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Show Lifetimes September 9, 2004 Do-it-yourself Auto skills center has tools, lifts for vehicle repair, maintenance by Airman Jenny Chong Hilltop Times staff Need to fix your car? Want to save money? Always wondered what a catalytic converter was? The Auto Skills Center is a "do-it-yourself garage that provides all the necessary tools and equipment for any type of auto repair or maintenance. It is open to anyonewith base access over the age of 16 with a valid military identification card. Youth age 10-15 years must work with a parent. With low rates, the Auto Skills Center's 10 bays, four lifts, equipment and tools can Chuck Banta, an Auto Skills Center advisor, hands a tray of tools to Mr. be used to fix almost anyNewbill. The Auto Skills Center offers a wide variety of tools and equipthing. Ray Anderson, manment at no charge. ager of the Auto Skills Center, says as long as your car can fit into the garage, you can use their facilities. "You can do just about anything except lower or drop gas tanks. We have a weld shop, a room for body prepping and a compound for storing vehicles, while you're working, available," he said. "We have a ton of equipment." For those who need help with their vehicle, there are mechanical advisors to assist with any problems. "They offer really good technical guidance. There's nothing I couldn't do," said Desi —Ray Anderson Newbill, a regular patron of the Auto Skills Center. However, the advisors will perform work for patrons. have to buy parts for cars, only provide guidance because 'The advisors answer ques- the services they offer here they are not authorized to become very economical. tions. We're not hands-on Prices are very good and very advisors. We just tell them how to do it," said Anderson. affordable," said Newbill. "Outside the base, the shop The bays are limited to a certain number of customers. fees can be anywhere from "Bays are available on a first- $60 to $S0 per hour. But, if come, first-serve basis," said you're capable of doing it Anderson. yourself, you can come here "It gets tremendously busy and do it for as low as $2 per here, especially on the week- hour. That's a substantial ends. Sometimes, you might amount of savings/ said have to stand outside to wait Anderson. for a stall,"-said Newbill. State Safety and Emissions By doing the work yourself, inspections are also offered rather than going to a for Davis County and Weber mechanic, you get to under- County. Patrons are required stand more about your car. to bring their vehicle regis"Basically, you learn skills tration and proof of insurby doing the skills. When you ance for the inspections. get hands-on, you can learn Appointments are scheduled on the half-hour. better," said Anderson. Not only can a lot be learned The Auto Skills Center, in from working on your vehi- Bldg. 534, is open Tuesday cle, but it can also save you through Thursday from 11 money. a.m.-7 p.m., Friday from 10 "Using the Auto Skills Cen- a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday from 9 ter saves me a lot of money a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday from that I don't have to spend on 1-6 p.m. For more information, call Ext. 7-3476. fixing my van. When you u Basically, you learn skills by doing the skills. When you get hands-on, you can learn better. yy Photos by Airman Jenny Chong Desi Newbill, above, changes the tie rod on his van while Airman Louis Manogue, right, tries to figure out what is wrong with his power windows. Both spend time at the Auto Skills Center during their free time. Child Development Center offers high level of care video cameras that are monitored from the lobby. Activities are recorded and the monitors are constantly watched by the desk staff to prevent any potential child abuse. In offThe Department 5f Defense and the Air Force have been base community care centers, monitors or cameras aren't recognized many times in the past for leading the nation in required and not normally installed. quality child care. Ever since the 1989 Military Child Care • Extensive local and national security checks are made to Act, child care in the Armed Forces has improved yearly and ensure any potential employee is fit to work with children. now leads the world in quality. Off base establishments normally only conduct local backHere are some comparisons to use when considering using ground checks. the Hill AFB Child Development Center verses an off-base • The Hill CDC director and assistant director are required establishment: to have degrees in early childhood development. Addition• The Hill CDC is a full-service center that accepts children ally, the center must have a supervisory employee in the from ages 6 weeks to 5 years with the ratios of each group as building at all times. The off-base centers have no such low as one caregiver to four infants and one caregiver to everyrequirement. 12 children ages three to five. Only about half of the off-base • Our child care providers are required to be 18, have a centers accept infants, or 1-year-olds, due to lower caregiver- high school degree, complete 15 topic specific curriculum child ratios and higher operator costs. training modules, pass extensive physicals and receive 24 • Hill's CDC has outdoor playgrounds separated by age hours of annual training per year to retain a high level of progroups with age appropriate equipment. All equipment must ficiency. Many off-base centers don't require high school meet U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission standegrees, physicals or structured training, and have hired dards and other stringent safety requirements with no poten- employees younger than 18. tial hazards for pinching, being caught in gaps, cutting or • The^DC provides full meals plus two snacks per day with scraping. The equipment must be specifically anchored to USDA-approved food items. Food service varies at off-base the ground with impact-absorbing materials in case of a commercial care centers and in many cases, parents must fall. Off-base playground equipment isn't required to meet bring sack lunches for their children. Air Force-specific safety standards, and in most cases, one • Our facilities and programs receive three unannounced playground serves all age groups. inspections per year from independent agencies oufside • AM roomsjn the Hill CDC are equipped with surveillance the child cate program, and monthly health, fire and safety by Ma]. Dawn Lancaster Services Director inspections, plus daily inspections by the CDC staff. Off base, only annual health, safety and fire inspections are required. • The CDC curriculum is highly defined to educate young children in physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development. This curriculum program is managed, developed, and implemented by professional, full time training and curriculum specialist assigned to the CDC. Activities at off base care centers vary. • Hill's CDC is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children with required re-accreditation every three years. This certification :assures that a high level of provider-children interaction — the core of quality care — is accomplished. Off base accreditation isn't required. • The Hill CDC has strict ratios that must be maintained at all times and normally require more caregivers per child than found off base. Ratios are not as strict at off base care centers nor are they maintained at all times when the center is open. • An active Parent Advisory Group is involved in programming, center policies and procedures and child care at the CDC. Off base parent groups aren't required. Air Force Child Development Centers are proven to be some of the best in the world. They have^enviable track records in safety, sanitation and quality care for childffA. For more information, contact the Child Development Center at Ext. 7-6321 Portions of this article are based on statistics from Air Force Materiel Commang, Services Agency, and Air Staff. ^ |