Community Outreach Assistant Kiel Ortiz is the Town of Wake Forest “2023 Jon Ray Employee of the Year.” Town Manager Kip Padgett made the announcement Wednesday morning during the Senior Leadership Team’s Holiday Breakfast. The Jon Ray Employee of the Year (EOY) Award is named after former Street Supervisor Jon Ray who passed away in November 2013. Padgett, along with a committee comprised of former EOY award winners, selects the Employee of the Year from nominations submitted by Town staff. Submissions must include a written narrative explaining why the nominee is deserving of the award. A Wake Forest employee since 2020, Kiel sits at the Information Desk in the lobby of Town Hall. As a result, he is widely recognized as “the face of Wake Forest” because he is often the first person Town Hall visitors see when they come through the door. He was nominated for the EOY award by

The Wake Forest Police Department (WFPD) is reminding residents to report crime and suspicious activity to law enforcement before posting the information on social media. Due to the popularity of Facebook and other social media, many people use those platforms to discuss suspicious activity and crime. The problem is that not all who describe such activity online also report it to the police. Simply put – tagging the WFPD on a social media post is not reporting a crime. Not even close. By calling 9-1-1 or 919-556-9111 and reporting the proper way, WFPD can establish credible, official records of what’s going on or what’s happened, along with the sources of the information. It’s also easier than chasing down what are sometimes dubious or fake social media posts. “We understand that most people who post warnings and similar kinds of information on social media are trying to look out for their friends

The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts, 405 S. Brooks St., will present “Mesmerizing Magic” featuring Jason Hudy on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 7:30 p.m. Mystery. Intrigue. Comedy. Bewilderment. These are only a fraction of the qualities Jason Hudy delivers in every performance. Guaranteed to amaze and amuse the entire family, “Mesmerizing Magic” will transport you into the intricate world of magic and illusion. Promising to leave you breathless, this spellbinding one-of-a-kind performance will redefine your idea of what a magic show is! Advance tickets are $25 plus tax and can be purchased online at https://bit.ly/WFRenCenTix, in person at the RC Box Office, or by calling 919-435-9458. For more information, visit www.wakeforestrencen.org/ or call the Renaissance Centre Box Office at 919-435-9458.

The Town of Wake Forest is again offering “Connections…100 Years of Wake Forest History” for $30 each. Authored by Wake Forest resident and “Wake Forest Gazette” Publisher Carol Pelosi, “Connections… 100 Years of Wake Forest History” was written and released in 2009 to commemorate Wake Forest’s Centennial Celebration. Jean MaCamy and Stephanie Kaeberlein had begun work on the book before they asked me to write it, and they are responsible for the wonderful array of original art and pictures as well as the layout of the pages. A treasure trove of pictures, original artwork, and stories recording the people, places, and events of Wake Forest’s first 100 years, the photo-filled hardcover book chronicles the town’s rich history and details its growth from a small college town to a thriving community of more than 50,000 residents. Connections may be purchased online at www.wakeforestnc.gov/marketplace with credit card or debit card or in person at the Wake

Due to popular demand, the Northern Community Food Security Team (NCFST) and Ripe for Revival have agreed to bring their mobile grocery store to Wake Forest on the second and fourth Thursday of each month from 3-5 p.m. Offering fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy from local and regional farmers on a pay-what-you-can scale, the NCFST Mobile Market will return to 350 E. Holding Ave. (across from the Northern Regional Center) on Thursday, Jan. 11, and again on Thursday, Jan. 25. Open to everyone, the pay-what-you-can mobile grocery store makes fresh and local produce, proteins, dairy, eggs, and other food products accessible and affordable to all, regardless of their budget. When shopping, there are some limits on the amount of protein, dairy, and eggs a consumer can purchase, but no limits on produce. At checkout, shoppers will be given a suggested total. Shoppers can then pay the full amount, a portion of that amount, or

The Town of Wake Forest is introducing a free education series for residents interested in learning how to reduce their environmental footprint. Offered by Sustainability Coordinator Jeanette Johnson, “Wake Forest Sustainability 101,” is comprised of six classes on topics ranging from composting and recycling to combating litter and creating household food circularity. The series returns this month with the topic Understanding Waste on January 31. The are three classes in the future: Earth Day Education (March 20); Communities Combating Litter (May 22); and Creating Household Food Circularity (July 24). Free and open to the public, each class is scheduled from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Public Works Operations Center, 234 Friendship Chapel Road, or Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St. Online registration is open to the first 20 people to register for each class at https://bit.ly/WFSustainability101. Please note: Registrants may enroll in one or more classes and are

The Wake Forest Inspections Department issues a monthly report about all new building permits and new businesses. The office issued 26 permits for single-family houses and seven townhouses in various subdivisions in December. Also there were 26 permits for multi-family units, all at two addresses in the Grove development, part of the Wegmans plan, on the north side of the Bypass. Michael Vaughan, an Inspections technician, explained what is being built. “These units are actually ‘2-over-2’ condos but for permitting they are considered multi-family. A 2-over-2 consists of two, two-story townhome style condos stacked to create a four-story building. For permitting, as of December 2023, all 2-over-2 homes will be permitted separately, per unit/address, versus our old style of only permitting the building as a single address.  This is to assist with individual inspections tracking per unit.” There was one new business in December, the Holding Village Amenity Center being

Based on the October, 2023 Monthly Development Report, WF Planning Updated November 29, 202 The updated Wake Forest population as of July 1, 2023 was 56,681. That figure included the new homes which were approved for occupancy. When all the current approved apartments, townhouses and single-family homes are built the population will rise to 69,956. The town keeps a running tally of approved projects with counts of those completed. The best inspections current estimates are that between seven and eight people move to town each day. New plans on the list Item #1 on the list for at least two years has been White Street townhomes SP-21-06 requested by the landowner David Smoot with The Nau Company drawing the plans. The planning board members recommended 7 to 0 it not be approved, and instead the town board sent it back to the planning department and the owner for revisions. Since