Welcome to our weekly e-newsletter - What's Up in Wake Forest . Here you'll find information about Town programs, services, activities, projects, special events and more! If you haven't already, tell your friends and neighbors to visit our E-Notifier page to learn about our full array of free email offerings.

We've been singing the praises of the Waste Wizard since 2016 and even though hundreds of Wake Forest residents use the interactive tool to stay informed about Town sanitation services, there are still some who know nothing about it. Fortunately, Talbot and Fitz are on it and...well...needless to say...no complainer is safe.

Wake Forest welcomes spring by offering a wonderful array of warm weather events and activities for the entire family. From Dirt Day and the Easter Egg Hunt to the Cemetery Walking Tour and the Wake Forest Charity Car Show, springtime in Wake Forest is jam-packed with fun-filled outdoor events guaranteed to help you shake the winter blues.

To help inform area residents about all these events, the Town has created a Wake Forest Outdoors portal on its website. The webpage provides detailed information about our area’s most popular springtime happenings, including the Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremonies, Friday Night on White, Six Sundays in Spring, Music at Midday, Meet in the Street, Family Movie Nights at Joyner Park and National Trails Day - just to name a few. Offering dates, times, locations, event descriptions and more, the portal is a useful resource for anyone planning to take advantage of Wake Forest’s variety of warm weather activities. 

Wake Forest Outdoors is also provided as a function on the Town of Wake Forest app .

You’re invited to the 2 nd Annual Wake Forest Film Festival on Friday and Saturday, March 13-14, at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St. Entitled “A Light in the Forest,” this cinematic tour de force will spotlight passionate, creative and thought-provoking movies by some of today's most promising and accomplished local, national and international filmmakers.

The 2020 Wake Forest Film Festival will engage audiences with films of all lengths and genres, including short and feature, documentary, horror, animation, narrative and student. Intended for both the general public and film professionals, the festival is an opportunity for filmmakers to showcase their films in a unique location to a discerning audience. 

One of the highlights of this year’s event promises to be the participation of civil rights attorney and long-time University of Missouri administrator Michael Middleton. Middleton is the subject of the documentary, “Only the Educated are Free,” scheduled for screening on Saturday, March 14, at approximately 5:09 p.m. To learn more about Michael Middleton, read this 2015 Washington Post article

A variety of film festival ticket packages are available for purchase.
The Rockin’ the Forest music series continues with the popular beach band Jim Quick & Coastline on Friday, Feb. 28. The concert gets underway at 7:30 p.m. at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts, 405 S. Brooks St. Advance tickets are $15 each plus tax and selling fast.
Talbot the Town Crier is spreading the word about the 2020 Census . By April, households will receive an invitation to participate in the census. The process is quick and easy. You'll have three options to respond: 1) Online (for the first time!); 2) By phone; and 3) By mail. Learn more about the   2020 Census .
The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department is reminding residents and non-residents ages 11 and older that they must present a Recreation Card (Rec Card) to access amenities offered at PRCR facilities, including the Joyner Park Community Center (JPCC) and Flaherty Park Community Center (FPCC). Rec Cards are free for Wake Forest residents, but the following fees apply for people who live outside the Wake Forest town limits and do not pay Wake Forest property taxes: Individual, $25; Family, $50; Drop-in fee, $5.

