Annual EVENT explores Bigfoot, the paranormal and beyond

The 15th annual Gallup UFO Film Festival took place Oct. 19 - 20 at the Gallup DownTown Conference Center. The two-day event, presented by the Gallup Film Festival, showcased films and speakers, plus Q&A sessions with the audience.

The featured films included Aztec 1948: UFO Crash, Open Minds Investigates and The Naked Truth about the 1947 UFO Crash at Roswell, among others. Chuck Wade, Jonathan Dover, Clifford Mahooty and Dr. Christopher Dyer headlined as the festival’s guest speakers.

The Conference Center provided an intimate setting for up-close Q&A sessions. And according to Chuck Wade, who organized the event, all...

Designs for three new facilities in the works

The Gallup City Council discussed design conception and fiscal programming for three new regional facilities as part of the 2018-19 Community Improvement Plan at the Oct. 23 regular meeting.

City staff solicited a proposal from Huitt-Zollars, Inc., of Albuquerque, for their Architectural Professional Services contract for programming and concept development, as well as for site-location reviews. HZI worked with the City of Gallup in the past on a study for a regional library.

The first facility discussed at the meeting was an animal shelter design concept, budgeted for $40,000 by the council. HZI’s proposal for this project came to...

Monthly event faces concerns over art authenticity, non-local participants

Of the various agenda items reviewed Oct. 23 at the Gallup City Council regular meeting, the future and continuation of ArtsCrawl Gallup generated the most discussion.

Lynn Huenemann, who spoke for the item, requested the discussion be added to the agenda in an Oct. 15 letter, which stated Coal Avenue business owners and community members were concerned about the future of ArtsCrawl, a monthly art event put on by gallupARTS and held at galleries and restaurants downtown.

A Sept. 7 press release states the 2018 season would be gallupARTS’s last to host the event. The release states ArtsCrawl is now well...

Auditors seek transparency for public health insurance agency

SANTA FE – State Auditor Wayne Johnson has asked a judge to let his office do its job and audit a government entity that provides health coverage to New Mexicans denied coverage by big insurance companies.

Johnson’s office filed a motion for summary judgment asking a judge to forego a trial in the lawsuit filed by the New Mexico Medical Insurance Pool, which has not been transparent with its finances and operations.

Attorneys with the Auditor’s office said the judge has enough information to make a decision on the law without a prolonged legal process.

The court filing states, “NMMIP is about as far removed as...