Winter's fury

 

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Boy dies in arms of Gallup veteran

S.J. Ludescher
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Thursday morning was a good time to stay home. Heavy snow driven by unrelenting wind diminished visibility, making road conditions dangerous.

But retired Gallup resident Lionel Gutierrez had promised an elderly man transportation to the veterans' clinic in Albuquerque and the sense of duty instilled in him during his two tours of duty in Vietnam took over. Instead of canceling the ride, he kept the appointment.

The trip is not unusual for Gutierrez. He makes this journey three or four times each week, driving between 1,500 and 2,000 miles each month between the Gallup area and the Veterans' Administration clinic in Albuquerque, delivering veterans for medical services.

Gutierrez, a native of New Mexico, was confident the storm would blow over and the snow would be gone early in the afternoon. Instead, after Gutierrez dropped the man back at his home, the weather took a turn for the worst, becoming a killer storm.

On the way back to Gallup, Gutierrez watched and slowed down as the van in front of him on I-40 near Prewitt hit a patch of ice, lost control and careened into a concrete embankment, coming to rest on its side in the ditch. He pulled over, then ran to the van.
A family of nine was trapped inside. Gutierrez and another passerby broke a window to rescue the parents and two daughters.
The boy, Joshua Newman, 9, was not as lucky. He was pinned by the vehicle with half of his body jammed through the
windshield.

Gutierrez crawled into the wreckage to administer first aid to the 9-year-old, drawing on his military medical training and Vietnam experience.

"I got the bleeding stopped but he didn't have a chance," Gutierrez said. "He fought hard for a long time but his injuries were too bad and it took a long time before the emergency crews showed up. I wished I could've helped, but it was too late."

Joshua died in Gutierrez's arms, just like too many friends and comrades from earlier years. "I couldn't tell the father that the boy had died," he said.

He stayed with the family, comforting them and pledging to care for Joshua until the medical crews arrived.

The 1995 Chevy van, carrying the Newman family (seven children and two adults) from Surprise, Ariz., was traveling westbound on I-40 when young Joshua unbuckled his seat belt to lean forward to ask his father a question. He was told to sit back and put his seat belt on right before the father lost control on the interstate.

The van slid into the median, rolled over and came to a stop facing east.

Later, when Joshua was pronounced dead at the scene, Gutierrez tried to comfort the parents and sisters. "I didn't know what to say. I finally had to wash my hands and leave," he said.

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Tuba woman cries 'scam' at dealership

Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer

TUBA CITY, Ariz. — A Tuba City woman says she has been "humiliated" by a car dealership in nearby Flagstaff, where a salesman told her that her credit was good, promised her a car, then reneged and wouldn't give back her trade-in vehicle.

The deal occurred Nov. 28, Elsie Yazzie says. She purchased a green 1999 Pontiac Sunfire, trading in her 1994 blue Chevy Cavalier. She said her payments were to be more than $300 per month. The salesman in charge told her that her credit application had been accepted.

Yazzie said she was subjected to "fraud" when, more than a month later on Jan. 11, the salesman called her back, asking her to bring the Sunfire in to have its vehicle identification number checked. When she got to Flagstaff, Yazzie said she was told her credit was no good and that the financing had fallen through.

What's worse, she said, the salesman allegedly told her that her Cavalier had been sold to a buyer in Phoenix. Yazzie said she was treated rudely and told she could hitchhike back to Tuba City.

Yazzie said she refused to hitchhike because she had her 7-year-old niece with her. Two Navajo men from the dealership drove her home in the Sunfire. She said she delayed them long enough to call Tuba City police, resulting in officer Perry Champagne "kicking them off the reservation."

Yazzie has been denied a copy of the police report because it involves a "civil matter." But a Tuba City police officer confirmed that Champagne had intervened to prevent repossession from occurring on the reservation.

In a Jan. 19 letter to McCoy Motors, Yazzie said, "I believe you defrauded me by telling me that my credit was approved when it had not been and then by tricking me into bringing the Pontiac back to Flagstaff. This entire matter has been extremely upsetting to me and has disrupted my life. If my trade-in is repossessed because you have not paid it off, I will sue you for fraud.
However, at this point, I am willing to settle this matter in the manner outlined above."

That manner is to "get my trade-in back." Though she has revisited McCoy Motors unannounced in recent weeks just to see if her Cavalier is on the lot, Yazzie has since learned that the dealership brought it back.

