KGLP's Calvin Gleason speaks with one of the organizers, Norman Patrick Brown.

The event flyer is available at: https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/648e40c3-d44c-47f5-bec6-8a52b8595c41/UraniumFilmFestRevWinRock1113n111425.png/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25/rs=w:984,h:1230

    Several of the candidates have submitted written introductions and/or full answers to the questions asked that night, since the event answers were limited to 2 minutes.  Those PDFs are at: https://kglp.org/gallup-candidates-details.

    Early voting continues until November 1st, with Election Day on Tuesday, November 4th. 2025.  Citizens can call the Bureau of Elections at 800-245-1771 to find out where to vote or get answers to any questions about the voting process.

Crevice is a memoir in thirteen related, stand-alone essays, seven of which have been previously published. The stories and reflections tell about the life of a White girl, and later an adult, living within the fissure that lies between Diné (Navajo) and Bilagáana (White) cultures. In that place, I belonged and didn’t belong; it was Home Not Home. The stories are about what I saw from within the cleft that existed between the two worlds, which was often different from what either Diné or Bilagáanas saw from either side of that space. It is about what that was like in the fifties and sixties when I was a child and life was simply that—life. My life. It is about what I am left with now in the twenty-first century—both richness and poverty. It is about grappling with my settler heritage, the riches I was given in my time in Dinétah, and about the obligations that perhaps come with those experiences. It is about what I have created and hope still to create from both of my inheritances. Each essay reflects in some way on the identity that evolves when someone spends a lifetime between distinctly different cultures. The far-reaching effects of colonization and occupation that continue today in Dinétah are an unavoidable part of the landscape and necessarily play a significant role in my observations and thoughts.

Part I, Ground, contains four essays that recreate early days in the author's life, moving in each case from childhood into adulthood. “Fissures and Crenellations,” the first piece, situates the reader in Dinétah and shows for the first time the land of In Between. “In and Out” is about the exigencies of boarding school life as lived by a White girl, as viewed by me, and as told to me by my Diné friends. “Some Things Were True” is about both Diné and Bilagáana beliefs and practices regarding death—about what was real in both cultures and what perhaps was not, about sameness and difference. "In the Girls Room" shows how, throughout my life, I have parsed what others and I observed of my parents' contrasting ways as guests in Dinétah. It tells how I have attempted to make sense of what I heard and saw and to find my own path in that land.

Part II, Self, contains five essays and has a particular focus on the search for identity. “Border Town,” a hybrid essay, shows the everyday devastation that exists in and because of towns that border the Navajo Nation. It tells of the nature of borders, about how I tried to find my place in Gallup, New Mexico, a town on the edge of the Nation—the town that in many ways describes who I am. Four further essays address questions of identity that have persisted into my adulthood. “Naturalization” is about how an interracial partnership of seven years left an imprint on my interactions with my Black college students. “A Good Stranger” is a braided essay that explores a search for spiritual identity within the milieu of three distinct cultural identities. "Tongues" is an experimental essay, exploring human and animal existence through the multiple meanings in multiple languages––denotative, connotative, and idiomatic––of the word "tongue." In “The Importance of Clear” I discover through the lens of language that I may possess a lasting identity of my own.

Part III, Passage, offers the final four essays and moves the writer and hence the reader toward resolution. "Racial Injustice Benefited Me" is a flash essay that details a very small number of ways in which systemic racism benefited me as a child living in the Navajo Nation. In “Being Third” I examine Other as a possible identity, following a path away from binary thinking. “The Obligation” examines the idea that those who have inhabited the cracks and crevices of society may be uniquely equipped to bridge our many cultural gaps—that in fact, we may have a duty to do so. "A Reckoning," the final essay in the collection, represents a coming to terms with just what is my place in the worlds I've inhabited and a recognition of who I am within the fissure between them.

Trump is proposing to Congress that the federal government pull back billions of dollars in K-12 education investments. He has said he wants the Department of Education to be closed "as soon as possible."

Participants also wanted to bring attention to allegations of ethics violations by GMCS superintendent Hyatt.

"

Indivisibles,

It’s Sarah Dohl -- one of Indivisible’s co-founders and Chief Campaigns Officer.

It’s been 66 days since Trump was sworn in again. And already, we’re further down the road to authoritarianism than we could have imagined.

Federal agencies gutted. Thousands of public servants purged. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wiped out. Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” burrowed into Treasury and Social Security, raiding programs and trying to seize control. ICE allegedly snatching permanent legal residents off the street and deporting people without due process, in open defiance of court orders.

And while they consolidate power, we’re watching something just as dangerous: Obedience. Silence. Compliance.

✔️ Republicans in Congress are tying themselves into knots to excuse lawlessness and gross incompetence (like sharing war plans on Signal). ✔️ Law firms are dropping civil rights cases, fearing political retaliation. ✔️ Media outlets are pulling punches under threat of lawsuits and Musk’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC). ✔️ Universities are canceling protests and suspending faculty to avoid federal blowback. ✔️ Judges are going quiet in the shadow of a Supreme Court that handed Trump criminal immunity. ✔️ And yes -- even some Democrats are telling themselves it’s safer to stay silent (or, you know, voting to confirm a Trump State Department nominee hours after a major national security incident).

That’s not caution. That’s complicity.

Real-talk: This is how authoritarianism takes hold -- through silence, normalization, and a political class hoping someone else will go first.

That’s why on Saturday, April 5, we’re taking to the streets.

To say: ✋ Hands off our healthcare. ✋ Hands off our Social Security. ✋ Hands off our schools, our data, our rights, our bodies, our democracy.

We believe peaceful, non-violent resistance works -- because we’ve seen it.

From Anchorage to Atlanta, you’ve hosted town halls, confronted MAGA politicians, filled empty chairs, donned chicken suits, and called out Democrats trying to duck the fight. Thousands of you have shown up at 50501 protests across the nation. Historic crowds have joined the Fighting Oligarchy rallies with Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 

We know we’re having an impact because Elon Musk is attacking us by name. Because what we’re building together is loud, visible, and threatening to those in power.

They see this movement rising. And they’re scared.

That means it’s time to go bigger.

April 5 isn’t just a protest -- it’s a recruitment drive. There are millions of people watching this crisis unfold, waiting for a reason to jump in. We need to show them the resistance is real.

We’re not just showing up for ourselves -- we’re showing up for: → The judges afraid for their safety → The journalists getting threats → The federal staffers and university leaders under pressure → And yes -- the Democrats who’ve lost their nerve

We’re proving they won’t be alone if they choose to fight. That courage is contagious -- and public, peaceful resistance is how it spreads.

This kind of mobilization takes real resources to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars (really): 🗺️ Maps and tools to connect event hosts and attendees 🌐 Websites, graphics, and toolkits to help us spread the word 💪 Host recruitment, training, and support 📦 Signs, supplies, tech platforms, and staff

Here’s how to help right now: 👉 Donate now to power this movement 👉 Find an April 5 event near you 👉 Help us spread the word about Hands Off! with our social toolkit

As of today, we’ve got 129 organizational partners -- including MoveOn, the Working Families Party, 50501, and more. We’ve got 600+ events in all 50 states -- and even one in London.

This is the kind of power they’re scared of. 

So on April 5, let’s declare: We will not go quietly. We will not obey in advance. And we will not be ruled by kings.

In this fight with you, Sarah Dohl Indivisible Co-Founder & Chief Campaigns Officer"

More information is available at:

https://www.nmsocialjustice.org/ and at

https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/648e40c3-d44c-47f5-bec6-8a52b8595c41/NM%20Social%20Justice%20Equity%20Tri-Fold%20and%20Flyer%2020.pdf

Celebrate the launch of the Gallup New Deal Art Virtual Museum on Saturday March 29, 2025, from 9:00am – 8:00pm with a full day of drop-in events that will include:

-New Deal Tea party

-Self guided tours of the New Deal Art in the Library, Courthouse Mural and the First Floor mosaic tile and tin lamps

-New Deal Artists talks

-Hands-On Paper Crafts

-Up close look at the New Deal Furniture in the Courthouse Rotunda

-Raffles & more

For more information visit www.galluparts.org/newdeal

https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/648e40c3-d44c-47f5-bec6-8a52b8595c41/HozhoResidency030325grandOpening.png/:/

PAP-apalooza Cervical and Breast Cancer Screening Day, plus testing and vaccines.

Gallup Community Health is partnering with the Navajo Nation Breast & Cervical Cancer Prevention Program and Assured Imaging Mobile Mammograms for a PAPapalooza and Breast Cancer Screening Day on Saturday, December 14. The screenings will take place at Gallup Community Health, 2111 College Dr in Gallup from 8 am – 5 pm.

3D Mammograms will be available to eligible patients. Also available are pap tests, STI and HIV testing, COVID and flu vaccines. No referrals are needed. To make an appointment for 3D Mammograms, call 505-397-5172. Walk-ins are welcome for the other tests and vaccines.

For more information, you may call 505-397-5172.

Bilingual English-Spanish flyer is available at:

https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/648e40c3-d44c-47f5-bec6-8a52b8595c41/PAP%20Breast%20VAX%20121424%20eng%20esp%20FLYER.png/:/

###

Press Release on November 21 and 22, 2024 Conference on Climate Change Emergency Response planned at UNM-Gallup (New Mexico):

https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/648e40c3-d44c-47f5-bec6-8a52b8595c41/Climate%20Reversed%201121%20to%20112224.pdf

From their press release, now posted at KGLP.org's "PSA's and Events" page, i.e., 

https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/648e40c3-d44c-47f5-bec6-8a52b8595c41/SF%20Crisis%20Ctr%20DropIn%20starts%20110724.pdf

Gallup, NM – October 23, 2024 - McKinley County residents will have a new place to go for respite during a mental health or substance use crisis. Santa Fe Recovery Center announced today that it will begin accepting adult patients ages 18 and older beginning November 7, 2024, at its new building in Gallup located at 2028 East Aztec Ave. The project is funded through a grant from New Mexico Human Services Department, Health Care Authority to increase and sustain access to crisis services in the region.

From a Navajo Nation press release:

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – The Navajo Nation President welcomes Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to the Navajo Nation capital on Saturday, Oct. 26, to present the Harris/Walz platform, and the need for Navajos and Arizona Natives to vote in the most crucial election of a generation.

