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Hayden — A handful of local high school students - including one from Craig and three from Hayden - hustled to strip a 1954 International Harvester pickup in a week's time in June in the Hayden High School shop building.

The students participated in a Colorado Northwestern Community College summer class called "Overhaul a Truck in a Week." The course was taught by Hayden High School's auto and welding instructor, Kevin Kleckler, who described it as "'Overhaulin' Hayden style," referring to the TLC television program in which vehicles are overhauled in a week and returned to their owners.

Kleckler purchased the truck last year and had been planning to fix it up himself, but decided it would be more fun to do something with students instead. The truck is mechanically sound, so the students only refurbished the body. The truck since has been sold to a Steamboat Springs man for use in a youth program.

Students received high school elective credit and three college credits for the course.

Courtney Teeter, 15, of Craig, said she wanted to take the course "because it's something that nobody thinks I can do. You don't see a lot of girls doing it."

The course was made possible through donations from the Yampa Valley Con-

struction Trades Association and TIC Holdings in Steamboat Springs. Mountain Valley Bank in Hayden provided lunch for the students and Kleckler throughout the week.

Kleckler said he hopes programs such as this one will give people a sampling of what's to come at a vocational facility the town hopes to build at the high school. More than $600,000 has been raised for the Babson-Carpenter Career and Technical Center, and next month, Kleckler will request a $500,000 grant from the state to complete funding for the project.

"This class showcases some of what we'll be doing with the new facility," Kleckler said.