Livestock on the loose

A car speeds past a cow warning sign along New Mexico Highway 602 on Thursday night.

Photo by Michael Fagans

Panel: Close UNM-G nursing school

Zarana Sanghani
Staff Writer

GALLUP — When an evaluation group told students and faculty at the University of New Mexico-Gallup it would recommend closing the local nursing program Thursday, the announcement hit hard.

Two staff members, one board member and one independent reviewer from the State Board of Nursing evaluated the University of New Mexico-Gallup Nursing Program on Wednesday and Thursday. On Thursday afternoon, they read aloud a short list of the program's strengths and a longer list of its deficiencies, then said they would tell the board the program should be closed.

The news was expected but upsetting.

The state board will make the final decision Oct. 20. The decision will affect more than 20 students.

The reviewers had more constructive things to say in private, said Allison Kozeliski, who works at Rehoboth McKinley
Christian Hospital and is the chairwoman of the UNM-G nursing advisory committee.

However, they could publicly discuss only items dealing with nursing school requirements because that was the task the board assigned to the reviewers, Kozeliski said.

The program is scheduled to close in December. The school has submitted a plan for closure as required. After the reviewers left, UNM-G Executive Director Robert Carlson reminded the audience that the reviewers were not allowed to discuss reopening the program but it was still in the picture.

Students were not thinking much about the administration of the program; most were worried about what would happen to their futures.

Through tears, a third-semester student asked, "Where are we going to go?"

After the meeting with the reviewers and the talk with Carlson, students stayed to share their fears and to comfort each other. Almost every student silently cried in the auditorium after the announcement.

One student's mother said she felt UNM-G's administration did not give sufficient attention to the problem when the state board put the program on probation two years ago.

The evaluators commended the nursing faculty for working hard and the community for its strong support of the program.

Then they listed several faults with the program.

The reviewers did not discuss the pass rate, which is the percent of graduates who pass the board exam the first time they take it. The pass rate got the program into trouble in the first place.

The state board requires programs to have an 80 percent pass rate. UNM-G's pass rate had been below that for three consecutive years when the board put the program on probation.

In the first two quarters of this year, the UNM-G nursing program's pass rate was still low. Last quarter, the rate was 89 percent. Last year's graduates took Kaplan classes which essentially teach how to take tests for free at UNM-G. Carlson said the classes would be offered to this year's December graduates as well.

Most of the problems the reviewers cited are in the curriculum.

The group said the faculty does not have experience in writing curriculum. Mary Kipple, the program's director, is the only one with extensive experience in education. One instructor said that most professors do not have an education background before they come to a college. In August, the state board did approve the new faculty members and the new parts of the curriculum they had written this summer.

The reviewers also said the classes are not consistent, do not build on each other from year to year and do not offer students enough clinical experience.

These were the same criticisms the State Board of Nursing had two years ago, and changes were made accordingly. Last year, the State Board of Nursing staff wrote to UNM-G saying those parts of the program had been improved to the board's satisfaction. However, as UNM-G and state board officials found out, changing parts of the program led to more inconsistency and deficiencies.

Kipple said an entirely new curriculum must be made. UNM-G officials hope the nursing faculty will get to do that next year.
The school will ask the state board's approval to reopen after several months, during which time a new curriculum can be written.

In the meantime, students will have to decide whether to wait for a new program, go into a different career or pursue nursing elsewhere.

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Livestock roam county roads
Owners warned of dangers

Tanya Brazil
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Police want livestock owners to be aware of the hazardous conditions they are causing on county roadways when they let their animals roam freely.

McKinley County Sheriff's Capt. Donna Goodrich said her agency primarily responds to calls about loose cows, bulls, horses and sheep in areas south of Gallup near State Road 602 and Jones Ranch Road.

The uncontained livestock has caused fatal accidents, thousands of dollars in property damage and rarely survive being hit by a vehicle.

For the most part, she said, the animals end up having to be "put out of their misery" by the state livestock inspector, police or the owner.

Recently, the problem has been most prevalent at night, she said, when owners intentionally release the animals so they can graze along the right of way.

But on occasion, police also have had to deal with incidents where feuding families let their neighbors' livestock loose, she said.

Livestock on the roadway is particularly dangerous at night, she said, because county roads generally are so dark that even with headlights, a driver's vision is limited.

It is difficult for a driver to stop suddenly when traveling at 55 mph, she said, and, at night, the scope of the headlights makes it impossible to see off the sides of the road and vision may become obscured by the headlights of oncoming vehicles.

New Mexico State Police Capt. Glenn Thomas said about two months ago one of his officers crashed into a cow while responding to a domestic violence call on Jones Ranch Road.

