Faster than a textbook. More powerful than a parent's lecture.
Able to spot electrical hazards in a single glance.
It's Major Power, Celina Utilities' award-winning superhero.
Major Power earned Celina Utilities the Public Power PromotionAward for Division III at the annual meeting of American MunicipalPower-Ohio held in Columbus last fall.
Created by Dave Schmidt, director of administrative services forCelina Utilities, Major Power promotes electrical safety to childrenthrough safety talks at schools, a kids club with its own Web site, T-shirts, restaurant place mats and Celina Utilities promotionalmaterials.
"I was looking for a positive and fun way to present CelinaUtilities to children and also have an impact on adults," Schmidtsaid. "I think everyone, young or old, has a favorite superhero.
`When I was a kid, it was Superman. Now it's the Power Rangers.Plus, many of us remember Smokey Bear. I wanted Major Power to besomething like a Superman and Smokey."
The idea for Major Power was born in 2000 soon after Schmidt tookthe job of director of administrative services. He asked Dan Davis,with whom he had worked in the past, to bring the idea to life.
"I kind of used safety gear and tools in mind as a concept anddidn't make the costume too outlandish, thinking ahead that we mighthave a live person appear as Major Power sometime," said Davis, aCelina Utilities electric customer and a professional comic bookartist. `And, of course, you can't go wrong with a snazzy lightningbolt on the front."
Davis writes and draws a new Major Power strip about four times ayear, with occasional other strips as needed.
"We're hoping to do a full-fledged comic book sometime," Davissaid. "Children seem to love Major Power and have talked to me aboutadventures he might have."
Davis has been an ink artist for DC Comics for 12 years. He hasworked on almost every DC Comics character, most recently Batman andJustice League . He has drawn The Phantom for a Swedish company and SpongeBob Squarepants for Golden Books.
He has also been a contributing writer and artist on the Alley Oopcomic strip feature.
Davis said that Schmidt's idea of melding a comic book superherowith safety education makes Major Power unusual.
"It's not the first time it's been done to have a cartooncharacter be a spokesperson of sorts, but it's an underused conceptthat works well," he said.
"Kids respond favorably to the comics and we can slip in somesafety facts they can learn without them even knowing it."
Joe Wolfe, a Celina Utilities staff member has been doing safetytalks in area schools for four years. Major Power now assists him.
"He is our safety hero and he helps teach the children through ourcartoons how to be safe around electricity," Wolfe said. "The first-and second-graders really enjoy him. He is kind of like Superman intheir eyes."
"Joe Wolfe does a great job at his talks and I know those kidshave become very aware of how to avoid problems with electricity,"Schmidt said. "Major Power helps to reinforce those ideas."
For information on Major Power, visit www.majorpowerkidsclub.org.
ANNA SCHOOL GETS
EDUCATION AWARD
Anna Elementary School has received the Ohio Career EducationAssociation Outstanding Career Planning Teams award.
The award program encourages and supports outstanding leadershipin career development.
Representing Anna at the award ceremonies in Columbus werePrincipal Terry Householder ; second-grade teacher Sherry Shoemakerand counselor Ron Nufrio .
Anna Elementary offers its students a variety of career educationopportunities through age-appropriate classroom activities, specialevents, the Internet and career-related materials such as videos andcomputer programs.
The school also involves parents and other community members incareer planning activities.
Parents and community members may make career presentations, helpwith special events or co-teach guidance classes that help studentsunderstand how problem-solving, conflict management and self-esteemrelate to career development.
Vehicle Career Day is an example of the special events that AnnaElementary offers it students.
Presented in May of odd-numbered years, Vehicle Career Day givesstudents at all grade levels a close look at different vehicles andan opportunity to talk with the people who operate them.
About 25 businesses participate in this event by providingvehicles and speakers. Middle and high school students alsoparticipate by serving as guides.
In addition to Householder, Shoemaker and Nufrio, members of theAnna Elementary career planning team included teachers Connie Smith,Jenny Sherman, Beth King, Jenny Fledderjohann, Joyce Wells, CarolWentz and Rhonda Curtis ; secretaries Kelly Bensman and DianeBornhorst ; and custodians Bart Shuster and Ginger Wray .
STUDENTS IN THE NEWS
* Twelve members of the Upper Valley Joint Vocational Schoolchapter of Business Professionals of America recently attended the34th annual state Fall Leadership Conference in Columbus.
Representing the Upper Valley JVS chapter were: Informationtechnology students Travis Monnin of Fort Loramie and MelissaStager of Troy; administrative office specialist students CathyBlocher of Bradford, Ashley Cook of Piqua and Ashley Wills ofCovington; computer technology students Jake Dicke of JacksonCenter, Thomas Harvey of Newton and Gordon Burt, Jeremy Cox, JaimeFourcade, Josh Ganger and Beckie Schrolucke of Troy.
Adviser Connie Keim of Casstown accompanied the students to theconference.
Business Professionals of America is an organization for studentswho have an interest in the American business system and want toprepare for careers as business professionals.
* If you or a friend or relative recently achieved an honor, oryour club or organization has an activity you think would makeinteresting reading, call Deb Hogshead, 332-0443, e-mail her atpageheads@earthlink.net or send a typewritten notice to: Neighbors, Dayton Daily News, 131 S. Market St., Troy, OH 45373. We want to hearfrom you.
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