Gallup Sun • November 6, 2020

E FRE

VOL 6 | ISSUE 293 | NOVEMBER 6, 2020

The New (Unofficial) New Mexico Delegation

By Cody Begaye Sun Correspondent

D

ay s a r e ge t t i n g shorter and colder, but the mood across the cou nt r y wa s heated as people headed to the polls to cast their votes in the 2020 General Election Nov. 3.

After the polls closed at 7 pm, ballots were tallied until all precincts reported their final results in the early hours of Nov. 4.

THE FEDERAL RESULTS Across the state, 912,565 of 1,351,811 of registered voters, or 67.51%, cast a ballot, according to the New Mexico Secretary of State’s website.

Los Alamos County had the highest percentage of voter turnout in the state, with about 79%. The counties with the most voters casting ballots were Bernalillo w it h 316 , 9 3 0 ; D oñ a A n a with 81,815; Santa Fe with 80,850; Sandoval with 75,775; San Juan with 52,321; and Valencia with 32,087.

The most prominent race wa s for P resident of t he United States. With five electoral votes in New Mexico up for grabs, the tally with every precinct fully reporting is as follows: In the Presidential race: How ie Hawk i n s a nd Angela Nicole Walker

Senator Martin Heinrich, D - New Mexico

Green 0% 4,302 votes Jo Jorgensen and Jeremy “Spike” Cohen Libertarian 1% 12,317 votes Jo s e p h R . B i d e n a n d Kamala D. Harris Democrat 54% 489,979 votes Shelia “Samm” Tittle and David Carl Sandige Constitution 0% 1,766 votes Donald J. Trump and Mike Pence Republican 44% 398,442 votes Gloria La Riva and Sunil Freeman Party for Socialism and Liberation 0% 1,603 votes Total votes cast: 908,409 In the U. S. Senate race: Bob Walsh Libertarian 3% 23,842 votes Mark V. Ronchetti Republican 46% 414,824 votes Ben Ray Lujan

Senator-elect Ben Ray Lujan, D-New Mexico

Representative Deb Haaland, D - New Mexico, District 1

Behind the scenes at the Bureau of Elections HOW THE VOTES GET COUNTED IN MCKINLEY COUNTY

By Mike Daly Guest Columnist

Representative-Elect Yvette Herrell, R-New Mexico, District 2

Representative-Elect Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-New Mexico, District 3

Democrat 51% 463,191 votes Total votes cast: 901,857 In the Congressional races U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 1 Deb Haaland Democrat 58% 185,196 votes Michelle Garcia Holmes Republican 42% 133,695 votes Total votes cast: 318,891 U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 2 Yvette Herrell Republican 54% 141,227 votes

Xochitl Torres Small Democrat 46% 120,766 votes Steve Jones (Write in) Independent 0% 12 votes Total votes cast: 262,005 U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 3 Alexis M. Johnson Republican 42% 129,305 votes Teresa Leger Fernandez Democrat 58% 178,242 votes Total votes cast: 307,547

Gallup gets a new mural Page 18

DELEGATION | SEE PAGE 4

J

ohn Quincy Adams agreed with Jefferson on one fundamental principal, government derived its legitimacy from the consent of the governed. The rule of the ballot box.

Elections involve a lot more than voting and it’s not easy.

There’s a lot that goes into making voting a successful venture for the ordinary citizen. I got an inside look when I signed up as a challenger representing a political party. Challengers from each political party are allowed by law to observe on a limited basis the “behind the scenes” of the voting process.

The infrastructure and effort that is involved is substantial and was an eye-opener for me.

Here are some of my observations about the process.

OVERVIEW OF THE VOTING PROCESS First a discussion with Marlene Custer, McKinley County Bureau of Elections Director.

Outside of election time

BEHIND THE SCENES | SEE PAGE 14

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Friday November 6, 2020 • Gallup Sun

NEWS

LOCAL NEWS

NEWS

Hozho Academy teacher turns challenges into assets MEET CAMILLE’S TEACHER OF THE MONTH: NANCY FOSTER

By Cody Begaye Sun Correspondent

E

ach month, Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe recognizes one loca l teacher within the Gallup area for his or her determination to help students go above and beyond. Prospective teachers are nominated by students who feel they deserve to be recognized.

Oklahoma when she was 15.

She is a mother of five daughters and grandmother to six.

The choices that led to her career path were clarified when she was an adult.

“I found out when I was 40 [that] I have ADHD, so I never fi nished much of anything in my life,” Foster said to the Sun Oct. 30. “I had to get a job, so I ended up working as a parole officer for juvenile delinquents.

her she had always wanted to be a teacher.

“I just want to get [help to] these kids, because at the facility where I worked, almost every kid had an Individualized Education Program,” Foster said. “I thought if I can get into a school, I could make a difference in their lives.

“I actually had a pick of schools as a math teacher,” Foster said. While she also taught special education, there was a greater demand for math teachers in Oklahoma.

After teaching a regular

math class for a time, Foster married and ended up moving to Gallup in 2010. Foster began her new career teachi n g a t G a l lu p C h r i s t i a n School since her husband is a pastor and also did fundraisers for Manuelito Children’s Home.

“I decided, these kids have a lot of support and I wanted to work with kids who didn’t have that support system,” she said.

As a result, she transitioned to Chief Manuelito Elementary School where she taught

math and special ed full time.

However, this decision soon led to a burnout.

“Most special ed teachers go to a classroom and someone else has prepped the class and you go and help the kids out,” Foster explained. “I was teaching class and doing IEPs [Indiv idualized Education Plans], and it got to a point where I was overwhelmed and couldn’t do it anymore.”

TEACHER OF THE MONTH | SEE PAGE 9

Bryanny Rich and Mrs. Nancy Foster at Hozho Academy Oct. 30 as Foster receives her gift basket from Camille’s Sidewalk Café after being named Teacher of the Month. Photo Credit: Bethany Silva Nancy Foster, of Hozho Academy, spent time as an adult going through a number of jobs, but said it was meeting some inmates at a juvenile detention center that spurred her to want to help make a difference in the lives of children and thus led to her becoming a teacher.

BACKGROUND Fost er wa s bor n i n Michigan, a self-described “General Motors brat,” who then moved to Georgia when she was five and then to

“My job was to go to court and testify for the residents who were going to prison,” Foster said. “They were all 14, 15 years old, and after a time I couldn’t do it anymore.”

THE CALL TO TEACH Foster quit her job as a parole officer and drove a truck for a year, despite having no prior experience driving 18-wheelers. She called the experience “enlightening.”

She then quit that job after being spurred to come home by her father, who also reminded

It’s turkey season! Get your turkey fix now!

Turkey Pretzel Roll & Turkey Veggie Avocado 306 S 2nd St Gallup, NM 87301

Call Ahead for Carry Out 505.722.5017

WHAT’S INSIDE …

8 NEWS

ADOPTION AWARENESS MONTH Navajo Nation helping kids find homes

11 13 15 17 HOUSING/FOOD HELP DURING THE PANDEMIC What’s available.

How to get it.

WOLVES PROTECTION STRIPPED Bad science equals bad policy?

OIL, GAS POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS Who’s getting what from whom

STRENGTHENING NATIONS Making music to help domestic violence victims

Gallup Sun • Friday November 6, 2020

3

DELEGATION | FROM PAGE 1 STATEWIDE OFFICES AND QUESTIONS Two positions were up for Justice of the Supreme Court a nd t h ree positions were available for Justice of the Court of Appeals. Here are the results.

J USTICE OF T H E SUPREME COURT POSITION 1 Ned S. Fuller Senator George Muñoz, D-Gallup Republican

Gallup Sun Publishing, LLC Publisher/Editor Babette Herrmann Accounts Representative Sherry Kauzlarich Associate Editor Beth Blakeman Photography Knifewing Segura Ana Hudgeons Ryan Hudgeons Cable Hoover Correspondent/Editorial Asst.

Cody Begaye Dominic Aragon Circulation Manager Mandy Marks On the Cover Members of the New (Unofficial) New Mexico Delegation are pictured along with a look at the new Jerry Brown Gallup mural, Resilience. Mural photo Courtesy Gallupmainstreet.org The Gallup Sun, published Fridays, is not responsible or liable for any claims or offerings, nor responsible for availability of products advertised. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The Gallup Sun distributes newspapers in McKinley, Cibola and Apache counties.

Office: 102 S. Second St., Gallup, NM 87301 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gallup Sun, PO Box 1212, Gallup, NM. Mailing Address: PO Box 1212 Gallup, NM 87305 www.gallupsun.com Phone: (505) 722-8994 Fax: (505) 212-0391 gallupsun@gmail.com Letter to the editor/guest column ACCEPTED BY EMAIL ONLY. State full name and city/town. No pen names. ID required. All submissions subjected to editor’s approval.

Guest columnists, email Sun for submission requirements.

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45% 391,166 votes Shannon Bacon Democrat 55% 484,446 votes Total votes cast: 875,612 J USTICE OF T H E SUPREME COURT POSITION 2 Kerry J. Morris Republican 46% 403,276 votes David K. Thomson Democrat

THANK YOU ADVERTISERS AJ Tires & Auto Center - 9 Amazing Grace Personal Care - 19 Bubany Insurance Agency - 7 Butler’s Office City - 11 Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe - 3 First Baptist Church - 6 505 Burger and Wings - 16 Gallup Housing Authority $ 24 Gallup Lumber - Insert Gallup McKinley County Schools - 2 Genaro’s Cafe - 16 Grandpa’s Grill - 16 Keller Williams Realty - 1 Maria’s Restaurant - 16 New Mexico Credit Corp - 12 NMDH - 5 NMHU $ 21 Octavia Fellin Public Library - 8 Peace NM Cannabis - 13 Pinnacle Bank - 15 Railway Cafe - 16 Rollie Mortuary - 10 Route 66 Diner - 16 SASNWNM - 17 SWDC - 19 Thunderbird Supply Co. - 4 Valley Fence - 18 Virgie’s Restaurant & Lounge - 16

Friday November 6, 2020 • Gallup Sun

Senator Shannon Dawn Pinto, D-Tohatchi

Representative D. Wonda Johnson, D-Rehoboth

Representative Patricia Lundstrom, D-Gallup

54% 469,333 votes Total votes cast: 872,609 JUDGE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS POSITION 1 Barbara V. Johnson Republican 48% 416,157 votes Zach Ives Democrat 52% 453,181 votes Total votes cast: 869,338 JUDGE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS POSITION 2 Stephen P. Curtis Libertarian 7% 61,592 votes Shammara H. Henderson Democrat

51% 440,068 votes Gertrude Lee Republican 42% 367,556 votes Total votes cast: 869,216 JUDGE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS POSITION 3 Thomas C. Montoya Republican 49% 420,183 votes Jane B. Yohalem Democrat 51% 446,046 votes Total votes cast: 866,229 Next on the ballot were questions about constitut iona l a mend ment s a nd bonds, as well as one about

a judge.

Voters moved to retain Jacqueline R. Medina as Judge of the Court of Appeals by a count of 530,099 to 197,290.

Fifty-five percent of voter s moved t o a mend t he Constitution of New Mexico to a l low t he gover nor to appoi nt t h ree qua l i f ied i nd iv idua ls to t he P ubl ic Regulation Commission. The count was 436,760 against 351,208 votes.

The decision to a mend

DELEGATION | SEE PAGE 5

NEWS

DELEGATION | FROM PAGE 4 Article 20, Section 3 of the Constitution of New Mexico, permitting the adjustment by law of terms to non-statewide elected officers passed with 493,721 votes to 274,512.

MCK INLEY COUNTY RESULTS I n M c K i n l e y C o u n t y, 26,063 out of 44,396 eligible voters ca st a ba llot. This number is 58.7% of registered voters in the county.

NEWS

Four state senators were on the ballot for McKinley County. Each race was won by a Democrat.

S h a n n o n D aw n P i n t o won the District 3 race with 71% or 4,964 votes. George Muñoz retained his District 4 seat with 70% or 9,642 votes.

Benny Shendo Jr. took the Distr ict 22 seat w ith 78% or 2,887 votes. Pamela M. Cordova won District 30 with 86% or 714 votes.

T wo st at e repre sent a tives ran unopposed, Doreen

Wonda Johnson for District 5 a nd Patr icia Lundstrom for District 9, while Eliseo L. Alcon took District 6 with 65% of the ballots and Harry Garcia took 71% of the votes to win District 69’s seat.

T h ree Dist r ict Cou r t Ju d g e s o f t h e E l e v e n t h Judicial District ran unoppo sed: Cu r t i s R . Gu rley, R . D av id Pe der s on , a nd Bernadine Martin.

For cou nt y po s it ion s , Jacqueline Katherine Sloan took 66% of the votes and

the cou nt y clerk seat.

Ch a rle s L on g r a n u nop posed for county treasurer.

Rober t B. Baca ran unopposed for District 3 county commissioner.

C ou nt y vo t e r s move d to retain the seven judges on the ballot: Jacqueline R. Medina for court of appeals; and Bradford J. Dalley, Louis E. Depauli, Sarah V. Weaver, Dalene Ann Marsh, Robert A . A ra gon, a nd K a ren L .

Townsend as Judges of the 11th Judicial District.

The last question on the county ballot asked if the cou nt y shou ld lev y a ta x of up to four mils for every dollar of taxable property of Rehoboth McKinley Christian Healthcare Services to continue paying for operation and maintenance of the hospital. Seventy-two percent of voters approved the tax with a vote of 15,759 to 6,262.

T he McK i n ley C ou nt y canvass is set for Nov. 6 at 8 am at the McKinley County Courthouse.

Gallup Sun • Friday November 6, 2020

5

PUBLIC SAFETY

NEWS

WEEKLY DWI REPORT Staff Reports FEATURED DWI Kevin Joe Watson Oct. 24, 7:18 pm Aggravated DWI A traffic stop for speeding turned into a drunk driver arrest in Yatahey.

McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Terence Willie was

traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 491 when he saw a white GMC Sierra traveling north near the six-mile marker.

The Sierra was traveling 72 mph in a 55-mph zone, so Willie turned around to follow it.

Willie conducted a traffic stop at the Family Dollar store, 24 Hwy. 264, in Yatahey, where he met the driver, Kevin

Watson, 32, of Yatahey. As Watson handed over his driver’s license and registration, Willie noted he had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. Willie also saw two other occupants in the vehicle who appeared to be intoxicated.

Watson said he was traveling to Twin Lakes from Gallup after picking up his cousin.

Willie asked Watson if he had been drinking, and when Watson did not respond, he asked him to exit the truck.

Weekly Police Activity Reports Staff Reports B E N C H WA R R A N T BUST Gallup, Oct. 28 Mu lt iple of f icer s were called to arrest a man late on the evening of Oct. 28.

McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Terence Willie was p a t r ol l i n g we s t w a r d o n Highway 118 near First Street about 10:36 pm when he saw a

gray Chevrolet Impala traveling 44 mph in a 25-mph zone.

Willie followed the car and conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of Highway 188 and Fourth Street. He met with the driver, Daryl Johnny Desiderio Jr., 26, of Las Cruces.

In addition to not providing a license, registration, and insurance, Desiderio appeared to have bloodshot eyes.

After providing Desiderio’s

personal information to Metro Dispatch, Willie learned he had an outstanding bench warrant from the U. S. District Court of New Mexico, located in Albuquerque. The warrant was for a felon in possession of a fi rearm and ammunition, and Dispatch also said Desiderio had a suspended license.

Willie told Dispatch to have Gallup Police respond to his location after learning about

s k n a h T e v Gi ! d r o L e h T to

Watson remained silent when Willie asked again if he had been drinking.

Willie issued the standard field sobriety tests, which Watson failed. After placing Watson under arrest, Willie spoke with the other vehicle occupants who both said Watson had not been drinking.

They were later released to family members.

Willie then checked the inside the Sierra, where he found two open containers of Importers

Vodka. Watson was transported to the sheriff’s office for the breath test, where he posted two samples of .20 and .19.

Watson was then taken to Gallup Indian Medical Center for clearance. After making comments about hurting himself, nursing staff advised he be put on suicide watch. He was finally transported to McKinley County Adult Detention Center and booked for aggravated DWI, no insurance, having an open container, and speeding.

the bench warrant. Gallup officers assisted Willie in detaining Desiderio, and told Willie they had put out an attemptto-locate on a vehicle that was speeding on Highway 118 earlier. The officers confi rmed Desiderio’s vehicle was the one in question.

Since Willie noted bloodshot eyes and a smell of alcohol from Desiderio, he asked him to take the sta nda rd field sobriety tests. Desiderio refused to take the tests and admitted he drank Four Loko

several hours prior to being pulled over.

Desiderio was transported to the sheriff’s office where he posted a sample of .00. He was then taken to McKinley County Adult Detention Center where he was booked on the charges of speeding, no registration or insurance, and driving with a suspended license in addition to the bench warrant.

Corrections officers also found one .45 Federal auto ammunition on Desiderio as he was searched.

IF LOCATED CONTACT DET. CHAVO CHISCHILLY #4813 CASE# 2020-46124 POSTED 10/21/2020 PAGE 1 of 1

Missing Person

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$PMMFHF %SJWF (BMMVQ /.

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(505) 722-4401 | www.fbcgallup.com 6

Friday November 6, 2020 • Gallup Sun

Dexter Ortiz 37 years old Height 6’0’’ Weight 175 lbs Brown Eyes Brown Hair Missing Person Dexter Ortiz was last heard from on August 20, 2020 by his sister. Dexter Ortiz may be wearing a halo, which is given to patients with neck injuries. Dexter Ortiz maybe with his girlfriend Crystal Lee, who has an address out of Grants, NM. From previous reports Dexter Ortiz maybe in the Gallup area.

If anyone has any information on Dexter Ortiz’s whereabouts please contact Metro Dispatch at (505)722-2231 Sergeant A. Tsosie ______________________________ Lieutenant A. Seciwa ____________________________ Captain B. Padavich _____________________________

PUBLIC SAFETY

IF LOCATED CONTACT Detective John Gonzales CASE# 2020-44265 _______________________________________________________________________

A empt to locate Johnathan Ray Joe 28 years old Height: 5’10” Weight: 220 Hair: Bald Eyes: BRO Johnathan Ray Joe maybe in the Gallup area. He is wanted for ques oning in a crime that took place on the east side of Gallup. If anyone has informa on on Mr. Johnathan Ray Joe’s whereabouts contact Detec ve John Gonzales or Metro Dispatch 505-722-2002.

FBI Briefs GUILTY OF VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER Staff Reports

A

LBUQU ERQU E — John Youngboy Lodgepole, 21, of F r u it l a nd, N.M ., an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty in federal court Nov. 3 to an

indictment charging him with voluntary manslaughter. A grand jury indicted Lodgepole on Oct. 9, 2019.

Accord i ng t o h i s plea agreement, Lodgepole acknowledged that on Aug. 1, 2019, he and the victim, identified in court records

as Jane Doe, were drinking and that he became angr y when she st a r ted ca l l i ng him names and provoking him. He threw the victim to the ground, kicked her in the head multiple times, and punched her about 10 times in the face and head. Lodgepole

then used a cinder block to smash the back of the victim’s head. Seeing that the victim was still breathing, Lodgepole placed the cinder block beneath her feet and repeatedly struck her ankles with a cane.

She was pronounced dead at the scene as a result of the injuries suffered from the attack, which took place in San Juan County on the

Navajo Nation.

L odgepole w i l l rema i n i n c u s t ody pend i n g s en tencing, which has yet to be scheduled.

The Farmington office of the FBI investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations.

A s s i s t a n t U. S . A t t o r n e y Raquel Ruiz Velez is prosecuting the case.

NAVAJO NATION MEMBER GETS FIVE YEARS IN PRISON

A

LBUQUERQUE — Garrith Bitsilly, 33, of Newcomb, N.M., an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced on Oct. 29 in federal court in Albuquerque to five years and three months in prison for abusive sexual contact in Indian Country.

Bitsilly pleaded guilty to the offense on June 1. In his plea agreement, he admitted committing this crime on the Navajo Reservation in San Juan County between Feb. 1,

2014, and Aug. 31, 2014. Bitsilly acknowledged that he caused sexual contact with a child under the age of 12 at a family member’s residence.

In addition to his prison sentence, Bitsilly will be subject to nine years of supervised release.

The Fa r mington office of the FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Nava jo Nation Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa C. Dimas is prosecuting the case.

NAVAJO MAN CHARGED IN SHOOTING INCIDENT Staff Reports

A

L BUQUERQU E — Ferlando Wadsworth, 38, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, appeared in federal court Nov. 5 to face charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

On Oct. 14, Wadsworth allegedly met with two associates to purchase food stamps.

When one of them refused to get into a vehicle with him, he brandished a shotgun and followed NEWS

her to back to a vehicle driven by a second woman. When she tried to drive away, Wadsworth allegedly tried to open the door and fired at the vehicle.

Then he fled.

The incident took place on the Navajo Nation. Wadsworth is a previously convicted felon.

Possession of a firearm or ammunition could lead to up to 10 years in prison, if he is convicted.

The FBI and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederick T. Mendenhall is prosecuting the case.

Gallup Sun • Friday November 6, 2020

7

INDIAN COUNTRY

NEWS

Nez, Lizer proclaim November ‘Navajo Nation Adoption Awareness Month’ Staff Reports

increase awareness regarding the number of Navajo children INDOW ROCK, and teens in need of a perA riz. – Nava jo manent home on the Navajo Nation President Nation. Many Navajo youths Jo n a t h a n Ne z will “age out” of the foster care and Vice President Myron Lizer system before they can fi nd a signed a proclamation Nov. forever home.

1 to recognize the month of “Ever y Nava jo ch i ld November as “Navajo Nation deserves a stable, loving, forever Adoption Awareness Month” to family. As Diné, our families are stress that there are hundreds of built on the foundation of kinNavajo children who receive fos- ship, compassion, support, and ter care services while waiting unconditional love, and we have to be adopted by a loving family. to offer those values to every The proclamation states Navajo child,” Nez said. “We that there is a critical need to are all family, and we need to

W

be there for children who don’t have parents. Navajo children and youth in foster care deserve every happiness and joy experienced by those not in foster care.

“Our Navajo children are our strength and future, and should be in a home full of love, support, and trust,” Nez continued.

“We also extend our appreciation to the Navajo families who opened their homes and hearts to adopt a child on the Navajo Nation. Thank you for making a meaningful and lasting difference in our children’s lives.”

The proclamation further states, “We recognize, and wholeheartedly embrace, the spirit that every child matters.

We celebrate the parent(s) who have invited a child-in-need into their hearts and their homes. We express our profound appreciation for all who make adoption possible, including those administrative professionals, caseworkers, and countless others.”

“Many Navajo children are waiting for their forever families. The bond that links a true family is not one of blood, but of kinship, respect, and joy in each

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez

other’s life. As we wait for our children to find forever homes, let’s continue to pray for their health, self-esteem, and confidence,” Lizer said.

The proclamation encourages Navajo citizens to observe the month of November with appropriate awareness activities and “go the extra mile” by assisting adoptive families and Navajo children in need of a permanent and caring family.

NTUA connects 335 families to electric grid with CARES Act funds WORK CREWS CONTINUE TO CONNECT HOMES Staff Reports

W

INDOW ROCK, A r iz. – Nava jo T r i b a l Ut i l i t y Aut hor it y h a s

now connected 335 homes to the electric grid using CARES Act funds that the Navajo Nation received to help during t he COV ID -19 pa ndem ic, according to a Nov. 2 report

provided to Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer by NTUA. NTUA utility crews continue to work 10-hour days,

Workers connecting Navajo Nation homes to the electric grid. Photo Credit: OPVP weekends, and holidays to complete powerline, water, and telecommunications projects. NTUA’s overall goal is to extend electricity to 510 families, including more than 350 families identified during the 2020 LIGHT UP NAVAJO II application process.

“NTUA management and work crews have done a great job in expediting projects and working together to provide electricity, water resources, and telecommunications to more families on the Navajo Nation,” Nez said. “These are

8

Friday November 6, 2020 • Gallup Sun

long-term benefits that will help thousands of Navajo Nation residents for years to come.

“It’s wonderful to see NTUA work crews working in many communities. We owe them our gratitude for working long hours to move these projects forward.

This is a great example of what can be accomplished when we have a united vision and when we work together,” Nez added.

In August, the 24th Navajo Na t ion Cou nc i l a nd t he

NTUA | SEE PAGE 18 INDIAN COUNTRY

Navajo DOT improves low-water crossing in Tolani Lake Chapter Staff Reports

Construction from Tempe, Ariz. Navajo DOT engineer and project manager Wayne

Williams said it is one of the fi rst to utilize cable concrete block matting to address

erosion control while also reinforcing the integrity of the low water crossing.

“A layer of geotextile fabric was placed beneath the cable concrete to assist with erosion control,” Williams said. “Also, a layer of aggregate base course was placed on top of the cable concrete blocks to fi ll the gaps in the matting.”

According to Williams, the project was 140-feet in length and 24-feet in width. Navajo DOT Executive Director Garret Silversmith said using cable concrete can be more effective than using culverts.

“Over time we see that culverts get washed out and need

and be successful.”

Another major challenge every teacher faced this year was a transition to distance learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was very anxious about working online because of my ADHD,” Foster said. “I try to keep [work and home] separate.”

Despite an initial bump in learning software like Zoom, Foster was able to adapt through her home office and continue helping her students on an individual basis.

And while Foster admitted her ADHD led to some difficulties focusing and fi nishing tasks in the past, she thinks it has become a benefit to her because it has taught her to be flexible and adapt to new circumstances.

“Since I already have ADHD, I tell these kids there is nothing stopping them from learning,” she said. “I want my kids to learn and understand: it’s an asset, it’s not a disability. It’s something you can use because you’re able to multitask.”

By being able to focus on students with an IEP and use the skills she has obtained through living with ADHD, through remote teaching, Foster made this statement.

“I was terrified at fi rst, but it has worked out wonderfully,” she said. “I’m serious: this is the best teaching year I’ve ever had. I still need more hours in the day to help more kids out.”

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Foster said this is the second time she can recall being

recog n ized a s a teacher.

Despite feeling she is not a particularly great teacher, she affi rms she does it for her students.

“I truly love all my students as if they were my own, and I care for them that way,” she said.

Foster gave her thanks to Hozho Academy and GallupMcKinley County Schools for hiring her and letting her fulfill the dream she had.

“I’m a very blessed person even now. The distancing makes it difficult, but I just hope people keep looking for the good

T

SE BONITO, N.M. – The Navajo Division of Tra nspor tation ha s completed a n improvement project on a low water crossing on Navajo Route 6730 near Black Falls in Tolani Lake Chapter.

The crossing is located on N6730, approximately 10 miles west of Navajo Route 2. It transects the Dinnebito Wash near the community of Black Falls.

T he u nder t a k i n g w a s funded by $140,000 of Navajo Fuel Excise Tax funds and the selected contractor was Navajo-owned Arrow Indian

TEACHER OF THE MONTH | FROM PAGE 3 MAKING MATH FUN Foster then asked to be moved to Hozho Academy, where there was a need for a third grade teacher. She had previously taught first through fifth grade at a private school, so she went forward with her decision.

Given her burnout was caused by teaching both math and special ed, Hozho staff felt it best she focus on being a math teacher.

“I took the kids who struggled the most and I worked with them in math,” Foster said.

“I did a math club after school where I work on fact fluencies using games. Everything I do is a game, almost.

“We do the work books, but I always try to tie those two together because math is fun.

And if you don’t know math is fun, then you didn’t have a good math teacher,” she added.

“Math is in everything you do.”

CH A LLENGES INTO OPPORTUNITIES Foster explained how a lot of math problems in the students’ work books are word problems. While people who may have a condition that makes it difficult to read, such as dyslexia like her mother had, can work around the reading impediments, there is no getting around difficulties with math.

“If you don’t understand math, what you have on a calculator isn’t going to help you,” Foster said. “I want my kids to be as independent as possible INDIAN COUNTRY

Improvements being made at a low water crossing in Tolani Lake Chapter. Photo Credit: OPVP

replacement,” Silversmith said. “Cable concrete is stable enough to support vehicles that will cross over creek beds and permeable enough to allow water to flow through it.”

Navajo Nation President Jon at h a n Nez applauded Navajo DOT’s usage of innovative construction technology to fi x a problematic wash crossing.

“Across the Nation, many dirt roads need this type of improvement,” he said. “We hope that chapters will work with Navajo DOT to prioritize these types of improvements in the transportation plans they have in place.”

in things,” she said. “You can choose to be happy or miserable, and I choose to be happy.”

Interested in nominating your favorite teacher for Teacher of the Month?

Contact Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe at (505)722-5017 or stop by 306 S. Second St. in Gallup.

Gallup Sun • Friday November 6, 2020

9

NEWS

STATE & REGION

Job Training Incentive Program helps companies expand JTIP GRANTS SUPPORT 803 NEW MEXICAN JOBS Staff Reports

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ANTA FE— The State of New Mexico’s Job T r a i n i n g I nce nt ive P rog ram Board has awarded 18 companies with over $5.5 million during Sept. and Oct. 2020, in support of 803 new jobs, Economic Development Depa r tment Cabinet Secretary Alicia J. Keyes announced Oct. 26.

JOB TRAINING | SEE PAGE 12

Affordable Solar is an Albuquerque company that has set up arrays and supplied solar systems in 96 countries. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Affordable Solar

New Mexico Wineries, Inc. (dba Lescombes Family Vineyards), in Deming, crafts more than 40 different wines. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lescombes Vineyards

Flags ordered to half-staff to honor COVID victims Staff Reports

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A N TA F E – G o v.

Michelle Lujan Grisham ordered state flags to half-staff on Oct. 30 for a week of mourning in recognition of the state of New Mexico recording 1,000 COVID-19

fatalities.

The state Department of Health reported 13 additional COVID-19 fatalities that day, the most deaths reported in the state in a single day of the pandemic, bringing the state’s total to 1,007.

The state reported its fi rst

COVID-19 fatality March 25.

The state of New Mexico reported 334 individuals are currently hospitalized in the state with COVID-19 on Oct. 30, the eighth consecutive day the state set a new record for total COVID-19 hospitalizations.

According to DOH, than 17

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Friday November 6, 2020 • Gallup Sun

Stock photo percent of all COVID-19 patients in New Mexico who have been hospitalized did not survive.

Per Lujan Grisham’s order, state flags will be lowered from Nov. 2, to sundown Nov. 6.

The governor issued the following statement: “One thousand New Mexican lives lost is an unfathomable tragedy. For many months now, the daily drumbeat of a few more deaths, a few more deaths has served to diminish the acute feeling of loss,” she said. “But it is tragic and real for me, every single day, because it is tragic and real for the New Mexican families with an empty seat at the table, a hole in their hearts that will never be filled.

I pray for these families every

single day. I ask you to please join me in praying for them — and acting t merely datapoints.

They are mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, neighbors, educators, first responders, nurses, doctors, business-owners, entrepreneurs. Every one of these 1,000 New Mexicans was loved by someone.

“Every one of these 1,000 lost New Mexicans leaves a hole in a family, a community, our state. I grieve with them. New Mexico grieves with them,” she continued.

“We can and will rebuild our

HALF-STAFF | SEE PAGE 14 STATE & REGION

The rise in N.M. COVID cases continues Staff Reports

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ANTA FE – New Mexico state health officials announced 1,141 additional COVID-19 cases on Nov. 3. Per the state Department of Health, the most recent cases are: 262 new cases in Bernalillo County 108 new cases in Chaves County 19 new cases in Cibola County 2 new cases in Colfax County 27 new cases in Curry County 270 new cases in Doña Ana County 19 new cases in Eddy County 6 new cases in Grant County 85 new cases in Lea County 7 new cases in Lincoln County 3 new cases in Los Alamos County 36 new cases in Luna County 23 new cases in McKinley County 11 new cases in Otero County 1 new case in Quay County 9 new cases in Rio Arriba County 19 new cases in Roosevelt County 37 new cases in Sandoval

County 24 new cases in San Juan County 3 new cases in San Miguel County 97 new cases in Santa Fe County 1 new case in Sierra County 4 new cases in Socorro County 1 new case in Taos County 1 new case in Torrance County 1 new case in Union County 24 new cases in Valencia County 4 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility in Union County.

37 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County.

The Department of Health on reported nine additional deaths in New Mexico related to COVID-19 on Nov. 3.

Including the above newly reported cases, New Mexico has now had a total of 49,240 COVID19 cases: Bernalillo County: 12,362

Catron County: 10 Chaves County: 2,287 Cibola County: 694 Colfax County: 48 Curry County: 1,730 De Baca County: 3 Doña Ana County: 7,299 Eddy County: 1,610 Grant County: 215 Guadalupe County: 47 Harding County: 1 Hidalgo County: 127 Lea County: 2,318 Lincoln County: 405 Los Alamos County: 53 Luna County: 1,215 McKinley County: 4,822 Mora County: 15 Otero County: 589 Quay County: 114 Rio Arriba County: 558 Roosevelt County: 532 Sandoval County: 2,202 San Juan County: 3,914 San Miguel County: 203 Santa Fe County: 2,058 Sierra County: 138 Socorro County: 282 Taos County: 273 Torrance County: 120 Union County: 46 Valencia County: 1,120 County totals are subject to change upon further investigation

and determination of residency of individuals positive for COVID-19.

The Department of Health currently reports the following numbers of COVID-19 cases among individuals held by federal agencies at the following facilities: Cibola County Correctional Center: 348 Otero County Prison Facility: 396 Otero County Processing Center: 191 Torrance County Detention Facility: 44 The Department of Health currently reports the following numbers of COVID-19 cases among individuals held by the New Mexico Corrections Department at the following facilities: C e n t r a l New Me x ic o Correctional Facility in Valencia County: 155 Guadalupe County Correctional Facility: 1 Lea County Correctional Facility: 112 Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility in Union County: 9 Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County: 1 Otero County Prison Facility: 472

Help for tenants and mortgage loan borrowers Staff Reports

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he federal government created protections for tenants and mortgage loan borrowers under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. Tenants renting units with federally backed mortgages cannot be evicted or charged fi nes for non-payment of rent for 120 days between March 27 and July 24. After that grace period landlords were able to begin eviction procedures with a 30 day notice.

However, t he Supreme Cour t of the State of New Mexico issued an order halting residential evictions. The order remains in effect until amended or withdrawn by a future order.

Additionally, the Federal Housing Finance Authority a nd t he Federa l Hou si ng Ad m i n i st r at ion ex t ended the moratorium on evictions through Dec. 31.

If you have received an eviction notice, call the state’s COVID-19 general hotline at (833) 551-0518.

Homeowners with STATE & REGION

federally-backed mortgages are guaranteed a 60-day moratorium on foreclosures if they have experienced losses due to the coronavirus outbreak.

These borrowers also qualify for up to 180 days of forbearance. Property owners with federally backed multifamily mortgages have access to up to 90 days of forbearance provided that they do not evict any tenants or charge them fees for late rent. These programs are available until the national state of emergency ends or Dec. 31.

New Mex ico Mor tga ge Finance Authority administers all state and federal housi ng prog ra ms. MFA’s C OV I D -19 Hou s i n g C o s t A s si s t a nce P rog r a m c a n help pay past-due housing payments.

Applications for assistance will be accepted through 5 pm Nov. 13.

Documentation of financial hardship must be submitted with any application.

The list of required documentation can be found here: http: // hou singnm .org / assets/content/Required_

Documentation_.pdf It is also possible to submit a completed application electronically on the MFA’s website http://housingnm. org/static/covid-assistance To r e qu e st a p a p e r application be mailed, call (505) 308-4206 or (866) 488-0498.

U T I L I T I E S ASSISTANCE The New Mexico Public Reg u lat ion Com m is sion issued a moratorium on residential electricity shut offs statewide during the public health emergency. If a utility service has been shut off, call the state’s COVID-19 general hotline at (833) 551-0518.

FOOD ASSISTANCE G a l lu p’s C o m mu n it y Pa ntr y prov ides free pro duce on T ue s. Wed. a nd Thurs. from 8:30 am until 12 pm Additional help for families is available through the Emergency Food Box program. For more information call (505) 726-8068.

Ga l lup’s Sen ior Center located at 607 N. Fourth St. provides drive through food services for seniors. For pick

up times and costs, call (505) 722-4740.

New Mexico Aging a nd L on g-Ter m S er v ice s Department assists elders, persons with disabilities, and caregivers to find services

Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County: 41 Roswell Correctional Center: 1 Souther n New Mex ico Correctional Facility in Doña Ana County: 55 We s t er n New Mex ico Correctional Facility in Cibola County: 4 There are 401 individuals hospitalized in New Mexico for COVID-19 as of Nov. 5. Seventysix percent of general beds at New Mexico hospitals are occupied, and 67 percent of ICU beds across New Mexico hospitals are occupied. This includes patients hospitalized for COVID-19 and other illnesses.

There are 21,942 COVID19 cases designated as having recovered by the New Mexico Department of Health.

NMDOH has stated every New Mexican must work together to stem the spread of COVID-19. Stay home, especially if you are sick.

Wear a mask or face covering when in public and around others.

New Mexicans who report symptoms of COVID-19 infection, such as fever, cough, shortness of

COVID CASES | SEE PAGE 15 and resources to help them live well and independently.

Senior & Disabled Adults Food Access Hotline can be reached at (800) 432-2080.

For more i n for m a t ion about New Mexico’s pandemic response and resources visit: https://www.newmexico. gov/i-need-assistance/

Gallup Sun • Friday November 6, 2020

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OBITUARY Glenda L. Mirabal Glenda L. Mirabal 68, of Gallup died Nov. 2, 2020.

For over 20 years she wo r ke d a t t h e G a l l u p Independent and was most recently employed by Amigo Chevrolet. She loved spending time with her friends and family, especially her three grandkids. She enjoyed cooking, dancing and doing her nails.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Patricio and Jessie Jaramillo of Grants, N.M. She is survived by her sons Anthony Mirabal and Robert (Danie) Mirabal of Phoenix,

JOB TRAINING | FROM PAGE 10 The September awards totaled $3.6 million for 672 trainees and one intern, with another $1.9 million for 129 trainees and one intern awarded in October.

Average salaries for trainees ranged from $11.62 to $69.71 per hour, with companies located throughout New Mexico, including Albuquerque, Deming, Las Vegas, Los Alamos, Santa Fe, Sunland Park, Taos, and Truth or Consequences. “The recent job-training grants show that businesses from Taos to Deming are looking to create good jobs in all corners of the state,� Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said. “My administration will continue to do everything possible to support businesses who want to hire workers or promote employees into higher-paying jobs, so we can have a

Glenda Mirabal Ariz., her daughter Jessica Mirabal of Phoenix, Ariz., her brother Patrick (Connie) Jaramillo of Grants, N.M, her sisters Wanda Berg of Grants, N.M., and Ellen (John) Felty of Flagstaff, Ariz., and her three grandkids, Isaac, Raquel and Izley Mirabal.

long-lasting recovery that benefits New Mexico families.�

The JTIP program is instrumental in attracting and retaining businesses in New Mexico.

Its reimbursement for training new employees and employees who wish to improve their current job position is a driving force for expansion of local employment. “JTIP is supporting new jobs in timber, meat processing, energy, robotics, food manufacturing, software, and satellites,� Cabinet Secretary Alicia J. Keyes said. “These are the diverse industries that are growing and expanding in New Mexico with help from JTIP and other economic incentives.

This is one way the state and lawmakers can help businesses grow and create jobs in uncertain economic times.�

September/October JTIP Awardees: A f fordable Solar

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Friday November 6, 2020 • Gallup Sun

Installation, Inc., Albuquerque – 19 trainees, one intern. Affordable Solar Installation has installed over 2,500 solar arrays in New Mexico and supplied more than 20,000 solar systems to commercial, industrial, scientific, community, and residential customers in 96 countries.

Amount Aw a r de d : $369,594.80; Avg Wage: $36.22; Intern Wage: $17.00 Barela Timber Management Company, Inc., Las Vegas – six trainees. Barela Timber manufactures various wood products geared for the Southwestern building industry.

The company currently owns and operates three post and hole peelers, three sawmills, and various types of rolling stock equipment.

Amount Aw a r de d : $25,307.20; Avg Wage: $12.21 Build With Robots, LLC (BWR), Albuquerque – one trainee. BWR’s robots use the latest-generation technology to enhance productivity. It is developing innovative solutions targeted toward under-automated industries to improve worker productivity, quality, and satisfaction. BWR robots are being used for nightly cleaning services at the Albuquerque Sunport and the company is working to scale up to provide this service to airports nationwide.

Amount Aw a r de d : $20,020.00; Average Wage: $35.00 Faneuil, Inc., Albuquerque – 251 trainees. Faneuil specializes in designing, implementing, managing, and operating multichannel customer care, back-office business processing and solutions.

Amount Aw a r de d : $822,382.40; Avg Wage: $13.13.

High Plains Processing, LLC, Las Vegas – one trainee.

High Plains Processing provides customized slaughtering and cutting services, and is assisting in the integration of the beef supply chain from producer to consumer. Once completed, the facility will have the capacity to process approximately 400 animals per week.

