The Santa Fe New Mexican from Santa Fe, New Mexico • Page C003

Wednesday, April 26, 2006 THE NEW MEXICAN C-3 main focus is getting students to graduate By Shannon Shaw The New Mexican Cassandra Manuelito-Kerkvliet carries a pedometer on her belt loop that keeps track of every step she takes. She belongs to a program geared toward making Americans healthier by making sure they walk 10,000 steps a day. She also likes to compete with her three sisters online to see who can reach the goal first. The pedometer is one of many signs that she is hard-working and said Manuelito-Kerkvliet, 51, the new president for the Institute of American Indian Arts. think so important for students to (not only) see a positive role model, but to see someone truly give back whether mentoring or Manuelito-Kerkvliet said.

Her main focus for the students at IAIA is success, she said, and she measures success by graduation. She also wants to see increased enrollment, qualified professors and a more personal one-on-one atmosphere between students, faculty and herself, she said. Once she begins July 1, she will meet with students to discuss their needs and what they want from the school. IAIA has 215 students at its 140-acre campus 12 miles southwest of downtown Santa Fe. In any given year, the student body can represent up to 112 tribes, according to the IAIA.

Manuelito-Kerkvliet replaces Della Warrior, who served as president for eight years. The new president was born and raised in Laramie, the daughter of Navajo parents who participated in the federal Relocation Program. Her parents were moved from the Navajo reservation to work for the Union Pacific railroad, icing down railroad cars that hauled produce. After refrigerated rail cars were developed, her parents stayed in Laramie to work for a cement company. Growing up in the predominantly white community of Laramie in the 1960s easy for her, and she became resilient, she said.

had to deal with racism and that redneck she said. the best of She and her family traveled the mile trip back to the reservation every weekend. These trips and a longing to be surrounded by her culture made Manuelito-Kerkvliet passionate about living an American Indian way of life. She said her shows in her 20-year devotion to higher education and as an advocate for the advancement of Indian students in both non-Indian universities and tribal colleges. think said Randy Charles, president of the Association Student Government at IAIA and a stu- dio-arts major.

first meeting her, I wanted to just listen to her more and wanted her to keep on talking about her ideas and vision for the Manuelito-Kerkvliet was the first woman president of the Navajo College in Tsaile, serving from 2000 to 2003. During that time, she increased the annual appropriation from the Navajo Nation council from $925,000 in 2001 to $4.2 million in 2003 and led the reaccredita- tion by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. From 1990 to 1996, she worked as program director for the Indian Education Office at Oregon State University, an office she created despite much opposition, she said. The center led the way for black-, Hispanic- and Asian-education offices, she said. Manuelito-Kerkvliet is a direct descendant of Chief Manuelito, a Navajo chief in the early 1900s remembered for his strong stance on the importance of education, she said.

A message she is still conveying, she said. Last June, she accomplished a life-long dream of receiving her Ph.D. in educational policy and management from the University of Oregon. students are our next generation of leaders, and why their success is so important to she said. one can do this for you.

No one can take your education and degree from you, no one. one of the greatest accomplishments of my life, and I want these students to know that same Contact Shannon Shaw at 995-3837 or INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN INDIAN ARTS New president brings vision, passion Jane New Mexican Cassandra Manuelito-Kerkvliet, left, shares her vision for the Institute of American Indian Arts with students at a welcoming reception for her as the new president Monday. In brief Water-extension debate tabled A debate over extending county water lines south of La Cienega did not happen at Santa Fe County Commission meeting. Former mayoral candidate and current state Transportation Commissioner David Schutz and his partners had asked county officials to extend the boundaries for county water service so a proposed housing subdivision near La Cienega could tap into the county water pipes. But the proposal was tabled for a second time at the request of the developer.

Neighbors have already voiced opposition to the plans, citing concerns over water use, density and traffic. A master plan for the project was filed for county review last month and is on the agenda for the La Cienega Development Review Committee for June. The proposed development on 1,316 acres would include about 600 homes, open space and an area for community uses such as a community center or fire station, said attorney Rosanna said. Heavy-truck traffic curbed Most heavy trucks will be prohibited from traveling on Agua Street under a resolution adopted Tuesday by the Santa Fe County Commission. The city already prohibits heavy commercial use of the part of the road that is in city limits, and now the rule will discourage misuse of the thoroughfare through the traditional historic community of Agua said Commissioner Virginia Vigil, who sponsored the resolution.

Except for heavy trucks that are based in Agua or are serving residents there, the rule bans any vehicle that weighs more than 10 tons from traveling on the narrow road. Drivers who violate the ordinance will be fined $10 fines for each failure to obey the signs, Sheriff Greg Solano said. Mayor proposes parks change Mayor David Coss unveiled part of his plan to reshape city government to the Public Works Committee on Monday. As part of his plan, Coss said, he wants to break up the Parks and Recreation Department, placing park maintenance under the supervision of the Public Works Department while moving such operations as sports- league planning and other activities into the Community Services Department. Coss said the changes he plans will be meaning the changes will not cause an increase to the bottom line.

The mayor told the committee that placing park maintenance under the Public Works Department was important to rehabilitating city parks because that department is effective in planning and building projects. Flame relay to focus on prayer Prayer, not protest, is the focus of an Interfaith Prayer Pilgrimage for Peace Saturday. It begins at 8 a.m. at Holy Family Church in with a blessing of runners who will relay a flame of peace and symbols of peace from many faith traditions to Ashley Pond in Los Alamos. At 9 a.m., the pilgrims will walk from the church to the Santuario de for a bread-breaking prayer service.

Participants are invited to bring a sack lunch and bread from their culture such as tortillas, challah and pita to share. After the meal, the group will form a car caravan to Los Alamos to greet the runners, listen to music and pray. Runners are still needed. Call the Archdiocese of Santa Office of Social Justice at (505) 831-8205 for more information. The New Mexican By Susan Gallagher The Associated Press HELENA, Mont.

Three rules imposed by the Bush administration limit unlawfully the ability to influence U.S. Forest Service decisions on management of the forests, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy of Missoula issued an injunction Monday against a rule that requires people to specify objections to Forest Service projects while they are under consideration or forfeit the right to challenge them later. The injunction applies nationwide.

substantive-comment requirement was a serious problem because under these rules, members of the public might not even know that a project threatened their interests until after the Forest Service deadline for public lawyer Doug Honnold said Tuesday. a hunter, hiker or neighboring landowner, the Bush rule could cut you out of the said Honnold of Earthjustice, which represented The Wilderness Society, American Wildlands and Pacific Rivers Council in a lawsuit challenging rules issued in 2003. Named as defendants were Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, Undersecretary Mark Rey and Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth. A timber-industry group Tuesday defended the requirement for substantive comment. Timber-sale protesters come in ahead of time and have real reasons, rather than this boilerplate language that so many of the groups or individuals said Ellen Engstedt, executive vice president of the Montana Wood Products Association.

wait until the process is finished and then say, like The Forest Service had said the rules would help hasten removal of trees from overgrown forests that pose a wildfire hazard. Forest Service spokesman Dan Jiron said agency officials had not read decision and had no comment. comply with court orders, and if something else needs to be done, we will work with our Jiron said. Molloy also struck down a Forest Service rule that exempted some Forest Service projects from requirements for environmental analyses. The third rule allowed the government to bypass public involvement in national forest management by having the agriculture secretary or undersecretary sign decisions on agency projects.

Molloy agreed with federal court decisions in California that invalidated those two rules earlier. He said Congress wants the public to have rights to appeal Forest Service decisions. The rules challenged in the lawsuit contradict a 1992 law on Forest Service decision- making and appeals, and could shield some logging projects from administrative appeal entirely, the judge said. The Wilderness Society, American Wildlands and Pacific Rivers claimed the rules violated not only federal laws that were on the books, but also a 2002 ruling by Molloy. Federal court overrules Bush on forest policy ALLERGY MANAGEMENT Rodeo Lane, Suite A Santa Fe, NM ORAZON family health Family Health provides compassionate, state-of-the-art healthcare services, including Allergy Management diagnosis and treatment of seasonal, airborne, animal and other allergy-related symptoms.

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