Pinedale Chapter gets new road grader

Pinedale Delegate Lawrence T. Morgan inspects the chapter's new road grader and backhoe. — © 2008 Gallup Independent / Courtesy photo

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Diné Bureau

PINEDALE — Whether it’s repairing roads, leveling home sites, or cleaning sheep corrals, Navajo Nation Council Speaker Lawrence Morgan’s chapter of Pinedale will be ready with its new Caterpillar road grader and back hoe.

The chapter purchased the grader using $150,000 of New Mexico capital outlay funds and $168,000 of Navajo Nation capital outlay funds. Funding was matched by the Nation and approved by the Transportation and Community Development Committee.

“We heard the diesel trucks rolling in,” said Clara Daye, community services coordinator for Pinedale Chapter House. “It was such a good feeling.”

Daye said the equipment will be used to benefit the community and will help to carry out requests the chapter receives on a daily basis. The grader will be available for use in November, after insurance and policies and procedures for use of the equipment are established.

“The community decided we should get a road grader for ourselves,” Daye said. “Our roads are very muddy and because of the high elevation we get a lot of snow compared to other communities.

“We plan to go out twice a month to do a general road grading,” she said.

Anselm Morgan, chapter vice president, said the road grader is the first all-wheel drive machine on the Navajo Nation. Chapter officials plan to have the machine blessed prior to using it.

Raphael Martin, chapter president, said it took more than just pushing papers to get the project complete. He said it took teamwork, unity, communication, understanding, cooperation and most importantly, willingness. Because there are multijurisdictional issues, Martin said these components were necessary.

Daye said the process to get the equipment has been tedious, with paperwork going between Pinedale and Window Rock.

Council delegates and staff from the chapter, Navajo Nation Department of Transportation, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs helped to complete the process.

“We’re hoping for positive production in this whole thing; we’re moving Pinedale forward,” Martin said. They’re also working on establishing a maintenance fund for the equipment.

Morgan, council delegate for Pinedale/Iyanbito, said it was the first time the community has had a grader.

Chapter officials plan to continue carrying out capital outlay projects in the community including infrastructure for a new head start building, a new resource building, basketball court and a road which leads from Pinedale to Iyanbito.