Live music returns to the heart of Cleveland County in early 2022 with the announcement of the Earl Scruggs Center’s Center Stage Concert Series. This series features an outstanding slate of award-winning artists, Grammy award-winners and nominees and IBMA and Americana recognized artists, including a five-time winner of the IMBA’s Banjo Player of the Year award and the prestigious Steve Martin Banjo Prize.
The Center Stage Concert Series includes seven shows running from February 19 to August 4, with performances by Joe Collins & Friends, Chatham Rabbits, the Foreign Landers, Hubby Jenkins featuring the Down Hill Strugglers, Zoe & Cloyd, Wyldwood String Band and Kristin Scott Benson. Tickets may be purchased for individual shows or a season pass for the entire series may be purchased for $100.
Center Stage Concert Series shows take place in the Great Hall at the Earl Scruggs Center, a beautiful 120-seat venue that gives music fans the opportunity to experience outstanding performances in an intimate and comfortable setting. Doors to the Great Hall open 30 minutes prior to show time and a cash bar will be available. Exhibits will also be open during this time.
To purchase tickets or to learn more about the Earl Scruggs Center’s Summer Concert Series, visit www.earlscruggscenter.org/events, or call 704.487.6233. At this time, face coverings are required in the Great Hall. Follow the Earl Scruggs Center’s Facebook page for updated information on Covid safety and guidelines for ESC programming.
Earl Scruggs Center hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 am – 4 pm with extended hours on Wednesdays until 6 pm.
Line-Up and Artist information:
Joe Collins & Friends
Saturday, February 19, 2:00 pm
Ticket Price: $10
Joe Collins is a National Mountain Dulcimer Champion, winning the contest at Winfield in 2007. Over the past twenty years, he has had the opportunity to teach and play in festivals from California to the east coast, from Florida to Vermont, and a lot of places in between.
This show features Joe and his talented friends for a concert of beautiful mountain dulcimer music. Following the performance, join Joe and friends for a jam session and mountain dulcimer workshop, free with the price of a ticket.

Chatham Rabbits
Thursday, March 3, 6:00 pm
Ticket Price: $20 presale
As one of North Carolina’s most beloved roots music outfits, Chatham Rabbits has swiftly emerged from the fertile Americana scene in the Triangle with intimate-close harmonies and mature songwriting.
The husband-and-wife duo of Sarah and Austin McCombie favor rich, minimalist arrangements, and their stage banter and presence connects to the audience in a way that is both warm and universal.

The Foreign Landers
Saturday, April 2, 
2:00 m
Ticket Price: $10

The Foreign Landers is a duo hailing from opposite sides of the Atlantic united by their love of bluegrass and traditional folk music and their love for each other. Together they combine the musical styles of their respective homelands, along with their instrumental prowess and haunting vocals to create something new.
Both excelled at their instruments and found themselves playing with some of the most promising young acoustic bands on the scene today—David with the Boston-band Mile Twelve and Tabitha with both Cup O’Joe and Midnight Skyracer from the UK. With such unique common threads, there was an instant connection when Tabitha and David finally met.
Hubby Jenkins
 featuring the Down Hill 
Strugglers
Thursday, May 19, 6:00 pm
Ticket Price: $20

Hubby Jenkins is a talented multi-instrumentalist who endeavors to share his love and knowledge of old-time American music. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he delved into his Southern roots, following the thread of African American history that wove itself through country blues, ragtime, fiddle and banjo, and traditional jazz. Hubby got his higher musical education started as a busker. After years of busking around the U.S and making a name for himself, Hubby became acquainted with the Carolina Chocolate Drops and was an integral part of the Grammy-winning group from 2010-2014.
Since 2015, he has been an active touring and recording member of the Rhiannon Giddens band. He performed on her album “Tomorrow Is My Turn” in 2015 and in 2017 “Freedom Highway.” And around these projects, Hubby continues to make solo performances.
The Down Hill Strugglers is an old time string band based simultaneously out of Kentucky and New York. They have released albums on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and Jalopy Records and are featured on the soundtrack to the Coen Brothers film, "Inside Llewyn Davis" produced by T-Bone Burnett.
Zoe & Cloyd
Friday, July 10, 
6:00 pm
Ticket Price: $20 
Hailing from opposite ends of the Appalachian Mountains, Zoe & Cloyd is renowned fiddler and vocalist Natalya Zoe Weinstein and award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist John Cloyd Miller. Their show is as diverse as their upbringing: coming from a lineage of klezmer and jazz musicians, Natalya trained classically in her home state of Massachusetts before moving south in 2004. John, a twelfth generation North Carolinian and grandson of pioneering bluegrass fiddler, Jim Shumate, is a 1st place winner of the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest as well as an Artist Fellowship recipient for songwriting from the North Carolina Arts Council.

