Publisher, city employee in another tussle

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

GALLUP — Another physical confrontation between Bob Weekes, director of the city’s golf course and Bob Zollinger, publisher of the Gallup Independent occurred Wednesday outside City Hall. It ended with one person claiming to have a broken rib and the city looking at seeking a restraining order.

According to Zollinger, it began Wednesday afternoon as he was leaving City Hall after going the City’s Clerk’s office to vote in the city election.

As he was walking toward the street, he saw Weekes coming out of the other door and he said he asked when the golf course was opening up. There was no reply, so he said he asked again, “When is the golf course opening up?”

Still no reply from Weekes. The two are now about a foot apart and Zollinger said as he took a step forward, Weekes “barges forward.”

“I’m falling down,” Zollinger said, adding that Weekes lands on him and breaks one of his ribs.

Weekes then offers to help him up and Zollinger says no.

Instead of leaving, he decides to go back into City Hall and see if City Attorney R. David Peterson is his office. He isn’t, so Zollinger says he heads back to the city manager’s office, planning to see either the city manager or the mayor.

Neither are in but Weekes is there so Zollinger says he asks again when the golf course was going to open. No answer so Zollinger said he asked Marlene Custer, Herrera’s administrative assistant, to ask Weekes when the golf course was opening. Neither responded.

“It was like I didn’t exist,” Zollinger said, saying he then left.

When contacted about the incident, Weekes said “I really have no comment.”

But the city released a news release on Thursday detailing Weekes’ version of the incident and, as expected, it differs in many ways from Zollinger’s version.

The city version agrees that both were coming out of separate doors in the building. But in this version, the confrontation began when Zollinger noticed Weekes and then “stepped into his pathway and kept blocking the golf director from exiting the area.”

While continuing to block his way, Zollinger caused both to get their legs entangled and “both fell to the pavement.”

Weekes goes to his vehicle and then comes back and goes into the city manager’s office “where some time later the publisher followed.”

“The publisher stopped at the administrative assistant’s desk and wanted to see the mayor or the city manager who were both out of the office or the area.”

Zollinger, according to the city version, then noticed Weekes sitting in the lobby area “and proceeded to verbally accost him about the opening of the golf course.

At this point, the police department was called to the area and the publisher exited the scene prior to their arrival.”

This was the second time that city police have been called because of a confrontation between the two men. Several weeks ago, police were called to Weekes’ office at the golf course after a complaint was made that Zollinger had barged into a meeting that Weekes was having with Alex Alvarez, the course golf pro and wouldn’t leave.

Zollinger said he was there to meet Alvarez and accused Weekes of attacking him and pushing him to the ground, causing him to hurt his hip.

City police took a report but no charges were filed against either man. The city conducted an investigation, which basically exonerated Weekes although Alvarez, who was a witness, filed a report upholding Zollinger’s version.

After that incident, according to the press release, Weekes was instructed by the city’s legal representative not to talk to Zollinger “because of pending litigation.”

On Thursday, both sides were talking about taking legal action against the other.

Zollinger said he plans to file criminal charges against Weekes for battery. Herrera said that the city is looking at getting a restraining order against Zollinger which would not allow him to get within 50 feet of Weekes.