By Rebecca Correa, The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, Mass. Jul. 17--SALEM -- Polynomials, factoring and line graphs. This isn't the way Jason Comtois, 17, envisioned his summer. The Salem High School senior usually gets A's and B's.

Hey, high school graduates! Now that you're graduating, it's time to look both forward -- and backward.

the news Rap star and music producer Timbaland's surprise visit to Salem High School last week included a $10,000 technology grant to the school. the reason The visit was orchestrated by Gentleman's Quarterly magazine and Hewlett Packard as part of a philanthropic arm of GQ, The Gentleman's Fund.

By Marquita Brown marquita.brown@roanoke.com 777-3521 The seven candidates contending for one temporary seat on the Salem School Board all expressed a need to give back to their community and follow the school division's creed, "Children First." But that's where the similarities taper off.

Community colleges play an invaluable role in serving students who, for reasons of time or money, need a nearby alternative to four- year institutions.