The lines at Tri-Area Ministry Food Pantry remind us all that people in Wake Forest and nearby are finding it difficult to feed themselves and their families. Some people are addressing the problem of food insecurity in a direct way. This week members of the Northern Regional Center’s Community Advisory Committee are assembling fall vegetable growing kits – a peat cup, potting soil and either cabbage or collard seeds. A tag on the kit will have instructions on how to start the seedlings and when to transplant them in the ground or a larger pot. The tag will also include the Community Advisory Committee’s goal of inspiring area residents to try growing more or different foods to feed their family. There are many vegetables and fruits that can be grown successfully in containers on decks, balconies or other small spaces. The kits will be available at the Wake Forest Town

Two area groups will be helping parents and students prepare for the start of traditional-calendar schools by giving away school supplies, clothing and book bags this Saturday, Aug. 20. The congregation at Olive Branch Baptist Church will give away the school supplies and clothes between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. The church is at 326 East Juniper Avenue. If you need more information, email Freda Hall at info@olivebranch-baptist.com. Starting a little later, at 11 a.m., Hope House Inc. at 334 North Allen Road, will give away book bags filled with school supplies. There will also be games, food, music and fun. Children do need to be present to receive their book bags. For more information, contact Norma J. Bennekin at 919-556-8730 or normaben@yahoo.com.  

Commuting by rail is a bright shiny new idea these days, part of the much-needed Wake County transit plan that will help knit the Triangle area together, but for almost 70 years businessmen and shoppers in Franklinton, Youngsville and Wake Forest used the regularly scheduled local trains on the Raleigh & Gaston Railroad, later the Seaboard Air Line Railroad to visit Raleigh during the day, return home in the afternoon or evening. The Gazette editor is looking for information about those local trains, sometimes named the Shoo Fly. She has heard people talk about how their parents used the trains and would like to hear your memories. T.H. Pearce’s book, “Franklin County: 1770-1979,” says that in 1905 the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, which had taken over the state’s first railroad, the Raleigh & Gaston, would run a Shoo Fly from Weldon to Raleigh and back every day. We know that

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will host a Father Daughter Dance on Friday, Sept. 16, at 6:30 p.m. Fathers and daughters throughout Wake Forest are invited to celebrate their special bond during an unforgettable evening at the Alston-Massenburg Center at 416 North Taylor Street. Featuring music, dancing, and refreshments, the event is sure to create memories that will last a lifetime. A photographer will also be on hand to capture a special photo of every father-daughter couple and provide each with a 5×7 photograph. The cost is $20 per couple and $5 for each additional daughter. To register, visit http://wakeforestnc.recdesk.com/recdeskportal/. For more information about the Father Daughter Dance, contact PRCR Event Coordinator Lisa Jacobs at 919-556-7063 or ljacobs@wakeforestnc.gov.  

Check your ash trees for infestation On Monday and Tuesday earlier this week, Bartlett Tree Experts, a contractor for the Town of Wake Forest, treated ash street trees to prevent infestation of the emerald ash borer. A majority of the work will focus on the Deacon’s Ridge subdivision, H.L. Miller Park, and the town hall campus. The treatment will involve air spading to remove soil around the trees’ root collars and the injection of pesticide into the tree trunk. The emerald ash borer (EAB) is responsible for the death of millions of ash trees across the country. First detected in Michigan several years ago, the pest eventually spread to North Carolina threatening all species of ash including white, green, black, blue, Carolina and pumpkin. The half-inch-long insect kills ash trees of all sizes whether they are healthy or weak. Town officials say they made the decision to contract with Bartlett