Join the Wake Forest Historical Association for a panel discussion exploring how community leaders attracted new industries to the town in the 1960s and 1970s on Sunday, March 15, 2020 at 3 p.m.at the Wake Forest Historical Museum. In the 1960s town leaders created the Industrial Development Corporation to encourage corporations to create new jobs in Wake Forest in the wake of Wake Forest College’s relocation to Winston-Salem. In 1964, the New York Company Scovill Schrader Fluid Power Products opened a plant in Wake Forest that promised more than 300 new jobs. The following year, Athey Products Corporation, a manufacturer of earth-moving equipment and later street sweepers, opened a plant and executive offices that employed around 250 people. In 1971, another large corporation, Formex (also called Weavex), a division of Huyck Corporation and manufacturer of paper maker felts, announced that it would build a plant between Wake Forest and Raleigh.

Loose leaf collection service ends Friday, March 13, so the week of March 9 offers Wake Forest residents one last chance (until October) to place loose leaves behind the curb by 7 a.m. on their normal collection day. From Monday, March 16, through Friday, Oct. 2, residents must bag for collection all leaves, pine needles and grass clippings or place them inside a garbage receptacle marked ‘YW’ (yard waste). Residents that currently use a 48-gallon recycling cart can upgrade to a 96-gallon cart and keep the smaller receptacle for yard waste by marking YW on both sides. Similarly, residents that already have a 96-gallon recycling cart can request and obtain a free 48-gallon cart for yard waste. To learn more or request a cart, visithttp://bit.ly/CartRequestForm. Residents are urged to observe the following guidelines to help improve the collection process: Bags may be clear or opaque but must be at least

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department is seeking sponsors and health and fitness vendors for its third annual “Family Fitness Fair” on Saturday, June 13. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to noon at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. The Family Fitness Fair is a fun, family-friendly event offered in conjunction with the National Recreation and Park Association’s “Family Health & Fitness Day” initiative celebrated every year on the second Saturday in June. “This special event promotes the importance of parks and recreation in keeping communities healthy,” parks and rec Director Ruben Wall said. “We support the residents of Wake Forest, and it is our goal to help families become healthier and live a longer life of health, wellness and empowerment by providing opportunities to be more active and make healthier choices.” Free and open to the public, the June 13 Family Fitness

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department is partnering with GSK and the UNC Morehead Planetarium & Science Center to offer “Science in the Summer” in July for rising second through eighth graders. The free program will be offered at the Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St., according to the following schedule:   Level 1 – 2ndand 3rd graders; Monday-Friday, July 13-17; 9 a.m.-noon Level 2 – 4thand 5th graders; Monday-Friday, July 13-17; 1-4 pm Level 3 – 6th-8thgraders; Monday-Wednesday, July 20-22; 9 a.m.-noon There is no cost to participate, but due to limited seats in each session, registration is required. The online application is available on the Town’s website athttp://bit.ly/WFScienceinSummer. Completed applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Thursday, April 30, and may be emailed to Recreation Specialist Garrett Bryant at gbryant@wakeforestnc.gov or delivered/mailed to the Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St., Wake Forest, NC 27587. GSK Science in the Summer™ program

The Town of Wake Forest is recruiting Adopt-A-Stream volunteers to help keep the town’s streams healthy. The initiative offers residents the opportunity to become involved in an environmental effort that helps protect our natural resources, therefore improving water quality and stream habitats. Anyone with an interest in healthy streams and the outdoors is invited to participate. To adopt a stream, individuals or groups agree to perform one of the following tasks on a section of stream for one year: water quality monitoring; stream clean-up; stream repair and planting; or drain labeling. Water quality monitors make observations and record what they see in their section of stream. Monitors work from a field data sheet and make monthly observations of algae, insect life, stream bank conditions, appearance of water, odors and stream flow. They also collect data using monitoring kits. Stream clean-up participants agree to organize at least two stream clean-ups in

The following is a list of how organizations and individuals are working to assure people in and near Wake Forest have food on their table or have a place to get a meal. ** Feed the Community Food Distribution has a food distribution every fourth Saturday, and the next one will be on March 28. It is sponsored by the Northeast Community Coalition and Tri-Area Ministry, and the distribution is from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Spring Street Christian Church, 320 East Spring Street, Wake Forest. You must bring proof you live in Wake County. You can give signed permission for someone else to pick up food for you. If you are unable to get to the church, call Tee Caudle at 919-271-1275 to be registered in advance. ** Wake Forest Baptist Church and the InterFaith Food Shuttle offer a monthly Mobile Market, distributing groceries, including lots of fresh

People of all ages can get free help with filing their federal and state tax returns and electronic filing at the senior centers in Franklinton and Louisburg. And, after the Northern Wake Senior Center opens in February, that free help will be available there. The free help is provided by the AARP Foundation, which was formed over 50 years ago to help anyone seeking professional income tax assistance. Counselors are qualified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and offer this assistance after successfully completing a through written examination and proficiency testing. Individual income tax returns are being prepared at the Franklinton Senior Center, 206 East Mason Street, Franklinton every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and at the Louisburg Senior Center, 127 Shannon Village Shopping Center, Louisburg, Monday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting Feb 2, through April 15, 2020. If you desire assistance please call

The Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the Family Expo for the second year, and it will take place Saturday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Richland Creek Community Church. There will be both indoor and outdoor booths available. There will be an outdoor kid zone with bounce houses and other kid-friendly activities. * * * * There is a new benefit that is only available to members of the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce. President Ann Welton announced it Monday, a new job-posting website, wakeforestworks.com. And it’s free! Chamber members can post their open jobs and find qualified applicants who are willing to work in the Wake Forest area. To use it, go to wakeforestworks.com and click on Employer Registration where you can fill out a simple form. You will get an approval email with your user name and password. Now you can

Get ready to celebrate with the Northern Wake Senior Center when it holds a grand opening on Friday, March 27, from 10 a.m. to noon. There will be speeches, refreshments and tours of the totally new center. You are encouraged to take a class or join a group. There are classes and groups for just about every interest and need, you can join friends at the coffee bar and relax in the new lobby. The center is owned by the Town of Wake Forest with programming and staffing provided by Resources for Seniors. Most programs are free. The center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the phone is 919-554-4111; the website with full information, including the full calendar, about the senior center and Resources for Seniors is available on computers, smart phones and tablets at www.Resourcesforseniors.com and http://www.wakeforestnc.gov/northern-wake-senior-center.aspx. #  

*The Wake Forest Farmers Market will be open from 10 a.m. to noon this Saturday, March 7, in the employee parking lot along South Taylor Street behind Wake Forest Town Hall. Local farmers and artisans will have meats, seasonal vegetables, bread, baked good and other local wares for sale. See the market’s Facebook page for information about the vendors and sign up for a weekly notice about the offerings that Saturday. Remember the Wake Forest Farmers Market is unusual in that it is owned by the farmers who sell their wares there. *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 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every