Twelve days of rain, mist, wind and cloudy skies that finally ended earlier this week did not result in any unusual situations for the Wake Forest Power crews, Public Works Director Mike Barton said this week. That means they are free to be at town hall and in Centennial Plaza in front of it along Brooks Street for all demonstrations and other activities tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 8 – the energy expo, free hot dogs and safety demonstrations. The Town of Wake Forest and Wake Forest Power are joining more than 2,000 not-for-profit utilities in celebrating Public Power Week Oct. 4-10. As part of this annual week-long celebration, the town and Wake Forest Power are offering several special events and activities: Customer Appreciation – Public Power Week is also Customer Appreciation Week. As our way of saying “thank you” to our valued customers, town staff will serve popcorn each day in

The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts welcomes the return of the “Neck of the Woods” performance series on Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. Presented and sponsored by Wake Forest ARTS, Neck of the Woods is a variety performance series featuring emerging local artists. Each show is different and may consist of several performing arts acts, including actors, dancers, musicians, comedians, writers and spoken word artists. The Oct. 16 installment of Neck of the Woods will feature bluegrass musicians The Lang Sisters; a one-act play, “One Lane Bridge;” harpist Heather Hills; and country singer Justin Fouts. The Lang Sisters, Chloe and Jessica, perform extensively at festivals, fiddlers’ conventions, nursing homes, arts programs, civic and corporate functions, fundraisers and Christian outreach events. The duo has also performed for three years at the IBMA Wide Open Bluegrass Festival in Raleigh. Produced through Forest Moon Theatre, Wake Forest’s community theater, the

The Wake Forest Police Department is accepting monetary donations through Saturday, Nov. 21, as part of its ninth annual Turkey Drive. Cash and checks are accepted and will be used to purchase additional turkeys. Checks should be written to the Wake Forest Police Department. Donations of frozen turkeys may be dropped off at the Wake Forest Police Department, 225 S. Taylor St., on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 9 a.m. until noon. The police department will distribute the turkeys while they last on Monday, Nov. 23, from 9-11 a.m., at the Wake Forest Community House, 133 W. Owen Ave. Anyone wishing to contribute to this year’s Turkey Drive should contact Officer M.W. Sattler at 919-795-7270. Officer Sattler organized the police department’s first Turkey Drive in 2007. Since then, the department has distributed nearly 4,000 turkeys to needy families in our area, including over 700 turkeys last year.

Wake Forest Mayor Vivian Jones will host a “Royal Princess & Pirate Tea” at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts on Brooks Street All Wake Forest area princesses and pirates ages 3 through 10 are invited to attend dressed in their best royal attire, be it princess or pirate, and accompanied by their parents or fairy guardians. Promising a delightful afternoon of comedy and confections, the “Royal Princess & Pirate Tea” will include a theater production of “Juan Bobo” by Rags to Riches Theatre for Young Audiences. Juan Bobo is a folklore tale from Puerto Rico that is rich in tradition and spans several world cultures. Advance tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children. These prices reflect a savings of $3 per adult and $2 per child’s “day of” admission tickets. Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.wakeforestnc.gov/tickets-events.aspx and

The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts will present the nationally acclaimed courtroom drama “Defamation” on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. Defamation explores the highly charged issues of race, religion, gender, class and the law with an exciting twist – the audience is the jury. More than a play Defamation offers a unique opportunity for community members to engage in civil discourse about the most pressing social issues of our day. Advance tickets are $15 plus tax for adults and $12 plus tax for students and seniors. These prices reflect a savings of $3 per adult and student/senior “day of” admission tickets. For more information about Defamation, visit www.defamationtheplay.com/index.html. The Renaissance Centre is in Renaissance Plaza at the intersection of Brooks and Elm in the heart of downtown Wake Forest. For more information, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/renaissance-centre.aspx or call the Renaissance Centre Box Office at 919-435-9458.