On Friday, July 17, 2020 my husband’s 23 year year old son, Adrian, was killed in a car crash on his way home from work.  He lived with us, and he was taking his regular route home from Greensboro to Winston-Salem. 

​The weather was nice and sunny most of the day. I was working from home and my husband arrived home around 3.  He was getting ready to take a weekend trip out of town while our younger son waited for Adrian’s arrival.  They had plans to go shopping when Adrian got off work.  Around 3:30, a very strong thunderstorm passed by our house with torrential rains.  My husband and I watched from the doorway, as the rain poured down for 10-15 minutes, and then the sun came back out again. 

About 4:00pm, we started getting worried.  We knew Adrian should have been home because he had spoken to his brother a little earlier to say he was on the way.  We called and texted asking him to let us know where he was; Adrian was a responsible young man and didn’t stray far from work and home.  He took on a fatherly relationship to his brothers.  If he said he was going to do something, he did it.  This was not like him.

My husband was worried but needed to get on the road.  By this time, he was supposed to have met his friends an hour ago.  He kissed me goodbye and said, “Let me know the minute Adrian walks through the door”. 
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About 10 minutes after my husband left, the doorbell rang.  The younger boy got to the door first, and when the police officer said my husband’s name, I sent our boy inside.  There had been a crash, and Adrian was dead.  He had been driving unsafely for the conditions,  hydroplaning, losing control of his vehicle and off the road, hitting a raised manhole and slamming into a utility pole at Old Greensboro Road and Salem Landing. Adrian was killed instantly.  He did not suffer.

​The next week was a whirlwind.  Funeral planning, decisions, lots of drives between Winston-Salem and Greensboro.  My husband had lost a son, his younger brothers and my girls their brother, and we were all reeling from Adrian’s unexpected death.  The questions.

They said he was passing someone on a double yellow line. Adrian would never do that. Why did he do that?  Why was he driving too fast? Didn’t he know how hard it had rained, and that there’s always standing water at that spot? How could he have hit that manhole so perfectly that he flew into the utility pole and hit it many feet above the air, without breaking the pole?  Why is that manhole so high off the ground in the first place?  How could he have died so violently but still looked like an angel in his open casket? Did he suffer? Was he scared? How can he really be gone?  Why?  Why?  Why? 

“Why” seemed to be the question I needed answered, the most.  We couldn’t question God’s plan for Adrian, but it felt like we needed to find out the purpose.  As I began to think about the accident, which played over so many times in my head, it became important to not only figure out how unsafe Old Greensboro Road is, but to make people aware of it's dangers and campaign to make it safer.

First, why was Adrian crossing a double yellow line?  There were witnesses that say that he was, but there are two reasons to believe that he wasn’t intentionally passing on a double yellow.  In hydroplaning situations, you can slide in either direction.  Who is to say that the water wasn’t moving him left?  He likely was driving too fast for the conditions, but the police report doesn’t state that it was raining at the time.  It could have just stopped, as it had at home, and was now sunny with blue skies, with water still standing on the roads.  Southern daytime thunderstorms can be like that.  Second, I don’t believe he intentionally crossed a double yellow line.  The lines on Old Greensboro Road are old and peeling, and there are many areas where it is not apparent at all that it is intended to be a double yellow. 

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A pass-through between Business 40/Salem Parkway and 311/Old Reidsville Road, Old Greensboro Road sees a lot of traffic.  Heading west from Salem Parkway you’ll pass Smokin’ Harley on Myer Lee Drive to the left, a fire station down the road a bit on the right, and then you’re driving downhill as Salem Lake surrounds the road on the left and the right.  The road moves back uphill toward the Salem Landing neighborhood on the right, and then Old Greensboro Road becomes winding, moving uphill, with a low shoulder.  As Old Greensboro Road continues, it is wooded and mainly residential until you reach the intersection of 311/Old Reidsville Road.  

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​That 1.1 mile, 2 minute stretch of road has proven to be dangerous.   A review of the Winston-Salem Police Department’s Crash Report Database shows 66 reports made between January 1, 2018 - August 4, 2020 on Old Greensboro Road between West Mountain Street and Reidsville Road.  Sixteen of those reports were made at Old Greensboro Road and Salem Landing Drive, where Adrian died.  Six of those reports specifically mention a driver crossing a double yellow line, passing, or coming into the opposite side of travel.   