Wyldwood String Band
Thursday, July 14,
 6:00 pm
Ticket Price: $10

Wyldwood Stringband is the collaboration of Caroline Tanner, Sarah Hollis, and Phil Lanier. Each of them separated by a decade, but with the same passion; the evolution of bluegrass and old time folk music. Sarah’s father and Phil’s uncle played in a bluegrass band together “Bitter Creek” in the 70s, they are from right here where the music began in North Carolina. Caroline in from western Canada and fell in love with bluegrass on Vancouver Island before moving to the heartland of the music that stole her heart. Bringing their various backgrounds together, Wyldwood Stringband strives to honor the traditions from which the music came, while pushing it forward and having a good time along the way.

Kristin Scott Benson
Thursday, August 4, 6:00 pm
Ticket Price: $20

Kristin Scott Benson is the five-time International Bluegrass Music Association’s Banjo Player of the Year and recipient of the 2018 Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. Since 2008, she has been a member of Grammy-nominated and two-time IBMA Entertainers of the Year, The Grascals, making an indelible mark on the bluegrass music industry.
Kristin has attained a national identity as one of the top bluegrass banjo players on the scene, exhibiting impeccable taste, timing, and tone. With an attentive ear to back-up, she is known and respected as a true team player among her peers.

By David Barrett
 and Loretta Cozart

On November 9, Arlene Schneider Barrett will celebrate her 90th birthday. Of those 90 years, 67 have been in Kings Mountain. Her early years were spent on a farm in Southern Indiana where she rode horses, even a mule. While still a child, she was kicked in the mouth by a horse and it knocked her out, as well as her two front baby teeth.
After high school, Arlene attended business school in New Albany, Indiana. Her first job was with Commonwealth Insurance in the same town. Arlene’s mother passed on early from cancer, in 1953. She had an older brother, Robert (Bob) Schneider who was born in 1925.
Arlene’s first cousin, Virginia Turley, lived at the next farm across the lane and was dating Lawrence Clunie, who was serving in the US Navy during the Korean War. Lawrence had met, and become best buddies with, Jackie Dean (JD) Barrett, also serving in the Navy. JD accompanied Lawrence to Corydon, Indiana during an extended shore leave. Arlene and JD clicked, began dating, and after JD’s enlistment was finished, were married in Lanesville Methodist Church on September 4, 1954.
   The new couple moved back to JD’s hometown of Kings Mountain, where JD joined the police department as a patrolman, and Arlene began work in the office of Foote Mineral. JD eventually moved up through the ranks until he became Chief of Police in the late 1970s. He retired from the force in 1985.
Arlene and JD bought their first house on Falls Street, which previously belonged to the then current police chief, Paul Sanders. Arlene gave birth to her first child, Cheryl Lee (Barrett) Butler, on Sept 10, 1956. Soon after, she began work as the secretary for the First Presbyterian Church in Kings Mountain, a job she held for 44 years and 4 months until her retirement in the early 1990s. While employed there she was a regular choir member until about 2 years ago. She also served on many committees.
Arlene gave birth to her second child, David Dean Barrett, on June 12, 1961. Shortly after, they moved to Park Drive, which is still ‘the home place with the same phone number’ since 1962, and just a stone’s throw from North Elementary School, where her two children attended 1st through 6th grades. Arlene encouraged both of her children to engage in multiple extracurricular activities, such as dance, theater, band, and scouting. Arlene also spent many years as a girls Cadet Scout Leader through the 1970s and early 80s.
Arlene loves to travel, has visited all 50 states, and many foreign countries, Australia being one of her favorites. The late Gary Bryant, former minister at the First Presbyterian Church said, “Her middle name is GO.” Arlene’s last big trip was visiting France a few years ago with a large group of Kings Mountain women, including her daughter, Cheryl.
Many of her travel events happened while as a tireless member of the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA), which she joined in 1970 and is still a member of today. “Arlene has been a member of Unit 155 for 50 years. I became a member in 1969 and she became a member in 1970. Arlene and I have traveled together and roomed together at state meetings of the ALA, and she traveled all over the state with me when I was state president of the auxiliary in 1976. We had 25 districts then from Murphy to Manteo. Arlene was herself the President of the Department of NC She also traveled with me to South Korea, Taiwan, and The Philippines when I was National President in 1999 -2000,” said good friend and ALA member Lib Stewart. Arlene was state president of the auxiliary in 1986.
Arlene described herself as ‘a staunch Democrat,’ and made many trips to Washington, DC for Auxiliary business. She has attended lunches with four former first ladies, met multiple past Congress members, and on one overseas trip, attended dinner with the Prime Minister of Taiwan.
Arlene and JD also took part in a yearly reunion trip for JD’s Navy buddies who served on the USS Neches (A0-47) during the Korean war. These reunions were held in many US states over the years. Their favorite was held in Alaska, where they took part in a cruise along the Alaskan shoreline.
Until recently, Arlene and her family would travel back to the family farm in Indiana for a yearly visit her father, Otto, who passed on June 24, 1983, her brother Bob, who passed on November 1, 2012, and his family, as well as many childhood friends she’d grown up with. Jackie Dean (JD) Barrett passed on April 2, 2011
Arlene served the community throughout her life in Kings Mountain. At First Presbyterian Church, she served as an elder, chaired the outreach committee, sang in the choir, and served as moderator of Presbyterian Women. For the American Legion Auxiliary, she served as a past state president, past unit secretary/treasurer, and chaired the membership committee.
After her retirement, Arlene was a Pink Lady volunteer at Kings Mountain’s hospital. She has been a member of the Town & Country Garden Club, the Friendship Club, the Kings Mountain’s Women’s Club, a social Birthday Club, and a Breakfast Club who would travel to Shelby once a week. She enjoyed weekly lunches with Mary Neisler, Mary Adams, and Bob Maner at Keith Fall’s diner.

