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.
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The Wake Forest Town Hall and other administrative offices will be closed Monday, July 5, in observance of the Independence Day holiday. Yard waste collection will also be suspended, but curbside trash, recycling and bulk waste collections will not be affected.
Yard waste collection will resume Tuesday, July 6, 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.
To ensure that all neighborhoods are serviced properly, please leave your normal yard waste at the curb by 7 a.m. on July 6. As always, please avoid placing items on or near mailboxes, utility boxes, utility poles or other fixed objects.
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This year’s festivities get underway with the Fireworks Spectacular on Saturday, July 3. Free and open to the public, our community’s most popular summertime event will take place inside Husky Stadium on the campus of Heritage High School, 1150 Forestville Road. Gates will open at 7:30 p.m. and the fireworks show will begin at approximately 9:30 p.m.
Due to limited planning time, the Town will not offer concessions or live entertainment as part of this year’s fireworks show. Instead, at 9 p.m. the Town will share on its Facebook page an Independence Day video hosted by Talbot the Town Crier. Featuring Uncle Sam, Lady Liberty and the Board of Commissioners, the video will include a pre-recorded performance by the Band of Oz and an installment of “Kids Say the Cutest Things about America.” The Town will then livestream the fireworks show via Facebook before sharing the full Band of Oz concert.
The revelry continues Sunday, July 4, with the popular Children’s Parade. Hosted by the Wake Forest Optimist Club, the event offers area youngsters the opportunity to hop on their bicycles and be a part of their very own “walking parade.” The lineup begins 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.
The parade route will extend from North Main Street, south through the campus of the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and west onto South Avenue, before turning south on South College Street and ending at the Wake Forest Community House, 133 W. Owen Ave.
Participation in the Children’s Parade is free, but bicyclists are encouraged to wear their helmets. Please note: Wake Forest Police will be on hand to manage traffic and help ensure the safety of the parade participants. Volunteers are needed to help ensure the safety of the parade participants. For more information about the Children’s Parade, email Dawn Nakash.
The Independence Day festivities will conclude with Art in the Park. Sponsored by the Wake Forest Woman’s Club, free arts and crafts activities will take place from 2-4 p.m. inside the Community House, including the creation of various patriotic-themed crafts for all ages, cupcake decorating and more. For more information about Art in the Park, email Tracy Mahl.
Participants are also invited to experience and enjoy Holding Park and Holding Park Aquatic Center, both of which are located adjacent to the Community House.
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A beloved Independence Day event that reflects the character and spirit of Wake Forest and draws hundreds of children and their families is in need of volunteers. After a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the popular Children’s Parade returns 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 at 2 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.
The Children’s Parade is sponsored by the Wake Forest Optimist Club. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, email Optimist Club Member and Children’s Parade Manager Dawn Nakash.
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Beginning in July, the following monthly meeting schedule will take effect:
Board of Commissioners Work Session
First Tuesday/month - 6 p.m.
Joint Public Hearings
First Tuesday/month - 7:30 p.m.
Planning Board Meeting
Second Tuesday/month - 6 p.m.
Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting
Third Tuesday/month - 6 p.m.
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The Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will accept online team registrations for Adult Summer Co-Rec Kickball through Wednesday, June 30. The entry fee is $225 per team, and the league is limited to participants ages 18 and older.
League games will be played primarily on weeknights and Sunday afternoons from mid-July through late August.
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.
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First, the Town expanded its definition of bulk waste to include items too large to fit in the trash cart and too difficult to take to the Wake County Convenience Centers. Examples of bulk waste items include wicker furniture, chairs, rugs, lawn mowers, swing sets and book shelves.
Second, it agreed to collect bulk items, within acceptable weight limits, as long as the collection is scheduled in advance either online or by calling the Public Works Department.
Finally, the Town announced that residents can schedule up to two free bulk waste collections per year. After that, collections will be billed at $50 each.
Beginning Thursday, July 1, the Town will begin implementing the two free bulk waste collections per year policy. Any bulk waste collections scheduled and performed prior to July 1 will be counted.
Again, residents may schedule up to two free bulk waste collections per year. After that, collections will be billed at $50 each. Residents are encouraged to maximize their free bulk waste collections by including several items in each scheduled pickup.
Public Works officials wish to remind residents that bulk waste is collected weekly from 7 a.m. Tuesday to approximately 5 p.m. Wednesday. Anyone who schedules a bulk waste collection whose bulk waste has not been picked up by 5 p.m. Wednesday should complete and submit the Missed Collection Report form.
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During COVID-19, greater numbers of people ventured outdoors and used Wake Forest’s trails and greenways for exercise and a pleasant distraction. Since then, the popularity of Town’s network of trails has continued to grow.
Town greenways are intended for the recreation and enjoyment of everyone, so it’s important for all users to share the trail. To help improve everyone’s experience and safety when walking, jogging or biking, the Town of Wake Forest strongly encourages all users to abide by the following safety guidelines:
Be Courteous, Share the Trail & Keep Right
Please help us make the trail a friendly environment for all trail users by not blocking the path. Walk and bike on the right side of the trail to facilitate two-way traffic and use caution when passing other trail users. All trail users should respect other users regardless of their mode, speed or level of skill. Parents, please keep children from wandering into oncoming trail lanes to avoid accidents.
Pedestrians Have the Right of Way
Faster moving trail users, such as bicyclists, rollerbladers, and skateboarders should yield to walkers and joggers. When the trail is busy, ride single file.
Communicate Before Passing
Give a clear warning signal before passing. Signal may be produced by voice, bell, or horn. A bicyclist should politely yell, “On your left” before passing to alert those in front of them. Be aware that other people may want to pass you.
Pass On the Left: Pass others going in your direction on their left. Look ahead and back to make sure the lane is clear before you pull out. Pass with ample separation. Do not move back to the right until safely past.
Maintain a Safe Speed
A 10-mph speed limit has been imposed on the greenway trails, so please self-monitor your speed. Also, please slow down when rounding curves, passing other trail users, traveling downhill, where the trail narrows, approaching intersections or when conditions dictate. Bicyclists will typically be the fastest traffic on a trail. If your speed endangers other trail users, check for alternative routes or consider riding on the road. Selecting the appropriate location for your ride is safer and more enjoyable for all concerned.
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Loose trash in trucks creates litter along Wake Forest roadways.
Help keep Wake Forest roadways clean by securing any trash in your truck bed. When you throw trash in the back of your truck, it inevitably blows out and becomes litter on the roadside. In fact, half of all litter is blown, not thrown! Roadside litter costs millions of dollars to remove, decreases property values and has a negative impact on tourism.
The NC Department of Public Safety reports that an even bigger problem is unsecured loads in the back of trucks. At high speeds, even large items can fly out and hurt or startle other drivers causing accidents. Put trash into built-in containers. Use tarps, cargo nets and tie-downs to secure any loads. #KeepWFclean
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The Wake Forest Fire Department (WFFD) will commence its year-long Centennial Celebration with a special flag-raising ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 4, at 11 a.m. The commemoration will take place in Town Hall’s Centennial Plaza, 301 S. Brooks St.
The highlight of the ceremony promises to be the unveiling and installation of the fire department’s new centennial flag by members of the WFFD Honor Guard. The occasion will also include brief remarks by Mayor Vivian Jones and Fire Chief Ron Early.
Following the ceremony, the public is invited to an Open House and Hot Dog Luncheon at Fire Station #1, 420 Elm Ave., from noon-2 p.m. During the festivities, WFFD personnel will serve free hot dogs, chips, and beverages (while they last) and host free tours of the fire station.
The fire department will also showcase an array of photos, documents, equipment and other memorabilia that illustrate the service and commitment of Wake Forest firefighters since 1921.
Plans for the flag-raising ceremony and open house are still being developed and additional information will be provided in the coming days. For updates, visit our website.
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The Public Works Department is reminding residents to bag your trash, but not your recyclables. Officials say all trash should be bagged before being placed in the rollout cart to prevent flyaway litter as the trash cart is emptied into the trash truck.
On the other hand, recyclables should not be bagged or bundled before being placed in the recycling cart. Recyclables should be dropped loosely into the cart which helps when the items are being sorted at the recycling facility.
Finally, officials encourage residents to reference the “Waste Wizard” whenever they are uncertain as to whether an item is recyclable. Available on the Town website and as a function of the Town app, the Waste Wizard 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.
