Uranium projects considered for area
Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer
WASHINGTON — Four-fifths of New Mexico's congressional delegation
expressed mixed views regarding two energy bill amendments from
U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) that would open up the Crownpoint
and Grants areas to an as-yet "unproven" uranium mining
technology.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee recently passed two amendments
to the committee's energy bill co-sponsored by Wilson and U.S.
Rep. Ted Strickland (D-Ohio). Wilson's amendments, designed to
restart the glutted uranium industry, propose that the U.S. Department
of Energy spend $10 million per year for the next three years
on research in uranium production.
Her proposals would permit an unspecified number of pilot mining
projects, likely in the Crownpoint and Grants areas, which would
make use of "in-situ" mining technology.
Wilson's amendments, scheduled to be considered next week by the
entire House of Representatives, would use part of the $30 million
over three years for low-cost environmental restoration technologies.
Her second amendment would extend until 2009 the federal government's
present moratorium on government sales of uranium. She has said
the moratorium is necessary to jump-start the glutted U.S. uranium
industry, made so by government-secured stockpiles.
In-situ mining uses a liquid-based solution to free uranium in
ground water and pump it to the surface. Proponents, including
Wilson, have been impressed with the fact that it does not produce
piles of uranium waste rock on the ground's surface.
"Part of this package is to prove the safety and viability
of the mining process," said Jim Chavez, a Sandia Laboratories
Congressional Fellow working with Wilson. "The purpose of
this is to benefit the entire state ... the basic research has
been done."
Chavez noted that Wilson's amendments fit well with President
George W. Bush's energy plans, which call for re-examination of
all forms of energy.
"Ms. Wilson is trying to address an energy supply issue,"
Chavez said Wednesday.
U.S. Sens. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Pete Domenici (R-N.M.),
and U.S. Rep. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) were also interviewed Wednesday
during this reporter's stop on Capitol Hill. While Bingaman and
Domenici, who has introduced Senate legislation similar to Wilson's,
are cautiously optimistic about the prospects for safe in-situ
mining, Udall opposes reopening the Navajo Nation to the uranium
industry.
Bingaman and Udall have both been instrumental in passing government
compensation over the past year that provides for Navajo families
whose former uranium workers have either died or fallen gravely
ill from cancers and respiratory conditions as a result of working
in reservation mines from the 1940s through the early 1980s.
Though uranium mining techniques are now safer, Udall said he
is most concerned with possible groundwater pollution that would
affect Eastern Agency Navajos, who he said already have a very
limited well water supply.
"I'm on the citizens' side on this one," Udall said.
"I think the technology is an unproven one.
"I think the citizens of Crownpoint have the right to be
concerned about polluting their one source of drinking water that's
for a community of 6,000 people."
Udall added that he isn't sure Wilson's amendments will "even
come up" next week, and decried government funding of what
he said should be a privately funded research endeavor.
Chavez offered a different scenario, saying, "it will pass
the House."
Domenici said he can only support his and Wilson's legislation
in the long term if environmental cleanup issues are given research
priority. How spent mines will be remediated and at what cost
will make or break the technology's future, the senator said.
"I think it's pretty important that we find out what neutral
people say about this," Domenici said. "Can we do this
better than we did in the past, as far as the environment?"
Bingaman said the prospects of successful in-situ mining is a
fairly new concept, noting it has been used by New Mexico's copper
mine industry for decades.
At this point, Bingaman said "I don't want to endorse any
particular mining plan."
"I think the problem with our miners being injured in the
past is that the miners themselves were not made aware of any
of the risks," he said. "The risks were not well understood.
We're much better able now to understand the health risks, and
to guard against them."
Chavez said the entire Gallup-Grants area was severely hurt by
the low-cost return, glutted uranium industry. As many as six
different companies are interested in area in-situ mining. One
of them, Hydro Resources Inc., has a standing application with
the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Chavez said he was unsure
whether in-situ pilot project companies would have to gain NRC
approval if Wilson's amendments become law.
