Widespread access to the internet may be coming to Native communities

Washington, D.C. - Representative Deb Haaland, D-N.M., co-chair of the Native American Caucus, joined Representatives Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz and Tom Cole, R-Okla. to introduce the Bridging the Tribal Digital Divide Act of 2020 the week of Feb. 10 to accelerate the deployment of broadband services to Native communities and bridge the digital divide facing Native communities.

The bill would expedite the deployment of affordable broadband service on Tribal lands by coordinating and improving the effectiveness of federal resources.

According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), less than half of households on Tribal lands have access to fixed broadband service. This represents a nearly 27-point gap compared to non-Tribal rural areas. This gap only widens when compared to the country-wide average.

In 2018, the FCC estimated that 35 percent of Americans living on Tribal lands lacked access to broadband services, compared to eight percent of all Americans.

“Access to the internet opens up opportunities for young people and economic growth for entire communities, but Native American communities are the most digitally disconnected in the country. Lack of internet access and broadband leads to disparities in student achievement, health outcomes, economic opportunities, and even violence. This broadband bill will deploy broadband so that our communities aren’t left behind in the digital age,” Haaland said.

The Bridging the Tribal Digital Divide Act of 2020 will:

Establish the Tribal Broadband Interagency Working Group to improve coordination across federal broadband programs and reduce deployment barriers;

Require that technical assistance be provided to interested, underserved Native communities to develop a broadband deployment plan;

Streamline the application process for federal grants to support the deployment of broadband services on Tribal lands;

Establish a Tribal Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee;

Set aside FCC and USDA funds for the benefit of broadband deployment on Tribal lands; and

Establish the Tribal Broadband Right-of-Way Pilot Program.

“Adequate access to broadband is essential for strong Tribal economic development and the exercise of Tribal sovereignty. We must take aggressive steps to close the digital divide between Native American and other rural communities by better facilitating the deployment of broadband across Indian Country,” Gallego said.

Gallego chairs the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples.

“In order for tribal governments to reach their highest potential, they must have the ability to utilize the same technologies available to the rest of rural America,” Okla’s Cole stated. “By advancing the distribution of affordable broadband service on tribal lands, we can indeed bridge the digital divide and improve tribal economic development and sovereignty.”

Other original cosponsors of the bill are Gwen Moore, D-Wis., Jared Huffman, D-Calif, Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., and Ed Case, D-Hawaii

School could be moving

It was Monday morning, Feb. 10, the start of a new week at the Sacred Heart Catholic School of Gallup. Teachers were gathering their supplies, preparing their lessons. Everything felt routine. That’s when Father Mitchell Brown and Father Matthew Keller entered and requested that the teachers and the principal meet in the library.

The small assembly of about 12 people listened as Brown and Keller read a note about starting a parish school, which would move the school from 515 Park Ave. to the Sacred Heart Cathedral site at 555 S. Woodrow Dr. An artist’s rendering lays out ambitious plans of a new school at the site.

Hozho Academy, currently located at 306 NM-564, essentially on Gallup’s south side, has its sights set on acquiring the Park Avenue site.

But the purchase is anything but routine.

It came as a surprise to the teachers, one of whom spoke under the condition of anonymity, said “this is a plan.” It’s not official. She added that she feels morale is pretty good around the school – that people are in a waiting period.

While the current staff takes in the news, the Vatican is learning about it, too. The proposal was presented at the Vatican in Rome by Bishop James Wall.

Suzanne Hammons, communications director of the Diocese of Gallup, says Wall is there for an “ad limina” gathering which takes place approximately every 8 years, and made the presentation concerning the building plan early this week to the Dicastery for Clergy congregation.

Hammons explained the “future plan,” which includes selling the current Sacred Heart School campus and buildings to Aequitas Education, a 501(c) 3, for a sum large enough to cover the entire cost of building a new school. She did not name the amount.

She also said the school does not have the capital to continue the maintenance and necessary renovation of the existing buildings. Hammons said Aequitas Education intends to remodel the existing school campus for the use of Hozho Academy.

Anna Biava, the development director at Sacred Heart School, says the school has its own financial operation, and although the Diocese owns the property on which the school is located, the diocese only pays for the property tax on the school. She says the school is financially stable.

“We have in place well developed short and long term plans for growth and sustainability which we have developed with a professional consultant,” Biava said. “We also have plans for capital improvement of the buildings, implementation school-wide athletics and our full fledged STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) programs next year. We have a well-developed business plan to generate significant revenue with our gymnasium.”

However, Keller doesn’t share Biava’s view on the financial shape of the school based on the condition of the campus building.

