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--> --> Electrical wiring for new light poles at North Mountain Park sits exposed Monday. The poles will likely be erected Thursday or Friday. Ashland Daily Tidings/AMY ALONZO Light poles going up at park By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings A soccer field at North Mountain Park likely will be surrounded by floodlights by the end of the week. Crews already have been working to install bases for the lighting poles and planned to do electrical work today. On Thursday or Friday, the poles probably will be erected, according to Steve Gies, parks superintendent for the Ashland Parks and Recreation Department. "Once they start going up, they'll be up in about half a day," he said. "They pretty much come assembled on the ground." Four poles equipped with nine lights each will stand at the corner of the soccer fields, according to Gies. The installation of sports field lights at North Mountain Park has long been controversial. The park includes a natural area featuring wetlands and is bordered by a dense neighborhood of townhouses and single family homes. Neighbors, astronomy enthusiasts and people concerned about wildlife worry the lights will be too disruptive, while supporters of youth and adult sports say lighting will extend the use of limited fields in a town lacking adequate space for sports. Previously, the installation of lights seemed a distant goal for sports supporters. Late last year, the Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission voted to light one field at the park per year depending on the availability of funds. But earlier this year, commissioners decided other parks projects took precedence and did not include funding for lights in the 2001-2002 fiscal year parks budget. The Ashland Soccer Club then stepped forward, pledging $15,000 to help cover the estimated $67,500 cost of lighting one field at the park. A parks commission majority voted to install the lights by this fall if sports supporters could pledge 35 percent of the cost, and the soccer club agreed to pledge the larger amount. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing