Buckley Chamber lights the way with changes

By BRENDA SEXTON
Enumclaw Courier Herald Reporter
December 7, 2009 · 5:08 PM

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The Buckley Chamber of Commerce is making the move to light-emiting diode lights this holiday season. The community group is in the process of lighting up 19 trees along state Route 410 with 65-feet of lights per tree.

Due to rising costs and shrinking budgets, Chamber President Ron Callis said, the lights have not been on in Buckley the past couple of years. The chamber decided to use its “beautify Buckley” funds for the program.

“The dollar savings is unbelievable,” Callis said.

LED technology is fairly new and a bit pricey, Callis said, but the savings in energy costs should make up for the added expense in no time.

The chamber earmarked about $2,400 for this year’s lights, but Callis said the energy savings between incadescent bulbs and the LEDs is “mind-boggling.”

An incandescent light uses 900 watts per 150 feet and will burn for about 30,000 hours. He said the LEDs use 72 watts per 150 feet and burn for 100,000 hours.

“It’s huge in the amount of money that it saves you,” he said. “It will save the city so much money it’s crazy.”

The chamber is hoping to use money raised from its holiday tree auction Saturday to fund lighting the big tree near the center of downtown next season.

Callis said the lights will remain on the trees year-round and be used for other holidays and, hopefully, to draw visitors to the downtown area.

Contact Enumclaw Courier Herald Reporter Brenda Sexton at bsexton@courierherald.com or 360-825-2555, ext. 5052.

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