George Shaw provided this overview about gleaning and how it provides food in Wake Forest and elsewhere. If you need the location and times for food distribution, please scroll through the articles to last week when they were provided. The Wake Forest community has done a wonderful job donating produce and funds to local pantries and feeding programs during the time of COVID-19. This has been timely as demand has increased by about one-third since March including many who have not been previously needed food. Unemployment which drives demand for food is expected to remain 8 percent or above through 2021; return to pre-March unemployment levels is unlikely to occur for at least five years. That means that the need for food will remain high for a long time. One of the primary needs for food security is fresh produce which provides healthy fare. Volunteers from our area bagged 40,000 pounds of sweet potatoes on

By Latisha Catchatoorian for the Wake Forest Business & Industry Partnership In a way, it’s befitting that a company named Green Stream would find a home in a town called Wake Forest. More serendipitous still, is the unique environment Wake Forest provides and how well-suited it is for Internet of Things companies like Green Stream. Green Stream Technologies, an environmental IoT startup, moved its operations to Wake Forest’s Wireless Research Center in January 2020. “Green Stream advises when the water rises,” as COO and co-founder Karen Lindquist simply put it. Green Stream’s automated flood sensor IoT network alerts customers when roads are flooded along with location information, and data about the depth of water and when it recedes. A WRC press release explained, “state and local government customers, including emergency and stormwater management, as well as smart city IT departments, use the sensor data to improve response during flood events,

Beginning Tuesday, June 2, portions of Flaherty Dog Park, 1100 North White Street, will be closed periodically for maintenance. In an effort to accommodate visitors, at least one section will remain open at all times. The Town of Wake Forest opened Flaherty Dog Park in June 2007. The three-acre park currently features a paved entrance and two exercise areas. Each of the fenced areas – one for small dogs and one for larger dogs – includes grass cover, picnic tables, shade trees, waste stations and a water fountain for both dogs and people. The fenced areas are accessible through a double-gated entry system designed to allow dog owners the opportunity to remove or fasten dog leashes prior to entering or exiting the facility. A major renovation project was recently completed at the park. Renovations included the following: New fencing and self-closing gates; Fully accessible main entrance with large concrete area

Updated May 27, 2020 Future projects–Technical Review Committee The Technical Review Committee met twice during April and reviewed the following: *Forbes PUD infrastructure. Construction drawing submitted by Ramey Kemp for the public road infrastructure for the Forbes PUD. *Sweere property. Construction drawings for a 12,000-square-foot building on a 2.1-acre site at 2804 Crusher Run which is zoned light industrial. *Lot 2 Finger Lakes Drive (Sunbelt). Minor master plan submitted by RLE for a 9,000-square-foot building on a 3.8-acre lot at 709 Finger Lakes Drive which is zoned light industrial. *Kiddie Academy. Construction drawings submitted by The Site Group for a 10,180-square-foot building for a preschool on a 1.4-acre lot in Gateway Commons Shopping Center which is zoned conditional use highway business. *Endeavor Charter School. Major master plan submitted by Cole & Associates to add a two-story, 38,315-square-foot expansion to the school at 4879 One World Way on a 30-acre parcel.

The Wake Forest Area Chamber has a month’s worth and more of interesting virtual events and programs. Go to the chamber website, wfchamber@wakeforestchamber.org, for all the details. * * * * Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce President Ann Welton sent out this email to all chamber members two weeks ago. Today, I am excited to share that the Wake County Commissioners have approved the Wake Forward Small Business Program! The Wake County Board of Commissioners has voted to allocate $5 million in federal funds to create a relief program for local small businesses that have lost revenue due to the pandemic. Called Wake Forward, the program will provide loans of up to $50,000 to small businesses in the county with up to 100 employees. At least $1 million in the fund will support independent contractors and sole proprietors. Applications open at noon today. Below, you’ll find a link to the new