FBI takes over stabbing case
Murder of Pinon man also now in feds' hands
Jim Maniaci
Dine' Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — Navajo detectives have turned two recent assaults
in the Gallup area over to the FBI for Safe Trails Task Force prosecution.
And the FBI continues its investigation into the murder of a young
Pinon man last month.
In the latest incident a running battle that began at a beer party
Saturday resulted in the arrest Sunday of Rudy Tennison, 24, who lives
1.5 miles northeast of the Red Rock Chapter House, and a 17-year-old
boy who also lives in the Red Rock Chapter, both on tribal charges
of aggravated battery. If the U.S. Attorney's Office in Albuquerque
prosecutes the two it most likely will be on charges of assault with
a dangerous weapon.
Crownpoint detectives said Jerdan Sam, 21, of Remanent Mesa Road,
Gerald Brown, 25, of Remanent Mesa Road and Darren Roy James, 21,
of Albuquerque were at Irvin Billy's home, about one-quarter of a
mile east of the Red Rock Chapter House on Refuge Rock Road when James
got into an argument with Tennison and the 17-year-old youth.
Tennison and the youth left when asked to after knives were brandished.
Soon Sam, Brown and James departed in a 2000 Ford Escort. Shortly
after leaving something hit their car and they stopped, detectives
said. All five males then got into a fight and James was knocked down
by a blow to the neck with a three-foot pipe.
The arrested man and his younger companion fled on foot when Billy
arrived, the district's report said. He got in the car with the three
men and as they headed east another object hit the car, so they stopped
again.
This time Sam and Brown got out and fought with the other two males.
Sam was stabbed once in the lower back and Brown
twice in the lower back. James, apparently recuperated, drove his
two companions to the Gallup Indian Health Service hospital.
After an investigation by Crownpoint District detectives, the case
was turned over to the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office.
Woman padlocked
In an incident reported last Wednesday, 16 days after it happened,
tribal police began looking for Benjamin Nez, 31, of 127 Stone Hinge
Road in the Cousins area of the Chi Chil Tah Chapter after he allegedly
beat up, Yvonne Eva Pino, 32, of Yucca Villa in Pine Hill.
As of Monday morning Nez was still at large, according to Captain
Samson Cowboy of the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters.
Detectives say alcohol was involved.
Nez allegedly hit Pino with his fists, bit her on the back and hit
her in the head with a hammer, knocking her out for at least 15 minutes.
According to detectives, he then left, but padlocked Pino in the house.
A passing neighbor released her the next day.
The FBI also is investigating the matter, Capt. Cowboy said.
Gunshot death
The FBI in Phoenix said Ambrose Haskan, 22, was moving from the Phoenix
area to live with relatives in the Pinon area when he died from gunshot
wounds Jan. 30.
FBI spokesman Ed Hall said investigators counted six separate bullet
holes in the driver's side window. Haskan was found the next day not
far from his vehicle, about a mile south of the Pinon Trading Post.
Hall said the attack occurred between 9-10 p.m. Jan. 29, and the Chinle
Police District received the call around 3:20 p.m. Jan. 30.
A Navajo Law Enforcement Officer found Haskan dead at the scene, and
called in three Navajo Criminal Investigations
Department detectives.
The case has been turned over to the Safe Trails Task Force.
| Top |
School lunches, tests criticized
Bill Donovan
Staff writer
GALLUP — Lunches at public schools in McKinley County promise
to be more nutritional in the future.
The Gallup-McKinley County School Board Monday agreed to change district
policy to make lunches throughout the district more nutritional by
limiting what can be sold to students during the lunch period.
Snacks, such as potato chips, can still be sold but it must be part
of a nutritional meal, according to the new policy.
The new policy was put into effect after the district's student advisory
board, consisting of representatives from the area high schools, took
a poll of students and learned that many did not like the present
policy.
"What the survey found was that the students wanted more variety,"
said Mike Woestehoff, president of the board.
