Master painter



Doug Norton empties the last drops from a bucket of paint Tuesday afternoon while repainting the outside of his home along Montoya Boulevard in Gallup.

Photo by Jeff Jones

 

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Grand jury to hear Bishop case

Andrea Egger
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Doug Bishop's attorney hopes the prosecutor will present evidence in his client's favor to grand jurors.

Bishop is charged with 60 felony counts of selling vehicles without having the title or registration to the vehicles. Peter Schoenburg of Albuquerque said he knew Deputy District Attorney Joe Arite planned to take the case to the grand jury when Arite dismissed the charges in Magistrate Court last week.

"It's a relatively insignificant procedural step in the case," Schoenburg said.

Bishop was arrested in March after New Mexico State Police Criminal Agent Henrietta Soland filed the 60 charges and three misdemeanor charges of selling cars without having a dealer's license. Bishop sold vehicles to 54 residents in January and February. Six bought more than one vehicle.

It's a felony not to have title to a vehicle being sold.

Schoenburg said he wasn't upset at all that the case didn't go in front of a magistrate because he expects Arite will present some evidence for Schoenburg's case to grand jurors. Typically, defense attorneys prefer preliminary hearings in front of a magistrate because the attorney can cross-examine witnesses and present evidence if they choose.

In grand jury hearings, which are held in secret, only the prosecutor presents evidence to jurors. These hearings are often one-sided.

Both types of hearings determine whether the prosecutor has enough evidence to go to trial.

Schoenburg doesn't expect Bishop's hearing to be one-sided. "District attorneys have the obligation to be fair," he said.

Schoenburg wouldn't say what evidence he hopes Arite will present to grand jurors.

Arite said he has presented evidence for the defense at grand jury hearings in the past.

"The prosecutor must present evidence that is directly exculpatory," Arite said.

Exculpatory evidence is a legal term meaning evidence that frees the defendant from blame.

"If it's not directly exculpatory, we don't have an obligation to present it," Arite said.

But he said to be fair, he usually would present evidence for the defense.

Arite hasn't seen any evidence for the defense in Bishop's case yet. He does not know when Bishop's case will be presented to the grand jury that convened last week.

Soland's investigation began after a woman went to the Motor Vehicle Division in Gallup and tried to register a vehicle she purchased from Bishop Cars, located at Bishop Optical, 1500 S. Second St. The employees at the Motor Vehicle Division wouldn't register the vehicle because they said Bishop doesn't have a dealer's license.

Soland followed up on the incident and went to Bishop Cars. She asked employees there to present their license.

When they couldn't, Soland obtained a restraining order to keep Bishop from selling cars until he obtained a dealer's license.
She seized records at Bishop Cars that contained purchase contracts with residents.

Each of the 60 charges refers to a vehicle sold by Bishop.

Soland said staff at the Motor Vehicle Division said Bishop came in once and asked for blank permit forms for vehicle registration. They wouldn't give them to Bishop because he didn't have a license.

Staff gave Bishop an application for a dealer's license, but he never filled it out and paid the fee to obtain a license.

Soland also confiscated blank permit forms from Bishop Cars. She's not sure where he obtained them, but they had to be from a Motor Vehicle Division branch office in New Mexico.

The state police have worked with residents who bought vehicles from Bishop and the Motor Vehicle Division to get the vehicles registered. Any payments owed to Bishop for the vehicles are on hold until a judge makes a decision in the case.

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Jail time for woman cut to zero

Tom Purdom
Staff Writer

GRANTS — A 38-year-old Cibola County woman, who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of shoplifting, assault on a peace officer and battery, was sentenced to 908 days in jail, but in the end a judge slashed it to no jail time.

On Aug. 31, Gloria Medina was caught shoplifting. During the arrest she assaulted and hit a cop.

Medina went before Thirteenth Judicial District Judge Camille Olguin on March 14 after working out a plea bargain agreement with the district attorney.

Olguin sentenced Medina to 364 days for shoplifting and suspended 363 days. Then Olguin sentenced Medina to 364 days for assault and suspended 363 days. Medina also was sentenced to 180 days for misdemeanor battery and 180 days of that sentence was suspenced by the judge.

That left two days of the 908 days of sentencing for possible jail time.

Olguin also gave Medina two days off for presentence credit.

Total jail time served by Medina: zero.

The judge did order Medina be placed on supervised probation for 364 days, to stay out of bars and to not take illegal drugs.

In another matter, Olguin sentenced Alan Walter, 38, to four and one half years in jail for leaving the scene of an accident knowing there was death or great bodily harm as a result of the accident, misdemeanor careless driving and tampering with evidence. The leaving-the-scene charge was a third-degree felony and the tampering charge a fourth-degree felony.

