The Wake Forest Police Department and Wake Forest Fire Department are partnering to host a Public Safety Camp Monday through Wednesday, June 26-28, at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. Geared for ages 13-15, the three-day camp will include sessions on basic first aid, CPR, fire extinguisher usage, and firefighter tactics, as well as Police K9 and tactical team demonstrations, a mock crime scene investigation, and discussions about careers in public safety. The cost of the camp is $35 and includes lunch each day. In addition, all campers will receive a Public Safety Camp T-shirt. A limited number of spots are available. Online registration is underway at https://bit.ly/WFPublicSafetyCamp. For more information, contact Firefighter Glenn Ebron at 919-556-1966 or gebron@wakeforestnc.gov or Police Community Outreach Officer Robert Wilkinson at 919-608-8472 or rwilkinson@wakeforestnc.gov. ###

Music – jazz, gospel, Latin, reggae, R&B – will all be in town at 237 Friendship Chapel Road along with different vendors, food, line dancing or plain dancing and activities for the children on Saturday, June 10, beginning at 2 p.m. rain or shine. Featured musicians will be Bro Harv, Earthkry, Ladies First, and Ed Moon & the Stars. VIP tickets are $50, general admission is $20 and children 12 and under are admitted free. Friendship Chapel Road deadends just beyond Friendship Chapel Missionary Baptist Church; the only entrance is from South Main Street.. You are invited to come, bring a friend and a lawn chair and enjoy a fine Saturday in spring with music. ###

The Wake Forest Police Department will host a Touch-A-Truck fundraiser for Special Olympics of NC on Saturday, June 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Factory, 1839 South Main Street. Families and children of all ages will be granted an all-access pass to police cars, fire trucks, a helicopter, boat, Humvee, military vehicles, and more. The cost is $5 per person and $20 per family of any size. All proceeds will benefit Special Olympics of NC. Throughout the day officers will also be selling 2023 Special Olympics NC Torch Run T-shirts for $20. The T-shirts feature the WFPD badge in recognition of the department’s Top 10 ranking among NC law enforcement agencies for Special Olympics fundraising in 2022. In addition to trucks and vehicles, Charlie’s Kabob Grill and Two Roosters Ice Cream will be onsite selling food and sweet treats. For more information, contact Cpl. J. McArthur at

The Recreation Advisory Board will host a family-friendly 5K/3K walk/run as part of National Trails Day on Saturday, June 3, at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. Check-in on the day of the event starts at 7 a.m., and the races begin at 8 a.m. Online registration is available at http://bit.ly/WFNationalTrailsDay. The National Trails Day 5K/3K is a timed walk/run for children and adults. A loop of the paved trails throughout Joyner Park will comprise the 3.1-mile course for the 5K and 1.8-mile course for the 3K. Strollers are welcome but will be placed at the back of the pack to allow runners a clear start. The entry fee for the 5K is $30 through May 14; $35 from May 15-June 1; and $40 the day before and day of the race. The entry fee for the 3K is $25 through May 14; $30 May 15-June 1; and $35

The Town of Wake Forest is now accepting applications for its second annual Citizen’s Academy. The online application is available at www.wakeforestnc.gov/citizens-academy through Friday, July 14. The Wake Forest Citizen’s Academy is a seven-week course designed to offer participants an educational and interactive experience on the workings of Town government. The curriculum will cover current Wake Forest programs, services, and procedures, and offer an inside look at several departments, including Public Works, Police, Fire, Communications, Finance, Planning, Engineering, Wake Forest Power, Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources, the Renaissance Centre, and Downtown Development. (Editor’s note: This is the year when we will elect three town commissioners. The academy would be an excellent way for any candidates who have not served in a local elected office to learn about the town and be more prepared if elected. There are now three announced candidates: first-term Commissioner Adam Wright, Joe Kimray and Faith Cross.

Area residents are invited to the official grand reopening of the Northern Wake Senior Center (NWSC) on Wednesday, June 14, at 10 a.m. Delayed for over three years – first by COVID, then by a fire – the reopening celebration will include a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony, brief remarks by Mayor Vivian Jones and other Town officials, tours of the facility, class demonstrations, and light refreshments. In June 2018, construction on the new and improved 18,000-square-foot facility began. Located at 235 E. Holding Ave., the center reopened on February 3, 2020, only to close a few weeks later in response to the COVID pandemic. After reopening to the public in early 2022, the facility was forced to close again in July 2022 due to smoke and fire damage caused by a lightning strike. Although the building was closed during this period, classes and activities continued virtually and at various Town

The Wake Forest Fire Department is asking for the community’s help renovating and restoring a “Smoke Trailer” used to teach children important lessons about the dangers of fires, how to prevent them, and ways to escape a burning home. Donations of money, labor, and materials are needed to renovate and upfit the trailer, so it functions as a mobile classroom. Once the renovations are completed, the Smoke Trailer will be used at schools, camps, and community events to teach kids what to do if a fire breaks out at home. The unit will be specially equipped with appliances, smoke machines, and heaters that can create conditions mimicking the signs of danger. “Fire education and prevention are cornerstones of our operations,” said Firefighter First Class Glenn Ebron. “We’re excited to partner with our community to renovate the Smoke Trailer and make our mobile classroom a reality.” Online donations are accepted at

The Northeast Community Coalition is partnering with the Town of Wake Forest to host Wake Forest’s 2023 Juneteenth Celebration on Friday and Saturday, June 16 and 17. Free and open to the public, the two-day event will officially get underway with a “Community Gathering” Friday, June 16, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Taylor Street Park, 416 N. Taylor St. Offering food, fun, and fellowship, the occasion will allow attendees to interact with one another and experience the Taylor Street Park Sprayground. From there, attendees can proceed to the soon-to-open Wake Forest Food Hall, 303 E. Roosevelt Ave., to purchase dinner from various food trucks that will be onsite. The festivities resume Saturday, June 17, with a “Freedom Walk” that begins and ends at The Dubois Center, 518 N. Franklin St. Anyone wishing to participate is encouraged to assemble at 11 a.m. The Freedom Walk is scheduled to end at

The Growth Rate Based on the March 2023 Monthly Development Report, WF Planning Updated April 12, 2023 There were no changes between the February and March reports. There were no additions and no deletions. 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.