Gallup Sun • Friday DECEMBER 23, 2016

E FRE

Rescue puppies on a plane.

Story Page 13 VOL 2 | ISSUE 90 | DECEMBER 23, 2016

SOME HOLIDAY CHEER. Page 3

CHIAPETTI OUSTED!

GMCS Superintendent: Doesn’t play well with others?

By Bernie Dotson Sun Correspondent The Gallup-McKinley County School Board released Superintendent Frank Chiapetti from his duties Dec. 19, putting the longtime educator on paid administrative leave until June 2017. June 30 marks the official end of the $132,000 annual contract that Chiapetti has with the school district.

The action took pl a ce a t Ts e Y i Ga i H ig h School in Pueblo Pintado and during a regular school board meeting. After a little more than two hours in an executive session, board

member Lynn Huenemann motioned for Chiapetti’s exit and to put assistant superintendent of business and human resources Mike Hyatt in the superintendent’s seat on a temporary basis.

The vote to remove Chiapetti was 4-1 with retired Gallup High School educator Joe Menini opposed. Menini and Huenemann are white, and board members Sandra Jeff, Kevin Mitchell and Priscilla Manuelito are Navajo.

Some in the community have said major board decisions often times fall along racial lines.

“After more than a year of attempting to work out our differences and attempting to supervise and communicate with (Mr. Chiapetti), the Board of Education has come to the point in its evaluation of that employer-employee relationship that it no longer has trust nor confidence in him (Chiapetti) to work with the Board of Education in a manner necessary for

him to be the administrative and educational leader of the school district,” Manuelito wrote in a one-page letter distributed Dec. 21 and that was not dated.

Manuelito continued, “It has become apparent that (Mr. Chiapetti) and the Board of Education do not share a common view nor are in agreement on how to best achieve the primary goal of increasing the quality of the education provided to all students of the school district.

It has resulted in repeated conflicts and disagreements. The relationship has become toxic and a distraction in moving forward in the school year and in the school years to follow.”

During a phone interview Dec. 21, Manuelito said that the board can evaluate the superintendent anytime before his contract is up for renewal

CHIAPETTI | SEE PAGE 9

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Friday December 23, 2016 • Gallup Sun

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NEWS

NEWS North Side X-mas lights bring color, cheer to Indian Capital GRANDMA’S RESTAURANT OWNERS RINGING IN THE HOLIDAYS

By Bernie Dotson Sun Correspondent

T

he holiday season is full of tradition, perhaps none more noticeable than outdoor Christmas decorations.

Color is popping up around the Indian Capital, whether in the form of white lights hanging through Coal and Aztec avenues or the bright Santa Claus greeting passersby along West Wilson Street in Gallup or the similar displays in hundreds of people’s yards in various neighborhoods around McKinley County.

For some Gallup families, spreading the holiday cheer through elaborate light displays is as important a Christmas tradition as any. “It’s something we do every year at Christmas,” Sylvestre Villegas, who lives at 217 W. Wilson Ave., in Gallup, said. “We like the lights. People who see them like them. This is something that we do especially for Christmas.”

DECKED-OUT PART OF THE BLOCK

25,” Sylvestre jokes. The couple, who are from Guadalajara, Mexico, own and operate Grandma’s Restaurant at 410 N. Third St. and another Grandma’s in Crownpoint.

“There are a lot of light bulbs in the yard,” the two say. “It’s Christmastime.”

It’s hard to miss the extravagant light display, which Ester says is turned on every evening at about 7:30 pm and turned off at around 10:30 pm. A celebrity cast of characters surrounds the Villegas residence – Santa Claus, the Grinch and what appears to be the “A Charlie Brown Christmas” gang.”

“We don’t want to keep the lights on too long for too many hours,” Ester quips. “We know that the electricity bill will be a little higher because of the lights. The longer the lights are on, the higher the bill.”

Neighbors and people who frequent St. Francis Church, also located on West Wilson, appreciate the light display. There are homes along West Wilson that have light displays, but not like

that of the Villegas residence.

“It’s beaut i f u l,” Moi ra Sanchez, 30, of Gallup’s north side commented. “You can tell they put a lot of time and effort into putting the lights up. They look very nice.”

In addition to looking at the decorations – most of them store bought – in the yard there are displays set up specifically so k ids, if they want, can get their pictures taken.

Now i n their third year of outdoor light decorations, Sylvestre’s and Ester’s collection has expanded so much, neither can put a number on how many decorations they have. “I don’t know the exact number of lights that

The Villegas family, at 217 W. Wilson Ave, welcome admirers to check out their elaborate Christmas display. Photo Credit: Ryan Hudgeons we have,” Ester says. “I stopped counting.”

T h e Vi l lega s’ aren’t the o n l y ones on the city’s north side spreading hol iday cheer.

Cutouts of holiday icons line the yards of homes for a good block or so on Princeton: ice-skating penguins, elves and snowmen, to name a few.

“We’ve seen the displays,” a telephone receptionist at St. Francis Church said. “But there are a lot of decorations on the north side. They all look good.”

Sylvestre and Ester said they’ll take the light display down on New Year’s Day.

West Wilson is hardly lacking the Christmas flare. At the intersection of Third Street and Wilson, passersby might notice Santa taking off into the night sky, about to be pulled upward by a team of luminous reindeer.

Owned by Sylvestre and Ester Villegas, the spacious yard decorations are a custom job. Both Sylvestre and Ester say they’re still adding on to the display “until about a day before Dec.

4

NEWS

GALLUP SUN BUSINESS DIRECTORY PAGE 10!

CANDIDATES FILE FOR OFFICE Two school board members have decided not to run again

14 15 17 20 GGEDC AWARDED A GRANT

A FESTIVE RIO WEST MALL

Patty Lundstrom’s organization had a great year

The mall makes the holidays special for area residents

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NEW MEXICO BOWL HIGHLIGHTS UNM’s determination pays off with a win

Gallup Sun • Friday December 23, 2016

3

Candidates file for GMCS board seats HUENEMANN, MENINI NOT RUNNING AGAIN

board sets,” Palochak said.

“This is the first step in the process.”

Reached by telephone this week, Menini declined to make a comment on not running. Menini represents a board district that

By Bernie Dotson Sun Correspondent

T

here were several filings Dec. 20 for open seats on the GallupMcK i n l e y C o u n t y Board of Education and the Pueblo of Zuni Public School District. The real news within the filings, however, is that the very popular retired educator Joe Menini won’t run again.

E ster Macia s, Ca r men R a dcl i f f, Ger a ld O’Ha r a , Amparo Beatty and Michael Schaff are candidates for Menini’s District 5 post, Rick Palochak, director of elections at McKinley County, confirmed.

Palochak said Sandra Jeff, Charles Long and Freda Joe are candidates for the District 2

GMCS BOARD | SEE PAGE 7

Sandra Jeff

Joe Menini

board seat currently held by Lynn Huenemann. Huenemann isn’t running again, either.

Brenda Chicharello and Ch r istopher Mor ten sen filed for the District 4 post currently occupied by Jeff.

CORRECTION: An article in the Dec. 16 edition of The Gallup Sun indicated that there are two city-owned cemeteries in Gallup. The Hillcrest Cemetery along Aztec Avenue is the sole city-owned cemetery in Gallup.

The Sun apologizes for the error.

Gerald O’Hara

Chicharello is v ice president of the Indian Education Committee. Jeff, who is from Crownpoint and a for mer member of the New Mexico House of Representatives, was appointed to the seat when Titus Nez vacated the position.

Jef f f re quent ly come s under fire by the general public because it is believed that she lives out of the school board boundaries and the state public Education department has written at least one piece of correspondence in 2016

detailing the residential caper.

“They are the candidates who submitted the proper paperwork to run for school

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Friday December 23, 2016 • Gallup Sun

Gallup Sun Publishing, LLC Publisher/Editor Babette Herrmann Advertising Raenona Harvey Latasha Chee Correspondents Bernie Dotson Tom Hartsock Lealia Nelson Calendar Editor Mia Rose Poris Photography Ryan Hudgeons Knifewing Segura Design David Tsigelman On the Cover: Photo of Frank Chiapetti; Xmas lights photo

by Ryan Hudgeons; At top, Katja, Josh, and puppy Jade (Courtesy photo).

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 (By Appointment): 102 S. Second St., Gallup, NM 87301 The Gallup Sun, pending USPS number 1, is mailed weeky.

Application to mail at periodical rates is pending in Gallup NM. 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) 728-1640 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.

NEWS

Council celebrates groundbreaking of Twin Arrows police, fire substation Staff Reports

L

EUPP, Ariz. – Navajo Nation Council members from the Budget a nd Finance Committee and the Na abik’íyáti’ Committee’s Síhasin Fund Subcommittee, attended a groundbreaking ceremony Dec. 15 for the Twin Arrows Police and Fire Substation, which will be constructed north of the Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort, located approximately 24-miles east of Flagstaff.

On Nov. 29, the BFC passed Legislation No. 0398-16, which approved the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise’s grant a g re ement , con s t r uc t ion plan, and fund management plan for the proposed Síhasin Fund Twin Arrows Police and Fire Substation Economic/ Com mu n it y Development Expenditure Plan, and directed the Navajo Nation Office of the Controller to release the funds for the construction. The committee serves as the final authority on the bill.

Approximately $4.5 million was released to fund the police and fire substation, which was allocated through Resolution No. CA P-20 -16, t hat wa s approved by the 23rd Navajo Nation Council in April 2016.

BFC chair Council Delegate S e t h D a mon ( B á á h á á l í ,

Navajo Nation Council members from the Budget and Finance Committee and Sihasin Fund Subcommittee attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the Twin Arrows Police and Fire Substation Dec. 15. From left, NNGE board member Omar Bradley, Delegate Tom Chee, Delegate Leonard Tsosie, NNGE interim CEO Richard Williamson, Delegate Seth Damon, Peggy Nakai, Delegate Tochoney Slim, Jr., and Delegate Otto Tso. Photo Credit: Courtesy Chichiltah, Manuelito, Tsé Lichíí’, Rock Springs, Tsayatoh) commended all entities involved with the substation project, stating that it fulfilled a required commitment to construct a secure on-site public safety facility.

“The property will have 10 full-time police officers and 14 full-time firefighters, and the operational expenses will be provided by the NNGE,” Damon said. “This is a direct service that will be provided to the people in the southwest corridor of the Navajo Nation. As the sponsor of this legislation, I fought to meet the requirements of the gaming compact,

but also for public safety and to create more jobs for our people.”

