Today’s Forecast

52º | Partly cloudy | 0% chance of rain | Sunrise: 7:28 a.m. | Sunset: 5:10 p.m.

Important Message

Season’s greetings, Winston-Salem. We’ll be out of office until the new year to spend time with our loved ones. Until then, we’re pausing our newsletter sends and reducing our social posts. We’ll see you in your inboxes at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. 👋

Brunson Elementary is on the move

Budget to build a new Brunson Elementary School is now $52.4 million

The current school building is 63 years old. | Photo by WStoday

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools will get an additional $27.2 million dollars to build a new Brunson Elementary School. Forsyth County commissioners approved the request during their meeting yesterday, Dec. 21 (scroll ~two hours in to hear the discussion).

“It is time for the folks who have been involved in the Brunson project to move to a new home,” Chairperson Don Martin said.

The school district says the additional funding is necessary because construction costs have nearly doubled since the project was approved. The commissioners’ vote brings the total budget for the replacement school to $52.4 million.

Plans for a new school

The school at 155 N. Hawthorne Rd. is located in a floodplain. Parents and educators have reported problems with mold, standing water, and roof leaks. In 2016, voters approved $25.2 million dollars for a new elementary school as part of a $350 million bond referendum.

At a meeting in early 2019, district leaders told parents larger repairs weren’t done because work on the new school was expected to begin shortly. Design work was slated for that spring, construction was supposed to start in summer 2020, and the new school was slated to open in fall 2022.

Selecting the site

The district narrowed down three options for the new school. The chosen property on Patterson Avenue is an unused industrial site. It was listed on the NC Department of Environmental Quality’s brownfield sites, which means it has a threat of environmental contamination.

grass-stacks-of-bricks-old-railroad-tracks-on-concrete-pads — The 10-acre site of the new school is less than three miles from the current campus.
|
Photo by WStoday

A third party determined mitigation efforts were possible. The district purchased the property in December 2021 for $2.5 million. In November 2022, Board of Education members voted to approve demolition so work could begin — Gilbane Building Company completed it in the middle of 2023.

What happens next

The funding from the county’s school capital project reserve fund means the project can move forward. In June, the US Environmental Protection Agency awarded the district $744,000 in grants to help with environmental remediation.

Events

Friday, Dec. 22

Girls Night Out Glam Holiday Party | Friday, Dec. 22 | 9-11 p.m. | Pink Moon Cafe, 848 W. 5th St., Winston-Salem | $0-$5 | Grab your friends and dress to impress for a night of dancing and laughing.
Megan Doss and Matt Crowder Perform Live | Friday, Dec. 22 | 8-11 p.m. | Bar Nola, 1151 Canal Dr., Ste. 205, Winston-Salem | Free entry | Start your holiday weekend with a night of live music and drink specials.
Onesie Holiday Party | Friday, Dec. 22 | 8 p.m. | Euphoria Winston-Salem, 701 N. Trade St., Winston-Salem | Free entry | Dress up in your most festive onesie and enjoy a night mingling and dancing — for patrons 21 and older.

Saturday, Dec. 23

Candle Creations Workshop | Saturday, Dec. 23 | 12-2 p.m. | Kaleideum, 400 W. Hanes Mill Rd., Winston-Salem | $5-$7 | Choose your color, scent, and decorations to create your perfect candle and let your creativity shine.
Roar Holiday Market | Saturday, Dec. 23 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Roar, 633 N. Liberty St., Winston-Salem | Free entry | Enjoy food and drinks while shopping from local makers and artists at the last market of the season.

Monday, Dec. 25

“The Color Purple” | Monday, Dec. 25 | Times vary | a/perture cinema, 311 West 4th St., Winston-Salem | $9.50-$12.50 | Be the first one to see a new take on the classic story of three women who share an unbreakable bond.

Tuesday, Dec. 26

Jazz at Tate’s | Tuesday, Dec. 26 | 8-11 p.m. | Tate’s Craft Cocktails, 279 W. 4th St., Winston-Salem | Free entry | Trade the Christmas carols for jazz music performed by the Matt Kendrick Trio.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Civic

City offices will be closed Monday, Dec. 25 through Wednesday, Dec. 27, as well as Monday, Jan. 1 for the holidays. Forsyth County government offices are closed today, Dec. 22 through Tuesday, Dec. 26 — county parks will remain open.

Arts

The deadline to apply for an Arts Event Sponsorship Grant through the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County is Sunday, Dec. 31. The funding will support art-centric events or programs that are accessible to the public.

Job

The local nursery + ecological garden services company Bashavia Gardens is hiring an ecological garden foreman for the spring 2024 season. The full-time role requires plant installation and garden maintenance — the application and full requirements are online.

Outdoors

You can explore national parks for free in the new year. The National Parks Service is waiving entrance fees on six dates in 2024 — mark your calendar for the first one on Monday, Jan. 15.

Sports

Get ready to start your engines. The schedule for the 76th season of racing at Bowman Gray Stadium has been released. The first races at the track will be held April 20, 2024.

Plan Ahead

Forsyth Humane Society’s next annual Mutt Strut will be held April 27, 2024. Early registration for the pet-friendly 5K and one-mile walk/run fundraiser will open on January 1.

Community

Well, this is officially our last News Note of 2023. Thank you to our WStoday community for staying connected with us this year. If you want to support us in 2024, consider becoming a member — you’ll support us directly and keep these newsletters coming. Until next year, folks.

Listen

🕯️ Holiday music by candlelight

See the Vienna Light Orchestra perform in Winston-Salem

candles-on-stage-with-orchestra-from-balcony

Ticket prices differ on your view of the stage. | Photo courtesy of Vienna Light Orchestra

Winston-Salem is the last stop on Vienna Light Orchestra’s 18-city Christmas Tour this year. Two concerts will be held tomorrow, Dec. 23.

Over 2,000 flameless, unscented candles will illuminate the stage at RJ Reynolds Auditorium (301 Hawthorne Rd.). Musicians and vocalists from around the world will perform holiday music during the 90-minute performances. The tentative program includes classics like “Ave Maria” and favorites like “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

Showtimes are 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Doors will open an hour before the concert begins. Tickets range from $35 to $65 and are still available online.

Vienna Light Orchestra has been touring worldwide since 1999. These concerts will be the group’s third visit to the Twin City.

Share WStoday

Share the good news. Get rewarded.

Have someone who needs to stay in the know? Get amazing rewards for every new subscriber you bring by sharing your unique referral link (below).

Facebook

Twitter

{{profile.vars.rh_totref_28}} friends are looped into all things local because of you.

See your reward status here

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Cambridge

From the editor

I hope your holiday celebrations are filled with love and joy. I’m looking forward to spending time with my family and friends + setting goals for the new year. I look forward to bringing you more good news about our city in 2024.

Missed our previous newsletter?

›

Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback

›

Advertise

›

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY