The N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program recently awarded the Wake Forest Police Department an $85,000 grant to establish a new motorcycle patrol unit. The grant enabled the police department to purchase two 2015 BMW motorcycles, two mobile data terminals and uniforms for the two motorcycle patrol officers. “The Wake Forest Police Department is committed to maintaining safe driving conditions in our community,” said Police Chief Jeff Leonard. “Our new motor unit is intended to keep our roadways safe through both enforcement and education.” The Wake Forest Police Department Motor Unit is expected to focus its traffic enforcement efforts in local subdivisions and on secondary roads. Activities the unit will monitor include, but are not limited to, the following: Motorcycle safety enforcement Distracted driving enforcement Seat belt and child safety seat enforcement Speed, red light, and stop sign enforcement The unit will also work to raise public awareness by participating in

The popular free outdoor concert series, Six Sundays in Spring, will begin Sunday, April 26, in E. Carroll Joyner Park. The lineup for this year’s main concerts, which run from 5 to 7 p.m., has been announced but Wake Forest ARTS has not yet announced which finalists in the Wake Forest Has Talent contest will perform from 3 to 5 p.m. On April 26 Mike MickXer, a Raleigh band which manages to play blues, R&B, rockabilly, reggae, funk and even rock & roll, will be on the stage in the large amphitheater from 5 to 7 p.m. People are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs and picnics though there will be food and snacks available also. In case of rain or thunderstorms, the event will be to the Renaissance Centre on Brooks Street. Six Sundays are sponsored by Wake Forest Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, Wake Forest ARTS and United

If you have been cleaning out your bookshelves and have bags or boxes full of books in your car or kitchen, you had better head for one of the Friends of the Wake Forest Library donation sites in the next few days. Friends board members will make their final collection rounds on Monday, April 20, and will pick up the green donation bins at the same time. In the next two weeks they will sort the used books and label their boxes to make setting up for the sale easier. The sale will be from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2, in the Ledford Center at 120 North Wingate Street on the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary campus. Members of the Friends are invited to begin shopping at 8 a.m. for the best selection. If you are not a member, you may join at the door; memberships begin at

Saturday, April 18, the farmers, bakers and others who make up the Wake Forest Farmers Market will play host to the first of three craft markets planned for this regular season. Along with the usual vegetables, meats and baked goods, you will find pottery, bird feeders, jewelry, hand-knitted scarves and felted hats, fabric bags, colorful dog collars, fairy gardens, sun catchers,baubles and bangles of all kinds. Go to http://wakeforestmarket.org/events/spring-craft-market to see all the vendors. Every Saturday you will find farm-fresh produce, pasture-raised meats, free-range eggs, local cheese, local honey, delicious baked goods, and assorted crafts items. For a full list of vendors and their wares, go to www.wakeforestfarmersmarket.org and you can also find the market on Facebook.  

Relay For Life is recruiting teams from schools, families, places of worship, neighborhoods, businesses, etc., to participate May 16 at Heritage High School. Relay is a community-based event where team members set up campsites and take turns walking in honor of those who’ve battled cancer. Each team has at least one participant on the track at all times, and cancer survivors and caregivers take a celebratory first lap. Relay teams are committed to finishing the fight against cancer and raise funds to support the American Cancer Society’s lifesaving mission. Sign up at www.RelayForLife.org/NorthernWakeNC<http://www.RelayForLife.org/NorthernWakeNC, or contact co-chair Marty Coward at 919-760-3520 or martycoward@nc.rr.com. Upcoming events: Thursday, April 23 — Relay team meeting 6:30 p.m. at The Factory (upstairs in the Mill Room), Wake Forest; Saturday, April 25 — second annual Marga-Relay-ville 5k race through downtown Wake Forest; 8:30 a.m.; for details, call 919-522-3695 Saturday, May 16 — Relay For Life, 11