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Boaters get ramped up
lighting
Published February 13,
2007
Brazoria County boaters
no longer will be in the dark thanks to
lights being installed at two public boat
ramps on the San Bernard River.
Two 400-watt security lights are being
installed at the Sportsman’s Span boat ramp
to the San Bernard River on FM 2611, and two
more lights are being added at the boat ramp
at the McNeil Bridge on FM 521, said Janice
Edwards, spokeswoman for Friends of the
River San Bernard.
“It’s really for security reasons,” said Pat
Webb, the organization’s president.
The organization hoped the security lights,
which come on automatically at night and
shut off during daylight hours, would deter
people from using the boat ramp areas for
“illicit or illegal activities” such as
dumping trash or dealing drugs, Webb said.
“It will also provide safety for people who
do use the boat ramps at night,” Webb said.
After Friends of the River San Bernard’s
fundraiser in October, when it raised more
than $26,000, the organization decided to
donate $1,000 to the county, to pay for the
lighting equipment, Webb said.
Edwards said because the fundraiser was so
successful, the organization wanted to show
people who gave donations that their money
was going to a good cause and would help
them, too.
“It’s important for us to give back to the
community,” Edwards said.
The organization gave the money to the
Brazoria County Parks Department in November
and worked with the department’s director,
Mark Hansen, to get the project moving, Webb
said.
“It takes a little time to get new service
to the areas with the electric companies,”
Hansen said.
The parks department crews are doing the
labor to erect the lights, and they already
have electrical poles and electrical service
at the sites, Hansen said.
Crews have set the poles at both boat ramps
and the work is on schedule, said Tim
Johnson, a lead building maintenance
generalist/master electrician for the parks
department. Plans were to work on the lights
this week, weather permitting.
Johnson said he thought the lights were a
good idea if they could keep people from
shooting them out, which he said was a
problem they’ve had at another boat ramp.
“People don’t realize it’s their tax dollars
that go to replace those lights,” he said.
The organization’s donation paid for the
light poles, fixtures and bulbs at the FM
521 boat ramp and it also paid for light
poles at the FM 2611 ramp, Webb said.
Electric bills for the lights will be paid
by Brazoria County through the parks
department, and the parks department will
maintain the lights, Hansen said.
“It is pretty standard at our county parks
to have security lights at the boat ramps,”
Hansen said. “It’s a good investment and
more security.”
Desirée Evans is a reporter for the Facts.
Contact her at (979) 237-0152.
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