Damon added that because the property is fully funded by the Síhasin Fund, as it illustrates the overall growth of its first expenditure from the trust fund that will directly meet the needs of Diné citizens.

Síhasin Fund Subcommittee chair Leonard Tsosie (Baca/ P rew it t , Ca sa mero L a ke, Counselor, Littlewater, Ojo Enci no, P ueblo P i nt a do, Torreon, Whitehorse Lake) provided the public address at the groundbreaking and stated that the public safety substation is

an important project that will aid in economic and community development.

“The Síhasin Fund Subcommittee worked very hard on this, and it has allowed this project to contribute to the growth of the Navajo Nation’s economy and will provide much needed services to the surrounding areas, and we are proud that we can say this project was fully funded by the Nation,” Tsosie said.

He added that the utilization of the Síhasin Fund affirms the Navajo Nation’s self-determination and is the start to further independence in developing

and funding capital projects.

BF C mem b er C ou nc i l Delegate Tuchoney Slim, Jr. (Bodaway/Gap, Coppermine, K’ai’Bii’Tó, LeChee, Tonalea/ Red Lake) said the groundbreaking signified the beginning of a prosperous future for surrounding communities.

“This is the Navajo people’s land and they should be proud.

This is what sovereignty looks like and we should be proud as a Nation, Slim said. “Our future of self-funded projects indicates that we have achieved great lengths to ensure economic stability for our Diné citizens.”

Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety executive director Jesse Delmar thanked Council members and everyone involved with the public safety substation project.

“The groundbreaking ceremony indicates that we as Navajo people are doing this on our own and that’s how it should be” Delmar said. “The bottom line is to have economic security so we can upgrade services for our Navajo people.”

The entities involved with the development, planning, and construction of the police and fire substation included the 23rd Navajo Nation Council, NNGE and its board of directors, NNDPS, Leupp Chapter, Navajo Gaming Regulatory Office, SICON – LLC, and Arviso Construction.

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Gallup Sun • Friday December 23, 2016

5

One dead in Crownpoint I-40 traffic weekend I-40 crash fatality victim ID’d Staff Reports

N

ew Mex ico St ate Pol ice Of f icer s responded to the 16 m i le po s t on Interstate 40 in reference to a fatal vehicle crash shortly after 2 pm Dec. 17.

A westbound semi- tractor/ trailer, driven by Michael Morris, 22, of Springfield, OH, rear

ended a pickup truck that was stopped in the traffic lane due to construction on the roadway.

A fter the collision the pickup caught fire.

The driver of the pickup truck was identified as Leo Chischilly, 68, from Saint Michaels, Ariz. Chischilly sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

By Bernie Dotson Sun Correspondent

T

he man killed by a motorist near Thoreau on Dec. 14 has been identified as Kenneth Benally, 65, of Crownpoint.

According to a police report, Benally was hit by Megan Heintz of Cypress, Texas, at about 7 pm, near mile marker 53 near Thoreau.

According to report, Heintz told Deputy Shane Bennett of

the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office that she saw a pedestrian jump into traffic from the shoulder of the roadway, but did not manage to avoid hitting the man.

She told deputies that she hit Benally as she traveled in the west bound right lane of Interstate 40, and that she stopped in the center median after the accident.

“I was driving at 75 mph in the right lane,” she said, according to the report. “I

(saw) a pedestrian ( jump) into the traffic lane from the shoulder to the roadway. I attempted to turn left to avoid the pedestrian.”

Her Ford F-150 sustained damages to the front, right fender and passenger door. She was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. Her passenger was asleep during the incident and awoke when he heard her scream.

Heintz was not cited in the incident.

WANTED Anyone with information on the whereabouts of John W. Paradise, please call McKinley County Sheriff’s Office, Investigations Division. Phone: (505) 863-1410 or crimestoppers at 1-877-722-6161.

John is wanted for questioning in a homicide case.

While this isn’t the scene of the Dec. 17 fatal crash, it’s an accident on I-40, near Iyanbito, where some big rigs went off the road that same day. Icy conditions made for hazardous conditions. Photo Credit: Ryan Hudgeons

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NEWS

AG fights to keep Albuquerque man accused of serial murderer child exploitation involving Bloomfield in Prison young girls Staff Reports

A

LBUQUERQUE – Attorney General Hector Balderas announced Dec. 20 that Jeffrey Morrill of Albuquerque was convicted of two counts of child exploitation by distribution and one count of child exploitation by possession.

Graphic, sexual images of young girls ranging in age from six to ten were in Morrill’s possession at the time of his arrest. The defendant waived a jury trial and Second Judicial District Judge Zamora found Morrill guilty on the above mentioned counts.

“We have no higher priority than protecting our innocent children from sexual violence and exploitation,” Balderas said. “Predators need to know that if they exploit and victimize children in New Mexico, the Office of the Staff Reports

A

LBUQUERQUE – The Office of Attorney Genera l Hector Balderas appeared before Judge Benjamin Chavez Dec. 20 to argue to keep fiveti me conv icted mu rderer Clifton Bloomfield in prison for the rest of his life.

Bloomfield, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to murdering five people in New Mexico, filed a writ of habeas corpus to withdraw his guilty plea.

The Office of the Attorney General Criminal Appeals Division argued to the court that Bloomfield’s petition for writ of habeas corpus should be dismissed on the pleadings, without an evidentiary hearing, because the Petitioner’s claims are refuted by the record, including the transcripts of the plea and sentencing hearings.

“Keepi ng a ser ia l mu rderer who terrorized New Mexico families behind bars is of the highest priority,” Balderas said. “My office will do everything in its power to keep Clifton Bloomfield behind bars for the rest of his life in order to protect New Mexicans. The Office of the Attorney General is focused on working with local law en forcement a nd d i st r ict attorneys to keep the most violent, dangerous criminals off the streets.”

Judge Chavez did not issue a ruling today. Bloomfield admitted to murdering the following individuals: • The Oct. 24, 2005, murder of Carlos Esquibel, 37 • The Oct. 27, 2005, murder of Josephine Selvage, 81 • The Dec. 4, 2007, murders of Tak and Pung Yi • The June 28, 2008, murder of Scott Pierce, 40

WARRANT ARRESTS 12/17 Kyle Lee John Alexandria Bitsuie 12/16 Luis Sanchez Charlene Hannaweeka Leander Yazzie 12/15 Rudy Martinez Patricio Castillo Ames Begay Gilbert Tsosie Kyle B. Gishi 12/14 Scott Anderson Jasper Chavez NEWS

Nathan Lee Quentin Levi Arnold 12/13 Nolan Bahe Gregory Pazzie 12/10 Cameron Nez Dwayne M. Cowboy 12/9 Charles Begay 11/30 Thomas C. Young Ricky Chavirez 11/29 Dustin Sherman

GMCS BOARD | FROM PAGE 4 includes Miyamura High, Gallup Mid, Indian Hills Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, Red Rock Elementary and a few other schools. Among the schools represented in District 4 are Gallup

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Jeffrey Morrill Attorney General Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will pursue and prosecute them.”

This investigation was in conjunction with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Hughes and Assistant Attorney General Tony Long.

High, Juan de Oñate Elementary, Chief Manuelito Middle and David Skeets Elementar y.

District 2 includes Crownpoint High, Tse Yi Gai and Catherine Miller Elementary.

The Gallup-McKinley Board of Education and Zuni elections are Jan. 3. Information

on salary amounts received by school board members wasn’t immediately available.

Regarding the Zuni filings, Palochak said Jerome Haskie filed for District 3 and Shelly Chimoni filed for district 4.

There were no filings for Zuni’s District 5, Palochak said.

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WEEKLY DWI REPORT Staff Reports Sonya Angeles 2nd DWI Dec. 18, 5:53 pm Gallup P o l i c e Department Officer John Gonzales was called to the scene of a single vehicle accident at Third Street and Hwy 66 when he encountered Angeles, 27, and noticed the open container of an “alcoholic beverage on the floorboard.”

Gonzales noted that the driver was also slurring her speech and had the smell of alcohol on her breath. Because of unspecified injuries, Angeles unable to engage in field sobriety tests and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. While there, she refused to take a breath test to determine her level of intoxication.

After she was discharged from hospital, Angeles was also charged with careless driving, and for not possessing a driver’s license, insura nce a nd cur rent vehicle registration.

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Friday December 23, 2016 • Gallup Sun

Marvin Gray 5th DWI, Aggravated Dec. 15, 10:23 pm G r a y a l e r t e d M C S O D e p u t y Lorenzo Guerrero when he stopped at the intersection of Green and Second Streets – an intersection with no stop signs.

Guerrero then turned on his emergency lights to pull him over, but Gray headed toward First Street, then turned on Coal Avenue – a road that’s closed for construction. It forced Gray to stop his vehicle.

As Guerrero gave Metro Dispatch his location, Gray reportedly exited his vehicle that was still running, and walked away. But, Guerrero caught up with him and asked him if he had been drinking.

Gray said yes, and that he had a few, but that “he was okay.”

Gray took the field sobriety tests, like he probably has done four times before, and failed.

He blew a .30/.29 during the breath tests.

Gerald Aaron Bia Aggravated DWI (bodily injury) Dec. 11, 5 pm B i a r e p or t e d ly hit a pedestrian while d r i v i n g intoxicated, according to McKinley C o u n t y Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ivan Tsethlikai’s report.

Tsethlikai drove to the scene on U.S. 491 and began interviewing Bia, 32, about the incident, and noted that he could smell alcohol on his breath. He then switched gears from interviewing to engage Bia in field sobriety tests.

While he seemingly passed most of the field sobriety challenges of the test, his eye movement and leg twitching were also taken into consideration during the evaluation. He blew a .07 twice during the breath test.

Also, Tsethlikai learned that the victim that Bia reportedly struck had “a laceration to his forehead and back head area; road rash on the right wrist; and a disfigured right foot/leg.”

DWI REPORT | SEE PAGE 16

WEEKLY CRIME BLOTTER Staff Reports

STRONG-ARMED ROBBER 12/16, GALLUP An 18-year-old man possibly came within inches of losing his life when Isiah Torrez, 17, wrapped his left arm around his neck and used his right hand to hold a knife to his throat, demanding him to hand over all of his valuables.

According to Gallup Police Department Officer Douglas Hoffman’s report, the victim, who was walking down the street, was ambushed in the area of Stagecoach and Camino Del Sol, by Torrez, the police report states.

