Documenting the evidence

New Mexico State Police officer Paul Mendoza photographs two wine bottles as evidence Tuesday at the state police office. Late Monday, Mendoza, pulled over a vehicle on Route 371 containing beer, wine, and hard liquor. The men were suspected of stealing the alchohol from Red Rock Liquors in Thoreau.

 

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Art show to help Ceremonial

Staff Report

GALLUP — The Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial Association is sponsoring its first art show to raise funds and show increased support for the beleaguered event.

Nine artists some of the most popular names in today's Native American art work have a total of 20 works on display at the Ceremonial office at 226 Coal St. Persons can view the artwork during its regular winter hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.

"I think the painting submitted by Jimmy Abeita is the best work he has done," said Beverly Hurlbut, a Ceremonial volunteer.

Besides Abeita, others whose works will be seen are Duane Dishta, Ernest Franklin, Gilbert Jumbo, Patrick Sanchez, Calvin Toddy, Irvin Toddy, Alice Yazzie and Elmer Yazzie.

All of the works are recent, she added. All have shown their works in the past at the Ceremonial and have won numerous awards including Best of Show and Best in Class.

Hurlbut said it's encouraging for the event that Abeita and some of the others are getting involved again in the Ceremonial after being uninvolved for several years.

The Ceremonial is receiving a 20 percent commission for any works that are sold but more importantly, the art show will be a way to make community members think about the event during the so-called off-season.

A reception is being held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday with the drawing of winners in a raffle sponsored by the Ceremonial scheduled to take place at 7:30 p.m.

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Bloody bottles tip off police

Walter Howerton Jr.
Managing Editor

GALLUP — New Mexico State Police Officer Paul Mendoza thought he was about to make a routine drunken driving arrest on Monday night.

But when he saw the 160 bottles of booze, wine and beer in the trunk of the car, the blood on the bottles and the fresh blood on the driver, he had a hunch something else was up.

It was.

Mendoza stopped a white Ford Escort at 11:30 p.m. The car was headed south on N.M. Route 371 about 10 miles north of Thoreau. He noticed about half-a-dozen liquor bottles in the car along with the driver and two passengers.

He decided to arrest the driver, Dewayne Garcia, 23, of Prewitt, and have the car towed. While doing a routine inventory of the contents of the car, he found the 160 bottles of wine, beer and hard liquor in the trunk. It was in assorted brands and sizes.

Mendoza then thought he had stopped a carload of bootleggers. Then he noticed that some of the bottles had blood on them. The officer noticed that Garcia had blood on him, too.

According to State Police Capt. Glen Thomas, Garcia told the officer that he and his friends were coming from a party where they had been in a fight and acquired the trunkload of booze.

Officer Mendoza thought the cut on Garcia's hand looked a little too clean to have come from a fight. The cut looked more like it might have come from something with a sharp edge broken glass maybe. "It was good police work," Thomas said of his officer.

A couple of miles back up the highway is Red Rock Liquors. Or at least what was left of it after Garcia and his pals allegedly finished with it.

A window was broken that is where Garcia is believed to have cut his hand and Garcia and his friends allegedly used something to pry their way into the store, Thomas said. Blood was found on the broken window and inside the store.

Thomas said the liquor store was ransacked and bottles were smashed. Preliminary estimates placed the damage at more than $2,500. The liquor found in the car was valued at $1,500.

Garcia was charged with aggravated DWI, burglary, possession of burglary tools, conspiracy, felony criminal damage (more than $1,000), contributing to the delinquency of a minor, having an open alcohol container, and selling or giving alcohol to a minor.

Also arrested was Jerry Emerson, 18, of Thoreau. He was charged with burglary, conspiracy and criminal damage.

Jacob Bruce, 17, of Thoreau, also was charged with burglary, conspiracy and criminal damage.

All three were booked at the McKinley County Adult Detention Facility in Gallup.

Thomas said police are looking for a second vehicle that might have been involved in the incident.

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Voters OK school bond for Cibola

Tara Drolma
Staff Writer

GRANTS — The Grants/Cibola County School Board heaved a collective sigh of relief and then cheered Tuesday night when the members learned voters had passed the $6 million school bond.

The call about the bond approval came at 8:45 p.m. during the regularly scheduled board meeting.

School Superintendent Linda Coy said, "We have critical needs. We can breathe easier now. We are so grateful to the community for supporting this effort."

