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THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011
AROUND
THE
CAPITAL
Code talkers meeting
The Navajo Code Talkers
Association will meet March 19
at 10 a.m at the Navajo Nation
Museum. Includes presentations,
review and discussion of the
artistic drawings/renderings for
a building design of the future
National Navajo Code Talkers
Museum & Veterans Center.
The meeting is open only to
the immediate families of the
Navajo Code Talkers (spouses/
widows and sons/daughters).
Information: Christine Ashley,
928-688-5202 or Wynette Arviso,
505-870-9167.
'Twin Warriors Society
The Ts6 Hootso6 Twin Warriors
Society will meet Sunday, March
20, at 2 p.m. at Fort Defiance
Chapter. Bring favorite dish for
potluck luncheon. Information:
Roger Nelson, 928-729-4352.
Elder care task force
The Fort Defiance Indian
Hospital Elder Care Task Force
will meet March 22 from 10a.m.
to noon at the DNA conference
room. Information: Lucinda
Martin, 928-729-8520 or Anita
Natonabah, 928-871-5664.
Korean War veterans
A meeting for Navajo Korean
War veterans is scheduled
March 26 from 10 a.m. to 2:30
p.m: at St, Michael Chapter
House. Year activities for 2011
Will be discussed. Lunch will' be
prov!ded.
, Safety event
The Public Health Nursing
Department of Fort Defiance
Indian Hospital will host a safety
event April 4 from 9 a.m. to 2
p.m. in recognition of National
Public Health Week. Includes
booths hosted by the Navajo
Tribal Utility Authority and fire/
police departments. Children
can enter to win a bike courtesy
of Window Rock True Value
Hardware. Information: Mark
Creek, 928-729-8882.
Special Olympics bike run
The 2011 Motorcycle Run
for the Navajo Nation Special
Olympics is scheduled April 9 at.
the Navajo Nation fairgrounds.
Entry fee is $20 per rider, $10
passenger. Registration opens
at 9 a.m., ride begins at 10 a.m.
Help support the Navajo Nation
Special Olympics. Information:
Officer Marshall Speirs, 928-871-
6111 or marshallspeirs@yahoo.
com.
Food handler training
The Navajo Nation Division of
Health announces food handler
training classes at the Quality
Inn Navajo Nation Capitalon
the following dates: April 1, May
6, June 3, July 1, Aug. 5, Sept.
2 and 3, Oct. 7, Nov. 4, Dec. 2.
Classes begin at 9 a.m. except
on April 1 when the start time is
10 a.m., and will be conducted
in English (BYO interpreter if
needed). No children allowed
unless child is taking test (must
be 12 or older). Information: 928-
871-6349.
Veterans' honor
gourd dance
The Gathering of Veterans
Honor Gourd Dance is set
May 19 from noon to 6 p.m.
at Veterans Memorial Park.
Head staff includes master of
ceremonies, Leonard Anthony,
White Eagle Gourd Society;
head gourd dancer, 'Donald
Tolino Sr., Black Creek Gourd
Society; and head singer, Paul
Bemore, Inter-Tribal Veteran's
Association. Information: Larry
Anderson Sr., 928-729-2035 or
vmasa54@yahoo.com.
Navajo Nation
camp meeting
The 22nd Annual Navajo
Nation camp meeting is
scheduled July 11-16 at the
Tunnel Springs Fellowship
Center in Fort Defiance. 'Open
invitation to all. Information:
Sister Angle K. Bowman; 928-
729-5236 or Sister Judy Yazzie,
928-729-5641.
Navajo Transit getting a new home
BY CAROLYN CALVIN
NAVAJO TIMES
FORT DEFIANCE - Navajo
• Nation officials broke ground
March 10 for a new 13,000-square-
foot facility to house the Navajo
Transit System here.
The project will be built on four
acres and will accommodate 50
buses. It will serve as the central
hub for Navajo Transit System
administration and operations
maintenance, and will house a
repair facility and break lounge for
drivers.
For Justin Nelson, NTS charter
driver and mechanic, the riew
building will be a welcome change
from present conditions.
"Since the early 1980s, we never
had a building to work in. It was
like having a cow with no corral,"
Nelson said. "Right now, we work
outside in cold weather, snow, rain,
wind and then the. heat. When the
building is finished, we will have
a garage and be working inside
on a concrete slab. It will be a lot
different ."
Ben Bennett, Fort Defiance
Chapter president, agrees that the
building Will make a difference
not only for the employees of
the transit system but also for the
community.
"This is a good time to start
rebuilding Fort Defiance," he said.
"It's been a long time coming. With
gas prices the way they are, the
transit s3'stem is going to be more
and more needed."
NTS Director Lee Bigwater
said the facility will be state-of-
the-art and will cost $4.1 million.
It is funded under the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Navajo Nation officials break ground March 10 for a $4.1 million, 13,000-square-foot facility for the Navajo Transit System in Fort Defiance.
