By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
HOULTON — About 62 students in forestry classes from around the state participated in the 37th annual High School Loggers’ Meet at the Region Two School of Applied Technology Thursday and Friday.
“This meet is an opportunity for our students to showcase the skills that they have learned in the classroom throughout the year,” explained Ted Wright, forestry teacher for Region Two. “These kids are the future of our forest products industry. The skills they are learning in the classroom give them the tools and hopefully open a few doors for them.”
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
FOCUSED — Benjamin Corey lines up his axe swing.
Wright said the forest industry is one of the largest in the state and the continued success of the industry depends on the younger generation.
Events tested a student’s skill and accuracy, as well as raw strength and ability to operate heavy machinery. Included in the competition were such events as: axe throw, dot split, pulp throw for distance, pulp throw for accuracy, skidder and loader operations, tree identification, forestry tool identification, precision cutting with a chainsaw, crosscut relay, log felling and a tug of war.
The two-day event featured students from Region Two, Oxford Hills, Foster Technology of Farmington and Region 9 of Rumford.
Local students from Region Two who participated in the competition include: Salvador Cloukey, Marshal Elwell, Timothy Stubbs, Steven Whitney, Walker Thornton, Dylan Howland, Benjamin Lynds, Caleb McGary, Lucas Sewell, Hugh Farrar, Eugene Ivey, Benjamin Corey, Samuel Dunbar and Zachary Pryor.
Results from the competition were:
Axe Throw — 1, Foster Tech; 2, Region Nine; and 3, Region Two.
Log Roll — 1, Oxford Hills; 2, Region Two; and 3, Region Nine.
Dot Split — 1, Oxford Hills; 2, Region Nine; and 3, Region Two.
Pulp Throw (distance) — 1, Region Two; 2, Foster Tech; and 3, Region Nine. Cloukey, a student at Katahdin High School, won the individual competition with a throw of 45-feet, 1-inch.
Pulp Throw (accuracy) — 1, Region Two; 2, Foster Tech; and 3, Region Nine.
Skidder Competition — 1, Region Two; 2, Region Nine; and 3, Foster Tech.
Loader Competition — 1, Region Nine; 2, Oxford Hills; and 3, Region Two.
Cookie Cut — 1, Oxford Hills; 2, Region Nine; and 3, Region Two.
Cookie Stack — 1, Region Nine; 2, Foster Tech; and 3, Region Two. Jeff Merrill of Oxford Hills won the individual award with stack of one and one-quarter inch.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
AIMING — Caleb McGary flings a piece of timber during the pulp throw for accuracy competition.
Precision Bucking — 1, Oxford Hills’ Brian Chapman, 18 out of 20; and 2, Region Nine.
Two Person Cross-Cut — 1, Foster Tech; 2, Oxford Hills; and 3, Region Two.
Tool ID — 1, Region Two; 2, Foster Tech; and 3, Region Nine.
Tree ID/Compass — 1, Foster Tech; 2, Region Two; and 3, Oxford Hills.
Team Game of Logging — 1, Region Two; 2, Oxford Hills; and 3, Foster Tech.
Individual Game of Logging — 1, Chris Cook, Oxford Hills; 2, Hugh Farrar, Region Two; and 3, Travis Jackson, Region Nine.
Tug of War — 1, Foster Tech; 2, Oxford Hills; and 3, Region Nine.
Each year, the competition is held in a different site. Next year’s event will take place in Farmington.
