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In the dark: 20% of USU-Eastern streetlights, pathway lights are out

February 12th, 2012 Posted in Opinion

By Seth Richards
Eagle Staff Writer

PRICE—USU Eastern security officers report that about 20 percent of street lights and pathway lighting on campus aren’t working, prompting safety concerns.

“A light out is a liability,” says officer James Prettyman of campus security and residential life. “If you have a light pole, there’s a certain expectation that there’s going to be light emitting from it at night. That’s what it’s there for. It’s to provide safety in travel.

“There’s also an expectation it provides safety so that you are not walking around in the shadows.”

Campus police make periodic trips through campus to mark the non-working lights on a map.

Acknowledging that 43 of 213 lights across campus were out, Brad King, vice chancellor for administration and advancement, said the USU Eastern campus lighting is old and does not get repaired as often as it should.

Eastern’s archaic pole-light system is on a list of capital improvements pending proper funding from the Utah Legislature. In the interim, the fixtures are using more energy-efficient bulbs than they were designed to handle, and frequent energy surges can burn out or temporarily kill the lights. The poles are also prone to weather damage, King added.

USU Eastern does not employ an electrician on the facilities maintenance staff, and maintenance personnel are seldom on campus after dark.

Jan Thornton, director of student success, says she e-mailed campus maintenance in October about the lights around the SAC building being out.

Students are asked to report lighting failures around campus to the maintenance staff at (435) 613-5214, or contact King directly by email or at (435) 613-5246.

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