In the summer of 1918 Wake Forest was a quiet college town with somewhere between 1,443 residents (1910 Census) and 1,536 (1930 Census). For some reason, every Census list I have says the 1920 number was “Not Recorded.” Dr. William L. Poteat was the college president, known for his love of singing as well as science. His home still stands on what was Wait Avenue next to the railroad tracks. In 1918 it had a one-story porch trimmed with trellises which has since been replaced with two-story columns. Wake Forest Baptist Church now owns the house and uses it for the church offices. The Seaboard train depot, where students and townspeople gathered to meet every train, was next door to Poteat’s home, although he never owned it – it was passed down from her grandfather, James Purefoy, and father, Addison Purefoy, to Emma Purefoy Poteat. On campus, Wingate Memorial Building,

A Wake Forest resident, Shinica Thomas, was selected last week as the candidate in District 6 for the Wake County Board of Commissioners. She replaces Commissioner Greg Ford, who will serve out his term that ends in December. Ford said he will be moving out of the state. The Wake County Democratic Party’s executive committee held a virtual meeting on July 21 to vote on the three candidates. Thomas won with 53 percent of the vote, Angela Scioli had near 40 percent and former Raleigh City Council member Randall Stagner had about 6 percent. The candidates had to be registered Democrats and live in District 6, which is the northern part of Wake County. “I am grateful for my Democratic colleagues’ literal vote of confidence in me,” Thomas said Tuesday night after the vote. “I look forward to campaigning and to the November election.” Her statement to the committee before

In the Great Census Contest between Wake Forest and Fuquay-Varina, Fuquay-Varina is ahead 73.8 to 73.6, Wake Forest Mayor Vivian Jones said this week. If F-V is still ahead when the Census season ends, Jones will have to buy John Byrne, the Fuquay mayor, lunch and wear a Fuquay cap. (The numbers represent the percentage of folks in the respective towns who have already completed their Census form.) Since I know my fellow Wake Foresters do not want to see their mayor humiliated and embarrassed like that, I urge you to complete the Census online – just go to 2020Census.gov – and make sure all your neighbors and friends do the same. The Census results will determine how many representatives we have in the U.S. House of Representatives, how much money comes to the state, counties and cities and towns in the next decade for education, highways, government and all

Updated July 29, 2020 Future projects–Technical Review Committee The Technical Review Committee met on June 25, 2020 and reviewed these projects: *A master plan submitted by the Nau Company for 16 townhouses in three buildings on a 21.05-acre parcel to be called Forest on Franklin Townhomes. The parcels are zoned urban mixed use. *Construction drawings were submitted by McAdams for the St. Catherine of Siena’s parsonage to be bjilt on the existing 36.73-acre church site at 600 West Holding Avenue. Future Projects – Design Review Board The Design Review Board met on June 11, 2020 and considered the following projects: *A public hearing for consideration of Case AR-19-20-01 Amendment, a request filed by 161 Architecture for an amendment to the major architectural design review for the proposed TRU Hotel at Hampton Way and Wake Union Church Road. *A public hearing for Case AR-20-10, being a request filed by Ross Deckard