The victim said that Torrez told him “to give him everything he had or he was going to cut him and kill him,” the report states.

He ha nded Tor rez h is cellphone and wallet. Torrez gave him back the cell phone before taking off. The robber didn’t go far, and Hoffman quickly caught up with him and retrieved the victim’s wallet and placed Torrez under arrest for strong armed robbery.

Torrez was booked into the McKinley County Juvenile Detention Center.

HITCHHIKERS’ NIGHTMARE 12/14, PREWITT A concerned Prewitt resident called police after she witnessed a dark car drop off two women outside of her house.

According to MCSO Deputy Shane Bennett’s report, the resident said one of the women laid on the ground under a black coat. She noticed that the woman had blood on her left ear lobe and in the mouth area.

Both women were intoxicated, Bennett stated in his report. The woman with the injuries said, “We hitchhiked from Albuquerque and this guy took us here and he hit me.”

Both women said they did not have any information on the male driver.

CARING FATHER 12/14, GAMERCO MCSO Deputy J. Bowman

was dispatched to a Ga merco residence at the request of a father that was concerned about his son being under the influence of narcotics.

The son, Chad Gonzales, was in the bathroom, and deputies were able to readily detain him.

Deputy Jonathan Todachine searched Gonzales before placing him in the patrol unit. He found two syringes in his front, right pocket, both with a brown substance in it, likely heroin, and two spoons in his back pocket.

One spoon had a black residue, possibly heroin, on it as well.

Gonzales was booked for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

FINGER BITER 12/13, TSE BONITO A couple, r epor t e d ly causing a disturbance at the local convenience store moved their loud behavior outdoors to near the Tse Bonito Car Wash. The man was yelling and throwing his hands in the air while walking with the female.

MCSO Deputy Richard Rangel said in his report that he was concerned there could be a domestic violence situation at play so he called the couple over to discuss the situation.

But Clah refused, so the deputy exited his car and walked toward the couple.

As Rangel approached them, Clah reportedly said “let’s go mother f-c-ers,” and took his coat off as if prepared to fight. Rangel and another deputy approached Clah, but the swearing and resistance only grew worse. The deputies had a difficult time getting him handcuffed and in the patrol unit. With the help of a Navajo Police Officer, they were able to get him in the unit, but Rangel got bit on the finger by Clah during the process.

Clah, 32, was booked for assault on a peace officer and resisting arrest. The female was released to her family.

NEWS

Chiapetti out; Mike Hyatt in at GMCS | FROM PAGE 1 – every month if need be.

But this isn’t Chiapetti’s first board-mandated administrative leave, as the board placed him on leave in August 2015, pending an internal investigation. Sources have said that the investigation stemmed from grievances filed against the superintendent. However, Chiapetti was reinstated in

November 2015. To date, the district hasn’t offered media groups access to documents pertaining to the investigation, and is facing a lawsuit filed by a local media group, which argues that the denial of releasing the investigative report constitutes a violation of New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act. R ea ched by t elephone Dec. 21, Chiapetti said he was

“still in the dark” about the whole matter. He said specifics about what he was doing wrong and right were never really explained. He said he was at a loss in trying to figure out the rationale behind the administrative leave decision. The board’s evaluative process ha sn’t been w ide open a nd ava ilable to the public.

“I don’t really understand the decision,” he said. “Not a lot was ever explained to me in detail.”

Manuelito said in the correspondence that the board will continue to look for an interim superintendent as well as a permanent superintendent for the 2017-2018 academic year. “… the Board of Education needs an employee who is not only an expert in public education, but willing to work with the community’s representatives who are sitting on the Board of Education to achieve the same goal.”

The Gallup Sun reached out to Menini Dec. 21 via telephone, but the person who answered the phone said Menini – known to be very approachable and affable - was told not to speak

Gallup McKinley County Schools Board of Education President Priscilla Manuelito. File Photo with reporters.

W hen quest ioned on whether the meeting to discuss Chiapetti’s fate was held in Pueblo Pintado – about 97 miles from Gallup – to shut out public comment from Gallup constituents, Manuelito denied the assertion, saying it was about rotating meetings outside of Gallup periodically to more

remote locations in the district.

“That’s a huge concern of our constituents,” she said, adding that the the board meeting was held at Tse Yi Gai High School at the request of Jeff.

The next Gallup-McKinley County Board of Education meeting is Jan. 3 at the Student Support Center on Boardman Drive in Gallup.

In Loving Memory Helen M. Stansberry 09/14/20 to 12/18/2005 Gallup-McKinley County Schools Superintendent Frank Chiapetti was placed on administrative leave Dec. 19, for the remainder of his contract with the district through June. File Photo

Place an tribute in the Gallup Sun It will last the whole week and forever on GallupSun.com Easy form to fill out. Starting under $10.* Artistic, customized tributes available.

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NEWS

John Boyd Stansberry 09/10/17 to 01/01/1993

Forever in our Hearts We Love and Miss You Sandra and Jackie McKinney Burke and Carolyn Stansberry Lauren, Brooklyn and Amari Sean, Ariel and Sean John

Gallup Sun • Friday December 23, 2016

9

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GALLUP SUN ARCHIVES Effective June 24, 2016, ALL Gallup Sun *archives (past issues) will be mailed.

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Send info. and check or money order for $1.50 to: Gallup Sun PO Box 1212 Gallup, NM 87305 *Based on availability.

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OPINIONS LETTER TO THE EDITOR

T

he Board of E duc a t ion pl a ce d Superintendent Frank Chiapetti on administrative leave with pay for the remainder of his employment with the Board of Education. The Board of Education will honor his current employment contract, but the Board has determined that it can no longer work as a team with its employee to govern and operate the School District.

After more than a year of

attempting to work out our differences and attempting to supervise and communicate with Mr. Chiapetti, the Board of Education has come to the point in its evaluation of that employer-employee relationship that it no longer has trust nor confidence in him to work with the Board of Education in the manner necessary for him to be the administrative and educational leader of the School District.

It has become apparent that Mr. Chiapetti and the

Why the BOE placed Chiapetti on administrative leave Board of Education do not share a common view nor are in agreement on how to best to achieve the primary goal of increasing the quality of the education provided to all students of the School District.

It has resulted with repeated conflict and disagreements.

The relationship has become toxic and a distraction toward moving forward in this school year and in the school years to follow.

MADAME G

The Board of Education is the governing body of the School District and responsible to the community that elected us, and Mr. Chiapetti is our employee charged with administrating our goals and policies in achieving a common goal. That relationship has broken down and requires the Board of Education to act in the best interests of the School District that it governs.

W hile the Boa rd of Education appreciates the accomplishments to date, the future is affected by the decisions of today. As such, the Board of Education is committed to build upon what has already been done with new leadership, a new outlook and a new temperament to build

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | SEE PAGE 12

GUIDE TO THE STARS WEEK OF DEC. 23

Madame G wishes a very Merry Christmas and Holiday Season to all SOULS! On December 24 and 25, Venus trines with Jupiter supporting feelings of good will and joy. You’ll experience inner peace and this may even create positive, if not reserved feelings towards family and friends. You may begin see the forest among the trees. Have fun! Stay warm and safe!

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct.22)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

BEWARE Aries! You’re on treacherous ground. Though your fiery heart is that of a warrior, your impatience is costing you.

How much? Time will tell. If you’ve offended a heart that’s dear, suck it up and apologize.

That heart may not wait around forever. Remember, you can be right or you can be happy. The world is not black and white.

There are many shades of colors.

Life is a little hellish especially for the sensitive types. Don’t let the anger and fear get you down.

You’re doing what you must. It’s good. You’re doing fine. What’s your higher purpose? Seek deeper into your thoughts and dig your way out of them. If you get stuck in, what could be, or how life should be—you’ll drown. Get physical! Get outside. Smile. It’s all good.

Perhaps you’re holding onto an old grudge or you have unrealistic expectations. You may even bring the wrath of God down on those with lesser status than yourself. Whatever the case, you must act as professional as you can. Don’t lose your cool now. It might even be a good idea to seek professional help. This time of year, is difficult on everyone. You can’t force happiness.

It’s definitely your time of year.

You may be hard headed, but that doesn’t make you hard hearted.

However, other people can’t read your mind. They may not see the soft underbelly if you’re whacking them with a machete. You call it defending yourself—they call it murder (tomato tomato). Consider your words and actions. Everyone needs a little PR manager…

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Your heart is a lonely hunter.

You’re heading down a selfdestructive path. Perhaps you jumped too quickly into the next relationship or settled for whatever job you could find. The repercussions are catching on fast. Keep a journal of all your habits, especially the emotional ones. Consider reading Dale Coleman’s work, Emotional Intelligence. Watch for patterns.

Families are nasty. But, what can you do? You can’t live with them.

But, you can’t kill em’. So, what can you do? Well, the solution is easy, just love them. They may never change or see the light. You must be the change you want to see in the world. You can’t expect them to change. No matter how sad you are—live your own life.

Be you! You’re good. Love, learn, and live!

You’ve some big decisions to make. You just don’t know what they are yet. That’s the beauty of the Scorpion’s patience. You have an infinite amount of it. But, when it’s used up—it’s gone! Once betrayed, your good opinion is lost forever. Trust yourself. You’ve given of yourself. If you’ve not received an equal measure, it may be time to quit and move onward.

It’s your choice.

Your thoughts are out of control.

You’re headed towards disaster, but you’re headed there with a smile on your face. Nothing would make you happier than to win this round with your inner demons.

Consider that you don’t have to take every path alone. There are people out there who would gladly assist you and maybe even join you. It’s okay to ask for help!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

So, you’re suffering from a little FOMO? What’s the worst that could happen? You’re a product of the time you’re living in. There are some things that you can’t help and envy might be one of them.

Yes, you see everyone lives better on Facebook and Instragam. So, what?! Go out there and live the best damn life you can. Stop being envious. Start taking action. Have fun!

Breaking old habits is tough. It can be hard to drop people from your life, who’ve been there from the beginning. It’s also hard to cut through the crap. But, break through you must. In order to live the life you’ve always wanted— you must take action. You can’t blame anyone else for the life you currently live. If you really wanted it (whatever that is) you’d go get it.

Go NOW!

Options, options, options…

Should you watch Game of Thrones or catch up on the Walking Dead? There are thousands if not millions of choices. What decisions are you making? Are they the right ones?

Sometimes, when you’re faced with too many choices—it’s best to say: “If it’s not a hell yes then it’s a no.” You don’t have time to waste. Get going.

OPINIONS

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Hello little Pisces, so you’re a little crazy that’s fine. You’ve kept it well hidden (NOT!). But, it’s in a sweet lovable little package.

Remember to take time out for yourself and honor those around you. You can’t fake it forever, eventually the truth gets out.

Whatever it is trust in your friends to stand by you. Hell, they’ll either bail you out or be right beside you.

You’ve got this!

Gallup Sun • Friday December 23, 2016

11

Hospitality disrupter eyed for state, local revenue

By Finance New Mexico

A

i rBnb is not ju st another billion-dolla r Silicon Va lley start-up, although with a market value estimated at $30 billion, the company certainly qualifies. No, AirBnB is a disrupter, a company that has caused a fundamental change in the hospitality industry. And like any change, this one has produced winners and losers.

The winners include almost 3,500 people across New Mexico who have turned their spare bedrooms — and second homes — into a source of income. In Santa Fe, for example, there are nearly 1,000 people renting space. In Angel Fire, the average rental is more than $350 per night.

The losers include the tax coffers of the state and local governments that collect a “lodger’s tax” from every overnight guest at a hotel. A 2015 study found that Santa Fe was losing $2.1 million annually in lodger’s taxes. And at a time

when the state faces a $69 million deficit — a number that is expected to almost quadruple next year — every lost dollar hurts.

But that money is not irretrievable. Last July, Santa Fe and Taos inked deals with AirBnB. The company will collect the lodger’s tax from property owners who rent space through their site and pay it to the municipalities.

Randy Randall, director of Tourism Santa Fe, told the Santa Fe New Mexican that he expected the city to reap

$1 million in much-needed revenue.

Now the Mexico Ho s pit a l it y A s s o c i a t io n , which represents the hotel industry, is about to enter the picture. While the Hospitality Association is still studying the problem, their strategy will have two prongs.

The first is directed at the local level, according to the association’s president and CEO, Jen Schroer. This spring the association will publish a “Best Practices Handbook” that will inform

all stakeholders, including property owners and municipal leaders, about the lodger’s tax, what is required and what is possible. At the same time, the association will launch a program of grassroots education in the localities, encouraging them to make their own deals with AirBnB. At the state level, the association is targeting what Schroer calls a “loophole” in the state t a x code. T h at loophole exempts all properties with less than three rooms from the lodger’s tax. The state, however, doesn’t define what constitutes a “room.” Does it mean less than three rooms to rent?

Or does a kitchen and a bathroom count as a room? Right now, the questions are left for municipalities to answer. In the meantime, the tax goes uncollected.

Nationally, AirBnB has been in some well-documented disputes with cities like New York and New Orleans. But the company seems to be adopting a more conciliatory approach, and has reached

Report: NM’s TANF program in need of more comprehensive approach

NOTHING SPENT ON EDUCATION AND JOB TRAINING; BENEFITS LIKE CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE NOT WELL COORDINATED

Children. The report discusses the value of taking a two-generL BUQU E R QU E — ational approach to decreasing N e w M e x i c o ’ s poverty and improving child T e m p o r a r y well-being. This means linking A s s i s t a n c e f o r and aligning services for chilNeedy Families (TANF) pro- dren and parents. Programs gram—what was for merly and services linked in this known as ‘welfare’—could way tend to produce better outdo a much better job of help- comes than do those offered in ing families find educational isolation. pat hways out of pover t y.

“Pover t y i s a complex No TANF money is spent on issue with many causes, but education and training ser- we know that education and vices that help parents gain skills training that helps parcredentials and secure fam- ents get jobs that pay family-sustaining employment. ily-sustaining wages are a And while a significant per- smart way to not only comcentage of TANF funding is bat poverty but also develop used to pay for services like our workforce, which benechild care assistance and NM fits our local businesses and Pre-K, too few families with our economy,” said James young children who receive Jimenez, executive director TANF benefits are able to take of the child advocacy agency. advantage of these programs. “Unfortunately, New Mexico That is among the conclu- spends very little TANF funds sions in a report released today on work-related supports and

by New Mexico Voices for nothing on education and

By NM Voices for Children

A

12

Friday December 23, 2016 • Gallup Sun

training. That leaves us with a program where the primary objective is to get parents into a job—any job—regardless of whether the income is enough to support the family.

That’s not a long-term strategy for poverty reduction or economic growth,” he added.

Another weakness with the state’s TANF program is that much of the funding is spent on services that do not end up benefitting TANF families. For example, child care assistance receives $31 million in TANF funding, but only 4 percent of TANF families receive this benefit even though almost half of children receiv ing TANF are under the age of five.

“When parents are at work or fur thering their education and training, they need access to affordable child care,” said Armelle Casau, a research and policy analyst for NM Voices and one of the

report’s authors. “And since all families receiving TANF meet the financial eligibility requirements for child care assistance it’s disconcerting that so few receive it. The state needs to do more to help these families access quality child care programs so their children don’t end up in unregulated and unsafe child care situations. Quality child care programs provide safe learning environments that help increase early reading skills and school readiness.”

T he execut ive su mmar y and the full repor t, Tur ning Assistance into O p po r tunity: Imp r o v in g TA NF and Implementing Two-Generational Solutions to Help New Mexico Families Access Educational Pathways out of Poverty, a KIDS COUNT special report, are available online at www.nmvoices.org/ archives/8204

settlements with both cities.

Schroer reports no problems with AirBnB and says that her organization is “working collaboratively” with the company.

Still, the lodger’s tax is only one of the issues raised by AirBnB’s success. Lodgers in hotels pay a gross receipts tax.

Should that tax apply to rentals procured through AirBnB? If so, would it apply to products purchased from Amazon?

Another problem is that some people are taking properties off the residential market and using them exclusively as tourist rentals. Santa Fe is experiencing this phenomenon, which obviously tightens the rental market and raises rents.

When it comes to AirBnB, the term “disrupter” seems all too fitting. State and local governments — and property owners — must find ways to adapt.

Finance New Mexico assists individuals and businesses with obtaining skills and funding resources for their business or idea. www.FinanceNewMexico. org

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | FROM PAGE 11 consensus among all those educating our kids and reach out to all stakeholders to be part of a team for the benefit of the students.

The Board of Education will immediately search for an Interim Superintendent and will also begin work on the process to be used to search for and hire a new Superintendent for the 20172018 school year.

The Board of Education is committed to public educ a t ion a nd i s w i l l i n g t o make the difficult decisions i n gover n i n g t he S cho ol District with the best interest of each student’s education in mind. It follows in doing so that the Board of Education needs a n employee who is not only an expert in public education, but willing to work with the community’s representatives who are sitting on the Board of Education to achieve the same goal.

Letter submitted to the Gallup Sun by Board of E d u c a ti o n P r e s i d e n t Priscilla Manuelito.

OPINIONS

COMMUNITY

From Gallup with love!

REZ PUPPIES, ONE DOG HEAD TO ASPEN

Staff Reports

I

t was a chilly Tuesday morning when Josh and Katja Rapaport, the founders of Telluride Animal Foundation, touched down at the Gallup Airport with the mission of saving a few lives.

Eleven young rescued canines, including Sophie and her three puppies – Stieg, Saul and Sally were among the lucky selected to fly up Gallup-McKinley Humane Society pups wait to be loaded on the Colorado-bound plane. Photo Credit: Babette Herrmann

Jade is looking out the window at the Rockies as she rides in a Cessna 210. Photo Credit: Katja Rapaport to Aspen, Colorado. And Jade, the cream colored lab mix puppy got the trip of a lifetime – she sat on Co-Pilot Katja’s lap for the entire 1.5 hour flight, occasionally looking down at the plains and mountains from as high as 10,000 feet.

Jade is one of Gallup-McKinley Humane Society’s five puppies that boarded the Cessna 210. They were rescued from the Pinehill area and will now find their forever homes thanks to GMHS Transfer Coordinator Kristine Gruda.

All of the dogs were taken to the Aspen Animal Shelter.

Gruda said out of GMHS’s 3,984 intakes in 2016, they tranferred out 3,010 animals, and had local adoptions of 407. The rest were owner retrievals and euthanasias. “We really only euthanize feral/aggressive animals or animals that have severe health issues,” she said.

“I definitely thank the Telluride Animal Foundation for their donations to our cause, and for helping to support our spay and neuter clinic,” she said.

Also on the transport were threemonth-old puppies Lilo and Stitch.

COMMUNITY

Gallup-McKinley Humane Society Coordinator Kristine Gruda holds Sophie’s three puppies – Sally, Saul and Stieg. Photo Credit: Babette Herrmann heartwarming reception.

“We got treated like royalty,” she said, adding that volunteers were holding the puppies, and a Aspen Daily News photographer was on the tarmac snapping photos. A photo of Pilot Josh Rapaport and Sophie made

the front page of the newspaper.

The couple has flown about a dozen rescue trips over the past several years, moving dogs and some cats on to better lives. The transport prior to the Gallup run involved flying a dog to the east coast.

“I am a bleeding heart dog lover,” Katja Rapaport said.

“All of the flying we do is pro bono,” she added.

Angela Cerci, executive director of Rez Dawg Rescue, worked behind the scenes to organize this transport.

Disclosure: Babette Herrmann is the publisher and editor of the Gallup Sun. All locally rescued animals are transferred to no kill shelters and rescues.

Sophie gearing up for her 1.5 hour ride to Colorado.

Photo Credit: Courtesy Sophie was rescued from the streets and later gave birth to her three puppies.

This group was fostered by David Tom and Babette Herrmann of Rez Dawg Rescue. Tom and Herrmann also run the fledging non-profit, Four Corners Pet Alliance, which raises funds to help supplement the care of their many fosters.

Katja Rapaport said Telluride Animal Foundation was founded in 2011, and funds the spay and neuter clinics for Soul Dog Rescue and other groups. When the couple landed in Aspen, she said, they received a

Katja and Josh of Telluride Animal Foundation, holding rescue puppy Jade, made a special trip to Gallup to pick up 11 rescue dogs, mostly puppies, in their crucial effort to help find them their forever homes. Photo Credit: Babette Herrmann

Gallup Sun • Friday December 23, 2016

13

GGEDC receives $25K grant from NM Gas Co.

AWARD COMES AFTER LUNDSTROM NAMED TOP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPER

By Bernie Dotson Sun Correspondent

P

atr icia Lundstrom, the executive director at the Greater Ga l lup Econom ic Development Cor poration, announced Dec. 16 that the New Mexico Gas Company awarded a $25,000 grant to the organization to support local economic development efforts in McKinley County.

