Mcadenvilles Christmas Lights

The Mcadenville Christmas lights are one of the most beautiful illuminations in all of Gaston County. This town is covered from head to toe in everything Christmas! This is where people got the name of calling it Christmas town USA. The first time I went through the Christmas light was on my sisters birthday, we rode in a limo that my mom had rented for us. We strolled through looking at all the cheery scenery while we listened to some Christmas music and drink hot cocoa. This is made into many family Christmas traditions for a lot of people, and riding in a car to look at the lights tend to back up everyone into a whole cluster of traffic. So now my family, friends, and I usually walk through the Christmas lights. Even though the weather outside is extremely chilly, we bundled ourselves and just take it one step at a time to take it all in. We pass by a few carolers and a hot cocoa stands. This I think is a much better way of enjoying the holiday season with your loved ones. 

Purple Planet 3D mini golf

The Purple Planet is located in Belmont that has 18 holes that you can putt putt your heat out. Not only does this place show off cool 3D effects and lots of neon colors, this place is also right next to The Haunted Mill. They have arcade games, pool tables, television, and they also hold parties for those who are having a birthday. The first time I came to this place was when it was my sisters 7th birthday, which was quite awhile ago. I also had my birthday here because, why not. This place was just amazing and the details to the art was awesome as well. I enjoyed going through each hole and just trying not to fall because the 3D was so intense. Even though The Haunted Mill was closed the time I went, there was a haunted mini golf course to go and try out. I would recommend having a birthday party here, or just coming for the fun of it, anyone will surely enjoy.  

Gastonia Grizzlies

The Gastonia Grizzlies are known as Gaston County's hometown team. They are a summer baseball team that play in the Coastal Plain  League. Home games take place at Buddy Lewis Field at Sims Legion Park. The mascot for the Gaston Grizzlies is Chizzle Grizzle. The Gastonia Grizzlies deliver various types of fun-filled family entertainment. The community of Gaston County embraces The Grizzlies as a big part of the community. The Grizzlies are most known for crazy and unique promotions such as Grandma Beauty Pageant, Dig for the Diamond, Salute to Underwear Night, Flatulence Fun Night and Midnight Madness Night. The Gastonia Grizzlies are constantly involving themselves in community activities and groups. While in town, the players spend their limited free time interacting with local children. The Grizzlies love to help out their community. They assist non-profit organizations throughout the region by either volunteering or donating items.

My very first Gastonia Grizzlies game was on June 20, while I was at Commissioners School. That day was Chizzle's Birthday Bash and Mascot Mania. When I heard we were going to a baseball game, I was expecting it to be boring since I don't watch baseball. I had a lot of fun and would love to go to another Grizzlies game. I remember looking up at the scoreboard and noticing a marriage proposal, it was really sweet. All the Commissioners School students had a shout-out and we had the opportunity to go in the field and do the Cupid Shuffle with Chizzle, the mascot. It was really great seeing the community come together. Chizzle was probably the best part of the game. He added some humor and amusement to the baseball game. I was introduced to a pizza burger, waffle burger, doughnut dog, and a doughnut burger at the game.

Fans are encouraged to take the Garbage Can Nachos Challenge. The Garbage Can Nachos includes three orders of nachos, a chopped hamburger patty, two chopped hot dogs, and an order of cheese steak. This is all covered with nacho cheese, chili, and Jalapeno peppers. Two glazed doughnuts are also placed on the side. This is all served on a clean garbage can lid. If you can eat the whole order in ten minuets, the team would pay for your nachos and your picture would be placed on the Wall of Fame.

Christmas Parade

I participated in this years Christmas Parade with the American Red Cross Youth. This was my very first time being part of a parade. It was a struggle trying to figure out the meeting place before the parade, but I eventually met up with the rest of the youth volunteers. For the most part we just walked, handed out candy canes, waved, and wished those we could a merry Christmas. It was very cold the day of the parade. So, by the time we got to the end I couldn't even feel my hands even though I wore gloves. I really enjoyed being in the parade though.I would definitely participate again next year. The Christmas parade brought together everyone in the community and it was really cool.

Schiele Museum of Natural History

Lizzy's Reflection

Going to the Schiele Museum was really fun. It kind of brought back some of my elementary school memories. Almost every year in elementary school we would take a trip to the Schiele . I enjoyed walking around and looking at the different exhibits. I also liked hearing about the different adaptations that the animals that were shown had developed. I never knew that toads had some poison inside them that they could use when they get eaten. So if they get eaten they could just hop back out after the animal that eat them dies from the poison.

Kayla's Reflection

As many times as I have been to the Schiele Museum, you kind of know your way around, and each time I have been it was basically the same. When we went on this field trip I was really amazed by how many new additions they have made since we had been last year. I loved looking at all the different animals and learning about each adaption all of them had. I also enjoyed exploring those new additions made to the museum such as the different animals across the world, and the roof top. Those monkeys were like the most hilarious things during the whole trip. I mean it was kind of cruel that people were scaring the monkeys and they were kind of freaking out, but come on....its not everyday you see a monkey flying at a window trying to attack you.

Kayla's Interviews

Interview #1- Robin Medlock 

I decided to interview Robin Medlock because she has lived in Gaston County for about 20 years. Not only is she a teacher at Lowell Elementary, but she was also my Kindergarten teacher. Her husband has lived in Gaston county all his life and Mrs. Medlock decided to move her because of the small town feel and tight nit community of people. She grew up in Charlotte and she stated that it was "always congested with traffic". Thinking that it would be a much better environment to raise kids she decided to stay in Gaston. She had many stories to tell about how, when her husband was still in school, that his principal would tell him to bring his hunting rifle to go hunting after school. She always stated that his "paw paw was the mayor at one time" in the town of Lowell. This, you can see, shows how close the people of Gaston County were and even today in the present. I asked her how has Gaston County how would you describe the people of Gaston County, she said that the people are, "well mannered, polite, friendly, and always willing to help kind of people." 

Original interview- 

Interview #2- Michelle Lynch

I decided to interview Michelle Lynch because she has been a family friend of mine for as long as I could remember. She has been living in Gaston County since she was a little kid, and worked as a child care provider for 7 years. I was one of the little kids she looked after at my old daycare when I was younger. She became a stay at home mom in 2005 and still is to this day. She has lived all over Gaston County such as Dallas, Lowell, Bessemer City, and is now living in the southern part of Gastonia. I asked her what was her greatest memories living in Gaston County, she stated that, "Many times she would go to Crowders Mountain...and now she gets to take her own children." Family means a lot to her, and she stated that, "having family here made me decide to keep living here." I then asked her how as Gaston County changed over the years and she stated that, "Gaston County has gotten a lot bigger since I was younger it was small and had a great drive in off of 74 when I was a kid now it's a big county with lots of great places and events to go to."

Link to original interview

Gaston Place

The day before Halloween, me and the American Red Cross team went to go visit veterans at the Gaston Place, which is a home for senior citizens. To show that we honor their services, we made little bags of candy and passed them out to the veterans.We went to each individual room and heard different stories about their time at war. They also told us a little about themselves and their family. It was really fun getting to know and meet some of the people staying at Gaston Place. Afterwards, it made me feel like I did a good deed because some of them didn't get many visitors. It brightened their day knowing that we did all of that for them.