By Nick Worth The beacon at the Holbrook Municipal Airport is going to be replaced with new technology, according to City Manager Ray Alley. Alley said the existing beacon, which was installed in the 1940s, has not been working for several years. He said the old beacon would be replaced with the aid of a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “The FAA will fund slightly over 91 percent of the cost, and the Aeronautics Division of the Arizona De-partment of Transportation (ADOT) and the City of Holbrook will split the rest of the cost evenly,” said Alley. He noted that the total cost of the project would be $100,000, but with the grant from the FAA and the matching funds from ADOT, the cost to the city would be only a little over $4,000. Alley said the existing signal would be replaced with a “tip-down, high-efficiency, low-energy beacon.” “The old beacon is a big, heavy unit with a motor that turned it with a chain drive,” said Alley. “The new one is a lot smaller and is all electronic.” Instead of being mounted on a tower, like the old beacon, the new one will be mounted on a pole assembly that allows it to be tipped down to ground level for maintenance. “The old tower won’t be taken down,” said Alley. “There are antennas mounted on it, so it will be left in place.” He said the airport currently maintains 6,800 square feet of runway and the beacon project is part of a plan to modernize the facility. “We’re replacing the beacon as part of an effort to continue to improve the Holbrook Municipal Airport for future growth,” said Alley. He noted that growth, especially industrial growth, is in the future for Holbrook with the current development of local potash resources.