The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department and the Wake Forest Pickleball Club will host the Wake Forest Third Annual Fall Classic Pickleball Tournament Friday-Sunday, Oct. 6-8, at the Flaherty Park Tennis Complex, 1226 North White Street. The entry fee is $45 per player, plus $10 for each additional event. No registrations will be accepted on the day of the tournament. Complete tournament details, including registration information, are available at https://bit.ly/WFPickleball. The registration deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 27. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Sandy Brasseale at 501-772-7439 or sandybpickleball@gmail.com. ###

The Town of Wake Forest and several community partners will host a Mental Wellness & Self Care Fair Saturday, Oct. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St. Free and open to the public, the event is designed to raise awareness about mental wellness and share information about programs, services, and resources available to loved ones who may be suffering from untreated or undertreated mental illness. Led by Commissioner Nick Sliwinski, the fair will feature presentations on a variety of topics by experts from several local mental health organizations. Several vendors will also be onsite from organizations, agencies, and non-profits that provide services in the areas of mental health, health care, social services, and more.  This event is open to all – whether you need help or want to know how to support those who do. Preregistration is encouraged – but not required –

The Public Art Commission is inviting residents to help shape the future of public art in Wake Forest by completing a brief survey. From now through October, residents can complete the survey by visiting Engage Wake Forest at https://engagewakeforest.org/ and clicking on “Wake Forest Public Art.” Designed to gauge community interest in public art, assess preferred types of art, and more, the questionnaire takes less than five minutes to complete. The insights and ideas of respondents will help shape the foundation for Wake Forest’s public art program and suggest recommendations for future initiatives. Community input will also help guide the work of the PAC and Town staff when planning and implementing future public art projects. Finally, the feedback will provide a framework for partnerships with other Town departments, artists, cultural organizations, and developers to help the PAC advance a compelling vision for public art. For more information, email Renaissance Centre Specialist Debra

Based on the June, 2023 Monthly Development Report, WF Planning Updated September 18, 2023 The updated Wake Forest population as of January 1, 2023 was 54,274. In 2021 the population was 50,244. The best current estimates are that between seven and eight people move to town each day. 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

Below is a list of groups – and if your group is not included and should be – please send a note with the information to cwpelosi@aol.com. If the information about your group is wrong or out of date, please send a note with the corrections to that same email address. Aren’t we lucky to have so many groups that benefit our town and its resident! Last updated on July 1, 2023. *American Legion Post 187 meets the second Thursday at 7 p.m. in the American Legion Hall at 225 East Holding Avenue. The dinner begins at 6 p.m. and costs $5. For information and membership, call Commander Doug Doster at 1-603-660-6948. *American Heritage Girls (AHG) meets at 6:30 p.m. at Hope Lutheran Church on Rogers Road on the second and fourth Thursdays. Get in touch with Amy Minor at chrisnamy34@hotmail.com or see the website, www.hopelutheranwf.org. *The General James Moore