Mayor Louie Bonaguidi
Councilor Linda Garcia
Councilor Michael Schaaf
Councilor Sarah Piano
Councilor Ron Molina
October is National Arts & Humanities Month (NAHM)—a collective recognition of the importance of culture in America. NAHM was launched by Americans for the Arts more than 30 years ago as National Arts Week in honor of the twentieth anniversary of the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities .
Show Opening at ART123 Gallery
“Tapestry” by Dana Aldis
Artist Dana Aldis finds her inspiration again in the wildly beautiful landscapes surrounding Gallup, from Pyramid Rock to McGaffey Lake. Her paintings weave together her love of the natural beauty that surrounds us, but also incorporates the sometimes fractured, sometimes humorous human elements that are woven into the surroundings.
Downtown Gallup
October 14th • 7-9 PM
ArtsCrawl Family Craft Fabric Pumpkins
Wrap, wind, and tie your way to a festive fall decoration.
LOOM Gallery
Anthony Chachu
Immerse yourself in a world of Zuni Art Pop-up Children’s Museum
Come to the Events Center to use your five senses at our Halloween sensory stations!
Adult and Kids Costume Contest
Outside Quintana’s Music at 730pm CASH PRIZES!
Zuni Niiha Dance Group
830pm at 2nd Street and Coal Avenue
Food Trucks Art Vendors
Curated Themed Music
2nd Street and Coal Avenue
Community Information
Faceless (FLS) featuring Band Mashup with Negative Zero
1st Street and Coal Avenue
For information contact: DeeSantillanes, Arts Crawl Coordinator Phone 505-728-1055 email: deesantillanes@gmail.com Gallup
Being part of the Gallup Journey means we are always looking at the positive of our community. However, lately it doesn’t seem like the conversations I am having with my peers are leaning towards the positive. Instead, the dialogue quickly turns to what they see as the problems Gallup is facing. Our office building is located downtown and this month we have been graffitied and it seems like every morning we are picking up several used aluminum foil pieces on our steps revealing last night’s drug usage. I guess I can relate to many of these negative conversations.
It makes me think of that famous grandparent quote, “when you are given lemons make lemonade”. When we are presented with problems it is only natural that we want to find solutions. The number of conversations I am having means that a lot of people are concerned about the direction our city is going. That translates to a healthy number of concerned citizens and that means we should come together and work on initiatives that can make positive change. If you will send us your concern
and contact information to gallupjourney@gmail. com we will put together lists and arrange times to meet. Forming grassroots organizations will create a voice for the community and is a powerful tool our community can use.
Remember that our city is full of amazing potential. We are a hub to the Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi Nations. Our outdoor recreation is as good as you can find with access to high desert trails and the beautiful Zuni Mountains. Local restaurants deliver that famous New Mexico cuisine, and we have our own coffee house and historic theatre. Many of our families have been here for generations and the diversity of our community is very unique. Flocks of people enjoy our monthly ArtsCrawl, and tourists from around the world make the journey here for events like the Red Rock Balloon Rally and the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial. It is our job as a community to change the current sentiment and create the city we are all proud to call home.
Jpa-
When you finish these puzzles, bring them to our office at 210 E. Aztec Ave, оr take a pic with your phone and email it to gallupjourney@gmail.com. Don’t forget to include your name.
Pat Lewis
LiDeja Jones
Thomas Gomez
Maureen Bia
Diedra Gonzales
Marianna Bailon
Charley Benally
Jaye Smith
Elmer Williams
34 Event Calendar
38 Walking in Beauty Daisy Arsenault, Registered Dietitian
40 The Histor y Defines This Town Richard Reyes
42 October Medal of Honor Recipients Kenneth Riege
44 People Reading
46 Fall Is for Planting Edith Iwan
48 Los Tabloneros Phillip Marquez
52 Wreaths Across America
54 Q & A Bob Rosebrough
56 Day Hike
Thanks to our Contributors this month
Kathy Polich
Sister Thomas Aquinas
McKinley Citizens Recycling Council
Michele Laughing-Reeves
Matt Robinson
Cyndi Jarvison
Richard Reyes
Kenneth Riege
Edith Iwan
Phillip Marquez
Bob Rosebrough
Publishers:
Daisy & Jason Arsenault
Chuck & Jenny Van Drunen
Art Director: Christine Carter
Do
Gallup Journey Magazine
505-722-3399 • 210 E. Aztec Ave. • PO Box 2187 gallupjourney.com • gallupjourney@gmail.com
Don’t want to miss an issue, subscribe to the Gallup Journey - one year $45.
All Rights Reserved. No articles, photos, illustrations, advertisements, or design elements may be used without expressed written permission from the publisher, Gallup Journey Inc. This publication is distributed with the understanding that the information presented is from many sources, for which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the publisher as to accuracy, originality, or completeness. It is distributed with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in making product endorsements, recommending health care or treatments, providing instruction, or recommending that any reader participate in any activity or behavior described in the publication. The opinions of the contributors to this publication belong to them and do not reflect the opinions of the
My son has been caring for my sister’s dog while she’s out of town. Last night, after putting the pup to bed, he tore into the house like someone was chasing him. He threw out a sentence I’ve heard from him countless times over the years. “Mom, guess what just happened?” I smiled inside, knowing he was about to relay a story in his overly animated and adorable way. I love his storytelling. It is one of the things I will miss the most when he heads off to college next year. Here is an abridged version of his wild tale. As he drove the back road to his aunt’s house, he noticed a vehicle pulling up quickly behind him. He was traveling on a semi-country road with few streetlights. He sped up, and the truck did, too. He slowed down; it echoed his actions. As he turned onto a side street, it continued to stay with him. He started to feel a bit nervous and worried. Even though he was close to the house, he contemplated whether to lead someone to it. Right before the start of the last incline leading to the house, the truck darted down a road and sped away. As it moved through the faint light of the single light post, he thought he saw his friend Lorenzo’s truck. His panic turned into amusement, and as he rolled in and parked, he called his buddy to discuss the practical joke. Now, this is where, being of an age group that is the product of the Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween franchises, my imagination started to go a little nuts. As he entered the dark, quiet house, he was more focused on his conversation with his friend than his surroundings and left the front door cracked. Within a few seconds, he realized it could not have been his friend following him because he could hear Lorenzo’s girlfriend and TV in the background. At this point in his tale, I’m on the edge of my seat. I expect him to tell me how the crazy vehicle flew into the yard and through a brick towards the door. Or maybe he heard the truck drive up and peeked back out the door only to see the masked assailant darting towards him. Well, in an unexpected turn of the page, his
story went in a random direction that had nothing to do with the car chase and everything to do with not being aware of his surroundings. In the end, the scary thing that had his heart racing and inspired the enthusiastic storytelling was an elaborate spider web in the doorway with the creator lounging on it, waiting for its prey. It got his attention when his face brushed against it as he walked by. For the loyal Journey readers that keep up with my articles, you guessed it; I will relay one of the Rules of the Mind I often go on about from the Rapid Transformational Therapy technique I use and love. Imagination is more powerful than knowledge when dealing with your own mind or the mind of others. Knowing that child like I do, I know how he reacted. He squealed and lit out like his tale was on fire. He did not go back out the front door but went out the back, through the dark yard, and ran back to the safety of his truck. Even though his logical mind knew that the spider was no threat to him, his imagination took over and propelled him past thinking about fighting and directly into flight. He didn’t even consider that the creepy truck could have come back or the wild dog from the neighborhood could be leering outside the reach of the porch light. As those thoughts briefly crossed his mind, the idea that the spider the size of a dime would chase him swallowed any other fear he had of a bad guy! By the time he got home, he was still creeped out. I tried to reason with him and joke about the Itsy-Bitsy Spider, but he never conceded. I even reminded him how, for a brief time, around the age of three, he tried to convince everyone around him he was Spider-Man. He would not budge in his thinking!
What area of your life are you letting imagination outpower logic? Do you have insomnia, a phobia you can’t seem to shake, or a habit you can’t let go of? One of my favorite Rules of the Mind that pops up in most articles I write is: Your mind likes what is familiar. If you let an emotion drive what is familiar to you, odds are you will have difficulty giving way to logic. That is where the trap of habits can become detrimental. Start trying to make logic familiar to you. I know, easier said than done. Earlier this evening, I watched my son wiggle out of logic, imagining how much fun he could have with his girlfriend instead. Even though he was tired from working out, had a ton of homework, and she lives 45 minutes away, the pull of the sweetest, prettiest girl in the county made him trek to Ramah. That’s okay; young love and logic rarely collide. I can’t wait for him to get home and relay one of his great stories!
If you would like to look at an area you struggle in and start making logic familiar, visit my website www. championride.org
How did you hear about this opportunity at Sacred Heart Catholic School, and have you been involved in running a Catholic School before?
Our story with Sacred Heart Catholic School begins with the bishop of our Diocese, Bishop James Wall. Bishop Wall is a dear friend of the Dominican Sisters, and it was by his invitation that we are in Gallup, serving at Sacred Heart Catholic School.
My community is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and we are the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. We serve in so many elementary and high schools across the country! As Dominican Sisters, we are part of a long history of service in the Catholic Church, teaching and administering schools, and we are so thrilled to partner with the Diocese in working at Sacred Heart Catholic School.
There are three of us Sisters here now! In addition, my role as principal, I am joined by Sr. Cora Rose (middle school mathematics and science teacher) and Sr. Mary Rita (2nd and 3rd grade teacher). The pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral worked very hard this summer to help prepare our new home, Sacred Heart Convent, which is across the street from the school.
I have over 15 years of experience in Catholic education and administration, with my primary experience serving in high schools. It brings me great joy to be working at Sacred Heart Catholic School and helping the school begin a new chapter. This is also the first time I have ever lived (or even visited) New Mexico! It is such a beautiful state.
What is the history of Sacred Heart and when did it begin?
Sacred Heart has a long history! The school was found in 1912 and has had name changes and facilities changes over the years – but it is so much fun to meet alumni from all over the place. When I am out and about in Gallup, I am often asked “what brings you to Gallup?” It always brings me delight when, after sharing that I am at Sacred Heart Catholic School, I learn that most everyone has connections to the school!
