The Wake Forest Technology Advisory Board (TAB) is inviting area elementary, middle, and high school students and their families to the 2023 Wake Forest STEM Saturday on Saturday, April 29. Presented by the Wireless Research Center, this free family networking event is scheduled from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Joyner Park Community Center, 701 Harris Road. Celebrating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, STEM Saturday will expose students in grades K-12 to a variety of STEM career options, while featuring STEM-related exhibits, demonstrations, and hands-on learning activities. STEM Saturday will also include several interactive booths where representatives from a variety of local businesses, schools, and organizations will engage with parents and students, share professional insights and experiences, and offer an array of interesting demonstrations. Throughout STEM Saturday, youth can experience the wonders of STEM hands-on, ask questions, and be inspired to pursue a degree or occupation in a related field. A special

“Happy Dan the Magic Man” will perform his one-of-a-kind magic and comedy show at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts Friday, May 5, at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free. Everyone laughs louder when Happy Dan the Magic Man is in the house. Happy Dan has traveled the world entertaining families for more than 30 years. His hilarious family shows are regular features at Southeastern festivals, comedy clubs, banquets, trade shows, schools, and family living rooms. He is more than an entertainer. He’s that slightly silly, can’t-wait-to-see-him, loving uncle that every child loves. Happy Dan’s zany character recalls the fun of live television hosts from years gone by. He blends the gentleness and homespun comfort of Mister Rogers with the silly antics and storytelling of Captain Kangaroo. His talents stretch to thoroughly holding the attention of children as young as three years to golden age adults. Wherever laughter and

The 2023 Juneteenth in Wake Forest will be a two-day event featuring the Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 North Taylor Street, on Friday, June 16, and the DuBois Center, 518 North Franklin Street, on Saturday, June 17. Friday’s event will run from 4 to 6:30 p.m. and will feature giveaways, Jay’s Italian Ice, and more fun before the crowd walks to the soon-to-open Wake Forest Food Hall at 303 East Roosevelt Avenue to purchase dinner from the various food trucks there. On Saturday the activities run from late morning to late evening. It all begins at 11:45 a.m. when participants will assemble for a recreation of the historic Freedom Walk. Then from noon until 3:30 p.m. there will be a festival with booths, fun and food. From 4 to 8 p.m. the scene shifts to the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts at 508 South Brooks Street where Eugene Brown, a

The Recreation Advisory Board will host a family-friendly 5K/3K walk/run as part of National Trails Day on Saturday, June 3, at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. Check-in on the day of the event starts at 7 a.m., and the races begin at 8 a.m. Online registration is available at http://bit.ly/WFNationalTrailsDay. The National Trails Day 5K/3K is a timed walk/run for children and adults. A loop of the paved trails throughout Joyner Park will comprise the 3.1-mile course for the 5K and 1.8-mile course for the 3K. Strollers are welcome but will be placed at the back of the pack to allow runners a clear start. The entry fee for the 5K is $30 through May 14; $35 from May 15-June 1; and $40 the day before and day of the race. The entry fee for the 3K is $25 through May 14; $30 May 15-June 1; and $35

From May 15 to May 28, the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will host a Bass Fishing Tournament for ages 13 and older and a Youth Fishing Tournament for ages 12 and under (non-competitive). Over this two-week period, local anglers can visit any public fishery in Wake or Franklin County to try and catch the biggest fish. Participants in the Youth Fishing Tournament may catch any species of fish, while anglers in the Bass Fishing Tournament will be limited to bass only. Online registration for both tournaments is available through Thursday, April 27, at https://wakeforestnc.recdesk.com/Community/Home (search “fishing”). The cost to participate is $10 for the bass tournament and $5 for the youth tourney. Participants in the bass tourney will receive a fishing scale to be used in the competition, while contestants in the youth tournament will receive an “Early Fisherman” packet. Fishing scales and “Early Fisherman” packets will

The Wake Forest Garden Club has announced that this year’s Art and Garden Show will be held Friday, April 28, and Saturday, April 29, with the Garden Party at the Wake Forest Historical Museum held Saturday, April 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets for both days of touring local gardens and art are $25. Tickets for the Garden Party are $20. You can purchase tickets online at www.wfgardenclub.org or in person at Southern Suds & Gifts, The NC Specialty Store, Page 158 Books or the Wake Forest Historical Museum. ###

The Wake Forest Police Department recently announced the top six high-risk intersections in Wake Forest based on the number of accidents that occurred in these areas from 2021-2023: 1. Capital Boulevard (US 1)/South Main Street/New Falls of Neuse Road – 61 2. Capital Boulevard (US 1)/Agora Drive/Wake Union Church Road – 40 3. Capital Boulevard (US 1)/Dr. Calvin Jones Highway (NC 98 Bypass) – 39 4. Capital Boulevard (US 1)/Burlington Mills Road – 32 5. Dr. Calvin Jones Highway/South Main Street (US 1) – 30 6. Capital Boulevard (US 1)/Stadium Drive/Jenkins Road – 25 Failure to reduce speed, inattention, and distracted driving were the most often cited contributing factors in these accidents. Police officials are taking this opportunity to urge motorists to be alert and proceed with caution through these and all intersections. To try and make the intersections safer, officers will continue conducting enforcement campaigns in and around these

In 2018 the Wake Forest Police Department (WFPD) received international accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA). The accreditation verifies that the WFPD meets CALEA’s industry best-practice standards and has attained public safety professional excellence. Now, as part of an effort to maintain its CALEA accreditation, the WFPD has opened a public portal for community comments at https://bit.ly/WFPDAccreditation. The online portal is designed to receive comments regarding WFPD’s compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services, and overall candidacy for maintaining its accredited status. These comments can be in the form of commendations or concerns, but the overall intent is to provide WFPD with information to support continuous improvement and foster the pursuit of professional excellence. CALEA is not an investigatory body, so the public portal should not be used to submit information for such purposes. Additionally, there will

Based on the March 2023 Monthly Development Report, WF Planning Updated April 12, 2023 There were no changes between the February and March reports. There were no additions and no deletions. The updated Wake Forest population as of July 2022 is 54,274. In 2021 the population was 50,244. How rezoning and development requests are now heard Planning Director Courtney Tanner gave this response to a query: All legislative cases (rezonings) have a public hearing at the Commissioner meeting and a public comment session at the Planning Board. A special use permit has a public hearing at the Commissioner meeting. Administrative (correct zoning and comply with the UDO) cases are approved at the staff level. What town board approval means now Senior Planner Patrick Reidy explained what the town board’s approval of new subdivisions means under the new state and town requirements. “They approved the conditional rezoning/master plan. Both projects will