Builder pulls permit to begin Tru Hotel Real estate agents like Brian Pate are urging homeowners to consider selling because the housing market is so tight, and builders in Wake Forest are responding to the same market forces by pulling permits for 96 single-family homes and 20 townhouses. The town can brace itself for a surge in new residents when the new houses go on the market. Planners figure the average home has 2.85 inhabitants. In January builders pulled 72 new home permits, 85 in February and now 116 in March foretell 273 homes times 2.85 people equal about 778 more town residents by the end of the year from these three months alone. March also saw permits for three commercial buildings. Windsor Contracting LLC is building a two-story commercial building with shops on the first floor, offices on the second that will be called the Marlowe Office Center at

The Urban Forestry Division is celebrating Arbor Day this year with a free tree seedling giveaway, virtual tree tour and tree of the year award. From now through Tuesday, April 13, Wake Forest residents can pre-order five tree seedlings and have them delivered to their residence beginning Wednesday, April 14. The seedlings consist of a mixture of dogwoods and white oaks. Substitutions and quantity cannot be changed. To order your tree seedlings, complete and submit the order form at www.wakeforestnc.gov/public-works/urban-forestry. Area residents are also invited to experience and enjoy a new online tour highlighting several prominent trees in downtown Wake Forest. Structured around an interactive map and accessible at www.wakeforestnc.gov/public-works/urban-forestry, the virtual tour provides the name and location of each tree, along with a photo and brief description. Finally, from now through Friday, April 23, the UFD is accepting nominations from residents for the Wake Forest 2021 Tree of the Year award.

The Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation will host a Drive-up Shred-a-thon on Saturday, April 17, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in the parking lot of Patterson Hall, 101 N. Wingate St., on the campus of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. The drive-thru event will accept office paper, manilla folders, hanging file folders, spiral notebooks, receipts and envelopes. (Not accepted: hardcover books, magazines, newspapers, cardboard, credit cards, CDs, three-ring binders and x-rays.) The cost is $10 per box or $25 for three boxes. Cash is preferred but checks and credit cards are also accepted. The shred-a-thon is a fundraiser to support the Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation, which hosts an annual banquet to salute veterans wounded in battle. More details available at www.WakeForestPurpleHeartFoundation.org, or call 919-760-3520.  

The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre will re-open for in-person events with Yolanda Rabun in concert on Friday, May 7. Until then, the Renaissance Centre continues to offer free online visual and performing arts experiences you can enjoy from the comfort of your home. On Tuesday, April 13, from 7 to 7:45 p.m., Virginia Repertory Theatre will present “Little Red Hen” on the Renaissance Centre Facebook page. Geared for children in grades K-5, “Little Red Hen” is based on the traditional folk storybook with music and lyrics by Ford Flannagan. “Who’ll help me plant the seed?” asks the plucky red hen as she begins the process that goes into making a loaf of her delicious bread. “Not us,” said the sheep, the cow, the horse, and the pig. They all have better things to do. But, “a hen’s gotta do what a hen’s gotta do,” and so our crimson heroine perseveres until her work is

Betcha didn’t know that Goodberry’s has its headquarters and production facility in Wake Forest? And has since 2019? I will not reveal its location – I don’t know – but I can say it is close to South Main Street. Tell me if you find it. There is a big sign on the building. * * * * The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre on South White Street will reopen for in-person events on Friday, May 7, with a concert by Yolanda Rabun, “All that . . . & Jazz.” A North Carolina native, Rabun exploded onto the jazz scene first on Stanley Baird’s 2007 Traffic Jam hit single, “I Want 2 Love You,” and, in 2011, released her debut CD project, “So Real,” on which she co-wrote several songs, including the title song. In 2012, Rabun infused Soul, R&B, Gospel, Folk, Smooth and Traditional Jazz on her sophomore solo album,