Community turns out for fundraising gala

As yet another holiday season filled with family gatherings and close friends kicks off, not all of us feel the holly, jolly holiday spirit. Many folks both within and outside of the McKinley County area will once again be without food due to circumstances beyond their control.

But amidst the hustle and bustle of the holidays, there is some hope this season for those who feel the pain of hunger, as the Community Pantry in Gallup hosted a “Hope for the Holidays” gala event Nov. 17 to raise funds in order to replenish food items at the Pantry.

The Community Pantry, founded in 1999 by Jim Harlin and Tom Crider, is a nonprofit that provides...

Gallup Rotary Club distributes baskets of Thanksgiving goodness

Photos By Ryan Hudgeons

Red Rock veteran Stand Down aims to help homeless vets across country

The New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services hosted the Fourth Annual Veterans Conference at Red Rock Park Nov. 1-2.

The two-day event included multiple guest speakers on topics related to health and wellness, meals for conference visitors and a 5K Fun Run/Walk on Nov. 1.

Veterans, along with their families and friends, visited information booths from organizations like AARP, Western Sky Community Care and Octavia Fellin Public Library to learn about local services such as military surplus, housing, employment, vaccination and overall well-being.

Registered veterans participated in a Stand Down, a...

Just before Veterans Day, the nation suffered a substantial loss with the death of Joe Annello, who passed away Nov. 7 at the age of 85 in Colorado.

Annello, born May 4, 1933, was perhaps best known in the region as a good friend and close ally of Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura, Korean War veteran and Gallup native. The two reportedly served as prisoners of war together, and that is when their bond first emerged.

The story of Miyamura and Annello is chronicled in Miyamura’s book, Forged in Fire: The Saga of Hershey and Joe.

“He was a really nice guy, I met him several times,” Dave Cuellar, head of Gallup Veterans Helping Veterans, said during a Nov. 14 phone interview...