Love More & Pick 2

👋 Good Morning, Apex! Today is Thursday, October 15, 2026 and this is the 93rd weekly issue of The Peak Weekly.

I attended the Town Council Meeting in-person on Tuesday which I don’t do every week but for any of you who have never attended, I would recommend it at least once.

Unfortunately, though, this week I learned about something that really bothered me. Not a zoning thing or anything like that. Something bigger.

I’ll talk about that in a minute, but I want to start with the positive. Three Proclamations were presented during the meeting. The first was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Near and dear to my heart, of course.

It was received by several breast cancer survivors (and current fighter, Mrs. Weekly).

Katie, by the way, has been doing well. She’s doing everything possible to avoid germs and stay healthy. But then she woke up today covered in ‘chemo rash’.

I didn’t even know that existed, but apparently this is the gift that keeps on giving.

What the hell does “felt either it” mean? Must be the chemo rash talking.

Anyway, if you have any advice, hit her up on Instagram or email her: [email protected] 

Another proclamation was given for Down Syndrome Awareness Month. We got to meet Jack, a big NC State fan and an awesome spirit who loves his down syndrome!

And one more for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We got to hear from a survivor and received a very powerful message that domestic violence does not discriminate.

Many beautiful moments - great job Mr Mayor, Council and Town Staff.

But speaking of not discriminating, apparently some people still do.

Which brings me back to the upsetting moment.

Council Member Sue Mu shared some fun, positive updates including her sweet dance moves at the Diwali celebration. But she also took a moment to, bravely, speak out about discrimination.

Specifically, to an anonymous Facebook comment she received telling her to “go back to your sh*t hole country.”

First, let me tell you how much I love anonymous people:

That’s my latest subscriber. One of many like this. So strong and brave of you! I actually thought I was back on Reddit for a second.

Anyway, this isn’t about me. This is about Sue and the nonsense comment she received over the weekend.

On one hand, I don’t feel like it’s my place to get involved or to preach to you on a subject that, you know, I’ve never been the victim of.

So who am I to talk about this?

On the other hand, that’s exactly why I need to talk about this. As a privileged white man in America who doesn’t face racial discrimination, it is my responsibility to talk about it.

Zoning decisions or UDO amendments… those types of things are up for debate. Being a decent human is not.

Open up Google Maps. Zoom out. Welcome to Earth. Sue is from here. You are from here. She is exactly where she’s supposed to be.

You have the right to disagree with her. You do not have the right to spread hate and attack her because she doesn’t look like you.

You know me. I’ll call out issues. I’ll debate. I’ll talk about things that don’t add up. Just ask Terry. He lies all the time; I report on it with receipts; he calls me a liar and a political actor and sends his crew to attack me. I can at least respect him for not being anonymous while he spreads hate towards me for his personal gain.

Do I wish Sue would stand up to my bully in the same way I will stand up to hers? Sure. Of course. But whether it’s reciprocated or not, that doesn’t matter. What’s right is right. What’s wrong is wrong.

I don’t know Sue well, but I pay attention. The way she yelled out, “We love you Jack!” to our Down Syndrome advocate for the evening… I saw that. Her serving as Co-Chair on the Peak Resilience and Wellbeing Task Force, bringing awareness to suicide prevention… I see you. The progress she has made on mental health awareness and support here in Apex… I see you!

I reached out to Sue after the meeting. Told her I am so sorry that happened to her. I told her I’m grateful she is here in Apex and I thanked her for all of her incredible work that she has done to promote mental health awareness and in creating actual solutions right here in Apex.

She responded so kindly and hyped up Mrs Weekly in return for all of her recent advocacy.

If you have a moment and feel inclined to share some love with Sue too, her email is [email protected]

❤️ 💚 💙 💛 🧡

Miscellaneous Info:

❤️ Apex Stands United Against Hate
Another great segue. Next Wednesday, October 21, from 5-8pm the Apex Police Department is hosting Apex Stands United Against Hate, an evening of community, connection and inclusion. This is a family-friendly community event focused on standing together against hate and bias, raise awareness about hate and bias-motivated crime, and the role we all play in building a safe, welcoming, and inclusive community in Apex. Pizza, snacks and refreshments will be provided. Location is Apex Nature Park. Event Page

🗳️ Early Voting
Early voting for the 2026 General Election begins today at the John M. Brown Community Center (and 17 other locations in Wake County). Early voting runs through October 31. Monday-Friday 8am-7:30pm, Saturdays 8am-3pm, Sundays 1pm-6pm. The last day to vote will be Election Day, November 3.

If you cannot vote in person, you can request a mail-in absentee ballot.

You can see all of the early voting sites here. You can find the wait time tracker here.

