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.

North Carolina’s decision to lift capacity restrictions and end mask and social distancing requirements has paved the way for the return of the July 4 Children’s Parade and Art in the Park.

The Wake Forest Optimist Club will coordinate and manage this year’s Children’s Parade on Sunday, July 4. The lineup will begin at 1 p.m. at the intersection of North Main Street and West Juniper Avenue, near the Wake Forest Historical Museum, 414 N. Main St. The procession will get underway at 1:30 p.m. and conclude at the Wake Forest Community House, 133 W. Owen Ave.

There, the afternoon festivities will continue from 2-4 p.m. with Art in the Park. Hosted by the Wake Forest Woman’s Club, the event will offer children of all ages the opportunity to create a variety of colorful arts and crafts projects inside the Community House.

Volunteers are critical to the success of the Children’s Parade and needed to help ensure the safety of the parade participants. Local civic groups and community organizations are especially encouraged to participate as are local students looking to earn community service hours.

Volunteer positions will require both standing and walking, all volunteers must be at least 14-years-old, and a volunteer training session will be offered prior to the event. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, contact Children’s Parade Manager Dawn Nakash.

Holding Park Aquatic Center (HPAC) will open for the 2021 season Saturday, May 29, at 9 a.m. Located at 133 W. Owen Ave., the HPAC features a six-lane, 25-yard lap pool, two water slides with plunge pool and children’s pool with water play. Open during the summer months, the facility offers swimming to the public, as well as swim lessons.

Daily admission fees for Wake Forest residents are $1 for children ages 2 and under; $4 for children ages 3-13; and $5 for patrons ages 13-59; and $4 for ages 60 and over. Daily admission fees for non-Wake Forest residents are $2 for children ages 2 and under; $6 for children ages 3-13; and $7 for patrons ages 13-59; and $6 for ages 60 and over.

Due to COVID-19, the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will implement a series of safety procedures at HPAC similar to those introduced last year. For example, open swim times will be scheduled in three-hour blocks, with one hour in between to allow staff to clean and sanitize the facility, including deck chairs, door handles, hand rails and other high-touch areas.

In addition, a maximum of 160 patrons will be allowed inside the facility during each session. Patrons must register and pay for each session in advance online, and no walk-ins will be allowed.

Online registration is underway. Patrons may register for a particular swim session up to 10 days but no less than two hours in advance. When a session is full, registration for that session is closed. Again, the window to register for a particular session closes two hours before the session begins. To register and pay in advance and view the full list of safety procedures, visit our website.

The Wake Forest Town Hall and other administrative offices will be closed Monday, May 31, in observance of Memorial Day.

Wake Forest Bus Service, along with curbside trash, recycling and yard waste collection will also be suspended.

Wake Forest Bus Service, including the Wake Forest-Raleigh Express and the Wake Forest Loop, will resume its normal schedule Tuesday, June 1.
During the week of May 31, the trash and recycling collection schedule will operate one day later than normal and extend into Saturday. So, for example, Monday’s route will be collected Tuesday and Friday’s route will be collected Saturday.

Yard waste collection will resume Tuesday, June 1, at 7 a.m. Crews will follow the normal collection schedule beginning with Monday’s route. Collection of the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday routes will occur throughout the remainder of the week until all routes have been completed.
 
The Wake Forest Police Department recently launched a video series that highlights the "human" side of law enforcement. Each Friday over the next several weeks, we'll share a new Ask A Cop video featuring members of the WFPD discussing topics ranging from "hobbies" and "traffic stops" to "outreach programs" and "longest day on the job."
 
In today's 11th and final episode, our officers share the one thing they'd like you to know about how you can best help them. To view all 11 "Ask A Cop" episodes, visit our website.

Thirty Day Closure Set for Moores Pond Road at U.S. 401 near Wake Forest

N.C. Department of Transportation contractors plan to close a segment of Moores Pond Road on Wednesday, June 2, for 30 days.

At 9 a.m., about 500 feet of Moores Pond Road just north of the U.S. 401 intersection will close to allow crews to construct the new intersection.

Northbound drivers on Barham Siding Road (the road name changes to Moores Pond Road north of U.S. 401) will be detoured south on U.S. 401, north on N.C. 96 and east on N.C. 98 to get to Moores Pond Road. Southbound drivers will follow the same route but in reverse.

Traffic on U.S. 401 will not be impacted.

Drivers should allow extra time for the detour and pay extra attention while driving near the work zone.

This work is part of a project to widen and improve six miles of U.S. 401 between N.C. 96 and Flat Rock Church Road/Clifton Pond Road. This project is near its halfway point and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022.


Memorial Day Weekend Travel
More travelers are expected to be on the road this Memorial Day weekend compared to last year. AAA Travel expects more than 37 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home between Friday and Monday, an increase of 60% from last year during the pandemic.

NCDOT wants you to get to your destination safely, so if you are headed out of town, follow these safe driving tips:

  • Don’t drive drowsy; 
  • Follow the posted speed limit; and
  • Be alert of your soundings and don’t drive distracted.

Find more about driving safely on our website, and for the most up-to-date travel information, go to DriveNC.gov.


Memorial Day "Click It or Ticket" Campaign
When you’re in the car this holiday weekend, make sure everyone buckles up. Besides seat belts saving lives, another reason to buckle up is the annual Memorial Day “Click It or Ticket” Campaign.

Law enforcement will be stepping up enforcement of speeding, drunk driving, and seat belt laws in all 100 counties. Violators of North Carolina’s seat belt law are fined $180 and if a passenger under 16 is not properly restrained, there’s a $266 fine.

The “Click It or Ticket” Campaign runs through June 6.

A COVID Vaccination Clinic at Friendship Chapel Baptist Church (FCBC), 237 Friendship Chapel Road, on Tuesday, June 1, from 3-7 p.m. will complement the vaccination clinic at the Northern Regional Center (NRC) and bolster efforts to bring lifesaving COVID-19 shots to the Wake Forest community.

Appointments are required and available on a first come, first served basis for anyone 12 and over. To register for the June 1 clinic:

  • Visit the NC Vaccine Finder website
  • Scroll down to “Find a Vaccine Provider Now,” and input “Wake Forest” or “27587”
  • Scroll down (on the left of the map) to Friendship Chapel Baptist Church, and click on “Submit Now”
  • Scroll through the questions: Language > Eligibility > Calendar (to June) 
  • Select a time on June 1 that fits your schedule
  • Include all required demographic information

For more information about the June 1 clinic at FCBC, email James Grant.

During this time of COVID-19, we understand that, like millions of others in the nation, you may be having trouble making housing and utility payments. We hope we can help you with our latest program.

The House Wake! COVID-19 Financial Assistance Program focuses specifically on eviction prevention and utility assistance. This program provides financial assistance to tenants, landlords and utility companies to cover rent and utility shortfalls resulting from a financial hardship directly or indirectly due to COVID-19. Qualifying households must have income that does not exceed 80% area median income with priority given to households with incomes below 50% AMI. If you are interested in applying for the House Wake! COVID-19 Financial Assistance Program, click here to access the application.

Beginning Monday, June 7, the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will offer expanded access by registration only to Joyner Park Community Center (JPCC), 701 Harris Road; Flaherty Park Community Center (FPCC), 1226 N. White St.; and Alston-Massenburg Center (AMC), 416 N. Taylor St. Effective June 7, these community centers will operate according to the following schedule:

Joyner Park Community Center
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Saturday, 8 a.m.-Noon
Sunday, Closed

Flaherty Park Community Center
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Saturday, 8 a.m.-Noon
Sunday, Closed

Alston-Massenburg Center
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Saturday, 8 a.m.-Noon
Sunday, Closed
 
Before entering any of these facilities, visitors must register in advance online. No walk-ins will be allowed.

Activities at PRCR facilities are scheduled in one-hour blocks, with 30 minutes in between to allow staff to clean and sanitize the facility, including equipment, chairs, door handles, handrails and other high-touch areas. Patrons may only register for one time slot per day for pickleball open play (JPCC and FPCC) and usage of the fitness room (JPCC) and walking track (JPCC).

Please note: Face coverings are strongly encouraged for unvaccinated patrons and required of patrons ages 5-12 at all times while inside park facilities.

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 2021 Wake Forest Potato Drop. Scheduled for Saturday, June 5, 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 welcome and prayer, followed by the start of potato bagging at 9 a.m.

