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Petition calls for removal of football coach

Carrie Loretto
Sports Editor

GALLUP — A petition seeking the dismisal of Gallup High School head football coach Jeff Taylor is being circulated.

The petition is being circulated by parents of some varsity players who are dissatisfied with Taylor's reresults the season. The Bengals are 0-2 going into today's game against Rio Grande in Albuquerque.

"This doesn't have a lot to do with our getting ready to play Rio Grande," Taylor said during his weekly game preview interview Friday afternoon at the school. "Our focus right now needs to be the task at hand."

Those contacted by the Independent about the situation, including Taylor, Gallup Principal Mike Butkovich and a few parents involved in the petition drive, were not forthcoming with any details except one instance involving an injured player.

A first-year player suffered a broken arm that resulted in surgery that required a plate and eight screws following practice last Wednesday.

Although parent Patty Mataya conceded the injury was an accident, she was displeased with the fact that the team's trainer did not attend to her son until after the team had returned to the high school from Public School Stadium. At that point, she felt Taylor or one of his coaches should have called her to pick up her injured son.

She said no one had contacted her by Monday.

"I think somebody needs to be in charge, he's (Taylor) not taking his position seriously enough to be in charge," said Mataya.
"Somebody should have represented the team to call and ask how he was doing. That would've made a big difference in how he felt."

Mataya added, "My only concern was my son's injury."

Another parent contacted by the Independent declined to go on record, saying that the group wants to see what type of results the petition will produce.

Butkovich has met with some parents and is handling it as any other personnel issue.

"We're aware there is a situation going on, we have met and addressed the situation," said Butkovich. "There are certain guidelines of the McKinley County Schools that we have to follow and we are moving on this following school board policy."

According to Assistant Superintendent Angelo DiPaolo, unless there is gross misconduct on the part of any district employee including anything pertaining to any violation of the law, there is no cause for immediate removal.

"Any time you have concerns, there is an evaluation process," DiPaolo said. "We try to resolve it working through the the building principal (Butkovich)."

Both he and Butkovich stressed that coaches are evaluated at the end of each season. Broad skills and techniques listed on the Coaches Evaluation Instrument for Gallup-McKinley County Schools include practice organization, teaching fundamentals, game knowledge, seeing and analying player mistakes, correcting player mistakes, stimulating sportsmanship, developing team spirit, developing leadership, developing player values and instilling self-confidence.

Other more specific criterion include concern for participant individuals; actively protomes/teaches/recognizes sportsmanship; self-control and positive profile; respect for authority, accept criticism; sells program to students through strong participation and retention; humanistic attitudes including respect for athletes; opportunities including providing every student equitable opportunity to try out and participate; advise participants of training rules and other regulations, procedures and expectations; rapport and communication with parents; and meet health and safety standards for athletes.

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Houses built for battered women

Zarana Sanghani
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Victims of domestic violence have used Battered Families Services Inc. to get away from dangerous situations for many years, but now the organization will try to help them even more.

Six units of housing will open up in October for victims of domestic violence. The apartments will serve as a transition for families who have escaped a violent home and are trying to be on their own.

Battered Families already has an emergency shelter where families can stay for about 90 days, but that is often not enough time for people to get a job, find a place to stay and get the services they need.

Women and their children can stay in the new housing for up to two years. They will have to pay for utilities. During that time, the women can get ready to find their own place to stay and, at the same time, stay in touch with Battered Families, said Michele Fuller, director of the organization.

Gallup apartments often have long waiting lists and women will go back to the home where they were being abused because they have nowhere else to go, Fuller said.

While the women stay at the transitional housing they are required to design a service plan describing what they need and what their goals are. That could include getting education, job skills or psychological counseling for themselves or their children.

"Because of the things we see with a lot of battered women," Fuller said, "is it became really dangerous to make decisions ... and those skills atrophied from not being used."

Battered Families can also help women get a job. The organization opened a resale store on Highway 66 that is staffed by victims of domestic violence. Southwest Indian Foundation works with Battered Families so that women can go to work for the foundation. Battered Families has also set up a Web site that victims who are artisans can use to develop a small business, Fuller said.

Fuller said Battered Families also has a job placement service that can help the women.

Having the women keep in contact with Battered Families may also boost the success rate of those victims, Fuller said.
Sometimes women who are trying to make it on their own for the first time give up because of roadblocks. But if they stay in touch with the organization, they can continue to get help and advice.

