Navajo fire stations back to normal ops
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation's fire stations are back in full
operation, Acting Fire Chief Lawrence Garnanez said Tuesday. One of
the four full-time employees who joined a walkout last month will
be rehired.
Jacob Brock agreed to accept a 16-day unpaid suspension before returning
as the Tuba City station's supervisor on Feb. 18, Garnanez said. Brock's
personnel record will be cleared of the termination imposed by Division
of Public Safety Director Herb Clah Jr.
Clah fired Brock, Captain Larry Tolth of the Window Rock Station,
firefighter Sadie Lister of the Indian Wells station and Johnson Watson
of the Window Rock Station for joining most of the department's volunteers
in a walkout in early December.
The walkout was in response to Clah's decision to demote
former Chief Dicky Bain to captain instead of totally removing him
from the department.
The revolt began in September with a petition signed
by more than 40 members of the department calling for the immediate
termination of Bain. Bain started with the department in 1982. He
overcame a staff revolt two years ago because proper procedures were
not followed.
Protesters claimed the former chief lacked communication and administrative
skills and had to be replaced immediately. Clah placed Bain on leave
while the charges were investigated. He brought in a Navajo labor
investigator from outside the division since the protesters said they
did not trust Internal Affairs due to their familiarity with Bain.
Clah left the door open to any of the striking volunteers
to return without going through a termination procedure.
Brock and Tolth asked for departmental hearings, which were held Friday.
Garnanez said Tolth's appeal was rejected, so he has 30 days to ask
for a grievance hearing. Lister did not appeal and Watson was a temporary
employee.
In Watson's place, Garnanez has named Patrick Willie
as acting supervisor at the Window Rock station with 13 volunteers,
including five new ones. Bain remains a captain-at-large.
Leupp has five new volunteers working with full-timer Gabriel Barbone,
who also travels to Indian Wells three times a week to work with four
volunteers there.
The paid and volunteer staff at Chinle were an exception to the revolt
all stayed on the job during the crisis.
Garnanez also said the agreement with the Bureau of Indian Affairs
for emergency stand-by assistance would end today.
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N.M. officials visit low-scoring schools
Zarana Sanghani
Staff Writer
GALLUP — State education officials are visiting 10 underachieving
schools in McKinley County to figure out ways to get them to improve.
The four-day conference which began Tuesday on how to
reform low-performing schools involves 15 representatives from the
State Board of Education and State Department of Education, said Margaret
Garza, assistant to the school superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
The state officials will meet with the principals of the low-performing
schools during the day and attend community meetings at those schools
during the evening.
The purpose of the conference is to establish a network among school
principals, school administrators and state agencies that will permit
the schools to develop a plan of improvement which the State Department
of Education requires by March 24.
Smith Lake, Crownpoint, Rocky View, Jefferson, Lincoln, Chee Dodge,
Navajo, Roosevelt and Thoreau Elementary and Tohatchi Middle schools
are required to create such a plan.
"Everyone knows that we need to do some things
differently so that students have the opportunity to progress as they
should," Garza said. "The principals had already been working
on some of these issues and had already identified areas that need
to be worked on and improved."
Garza added that all 10 principals have already initiated programs
to reform their schools. For example, Rocky View principal Marc Nestorick
contracted Modern Red School House, a non-profit educational organization,
to assist teachers in developing instruction strategy.
School administrators met with the low-performing schools' principals
last week and plan to meet with the remaining principals next week
because the district expects all schools to work on progress.
The reason schools are deemed low-performing is because of low scores
on standardized state tests. The result state agencies seek from improvement
plans is higher test scores, Garza said.
For four months, Gallup McKinley County school officials have talked
to state educational agencies, committees and boards to explain their
view that the formula used to rate schools is erroneous, Garza said.
For example, most of the schools in the state categorized as low-performing
are elementary schools, said Ed Monaghan, director of elementary curriculum
and instruction.
This happened because while the scale for test scores differs between
middle and elementary schools, the state uses the same formula to
decide if the school needs improvements, Monaghan said.
Nevertheless, the schools will continue to work on improvement plans.
They will look at teacher turnover, students' lack in proficiency
in English and students who have difficulty showing their skills and
knowledge, Garza said.
In the past, area school officials have listed a number
of reasons for low scoring by county students, including:
The lack of preparation by many pre-schoolers which results in students
entering the county system already two to three years behind their
counterparts in other parts of the state.
The fact that a higher percentage of students here as compared to
the rest of the state have English as their secondary language.
