NW New Mexico News

We’ve recently received a lot of feedback about Playground on the Pecos, which is the wooden playground located near the Riverwalk Recreation Center. Concerns have been expressed related to the condition of the playground and its upkeep.

In many ways, this playground is a community success story. It was constructed through a grassroots citywide effort. Many of the children involved in the original design and construction phase, more than 20 years ago, are now themselves parents with children. Since then, there have been several major renewal efforts to the Playground on the Pecos, but its upkeep remains an ongoing challenge.

The nature of the playground means there are a number of additional safety and security concerns.  It’s an enclosed area with a large number of concealed spots. We do not have a full time monitor at the playground – members of the staff from the Riverwalk Recreation Center do check it from time to time. Newer playground models are designed so that parents can see their children at all times.

Additionally, the nature of its construction means it is especially prone to deterioration, vandalism and natural wear and tear. There are good reasons why more modern playgrounds, such as Friendship Park, utilize different materials and are constructed with a much more open design.

We’re taking a good look at the Playground on the Pecos, both in terms of immediate repairs and cleanup needs, but we are also looking at possible longer term solutions.

We’ve set up the first half of our summer concert series, which is being sponsored by Cal’s Shade Western, Cal’s Cactus Lanes and Fuson Properties. All of these free concerts will take place from 7-9 p.m. at the new gazebo near the Carlsbad Water Park. Rock Band Last Child will open on June 3. There will be no concert at the gazebo on June 10 due to CavernFest, but Charlie Ingraham will be performing on June 17 and Red Sky will perform on June 24. Both of these popular local bands focus on country music. On July 1, the music will move over to the bandshell for FreedomFest. Finally, we’re pleased to introduce Fuzion Nortena for our July 8 performance.

We already have a waiting list developed for the second half of summer. We are working to put that together as well.  Thanks again to Brandon Chandler, who helped finance the original summer concert series two years ago and got this event going.

Sincerely,

 

Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway

Original source can be found here.