Fenders strike right chord
Band is still popular on Navajoland
Nancy Watson
Diné Bureau
RAMAH — It was a full moon Saturday night, and although the faces
may have changed, the sound was as clear and poignant as it was in
the 1960s, when the Fenders first played to sold-out audiences all
across the Navajo Reservation.
The music spilled into the night from an open door in the gymnasium.
The Fenders were warming up to a George Jones song, "Love's Gonna
Live Here Again."
Steel guitar player, Paul Bitsuie, was testing his microphone, "Testing,
testing, I'm Garth Brooks." There were smiles all around.
Billy and Beverley Grace of Gallup traveled the 60-plus miles to Pine
Hill from Gallup Saturday night to dance to the Fenders.
"We follow them whenever we get the chance," the Graces
said.
The couple, who last saw the group perform in Toadlena, danced to
the Fenders as if they had been dancing to them all their lives. In
perfect synchronization, they made the two-step look as simple as
walking.
"We usually bring the kids," they said.
The crowd was mixture of all ages. Children learned to dance from
older siblings or parents. Teen-agers hung together and some of them
danced.
One young cowboy dressed in black came through the door dancing to
Charlie Pride's "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone." He and
his partner danced to nearly every song played.
The older songs were the ones that brought most of the dancers to
the floor.
And the Fenders are crowd pleasers. They play three sets and the first
two are usually the older songs. During the last set, they bring out
the songs by George Strait and Garth Brooks.
They don't make money from their reservation tours.
They play because they love to, and they like helping people with
fund-raisers. They are paid gas money for their expenses, and the
money collected at the door goes to the group holding the dance.
In Pine Hill, they were helping the Ramah Community
Policing Program raise money for the McGruff Program and the Drug
Awareness Resistance Education program.
"It's a hobby," said Wayne Ramone, a Navajo
police officer, who has to plan gigs around his work schedule.
They've played the Gallup Armory, the Holiday Inn and Red Rock State
Park. Last fall, they played to a sold-out crowd in Tuba City along
with the Blue Canyon Band and Twenty X Band.
"Security had to shut the door," Ramone said. "They
couldn't let anyone else in."
They are looking forward to playing at the Rocky Mountain Rodeo in
Salt Lake City, then on to Pocatello, Idaho, and Wyoming.
Meanwhile, they play for their fans on the reservation.
"They come up to us and tell us that the songs bring back memories
of the old days," Ramone said. "Sometimes, the same song
is requested two or three times a night."
Anyone wishing to book the Fenders should contact Wayne Ramone at
Box 1972, Crownpoint, N.M. 87313 or phone (505) 786-7144.
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Tribe gets money for youth jobs
Diné Bureau
GALLUP — The Navajo Nation will receive $40 million from the
U.S. Department of Labor over the next five years to provide employment
opportunities for youth.
The first installment of $10.3 million will go to the Diné
Youth Opportunities Program, said Mellor Willie, press officer for
Navajo President Kelsey Begaye.
The program is expected to serve 900 young people between ages 14
and 21 on the Navajo Reservation.
The program will focus on education and training, community service
and community building, health and wellness, work experience and job
placement.
The wide range of educational activities include a peer
learner program, dropout prevention, computer-assisted instruction
and postsecondary education through several colleges and technical
schools.
Summer and community work experience will be provided as well as internships
with businesses in surrounding communities.
The U.S. Labor Department awarded $223 million in grants to 36 communities
to attack unemployment among out-of-school, untrained youth.
The grants are the first installments of five-year,
$1.37 billion effort to provide education and job-training opportunities
to young people who may benefit from such opportunities.
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Navajo judges are handling more cases
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — Caseloads for Navajo tribal judges continue to
increase.
Statistics released recently by the tribe's Judicial Branch showed
that more than 75,600 cases were filed during the 1999 fiscal year
which ended Sept. 30 in various district tribal courts.
That's a 15 percent increase from the 1998 level, when more than 65,400
cases were filed.
The largest increase came from traffic cases, which jumped from 31,000
in 1998 to 39,000 last year.
In 1999, the judges' load consisted of more than 5,100 civil cases,
plus 8,800 family cases that include such things as neglect of children.
The year before, tribal judges took up 4,500 civil and just under
8,500 family cases.
The Navajo Nation operates one of the oldest and largest tribal court
systems in the United States, having started in the late 1950s.
The caseload cited in the Judicial Branch's annual statistical summary
does not include the Navajo Nation Supreme Court's figures. The highest
court handles appeals of district court cases, among other things,
so the district court judges come under even more scrutiny than in
their own courtrooms.
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Arizona finals set for Enchantment teams
Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer
PHOENIX, Ariz. - It will be an all-3A Enchantment state finals when
the Class 3A girls state basketball semifinals are held Friday at
America West Arena. In the Class 3A boys state semifinals two of the
four teams hail from the 3A Enchantment Region.
Conference and regional champion Tuba City is bidding for its third
trip to the girls state championship finals. The Lady Warriors captured
the Class 4A state title in 1976 when Tuba City under coach Kathy
Lenington topped Kingman 44-41 and again in 1978 when Tuba City under
coach Janet Lomakema downed Morenci 53-46 for the Class 3A state title.
