Rowell’s Garage’s Chargin places second at driving competition

MILO — The Maine Association for Pupil Transportation holds Regional Safety Conferences in six different locations throughout the state during April vacation and in June. Drivers from Rowell’s Garage in Dover-Foxcroft have attended these conferences for many years.

The Regional Safety Conferences are made up of workshop-type classes with various presentations all intending to teach the new driver as well as reinforce best practices for the veteran drivers. Classes this year were “Attitude is Everything,” “The Student Connection,” “In the Zone,” “Rails, the Road and You” and “State Law Review” with Maine State Police Sgt. Randall Keaton.

In addition to the classes, there is a driving competition where attendees test their skills. Six components make up the competition — pre-trip inspection, diminishing clearance, offset alley, straight line, curb line and stop line. Each participant is graded by the team and the first-, second- and third-place winners with the lowest scores receive a trophy and are invited to compete for the state championship in each class at the Maine State School Transportation Safety Conference in July at Sugarloaf.

At the Central Conference (Zone 3) on April 20 at the Penquis Valley School in Milo, Rowell’s Garage bus driver Mike Chargin took home the second-place trophy.

Photo courtesy of Rowell’s Garage
SECOND-PLACE DRIVING TROPHY — Driver Mike Chargin of Rowell’s Garage in Dover-Foxcroft finished in second place during a driving competition at the Maine Association for Pupil Transportation Central Region (Zone 3) Conference on April 20 at the Penquis Valley School in Milo.