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WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 25, 2015
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LAREDO VA OUTPATIENT CLINIC
More options Veterans will get better health care access By KENDRA ABLAZA THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata veterans now have more health care options in Laredo. U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, TX-28, formally announced Tuesday a partnership between
the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Laredo Medical Center and other groups to give area veterans better access to health care services closer to home. These local services include in-patient hospital stays, dentistry, laboratory work, radiology and on-board emergency medical
services. Cuellar said Tuesday in a press conference at the Laredo VA Outpatient Clinic that making more services available to Laredo-area veterans had been one of his priorities for the past
See VETERANS PAGE 9A
Courtesy photo
Congressman Henry Cuellar announces the expansion of new health care services at the Laredo VA Outpatient Clinic on Tuesday.
RAYMONDVILLE SAN ANTONIO STOCK SHOW & RODEO
CALF SCRAMBLE WINNERS Photo by David Pike/Valley Morning Star | AP
Law enforcement officials converge on the Willacy County Correctional Center in Raymondville on Friday.
Authorities regain control Inmates took over correctional center, set fires in protest ASSOCIATED PRESS
Courtesy photo
Kristopher Hinkel and Mario Landa were two of 12 4-H and FFA youth to catch a calf at the rodeo.
Two Zapata FFA members take home big prizes SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Two Zapatans were winners in the calf scramble at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo on Sunday. Kristopher Hinkel and Mario Landa were two of 12 4-H and FFA youth to catch a
calf at the rodeo. The winners won $800 certificates to purchase breeding animals to exhibit in the 2016 San Antonio Junior Livestock Show. Hinkel and Landa are members of the Zapata FFA and enjoy playing football
and baseball. Hinkel said his favorite part about this year’s San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo was watching the large indoor rodeo and the most rewarding part of his experience was catching a calf. After graduating high school,
Hinkel plans to attend school in College Station. Landa said the most rewarding part about the rodeo was getting to be a part of the calf scramble. After graduating high school, Landa plans to attend college in Austin.
RAYMONDVILLE — Officers regained control of a South Texas prison where inmates had set fires and caused significant damage after taking over part of the facility, according to the private contractor operating the prison. About 300 of the 2,800 inmates were moved Sunday from the Willacy County Correctional Center to other federal facilities, said Issa Arnita, a spokesman for Management & Training Corp., the Utah-based company that runs the prison. A few hundred more will be transferred before the day is
See PRISON PAGE 9A
TEXAS SENATE
Budget chiefs promise $4.6 billion in tax cuts By WILL WEISSERT ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Top Texas conservatives are now seemingly one-upping each other by pledging deeper
and deeper tax cuts as part of the 2016-2017 budget, with all sides insisting that the state’s economy will stay strong enough to cover the costs of vital services despite the loss in
revenue. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Jane Nelson announced two bills and a proposed constitutional amendment Tuesday.
Those and other top proposals would mean $4.6 billion in total property and business tax cuts, outpacing the $4 billion Patrick and Nelson had initially promised and constituting
what they called some of the most substantial “tax relief ” in state history. “It’s been long, long overdue and the people have spoken clearly about what they want,” Patrick
said at a Capitol news conference, flanked by Nelson and more than a dozen other senators who are cosponsoring tax cut plans.
See CUTS PAGE 9A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Free heart health education class. 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland. All materials are in English. Topics to be discussed: Blood Pressure 101, Cholesterol 101, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, Weight Management and Physical Activity, HeartHealthy Cooking and Fast Food Survival for Heart Health. Contact Patricia at 722-1674.
Today is Wednesday, Feb. 25, the 56th day of 2015. There are 309 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Feb. 25, 1940, a National Hockey League game was televised for the first time by New York City station W2XBS as the New York Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 6-2, at Madison Square Garden. On this date: In 1836, inventor Samuel Colt patented his revolver. In 1905, the Upton Sinclair novel “The Jungle” was first published in serial form by the Appeal to Reason newspaper. In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving Congress the power to levy and collect income taxes, was declared in effect by Secretary of State Philander Chase Knox. In 1943, Allied troops reoccupied the Kasserine Pass after clashing with German troops during World War II. In 1964, Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) became world heavyweight boxing champion as he defeated Sonny Liston in Miami Beach. In 1986, President Ferdinand Marcos fled the Philippines after 20 years of rule in the wake of a tainted election; Corazon Aquino assumed the presidency. In 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, 28 Americans were killed when an Iraqi Scud missile hit a U.S. barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. In 1994, American-born Jewish settler Baruch Goldstein opened fire with an automatic rifle inside the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the West Bank, killing 29 Muslims before he was beaten to death by worshippers. Ten years ago: Municipal employee and church leader Dennis Rader was arrested for the BTK (“bind, torture, kill”) serial slayings that had terrorized Wichita, Kansas. (Rader later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 life prison terms.) Five years ago: President Barack Obama convened a health care summit with Democrats and Republicans; after a day of debate and disagreement, the president concluded the talkfest with a bleak assessment that an accord might not be possible. One year ago: In a blunt warning to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, President Barack Obama threatened to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 if a crucial security pact wasn’t signed. (U.S. and Afghan officials signed the pact in Sept. 2014.) Today’s Birthdays: Country singer Ralph Stanley is 88. Actor Tom Courtenay is 78. CBS newsman Bob Schieffer is 78. Movie director Neil Jordan is 65. Actress Veronica Webb is 50. Actor Alexis Denisof is 49. Actress Tea Leoni is 49. Comedian Carrot Top is 48. Actress Lesley Boone is 47. Latin singer Julio Iglesias Jr. is 42. Actor Anson Mount is 42. Comedian-actress Chelsea Handler is 40. Actress Rashida Jones is 39. Actors James and Oliver Phelps (“Harry Potter” movies) are 29. Rock musician Erik Haager (Carolina Liar) is 28. Thought for Today: “He who never leaves his country is full of prejudices.” — Carlo Goldoni, Italian playwright (born this date in 1707, died 1793).
THURSDAY, FEB. 26 Spanish Book Club from 6 to 8 p.m. at Laredo Public Library on Calton Road. Call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810. Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society will meet from 3-5 p.m., at the Center for the Arts in downtown. A $2 donation for nonmembers is requested. Call Sanjuanita Martinez-Hunter at 722-3497.
FRIDAY, FEB. 27 TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center Planetarium. Led Zeppelin, 6 p.m. Live Star Presentation (observing will occur after show if weather permits), 7 p.m. Admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Admission is $4 for TAMIU students, faculty and staff. Call 956-236-DOME (3663). Texas Master Naturalist program. Noon at Lake Casa Blanca State Park. Call 725-3826.
SATURDAY, FEB. 28 TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center Planetarium. Earth, Moon and Sun, 2 p.m. New Horizons, 3 p.m. Saturn: Jewel of the Heavens, 4 p.m. Led Zeppelin, 5 p.m. Admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Admission is $4 for TAMIU students, faculty and staff. Call 956-236-DOME (3663).
MONDAY, MARCH 2 Laredo Soup’s monthly microfinance dinner, every first Monday of the month. 6:30-9 p.m. Holding Institute, 1102 Sta Maria Ave. $5 gets you soup, salad, bread & a vote to micro-fund a community project. Four local organizations will present projects. Money collected on the spot given to winning project. To learn more or to apply for funding contact Tatiana Friar tfriar@gmail.com or 771-9671.
TUESDAY, MARCH 3 The Alzheimer’s support group will meet Tuesday March 3 at 7 p.m. in meeting room 2, building B of the Laredo Medical Center. The support group is for family members and caregivers taking care of someone who has Alzheimer’s. Call 693-9991.
SATURDAY, MARCH 7 Texican CattleWomen’s Steak-aRama. In Memory of Mary Kay & Gene Walker. Steak dinner with all the trimmings. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Laredo International Fair & Exposition on Hwy. 59. Donation: $7. Tickets from any CattleWoman member, LIFE Office (U.S. Highway 59), Guerra Communications (6402 N Bartlett Ave. at Jacaman Road) or Primped Style Bar, 7718 McPherson). The Laredo Northside Market Association will hold its March market day by the playground at North Central Park on Saturday. March 7, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be an arts and crafts tent for boys and girls as well as a special drawing for boys and girls prizes. For more information see Laredo Northside Market at facebook.com.
Photo by Paul Moseley | AP
Paul Fedor works to keep the sidewalk clear in front of the Frost Bank Building in a quiet and empty downtown Fort Worth, Texas, as sleet and freezing temperatures hit the area Monday. Freezing rain affected travel in nearly half of Texas of Monday, and winter storm warnings were issued in the northern part of the state.
Freezing conditions ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — The sun is expected to peek through the clouds over Texas — but not for long. Thousands of students in North Texas have another day off as freezing conditions linger from one system while forecasters track a second round of wintry weather. The Dallas and Fort Worth independent school districts canceled classes Tuesday for the second straight day. Forecasters say temperatures in the Dallas area were expected to be above freezing by Tuesday afternoon, but a chance for snow increased. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for the area through this morning with 2-4 inches of snow possible. Commuters on Tuesday morning faced the
Police: Fort Hood soldier fatally shoots 3, kills self
Infant killed, several relatives hurt in fire
Educator back on job, cleared of abuse claims
KILLEEN — Killeen police are trying to determine why a Fort Hood soldier fatally shot two neighbors before killing his wife and himself in an off-post confrontation. The soldier, Atase Giffa, went to a neighbor’s home where his 28-year-old wife, Dawn, was on Sunday night, opened fire, then forced her to return home with him, police spokeswoman Carroll Smith said.
