Nothing could be more romantic than treating your special someone to a Valentine’s Brunch featuring Shana Tucker. The talented cellist and singer-songwriter will headline this special event on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 11 a.m. at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St. Tucker invites you in with her voice and captures your heart with her unique ChamberSoul style. She’s opened for heavy hitters, including the Indigo Girls and Blind Boys of Alabama and played several years in Las Vegas with Cirque du Soleil. Reserved seats are $60 each (plus tax) and include a brunch buffet catered by Cannon Catering. Tickets can be purchased online with a Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover credit card at www.wakeforestrencen.org/tickets-events. Advance tickets may also be purchased with cash, check, or credit card at the Renaissance Centre Box Office, 405 S. Brooks St. For more information, including the brunch buffet menu, visit www.wakeforestrencen.org/

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department will host an online esports gaming tournament featuring “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” Saturday, Feb. 25. Open to players ages 10 and older, the online tournament is free to play and will be live streamed on Twitch.tv. Registration is open through Wednesday, Feb. 22, at https://wakeforestnc.recdesk.com/Community/Home. Participants will compete in a one-on-one, single-day, double-elimination tournament to be run in conjunction with “Bull City Gaming.” Matches will be best of three the championship match being best of five. In the event more than 32 people register, the tournament will expand to two days with the qualifying rounds taking place on February 25 and the top eight participants battling it out in the finals on Sunday, Feb. 26. As an added incentive, the first 30 people to register will have their name entered into a drawing for a chance to win a HORI Nintendo

Kick off the New Year by tickling your funny bone at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre. Comedian Jen Kober will deliver her original blend of stand-up comedy, storytelling, and improvised rock-n-roll humor from the Renaissance Centre stage on Friday, Jan. 27, at 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $20 each plus tax and can be purchased online with a Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover credit card at www.wakeforestrencen.org/tickets-events. Advance tickets may also be purchased with cash, check, or credit card at the Renaissance Centre Box Office, 405 S. Brooks St. The 2017 Winner of NPR’s Snap Judgement Comedic Performance of the Year for her “Girl Scout Cookie Caper” which went viral upon its release, Kober also received the 2018 Comedic Performance of the Year for “Nana Vs. OJ.” In 2019 she appeared on Netflix for RuPaul’s sitcom “AJ & The Queen” and “Dead to Me.” Kober had audiences rolling in

A Winter Celebration, The Word of God with Pastor Angie, will be held Saturday, January 21, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom at 203 Capcom Avenue, Suite 114. The special guest speakers are Pastor Angela Postma, Pastor Eddie Haire and Minister Eva Cook. Tickets are $20 each and include dinner. There will be food, music and prizes. We hope you will join us. ###

Based on the December 2022 Monthly Development Report, WF Planning Updated January 11, 2023 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. Two contentious requests *The Joyner Property on Capital Boulevard is a plan for 249 single-family lots and 137 townhouse lots on the former Wake Forest Country Club site, but the engineers at McAdams Engineering have revised the plan five times, town planners and other department officials have raised questions/issues over 100 times and