Walk in Beauty



The Honorable Kelsey Begaye, President, Navajo Nation, speaks at a Navajo Nation blessing prayer service Friday night in Window Rock. The service was held by the inter-denominational churches of Navajo Christianity.

Photo by Jerry W. Kelley

Kidnap: 'It was all a big joke'

Andrea Egger
Staff Writer

GALLUP — It was all a prank, a joke. It wasn't a kidnapping at all. At least that is the way Adrian Weigl sees it.

Weigl, 19, of Gallup, told the story of how he duct-taped the legs of a friend, Joey Cordova of Gallup, handcuffed him and put him in the trunk of his car in early August. Cordova described the event quite differently in August, showing his scars from the handcuffs and describing a night of terror.

Weigl said in an interview that Cordova was spreading "sick rumors" about Weigl, but Weigl wouldn't confirm the nature of the rumors. Weigl said he and two other friends handcuffed and duct-taped Cordova and put him in the trunk as a prank and to teach him a lesson.

"I've been thrown in the trunk of my own car several times, and I didn't charge anyone with kidnapping. I just lay down and wait for them to let me out," Weigl said.

Since a story and interview with Cordova ran in the Aug. 12 Independent, Weigl said he wanted to set the story straight and also let people know that the charges against him were dismissed.

Magistrate Linda Eaton of Farmington dismissed the charges because six months had passed and the case hadn't even gone to the preliminary hearing, which determines whether the prosecutor has enough evidence to take the case to trial.

But District Attorney Karl Gillson said Thursday that he plans to refile charges. Gillson became District Attorney in December. The case originally belonged to then-District Attorney Mary Helen Baber.

Each of the three magistrates in Gallup recused themselves when broached with the case, which is why a Farmington magistrate handled it.

Gillson said a magistrate doesn't have the power to determine whether or not the district attorney can refile a case, unless the judge determines in a preliminary hearing that the prosecutor does not have enough evidence to proceed to trial.

Weigl said the Aug. 12 story incorrectly described events. However, the tale he told was remarkably like the one Cordova told in August. He said he and the other two people never tried to run over Cordova, never beat him and never threatened to kill him.

Weigl said he has been friends with Cordova since they were in middle school together. Cordova was at a party at Weigl's grandfather's store.

Weigl approached Cordova and told Cordova to quit spreading rumors about Weigl. Cordova hit Weigl three times on the side of the head with a full can of beer.

"When he did that, it made me so mad I wanted to fight with him. Then he came at me with a chair," Weigl said.

That's when Weigl and his two friends held Cordova down and duct-taped his feet after handcuffing his wrists. They threw him in the trunk of Weigl's car and drove to McGaffey.

There, Weigl took Cordova out of the trunk and took off the handcuffs and duct tape. Weigl told Cordova that Cordova should have just apologized for spreading the rumors, and the three wouldn't have taken him to McGaffey.

Weigl told him he was going to take his friends home and come back for Cordova later, after he'd had time to think, and take Cordova home.

That's when Cordova found a park ranger and called the police. The park ranger later found Weigl and his friends after they ran out of gas on N.M. 118. Weigl and his friends said they had been camping and didn't mention Cordova.

Cordova later met up with the park ranger and the three occupants of the car after talking with New Mexico State Police officers. Cordova identified Weigl and the others as the ones who kidnapped him and took him to McGaffey.

Weigl maintains it was all a prank. He was charged with first-degree felony kidnapping, second-degree felony conspiracy to commit kidnapping and fourth degree tampering with evidence. Similar charges against his friends were dismissed as long as they testified against Weigl.

Since the story ran in the newspaper in August, Weigl said he's had a hard time keeping a job. He was employed at the time by his grandfather at Sutherland Furniture Co.

His grandfather fired him because Weigl had been in trouble with the law as a juvenile, and his family had told him if he got in trouble again, he wouldn't have a job. Weigl admitted he has a record but didn't want to go into his charges as a juvenile.

Juvenile records are sealed, so charges against Weigl couldn't be confirmed.

Since being fired from Sutherland, Weigl has gone through several jobs, and he believes the article naming him as a kidnapper caused the problems.

"It was just a prank. I've had that done to me before and I didn't see anything wrong with it," Weigl said. "I never cried kidnapping. He was a friend of mine."

Weigl said he "feels bad" that Cordova took the situation the wrong way. Weigl also felt bad that when he and his friends took the handcuffs off Cordova, Cordova had purple marks on his hands, showing that the handcuffs were too tight.

Weigl wishes Cordova had told them the handcuffs were too tight. Weigl would have loosened them.

"I was so drunk I didn't pay attention to nothing," he said.

He said he and his friends drank four 30-packs of beer between them that night.

"I just want it known that the charges were dismissed and I'm sorry for it. I wish it never happened," Weigl said.

Gillson is not sure when charges will be refiled against Weigl, but he plans to see that the charges are refiled.

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In Window Rock, the main agenda should be serving the people

Larry Di Giovanni

In Window Rock, I'm referred to in certain circles as "the heavy." No, I'm not referring to my weight problem. Some Navajo tribal politicians apparently believe that I'm out to make the Navajo Nation Council and the tribal Department of Justice look bad.

An aggressive reporting style doesn't exactly mesh well with Window Rock beat assignments. I get the impression that freedom of speech and freedom of the press are American values that aren't treasured by many in central government.

There are too many people who work in the tribal capital afraid that, if they explain their views, they'll be reprimanded or worse. There are too many secret meetings going on. Just about everyone in Window Rock has a personal agenda. Personal agendas and meeting agendas abound, and often mesh.

What's happening to hydrologist Jack Utter is the best example of what transpires when someone exercises freedom of expression, supposedly protected in the Navajo Nation Bill of Human Rights. DOJ is coming down on him even though any punishment is supposed to come through the executive branch, where he works. People in DOJ, such as Navajo Nation Attorney General Levon Henry, are making disparaging remarks about him, verbally and in writing. Henry has placed a lot of pressure on President Kelsey Begaye to take action.

But wait a minute, Utter isn't on trial. In fact, going by the executive branch policy manual, he hasn't done one thing wrong, except express his personal views. But the attacks he has been receiving are certainly a violation of his due process rights.
His bosses have been threatened by Henry and are feeling extreme pressure. They have been courageous in their refusal (thus far) to violate personnel policy rules.

Yes, Mr. Henry, you'll have to be extremely "creative" in your desire to make something stick on a man who has simply said, "Tribal DOJ has dropped the ball over the years" on the Diné people's water rights.

I myself have felt the wrath of tribal prosecutors. In the March 8 complaint filed in Window Rock District Court against LeNora Johnson, vice president of the Navajo Board of Election Supervisors, Prosecutor John Kern continually refers to my articles and columns. Kern references my Feb. 17 Independent story, in which Johnson and election board President Eunice Begay rejected a settlement offer relayed by the powers-that-be seeking their criminal prosecution. They rejected the settlement offer, saying they had done nothing wrong.

Kern, in his effort to demonize me as the election board messenger, says, "The February 17 article further elaborated only the defendants' version of the facts, and emphasized their 'victimization' at the hands of a domineering and arrogant Navajo Nation Council and legislative attorneys." He says the settlement offer was made by the Chief Prosecutor in the true spirit of "hozho," Diné for "harmony."

Yet, I seem to recall giving Mr. Kern a chance to elaborate on the settlement offer. He declined, saying it was a privileged matter. I respected his position and response, but don't demonize me, sir, for a one-sided article that only turned out that way because YOU refused to elaborate. Also, you and your fellow prosecutors need to learn the difference between an article and a column. You referenced my Feb. 7 editorial, in which I said pursuing the criminal charges was like "kicking a dog about to take its last breath."

Well, that came from my column, which is an opinion piece. Here in the United States, people like me believe in freedom of speech and of the press. The reason I often reference unnamed sources is that the good Navajo people, many of whom work in Window Rock, are afraid that people like Levon Henry will come down on them. I'll stand behind my "kicking a dog"
statement until the day I die. It's so ironic that you're pursuing "abuse of power" charges against those I call the "Window Rock 8." I know where the real abuse is coming from.

Actually, in speaking to Mr. Kern, I get the feeling that this complaint came more from his superiors than it came from him.
He struck me as a man only forced to do his job. I bear him no malice, and he was actually very cordial and pleasant on the phone. I don't have animosity toward all tribal DOJ attorneys, either. There are some very nice ones. I only take issues with the ones I believe are abusing their authority.

In fact, I met lead Prosecutor Donovan Brown at the Martin Luther King Jr. rally in Window Rock a few months back. He braved the cold to walk all the way from the fairground to the Veterans Park by the President's Office. Mr. Brown told me of his upbringing as half-Native American, and half Anglo. It was tough for him growing up in such an environment, he said, sometimes being rejected by both worlds.

Mr. Brown's words rang true to me. They were sincere. I have a hard time believing a good man like him would have anything to do with this prosecution. But I haven' talked to him about it, nor do I plan to.

