Wake Forest recently joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. The announcement was made during the July 16 Board of Commissioners’ meeting (see attached photo). Wake Forest joined the network to ensure that civic improvements benefit the very old, the very young, and everyone in between. Through the network, the Town will receive both technical assistance and shared expertise to help develop changes to support people of all ages. “Although the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities program is recognized by elected officials and others as a leading resource for how to improve the livability of communities for people ages 50 or older and their families, age-friendly improvements benefit people of all ages,” said AARP NC Director Michael Olender. A city, town, or rural area that is “age-friendly,” is one that helps people live easily and comfortably in their homes and communities as they age. That means

The Wake Forest Police Department and Torchy’s Tacos, 505 Dr. Calvin Jones Highway (NC 98 Bypass) are joining forces to raise awareness and money for Special Olympics North Carolina.  Area residents are invited to support the cause by visiting Torchy’s Tacos on Wednesday, July 24, between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. For everyone who either mentions the fundraiser or presents the fundraiser flyer (attached), Torchy’s will donate 15 percent of their food and beverage sales to support Special Olympics. To download the fundraiser flyer, visit https://bit.ly/WFPDSpecialOlympics.  The WFPD also accepts SONC donations year-round at https://bit.ly/WFPDSpecialOlympics. All funds raised go to SONC as part of The Law Enforcement Torch Run. For more information, Sgt. J. McArthur at 919-554-6150 or jmcarthur@wakeforestnc.gov. ###

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department is partnering with Pickles and Play to host the 2024 Wake Forest Fall “Dinktoberfest” Pickleball Tournament Friday-Sunday, Oct. 4-6, at the Flaherty Park Pickleball Courts and Tennis Complex, 1226 N. White St. Registration is underway at https://bit.ly/WFPickleball and continues through Monday, Sept. 30. The entry fee is $45 per player, plus $10 for each additional event. Complete tournament details, including registration information, are also available at https://bit.ly/WFPickleball. For more information about the Fall “Dinktoberfest” Pickleball Tournament, email Tournament Director Lisa Groeschner at Egroeschner@gmail.com.  ###

Bright Star Touring Theatre will offer a free performance of “Jack’s Adventure in Space” Saturday, Aug. 3, at 11 a.m. at the Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St.  When it comes to adventure and imagination, no one beats Jack! Come along with Jack on this out-of-this-world adventure through the solar system! Learn about the origins of the names of the planets from Mercury to Neptune, and even the controversial Pluto. Students will also learn about the physical features of the various planets and discover fun facts about each planet’s special path around the sun in this fun STEM adventure.  Families and children of all ages are invited to attend this free performance, but seating is limited. “Jack’s Adventure in Space” is part of the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre’s “Arts for All” free community performance series, which is supported by United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County. For more information,

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will host an online Esports gaming tournament featuring the game “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” on Saturday, Aug. 24. Presented by Ting, the Battle in the Forest is open to players ages 10 and older and free to play on all consoles and PCs. The online tournament will be live streamed on Twitch.tv.  Registration is open through Wednesday, Aug. 21, at https://wakeforestnc.recdesk.com/Community/Home. Please note: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is rated e10+. Participants will compete in a one-on-one, single-day, double-elimination tournament to run in conjunction with “Bull City Gaming.” The matches will be best of three, while the championship match will be best of five. In the event more than 32 participants register, the tournament will expand to two days with the qualifying rounds taking place on August 24 and the top eight participants battling it out in the finals on Sunday, Aug. 25.

The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre (WFRC) is inviting filmmakers to submit their films for the Sixth Annual Wake Forest Film Festival (WFFF). The WFFF seeks feature and short films in the following categories: student, narrative feature, narrative short, and documentary. Films may be submitted via FilmFreeway at https://filmfreeway.com/WakeForestFilmFestival. The website includes film screening fees and submission requirements. The Early Bird Deadline is Friday, Aug. 16, and the fee is $5 for students and $15 for professionals. Scheduled for Saturday, March 1, 2025, the WFFF will spotlight passionate, creative, and thought-provoking movies by some of today’s most promising and accomplished local, national, and international filmmakers. Intended for both the general public and film professionals, the WFFF is an opportunity for filmmakers to showcase their films in a unique location to a discerning audience.  The WFRC is also seeking volunteers with filmmaking experience to judge film submissions for the 2025 Wake Forest Film

Good Neighbor Day returns to E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road, Saturday, Sept. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. Hosted by the Human Relations Council , Good Neighbor Day is an annual celebration that assembles Wake Forest residents from all walks of life for a day of free food, fun, and family entertainment. By bringing together a mix of cultures, music, ages and ethnicities, the event celebrates diversity and promotes goodwill among all Wake Forest citizens. Volunteers are critical to the success of the event and needed at various times between noon and 5 p.m. Volunteer duties will be general in nature and may include setting up, cleaning up, answering questions, and assisting attendees. Local civic groups and community organizations are especially encouraged to participate, along with local students interested in earning community service hours. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, email Human Resources Director Angela

CThe Human Relations Council is soliciting youth and adult nominations for the 15th Annual Good Neighbor of the Year Award. The award recognizes Wake Forest residents who work to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods without seeking recognition for their efforts. Nominees are sought in two divisions: adult (ages 19 and older) and youth (ages 10-18). To qualify, a nominee must be a Wake Forest resident who has made a significant contribution to the community between September 1, 2023, and August 31, 2024. Employees of the Town of Wake Forest are not eligible. The online nomination form is available at http://bit.ly/WFGoodNeighborAward. Completed nomination forms must be submitted by 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31. Nominations forms must include the names of both the nominator and the nominee, along with a narrative of 400 words or less describing why the nominee is deserving of the Good Neighbor of the Year Award. Mayor Vivian

Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation Banquet The 2024 annual banquet will be held at the Richland Creek Community Church starting at 3 o’clock the afternoon of August 3, 2024. The Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation, a non-profit volunteer organization was formed in 2009. The foundation’s mission is to raise enough sponsorships to host an annual dinner inviting area purple heart recipients and their families to attend at no charge. From the beginning, through the present time, all funds raised go directly into the non-profit to focus on the mission. There is no paid staff. The dinner is made possible by the number of volunteers who freely donate their time to honor area Purple Heart veterans. Wake Forest has been designated as a Purple Heart community. Local signs leading to the city demonstrate the village’s respect and admiration for our nation’s wounded veterans. Only those veterans wounded in the performance of

Based on the June 2024 Monthly Development Report, WF Planning Updated July 13, 2024 With new staff members, the Wake Forest Planning Department has been able to catch up with the monthly reports, and the latest is for June 2024. That immediately followed a May update. An addition to the SEBTS Ledford Center, 7,875 sq. ft. replaces the Highland Reserve project for an assisted living-nursing home o South Main Street just south of the Lidl grocery store is one. Construction is expected to start soon. It was approved by staff because it met all the requirements. Another is the Capital Powersports Service addition of 10,000 sq. ft. on Star Road replacing the office at 706 North White Street. The rest of the changes involve town infrastructure projects — Bypass U-turns, City of Raleigh water and sewer replacement and repair on North Main and other streets and improvements to the reservoir