Cheney tree lights still planned

Suspected vandalism has failed to pull the plug on Cheney’s plan to light downtown trees.

“Damage to the conduit boxes beneath the trees has cost between $500 and $1,000,” said Tom Richardson, director of Cheney’s Light Department. “We will spend several thousand more on redesigning the boxes and installing them.”

The conduit boxes were at the base of the trees. Vandals may have hit the boxes, exposing the wires.

“I can’t say it was intentional vandalism,” said Richardson, adding that some damage may have been done inadvertently by pedestrians over the past few years.

Pathways To Progress Executive Director Charlie Dotson said the damage pushed the project back by months. The city is taking precautions to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

“The new conduit boxes will have metal tops,” said Joe Noland, foreman at the City Light Department. “We now have the parts and will begin next week to put them in the trees about eight feet high.

“Fifteen to 20 of the boxes were damaged.”

Money left over from a Bonneville Power Administration conservation measure is being used to purchase more lights.

“The lights were bought through the City Light Department, and the Light Department donated money toward their purchase as well,” Richardson said. Business donations also helped fund the project, Richardson said.

Although the lights now decorate trees along just three blocks of First Street, they eventually will extend much farther, as well as along College Avenue to Eastern Washington University. The light-emitting diodes use 80 percent less electricity than regular lights, Richardson said.

“And they last much longer,” he said.

About 20 trees already have lights on them, although not all are energized, Richardson said.

“The LED lights are a little softer glow,” he said. “It’s just real pretty at night, kind of a faint light up in the trees.”