Welcome home Pete



Tuba City Chapter officials admire the poster drawn by chapter President Leo Begay, right. At left are Cora Phillips, secretary/treasurer, and Frank Bilagody, vice president.

Photo by Larry Di Giovanni.



Navajo Nation President Kelsey Begaye shakes hands with Fort Defiance Head Start student Tyrrell Begay during a ceremony Friday marking the arrival of 17 new Head Start buses in Window Rock.

Photo by Jeff Jones

 

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Tuba to welcome MacDonald home

Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer

TUBA CITY, Ariz. — The Tuba City Chapter called the To'nanees'dizi Chapter in Navajo is the first to announce a public homecoming event for former tribal Chairman Peter MacDonald. Tuba City will likely be just the first of several chapters to host such an event.

"We scheduled it with the family," chapter President Leo Begay said of the planned March 3 homecoming celebration.

On Friday, during a grassroots Diné for Better Government meeting, area residents were passing out fliers for the Saturday homecoming. The flier says a parade will begin at 9 a.m., followed by a noon luncheon.

MacDonald, Navajo tribal chairman for most of the 1970s and 1980s, and incarcerated for most of the 1990s, had the remainder of his 14-year sentence commuted by President Clinton on Jan. 20.

Tuba City is the residence of Peter and Wanda MacDonald, though MacDonald has remained in seclusion elsewhere since his release. MacDonald originally hails from Teec Nos Pos, Ariz.

Tuba City Chapter Vice President Frank Bilagody said tentative plans call for Tuba City to be the last, if not one of the last, chapters to have a MacDonald homecoming.

"We've been getting a lot of different calls from (the Associated Press) and different papers," Bilagody said. "We haven't told anybody yet. You're the first one."

Using acrylics, with yellow letters, Begay drew a "Welcome Home Pete" mural on wood. It shows the face of their bespectacled leader.

Begay is an artist who draws signs, posters, murals and other designs in his capacity as an artist. He teaches Navajo culture classes at Tuba City Boarding School.

"It only took me 15 minutes to draw it," he said.

When MacDonald campaigned for tribal office, the colors he used were yellow and blue, Bilagody recalled.

Chapter Secretary/Treasurer Cora Phillips said the reaction to MacDonald's release has "been mixed." There are nay-sayers who think he should not have been released, and still has a "stash" in a bank account somewhere.

But the community is happy to have him back however they can get him.

"In the past, during the elections, I think the whole Western Agency has come out in support of MacDonald," Phillips said.

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Anti-uranium group allowed to challenge license

S.J. Ludescher
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Crownpoint citizens who have waged a multi-year war against the giant Dallas-based Hydro Resources, Inc. scored a major victory with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission last week.

The NRC decided to allow HRI's entire uranium solution mining license to be challenged by the advocacy group Eastern Navajo Diné Against Uranium Mining and Southwest Research and Information Center. Prior to this, the NRC had allowed for the review of only one-quarter of the license.

Opponents of the mine claim it would be a grave environmental threat to the pristine aquifer which supplies the drinking water to Crownpoint and the surrounding area.

Both groups asserted an error had been made when HRI was granted the license for the mines without requiring the company to submit a plan explaining the clean up, costs involved and how the company would finance those actions.

Documents filed last April and May with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission indicated both uranium companies were "teetering on the edge of financial collapse."

"The company has exhausted all of its readily available sources of cash to support continuing operations and expects to be unable to continue in business beyond the next 45 to 60 days unless it can secure a cash infusion," URI explained in the document.

"The company is currently pursuing other sources of cash but there is no assurance that it will be successful in these efforts. If the company is unable to secure such a cash infusion, it will consider all of its possible alternatives, including a possible filing in bankruptcy."

ENDAUM's Administrative Officer Kathleen Tsosie said: "We are very pleased the Commission agreed with us that HRI can't just have a license and not defend big parts of it."

"We want HRI to understand that we are not going away," she said, "and that we plan to put even more effort into the next round of litigation."

Geoff Fettus, attorney for the two citizen-interest groups, believes this decision will have positive long-term repercussions.

"The uranium mining industry is on notice that they will have to defend the entirety of their licenses," he said. "Companies will not be allowed to get away with structuring a hearing process that shields large portions of their efforts from scrutiny."

The commissioners ordered that the hearing on the rest of the license should resume in six months or HRI should relinquish those portions of the license that have not been scrutinized.

The ruling will require that the financially-challenged HRI spend more time and money on the pending litigation. All of the company's opponents plan to continue aggressive litigation in their case to stop the Crownpoint mine.

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Mom charged with leaving baby in van

Tom Purdom
Staff Writer

GRANTS — A 26-year-old woman was indicted on a charge of child abuse when she left her 5-week-old baby girl in an idling van while she visited a bar for a drink.

Tabatha Cornell was cited by Grants Police after being tipped about the baby inside the vehicle for an extended amount of time with the vehicle's engine running. Police arrived at the Econo Lodge parking lot, located the van and discovered the baby.

Police went into the bar in the Econo Lodge and found Cornell, who admitted it was her baby and claimed she had just checked on the child.

Further investigations indicated Cornell had been inside the bar for about an hour and drank beer and three or four mixed drinks.

The indictment states Cornell "knowingly, intentionally or negligently, and without justifiable cause, cause or permit (the child), a five-week-old child, to be placed in a situation which endangered the life or health of (the child); to wit, being left unattended in a van for an extended period of time while the above named defendant was in a bar drinking alcohol."

Abuse of a child, intentionally caused not resulting in death or great bodily harm, is a third-degree felony. If convicted and sentenced. Cornell could face up to three years in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000.

Other grand jury indictments include:

James Platero, 23, of Prewitt, was charged with escape from jail after he attempted to escape or did escape on Oct. 31, from Cibola County Detention Center in Milan.

Kendra Burgoon, 19, of Gallup, faces larceny over $2,500, tampering with evidence and receiving stolen property charges.
According to the indictment Burgoon took a camcorder, jewelry, a jacket, boots, shoes and a duffel bag belonging to Josephine Elkins. The property was valued at more than $2,500. The indictment states Burgoon also kept Elkins' property, prompting the receiving stolen property charge, and hid it, which caused a tampering with evidence charge. If found guilty, she could be sentenced up to seven and one-half years in prison and/or fines up to $15,000.

Donicio Sanchez, 43, of Prewitt, was charged with two charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one charge of battery. He allegedly attacked Victor and Judy Abeita on Dec. 5 with a kitchen knife and then beat Victor. Sanchez faces up to three and one-half years in prison and/or fines up to $10,000.

Joseph B. Estevan, 38, of San Fidel, was indicted on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, breaking and entering and criminal damage to property. The incidents happened Jan. 3, when he broke into a van belonging to the Elk Range
Corporation. Estevan faces up to five years in prison and/or fines up to $10,000.

Danny Deherrea, 20, of Milan, was charged with criminal damage to property. The indictment stems from a Dec. 14, 1998,
incident in Cibola County where Deherrea damaged a 1989 Pontiac Grand Am belonging to another person. He faces up to 18 months in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000.

Indicted Eugene Chavez, 19, of Milan; Rebecca Trejo, 22, of Grants; and Ralph Montano, 19, of Grants, on charges of robbery
and conspiracy. The couple allegedly robbed a woman of about $200 on Jan. 23, using violence or the threat of violence and
conspired to commit the robbery. Each faces up to three years in prison and/or fines up to $5,000 if found guilty and sentenced
to the maximum and fined the maximum amount allowed by law.

Indicted Thomas Cheromiah, 25, of San Fidel on charges of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving while his license was suspended or revoked, and criminal damage to property over $1,000. Cheromiah was stopped by Grants Police
on Aug. 26.

Indicted Gerald Emerson, 39, of Thoreau, on two counts of receiving stolen property on June 6. Emerson allegedly acquired a stolen stereo knowing it was stolen and then disposed of it. Emerson faces up to three years in prison and/or fines up to
$10,000.

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Roanhorse paces Lady Bengals to win

Carrie Loretto
Sports Editor

GALLUP — Lady Bengal Candace Roanhorse took advantage of more playing time to lead Gallup in a 57-26 win over Albuquerque High Saturday night.

Christine Begay strained her knee midway through the opening period and coach John Lomasney went to Roanhorse to take her place. Roanhorse came through with 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in the District 1AAAAA victory.

"I moved Tanya (Bailey) to the low post and that opened things up for Candace," Lomasney said.

The Bengals improved to 6-1 in district, 13-6 overall and finish out the regular season with a three-game road trip to Albuquerque this week. They will play at Valley tomorrow night, at West Mesa Thursday and at district leading Rio Rancho Saturday night.

Lomasney said Begay should be ready to resume action this week.

Roanhorse's play helped the Lady Bengals open up a three-point ballgame in the first quarter.

Roanhorse, breaking through the lane, took a pass from Roberta Tahe and scored to close out a 5-0 spurt. Sunny St. Clair had hit a three-pointer on the previous possession as the Bengals took a 12-4 advantage at the end of the period.

