it's expected to continue to be cloudy throughout the weekend. Temperatures are expected to reach 55 degrees.

2. Congratulations to the . They are among an elite group of 1,600 honorees.

3. Bring your pooch to the 4th Annual Dog Days extravaganza in downtown Silver Spring on Saturday. The event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the plaza on Ellsworth Drive, welcomes locals and their dogs (friendly four-legged pals only).

4. The Silver Spring Civic Advisory Board and the President's Council of Silver Spring Civic Associations are scheduled to host a zoning forum on Sunday. Pam Dunn of the Montgomery Planning Department and Julie Davis from the Neighborhood Committee will be joining this discussion.

5. Looking for a place to hang out or take the kids? Come back for our "Get Out: Activities in Downtown" feature at 3 p.m.