LEANDER — Investigators blame a space heater for a Central Texas mobile home fire that killed a 7-month-old boy and left five relatives hurt. Officials say the boy’s parents and his 2-year-old brother were taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio following the fire early Monday. An older child and another adult relative were treated and released from Cedar Park Medical Center.
HOUSTON — A Houston educator has returned to work after school district police found he did not abuse four students who alleged they were hit. A Houston Independent School District statement says police found no evidence to substantiate the criminal allegations. Gasparello denied being alone with the boys or striking them.
Van de Putte bids Texas Legislature farewell
County commissioner sentenced to prison
AUSTIN — Democrat Leticia Van de Putte has left the Texas Senate to run for San Antonio mayor. Her departure comes after nearly a quarter century in the Legislature and an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor last year. Democratic Sen. Judith Zaffirini of Laredo praised her as “everybody’s mom.”
DEL RIO — A former South Texas county commissioner has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison as part of an ongoing federal corruption probe of the county government. Ex-Maverick County Commissioner Rodolfo Bainet Heredia also was ordered Monday to pay more than a halfmillion dollars in restitution to the county for bribery.
SATURDAY, MARCH 21 The 12th Annual Cesar Chavez March for Justice. 8:30 a.massembly time. March begins at 10 a.m. at St. Peters Plaza. Ends at San Agustin Plaza. Call Manuel Bocanegra at 775-7027. (Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location and purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.)
Houston rape kit backlog testing now complete HOUSTON — Officials say they have finished testing a backlog of more than 6,600 rape kits that date back nearly three decades. A task force has been working for the past couple of years on a $6 million effort to clear the backlog. Officials said the work clearing the backlog is part of an ongoing effort to seek justice for survivors of sexual assault. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION
FRIDAY, MARCH 13 Cesar Chavez Memorial Alliance Art Competition Exhibit. Doors open at 6 p.m. Laredo Civic Center meeting rooms. $5 for students and $10 for adults. $500 in cash prizes for art competition winners. February 27 deadline at 5 p.m. for submissions. Up to 3 digital images allowed for non-professional artists 16 and older. Email: ccma0924@att.net. Call 775-7027.
challenge of fresh ice on roads and bridges due to subfreezing temperatures. Runways were open Tuesday at DallasFort Worth International Airport a day after about 1,000 flights were canceled due to weather. Nobody was hurt Monday night when an American Airlines jet from San Antonio slid off a DFW airport taxiway and got stuck in grass. The MD-80 plane’s front nose gear slipped off the taxiway as the airplane turned a corner Monday night, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said. Airline officials say 63 passengers and five crew members were onboard Flight 296 from San Antonio. All passengers safely exited the plane and were taken by a bus to an airport terminal. Airline officials haven’t confirmed what caused the plane to slip off the taxiway.
Pills before and after sex can help prevent HIV SEATTLE — For the first time, a study shows that a drug used to treat HIV infection also can help prevent it when taken before and after risky sex by gay men. The results offer hope of a more appealing way to help prevent the disease beyond taking daily pills and using condoms, although those methods are still considered best. The study is the first to test “on demand” use of Truvada by people planning to have risky sex. The uninfected men who took it were 86 percent less likely to get HIV compared to men given dummy pills.
No federal charges in Trayvon Martin death MIAMI — George Zimmerman, the former neighborhood watch volunteer who fatally shot Trayvon Martin in a 2012 con-
CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Account Executive, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 765-5113 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Managing Editor, Nick Georgiou ................. 728-2565 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ..........................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo............ 728-2569 Photo by Jeff Chiu | AP file
In this Thursday, May 10, 2012 file photo, a doctor holds Truvada pills. A study released Tuesday shows that the drug, used to treat HIV infection, also can help prevent it when taken before and after risky sex by gay men. frontation with the teenager, will not face federal charges, the Justice Department said Tuesday. The decision, announced in the waning days of Attorney General Eric Holder’s tenure, resolves a case that focused public attention on self-defense gun
laws and became a flashpoint in the national conversation about race two years before the Ferguson, Missouri, police shooting. Zimmerman has maintained that he acted in self-defense when he shot the 17-year-old. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
State
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Border security spending scrutinized By PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Calls for an unprecedented Texas border security spending spree to buy spy planes, 500 more state troopers and a 10-acre training base near Mexico came under heavy bipartisan scrutiny Monday in a show of frustration with a priority of Republican Gov.
Greg Abbott. Tense questioning by powerful Senate budget writers, however, fell short of resistance toward doubling border security funding to more than $815 million over the next two years — or opposition to what Abbott has made a defining issue in the early stages of his administration. But Democrats and some
Republicans are revealing irritation with a skyrocketing tab and a sense that nearly $1 billion already spent on the Texas-Mexico border since 2008 has lacked accountability. State leaders and the Department of Public Safety have claimed success when apprehensions both rise and fall and without ever defining the long-stated goal of a
secure border. Border security was a major issue among GOP voters last year, but some Republicans want better metrics attached to more money. “I don’t care what it polls,” Republican state Sen. Kevin Eltife said. “Christmas polls well in my house, but I make sure what I spend is in my budget.”
Feds appeal ruling on order By JULIÁN AGUILAR TEXAS TRIBUNE Courtesy image
The Zapata County Fair Parade will take place March 14. Registration to participate in the parade is now open.
Zapata County Fair Parade SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Zapata’s annual County Fair Parade will take place Saturday, March 14. The Zapata County Chamber of Commerce would like to invite all businesses, churches, clubs, schools, organizations and elected officials to participate in the parade. Trophies will be awarded to: Best in Show Top Equestrian Entry Top Law Enforcement Entry Top School Entry Top Musical Entry Top Military/Veteran Entry Top Dance Team/Studio Entry Top Cheer Entry Top Business Entry Top Club/Organization Entry Top Community Spirit Award
Parade lineup will be from 7 to 8:30 a.m. on U.S. Hwy 83 and 3rd Avenue, next to Pepe’s Car Wash. All entries must be in line no later than 8:30 a.m. The parade will start promptly at 9 a.m. and proceed on 3rd Avenue, heading north on U.S. Hwy 83 and taking a left on 23rd Street to the Zapata County Fairgrounds. Trophies will be issued and awarded at the Zapata County Fairgrounds at 1:30 p.m. Entry forms may be downloaded from zapatacountyfair.com. To submit a form, email cbalderas@zapatachamber.com or deliver to Zapata County Chamber of Commerce, Attention: Celia Balderas, 601 N. U.S. Hwy 83, Zapata, TX 78076. Forms may also be faxed to 956-7655434. For more information, call 956-765-4871 ext. 12.
The Obama administration on Monday filed an appeal of last week’s ruling by a Texas judge that halted the president’s immigration order, which would have given certain undocumented immigrants a temporary reprieve from deportation. The U.S. government also requested that a federal judge let the program continue as the appeals process plays out. The administration is alleging that last week’s ruling in Brownsville by U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen was without merit because immigration policies fall under the federal government’s purview. It also argues that
Photo by Charlie Pearce | Texas Tribune
From left, immigration rights activists Manuel Ramirez, Lucian Villaseñor and Adrian Orozco protest Obama’s Civil Rights Summit. the state failed to prove its case. The Texas attorney general’s office quickly responded on Monday and asked Hanen to reject the request, arguing the federal government has no immediate need to begin the program. The Department of Justice waited a full
week before filing its motion, wrote Angela Colmenero, an attorney for the state of Texas. “Indeed, if Defendants had any compelling claim of a looming, irreversible harm," they would have filed it sooner, she wrote. The state of Texas and 25 other states filed suit in
November, arguing that they would be harmed by an influx of undocumented immigrants that would be lured to the United States by the action. The policy would have allowed an estimated 5 million undocumented immigrants — including some 1.46 million in Texas — to apply for a work permit and a reprieve from deportation. Hanen’s order to stop the Obama administration’s executive action came two days before the first part of the program was scheduled to begin. He ruled that the federal government violated the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs the way regulations are made and how much input the public has.
COMMENTARY
Harlem Ambassadors say thanks SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
On February 5, the Zapata Lions Club hosted the Harlem Ambassadors professional comedy basketball team for a night of high-flying slam dunks, hilarious comedy, and feel-good family entertainment.
