Downtown rink's last day Monday

Carson City's first temporary downtown ice rink will be open for the last day of the year Monday after drawing about 11,000 skaters through the winter.

The Arlington Square Ice Rink opened Dec. 4 to help draw shoppers and visitors downtown.

The city and the Carson Nugget paid for the $136,000 rink in the casino parking lot at the corner of North Carson and Spear streets.

The city will know next month how much money the rink raised, said Deputy Business Development Manager Tammy Westergard.

The city had hoped to raise enough money through ticket sales to cover the rink's costs. The city may have reached that goal based on money raised from $7 adult skate fees, $5 children skate fees and $2 skate rental fees.

Westergard said the city also raised $25,000 in sponsorships.

The reaction to the ice rink was "very positive" and helped keep downtown alive in the winter, she said.

"It's created a real sense of community that has drawn in all ages to our downtown," she said.

The business development office doesn't know if it will set up the ice rink again next year, she said. It "depends on the direction" of the office at the time, she said.

Ice Rink Events, the largest U.S. business that operates seasonal ice rinks, set up the 56-by-85-foot rink.

The company will turn off the ice freezer next week to let the rink ice thaw as much as possible, said Dave Fies, an Ice Rink Events project manager. Crews will then break up the remaining ice using with sledge hammers, he said.

B'Sghetti's Italian Restaurant saw a "nice little bump" in business in December and January because of the rink, said Scott Doer, restaurant owner.

Someone who went skating could easily walk half a block to the restaurant, he said.

He called the rink a "great facility" the city should bring back next year.

But Cynthia Bartlett of Sports Massage by Cynthia said she didn't get any business as the result of being a sponsor of the event.

She said the ads at the rink were difficult to see from the outside the rink.

This was only the first year for the event, however, she said, and it will probably be more organized next year if it is open.

- Contact reporter Dave Frank at dfrank@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.