Boss Treating Staff to ‘Star Wars’ Screening

You could say that Michael Edell heard a voice from the past calling to him from a galaxy far, far away.

Or you could say that he’s just a really nice guy.

In either case, he’s a hit with his 175 employees.

Edell, president of JeTech Data Systems in Camarillo, will treat his employees and their families to a night of Jedis, light sabers and aliens after purchasing 450 tickets for a Saturday-night showing of George Lucas’ long-awaited “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.”

“We call it showing the love,” said human resources director Kristen Bruner, who is counting the nanoseconds before the screening. “Our people are very special and important to us.”

Although Edell had hoped to rent an entire theater, he found that impossible--until at least August.

Instead, Edell rounded up 40 employees and took them to the United Artists theater in Camarillo to stand in line, each with a hundred-dollar bill.

The total? About $3,150, plus the $1,000 or so the company will pay for popcorn and soda.

“Everybody here is really excited,” Bruner said. “It was the right thing to do.”