Wake Forest Power is embarking on converting the streetlight fixtures throughout its service territory from high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights to LED. Designed to meet sustainability, safety and security needs, the LED conversion of fixtures will occur over the next three fiscal years at a cost of approximately $125K per year. The replacement effort will concentrate on public roadways first, before proceeding into residential subdivisions and local parking lots. Replacements are currently in progress in the northeast area of town. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are up to 80% more efficient than other lighting sources and use far less energy, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Whereas the existing HPS fixtures use standard High-Pressure Sodium Vapor (HPSV) lamps with a warmer color temperature (yellow light), the new LED fixtures will have a cooler color temperature (moonlight color), which will enhance visibility and provide better color rendering. The LED fixtures will also provide better efficiency, reliability,

The Koinonia Foundation presented $22,000 in grants to local nonprofits and presented its 2021 Russell Dew Community Service Award to a deserving citizen during a June 8 reception at the Wake Forest Historical Museum. The grant funding will help eight local charitable organizations address human needs in the greater Wake Forest, Rolesville and Youngsville areas. The Koinonia Foundation recipients are: Called to Peace Ministries (www.calledtopeace. org) is a non-denominational nonprofit dedicated to offering hope and healing to victims of domestic violence, emotionally destructive relationships and sexual assault. ChurchNet Foundation (www.churchnetfoundation.net) provides emergency financial assistance to individuals living in Wake Forest, Rolesville and Youngsville with overdue utility bills and those in need of prescription medication. Kerr Family YMCA (A branch of the YMCA of the Triangle) (www.ymcatriangle.org) puts Christian principles into practice by nurturing the potential of children through youth development, promoting healthy living and fostering a sense of social responsibility by providing opportunities to

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, approximately six out of 10 people living with dementia will wander away from their homes. As the development of the disease continues, it can become increasingly difficult and potentially impossible for the person to find their way home. Children with autism may also wander. That’s why the Wake Forest Police Department offers a program that helps officers find and safely return home people with disabilities as quickly as possible when they wander away from their families or caregivers. The Wake Forest Department’s Take Me Home initiative is designed to protect Wake Forest children, adults, and the elderly with disabilities, such as autism, Down’s syndrome or Alzheimer’s and other dementia disorders, who go missing and may be unable to communicate who they are and where they live. The program is a free, voluntary and confidential database offered, managed and maintained by Wake Forest Police for Wake Forest residents.

Two days’ worth of free fun and excitement await you and your family at Wake Forest’s 2021 Independence Day Celebration. For complete details, visit http://bit.ly/WFIndependenceDay. Fireworks Spectacular This year’s festivities get underway with the Fireworks Spectacular on Saturday, July 3. Free and open to the public, our community’s most popular summertime event will take place inside Husky Stadium on the campus of Heritage High School, 1150 Forestville Road. Gates will open at 7:30 p.m. and the fireworks show will begin at approximately 9:30 p.m. Due to limited planning time, the Town will not offer concessions or live entertainment as part of this year’s fireworks show. Instead, at 9 p.m. the Town will share on its Facebook page an Independence Day video hosted by Talbot the Town Crier. Featuring Uncle Sam, Lady Liberty and the Board of Commissioners, the video will include a pre-recorded performance by the Band of Oz and an installment of

North Carolina’s decision to lift capacity restrictions and end mask and social distancing requirements has paved the way for the return of the July 4 Children’s Parade and Art in the Park. The Wake Forest Optimist Club will coordinate and manage this year’s Children’s Parade on Sunday, July 4. The lineup will begin at 1 p.m. at the intersection of North Main Street and West Juniper Avenue, near the Wake Forest Historical Museum, 414 North Main Street. The procession will get underway at 1:30 p.m. and conclude at the Wake Forest Community House, 133 West Owen Avenue. There, the afternoon festivities will continue at 2 p.m. with Art in the Park. Hosted by the Wake Forest Woman’s Club, the event will offer children of all ages the opportunity to create a variety of colorful arts and crafts projects inside the Community House. Volunteers are critical to the success of the