For Immediate Release

MOVIE SENDS HIGH-RISK MESSAGE,
SAYS ALAMEDA POWER & TELECOM

ALAMEDA, Calif., July 3, 2002 - "Like Mike," a new movie just released and directed at younger audiences, contains a scene that involves high-risk activity, warns Alameda Power & Telecom. Bill Garvine, the municipally owned utility's marketing manager, says, "We realize the movie is only meant to entertain. But we want to be certain our customers and their children understand the young boy in the scene is risking injury or death."

The scene in question shows a boy climbing a tree and plucking a pair of sneakers from a "live" electric wire. Later hit by lightning, the boy finds he has basketball skills that allow him to compete in the NBA.

"In real life," says Garvine, "taking the sneakers from the electric-power line could very likely result in severe burns or death by electrocution." He adds, "It's common for young people to mimic behavior they see in movies. And our concern is that a boy or girl may see something on a power line and decide to retrieve it, just as the boy did in the movie."

Alameda Power & Telecom asks parents to remind their children of the following safety tips regarding power lines:

• Avoid physical contact with any electric-power lines. Never try to retrieve any object that is touching a power line. Parents should call Alameda Power & Telecom (510-748-3902) to report any objects caught in a line.
• When flying kites or playing with balloons, stay away from overhead power lines. Strings wrapped around electric cables can result in injuries, short circuits and power outages.
• Before climbing a tree, look carefully to see if power lines have been routed between branches. If so, play elsewhere.

Garvine explains, "Electricity is an essential part of our lives. But it is a powerful form of energy. We don't want anyone doing things that put them at risk."

Alameda Power & Telecom is active in local schools, promoting electric-power safety to children. Safety messages are also presented to the community through regular productions of its "Make a Circus", Solar School Days, its newsletter The Flash, and its website. The utility also has the Hazard Hamlet display in the Service Center lobby and makes it available at other locations. For more information about electric-power safety, call Matt McCabe at (510) 748-3911.