Gallup Sun ● Dec. 29, 2023

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ER H C A E T E H T MEE T OF THE YEAR Pg.3

KW Realty Gallup Living 505 -488-2344

VOL 9 | ISSUE 457 | DECEMBER 29, 2023

Relive 2023 by reading some of the editor’s favorite stories from the year. Story page 6

GALLUP FUN!

Gallup Sun • Friday December 29, 2023 1

GMCS CONNECT E F MPOWERING OUR

December 2023

UTURE

Cal Ripken STEM Center comes to Jefferson Elementary Additional online resources for educational products will give teachers and mentors access to digital copies of curriculum and other resources that will enhance the STEM program through

The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation is a national nonprofit organization founded in honor of the legendary Cal Ripken, Sr. The foundation partners with youth serving organizations and schools around the country with the goal of improving the lives of students, especially those that are at-risk. The Ripken foundation provides many different educational opportunities, one of which is the Ripken Foundation STEM Centers. These STEM Centers have been provided to schools all across the country.

This STEM Center comes with: Educational Products: A specialized selection of lessons, diverse activity kits, and materials that introduce STEM principles through circuitry, engineering, coding, and more.

Technology and Storage: laptops; 3D printers; drones; several spools of printing filament; and mobile STEM activity organizers/ workbenches.

The STEM Curriculum Guidebook is a hands-on learning guide that helps teachers introduce STEM concepts that are based on Next Generation Science Standards. The curriculum provided through the portal accompanies the Ripken Foundation STEM Center products, providing guidance on use of the products provided, as well as offering lessons to use with the kids and products.

Training by the Ripken Foundation STEM program staff and STEM professional consultants will provide ongoing program and technical support for all STEM Center partners.

STEM Challenge Challenge, a competition hosted by Ripken Foundation which uses real-world problems to encourage students to apply STEM skills and knowledge to develop innovative solutions.

Teams from our STEM Centers across the country present their solutions to a panel of judges.

the Ripken Online Resource Portal.

On November 9th, The Ripken Foundation gifted Jefferson Elementary School with one of these amazing STEM Centers. The full price tag on this generous donation is over $35,000. The goal of the Ripken Foundation is to gift one of these STEM Centers to all 19 schools in our school district, but they need partnerships. Those interested in becoming a sponsor can contact Shannon Johnson with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation by email at sjohnson@ripkenfoundation.org.

Before the official ribbon cutting ceremony, trainers from the Ripken Foundation hosted workshops for Jefferson instructors on how to utilize all the pieces of their new STEM Center. Once they were all trained, students were brought in, and individual stations were set up with different STEM sets.

Students were encouraged to open play and explore at all the stations. Mayor Bonaguidi, Superintendent Winter Break Hyatt and School Board January 1st-2nd member Priscilla Benally were on hand and Data Day encouraged to explore the January 3rd new STEM stations.

The Jefferson Students Return Elementary Ripken STEM January 4th Center is the first in our district. We hope to have Martin Luther King Jr Day more in the future. We January 15th hope this new STEM center will help our students GMCS School Board Meeting to dream big and stay January 16th engaged.

UPCOMING EVENTS

For more information on our upcoming events please follow us on Facebook @Gallup-McKinley County Schools or Instagram @GMCSNews.

EDUCATION

Zuni science teacher named N.M. Teacher of the Year

By Molly Ann Howell Managing Editor

E

very year the New Mexico Public Education Department names a “Teacher of the Year.” This year, the award went to Zuni Public School District thirdyear science teacher Dr. Roy Basa.

Basa’s family, members of the NMPED, members of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, and state officials all attended the Dec. 18 ceremony to honor Basa.

At t he ceremony, Sen. George Muñoz, D, spoke highly of Basa.

“Every person has at least one teacher who changes his or her life for the better. From visiting with his students, it is clear Dr. Basa is that teacher for many students in Zuni,” Muñoz said. “Dr. Basa is a creator of leaders and opportunities. This recognition is not only significant for Dr. Basa and his family, but the entire community of Zuni.”

N M PED S ecret a r y Dr. Arsenio Romero also praised Basa.

“Dr. Basa has built strong relationships with his students

4

and community,” Romero said.

“He works with the Zuni community to teach in a culturally appropriate and respectful manner and is doing great things with his students.”

IMPORTA NCE OF TEACHING Before he moved to Zuni, Basa taught for over a decade in his home country of the Philippines. He moved to the U.S. in 2019 and began teaching at a school in Arizona.

When asked what made him want to teach in the U.S., Baca said he saw it as a learning opportunity.

“I wanted to learn and explore more. Teaching is not just about reading a book; you need to go out [into the world] if you really want to learn other things,” he said.

“Life in America, or should I say teaching here in America, exposed me to so many things that were different than my country.”

Twin Buttes Cyber Academy is an alternative high school for students who may not fit into the traditional format of high school. As the school’s science teacher, Basa teaches biolog y, physica l science, and environmental

science.

He said his favorite part of teaching is helping students with hands-on experiments.

In one such experiment, Basa helped his students work with biodiesel, which is a renewable, biodegradable fuel which can be manufactured domestically from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled food grease.

“It’s a very hands-on activity where students need to extract oil from different native New Mexico plants u s i n g a n o i l e x t r a c t io n machine. The kids really love the activity,” Basa said.

T hat biod iesel project won Basa’s class the grand prize in the governor’s STEM Challenge.

“After that, my students were excited to learn more, eager to learn more, and eager to participate more in competitions,” Basa said.

In an interview with the S un , T w i n But tes Cyber Academy P r i ncipa l Ray Hartwig discussed what he thinks makes Basa a great teacher.

“I think it starts with a ba sic believe that he ca n reach every kid, that he can

Dr. Roy Basa speaks after being presented with the 2024 New Mexico Teacher of the Year award during a ceremony at Twin Buttes Cyber Academy Dec. 18. He is in the middle of third year as a science teacher at the alternative school. Photo Credit: Jenny Pond work with them if he’s patient enough, if he’s persistent enough. These are both qualities I’ve witnessed in his classroom and [they are] very important qualities,” Hartwig said.

For Basa, teaching the subject of science is more than just sitting at the front of a classroom and rattling off theory. He said that providing students the chance to work with their hands makes them better learners.

“At the end of each of those activities I am giving them a chance to ref lect because I want them to become a

reflective learner, not just a passive learner,” he explained.

“I want them to apply these skills and lessons in their real life because I know these children will work someday, and [maybe] they can apply [these skills] in their future career.”

Another experiment Basa’s students did in his classroom also helped the Zuni Pueblo community. They tested the community’s drinking water and found that it had a high percentage of arsenic in it, which made it unsafe to drink.

TEACHER | SEE PAGE 20

WHAT’S INSIDE …

TEACHER OF THE MONTH The latest honor for Gallup Middle School

EDUCATION

10 14 16 19 PUBLIC, MENTAL HEALTH The newest boost for the N.M. governor’s initiative

CHRIS GONZAGA What’s next for the longtime Rehoboth doctor

THE YEAR IN MOVIES The lights shone brightest on these picks

LETTER TO THE EDITOR The 2023 Teacher of the Year signs off

Gallup Sun • Friday July 7, 2023 3

Gallup Middle School teacher helps gifted students soar

By Molly Ann Howell Managing Editor

E

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

This month’s award went to Greg Cavanaugh, a teacher who works for the Gifted and Talented program at two GallupMcKinley County Schools middle schools – JFK and Gallup. He also spends some time at Tope Turpen Elementary.

PATH TO GALLUP Cavanaugh grew up in a

family of teachers – his mom was a teacher at a school district in Michigan while he was growing up and his father was a college professor. He said they encouraged him to go into education, but that he truly “gravitated” toward it on his own.

He attended Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is a part of the Christian Reform Church, which has a partnership with Gallup’s own Rehoboth Christian High School.

Cavanaugh student-taught at Rehoboth, and over a decade later he’s still in Gallup.

After student teaching, Cavanaugh got a job at JFK Middle School in December 2002 teaching history. He also taught the subject at Chief Manuelito

4 Friday December 29, 2023 • Gallup Sun

before transferring over to the Gifted and Talented program, which he has been a part of now for over a decade.

HELPING THE STUDENTS ACHIEVE Cavanaugh found his niche in the Gifted and Talented program.

In an interview with the Sun, he explained what he likes most about the program and teaching in general. “[Teaching is] really about seeing students push through challenges and be successful,” he said. “In the Gifted and Talented program that is all the more necessary. These are students who tend to find a lot of parts of school easy, [and] they become a little disenchanted and [I am] looking for ways to keep those

kids motivated and challenged.”

The Gifted and Talented program looks at students who score high in math, reading, or other school subjects. If a student is eligible for the program, they will be pulled out of their classes for one-on-one focused instruction.

“Gifted and Talented is looking to enrich. We accelerate, we try to improve or increase rigor, and that can look different depending on the age group or the model the school district uses,” Cavanaugh explained.

With the one-on-one instruction, the students’ needs can be met on a more case-by-case scenario. For example, if a student excels at math, they may move up a grade or two in the curriculum.

Cavanaugh said one thing he’s found really helpful for his students is project-based learning.

“What I’ve found most successful is program or project-based learning where there’s a lot of choice and freedom for kids to kind of figure out what they’re interested in and want to try and tackle and grow in,” he said.

O ne of t he prog r a m s Cavanaugh runs for his students teaches them broadcast journalism skills. Students put on a weekly livestream on YouTube, and they have to develop news stories, create video, interview people, and learn all about the technology that helps them do so.

Gallup Middle School principal Lindsey Mingus has worked with Cavanaugh for a multitude of years, and she said that the projects he creates really help the students.

“I think that the students really enjoy the enrichment projects that he does with them and that he is always trying to push

Greg Cavanaugh is orginally from Michigan, but he’s spent his entire teaching career at Gallup-McKinley County Schools. He teaches students who are a part of the Gifted and Talented programs at JFK Middle School, Gallup Middle School, and Tope Turpen Elementary. Photo Credit: Bryanny Rich them to be the best version of themselves,” she said.

When asked what skills help him teach middle schoolers, Cavanaugh said having tough skin is a must.

“You do have to have a thick skin with middle school, you kind of have to have your own sense of self and be able to kind of let things roll off and be a little self-deprecating. Students, at least for me, have always seemed to identify with that,” he said. “…

Middle schoolers don’t have a lot of tolerance, especially with the Gifted and Talented kids; they don’t have a lot of tolerance for anything that’s phony. They just want people to be real.”