North Elementary School celebrated Spirit Week October 11-15 in honor of Kings Mountain High School’s Homecoming. Students and staff had the opportunity to dress up in different outfits each day.
The days consisted of North Spirit Day, Superhero Day, Favorite Sports Team Day, Survivor and Class Color Day, and Mountaineer Day.
Students were also able to see videos of former North students that are now on the football team, cheerleaders, and in the band. The former North Tigers encouraged the Current North Tigers to do their best and stay in school so they will be able to enjoy the real meaning of Homecoming.

By Loretta Cozart

Helen Williams Bullock celebrated her 104th birthday on Monday, October 25. Most who know Helen are aware that she and her husband, Welford Bullock, returned to Kings Mountain to care for her sister, Maud William’s McGill, when she became ill and needed someone to care for her.
Readers might even know that that Helen and Welford lived in his hometown of Seaboard, NC for most of their adult lives. Earlier this month, one of Helen’s former students from Seaboard, Carol M. Hartline, reached out to share details of their life in that community so people in Kings Mountain would know a little more about her life there. This is Carol’s story.
“Helen Williams attended WC-UNC, later called Women's College of Greensboro. After graduation from college, she taught at Seaboard High School. Her main subject was Home Economics.”
“While living there, Helen became acquainted with Welford Bullock of Seaboard. During the war years, Helen enlisted in the Women's Army Corps (WAC). Welford, like most young men, was either drafted or enlisted. In 1944, they were married in Cleveland County, North Carolina.”
“Welford’s brothers, at least three of them, P. A. (as we knew him), Reese, and Welford, married ladies who were schoolteachers. I'm not sure if they all met when the ladies moved to Seaboard to teach, but this seemed to be a good place for young female teachers to meet nice fellows to marry,” she shared.
“Welford eventually opened a gas station on Railroad Street and Helen returned to teaching. Along with their work, they were both active in the Seaboard community and at Seaboard Baptist Church. Helen sang a sweet alto and was in the choir for many years. She also taught Sunday School.”
Before teaching Carol, Helen also taught Carol’s mother, Irma Foster Moore, and her aunt, Janie Foster. They graduated Seaboard High School in 1948. “When I entered high school, it was my turn to be her student. She taught me Biology, Typing and Home Economics.”
“During our second year of Home Economics, our project was to make a suit. I remember quite well how she stayed late several days to help me finish mine. She told my mother I did very nice work, but it took me a long time to finish a garment,” she wrote.
“Mrs. Bullock was also the advisor for the Seaboard High School chapter of the National Beta Club. I greatly enjoyed being a member and we had two great trips to Raleigh and one to Asheville for the annual conferences.”
“By 1986, the school had been closed for some time and Helen had retired from teaching. She never had children of her own, but she was part of the ‘village’ of Seaboard that helped bring up a lot of Seaboard kids.”
“My mother and Janie were both Helen's students when she first came to Seaboard to teach, before she served in the military and got married. It's amazing to me that she outlived both and so many of her students. She is the only staff member or teacher from our school who is still living. She has outlived many her students, including seven members of my class, the class of 1964. We only had seventeen students in our class when we graduated.”
Helen Williams Bullock has enjoyed an amazing life. She grew up on a farm in Kings Mountain, witnessed the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Kings Mountain, attended Central School when it burned and graduated just after the school reopened in 1937, served in the Women’s Army Corps and worked in intelligence during D-Day. After Welford passed away in 2003, Helen moved to White Oak Manor. She has seen a lot in her 104-years, not the least of which was educating a community of children in a little town called Seaboard in Northampton County, NC.