Walter could have spent five years behind bars. After Walter gets out of prison he is to serve two years of parole and is also to be placed on supervised probation for 364 days.

In other cases, Olguin:

Sentenced Tricia Tulley, 26, of Grants, to three years in prison for felony abandonment of her two children between Sept. 17 and Oct. 1, 2000. Olguin then ordered imposition of the sentence be deferred for three years and ordered Tulley not to possess or drink any alcohol, or take any non-prescriptive drugs and undergo treatment.

Sentenced Wesley Masterson, 42, of Grants, a repeat offender, to three years in prison and then suspended the sentence for felony forgery. Olguin ordered Masterson be placed on supervised probation for three years.

Sentenced Rosendo Morales, 26, of Cibola County, a habitual offender, to 18 months in prison for commercial burglary, 18 months for larceny over $250, 18 months for breaking and entering and one year for being a habitual offender. The judge suspended 54 months of the sentence for an actual sentence of one year.

Sentenced Leopoldo Hernandez, 43, of Cibola County, a repeat offender, to 18 months for receiving stolen property, 18 months for tampering with evidence and then suspended the 18 months with the provision that the two sentences are to run concurrently, and four years for being a second habitual offender, for an actual sentence of four years. Hernandez was given 110 days credit for time already served.

Sentenced 21-year-old Desmond Chavez of Albuquerque, to 30 days for a third offense driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, reckless driving, possession of alcoholic beverage, resisting arrest and driving while his license is suspended or revoked.

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Newcomb outclassed by Jal

Abelita Rose Freeland
Staff Sports Writer

ALBUQUERQUE — Talk about intimidation.

The Newcomb Lady Skyhawks drew Jal, who has won three of the last four state championships in Class A-AA, for the first round of the Region B Tournament.

Add to that an intimidating pitcher and Newcomb lost 15-0 in three innings at West Mesa High School on Wednesday afternoon.

"When they see a horse like that on the mound they get a little intimated," said Lady Skyhawk coach Alan Carter. "Those kids (Jal) play softball all year round down there and when you get a pitcher like that, it makes it hard."

Lady Panther pitcher Jenny Owen struck out eight of the nine Skyhawk batters she faced, allowing only a walk.

The only baserunner for the Skyhawks was Martine Talley who drew a one-out walk in the first inning. She was thrown out by Jal catcher Taelor Miller trying to steal second.

Meanwhile, the Panthers, who are coached by former Gallup softball coach Jimmy Sameniego, had no problems getting enough runs in to end the game on the 15-run mercy rule.

Eufemia Santos led off with a homer for Jal. Santos took two balls from Lady Skyhawk Glenda Mark then took the next pitch for a ride to left field for an infield home run.

Michelle Santos followed with a single and Jenny Owen struck out swinging for the first out. Michelle Santos then stole to second before Nicholle Segovia was walked. A successful bunt by Amy Bock brought in Michelle Santos and Jamy Smith was walked to load the bases.

Taelor Miller was also walked to bring in Segovia with bases still loaded.

Mark was able to get out of the bases loaded jam with a pair of strikeouts, and hold Jal to just three runs as the Panthers led 3-0.

But the Skyhawks couldn't generate much of an offense off Owen as she struck out Philomena James, Glenda Mark and Crystal Howard in just 13 pitches.

Jal's offense lit it up in the second and last inning, sending 20 batters to the plate. The Panthers, capitalizing on seven walks, needed only seven hits in the 12-run inning.

Five of the runs scored on stolen bases at home and Mark walked in another. The other six were hit in.

Newcomb's last attempt to stay in the game failed in the third inning when Renee Clichee, Pru Yazzie and Savannah Brown all struck out looking.

Mark, who finished the season with a 14-4 record, registered the pitching loss with four strikeouts, 10 walks and 10 hits.

"She threw a no hitter the last two games," Carter said about his senior pitcher. "But we have also played eight games in the last five days and have won all nine of our last games."

Newcomb (15-5 overall) will end their season at the Navajo Prep tournament this weekend in Farmington.

Newcomb will be graduating Mark, Johle and James this season.

"We have a few more games for the kids to get some experience and this is so far so good, but this isn't the way you would like it to end. We just went up a team that is just plain better than we are. Sometimes the dog can bite somebody but this time it bit really hard," Carter said.

"But we got girls that just didn't understand what it takes to play at another level. When they come from up there they just don't understand what it's like down here. They have to dig down a little deeper and be a little more determined in what they are doing. We have 50 percent that are like that and 50 percent that aren't."

Sameniego left the field before he could be interviewed by the Independent.

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NMSU tuition up in Grants

Tara Drolma
Staff Writer

GRANTS — The Grants/Cibola County School Board has approved a proposal that will increase tuition at the Grants branch of New Mexico State University by $2 per semester credit beginning in the fall.

