Cleaning up



McKinley County sheriff's officers Anthony Sandoval and Sgt. Arthur Joe compare footprints to a pair of tennis shoes from a suspect Thursday afternoon at the water tower in Gamerco after police were notified that four teenagers were spraying grafitti onto the tower. One of the officers noted that the shoes from the suspect were dry and they believed he had changed shoes.

Photo by Jeff Jones

 

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Powwow honors sobriety

Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Special to the Independent

GALLUP — On an evening when many people are proud of how intoxicated they get, a local group is sponsoring two community events to honor people who are choosing to live a sober life.

The fourth annual Sobriety Powwow and a second annual Navajo shoe game will be held this Sunday (New Year's Eve). The events are sponsored by the Na'nizhoozhi Center (NCI) and Fighting Back, with the assistance of many local businesses, government agencies and organizations.

The powwow and shoe game are open to the entire community, not just to Native Americans, said Dennis Lorenzo, the powwow committee chairman and NCI's after care program director. Both events are "family oriented," Lorenzo said, and celebrate health and sobriety in the community.

The powwow will be held at the UNM-Gallup gym, and the shoe game will be held in the cafeteria and the hogans at NCI. The only admission for both events is one non-perishable food item per person, and powwow participants are asked to bring their own chairs.

The powwow will begin with a gourd dance from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. After a supper break, the gourd dance will resume from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The grand entry begins at 7:30 p.m., and the powwow will continue until midnight.

T.J. Anderson, another event organizer and a traditional counselor at the NCI, said the Sobriety Powwow is a social rather than a contest powwow. The emphasis of this powwow is on gathering "together as a family, as relatives," and "honoring those people who have chosen a sober lifestyle," he said. The emphasis is not on monetary awards.

Northern drum will be the Twin Eagles Singers, and southern drum will be the Inter-Tribal Veterans Association. Harrison Jim will be the emcee; A.J. Yazzie, the arena director; Gabriel Kanawate, head gourd dancer; Dr. Kevin Foley, the head man dancer; Sara Mitchell, the head lady dancer; Kevin Boyd, the head boy dancer; and Kara Begoody, the head girl dancer. A special jingle dress dance will be sponsored by the Kara Begoody Family.

In addition, about 10 vending spaces are available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the UNM-G facility beginning at 10 a.m.
The shoe games will begin about 6 p.m. at NCI, 2205 E. Boyd, and will run until the games are won usually a period of several hours. They are traditional Navajo games, played during the winter, that involve teams of players/singers and a yucca ball
hidden in sets of moccasins.

According to Anderson, the shoe game continues to be a fun, laughter-filled activity within Navajo culture, and for that reason, he believes the game has a healing quality to it. About five shoe game teams are active around the Gallup area, he said, and they hold games about every other weekend during the winter.

Community members are welcome to join whatever teams are formed when the games begin.

Several NCI staff members now travel to schools to teach the game to students, so the younger generation will learn about the game and its significance in Navajo culture.

Lorenzo estimated that last year's events drew a combined crowd of about 1,000 to 1,200 people throughout the day and evening.

The organizers may be looking for a larger powwow facility in the future, Lorenzo said, because "we're looking at outdoing ourselves" this year.

The Sobriety Powwow in Albuquerque is celebrating its seventh year, Anderson said, but the Gallup event is growing large enough to offer some competition.

Because the Gallup New Year's Eve Sobriety Powwow and shoe game are non-profit events, Lorenzo and Anderson said the organizers are dependent on the generosity of local businesses, government agencies and organizations to donate needed items to stage the events and give gifts to participants.

Last year, nearly four dozen sponsors from Gallup, the Navajo Nation and the Zuni Pueblo donated cash, food, blankets, toys and school supplies; similar items are being sought this year.

"We're still really scrounging for financial assistance," Lorenzo said.

Questions about the Sobriety Powwow can be directed to Lorenzo or Anderson; questions about the shoe game can be directed to Davidson James. All three can be reached at the NCI: (505) 722-2177.

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Navajos decry lack of reform
Group wants smaller council

Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer

CHINLE, Ariz. — Eighty-three members of grass-roots Diné for Better Government braved icy, snowy roads to meet
Thursday on the topic they most want addressed in 2001: downsizing the Navajo Nation Council.

