The Wake Forest Inspections Department issued only 16 permits for single-family homes in November, which may be a new low not seen in decades. Two of the 16 were for homes on lots in the Northeast community, which is experiencing a wave of gentrification. The new homes are listed by street and/or subdivision, creek basin, fees paid, square footage and applicant-estimated value. *J&W Custom Homes, 423 Sixth Street, Smith Creek, $4,901.50, 1,743, $350,000. *J&W Custom Homes, 729 North Taylor Street, Smith Creek, $4,899.00, 1,744, $350,000. *Lennar Carolinas, 1881 Knights Crest Way, Tryon, Smith Creek, $5,285.25, 2,850, $142,000. *DR Horton – Terramor, 1616 Haltwhistle Street, Old Mill Stream, Richland Creek, $5,013.25, 1,936, $360,000. *Ryan Homes, 220 Hopewell Lane, Mason Oaks, Richland Creek, $4,963.50, 1,735, $159,639. *Ryan Homes, 237 Hopewell Lane, Mason Oaks, Richland Creek, $4,963.50, 1,735, $153,453. *Pulte Home Corp., 300 Heritage Regency Drive, Heritage, Smith Creek, $5,433.25, 3,025, $807,000. *Herring

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

Auditions for “The Diary of Anne Frank” The play will be presented by Forest Moon Theater, and the auditions are set for Jan. 18 and 19 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Centre. Roles are available for actors ages 14 and older, regardless of race or gender. Details are available at https://forestmoontheater.org/auditions/ Shades of Gospel, Saturday, Feb. 5, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m Join us for a celebration of Gospel music that connects community members of all cultures, ages, and backgrounds! Gospel singer and pastor John P. Kee will bring his soulful husky voice, a six-piece band and back-up singers to the Renaissance Centre stage as a part of the Shades of Gospel series. Kee is the pastor of New Life Fellowship Center in Charlotte. He grew up in church music, playing both jazz and gospel on piano in his early teens in Durham. After high school at the North

The Wake Forest Woman’s Club is pleased to continue its tradition of offering a scholarship competition for qualifying seniors currently attending Franklin Academy High School, Heritage High School, or Wake Forest High School. Applicants need to be in the upper fourth of their class and have plans to attend an in-state 4-year college or university in the fall of 2022. The winner of the Wake Forest Woman’s Club Sallie Southall Cotten Continuing Education Scholarship will receive a one-time $2,000 award from the Club and will compete at the GFWC-NC district level for an additional $1,000 scholarship. For more information and to obtain an application, seniors should contact Student Services at their school. The deadline for submitting the completed application is January 6, 2022. The Wake Forest Woman’s Club continues to serve the community. For more information about the WFWC and how to become a member, please visit www.wake-forest-womans-club.com and www.facebook.com/wakeforestwomansclub.  

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