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Stormy weather
2 die in Miguel Aleman battle
Tornadoes threatening parts of US this weekend By CHUCK BARTELS ASSOCIATED PRESS
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Forecasters are predicting a significant chance of strong tornadoes this weekend across a large part of the nation’s mid-section, an
outbreak that could stretch from the Great Plains to the Midwest and South. It’s been a quiet year for tornadoes so far, but that doesn’t mean the placid weather won’t take an abrupt turn, forecasters said Thursday.
“Our run of relatively quiet weather may be about to come to an end,” Bill Bunting, operations chief for the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., said. Bunting said the coming system will start today in
the Plains — Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and a sliver of South Dakota — and move eastward into Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana on Sunday. The system is expected to
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PAGE 12A
ALAMEDA THEATER
Soldiers fight off attackers in black Lincoln Escalade THE ZAPATA TIMES
REPAIRING HISTORY
Two suspects died in a gunfight with Mexican Army soldiers Thursday night in Miguel Aleman, Mexico, stated the Tamaulipas state government in a press release. About 11 p.m. Thursday, soldiers were on patrol on vacant land at the end of Manuel Acuña Street in the Infonavit del Norte neighborhood, near the Rio Grande, the press release stated.
Escalade used They were reportedly attcked by armed civilians traveling in a black Lincoln Escalade with Zacatecas, Mexico, license plates. Soldiers fought off the attack, killing the sus-
See MEXICO PAGE 12A
MEXICO
Photo by Steve Bennett/San Antonio Express-News | AP
The Alameda Theater, housed in the International Building, is “the heart of San Antonio,” said Ernest Bromley, who is spearheading the venerable theater’s restoration.
Famed Hispanic showplace gets facelift By STEVE BENNETT SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
SAN ANTONIO — To someone walking up West Houston Street, the art deco
Alameda Theater — with its soaring, 86-foot marquee — looks pretty much as show business entrepreneur Gae-
See ALAMEDA THEATER PAGE 11A
Photo by Steve Bennett/San Antonio Express-News | AP
The new stagehouse and orchestra pit are seen March 14 as part of the first phase of renovations to the Alameda Theater.
Vigilantes hunting for cartel leader Civilian group seeks remaining top man in Knights Templar ASSOCIATED PRESS
CATHOLIC CHURCH
Sainthood for two popes By ANDREW FRYE BLOOMBERG NEWS
Pope John Paul II, on the cusp of the fastest canonization in recent history, will be honored along with a pope whose death 51 years ago spurred the first modern in-
stant-sainthood campaign in a double ceremony this weekend in Rome. On Sunday, Pope Francis, 77, will declare the sainthood of John Paul, who died nine years ago, and John XXIII,
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PAGE 11A
Photo by Emilio Morenatti | AP
A Polish nun holds a portrait of late Pope John Paul II in a shop near St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, on Friday.
MEXICO CITY — Vigilantes are searching an extensive cave system in the hunt for the last fugitive boss of the Knights Templar drug cartel, a “self-defense” group leader in western Mexico said Thursday. Vigilante leader Estanislao Beltran said there are signs the cartel had used the caves near the town of Arteaga in Michoacan state. “I think they used it as a hideout,” said Beltran, who had descended about 100 yards into the caves. “We found evidence.” Three days ago, vigilantes accompanied by federal forces took control of Arteaga, which is the hometown of Servando “La Tuta” Gomez, the only one of the cartel’s top four leaders who has not been captured or killed. Gomez once served as a school teacher in the area and had some support among townspeople because his gang handed out money to
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Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, APRIL 26
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bass Champs Fishing Tournament. 8 a.m. Zapata County Public Boat Ramp. Earth Day celebration and 15th anniversary of Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center. 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bird-watching at Paso del Indio Trail, followed by tours of the center. Free. Call 764-5701. National Prescription Drug TakeBack Pill Initiative. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ryan Elementary, 2401 Clark Blvd., and Laredo Fire Department Administration Building, 616 E. Del Mar Blvd. Bring medication for proper disposal to avoid drug abuse. Call 724-3177. Casa Tibet open house. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 8511 McPherson Road, Suite No. 110. Visit from Lama Tenzin Thutop and several events planned. Call Adriana Villarreal at 235-1286.
Today is Saturday, April 26, the 116th day of 2014. There are 249 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On April 26, 1564, William Shakespeare was baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. On this date: In 1865, John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, was surrounded by federal troops near Port Royal, Va., and killed. In 1913, Mary Phagan, a 13year-old worker at a Georgia pencil factory, was strangled; Leo Frank, the factory superintendent, was convicted of her murder and sentenced to death. (Frank’s death sentence was commuted, but he was lynched by an anti-Semitic mob in 1915.) In 1914, author Bernard Malamud (“The Natural”) was born in New York. In 1923, Britain’s Prince Albert, Duke of York (the future King George VI), married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon at Westminster Abbey. In 1937, German and Italian warplanes raided the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War; estimates of the number of people killed vary from the hundreds to the thousands. In 1952, the destroyer-minesweeper USS Hobson sank in the central Atlantic after colliding with the aircraft carrier USS Wasp with the loss of 176 crew members. In 1964, the African nations of Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form Tanzania. In 1984, bandleader Count Basie, 79, died in Hollywood, Fla. In 1986, a major nuclear accident occurred at the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union). In 1989, actress-comedian Lucille Ball died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at age 77. Ten years ago: The government unveiled its new, colorized $50 bill. Five years ago: The United States declared a public health emergency as more possible cases of swine flu surfaced from Canada to New Zealand; officials in Mexico City closed everything from concerts to sports matches to churches in an effort to stem the spread of the virus. One year ago: Country singer George Jones, 81, died in Nashville. Today’s Birthdays: Movie composer Francis Lai (“Love Story”) is 82. Actress-comedian Carol Burnett is 81. Rhythm-and-blues singer Maurice Williams is 76. Songwriter-musician Duane Eddy is 76. Singer Bobby Rydell is 72. Rock musician Gary Wright is 71. Actress Nancy Lenehan is 61. Actor Giancarlo Esposito is 56. Rock musician Roger Taylor (Duran Duran) is 54. Actress Joan Chen is 53. Rock musician Chris Mars is 53. Actor-singer Michael Damian is 52. Actor Jet Li (lee) is 51. Rock musician Jimmy Stafford (Train) is 50. Actor-comedian Kevin James is 49. United States Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey (TREHTH’-eh-way) is 48. Actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste is 47. Country musician Joe Caverlee (Yankee Grey) is 46. Rapper T-Boz (TLC) is 44. Thought for Today: “A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.” — William James, American philosopher and psychologist (1842-1910).