Diné for Better Government leaders, including Crystal Chapter Delegate Edison Wauneka and Eddie Arthur, were surprised at the large turnout in the Chinle Chapter House, especially given the date between Christmas and New Year's. It was about three
times what most chapters receive for their regular meetings.

The majority of people attending stayed the entire four hours.

Speaking before a packed house, Wauneka said a reduction of council size from 88 to 24 delegates is only one issue where major Navajo government reform is needed. The council has used loopholes in Title 2 laws to bypass a process requiring two-thirds approval from all chapters.

Such was the case in August when delegates voted themselves a $10,000 across-the-board pay raise, increasing their annual salaries from $25,000 to $35,000. All told, delegates' salaries now amount to $3.08 million annually, with $1.4 million in benefits for a total of $4.48 million.

The will of the Navajo people, expressed through their chapters, needs again to be asserted and upheld, group members said.

There is an even bigger issue which involves the way the council has disenfranchised Diné voters, Wauneka said. The council needs to change the requirement that 30 percent of all Navajo registered voters must sign petitions to place important issues on ballots as reservationwide referendums.

"It is too hard for the people to get involved," Wauneka said.

Without voting law reform, for any citizens' group to acquire the necessary 30,000 or so signatures as was necessary for voters
to decide whether the tribe should take over Indian Health Service responsibilities is next to impossible. A group did manage earlier this year to acquire about 14,000 signatures on an IHS referendum petition drive, part of its quest to say "no" to a takeover of the $475 million Navajo IHS program.

On Dec. 20, Wauneka attended the meeting of a non-delegate entity, the Navajo Government Development Commission, which is working with the Office of Navajo Government Development to create a reform summit agenda. The commission is chaired by Lorena Zah-Bahe, former president of the Fort Defiance Agency Council.

Despite Navajo Government Development Director Michelle Dotson's creation of a two-page summit agenda ready for approval, commission members decided to further "study" the issue, Wauneka said. Navajo voters have made well known their preference for 24 delegates.

Their Sept. 5 votes didn't count, however, because of a Title 2 clause that states 50 percent plus one of all Navajo registered voters must say "yes" to amended council size.

"I told them (commission members) there really is nothing else to study," Wauneka said. "The people have spoken. We need to respond to their wishes."

The commission may ultimately select a number other than 24 as its preferred council size, but Wauneka said the voters' choice must be given proper consideration.

Wauneka said it was admirable that a close U.S. presidential election, despite the recount conflicts between candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore, did not have to be decided by legislative action. The Navajo government cannot say the same for its Sept. 5 election the full council ousted the Navajo Board of Election Supervisors before taking over the process.

The 10 Navajo election supervisors were voted in by the people during a reservationwide process, which appears to be another right the council wishes to take from them, group members said. Council Speaker Edward T. Begay has proposed splitting the election board's duties between the Office of Hearings and Appeals and Election Administration, which was taken over by Rose Graham's Office of Legislative Services.

"Navajo people want a change. It's that simple," said New Mexico Sen. Leonard Tsosie, whose large District 22 includes
McKinley County.

Navajo government is so cumbersome that basic services cannot be provided to the people, Tsosie said. Tsosie noted that when he drives across the Navajo boundary line, he can always tell he's here due to a nonfunctioning cell phone. Leave the Navajo Nation, and it works like a charm again.

Upon reaching Chinle Thursday, Tsosie observed the tell-tale signs of what really affect the Diné people outside of Window Rock on a day-to-day basis: an unfinished house, a fence with no cattle guard, the driver of a small truck hauling water to survive, someone unwisely using a small propane bottle for home heating.

Government aid for these problems is slow in coming, if it comes at all.

"It's very disturbing to see that ... you're the ones experiencing the suffering," Tsosie said. "It bothers you, it hurts you."

Tsosie compared the rights of Navajo voters to the rights of Serbian voters. The people of Serbia live in a country rocked by more than 10 years of ethnic upheavals, fighting and partitioning. But at least in Serbia, the peoples' votes count, he said.

"If the council were bringing in a lot of jobs," their self-approved raises might be justified, Tsosie said, but he added that a recent report shows reservation unemployment "worse than ever."

Tsosie noted the decades-ago U.S. government action that led to the modern Navajo government created in large part out of necessity to have a Navajo entity with which to work out mineral leasing.

"It was the U.S. government that created the tribal council," Tsosie said.