The advisory board discovered that the nutritional value of lunches
varied throughout the district. While students at Gallup High School
had an option of either a school-prepared lunch or fast food-type
items, students at other schools did not have as many choices.
For this reason, many high school students were eating only a bag
of potato chips with a bottle of soda pop during lunch, he said.
School Superintendent Robert Gomez said that the new policy will attempt
to limit foods that are high in sugar, fat or sodium, not only because
of its lack of nutritional value, but also in an attempt to reduce
diabetes.
The policy prohibits the placement of vending machines in cafeterias
and requires all vending machines located elsewhere in the building
be closed during lunch.
In other related news, Gomez reported that a parent revolt of sorts
may be in the making because of the controversy surrounding the use
of the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) as the standard as
the determination of student progression to the next grade or retention
in the same grade.
The district received a letter, he said, who threatened not to allow
his daughter to take the test if that was going to be the only requirement
to determine if she would pass to the next grade. Gomez did not identify
the parent.
The letter also stated the parent was troubled by the state mandate
that requires a student to make 50 percent or better on the test to
get promoted.
"These tests are constructed on a theoretic bell curve model
so following that theory one half of the students should fall below
the 50th percentile," the parent wrote. "Is it reasonable
to conclude that one-half of the student population will therefore
be recommended for retention?"
The parent believes the mandate makes issuing grades and report cards
useless.
"I understand that several straight-A students have received
such retention recommendations at the mid-school level," he wrote.
"Is it reasonable to place this much stress on our school-age
children?"
"I hope you understand my position when I state that not only
do I disagree with the recommendation for retention of my daughter
but I will no longer allow her to take these tests and (I) will take
great effort in encouraging other parents to boycott such tests as
well."
Gomez was asked for a response to the letter by school board members.
He said state law requires at least 93 or 94 percent of the students
to take the test.
But it's still questionable what effect an individual boycott of the
test will have on the student's chances of being promoted, according
to school board members.
| Top |
Victims of abuse find hope, help
Tanya Brazil
Staff Writer
GALLUP — In the 25 years that Michele Fuller, the executive director
of Battered Families Services, has worked in the field, she has seen
countless women and children endure all kinds of abuse at the hands
of their batterers.
In extreme cases, she said, victims have had to change their identities
and go into hiding.
Fuller recently received a letter from one woman who after years of
abuse finally was able to escape her abuser with the help of Battered
Families Services.
Alcoholism, drug and gambling addictions and financial instability
went hand in hand with the physical abuse.
The woman believed she was brainwashed into believing she was worthless,
blamed for everything that went wrong and treated as "property."
"Today I am facing the reality that I have to go underground,"
she writes, "change my name and identification, leave behind
my parents and grown children, because if he finds me he will kill
me his obsession has become psychotic."
Fuller said that victims' advocates were the only ones who would listen
to her and did not think she was crazy. She said she thought she had
seen everything in her line of work but that the abuse this woman
suffered was appalling.
It is easy for outsiders to tell victims to get out of the abusive
situation, to tell them they are stupid if they stay, she said.
But often they have nowhere else to go and no way to take care of
their children, she said.
Despite the fact that victims often have difficulty leaving, Battered
Families Services offers present and past victims of domestic violence
some options, including counseling for adults and children, traditional
Navajo programs, parenting classes, legal advice and, if needed, shelter.
Only victims of domestic violence are eligible for the services because
there are a distinct set of behaviors and problems associated with
the abuse. In the last two years, the organization has added several
new programs to help victims of domestic violence.
The Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART) works closely with the McKinley
County District Attorney's Office, the McKinley County Sheriff's Department,
the Navajo Police Department and area hospitals and schools to inform
victims about their options.
It is not uncommon for victims to refuse to talk to the victims' advocates,
however, because they are afraid of the abuser or ashamed of the abuse.