The accident caused $1,700 worth of damage to the officer's police unit, he said. "But it didn't seem to affect the cow; it just walked of," Thomas said.

He said his agency tends to get most calls about loose livestock near its station on State Road 118 and Jones Ranch Road.

"Owners are not monitoring their herds close enough," he said. "It's resulting in loose livestock and more accidents. If they would be more responsible with their herds, then those problems would be easily resolved."

When police get calls about livestock, the officers try to herd the livestock away from the roadway or back into their enclosures unless they can find the owner.

Thomas said last year, a bull charged one of his officers while he was in his cowboy capacity.

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Land, tax issues face Ariz. voters

This is the first of two stories looking at Arizona's Nov. 7 ballot propositions. Today's story covers proposed amendments to the state constitution.

Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau

FORT DEFIANCE, Ariz. — The 14 statewide propositions facing Arizona voters were explained to a small audience this week at the chapter house here.

Voter Outreach Director Alberto Olivas gave the two-hour presentation and answered questions because Secretary of State Betsey Bayless was unable to attend.

Adults who register by Oct. 9 can vote in the Nov. 7 general election.

More than half of the laws being submitted to voters would amend the state constitution. Here is a look at eight of them:

Proposition 100

This amendment would allow about 270,000 acres of state-owned public school trust land to be set aside to conserve cultural, historical, paleontological, natural resource or geological features as part of the Arizona Conservation Reserve. The approximately 70,000 acres already listed includes the Homolovi Ruins State Park at Winslow.

The proposition would allow grazing leases for longer than 10 years without an auction, and exchange of the state property for other public lands. The state land, part of the 1910 Arizona-New Mexico Enabling Act for the 48th and 47th states, also could be donated to public school districts for schools.

Proposition 101

This proposition modernizes some terms in the constitution, including the state militia, from able-bodied men ages 18-45 to "capable citizens" of those ages.

Proposition 102

This amendment would require that any initiative about limiting, prohibiting, or allowing the taking of wildlife fails unless it gets two-thirds of the votes. This would include the seasons, as well as the methods. Currently a simple majority of ballots cast adopts initiatives.

Proposition 103

This proposition would enlarge the membership and change the terms of the Arizona Corporation Commission.

The public utility regulatory body would grow from three to five members and change the maximum time they can serve from a single six-year term to a pair of four-year terms.

Proposition 104

This amendment would grant people who are at least 65 years old, who have lived at their address at least two years, and who are under a certain income level a property tax break by freezing the assessed valuation of their primary residence for three years.

After three years they would have to reapply to the county assessor, and can include up to 10 acres of land. The income level is 400 per cent of the federal poverty level if single and 500 per cent if married. Currently this means incomes of $24,576 and $30,720.

Proposition 105

This proposition would add a property tax exemption for human burial plots in cemeteries.

Proposition 106

This amendment would take the redistricting of the Arizona Legislature and U.S. House of Representatives from the state lawmakers and give it to a new five-member commission. Except for school board members, elected officials would be ineligible within the past three years. The time limit also applies to those appointed to office. Paid lobbyists also are outlawed on the panel.

Up to two members could be from the same political party or the same county. The leaders of the two major political parties in the state House of Representatives and Senate each would appoint one member, and the four commissioners would select the fifth commissioner.

The panel would work only after the U.S. Census, taken every decade. The redistricting commission would draw equal-population districts without extensive gerrymandering, such as with the present district that includes the Navajo reservation with parts of suburban Phoenix and the Hopi reservation in another Phoenix-controlled district. Other guidelines include respecting communities of interest, as much as possible, with the districts being a geographically compact and contiguous as possible.

Among the factors that cannot be considered are the residences of the incumbents, historical voting data, and political party registrations.

And the whole deal must be approved by the U.S. Justice Department.

Proposition 107

This proposition won't be on the ballot because the Arizona Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. It would have outlawed income taxes by municipalities, counties and the state. It also would have required a vote of the people to replace those taxes with other fees or levies.

Proposition 108

This amendment would let local telephone companies where there are two or more with service available to a majority or more of the customers set their own local rates, instead of having the Arizona Corporation Commission approve them.

It also would alter the basis the constitution requires the ACC to use to set the rates in regulated areas, from a fair value to a choice of several options. The proposition does not apply to long-distance companies.

Next:

The second report will cover the other propositions and judicial performance reviews for the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.

