Wyoming Valley West's `public Service' Awards Were Anything But 
The Actions Of The Wyoming Valley West School Board Continue To Astound Me 
With Their Utter Contempt Of The Voting Public.

Alyce Leonard 
January 16, 1997 
Alyce E. Leonard, Formerly Of Boulevard Towers, Pittston, Died Thursday At The 
Highland Manor Nursing Home, Exeter.

Sunday, January 19, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Nesgoda named adviser of Photography Club at MMI &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 MMI Preparatory School announces that Michael Nesgoda has been appointed
teacher/adviser of the school photography club. Nesgoda is a 1970 graduate of &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; MMI and owner of Michael's Photo Center and Studio in Tamaqua. He is
approved to shoot photographs for the US Open Tennis Championship and spends
Labor Day weekend as an on-call photographer at the US Open. Four of Nesgoda's
photographs were published in USTA TENNIS magazine's November issue, including
an exclusive photograph featuring Brooke Shields and Andre Agassi. Nesgoda has
over 18 years of experience in photography. He is married and has three
children. Pictured is the photography club. Front row, from left: Colleen
Coyne, Kathryn Schwab and Priscilla Jenkins. Back row, from left: David Rojas,
Erin Fraser, April John, Melissa Peal, Nesgoda, Christine Gower, Rosalyn Menon
and Melissa Della Croce. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 HAZLETON &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 HASD to hold violence forum &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hazleton Area School District administrators will hold their second
"Working Together for Excellence" public forum from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 10 at
the high school library. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 District Superintendent Geraldine Shepperson said the Feb. 10 forum will
focus on student safety issues. The public can ask questions and get
first-hand information from workers who deal with student safety. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Administrators anticipate questions on how they have worked to minimize
school violence, Shepperson said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The public can also discuss general education issues in the community,
Shepperson said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 E. Lee Beard, president and CEO at First Federal Savings &amp; Loan in
Hazleton, will moderate the forum. Beard also serves as president of the
United Way of Greater Hazleton and on the board of Hazleton General Hospital. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Members of the district's administration staff will be on hand to respond
to questions from the public, including the following principals: Betty
Corcoran, Hazleton Junior High School principal; Joseph Andrews, high school
vice principal; and John Roman, Hazle Elementary School principal. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 DRUMS &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Drums Elementary &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 School &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The following kindergarten through third-grade students were winners in the
"National Parent Teacher Association's Reflections Contest" at Drums
Elementary: Ariel Zablocki, Laura Veety, Kayleigh Streit, Tony Scalia, Sarah
Kashubski, Thomas McGuire, Jesse Fox, Rachael Piccione, Michael Kostick,
Amanda Veilette and Jonathan Fox. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The following fourth- and fifth-grade Drums students also won: Jason
Veilette, Vanessa Saras, Linda George, Allison Hudock, Jennifer Stapleton,
Allison Grohol, Amanda Salko, Krystal Brennan, Sanela Saracina, Lori Konar,
Jeanne Stapleton, Ibis Saracina and Drew Labanoski. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 FREELAND &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Freeland Junior &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 High School &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kelly Pavuk, a ninth-grader at Freeland Junior High School, and daughter of
Michael and Barbara Pavuk of Freeland, has been chosen to serve as a
People-to-People Student Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pavuk is a cheerleader and president of the Spirit Club. She also won the
following: bronze medal for volleyball on Olympic Day at Hazleton Area High
School; first place in the American Cancer Society competition; second place
in YMCA Biddy Basketball tournament playoffs; second-place in softball; the
girls' basketball "TV Defense Award"; and the concert band "Most Valuable
Player Award." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Personal development is an important part of the ambassador program.
Participants develop leadership skills, set goals and practice planning,
making decisions and working in teams. Participants are also encouraged to
push for international understanding after they return home. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 FREELAND &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 MMI Preparatory &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 School &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 MMI recently held the first of its "Best of the Best" performances for the
1996-1997 school year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Faculty members judged the six participants as outstanding in their
regularly-scheduled assemblies. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The winner was Breighan Brown, a junior, who memorialized "Gypsies" with a
violin performance. Brown is the daughter of Thomas and Maureen Brown of White
Haven. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Other performers included: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Eighth-grader Joseph Herring, who dressed as Abraham Lincoln and recited
the Gettysburg Address. Herring is the son of Jeffrey and Joanne Herring of
the Fern Glen section of Black Creek Township. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Sophomore Sarah Leib, who discussed the operations of Hershey Foods Corp.,
and outlined the company's history with the help of "Kisses" (Jodi Washinsky).
