High winds whip city
Tree topples, windows break
Andrea Egger
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Wind and dust gushed through Gallup on Thursday,
breaking vehicle windows and taking shingles off houses while
making residents chew grit.
Gallup City Manager David Ruiz said today that he has heard of
only three major problems caused by Thursday's high winds.
A tree at Strong and Aztec was partially uprooted, forcing city
crews to finish the job for safety reasons. City crews also had
to repair a pole on the east side that had snapped. There were
also reports that a sign for Pizza Hut on East Highway 66 was
demolished.
City Councilor Charlie Chavez, who owns Virgie's on West Highway
66, said the high winds during the noon hour were amazing.
"Cars usually go between 55 and 60 miles an hour past the
restaurant and people in the restaurant were looking out the restaurant's
windows and saying that the wind was blowing the dirt faster than
the cars," he said.
The National Weather Service in Albuquerque reported winds gusting
up to 69 mph out of the southwest in Gallup Thursday.
"That's a pretty good blow," said Grady Svoboda, meteorological
technician for the National Weather Service.
Today, the Gallup Municipal Airport reported winds at 45 mph at
10 a.m.
The wind advisory for Gallup today is "windy to very windy"
this afternoon, with west winds 25 to 35 mph, Svoboda said. Gallup
can expect partly cloudy conditions today with a high of 65 degrees
F. The low tonight will be 35 degrees.
Winds tonight will be 15 to 25 mph, and residents are asked to
use caution at area lakes.
On Saturday, the high will be 61 degrees F with a 20 percent chance
of precipitation. Svoboda said snow is expected in the higher
mountains in New Mexico but not in Gallup.
Saturday will also partly cloudy with southwest winds up to 20
or 30 mph in the afternoon. Saturday night will be in the low
to mid-30s.
"On Sunday, we'll be getting back into the wild stuff again,"
Svoboda said.
It will be mostly cloudy, windy and cooler, with a high in the
low 50s. Showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected.
The weather is being caused by a smaller storm coming through
today and a more intense storm on Sunday.
A dust storm earlier this week was caused by a storm from Mongolia
coming across the jetstream. Today that storm should be moving
northeast of New Mexico, Svoboda said.
"Dust got suspended high in the atmosphere. It takes a while
to precipitate out. It can cause rain," Svoboda said.
This can explain the heavy dust storm Thursday.
"Storms ripple all the way around the world," Svoboda
said.
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Principal calls teen ranch a haven, not
'jail'
Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer
GALLUP — The principal of the Canyon State Academy near Phoenix,
formerly the Arizona Boys Ranch, has taken
exception to statements made last week by two fathers in the Window
Rock Unified School District.
The fathers, Yolando Bowman and Romero Brown, expressed concern that
their sons, members of the high school baseball squad, had to stay
at the academy during a late March outing to play teams in Florence,
Ariz. They described the old Boys Ranch a private, nonprofit corporation
currently serving 91 troubled teens as being like a "jail."
Bowman said some team members slept on the floor, while Brown said
his son slept on a concrete floor.
Canyon State Academy Principal Jay Reichenberger said these statements
are simply not true.
"I guess my biggest concern is on the front of your paper, it
says, 'The truth well told,'" Reichenberger said in a telephone
interview. "We are the furthest thing from a jail."
The academy, located in Queen Creek, Ariz., next to Williams Air Force
Base, has its youth residents stay in cottages, while guests stay
in one of two large hospitality houses, Reichenberger said. Thirty-four
beds were provided for 28 Scout baseball players and four adults,
one being the bus driver. No one had to sleep on a floor, he emphasized.
A phone was provided if players needed to make a call. There was no
cable television, but the group did not arrive until after 1 a.m.,
Reichenberger said. The school does not have security guards, does
not have staff carry weapons and does not use restraints on its academy
residents.
Its high school-age students are given a complete education, with
special offerings such as horsemanship. They hold their own in sports
within Arizona's Division III, and academy teams are recognized by
the Arizona Interscholastic Association, Reichenberger added.
It has been hard to remove the "jail" stereotype for precisely
what Bowman and Brown expressed their ignorance about a school they
know nothing about, Reichenberger said. He offered that the real issue
may be the Window Rock Unified school board's less-than-supportive
attitude toward the high school's Interscholastic Athletic Council,
of which Brown is president. The council has been on a board-imposed
hiatus since October, and may be disbanded completely.
The reason the Window Rock High baseball Scouts took a Canyon State
Academy hospitality room is due in part to the illness of their former
Athletic Director, Bo Whitelock. Whitelock, whose contract was not
renewed by the school board last week, has been ill lately and recently
hospitalized.
"His (Whitelock's) secretary called down and said they couldn't
find any rooms," Reichenberger said. The call was made about
a week to 10 days before their scheduled trip to Florence.
Reichenberger said the problem with room availability in the Phoenix
area is that professional baseball's Cactus League where teams like
Major League Baseball's Cubs, Giants, Mariners and Padres compete
quickly fill up the rooms with baseball fans, often weeks or more
in advance. Knowing they have spring baseball enthusiasts in a pickle,
hotel owners often jack up nightly stays to $190, he said.
"That's the type of game hotels play down here," Reichenberger
said. He added that the academy charges $35 per night, per player,
which includes three meals per day. Those who don't take advantage
of all meals get a pro-rated refund.
Brown said last week that Window Rock High's athletic department was
trying to save about $700 by not having the players stay at a Best
Western hotel.
"I don't know anything about that," Reichenberger said.
Reichenberger said the academy's young men are polite, courteous and
helpful individuals who are a threat to no one.
"One coach told us, 'These are the most polite young men we've
ever played.' The whole (Independent) article (of last week) to me
is those parents have an ax to grind," he said.
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Milan police seek suspect in stabbing
Tara Drolma
Staff Writer
MILAN — Milan Police are looking for a young man who is suspected
of stabbing his father just before 10 p.m. Wednesday.
Milan Police Sgt. Jerry Stephens said the victim is Francisco Ramirez
Sr. of Milan and the suspect is the victim's son, Francisco Ramirez
Jr., 21, of Grants.
At 9:53 p.m. Milan dispatch received a call from a resident at 512
Russell St. saying there had been a stabbing at the house. When Officer
Darren De Aguerro arrived, he was told the victim was on the way to
the hospital and the son, who is the suspect, had fled.
Stephens said he arrived at the scene later and spoke to the family
briefly. He said Ramirez's mother and brother were in the house when
the stabbing occurred and the mother had taken her husband to the
hospital.
Police told local law enforcement agencies that Ramirez was driving
a light blue, full-size Chevy Blazer with a lift.
Officers located the Blazer at 12:30 p.m. Thursday at an Austin Street
residence in Grants where the younger Ramirez lives with his girlfriend.
Stephens said the girlfriend told him she had not seen Ramirez.
The elder Ramirez was initially taken to Cibola General Hospital.
Later he was transferred to the University of New Mexico Health Sciences
Center in Albuquerque, where he was listed in satisfactory condition.
The suspect has a history of arrests dating back to when he was a
juvenile. The charges include assault and battery and miscellaneous
crimes against property.
In February 1998 he was indicted on charges stemming from a burglary
at the Handy Andy Liquor Store on Santa Fe Avenue. He and several
juveniles broke into the store using a sledge hammer and took two
cases of beer and 35 bottles of liquor valued at more than $250.
At the time he was 19 years old and was on probation. After a plea
bargain he was convicted in June 1998 and Judge Pearl deferred his
three-year sentence and placed him on probation.
The records show Ramirez has had numerous probation violations. He
was told to stay away from his family and not to live at home. According
to one probation office report, "There is a significant amount
of social substance abuse at his family residence."
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Tuba City clinches title
Baseball roundup
Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer
TUBA CITY, Ariz. — Despite missing four senior starters that
were gone on their Senior Class trip, Tuba City was still able to
clinch the 3A North Conference title Thursday with a 13-3 win over
Pinon.
Tuba City head coach Herbert Kaye said he was disappointed that the
Warriors (16-3 overall, 6-0 in conference) is without four senior
starters, James Justice, Aaron Norris, Roy Dallas and Michael Tallsalt,
who all left Wednesday for the high school senior class trip to Disneyland.
"I needed everybody here (in Winslow) to play the teams here,"
said Kaye whose Warriors will be competing in this weekend's Winslow
Invitational beginning today against Snowflake. "I had to call
up some JV players. This will hurt us in the tournament."
