Leaders want Gallup as one district
Bill Donovan
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Local Republican and Democratic party leaders were
in rare agreement Friday in asking state legislators to make Gallup
whole again.
As legislators hold public hearings across the state to get input
on the question of redistricting, local politicians urged legislators
to put all Gallup residents in one Senate and House district.
More than 30 members of the state legislature which may be a record
were in Gallup to hear from area residents on various redistricting
plans now under consideration by the state. The legislature will
hold a special session in September to approve a
new redistricting plan in light of population figures developed
from the 2000 federal census.
The state will redistrict Congressional seats, the Public Regulatory
Commission and the state board of education.
However, most of the comments Friday centered around the districting
plans for the state Senate and House districts. Several Gallup
residents, including the heads of the local Republican and Democrat
parties, urged that two distinct Gallup districts be combined.
In the senate, Gallup is currently located within two districts,
with District 3 going into Gallup from the north and ending at
the railroad tracks. The southern part of Gallup is located in
District 4 along with Zuni and Ramah.
Both districts are predominantly Native American with John Pinto
representing District 3 and former judge Lidio Rinaldi representing
District 4.
Brian Sanderoff, representing Research and Polling, Inc., the
company that drew up various scenarios, said some plans now under
consideration would put all of Gallup in one district. However,
because of its size, it would also have to include other areas
to be within the mandated population of 43,311 per district. Gallup
has a population of about 21,000.
A number of proposals, specifically those presented as A,B and
D, would maintain the status quo, with Gallup split and its residents
living in state senate Districts 3 and 4. Only in Concept C is
Gallup rendered into one district, sharing a senate seat with
Grants.
Much of the discussion on this centered around the question of
how big are Native American population districts in the northwestern
portion of McKinley county.
Keeping Gallup intact would eliminate a district that heretofore
has been predominantly Native American.
"But just because a district is predominantly Native American
doesn't mean that a Native American will be elected," said
Sanderoff. He noted that District 4 currently is inhabited predominantly
by Native Americans but is represented by a non-native American.
Concept C has the extra advantage of making District 3 more than
95 percent Native American, almost assuring that a Native American-probably
a Navajowould be elected.
Concept C is also very similar to a plan that is being proposed
by the Navajo Nation, he said.
The Navajo plan that was presented to the legislators on Thursday
at a Shiprock meeting would unify Gallup.
In the proposals for a redistricting of the House, some plans
have Gallup intact and others have Gallup divided into two and
even three districts in order to give the Native American population
a chance for more representation in the state legislature.
In one of the concepts under consideration, the Native American
population would be the predominant group in six of the districts,
giving them a possibility of electing six Native Americans. But
in that concept, Gallup would have to be split up and legislators
seemed to think that it would be best for the community to keep
Gallup intact.
Concept A, which was described as close to the present district
boundaries, would have all of Gallup in District 5, which would
also go east to Fort Wingate and Iyanbito to make up the 26,000
population that is required of House seats.
It is also close to the plan proposed by the Navajo Nation.
While no one spoke in opposition to the Navajo plan on Friday,
Speaker of the Navajo Council Ed T. Begay formally withdrew it,
saying that the tribe planned to take into consideration the comments
made on Thursday and would redraft it for submission later in
August.
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Laguna youth 'get high on life'
Tara Drolma
Staff Writer
BLUEWATER LAKE — Last week, 18 students from Laguna Middle School
hiked, rowed, rappelled, ate s'mors, climbed rock walls, built solar
ovens, and told stories around the campfire as part of a science camp
designed to show them how to "Get high on life, not drugs."
Staff Sgt. Reyes Martinez, camp commander for the week, has been a
full-time member of the New Mexico National Guard Counterdrug Support
Task Force for 10 years. Helping him were 13 adults from the Task
Force and nine Marine Cadets from the Moriarty High School ROTC program.
The Task Force works with organizations statewide to provide role
models for youth and to help them develop skills, trust, and self-esteem
so that they will say no to drugs.
Mike Chambers, an administrator at Laguna Middle School, said this
is the second year the school has held the camp, which is funded partially
by the school and from a $5,000 grant which he obtained.
The camp curriculum was developed by the National Science Foundation.
It is part of a national initiative to develop science and math curriculum
for children.
Turtle Haste, a science instructor at Laguna Middle School, said the
science curriculum is not too formal. They want the children to enjoy
themselves so much of the learning is spontaneous.