Waste Wizard also 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. For more information, email Sustainability Coordinator Jeanette Johnson.
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The Town of Wake Forest is accepting applications for the 2021 Citizens Planning Academy through 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 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. Anyone without access to a computer is invited to complete the application by using a computer kiosk in the lobby of Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St. Only residents of Wake Forest and the Town’s ETJ are eligible to participate.
Academy participants will be expected to attend four training sessions on the following Mondays: September 13, September 20, September 27, and October 4. In the event one of the classes is canceled due to inclement weather or for some other reason, a make-up session may be offered on Monday, Oct. 11. Each session will be scheduled from 6-8 p.m. at the Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St., and will include dinner starting at 5:30 p.m. Sessions will be taught by the Planning Department staff and guest speakers.
Class size is limited, and pre-registration is required. Selected applicants will be notified no later than Friday, Aug. 13. For more information, email Senior Planner Patrick Reidy.
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The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will host an online Esports gaming tournament featuring "Fortnite" on Saturday, July 24. Free and open to players ages 12 and older, the “Battle in the Forest” will be played online and live streamed on Twitch.tv. Registration is open through Wednesday, July 21.
Teams comprised of two players each will compete in what is scheduled to be a double-elimination tournament to be run in conjunction with "Bull City Gaming." In the event more than 32 teams register, the tournament will expand to two days with the qualifying rounds taking place on Saturday, July 24, and the top eight teams battling it out in the finals on Sunday, July 25.
Developed by Epic Games and released in 2017, Fortnite is a free-to-play Battle Royale game with numerous game modes for every type of game player. For more information, email Community Center Supervisor Grayson Pridgen.
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North Carolina's original celebration of Purple Heart heroes returns Saturday, Aug. 7, with a Reunion Picnic in Wake Forest.
The 12th annual tribute hosted by the Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation invites the public to honor those wounded in defense of this country. The "Reunion Picnic" is 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at Richland Creek Community Church's soccer field, 3229 Burlington Mills Rd, Wake Forest.
In addition to Purple Heart Medal recipients and their families, the event is open to all veterans, military families and the public. The most recent celebration in 2019 saluted 80 Purple Heart recipients from around the Triangle. (The banquet was not held in 2020 due to COVID restrictions.)
The guest speaker is 1st Lt. Patrick "Clebe" McClary, USMC (retired) of Pawleys Island, S.C. While serving in Vietnam, McClary was severely wounded – losing his left arm and left eye – but continued to lead his platoon. He is recipient of three Purple Hearts, the Silver Star and the Bronze Star among others.
This year's reunion also features a picnic lunch, music, games for kids and patriotic tributes.
Order tickets ($25 each) online or via email. If you'd like to donate the cost of a ticket for a veteran's guest, contributions may be made payable to Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation, P.O. Box 168, Wake Forest, NC, 27588.
Sponsors are needed to make this tribute possible. Sponsorship levels are Gold ($2,000+), Purple ($1,000), Blue ($500), White ($250) and Red ($100). For details, visit the website or call 919-760-3520.
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The Town of Wake Forest recently launched 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.
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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.
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What makes Wake Forest such a wonderful place to live, work and play? Check out our new video for just a few of the reasons so many people love calling Wake Forest "home."
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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
From now through the end of June, Fred Smith Company, a contractor working at the future Regency at Heritage, will periodically reduce to one lane with alternating two-way traffic the portion of Forestville Road from Foxwild Lane to Song Sparrow Drive daily from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The periodic lane closures are necessary to allow crews to perform roadway widening and frontage improvements.
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.
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July Fourth Booze It & Lose It Kickoff
In preparation for July Fourth and a potential increase in drunk drivers on the road, the Governor’s Highway Safety Program has kicked off its annual Booze It & Lose It campaign: Operation Firecracker.
The operation launched with an event on Thursday, honoring first responders across the state that keep us safe from those who drink and drive. From June 28 until July 4, law enforcement officers from all 100 counties will be increasing check points and saturation patrols to remove impaired drivers from the roads.
Motorists caught driving while impaired could face jail time, lose their driving privileges and pay fines.
For more information about NCDOT Now, contact the NCDOT Communications Office at (919) 707-2660. Additional news stories from throughout the week can be found on NCDOT.gov.
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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.
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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.
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