What do you see as the future for Sacred Heart Catholic School, what are the long-term goals for the school?
Our future is bright at Sacred Heart. It is exciting to envision the future of the school and plan for growth. Our primary goals at the moment are to strengthen our academic program and expand our enrollment. We want to receive more students and have many new families join our mission of Catholic education.
How is the education at Sacred Heart different from other schools?
Sacred Heart is a private, Catholic school focused on the education of the whole child: mind, soul, body, emotions. We instill virtue and help students focus on building character and growing in joy and wonder at the beautiful world around them. We are building a strong academic program. We believe in the fundamental dignity of each and every person and we want our students to know they are precious and loved and have a special mission in life. We are a small school and thus we are able to provide for the individual learning needs of our students. Our faculty and staff are caring professionals with a passion for education.
What grades are offered, and is there room to grow?
We are coeducational, preschool through 8th grade! We have room to grow and are open to families who would like to join us!
If someone is interested in learning more, how do they do that?
Please stop by our school on Woodrow Drive, just north of the Cathedral church! I would love to meet anyone who is interested and I am happy to give a tour! I can also be reached by phone (505) 862-6652, or email: srthomasaquinas@ dioceseofgallup.org
Spread the word – there is new life and a bright future at Sacred Heart Catholic School!
Gallup Community Service Center 410 Bataan Veterans Street
Saturday, November 4 • 9 AM - 3 PM
This Free Family Friendly event highlights our area’s artists and crafts people who creatively use materials most would toss, but instead make items that can be used again and enjoyed. Come shop for recycled arts and crafts!
Learn more about local recycling, backyard composting, how to reduce plastic waste. Displays will share information about how to recycle locally, backyard composting, and how to reduce plastic waste. There will be a Children’s Activity Area, MCRC Sales table and Door Prizes every hour! Free Raffle for a Backyard Composter! Opportunities to learn about and support area groups and non-profits will be available.
Bring a non-perishable food item, or make a donation, to support The Community Pantry. Bring aluminum beverage tabs for local artist projects and to support the Ronald McDonald House Foundation programs that assist many children and their families in our region.
Whenever you’re invited to a fancy-smancy event, like a wedding or graduation, you show up at the venue and it is completely decorated from top to bottom. At the reception, the tables and dinnerware are coordinated and elegantly placed. You’re there as a guest and can appreciate the work put into setting up the event, but you don’t see or know what has occurred behind the scenes to make this special event possible. Now, imagine a world-renowned event like the Ceremonial or the Santa Fe Indian Market, with hundreds of invited guests. Most important of these guests are the numerous artists and performers who come from all corners of the country. The many, many hours of preparation and the pre-dawn set-ups are lost in the anticipation of the event, and, like a wedding, the guests only see the booths and the performances.
Native artists and performers usually have a “circuit” of events and markets they attend
year-round. For the seasoned traveler, the behind-the-scenes preparation can be a constant chore. There are many things involved with getting ready for the next show or market, especially if your budget is tight. But none of this gets started until you’re accepted to participate via a juried-application process. With the acceptance letter, you’ll know the layout of the area and the allotted size of your booth or the stage. Many shows and markets require a temporary business license issued by the state or city or both before any business can be conducted, and for elder artists this can be a difficult, long process of sending documents through the mail. Some states will not even disburse award monies without a valid business license. Once this initial paperwork is done, the real work—and fun—begins.
In most cases, there are a couple of months between shows & markets, with the two main Indian markets, Santa Fe and Heard Museum, nearly six months apart. However, that means there is less time to pre-
pare for the regional shows & markets in Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Denver, Flagstaff, Tulsa, Washington D. C., and others. The work may be arduous and stressful at times, especially when the date of the event approaches. The first item on the checklist is the inventory. Artists are self-employed and work their own hours, so there is no such thing as an eight-hour workday or a Monday-Friday work week. In fact, some will work nights and rest during the day and may sleep less and less during crunch time. Pulling all-nighters is common; however, the motivation for working long hours is being totally and completely engrossed with the creative process and the anticipation to see their art completed.
Meanwhile, there is the marketing side of the business, which may take up some of your precious time. The advertisements, the business cards, the placards, the social media posts, and the world wide web are available ways that Native artists and performers promote their art and their talent.
Marketing yourself and your talent is a whole other type of creativity. Designing your advertisements can be daunting but yields good publicity, and the investment is sure to pay off. All the while, you need to be building an inventory. Preparing for a show & market requires multitasking and time management. One day you could be creating artwork and the next day you could be ordering business cards or restocking invoices or receipt books. The following day you could be waiting in line to purchase silver or stones or wool or paint. Many artists have inventory that appeals for a wide range of customers and pocketbooks. It is an unspoken practice of many artists to have that one piece which is designated as the “gas money” piece—it pays for the cost of fuel to-andfrom the location.
Once you get to the location, like the Santa Fe Plaza or the museum parking lot, the set up starts when it’s still dark, which could be tricky if your neighbor is a potter or sculpture. Over the years, the set-up
has become routine and visiting old friends can start early. By the time the market opens, everyone is “decorated” and ready to present their art and their talent. The timely preparation of participants comes together within an hour and with the cooperation of the event coordinator. The other half of the preparation falls on the host and their coordinator, which has to be a dizzying task.
Every show & market is like a reunion of old friends. During breaks, friends and family will visit to catch up with news, baby pictures of new arrivals will be shared, hugs and shoulders-tocry on for the rough times, and to wish one another a successful business trip. Food is always expensive, so packing lunch and snacks is preferable—no one wants to wait in line for a $7 frybread. When the event is over, it is bittersweet. It is time to pack up, say good-bye, fill up the tank, and head home—and start getting ready for the next show. There is so much work involved in pulling off an event; it is certain that the work is more extensive for larger events. Guests and visitors do not see the hard work of the organization, of the coordinator, of the contracted services, and most importantly, of every individual participant. As business opens, we hope to be successful, to make new friends, to see old friends, and to learn how to make the next time better.
GGallup is a tourist destination visited by people from around the world, and, as Gallupians, it can be easy to lose sight of the community’s role in tourism with the day-to-day hustle and bustle of life. Visit Gallup is the community’s tourism and marketing branding, and efforts to promote the community to the outside world are implemented through various data-driven strategies.
It is important to first provide context and background for this work. Visit Gallup is the name of the brand for Gallup Tourism, and it is a division of City of Gallup government. Visit Gallup’s branding involves logos with specific colors and fonts, and guidance for how these elements should be used in advertising. The Gallup City Council approved this brand in July 2021 and the Tourism Office has been using it since.
Funding Visit Gallup’s work, including community promotions and events, is accomplished almost entirely through the collections of Lodger’s Tax from local lodging establishments. Visit Gallup currently has two state grants in progress to improve trails and increase marketing of flights to and from Phoenix at the Gallup Airport, but the remainder of funding comes from Lodger’s Tax collected by the City Clerk.
The tax is a five-percent levy paid by those staying in area lodging. In essence, aside from people who live in Gallup enjoying a “staycation” in Gallup lodging, the tax proceeds collected are entirely from people outside the community. In economic development terms, tourism is akin to an economic base activity, which means money — in the form of Lodger’s Tax, Gross Receipts Tax, and business revenues — is coming from outside the community to within it. In the last fiscal year, Gallup collected approximately $1.8 million in Lodger’s Tax. If you compare Lodger’s Tax receipts to Gallup’s population, it is among the top three destinations in New Mexico, behind Santa Fe and Taos.
Despite coming from people typically outside the community or state, Lodger’s Tax funds are still public monies and the Tourism Office must abide by a layer of state and local regulations. Lodger’s Tax funds can only be spent on operations to sustain the Tourism Office, and marketing and promotion efforts. These funds are separate from the city’s general operating funds, and, for example, cannot be used to pave a road or hire more police officers. The overall intent of funding is to bring more “heads in beds” to Gallup, thus increasing tax collections. That is why sometimes it is difficult for the Tourism Office to justify local advertising, because the purpose of these
funds is to bring people from outside Gallup to within it.
Visit Gallup uses several data-driven strategies to target advertising and get the most bang for the public’s buck. Website and Visit Gallup app — available on Android and Apple — data is analyzed alongside data pulled from social media to inform decisions. The top U.S. cities for traffic to Visit Gallup are, in order, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Los Angeles, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Chicago. Internationally, the top countries are Canada, India and the United Kingdom.
Marketing priorities for Visit Gallup reflect the wonderful diversity, history and creativity of the community. These priorities include Indigenous cultures, arts and jewelry, Route 66, and outdoor recreation. Keep an eye out for exciting additions to the community as we approach the 100th anniversary of Route 66 in 2026. These core aspects of the community are used in print, digital, social media, and streaming television advertisements.
Visit Gallup also works to build capacity in the community by supporting a large number of community events through the Lodger’s Tax Grant Program. This is a reimbursement-based program which will fund marketing plans approved by the Lodger’s Tax Committee and City Council. The Lodger’s Tax Committee is a five-person panel comprised of local business people and lodging operators. This committee helps provide guidance to Visit Gallup and is the initial authority to approve or deny grant applications. Go to www.gallupnm.gov/451/LodgersTax for more information about the program or to apply online. Approximately $180,000 went to local events in fiscal year 2023.
Visit Gallup staff also work to improve capacity in the community through participation in various organizations and coordinated efforts, such as the Downtown Coordinating Committee. Staff work closely with community partners like Gallup MainStreet Arts & Cultural District, Arts123, University of New MexicoGallup, Greater Gallup Economic Development, and more. The Tourism Office also has a very close working relationship with its partner, the Gallup-McKinley Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber operates the Visitor’s Center with support of Visit Gallup resources.
For more information about Visit Gallup, or to get involved, please contact Tourism & Marketing Manager, Matt Robinson. He can be reached at 505-863-1227 or mrobinson@gallupnm.gov.