As an example, solar ovens built by the children didn't work well
because they did not use instructions that came with the curriculum,
but instead used an inquiry style, Haste said.
To stimulate the process Haste asked the children to think about what
they needed in an oven and what might work, then she encouraged them
to use a trial-and-error method to solve the problem.
Like Haste, Martinez said he and his officers weave anti-drug education
into the activities.
On Thursday, Martinez set up a 23-foot high portable rock climbing
wall. As he dangled upside down, held only by another officer, Martinez
asked the group, "If you knew this person was on drugs, would
you trust him?"
On Tuesday, when the students rappelled off a 60-foot canyon wall
and were hanging in mid-air, Martinez asked them, "Why is it
important to be drug free?"
Martinez said exercises like these help kids learn to trust others
and to work as a team. When they are hanging by a rope, you have their
attention, Martinez said.
He hopes the camps will show children that adults do care about them
and it is possible to get high on life without the use of drugs.
Another important component to the program is a zero tolerance policy
toward rudeness or any type of bad behavior. Students know if they
don't comply they will be sent home. Martinez said this is the seventh
camp this summer and he has not sent one student home.
The campers are taught that along with the fun comes responsibility.
There are "police patrols" where everyone must pick up litter
in the camp.
The Task Force's partnership with Laguna doesn't end when camp ends.
Another Task Force member, Staff Sgt. Victor Martinez, visits the
school regularly. Last year he taught an eight-week leadership course
and arranged for a Black Hawk helicopter to visit the school.
For more information about the program, call Staff Sgt. Reyes Martinez
at (505) 846-7234.
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Board gives Coy letter of discipline
But members won't explain their reasons
Tara Drolma
Staff Writer
GRANTS — The Grants/Cibola County School Board has approved a
letter of "disciplinary action" for Superintendent Linda
Coy, but has declined to explain its action.
The board voted unanimously to take the action, but members refused
to comment on details of the letter or why it was issued.
Coy said today that she preferred not to comment on the board's action,
adding, "This is a personnel matter and it is confidential."
Board member Mitzie Baca said the board had been advised that the
information is not subject to the public records act.
Bob Murdoch, another board member, said, "The motion speaks for
itself disciplinary action was needed in this situation."
The school board held a special board meeting Thursday to discuss
"limited personnel matters/superintendent." The board also
held a special session last Monday at Sky City Casino.
About half an hour after adjourning to a closed executive session,
the board returned Thursday night and unanimously approved a motion
to give Coy a letter of disciplinary action.
There were two items on Thursday's agenda. The first was an executive
session to discuss "limited personnel/superintendent" and
the second item was listed as "board action regarding the above."
The meeting adjourned 45 minutes after it started, a record for the
current board. The last regular meeting lasted five hours.
The board regularly goes behind closed doors to discuss "limited
personnel matters." The only agenda item for Monday's meeting
was a closed executive session to discuss "limited personnel
matters only." The meeting notice said there would be no action
items taken at the meeting.
The previous board had numerous executive sessions, but they were
scheduled as the last item on the meeting agenda so that the public
could go home.
The current board almost always adds the closed sessions to the agenda
at the last minute during the first part of the meeting. The executive
session is most often scheduled for the middle of the meeting, generally
before an important action item, which leaves the public waiting long
hours for their return.
Things apparently got heated at the July 24 meeting. Toward the end
of the two-hour closed session, people outside the meeting room could
hear board members shouting at one another just before they returned
to vote on the reorganization plan and administrators' salaries.
After voting to approve the reorganization chart they tabled a vote
on administrators' salaries.
Normally salaries for district personnel are approved in the spring.
There is some leeway for the process, but the school board policy
manual, which follows state guidelines, calls for voting on salaries
beginning in January. Administrators' salaries are to be approved
in March, or at the latest by June.
The board has said it could not vote on salaries until the reorganization
chart was finalized.
Coy, who came to Cibola County in September 1999, has been in education
for more than 18 years. She taught for five and a half years, including
several years at a school in Scotland. She has been an administrator
for 13 years. This year she begins her 10th year as a school superintendent.
Coy has a master's degree in educational administration and has completed
all but her dissertation for a doctoral in curriculum and instruction/learning
technologies. She has one year to complete the dissertation before
receiving her Ph.D.
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Begay posts identical times with different
partners
Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer
TO'HAJIILEE — Consistency and experience proved crucial in the
team roping and saddle bronc events during the Navajo Nation Rodeo
Cowboys Association-sanctioned 4th Annual Canoncito Rodeo that was
held in To'hajiilee over the weekend.