Amount Aw a r de d : $15,288.00; Avg Wage: $19.60 Kairos Power, Albuquerque – one intern. Kairos Power is an advanced energy technology and engineering company focused on developing clean innovative nuclear technology.

The New Mexico facility conducts non-nuclear testing.

Amount Awarded: $6,000.00;

Intern Wage: $20.00 Marty’s Meals, Inc., Santa Fe – four trainees. Marty’s Meals prepares “species-appropriate� dog and cat food recipes using fresh, whole ingredients, sourced from ethical ranchers and farmers from New Mexico when available. The products are sold fresh and frozen in their own market locations in Santa Fe, Boulder Colo., and online.

Amount Aw a r de d : $40,140.00; Avg Wage: $21.38 New Mexico Build, LLC, Truth or Consequences – two trainees. New Mexico Build is a 100 percent owned subsidiary of SpinLaunch Inc., aiding in the fabrication and manufacturing needs for its parent company.

Amount Aw a r de d : $100,248.08; Avg Wage: $60.10.

New Mexico Wineries, Inc. (dba Lescombes Family Vineyards), Deming – seven trainees. The Lescombes family has been crafting wine in New Mexico since their emigration from Burgundy, France in 1981. The winery crafts over 40 different wines under many labels, including Blue Teal, D.H. Lescombes, Soleil, and St. Clair.

They also operate several bistros and tasting rooms.

Amount Aw a r de d : $23,728.00; Avg Wage: $11.62 Paradise Power Company, Inc. (PPC Solar), Taos – 15 trainees. PPC Solar specializes in the development and installation of commercial, utility, and residential photovoltaic systems. This award is part of JTIP’s Step Up Program, which ser ves to train incumbent employees and their employers with new skills and knowledge.

Amount Awarded: $14,680.00 Resilient Solutions 21, Inc. (RS21), Albuquerque – 12 trainees. RS21 is a data science and visualization company.

They have built the Urban Health Vulnerability Index to provide public and healthcare officials with free and instant access to data in 500 cities in order to help officials make critical decisions about how best to allocate scarce resources during the pandemic.

September: A mount awarded: $288,741.24; Avg wage: $45.65.

October amended award: Amount awarded: $39,874.12; Avg wage: $69.71.

Specifica, Los Alamos – 6 trainees. Specifica was founded in order to commercialize expertise in antibody engineering for drug discovery. Specifica has identified a pipeline of over

400 biotech and pharma companies that are potential clients for their custom libraries and discovery services.

Amount awarded: $112,270.52; Avg wage: $33.66.

SpinLaunch, Inc., Truth or Consequences – one trainee.

SpinLaunch is an R&D aerospace company with the goal of developing a revolutionary mass acceleration launch technology that will allow for on demand launches of small satellites in virtually any weather, at an order of magnitude that allows for lower cost than existing and new generation launch systems.

Amount awarded: $29,537.28; Avg wage: $38.46.

Stampede Meat, Inc., Sunland Park – 377 trainees.

Stampede Meat is a leading provider of portion-controlled protein solutions. Its facility in Sunland Park is the largest of the Stampede Meat facilities with the capacity to process and prepare 100 million pounds of meat once fully staffed later this year. By June 2025, they plan to employ 1,295 full-time employees.

Amount awarded: $2,192,501.84; Avg wage: $12.31.

SupplyOne Tucson, Inc. (dba Supply One), Albuquerque – five trainees.

Supply One designs and manufactures packaging products.

The company has operations in 20 states.

Amount awarded: $19,120.00; Avg wage: $14.75.

TORC Robots (TORC), Albuquerque – 60 trainees.

TORC is committed to creating the full-stack software for autonomous driving and sensor suite integration vehicles. They have been developing driverless vehicles capable of navigating off-road terrain to lighten the load of war-fighters and autonomously deliver supplies through potentially dangerous routes.

TORC also developed driverless solutions for mining and construction. The Albuquerque facility serves as the base of its testing operations for highly automated semi-trucks.

Amount awarded: $1,130,389.12; Avg wage: $37.32.

Twistle, Albuquerque – four trainees. Twistle provides a fully automated platform to help large healthcare and life science organizations provide more personalized care to their patients. The company has quickly developed a remote

JOB TRAINING | SEE PAGE 14 STATE & REGION

NEWS

HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT

Earthweek: Diary of a Changing World

By Steve Newman

Week ending Friday, October 30, 2020 Arctic Losses Sea ice surrounding the North Pole was at a record low extent for October due to unusually warm Arctic Ocean temperatures, according to Danish researchers. They say the ice has been slow to reform following the past summer’s melt, and coverage was at the lowest of the past 40 years of satellite observations. “It’s a trend we’ve been seeing the past years, with a longer open water season making the sun warm the sea for a longer time, resulting in shorter winters so the ice doesn’t grow as thick as it used to,” said Rasmus Tonboe of the Danish Meteorological Institute.

Measurements show an 8.2% downward trend during the past 10 years.

Earthquakes Central and northwestern Iran were jolted by two separate temblors that were widely felt.

• Earth movements were also felt in southern Scotland, northeastern Taiwan, New Zealand’s North Island and the Himalayan Indian state of Sikkim.

Night Bites A r t i f ic i a l l i g ht is causing some disease-carrying mosquitoes to track down and bite humans more frequently outside their usually

But Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says the dumping can’t be postponed forever.

2.0 5.1 5.2

Zeta

3.6

Molave

+110° Rivadavia, Salta, Argentina

active periods, researchers say. Writing in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, scientists say that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which normally fly and bite in the early morning and during the afternoon, will now bite at night in illuminated areas.

They warn that increasing levels of light pollution could increase the chance of infection in humans with diseases such as dengue fever, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika.

Unlike other species that may emerge from the forest to feed on humans and animals, Aedes aegypti evolved with humans and prefers to feed on them.

live on the equator. They have grown in numbers from 1,451 in 2019 to 1,940 this year. The flightless cormorant population has increased from 1,914 to 2,220 during the same period.

The park says La Niña conditions have helped provide more food for both species, allowing their populations to increase.

Isotope Warning Pla n s to du mp more than a million tons of contaminated water from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster

E c u a d o r ’ s Galapagos National Park says populations of the archipelago’s penguins and fl ightless cormorants have seen a record increase since 2019, reaching the highest levels since 2006. Galapagos penguins are the only ones that

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STATE & REGION

into the ocean are being highly criticized. Greenpeace warns in a report -78° that the water Vostok, stored after the Antarctica 2011 meltdowns at the facility has such high levels of the isotope carbon-14 that it could damage human DNA if released into the Pacific. The move has also been strongly opposed by local fishermen. The Greenpeace report says that carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,370 years and would become “incorporated into all living matter” over time if released into the wild.

Radioactive water from Japan’s Fukushima meltdowns continues to accumulate in storage tanks surrounding the crippled facility. Photo Credit: Tepco

NEW RULE HALTS WOLF RECOVERY IN LOWER 48 STATES

A SHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser v ice f i na lized a rule Oct. 29 that removes protection from all gray wolves in the lower 48 states except for a small population of Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico. The Service made its decision despite the fact that

4.5

Galapagos Bounty

Endangered Species Act protections stripped from gray wolves Staff Reports

Kamchatka Kill

5.1

wolves are still functionally extinct in the vast majority of their former range across the continental U. S. “ T h i s i s no ‘M i s s ion Accomplished’ moment for wolf recovery,” Kristen Boyles, an Earthjustice attorney said.

“Wolves are only starting to get a toehold in places like Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, and wolves need federal protection to explore habitat

in the Southern Rockies and the Northeast. This delisting decision is what happens when bad science drives bad policy — and it’s illegal, so we will see them in court.”

“We should be putting much more effort into coexistence with wolves, working to ensure that

GRAY WOLVES | SEE PAGE 18

The massive deaths of sea creat u r e s a lo n g t h e ea ster n coa st of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula are being blamed by officials on a natural bloom of toxic algae and not on man-made pollution. Images of dead seals, octopuses and other ma r ine life sta r ted appearing on social media in early October, accompanied by reports of local residents complaining of being sickened as well. Russia’s Investigative Committee said the deaths were entirely due to natural causes. But initial tests found levels of oil products and phenol, used to make plastics, in the water.

Tropical Cyclones The nor ther n Philippines wa s lashed by high winds and flash floods as Typhoon Molave formed over the region. The storm later killed at least 35 people and worsened Vietnam’s monthslong flood crisis.

• After drenching Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, Hurricane Zeta raked Louisiana as the fifth named storm to hit the state so far this year.

Dist. by: Andrews McMeel Syndication ©MMXX Earth Environment Service

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Gallup Sun • Friday November 6, 2020

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OPINIONS BEHIND THE SCENES | FROM PAGE 1 Marlene Custer has a staff of four. When election time comes around staffing requirements temporarily increase substantially.

At election time Custer supervises four coordinators, four absentee workers for receiving and date-stamping and maintaining a strong paper trail for absentee ballots, and an additional eight employees for the job of processing the absentee ballots. And during the actual election several hundred additional workers must be hired, trained and dispersed to voting locations.

Rejected absentee ballots numbered about 50. They were primarily rejected because the voter failed to either sign the envelope or provide the last four digits of their Social Security number. Staff has called these people and invited them to come back to the Clerk’s Office and add the information and almost all have done so, as of the morning of Nov. 2, the day before Election Day. Taking over in 2018 as the Director of the Bureau of Elections was an eye opener, Custer said. She is always so busy. There are so many rules and regulations. Politicians are intensely interested in elections, so there are many laws on the books to follow and frequent changes resulting from legislation. In addition, since the chief of elections for the state is the secretary of state, that office controls what happens at the county level covering every step of the process and every detail. These requirements are laid out in a 352page Election Handbook of the State of New Mexico authored by the secretary of state.

HALF-STAFF | FROM PAGE 10 mainstreets. We can and will restore our economy. We can and will recover the jobs and livelihoods that have been lost in the economic turmoil unleashed by

JOB TRAINING | FROM PAGE 12 patient monitoring pathway to safely facilitate the recovery of non-critical COVID-19 patients

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oversees many jobs such as advertising for the election, organizing and planning voting sign placement and preparing the Proclamation for Election Day. These are the election season extra jobs added to the regular work of payroll, budgeting, processing invoices and ordering, as well as maintaining staff relations.

To gain a good understanding of these requirements the N.M. Association of Counties puts on a “County College” for county election officials. This is the prime opportunity to not only get up to date on the rules, but also to mingle with clerks from all 33 counties. Clerks get to ask questions and they help each other both during the college and later with phone calls and emails. Custer said due to this effort she is now close to many county clerks. She added that the whole voting process is a rule-driven operation.

Since she spent so many years in the City of Gallup Mayor’s Office as the executive assistant, she knows many of the political people and judges. Occasionally, a snafu requires her office to open a locked vote box and a court order is required.

In addition to the training put on by the Association of Counties, her staff must take training classes in every element of the voting process put on by the secretary of state’s office.

After each class, participants are tested. If the participant doesn’t pass, that step is repeated until the staff is competent in the process outlined by the secretary of state.

There are many voting places and the chief clerk for each of these must take this training and meet stiff requirements. Custer provided a legal-sized page with

14 steps, each to be signed off on by the clerk when completed.

Here are the first three of the 14 items: BLUE POUCH WITH KEYS. After the election you can roll up (4) copies of the results with memory flash card & voting machine keys. Place in Blue Pouch.

BALLOT BOX KEYS. One key you can return to the clerk’s key envelope.

EN V EL OPE DIST RICT JUDGE. One key gets mailed to district judge in the envelope provided with postage.

And so on ... As mentioned earlier, every step of the process is controlled by the Election Handbook and there are lots of steps.

After the election on Election Day there are five identical tapes from the voting machines made.

Custer as director of the Bureau of Elections keeps one. One is sent to the secretary of state and the remaining three go to the Canvassing Board, which is made up of McKinley County’s three commissioners. The Board meets on Friday after the election at 9 am. However canvassing this year starts at 8 am.

All votes must be time stamped by 7 pm on Election Day to be counted.

Custer loves her job. It is very fast-paced during the election season. There are so many things included in the voting process and there is lots of paperwork and many temporary employees.

Custer’s office hires 50 people for early voting and 200 for voting day. These are the people taking the Secretary of State’s classes and tests and they all must be certified. Before COVID they had large classes, but this year they have had to revise the process, with five students at a time.

The Bureau of Elections

the virus,” she proclaimed. “But we cannot replace these souls, these lives, these loved ones. We cannot replace you. And the risk our state, our hospitals and our communities face has never, ever been greater than it is right now.

“I plead with New Mexicans:

Take this virus seriously. Don’t wait for the illness and death it delivers to arrive on your doorstep, within your family, to take the precautions we know work.

“Recommit to the mindset we all had in March and April and May: No errand is worth

your life. No visit with friends and family is worth their lives.

Please, fight through the impulse to surrender to the virus, to fatigue, to whatever it might be.

“Please, honor the 1,000 lives we have already lost in our state, honor their grieving

loved ones by recommitting to common-sense, life-saving public health practices. Stay home.

Wear your mask when you must go out. Wash and sanitize your hands. You will save a life. You will have done your part to protect our state.”

in their homes.

Amount awarded: $98,520.28; Avg wage: $42.62 Vit a l it y Work s, Inc., Albuquerque – 30 trainees.

Vitality Works provides leading

edge medicinal supplements to healthcare practitioners, hea lth food stores, reta il stores, natural food traders, multi-level marketing companies, and foreign operations

worldwide.

Amount awarded: $205,761.68; Avg wage: $19.11 Since January 2019, the JTIP Board awarded money to approximately 102 businesses

to train 4,438 workers and create 4,012 new jobs. Of these newly created jobs, 1,615 (40%) were rural and 2,397 (60%) were urban jobs in communities across the state.