SUNDAY, APRIL 27 Semiannual all-you-can-eat spaghetti lunch. Noon to 1:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave. Free. Contact Sue Webber at 722-1674 or fumc_office@sbcglobal.net.
MONDAY, APRIL 28 Zapata County Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. Zapata County Courthouse. Call Roxy Elizondo at 7659920. Monthly meeting of Laredo Parkinson’s Disease Support Group. 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, Tower B, First Floor Community Center. Patients, caregivers and family members invited. Free info pamphlets available in Spanish and English. Call Richard Renner (English) at 645-8649 or Juan Gonzalez (Spanish) at 2370666.
TUESDAY, APRIL 29 “The Calling” series of Bible talks. 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Laredo Church of Christ Chapel, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 340. Contact Miguel Zuñiga at 286-9631 or mglZuñiga@yahoo.com.
THURSDAY, MAY 1 “Building Healthy Relationships” by Marco Antonio Karam. 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Doors open 5 p.m. TAMIU Student Center Ballroom. Topics include importance of maintaining healthy relationships with spouse or partner, family and colleagues. General admission $30 and students with valid ID $15. Call Adriana Villarreal at 2351286.
FRIDAY, MAY 2 Monthly Wellness & Women Connection Networking Luncheon. 11:45 a.m. to 1:20 p.m. Posh Sushi & Grill, 2715 E. Del Mar Blvd. Theme: The power of praying women transforming their environment. RSVP at wwconnection.org. Contact Abby Willett or Sylvia Praesel at 645-0377 or info@wwconnection.org. “Muerte, Bardo y Renacimiento” conference by Tony Karam, with translators on site. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Understand Tibetan Buddist and modern scientific traditions: meaning of life, how to accept death and how to help the dying. Nurses, doctors and home health staff encouraged to attend. Call Adriana Villarreal at 235-1286.
SATURDAY, MAY 3 Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society fundraiser. 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Picnic tour to San Ygnacio, Texas. New members welcome. Call Sanjuanita Martinez-Hunter at 722-3497. Viva Laredo Festival. LIFE Grounds. 11 a.m. trail ride registration, at La Sita Rose VIP Trailriders rest area on Hwy 59. Ride out at noon, ends at LIFE Grounds. $20 per rider, with all proceeds benefiting local and area students’ scholarship fund. Free meal for trail riders. Door prizes. Special prize to best Mexican dressed trail riding team. Other activities include charreada; mutton bustin (ages 3 to 8, $20 entry fee); tamales tasting cookoff; salsa cook-off; grito contest; Li’l Miss Viva Laredo contest (ages 10 and under); and dance music. Contact Rosy at 744-7505, Alicia at 286-5398, Lilly at 237-2208, or Letty at 7631299.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 New parent orientation for those interested in fostering. 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. 102 E. Calton Road, Suite No. 4, in Laredo. English. Provides details about the process of becoming a foster parent. Contact Linda Mendiola at 791-4909 or linda.mendiola@lsss.org.
Photo by Jason Bean/Las Vegas Review-Journal/file | AP
The Bundy family and their supporters fly the American flag as their cattle is released by the Bureau of Land Management back onto public land outside of Bunkerville, Nev., on April 12. A Texas land dispute has outgoing Gov. Rick Perry and the Republican candidate favored to replace him, Greg Abbott, decrying the same federal agency currently embroiled in an armed standoff in Nevada.
State in land dispute By WILL WEISSERT AND BETSY BLANEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Top Texas leaders are accusing the federal government of trying to seize property they say belongs to local cattle ranchers, a dispute that involves the same agency currently embroiled in an armed standoff over land in Nevada. Outgoing Gov. Rick Perry and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, the front-runner in the race to succeed him, insist politics has nothing to do with their public criticism of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. At issue are up to 90,000 acres along the Red River, which marks the border with Oklahoma. Last summer, the Bureau of Land Management began holding field hearings about the possibility of revising regulations of federal holdings in Texas, Oklahoma and
Kansas. That’s a multi-year process, but it caused some ranchers to raise concerns their land could be expropriated as part of an updated “Resource Management Plan.” Earlier this week, Abbott wrote to the Bureau of Land Management, saying he is “deeply concerned” it “believes the federal government has the authority to swoop in and take land that has been owned and cultivated by Texas landowners for generations.” Donna Hummel, spokeswoman for the agency, countered that it is “categorically not expanding federal holdings along the Red River.” The battle brewing in Texas comes against the backdrop of Cliven Bundy, a Nevada rancher and states’ rights advocate at the center of a national feud with the Bureau of Land Management over cattle grazing on public land.
Most whooping cranes leave state
School officials decide to pay $30K in health costs
Lady Bird Lake boardwalk grand opening June 7
AUSTWELL — Most of the more than 300 estimated whooping cranes that spent the winter in Texas have headed home to Canada. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service expert Wade Harrell on Thursday announced officials estimate less than 20 percent of the population remains in Texas. Most of the rare cranes have reached or are en route to Wood Buffalo National Park.
ODESSA — West Texas school officials have decided to pay $30,000 in health care costs for students exposed to mercury brought to a school by an Odessa ninth-grader March 18. The medical costs of affected teachers at John B. Hood Junior High School are covered under workers compensation. Nobody was injured but as many as 70 people were taken to hospitals after exposure.
AUSTIN — A more than milelong boardwalk on Lady Bird Lake in Austin will be opening June 7. Officials with The Trail Foundation on Thursday announced grand opening plans for the boardwalk on the Ann and Roy Butler hike-and-bike trail. Construction on the more than $28 million project started in October 2012.
18 UT students arrested, protest possible cutbacks
Gas prices across state hold steady at $3.49
AUSTIN — At least 18 University of Texas students were arrested outside the Austin school president’s office in a protest against possible staff cutbacks. The students were arrested on misdemeanor criminal trespass charges after refusing to leave when regular business hours ended Wednesday afternoon.
