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Western Wake Latest Focus of WRAListens
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WRAL-TV traveled to the Holly Springs Cultural Center in mid-Sept to host a panel discussion for the latest installment in the WRAListens series. WRAListens to Western Wake gives representatives in the Apex, Holly Springs & Fuquay Varina areas of the county a chance to discuss issues important to their location. The half-hour program will air on WRAL-TV on Wed, Oct 22nd at 7pm and will be rebroadcast on MIX 101.5 on Sun, Oct 26th at 7am.
The panelists included:
- Dick Sears, Holly Springs Mayor
- Luncie McNeil, Director of Public Works for Holly Springs
- Andria Lake, who created insidehollysprings.com, a community website.
- John Byrne, Fuquay-Varina Mayor
- Ron Tropcich, Director of the Fuquay-Varina Chamber of Commerce
- Keith Weatherly, Apex Mayor
- Brenda Steen, Executive Director of the Apex Chamber of Commerce
- Ron Margiotta the District 8 representative on the Wake County Board of Education
Retired WRAL-TV Anchor Charlie Gaddy moderated the panel which covered everything from I-540 toll plans to school systems and growth.
The panel was split on whether the extension of I-540 should be turned into a toll road. Weatherly said it’s not fair that the western part of the road should be toll when the rest of I-540 was built with state money. Others thought the road needs to be built, and soon, regardless of tolls.
The panel also discussed growth and its effect on the schools. The conversion of several schools from traditional to year round may be reversed based on negative response from parents. They also discussed creating smaller school districts in towns such as Holly Springs rather than everything being lumped into Wake County.
Thanks to NCNN’s Ellen Reinhardt for contributions to this capcom story.
