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Volume 116 • Issue 43
Wednesday, October 26, 2022
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CHS’ Montgomery longest serving sports “ball boy” in state of NC Works with Ironmen football, basketball, baseball; worked NC/ SC Shrine Bowl by MICHAEL E. POWELL Photo from the Chestnut Knob Fire, which started on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016 at 8 a.m., in South Mountain State Park, 10 miles south of Morganton, NC. (photo courtesy NC Forest Service)
Fall wildfire season underway in NC; public urged to use caution Cherryville’s AFC Heffner agrees; also urges caution when burning this season by MICHAEL E. POWELL Editor michael@cfmedia.info
A recent media release from the USDA Forest Service and the NC Forest Service both agree that with the impending arrival of fall wildfire season, they are “… reminding the public to exercise caution when engaging in recreational burning.”
Additionally, Assistant Fire Chief for the Cherryville Fire Department, Colby Heffner, also urges citizens to be cautious as well, and to be vigilante if they see any signs of smoke coming from any back yards or stands of trees, especially within the city’s limits. The Forest Service officials stated in their information, “Peak months for the fall fire season run from October through early December and fires left unattended can get out of hand quickly, becoming wildfires that may threaten lives and See WILDFIRE, Page 2
Editor michael@cfmedia.info
Lee Roy Montgomery is a living, breathing sports icon and not just for his beloved Ironmen; he is an icon who can claim a unique title: he is the longest serving sports “ball boy” in the state. By his own estimation, he figures there are just a few guys like him still doing their unique and strenuous job. If you don’t believe it’s strenuous, try getting out on the field or on the court at every game for as many years as Lee Roy and his fellow ball retrievers have and see how you fare. You have to be an athlete yourself just to keep up with Lee and guys like him. No doubt about it; Lee Roy Montgomery is a oneof-a-kind, top-notch lover of all things Ironmen sports and will look you in the eye and flat out tell you, “I love my job!” and mean every word of it! And his fans (and, yes… he has many of them!) love
him too. Just listen to them yell for him any time he runs out onto the field or puts the basketball men through their pre-game routine at Nixon Gym. They. Love. Him! For Lee Roy, the title “ball boy” is an appellation of great honor and he wears it proudly. The umpires and referees all know that when he is on the job, the job IS his number one priority. If he isn’t there, for whatever reason, they all want to know where he is, and God help the coach or person who doesn’t have a good explanation for where he is and why he isn’t there. Recently, Lee Roy was asked how long he has been the ball boy for CHS, as well as a few other questions. The following is what he said about his long and storied career. When asked when he exactly stared his job and with what sport, or coach, Lee said, “Since 1979, when I was in high school. I started doing it for Coach Buddy Bridges. I’ve worked with football, basketball, and baseball. Coach Bridges asked a friend of mine if I could help us out. I said ‘yes’.” Though both of Lee’s parents have passed away in the
last few years, he has family in Cherryville still; brother, Larry Montgomery, and his sisters, Lynn and Muffey. Like Lee Roy, Larry also works for the Gaston County Schools at John Chavis Middle School. Lee said he has been married to his wife, Bertha, for 11 years and they have an upcoming anniversary (Nov. 10). Lee Roy, who graduated from CHS in 1982, works at CHS. He said, “I started here in 1993 as a custodian. I work with three others: Jody Cochrane, Adrian Hunter, and Nikki Morgan.” In addition to being the
ager include the time CHS beat Mooresville in double-overtime going into the playoffs in the late ‘90s, as well as the time the Ironmen beat the number three team in the state back in 2003. Said Lee, “Those were some great wins! We went to the third round of the playoffs.” He continued, “In basketball, (great) memories was back in the rival days of Cherryville and East Lincoln in 2007 and 2008; memories of the Shelby and Cherryville games in the early 2000’s; standing room only and the gyms would always be sold out. I can remember people
Lee Roy Montgomery, the longest serving ‘ball boy’ in NC sports, on the sidelines at a recent CHS Ironmen football game at Rudisill Stadium, watching where the game ball is and waiting to go out onto the field – when needed – and switch it out. (photo by MEP/The Eagle/CF Media)
longest serving ball boy/ manager in NC high school sports, Lee Roy added, “I had the privilege of being selected to work the Shrine Bowl for the NC and SC game for five years. This was a great honor for me and for Cherryville. Some of Lee’s great memories or highlights as the Ironmen ball boy and man-
always calling me wanting me to get them a ticket and help them get in the game. Baseball state championships were always great memories for me. The year we beat Whiteville was an awesome experience.” Lee Roy said, “I want to thank all my coaches See MONTGOMERY, Page 10
Spooky Halloween decorations a labor of love for the little ones Angela Price and her sister, Linda Powell, really get into the spirit of the holiday by MICHAEL E. POWELL Editor michael@cfmedia.info
Decked out in her cowboy hat and bandanna, Lorene Summey inspects her latest batch of birthday cards. Summey has asked to receive 105 birthday cards to commemorate her 105th birthday – and she’s dressing the part for her Hoedown Barn Dance-themed birthday party, which is set for Friday, Nov. 18. (photo provided by Somerset Court of Cherryville)
Cherryville’s oldest resident to celebrate her first birthday party Somerset Court resident Lorene Summey about to turn 105 in style
Lorene Summey is gearing up to celebrate her very first birthday party in all her 105 years. She was born on Nov. 23 in 1917, which means she’s the oldest person in Cherryville, and Gaston, Lincoln counties. Summey said she’s never had a birthday party and See SUMMEY, Page 4
Angela Price of Cherryville knows there are many folks in town who decorate their houses every Halloween with every one being unique in some form or fashion. But she feels all the work she and her sister have done this year in decorating her house at 604 N. Styers Street is a special labor of love from two ladies who really love seeing the joyous looks on the faces of little trick-or-treaters whenever they come by on that one special night at the end of October. Price said, “I’ve been decorating my house since 2010. Every year I always add more stuff. I’ve always done my decorations myself until this year. (My sister) Lisa Powell of Morganton helped me set everything up.” She continued about their
Angela Price’s house at 604 N. Styers St., in Cherryville, has gobs of ghosts, goblins, witches and other ‘haints’, all waiting for the little trick-or-treaters who will come by on Halloween night. (photo by MEP/The Eagle/CF Media) shared love for the holiday, “We both have always liked Halloween and love seeing people dress up and love the attention it brings to people, and we love seeing people’s reactions. (We) just simply love doing it and making others smile.” Price said the mechanically-operated “monsters” belong to her sister, who has had them for years, adding,
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“But, they are old, and some were torn up. So, Lisa used her great crafting skills and added bugs, spiders, using a hot glue gun, stains for hands and faces, added paint for blood and re-did some of the outfits using landscape fabric cutting them in shreds (for looking creepy). She also used creepy cloths and draped this over their shoulders as well.”
About their yard display Angela noted that it has “…a lot of hard work and dedication in it,” adding, “My sister has the mindset and crafting skills to make it that extra creepy for the Halloween season. There was a lot of extra work, time, money (in it) just to show to everyone here in Cherryville how much we See HALLOWEEN, Page 6