“Whether you believe it or not, your vote determines who sits in the White House and in Congress,” President Nygren said. “Whoever is in the White House is important because as a sovereign Navajo Nation, we will work with the new leader to serve our Diné people."

According to the Arizona 2020 Census, Native people make up 6% of the state’s population. About 300,000 of Arizona’s Natives are old enough to vote.

A voter toolkit, including tips on recognizing disinformation, AI, deepfakes, and more, may be found at:

https://www.sos.nm.gov/ai/

General election and voting information is available at:

https://www.sos.nm.gov/voting-and-elections/voter-information-portal-nmvote-org/

Ms. Oliver has called New Mexico home since the age of 3 and is New Mexico’s 26th Secretary of State. She has served the people of New Mexico in this role since first being elected in 2016.

The Hozho Center for Personal Enhacement is planning a Recovery Month Celebration at their Howard Johnson office, in Gallup, New Mexico, on September 30, 2024 - the flyer is available at:

https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/648e40c3-d44c-47f5-bec6-8a52b8595c41/Hozho%20Center%20Recovery%20Month%20event%20093024.jpg/:/rs=w:1280,h:1657

The Indigenous food sovereignty movement advocates for the reclamation of ancestral foods in Native communities like the Navajo Nation. What can archaeological research offer to these discussions? This talk shares the results of a recent project that analyzed ceramic sherds from a ~300+ year old Diné habitation site near Navajo Reservoir, NM. The results of this work provide evidence for a variety of early Navajo food preparation techniques, which are both similar to and different from what is done today in Diné communities. How then can we link this historical look at Diné diet with the ongoing food sovereignty movement in Indigenous communities? Dr. Campbell will also share a quick update on the ongoing early Navajo fortress project he discussed last summer.

Dr. Wade Campbell is a Diné (Navajo) historical archaeologist who grew up in Gallup. His research examines the relationships between Diné communities and other local groups in the U.S. Southwest from the 17th century to the present day, including the Pueblos, Spanish, and Americans. He is engaged with a range of questions related to longer-term patterns of Navajo settlement and economic activity across the greater Four Corners region, with a particular focus on incipient Indigenous pastoralism and related shifts in land-use, social organization, and diet/subsistence practices. At present Wade is an Assistant Professor in Boston University's Department of Anthropology & Archaeology Program.

The lecture is sponsored by the Plateau Sciences Society a group dedicated to the study and appreciation of the social and natural sciences relating to the Colorado Plateau and its people. The community is cordially invited to this free event and encouraged to stay afterwards for a reception and to learn more about the PSS and its activities. The Plateau Science Society programs are varied and deal with the Pre-history, History, Geology, Geography, and Cultures of our area.

Please join us and see how we roll!

For more information, please call Linda at 863-633-9984.

The Capacity Builders website is: https://capacitybuilders.info/

Flyers for the summit and resource fair are available at:

https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/648e40c3-d44c-47f5-bec6-8a52b8595c41/Shiprock%20Rev%20Family%20Summit%200625n062624.png/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25

and at:

https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/648e40c3-d44c-47f5-bec6-8a52b8595c41/DEAfamSummit0626n062724ResourceFair-9bbcc7f.png/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25

This is one of 6 sections over the course of 2 days, Friday, April 19, and Saturday, April 20, 2024.

This is one of 6 sections over the course of 2 days, Friday, April 19, and Saturday, April 20, 2024.

This is one of 6 sections over the course of 2 days, Friday, April 19, and Saturday, April 20, 2024.

This is one of 6 sections over the course of 2 days, Friday, April 19, and Saturday, April 20, 2024.

This is one of 6 sections over the course of 2 days, Friday, April 19, and Saturday, April 20, 2024.

This is one of 6 sections over the course of 2 days, Friday, April 19, and Saturday, April 20, 2024.

Williamson founded Project Angel Food, a non-profit organization that has delivered more than 16 million meals to ill and dying homebound patients since 1989. The group was created to help people suffering from the ravages of HIV/AIDS. 

She has also worked throughout her career on poverty, anti-hunger and racial reconciliation issues. In 2004, she co-founded The Peace Alliance to support the creation of a U.S. Department of Peace, and has hosted the Sister Giant Conferences that have educated and encouraged thousands of women throughout the country to engage in political activity. 

The pillars of Williamson’s Presidential campaign are the restoration of America’s middle class through an Economic Bill of Rights, including universal healthcare, tuition free college and tech school, and a guaranteed living wage; the establishment of a Department of Peace and the Department of Children and Youth; the declaration of a Climate Emergency to mass mobilize for the development of a green energy grid; and ending America’s Drug War. Williamson believes the transformation of American society requires that we address the root causes of our problems, and not only their symptoms. 

If elected, Williamson will be the first female, the first mother and the first grandmother to be President of the United States.  Please share this link: Marianne2024.com 

Social Media = Twitter: @MarWilliamson  Instagram: @MarianneWilliamson  TikTok: @MarWilliamsonOfficial ------------------------------------------------ Statement from the Marianne Williamson 2024 Campaign

President Biden has clinched the Democratic nomination for the Presidency. 

Voters in New Mexico still have an opportunity to weigh in on his agenda, however. 

A vote for Marianne Williamson in the Presidential primary sends a message that certain issues need to be reflected in his campaign, not only because they matter to us, but because they are key to defeating Donald Trump in November.

