SING-WF – which stands for Senior Information & Networking Group – intends to fight the scammers who target the elderly with their phone calls – the grandparent scam, the sweetheart, the lottery, the sweepstakes scams. On Friday, Jan. 27, SING-WF will host a meeting titled Outsmart the Scammers in the downstairs community room in the new Wake Electric building on South Franklin Street. It begins at 8:45 a.m. with a breakfast sponsored by Edward Jones and Fidelity Bank and will end about 10 a.m. Two speakers, Seth Asbill with Edward Jones and Tara Mistretta, a Fidelity Bank vice president, will share how to spot the red flags for frauds, the resources available for people who are targeted and how to protect yourself and others. The grandparent scam, for instance, begins with a phone call and a hesitant, youthful voice that says, “Grandpa?” If you immediately see Tommy or Jason in

The Town of Wake Forest has launched an Open Data Portal on its website called Open Government. The open data initiative is part of the town’s ongoing effort to use and share data in order to make government more transparent and effective. The portal, which is accessible from the Government drop-down menu on the town’s website, currently includes data from public safety, parks and recreation, public works, and finance, as well as information related to transportation. Town staff will continue to gather information for release to the Open Government portal as an ongoing process. According to Town Manager Kip Padgett, the portal is designed to make data more easily accessible, thereby encouraging residents to become more familiar with how their government is performing. “Wake Forest has a proud tradition of open government and transparent decision-making,” Padgett said. “Now – as a next step – we’re utilizing and sharing data as

The Wake Forest Police Department will host Coffee with a Cop at Back Alley Coffee Roasters at 314 Brooks Street on Saturday, Jan. 14, 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. Back Alley Coffee Roasters will provide free standard coffee during the event, and several Wake Forest police officers will be on hand. Attendees

There is a change at the Northern Wake Senior Center in the new year. Meals will be served at 11:15 a.m. Also, because of the AARP Tax Assistance in the fitness room, the Wednesday Zumba class will be held in the Community Center at Flaherty Park on North White Street in February, March and April. And the acrylic painting class with Alma will be held on Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. from Jan. 11 through March 8. Northern Wake Senior Center will be closed Monday, Jan. 16 for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The area celebration will be held Thursday, Jan. 19, at Friendship Chapel Baptist Church beginning with a light meal, a fellowship meal, at 6 p.m. followed by the program at 7 p.m. Everyone in the community is invited to attend. Meanwhile, if everyone praises your chili, you need to enter it in the annual Chili Cookoff Thursday,

*The Wake Forest Farmers Market will be held in Renaissance Plaza on Brooks Street Saturday, Jan. 7, from 10 a.m. to noon. See its Facebook page for vendors. *Monday Night Bingo at The Factory is hosted by the Wake Forest Kiwanis Club in the Mill Room from 7 to 9:30 p.m. every Monday night. All profits support the club’s projects for children. Visit www.wakeforestbingo.com for more information. *Storytelling Pajama Night featuring Rags to Riches Theatre will be held Friday, Dec. 16, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. It is part of the Wake Forest Renaissance Center’s Arts for All free community performance series supported by the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County. *The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration will be held Thursday, Jan. 19, at Friendship Chapel Baptist Church on Friendship Chapel Road with a fellowship dinner at 6 p.m. and the program at 7 p.m. *The