PRESS RELEASE

Date: May 2, 2024

Ellington Embarks on a Bright New Era with Advanced Sports and Parking Lot Lighting Installations with Earthlight Technologies

Ellington, CT — The Town of Ellington is pleased to announce a significant upgrade to its public lighting infrastructure through the installation of cutting-edge LED sports and parking lot lighting at several key community locations. This initiative encompasses major installations at Pinney Street Park, Robert Tedford Park, and Ellington High School. Construction will start on May 6 at Pinney and work its way to Tedford in and June, and the High School starting after graduation with the hope of completion before the fall sports season begins.

Tom Modzelewski, The Director of Public Works, got excited when talking about the problems these lights will solve, and new opportunities they could bring to Ellington, saying, “Right now our playing schedules are jam packed during the normal daylight hours and we have overcrowding of fields and overscheduling of games. So, this is going to allow folks out on the fields and, and allow them to get those practices in, or the rescheduled rained out games or things like that, just because we have more playable hours on the fields.  Another benefit to adding the lights is that we'll be able to host other towns that may not have lights for later scheduled games. It may be an attraction for our leagues to get some other towns to play on our fields, which would be huge for the Town of Ellington sports.”

This ambitious project, spearheaded by Ellington’s very own Earthlight Technologies LLC, involves the retrofitting and installation of 239 new Musco Sports Lights across 44 newly erected poles. Additionally, 17 new parking lot poles will enhance visibility and safety at Pinney Street Park and Robert Tedford Park.

Karen Dwyer, Chair of the Ad Hoc Lighting Committee, reiterated the aim of this project, stating, "The biggest goal for us as a committee, was to find something for everyone. We wanted to provide a little bit for every league, which is hard to do. But Earthlight has been a great team to work with and they have supported our goal the entire time.” 

The installation by Earthlight Technologies LLC guarantees that these lights, covered under Musco's 25-year product assurance material warranty, will provide long-lasting, maintenance-free service. "I believe this project reflects our commitment here at Earthlight to delivering a high quality product and to enhancing the quality of life in our local community. These state-of-the-art lighting fixtures from Musco really set the standard for energy efficiency, durability, and performance and will produce enjoyment for many years to come," said Jake Schneider, COO at Earthlight.

Dustin Hugenin, The Recreation Director for the town of Ellington, added this about the partnership with Earthlight, "How lucky are we as a town to be able to have the installer of our lights be people who live in our town and who have children of their own that participate in our programs. When the lights are installed and ready to go, Earthlight's not going anywhere. They'll be around to help and make sure that they're operating as they intended. So, we feel very fortunate to have had that partnership, with an Ellington company, to benefit our youth.”

In addition to enhancing sports complexes, the new parking lot lighting will improve safety and accessibility, making the parks safer and more family-friendly during evening hours.

Finally, these improvements are not just about illumination but also about advancing Ellington's commitment to energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact.

“Besides the enjoyment the public is going to get out of these lights, the functionality of the system is what’s most exciting for me personally.” Said, Justin Daigle, Director of Commercial Construction for Earthlight Technologies.

The state-of-the-art Musco lights, controlled via the innovative web/app-based "Control-Link Central" software, represent a leap forward in lighting technology. This system not only allows for precise control and monitoring of lighting but also significantly cuts down on energy consumption and operational costs.

One of the biggest fears raised by members of the Ellington community over the years of planning has been around the topic of light spillage into adjacent neighborhoods.  

“That’s valid,” said Karen Dwyer, “but we brought that and other objections to Earthlight and Musco, and they reassured us that technology is so advanced these days that we are dealing with precision lighting. If you're going to light a field, you're going to light the field.”

Check back here over the next few months for further details, answers to other Frequently Asked Questions, and photo/video updates on the Ellington Sports Lighting Project.

Contact: Karen Dwyer – Chair of the Ad Hoc Lighting Committee for the town of Ellington Email: kar0228@yahoo.com