Leib is the daughter of Michael and Jane Leib of Sugarloaf Township. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Sophomore Jamie Searfoss, who explained the art and symbolism of totem
poles, including those she saw during a trip to Alaska. Searfoss is the
daughter of Grant and Anna Jean Searfoss of Weatherly, &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Junior Melissa Bicking, who explained how maple syrup is made and
distributed samples of her homemade syrup and maple sugar candy. Bicking is
the daughter of Dwight Bicking of the Drums section of Butler Township. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Senior Amit Dave, who built his first drum set out of common household
appliances and talked about improvisation -- he has never taken a drum lesson.
Dave is the son of Drs. Deepak and Kailas Dave. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 All performers received trophies. The next Best of the Best assembly is
scheduled for March 14. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * * * &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Five MMI students were recently recognized for their performance in the
American Junior High School Mathematics Exam. Award winners include: Adri
Mills, Jamie Metzger, Daniel Roda, Joseph Herring and Ryan Stevens. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Math instructor Susan Moyer served as moderator for the exam. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * * * &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 MMI recently held its annual Spanish II pinata contest. First-place winner
was Judy Jang's "Flower the Skunk" creation. Other winners included John
Rodrigo with "The Brain" pinata and Jeffrey Fisher's "Tweety Bird." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This contest continues the Mexican and Central American tradition of
constructing paper mache figures for children's celebrations and traditional
festivals. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Spanish instructor at MMI is Dennis Clarke &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 HAZLETON &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A.D. Thomas &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Elementary &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The PTA will hold a brief business meeting at 9:10 a.m. Jan. 23 in the
school gymnasium. All members are encouraged to attend. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The yearbook committee will be sponsoring a hoagie sale at the end of
January to help the children pay for the $17 yearbook. Each hoagie sold will
count as a dollar deduction from the cost of each person's book. If 17 are
sold, the book will be free. Letters will be sent home with the children
within two weeks. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The phone chain was used for the first time last week. There were a few
minor problems, which have since been resolved. Anyone with questions or
concerns about the chain can call Carmella Yenkevich at 455-5863. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 HAZLETON &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bishop Hafey &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Junior High School &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Edward P. Wright and Steven Sanko were named "Students of the Month" at
Bishop Hafey Junior High School for December. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 School faculty and administrators choose students monthly to recognize
outstanding students. The award is given monthly to a seventh- and
eighth-grader. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Award recipients reflect Christian values such as honesty, morality,
generosity, kindness and compassion. The students must also be models of
school spirit by participating in school and community-sponsored activities. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wright, the son of Edward and Paulette Wright, is enrolled in the
seventh-grade honors curriculum and is a member of St. Gabriel's parish. He is
a reporter for the school's Junior Golden Gazette and a member of the
volleyball intramural team, Junior Hafey Players and the board games club. An
acolyte for his parish, Wright played the lead role of Giuseppi in "The Magic
of the Toymaker." His hobbies include bowling and building model cars. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Sanko, the son of George and Barbara Sanko, is enrolled in the eighth-grade
accelerated curriculum and a member of Most Precious Blood parish. He is a
member of the National Junior Honor Society, the eighth-grade basketball team,
and the cross country team. His hobbies include basketball, running and
baseball. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 HAZLETON &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bishop Hafey &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Senior High School &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lauren Marie Adelizzi, a Bishop Hafey senior and daughter of Michael and
Christine Adelizzi, was selected to participate in the District 9 Chorus
Festival. The festival, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Music Education
Association, was held at Lakeland High School from Jan 8 to 11. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 About 40 schools participated in the audition process, and an eight-part
chorus of 160 students was chosen for the music festival. The chorus spent two
days rehearsing and held a public performance of musical selections from
