5 Things You Should Know: July 1

Welcome to "5 Things You Should Know Today," a Patch feature that provides five quick tidbits of information in one spot.

Here they are:

1. In preparation for the opening of CVS at Hayvenhurst Avenue and Ventura Boulevard, 30-minute parking signs have been installed for all the parking spots near the entrance and the north side of the building.

2. A new ban on plastic grocery bags takes effect today in unincorporated L.A. County. The plastic bag ban will affect anyone who shops at stores outside the county's incorporated cities, including Topanga Canyon, Altadena, La Crescenta, Marina del Rey, East Pasadena, East Los Angeles and more.

3. Councilman Mitchell Englander's first day is today, and he will introduce a motion to install a piece of weather forecasting technology that will improve the fire department's ability to anticipate and respond to severe fire conditions. He's also moving to begin the process of establishing a shuttle bus service that will connect to the Metro Orange Line Canoga Extension busway in the Chatsworth and Northridge area when it is completed in 2012.

4. Within hours of the tickets going on sale, the final installment of the Harry Potter films, two showings of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 have sold out at the ArcLight Sherman Oaks. Full story .

5. If you're interested in seeing a movie today, however, the following flicks are playing at in Encino: Beginners, The Trip, Buck, Terri and The Tree Of Life.