PLAINVILLE - When town officials were deliberating on which street lights to turn off to save money and balance the town budget, Selectwoman Andrea Soucy suggested citizens adopt a light in their neighborhood to keep some on.

She said citizens could help keep the town a little less dark by pitching in to pay for the electricity to keep some lights on.

Then, she decided she should lead by example.

Soucy became the first person to volunteer to pay the $96-a-year cost of keeping a street light on.

"I said I would adopt it if there was a way to do that. I think if you are asking people to make a sacrifice, you ought to be the first to make it. Besides, it's only $8 to $10 a month," she said. Since taking the plunge, Soucy said a number of other residents have come up to her and said they also adopted a light.

Debbie Drew, a spokeswoman for National Grid, said 15 Plainville residents have agreed to pay for street lighting so far.

Despite the adoption program, the town still had to shut off more than 400 of its 650 street lights, Town Administrator Joseph Fernandes said.

The move was made with regret, he said, but it is saving the town about $40,000. Considering the difficult financial times, the town decided shutting off lights was better than laying off a police officer, firefighter or teacher.

Fernandes said other layoffs and budget cuts had already been made, so there is no where else to cut.

Few residents noticed the lights were out this summer, he said, but as the days grew shorter and Halloween approached, complaints started coming into his office.

Some parents have understandably complained that it is dark when their teenagers catch the high school bus in the morning, and the street lights should have stayed on, he said.

"This is a real concern for me, and I don't have a solution," he said.

The lights that have remained on are at intersections, on road curves and other locations where safety was a particular concern.

Soucy said she is hoping more lights can be turned on at school bus stops and where children play. The adoption program is one way of accomplishing that. She said she adopted the light on her street corner because it is a dead-end street that children play on.

"It's like Mayberry here," she said.