ARLINGTON – The decorative candles mounted on street poles in Arlington around the holiday season have cast their final glow.

The Arlington City Council Nov. 7 agreed to surplus the 23 candles that were affixed to street poles along Olympic Avenue, Island Crossing and in Smokey Point each year.

Snohomish County PUD officials had a bit of Grinch in them when they told the city that the frilly candles would no longer be permitted on utility-owned poles.

In addition, City Administrator Paul Ellis said the aging candles had a tendency to shed color fiber strands that collected on sidewalks beneath the poles, causing maintenance issues.

In place of candles, the city has purchased new pole-mounted holiday banners and installation hardware that were scheduled to arrive Nov. 10, Ellis said.

Maintenance crews will start installing the banners in mid-November, and they should be up by Thanksgiving.