Bradenton's 5 Things to Know Today: April 30

1. Don't miss the Ware's Creek update tonight at 6 p.m. in the auditorium, 912 18th St. W. City officials will talk about the 9th Avenue bridge replacement over Ware's Creek. 

2. Manatee and Sarasota County Commissioners will meet Tuesday in a joint worksession. The discussion will include a regional radio system and a tour of the traffic management center.

3. A stretch of Riverview Boulevard between 34^th Street NW and 40^th Street Court NW will be closed for up to eight months beginning May 7 while an aging bridge over McLewis Bayou is replaced. Traffic will be routed to Manatee Avenue during the closure. 

4.  Manatee County is accepting applications for two positions on the Health Council of West Central Florida.  The Health Council assesses the health status of area residents; collects and analyzes health care data; and develops strategies with community partners for improving health services. The Health Council is an independent, private non-profit organization governed by the member County appointees. One Manatee County position is for a representative who is a health care consumer over age 60.  The other position is for a representative who is a non-governmental health care provider. Members must be residents of Manatee County.  Health Council members serve for a 2-year term that will begin on October 1, 2012 and are eligible to apply for reappointment in subsequent terms.  Applications are due by 5 p.m., May 15. The application may be found online at www.mymanatee.org/advisory boards.  

5. Author Brenda Zofrea who wrote “Let’s B Safe” will read to a class of first-grade students about child safety and the importance of reading at Daughtrey Elementary School at 9 a.m., Tuesday. Now in its fifth year, Manatee School District's “Let’s B Safe” is an award-winning program that provides a unique approach to improving literacy and protecting children. A small army of volunteers will read and present the “Let’s B Safe” book and “Be Safe Bee” to more than 1,900 first-grade students in 19 elementary schools on Tuesday. Volunteer readers include the mayors of Bradenton and Palmetto, representatives from the Elks Club, Women’s Leadership Initiative, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, IMG Academies, Bealls, Eaton Corporation, Cox Chevrolet, Dieter’s Sod, and Manatee Education Foundation. Based on a colorful book written with a rhyming text, “Let’s B Safe” helps young students improve their reading skills while also learning how to recognize some of the most common child lures used by predators. Using a friendly Bee as its main character, the “Let’s B Safe” book teaches children to recognize strange behavior and how to respond in a safe manner.