After spending some vacation time at the beach last week, Knightdale Town Manager Seth Lawless came back to a report that let him know more work was ahead.

While he was gone, the U.S. Census said Knightdale is the fastest growing town in the state.

According to the report,  the town’s population increased by 24.5 percent to more than 10,000 between July 1, 2008 and July 1, 2009.

“Knightdale’s been growing at a pretty good clip for quite a while,” said Lawless. “In a previous report we were in the top 10. It’s nice to get some recognition for what’s been going on for several years.”

Lawless said the growth had boosted tax revenues at a time when it was especially needed.

“While budget times are difficult everywhere, but it has been not nearly as difficult here as in other places,” he said.

Lawless said water and sewer infrastructure is in place for future growth, but its fast pace is not a given. In fact, Knightdale's current population is less than the population projection of 13,998 for July 2010 that was made during water and sewer merger agreements with the city of Raleigh.

That means the town had to raise its water and sewer rates 15 percent this year to try to catch up on its debt to Raleigh.

“We expect to see continued development, but at what pace, it remains to be seen. That’s a little outside of our control.  We are as ready as we can be,” he said.

He said the challenge is making sure the town doesn’t get too far out in front of or too far behind the service needs of the population.

A fire station in southwest Knightdale is a good example of that measured approach, he said. Two years ago, Knightdale was ready to build a $1.5 million fire station. “Even with the growth we have had, we found a better way to provide that service because there just weren’t as many rooftops in the southwest part of town that we thought there’d be by now,” he said.

The town contracted for fire services with the Eastern Wake Fire Department that serves rural Knightdale.

Lawless said the census report didn’t take the town by surprise. He said the town’s internal estimates showed an even greater population at 10,970 than the census report.

“They’ve been (the internal estimates) accurate previously,” he said. “It will be interesting to see the actual results of the (2010) census when they come in December or January.”
 

There’s a good reason they call Jennifer Pierce the shoe lady.

Her organization Share Our Shoes has raised 365,000 pairs of shoes for earthquake victims in Haiti, 27,000 pairs for flood victims in Nashville, and hundreds pairs of shoes daily for people who need them in the Triangle.

Pierce does all this through an organization that started two years ago with fliers on neighbors’ mailboxes. She was simply looking for shoes for the family of her daughter, Catelynn’s friend.

Catelynn’s friend couldn’t comeout and play because she had no suitable shoes, Pierce said. And then when Pierce visited the home, she found the make-do work boots of the girl’s father too small and the mother’s shoes duct taped together.
With that plea to neighbors, Pierce was flooded with shoes, and a mission because a calling. Today, she has a 6,500 square foot building on Capital Boulevard in Raleigh, a shoe warehouse and show room.

And now, Share Our Shoes has a presence in eastern Wake County. There are two drop-off locations in Knightdale: Progressive International Electronics at 1106 Great Falls Court, Suite G and Cathy Lee’s Daycare, 529 Bethlehem Road.
And Wendell Middle School is scheduled to become a drop-off point once school starts back.

“From Knightdale to Raleigh,from Florida to Haiti,” it’s just everybody working together,” said Pierce.

Pierce got some help expanding her 27 shoe drop-off locations with a one-woman SOS promoter Katrina Hearn.

Hearn, a saleswoman for The Cotton Exchange of Wendell, learned of Pierce’s organization at a flood victim’s benefit at the Longbranch in Raleigh.

“I carry those (SOS drop-off)boxes around in my car everywhere I go,” she said. “When I see I client, I ask them if they’d like to be a drop-off location.”

“It’s been real exciting,”said Hearn. She hopes to get the schools on board in the fall. “As fast as kids out grow their shoes, the schools would be a great spot for dropping off the shoes kids out grow.”

Hearn says almost everyone has shoes in their closet they no longer wear that other people could use.

“It’s a simple thing to do,”said Hearn. “I think she’s doing a wonderful thing. When she told me the story of a little boy coming to her house in little girls’ shoes, it just broke my heart.”

If you want to donate, visit one of the locations above or drop off shoes at Share Our Shoes warehouse, 1107 Capital Boulevard located on the Wake Avenue ramp. For more information, see shareourshoes.org.
 