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Tuba City downs Window Rock

Abelita R. Freeland
Staff Sports Writer

FORT DEFIANCE, Ariz. — The Tuba City Lady Warriors took a hard-fought 15-6, 15-11 victory over the Window Rock Lady Scouts in 3A North Enchantment Region volleyball action Thursday night.

"We had never met them and we didn't really see them in the tournament this past weekend, but I know they always come out with a strong team and they always have a couple of good hitters, so I didn't know what to expect. I told my girls to go out and work hard out on the court," Tuba City coach Raelyn McCabe said.

The Lady Scouts would take a 3-0 lead in the first game with Vanessa Williams serving three points with a kill from Roberta Haskie and two lift calls on the Warriors. The Warriors got the sideout with a kill from Leighia Daw.

With the Scouts up by two, 4-2, they lost serve when a hit attempt by Warrior Amy North was blocked by Scouts Krystal Kontz and Haskie only to have it drop on Scouts' side of the net.

Warrior Gwendelyn Riggs served the next two points with two consecutive kills from Laella Begay which tied the game at 4-4. The Warriors lost the serve with an attempt by North being blocked by Scout Monika Nelson.

After trading sideouts, a kill from Laella Begay gave Tuba City the serve. North would serve the next eight points with a lift on Scouts, a block by Laella Begay, an error by Kontz, an attempt by Scout Leona Birtcher which was hit into the net, and kills by Daw and Laella Begay. The run ended with a serve into the net.

Window Rock scored their last two points of the game when Nadine Notah served one point with an attempt hit out of play by North and an attempt by Warrior Kim Glotfelty which was blocked by Haskie.

Tuba City's last next two points were with Heather Thomas serving two points on a hit out by Notah and an ace.

Game point was captured with an ace by Sharlimar Navaho as the Scouts watched the ball hit the ground.

Window Rock again had a 4-0 lead on Tuba City in game two. North brought her team back, serving two points which came on a hit attempt by Haskie going out of play and a lift on Scout Nelson.

The Warriors and Scouts traded two sideouts each with kills by Haskie for Window Rock and one by Johanna Begay for Tuba City.

TheWarriors would once again tie the game at 4-4 when Riggs served two points with a block by Haskie landing on the Scouts' side and a kill by Johanna Begay.

The Lady Scouts went back ahead 8-5 when Adrienna Begay served three points.

A block by Phylliberty Whitesinger, a net violation and a kill by North, retied the game at 8-8.

The Scouts scored again with an unexpected dink by Williams, only to find themselves tied again with a kill by Johanna Begay. Tuba City gained a one point lead with another kill by Begay.

Window Rock tied the game again with Haskie serving the point with a kill by Notah giving the Scouts their last point of the night.

The Lady Warriors won the game with Adrienna Begay serving one point with a successful dink by North. North also served for a point coming off a block by Daw of a dink attempt from Scout Star Rivera.

The final two points were served by Daw as Laella Begay registered two kills.

"We did a good job, our passes were down but we picked it up in the end," Tuba City junior Laella Begay said. "We push each other a lot, especially in practice. Everybody did a really good job and Window Rock has improved a lot."

"I felt that our team did really sloppy, but I was mixing things up again, trying to get chemistry and flow out there with some of the girls who hadn't play together," McCabe said.

Robert Haskie led the Scouts with 10 blocks, four attempts, four kills, one dig, five serves and one point. Also helping the Scouts were Nadine Notah with nine attempts, four kills, one dink, one dig, 14 serves with seven points and two blocks; Leona Birtcher had 10 attempts, two kills, four dinks, five serves with one point and five blocks. Star Rivera had three kills.Krystal Kontz had two blocks. Erica Damon and Monica Nelson each had two blocks.

Laella Begay led the Warriors with 10 kills and three blocks, along with help from Amy North with three kills, 12 attempts, three dinks, seven digs, and 11 points.

Leighia Daw had three kills and one block.

Johanna Begay had four kills and Phylliberty Whitesinger had two blocks.

Tuba City will play Tuesday against the Ganado Hornets. Window Rock will be competing in the Pima Tournament this weekend.

Bengals shooting for two in a row

Carrie Loretto
Sports Editor

GALLUP — A win followed by a week off, has the Gallup Bengals ready to celebrate what they hope will be another victory to cap off homecoming week tonight.

Tonight's game will kick off at 7 p.m. at Public School Stadium.

"That was definitely a big win for us," Gallup coach Jeff Taylor said about the Bengals' 42-0 victory over Rio Grande. "I thought the team played well. It was a good day all around. Hopefully we have a bunch more days like that."

The Bengals (1-2) are beginning to have some continuity in it's starting lineup and Taylor will start Ben Garcia at quarterback for the third straight game.

Garcia has thrown for 330 yards and four touchdowns in his previous two starts, completing 17-of-28 pass attempts. He was picked off once against Bloomfield.

Turnovers have been problematic for the Bengals this season. Gallup committed eight turnovers in its two losses and has 10 for the season.

"We can't have any breakdowns," Taylor said. "We feel like sizewise we match up pretty even. Speedwise, we're comparable in speed. The game could come down to turnovers."

The kicking game could also figure into the equation added Taylor.

The Bengals had Mitch Haight's punt blocked for a turnover and Abe Azua's extra-point attempt partially blocked in their season opening loss to Grants.

"We've been using soccer style kickers. We went back to kicking just straight on," explained Taylor.

Andrew Christensen was 6-for-6 in extra-point attempts last week.

"He's been on the kicking team on and off, mainly as a snapper. He's been accurate around 40," Taylor said of Christensen.

Haight will do the punting. He is averaging between 45 and 50 yards per punt with a 60-yarder against Rio Grande said Taylor.

Others also starting for the Bengals Taylor said will be B.J. Begay at center, Chris Touchin and KRUGER? AT GUARDS, Ben
Mitchell and JIM RAMIREZ? at tackles, Kevin Escajeda and Frank Buddick at the tight end spots and backs ANDREW
CHRISTENSEN AND JARRED MONTANO. Switching off at the split end position will be Chris Hendrix, Tony Morales,
Jason Fiero, Jonas Herrera and Ricky Luna who run in the plays.

XXXXXXXXX is starting in place of right guard Brian Long who may be out for the season with ligament damage in the knee.

"We're not sure if he's going to be able to return," said Taylor.

Montano, who suffered a concussion against Bloomfield, will return to the lineup after sitting out last week against Rio Grande. Montano rushed for a team-high 62 yards against Grants and 34 against Bloomfield.

Defensively, inside linebacker Frank Budick and defensive tackle Jim Ramirez, who are among the leading tacklers, will start said Taylor. He listed his other starters as Christensen (inside linebacker); Adam Becenti and Cody Etsitty (outside linebackers);
Johnny Ray Baca (tackle); B.J. Begay and Jude Candelaria (defensive ends) and Hendrix, Garcia and Fiero in the secondary.

Taylor feels the Bengals match up well with a young Belen team which runs an offense similar to Gallup's.

"We'll need to pressure the quarterback in passing situations and contain (their backs)," Taylor said.

Belen is led by 6'4" junior quarterback Ryan VanLandingham. Contreras and Gabaldon start in the backfield.

Belen is 0-4 with losses to Socorro (53-13), Los Lunas (25-6), Albuquerque High (16-6) and Rio Grande (20-6). The Eagles are coming in off their most recent loss against the Bengals' last opponent. Rio Grande, who had suspended several starters for the Gallup game due to disciplinary reasons, had their starters back against Belen last week.

The Bengals will have one starter sidelined for disciplinary reasons involving a damaged float.

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Bar patron struggles with officer

Tanya Brazil
Staff Writer

GALLUP — It may have been ladies' night at The Class Act Thursday but apparently it wasn't Jennifer Jones' night.

The 24-year-old Espanola woman was arrested after police said she threatened and assaulted the bar's manager, Lucy Lozzno, 49, of Gallup.

Jones became upset, police said, after the manager told her she could not come inside the bar because her driver's license did not look like it belonged to her.

At that point, Jones, who police said was intoxicated, began arguing loudly and up close with the manager, a police report said...

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Tainted ground cleaned at Tuba

Staff Report

TUBA CITY, Ariz.. — The U.S. Environment Protection Agency has approved a pilot plan for a new cleanup technology to be installed at the Tuba City Thriftway (Navajo Trails) gas station to remove gasoline contamination soil and groundwater.

Installation began at Highways 160 and 264 last April and the treatment system has been fully operational since Sept. 17.

To remove the contamination, air is being pumped into the ground, where it bubbles through the groundwater. The gasoline evaporates into the bubbles and is extracted at the surface. This cleanup technology has been proven effective in reducing concentrations of volatile organic compounds found in petroleum products at underground storage tank sites across the Southwest.

"This is a great step toward cleaning up the site," said Lester Kaufman, the EPA's chief of the Underground Storage Tanks Office in the Pacific Southwest region. "We thank the Navajo and Hopi tribes for their dedication and commitment toward protecting their communities' environment and public health...

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Deaths

Harry Benally

LITTLEWATER — Services for Harry Benally, 75, were held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Chapel of Memories Funeral Home in Kirtland. Dr. R.O. Hawthorne officiated. Burial followed at the Memory Gardens Cemetery with full military
honors by VFW Post 2182.