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Code Talkers get red carpet
Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer
WASHINGTON — More than 700 admirers, both Native Americans and
Washingtonians, watched as congressional members honored Navajo Code
Talkers on Thursday.
Standing at a Capitol Rotunda podium, between life-like white marble
statues of Ulysses S. Grant and Abraham Lincoln, the lawmakers honored
the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers of World War II.
At 1:40 p.m. Eastern Time, President George W. Bush greeted four of
the five remaining original 29, personally handing them Congressional
Gold Medals.
Bush's gesture was preceded by ceremony honoration from a group that
included J. Dennis Hastert, speaker of the U.S.
House of Representatives, New Mexico Sen. Jeff Bingaman and Rep. Tom
Udall, and Colorado Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell and South Dakota
Sen. Tim Johnson.
The four honored by Bush were John Brown Jr. of Crystal, Allen Dale
June of West Valley City, Utah, Chester Nez of Albuquerque and Lloyd
Oliver of Phoenix. A fifth still-living member of the original 29,
Joe Palmer of Yuma, Ariz., had a family member accept the award for
him.
Family members representing the other 24 Code Talkers who helped develop
an unbreakable military code for use in the Pacific Theater later
accepted medals for the deceased veterans. The Congressional Gold
Medal stands as the nation's highest civilian honor.
As Bingaman, the Code Talker legislative sponsor, observed, the achievements
of these young Navajos most volunteering out of high school when they
were 17 to 19 years old go beyond being war heroes who provided radio
messages in such battles as Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Okinawa, Saipan and
Iwo Jima.
"In this case, it is also a celebration of human ingenuity and
human innovation," Bingaman said.
The first Code Talkers served with the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions.
Whereas it took non-Navajo forces more than two hours to send an unbreakable
radio signal, the Navajos used a constantly altered version of the
Diné language and could perform a key communication in 20 seconds.
Nighthorse Campbell said the military service of all Navajo Code Talkers
was long overdue for honors. Nighthorse Campbell noted that 77 years
before Navajos helped defeat the Japanese, their predecessors were
forced at gunpoint on a 300-mile walk from their homelands to Bosque
Redondo.
"It seemed their only crime was being born Navajo," Campbell
said. He offered that U.S. Marine commanders mentioned that U.S. forces
would not have been able to take Iwo Jima one of the Pacific's bloodiest
and most hard-fought engagements without the Navajo Code Talkers.
"Native Americans in general remain among the most-decorated
groups of all our military forces," Johnson said.
Day to remember
Thursday morning, the Navajo delegation attended a Bingaman-sponsored
breakfast in the Senate's Russell Building. A majority of Navajo Code
Talkers and their family members arrived in Washington about 8 p.m.
Wednesday, flying in on a Marine airplane that made passenger pickups
in Albuquerque and Phoenix, and refueling stops in Dallas and Memphis.
One of the highlights saw CNN News national correspondent Eileen O'Connor
interview Bingaman and Chester Nez on a balcony with a tree-lined
view.
As the interview progressed, actor Nicolas Cage appeared, stepping
out of an elevator in the company of a bodyguard, then quickly disappeared
after a brief discussion with Nez. Cage portrays a Marine bodyguard
assigned to defend a Navajo Code Talker played by Canadian Native
American actor Adam Beach in "Windtalkers." The MGM John
Woo-directed movie is set for a Nov. 9 release.
Roger Willie, a Navajo actor from Continental Divide, N.M., will make
his first major motion picture appearance in the film; his character
protected by a Marine bodyguard is played by Christian Slater. Beach,
Cage, Willie and Woo were part of an MGM-Wal Mart reception held Thursday
at the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress.
"I won't know until I see (the movie) whether I will be excited
or not," said Sam Billison, president of the Navajo Code Talker
Association of Window Rock. Billison added that Code Talker Association
pressure was instrumental in ensuring that Native Americans be used
to portray the Code Talkers. The group meets once a month at the Gallup
Chamber of Commerce, and members were previously visited by Woo.
One controversy surrounding the movie is how accurate Woo's screenwriters
have been in suggesting that Navajo Code Talkers were constantly engaged
by bodyguards, who were ordered that if in immediate danger of capture,
"Kill the Code Talker."
Navajo Code Talker Association Vice President Roy Hawthorne said the
1st Marine Division did not have bodyguards, but would sometimes engage
in radio missions under attachment to a Marine rifle company.
Regarding the code used, Hawthorne, who gives occasional chalkboard
lectures on its method, says those who developed the code received
an-ever changing alphabet. English letters were mixed in with Navajo
letters, along with words and phrases to be used. A Diné phrase
such as "The birds are going to the squaw dance" on at least
one occasion meant "a bombing attack is imminent."
"Our language wasn't written, so therefore there's no way to
trace it," June said.
"Navajos would understand the words, but they would have no idea
what (the code) meant," Hawthorne said.
Nez said an island landing on Guam was so risky due to a high-lying
coral reef that "the guy taking us on shore said "'I'm sorry,
you're going to have to get off and be on your own.' A lot of guys
got shot there."
The true extent of Code Talker-bodyguard relations will likely intensify
as the "Windtalkers" premiere approaches. Navajo Code Talker
service was not declassified until 1968.
Family affair
A theme common to all Code Talker families attending the Gold Medal
ceremony was reunion, and in some cases, discovery of relatives some
never knew they had.
The family of Johnny R. Manuelito at 19 recruited at Fort Wingate
as one of the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers exemplifies generational
distinguished service to the Marines. He was a post-war sawmill worker
with the Paiute tribe of Bishop, Calif., where his wife, the late
Jessie Ruby Manuelito, was a tribal member. Manuelito's seven children
as well as seven other relatives attended the breakfast. He died in
1968 and his wife, Jessie, died in 1999.
"It's really touching for us to be here on her behalf,"
said daughter Leanna Manuelito-Mojado of Riverside, Calif. "She
(Jessie Ruby Manuelito) would have been the one accepting the medal
for him."
Johnny's son, John R. Manuelito Jr., was a Marine who toured in Vietnam.
He accepted the award on behalf of the family.
"This family has been keyed on that Marine pride and tradition,
I guess you could say," the younger Manuelito said.
John R. Manuelito Jr.'s ex-wife, Gail K. Manuelito, was a Marine.
So was his son, John R. Manuelito III. His daughter, Karen G. Manuelito,
recently graduated from Marine boot camp in Paris Island, S.C.
Manuelito-Mojado said the family's ties to the Marines only begin
with the family.
"We've met people here who graduated with my dad at Fort Wingate
High School," she said.
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No extra time for violent inmate
Tom Purdom
Staff Writer
GRANTS — A Mexican national federal inmate doing time at Cibola
County Corrections Center in Milan found out that slugging a corrections
officer is a sure bet on getting an additional sentence, but he will
not have to serve any additional time.
Jaime Baeza-Carrasco decided to take on a guard on Jan. 9, and subsequently
was charged with aggravated battery upon a peace officer, a fourth-degree
felony.
Baeza-Carrasco decided to agree to a plea bargain offered by Assistant
District Attorney Michael Calligan and agreed to by his court-appointed
attorney John E. Bezzeg.
Baeza-Carrasco pleaded guilty to the felony charge before Thirteenth
Judicial District Judge Camille Olguin, who sentenced the 31-year-old
man to an additional 18 months in prison to run concurrent with his
federal prison sentence. In addition, Olguin ordered Baeza-Carrasco
to be placed on probation for one year after he is released from prison
and that he pay
probation costs.
In other court matters:
Olguin sentenced Frederico Galindo, 25, of Grants, to a 364-day deferred
sentence and 364 days of supervised probation for resisting, evading
or obstructing a police officer and attempted auto theft.
According to court documents Galindo tried to take a vehicle that
was not his and then ran from the law on May 22, 2000. He entered
a plea-bargain agreement with the district attorney's office, which
was approved by Olguin, who sentenced him to 364 days for each misdemeanor
count, ordered that the sentences are to run concurrent to each other
and then deferred the sentence. The judge also ordered Galindo to
pay probation costs.