Fuller said inadequate training of law enforcement has caused Gallup
to have an extremely high dual arrest rate, meaning that victims end
up going to jail along with the abusers.
However, she said, she rarely sees this happen with the sheriff's
department, that they appear to have excellent training in handling
and assessing cases of domestic violence.
Nationally, 40 percent of law enforcement officials are abusers themselves,
she said, and if they are the ones responding to a domestic violence
call, they may not handle the situation appropriately.
Volunteers needed
With only four victims' advocates working in the program, they currently
are in desperate need of volunteers, she said.
Battered Families Services also has become a gatekeeper for the Statewide
Advocacy for Survivors of Abuse (SASA) which provides free legal services
to survivors of domestic violence.
Attorneys at SASA assist victims with legal issues such as obtaining
restraining orders and filing for child support.
And the organization now has a full-time community educator who informs
people about what domestic violence is, what it does to its victims
and how to get help.
The organization has operated an emergency shelter since 1980 but
in November 2000, it opened a transitional living program Margaret
Place where women and their children can stay for up to two years.
My Sister's House Resale Shop opened in August 2000. It not only serves
as a thrift store but also a job training site where victims can learn
retail skills such as cashiering, stocking, merchandising and pricing.
The used merchandise donated by the community is either given to women
and children at the shelter or sold to fund the organizations programs.
Open house set
Battered Families Services will have an open house and reception on
Feb. 22 at the thrift store at 194 E. Highway 66.
Fuller said she wants people to tour the facility so they can learn
about the employment services that helped 34 women enter the job market
unsubsidized between September and November 2000.
Greg Yawakia, the organization's resource development director, said
all the women had been recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families and domestic violence had become a barrier to their employment.
Once the women complete their job training at the thrift store, they
are encouraged to seek employment and are assisted in that task by
a network of local employers who work with the organization.
In preparation for employment, he said, job coaching services are
provided for those who have never worked and the Job Club teaches
women about the interview, application and resume process.
A case manager also assists the women with the two most common barriers
to employment child care and transportation.
All of the programs offered through Battered Families Services are
free except for the housing, which is income-based.
Fuller stressed that the victims' advocates are not there to tell
women what to do even if a victim decides to go back to the abuser.
They are there only to identify the victim's options. If the advocates
try to tell victims what to do, they are just acting in the same manner
as the abuser.
For more information, call the 24-hour Crisis Intervention Line at
(505) 722-7483 or toll-free outside of Gallup at 1-800-634-4508.
| Top |
Athletes of the week
Michael Peretti
Staff Sports Writer
The Athletes of the Week for the week of Jan. 29-Feb. 5 are Chinle
Wildcat Evan Tracie and Window Rock Lady Scout Roberta Haskie.
Tracie, a sophomore at Chinle High School, placed first at this weekend's
4A Grand Canyon Region wrestling tournament in the 125 lb. group.
"It feels pretty good," said Tracie of being selected as
the Athlete of the week.
He said he feels he has improved a lot from last year. "Especially
in my record," he said.
Tracie, in his third year as a varsity wrestler is 38-10 on the season
and is headed to Phoenix to compete in the Arizona State Tournament
this weekend beginning on Friday.
"I wanted to take first in regionals and then shoot for the top
six in state," he said were his two goals at the beginning of
the season.
"It's not going to be easy (placing in state)," he said.
"It's real tough competition."
Traceiesaid he thinks his team was a little improved from last year,
even though they only were able to qualify three other wrestlers in
the upcoming state tournament.
He said that the best wrestlers in the state will be at the tournament,
and none of the competition will be easy.
Once the season is over, Tracie said he may play baseball, but his
coaches want him to go into weight training for next year. "It's
either baseball or weights," he said.
Besides wrestling, Tracie also competed in cross country this year.
Haskie, a sophomore at Window Rock High School said she was surprised
to be selected as the Athlete of the Week.
"I have improved a lot from last year, improved from summer and
this year with my team," she said.