Gary Isham, NMSU president, said tuition will be increased to $33 per credit unit. The university is required to pay the state 78 cents of every dollar collected from tuition fees or $26 of the $33.

Isham said an increase of $1.30 to $1.40 per credit unit would have been sufficient to cover the state's 5 percent increase.
However, the administration decided to ask for a $2 increase to offset any tuition adjustments in the next couple of years.

The school board approved NMSU's proposed $4.3 million budget for fiscal year 2002. Isham said that money stays in Grants because 90 percent of it is used for staff salaries...

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Window Rock recall stalled

Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer

WINDOW ROCK — Window Rock schools parent Romero Brown has a question for school board member Floyd Ashley, which he says Ashley has yet to answer.

"How come he (Ashley) is a board member here in the Window Rock district?" Brown recently asked.

The Independent asked Ashley during a break in the April 25 school board meeting about his school district residency status within the Window Rock Unified School District.

"We've been all through that," Ashley said in a huff, declining further comment before an executive session...

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Deaths

William M. Burrola

GALLUP — Services for William M. Burrola, 79, will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, May 4, at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Father Jim Walker will officiate. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Cemetery.

Visitation will be held at 11 a.m. today at Rollie Mortuary.

A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. tonight at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Burrola died April 30 in Albuquerque. He was born June 25, 1921, in Tokay.

Burrola served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a prisoner of war from April 8, 1941, until liberated Aug. 15, 1945, enduring the Bataan Death March and imprisioned in the Phillipines until Sept. 1942. The prisoners were then taken in convoy to China and Japan. He remained a prisoner in Mugden, Manchuria, until Aug. 15, 1945.

Burrola was employed by Fort Wingate Ordnance Depot as a firefighter from 1947 until retirement as assistant fire chief on June 30, 1973. He was a member of the American X-POW, Bataan Veterans Organization, American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Veterans, American Legion, Knights of
Columbus and Sacred Heart Cathedral parish.

Survivors include his wife, Sally Burrola of Gallup; sons, Arthur Burrola and Tony Burrola, both of Gallup; daughters, Lisa Burrola and Rosemary Chavez, both of Gallup, and Virginia Gabaldon of Albuquerque; brother, Dan Burrola of Corrales;
sisters, Mary Burrola and Natcha Madero, both of Albuquerque; 24 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren.

Burrola was preceded in death by his parents, Valentin and Guillerma Burrola; daughter, Mary Burrola; brothers, George Burrola, Joe Burrola, and Nick Burrola; one grandchild and one great-grandchild.

Pallbearers will be Bryan Burrola, Geroff Burrola, Pat Chavez, Ramon Chavez, Rick Chavez, Ricky Chavez, Robert Gabaldon and Michael Velasquez.

Donations may be made to RMCH Auxillary, 1900 Red Rock Dr., Gallup N.M. 87301.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Leonard S. Yazzie

TWIN BUTTES — Services for Leonard Yazzie, 42, will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, May 4, at the Crestview Diné Mission, Twin Buttes. Pastor Don Phoebus will officiate. Burial will follow on family land, Spencer Valley.

Yazzie was born Sept. 22, 1958, in Zuni into the Bitter Water Clan for the Meadow People Clan.

Yazzie attended Gallup High School. He was a self-employed mechanic and silversmith.

Survivors include his wife, Lillian Yazzie of Twin Buttes; sons, Laymond Yazzie, LyAnderson Yazzie and Ervinson Yazzie, all of Twin Buttes; daughter, Lilverlynn Spencer of Red Rock; parents, Helen S. and Andrew Yazzie, both of Vanderwagen; brother, Emerson Yazzie of Vanderwagen; sisters, Angela Yazzie and Bernice Begay, both of Vanderwagen; and one
grandchild.

Yazzie was preceded in death by his father, Andrew Yazzie; brothers, Ronnie Tsosie and Donson Yazzie; and grandmother, Al Hay Na Bah Spencer.

Pallbearers will be Laymond Yazzie, Elmer Bill, Jerome Yazzie, Ronald Pinto, Jeff Largo and Larry Spencer.

The family will receive friends and relatives after the burial services at the family's residence, Spencer Valley.

Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Dewayne A. Lewis

PINON, Ariz. — Graveside services for Dewayne Lewis, 28, will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, May 4, on family land, 5 miles northeast of Pinon Basha's Store. Father Blaine will officiate.

Lewis died April 29 in Pinon. He was born Nov. 23, 1972, in Lawrence, Kan., into the Many Goat People Clan for the Black People Clan.

Lewis attended Long View Elementary School in Murphy, Ill., and Falcon High School in Phoenix. His hobbies included listening to oldies music.

