By Rick Abasta

Sun Correspondent

November 2 is Election Day.

Ten people are signed up to run for positions with the Gallup-McKinley County Schools Board of Education, five of them running to represent District 5. That means Michael W. Schaaf has four opponents as he runs for re-election as GMCS Board Member. So does Ester Macias. Both of them talked to the Gallup Sun about their races for seats on the Board.

MICHAEL SCHAAF

For the past five years, Schaaf has served as GMCS Board Secretary alongside President Charles Long, Vice President Chris Mortensen, and members Kevin Mitchell and Priscilla Benally.

Schaaf is proud of the school board’s accomplishments during his first term...

Deputy Director receives NM IDEA Award

The Greater Gallup Economic Development Corporation was recently honored with two awards from the International Economic Development Council for its efforts in expanding economic development in the region.

The International Economic Development Council has honored GGEDC with the Business Retention and Expansion Initiatives Gold Award for a population of 25,000-200,000.

The award honors the work done by GGEDC to help McKinley County Paper Plant at 295 County Rd. 19 in Prewitt, when the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Authority’s Escalante Generating Station announced in January of 2020, that it would close within a year. That closure...

Where to place the cell towers, what to charge

The McKinley County Commission meeting took up the topic of cell towers at its Oct. 19 meeting.

County Attorney Doug Decker gave a presentation about siting and permitting county facilities for wireless telecommunication.

Decker told the Sun that 2003 was the first time the county ever adopted a cell tower ordinance. A local government is required to comply with Federal Communications Commissions rules and the New Mexico law regarding cell tower regulations.

Decker said one of those rules says a cell tower must have the engineering strength to withstand the pressures put upon it, such as weather conditions. Neighborhoods also have to be...

Honors Indigenous women

The annual Break the Silence domestic violence awareness march was held Oct. 18 before the start of the 24th Navajo Nation Council’s 2021 Fall Session in Window Rock, Ariz.

The walk was held from the Navajo Nation Museum to the Navajo Nation Council Chambers.

“Our Navajo women are plagued by domestic violence and in response, there continues to be a lack of support from the Navajo government to meet the growing needs of our families,” Council Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty (Cove, Toadlena/Two Grey Hills, Red Valley, Tsé’ałnáoozt’i’í, Sheepsprings, Beclabito, Gad’ii’áhí/Tó Kǫ’í), said. ).“Our women are powerful beings and our...