Board member Lloyd Felipe said, "It is good to know there are people out there who are supporting us and supporting our efforts. I commend and applaud our community for showing this support. In this season of Christmas it is appropriate to take the time to reflect on positive things. I want to express my sincere happiness the bond passed."

Board President Terry Fletcher thanked everyone who helped with the bond, and said, "I think you will see the fruits of that very quickly."

Rita Suazo said, "This shows what we can do for all of our children when we work together."

Board member Bob Murdoch acknowledged passage of the bond, but he seemed more concerned by a resolution Fletcher presented to the board.

Fletcher's resolution declares that the opinions of individual board members are personal opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the board as an entity. The resolution will come before the board for action at the next meeting on Jan. 9.

Murdoch had circulated a document to his constituents along with the bond election brochure and said after the meeting that he was not certain the resolution was aimed at him, but he thought it might be.

The first part of Murdoch's three-page document summarizes what Murdoch calls "The Progress" and the remainder outlines what he sees as the "Problems and Challenges."

Murdoch praises the district for improved leadership at "most of the schools," a savings of $75,000 by the business office and a very favorable audit report, John Bryant for revision of the K-12 curriculum, the state legislative delegation, Fletcher for obtaining the capital outlay dollars for the new school and other accomplishments.

Under the problems and challenges, Murdoch calls for the district to align the budget with district goals to improve reading and math scores and to show the staff and constituents exactly how many dollars are being spent to attain those goals.

Murdoch calls for the central office to reduce administrative expenditures. He wants administrators to do that by combining responsibilities and assigning some staff to the classrooms.

Murdoch believes there should be only one assistant superintendent and the position of principal at the alternative high school, the Progressive Learning Center, should be eliminated. He said the Grants High School principal should administer that program and the district superintendent should also function as department head for the Office of Personnel.

He said that he made it clear the opinions were his personal opinions and he believes the people in his district have the right to know where he stands on the issues.

The board approved the following items:

The audit done by the Farmington firm McGee and Associates was approved and will be sent to the state auditor for review.
This was a very favorable audit. Total fixed assets increased by $1 million from last year. The district budgeted for about $27 million in costs and actually spent about $24 million.

Budget Adjustment Requests were approved for about $135,000 for the Title IX award and an additional $30,000 in grant money to be used by Laguna-Acoma and Los Alamitos middle schools.

Approved a bid for meat, canned products and nonconsumable items for the cafeteria department.

Tabled the final wording of how points are awarded for the honors program.

Kilino Marquez presented a report from ASA architects on San Rafael and Milan Elementary Schools. The report said both schools have severe cracking and settling of walls, but there is no danger to the staff or children. The problems at both schools are from water entering the walls from the roofs rather than soil problems.

Coy presented information on issues for the upcoming legislative session. She is gathering information on the cost of a lobbyist to represent the district in the next session.

Stephen Kennedy who represents the Gallup/McKinley and Zuni districts, has submitted a proposal to represent the district. His fees for in-session representation would be $450 per day. Some of the members felt the fee is too high.

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Gallup girls lose fourth game in a row

Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer

WINSLOW, Ariz. — Winslow utilized a tough man defense that put a stranglehold on Gallup, fueling a surprisingly easy 54-33 victory Tuesday night.

The setback, which was by one of the largest margins in Bengal history, dealt Gallup, now 4-4 overall, its fourth consecutive defeat. Gallup heads to Albuquerque this weekend for games at Sandia Friday and at Eldorado Saturday. Winslow, 7-1 overall and now stringing a pair of stunning victories over Monument Valley by 16 points last Friday and now beating Gallup by 21 points, hosts its massive 24-team tournament beginning Thursday.

"We haven't come together as a team," said Gallup coach John Lomasney who guided the Lady Bengals to a state runnerup
finish last year. "We're still making mistakes. We've played some very good teams. There's hope. We just have to put 32 minutes on the court. You have preseason and district and we want to be ready when district starts. It won't come overnight.
We'll get it together.

"Winslow shot well," Lomasney added."You have to hit the basket and we didn't. When we play as a team, we do some nice things. We played them even for a while and then we forced our shots. A lot of Winslow's points came on transition. This team has to find itself. We have a lot of individuals on the court. When we start to jell, the offense will pick up."

Last year's Arizona Class 3A state runnerup, Winslow was coming off an impressive 59-43 conference opening win over rival and previously unbeaten Monument Valley Friday night.