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Dinamation workers get paid, finally

Tom Purdom
Staff Writer

GRANTS — After three months with no income, Dinamation Museum Director Charlotte Otts and another worker finally got paychecks after District Judge Louis P. McDonald approved an interim order.

Dinamation is a battleground between the city of Grants and Dinamation International Society. The city used a state loan to build an $844,000 building for the society to house its rubber, robotics dinosaurs. Dinamation was supposed to make money from the gate receipts to repay the $5,800 per month Grants was repaying the state plus make a profit for the not-for-profit society headquartered in California.

From the moment Dinamation opened, the place was a bust. It didn't even make enough money to pay the monthly $5,800 rent or even $1,200 in utility bills, so for the first eight months residents of Grants paid the bills for Dinamation.

In February 2000, without ever getting any money from the failed Dinamation, city officials decided the museum would make a perfect business for the city to operate, so Grants filed a breach of contract suit against the society and also asked the court to award the business to the city. Until the matter is settled the courts ordered all money made from gate receipts and giftshop sales to be placed in a bank trust.

Meanwhile, the Dinamation parking lot stayed empty, but the business continued to run. The residents of Grants, from the opening of the business in July 1999 until now, have continued to front the business $5,800 per month in state loan payments and about $1,200 per month in utility payments. To date, the residents have lost about $120,000 in city services because of Dinamation.

City officials repeatedly tried to contact Dinamation officials, without success.

It was believed Grants was heading toward ownership of the failing business, but in July 2000, Dinamation, without warning, began to fight the takeover. The society hired a Grants attorney to act in its behalf.

In August the city apparently dipped into the trust to get enough money to restock the giftshop and pay Otts $3000 per month back salary, plus her helper's $1,000 per month back salary.

On Dec. 6, the city petitioned the courts to allow it to dip into the trust once again, as the case was taking longer than anticipated and people who still worked at the museum needed to be paid.

On Dec. 18, McDonald issued the order allowing $14,350 to be taken from the trust account at Wells Fargo Bank to pay Otts and her helper a total of $4,000 per month for back salaries and $100 per month petty cash for daily operations.

The order allows salaries to be paid each month until the case is settled, plus $100 per month to be drawn from the trust account until the case is settled. The order apparently was discussed during a special city council executive session last week.

In the meantime, the residents of Grants continue to lose at least $7,000 per month in city services because the state must still be paid its $5,800 per month for the loan and also there are utilities to pay. The loan will be paid off in 19 years, meaning, that by the time the loan is paid off, the residents of Grants will have paid $1.3 million for the 15,000 square-feet building.

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Grants victorious in opener

Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer

ST. JOHNS, Ariz. — Grants played its best game of the young season to advance in the winner's bracket of the St. Johns Holiday Invitational Thursday.

The Grants Pirates played four solid quarters of ball, outrebounding and outshooting Orme, Ariz. to key a 52-43 first round victory.

However three other area teams were not so fortunate as they suffered lopsided blowouts. Espanola crushed Pinon 69-32, Alchesay whipped Many Farms 66-35 while Show Low routed Red Mesa 88-60.

Grants advances to take on Alchesay tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the semifinals. Espanola and Show Low will have played in the other semifinal matchup. Many Farms and Pinon will have played each other in the loser's bracket as well as Red Mesa.

If the Pirates get past Alchesay, Grants will play in the tournament finals Saturday at 7 p.m. If Grants loses, they will play at 12 noon Saturday.

Grants 52, Orme 43

Grants coach Gerald Horacek was pleased with what he saw from his Pirates who were playing just their third game in the past 26 days.

"This was our best complete game this year," Horacek said. "We went to the boards well against a taller team so I'm very pleased. We shut down their top player (Taoas Sagaika) and Wayne Smith hit some big threes."

There were a total of seven lead changes, all coming in the opening period.

Pirate Joey Garcia hit a short jumper late in the first period that gave Grants the lead at 9-8 which the Pirates would not relinquish the rest of the game.

Grants nursed its lead to 15-8 midway through the second period as the 10-4 Orme Warriors went scoreless during a six-minute dry spell, going 0-8 from the field before Raleigh Gibson scored off a fastbreak with 4:22 left in the first half.

Orme's 5-10 starting guard Jabari Smith, who led all scorers with 22 points, put away a high-flying slam dunk that pulled the Warriors to within five points but the Pirates were always able to keep a consistent margin.

Grants watched its 12-point lead dwindle to just six points in the third period with Smith scoring a pair of buckets along with a steal along with a slam dunk by Sagaika, who was averaging 22 points per game but was held to just six points before fouling out of the game.

But after being held to just three points in the first half, Pirate senior guard Wayne Smith, who was a perfect 5-of-5 from long distance, came alive in the third period, burying three successive treys and adding another to lead off the fourth period as Grants enjoyed its biggest lead, 42-28 before finishing with a nine-point margin, 52-43.

Wayne Smith led the Pirates with 21 points and five treys while Joey Garcia and Kyle James scored 12 and 10 points respectively.

Orme's Jabari Smith, who led Orme during the football season with a state record 44 touchdowns and 2,450 yards rushing, led all scorers with a game-high 24 points.

The Pirates had the advantage at the charity stripe, hitting 12-of-22 free throws while the Warriors were 5-of-10.

In the two key departments, the Pirates outrebounded the Warriors 31 to 22 and Grants hit 5-of-12 treys while Orme missed on all 13 attempts.

Both teams shot in the 30 percent range with Grants 17-of-44 for 39 percent while Orme made 18-of-52 for 35 percent.

Espanola 69, Pinon 32

The Pinon Eagles, 8-6, were unable to match up with the taller Espanola Sundevils in their opening round game.
The Eagles never led against the 6-2 Sundevils.

Espanola's inside game proved to be too much for Pinon to stop.

Espanola shot out in front 6-0 and hit on 9-of-17 from the field in the opening period while Pinon struggled with 3-of-12 shooting. The Sundevils led 24-9 after the first period that was fueled by a 10 to 4 rebounding edge.

Espanola's Daryl Padilla ran off three succcesive buckets that opened a 33-14 advantage.

Pinon's Randy Whitehair tried his best to keep the Eagles in the game as he buried a pair of treys along with a duece.

A 20-5 third period mushroomed the Sundevil lead to 39 points, 62-23, its largest of the game early in the fourth period, before Espanola won by 37 points, 69-32.

Pinon shot 28 percent, 13-of-46 from the field while Espanola shot 47 percent, 29-of-62. The Eagles were outrebounded by a huge amount, 14 to 39 by the taller Sundevils.

Pinon's top scorer was Randy Whitehair with 11 points with a pair of treys.

Espanola had three players score in double figures with Jolen Montoya with 22 points and four treys, with Lando Alire and Matt Lopez each with 14 points.

Alchesay 66, Many Farms 35

Alchesay, which lost in last year's Class 3A state semifinals to eventual state champion Tuba City, opened with a 14-0 blitz with five different players scoring from which the winless Many Farms Lobos were never able to recover.

The Falcons, now 16-2 overall with their only losses to Chinle and to conference foe Blue Ridge, pushed their lead to 21 points after opening up the second period with a 14-3 run.

Alchesay went with its subs much of the second half, pulling away for a 31-point win, thanks to a 13-3 fourth period.

Alchesay shot 43 percent from the field, 31-of-72 with Many Farms struggling with 21 percent shooting, 14-of-57. The Falcons also controlled the boards, 43 rebounds to 29.

The Many Farms Lobos (0-8) were led by Edwin Bahe with 12 points while Colin Tsosie and Darryl Mailboy chipped in nine and eight points respectively.

Alchesay had two players in double digits with Balden Beatty with 13 points and Josh Pinal with 10.

Show Low 88, Red Mesa 60

Show Low broke open a close ballgame with an impressive second quarter, outscoring Red Mesa 26-5 en route to a 28-point rout.

Red Mesa's top scorers were Theus Begay with 19 points, Jackson Brossy 18 and Karlett Tsosie 11.

Show Low had five players in double figures with C. Davis with 21 points, M. Clements 16, J. Stack 15, J. Sprung 11 and J. Mueller 11.

Valley teams continue to win

Michael Peretti
Staff Sports Writer

SANDERS, Ariz. — The Valley boys and girls basketball teams are still undefeated in the Terantino Begay Tournament as both picked up two wins over tougher competition Thursday evening at Valley High School.

The Lady Pirates beat Rock Point 64-45 and the boys held off Rock Point 67-53.

Both the boys and girls go into the final day of competition 4-0. In their earlier games, the Valley boys defeated Sun Valley easily 109-37, while the girls won 62-24.

Valley, 14-2 will play tonight against Williams at about 5:45 p.m. Rock Point, 10-5 will play today against Williams at about 12:45.

The Lady Pirates, 12-2 play today against Williams at 4:30 p.m. Rock Point, 9-6 also plays Williams today, their game at 11:30 a.m.

Valley boys 67, Rock Point 53

The Pirates met their toughest competition so far in the tournament, but still held on for a 67-53 win over Rock Point.

Rock Point fell behind early in the game and had to work from behind the entire game. Valley started the game by scoring the first 12 points and jumped out to a 15-2 lead.

The two teams battled evenly for the rest of the game, both going on several streaks with Valley pulling as far as 20 points ahead while at one point Rock Point was only seven points behind.

Trailing 15-2, Rock Point outmatched the Pirates 10-9 the rest of the first quarter to trail Valley 24-12 after one.

Valley started the second quarter with a 6-0 run before Rock Point went on a 10-4 run. The Cougars ended the second quarter outscoring Valley 15-13 and cutting the Valley lead to 10.

Valley put the game away in the third by outscoring Rock Point 25-7 and not even a big fourth quarter was enough to get Rock Point out of the hole they were in. The Cougars outscored the Pirates 19-6 in the fourth, including an 8-0 run.

"It was a different type of game," said Valley head coach Mark Forster. "Both teams were tired from playing earlier. Rock Point has a fine little team that likes to run and we had to do a few different things to pull the game out."

Forster said his team is disciplined and coachable and that is one of the main reasons they were able to pull the game out.

"We will try and put this game behind us and go for the championship against Williams (Friday)."

The Pirates outrebounded the Cougars 27-33. Valley hit 7-of-12 from the free throw line while Rock Point made 13-of-17.

Valley had a problem with turnovers, giving the ball away 28 times while Rock point gave the ball away a total of 32 times.

Anthony Zazueta led the Pirates with 13 points. Shawn Gene scored 11 points and Arlison Six put in 10 for Valley.

Leading scorer for the Cougars was Tino Begay with 18. Sheldon Begay also scored in double figures with 16 for Rock Point.

In their earlier game against Sun Valley, the Pirates jumped out to a 29-12 lead at the end of the first quarter and did not have much trouble putting Sun Valley away.

Blaine Nastacio led the Pirates with 23 points. Zazueta and Gene both scored 20 points and Six and Ardell Watchman each scored 10. Valley grabbed 37 rebounds in the game with Six and Adam Mitchell both grabbing eight. Zazueta picked up six steals and dished out eight assists.

The Pirates had 23 turnovers in the game.

Leading scorer for Sun Valley was Brian Bain with 17.

Valley scored 26 points in the second quarter and held Sun Valley to only six, leading 55-18 at the half. The Pirates continued to score in the third, outscoring Sun Valley 22-11 and finished the game with 29 points to only eight from Sun Valley.

Valley girls 64, Rock Point 45

The Valley Lady Pirates used a big first half to pull away from the Lady Cougars and a big fourth quarter to put Rock Point away.

Valley jumped out to a 19-11 first quarter lead and held a 38-21 lead at the half.

Rock Point cut the Valley lead down to 15 in the third by outscoring the Lady Pirates 13-11, but Valley put together a 15-9 fourth quarter to hold on for the win.

The two teams battled back and forth early, neither team getting more than a two-point lead until Valley went on a 17-5 run at the end of the first and beginning of the second quarter.

Rock Point went on a 7-0 run in the third quarter but Valley responded by scoring five straight.

"This game was good for us," said Valley head coach Julia Six. "The girls had some competition."

Six said that there are a few things that her team needs to work on before they go into conference play coming up. "We need to work on setting up our trap and we need to work more on our press," she said. "The girls have played a little sloppy and hopefully we don't get any bad habits going into regionals."

"I think we didn't press the ball too well," said Rock Point head coach Melvin Arthur. "We were a little slow. This was our fourth game in two days and fatigue had a little to do with it. We didn't play up to our potential."

Valley was led by Terilyn Keedah with 17. Lauren Ashley added 13, Denise Roan scored 12 and Gina Lynch put in 10 for Valley.

Rock Point was led by April Edgewater with 15 followed by Deshauna Raye with 14.

Valley had the edge on the boards, but just by one, grabbing 31 to 30 by the Lady Cougars.

