Walter Ray Williams Jr Wins PBA South Region Canton, GA Scorpion Open: A Fan's Take

The final round of the PBA South Region Canton, GA Scorpion Open was held on Sunday, Aug. 26. With the Senior Tour and PBA Tour in their off-seasons, the field in this tournament was very tough and featured some of the best bowlers in the world. Some of the top PBA and Senior Tour stars bowling in this tournament included Walter Ray Williams Jr, Tom Baker, Dick Allen, Scott Newell and Rhino Page. While all of the PBA stars were able to perform well, nobody was able to top Walter Ray Williams Jr on Sunday.

All of the participants of the PBA South Region Canton, GA Scorpion Open were able to bowl eight games of qualifying. After the qualifying round, the top 25 bowlers advanced to the next round. The top 25 bowlers got to five more games in attempt to make the top 16 in the standings. The top 16 bowlers after the 13 games would then bowl in a single elimination match play round until there was only one bowler left standing.

Walter Ray Williams Jr had no problem advancing to the match play round by averaging 221.46 in his 13 games, which was good enough for seventh place. Williams would then be able to advance past Jeremy Evans in the first match play round. Williams would be able to squeak by Connor Pickford and Kamron Doyle to make it to the title match. Williams had to face fellow PBA star Dick Allen in the title match, but he would not be much of a problem. Williams was able to win the title match by the score of 255-172.

Walter Ray Williams Jr is coming off of a great PBA Senior Tour season, where he was able to win the PBA Senior Player of the Year award. While it is not shocking to see Williams bowling great, he is still coming off of his worst season on the PBA Tour in his career. Based on how he is bowling this summer, I would be completely shocked if he does not win a tournament on the upcoming PBA Tour season. Walter Ray Williams seems poised to make up for his poor season, and I would not want to have to bowl against him anytime in the near future.

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Cherokee County School District's Class of 2012 Earned the Highest ACT Scores

Leading the pack with an average score of 23.3 was Hickory Flat's Sequoyah High School. 

On average, Cherokee County School District's class of 2012 earned the highest ACT scores in the system's history.

Cherokee's 22.7 surpassed state (20.7) and national (21.1) averages, according to data released Wednesday.

The highest possible score on the ACT, an alternative to the SAT college entrance exam, is a 36.

Calling it "more evidence of the clear trend of rising student achievement and teacher performance," Cherokee Superintendent Frank Petruzielo said Wednesday that the district's average has climbed nearly two points over the last decade.

"Achievement on college entrance and placement examinations is of great importance to CCSD," he said. "We want every student to have as many options as possible for their pursuit of higher education."

During the 2011-12 school year, 1,160 tests were administered in Cherokee, up from 1,053 during the 2010-11 school year.

Of the five Cherokee high schools with senior classes in 2012, Hickory Flat's Sequoyah High was tops with an average score of 23.3. Cherokee High in Canton was No. 5 with an average score of 22.River Ridge High in Woodstock will graduate its first senior class this school year.

"This continued, outstanding progress by our students is further evidence of our students' college and career readiness," Petruzielo said.

School/System	Average score
Sequoyah	23.3
Etowah	23.2
Creekview	23
Woodstock	22.2
Cherokee	22
Cherokee County School District	22.7
Georgia	20.7
Nation	21.7

Source: Canton Patch 

Celebration of Grace in Canton Made Close to 100 Prayer Shawls

Crafters at Celebration of Grace in Canton have been very busy this year crocheting colorful shawls to give people to remind them that they are being covered in prayer.

The hand-woven garments start out as individual granny squares that are skillfully connected into prayer shawls. Once complete, they are brought into the church and to the altar for a prayer offered up by Pastor Ginny Krekling at the beginning of the regular worship service. The group has made close to 100 since the ministry began.

The prayer shawls are available for anyone who asks, and are often given to infants, the elderly home-bound, homeless persons, or those suffering or recovering from illnesses. To receive a prayer shawl, get one for someone you know, or contribute to this ministry, call 770-503-5050.

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SERV offers affordable, personal mission opportunities

SERV International has launched a new website (www.servone.org) that outlines three personal and affordable ways to help folks in need.

“A lot of excitement is being generated,” said president Joe Garcia. “I attribute it to the personal connection that donors feel when they give to one of our programs. We try to do a good job of sharing the results and invite them to physically see the impact of their gift with their own eyes by traveling with us.”

The SERV1Feed1 program offers a way to provide a meal for five cents to people in need in the Dominican Republic. The program has distributed more than five million meals in Kenya and is currently distributing one million meals in the Dominican Republic. The meal is a protein-rich dehydrated food product, and one 8-ounce serving sustains one person for one day. The website has an interactive module that lets donors immediately see what their dollars can do to help others.

In the Safe2SERV Clean Water program, a $65 one-time donation can supply a family of five with clean water for 10 years.

The third project is the House of Hope orphanage, home to 40 children. Many of the orphans are available for sponsorship, which costs $55 a month. Sponsors have easy access to photos of the children, and can participate in mission trips to the orphanage to meet their child.

Each year, three to four mission teams are dispatched to Kenya (next one leaves Oct. 6) and two have gone this year to the Dominican Republic. Future D.R. trips are Sept. 17 and 24. 

Source: http://woodstock.patch.com