"Tonight we really stepped it up on defense," said veteran Winslow head coach Don Petranovich, Arizona's winningest girls basketball coach with 540 plus victories in 24 seasons. "I'm very pleased. We're beginning to show improvement. At the start of the year we weren't patient on offense. We showed a lot of signs of control. We played tremendous defense. Most of Gallup's shots were from the outside. You can't give Gallup the easy layup. John (Lomasney) killed us twice last year. Once during the Gallup Invitational finals and then he finished the job at home for a second time. The players were upset about last year's losses. We could have given them a game. We had a great summer and we played very well. Even though we start just one senior with Francine McCurtain we felt we could be good this year."

Gallup, which was coming off three narrow losses to Class AAA Kirtland 59-46 in overtime during the Gallup Invitational Finals, to Class AAAA Farmington 45-43 in overtime and to Class AAAAA top-ranked La Cueva 36-32 Saturday, turned in a sub-par performance against an always tough Winslow ballclub.

Gallup and Winslow played on even terms during the opening period with the score tied 13-all heading into the second period.
The Lady Bulldogs then put the clamps on the Lady Bengals in the second period that keyed the victory.

Sophomore guard Nicoli Begall banked a shot in and then came back to hit a long jumper before nailing a trey from the corner as Winslow ran off 12 unanswered points to open up a 25-13 lead. Gallup was held scoreless, missing on eight shots from the field.

Winslow was able to hit on 4-of-14 from three-point range while Gallup came up blank, missing on 0-of-7. The Lady Bulldogs played near errorless ball in the first half with just one turnover to Gallup's six turnovers.

Gallup's Vanessa Hubbard, who was the lone Bengal in double digits with 14 points, scored on an offensive rebound at the start of the second half that gave the Lady Bengals their first points in a nine-minute scoring drought.

Winslow was able to keep Gallup from closing the gap the rest of the game, nursing its lead to 14 points, 39-25, after three periods. After missing on its first 12 attempts from three-point range, Gallup got its first and only trey when junior forward Candace Roanhorse pumped one off the glass at the start of the fourth period.

Winslow pushed its lead to 20 points, 50-30, on a nice look-in pass from McCurtain to Lexine Jensen underneath. The Lady Bulldogs led by 24 points, 54-30, with less than a minute remaining before winning by 21, 54-33.

"Last year we beat them twice severely," Lomasney said. "They wanted this badly. Don (Petranovich) has a good team. His kids played well and mine didn't. But I have confidence we can do it. The potential is there."

Gallup's Vanessa Hubbard was the lone Bengal in double digits with 14 points in a losing effort.

Winslow had three players in double figures with Nicoli Begall with 15 points with Francine McCurtain and Lexine Jensen with 12 points each.

Winslow dominated the stats, shooting 42 percent from the field, 19-of-45 while Gallup shot 36 percent, 15-of-42. The Lady Bulldogs had a huge edge from long range, nailing 6-of-21 treys for 29 percent while the Lady Bengals hit just 1-of-17 for 6 percent.

Winslow finished with just seven turnovers, with a near perfect first half with just one turnover while Gallup ended with 15 turnovers.

Hopi teams capture conference openers

Stan Bindell
Special to the Independent

POLACCA, Ariz. — Four Bruins scored in double figures as Hopi outscored Many Farms 31-2 in the second period to devour the Lobos, 104-41, in boys basketball action Tuesday night.

It was the conference opener for both teams as Hopi improved to 3-8 overall while Many Farms is winless in five tries.

Francisco Mata fired in a career high 19 points and blocked three shots to lead Hopi, but he had a lot of help. Davin Leslie netted 17 points in two quarters, Mack Talashie tossed in 16, Garrick Jones added 11 and Emmett Navakuku netted nine. Chris Hawk had seven points and nine rebounds. Dellen Lomayestewa also scored seven points, Anthony Vaughn had eight points and six rebounds. Substitute Logan Koopee didn't score, but hauled down five rebounds.

Darryl Mailboy topped Many Farms with 17 points including four in the opening period when the Lobos kept the game close. Sanford Pahe netted nine for Many Farms on three treys in the final period.

Hopi high coach Jeff Lambert said he was happy to get a decisive win, especially in the conference opener.

"We played well, but we still have a lot to work on. Our half-court offense wasn't executing and we had some weaknesses on defense," he said.

Coach Lambert noted that Hopi's shots were not falling in the first quarter, and that has been their problem all season.

"I told them keep shooting because if they don't fall tonight, they'll fall the next night," he said.

But in this game, the Bruins shots started falling in the second quarter which enabled coach Lambert to give each of his players quality playing time.

"Everybody contributed," he said.

In the fourth quarter, Hopi would work the ball inside with a minimum of four passes.

"They started to realize that the passing opens up opportunities," he said.

Coach Lambert said the Hopi offense still has some bad habits including reaching in and not rotating, but he recognizes that his problems are not as many as Many Farms. He sympathizes with them.

"I didn't think we were going to see a ball club this year that's smaller and younger than we are, but they are both. You have to give them credit for hanging in there. They are well-coached and they played hard. They'll be tough when they are seniors," he said.

Coach Lambert hopes that his victory will be the beginning of a string for the Bruins since they have been riding an up and down roller coaster so far this season.

The game was tied 4-4 when Hopi went on a seven point tear to take and 11-4 edge. Jones hit a trey, Leslie hit a short jumper and Lomayestewa put in a rebound shot. Many Farms closed the quarter with a 5-2 spurt when Edwin Bahe hit a three and Jonason Yazzie hit a jumper with eight seconds left in the period to pull Many Farms within 17-13. The Lobos were close despite Leslie pouring in 10 points for the Bruins during the quarter.

Mack Talashie started the second stanza with a three and Mata followed with a lay-up for Hopi. Mailboy connected on a short jumper for the Lobos with seven minutes to go in the quarter, but the Lobos did not score for the rest of the period as Hopi went on a 26-0 run for a 48-15 bulge at intermission. Talashie led the spurt with nine points, but Mata, Jones and Vaughn added six apiece during the quarter for the Bruins.

Lomayestewa started the third quarter with a three and Leslie hit three treys in the next three minutes as Hopi grabbed a 62-19 bulge. Leslie scored nine points during the period, Navakuku added seven and Mata four.

Mata scored nine points and Siviah Tootsie scored a half dozen in the final period as Hopi coasted to the victory.

The Bruins host Ganado at 7:30 p.m. tonight.

Hopi Girls 83, Many Farms 24

The Hopi girls jumped out of the gate even quicker than the boys as the Lady Bruins won the opening quarter 18-2 and coasted to a 83-24 victory against Many Farms.

The Lady Bruins improved to 8-2 while the Lady Lobos remain winless in five tries.

Marie Koopee topped Hopi with a dozen points, Kim Zahne and Hannah Honanie netted 10 each, Chassity Gould fired for nine, Kim Cepi, Tara Secakuku and Keesha Talayumptewa tossed in eight points each. Trish Tenakhongva and Jessica Garcia scored seven each for the Lady Bruins.

Garveda Harrison paced Many Farms with seven points and Katrina Begay added six.

Hopi High coach Rick Baker said it took about three minutes for his players to get into the flow of the game. At that point he switched from a man-to-man to a full court zone defense. It paid off as Koopee came up with a couple of steals and coach Baker felt that set the tone for the rest of the game.

Coach Baker felt the Lady Bruins could have executed the offense better, but had many easy baskets and did not have to set up their offense.

"Our offense was much better in the second half," he continued. "Defensively, our full court defense was working so that led to a lot of steals and easy baskets." Talayumptewa led the way with a half dozen steals, Honanie snagged five and Koopee had four thefts.

Coach Baker said Hopi was not rebounding as well as it could in the first half, but the Lady Bruins boxed out and rebounded better in the second half.

Coach Baker said he does not expect the rest of the 2A North competition to be this easy.

The Lady Bruins were only able to score three points in the first three minutes of the game, but Many Farms remained scoreless during the time.

After Baker changed the Hopi defense, Jvette Yoyokie sank a rebound shot and Koopee hit a free throw. Redena Nez put Many Farms on the scoreboard with a foul shot with 4:21 left in the opening quarter. Hopi responded with a 10 point surge. Koopee sank a rebound shot, Talayumptewa hit consecutive lay-ups, Secakuku put in a lay-up and Honanie hit a jumper. After Jerilyn Harvey sank another free throw for the Lady Lobos, Secakuku closed out the quarter with a lay-up for Hopi.

After the teams traded baskets to start the second quarter, Hopi went on a 13-2 tear to give the Lady Bruins a 33-6 bulge and put the game out of reach. Gould fired in nine points during the second quarter as the Lady Bruins zoomed to a 47-9 bulge at intermission.

Koopee tossed in eight points in the third quarter as Hopi led 69-17 going into the final quarter. Cepi and Zahne scored a half dozen each in the final period as the Lady Bruins coasted to the victory.

The Hopi girls travel to Ganado for a 7 p.m. game tonight and then take on Corona del Sol from Tempe at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the opening round of the 24-team Winslow tournament.

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City liquor licenses get quick OK

Bill Donovan
Staff Writer

GALLUP — The request for beer and wine licenses by owners of the two Gallup Pizza Huts sailed through the Gallup City Council Tuesday.

Only two people spoke up during the public hearings held in connection with the city council session and both said simply that they supported the request.

The requests concerned the Pizza Huts on U.S. Highway 666 and East Highway 66.

The public hearings on the two requests lasted less than 10 minutes. That was a marked difference from the case just 18 months ago when owners of the LaBarraca Restaurant asked for a renewal of their beer and wine license which had expired when ownership of the restaurant changed hands...

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Utter defends anti-lawyer water letter

Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer

WINDOW ROCK — Jack Utter believes the control of Navajo water interests is in the hands of non-Navajo attorneys. And he named names on Tuesday.

Under oath before two Navajo Nation oversight committees, tribal hydrologist Utter was asked about, then named three non-Navajo attorneys he believes control Navajos' Colorado River water interests at the expense of the Diné people.

Utter, in turn, queried the 13 Government Services and Resources Committee members to make sure divulging those names in open session was their intent. Then Utter named the attorneys: Stanley Pollack, the tribe's only full-time water rights attorney, fellow Department of Justice attorney Britt Clapham, and "possibly" Chief Legislative Counsel Steven Boos.

One oversight panelist asked Utter if Navajo Attorney General Levon Henry, who is Navajo, exerted control over the tribe's water rights program...

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Deaths

Jane B. Bitsie

TOHATCHI — Services for Jane B. Bitsie, 84, will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, at Rehoboth Christian Reformed Church. The Revs. Stanley Jim and Gary Klumpenhower will officiate. Burial will follow at Rehoboth Mission Cemetery.

Bitsie died Dec. 9 in Gallup. She was born Oct. 24, 1916, in Tohatchi into the Chiricahua/Mescalero Apache People for the Edge of the Water People Clan.

Bitsie was a resident of Tohatchi, attended Tohatchi Boarding School and Fort Wingate Boarding School. She was employed with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in food services and Tohatchi Hospital as a nurse's aide. She was also a cattle rancher in the Tseyatoh and Chuska Peak Ranges in Tohatchi, hay grower in the Chuska Mountain fields, homemaker, weaver, and foster grandparent.

Bitsie was a member of New Mexico Cattle Grower's Association, Tohatchi Chuska Rodeo Association, First Navajo Christian Reformed Church in Tohatchi, Sunday School teacher, vacation Bible school teacher, choir member and adviser.

Survivors include her son, Leslie Bitsie Sr. of Tohatchi; sister, Marie Plummer of Tohatchi; five brothers; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Bitsie was preceded in death by husband, Leo Bitsie; parents, Kee and Jane Hanaazbaa Ortiz-Bitsilly; daughter, Jennie Ann Bitsie; brother; and two sisters.

Pallbearers will be Leland J. Bitsie, Lloyd J. Bitsie, Lynley J. Bitsie, Harrison Kinsel, Harry Plummer Jr. Howard Redhouse Jr. and Richard Traxler.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Rose Marquez

SAN MATEO — Services for Rose Marquez, 84, will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 15 at the First United Methodist Church in Grants, N.M. The Reverend Richard Danek will officiate. Burial will follow in the San Mateo Cemetery.

Visitation will be held Thursday 5-8 p.m. at the Grants Mortuary Chapel.

Marquez died Dec. 11 in Grants. She was born Jan. 8, 1916 in San Mateo.

Survivors include her son Seneca Marquez of Raymore, Mo; daughter Shirley Gebeau of Milan; sisters Sally Varela and Corrine Vigil, both of Albuquerque and Jenny Lindman of Los Angeles, Calif.

Marquez was preceded in death by husband Horacio S. Marquez.

Pallbearers will be Michael Gebeau, Tommy Marquez, Victor Marquez, Phillip Marquez, Ted Gonzalez and Mark Salazar.

Donations may be made to the Grants Good Samaritan Center.

Correction

GALLUP — The obituary for Pete Franco, 88, inadvertantly omitted some information. He was born April 29, 1912, in Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico.