Rec. Center repairs…

Flooring has been ordered to replace the two racquetball court floors ruined by a fire suppression system valve break at the Western Rio Blanco Metropolitan Recreation and Park (WRBM) recreation center last month. WRBM maintenance supervisor Bill Laster said that the cut floor should arrive this week, followed by another week for the wood to acclimate to the dry climate. Depending on the contractor’s schedule, the floors could be installed by late February or early March. In the meantime, March’s annual racquetball tournament held at WRBM has been cancelled. Organizer Shirley Parsons said the tournament will return next year. WRBM also recently replaced 40 feet of gas line ripped out by a snow slide. Laster said that between 18 and 24 inches of snowpack “caught the line just perfectly,” resulting in a building evacuation Saturday, Jan. 26 and closure Sunday, Jan. 27. Laster and Bernie Shafer replaced the line the following Tuesday and Trane Heating Services then checked the building’s heating unit, which was running again by Thursday, Jan. 31.