I have been collecting a small stable of complaints and decided opinions about the use of one word, uncommon or foreign words that stop the reader and the use of the hyphen and combined words. First, I deplore the current widespread use – read misuse – of the word plethora. You find it all over these days when five years ago, even two, it was just lurking in the dictionary and never was trotted out. According to one of my favorite books, the Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, it does not mean mere abundance. It means “excess, overabundance, superabundance, surplus, glut, superfluity, surfeit, profusion, too many, too much, enough and to spare; informal more than one can shake a stick at.” Please, if you have an overwhelming urge to use plethora, use one of the above and be cured. I was reading with interest an article about the Federal Reserve that

The first group to entertain Wake Forest in the Renaissance Centre’s new Rockin’ the Forest music series, Tres Chicas have been praised for their 2004 album Sweetwater by such critics as The Village Voice, who said it is “one of the notable, fetching, finished alt-country releases of the year.” Lynn Blakey, Caitlin Cary and Tonya Lamm make up the Raleigh-based group whose music combines sweet vocal harmonies with elements of country, folk and rock. They started singing together at a late-night singalong after friend Alejandro Escovedo’s show at a Raleigh bar. They played locally for fun for a few years, but then friend Chris Stamey, a producer, persuaded them to record for an album which became Sweetwater. They toured Europe in 2005, and their second album, Bloom, Red & the Ordinary Girl, was produced in 2006. Their show for Rockin’ the Forest will be Saturday, Jan. 30, at 8 a.m.

Plans are well underway for downtown Wake Forest’s annual Mardi Gras Street Festival on Saturday, Feb. 6. This family-friendly celebration is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is free. Promising fun-filled activities for both children and adults, the Mardi Gras Street Festival will include face painters, strolling entertainers, live music, an inflatable playground, special contests and much more. Several participating downtown merchants will also offer exceptional discounts and activities throughout the day. One of the day’s highlights promises to be the Mardi Gras Walking Parade. The lineup will begin at 12:45 p.m. in town hall’s Centennial Plaza on Brooks Street, and the parade gets underway at 1 p.m. The parade route will extend from town hall, up East Owen Avenue, and north along South White Street before ending at the Depot Parking Lot at 110 South White Street. The walking parade is open to both children and

The Town of Wake Forest is again recruiting friendly, outgoing volunteers to greet and help direct customers visiting town hall. In November 2010 Wake Forest introduced the Guest Services Desk in the lobby of town hall. Open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., the counter is managed by volunteers who greet visitors in person and on the telephone, help direct them to their destination and perform other responsibilities as needed. About 20 area residents currently participate in the Guest Services Volunteer program. Most are recent retirees and senior adults looking for opportunities to give back to their community. Guest services volunteers are expected to work at least two three-hour shifts per month. Volunteers must also participate in mandatory training where they will learn about guest services desk responsibilities, participate in a brief tour of town hall, and complete and submit a background check form. Guest services volunteer