Several local churches and community organizations will honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during a free, public celebration on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. at Friendship Chapel Baptist Church, 237 Friendship Chapel Road. The evening’s theme will center around one of Dr. King’s messages: “I have decided to stick to love…Hate is too great a burden to bear.” In the spirit of the event theme, the Wake Forest MLK Committee will offer creative performance, writing and art competitions for students in Wake Forest and Rolesville-area schools. Complete contest rules and information, along with the online contest entry form, will be available in November at http://bit.ly/WFMLKCelebration. The competition winners will be recognized during the January 20 program. In the meantime, the Wake Forest MLK Committee is accepting monetary donations from the community to help fund the monetary prizes and scholarships awarded to the competition winners.

Updated December 15, 2021 Plans under review at the Wake Forest Planning Department The November Monthly Report from the Wake Forest is listed below. *White Street Townhomes is a plan for 79 townhouses on two lots owned by David Smoot at the intersection of South White Street and East Holding Avenue. *Hawthorne Wake Forest Phase 2 will be an apartment building(s) with 48 units on the east side of Star Road. *Averette Road Assemblage is the new name for Rosedale Subdivision (formerly Averette Road Subdivision) Phase 2, a plan for 66 single-family lots. It is associated with Tryon subdivision. Former Pearce family land, Priest Craven & Associates is the engineer for this. *Star Road PUD will be off the list in January because the planning board unanimously voted against recommending it to the town board. *Gateway Commons Lot 10 is a plan for a 9,500-square-foot office building. *Mason Oaks Parcel

The Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce that Meet in the Street, its premiere arts and crafts festival, will be back on South White Street in downtown Wake Forest on Saturday, May 7. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. people can enjoy browsing more than 100 arts and crafts booths, listening to live music, tasting their way through the newest food trucks and enjoying activities with your children or grandchildren. Applications are now available but space is limited. To be a part of the festival, go to the chamber’s web page and look for the Meet in the Street Festival page. * * * * Oh, and by the way, 2022 is the chamber’s 40th anniversary! It is sure to be a special year filled with surprises you will like. * * * * Join the Wake Forest Area Chamber and the Wake Forest Business & Industry Partnership as we co-host the 2022