The Harlem Ambassadors would like to extend a special thank you to event organizers Aurelio Villarreal, Jose Luis Morales and Roggie Gonzalez who planned and promoted the event. The Zapata Lions Tail Twisters were energetic and enthusiastic oppo-
nents and we thank all of the players for their good sportsmanship. This event would not have been possible without the support and generosity of local community sponsors, the Zapata Lions Club members, and the event volunteers. The Harlem Ambassa-
dors thank the community of Zapata for its warm hospitality and look forward to returning to Zapata in the future! Best regards, Dale Moss Harlem Ambassadors President
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COMMENTARY
OTHER VIEWS
What to do about angry gun owners? By JEFFREY SWANSON AND PAUL APPELBAUM HEARST NEWSPAPERS
Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, a University of North Carolina dental student; his wife, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21; and her sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, a student at North Carolina State University, were young and talented, but now they are dead — shot in the head by an angry man with a handgun. News that the Chapel Hill, N.C., shooter had frightened neighbors with his rages and had a cache of fourteen firearms sounded familiar to us. Our new research study, soon to be published in Behavioral Sciences and the Law, shows a distressingly large number of seriously angry people with guns — often multiple guns — living in our communities, and a legal system illequipped to prevent such tragedies. But it also suggests some steps that could be taken to reduce the toll. The study, coauthored by us, Ronald Kessler of Harvard, and others, estimates that over 10 percent of the adult population in the U.S. exhibits impulsive angry behavior and has firearms at home. A smaller proportion (1.6 percent) are angry and carry guns outside the home. They are mostly young to middle-aged men who get so angry that they smash and break things, lose their temper and get into physical fights. And they have guns. Are these angry people with guns “mentally ill”? That depends on what you mean by the term. Many of them do meet criteria for a psychiatric disorder as defined broadly in the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual. But only a tiny fraction suffers from a major mental illness such as schizophrenia, which impairs thought and perception of reality. Rather, our study finds that angry people with guns are at elevated risk for a range of fairly common conditions including personality disorders (maladaptive patterns of relating to others), alcohol abuse, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and a malady that psychiatrists call “intermittent explosive disorder.” Americans remain deeply divided over the politics of gun control, but there may be some common ground here: The angriest of the people in our study should not have access to guns. The question then becomes, what is the fairest and most effective way to keep firearms out of the hands of people who are recognizably, dangerously, impulsively angry? And if people like this do tend to have diagnosable mental
health problems, what are the chances that our current legal restrictions on guns will apply to such individuals? Chances are slim. Evidence from our study suggests that existing mentalhealth-based firearms restrictions would fail to identify most of these angry people with guns. Most of them lack any history of involuntary commitment, which is the primary criterion used by the law to prohibit people who have a mental illness from buying or possessing a gun. Fewer than 2 in 10 of these angry people have ever been admitted to a hospital for any mental health or substance abuse problem. That means that at least 8 out of 10 of them could legally buy a firearm, unless they happened to have some other gun-prohibiting record such as a felony criminal conviction. Where does that leave us? Given constitutional protection and the cultural entrenchment of private gun ownership in this country, it is likely that firearms, including handguns, will remain widely accessible for the foreseeable future. Neither can we solve the problem by restricting the liberties of people with serious mental illness. They’re not the issue. Even if we could cure schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, about 96 percent of violent acts in our country would still occur. Maybe an approach to gun restriction that is based on actual risk would do a better job of keeping guns from our angriest fellow citizens. Evidence-based indicators of risk that could be used include histories of violent behavior (e.g., misdemeanor assault convictions), multiple DUIs, or being the subject of a domestic violence order of protection. Many states’ laws let domestic abusers keep their guns until temporary restraining orders become permanent, even though evidence suggests that this period presents particularly high risk to a potential victim. The Chapel Hill shooting haunts us with many “what ifs.” What if the U.S. Supreme Court had not decided that the Second Amendment confers a right for every person to have a handgun for their personal protection? While academically interesting, that question is unlikely to get us anywhere. A more productive question is this: What if a law had allowed the shooters to be legally separated from their guns on the basis of a recognized pattern of impulsive, angry, threatening behavior? The memory of all the victims should demand an answer.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure
our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No namecalling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
COLUMN
‘Can’t Remember S---’ disease Memory is a big deal as we age. Some of us in the septuagenarian generation can handle long term/long ago remembrance, while others do well with short term recollection, things that happened in the recent past. What prompted this examination of memory is a recent mistake with a special date, my youngest brother’s birthday. I called to issue a “have a happy day,” and caught him just as he was walking into a business meeting. He informed me it was not his birthday but rather our niece’s and that his was three days later. I explained to him that he would, before too long, reach that time when his memory would begin to falter. At that point I remembered an experience with a customer at a newspaper I was editing and publishing nearly a quarter century ago. I had just arrived at The Jasper Newsboy a few weeks earlier and had written some columns and editorials that apparently startled readers. It seems, I was told by a number of them, that no one had ever written an opinion piece in the
newspaper before. As a matter of fact, I’d already had an elected official “explain” to me that he didn’t “need no nosey newspaper man meddlin’ in my binniss.” A few days later, I had one of the most delightful visits (and there have been many) I’ve ever had in this wonderful business in which I’ve been privileged to spend most of my life. Bess Childers, a charming older woman, who taught at a private school in Jasper, came in to meet me and to congratulate me on the newspaper showing some backbone and taking stands for the betterment of the town and its residents. Of course, this pleased me immensely. In addition, she was so interesting that we began to visit about a number of things and were just having a grand time. In a bit, Bess (she insisted I call her by her first name) was telling a tale and suddenly stopped in mid-story with this puzzled
look on her face. Suddenly, her eyes sparkled and a mischievous grin chased the puzzlement away as she said, “You’ll have to forgive an old lady with CRS disease.” That was a new one on me and in the serious vein I thought the conversation was in, I said questioningly: “CRS disease?” Bess said, “Yeah, Can’t Remember S---!” and flashed a huge grin. My shock was quickly overcome by my rumbling guffaws, as I realized I’d been suckered by a wonderfully mischievous little gray-haired woman, who didn’t take herself too seriously. Every encounter thereafter was absolutely as much a treasure as was that introduction. So for the last quarter century or so when I’m frequently afflicted by a memory lapse, I think of Bess and CRS disease. Additionally, I’ve had every bit as much fun with it as I’m sure she did in her fascinating life. Bess devoted most of her time to children, education and her church, Trinity Episcopal. As for remembering Little Brother’s birthday, there are many reasons I should remember his.
I’m the oldest of four boys, almost 14 years older than he is. Our dear, sweet mother worked herself silly trying to cook three square meals a day, do laundry, keep a garden, work in the church, sell Avon (yep) and keep her sanity. Mother assigned me the job of being an almost fulltime “nurse” and babysitter for Little Brother. I also cleaned house, helped in the yard and garden and grocery-shopped for Mom, her mother and her grandparents. In high school, I had a steady girlfriend, Barbara Ford, who was a wonderful human being. Mother adored her as well and Barbara loved her and my little brothers. So much so, that when I went to pick her up for our weekly date to see a movie at the drivein theater in Fairfield, she’d say, “Where’s Danny?” And, away we’d go back to my house to get Danny and a diaper bag (groan) and off to the movie we’d go. It just plain wasn’t fair. Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editor-publisher of more than 50 years experience. He can be reached by email at wwebb1937@att.net.
EDITORIAL
Mars explorers display courage THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
It’s good, in times like these, to be reminded of the human spirit — of its capacity for wonder and courage. When Mars One announced it wanted to establish a colony on the Red Planet, it minced no words about the challenges of the journey. "Mars is an unforgiving
environment where a small mistake or accident can result in large failure, injury and death," the group’s website tells us. "Every component must work perfectly. Every system (and its backup) must function without fail or human life is at risk." More than 200,000 people immediately applied to go. That number has been whittled to 100 candidates.
Those in the final selection of a handful of colonists will undergo years of training before a planned launch in 2024. There is an important catch. If they go, they cannot return. That people would readily, even eagerly, seek life and, yes, death, on Mars is what fascinates us about this possibility.
It’s been centuries since explorers set out on wooden sailing ships over uncharted water to lands that they didn’t know. What drove them we cannot always say, whether search for fortune or something else. Whatever the impulse, the act itself is extraordinary. To cast oneself into the unknown is a monumental testament to our will.
CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
Nation
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Train crash injures 28 Sex bias trial begins By CHRISTOPHER WEBER AND TAMI ABDOLLAH
By SUDHIN THANAWALA ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
OXNARD, Calif. — A commuter train bound for Los Angeles derailed before dawn Tuesday in a fiery collision with a pickup truck abandoned after its driver took a wrong turn and got stuck on the tracks. Three of the train’s five cars toppled over, injuring 28 people, four critically. Lives were likely saved by passenger cars designed to absorb a crash that were purchased after a deadly collision a decade ago, Metrolink officials said. There was a loud boom followed by the sound of brakes screeching and a rumbling sound, said Joel Bingham, who was in the second passenger car. He thought everything was going to be fine until the train teetered, and slid on its side. “It seemed like an eternity while we were flying around the train. Everything was flying,” he said. “A brush of death definitely came over me.” The four passenger cars remained largely intact as did the locomotive. Police found the disoriented driver of the demolished Ford F-450 pickup truck about a mile or two from the scene, said Jason Benites, an assistant chief of the Oxnard Police Department. The 54-year-old Yuma, Arizona, was hauling a trailer to deliver produce and told police he tried to turn right at an intersection but turned prematurely onto the tracks and got stuck. His name was not released and he was hospitalized for observation. The train, the first of the morning on the Ventura route, had just left its second stop of Oxnard on its way to downtown Los Angeles, about 65 miles away, when it struck the truck around 5:45 a.m. There were 48 passengers aboard and three crew members, who
Photo by Mark J. Terrill | AP
Workers walk near a Metrolink train engine from a train that hit a truck and then derailed Tuesday in Oxnard, Calif. were all injured. The engineer saw the abandoned vehicle and hit the brakes, but there wasn’t enough time to stop, Oxnard Fire Battalion Chief Sergio Martinez said. Bingham said the lights went out when the train fell over. He was able to open a window above an indentation in the ground and lead people to safety. “I was just shaking,” he said. “I opened the window and told everybody, come to my voice.” Firefighters set up red, yellow and green tarps to categorize people according to their injuries. Many of the 23 people who weren’t injured stood nearby wrapped in white blankets. Others were taken to several nearby hospitals and treated for a variety of ailments. “Patients have complained of dizziness, of headaches, of lower back pain, of pains related to being bumped, thrown, hit and so forth,” said Dr. Bryan Wong, chief medical officer at Ventura County Medical Center. One patient described how he had been working on his laptop and a moment later there was a sudden jerking motion that happened so quickly he wasn’t able to grab hold of anything, Wong said. He was violently tossed against a wall of the train. The train typically would be accelerating out of the
Oxnard station past verdant farm fields at about 55 mph, Metrolink spokesman Scott Johnson said. With braking, he estimated it would have hit the truck at between 40 mph and 55 mph. The train was pushed by a locomotive in the rear, allowing trains to change direction without having to turn around or swap engines. It’s a configuration that has been criticized for putting passengers in a vulnerable position in a crash. After such a crash killed 11 people and injured 180 others in Glendale in 2005, Metrolink invested heavily to buy passenger cars with collapsible bumpers and other features to absorb impact. Metrolink spokesman Jeff Lustgarten said the Oxnard crash showed the technology worked. “Safe to say it would have been much worse without it,” he said. The city of Oxnard has wanted to build a $30 million bridge over the crossing for 10 years, but is only at the environmental review stage, said Darren Kettle, executive director of the Ventura County Transportation Commission. There have been 6 accidents at the crossing in the past seven years, including one in which a driver accidently turned onto the tracks in 2010 and was struck by a Metrolink train and injured.
SAN FRANCISCO — A lawyer for a former junior partner suing a venture capital firm in a Silicon Valley sex bias suit contended Tuesday that his client was passed over for promotions because she was a woman and then fired after she complained. In his opening trial statement, attorney Alan Exelrod described a maledominated culture at Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers — the defendant in the case that has sparked debate over the treatment of women in the high-tech and venture capitalist arenas. Exelrod said his client, 45-year-old Ellen Pao, had received erotic poetry and sketches of nude women from a senior partner at the firm, and another male employee had interfered with her work when Pao broke off an affair with him. “Kleiner Perkins used Ellen Pao’s many talents for six years, but when it came time to pick who would be the next generation of investing leaders at Kleiner Perkins, Kleiner only picked men,” the attorney told jurors. The firm has denied wrongdoing and says Pao was a poor performer who didn’t get along with her colleagues. In addition, defense lawyer Lynne Hermle, citing a study by a Harvard professor, said in her opening statement that the company has been a leader in recruiting and supporting women in technology. “Ellen Pao did not succeed at Kleiner Perkins as an investing professional because she did not have the necessary skills for that job,” Hermle said. “She did not come close.” Pao is seeking $16 million in damages. The firm is seeking to limit any possible damages by arguing
Photo by Eric Risberg | AP
Ellen Pao, center, leaves the Civic Center Courthouse along with her attorney, Therese Lawless, left, during a break in her trial. that Pao is well-compensated in her current position as interim CEO of the popular social media company Reddit and hasn’t suffered financially since leaving Kleiner after filing her lawsuit. Venture capital firms provide much of the startup funds for tech companies and have a reputation as being even more insular and male-dominated than the companies they help launch. Women hold 15 to 20 percent of the technology jobs at tech giants Google, Apple, Facebook and Yahoo, according to disclosures by the companies. The firms acknowledge needing to do more to hire female engineers but largely attribute the problem to cultural issues that discourage girls and young women from taking classes needed to pursue careers in computer coding and website design. Venture capital firms are even more slanted toward men. A study released last year by Babson College in Massachusetts found that women filled just 6 percent of the partner-level positions at 139 venture capital firms in 2013, down from 10 percent in 1999. Kleiner fired Pao in 2012 — six months after she filed her lawsuit. She had been hired in 2005 to serve as chief of staff for
senior partner John Doerr, who helped direct early investments in Google and Amazon. Pao left the administrative position with Doerr in 2010 to become a junior partner with full-time investment duties. Exelrod said she was excluded from a dinner at the home of former Vice President Al Gore — a partner at the firm — after another Kleiner partner told her “women killed the buzz,” and also was subjected to a conversation about pornography that a Kleiner partner did not stop, the lawyer said. Hermle, however, said Pao “repeatedly and consistently seeks to twist facts, circumstances and events.” She said Pao did not indicate at the time she received the poetry book that she thought it was inappropriate, and the book had been purchased by the partner’s wife. The trial in San Francisco Superior Court in front of a jury of five men and seven women could last four weeks. Reddit, based in San Francisco, announced a new privacy policy on Tuesday under which it will remove photos, videos and links with explicit content if the person in the image hasn’t given permission for it to be posted.
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera
Ribereña en Breve AVISO DE TRÁFICO Continúa el proyecto de ampliación sobre US 83 y las líneas divisorias del Condado de Webb y Zapata. Este proyecto utilizará un control de tráfico para construir las transiciones de carreteras en las líneas divisoras del Condado de Webb/Zapata para los carriles del norte y sur, por lo que se pide a los conductores a poner atención y obedecer las señales de tráfico para evitar accidentes. Los trabajos continuarán hasta el 6 de marzo.
TORNEO DE PESCA El torneo de pesca de bagre Falcon Lake Babe —International Catfish Series— para damas solamente, en su ronda de campeonato se llevará a cabo el sábado 7 de marzo. La serie de cinco torneos que se realizan mensualmente desde noviembre finalizará con una ronda de campeonato este sábado. El torneo es un evento individual que permite hasta tres concursantes por embarcación. Las participantes deberán pagar la cuota de participación en los cinco torneos para tener derecho a la ronda de campeonato. Las inscripciones se realizan el viernes anterior al sábado del torneo en Beacon Lodge Rec. Hall. La cuota de inscripción es de 20 dólares por persona. Para mayores informes comuníquese con Betty Ortiz al (956) 236-4590 o con Elcina Buck al (319) 239 5859.
MIÉRCOLES 25 DE FEBRERO DE 2015
ECONOMÍA
Fuerte pérdida POR KENDRA ABLAZA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
El Condado de Webb podría perder hasta 12 millones de dólares si los precios del gas y petróleo continúan bajos por lo que resta del año. De acuerdo con varios reportes, los precios continuarían bajos debido a un exceso de oferta de petróleo y gas. Estos dos productos representan casi el 30 por ciento de los 22 billones del condado más el valor del mercado. Esa porción, valuada en 6 billones el año pasado, se traduce en aproximadamente 23.5 millones que el condado está haciendo en valor imponible. Durante una presentación de Martin Villarreal, jefe de tasaciones para el Webb County Appraisal District, sobre las tendencias de tasación del condado en una reunión en la Corte de Comisionados el 9 de fe-
brero, dijo que está preocupado con el efecto de bola de nieve potencial de los bajos precios. Los precios del gas disminuyeron en alrededor de la mitad del valor que tuvieron en junio pasado, de más de 100 dólares por barril a más de 50 dólares por barril, dijo Villarreal. Mientras tanto, los precios del gas han caído de 4.50 por MCF (o 1.000 pies cúbicos, unidad estándar de producción del gas) a 2.55 MCF, dijo. Dijo que cuando los precios del petróleo y gas bajan, por lo general las empresas comienzan a recortar, debido a que quieren proteger sus márgenes de beneficio. “Espero que… sean preactivos y al mismo tiempo se preparen en caso de que nos veamos en la misma situación que el Condado de Zapata, el Condado de Jim Hogg y otros condados que no están a lo largo de
Eagle Ford Shale que han perdido valor mineral significativo”, dijo Villarreal a los comisionados en la reunión. El Juez del Condado de Zapata Joe Rathmell, dijo que de 2007 a 2008 el valor mineral del Condado de Zapata estaba en cerca de 2 billones de su producción de gas natural y un poco de la producción de petróleo. Ahora, los valores minerales del condado se encuentran en poco más de 500 millones, dijo. Rathmell dijo que el precio del gas natural ha estado deprimido por varios años, y ha tenido un efecto dramático en la perforación en el condado. Rathmell dijo que a pesar de que algunos residentes del Condado de Zapata en la industria del petróleo y gas han encontrado trabajo en lugares cercanos como Eagle Ford Shale, el condado no tiene una respuesta tan fructífera. El juez del conda-
CONDADO
TAMAULIPAS
GANADORES
Encuentro reunirá cronistas POR MELVA LAVÍN-CASTILLO TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
JUNTA DE COMISIONADOS El lunes 09 de marzo, los Comisionados de la Corte del Condado de Zapata realizarán su junta quincenal en la Sala de la Corte del Condado de Zapata, a partir de las 9 a.m. a 12 p.m. Para mayores informes llame a Roxy Elizondo al (956) 765 9920.
