Gallup schools get $350,000
Bill Donovan
Staff Writer
GALLUP — The Gallup-McKinley County School District has received
almost $350,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to provide more
after-school programs for students.
McKinley County is only one of six school districts in the state and
the only one in this area to share in some $2.3 million in grants
from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program.
The Alamo Navajo School District will also get funding almost $121,000
from the program.
County Superintendent Robert Gomez said Tuesday that although he heard
about the district receiving the grant through the news media, he
still has not received any official word from the federal education
agency.
"So I don't know right now which schools will be getting the
grant funds," he said.
The district did submit a number of grant applications for after-school
programs at several district schools as well as to provide some day-care
for students whose parents worked and would not be home when school
let out.
Most of the district funds are expected to go toward improving the
reading level of students.
"What we wanted to do was expand our current programs to work
with kids who needed more reading time," Gomez said.
State educational officials said the grant funds can be used to pay
for materials, as well as compensate teachers for working extra hours
in helping tutor students on subjects deemed important by the district
or the principal in that school.
According to U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D.-N.M., who announced the grant
on Sunday, this fits in with the intent of the program, which was
established to provide more opportunities for students before and
after school.
"Parents, teachers and children say they need quality before-
and after-school programs. With these grants, several New Mexico
communities will be better equipped to meet these needs," he
said.
This is the first year of the program.Gomez said he expected that
the funds would be made available immediately so the programs could
begin in the near future.
McKinley County will receive a total of $347,947. The Albuquerque
school district will receive the largest grant, nearly $1.1 million.
San Diego Riverside School at Jemez Pueblo will receive about $388,000.
The other school districts include the Jemez Mountain schools, $316,480;
and Springer Municipal schools, $131,865.
This is the third time in less than a month that the district has
learned that it has been successful in getting grant funds, either
from the federal government or from the state.
"We have been aggressive in going after grant funds this year,"
Gomez said, adding that the district has been "pretty successful"
so far in being chosen to get the grant funds.
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Man scares off gunman in GIMC lot
Police arrest 3 suspects
Tanya Brazil
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Three suspects were arrested Monday night after police
said they attempted to rob a Gallup couple at gunpoint in the parking
lot of Gallup Indian Medical Center.
The victims told police they were walking toward the north entrance
about 9:30 p.m. when two males and a female approached and blocked
them from proceeding to the hospital.
Police said the female suspect, later identified as Michaelynn Thompson,
19, of Sheep Springs, then got into the husband's "personal space,"
standing within inches of his body.
In the meantime, a second suspect, Brandon Yazzie, 20, of Church Rock,
raised a handgun from his side, placed it against the husband's chest
and yelled, "I want the keys to your vehicle and everything else,"
a police report said.
The husband told police he pushed the weapon away but that Yazzie
slid the handgun's slide back as if to chamber a bullet and pointed
the gun at his head.
When he once again attempted to grab the handgun from the suspect,
the victim said he and Yazzie began struggling for the firearm while
his wife ran into the hospital for help.
The husband told police the three suspects then began striking him
in the face and head but that he held onto the handgun.
When the wife returned with a security guard and yelled for them to
put down the gun, that the police were on their way, police said the
suspects fled on foot into the alley on the north side of the parking
lot.
The husband then pursued Yazzie while the security guards followed
the other two suspects, a police report said.
Looking into the alley, the husband told police he saw Yazzie waving
to him from the rear fence of a nearby home, probably thinking he
was one of the suspects.
The husband then hid in a shadowy area until an officer arrived and
he was able to point him to where the suspect was hiding, police said.
Hospital security guards apprehended the other two suspects including
the second male who later was identified as Derek Thompson, 16, of
Sheep Springs in the neighborhood north of the hospital parking lot.
The guards told police that earlier they had observed the three suspects
pacing in the hospital lobby for a long period of time as if they
were waiting for a ride.
All three suspects were booked on felony charges of attempted armed
robbery, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence and conspiracy,
as well as misdemeanor battery.
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Woman accused of having 2 children steal
Tara Drolma
Staff Writer
GRANTS — A Prewitt woman was arrested by Milan police on Dec.
24 after she allegedly had her 7-year-old daughter and 11-year-old
niece steal tape recorders from the Petro Shopping Center and Fuel
Station.
The police report said Eva Betonie, 32, who is also known as Eva Emerson,
faces a misdemeanor charge of shoplifting, a third-degree felony charge
of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and resisting arrest.
In addition, there was an outstanding warrant charging her with shoplifting
and contributing to the delinquency of a minor for an incident that
occurred Oct. 25 at Petro. Police identified Betonie in the Oct. 25
theft after they viewed the store video of her.
When Officer Adrian Molina arrived at the store to investigate the
Dec. 24 incident, clerk Francis Griego told him Betonie had just left.
Griego also identified Betonie as the person who stole an amplifier
on Oct. 25.
Molina followed Betonie to her car in the parking lot where Betonie's
mother and her husband, Fabian Emerson, were waiting.
Griego told police that Betonie entered the store with the two children
on Christmas Eve and the children took the tape players.
The older child put the tape player back on the shelf after she saw
the clerk had noticed her.
Molina questioned the youngest girl about the theft and she said her
mother (Betonie) had told her to take the tape player and she admitted
she had taken it out of the store.
When Molina asked her where it was, she said it was probably in the
trunk of the car. The child's grandmother, who was driving the car,
opened the trunk and Molina found a tape player with a Petro price
sticker on it. The value of the player was $39.95.
Molina questioned the older girl, Betonie's niece, and she told him
"her auntie" had told her to take the tape player, but she
put it back on the shelf when she saw the clerk looking at her.
There was an open can of beer in the back seat of the car. Emerson
said the beer was his so Molina cited him for having an open container
and then Emerson, the grandmother and the children were allowed to
leave.
Betonie was arrested after a brief struggle with Molina as he tried
to handcuff her.
In other police news:
Officer Tomas Archuleta was on patrol at Kerns Field Park on Dec.
30 when he noticed a piece of plywood used to cover a hole in the
concession stand wall had been removed and someone had broken into
the concession facility.
He could see that a fire extinguisher had been set off and there was
dust from it all over the floor. He called Ray Martinez with the Milan
Parks and Recreation Department and Martinez said there was a five-gallon
propane tank missing along with the fire extinguisher.
The report said there were two small holes in the stucco wall and
there was a hole in the south wall that was five inches in diameter.
Two sets of sneaker-type foot prints led from of the concession stand
to an area just outside where there were tracks from what looked like
two four wheelers. The report said there was illegible writing on
the outside wall that was done with the fire extinguisher.
Someone had climbed to the lower roof and had written on the wall
of the second level.
Police still are investigating the break in.
There was only one DWI arrest this holiday and it happened on New
Year's Day. Rodney Lucero was arrested for DWI after an officer stopped
him for going through a stop sign. His blood alcohol level was .17.
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Gallup girls pull off one-point win
Michael Peretti
Staff Sports Writer
GALLUP — The Gallup Lady Bengals trailed for most of the game
but got the points when they needed them, pulling out a 43-42 win
against Shiprock Tuesday night at Gallup High School gym.
The Lady Bengals (7-5) went into the fourth quarter down five 36-31,
and trailed 38-33 with four minutes remaining when they went on a
10-4 run to pull off the victory.
Gallup started the comeback with a two by Janahy Tsosie to put the
Bengals down three 38-35. Tanya Bailey would pull Gallup to within
one as the game clock got to three minutes remaining. With 1:37 remaining
in the game Vanessa Hubbard hit a three to give the Lady Bengals their
first lead in the second half, 40-38.
Shiprock, (8-4) quickly tied the game at 40 with a pair of freethrows
from Jaime Pine, and then Crystal Frazier stole the ball to set Shiprock
back up. Frazier passed the ball to Pine, who found a wide open Lucita
Yesslith under the basket for an easy basket and Lady Chieftain lead.
Gallup went the length of the court and quickly got the ball to Hubbard,
who hit a three to give the Bengals back the lead. It only took the
Bengals five seconds to get the ball to Hubbard for the three, and
Shiprock got the ball back with 35 seconds left down by one.
The Lady Chieftains had several chances to pull out the win, but could
not get any good shots. Shiprock lost the ball on a steal with 13
seconds left, but then grabbed a bad pass from the Bengals. Shiprock
went up for a shot with seven seconds left, but had it blocked by
Roberta Tahe.
The Bengals gave Shiprock the ball back on a pass that went out of
bounds, and the Lady Chieftains used their last timeout to set up
a last play. Shiprock inbounded the ball from the spot that the ball
went out of bounds, and got off a lasst second shot, but it bounced
out of the goal into the hands of Iris Wilson as time ran out.
"We tried to get an open shot behind a double screen, and we
got the ball to our best shooter, but the shot didn't fall,"
said Shiprock head coach Larry King.
King also menitoned that the place that the ball went out of bounds
made it hard to get a good shot. "Under the basket we would
have gotten a better shot, but it went out off to the side."
King said everyone on his team made a contribution and that he was
proud of his team's effort. "We wanted to win. We did a really
good job rebounding. Last year we only had eight rebounds against
Gallup."
Shiprock doubled that number, picking up 16 rebounds while Gallup
had 24. Leading rebounder for Shiprock was Lucita Yesslith, grabbing
six. Leading rebounders for Gallup were Roberta Tahe and Candace Roanhorse,
both with five.
Leading scorer for Gallup was Vanessa Hubbard with 18. Leading scorer
for Shiprock was Samantha Pete with 16 followed by Lucita Yesslith
with 11.
Gallup did not score until 5:13 left in the first half, when Christine
Begay hit one-of-two from the line. The Lady Bengals scored their
first field goal halfway through the first quarter.
Shiprock led by four at the half, anf built a seven point lead in
the thirtd quarter, but Gallup battled back.
Shiprock led 29-22 before Gallup went on a 6-0 run. The Lady Chieftains
went on a 5-1 run to end the third, but gave up a 9-2 urn in the fourth.
"Turnovers really hurt us," said Gallup head coach John
Lomasney. "But when we had to the girls stepped up and made something
happen. We made some mistakes but whenever we did something negative
we would turn around and do something positive."
Lomasney said his team has lost three close games this year, and now
they have pulled one off. "We needed something like this going
into district. We were down seven and came back, then we were down
five and came back. We cut down on mistakes and relaxed and did what
we had to."
Gallup is off until next Thursday when they will face Valley at Gallup
huigh gym in the Lady Bengal's district opener.
Shiprock will play again this Thursday against Farmington in Farmington.
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Cockfight squawking back again
Tom Purdom
Staff Writer
GRANTS — The off-and-on Cibola County cockfighting issue will
come before the county commission again, this time on Jan. 8.
But don't come to the commission meeting expecting to hear a controversy
because the issue will be taken behind closed doors in an executive
session.
"I'm hoping that when we come out of that closed session we can
schedule a date for a special meeting that will bring closure to this
issue," County Manager Bob Ortiz said.
In short, no decisions will be made that Monday night other than when
to schedule another meeting, this time open to the public, during
which a decision will be made...
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3 seek job as Navajo top cop
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — Three people want to become the one selected to
head up the Navajo Nation's largest police agency, according to Public
Safety Division Director Herb Clah.
The trio will go before an interview panel on Jan. 18, Clah said Tuesday.
If no problems crop up during the oral interviews, Clah could select
the Law Enforcement Department new chief within a few days of the
interviews.
Clah identified the trio as former tribal officer Henry Manuelito,
Shiprock Criminal Investigations Captain Randy John, and current acting
chief, Dorothy Fulton, who is the long-time Criminal Investigations
Department chief.
The new chief will succeed Leonard Butler, forced out because he did
not have a bachelor's degree. In July, Clah ended Butler's term as
chief, the end of a career that covered almost three decades, mostly
with the Navajo force...
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McKenzie could go to Washington
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — Navajo Nation Vice President Dr. Taylor McKenzie
is being mentioned as a possible member of George W. Bush's new
presidential administration in Washington, D.C.
"Many people across Indian country hope he would be willing
to put his name in the hat for the assistant secretaryship of the
Indian Health Service," Randall Morgan, staff assistant to
Navajo Nation Council Speaker Edward T. Begay, told the council's
Inter-Government Relations Committee Tuesday.
Morgan was briefing the committee on the Navajo involvement with
the Bush-Cheney transition team.
He said the retired Navajo surgeon tapped more than two years ago
by President Kelsey Begaye to be his running mate is highly thought
of by other tribes, as well as being knowledgeable for efforts to
get a key federal law reauthorized...
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Highest court to decide Navajos' right to tax
Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer
WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation's authority to tax non-Navajo
business owners serving non-Navajo customers on private land within
its boundaries has been upheld since 1993.
Now comes the biggest test of the tribe's taxing power to date: a
forthcoming appearance before the U.S. Supreme Court, which should
occur later this year. In late November, the highest court granted
both sides in the case of Atkinson Trading Co. Inc. vs. Shirley writs
of certiorari, or requests to review the records of the lower courts.
The case, stemming back to 1993, pits a Cameron, Ariz.-based business,
Atkinson, a New Mexico corporation, against Joe Shirley et al, former
members of the Navajo Tax Commission.
Gallup-based Atkinson operates several businesses on private land
in Cameron, including a hotel, restaurant, cafeteria, gallery, curio
shop and RV park. They are collectively known as the Cameron Trading
Post...
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Sheep Springs official to repay money
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — The Sheep Springs Chapter's former secretary-treasurer,
Pattie Sam, has signed a plea bargain with the Office of Ethics
and Rules.
She signed the agreement last week to repay $3,049 at $75 a month
beginning in February, not to hold Navajo elected office for five
years and not to accept a Navajo-appointed public office for five
years.
Ethics Director Virgil Brown Jr. and investigator Lewnell Harrison
signed the plea agreement.
On Nov. 17, the Navajo Nation Council's Ethics and Rules Committee
scheduled hearings for Sam and immediate past chapter President
Bennie Joe for Jan. 11 and 12...
Deaths
Jose Eusebio Mejia
GAMERCO — Services for Jose Eusebio Mejia, 93, will be held at
10 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 4 at Rollie Mortuary-Palm Chapel. Pastor Luis
Gomez will officiate. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Park.
Mejia died Dec. 31 in Gamerco. He was born March 5, 1907 in Irapuato,
Mexico.Visitation will be held from noon to 7 p.m. today at Rollie
Mortuary.
A prayer service will be held at 7 p.m., tonight at Rollie Mortuary.
Mejia was a member of the North Side Senior Citizens and the El Buen
Pastor Baptist Church.
Survivors include his sons, Johnny Espinosa and Gregorio Valtierra
both of Gallup; daughters, Esperanza Fuentes of Austin, Texas and
Marie Lujan of Gamerco; sisters, Julia Mejia of Mexico City, Mexico
and Luz Mejia of Gto, Mexico; 14
grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren.
Mejia was preceded in death by parents, Epigmenio Mejia and Gregoria
Munoz and brother, Jose Mejia
Pallbearers will be Armando Espinosa, Ernesto Fuentes Jr., Gerardo
Guerrero Jr., Francisco Gutierrez, Avelardo Lujan and
Greg Valtierea Jr.
Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
Francis Larry Martinez
GALLUP — Services for Francis Larry Martinez, 57, will be held
at 1 p.m., today at Rollie Mortuary-Palm Chapel. Pastor Mark Thomas
will officiate. Burial will follow at Gallup City Cemetery.
Martinez died Dec. 30 in Gallup. He was born Nov.3, 1943 in Bluewater
into the Towering House People Clan for the Sleeping Rock People Clan.
Survivors include his wife, Rena Martinez of Gallup; sons, Francie
Martinez and Francis Martinez both of Gallup; daughters, Francine
Martinez, Maxine Martinez, Renne Martinez and Florence Vandever all
of Gallup; brother, Martin Martinez of Ganado, Ariz.; sisters, Patricia
Martinez, Saraphine Martinez and Regina Vandever all of Iyanbito,
Laura Sandoval and Terri
Yazzie both of Fort Wingate and Vangie Martinez of Denver, Colo. and
11 grandchildren.
Martinez was preceded in death by parents, Frank and Gladys Martinez
Jr.; brothers, Bobby Martinez and Jerry Martinez and sisters, Lupita
Martinez and Sandra Martinez.
Pallbearers will be Anthony Ashley, Lorenzo Becenti, Levon Martinez,
Ronald Roanhorse, George Tsosie and Louie Vandever.
Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
Joseph "Buffalo" Sanchez Jr.
GALLUP — Services for Joseph Sanchez, 53, will be announced at
a later date.
Sanchez died Dec. 28 in Gallup. He was born Nov. 23, 1947 in Gallup.
Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
Rita Marie Johnson
GALLUP — Services for Rita Marie Johnson, 41, will be announced
at a later date.
Johnson died Jan. 1 in Gallup. She was born Feb. 7, 1959 in Crownpoint.
Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
Esperanza Grano
GALLUP — Services for Esperanza Grano, 67, will be announced
at a later date.
Grano died Jan. 2 in Gallup. She was born Sept. 7, 1933 in Dawson.
Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
Carole F. Devlin
GALLUP — Services for Carole F. Devlin, 57, will be announced
at a later date.
Devlin died Dec. 30 in Gallup. She was born Sept. 11, 1943 in Los
Angeles, Calif.
Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
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