Keller says the Sacred Heart Catholic School was state-of-the-art when it was built in the 1950s, but it has three buildings, on the property and two of them are vacant. The gymnasium needs roofing and repairs. Enrollment has fallen and that makes it a struggle to maintain and renovate the school as it stands.

He also emphasized, what is under discussion now is a plan to reconnect the school with the cathedral, but nothing has been agreed upon yet. He, and Fr. Isaac Ogba, both said that the decision is up to the bishop.

Patrick Mason, the founder of Hozho Charter School, and whose firm is the legal counsel for the diocese, is the founding board member of Aequitas Education. He said during a phone interview that the Diocese of Gallup approached the organization about buying the property.

“In my role as president of Aequitas, we did our due diligence and we said that this is a good deal for us and that we would be willing to negotiate with the Diocese in the purchase of this property,” he said.

Mason also explained that he has no financial interest in this project. He says the numbers are currently up to three times the appraised property value. He did not give a number, but said, “We want to reach a fair market value for the property.”

The value of the property or the ballpark sale price hasn’t been revealed to the public. According to the Catholic Mutual Group policy that runs from July 7, 2019 - July 7, 2020, the campus is insured for over $9.9 million. This includes over $5.6 million for the school, nearly $2.9 million for espelage center/gym, and over $1.4 million for the classrooms.

The policy also features an additional $5 million in “combined additional protection,” and  coverage for each priest on religious on assignment for the Diocese, along with some personal liability coverage.

Meanwhile, Keller said a new campus would feature a classical Catholic education mode. It will also feature a chapel, cafeteria, library, and family center.

But what does a classical Catholic education consist of?

Mason says classical education means an education that includes math, reading, science, art, music, literature, history, phonics, and more.

The teacher at Sacred Heart Catholic School who was reluctant to give her name, and who instructs students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, says she doesn’t really know what a classical education is, but that she has been advised that it means education for the whole child — mind, body, and soul.  She is now busy researching the concept.

Beth Blakeman Associate Editor

After an unidentified man with a gun failed to score any cash from an attempted robbery at Little Caesar's pizza, about12 minutes later, that same man allegedly got away with an undisclosed amount of cash from the Conoco gas station on West Highway 66 May 4.

Initial reports could not confirm that that the two incidents were connected, however, video surveillance does confirm that the same man was located at both places during the time the attempted robbery and robbery took place.

The man is described as an Hispanic male of light complexion, with a goatee, approximately 5'6" to 5'8" tall and in his 30s or 40s. He showed both of his victims a small black handgun.

According to Gallup Police Capt. Rick White, based on video surveillance, the man walked into Little Caesar's pizza at 2:42 pm, walked up to the counter, leaned on it while producing the gun and started talking to the clerk. The female clerk was seen walking away from the man to the back, and then two customers walked into the business causing the suspect to leave the area.

GPD are currently searching for other video evidence which might produce leads to a vehicle description.

At  2:54 pm, the same man walked into Conoco gas station on the west side of Gallup, wearing the same black hoodie over a light colored shirt. The hood was over his head and it appeared that he was wearing a baseball cap under the hood. The man is again holding a small black handgun and this time he made off with an undisclosed amount of money from the business.

The man had left the area and GPD had the area sealed off and were searching for evidence by the time the school district let out. Chief Manuelito Middle School and Gallup High School are nearly a mile away from the business.

Gallup Police Detectives are working hard to identify the man and are asking for the public's assistance in the manner.

“He looks local, we're thinking he is local,” White said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact GPD Detectives at 505 863-9365.  For anonymous tips, citizens can contact Crimestoppers, which is offering a reward up to $1,000 (505)722-6161.

From intoxicated people, trespassing, burglary and domestic disputes, citizens need to be vigilantes in their neighborhoods and call police for any suspicious activity occurring in the area that they live.

Gallup Police Capt. Rick White said that GPD “definitely needs citizen's help” in order to curb crime in the city.

A scary and recent trend is happening now causing GPD to warn citizens to guard their mailboxes.

“For the past couple of weeks, unknown person(s) are going around to various mailboxes and stealing outgoing mail or incoming mail,” White said.

He explained that the suspects are removing checks out of mail, changing the check and cashing it for large amounts of money.

“Anybody who sees anyone tampering with mail needs to call the police,” he said.

He also said it would be a good idea for citizens to mail checks by going directly to the post office and not leave them in the mailbox.

“Not only this crime, but car burglaries, residential burglaries, [the citizens] have got to be our eyes and ears out there for us."

