The Schmitz-Maki Ice Arena is back in skating form after about $1 million in repairs.
The city of Farmington celebrated completion of the repairs with a ribbon-cutting and free open-skate session on Sept. 25.
The rink, built in the 1970s, had been springing leaks in its cooling system in recent years, jeopardizing the ice. After much debate about what to do given tight budgets, the city decided to spend about $1 million to repair the in-floor cooling system and replace the dasher boards around the rink.
Most of the repairs, including the new subfloor heating system, insulation and 50,000 feet of plastic refrigeration piping, aren't visible to arena visitors.
ROSEMOUNT
Firefighters plan an open houseA demonstration of a rescue from a wrecked vehicle, complete with a medical helicopter swooping onto the scene, will be the centerpiece of the Rosemount Fire Department's annual open house next Sunday.
The event is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rosemount Fire Station No. 2, 2047 Connemara Trail. Food will be available, and the department will display its smoke house and perform a demonstration of how to deal with a kitchen fire.
DAKOTA COUNTY
Dam holds up well as waters riseThe Byllesby Dam looked more like a rushing waterfall, but it was working as planned after rain drenched and flooded nearby areas in late September.
David Gisch, the county's emergency preparedness coordinator, said staff began on-site, 24-hour surveillance of the dam as soon as it became clear that the Cannon River would swell. Parks staff also did some sandbagging in the area.