Crowds of voters in US, NC, Wake Forest

Eager voters are crowding into voting stations nationwide, in North Carolina, Wake County and here at the nearest station, the Northern Regional Center at 305 East Holding Avenue, Wake Forest. Long lines have wrapped halfway around the building and at near noon today the wait time was one to two hours, and 7,220 people had already voted between Thursday, October 17 and Tuesday, October 22. There are 21 other locations throughout Wake County ahead of the November 5 General Election, and people who work outside town may chose to go to one of them. All locations have the same schedule, and the crowds are smaller on weekends. The hours open for voting are: Weekdays – 8:00 a.m. – 7:30 Saturdays – 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Sundays – 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Wake County has 857,569 registered voters as of today, and the largest group is Unaffiliated with 375,691. There

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Joyner Pond may reopen in mid-December

After being closed since late August, Joyner Park Pond is expected to reopen by mid-December. The Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department closed the pond on August 23 due to the presence of red algae bloom. A subsequent investigation revealed that a sewer line leak contaminated the pond prompting the growth of the algae. According to Parks and Recreation Maintenance Manager Randy Hoyle, mitigation efforts in and around the pond are winding down. “Triangle Pond Management is scheduled to begin treating the pond with chemicals by early November,” said Hoyle. “Once that’s done, they will restock the pond with fish, including bass, bluegill, and catfish.” Barring any unforeseen issues, the pond and the adjacent trail should reopen sometime in mid-December. Still, officials say it could be several months before the pond is safe for visitors to fish or pets to swim. Until the water quality improves to an acceptable level,

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Collecting paper in the war years

            100 years of history by Carol Pelosi (After last week’s history column that mentioned his father, Grady Patterson sent along some of his memories of Wake Forest during World War II.)             I remember so well the dispute over Sunday movies.             I was also interested in the mention of my father’s request for a paper drive.  In addition to other things, he was chairman of Boy Scout Troop No. 5, which met in the basement of the Baptist church.              Those of us who were members of the troop collected newspapers, cardboard boxes, and other forms of paper for quite a long while during the war.  We even had a baler into which we could stuff the paper products, compress them and finally when at the right size wrap baling wire around to hold the paper in a bale for shipment.              The collecting of metal was also

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Tri-Area now serving 1,800 families

(This is run again to emphasize how many families are in need of food help.) What an amazing summer it’s been! As we ease into the cooler days of fall, it’s time to break out the hoodies and embrace a new season of activities and community support.  This fall, we’re busier than ever. The number of families we serve continues to grow, and in October, we’ll be serving more than 1,800 families—our highest number yet! However, as the focus shifts to recovery efforts in Western NC, our donations have seen a significant drop. While we encourage you to support our neighbors in the west, please remember that there is also critical need right here in our community. Take a moment to check out our list of most needed items, or if it’s easier, you can order directly from our Amazon Wish List, and items will be delivered to us automatically. For those

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Holiday giving, celebrating begins

 Help us ring in the holiday season and launch our annual holiday donation drive during the Wake Forest Cares Holiday Kick-off on Saturday, Nov. 16. Free and open to everyone, this family-friendly celebration is scheduled from noon-4 p.m. in downtown Wake Forest. Promising fun-filled activities for both children and adults, our Holiday Kick-off will offer a slew of activities and attractions the entire family can enjoy, including the Carolina Hurricanes Storm Tour and Slapshot Booth, Snow Axe Throwing, Zap-A-Penguin, Curling, roaming street performers, community performances, children’s craft activities, and more! Food and refreshments will be available for purchase at several downtown restaurants, while the following food and dessert trucks will also be onsite throughout the afternoon: La Katrina Tacos, Kono Pizza, Ultimate Eggrolls and Dusty Donuts. Free parking will be available at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and along several side streets and parking lots throughout downtown Wake Forest and beyond. In addition to ringing in the holiday season, the Holiday Kick-off will signal the

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Applicants needed for Historic board

You can make a difference in our community by applying to fill one of four vacancies on the Historic Preservation Commission. Candidates must reside within the Wake Forest town limits. Professionals with experience in historic preservation, history, architectural history, and/or archaeology are especially encouraged to apply. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Town website at wakeforestnc.gov and search “historic preservation” to learn about the Wake Forest Historic Preservation Program and HPC initiatives. The online advisory board application is available through Wednesday Oct. 30, at http://bit.ly/TOWFAdvBoardApplication. Anyone without computer access is invited to complete the application by using a computer kiosk in the lobby of Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St. Hard copies are available upon request by contacting Deputy Town Clerk Ella Dowtin at edowtin@wakeforestnc.gov. For more information, email Ella Dowtin at edowtin@wakeforestnc.gov.

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Leaf collection starts but leaves still on trees

The Town of Wake Forest’s annual loose leaf collection program is underway and continues through Monday, March 10, 2025. Residents are reminded that the Town provides bi-monthly loose leaf collection service which calls for crews to service Wake Forest streets twice each month. When preparing leaves and yard waste for collection, residents are urged to follow these guidelines: Residents are also reminded of the following: For more information about the Town’s loose leaf collection program, visit http://bit.ly/WFLeafCollection or contact Chad Hildebrandt at 919-435-9575 or childebrandt@wakeforestnc.gov. ###

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Comic Book & Toy Expo at Flaherty Nov. 2

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department is partnering withPlay4Life Comics to host a Comic Book & Toy Expo Saturday, Nov. 2, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Flaherty Park Community Center, 1226 N. White St. Free and open to everyone, the expo will feature dedicated vendors of your favorite pop culture nostalgia selling vintage comics, rare action figures, Pokémon cards, and more. For more information, email Community Center Supervisor Grayson Pridgen at 919-554-6726 or gpridgen@wakeforestnc.gov.  ###

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Town considering multimodal impact fee

In December 2023, the Town of Wake Forest retained Benesch to conduct a Multimodal Transportation Impact Fee Study. Municipalities assess impact fees on property developers to pay for infrastructure improvements that must be built due to new property development. New development brings new residents, which can put a strain on a municipality’s infrastructure and services. Impact fees are designed to offset the additional cost of maintaining these services.  In 1989, the Town of Wake Forest received local legislation to enact facility (aka impact) fees for various purposes – Chapter 502 – SB 576, including transportation. Specific methodology is required to compute the calculation and includes future growth projections along with planned capital resulting from growth (Capital Improvements Plan also known as CIP).  Benesch’s draft report is available for review and comment at https://engagewakeforest.org/multi-modal-transportation-impact-fee. Benesch will present its findings to the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. and to

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Ailey Young House Heritage Gateway Park

The Town of Wake Forest is in the process of developing a conceptual site plan for a new park in the Northeast Community anchored by the Ailey Young House, 400 N. White St. Community input will be the cornerstone of the effort to produce a concept plan that respects the unique history of the site, celebrates the rich history of the Northeast Community, and provides park space for the community.   On Thursday, Oct. 24, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wake Forest will host a public meeting (drop-in style open house) at the Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St., where attendees can share their thoughts and opinions on park priorities, opportunities, and challenges. Discussion will also cover a variety of topics focused on how best to achieve the project goals. The session will have an informal, open house-style format, so community members can drop in anytime between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. to

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