Not Your Average Etiquette Ball

Shan Adams, right, reacts after daughter Destiny Adams takes first place in a best dressed contest at the Not Your Average Young Person seventh annual Etiquette Ball for middle and high school students at the Gastonia YMCA on Saturday March 26, 2011.

Young fans react as musician Joe Barrino AKA Teeny, below, makes a surprise appearance at the Etiquette Ball on Saturday.

Young women scream and cheer as Jeremiah Tims, 15, walks the runway during a best dressed contest at the Etiquette Ball.

Markel Hemphill, 17, breaks it down during the dance.

Imperial Mill

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I recently took some time to stroll through the abandoned and gutted Imperial Mill building in Belmont. At over 100 years old, it's one of the oldest in the area, but demolition will continue if no one steps up to redevelop the site soon.

I was assigned to go take picture of this mill and one other in Belmont when demolition work began several months ago, but only had time to get a few shots of each. This is a large mill, and I wanted to go back and wander around exploring a little more.

As luck would have it, I procrastinated until I went into work one day and had an assignment to get more pictures of the mill, and lots of time to do it. I would have gone back on my own time, but I can't complain about getting to do it on the clock.

Brownie

Wanna see my lizard?

Meet an old toy and a new toy.

This foam lizard has been hanging on the wall of every place I've lived since I got it at a fair when I was maybe 8 years old (if that). I don't know why. There's absolutely nothing special or sentimental about it. It's just always been there.

The picture was taken with my newest toy, namely the Hipstamatic app for my iphone 4.

I've had the phone for a while now, but until some of my friends recently started posting cool iphone pictures I wasn't exactly inspired to use it as a camera.

I was looking at the phone as just a not-so-good camera, but with this app it's becomes one more toy camera to add to my collection--and the only one that I have with me at all times. It's no substitute for the look of real vintage film cameras, but kinda cool none the less (not to mention cheaper).

Check out more of my Hipstamatic pics

Things in my Apartment

Guest Room

Faces & Places

Artist John Rankin with his painting "Gaston Recalled & Relived" depicting Gaston County places and faces, in his home on Monday February 28, 2011.

Rankin has traveled all over the world painting scenes from abroad, but was inspired to create this piece after a friend pointed out that he had no paintings depicting the character of his home town.

Think Pink 2011

Belmont Abbey's Kelsey Long shoots over the defense of Limestone's Tia Williams during the game on "Think Pink" night in the Wheeler Center on Thursday February 17, 2011. 

Belmont Abbey's Paula Regalado passes the ball to teammate Kelsey Long, left, during the game against Limestone.