Foto de cortesía
El sábado 22 se realizó una competencia de “correteo al becerro”, en el San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, el premio de la competencia fueron 12 certificados por 800 dólares para la compra de la cría de animales en el Junior Livestock Show 2016 de San Antonio. Entre los ganadores de la competencia estuvieron Kristopher Hinkel y Mario Landa, ambos originarios de Zapata. Hinkel y Landa son integrantes de Zapata FFA y disfrutan de jugar al fútbol y el béisbol. En la imagen los ganadores acompañados de organizadores del evento.
FERIA DEL CONDADO A partir del jueves 12 de marzo y hasta el sábado 14 de marzo, tendrá lugar la Feria del Condado de Zapata, en Zapata County Fairgrounds.
DESFILE Se invita a todos los negocios, iglesias, clubes, escuelas, organizaciones y oficiales electos a participar en el Zapata County Fair Parade 2015, que se celebrará el 14 de marzo. Se entregarán trofeos a las mejores flotas de las diferentes categorías. El desfile está programado para comenzar a las 9 a.m., sin embargo los participantes deben presentarse antes de las 8:30. El desfile comenzará en 3rd Ave., y continuará hacia el norte sobre U.S. Hwy 83, para después tomar hacia la izquierda en 23rd St. Y terminar en los jardines de la feria. Para inscribirse debe presentar su solicitud en las oficinas de la Cámara de Comercio del Condado de Zapata ubicadas en 601 N. U.S. Hwy 83 o enviarlas por correo electrónico a cbalderas@zapatachamber.com. Puede descargar la solicitud en www.zapatacountyfair.com.
JUNTA DE COMISIONADOS El lunes 23 de marzo, los Comisionados de la Corte del Condado de Zapata realizarán su junta quincenal en la Sala de la Corte del Condado de Zapata, a partir de las 9 a.m. a 12 p.m. Para mayores informes llame a Roxy Elizondo al (956) 765 9920.
do dijo que han tenido que reducir su fuerza de trabajo en el condado durante los últimos años, en casi 20 por ciento — casi 70 posiciones— para compensar sus valores de petróleo y gas más bajos. Rathmell dijo que el condado también ha tratado de “hacer más con menos”, cuando se trata de servicios del condado. Rathmell dijo que el Condado de Zapata está estudiando la posibilidad de acoger aerogeneradores para aumentar su valor y ofrecer puestos de trabajo. El condado también implementará un 2 por ciento de impuesto sobre las ventas aprobado por los votantes, en la parte superior del impuesto sobre las ventas el 1 de abril y dijo que podría compensar sus valores de minerales agotados. Las llamadas realizadas al Jefe de Tasación del Condado de Jim Hogg, Jorge Arellano no fueron respondidas de inmediato.
TALT
Impartirán curso de mejora ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Debido a que muchos propietarios de tierras en Texas se encuentran manejando los problemas de mantener una granja o un rancho familiar, el Fideicomiso de Tierra Agrícola de Texas, estará realizando dos talleres con el experto fiscal Stephen J. Small. Fideicomiso de Tierra Agrícola de Texas, (TALT, por sus siglas en inglés) es una organización sin fines de lucro, cuya misión es ayudar a los propietarios de tierras a proteger, conservar y transmitir las tierras a futuras generaciones Una de las herramientas disponibles para los propietarios de
tierras es un alivio de conservación, un acuerdo voluntario entre el propietario de la tierra y un fideicomiso de tierra que restringe el futuro desarrollo no agrícola de la propiedad. A cambio de la colocación de esta restricción a la propiedad, el propietario recibe ingresos significativos y beneficios fiscales de bienes. El seminario de cuatro horas, “Salvar las Tierras Familiares”, será impartido por Stephen J. Small, citado por la revista Forbes como “la máxima autoridad en la nación sobre el ahorro de tierra y dinero con fondos de conservación”. Diseñado para propietarios de tierras, contadores públicos, abo-
gados y tasadores, el primer seminario se llevará a cabo en San Antonio el 25 de marzo en el Estudio Pearl, ubicado en 200 de calle East Grayson. El seminario será impartido de 1 p.m. a 5:45 p.m. El segundo seminario se llevará a cabo el 26 de marzo en el Ft. Worth Convention Center, Suite 201, ubicado en 1201 de calle Houston en Fort Worth. Igualmente será de 1 p.m. a 5:45 p.m. El costo es de 75 dólares por persona antes del 28 de febrero y 100 dólares después de esta fecha. Para inscribirse en los seminarios, visite la página txaglandtrust.org o llame al (210) 8260074.
El jueves y viernes, Ciudad Victoria, México, será sede del Primer Encuentro de Cronistas e Historiadores de Tamaulipas. Aunque la principal asistencia será de personas involucradas en la conservación del patrimonio de la entidad, el evento es gratuito y abierto a la comunidad. Raymundo Ríos Mayo, presidente de la Sociedad Histórica de Nuevo Laredo, comentó que durante la agenda de dos días habrá conferencias, mesas de diálogo, proyección de películas, presentaciones de libros, así como muestras de libros y revistas. “Estamos entusiasmados de poder asistir a este primer encuentro”, dijo Ríos Mayo. “Nos interesa lo que podamos aprender, y aquello que podamos aportar”. Junto con Ríos Mayo viajarán Albino Ignacio Salinas Arreola y José Martínez Verdines. Igualmente se esperan representantes de Saltillo, Coahuila; Parras, Coahuila; Santa Catarina, Nuevo León; y, Monterrey, Nuevo León El programa general del evento contempla para el jueves las conferencias magistrales “El Cronista frente al Espejo de la Historia” por parte de Octavio Herrera Pérez; y, “Las Sociedades de Historia de Tamaulipas” con Pedro Alonso Pérez. Las mesas de trabajo serán “Patrimonio Cultural de Tamaulipas”, “Los Cronistas Cuentan la Historia”, “Los Cronistas en su Tinta”, “Los Muertos Hablan. Archivos y Memoria”, “El Noreste Mexicano”, “Historias en el Tintero”, “Educación y Sociedad”, “Puras Historias”. El Primer Encuentro de Cronistas e Historiadores de Tamaulipas se llevará a cabo a partir de las 9 a.m. del jueves en el Auditorio del Museo Regional de Historia de Tamaulipas, en Ciudad Victoria. Su clausura está programada para el viernes alrededor de las 4 p.m.
COLUMNA
Decreto cobraba más impuestos a solteros POR RAÚL SINENCIO ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
De los textos jurídicos suelen desprenderse lecturas poco entretenidas, por describirlo suavemente, aunque a veces guardan interesantes sorpresas. Claros ejemplos logra aportarnos Tamaulipas, con documentos del siglo XX.
Artículos y acciones La carta magna de México consagra libertades civiles de carácter básico. “No se podrá coartar el derecho de asociarse o reunirse pacíficamente con cualquier objeto lícito, pero solamente los ciudadanos de la
República podrán hacerlo para tomar parte en los asuntos políticos del país”, indica el artículo 9. El artículo 1 acota: “Todo individuo gozará de las garantías que otorga esta constitución, las cuales no podrán restringirse ni suspenderse sino en los casos y con las condiciones que ella misma establece”. Creerlo era riesgoso en suelo tamaulipeco. Manifestarse, exigir o protestar en determinados contextos implicaba conductas tipificadas como delitos políticos. Las sanciones prescritas iban desde multas hasta el calabozo. Asimismo se permitió que las personas disidentes quedaran sujetas a vigilancia del gobierno. También se
contemplaba el destierro liso y llano. Dichas acciones formaban parte del código penal de Tamaulipas, adoptado el 1 de agosto de 1925, reimplantándose la pena de muerte.
Gravamen Asimismo hubo consecuencias jurídicas contra personas adultas que se mantuvieran solteras en la jurisdicción norteña. Todo inició el 11 de diciembre de 1937. Ese día, el Periódico Oficial publica el decreto: “Aquellos individuos mayores de 25 años de edad sin cónyuge, divorciados exentos de compromisos alimenticios o viudos sin hijos debían cubrir un impuesto”. Prevista de
manera progresiva, la tarifa grava en 5 por ciento los ingresos abajo de 300 pesos, alcanzándose el 20 por ciento cuando rebasaban los 10.000 pesos. La carga hacendaría incluye a residentes extramuros con haberes o salarios obtenidos en territorio estatal. Patrones y empresas tenían que retener los respectivos tributos. Estas regulaciones fueron promulgadas por el Gobernador Marte R. Gómez. La “ley del impuesto al celibato” desata la escandalera nacional. Tras perder numerosos juicios de amparo, el 7 de mayo de 1938 concluye la ejecución del gravamen. (Publicado con permiso del autor conforme aparece en La Razón, Tampico, México).
