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 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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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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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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Wake Forest Power is embarking on converting the streetlight fixtures throughout its service territory from high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights to LED. Designed to meet sustainability, safety and security needs, the LED conversion of fixtures will occur over the next three fiscal years at a cost of approximately $125K per year.
The replacement effort will concentrate on public roadways first, before proceeding into residential subdivisions and local parking lots. Replacements are currently in progress in the northeast area of town.
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are up to 80% more efficient than other lighting sources and use far less energy, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Whereas the existing HPS fixtures use standard High-Pressure Sodium Vapor (HPSV) lamps with a warmer color temperature (yellow light), the new LED fixtures will have a cooler color temperature (moonlight color), which will enhance visibility and provide better color rendering. The LED fixtures will also provide better efficiency, reliability, and maintainability.
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For the 31st consecutive year, the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the Town of Wake Forest for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). This year’s CAFR award is for the period ended June 30, 2020.
The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association serving approximately 21,000 government finance professionals. Its Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by the Town and its management.
An Award of Financial Reporting Achievement was awarded to Chief Financial Officer Aileen J. Staples whose staff was responsible for preparing the award-winning CAFR.
The CAFR was judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program including demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.
The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting is the second award the GFOA has presented to Wake Forest in less than a month. In May, Wake Forest earned the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its fiscal year 2020-21 annual budget.
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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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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. 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. For more information about Art in the Park, email Tracy Mahl.
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The Wake Forest Police Department (WFPD) recently celebrated the six-year anniversary of Operation Safe Sale. Introduced in May 2015, the initiative encourages Wake Forest residents who are selling or purchasing items advertised online to come to the Police Department, 225 S. Taylor St., to safely complete their transaction. Transactions may be made in the police department parking lot or inside the lobby, either with or without an officer present.
At the request of either party, a police officer will be available to check the serial number to determine whether the item has been entered through state or national databases as stolen property. Anyone wishing to have an officer present is required to schedule an appointment by calling 919-554-6150.
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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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7 Million Pounds of Litter Collected
The N.C. Department of Transportation’s crews, contractors and volunteers have collected over 7 million pounds of litter statewide since the start of the year.
This year’s total litter collection surpasses the 6.3 million pounds collected in 2020 and puts the department on track to exceed the record setting 10.5 million pounds collected in 2019. However, everyone must continue to do their part to keep North Carolina clean. The most effective way to stop litter is to prevent it from ending up on roadways in the first place. So please follow these rules when it comes litter:
- Secure your load before driving.
- Clear any loose items from your truck bed.
- Keep a trash bag in your vehicle and never throw garbage out of your vehicle. Dispose of it properly.
- Recycle when possible.
DMV Anticipates Busy Summer
The NC Division of Motor Vehicles is anticipating a busy summer. The DMV points to several factors that will play a role in the rise in customer demand at license offices, including:
- Many people waiting until they were vaccinated to conduct in-person business.
- A backlog of teen drivers who needed to wait until COVID-19 restrictions were lifted to take their required road tests for a Class 3 license.
- Summer is typically the busiest time for the DMV.
Due to expected rise in demand, the DMV has increased capacity by adding new offices, including walk-in locations, added Saturday hours and extended weekday hours at busier offices, hired new examiners and increased the number of online services.
During these busy summer months, the DMV encourages people to wait until after Labor Day if possible and use online services and schedule an appointment at ncdot.gov/dmv.
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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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