Because of their interest in providing entertainment and art programming, Wake Forest Arts, a nonprofit, and the town’s Renaissance Centre for the Arts are setting up an official relationships. Tuesday night they asked the town board to approve the memorandum of understanding. There were questions about how funding will be handled and other details, but it appeared clear the commissioners will vote approval at their business meeting Aug. 16. “The center is interested in having a foundation to receive grants and other contributions,” Wake Forest Arts President Mary Petretich said. Wake Forest Arts as a 501(c)3 is able to do that, using a separate checking account and other safeguards to keep the center’s funds separate. Petretich explained that the arts group now is just a board with a donor base and volunteers for its various activities. She also said that without the Renaissance Centre Wake Forest Arts is severely limited

The Wake Forest Police Department will host Coffee with a Cop at the Wake Forest Coffee Company, 156 South White Street, on Saturday, Aug. 27, from 8 to 10 a.m. Coffee with a Cop provides a unique opportunity for police officers and community members to come together in an informal, neutral setting to discuss community issues and build relationships – one cup of coffee at a time. The majority of contact law enforcement officers have with the public tends to occur during emergencies or emotional situations, which are often not the best times to build relationships. “Coffee with a Cop” aims to breaks down barriers and allow for relaxed, one-on-one interaction. All area residents are invited to attend, ask questions, and learn more about the Wake Forest Police Department. Wake Forest Coffee Company will provide free standard coffee, and several Wake Forest police officers will be on hand. Attendees are discouraged

The Walter E. Cole American Legion Post 187 is collecting school supplies for the Wounded Warrior Battalion children at Fort Bragg through Aug. 15. Needed are such supplies as back packs, pens, pencils, erasers, notebooks, crayons, rulers, and paper. Items may be brought to the Legion Hall at 225 East Holding Avenue where there is a donation box at the front of the building and to the monthly Pancake Breakfast on Aug. 14.

Purple Heart Medal recipients and military veterans are invited to the eighth annual Wake Forest Purple Heart Dinner on Saturday, Aug. 6, at 5:30 p.m., at Richland Creek Community Church at 3229 Burlington Mills Road. Hosted by the Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation, the dinner is an opportunity for the public to help honor those wounded in battle. In addition to Purple Heart Medal recipients and their families, the dinner is open to all veterans, military families and the public. This year’s keynote speaker is retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Timothy Payne of Raleigh. An 11-year veteran, he was deployed three times with the 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg. Payne was on foot patrol in Afghanistan on July 3, 2011, when a 30-pound improvised explosive device detonated under him. Payne lost both legs in the explosion and spent more than a year and a half in the hospital,

The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts, 405 S. Brooks St., will host the inaugural Wake Forest Home & Garden Show on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 13-14. The show is scheduled on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1-6 p.m. Sponsored by Mitchell Heating & Cooling and B93.9 New Country, the event will showcase the latest in home improvement products, services, and features. A variety of exhibits will be offered both inside and outside the Renaissance Centre featuring over 40 local experts. “For anyone planning a home improvement or yard enhancement project, our home and garden show will offer a convenient look at what’s available in our area,” said Renaissance Centre Manager Cathy Gouge. Event organizers have also scheduled the following workshops: Kids Corner Storytime will be presented Saturday at 11:15 a.m. by Sue Lucey of Page 158 Books. Save Some Green! Energy Saving &