As a new small business owner in New Mexico, you may have the need to borrow funds for your business. It could be for a startup business, expansion, or a new equipment purchase. While the SBDC is not a lender, we do assist business owners with the information, resources and tools to help them obtain a loan. Below is a comprehensive list that most lenders will require for a commercial loan:
1) Business Ownership Documentation: This will include any of the following:
LLC’s – The Articles of Organization
Sole Proprietorship –A copy of the Business License
Partnerships – The Partnership Agreement
Corporations – Article of Incorporation, Bylaws, Corporate Resolution
Proper business registration and compliance with all legal requirements, including licenses and permits.
2) Owner/Manager History: This would be information about your team’s qualifications and expertise, highlighting key members who will play a role in the business’s success. It can include the board of directors.
3) A Business Plan: The SBDC can assist you with the development of the business plan by showing you the components of an effective plan. This will need to be a comprehensive and wellthought-out business plan that outlines your startup goals, strategies, market analysis, financial projections, and how the loan will be used. We can provide you with basic templates as well as sample business plans.
4) Loan Uses: Prepare a detailed list of what the loan will be used for in your business. This may include equipment, inventory, supplies, working capital, etc.
5) Tax Returns: Obtain complete copies of tax returns for the previous three years, both business (if already in business) and personal. If partnerships, this would be for each owner/manager
6) Personal Financial Statement: This is a document or spreadsheet that will typically include general information about the individual, such as name and address, along with a breakdown of their total assets and liabilities.
7) Business Financial Statements: The items included are a Balance Sheet, Income Statement and Cash Flow Statement. Prepare these statements for the past three years and current period (last 60 days).
8) Assets/Debts: Create a list of assets and debts for the business.
9) Collateral: Make a list of items of worth that you personally own that potentially could be utilized as collateral. These are assets that can be used as collateral to secure the loan, which can provide security to the lender in case of default.
10) Projections: Create threeyear projections of balance sheet statements, income statements and cash flow, including break-even analysis.
11) Other Businesses: Show current financial statements for any other business owned by any of the owners, officers, managers, etc.
12) A/R and A/P: List any aging accounts receivable and accounts payable for the business.
13) Vendor List: Prepare a listing of at least three suppliers for your current business or credit references for a start-up business.
14) Credit Score: Primarily this is to demonstrate that you are paying your bills on time. If not you need to take the necessary steps now to repair that.
15) Have you been convicted of a felony or criminally charge or on parole?
In most cases the local banking institutions and grants have the same expectation.
For more information please contact Cyndi Jarvison at cjarvison@unm.edu, SBDC at UNM Gallup.
The New Mexico Small Business Development Center Network (NMSBDC) was established in 1989 through a
partnership with the US Small Business Administration, the State of New Mexico, the New Mexico Association of Community Colleges, and the New Mexico Association of Independent Community Colleges. The NMSDC Network State Office is located on the campus of the Santa Fe Community College in Santa Fe, NM. The program provides no cost business consulting and low cost business training to entrepreneurs throughout the state. Strategically located in 20 communities throughout New Mexico, NMSBDC’s consultants bring over 773 years of combined small business management and ownership expertise and have helped to create more than 21,000 jobs in the state since NMSBDC’s inception. Entrepreneurs have access to subject matter experts in everything from accounting to social media and franchising to e-commerce. For more information visit www.nmsmdc.org.
It happens all too often. We turn on the news to a scene of a devastating incident that has rocked some little town far, far way. It would never happen to us, right? Unfortunately, this is not true. In fact, it was not long ago when a member of our community and our GMCS family, Lisa Munoz was killed in a mass shooting while attending a concert in Las Vegas, NV. The impact of her death was felt deeply by her family, friends and by the students at Miyamura High School where she worked as well as the entire community. We are reminded of Lisa every day as we drive into Central Office or Miyamura High School when we pass “Miss Lisa Lane”, which was named in her honor. This devastating event serves to remind all of us that a violent situation can happen to anyone, anywhere and for no reason at all, and as much as we do not want to think about tragedy striking in our own town, we must do everything we can to prepare for it.
School safety has become the focus of many school districts around the country. The ever-present threat of school violence and the not-so-distant memory of Covid have made security on all fronts a priority for Gallup McKinley County Schools. As a public education entity, we of course want our students to focus on their academics, but we realize that safety is a huge factor in giving our students and their families peace of mind. We have over the years added more and more security features to our schools with hopes that this will alleviate some of the worries that our families may have about their child’s school. child’s school. We look at every aspect of safety when implementing new protocols, such as technology, training, communication with community safety teams and violence prevention measures. Our district has made many strides in combating school violence and will continue to be vigilant and thoughtful about our safety methods. This year we have updated our technology, we’ve added more features, we’ve improved our training, and added more security. Additionally, we are actively working with our mental health professionals to address preventive care. Here are a few ways we are improving our safety measures within our district:
We have implemented an Access Control System at all the schools which includes card access readers, doorbell cameras, and ID Kiosks. Access to all GMCS schools during school times is done through the Access Control System. The Access Control system allows employees to access the school by scanning their district issued access card which will log who is scanning, where from and at what time. Visitors that come to our schools will have to utilize the doorbell camera which gives access to an individual up to the next point of access. Here, visitors must present a valid ID which will be scanned using the proven kiosks. The kiosk will scan the background of the individual and either clear or flag that individual within minutes. This background system retrieves data from law enforcement agencies as well as the sex offender registry. Once a person is cleared to access the building it will provide the individual with a time stamped id badge with their name and picture. Those that fail this clearance will not have access to go any further. We have added this extra layer of protection to our schools out of necessity for the safety of our students and staff. Parents or other visitors that are coming to their child’s school should come prepared with their ID and should come with enough time to complete their background check.
In addition to the Access Control system, GMCS has implemented new tamper proof Environmental Sensors in all the school bathrooms. This intuitive system can detect smoke, vapor, THC, tobacco, chemicals, moisture, and temperature. For instance, if a student comes into the bathroom and has an elevated temperature, it will set off the sensors alerting school staff to check on the individual. Another example is if students are smoking or vaping in the bathroom, this will set off the sensor, then it will trigger the cameras right outside of the bathroom. This will send an alert with pictures, immediately.
our school administration staff was formally introduced to the members of our local public safety personnel to develop a point of contact for each GMCS site and within the community response team. Two Days of Standard Response Protocol training took place with school administration, Emergency Response Teams, including the fire department, police, sheriff, dispatch and other stakeholders. Darren Soland, GMCS Safety Organizer, stated that it was the goal of the school district to minimize the damage. We try to prepare our staff by training them, by putting them in contact with the right people and by establishing a protocol. Soland also stated that our district employs 10 safety officers, and all schools have Red Rock Security officers posted from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, and at some locations we have guards posted 24/7 as well as at our public events. Soland also said that he was part of a safety committee that includes school chief security officers from all the school districts in the state. He said that they meet quarterly and discuss trends in school safety as it is an ongoing and constant learning process.
We have also implemented the use of the Rave Panic Button application for smart phones. This application can be downloaded on all smartphones and connected to your school system with your contact information. This application is used to report an active assailant, fire, medical, police or other emergency with the click of a button.
This year our school district has moved away from the previous security system, from Honeywell to a more advanced Verkada security system. The Verkada system replaces old technology which now has facial recognition and license plate recognition software as well as audio. The new system also came with the addition of 1800 cameras, taking our coverage from about 40% up to 95%, with several more cameras being installed continually.
Over the past two school years, GMCS has actively participated in training to ensure that in the event of school violence or other school safety concerns, we are all as prepared as we can be. We have benefited from training by our local law enforcement agencies, and we work directly with them to ensure that we are all on the same page and utilizing the same system. We have implemented a warning and reunification system that in the event of a school safety emergency, there are protocols in place to help navigate the situation. This year
We understand sometimes those that are struggling with mental illness or have had a break from reality may act out in violence. It is our goal to try to prevent anyone from getting to that place. Our schools are all equipped with a counselor and our district can help with those that require services including food shelter, and medical. Those struggling with mental illness can find services with your schools counselling department. We also encourage those that need help outside of school times to call the New Mexico Crisis line for mental health at 1-855-NMCRISIS.
Our students and their families matter to us. Every student and staff member deserves to learn and work in a safe environment. We will continue to look for better ways to ensure the safety of our students and staff and we will make those adjustments as needed to protocol already in place. We look at the whole picture when it comes to safety. At GMCS we want our families to feel confident knowing that we are fully committed to protecting our students, teachers and staff.
Pictured Above: School Staff can see and communicate through the ipad.
Right top: Vistor rings the doorbell at school front.
Right bottom: Staff scans key swipe
Pictured Above: Visitor doing a background check using the Verkada Kiosk.
Pictured Above: Enviromental Sensor Reading on Verkada System.
[Gallup, New Mexico] – Former elementary teacher Laura Ippel lamented the lack of places in Gallup designed for toddlers and children when she became a stay- at- home mom in 2020. With approximately 22,000 children in McKinley County under the age of 17, Laura believed she was not alone in her desire for more accessible, educational spaces for children and began exploring the idea of starting a children’s museum in Gallup.
Children’s museums are community spaces that offer hands - on exhibits and programs to stimulate curiosity and playful learning for children and families. They carefully craft learning experiences that meet developmental needs and reflect community culture. Children are valued citizens; therefore, the highest commitment of children’s museums is to create spaces where children can “pick up all kinds of skills to thrive today and lay the foundations for a happier, healthier life tomorrow” (Lego Foundation).
If you were to look inside a children’s museum, you might see young children exploring energy and velocity by racing cars down different ramps, engaging in imaginative play at grocery stores or puppet theaters, experiencing force and motion by sending fabric up wind tunnels, or experimenting with light and shadows or blocks and balls. You would also be getting a sneak peek into the minds of future leaders as they are empowered to actively, playfully, and creatively interact with their world.
With this vision in mind, Laura formed a team and began gathering community feedback, quickly confirming that many others recognized the need for such a space in Gallup. Support came from individuals, families, and organizations including the Explora in Albuquerque.