Senior pitcher-catcher Josh Allan opted to skip the Senior Class trip
and stayed back to play this weekend.
Allan went the distance and got the win against Pinon, allowing three
runs on four hits. Allan struck out 11 and walked three.
Allan also led the Warriors at the plate going 3-for-4 with two singles
and a double while Monte Little was 2-for-3 with a single and a double.
Pinon's H. Begay was 2-for-3 with a single and a double.
Tuba City will be pitting against Snowflake in a game played earlier
this morning in the Winslow Invitational.
Winslow 19, Ganado 3
Winslow erupted for 13 runs in the second inning en route to blasting
Ganado 19-3 in five innings in a 3A North Conference game Thursday.
Winslow, 14-8 overall, 5-1 in conference behind Tuba City which beat
the Bulldogs 15-13 earlier in the season, awaits next week's regional
play that begins Monday. Winslow is hosting a two-day tournament beginning
today.
The Bulldogs grabbed a 5-0 lead after the first inning and increased
that to 18-0 after two innings. Ganado scored two runs in the fourth
and one in the fifth.
Winslow outhit Ganado 14 to 7. The Hornets were hurt by six errors
while the Bulldogs played errorless ball.
Ganado's Cody Mueller took the loss, lasting three innings and getting
pounded for 18 runs on 13 hits. Mueller fanned two and walked six.
Lavon Salabiye came on in relief and gave up one run on one hit while
striking out two and walking two.
Winslow's Alan Richards was the winning pitcher, going three innings
and allowing no runs on two hits. Richards fanned three and walked
three. Shawn Meade finished the game and gave up three runs on five
hits. Meade stuck out three and did not walk a batter.
Ganado's Chris Semore was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and Marlo
Puente hit a solo home run in the fifth for the Hornets.
Winslow's leading hitters were Mike Beeson 2-for-2 with a single,
a three-run home run and five RBI; Daniel Vandervalk 2-for-2 with
a pair of singles and two RBI; Shawn Meade 2-for-2 with two singles
and three RBI; Seth Davis 2-for-4 with a
pair of doubles and two RBI; and Alan Richards 2-for-3 with a pair
of singles and one RBI.Hopi and Valley finally met in
their 2A North Conference doubleheader despite strong winds that would
stop the game due to the outfielder not in site from
the dirt, but the Bruins beat the Pirates 12-3 and 13-8 in a 2A on
Thursday afternoon.
Hopi sweeps Valley
Hopi pitcher Brian Auclair struck out a total of 22 batters to lead
the Bruins to a 2A North doubleheader sweep over Valley.
Auclair struck out 12 batters in the 12-3 opening game victory and
added 10 more in a 13-8 come-from-behind win. He limited the Pirates
to just four hits in the opener, while walking just three. Valley
had a little more success off Auclair in the second game tagging him
for nine hits. He also walked three.
"We just started out slow and didn't hit the ball," said
Pirate coach Rick Krause. "We had some players make a few mistakes
but hopefully we can continue to improve."
Kenderick John registered the loss with four strikeouts, three walks,
12 hits and hit batters.
Hopi led 11-0 before Sanders scored two runs in the fifth inning and
both teams scored a run in the sixth inning.
Chris Cly led the Pirates' hitting going 2-for-2 and Fillmore Martinez
had a hit with two RBIs.
The Bruins rallied from an 8-5 deficit in the second game to complete
the sweep.
Pirate Tyrell Francisco lost the game with three strikeouts, two walks
and 5 hits.
Hanson Winn led Valley's hitting going 3-for-4' Josh Woodard was 2-for-4
with a double and a triple; and Chris Stanley had a homerun.
"We are playing a lot better this year, hopefully we will end
with a winning season because last year we only won two games,"
Krause said.
Valley (4-4 in conference) will play home home against Many Farms
on Tuesday in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
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Panthers tune up with sweep
Michael Peretti
Staff Sports Writer
GALLUP — The Gallup Catholic Panthers went into Thursday's district
double header against Temple Baptist looking for a good challenge
before their big match-up with Laguna Acoma.
