2 Calais High automotive students qualify in Chrysler-Plymouth Troubleshooting Contest

CALAIS — Jason Corbett and Brian James placed in the top 10 in the written segment of the Chrysler-Plymouth Troubleshooting Contest held last month. The two students, who are enrolled in the automotive program at the Calais High School, will travel to the University of Southern Maine, Gorham, Monday and Tuesday, May 14 and 15, where they will compete in the contest phase that will involve actual repair of a vehicle.

“They will be given a 1990 Plymouth that has been bugged. It will have various faults already in it, and each student who competes will have the same problems with their vehicle. They will have to follow a work order and rule procedures. When they are completely finished with the car they have to get in, hook their seat belts and cross the finish line,” said Don Barnes, automotive instructor.

The winner of the competition at Gorham will win the right to go to Washington, D.C., and compete in the national finals. The national competition will include students from automotive programs in each of the states.

Barnes said that in Gorham, the students would be invited to a banquet, and the winner of the state competition would receive a scholarship.

Peter Edgecomb, director of the vocational-education program, said the school was excited about James’ and Corbett’s accomplishment because this was the first year the high school had offered the automotive program.

“One of the requirements (of the contest) is that the students must be seniors. In a lot of the other programs, the students started the program as juniors so they have had a wealth of training. Our students started as seniors in this new program, so they have done extremely well,” he said.