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NAFTA
US wants to restrict Mexican truckers Negotiators ask to remove long-haul service from chapter in trade pact By Greg Quinn, Josh Wingrove and Eric Martin BL O O MBE RG
The U.S. has proposed another difficult change to the North American Free Trade Agreement that could eventually restrict long-haul Mexican truckers from operating in the country, according to people familiar with the discussions. American negotiators asked
to remove Mexico’s long-haul industry from a NAFTA chapter on cross-border services, according to an industry official familiar with the proposal who isn’t authorized to speak publicly. That could open the door to restrictions on truckers, as losing NAFTA trade protections and advantages would make it harder for Mexico to challenge any future U.S. requirements on trucks such as
new safety checks. One government official familiar with the text said the U.S. proposal would allow restrictions and limitations on Mexican trucking if certain conditions were reached, while another official described it as a broad industry exclusion that came during the last round of talks in October. Neither was authorized to speak publicly. NAFTA continues on A8
VETERANS DAY 2017
Ricardo Santos / Laredo Morning Times
The first commercial truck from Mexico that will travel to Garland, Texas from Apocada, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, crossed the World Trade Bridge from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico into Laredo on Oct. 21, 2011. U.S. negotiators have asked to remove Mexico’s long-haul industry from NAFTA during recent talks.
ZAPATA COUNTY
PRESERVING A LEGACY
Highway 83 expansion to open for business SPECIAL TO THE TIME S
Zapata County will be celebrating the long-awaited expansion to U.S. Highway 83 with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 16. The ceremony will be held in front of the Justice of the Peace Juana M.B. Gutierrez’s office, located at 1103 N. Highway 83 in San Ygnacio. The event’s hosts include
Zapata County Pct. 2 Comissioner Olga Elizondo, former Pct. 2 comissioner Angel Garza, and the community of San Ygnacio. “In any small community, we all have our differences, but the people of San Ygnacio have always come together to protect its resources, from the Falcon Dam to the shaping of the highHighway continues on A8
SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, TEXAS
Residents struggle to recover from mass shooting Law enforcement reopens intersection in front of First Baptist Church Sarah A. Miller / Associated Press
In this photo, members of the Marine Corps League's Rose City Detachment 1354 surround Marty Bruce at her home in Tyler, Texas. Bruce requested help to organize Navy and Marine Corps items passed down to her from her mother and father. Pictured from left back row, J.B. Robinson, Hue Adams, Jesse McCall, Donald Monn and front row, Chuck Tompkins and Bruce.
Woman receives help in honoring her father’s military service By Augusta Robinson TYLE R MORNI NG T E LEGRAPH
T
YLER — Marty Bruce, of Tyler, has always regarded her late father as a hero, and a box she found about three years ago proved her theory. Now she’s getting help preserving his legacy defending his country with a different kind of box — a shadowbox showcasing his service and honors. The Tyler Morning Telegraph reports the cardboard box Bruce found belonged to her mother, Betty Currier, and contained her father’s military awards and paperwork. Inside Bruce found details of Burton Currier’s military career, which spanned more than 30 years and included service in the Canadian Air Force, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. “When you’re a teenager you don’t care what your folks do,” Bruce said. “It wasn’t until recently that I wanted to tell a story.” A recent desire to display the items properly in a shadowbox led her to Hue Adams, of the
Marine Corps League’s Rose City Detachment. “We’re going to take care of our own,” said Adams, who is also a Marine Corps veteran. “In the Marine Corps we call it ‘esprit de corps.”’ The organization recently began helping Bruce research and arrange her father’s awards for the shadowbox. Adams said there is a proper protocol for how each item in the shadowbox should be laid out. Among Currier’s many honors is the Distinguished Flying Cross. Although Bruce said Currier never discussed anything about his experiences overseas, she has learned of a time he shot down three Japanese A6M “Zero” fighter planes. Another story about her father remained a secret for many years. “He was flying over Japan and he got shot,” Bruce said. “He got shrapnel on his back. He told my mom for years he’d had warts removed. “She found out years later he’d got shot,” she Legacy continues on A8
By Paul J. Weber and Emily Schmall ASSOCIAT ED PRE SS
SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas — Volunteers donated blood at a community hall and others stocked the refrigerator and laid out loaves of bread at a food pantry as the stunned community of Sutherland Springs struggled to recover from the shooting at a Baptist church that left more than two dozen dead. Law enforcement officials reopened the intersection Thursday where the First Baptist Church sits, but black mesh material was tied to the chainlink fence surrounding it. With the church door open, a tall wooden cross could be seen at the altar. Judy and Rod Green, who married at the church 15 years ago, prepared Thursday to open the By His Grace food pantry next door for a weekly Friday morning meal service. A few blocks away, Alice Garcia, a Sutherland Springs native and the president of the unincorporated town’s community association, prepared with her husband, Oscar, the annual Veterans Day memorial on the grounds of the community hall,
when the church victims with military backgrounds will receive a full military salute. “Everyone in the community is doing what they can, but honestly everyone feels so helpless,” 20-year-old Karyssa Calbert of neighboring Floresville, Texas, said at the hall. Six months pregnant, Calbert couldn’t donate blood but came to the community hall to offer moral support. “People are donating time, donating money, donating prayers, but it still feels like it’s not enough,” she said. The church will be demolished, the pastor said. Pastor Frank Pomeroy told leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention earlier this week that it would be too painful to continue using First Baptist Church as a place of worship. Pomeroy discussed the state of the building with the denomination’s top executives, who traveled to the rural community in a show of support, a national Southern Baptist spokesman said. The pastor described the church as “too stark of a reminder” of the massacre, spokesman Sing Oldham said. No final decisions can be Shooting continues on A8
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, November 11, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2017
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
First United Methodist Church Annual Rummage Sale. 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., 1220 McClelland Church’s Fellowship Hall. FamilySearch.org Workshop (Genealogy): Research your family history. 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. All ages. Free event.
TUESDAY, NOV. 14 Knit with Us: Learn to Knit. For adults. Free and open to the public. 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. For more information, call 956-795-2400, ext. 2403. National Apprenticeship Week Kick-Off event. 10 a.m. Transcontinental Distribution Services Inc., 14213 Transportation Ave. More Information: 956-794-6500 LEGO Night. 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Play with LEGOs and LEGO robotics. All ages. Free and open to the public.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 15 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions. Teen Volunteers Weekly Meeting. 6:15 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Middle school and high school students can earn community hours.
THURSDAY, NOV. 16 Preschool Books & Boogie: Songs and crafts for toddlers. 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Free event.
FRIDAY, NOV. 17 12th Annual Radiothon. Hosted by Make A Wish Foundation and Big Buck Country 98.1. 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. at Mall del Norte, Centre Court. Call 712-9474 to pledge or renew support. For more information, call 235-0673.
Joseph Eid / AFP/Getty Images
Posters of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who resigned last week in a televised speech airing from the Saudi capital Riyadh, hang on Beirut's seaside corniche on Friday.
TENSIONS RISE IN MIDDLE EAST By Anne Barnard and David M. Halbfinger THE NEW YORK TIME S
BEIRUT — When Lebanon’s prime minister, Saad Hariri, made a sudden trip abroad last week, it was taken at first to be a routine visit with his political patron, Saudi Arabia. But the next day, he unexpectedly announced his resignation by video from Riyadh, the Saudi capital. He has yet to return to Lebanon. On Friday, the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah, part of his governing coalition at home, charged that the Saudis were holding him against his will, while the
Saudis have said they were protecting him from an unspecified assassination plot. Now the Hariri case has become just one in a profusion of bewildering events that are escalating tensions in the Middle East and fueling anxiety about whether the region is on the verge of war. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned Friday “against any party, within or outside Lebanon, using Lebanon as a venue for proxy conflicts or in any manner contributing to instability in that country,” a message apparently aimed at Hezbollah as well as Saudi Arabia.