Mike Daly

Friday November 6, 2020 • Gallup Sun

COUNTING THE ABSENTEE BALLOTS Many years ago I was a volunteer firefighter with the Bloomfield, N.M. Fire Department. At one of our trainings led by a New Mexico State Police Officer the question was asked about doctors showing up to help at accident scenes. He responded that doctors were generally of little help but that what really worked was when a head nurse showed up to help. He said “they just roll up their sleeves and get to work.” I was reminded of this when watching the team of ladies that was involved in processing the flood of absentee ballots this year. Normally the county gets several hundred absentee ballots. This year they received thousands.

After arriving and being checked in by Bureau of Elections staff, the absentee ballots were sorted into alphabetical order by “youngsters” [the word used by staff] and then turned over to the absentee ballot crew for processing. They work as a well oiled team, with some of these workers having done this for the county for 20 years.

One of these workers, Tammy Overman, was particularly adept at moving from job to job, multi-tasking throughout the process. The tasks include checking off the incoming mail with the list of absentee ballots mailed, opening two sets of envelopes,

unfolding the ballots and then running them through the voting machine. For those of you voting, you remember that when your ballot went through the voting machine it made a loud “ding”.

Imagine three machines dinging as the ballots are run through the machines.

This crew must also hand tally votes from our military member voters who mailed in ballots. This has something to do with the way the military handles the ballots. They also hand tally votes that the machines reject.

There was a total of approximately 4,132 absentee ballots submitted and of these about 3,569 were received. Remember that some people asked for absentee ballots, but later decided to vote in person. Apparently about 40 of the absentee ballots did not have a signature and/or a Social Security Number on the ballot. Under law these cannot be counted without this information.

THE VOTING PROCESS Watching the early voting I saw a well trained team assist voters in processing their ballots.

At the front door hand sanitizer is offered. There are three check-in stations in the Courthouse Rotunda. Each voter approaches one of these, identifies themselves, and is given a freshly printed ballot—customized to that voter’s district. I timed this process for several voters and it seemed to take about one minute.

The voter then heads to a voting station to vote. Most completed voting in about 5 minutes, but a few people took ten or more minutes to vote. There was a steady stream of early voters. After voting, the ballot is run through the voting machine and the voter exits. So, for most voters the process takes only about six minutes.

OPINIONS

Oil, gas industry contributions keep pouring into New Mexico political war chests

By Kathleen Sabo Executive Director New Mexico Ethics Watch

O

il and gas-related interests have made nearly $1.5 million in contributions to New Mexico political campaigns so far during the 2020 general election cycle, with about half of the money coming from out of state.

This is according to the most recent analysis by New Mexico Ethics Watch of general election campaign fi nance reports fi led with the Office of the Secretary of State. The third and most recent reporting period ran from Oct. 6 through Oct. 27.

During this most recent time frame, the oil and gas industr y spent more than $321,000 on political activities in New Mexico. Most of those contributions came from New Mexico sources, though more than 38 percent of that amount came from out-of-state.

This ocean of money is flowing into New Mexico at a time when the per capita annual income of the average New Mexican, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is just over $26,000.

“Once again, oil and gas is playing a big role in fi nancing legislative campaigns in this election,” Kathleen Sabo, executive director of New Mexico Ethics Watch said. “It will be interesting to see how much influence these contributions might have in next year’s Legislature.”

New Mexico Ethics Watch’s latest findings for the third general election reporting period include: * As was the case in prev iou s repor t i ng per iod s, Republicans by far benefited most from oil and gas contributions, with nearly 68 percent going to GOP candidates and committees. However, some of the largest recipients of

COVID CASES | FROM PAGE 11 breath, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, OPINIONS

these contributions went to Democratic party leaders in the legislature. * A s u sua l, t he latest reports show that the Yates family — which has been involved in the petroleum industry in New Mexico for decades — is a major force in campaign contributions in this state. Individual family members and their companies have contributed nearly $287,000 during the entire election cycle. For the entire general election cycle, the top four individual oil and gas contributors are members of the Yates family.

In the most recent reporti ng per iod, va r iou s i nd iv idu a l s f rom t he fa m i ly contributed more than $15,000 to candidates here. Their companies also are huge contributors. These include Strata Production Company, ($25,000 since Oct. 6); Petroleum Yates Inc ($20,000); and The Jalapeño Corporation ($16,000). The John A. Yates Sr. Trust contributed $50,000 during the most recent reporting period. * The Democrat receiving the most oil and gas contributions in this general election cycle is House Speaker Brian Egolf of Santa Fe. Although he has the support of many environmental groups, Egolf’s personal campaign reported $4,500 from the industry in his most recent report for a cumulative total of $20,000 for the general election cycle.

His Republican opponent, Raye Byford has received only $1,000 from the industry, a contribution from Brewer Oil. The speaker’s political action committee (PAC), the Brian Egolf Speaker Fund — which is used to fund Democratic House candidates — took in $30,000 in oil money during the latest reporting period, for a cumulative total of $56,000. * T he c a nd id a t e who received the most oil and gas contributions since Oct. 6 is

incumbent state Sen. George Muñoz, a Gallup Democrat.

He received $8,500, from the industry according to his most recent report.

During the 2020 primary, Muñoz was one of five incumbent Democratic state senators who received ma jor support from the industry. He is the only one of those fi ve who won their primary.

He f a c e d R e pu bl ic a n Angela Olive in Tuesday’s election. Muñoz is a long-time recipient of the industry’s money, having led all senators in oil and gas contributions in 2016. He received more than $60,000 from the industry that election cycle. * Ot her top ca nd idate recipients of oil and gas contributions in the most recent round of campaign finance reporting are incumbent Rep. Rebecca Dow, R-Tr uth or

diarrhea, and/or loss of taste or smell should call their health care provider or the NMDOH COVID-19 hotline immediately (1-855-600-3453).

New Mexicans who have non-health-related questions or

concerns can also call 833-5510518 or visit newmexico.gov, which is being updated regularly as a one-stop source for information for families, workers and others affected by and seeking more information about COVID-19.

Kathleen Sabo, Executive Director, NM Ethics Watch. Photo Credit: New Mexico Ethics Watch

Consequences, ($6,000); Cr ysta l Dia mond, a Republican from Elephant Butte r unning for a state Senate seat, ($6,000); Republican Dinah Vargas of Albuquerque, who challenged incumbent Rep. Andres Romero ($5,000); Justin Salazar Torres of Española, who ran for an open House seat ($5,000);

a nd Rep. Patr icia Lu ndstrom, D - Ga llup, who cha i r s the House Appropriations and Finance Committee ($5,000). * The top contr ibutors among oil and gas businesses during the general election have been Chevron ($393,100); Strata Production Company ($73,000); the John A. Yates, Sr. Trust ($65,000); Marathon Oil Company ($64,750); and Occidental Petroleum ($64,750).

The reports fi led last week [Oct. 26] are the last ones required before the Nov. 3 election.

“Last minute” contributions won’t be known until the fi nal reports, which are due by Jan. 7, 2021.

New Mexico Ethics Watch will analyze those reports as they become available, crunching the numbers on oil and gas and other industry contributions.

New Mexico Ethics Watch a nd Com mon Cause New Mexico collaborated on a comprehensive report on oil and gas industry involvement in fi nancing political campaigns, from 2017 through 2019, earlier this year.

That report can be found at: http: //nmethicswatch. org / wp - content / uploads/2020/05/Oil-andGas-Report_05012020.pdf

Service is your way of life, and our way of doing business.

GALLUP 107 E. Aztec Ave., 505.722.4411 Walmart: 1650 W. Maloney Ave., 505.863.3442 1804 E. Aztec Ave., 505.722.0300

Gallup Sun • Friday November 6, 2020

15

Letter to the editor

Taking on Rep. Lee Alcon

W

ell I think I got Repre sent at ive Lee Alcon’s attention from the letter he wrote in the Cibola Citize n on 10 -28 -20. Lee tells me I am wrong about him in my earlier letter. Lee advised getting information about votes absentee was perfectly legal by NM law, unfortunately he failed to cite said law. I have been asked by the Editor of the same paper to make sure I cite my comments with a link page when quoting other sources. I guess R e pr e s e nt a t i ve A lc o n i s exempt from that. I did find some of his other comments interesting about how one could pay for this information and remembered when I ran for Cibola County Probate Judge some years back I had to report all the money I got to the state. So I looked it up at the follow ing website htt ps:// login.cf is.sos.state.nm.us/ i ndex .ht m l#/ex plor e /c a n didate. Lee is getting a lot of money over all the other ca nd idat e s i nclud i ng t he one r u n ning aga inst him: (ALCON, ELISEO $20,801.23), (CHAVEZ, KAREN VANESSA $2,402.82).

Quite a difference so I opened deeper and found the top 5 donations. 1. UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION $3,000.00 2.

Com m it tee on I nd iv idua l Responsibility $2,500.00 3.

AFT NEW MEXICO PUBLIC EDUCATION PROUD $1,50 0.0 0 4. N M F I REPAC $1, 0 0 0 .0 0 5 . I B E W PAC VOLUNTARY FUND $1,000.00. For Vanessa: 1. Committee to Elect James Strickler $500.00 2. Jurkens, Leetra G $500.00 3. Holmes, Earl A $500.00 4. Crowder, Randy $250.00 5. N M H RCC -New Mex ico House Republican Campaign Committee $76.41. Va nessa’s a ll look normal with no big UNION’S. I Goggled TOP 3 of Lee’s d o n a t o r s .  Un it e d Fo o d & C o m m e r c i a l Wo r k e r s Union Top Affiliates: UFCW L oc a l 455 ¡ U F CW L oc a l 1 U F CW L o c a l 152 2 0 2 0 CONTRIBUTIONS $5,710,085

16

LOBBYING $800,000 OUTSIDE SPENDING $95,693. Com m it tee on I nd iv idua l Responsibility Opening balance $172,703.90 Total contributions $38,437.43 Total expenditures $0.00 Closing balance $211,141.33. National Education Association NM Ca sh a nd s pend i ng Ju ne

30, 2020 Opening ba la nce $49,615.65 Total contributions $6,562.51 Total expenditures $1,000.00 Closing ba la nce $55,178.16.

It should be obvious Lee is getting money from folks that have a lot of money to th row a rou nd versa he is R epubl ic a n opponent . I

think this is what happens when you in office too long you owe too many people for giving you lots of money to help you pay for stuff like getting the information on who voted absentee as well as other things. In the same paper today page A5 there is a story on how they are trying to keep the paper mill open and save jobs. A lcon s a id i n h i s let ter “The market and investors are buying clean energy.

Times are changing. They may also change back. You

can never count on minera ls a nd i nvestments. T he Republican Party has promised oil refineries and uranium mines. They have had no success brining jobs to Cibola County. Yet voters keep giving them opportunities. We are at the will of the investors on Wall Street.�  Well you decide what he meant, remember vote REPULICAN! Signed.

Mr. Harry L. Hall USAF Vet Retired Police Officer

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COMMUNITY

Strengthening Nations hosts fi rst telethon FUNDRAISING FOR NEW SHELTER

By Cody Begaye Sun Correspondent

D

ome st ic v iolence can occur anywhere, and victims may not be willing to speak publicly about the abuse they face. However, there are groups that are willing to give victims the support and resources they need to recover.

Strengthening Nations is one of those groups. Founded in 2019 by Pat Nelson and Christian Vasques, it is a non-profit organization that advocates and provides support for victims of domestic violence. They also offer domestic violence education, awareness and resources to the community.

Being just over a year old, Nelson said the group is looking to expand its reach and provide more assistance to victims. To achieve the goal, Strengthening Nations hosted its first virtual telethon at Quintana’s Music on Oct. 24.

“The telethon was a fundraiser for an emergency transitional shelter we want [to

Keeley Johns performs during the Strengthening Nations virtual telethon on Oct. 24. The two-hour event consisted of live music performances streamed on Facebook. Photo Credit: Courtesy acquire] for domestic violence survivors,” Nelson told the Sun Oct. 3.

Strengthening Nations has partnerships with local hotels to house families and victims.

But the goal of the telethon is to create a dedicated shelter, “We want to build or buy a location to house families in a more stable environment,” Nelson said. “We’ll be able to

provide support services to them under one roof without risking exposure to people who could identify them and [we think the reasons] why they’re at the shelter when seeking out support should be done in confidentiality.”

The list of per for mers for the telethon included Thoreau-based metal band, Testify, along with Keeley Johns, JP Van Derdys Vidal and Irv Wauneka. While the performances were closed to the public for safety concerns, the recorded telethon and performances can be viewed in full on Strengthening Nation’s Facebook page at

https://www.facebook.com/ sninc505.

JP Van Derdys Vidal was one of the performers in the virtual telethon fundraiser held by Strengthening Nations on Oct. 24. Photo Credit: Courtesy COMMUNITY

Nelson said the live music made up most of the telethon, though she also spoke about her experience of overcoming abuse as a child.

“All of the things I’ve gone through in my life, I want everybody to know that the challenges they face, you can overcome them, and you can use them to help other people,” Nelson said.

St reng t hen i ng Nat ion s raised nearly $5,700 through the telethon, with more donations continuing to come in through their website, Facebook, and Paypal, along with donations from Gallup businesses, T he goa l r ig ht now is $20,000, which is slated to be

used as a down payment on a building that will house the transitional shelter.

Nelson said they have one building in mind on the west side of Gallup that will cost about $300,000.

“That price is up there, but with the grants we’re writing and the other support we can dig into, we think [we can make it],” she said.

Regarding other funding avenues, Nelson said some opportunities have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the passage of the CARES Act. What the organization may have done and who they would have approached in the

past may not be available at present.

Nelson said they will continue to ask for assistance from the public and hope more people realize support services for abuse survivors are a necessity for Gallup.

“Any kind of support fi nancially from anybody and everybody would benefit us,” she said.