The announcement came during an event in Gallup with Gallup Mayor Jackie McKinney and GGEDC board president Tommy Haws in attendance.

Lundstrom said the one-time appropriation will be re-invested in its entirety back into project development, providing a much-needed capital infusion to advance strategic economic development initiatives currently in the planning and development phase.

“Cultivating strategic partnerships to leverage additional resources for economic development is part of the mission

Left to Right: Jackie McKinney, Mayor, City of Gallup; Mary Homan, Economic Development Manager, NM Gas Co.; Patty Lundstrom, Executive Director, Greater Gallup Economic Development Corporation; La Vanda Jones, Governmental Relations, NM Gas Co.; Tommy Haws, President, Greater Gallup Economic Development Corporation. Photo Credit: Courtesy of GGEDC of GGEDC,” Lundstrom said.

“This investment in GGEDC will help to establish and grow the transportation and logistics industry in McKinley County a sector that is on the verge

of exploding,” McKinney said.

“This partnership supports the city of Gallup’s vision for economic development and revitalization, as leveraging our transportation assets can drive

long-term economic growth,” McKinney added.

Funding for New Mexico Gas Company Is made possible through its parent company Emera, Inc., a Top 20 North

American utility. As part of the purchase of the New Mexico Gas, Co., Emera agreed to contribute $5 million within five years to economic development projects and programs throughout the state of New Mexico, Lundstrom pointed out.

The gra nt a n nou nce ment comes about a month after Lundstrom, a former execut ive d i rector at t he No r t h w e s t N e w M e x i c o Council of Governments in Gallup, was recognized as the Economic Developer of the Year by the New Mexico IDEA. Lundstrom received the award as a result of her work on the planned Gallup Energ y L og ist ics Pa rk i n west Gallup. The park is a 2,500-acre rail and industrial project and considered a top economic development project in the Four Corners.

A Milan native, Lundstrom a lso represent s Ga l lup a nd McK i n ley Cou nt y i n the New Mexico House of Representatives.

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Friday December 23, 2016 • Gallup Sun

Albuquerque’s River of Lights has ol’ T-Rex, that’s Tyrannosaurus rex (Tyrant Lizard), lit up like a Christmas Tree. Photo Credit: Ryan Hudgeons

Check out our FREE access community website! www.gallupsun.com COMMUNITY

Spreading Christmas cheer for area residents Story and photos courtesy of Ida Mangum Rio West Mall Leasing & Marketing

E

very year we use the proceeds from our Santa Workshop to help the residents of Care 66. This year, with a special discount from Fallas, and we were able to purchase 45 winter jackets for the residents at care 66. Last year we donated blankets and $5 WalMart gift cards. The year before we donated hats and gloves.

This year we wanted to do more so we also had a Christmas party for the residents. We played Pictionary, had carolers sing to them and they helped us make snowflakes for our Santa’s Workshop

as decorations.

They ca me out beautifully. Also, our food court tenant, Pizza 9 gave each of the residents a gift certificate for a free 7-inch pizza and a drink. We had a blast and will definitely be doing it again next year..

Because of confidentiality be cannot provide any photos of the residents.

On Dec. 8, we held a special Santa Meet & Greet for adults with Special Needs, we invited Ramah Care & TAOS. We decorated and gave out goodie bags. With the help of Double U Grill & Orange Julius, provided snacks and Santa came and sang with them and took photos. It was very touching to see their faces when Santa Arrived.

The Rio West elf costume contest, held Dec. 10, was a hit with the kids.

Care 66 staff and a few of the carolers from the Neilson Family pose for the camera Dec. 8.

Adults from Ramah Care and TAOS got to enjoy some holiday cheer at the Rio West Mall Dec 7.

A special needs resident smiles as he poses with Santa Claus.

COMMUNITY

Kids worked in teams and dressed one of their teammates in colored tissue paper during Santa’s workshop Dec. 10.

Gallup Sun • Friday December 23, 2016

15

DWI REPORT | FROM PAGE 8 Andrea Johnson 2nd DWI, Aggravated Nov. 25, 7:55 pm Joh n s on wa s pu lled over on southbound U. S . 4 91 fo r s p e e d i n g. MC SO D e p u t y Roxanne King told Deputy Tsethlikai that she could smell alcohol coming from Johnson’s breath. She had two children, ages 9 and 5, in the backseat of the car.

When Tsethlikai s p oke t o Jo h n s o n , 31,

she cla i med to have just u s e d h a n d s a n i t i z e r, bu t he cou ld smel l l iq uor a nd ha nd sa nitizer wa fting f rom t he veh icle.

She d id n’t fa i r wel l on t h e f ie l d s o br ie t y t e s t s , a nd when Deput y Ta m my Houghtaling arrived, Johnson beca me “uncooper at ive” when t he deput y asked her to do the one leg stand. She refused to do any fur ther sobriety tests, and called Houghtaling a “racist and that we do police brutality on people,” according to Tsethlikai’s report.

Johnson refused to take a breath or blood test, and was also booked on abuse of a child.

Tommy Muskett Begay 3rd DWI Nov. 24, 1:10 am A n ight of knocking ba ck some beers at Twin Arrows C a s i n o o u t s i d e of Flagstaff earned Begay, 53, his third DWI offense.

MCSO Lt. Eric Jim noticed Begay driving 50 mph in a posted 65 mph zone on I-40, and weaving over the center divider and shoulder. Jim pulled him over near mile marker 22.

Begay showed the usual signs of intoxication – bloodshot, watery eyes and had the smell of alcohol wafting from

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his breath. He didn’t fare well on field sobriety tests and blew a 14/.15 on the breath tests.

Rolena Wilson 3rd DWI Nov. 23, 6:45 pm Wilson wa s pulled over a f ter D e p u t y M e r l i n Benally conducted a random vehicle registration check at the DWI checkpoint at County Road 1 and Mentmore Road.

W he n he a p pr o a c he d Wilson in her maroon Grand Prix, he greeted the driver and asked her how she was doing.

“Rolena stated, ‘Hi , I’m dong good.’” But, Benally noted otherwise, stating in his report that he could smell alcohol on her breath and that she had bloodshot, watery eyes.

She admitted to consuming two Bud Lights, and blew a .222 at the scene. When she got to the Sheriff’s station, she blew

a .19 twice.

Remondo Smith 2nd DWI Nov. 10, 3:19 pm W h e n GPD Officer K e l v i n A k e s o n responded to the scene of an accident at the intersection of Marguerite Street and Aztec Avenue, he started to talk with Smith, 39, who was involved in the crash.

He noted that Smith had bloodshot, watery eyes. The other officer on scene also suspected that Smith may be intoxicated. So, Akeson had Smith engage in field sobriety tests, which he didn’t pass.

As he was arresting Smith, “he began yelling and cussing at the driver of the other vehicle,” the report states.

Akeson noticed there were three “Steel Reser ve” beer cans on the floor of Smith’s pickup truck. A blood draw was taken to determine his level of intoxication.

Sheriff’s looking for information on Wagon Wheel Café burglary RESTAURANT ALSO VANDALIZED Staff Reports

M

cK i n ley Cou nt y S h e r i f f ’ s Depar tment Inv. Joey Guillen said investigators a re seeking information about the burglary and vandalizing of the Wagon Wheel Café in Thoreau.

Guillen sa id sometime between Nov. 23-30, a burglar

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Friday December 23, 2016 • Gallup Sun

broke into the business. He didn’t disclose whether any items or money was taken.

Also that same week, in a separate incident, the café was vandalized.

Anybody with information on possible suspects are asked to call the Sheriff’s Office and ask for the investigations Division. Phone number is (505) 722-8514.

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Passengers delivers the Christmas turkey RATING: « OUT OF 4 STARS RUNNING TIME: 116 MIN.

By Glenn Kay For the Sun

O

ccasionally, you see a bad movie with so much talent in front of and behind the camera, you begin to wonder where exactly it all went wrong. There’s plenty that is calamitous with the big-budget, sci-fi/drama, Passengers.

My only guess is some kind of interference or unnecessary rewrites on a script to make it more genial threw this project off the rails. Whatever the case, one couldn’t have possibly read this screenplay and not believed that there weren’t major problems.

One of the biggest is the main character, Jim Preston (Chris Pratt). He’s a technical engineer (essentially, a mechanic) resting in a sleep chamber on an enormous spacecraft traveling to a distant planet. He and 5000-plus others are making the 120 year journey to a new home. When an asteroid shower damages the ship, his pod malfunctions and he rises too early. 90 years ahead of time, to be exact, leaving him as the sole person who is awake on the ship. Strangely unable to use his technical skills to do anything productive, the lonely Jim begins

Plot holes may leave viewers feeling like they are aboard the “Love Boat” in the big-budget sci-fi drama “Passengers,” which stars Jennifer Lawrence, left, and Chris Pratt. Now playing. Photo Credit: Columbia Pictures to obsess over a still-sleeping passenger named Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence). In the end, our hero can’t help himself. Soon the pair are together trying to make the best of a bad situation.

The production design and special effects are impressive, showcasing a large, cavernous spacecraft that is part 2001: A Space Odyssey and part Carnival cruise ship. But that’s about where the compliments end. This story has so many plot holes and logistical issues that the mind is constantly wonder i ng why a nd how instead of becoming invested in the characters themselves.

There are constant references to how the sleeping pods

are flawless, can’t fail and can’t be reset. We’re just supposed to accept this. However, after introducing Aurora, she states that she is a writer who is traveling to the new colony for a year to write about life before returning to Earth to show her findings. Doesn’t the fact that she’s heading home so soon suggest that these mechanisms can be reset?

It’s also amusing that the ship has one sole android (Michael Sheen). What purpose does he serve? He’s a bartender.

Faceless machines already serve food and coffee choices based on the class of passengers, but the engineers of this craft felt that an android was the only option to serve alcohol

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(instead of having it solve problems or provide maintenance that may arise on the ship). I suppose we aren’t supposed to think about it, but these questions continue to pop up.

Pratt is a charismatic actor and I generally like him, but there’s little to salvage in this character. One would expect Jim to be good on his feet and be able to reprogram or reset things like the hyper-sleep chamber and doors, but he consistently fails. Admittedly, his plight is unfortunate, yet his behavior is akin to a creepy stalker. Strangely enough, after Aurora enters the picture he appears much more capable, reprogramming little robots to deliver love notes.

