The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts and the Women’s Theatre Festival (WTF) are hosting an around-the-clock 24-hour event called “Occupy the Stage.” The event will take place from 7 p.m. Saturday, June 30, through 7 p.m. Sunday, July 1. Geared to women ages 16 and older, “Occupy the Stage” will feature “staged” readings from across the country, along with a host of workshops, such as “Marketing 101” and “How to Run a Lighting Board.” The event will also offer several discussion panels and devised theatre pieces, including local playwright and poet Debra Kaufman workshopping “The Illuminated Dresses.” Founded in 2016 to create, produce and promote extraordinary theatre by women, the WTF encourages women to aspire to leadership roles in the theatrical field. During “Occupy the Stage,” WTF members can participate in a “VIP Track” that features the best theatrical practitioners in our area offering guidance on several specialized

The Town of Wake Forest will offer area residents two opportunities to share their transportation-related issues and concerns on Wednesday, May 23. As part of the process of developing the 2018 Comprehensive Transportation Plan, the own will host back-to-back public meetings at the Wake Forest Historical Museum, 414 North Main Street. Scheduled from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 7 p.m., the two sessions will have identical formats, so area residents have the option of attending at the time they prefer. Both will include interactive presentations that encourage attendees to identify and discuss transportation challenges and concerns in Wake Forest. Following the presentations, participants will be invited to visit several workstations where they can share their ideas and opinions on a variety of topics, including safety, intersections, roadway congestion, technology, walking, biking and transit. Community input is the cornerstone of the 2018 Comprehensive Transportation Plan, which will address all

In April the Wake Forest Inspections Department issued permits for nine new businesses and provided a list of projects ready for permitting once the office receives additional approvals. The town also provided a list of new businesses in February and March will you can see at the end of this article. The department issued certificates of occupancy for GrillBillies Barbecue at 10012 Capital Boulevard and an annex for Thales Academy at 3122 Heritage Trade Drive. The department also provided a fire prevention inspection for pre-occupancy for a video game room at 604 Jones Dairy Road. The permits issued in April are: *Code Ninjas at 941 Gateway Commons Circle, Suite 117 *Caddell Woods pool house at 8340 Bratt Avenue *Bethany Community Church at 1225 South Main Street *A shell office building at 3125 Rogers Road *Wake Forest Smiles at 3200 Rogers Road, Suite 100 *Lakeside Environmental Consultants at 12324 Hampton Way

Wake Electric is once again offering the Bright Ideas education teacher grant program. From now through Sept. 12, educators can submit an application for Bright Ideas grants of up to $3,000 for innovative, hands-on classroom projects that would not otherwise be funded. Educators can learn more and apply online at www.ncbrightideas.com. There are also more details on Wake Electric requirements and past grant recipients atwww.wemc.com under Community Programs. The Bright Ideas grant program seeks to encourage teacher originality and student engagement by funding projects that take a creative approach to learning. Wake Electric expects to award $50,000 in Bright Ideas grants this year to teachers in Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance, and Wake counties. The grants are available to K-12 teachers for projects in any subject, and educators can apply individually or as a team and should apply online. Applications will be accepted through Sept. 12.  Teachers who submit their applications by

During Wake Forest’s best spring time, after the pollen and before the blistering heat, is a wonderful time to be outdoors. Enjoy it even more every Thursday during May when the town recreation department sponsors the delightful Music at Midday concerts in Centennial Plaza in front of the Wake Forest Town Hall on Brooks Street. The free concert series gives everyone a change to eat lunch outdoors – a bagged lunch from home or something from a nearby restaurant – while enjoying different musical artists each week. Each concert runs from noon to 1 p.m. This year the musicians are Honey Magpie on May 10; the Freddy Greene Trio on May 17; DRL Band on May 24; and Big Bang Boom on May 31. Assorted dessert trucks will be onsite for each concert selling desserts and sweet treats. The free series is cosponsored by the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation &

From rock and blues to salsa and jazz, there’s something for all music lovers at this year’s Six Sundays in Spring concert series. Sponsored by the Town of Wake Forest and Wake Forest ARTS, the performances continue this Sunday, May 6, with Capital Transit. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2018, Six Sundays in Spring is an annual concert series featuring free, live, outdoor entertainment. Scheduled on consecutive Sundays from April 29 through June 3, Six Sundays in Spring offers area residents an opportunity to enjoy a variety of local and regional performers and an enriching cultural experience. All concerts are scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. in the E. Carroll Joyner Park Amphitheater at 701 Harris Road. Other acts scheduled to perform are Caribe Vibe on May 20; Melissa Reaves on May 27; and the John Brown Quartet on June 3, which is co-sponsored by PineCone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional

The Wake Forest Police Department is inviting area residents to participate in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics of North Carolina on Saturday, May 12. Online registration is available at www.wakeforestnc.gov/law-enforcement-torch-run.aspx. The registration fee is $30 and includes a 2018 SONC Torch Run T-shirt. On the day of the race, registration and check-in will take place from 8 to 8:45 a.m. at Publix, 1040 Forestville Road. After registering, participants will be transported by shuttle to Walmart, 2114 South Main Street. The 2.3-mile run will begin at 9 a.m. at Walmart and end at Publix. For more information, to purchase a 2018 Law Enforcement Torch Run T-shirt or hat or make a tax-deductible donation, contact Officer J. McArthur at 919-554-6150 or jmcarthur@wakeforestnc.gov.

The Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation is asking for community help to cover expenses associated with bringing The Wall That Heals to Wake Forest. A three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Wall That Heals is coming to the Wake Forest Historical Museum at 414 North Main Street in October. It will be on 24-hour display Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 18 through 21. There is no admission charge. Financial support from local businesses and individuals is needed to help cover the cost of bringing the Wall to Wake Forest. Sponsorship levels range from $100 to $7,500 and include an array of benefits. Each sponsorship level is designed to allow sponsors to reach a huge audience as thousands of visitors are expected to visit Wake Forest during the four-day exhibit. Local businesses and individuals can donate via check or online via PayPal at www.wakeforestnc.gov/the-wall-that-heals.aspx. Checks should be made payable to Wake

On Thursday, May 10, the 2018 Field of Dreams will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Factory Ballpark, featuring exceptional students, big smiles and America’s favorite pastime and the tenth anniversary of Field of Dreams in Wake Forest. Jennifer Smart, a member of the special committee helping organize the anniversary, wrote a letter asking for more town participation and explaining how it came to be. “This year is the 10th anniversary of Field of Dreams in Wake Forest, a unique program that makes a real difference in the lives of special needs students. Created by instructors at Wake Forest High School who realized the fun and excitement of team sports should benefit every student, this heartwarming effort is sparking interest and imitators across the U.S. “Field of Dreams is the brainchild of WFHS Special Education teacher Gail Tucker and the Wake Forest Army JROTC, led by

The NC Department of Commerce’s Main Street & Rural Planning Center recently announced that Wake Forest is one of 47 North Carolina communities designated as accredited Main Street American Programs. Each year, the National Main Street Center® and its partners announce the list of accredited Main Street® programs, recognizing exemplary commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach. “The Main Street & Rural Planning Center expands our rural and small-town communities’ capacity to take on economic development and revitalization projects,” said Secretary of Commerce Anthony M. Copeland. “The communities accredited today have worked with the Center to establish practices that will fuel their efforts to bring jobs and development to their town.” The North Carolina Main Street staff, in partnership with the National Main Street Center, annually evaluates each community’s performance. The staff identifies the local programs that meet 10 national performance standards. Evaluation criteria