Sadly, we lost a few of Carlsbad’s most wonderful citizens over this past week. Funeral services for Jim Wilcox, who had been living in Lubbock, took place on Monday. Jim was the safety manager for IMC/Mosaic for many years and then came back as a consultant. He was also President of OTIS water and served as Commissioner of the Interstate Stream Commission for the State of New Mexico. Jim also worked actively against drug abuse and always promoted safety. Thanks again to Jim for his many decades of service to this community.
We would also like to offer our condolences to the family of Luther Meadors. Luke was a 29-year WIPP employee. He was a member of the Dirt Dobbers Car Club and the Carlsbad Automotive Restoration Society. Those are both great groups who help provide opportunities for youth interested in automotive services. Services were held on Sept. 15.
Additionally, we have received word that John Benjamin, who was superintendent of Carlsbad Caverns National Park from 2004 to 2013, has passed away. Benjamin worked for the National Park Service for 45 years and did a wonderful in this community. Our condolences to John’s family and friends and to all of the members of our national parks department. We thank all of these individuals for their wonderful contributions to this community.
On a more positive note, congratulations to former Carlsbad resident Ricky Garcia on his marriage to Bellzora. Ricky and Bellzora have been running the Cavemen Strong program here for many years and have provided numerous scholarships to local youth. Ricky and Bellzora recently implemented a program recently called the “Comeback Kid” awards which singles out youth and adults who have gotten their lives back together. We can’t wait to see them back in Carlsbad so that we can congratulate them personally.
There were 8 new positive COVID-19 cases announced for Saturday for Eddy County and 15 new positives announced for Sunday. There was also one COVID-19 Eddy County fatality announced on Friday, and we offer our condolences to the family. Please help us get our area’s numbers down by practicing social distancing and wearing a face covering when the situation demands it. We all want to get our schools back open, and we have promised Dr. Washburn and our school board to assist in any manner possible.
Trevor Update: Trevor Rogers is listed as the probable starter in this evening’s game against the Atlanta Braves. The Marlins are currently pursuing a playoff spot, and Rogers is currently 1-1 with a 6.0 ERA. Let’s hope for another great performance!
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway