CARIBOU, Maine — The Caribou Ski Center, adjacent to the Caribou High School, is receiving some necessary renovations courtesy of Loring Job Corps carpentry students.
The Loring Job Corps carpentry class was requested to assist with much needed upgrades to the ski center and over the past month the students have installed new interior doors, shelves, cabinets as well as new countertops in the kitchen area and other touches to help spruce up the much-utilized community building.
Instructor Stephen Burgess said his students get called upon to facilitate community projects to help offset financial costs by offering their labor for free; which also allows his students to gain real world hands-on experience.
“It’s good to get the students out in the community. I show them what needs to be done and they do it on their own. They’re doing an exceptional job,” Burgess said.
Students gain recognition for their work and each project added to their portfolios increases their chances for landing future paying jobs. Liam Couture, 18, of Sanford, said “this class is awesome, getting the hands-on work that I need, I get to actually be noticed.”
According to Rob Kieffer, co-chair project manager of the building committee, the ski center is facing a bit of an identity crisis and a new name for the center is in the works. The ski center was built 10 years ago to facilitate RSU 39’s middle and high school ski teams, but it’s also open to the public and hosts a number of other school athletic teams: RSU 39’s track, cross country running, and soccer teams.
“The facility is available to the public and it’s designed to allow people to enjoy the outdoors and have a place where they can go and use the facility as needed. It’s been utilized for many different things which is great,” Kieffer said.
Kieffer hopes the project will wrap up early this summer. Once the final touches are placed on the ski center a formal ceremony will take place where the keys will be handed off to RSU 39.
“RSU 39 owns the building. We’re basically community members who saw a need, went to the school board, got their approval to build it, and when we’re completed with the project the school will take it and manage it from here on out,” Kieffer said.
Local contractors along with Loring Job Corps students have donated their time to finishing the project as well as financial assistance from the Caribou Rotary Club with a donation of $30,000. When project is completed it will be valued at approximately $150,000, according to Kieffer.
