BY PAT FARNELLI

Times-Shamrock Correspondent

Two students from the Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center were recognized for their achievements in an all-state automotive competition during the SCCTC school board meeting on Wednesday, March 4.

Kevin Noldy, instructor for the SCCTC auto program, introduced Caleb Owens and Richard Miller, who competed in the Pennsylvania Automotive Association’s Technology Competition, held Feb. 19 in the Antique Auto Museum in Hershey.

The competition was sponsored and conducted by a committee representing 20 car dealerships, as well as at least 30 automotive industry sponsors. Ten career and technology schools from all over Pennsylvania entered teams in the competition.

Both of the SCCTC students are high school seniors: Owens is homeschooled in the Elk Lake School District, and Williams attends Mountain View High School.

The competition began with a written, online test, and the technology schools scoring in the Top 10 were then qualified to send teams to compete at the state level, Noldy said.

The pair competed as Team 4 Montrose Motors, and spent three weeks at the car dealership preparing for the test. They came in second place for the state, Noldy noted, and said, “It was close; they almost made it to nationals.”

While preparing for the competition, the students learned dealer diagnostic procedures for a specific model of car: a 2015 Ford Escape.

“The technicians bugged the vehicle, then the students had to use the dealer diagnostic computer programs to fix it. They also had to do a pre-delivery inspection of the car.”

Both students said that they learned a great deal from the experience, which was challenging and fun.

At the competition, there were five stations: wheel alignment, electrical, brakes, electric wave forms, and precision measuring.

In addition to the valuable experienced gained at the competition, the young men received awards including $1,000 scholarships to a college of their choice, a tool bag filled with tool sets, fender covers, and other prizes.

The automotive students will next be competing at the Northampton Community College’s main campus in Bethlehem.

The Future Business Leaders of America regional and state competitions were a success, and the board approved reimbursing the costs of $227 and $3,105.

In other business, a 2015-16 school calendar was approved by the board, setting Aug. 26 as the first teacher day, and Aug. 31 as the first student day of school.

The board approved the posting of a clinical nurse supervisor position for the LPN program, after accepting the resignation of Patricia McKinney.

SCCTC’s fourth licensed practical nurse class will be starting on March 11.

The board granted permission to advertise for bids for a water well for the student-built house #4. House account bills for the month totaled $3,929.09.

Six additional consultant work days were requested for a grant writing consultant regarding the ReEngaging grant, at $390 per day.

A thank you letter was received from Ken and Martha Cuomo and Atwood and Janet Lunger for the expressions of sympathy after the loss of their loved one.