Mother’s Day is just a few days away, and our local downtown businesses have a lot to offer. Earlier this week, we enjoyed paying a visit to the brand new Zia Bike & Board Shop, located at 115 S. Canyon St. This shop, which is owned by Robbie Franco, has an incredible selection of bikes, boards and related equipment. They are also open seven days a week and have been doing a lot of great business. For more information, please visit www.ziabikeandboardshop.com.
We also enjoyed getting to meet with Tammy Knickerbocker at “Pistol Packin Cowgirls,” located at 102 S. Canal St. This is a full western store including many great items on display by artist Steve Knickerbocker. There are plenty of great gifts for moms. For more information, please email pistolpackincowgirls@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page. It’s really nice seeing so much activity resuming in our downtown MainStreet area. Thanks to Ashly Key and everyone with the Carlsbad MainStreet Project for all of their hard work.
Eddy County remained in the “Turquoise” Wednesday category, according to the New Mexico Department of Health, meaning that businesses and events may remain open at the highest levels within the state’s gating criteria. We remained Turquoise by meeting two of the requirements- positivity rate and “Cases Per 100,000.” According to the state, our positivity rate was 3.44%- and it needed to be below 7.5% and our “Cases Per 100,000” was 9.7- and it needed to be below 10. Going Turquoise on May 5 also means that we will remain at that level for the next four weeks. Consistency makes everything a lot easier for local businesses and, for that matter, for local government. Restrictions will be fully lifted in June.
We did not meet the state’s “Fully Vaccinated Rate” criteria, which is now at 40% and will continue to go up by five percent every two weeks. Eddy County is currently at 27.80%. COVID-19 vaccines are still being offered in Eddy County for those who are interested. The next clinic at the civic center will be from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, but they are also being offered at other locations. You do not have to have registered in advance to receive a vaccine at the civic center clinic.
Eddy County made the news again on economic issues. According to a news release from the industry publication Floordaily.net, the $425 million Double E Pipeline, which connects Eddy County to Waha, Texas, was the third largest nonbuilding project to break ground in March in the country. We should never lose sight of this area’s economic importance to the entire country.
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway