Limited time to get your skate on – UPDATED
A burst pipe may cause the ice rink to shut down before its scheduled date. (Photo: Kirkner)
Tourism and Recreation Director Danna Stroud issued the following update on the ice rink, which has suffered a setback recently following a burst coolant line. In the e-mail note Thursday, Stroud wrote:
“The ice rink is in a day-to-day operation mode. It is open today, but they will be grooming it again this early evening. If water from the groomer can form a new sheet of ice when it is groomed this afternoon, it will remain open. The cold temperatures have helped, but the sun impacts it. Interested parties should be advised to call the rink for updates.
We are trying to operate it through the weekend. If cloud cover appears tomorrow and temperatures remain low, we might make it. If we get more sun we will probably close. We will advise as conditions change.”
-earlier story-
Days are numbered to hit the ice at the Mammoth Lakes’ ice rink this season. Originally scheduled to shut down on March 14, a burst PVC pipe underneath the rink may force the Town of Mammoth to shut the rink down as early as today or tomorrow.
Tourism and Recreation Director Danna Stroud announced the problem at the March 3 Town Council meeting, and stated that March 4 would be the last day to skate. However, as of 10:30 a.m. on March 4, the Town’s Community Relations Manager Stuart Brown said he had not received official word that the rink would shut down at the end of the day.
“Basically a pipe burst and leaked fluid,” Brown said. “This means that we can’t use the chiller.” The leaking fluid is a coolant that can’t freeze itself, according to Brown.
“As of right now, they are trying to clear it [the rink] to see if they can keep using it,” Brown said. Heavy snowfall in Mammoth on Wednesday is what needs to be cleared off the rink before damage can be assessed. The status of the rink’s functionality will be reviewed on a day-to-day basis, according to Brown. He suggested that interested users call the Town before they plan to go to the rink to make sure it is still open.
“The story here,” Brown said,” is that the ice rink is still a temporary facility that we try to put band-aids on every year. We need something permanent if we want to keep an ice rink.”
With increased numbers of skaters this year, Brown felt the facility was being used and the desire to have it was there in the community.
For more information call the Tourism and Recreation Department at 760-934-2712.
