WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — There won’t be as many drug tests for students involved in extracurricular activities in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County schools this fall

The school board decided Tuesday night to reduce the number of random drug tests from 33 percent of students to 20 percent in order to reduce the costs of the program.

The Winston-Salem Journal reported a federal grant that had paid for the drug testing from expires this fall.

School officials say they’ll have to spend about $30,000 to pay for the tests.

Kathy Jordan with the Safe and Drug Free Schools program told the school board that research shows that testing of 20 percent of students will still be effective in reducing drug use.

School board member Jeannie Metcalf opposed the reduction. Metcalf says she wants drug using youngsters caught so they can get help.

Information from: Winston-Salem Journal, http://www.journalnow.com

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — North Carolina’s Grand Old Party is celebrating several grand openings in three cities, starting in Winston-Salem.

Former Sen. Bob Dole leads the list of people celebrating the grand openings of three 2008 GOP election headquarters on Monday. The first will be held in Winston-Salem with Sen. Richard Burr and state GOP Chairman Linda Daves in attendance.

Dole joins them in Greensboro, where a second grand opening is planned. The three then head to Raleigh for the final event.

The three new offices (below, red) bring the GOP total to nine across the state.

In Cary, Congressman David Price , D-4 will host the grand opening of an office (below, blue) for Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign on Tuesday.

So what do you think of when you hear the term ‘tri’? Triangle, (very obvious) …tripod, tri…tri…It could go on and on. But I’m going to be telling you about a particular ‘tri’. I’m talking about the ‘tri’ that I know like the back of my hand, and hold close to my heart. No. I’m not referring to the North Carolina ‘Triangle’ of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, though they come a close second. I’m talking about the Triad of Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High Point, very much in North Carolina, too, and to the west of the Triangle.

Now that I’ve set myself such a challenging task, (There’s so much of it!) let me get down to it.

Perhaps I should start by telling you what I love about the place. Everything! Would I be able to sum it up in a page? Not at all, but, hey, I can make a start. I’ve got to make this start somewhere, so I guess I will start with Winston Salem, ‘The City of Arts’.

When a city is referred to as ‘The City of Arts’ what else would you expect? Well, you can expect a lot else from Winston Salem, but I can’t miss telling you about the arts. No matter what type of art you are interested in you’ll find it flourishing here, in Winston Salem. And the Arts Council (the first such society) of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County that was established in 1949 enhances the lives of the people in every way. It raises funds for the arts, sponsors events together with other arts organizations, provides educational opportunities and strengthens cultural resources. the people’s love for the arts and the council can be seen in the thousands of enthusiastic volunteers and the numerous donors who are highly visible at every art event, each one of them resolutely dedicated to the concept of Winston Salem being “The City of the Arts.”

We shall next take a peek at the different types of arts flourishing in Winston Salem, so be sure to be back and you will enjoy an artistic experience that will long be relished.

Winston Salem may be known as the City of Arts for many reasons and you discover them wherever you go. But when you catch your first glimpse of this beautiful city you know that its architecture is one of the ‘Arts’ referred to.

Consisting of two towns, Winston and Salem merged in 1913 its architecture reflects the two distinct styles of architecture. You have the modern city and Old Salem, the historic town.

When, about 250 years ago German-speaking Protestants known as the Moravians (from what is now the Czech Republic) settled the land in the Wachovia Tract and built the town of Salem, they recreated what they had so far called ‘home’.

So meticulously were these homes built that they still stand tall and proud, their architecture mirroring Central European styles. Eventually, however, the people did, assimilate American styles such as the Greek Revival. As one walks along the streets you tend to notice the arched hoods over entrances which are very typical of Moravian Architecture.

Stop to enjoy the beauty of Salem Square in the heart of the area. There is always something going on there and one of its summer attractions is the band concert series. You can still marvel at the well known water pump, standing in one corner of the square, which has been salvaged from Salem’s 1778 waterworks.

One of the highlights of the village is Salem Tavern, which is now a National Historic Landmark as George Washington had spent the nights of May 31 and June 1, 1790, on his journey through North Carolina.

And then there is Winkler Bakery, built over 200 years ago, which offers you bread and treats such as cookies and sugar cakes still baked in wood fired ovens as they were over 200 years ago.

When you feel hungry you must enjoy a meal at the Old Salem Tavern ( occupying the annex built in 1816) where you are served traditional Moravian dishes like double-crusted chicken pie with sautéed vegetables and sauerkraut stew with braised beef and pork by staff dressed in 18th-century clothes.

At the Old Salem Museums and Gardens you can watch artisans carry on the traditional crafts of pottery and shoe making.

Take time to also visit The Old Salem Toy Museum and Museum of Early Southern Decorative Art.

And if you plan to stay over try the Augustus T. Zevely Inn on South Main Street. This restored 19th-century brick house is the only inn in the Historic District. Some of its rooms still have working fireplaces to keep you warm and you can enjoy your meals in a colonial-style dining room.

And relax. You will need to catch your breath before you visit modern Winton Salem, as we shall next time.

Article source: http://triad.homesandacres.com/

And now on to Winston Salem, ranked third from among over 300 cities by the Center for Digital Government as a “digital city” in the 125,000 to 249,999 people category.  This means that, besides other things, its infra structure and architecture make digital governing feasible.

