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Wyoming 4-H'ers tinker with lawn tractor innardsWyoming While some parents try their best to get lethargic children to mow the lawn, these kids take the darn lawn tractors apart and put them back together. Dwayne Larsen of Casper, reminiscing of days as a youth on his parent's dairy near Riverton working with and tinkering on tractors, started a new 4-H project two years ago in which 4-H'ers find out what makes the smaller versions tick. "I work with the kids so they know how to fix them, also, but not a total overhaul," said Larsen, who works in the Natrona County Roads, Bridges and Parks Department. "I've gotten six or eight lawn tractors people have given up on for whatever reason." He hauls the castoff lawn tractors in the back of a horse trailer. The 4-H'ers--there were eight last year--meet at the Agricultural Resource and Learning Center at the Natrona County Fairgrounds. The 4-H'ers range in age from 8 to 18, and there are girls in the program. "When you talk about taking the tractors apart, I tell them 'you may get greasy,'" said Larsen. They don't mind. Larsen participated in a 4-H full-sized tractor program as a youth, and he competed at the local, state and regional level. Part of that program involved a driving test. He incorporated that into the smaller-sized tractor program. Members take a driving test, a parts identification test, and a written test. "It's fun," says Rick, Dwayne's 18-year-old son. "I enjoy working on them, and I like to feel I've accomplished something." Twelve-year-old Cecelia Laughon said she had thought the project sounded cool. "I like the mechanics of it and getting dirty," she said. Her 9-year-old sister, Augusta, is also involved. "You get greasy, and you get to see inside of it," Augusta said. The 4-H'ers, who are from different clubs, meet twice a month during warmer months and less during cooler months. Compared to some 4-H projects, this program has more science and technology, said Colleen Campbell, 4-H extension educator who serves Natrona County. "Anything involving a motor has an appeal to all kids," she said. "There is a lot of teamwork involved, and the program also teaches safe driving skills." 3/31/08 Date: 3/21/08
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