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Rotary Club To Sponsor Golf Tournament
 The Rotary Club of Clanton will hold a golf tournament on Thursday, September 23, as a charity fund-raiser. Preregistration is now going on and will continue until September 9. The format will be four-man scramble and it will be held at Timberline Golf Course in Calera with the cost being $125.00 per person or $500.00 for a team.

There will be a complimentary lunch at noon for all players. Every player will receive a free green fee for another day; first, second and third place teams will receive team prizes; a prize will be given to winners of closet to the pin and for the longest drive, there will be complimentary range balls; and if a hole-in-one is achieved on par 3, there will be a new vehicle placed there for the winner.

Hole sponsorships are available for $150.00. Call Roger Yeargan at 205-351-1913 for Joe Baugh at 205-253-6739 for more information, an application, or to register.

Political Forum In Jemison September 13th
The Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce, and the Chilton Leadership Class of 2010 will sponsor a Political Forum on Monday, September 13, from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Jemison City Hall.
The Forum will feature the November election candidates for House of Representatives, Chilton County Sheriff and the Chilton County Superintendent of Education.

This event will allow all citizens to meet the November candidates and hear their answers to questions posed by the moderator, Dr. Jim Seroka of Auburn University. Everyone is invited to attend.
Hayden Encourages Parents
To Track Student Progress
With Tools Of Technology
As another school year begins, Republican nominee for Superintendent of Education Dave Hayden, a math teacher at Clanton Middle School, is encouraging all parents to take advantage of STI. “STI stands for Software Technology Incorporated. It is the computer software program the county schools use for grades, attendance and other records. A student’s parent or guardian can monitor grades and other information from any computer with internet access,” said Hayden.

“First, the parent must go to the student’s school and sign for, and obtain, a username and password. The school’s office can tell you what to do. A username and password generally cannot be obtained over the phone or by a student, but requires an adult signature,” said Hayden.

“Once you have a username and password go online to http://home.sti-k12.com, click on Alabama, then click on Chilton County Schools, then the school the student attends and enter the username and password. This will give you access to the student’s information.” Hayden continued, “not only do you get the class averages, but you can go over subjects assignment by assignment, test by test in great detail.”

The details generally include date, description of the assignment, and classification of the work such as test, homework, quiz, and so forth.” Hayden says he recommends that parents of his students check STI at least once a week for student progress. “Also allow time for work to be graded and entered. For example, if I give a math test on Friday morning, I usually grade and go over the test with the students before entering the grades. This takes us to the next day of class so the score may not be posted to STI until Monday afternoon,” said Hayden.

“I have had many parents tell me that they sit down together with their son or daughter and review STI on a regular basis and have seen great improvements in academic progress.”

Hayden encourages everyone to use the technology tools we have available. “It seems like ages, but it really hasn’t been that long since the handwritten report cards, in the blue covers that were sent home every six weeks, were all we had,” he added.
Did you know that the longer you refrigerate apples or pears, the sweeter they become? Dr. Arlie Powell, above, explained how some fruits such as apples, pears and grapes contain starches and, if refrigerated, they become sweeter. “The sugar content will get higher because the starch converts to simple sugars,” he said.

“Peaches and plums have little to no starch. Once they are picked, they will soften and develop a little more flavor, but the sugar content will not get any higher,” Dr. Powell said. Potatoes also contain starches and that is why you don’t want to put your potatoes in the refrigerator.

Dr. Powell explained the different varieties of apples, asian pears, muscadines and bunch grapes during a walking tour of the orchards at Petals From The Past on Saturday, August 21. Before the tour, he talked to those in attendance, showed samples of plants and allowed folks to taste the different fruits available.