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: DALLAS MAVERICKS
Exciting debut from Amar’e Amar’e Stoudemire makes a splash with Mavericks in first game By DWAIN PRICE MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
DALLAS - The excitement level from Amar’e Stoudemire’s debut with the Dallas Mavericks has gone through the roof. When Stoudemire entered the NBA in 2002 as the ninth overall pick by the Phoenix Suns, trying to guard the prep-to-pro star was akin to trying to drive on icy roads. Fast-forward 13 years, and the veteran continued to show signs of that domination Sunday night. He collected 14 points and three rebounds in just 11 minutes during the Mavericks’ 92-81 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. It was as if the 32-yearold took a sip from the fountain of youth before he came off the bench and started plowing through the Hornets. "I was just being aggressive and wanted to establish myself and give us something off the bench that we needed," the 6foot-10, 245-pound Stoudemire said. "But it’s a lot of room to grow. "There’s so many offen-
sive plays that I have to still study night in and night out to figure it out. Defensively, there are a few strategies that I’ve got to figure out as well, so it’ll take time. But I think this is a great starting point." Stoudemire’s starting point was so solid that the Mavericks finally believe they’ve found the perfect backup to starting center Tyson Chandler. They had been trying to fill that void since they traded Brandan Wright to Boston on Dec. 18. The fans also believe the Mavs have found someone special - giving Stoudemire a standing ovation when he entered Sunday’s game for the first time. "He’s a very different player than we’ve had here," coach Rick Carlisle said. "He’s a center that can play power forward, he can shoot with range, he’s a terrific free throw shooter, he can post up, he can pickand-pop and he can drive the ball. "He knows how to play out of double teams, because he’s one of these guys that’s been that high level of player which teams
Photo by Jim Cowsert | AP
Dallas center Amar’e Stoudemire made an impact in his first game since joining the Mavericks from New York. really have to game-plan for." Even before he agreed to a buyout with the New York Knicks on Feb. 16,
Stoudemire had already targeted Dallas as the place he wanted to finish this season. "I was very, very familiar
with the organization from playing against them so many times when I was in Phoenix," Stoudemire said. "I knew about the training staff here that was a really good training staff, which is a positive for me to prolong my health." And his new teammates and coach? "The players are guys who are ready to win, and obviously Coach Carlisle is a phenomenal coach and is a champion as well," Stoudemire said. "He’s been here for a long time - one of the longest-tenured coaches with one team in the NBA." Dirk Nowitzki is glad he and Chandler have another quality front-line player Stoudemire is a six-time All-Star - who the Mavericks can depend on in crucial situations. In summing up Stoudemire’s first game, Nowitzki said: "Sometimes it’s not easy. You don’t know the full playbook yet, you don’t know all the calls on defense. "But he just went out and played hard and played smart and kept the game easy. We kept the play calls easy for him, and I think
it’s just going to get better and better as we get adjusted more to him." The adjustment period continues Tuesday night at 7:30 when the Mavericks (38-20) host the Toronto Raptors (37-18) at American Airlines Center. But if his first game was any indication, Stoudemire could turn out to be of the biggest steals of the season. "I thought for the first game with a new team - 14 points in 11 minutes - that’s pretty strong," Carlisle said. "I see his minutes increasing; I don’t see him as an 11-minute-a-game player." Stoudemire knows he has to accept a lesser role with the Mavericks than the 24 minutes he averaged in 36 contests with the Knicks this season. He also admits that thoughts of a championship played a major role in signing with the Mavericks. "The league knows my pedigree, they know what I bring to the table," Stoudemire said. "This is my 13th year in this league, but whatever we need as a team to win, I’m here to help.”
International
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
Toddler dies of measles By GEIR MOULSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
AP file photo
In this photo taken June 23, 2014, fighters from the Islamic State group parade in a commandeered Iraqi security forces armored vehicle down a main road at the northern city of Mosul, Iraq.
Christians abducted By ZEINA KARAM AND RYAN LUCAS ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIRUT — The Islamic State militants struck before dawn, staging house-tohouse raids in a cluster of villages nestled along the Khabur River in northeastern Syria. They abducted at least 70 Christians — many of them women and children — while thousands of others fled to safer areas. The captives’ fate was unclear Tuesday, a day after they were seized, and relatives said mobile phone service was cut off and land lines also were not going through, adding to the fear and uncertainty about their loved ones. Heavy fighting was reported in the area. The Islamic State group has a history of killing captives, including foreign journalists, Syrian soldiers and Kurdish militiamen. Most recently, militants in Libya affiliated with the extremist group released a video showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians. The group’s bloody campaign in Syria and Iraq, where it seeks to form a self-styled caliphate, has repeatedly targeted religious minorities since it took control of a third of both countries. The United States and coalition of regional partners are conducting a campaign of airstrikes against the group. The militants struck near the town of Tal Tamr in Hassakeh province, an area predominated by Assyrian Christians. Most of the captives came from Tal Shamiram and some from Tal
Hurmiz. Nuri Kino, the head of a group called A Demand For Action, said between 70 and 100 Assyrians were taken captive. About 3,000 people fled and have sought refuge in the cities of Hassakeh and Qamishli, he said, adding that his activist group based its information on conversations with villagers who fled the attack and their relatives. His group focuses on religious minorities in the Middle East. “Have they been slaughtered? Are they still alive? We’re searching for any news,” said an Assyrian Christian woman from Tal Shamiram who now lives in Beirut. The woman said she has been trying to find out what has become of her parents, her brother and his wife and their children, but couldn’t reach anyone in the village. “I feel so helpless, I cannot do anything for them but pray,” she said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of endangering relatives believed to be held by the militants. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which also reported the abductions, put the number of Christians held by the Islamic State group at 90. The Observatory relies on a network of activists inside Syria. Both groups said that most of the captives come from Tal Shamiram, located some 85 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of the provincial capital of Qamishli, and nearby Tal Hurmiz. At least four civilians, includ-
ing a 17-year-old, were killed in clashes later Monday, a relative of one of the victims said on condition of anonymity. The extremists could use the Assyrian captives to try to arrange a prisoner swap with the Kurdish militias it is battling in northeastern Syria. Last year, IS militants abducted more than 150 Kurdish boys and held them in a school in Aleppo province where they subjected them to daily instruction on militant ideology for five months before releasing them in batches. The group has also released Turkish truck drivers and diplomats after holding them for months. It was not known whether a prisoner deal was struck in those instances. Hassakeh province is strategically important because it borders Turkey and areas controlled by IS in Iraq. Kurdish militiamen from the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, backed by the coalition airstrikes, have made advances in the province in a new offensive launched this week. Heavy fighting broke out in the province Monday as Kurdish fighters and IS militants battled for control of villages near the Iraqi and Turkish borders. The Kurds have been one of the most effective foes of IS, a reputation they burnished in recent months by repelling an assault by the extremists on the town of Kobani on the Turkish border. The coalition carried out hundreds of airstrikes that helped the Kurds break the siege in January.
UK passes controversial law By MARIA CHENG ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON — Britain has become the first country in the world to allow the creation of human embryos from the DNA of three people, a technique intended to help mothers avoid passing on genetically degenerative diseases to their babies. The bill granting the controversial techniques was passed Tuesday by the House of Lords, after being approved earlier this month by the House of Commons. The methods involve altering an egg or embryo before it is transferred into a woman which had previously been forbidden by British law. They are intended to avoid passing on defects in the mother’s mitochondria, which can result in diseases including muscular dystrophy, heart, kidney, liver failure and severe muscle weakness. The methods would likely only be used in about a dozen British women every year, who have faulty mitochondria, the energy-producing structures outside a cell’s nucleus. To fix that, scientists remove the nucleus DNA from the egg of a prospective mother and insert it into a donor egg from which the donor
DNA has been removed. That can happen before or after fertilization. The resulting embryo would end up with the nucleus DNA from its parents but the mitochondrial DNA from a donor. The DNA from the donor amounts to less than 1 percent of the resulting embryo’s genes. “This result will be lifechanging for many women living with mitochondrial disease, giving them the precious chance to bear unaffected children, removing the condition from a family line and reducing the numbers faced with its devastating effects,” said Robert
Meadowcroft, chief executive of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, in a statement. He called it a “monumental moment” in the search for treatments and cures for people affected by the condition. But critics charge the new techniques cross a fundamental scientific boundary, because changes made to the embryos will be passed on to future generations. The Center for Genetics and Society said the decision would “turn children into biological experiments and sell wildly exaggerated hope to women already in a challenging position.”
BERLIN — An 18month-old boy has died of measles in Berlin, the first known death in an outbreak of the disease that has seen more than 570 cases in the German capital since October. An autopsy on the child, who died on Feb. 18 and wasn’t immunized against measles, showed he had an unspecified medical condition, but it wouldn’t have led to his death without the measles infection, the Charite hospital said Tuesday. The German outbreak coincides with smaller ones in the United States, where 154 measles cases have been reported this year, three-quarters of them tied to an outbreak that started in Disneyland in December. Authorities believe the Berlin measles infections began with a child from Bosnia whose family was seeking asylum. The highly contagious illness then spread, partly because many older adults in Germany were never immunized and many younger adults received only one vaccine instead of two, as is now recommended for full protection. About half of those infected were adults, officials said. Although it’s rare for measles to be fatal in developed countries, the disease remains one of the leading causes of death among young children globally, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine. The virus kills up to 10 percent of children infected in developing countries that have high levels of malnutrition and poor health care. Approximately 145,700 people died from measles in 2013, mostly children under the age of 5, according to the World Health Organization. Most measles deaths are caused by complications associat-
Photo by Lukas Schulze | AP
A doctor’s assistant prepares a measles vaccination in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday. An 18-month-old boy has died of measles. ed with the disease. “There’s a misconception that measles does not kill in developed countries, but it unfortunately still happens,” said Dr. David Elliman, an immunization expert at Britain’s Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, citing similar deaths in the U.K. in recent years, mostly among people with other health problems, like asthma. Elliman said measles kills about 1 in every 1,000 people in developed countries and that the death in Germany wasn’t entirely unexpected given the size of the outbreak. Berlin last had a major measles outbreak, with 493 cases, in 2013. Health officials say more than 95 percent of a population needs to be vaccinated to prevent outbreaks. Vaccination rates across Europe fell after a now-discredited study that suggested a link between autism and the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella. Dr. Adam Finn, a professor of pediatrics at Britain’s University of Bristol, said the relatively large number of adults infected in the current outbreak in Berlin exposes problems in previous immunization programs. A 2013 study found vaccination rates among young adults 18-29 of around 80
percent, while less than 4 percent of people ages 6064 were vaccinated. The measles vaccine was only developed about 50 years ago, which would explain why many older adults didn’t get the shots, though many are thought to be protected because they’ve had measles. Germany has had a nationwide recommendation of a two-shot regimen only since 1991, so many younger adults did not receive the second dose. By contrast, vaccination rates are high for young children. The Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s equivalent of the Centers for Disease Control, says that 97 percent of children had received one measles shot and 92 percent the full two doses by about age 7 in 2012, the last year for which figures were available. A decade earlier, only around a third of children had received a second shot. In the U.S., immunization is recommended in children at 12 to 15 months of age, followed by a second dose for full protection, usually before the child starts school at 4 to 6 years old. The two-dose protocol was adopted in 1989. Germany’s health minister, Hermann Groehe, called Monday for increased efforts to ensure children are vaccinated.
ZAPATA COUNTY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT PUBLIC NOTICE REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSALS The Board of Trustees for the Zapata County Independent School District will accept Competitive Sealed Proposals for the renovation of the existing Vocational Building at Zapata High School for the purpose of expanding the current Welding Shop. The project is located in Zapata, Texas. Please address Competitive Sealed Proposals to the "Owner", Zapata County lSD, as follows: Competitive Sealed Proposals Zapata County lSD- Zapata High School Welding Shop Renovation Zapata, Texas Competitive Sealed Proposals will be received at the ZCISD Administration Building, I302 Glenn Street, Room I, Zapata, Texas, until: 2:00PM, Monday, March 23, 2015 A Pre-Bid Conference for all Proposers will be held at 2:00PM on March 3, 2015 at the 1302 Glenn Street, ZCISD Administration Bldg., Room 5. One ( 1) original and two (2) copies of the Competitive Sealed Proposal must be submitted. All Competitive Sealed Proposals will be stamped, with time and date received, at the time of delivery to the Procurement Department. Competitive Sealed Proposals will be opened immediately after deadline at 1302 Glenn Street, Zapata, Texas. Competitive Sealed Proposals will be evaluated by the District and ranked based on the issued documents for scope of work, contract and general conditions, and provision by Proposers of price proposal, experience, past performance, safety record, proposed personnel and methodology and other required qualifications. The selected Proposer will be places on the Agenda at a special called board meeting for consideration of award based on the ranking order. The District will then attempt to negotiate a contract for construction services with approval of the Board of Trustees per TEA Education Code Chapter 44, Fiscal Management, Subchapter A, 44.0352, Competitive Sealed Proposals. Drawings and Specifications may be reviewed free of charge at the office of Metaform Studio Architects, 6909 Springfield Ave, Suite I 07, Laredo, Texas (956) 568-33I5, or copies may be obtained upon deposit of $100.00 for one (1) full size hard print copy and one (1) PDF copy on CD. The entire amount of deposit will be refunded if the plans and specifications are returned in good order within ten (I 0) working days after the bid opening. The Board of Trustees, ZCISD, reserves the right to accept or reject any or all qualification statements and to waive any formalities and/or irregularities. PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT ZCISD
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
VICTORIA R. MORALES
NOE PEÑA
May 26, 1922 – Feb. 20, 2015
May 12, 1927 – Feb. 23, 2015
Victoria R. Morales was born on May 26, 1922 and passed away on February 20, 2015 at the age of 92 at Laredo Medical Center in Laredo, Texas. Mrs. Morales was a devoted Catholic and a member of the Sacred Heart Society of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Mrs. Morales is preceded in death by her son, Baby Antonio Morales, Jr; parents, Eugenio and Manuela S. Regino; brother, Jesus (Criselia) Regino; sister, Concepcion (Abelardo) Lopez; nephew, Richard R. Regino; in-laws, Serapio and Vidala Morales; and brother-in-law, Roberto Barrera. Mrs. Morales is survived by her husband of 61 years, Antonio Morales; son, Jose Luis (Edna) Morales; grandsons, Jose Luis Morales, Jr., Alberto Antonio Morales, and Benjamin Joel Morales; brothers, Ricardo (Rebecca) Regino, Zaragoza (Angelita) Regino; sister, Emma Barrera, sister-in-law, Maria M. Martinez and by numerous cousins, nephews, nieces, other family members and friends. Visitation hours were held on Monday, February 23, 2015, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7
p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession departed on February 24, 2015, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery. A special thanks to Dr. Oscar Gutierrez & Staff and also to her caregivers, Chayo, Maria and Lupita. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy 83 Zapata, Texas.
GUADALUPE SOCORRO BUSTAMANTE Jan. 28, 1947 – Feb. 20, 2015 Guadalupe V. Bustamante passed away on Friday, February 20, 2015, at Doctor’s Hospital in Laredo, Texas. Mrs. Bustamante is preceded in death by her husband, Silvestre Bustamante, Jr.; daughter, Wanda I. Vargas; parents, Teofilo and Antonia Vela; and in-laws, Silvestre and Maria Luisa Bustamante. Mrs. Bustamante is survived by her children, Silvestre Bustamante, III, Myrna (Santiago) Hernandez, Eduardo (Dora) Bustamante, and Ana (Rudy) Bravo; grandchildren, Almicar Vargas, Arlina Vargas, Celeste (Joaquin, IV) Solis, Leobardo, Jr. (Irasema) Solis, Selma (Oziel) Martinez, Marco A. Bustamante, Santiago Hernandez, Eduardo (Marely) Bustamante, Jr., Silvestre Bustamante, Cesar J. Bustamante, Anita Bravo, Rudy Bravo, III, and Javier R. Bravo; great-grandchildren, Joaquin Solis, V, Leobardo Solis, III, Kayla Solis, Emily Martinez, Oziel Martinez, Jr., Ivan Martinez, Camillo Martinez, Gael Martinez and Eduardo Bustamante, III; brothers, Teofilo, Jr. (Antonia) Vela and Armando Vela; sister, Leticia (+ Francisco) Paredes; sisters-in-law, Lydia (+ Bernardo) Bustamante, Maria de los Angeles (+ Jose Luis) Bustamante, Blanca (Aureliano) Salinas, Minerva (Andres) Arambula, and
Maria Concepcion (Oscar) Villarreal, and by numerous family members and friends. Visitation hours were held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession departed on Monday, February 23, 2015, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services followed at Bustamante Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy 83 Zapata, Texas.
Noe Peña, 87, passed away on Monday, February 23, 2015 at Laredo Medical Center in Laredo, Texas. Mr. Peña is survived by his wife, Corina Diaz de Peña; daughter, Elvia Adela (Roberto) Garcia; grandsons, Roberto Jr. (Daniela) Garcia, Daniel (Denisse) Garcia; great-grandchildren, Roberto, III, Dalina, Ruben, Darely and Dalyessa; and by numerous nephews, nieces, other family members and friends. Visitation hours will be held on Wednesday, February 25, 2015, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a rosary at 10 a.m. at Rose Garden Fu-
neral Home. The funeral procession will depart at 1 p.m. for a 1:30 p.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services will follow at Zapata County Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy 83 Zapata, Texas.
PRISON Continued from Page 1A out and the rest will be moved over the next few days. Arnita declined to say where the inmates would be taken or how long they would remain there, citing security reasons. He did say they would be taken to other federal units in Texas and elsewhere, and he described them as “cooperative” with the transfers. The inmates are primarily “low-level” offenders who are immigrants in the country illegally, according to the prison operator. They took control of part of the prison on Friday, complaining about facility’s conditions and medical services and refusing to complete their work assignments, officials said. The Valley Morning Star reported that fires were set inside three of the prison’s 10 housing units, and Arnita said in a statement Sunday that extensive damage was done to plumbing and heating and cooling systems. The full extent of the damage is still unknown. Authorities said two corrections officers and three inmates suffered minor injuries. A spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons referred questions Sunday to the prison operator, Management & Training Corp. According to a report last year by the American Civil Liberties Union, the large Kevlar tents that make up the facility are not “only foul, cramped and depressing, but also overcrowded.” The report said inmates reported their medical concerns were often ignored by staff and that corners were often cut when it came to inmates’ health care. Carl Takei, a staff attorney with the ACLU’s National Prison Project, said the courts have determined that the denial of
Inmates reported … that corners were often cut when it came to (their) health care. appropriate medical care amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. Government institutions like the Bureau of Prisons can’t evade their responsibility to provide inmates with proper medical care just by handing control of a prison to a private contractor like MTC, he said. Takei said problems at the Willacy County prison also include instances of overflowing toilets and sewage that seeps into sleeping areas. “The unsanitary conditions and overcrowding makes for a tense atmosphere,” he said. Brian McGiverin, a prisoners’ rights attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project, said he wasn’t surprised that inadequate medical care could ignite unrest. He said medical care is grossly underfunded in prisons, especially those run by private contractors. “It’s pretty abysmal with regard to modern standards how people should be treated, pretty much anywhere you go,” he said. But Arnita said the health services at the Willacy County prison are accredited by independent organizations, including The Joint Commission, a national not-for-profit that accredits more than 20,500 health care entities in the U.S. “We believe offenders receive timely, quality health care,” he said.
VETERANS Continued from Page 1A decade. Access to these services means veterans would not have to travel to San Antonio or other larger cities for certain types of care as before, he said. “I would say 95-99 percent of veterans that have to travel out of town will now get those services done here locally,” Cuellar said. Enrique Gallegos, Laredo Medical Center’s CEO, said some veterans’ medical conditions have worsened by not having timely access to care. He said the new partnership will make it easier for veterans to get access to services they need at LMC and other local medical facilities. “It will truly transform the experience for
the veterans in this community,” Gallegos said. Hugo Martinez, public and congressional affairs officer of the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System, part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, said his group has similar partnerships throughout the Rio Grande Valley, but that this is the first such partnership in Laredo. He hopes the program will grow so Laredo-area veterans can access even more local services in the future, such as oncology, geriatrics and in-patient mental health care. “As demands for services continue to grow, we will continue to grow with the demands,” Martinez said.
CUTS Continued from Page 1A Patrick, who oversees the flow of Senate legislation, added of taxpayers: “Remember, this is their money and they need as much back as we can send them.” That announcement came a day after Rep. Dennis Bonnen, an Arlington Republican and the House’s chief budget writer, said proposals in the lower chamber would also likely top Patrick and Nelson’s previous $4 billion pledge. Gov. Greg Abbott has also called for $4.5 billion in tax cuts over the biennial budget cycle. Budget drafts hammered out in the Senate and House will eventually have to be reconciled in committee before each chamber can vote on any final versions of new cuts. That means the process is only just starting — but tax cuts are already driving the debate. Critics, though, note that easing tax burdens for home and business owners ensures that the bulk of the windfall will go to wealthier segments of Texas’ population. The centerpiece of the Senate plan would expand homestead property tax exemptions for homeowners, providing $2.5 billion in tax reductions. Nelson said the homestead exemption hadn’t been increased since 1997, and that her plan would allow homeowners to claim exemptions worth 25 percent of the median home value statewide. That would mean about $200 annually per average homeowner. The plan includes an amendment to the Texas Constitution increas-
ing the homestead exemption in future years, trying to ensure that tax cuts don’t evaporate if home prices rise across Texas. Other Senate proposals would reduce Texas’ business tax rate by 15 percent while exempting companies with total annual revenue of $4 million or less from paying it. It would amount to a $1.5 billion cut. The plans were immediately applauded by the Texas Association of Business, but some Democrats have called for more progressive tax strategies to benefit more Texans. They’ve also worried that a scramble to slash taxes would come at the expense of public education and other services — especially if oil prices stay low, crimping large swaths of the state economy. "I caution state leaders to consider all of our state’s priorities and infrastructure needs before significantly depleting our state’s revenue sources,” San Antonio Democratic Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer said in a statement Tuesday. Patrick countered that cuts were possible without reducing services. He said that will remain true, even if the Texas Supreme Court eventually upholds a state district court decision declaring Texas’ public school funding inadequate and unfairly distributed — thus obligating the Legislature to devise a sweeping new school finance formula. “We’re going to do both,” Patrick said. “There’s room.”
PAGE 10A
Zentertainment
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
Moviegoers and Academy grow apart By MICHAEL CIEPLY AND BROOKS BARNES NEW YORK TIMES
LOS ANGELES — In the end, it was the audience that got snubbed. Following the best picture win on Sunday night by "Birdman" — a brainy film seen by fewer than 5 million ticket buyers in North America — the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences woke on Monday to soft television ratings for its Oscar telecast and fresh signs that its movie awards have become hopelessly detached from movie viewers. According to Nielsen data, the Oscar broadcast on ABC drew about 36.6 million viewers, down 14.9 percent from roughly 43 million last year. It was the lowest-rated show since 2009, which had about 36.3 million viewers for a ceremony hosted by Hugh Jackman, with "Slumdog Millionaire" in the winner’s circle. Going into Sunday’s show, the headlines were about the dearth of racial diversity among acting nominees. That gave Neil Patrick Harris, the ceremony’s eager, if ultimately ineffective, host, his first joke of the night, as he opened what he called a celebration of "the best and the whitest — sorry, brightest." But the large number of black presenters and performers — including John Legend and Common, who also collected the best song prize for their "Selma" tour de force, "Glory" — helped to douse that controversy. The most honored artist of the evening was notably Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the Mexican director of "Birdman," who accepted the best picture statuette with a plea for immigrant respect. He also was a cowriter and producer of the film, which is formally titled "Birdman or the Unex-
pected Virtue of Ignorance." The bigger problem, as the results came in, were indications — visible amid a confusing tangle of awards that went in many different directions — that both the Academy and the echo chamber of Hollywood’s awards-system machinery have nearly broken their connection with the movies that many millions of people buy tickets to watch. "It’s sad, but most people have to finally accept that the Oscars have become, well, elitist and not in step with anything that is actually popular," said Philip Hallman, a film studies librarian at the University of Michigan. "No one really believes anymore that the films they chose are the ones that are going to last over time." The audience clearly cast its vote for Clint Eastwood’s "American Sniper," a reality-based Iraq war story that has taken in about $320 million at the domestic box office from nearly 40 million viewers. Box-office analysts predict that "American Sniper" will easily take in $340 million before its run is finished, making it the No. 1 film released last year, as measured in domestic ticket sales. Another telling statistic: "Birdman" collected about $11 million in ticket sales between the time it was nominated and Sunday; "American Sniper" took in $317 million over the same period. But "American Sniper," one of eight best picture nominees and with six nominations overall, went home with nothing but a sound-editing statuette. "The Imitation Game," the second-ranked ticket seller among the best picture nominees, with about $84 million in domestic sales from about 10 million viewers, did no better. After
Photo by Omar Vega/Invision | AP
Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu attends the 87th Academy Awards 21st Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Oscar Party on Sunday. months of intense prize campaigning by the Oscarsavvy Weinstein Co., it lost in seven of its eight nominated categories, winning only for best adapted screenplay. In the visual effects category, all five nominees, including the winner, "Interstellar," were the sort of grand blockbusters that keep Hollywood working and give it sheen around the world. Not one of them figured in a field of smallerbudget, little-seen best picture contenders that for months had dominated the awards conversation. Even the "In Memoriam" sequence gave viewers the cold shoulder. The wildly popular Joan Rivers, a redcarpet fixture and occasional actress, was noticeably not included, while multiple little-known former film professionals did make the cut. It was not supposed to be this way: In 2009, Academy officials increased their field of best picture nominees, from five to a maximum of 10, in a bid to embrace large, world-spanning films — "The Dark Knight," "Inception" — that are the pinnacle of populist art. The plan was to shift the Oscars back toward relevancy, "a history where most of the winning films were also popular with the audience," as Hallman put
it on Monday. With the occasional exception of an "Avatar" or a "Gravity" among the nominees, however, the larger field of contenders has only brought in more little movies. The trend was particularly noticeable on Sunday,
when one of the big winners was "Whiplash," which won three Oscars but has been seen by perhaps 1.4 million ticket buyers since its release more than four months ago. The slow drift from the audience, film historians say, is almost certainly rooted in the Academy’s admissions process, which leans heavily toward the inclusion of each year’s nominees. Those nominated for making small films join the ranks and nominate more small films. A recent move to expand the documentary branch probably added a few more indie-minded voters with an eye for the esoteric. (Academy membership is generally around 6,000; last year, 271 candidates, a relatively high number, were invited to join.)
The creation of a casting director branch in 2013 almost certainly added still more voters with a penchant for character and performance, and perhaps not much interest in the colossal visual-effects-driven films by which much of Hollywood makes a living. For many in Hollywood, the net result became painfully visible on Sunday, as Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, the Oscar ceremony producers, created a razzmatazz variety show with some movies in tow — almost as an afterthought. As the ratings demonstrated, the audience was not impressed. Perhaps they went to the movies instead: Box-office analysts noted that ticket sales on Sunday, normally a slow day at theaters, were unusually brisk.