In the meantime, Strengthening Nations will continue serving Gallup.

“We want to thank everybody for their support [in the telethon], getting the word out about the organization,” Nelson said. “Besides fundraising for the shelter, another part of the telethon was getting out the word about the services we provide. Our doors are open still during the pandemic.

We’re here, and if anyone needs abuse-victim services, that’s what we’re here for.”

Nelson said they are partnering with the Gallup Police Department to host a coat drive Nov. 21 at their office in the First United Methodist Church, 1800 Red Rock Dr. The event will be both drive-up and drive-thru, so the community can safely participate.

For more information on Strengthening Nations, including to donate, visit https://www.strengtheningnations.org/.

Gallup Sun • Friday November 6, 2020

17

Beautifying downtown Gallup Staff Reports

A

rtist Jerry Brown has just fi nished a mural in downtown Ga l lup ent it led Resilience.

It can be viewed at 214 W. Aztec Ave. in the alley on the side of Dental Innovations.

Brown, who says his DinĂŠ culture influences his work, describes the mural on the gallupmainstreet.org web site. “The birds are all found in our region of New Mexico. The Bluebird is made up of cool colors, It represents joy, happiness, and peace. The Varied Thrush is made up of warm colors,â€? he said in his description. “It is a symbol of speaking our truth and to pay attention to the language we use. The Hummingbird is painted in vibrant in colors. It represents good luck. “The bee is a symbol of community, of being wise

NTUA | FROM PAGE 8 Nez-L izer Ad m i n istrat ion approved $13.8 million for power line projects, $24.7 million to increase overall electric grid capacity, $20.9 million for cisterns systems, $18.6 million for wastewater systems,

GRAY WOLVES | FROM PAGE 13 populations in the lower 48 are thriving and are able to play out their ecological role balancing

Close up of the left side of the recently completed mural by Jerry Brown on the side of Dental Innovations. Photo Credit: Courtesy Gallupmainstreet.org

Jerry Brown is DinĂŠ from Mariano Lake, N.M. “I am born into the Edgewater People for the Deer Spring Band. I state this because being DinĂŠ is part of who I am. I am proud of this. It is one of the many inuences in my work,â€? he said. Photo Credit: Courtesy Gallupmainstreet.org

with our natural resources.

The f ly (ca n you find it?) ca n be a reference to the unhealthy nature of our relationships, it can also be a sign of persistence,� Brown explained. Speaking about the title

a nd the work a s a whole, Brown said, resilience means knowing how to work through setbacks, or barriers, or limited resources. Resilience is a measure of how much we wa nt someth i ng a nd how much we are willing to do to

achieve it. “Resilience is a word I have heard often in my life.

This mural represents how our community has worked in the face of adversity. How we working (sic) on changing and adapting to meet new challenges. How we continue

trying to work together to move forward,� he said.

The mural was sponsored

by Gallup MainStreet Arts & Cultural District, with funding from BNSF Foundation, with thanks to Dental Innovations and Tanner’s Indian Arts for helping to make this possible.

and $32.8 million for wireless and broadband expansion for NTUA from the Navajo Nation’s CARES Act funds. “The COVID-19 pandemic has created so many challenges for all of us, but this is certainly great news and great work being done by NTUA. As I always say, there is a light at the end of this

dark tunnel and NTUA’s work during this pandemic is a part of that bright light,� Lizer said. “They are not only helping families, but they are helping to build communities and a nation.

We commend NTUA and all of our partners who are working hard to improve lives and the quality of life for our Navajo

people.�

NTUA is also making more progress with water projects and telecommunications infrastructure development to provide more cell phone and internet access for residents. “District staff members sacrificed their weekend so that these families could have

power,� NTUA General Manager Walter Haase said. “They helped with final inspection, installing the meters and meeting with families for orientation. They wanted to make sure the families didn’t have to wait any longer to receive the electricity.

This was a strong example of community service.�

our natural systems, instead of stripping critical protections still needed for their full recovery,� Bonnie Rice, Sierra Club senior campaign representative said. “The science is clear that

to protect our communities and prevent future pandemics, we need to be doing more to protect nature and wildlife, not less.� “Again and again the courts have rejected premat u re removal of wolf protections,�

Collette Adkins, carnivore conservation director at the Center for Biological Diversity stated. “But instead of pursuing further wolf recovery, the Fish and Wildlife Service has just adopted its broadest, most destructive delisting rule yet. The courts recognize, even if the feds don’t, that the Endangered Species Act requires real wolf recovery, including in the southern Rockies and other places with ideal wolf habitat.� “Remov ing protections for gray wolves amid a global extinction crisis is shortsighted and dangerous to America’s conservation legacy,� Bart Melton, wildlife program director for the National Parks Conservation Association said. “Rather than

working alongside communities to support the return of wolves to parks and surrounding landscapes including Dinosaur National Monument, North Cascades and Lassen National Forest, the administration essentially today said ‘good enough’ and removed Endangered Species Act protections. The Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal ignores the requirements of the Endangered Species Act, science and common sense.� “Stripping protections for gray wolves is premature and reckless,� Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO for Defenders of Wildlife said. “Gray wolves occupy only a fraction of their former range and need continued federal protection to fully recover. We will be taking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to court to defend this iconic species.� “It is far too early to declare wolves recovered and to strip protections from them in the

Western two-thirds of Oregon,�

Danielle Moser, wildlife program coordinator for Oregon Wild said. “Removing wolves from the endangered species list would turn their management entirely over to Oregon’s embattled Department of Fish and Wildlife, which continues to push for hunting and trapping of the state’s already fragile wolf population.�

L a s t yea r 1.8 m i l l ion Americans submitted comments opposing this deli s t i n g . A d d i t i o n a l l y, 8 6 members of Congress (in both the House and Senate), 100 scientists, 230 businesses, and 367 veterinary professionals all submitted letters opposing the wolf delisting plan. Even the scientific peer reviews commissioned by the Fish and Wildlife Service itself found that the agency’s proposal ignored science and appeared to come to a predetermined conclusion, with inadequate scientific support.

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Friday November 6, 2020 • Gallup Sun

COMMUNITY

‘Let Him Go’ has ďŹ ne performances, but few surprises

By Glenn Kay For the Sun

RATING:  OUT OF  RUNNING TIME: 114 MINUTES This f ilm from Focus Features opens Nov. 6 at drive-ins and cinemas. In-laws can be a pain, but few are as much trouble as those featured in the new period drama, Let Him Go. The plot of this feature has a great dea l of potentia l, pitting two families against ea ch ot her over t he welfare of a young infant. Yet, like its lead characters the movie too often follows the straight and narrow. While the performances are strong and the finale is admittedly effective, early sections end up coming across in many respects like a predictable revenge potboiler.

Rancher/ex-sheriff George Blackledge (Kevin Costner) a nd h is opi n ionated w i fe Margaret (Diane Lane) suffer tragedy when their adult son falls off a horse and passes away, leaving widow Lorna (Kayli Carter) behind along w ith their new baby. The strong-willed Margaret tries to help Lorna with the infant, but the two butt heads over the baby’s care. Things get worse when Lorna remarries Donnie Weboy (Will Brittain) and leaves the family home.

A pr ying Margaret discovers that the new husband is abusive, but before she can con front the couple, they disappear.

Driven to find and protect her grandson, the grandmother demands that she and the reticent George track down the missing couple. As it turns out, the road leads to the Weboy family, a thuggish

group led by the controlling matriarch, Blanche (Lesley Manville).

Despite being a thriller, the movie feels more like a western. Its biggest asset is its cast, who all bring a gravita s to the pulpy mater ial.

George is a reluctant hero who knows that no good can come of squaring off against a well-known clan of wrongdoers and Lane is effective as a determined parent who won’t let anything stop her from collecting her grandch ild. The v illa i ns of the piece are generally one-note, but the talented actors certainly exude menace.

Most of the intimidation come s f rom Bi l l (Jef f rey Donovan), an initially polite, but threatening cousin of Donnie who appears mildly amused by the seniors trying to take back the baby. Even ca st member s i n sma l ler roles, like that of cast-out Peter Dragswol f (Booboo Stewart), are solid and make an impression.

S t i l l , e a rly on t her e’s something that just feels a little too familiar about the story. It takes a long while for the leads to find out what happened to t hei r fa m i ly member and when the families do meet, good and bad are clearly drawn in explicit terms. Given that the two central figures are both determined family matriarchs, it might have been more exciting to see certain elements h a nd le d d i f fer ent ly. T he protagonist’s all-American qualities (like Margaret’s propensity to bake) could actually have played as eerie too, if more similarities between the seniors and their foes had been exposed amidst the escalating situation.

Instead, the Weboys are v icious v illains who must be stopped from the get-go a nd George a nd Ma rga ret

Margaret (Diane Lane) and George Blackledge (Kevin Costner) wrestle with their circumstances in “Let Him Go,� a movie that follows an extended family after a tragedy that takes their son from them and leaves his widow behind with an infant. Photo Credit: Focus Features

are never less than earnestly heroic, with the ex-sheriff ultimately stepping in taking on a more prominent role later in the film.

When the two families do come to blows, it is effective and well edited. The movie peppers in more v iolence during the climax than one would expect in order to add tension to the proceedings.

Beyond the bloodshed, it’s always clear where things are headed and how the central conflict will be resolved.

I certainly admired the work of the cast in Let Him Go, but sections of the script do feel musty.

The basic concept really had the potential to jab at old-fashioned family values and iconography, yet besides

the protagonists being older, the film ends up following the same beats we’ve all seen before. It is well shot and performed and the finale is compelling to a degree, but the movie itself doesn’t add any thing unique or overly memorable to the traditional revenge/thriller formula.

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Gallup Sun • Friday November 6, 2020

19

Blu-ray/DVD Roundup for November 6, 2020

By Glenn Kay For the Sun

W

elcome to another look at highlights coming your way on Blu-ray and DVD. This edition features plenty of interesting stuff available in a wide variety of genres ranging from horror to comedy. So, since you can’t or likely shouldn’t be going out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!

BIG NEW RELEASES! ANTEBELLUM: In this horror fi lm, a renowned sociologist and successful author begins a tour of Louisiana t o pr omot e her new book.

She starts to ex per ience strange events and fi nds herself trapped in a bizarre and terrifying reality on a nearby plantation. As the protagonist struggles to fi nd a way out of the ordeal, she is forced to confront her past, present and future. This chiller didn’t make a positive impression on critics.

There was a small contingent that thought the movie was eerie, had a potent message and was impressively shot. However, the majority found that while they admired what was being attempted, the execution of the story was clumsy and the fi lm itself was ineffective. It stars Janelle Moná e, Er ic L a nge, Jena Malone, Jack Huston, Kiersey Clemons and Gabourey Sidibe.

THE ARGUMENT: While hosting a party at their home, a young couple gets into a heated argument.

T he f a l lou t continues in t h e fo l l owing days and soon their guests step in to try and help resolve the disagreement.

They decide to recreate the event to get more insight into the problem, but quickly start bickering about what happened … so they ultimately hire performers to re-enact the scenario. This independent comedy earned decent

notices.

A sma ll group thoug ht that it was funny in spots, but didn’t care for the characters and found the story repetitive. However, most stated that this was an intriguing and unique flick and that its hilarious final act made up for any slow spots. The cast includes Dan Fogler, Emma Bell, Maggie Q, Danny Pudi, Tyler James Williams and Cleopatra Coleman.

BLACKBIRD: A family matriarch with Lou Gehrig’s disease decides to call her entire family together for one last celebration. She and her husband plan on an emotional but rewarding final weekend with their kids. However, tensions begin to arise as old and unresolved issues between the woma n a nd her adult daughters are laid bare. This drama received more positive reviews than negative ones.

Those who disliked it said that there was plenty of material to work with, but that in the end the mov ie skir ted the questions it raised and instead resor ted to melo drama. Slightly more suggested that the cast was so engaging and wonderful to watch that it made up for any narrative shortcomings. The mov ie features Sam Neill, S u s a n S a r a nd o n , A n s o n Boon, Kate Winslet, Rainn Wilson and Mia Wasikowska.

I A M WO M A N : T h e famous singer/songwriter/ activist Helen Reddy is the subject of t h i s biopic.

It op e n s i n 1966 with the Australian single mother arriv ing in New York City with only $230 in her pocket and an unstoppable drive to start a musical career. Over the course of the following decades, she writes and records hit records with a feminist theme, while also battling a substance abuse problem. Reception toward t h i s d r a m a wa s po sit ive overall.

A fair number of reviews commented that the movie was too reliant on dramatic clichés and could have benefited from a more energetic storytelling approach. Still,

20 Friday November 6, 2020 • Gallup Sun

more critics felt that the lead performance was excellent and made up for the script’s for mu l a ic element s . T he cast includes Tilda CobhamHervey, Danielle Macdonald, E v a n Pe t e r s a n d M a t t y Cardarople.

L A KE MICHIGA N MONSTER: After an abomination known as the Lake M ich iga n Mon ster at t a ck kills a lighthouse keeper, his son vows revenge on the bea st. Some t i m e l a t e r, a nd now a n eccentric ship captain, the protagonist ventures out onto the lake with weapons and a crew in order to hunt down and destroy the creature. Shot in black and white, this independent horror/comedy has been playing at film festivals over the past year to a very positive response. One or two couldn’t get onto its wavelength and complained that the movie ran out of gas quickly.

Yet ever yone el se h a s c a l le d it a ver y s t yl i s h , high-energy blast of a film t hat tona l ly captu res t he feeling of a B-movie, while i mpre s si ng v iewer s w it h plenty of wild visuals. Ryland Brickson Cole Tews leads the cast and also serves as writer/director.

LET’S SCARE JULIE: This independent feature is told in one unbroken shot.

The story involves a group of cruel students who set out to frighten their reclusive new teenage neighbor who has moved into a creepy home across the street. The plan quickly falls apart when two group members head out to the eerie house and then don’t return. The press didn’t take to this horror flick.

