5 Things To Know: Palm Avenue Roundabout Opens

1. It should be easier to get to downtown from Mound Street and to Burns Square now thanks to the Ringling Boulevard roundabouts nearing completion.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Palm Avenue roundabout was partially open, having only the Mound Street entrance closed. Traffic could flow from Palm Avenue around on Ringlind Boulevard toward the or continue through Palm Avenue. The completion date for the project is Friday.

Meanwhile, Osprey Avenue from Mound Street north to Ringling Boulevard is now open to traffic. During the recent closure, new sewer lines were successfully connected underground as part of the improvement project to build a new lift station in nearby Luke Wood Park.  

2. District 1 City Commissioner Willie Shaw and District 1 County Commissioner Carolyn Mason will host a community forum Thursday, June 14, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the.

A featured portion of the forum will be a report by Shaw on his recent trip to High Point, North Carolina where he learned more about a unique community based initiative to reduce crime. 

3. The anticipation is building for the . Don't hesitate about signing up the kids or yourself to participate in activities that day because you'll need to register now. For more information, call 941-365-2200.

4. Time to get that reading list prepared for the kids. Patch has partnered with author James Patterson’s READKIDDOREAD program to bring you reading lists for every age. Visit the home page to view four reading lists supplied by the program.

5. All nine Sarasota County libraries will open at 11 a.m., one hour later than usual, on Thursday, June 14, to allow for staff training. Online library services will still be available at www.sclibs.net, including downloads of eBooks, eAudio books, access to the library catalog and more.