From May 15-28, 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 be available for

Wake Forest Police Department (WFPD) Victim Advocate Carly Simonton will introduce a new weekly podcast on Next Door Radio (nextdoorradio.com) Friday, April 14, at 10:15 a.m. “Victims Vibe – Tales of Trials & Triumphs” will explore the domestic violence, sexual assault, and family-related issues Simonton encounters in her role as victim advocate. The podcast will also provide insight into the issues and challenges facing victims and witnesses of crime, as well as the resources available to them. “I want to offer a voice to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other crimes,” said Simonton. “I also want to offer hope to their families. Our podcast will provide a platform to share their stories while also helping listeners better understand the judicial process.” Simonton plans to interview a different guest during each week’s 30-minute podcast, including experts in public safety, law enforcement, and criminal justice. Her April 14 guest will

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. ###

The Public Art Commission is inviting residents to help shape the future of public art in Wake Forest by completing a brief survey. From now through Friday, April 28, residents can complete the survey by visiting Engage Wake Forest at https://engagewakeforest.org/ and clicking on “Wake Forest Public Art.” Designed to gauge community interest in public art, assess preferred types of art, and more, the questionnaire takes less than five minutes to complete. The insights and ideas of respondents will help shape the foundation for Wake Forest’s public art program and suggest recommendations for future initiatives. Community input will also help guide the work of the PAC and Town staff when planning and implementing future public art projects. Finally, the feedback will provide a framework for partnerships with other Town departments, artists, cultural organizations, and developers to help the PAC advance a compelling vision for public art. For more information, email

Wake Forest’s popular Six Sundays in Spring concert series will return to E. Carroll Joyner, 701 Harris Road, on consecutive Sundays from April 30 through June 4. Sponsored by the Town of Wake Forest and ARTS Wake Forest, the performances get underway Sunday, April 30, at 5:30 p.m. with the local Beatles tribute band, “Revolution.” Featuring free, live musical entertainment, Six Sundays in Spring offers residents the opportunity to enjoy a variety of local and regional performers in a beautiful outdoor setting. The concerts will be offered rain or shine from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Joyner Park Amphitheater, 701 Harris Road. In addition to Revolution, other acts scheduled to perform this year include Big Bang Boom on May 7, 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

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

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

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department and Page 158 Books are partnering to offer a free program throughout April that encourages families to read while enjoying the greenways at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. StoryWalk in the Park is an innovative and interactive way for readers of all ages to enjoy a story and the outdoors at the same time. It’s also an effective way for young readers to practice active reading skills. Throughout April, pages from the children’s picture book, “Sometimes It’s Hard to Be Nice,” by Maggie C. Rudd, will be displayed on posts along the Joyner Park trails. As you stroll along the path, you will be directed to the next page in the story. The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned

The Wake Forest Technology Advisory Board (TAB) is inviting area elementary, middle, and high school students and their families to the 2023 Wake Forest STEM Saturday on Saturday, April 29. Presented by the Wireless Research Center, this free family networking event is scheduled from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Joyner Park Community Center, 701 Harris Road. Celebrating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, STEM Saturday will expose students in grades K-12 to a variety of STEM career options, while featuring STEM-related exhibits, demonstrations, and hands-on learning activities. STEM Saturday will also include several interactive booths where representatives from a variety of local businesses, schools, and organizations will engage with parents and students, share professional insights and experiences, and offer an array of interesting demonstrations. Throughout STEM Saturday, youth can experience the wonders of STEM hands-on, ask questions, and be inspired to pursue a degree or occupation in a related field. A special

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