During the month of October the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre and Wake Forest ARTS will present a four-part music series by the Free Spirit Ensemble of the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra, pianist David Kim and guitarist and Wake Forest native Edward Burke. The first concert will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, when the Renaissance Centre will present Close to Home featuring the Free Spirit Ensemble of the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra, with works of area recognized composers including: Lawrence Dillon, Bryan Putnam, Lanette Lind, Ann Pearce and Daniel Poissant.  Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for students. On Sunday, Oct. 13, at 3 pm. pianist David Kim, winner of numerous musical and academic prizes, will perform works by Mozart and Beethoven on his five-octave Viennese piano, with a talk and demonstration. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 the day of the concert. Edward Burke will perform

The Town of Wake Forest is pleased to announce the launch of a new comprehensive community engagement website where citizens can engage, communicate and collaborate with decision makers and other residents on the future of our community. Developed by MindMixer, the site is called ‘Engage Wake Forest’ and can be accessed at www.engage.wakeforestnc.gov. The goal of Engage Wake Forest is to encourage area residents to participate in the planning process for a variety of town initiatives. Along the way, the site will be used as an online tool to generate new ideas and feedback from citizens through an interactive and accessible platform. Feedback from the engagement website will be used by town officials and staff in order to lay out plans on a variety of projects. “Through Engage Wake Forest our citizens can now offer their input 24-hours-a-day,” said Wake Forest Mayor Vivian Jones. “We are pleased to offer this

Wake Technical Community College has a department that offers job skills training classes designed for job seekers. These classes are tuition-waived for individuals who are currently unemployed, under-employed (which can include part-time workers or low-wage earners) or facing a layoff. Individuals who are stay-at-home spouses looking to enter or re-enter the workforce and seniors looking to supplement their fixed income may also qualify for the waiver. The classes include categories in:  Job Search Strategies, Job Search Technology, Career Planning and Assessment, Career Readiness/Exploration, Financial Literacy and the NC Career Readiness Certificate. Wake Tech is currently offering classes in Wake Forest at the Northern Regional Center. A full list of classes may be found at www.hrd.waketech.edu. For information about HRD, please click on the links below: HRD Courses:  www.hrd.waketech.edu Career Readiness Certificate preparation: www.crc.waketech.edu WorkKeys/CRC Test:   www.crctest.waketech.edu Follow us on Twitter at:  www.twitter.com/wtcchrd Follow us on Pinterest at:  http://www.pinterest.com/waketechhrd

Probably the most candidates who have ever assembled in Wake Forest will be here to meet voters Monday, Oct. 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Renaissance Centre on Brooks Street at an event sponsored by the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce. It is a free event open to all because it replaces the candidate forum the chamber usually sponsors. There will also be a dinner – tickets are $10 – that will be served during the event. People are encouraged to purchase their dinner tickets early at www.wakeforestchamber.org but they will be available at the door. Now to the candidates. The list is headed by the candidates for U.S. House of Representatives District 13, incumbent Republican George Holding and Democrat Brenda Cleary. Immediately afterward there are four candidates for the North Carolina Senate, Republican John Alexander and Democrat Tom Bradshaw vying for District 15 and Republican incumbent

Are you ready to redecorate your front porch or yard for fall? Then go to the Wake Forest Farmers Market Saturday where you will find mums in a rainbow of colors, corn stalks, perennial plants and pumpkins. The market is in its new location in Renaissance Plaza where East Elm Avenue cross Brooks Street, and it is open from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday. Kyle Scobie will provide the live music this Saturday. The Master Gardeners will be available to answer your questions about plants, gardening and soil. The market is made up of growers-only vendors within 75 miles of town, and they offer in-season produce, micro greens, honey, eggs, baked goods including gluten-free goods, cheddar cheese, plants, bedding plants, fresh-cut flowers, hand-made jewelry, and soaps. Several vendors offer meats – beef, pork, chicken, goat and rabbit – and they come in all forms and cuts from steaks to

The Wake Forest Civitan Club is once again pre-selling its delicious and plump first crop pecans and other specialty nuts.  A pound bag of shelled pecans is $11.00. For more information concerning the specialty nuts and/or to place an order, please contact Betty Rothman at 919-435-6115.  Please place your order by October 8, 2014.

Over 50 – we will not ask by how much – and ready jump-start your career or just learn more? You are ready for “Plus 50 Expo: Ageless Learning.” The free event sponsored by Wake Tech Continuing Education at the Northern Wake Campus, 6600 Louisburg Road, on Tuesday, Oct. 7, from noon to 6 p.m. You will learn about the courses and workshops available at Wake Tech. Dr. Allen Mask, the host of the WRAL Health Team, will be the speaker. Register for the event at www.plusfifty.waketech.edu or download the registration form and mail it to Attn: Katrina Moore, Wake Tech, 6600 Louisburg Road, Raleigh, NC 27616. You can also reach Moore to register or get more information at 919-532-5818, klmoore5@waketech.edu. Another person to help with registration or information is Toinette Young, 919-532-5851, tmyoung@waketech.edu.

Pet owners should mark their calendars because one of the most popular events at the Northern Regional Center in Wake Forest will return on Saturday, Oct. 11. It is the semi-annual Rabies and Microchip Clinic hosted by the Wake County Animal Center, and it will be held from 9 a.m. to noon. The cost is $5 for rabies shots and $10 for microchips, and it is cash only, please. All dogs must be on a leash and all cats must be in carriers. Go to the NRC’s Facebook page for more information as the date gets closer.

Pet owners should mark their calendars because one of the most popular events at the Northern Regional Center in Wake Forest will return on Saturday, Oct. 11. It is the semi-annual Rabies and Microchip Clinic hosted by the Wake County Animal Center, and it will be held from 9 a.m. to noon. The cost is $5 for rabies shots and $10 for microchips, and it is cash only, please. All dogs must be on a leash and all cats must be in carriers. Go to the NRC’s Facebook page for more information as the date gets closer.

*The Wake Forest Farmers Market will be open its regular summer hours, 8 a.m. to noon, on Saturday, Oct. 4, in its new home, Renaissance Plaza, at the intersection of East Elm Avenue and Brooks Street. *The Wake Forest High School Junior ROTC Club will hold its fourth annual fish fry Saturday, Oct. 4, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then from 4 to 7 p.m. in the front parking lot at the school at 420 Stadium Drive. Plates are $8 each. *Public Power Week will be celebrated the week of Oct. 5-11 to highlight the benefits of being a public power community. See www.wakeforestnc.gov/public-power-week.aspx. *The Wake Forest Police Department’s Golf Tournament for the Kids will tee up at noon Monday, Oct. 6, at the Brevofield Golf Links at 13601 Camp Kanata Road. See article in this issue for details. *The Plus 50 Expo about ageless learning through Wake