Faith Cross announces as town board candidate

Faith Cross, a newcomer to town politics, announced her intention to run for a seat on the Wake Forest Town Board where there will be three vacancies in November. Commissioners Chad Sary, Adam Wright and Jim Dyer have served one term. Wright announced a few weeks ago he would seek a second term, and Joe Kimray announced months ago. “I view this as an opportunity to serve my community,” Cross wrote in her announcement. “The voice of our residents calling for more carefully considered growth needs to be heard. I am committed to listening to our residents. Without careful planning and measured growth, the community will see an inevitable increase in our taxes due to a need for additional essential services (police, fire, EMS) and new schools.” In addition to carefully considered growth, Faith would also like to focus on increased transparency in our local government, making it easier for

Read More »

Touch-A-Truck for Special Olympics on Saturday, June 17

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

Read More »

Family Movie Nights at Joyner Park begin on May 27

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will host a free, monthly outdoor movie series from May through August at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. The first in the series of Family Movie Nights at Joyner Park will feature the film “Lady and the Tramp” on Saturday, May 27, at 8:30 p.m. Family Movie Nights will feature a variety of family-friendly film favorites and genres, including comedies, dramas, and thrillers, all projected on a 26-foot inflatable movie screen in the park’s amphitheater. Future film screenings are scheduled on the following Saturdays: June 17 (Encanto), July 22 (Zootopia), and August 5 (Spider Man: No Way Home). Showtime for each event is 8:30 p.m. Anyone planning to attend is urged to arrive early as viewing space may be limited. Family Movie Nights are free and open to the public. Each will also include a movie-related pre-show activity

Read More »

Registration is continuing for 5K/3K walk/run

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

Read More »

Parks & Rec hosting two fishing tournaments in May

From May 15 to May 28, the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will host a Bass Fishing Tournament for ages 13 and older and a Youth Fishing Tournament for ages 12 and under (non-competitive). Over this two-week period, local anglers can visit any public fishery in Wake or Franklin County to try and catch the biggest fish. Participants in the Youth Fishing Tournament may catch any species of fish, while anglers in the Bass Fishing Tournament will be limited to bass only. Online registration for both tournaments is available through Thursday, April 27, at https://wakeforestnc.recdesk.com/Community/Home (search “fishing”). The cost to participate is $10 for the bass tournament and $5 for the youth tourney. Participants in the bass tourney will receive a fishing scale to be used in the competition, while contestants in the youth tournament will receive an “Early Fisherman” packet. Fishing scales and “Early Fisherman” packets will

Read More »

WFPD lists the six most dangerous intersections in town

The Wake Forest Police Department recently announced the top six high-risk intersections in Wake Forest based on the number of accidents that occurred in these areas from 2021-2023: 1. Capital Boulevard (US 1)/South Main Street/New Falls of Neuse Road – 61 2. Capital Boulevard (US 1)/Agora Drive/Wake Union Church Road – 40 3. Capital Boulevard (US 1)/Dr. Calvin Jones Highway (NC 98 Bypass) – 39 4. Capital Boulevard (US 1)/Burlington Mills Road – 32 5. Dr. Calvin Jones Highway/South Main Street (US 1) – 30 6. Capital Boulevard (US 1)/Stadium Drive/Jenkins Road – 25 Failure to reduce speed, inattention, and distracted driving were the most often cited contributing factors in these accidents. Police officials are taking this opportunity to urge motorists to be alert and proceed with caution through these and all intersections. To try and make the intersections safer, officers will continue conducting enforcement campaigns in and around these

Read More »

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. Both projects will

Read More »

Padgett proposes one-cent tax increase

Tuesday evening, May 2, Wake Forest Town Manager Kip Padgett proposed a one-cent increase in next year’s tax rate, which would raise it from 49.5 cents to 50.5 cents. The increase, Padgett said, is to cover the costs of the 2022 bond referendum with a $75 million price tag. He and Chief Financial Officer Aileen Staples had warned those costs for roads, greenways, parks/recreation and a downtown parking facility might necessitate a property tax increase of between one and three cents, but they have been able to keep it at one cent. Street resurfacing and greenway projects are ready for construction. There is also a proposed increase in the solid waste monthly charge of $1 from $21 to $22. The tax base has grown by $209,888,345 in a year to $7,631,691,445, which includes property in both Wake and Franklin counties. He pegged the collection rate at 98.5 percent, but in

Read More »

Preserve this unique land, residents plead at Harris Road hearing

Everyone was pretty sure the Wake Forest Town Board would deny the Harris Road plan on Tuesday, May 3, because the town planning board had rejected it and the town planning department recommended against it, but Michael Birch, a lawyer representing the developer Church Street Co., dangled a new goodie, affordable housing, in front of the commissioners. After Birch sat down, the public hearing on Harris Road was open to the public, and almost to a man and woman they said the land should be left lightly touched because of its piedmont 50-foot bluff, its pristine and fish-filled stream and the rare plants found on the 46 acres. Deborah Perlini led off, talking about how the town needs more recreation areas because green spaces are vital to mental and physical health. “The town needs to act like trees are a priority.” Tim Shail followed with a brief video about the

Read More »

Big Bang Boom comes to Friday Night on White

Big Bang Boom will be the featured musical group at the second Six Sundays in Spring at E. Carroll Joyner Park’s amphitheater on May 7. The popular music series sponsored by the Town of Wake Forest and ARTS Wake Forest will be in the park on consecutive Sundays rain or shine from April 30 through June 4 and from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Featuring free, live musical entertainment, Six Sundays in Spring offers residents the opportunity to enjoy a variety of local and region al performers in a beautiful outdoor setting. The other acts scheduled to perform this year include Miss Mini and the Sandman Band on May 14, Conjunto Breve on May 21, The Magnificents on May 28, and Sensory Expressions on June 4. A variety of food and dessert trucks will be on site for each Six Sundays in Spring concert. Concert goers are also invited to bring

Read More »