You might ask what do mice have to do with theprogram that got underway this week to replaceabout 9,000 street lights with new energy efficient LED lights. It’s not a question a reporter would
have thought to ask the K Electric crew that replaced lights on Warwick Avenue. Crew member Ann Marie Maccronne volunteered the information. She said a hazard of the job includes encountering
bees, birds and even mice in the fixtures overhead. The $3.1 million program is projected to pay for itself in reduced energy and maintenance costs over five years. The conversion is coming later
than planned, however, now that it has started Principal Planner Lucas Murray expects it will take three months to complete. The city started by addressing about 300 reports of burned out or missing lights. Above, Mark Shanley of Local 99 of the IBEW removes an old fixture that will be replaced with a new LED. As for the mice, Maccronne concludes,
“we all need a place to live.” (Warwick Beacon photos)