Along with vaccinations, regular checkups with a doctor and dental care, an important way parents can safeguard their children is by making sure they learn to swim. Thankfully, the town Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department is partnering with the Kerr Family YMCA to offer free swimming lessons the week of June 8 to 11 at the Holding Park Pool. Swim for Life offers four days of evening swim lessons, 6 to 7:30 p.m., for swimmers of all ages, including beginners. Each participant will be evaluated at the start of the program, then placed with swimmers of similar ability and age. Adults will be in separate classes from children. However, children must be accompanied by an adult to the pool. Swim for Life registration is offered on a first-come, first-served basis and space is limited. To register, call 919-562-9622 or visit the Kerr Family YMCA, 2500 Wakefield Pines Drive in

There will be a lot of noise along Smith Creek in the next couple weeks as Park Construction of NC has to blast through rock – the entire northern Wake County area sits on a bed of granite – to construct the City of Raleigh’s new Smith Creek Interceptor Project, an improved sewer line. If you live near Heritage Elementary School, Heritage Middle School and Heritage High School you can expect to hear loud noises but should not be alarmed. You will hear the following alerts: a five-minute warning, a series of long horn blasts; a one-minute warning, short horn blasts with pauses; and an all-clear signal, a prolonged horn blast after the area is inspected. The Smith Creek project will install a new 30-inch sewer line from the Smith Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant to Lagerfeld Road and will also install a 24-inch line from Lagerfeld Road to Heritage Height,

During May home builders pulled permits to build 53 single-family houses and 23 townhouses – a building rate not seen in Wake Forest since the heady days of 2005 and 2006 when permits were issued for 1,006 and 904 houses, respectively. Also, the town’s Inspection Department issued permits to fit up three new businesses – the Spa at The Factory in Suite 134 at 1839 South Main, the Rack Room (shoes) in the Wake Forest Crossing shopping center at 12646 Capital Boulevard, and Uptown Studios at 12339 Wake Union Church Road. The department also inspected the five suites and buildings for new tenants – the Pittman Gun Store at 212 South White Street, Heritage Counseling Service in Suite 104 at 1776 Heritage Center Drive, Love Fellowship Ministries in Suite 3 at 500 Wait Avenue, Uptown Kids in Suite 100 at 1225 South Main Street, and Bridges Counseling Service in Suite

*The Wake Forest Town Board will hold a work session about the 2015-2016 budget at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 4, in Wake Forest Town Hall. *The Wake Forest Farmers Market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon in Renaissance Plaza on Brooks Street this Saturday, June 6. *The Larkspur Party featuring 34 artists and artisans – several of them from the Wake Forest area – will be held Saturday and Sunday, June 6 and 7, at 6401 Litchford Road in Raleigh. Go to www.LarkspurParty.com for hours and parking for this free event. *Friends of Wake Forest Public Library will hold its annual membership meeting and election of new officers on Wednesday, June 17, at 7 p.m. in the North Regional Center on East Holding Avenue. *The Classic & Antique Charity Car Show will be held Saturday, June 20, in downtown Wake Forest. *The Wake Forest Fourth of July Celebration