A March into History
Former Mayor Eddie Muñoz remembered as a driving force in changing Gallup

By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

Eddie Muñoz

GALLUP — The most vivid memory that Herb Mosher has of Eddie Muñoz the former mayor of Gallup who died Wednesday evening at his home of an apparent heart attack involves a great deal of blood and sacrifice.

It was 1989 and Muñoz had begged, pleaded and done everything he could to get as many people as possible to join in on a march to Santa Fe to bring awareness to state legislators of the problem that Gallupians were facing with alcohol abuse.

Muñoz decided that if it was a march, he would walk every step of the way to Santa Fe.

So each night of the eight or nine days it took to walk the 218 miles, Mosher and others watched as Muñoz's foot got worse and worse until by the end, most of the skin seemed to be scrapped off on one side of his right foot.

He refused to listen to anyone who suggested he get in a car and ride for part of the journey. This was his chance to show the state government how serious he felt about the need to help the town he loved and no pain would stop him.

By the time, Muñoz and the 60 or so others who started the journey got to Santa Fe, the marchers numbered 3,000 or so and their sacrifice and dedication convinced the legislators to close down the session for a couple of hours and listen to what the people of Gallup had to say.

On Thursday, many people around town were saying that this was Muñoz's finest hour.

A difference maker
As a result of the march, the legislature approved a series of bills that would provide for a city election to close down drive-up windows (it passed), create a liquor excise tax and provide the seed money for the establishment of the Nanizhoozhi Center.

Those who lived in Gallup during that time will remember that the decision to have the march and publicize Gallup's alcohol problem wasn't met with universal approval.

Many in Gallup were upset that because of Muñoz, Gallup was getting stuck with the name of "Drunk City USA."

But Mosher said Muñoz didn't care.

"He never wavered in his belief that something had to be done," Mosher said. "He cared more about Gallup than about just anyone I know."

In order to get support for the march and his other liquor initiatives, Muñoz would threaten to put up billboards at the entrance to Gallup saying "Welcome to Drunk City, USA. Drive here at your own risk."

And if that is what it took to get people to sit up and notice, he probably would have gone up and done that, Mosher said.

He didn't have to, of course.

His efforts to control the problem may not have ended the problem Gallup still is addressing it today some 15 years later but his efforts did manage to spur efforts that saw those with alcohol problems finally start getting treatment and also saw a number of programs begun to provide education and counseling.

Even an attempt to remove him from office by a recall movement didn't faze him. He just fought back, and the recall movement failed.

Thick skinned
All of this made a lot of people in town hate him, but Muñoz just ignored the criticism. If he thought he was doing the right thing, he just kept on doing what he though was right.

And he didn't get angry at those who opposed him.

"He didn't carry a grudge," Mosher said. "He never took it personally."

Gallup's current mayor, Bob Rosebrough, saw this side of Muñoz as well.

"We disagreed on many issues," Rosebrough said, pointing out that Muñoz was not one of his supporters when he ran three years ago, and throughout his administration, Muñoz was critical of a number of things that Rosebrough had done.

But throughout all of this, there was respect on both sides and Rosebrough said that eventually he and Muñoz began going to lunch on occasion, during which Gallup's most controversial mayor told him of the old days and how he was labeled a "Young Turk" when he came back to Gallup after serving in the military in the 1950s and challenged the Old Guard on their turf.

These luncheons, Rosebrough said Thursday during a press conference to talk about Muñoz, would probably remain some of the "most pleasurable moments" of his time in office.

But friends and supporters say that there were actually two different Muñozes.

First there was that Young Turk who risked being beaten both figuratively and literally when he stepped up and said in 1956 that he was running for the Town Board of Trustees, that a change was needed and he was that change.

He won that election, serving on the board for two years. He was then elected mayor, a postion he would hold for 11 years straight (the longest consecutive term in Gallup's history) and then come back again in 1987 for another four years.

During his first term as mayor, he also served as a McKinley County Commissioner.

Moving on
By 1992, his political career was behind him, but it was then that Muñoz began the second phase of his life, running his various businesses and overseeing his property.

He managed to keep a finger in the political pie, so to speak, by offering his advice which was sometimes unsolicited for any and all.

When a doctor at the Northside Clinic was fired during John Pena's administration, he let the mayor and the city council know that they had made a major mistake.

"Eddie never waffled," said former mayor John Pena. "You knew where he stood."

Pena's and Muñoz' time together went back to the 1960s, and Pena today credits Muñoz with getting him involved with the city by making him controller and then city manager during his term in office.

"He always had a vision," Pena said. "He always had a goal."

Another thing that Pena admired about Muñoz and something that may have been overshadowed by his efforts at alcohol reform was his efforts to make sure that everyone in the city government no matter how low their job was on the pay scale was treated fairly.

"He would do whatever he could to help the guy in the street department," Pena said.

Paul McCollum, who is now in the real estate business across from city hall, also served as city manager for a time under Muñoz and watched as Muñoz carried through his programs, no matter how much opposition he faced.

"We often didn't agree," McCollum said, "but he was a real tiger when he came to doing what he though was right for the city."

But McCollum and others said repeatedly on Thursday that the Gallup as it is today wouldn't be anywhere near the same if there had not been an Eddie Muñoz around to guide the town through some of its roughest times.

"His accomplishments have helped Gallup considerably," McCollum said.

There was a lighter side of Muñoz as well, a side that loved his family and loved the outdoors.

Local trader Perry Null went with Muñoz to southern New Mexico just two weeks ago quail hunting and remembers a time of joy and good feelings.

"He love to go fishing," Null said, pointing out that Muñoz served more than 10 years on the New Mexico Fish and Game Commission.

He spent many a day fishing and hunting and even after getting a pacemaker, he took the time to learn to shoot from the other shoulder because his pacemaker was on the side from which he would normally shoot.

There were those on Thursday that were predicting that attendance at his funeral may set records if everyone he has helped over the years comes to it.

As this issue was going to press, funeral arrangements were still pending. Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.