Theresa Becenti-Aguilar takes second place

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – Steven Begay of Naschitti Chapter was elected June 28 to fill the remaining one-and-half-year term of the Navajo Nation Council Delegate District 14 seat vacated by Mel Begay. Steven Begay, an administrator at Gallup Indian Medical Center, won the race with 731 votes.

There were 2,534 total ballots tallied from Coyote Canyon, Naschitti, Mexican Springs, Tohatchi, and Bread Springs chapters. Council delegates earn $25,000 annually and serve four-year terms. They are not limited in terms of how long they can serve, meaning they can serve as many terms as they win.

Who else ran?

Theresa Becenti-Aguilar, from Coyote Canyon and a former member of the state Public Regulation Commission, took second place with 564 votes, and Nathan Notah of Tohatchi garnered 344 votes for a third place finish.

“It was a tough race and obviously Steven Begay was the winner,” Brent Detsoi, 27, a council delegate candidate who finished in sixth place, said. “But there are some things that should be looked at.”

Detsoi, who is from Twin Lakes, said as far as he knows, the election went off well. He said though, the Tohatchi Chapter experienced a big problem with paper ballots.

“There weren’t enough actual ballots at Tohatchi, and that delayed voting and counting,” Detsoi said. “That should never have happened. We all must take something from this.”

Detsoi, a Gallup mayoral candidate in 2011, continued, “Where was the pre-planning and planning for the unexpected when it came to Tohatchi?”

Kimmeth Yazzie, a Navajo Nation Election Administration official who distributed District 14 results to the media, said he couldn’t comment on the Tohatchi ballot situation until the end of this week and after at least one election board meeting.

“I can’t comment on Tohatchi right now,” Yazzie said. “That’s all I can say about that.”

Mel Begay was removed from office by the Navajo Nation Election Administration after a conviction by the Window Rock District Court on conspiracy and making or permitting false Navajo Nation vouchers charges that totaled more than $33,000. Begay was sent to prison for three years because of the crime.

There are 24 delegates who represent various chapters in the Navajo Nation. A new law passed a few years ago took the total delegate amount from 88 to 24.

The unofficial vote tallies for the Navajo Nation District 14 Council Delegate seat vacated by Mel Begay. Graph Credit: Navajo Nation Election Administration

By Bernie Dotson
Sun Correspondent

By Michele J. Crank and Mihio Manus

Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President

During a public hearing on Jun. 27 regarding the transfer of ownership of a liquor license currently held by Tomahawk Inc., in Prewitt, Navajo Nation Vice President Jonathan Nez said the Nation does not support the transfer of Ownership to Reds Mart, LLC.

“We officially oppose this transfer,” Vice President Nez said. “It only changes the location but it does not affect the negative impact a liquor establishment has on our people. Beyond that, the liquor license will stay in close proximity to the Baca Dlo’Ayashi Community School.”

The transfer of the ownership has received preliminary approval from the director of the Alcohol and Gaming Division. The sole purpose of the public hearing, held at the McKinley County Courthouse, was to take testimony and receive evidence on whether or not the proposed transfer of Ownership should be approved or disapproved.

Vice President Nez presented resolutions from the Thoreau Chapter, Baca/Prewitt Chapter, Casamero Lake Chapter, and the Eastern Navajo Agency Council to County Attorney Douglas W. Decker opposing the proposed transfer of ownership of the liquor license to Reds Mart, LLC.

He also presented letters from the Department of Dine Education and the Office of the President and Vice President opposing the transfer.

In OPVP’s letter of opposition, President Russell Begaye stated the liquor license in question is within 300-400 feet of the Baca Dlo’Ayashi Community School, which is “completely unacceptable.”

The Resolution from the Eastern Navajo Agency Council stated, “There are no school zone lights in the area, allowing vehicles to speed through the school zone. Many times vehicles follow closely behind the buses with no regard to the children being transported. Parents have seen individuals coming out of the Tomahawk Bar visibly drunk.”