The 2021 Potato Drop will bring together hundreds of area volunteers to bag thousands of pounds of sweet potatoes that will be distributed to dozens of food hubs and pantries across our region and state. Volunteers of all ages are needed to bag the potatoes. Local civic groups and community organizations are especially encouraged to participate. The event will also offer a great opportunity for local students to earn community service hours.

Anyone planning to volunteer is encouraged to pre-register.

On the day of the event, volunteers should wear comfortable shoes and clothing and bring work gloves. The event is expected to conclude by 11:30 a.m. For more information, contact George Shaw.

Now that North Carolina has lifted all indoor and outdoor capacity requirements and masks and social distancing are no longer required, the Town of Wake Forest is pleased to announce the return of several popular in-person events, including the July 3 Fireworks Spectacular and Friday Night on White featuring Crush on September 10. Family Movie Nights at Joyner Park will also resume on July 24 and August 7, while a “Halloween Boo Bash” will be offered at Joyner Park Community Center on October 21.

In addition, a special “Six Sundays in Fall” concert series has been scheduled at E. Carroll Joyner Park on six consecutive Sunday afternoons from September 5 through October 10, while the Wake Forest Cares Holiday Kick-off is coming to Downtown Wake Forest on Saturday, Nov. 13.

“From the outset of the pandemic, we said that once state restrictions were lifted, we’d resume hosting in-person events,” said Mayor Vivian Jones. “Following last week’s announcement by Gov. Cooper, we’re beyond thrilled that we can resume gathering in-person with our family and friends for so many of our favorite community events.”

The Town of Wake Forest is launching a comprehensive public education campaign on proper recycling behaviors. Over the next year, #RecycleRightWF will introduce and emphasize a series of easy-to-understand messages aimed at simplifying the recycling process and improving the quality of materials residents place in their rollout recycling carts.

“Recycling is not only the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do,” said Sustainability Coordinator Jeanette Johnson. “#RecycleRightWF represents a major step forward for recycling in our community. We know our residents want to recycle the right way. Through this campaign, we plan to help them do just that.”

Over the past few years, Town officials have witnessed a steady increase in the amount of contaminated recyclables in recycling carts throughout Wake Forest. To some degree, the surge is the result of confusing guidelines which can lead to mistakes, apathy, and skepticism about recycling. While the national contamination rate is just under 20 percent, Wake Forest is joining a growing number of municipalities working to combat the problem through its new public education campaign.

#RecycleRightWF will provide Wake Forest households with direct mail pieces and social media messaging, as well as concentrated feedback efforts that address contamination. Messaging will consistently remind residents who recycle to “Stick with These 6” - plastic bottles, jugs, and jars; metal cans; paper; and cardboard, and “Never These 9” - plastic bags, food waste, cups, to-go containers, paper towels, tiny things, plastic packaging, Styrofoam and gloves/masks.

The Town of Wake Forest is encouraging residents to stay informed about trash, recycling and yard waste collection by signing up for the “Waste Wizard.” The Waste Wizard is a free interactive tool that allows users to sign up for personalized trash and recycling collection reminders, download collection schedules and access online service request forms for bulk waste pickup, brush pickup and missed collections.

But that’s not all. The Waste Wizard also allows users to type in key words related to disposable household materials and receive valuable disposal tips. From aluminum cans and phone books to popcorn bags and plastic beverage bottles, the search tool helps residents determine which items can be recycled and which ones should be thrown away.

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 for rising 2nd through 8th graders.

The free program will be offered at the Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St., according to the following schedule:

  • Level 1 – 2nd and 3rd graders; Monday-Friday, July 19-23; 9 a.m.-noon - THIS SESSION IS FULL
  • Level 2 – 4th and 5th graders; Monday-Friday, July 19-23; 1-4 pm - THIS SESSION IS FULL
  • Level 3 – 6th-8th graders; Monday-Wednesday, Aug. 3-5; 9 a.m.-noon

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 website. Completed applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Monday, May 31, and may be emailed to Recreation Specialist Garrett Bryant or delivered/mailed to the Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St., Wake Forest, NC 27587.

Provided below are announcements about projects that will impact Wake Forest motorists over the next several weeks. Please use the information to help plan your route and move safely through the affected areas. 
 
