Steve Mortensen Wake Forest Steve Mortensen, age 73, of Wake Forest, NC passed away on Sunday, December 8, 2024 at his home surrounded by loved ones.  Steve was born on March 7, 1951 to Martin and Estella (Nordmeyer) Mortensen. He grew up in Rising City, NE as the youngest of three boys and graduated from Rising City High School in 1969. After graduation he spent the summer working for the National Forestry Service in Idaho before moving to Lincoln, NE. He began working at HyGain Electronics where he held various manufacturing positions until moving to Wake Forest, NC in 1994. Once in North Carolina, he worked for Boston Gear briefly and retired from Accurate Machine in 2019.  Steve has been actively involved with Hope Lutheran Church since moving to North Carolina. He was also an avid outdoorsman, rarely turning down the opportunity to use his fishing pole and tackle box.

Tuesday evening, December 10, 2024, the members of the Wake Forest Planning Board voted 5 to 1 to postpone a decision about the controversial Pate property on Harris Road until next month. That decision followed a two-hour meeting that was one of the strangest in recent history. The group that had fought for years against the different plans for the 56 acres backed the plan proposed Tuesday night. The group issued a statement before the meeting: “Joyner-Harris Forest Conservation supports and applauds Church St Company’s conservation efforts. We would like to see this project approved as Church St has dedicated approximately 30 of the 56 acres of their rezoning proposal towards “Open Space” conservation. “Unfortunately, the town of WF has initially said that they do not want this substantial land donation due to liability issues. We encourage the town to accept this donation as it would provide public access to

Smoke alarms save lives! That’s why the Wake Forest Fire Department, American Red Cross, and Northeast Community Coalition are partnering to sponsor “Sound the Alarm, Save a Life” in the Northeast Community on Saturday, Dec. 21. As part of the initiative, volunteers will check and install smoke detectors in homes throughout the Northeast Community from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Volunteers are critical to the success of the event. A volunteer training session will be offered on the morning of the event from 9-10 a.m. at Hope House, 334 N. Allen Road. Local civic groups and community organizations are especially encouraged to participate, along with local students interested in earning community service hours.  For more information, call 919-899-5707 or email sweetly.sanders@redcross.org. ###

100 Years of History – By Carol Pelosi Cows have always been an important part of the Wake Forest story. One of the town’s iconic photographs, an aerial view of the intersection where Wait Avenue used to meet South Avenue at the Wake Forest College campus, the focus was on the driver and his wagon and mule – but it also captured a cow grazing between the street and the railroad. Many homes had a cow as well as a horse (later an automobile) and some chickens. At least one college professor – Dr. N.Y. Gulley – owned a small dairy on Forestville Road. But for 80 years most of the cows were out of town but on multi-acre dairy farms that ringed the town: It was all made possible by improvements in refrigeration and the construction of the Pine State Creamery Company in Raleigh in1919. Refrigerated trucks clattered down

Saturday morning – December 14 – two races will be run through Wake Forest streets – so be alert and watchful if you have to drive in downtown, though both will be over by 10:15 a.m. and you will see Wake Forest police protecting the runners. There is still time to sign up for the two runs – one 10K and one 5K. The courses show the diversity of Wake Forest’s landscape; from historic downtown, newly developed neighborhoods, and greenway system.  Each course showcases many of the focal points of Wake Forest, including the Glen Royal Mill District, Flaherty Park, Wake Forest Historic District, Southeastern Baptist Seminary, Chevrolet Building, and W.W. Holding Cotton Exchange Warehouse. The start/finish line will be on E. Owens Ave located across the street from Wake Forest Town Hall. GPS: 301 Brooks Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587 Top of Form The Frosty Runs will benefit TriArea Ministry, a nonprofit

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will host a “Snowball Dance” for individuals with disabilities on Friday, Dec. 13. Sponsored by Triangle Family Dentistry, the Snowball Dance is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Joyner Park Community Center, 701 Harris Road.  Individuals with disabilities ages 10-30 are invited to an evening in “Winter Wonderland” featuring a DJ, dancing, photo booth, refreshments, and lots of fun.  The cost is $25 per person, and registration is required at https://wakeforestnc.recdesk.com.  Buddies will be made available for supervision, but participants are welcome to bring additional support if necessary.    The PRCR Department is also seeking peer-aged volunteers ages 12 and older to attend the dance and provide support by dancing, eating, and socializing with the attendees. Anyone who is interested in volunteering can register via RecDesk under the program “Snowball Dance Volunteers.” For more information, email Specialized Programs & Inclusion

The holiday season is upon us, and the Northern Community Food Security Team (NCFST) Mobile Market is making Santa’s “Nice List” by adjusting its normal monthly schedule. Instead of coming to town on the second and fourth Thursday (per usual), the NCFST Mobile Market will return to 350 E. Holding Ave. on Thursday, Dec. 19 – the third Thursday of the month.  Open to everyone, the NCFST Mobile Market is a pay-what-you-can mobile grocery store that makes fresh and local produce, proteins, dairy, eggs, and other food products accessible and affordable to all, regardless of their budget. When shopping, there are limits on the amount of protein, dairy, and eggs a consumer can purchase, but no limits on produce. At checkout, shoppers are given a suggested total. Shoppers can then pay the full amount, a portion of that amount, or nothing at all. Both cash and card payments are accepted.

The Town of Wake Forest has installed the popular “Letters for Santa” mailbox in Jones Plaza at the intersection of South White Street and East Jones Avenue. Children of all ages are invited to bring their letters to Santa’s Mailbox anytime between now and Monday, Dec. 23, for immediate delivery to the North Pole. No postage is required. A “Letter from Santa” which parents can download and personalize is available at https://bit.ly/WFLettersforSanta. For more information, contact Downtown Development Specialist Camryn Gutierrez at 919-435-9430 or cgutierrez@wakeforestnc.gov.   ###

The Wake Forest Woman’s Club is pleased to offer a scholarship competition for both male and female seniors attending Franklin Academy, Heritage High School and Wake Forest High School, who are in the top 25% of their class and will be attending an in-state, four year college or university in the Fall of 2025. The winner of the Wake Forest Woman’s Club Continuing Education Scholarship will receive a one-time $2,000 award from the club. Please encourage all seniors who meet the criteria for consideration to contact their guidance counselor for an application. The application period commenced November 6, 2024 and the submission deadline is January 10, 2025. Finalists will be interviewed in person or virtually.  For more information, please visit www.wake-forest-womans-club.com Wake Forest Woman’s Club is a proud member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs with mission to enhance the lives of others through volunteer service. ###

The Wake Forest Inspections Department issues a monthly report about all new building permits and new businesses. There were building permits issued for 16 single-family houses. There were building permits issued for 18 townhouses. There was a fit-up for the Peruvian Charcoal Chicken Restaurant at 911 Gateway Commons Circle, Suite 108. There were pre-occupancy inspections for: Green Stream Technologies at 12339 Wake Union Church Road DiMeglio Enterprises at 745 Merritt Capital Drive, Suite 121 Owner (name power change) at 1744 Heritage Center Drive, Suite 102 Hawthorne Studio at 5107 Unicon Drive, Suite A Reclaim Counseling and Wellness at 1744 Heritage Center Drive, Suite 102 Mahalaxmi 2024 NC LLC at 3612 Rogers Branch Road, Suite 113 ###