You can find your election day voting location, verify your voter status, and see a sample ballot here: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/

Pro tip: If you see another website floating around that doesn’t look like that one, don’t use it. Terry Mahaffey made a version of it that doesn’t disclose it’s his, looks official, and tracks the data you enter and the sample votes you select. Use only the official Wake County .gov websites to protect your data so that it’s not used against you by Terry as he seeks personal gain over Apex’s best interest. (this is called criticism based on actions of lying and deceit against the people of Apex; nothing to do with age, gender, religion, origin, etc. Just a bad person harming this town, of which I have many, many receipts thank you for your attention to this matter ;)

🍂 Biweekly Yard Waste Schedule
Beginning next week, Apex will transition to a biweekly yard waste collection for all residents. Zone A’s biweekly collection starts the week of October 19. Zone B’s biweekly collection starts the Week of October 26.

🎄 Christmas Play & Musical Auditions
The Halle is putting on a Christmas Play and Musical. Auditions are Tuesday and Wednesday. More information here.

🍁 Fall Harvest Night
Tomorrow night (Friday), visit The Depot from 5-8pm for fall-inspired vendors, live music by North Carolina Polka Time Allstars and other fun specials and promotions. Here’s a PDF of participating businesses and their specials.

Things to Do This Weekend in Apex:

Thursday, October 15

🪄 Magical Night of Mischief
6pm - 8pm | Rudy’s Pub & Grill

Friday, October 16

🌵 Invasive Plant Removal Workday
5pm - 6:30pm | Kelly Road Park

🍁 Fall Harvest Night
5pm - 8pm | The Depot

🎸 Live Music: Afterburn
8pm - 11pm | Backyard Bar

Saturday, October 17

🧑‍🌾 Apex Farmers Market
8am - 12pm | The Depot

📇 Shred Day
8am - 11am | Public Works Dept

🏃‍♀️ Run Club Apex
Meet at 9am | Foxtail Coffee

🌳 Arbor Day Celebration
9am - 12pm | Pleasant Park

💬 Community Conversation on Suicide Prevention
2pm - 5pm | Senior Center

Sunday, October 18

🐶 Pints and Paws
1pm - 3pm | Peakway Taps

Monday, October 19

🎲 Game Night!
7pm - 10pm | Bottle Theory

Tuesday, October 20

🍺 $5 Pint Night
3pm - 10pm | Southern Peak Brewery

🍀 Live Irish Music
6pm - 9pm | Doherty’s Irish Pub

Wednesday, October 21

🎬️ Morning Movie: Coraline
10am | The Halle

🤟 Apex Sands United Against Hate
5pm - 8pm | Apex Nature Park

Pick Two is Back!

Kind of sounds like a Panera commercial. But no - we did this before. I list a few random ideas. You pick 2 of them. And then you do them this week.

You have to. That’s the rules.

#1 Jeans Neighborhood Market
I know I talked about this one recently. But then it rained that weekend and I think the following weekend too. So, just in case you forgot, you have to go to Jean’s. Go get some pumpkins, ice cream and a whole bunch of other cool stuff. I put pictures on my Facebook post here and Instagram post here if you want to see how awesome it is.

#2 - Grain & Berry
They just opened in Beaver Creek. Açaí bowls, smoothies, salads, wraps - all kinds of goodness. They got a 99.5 on their health inspection and all 5-star reviews on Google.

#3 - Rose & Lee
They have all the layers, denim and dresses your autumn wardrobe needs! I don’t really know what I’m talking about with this one, but I know Mrs. Weekly loves it and they do have really cute clothes.

#4 - Take a Hike
Saturday is going to be 59 degrees and maybe a bit rainy. Sunday should be less wet and a high of 62. Pop on a hoodie and go walk around Apex Community Park, the Beaver Creek Greenway, the Apex Nature Park Loop, the New Hope Trail - or get real adventutous and walk the American Tobacco Trail.

#5 - New Hope Valley Railway
Grab tickets for the Track or Treat Halloween Express on Saturday. We’ve done it before - it’s fun! Kids Out and About ranked it #1 Place to Take Kids in the Triangle for 2026.

#6 - Panas Flavor
The Venezuelan food truck serving empanadas, subs, BBQ, cachapas, Arepas and more will be at The Local on Sunday from Noon to 8pm.

Civic News:

🗓️ North Salem Street PUD
The 32-acre proposed development, which has faced a lot of opposition here in Apex, was set for a rezoning hearing on Tuesday. The developer, though, requested to reschedule to November 10 so that they can evaluate and respond to resident feedback. If approved as-is, the development will include 450 housing units, 22,000 square feet of commercial space, and less trees than exist there today.