Veteran team roper Victor Begay of Seba Dalkai, Ariz., grabbed the
top two spots in the team roping competition with identical timed
runs with two different partners. Begay tied for first place with
nephew James Begay Jr. with a 5.83 second clocking during one run
and then came back and roped with his 17-year-old son Derrick and
again posted an identical 5.83 second run. The two runs were worth
$1,486 for the two teams, $743 for each run.
"I'm doing pretty good," Begay said of his winnings at To'hajiilee.
"Every year is a good year."
Begay said his best payoffs this year have been $2,500 at a pair of
Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeos at Taylor, Ariz. and
Durango, Colo.
When asked how many times he has qualified for the Indian National
Finals Rodeo, Begay replied: "I lost count but it's probably
about 21 times."
Begay said he will be competing in this weekend's Gallup Ceremonial
Rodeo along with the Timber Ridge Rodeo in Pinedale.
Veteran three-time world saddle bronc world champion JR Hunt of Shiprock
showed his classic winning style to place third.
Despite being 48 years old and competing against contestants that
are in their 20's or 30's, Hunt admits that he can still compete consistently
against the younger saddle bronc riders.
"I think that I have more confidence in myself," said Hunt
who has won world titles in 1981 and 1983 and just as recently as
1998 at the age of 45. "Most of the bronc riders competing have
been my students. Winning my third world title in 1998 when I was
45 wasn't a surprise to me. I set goals for myself."
A reserve world champion seven times and an INFR qualifier a remarkable
19 times, Hunt said he still has several more years of competition
left in the regular rodeo circuit.
"The senior association don't want me yet," Hunt said. "They
feel that I can still win competing againt the younger contestants.
So maybe when I'm 60 I'll compete in the senior association."
Hunt, who placed first at Many Farms along with placing in the money
at Crownpoint twice, at Bluff, Utah, at Chinle, Ariz. and at Dulce,
said he had to skip a pair of NNRCA rodeos this season in order to
put on two saddle bronc schools with fellow competitor Jerry Silver
of Tohatchi who placed second at To'hajiilee.
Competing in his seventh NNRCA-sanctioned rodeo this season, Hunt
said he will be able to meet the association requirement of competing
in at least nine rodeos in order to compete in the association's regional
finals and have a chance of advancing to the season-ending INFR that's
set for Billings, Montana.
Hunt, whose rodeo sponsor is Harold H. Begaye, said he will be competing
in the Gallup Ceremonial Rodeo which gets underway Friday afternoon
and also at the Timber Ridge Rodeo in Pinedale Saturday night. The
Crow Agency Rodeo will follow in two weeks for Hunt.
If you finish in the top 15 a rodeo contestant has a chance of advancing
to the INFR with the sudden death concept that's used in determining
the second INFR qualifier to go with the regular season champion.
Last year Hunt missed several rodeos after he dislocated his elbow
and shoulder but came back to win the regional finals average with
the sudden death concept and in the process qualified for his 19th
INFR. Hunt said he's gunning for No. 20 this year.
Hollis Jodie placed first in the steer wrestling with a fast 3.56
second takedown for first place money of $556, just edging out Harold
Manuelito who had a 3.75 ($417). Benson Kee was the top saddle bronc
rider with a winning ride of 77 that was worth $343. Ernest Bitsui
won the bareback with a 70 for $270. Dee Dee Fowler claimed the breakaway
roping with a 3.27 second run for $343. Garrison Begay took first
in the calf roping with a 8.70 second run for $556. Sue Dawn Pablo
topped the barrel racing field with a 17.19 for $293. Ryan Bitsui
posted a 71 score to pocket first place money of $594 in the bull
riding.
Yolanda Nez of Fruitland was the lone contestant able to place in
two or more events, taking second in the breakaway roping and barrel
racing events.
The 80th Annual Gallup Ceremonial Rodeo will get underway Friday afternoon
at Red Rock State Park. The first two performances will be at 1:30
p.m. Friday and Saturday for the long go. The short go will be on
Sunday at 1:30 p.m. There will be payouts in the long and short gos
and the average. A trophy saddle will be given to the all-around with
trophy buckles to the event champions.
There will also be a Double Iron Bull Riding Tour that will be held
Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Red Rock State Park. The Dine Land Senior
Rodeo Association will also be having a rodeo Wednesday at 6 p.m.
at Red Rock State Park.
