Hope for the Future: Update 2-8-21
Monday began with parents posting photos of their kids getting ready for school, and that sure is something wonderful to see again. Carlsbad schools moved into the hybrid mode this week, with students in the first half of the alphabet generally attending class on Monday and Tuesday. Students in the second half of the alphabet will attend classes on Thursday and Friday. Many other students will continue with online only learning through the CAVE program.
Welcome to the students of Cottonwood Elementary, many who attended class there for the very first time this week. Construction of the school, next to the Early Childhood Education Center, completed during the COVID lockdown. However, we really want to offer the warmest of greetings to all of our students returning, as well as to the students of our neighboring communities. The CHS Dance and Spirit Team has even done a video of the fight song welcoming everyone back – https://www.carlsbadschools.net/o/cmsd/article/396093
As an added bonus, Carlsbad just experienced an incredibly beautiful weekend. There were people out walking, playing volleyball, enjoying our playgrounds and just appreciating our wonderful parks and weather. The banks of the Pecos River were lined with fishermen and fisherwomen. We were reminded once again why Carlsbad is such a special place to live. Thanks again to Coach Hannah Hablin and CHS Volleyball players Gracie Eckles, Kailyn Hestand and Aubryanna Leos for joining us at the new courts last Friday. We were also joined by Athletic Director James Johns, Sports Complex Superintendent Steve Garza and Assistant Coach Bill Niemeier.
As our school district has pointed out, there are plenty of hurdles left. There will be schools who have to shut down again due to COVID-19. There will be technical setbacks. There will be kids who misplace their masks. There are already complications that will hopefully be addressed soon, such as the state’s strict restrictions on band and music. Despite these challenges, we come into this week with a great deal of hope for our community and our future. Keep posting those back to school photos and keep enjoying our town’s miles of beautiful parks.
Our COVID-19 update from this weekend also shows continued improvement. There were 7 positive cases reported for Eddy County on Sunday and 15 reported on Saturday. The new gating criteria will be updated Wednesday. While we don’t expect that we’ll fully meet the gating criteria by Wednesday, we have gotten much closer.
Finally, thank you to Representative Jim Townsend and Claire Chase, Director of Government Affairs at Mack Energy, for representing Southeast New Mexico in a panel discussion discussing the future of oil and gas production. Both do an outstanding job. The discussion was hosted by the USA Today Network and is posted here https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/2021/02/08/experts-discuss-future-oil-and-gas-production-new-mexico/4408449001/. We appreciate all efforts to represent our community during these national discussions
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway