This One is Gonna Sting 🐝

👋 Good morning, Apex! Today is Thursday, March 6, 2025 and this is the ninth consecutive weekly issue of The Peak Weekly.

Here is what’s inside today:

🐝 I Bought A Bunch of Bees: A quick intro from yours truly

📂 Miscellaneous: Some town-related notes that didn’t fit anywhere else

🗓️ Things to Do This Week: Events and activities this coming week in and around Apex

🏢 Local Business: The latest in local small business news

🏛️ Civil News: The latest from our local government

🐶 Animal(s) of the Week: Featured animals looking for a good home

👀 A Look Ahead: A quick peak at things to know beyond this week

🙋‍♂️ Pop Quiz: I have a few questions for you.

I Bought A Bunch of Bees.

Before we jump in to all of the good stuff, I want to talk to you about bees.

You probably know that the town of Apex has had the official “Bee City USA” status since 2020.

But you might not know that right now we are experiencing a catastrophic honeybee loss.

Since June of last year through February, commercial beekeepers in the US lost an average of 62% of their colonies. The estimated economic loss thus far is $634 million.

Bees are extremely vital to our ecosystem. A world without bees could struggle to sustain the human population. If nothing else, it would make the foods we eat much more expensive.

In an initial effort to help save the bees (combined with my mid-life crisis and desire to find some new hobbies), the wife and I went to the Garden Supply Company in Cary over the weekend and bought a complete beehive.

They won’t be ready until May but I’ve ordered my beekeeper suit and I’m preparing to raise my own colony of bees.

Now, that’s a pretty small-scale solution. So let’s think a little bigger.

Here is my challenge to the Town of Apex:

• Reduce neonicotinoids and other harmful pesticides in agriculture and public spaces

• Pass pollinator-safe pesticide laws or policies

• Plant more wildflowers in public parks, roadsides, and unused lands

• Create more pollinator gardens and beehives

I’m no expert on this stuff. If anyone has any ideas on how to push some of these initiatives forward, you know how to reach me!

Miscellaneous:

🛤️ Railroad Repairs will Cause Delays
Drivers can expect delays beginning Monday, March 10 as repairs are made at several railroad crossings in and around Apex. Each intersection will be closed for several days (not all at once). Details and schedule here.

🌪️ Statewide Tornado Drill
There will be a statewide tornado drill on Friday, March 7 at 9:30am.

👩 International Women’s Day
Saturday, March 8, is International Women’s Day. IWD gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. (And a Happy 16th Birthday to my daughter, Emerson!)

🕑️ Daylight Savings
Quick reminder that we spring forward an hour this Sunday, March 9.

💰️ $5 Billion Bet on Sports in Our First Year
More than $5.5 billion was wagered by North Carolinians during the first year of legalized online sports betting. The total revenue the state collected from sports betting is on track to eclipse $118 million. State law requires 20% of the tax revenue to be distributed evenly among 13 state universities and is used to support the collegiate athletic departments. (If you have any locks on some March Madness parlays, send them my way 😂)

Things to Do This Week in Apex:

Saturday, March 8

🏃‍♂️ Run the Peak
8am - 12pm | Downtown

🧑‍🌾 Apex Farmers Market
9am - 12pm | The Depot

🐟️ Live Music w/ Daniel DeLorenzo Trio
5pm - 8pm | Vicious Fishes Apex

🖌️ Paint & Sip, Modern Barnhouse
7pm - 9pm | Wine & Design

Sunday, March 9

🧀 Mac & Cheese Cook-off
2pm | Peakway Taps

🎹 Classical Concert Series - Nostalgia
3pm - 4:30pm | Halle Cultural Arts

Things to Do This Week Nearby:

🥾 Hike & Chill: American Tobacco Trail
Saturday, 9:30am-1pm | Cary

🌶️ Chili Cook-off and Car Show
Saturday, 12pm-4pm | Fuquay-Varina

🦎 Repticon
Saturday & Sunday til 4pm | Raleigh

🔬 Community Science: Why it Matters & How You Can Help
Monday, 7pm-8:30pm | Holly Springs

🍣 Sushi Workshop
Wednesday, 6:30pm-8:30pm | Cary

Local Business:

Opening Soon

🦊 Foxtail Coffee
Opening Tuesday, March 11 is Foxtail Coffee at 76 Hunter St next to Rosati’s Pizza and Myra’s Cafe. They will be open daily from 6:30am - 8pm.

🐄 Chick-fil-A
The new location on Hughes St. across from Walmart is looking nice! Last I heard, opening February or March. Should be open any day now…?

Recently Filed Certificate of Zoning

🤼‍♂️ Arrow MMA Academy
Not much info at this time. Application for Center Street.

🍨 Playa Bowls
Opening this summer next to Common Grounds.

👯 Soni Dance Academy
Not much info at this time. Application for Perry Rd.

🍩 Bakers Dozen Donuts
Estimated opening for early summer where Bonafide Bakery used to be.

🍯 Highlights - The Honey Edition

🍺 JD’s Tavern
There is no restaurant in Apex that I have been to more than JD’s. Every single thing on the menu is phenomenal. Consistently good and the service is always excellent, too. The Spicy Asian wings are top tier. But I might have to try the honey buffalo next time.

🍑 Peach Cobbler Factory
My wife and I keep saying that we want to try this. I’m disappointed in myself that we have yet to stop by. I’m going to this week. Perhaps we’ll try the honey apple cobbler.

🍲 Donovan’s Dish
I love this place. If you’ve never been, you need to. If for no other reason than to get their ranch dressing. But there’s a bunch of other good stuff too. You can have it delivered or stop into the take out market at 800 West Williams. They do catering too. If you’re interested in that, contact their Catering Sales Director, Honey Vann.

🍔 Salem Street Pub
“My Wife Said it Would Never Sell.” That’s the name of a burger at Salem Street Pub that I have never ordered. It’s a beef burger topped with peanut butter, cheddar cheese, bacon and… honey. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ll tell you what I have tried there: the Southern Peaches cocktail. It’s made with peach moonshine, hibiscus, lemon, and… 🥁 … honey. (it’s delicious)

Civil News:

🏞️ Middle Creek Greenway
Middle Creek Greenway boardwalk construction is basically complete and on schedule for a June opening of yet another major greenway project in Apex.

🏛️ Town Council Meeting Recap

• The Town Council approved their legislative agenda and two resolutions in support of House Bill 24 (downzoning) and House Bill 59 (Property tax relief)

• Annexation on Kelly Road and a Rezoning on Kelly and another on Evans Road were approved

• BerryDunn, the accounting/consulting firm conducting the third-party review on the utility billing situation, is slightly behind schedule. Audit results were initially expected at the end of February to the beginning of March. Now expected mid-March.

🗓️ Important Upcoming Dates

Thursday, March 6
Legislative Breakfast
7:30am - 12pm | Apex Senior Center

Monday, March 10
Planning Board Meeting
4:30pm | Town Hall

Tuesday, March 11
Regular Town Council Meeting
6pm | Town Hall

Wednesday, March 19
Learning Lunch - Women’s History Month
12pm - 1pm | Apex Senior Center

Thursday, March 20
Brown Bags to Building Bridges Lunch Series
12pm - 1pm | Apex Senior Center

Animal of the Week:

Our animal of the week is Stitch. He spent 130 days at the animal shelter but is currently with a foster through All Animals Sanctuary & Rescue. Meet Stitch.

Upcoming event hosted by All Animals Sanctuary:

Saturday, March 8
Shop, Sip & Save Lives (Adoption Event & Fundraising Market)
2pm - 6pm | Oaklyn Springs Brewery

And in other 4-legged news:

The Wake County Animal Center has reopened!

And they have launched new Rabies & Microchip Clinics

A Look Ahead:

March 15, 2025
Downtown Apex Sidewalk Sale
10am - 5pm | Downtown Apex

March 15, 2025
EcoKids: Frogs
10:30am - 12:30pm | Bass Lake Park

March 17, 2025
Apex Police Blood Drive
12pm - 5pm | Apex Police Department

March 21-23, 2025
LITE Theatre | Halle Cultural Arts

March 22, 2025
GameMakers Showcase
12pm - 2:30pm | Apex Senior Center

April 5, 2025
Holi Celebration 
2pm - 6pm | Salem Middle School

April 11-12, 2025
Peak City Pig Fest | Town Hall Campus

Pop Quiz

As you know, I am trying to make this newsletter better and better each week.

Many of you have reached out with kind words and suggestions, and I appreciate it a ton.

But could I bother you to take this quick questionnaire? It’s all about specific features to this email. No funny business, I promise.

It’s anonymous and none of the questions are required.

Help me out here ↓

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 have any ideas of how to make this 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. 😘