𖥂 Axon Contract
On Tuesday, Council voted 4-1 (Reese dissenting) to approve the Axon contract. It extends the existing agreement through November, 2031 for various public safety tech and adds two components: Air DroneSense Software and an Interview Room Recording System. (nothing related to ALPR is included in this)

I haven’t seen the contract so I can’t speak to that. But I’ll share the approval process. After the short presentation, Mahaffey asked if APD had a policy for when and where the drones can be flown. The Town Manager said he didn’t know if it was policy, procedure or general orders, but documents do exist. Mahaffey asked if they were public. The Town Attorney said some are and some aren’t, but did not detail any further.

Mahaffey said those policies may address the most important concerns and stressed how important it is to read that policy.

Zigerman expressed that he would like to see a termination clause woven into the contract.

Reese expressed that he was uncomfortable voting on something with there still being a list of unknowns. He also expressed a concern with contracts landing in front of council with an urgency to sign multi-year agreements.

Ultimately, neither Mahaffey nor Zigerman received answers to their concerns, but at least they got their soundbites. Both voted yes to approve the contract anyway. Reese held true to his concerns and voted no. The motion passed.

(to reiterate - I don’t know anything about the contract and not making a stance on it. But that process seemed flawed to me, so thought I’d share)

🛑 Peakway Connector + Tingen Road
As a resident very close to the Peakway Connector - estimated to open up January-ish - I’m super nervous about the Apex Peakway and Tingen Road intersection.

It’s a 2-way stop on the Peakway with sometimes fairly heavy/fast traffic on Tingen. And if someone at one of the stop signs is turning left, I can guarantee you 9 times out of 10 nobody knows whose turn it is.

There’s a stop light planned there but estimated completion is 2029 which means 3 years of that intersection with a whole bunch more traffic coming over the bridge.

The good news (I hope) is that we may be getting a 4-way stop there in the interim. I realize that’s not fun either (I’m team roundabout) but likely will be much safer than the current 2-way. It’s currently under NCDOT review but could be in place before, or shortly after, the bridge opens.

Upcoming Meetings:

Thursday, October 15
Environmental Advisory Board
6pm | Town Hall

Thursday, October 15
Governance, Fiscal Stewardship and Internal Support Committee
5pm | Town Hall

Monday, October 19
Culture and Arts Advisory Board
6pm | Town Hall

Tuesday, October 20
Board of Adjustment Meeting
6pm | Town Hall

Tuesday, October 20
Town Council Work Session
3:30pm - 5pm | Town Hall

Tuesday, October 20
Peak Plan 2055 Task Force
5:30pm - 7:30pm | Electric Utilities Building

A Look Ahead:

October 22
Explore S’Mores | Apex Nature Park
(rescheduled from September 24)

October 23 - 31
Scarecrow Row | Apex Community Park

October 23
Apex Community Dance | The Halle

October 24
Apex Half Marathon | Sweetwater

October 24
Goblin’s Groove Family Dance | The Halle

October 24
PokéFest | Apex Senior Center

October 25
Fall Fest | Ambassador Presbyterian Church

October 29
Back-to-School Community & Conversation | Senior Center

October 30
Witches Night Out | Downtown Apex

October 30
Trunk or Treat | Peak City Church

In Case You Missed it:

🚎 GoApex Rider Survey
Are you a rider on the GoApex Route 1 bus? The Town of Apex Planning staff wants to learn more about your rider experience. GoApex Route 1 Survey

🖥️ MyServices Launching Soon
This is the new portal for the submission of all Town of Apex development related permits and applications. The new system provides one portal for new development applications and permit submissions. It also transitions most TOA development related forms from paper to electronic. It goes live November 2.

💰️ FY28 Budget Priorities Survey
If you want to share your thoughts and priorities for the FY28 budget, you can take this budget priorities survey, speak at the pre-budget public hearing on January 13, 2027 or email [email protected].

🐕️ Pit Bull Appreciation
October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month and Pit Bull Appreciation Month. Wake County Animal Center is offering reduced adoption fees throughout October. Adult dogs can be adopted for just $25. Adoption Gallery

📐 Triangle Parade of Homes
This is North Carolina's largest free, self-guided open house event showcasing newly constructed homes, innovative floor plans, and the latest design and technology trends across the Raleigh-Durham region. Remaining dates are October 16-18. There are 10 homes in Apex featured in the tour.

A Final Note:

Thank you for taking time out of your day today to read this week’s edition of The Peak Weekly. If you love it, please forward it to a friend. If you don’t love it, please unsubscribe.

And, as always, if you have any ideas of how to make this newsletter better, want to nominate a local business or organization to be featured, or anything else, please respond to this email or email me directly at [email protected]

See you next Thursday... 😘