IRVING — Retail gasoline prices across Texas held steady this week at $3.49 per gallon. AAA Texas on Thursday reported that compares to the nationwide average price of $3.68 per gallon, up 2 cents from last week. Dallas has the most expensive gasoline statewide this week at $3.56 per gallon.
Child, 10, among 3 Austin burglary suspects AUSTIN — An investigation into nearly a dozen attempted burglaries in Central Texas has led to the arrest of three youths, including a 10-year-old suspect. Investigators say another suspect is being sought after reports of house break-ins on April 10. Police responded to reports of a neighbor seeing four people acting suspiciously near a home. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Stowaway’s mom says son believed her dead SAN JOSE, Calif. — The mother of a 15-year-old California teen who stowed away on a flight to Hawaii tells Voice of America that her son had recently learned that she was alive after being told by his father she had died. Speaking with VOA from a refugee camp in eastern Ethiopia, mother Ubah Mohamed Abdullahi said she felt bad that her son risked his life and that her dream is to live with her children in the United States. Abdullahi said her ex-husband took their three children to California without her knowledge, and that she hadn’t heard from them since 2006.
Feds weigh protecting orcas in waters SEATTLE — A federal agency is weighing whether to protect
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A trio of wild fox cubs cautiously exit their den near a farm road in Northampton County, Va., on Thursday evening.
endangered orcas in the waters off the West Coast. NOAA Fisheries said Thursday it would consider a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity seeking to expand the critical habitat for southern resident killer whales.
NOAA has already designated inland waters of Washington as critical to orca conservation, but the group’s petition says offshore areas from Cape Flattery, Wash., to Point Reyes, Calif., should now be added as critical habitat. — 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
SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Single-sex schools put focus on learning By YAMIL BERARD FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
FORT WORTH — When Tyson Haynes and Kai Conner hit puberty, school got tricky. All of a sudden, Conner — a 12-year-old student body president with a straight-A report card — wondered whether she was cute enough, cool enough and stylish enough to attract a boy. “I had a lot of boys who liked me and that made me nervous,” Conner told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I didn’t want to do anything wrong. . Girls are like that. They like that attention.” Haynes, 14, said he saw his grades slip. “Yeah, I was going to school with girls and getting in trouble a lot,” he said. Haynes is an eighthgrader at Paul Laurence Dunbar Young Men’s Leadership Academy. Conner is about to complete her sixth-grade year at Young Women’s Leadership Academy. The single-sex schools, created by a team of educators in the Fort Worth district, are free from the boygirl drama that can derail academic success at a critical developmental stage. If state designations are any indication, they appear to be succeeding. Under the state’s accountability system, both schools met state standards in 2012-13. They also both received state distinction designations — awarded for performing better on some tests than 40 similar public schools — in some subjects. The YMLA was among the top 25 percent of similar state schools that improved test scores from one year to the next. More than 70 percent of the students at both schools are from underprivileged homes and face challenges their more affluent peers don’t typically encounter. For example, some may not have enough to eat at home
as their families struggle to make ends meet. Both campuses use focused strategies crafted to battle negative messages that can propel the youngsters down the wrong path, said Niesha Jones, dean of students at the YWLA. “It’s about building up who they are here, giving them a foundation here, versus trying to fight the mounting messages of low self-esteem and all the gender barriers that they will face in the real world,” Jones said. YMLA Principal Rodney White and YWLA Principal Mia Hall agree that they can produce motivated learners in a single-sex environment. Hall calls her students “gems.” Girls are elevated to a different gem each year: freshmen are “sapphires,” sophomores “emeralds” and juniors are “rubies.” Each girl is a “diamond” when she reaches her senior year. The walls on each floor of the campus, painted in shades of papaya and turquoise, are emblazoned with empowering messages from prominent women such as Michelle Obama and Sonia Sotomayor. Girls take 90-minute classes. That would never work at the YMLA, White said. The boys’ classes are 49 minutes long, he said. Instead of gem designations, the boys join groups called “prides,” similar to a fraternity. The YMLA has four prides, each named after a historical figure: Paul Laurence Dunbar, Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein and Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat who helped more than 6,000 Jewish refugees escape to Japanese territories during World War II. They work off energy physically, even in academic subjects. At 9:20 a.m. on Monday, April 14, 220 boys are stomping their feet and slapping high-fives in the
Photo by Joyce Marshall/Fort Worth Star-Telegram | AP
Eighth graders take an exam at Young Women’s Leadership Academy in Fort Worth. Single-sex schools are free from boy-girl drama. YMLA auditorium. Boys are wiggling in their chairs, jumping, even screaming and howling. Just before a game of vocabulary speed play begins, London Zambito, an eighthgrader, brandishes a fourth-place trophy from a Latin competition in Round Rock over a recent weekend. (Each student in White’s school is required to take Latin.) His classmates roar with applause. Within seconds, the boys move on to a speed game of vocabulary terms. Seventhgrader James Owens completes the task in 15 seconds, outwitting his opponent. “I practiced before I came so I was probably better prepared,” the victor blurts into the microphone. Just as that event ends, another begins. Two groups of boys begin a debate over the validity of the famed Dred Scott decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. Scott was a slave who unsuccessfully sued for his freedom and that of his wife and two daughters in 1857. In about 10 minutes, a boy representing a judges’ panel of students says the competition is over. Each team’s debate points are tabulated on a scorecard and one point appears to be the deciding factor in the match. The winning team is an-
nounced, which triggers boys to climb all over each other to celebrate victory with slaps, hugs and highfives. Many of the exercises at the YMLA are about competition, White said. “It’s always got to be something about where my group can win,” White said. “If the talk is not competitive, they’re not in it anymore.” White says he uses almost every possible incentive to motivate the young men. He posts on bulletin boards the student test scores compared to those of other district schools. He promises lunches and dinners at places such as Olive Garden to those who make consecutive good grades. Fifteen-year-old Juan Menchaca is quick to walk every guest on a tour of the school to a bulletin board showing a spread of test scores in the district. “Here are our test scores,” Menchaca said. “We want to be ranked the best school in the district, and we are going to be at least in the top three.” Posting the scores makes the boys strive for more, White said. “They need to know the fruits of their labor.” In Mia Hall’s cafeteria at the YWLA the next day, the tone is starkly different. Teams of girls are popping chips and juice cans, laughing and joking. The scene
is much quieter than the boys’ auditorium. “They can sit here all day,” Jones said. “In fact, they prefer it.” Educators at the YWLA are trying to bash stereotypes that tend to thrive in co-educational schools — the idea that self-worth is tied to popularity, appearance and socioeconomic status. Hall’s goal is to encourage girls to venture into areas where women typically have not excelled, such as math and science, she said. “We wanted to establish a sisterhood there to support one another,” Hall said. “With the absence of the opposite sex, they’re not vying for their attention so they are not competing with one another, it’s more of a support system. “They have the courage to try things that they wouldn’t normally do for fear of ridicule.” Girls are encouraged to dive into areas of study typically dominated by boys: technology, engineering and science. Even though the school’s oldest students are sophomores, four girls are already taking advanced mathematics courses such as pre-calculus, Jones said. A focus on math and science is what drew eighthgrader Emily Hernandez to the school. “There are so many people here you can relate to and talk to,” she said. “You don’t have to worry about impressing anybody.” Freshman Leslie Erwin, 15, said her parents were never focused specifically on an all-girl campus. “It was never about, “Let’s send her to an allgirls school.’ It was about let it be an academically rigorous school,” she said. “And it was always my choice. And it was definitely my No. 1 choice to come here. I think it’s great. It’s a very small community and it is focused on academics and college.”