Diana White, Cavanaugh’s direct supervisor, said it’s that realness that makes him a great teacher.

“He deserves the award because he is all in for his students. When he is at work he is on his best game providing the best educational opportunities for the kids who pass through his influence every single day,” she said. ““He listens to the students and then guides and directs them in order to keep them challenged and focused on learning.”

EDUCATION

Pet of the Week Gallup Sun Publishing, LLC Publisher Babette Herrmann Managing Editor Molly Ann Howell Executive Director Mandy Marks Design Volodymyr Lotysh Contributing Editor Cody Begaye Correspondents Dee Velasco Holly J. Wagner Photography Kimberley Helfenbein Merrisha Livingston Jenny Pond On the Cover: Happy New Year from the Sun! Take a look back at some of our biggest stories from 2023.

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.

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EDUCATION

Meet Goliath!

He is a 2-year -old neutered shepherd mix. He is a big teddy ddy bear. He loves other dogs and doesn’t care about cats, but people are his favorite. He likes kes to play fetch.

A nyo ne i nt e r e s t e d i n Goliath can visit him at the

Grants Animal Care Center at 722 Redondo Rd. in Grants, New Mexico. They are open Monday-Friday from 8 am to 4 pm.

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Goliath is currently under the care of the Grants Animal Care Center.

Gallup Sun • Friday December 29, 2023 5

NEWS

LOCAL NEWS

Editor’s Top Five Stories for 2023

By Molly Ann Howell Managing Editor

T

hese stories are not in a particular order, but were chosen based on their impact on Gallup and McKinley County as a whole.

In some cases, the stories were chosen because of the amount of time a writer spent on them. Some are fun community-based stories, but they still hold impact.

Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley

LAST SEEN IN GALLUP Forty-five people are listed on the FBI’s “Indian Country Cases” webpage, which asks for the public’s assistance on the multitude of missing persons

cases involving Indigenous people. Indigenous people experience violent crimes at a much higher rate than any other group in America and are often reported missing.

In the May 19 issue of the Sun, reporter Holly J. Wagner called attention to another aspect of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis: a regional health care scam that targeted vulnerable Indigenous people.

Even if someone is itinerant, homeless or dealing with sobriety issues, relatives often know their patterns. It’s not unusual to not hear from that person for days at a time, but those relatives know when it’s been too long.

Sadly, that may be the fi rst indication that scammers have “recruited” – read abducted – a vulnerable family member.

That’s when the search begins.

CITY OF GALLUP SOLID WASTE CUSTOMERS DUE TO THE HOLIDAYS, THERE WILL BE NO REGULAR COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL REFUSE COLLECTION SERVICES ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2023 AND MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 2024.

During this two (2) week period, Monday through Thursday residential routes will be delayed by one (1) day. Friday’s regular service day will remain as scheduled.

RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS FOR ONE WEEK ONLY: Tuesday, December 26, 2023 thru Friday, December 29, 2023: the Solid Waste Department will collect extra CHRISTMAS REFUSE ONLY, free of charge. Please set items curbside away from your herbie on your scheduled pickup day. If you require further information, please call (505) 863-1212.

Christmas tree drop-off locations: Joe Vargas Veterans Memorial Complex & Larry Brian Mitchell Recreation Center.

6 Friday December 29, 2023 • Gallup Sun

Families are forced to expend time, money and resources to go out and look for their missing kin.

Most often, family members have been left to search for their missing loved ones, unaware that they may have been lured into a van with food and alcohol on the spot and promises of substance abuse treatment and shelter at their destination.

From there, the victims are transported to group homes known as pop-up rehab facilities in the Phoenix area. The scammers may change their victims’ names or other information to apply for public health and welfare benefits the victims never receive.

Those who refuse may be dumped on the street hundreds of miles from home, with no resources or contacts to get back. Others who remain in the pop-up homes may face physical abuse. They are forbidden to speak their native language under threat of having their phones taken away.

Nava jo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley’s voice broke during a May 17 press conference when she spoke of receiving a call from the family of a man who had been missing for three months after making what should have been a routine visit to Gallup for medical reasons.

“Ever since then he has not been back home. Usually he does a one-day trip, hitchhikes into town for dialysis or to donate blood,” she said.

At the time of that initial Sun article, the Gallup Police Department, McKinley County Sheriff’s Office, and the Navajo

Nation all vowed to track these scammers down and help those with missing loved ones.

The “Don’t Be Taken for a Ride” outreach program was launched by the state of New Mexico in July, which introduced a new hotline for victims, allies and near-misses to use the 988 mental health emergency line to report encounters with potential scammers.

The scammers have not been caught, although Arizona launched a review of sober living facilities and started pulling funding of those found to be out of compliance with state law – nearly 200 as of October. One man was indicted for alleged “patient brokering” in Arizona in early November and eight more were arrested later that month.

So far New Mexico’s 988 line has received only three tips about the rehab scam, New Mexico Human Services Department spokesman Tim Fowler said. But he emphasized that the hotline is there to address any type of crisis.

“If you or anyone you know is in crisis, in any sense of the word, that’s why 988 is there to call, chat, text and have somebody who can listen to you and provide some help,” he said. “That includes if you’ve seen something that doesn’t look right and you want to make sure that somebody else knows about that and it can be followed up on.”

NEW POLICE CHIEF, SAME MOM Er i n Toa d len a -Pablo’s

EDITOR’S TOP FIVE | SEE PAGE 7 NEWS

EDITOR’S TOP FIVE | FROM PAGE 6

Jayace Pablo stood by her mother Erin Toadlena-Pablo’s side as she was sworn in as Gallup’s new Police Chief May 2. The mother/daughter duo received a blessing during the swearing-in ceremony. File Photo promotion to police chief lined up almost perfectly with the Mother’s Day holiday. Her swearing-in ceremony took place on May 2, and the Sun featured her in its May 12 Mother’s Day edition.

In the article, ToadlenaPablo talks about the challenge of balancing being a mom to six children and a member of law enforcement.

W he n To a d le n a - Pa blo started her career with the Gallup Police Department 21 years ago as a detective, it was difficult to leave her children at home. Her daughters Kymberly and Kiana were only babies, and her two sons Kobe and Joshua were in elementary school.

“Having to work a 12-hour shift and not being able to get them ready for the day in the morning and then when I got back [home] they were already asleep and redoing that the next day, that was a lot harder when they were younger,” she said.

“But as they got into middle school and high school, I hate to say this, but my kids probably got used to my absence.”

When she was a detective, NEWS

Toadlena-Pablo had times where she was on-call. This meant that her family couldn’t travel or go anywhere too far away from Gallup when she was on-call. Now, as Chief of Police, Toadlena-Pablo is on-call 24/7, seven days a week, every day of the year.

Toadlena-Pablo said she relies on her husband and other family members on the days her demanding job pulls her away from her kids.

“I don’t normally get off at 5 pm, for example the city council meeting is tonight, so I won’t get home until 8 or 9 pm depending on how late the meeting goes. So dinner is not going to be made by me tonight, so I rely on my husband to take care of that, or sometimes my mom will come over and get them dinner,” Toadlena-Pablo explained.

Look out for a story about Toadlena-Pablo’s fi rst year as Police Chief sometime in 2024.

urology ser vices, LGBTQ+ health care and medication-assisted therapy for opioid use disorder.

The clinic opened in 2022 and celebrated its first anniversary this year.

In a June 30 article, Wangler spoke about the clinic’s early success. The clinic was born in Wangler’s backyard, an idea that bubbled up among colleagues.

“We started brainstorming about what we thought were the greatest barriers to care in the community and how we thought we might be able to make the biggest difference,” she said. “It was twofold: We knew there was a lot of need, patients were waiting too long to get in for care, but also there were a number of physicians that really loved working in Gallup and being part of the community – they were going to leave the community.”

One area where GCH has really stepped up is prenatal care. The clinic started offering those services in December 2022 after RMCH closed its Labor and Delivery unit last year. “ That’s been great for patients, not to have to go to Grants or Albuquerque for care,” Wangler said. “You need 12 to 15 visits, at least, over the course of a pregnancy, so that is really difficult to do outside of the community.”

The GCH staff are grateful for the community support the clinic has received in its fi rst year, Wangler said, and patient satisfaction is part of what fuels the mission.

“Whenever patients are content with the care they receive, whenever they are telling their friends and family to come here for care, that’s definitely one of the highlights and one of the things

that makes us feel like we are doing the right thing, meeting a need and being successful,” she said.

H O N O R I N G L A R RY CASUSE SERIES

Nalmerthan Pablo painted a rendering of a famous photo of Larry Casuse for the “Cause/Casuse” art show, which gallupARTS put together to honor Casuse.

File Photo

EDITOR’S TOP FIVE | SEE PAGE 8

GALLUP COMMUNITY HEALTH KEEPS DOCTORS, PATIENTS CLOSE

Dr. Valory Wangler, Executive Director of Gallup Community Health Amidst all of the happenings at Rehoboth-McKinley Christian Health Care Services over the past few years, the former Chief Medical Officer Dr. Valory Wangler stepped up and started her own non-profit clinic that offers primary care for patients of all ages, as well as reproductive health care, Gallup Sun • Friday December 29, 2023 7

EDITOR’S TOP FIVE | FROM PAGE 7 In honor of the 50th anniversary of his death, the Sun did a three-part series on Larry Casuse in late March.

Ca su se spent t he la st moments of his life fighting for what he believed in: protecting Indigenous people from the alcohol industry and the way it took advantage of them. He specifically wanted a bar, the Navajo Inn, outside of Gallup on Highway 264, on the border of the Navajo Nation, to change its ways.

After going through the normal channels — he filed petitions; went to court to try and shut the bar down; sent appeals to the state liquor board; and had spoken to the mayor and city council multiple times — he decided to tackle issues he had with the city in a more drastic manner.

His fight ended March 1, 1973, when he was reportedly shot and killed by Gallup Police after he kidnapped and held the mayor at the time, Emmett Garcia, hostage. He was 19 years old.

In the series, the Sun took our readers through the events preceding Casuse’s death, what reportedly happened on March 1, 1973, and how people remember Casuse and what he stood for.

Ursula Casuse Carrillo was 12 years old when her brother died. She wants people to understand how caring her brother was, and that he simply wanted the Navajo Inn to close up shop, or at least change its ways.

“Larry was just a young man who got his heart pierced when he moved to Gallup. He saw that the Native Americans needed help and that’s what he wanted to do,” Carrillo said.

“He tried by every means to get help to them, to close that bar down. This mayor just didn’t listen.”

David Correia, an author and professor of American Studies at the University of New Mexico, became fascinated with Casuse’s story after he met his family in 2013. He wrote a book about the Casuse family titled An Enemy Such as This: Larry Casuse and t h e S t r u g g l e fo r Na tiv e Liberation in One Family on Two Continents across Three Centuries in 2022.

“I couldn’t walk away from that story. It only took such a long time to write because it was such a difficult thing to write, a biography of a family, many who are still alive,” Correia said. “I didn’t want to write a book in which I used Larry’s life and death to make some argument about colonialism. That seemed like it

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would cheapen his memory and legacy.”

The Navajo Inn did eventually close soon after Casuse’s death. Correia noted that Garcia made a promise to shut it down, but when he didn’t win reelection, Correia said that’s when Garcia changed his mind and kept the bar open. Correia said it only stayed open for a few more months after Casuse’s death though.

When it comes to the controversial, and sometimes violent, contention of Casuse, Correia said he doesn’t want people to think of him that way.

“He was a really quiet, intelligent person who couldn’t take it anymore that people were being brutally killed and dying in great numbers every single year around these liquor stores in Gallup,” Correia said.

“It’s not glamorizing violence to say he made a really courageous decision that day [he died] and he decided to sacrifice his life to try and protect other peoples’ lives, not knowing if that would really help. …”

T H E M Y S T E RY O F BILLY THE KID As a fun way to kick off 2023, the Sun looked into the legend of Billy the Kid, and his possible connection the Gallup/Ramah area.

Billy the K id was born sometime between 1859-1861, according to aboutbillythekid. com, although his actual date of bir th is unk now n. His mother died when he was 15, and after that, McCarthy’s life took a turn for the worst. He began stealing and picking fights.

But it wa sn’t until the Lincoln County War in 1878 that McCarthy became a true outlaw. The War started when a man named John Turnstall ca me to L i ncol n Cou nt y,

The only surviving authenticated portrait of Billy the Kid. It was sold at an auction for $2.3 million to William Koch in June 2011.

File Photo New Mexico, and set up a store. Businessman and store owner Lawrence Murphy and his business partners dominated the town and county of Lincoln, and they were not happy when Turnstall arrived.

The confl ict came to a head when Turnstall was shot on Feb. 18, 1878. Turnstall’s cowboys, who called themselves “The Regulators,” went out to avenge him, and McCarthy was a part of that group. A battle ensued, lasting five days in Lincoln.

After the battle, McCarthy f led, officially labeled a n outlaw.

McCarthy and three other men were eventually accused of murdering a man named Morris Bernstein, who was simply caught up in the gunfi re of the war on Aug. 5, 1878.

McCa r thy, a .k.a . “Billy the Kid,” was captured in December 1880 by Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett and stood trial for Bernstein’s murder. He was sentenced to death by hanging in April 1881 but escaped jail on April 28, 1881, after he killed two deputies.

McCa r t hy wa s able to

EDITOR’S TOP FIVE | SEE PAGE 20 NEWS

NEWS

PUBLIC SAFETY

Fatal crash in McKinley County leaves one woman dead Staff Reports

A

car accident on Interstate 40 left one person dead and several other people injured Dec. 23.

New Mexico State Police responded to a one-vehicle

rollover crash at milepost 68 near Thoreau around 7 am.

Accord i n g t o a N M SP press release, a 25-year-old woman named Ruth Cisneros was traveling westbound in her black Volvo when she allegedly swerved onto the

left shoulder and back onto the road before the car flipped a nd rol led severa l ti mes.

Cisneros was ejected from the car, and the Office of Medical Investigator pronounced her dead at the scene.

Four other passengers, all

children ranging from the age of 2 to 7 years old, sustained unspecified injuries and were transported to a hospital in A lbuquerque. Their conditions were unknown at press time.

The press release states

alcohol does not appear to be a factor in this crash, and the driver and all the passengers were reportedly not wearing their seatbelts.

The New Mex ico State Police are investigating this crash.

DWI Status: Pretrial hearing on Jan. 16

Aggravated DWI Status: Pretrial hearing on Jan. 25

Name: Dillyon Tera John Age: 30 Arrested: Dec. 21 Charge: Aggravated DWI Status: Pretrial hearing on Jan. 23

Name: Cheyenne Lynn Begaye Age: 25 Arrested: Oct. 9 Charge: Aggravated DWI Status: Motion hearing on Jan. 25, jury trial on Feb. 9

Weekly DWI Report Staff Reports Featured DWI

Cophen Largo Dec. 24, 12:53 am DWI (Third) A Sta nding Rock ma n,

Co p h e n L a r g o , 2 5 , w a s stopped for d r iv i ng w it hout a working taillight and was eventually arrested and charged with his third DWI. New Mexico State Police Patrolma n Joe Roa nhorse pu l led over a g reen Ford Bronco at the intersection of C h i no L o o p a nd U. S .

Highway 491 and conducted a traffic stop. He approached the passenger window and met t he d r iver, L a rgo. A s he explained the reason for the stop, Roanhorse reportedly saw Largo show signs of i nt ox ic at ion i nclud i ng bloodshot eyes, smelling of alcohol, and slurred speech.

Largo stated he did not have a driver’s license and

Check out our FREE access community website!

www.gallupsun.com PUBLIC SAFETY

exited the vehicle on command. He reportedly denied con su m i n g a lcohol pr ior to driving but admitted to smoking marijuana earlier in the day. Largo agreed to take the Standard Field Sobriety Te s t s , but he p er for me d poorly on the tests and was placed under arrest.

Roa nhorse tra nspor ted L a r go t o t h e lo c a l New Mexico State Police office for the breath test, where Largo posted samples that were repor tedly above the per se limit.

L a rgo wa s t hen t r a n s ported to McKinley County Adult Detention Center and b o oke d for DW I (t h i r d); no license, registration, or insurance; improper equipment; and open container.

His pretrial hearing is set for Jan. 18.

N a m e : Monte Ray Chee Age: 49 Arrested: Dec. 26 Charge: Aggravated

Name: Monte Ray Chee Age: 28 Arrested: Dec. 21 Charge: Aggravated DWI Status: Pretrial hearing on Jan. 23 Name: Diamond Pawlowski Age: 19 Arrested: Dec. 20 Charge:

Name: Dion Brian Dawes Age: 33 Arrested: Sept. 22 Charge: Aggravated DWI Status: Failed to appear in court on Nov. 7, warrant issued

Gallup Sun • Friday December 29, 2023 9

NEWS

STATE & REGION

Governor receives national award, recognition for mental health advocacy “[Gov.] Lujan Grisham has had a broad and inclusive influence on behavioral health policy.

Throughout her years of service, she has been a fierce champion for senior citizens, veterans, and individuals living with disabilities.”

- University of New Mexico Distingushed Professor and Chairman Dr. Maurico Tohen

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Staff Reports

S

ANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was awarded the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology’s annual Public Service Award in recognition of her significant efforts to champion mental and public health in New Mexico.

A press release published the news Dec. 19, but the governor officially won the award on Sept. 7.

The ACNP is a professiona l societ y compr ised of more tha n 1,200 leading scientists in the field of neuropsychopharmacology.

“Our selection committee was impressed with Gov. Lujan Grisham’s efforts to improve the health of the public, with a particular emphasis on being a fierce champion for senior citizens, veterans, and individuals living with disabilities; for sponsoring the HOPE for

10 Friday December 29, 2023 • Gallup Sun

Alzheimer’s Act (H.R. 1507); and prioritizing policy changes and education to increase access and treatment of addiction and substance use disorders in New Mexico among many other things,” Carlos Zarate Jr., M.D., ACNP awards committee chair, said.

The governor was nomi nated for t he awa rd by University of New Mexico Distinguished Professor and Chairman Dr. Mauricio Tohen. “[Gov.] Lujan Grisham has had a broad and inclusive influence on behavioral health policy. Throughout her years of service, she has been a fierce champion for senior citizens, veterans, and individuals living with disabilities,” Tohen said.

“She has sponsored state and national legislation to better the lives of Americans living with mental health conditions.”

As a multi-term congresswoman, the governor cosponsored the Hope for Alzheimer’s Act, a bipartisan effort that expanded Medicare coverage to include care planning ser v ices to ensure better

outcomes and better quality of life. In 2017 and 2020, she introduced the Care Corps Act to address the growing demand for quality community and in-home supports for seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.

In 2021, Lu jan Grisham established the New Mexico Health Care A ffordability Fund that reduces the cost of health insurance and medical expenses for working families and prohibits copays and other cost sharing for people with insurance who seek behavioral health services.

“I’m honored to receive this award, but I know there is much more to do. As governor, I will continue to implement solutions to make healthcare more affordable and accessible to every New Mexican,” Lujan Grisham said. “To the members of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, thank you for presenting me your 2023 Public Ser v ice Award, and thank you to Dr. Mauricio Tohen for nominating me.”

STATE & REGION

State clarifies new Gross Receipts Tax regulations Staff Reports

S

ANTA FE — The Taxation and Revenue Department has finalized its proposed amendments to regulations governing Gross Receipts Tax on digital advertising services and defining when a taxpayer no longer has nexus for gross receipts tax purposes.

Digital advertising, as with

other types of advertising, was already subject to GRT in New Mexico. The amended rules are intended to reflect changes in technology and ensure that rules covering digital advertising are consistent with those covering other forms of advertising.

The proposed rules clarify how to determine the reporting location for the sale of digital

advertising. Under the new rule, a company selling digital advertising services intended to be viewed only in New Mexico should use the company’s location for purposes of reporting its gross receipts and related tax.

The rules were the subject of a hearing on Nov. 9.

The final regulations can be found at the New Mexico

Commission of Public Records website at https://www.srca. nm.gov/nmac-home/.

Other regulations covered in the Nov. 9 hearing help taxpayers determine their reporting and payment responsibilities for GRTs if they no longer have nexus with New Mexico.

The rules clarify that if a taxpayer does not have a

physical presence in New Mex ico a nd their ta xable gross receipts in New Mexico fall below $100,000 in a calendar year, the taxpayer may close their GRT accou nt.

