"On the edge of the Navajo Nation is not a good place for a alcohol sales.

The owners of the now-closed Zia Bar and My Place Bar learned that the hard way through the dozens of deaths resulting from intoxicated patrons — drunken driving deaths, inebriated pedestrians getting run over by cars or patrons dying of exposure to the elements.

There may not be firm statistics on how many lives those bars cost, but anyone who remembers the stretch of white crosses that lined U.S. 64 west of Kirtland knows a heavy price was paid.

Those bars have been an unpleasant memory for years, but now a new owner has opened a convenience store in the old Zia Bar location and has applied for a liquor license.

While we commend new owner Adam Derizotis's desire to start new businesses so close to the Navajo Nation and to turn around a negative history, we have to question the wisdom of selling liquor in a location with such that past. The busy highway and harsh elements make it a dangerous place for drinkers to gather. Even though the bar is not returning, package liquor sales so close to the reservation can exacerbate the already critical DWI problem."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Zia Mart liquor license needs historical context (The Farmington Daily Times 10/16)

Earlier Story:
Notorious Zia Bar reopens in Kirtland (The Farmington Daily Times 10/12)