Aztec dancer

Rita Zamora, a dancer with the Aztec group Ehacatl, performs at Wingate High School on Tuesday.

Photo by Michael Fagans

 

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Ex-NTUA worker can discuss case
Judge declines to gag Martin

Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Tribal Utilities Authority failed to convince a Navajo district court judge Tuesday to gag a former deputy general manager who believed she was wrongfully terminated and went public with her complaints.

Window Rock Judge Alan Sloan agreed with NTUA General Manager Randall Medicine Bear and attorney Louis Denetsosie that Bernadine Martin of Gallup should not be allowed to publicly talk about other personnel cases.

But Sloan told NTUA he could not silence Martin about talking about her own case, which she has done on several occasions to three newspapers, including the Independent.

The judge also dissolved two other points of the temporary restraining order he issued five minutes before the close of business Thursday, but made Martin hand over a letter about the termination of Van Lee, Shiprock district manager in July, and an NTUA personnel manual.

Sloan ruled the utility didn't prove its complaint about her revealing trade secrets and other sensitive information, nor that she possessed other confidential documents.

The judge spent more than half of the 75-minute hearing whispering with Martin and Denetsosie, then Medicine Bear, in two sidebars off the record discussions at the judge's bench. Between the off-the-record conferences, the judge took a short break so the NTUA team could discuss its options.

Also in the courtroom with Medicine Bear and Denetsosie were NTUA attorney Patterson Joe and Personnel Manager Paul Bemore.

Denetsosie argued that Martin's statements to reporters harms the utility and the two men of whom she spoke, that her public statements violated a confidentiality clause, that there are other pending personnel cases where the utility is close to settlements, and that she had taken confidential records when fired in August.

He also claimed she agreed not to release information if a settlement negotiation continued.

Denetsosie also told the court the utility did not know what she downloaded from computers before she left.

He concluded, "We have no way of knowing what kind of information she has or will release."

The utility's lawyer said NTUA tried to get the McKinley County Sheriff's Office to serve Martin with the restraining order, but they could not find her on Friday, that she had vacated her home and there was a for sale sign out front.

The lawyer also said he didn't know if Navajo police would try to exercise jurisdiction if the utility filed criminal charges against Martin and she stayed off the reservation. After the hearing, he said no immediate decision would be made about pursuing criminal charges, but it was an option to be considered.

As he has many times before, Sloan urged the parties to get together and work out their differences so they wouldn't have to face him again.

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Vice chairman lashes out at Hopi leader
Quochytewa upset over loss of power

Stan Bindell
Special to the Independent

KYKOTSMOVI, Ariz. — Hopi Tribal Vice Chairman Phillip Quochytewa Sr. said when the tribal council stripped him of his powers, it was orchestrated by Chairman Wayne Taylor Jr. for political reasons.

Taylor has not returned repeated telephone calls to his office seeking comment.

The council voted 11-7 on Sept. 25 to return the vice chairman to his constitutional duties, meaning he receives his assignments from the chairman. The action was based on a recommendation by a special committee formed to deal with government reorganization.

Quochytewa said he asked the special committee for its minutes so he could see how it came to target him, but there were no records of how many people voted for the recommendation.

"I asked for the minutes and they would not provide them," he said. "I have nothing to hide. People ask me what I did, but if I did anything they didn't tell me."

The chairman does not have a vote on the tribal council except in a case of a tie and did not vote on the issue of returning the vice chairman to his constitutional duties. Quochytewa, however, alleges that the chairman found a bloc of votes to take the vice chairman's powers away.

"There was no reason to make this happen now, three quarters of the way through my term," he said. "There were a lot of assignments I was working on that I campaigned on that will have to go unfinished."

Quochytewa said the chairman may have orchestrated this action because the vice chairman attempted to terminate the chairman's brother, Arnold Taylor, from his job as head of the tribe's Department of Natural Resources. Quochytewa said he could not say why he recommended firing Arnold Taylor because it is a personnel issue that should remain confidential.

Arnold Taylor appealed the recommended termination and won the appeal. Quochytewa said the appeal was biased because the hearing officer was council member Cedric Kewaninveama who had become a political opponent of Quochytewa.

Quochytewa said the chairman has never included him in his group and he doesn't know why.

"I made it a habit to meet with him and I had to beg him to do it. I felt that he did not view me as part of his clique," he said. "I was voted in by the people to carry out the wishes of the people. That's all I've been doing."

Quochytewa said the government reorganization is a good idea, but should be implemented at the beginning of the next administration.

Quochytewa said Hopi prophecies say the tribal council will destroy the government if it is not focusing on the Hopi perspective through the modern type of government in place.

After the council stripped the vice chairman of his powers, Quochytewa addressed First Mesa Consolidated Village during a community meeting the following week.

First Mesa response

Ivan Sidney, community service administrator at FMCV, said this was a fact-finding mission and the village would like to see it followed by three actions:

Invite the chairman and vice chairman to address First Mesa and other villiages together. Sidney said when he was chairman he visited all the villages to give them updates, but added he does not see the present chairman doing this.

Invite the special committee to address First Mesa to discuss the actions it is considering before it takes them.

Have community votes on whether people support the actions taken by the special committee and the tribal council.

Sidney said he has received calls from Lower Moenkopi, Mishongnovi, Sipaulovi and Hotevilla from people who want more information about the vice chairman losing his powers and how government organization will impact their villages.

"We need to start working together with other villages so we will have a majority rather than working alone. I want to see what FMCV and other villages want," he said. "This isn't to see who's right or wrong, but to gain facts."

Two council members, who voted for the measure returning the vice chairman to his constitutional duties, said they were aware of political differences between the chairman and vice chairman.

Steve Youvella, council delegate from First Mesa, said there had not been good relations between the chairman and vice
chairman because they don't run on the same ticket. He added that since the vice chairman has taken office, he has taken some corrective actions that have upset people "on the other side."

Youvella also questioned the timing of the special committee's recommendation since the evaluation of the system was started in
1994.

Youvella said since tribal elections are about one year away, he would have preferred if the reorganization was implemented going into the next election, yet he felt he had to vote to uphold the Hopi Constitution.

Todd Honyaoma Sr., council delegate from Sipaulovi, said some Hopi people have told him they have not seen the leadership they hoped for by either the chairman or vice chairman, possibly because of the discord between the two. He hopes the latest action improves communication between the chairman and vice chairman.

"I don't think they were getting along. They were not working together. I'm hoping this will bring them together," he said.

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Funds, site stall Laguna school issue

Tara Drolma
Staff Writer

GRANTS — Grants-Cibola County school board members emphasized their commitment to building a new Laguna-Acoma High School at a meeting Tuesday. But the members refused to commit to a location and it is uncertain if the funding will be available.

The conflict between the east and the west sides of the school district, plus a history of distrust between the groups, has slowed the process. Grants and Milan comprise the majority of the west side and the land grants, and Acoma and Laguna Pueblos are referred to as the east.

To complete the project, the district must find a building site and acquire $14 million in funding.

A public meeting was scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday,tentatively in the school district board room in Grants.

Funding sought

In order to get the $4.3 million Critical Capital Outlay (CCO) funds that the state has already awarded the district, the board must pass a bond election so that it is bonded at 75 percent of its capacity.

Officials agree the April bond election failed because the bond expressly targeted funds to the new Lagaun-Acoma School and west side voters were unwilling to pass it.

In an attempt to get the proposed Dec. 12 bond election passed, Carol Owensby, public relations officer for the school district, sent the proposed wording to all of the school principals Tuesday asking for their feedback. She also polled members of the bond election steering committee.

Although the board intends to ask for $8 million, the wording that was sent said the bond would provide $6 million to the district. About $4.5 million would be for the design and new construction of Grants High School, $500,000 would go to Laguna-Acoma, $500,000 for renovation at San Rafael Elementary school, and $500,000 for security and maintenance needs in buildings throughout the district.

Owensby told the board that most of the groups she spoke to would not vote for a bond election unless the money was for a new Grants High School. The staff at Grants High specified the bond had to be for a new building, not just reconstruction and repair of the existing school.

This has some people angry because the first priority on the Facilities Master Plan is the reconstruction of Lagana-Acoma High. The second and third priorities are Cubero and San Rafael schools.

Owensby said Laguna-Acoma High has a large crack running across the floors, windows are cracking, the science wing built in the 1980s is settling, there are cracks in the walls, and a support wall is dissolving. The school was built as a middle school in 1963 and rooms do not meet the needs of high school students. The science rooms are inadequate for high school classes and the school has added four to six portables as it has outgrown the original building.

To qualify for the CCO funds the voters must pass "Bond B" in the November general election and they must pass the Dec. 12 bond election.

The state gives the district $3.8 million. About $500,000 must come from the local bond election in December and $300,000 must come from the statewide bond election in November.

If these bonds pass, then the district will receive $4.3 million this year and will be eligible to qualify for the same amount in succeeding years. The district will submit the application for next year's funding in November. If the election does not pass it will not be able to apply for more CCO funding and will receive only $3.8 million this year.

Choosing a site

In the mid-'90s a task force was formed to analyze several possible sites for the new school. It chose the Casa Blanca site and a 100-year lease was drafted and signed in 1998. That lease was declared void because it violated federal regulations that govern the use of tribal trust lands.

Bruce Boynton, a member of the bond election steering committee, said the term of the lease was in excess of what is allowed (25 years), it required approval by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and it required an environmental analysis and a traffic study.

The environmental study has been completed and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was drafted. The BIA Laguna-Acoma agency superintendent must sign that document and approve the new lease. The new lease is 25 years with three 25-year renewals.

In a letter to the board dated Oct. 10, Laguna Gov. Harry Early said realty specialist T.J. Robinson had told him the "documents are in the final stage of review and (are) due to be signed as of Oct. 10, 2000."

At the meeting Tuesday, Superintendent Linda Coy said she thought the documents had already been signed. Robinson's secretary said he would present the document to the superintendent for signature today.

The board drafted a plan "B" for the new school site when negotiations slowed. That plan would make Bureau of Land Management Land near San Fidel the site of the new school. Owensby said the state prefers to have schools built on land it owns. With the BLM land the district could apply for a patent during construction and then apply for title once the building is completed.

Owensby said Monday that the state would not release the funding until it had a signed a 100-year lease on the property. Federal law allows only a 25-year lease on tribal trust land, but the pueblo has sought to overcome that requirement with the inclusion of the renewal clauses.

In his comments to the board Early quoted a memo to the governor from Gilbert Sanchez, superintendent of Laguna Pueblo Schools. Sanchez said the Laguna-Acoma task force had asked Owensby to set up a meeting with the state to clarify why the state does not want a school on land it doesn't own. When Sanchez asked Owensby about it, she told him Coy had asked her to postpone the meeting until after the next board meeting.

Early asked the board, "Is it still possible you will build on another site? We are trying to be positive."

Fletcher told Early, "The board's resolution is for Casa Blanca; however, all of our concerns have not been answered. We will be in communication with you."

Site concerns

Some of the board's concerns were outlined in the governor's Oct. 10 letter to the district. In the letter Early commits to "provide the new facility with water, and sewer utilities."

After the meeting Coy said she and at least four other board members want the school built on the BLM land. Coy said a letter is not a firm commitment by the pueblo to provide the infrastructure and she wondered why they have not already begun work on the improvements.

She also said there was no housing available for the teachers and questioned the pueblo's offer to use existing apartments that have been built for the elderly.

Another point of contention is the lease for the existing school. That lease expired early this year and has not been renewed. In his letter, Early said, "I will recommend to our Tribal Council to extend another four years to Jan. 31, 2005 on the current lease with the option to renew on a year-to-year basis."

However, he added, "We will consider your request to extend the years on the current facility including the teacher housing after we have completed a study of our own community needs."

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Thoreau pulls off upset at Crownpoint

Abelita R. Freeland
Staff Sports Writer

CROWNPOINT — The Thoreau Lady Hawks, beaten twice by Crownpoint during the regular season, picked the right time to beat the Lady Eagles.

The Hawks pulled off a 3-15, 15-6, 15-7, 14-16 and 15-8 win in the second round of the District 1AAA tournament Tuesday in Crownpoint.

The Lady Hawks had already faced Crownpoint two times in district and were defeated both times. Thoreau, which beat Tohatchi in Monday's opening round, will now play Wingate at 6 p.m. on Thursday in Wingate.

Coach Josie Willie felt that this game has boosted her team's confidence and may now be able to take one from Wingate, who they have also lost to twice.

"Everyone just came together. When everyone got sad, I told them they need to keep their heads up and get back in the game," coach Willie said.

"The hardest thing in the world is to beat that team for the third time. I think after we won the first game easily we relaxed too much and lost our focus, and they (Hawk) brought their game up to a great level. They played a great game," Eagle coach Sheri Moore said.

In game one action, the Lady Hawks were no match for the Lady Eagles losing 15-3.

Crownpoint took a quick 3-0 lead with Kellie Arviso serving two aces and an error on Thoreau. The Lady Eagles worked their way up to 5-0 before the Hawks scored their first point.

Crownpoint earned two more points taking them up to 7-1, before the Hawks scored their next point with a dink kill from Cindy Morgan. Hawk Abby Jake scored Thoreau's last point of game one with an ace for a 9-3 score.

Rowena Garcia served up the rest of game one, serving six points including an ace. Morgan had another dink kill and Winnoka Henry added two kills.

The Lady Hawks regrouped and made a surprising comeback in game two, winning 15-6.

After an early 2-2 tie, Thoreau took an 8-2 lead with Melissa Anderson serving six points, with an ace and a stuff block from Morgan. The Eagles committed four errors.

Crownpoint cut the lead to 9-5 with three points from Henry, two on aces and the other on a kill from Raven Calladitto, 5-9.
Morgan took over the serve with Thoreau leading 11-6 and finished serving the game. Anderson had a kill and Morgan delivered a game point ace.

The beginning of game three was a battle until the Lady Hawks just picked up and took the win.

The score was tied at, 1-1, 3-3 and 4-4.

The Eagles led 5-4 until Hawk Philena Yazzie served Thoreau up 8-4 with kills from Morgan and Shanta. Crownpoint also had two errors.

Eagle Krystle Henry scored her team's next point with an ace, but Thoreau took another point from Crownpoint with another error.

Both teams took turns taking side outs off each other kills and errors, but the Lady Hawks won game three with Shanta serving the remaining four points. Two were from Eagles errors, one ace and a dink kill from Anderson on game point.

Game four went into rally scoring, after the Lady Hawks took a large lead on the Lady Eagles.

Crownpoint took the first lead 4-1, but with Shanta serving another six points, it was the Hawks that led7-4. Shanta was helped with stuff block from Anderson, one ace, one Eagle error and three forceful kills by Anderson.

The Hawks went up 12-8 before the Eagles gradually started to work their way up from behind, with scores of 13-9, 13-11 and 13-12.

Thoreau was just about to take the win with Stephanie Laurence serving one ace, making it game point but the chance was lost on a huge rally when Thoreau hit the ball into the net.

Crownpoint took their side out to tie the game at 14-14 with Hawk Henry serving two points with a dink kill from Morgan and an error on Hawk Anderson.

Both sides fought for the next point, but the Eagles took the win when Terrah Morgan delivered an ace and a dig from Calladitto that went into the net.

Crownpoint battled to an 8-7 lead in the decisive fifth game, but when Shanta took over the serve the Thoreau, she took the team to the victory serving the last eight points of the game. During that run, Anderson had one stuff block, a kill from Morgan and three aces, including on game point. The Eagles also had three errors.

"I told them to stay focused, to make their serves, it was their game and to play their game," coach Willie said.

"It was so tough, you have to dig deep down inside your heart. It was just so amazing and awesome. It is so awesome that we did it and we pulled it out, I am so proud of my team and everyone," said an emotional Hawk senior Melissa Anderson who had 11 kills, two dink kills, 10 stuff blocks and three aces. "This is the best game we have had all year, I feel. We are so ready for Wingate."

Also for Thoreau, Rochelle Shanta finished with 23 points, four aces, on 25 attempts. She also had five kills on 23 attacks, five digs, three dinks, four block with two stuffs. Cindy Morgan three kills, 12 digs, 19-out-of 19 passes, two dink kills and nine points and two ace. Stephanie Laurence had 5 kills and three aces, Sharon Platero had 41 assists and Anna Hall finished with 22 assists.

Leading the Lady Eagles was Deborah Butler with 24 attempts, 10 kills, four digs and one dink. Terrah Morgan had eight kills on 17 attempts, seven digs,seven points and four aces; Abby Jake had 10 attempts, four kills, seven digs, six dinks with two kills, two stuff blocks; and Lana Murphy finished with 10 attempts and three kills.

Pine Hill serves up loss to Gallup Catholic

Michael Peretti
Staff Sports Writer

PINE HILL — The Pine Hill Warriors had no problem defeating the Gallup Catholic Panthers Tuesday night, eliminating them from the district volleyball tournament in three straight games.

The Lady Warriors (12-8, 4-5 district) served up 14 aces in the three games, ending the Lady Panthers season with final scores of 15-2, 15-2 and 15-4.

Pine Hill coach Emerson Nez said that his team has had two faces this year, one that started 9-2, and one that finished 3-6. "I don't know which team is going to show up for our next game. I just hope they are ready to play."

Pine Hill advances to the next round and will play Rehoboth this afternoon in the next round of the district playoffs.

Alberta Pino did most of the damage in the first game, scoring 11 points on 12 serves with three aces before Gallup Catholic could get a side out.

Gallup Catholic finally got the ball back and was able to score two points on two aces from Lavina Dawes, but the Warriors quickly got the ball back and ended the first game, Rogina Adeky scoring the last four points with two aces.

The Panthers continued to have problems in the second game, unable to return any serves as the Warriors first server Denise Begaye scored eight points before hitting the ball into the net. The Panthers only returned one of the eight serves by Begaye, but it was blocked by Rogina Adeky for a Warrior point.

When the Lady Panthers finally got the ball, Dawes again served up two points, both on aces for the Panthers.

Brenna Martinez scored the next four points for Pine Hill, two on aces and then Vanessa Jim served up two points for the Warriors. Shay Raphealito was subbed in for Jim and served the last point of the game on another Warrior ace.

The Warriors put the third game away early. Like the first two, the first server, this time Pino again, scored the first 11 points before the Panthers could get a side out. The Panthers game improved in the third game, as they only gave up two aces, forcing Pine Hill to work for their points.

Dawes came up to serve for the Panthers and, for the third time served up two aces. After allowing one point, the Panthers Becky Craig and Amanda Baca came up and served up points to pull to 11-4.

Feeling a little more pressure than the first two games, The Warriors quickly put the Panthers away, scoring the last four points with three different players.

Alberta Pino scored 22 points on 24 serves with five aces for the Warriors. Denise Begaye had 10 points on 13 serves with five aces. Rogina Adeky added five points on eight serves, and also had four kills and two dinks.

Lavina Dawes had six points on nine serves for the Panthers, all six were aces. Becky Craig and Amanda Baca scored the Panthers only other two points. Craig also had two dinks and two saves. Kathleen Mason also had a pair of dinks and kills for the Panthers. Maggie Mosher of the Panthers had the only dig in the game for either team.

"I don't know what happened," said Aggie Skersick, who coached Gallup Catholic because their regular coach was unable to make the trip. "They weren't themselves tonight."

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Gallup district studies year-round school

Zarana Sanghani
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Principals and teachers in Gallup-McKinley County Schools are discussing the possibilities of having year-round school.

Right now, educators are only talking about what a year-round school schedule would mean for the community. No plans have been made to implement such a calendar.

The response is mixed. Few people could say for sure whether they would absolutely prefer a year-round schedule, but many had thought about the advantages and disadvantages.

A year-round schedule would shorten the summer vacation. At the same time, students would get two-week vacations during the year after a grading term is completed. Students wouldn't go to school for more days, but their vacation time would be distributed throughout the year...

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Chinle cops seek victim of burglary

Tanya Brazil
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Navajo tribal police need help locating a victim who lost $2,000 worth of Indian jewelry to a thief in the Whipoorwill area on Sept. 25.

The sterling silver jewelry a black leather belt with eight conchos and seven turquoise stones, two turquoise bracelets and a necklace were taken from a pillowcase in the cab of a pickup truck parked at the windmill.

Last month, the suspect, Ramaris Anagal, 26, of Chinle, Ariz., was arrested with two other men for allegedly burglarizing three residences in the Black Rock area 12 miles southeast of Diné College.

When arrested, the suspect confessed to police about the stolen jewelry he had in his possession and said he sold one of the bracelets to two unknown females who were walking down Route 4 near Pinon, Ariz...

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Deaths

Johnny Hunt-Harry

NASCHITTI — Services for Johnny Franklin Hunt-Harry, 63, will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, at St. Anthony Catholic Church. Father John will officiate. Burial will follow at the Naschitti Cemetery.

Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. tonight at St. Anthony Church.

Hunt-Harry died Oct. 21 in Albuquerque. He was born Dec. 15, 1936, in Toadlena into the Mud People Clan for the Red-House People Clan.

Hunt-Harry attended Riverside Indian School in Riverside, Calif. He was employed by Kerr McGee Mine and Union Pacific Railroad; he was a horse trainer and rancher. In high school he participated in football, basketball and track. He also participated in rodeo in all rough stock events and some steer wrestling events.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Harry of Naschitti; daughters, Eleanor Begay of Albuquerque and Delphine Lapahie of Naschitti; brothers, John Peshlakai of Crystal, Walter Harry of Toadlena and Frankie Hunt of Two Grey Hills; sisters, Mary Hudson of Waterflow, Dorothy Lopez of Crystal and Elizabeth James of Phoenix; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Hunt-Harry was preceded in death by his parents, Theodore and Anne Hunt; brother, Lee Peshlakai; and a grandfather, Nick Hunt.

Pallbearers will be James Hunt Jr., Edison Johnson, Larry Jackson Jr., Harrison Brown, Arnold Roanhorse, Anslem John and Fred Hudson II.

Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.