Community In The Know

Parade of Plants workshop offered

UF/IFAS Extension Charlotte County Master Gardener Volunteers will present a workshop entitled “Parade of Plants” at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, May 23, at Centennial Park Recreation Center, 1120 Centennial Blvd., Port Charlotte. Master Gardener volunteers will present a “show and tell” of their favorite plants. There is no charge to attend.

For information, contact Holly Bates at 941-764-4340 or Holly.Bates@charlottecountyfl.gov .

Libraries open Summer Reading with kickoff party

The Charlotte County Libraries & History Summer Reading program will kick off on Saturday, June 1. The public is invited to attend kickoff parties at the Englewood Charlotte Public Library or Punta Gorda Charlotte Library from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., or the Port Charlotte Public Library from 2-4 p.m. The theme for this year’s summer reading program is “Adventure Begins at the Library.”

Participants can enjoy free family activities and pick up a summer reading goodie bag with a reading log to jumpstart their summer adventure. Participants will enjoy eight weeks of nonstop learning fun while traveling through time, experiencing far-off places, and delving into incredible stories of heroism and new discoveries.

“It’s essential to building and maintaining school-readiness skills outside of the classroom,” said Ashley Guerzo, youth librarian at the Port Charlotte Public Library. “When students leave the classroom for an extended period of time, they experience the summer slide — a progressive loss of learning that can have negative effects when they return to school — causing them to fall behind. We take the worry and stress out of summer vacation by offering free, family-friendly activities that encourage children and teens to continue reading, building their vocabulary and maintaining their academic growth.”

For a complete list of library programs and offerings, see CharlotteCountyFL.gov/libraries.

For information, contact Breanna Benevenga at 941-235-5008 or Breanna.Benevenga@CharlotteCountyFL.gov .

County approves water quality grant

Charlotte County commissioners awarded $26,000 to the Citizens Partnership for Clean Canals (CPCC). CPCC was founded through a collaboration between

TEAM Punta Gorda and Heal Our Harbor to test water quality in the Punta Gorda canal system.

A recent report from the state of Florida suggested some canals may contain harmful bacteria. TEAM Punta Gorda CEO Nancy Johnson indicated in her remarks to county commissioners that gathering water quality data is the first step.

“We need to know what they’re impaired with,” said Johnson, “and what the source is so we can look at possible interventions.”

Heal Our Harbor will conduct testing and reporting, and TEAM PG will be responsible for the project administration and volunteer recruitment. Volunteers are currently being trained, and water sampling sites have been identified, thanks to startup funding from the Rotary Club of Punta Gorda. Sampling results are forwarded to Charlotte County’s Water Monitoring Program.

For more information, see teampuntagorda.org/maritime or contact TEAM Punta Gorda at team@teampuntagorda.org or 941-637-8326. ¦

The post Community In The Know first appeared on Charlotte County Florida Weekly .