Jones Dairy Elementary in Wake Forest will host a Boosterthon Fun Run event on August 31, culminating a nine-day program that raises much-needed funds for Jones Dairy Elementary and inspires students to live healthy, character-filled lives. Students will run, on average, 30 to 35 laps together to themed music at the school’s most-anticipated event of the year. This year’s Boosterthon character theme is Backyard Box Office, which will introduce more than 1.3 million students in 1,900 schools across the nation to five real-life, inspiring students, whose world-changing ideas will prepare today’s youth to implement their own ideas. “In our 15 years of serving schools, we’ve met incredible students with amazing ideas,” said Chris Carneal, Boosterthon founder and president. “And as a father of four, I know that young students don’t always know how to make their ideas happen. Backyard Box Office changes that. It celebrates five kid-leaders who have put

The deadline to nominate a youth and an adult for the seventh annual Good Neighbor of the Year Award is Wednesday, Aug. 31. Mayor Vivian Jones will present a commemorative plaque to one youth and one adult winner during this year’s Good Neighbor Day on Sunday, Sept. 18. The event will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at Holding Park, 133 West Owen Avenue. The Good Neighbor of the Year Award is designed to recognize Wake Forest residents who work to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods without seeking recognition for their efforts. Nominees are sought in two divisions: adult and youth between the ages of 13 and 18. In order to qualify a nominee must be a Town of Wake Forest resident who has made a significant contribution to the community between Sept. 1, 2015, and Aug. 31, 2016. Town employees are not eligible. Nominations forms are available

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

Aging Options is a seminar for both seniors and adult children who may be making decisions for their parents. It is designed to help people navigate their way through the maze of options available regarding estate planning, financial planning, life care resources, and assisted living. Two 90-minute presentations are scheduled at 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, at the Wake Electric Community Room, 100 South Franklin Street in downtown Wake Forest. The seminar covers topics like the difference between independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled care; navigating the senior care maze; financial planning for both expected and unexpected expenses; and which legal documents need to be in place and why. The presenters are Tammy Robbins, Carillon Assisted Living; Carla Payne, Preferred Living Solutions; Barbara Kingrey, Edward Jones Financial advisor; and Annette Rhodes, estate planning attorney. Aging Options is free and open to the public. RSVPs are

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.  

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 Tree Experts to treat the ash

You can make a difference in our community by applying to fill one of the vacancies on the Cemetery Advisory Board (CAB), Senior Center Advisory Board, Technology Advisory Board (TAB) and Urban Forestry Board (UFB). These boards were established to give citizens input into what happens in the community and to advise the Board of Commissioners on matters that affect citizens and their town government. All residents of Wake Forest and its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) are eligible to apply for these openings. Application forms are available online at www.wakeforestnc.gov/advisory-boards.aspx and at the Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St. Completed applications will be accepted until 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 16, and may be submitted online; mailed or delivered to Town Clerk Deeda Harris, Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St., Wake Forest, NC 27587; or faxed to 919-435-9419. Applicants will be expected to attend the September meeting of

Area residents are invited to enjoy great music, dine outside, and experience the fall season at the Town of Wake Forest’s Music at Midday weekly concert series. Sponsored by the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department and Wake Forest ARTS, the free music series begins Thursday, Sept. 1, and continues on consecutive Thursdays through Sept. 29. Scheduled from noon to 1 p.m., the concerts will feature a variety of local performers and take place in Centennial Plaza, the gateway to the Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St. The concert lineup includes Eugene Taylor on Sept. 1; Freddy Green on Sept. 8; Mister Felix on Sept. 15; Hope Marasco and Blake Anderson on Sept. 22; and Lee Holt on Sept. 29. Attendees are encouraged to bring lunch – either from home or a local restaurant – relax, and enjoy the entertainment. Assorted dessert trucks will be on

“Understanding & Responding to Dementia-Related Behaviors” will round out the series of three workshops about dementia on Tuesday, Sept. 20, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Renaissance Centre on Brooks Street. Behavior is one of the primary ways for people with dementia to communicate their needs and feelings as the ability to use language is lost. However, some behaviors can present challenges for caregivers to manage. Area residents are invited to attend this session and learn how to decode behaviors, identify common behavior triggers, and learn strategies to help intervene with some of the most common behavioral challenges of Alzheimer’s disease. The moderator for the sessions is Peggy Best, Alzheimer’s Association of Eastern North Carolina Chapter Associate Director for Programs and Advocacy. Presented by the Alzheimer’s Association of Eastern North Carolina and the Senior Information & Networking Group (SING) of Wake Forest, the workshops are designed to offer local families

The Northern Wake Senior Center will host a free viewing of “Unstuck! Lightening the Heart of the Family Caregiver with Humor” by Peter Rosenberger, author of “Seven Caregiver Landmines & How You Can Avoid Them,” on Thursday, Aug. 25, at 7 p.m. You are asked to register online at https://aarp.cvent.com/d/cvq8c8/1Q and receive a free copy of the Rosenberger’s book mentioned above. You can also register in person at the center or by calling 919-554-4111 and you will be entered in a drawing for the book. There will be refreshments for this national online viewing party that is also sponsored by AARP.