Ghost town spooky to some

Casper, New Mexico. Has a nice ring, doesn't it? Reader Raoul McPeters of Hobbs says Casper is the ideal name for the Hobbs Ghost Town.

An invitation to New Mexicans to name the 15 square-mile town without inhabitants, a billion dollar venture to study futuristic technology, brought responses from Clovis, Sandia Park, Alamogordo, Las Cruces, Carlsbad, Albuquerque and Williamsburg.

Williamsburg? It is a small village nestled near Truth or Consequences. T or C, as it is known, is the only New Mexico community which sold its name, if not its soul, to get on television. Formerly named Hot Springs to salute its splendid tourist attraction, the town changed to T or C to bribe Ralph Edwards to come there to broadcast his hit NBC show.

Shameful. It would be like Farmington changing its name to Desperate Housewives, N.M., in return for those TV ladies flitting around town displaying their … umm … wares.

Hobbs News Sun editor Daniel Russell informs me Hobbs folks don't call the experimental site a ghost down, but CITE, Center for Innovation, Technology and Testing. Whatever. The berg needs a catchy name and our readers came through.

There is actually a fellow in Hobbs who describes himself as a professional product namer. Jesse Monsey submitted no less than 26 names. My favorite was Discovery, N.M., but Puerto al Futuro has some appeal as well. That, of course, would be Portal to the Future, but I'm telling you?

Hatch Valley High School teacher Amy Lynn Harvey takes an intellectual approach. She says the whole idea of a spooky futuristic experimental town gives her the same chills she gets when reading Ray Bradbury's short story "There Will Come Soft Rains." Amy Lynn suggests Bradbury, N.M.

Still another English teacher, Melissa Simpson of Hobbs, thinks Insight, N.M. is a good play on the acronym CITE. Others: From Las Cruces comes the names Futura, suggested by Rolf Mitchell, and Techno Town, Tammy Schurr. Lifelong Hobbs resident Patty Moon Clardy likes Sci-Fi Cite while I kind of like "Patty Moon." Patty Moon, N.M.

Two former New Mexico lieutenant governors, both products of Lea County, express skepticism about the ambitious project to build an experimental city. Diane Denish submits the name Follyville. She stresses she has nothing but the best wishes for the project, but that the financial data appears to be squishy.

The other former Lt. Guv, Mike Runnels, is not bashful in expressing his doubts. Writes Runnels …"enjoyed reading about Lea County (which is a little bigger than just Hobbs and contains several other communities and life forms)."

Some elbowing going on here from this Lovington guy? Mike continues, "Anyway, my mother and I are a bit skeptical of the Pegasus CITE project and in the spirit of 'anti blind boosterism' I would like to direct you to an article in the Santa Fe Reporter for a different take."

Indeed, the Reporter story by Wren Abbott does raise serious questions about Casper. Says her lead: "As the projected costs for a mysterious 'ghost town' skyrocket, questions about the company's financials, size and seemingly vague, unrealistic business plans pile up."

Interesting reading and you can track it down if you wish. My job, whether boondoggle or boom city, is to track down a name. And that name might just be in the head of former State Rep Jack Skinner of Las Cruces who writes that he has the drop dead perfect name for the Hobbs city, but refuses to divulge it until the contest comes up with a monetary reward.

One can only hope Mr. Skinner's state service was less selfish.

Have a nice day.

Ned Cantwell — [email protected] — is finished milking this subject.