Knightdale Police are trying to crack a recent spate of car break-ins.

Police say car break-ins are the bread and butter of police work,  the  most common of crimes.

Knightdale's thefts occured in unlocked cars in driveways of homes, said Knightdale Police Chief Shawn Brown. He said in the past 45 days there had been 40 break-ins. There have been 60 car break-ins since January.

“We want to educate the public to lock their cars and secure their valuables,” said Brown. He said thieves were taking GPS units, pocketbooks, golf clubs, and other items left in a car that is unsecure.

Knightdale Detective Orlando Soto said Wake Forest had experienced a high number of car break-ins recently too. Wake Forest arrested two men, Timothy Hardy, 16, and Dave McCants, 19, both of 213 North Allen Road, apartment 148, Wake Forest on 63 charges related to car break-ins, said Wake Forest Police Lt. Brian Mote.

Both men remain in the Wake County jail.

Mote said Knightdale Police Detective Tracy Solomon is working with Wake Forest Detective Patrick Misko to see if the Knightdale break-ins have any relationship to those in Wake Forest.

Mote said the Wake Forest duo is accused of going in unlocked cars in garages and drive-ways and taking GPS units, MP3 players, IPods and a handgun that was recovered.

Knightdale’s Soto said all of Knightdale’s subdivisions had been hit.
Brown said police were increasing the frequency of neighborhood patrols. He also said police have made community watches and homeowners associations aware of the break-ins.

Raleigh has its share of car break-ins too, but hasn’t notice a recent spike, said Raleigh police spokesman Jim Sughrue. To date, the city has had 1,311 car break-ins compared to 3,209 in 2009.

“It’s one of the most common crimes,” said Sughrue. “Cars are left unlocked and people come through a neighborhood and rummage through it.”

Sughrue said most thieves stay away from locked cars, but sometimes when valuables are in sight, windows get smashed for as little as change in a cup holder.
“Certainly, the laptop computers, GPS systems, IPods and other similar devices, are often targeted,” he said. “When it happens, unfortunately criminals will work a subdivision or a large area like an apartment complex where a large number of people are victims in a short time span.”

“Everytime this come up it gives us a chance to give our lock, take and hide philosophy,” said Sughrue. “Lock your car, take your keys and hide your valuables.”
 

Zebulon man takes his  turn at the 'Wheel'

Next week's sign offs are a sign on for summer.

Friday is the last day of school for those on a traditional calendar. Knightdale High School holds graduation Thursday and East Wake High School holds graduation exercises on Friday.

Summer is on.

I like summer. I like the sun more than I mind the heat. I love the extra light. And the lighter attitudes I believe go with the season.  I like the break from shepherding along school papers and projects that goes with the territory of a parent of a grade school child who attends school on a traditional calendar.

I wrote about summer through a story about Knightdale High School's valedictorian Anna Powell recently A high achiever who earned a 4.7 gradepoint average while playing golf, baseball and running cross country, Anna also remembered her summers as significant moments in her high school career.

She spent a lot of time those summers with her Millbrook Methodist Church youth group on mission trips. She spoke of an invaluable experience when rain canceled the plans for the group's physical labor for the Hillsborough Association for Retarded Citizens in Tampa, Florida last summer. Instead, they spent time with program participants, and learned lessons of a lifetime.

It was the same light of a shared humanity she had experienced a summer before when her same youth group spent time in Washington, D.C. working with homeless.

Anna planned to remind her fellow students of lighter attitudes in her valedictory address where she'll encourage them to love their famlies, not to be afraid to fail and to have fun.

And that would serve well whatever the season.

Rocky Winstead, who runs free summer golf clinics for youth at Zebulon
Country Club, came by the office yesterday to talk about the Eastern
N.C. Junior Golf League but all he really did was stir up my
imagination.

Knightdale Expo turns high school into giant baazar

Knightdale could have access to Raleigh greenway by September 2011.

Track is the only prep sport left for eastern Wake County schools.

Knightdale Elementary holds Wax Museum