NC is moving into Phase 2 of reopening tomorrow, May 22, 2020 at 5pm.  

What does Phase 2 mean for you?   This Facebook post from the NC Department of Health and Human Services goes into detail.
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Here are a few local businesses to support in Downtown Winston-Salem as we begin to venture back into the city we love. ​

Yamas is one of our favorite places for lunch in Downtown Winston-Salem.  The flavor is amazing! Yamas can't be missed. 
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As we start to shop outside of the essentials, remember to support local businesses.  Hoots Beer Co. is located on Mill Works St, directly off Northwest Boulevard. 
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Moji Coffee and More has been a fun addition to the Downtown Arts District in Winston-Salem.  There is also a second location at the Downtown library.

Dine in is back!  Young Cardinal has stayed open for carry out during the entire lockdown.  Over the last 6 weeks they've adjusted by selling prepared items and sold meat, fish, and produce, at one point extending their list as a grocery with such essentials as wheat bread, breakfast sausage, and even toilet paper and paper towels.

Follow Piedmont Triad Living on facebook, twitter, and instagram to stay connected in the Piedmont Triad. 
 

​Greensboro’s First Friday gives you an opportunity to explore downtown!  New art exhibits, live music, and delicious foods abound.  You can start the evening watching the launch of a new traveling exhibit at the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, “Navigating Jim Crow: The Green Book and Oasis Spaces in North Carolina.   While, there, you can watch a one hour screening of The Green Book Guide to Freedom (TV-PG) for free - register here for a free ticket..  Afterwards, head to the GreenHill Center for NC Art for live music with Carmen Bliss or go to Scuppernong Books to contribute to a pop-up installation piece on personal origin stories. 

​Parking is easy!  In both Winston-Salem and Greensboro, enforcement of parking meter spaces is from 8am-6pm Mondays through Saturdays.  That means you can park on the street for free after 6pm and all day Sunday. Both downtowns are plentiful with parking decks if you prefer paid parking. 

On Saturday, enjoy the gardens at the High Point Museum on E Lexington Avenue.  Costumed interpreters will show you how early High Pointers used historic herbs for a variety of purposes.  Free, drop-in, family friendly!

On Sunday, get your symphony on with the WS Youth Orchestras.  This free concert will be performed in Brendle Recital Hall on the Wake Forest campus and will include the Youth Philharmonic, Chamber Sinfonia, and the Premiere Strings orchestras. 

We add free events to our calendar regularly.  Details for all above mentioned events can be found on our calendar.  Easily add events to your phone calendar.  Check back often for more fun ways to enjoy Piedmont Triad Living!
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​One of the best things about living in Winston-Salem, NC is the sense of community.  We love to gather in downtown areas to celebrate an event that is unique to us.  Today, that celebration was for the opening of the new Salem Parkway, formerly known as Business 40. 

Six months ahead of schedule, this portion of Business 40 has been renamed "Salem Parkway" and reopens on February 2, 2020.   The day before the opening, the Winston-Salem Dash hosted a Pop-Up Party that ended with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk a section of Salem Parkway before it opened to vehicles.  People came from all across the Triad to celebrate with hot dogs, popcorn, and cake.  There were bouncy houses for the kids and an hour to stroll the roadway.  This was a free event that was held at the BB&T Stadium on Brookstown Avenue in downtown Winston-Salem.

On November 17, 2018, a 1.2-mile section of U.S. 421/Interstate Business (Business 40), passing East-West through downtown Winston-Salem, shut down.  This was part of a plan by N.C. Department of Transportation to rebuild this section of Business 40 to accommodate increasing traffic volumes.  Roadway was replaced, exit ramps and entrances were modernized, the length of acceleration and deceleration lanes between ramps was increased, shoulders were widened, and nine bridges were replaced.  In addition, both the Peters Creek Parkway and the Cherry Marshall interchanges were reconfigured.  This is the first time in North Carolina history a freeway was closed in both directions at the same time for reconstruction.  Full construction of the project will not be complete for several more months.  Some of that work will require nighttime lane closures.

The reopening of the highway will be a boon to downtown businesses that were affected by the closure of the highway and will make it much more convenient to travel through town.

