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Loop dreams

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Chris Rudd chris@triad-city-beat.com

AD MANAGER

Noah Kirby noah@triad-city-beat.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Carolyn de Berry, John Cole, Owens Daniels, James Douglas, Michelle Everette, Luis H. Garay, Destiniee Jaram, Kaitlynn Havens, Jordan Howse, Matt Jones, Autumn Karen, Michaela Ratliff, Jen Sorensen, Todd Turner

WEBMASTER Sam LeBlanc

ART

ART DIRECTOR

Charlie Marion charlie@triad-city-beat.com

COVER:

Mojito in Winston-Salem serves up fusion food like their masitas, or fried pork chunks bowl (courtesy photo)

Design by Charlie Marion pick up Interstate 840 on Yanceyville Street — the Urban Loop! — on a brand-new exit that I swear wasn’t even set just a month ago. It’s 8:37 a.m.; nobody here but the SUVS and trucks and me.

Icontrol? Don’t mind if I do!

Soon I’m buzzing along at 75 mph, fast enough to make good time but not so fast as to draw attention, zooming through new overpasses that create sharp angles in the sky.

by Brian Clarey

I’ve been waiting for this day a long time, since I bought a house in this disconnected quadrant of Greensboro 20 years ago, when the notion of an express loop around the city was nothing but a dotted line on a paper map, an aspiration, a metaphor. They wanted to call it Painter Boulevard back then, but now nobody even remembers who Painter was. (Note: It was Churchman Painter, Greensboro’s first city manager who served 1921-29).

And now here I am!

I take the eastbound entrance and start humming along that sweet, new highway that opened for the first time on Monday afternoon, but it’s already demarcated on Apple Maps. I’m sharing this splendid stretch with a few savvy truckers avoiding the tangle of city roads and some commuters eager to try this new shortcut to Raleigh. Cruise

Then I’m headed south, across Huffine Mill Road and the eastern piece of Wendover Avenue, avoiding the exits and then hitting the stretch where the loop is still listed as Interstate 785, and then 85. Just near Pleasant Garden, the road cuts southwest at a 45-degree angle, past South-Elm Eugene Street, which would drop me off at my office in 15 minutes or so, not too bad.

And then all of a sudden I’m near Jamestown and the Grandover. I skip over to Interstate 73 for another piece, crossing the southern portion of Gate City Boulevard before it hits High Point. Then I hit the opposite end of Wendover, Exit 102 in perhaps half the time it would have taken me to traverse that thoroughfare across town.

Near the airport, I pick up 840 again and just like that! I am at Battleground Avenue, with Lawndale and Elm exits just over the horizon.

I complete the Urban Loop at the Yanceyville exit at precisely 9:09 a.m. — just 32 minutes for this victory lap around the city, so long in the making and finally come to pass.

THURSDAY Jan. 26

Connections & Coffee @ Carolina Core Wellness (GSO) 8:30 a.m.

Join Women in Motion of High Point for a networking event to connect with other women in the area. A complimentary cup of coffee will be provided courtesy of Core Coffee Register at womeninmotionhp.org

Balinese Offerings @ Lam Museum of Anthropology (W-S) 10 a.m.

by MICHAELA RATLIFF

Moon Tree Glow @ Painting With a Twist (W-S) 7 p.m.

SUNDAY Jan. 29

Sunday Sip ‘n Slay @ Oden Brewing Company (GSO) 10 a.m.

Balinese culture draws inspiration from Hindu religious practices that emphasize giving as an act of devotion. Head to Wake Forest University to view this exhibit featuring artifacts from Balinese traditions and their religious meanings. Visit events. wfu.edu for more information.

Virtual Book Launch @ Bennett College (GSO)

5:30 p.m.

Bennett College alumna Benin Lemus takes readers on a personal journey of loss, grief and celebration through a collection of poems titled Dreaming in Mourning. Join Lemus for a virtual launch of the book at bennett.edu/live

FRIDAY Jan. 27

Cats @ Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts (GSO) 8 p.m.

A few tickets remain for this production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats. The Tony Award-winning musical, based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by TS Eliot, follows a group of cats called the “Jellicles” coming together for the annual Jellicle Ball where one cat is chosen to ascend to the “Heaviside Layer” and reborn into a new life. Purchase tickets at Ticketmaster

Join instructor Anna as she leads you through painting a scenic tree and water illuminated by the moon. Book your seat at paintingwithatwist.com

SATURDAY Jan. 28

Literacy Fair @ Kaleideum North (GSO) 10 a.m.

Join Twisted Warriors Yoga & Fitness for an all-levels yoga class focused on growing flexibility and balance. Admission includes class and one beverage of choice. Visit the event page on Facebook for more information.

Blood Drive @ Wise Man Brewing (W-S) 1 p.m. Give a pint of blood, get a pint of beer at Wise Man Brewing during this blood drive hosted by the Blood Connection. Donors will also receive a $20 eGift card and a $20 Wise Man gift card. Make an appointment at thebloodconnection.org

TUESDAY Jan. 31

Watercolor Mixed Media Series with Mavis Liggett @ Trotter Active Adult Center (GSO) 10 a.m.

Kaleideum North and community partners are hosting a literacy fair for readers in Pre-K through 5th grade to explore resources and hands-on activities to support literacy. Find more information and register at kaleideum.org

Them Pants @ the Ramkat (W-S) 8 p.m. Them Pants celebrates the release of their album Jeffership Starplane with an album release party at the Ramkat. Rick Randall, member of Them Pants, has written songs for HBO’s “The RIghteous Gemstones” and 2022 film Halloween Ends. Find more information and purchase tickets at theramkat.com

Creative Aging Network is offering two series of painting classes for adults to create unique works of art using both paint and watercolor pencils. Register at can-nc.org/classes