This article was written for the Wake Forest Business & Industry Partnership and recently appeared in “Discover@WakeForest, the WFBIP newsletter. As the 10th fastest growing municipality of the 552 total in the state, Wake Forest is quickly cementing itself as a hub for economic prosperity and a dynamic quality of life. Additionally, the town’s opportunity boom is reflected in its immense population growth, which surpassed 50,000 residents at the end of 2020. This upward trajectory is creating a renaissance in Wake Forest that is impacting job opportunities, retail amenities, outdoor activities and industrial innovations. So much of this historic town’s boom, however, is happening right in the heart of its downtown. “There is no better place than Wake Forest’s downtown to fully display our ‘Big City Energy’ and ‘Small Town Charm.’ Simultaneously fusing an historic charm of years gone by with a palpable energy of innovation, our Downtown is indeed

Golden Asro Frinks was born in Wampee, South Carolina, but always claimed North Carolina as his home, living mostly in his wife’s (Ruth) hometown of Edenton. His mother, Kizzie, named him Golden because of a “golden text” at a church service earlier on the day he was born, April 26, 1920. Although mostly unknown today, Frinks spent 30 years of his life agitating and protesting against the Jim Crow laws of the era. He worked to desegregate restaurants, motels and theaters in Edenton and fought the closing of historically black schools in eastern North Carolina. By his own count, he was arrested 89 times for his activities. Because of his work organizing protests in Williamston and Edenton, the man who left school after the tenth grade was invited to be a field organizer for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Traveling across the south wherever there was a need, Frinks became

Current Streets Superintendent and recently appointed Interim Public Works Director Tim Bailey is the Town of Wake Forest “2021 Jon Ray Employee of the Year.” Town Manager Kip Padgett made the announcement Friday, Dec. 3, at the Public Works Operations Center.  A Town employee since 2015, Bailey was nominated for the award by several co-workers who praised his pleasant personality, innovative problem-solving, enthusiasm for his work, willingness to offer assistance, and commitment to the community. Prior to presenting Bailey with a plaque recognizing him as this year’s Employee of the Year, Padgett read aloud several comments employees recorded in their nomination narratives. “Tim Bailey does a wonderful job of exemplifying the Town’s core values,” wrote one person. ”He is pleasant, personable and genuinely cares about his fellow employees and our citizens. His commitment to the town and public service is evident in the way he handles every request – quickly, thoroughly

The Wake Forest Youth Ballet is thrilled to present the highly-anticipated return of The Nutcracker Suite, featuring select numbers from the beloved holiday classic The Nutcracker, scored by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and performed by the leading youth ballet dancers in the Triangle area. The Wake Forest Youth Ballet (WFYB) is a non-profit professional performance platform for dance students in the preparatory ballet program at Destiny Dance Institute in Wake Forest and provides dancers with a vehicle to perform both classical and contemporary ballet productions. Led by DDI Founder Patty Ogden and Artistic Director Terry Lehman, DDI’s high caliber ballet program for young dancers is recognized as one of the top ballet instructional programs in the Triangle area, and through a commitment to hard work, quality training, and excellence in production, offers a rigorous pre-professional instructional track to develop the technique and skill of its dancers. WFYB and DDI are widely

The 2021 Wake Forest Cares Holiday Donation Drive is underway. As part of this year’s effort, area residents and businesses are invited to contribute online at www.wakeforestnc.gov/wake-forest-cares to one or more of the following Town-sponsored initiatives:   Helping Others by Providing Electricity (HOPE) Northern Community Food Security Team Shop with a Cop Wake Forest Firefighters Foundation Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Scholarship Program These programs are addressing specific needs in our community, including hunger, home lighting and heating, youth health and fitness, and providing joy and hope during the holiday season and beyond. The Wake Forest Cares Holiday Donation Drive is an opportunity to demonstrate our support for these important efforts. In addition to online donations, checks are accepted and should be made payable to Town of Wake Forest (include “Wake Forest Cares” in the memo line), then mailed to Town of Wake Forest, 301 S. Brooks St., Wake Forest, NC