Should their taxable gross receipt s a ga i n rea ch t he $100,000 nexus threshold in a given year, they must re-register and resume fi ling in the following year.

Leger Fernández advocates for art in appointment to IAIA board Staff Reports

“I have worked hard to support the skilled Native creators who contribute to our arts economy,” she stated in a press release published Dec.

W

ASHINGTON D.C. — Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs, was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Dec. 14.

“Art provides a vital pathway to learn, discover, and appreciate culture, identity, and heritage,” Leger Fernández said. “My first visit to the IAIA was decades ago when it was in a small space in Santa Fe, doing big things. Now it occupies a vibrant campus with dormitories, film studios, graduate students, and inspiring spaces that inspire the artists that inspire all of us.”

The congresswoman’s commitment to the arts and Native communities is deeply rooted

18. “Last year, I supported an increase of almost $2 million of federal funding for IAIA from the previous year and Democrats have increased

Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández in her representation of New Mexico’s Third Congressional District, which includes Santa Fe, where IAIA’s campus is located. She emphasized the historical significance of indigenous art to the economic well-being of tribal communities in New Mexico, with one out of every ten paychecks in the state coming from the creative economy.

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Gallup Sun • Friday December 29, 2023 11

NEWS

INDIAN COUNTRY

Nygren, Lundstrom talk key Navajo Nation, N.M. issues

“I

’ve never heard of any carjacking ever happening in Gallup or Window Rock.”

- Rep. Patti Lundstrom Staff Reports

W

IN D O W ROCK, A riz. — To address upcoming issues that could impact Navajos living on the New Mexico side of the Navajo Nation, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren held a meeting with New Mexico State Rep. Patty Lundstrom.

The discussion, on Dec. 19, pr i m a r i ly revolved a rou nd t he opposit ion to planned gun bills that were expected to be introduced during an upcoming 30-day special session.

Nygren heard Lundstrom voice pot ent i a l concer n s over proposed gun legislation. Both leaders emphas i z e d t he i m p o r t a nc e of pr e s er v i n g t he r i g ht s of Navajo citizens while maintaining public safety.

Lundstrom sa id for citi zen s l iv i ng i n r u ra l New Mex ico, ma k i ng g u n laws that control guns was “a bad thing.”

“People don’t want their g u n s to be mes sed w it h,” Lundstrom said.

The representative said she’s gotten chapter resolutions opposing gun bills in the past. She added that gun cr i me s seemed to most ly

happen in Albuquerque.

“I’ve never heard of any carjacking ever happening in Gallup or Window Rock,” Lundstrom said.

Ny g r e n s u g ge s t e d t he s t a t e cou ld develo p g u n control legislation just for Bernalillo County.

“Mo s t of t he s t a t s a re from the Albuquerque area, what they’re referencing,” Nygren sa id. “If they used Bernalillo County gun violence s t a t i s t ic s by it s el f - and what the rates are in rural New Mexico - we could compare them side by side.”

Lundstrom agreed.

Dur ing the meeting, Nygren also raised the matt e r of c e r t i f y i n g Na v a j o pol ice w it h New Mex ico, s e ek i n g t o e n h a n c e l aw en forcement cooper at ion bet ween t he t wo entities.

The aim is to improve public safety and better ser ve the Navajo community residing in New Mexico.

But the President highlighted the complexities of sovereignty and which roads were under state or tr iba l jurisdictions, or how a law enforcement officer would en force t r a f f ic laws, a nd said to Lundtsrom that more discussions were needed.

The President and

12 Friday December 29, 2023 • Gallup Sun

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and New Mexico State Rep. Patty Lundstrom met Dec. 19. The discussion primarily revolved around the opposition to planned gun bills that were expected to be introduced during an upcoming 30-day special session. Photo Credit: Courtesy of OPVP Lundtsrom also had a conversation about the Yazzie/ M a r t i ne z v. New Mex ico case, which focuses on educationa l equit y for Native A mer ica n st udent s, a nd how t he Nava jo Nat ion could help keep Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital in operation through possible funding.

They discussed how the Nava jo Nat ion cou ld play a pivot a l role i n suppor ting the hospital to remain operational, recognizing its sig n i f ica nce i n prov id i ng

e s s ent i a l hea lt hc a r e s ervices to the local population.

“Our hospital is ready to belly up, the RMCH. They just ba rely made t he payroll. They’re ready to just shut the whole thing down,” Lundstrom said.

Nygren said the hospital could work with the Navajo Nation Cou ncil a nd intro duce funding legislation.

A s the meeting concluded, bot h Nyg ren a nd Lundstrom agreed their collaborative efforts exemplify a commitment to br idging

ga p s t h a t fo s t er pa r t nersh ips between the Nava jo Nation and the state of New Mexico.

“I a m plea sed w it h t he m e a n i n g f u l d i a lo g u e we h a d w it h R epr e s ent a t ive Lu nd st rom. By work i ng together, we can make significant strides in improving healthcare access and qualit y for t he Nava jo Nat ion a nd su r rou nd i ng a rea s. I look for ward to continued cooperat ion i n adva nci ng these important initiatives,” Nygren said.

INDIAN COUNTRY

Nygren meets with N.M. state attorney DISCUSSION INCLUDED BRINGING LAW STUDENTS TO THE NAVAJO NATION Staff Reports

as he learned from Arizona Gover nor Katie Hobbs that there was going to be en forcement a ct ion s t hat would result in displacing five to 7,000 Native people who we believe would be 90% Navajo.”

The potentia l for cross-commissioning

W

INDOW ROCK, Ariz.

— To begin establishing a partnership between the Navajo Nation and New Mexico, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren met with New Mexico State Attorney Raul Torrez on Dec. 19.

The meeting, held at the Navajo Nation capital, brought together key officials to discuss various matters affecting Navajo communities.

Joining Nygren and Torrez were Navajo Nation Attorney General Ethel Branch and Deput y At tor ney Genera l Heather Clah.

The discussion covered topics such as staff shor ta ge s w i t h i n t h e Na v a j o Nation Attor ney General’s Office, forging partnerships w it h col lege s t o prov ide college tuition support for Nava jo students pursuing ca reers in law, collaboration on the issue of Missing a nd Mu rdered Ind igenous Per son s, a nd cro s s - com m i s sion i ng oppor t u n it ie s between Navajo police and bordering law enforcement agencies.

Nygren emphasized the urgent need to address this issue by recruiting and hiring more legal professionals to better serve the interests of the Navajo people. “ We ’ r e w o r k i n g w i t h Arizona State University law school to bring a remote campus up here. We’re working with Diné College, because the Navajo Nation can actua l ly s t a r t t hei r ow n l aw school,” he said. “We could act ua l ly create a qu icker pathway to where if Navajo law students go to school INDIAN COUNTRY

oppor tunities between the Nav a j o p ol ic e for c e a nd neig hbor i ng law en force ment agencies wa s a mong t he t opic s of d i scu s sion.

Such pa r t ner sh ips wou ld promote coordinated efforts in maintaining law and order within the Navajo Nation’s borders.

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Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren met with New Mexico State Attorney Raul Torrez on Dec. 19. Photo Credit: Courtesy of OPVP here, they don’t have to take the LSAT or any type of standardized tests, that they can go right away from here. So, that’s one of the things that AG Branch, myself and Diné College; we’re trying to work on building that partnership.”

Br a nch ex pre s s ed her commitment to working with colleges to create partnerships that would financially suppor t Nav a jo st udent s majoring in law. Such initiatives aim to develop a pool of t a lented law yer s f rom the Navajo Nation who will contribute to the betterment a nd adva ncement of their community.

Nyg ren a nd Tor rez a lso ex plored avenues to work together in addressi ng t he i s sue of M i s si ng a nd Mu rdered Ind igenous Persons. The excha nge of ex per t i se, re sou rce s a nd joint efforts would be instrumental in advocating for justice and ensuring the safety and well-being of Indigenous communities.

T he P resident a sked Torrez what they could do at the state level to strengthen their partnerships.

“I wa nt per petrators to k now t h at t hey’re not going to get away with anything because New Mexico, Arizona, they’re working very closely together,” Nygren said to Torrez. “What can we do to strengthen that partnership?”

Bra nch added that the Navajo Nation has some of the highest number of missing and murdered cases in the country. In addition, she said fraudulent health care facilities and related care providers was also adding to the issue in the Phoenix metropolita n a rea , where now-defunct centers began recruiting people from various locations that included Albuquerque and Gallup.

“We do have an incident command team for Operation Rainbow Bridge, which is the Nation’s response,” Branch said. “The President established that on May 9, as soon

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4VOEBZ $MPTFE ȩ ȩyȩ ȩ Gallup Sun • Friday December 29, 2023 13

COMMUNITY

The end of one journey, beginning of another

By Holly J. Wagner Sun Correspondent

I

t’s been a long road for Dr. Chris Gonzaga and, while it’s not at the end, he’s due for some well deserved family time, rest and recreation.

Gon z a ga ret i red f rom Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital Dec. 8 after a 40-year c a reer i n med ici ne t h a t included 26 years at RMCH. Over those years he’s become known for his compassion, bedside manner and as a tireless advocate for quality health care in McKinley County.

“Dr. Gonzaga has been a family doctor for us, for my entire family, for 20 years. He has become more like family and that is one of his great attributes,” longtime Gallup resident and Gallup-McKinley Chamber of Com merce E xe c ut ive Director Bill Lee said. “When my father was terminally ill, he made it a point to stop by our house and visit with him.”

Indeed, house calls – a rarity in modern American medicine – are one of the things that set Gonzaga apart. It’s important to him to treat the whole patient, not just medical conditions, so home visits helped him better understand his patients and their situations.

“There are some patients that are disabled and come to see you. It’s more practical for the patients and their families to have the medical care at home,” Gonzaga said, adding he enjoys house calls and occasionally even took his guitar with him to play and sing for patients.

“When you see people in the clinic it’s 15 minutes. It’s a snapshot,” he said, while adding home visits allow him to stay with patients longer and get a fuller picture.

Over his career in the region he has helped organize recruiting trips to the Philippines that resulted in many people emigrating to be nurses and

teachers in Gallup and on the Navajo Reservation. Many of those recruits are still on the job.

“W hen we ca me to Rehoboth, people liked what we were doing so they went to the Philippines to recruit nurses.

Some of the other staff are still from that bunch,” Gonzaga said.

“One of my patients became a recruiter for teachers. We have 200 to 300 Filipino teachers here and on the reservation because of that.”

The connection was more meaningful, he said, when he learned that a group of Navajo soldiers were sent to the Philippines during World War II. More recently, patients may remember Gonzaga as the coordinator for RMCH’s COVID-19 response. He even gave his cell phone number to patients to make sure they could get care quickly if they needed it.

Dr. Val Wangler, who later left RMCH to found Gallup

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Dr. Chris Gonzaga Community Health, worked alongside Gonzaga managing COVID incident command.

“Ch r i s wa s absolutely unwavering in his determination to make sure every patient received the very best care and treatment we could provide,” she said. “He worked tirelessly through that time, regularly sleeping only a couple of hours at night, making sure he understood all the latest science and recommendations to help keep us all safe. This was just one part of his long and amazing career, but the amazing work ethic and nonstop kindness and compassion that he brought to the most difficult of times was truly remarkable.”

Devout Chr istia ns, the Gonzagas came to Gallup literally on a mission. He and his wife, Dr. Flor CaballarGonzaga, both trained as physicians in their native Philippines. Caballar-Gonzaga, who also spent many years at RMCH, retired in 2021. While visiting family in New Jersey in 1991, they were persuaded to extend their visit, which eventually led to a decision to stay in the U.S.

They applied for longer-term work visas and found it. While Gonzaga was certified in cardiology and Caballar-Gonzaga had specialties in neurology, pediatrics, sleep medicine and electrophysiology, they both began their careers in Gallup as primary care doctors.

They later had to seek waivers of a visa condition that would have required them to return to the Philippines for two years before applying for U.S. residency. When it was time to apply, an employer sponsor “dropped the ball” and a paperwork issue landed them in Juárez, Mexico, to process their green card applications. They found Gallup during that time, when a friend who had moved from the Philippines a year earlier invited them to visit.

All along they’d been following their own calling to service and their faith to a place where they felt a connection. The Rehoboth story and history felt right to them, and Gallupians made them feel welcome. It took six years to get legal residency, then they had to wait another five years to apply for citizenship. They were naturalized in 2008.

“Gallup is a wonderful place. You fi nd a lot of friends and people who share interests.

We have a lot of really generous people,” Gonzaga said.

He and his wife will spend the next few months visiting family in the U.S. and the Philippines.

The youngest of seven children, Gonzaga wants to spend time with his elder siblings, four

DR. CHRIS GONZAGA | SEE PAGE 20 COMMUNITY

The Community Pantry receives nearly 28,000 tons of food

By Carli Mortensen Communications Director at the Gallup New Mexico Stake The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

T

he Community Pantry in Gallup received a semitruck donation of almost 28,000 tons of food Dec. 20 from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

That’s enough food to provide one meal to everyone in Gallup, Chief Operating Officer Hilda Garcia-Kendall said.

The donation from the Church will help supplement almost all of the Pantry’s different programs to decrease food insecurity. The Pantry serves more than 3,500 families twice a month. They provide more than 40,000 meals annually. The Gallup location serves McKinley County residents, where about 34% of the population lives below the poverty line. That’s 23% more than the national average.

On December 20, volunteers from the Church also helped prepare commodity boxes for the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which distributes food to more than 3,500 families and 6,500 individuals monthly, twice a month.

They assembled bags filled with ready-to-eat food items for the Food for Kids program, which teams up with schools to reduce food insecurity for local students. It serves more than 800 children in 27 schools by providing nutritious food to take home over the weekend when they might be more vulnerable to hunger.

McKinley County is ranked COMMUNITY

Volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sort oranges for agency and food box recipients. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Carli Mortenson number one in child hunger in New Mexico, and Cibola County ranks number three.

New Mexico is ranked 49th in the U.S. for child hunger, according to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap report.

The Church volunteers also loaded food for local non-profit agencies and churches, such as those doing outreach to those who are homeless. Agencies in this program can participate in getting food to distribute to their clients. This helps to extend the reach of the Pantry.

In 2022, more than one in six people received food from a charitable food distribution, according to the Map the Meal Gap report.

Garcia-Kendall stated it has been very difficult lately. The Pantry depleted all of its food during COVID-19.

“The reason for that was because we were assisting everybody. It didn’t matter what your income was. As long as you needed the help, please get in line, and we would assist

you,” she said. “But because every Food Bank across the nation has also followed this process, it has depleted everything that the United States had, so it is taking a while to get back to where we were, and they have said that it is going to be at least five years after COVID before we are going to be okay again, and we are still in COVID. ...”

The Map the Meal Gap repor t fou nd that one in three people facing hunger is unlikely to qualify for SNAP, the nation’s first line of defense against hunger. Food banks like The Community Pantry have several programs that aren’t income-based and help to fi ll the gap SNAP and other low-income programs leave.

The donation from the Church will go into all of the Pantry’s programs, except the garden programs, Executive Director Alice Perez said.

“That’s one thing that’s nice about donated goods. We are not limited as to who we

can service with them because everyone has the right to eat,” she said.

T he C hu r c h of Je s u s Christ of Latter-day Saints also donated this year so that The Community Pantry can install a Hope Garden at its new Grants location. The Hope Garden in Grants will be modeled after the garden in Gallup, which offers garden box rentals, a seed exchange program, gardening education, and fresh produce for clients.

Additionally, the Church purchased a tractor that can be used in the Hope Gardens at both locations.

Groundbreaking research about missing meals in New Mexico is now available for the first time through support from the New Mexico Collaboration to End Hunger and funding from PNM. The groundbreaking research from the New Mexico Collaboration to End

Hunger discovered that low-income New Mexicans miss over a million meals yearly. This means that vulnerable families, children, seniors, and individuals do not have enough food in their homes, according to The Food Depot, based in Santa Fe. O ne i n fou r Nat ive Americans live in poverty, and approximately one in five Native Americans are food insecure, according to the Census Bureau. However, within the Navajo Nation, the food insecurity rate is 76.7%, according to a study published

by Public Health Nutrition.

The study concluded that “[food] insecurity rates on the Navajo Nation are the highest reported to date in the USA and are likely attributable to the extremely high rates of poverty and unemployment.”

COMMUNITY PANTRY | SEE PAGE 20

Gallup Sun • Friday December 29, 2023 15

The best movies of 2023

By Glenn Kay For the Sun

A

nother year has passed in no time at all, which means that many critics groups are listing their favorite films and creating Oscar buzz in the process. Of course, everyone has a different opinion of what the best titles were, but hearing someone explain why a particular feature struck a nerve is what makes these kinds of discussions fun and interesting. With that in mind, this reviewer will let you know what films made a lasting impression on him.

One memorably unique effort is Polite Society from Focus Features. It follows a teen in London of Pakistani descent learning that her older

si st er i s about to be ma rr i e d .

Upset at losing her sib ling, the glowering youth becomes determined to stop the wedding, causes chaos in the process and soon believes that she has uncovered a conspiracy. The movie is carried by young lead Priya Kansara, who manages to deliver comedic beats and a bit of pathos from the possibility of losing her best friend. The fi lmmakers also successfully create a uniquely amusing world where seemingly ordinary characters get into kung-fu fights. The title is currently available for

streaming on Amazon Prime.

As a kid, I always enjoyed watching Godzilla movies, particularly to revel in the enormous, fi re-breathing reptile stomp his way through cities. Godzilla Minus One from Toho International delivers all of this via excellent visual effects w o r k , but it also does s o m e t h i n g harder and even more remarkable. It makes viewers care about the people fighting for their lives. In fact, after seeing the despairing protagonist suffering from the loss

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of family members, it’s the fi rst time for many where you will want humanity to come out on top. It is currently playing at cinemas in major markets and will be released on disc in the near future.

One surprise is the recent release, The Iron Claw from A24. The drama tells the true s t or y of t h e Vo n Erichs, a fa m i ly of pro fessional wrestlers.

In pa rticular, it focu ses on the four brothers who worked the circuit in the late 1970s through the 80s.

Some believed that the family was cursed and, based on what befell many members, it’s an understandable claim. However, the fi lm digs deeper into the family and the immense pressure put upon the brothers that seems to have caused some tragic events. The picture contains excellent performances that create an unexpectedly moving portrait of the wrestlers. It is worth checking out at theaters.

Past Lives is another independent gem that was released

by A24. It i s ava i la ble for rental on mo st streami n g s e rvices and was also rele a s ed on Bluray. This largely foreign-lang u a ge ef for t i nvol ve s a 12-year-old boy and girl who are friends in Seoul, South Korea.

When the girl moves to

North America, she loses contact with her chum. A dozen years later, he attempts to reconnect via video chat calls.

They become very close, but lose contact once again for more than a decade. When they eventually get a hold of each other again, the boy (now a 30-something adult) decides to visit and see if there might be a future for them.

It’s a quiet, beautiful and bittersweet movie about two characters examining their choices in life and what might have been. The movie resonates long after the credits roll.

One of the year’s highest profi le titles was Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer biopic.

Telling the detailed story of a complicated figu re wa s no e a s y task, but for patient v iewers N o l a n ma nages to pull it off. It does build slowly, but everything comes together in the second half of the movie which add resses Oppen heimer’s grave concern about the implications of his invention, as well as his treatment by members of the government and those in his scientific community, not to mention the strain he causes on h i s ow n persona l relat ionships.

T h e m o v i e includes a dy n a m ic c a s t , with lead Cillian

TOP MOVIES | SEE PAGE 17 COMMUNITY

TOP MOVIES | FROM PAGE 16 Murphy embodying the role and Robert Downey Jr. standing out as a political foe later in life.

This effort from Universal Pictures is out on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray and is available for rent on most streaming services.

Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of the David Grann non-fiction book Killers of the Flower Moon is another lengthy but impressive accomplishment examining the shocking treatment of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma by a crime boss who managed to gain a position of power over the entire community. We see the various abuses committed for his own personal benefit and for those under his tutelage.

This is a heavy and somber picture, but benefits from incredible performances and deftly del i vers an important me s s a ge about the injustices com m itted against the Osage community. It is still playing in some cinemas and will eventually be available to watch on AppleTV+.

The year featured a top notch coming-of-age title as well. Based on the popular Judy Blume children’s novel, Are You

There God? It’s Me, Margaret is a near perfect adaptation. Set in 1970, the story involves an 11-year-old girl who moves to a New Jersey suburb. In addition to dealing with typical puberty problems, she also contends with pressure from extended family members of various faiths to choose a religion.