The Kings Mountain Sports Hall of Fame held its 33rd and 34th induction ceremony Saturday at Central United Methodist Church.
Because of COVID 19, the 2020 event could not be held so the ’20 and ’21 classes were honored on the same night.
Joining the 2020 class were the 1999 KMHS track team that finished second in the state 3-A championship; former Mountaineer football standouts Joseph Bell and Jim Medlin, WNCHSAA tennis champion Tim Riddle, KMHS and Western Carolina University star pitcher David Ray Robinson, KMHS and Lenoir-Rhyne four-sport standout Diane Williams, and KMHS basketball star Marquiz Williamson.
The 2021 class included the winningest coach in KM Middle School history Monty Deaton, KM’s only female East-West all-star game representative Trina Hamrick, and former NC State All-American and now professional baseball standout Will Wilson.
Wilson could not be in attendance because he is competing in a fall league with the professional San Francisco Giants. His award was accepted by his father, Brad, who was a Hall of Fame inductee in 2016 following an outstanding golf career in the collegiate ranks.
Retired KMHS principal Julie Rikard and John Gamble were recipients of the Distinguished Service Awards. Hall of Fame scholarship recipients from the past two school years were recognized.
The Hall of Fame committee will begin working on next year’s ceremony in early 2022. Normally, it is held on the Saturday night before Mother’s Day.
Committee members are Dale Hollifield, Steve Baker, Jay Rhodes, Lucille Williams, Diron Bell, David Bolton, Ed Guy, Katherine Hicks, Paul Ingram, Terry McClain, Curtis Pressley, Larry Sipe and Gary Stewart. 

North Elementary School kicked off their Relay for Life fundraising event Friday, October 1. Staff and students wore pink in honor of breast cancer awareness.
Students were also able to pay $1 for a sno-cone and $1 to wear a hat. Together the students raised $435.00. “We are very proud of our North Tigers,” said Teacher Assistant Anna Hughes.

By Anna Hughes

Students and faculty at North Elementary School celebrated International Dot Day on September 15. They dressed in dots to recognize that “We all can make our Mark”. Students completed many fun activities that included creating their own dots, transforming dots, and much more.
Students also met and listened to the author Peter Reynolds on a FlipGrid Live. Dot Day is a celebration of creativity, courage and remembering to never give up! International Dot Day began in 2009 in honor of the book, The Dot, by Peter Reynolds.

By Loretta Cozart

Tiana Roberts just started Girl Talk Ministry, that allows minority girls to discuss everyday life challenges and empower one another on ways to rise above adversities. The program allows adolescent girls to transform their mind and enhance a better life through Christ. A ribbon cutting for the program was held at Vestibule AME Zion Church on September 9.
The ministry’s first group meeting will be held at the church the first Tuesday of the month, October 5, for 5th and 6th graders. The second Tuesday of the month, October 12, is for 7th – 8th graders. And the third Tuesday of the month, October 19, is for 9th – 12th graders. Groups meet once monthly from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
When speaking of her motivation for starting the ministry, Roberts said, “The ministry is going to allow girls to see who they are. First, we must know who we are in Christ. If we don’t have a value and understanding of who we are, we will fall for anything. We will draw accustomed to the ways of the world. We are meant to be so much more than who the world tries to make us out to be. God has a purpose for each of us. If we are aligned with what He is doing on the Earth and inside us, we will then be aligned with His purpose to serve Him.”
Roberts attended UNC-Greensboro and earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies. She then earned her master’s degree in Social Work in a joint program with NC A&T and UNC-G.
Girl Talk Ministry’s first month of meetings will focus on building trust within the group. Roberts explains, “The first month is for building confidentiality, getting the girls to understand that this is a safe space. The girls shouldn’t need to worry if what I say is going to be heard in the public. We are going to work to build trust within the group and let them know that this is their space. They are safe here and are safe to say whatever they need to say. And it is okay to be vulnerable because this space is sacred.”
Internships helped Roberts decide her path in life. Her first internship was at the YWCA, one of the oldest and largest multicultural organizations, that works to enhance problem solutions for women, girls, and families. “I feel that within our own environment, we don’t always recognize the limitations because we are so immersed in it.”
During an internship for her master’s degree, she realized, “Anxiety and depression are real because the students who are so anxious, they can’t function in the classroom. With COVID-19, many are mourning the loss of a loved one. Often, students must decide, ‘Do I stay at school, or do I go home to support my family. They want to be successful in school but often must decide what is best for them and their family. Women don’t normalize the heavy issues we face; we don’t verbalize our emotions and just try to be strong,” she said. “We must say it is okay to reach out for support. We need to create a space to support each other through things and to encourage one another.”
    “But when you go off and become a part of something different, you recognize the opportunities that are available,” Roberts said. “People don’t always recognize their potential because they are limited by their environment. So, if you don’t have the resources to go to college, college might not be in the forefront of your mind. We really are a product of our environment, and we only know what we know.”
“We, as parents, must realize that we sometimes don’t know all the important information our children need. We must say, ‘I am okay to let those that do know how to help my child and talk about it with them. It is okay to have a mentor and others who can help my child with things I don’t know.’ We shouldn’t limit our children based on our own limitations,” said Roberts.
   “In the grand scheme of things, our children should go to college if they desire to do so. Not only will it help them, but it will also help the entire family. Sometimes they just need the resources to move ahead. We just need to let them know that the resources are there.”
To find our more about Girl Talk Ministry, visit their website visit www.girltalkministry.org.

The City of Kings Mountain brought the NC BeachBlast Festival to downtown Kings Mountain this past weekend on August 20-21. The event was presented by Carolina Power Partners  and held in Patriots Park. There were many  activities for the entire family. The event was well-attended and folks had a blast.

Photos by Damien O’Brien

By Loretta Cozart

Kings Mountain Post 155 hosted the American Legion World Series luncheon on Friday, August 13 at 11 am at the Otis D. Green Post home on East Gold Street. They fed over 200 attendees including eight teams and coaches, along with National American Legion officers, National volunteer staff, and local Legion members.
Seated at the head table were Post 155 Chaplain and Legion Rider John Braford, National American Legion Auxiliary President Nicole Clapp, former pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals Mitch Harris, Past Department of NC Commander Evan Thompson, Department of NC Commander Jim Quinlan, and American Legion Post 155 Commander Ken Breakfield.
   American Legion Auxiliary Unit 155 assisted in the dining room and member Kim Sexton provided desserts including a variety of different flavored cupcakes. Her two grandsons, Lucas (age 12) and Tyler (age 5) helped decorate them.
National ALA President Nicole Clapp commented that she had a choice between the MLB Field of Dreams Special game between the Yankees and White Sox held Friday evening in Dyersville, Iowa, or coming to the American Legion Baseball World Series. She did not hesitate to come to Shelby for the ALWS.
Keynote speaker was Mitch Harris, a Mt. Holly native, U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Navy veteran, former Legion baseball player, and an MLB player who has pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals.
   In his remarks, Harris told the gathering of 200 American Legion World Series participants, "When we die, there's going to be a tombstone or monument listing the day you were born and the day you died," Harris said. "For us veterans, we'll have a flag folded that is given to our next-of-kin.
"The 'dash' is the key and the difference. What are you doing during the time of that dash?”
He then shared what he wanted hi his "dash" to be. "I don't want to be remembered as the guy from the Naval Academy that made the big leagues," he said. "I want to be the guy that encouraged people to do special things and to do things that people say you can't do."

By Loretta Cozart

On August 7, American Legion Post 155 fed 54 veterans and guests at their free monthly breakfast held the first Saturday of every month at the post home on E. Gold Street.
The monthly breakfast is an outreach service to all veterans. American Legion Post 155, with assistance from the Sons of American Legion, Legion Riders, and American Legion Auxiliary honor veterans with a made to order breakfast.
The gathering is an opportunity for the community to support veterans by joining them for a meal and visiting with them in fellowship. Non-veterans are asked to make a small donation to offset the cost of the meal, enabling American Legion Post to continue the program monthly.
The next breakfast is scheduled for September 4.