City workers, officials also gave to party

By Kevin Killough
Staff writer

GALLUP — The city’s public Christmas party, which was held last month, attracted some 300 people from Gallup, according to City Attorney Dave Pederson.

As is done every year, Christmas Committee Chairman Ben Welsh sent out a letter to area businesses asking for donations for door prizes for the employees of the city, as way for the business to show their appreciation for services provided by city employees over the past year. All donations were completely voluntary.

City Hall department heads were also asked to donate, and nearly 20 people in city hall offered something.

“Certainly for me, it was a token of my appreciation for all (the employees’) hard work. Sometimes, we forget to thank people for the work they do,” Pederson said.

Pederson, who is relatively new to the position, said the party also gave him an opportunity to meet people of the community and some of the City Hall employees he doesn’t directly work with everyday.

City Manager Gerald Herrera also donated to and attended the party. He said that employees sometimes work under adverse conditions, and he wanted to give something back.
“The employees have to go out when it’s 10 degrees out to fix broken waterlines,” Herrera said.

City Clerk Alfred Abeita said that the people he works with often have to deal with hostile utility customers, which demands a lot of patience. He said his donation was in gratitude of their professionalism.

“They’re on the front lines with irate customers, and I was happy to do it,” Abeita said.

He said the party was very enjoyable.

“It was fun. It was nice to have a good meal, dance, and just mingle with the people I come to work with everyday,” he said.