Survivors include his son, Jordan Lewis; daughter, Shanice Lewis; father, Anthony Lewis; brother, Daniel Lopez Jr. of Pinon; sister, Stephanie Begay of Phoenix; and grandparents, Dan C. and Charlotte Begay.

Lewis was preceded in death by his mother, Alice Pearl Lopez, and great-grandparents, Jesse and Bertha James.

The family will receive friends and relatives after the burial services at the Dan C. Begay residence, 5 miles northeast of Pinon Basha's Store, Pinon.

Tse Bonito Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Darrell Begay

PINON, Ariz. — Graveside services for Darrell Begay, 23, will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, May 4, on family land, 5 miles northeast of Pinon Basha's Store, Pinon.

Begay died April 29 in Pinon. He was born Aug. 26, 1977, in Keams Canyon, Ariz., into the Many Goat People Clan for the Coyote Pass-Jemez People Clan.

Begay attended Pinon Middle School, Chinle High School, Winslow High School and the Universal Institute of Technology, where he received his associate degree in automotive/diesel mechanics.

His hobbies included listening to music and working on vehicles.

Survivors include his brother, Daniel Lopez; sister, Stephaine Begay; and grandparents, Dan C. and Charlotte Begay.

Begay was preceded in death by his parents, Alice P. Lopez, Louise K. and Henry K. Klah, and great-grandparents, Bertha James and Jesse James.

The family will receive friends and relatives after the burial services at Dan C. Begay residence, 5 miles northeast of Pinon
Basha's Store, Pinon.

Tse Bonito Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Charlotte Danielita Lopez

PINON, Ariz. — Graveyard services for Charlotte Lopez, 17, will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, May 4, on family land, 5 miles northeast of Pinon Basha's Store, Pinon.

Lopez died April 29 at Pinon. She was born Sept. 6, 1983, in Phoenix into the Many Goats People Clan for the Mexican People Clan.

Lopez attended Sullivan School and Pinon High School. She participated in softball, basketball and soccer. She was a member of the National Honor Society, the Honor Roll and won many awards.

Her hobbies included participating in clubs at school, drawing, music and sports.

Survivors include her father, Daniel Lopez Sr.; brother, Daniel Lopez; sister, Stephanie Begay; and grandparents, Dan C. and Charolotte Begay.

Lopez was preceded in death by her mother, Alice P. Lopez.

The family will receive friends and relatives after the burial services at Dan C. Begay residence, 5 miles northeast of Pinon
Basha's Store, Pinon.

Tse Bonito Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Jerry Gene Killoagh

ZUNI MOUNTAINS — Services for Jerry Killoagh, 53, will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, May 4, at the Church of Christ, Grants. Tilt James will officiate. Burial will follow at Grants Memorial Park.

Visitation will be held 6-7 p.m. tonight at Grants Mortuary Chapel.

Killoagh died May 1 at his home in the Zuni Mountains. He was born March 22, 1948, in Santa Fe.

Killoagh was a Cibola County treasurer, 1981-1984 and county manager, appointed by Gov. King. He was the owner of
Service Printing and Office Supply, 1972-1992, and Eagle Motors, 1986 to present.

Survivors include his wife, Sherian Killoagh; sons, Travis Killoaugh and Kevin Killoaugh, both of Grants; daughters, Shauna Ferguson of Grants and Tawnya Thayer of Faywood; parents, Howard and Jean Killough of Milan; brothers, Allen
Killough and Larry Killough, both of Grants; sisters, Kathleen Calahan of Grants and Carolyn Brit of Morrill, Kan.; and
seven grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Travis Killough, Kevin Killough, Tony Ferguson, Clayton Thayer, Steven Ferguson, Daniel Ferguson,
Jeffrey Killough and Stephanie Killough.

Memory Manuelita Ramirez

GRANTS — Services for Memory Ramirez, infant, were held at 10 a.m. Monday, April 30, at Grants Memorial Park. Father Emeric Nordmeyer, OFM,officiated.

She died April 27 in Albuquerque.

Survivors include her parents, Rosie Martinez and Cisco Ramirez of Grants; brothers, James Suazo and Sammy Ramirez of Grants; grandparents, James and Kathy Saucedo, both of Gallup, Kiko and Prescilla Ramirez, both of Milan, Gabriel Jr. and Cindy Saucedo, both of Gallup, and Francisco Ramirez Sr. of Grants.

She was preceded in death by her great-great-grandfather, Gabriel Saucedo Sr., grandparents, Nick and Manuelita Baca, and Thomas Ramirez and Francis Ramirez.

Frankie Begay

PREWITT — Services for Frankie Begay, 48, will be announced at a later date.

Begay died April 29 in Gallup. He was born Dec. 19, 1952, in Crownpoint.

Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

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