The core of the Williamson agenda is fundamental economic reform; “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people” has become “a government of the corporations, by the corporations, and for the corporations” and we must change that. Short term profit maximization for huge corporate interests has become a false god in America, an economic governing principle that has replaced democracy itself as America’s new bottom line. It is the task of this generation to end that trend. The Democratic Party should display an unequivocal advocacy for the working people of the United States, and only a truly progressive agenda will achieve that.

With 39 per cent of Americans now reporting that they regularly skip meals to pay their rent, and millions literally selling their blood plasma to pay bills, a message that the economy is doing well is not the message that will inspire people to vote Democrat in 2024. We need an Economic Bill of Rights: improved Medicare for All, tuition free college and tech school, paid family leave, guaranteed sick pay, and a guaranteed living wage. We need a U.S. Department of Peace, a Department of Children and Youth to deal with the many and dangerous risks to our kids, and a mass mobilization for a just transition from a dirty to a clean economy. We also need a ceasefire in Gaza; the United States should stand for a robust commitment to the peace, safety and security of both Israelis and Palestinians.  

Our campaign in 2024 must motivates people to think that yes, if they vote for the Democrat it will materially improve their lives over the next four years. 

The American economy delivers true prosperity to only twenty per cent of our citizens. We desperately need a President who is willing to stand up to what FDR referred to as the “economic royalists” that have turned our government into a system of legalized bribery. We need to push back against the corporate overlords who now exercise a system of economic tyranny by which a few keep getting rich and the majority have a harder and harder time just getting by. 

The American people have been trained to expect too little. Now is the time to make clear that such things as universal health care, tuition free college, and a guaranteed living wage - all provided to the citizens of every other advanced democracy in the world - should be provided to every American citizen as well. The last fifty years have seen a fifty trillion-dollar transfer of wealth from the bottom 90 per cent of our people to the top one per cent, and the message of the Democratic Party should be, “That stops now.”

That is how we will beat Donald Trump, and it is also how we will heal the country.  A vote for Marianne Williamson in the New Mexico primary is the way to make sure that President Biden will get the message.

With great respect,

Marianne Williamson for President 2024

https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/648e40c3-d44c-47f5-bec6-8a52b8595c41/BizOart-0419n042924.png/:/rs=w:984,h:1273

Website:  https://www.sfrecovery.org/

The March 4, 2024 press release on the expansion of 4 Corners Detox Center planned for April 1, 2024 may be seen at: https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/648e40c3-d44c-47f5-bec6-8a52b8595c41/downloads/SFrecovery%204corners%20Detox%20moves%20040124.pdf?ver=1710523812827:

Four Corners Detox Recovery Center moves to new facility - New Office on East Aztec to Provide Medication Assisted Treatment and Telehealth Services - Beginning April 1, 2024, residents of Gallup and the surrounding areas will have an easier time accessing outpatient services for substance use disorder treatment. Four Corners Detox Recovery Center (FCDRC) announced today that it will move its outpatient program to the Aztec Professional Building at 1808 E Aztec made possible with funding from a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant. FCDRC will host an open house at the new facility on April 3rd. Email kmunoz@sfrecovery.org for details and to RSVP. 

                   ###

About the Santa Fe Recovery Center - (SFRC) is a non-profit, CARF-accredited (Commission for the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) substance use disorder (SUD) treatment center operating in Santa Fe and Gallup, NM. SFRC was established in 2005 to respond to the long-existing problem of substance use plaguing Northern New Mexico. SFRC provides detoxification, residential treatment, regular and intensive outpatient treatment, and medication-assisted treatment. In 2020, at the request of the State of New Mexico Department of Health and the New Mexico Human Services Department, Santa Fe Recovery Center was tapped to fill the void in evidence-based SUD treatment options in McKinley County in an effort to help eliminate gaping health disparities in this rural, underserved community. Shortly thereafter, Four Corners Detox Recovery Center (FCDRC) was established in Gallup, NM.

2024 Press Release: “Gallup Community Health has moved to a larger space. Because of the demand for our services, we are bursting at the seams. We are now seeing patients at our new location, which is: 2111 College Drive, in Gallup....the former RMCH College Clinic building. Gallup Community Health’s phone number is the same as is our commitment to providing excellent, accessible health care for all, regardless of ability to pay. If you need to make an appointment or contact a provider after hours for an urgent need, call 505-397-5172. We are accepting new patients. Remember, all appointments are taking place at our new location... 2111 College Drive”

             More information is available at:

           https://gallupcommunityhealth.org/

This local segment airs at the end of the 7th of seven podcast episodes produced by The Nocturnists:  "Post-Roe America", airing on KGLP each Friday from December 1 through December 22, 2023:  Through intimate conversations with abortion providers nationwide, "The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America" delves into the aftermath of the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade. Hosted by family and reproductive medicine physician Ali Block, this series explores the profound clinical, logistical, and emotional implications of the 2022 Dobbs decision from the frontlines of reproductive healthcare.

Link to the "Post-Roe America" podcast:  https://exchange.prx.org/series/45532-post-roe-america

The Relay For Life Holiday Tour of Homes

benefits the American Cancer Society,

and is planned for Sunday, December 10th.

Attendees will meet at Grace Bible Church,

222 Boulder Drive, in Gallup, by around 4:30 pm,

with the home tours then starting at 5 p.m.

For more information, you may call:

Joyce, 505-862-1457, or Linda, 505-879-5384.

The Flyer is posted to KGLP dot ORG,

on the “PSA’s and Events” page.

###

The flyer and artist's abstract is available at:

https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/648e40c3-d44c-47f5-bec6-8a52b8595c41/UNMG%20Zollinger%20Art%20Talk%20101923%20in%20Calvin%20Hall.pdf

The Expo will provide an opportunity to meet and network with industry professionals, such as union representatives, studios, and others in the business of film and media.

Students, artists, business owners, or anyone with an interest in the entertainment industry.

Major production companies are also expected to attend. The public may attend, and organizations may register for a table, at:  www.tinyurl.com/FilmGallup

For more information, you may call 505-373-4670.

The Full Press Release and Flyer are posted to KGLP dot ORG, on the “PSA’s and Events” page:

https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/648e40c3-d44c-47f5-bec6-8a52b8595c41/Gallup%20press%20release%20for%20100623%20Film%20%26%20Media%20E.pdf

###

More on the stamps at:

https://www.tulsastamps.com/product/100-forever-stamps-2023-usps-first-class-art-of-the-skateboard-2023-stamp-5-books-20pcs-book/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItuOVoqjLgAMVHKRaBR2tPQxuEAAYAiAAEgLOIfD_BwE

The Sleep Spot - Maimonides 3500 Comanche Rd NE Ste C Albuquerque, NM 87107

https://thesleepspot.com/

1-505-998-7200

More on Dr. Rechul:

https://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-dawid-rechul-xymrj4c

A "Rally 4 Recovery" is planned in Gallup's Downtown Courthouse Plaza, from 10:30am until 2:30pm, MDT, on Saturday, September 16, 2023, in association with Four Corners Detox.

There will be live entertainment, food trucks, games, activities, recovery resources, art, and more.

For details, you may visit:

https://www.sfrecovery.org/recovery-rally/

or call 505-413-3447.

Four Corners Detox Recovery Center 2105 Hasler Valley Rd. Gallup, NM 87301 505-413-3447

(a branch of the Santa Fe Recovery Center,                            5312 Jaguar Dr.                            Santa Fe, NM  87507                           505-471-4985                           https://www.sfrecovery.org/ )

...working with individuals to sustain lasting recovery from substance abuse disorders and related mental health disorders, by providing culturally relevant, evidence-based treatment and education, in partnership with other community organizations, such as GIMC, The Hozho Center, and more, through both referrals, calls and walk-ins.

They Are Teaming With The Federal Railroad Administration To Evaluate And Identify Potential Railroad Routes And Facilities Along US 491 And NM 371, Environmental Benefits, And Forecast The Potential Economic Possibilities For The Region.

This Connection Would Improve Traffic Safety … And Make The Area More Attractive As A Resource For Economic Growth And Decrease Shipping Costs For Businesses.

The Four Corners Freight Rail Feasibility Study Will Consider Potential Options For Economic Development Through Rail Service … Which Could Create More Businesses Within The Region And Bring Additional Tax Revenues That Will Directly Benefit The Local School Systems And Other Social Services.

More Business Could Mean Learning Opportunities And Career Pathways For Local Children, Allowing Them To Stay In The Region And Raise Their Families Close To Home.

Join The Freight Rail Study Team For Public Information Meetings From 4 To 7 P.M. On Wednesday, June 21st, at Newcomb High School In Newcomb, New Mexico, and on Thursday, June 22nd, at Navajo Technical University's "Wellness Center", on the Crownpoint, New Mexico campus.

Can’t Make It? We Still Want To Hear From You. Submit Your Questions o r Comments And Learn More About The Potential Project On The Study website:

               https://www.4cornersfreightrail.com/.

                                                ###

Article:  https://blog.genealogybank.com/on-this-day-71-day-occupation-of-wounded-knee-ends.html/amp?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=DSA&utm_content=All%20Pages&utm_term=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI08rRz52n_QIVBUNyCh3wfgVAEAAYAyAAEgKZFfD_BwE

BeWellnm will be hosting an enrollment event at the Gallup McKinley County Chamber of Commerce on Friday, December 16th, from 3 to 7 pm, to assist people in the enrollment process. 

In this podcast, KGLP's Emma Farley sits down with BeWellnm representative Misti Dickens to discuss healthcare options in 2023. 

More information may be found at https://gallup.unm.edu/

The play will be presented in Gallup's El Morro Theatre at 7pm Mountain on Friday, December 9 and Saturday, December 10, then at 2pm on Sunday, December 11, 2022.  Tickets will be available at the door for $10.  Rated PG-13, for adult themes.

The flyer is available at:

https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/648e40c3-d44c-47f5-bec6-8a52b8595c41/GRT%20Metamorph%201209-121122.jpg/:/rs=w:1300,h:800

Details of the book are available at:

https://smile.amazon.com/Got-Mine-Confessions-Midlist-Writer/dp/0826363792/ref=sr_1_2?gclid=EAIaIQobChMImObu18LZ-wIVcuWGCh2ciAMuEAAYAiAAEgI_dvD_BwE&hvadid=580631393679&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1022538&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvrand=12819183172943506028&hvtargid=kwd-321277220296&hydadcr=9997_13532475&keywords=john+nichols+books&qid=1669935564&sa-no-redirect=1&sr=8-2

Henio is from Thoreau. He comes from the Redhouse Clan born for Apache, and has Mexican roots from his mother’s side. He has been a law enforcement officer for 26 years, and has been with the Navajo Nation Police for eight years.

We hear from the following:

• Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland  
• Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese 
• Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk

--- Press Release, with link to video of 8/17/22 Press Conference in Gallup ---

Gallup Judge rules in favor of workers not paid for hours worked at Farmington restaurant.  Video of the bilingual press conference may be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrjdo8wEu6c

Gallup, NM -  August 17, 2022 - On Thursday August 4th, a state District Court judge ruled in favor of two Gallup workers who were not paid for all their hours worked at a local restaurant and ordered they be paid more than $116,000 in unpaid wages and damages.

Jose "Pancho" and Sandra Olivas, Gallup residents and members of the Somos Un Pueblo Unido in McKinley County, worked for Morgan Newsom, a Gallup business owner at his Farmington restaurant in 2014 and 2015 for more than six months and were not paid for all their hours, including overtime hours.

Following a trial that was held last March, 11th Judicial District Court Judge Robert A. Aragon found both Mr. and Mrs. Olivas’ were individually owed wages for more than 800 straight-time hours and more than 900 overtime hours. Judge Aragon ordered the Olivas’ be paid for their unpaid wages, plus interest and treble damages– or an additional amount equal to twice their underpaid wages– as dictated by New Mexico wage laws.

"This decision is a victory for workers across the state and it shows employers that we cannot be exploited. If we all come together as a community we can hold them accountable to follow the law and pay our hard earned wages. " said Jose "Pancho" Olivas.

Newsom hired the Olivas’ to remodel and run 505 Burgers, his Farmington restaurant, in 2014. Mr. Olivas was sometimes paid for his hours worked, but Mr. Newsom frequently failed or refused to pay Mr. Olivas’ for all of his wages; Mr. Newsom never paid Ms. Olivas for her hours worked. During their employment, they both worked between 70 to 100 hours per week, seven days a week.

"This decision sends a message to other employers who do not pay workers their duly earned wages, they run the risk of owing workers much more than just their unpaid wages,” said Gabriela Ibañez Guzmán, staff attorney with Somos Un Pueblo Unido's Worker Center and co-counsel in the lawsuit against the NM Department of Workforce Solutions.

Pancho Olivas is also the lead plaintiff in a statewide class action complaint against the NM Department of Workforce Solutions filed in 2017 for not adequately enforcing wage and hour laws. The 2017 class action lawsuit resulted in a 2018 settlement agreement between workers and workers' rights organizations and the Department of Workforce Solutions (DWS) to ensure the state government will carry out its duty to enforce New Mexico's strong anti-wage theft laws and hold employers accountable when they violate these laws.

“After everything we suffered, justice triumphed. We want our story to serve as an example that we should not remain silent or fear retaliation. We have to remember that there are many organizations like Somos Un Pueblo Unidos that can help us and give us the support to fight for our rights.” Said Sandra Olivas. “That is why we must continue the fight and not only demand that our simplest rights be protected, but demand more from our governments and the people who make the decisions.”

The case,  Olivas v. Serna , was filed in January 2017 by four victims of wage theft, including the Olivas’, and workers' rights organizations Somos, El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos, New Mexico Comunidades en Acción y de Fé (CAFÉ), and Organizers in the Land of Enchantment (OLÉ).                             View the bilingual press conference (en Español y English) on YouTube, at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrjdo8wEu6c

Links:

Final court order:    https://files.constantcontact.com/b6dfe469001/4e361585-8120-40c0-aefa-b2a8ffbb27cd.pdf?rdr=true Olivas' statements:  https://files.constantcontact.com/b6dfe469001/ad57ef3e-2dff-4191-9566-2807ecd71aaf.pdf?rdr=true

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Somos Un Pueblo Unido  is a statewide immigrant-based civil and workers' rights organization with membership teams in eight counties and offices in Santa Fe, Hobbs and Roswell.

During the press conference, Reps. Stansbury and Leger Fernández outlined the Inflation Reduction Act's historic investments in climate, clean energy jobs, and lower costs for health care and prescription drugs that are headed to communities across New Mexico.

You may watch the full video of the Aug. 12 press conference at:

  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LeKkyHEkDYlhD6lGhNQCJXg_Wlvwx3qi/view 

The video of the press conference is available at:

https://www.facebook.com/nmdoh

https://www.rmchisourhospital.com/

The Gallup McKinley County Chamber of Commerce has announced a "Meet and Greet" with RMCHCS CEO Robert Whitaker at Sammy C's sports pub, 107 W. Coal Ave., in Gallup, from 5:30 until 7 p.m. MDT, on Tuesday, July 19 (Whitaker is an employee of CHC, which the Community Health Action Group has been critical of, blaming the administration for the departures of many nurses and physicians over the past year as well as for causing the collapse of the Family Medicine Residency Program after only its first year.)

