🌱 Officials Reach Airport Compromise + Restaurant Transformation

Hey, friends! Michelle Paul here with your fresh copy of the Winston-Salem Patch newsletter, filled with everything you need to know about what's happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Friday: Partly sunny. High: 83 Low: 61.
• Saturday: Heavy rain and a thunderstorm. High: 67 Low: 46.

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Here are the top three stories in Winston-Salem today:

1. Winston-Salem city officials and Forsyth County officials announced on Wednesday that they have reached a compromise regarding whether or not to keep the Smith Reynolds Airport within Winston-Salem city limits. The county had asked to remove the airport from city limits to make the airport more competitive. Currently, airplane owners must pay both city and county taxes. Under the new compromise, the airport will stay within city limits but airport property owners would be granted a 50 percent tax cut on taxes paid to the city and county. (Subscription: Winston-Salem Journal)
2. Alma Mexicana, a restaurant in Innovation Quarter that has been around since it opened in 2018, is transforming into a new concept restaurant called El Costeño, which roughly means "the coastal dweller" in Spanish. The new restaurant will focus on Mexican seafood dishes. Restaurant owner Claire Calvin said of the timeline, "We’re going to take a couple of weeks to change the concept over, and in the meantime, we’re going to be open for lunch Monday through Friday (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) just like we have been. And then we will be reopening for dinner.” (Subscription: Winston-Salem Journal)
3. The Piedmont Land Conservancy and Crossnore School have been working together to raise money to purchase nearly 100 acres of land just outside of Winston-Salem in an effort to conserve it. As part of conservation efforts, the organizations used around $1 million of the money raised to construct a new public trail through the property. The Crossnore Communities for Children's campus will be hosting an opening celebration for the new Stuart & Emma Thomas Memorial Trail on Saturday, Apr. 22 at the campus in Winston-Salem; the family-friendly event is open to the public. (WFDD)

Today and tomorrow in Winston-Salem:

Friday, April 21

• Earth Day Clean Up At Linville Road Southeast (10:30 AM)

Saturday, April 22

• Sousa! At Wait Chapel (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Join the Forsyth County Public Library's Central Library on Saturday, Apr. 29, from 2-4 p.m. for the Local Author Fair. Come out and support local authors in our community! (Forsyth County Public Library, Winston-Salem, NC via Facebook)
• Calling all teens! Come hang out at the Southside Branch Library for the monthly Pinterest Club gathering on Friday, Apr. 21 at 4 p.m. (Forsyth County Public Library, Winston-Salem, NC via Facebook)
• Looking for a great opportunity to serve the community and devote time to help the seniors in our community in various ways? Learn more about volunteer opportunities with Senior Services by clicking here. (Senior Services Inc. of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County via Facebook)

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday! I'll see you around.

— Michelle Paul

About me: Michelle Paul is a Utah-based writer and photographer with a professional background in content management and registered nursing. When not working on projects ranging from photo editing to copywriting, they enjoy traveling, video games, and expanding their skills.