MARION, Ala. – Judson College has awarded the second annual Gloria Huey Crawford Scholarship to Courtney Tindale of Bremen, Ala. Tindale is the daughter of William and Connie Tindale and a 2010 graduate of Cold Springs High School.
Tindale transferred to Judson from Wallace State Community College in Hanceville. She is majoring in music and psychology at Judson, and is involved in choir and intramural field hockey.
Long-time Marion resident George Crawford established the scholarship in honor of his mother, Gloria Huey Crawford. He wants the scholarship to benefit students in the department of music.
“Mother was a wonderful coloratura soprano at Huntingdon College and I heard her beautiful voice growing up, Crawford said. “She also sang the dedicatory concert when the new organ was installed at Marion Methodist Church years ago.”
Mrs. Crawford grew up in Enterprise, the daughter of George Bolling and Vonceil Huey. She enrolled at Huntingdon and later met and married Lawrence Crawford, a veterinary student at Auburn University.
The Crawfords moved to Marion in 1946, where Mrs. Crawford assisted her husband in the operation of his new practice, the Crawford Clinic, as well as help manage the family farm. Dr. Crawford died in 2004.
Mrs. Crawford still makes Marion her home. She is a member of DAR and the Marion United Methodist Church.
“I wanted to honor my mother and Judson College,” George Crawford said. “This scholarship will assist music students in their studies.”
“Judson College remains ever grateful to Mr. George Crawford for his long-standing support of Judson College,” said Dr. David Potts. “We count it a privilege to honor his mother in the establishment of this generous scholarship for students in the music department of the college. We believe the music department to be a fitting place for her recognition because of her accomplishments as an artist and the family’s love of music,” Potts said.

A Perfect Holiday Event for kids to come together with friends and sample and trade their homemade cookies.  Each year is more exciting than the last.  Kids enjoy baking cookies for this event and can’t wait to see whose taste the best.  There are judges for the assorted cookies and everyone leaves with a gift.

By Charlene Medley
Mr. Henry Raymond Swain is a personable man and it is not just because he is handsome and articulate with a million dollar smile.
Mr. Swain is a realtor by trade and describes himself as an “honest business oriented man who serves people.”
Upon first meeting Mr. Swain, he comes across as an old comfortable friend that you have known forever.
Ironically, he’s only 29 years old and looks like a high school sophomore. The juxtaposition of it all lies in the fact that while in high school, Mr. Swain discovered his interest in Real Estate.
He explained, “I thought I might flip houses or something like that. I took the Realtor’s class, but I was young and did not follow through with it.”
Then one day, while working for Coca Cola, Mr. Swain accepted a job cleaning foreclosed houses.
“The joy of working in real estate came back to me,” he admitted.
Mr. Swain is no stranger to the real estate business. “Growing up in Talladega, my family always worked  as carpenters, electricians, and in construction,” he explained.
He continued, “When I got my Real Estate License, the market was in shambles. Many people thought it was not a wise decision to try to sell houses with the economy the way that it was and the numerous foreclosures.”
Mr. Swain said he barreled through and stayed the course. “My folks prayed for me. My mom, stepdad, and grandmom kept me encouraged. They support me in everything that I do,” he added.
Having been a Realtor for four years, Mr. Swain said he is happy with his career choice.
“I like helping people. I get so much joy out of people finding a home, moving into that home and getting a new, fresh start in life,” he smiled.
According to Mr. Swain, “I also like the negotiating aspect of my job. I want to get the best deal for my client. I am my clients’ servant. I am very good at what I do. I try to go above and beyond for my clients. I am honest, ethical and I want what I do to come back to me – good things”, he emphasized.
Mr. Swain continued, “I like for the home buying process to be fun. Sometimes things happen that are out of my control.”
He used a biblical analogy to describe home purchasing. “It’s like a woman giving birth. There is some pain, but after it is over and you have your beautiful baby in your arms, all the pain is forgotten.”
To make the home purchasing process smoother, Mr. Swain had a few suggestions. “Do your research and educate yourself. Know what you are getting into before you get into it. Know about your credit and work on it. Be mindful of your spending habits.”
He continued, “I work with a lot of first time home buyers. I tell them that there will be upfront costs such as home inspections.  You want to have money in reserve for all costs and to purchase furniture for your new home.”
Recent homebuyer himself, Mr. Swain said from his standpoint, “It is a good thing to purchase a home for many reasons. It’s yours. It belongs to you. You feel like you have accomplished something. It gives you individuality. You can do certain things to your home that you cannot do to an apartment or if you were renting. Just pay for it. You work hard and purchasing a home is a reflection of your hard work. You want a nice place to raise your family. It’s part of the American Dream,” he added.
Mr. Swain said now that he has bought a house, he spends much of his spare time at Thrift Stores. “ I search for antique pieces to refinish. I love restoring old pieces of furniture.”
Mr. Swain said he likes to visit all of the downtown restaurants in his spare time, also.
Five years from now, Mr. Swain said he plans to continue in Real Estate. “I love the selling and working with people aspect of it. I am contemplating running my own firm with a small team of honest people to assist me in selling houses.”
If you are looking to buy or sell your home, Mr. Swain said he can be contacted at 205-705-5251 or at hrswain8259@gmail.com.

 (NAPSI)—There could be good news for parents who want their children to grow up to be independent, fiscally responsible adults. A digital curriculum that offers students a chance to explore personal finance topics through interactive learning has been updated and improved.
The digital and paperless curriculum and custom software—made possible by a multiyear funding commitment from the KPMG Foundation for Junior Achievement USA® (JA)—lets middle and high school students engage in real-world financial activities such as online banking and paying bills via tablet PCs, while being introduced to such concepts as insurance, credit and long-term investments.
Middle and high school students are known for being increasingly more tech savvy (44 percent of millennials check their phones more than six times an hour). Using technology that they’re already accustomed to will better prepare them for financial success, according to the program’s supporters.
Upon completion of the in-class work, students visit a JA Finance Park facility or mobile unit and take part in a virtual experience to put their newfound skills to the test in real-life scenarios. Just as in the “real world,” students must make financial trade-offs for what they want versus what they can afford.
For more information on bringing this program to your local school, visit www.ja.org.

by L’Tryce Slade

It is time we think about how we use energy. First, we must be smart on how we conserve energy. Americans waste so much on heating, cooling and lighting our poorly weatherized homes and offices. Even the cars we drive do not get enough mileage per gallon. There have been great improvements in the energy efficiency of buildings (such as waterless toilets, energy efficient hot-water heaters, and programmable thermostats) that can save money for property owners. The focus should be on how we save the consumption of fossil fuels.
Additionally, we need to think how we can create more green jobs for local unemployed people. There are so many buildings that consume our energy use, green house-gas emissions, and waste production. The work on the buildings should include audits, energy-efficiency improvement (e.g. providing insulation around windows and doors); lighting upgrades (replacing bulbs with led lights); water consumption improvements (fixing plumbing), heating and cooling improvements (HVAC units); and cool-or green-roofing installation.
We are all stewards to our environment. Let’s make sure we leave the environment better than the way we found it for the next generation.

L’Tryce Slade, MRP, JD, Managing Director of Slade
www.sladellc.com

by Alvin Brown

Special To The Times and wire reports

Reading is essential in order to survive in today’s society. The Education Commission of the States focuses on third-grade reading proficiency in a new report highlighting policies in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.
Research shows that a student’s ability to read proficiently by the third grade is of monumental importance. It significantly impacts a child’s ability to successfully progress through school and meet future grade-level expectations. Studies have even shown that children not reading at grade level by third grade are four times less likely to graduate from high school on time and are at greater risk of dropping out of school.
State policymakers are keenly aware of the importance of reading at grade level by third grade. Policymakers in many states have been advocating for policies aimed at three key levers:

•    Identifying reading deficiencies with state or local assessments.
•    Providing interventions for struggling readers in grades K-3.
•    Retaining outgoing third-graders not meeting grade-level expectations.

With the release of Third Grade reading policies, ECS captures current statutory provisions specifically for these three levers. This comprehensive look at third grade reading policies in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia will assist education policymakers and stakeholders as they look to continually improve early reading success for all students.

Highlights from this report, which looks at all 50 states and the District of Columbia, include:
•    35 states plus the District of Columbia require a reading assessment in at least one grade, preK-3, with the primary purpose to identify reading deficiencies. The assessments are a mix of state-mandated and locally determined approaches.
•    31 states plus D.C. require or recommend that districts offer some type of intervention or remediation for struggling readers for a P-3 grade. Some states require specific interventions while others let districts choose from a list of suggested interventions.
•    14 states plus D.C. require the retention of third grade students who do not meet grade-level expectations in reading. Three additional states allow students to be retained based on a recommendation from teacher, parent or superintendent.

“Research clearly demonstrates the importance of reading at grade level by third grade and, unfortunately, we know that only one-third of our nation’s children are meeting this academic milestone,” said Bruce Atchison, ECS director of early learning. “Education policymakers are dedicated to ensuring their state’s students are reading at grade level by third grade. This new ECS report provides stakeholders with a complete view of policies addressing this universal education priority.”