Towering over all the other buildings and taking pride of place on Winston-Salem’s skyline at 460 feet (140 m), is its tallest building, The Wachovia Center. Designed by world-renowned Argentine architect Cesar Pelli, this 34 floor office skyscraper could be said to resemble a deodorant stick although it has been given many other colorful and more anatomically explicit epithets. In spite of its modernistic external appearance it has a distinct Moravian architectural style, complete with the typical Moravian arch in the design of the 59 feet dome as well as the Moravian star, which has been used in mosaics in the lobby. Surrounded by beautiful gardens and made of Sardinian white granite and glass, it is the world’s only granite domed skyscraper.

Another very distinctive feature on Winston-Salem’s skyline is the Winston Tower. For some time the tallest building in Winston-Salem, it was forced to take second place in 1995 when the Wachovia Center was constructed, and was unceremoniously vacated. In fact, for some time, its very existence was in question. However, fate was kind to it and it was renovated extensively. A major part of its renovation included replacing all its 6,033 windows with energy-saving tinted glass. It was then reopened as Winston Tower. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Wachovia Building in 2001it is considered a prime example of International Style architecture in the state.

Bordering North Poplar Street, North Spruce Street and West 5th Street is GMAC Tower. It was erected by Integon Corporation as an add-on to its already existing six-story headquarters. Because it was designed soon after the country had faced an energy crisis that was the foremost consideration and the frontage is so constructed as to cater to differences in solar radiation. While the northern part is mainly of glass, and the southern windows are slanted so as to provide a comfortable shade, the windows in the east and west facades, which receive the strongest rays of the sun are nothing more than narrow slits.

Bordering East 4th Street and North Main Street, Reynolds building is a 314ft (96m), 21 storied marvel. It is the Head quarters of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. Built mainly of Indiana limestone, its lobby has marble finishes and metal detail. It is especially beautiful at night when it is lit up.

Of course, no description of Winston-Salem’s skyline would be complete without mention of Nissen Building at North Cherry Street and West 4th Street. Built by W.M. Nissen (he of the well known Wagon Works) it was the first air-conditioned building in the area. Until the Reynolds Building was completed on April 27, 1929, it was the tallest building in North Carolina. Once housing several offices including those of the U.S. Air Force, it will now be converted into apartments and condos.

What is wonderful about Winston Salem is that in spite of all its ultramodern buildings, there still are visible memories of the past preserved among them. Imagine finding an inoperative brick smokestack from a century-old R. J. Reynolds tobacco plant juxtaposed near The Wachovia Center skyscraper!

Article Soruce: http://triad.homesandacres.com/

Find Winston Salem homes for sale, Winston Salem real estate agents, and Winston Salem home values. Get access to Winston Salem real estate listings, including the MLS, Winston Salem REALTORS, new homes and foreclosures. Our free real estate services feature all Winston Salem and North Carolina cities and suburbs. Find Winston Salem school district information, including elementary, middle and high school test scores, student faculty ratios and other k-12 statistics. We also have information on Winston Salem home selling, home buying and mortgages, movers and other realty services for anyone looking to sell a home or buy a home in Winston Salem, NC.

Article source :  http://usarealestatelist.com/winston-salem-north-carolina-real-estate/

Durham developer Niemann Capital has released details of its planned Civic Plaza project in downtown Winston-Salem. They include a 15-story building with 120 apartments, 20,000 square feet of retail space and 50,000 square feet of office space, all built at a cost of about $49 million.
A 1-acre park would also be part of the project. The Civic Plaza development, previously also called the “Superblock,” would be on the south side of Fourth Street and stretch for about a block and a half.
Niemann Capital’s plans come after about a year of studying the site and judging market demand and potential costs, and would also include a 280-space underground parking garage. It would involve the razing of several downtown buildings, including the Pepper building.
Civic Plaza would also be adjacent to the One Park Vista luxury condominium project currently under construction on Fourth Street.
Niemann Capital is asking the city of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County to chip in on the project.
Derwick Paige, assistant city manager in Winston-Salem, said the scope of the public contribution was still being negotiated, but he expected it to be “less than 15 percent” of the total project cost.
Paige said the city has been working with Niemann over the past year as the development firm worked through potential plans for Civic Plaza. At one point, he said, the development firm wanted the city to chip in 30 percent of a $70 million total cost, Paige said.
“At that point, we told them we didn’t think we’d be able to participate at that level,” Paige said. “We pointed them in a direction we felt we could participate at, and they listened.”
Paige said a financing proposal could go before elected officials in January or February.
The public money likely would not take the form of tax-increment financing as approved by Amendment One a few years ago, Paige said, although increased tax revenue to the city and county would help offset the public contribution to the project. The parking component will be privately owned, he said, so revenue from that would not go to the city.
Jason Thiel, president of the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership, said Niemann Capital would like to get the project started by next spring, and that the next step was for the development firm to negotiate for the property with its current owners, which include the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership Foundation, Piedmont Federal and Forsyth County.
He said the choice of apartments rather than for-sale condos as the residential component should work well for downtown Winston-Salem. The Nissen building makes up the bulk of rental units in downtown, and those units are nearly fully occupied, Thiel said.
“That will help us have a more well-rounded offering of downtown residential units,” he said.
Granite Development of Mount Airy will lead the design and construction of Civic Plaza, while Atlantic Coast Commercial, which is based in Winston-Salem, will handle leasing and management services.