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 Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department will accept online registrations for 2023 Swim Lessons beginning Thursday, June 1, at 8 a.m. The cost is $40 for Wake Forest residents who reside within the town limits and $80 for non-Wake Forest residents. To help ensure the best possible customer experience, online registration will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis until all slots are filled at http://bit.ly/wfswimlessons. Payments can be made with debit card, MasterCard, and Visa. Anyone wishing to register who does not have internet access is invited to sign up using the kiosks in the lobby of the Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St. Computer kiosks are also available for public use at Joyner Park Community Center, 701 Harris Road, Flaherty Park Community Center, 1226 N. White St., and Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St. Swim lessons will be provided in June and July for preschoolers

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 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. ###

(This is the recent press release from FUNGO and Blackbird Brewery.) Earlier this month, the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an update to the town’s ordinance regarding alcohol sales at public parks. The ordinance will now include a caveat that legally allows Wake Forest FUNGO to sell alcohol to fans attending home games at Flaherty Park field 2. A collaboration quickly developed between FUNGO owners, Joe and Julie John, and the owners of Blackbird Brewery, Harmony and Ian VanGundy, both local Wake Forest small businesses, both family-owned, and both dedicated to our community. Now the duo will tout the historic achievements of being the first non-government group allowed to sell and the first beer allowed to be sold at a public park. Owners Julie John and Harmony VanGundy connected through the Wake Forest Chamber of Commerce. FUNGO has been involved in local athletics for 11 years. The collegiate

The Wake Forest Community Plan gives broad guidance for how the town is going to grow, but the UDO, the Unified Development Ordinance, provides the meat, the substance down to building setbacks and buffer zones. The Town of Wake Forest is updating the UDO and will offer two opportunities for comments and proposals on the same day, May 25. There will be two sessions of a drop-in style open house at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre at 405 South Brooks Street, one from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and one from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The town contracted with Houseal Lavigne Associates to oversee the UDO update. You can find the meetings and the steps for the update by going to the town’s website, www.wakeforestnc.gov, clicking on “Departments” and “Planning” and on the right side of the page you will find “Unified Development Ordinance.” Click on that and you will