Thirteenth Judicial District Judge Kenneth Brown sentenced Jason Butler,
27, of Provo, Utah, to a suspended sentence after he plea-bargained
with Assistant District Attorney James Jackson on a charge of felony
auto theft, a fourth-degree felony, which happened Aug. 2, 1999. Brown
also ordered Galindo to be placed on unsupervised probation for 18
months.
Brown sentenced William "Billy" Saavedra, 47, of 1208 N.
First St., Grants, to 364 days behind bars for the June 21, 2000,
attempted auto burglary, a misdemeanor. Brown then ordered the sentenced
to be suspended and placed him on supervised probation for 364 days
and additionally ordered Saavedra to pay probation costs. The sentence
was worked out in a plea-bargain arrangement between Assistant District
Attorney Kristina L. Faught-Hollar and Saavedra's attorney, Gary Fernandez.
Thirteenth Judicial District Judge Louis P. McDonald gave 28-year-old
Oscar Acosta of Milan a conditional discharge with no guilt placed
on his record in a felony possession of a controlled substance case
which took place Aug. 29, 2000. The deal was worked out in a plea-bargain
agreement between Calligan and Acosta's attorney, W. Ken Martinez.
McDonald also ordered that further actions in the case be deferred
for 18 months and that Acosta be placed on supervised probation for
18 months and
that he pay probation costs.
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Area athletes impress as All-Stars
Carrie Loretto
Sports Editor
ALBUQUERQUE — Foul trouble didn't keep former Gallup Catholic
standout Bryan Sparks from turning in an impressive performance during
the A-AA North-South All-Star Basketball Classic Thursday night.
Sparks shot 6-of-14 from the field and was the game's leading rebounder
with 8 boards in the North's 98-88 victory over the South at UNM Arena.
Navajo Prep graduate Brad Begay also had some impressive moments of
his own in the small-school game, including a behind-the-back pass
for an assist. His three assist total was the third best in the game.
Pat Crawford, the other area player selected, was on easily the best
team which featured future Utah Ute Chris Jackson of Los Alamos. Crawford's
Kirtland Broncos had beaten Jackson's Los Alamos Hilltoppers for the
AAAA state title last March. Last night they were both on the 113-96
winning North team.
Class A-AA
North 98, South 88
Getting a lot of minutes in an all-star event is tough. Being in foul
trouble makes it even rougher.
Nonetheless, both Sparks and Begay made the most of their playing
time.
A minute after subbing into the game, Sparks tipped in an offensive
board for his first basket. He also forced a turnover during his brief
1:59 stint.
Meanwhile, Begay caused a turnover, then assisted Wagon Mound's Ronnie
Cruz to put the North in the lead, 10-9 for the first time.
Sparks re-entered the game at the 11:51 mark with the South leading
15-12, and immediately made an impact. Sparks rebounded a missed one-and-one
free throw by Hope's Josh Salmon then literally scored from underneath
the basket at the other end. He grabbed a loose ball in the air but
came down with it too far underneath the basket. After checking his
footing, he reached back and laid the ball in the basket.
The South went up 28-23 on a pair of three-point plays from a pair
of players from Mesilla Valley Christian and led by as much as 33-27
before the North climbed back in.
Begay grabbed a defensive rebound that resulted in a pair of free
throws from Cimarron's Matt Brazil to tie the score at 33-33.
After two free throws by Cliff's Ryan Jameson, Sparks took a pass
from Daniel Pacheco, backed in towards the basket, spun and sank another
shot to retie the game at 35-35.
"I've been working on my footspeed all summer. It was one of
my weaker areas, but I think it's getting stronger,"Sparks said.
Begay also showed off some of his speed. He drove towards the hoop,
stopped, and gave the ball up to Mora's Daniel Pacheco for another
go-ahead basket, 40-38.
A three by Eunice's Jesse Contreras helped the South take a 43-42
halftime advantage.