Vanessa Hubbard scored underneath for the Bengals to begin the second and Albuquerque High continued to struggle from the field.

The teams traded baskets to 16-8 before Gallup scored six straight points to open up a 22-8 lead.

Roanhorse assisted Bailey, then added a pair of free throws after being fouled on the offensive boards. Begay reentered the game to test her knee and rebounded an Albuquerque miss, but Lomasney pulled her back out after trainer Joe Kolb noticed her limping.

Roberta Tahe spotted an open Mioshia Wagner underneath the basket for another score before a three-pointer by Lindsey Kerwin ended a two-minute scoring drought for the Bulldogs. Karen Ramirez added another three for Albuquerque High for a 22-14 half-time score.

The Bulldogs matched a three-pointer by Tahe and a shot by Bailey at the beginning of the third quarter, but Albuquerque High would get no closer than eight in the second half as they made only one other field goal in the half.

Hubbard, whose first three-point attempt got stuck between the rim and backboard, made one from the same spot to trigger a 15-0 run to close out the period. Roanhorse scored seven points, including a three-pointer, in the run.

St. Clair also scored on a baseline jumper and Tahe closed out the period with a three-pointer as Gallup went up 42-19.

Albuquerque High shot 32 percent (9-of-28) in the loss. Gallup, which had nine different players score, shot 52 percent (22-of-42) in the win.

Bailey also scored nine points, grabbed four rebounds and had two assists. Hubbard and Carla Paredes each tallied seven points and Tahe finished with six points, grabbed four steals and handed out five assists.

"We're getting back to having a different high scorer every night which is more typical of the teams in the past that have been successful," Lomasney said.

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Zuni maintains control of district race

Abelita Rose Freeland
Staff Sports Writer

NEWCOMB — The Zuni Thunderbirds took a first quarter lead and secured it with 78 percent free throw shooting to beat Newcomb 70-54 in a key District 1AA game on Saturday afternoon at Newcomb High School.

"We played real well," said T-Bird coach Bob Kercher. "We hustled and played good hard defense. We rebounded a lot better than we did the night before and they knew what the heck they were doing against a zone defense because we passed the ball and got a lot of easy shots inside and outside.

"We usually shoot in the 60's on our free throws. The free throws part of the game is critical, especially in a game like this," coach Kercher comments on his teams free throws.

Zuni made 21-of-27 free throws...

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Eight candidates square off in school board race
Three hopefuls in District 4

Bill Donovan
Staff Writer

GALLUP — The District 4 race for the Gallup-McKinley School Board pits incumbent Joe DeLaO against two challengers, William Bright and Danny Unale.

District 4 runs from Second Street west and includes the north side and Gamerco. The school board election will be held Tuesday.

Joe DeLaO

DeLaO admits that running for re-election was something of a surprise even to him since he did not plan on running again.

After a story appeared in the Gallup Independent, however, saying officials of the local school teachers' union wanted him off the board more than anyone else, he received a phone call from another board member, Annie Descheny, asking him to run again...

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Deaths

Hazel P. Benally

GALLUP — Services for Hazel P. Benally, 82, will be held at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrement, Fort Defiance, Ariz. Father Martan Rademaker will officiate. Burial will follow at Arpelar Church of the Nazarene, Arpelar, Okla.

Visitation will be at held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today at Rollie Mortuary.

Benally died Jan. 31 in Gallup. She was born June 29, 1918 in Arpelar, Okla.

Benally attended elementary school at Carter Seminary, Chilocco High School and studied practical nursing in Lawton, Okla.
She was a nurse at Saint Mary's Hospital, Gallup and PHS, Tuba City, Ariz. and Fort Defiance, Ariz. She was a member of the Navajo Code Talker Association, Chairman for Easter Seals, Dance instructor for tap, ballet, ballroom, social and baton. Her hobbies included bowling and riding horses.

Survivors include her son, Ronald Benally of Gallup; daughter, Janet Tushka of Albuquerque; brother, Frank Palmer Jr. of Arpelar, Okla.; sisters, Margaret Anderson, Torrence Ott both of Aprpelar, Okla. and Addie Wallen of Crowder, Okla.; 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Benally was preceded in death by her, husband, John A. Benally; parents, Frank and Permelia Palmer; son, Everett Ashii Benally; sisters, Winnie Ott and Bennie Perry and grandmother, Susan Brown.

Pallbearers will be the Navajo Code Talker Association.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Lucy Sandoval

GALLUP — Services for Lucy Sandoval, 86, will be announced at a later date.

Sandoval died Feb. 2 in Gallup. She was born June 14, 1914 in Gallup.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.