Parks & Rec hosting two fishing tournaments

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

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Art and Garden Show tickets now on sale

The Wake Forest Garden Club has announced that this year’s Art and Garden Show will be held Friday, April 28, and Saturday, April 29, with the Garden Party at the Wake Forest Historical Museum held Saturday, April 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets for both days of touring local gardens and art are $25. Tickets for the Garden Party are $20. You can purchase tickets online at www.wfgardenclub.org or in person at Southern Suds & Gifts, The NC Specialty Store, Page 158 Books or the Wake Forest Historical Museum. ###

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WFPD lists the six most dangerous intersections

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

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WFPD opens public portal for comments

In 2018 the Wake Forest Police Department (WFPD) received international accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA). The accreditation verifies that the WFPD meets CALEA’s industry best-practice standards and has attained public safety professional excellence. Now, as part of an effort to maintain its CALEA accreditation, the WFPD has opened a public portal for community comments at https://bit.ly/WFPDAccreditation. The online portal is designed to receive comments regarding WFPD’s compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services, and overall candidacy for maintaining its accredited status. These comments can be in the form of commendations or concerns, but the overall intent is to provide WFPD with information to support continuous improvement and foster the pursuit of professional excellence. CALEA is not an investigatory body, so the public portal should not be used to submit information for such purposes. Additionally, there will

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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

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Rogers Road bridge delayed yet again

One of the worst traffic bottlenecks in Wake Forest – if not the worst – is on Rogers Road at the two-lane CSX Railroad crossing. This week Wake Forest’s Director of Engineering Joseph Guckavan confirmed the solution to the bottleneck, a four-lane vehicle bridge over the railroad tracks, has been delayed again, or again and again, from a letting date in October of this year to March of 2024. The letting date is the date when the bids for an advertised project are opened or when you can see who won the contract. The bridge is not expected to be completed until late 2026 or early 2027. Guckavan has been with the town two years and says he has been told the bridge construction has been delayed for five years since it was first announced. It is a project of the Rail Division of the North Carolina Department, and here

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A short board meeting with little action

Tuesday evening the Wake Forest Town Board met with almost nothing on its agenda, and the proclamations – proclaiming Earth Day, recognizing Arbor Day and Building Safety Week and Professional Municipal Clerks Week – took almost as much time as the rest of the proceedings. Noticeable was the proclamation for St. Baldrick’s Day, because of what it has done in Wake Forest. The charity, which does include shaving one’s head (voluntary), was begun in New York City in 2000 to raise money for the most promising childhood cancer research. It reached Wake Forest in 2008 when volunteers and staff at O’Dwyer’s Irish Pub organized to give kids the healthy childhoods they need and deserve. Since then, Tommy Murray said, the group has raised over $1.3 million for the research. Also the St. Baldrick’s Foundation has awarded more than $12 million to North Carolina research institutions including the University of North

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Wright seeking second term as town commissioner

Last week, April 14, Wake Forest Commissioner Adam Wright announced he will seek a second term on the Wake Forest Town Board, making him the second candidate for the three seats on the board. The announcement on Facebook read: “Dear Citizens of Wake Forest, “It is with great pleasure that I announce my reelection campaign for Town Commissioner of Wake Forest. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue serving the community and working towards making Wake Forest an even better place to live, work, and play. “As many of you may already know, I have worked hard to fight for our community. Some major “wins” include obtaining federal funding to synchronize our stop lights, advocating for and passing a new land use map, launching our Digital Bridge center as well as the Loading Dock, and obtaining a feasibility study for a performance arts theater. “Over the past few

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Just a little history: How Wake Forest began

(The following was to be the first part of a series of articles for Wake Forest Downtown that never panned out.) A downtown was no part of the plan when the North Carolina Baptist Convention purchased Dr. Calvin Jones plantation in 1832 and opened a manual institute in 1834. Nor did the trustees consider stores or commerce when Wake Forest College was chartered in December of 1838. This was to be a place of learning with some accommodations for professors and students. After all, there was the bustling village of Forestville with general stores, a railroad depot and a post office just a mile down the Powell Road. But within a few years economic necessity forced the college trustees to sell a large part of the 600-some acres of the Jones plantation, and they planned that the main streets north and south of the college square would be residential. That

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Former coach Chuck Hess to speak at at Trentini dinner

Coach Chuck Hess will be the special guest speaker at the 43rd annual Trentini Scholarship Banquet on Saturday, April 29, at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts. Hess is a NC Sport Hall of Fame and a former Wake Forest High School coach. Please plan to attend to help celebrate our local extraordinary student athletes. Purchase tickets by going to the website at www.trentinifoundation.org. ###

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