different periods and composers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The students also auditioned for the regional/state chorus, which will be
held in February in Milton. Eighty students were selected for this chorus. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Adelizzi is National Honor Society secretary/treasurer, co-editor of the
yearbook and school newspaper, leader of song and an active member of the
Hafey Players, Viking Vocals, Spanish National Honor Society, International
Club, Literary Arts Magazine staff, girls' tennis team and volleyball
intramural team. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 She is also a member of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic
Anniversary Chorus and the Valley Vocals. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Her awards include: "Teenager of the Month; Kiwanis Vocal Competition,
second place; Who's Who Among American High School Students; National Spanish
Contest, third place; and National French Contest, honorable mention. She was
also named a "National Young Leaders Conference Scholar" and a "Hugh O'Brien
Youth Ambassador." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Adelizzi is a CCD teacher at St. John Bosco Parish. She plans to major in
special education and elementary education in the fall. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 HAZLETON &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 E. A. Encke &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Elementary &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The E.A. Encke PTA announces the following students have won its
"Reflections Contest" this year: literature -- Lynette Trovitch, Crystal
Lloyd, Andrew Evans, Courtney Lemon-Tate, Elizabeth Beach and Kristina
Scatton; visual arts -- Heather Dino, Diane Smeck, Amanda Attick, Elizabeth
Beach, Randi Wardingo, Gary Kapusnick, Kimberly Scatton, Julie Schlauch,
Tristan Sutrisno, Steven Kapusnick, Brynn Kishbaugh, Dana Kavitski, Chris
Coles, David Scatton, Mary Beach, Melissa Kuczynski and Stacey Denning;
photography -- Michael Bartosevich and Jonathan Kapusnick. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This year's theme is "It Could Happen..." Winners will be recognized at a
future awards ceremony. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Students who advanced and won on the PTA Council level are: photography --
Jonathan Kapusnick, winner, and Michael Bartosevich, honorable mention;
literature -- Kristina Scatton, winner; visual arts -- David Scatton and Mary
Beach, winners, and Melissa Kuczynski, honorable mention; and Stacey Denning,
honorable mention. These children will be recognized at an awards ceremony in
February at Heights-Terrace Elementary School. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * * * &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 An E.A. Encke PTA meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 22 in the school
library. Parents are urged to attend. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hazleton Area School District Security Director Vince Zola will attend the
meeting to explain the conflict resolution program being implemented in the
district this year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Zola will also answer any questions about security in the district. A short
business meeting will follow to begin planning for upcoming activities. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * * * &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A Title One Building Committee meeting will be held at 8:15 a.m. Jan. 22 in
the school library. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Members of this committee are: Raymond Schneider, principal; Judy Wagner,
Title One reading specialist; Lou Guarino, Title One math teacher; Paul
Platukis and Carol Casper, teachers; and Fran Beach, Lorna Farley and Kim
Ingalsbe, parent representatives. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * * * &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This month honor students from each homeroom were chosen for a new Student
Advisory Council. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The council and principal will work together to make suggestions and plan
new events and procedures to make Encke Elementary a better place to learn. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The students chosen are: April Ritz (6H); Megan Holling (6S); Kristopher
Gregory (5C); Ray Hutton (5M); Travis Matthews (4P); Steven Martonick (4K);
Bryana Zumball (3R); and Betsey Beach (3P). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * * * &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Homeroom teachers selected 12 sixth-graders to be on the yearbook staff
based on students' grades, behavior and ability to work with others. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The students will make decisions about this year's yearbook and compile the
yearbook. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Tony Baronio is the yearbook adviser. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Nesgoda Named Adviser Of Photography Club At Mmi 
Mmi Preparatory School Announces That Michael Nesgoda Has Been Appointed 
Teacher/adviser Of The School Photography Club. Nesgoda Is A 1970 Graduate Of 
Mmi And Owner Of Michael's Photo Center And Studio In Tamaqua. He Is Approved 
To Shoot Photographs For The Us Open Tennis Championship And Spends Labor Day 
Weekend As An On-call Photographer At The Us Open. Four Of Nesgoda's 
Photographs Were Published In Usta Tennis Magazine's November Issue, Including