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If my car ever breaks down, I hope it’s close to North Pole High School and Jerry Million’s automotive class is in session. While his students always do well in the annual Ford Motor Company Student Auto Skills Competition, this year they sort of ran the whole show.

The state finals took place in Anchorage May 9-10, and NPHS Automotive Technology students swept the competition. They virtually won everything.

The competition has three components, Million said. The first is a written test, which combines the scores of the top six students. The North Pole students, in test score order, included Austin Sipes, Justin Grover, Daniel Stewart, Peter Copley, Cameron Crawford and Jesse Swenson.

The second component is a written team score, which stipulates that the top two written score students comprise the hands-on team.

The third segment is the hands-on let’s-get-greasy part where students are required to identify and repair hidden faults in a 2008 vehicle and drive the car out in 90 minutes. The car assigned to North Pole High School was the only one to drive out with all the faults corrected.

On June 22, two students, Austin Sipes and Justin Grover, along with Million, will head to Ford Motor Company headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., to compete against the winners from 49 other states. All costs are paid for by Ford Motor Company and AAA.

At the national level, students, instructors and schools can win savings bonds, scholarships, trophies, jackets, certificates, shop manuals, trips and automotive equipment for their schools. Opportunities with the Ford Automotive Student Service Educational Training program will be available to the competition finalists.

Even without this tremendous win in Anchorage, North Pole High School’s Automotive Technology training program has achieved notoriety. It was nationally certified by ASE/NATEF in 2004 and remains the only nationally certified automotive training program in the Interior.  If you want more information, check out www.natef.org or contact Jerry Million at 488-4527. And if you’re interested in other career technical offerings at NPHS, contact a counselor at 488-3761.

Caution advised

In the next couple of weeks, I will write a column on the overpass construction that is underway in North Pole by the Dawson Road/Richardson Highway intersection.

All of us in North Pole are getting used to the traffic detours and have quickly adapted to the situation. However, infrequent travelers in the area need to use great caution, especially at the Fifth Avenue and Laurence Road intersections.

All traffic going past North Pole is now funneled into the northbound lane as the southbound lane is closed for reconstruction.

There are no merge lanes at Fifth Avenue or Laurence Road, so people entering the Richardson from those roads are simply immersed in south and northbound traffic. The first time I used both of these roads, I could have been in serious trouble. I thought there was a merge lane and just bopped out into the road.

So, as JB Carnahan, “The Cruiser,” says every morning on KIAK radio: Keep your seat belt fastened, keep your speed down and watch out for others.     Bed and a bit of food still needed

Don Duke tells me he is short about 10 homes for Athletes in Action baseball team members who will be arriving June 22. So far, he only has five host families, and he’s getting a bit nervous.

AIA is a Christian baseball team made up of college baseball players from around the country. They’ll be here from June 22 to Aug. 1, but some of that time they will be in Anchorage.

For more information, contact Don Duke at 488-9779 or e-mail dduke2@att.net. For information on the program, check out www.aiabaseball.org.

Down Under visitors

Colleen Jones, of Harley’s Diner fame, had a whirlwind experience earlier this week. About a year ago, she was contacted by Lesley Christiansen, a New Zealand quilt store owner, who found Jones’ name on a North Pole quilting site. It seems Christiansen was bringing a group of fellow quilters to Alaska and wanted to visit our neck of the woods.

Forty-one of the New Zealand quilters arrived and had a grand time taking the riverboat cruise, visiting the Farmer’s Market, enjoying lunch at Harley’s, checking out Santa Claus House and spending time in Jones’ home where they were entertained with a quilt show. In addition, they toured various quilt shops, went to Pioneer Park, the Salmon Bake and Chatanika Lodge.

Colleen Jones said she and other members of the Cabin Fever Quilters’ Guild really enjoyed the visitors.

May we always remember

Most of us have great plans to use up every minute of Memorial Day weekend and will enjoy things like barbecues, family gatherings, fishing trips and just being free for three days. It’s that word — free — we should think about.

Memorial Day was set aside to honor U.S. men and women who died in military service to their country. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it started to honor soldiers who died during the Civil War.

When I was a kid, the day was spent putting flowers on graves of deceased relatives. It was a somber day, and I remember, as a child, the parade included men in old-fashioned uniforms who gently tossed a memorial wreath into the river and then saluted as a soldier played “Taps.”

I received an e-mail from a friend today that describes a similar parade in which an elderly man insisted on walking the parade route instead of riding. At the end of the parade, a young man asked him why he insisted on walking. This is what the young man, now a chaplain, remembered:

“He said, ‘Young man, I walk for those who cannot. I walk for those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom.’

“He took his finger and lovingly but firmly poked me in the chest and said, ‘Freedom is a light for which many men and women have died in darkness. And the price of freedom is so high that it can only be paid for in blood.’

“Then with tears in his eyes he said, ‘Please remember, because people tend to forget.’”

Hooray for Carlo

Brenda Sadler has talked to me several times at NP Art Society First Friday shows about Carlo Zanazzo. Last week, she stopped by my house with a couple of photos. After seeing the photos, I could see why she wanted the rest of North Pole to know about this terrific fellow.

Every morning around 8, Zanazzo sets out from his house on Hurst Road with his bag and litter-picker and strolls along the road for two or more miles, picking up trash along the way. It has to be the most litter-free area in the borough.

As you can tell from his name, Zanazzo is of Italian heritage. So, why was he wearing a bright green serape and huge sombrero on Cinco de Mayo? He told Sadler it was for his Hispanic neighbor down the street.

Friendship test

A dog is truly a man’s best friend. If you don't believe it, just try this experiment.   Put your dog and your wife in the trunk of the car for an hour.

When you open the trunk, which one is really happy to see you?

Note from Jan: When I read the above “test” I envisioned our three Chesapeakes if we did this to them. They would be delighted to see Troy and would bounce out of the trunk in joyous abandonment. They’d shake a bit, smile a lot and look forward to the next adventure.