One organization in particular has seen the impact of a children’s museum in its community and desires to spread that vision to other communities. In the southern New Mexico city of Deming, (population 14,000), the Play Sharity organization opened a beautifully curated children’s museum and toy library in 2020.
Play Sharity values sharing resources, sharing talents, and sharing in charitable acts to foster thriving children and therefore a thriving community. Through the early networking and planning processes, the Gallup team has experienced these values firsthand as Play Sharity has extended their resources and experience. Thus began the endeavor to open a second branch of Play Sharity right here in Gallup.
The Gallup team grew into an official Play Sharity Gallup board and initially desired to establish a presence in the community. Pop -up museums and booths at Arts Crawl, the Sun-Sational Summer Event, the Week of the Young Child Event, and the Library’s Summer Bash allowed the community to experience the versatility and specialized resources of a children’s museum.
“Our next step will be opening a brick-and-mortar museum,” says Colleen Roan, board member for Play Sharity Gallup and Mckinley County Early Childhood Coalition Coordinator.
To raise funds for a permanent location, the Play Sharity Gallup team will be hosting a fundraising event called “Day of Play,” a free event for families and children of all ages to play in the foam pit, climb our inflatable obstacle course, walk through our wacky walkway, take pictures in different vehicles, and munch on a delicious treats from the food trucks. On Saturday, October 21st from 3pm to 8pm families can enjoy a day of playful experiences and help raise funds for opening the museum. There will be an optional donation platform for anyone who would like to.
If you are interested in supporting Play Sharity Children's Museum, please visit their website at playsharitygallup.org to find out more about donating, volunteering or sponsoring The Day of Play event. Together we can ensure that all children have access to the transformative power of interactive learning in Gallup.
MANY THANKS TO OUR INCREDIBLE SPONSORS:
October 14
Pumpkin Carving Contest
October 6
Cars & Coffee
7:00 pm-9:00 pm
October 13
Fall Job Fair Noon-4:00 pm
Rio West Mall
October 14
Paint-Along: Spooky Silhouette (Haunted House)
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Studio123 @ ART123
I want a copy of God's message of strenth, hope and love. (Psalms and Proverbs). I understand there is no charge. IT IS FREE!
Kids and adults! Follow artist Dana Aldis’ step-bystep instructions to make a Halloween-themed painting!
$20/person. Advanced registration (by 10/13) required: www.galluparts.org/ paint-along
October 14
Show Opening: “Tapestry” by Dana Aldis
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
ART123 Gallery
Artist Dana Aldis finds her inspiration again in the wildly beautiful landscapes surrounding Gallup, from Pyramid Rock to McGaffey Lake, weaving together natural beauty with the complexities (and surprises!) of human interaction with the environment.
On view through November 4. ART123 Hours: Tues - Fri from 2 - 6pm / Saturday from 12 - 6pm
October 14
Show Opening: Anthony Chachu
LOOM Indigenous Arts Gallery
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Immerse yourself in a world of Zuni art.
October 18
Artist Talk: Dana Aldis
6:00 pm
ART123 Gallery
Learn more about Dana Aldis’ approach to landscape painting.
October 20
The Greatest Pumpkin Contest
Rio West Mall
October 21
Fall Craft Fair
10:00 am -5:00 pm Rio West Mall
October 21
Weekend Workshop: Terracotta Pot Pumpkin Patch + Graveyard Cakes
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Decorate tombstone sugar cookies and assemble an edible
pumpkin patch and/or graveyardthemed chocolate cake (baked in a terracotta pot!) fit for your Halloween celebrations!
$55/person. Advanced registration required: www. galluparts.org/workshops
October 25
Paint & Sip: Raven
Have a creative Halloweenthemed night out! Make a painting of a raven while enjoying Witches’ Brew Mocktails.
$35/person. Advanced registration required: www. galluparts.org/paint-sip
October 28
Empowerment Fair
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Rio West Mall
October 31
Trunk or Treat
4:00 pm- 6:00 pm
Rio West Mall
JCPenney Parking Lot
Solar Eclipse Party!
Join us at the Children & Youth Library on October 14th from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM to observe the annular “Ring of Fire” solar eclipse which will be visible from eight states–including New Mexico. Join us for sun and moon themed snacks and crafts, and spend time outside viewing the eclipse with free eclipse-safe glasses. For those who wish to stay indoors during the eclipse, join us inside for a screening of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Email pneilson@gallupnm.gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information.
Pumpkin Carving
Join us at the Children & Youth Library on October 20th from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM for a free pumpkin carving workshop for all ages. Pumpkins and carving equipment will be provided, you bring the creativity! Email pneilson@gallupnm.gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information.
Cake Decorating Workshop
Join us at the Main Library on October 21st at 1:00 PM for a free Halloween-themed cake decorating workshop with Chef Sheila Begay, CSC of the Navajo Technical University Culinary Arts Program. All supplies will be provided. Class is limited to 20 participants. Register at the Main Library or at ofpl.online. Email ctatsukawa@gallupnm. gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information.
Diné weaver Lois A. Becenti with Diné Be´ iinà – The Navajo Lifeway will offer weaving workshops at OFPL in-person at the Main Library on October 27th at 10:00 AM and every 4th Friday of each month in 2023. Learn the fundamentals and techniques of rug weaving in the traditional Diné style, including warping, carding, and spinning. Please bring your own weaving materials and projects to work on. Email bmartin@gallupnm.gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information.
(ages 13-19) Are you a high schooler looking for leadership experience and opportunities? OFPL is recruiting Teens to join its Teen Advisory Board (TAB). TAB members will provide guidance and assistance for the library’s teen programming, space, and collections. They will also be non-voting members of the Library Advisory Board. The TAB will meet on the 4th Friday of each month at 6:00 PM at the Children & Youth Library This month, our meeting will be on October 27th. Food will be provided. Email pneilson@gallupnm.gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information.
Join OFPL at the Rio West Mall on October 28th from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM for some spooky Halloween escape room fun! A gnarly old Witch has plans to turn your group into rat pie. While the Witch is out capturing more victims, it’s time to plan your getaway. Solve each of the rune puzzles to escape within one hour! Email pneilson@ gallupnm.gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information.
Community involvement and public service were central to Juan Delgado, and the City of Gallup honored the longtime Gallupian by dedicating the Northside Senior Center Dining Hall in his honor.
The public was invited to attend the dedication ceremony on September 14 at the Senior Center. Mayor Pro Tem Linda Garcia spearheaded the project to honor Delgado and led the dedication.
“We are grateful and honored to be able to name this dining hall after Juan Delgado, who contributed to Gallup in so many ways,” Garcia said. “Mr. Delgado was an amazing, dedicated man and his impact on the community is beyond measure.”
Delgado retired from the City in 1990 after three decades of service. He served in several roles, including running the Parks and Recreation Department and the Senior Citizen Program. His passion for enriching the lives of seniors led him to take groups of seniors on trips around the country and world. He also formed a group of seniors called the Troubadours who would perform songs and Christmas carols in English, Navajo and Spanish.
Delgado’s service to the City and love of athletics also saw his involvement with the modernization and building of several new parks, including the Sports Complex. He also served for 50 years as a baseball and football referee across the region.
He was born in Winslow, Az. In 1931. After graduating from Gallup High School, he joined the U.S. Army in 1959. He went on to live in Los Angeles for six years before returning home to Gallup. He passed away on August 15, 2023. He is survived by six children and a large extended family.
City staff are working with a local artist to create a permanent dedication to honor Delgado. This will be unveiled at a later date, along with a plaque in his honor and a perpetual plaque to honor other Senior Center volunteers.
It is that time of year again where your little one or big one is playing soccer, football, volleyball or cross country. We each will have a turn to bring a healthy snack for our kids before, during or after the game.
Snacks should be free of being greasy or sugary so that digestion is easy and not uncomfortable.
Snacks serve as several purposes for active kids:
• Provides energy to help them power through an activity
• Hydration to keep their body cool and give fluids
• Provides nutrients for growth and repair
• Promotes recovery after a hard workout
Here are a few suggestions to take when it is your turn to bring snacks:
Whole Wheat Granola Bars
Mini bagels with cream cheese
String Cheese
Greek yogurt with granola, or fruit added Tube Yogurts, can freeze ahead of time
Peanut butter and crackers
Mini Pretzels
Apple Slices
Grapes
Bag of Oranges
Bananas
Bottles of Cold Water
100% fruit juice
Watermelon
Trail Mix
Dried Cereal with small milk cartons for those early games
Paper cups of baby carrots and celery
Mini boxes of raisins
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GALLUP, N.M. — Two professors from The University of New MexicoGallup delivered presentations on Gallup’s migration history at El Morro Theatre Aug. 22 in conjunction with the “World on the Move” exhibit sponsored locally by the City of Gallup’s Octavia Fellin Public Library and Rex Museum.
UNM-Gallup Professor Bruce Gjeltema told migration tales of early Gallup history, including the settlement of 20th century European and Asian immigrants who came looking for work and the forced removal of Diné (Navajo) from their homeland during the Long Walk in the 1860s.
UNM-Gallup Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Division Chair Matt Mingus shared stories about Mexican nationals who were brought in as strike-breakers but were later deported along with the myths and truths of Gallup’s treatment of its Japanese residents during World War II.
“Today’s Gallup is completely predicated on stories of migration – of people moving here for economic or political gain, of people moving on because of a lack of opportunity, of people being forced out of town, and of people reacting to the potential, sometimes fictitious movement of people,” Mingus said.
‘World on the Move’
Octavia Fellin Public Library Director Tammi Moe invited Gjeltema and Mingus to give presentations at El Morro Theatre to coincide with the traveling exhibition “World on the Move: 250,000 Years of Human Migration,” which was featured at the Rex Museum from mid-July to midAugust.
“World on the Move” was developed by the American Anthropological Association together with the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and Smithsonian Exhibits. It was administered by the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office.
The Octavia Fellin Public Library was one of 15 libraries chosen to host the traveling exhibition.
The UNM-Gallup presentations at El Morro, entitled “Moving To and Through Gallup: Stories of Migration,” were part of the library’s local programming in conjunction with the exhibition.
“This is very exciting for me to have both Dr. Mingus and Dr. Gjeltema
here to share with us today the history of migration to and through Gallup,” Moe said. “Dr. Gjeltema is an American history specialist and Dr. Mingus is a European history specialist. Both are widely published and award-winning professors, and I just really thank them for taking the time to come out today. I’m really looking forward to hearing what we’re about to hear.”
‘I went through there once’
Gjeltema’s presentation primarily focused on the founding of Gallup and the broader early history of the region, which had long been part of the expansive hunting grounds of the Zuni people and had been utilized by the Navajo people as part of their pastoral homeland between the four sacred mountains.
“This land is an invaded land, a land that was held by others before what we talk about being Gallup existed,” Gjeltema said.
Gjeltema talked about the Long Walk, during which the U.S. government forcibly removed the Diné and forced them to march hundreds of miles to internment camps.
He also talked about early settlements and economic activity in the area that brought in immigrants from Europe and Asia looking for work, including Croatians, Slovenians, Hungarians, Italians and Japanese. Later, Mexicans were brought in as strike-breakers to work the mines.
He added that professionals later stepped off the railroad and made their homes in Gallup for a spell, but most did not stick it out. There were few who stayed and put down multi-generation roots plus others who helped establish the infrastructure for the growing population.
“The vast majority of people who darkened the doors of the town were travelers,” Gjeltema said. “If someone mentioned to these travelers the name of Gallup, New Mexico to them, they might reply like generations of people after them: ‘I went through there once.’”
While Gjeltema hinted at the coal mining strikes of the early 1910s and
‘20s when Mexican immigrants were brought in, Mingus delved deeper into the subject with talk of other forced relocations.
Mingus detailed how tensions between Mexican workers, union members, local business people and landowners ultimately led to the 1935 Gallup Riot, during which the sheriff and two people among the crowd were shot and killed outside the courthouse.
In the aftermath, volunteers were deputized to round up, arrest and jail more than 100 people in connection with the riot. Mingus said that during all of the chaos, 100 more Mexican nationals were also arrested and deported summarily without a court order.
Mingus also talked about the relocation facts and fiction surrounding Gallup’s Japanese and Japanese-American residents in the 1940s.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, leading to the forced relocation and internment of more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent.
From that history, a false narrative emerged: Gallup resisted the order and refused to turn over its Japanese residents. This claim is untrue though, Mingus said. The order never even applied to New Mexico.
While many people of Japanese descent did call Gallup home and were generally treated well, this was common in most places in the U.S., he added.
‘This history defines this town’
Mingus also shared a few historical facts that contrasted the Gallup resistance myth.
He said Gallup complied with a presidential proclamation for Italian, German and Japanese residents to register at the local post office. Local law enforcement, under the supervision of the FBI, also raided the homes of Japanese residents and confiscated their guns in addition to other belongings.
Additionally, in 1942, the federal government asked New Mexican communities to accept 40,000-60,000 Nisei people. “Nisei” refers to secondgeneration Japanese-American citizens who were born in the United States. Mingus said that Gallup, along with Albuquerque and Santa Fe, opposed the relocation of Japanese-Americans into their communities.
“Whether we are talking about early 20th century European immigrants who worked their way from the bottom of a mine into owning a storefront, or the Mexican nationals who were extra-judiciously deported after the 1935 Gallup riot, or the myth of Gallup’s protection of its Japanese neighbors from internment, or Gallup’s refusal to accept wrongly displaced American citizens into their community, this history defines this town,” Mingus said.
Mingus concluded: “If we’re interested in continuing to make Gallup a diverse and welcoming community, the best way forward is to embrace solidarity, to acknowledge that regardless of how someone got here, they’re an important part of the continuous waves of migration that have made this
place a wonderful and fascinating home for so many. That, I believe, is the only way to ensure that we will avoid repeating our past failings and that we will take actions today as a city that will make future Gallupians proud of us.”
For more information about UNM-Gallup, please visit gallup. unm.edu.
For more UNM-Gallup news and events, please visit gallup. unm.edu/news.
Gallup resident John Taylor asks a question while Octavia Fellin Public Library Director Tammi Moe listens in the background following a UNM-Gallup presentation at El Morro Theatre Aug. 6, 2023.
UNM-Gallup professors Bruce Gjeltema and Matt Mingus answer questions from the audience following their presentations at El Morro Theatre Aug. 6, 2023.
I wanted to talk about 4 different Medal of Honor Recipients from 4 different wars. Each of these great heroes was born during the month of October. Mr. Robert Maxwell, US Army WW2, Mr. Ron Rosser, US Army Korea, Mr. Alan Lynch, US Army Vietnam and Mr. William Kyle Carpenter, US Marine Corps Global War on Terror. I have been blessed to have met 3 of these amazing warriors, and sadly 2 of them (Robert Maxwell and Ron Rosser) have (as we put it in the military) received their orders to their final duty station.
I will first start with Robert Maxwell Medal of Honor Recipient from WW2. Mr. Maxwell is the only one out of these 4 that I never had the honor of meeting, however, I did speak with him many times on the phone. It was always a treat for me to listen as he and Hershey chatted on the phone about life and the military.
Bob Maxwell was born on 26 October 1920 in Boise, ID and was raised by his grandparents
on their farm in Kansas. Bob was drafted into the Army in June 1941. Being a Quaker, he was offered “conscientious Objector” status but refused. He received his basic training at Camp Roberts, CA and advanced infantry tactics at Camp Meade in MD.
On 7 September 1944, now Corporal Maxwell was under heavy enemy fire when he risked his life to protect the lives of other soldiers by covering an enemy hand grenade with his body and fully absorbing the blast. He survived his wounds and on 12 May 1945 he was presented the Medal of Honor by Major General Clarence Danielson at the Camp Carson Convalescent Hospital in Colorado.
Bob Maxwell resided in Bend, OR and on 11 May 2019 at the age of 98 he passed away. Here is his quote from the Medal of Honor Quote Book:
“We bestow honor on our country and on those heroes who gave their lives to keep her free when we respect and honor our flag.”
Ronald Rosser was born on 24 October 1929 in Columbus, OH and was the oldest son of 17 (yes 17) children.
Ron enlisted in the Army at the age of 17 and served for 3 years before working briefly as a coal miner. In 1951, he reenlisted after the death of his brother Richard in Korea.
him off.” Luckily it didn’t go off, but that made him mad so he decided to chase after him and during that chase he encountered numerous enemy soldiers killing as many as he could. He said he didn’t know how he survived but was thankful that he did. Ron would go on to make the US Army a career retiring in
This is a picture of the first time I met Ron. I had traveled with Hershey to the Illinois Korean War Veterans State Convention. Hershey and Ron had just returned from South Korea after receiving that country’s Medal of Honor. One night as I was sitting between these 2 warriors Ron leaned over and said, “Hey Hershey do you realize we are the 2 highest and most decorated veterans living, we have 2 Medal’s of Honor.” The only thing I could even think of was “Wow” here you are sitting between these 2 great men.
I was blessed to have met Ron many times at different events and Hershey (along with everyone else) enjoyed hearing Ron’s larger than life stories. He was very animated and would “tell it like it is.” I remember when Ron was telling the story about his brother being killed in action and how he wanted to go to Korea to (as he put it) kill every one of those SOB’s. When his unit was under heavy attack from the enemy, he said a North Korean soldier had thrown a hand grenade at him, which again in Ron’s words “pissed
1968 after the Army refused his request to go to Vietnam. Ron peacefully passed away on 26 August 2020 at home with family and friends at his side. Here is Ron Rosser’s Medal of Honor Quote:
“Personal honor is the most important element in becoming a good citizen and great leader.”
Allen Lynch was born on 28 October 1945 in Chicago, IL and in 1964 he joined the Army. In 1967 during an extreme firefight
near My An, Bihn Dinh Province, Republic of Vietnam, Then Specialist 4th Class Lynch rescued 3 wounded soldiers and stayed behind to protect them while the rest of his company withdrew. He single-handedly defended the wounded men against continuous enemy attacks until finally a friendly force was located that could evacuate them.
In his book “Zero to Hero” Mr. Lynch shares the story of how he was bullied as a child and felt that by joining the Army would be a way out. I have also had the great honor of meeting Mr. Lynch at many different events, but it wasn’t until 2019 when I finally got the chance to kind of get to know him a little better. We were in Gainesville, TX and as the evening was winding down and everyone was gathered in the hospitality suite and sharing stories Mr. Lynch asked me a very interesting question. He said, “Hey Ken, let me see your socks.” I thought this was a rather strange question and I said excuse me sir, and he said again in a little sterner voice, “Let me see your socks.” I said yes sir and showed him my typical black socks. He told me that a friend of his years before had asked him the very same question and when he had shown him his socks his friend said, “you know what Allen, life is just too short for black socks” so from that day on he started wearing different colored socks. It stuck with me so much that I wrote a story about that same event in for the Journey a few years ago.
Here is Allen Lynch’s quote from the MOH Quote Book:
Here I am with Kyle at the 2019 Medal of Honor Convention in Annapolis, MD. I had presented him with one of my grandfather’s challenge coins and he said he was so honored to meet a family member of a Marine who had fought at Belleau Wood. This is one of the finest young men you will ever meet and such a humble hero.
July 2009. He completed his recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in SC.
On 21 November 2010 Carpenter and another Marine, Nick Eufrazio was manning a rooftop security post in the village of Marjah, Helmand Province. The enemy initiated a daylight attack with hand grenades, when one landed inside their sandbagged position. Without hesitation, Lance Corporal Carpenter shielded his fellow Marine from the grenade blast severely wounding himself but saving the life of his fellow Marine.
The Medal of Honor Quote book was released before Kyle received his medal, so he does not have a quote in that book, but after doing a little research I came across this saying from Kyle.
“The only limitations you have are the ones you place upon yourself.”
Now I cannot write a story about Medal of Honor Recipients and not include a little about my dearest friend Hershey. The month of October played a very important part in his life too. Hershey was born on 6 October 1925 and on 27 October 1953 he received the Medal of Honor from President Eisenhower. Here is a picture of that occasion.