Instead, the Panthers had to settle for 15-3 and 13-3 wins in grueling
winds and heavy dust storms, in a pair of games that took almost five
and a half hours to complete.
"I'm glad it's over," Gallup Catholic head coach Amos Schmaltz
said after the double header marathon. "At times the kids played
like (Temple Baptist) did, but I'm just glad it is over. We will be
in Laguna on Saturday and hopefully the weather will cooperate."
The first game, which started at 2 p.m. was over early, as the Panthers
(13-1, 6-0 district) scored 10 runs in the first two innings on their
way to a 15-3 win. In the second game Temple Baptist (0-7, 0-7 district)
hung around for four innings before the Panthers pulled away for the
13-3 win...
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Council OKs step toward gambling
But Begaye veto expected
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation Council has taken the next step
toward the opening of a Nevada-style casino in the eastern-most satellite
reservation.
After 2 hours of debate, plus another 1 hours to read the 44-page
resolution and ordinance into the record, the council voted 44-19-2
(with 23 more delegates not voting or excused) shortly after 7 p.m.
Thursday to approve the law.
The ordinance is required by the U.S. Indian Gaming Regulatory Act
as one of the steps before a tribe can engage in casino-style gambling.
It must now be approved by the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Commission
before a contract ("gaming compact") can be negotiated with
New Mexico. Sponsors said since it is based on ordinances the commission
approved before, they don't foresee rejection...
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Milan mystery: Who authorized sewer hookups?
Tom Purdom
Staff Writer
MILAN — A whodunit surfaced Thursday in the Milan Board of
Trustees meeting with fingers of blame being pointed in every direction.
Someone, it seems, authorized a construction company doing work
on Willow Drive with federal Community Development Block Grants
money to construct 34 sewer hookups in a last-minute replacement
project because the old connections were deteriorated.
And although the work needed to be done, the "someone"
failed to first get approval for the additional work by the board
of trustees. The issue surfaced when the village was presented a
bill for thousands of dollars more than it had left in the project
budget...
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Family searches for missing man
Andrea Egger
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Family members of a missing Gallup man hope he will
contact them soon.
Alana Grey-Becenti has been looking for her brother, Eldon Grey,
43, since April 2. Grey was last seen at the Salvation Army Rehabilitation
Center on Lead and Broadway streets in Albuquerque, where he was
sent by court order out of St. Johns, Ariz.
Grey-Becenti doesn't know why her brother was court-ordered into
alcohol rehabilitation. He went to work at a warehouse on Osuna
in Albuquerque every week day and had passes on Saturdays, when
Grey-Becenti and other family members would come to Albuquerque
to take him to eat or shop.
On Saturday, March 31, the family didn't go to Albuquerque. And
when Grey checked himself out of the rehabilitation center, he never
returned. He left behind a lot of his belongings at the center...
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Police gear up for Olympics
Andrea Egger
Staff Writer
GALLUP — The Special Olympics summer games are almost here,
and area law enforcement are gearing up to help out.
Special Olympics Summer Games begin June 1 in Albuquerque. The games
always culminate with the Special Olympics torch being presented
from the Law Enforcement Torch Run.
This year, the torch will be brought by San Juan County law enforcement
on U.S. 666 to Gallup on May 29. Gallup's run to Grants will be
May 30.
Grants area law enforcement will take the torch to Albuquerque on
May 31.
McKinley Metropolitan Authority dispatcher Sharolyn Shetima and
Gallup Police Lt. Richard Perez are coordinating Gallup efforts
with the Special Olympics this year...
Chinle scores win against Scout JV
Abelita Rose Freeland
Staff Sports Writer
FT. DEFIANCE, Ariz. — A win is a win to the Chinle Wildcats
even if it was against the Window Rock JV who replaced the varsity
due to a lack of games this season.
The Wildcats beat the Scouts 16-6 in five innings on Thursday afternoon
in Fort Defiance.
"They (Chinle) have definitely improved a great deal from where
they were," said new Chinle coach Roy Dale. "This win
gives them a little bit of confidence to continue to play."
"I know Window Rock has a good bit of varsity players that
are going to be involved in the a tournament this weekend and they
did have some varsity players here, but this is a varsity game for
us and who they play is their business and we'll take a win anyway
we can get it," coach Dale added...
