A message from the Tri-Area Ministry Food Pantry board We’re pleased to announce some exciting news. During January and February, the Tri-Area Ministry Food Pantry will be renovating our building and adding additional refrigeration and freezer capacity. These improvements will enable us to provide a more wholesome variety of fresh foods, and increase the number of clients we can serve. We’ll reconfigure the client area so that we reduce waiting time and accommodate more clients. We will streamline donation intake so that donations flow sequentially through the building from drop-off to pick-up. We’re replacing the residential refrigerators and freezers with walk-in units. This will increase our capacity to store fresh food, reduce spoilage and increase the floor space within the pantry so that we’ll have more room to sort and pack donations and a safer work area for volunteers. We’re also adding a new shed to increase our storage capacity

Wake Forest University’s Lifelong Learning program will host a history class, Early North Carolina: Stories of Turmoil and Aspiration, at the Wake Forest Historical Museum on Saturday, March 21. North Carolina’s development was never straightforward or easy. From early confusion over boundaries and property lines, to the influx of a wide variety of racial and ethnic cultures, to war, and to the struggle for settlement and civic stability, guest lecturers Jake Ruddiman and Mary Tribble will examine the fascinating, complex, and often troubling story of North Carolina’s history. We will examine primary documents: letters of soldiers, detailed reports of the Moravians, and letters and diaries of the Wait and Merriam families in contemplating a college in a slave-holding state. With ample time for questions, we will have a full and absorbing day! Early North Carolina: Stories of Turmoil and Aspiration is the first lifelong learning course to be offered at the Wake

The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre will host a lively and educational celebration of gospel music that connects all cultures, ages and backgrounds on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, at 5 p.m. The “Shades of Gospel” concert will highlight a range of traditional, southern and contemporary gospel music with featured performances by Grammy, Dove and Stellar Award-nominated artist Tim Bowman, Jr. and the Trinity Quartet. Tickets are $15 plus tax and may be purchased online at www.wakeforestrencen.org/tickets-events<https://www.wakeforestrencen.org/tickets-events> or at the Renaissance Centre Box Office, 405 S. Brooks St. Tim Bowman, Jr. started his music career in 2012 with the release of “Beautiful” by Trippin ‘N’ Rhythm Records. This album was his breakthrough release upon the Billboard Magazine Gospel Albums and Independent Albums charts. The song “He Will,” featuring Vickie Winans, his paternal aunt, charted on the Billboard Magazine Hot Gospel Songs chart. His critically acclaimed album “Listen” debuted at number one on Billboard

The Town of Wake Forest is introducing important changes aimed at increasing citizen awareness of scheduled public hearings. The first involves a redesign of the Town’s public hearings notice signage which are posted on properties being considered for public hearing – typically a minimum of two weeks prior to the public hearing date. The signs, which were green and white, are now bright yellow, so they are easily recognizable. In addition, the information on the signage has been streamlined and the text enlarged to make it easier to read. The reusable signs also feature sturdier bases making them less likely to tip over. Moving forward, each public hearing will be assigned a unique ID# which will be clearly visible on the new signage. Anyone with questions about a scheduled publRic hearing should note the ID# then choose one of the following options to obtain complete information about the upcoming public

The Rockin’ the Forest music series continues with the popular beach band Steve Owens & Summertime on Saturday, Dec. 28. The concert gets underway at 7:30 p.m. at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts, 405 South Brooks Street. The 2012 winners of “Best New Artist for Beach Music,” Steve Owens & Summertime performs a variety of beach music classics, along with covers and original tunes guaranteed to get you up and out on the dance floor. Advance tickets are $15 each plus tax and selling fast. Tickets can be purchased online with a Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover credit card at www.wakeforestrencen.org/tickets-events<http://www.wakeforestrencen.org/tickets-events>. Advance tickets may also be purchased with cash, check or credit card at the Renaissance Centre Box Office, 405 S. Brooks St. On the day of the concert tickets can be purchased at the door. Assembling some of the top musical acts in our area, Rockin’