MEXICO – Region 9 vocational students – and one former student – took two golds, two bronzes and one silver during a two-day competition in Bangor last week.

Jacob Fortin, a Dirigo High School student, took the gold in computer networking. Adviser Peter Barlow said efforts are being made to try to get Fortin to the nationals in June to compete.

The second gold medal winner, 2007 graduate Chris Taylor, scored in precision metal working and will find his own way to the nationals in Kansas City, Mo. He competed with the secondary students because he is a student at Central Maine Community College, which doesn’t have a mechanism for competition, Barlow said.

He said about 700 state vocational students competed on March 12 and 13. Students in Region 9’s new program in automotive technology observed, but did not compete this year he added.

The school’s other new program, early childhood development, had one competitor, Kayla Schuster, from Dirigo High School.

Other winners were Denise Webber, a diversified occupations student from Dirigo High School who took a silver medal in job placement readiness; Josh Garrett, a metal trades student from Mountain Valley High School, who won a bronze metal; and Hannah Freeman, an early childhood development student from Dirigo High School who took a bronze in customer service.

“I attended and was in awe,” Region 9 Director Brenda Gammon said. “I’m very proud of all the students who participated. They and the advisers represented Region 9 very well.”

Norm Jamison, a diversified occupations instructor, served as an adviser to the group.

In other matters Tuesday, the board set April 15 as the date for two public hearings on the fiscal 2010 budget. The first will be at 6 p.m. at Telstar High School in Bethel; the second at 7:30 p.m. at the Region 9 school.

A public vote on the budget is set for 6:30 p.m. May 19 at the Region 9 school.

The budget will be developed during the next few weeks. The board is expected to act on it at its April 21 meeting.

Last year’s budgets were $1.9 million for the secondary program and $295,550 for adult and community education.

Also Tuesday, the board approved purchases of a 2003 Ford truck and a 2009 John Deere tractor for a total of $42,061 for use in removing snow from school grounds. The funds come from money remaining from the $4.9 million renovation and building project.