Against Sun Valley, Amber Matt set a school record with seven three-pointers. She led the Lady Pirates with 23 points.

Valley led 15-6 at the end of the first quarter and 27-16 at the half. Matt exploded in the third quarter and scored 20 of her 23
points in the one quarter. Matt hit six threes in the third quarter to tie the school record and broke it with her seventh in the fourth quarter.

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Arizona lawmakers look at Navajo tourism, economics

Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The incoming Arizona House of Representatives speaker, three other state representatives and a former speaker visited the Navajo Nation capital and Ganado Thursday.

Incoming Speaker Jim Weiers, Speaker Pro Tem Jake Flake of District 4, Sylvia Laughter of District 3, and Ted Carpenter of District 19 were joined by former speaker Jeff Groscost in a tour of Sage Memorial Hospital, the only non-profit, non-government hospital on the reservation.

At a lunch at the Navajo Nation Inn, Speaker-elect Weiers also announced he will establish an Indian Affairs Committee with Laughter as chairwoman.

The group received briefings from Raymond Etcitty and Amy Alderman of the Navajo tax office and heard from Navajo Nation Vice President Dr. Taylor McKenzie and Council Speaker Edward T. Begay...

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City worker held after woman hit

Tanya Brazil
Staff Writer

GALLUP — The contract manager for the City of Gallup was arrested late Wednesday night after police said he punched his girlfriend in the nose.

Marco Abeita, 29, of Gallup was booked into the McKinley County Adult Detention Center on a misdemeanor charge of battery on a household member.

His girlfriend, Venessa Brown, 28, told police that Abeita had come over to her house to look at her bathroom pipes.

When she asked them what was wrong with the pipes, Abeita allegedly replied, "You're making me look like a f idiot" and then hit his girlfriend, a police report said...

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Deaths

Raymond Lee

RED ROCK — Services for Raymond Lee, 58, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 30, at Red Rock Church of God. Evangelist Arthur J. Williams will officiate. Burial will follow at Gallup City Cemetery.

Lee died Dec. 25 in Red Rock. He was born June 10, 1942, into the Black Streak Forest People Clan for the Red Running into the Water People Clan.

Lee attended Gallup High School and Lee College in Cleveland, Tenn. He was employed with the New Mexico State Human Services and the Navajo Nation Human Social Service as a caseworker. He received numerous awards from the state, Navajo Nation and various churches. His hobbies included playing the piano, singing, watching basketball games, and traveling.

Survivors include his wife, Mary W. Lee of Red Rock; daughters, Nina Lee, Fernmina Lee, LaVonda Lee, Raevina Lee, and Raenellda Lee, all of Red Rock; mother, Agnes Lee of Red Rock; brothers, Charles Lee, Anthony Lee, Fredrick Lee, both of Red Rock, and Herbert Lee of Thoreau; sisters, Annie Lee Nez, Gladys Kerchuva and Mattie Yeslith, all of Red Rock and five grandchildren.

Lee was preceded in death by father, John Lee.

Pallbearers will be Leonard Doctor, Lorenzo Yazzie, Glibert Lee, Gary Lee, Lansferd Lee and Johnson Lee.

Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Esquipula "Skip" Vigil

ALBUQUERQUE — Services for Esquipula Vigil, 65, will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29, at Fitzgerald Chapel, Albuquerque. Visitation will be held 2-4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29, at Fitzgerald Chapel, 3113 Carlisle N.E., Albuquerque.

Vigil died Dec. 24 in Albuquerque. He was born Jan. 19, 1935, in Blanco.

Vigil was employed as a baker. He was a member of the Catholic Church.

Survivors include his wife, Dolores Cervantes Vigil of Albuquerque; sons, David Vigil and Anthony M. Vigil, both of Albuquerque; brothers, John Vigil and Mike Martinez, both of Albuquerque, and Richard Vigil of Phoenix; sisters, Alice Mosse and Lydia Murphy, both of Albuquerque, and Genevieve Bailey and Grace Lente, both of Gallup; three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Vigil was preceded in death by parents, Esquipula and Josephine Vigil.

Julian Grenko

GALLUP — Services for Julian Grenko, 88, will be announced at a later date.

Grenko died Dec. 28 in Gallup. He was born Feb. 16, 1912, in Fuzina, Croatia.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Humane Society.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.