People have asked me what my "agenda" is. It is simply to ferret out the truth. I am an issues-driven reporter. I have concentrated heavily on the disarray at the tribal farm, and of late, the people's lack of water and water rights. I believe in advocacy journalism. To me, that means writing a fair and balanced story on an important issue that has received little attention thus far.

Positive changes can occur from such stories.

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Gallup pounded by cougars

Carrie Loretto
Sports Editor

GALLUP — Gallup's sporadic hitting continued as they stranded 11 runners in their latest loss, an 11-1 District 1AAAAA setback against Cibola Friday afternoon.

"That's a team that's going to be in the playoff hunt," head coach Robert Erp said following Gallup's second district loss.
"We're a team that's gotta scrap. When we've got a chance to score, we've got to come through."

The Bengals, who had seven hits in the game couldn't get them with runners on base, leaving the bases loaded twice.

Cibola starter Quentin Andes registered back-to-back strikeouts to end the Bengal threat in the fifth, then sat down three Bengal batters in a row after loading the bases in the sixth inning. After giving up a walk to Trevor Thomas, hitting Lewis and a single to Tony Saucedo, Andes struck out lead-off hitter Fermin Gallegos and got Hargrove and Montano to pop out to the infield.

"He's tough to deal with," Cibola coach Sewell said of his top pitcher whose fastball reaches the upper 80s.

Andes scattered seven hits, three walks, hit a batter and struck out eight. The only Bengal run he gave up was unearned.

Shane Hargrove reached on an error by shortstop Josh Mader and wound up on third when Andes' attempted pickoff sailed past first baseman Ian Blackergwen. Will Silva then singled into rightfield to knock in Hargrove and the Bengals led 1-0.

The lead was short-lived however as Cibola came back to tie the score in the top of the second.

Josh Escobedo reached base when third baseman Trevor Thomas bobbled the ball. Another error at third put Ryan Watkins on base. Bengal starter Ricky Luna nearly got out of the inning unscathed, but was called for a balk allowing Escobedo to score.

Another balk in the third inning resulted in an additional Cibola run. Blackergwen singled to rightfield then scored on Tim Grady's double over the head of leftfielder Jared Montano. Escobedo followed with a single to move Grady to third and he scored on Luna's second balk.

Cibola began to pull away in the fourth inning off six consecutive hits with two outs.

Andes started things off with a single into centerfield. Cris Delao followed with the first of four extra-base hits with an RBI double into leftfield. Blackergwen tagged a triple, then scored on the hit when the relay throw to the infield was missed.

Escobedo completed the run, turning a hit into shallow leftfield into an RBI double.

Cibola tagged Luna for 10 hits and chased him from the mound after that inning. Luna dropped to 2-3 for the season. He also struck out the same batter twice in his four innings.

Jeremy Lewis pitched the final two innings, giving up a pair of runs on four hits with one strikeout.

Blackergwen went 4-for-4 from the plate with three triples and a grounder. Designated hitter Grady was 3-for-4.

Saucedo, batting in the ninth position, was the only Bengal with two hits, going 2-for-3 with a pair of singles.

Erp is at a loss trying to solve the Bengals' lack of production with runners on base.

"We're trying to get them relaxed in those situations," he said. "We tell them to relax and wait for their pitch, then we go up there and swing at curve balls in the dirt. I don't know how to correct it. It's gotta be them, they've gotta be wanting (to hit in those situations), but I don't see it. We're searching for answers and we're not finding them right now."

Shiprock Invitational

Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer

SHIPROCK — The Grants Lady Pirates posted their first win of the softball season in dramatic style.

With the afternoon sun setting in the distance, Grants rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to steal a thrilling 7-6 win over Moriarty during the Shiprock Softball Invitational on a windy Friday afternoon.

Shiprock downed Sandia Prep 6-1 in its opening round game.

In the Shiprock Baseball Invitational, Bayfield, Colo. whipped Shiprock 14-1 Friday afternoon in the winner's bracket. In the other semifinals Dove Creek, Colo. edged the Farmington C team, 8-7. Bayfield will play Dove Creek in the tournament finals this afternoon. Shiprock will play the Farmington C team for third place. The Kirtland C team won by a forfeit over Zuni which was a no-show. Tohatchi beat Cuba. In other games, Shiprock routed Cuba 33-0, Dove Creek downed Kirtland
Central C 6-2, Farmington C thumped Zuni 9-1 and Bayfield whipped Tohatchi 21-0.

In today's softball semifinals, Kirtland Central will have played Window Rock this morning while Shiprock will have played Menaul. In the seventh place game, Wingate will have played Moriarty. In the consolation finals, Grants will go up against Sandia Prep. The losers of the morning semifinals will play for third place at 2:30 p.m. while the winners will play for the tournament championship at 4 p.m.

Grants 7, Moriarty 6

Grants (1-6) broke a six-game losing streak with an inspired 7-6 come-from-behind win over Moriarty in five innings.

"We have a young team," Grants head coach Michael Furbee said. "We start four freshmen. We made little mental mistakes because we're a young team. Sometimes we show flashes of what we could be. We've played a tough schedule playing Gallup and Espanola. We're still out of our league. This was our closest game we've been in. Hopefully this win will turn the team's confidence around."

Moriarty pushed across three unearned runs in the top of the first to grab an early lead.

Grants starting pitcher Gina Martinez loaded the bases with two outs as she walked Beanna Chavez and Rebekah Draper along with giving up a single to Andrea Cordier. Jolene Fowler then was safe at third after Grants shortstop Gia Boyd threw the ball away at first, allowing three runs to score.

But Grants answered with two runs of its own in the its half of the first. Martinez led off with a bloop triple down first base and Tori Boyd was hit by a pitch. Then Gia Boyd drove in both runs with a double to left but was picked off at third after trying to get back to the bag.

The Lady Pirates tied the game for the first time with a single run in the third on a single by Martinez and a double by Tori Boyd and a sacrifice fly by Gia Boyd.

However Moriarty broke the tie with three runs in the top of the fourth on no hits but with a pair of Grants errors.

Jennifer Bennett walked and Beanna Chavez was safe on an error at second. Bennett scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly. April Garcia was safe on an error in leftfield on a missed fly ball, allowing two more runs to score for a 6-3 Moriarty lead.

Grants got one of the runs back with a single run in the bottom of the fourth. Gabby Sabroe and Franny Tafoya had back-to-back singles on the first two pitches. Sabroe scored on a wild pitch.

In the bottom of the fifth with the time limit looming and the sun dropping below the horizon, Grants rallied for three runs for the win.

With one out, Tori Boyd was hit by a pitch. Gia Boyd was safe after an error at third base. Vail Rochlitz followed with a two-run triple to centerfield to tie the game. On a 2-2 pitch, Gabby Sabroe hit a soft ground ball down first base. Moriarty's first baseman April Garcia picked up the ball and threw to home plate but Rochiltz slid under the tag to score the winning run.

Grants senior starting pitcher Gina Martinez went the distance for the win. Martinez gave up six unearned runs on just two hits while striking out three and walking seven.

Moriarty's Jolene Fowler also went the distance, allowing seven runs on seven hits.

Grants was led by Gina Martinez who went 2-for-3 with a single, a triple and two runs scored, Vail Rochiltz 1-for-3 with a two-run triple and two RBI and Gia Boyd 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI.

Shiprock 6, Sandia Prep 1

Shiprock's senior Alexis Jones tossed a no-hitter in beating Sandia Prep 6-1.

Jones struck out seven but walked nine.

"It was an ugly win," Shiprock coach Kevin Werth said. "We were mentally flat. I don't know if it was because we're hosting the tournament. Alexis (Jones) walked nine. She struggled on the mound but she had a couple of extra base hits.
They stuck together and pulled together."

Jones led Shiprock (5-2) with a single and a triple in four at-bats. Freshman third baseman Irene Yazzie was 2-for-3 with two singles, one RBI and two runs scored. Junior catcher Brianna John was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and one RBI.

Shiprock scored two runs in the first, two in the second and two in the fourth.

Sandia Prep's Vanessa Coleman went the distance, allowing six runs on 11 hits. She fanned two and walked one.

After the tournament, Shiprock will play at Kirtland next Tuesday in a single game.

Kirtland 13, Grants 2

Kirtland's Renee Nelson tossed a one-hitter in beating Grants 13-2 in the first round.

The Lady Broncos scored six runs in the second with two outs after a throwing error on a third called strike and seven more in the third. Grants had a 1-0 lead after the first inning but was unable to score again until the fifth.

Grants senior pitcher Gina Martinez went the distance and took the loss.

Kirtland's leading hitters were Erin Johnson who was 2-for-4 with a double, triple, 4 RBI and two runs scored; and Cary Moon 3-for-4 with a single, double, triple and two runs scored.

Window Rock 7, Moriarty 1

Window Rock took advantage of nine errors to score five runs in the fifth and sixth innings en route to downing Moriarty 7-1.

Window Rock's Monica Nelson fanned eight and scattered four hits in going the distance for the win. Moriarty's Jolene Fowler took the loss.

Window Rock was paced by Tivona Begay who was 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and three runs scored and Erica Damon 2-for-4 with a pair of singles and two runs scored.

Sandia Prep 10, Wingate 9

Wingate wasted a 7-0 first inning lead en route to falling to Sandia Prep 10-9 in five innings.

Wingate led 7-0 before Sandia Prep rallied for three runs in the bottom of the first, two in second, three in the third and two in the fourth. The Lady Bears added two runs in the fourth only to fall short.

Wingate committed four costly errors.

Sandia Prep's Kennedy was the winning pitcher with Teka the loser for Wingate.

Menaul 8, Wingate 0

Menaul's Garcia tossed a one-hitter in blanking Wingate 8-0. Menaul scored all the runs they needed with seven runs in the first inning off Wingate losing pitcher Martinez.

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New 'Vista'

Staff Report

GALLUP — The Independent is featuring Vista Magazine in today's edition.

Vista Magazine offer Hispanics an English-language publication reflecting the diversity and dreams of the Latino population.
The magazine has Spanish-language editorials, inspirational profiles of outstanding Latinos, features such as Musica, HealthBeat, Moderna and RootSearch.

Vista Magazine was established in 1985, and delivered to Latinos stories about culture, travel, education or political issues. It offers something for everyone...

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Outdoor adventures to be promoted
Promoting tourism to be discussed

Bill Donovan
Staff writer

GALLUP — Quick. What's the first word that comes to your mind when someone mentions the word Gallup?

If its "adventure," the Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments really wants you to attend a public meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Gallup Chamber of Commerce.

The reason is that the subject of the meeting will be Adventure Gallup, a proposal that COG officials have been working on for the past two years as a way to promote the city and possibly attract more tourists to the area...

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Deaths

Aristeo Arellano Rangel

YAH TA HEY — Services for Aristeo Rangel, 75, will be held at 10 a.m., Monday April 2 at Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Father Diego Mazon will officiate. Burial will follow at Gallup City Cemetery.

A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m., Sunday, April 1 at Rollie Mortuary.

Rangel died March 28 in Gallup. He was born July 7, 1925 in Mentmore.

Rangel was a member of the Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.
S
urvivors include his daughter, Rosalie Alderete, Sandra Aragon, Lydia Rangel, Maria Cruz Rangel and Mary DeLaO all of Gallup and Annie Garcia of Albuquerque; sons, Alan Rangel, Joe Rangel and Mark Rangel all of Gallup and Lupe Rangel of Farmington; sisters, Juanita Martinez of Los Angeles, Calif. and Cruz Rangel of Albuquerque; brothers, Ignacio Rangel and Santiago Rangel both of Gallup and Ramon Rangel of Los Angeles; 26 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

Rangel was preceded in death by his parents, Jose and Josefa Rangel; son, Aristeo Rangel Jr., Pete Rangel; daughter, Mary Elizabeth Rangel and brother, Salvador Rangel.

Pallbearers will be Heath Aragon, John Meister, Christopher Rangel, Josh Rangel, Scott Rangel and Brian Salazar.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Yvonne Boyd

REHOBOTH — Services for Yvonne Boyd, 64, will be held at 1 p.m., Monday, April 2 at Rollie Mortuary Palm Chapel. Pastor David Toppen will officiate. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Park.

Boyd died March 29 in Albuquerque. She was born July 12, 1935 in Rehoboth into the Meadow People Clan for the Black Streak People Clan.

Survivors include her husband, Francis Morgan of Pinedale; son, David Boyd Jr. of Rehoboth; daughter, Glynnannac Mae Boyd of Rehoboth; mother, Esther Yazzie of Rehoboth; sisters, Marilyn Juan of Lake Valley, Marjoire Tom of Window Rock; Carolyn Lansing, Marie Livingston, Irene Yazzie and Roselyn Yazzie all of Rehoboth; brother, Willis Yazzie of Twin Lakes and one grandchild.

Boyd was preceded in death by her husband, David Boyd Sr.; sister, Ruth Duboise; brother, Marion Yazzie Jr.; grandmother, Tahnabah Hale and parent, Leonard Tsinnjinnie.

Pallbearers will be Pete Anderson, James Lansing, Roland Livingston, Herman Tom, John Yazzie and Willis Yazzie.
Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Johnnie Kee

VANDERWAGEN — Services for Johnnie Kee, 63, will be announced at a later date.

Kee died March 29 in Gallup. He was born Jan. 19, 1938 in Fort Wingate into the One Who Walks Around You People Clan for the Edge Water People Clan.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

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