William Kyle Carpenter was born on 17 October 1989 and is the youngest living MOH Recipient. He was born in Jackson, MS and enlisted in the Marine Corps in
In closing I will use the Medal of Honor Quote from Mr. Robert Simanek.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13.”
“Together and with many blessings of our country in mind, we can solve America’s many perceived problems.”
Midland, Texas working on the oilfield. Kimberlaine Willoughby catching up on the Gallup Journey.
Summer is over and my garden like those of everyone else had trials and tribulations. It didn’t warm until the middle of June so if you put your tomatoes, zucchini, and chili in the ground, they just sat there and didn’t grow. Then the heat came and burned everything it could to a crisp. If you were lucky, some tomatoes survived and you had a good late crop. The chili loved the heat and anyone that planted it had plenty. Now it is Fall and if you are like most gardeners, thoughts turn to the next year. Do you need some shade from a tree in a spot? How about planting a fruit tree and enjoying your own fresh fruit? What about planting drought tolerant flowers for color? Fall is the best time to begin these projects.
Bud Lopez, Horticulturalist for the McKinley County Extension office recently gave a talk on Fall Planting in Grants and Gallup and gave me permission to include information in this article. If you are not familiar with the
gardening classes given by the extension service, check them out on their web site. Just type in your county. They will have a class on Wintering Your Garden in October.
In the fall the soil is still warm and optimum root production is maximized. Perennials can get established before winter dormancy giving you a head start in spring. Trees and shrubs can produce roots well into the winter because they are planted at greater depths. This helps the plants tolerate heat and drought stress the following summer. Cooler days mean plants need less water to maintain foliage. Because the day time is shorter, plants can devote more energy to root production and less to foliage production. For perennials, deciduous trees and shrubs, after the leaves have dropped so water and energy resources can be diverted to root production.
Things other than trees, shrubs, and perennials can be planted in the Fall.
Spring blooming bulbs: Tulips,
daffodils, and a long list of other bulbs are found in many local stores. They are planted now, fertilized with bulb food, and watered. They put down roots over the winter and bless your yard with glorious color in spring.
Planting for fall herbs and vegetables is best done in August. Put it on your calendar for next year and you can enjoy spinach, kale, radishes, parsley, and cilantro in November.
Fall annuals can bring color to your yard through the fall months. Pansy, chrysanthemum, and Autumn Joy Sedum are some of the plants to look for.
Perennials are plants, usually with flowers that die back to the ground in winter and flower again the next year. Existing plants can be dug, divided, and replanted in the fall. Give the plants some extra compost and a slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote, water to settle the soil around the roots. If we don’t have snow cover give water monthly during the winter. (Extra plant roots can
be shared with friends).
Trees and shrubs can be planted anytime in the fall and early winter, even after they have gone dormant. If the ground is not frozen, you can plant. Our climate zone in Grants and Gallup is Zone 5. If you live in the surrounding mountains, you are in Zone 4. The warmer the winter, the higher the number. When you choose a tree, be sure to find out if it tolerates freezing. Some trees have varieties that may be more or less cold hardy. Be aware of your space. You don’t want a tree that grows to 50 feet under powerlines or three feet from your house. Also, know where your sewer pipes and buried power lines are before you dig. Most fruit trees need a second tree to set fruit. Be sure to check the variety you choose to see if it is “SelfFertile” if you only have room for one tree.
For the best chance of survival, you must be aware of a few things different in the High Desert.
Lowest temperature – be sure you know your zone and keep that in mind when you choose your plant. A nursery will know their plants and will know what grows at your location. When you shop at a big box store you need to do your own research. Check Google or your search engine and type the Latin name on the plant tag (if they have it listed) for accurate information.
Water needs – This variable has the most impact on survival. Water, water, water! All new plantings must be watered. How often depends on the moisture you receive in the winter and your soil. Do you have clay, sand, or a mixture? To little water and your plants will die. Too much water and you can rot the roots. It is a delicate situation but not terribly difficult when you know what kind of soil you have.
Wind – Our winds can cause serious wind burn. Since the new root balls are
small in comparison to the leaves, they can’t provide the water needed when the wind whips through the leaves.
There are products you can use to help your plants have the best chance of survival.
Wilt Pruf is used on trees, shrubs, roses, and ornamentals. It protects against transplant stress, seasonal drought, and winter burn. It is sprayed on the leaves/needles of evergreens when you plant and reapplied if washed off from rain or snow.
Tree Wrap is used to wrap the trunk of trees to prevent damage from the sun on the exposed trunk. Most young trees have a thin layer of bark and our intense winter sun can cause permanent damage.
Tree straps and stakes will prevent a tree from being permanently bent sideways. Apply so there is some give with the wind and use a wide enough strap to keep it from cutting into the bark.
Soil Moist is a product you can buy that expands to hold water. It is mixed into the soil at the bottom of the hole before the tree is placed and holds water to release it to the plant when the soil is dry.
Super Thrive maximizes the plant’s ability to build a strong root base and reduces transplant shock. Mix it with the water as directed on the bottle and apply to the roots and soil on top of the plant.
Edith Iwan is a Master Gardener who lives and works in Thoreau. As a Master Gardener she assists the County Cooperative Extension Service in providing accurate, research-based gardening information to county residents. If you have any gardening questions, please call the NMSU Cibola County Extension at 505-287-9266 or NMSU McKinley County Extension at 505-863-3432
!Vaya! !Vaya! And on the third even louder, !Vaya! It became loud enough to be heard outside the small confessional in the Catholic church in San Mateo, New Mexico. My dear Uncle Andres Garcia was a really hard working, fine gentleman; however, he was a little deaf and could not hear the priest on the other side of the dense screen that separates Confessor and Priest. Uncle wished to confess himself before he and my Aunt Emma were to be married the next day. As far as the priest was concerned, the pious process was over, but my uncle could not hear him. What occurred in the next few moments became an authentic part of our respective families’ lore. My mom heard the predicament and came to the rescue. The priest still yelling, !Vaya!, and my uncle thinking it was part of the confession procedureenthusiastically responding in a loud voice, !Vaya!, over and over-like shouting Alleluia. When my mom opened the door to the confessional, my uncle was understandably perplexed as to why his confession was so discourteously interrupted. All of them would laugh about the hilarious incident for years afterward.
My dad and mom, Thomas and Rose Marquez, had been married previously in the San Fidel, New Mexico, church on the 24th of November in 1942 by Father Birkenkener. Their witnesses were my Grandma Manuelita and her husband Grandpa Lizardo Salazar. I do not know if Uncle Andres and Aunt Emma attended Pa and Ma’s wedding, but they were life-long friends and workmates.
I can only speak for myself, but upon my wedding day to Mary Ann, it was the beginning of what has been the absolute best part of my life. The icing on the wedding cake was to raise our son Christopher William
together. I believe that Pa and Ma experienced the same phenomenon. Their early lives were lived in the darkest extremes of the Great Depression.
Ma became an orphan at birth on November 8, 1921. Her mother died giving birth to her. Luz, our maternal grandmother, (our family does not know whether she was full-blooded Indita or of mixed Spanish-Indian blood), was dark-complexioned and looked, by all accounts, like Aunt Emma. Vangie Barela, Aunt Maggie’s daughter, informed me that Grandma Luz is buried in La Tinaja Cemetery. La Tinaja was a small town west of San Mateo that no longer exists. It was located near the present-day Lee Ranch Mine.
My mother and her two siblings Aunt Maggie and Aunt Emma were raised in Sisters of Lorretto Orphanage in Santa Fe because our maternal grandfather, Felipe Gutierrez, was a consummate master sheepherder and could handle five hundred of the cantankerous critters at once, and by himself. Also, he could not possibly care for three young daughters in the wilderness where the sheep were grazed.
Vangie Barela relates that in approximately 1931 when our Aunt Maggie was about fourteen and in the eighth grade, Grandpa Felipe was notified that it was orphanage policy that an orphan could only stay up to the eighth grade because it was the last grade level offered at the Sisters of Lorretto Orphanage.
Upon Grandpa’s arrival in Santa Fe, he could not separate our mom and Aunt Emma from Aunt Maggie. They held onto her dress so tightly and cried so fervently that he was forced to bring all three of his daughters back to San Mateo.
After a period of time our Grandmother Manuelita Salazar took over the responsibility of raising our mom. The work they did was brutal, but Grandma was a good woman and seemed to run an equitable household. I remember learning much of the sixteenth century Spanish I speak, from her.
An enclave of our Spanish ancestors were isolated in present day Colorado, northern New Mexico and Arizona. When Spanish rule was ousted to the south of us by the Mexicans, we were on our own; therefore, we maintained our sixteenth century roots, culture, and Spanish language, distinct from anywhere in the world. Twentyfive years later we became citizens of the United States of America, after the Mexican American War was over in 1848. We have been supplying willing soldiers in foreign wars for years and will continue to do so in the future. Our nickname is Forraje de Canon.
McGaffey, New Mexico, in 1919 had a four-stack steam powered sawmill. There was a railroad spur line that went up Six-Mile Canyon from the Perea station along the main railroad line where the present day Ceniza refinery is situated.
On April 7th of that year Thomas S. Marquez was born to Jose Antonio and Josefita Marquez. The busy sawmill town was separated by the road that bisects it into McGaffey on the south side where the white people lived and on the north where the raza lived which was call El Torreon, which translates out to Large Tower.
Our great Uncle Alisandro’s house is still there. Grandpa Antonio’s house is gone and used to stand just east of it. Life there was difficult for everyone, especially for the raza, because they were paid in company script. The company money could only be spent at the McGaffey Company Store, with their exorbitant prices!
Our dad was baptized at the Sacred Heart Cathedral on 415 E. Green Avenue in Gallup, New Mexico on October 26, 1919.
Our grandfather and grandmother were the product of an arranged marriage and eventually they separated. She moved back to San Mateo, and he alternated between logging stalls and props with his team of horses in the Zuni mountains and working his crops in the summertime in San Mateo.
