Marysville celebrates the Fourth of July with new LED lights

MARYSVILLE — If Marysville’s Civic Center campus seems a little brighter this Independence Day, it might have to do with the city’s new permanent LED lighting.

The city partnered with Trimlight WA to have lighting installed as part of a larger makeover of the new $66 million Civic Center campus, a “one-stop shop” for city services. The light installation cost $35,000.

“The Civic Center Delta plaza was envisioned as a public event space,” the city’s Chief Administrative Officer Gloria Hirashima said in an email. “With the new restrooms and playground, and seasonal reopening of the Spray Park, we have seen significant increase in usage.”

The new lights offer 16 million color options to mark different events and holidays.

“More lighting will (also) help boost spirits and improve security during the dark winter months,” said Connie Mennie, a spokesperson for city of Marysville.

The lights are touted as a safer, cheaper and more energy-efficient option than traditional, temporary string lights. Mennie said each LED diode uses 0.6 of a watt’s power, compared to 100-watt incandescent light bulbs.

Jesse DeGroff, owner and distributor of the western Washington division of Trimlight, said the primary reason his clients want permanent lighting is that installing Christmas lights in the rain and cold is dangerous — a danger he is familiar with.

Last December, DeGroff was installing lights when he fell from a 20-foot ladder and broke his back. He said the fall almost paralyzed him.

“I don’t want people to go through what I did,” he said.

DeGroff and his business partner, Tyler Giles, mainly serve residential homes, but they also serve businesses like coffee stands and strip malls. Their next big project is installing lights for the city of Puyallup.

“We’ve been looking for ways to get into the community,” Giles said. “This was a no-brainer.”

Phase two of the project in Marysville, installing lights on the water tower, will begin in September.

Sydney Jackson: 425-339-3430; sydney.jackson@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @_sydneyajackson.