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Deaths
Irene Rose Albert
HOSPAH — Services for Irene Albert, 80, will be held at 10 a.m.
Saturday, April 21, at Rehoboth Christian Reformed Church. Pastor
Jimmy Etsitty will officiate. Burial will follow at Rehoboth Mission
Cemetery.
Albert died April 17 in Gallup. She was born Nov. 20, 1920, in Coyote
Canyon, into the Red Running into the Water People Clan for the Water
Flows Together People Clan.
Survivors include her sons, Earl M. Albert, Edison J. Albert, and
Emmit Ray Valenski, all of Albuquerque, Emerson C. Albert of Hospah
and Jimmy Albert of Ganado; daughters, Carmalita J. Albert, and Amie
Rose Ulibarri, both of Albuquerque, Elsie Rose Albert of Gallup, Emma
R. Albert of Sundance, Mary Rose Davis of Pueblo Pintado, and Lucille
C. Herrera of Ojo Encino; brother, Thomas Begay of Teec Nos Pos; sisters,
Blanche Charley of Coyote Canyon, Ella Holiday of Shiprock, and Anna
MacDonald of Two Grey Hills; 15 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren,
and two great-great grandchildren.
Albert was preceded in death by her husband, Woody Albert; parents,
Paul and Sarah Napoleon Begay; son, Ernest Albert; brother, Cecil
Albert; and sisters, Alice Charley, Ruby Curley, and Alta Ellsworth
and grandson.
Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
Patrick Pius Platero
WINDOW ROCK — Services for Patrick Pius Platero, 47, will be
held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 21, at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament,
Fort Defiance. Burial will follow on Platero family land, Tohajiilee.
Visitation will 4-6 p.m. tonight at Cope Memorial Chapel.
Platero died April 17 in Gallup. He was born May 12, 1953, in Albuquerque
into the Isleta Pueblo for the Mexican People.
Platero attended Chinle High School, Haskell Junior College and Northland
Pioneer College. He graduated from the Navajo Police Academy, served
with the Department of Law Enforcement with the Navajo Nation and
Papago Indian Tribe. He was a member of the International Association
of Chiefs of Police.
Survivors include his wife, Jayme Platero of Window Rock; sons, Edward
Platero of Albuquerque, Clarence Platero of Minnesota, Erick Franciso
and Weslee Platero, both of Window Rock; daughters, Shelly Platero-Reyna
of Mesa, Ariz., and Krystle Platero of Las Vegas, Nev.; parents, Dillion
and Rose Platero, both of Albuquerque; brothers, Gregory Platero of
Farmington, and Lawrence Platero and William Platero, both of Albuquerque;
sisters, Antoinette Day of Tucson, Ariz.,
Shirley Tapia, Mary Sherman, Patricia Soto and Maria Diaz, all of
Albuquerque; grandparents, Batista Lucero, Desidero
Platero and Jesse Platero; and five grandchildren.
Platero was preceded in death by his grandmother, Anita Padilla.
Pallbearers will be Gregory Platero, Robert Platero, Oscar J. White,
Leonard Day Jr., Dillion Charles Day, Willie Platero and Ronald Dawe.
The family will receive friends and relatives after the burial services
at Senior Citizens Center, Tohajiilee.
Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Nancy Chavez
GRANTS — Nancy Chavez, 65, died April 18.
She was born May 5, 1935.
Survivors include her husband, Sammy Chavez of Grants; sons, Alfred
Chavez of Grants, John Chavez and Tom Chavez, both of Albuquerque;
daughter, Christine Dominquez of Grants; brothers, Cleofes Rougemont
Jr. of Grants and Cipriano Rougemont of Pecos; sisters, Nila Bermudez
and Geraldine Porter, both of Grants, Irene Varela, Jesse Segura,
Carmen
Rougemont, and Lillain Armijo, all of Pecos and Rose Romero of Ruidoso;
seven grandchildren and two great-
grandchildren.
Chavez was preceded in death by her parents, Cleofus and Anita Rougemont;
brother, Freddy Rougemont; and sister, Inez Talmich.
Pallbearers will be Steve Matkovich, Randy Tafoya, Gary Varela, Billy
Tanuz Jr., Hamp Porter and Bobby Rougemont.
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