There will be vacancies on 13 of the town’s advisory boards at the end of the year, and now is the time to apply if you would like to have a say and make a difference in this community. Applications are being accepted through Tuesday, Oct. 31. The boards were established to give residents input into what happens in the community and to advise the Board of Commissioners on matters that affect citizens and their town government. The advisory boards are: Board of Adjustment Cemetery Cultural Resources Design Review Greenway Historic Preservation Human Relations Planning Public Art Recreation Senior Center Technology Urban Forestry Only residents who live in Wake Forest or within its extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) are eligible to fill seats on the Planning Board and Board of Adjustment. Candidates for the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) must reside in the Historic District, in Wake Forest, or within its ETJ. Professionals

The Wake Forest Police Department is accepting donations from area residents and businesses for the 19th Annual Shop with a Cop. To contribute online via PayPal, visit our website, www.wakeforestnc.gov/shop-with-a-cop/aspx. Checks and cash may also be mailed or delivered to the Wake Forest Police Department at 225 South Taylor Street. This year’s Shop with a Cop holiday shopping spree is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 19. On that day approximately 30 area children will visit the Wake Forest Police Department where they will be paired with their police officer “partners.” The kids and their partners will then be transported by bus to the Wake Forest Walmart, where each child will be given $200 to spend on a winter coat and other items of their choice. For more information, contact Officer K.C.Warren at kwarren@wakeforestnc.gov or 919-554-6150.

The etix Run for You 5k on Saturday, Oct. 28 and presented by Precision BioScience is an out-and-back route starting in front of Run-n-Tri Outfitters at 11831 Retail Drive, running out and back through Crenshaw Hall then returning to the race site. In an effort to extend the local reach of our run, a donation is made to the Sam Hopper Memorial Fund and CureFA.org, in honor of Alison Price. In addition, we’ll be doing a number of different drives to benefit four additional charities; choose to participate in one or all. Shoe Drive: bring your used shoes and they will be donated to local school children from elementary through high school; Toiletry Drive for Mustard Seeds for Needs: bring any new, unopened toiletry items (hotel shampoo, soap, razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc) and they will be donated to local teens who don’t have these items; Book Drive for Veterans: bring gently used

Karen Walker, the program director for the Veteran Administration’s Home Based Primary Care Project, will be the featured speaker at SING-WF’s community-wide free meeting on Friday, Oct. 27, in the community room in the Wake Electric building on South Franklin Street. Walker will speak on Accessing VA Healthcare Services:  Facts & Myths and will give a brief overview of services and support available to our veterans and caregivers as they age through the VA system. Representatives from the Wake Forest Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and The Joel Fund will be additional presenters. The VFW has a rich tradition of serving veterans, military families and their local communities. The Joel Fund’s mission is to improve the lives of veterans by providing a connection to effective alternative therapies and non-traditional services. Join us to learn more about how we can help veterans in the Wake Forest area! And, mark your calendars on

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department is sponsoring its annual Halloween Spooktacular on Thursday, Oct. 26, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Flaherty Park Community Center, 1226 North White Street. The Halloween Spooktacular is a free, family-oriented festival for children ages 12 and younger. This year’s festivities will include a balloon artist and cupcake walk, along with a variety of ghostly games and activities, and free pumpkin giveaways – while supplies last. Costumes are optional, but best costumes will be featured on the Town’s website. For more information, call 919-435-9560 or visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/halloween-spooktacular.aspx

Wake Forest Police Officer M.W. Sattler said last week donations for the police department’s annual Turkey Drive “have been very slow.” Last year the community donated enough money and turkeys to allow the officers to give away more than 800 turkeys to needy families. This is the 11th year of the Turkey Drive. In the first 10 years the department has distributed nearly 6,000 turkeys. Officer Sattler organized the police department’s first Turkey Drive in 2007 and has been in charge of it since then, This year the police department is making it easier than ever for area residents to support this worthy cause by accepting online donations via PayPal at www.wakeforestnc.gov/donate-to-our-turkey-drive.aspx. Cash and checks written to the Wake Forest Police Department are also being accepted. Anyone wishing to contribute cash or a check to this year’s Turkey Drive should contact Officer M.W. Sattler at 919-795-7270. All monetary donations will

The Wake Forest Police Department is reminding area residents not to be fooled by aggressive scammers impersonating IRS or U.S. Department of the Treasury investigators. The Police Department routinely receives reports from residents about callers claiming to be from the IRS and/or the Department of the Treasury telling the intended victims they owe taxes and must pay using a credit card, bank account draft, pre-paid debit card or wire transfer. The scammers often threaten those who refuse to pay with arrest, deportation or loss of a business or driver’s license. In the past, the IRS did not contact taxpayers by phone, but earlier this year Congress began requiring the IRS to hire private debt collectors. As a result, four legitimate debt collection companies may contact taxpayers by phone. Here are a few tips to help you tell if the person on the phone is an IRS scammer, or someone who really is

The free walking tours of the local Wake Forest Historic District began in early October, but tours are still available. The tours will be offered on the following days and times: Thursday, Nov. 2; 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8; 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15; 1 p.m. To register for a tour go to https://www.wakeforestnc.gov/wake-forest-historic-district-walking-tours.aspx. Led by architectural historian and Town Historic Preservation Planner Michelle Michael, the tours will include areas along North Main Street, North Avenue, Front Street and South Avenue. Along the way, each group will discuss the developmental and architectural history of the area, along with the significant men and women who lived in the homes. Individual homes will not be toured. Each tour will begin and end at the Wake Forest Historical Museum at 414 North Main Street. Space is limited to the first 12 participants to sign up for each tour, so pre-registration is required by completing the online sign-up form.

The Wake Forest Area Chamber’s first ever Sporting Clays Tournament will be held Thursday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m. at Rose Hill Plantation in Nashville. It is open to both novice and experienced sports shooters, and will be a fun afternoon of friendly competition and networking. Sporting Clays is a form of clay pigeon shooting, often described as “golf with a shotgun.” A typical course includes from 10 to 15 shooting stations laid out over natural terrain. The course at Rose Hill Plantation has been featured on ESPN Outdoors and is home to one of the country’s most elite shooting tournaments. You can register online. The cost is $100 per player which includes a celebratory dinner reception at conclusion of play. * * * * The chamber’s Ambassador Program, sponsored by Sam’s Club, is now accepting applications for new ambassadors! Chamber Ambassadors serve as the goodwill arm of the Wake

*The Wake Forest Farmers Market will be held in Renaissance Plaza on Brooks Street Saturday, Oct. 28, from 8 a.m. to noon. See the market’s Facebook page for vendors for the market. Remember the market will change to its winter hours in November, being open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. *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. *Tri-Area Ministry Food Pantry at 149 East Holding Avenue is now open from 9 to 11 a.m. every third Saturday along with its regular hours on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for food distribution. It serves about 700 families in Wake Forest, Youngsville, Rolesville and their surrounding areas. Call 919-556-7144 for information about receiving food,