Minor injuries



Gallup firefighters and ambulance personnel work to extract the driver of a Honda CRV that rolled over on the Nizhoni extension in Gallup near Highway 602. The driver was not seriously injured.



University of New Mexico-Gallup communication arts club member Kristina Eskeets shows off some of the beads for sale for tonight's MArdi Gras Dance from 8 to Midnight at Gurley Hall.

Photos by Jeff Jones

 

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Victims build better lives

Tanya Brazil
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Battered Families Services of Gallup is continuing to find creative ways to help victims of domestic violence learn job skills and build a new life.

The organization held its open house and reception Thursday at My Sister's House Resale Shop a facility which not only sells used merchandise but also serves as a job training site for victims.

Proceeds from the thrift store goes toward supporting the mission of Battered Families. Its clients, who often are trying to set up a new household, always are given first pick of the merchandise at no cost.

Michele Fuller, executive director of Battered Families, said right now most of the money is being used to pay the rent and utilities so they can continue the employment services.

She said that between October and December of last year, the program open since July 15 has helped 34 women move from receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to employment that is unsubsidized.

Through the program, clients learn basic job skills and the organization helps them find transportation and affordable child care, Fuller said.

Once the staff is confident that trainees have acquired appropriate jobs skills and attitudes, they are assisted with finding employment either on their own or through a network of local employers that work with the organization.

The Southwest Indian Foundation was instrumental in employing several of the women at its call center.

After they start working, Fuller said the staff follows up on their progress because they want their clients to be successful.

Of the 34 women the organization helped find jobs last year, 32 are still employed at the same place of business.

The idea to start an employment program such as this began two years ago during a Women's Town Hall Meeting in Gallup sponsored by the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women.

The state agency provided $50,000 in funding to start the employment program in Gallup.

Rebecca Jo Dakota, executive director of the commission, said Gallup is a prime location for the employment program because of the large number of people who possess skills in the arts and crafts industry which can be marketed as businesses.

She said the meeting in Gallup was one of five that the agency sponsored throughout New Mexico and that the No. 1 concern expressed by the women was violence, including domestic violence.

Bernadine Martin, one of the commissioners, remembers attending the town hall meeting where women in the community brainstormed ways to help women become self-sustaining.

With an especially high rate of single mothers and high day care costs in this area, she said women's choices of employment is limited but through this program women are given the option of working at home. She credits Fuller with leading the way toward implementing the employment program in Gallup.

Katherine Hughes-Fraitekh, co-director of the commission program Teamworks which helps women move from welfare to work, said this pilot project looks at micro-enterprise so that women can become economically sufficient.

The program's aim also is to create additional jobs in the community through new businesses that would be started by the women, she said.

As an example, she said, Agnes Noonan, the executive director of WESSTCORP, gave a class on micro-enterprise Thursday afternoon to Battered Families clients and members of the community who are interested in starting their own business.

Hughes-Fraitekh said because of the program's success, the commission hopes to provide an additional $100,000 to expand the services with a larger staff, computer lab and more courses and resources for micro-enterprise.

Dakota said she appreciates how the McKinley County District Attorney's Office under Karl Gillson is becoming more responsive to domestic violence situations.

Martin said the DA's Office has made a commitment to address cases of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking, Martin said.

In order to achieve that, she said, the office has applied for a grant from the Violence Against Women Act to hire a rural domestic violence coordinator to expand resources and services and hopefully promote prosecution.

Fuller and Martin both said their goal is for Gallup to be a community that does not tolerate violence and a healthy place for children to grow up.

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Local chiropractor prescribes 'no TV'

Bill Donovan
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Ron Berg wants people in Gallup to improve the quality of their lives by giving up their televisions.

He doesn't mean forever, but Berg, a Gallup chiropractor, thinks a week without television will allow area people to find out "what better things we can do with our lives."

That is why he has become an ardent supporter of "Turn Off TV Week," which Gov. Gary Johnson has proclaimed will be held for the first time in New Mexico from April 23-29.

The Gallup-McKinley County School District is also getting involved with a range of activities scheduled for the week.

Angelo DiPaolo, assistant to the superintendent, said the central office has been talking to principals and counselors about planning activities within the various schools for the week.

He said the central office is also sharing a handbook prepared for the national event which gives ideas on what principals can do to get teachers and students involved.

The reaction by everyone in the district to the week has been "very favorable," DiPaolo said.

The national movement to get people to forego watching television for a week has now been going on for several years.
Its premise is simple: Watching too much television is bad for you.

Television viewing among all segments of the American population, including school-age kids, is at an all-time high with school kids spending an average of more than four hours a day in front of the screen.

During their more than 1,000 hours of viewing each year, school-age children are deluged with problems filled with violence and suggestive material, Berg said. The number of murders they watch each year, he said, is "obscene."

"Watching television is a very passive exercise," he said. "In terms of one's development, it doesn't help one mentally or physically."

Berg admitted that there are some good shows on the air documentaries, historical dramas and such but mainstream television just is not good for one's health, which is why the percentage of obese people in the nation keeps increasing each year.

While many would have doubts, life without television is possible, Berg said.

Berg's family, which includes five boys ranging in ages from 9 to 17, have been without a television for the past two years.

While his kids rebelled at the idea when it was first introduced, Berg said that the change in the family's lifestyle has been "wonderful."

"My house is not a democracy," he said, adding that the change in the family's lifestyle has been very positive.

Family members talk more to each other, the kids read more and spend more time outdoors, he said.

Berg said he took out the televisions because he was tired of coming home from work and finding the kids in front of the television watching sitcoms filled with sexual situations and making fun of people.

Berg said he had a friend who told him one time that he too was disgusted with what was on television and "got tired of apologizing about what was being broadcast."

Will the Berg family be able to continue bucking the trend of more and more hours before the television?

"When the World Cup is held in 2002, I may be forced to break down and buy another one," he said.

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Cibola student scores down

Tara Drolma
Staff Writer

GRANTS — The draft copy of the School District Report Card for the Grants/Cibola County schools shows Cibola County students are consistently scoring below statewide levels in the basic education subjects.

Carol Owensby, community liaison for the Grants/Cibola County School District, presented the report for the 1999-2000 school year to the school board this week.

Owensby said the data did not show any "apparent trends." Students are scoring in the 40th percentile. She said the fourth-grade scores are a "little low" and attributed that to the use of a language other than English at home.

Each year every school district in the state is required to collect data on the five indicators of district achievement: student achievement, attendance, dropout rates, parent/community involvement, school safety and the Quality of Education Survey results. The results are published in a report.

The CTBS5/Tera Nova Survey that is administered to students in grades three through five measures student achievement. In the norm-referenced portion students are measured against the nationwide median, which is the 50th percentile.

Owensby said scores for students in the district are staying in the 40th percentile and are not breaking into the 50th percentile.
Lloyd Felipe said the Terra Nova test is based on a bell curve that is designed to place 80 percent of the students at the 50th percentile.

All of the results in grades three through five fall below the statewide performance levels.

In the fourth, sixth, and eighth grades students are given the New Mexico Writing Assessment. The scores are meant to represent how well a student's overall writing communicates with his or her audience. According to the report, a score of 4.0 or above
indicates a satisfactory ability to communicate.

Eleven percent of fourth-grade students scored above 4.0. In the sixth grade 11.7 percent of students scored above 4.0 and 7.5 percent of eighth graders did that well.

Owensby attributed the low scores to the use of English as a second language in the home.

The high school competency test is given to 10th graders. Owensby said those scores mirrored the statewide scores and that was good. Students are required to pass this test in order to receive a high school diploma.

The dropout rate for the district in the 1998-1999 school year was 5.7 percent, well below the statewide 7 percent rate.

A student can drop out if he has a signature from either the superintendent; John Bryant, assistant superintendent for curriculum, or one of the high school principals.

Board member Rita Suazo said she thought that under a former policy only the superintendent could sign off for the student.

Johnny Valdez said the policy changed when Linda Coy became superintendent. Suazo said she would like to see the district go back to that policy so the superintendent would have the last opportunity to counsel the child to stay in school.

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Crownpoint rallies past Tohatchi

Abelita Rose Freeland
Staff Sports Writer

CROWNPOINT — A second-half comeback lifted Crownpoint over Tohatchi, 59-54, in the District 1AAA tournament at Crownpoint High School.

Tohatchi will now play Thoreau tonight at 7 p.m.

"It was exciting," said Eagle coach Rick Pawela. "We started off and we couldn't the broad side of a barn, we were just really, really cold. I think the kids were a little tight and nervous. They had good shots but they just weren't going down."

"The pressure defense bothered them. What I told the kids is that it isn't always going to result in a steal or turnover, but it makes them work hard bringing the ball down the court and gets them more tired offensively and eventually we got little lapses on the part of the other team throwing the ball away or turning it over and that helped tonight," Pawela added.

"This was one of those games that we had in the bag and just let it go," Tohatchi head coach Albert Jim said. "With all due respect to Crownpoint, it wasn't their defensive pressure that hurt us. We outplayed them for three quarters and then in the last quarter we just shot ourselves in the foot, which has been a problem that we've had all season and Crownpoint took advantage of that."

Jim felt that his team's fouls the 'shooting ourselves in the foot' in the fourth quarter came from a defensive breakdown.

"We have worked on maintaining defensive positions, staying on the floor and when we try to steal off the dribble, steal the pass or trying to block a shot we just got ourselves out of position and Crownpoint took advantage of that," Albert said.

Coming back from half-time, the Cougars led 25-20, before the Eagles got back into the game.

Collin Henio led an eight-point run to open the quarter by connecting on two jump shots and a layup and Warren Deal made a drive to the basket, putting Crownpoint ahead 26-25.

The two teams then exchanged points with Cougar Sonny Waybenais making a basket with an assist from Leland Tyler. The Eagles answered right back with Henio assisting Michael Norton on a basket.

Tohatchi jumped ahead again with a seven-point run. Gerald Nez put back an offensive rebound, Tyler sank a three-pointer and Miles Bitsoi hit a jumper, giving Tohatchi a 36-30 lead.

Crownpoint gained the lead back on a 15-point run. Henio made hit a jump shot, Deal sank a pair of free throws, Henio and Chambliss Lantana both connected on jump shots, Deal made a drive to the basket, Norton made a lay up and Henio drove to the basket and was fouled. He completed the three-point play at the line, giving the Eagles a 43-36 lead.

Tyler ended the quarter with a steal and a lay up to end the third, but entering the final quarter of action the Eagles led 43-38.

Henio opened the fourth with a rebound for a putback, but before anyone else scored, Henio and Cougar Lionel Yazzie were both slapped with technical fouls for brief elbow pushing. Yazzie was also given a personal foul for pushing, sitting Yazzie down with his fifth foul of the game. He finished the night with six points and 10 rebounds.

Neither team were awarded their free throws by the refs because of the double technical fouls.

Afterwards, Jonah Billie and Leland Tyler each sank a three-pointer to bring Tohatchi within one, 45-44.

With 1:24 left in the quarter, Tohatchi was behind 56-51 and lost their opportunity to score when Tyler grabbed a steal but was called for a foul, putting Kyle Devore at the line. Devore made 1-for-2.

Tohatchi was able to score when Henio was called for pushing and Tyler went 2-for-2 at the line. Waybenais went 1-for-2 at the line, leaving Tohatchi down 57-53.

Eagle Marquez Johnson sealed the win for Crownpoint with a pair of free throws, giving Crownpoint the win.

In the first quarter, Tohatchi had gained an 11-4 lead, but Crownpoint slowly started catching up in the second quarter outscoring the Eagles 23-13.

"My hats off to Albert Jim and his team because they sure controlled the tempo for a long part of the game. We didn't get into our running game, but we did enough to win the game,"

"We did pretty good as a team and worked together and we didn't hold anything back," said junior Henio who led his team with 30 points, 11 rebounds and two steals before fouling out. "We've learned a lot in the past few games, whether we were winning or losing. Once we saw we could win we put in a lot more team work."

Deal added 10 points, four rebounds and two steals and Norton grabbed three steals.

Tyler led the Cougars effort with 20 points, four steals and a blocked shot before fouling out. Waybenais tallied 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots and Billie finished with nine points, two steals and a blocked shot. Bitsoi snatched four
rebounds.

The Cougars will be graduating six seniors.

"We worked hard to extend our season, but it just wasn't meant to be. Overall it wasn't our most glamorous season as far as wins and loses are concerned. But was far as starting point to where we ended, it was the difference between night and day," Albert
said summing up the season.

Pine Hill to defend title

Michael Peretti
Staff Sports Writer

PINE HILL — The defending District 6A champion Pine Hill Warriors are in the championship game again.

Pine Hill (12-11), one year after ending Ramah's long reign as district champions, ended the Mustangs presence in regionals.
This will be the first year in eight years, and the first since Grant Clawson became head coach at Ramah High School, that the Mustangs will not represent one of the two District 6A teams in regionals. Instead, this year it will be Pine Hill, last year's defending district champions, and Gallup Catholic, this year's regular season champions.

The win was the Warriors' third against Ramah this season, and Pine Hill advances to play in the District 6A championship this Saturday at Gallup Catholic High School against the No. 1 seed Panthers, who were among the crowd at the game Thursday night, scouting out their competition.

"It is tough to beat a team three times in a season," commented Pine Hill coach David Whitesell. "We did it, now it's time to see if (Gallup Catholic) can do it."

The Warriors are now in the same position they were last year. In last years district tournament Pine Hill entered as the No. 2
seed and went to Ramah, where they defeated the then top-seeded Mustangs and went on to regionals, where they were the runner ups.

Ramah (15-9), who came into Pine Hill as the No. 3 seed this year wanted to keep their run in regionals going, jumping out to a 9-2 lead early in the first quarter.

"Give credit to Ramah, they came in to this gym stoked and took it to us," said Whitesell. "Our kids stepped up."

Neither team scored in the opening two minutes, and the game remained scoreless until Reg Antonio put in a basket. Ramah extended their lead to 5-0 on a free throw by Jed Henrie and a basket by Tucker Simons before Brandon Hooper scored Pine Hill's first points.

Simons hit again and Austin Clawson made a basket to highlight a 9-0 Mustang run and give Ramah a 14-3 lead with 2:38 left in the first.

Justin Begay ended the run with a basket for Pine Hill, and Dominic Chischilly followed with a basket, but by the end of the first quarter Ramah had extended their lead to 20-7.

Ramah was led by Antonio in the first, scoring eight of the Mustangs 20.

Pine Hill finally went over 10 points with 3:53 left in the first half when Begay hit a shot to make it 24-11. The Mustangs got their largest lead of the game at 28-11 on a basket by Tyson George.

Pine Hill outscored Ramah 9-6 in the final two minutes of the half, but still trailed 34-22 going into the locker room.

Pine Hill scored two points coming out of the half to make the score 34-24, but Ramah then went on a 6-0 run. Simons scored four of the Mustang points to get the score to 40-26, and then things started to fall apart for Ramah.

With a 40-26 lead with 3:57 left Ramah hit a wall, scoring only one point the rest of the quarter, a free throw by Antonio. In the final four minutes Pine Hill went on a 13-1 run, including 6-of-7 from the line and five points from Hooper. Nathan Henio hit a jumper in the closing seconds of the quarter to pull the Warriors within two, 41-39.

Pine Hill got the ball to Chischilly on their first possession of the fourth quarter, and he hit a three to give the Warriors their first lead of the game, 42-41.

Neither team could get a basket to fall in the next four and a half minutes as Pine Hill could not capitalize on five Mustang turnovers and the Mustangs had problems holding on to the ball.

Ramah got the lead back on a basket by George with under four minutes to play, but the Warriors responded with a three pointer by Urian Mariah.

Ramah cut the lead to one when Clawson hit the first of two free throws, and then got the lead when Antonio grabbed the rebound from the second free throw and put it back in. George got the ball back for Ramah on a steal and got it to Henrie, who was fouled. Henrie hit the first of hit one and one, and missed the second.

Down by two, Pine Hill got the lead back on a three by Henio and then extended it on a three by Chischilly. Simons hit a pair of free throws to cut the Warrior lead to 51-49, but Ramah had to foul to try and keep up.

Begay hit a pair of free throws and Henio ended the game scoring on a fast break.

"The kids played well," said Ramah head coach Grant Clawson. "We did what we wanted to do, we wanted to shut down their big player and did a good job." Clawson said that they changed a few things on offense and defense, and played well, but things changed in the third quarter. "The refs. let the game get rougher and let the kids play. Pine Hill got physical and our kids weren't ready for it."

Whitesell said that at half-time the Warriors made some adjustments and Ramah had problems adjusting. "We ran a half court trap and it rattled them a lot," he said.

Pine Hill was led by Justin Begay with 20 points. Nathan Henio added 11 and Dominic Chischilly had 10. Ramah was led by Tucker Simons with 17 points followed by Reg Antonio with 13.

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Navajo EPA a model for other tribes

Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer

WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation has it together on the issue of enforcing safe drinking water on the reservation, U.S. EPA officials from San Francisco have determined. Navajo President Kelsey Begaye couldn't agree more.

A signing ceremony Thursday morning in Begaye's office caps an agreement between U.S. EPA and Navajo EPA that has been 10 years in the making. The Navajo Nation becomes the first Native American tribe in the United States to be granted "primacy," or lead regulatory authority over its safe drinking water program.

The three parties sitting at Begaye's desk, ready to sign the historic paperwork, were Navajo EPA Executive Director Derrith Watchman Moore, Begaye, and Laura Yoshii, U.S. EPA Region 9 acting regional administrator. The President's Office was packed with employees from both agencies, and later, Navajo council delegates who sit on the Resources Committee...

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Youth shot by arrow in Zuni
No medical care needed

S.J. Ludescher
Staff Writer

GALLUP — A 15-year-old youth banned from the Pueblo of Zuni was shot with a crossbow by another youth last weekend when he trespassed on to the reservation to visit his girlfriend and newborn at the Indian Health Service hospital at Black Rock.
The youth was not seriously injured and did not require medical attention.

Tribal Council member Eldred Bowekaty said the youth had been a nuisance and ordered "excluded" from the pueblo by a tribal court judge because he was responsible for numerous vandalisms and robberies to the homes of hospital staff.

"The staff didn't feel safe and feared for the safety of their property while they were gone or working," he said...

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Deaths

Gilbert John Gonzales Jr.

GALLUP — Services for Gilbert John Gonzales Jr., 43, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Father Diego Mazon, OFM will officiate. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Cemetery.

Visitation will be held at 11 a.m. today, Feb. 23, at Rollie Mortuary. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. tonight at St. Francis of Assisi.

Gonzales died Feb. 21 in Gallup. He was born Jan. 13, 1958, in Gallup.

Survivors include his wife, Stephanie Gonzales of Gallup; daughter, Jessica Rae Garcia of Gallup; parents, Gilbert and Betty Gonzales Sr. of Gallup; brothers, Ricky Gonzales and Stephen "Jinx" Gonzales, both of Gallup; sisters, Dolores Gonzales and Kathleen Gonzales, both of Gallup and Cynthia Gonzales-Wikoff of Dallas, Texas.

Gonzales was preceded in death by his grandparents, Evila and Petra Gonzales and Lillian and Tony Lopez; and grandfather, Joe Gonzales.

Pallbearers will be Robert Chavez, Anthony Esparza, John Gonzales, Christopher Griego, Levi Saucedo and Alan Stalcup.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

John L. George

CHURCH ROCK — Services for John L. George, 74, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at Rehoboth Christian Reformed Church. The Rev. Gordon Stuit will officiate. Burial will follow at Rehoboth Cemetery.

George died Feb. 20 in Tuba City, Ariz. He was born May 23, 1926, in Shiprock into the Tl'izikani for the Ta'baanii.

George attended Shiprock Boarding School. He worked for the Santa Fe Railroad in Oklahoma City, Denver, and Idaho. He also worked as a ranch hand in Cortez, Colo., and a plumber in Gallup. He was a minister with the Christian Reformed Mission at Rehoboth, Tohlakai and Teec Nos Pos, Ariz.

He served as a secretary for the Church Rock Chapter and was a C.A.C. member. He traveled with Navajo medicine men for healing ceremonies.

Survivors include his son, Bennie J. Smith of Church Rock; daughters, Helen George of Church Rock and Juanita G. Kinsel of Fort Defiance, Ariz.; brother, Frank L. George of Shiprock; and two grandchildren.

George was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Smith George; parents; brothers, Tom George and Robbie George; sister, Louise G. Hayes and stepson Freddie Smith.

Pallbearers will be Tully Hayes, Ben Johnson Jr., Tom Johnson, Harry Mason, Jay Johnson, Alvina A. Begay, Wilfred R. George, and Anderson Chischilly.

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

Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Ronald Eric Harrison

WHEATFIELDS, Ariz. — Services for Ronald Harrison, 38 were held at 10 a.m. today, Feb. 23, at the graveside. Father Caron officiated. Burial followed in the family cemetery.

Harrison died Feb. 14 in San Francisco, Calif. He was born July 9, 1963, in San Francisco into the Tlinkgit Eskimo for the Red Bottom clan.

Harrison attended elementary and high school in San Franciso. He was employed with a retail store, in the warehouse. His hobbies included horseback riding and outdoor activities.

Survivors include four sons, all of San Franciso; two daughters, both of San Franciso; father, David Harrison; and sisters, Marilyn Kaye and Elenor Kaye, both of Juno, Alaska.

Harrison was preceded in death by his mother, Gloria John.

Pallbearers will be Michael Billie, Leland Tso, Garrett Henderson, Vernon Billie, Christopher Yazzie and Melford Gleason.

Tse Bonito Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.