List of donors:
A Taste of the Southwest —Two $22 Dinner Gift Certificates; Advance Technical Services — $200 Check Donation; All Indian Jewelry — Two 4-piece Candle Sets; All Star Janitorial Services — $50 Check Donation and Cleaning Supply Gift Basket; Allen Theatres — 2 Theatre Movie Passes; AMEC Earth and Environmental — MP-3 Music Player; Bank of America — Bank of America Souvenirs of Hats, Golf Items, Cups; Butler’s Office Equipment and Supply Inc. — Two $25 Gift Certificates; Castle Furniture — JVC Home Theatre System; CNET — ACER 3100 Laptop Computer; Community First Bank — Community 1st Bank Souvenirs of Mat, Chairs and Basket; Connection’s Inc. — 4 Volunteers to clean up during the Christmas Party; Curves — 5 Gift Certificates for One Month Membership; Dallago Corporation — $200 Check Donation; Delaine Studios — Gift Certificate for 1 Free Sitting and 8x10 Photo; DePauli Engineering and Surveying Co. — $250 Check Donation; Don Diego’s Restaurant — Gift Certificate for Mexican Combo Dinner for 2 two People; El Charrito — $34 Dinner Gift Certificate; El Rancho — $50 Gift Certificate; El Sombrero Restaurant — Dinner Gift Certificate for 2 people; Electronic Center — $200 Check Donation; Enchilada Lady — Free Salsa for Christmas Party; Ernie’s Fire Extinguishers — 2 Fire Extinguishers, First Aid Kits, Hats, and Key Rings; First Financial Credit Union — Two $50 Via Gifts Cards; Gala Bowl — 30 Gift Certificates for 1 free game of bowling; Gallup Blueprint — 3 Action Combo Writing Instrument; Gallup Chamber of Commerce — Volunteer for Ticket Taking and Greeting; Gallup Express — Bus Service to take Patrons Home After Party; Gallup Federal Savings and Loan — $50 U.S. Savings Bond; Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial — Volunteer for Ticket Taking and Greeting; Gallup Printing and Office Supplies — Stock Paper for Christmas Tickets; Genaro’s Cafe’ — Tortilla Chips; Glenn’s Bakery — Full Sheet of Cake for Christmas Party; Go Team Go — Portable Picnic Basket; Goodyear Auto — Gift Certificate for 1 Free Lube, Oil and Filter Change; Grandpa’s Grill — Lunch/Dinner Gift Certificate for 2 people; Gurley Motor Parts Store — $25 Gift Certificate for Parts Store; Heavenly Hands — Massage Lotion Gift Basket; Jerry’s Cafe’ — 2 Lunch/Dinner Gift Certificates ; Klo’s Creations — Christmas Cake and $75 Gift Cake Certificate for any Event; La Barraca Restaurant — $20 Dinner Gift Certificate; Maria’s Restaurant — Gift Certificate for Breakfast/Lunch for 2 People; Martinez Indian Jewelry — Small Indian Pueblo Pottery; Millennium Media — Free Radio PSA; Mudd’s Place — Gift Certificate for Free Hair Cut; Munoz Corporation — 37 Blockbuster Movie Rental Certificates; Murphy’s Builders, Inc. — $250 Gift Certificate to the Sandia Resort and Casino; Olympic Kitchen — $25 Dinner Gift Certificate; Otero’s Lock and Key — $200 for Table and HP Digital and Photo Printer; Panz Alegra Restaurant — $20 Dinner Gift Certificate; Patricia Moreno — Silver and Black Onyx Necklace; Pee Wee’s Kitchen — $15 Gift Certificate for a meal; Pepsi Bottling Group — 17 cases of assorted beverages; Pinnacle Bank — $100 U.S. Savings Bond; R &M Furniture — 18 piece Kitchen Cutlery/Spoon Set by Perfection; Ranch Kitchen — Potter Embellished with Copper; Regis Hair Salon — 3-piece Shampoo/Conditioner/Curl Lock Cream Pack; Ricky Gonzales — Large Brown Ceramic Bear; Rico Motors Auto Complex — 2 Gift Certificates for Lube, Oil and Filter Change; Safeway Companies — $10 Gift Certificates; Salsa’s Mexican Food — 2 Lunch/Dinner Gift Certificates; Silver Dust Trading Company — Silver, Onyx and Opal Necklace; Stoneweaver — Turquoise, Onyx and Created Opal Necklace and Earring Set; Sundance Iron Riders Motorcycle Club — $200 Check Donation; Tanner’s Indian Arts — 16 3/4” Turquoise Chocker Valued at $100; Taylor Bear Flower and Hair Boutique — Silver Bracelet and 5 Table Gift Basket/Centerpieces; The Blossom Shop — 1 Table Centerpiece; The Flower Basket — 1 Table Centerpiece and Three $25 Floral Gift Certificates; Virgie’s Restaurant — Two $25 Gift Certificates; Vision Eye Care — $79 Gift Certificate for Eye Exam; Western NM Security Company — $200 Check for One Month Membership; Zanios Cash and Carry — 15 One-pound Bags of Tositos Tortilla Chips.
Mayor Harry Mendoza — Salsa Set with Salsa Dish; City Manager Gerry Herrera — Heavenly Hands Massage Gift Basket; City Councilor Allan Landavazo — Three $50 Dinner Certificates to Chelles Restaurant; City Councilor Pat Butler — Two $25 Gift Certificates; City Attorney Dave Pederson — Hickory Farms Cheese Gift Basket; Parks Department Ben Welch — Binoculars, Tool Set and 19” Flat Screen TV; Administrative Services Judi Starkovich — Princess House Crystal Bowl with Wreath Centerpiece; Fire Chief Robert Soto — Princess House Gift; Police Chief Robert Cron — Starbuck’s coffee Gift Set; Public Works Director Stan Henderson — Assorted Popcorn/Snack Gift Basket; Gallup Joint Utilities Director Lance Allgood — Tool Set with Tool Box; Recreation Department, Esco Chavez — Two $20 Gift Certificates to Jerry’s Cafe’; City Clerk Alfred Abeita — AM/FM/CD Stereo; Solid Waste, Adrian Marrufo — Fancy Salt ad Pepper Set; Golf Course Superintendent Bob Weekes — $25 Gift Card to Sammy C’s; IT Department, Ross Feagin — Copper Stone Necklace, Bracelet and Earring Set; Personnel, Klo Gasper — Christmas Cake and $75 Cake Gift Certificate for any Event; Tammy Barton-Damon — Two 2-Piece Set of Native American Sand Painted Ornaments; Ricky Gonzales — Large Brown Ceramic Bear.