Consequently, Pa worked in both places. Our great Uncle Alisandro, his son Rosendo, Grandpa Antonio, and Pa contracted to line McGaffey pond with rocks along the dam side. Uncle Rosendo lost a finger there while adjusting the chains that pulled the screpa. The horses stepped up and a loop in the chain clipped the digit off.
These operations were fraught with danger.
Pa had spilled kerosene on his pants during the day’s work. That night, as kids will do, he was playing at jumping over a fire. His pants were engulfed in fire, and he sustained severe burns. He was taken to San Mateo to convalesce using home remedies. The skin on the posterior part of his legs dried out and became fused together and filled with pus. Pa was forced to put the back of his ankle on the footboard of his bed and pull himself backward tearing the burned skin apart and straightening out his leg. This procedure had to be performed often until the skin stretched and became supple. Que physical therapy ni que physical therapy—that is when men were men! One can only began to imagine the excruciating raw pain he endured, because a burn is the absolute worst wound a human body can receive. The burned legs allowed him to join the Army a few years later stateside but kept him from going overseas which is what he wanted to do.
My grandparent’s separation resulted in Pa having to quit school in the fifth grade in San Mateo at about the age of eleven. He supported our grandmother and his siblings by working ten hours a day for the Fernandez Company at one dollar per day. He also worked for the Civilian conservation Corp at about the age of eighteen in 1937.
Grandpa Antonio suffered from epilepsy; it is a disorder of the nervous system usually characterized by fits of convulsions that end with loss of consciousness. While his co-workers went back to San Mateo to visit their families, he stayed in their camp near a creek that fed Bluewater Lake, which is south of Thoreau. It is believed that he suffered a grand mal seizure, an advanced form of epilepsy characterized by loss of consciousness, severe muscular spasms and frothing of the mouth. When his co-workers returned, they found the campo otherwise undisturbed. A subsequent search of the area led them to where Grandpa Antonio had been peeling logs. He had been dead for awhile. The ground around him was all torn up leading to speculation that he had been struck by lightning; however, his clothes were not burned, and neither was the ground around him. Another symptom of grand mal seizure is that the tongue falls to the back of the throat and the person suffocates, which would explain the ground around him being torn up by his feet during his death throes, in the agony of the permanent stopping of all bodily activities. He died with an axe in his hands, working hard to his last breath; that is the legacy he left Pa and Ma’s future nine children.
Grandma Josefita remarried a man named Willy Price. Grandma died of natural causes in 1979.
Our dad, Thomas S. Marquez, entered the world stage on July 9th of 1942 when he volunteered to join the Army in Fort Bliss, Texas. He served as a POW guard and in a medical detachment at Camp Carson, Colorado, Camp Las Animas, Colorado, and finally at Camp Concordia in Kansas. He was honorably discharged at Fort Bliss on the 9th of January 1946.
Theirs is called the Lost Generation because the Great Depression was brutal in every sense of the word. Also, so many were killed overseas and others that served stateside in capacities like our dad. In Camp Concordia, on one occasion, he had to help cut a German prisoner down that had become depressed and hung himself, as chronicled in Lowell A. May’s book: Camp Concordia; German POWs in the Midwest.
Pa was able to communicate with a German POW in Las Animas named Alfred Forkel, who was to be released after the war was over in January of 1946. The POWs were taken by train to San Francisco, then on a steamship through the Panama Canal, then on to the Atlantic to France.
Alfred Forkel was very lucky because many German POWs were made to locate and disarm land mines their army had placed. It follows that their life expectancy was exceedingly short. Alfred was freed and transported to war-torn Danzig, Germany. He wrote our parents a letter in Spanish in 1947 detailing the absolute devastation he encountered. His parents were very sick, his wife was missing, his sister had been killed in one of the many bombing raids and his brother was listed as missing in action in France.
We do not have copies of the letters our parents wrote to him, but they apparently lent him and his wife money. He also talks about our parents and their first three daughters and the surpassingly difficult labor they had to endure while they built the adobe house in a location outside of San Mateo called El Tablon, which translates out to Large Board, referring to a large plank used for diverting irrigation water in the acequias. In his second letter in 1948 Alfred thanks the folks for the loan. They also had written about the happy holidays that they spent together on the Tablon ranch.
In a parallel universe Alfred talks about their nightmarish life in Frankfurt where he and his wife had moved. He also details the great suffering that was brought upon them by their demonic leaders and the complacency of the German people and their allies that allowed these monsters to commit such horrific crimes against humanity. Alfred’s parents had died, his wife underwent a serious operation and was slow in convalescing because of the bitter cold and bad food.
He informed mom and dad that commodities such as wood and many food staples could only be bought on the black market. All their possessions and money were gone. They lived in a small grey apartment, traded with the black marketeers and dreamed of the day that the gate to heaven would open, and they could leave Germany and its abject, hopeless misery.
By the skin of our teeth the United States and our allies could have been eating rats the same way the Germans and their cronies were doing. Had it not been for our heroic soldiers overseas and stateside, which because of that elevated, esoteric frame of mind called patriotism, our way of life and the liberties we enjoy today would not have been preserved.
Pvt. First Class Thomas S. Marquez was a POW guard and hospital orderly. His duties included Assistant Technician in Medical Department activities, administering first aid treatment to sick, injured, or wounded. He also performed routine duties in the care and treatment of patients. He was honorably discharged on the 19th of January 1946 in Fort Bliss, Texas. During his service to the United States, he earned the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Honorable Service lapel button for World War II.
Pa and Ma were able to travel to the Royal Gorge Bridge, Pikes Peak, and Mount Manitou scenic incline in Colorado and various places in Kansas. They were able to enjoy themselves in places that they otherwise would not have been able to experience if it had not been for Pa’s service to America.
Their greatest accomplishment was producing nine children between 1943 and 1964. They are: Barbara Jean, Josie Ann, Prescilla, Jackie, Felipe, Bernadette, Tommy, Victor, and Cecilia. Collectively known as the Marquezes.
Post-war life was hard, a chronicler could have called their travels Los Frijoles de Wrath. Auntie
Auntie Rose and Ma would talk of despairing about how long it was taking Pa and Uncle Horacio to send for them after they had moved to the Feather River Canyon near Bishop, California, to look for work.
One fine day Ma and Auntie got tired of waiting. They sold all the stock for next to nothing and packed up all the kids into a train heading west. Somewhere in the Sierra Nevada Mountains the train was stopped because there had been a landslide over the tracks. All the men working to clear the rubble were wearing side arms. Auntie and Ma were naturally worried as
to why all those rough looking men were so heavily armed, stating “A donde llegamos?” Auntie finally asked someone. It was explained to them that the men were concerned about the many mountain lions and bears in the high mountains that would occasionally prey on the work crews.
Josie Ann relates a story about when they were young in Bishop where Pa and Uncle worked at helping dig tunnels through the Sierra Nevada’s for roadways and to transport water from the mountain lakes to Los Angeles.
Everyone lived in trailer courts including Uncle Leandro and Aunt Viola, Senor y Senora Adan and Rose Barela and Pablo and Eugenio Marquez. The trailers were tiny camping units and the only room for recently born Jackie to sleep was in a tiny drawer in a built-in chest of drawers. One day Pa and Ma drove to a small store next to the Owens River, which carved out the Feather River Canyon, Barbara, Josie, and Prescilla accompanied them.
Pa and Ma went into the store for just a moment to grab a quick, few things. The three young girls waited in the car on an incline that slanted toward the deep river. Inexplicably, the car began to roll toward the river, and sure doom gaining momentum with every second. The girls began to scream in terror! Out of nowhere a hero jumped int the car and was able to stop it in the nick of time, before the frightened girls were plunged into a watery grave. Pa and Ma rushed out of the store just in time to see the ghastly incident unfold before their eyes. They calmed the girls down and thanked the man profusely for saving their precious cargo.
Death is constantly tugging at your manga. Pa was sent to pick up the mail when he was working in the tunnels. The tunnels had railroad tracks going through them. While he was gone, lightning struck the track outside electrocuting men to death throughout the tunnel. When he got back, he realized how lucky he had been, by the luck of the draw, he could have also died.
After about two years most of the raza moved back to New Mexico. Pa, Ma, Auntie Rose and Uncle Horacio continued with their sheep, cattle, and farming operations at the Tablon while the men worked in the uranium mines in the area.
We all attended San Mateo Elementary school. Barbara and Josie were very lucky because Mr. and Mrs. John and Lena Villegas were posted to the school for a few years at $2,800.00 per year. Uncle John quips that they had plenty of money, and they did. Everyone in San Mateo unanimously agrees that they were the best teachers ever assigned to the tiny, remote school. They
are retired now and live in a comfortable, well-deserved rest home in their town of Las Vegas, New Mexico.
The uranium mines near Grants were notoriously dangerous to work in. Pa was working in an incline mine near San Mateo called La Heckla or the Marquez Mine, named after Nabor Marquez, the landowner. Pa was drilling a round at the face of the mine with an air drill, these drills are very loud and spray water all over the place. One of the other miners named Derwood Marvin left a loaded dump truck in neutral up the incline from Pa. The fully loaded truck rolled backward and ran over Pa crushing his legs and pinning him for what seemed like an interminable period of agonizing time, until the heavy truck could be rolled off from him.
In the future, Pa’s crushed legs prevented him from being hired by any of the mining companies. Out of desperation, he was training a horse to rope for re-sale in a small rodeo arena in San Mateo. He was by himself when he roped a calf he had let out of the shoot. The rope got tangled around his foot and when the rope tightened it shot him out of the saddle, breaking his back on the hard arena floor, so Pa had to crawl hundreds of feet to a neighbor’s house, and they summoned help for him. I remember when Pa was brought into the bedroom of our house in excruciating agony when they laid him on one of the beds. That was the year President Kennedy was shot in Dallas; in retrospect, by comparison, he got off easy.
Pa had been knocked down hard by life, but he was still able to work as a guard for the Chevron Mine in San Mateo. Later he worked as a carpenter for the Forest Service and finally as a pilot truck driver for a highway project near the Top of the World along I-40.
The weight of raising nine kids and a pain-wracked body was overwhelming. Pa suffered a nervous breakdown and all of our lives spiraled downward. We never gave up and played the cards dealt to us. Ma, to her credit, kept a roof over our heads and delicious food in our bellies.
Jackie, Tommy, Victor, and I were working in an alfalfa field near our house in 1964. Bernadette and Ma had called us to the noon meal, when an honest to goodness flying saucer appeared out of the blue sky then flew out of sight in a fraction of a second! Someone from another planet probably wanted to know what hard scrabble was all about, so they chose us to study.
We have proven the old axiom that what does not kill you makes you stronger and that the human spirit is indomitable.
Each year, millions of Americans come together to REMEMBER the fallen, HONOR those that serve and their families, and TEACH the next generation about the value of freedom. This gathering of volunteers and patriots takes place in local, state and national cemeteries in all 50 states - most recently at Gallup and Rehoboth as part of National Wreaths Across America Day. Each year, a new theme is chosen to help volunteers and supporters focus their messaging and outreach in their own communities. Today, the national nonprofit announces the theme for 2023 is “Serve and Succeed.”
The inspiration for this year’s theme came while discussing the significance of 2022’s theme, which was “Find a Way to Serve,” and the need to continue to stress the importance of service and the positive ways it can impact lives. Wreaths Across America plans to focus on the storylines of veterans and military families who have found success through their own service, while also highlighting local volunteers across the country and the success that comes from serving their communities. The organization will continue its commitment to supporting and bringing attention to the needs of our veteran community while also showcasing the continued contributions of those who serve.
“There are many ways to serve your community and country, and just as many definitions of success,” said Karen Worcester, executive director, Wreaths Across America. “We hope through focusing on those stories of success we will help change the dialogue around what it means to serve your country.”
Following are direct links to sponsor wreaths for Veterans buried these cemeteries.
Gallup City Cemetery:
www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/NM0068
Hillcrest Cemetery:
www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/NM0069
NM State Veterans Cemetery:
www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/NM0066
Rehoboth Cemetery:
www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/NM0081
SunsetMemorial Park:
www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/NM0067In
In 2022, more than 2.7 million veterans’ wreaths were placed by volunteers on headstones at 3,702 participating locations around the country in honor of the service and sacrifices made for our freedoms, with each name said out loud. At Gallup and Rehoboth cemeteries 882 wreaths were placed in 2022. This year 2023 many more will be needed. Wreaths Across America volunteers work year-round to ensure military laid to rest are remembered, their families and living veterans are honored, and the next generation is taught about the value of freedom.
This year, National Wreaths Across America Day is Saturday, December 16, 2023. It is a free event and open to all people. For more information on how to volunteer locally or sponsor a wreath for an American hero, please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/ NMGSVC . To follow stories throughout the year from across the country focused on this theme, please use the hashtag #ServeAndSucceed.
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization’s mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreathlaying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at thousands of veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond. To learn more, please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.
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Congratulations on your retirement! This is a milestone that many of us are looking forward to, but it also must have some elements of uncertainty. How did you know it was time to retire and was it a difficult decision?
I have floundered around about the decision for a year or two and I’ve lost a lot of sleep and been back and forth about it all. I tried working part time but that was a complete failure. Practicing law is pretty much an all or nothing proposition. Over the last couple of months, I’ve come to terms with it and feel really good about my decision to retirement.
You have been a fixture in the Gallup community for 45 years. After you completed law school why did you choose Gallup as the place to spend a career practicing law?
I grew up in Farmington and my father was a lawyer there for over 50 years. I loved my father, and he was a really good man, but I wanted to go out on my own. Basketball was also part of what led me to Gallup. I came to Gallup for high school basketball games and
when I was in college at UNM Larry Price from Gallup (GHS class of 1968) was my teammate on an AAU team. For his size, Larry was the best basketball player I had ever played with; he was a real warrior. When I was in college and law school Gallup hosted the state AAU tournament several years in a row and I enjoyed coming to Gallup to play in basketball tournaments. Gallup felt right to me; it was the right choice for me.
Many of us are fascinated with television programs that center around law firms. Some of my favorites would have been Boston Legal and Suits. Did your career live up to the excitement and drama that these shows deliver?
I get enough drama during the work week, so I don’t watch Boston Legal or Suits, but your question reminds me of a story I heard about one New Mexico’s old time famous lawyers, Billy Marchiondo, who was a great trial lawyer. He represented a lot of Gallup people even though his office was in Albuquerque. One of my law school classmates worked as a clerk for Marchiondo and on his first day Marchiondo took him aside and told him to start watching TV lawyer shows. He told my friend that most clients have an expectation that their lawyer will act the way the lawyers on TV act. Needless to say, Marchiondo was one of New Mexico’s most flamboyant and theatrical lawyers. I’m not nearly as flamboyant as Marchiondo. As most people in Gallup know, I’m usually just all business. I seem to have missed out on getting the flamboyant gene.
Firms are built on relationships with clients. It must be hard to leave clients you have been serving for years. Will you continue to have a role in your firm, or will your retirement be a complete departure from the office?
Client relationships are, far and away, the very best part of being a small-town lawyer. We have four exceptional lawyers who will still be working full time: Doug Fowles, Grant Foutz, Arriane DePauli and McKade Loe. I will be “Of Council” which is a fancy way of saying, that I will not be doing any legal work or taking any cases, but I’ll be around to answer questions or review files with the active lawyers. My clients will be in good hands.
You have spent a lifetime involved in the Gallup community. What have been some of your most rewarding volunteer experiences? Do you plan to stay active in the community and in what capacity?
I really enjoyed my stint as President of the Gallup Downtown Development Group in the early 1990s that was my first real introduction to Gallup politics and, of course, I’ve been on the Adventure Gallup board for 20 years or so. I’m excited about Adventure Gallup. I think the community is on the verge of some important and exciting developments. I’m looking forward to the new things that are headed Gallup’s way.
During your practicing years you got involved in local politics and served as Mayor during the first part of the 21st century. You took a real hands-on approach to trying to improve our community and fixing some significant problems. Was being Mayor as rewarding as being an attorney, and is politics something you look to engage in again?
I tell people that being Mayor of Gallup was the best of times and the worst of times, and that’s true. I plan to stay active in community projects, but I don’t have my eyes on any political races. It was a real privilege to be Gallup’s Mayor and
my term as Mayor satisfied my desire to serve in that way.
You are an avid outdoorsman and have written Climbing Colorado’s San Juans which is sold at REI and other places where outdoor books are sold. What got you involved in the outdoors? What advice do you have for those interested in making this a lifestyle? Do you plan on doing more writing in your retirement?
I was lucky to have had a father who developed a love of the outdoors. In my teens my dad started taking me on backpack trips to what is now called Bears Ears National Monument in southeast Utah, the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado and the Grand Canyon. I was hooked young but it’s never too late to start. My father didn’t become an outdoorsman until he was in his early 40s. One of the things I’m really looking forward to is to spend more time outdoors in the Four Corners, that has always been one of the richest things in my life – and I suspect it might lead me to do some more writing.
Will you continue to make Gallup your home after retirement? You have given Gallup a significant amount of your life, what are some things Gallup has given back?
I like your question. Gallup really has “given back” to me. Is there another place on earth where I could have met people like Hershey and Terry Miyamura, Eddie and Margaret Munoz, Albert Smith, Octavia Fellin, Joe Esparza, Ursula Casuse, Patty Lundstrom, Peter Tempest, Rob Koops, Wilson DeVore, Michael Benson, Chuck Van Drunen. . . you get the picture. That’s just the very tip of the iceberg. Yes, my amazing wife, Brenda, and I aren’t going anywhere – we like it here.
October is a great month to get outside and hike. We usually don’t get a snowstorm this early and the days are cool enough to keep your body from overheating. McGaffey during this time of year offers something else, and that is the trees will begin to change color. This hike gets you to parts of the forest where you are going to feel like you have the place to yourself.
You might be a little intimidated by the 8-mile round trip distance, but don’t be. The hike doesn’t have any tough climbs and much of it is a across a flat valley floor and a flat ridge top. You will encounter some climbing, but it is all gradual. Give yourself about 3 ½ hours to complete the loop, and this will give you time to stop and enjoy the surroundings and refuel.
It is a pretty simple loop to navigate, with just a couple of decisions to make along the way. You will start in the McGaffey Campground parking lot just after you leave the paved road up to McGaffey Lake. The trail starts at the back of the parking lot and you are going to stay on this trail, and once you cross the small bridge at the back of the campground you take a left up Strawberry Canyon Trail. Around the two-mile mark you will find the Tampico Springs Trail off to the right of the Strawberry Canyon Trail. Once on this trail no decision needs to be made and it will take you on a big loop that ends at the lookout tower at the top of Strawberry Canyon Trail. You simply return down Strawberry Canyon Trail.
Remember that you will want to dress in layers and bring plenty of fluids. You get to one point on Tampico Springs Trail where you have this beautiful lookout that gives you a view all the way to Zuni. Take a Journey Magazine with you and snap a picture we can use in the November issue.
We have celebrated the opening of new businesses, introduced you to people who make Gallup the unique place it is and have done all of this with a positive voice.
We are your free community magazine. That means that you represent the voices of our community, the ideas, the people and the businesses.
All of us have a story to tell about our community. Stories that represent the best of Gallup. We want to hear those stories!
So, if you want to share that Gallup story with our readers, we invite you to put it into words.
If you are interested please contact by phone 722-3399 or send us an email, gallupjourney@ gmail.com. Stories are due by the 20th of each month and need to be around 800 words.
Remember to include images.
Thank you for making the Gallup Journey our favorite community magazine.
The Gallup Journey magazine has been part of our community for over 15 years!
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In Leadership McKinley, you will learn about your natural talents and learn how to turn them into strengths that you can leverage for maximum potential in your professional and personal life. Discover how those strengths can be utilized to channel the most adept leader in you.
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