The Northern Wake Senior Center is pleased to announce the activation of a new blog on the Town's website, Engage with Age . Blog author and Northern Wake Senior Center (NWSC) Program Director Jennie Griggs will update the online journal a minimum of two times each month. The first post Town of Wake Forest leads Sustainable Aging Movement , highlights Wake Forest’s efforts to evolve into a sustainable community. The blog also describes the mission of the newly renovated NWSC, explains the role of Resources for Seniors, and challenges readers to embrace the “Wellness Revolution.” 
From now through Saturday, Feb. 29, the Northern Regional Center, 350 E. Holding Ave., is one of 12 early voting sites for Wake County voters wishing to participate in the March 3 primary election. Early voting is available Monday-Friday, 8 am-7:30 pm; Saturday, 8 am-1 pm; and Sunday, 1-6 pm. You will not be required to show photo identification at the polls. For complete information, visit Wake County Early Voting .
The Joyner Park Community Center (JPCC) will be closed for several weeks beginning Friday, March 13, so crews can re-stripe and re-finish the gymnasium floor. The walking track and fitness room, along with JPCC administrative offices, are scheduled to reopen Monday, March 30, at 6 a.m., while the gym will reopen Saturday, April 4, at 8 a.m. Although work inside the center will be restricted to the gym only, the closure of the entire facility from March 13-30 is necessary due to fumes that will be produced by the finish applied to the floor.
The March-August 2020 issue of   RecConnect is now available. RecConnect includes information about all programs, classes, special events, sports programs and registrations offered by the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department. For more information, call 919-435-9560.
The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre's February-August 2020 Program Guide is now available online. Here's your chance to browse information on upcoming performances, recurring monthly events, cultural programming and more! For more information, call the Renaissance Centre Box Office at 919-435-9458. 
Comedian and actor Rondell Sheridan will present his side-splitting stand-up act “If You’re Over 40 and You Know It, Clap Your Hands” at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts on Saturday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18.
The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department is accepting Dream League baseball applications through March 20. The PRCR Department is also accepting applications for youth baseball, softball, and T-ball for boys ages 5-17 and girls ages 5-15 through Saturday, Feb. 29. Online registration is available.
Registration is underway for several Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department-sponsored adult leagues , including Men’s Softball (Competitive); Men’s Softball (Recreational); Co-Rec Adult Softball; and Co-Rec Kickball. Online registration is available for all adult leagues. Registration information is also available at the Joyner Park Community Center, 701 Harris Road.
The Greenways Advisory Board will host a family-friendly 5K race as part of National Trails Day on Saturday, June 6, at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. New this year, the day’s festivities will also include a Kids’ 1-Mile Fun Run for ages 12 and under. Online registration for both races is underway.
The Town of Wake Forest is accepting applications for the 2020 Citizens Planning Academy through noon on Monday, March 2. The Citizens Planning Academy (CPA) is designed to educate residents of Wake Forest and its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) about the Town’s planning processes and practices. CPA topics will emphasize public hearings procedures, legislative and quasi-judicial decisions, the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), transportation planning, historic preservation, architectural review and more. Applications must be completed and submitted online
The Wake Forest Chamber Foundation for Common Progress will relaunch the very successful Youth Leadership Wake Forest program in September 2020.  Applications are now available and due by March 20. Rising 10th, 11th and 12th graders in the 2020-2021 school year can apply if they attend the following schools: Wake Forest High School, Wakefield High School, Heritage High School, Rolesville High School, and Franklin Academy. Students that live in the 27587, 27571 or 27614 zip codes can also apply if they attend another school. For more information, call 919-556-1519. 
The Wake Forest Board of Commissioners approved new fees for the Wake Forest Cemetery during Tuesday’s regular monthly meeting. Effective immediately, the cost of a cemetery plot for Wake Forest residents is $600 and $1,800 for non-Wake Forest residents. Also, niches are now priced at $900 for Wake Forest residents and $2,000 for non-Wake Forest residents.
Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources is offering “Zumba Gold” classes on Monday afternoons from 1-2 p.m. and Wednesday afternoons from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Led by licensed Zumba instructor LeAnn Swanson, the classes meet at the Flaherty Park Community Center, 1226 N. White St. The monthly session fee is $20 for Wake Forest residents and $35 for non-Wake Forest residents.
The Town of Wake Forest is recruiting Adopt-A-Stream volunteers to help keep the town’s streams healthy. The initiative offers residents the opportunity to become involved in an environmental effort that helps protect our natural resources, therefore improving water quality and stream habitats. Anyone with an interest in healthy streams and the outdoors is invited to participate. 
The Northern Community Food Security Team (NCFST), the Society of St. Andrew and a network of Wake County partners committed to a sustainable food future are recruiting volunteers for the 2020 Wake Forest Potato Drop. Scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 29. in the parking lot of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 520 W. Holding Ave., the Potato Drop will kick off at 8:50 a.m. with a brief word of welcome and prayer, followed by the start of potato bagging at 9 a.m.
The Northern Wake Senior Center officially re-opened Feb. 3. Located at 235 E. Holding Ave., the senior center offers adults ages 55 and older a full schedule of recreational activities, such as aerobics, line dancing, ballroom dancing, wood carving, painting, and craft making. The center also provides several social events each month, as well as educational classes on subjects including computers and ceramics and clay. Check out our January/February calendar of events .
Mark your calendars for the Town of Wake Forest’s fifth annual paper-shredding event on Monday, April 20. Free and open to the public, the shred event will take place rain or shine in the parking lot of the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St., from noon to 6 p.m. – or until the four paper shredding trucks are full. The occasion will offer area residents and businesses the opportunity to protect themselves from identity theft and dispose of confidential documents in an environmentally responsible manner. 
On Thursdays from March 5-26 and April 16-May 27, the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will offer a series of classes at the Flaherty Park Community Center, 1225 N. White St., for children ages 2-11 interested in learning Spanish. The instructor for each class is Saida Bowlin.
The Town of Wake Forest offers an array of volunteer opportunities for individuals, families, businesses, churches and civic groups interested in contributing their time and talents towards serving the community. Service opportunities range from participation in environmental efforts, including Adopt-A-Stream, Adopt-A-Trail and Tree Stewards, to Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources initiatives, such as Dream League Baseball Buddies and youth league coaches.
The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department is partnering with GSK and the UNC Morehead Planetarium & Science Center to offer Science in the Summer in July for rising 2 nd through 8 th graders. There is no cost to participate, but due to limited seats in each session, registration is required. The online application is available on the Town’s website .
@  MaggieHotShoes
Talbot the Town Crier and his sidekick Fitz are back, and this time they're confronting one of the willfully uninformed. "Boom goes the dynamite!"
Wake Forest residents are encouraged to opt-in to the Town's phone notification system and provide their complete contact information, including cell phone numbers and email addresses.
Closed since January 6, Flaherty Dog Park , 1100 N. White St., will likely remain closed until mid-March as crews work to complete a major renovation project. Signage announcing the temporary closure is posted at the park’s entrance.
Sanitation customers can complete and submit an online form to request a variety of assistance related to their rollout trash and recycling carts. The form can be used to request service, request an upgrade to your recycling cart, order extra carts and report damaged or missing carts.
You can receive email notifications concerning road closures and traffic alerts in Wake Forest by signing up for E-Notifier - our free email subscription service. The service allows you to subscribe to several specific information categories and receive an e-mail notification whenever we post new information on the website related to your selected categories.
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If you have questions or comments about the Town of Wake Forest website or E-News, please contact Bill Crabtree by email or call 919-435-9421.