A coalition of New Mexico reproductive health and justice organizations that advocated for passage of the Respect New Mexico Women and Families Act (also known as SB10, the abortion ban repeal) hosted a press conference regarding the SCOTUS decision on Dobbs v. Jackson, and gave context to how this ruling will affect the New Mexico landscape. They were joined by reproductive healthcare champions in the New Mexico House and Senate.

Participating organizations included:

ACLU New Mexico Bold Futures Indigenous Life Ways (Executive Director Krystal Curley, Diné) Forward Together Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains ProgressNow New Mexico Tewa Women United Reproductive health champions in the NM House and Senate

Related:

Biden responds to 6/24/22 SCOTUS reversal on abortion rights, urges voting

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/biden-urges-public-to-vote-after-supreme-courts-abortion-decision/ar-AAYPYx7?li=BBnb7Kz

The hospital may be facing bankruptcy, with less than a week’s cash reserves, following a year of alleged mis-management, including reports of the forced exodus of a dis-proportionate number of health care providers and staff from the organization, and more recently, of grossly in-adequate supplies and unpaid bills.

For more information, you may email:

RMCHisOurHospital@gmail.com 

or you may visit the Community Health Action Group (CHAG) at:

RMCHisOurHospital.org

An hour of audio recorded at the April 25 business healthcare forum that was held at Angela's Cafe, in Gallup, NM, to discuss the ramifications of RMCH turmoil for local entrepreneurs, may now be heard at:

https://kglp.podbean.com/e/gallup-business-owners-healthcare-forum/ (Note that less than one day later, the CFO of RMCH, who spoke in this April 25 meeting, was fired by RMCH - see the editorial, below...)

Letter to the Editor of the Gallup Independent, from CHAG:   It is less than a month into the tenure of a “new” chief executive at Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services, and it is clear, with our hospital on the brink of bankruptcy, that CHC (the hospital’s management company) is pushing forward an agenda of destructive, deceitful and hostile leadership, total disregard of patient and community concerns, and crisis profiteering. In fact, since Mr. Whitaker assumed the title of CHC CEO, communication, transparency and honesty have been even more curtailed:   > A report on the financial status of the hospital was not provided to the public during the Board of Trustees meeting on 4/20.  > The Community Health Action Group has received dozens of urgent, specific first-hand reports of serious supply shortages (e.g., “Not only have we been reusing disposable adult small blood pressure cuffs we now have no Sp02 probes”). Hospital employees are purchasing their own toilet paper, gloves, and medical equipmentand have the receipts to prove it. RMCHCS labeled these reports “misinformation” (4/27 Facebook post). Community members organized to donate 1,200 rolls of toilet paper, 75 pounds of food, 11 reams of paper, eight boxes of nitrile gloves and more desperately needed supplies. Mr. Whitaker’s response? “Donations are not needed as we have all needed supplies” (4/28 Facebook post).  > At the 4/26 County Commission meeting, CHC and RMCHCS told the County Commission that former CHC CFO Chantelle Venter, a turnover specialist with clearly communicated plans to bring the hospital into solvency, resigned a week prior. The truth is obvious and undeniable: she was fired the day of the Commission meeting and a day after speaking at a community meeting. As seen on video in a 4/27 KOB4 news report, she was escorted from the hospital by security on 4/26. A further clear sign that her departure was sudden and unexpected is that she was scheduled to provide reports during a medical staff meeting on 4/28. Our community demands a stop to the lies. Our community demands transparency. Our community demands accountability.  Because we believe these things, the Community Health Action Group is developing a plan for a Management Services Organization to replace CHC, restore the community’s faith in our hospital, and bring the focus back to patient care and community needs.

Our community demands better. 

Community Health Action Group (CHAG)

Dr. Connie Liu  Rose Eason  Brett Hartline  Jaylyn Hinkley  Sandra Geary  Dr. Caleb Lauber  Dr. Kathy Mezoff  Jean Philips  Sara Pikaart  Pam Yardley  Gwen Wilson

NPR story:  https://www.npr.org/2021/07/01/1010306918/summer-of-soul-questlove-movie-review-harlem-cultural-festival

Questlove gets the Academy Award for best documentary:

https://djmag.com/news/questlove-wins-best-original-documentary-oscar-summer-soul

A video of the talk, with slides, can be found on the Zollinger Library Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ZollingerLibrary/videos/4954148967997042

The ZOOM recording will be available at www.rmchisourhospital.org.

Community Health Action Group (CHAG) statement:  Dr. Val Wangler, New Mexico Society of Hospital Medicine’s 2021 Physician of the Year, founder and director for RMCHCS’s Family Medicine Residency, and the hospital’s former Chief Medical Officer, was terminated without cause from Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital by the management team of Community Hospital Corporation.  This caps 1.5 years of management by the Community Health Corporation which has been notable for an estimated >25% staff turnover, including the departure of over 60% of nurses - several times the national average (CHAG estimates).  At the March 12th Town Hall, CHAG presented the results of an RMCH employee survey of current and former hospital employees that suggest a “toxic” work environment and “hostile” management is the root cause of this crisis of staffing.  The results directly counter statements made by CHC management, including claims that exit interviews are performed, that nurses reported leaving for higher pay, and that local expertise is not available for hire.

"We have a very narrow window to make changes to save the hospital, and bring dedicated staff back," said Dr. Connie Liu, a local physician and a survey administrator.  "We are calling on the RMCH Board of Trustees and our County Commissioners to act.  We believe our evidence compels action, including termination of the contract with CHC.”

The hospital is a major service point for patients who live in nearby Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo (70% of the patient population at RMCH is Native American), and it is the only hospital where IHS non-beneficiaries can seek care.  CHC management reported that RMCH experienced a 2021 cash loss of $9.4 million at the February Board Meeting.  In the past month, community members mobilized weekly patient and community protests related to inaccessible clinic phone lines and ongoing, unaddressed reports of patient safety issues.  This includes a dysfunctional call light system and inoperable code button system on the Med/Surg/Peds floor, both of which put patients unnecessarily at risk.

To view the CHAG White Paper: Employee Survey Results and Recommendations, please visit the CHAG webpage. www.rmchisourhospital.org 

Rosebrough describes Gallup, New Mexico as "a place like no other. It is disproportionally and simultaneously wonderful and terrible. It is a place of constant struggle, where the forces of good and evil collide. The former frontier mining town, bordering the Navajo Nation at the far western edge of New Mexico, is one of those few places on earth that have the power to change the course of our lives and transform us deeply."

https://www.amazon.com/Place-Thin-Veil-Gallup-Mexico/dp/1940322529/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1645203931&refinements=p_27%3ABob+Rosebrough&s=books&sr=1-1

Link to presentation with slides:

https://www.facebook.com/nmdoh/videos/covid-19-day-680-press-update-jan-19-2022/775401953626349

They discuss the current state of Navajo language education, as well as what the future might hold.  

Link to presentation with slides:

https://www.facebook.com/nmdoh/videos/416964136888184

Link to presentation with slides:

https://www.facebook.com/nmdoh/videos/new-mexico-state-officials-provide-covid-19-update/281396447300683

They discuss current operations at their institutions, and how they are dealing with this stage of the pandemic.

Link to presentation with slides:

https://www.facebook.com/nmdoh/videos/new-mexico-state-officials-provide-covid-19-update/332595721743302

Video from the ZOOM meeting is available at:

www.rmchisourhospital.org.

(The current administration and the board of trustees for RMCH were invited, but apparently did not accept.)

RMCH is a major service point for patients who live in nearby Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo (70% of the patient population at RMCH is Native American), and it is the only hospital where IHS non-beneficiaries can seek care in the county. 

The hospital is facing a $9.4 million deficit in 2021 as well as a persistent 1-star CMS Hospital Rating, representing low community confidence and trust.  This town hall is the culmination of previous public meetings which consistently raised repeated concerns regarding the management decisions of interim-CEO Don Smithburg, who has entrenched himself in an adversarial stance with staff and community.  

At this meeting, multiple staff and community members spoke about broken trust with the hospital leadership, emphasizing the need for strong trustworthy leadership in order to move forward.  Community members also repeatedly stated the call for local leadership, especially as the current Board only has one member who lives locally; he fills a non-voting seat.

"Our community needs to understand to understand the plan for our hospital," said Mary Walker, owner of a local weaving shop that has attracted more than a million dollars in tourist revenue from all over the world.  "We need to change that plan if it doesn't meet our needs."  She emphasized the need to have at least half the board should be residents of McKinley County, as should the CEO.

Community members and former staff discussed their concerns related to the one-star CMS rating and quality concerns at the hospital, including its impact on the financial viability of the hospital.

"Profits and patient-centered care are not mutually exclusive," said Ashley Adams, a quality specialist. "They're correlated and should rise and fall together."

Guest speaker Dr. Tim Putnam, a national expert in rural hospital administration and former CEO of Margaret Mary Health, spoke to the challenges facing RMCH.  He stated that rural hospital leadership is challenging, and emphasized trust as an essential part of the job.  He encouraged the group to continue their advocacy.

"The more people that want to be part of the hospital thriving, and keeping good nurses, keeping good physicians, getting people to get people to not give up is the biggest thing," said Dr. Putnam.  "Once apathy comes in, it becomes difficult - but you guys are far from apathy at this time.  I will tell you it is a long road to move a one-star hospital to a five-star hospital, but it can be done."

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The Community Health Action Group is a group of concerned McKinley County citizens who organized over the summer around concerns related to Rehoboth Mckinley Christian Hospital.

More information and a video recording from the event is available at www.rmchisourhospital.org

Link to presentation with slides:

https://www.facebook.com/nmdoh/videos/436744228007312/

Link to presentation with slides:

https://www.facebook.com/nmdoh/videos/263377225836565/

Link to presentation with slides:

https://fb.watch/9dmGMuGMgN/

This legislation passed both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives and now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.

The Build Back Better Act, which lowers costs, creates jobs, and cuts taxes, while tackling the climate crisis, is also advancing in Congress. It is estimated that the two bills combined will add on average 1.5 million jobs per year for the next 10 years.

This conference was recorded on Tuesday, November 9, 2021, via ZOOM.

https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/648e40c3-d44c-47f5-bec6-8a52b8595c41/RedRockString110721program.pdf

Link to presentation with slides:

https://www.facebook.com/nmdoh/videos/423244786076719/