I like going places and seeing things. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to see or do here in Wendell. I’m sure Zebulon, Wendell and Knightdale residents are tired of driving into Raleigh all the time. … I know I am. Most people have to work in Raleigh … they don’t want to take an extra half hour every time they need something special or want to do something different. Although I absolutely love the small town feel of Wendell, I believe all of eastern Wake County needs some improvements. Maybe these ideas will sound trivial to some, but why should we keep spending extra time, money and gas going to Raleigh?

First and foremost, we need a movie theater. With Interstate 540 opening in Knightdale there is plenty of space to put in a nice theater. Knightdale is the prime target. With the openings of Kohls, Best Buy and the Shoppes at Midway Plantation, it seems building a movie theater would be the next logical step. Instead of spending the extra dollars it would cost in gas to go to Raleigh, get yourself a box of candy instead and enjoy!

Second, we need more for children. Yes, Knightdale has the Little Gym, but what about the older kids? My son has been to every park in Knightdale, Wendell and Zebulon thousands of times. I think a Monkey Joe’s inflatable playground or an Adventure Landing would be great. Moms need someplace safe and nearby to take their children.

My parents live in Florida and every year they drive up to visit, we always go out to eat, which has turned into a huge joke. Friday and Saturday nights are bombarded with people at restaurants.

Get there after 6 p.m., which is a normal dinner time, and your wait will be over half an hour. There are just not enough restaurants and this brings us to the third item on my list.

Eastern Wake county is growing rapidly and restaurants need to keep up. Even with the economy at a stand still, there is money to be made…people HAVE to eat and they like to finish up a work week by taking their families out to dinner. Having to wait for a table is hardly an enjoyable experience, especially if you have hungry and cranky children. Let me add one more thing. Can the area get a decent bagel shop? I have talked with numerous New Yorkers who have moved down here and they have all wondered, “Where can we get a good bagel?” I always laugh when they ask.

Lastly, how about someplace for the adults? As I said, we definitely need some entertainment for the kids, but what about us? Go into Raleigh and there are numerous pool halls, clubs and bars. I’m not saying we need some run down shack overflowing with smoke and people who have no business being there. I’m talking about somewhere clean, where a couple can go get a drink and maybe hear a band play without the risk of getting into a bar brawl.

So, since the price of gas is steadily creeping back up, maybe we can stop driving into the big city of Raleigh all the time. Let’s give us folks something to do out here in the country!