Carlsbad’s Riverblitz 2021 is on the agenda. The annual City & Eddy County-wide Pecos River cleanup event is scheduled for 7-11 a.m. on May 1. We will provide masks, hand sanitizer, t-shirts, bags, gloves, snacks and water. The event will begin at the Riverwalk Recreation Center, but groups will go out to a variety of locations around south Eddy County to help clean up. Riverblitz isn’t the only cleanup event taking place each year, but it is one of the largest.
COVID-safe practices and all NM Public Health Orders will be followed during clean-ups and registration. You can pre-register for this event by calling Mary Garwood at (575) 302-7665 or emailing msgarwood@cityofcarlsbadnm.com
The library now offers Dial a Story. Patrons can call 575-237-4700 and listen to recorded stories. Currently they have a few bedtime stories, a chapter of Harry Potter, poems, and Library news as options. The library hopes to reach people who might have limited internet access, or seniors that might have limited access to the library. They want to make sure everyone has access to stories.
You may have also seen a series of boards set up along the river attached to yellow posts. These are going to be story boards set up to print different pages from children’s books for families walking along the Pecos River. We are still in the process of installing the stories, but this is going to be a great addition. The Storywalk will be completed in April. Thanks to Sarah Jones and everyone at the library for all the hard work.
Last year, there was a lot of time and energy put into the Census 2020 count, but the process is still not complete. According to a recent Associated Press article, the U.S. Census Bureau was supposed to provide redistricting data to states by March 31, but that data will likely not be available until later in the year. The Census now reports that it plans to release apportionment data by the end of April, but specific redistricting information might not come out for several more months.
Some states are considering postponing their 2022 primaries or are using other population estimates to start the task of redrawing voting districts used for U.S. and state legislative elections.
We believe the Census 2020 data, when it comes out, will show an increase in Carlsbad’s population, but we are concerned that the final results will not come close to reflecting our city and area’s actual population. Oil prices dipped to a record low last year right at the same time that data collection was being finalized. Man camps and RV parks around the area went from overflowing to nearly empty – and many of those locations are now filling back up again. We are still hopeful that the Census will consider these variables when preparing its final report listing the population of our community.
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway