The Lemon Tree and other downtown Wake Forest businesses are inviting everyone to join the fifth annual Snowball Crawl Thursday, Jan. 22,  through the participating shops, enjoying sips and nibbles while finding great promotions and deals. The evening begins at 6 p.m. and will end at White Street Brewing Company for craft beers and raffles. Over $300 in gift certificates from White Street merchants will be raffled. To register your team, send a note to Stacey@thelemontreewf.com or call her at 919-946-2302.  

61 new homes to be built The Town of Wake Forest Inspections Department issued permits for two commercial buildings in December: the future PETCO store in the Wake Forest Crossing shopping center at 12638 Capital Boulevard and a shell building owned by Lllomel LLC, Lloyd and Melanie Mattingly, who continue to build for medical practices at 10580 Ligon Mill Road west of South Main. Collins and Arnold Construction is building the PETCO store and it will have 12,493 sq. ft. and add an estimated $1,152,100 to the tax base. The company paid $19,007.96 to the town. Garrett Building Corporation is constructing the shell building, which will have 15,000 sq. ft., an estimated tax value of $1,155,519 and cost $22,277 in fees. The town also issued permits for 36 single-family homes and 25 townhouses in January. The single-family homes are listed below by applicant, address, subdivision, stream basin, fees paid, square

The weather has hit local farmers, even those who have protected growing areas, and there are limited amounts of spinach and other greens, as people learned last Saturday. Get there 15 minutes after the opening and all the spinach and all the empanadas were gone. However, the warmer weather this week may mean more produce for sale Saturday along with all the meats, honey, baked goods and jewelry. It may also mean more vendors. Come see for yourself Saturday, Jan. 24, when the market will be open from 10 a.m. to noon in the Renaissance Plaza on Brooks Street. There is plenty of parking. The market will be open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon through March. It will return to summer hours, 8 a.m. to noon, in April. See the market on Facebook, take a look at all the vendors and their wares as well as special events

Everyone is invited to participate in the next Downtown Wake Forest Cash Mob Event. We will meet in front of Sunflower Studio & Gallery, 214 East Jones Avenue, at 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 24, where each person is committed to spending $20. Sunflower Studio has been the cornerstone of artwork and art lessons in the community for 15 years. The charming 1930’s bungalow has every nook and cranny adorned with the work of a wide variety of local artisans and seven resident artists. They also do Paint Parties (paint step by step acrylic on canvas)! Afterwards we will continue the party down the street at recently opened Ollie’s, 213 South White Street. Ollie’s serves Well Bean Coffee and fresh pastries and breads, with nook seating in the two display storefront windows, a large seating area in the middle and a gift shop in the back. Please join us in welcoming this new business. Experience how Cash Mob can be a great way to support and connect to your

Construction will begin this month on the first of four bridge replacement projects in and around Wake Forest, and the Wake Forest town website now has a handy website – Operation Bridge Exchange or OBE – with all the information drivers will need, including maps and descriptions of the detours. Go to http://www.wakeforestnc.gov and look under “Residents” and then “Transportation” or use this link: http://www.wakeforest.gov/operation-bridge-exchange.aspx. The Horse Creek bridge on Purnell Road will be replaced from January to June this year, and two other bridge replacements will also be done this year – the Sanford Creek bridge on Forestville Road from April through August and the Richland Creek bridge on West Oak Avenue from July through December. The Smith Creek bridge on Rogers Road will be replaced from March through August of 2016 although the road may be closed longer for the road widening from just west of the bridge

*The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration in Wake Forest will be held Thursday, Jan. 22, at Friendship Chapel Baptist Church on Friendship Chapel Road. The community dinner will begin at 6 p.m. and the program will begin at 7 p.m. *The Wake Forest Farmers Market will be open in Renaissance Plaza on Brooks Street from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 24. *The Koinonia Foundation will hold its only fundraiser, the annual Koinonia Cares Charity Auction, on Saturday, Feb. 7, at The Forks Cafeteria. See this issue for information about donations. *Wake Forest’s Mardi Gras Festival will be held Saturday, Feb. 14, from 11 a.m. to  4 p.m. all over the historic downtown area. The dayn will be filled with activities for families and people of all ages. *The Reverse Raffle sponsored by the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce will be held Friday, March 20, at the