POWER — As you head west into Power on Highway 431, you’ll see a sign. It’s the result of good-natured humor over the years.
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“It's a joke. I mean, the next five exits because it's a small town and all the exits,” said Laurlynn Harrell, a junior at Power High School and a member of the school’s Family Career and Community Leaders of America, or FCCLA Chapter.” I think that's another reason it's such a big deal is because it's a joke for Power.”
Students in the Power FCCLA Chapter sought community input for a project. Originally, they considered a pothole filling campaign but eventually settled on a tribute to honor the musings of late and longtime Power supporter Joseph Tackes.
“I think it really just shows that, just that really big impact that he's had on everybody and the legacy that he continues to leave behind,” said Power High School Senior and FCCLA member Jordyn Stengrimson.
Power student Rylan Bowman spearheaded the project and said he can’t wait to drive by the sign every day.
“It was important to all of us to honor Joe’s humor and contributions while also making improvements to our town,” said Bowman.
The new, bigger sign has a plaque to honor Joe and community members were able to sign the back.
Students will work to refurbish the original sign and place it on the opposite side of town.
“We are working on getting that sign cleaned up and ready to go back up so that it's still a part of our community,” said Power FCCLA Adviser and Family Comsumer Science Teacher Lauren Vick.
The ‘Next 5 Exits’ sign was part of a broader effort funded through a $2,000 grant from the Montana Department of Transportation’s Vision Zero program. Students also replaced aging and worn stop signs and handicapped parking signs that have seen better days.
“They were all dented and the poles were hanging over,” said Stengrimson. “So, we wanted to make those look better, make them more visible for people.”
They also posted acrylic framed driving safety reminders in bathroom stalls. And they were able to strategically place about 25 yards signs throughout the community with a message seemingly made for Montana.
“It just says, slow down and enjoy the ride," said Vick. “So just enjoy the scenery and really slow down and pay attention to what you're doing.”
The project also taught the students about the dangers of distracted driving.
“Just simple things like connecting your phone to the Bluetooth while you're driving to play music,” said Stengrimson. “Or maybe your’re eating on your way to school or something. Those can all end up being really big distractions. Especially because we do live in a rural area. Sometimes there are cows that cross on the highway and there are a lot of deer in our area.”
The Road Safety Initiative was recently awarded first place at the state FCCLA conference in Bozeman, where Vick was named adviser of the year and Harrell was tabbed as a state officer, selected to serve on the Montana FCCLA State Executive Council.
The project proves that when a teacher cares and students believe, they can make a powerful impression.
“We're really proud of, the progress that they made and really being able to talk to the community about what their needs were in our community, and they listened,” said Vick. “And then for them to experience being able to make change and that be successful, I think is huge for our young guys.”
The sign project was just part of a successful performance by the Power FCCLA team.
The 6th grade Baking Club team earned 2nd place in the Families First State Outreach Project category.
