Christmas on the Pecos saw 11,505 guests this past year, according to Chad Ingram, CEO for the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. About 60% of the guests came from outside of Eddy County, with attendance ranging from Buffalo, New York, to Japan. This was all of great benefit to our local tourism industry, and one of many reasons why we were glad to see this holiday event back after a one-year hiatus. Thank you again to our homeowners and private businesses who have stepped forward to assist with this community project for many years. A number of special events were also added to this year’s agenda, including a special concert by Holly Tucker.
Additionally, over the past year, more than 305,000 people have visited Carlsbad Caverns National Park. This is in spite of COVID-19 restrictions limiting the capacity each day. There has been a renewed interest for our national parks and other scenic areas across the nation.
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The 30-day state legislative session will begin on Jan. 18 and run through Feb. 17. There are rumors that this might be a virtual session, but nothing has been confirmed at this point. During a 30—day session, bills will focus on budget-related options and the call from the Governor. As always, we will be paying special attention to any bills which could have a negative impact on the oil and gas industry or on nuclear projects. The Legislative Finance Committee recently presented budget recommendations for the upcoming year, to the degree of $8.46 billion from the general fund. This represents a 14 percent increase over the current year, which is largely due to hard work going on in Eddy and Lea County.
We certainly hope that this means Carlsbad and Eddy County will receive significant capital outlay funding allowing infrastructure improvements to support our growing population. It is always our hope that the individuals across the rest of the state who are clamoring to spend money during the legislative session will recall where a significant portion of that funding came from. We hope legislators across the state will rally against any legislative proposals harmful to our state’s economy.
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A Carlsbad woman had a brief brush with fame earlier this week. Local resident Denise Griffith called into the “Kelly and Ryan Show,” which aired Jan. 7, 2022. Denise was asked to present two different stories, and Kelly and Ryan then had to guess which story was correct. Denise’s talked about winter being her favorite time of year and said she had an indoor herb garden. The show then spun a wheel to see which prize Denise won. You can check out Denise’s participation in the show on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NMqtd0JgQY. Congratulations to Denise on your newfound fame!
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway