Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 3, Issue 3

102 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 the city, and some we have finished here in the last couple years, including the Guadalupe Ridge National Trail, which joins many of our scenic sites together,” Janway says. Carlsbad is also home to a rather unique attraction. The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park is a sanctuary for animals who are unable to return to the wild. “One of our most famous examples is a bear who was held captive by an individual, and let’s just say it wasn’t a good environment for the bear,” Marksteiner says. “The bear is now at Living Desert and she paints. It’s a therapy thing that they do for her and they sell her art as a fundraiser. So you get kids from all over the area who come and want to see Maggie the painting bear.” Carlsbad’s current offerings are so robust that it’s hard to imagine they could add anymore. But Janway says they will always be working hard to make the city an even greater place for residents, businesses and tourists to thrive. “It’s hard to look five years down the road when we have got so much going on right now,” he says. “But we certainly hope to see Carlsbad continue to expand and add additional opportunities. We want to make Carlsbad a great place for quality of life. We think we are on the way, but we still have a lot of work to do.” about that big loop road around town and that’s the position we are in now,” Marksteiner says. “It makes traffic safer for our residents and makes travel to and from and through Carlsbad a lot easier. That’s a huge infrastructure issue that I know has been very important to the Mayor for a long time, and it’s – knock on wood – going in the right direction.” Carlsbad has also been focusing on improving its many recreational amenities, in addition to its natural offerings. The city has its own sports complex that outcompetes similar amenities within a hundred miles, and they recently finished construction on a new waterpark. “It’s great for our residents, but it’s also great for tourists that come and tour the caverns and go to the Guadalupe Mountains, and then they want to cool off for a few hours and come to our waterpark,” Janway says. “Then you can drive up and down our beach or park area there and see everything we’ve got.” There are miles of trails through the city and along either side of the Pecos River, as well as walking trails that run along the canals in Carlsbad’s irrigation district. Visitors can also visit the cool pools at Sitting Bull Falls Recreation Area, or take part in a number of recreational offerings at Brantley Lake State Park, including boating, kayaking, fishing, hiking trails, and bird watching. “We have so many attractions all the way through PREFERRED VENDORS/PARTNERS n Southeast New Mexico College senmc.edu Southeast New Mexico College serves Eddy County and its surrounding areas with high quality and affordable education. With a community minded approach and our variety of associate degrees and certificates, Southeast New Mexico College is here to help you reach your educational goals. n Carlsbad Medical Center www.carlsbadmedicalcenter.com