Mayor Vivian Jones concluded her 2015 State of the Town by quoting a Coca-Cola ad from the Super Bowl: “Life is what we make of it – let’s make it happy” after quoting the many ups and plusses during 2014 and some of the sad times. “I ask you to join with me and look forward. Look forward with joyful anticipation to the good things that are happening here.”
She began by calling out the “elephant in the room” which she had originally thought to leave for the last.
“Yes, I am talking about the event that occurred this year that will probably have the most long-lasting effect on Wake Forest of anything else that happened – even longer lasting that those pickleball courts that we set up this year! Stand up, Mark! Yes, you are that elephant in the room.”
She went on to say that Williams will retire April 30 after 22 years as manager. “Mark’s steady hand at the helm during our ups and downs has kept us constantly moving forward. It will be a challenge for us to replace Mark’s character, his integrity, his leadership and his dedication to our community. Thank you, Mark, and best wishes for a long and happy retirement!”
The major part of her speech was about the town’s strategic plan and its four goals: 1) To stimulate economic development, 2) To enhance and promote a safe and connected community, 3) To build a culture with the Town of Wake Forest that reflects our core values of caring, commitment, integrity and innovation, and 4) To enhance the town’s financial strength.
She talked about the town’s investment in the Wireless Research Center of North Carolina, which continues to grow. She said other businesses such as Sinewall, Power Secure, Pack Rat and Moffat Pipe continue to expand as do longtime companies such as Electric Motor Shop and Superior Tooling.
Did you know White Street Brewery won a gold medal at the International Craft Beer Conference in Denver and was named one of the top ten craft breweries by Bon Appetit? She talked about the accreditation the town’s Main Street program has earned, and the many and varied programs and events at the Renaissance Centre, where the State of the Town event was held Monday night, a week later than planned because of last week’s winter event.
The mayor said the town responded to “our growing number of pickleball players and now offer courts at Wake Forest Middle School and Flaherty Park. Pickleball is one of the fastest growing adult sports in the country, and it looks like we are going to have to build some dedicated courts to satisfy our players.”
Habitat for Humanity was so pleased with the community involvement when they, with the help of six local churches, 150 Americorp volunteers and several businesses, built five new homes on Spring Street and provided facelifts to eight older homes that they plan to return soon.
Jones said the town is working to keep everyone informed about the progress of the four bridge rebuilding projects in and near town in the next two years. The projects will cut off many familiar routes, but the town’s Operation Bridge Exchange will keep people informed about the detours and the work progress.
There is now a permanent drop box for medications at the Wake Forest Police Substation on Brooks Street, thanks to Detective Sergeant Collie who applied for a grant from CVS pharmacy. All unused drugs can be disposed of there every weekday during work hours.
Jones mentioned the well-publicized and dangerous kidnapping of a Wake Forest resident and the recent scares about two men in a van or SUV who seem to be trying to lure children “During each on of these episodes I have been extremely proud of how our police officers have handled themselves and these incidents.”
She said they do not know the exact outcome of the sale of power agency generation assets to Duke Progress Energy, “but we do anticipate a favorable impact and we will share with you as information becomes available.”
She thanked town voters for approving the $25-million bond package last fall. “We will be able to leverage this money to obtain grants which will allow us to do almost $55 million worth of construction.”
She ended by urging the audience that night and across town to be positive about the changes coming to Wake Forest. “Sure, growth is going to continue, but are we going to rail against more people and more buildings and more traffic? Are we going to constantly complain and be concerned that something bad might happen here? No. No. Let’s not do that.”
About 200 people were at the Renaissance Centre for the dinner event hosted by the Wake Forest Rotary Club.
The Heritage High School Jazz Combo provided music before and during dinner, and they were joined by a surprise guest, saxophonist Marcus Anderson, who starred at the inaugural event for the Renaissance Centre and returned a year later for the anniversary event.
He went to the stage to say that he is not a resident of Wake Forest – yet, but wanted to announce his foundation that will help local youngsters have the musical education and the training that helped him.
The Marcus Anderson Foundation, www.marcusandersonfoundation.net , is based in Cary and, the website says, “will focus on providing quality musical instruments to deserving school age children locally and globally, providing scholarships to his alma mater, North Carolina Central University, and providing mentorships to youth to encourage and model positive life choices and to reinforce the importance of music in developing a well-rounded individual.” Anderson has teamed with Antigua Winds LLC based in San Antonio, Texas, which manufactures and distributes wind instruments.
You can see the mayor’s address on Wake Forest TV Channel 10 all through March at 8 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. You can also stream it from the town’s website at www.wakeforestnc.gov.
