Superintendent Dr. Mary Anne Wright welcomed board members and parents of students to dinner in the culinary arts program at Lehigh Career and Technical Institute for the Oct. 15 Northwestern Lehigh School Board meeting.

She said they would be touring six labs with a Northwestern student hosting each tour.

On behalf of LCTI Director Sandra Himes, Elsie Bell, director of curriculum and instruction, said the school is proud of its wonderful students and was glad the board could come and see what is being done.

Assistant High School Principal Don Allen introduced the students who would be leading the tours. They were: Braxton Reppert, culinary; Stephanie Colvert, health occupations; Cassidy Shupp, early childhood education; Zachary LaMastra welding; Randy Belnoski, heavy equipment and Kylie Cloonan, law enforcement.

The meal was prepared and served by Chef John O'Connell, instructor; and students Autumn, Roland, Jasmine and Sabrina.

The restaurant serves the public from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily with reservations preferred at 610-799-1309. October will be a busy month with private parties serving from 50 to 100 people.

There are 150 students in the culinary classes with three instructors.

Reppert chose the menu for the Northwestern dinner.

Upon entering the kitchen there is a room with shelves stacked with dishes.

A large room is entered off that with the first side for restaurant service and the second side for the cafeteria. Students on level 1 begin on the cafeteria side.

Chef O'Connell said it is the only culinary department in the country with all the advanced equipment such as the anti-griddle which will freeze a food on contact.

A centrifuge separates fats and liquids. Herbs are grown hydroponically. These are the things we use frequently, said O'Connell. By using a rotary distiller, soil can be turned into chocolate water which integrates science into the curriculum.

O'Connell said he had the opportunity to work with the man who wrote the Modernist Cuisine set of books.

The school is working on a cookbook that will be used for the next 10 years. It will be printed in the school print department.

Reppert said each student chooses three fields of study and spends two weeks to see if that is truly what they like.

Everyone begins doing the same thing and we do cook safe, he said.

O'Connell said working with the national school lunch program is a challenge.

"We are used to saying 'butter is better,' but now it is not considered so," said O'Connell. "We push every day for 2-1/2 hours and then gain work experience." He said he is an alumnus of the program.

"Food is not going away," O'Connell said. "People always have to eat. There will always be a job."

He expects the Poconos to return to a big resort area with many culinary jobs.

There are 40 students in a session. They can do shadowing work at Northampton Community College, which has a waiting list for the culinary department. Shadowing moves them to the top of the list.

Reppert said he will be going to Lincoln Technical School in Florida to continue his studies.

Board member Ron Morrison toured with the law enforcement group where Kylie Coonan showed them how to take fingerprints. He said with the experience she is receiving she should be able to go right out and get a job.

Board member Bill Dellecker said LCTI is the best school in the country of its type. It has 41 programs and is the second largest technical school in the country. Students move into college programs where they meet the graduation requirements that lead to well paying jobs. There is an increase in enrollment.

Board member LeRoy Sorensen said he learned the lessons at LCTI, then known as Lehigh County Vo-Tech that led to a lifelong career.

Julie Cloonan, mother of law enforcement student Kylie, said she did not want her daughter to enroll at LCTI because of the stigma attached to "vo-tech" schools.

Cloonan said she is working in health care and the class at LCTI would have helped her.

Her opinion has changed.

Board member Joe Reiter commented on the students.

"These kids are the greatest," Reiter said. "It is one of the best heavy-equipment programs around."

Morrison added that it was not just great students but great instructors. As the board meeting began, President Darryl Schafer said they could see the students' passion for the work a technical school provides.