SATURDAY, NOV. 18 FamilySearch.org Workshop (Genealogy): Research your family history. 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. All ages. Free event. Percy Jackson Book Club. To Discuss Sea of Monsters. 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Free Books While Supplies Last. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. All ages. Free event. Enriching your faith through scouting. 2 p.m. Mass at 6 p.m. Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall, 2219 Galveston St. The Diocese of Laredo Catholic Committee on Scouting presents a mini retreat for all adult leaders and volunteers. The fee is $20. For information on how to register, contact Alexandra Manrique at amanrique@gsgst.org or Rodolfo Sanchez at san1a5s9b1@sbcglobal.net.
UN Security Council to discuss worsening Venezuela situation UNITED NATIONS — The United States and Italy have organized an informal Security Council meeting on Venezuela, saying they want to hear firsthand accounts of the deteriorating political, economic and social situation in the oil-rich nation and the humanitarian impact on the region.
A note circulated to council members and obtained Friday by The Associated Press says the meeting on Monday afternoon will also provide an opportunity "to discuss the role the international community and regional organizations can play in seeking a political solution and facilitating humanitarian access to those affected by the tensions." It said speakers at the open meeting will be U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein, Organization of American States Secretary-General Luis
TUESDAY, NOV. 21
AROUND THE NATION
Knit with Us: Learn to Knit. For adults. Free and open to the public. 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. For more information, call 956-795-2400, ext. 2403.
Daughter alleges abused by polygamous sect leader
LEGO Night. 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Play with LEGOs and LEGO robotics. All ages. Free and open to the public.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 22 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Teen Volunteers Weekly Meeting. 6:15 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Middle school and high school students can earn community hours.
THURSDAY, NOV. 23 Preschool Books & Boogie: Songs and crafts for toddlers. 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Free event.
SATURDAY, NOV. 25 FamilySearch.org Workshop (Genealogy): Research your family history. 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. All ages. Free event.
TUESDAY, NOV. 28 A family night event. St. Patrick Church Men's Club bowling tournament fundraiser. 5:30 p.m. Jett Bowl North for scholarships and other parish needs. $125 per team of five. Lane sponsorships are $500, $300, $200. Information call Dennis Eveland 286-2118 or Narciso Castro 740-2226. Knit with Us: Learn to Knit. For adults. Free and open to the public. 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. For more information, call 956-795-2400, ext. 2403. LEGO Night. 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Play with LEGOs and LEGO robotics. All ages. Free and open to the public.
SALT LAKE CITY — A daughter of polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs said he sexually abused her for years when she was a child growing up in the secretive group, according to an interview aired Friday on “Megyn Kelly Today.” Rachel Jeffs, now 33, said the abuse began when she was 8 and happened countless times, despite her mother’s attempt to intervene, before she confronted him about it in a letter at age 16. Other former members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, including son Roy Jeffs, have also accused him of sexually abusing them as children. Warren Jeffs is serving a life prison sentence for assaulting girls he considered wives.
Almagro, Joseph Cornelius Donnelly who heads Caritas International's U.N. office, and Julio Henriquez, international coordinator of the Foro Penal Venezolano. Venezuela's government has faced international criticism since the country's Supreme Court gutted powers of the opposition-controlled congress in March. The ruling was later reversed, but a new constitutional assembly composed entirely of government loyalists has claimed supreme power. — Compiled from AP reports
Trent Nelson / AP
One of Warren Jeff’s daughters has said she was sexually abused and forced into a polygamous marriage by her father.
At age 18, Rachel Jeffs was informed she’d become the third wife of a man in the group. The prospect left her shaken and afraid, as did her father’s suggestion that she try to become pregnant with her new husband’s child on the day of the wedding. She left the group after her
father sent her away from her children for months at a time over perceived wrongs she denied committing. “I felt that he was punishing me for what he did to me. Like he was trying to break me and make me feel like I was worse than him,” she said. “I didn’t want to let him break me.” — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND TEXAS 3 teens accused of sexually assaulting girl in restroom CEDAR HILL — Three teens have been charged with aggravated sexual assault after they were accused of raping a mentally disabled classmate in a restroom at their school. Charged in the October assault are 19-year-old Sylvanus Lanier and Marco Garcia and Elijah Willis, both 17. The Dallas Morning News reports po-
Today is Saturday, Nov. 11, the 315th day of 2017. There are 50 days left in the year. This is Veterans Day in the U.S., Remembrance Day in Canada. Today's Highlight in History: On Nov. 11, 1918, fighting in World War I ended as the Allies and Germany signed an armistice in the Forest of Compiegne (kohm-PYEHN'-yeh). On this date: In 1620, 41 Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, anchored off Massachusetts, signed a compact calling for a "body politick." In 1778, British redcoats, Tory rangers and Seneca Indians in central New York killed more than 40 people in the Cherry Valley Massacre. In 1831, former slave Nat Turner, who'd led a violent insurrection, was executed in Jerusalem, Virginia. In 1889, Washington became the 42nd state. In 1917, Liliuokalani Hawaii's first and only queen and its last monarch, died in Honolulu at age 79. In 1921, the remains of an unidentified American service member were interred in a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in a ceremony presided over by President Warren G. Harding. In 1938, Irish-born cook Mary Mallon, who'd gained notoriety as the diseasecarrying "Typhoid Mary" blamed for the deaths of three people, died on North Brother Island in New York's East River at age 69 after 23 years of mandatory quarantine. In 1942, during World War II, Germany completed its occupation of France. In 1966, Gemini 12 blasted off on a four-day mission with astronauts James A. Lovell and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. aboard; it was the tenth and final flight of NASA's Gemini program. In 1972, the U.S. Army turned over its base at Long Binh to the South Vietnamese, symbolizing the end of direct U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War. In 1987, following the failure of two Supreme Court nominations, President Ronald Reagan announced his choice of Judge Anthony M. Kennedy, who went on to win confirmation. In 1992, the Church of England voted to ordain women as priests. Ten years ago: President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said Pakistan would stick to its January schedule for parliamentary elections, but set no time limit on emergency rule. Marking his fifth Veterans Day since the invasion of Iraq, President George W. Bush honored U.S. troops past and present at a tearful ceremony in Texas. Five years ago: President Barack Obama laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery and said the Sept. 11 generation had "written one of the greatest chapters" in the country's military service, toppling a dictator and battling an insurgency in Iraq, pushing back the Taliban in Afghanistan and decimating al-Qaida's leadership. One year ago: President-elect Donald Trump shook up his transition team as he plunged into the work of setting up his administration, elevating Vice President-elect Mike Pence to head the operations. Three days after Election Day, President Barack Obama used his last Veterans Day speech to urge Americans to learn from the example of veterans as a divided nation sought to "forge unity" after the bitter 2016 campaign. Actor Robert Vaughn, 83, died in Connecticut. Today's Birthdays: Actress June Whitfield (TV and film: "Absolutely Fabulous") is 92. Actress Bibi Andersson is 82. Country singer Narvel Felts is 79. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., is 77. Americana roots singer/songwriter Chris Smither is 73. Rock singermusician Vince Martell (Vanilla Fudge) is 72. The president of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, is 72. Rock singer Jim Peterik (Ides of March, Survivor) is 67. Golfer Fuzzy Zoeller is 66. Pop singermusician Paul Cowsill (The Cowsills) is 66. Rock singer-musician Andy Partridge (XTC) is 64. Singer Marshall Crenshaw is 64. Rock singer Dave Alvin is 62. Rock musician Ian Craig Marsh (Human League; Heaven 17) is 61. Actor Stanley Tucci is 57. Actress Demi Moore is 55. Actress Calista Flockhart is 53. Actor Philip McKeon is 53. Rock musician Scott Mercado is 53. Actor Frank John Hughes is 50. TV personality Carson Kressley is 48. Actor David DeLuise is 46. Actor Adam Beach is 45. Actor Tyler Christopher is 45. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is 43. Actor Scoot McNairy is 40. Rock musician Jonathan Pretus (Cowboy Mouth) is 36. NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez is 31. Actress Christa B. Allen is 26. Actor Tye Sheridan is 21. Actor Ian Patrick is 15. Thought for Today: "Life happens too fast for you ever to think about it. If you could just persuade people of this, but they insist on amassing information." — Kurt Vonnegut, American author (born this date in 1922, died 2007).
CONTACT US lice allege the teens alternated as lookouts outside a Cedar Hill High School restroom Oct. 19 while each sexually assaulted the 16-year-old girl, who reported the assault four days later. The suspects were arrested last week. Lanier and Willis remain in Dallas County jail, while Garcia is free on $100,000 bond.
Hopsital won't reopen after flood damage
HOUSTON — Officials with East Houston Regional Medical Center say even though the facility was rebuilt after previous storms, they determined it wouldn't be safe to continue operating the hospital. Although the hospital was equipped with flood gates, nearly six feet of water inundated it during Harvey. Hospital officials say they're working with nearly 500 employees to offer them jobs at other facilities. — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, November 11, 2017 |
A3
STATE
Lawyers argue Sutherland church to be against state demolished, says pastor immigration law By Paul J. Weber and Emily Schmall ASSOCIATED PRE SS
By Kevin Mcgill A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW ORLEANS — Attorneys for numerous Texas local governments and immigrant advocates told a federal appeals court Tuesday that a Texas law aimed at cracking down on so-called sanctuary cities puts illegal and unconstitutional burdens on local authorities. The Texas Legislature approved the law in the spring. It requires local law enforcement agencies to honor federal immigration requests to detain people in local jails for possible deportation. The law also allows police to inquire about people's immigration status during routine interactions such as traffic stops. It subjects some law enforcement officials with removal from office and criminal charges if they don't comply with the law. Opponents argue, among other things, that the law illegally puts local law enforcement officers in the role of federal immigration officers, and that it puts local officers in the position of violating detainees' constitutional rights against illegal search and seizure. The critics also argue that some parts of the law are unconstitutional because they are vague as to exactly how local officers are to fulfill their duties with respect to immigration law. Members of the threejudge 5th Circuit Court of Appeals panel questioned the law's opponents closely, and Judge Edith Jones appeared skeptical of some of their claims. Jones and Judge Jerry Smith both questioned a municipality's legal standing to bring a claim under the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment, which they said is usually asserted by an individual being harmed, rather than a government entity. Jones also pushed back on arguments that the law is vague with its bar on patterns or practices that "materially limit" immigration enforcement. "We all know it when we see it," said Jones, who also said the burdens placed on local law enforcement appear small. "It amounts to making phone calls," she said. Lee Gelernt, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney representing the border city of El Cenizo, disagreed. He said the law, known as SB4, takes away local law enforcement leaders' ability to prioritize law enforcement actions under constant threat of criminal
fines or even removal from office. "In the past, you could do whatever cooperation you wanted and you weren't penalized," Gelernt said later, outside the courthouse. Under the new law, he said, local authorities could be compelled to participate in raids or other actions. "It's a drain on big cities, but it's also a drain like cities like El Cenizo ... where there are far fewer police officers." Opponents also said the law is written so broadly that some local officials could face punishment for even speaking out against it, an argument disputed by Texas Solicitor General Scott Keller. The 5th Circuit panel did not indicate when it would rule. Tuesday's arguments mark the second time in as many months that 5th Circuit judges heard arguments in the case. After U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia blocked much of the law on Aug. 30, Texas sought an emergency order allowing enforcement. A three-judge 5th Circuit panel heard arguments on Sept. 22 while immigrant advocates beat drums and chanted outside the federal courthouse in New Orleans. Days later the panel eased restrictions on enforcement of the law with a complex order that was interpreted differently by both sides. Municipal officials from Dallas, Houston, El Paso, San Antonio and Austin are among the opponents. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund is representing some localities. President Donald Trump's administration backs the law. The U.S. Justice Department has joined Texas in defending it. There were no demonstrations outside the courthouse Tuesday. After the hearing, local officials opposed to the law told reporters it promotes racial profiling and is engendering fear among families in immigrant communities. Texas Attorney General Paxton, reading from a prepared statement, said an aim of the law is to protect the state's citizens from criminal immigrants. "Americans overwhelmingly understand that one of our first duties as a nation is to protect our citizens," he said. In addition to Smith and Jones, both nominated by President Ronald Reagan, Judge Edward Prado, nominated by President George W. Bush, was on the panel.
SUTHERLAND SPRINGS — The Texas church where more than two dozen people were killed by a gunman during Sunday services will be demolished, the pastor said. Pastor Frank Pomeroy told leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention earlier this week that it would be too painful to continue using First Baptist Church as a place of worship. Pomeroy discussed the state of the building with the denomination's top executives, who traveled to the rural community in a show of support, a national Southern Baptist spokesman said. The pastor described the church as "too stark of a reminder" of the massacre, spokesman Sing Oldham said. No final decisions can be made without consulting congregants, but Pomeroy discussed turning the site into a memorial for the dead and putting up a new building on property the church owns, Oldham said. Charlene Uhl, mother of 16-year-old Haley Krueger, who died in the attack, agreed that the church should come down. There should still be a church "but not here," she said Thursday as she visited a row of white crosses commemorating the victims in front of the building. She said her daughter attended worship services and a weekly Thursday night youth group meeting held by another victim, Karla Holcombe. Jeannie Brown, visiting from Indiana, stopped at the site with her daughter, who used to live in Sutherland Springs but left decades ago for San Antonio. Asked whether the church should be destroyed, Brown said: "Yes. Who would want to go back in there? But then if it is destroyed, does that mean he (the gunman) won?"
Scott Olson / Getty Images
First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs will be demolished following the massacre that claimed 26 lives, says Frank Pomeroy, the church’s pastor.
Other sites of mass shootings have been torn down, including Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, where a gunman killed 20 children and six adults in December 2012. A new school was built elsewhere. A one-room Amish schoolhouse near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was torn down in 2006, 10 days after an assailant took children hostage and shot and killed five girls ages 6 to 13. The previous site of the school is now a pasture. A nearly identical schoolhouse with a security
fence was erected nearby and named New Hope School. The father of the gunman broke the family's silence and said his relatives are grieving. Michael Kelley spoke to ABC News on Wednesday from his home in New Braunfels, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) north of Sutherland Springs. He said he does not want the "media circus" surrounding the attack by Devin Patrick Kelley to destroy "our lives, our grandchildren's lives." A motive remains unclear, but the younger Kelley appears to have
targeted the church because it was attended by his wife's family. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being shot and chased by two residents when he was leaving the church, authorities said. The gunman shot and killed 25 people at the church. Authorities have put the official toll at 26, because one of the victims was pregnant. All the victims died at the scene, except for one child who died at a hospital. Eleven people remained hospitalized Thursday with wounds they suffered in the attack.
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A4 | Saturday, November 11, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
On Armistice Day, let us celebrate peace By Kathy Kelly TR IBUNE NEWS SE RV ICE
Wilfred Owen, an English poet who was killed in action exactly one week before the Armistice that finally ended World War I was signed, wrote about the horrors of living in trenches and enduring gas warfare. In "The Parable of the Old Man and the Young," he revises the Biblical narrative about Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Believing God willed the slaughter, Abraham prepared to bind Isaac and slay him. Owen transforms Abraham into the European powers who were willing to slaughter youthful generations in the trenches of World War I. Only in this telling, Abraham refuses to heed the angel who urges that the son be spared. The old man "slew the son, and half the seed of Europe, one by one." Thirty million soldiers were killed or wounded and another 7 million taken captive during World War I. Some 50 to 100 million perished from a flu epidemic created by the war. "Never before," writes author and activist David Swanson, "had people witnessed such industrialized slaughter, with tens of thousands falling in a day to machine guns and poison gas." A stunned and exhausted West greeted Nov. 11, 1918, the day the war came to an end, as its delivery from horror. In 1938, Congress declared Armistice Day a legal holiday dedicated to the cause of world peace. In 1954 the holiday was renamed Veterans Day and morphed into an
occasion for flag waving and military parades. Now, members of the group Veterans for Peace are working across the U.S. to recover the original purpose of Armistice Day. They are using it to call for adequate psychological and material support for veterans, to help them cope with the terrors they have been forced to endure. Above all, they work to abolish wars. This year on Nov. 11, at 11 a.m., Veterans for Peace chapters across the United States will ring bells, recalling that minute in 1918 when, as Kurt Vonnegut wrote, "millions upon millions of human beings stopped butchering one another." "This event is more than just a historical remembrance," says Ed Flaherty, a member of the Iowa City Chapter of Veterans for Peace. "It is about today, about our pressing need to reverse the war-momentum and to take up the sweet burden of creating lasting peace." Writing on behalf of the group’s Tom Paine chapter in Albany, New York, John Amidon explains that the veterans will be "purposefully walking" in the local Veterans day parade because "we ain’t marching anymore." The tragically stubborn "old man" in Owen’s poem rejected the angel’s intervention urging him to choose life over death. We do not have to keep making that same mistake. Armistice Day gives us an opportunity to acknowledge the brutal futility of armed conflict, the wastefulness of our military spending, and the responsibility we share to abolish all wars.
OPINION
Do the right thing for Rosa Maria WA S H INGT ON P O ST
Ten-year-old Rosa Maria Hernandez is finally and thankfully back home with her family. Federal officials who had detained the undocumented immigrant with cerebral palsy as she was recovering from surgery were essentially shamed into doing the right thing - the humane thing. Let’s hope that continues so that a fragile little girl who poses no threat to anyone is allowed to stay in the country where her family has made a home and where she is able to receive the best treatment. Rosa Maria was released last week from a federal detention facility and reunited with her parents in Laredo, Texas, 11 days after she was taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol. Rosa Maria, who has the cognitive ability of a 6-year-old, was in an ambulance on her way to the hospital when she was stopped at a checkpoint and then kept under constant guard by federal agents as she underwent gallbladder surgery. Contrary to the advice of medical
professionals, federal officials refused to release her to her family but instead placed her in a detention facility 150 miles from her home. It was only after a public outcry that included a federal lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union and inquiries from Congress, including some Republicans, that she was released Friday. But her release may not be the end; she still faces the possibility of deportation. Immigration officials, according to Rosa Maria’s attorneys, have not made clear whether they intend to proceed with deportation proceedings against her. The amount of effort already expended to go after this sick little girl is just astounding and clearly out of whack with President Donald Trump’s stated promise to go after “bad hombres.” Immigration officials should exercise some discretion: Do the right thing, the humane thing, and regularize Rosa Maria’s status so she can remain in the only home she has ever known.
COLUMN
Weinstein, Trump and the end of self-silencing Cass R. Sunstein BL OOMBERG NEWS
The continuing revelations about Harvey Weinstein tell us something important about sexual harassment and sexual violence, and also about civil-rights movements and social change more broadly. In brief: Because of social norms, people often shut up, even if they are humiliated, hurt or angry. It is only when norms start to shift that people feel free to disclose what they have experienced, and to say what they think. Once they are unleashed, social upheaval can result. But it is hard or even impossible to predict whether that will happen - and what form it will take. I learned something about self-silencing and sexual harassment in the late 1980s, when I was a visiting professor at Columbia Law School. In the hallway near my office, a law student (female) was speaking to an older law professor (male). To my astonishment, the professor was stroking the student’s hair. I thought I glimpsed a grimace on her face -- a quick flash. When he left, I said to her: “That was completely inappropriate. He shouldn’t have done that.” Her response was dismissive: “It’s fine. It’s really not a problem.” Thirty minutes later, I heard a knock on my door. It was the student. She was in tears. She said: “He does this all the time. It’s horrible. My boyfriend thinks I should make a formal complaint, but I don’t want to do that. Please -- I don’t want to make a fuss. Do
not talk to him about it and do not tell anyone.” After hearing my little comment, the student was willing to tell me what she actually thought. But back then, the norm against making any kind of public complaint was apparently pretty firm - firm enough that she was unwilling to confront her harasser. In the past decades, of course, that norm has been greatly weakened. In some places, at least, victims have been unleashed, in the sense that they can disclose their experiences. But as shown by the length of time that it took for the accusations against Weinstein to come to light, there is still a taboo, in other places, against public complaints (partly for reasons brilliantly explored by the writer and actress Brit Marling). In these circumstances, “norm entrepreneurs” - people who are willing to speak out and try to change the norm - can be crucial. It helps if they’re famous. But sheer numbers can be enough. Eventually there can be a social cascade, as people are influenced by the thoughts and deeds of others, so that what was once silence is replaced by a loud and continuing cry: #MeToo. That is what we’re observing for sexual harassment and assault, but similar processes have occurred in countless domains. As late as 2007, it might have seemed preposterous to predict that, within a decade, numerous states would recognize same-sex marriages, let alone that the Supreme Court would require all states to do so.
