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10,000-pound Air Conditioner A Hot Item 
Thieves Heist Hefty Piece Of Equipment From Odyssey 
Total Fitness Center, But They Only Got Away With 
Part Of The System, Manager Says

By RENEE HENRICH; Back Mountain Leader Correspondent
 Thursday, June 06, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Bryan Mock assists an elderly woman with her groceries at the Mountain
Fresh Supermarket. Meanwhile, inside the store, Robin Patton is busy ringing
up the groceries of a mother and her two-year-old daughter. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When there is a lull in the flow of customers, Mock and Patton will tend to
many other duties, which include stocking shelves, sweeping the floor, and
wiping down counters. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Lake-Lehman High School students began working at the Mountain Fresh
Supermarket in Pikes Creek in March. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But they're not employees. They're part of a special vocational training
program at Lake-Lehman High School. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Twice a week, these students go to the supermarket for the afternoon
instead of regularly scheduled classes. They're interviewed and trained just
as regular employees, only they do not get paid. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Their reward is the experience. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "There's only so much a student can learn from a book," said Philip J.
Lipski, transition resource teacher at Lake-Lehman High School. "The program
provides hands-on experience and the important social aspect of employment
that you just can't get in a classroom." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lipski works with learning support students, finds out their interests and
needs and then goes "knocking on doors." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It's a win-win situation," said Lipski. "The students get vocational
training, and at the same time, it's very cost effective for employers. The
business is under no pressure to hire the student after training. The idea is
to make the students more marketable and help them build a portfolio." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The supermarket provides a really good teaching area," said Norma Mazaika,
who is co-owner of the Mountain Fresh store with her husband, Joseph. "There
are so many aspects -- such as food, sanitation, mechanical, maintenance that
it provides a varied experience for the student." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Part of that experience included learning all the policies and procedures
of the store, as well as mastering various job tasks. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "In the beginning, it was confusing, with all the coupons and checks, but
you get the hang of it in a couple of days," said Patton, a freshman from
Noxen. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I've learned so many new things, but the most important, I think, is to be
kind to other people," said Mock, who is a sophomore from Tunkhannock. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For the one to two hours that they are at the supermarket, Mock and Patton
are supervised by Lipski, who often works right along with the students,
according to Mazaika. Lipski spends half of his day in the classroom and the
other half on site with students. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Freshmen Jason Groboski and Albert Cooper, along with sophomore Nicole
Jezorwski, are also involved in the vocational training program at the
Mountain Fresh store. Other students have had the opportunity to volunteer at
a hospital gift shop, observe the making of pizza at a restaurant, assist in
caring for children at a day care center, and volunteer their services at a
nursing home. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The program, which started this year, is still fairly new to Lake-Lehman.
Brain Novicki, transition coordinator from the Luzerne County Intermediate
Unit, has been working with Lipski to solicit community businesses to
participate in the program. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Recent legislation, particularly the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act, has helped to encourage school districts, such as Lake-Lehman,
to utilize their communities to facilitate the transition of students with
disabilities from school to work. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Eventually we would like to see the program be opened up to all high
school students,~" said Lipski. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

``the Program Provides Hands-on Experience And The Important Social Aspect Of Employment That You Just Can't Get In A Classroom.''