Yes, the movie attempts to

redeem Jim towards its close, but further insult is added to injury with the reveal of another solution that no one previously considered. Had the movie been darker and its characters a little more devious, this all could have been fun. What’s to stop the leads from obsessing and awakening another sleeper when trouble arises or falling prey to other personal ticks and flaws? The screenplay never goes down that road.

Ultimately, the tone of this movie is completely inappropriate. It wants us to feel like the leads are deeply in love and ultimately belong together. I get it, you’ve got two of the biggest stars in Hollywood and you want to play up the romance angle. But with this particular story, it comes across all wrong. The moral appears to be that if you’re really taken with a woman, get her alone and just wear her down - eventually she’ll come around and notice you’re a good person deep down. It’s flat out creepy.

As mentioned, everyone involved in the film is talented, including director Mor ten Tyldum (The Imitation Game, Headhunters). There must have been something going on behind the scenes that led to the final product feeling so awkward and, at times, kind of demented. It is certainly no fault of the cast or crew, but the only thing Passengers ends up delivering is the Christmas turkey.

Visit: cinemastance.com 207 WEST COAL GALLUP 505.863.1250 www.elmorrotheatre.com Facebook @elmorrogallup

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17

DVD/Blu-ray Roundup for Dec. 23, 2016

By Glenn Kay For the Sun

W

elcome back to another Blu-ray and DVD roundup.

Just because the holidays are here, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t a number of interesting new releases.

You’ll find them all listed below.

As always, click on any links you see to read full reviews.

So if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!

BIG NEW RELEASES! 31 - The latest from musicia n / f i l m m a ke r Rob Zombie i s a not her gritty grindhouse effort.

I t fo l l ow s a group of carnies in the 1970s who are kidnapped by maniacal killers, taken to a remote location and forced into a deadly game of sur vival. Reaction was extremely split for this effort.

Those who didn’t care for it hated the film, calling it vile and nasty. Others who liked it complimented the grimy, disturbing aesthetic and uncomfortable scenarios. It stars

Sherri Moon Zombie, Malcolm McDowell, Meg Foster and Elizabeth Daily.

T h e D i sap pointm e nt s Room - This ill-named terror flick involves a young family who move into an old mansion and discover a hidden room. Unfortunately, the extra square footage isn’t a desirable feature - it plays tricks and tests the sanity of the new residents. Reviews were horrid for this flick. They sympathized with the solid cast and criticized the filmmakers for the movie’s derivative plotting and a distinct lack of scares or suspense. It features Kate Beckinsale, Mel Raido, Lucas Till and Gerald McRainey.

T h e Great Gilly Hopkins - A foster child desperate to be reunited with her birth mother concocts all kinds of schemes to escape her suffocating adopted fa mily. Unfortunately, her elaborate plan is set off just as she begins to appreciate her new home. This small, family-friendly comedy/drama based on a young adult novel earned reasonable notices during its limited release.

It has been described as an

uneven but generally warm and likable effort bolstered by its supporting cast. The movie stars Sophie Nelisse, Kathy Bates, Octavia Spencer, Glenn Close, Julia Styles and Billy Magnussen.

Hitchcock/Truffaut - Here’s a title that may be of interest to narrative film and documentary fans alike. It contains highlights from a week’s worth footage shot in 1962 featuring conversations between the two filmmakers in which they discuss movie-making techniques. This non-narrative feature also includes interviews with directors whose work has been impacted by the two subjects. Critics called it excellent and stated that it was an engaging and revealing examination of the craft of cinema.

Besides the archival footage of Alfred Hitchcock and Francois Truffaut, David Fincher, Martin Scorcese, Richard Linklater and Wes Anderson also appear.

T h e Magnificent Seven - This r em a ke of t he 1960 c l a s s i c ( w h i c h w a s it s e l f a rema ke of an Akira Kurosawa film) tells the tale of a group of morally questionable gunmen who are hired to protect a town under attack.

The new update earned a few more positive reviews than negative ones. It has been described by some too simplified and lacking in the nuance of the original film. A few more suggested that it was a decent enough western with plenty of moments. The cast includes Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Byung-hun Lee and Peter Sarsgaard.

Oasis: Supersonic - If you remember the music of the 90s, then you’re no doubt familiar with the band Oasis,

led by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher. This documentary chronicles their rise from a bunch of arrogant kids in Manchester to arrogant superstars whose infighting eventually led to the group’s demise.

The press liked the film. While many thought the group’s stardom could have been put into a more cultural context and that the perspective needed more separation from the band itself (who were heavily involved), most thought fans would be excited by the backstage shenanigans.

Storks - This animated family film from Warner Bros. focuses on the winged creatures and their fictional history.

Once baby-carriers, the birds have moved on to delivering packages. One day, they discover a newborn needing transport. Reviews were okay, with a few more recommendations than pans. Some suggested that it was fine for kids but was very generic and forgettable, although others opined that enough of it worked to earn it a pass. The voice talent includes Andy Samberg, Kelsey Grammar, Jennifer Aniston, Ty Burrell, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele.

S u l l y Clint Ea stwood directs this t r ue s t or y about Sully Sullenberger, the pilot famous for the incident known as the “Miracle on the Hudson”. It depicts the US Airways emergency landing in as well as the events that followed. The critics generally enjoyed this biopic. While some commented that it strained to create drama following the event itself and didn’t go into as much depth as it could have, the majority wrote that it was a well crafted an affectionate tribute to the bravery of all

involved. It stars Tom Hanks, Laura Linney, Aaron Eckhart, Anna Gunn and Mike O’Malley.

BLASTS FROM THE PAST! It looks like there has been a slight delay in two of the Arrow Video Blu-rays that were scheduled to arrive last week; now there here. Creepshow 2 (1987) is the follow-up to the 1982 anthology horror hit that features new tales of the macabre. The disc comes with plenty of cast and crew interviews as well as other notable extras.

The second is t he Hellraiser: The Scarlet Box Limited Edition T r il ogy. It contains n e w, h i g h definition transfers of the first three films in the Hellraiser series. Frankly, you really don’t need to watch any more after the third. This includes Hellraiser (1987), Hellbound: He l lrai se r II (1988) a nd Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992). That’s a whole lot of different kinds of Hell. All have audio commentaries and there are so many other extras (including an unrated version of III and lengthy documentaries and interviews about the production on all three films) that there’s just too much to list here. There’s even a bonus disc with extras about series creator Clive Barker.

YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS! Here are this week’s t it le s t h a t are kid friendly.

T h e Great Gilly Hopkins Storks

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Friday December 23, 2016 • Gallup Sun

COMMUNITY

‘Sing’ hits too many sour notes RATING « OUT OF 4 STARS RUNNING TIME: 110 MINUTES

By David Pinson For the Sun

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his is a weird flick.

Judging the cover, Sing should be at least decent. Great cast [McConaughey, Witherspoon, Johansson…], a Christmas opening date and it’s a cartoon about talking animals from the studio that brought you Minions and Despicable Me. Sounds good. But now let’s discuss what it’s about.

There’s this koala bear named Buster Moon (an excitable McConaughey) and he owns a theater. He needs a hit so he puts on a singing competition.

Right there is the first major misstep. Singing competitions reached peak popularity about

The film “Sing” has a star lineup, but fails to be a hit with movie critics. Nick Kroll is the voice of the singing pig “Gunther.” Now playing.

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures 7 years ago. Old news. So right out the gate, the film seems dated.

So Buster holds auditions and if the sight of computer

generated animals singing songs tickles your funny bone, this while get you rollin’ in the aisles. I found it cute for a little while. But it gets old very

quick. One note; one joke.

Then we meet the ragtag group that makes the show. These subplots a re complet ely d i scon nec t ed

from the central plot. You have the Mother Pig, Rosita (Witherspoon) who has 35 kids a nd a n unsuppor tive husband. She sneaks away to singing practice by buildi ng g i a nt Rube Goldberg machines to cook and clean for her family. Too much of a stretch and simply not funny.

There’s Johnny, the crooning gorilla who doesn’t want to rob ba nk s l ike fat her.

There’s Mike the mouse who cheats at cards so a group of Russian bears are trying to kill him.

All of this feels out of sync.

Pointless. Filler.

R eg a r d i n g t he k id s . I wou ld i mag i ne most k ids u nder 8 w i l l not ma ke it through this movie without some protest. The novelty wears off and at 1 hour and 50 minutes, Sing is too long.

Wait for the Blu-ray if you have to check it out.

McKinley, Cibola unemployment rates edge downward TATE: SEASONAL JOBS IN VOGUE

By Bernie Dotson Sun Correspondent

N

ew Mexico’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in November 2016, unchanged from 6.7 percent in October, but up from 6.6 percent last year, according to statistics released this week by the New Mexico Department of Work Force Solutions.

I n M c K i n l e y C o u n t y, the unemployment rate for November was 8.6 percent and in neighboring Cibola County the November 2016 unemployment rate was 8.0 percent.

McKinley’s unemployment rate in October 2016 was 8.9 percent and the Cibola jobless rate was 8.3 percent in October. Both county percentages represent seasonal drops, officials said.

“Definitely seasonal,” Tracy Shaleen, an economist with Work force, said. “That’s what it is.”

The unemployment COMMUNITY

statistics are a month behind due to the amount of time required to collect the data.

“This is seasonal employment kicking in and going through a yearly cycle in McKinley County,” Shaleen said. “This is typical of a county that size.”

Bill Lee, the executive director at the Gallup-McKinley County Chamber of Commerce and an incoming McKinley County Commissioner, said this time of year is definitely when retailers, like those at Gallup’s Rio West Mall, hire seasonal help.

“I think it’s definitely a seasonal thing, especially in a county like McKinley,” Lee said. “We have a mall. That’s something some small municipalities (county seats) don’t have. So the seasonal employment factor must be strongly considered in our case.”

The national unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in November 2016, down from 4.9 percent in October and down

from 5.0 percent in November 2015.

There are 33 counties in New Mexico. Luna County in southwestern New Mexico has the state’s highest unemployment rate at 15.5 percent. Loa Alamos County, which is north of Santa Fe, has New Mexico’s lowest unemployment rate at 4.2 percent. Los Alamos also has New Mexico’s highest median income.

With respect to McKinley C ou nt y, S h a le e n a d de d , “Broadly-speaking, the unemployment rate normally dips in the spring, rises over the summer, tails off to the end of the year and then rises again in January. Industries such as agriculture, construction, education and health services, leisure and hospitality, and retail trade typically exhibit distinct seasonal trends.”

Donna Browning, an unemployed retail worker, said she lost her job in Gallup about a year ago. “I have been working

my current temporary job for three months,” Browning said. “I

don’t know what I’m going to do when they tell me my time is up.”

County Unemployment Rates, November 2016 (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Gallup Sun • Friday December 23, 2016

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SPORTS 360

UNM beats UTSA, 23-20 LATE TD LEAD TO UNM WIN

By Bernie Dotson Sun Correspondent

T

he University of New Mex ico beat t he University of Texas at San Antonio 23-20 Dec. 17 in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl, giving the Lobos

the Roadr unners. The Roadrunners were able to get a quick touchdown later in the fourth quarter, but receiver Chris Davis of New Mexico saved the day when he recovered the on-side kick.

Roadrunners’ head coach Frank Wilson told the Journal

UNM football players carry Coach Bob Davie on their shoulders after an impressive win against the University of Texas Dec. 17. Photo Credit: Ryan Hudgeons A diehard fan of the UNM Lobos proudly displays a sign of support during the Dec. 17 New Mexico Bowl game against the University of Texas. Photo Credit: Ryan Hudgeons a season ending 9-4 record in the Mountain West Conference.

The Lobos last won a post-season game in 2007 which was a 23-0 victory over Nevada in the New Mexico Bowl.

“You don’t get these experiences a whole lot of times,” Lobos’ head coach Bob Davie told the Albuquerque Journal.

“These players, I’ve talked to them in depth about enjoying the moment. And, definitely, this afternoon was a great moment.”

T he L ob o s wer e out gained on the ground by the Roadrunners 24 to 219. New Mexico led the nation in rushing during the 2016 football season. The Lobos were outgained in total offense 364 to 296. UTSA brought the score to 16-13 late in the fourth quarter, but New Mexico surged ahead on a 75-yard touchdown drive that ate up a lot of time on the game clock.

In the game, Lobo quarterback Lamar Jordan was 3-for-4 passing for 77 yards.

Jordan led the Lobos in rushing with 81 yards on 13 carries on the ground against

that settling on field goals after drives hurt the team’s chances at more scoring.

“Scor ing oppor tunities were few and far between,” Wilson said. “Unfortunately, on those occasions we had to kick three.”

The Lobos have won their bowl game appearances in 2007 and now in 2016. They lost bowl game appearances in 2016 and 2015. Davie has coached the

Lobos for five seasons. The Roadrunners finished the 2016 football season with a 6-7 record. The team plays in Conference USA.

University of Texas Roadrunners fought hard against UNM, but couldn’t surpass the Lobos rushing defense on the field, which helped them to win the game. Photo Credit: Ryan Hudgeons

20 Friday December 23, 2016 • Gallup Sun

SPORTS

Farmington beats Wingate 71-36 to take Holiday Classic SCORPIONS WIN TOURNEY FOR SECOND STRAIGHT SEASON

Story and photos by Bernie Dotson Sun Correspondent

T

he Farmington Scor pions blew through the Wingate Holiday Basketball Classic - beating the host Wingate Bears 71-36 to take the championship game of the annual Christmas tournament played at Wingate High School.

The Scorpions beat Wingate 49-47 in a nail-biter in the same championship game in 2015.

“We played good defense from the start of the game and that definitely made a difference,” Scorpions’ head coach Paul Corley said. “They have a good team. We stayed focused and came away with a win.”

Farmington (8-1) got out of the blocks fast in the first quarter and opened a 16-5 lead behind the inside play of senior center David Riley. The Bears were dominated inside

by Riley and senior off guard Nick Granger kept things interesting on the perimeter for Farmington with an array of jump shots and drives.

By the time the first quarter ended the Scorpions were in a rhythm and Wingate couldn’t figure out what was hitting them. Wingate head coach Al Martinez called a time with five minutes off the game clock in the first quarter, only to have Farmington come out after the timeout even more aggressive on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.

“We let them score too

many points early in the game,” Martinez said. “We had spurts where we started a couple of comebacks, but the early leads hurt us.”

The Scorpions began the second quarter much like the way they ended the first.

Granger kept up the offensive penetration and several turnovers by the Bears resulted in Farmington fast breaks.

Farmington junior Jacob Brown was the recipient of a Granger pass off of a steal which resulted in the game’s first fast break dunk, a dunk in which Brown ran the floor practically alone and jumped from underneath the basket for the shot.

The third quarter began with the Scorpions up 42-25 and one got the feeling that Farmington was simply looking to build on an already sizable lead. Wingate’s Manuelito Chee made some offensive cuts and scored on a few back door plays and set up teammates to score, too. Josh Begay of Wingate put down some jumpers and senior shooting guard Brandon Belone scored on some jump shots for the Bears. But Wingate was not consistent enough from either the inside or outside to keep the score of the game close.

Farmington led the game 69-29 with 2:57 left on the game clock in the fourth quarter.

In an earlier quar terfinal game of the tournament, Zuni (3-5) lost to Wingate 60-58. The Thunderbirds beat Tohatchi 52-43 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Holiday tournament.

The Wingate Bears and Farmington Scorpions square off in the Dec. 17 Wingate Holiday Classic Basketball Championship. Farmington won the game for the second consecutive year by a score of 71-36.

“We were in it right up until the end,” Zuni head coach Wilfred Eriacho said of the quarterfinal game. “Give credit to Wingate. Both teams played a good game on both ends of the floor.”

Granger ended the game with 11 points, but had seven a s s i s t s . Ju n io r fo r w a r d Jesford Toledo finished with a very quiet 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Scorpions. Becenti put in 13 points for Farmington.

Wingate fell to on the 2016 basketball season. The Bears (3-5) take on Pojoaque Valley (3-2) on Dec. 27 at home. The other teams that Farmington beat were Thoreau and Hot Springs. The Scorpions blew out Hot Springs 62-32 to get to the championship game against Wingate.

Wingate power forward Pacen Sandoval (55) goes up for an inside shot against Farmington’s defense in the Wingate Holiday Classic.

SPORTS

High School Sports Scoreboard

GALLUP BENGALS Boys Basketball (2-7) 12/16: Gallup @ Grants 54-67 Girls Basketball (4-5) 12/17: Rio Rancho @ Bengals 60-43 MIYAMURA PATRIOTS No Scores reported.

REHOBOTH CHRISTIAN LYNX Boys Basketball (4-4) 12/17: CCP @ Rehoboth 49-51 12/16: St. Michael @ Rehoboth 12/15: Rehoboth @ Navajo Prep 47-61 Girls Basketball (2-5) 12/17: CCP @ Rehoboth 21-68 12/16: St. Michael @ Rehoboth 58-30 WINGATE BEARS

Boys Basketball (3-5) 12/17: Farmington vs Wingate 71-36 12/16: Zuni vs Wingate 58-60 12/15: Wingate vs Crownpoint 90-59 Girls Basketball (6-4) 12/17: McCurdy vs Wingate 36-62 12/16: Wingate vs Mora 58-48 12/15: Pojoaque Valley vs Wingate 51-49 Scores and overall standings feature Gallup, Miyamura, Wingate, and Rehoboth high school varsity teams only, via maxpreps.com. Other high schools are welcome to submit scores and standings. Submit up-to-date varsity team scores/ standings by Wednesday to: gallupsun@gmail.com

Gallup Sun • Friday December 23, 2016

21

CALENDAR

Gallup High vs Piedra Vista

COMMUNITY CALENDAR DEC. 23 - 29, 2016 FRIDAY Dec. 23 UNM-G WINTER BREAK The University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus will be closed for Winter Break from Dec. 23 – Jan. 2. The campus will reopen for business at 8 am on Jan. 3, 2017.

NATHAN N. NEZ, SR. ARTIST EXHIBITION Through December, Nathan N. Nez, Sr.’s work will be on display at the Main Library.

Octavia Fellin Public Library, 115 W. Hill Ave. BILL OF RIGHTS EXHIBITION KIOSK An info kiosk in honor of the 225th Anniversary of the Bill of Rights, which was ratified on Dec. 15, 1791 and made officially part of the Constitution.

The kiosk was created by the National Archives in Washington D.C. and contains facts and fun information about one of our country’s most sacred documents — it will be on display until the end of the month. Octavia Fellin Public Library, 115 W. Hill Ave. SATURDAY Dec. 24 OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS Overeater’s Anonymous 12-step meetings. Held every Sunday at 6 to 7 pm at the Hozho Center, 216 W. Maloney. Open to anybody who has a desire to stop compulsive eating.

Contact info. (505) 3075999, (505) 721-9208, or (505) 870-1483.

SUPPORT GATHERING Every Saturday throughout December, from 12 to 4 pm, there will be a Support Gathering for the NO Dakota Access Pipeline Water Protectors and Piñon Pipeline Project Resisters at the Gallup

Cultural Center located at 201 E. Hwy. 66. The chapters to be impacted are Nageezi, Lybrook, Counselor, Pueblo Pintado, Whitehorse Lake, Baca-Prewitt and other Navajo Communities along the way.

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE Carols, lessons, communion and candlelight will be held at the Westminster Presbyterian Church at 7 pm as we welcome the Christ Child. All are welcome! The church is located at 151 N.M. 564 (Boardman Drive) near Orleans Manor Apartments. For more information: wpcgallup@gmail. com / wpcgallup.org / (505) 905-3247.

SUNDAY Dec. 25 CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Join us for the Holy Eucharist. Begins: 10:30 am.

For more information, please call (505) 8634695. Location: 1334 S. Country Club Dr. CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE Join the church family of Westminster Presbyterian Church at 10:30 am on Christmas as we celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, our Lord and Savior. All are welcome!

151 N.M. 564 (Boardman Drive) near Orleans Manor Apartments. For more information: wpcgallup@ gmail.com / wpcgallup. org / (505) 905-3247 WEDNESDAY Dec. 28 TODDLER TIME (AGES 2 TO 4) An active and energetic program for toddlers, featuring music, movement, rhymes, and stories. Starts: 10:30 am.

Children’s Branch, 200 W. Aztec Ave. Free MAKER’S CLUB (AGES 7 AND UP) A club for kids interested in science, math, building, and inventing. Each Continued on page 23

22 Friday December 23, 2016 • Gallup Sun

Piedra Vista shut out the Gallup High boys varsity team by one heartbreaking point, 65-64, on Dec. 20. In this photo Gallup’s Seth Manuelito (25) keeps his eye on the basket while Piedra Vista’s Brady Brown (3) tries to intervene. Photo Credit: Ryan Hudgeons

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YOUR BIZ HERE! Looking for some help? Why not put a shout out in the Sun! First 25 words are FREE! Email it on over to: gallupsun@ gmail.com.