But that happened, above all, for one reason: Many gays and lesbians came out of the closet. When faced with one’s own son or daughter -or neighbors, colleagues and heroes -- it became much harder to be homophobic or to support bans on same-sex marriage. When norms shift, so that people stop silencing themselves, injustice and cruelty can be exposed, and societies can advance. But sometimes the opposite can occur. Selfsilencing is often a product of norms that hold societies together - and that help to prevent terrible things, even horrors. Changes in social norms can liberate malignant human impulses as well. For example, Adolf Hitler could be characterized as a norm entrepreneur early in his rise to power, when he helped free people to express anti-Semitic sentiments and encouraged them to do so. Some contemporary leaders in Europe are pushing to loosen norms that suppress various forms of racial, religious and ethnic hatred. In the United States, both the right and the left are now feeling silenced. A recent report from the Cato Institute finds that 58 percent of Americans believe that the political climate stops them from saying what they really think. Revealingly, the number is higher among Republicans (73 percent) than among Democrats (53 percent). In this light, it should not have surprised anyone that in the 2016 elections, Republicans did far better than pollsters
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
projected. Many of those who supported Republican candidates, and Donald Trump in particular, were silently simmering. In voting booths, they could express views they may have felt reluctant to talk about openly. Seen in this light, Trump’s repeated denunciations of “political correctness” have been an ingenious strategy. He is signaling that a lot of people are being pressured to shut up about their actual beliefs which, he believes, often overlap with his own. He’s trying to relax existing norms and to give people a kind of permission slip. To some extent, he is succeeding. Regrettably, some left-leaning people on college campuses have worked to weaken norms in favor of freedom of speech, unleashing students to call for suppression of speakers whose views they abhor. In well-functioning societies, healthy norms promote freedom of many different kinds, and they can be both precious and fragile. All social movements are different, of course, but changes in social norms, and various forms of unleashing, help account for the collapse of Communism; the rise of disability rights; the fall of authoritarianism in parts of North Africa; and the antismoking movement. They also account for McCarthyism and the recent increase in xenophobia. Ours is an era of unleashing -- for better or worse. Buckle your seatbelts: A lot of people are in for a rocky ride. Cass Sunstein is a Bloomberg View columnist.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, November 11, 2017 |
A5
ENTERTAINMENT
Comedian Louis C.K. confesses about sexual misconduct By Mark Kennedy A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — With his career imploding over allegations of sexual misconduct, comedian Louis C.K. confessed Friday to masturbating in front of women and expressed remorse for wielding his influence “irresponsibly.” The comedian said in a statement that the harassment claims by five women detailed in a New York Times report published Thursday “are true.” “I can hardly wrap my head around the scope of hurt I brought on them,” he said. “There is nothing about this that I forgive myself for,” he
wrote. “And I have to reconcile it with who I am. Which is nothing compared to the task I left them with.” Louis C.K. He apologized to the cast and crew of several projects he’s been working on, his family, children and friends, his manager and the FX network, among others. The 438-word statement ends with the comedian vowing to stop talking and leave the spotlight, stating, “I will now step back and take a long time to listen.” The comedian stepped for-
ward on the same day the indie distributor The Orchard said it will scrap the release of C.K.’s film “I Love You, Daddy.” C.K. has already been edited out of the upcoming HBO benefit “Night of Too Many Stars” and his work is being scrubbed from the cable network’s vaults. More fallout came Friday when Netflix said it will not produce a second planned standup special starring the comedian, citing his “unprofessional and inappropriate behavior.” He had been tapped for two specials, with the first airing in April. At least five of the comedian’s stand-up specials remain on Netflix. In a further blow, FX Net-
Taylor Swift’s ‘reputation’ album is pure pop magic By Mesfin Fekadu A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
If you’d stop thinking about her reputation, you’d actually appreciate the musicality of Taylor Swift’s “reputation.” Sure, she named the album that so there will be blog posts and essays deciphering the lyrics — was that about Kanye? Calvin? — but listen to the music, and you’ll discover pure pop magic. On 2014’s “1989,” Swift showed she could deliver great pop songs. On “reputation,” her sixth album and second pop effort, she has mastered it. The production level has enhanced, with little nuanced sounds throughout the album — including use of the vocoder — giving the tracks additional appeal. A good number of the 15 songs are bass heavy and beat-laden, while Swift tells the story of her
life in the last two years — going from tabloid drama to falling in love. She’s striking on the exceptional “End Game,” veering into contemporary R&B territory. Costars include rap hitmaker Future and Ed Sheeran, who is sing-rapping in the style he performed before you fell in love with “Thinking Out Loud.” Like the singles “...Ready for It?” and “Look What You Made Me Do,” other tracks on the album have similar flair and a big sound, including “Don’t Blame Me,” “Getaway Car,” “Dancing With Our Hands Tied” and “King of My Heart.” Riding those big beats are the lyrics — Swift’s specialty. Some of the words hit hard like gunshots. “If a man talks sh— then I owe him nothing/I don’t regret it one bit
‘cause he had it coming,” Swift sings on “I Did Something Bad.” On the thumping and theatrical “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” her target is crystal clear. “And therein lies the issue/Friends don’t try to trick you/Get you on the phone and mind-twist you,” she sings. “But I’m not the only friend you’ve lost lately/If only you weren’t so shady.” But the album isn’t all boom boom pow and big beats. Closing track “New Year’s Eve” is soft, stripped and slowed down, reminisicent of some of Swift’s earlier work. “Gorgeous” and “Call It What You Want” also even out the gigantic sound of the album, produced with Jack Antonoff, Max Martin and Shellback. This album’s got an outstanding reputation.
works and FX Productions said they are ending their association with C.K., which means cancellation of a deal with his production company, Pig Newton, and removing him as executive producer on the four shows FX is making with him, including “Better Things,” “Baskets,” “One Mississippi” and “The Cops.” His compensation is ended as well, FX said. C.K. behaved professionally on all his series for FX, “as far as we know,” according to a statement Friday. “However, now is not the time for him to make television shows,” FX said. “Now is the time for him to honestly address the women who have
come forth to speak about their painful experiences, a process which he began today with his public statement.” C.K.’s publicist, Lewis Kay, announced Friday on Twitter that “As of today, I no longer represent Louis C.K.” C.K. is the latest high-profile man caught in a flood of accusations that began after an October report in the New York Times alleging that Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein had sexually harassed or assaulted several women. Others who face sexual harassment or assault accusations include “House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey and filmmaker Brett Ratner.
Zfrontera A6 | Saturday, November 11, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE Colecta de libros 1 El distrito escolar Zapata Independent School District invita a la colecta de libros nuevos o ligeramente usados para niños, adolescentes o adultos jóvenes para la creación de la biblioteca “Little Lending Libraries”. Los libros se recibirán hasta el 17 de noviembre en todas las bibliotecas del distrito escolar, en el edificio adminsitrativo de ZCISD así como en el Boys & Girls Club de Zapata. Mayores informes al 956-765-5855.
Gran apertura 1 Fidel and Andrea R. Villarreal Elementary invitan a la Gran Apertura de IBC en Villarrealville, el evento se realizará el viernes 17 de noviembre en Villarral Elementary a las 9:30 a.m. Para reservar llame a Javier Ramírez al 956-7658361.
Campaña de la vista
RUTA 54
Reunión binacional Tramo carretero conectará a municipios fronterizos E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
MIGUEL ALEMÁN, México— El viernes, autoridades e invitados de la Región Ribereña de Tamaulipas, México, del noreste de Nuevo León y del Condado de Starr, se reunieron en esta ciudad para continuar con las charlas para impulsar el desarrollo de estas áreas a través de la ruta 54. El evento fue presidido por la alcaldesa de Miguel Alemán, Rosa Icela Corro Acosta. La reunión tiene el objetivo de establecer estrategias para impulsar para integrar
Foto de cortesía / Gobierno de Miguel Alemán
Autoridades e invitados de la Región Ribereña de Tamaulipas, México, del noreste de Nuevo León y del Condado de Starr, se dieron cita en la Quinta Guachochi, en Miguel Alemán, durante el Cuarto Encuentro de Alcades y Sectores Productivos del proyecto de promoción regional Ruta 54.
un corredor turístico, comercial y energético, mediante la creación de la
“Ruta 54”. Durante el evento se instalaron mesas de tra-
bajo para dar seguimiento a las estrategias planteadas en los anteriores
reuniones. El proyecto “Ruta 54”, nombre tomado de la carretera federal 54 que conecta parte de Nuevo León con la región ribereña de Tamaulipas, conectaría los municipios de Pesquería, Marín, Doctor González y Cerralvo, en Nuevo León, con Ciudad Mier y Miguel Alemán, en Tamaulipas, y la zona sur de Texas. La Ruta 54 tiene una extensión de cientos de kilómetros, nace en Colima y termina en Tamaulipas, pero el corredor incluye los últimos 160 kilómetros de este tramo carretero.
DÍA DE LOS VETERANOS
CELEBRAN A HÉROES
1 El sistema DIF de Nueva Ciudad Guerrero invita a toda la ciudadanía a la campaña de la vista, el día 17 de noviembre apartir de de las 9 a.m. a 3 p.m. en sus instalaciones ubicadas en la Avenida Eisenhower.
Aviario 1 La Ciuda de Roma invita a visitar el aviario Roma Bluffs World Birding Center en el distrito histórico de Roma. El aviario estará abierto desde el jueves a domingo de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m. hasta enero. Mayores informes al 956-849-1411
Carne asada 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a su tradicional evento de carne asada Gobble Til you Wobble Cookoff el 18 de noviembre en el Parque Municipal de Roma. Registre a su equipo en Roma City Hall, 77 Convento Street. Mayores informes al 956-849-1411 con Lily Sandoval.
Desfile de Navidad 1 El Desfile de Navidad y la iluminacióm de la Plaza del Condado se realizarán el jueves 7 de diciembre, los tres coches alegóricos mejor decorados recibirán trofeos. El desfile comenzará a las 6 p.m. en 17th Ave. detrás de la Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Lourdes. Inmediatamente después se encenderán las luces del árbol de Navidad en la Plaza del Condado donde Santa estará repartiendo regalos.
Pago de impuestos 1 Los pagos por impuestos a la propiedad de la Ciudad de Roma deberán realizarse en la oficina de impuestos del Distrito Escolar de Roma, localizado en el 608 N. García St.
Pago en línea 1 La Ciudad de Roma informa a sus residentes que a partir de ahora el servicio del agua puede pagarse en línea a cualquier hora las 24 horas del día.
Foto de cortesía / Roma ISD
Los estudiantes y el personal de la escuela primaria Veterans Memorial Elementary School de la Ciudad de Roma, ofrecieron una conmovedora y patriótica presentación a los veteranos locales, el viernes, como parte de las celebraciones por el Día de los Veteranos.
TAMAULIPAS
COLUMNA
Rescatarán Comanches en la capital sitios históricos Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
CIUDAD VICTORIA, México— El gobernador de Tamaulipas, México, Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca firmó, junto a la representante en México del Consejo Internacional de Monumentos y Sitios (ICOMOS), Graciela Mota Botello, un convenio de colaboración para el rescate, protección y preservación del patrimonio histórico cultural del estado, convirtiendo a Tamaulipas en la primera entidad mexicana en signar un acuerdo de esta naturaleza. El acto se enmarcó en la conmemoración del Día Mundial del Urbanismo, en el que se llevó a cabo un ciclo de conferencias encabezado por especialistas nacionales e internacionales en temas como el transporte público, el rescate de espacios, la traza de las ciudades y la sustentabilidad en la construcción, entre otros. ICOMOS, es una asociación civil no gubernamental con sede en París, Francia, ligada a la ONU a través de la UNESCO y su objetivo principal es el de promover la teoría, la metodología y la tecnología aplicada a la conservación, protección y valoración de monumentos y de sitios de interés cultural.
Por un vado cruzan el río Bravo. Alcanzada la orilla derecha, se reagrupan. Y en potros que levantan polvoreras cabalgan directo a la Ciudad de México. Son jinetes comanches. Basta entonces nombrarlos para aterrorizarse. Comparten rasgos distintivos con las restantes etnias de Norteamérica extrema. Aparte del arco y la flecha, dominan la pelea cuerpo a cuerpo. Forman tribus nómadas que habitan en tipis –icónicas casas de campaña–, dedicándose al comercio y a la caza, sobre todo del bisonte. Procedentes de Europa, las armas de fuego y el caballo les dan mayor poder ofensivo y movilidad. Así logran extenderse hasta la actual frontera de México y EU. Renuentes al sometimiento español, incursionan en pueblos, ranchos y haciendas, donde capturan ganado, rehenes e implementos varios. Ruina y muerte producen los ataques. La nación comanche –sostiene fray Vicente de Santa María—“es el terror … por su número … ferocidad, astucia y
Foto de cortesía
Representación de indios comanches
figura. Su … color blanco entre rojo … es … temible”. Nicolás de Lafora complementa: “Sus habitaciones son unas tiendas … hechas con pellejos de cíbolo y sus armas arco y flecha, con algunos fusiles que adquieren de los franceses …”. Ambos testimonios corresponden al virreinato tardío. Retomemos ahora la travesía aquella. Para discutirla, al interior del territorio controlado por dichos indígenas, 5.000 de ellos se congregan. Acuden los principales mandos, presidiéndolos el consejo de ancianos que encabeza Pitsinampa, integrante respetadísimo. Al cabo de tres días, resuelven mandar una partida hacia latitudes bastante remotas. Dejan la misión en manos del jefe Guonique. Le reco-
nocen cualidades de valiente, tenaz, observador y resuelto. Tras fatigosas jornadas, los aborígenes recorren 600 leguas de camino. Languidece el otoño cuando avistan la gran metrópoli. Carcaj al hombro, adornada con plumas la cabeza, ingresan por anchas calles. En corceles de aires mesteños rodean la Plaza Mayor y llegan a las puertas del Palacio Nacional. Sin embargo, ningún confinamiento sufren. Por lo contrario, los trasladan de inmediato a suntuoso recinto. Más todavía, disfrutan luego de festejos que incluyen corridas de toros. Guonique acude en resumidas cuentas a negociar con las primeras autoridades del México independiente. Esto arroja el tratado
del 13 de diciembre de 1822, que habla de la “paz y amistad perpetua entre ambas naciones”. Contenido en 14 artículos, el documento prevé actividades comerciales mediante trueque, pues “carecen los comanches de moneda”, y la defensa común respecto de amenazas extranjeras. Queda asimismo ofrecido “recibir cada cuatro años doce jóvenes” comanches, a fin de instruirlos “en las ciencias y artes”, de modo que “se civilice” su propia nación. Firman, por una parte, Francisco Azcárate y, por la otra, Guonique, a quien sirve de intérprete el teniente coronel Francisco Ruiz. Con Anastasio Bustamante, comandante de la zona norteña, suscriben poco antes similares compromisos representantes lipanes, parcialidad apache. Tales acuerdos nada sorprenden. Venían celebrándose a cambio de periódicos obsequios del régimen novohispano. Meros ejemplos: los comanches y gobernantes del rumbo en 1785 pactan la paz, mientras que emisarios lipanes viajan incluso a la urbe capitalina en 1799 y ratifican ante el virrey entendimientos amistosos.
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, November 11, 2017 |
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS
A7
NFL: DALLAS COWBOYS
TEXANS TO FACE OFF WITH PLAYOFFCONTENDING RAMS Matt Rourke / Associated Press file
Dallas running back Darren McFadden will be counted on to carry the load on the ground along with teammates Alfred Morris and Rod Smith as star rusher Ezekiel Elliott will begin serving his six-game suspension this week against Atlanta.
Cowboys forced to face Falcons without Elliott By Charles Odum ASSOCIAT ED PRE SS
Bob Levey / Getty Images file
Texans wideout DeAndre Hopkins will have to carry the load with Deshaun Watson missing the rest of the year at quarterback. Hopkins has as many receiving touchdowns this year (8) as the entire Rams’ receiving corps.
Savage gets another crack at showing improvement at QB for Houston By Greg Beacham A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LOS ANGELES — After a full month away from the Coliseum, the Los Angeles Rams are returning home as a bona fide playoff contender. With Jared Goff throwing touchdown passes and Aaron Donald wrecking opposing offenses, these exciting Rams (6-2) could be the next big thing on Hollywood’s sports landscape. They’ve won three straight games to take the NFC West lead midway through the season, making serious progress toward their first winning season since 2003 and their first postseason berth since 2004. But those three straight wins all occurred thousands of miles away from Los Angeles, where the Dodgers’ thrilling World Series run and the ever-popular Lakers’ new season understandably dominated sports conversation over the past month. The Rams are back at the Coliseum on Sunday to face the injury-plagued Houston Texans (3-5), and LA fans can finally see what they’ve been missing. “In LA, the one thing I’ve learned is this is a city that likes people that win,” Goff said. “When you win, they come. And we have been winning, so hopefully they’ll come.” The Rams are big favorites in their return against the Texans (3-5), whose own playoff hopes are in trouble. With J.J. Watt and Deshaun Watson sidelined by injury and unproven Tom Savage likely starting at quarterback, the Rams have a solid opportunity to cement their status as an NFL power on the rise. Doing something big at home would be an undeniable boost. The Rams are unbeaten away from LA this season, but just 1-2 at the Coliseum. They’ve only won twice in 10 regular-season games at their temporary home
since moving back from St. Louis. “It’s always good to get back home, but it’s more important to win when you get back,” Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree said. “We realize we’ve got to show our fans what we’re all about.” They’re about exciting football: With the NFL’s top-scoring offense, the Rams already have won more games and scored more points in the first half of this season than they managed in their entire 2016 homecoming season. Coach Sean McVay’s offense attracts most of the attention, but coordinator Wade Phillips’ defense has yielded just 11 points per game over the past four contests. That could be daunting for the Texans, who have lost two straight since their bye week and three of four overall. Watson’s knee injury is a crushing blow for Houston, but coach Bill O’Brien hopes Savage can improve on his understandably shaky start last week in a loss to Indianapolis. O’Brien said his advice to Savage heading to the Coliseum will be to “play loose. Play free. Let it rip. Go out there, have some fun. Don’t worry about anything other than making the right reads, getting us into the right play and let it rip.” Here are more things to watch when these franchises meet for just the fourth time: BIG CHUNKS The Rams have one of the NFL’s best big-play offenses, while the Texans’ defense is yielding 5.6 yards per play, one of the league’s worst averages. That combination could bode well for a Los Angeles offense that has already scored 40 points in three games this season, including last week’s 51point pasting of the New York Giants. But McVay remains wary of the Texans’ history of solid defensive play, despite the recent results. “If you’re not,
you get humbled in this league,” McVay said. “That’s why you can’t overlook anybody, especially a very good team coming in here that’s won their division the last couple years.” DOMINANT DONALD Savage played at Pitt alongside Donald, the 2016 All-Pro who remains one of the NFL’s best defensive players. This game should have been a simultaneous showcase of Donald and Watt, but the Texans star is out with a broken leg after just five games. When asked if Donald was the NFL’s best defensive player, O’Brien showed proper respect and loyalty: “We’ve got one that’s out right now that I think is the best defensive player in the league, but (Donald) is a great player. He’s a relentless player.” MORE CHUNKS Despite Watson’s absence, the Texans still have plenty of skillposition talent on offense, including receiver DeAndre Hopkins — who has scored as many touchdowns (eight) as the Rams’ entire receiving group — and running back Lamar Miller. Houston has made 20 offensive plays of at least 25 yards this season, one of the NFL’s best totals. Los Angeles’ defense has improved markedly in its past few games, but Texans fans should have hope: The Rams gave up 39 points to winless San Francisco earlier this season. SACK PARTY Goff is wary of Texans linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, who has five sacks already this season. The Rams do their pass pressure by committee, with eight players recording at least two sacks this season. BIG KICKS Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein leads the NFL with 99 points in another standout season. Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn is returning to the city where he played his college ball at UCLA.
ATLANTA — The Dallas Cowboys’ enviable running back depth will be tested, as will their three-game winning streak, when they figure to face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday without Ezekiel Elliott. Barring another late legal maneuver, Elliott, the secondleading rusher in the NFL, will begin a six-game suspension for alleged domestic violence this week. A federal appeals court in New York City on Thursday denied his request to extend a hold on the suspension. The Cowboys (5-3), two-anda-half games behind first-place Philadelphia in the NFC East, will attempt to maintain momentum without Elliott. It’s a huge loss, but Dallas has proven backups, including former 1,000-yard rushers Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden. Rod Smith, a big third-year back, is another option. McFadden flourished in 2015, when he rushed for 1,089 yards for Dallas. Morris had three straight 1,000-yard seasons for Washington from 2012-14. Morris has played in seven games as a backup to Elliott this season while McFadden has been inactive. Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said last week Morris would have the first opportunity to replace Elliott. Falcons coach Dan Quinn expects no big changes in the Cowboys’ offense. “I don’t think the scheme would change because the style of what they do is pretty clear,” Quinn said. “Alfred and McFadden are certainly backs who have proven themselves in our league.” Quinn doesn’t agree with speculation the Cowboys will use a committee approach at running back. “I would say right now they feature one back,” he said, adding “Maybe that would change.” Replacing Elliott won’t be easy. He led the NFL with 1,631 yards rushing as a rookie in 2016 and already has 783 yards with seven touchdowns this season. The Falcons prepared to face Elliott this week, but at least one player dared to hope he wouldn’t be available. “We’re going to prepare like he’s playing and hope he doesn’t,” said safety Ricardo Allen before Thursday’s ruling. Here are some things to watch when the Falcons try to end a streak of two straight home losses in their new $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium: SUPER PRAISE Atlanta has lost four of five , and has scored no more than 17 points in any of the losses. Even so, Dallas coach Jason Garrett referred to quarterback Matt Ryan, running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman
and others when he said he still sees the talent that took the Falcons to last season’s Super Bowl. “They’ve got a big-time quarterback,” Garrett said. “They’ve got two big-time running backs. They’ve got good tight ends. They’ve got playmakers all over the place at receiver. ... They’ve got a lot of weapons. They know how to use them. They challenge you a lot of different ways.” BIG-NAME PRACTICE OBSERVERS The teams’ top wide receivers, Atlanta’s Julio Jones and Dez Bryant of Dallas, are battling injuries. Jones (ankle) and Bryant (knee, ankle) did not participate in practice Wednesday and Thursday. It’s not unusual for Jones, who has a history of lower-leg injuries, to play after missing practice. Bryant hinted he’ll be in uniform. “We’re going to see,” Bryant said Thursday. “In my eyes, the way that I feel, yeah, of course, I’m going to be on the field Sunday. It’s not just up to me.” BRYANT HURTING Falcons placekicker Mike Meyer may be forced into action as veteran Matt Bryant missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with a right calf injury . Meyer, who made three of four field goals in the preseason, was re-signed to the practice squad on Wednesday for his third stay with the team. He was released before the season and then signed to the practice squad on Oct. 11 when Bryant was slowed with a back injury but did not miss a game. Bryant hurt his leg in warmups before last week’s 20-17 loss at Carolina and still made a 53-yard field goal. DOWNER FOR DEZ Bryant is enduring the longest streak of sub-100-yard games since a 21-game stretch spanning his first three seasons (2010-12). His current stretch is at 15 games. Terrance Williams, a solid No. 2 who has struggled in the lead role when Bryant was injured in recent years, is coming off his first 100-yard game of the season and third of his five-year career. He had 141 yards on a career-high nine catches in last week’s 28-17 win over Kansas City. SACK STREAKS David Irving is gaining on fellow defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, who is second in the NFL with 10 1/2 sacks. Irving leads all defensive tackles with six sacks in four games after missing the Cowboys’ first four on a suspension for performance enhancers. The rangy 6-foot-7 Irving has a sack in each game and has already risen to second on the team behind Lawrence, whose sevengame sack streak to start the season ended against the Chiefs.
A8 | Saturday, November 11, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER
Melania Trump visits military families in Alaska By Mark Thiessen A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Melania Trump might have been a fashion model at one time in her life, but she had no qualms ripping off a chunk of messy play dough and getting her hands dirty, just like the three preschoolers seated at the table with her Friday at a military base in Alaska. Trump expertly rubbed the material between her two hands into a perfect sphere and then rolled the red small ball on the table to the girl seated across from her. The nation's first lady then moved to the table to her right and made a harmonica out of ordinary household materials, held together with a rubber band. It's not the heady stuff of the official visit with her husband to Asia but hundreds packed the Arctic Oasis Community Center to get a glimpse of the first lady as she
NAFTA From page A1 The U.S. Trade Representative’s office declined to comment, and hasn’t made its proposals public. Reuters also reported last month that the U.S. was seeking fresh restrictions on long-haul trucks from Mexico, citing a person familiar with discussions. The U.S. for years after NAFTA came into effect resisted giving Mexican truckers the right to operate throughout the country. They were limited to bringing loads a short distance into the U.S., where they would be transferred to American outfits for final delivery. A dispute resolution panel backed Mexico on the matter in 2001, though the U.S. didn’t comply for years. Mexico at one point imposed tariffs in retaliation. It wasn’t until 2015 that the U.S. gave licensed Mexican truckers the right to haul cargo throughout the nation. The U.S. proposal on Mexican trucking adds to a list of contentious demands that President Donald Trump’s team has signaled must be
toured programs for children and youth at Joint Base ElmendorfRichardson. She made a refueling stop at the Anchorage base en route back to Washington, D.C., after spending the last week with President Donald Trump in South Korea and China. The president continued his official visit to Asia. Melania Trump, wearing a three-quarter length winter coat over a brown turtle neck and white slacks, spent about 35 minutes visiting with children and teachers. "Any time we have an opportunity to share with others what our program does and the educational basis for all the activities that we do, it's a chance to show our story and to share with other individuals how we serve our military population," said Tamra De Benedetto, who oversees all activities at the base for children under age 18. Trump viewed items children made on a 3D printer, saw sewing projects, and watched as they constructed fish out of
met to keep the 1994 pact alive. The U.S. has also asked to scrap a dispute mechanism that is essential to Canada, the third party to NAFTA, and to tighten local content rules for cars. Negotiators have already said they will extend talks through March 2018, which is longer than originally anticipated and could bring the issue into Mexico’s presidential campaign season and U.S. congressional elections. The next round of discussions is in Mexico City this month. Mexico’s government opposes the new proposal on trucking, seeing it as a rollback of the rights won in the previous cross-border trucking dispute settlement, according to a person familiar with the position. Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo has said the government opposes anything that would weaken current market access under NAFTA. The U.S. has a $53.1 billion merchandise trade deficit with Mexico through September of this year, and a shortfall of $12.4 billion with Canada. “It’s not surprising
Mark Thiessen / Associated Press
First lady Melania Trump watches as children form objects from Play-Doh at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, on Friday. Trump visited with children taking part in programs for the children of military members at the base in Anchorage, Alaska, before flying back to Washington, D.C.
compact discs, glitter and gems. "Every program we offer has an educational purpose and a reason for why we do it," De Benedetto said. De Benedetto said she exchanged a few private words with Trump. "She is just delightful and very genuine," she said. Trump didn't make a public speech or address reporters, but did take time to shake hands and talk briefly with parents
that this is being discussed, especially in view of the history of Washington’s policy approach toward Mexican trucks crossing the border,” said Stephen Laskowski, president of the Canadian Trucking Alliance, or CTA. Laskowski said he hasn’t seen a specific proposal on the matter, and the trucking industries in all three nations are working together to see NAFTA improved. The American Trucking Associations, in a joint statement last month with the CTA and Mexico’s main trucking lobby group, said NAFTA benefits the three countries. On the other side of the debate, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a labor union, argues crossborder trucking takes away American jobs and creates safety risks. Teamsters President Jim Hoffa suggested the U.S. was backing his view during the last round of talks. “The Teamsters and our allies among independent truckers and highway safety advocates will be pleased with the U.S. position on crossborder services,” he said in a statement in mid-October.
the president's wife, and then he became excited. "He was like, 'Oh, wow. OK,'" she said. Air Force Master Sgt. David Jennings brought his wife, Lindsay, and their two daughters, Abbigail and Annabelle, to see the first lady. He said dignitaries stop at the base all the time, but base personnel rarely are able to get close. But in this case, the family got a good view of the visit, and they took
and military members who flocked to the community center. Paige Wyse and her husband, Air Force Tech Sgt. Matthew Wyse, brought their 4-year-old son Brantley so he could make a fish with the first lady. They found out about Trump's visit Thursday and tried to explain to their son who she was. He made the correlation when she explained to him that the visitor is
Mother questions why 14-year-old son fatally shot by officer By Gretchen Ehlke ASSOCIATED PRE SS
MILWAUKEE — Family members of a 14-year-old boy fatally shot by a sheriff's deputy on a northern Wisconsin reservation questioned on Thursday why the teen was gunned down. Holly Gauthier said authorities have provided few details about the death of her son, 14-year-old Jason Pero, an 8th grader who died on the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippe-
LEGACY From page A1 added. Through their research so far, members of the Marine Corps League’s Rose City
HIGHWAY From page A1 way. We are grateful to our leaders who listen and help get our message through,” Garza said.
wa's reservation Wednesday. Dispatchers received a call about a male subject walking down the street armed with a knife about 11:40 a.m. Wednesday, said the Ashland County Sheriff's Office, which provides law enforcement services on the reservation along with the tribal police department. A responding deputy fired shots, striking the male. He was treated at the scene but died at a hospital. Gauthier tells Duluth station WDIO-TV she believes her son was mur-
dered. "(There is) no reason you can justify shooting a 14year-old boy," Gauthier said. Her son was home sick from school Wednesday and staying at his grandparents' house, she added. The state Justice Department said a knife was recovered at the scene of the shooting. Family members questioned whether Pero had a knife. Sheriff's officials said the deputy was not injured and referred further questions on the shooting to the Department of Justice.
Detachment said they’re in awe of Currier’s bravery and accomplishments. They believe the shadowbox will be complete by December. “He’s the real deal,” said Chuck Tompkins, Rose City
Detachment commander who is also leading the research process in this project. “Someone can go and tell stories, but it doesn’t mean anything until you have the papers to back it up.”
The ceremony will include remarks from Sen. Judith Zaffirni, State Representative Tracy King, Steven Gonzalez and members of The River Pierce Foundation and the Texas Department of Transporta-
tion. Congressman Henry Cuellar was invited but is unable to attend due to a prior commitment. A luncheon and reception will follow at the Henry M. Martinez Community Center.
SHOOTING From page A1 made without consulting congregants, but Pomeroy discussed turning the site into a memorial for the dead and putting up a new building on property the church owns, Oldham said. Valeria Villasenor, an assistant to the church, said she and others were trying to figure out a temporary solution “to have our doors open for our congregation,” whether by cleaning up and painting the church’s interior or holding services in a different building. Charlene Uhl, mother of 16-year-old Haley Krueger, who died in the attack, agreed that the church should come down. There should still be a church “but not here,” she said Thursday. Jeannie Brown, visiting from Indiana, stopped at the site with her daughter, who used to live in Sutherland Springs but left decades ago for San Antonio.
Scott Olson / Getty Images
Lilly Navejan is comforted after breaking down while visiting a memorial where 26 crosses were placed to honor the 26 victims killed at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs on Friday. Navejan lost her brother, Ricardo Rodriguez, in the shooting. Ricardo will be buried next to his wife Therese, who was also killed in the church.
Asked whether the church should be destroyed, Brown said: “Yes. Who would want to go back in there? But
pictures to remember the rare event. "A great family memory here," he said. There are 14,000 active duty soldiers and airmen stationed at the joint Army and Air Force facility in Anchorage. With their family members, that number swells to 29,000. There are currently 1,800 service members deployed all over the globe, including 1,200 in Afghanistan.
then if it is destroyed, does that mean he (the gunman) won?” Other sites of mass shootings have been torn
down, including Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, where a gunman killed 20 children and six adults
in December 2012. A new school was built elsewhere. A one-room Amish schoolhouse near Lancas-
ter, Pennsylvania, was torn down in 2006, 10 days after an assailant took children hostage and shot and killed five girls ages 6 to 13. The previous site of the school is now a pasture. A nearly identical schoolhouse with a security fence was erected nearby and named New Hope School. The father of the Texas church gunman broke the family’s silence and said his relatives are grieving. Michael Kelley spoke to ABC News on Wednesday from his home in New Braunfels, about 35 miles north of Sutherland Springs. He said he does not want the “media circus” surrounding the attack by Devin Patrick Kelley to destroy “our lives, our grandchildren’s lives.” The gunman shot and killed 25 people at the church. Authorities have put the official toll at 26, because one of the victims was pregnant. Eleven people injured in the attack remained in hospitals Thursday.