Last week Haskie averaged just under 20 points in five games. She
scored 27 in a 67-57 win against Pinon. Haskie also scored 15 in a
two-point loss to Ganado and scored 19 in a 56-51 loss to Tuba City.
Haskie also grabbed nine rebounds and five steals in the Ganado game
and 11 rebounds in the Tuba City game.
Going into this year, Haskie said she wanted to beat her records from
last year, which was her first year as a varsity player.
"I also wanted to become a team leader," she added. "Last
year I was quiet."
Haskie said she wants to go to state this year and try to place in
the top four or win the state championship.
"We just fell apart last year, this year we believe in each other
and play together. Last year we played as individuals. We were a young
team," she said.
Haskie and the Lady Scouts play on Wednesday against Ganado in the
regional tournament.
"If we lose, our season's over, so we have to play good,"
she said.
Bengals continue offensive slump
Carrie Loretto
Sports Editor
GALLUP — The Gallup Bengals continue to struggle offensively
shooting just 36 percent in their most recent loss, a 51-37 defeat
against Valley Monday night at Gallup High School.
Despite that, the Bengals trailed by only nine points with four and
a half minutes left in the game before giving up a 7-2 run which put
Valley in control for good.
Going into the final period facing a 14-point deficit, Gallup's defense
produced a couple of turnovers to trigger their attempted rally. With
the Vikings trying to run time off the clock, Maurice Guliford came
up with a steal and took it downcourt for a layup to begin the run.
Guliford again stole the ball and was taking it in for a layup when
he was fouled. He sank both free throws for a 40-30 score with 5:38
remaining.
Gallup then had a chance to cut the lead to eight after Fermin Gallegos
was fouled trying to score off an offensive rebound.
Gallegos made the first of the two-shot foul bringing the Bengals
within 40-31 with 4:33 left in the game.
That play followed the fourth Viking turnover in five possessions.
Valley finally ended their fourth quarter scoring drought at the 4:14
mark when O'Keith Bean converted a three-point play at the free throw
line.
EJ Patterson responded with a pair of free throws and the Vikings
got a basket by Mario Chavez. The Bengals missed the front end of
a one-and-one opportunity and Valley pulled back out to a 47-33 advantage
with two free throws from Ismail Loya with 2:53 left in the game and
the Bengals didn't threaten again.
"We changed our defense and got them to turn the ball over, got
them to take some quick shots, of course they made a few then
we got back into the game, then they came back and kind of finished
the game off,"Diddle said.
Diddle was pleased with the strong defensive effort the Bengals put
forth, but again pointed out that the offensive struggles make it
difficult to keep up the intensity.
"I was pleased with some of the things we did, especially the
start of the game the way we played defensively, but we struggle so
much offensively, that its hard to keep going down to the offensive
end and not get much offense and then keep your effort up defensively,
that's really tough on the kids.
The Bengals did stay close early against Valley, trailing only 10-7
after the first period, limiting the Vikings to just one shot and
continuing the strong effort on the boards on the offensive end. However,
the Bengals could only capitalize on one of four second chance opportunities
as they opened the game with 30 percent (3of-10) shooting from the
field.
That putback tied the score at 6-6 when Guliford tipped a Bengal miss
to Gallegos who put it back up for the basket. Valley went ahead when
Diego Gallegos drove the lane then dumped it off for Chavez who was
left open underneath. Later, a steal by EJ Garcia resulted in a score
by Bean as Valley went up 10-6.
Drew Money sank the second of two free throws to close out the quarter
scoring.
The Bengals closed within 13-11 on a tip-in by Guliford and a basket
from BJ Begay, but then finished out the quarter 0-for-5 with three
turnovers - including a pair of steals for layups - which helped Valley
open up a 23-11 half-time cushion.
Gallup had its best offensive output in the third quarter, making
6-of-11 field goals, including a three-pointer by Money, but unfortunately
for the Bengals, so did the Vikings as they pulled ahead 40-26.
For the game, Gallup made 14-of-39 field goal while Valley shot 60
percent from the field on 21-of-35 attempts.
The Bengals did have a pair of double-digit scorers in the loss with
Guliford and Money scoring 10 points apiece.
Chavez was the game's high scorer with 17 points to lead Valley.
Diddle played his bench freely trying to get his underclassmen some
varsity experience.
"We've been playing more and more that way, trying to salvage
something out of this season to get the kids a little varsity
action,"Diddle said."We'd like to win a game or two along
with way, but its going to be awfully difficult to with the way we
struggle offensively."
The Bengals will host West Mesa and Rio Rancho this weekend.
| Top |
Tucson finds loophole to require background
checks at gun show sales
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The City Council is requiring background
checks for all gun show sales at Tucson Convention Center as a condition
of renting the center for gun shows.
The council, which has been seeking a way to establish the requirement
for some time but has been stymied by a state law barring cities from
creating gun control laws, approved the proposal 4-2 on Monday.
Part of the concern stemmed from use of a gun purchased privately
at a show in killing three people during robbery of a pizza store.
The plan is to have licensed firearms dealers perform the checks for
private gun sellers, who are legally prohibited from accessing the
federal government's instant background check computer system...
| Top |
N.M. still leads in births to single
mothers
SANTA FE (AP) — Sixteen-year-old Nichole Miner and her chubby-cheeked,
1-year-old son Kai are two of the faces behind a statistic:
New Mexico still leads the nation in births to single mothers and
teen-agers.
"I really wanted somebody to love me," said Miner, who got
pregnant while living on the streets of Albuquerque for a year.
The way Miner sees it, impoverished, stressed-out parents can too
easily ignore their children, who then seek attention wherever they
can find it and end up pregnant.
"I think that's the way it is for a lot of teens," said
the young mother, who was at the Capitol with her son lobbying for
planning money for a multipurpose youth shelter...
| Top |
Education tops freshman legislator Lundstrom's agenda
Walter Howerton Jr.
Managing Editor
SANTA FE — Rep. Patty Lundstrom is a busy woman. And she seems
to like it that way.
On Monday morning she was worried about finishing up preparations
for Wednesday's Gallup Day at the New Mexico Legislature. There
was a box of corn necklaces beside her desk and she had a stack
of invitations. There still was lots of work to be done. Staffers
from her Council of Governments job back in Gallup had showed up
to lend a hand.
"There is a big workload with no professional staffing,"
she said. That's why her COG staff from Gallup was in town on Monday
helping out.
On top of that, the committee hearing for one of Lundstrom's bills
a proposal that would give McKinley County a way to tap into gross
receipts taxes from the detention center to help pay for work on
the courthouse or build a new one somehow was moved up a day...
| Top
|
Kayenta growth is off the charts
Jim Maniaci
Dine' Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — The community of Kayenta is the fastest growing
area on the Navajo Nation and wants the Bureau of Indian Affairs to
triple its projected growth rate for a new school.
The Navajo Nation Council's Inter-Government Relations Committee backed
the Kayenta Community School request to use a 6.15 percent for the
rate of growth index instead of the 2.5 percent national average.
The council's education committee also unanimously endorsed the community
school's resolution.
The IGRC resolution reveals, however, that the community's request
may be on the short end of the stick.
Kayenta wants a new school with about 115,000 square-feet for nearly
1,200 students, including adequate classrooms, offices, library, gymnasium,
student dormitories and staff housing. The original estimate for the
new school of $87 million is being revised, according to architect
Don Gadberry...
| Top
|
Body found at landfill
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A city worker emptying his refuse truck
at the Coconino County landfill Monday found a body, police said.
Authorities theorized the unidentified man's body had been in a
trash bin from which the truck collected wastes earlier Monday.
Sgt. Jerry Blair, a police spokesman, said the cause of death hadn't
been determined.
| Top |
Deaths
Mary Etta Yazzie
MENTMORE — Services for Mary Etta Yazzie, 60, will be held at
10 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 7 at the Cope Memorial Chapel. Father Clayton
Kilburn will officiate. Burial will follow at City Cemetery.
Yazzie died Feb. 3 in Gallup. She was born June 3, 1940 in Blackrock
into the Red Running Into the Water for the Black Streaked Forest
People.
Yazzie attended Inter-Mountain Indian School, Salt Lake City, Utah.
She was a home maker. Her hobbies included farming, reading and raising
animals.
Survivors include her husband, Don Tony of Keams Canyon, Ariz.; sons,
Billy Jay Yazzie, Bentley John Yazzie, Christopher Ray Yazzie all
of Jones Ranch, Benedict John Yazzie of Pinehill, Bennett John Yazzie
of Whitehorse Lake and Benton John Yazzie of Albuquerque; daughters,
Kristyn Ann Bahe of Mentmore, Brenda Jean Yazzie of Jones Anch, Benita
Jean King of Gallup and Wanda Aragon of Belen; brothers, Paul Begay
and Frankie Begay both of Manuelito; sisters, Julia Francisco of Pinehill
and Mary Ann Begay of Manuelito and 20 grandchildren.
Yazzie was preceded in death by her parents, Holyan and Sophia Begay;
son, Richard Yazzie; sisters, Nellie Dennison and Lilly Begay and
brothers, Willie Begay and Tony Begay.
Pallbearers will be Billy J. Yazzie, Benedict Yazzie, Benton Yazzie,
Bentley Yazzie, Christopher Yazzie and Adrian Bahe.
The family will receive friends and relatives after the burial services
at Benita King's resident, 109 Arnold Place.
Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Patrick H. "Pat" Nelson
MESA, Ariz. — Patrick Nelson died Dec. 30 in Mesa, Ariz. he was
born March 17, 1919 in Portal, N.D.
Nelson was a World War II veteran, served in Italy with the United
States Army. After the war, he began his police career with the Minneapolis
Police Department. In 1951 he became police chief of the Mennominee
Tribe. In 1953, he moved his family to Fort Defiance Window Rock where
he became Chief of the Navajo Police Department. In 1965 he moved
back to Minnesota
where he became chief of the Coon Rapids Police Department. He was
a member of the VFW, Elks Club in Gallup and Arizona
Police Chiefs Association, where he was president.
Survivors include his sons, Marvin, Robert, Donald, Lawrence, Michael,
Thomas, Jeffery and Vernon; daughters, Kathleen, Susan and Donna Jean;
22 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Nancy Lee Hall
GALLUP — Nancy Lee Hall died Feb. 1 in Gallup. She was born June
6, 1923 in Rochester, N.Y.
Survivors include her sons, Rick Huber of Temecula, Calif., Rory Huber
of Gresham, Ore. and Rex Huber of Portland, Ore.; daughters, Roxanne
King of Paradise, Calif., Ramona Klassen and Rusti Huber both of San
Diego, Calif.; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Ronald Ramone
SMITH LAKE — Services for Ronald Ramone, 39, will be announced
at a later date.
Ramone died Feb. 4 in Albuquerque. He was born June 14, 1961 in Crownpoint.
A family meeting will be held at 6 p.m., tonight at the Smith Lake
Chapter House.
Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Contact the Gallup
Independent
Please send the Gallup Independent feedback on
this website and the paper in general.
E-mail: gallpind@cia-g.com
By mail:
The Independent
PO Box 1210 Gallup, NM 87305
500 N. 9th Gallup, NM 87301
All contents property of the
Gallup Independent.
Any duplication or republication requires consent of the
Gallup
Independent.
Feel free to send any questions or comments to
gallpind@cia-g.com
E-mail the webmaster at
martyr_dom@hotmail.com
for problems concerning the website ONLY.