Tuba City (26-5) will go up against conference foe Ganado (22-12)
in the 3:15 p.m. state semifinals Friday at America West Arena. In
the other state semifinals, co-conference champion Winslow (will be
looking to get past defending state champion Monument Valley (23-7)
at 6:45 p.m. in a rematch of last year's state finals which the Lady
Mustangs won with an impressive second half comeback for a 46-37 victory...
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Ventriloquism, comedy, singing and magic
coming to Tuba City
Stan Bindell
Special to the Independent
TUBA CITY, Ariz. — One of the best known ventriloquists in the
nation will come to Tuba City in April as part of this year's "Stars
in the Desert."
Buddy Big Mountain will perform at Stars in the Desert at 1 p.m. April
14 at Greyhills Academy High School. Admission is free and schools
are invited to bring busloads.
Stars in the Desert is an annual event where Native American actors
and role models come to Tuba City for a weekend of interaction with
area youth...
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'Body and Soul' offers women faith and
fitness
By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Special to the Independent
GALLUP — There's a new, unconventional Christian ministry in
Gallup. It's led by a woman, for women. It cuts across all Christian
denominational lines. And the participants' dress is casual. Extremely
casual. The only thing conventional about the ministry is that it's
held in a church.
Body and Soul is an aerobics exercise program that features contemporary
Christian music. It's been in Gallup only since last September, when
Beckie Maestas-Sanchez began offering classes at the First United
Methodist Church. However, according to Maestas-Sanchez, Body and
Soul is an international, non-profit ministry that has been around
for 18 years.
Maestas-Sanchez, who has a background in dance and aerobic exercise
programs, is an Albuquerque native. She became a Body and Soul student
and later a teacher while living in Maryland. When her husband was
transferred to the Gallup Indian Medical Center, Maestas-Sanchez brought
the ministry with her...
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Pedro's gets OK to shift liquor permit
Bill Donovan
Staff Writer
GALLUP — The state of New Mexico overturning a Gallup City Council
action is allowing the transfer of a liquor license from Pedro's Lounge
to Rex Good, who wants to build a sports bar and package liquor store
on east Historic 66.
The state's Alcohol and Gaming Division implied the city council erred
when it rejected the license transfer request on Dec. 28.
"There is no substantial evidence to support the city council's
denial of the (transfer)," according to the ruling issued last
week by Kelly S. Ward, director of the division...
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Bengals finish perfect in their district
season
Alan Arthur
Sports Editor
GALLUP — The Gallup Bengals completed a perfect District 1AAAA
season with a 49-35 victory over the Farmington Scorpions at Farmington
High School Saturday night.
The Bengals, tied for the No. 1 ranking Class AAAA with La Cueva by
the Albuquerque Journal, finish the regular season with a 10-0 record
and 22-1 overall.
Gallup led 10-9 after the first quarter before their tough defense
nearly stopped the Scorpions cold in the second quarter. The Bengals
held the Scorpions to only three points in the period as Gallup scored
12 more points to open up a 22-12 lead at halftime...
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Sunday is a busy day for criminals
Councilors to hear more crime figures
Tom Purdom
Staff Writer
GRANTS — Of the 1,034 arrests involved in 1,414 criminal cases
last year in Grants, 389 were committed by first-time offenders and
865 were done by repeat offenders.
Of the 1,254 arrests, 953 were male and 301 were female; 230 were
Caucasian, 546 were Hispanic, 464 were Native American and 14 were
African American. Juveniles accounted for 221 arrests.
The figures are from Grants Police Department statistics, which will
be given to Grants City Council members today...
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Sidney backs Bush
Nancy Watson
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Ivan Sidney, former Hopi tribal chairman, is endorsing
Republican candidate George W. Bush for president.
Sidney chose Bush over U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona because Bush,
as governor of Texas, was able to improve education, he said.
"Education is the only way our people will be able to enjoy the
American dream," Sidney said. "The only way they will be
able to get jobs, have families and buy homes..."
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Deaths
Matt N. Padilla
JAMESTOWN — Services for Matt N. Padilla, 17, will be held at
10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Father Jim
Walker will officate. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Park.
Visitation will be 1-7 p.m. today, Feb. 22, at Rollie Mortuary Palm
Chapel.
Padilla died Feb. 20 near Jamestown. He was born April 24, 1982, in
Gallup.
Padilla was a senior at Gallup High School.
Survivors include his father, Pete Padilla of Gallup; mother and stepfather,
Bernadette and Randy Radcliff of Jamestown; brother, Brian Padilla
of Las Cruces; sister, Brandi Padilla of Las Cruces; stepbrother,
Patrick Cliffton of Gallup; stepsister, Jessie Radcliff of Gallup;
grandparents, Emily Padilla and Nick and Stella Salaz, all of Gallup,
and Billy and Pat Radcliff of Tucson, Ariz.
Padilla was preceded in death by his grandfather, Pete Padilla Sr.
Pallbearers will be Patrick Cliffton, Marsh Garcia, Jason Gomez, Josh
Johnson, Ernest Madrid, Charles Padilla, Rick Saucedo and Justin Villa.
Rollie Mortuary of Gallup is in charge of arrangements.
Jose Trinidad Chavez
GALLUP — Services for Jose Trinidad Chavez, 96, will be announced
at a later date.
Chavez died Feb. 19 in Gallup. He was born May 20, 1903, in Galito.
Rollie Mortuary of Gallup is in charge of arrangements.
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