Through June 8
Through Saturday, June 8, Fred Smith Company, a contractor working at the future Legacy at Heritage, will periodically reduce to one lane with alternating two-way traffic Heritage Lake Road from Friendship Chapel Road to Dr. Calvin Jones Highway/NC 98 Bypass daily from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The periodic lane closures are necessary to allow crews to tap the existing water main and install a storm drain.

Signage and flaggers will be in place to manage traffic flow and safely direct motorists through the work area. Delays are expected, so motorists may wish to avoid the area and take an alternate route.

The Town of Wake Forest's interactive Traffic Alerts Map gives residents a user-friendly and convenient way to view local road closures and restrictions. Accessible under “Common Resources” on the homepage of the Town website, the map allows visitors to point and click on current road and lane closures throughout Wake Forest.

When clicking on an individual project, the user will see a short summary of the exact location of the project, along with a schedule for its anticipated beginning and completion. In addition, the user will be provided with the name and contact information for the project manager should anyone have questions about a given initiative. The information is updated in real-time as the project moves forward.

Kids Say the Cutest Things is back, and this time they're talking about the harmful effects of litter. Please join these kids and the Town of Wake Forest in the fight against litter by properly disposing of your trash and encouraging others to do the same!

In the words of one of these kids, "Be a good citizen," and #KeepWFClean.

Due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, the Town of Wake Forest relaxed a number of temporary sign enforcement activities over the past year in an effort to support Wake Forest businesses during the pandemic. Now that conditions are improving and North Carolina’s restrictions are being loosened, the Town will resume all temporary sign enforcement regulations effective July 1, 2021.
 
A key component in the effort to ensure signage does not become a public hazard, public nuisance, or traffic hazard, signage enforcement also serves to protect and enhance the overall appearance of Wake Forest. Information related to permitted sign types are outlined in Chapter 11 of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).
 
Also during the pandemic, businesses may have introduced temporary creative solutions to increase their outdoor seating capacity, create customer pick-up zones, or implement other ways to address their needs. Beginning July 1, Planning staff will begin to contact these businesses and property owners to discuss transitioning away from these temporary measures.
 
Businesses or property owners wishing to make the changes permanent are urged to contact the Planning Department at 919-435-9510 to determine whether the modifications are possible and, if so, initiate the approval process. The process typically takes several weeks to complete, so anyone considering making temporary changes permanent is urged to begin the process now. 

May is Preservation Month, and the Historic Preservation Program (HPP) is offering several ways for residents to celebrate and learn more about Wake Forest history, including two free webinars, a scavenger hunt, virtual tours, and coloring pages of locally significant historic sites. Complete information about these opportunities is provided on the Town website.

Throughout May, residents are invited to participate in the Preservation Month Scavenger Hunt. Ten pictures of local Wake Forest historic features are highlighted. Everyone who takes pictures of themselves in front of all 10 historic features and uploads the photos through the online form will be entered into a drawing for a $20 gift card to Lumpy’s Ice Cream.

The Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department is accepting team registrations for Church Co-Rec Adult Softball throughout May. Online registration will be available. The entry fee is $550 per team, and participants must be 18 or older.

Games will begin in mid-June and be played on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Anyone interested in participating who does not have a team can sign up as a free agent, then assigned to a team in need of players. To register as a free agent, visit the Free Agent page on our website and complete the online registration form.

Several members of the Wake Forest Police Department are raising money for NC Special Olympics and the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics by participating in Mustache May.

With a goal of $5,000, participants have raised well over $4,000 with a few days to go.

Participating officers and staff are encouraging community members to donate to Special Olympics and the nearly 40,000 registered athletes who train and compete year-round in 20 different sports. Each participant has a fundraising goal of at least $50, and several are growing a mustache to show their support.

For more information about “Mustache May,” to view participant photos, or to donate to a particular participant’s fundraising effort, visit our website.

The Northern Wake Senior Center, 235 E. Holding Ave., offers adults age 55 and older a full schedule of recreational activities. Programming at the center is provided by Resources for Seniors, Inc. The organization serves senior and disabled adults in Wake County by providing home and community-based services and information, thereby allowing them to maximize their choices for independence, comfort, safety, security and well-being.

Check out Jennie's Weekly Jots, the senior center's weekly newsletter, for information on current programming and initiatives.
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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.