The Butler Shade Tree Commission deserves praise for rescuing $150,000 in Streetscape grant funds from an impending trip back to the federal government in Washington.

The replacement of lights, painting of light poles, replacement of a no-longer-operating clock, a "Welcome to Butler" sign, and new trash cans and matching benches will contribute to a brighter, cleaner downtown that will become even more noticeable once the current inclement weather relents. All work has came about as a result of the money in question. Flowers also are included in the commission's agenda.

Amid all of the good for which the commission currently merits praise, there is one aspect that deserves a bit of reflection and re-evaluation. That is the brightness of the newly installed lights.

Lower-wattage bulbs could achieve the brighter effect sought without being so glaring and making some overhead street signs difficult to read, as well as signs on buildings.

The commission should give strong consideration to replacing the current 150-watt bulbs with either 100-watt bulbs or, if available, bulbs with a wattage somewhere in between.

It would be wrong to ruin the brighter effect that the new lighting provides, but there are obvious advantages to having lights more pleasing to motorists' eyes.

Whether lower-watt bulbs are tried all at once, or whether some are phased in on a trial basis, the commission should revisit the lighting-brightness issue.

Even with a slightly lower wattage, the new lights would be a marked improvement to the dirty, yellowed lights that adorned Main Street prior to the commission's lighting work.

It is to the commission's credit that the current project came about at all. Last summer, the commission discovered that $150,000 in Streetscape money that had been allocated to the city three years ago by the federal government had gone unspent. Because the money wasn't spent, the time was nearing for the city to return it to Washington.

How someone in the city bureaucracy could have fallen asleep at the switch with so much improvement money available and unspent is a source of puzzlement. Obviously, such a scenario must never be repeated here.

Meanwhile, with some of the Streetscape money still available, the commission merits praise for working with the city council, Downtown Butler Association and Downtown Revitalization Committee on possible ways for spending that money.

The downtown's new lights have brought a sense of stepped-up activity to the business district. Merchants and other business people should use that asset as a basis for making their own streetscape improvements.

But the brightness of the lights remains an item that should be studied further as work continues on the other positive measures that the commission is pursuing.