July 28, 2010
Free water conservation workshop Aug. 4 at town hall
The City of Raleigh is sponsoring a free Water Conservation and Efficiency Workshop on Wednesday, Aug. 4, at 6 p.m. The seminar will be held in the Community Meeting Room, located on the ground floor of our new Town Hall. Residents planning to attend the workshop are urged to use the Taylor Street entrance to town hall which runs behind the new facility.
The workshop is designed to help Raleigh's water customers in Wake Fores reduce water use and save money following the city's 5 percent rate increase in July.
Workshop attendees will learn how to adjust personal water use and detect leaks. Participants will also receive and learn to use assorted water-saving devices.
For more information about the Water Conservation and Efficiency Workshop, contact Diane Upshaw at diane.upshaw@raleighnc.gov or (919) 857-4549.
Free concert Sunday at Joyner Park
Chuck & The Waggin’Ears will perform a free bluegrass concert this Sunday at E. Carroll Joyner Park from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the shade of the park’s majestic pecan grove.
The concert is offered by Pinecone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music and is co-sponsored by our Parks & Recreation Department and United Arts of Raleigh and Wake County.
According to Pinecone’s website, “For close to 20 years, Chuck & The Waggin’Ears have delighted audiences at clubs, festivals, and special events with their blend of traditional bluegrass and original compositions. Blending bluegrass, Irish, folk, and good humor, this trio offers an afternoon that’s sure to entertain the whole family!”
You're invited to bring a picnic and a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy the music. But please remember - alcoholic beverages, firearms, and unleashed pets are prohibited.
In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved inside the Wake Forest Community House, 133 W. Owen Ave. For updated information prior to the show, call the Weather Line at (919) 435-9569.
For more information about Sunday’s concert, contact Pinecone at (919) 990-1902. For more information about Chuck & The Waggin’Ears, visit www.pinecone.org/chuck&wagginears.html.
Section of Jones Street to be temporarily closed
A section of Jones Street, from Taylor Street to Brooks Street, will be closed to through traffic beginning Monday, Aug. 2, while Atwell Construction rehabilitates the existing roadway. Weather permitting, the road is expected to re-open during the week of Aug. 16.
Motorists in the area should use caution and use an alternate route if possible.
For more information, contact Assistant Town Engineer Scott Miles at (919) 435-9442 or smiles@wakeforestnc.gov or Jason Pace at (919) 600-4511 or Jason.Pace@kimley-horn.com.
Tickets still available for Purple Heart Dinner
Tickets remain available for the second annual Purple Heart Dinner on Saturday, Aug. 7, which also happens to be Purple Heart Day. The event gets underway at 6 p.m. and will be held at Tuxedo Junction, 405 S. Brooks St.
Area residents are invited to attend this special dinner which honors veterans in our community who received the Purple Heart. The decoration goes to those wounded or killed while serving with the U.S. military. World War II vets and widows of Purple Heart recipients are also invited to attend free of charge.
This year’s featured speaker is retired Marine Col. Wes Fox, who earned the nation’s highest military award, the Medal of Honor, for valor during the Vietnam War.
Tickets are available for $15 at The Wake Weekly, 229 E. Owen Ave.
For more information, contact Mike Johnson at (919) 528-9888, Mike Copeland at (919) 556-1065, or Lisa Newhouse at lnewhouse@nc.rr.com.
National Night Out Aug. 3
Don't forget about the 27th Annual National Night Out this Tuesday, Aug. 3!
National Night Out (NNO) teams law enforcement agencies with citizens, community leaders, civic groups, and local businesses to promote safe, healthy neighborhoods. NNO is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs; strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
The Wake Forest Police Department and Target, the national sponsor for NNO, are marking the occasion by hosting a “National Night Out Parking Lot Party” from 5 p.m. to
9 p.m. at the Wake Forest Target Superstore, 12000 Retail Drive.
The Parking Lot Party promises something for everyone including food and special prizes, as well as fire, police, and EMS vehicle displays. Several area church choirs will also perform and an Army National Guard helicopter will fly in and make what is sure to be a memorable landing.
For more information about the NNO Parking Lot Party, contact Officer S. Graham at (919) 554-6150 or sgraham@wakeforestnc.gov.
July 23, 2010
Taylor Street Extension now open
The new Taylor Street Extension is now open to traffic. The new road provides access from Roosevelt Avenue to the new Town Hall and the police department.
New law protects your email address
I have good news for area residents who enjoy receiving the Town’s email notifications but have been concerned about their email addresses being shared with third parties. In case you haven't heard, a new law passed by the NC General Assembly allows local governments in Wake County, including the Town of Wake Forest, to deny requests for copies of their subscriber email lists.
House Bill 1921 states that email address lists are open to public inspection for those who want to come to Town Hall to see them, but we are no longer required to turn them over upon request.
The law also asserts that governments may only use the lists for the purpose for which the citizen subscribed to them or for emergency communications.
The impetus for the new law came last year after a local non-profit organization contacted several Wake County municipalities and requested that they provide their subscriber email address lists. At the time, we had no alternative but to turn the addresses over since Chapter 132 of the NC General Statutes defined them as a “public record.”
In response, several residents contacted their state representatives and urged them to change the law. Thanks to the efforts of Rep. Marilyn Avila and others, the new law was passed on July 9 and became effective immediately.
To read the new law, visit http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2009/Bills/House/PDF/H1921v6.pdf.
HRC seeks nominations for “Good Neighbor of the Year”
The Human Relations Council (HRC) is soliciting youth and adult nominations for the first-ever Good Neighbor of the Year Award. The award will recognize youth and adult residents who work to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods without seeking or receiving recognition for their efforts.
In order to qualify, a nominee must be a Town of Wake Forest resident who made a significant contribution to the community between Oct. 1, 2009, and Aug. 30, 2010. Employees of the Town of Wake Forest are not eligible. All nominations must be received by 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 30.
Nominations forms are available at the Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St., and may be downloaded from the Town’s website at www.wakeforestnc.gov/goodneighborday.aspx. Completed forms may be mailed to Town of Wake Forest, c/o Tammy Moody, 301 S. Brooks St., Wake Forest, NC 27587. Email nominations will be accepted at hrc@wakeforestnc.gov. Forms may also be submitted via fax to (919) 435-9497.
Nominations forms must include the name of the person nominating, the name of the nominee, and a narrative of 400 words or less describing why the nominee deserves the Good Neighbor of the Year Award.
The HRC will announce one youth and one adult winner during this year’s Good Neighbor Day on Sept. 19. The event will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Holding Park, 133 W. Owen Ave.
For more information, contact HRC member Allyson Rayfield at (919) 996-9945 or visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/goodneighborday.aspx.
National Night Out Aug. 3
On Tuesday, Aug. 3 neighborhoods throughout Wake Forest are invited to join the Wake Forest Police Department, Target, and thousands of communities across the United States for the 27th Annual National Night Out.
National Night Out (NNO) teams law enforcement agencies with citizens, community leaders, civic groups, and local businesses to promote safe, healthy neighborhoods. NNO is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs; strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
The Wake Forest Police Department and Target, the national sponsor for NNO, are marking the occasion by hosting a “National Night Out Parking Lot Party” from 5 p.m. to
9 p.m. at the Wake Forest Target Superstore, 12000 Retail Drive.
The Parking Lot Party promises something for everyone including food and special prizes, as well as fire, police, and EMS vehicle displays. Several area church choirs will also perform and an Army National Guard helicopter will fly in and make what is sure to be a memorable landing.
The police department will sponsor a child identification booth where parents can have their children photographed and fingerprinted. “Safe Kids” child safety seat technicians will also be on hand to demonstrate the proper installation of child safety seats and community crime prevention officers will distribute information on topics such as vehicle security, home security, and personal safety.
The police department will also offer a K-9 demonstration and D.A.R.E. presentation, share information on upcoming Community Watch initiatives and provide rosters designed to help new neighborhoods develop their own Community Watch programs.
For more information about the NNO Parking Lot Party, contact Officer S. Graham at (919) 554-6150 or sgraham@wakeforestnc.gov.
Town Hall Grand Opening set for Sept. 10
Make plans now to attend our town hall grand opening celebration on Friday, Sept. 10!
The festivities get underway at 5:30 p.m. with a community concert featuring performances by the Wake Forest Singers, “The Street Genie” Freddy Greene, the Heritage Middle School Chorus, and the Dance Attic Dancers.
The grand opening ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. with NBC 17 News Anchor Melanie Sanders serving as the program emcee. A reception and tours of the new facility will immediately follow.
Our Town Hall Grand Opening is free and open to the public and we are very pleased to be included as part of downtown Wake Forest’s popular Art-After-Hours celebration.
More details will be provided in the coming weeks. For regular updates, visit /newtownhall.aspx
Tell us what you think of our website
We are seeking feedback from residents concerning what you like and don’t like about the Town’s website. From now through Friday, Aug. 20, you can share your thoughts via an online survey. A link to the survey is provided on the homepage of the our website at www.wakeforestnc.gov.
We are planning a large-scale redesign of website and will utilize your feedback to improve the design, navigation, and content. We anticipate unveiling the new site in early 2011.
The survey is located on a third party website. Responses to all questions will be kept in a secure manner and no personal identifiers will be recorded.
Candidates sought to fill seat on Recreation Advisory Board
Due to a recent member resignation, we are accepting applications through Aug. 25 for appointment to the Recreation Advisory Board.
The Recreation Advisory Board consists of nine members and meets at 7 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month at the Flaherty Park Community Center.
The board suggests policies within its powers and responsibilities and serves as the liaison between the Parks & Recreation Department, the Town Manager, and the Board of Commissioners in matters affecting recreation policies, programs, and the acquisition and disposal of lands and properties related to the total community recreation program, and to its long-range projected program for recreation.
Only residents who live in Wake Forest or within its extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) are eligible to fill this seat, which expires Dec. 31, 2011.
Completed applications may be mailed or delivered to the Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St., Wake Forest, NC 27587 or faxed to (919) 435-9419 and must be received no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010.
The Board of Commissioners will interview candidates during its regular work session on Sept. 7 at 5:30 p.m. and will announce the appointment during its regular monthly meeting on Sept. 21.
For more information about the Recreation Advisory Board or to download a copy of the advisory board application, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/government/
recreationadvisoryboard.aspx or contact Town Clerk Deeda Harris at (919) 435-9413 or dharris@wakeforestnc.gov.