The film does a wonderful job of sensitively handling these issues and the disillusionment that can occur. Young lead Abby Ryder Forston does an exceptional job of carrying the picture and Rachel McAdams is phenomenal as her mother, whose Christian parents have cut contact with her for marrying a Jewish man.

This Lionsgate release is out on Blu-ray and can be rented on most streaming services.

American Fiction from MGM and O r i o n P ic t u re s has been gaining awards buzz i n recent we ek s a nd t he acclaim is completely deserved. Jeffrey Wright is sensational in this story about a well-educated author and professor whose books haven’t quite sold as well as they should. Frustrated by the success of other Black authors whom he believes populate their novels with stereotypes, he writes an outlandish manuscript that turns out to be a major hit and a literary-award

contender.

This hilarious film has a razor-sharp sense of humor, brilliantly exposing biases in the modern world. But it also has a heart, as the lead faces family issues during his professional ordeal. The movie is currently playing at cinemas.

A 2 4’s T h e Z o n e of Interest is a stunner too. Be wa r ned, t h i s incredibly disturbing period drama doesn’t have a traditional narrative. It merely follows a German household through their daily rituals. But as it soon becomes horrifyingly clear, the family is that of the Commandant of Auschwitz. The prison camp is just over a backyard wall and is never visible.

Instead, we watch the official discuss upgrades to the camp. His wife, her servants and visitors rummage through suitcases, chat about future plans, all the while maintaining a perfect-looking household. As this occurs, viewers hear muffled shots and screams.

There’s never been a film that has told The Holocaust from this perspective and it’s chilling to witness a family with blinders on, ignoring the agony all around them. The photography is top-notch, the sound design is incredible and while there is no violence in the movie, it is stomach-churning.

This is a powerful feature that

makes one feel complicit in all the wrongs being committed in the world and this reviewer found it unforgettable.

And fi nally, for something more hopeful, The Holdovers f r o m F o c u s Features is another m a g n i f icent effort.

This tale of t h ree cast-outs at a boarding school forced to spend the winter holiday together features many familiar story elements, but the performances are outstanding and the events all play out in unexpected ways. These damaged characters bicker humorously among themselves and are compelling to watch from beginning to end.

In a movie filled with comedic and dramatic moments, each is perfectly handled to maximum effect. The filmmakers have sought to emulate character-based dramas from the early 1970s and every note is perfect. It’s a wonderful little movie that delivers a bit of hope for the future. It’s still playing in a few cinemas around the

country and can also be rented on streaming services.

Additionally, some other solid effor ts include May D e c e m b e r ( Net f l i x), t he wrestling biopic Cassandro (Amazon Prime), the animated features Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (Netfl ix), Robot Dreams (which will be released in the U.S. by Neon in the coming weeks) and the Japanese effort The Boy and the Heron (GKids). Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount) and John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate) deliver plenty of action thrills. For arthouse aficionados who don’t mind movies with an interpretive finale, All of Us Strangers (Amazon Prime) features some remarkable performances.

Those looking for more international fare should check out the working-class Finnish rom-com Fallen Leaves (Mubi) for its deadpan sense of humor, as well as Anatomy of a Fall (Neon), a beautifully acted French drama about a wife accused of murder after her husband mysteriously plummets from an upper floor window.

That’s it for 2023. Here’s hoping for plenty more great films in the coming year.

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Gallup Sun • Friday December 29, 2023 17

Blu-ray/DVD Roundup for December 29, 2023

By Glenn Kay For the Sun

W

elcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. Last week was busy and as a result it’s going to be very, very quiet for the next couple of weeks.

Still, here’s what is coming your way if you’re looking for something new to watch over the holidays.

BIG NEW RELEASES! B U T C H E R ’ S

CROSSING: T h is per iod effor t is based on a novel

by John Edward Williams.

The plot revolves around a Ha r va rd grad who leaves Massachusetts looking for adventure. He arrives in the Old West and teams up with a frontiersman hunting buffalo pelts in a secluded valley. The lead, his new boss and their crew must survive an arduous winter journey in order to complete their task. As the elements worsen, the sanity of everyone involved is put to the test.

Cr it ic a l re s pon se wa s decent toward this effor t.

About one quarter of reviewers had trouble discerning

the meaning of the picture and thought it was a confused and ineffective survivalist tale.However, the rest did fi nd a point to the story, commenting that it featured great characters and effectively borrowed from movies like Treasure of the Sierra Madre to relay a tale of greedy men trying to steal from each other.

It stars Nicolas Cage, Fred Hechinger, Rachel Keller, Paul Raci and Xander Berkeley.

S C O O BY- D O O! A N D K RY P T O , T O O !: T h i s a n i m a t e d fa m i ly fe a t u re i nvolv i ng Scooby-Doo! is a d i rect-to - d isc ef for t. It actually combines the mystery-solving pooch with DC

superheroes. When the Justice League disappears, Scooby and his pals decide to team up with Superman’s Dog to fi nd out what happened. When they learn the truth, they must help stop sin ister forces, i nclud i n g s ome f a m i l i a r comic book foes. There haven’t been many reviews yet for this effort, but the ones that have appeared online have been upbeat. Most have complimented the fi lm for being

18 Friday December 29, 2023 • Gallup Sun

fast-paced and combining elements from both franchises in a new and interesting way.

They all appear to think that kids will get a kick out of it.

For the time being, this is a DVD-only release. The voice cast includes Frank Welker, Grey DeL isle, Mat thew Lillard, Kate Micucci, P.J. Byrne and Victoria Grace.

BL A STS FROM THE PAST! As far as older titles go, 88 Films is releasing a Blu-ray of The Blue Jean Monster (1991).

This is a Hong Kong effort about a cop who is gunned down and electrocuted by a Triad gang. He returns as a monster and uses his newfound electrical powers to shock his way to revenge on the killers. The movie has been given a 2K remaster from the or igina l ca mera negative. It also comes with an interview with the assistant director and the Hong Kong trailer for the feature.

The disc comes in a slipcase featuring new art.

T h e In s p e c t o r We a r s Skirts (1988) is a Hong Kong martial arts feature about a team of female supercops who are tasked with stopping a group of terrorists and some jewel thieves. Of course, they must also contend with sexist cops in their own precinct.

Jack ie Cha n’s stu nt tea m helped with the action scenes and the cast includes Cynthia Rothrock and Wai Yin-hung.

This Blu-ray also contains a 2K remaster of the movie from the camera negative, as well as a movie historian commentary, an interview with the director and the co-star Rothrock. Additiona lly, it comes with English opening and closing titles, a ton of publicity materials and a

slipcase with new artwork for the fl ick.

Shout Factory is releasing a couple of notable efforts.

The underrated period action fi lm Last Man Standing (1996) is a “shoot ‘em up” set during prohibition about a gunslinger who wanders into a desert town and gets in the middle of a gang war. It was directed

by Walter Hill (The Warriors, 48 Hrs., Streets of Fire) and is actually a loose remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo that features a great cast and plenty of stylish, over-thetop action sequences. Bruce Willis, Christopher Walken, Bruce Dern, David Patrick Kel ly, Wi l l ia m Sa nder son and Leslie Mann headline the picture. For this Blu-ray, the movie has been given a new 2K scan and comes with a theatrical trailer.

For its 25 th anniversary, The Man in the Iron Mask (1998) is getting a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray upgrade. Based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas, this adaptation is a Musketeers fable. The aging fou r s ome come t oget her once aga in to help free a mysterious prisoner who is

being kept in an iron mask.

The cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu, Gabr iel By r ne a nd Hu g h Laurie. Besides a shar per, cle a ner pic t u r e, t he s e t includes an archived director commentary, interviews with the producer and the production designer, as well as a making-of featurettes and a trailer.

And Vinegar Syndrome is putting up some exclusives that will only be available on their website until the end of January (when they will appear at most retailers).

The Blu-ray titles include The Myster ious Castle in the Carpathians (1981) with Deaf Crocodile and Skateboard (1978) with Factory 25. You can go to the site to read about all of the extras on each release.

YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS! Listed below is the lone entry for kids in this edition.

Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! (Warner Bros.) DVD ON THE TUBE! Looks like there’s nothing on the tube this week!

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OPINIONS

Letter to the Editor A LETTER TO THE HEARTBEAT OF NEW MEXICO: OUR INCREDIBLE TEACHERS Dear New Mexico Educators, As the sun sets over the enchanting landscapes of our beloved state, concluding my tenure as the 2023 New Mexico Teacher of the Year, I am compelled to express my deepest admiration and gratitude to you, the incredible, hardworking, and truly inspirational teachers of New Mexico.

T h roug hout my jou rneys this year, my learning expanded far beyond the confi nes of my four walls, transcending physical boundaries as I traversed this state and encountered inspiring educators who served as my marigolds. I witnessed the tapestry of our communities, where you stand as beacons of light, shaping the minds of the next generation with unwavering dedication and boundless love.

These experiences were transformative, broadening my perspective and deepening my understanding of the challenges and triumphThere are educators like the 2024 New Mexico Teacher of the Year, Roy Basa, a science teacher at Twin Buttes Cyber

Academy in Zuni, New Mexico.

He embodies innovation by collaborating with his community, organizing workshops for students where they received training from medical professionals, fostering career and technical education pathways within the realm of education in New Mexico. The collaborative exchange of ideas with fellow educators has fueled my commitment to advocating for policies that prioritize the well-being of educators, recognizing the profou nd impact it has on the success and flourishing of our children. The connections forged during these interactions have become the bedrock of my advocacy.

In a society that sometimes underestimates the profound impact of teachers, New Mexico is privileged to have a cadre of educators who go above and beyond.

Your classrooms are sanctuaries of learning, places where dreams are nurtured and potential is unlocked.

Your resilience in the face of challenges, your ability to adapt and innovate, and your

Tara Hughes 2023 New Mexico Teacher of the Year tireless pursuit of excellence do not go unnoticed.

A m id s t a n nu a l score s and national rankings that sometimes overshadow our accomplishments, I want to underscore the dedication and passion you bring to our classrooms because they are far more profound than mere statistics suggest. Your classrooms are fi lled with narratives of compassion, support, and dedication, far beyond what any standardized test ca n revea l. Beyond ra nkings lie numerous stories of

resilience, determination, and unwavering commitment, stories that exemplify the transformative power of education in ensuring postsecondary success and shaping tomorrow’s leaders.