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Church Rock man to stand trial for assault
Staff Report
GALLUP — A Church Rock man will face trial after a magistrate
found enough probable cause to believe he pulled a gun on a Gallup
man.
Larrison Price, 18, will face trial on the charge of aggravated assault,
said Assistant District Attorney Sean Fitting. Magistrate
Rhoda Hunt made her decision following a preliminary hearing Wednesday.
Price is accused of pulling a BB gun on William Trantalis, 36, in
the parking lot of the Shalimar on July 22.
Trantalis told Gallup Police that he and Price had argued moments
before Price pulled a gun on him...
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Car vandals sought
Staff Report
GALLUP — McKinley County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward
of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of people involved
in thousands of dollars of property damage to vehicles at Rico Motor
Co.
A Gallup Police press release states that between 6:30 p.m. July 21
and 8 a.m. July 22, and between 6:30 p.m. July 28 and 8 a.m. July
29, someone punctured tires on several vehicles on the Rico's auto
lot. The vandals caused $3,190 in damage on July 21 and $1,270 on
July 28.
Anyone with information on this vandalism should call the Gallup Police
Department, 863-9365, or Crime Stoppers, 722-6161...
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Judges: The best art 'jumps out'
Heather Armstrong
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Sixteen plucky experts took on the daunting task of
judging hundreds of arts and crafts entered into nine classes at
the Gallup Ceremonial judging at Red Rock State Park on Sunday.
Judging is an inexact science at best, so how do they judge the
pieces and how much does personal opinion enter in?
That depends on the judges, all of whom work for free and do not
get reimbursed for mileage, food or hotel, and the art medium.
John Hornbek of Gallup, who judged tribal arts, said he keeps an
open mind. The top entries seem to stand out immediately...
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Tribal session now two days
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — Unhappy with seemingly being a rubber stamp for
the Navajo Nation Council Speaker, the Council's Ethics and Rules
Committee on Friday voted to double the length of the upcoming special
session. The decision was not unanimous.
Chief of Legislative Services Rose Graham said, after talking with
Chief Legislative Counsel Steve Boos, that the speaker actually
calls a session, based on the committee's recommendation.
The two-day special session begins at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
After looking at the proposed agenda that Graham submitted, delegates
commented that two items alone would take a full day.
And there were five others items to be considered...
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Recall vote in Dilkon gets OK
Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer
WINDOW ROCK — A recent ruling by Navajo Hearings and Appeals
officer David Womochil has opened the door for a recall election
that could decide the fate of three Dilcon Community School board
members.
Womochil ruled that school board members Kee Ben Begay, Gerdie Manygoats
and board President Margie Barton did not present persuasive enough
evidence to show that 25 signatures gathered by the Dilkon Recall
Committee involved coercion, provided false information and other
wrongful tactics. Womochil said the three board members have 10
days from when his decision was filed (July 30) to appeal to the
Navajo Supreme Court.
A total of 145 valid signatures were required for each board member
in order to place their names on a future recall ballot. That number
represents 60 percent of Dilkon community voters who cast ballots
in the last Dilcon school board election.
The committee, led by Patricia Nezzie, collected 147 signatures
for Begay, 148 for Manygoats and 149 for Barton. They were certified
by the Navajo Election Administration...
AMA honors McKenzie
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — The American Medical Association has honored
Navajo Nation Vice President Dr. Taylor McKenzie as a career public
servant at the local level.
McKenzie, a retired Indian Health Service surgeon, was honored July
17 at the Dr. Nathan Davis Awards for Outstanding Government Service.
The awards are named after the AMA's founder.
Navajo Area IHS Director John Hubbard nominated McKenzie.
In a statement, Hubbard called McKenzie, "One of the finest
physicians and public servants in the United States today"
for "the distinguished services he has provided in public health
locally and nationally..."
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Gallup school program gets national
award
Andrea Egger
Staff Writer
GALLUP — The Gallup-McKinley County School District's counseling
program was recently recognized by a national program.
District counseling coordinator Judy Oakes showed the plaque that
was given to her during a conference of the American School Counselor
Association in Portland, Ore. Eleven other school programs across
the nation also received honorable mention awards, and two received
top national awards.
The award comes from the National Standards for School Counseling
Programs. Oakes and a committee of 12 other counselors worked on putting
the district's program onto paper.
Outstanding to the American School Counselor Association was the fact
that the Gallup-McKinley County district has so much hands-on counseling
from elementary up to high school level. Even Albuquerque schools
don't have a counselor in every school like the Gallup schools do...
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