NMCC students hone building craft for biathlon
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Members of the European media broadcasting the International Biathlon Union World Cup in February will have a fairly cozy perch atop the mountain, thanks to the work of budding carpenters and electricians.
Students at Northern Maine Community College are finishing up construction of broadcaster booths that will be placed behind the bleachers at the Nordic Heritage Center, offering a bird’s-eye view of the World Cup for media and their television audiences.
The project is a part of the effort to bring the cross country skiing and sharpshooting competition back to Presque Isle, and to meet the expectations of the sports’ official body and an estimated 60 million European viewers.
“The IBU is always increasing their exposure in Europe,” said Steve Towle, the IBU event manager. “It is TV-driven.”
For NMCC electrician and carpentry students, the project is a chance to hone their crafts, said Frank Pytlak, a residential construction instructor at the college.
“Students can practice on anything, but when it’s going out the door and somebody’s going to live in it or somebody’s going to use it, it’s a whole different feel,” Pytlak said.
The students built the heated and powered booths from a design by B.R. Smith Associates; siding will be added once each is hoisted atop its poles.
Building the booths with virtually free labor is a part of a mutually beneficial volunteer effort to host the IBU, said Towle. Among other organizations supporting the media booths are Aroostook Trusses, Huber Manufacturing, Rathbun Lumber, Buck Construction and Emera Maine.
