February is Black History Month and American Heart Month, and the Northern Wake Senior Center is commemorating both – along with Valentines Day – by hosting “Heart & Soul – A Paths to Wellness Event” on Thursday, Feb. 13, from noon-4 p.m. Free and open to everyone, the event will raise awareness about the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes among the aging population. According to the CDC, “Diabetes is a major chronic disease that affects more than 37 million US adults. Furthermore, almost half of people 65 and older are prediabetic. African Americans are disproportionately affected by the diabetes epidemic with 12.1% having the disease, compared with the 7.4% of the Non-Hispanic White population.” Heart & Soul will include a jazz concert featuring Lynnette Barber, nutritious and heart-healthy snacks, a variety of speakers and vendors, plus demo fitness and Tai Chi classes. Seating is limited, so pre-registration is required by calling

Happy February! We are excited to announce our partnership with the American Heart Association by providing blood pressure monitor kits that check out from the library! Stop by the desk to check one out today. Besides our normal programs at the library, we offer very active virtual book clubs & events. Please see the attached flyers and share as you’d like. Here’s a quick overview of what’s happening for adults this month! We look forward to seeing you soon. Wake Forest Library Stitchers Meets 2nd and 4th Wednesdays 12-3 Join us for an afternoon of creativity and community. Bring your latest project and connect with fellow makers who share your passion for all things handmade. Creativity is always more fun when shared with others. Any stitchers welcome!  Free Money to Start or Expand Your Business Wednesday, February 12 at 6:30 There are government grants to assist businesses but rarely any to

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department is partnering with Wake Forest native Ronald “Skip” Parker to host a “Black History Expo” Saturday, Feb. 15, from noon-4 p.m. at the Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St. Free and open to the public, the expo will feature on display many of Parker’s unique and authentic antiques and collectibles from the mid-1800s through the mid-1900s, including an 1842 wooden washboard, a vintage 1954 DeLaval stainless steel milk can, antique dolls depicting Rosa Parks, Ida B. Wells, Ella Fitzgerald, Katherine Johnson, and Maya Angelou, and much more. For more information, email Community Center Supervisor James Triplette at jtriplette@wakeforestnc.gov. For information on all of Wake Forest’s Black History Month events, including our Black History Month Walking Tours and Black History Month Honor Roll,” visit https://bit.ly/WFBlackHistoryMonth.  ###

The Wake Forest Woman’s Club is holding a Chili and Soup Dinner fundraiser on Saturday, February 22, 2025, from 4 to 7 p.m, at the American Legion Hall Post 187, 225 E Holding Avenue, Wake Forest. Soups offered are Beef Chili, Lentil Chili, Broccoli Cheese, Chicken Vegetable, all homemade! All eat-in dinners are $12.00 and include bowl of soup or chili, cornbread, drink and cookie. Take-out 32-ounce containers may be purchased for $15.00. Dinner tickets and take-out soup can be purchased through the club website at www.wake-forest-womans-club.com The Wake Forest Woman’s Club works to strengthen the community and enhance the lives of others through volunteer service. ###

You’re invited to join Mayor Vivian Jones for the 2025 State of the Town Address & Dinner on Monday, Feb. 17, at 6 p.m. Presented by the Wake Forest Rotary Club, the event will take place at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St. During her remarks, Mayor Jones will reflect on the successes and challenges of the Wake Forest community over the past year. She will also outline the goals the Town will strive towards in 2025. Advance tickets are $15 per person and include a catered meal and dinner music by local performing artist Ronald Williams. Tickets can be purchased online with a Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover credit card at https://bit.ly/WFStateofTown. Tickets may also be purchased at the Renaissance Centre Box Office with cash, check, or credit card. A limited number of tickets are available, so the event is expected to sell out. Dress for

Forest Fest returns to downtown Wake Forest on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Presented by Wake Forest Downtown, Inc. (WFD), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to champion the economic health, growth, and vitality of downtown Wake Forest, Forest Fest is a family friendly event celebrating nature and outdoors in the heart of Wake Forest. WFD is now accepting applications from vendors and nonprofit organizations that wish to participate in this year’s Forest Fest. The online application is available at visit https://bit.ly/WFForestFest. Application and payment are due no later than Sunday, Feb. 9.  PLEASE NOTE: Food trucks have already been secured for this event, and no additional food vendors are needed. As interest in Forest Fest continues to grow, WFD is committed to securing vendors and nonprofits whose missions and efforts align with the purpose and spirit of the event. As a result, participating vendors and nonprofit organizations

The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St., is inviting artists of all ages to submit up to three works of art for its March exhibition entitled: “Land That I Love – A Tribute to Western NC.” Artists are encouraged to consider the title of the exhibition as inspiration for their submission. Designed to give visual artists an opportunity to display and sell their work in a gallery setting, the March exhibit will include 120 linear feet of hanging space and a medium-sized display cabinet to showcase 3D works. To learn more and/or apply, visit www.wakeforestrencen.org/tickets-events/2025-art-exhibits. The submission deadline is Monday, Feb. 10. Selected works of art will be displayed in the Renaissance Centre Arts Annex from Thursday, March 6, through Friday, April 4. The Renaissance Centre will honor the artists and their works during a special reception on Friday, March 14, from 6-8 p.m. in the Renaissance Centre Arts

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, Feb. 22. Open to players ages 10 and older, Battle in the Forest is free to play and will be live streamed on Twitch.tv.  Registration is open through Wednesday, Feb. 19, 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 February 22 and the top eight participants battling it out in the finals on Sunday, Feb. 23.  As an added incentive, the first 25 people to register will

There was little development activity in December. The Inspections Department issued permits for 15 single-family homes and seven townhouses. The department also performed pre-occupancy inspections for the following businesses: American Laundromat LLC at 12213 Capital Boulevard Navadhaanya LLC at 12223 Hampton Way Drive, Suite 100 St. John Properties at 1725 Heritage Center Drive, Suite 201 Visible Motorsports LLC at 745 Merritt Capital Drive, Suite 120 ###

The Growth Rate Based on the December 2024 Monthly Development Report, WF Planning Updated February 5, 2025  The town keeps a running tally of approved projects with counts of those completed. The best inspections current estimate is that between seven and eight people move to town each day, moving into newly-built houses, townhouses or apartments and a few existing houses that were for sale. Projects under review 1. 418 Jones Dairy Road SP-23-11 is a request by David Williams Sr. to rezone 5.61 acres on the south side of Jones Dairy Road from RH rural holding and LI light industrial to NB-CD conditional neighborhood business to allow construction of two 24,502 square foot buildings side by side, one restaurant and one an office. The plans call for space for a public art statue and seven handicapped parking spaces. The Town Board voted unanimously to approve at their October 15, 2024