Indoor Trick-or-Treating on Halloween

4-6pm Fall Festival/Trunk-or-Treat - Robinhood Road Baptist Church, 5422 Robinhood Rd, Winston-Salem 27106. Join us for our annual Trunk-or-Treat Event! We have free hotdogs, games, prizes, and an inflatable for the kids! Rain or shine!

5-7pm Trick or Treat at Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem. Enjoy free trick-or-treating throughout the mall at participating stores on Thursday, October 31 from 5-7pm. While supplies last.

​5-8pm Halloween Trick-or-Treat at Holly Hill Mall, 309 Huffman Mill Rd, Burlington 27215. Dress as your favorite character and receive candy from our merchants at Holly Hill Mall.

6-8pm Trunk or Treat, Stanleyville Baptist Church. If it rains, the event will be moved into the Family Life Center.

Halloween Postponed Across the Piedmont Triad

Greensboro

Lindley Park is moving trick-or-treating to Friday.  This area is between Longview, Lindell, Sherwood and Walker. Car traffic will be closed from 5:30-7:30.   Forest Oaks is also delaying trick-or-treating until Friday. 

High Point

Lillifield, Walnut Creek, Frazier Downs, and Cottesmore neighborhoods have all postponed trick-or-treating until Friday.

Winston-Salem

From the City of Winston-Salem:
"With severe weather forecasted for Thursday evening, city residents are urged to take appropriate precautions with their Halloween trick-or-treaters. The National Weather Service forecast calls for a line of storms, including some that could be severe, to impact Winston-Salem between 4 and 11 p.m. A cold front will bring strong wind gusts and much colder temperatures.
"Parents and caregivers are encourage to have their kids trick-or treat before dark, and to ensure they are prepared for the temperature drop and inclement weather. Parents or caregivers should accompany trick-or-treaters and be aware of the possibility of falling tree limbs. All trick-or-treaters who are out after dark should carry flashlights so they can see, and be seen, in the dark."

Asheboro

Asheboro's Trick or Treat in the Park has been postponed until Thursday, November 7 from 6;30-8:30.  The event will be at McCrary Park, 138 Southway Rd. 

Burlington
5-8pm Halloween Trick-or-Treat at Holly Hill Mall, 309 Huffman Mill Rd, 27215. Dress as your favorite character and receive candy from our merchants at Holly Hill Mall. 

King
Rain date for downtown King's Trick or Treat is Friday evening from 6-8pm. 

Mount Airy

Trick-Or-Treating is delayed until Friday from 3-5pm in downtown Mt. Airy. 

Randleman

Brown Oaks subdivision will have trick or treating on Friday. 

Walnut Cove

Halloween Festivities will take place Friday night from 5-8pm.  

Yadkinville

The downtown event is moving to the Yadkinville UMC Family LIfe Center, 204 W. Main St, Yadkinville. 

How will you enjoy your weekend with the family?  Take your pick- there are festivals, concerts, and movies in every neck of the woods in the Triad, and all of the events we have listed below are FREE for the family!  

On Saturday, Archdale hosts the 34th Annual Bush Hill Heritage Festival, a kid friendly day with crafts, food, music, commercial items, car shows, clowns, amusements and rides!  More than 200 vendors, lining the streets of Archdale and Trinity!  This festival began in 1986 as the bicentennial celebration of the Quaker settling known as Bush Hill.  

In Winston-Salem, it's Fiesta 2019!  Downtown Winston-Salem will be filled with entertainment, food and desserts, vendors, and more. Wear comfy shoes and stay a while, you could spend the day!

The State St. Festival in Greensboro is a free family friendly street festival with beer and wine, music, craft and food vendors, and more!  

In addition to those fun festivals, there will be live music at Barber Park in Greenboro, at the Community Commons in Wilkesboro, Yadkinville Community Park, Mocksville Town Hall, and Shallowford Square in Lewisville.  All of these outdoor concerts are FREE and family appropriate.  It's usually recommended that your family bring your own blankets or chairs.

Check the calendar on Piedmont Triad Living for more details.  Save events directly to your own google calendar.  Look ahead to see what's coming!

 Unless otherwise indicated, all events listed are free, no admission charge, and there may be items and/or food/drinks for purchase.  If you have questions about an event, please contact the sponsor directly.  All information is correct and accurate at the time of it's posting.

With temperatures in the mid-70s and very low chances for rain, it will be the perfect weekend to spend out in the community enjoying a free event!  

This weekend, there are several events geared toward the pre-k age group.  In King, the Little Folks Festival & Healthy Kids Day will take place on Saturday.  In Kernersville, there will be a Storytime in the Park.  Also on Saturday, the Easter Bunny will make a visit to the Gazebo in Thomasville. 

​Looking for fun for the whole family? There are three great events in Greensboro this Saturday  Learn local history at the Greensboro History Museum, celebrating Triad History Day.  Greensboro's Earth Day Festival is at Kathleen Clay Edwards Public Library and will have activities, hayrides, face painting, live animals, nature crafts, and more.  You can also head to UNCG for the 37th Annual International Festival for dance and musical performances, cultural booths and activities, and food vendors

Go fly a kite!  At Bethabara Park in Winston-Salem, celebrate Spring at the Spring Festival.  Bring your kite, blankets, chairs, and an appetite.  Free, fun, outdoor activities, hosted by the City of Winston-Salem Recreation and Parks.   You can also head to Lexington for Go Fly a Kite Day.  Be one of the first 100 people and receive a free kite to decorate, or bring your own kite!  Kite contests, music, and more. 

Support Local!  There are a few vendor events, markets, and pop ups taking place this weekend! 

The events listed below are scheduled for Saturday, April 6-7, 2019.  Find details for all events listed on our website www.piedmonttriadliving.com and on our facebook events page here.  At time of publish all information is correct and accurate.  If you have questions about a specific event, please speak with the event organizer.

KING Little Folks Festival & Healthy Kids Day
Saturday, April 6⋅10:00am – 2:00pm
Mount Olive Elementary 2145 Chestnut Grove Sch Roa, 

KVILLE Storytime in the Park
Saturday, April 6⋅10:00am – 1:00pm
Fourth of July Park
702 W Mountain St, Kernersville, NC 27284, USA​

TVILLE Meet and Greet the Easter Bunny
Saturday, April 6⋅12:00 – 4:00pm
Gazebo, Thomasville, NC
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​HP Natural Egg Dyeing in the Historical Park
Saturday, April 6⋅10:00am – 4:30pm
High Point Museum
1859 E Lexington Ave, High Point, NC 27262, USA

GSO Triad History Day
Saturday, April 6⋅10:00am – 3:00pm
Greensboro History Museum
130 Summit Ave, Greensboro, NC 27401, USA

WS Forsyth Community Fun Fest!
Saturday, April 6⋅10:00am – 2:00pm
WSSU Rams Cross Country Track and Field

WS Spring Festival
Saturday, April 6⋅11:00am – 3:00pm
Historic Bethabara Park
2147 Bethabara Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27106, USA

​GSO UNCG 37th Annual International Festival
Saturday, April 6⋅12:00 – 5:00pm
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro 1400 S

​LEX Go Fly a Kite Day
Saturday, April 6⋅12:00 – 3:00pm
Uptown Lexington Inc
13 E 1st Ave, Lexington, NC 27292, USA

WS Saturday ART Jam
Saturday, April 6⋅12:30 – 3:00pm
Monthly on the first Saturday
204 W 6th St
204 W 6th St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA

GSO Earth Day Festival
Saturday, April 6⋅1:00 – 5:00pm
Kathleen Clay Edwards Public Library 1420 Price Park Dr, 

GSO Sunday Jazz Picnics // Beyond Funk
Sunday, April 7⋅6:00 – 7:30pm
Center City Park at Greensboro Downtown Parks, Inc. 20
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WS Camel City Craft Fair : Spring Fest
Sunday, April 7⋅12:00 – 6:00pm
Foothills Brewing Tasting Room
3800 Kimwell Dr, Winston-Salem, NC 27103, USA​

​LEWISVILLE Pop Up Flea Market
Saturday, April 6⋅9:00am – 3:00pm
Lewisville Vintage
6770 Shallowford Rd, Lewisville, NC 27023, USA

GSO Now We Are Six
Saturday, April 6⋅9:00am – 12:00pm
The Corner Farmers Market 2200 Walker Ave, Greensboro

HP WEST END BLEND connecting the community and market
Sunday, April 7⋅12:00 – 7:00pm
COHAB 1547 West English Road, High Point, North Caroli

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The Winston-Salem Dash is having it's 10th Anniversary season this year!  The team has recently announced the 2019 Open House and promotional calendar.  Baseball at BB&T Ballpark, just outside of downtown Winston-Salem, can be fun and affordable for the family!  

