Reporter's Notebook

Rain dampens people but not mood

By Noel Lyn Smith
Navajo Times

WINDOW ROCK, Dec. 15, 2011

Illuminated by the headlights of a Ford Expedition, the St. Michael Church Choir sang in celebration of the Christmas holiday.

The group was part of the Késhmish tree lighting held Tuesday evening at Veterans Memorial Park.

Huddled under a small canopy to escape the rain, the choir serenaded crowd of about 40 people with "Silent Night," "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "Away in a Manger," and "Joy to the World" in English and Navajo.

Herman Begay, a Facilities Managment worker, stood in the back and enjoyed the music while admiring his handiwork.

Begay said four maintenance workers began decorating at 1 p.m., using 15-foot strings of green, multi-colored and clear lights. They used a crane to string 20 sets of lights onto three large trees.

The trees will be lit nightly through the holidays.

They also placed a row of luminarias on the sandstone wall that separates the park from the parking lot.

"It's something new," Begay said as the lights reflected off his hardhat.

Sherrick Roanhorse, the president's chief of staff, said it was the first Christmas tree lighting held by president's office and was intended to bring the community together to celebrate the season.

"This is the first time that we have ever done something like this," Roanhorse said. "We want to make sure that next year is a bigger and better event but this is a good start."

Before introducing Vice President Rex Lee Jim, Roanhorse thanked Facilities Management for the decorations and the Department of Navajo Veterans Affairs for allowing the park to be used.

As Jim addressed the crowd, a group of children played in the glow of a big pi–on tree strewn with clear lights.

Fort Defiance resident Lee Hoskie Nez Jr. stood by, keeping a protective eye on his son Lee Nez III, 4, and four relatives - Adian Bitsue, 6, Angleta Yazzie, 6, Ci-enna Nez, 5, and Kimora Gail, 4 - he'd brought to the event.

From time to time one of the children paused to touch a lighted plastic decoration shaped like a peppermint candy hanging from a wooden fence.

"We got them ready, now they are here running around playing. They like watching the lights," Nez said.

Nez also brought his fiancée, Melinda Yazzie, their 15-month-old daughter, McKalye Nez, and his mother-in-law, grandmother, father and uncle.

As the event drew to a close and the lights were turned off due to the persistent rain, Roanhorse invited everyone to have refreshments in the president's office.

People gathered in the lobby for coffee and hot chocolate, accompanied by cookies and mini muffins. Melvina Nyysti of Window Rock held her Christmas treat bag filled with hard candy, apples, oranges and peanuts.

"It was fun," said Nyysti, a member of the St. Michael choir. "We liked the lights on the fence. They changed colors and blinked."

Miss Navajo Nation Crystalyne Curley, who also performed at the event, greeted guests and said her moccasins were "soaked and wet" from standing in the rain but that did not dampen her Christmas spirit.

Curley said she took part to help kick off the spirit of the holiday and to share the message of love, appreciation and community.

"The light-of-the-world message," she added.

President Ben Shelly missed the tree lighting because he was late returning from an event in Farmington, but arrived at his office as the evening concluded.

"Where's the lights?" he asked.

Fannie Bahe, a member of the St. Michael Church Choir for 26 years, said it was an honor for the choir to perform at the event.

Also performing was the Window Rock Elementary School Choir.