Fighting back

Instructors Victoria Little, Sam Barksdale and Ryan Hoover, rear, demonstrate martial arts techniques for neutralizing an active shooter on Thursday January 10, 2013 at Ryan Hoover's Extreme Karate in Gastonia. Hoover is now offering classes for educators to prepare for an active shooter situation on campus. 

I'd like to state for the record, this was a fun assignment. 

This local martial arts school is offering classes just for teachers and other school employees to learn how to neutralize an active shooter on campus, which, if you don't mind me sharing my opinion, is a much better idea than arming custodians as one Ohio school board just voted to do. 

I had the time, so I went ahead and set up some studio lights, which was really necessary, since the place was darker than a coal miner's backside. I seem to get good portrait and studio assignments less and less these days, so I always value the opportunity to pull that gear out when I can. 

It didn't hurt that the instructors were perfectly cast for their parts; just look at the face on Sam Barksdale (the bad guy) in the bottom picture! 

Ink

Photo of local woman Kayla Coley for a story about people with tattoos being discriminated against when applying for jobs. 

Operation Wedding Gown

Zina Thornton, from left, and sister Cherrelle Thornton look on as employee Sara Alenduff helps their friend Diana Song, from Fayetteville, NC, choose a wedding gown during the 2nd Annual Brides Across America Gown Giveaway at Poffie Girls bridal and formal boutique in Gastonia on Sunday November 18, 2012.

Forty two brides who serve in the U.S. armed forces or are marrying a service member received a free package of a designer dress, tiara, veil, shoes and one piece of jewelry with a combined retail value of over $2,000.

More soccer highlights

Ashbrook's Austin Johnson, left, and Fred T. Ford's Kenan Ruffner head the ball simultaneously on Saturday November 3, 2012 at Ashbrook.

Pfeiffer's Kaitlin Sampson jumps over her keeper Britt Polly as she dives on the ball ahead of a charge from Belmont Abbey's Ananda Gebreyesus during the Conference Carolinas Championship match at Belmont Abbey on Saturday November 3, 2012.

Belmont Abbey players Abby Walton, from left, Ashley Minda and Juliana Stalzer celebrate after their 1-0 victory over Pfeiffer in the Conference Carolinas Championship match at Belmont Abbey on Saturday November 3, 2012.

Get well soon

Emma Bowen, 6, from left, Maylee McNair, 5, Alexandria Bowen, 9, and Mallory McNair, 11, take turns writing on a large card for all the victims of a recent outbreak of E. coli infections, including the McNair sisters' cousin Jordan McNair who is still hospitalized, during a prayer vigil for the victims at Firestone Wesleyan Church on Union Road in Gastonia on Saturday October 20, 2012.

At the time of the vigil, 106 individuals, including one toddler who passed away, have been diagnosed with the illness after visiting the Cleveland County Fair. 

Rita Welch, left, and Veronica Gibson offer support to Bennie McClannon, seated, as Christopher Bridges and sister Renee Bridges light candles during a prayer vigil for Jordan McNair, McClannon's grandson, and other E. coli victims at Firestone Wesleyan Church on Union Road in Gastonia on Saturday October 20, 2012.

The Woman in Pink

Two-time cancer survivor Kim Beverly, founder of The Woman in Pink, poses for a photo at It's A Girl Thing Salon on Second Ave. in Gastonia on Thursday October 4, 2012. The Woman in Pink, which she runs with two partners, works to donate wigs to women suffering hair loss due to cancer treatment. 

Biker Church

Husband and wife Jewel and Jimmy Stiff with the Christian rock band Apprehended Ones perform at Biker Church at The Homestead Lodge on Stowe Road in Gastonia on Sunday September 30, 2012.

Scott 'Shoes' McCurry joins other motorcycle enthusiasts and their families watching Apprehended Ones perform.

The Rev. Ben Smith speaks during Biker Church. He says he tries to avoid getting too 'preachy' with the alternative service.

Reptile Day

Joshua Graffeo, 9, holds a hog-nosed snake during Herpetologist Ron Cromer's Snakes Alive show during a reptile day celebration at the Schiele Museum on Sunday September 9, 2012.

I can say fairly authoritatively now, after seeing him a few times, that when herpetologist Ron Cromer brings his 'Snakes Alive!' tour to a town near you, you can expect to get lots of good feature photos.

Cromer shows an iguana named Tarzan to the audience.

Legion baseball wraps up

Brooklawn, NJ runner Pat Kane slides in safe at home past Bellevue, WA catcher James Sinatro to score the winning run in the 10th inning of game eight at the American Legion World Series in Shelby on Sunday August 19, 2012.

Here's a few of my best photos from the last few weeks of American Legion baseball playoffs.

I don't consider shooting baseball to be one of my strengths as a photographer, but looking over all the high school, Gastonia Grizzlies and American Legion baseball I shot this summer is boosting my confidence a bit. I think for the first time in my four-year career I can say without hesitation that I'm proud of the work I did.

I can't take all the credit, of course. No matter how good you are as a sports photographer, you're always at the mercy of what's actually happening on the field. With baseball that is often extreme boredom and monotony punctuated by moments of dramatic and decisive action, such as the play-at-the-plate above.

All things considered, this year I felt like there was simply more action, and I can't complain about that.

Hickory Post 29 left fielder Tanner Dillard reaches over the fence to rob a Gaston Braves batter of a home run during game four of the American Legion playoffs series at South Point High in Belmont on Thursday July 19, 2012.

Cherryville Post 100 second baseman Brett Huff knocks off Gastonia Post 23 runner Trevor Bridges' helmet after forcing him out at second and winding up to throw to first for the double play during the American Legion playoffs game at Sims Legion Park on Wednesday July 4, 2012.

A second chance for the Loray?

A view of the Loray Mill in Gastonia on Monday June 25, 2012. Gastonia leaders announced Monday the acquisition of a Federal Housing Administration loan of almost $21 million to reconfigure the historic mill into loft apartments and retail space.

A few weeks ago a developer announced plans to redevelop two historic high rise buildings in downtown Gastonia into apartments. This week it was announced that another developer has secured a major piece of the funding necessary to start a project to redevelop the historic Loray Mill into apartments. 

For a lot of people in the area, myself included, this is great news. For all too long these structurally sound but very old, and in the case of the Loray Mill, historically significant structures have been abandoned for decades. 

There are still quite a few challenges ahead for the projects, but I'm just glad to see these buildings put back to good use. 

Read Out in Pride

People circle in Center City Park on Main Avenue in Gastonia and light candles during the PFLAG Gaston (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) 'Read out in Pride' event on Thursday June 21, 2012. The group is touting the event as the first ever LGBT pride event in Gastonia.

Your Out!

Queen City Mustangs catcher James Snover tags out Gastonia Post 23's Garrett Lowery at home in the first inning of the game at Sims Legion Park on Sunday June 17, 2012.

Eating Champs

Zane Riley, right, keeps an eye on his competition, Michael Toller, while competing in a wing-eating contest between innings of the Gastonia Grizzlies vs Petersburg Generals Coastal Plains League baseball game at Sims Legion Park in Gastonia on Tuesday June 19, 2012.

Nightscapes

I took a few night street scape photos of downtown Gastonia, above, and Belmont  recently for an ad campaign for a local car dealership. I've yet to see what the paper did with them, but I figured I would go ahead and share them here.

For those who are interested, the bottom photo was made by "light painting" the scene with a flashlight during the long exposure.  

New life

I just found out today that two old high rise office buildings, the Lawyers Building, here, and the Commercial Building in downtown Gastonia are going to be remodeled into apartments and will be open in the next year. I might be moving in...

You can read more about the project in the Gazette story. We should be finding out a lot more at a presentation on Tuesday. 

Getting ahead

Ashbrook's Shannon Kay heads the ball during overtime in the match against South Point on Thursday April 19, 2012 at Ashbrook. Kay scored the sole goal of the match. 

Sudden Impact

South Point baserunner Mitchell Painter, left, collides with Cherryville first baseman Alston Mosteller as Mosteller attempts to field a ground ball on the first base line during the Gaston County Baseball Tournament semi-final match at Sims Park on Wednesday April 11, 2012. 

South Point right fielder Mitchell Painter comes up short of catching a fly ball during the game against Cherryville.

Waiting...

I recently took a tour of the Commercial Building in downtown Gastonia. It was built in the 1920s, and all but the ground and first floors have been largely abandoned since the '80s.

Walking up the stairs you sort of felt like you were in a time machine, with some of the floors abandoned and left as they were in the '80s, some very obviously in the '70s and still others seemed as though they were unchanged since the '30s.

Truly a forgotten treasure, this building appears to be in perfectly good shape for remodeling into something new. Perhaps a boutique model to compliment the new Gastonia Conference Center which sits on the same city block? That's what I would do if I owned it.

There was also quite a view from the top. I might have to post a picture of that view soon, but for now I'll just tease you.  

Webb St. Shooting

People who are reportedly family members of the victim console one another at the scene where a woman was shot and killed and another injured at 1655 N. Webb St. on Wednesday March 28, 2012.

Gastonia Police tackle a man identified by relatives as Toshawn Adams after he charged through police tape chasing after another man during a small riot that broke out after a large crowd of onlookers had gathered at the scene on N. Webb Street.

Gastonia Police detain a man who took part in a small riot at the scene.

Two people console one another at the scene.

The Nurse's Dorm

Pathways Housing and Services Development Coordinator Kim Maguire poses for a photo in the former nurses dormitory on the historic North Carolina Orthopedic Hospital campus in Gastonia on Thursday March 1, 2012.

The building was most recently occupied by the Gaston County Department of Social Services until it was abandoned in the mid '90s. Maguire hopes to secure funding to renovate the building and convert it into veterans' housing.

Paint peels and crumbles away from water-damaged walls inside the building.

Furniture sits discarded inside the building. The last occupant was Gaston County Department of Social Services, who left for a new much large facility in the mid '90s.

Paint peels off of columns on the front facade of the building.