EAST SIDE

Aggressive grandmother bites baby, goes to jail

A domestic dispute inside of a vehicle at Super Laundromat east April 30 led to the arrest of 39 year old grandmother Sheila Lynch of Gallup. According to the police report filed by Officer Daniel Brown, after a short investigation, the evidence showed that Lynch was the aggressor in the situation and that she struck her 20 year old daughter, Shinowa Silago, while she was driving and bit the finger of her 1-year-old grandson. She was arrested for Battery on a household member and abandonment or abuse of a chi

Baby caught in the middle

Two sisters called police to their home on Baca Court April 24 in reference to their brothers fighting with them according to Gallup Police Officer Justin Benally's report. When police arrived, one brother was already asleep and the other had left the residence. The mother complained that her daughters get aggressive when intoxicated and request that they be removed from the residence. Dana Silver was taken to the Community Service Aide panel van without incident.

Chelsea Silver, however, was a different story when she used her 10 month old child, who was in her arms, in order for the police not to take her from the residence. Police struggled with Chelsa attempting to protect the child and gain control over her simultaneously. Police did successfully get the child to the grandmother and take Chelsea into custody.

“While on my way to the jail Chelsea started to bang her head against the window and was screaming,” Benally wrote in his report.

Benally ended up having to take Chelsea to Gallup Indian Medical Center for a medical clearance. At the hospital, she continued to bang her head and was about to bang her head on the hospital floor. Benally was able to prevent that from happening. Chelsea was booked into the jail for abandonment of a child.

Thieves caught red handed

Gallup Police arrested two individuals in relation with a burglary at 2500 East Aztec. Ester Yazzie, 44, of Gamerco and Marty Nathan, 39, of Pinehill were both arrested April 27 after police were called to the area. Yazzie was located inside the residence by the homeowner. Nathan was found a short time later with the approximately $150 worth of stolen property on his person.

Check your bills

An unknown person used a counterfeit one hundred dollar bill at Blakes Lotaburger East on April 27.

Aggressive panhandler threatens, fights officers

Tanike Walters, 22, of Tohatchi was arrested for assault and two counts of battery upon a peace officer after panhandling and threatening a Gamerco citizen at Pronto Fina April 27. According to GPD Officer Andrea Tsosie's report, Walters was intoxicated and highly aggressive when they were attempting to put her into the CSA panel van. After kicking Tsosie several times and threatening to kill her and her family, she was taken to the jail where she continued the behavior even spitting on the detention officers and Sgt. Francie Martinez.

NORTH SIDE

He loves shop-'lifting' from Walmart

Vernon Nozie,47, was arrested and charged with burglary April 18 after shoplifting from Walmart for approximately the seventh time. Due to several previous trespass notices given to Nozie, he was not authorized to enter the establishment anymore, therefore causing the burglary charge.

GPD responded to the area of First Street and East Wilson April 27 after a young boy reported a suspicious man pulled up to him in an older model white pickup truck. The suspect is described as an older white male, in his 60's “about 5'10, skinny build, gray beard, with a bald head and wearing a white shirt.” The man winked at the young child and tried to call him over to his vehicle, the young boy ran to a nearby neighbor and called police. GPD were unable to locate the man or the vehicle.

HOSPITAL AREA

Officer encounters 'double trouble'

Margaret Notah, 40, of Mentmore was arrested after she took her boyfriend's vehicle without permission after he broke up with her. She took the vehicle from the apartment complex on Nizhoni Boulevard and was located very shortly in the Gallup Indian Medical Center's parking lot. While being detained in the back of Officer Harland Soseeah's unit, a drunk driver struck the vehicle's door in the parking lot. The female driver was arrested for driving while intoxicated and Notah was checked out by medical personnel.

Wrong house

Gregory Yazzie, 31, of Gallup, was found leaving a residence on South Strong where he didn't live. He was arrested and charged with breaking and entering April 29.

WEST SIDE

Shotgun-wielding creeper

Joshua Smith, 24, of Gallup, was arrested May 3 for negligent use of a deadly weapon after he was reportedly caught walking around a neighbor's house intoxicated and with a shotgun. Officers found him locked inside his vehicle with the gun in the 600 block of West Mesa.

Just brutal: Skateboard used to beat man

After a brutal beating, 20 year old Marcus Watts ended up in the hospital and 28 year old Alexander Johnson, of Albuquerque, ended up in jail. Watts was found unresponsive, but breathing at the Super 8 Motel May 2. Witnesses described Johnson, who had left the scene and was later found at Walmart in possession of the skateboard, complete with blood on it, that he used to batter Watts. Johnson was charged with aggravated battery and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer.