How to eat in Wake Forest

In the midst of plenty . . . we all do not fare equally at all times. These are the places all, adults and children, can find one of the greatest gifts, a shared meal. **School-age children will find a free lunch on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Northern Regional Center on East Holding Avenue from now through August 4. **Wake Forest Community Table serves nutritious and delicious meals at 5 p.m. on Monday nights at Hope House (334 North Allen Road) and at 6 p.m. on Wednesday nights at Olive Branch Baptist Church (326 East Juniper Avenue). All ages are welcome to stop by for dinner and for fresh produce from the Wake Forest Presbyterian Giving Garden. We are thankful to all of or volunteers and the donors who make this organization possible. To learn more about our program and mission and

Read More »

Applicants needed for two planning board seats

The Town of Wake Forest is inviting residents who live in Wake Forest and its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) to apply for two vacancies on the Planning Board. One seat must be filled by a Wake Forest resident, while the other is reserved for someone who lives in the ETJ. Applications will be accepted through Friday, July 28. The online advisory board application is available on the Town website 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 919-435-9436 or edowtin@wakeforestnc.gov. Planning Board candidates will be introduced to the Board of Commissioners during its regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 15. Appointments to the Planning Board will also be announced during this meeting. The new terms will commence immediately following

Read More »

First Charter Draping Ceremony

Wake Forest Memorial Post 8466, Veterans of Foreign Wars, conducted the first Charter Draping Ceremony paying tribute to a departed comrade at the monthly meeting July 6, 2023. The Draping Ceremony consists of draping the Post Charter with a ceremonial black cloth signifying to all that a member has died. The draped Charter lasts for 30 days on each occasion. Performing the Ceremony Commander, Bill Wade, while the members present stand at attention, directs the Officer of the Day, Doran Johnson, to Drape the VFW Post 8466 National Charter. As this is being accomplished, Commander Wade said; “By doing the Draping Ceremony, we the members of VFW Post 8466 of Wake Forest, NC offer solemn tribute to our departed comrade.” The ceremony was conducted in honor of the death of Anthony Attina. Tony passed away unexpectedly on June 22, 2023. He was buried last week with full military honors in

Read More »

The Growth Rate

Based on the May, 2023 Monthly Development Report, WF Planning Updated July 5, 2023 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 need to go through Construction Plan approval before they can start site work. I would expect a

Read More »

Three days of power problems now solved

For three recent days there were power problems in Wake Forest. The first, on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, were a series of intermittent 3- to 4-second outages which had homeowners scrambling to reset computer equipment and their TVs. The culprit was one of the smallest pieces of Wake Forest Power, a small switch. Monday’s problem affected the South White Street downtown area where a blown fuse led to a fault in an underground power line. Power was restored to all the stores and shops by 7 p.m. that night. The Town of Wake Forest and Wake Forest Power issued a full explanation of the problems with a heartfelt apology to customers. It ends with a review of the town power agency’s reserve of power – even at peak use Wake Forest uses less than half the power it has available – and how the town compares to other municipal-owned power

Read More »

Fifty years of Fourth memories by the volunteers

Fifty years ago, 1973, Wake Forest was a small town with maybe 3,400 people inside its original borders. Forestville was its own small hamlet, U.S. 1 (Capital Boulevard) had two lanes and tobacco was the top local crop. John Lyon was the mayor and Tommy Byrne, John B. Cole, Ailey M. Young, Dessie Harper and Carroll Trotter were the commissioners. Downtown merchants worked a half day on Wednesdays, closing their stores at noon or 1 p.m. Burlington Industries down on the north bank of the Neuse River shut down operations the week of the Fourth of July, giving all employees a vacation. For town residents, the Fourth, when it came near a weekend, was an excuse to head to the coast. Aside from a Stars and Stripes flag here or there, no noticed the Fourth. Enter Janie Ali who lived with her family in a big house on North Main

Read More »

Where are the candidates?

With only seven days left before the two-week filing period begins for a seat on the Wake Forest Town Board, there are only three announced candidates for three seats. Current Commissioner Adam Wright announced early that he plans to run for a second term. B&W Hardware owner Joe Kimray announced two months ago after having to step down from chairman of the Wake Forest Planning Board because members can only serve two terms. Faith Cross, a registered nurse and new real estate agent, announced early in May. The two other current commissioners, Chad Sary and Jim Dyer, have not said whether they will seek second terms. There are no limits on how long commissioners and the mayor can serve in Wake Forest. Candidates can begin filing at noon on July 7 at the Wake County Board of Elections office in Raleigh and the filing period ends at noon on July

Read More »

Hate the traffic? Call your state senator or representative

Last week’s Gazette was filled the pleas from Wake Forest residents to deny three housing projects because the traffic on the adjacent roads was already overwhelming. I write specifically about Burlington Mills Road, Forestville Road, Ligon Mill Road and Jenkins Road. These roads and streets in and around Wake Forest are still two lanes when their current and projected traffic loads show they should be at four lanes. The Wake Forest Town Board voted to approve said projects without mentioning that it has no control over those roads. They are owned and maintained by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, which is funded by the North Carolina General Assembly. Said General Assembly is still in session and has not set its budget for the next two years. Although the General Assembly as a whole has not been responsive to many pleas, the individual senator or representative does want to retain

Read More »

Enjoy the Fourth festivities over two days

Fireworks, food trucks, live entertainment, children’s activities, and more await you at Wake Forest’s 2023 Independence Day Celebration. Presented by Capital Chevrolet, this year’s celebration marks the 50th anniversary of our community’s most popular summertime event promising two days’ worth of free fun and excitement for the entire family. For complete details, visit http://bit.ly/WFIndependenceDayCelebration. The festivities get underway Monday, July 3, with the Fireworks Spectacular inside Husky Stadium on the campus of Heritage High School, 1150 Forestville Road. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and the program begins at 6 p.m. Please note that no glass, alcohol, pets, or smoking are allowed on the school campus. The Band of Oz, one of the southeast’s most popular beach bands, will headline this year’s celebration, followed by an unforgettable 20-minute fireworks display. The fireworks show will begin around 9:30 p.m. A variety of food and dessert trucks will be onsite. A complete list

Read More »

Construction underway for inclusive playground

On Monday, June 26, crews arrived to begin preparing for the construction of the Holding Park Inclusive Playground, 133 W. Owen Ave., by assembling equipment and supplies onsite. The effort will require the closure of 11 parking spaces along West Owen Avenue for the foreseeable future. Holding Park has been closed since late October 2022. Barricades and signage announcing the closure are posted around the park perimeter. Area residents are urged to obey the signs and avoid the area as construction continues. Although Holding Park is closed, the Wake Forest Community House, Holding Park basketball courts, and R.H. Forest Field remain open. Weather permitting, the installation of the new Holding Park Inclusive Playground is expected to be completed by September 2023. Upon completion, the new playground will feature: • Fully ramped playground structures that offer ease of access for people of all mobility ranges. • Multiple sensory experiences, including tactile,

Read More »