Kathryn Liesse Gessel passed peacefully at her home in Paso Robles, CA on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. She lived there for two years, but spent most of her life in Carlsbad, NM. In 1958, after graduating from college in Albuquerque, she left New Mexico to move to California where she had been recruited to teach high school. There she met John Gessel, who had also recently arrived to teach elementary school in Riverside County. They married in 1960 and moved to Santa Barbara befor

My wife had an old saying she used a lot. Simply put, she said, “Getting old isn’t for wimps!” Like most young adults, she and I never really thought much about aging. The aches and pains associated with growing older always seemed to be so far away. Well, not so anymore! And yup, getting old isn’t for wimps. I laughed at George Burns, then in his 90’s, when he said, “You know, my knees give me a few problems now. Bending over can be a real challenge, as can getting back up.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has selected Sammy Lopez Jr. of Southeast New Mexico College as one of the 60 high-achieving community college students to receive the prestigious Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The award will enable these Scholars to complete their bachelor’s degrees at four-year institutions with a significantly reduced financial burden. During his time at Southeast New Mexico College, Sammy has distinguished himself as an exceptional student leader

By Michael Bromka Carlsbad Heights Lion and foreman of building wheelchair ramps, Tom Dugger, faced a daunting task for a delightful client. Olga de los Santos lives south of Center Street (east of Walmart), with a concrete ramp so steep it’s perilous. Descending, she’s taken a tumble from it. With limited space, the conundrum was to marry a new square wooden half-deck to the prior round brick-and-mortar stoop. Tom envisioned an understructure of horizontal 2”X4” plus vertica

By Sarah Jones, Library Director, Carlsbad Public Library Learning doesn’t stop with retirement. In fact, it often becomes more meaningful. Whether you want to stay connected with family, keep your mind active, or simply try something new, the New Mexico State Library offers a wonderful free resource designed especially for older adults: Get Set Up. Get Set Up is an online learning platform created with seniors in mind, particularly adults age 50 and older. Unlike traditional