Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 15

Albuquerque journal SYSTEM CLOGGED New law stymies those seeking U.S. citizenship Editorials 2 Section 8 T) moneywise Dimension B4 LARRY CALLOWAY Mort Targets Violence 1j II. HI HlLMilMU II MM II 0 fie Journal Church Campaign Eyes Awareness for Youths By Christofer Machniak Journal Staff Writer For most of her teen-age years, Nichole Montano was in a gang and hooked on drugs. She said she carried a gun for protection. It was her way of life in Albuquerque for seven years.

"I had the mentality of a murderer, and it didn't bother me at all," Montano said. "(But) I was tired of the party life, always having to watch your back." Three years after leaving gangs, Montano, now 22, was performing in a play that mimicked her past life before more than 6,500 people Saturday evening at University Stadium. The performance, "Image of the Neighborhood," was part of Stop the Violence '97, Victory Outreach Church's annual campaign to unify the community to fight youth violence. For five months more than 40 local young people rehearsed the 75-minute play, a story of gangs, teen-age pregnancy, murder and survival Before the skit, Christian rap artist T-Bone and other local bands performed music with a message about God and doing the right thing. More than 400 local businesses sponsored the event to pay the $50,000 in expenses.

Admission was free. Those types of partnerships are what the community needs to battle its problems, said Danny Sanchez, a pastor with Victory Outreach, in an interview before the event. He said before he turned to the ministry more than a decade ago, he used and sold drugs. Sanchez later told the crowd of mostly teenagers, "We are here to give you hope tonight. The only way we're going to stop the violence is have an encounter with the prince of peace See EFFORT on PAGE B5 Statuesque Nominee JUN Y.

HYUNJOURNAL SUPPORT: J.J. Schlageter, 12, left, and David Alderete, 12, wearing the hats, express appreciation for the music performed during the Stop the Violence Campaign '97 on Saturday at University Stadium In Albuquerque. DISTINCTION FOR 1879 FIGHTERS CEMETERY DEDICATION 1 Health Surveys Lacking N.M. official to beef up staff to inspect all sites providing care GILA 'NATIONALS FOREST 1879 i Battle of I Animas Ainn Canyon 7 LEOPOLD I'm i 7 I A Mountain' Massacre Apache PflrtTjj" Canyon J. Hillsboro r- Kingston 52 J- 10 miles C.

CIBSONPURNAL v. Colorado's just-unveiled-in-Washingtdn statue of Jack Swigert, the Apollo 13 astronaut who died in December 1982 shortly after being elected to Congress, is the 96th statue in the 137-year-old National Statuary Hall. Only four more to go! And one of the final four will be from New Mexico. Swigert stands in a space suit, helmet in hand, in contrast with a lot of standard generals and politicians. Only two or three other figures in the collection were even born in this century, according to the Capitol Architect's office.

New Mexico's statue, chosen by the 1997 Legislature with easy passage of a bill by Sen. Manny Aragon, also will present a contrast but from the other end of the historical spectrum. Pope the legendary leader of the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, probably will be the oldest figure in Statuary Hall. He's so old he doesn't even have two names. The only others with that distinction seem to be Oklahoma's Sequoyah and Hawaii's Kamehameha I.

They're historical. Pope1 is fuzzier. He might become the most mythological and artistic creation of them all in Statuary Hall because nobody knows what he looked like, and nothing he said has been handed down. Now, I didn't mean to criticize Colorado for choosing an astronaut, but the state is deprived. We have a native-born astronaut, Harrison Schmitt of Albuquerque, who, unlike Swigert, actually landed on the moon and actually served a full term in the U.S.

Senate. But Aragon and the Legislature, of course, couldn't choose Schmitt because: 1., he's alive, and 2., he's a Republican. New Mexico craving Colorado obviously is obsessed with scientific, futuristic, cosmic thinking, but I think it secretly hungers for what we've got down here: history, diversity, revolution! Arise, Colorado! Throw off your oppressors, your conquistadoresl. Denverites each summer arrive bleary-eyed in the narrow streets of Santa Fe looking for art, music, theater and really good chile verde. On the other hand, when the world's leaders gather in Denver, all the Mile High City (Hah! Santa Fe is the 1.3-Mile High City) can offer is dinner at The Fort.

Now this restaurant on a hill above the suburb of Morrison, was inspired by an 1834 version of Bent's Fort. And of course we all know why Bent's Fort was important: It was on the way to Santa Fe! Charles Bent was one of our early territorial governors, until his term was prematurely terminated by rebel assassins in the spirit of Pope The primary attraction of the Denver restaurant, apart from its barbaric Colorado cuisine like buffalo bone marrow and buffalo tongue, is it was built out of 80,000 "handmade adobe bricks." Big deal. Adobe restaurants are normal in New Mexico. And while we could eat Ted Turner's buffalo until the cows come home, our preferred food here is gentle blue corn with kindly beans and sustainable organic chile. Different perspective The most attractive contrast with Colorado, however, is that New Mexico is a backward-looking, south-facing state.

We are the one, for example, that last year refused to recognize the 150th anniversary of U.S. occupation. Thus, our sec-phd'ehoice, to accompany Democratic (of course) U.S. Sen. Dennis Chavez, is a nebulous but defiant Figwe described in Aregon's bill as an "illustrious San Juan Pueblo Indian strategist and warrior." I know.

It's only a statue. You're thinking nobody takes these things seriously. One of the early nominees in Colorado was Alferd Packer, the hungry mountain guide who -ate his clients during a bad winter. And Sen. Bill Davis, R-Albu-querque, proposed an amendment I If iff: ilk i I I -t By Jackie Jadrnak Journal Staff Writer Surveyors made it to about 700 of 900 health care agencies last year despite1 a state mandate that all agencies be inspected annually.

The rest got their licenses renewed without on-site inspections, according to Matthew Ger-vase, chief of the Health Facility Licensing and Certification Bureau. While all 24-hour residential centers, such as nursing homes and residential care homes, were inspected, the annual visits lapsed for some services offered in a client's home, such as physical therapy or hospice care. "Fortunately, we've not had a real big problem in terms of quality," Gervase said. "But the longer you go without a survey visit, the less you can assure the public a facility is complying with standards." He's hoping to. fix that problem next month.

Health Secretary Alex Valdez has committed to expand the 30-mem-ber surveying staff by at least five people when the new fiscal year begins July 1. The $210,000 expansion will come by filling vacant positions or transferring some from other divisions. Gov. Gary Johnson vetoed Senate Bill 718 at the end of this year's legislative session, a bill that would have boosted license fees to fund 12 more inspectors. That had been presented to the Legislature as the administration's bill, one of the top priorities of the Department of Health.

And it wasn't opposed by some industry groups that would be affected. Valdez said he never asked Johnson why he vetoed the bill. In his veto message, Johnson wrote: "This bill would increase fees the Department of Health can charge to license health care facilities from $100 to $500 for a facility and from $8 to $50 for a surgical suite The potential impact of these fee increases for a 129-bed facility could increase from $442 to $1,582 and for a nine-bed facility from $30 to $500. These significant increases are too much at one time." Besides the basic $500 license fee, the proposal would have charged extra based on the number of beds. New Mexico's fees are lower than similar states and, philosophically, it does make sense for licensing fees to cover the cost of license inspections, Valdez said.

But, he added, upholding the quality of health care providers benefits all taxpayers, so there's no problem with them footing the bill. The bureau's general fund dollars for licensing have grown from $306,000 in 1993 to $520,000 this year. Federal Medicare dollars, however, have dropped from $2.5 million in 1993 to $2.2 million this year. At the same time, the number of beds in shelter care facilities has risen from 2,615 in June 1995 to 3,303 in January 1997. The number of home health agencies has increased from 59 in 1993 to 108 in 1997.

"Sooner or later, we hit a wall," Gervase said. When the licensing budget is divided by the number of facilities, New Mexico spends $450 per facility, compared to a average of 15 other states studied by the department. See HEALTH-CARE on PAGE B5 4 MEDAL OF HONOR: Chris Emmet, great-grandson of Lt. Robert Emmet, who fought In the 1879 battle In Las Animas Canyon, holds the Medal of Honor awarded to his great-grandfather. New Mexico Army National Guard Brig.

Gen. Alex Garcia, left, and Lt. Scott Turklngton, a scout platoon leader with the modem Ninth Cavalry, pay respects at the dedication of a field cemetery. HONORING WARRIORS History buffs and modern military remember battle against Apaches that resulted in 3 Medals of Honor Story and photographs by Chris Roberts Of the Journal ple gathered at the border of the Aldo Leopold Wilderness to dedicate a new field cemetery near the battle site. People, some wearing period garb, camped out June 12-14, exploring the steep-walled canyon where Victorio sprung his ambush.

An 1880s-style encampment with white canvas tents and old-fashioned bedrolls stood next to the olive drab tents and cots of the modern New Mexico National Guard, whose members hauled equipment and visitors along the rugged four-wheel-drive roads. Military vehicles idled, waiting, as men on horseback wearing cavalry woolens and carry- See MODERN on PAGE B5 ALDO LEOPOLD WILDERNESS -Oblong piles of stone on the floor of a southwest New Mexico valley mark the graves of cavalry soldiers who passed through the "veil of death" 118 years ago. At least five soldiers died in 1879 while fighting a band of Warm Springs Apache warriors led by Victorio, a brilliant military tactician. Three survivors of the battle received Medals of Honor. It was an Indian Wars battle forgotten by most but recently rediscovered by Albuquerque-area military historians tracking down Medal of Honor recipients.

Last weekend about 100 peo Oik, SALUTE: History buffs attired In clrca-1880s cavalry uniforms with period weapons Join with members of the New Mexico Army National Guard near the Aldo Leopold Wilderness to fire a volley honoring soldiers who died In the 1879 battle. to substitute Manny Aragon for See CALLOWAY on PAGE B5 i tV.