One or two were impressed by the single shot, handheld camerawork and stated that the technique helped establish a creepy mood. Still, all others groused about the writing, commenting that the characters weren’t distinctive and that a weak ending really hurt the movie. It stars Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson, Isabel May, Odessa A’zion, Brooke S or en s on , Je s sic a S a r a h

Flaum and Dakota Baccelli.

MISBEH AV IOR: T h i s British comedy/drama tells the stor y of the 1970 Miss World c om petition in London. At the time this beaut y pa geant was the most watched prog ra m i n the world, averaging about 100 million viewers. The story involves a group who asserted that the event objectified women. It follows these protestors as they set out to disrupt the show and cause humorous chaos in the process.

Critics had a good time with this feature. There were a few who thought it would have made a better documentary and suffered from being too pleasant and lighthearted in tone. However, the majority said that while it didn’t dig deep into its subject, it was a hoot to watch, featuring wonderful performances and plenty of laughs. Keira Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jessie Buckley, Greg Kinnear, Lesley Ma nv ille a nd Rhys Ifans headline the film.

THEY REACH: Watch out for old cassettes collecting dust in your basement or garage! This horror picture is set in 1979 and involves a girl who finds a tape and decides to play it. The item releases a demon that not only starts to haunt and manipulate the youngster’s family, but also begins dragging the entire town to Hell. This title played a few film festivals over the past year, but looks to be premiering on disc.

A s of r ig ht now, t here aren’t many critic reviews ava ilable. However, a few have popped up online and the response has been reasonable. A few have called it a low-budget, a mateu rish k nock- off of Netf li x’s Stranger Things, but several also admit that it works well enough as a nostalgia piece and is a reasonably effective little homegrown thriller. It features Mary Madaline Roe, Eden Campbell and Morgan Chandler.

WORST CHRISTM A S EV ER .: A sma l l-tow n

teenager goes through a particularly rough holiday season after learning that she is pregnant and that her boyfriend has been cheating on her. The lead’s self-involved parents are no help either, leaving the teen to confide in her friends. After some conversation, she decides to steal her grandpa’s gun and use it to confront her boy fr iend and give him a scare. Along the way to her grandfather’s home, things begin to spiral out of control as the teen discovers that everyone in town is also going through major dilemmas.

T h i s low- bud get i nd ie feature is debuting on disc a nd there a re no rev iews currently available for it. So far, no one can say if it’s an amusing holiday present or something that should be left unopened. Raychael Lane and Chase Crawford headline the film.

BL A STS FROM TH E PAST! I f you enjoy a n i mated fe a t u r e s , S hout! f a c t or y has a few coming your way that were all nominated for Academy Awards. The first Blu-ray is for the French feature, A Cat in Paris (2010).

This is a hand-drawn movie about a Pa r isia n cat who lives a secret life at night.

W hen t he fel i ne’s ow ner gets targeted by gangsters, the heroic animal must save her. The movie arrives with a making-of short, a video flipbook of the title character and a trailer. You’ll also get the original French with English subtitles, as well as an English audio track.

CHICO & RITA (2010): is a Spanish film set in Cuba during the 1940s. It’s about a piano player a nd si nger who f a l l i n love a nd tr y to survive a long journey filled with heartbreak as they leave their home and try to make it in the U.S.. Extras on this Blu-ray include an audio commentary with the directors, a making-of and theatrical

DVD REVIEWS | SEE PAGE 22 COMMUNITY

CLASSIFIEDS GALLUP SUN ARCHIVES Need a past issue? $2.00 per copy. Note issue date and send check or M.O. to: Gallup Sun, PO Box 1212, Gallup, NM 87305. Subject to availability.

AUTO SALES Gurley Motor Company

HOUSE RENTALS Double Wide Mobile Home for rent 2 bedrooms/ 2 bath $800.00 Monthly Call Liz 505-879-1807 HOUSING WANTED Looking for 1-2 bdrm mobile home 4 sale, move in condition.

Call 505-713-0205 LEGAL/PUBLIC NOTICES

2019 Dodge Grand Caravan Leather Interior, Automatic Doors, Loaded Low Mileage Only 55K Miles Priced at $19,125 Ask about Down Payment Match Cash!

2018 Ford Escape SEL 4WD LOADED! Leather Interior and XM Radio Under 35K miles Priced at $20,325 Ask about our Down Payment Match Cash!

2017 Ford Fusion Like NEW Only 8350 Miles!

Great Deal Priced at $18,450 Gurley Motor Co. 701 W. Coal Ave, Gallup, NM (505) 722-6621 www.gurleymotorford.com HELP WANTED Hiring Silversmiths Mon-Fri 9 to 5 Thunderbird Jewelry 1923 W. Hwy 66 Ask for Gerald Please, no phone calls CLASSIFIEDS

ELEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF MCKINLEY STATE OF NEW MEXICO In the Matter of the Estate of RAYMOND BECENTI, Deceased.

No. D-1113-PB-2020-00034 NOTICE TO CREDITORS KRYSTAL RAE BECENTI has been appointed Personal Representative of the Estate of RAYMOND BECENTI, deceased. All persons having claims against this estate are required to present their claims within four (4) months after the first publication of this Notice or the claims will be forever barred. Claims must be presented either to the Personal Representative at the office of Mason & Isaacson, P.A., East Aztec Avenue, Gallup, New Mexico, 87301, attorneys for the Personal Representative, or filled with the District Court of McKinley County, New Mexico.

KRYSTAL RAE BECENTI MASON & ISAACSON, P.A. By: James J. Mason Attorneys for personal Representative 104 East Aztec Avenue Gallup, New Mexico 87301 (505)722-4463 PUBLISH: Gallup Sun October 23, 2020 October 30, 2020 November 6, 2020 ***

ELEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF MCKINLEY STATE OF NEW MEXICO In the Matter of the Estate of RHONDA TORREZ, Deceased.

No. D-1113-PB-2020-00033 NOTICE TO CREDITORS DAVID TORREZ has been appointed Personal Representative of the Estate of RHONDA TORREZ, deceased. All persons having claims against this estate are required to present their claims within four (4) months after the date of the first publication of the Notice or the claims will be forever barred. Claims must be presented either to the Personal Representative at the offices of Mason & Isaacson, P.A., 104 East Aztec Avenue, Gallup, New Mexico, 87301, attorneys for the Personal Representative, or filed with the District Court of McKinley County, New Mexico.

DAVID TORREZ MASON & ISAACSON, P.A. By: James J. Mason Attorneys for Personal Representative 104 East Aztec Avenue Gallup, New Mexico 87301 (505) 722-4463 PUBLISH: The Gallup Sun October 23, 2020 October 30, 2020 November 6, 2020 *** INVITATION FOR BID INSTALL RESIDENTIAL RAIN-GUTTERS ARNOLD & MARCE Sites

CLASSIFIEDS WEEKLY RATES FIRST 25 WORDS: FREE! (4 consecutive weeks max.)

26-50 WORDS: $10 51-75: WORDS: $20 76-100 WORDS: $30 $10 FOR EACH ADD’L 25 WORDS

EXTRAS – $5 PER WEEK, PER ITEM: TEXT BOX, HIGHLIGHT, ALL CAPS, BOLD, AND/OR PIC/LOGO Free classifi ed: Limit one free ad per customer only. Second ad starts at $10, per 25 words.

EMAIL: GALLUPSUNLEGALS@GMAIL.COM DUE: TUESDAYS 5 PM

units and site. Site review is required.

Your BID must arrive no later than 3:00 PM, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020, at the Gallup Housing Authority, Main Office, or emailed to Mike.Burnside@ galluphousing.com. BIDs received after this date and time will not be accepted.

A Pre-Bid Meeting will be held Tuesday, November 10, 2020 at 11:00 AM, in the GHA Conference Room.

The Gallup Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all BIDs or any part thereof and to waive any informality in any BID not deemed in the best interest of the Housing Authority.

Please refer any questions regarding this Invitation for Bid in writing (via e-mail) to: Mike.Burnside@ galluphousing.com Publish: Gallup Sun November 6, 2020

GALLUP HOUSING AUTHORITY November 1, 2020

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Gallup Housing Authority is requesting qualified Contractors provide a written BID for Install Residential Rain-Gutters as described in the package.

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the McKinley County Board of Commissioners will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, November 10, 2020 at 9:00

You are invited to submit a delivered or emailed BID to be received by Mike Burnside, Project Coordinator, for the Gallup Housing Authority.

The Housing Authority Main office is located at 203 Debra Drive, Gallup, NM 87301, phone number (505) 722-4388.

Contact Mike Burnside to receive a Bid Package and to make an appointment if you wish to see the housing

***

a.m.

Adhering to the Social Distancing Protocols, issued by the Governor’s Office; and the requirements of the Open Meetings Act allowing members of the public to attend and listen to meetings of the quorum of the governing body, this meeting will be physically closed to the public but open to the public via technology services. Members of the public may view the live stream feeds offered on the approved Facebook account of the McKinley County Office of Emergency Management. Members of the public are welcome to call in with comments about any of the items on the agenda. The comment call in number (505.863.1400) will be monitored beginning at 8:45 am on the day of the meeting; and, it will stop being monitored at 9:10 am on the day of the meeting.

Please give your name, and the Agenda Item Number you desire to comment on, and a return phone number. When, at the appropriate time for making comments on the agenda items, (beginning at approximately 9:10 am) the Commission Chair will call you on your return number

CLASSIFIEDS | SEE PAGE 22

We believe in ideas.

We believe in passion.

We believe in dreams.

We believe in you.

www.nmhu.edu Gallup Sun • Friday November 6, 2020

21

CLASSIFIEDS | FROM PAGE 21 so you can make your comment. The Commission Chair pursuant to state law and county policy can limit the time of comments and reduce common or cumulative comments as needed; comments will be limited to 3 minutes.

the County Clerk’s Office and can be sent electronically upon request.

All interested parties are invited to attend via the live stream mentioned herein.

Done this 2nd day of November 2020 McKINLEY COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS /S/ Billy Moore, Chairperson

The members of the County Commission at their option can participate by phone or other technological participation methods. A copy of the agenda will be available 72 hours prior to the meeting in the Manager’s Office and

Publication date: Gallup Sun November 6, 2020 *** Legal Notice Request for Proposals

SUBSCRIBE TO THE

GALLUP SUN! Three Convenient Delivery Options Snail Mail: __ 1 yr. $62.95 __ 6 mo. $32.95

*Home Delivery: __ 1 yr. $45 __ 6 mo. $25

Digital (Email): __ 1 yr. $35 __ 6 mo. $20

*Gallup metro area only

Name: ___________________________________ Address: _________________________________ City/State/Zip: ____________________________ Phone: ________________ (for billing purposes only)

CLASSIFIEDS Read online at gallupsun.com Public Notice is hereby provided that the GallupMcKinley County Schools is accepting competitive sealed proposals for: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR COLLEGE & CAREER READINESS, LINKED LEARNING PATHWAYS

Mail Check to: Gallup Sun, PO Box 1212, Gallup, NM 87305

RFP-2021-17KC

• Fax: (505) 212-0391 • Email: gallupsun@gmail.com

Commodity Code(s): 91838

Credit Card #: _________________ Exp: _______ 3-4 digit code: _________ Billing zip: _________ Pay By Phone: (505) 722-8994 The Gallup Sun is distributed weekly, on Fridays. Forms received after Wednesday, the subscription will start the following Friday.

DVD REVIEWS | FROM PAGE 20 trailers.

The Irish film The Secret of Kells (2009) is also arriving on Blu-ray. Celtic mythology is used in this medieval tale about a young boy who finds a magical book. He then befriends wolf-girl, hoping that these incredible discoveries will help him save his village from invading forces.

This Blu-ray includes a commentary with the co-directors and art director, voice recording sessions with the cast, a pencil to picture featurette, footage from the Oscars.

Kino has a couple of Blurays a r r iv ing a s well that

feat u re Joh n Way ne. T he first is the Marlene Dietrich/ John Wayne rom-com Seven Sinners (1940), which finds it s le a d s a t a s a lo on i n the Pacific falling for one a not her. It comes w it h a film historian commentary a nd a tra iler. The second is the adventure f lick, T he Shepherd of the Hills (1941), in which Wayne leads a family of moonshiners and falls for a woman with a curse. Bonuses are the same as for the previous title.

S ony i s cont i nu i n g t o reach into its catalog and find more titles to release on Blu-ray. This week it’s the Robin Williams comedy, Man of the Year (2006), about a

22 Friday November 6, 2020 • Gallup Sun

As more particularly set out in the RFP documents, copies of which may be obtained by downloading from the Gallup-McKinley County Schools eBidding platform website https://gmcs.

political talk show host who decides on a presidential run to earn higher ratings ... and then wins the election. The disc includes a couple of featurettes about the production.

If you happen to shop for Blu-rays at Best Buy, they are offering a couple of new Steelbooks exclusive to their stores. The first is of the popular musical Grease (1978), a Paramount title which has been given a new 4K transfer and comes with the same bonuses from previous editions. The second Steelbook Blu-ray is a 4K edition of the LionsGate superhero f lick, Kick-Ass (2010).

Finally, Warner Archive is releasing a Blu-ray of The

bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab= openOpportunities Sealed proposals for such will be received until 2:00 P.M. (LOCAL TIME) on, DECEMBER 1, 2020. FAX, EMAIL and HARDCOPY PROPOSALS will NOT be accepted. Offerors will not be able to upload proposals or documents after the specified CLOSING date and time.

The Gallup-McKinley County School Board of Education reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive any formalities or minor inconsistencies, and/or cancel this solicitation in its entirety.

Dated the 29th Day of October 2020 By: /S/ Charles Long, President Board of Education Gallup-McKinley County

Mortal Stor m (1940) with Margaret Sullavan and Jimmy Stewart. It’s about a family living in the German Alps as Nazis come to power and how the strain of the situation slowly begins to pull them all apart.

YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS! T here a re a few t it le s arriving this week for kids to enjoy. Here are just a few examples ...

A Cat in Par i s (2010) Shout!

Josie and the Pussycats: The Complete Series (1970 1971) Warner Archive The Secret of Kells (2009) ON THE TUBE! And you’ll find all of the

School District No. 1 RFP ISSUE DATE: October 29, 2020 Publish: Gallup Sun November 6, 2020 *** Public Notice is hereby given that Gallup Business Improvement District, Inc. will conduct its regular monthly Board of Directors Meeting, to be held virtually, on Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 3 PM. The agenda and a dial-in number will be available 72 hours prior to the meeting from francis@ gallupbid.com and on the City of Gallup website.

Publish: Gallup Sun November 6, 2020

TV-themed releases listed below.

Age of Nature (PBS) Catherine the Great: An HBO Limited Series The Crown: Season 3 Game of T hron es: The Complete Collection 4K Josie and the Pussycats: The Complete Series (1970 1971) Warner Archive Master piece - Victoria: The Complete Seasons 1, 2 & 3 (PBS) Mi ss F i sh e r ’s Mur d e r Myst e r i e s: T he Complete Col lection - 3 Sea sons, 1 Movie When Hope Calls: Season 1 (Hallmark) V ISI T: W W W. CINEMASTANCE.COM CLASSIFIEDS

COMMUNITY CALENDAR NOVEMBER 6 – NOVEMBER 12, 2020 FRIDAY, November 6

SPECIAL COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING – CANVASSING OF ELECTION

9 am-12 pm Canvassing the Nov. 3 general election will begin and is anticipated to be recessed until the next week to make the appropriate certifications as required by Election Law.

SPECIAL COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING

10 am-11 am All meetings are held on zoom and will be streamed on Facebook via the McKinley County Office of Emergency Management Facebook Page.

BIG LIBRARY READ

Borrow the featured title ‘Reverie’ by Ryan La Sala with no waitlists or holds from our digital collection.

OFPL is connecting their patrons with millions of readers and a compelling young adult ebook during the next Big Library Read, the world’s largest digital book club. From Nov. 2-17, readers’ secret dreams can become a reality when they borrow and read the debut novel Reverie from their public library.

Card holders can borrow the ebook or audiobook without waiting by visiting http:// nm.lib.overdrive.com or downloading the Libby app.

Readers can then discuss online at https://discuss. biglibraryread.com/. For more information: bmartin@ gallupnm.gov or call (505) 863-1291.

VIRTUAL FUN FRIDAY

4 pm Live on Facebook, @ galluplibrary The Library will have weekly virtual fun with games, guests, and more! Participate in Fun Friday interactive events and the opportunity to win some great prizes!

Name the flavor challenge.

OFPL NATIVE SPEAKERS SERIES

Visit YouTube, @galluplibrary to view episodes of the OFPL Native Speakers Series.

Introductions to the Zuni and Navajo Languages during the month of November. Videos are posted Wednesdays and Fridays at 11:00 a.m. This week’s focus: Counting in Zuni.

SATURDAY, November 7

FREE FAMILY ART KITS

ART123gallery is handing out Free Family Art Kits on a first come first served basis.

This month it will be the Pipe Cleaner Magic Kit. Discover the magic of pipe cleaners.

Twist them into beautiful beaded ears of corn and flower rings. You may share pictures of your creations with gallupARTS on social

CALENDAR

media. For more information: galluparts.org. ART!@# Gallery is on Facebook @ ART123Gallery, gallupARTS is on Facebook and Instagram @gallupARTs.

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP

10 am via Zoom Westminster Presbyterian Church is holding a grief support group You must pre-register to receive an invitation to the group. Please download Zoom to your computer.

Contact Pastor Lorelei by email at wpcgallup@gmail. com and write Grief Group in the subject line. Include a phone number in the email.

SUNDAY, November 8

CROP HUNGER WALK

12 pm-2 pm @ The Community Pantry (1130 Hasler Valley Road) you can pick up CROP donation envelopes, posters, pamphlets, orange vests and other materials for your neighborhood walks to raise funds and awareness for local and global food insecurity and emergency disaster needs. The CROP Hunger Walk continues through Dec. 1. For more information, contact Hilda at the Community Pantry (505) 726-8068 or email betsywindisch@yahoo.com MONDAY, November 9

LOBO PLATROFM TRAINING SESSION

2 pm-3 pm @ https://unm. zoom.us Meeting ID:944 5420 3543 Student services personnel offer UNM-Gallup campus a series of training sessions focused on services available through LoboWeb, LoboTrax, LoboMail, LoboAchieve.

BIG LIBRARY READ

Borrow the featured title Reverie by Ryan La Sala with no waitlists or holds from our digital collection. OFPL is connecting its patrons with millions of readers and a compelling young adult ebook during the next Big Library Read, the world’s largest digital book club through Nov. 17. Card holders can borrow the ebook or audiobook without waiting by visiting http://nm.lib. overdrive.com or downloading the Libby app. Readers can then discuss online at https://discuss.biglibraryread.com/. For more information: bmartin@gallupnm. gov; (505) 863-1291.

CREATIVE CORNER

4 pm @ ofpl.online/programs/#makerspace. The focus will be on Dream Catchers. For more information: jwhitman@galllupnm. gov; (505) 863-1291

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

1 pm-2 pm @ Student Sup-

CALENDAR

port Center Board Room (640 S. Boardman).

TUESDAY, November 10

REGULAR COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING

9 am-12 pm via Zoom. The meetings will be streamed on Facebook via the McKinley County Office of Emergency Management Facebook page.

DRIVE-UP COVID-19 TESTING

1:30 pm-2:30 pm @ UNM Gallup Lions Hall parking lot (705 Gurley Ave.).

EVERYBODY IS TALKING TUESDAYS! – INDIGENOUS MOVERS AND SHAKERS

4 pm YouTube, @galluplibrary on Tuesdays. Join the creative genius of the Octavia Fellin Public Library and our unusually talented neighbors for book-talks, author-talks, movie-talks, pop-talks, foodtalks, maker-talks, tech-talks.

ONE-2-ONE VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY HELP

5 pm live on Facebook, @ galluplibrary and through scheduled video and audio calls. Ask your technology questions and get assistance during the live sessions.

Please email libtrain@gallupnm.gov or call (505) 8631291 to schedule a personalized audio or video meeting, or join us Live on Facebook at the scheduled times.

WEDNESDAY, November 11

TECH TIME BUSINESS DOCUMENTS 101

4 pm @ YouTube @galluplibrary. If you know basic word processing skills and are ready to do more, join us for this special class. Learn to compose a business letter, write a memo, create envelopes and other business basics. For more information: libtrain@gallupnm.gov; (505) 863-1291.

OFPL NATIVE SPEAKERS SERIES

11 am YouTube @gallup library. Introductions to the Zuni and Navajo Languages during the month of November. Videos are posted Wednesdays and Fridays at 11:00 a.m. Today’s subject is: Greetings in Zuni.

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA

Gallup Wreathes Across America is working to place a Christmas wreath on every veteran’s grave in Gallup on Dec. 19. Due to COVID restrictions, the honor guard and wreath-laying ceremony will be virtual, with the City of Gallup filming and posting it online. Volunteers who wish to participate the laying of the wreaths at Gallup’s four cemeteries will meet in the open air, wearing masks and practice social distancing. Three-hundred wreaths have been sponsored so far.

There are 1,300 veteran’s graves in Gallup. The deadline for sponsorship is Nov. 30. Wreaths can be sponsored for $15 each. For more information, contact Janice Bradley at janiceb43@me.com THURSDAY, November 12

DRIVE-UP COVID-19 TESTING

1:30 pm-2:30 pm @ UNM Gallup Lions Hall parking lot (705 Gurley Ave.).

VIRTUAL CONCERT WITH JAMES MECALE

7 pm @gallupmainstreet The first in a series of virtual concerts hosted by local businesses for DOWNTOWN GALLUP ROCKS!

CRAFTY KIDS

4 pm on Facebook and Youtube @galluplibrary (all ages) for family-friendly crafts and step-by-step tutorials for all skill levels. This week we will focus on Paper Bag Scarecrow Craft.

ONGOING

FLU SHOTS

8:30 am- 4 pm throughout November by appointment.

M, W, F offering flu shots (for those six months old and above) out of McKinley County public health office (1919 College Drive). Call for an appointment. Please bring insurance information.

MCKINLEY COUNTY IMMUNIZATION CLINICS

8:30 am – 4 pm Mon., Wed., Fri. continues through November. @ McKinley Public Health Office, (1919 College Dr.) Call (505) 722-4391 to schedule an appointment.

Vaccines provided at no cost for children through 18 years of age. Bring your child’s shot record.

FINDING HOME AND NATIVE BEAUTY

Through Nov. 7 GALLUParts Facebook and Instagram pages. Two local artists Dana Aldis and Shannon Gurley O’Donnell explore concepts of people and place, one in oil and one in watercolor. Virtual show opening. Follow @ gallupARTS on Facebook and Instagram for virtual events.

2021 WINTER TALK

pm, Sat., 9 am - 9 pm and 12 pm-5 pm Sun. Please bring insurance information. For those with no health insurance there will be a $25 fee.

Pre-registration can be done during hours of operation, 9 am-9 pm. For more information: (505) 863-2273.

GIRL SCOUTS ROBOT BUILDING PARTY

Times will be scheduled based on demand. This free ongoing activity continues until Nov. 30. For more information: https:// wwwnmgirlscounts.org/en/ about-girl-scouts/join/robot-building-party.html; (505) 343-1040.

VIRTUAL TUTORING AND HOMEWORK HELP

Beginning Sept. 8, The Boys & Girls Club of Gallup has been offering virtual tutoring and homework help with trained mentors using Zoom calls. Club members with a 2020 membership can attend for free after they fill out a virtual permission form on the club website. To get a 2020 membership, fill out an online application and permission form. It’s free.

The help will be available until Dec. 31. For more information: bgcgallup.com; (505) 488-2378; Facebook@ BoysandGirlsClubGallup

RMCHCS COVID-19 DRIVE-UP TESTING

9 am-5 pm Mon.-Fri. @ Urgent Care Center (520 NM Hwy 564, north of the New Mexico Cancer Center).

Closed weekends.

DIAL-A-STORY Storytime anytime, call (505) 862-9177 to hear a story any time of the day or night.

Stories will change daily, at the end feel free to leave us a message to let us know what stories you want to hear. For more information: childlib@ gallupnm.gov; (505) 863-1291.

LIBRARY CARD REGISRTATION ONLINE

Today’s libraries have programs and resources that go far beyond books. From virtual story times, family game nights and art classes, to opportunities to borrow audiobooks and stream movies, there’s something for everyone at the library.

To explore all that the library has to offer, visit your library at ofpl.online to register for a free library card. For more information: bmartin@gallupnm.gov or call (505) 8631291 for more information.

Art work request for one original piece of two-dimensional art (mixed media, watercolor, acrylic, oil, print, charcoal) suitable for scanning size 16”x 24” for a commission of $500 to an Indigenous artist (18 years and older with a CDIB), to be completed and delivered to the New Mexico Conference of Churches by To post a nonprofit or Nov. 30. civic event in the calendar

RMCHCS FLU VACCINES (ADULTS ONLY)

Urgent Care Clinic (520 Hwy. 564). Walk-ins 5 pm- 9

section, please email: gallupsunevents@gmail.com or fax: (505) 212-0391. Deadline: Monday at 5 pm.

Gallup Sun • Friday November 6, 2020

23

Report to the People GHA Audits ʹ 2014 to 2020

Richard F.Kontz Executive Director

In April 2014 the Board of Commissioners of the Gallup Housing Authority hired Richard Kontz as the Executive Director with a directive to get things in order after several years of poor management. The Board expected ͞clean audits͟ and good management.

Alfred Abeita, Sr. Board Chairman

• For Fiscal Year 2014 [year ended June 30, 2014] we had 23 audit findings and the Auditors issued a "Disclaimer of opinion" due to records being left in such disarray by the old Financial Accountant. The Auditors felt "the Authority's accounting records were inadequate to substantiate the account balances for revenues, expenses, and capital assets presented in the financial statements."

• For Fiscal Year 2015 [year ended June 30, 2015] we resolved 19 of those findings. We still had 4 modified repeat findings but no "new" findings and the Auditors did issue an opinion on our financial statement this year. Off the record they indicated this was the most dramatic tumaround they had ever seen. A lot was due to better record keeping by our new Accountant Telisia Montano and by having more competent housing staff willing to follow all policies and procedures to the letter.

• For Fiscal Year 2016 [year ended on June 30, 2016] we resolved those 4 findings, but had two new minor findings. We received an "unmodified" Financial statement audit and an "unmodified" Federal awards audit.

• For Fiscal Year 2017 [year ended on June 30, 2017] we resolved those 2 findings from FY2016 and had no new findings. We received an "unmodified" Financial statement audit and an "unmodified" Federal awards audit.

• For Fiscal Year 2018 [year ended on June 30, 2018] we again had a "clean" audit with ZERO findings and we again received an "unmodified" Financial statement audit and an "unmodified" Federal awards audit.

• For Fiscal Year 2019 [year ended on June 30, 2019] we again had a “clean” audit with ZERO audit findings and we again received an "unmodified" Financial statement audit and an "unmodified" Federal awards audit.

• For Fiscal Year 2020 [year ended on June 30, 2020] we again will have a “clean” audit with ZERO audit findings and we again will receive an "unmodified" Financial statement audit and an "unmodified" Federal awards audit.

Our goal is to become a "high performing" Housing Authority under HUD's PHAS scoring system as well as set an example within the State of NM of a strong, stable and well managed Housing Authority.

24 Friday November 6, 2020 • Gallup Sun

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