Dawna Schawe (left), of the Colorado Springs Utilities field engineering section, joins Brent Schubloom (left/center), Utilities system extension manager; Mary Purinsh (right), board member of the Old Colorado City Security & Maintenance District, and others from Utilities and the district on Colorado Avenue the night of March 22 to check out the historic-style streetlights that Utilities crews installed in January-February. It was the first time the city’s lights had been on without being supplemented by the district’s aging globe lights, and officials wanted to know if they were bright enough. (One of the new streetlights, with a set of unlit globe lights below, can be seen in middle background.) Concerns were expressed during the walk-through that the new lights were too dim – an impression that has since been borne out by an instrument-measured evaluation. According to Rachel Beck of City Utilities, “Test results didn't come back as well as we’d expected.” She said that Schubloom and other Utiilities lighting specialists plan to meet with district representatives next week “to talk about different options to make sure there’s more light out there.” She said the hope is for “non-construction options, so we won’t have to go back out there and tear up streets.”

Westside Pioneer photo