(Times photo - Leigh 1". Jimmle)
"Three years ago, we started this
project with the help of the Division
of Economic Development,"
Bigwater said. "Then the ARRA
funds came in through the Arizona
Department of Transportation and
the Federal Transit Administration.
It was the end of planning and
preparation and the beginning of
CAPITAL BRIEFS
actual construction."
Steve Means, director of
operations for M: Greenberg
Construction of Phoenix, the
general contractor, said the building
"had tO be designed for today's
needs but able to accommodate
future growth."
SPS+ Architects of Scottsdale,
Ariz., 'is the architect and chief
designer for the project. Gannett
Fleming Engineers of Phoenix
will handle the engineering, Jacobs
Engineering of Phoenix is serving
as construction consultant for
ADOT:
Completion is expected by
December.
"We've been looking to this
for many, many years," said
Virgil Brown Jr., director of the
Navajo Nation Division of General
Services, which includes the bus
system. "We challenge the nation
to put up more infrastructure of this
nature."
Human rights officials
attend sacred site meeting
ST. MICHAELS, Ariz.
Navajo Nation Human Rights
Commission officials attended the
final day of the,U.S. Department of
Agriculture Forest Service sacred
sites' listening session March 16
at the Shiprock Chapter House,
according to a news release from
the commission.
About 80 people in attended,
including NNHRC Commissioner
Chairperson Duane H. "Chili"
Yazzie.
On March 15, at the Coalmine
Canyon Chapter House near Tuba
City, there were about 40 people
and on March 14, at the Navajo
Nation Museum, there were about
50 people in attendance.
"I{a Navajo elder who is praying
at their chosen sacred site, making
an offering, or gathering herbs is
harassed, their human rights are
being violated," said Yazzie, who
spoke March 16.
On March 15, at Coalmine
Canyon Chapter House, people
testified that Navajo people have
been providing input since the
70s and explained that policies
have hurt the Navajo people like
when forced relocation removed
about 14,000 people from their
homeland.
Yazzie said, "If you reverse
the decision about approved
wastewater usage on Dook'o'osliid
(San Francisco Peaks), then these
listening session will have made an
impact," then added, "Let's see it."
Toni Stanger, a program
specialist and the lead coordinating
officer for the USDA Office of
Tribal Relations in Washington,
D.C, explained in a teleconference
that the USDA is not interested in
sacred site locations. Instead the
USDA is seeking recommendations
to protect sacred sites.
She also explained the
information from the listening
session will be added to the federal
register for the USDA Forest
Service, National Forest System
Land Management Planning:
Proposed Rule.
'According to press releases
from the USDA Forest Service,
Secretary of Agriculture Tom
Vilsack has asked the Forest
Service and USDA OTR to provide
November 2011, following th e Legislature*s press office.
conclusion of tribal consultation. "This, along with the $6 million
Kayenta Township
adopts green code
SAN FRANCISCO - Kayenta
Township is the first tribal
community in the U.S. to adopt
the latest International Green
Construction Code, designed to
reduce the environmental impact
of new construction projects,
according to a township news
release.
"As one of the first organizations
to adopt this code, Kayenta
Township is on the cutting-edge
of the green building movement,"
said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA'S
regional administrator for the
Pacific Southwest. "Their action to
preserve local natural resources and
Protect community health should
serve as a model for sustainable
rural development throughout the
country."
The green codes set a precedent
for current and 'future township
administrative staff who will work
for the Building Safety Department
on various capital improvement
projects.
The International Green
Construction Code is put in place
for the community to save on
energy costs, encouraging wise use
of the water supply, safeguarding
the depletion of natural resources,
and.the codes will be used to inform
future development practices.
In development and refinement
of the green code selected criteria,
the township is bringing the Native
American Technological Institute
for Vocational Education District
Central Campus on board to be the
first participants who will follow
the code during its construction
phase.
• The NATIVE campus will
provide quality career and technical
education to tribal students upon
completion in September 2011.
Kayenta'Township, a political
subdivision of the Navajo Nation
with about 5,000 residents, is
located south of Monument Valley.
Native caucus meets.
a final report and recommendations O'odham Nation at 125 and there
for sacred site policy changes have already been five deaths
and proposed policy language by in 2011, according to the state
spent in the last three years with
border-related activity, has caused
us great concern," remarked
Isidro Lopez, vice chairman of
the Tohono O'odham Nation.
Lopez was one of four presenters
discussing immigration issues at
the Native American Caucus.
The Native American Caucus is
held at the State Capitol every other
Wednesday.
"The intent of the caucus is to
keep legislative members informed
of policy issues impacting Native
American constituents," stated
Sen. Jack Jackson Jr.
Rep. Albert Hale said, "When I
arrived at the Legislature I realized
how many of our members were
unaware of issues surrounding
Native people in Arizona. The
caucus provides an opportunity
to exchange ideas and to educate
others on issues impacting Native
Americans in Arizona."
The caucus is open to all legislators
and is hosted by Jackson, Hale,
and Reps. Tom Chabin and Sally
Gonzales.
Immigration was the focus of
the March 2 meeting. Presenters
included Isidro Lopez (Tohono
O'odham), Jose Matus (Yaqui),
Tupac Enrique Acosta (Tonatierra),
Sheriff Joseph Dedman Jr., (Navajo)
of Apache County and Shannon
Rivers (Akimel O'odham) of the
Gila River Indian Community.
Tagaban named
telecom director
WASHINGTON, D.C.
President Ben Shelly announced
March 15 his recent appointment
of Brian Tagaban as the acting
director of the Navajo Nation's
Telecommunications Regulatory
Commission.
Tagaban is a former NNTRC
commissioner and member of the
Navajo Broadband Workgroup that
formulated the Navajo American
Recovery and Reinvestment
Act's broadband grant application
strategy.
Before returning to the Navajo
Nation in 2003, Tagaban garnered
six years of extensive computer
PHOENIX - Last year was the engineering experience at Hewlett
highest recorded year of border Packard and two Silicon Valley
crossing deaths within the Tohono Internet companies in California.
He also worked for the
Navajo Nation Department of
Transportation in 2003-2006, and
the Division of Health in 2007-
2010. Tagaban is a graduate of
Northern Arizona University's
computer science and engineering
degree program.
In his first visit to Washington,
earlier this month with Shelly,.
they joined Native American
leaders from across the nation
at the Federal Communications
Commission's Native Nations Day.
At the meeting, ,Chairman Julius
Genachowski named 19 tribal
leaders and members to the new
FCC-Native Nations Broadband
Task Force.
"I am proud to annoulace Brian
was named to the FCC's Native
Nations Broadband Task Force,"
said Shelly. "He will advocate on
behalf of the Navajo Nation and I
am confident his prior experience
and broadband knowledge will help
us expand our telecommunication
services and fiber optic projects to
a revenue generating level."
Shelly, Shingoitewa
discuss issues
KYKOTSMOVI,Adz. - The day
and atmosphere could not be any
more pleasant when both leaders of
the Hopi and Navajo nations, came
together for an informal meet and
greet, according to a news release
from the Hopi Tribe.
On March 8, Hopi Chairman
LeRoy Shingoitewa and a few
members of his staff joined Navajo
Nation President Ben Shelly and
Vice President Rex Lee Jim and a
few 9 f their staff in Window Rock.
Discussions were cordial and
topics of mutual concern were
addressed. Both leaders agreed
that they need to move forward and
asked what they could do to help
each other on important issues that
affect both tribes.
After nearly two hours of heart-
to-heart sharing and ".catching up,"
it was agreed by both leaders that
they need to meet again in the near
future with a planned agenda and
strategize on their priorities.
As a sign of mutual respect
and friendship, Shelly presented
Shingoitewa with a Pendleton
blanket, which will be on display
in the chairman's office.
NHA announces regional
housing summit
WINDOW ROCK - The Navajo
Housing Autherity is announcing
its 2nd regional housing summit to
be held March 29-30 from 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m. each day at the Shiprock
Chapter House.
This is the second of five agency
regional housing summits, which
NHA plans on hosting across the
Navajo Nation. Other agencies
will be scheduled throughout
the remainder of 2011 to gather
input and feedback on addressing
housing needs in a collaborative
effort.
The two-day regional summit
will feature presenters from
various entities including Navajo
Tribal Utility Authority, Navajo
Nation Environmental Protection
Agency, Boys and Girls Club,
Department of Law Enforcement,
Navajo Partnership for Housing,
Department of Transportation,
Navajo Nation Land Department,
U.S. Department of Agriculture,
AMERIND Risk Management, and
the Navajo Area IHS office.
Aneva J. Yazzie, CEO of NHA,
stated, "The regional housing
summit is an effort to engage in a
direct conversation with the regional
communities, funding resources
and services that connect tribal
departments, entities, and regional
community members together
so that we can improve housing
opportunities for Navajo families
and better manage community
growth within the Navajo Nation."
Information: www.hooghan.org/
HousingSummit2011.
Lions Club raffle winners
WINDOW ROCK - The winners
of the Window Rock-Fort Defiance
Lions Club March $20 raffle and
$50 daily drawings for the week of
March 7-12 are as follows:
Monday, Gin Van, Window
Rock; Tuesday, Jimmy Villanueva,
Vanderwagen, N.M.; Wednesday,
Anthony Silva, Gallup; Thursday,
Mary Ann Carpenter, Gallup; and
Friday, Marjorie Johnson, Window
Rock.
Saturday's winner of $250 is
LeVerne Harrison of Window
Rock.
Congratulations to this week's
winners. Drawings will continue
throughout March and are held
weekdays at the Quality Inn in
Window Rock, and Saturdays
at Dehny's Restaurant in St.
Michaels, Adz.
Information: 928-871-4421 or
www.wrfdlionsclub.org.