HOMES FOR SALE COZY CABIN Cabin in Zuni Mountains

2 Bedrooms 20 Minutes from Grants, New Mexico 78,000.00 505-240-2112 FOR SALE BY OWNER Gallup, NM 3 Bedroom 2 Bath 2 Car Garage 1/3 acre lot Must sell, leaving country $100,000 505-339-7487 PLACE YOUR REAL ESTATE AD HERE! FIRST 25 WORDS FREE. LOGO and/or PHOTO $5 EACH. APPEARS ON GALLUPSUN.COM FOR FREE! EMAIL: gallupsun@gmail.com CALL: 505-728-1640 HOME FOR RENT 1 bedroom unfurnished house for rent. 1 year lease required.

For information CALL 8634294 before 7 pm

HOUSING WANTED Teacher with good cat seeks Gallup 2-bedroom apartment or house, late Dec., $500/mo if possible, 6-month or mo-tomo lease. 406-217-8698.

MOBILE HOMES MOBILE HOME SPACES Mobile Home Spaces – Single wide – any size $205/mo. Double Wide $260/mo. Call Mike 505-8703430 or Carmelita 505-870-4095.

STORAGE SPACE 1000 sq ft of storage for vehicles or large items. $500/mo.

Call Phyllis 505-870-0730 VEHICLES For sale 1994 crown vic $600 runs great some front-end damage 505-297-3902 SELL YOUR VEHICLE IN THE GALLUP SUN! FIRST 25 WORDS FREE!

MAIL DELIVERY 1 year subscription. Send check for $59.95 to:

Gallup Sun Publishing PO Box 1212 Gallup, NM 87305

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR DEC. 23 - 29, 2016 Continued from page 22

week features a different challenge, project, or experiment. Starts: 5 pm.

Children’s Branch, 200 W. Aztec Ave. HOLIDAY HIJINKS FILMS Free weekly movie.

Popcorn provided.

5:30-8:30 pm. Octavia Fellin Public Library, 115 W. Hill Ave. This week: Eight Crazy Nights THURSDAY Dec. 29 CRAFTY KIDS (ALL AGES) Fun crafts for the whole family (all ages). Starts at 4 pm. Children’s Branch, 200 W. Aztec Ave. ONGOING 30TH JANUARY SERIES AT CALVIN COLLEGE The award-winning January Series is coming to Rehoboth. From Jan. 4 through Jan. 24, Rehoboth Christian Reformed Church will be one of 50 remote webcast locations worldwide to broadcast one of the nation’s leading lecture and cultural arts series. The January Series lectures will be video streamed live at Rehoboth Christian Reformed Church (30 Tse Yaaniichii Lane, Rehoboth) from 10:30 am. Covenant Fine Arts Center, 12:30 – 1:30 pm. Free. For a full list of speakers, dates, topics, visit calvin.edu/january-series/speakers.

ARTSCRAWL ArtsCrawl is held the second Saturday of every month from 7 to 9 pm, downtown Gallup. Not held January and February.

CHILDBIRTH EDUCATION CLASS RMCHC Women’s Health Unit offers childbirth education classes, at no charge, every second Saturday of the month in CALENDAR

the RMCH Library, 1901 Red Rock Drive, from 9 am-1 pm. Contact WHU at (505) 863-7026.

CITY OF GALLUP’S SUSTAINABLE GALLUP BOARD First Monday of the month, from 3 - 5 pm.

Community members concerned about conservation, energy, water, recycling, and other environmental issues are welcome. Call Bill Bright at (505) 722-0039 for information. Octavia Fellin Public Library: 115 W. Hill Ave. COMMUNITY PANTRY The Hope Garden offers organic produce for sale from 10 am - noon, Tue – Fri., 1130 E. Hassler Valley Road. All funds go to helping feed local folks. Call (505) 726-8068 or when visiting, ask for Vernon Garcia.

FRIDAY NIGHT HOOTENANNY Gallup’s longest-running live show! Every Friday night from 7 - 9 pm. Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe, 306 S. Second St. GALLUP-MCKINLEY COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY Wednesdays are low-cost Spay and Neuter Days, at the Gallup-McKinley County Humane Society.

For more information, please call (505) 863-2616, or email: gmchumanesociety@gmail.com. Location: 1315 Hamilton Rd. GALLUP SOLAR The nonprofit, Gallup Solar, is hosting free Solar 101 classes about all things related to off-grid solar systems on the first three Wednesdays of each month, 6 - 7 pm, at 113 E. Logan Ave. All welcome any week. No registration required. For info call: (505) 728-9246.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Habitat for Humanity work sessions held each week.

CALENDAR

Volunteers to serve on decision making meetings or wish to volunteer at or help fund construction projects. Call Bill Bright at (505) 722-4226 for details.

OPEN-MIC NIGHT Wednesdays: Local talent takes center stage from 7:30 - 9:30 pm at Coal Street Pub, 303 W. Coal Ave. (505) 722-0117.

RECYCLING COUNCIL McKinley Citizens Recycling Council is a local nonprofit working to increase recycling through education, community outreach, and partnership with local government agencies. MCRC meets the first Saturday of the month at 2 pm, at Red Mesa on Hill St. For more information, please call (505) 722-5142 or visit Recylegallup.org. Note: Not held in December SAVE THE DATE FAMILY MOVIE Dec. 30, 4 pm: a family film for everyone to enjoy.

Children’s Branch, 200 W. Aztec Ave. This week: Enchanted RMCHCS AUXILIARY AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS Scholarships each fall and spring semester to students pursuing an education in medical or health careers. Applicants must be full time students, have completed 12 college credit hours, and have at least a 2.0 GPA. Application deadline for the spring 2017 semester is Jan. 3. Applications are available at the UNM-Gallup Financial Aid Office and at the RMCH information desk. For more information call (505) 863-7325.

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION UNM-G Jan. 7, 9:30-11:30 am: For

all incoming freshmen including transfer students.

UNM-G, Student Services and Tech Center Room 200, 700 Gurley Ave. MCKINLEY CITIZENS’ RECYCLING COUNCIL MEETING The monthly meeting will be held at 2 pm, Jan. 7 at the Red Mesa Center, 105 W. Hill Ave. The public is encouraged to attend to learn about recycling opportunities in our region, updates on residential Gallup curbside recycling, plans for recycling outreach and more. For more information, call Gerald / Millie (505) 722-5141 or Shafiq (5-05) 227-7424.

Check out the MCRC web site recyclegallup.org or call the City Solid Waste Department (505) 8631212.

TAIZE SERVICE Jan. 8 at 4 pm: Join us for a special service as we enter the New Year — a time of rest, silence and spiritual refreshment. Take this opportunity to calm and quiet the soul before a new week begins. Music, chant, scripture, and candlelight are part of this hour held at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Boardman Drive (151 N.M. 564 near the Orleans Manor Apartments). For more information, call Kathy Mezoff (505) 8706136.

GALLUP INVENTS! Feb. 8: A workshop for inventors and innovators. Find out about the many resources available in New Mexico. 1-4 pm, Gallup Chamber of Commerce Meeting Room, 106 W. Hwy. 66, (505) 7227220.

DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP Jan. 10 at 6:30 pm, Jan. 11 at 10 am: The load for caregivers is lightened when they can share with others on the same journey and receiving practical tips and help to care

for their patient. Classes are available at no charge and those attending are asked to pre-register by calling Robert at (505) 615-8053.

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP Jan.17 at 6:30 pm, Jan. 18 at 10 am: Grief is an individual journey, but it can be made easier when shared with others going through the same process and you learn how to grieve. Classes are free; pre-register by calling Robert at (505) 615-8053.

WORKING THROUGH YOUR GRIEF FOLLOWING A DEATH Jan 10, 10 - 11 am. This program helps family members understand and begin the grieving process after a loved one’s death so that they can begin to heal. Classes are free; pre-register by calling Robert at (505) 615-8053.

SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS DYING, HOW DO YOU COPE? Jan. 11, 6:30 - 7:30 pm: For family members and caregivers of those struggling with a terminal illness of a loved one. We learn that the grieving process actually starts before a death has actually occurred. Classes are free; pre-register by calling Robert at (505) 615-8053.

UNDERSTANDING AND PLANNING FOR A FUNERAL OR CREMATION Jan. 14, 10 am – noon.

Learn what options are available. Classes are free; pre-register by calling Robert at (505) 615-8053.

UNDERSTANDING HOSPICE Jan. 14, 2 - 4 pm. Hospice can provide many benefits to help a person and their family when they have been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Classes are free; pre-register by calling Robert at (505) 615-8053.

To post a nonprofit or civic event in the calendar section, please email: gallupsunevents@gmail.com or fax: (505) 212-0391. Deadline: Monday at 5 pm.

Gallup Sun • Friday December 23, 2016

23

Alfred Abeita, Sr., Board Chairman

Richard F. Kontz, Executive Director

The Gallup Housing Authority is committed to providing safe, quality, and affordable housing to income qualified families in need of housing as they strive to achieve self-sufficiency and improve the quality of their lives. The GHA is committed to operating in a, cost-efficient, and professional manner. The GHA seeks to partner with its clients and appropriate community agencies in order to accomplish its mission.

The Gallup Housing Authority is currently accepting applications for our 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom units. Come in and get an application.

Completed Applications are accepted only from 8 am to 11 am on Wednesday and Friday mornings. Gallup Housing Authority is located on 2nd street across from Sundance Dental.

Applicants will be screened for income eligibility in accordance with HUD guidelines. Applicants will be placed on a waiting list by bed room size. GHA does not provide emergency or shelter housing.

TO APPLY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING: Individuals must fill out a GHA Housing application and submit the following: All applicants and their household member must submit: • Original Birth Certificates • Original Social Security Cards All applicants and household member 18 years or older must submit: • Photo ID • Proof of Income • Proof of INS Status [if not a US citizen] • All Auto registrations and insurance Proof of Income docs may include: • Pay check stubs [last 3 months] • Social Security/SSI benefits Statements • Welfare/Public Assistance statements • Most recent Tax returns • Unemployment Benefits • Child Support documents • Bank statements [checking//savings] • IRA account statements • Any other form of income All documents must be provided at INTAKE.

Located at 203 Debra Drive in Gallup, NM – (505)722-4388 Applications may be request by email: ghareception@qwestoffice.net

24 Friday December 23, 2016 • Gallup Sun

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