Benally died Sept. 26 at Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock. He was born Aug. 3, 1925, in Tocito to Benally and Ason Benally Tso.

Benally was a Navajo Code Talker and served with the U.S. Marine Corps. He was employed as a heavy equipment operator.
Survivors include his wife, Elsie T. Dixon of Littlewater; sons, Harrison Benally of Shiprock and Erickson Junior Benally of Littlewater; daughters, Lois Benally and Katherine Irene Jim, both of Shiprock, and Christine Jean Benally of Littlewater; brother, Rex Begay of Littlewater; a sister, Mary Henderson; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Pallbearers will be Melvin Jim, Lorezno Spencer, Jeffrey Clichee, Davis Begay, Stanley Henderson and Sterling Henderson.

Trudy Lynn Cooke

ROUGH ROCK, Ariz. — Services for Trudy Lynn Cooke, 10, will be held at 10 a.m. today, Sept. 29, at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Many Farms, Ariz. Father Blane Grien, OFM, will officate. Burial will follow at the Rough Rock Community Cemetery.

Cooke died Sept. 26 in Chinle, Ariz. She was born Oct. 12, 1990, in Chinle into the Red Running into the Water People Clan for Salt People Clan.

Survivors include her parents, Rudy Cooke of Window Rock, Ariz. and Melissa Begay of Salt Lake City, Utah; brother, Ryan Cooke of Window Rock, Ariz.; grandparents, Sadie Thomas of Rough Rock, Ariz. and Katherine Begay and Ricky Nelson, both of Window Rock, Ariz..

Cooke was preceded in death by grandparents, Bennie Begay and Shirley Begay.

Pallbearers will be Rudy Cooke, Ricky Nelson, Leonard Begay, and Cecil Thomas.

The family will receive friends and family after burial services at the Rough Rock Chapter House.

Tse Bonito Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Joe A. Smalley

FRUITLAND — Private funeral services for Joe A. Smalley, 64, will be held Saturday, Sept. 30.

Smalley died Sept. 26 in Fruitland. He was born July 8, 1936, in Gallup.

Survivors include his sons, Michael Smalley of Omaha, Neb., Leon Smalley of Fruitland, Joe Smalley Jr. of Grants and Steve Smalley of Evans, Colo., nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Donations can be made to Frontline Mission, P.O. Box 2625, Farmington, N.M. 87401.

Jan Jansen

COYOTE CANYON — Services for Jan Jansen, 53, will be announced at a later date.

Jansen died Sept. 27 in Albuquerque. She was born Nov. 27, 1946, in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Ernie Skeets

TWINLAKES — Services for Ernie Skeets, 29, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30 at Cope Memorial Chapel. Joe M. Lee will officiate. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Park.

Skeets died Sept. 26 in Tohatchi. He was born Oct. 22, 1970, in Zuni into the Red Bottom People Clan for the Mexian People Clan.

Skeets was graduate of Gallup High School and attended University of New Mexico-Gallup Branch. He served in the U.S.
Marine Corps for four years. He was awarded Rifle Expert Badge (3rd Award) National Defense Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal from the Marine Corps. He was employed by CEI Enterprise, Zachary Construction, and the McKinley County Adult Detention Center. His hobbies included rodeo, playing basketball, fishing, auto mechanics and welding.

Survivors include wife, Bernadine Thompson-Skeets of Tohatchi; sons, Zachary Skeets of Salt Lake City, Utah and Alexander Leonard Skeets of Gallup; daughter, Breanna Skeets and Courteney Skeets of Salt Lake City; parents, Johnny Johnson and Laura Skeets both of Twin Lakes; brothers, Johnny Johnson Jr., Jonathan Johnson both of Twin Lakes, Johnathan Skeets, Jeremy Skeets both Mentmore; sisters, Lenora Skeets, Cynthia Johnson, Christina Johnson and Talia Johnson all of Twin Lakes; grandparents, Ben and Mary George and Mattie Skeets.

Skeets preceded in death by father, Leonard Skeets; grandparents, Mary George, Ben George and Johnnie Skeets.

Pallbearers will be Albert Kieyooma, Olin Kieyooma , Arnold Skeets, Anderson Skeets, Bennett George, and Nixon Skeet.

The family will receive friends and relatives after the burial services at Johnny Johnson and Laura Skeets residents on Watson
Road in Twin Lakes.

Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Correction

GALLUP — An obituary printed Thursday incorrectly identified the parents of Nellie Morgan; they are Lucky Morgan and Annie Morris.