"They're not listening to me," she said. Yazzie added that a note was taped to her front door Jan. 16, saying the company has her trade-in if she will bring the Sunfire back.

Yazzie said she deserves compensation for the "humiliation" she has endured.

"I want them to pay off my car," she said, speaking of the Cavalier, for which she was still making payments and owed a balance of a few thousand dollars.

She is grateful for the actions of Tuba police officer Champagne.

"He chased (the two men) off the reservation, saying, 'You have no business being here.'"

The Navajo Nation Consumer Protection Act, enacted more than a year ago, protects Diné consumers caught in such predicaments. It caps interest rates on car financing at 18 percent, allows for a cancellation period within 30 days, and if there is a dispute involving possible repossession, it must be handled through tribal courts. The act was controversial enough to make off-
reservation auto dealers reluctant to do business with reservation car buyers.

Many off-reservation dealers in "border towns" such as Gallup and Flagstaff reportedly base borderline decisions on whether prospective Navajo buyers live on the reservation. There are no longer any car dealerships on the Navajo
Nation.

Salesman responds

The McCoy Motors salesman, "Johnny," who did not want to give his full name, said Yazzie is in fact breaking the law. She has not made a single payment on the Sunfire, and since the deal was never completed, she does not have actual possession in the legal sense, he said.

"Please tell her to return our vehicle," the salesman said. "It can be reported as stolen."

The salesman said Yazzie's trade-in Cavalier is on the lot and ready to be returned to her. The salesman expressed concerns as to the condition of the green Sunfire, claiming that Yazzie is driving with no insurance and no plates.

The car, shown to an Independent reporter in Tuba City, has a large dent in the left front quarter panel.

"Oh, no," the salesman said. "This is really getting worse."

Asked why the deal was set Nov. 28, and why Yazzie wasn't told the deal was canceled until six weeks later, "Johnny" said that was because the dealership "bent over backward" to try to complete the transaction for her.

But in the end, the bank working with McCoy Motors would simply not approve the sale even when the price of the vehicle was lowered, the salesman said. If Yazzie turns over her sales agreement on the reverse side, and reads paragraph 12, she'll see that it says "subject to final approval by the lender," he added.

"In other words, the bank has the final say," he said.

Yazzie said that McCoy Motors also hired someone to call her and harass her, saying she could be arrested for possessing a stolen vehicle. "Johnny" said at this point, a "he said, she said" situation doesn't do either party any good.

"We don't want to drag this out," he said. "We don't want to make any enemies. We just want to get the Sunfire back.

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Cibola commissioners to discuss jail proposal

Tom Purdom
Staff Writer

GRANTS — What could turn out to be one of the most important county meetings in years will happen Monday when the U. S. Department of Justice sends one of its top representatives to Cibola County to discuss a new county jail.

The discussion will take place at the county commission meeting at 6 p.m. in the Cibola County Commission meeting room, 515 W. High, Grants.

County Manager Bob Ortiz hopes that virtually everyone who has anything at all to do with any phase of crime and criminal behavior deterrent in Cibola County will be at the meeting. In fact, he said he would like to see ordinary citizens concerned about the county's inmate system also attend the meeting.

"We get a lot of questions which come up about why you need a jail," Ortiz said. "People wonder why we want to build a jail when we already have a detention center in Milan and two prisons one a state prison for men and the other a private prison for women in Grants. This meeting will provide the answers to all interested parties to why the county needs to build a jail, how to
build it and to make sense about building a jail relative to our needs."

Cibola County has no jail, but rather uses Cibola County Corrections Center in Milan, a private facility owned and operated by Corrections Corporation of America. Housing inmates at the facility is rapidly bringing the county to its financial knees so Cibola is in the process of having a turn-key jail built by an operator who will finance the project, build it and then run the jail.

The Department of Justice has agreed to assist Cibola County in the planning portion of a new facility. Rod Bottoms and Billy Wasson, technical resource providers with the National Institute of Corrections, will be at the meeting and will remain in Cibola County for specific objectives.

One of those objectives is to facilitate the community meeting, but others include:

Tour the detention center and assess it against professional standards and management practices.

Analyze the role the jail plays in the local justice system.

Review the overall function of the local criminal justice system, its planning and coordination capacity and the relationship the jail plays with the law enforcement community and the court system.

Write a report assessing Cibola County's jurisdictional capacity to manage criminal justice issues.

The county's contract with CCA ends in April and until Thursday the huge private corrections company has failed to talk with Cibola County about the jail issue.

A contingent of corporate officials from the company headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., talked with Ortiz, who said he needed to discuss what was said in the meeting with the county commission before discussing the issue with the press.

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Semore twins, Mueller headed to Adams State

Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer

GANADO, Ariz. — A trio of Ganado High football standouts will remain teammates in college next year.

All-state first-team quarterback Chris Semore, all-state linebacker Jason Semore and all-state tight end Cody Mueller signed letters of intent during the first day of national signing Wednesday to play football for Adams State College in Alamosa, Colo.

Ganado head football coach Russ Semore said he mailed vidoes and bios on all three players to 42 colleges and universities.
Semore received responses from a number of universities such as Colorado State, San Diego State, South Dakota State, Boise State and Adams State.

Besides excelling on the gridiron, all three players also excell in the classroom. The Semore twins along with Mueller are in the National Honor Society with the Semores with 3.8 cumulative GPA's while Mueller, who is the senior class valedictorian sporting a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA.

Semore said that the players liked Colorado State and Adams State but the players opted for the smaller Adams State College
due to the promise that the players would have an excellent shot of starting during their freshmen year for the Grizzlies.

"Adams State said that they expect to start Jason at outside linebacker his first year," coach Semore said. "Adams State was the only one to give Jason a chance and they said that Chris and Cody may start next year."

Former Ganado standout Gary Hubbell, who was an all-state and all-regional linebacker, played at Adams State as a walk-on.
Hubbell graduated from Adams State and then returned to be the head coach at his high school alma mater for two years when Semore switched from Ganado to Winslow to be the head coach there for two years. Hubbell was also an assistant coach under Semore for one year.

Semore said Adams State really liked Mueller.

"They really like what they saw in Cody (Mueller) with his size," said Semore about the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Hornet. "He has good speed and good hands for his size."

Semore says he plans on stepping down as the Hornet head football coach next year but will stay on as the school's athletic director so he can watch his twin sons play collegiate football at Adams State. Semore said that Ganado head wrestling coach and strength coach Jim Dowse will take over as the Hornet head football coach.

"I'll be sitting in the stands and being a dad," Semore said. "And I want to finish my Master's in Administration at the University of Phoenix. But I love to coach and I may go back."

Chris Semore, who was a first team all-state quarterback, first team all-region quarterback, first team all-area quarterback, all-area Offensive Player of the Year the last three years, and all-state defensive end his senior year, said he's glad that there will be two Hornet teammates with him at Adams State this fall.

"It's good someone you know will be there to keep you out of trouble," said the 5-10, 185-pound Chris Semore who plans on majoring in sports medicine. "It will be a good experience for me."

Chris, who had over 1,700 yards of offense playing at three positions (quarterback, running back and wide receiver), said he's contemplating of redshirting his first year since Adams State already has a quarterback but added that he'll consider playing at other positions.

Chris along with Mueller and Jason Semore agreed that the stunning premature end of the Hornet football season as Ganado was upset by Snowflake in the opening round of the Sweet 16 playoffs at home was"disappointing."

"We were all disappointed the way it ended," Chris said. "I feel we had the team to win it (the state title) this year."

The Hornets, who were ranked No. 2 behind state powerhouse Blue Ridge most of the season, finished the season at 8-2 which included a 24-0 loss to state powerhouse Blue Ridge.

Jason Semore, a 5-11, 193-pound linebacker and tailback who was an all-state, all-Arizona Republic and all-region linebacker, says he's excited about playing collegiate football.

"I'm excited about the challenge playing at a better level," he said. "I'm excited about seeing how good I really am."

Jason finished the season with 154 tackles, 98 solos and 12 for losses and this was playing in just four complete games due to big leads by the Hornets. The three-time all-state player posted season highs of 27 tackles against Tuba City, 25 against Snowflake, 23 against Winslow and 17 against Blue Ridge.

Jason mentioned that San Diego State had an interest in him but hadn't heard from the university recently.

Jason, who plans to major in business, added that playing with his twin brother Chris and Hornet teammate Mueller was the deciding factor for signing with Adams State.

Mueller, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound tight end and linebacker, plans on majoring in business. Mueller was an all-state first-team tight end, all-area first-team tight end, all- conference first-team tight end and all-state honorable mention linebacker.

Mueller had over 400 yards in receptions and finished with 10 touchdowns this past season and also was credited with 72 tackles.

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Tribal panel OKs education contracts

Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — Two educational contracts won the approval Monday of the Navajo Nation Council's Inter-Government Relations Committee.

The committee approved the Education Division's Scholarship Office using $95,000 for 19 college students as part of the Fielding Institute's leadership training program. The original allocation of $250,000 included 25 students at $3,300 a year.

A vocational program operated by the Arizona Welding Institute at Coconino County Community College's Page campus won an extension until Sept. 30.

The institute said it will graduate another 27 Navajos this month and had planned to start a new class last month. But the contract expired at the end of December. About half of its $240,000 has been awarded for the $2,000 a semester eight-month training...

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FBI probes murder of Tohatchi man
Gunshot wound causes death

Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The tribal-federal Safe Trails Task Force is investigating the murder of a man near Tohatchi that occurred Monday night or Tuesday morning.

Navajo Criminal Investigations Department detectives and FBI agents are looking for the person or persons who murdered Myron C. Mitchell, 37, who lived about one mile west of Mile Post 25 on U.S. 666.

Mitchell died from a single gunshot to the side of the head and detectives say it definitely was not suicide.

His common law wife, Lola Yazzie, 48, last saw him alive around 10:30 p.m. Monday when she left their home. When she returned around 10 a.m. Tuesday she found him in a pool of blood on the floor of the bedroom clad only in a T-shirt...

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Deaths

Alfredo Torres

GALLUP — Services for Alfredo Torres, 76, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at the St. Francis Church. Father Diego Mazon will officiate. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Cemetery.

Torres died Feb. 5 at Gallup. He was born Feb. 21, 1924, in Arabela.

Torres was a member of the Ford Canyon Senior Citizens Center.

Survivors include his brother, Victoriano Torrez of St. Louis, Mo., and sisters, Prisiclla Cavanas of Glendale, Ariz., Dalia Pineda
of St. Louis, and Mikey Vigil of Albuquerque.

Torres was preceded in death by his parents, Panteleon and Anita Torrez; brothers, Cresencio Torrez, Donicio Torrez, Mike
Torrez and Salomon Torrez; and sister, Sabina Gantar.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Ruth T. Gonzales

GALLUP — Services for Ruth T. Gonzales, 68, will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic
Church. Father Diego Mazon will officiate. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Park.

Visitation will be held 12-5 p.m. tonight, Feb. 9, at Rollie Palm Chapel. Rosary will be held at 7 tonight at St. Francis Church.

Gonzales died Feb. 7 in Gallup. She was born Sept. 1, 1933, in Fort Wingate.

Survivors include her husband, Tony Gonzales of Gallup; sons, Anthony Gonzales and Tom Gonzales, both of Gallup;
daughters, Judy Espinosa of Albuquerque and Beverly Marquez of Gallup; sisters, Pauline Dimas of Gallup and Helen Salazar of Grants, Bertha Chavez, Viola Sanchez, and Lucille Taylor, all of Albuquerque, Margaret Lovato of Belen, Esther Osollo of Temple City, Calif., and Sophie Owens of Paramonte, Calif.; and six grandchildren.

Gonzales was preceded in death by her parents, Severo and Petra Tafoya, and brothers, Florencio Tafoya and Rudy Tafoya.

Pallbearers will be Paul Brady, Thomas Gonzales, Jr., Edward Marquez, Andrew Ramirez Sr., Silvio Sanchez, and Eric Urias.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Elisie L. Ashley

WINDOW ROCK — Services for Elsie L. Ashley, 79, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Fort Defiance
Presbyterian Church, Fort Defiance, Ariz. The Rev. Roger Davis will officiate. Burial will follow on family land, White Cone,
Ariz.

Visitation will be at held from 4-7 p.m. today, Feb. 9, at Cope Memorial Chapel.

Ashley was born May, 12, 1921, in White Cone, Ariz. into the Cliff Dweller People Clan for the Big Water Clan.

Ashley was a homemaker and a member of the Fort Defiance Presbyterian Church. She received numerous awards for weaving,
arts and crafts from the Navajo Nation Fair.

Survivors include her son, Wilford Ashley; daughters, Shirley Nez, Betty Showalters and Georgia A. Ashley; brothers, Nez
Lewis, Justin Lewis, Kee Bahe Lewis, Kee Lewis, Denny Lewis and Dennis Lewis; sisters, Alice Goldtooth, Lena Goldtooth,
Annie Nez and Mary Begay; 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Ashley was preceded in death by parents, Hosteen Lewis and Hosteen Nez Bitsi #3; husband, William Ashley; son, William
Ashley Jr.; and a grandson.

Pallbearers will be Dwayne Showalter Sr., Aaron C. Nez, Michael Nez, Donovan Conley, Kevin Todakonzie and Henry
Goldtooth.

Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Alice Baker

LUPTON, Ariz. — Services for Alice Baker, 71, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at St. John the Evangelist Church,
Houck, Ariz. Father Cormac, OFM, will officiate. Burial will follow on family land, Lupton.

Baker died Feb. 6 in Lupton. She was born Dec. 15, 1929, in Lupton into the Black Sheep People Clan for the Red Running into the Water People Clan.

Baker was a homemaker, rug weaver and sheepherder.

Survivors include her brother, Sam Baker of Lupton, and sisters, Isabelle H. Becenti and Aspbah Comb, both of Window Rock.

Baker was preceded in death by parents, Hoska Ye Ne Sah Baker and Ha bah Baker, and brothers, Kee Baker and Elmo Baker.

Pallbearers will be Allen L. Yazzie, Herbert Yazzie, Lee Yazzie, Jack Anderson, Calvin Toddy and Steven Nelson.

Tse Bonito Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Elmo Baker

LUPTON, Ariz. — Services for Elmo Baker, 80, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at the St. John of Evangelist Church. Father Cormac will officiate. Burial will follow on private land.

Baker died Feb. 5 in Gallup. He was born Oct. 10, 1920, in Lupton into the Black Sheep People Clan for the Red Running into
the Water People Clan.

Baker worked for the Santa Fe Railroad and was a carpenter. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was active in
veterans' activities.

Survivors include his sons, John C. Baker, Alfred Baker and Jeffery Baker, all of Lupton, Ariz.; daughters, Virginia Chee,
Marianne Begay, Doris Baker and Genevieve Baker, all of Lupton; brother, Sam Baker of Lupton; sisters, Isabelle H. Becenti
and Aspbah Comb, both of Window Rock; 28 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Baker was preceded in death by his wife, Louise Armijo Baker; sister, Alice Baker; and son, Theodore Baker.

Pallbearers will be Randall Comb, Eldridge Ettsity, Matthew Curley, Reginald Curley, Vincent Chee and Jess Lee.

The family will receive friends and relatives after the burial services at Lupton Chapter House.

Tse Bonito Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Thomas Benally

VANDERWAGEN — Services for Thomas Benally, 70, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at Cope Memorial Chapel. Burial will follow at city cemetery.

Benally died Feb. 6 in Vanderwagen. He was born Dec. 30, 1930, in Vanderwagen into the Folded Arms for the Sleeping Rock People Clans.

Benally was employed with the railroad. His hobbies included herding sheep and working around the house.

Survivors include parent, Menolita A. Benally of Vanderwagen; brother, Peter Benally of Red Rock; sisters, Elsie Billie of Red
Rock, Elise Parker and Elousie Benally, both of Vanderwagen, and Lillie C. Begay and Annie Benally, both of Gallup.

Benally was preceded in death by his father, James Benally.

Pallbearers will be Jerry Parker, Henry Parker, Darrell Benally, Orlando Boruda and Leo Murphy.

Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Sammy T. Silversmith

ALBUQUERQUE — Services for Sammy T. Silversmith, 77, were held at 10 a.m. today, Feb. 9, at Gabaldon Memorial Chapel.
Harry Beare officiated. Burial followed at Santa Fe National Cemetery.

Silversmith died Feb. 7 in Albuquerque.

Silversmith was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, 4th Division, and was a Navajo Code Talker in World War II.

Survivors include his wife, Betty Silversmith; daughters, Claudine Sarracino, Ernestine S. Hogue, Anna L. Silversmith, Veronica
M. Silversmith and Rosella A. Silversmith; sisters, Rosita Augustine and Pahe Harrison; 11 grandchildren and three great-
grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Matthew A. Silversmith, Jonathan J. Silversmith, Andren D. Charley, Gabriel A. Hogue, Jerrich P. Hogue and
Ralph D. Sarracino.

Myron Mitchell

TOHATCHI — Services are pending for Myron Charles Mitchell, 37.

Mitchell died Feb. 6 in Tohatchi. He was born May 29, 1963, in Gallup to the Bitter Water People Clan for the Weaver People
Clan.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.