There is the teacher who ensures that every child in their class has warm clothes for the winter, embodying a commitment to providing not only education but also comfort and security. In another classroom, there’s the teacher with a cabinet full of snacks, understanding that for some students, the breakfast and lunch they receive at school might be their only meal.

Down the hall, there’s the teacher who spends weekends organizing extracurricular activities, because they believe in the transformative power of community and a well-rounded education that goes beyond academics.

There are educators like the 2024 New Mexico Teacher of the Year, Dr. Roy Basa, a science teacher at Twin Buttes Cyber Academy in Zuni, New Mexico. He embodies innovation by collaborating with his

community, organizing workshops for students where they received training from medical professionals, fostering career and technical education pathways.

These a re ou r stor ies, born out of a genuine desire to make a positive difference, that need to shine brightly, showcasing the depth of our impact.

Thank you for your tireless efforts, your unyielding spirit, and the love you pour into the lives of the students of New Mexico. You are not just teachers; you are the heartbeat of our communities, the catalysts of change, and the guardians of dreams. In every corner of our state, your influence is felt with legacies being written in the achievements and aspirations of the students whose lives you touch. New Mexico is brighter, stronger, and more hopeful because of you—a community where exceptional teachers light the way toward a brighter future.

With gratitude and love, Tara Hughes 2023 New Mexico Teacher of the Year

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

Gallup Sun • Friday December 29, 2023 19

TEACHER | FROM PAGE 3 “These are the things we’re doing in our classroom. We’re not only learning the theory, but we also apply [it] and share [it] with the community because that’s the essence of the teaching and learning process, to give back to the community,” Basa said.

F U R T H E R

EDITORS TOP FIVE | FROM PAGE 8 remain on the run until Garrett tracked him down on July 14 at a ranch in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, and shot him.

Or did he?

Many men have claimed to have been Billy the Kid, but the one with local ties was from Ramah and his name was John Miller.

I n a n i nt er v iew w it h the Sun, Michael Giudicissi, a man who has a podcast about Billy the Kid, titled All Things Billy the Kid, explained John’s background, and shared some evidence that backs the theory that he was indeed Billy the Kid. The fi rst record of John is his marriage license from Aug. 8, 1881, which was less than a

DR. CHRIS GONZAGA | FROM PAGE 14 of whom live in the Philippines, while he can. He and his brother missed out on a chance to take a coast-to-coast train trip across

COMMUNITY PANTRY | FROM PAGE 15 The USDA classifies the Navajo Nation Reservation as a food desert as there are only 13 grocery stores that offer fresh

OPPORTUNITIES The 2024 Teacher of the Year award is not the only award Basa has recently won for his teaching. He also won the 2023 New Mexico Academy of S c ie nc e O u t s t a nd i n g Science Teacher award in November, a second-place award in the National Science Teachers Association’s lesson plan competition in October, and a third-place award for the

same competition in March.

N M PED pa r t ner s w it h NMOGA to celebrate amazing teachers with the Teacher of the Year award every year.

In 2024, Basa will have the opportunity to pursue professional development opportunities that will continue to enhance his skills in the classroom through a $10,000 grant provided by NMOGA. In a NMOGA press release

published Dec. 21, Basa spoke about what the sponsorship means to him.

“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition and grateful for the support from NMOGA and the NMPED,” he said. “This sponsorship will enable me to further enhance my skills and contribute to the development of my students for the challenges and opportunities of the future.”

In accepting the award, Basa also took time to thank his community.

“I’m very thankful for being chosen as the 2024 Teacher of the Year. But this recognition is not just an ‘I’ or a ‘me’ recognition, but it is a ‘we’ victory because at my back is the Zuni community, especially my students, my colleagues, ZPSD, our superintendent, and my principal,” he said.

month from when Billy the Kid allegedly died. John married a woman named Isadora in Las Vegas, New Mexico. During the wedding ceremony, he was allegedly seen with a gunshot wound, Giudiccisi said.

Giudicissi listed a few facts that point to the possibility of John being the Kid. “If you look at pictures of Miller later in life, he’s got the narrow shoulders like Billy did. ... You can look at him and ‘Okay, that’s a guy who could’ve been Billy,’” Giudicissi said. “The one photo that we have defi nitively of Billy was taken in 1879, maybe 1880, when he was no more than 20 years old, and could’ve been as young as 17 at that time.

So to try and compare that old photo, which is in horrible shape, to a photo of a guy that

was taken 60-70 years later, it’s pretty challenging. But there’s no obvious thing that says it couldn’t be him because John Miller had four arms or something like that.”

Another fact that suggests that John may have been Billy the Kid is the lifestyle he and his wife led. Although they did live in Ramah for a time managing cattle, they often moved around.

“The second thing is John Miller and his wife lived a kind of nomadic lifestyle. Almost as if they didn’t want to stay in one place too long,” Giudicissi explained. “So people who believe [John Miller is Billy the Kid] seize upon that and say, ‘well of course if he was Billy he wouldn’t want to hang around and be discovered.’”

Giudicissi said that there

were a couple of times John admitted to being Billy the Kid while he was drunk, but once he sobered up the next day, he would deny what he’d previously said.

Joh n d ie d i n 19 37 i n Prescott, Arizona, in a nursing home, according to Giudicissi.

Isadora had died years earlier in a fi re that consumed their home.

Giudicissi noted that after John died, a probate officer found a trunk in his room at the nursing home he was living in. He knew it needed to go to the next of kin, so he went on a mission to the Gallup/Ramah area to fi nd someone related to John.

John and Isadora never had biological children, but they did adopt a Native American boy named Max. Giudicissi

said he wasn’t sure if the man was able to find Max Miller when he traveled to the Ramah/Gallup area.

The trunk supposedly contained information proving that John was Billy the Kid. However, Giudicissi said the contents of the trunk were never disclosed publicly.

“I think the idea that there’s a trunk out there with something in it that could prove John Miller was Billy the Kid still fascinates some people,” Giudicissi said.

These are just a sample of the major stories that happened in Gallup in 2023. The Sun looks to continue covering major issues in the next year and beyond. And look forward to next year, as the Sun moves on to become a broadsheet newspaper!

the U.S. many years ago, so part of the plan is for them to spend time exploring their home country together.

Gonzaga has no plans to leave Gallup behind, or to stop advocating for health care and

education here.

“When I come back to Gallup I want to advocate for our medical community and teachers,” he said. “We have a lot of things going on with health care now. ... We have to be in existence

because there is a lot of need in the community. We need to take care of you. You can’t afford to go to Grants or Albuquerque, you need to have your care here.”

Lee is just one of the people

who’s happy to hear that.

“He is such a true champion for health care in our community,” Lee said. “I wish him the best and want to thank him for all he’s done for health care and families here.”

fruit, vegetables, and basic supplies.

The Community Pantry is part of the Feeding America network. Nationwide, 48 Native Nations and tribal communities are in an area served by a food

bank in the Feeding America network. The Community Pantry in Gallup and Grants serves several of those communities and is on the frontlines to help reduce food insecurity among Native Americans.

“Our prophet, Russel M. Nelson, is really encouraging us to do more to help community members, regardless of beliefs or church affi liation,” Gallup Stake President Bron Shaheen said. “The Church

of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognizes how much good Alice and The Community Pantry do to help our community, and we feel blessed for the opportunity to work with them.”

20 Friday December 29, 2023 • Gallup Sun

NEWS

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

AUTO SALES Amigo Automotive Center

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2022 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 St# U23003 Only 13,869 miles NOW $51,988 Amigo Chevrolet 1900 S 2nd St, Gallup, NM (505) 726-4329 https://www.amigoautomotive. com

Gallup Living Rentals Available Email berlinda@gallupliving. com for current rental list.

Office (505) 488-2344 LEGAL/PUBLIC NOTICES

2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee St# J23089A Was $50,995 NOW $42,888

No Photo Available 2021 Chevrolet Blazer LT w/1LT SUV 32,732 miles Final price: $36,988 Condition: Used CLASSIFIEDS

Defendant.

NOTICE OF PENDENCY OF SUIT TO: ESTATE OF STELLA CORDOVA, ESTATE OF DARLENE MANGES, JEREMIAH MANGES, their heirs, Successors & Assigns and All unknown claimants of interest.,

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25 WORD OR LESS: $10 26-50 WORDS: $20 51-75 WORDS: $30 76-100 WORDS: $40 $10 FOR EACH ADD’L 25 WORDS EXTRAS - $10 PER WEEK, PER ITEM: TEXT BOX, YELLOW HIGHLIGHT, PIC, AND/OR LOGO Newspaper published Fridays. Prepayment required. Classifi eds due Wednesday Noon.

Deadline subject to change Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.

Email: gallupsunlegals@gmail.com Offi ce (505) 722-8994

You or your attorney are hereby directed to file a pleading or motion in response to the Complaint to Quiet Title on file herein on or before 20 days from the date of the last publication of this Notice in the Office of the Clerk of the District

Court, Eleventh Judicial District of the State of New Mexico, sitting within and for the County of McKinley, that being the Court in which said Complaint is

CLASSIFIEDS | SEE PAGE 22

STATE OF NEW MEXICO COUNTY OF MCKINLEY ELEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT KATHY JAMES, Plaintiff, v.

No. D-1113-CV-2023-00495 ESTATE OF STELLA COR-

Amigo Dodge/Jeep/Ram 2010 S 2nd St, Gallup, NM (505) 979-7500

DOVA, ESTATE OF DARLENE MANGES, JEREMIAH MANGES their heirs, Successors & Assigns and All unknown claimants of interest.,

CLASSIFIEDS

Come on down & say HIGH Every Monday medical card holders receive

10% off!

10am - 8pm (505) 297-3192 815 E Hwy 66, Gallup, NM

ǔˡƬƺ ɀɀǣɀɎƏȇɎ The Gallup Sun is seeking Ə ȵƏȸɎ‫ٮ‬Ɏǣȅƺ ȒǔˡƬƺ ƏɀɀǣɀɎƏȇɎِ This position requires phone skills, multitasking abilities, and a person who is honest, detail-oriented, and polite. You must also have skills ǣȇ xǣƬȸȒɀȒǔɎ ǔˡƬƺً JȒȒǕǼƺ (ȒƬɀً ƏȇƳ ƫƏɀǣƬ bookkeeping skills.

