Lincoln teens rustle up summer jobs

Ah, summertime! Sleep until noon? Play video games until 3 a.m.? Not for some local go-getters who see free time as an opportunity to earn money.

With a constant parade of tourists looking for a burger and shake, the Pit Stop restaurant puts on extra help in the high traffic season. Teenage helpers who don't mind hard work amid rushes of "every table full" days scurry about taking orders and delivering food.

Sophomore Ivy Corrigan is learning the ropes of this fast-paced job from the entry-level position of dishwasher and milkshake maker. Ivy wanted this summer job so she could make monthly payments on a top of the line iPad "to do digital drawing and art work." A talented artist, Ivy joins a long tradition of artists who have worked to support their creative endeavors.

Recent graduate Brittney Walker is in her third year of work at the Hi Country Trading Post, serving customers samples of chocolate, ringing up sales and pricing inventory.

Her manager, Sarah Muse, says Brittney "is a great worker and has a positive attitude."

Those who attended the LHS graduation last week may remember Brittney as the winner of several scholarships that will finance her next step in the fall, as she enters MSU Bozeman to study Pre-Med.

"The best part of my job," said Brittney, "is interacting with my coworkers and meeting people from different countries who are passing through Lincoln."

Not everyone is cut out to be self-employed. With no regular pay check coming every week, the self-employed teen must know how to advertise, promote his service and meet the needs of clients. Such is the challenge Haden Jennings has undertaken by giving private percussion lessons over the summer. A talented drummer with aspirations to attend The Juilliard School, a performing arts onservatory, after graduation, Haden is combining his love of percussion with his need to earn a summer paycheck.

"I've put up fliers around town and I am advertising on social media," he explained. My fee of $10 an hour should be within the reach of most families who are interested."

The Lincoln Telephone Company is putting on lots of extra help recently with their huge fiber optic project.

Seeing an opportunity for an outdoor job with a higher than normal pay scale for teens, Aziah Blotkamp hired on to help dig in the new fiber lines and learn the technical skills required to hook up local customers. Working the district from Canyon Creek to Lincoln, Aziah is glad for the chance to earn money to help him pay to attend MSU Bozeman in the fall to study engineering. His stellar record in high jumping during this year's spring track events may help him vault over any pesky downed trees that get in the way of the trencher.

Working at Coyote Coffee, his family's business, sophomore Damion Birkholz

is busy twelve hours a week serving up ice cream and coffee creations in the drive-thru.

Having an "in" with the family employment agency has other advantages. Damion explained that his up-coming Drivers' Ed classes will take priority over his work schedule, but his boss is amenable to juggling work hours around his other responsibilities. Parents can always use an extra driver in the family.

In his second summer at The Montanan, high school junior Joe Wiederhold has worked his way up from dishwasher to assistant chef, proving that hard work and reliability have eventual rewards. When the restaurant changed ownership last year, Joe decided to jump in and see if he could get included in the new crew.

"I like to keep busy," he said.

Joe works hard with the challenges of his promotion, learning which food items go with each dinner and keeping everything straight.

Following in the footsteps of his pal Joe Wiederhold, high school junior Brody Henderson is starting on the bottom rung at The Montanan as dishwasher and general all-around cook's assistant. Also a talented athlete, Brody says the work is physically demanding and "sometimes my back hurts at the end of a long shift."

But Brody is saving up for a car, usually a strong motivation for income-producing work with many teenage boys.

Clocking in ten minutes early, it was clear that Brody values his job and is making a maximum effort to please the management.

Driving heavy equipment, a skill learned from his dad, Owen Whittenberg is working for Lonnie Cox this summer, repairing bridges and assisting with other outdoor projects. Cox says Owen, "has a lot of common sense and takes good care of the equipment that he is using."

Owen drives the skidsteer and excavator when they're moving heavy timbers or fill dirt, and Cox says he has 40 hours a week of work for Owen "when he is not taking care of family responsibilities."