Begay's highlight-reel play came at the beginning of the second half.
On a fastbreak, Begay took an outlet pass from Mesa Vista's Tomas
Vigil, swung it around his back, then dished off to Pacheco. He also
laid in a one-handed layup.
"There was no one to give it to so I just threw it up,"Begay
said.
Later in the half, he grabbed a defensive rebound and drove it downcourt
for a layup.
In the second half, foul trouble limited both players' minutes, but
when Sparks did get in with about eight minutes remaining,he again
made an immediate impact. Sparks tipped up a missed free throw and
watched from his back after hitting the floor on the play.
After that, Sparks missed a free throw and his next two shot attempts,
including a three-pointer from three-feet behind the line. He did
make 1-of-3 three-point attempts in the game.
"I got some good shots and some rebounds,"said Sparks assessing
his performance.
"They both played really well, but they both got into foul trouble
which limited their playing time,"North coach Dwayne Kibbs of
Des Moines said.
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Hopi carvers Moore and Tenakhongva take
top honors
Stan Bindell
Special to the Independent
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Some people don't know how to handle retirement,
but that hasn't been a problem for Ernest Moore Jr.
Moore retired in 1988 after 25 years in graphic design, but instead
of getting bored at home he turned to his passion of carving. His
latest carvings won Best of Show at the Museum of Northern Arizona
Hopi Show.
Don't expect to be able to hold the award-winning piece in one hand.
The award winner includes 23 pieces of carvings and can barely fit
on one table. The collection sells for $25,000.
While Moore took home the most prestigious award and the Best of Kachina
Division, the other top award winners at the 68th annual Hopi Marketplace
were: Clark Tenakhongva, Curator's Award; Delbridge Honanie, Marketplace
Award; Victor Lee Masayesva, Best of Jewelry and Charles Loloma Award;
Karen Charley, Best Pottery; Daisy Mansfield, Best of Basket; Kim
Obrzut, Best of Fine Arts; Wanda Kahe Fong, Best of General Division;
Amelia Taylor, Best of Open Senior Division; Frank Poolheco, Best
of Painted Gourd Rattles; Henry Shelton, Seniors Division Best of
Kachina Dolls; Amelia Taylor, Seniors Division Best of Baskets; and
Pauline Setalla, Seniors Division Best of Pottery...
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Election board debates process
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Board of Election Supervisors began
Thursday looking deeper into proposed changes to the tribal referendum
process, but still wants an independent attorney.
Supervisors also postponed, until legal advisers can attend, what
to do about Navajo County's request to alter the expired U.S. government-mandated
consent decree that requires a specific Navajo language public information
schedule be conducted before county-state-federal elections.
The board welcomed its newest member, Roberta Franklin of the Western
Agency, and heard Elections Director Carol Perry say that Navajo Attorney
General Levon Henry would be available for an Aug. 9 meeting.
Supervisors wanted Henry, Chief Legislative Counsel Steve Boos and
Council Speaker Edward T. Begay to attend its regular meeting Thursday,
but none was available. Nor was anyone else from Boos' depleted staff
available. The attorney formerly assigned, Lucy Simpson, has departed,
leaving Boos short three lawyers. Simpson's replacement, Ron Haven,
was out sick...
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Business group says: Smile, Gallup — or else
Bill Donovan
Staff Writer
GALLUP — The future of tourism in Gallup may rest on a smile.
People who come to Gallup on a regular basis to shop or eat already
know that smiles from service providers are few and far between
and that the lack of smiles may be one of the reasons tourists leave
the area with a frown on their faces.
Those views came from area businessmen who attended a committee
meeting for Adventure Gallup Thursday.
Adventure Gallup is the ambitious project now in its planning stages
by the Northwest Council of Governments. If it becomes a reality,
it will result in a number of activities, such as bike and hiking
trails, that government officials hope will attract tourists from
all over.
A feasibility study has already painted a glowing picture of the
possibilities and NWCOG has created a number of committees to look
into various aspects of the proposal, from what kinds of activities
can be created to where will the money and the land to do the projects
come from...