No phone calls, please. ³ɎȒȵ ƫɵ Ɏǝƺ ȒǔˡƬƺ ɎȒ ˡǼǼ ȒɖɎ Əȇ ƏȵȵǼǣƬƏɎǣȒȇِ

Email resume: ǕƏǼǼɖȵɀɖȇƬǣȸƬɖǼƏɎǣȒȇ۬ǕȅƏǣǼِƬȒȅ 1983 State Road 602 Gallup Sun • Friday December 29, 2023 21

CLASSIFIEDS | FROM PAGE 21 filed, and to serve a copy of the same pleading or motion upon Plaintiffs or Plaintiffs’ attorneys, Mason & Isaacson, P.A., 104 East Aztec, P.O. Box 1772, Gallup, New Mexico 87305, (505-722-4463). Unless a responsive pleading or motion is entered by you in this cause on or before the above date, judgment will be rendered against you by default.

The general object of said action is to quiet the title of the following-described property in McKinley County, New Mexico: The East Half (E1/2) of the East Half E1/2) of the Northeast Quarter (NE1/4) of Section Twenty-Eight (28), Township Fifteen (15) North, Range Nineteen (19) West, N.M.P.W., which lies north of the tracks of the A.T. & S.F. Railroad Company, SUBJECT TO all legally existing easements, restric-

tions and reservations.

WITNESS the District Judge if the Eleventh District Court of the State of New Mexico, and the seal of said Court this ____ day of December, 2023.

Clerk of the District Court By_________________ Deputy Published: Gallup Sun December 15, 2023 December 22, 2023 December 29, 2023 *** CITY OF GALLUP, NEW MEXICO NOTICE OF MEETING AND INTENT TO ADOPT ORDINANCE The City of Gallup, New Mexico, hereby gives notice of a regular City Council meeting for Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at 6:00 p.m., at 110 West Aztec Avenue, Gallup, New Mexico 87301.

At such meeting the City

OBITUARIES

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22 Friday December 29, 2023 • Gallup Sun

Council will hold a public hearing concerning and will consider for adoption the Ordinance described below. Complete copies of the proposed Ordinance are available for public inspection during the normal and regular business hours of the City Clerk, 110 West Aztec Avenue, Gallup, New Mexico 87301.

The title of the proposed Ordinance is: CITY OF GALLUP, NEW MEXICO ORDINANCE AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF A WATER PROJECT FUND LOAN/GRANT AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN THE NEW MEXICO FINANCE AUTHORITY (“NMFA”) AND THE CITY OF GALLUP, NEW MEXICO (THE “BORROWER/GRANTEE”), IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $10,800,000, INCLUDING A LOAN IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,080,000 EVIDENCING AN OBLIGATION OF THE BORROWER/GRANTEE TO UTILIZE THE LOAN/GRANT AMOUNT SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF FINANCING THE COSTS OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF G-80 WATER WELLS, AND SOLELY IN THE MANNER DESCRIBED IN THE LOAN/ GRANT AGREEMENT; PROVIDING FOR THE PLEDGE AND PAYMENT OF THE LOAN AMOUNT AND AN ADMINISTRATIVE FEE SOLELY FROM THE NET SYSTEM REVENUES OF THE WATER UTILITY SYSTEM OF THE BORROWER/GRANTEE; CERTIFYING THAT THE LOAN/GRANT AMOUNT,

CLASSIFIEDS Read online at gallupsun.com TOGETHER WITH OTHER FUNDS AVAILABLE TO THE BORROWER/GRANTEE, IS SUFFICIENT TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT; APPROVING THE FORM OF AND OTHER DETAILS CONCERNING THE LOAN/ GRANT AGREEMENT; RATIFYING ACTIONS HERETOFORE TAKEN; REPEALING ALL ACTION INCONSISTENT WITH THIS RESOLUTION; AND AUTHORIZING THE TAKING OF OTHER ACTIONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE

EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF THE LOAN/GRANT AGREEMENT. A general summary of the subject matter of the Ordinance is contained in its title.

This Notice constitutes compliance with Section 3-17-3, NMSA 1978, as amended.

Published: Gallup Sun December 29, 2023

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CALENDAR

Community Calendar December 29 - January 4, 2023 FRIDAY, DEC. 29

NAVAJO RUG WEAVING

10 am - 2 pm @ OFPL’s Main Library (115 W. Hill Ave.). Learn the fundamentals and techniques of rug weaving in traditional Diné style, including warping, carding and spinning. Please bring your own weaving materials and/or projects. Email bmartin@gallupnm.gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information.

CHESS CLUB

4:30 pm @ OFPL’s Children’s Branch (200 W. Aztec Ave.). Join the chess club at OFPL! Email pneilson@gallupnm.gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information.

GET UP AND GAME

3 pm - 5 pm @ OFPL’s Children’s Branch (200 W. Aztec Ave.). Every Friday, come to the children’s library to unwind from a busy week! Email pneilson@gallupnm.gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information.

SATURDAY, DEC. 30

GALLUP 9TH ST. FLEA MARKET

9 am - 5 pm @ 340 9th Street. The Gallup 9th Street Flea Market is one of the largest Native American markets in the United States.

SUNDAY, DEC. 31 MONDAY, JAN. 1

OFPL WILL BE CLOSED FOR NEW YEAR’S DAY

CALENDAR

FRIENDS OF OFPL MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

The Friends of the Octavia Fellin Public Library is having a membership drive through the end of January.

TINKERCAD DESIGN CONTEST

The Octavia Fellin Public Library MakerSpace is hosting a Tinkercad design contest through the month of January. Tinkercad is a free modeling software used in the library’s MakerSpace to create 3D-printable designs.Email pneilson@gallupnm.gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information about the contest, or for instructions on how to submit your design.

EUREKA!

Virtual activity. Invent a winter-themed version of slime using just a few common ingredients.

Email pneilson@gallupnm. gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information.

TUESDAY, JAN. 2

CHESS CLUB

4:30 pm @ OFPL’s Children’s Branch (200 W. Aztec Ave.). Join the chess club at OFPL! Email pneilson@gallupnm.gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 3

MIDWEEK MATINEE AT OFPL

4 pm every Wednesday @ OFPL’s main library (115 W. Hill Ave.). This week’s film is The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.

FAMILY STORYTIME

11 am @ the Children’s Branch (200 W. Aztec Ave.). This January, the story times will celebrate the theme of invention, imagination, and creativity. Email bmartin@ gallupnm.gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information.

OPEN MAKERSPACE TIME

4 pm - 6 pm @ the Children’s Branch (200 W. Aztec Ave.). OFPL’s MakerSpace is a collaborative work space for making, learning, and exploring.

Participants ages 5 and up can come in to create their own design for the 3D printers or explore the many engineering activities and equipment!

THURSDAY, JAN. 4

CRAFTY KIDS

4 pm @ OFPL’s Children’s Branch (200 W. Aztec Ave.). This week, create beautiful colored birds from wrapped yarn. For more information email: bmartin@gallupnm.gov or call (505) 863-1291.

SAVE THE DATE TUESDAY, JAN. 9

REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING

9 am @ 207 W. Hill Ave.

LODGER’S TAX COMMITTEE MEETING

10 am @ Comfort Suites (3940 Hwy. 66).

UNDERSTANDING THE LAW

5 pm @ OFPL’s Main Library (115 W. Hill Ave.).

Attorney David Eason presents the Constitution-

al articles that describe the way the government is structured and how it operates including the three branches of government and their powers. Email tmoe@gallupnm.gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information.

REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING

6 pm @ City Council Chambers, Gallup City Hall (110 W. Aztec Ave.).

The meeting will also be streamed on the City of Gallup’s Facebook page at City of Gallup, New Mexico Government.

THURSDAY, JAN. 11

CRICUT 201

4 pm @ OFPL’s Main Library (115 W. Hill Ave.).

Makers will learn how to use a Cricut cutter to create beautiful, innovative faux leather earrings.

Email bmartin@gallupnm. gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information.

ONGOING

UNWRAP THE GIFT OF READING

Throughout the month of December select a wrapped book to check out, unwrap, and read!

Rate it by filling out the card with each book.

Return it by Jan. 14 to be entered in a prize drawing.

Email bmartin@gallupnm. gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information.

BARBIE EXHIBIT

@ OFPL’s Main Library (115 W. Hill Ave.). View various Barbie dolls through history and learn

the story behind how Ruth Handler created the iconic doll. This exhibit will be available at OFPL through January.

WE READ, WE TALK BOOK CLUB

The WE READ, WE TALK book club is currently voting on the books they will read in 2024! To cast your vote, visit ofpl.online. Registration for the next book will begin in January.

FREE HIV, SYPHILIS, AND HEPATITIS C TESTING

@ First Nations Community HealthSource-Gallup (1630 S. Second St.).

First Nations Community HealthSource-Gallup offers Free Rapid HIV, Syphilis and Hep C Testing, Monday – Friday from 1 pm to 6:30 pm by appointment. Get your results within minutes. To schedule an appointment call (505) 863-8827.

BUILD-YOUR-OWN-BUNDLE

OFPL staff who will create a bundle of material specially for you! Let them know what type of materials and genres you are interested in, and they’ll browse for you and create a custom bundle of material for you to pick-up curbside. Email bmartin@ gallupnm.gov or call (505) 863-1291 for more information.

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 29, 2023 23

³ɖȵȵȒȸɎƺƳ ƫɵ !(! ɯƏȸƳ zÈ‫ גחדה׎׎¨(זד‬ƏȇƳ Ɏǝƺ zƏɮƏǴȒ zƏɎǣȒȇ àƏƬƬǣȇƺ ɎƺƏȅِ

MAKE THE COVID-19 VACCINE A PRIORITY FOR THE

WHOLE FAMILY! The vaccine is a safe and effective way to protect family members six months and older, as well as our community.

Just one shot can reduce risk of severe symptoms and hospitalization. Áǝƺ ƬɖȸȸƺȇɎ ɮƏƬƬǣȇƺ ˡǕǝɎɀ ȇƺɯ ɀɎȸƏǣȇɀ Ȓǔ ! àX(‫ ًח׏ٮ‬ɯǝǣƬǝ ȅƺƏȇɀ faster recovery and milder symptoms.

Contact your healthcare provider for more information and to schedule your shot.

The vaccine is recommended ɎǝȸȒɖǕǝ ɯǣȇɎƺȸ ‫ ِגא׎א‬

CENTER FOR INDIGENOUS HEALTH

Remember, we're stronger together!