Vail: Lighting at ice arena will be replaced

VAIL, Colorado — Energy-efficient fluorescent light bulbs will be installed at Dobson Ice Arena while the facility is closed, May 12 through June 9.

The arena still has its original lighting installed in 1979, said Scott O’Connell, the Vail Recreation District’s maintenance supervisor.

The new lights should cut energy usage in half, reduce carbon dioxide output equal to taking 21 cars off the road saving 10,000 gallons of gas, O’Connell said.

“We’re not only saving energy and money while reducing our carbon footprint, we’re also making tremendous improvements to the quality of the lighting in the rink,” said O’Connell. “The replacement will provide NHL quality lighting.”

The arena’s refrigeration system also will undergo a major overhaul this spring.

The rec district’s Youth Services Department and Imagination Station, which are adjacent to Subway in the Lionshead parking structure, are closed until May 23 for painting and cleaning.

For more information, contact O’Connell at 477-5624.