Gallup Sun

In his early days growing up in Wide Ruins, Ariz., Shawn Nelson learned how to focus on something he wanted to create, while sharing his perspectives and lessons learned through art.

These lessons were passed onto him through his grandparents, Albert and Gloria Nelson.

“They taught me how to respect the elders, respect people, introduce yourself,” Nelson said in an Aug. 28 interview. “[They taught me,] feel proud of who you are.”

Nelson was born in 1958 and lived in eastern Los Angeles, Calif., until 1963, when his family returned to New Mexico. He currently lives near Rock Springs.

The journey begins

The concept of identity and its preservation were first given to...

Dancing for slavery awareness, ‘Planet Prancer’ concludes second leg of his journey in Gallup

Travelers along Route 66 over the past several months may have witnessed an unusual sight – a man in a neon tutu dancing along the road with a rolling buggy behind him.

That man is Ben Hammond, 40, a lecturer at the University College London Institute of Education in the United Kingdom.

Hammond is known online as the Planet Prancer, calling himself the world’s only long-distance dancer with one goal – to dance every step around the world, starting with the United States.

His trek across the U.S. began on March 28 at the Santa Monica Pier in California. The plan is to dance...

In June, Michael Sage, deputy director for Greater Gallup Economic Development Corporation, based in Gallup, earned the designation of certified economic developer, a national recognition that denotes a mastery of skills in economic development, professional attainment and a commitment to personal and professional growth.

The CEcD exam was administered by the International Economic Development Council on June 23-24 in Buffalo, NY, at Buffalo Marriott HarborCenter. Sage was the only applicant from New Mexico to pass the exam. He joins GGEDC Executive Director Patty Lundstrom, who secured certification in 2016, as certified economic developers. GGEDC is the only economic development...