Seven students in the Industrial Arts program at Ashland Community High School participated in a 10-hour Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training program for general industry careers.
General industry careers are careers such as nursing, teaching, trades, laborers, etc. which include about 90 percent of working people in the United States.
Ashland Community High School Industrial Arts teacher Paul Ouellette, who is an authorized OSHA general industry outreach trainer, taught the class which is available to all Industrial Arts students. The training certification is offered by OSHA to all high school vocational or industrial arts teachers though all do not choose to receive certification. Mr. Ouellette chose to because he feels it is “very important to the students.”
“A lot of these kids get out of school and into the workforce without any idea of the dangers they could be faced with,” said Ouellette. “They are kids. They don’t even think of the dangers. They got the job. This class gives them the awareness of those things.”
The goal of the program is to inform students and future workforce personnel of the potential hazards that exist in the workplace, and how to avoid injuries from those hazards.
“Most people in general are not properly trained for their job when they are hired and begin working and that makes them a potential target for injury,” added Ouellette.
Some of the topics covered included fire protection, electrical safety, personal protective equipment (or PPE), power tool safety, machine guarding, walking and working surfaces, safety and health, and hazard communication … all being of approved OSHA curriculum. Once the training program was complete, each student was issued an OSHA completion card, which can be helpful in the employment application process.
According to Ouellette, trade unions require this training so any student hoping to get a union job would benefit from this program. Mr. Ouellette proudly pointed out that several of his former students who have completed this program have come back to tell him how much this program has helped them. One student was able to use his completion card as proof of his OSHA training therefore forgoing an additional class at college. Another became the “safety person” on his job due to this credential.
“Training such as this cannot teach every hazard in the workplace, but it helps to prepare the students to become more aware of the hazards that around them,” Ouellette said.
There is so much going on at the club! Don’t forget:
• The Battle of the Bands concert this Saturday, June 20 at 1 p.m. Admission for spectators is $5 per person. There will be food and beverages sold on the grounds. Please provide your own lawn chairs and blankets. For more information, contact Misty Robinson at 435-7998.
• Conservation Camp Essay Contest deadline is June 27. Children ages 10-13, please submit your 300-word essay to the New Shoppe (in Ashland) in a sealed envelope. For questions or more information, please contact Misty Robinson at 435-7998. To learn more about the camp, visit their Web site at www.meconservationcamp.org. Good luck to all!
On Friday, July 10 from noon-4 p.m., the Portage Lake Centennial Committee will host a visit by the Thomaston Place Auction Galleries’ Mobile Appraisal Coach for an antiques appraisal fund-raiser at the Portage Lake Municipal Building on School Street.
This event will provide instant, onsite appraisals by Thomaston Place’s Kaja Veilleux and John Bottero. Bring up to five antique or collectable items to be appraised. There will be a suggested donation of $5 per item being appraised. All proceeds will benefit the centennial celebration programs.
Thomaston Place Auction Galleries’ Mobile Appraisal Laboratory is the “first-of-its-kind” … a 36-foot long motor coach equipped with state-of-the-art appraisal tools and reference materials. Veilleux, president of Thomaston Place, noted, “We have been doing free appraisals every week at our Thomaston Gallery for over 20 years. We are very excited to be able to take this service on the road and support the worthwhile efforts of the Portage Lake Centennial Committee.”
Participants are encouraged to bring any items they want to have appraised. If items are too large to be transported to the coach, detailed photographs can be used to help determine their approximate value. There are no appointments. Each person will have a chance to meet with an appraiser on a first-come, first-served basis.
This is a great and fun way for people to find out what their family heirlooms or personal treasures are worth. Maybe there is an undiscovered masterpiece in our midst!
For more information, please contact Portage Lake Centennial Chair Corrine Routhier at 435-4361 or 435-6854.
The Ashland Area Senior Citizens group meets every Thursday at noon at the Ashland Recreational Center. Any senior citizens wishing to participate in the potluck lunches and meetings are always welcome to attend.
Portage Lake Historical Society Meeting – Individuals from Portage Lake (and surrounding communities) are invited to participate in their first meeting of the summer Tuesday, June 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall. Please come out and share what you know about the town, its people, and history to help preserve our special community.
The Portage Lake Over 50’s Club lunch is held on the last Tuesday of every month at 11:30 a.m. at the Town Hall. All individuals 50 and over are invited to attend and can bring a potluck dish to share. For more information, contact Wilza Robertson at 435-6211 or Grace Nason at 435-6373.
The Red Hat Loonies of Portage Lake meet the second Thursday of every month at Dean’s Motor Lodge. Membership dues are $2. Come and have a great meal and a great time, too! For more information, contact Rachel Stevens at 435-6358.
There is an exercise group that meets every Monday night at the Portage Lake Municipal Building at 6:30 p.m. There is no cost for participants … just a group gathering to keep exercise motivating and fun! Please contact Kim Holmes at 435-6043 for more information.
Centennial Committee members will meet June 16 at 9 a.m. to make posters that will hang in the area to advertise the Centennial Week events.
Susan Feeney-Hopkins is the correspondent for Ashland, Portage Lake, Oxbow, Masardis, Garfield, Nashville Plantation and surrounding townships. She can be reached at 435-8232 or by e-mail at feenhop@aol.com.
Photo courtesy of Paul Ouellette
ASHLAND COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL students in the Industrial Arts program who participated in a 10-hour Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training program for general industry careers were, front row, from left: Nicholas Porter, Gary Putnam and Travis Chasse. Back row: Paul Ouellette, training instructor; Joseph Day, Taylor Condon, Keith Holmes and Josh Wortman.
Photo courtesy of Christie Cochran
Members and Leaders of Girl Scout Troop 241, of Ashland, helped bring the kayaks and canoes in after the Presque Isle and Washburn Rotary clubs held their Fun Run on Saturday, May 30. Participants pictured include: Sammi Jimmo, Kelli Sturgeon, Shelly Bolstridge, Sophie Theriault, Laura Sturgeon, Savannah Flint, Lauryn Deabay, Cassie Bolstridge, Sidney Curtis, Emily Reese, Jodi Reese, Danni Carter, Mackenzie Carter and Gabbie Reese.
Photo courtesy of Susan Feeney-Hopkins
HILLARY MacDONALD and Lucas Dube enter the Ashland Community Middle-High School gymnasium one last time as high school students and classmates. The students graduated May 29.