The area curriculum which, in the past, has not taught subjects in
such a way that county students would have the knowledge expected
of them in the standardized tests.
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Logo flap
Olympics items have trader in hot water
Bill Donovan
Diné Bureau
GALLUP — For the past several weeks, Steve Coleman has been hiring
area craftspeople to make pottery and jewelry in preparation for the
2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.
But Coleman, who owns and operates Gallup's Nugget Gallery, says he
is now looking at taking a financial bath on the project. He says
he also has no choice but to lay off the craftspeople he hired just
before Christmas.
To top it all off, there's a good possibility, he said, that he may
wind up with hundreds of pieces of pottery and jewelry all embossed
with the official Olympics logo that he won't be able to sell because
he doesn't have a license to sell it from the Olympics committee.
If that happens, he says he will lose all of the $15,000 to $18,000
he already has invested in the project. "I just don't know what
to do," he said. "All I wanted to do was help area craftspeople
get some work."
Political battle
Instead, what happened is that Coleman has found himself involved
in a political battle that has going on within the Navajo Nation for
the past several months over what looks to be a multi-million dollar
sideline to the 2002 Olympics the creation of Native American souvenirs
to commemorate the event.
That battle which is pitting one group of Navajos against another
group is expected to reach a climax next week at the Navajo Nation
Council chambers when delegates will have to choose who they want
to represent the tribe in this endeavor.
Coleman said last week that he was unaware of the battle
waging over the Olympic crafts. All he knew, he said, was that a woman
came to him several months ago saying she represented the Native American
2002 Foundation and wanted him to make some samples of Indian-made
souvenirs that she could take to her group.
That woman was Lonnie Parker, a long-time craftsperson in the St.
Michaels area who a few years ago was a leader of Navajo craftspeople
who wanted to get changes made at the Navajo Arts and Crafts Enterprise.
Not only did her group succeed in getting some changes made but she
found herself appointed to the NACE board of directors.
"I had done some business with Lonnie and her husband (another
craftsperson) over the years and when she approached me, I listened,"
Coleman said.
Craftspeople hired
Not only did he listen, but he said he started having
area craftspeople make up some samples and just before Christmas hired
six craftspeople to start making a line of pottery and jewelry, all
with the Olympics logo on them.
The Native American 2002 Foundation was organized to help the Olympics
licensing committee deal with the hundreds of tribes and Native American
groups that wanted to furnish souvenirs for the event. The licensing
committee had no idea who was legit in Indian country so Native American
2002 Foundation was set up to act as a sort of clearinghouse to work
with the various tribes on the matter.
Parker is a consultant to that group and Coleman said he thought she
had the authority to approve the making of the samples and the beginning
of production. He added that Parker picked up a lot of the samples
and hasn't returned them to him.
After production had started, he said it became harder
and harder to get Parker on the phone and finally on Jan. 10, she
hung up on him.
It was at that point, he said, that he began to get worried about
his investment.
"Actually, I think the change came when she told me to add 15
percent to my costs, which she wanted as a commission. I told her
I didn't operate like that. After I said that, her whole attitude
changed," Coleman said.
Parker denies charges
Parker denies leading Coleman on, saying that she did talk to him
about producing crafts for the Olympics. "But I never misled
him and I never gave him any promises," she said.
She added that she also didn't say anything to him about giving her
a commission.
"I've been volunteering my time to this project for the past
two years, working with the craftspeople, all on a volunteer basis.
I've even been paying craftspeople for the samples out of the money
my husband makes," she said.
"I've been working so hard that I'm presently all-volunteered
out," she added.
The incident where she hung up the phone did happen, she said. Coleman
had been calling her several times a day trying to get a commitment
and she was working at her home on other matters. She said she had
no choice but to finally hang up on him.
As for Coleman, she said that she feels that he expected too much
too soon. "He's a smart man. He should realize that these things
take a long time to work out," she said.
Groups vie for franchise
What's happening now in Navajo country, she said, "is a mess."
A number of groups are now trying to be the franchise, so to speak,
and act as the middleman between Navajo craftsmen and the Native American
2002 Foundation.
For a time, that middleman appeared to be Cal Nez, a Navajo who has
a design firm in Salt Lake City and who may have been the first person
to come up with the idea of Native American crafts promoting the 2002
Olympics two years ago.
Although he had official tribal approval a year ago to represent Navajo
interests, that seems to have gone by the wayside as others have tried
to get a piece of the action. It's become so bad that Navajo Nation
President Kelsey Begaye has now called for a truce and has named Fred
White, director of tourism, as the tribal representative with a directive
to bring all of the warring factions together in time for next week's
council session.
Nez, interviewed by phone at his office in Salt Lake City, also agrees
the current situation is a mess and only will get worse is something
isn't done soon. He said he plans to attend the council session with
his supporters to see what kind of arrangement can be worked out.
As for Coleman, he said last week that he feels he has been left holding
the bag in this case, filled with thousands of dollars of Olympic
souvenirs he can't sell.
But Parker said she isn't sure that's true.
"I told Coleman from the very beginning that he could go to the
licensing committee himself and get a license to make his own items,"
she said.
If he does do that, however, she agrees that the committee will probably
just refer him back to the foundation which will refer him to whoever
the tribal council chooses next week as their representative.
What he should do then, she said, is wait until that
representative is chosen, go to him or her, make his case and see
what happens.
And what about the relationship between Parker and Coleman, a relationship
that existed for many years in harmony?
"I really like Steve. I think we'll do business again. These
kinds of things happen," she said.
| Top |
Sports commentary
Alan Arthur
Sports Editor
Parents hear it constantly. Teachers are aware of the grumblings in
class. Community leaders find it to be an important problem.
The cry goes out to give the youth of our city something to do. Something
that can make them feel good about themselves.
This weekend, one of those events is about to happen. On Sunday, at
1 p.m. at the Gallup Junior High School, the Gallup Elks Lodge will
host their annual Hoop Shoot competition. This is a free throw competition
for youngsters in age groups 8-9, 10-11, and 12-13. Approximately
100 boys or girls per year compete in the local contest...
| Top |
N.M. police catch 13 illegal aliens on
I-40
Staff Report
GALLUP — Thirteen illegal aliens were captured by New Mexico
State Police at 1:45 a.m. Tuesday at the 50 mile marker and Interstate
40 near Thoreau.
The non-citizens were discovered when Officer Kevin Bruno stopped
a van for a speeding violation.
Immigration and Naturalization transferred the adults to Albuquerque
this morning where they will be processed for deportation...
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Monument Valley teams making their move
Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer
KAYENTA, Ariz. - The Monument Valley Mustangs and the Lady Mustangs
may be saving their best for last.
The Mustangs overcame a pair of technicals and the loss
of starting forward Bert Jones by nipping Tuba City 60-59 Tuesday
night in a crucial conference matchup before a near capacity crowd.
Facing an uphill battle in the conference race, the Monument Valley
Lady Mustangs nearly blew a 17-point fourth period lead before holding
off Tuba City, 52-46...
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Navajo police report that murder rate
is dropping
Nancy Watson
Staff Writer
WINDOW ROCK — The number of homicides on the Navajo Reservation
continues to drop hitting 31, the lowest it's been in five years and
less than half the rate in 1996.
Tribal police officials are still saying that they aren't exactly
sure why the number continues to go down...
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Race track promises jobs and money
But city council wants more answers first
Tanya Brazil
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Investors who want to build a horse race track and casino
at Red Rock State Park once again Tuesday asked the city council to
consider their proposition.
But councilors said they won't consider it any further until some
questions are answered.
Rudy Garcia, vice president of Wilgar Investment Co., Inc., said the
priority of investors was to create jobs and help the city of Gallup.
Garcia said the race track will attract tourism, boost Gallup's economy
bringing about $55 million annually into the city and create 200 to
300 new jobs. Of those jobs, he said, 60 to 70 percent of employees
will be Native Americans...
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Second half lifts Scouts
Robert Arrieta
Staff Sports Writer
WINDOW ROCK — If the two halves of the Tohatchi/Window Rock boys
basketball game could be divided into two games, one belonged entirely
to the Tohatchi Cougars and the other one to the Window Rock Scouts.
Fortunately for the Scouts, and unfortunately for the Cougars, it
was the second one that would be registered in the official scorebook.
The Scouts, after trailing the Cougars for the entire first half by
mostly double digits, won the game 71-65 and they did it in the second
half...
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Big step taken in IHS change
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation took a big step forward Tuesday
in its plans to run the Navajo Area of the U.S. Indian Health Service.
The tribe's Intergovernmental Relations Committee approved the proposed
articles of incorporation for the Navajo Health Care System, Inc.
Under the system, the Navajo Nation would acquire and expand the $300
million, 3,000-employee health care empire. The corporation would
be formed under Navajo law.
NHCS would be run by a board of at least five voting members, but
would be enlarged as each of the eight current IHS service areas forms
its own affiliated corporation to gain a seat on the umbrella board...
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