Congratulations to John and Kay Tigert, who were crowned King and Queen at this year’s annual Valentine’s Dinner and Dance, organized by the Chamber of Commerce’s Age Friendly Committee. The dance has been named in memory of Janell Whitlock.
This year, participants were asked to submit a story about how they met. Coach Tigert said he first met his wife at a dance. He saw her dancing with someone else and kept asking her to dance, but she didn’t respond. He began to get very upset. He later found out it was because she couldn’t see him due to the overhang at the Legion Hall. They eventually worked it out and danced for the rest of the night. They’ve been married for 57 years now.
The Chamber’s Age Friendly Committee meets once a month and is managed by chair Jeannie Watson and Chamber Retirement Coordinator J.W. Sutphin. They organize trips for seniors and also put together activities for all ages. They’ve been doing a great job of holding up the legacy established by Janell Whitlock. The Chamber also named an annual award after Janell, and, of course, the City named its administration building after this Carlsbad legend.
Speaking of dancing, congratulations to the CHS Dance team, who won first place in jazz at the Spirit Competition in Los Lunas this past Saturday. The CHS Cheer team took second in game day. We know these competitors work very hard all year for these events.
On Tuesday, we paid a visit to the Carlsbad High School Band to offer them a special thank you for all of their assistance at community events such as the Martin Luther King Jr. parade and Veteran’s Day. In particular, the CHS jazz band and Strut (the drum corps) take on an incredible list of responsibilities on a weekly basis. The jazz band has recently opened at the Community Concert Association event and then performed during Ricky Garcia’s “Cavemen Strong” awards. We’re very fortunate to have such a hardworking and talented band. Special thanks to band directors Ken Young and Robert Galindo.
***
The United Way of Eddy County recently announced a $20,000 donation from Chevron to assist with the organization’s Hardship Fund, which works to provide struggling families with immediate needs. This fund assists with access to resources such as utility bills, food pantries and veteran services.
For more information about how you can support the United Way’s Hardship Fund, please contact Executive Director Maria Cole at (575) 887-3504 or director@uweddyco.org.
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway