December 17, 2020 – West Bend, WI – Contractors have been on site this week at the Hughes Burckart Field, aka West Bend Little League diamond, 600 Water Street, prepping for the installation of new lighting.
There are red lines painted on the white snow and small flags dot the landscape marking underground wires as semis and other heavy equipment unload the huge new light poles.
Chad Steinke is with the West Bend Little League board. “The original lights were put in about 40 years ago,” said Steinke. “The new lights are a fancy LED light system that reduces the amount of energy and reduces the amount of light pollution.”
The new lighting system will be fully automated via web-based controls. “I’ll be able to turn the lights on and off from my phone,” said Steinke.
The little league is upgrading its system because parts for the current lights aren’t available anymore.
“We’re going to replace these lights and then harvest the parts for the other diamonds if needed,” he said.
All the light poles are being removed and all the electrical has to be dug up and replaced.
On Thursday morning the light poles will arrive. They measure 36 to 48 inches in diameter.
“The new poles are going to be 12 to 20 feet below the ground and two of them will extend 60 feet and two will extend 70 feet,” Steinke said. “This new style of lighting will reduce the number of poles from 8 to 4 lights per diamond.”
The $150,000 funding for Phase I of the project came from West Bend Little League.
Funding for Phase II will come from a sponsor campaign that has yet to get underway.
There are five diamonds at the Little League field.
West Bend Little League is the second largest youth non-profit in Washington County.
