It may not be remarkable that Braxton B. Perry has been a Town of Wake Forest employee for 39 years. What is remarkable is how he has progressed from a street laborer when he was hired on May 7, 1976, to end his career with the town as an accountant. Here is how he moved from job to greater responsibility through education. * He was promoted to a full-time meter reader and service man on October 31, 1978. * His title change to meter reader on March 8, 1979. * After the accounting services supervisor resigned, Perry began processing accounts payable and providing field meter reading. * He was promoted to accounting clerk on December 20, 1994, a position changed to accounting technician on July 1, 1995. * After he earned an associate’s degree in accounting, Perry processed accounts payable and payroll and did the reconciliations and all aspects of

The Wake Forest Fourth of July event was successful this year, as it has in the past, but the committee wants to know how people feel about the event that has been staged by volunteers for over 40 years, beginning in 1973. The Wake Forest Fourth of July Celebration Committee has developed an online survey to get feedback from residents. Committee Chairman Robert Mitchell said feedback about this year’s celebration has been positive. Approximately 5,000 people attended the fireworks show, and 3,000 people enjoyed the parade and games in the park,” he said. “The survey results will help us plan next year’s celebration and make it even better.” Those who participate in the survey and provide their email will be entered into a drawing for a prize pack, valued at $200. It includes four tickets to next year’s Fourth of July Celebration, and gift cards to local restaurants and bowling.

If you have been wondering when Wake Forest Power customers will hear about any change (hopefully a reduction) in power rates, be advised the town is moving forward. Finance Director Aileen Staples reported in the monthly update for commissioners that, after reviewing six proposals, her staff has selected Booth and Associates to perform a rate study and make recommendations for changes. “Staff is working with them to finalize the contract.” At the end of July all the pieces were in place and Wake Forest and 31 other municipalities which own their own power systems sold their power generation assets to Duke Progress Energy. The towns also had to agree to continue paying off a much smaller amount of debt and to continue to purchase power from Duke for 30 years. Wake Forest’s debt was reduced by 66 percent to $640,000 from $1.89 million. It will be paid off by bonds

Spend an evening in Wake Forest with family and friends and enjoy some foot-tapping, finger-snapping good times at a free concert at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. Lakota John & Kin will be the entertainers Sunday, Sept. 6. Both performances are free and open to the entire community. Area residents are encouraged to bring a picnic, leashed pets, a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy the music. Concert-goers are reminded that alcoholic beverages, smoking, firearms and unleashed pets are prohibited at Joyner Park. The concert is presented by PineCone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, and co-sponsored by the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department; United Arts of Raleigh & Wake County; and Wake Forest ARTS. For more information, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/concerts-in-the-park.aspx or https://pinecone.org/.

The first permits for houses in Wake Forest’s only traditional neighborhood development, Holding Village, were issued during June by the town’s Inspections Department, and the first house is under construction. Also, a near-record number of homes were permitted, 64, with 46 single-family homes and 18 townhouses. CH Construction pulled permits for eight townhouses in the Caveness Farm Apartment complex, four along Winter Wren Circle and four on Blue Bird Lane; Dan Ryan Builders was permitted for five townhouses on Govan Ferry Drive in the Richland Hills subdivision; and Capital City Homes also will build five townhouses but in Bishops Grant subdivision along Grandmaster Way. The three companies paid a total of $96,142 in fees and the new homes should add $2,694,707 to the town’s tax base. The new single-family homes are listed below with the applicant, the address, the subdivision, the stream basin, the fees paid, the square footage, and