The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • A7

Happy 232nd, America! got some fun planned for you here in western Wake County. Hope you can make the festivities! CARY 2007 Independence Day Celebration (July 3, 4 and 5) All events are free and open to the public. Independence Eve Cele- bration at Sertoma, Tuesday, July 3, 6:30 p.m. at Sertoma Amphitheatre at Bond Park Kick off your celebrations with an Independence Eve performance by Applause! Cary Youth Theatre and the Cary Town Band. Independence Day Olde- Time Celebration, Wednesday, July 4, from 8 a.m.

to 3 p.m. at Bond Park waterfront Old-fashioned family fun, with a parent-child fishing tournament, a in the performance by Applause! Cary Youth Theatre and games and competitions from donut eating to watermelon seed spitting. See townofcary.org/ ule.htm for a full schedule. Fireworks, Wednesday, July 4, dusk at Koka Booth Am- phitheatre The celebration continues at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre, with an Independence Day concert fea- turing the Cary Town Band and the North Carolina Symphony and, of course, fireworks at dusk. Ice Cream Social (Ages 55 and older), Thursday, July 5, from 2 to 4 p.m.

at the Cary Se- nior Center Ballroom A tasty tradition with entertain- ment by the Bond Park day camp children. Call 469-4081 to re- serve your spot. APEX Apex Olde-Fashioned Fourth of July, Wednesday, July 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in downtown Apex Apex celebrates with a day of family fun.

A red- and blue-rib- boned downtown will be the back- drop for a parade of patriotically decorated bikes and trikes, food, clowns, cake walks, face painting, music, costumes, bouncy castles, water balloons and more. All events are free. For a full sched- ule see apexnc.org/depts/parks/ events.cfm#july4. MORRISVILLE Independence Day Pancake Breakfast, Wednesday, July 4, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

at Mor- risville Community Park Start your Independence Day with a pancake breakfast prepared by the Morrisville Fire Department. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for children. For information call 463- 7103. HOLLY SPRINGS Old-Fashioned Independence Celebration, Sunday, July 1, from 4 to 8 p.m., at the Holly Springs Cultural Arts Center, 300 W. Ballentine Way.

Come enjoy a brand new Holly Springs tradition starring the Holly Springs Concert Band, with shows for kids, games and activities and a decorated bike contest. Bring your picnic baskets and lawn chairs. Information: 567-4000. Emily Matchar The Cary News 7AWEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2007 help protect historic structures everything from schools, to churches to private residences like the ones outlined recently in a Friends of the Page-Walker Hotel presentation called Have we Got to The Friends, a nonprofit orga- nization working for historic preservation in Cary, would like to see the protective ordinance based on one in use in Apex. In the Apex ordinance, in most cases cases developers who de- molish a historic structure such as a building defined as his- toric by county, state or national registers must wait four years before they can start the process for the new development the de- molition made way for.

a little built-in incentive. The lengthy wait time often gets developers thinking of ways to retool their plans and preserve the property, said Dianne Khin, planning director. Because the rebuilding of a sin- gle-family home after demolition of an historic home does not re- quire development approval, only building permits, it is not subject to the four-year delay, Khin said. A similar ordinance in Cary would be effective since the town buy every piece of historic property, said Myers. Myers said he would like to see a similar ordinance take effect in Cary before the end, the sooner the better, since much of historic property sits in the path of booming development pressure.

Of course buying a historic property is a sure-fire way for the town to control its future devel- opment why ideas of purchasing the Nancy Jones house are being discussed. Preservation of the Nancy Jones House is paramount to the owner, 46-year-old April Gillespie of Raleigh, as well. Preservation of the house is what her aunt who left Gillespie and her brothers the house when she passed away wanted. aunt Audrey Stone had called the house home since the 1930s. She and her husband lived in the house while running a barbecue stand nearby.

Stone passed away in 1991 and now Gillespie, who eventually bought out her shares of the house, rents the home, which she want to keep vacant. For the past decade the house with the long history has been the domicile of Kent Henley, a bachelor in his 50s. close to his job in downtown Cary, but he also likes its character. just appreciate historical said Henley, who has also become an informal tour guide for the home while living there, showing it off to town of- ficials and even people who used to live there. Gillespie said that right now not sure how she would feel about selling the house to the town, though she is open to con- sidering the idea.

She knows she have the financial means to restore the home herself it has some ter- mite damage and a chimney needs work. do realize that the owner has the last call on said Marla Dorrel, a Cary Town Coun- cil member whose is also a Friends of the Page-Walker mem- ber, of the talks to pur- chase the property. Contact Beth Hatcher at 460- 2608 or 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 7A, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2007 HISTORIC FROM PAGE 1A Fourth of July events in western Wake.