The apartments will not be furnished, but the residents can take use the furniture donated to the resale shop. The six apartments
used to be an old adobe building and a church. Through much remodeling and construction, the two buildings were merged.
Mataya Construction had to reframe the outside walls and build most of the inner walls.

The project took about two years to complete. The administration offices will move out of the building on South Second Street to the back half of the complex of the transitional apartments.

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Arizona lawmaker pushes Native American issues

Stan Bindell
Special to the Independent

TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona state Rep. Debra Norris, a native of Gallup, received the most votes in the Democratic primary in District 11 in the Tucson area. But she hopes she won't be lonely at the Legislature as the lone Native American not from the Navajo Nation.

Incumbent Sally Gonzales, in another southern Arizona district, lost her race and hopeful Mary Thomas also lost her bid to join the legislature. Gonzales is a Pasqua Yaqui while Thomas is Gila River and Hopi.

Norris, who is Navajo and Blackfoot, said tribal members who serve in the northern and southern parts of Arizona haven't always worked together. She said some state legislators have worked at dividing them.

"We should focus more on what we have in common," she said.

Norris said this should be discussed during the annual tribal legislative day, held annually at the capital in January. She added that this should also be an issue Sept. 23 during the Intertribal Council Voters Convention on the Gila River Indian Community.

Norris starts her fifth year in the Legislature knowing she will be term-limited after eight years. With Arizona getting ready to gain two congressional seats and with the boundaries about to change due to redistricting, she said she would consider running for Congress.

For now, she's happy with the strong showing in this race.

"As an Indian, I was glad I could show I have a broad base of support," she said. "Two of my opponents were from my base. My support was broader than I thought. It means a lot to me that I could pick up votes from everywhere in this diverse district."

Norris was recently elected first vie chairwoman of Arizona Democratic Party and a National Democratic Committee person.
She is only the second Native American to become a state's vice chair of the Democratic Party. The only other is Frank Lemere,
a Winnebago in Nebraska.

Norris said the top two national issues are sovereignty and a pardon for Leonard Peltier. She said sovereignty is an issue because the Republican Party in Washington state passed a resolution calling for the federal government to eliminate the concept of tribes.

Peltier has been in prison for more than 20 years for the murder of an FBI agent. Peltier has always said he is innocent and that he was framed for political reasons.

"I believe he did not have a fair trial and I question whether he's guilty. I believe he's innocent," she said.

Norris serves on the President's Commission on Tribal Colleges and Universities.

"I would like to see more funding for tribal colleges because that is the best place for individuals from the reservation to get an education," she said. "Colleges will bring them so many more opportunities and give them a better quality of life."

Norris, who has brought up Native American issues in the Legislature, said the governing body has improved during the past four years.

"We're not seeing as many anti-Indian bills. When I got here, there was a meteor shower," she said.

Norris said she has been able to explain and educate Indian issues to her colleagues. She said many had stereotyped Native
Americans and she has been able to dispel some of those stereotypes.

Norris has tried to change the "deduct law." This law, which was passed several years ago, deducts money from Indian state charter schools if they already receive federal funds. Indian leaders believe this is unfair because public schools receive federal funds and don't lose that money when they receive state funds.

"We still need to address that," she said.

Norris is also concerned about dual taxation on reservations, but she was also to amend a bill so taxes brought in from reservations can go back in the form of funding for tribal colleges. This will bring more money into Diné College on the Navajo Nation.

Norris, 28, is one of the youngest members in the Legislature.

Norris was born in Gallup and raised on the Tohono O'Odham Reservation.

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Gallup man plea bargains to battery

Zarana Sanghani
Staff Writer

GALLUP — A man who had been held on $1 million bond on charges of attempted murder pleaded guilty to aggravated battery on a household member with a deadly weapon Friday.

Kenneth Martinez of Gallup allegedly threatened to shoot himself, his wife Jolynn, and a man that had coffee with his wife.
Jolynn Martinez told the district attorney's office she did not want to pursue the attempted murder and other charges, so the plea bargain was accepted, said Michael Sanchez, the deputy DA.

The charge Martinez pleaded guilty to is a fourth-degree felony and his sentence is an 18-month supervised probation and 300 hours of community service. Charges of attempted murder and kidnapping were dropped.

His attorney, William Stripp, had filed a civil lawsuit in connection to the case against the presiding magistrate court judge, Rhoda Hunt. Stripp had excused the judge from the case, and Hunt had made a decision after that excusal. That led Stripp to sue, saying her actions on the case were invalid. Hunt had increased Martinez's bond from nothing to $1 million. (Before it was nothing the bond was $500,000.)

However, District Judge William Birdsall found that Stripp's excusal came too late so Hunt could preside over the case. When a plea bargain was agreed upon Friday morning, though, the case left magistrate court and went to Birdsall.

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Swirling dust devils injure three at Flagstaff energy fair

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Swirling dust devils with winds up to 60 mph struck the Coconino County Fairgrounds, injuring three people as they prepared an energy fair.

Paul Hellenberg of the Sheriff's Office said the three were hospitalized in good condition following Thursday's storms.

They were identified as Steve Wilke, 31, of Norman, Okla., and Rudgy Barela, 29, and Steve Villacres, 18, both of Scottsdale.

Barela was listed in good condition on Friday; the others were released Thursday...
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Wingate ready for week-long break

FORT WINGATE — A week break in their schedule couldn't have come at a better time for the Wingate Lady Bears.

Wingate was taken to five games for the second time in 10 days, their second in the last three nights before turning back Grants 11-15, 15-11, 16-14, 9-15, 15-13 Thursday night in an area volleyball match.

"I'm pretty exhausted," said Wingate coach Jennifer Gilson following the marathon match. "The girls were pretty tired but we came back and we wanted to win the game. The girls came back and started to play. We had to play smart. But both teams played consistent."

Wingate, now 5-2, will be off for a week before hosting Thoreau next Thursday in its district opener. Three of its last four matches have gone to the maximum five games with Wingate winning the last two matches. The Lady Bears outlasted Zuni Tuesday 13-15, 11-15, 15-6, 16-14, 16-14...

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Vets to see improvements

Staff Report

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A key Senate committee has approved legislation that contains funding for several projects, including improvements at tribal colleges, U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman announced.

Bingaman urged funding for these New Mexico projects in the fiscal year 2001 Veterans Affairs-Housing and Urban Developments and Independent Agencies (VA-HUD) Appropriations Bill a $104 billion measure that was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Funding is not final until the bill has been signed into law. The full Senate is not expected to consider the measure until later this month.

At Bingaman's insistence, the bill contains $3 million for facility upgrades at tribal colleges. The funds would be used for construction and renovation projects to alleviate overcrowding and improve substandard facilities...
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Tribal council proposed for Coconino County

Stan Bindell
Special to the Independent

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Native Americans in Coconino County will have more political power if Jose Mihesuah has his way.

Aresta LaRusso and Mihesuah have proposed the Flagstaff/Coconino County Intertribal Council on American Indian Affairs to serve as a vehicle to politically empower area Native Americans.

The proposal has been approved by Coconino County in the form of a resolution. Another resolution is pending approval by the city of Flagstaff.

It would establish a 13-member committee. The five tribes in Coconino County Navajo, Hopi, Paiute, Havasupai and Hualapai would be invited to have at least one representative on the committee. Members of the council would be Native Americans of federally recognized tribes and would have to live in Coconino County. Two members would be appointed by the county, two by the city and the rest by the tribes...

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Gallup to celebrate Character Counts week Oct. 16-21

S.J. Ludescher
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Schools, civic groups and counties across the country will play host to events celebrating the theme "Character Counts" from Oct. 16-21.

In 1993, President Clinton and both houses of Congress declared the third week in October "National Character Counts Week."
The week was set aside to highlight character education efforts and to draw attention to the importance of modeling good character.

Rallies, community forums, school assemblies, art and essay contests will be held, culminating in a parade at the end of the week. "The more coalitions that work together, the better the event becomes," Peace Process member Bill Bright said.

The week also spotlights work done throughout the year by organizations affiliated with the Character Counts program. In Gallup, many of the activities including the parade are being planned with the help of members of the Peace Process, comprised of representatives from various community organizations that share common goals of positive change through nonviolence and peace...

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Clinton criticizes jailing of Wen Ho Lee

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee's nine-month pretrial detention conflicts with America's disdain for "abusive executive authority," President Clinton said Friday as his administration came under growing criticism over the handling of the nuclear security case.

Some Republicans in Congress called the Justice Department's pursuit of the Taiwan-born scientist a "fiasco" and at least one Senate hearing on the government's actions has been scheduled.

The 60-year-old Taiwan-born scientist, fired from his job at the Los Alamos weapons lab in March 1999 and vilified as a suspected spy, pleaded guilty to one count of mishandling classified material and was set free Wednesday. The government dropped 58 other felony counts that once charged him with endangering some of America's most sensitive nuclear secrets. He was never charged with espionage and has maintained he never provided secrets to anyone...

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Deaths

Allen Richards

JONES RANCH — Services for Allen Richards "Kee-see-ie" will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18 at the family's residence in Jones Ranch, one mile east of Chichiltah Chapter House. Burial will follow at on private family land in Manuelito Canyon.

A visitation will be held 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18 at the family's residence in Jones Ranch.

Richards died Sept. 14 in Albuquerque. He was born May 4, 1921 in Lupton, Ariz. into the One Who Walks Around You People Clan for the Black Sheep People Clan.

Survivors include wife, Irene Richards of Chichiltah; sons, Jerry Richard of Salt Lake City, Utah, Frank Richards of Fort Wingate, Bennie Richards, Alvin Richards, George Richards and Benjamin Richards, all of Chichiltah; daughters, Glassie Tree of Chichiltah, Elouise Jones of Albuquerque, Laureen Metcalf of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Ella Mae Richards; 33 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.

Richards was preceded in death by father, Morris Kee; mother, Yile-bah Kee, daughter, Florence Brown; sons, Raymond
Richards and Alan Richards; and brothers, Richard Okee Tso, Kee Yazzie and Lee John Tso.

Pallbearers will be family members.

The family will receive friends and family after the burial services at the family residence in Jones Ranch all day today.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Willie Spencer Sr.

SPENCER VALLEY — Services for Willie Spencer Sr., 88, will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, Sept. 18 at Cope Memorial Chapel in Gallup. The Rev. David Lee will officiate. Burial will follow at the Rehoboth Cemetery in Rehoboth.

Spencer died Sept. 13 at the Vencor Hospital in Albuquerque. He was born April 14, 1912 in Spencer Valley.

Spencer was a life-long resident of Spencer Valley and the Pretty Rock area. He was a Navajo traditional leader, a leader of the Yei Bi Chei, a man of Navajo Blessings/Melody. He was a hunter and sheepherder. He retired from the Santa Fe Railroad.

Survivors include his wife, Nellie C. Spencer; sons, Willie Spencer Jr. of Spencer Valley and Henry Spencer of Window Rock, Ariz.; daughters, Jennie Spencer, Joanne Spencer, Maryann Spencer and Bernice Spencer, all of Spencer Valley, Annie Thom of Pine Haven, Elsie Soto of Phoenix, Ariz., Helen Cooper of Yuma, Ariz. and Rosemary Kia of Salt Lake City, Utah; 22 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Jerome Yazzie, Brian Scott, Jerry Bahe, Eddie Jack, Woody Spencer, Monty Jack and Andy Chee.

The family will receive friends and family after the burial services at Nellie C. Spencer's residence in Spencer Valley.

Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Francis Kee Burbank

CHINLE, Ariz. — Services for Francis Kee Burbank, 40, will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 18, at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church. Father Blane Grein, O.F.M., will officiate. Burial will follow at the Chinle Community Cemetery.

Burbank died Sept. 13 in Gallup. He was born Nov. 17, 1959, in Ganado, Ariz., into the Bitter Water People Clan for the One Who Walks Around You People Clan.

Burbank attended Chinle High School. He was a self-employed artist. His hobbies included drawing, playing basketball, bull riding, fishing, horseback riding and traveling. As a child, he enjoyed playing in Little League baseball.

Survivors include his mother, Adella Burbank; brothers, Billy Burbank, David Burbank and Wallace Burbank; and sisters, Marie Claw, Mary Ann Burbank, Jane Burbank, Susie B. Yazzie and Rosita B. Whitehair.

Burbank was preceded in death by his father, Hiram Burbank; brothers, Oscar Burbank and Andrew Burbank; and a sister, Sarah Burbank Baldwin.

Pallbearers will be friends and family.

The family will receive friends and family after burial services at Marie Claw's residence.

Tse Bonito Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Correction

GALLUP — In the obituary published for David A. Cruz, 57, Patricia Cruz was listed as a mother. Cruz was preceded in death by his daughter, Patricia Cruz. Patricia was not his mother.