Hoskie Largo, Chapter President for Baca/Prewitt chapter said that on behalf of his constituents, he stands in opposition of the liquor license transfer.

“This liquor establishment does nothing good for our community,” he said.

Geneva Werito, vice president of Baca Dlo’Ayashi Community School, also supported that the license be transferred outside of the vicinity of the school area.

“We don’t want the liquor license transfer to be in the vicinity of our school,” she said. “It affects the children and we want our children to be safe and get a good education.”

Basel Mheirat of Red’s Mart, LLC, said it was enlightening to hear the comments made at the public hearing. Mheirat said it might cause the applicant to reconsider their offer on the business and establishment based on the opinion of the community.

County Attorney Decker said he will work on recommendations based on statutory regulations.

“My desire is to have it before the Board of Commissioners at their meeting on July 5. They will go over the findings I come up with,” he said. “They are the final decision makers and what they decide gets sent to Alcohol and Gaming Commissioners.”

Vice President Nez said the public hearing was a good example of the Navajo community uniting to voice their opposition to the transfer of the liquor license. He said the local chapters and community members are telling the county to end alcohol sales generated through the liquor license of Tomahawk, Inc.

Back in Aug. 3, 2015, Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye and Vice President Nez signed off on the purchase of Ole Red Barn Liquor, which signified the end of liquor sales to the local community of Nahata Dziil near Sanders, Ariz.

For years, the impacts of liquor sales had devastated the Nahata Dziil community. In turn, the community organized alliances with tribal, county and state agencies to effectively end alcohol sales from Ole Red Barn.

President Begaye and Vice President Nez hope to effectively see the end of liquor sales from the Tomahawk Bar.

“I hope the applicant heard the cry of the Navajo Nation,” he said. “I think we can all stand in unity, and with the help of the McKinley County Commissioners, we can say no. I respectfully ask the commissioners to heed to these words.”

What we know about the Gamerco fire

• Two mobile homes burned down at 202 S. Chino Loop.
• The homes belonged to Dina Ponce and Anthony Martinez.
• The estimated damages are about $30,000.
• The cause of the fire is under investigation.
• The fire hydrant close to the home on Chino and Hubble wasn’t working.
• Gallup Fire Chief Eric Babcock said this could have possibly contributed to a delay in fighting the fire. Gallup fire trucks only hold several minutes worth of water.
• McKinley County Fire Dept. brought in tankers that hold 500 gallons of water.
• The nearest fire hydrants were 1,000 feet from the trucks.
• Gamerco Water & Sanitation District Manager Francisco Cantu said there’s a comprehensive plan to upgrade/replace fire hydrants in the area by the end of July.
• Cantu said he’s not sure of the cost associated with replacing the hydrants.

Drug suspect jailed on $56k bond

By Bernie Dotson

Sun Correspondent

A Gallup man remained jailed June 27 after an early morning raid by sheriff’s deputies of the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office.

Lt. Pat Salazar of the MCSO said Brandon Yazzie of 307 E. Persching Ave. was taken into custody June 24 on five counts of child abuse, one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and a count of the possession, delivery or manufacturing of drug paraphernalia.

Steve Silversmith, warden at the McKinley County Adult Detention Center, said Yazzie, 36, is behind bars on a $56,000 bail bond. There are no attorneys listed in jail records for Yazzie.

“This was the result of months of investigative work,” Salazar said. “In arresting this individual we have a person associated with drugs off the street, and a neighborhood made that more safe.”

Salazar said the MCSO had been conducting undercover narcotics buys at the address for a couple of months. He said meth and marijuana were the drugs associated with the arrest. Salazar noted that the living conditions at the address were “sub-standard” and “dirty.”

“There were kids in the home and they were living amid drug and drug paraphernalia,” Salazar said. “The house was not vey well-kept.”

Salazar said there were 11 people at the two-bedroom residence at the time of the arrest and the minors ranged in age from 3 to 16 years old.