Max McCool, 8, of Newcastle, received a super-cool thank you from Central Maine Power Co. on Thursday, May 14.
A parade of five CMP trucks, including two bucket trucks, made a special delivery to his home in the form of four CMP hard hats, one for him and each of his three siblings, and a gift certificate to King Eider’s Pub.
A fire truck led the parade with its lights flashing. A lineman in the bucket of a CMP truck presented the gifts. Line crews autographed the hard hats.
Although it was not a surprise visit, McCool, quiet and reserved, really didn’t seem to realize what all the fuss was about. The Great Salt Bay Community School second grader had completed an assignment, just like every other kid in Kristie Houghton’s class.
The April assignment was “to write to a community helper and thank them,” Houghton said. “He chose CMP. He came up with it all on his own.”
McCool has an uncle, Ian Schubert, of Wiscasset, who works as a lineman for CMP.
Staying safe at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Max said, “I have to do academics still. The teachers still give us assignments and stuff.”
With four school-age kids in the house, their mother, Ari Edgar, has to juggle. “It’s hard. It’s challenging. They all have to find different space and have to work independently. I’m working too, so I need my space,” Edgar said.
A spokesperson for CMP said Max’s letter made an impression.
“He wrote to us during the April snow and wind storm as part of a school assignment – thanking the line crews for getting his power back on because he loves cheeseburgers and needs power to make them. We started calling him the Cheeseburger Kid,” spokesperson Catharine Hartnett said.
To thank Max in return, local line crews formed the parade of trucks and made the special delivery. CMP also gave the family the gift card, making sure it was to a local restaurant that serves cheeseburgers.
Greg Thompson, manager of operations for CMP’s Brunswick-Coastal Division, told McCool at the parade, “You were so nice to write us a letter. The guys that got the letter wanted to thank you.”