The Winston-Salem Dash is having their annual open house on Tuesday, April 2 from 5-7pm . 

Admission to the open house is free. There will be hot dogs, beer, and soft drinks available for $2 each.   Opening Night tickets will be on sale for $5 during the open house.

Inflatables are free, and there will a brief autograph period after the team workout. 
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The price of baseball tickets for a family can add up!  The Dash and Chick-fil-A at Thruway Shopping Center have partnered to offer a Chick-fil-A Four Pack for the reasonable price of $32 for 4 Dash tickets.  In addition to the tickets, you will get 4 Dash hats and 4 Chick-fil-A Sandwich coupons (to be redeemed at the Thruway CFA).  This year's CFA dates are April 13, April 27, May 11, June 1, July 20, and August 17.  

You can see all ticket options for the Dash on their website here. 

Here are a few of the recently announced promotions.  See the full list on their website!  

New Weekly Promotion: Taco Tuesdays.  For Tuesday home games, tacos will be $2 through 8:30pm. 

Free Food Mondays: Enjoy free hot dogs and french fries until 8:30pm on select Monday home games. 

Pups in the Park Thursdays: On select Thursday home games, bring your furry friends!

Fireworks Fridays: All 11 Friday games will conclude with a fireworks display.

Live Music Saturdays: Every Saturday game will feature a local band prior to the game.

Other notable promotional events at BB&T Ballpark: 

Food Truck Festival - April 13
Craft Fair - April 14
Halfway to Halloween - April 26
Prom Night - April 27
Millennial Night - May 9
Pageant Night - June 1
Star Wars Night - June 7
Daddy-Daughter Date Night - June 21 and August 16
Women in North Carolina Night - June 26, July 17 and August 28
Hometown Heroes USA Night, presented by Salem One - July 19
Energize the Ballpark Night with a postgame concert - The Dash have partnered with Energize Ministries for the fourth annual "Energize the Ballpark" concert at BB&T Ballpark on August 3
Cancer Awareness Night, presented by Great Clips - August 9
336 Day - August 27, includes a special 3:36 p.m. gametime
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For more information on each promotion, visit wsdash.com.

Sure, you can get hot dogs at the ballpark, but if you'd like to enjoy dinner close by we have a few recommendations. 

Head downtown and try the Smoked Gouda Pimento Grilled Cheese with tater tots at Foothills!  We also love Foothill's Pub Melt and the Chicken Breast Sandwich (we like it fried).  Foothills tots are the absolute best!  Located on 4th Street, Foothills Brewing is a bottling brewery with a nice food menu, roasted coffee, and signature cocktails.   
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Just down the block from Foothills, you can try the newest addition to Winston-Salem's dining choices, Yamas Mediterranean Street Food opened this week to rave reviews.  We were there on opening day, and the bowl we tried for lunch was simply amazing!  Yamas, which means "cheers to good health",  has a favorites menu of sandwiches, grain bowls, and salad bowls, and a build your favorite menu with tons of choices for your sandwich, salad bowl, or grain bowl.
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Further down the street, choices abound.  Mellow Mushroom, Jeffrey Adams on Fourth, and Xcaret are great choices for dinner before or after a baseball game.  You even have the choice of two different  Thai restaurants on 4th Street in downtown Winston-Salem, Charm Thai and Downtown Thai.  
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Street parking is free in the downtown area after 6pm and weekends.  You can walk from downtown to the ballpark, but there is no need. You can catch the Downtown Dash Shuttle, available for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Dash games.  The shuttle returns to each stop approximately every 15 minutes, and runs from 30 minutes before the game to 30 minutes after the game.   There are stops at Foothills Brewpub, the bus station at 4th and Spruce, the back side of Center City Garage on Holly Street, and BB&T Ballpark.  More detail and map of stops here. 
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By Jessica Thomas Lewis