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Kiro defense team interviewing cops
Andrea Egger
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Robert Kiro's defense lawyer and an investigator visited
Gallup Thursday to interview Gallup police officers.
Gail Evans, attorney for the New Mexico Public Defender's Office's
Capital Crimes Division, and investigator Gary Wagner arrived in
Gallup around 10 a.m. and began interviews behind closed doors.
While they piece their case together, the defense staff still does
not have all the police reports and evidence they require.
Kiro, 34, is accused of capital murder in the May 30 death of Gallup
Police Cpl. Larry Brian Mitchell during a shootout at Kiro's home,
680 Murray Lane in Red Hills Mobile Home Park on Gallup's east side.
Kiro barricaded himself in the trailer for nine hours before police
stormed the trailer.
Larry Mitchell was shot in the shoulder area, around the protection
of the bulletproof vest, and the shot exited under his other arm.
Officer Michael Mitchell, no relation, was shot in the back, but
the bulletproof vest absorbed the shot. The whole incident began
when Kiro threatened his girlfriend with a gun...
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Budget passed in nick of time
Tara Drolma
Staff Writer
GRANTS — The Cibola County Commissioners approved a balanced
budget Thursday, just days before the July 30 cutoff date.
Had the commissioners not acted Thursday night, the State Division
of Finance and Administration can not accept an unbalanced budget
and they would have forced the county to operate in deficit using
last year's budget. The over-expenditures have been blamed on escalating
costs the county must pay for inmate housing.
Acting County Manager David Ulibarri presented the commissioners
a $3,047,025 budget, $219,467 less than the preliminary budget,
which was prepared by former county Manager Bob Ortiz. There was
some discussion of the budget before the commissioners unanimously
voted to accept it.
Ulibarri said he cut 14 positions one deputy clerk, two in the assessor's
office, three in the sheriff's office, four in the general office,
three in the road department, and one in recreation. Some of the
positions were already vacant and will not be filled and some positions
have been "reshuffled" to consolidate duties. He also
cut budgets in several program areas...
Don't hate me because I'm a reporter
Andrea Egger
Staff Writer
A friend of mine told me the other day, "People here really
hate you."
Why? Most of these people have never met me.
If they did, they'd see a cat lover who cries over hurt children
and animals. They'd see someone whom kids and animals like almost
immediately. And they'd see someone who like almost everybody, in
some way, has had a tough life.
But they don't. It's much easier to judge than to care...
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Deaths
Darrell P. Dotson
WINSLOW, Ariz. — Services for Darrell Dotson, 79, will be held
at 7 p.m. tonight at Owens Funeral Home, Winslow, and at 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 28, at the Whispering Cedars Camp, Jones Ranch.
Dotson died July 22. He was born Sept. 22, 1921, in Wirt County, W.Va.
Dotson and his wife LaVonne operated a tax consultation business for
more than 20 years, most recently in Winslow. They moved to the Southwest
as independent Baptist missionaries in the 1950s.
Survivors include their children, Darrell Dean and Lois Ann, both
of Oregon, Charles Lee and Richard Grant, both of New Mexico, Paul
Kent of Texas, John Timothy and Robert Eugene, both of Arizona; two
brothers; a sister; 20 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Frances Hono
VICTORVILLE, Calif. — Frances Hono, 79, died July 16 in Victorville,
Calif.
He was born June 27, 1932, in Gallup.
Hono graduated from Cathedral School in 1952 and served in the U.S.
Navy. He lived in Victorville, where he owned the
A&A Paint and Body Shop.
Survivors include his son, Patrick Nolan; daughter; Kimberly Clayton
of Colorado; mother, Melinda Gutierrez; brother, James
Hono of Victorville; sister, Bernadette Parrodin of Lafayette, La.;
and three grandchildren.
Correction
GALLUP — The obituary published for Angelita V. Roybal, 97, omitted
a surviving son, James Fredy Roybal of Taos.
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