The issue of single-gender education has been debated for years. The naysayers include the ACLU Women’s Rights Project, which says the schools encourage gender stereotypes. Skeptics also say that educational success depends more on personalized attention, good teachers and a rigorous curriculum. Even so, some of Texas’ largest public school districts have embraced the idea of single-sex schools to counter falling test scores and low performance. Dallas opened Texas’ first allfemale campus, the Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, in 2004. The San Antonio and Grand Prairie school districts also have created single-gender schools. The National Association for Single-Sex Public Education estimates that more than 100 stand-alone schools operate in the U.S. for single-gender students. Also, more than 520 public school systems have dedicated classrooms to singlegender education. Supporters say the schools are becoming more popular because they provide a safety net for girls. Bethanie Skipper, the girls’ counselor at the YWLA, says the campus offers her girls the chance to hone an identity in a nonthreatening environment. “This is a time in their normal development when they are processing their emotions, and typically, too, during that time, we’re finding our identity, and we get that through our peers,” said Skipper. “This is a safe environment where they are able to first figure out who they are.” While there’s no definitive research on whether single-sex public education is better, White said he sees a direct correlation between his boy-only grouping and better grades. That’s proof that strategies at the YMLA are working, he said.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014
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WORST WEEK IN WASHINGTON
OTHER VIEWS
Player had a bad week By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST
The easiest thing about the hardest sport is the running. Almost no one can hit a baseball thrown faster than 90 miles an hour with all sorts of spin, swoop and dip on it. Just ask Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth, who has said hitting a baseball is
“literally the hardest thing to do.” However, running, and running hard between the bases, is so simple that even someone like the Fix could do it in our (brief) baseball glory days. But twice this week, Bryce Harper, the ubertalented, famous-since-hewas-15 Nationals outfielder, couldn’t bring himself to sprint down the line.
COLUMN
2 popes take their places as saints Name the popes that have been selected as TIME magazine’s Man of The Year? If you answered Pope John XXIII, Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis, then you are today’s winner of Catholic trivia. However two of these holy men share a common bond much more significant than being on the cover of a magazine — sainthood! Tomorrow is Divine Mercy Sunday and Pope Francis will formally declare Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II to be saints. The date is significant because Blessed John Paul II instituted the celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday, which traces its origins to the Polish nun St. Faustina Kowalska. Sister Faustina wrote in her diary countless revelations she received about God’s infinite mercy, including His desire to establish the Sunday after Easter as a special feast in which He would offer His mercy to sinners in a very special way. Blessed John Paul II was born Karol Józef Wojtyła on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland. On Oct. 16, 1978, he became the first non-Italian pope since 15202 and the first Polish pope ever. And by the time of his death, on April 2, 2005, he was one of the longest serving popes in history. As one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century, Blessed John Paul II was very instrumental in bringing an end to Communist rule both in Poland and the whole of Europe. He spoke strongly for the sanctity of human life and the great importance of marriage and family. He also began the World Youth Days, which have continued to inspire young people around the world. His pontificate was also marked by tremendous strides in ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, as he was the first pope to visit both a mosque and a synagogue. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI proclaimed Blessed John Paul II “Venerable” on Dec. 19, 2009. He was beatified on May 1, 2011, on the Feast of Divine Mercy. A little more than six years after his death, his beatification is the fastest on record nudging Mother Teresa’s beatification record in 2003 by just a few days. Blessed John XXIII was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli on Nov. 25, 1881, as one of thirteen children to Italian sharecroppers. He was ordained a priest in 1904 and went on
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JAMES TAMAYO
to serve in various posts such as Papal Nuncio in several countries. He was elected pope on Oct. 28, 1958, at the age of 77. “Good Pope John,” as he was affectionately known, was the first to choose the name John in more than 500 years. Because of his age, many expected him to do little of significance. However, things did not turn out that way. Most agree that the calling of the Second Vatican Council was by far the greatest surprise and achievement of Pope John XXIII. He made the call for the ecumenical council less than three months after his election on Jan. 25, 1959. He had no detailed plan other than a very general idea of aggiornamento (bringing things up to date) and a desire to seek Christian unity. He formally summoned the council on Dec. 25, 1961. The importance of the Council’s work was expressed by Blessed John Paul II in 2001 when he wrote, “. . . I feel more than ever in duty bound to point to the [Second Vatican] Council as the great grace bestowed on the Church in the 20th century: there we find a sure compass by which to take our bearings in the century now beginning.” Blessed John XXIII is also fondly remembered for the decision on Dec. 25, 1958, to visit children infected with polio at a hospital in Rome. He became the first pope to make pastoral visits in the Diocese of Rome since 1870. “Good Pope John” followed this visit with a trip to a Roman prison the very next day. And just like Pope Francis, Blessed John XXIII also had a habit of sneaking out of the Vatican late at night in order to walk the streets of Rome. This behavior earned him another nickname, “Johnny Walker.” The actions of Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II have touched the innermost recesses of the human soul and serve as reminders of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Their words have inspired millions of people throughout the world. And tomorrow they will be recognized as saints. They are examples of how to live life serving God and one another — Todo Con Amor!
COLUMN
Honoring veterans who have gone missing in America AUSTIN — Sad is MIA, as in missing in action, as in missing military personnel being sought by their government, their friends and their families. Sadder perhaps is MIA, as in missing in America, as in vets who lived to make it home but are somehow forgotten in death by their government, their friends and their families. On Sunday, the cremated remains of 12 of them, in storage for as long as 32 years, will be taken to Camp Mabry for military honors. They’ll be interred Monday at Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen. You know of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. These are the tombs of the unclaimed soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. As you’ll hear from a man involved in the Missing in America Project (MIAP), it’s an effort that brings deeply mixed emotions. For example, among the 12 is former Staff Sgt. John Sidney Clevlen, who served in the Army for two years in World War II. He died, age 59, on Feb. 14, 1982. His cremated remains, for reasons unknown, went unclaimed and were stored in the Austin area by a funeral home. That’s exactly what MIAP volunteers look for.
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KEN HERMAN
“They are cremated and put into temporary or sometimes permanent urns, and they’re just left on a shelf somewhere, some for as long as 80 or 90 years,” said Warren Wurzburger of Houston, a former police and fire department chaplain now serving in that capacity for MIAP. MIAP volunteers use government records to see if unclaimed remains are those of vets. Since starting in 2007, MIAP has checked more than 1,500 funeral homes and interred more than 1,800 vets whose remains were found. A MIAP genealogist tries to piece together the life stories, but it is difficult. About all we know about these 12 is their military service. “Funeral homes across the country are occasionally left with unclaimed cremated remains that the families do not claim for whatever reason. In those situations, we comply with state regulations by storing the cremated remains for the required amount of time. As a courtesy, we continue to store those cre-
mated remains beyond the required specified periods,” Jessica McDunn, spokeswoman for Dignity Memorial, a funeral services network working with MIAP, told me. The Texas Legislature has helped, last year approving House Bill 3064, making it easier for funeral homes to give veterans’ unclaimed remains to organizations such as MIAP. House Defense and Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio and sponsor of the bill, will speak Sunday at the Camp Mabry ceremony. How do vets wind up missing in America? “I can imagine hundreds of possibilities, from them, for whatever reason, ending up homeless and having people lost track of them to some type of miscommunication,” Wurzburger said. “We have a lot of talk these days about post-traumatic stress and all these things with military folks. That didn’t just show up one day. It’s been around for years, but it wasn’t always diagnosed and treated.” “These people may have elected not to be around family because of issues they have,” he said. “We just don’t know.” I asked Wurzburger if working with forgotten
people is depressing or rewarding. “It is both,” he said. “There are certain times, like this weekend, where it is very rewarding to see. And yes, it’s very sad and a pity these people sat for so many years. But at least now they are being honored properly. “They will be remembered, their names read and they will be interred properly as they should have been,” he said. “It’s very bittersweet.” The remains of the 12, whose death dates range from 1982 to 2006, will be taken Sunday from Cook Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home on Interstate 35 in Pflugerville to Camp Mabry in West Austin, where military honors will be conferred at 10:30 a.m. during the Texas Military Forces open house event. On Monday, they’ll be properly placed at the vets’ cemetery in Killeen, perhaps finally resting in peace with the honors due them for helping us live in peace. “The veterans languishing on shelves need us,” MIAP says on its website. To see how you can support the project, go to miap.us. Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin AmericanStatesman. E-mail: kherman@statesman.com.
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SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
National
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
US says Russia overflies Ukraine By LOLITA C. BALDOR ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — U.S. defense officials said Friday that Russian fighter jets flew into Ukrainian airspace a handful of times over the last 24 hours, in what one called a continued provocation of the heightened tensions in the region. The officials said it’s not clear what the intent was, but the aircraft could have been testing Ukrainian radar or making a show of force. Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, confirmed the flights, adding that the U.S. is calling on the Russians “to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation.” The flights come as Russia increases military exercises along the Ukraine border, including moving a broad array of fixed wing and rotary aircraft, infantry and armored troops. The exercises inflame worries about a potential Russian military incursion into Ukraine. The West has threatened additional sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean region in March and the ongoing escalation of military operations along the border. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke with his Russian counterpart, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, yesterday, but officials were not able to provide details of the conversation. Warren said U.S. officials have let Russian defense ministry officials know that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel would like to speak to his counterpart, Russia Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. There has been no response yet, Warren said. This is the second set of military exercises conducted by the Russians along the border region. The latest exercises were quickly denounced by Hagel, who called them “dangerously destabilizing” and “very provocative.” If such activities escalate, they will make it more difficult to find a diplomatic solution to the situation in Ukraine, Hagel said, speaking in Mexico City.
SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014
Interest rates put some in a bind By JOSH BOAK ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — For three decades, the U.S. middle class enjoyed a rare financial advantage over the wealthy: lower mortgage rates. Now, even that perk is fading away. Most ordinary homebuyers are paying the same or higher rates than the fortunate few who can afford much more. Rates for a conventional 30-year fixed mortgage are averaging 4.48 percent, according to Bankrate. For “jumbo” mortgages — those above $417,000 in much of the country — the average is 4.47 percent. This trend reflects the widening wealth gap between the richest Americans and everyone else. Bankers now view jumbo borrowers as safer and shrewder bets even though conventional borrowers put less capital at risk. Even as the overall U.S. housing recovery has slowed, sales of homes above $1 million have surged in the past year. Price gains have been so great in some areas that middle-class buyers are straining to afford even modest homes. They’re also facing tighter lending rules, larger down-payment requirements and a shortage of houses for sale. Used to be, rates for conventional mortgages would be 0.2 to 0.3 of a point below rates on jumbo mortgages. A decade ago, a conventional rate averaged 5.68 percent, a jumbo 5.97 percent. The advantage for middle-class borrowers was possible in part because government-chartered firms guarantee that lenders will be paid on a conventional mortgage even if a borrower defaults. No such guarantee exists for jumbos. Two factors have caused the spread between conven-
Photo by Lenny Ignelzi | AP
The Jaswal family, Imran, standing, his wife Aniqa, left, and daughters, Arissa, right, and Jayda, pose in their home in La Jolla, Calif. The couple bought the house in February. tional and jumbo rates to vanish: The government in 2012 began raising the fees it charges lenders for guaranteeing payments on conventional mortgages. Lenders passed along that increase to borrowers in the form of higher rates. The fees are meant to stop home buyers from once again borrowing more than they can afford — a trend that fueled the 2007 housing bust. Bankers say they’ve begun using mortgage rates to woo high-networth clients: Attractive rates on jumbos have become a way to secure additional business from those clients — from managing their investments to supplying a broad suite of financial services. What’s more, those borrowers tend to be clustered in neighborhoods that lenders consider more stable. “Jumbo borrowers represent the holy grail of what financial institutions are pursuing: that muchdesired, mass affluent consumer,” said Greg McBride, a senior analyst at Bankrate. In the first three months of 2014, 37 percent of the
Public Notice Region 11 of the Department of State Health Services, in partnership with the Texas Military Forces may conduct a health care program called “Operation Lone Star” in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Jim Hogg, Zapata and Webb Counties. Free medical and dental services may be provided for up to one week in late July and/or early August 2016. Questions should be addressed to: Innovative Readiness Coordinator ATTN: MSG Marta Cruz JFTX-J7 P.O. Box 5218 Austin, TX 78763-5218 (512) 782-5738 L-29
money Bank of America lent for mortgages went to jumbos, compared with 22 percent at the same point last year. The lower rates are geared for affluent borrowers living in “sweet spots” with strong employment and stable home prices — areas like metro New York City, Boston and sections of California, said Matt Vernon, who leads consumer mortgage lending at Bank of America. “We’re lending where we believe home ownership is sustainable,” Vernon said. Wells Fargo offers jumbos starting at 4.25 percent, about 0.25 point lower than for conventional mortgages. This month, Wells trumpeted the spillover benefits of increased jumbo lending: A 14 percent year-over-year increase in loans from its separate “wealth, brokerage and retirement” division. “Hopefully, it’ll continue to go up,” Wells’ CFO, Timothy Sloan, said of prospects for continued jumbo lending. Sales of homes exceeding $1 million leapt 7.8 percent over the past 12 months. That contrasted
with a 7.5 percent drop in overall home-buying in that period, according to the National Association of Realtors. Prices have appreciated in areas such as San Francisco, New York and Washington, which have higher thresholds for jumbo mortgages than the national average. Jumbos in these cities are for loans above $625,500, about $200,000 more than the national average. The median price of a two-bedroom home in San Francisco is $1.02 million, according to the real estate site Trulia. The median for New York City homes: $1.2 million. Nationwide, just 2 percent of homes fetch prices that large. Jumbos are a necessity for nearly everyone in communities such as La Jolla, Calif. That’s where Aniqa Jaswal and her husband in February bought a fourbedroom house about 10 minutes from the beach. “There are no homes below jumbo mortgage prices here,” Jaswal said. The trend coincides with the lopsided nature of the U.S. economy’s nearly 5-year-old recovery. Almost
all the U.S. incomes gains from 2009 to 2012 flowed to the top 1 percent of earners, according to tax data analyzed by economist Emmanuel Saez at the University of California, Berkeley. By contrast, median household income was $51,017 in 2012, $4,600 below its peak in 2007, according to the Census Bureau. Squeezed by scant pay raises, the middle class has struggled or hesitated to take on mortgage debt. Many recall the high-risk loans that ignited the housing meltdown and led to the financial crisis and recession. Not even jumbo borrowers feel completely safe. Some are borrowing in anticipation of setbacks in an economy where bills can multiply even when incomes barely budge. One is Stephanie Kellen, who in December refinanced her home in Marin County, Calif., with a jumbo. The lower-than-usual jumbo rate helped replace a line of credit for her husband’s auto repair business. “The best way to have security was to have low interest rate loans for as long as possible,” Kellen said. Nearly one in five homeowners still owe more on their mortgage than their homes are worth. Without home equity, they have little or no wealth even as richer Americans have benefited from rising prices for stocks and upper-end real estate. At the same time, the government has reduced its support for middle class homeownership after having rescued two companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, that enabled lower rates. The housing bust devastated Fannie and Freddie, which guarantee conventional mortgage payments. Both were forced into federal control at taxpayer cost.
SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
PÁGINA 8A
Zfrontera MIGUEL ALEMÁN, MÉXICO
Agenda en Breve
Repelen agresión
ZAPATA 04/26— Torneo de Campeonato de Pesca de Lubina concluye a las 5 p.m., en el Public Boat Ramp del Condado de Zapata.
LAREDO 04/26— Casa Tibet tendrá un Open House de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m. en 8511 McPherson Road. Visitará Lama Tenzin Thutop y habrá varios eventos durante la mañana. Informes con Adriana Villarreal al (956) 2351286. 04/26— BÉISBOL — El equipo Dustdevil de TAMIU recibe a Texas Permian Basin a la 1 p.m. en el Jorge Haynes Field Field. Costo: 5 dólares. 04/26— Concierto del Ballet Folclórico Primavera 2014 a las 7 p.m. en el Teatro del Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de TAMIU. Evento gratuito. 04/27— Evento semianual “Todo lo que puedas comer de Spaghetti”, organizado por el United Methodist Men, será de 12 p.m. a 1:30 p.m. en First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave. Evento gratuito. 04/28— Se realizará la ceremonia ‘Tree Planting’ en la Escuela Primaria Fasken, ubicada en 11111 de Atlanta Drive, a partir de las 10 a.m. 04/28— Recital de Cuerdas y Piano a las 7 p.m. en el Salón de Recitales del Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de TAMIU. Evento gratuito. 04/28— Ceremonia de Premiación de Comunidades en la Escuela, a las 6 p.m. en el Student Center Ballroom de TAMIU. 04/29— “The Calling” (El Llamado) es una serie de charlas sobre La Biblia que se realiza de 6:30 p.m. a 7:45 p.m. en Laredo Church of Christ Chapel, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 340. Lleve su Biblia. 04/29— Recital de Cuerdas y Piano a las 7 p.m. en el Salón de Recitales del Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de TAMIU. Evento gratuito. 04/30— Concierto de Orquesta de Cámara a las 7:30 p.m. en el Salón de Recitales del Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de TAMIU. Evento gratuito. 05/01— AVISO: La Oficina de Impuestos de UISD, 3501 E Saunders, cerrará a las 11:45 a.m. debido a un entrenamiento para su personal. Volverá a abrir el viernes de 8 a.m. a 5 p.m. El pago de impuestos puede realizarse en uisd.net, seleccionado “Pay Taxes Online”. Si tiene dudas llame al (956) 727-8585. 05/01— “Construyendo Relaciones Sanas” es un tema que impartirá Marco Antonio Karamon , de 7 p.m. a 9 p.m. en el Student Center Ballroom de TAMIU. Costo: 30 dólares general, y 15 dólares para estudiantes. Informes con Adriana Villarreal al (956) 235-1286. 05/02— Comida Mensual de Bienestar y Contactos Femenil, de 11:45 a.m. a 1:30 p.m. en Posh Sushi & Grill, 2715 E. Del Mar. El tema será: El poder de las mujeres que oran. Reserve en wwconnection.org. 05/02— “Muerte, Bardo y Renacimiento” por Tony Karam se presentará de 6 p.m. a 8 p.m. en el aula 101 del Bullock Hall de TAMIU. El objetivo es entender el verdadero significado de la vida, aceptar la muerte, cómo ayudar a morir, y la muerte misma. Informes con Adriana Villarreal al (956) 2351286. 05/02— Yuri se presenta a las 8:30 p.m. en Laredo Energy Arena. Costo: 43 dólares, 53, 73 y 103 dólares.
SÀBADO 26 DE ABRIL DE 2014
TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Dos sospechosos murieron cuando elementos del Ejército Mexicano se defendieron tras ser agredidos, el jueves por la noche, en Miguel Alemán, México, informó el Gobierno de Tamaulipas a través de un comunicado de prensa. Alrededor de las 11 p.m. del 24 de
abril, soldados de la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (Sedena) realizaban un recorrido de vigilancia por un terreno baldío ubicado al final de la calle Manuel Acuña en la Colonia Infonavit del Norte, cerca del Río Bravo. De pronto, indica el reporte, fueron atacados por civiles armados, quienes viajaban dentro de una ca-
mioneta Lincoln Escalade, color negra, con placas de circulación del Estado de Zacatecas, México. Los militares repelieron la agresión. En el interior de la camioneta fue encontrado el cuerpo de uno de los agresores, mientras que el segundo cuerpo fue localizado a un costado de la unidad, agrega el comunicado.
Personal de Sedena recuperó del interior de la camioneta, dos pistolas calibre .38 Super marca Colt, cinco granadas de fragmentación, siete celulares, tres radios de frecuencia, cuatro pilas para radio, un cargador, cigarrillos de marihuana, una bolsa con marihuana, unas esposas y cartuchos de diversos calibres.
TAMAULIPAS
CORTE
VUELVE TURISMO
Juez dicta cadena perpetua ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
Los Pueblos Mágicos de Ciudad Mier y Tula, México, recibieron la visita de aproximadamente 35.000 personas durante el periodo de la Semana Santa, según datos de la Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico y Turismo.
Visitantes recorren dos Pueblos Mágicos TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
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lrededor de 35.000 personas visitaron los Pueblos Mágicos de Mier y Tula, México, durante la Semana Santa 2014. Según datos dados a conocer por Mónica González García, Secretaria de Desarrollo Económico y Turismo, Mier fue visitado por 8.208 paseantes, en tanto que Tula recibió a 26.774 visitantes. Los visitantes de Mier escucharon el desarrollo de las raíces históricas, relatadas de lugar que fue declarado Pueblo Mágico en diciembre de 2007. También acerca de las historias narradas de la Casa de los
Frijoles Pintos donde, el 25 de diciembre de 1842, se llevó a cabo una acción de armas ante el ejército norteamericano. “Ésta anécdota debe escucharse ahí en donde se celebró la hazaña”, recalcó González. Las festividades de Semana Santa se extendieron a pocos kilómetros del norte de Ciudad Mier, en la Presa Falcón, considerada la presa más grande de Tamaulipas, en donde familias se congregaron para disfrutar del esparcimiento de la pesca deportiva o para un día de campo. Otros de los sitios de interés en Mier fueron la Parroquia de la Purísima Concepción, la Pla-
za Hidalgo, la Capilla de San Juan y la Casa de la Cultura. En Tula, los visitantes acudieron a los sitios donde se elabora la cuera tamaulipeca. “Algunos adquirieron éstas prendas de vestir que son mundialmente famosas”, sostuvo González. Los sitios más recurrentes en Tula fueron la Plaza de Armas, la Parroquia de San Antonio de Padua, la casa Carrera Torres, entre otras. Un poco más lejos, a 9 kilómetros de la cabecera municipal, también se registró afluencia en la pirámide El Cuitzillo, y la gastronomía representada por las enchiladas tultecas.
COLUMNA
McALLEN — Daniel Nuñez, de 38 años de edad, de Hidalgo, recibió la orden de pasar el resto de su vida en prisión tras haber sido encontrado culpable de conspiración para poseer con intención de distribuir más de 1.000 kilogramos de marihuana y conspiración para transportar e intentar transportar instrumentos monetarios a México para promover el narcotráfico, dio a conocer la Fiscalía de Estados Unidos, esta semana. Nuñez se declaró culpable en noviembre del 2012. El Juez de Distrito de EU, Randy Crane entregó la sentencia y dijo que se trataba de una significativa conspiración por tráfico de drogas, en un tiempo prolongado. Nuñez ha estado involucrado en una organización que ha cruzado marihuana hacia el interior de los EU desde México, utilizando tanto el Río Grande como la Carretera Militar. La harían llegar a ubicaciones en Edinburg y Hargill. De ahí, la marihuana sería llevada a otra ubicación donde sería cargada a trailers para ser distribuida posteriormente en el área de Texas, así como en Panama City, y en las áreas de Orlando, Fla., y Steele, Ala. Nuñez también estuvo a cargo de arreglar el traslado de las ganancias a su organización narcotraficante desde varias ubicaciones en Florida, de regreso al Condado de Hidalgo, y de ahí, trasladarlas a México. Varios otros han sido acusados y encontrados culpables con sentencias que varías desde más de dos años hasta casi 18 años en prisión. Nuñez continuará en custodia pendiente de ser transferido a una prisión que se determinará en el futuro cercano.
RECUERDO DEL DESFILE
Destaca plano de 1895 POR RAÚL SINENCIO CHÁVEZ ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Fotografías y planos son capaces de atrapar determinados instantes cotidianos. Estos adquieren mayor atractivo conforme el tiempo avanza. El “Plano de Ciudad Victoria”, México, elaborado en 1895 mide 83.5 centímetros de largo por 63.7 centímetros de alto. Considerado anónimo, nutre la célebre Mapoteca Manuel Orozco y Berra. Su escala es de modo que un milímetro equivale a 5 metros, orientándose conforme los puntos cardinales. El área representada abarca cerca de 3 kilómetros cuadrados, que llena entonces la cabecera de Ciudad Victoria. Ocupan los alrededores “tierras de labor”, según ahí las denominan. Al extremo izquierdo vemos locomotora que arrastra vagones de carga y pasajeros. Sobresale abajo soberbio escudo nacional de la época, con el
águila de frente. El ángulo superior derecho lo ocupa la fachada del recinto catedralicio. A los pies destaca el quiosco de la plaza de armas, rodeándolo frondosos árboles. Ninguna de las últimas ilustraciones viene identificada, pero resulta sencillo reconocerlas. De Oriente a Poniente, la capital tamaulipeca va de la calle 1 a la 23. Delimitada al Sur por el “río de San Marcos”, el perímetro contrario lo define la “calle de Aldama”. Con menos de 20 cuadras, en su lindero Oeste descuella el “terreno de la Estación” y el “camino de fierro” Tampico-Monterrey. Del lado contrario asoman el “Rastro” y el “cementerio General”. La suma total de manzanas arroja 266. Existen seis plazas públicas, encabezándolas la Hidalgo, en la calle homónima, ceñida por las calles 8 y 9. Excepto la del “Mercado”, todas sobreviven, algunas rebautizadas. Por ejemplo, la Juárez antes se llamó “de la Libertad”.
En orden alfabético, que omite la i, k y q, aparecen los principales edificios. Arrancan con el “palacio de Gobierno”, en calles Morelos, 8 y 9. La “casa Municipal” domina la esquina Noroeste de las calles 8 y Matamoros; a su izquierda tiene la “cárcel del Estado”. Sobre la esquina Sureste de las calles 8 y Matamoros se yergue el “colegio Civil”. Dichos sitios alcanzan la cantidad de 15, incluidos el “colegio Seminario” y la “oficina telegráfica”. El Periódico Oficial del estado de Tamaulipas del 12 de marzo de 1896 proporciona noticias de este plano. “Aprobado por el R. Ayuntamiento”, lo forma “el Sr. Ingeniero Carlos D. Prieto”. En vistosa “edición litográfica a dos tintas”, lo vende “la Tesorería General del Estado al módico precio de 1.50 (pesos) el ejemplar”. (Con permiso del autor, basado en publicación hecha en La Razón, Tampico, Tamps., abril del 2014)
Foto de cortesía/ Regino Ramos | La del Miernes
Cecilia I, Señorita Mier Pueblo Mágico, es vista durante su participación en el Desfile de Carros Alegóricos llevado a cabo a mediados de marzo, durante el 261 Aniversario de Ciudad Mier, México.
SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014
Zentertainment
Warhol images on Amiga ASSOCIATED PRESS
PITTSBURGH — Cybersleuths have unearthed images that Andy Warhol apparently made on a computer in 1985. The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh says in a release that the artist had a contract with Commodore International to produce images on one of its Amiga home computers. The old images recently were extracted from disks by members of Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University Computer Club in collaboration with museum staff. The museum says the images vary from doodles and camera shots of a desktop to versions of Warhol’s classic images of a banana, Marilyn Monroe and a Campbell’s soup can. Museum director Eric Shiner said Warhol “saw no limits to his art practice.”
NBC backs Gregory for ‘Meet the Press’ By DAVID BAUDER ASSOCIATED PRESS
Image by Andy Warhol 1985 | AP
This undated image is of “Venus,” a piece that is thought to have been made by late artist Andy Warhol on a computer in 1985. “These computer generated images underscore his spirit of experimentation and his willingness to embrace new media — qualities which, in many ways, defined his practice from the early 1960s onwards,” Shiner said.
The museum said the idea to try to recover images from the disks came when artist Cory Arcangel learned of the Amiga work from a YouTube clip showing Warhol promoting the release of the Amiga 1000 in 1985.
Video: Bieber high fives after egg attack By ANTHONY MCCARTNEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — Surveillance footage from Justin Bieber’s home appears to show the pop star highfiving friends and celebrating after throwing eggs at a neighbor’s home in January, an investigator’s affidavit released Friday shows. The description of Bieber’s reaction to the incident that authorities say caused thousands of dollars in damage to the neighbor’s home is included in documents filed to support a search warrant obtained in March. A Los Angeles County sheriff ’s detective obtained the warrant for Bieber’s account with the online photo-sharing site Instagram, searching for evidence to match his outfit with the surveillance footage. Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to charge Bieber in the egg-throwing incident, which happened Jan. 9 at the singer’s home in a gated community in Calabasas. Detectives have said the amount of damage to the neighbor’s home warrants a felony prosecution of Bieber, which if filed would be the most serious case the troubled pop star has faced. He has been charged with assault in Toronto, and he faces a trial in July on a charge of driving under the influence in Miami. A man matching Bieber’s description is seen on footage running toward the neighbor’ house and returning to a group of friends and exchanging high-fives a short time later. “Suspect Bieber and the other males appeared to be laughing and celebrating,” the affidavit signed by Sheriff ’s detective Ginni Alvarez states. Alvarez participated in a search of Bieber’s home on Jan. 14 in which surveillance footage was retrieved. Two months later, the investigator obtained the search warrant for Bieber’s Instagram account, looking for images of the singer in a white sweatshirt and baseball cap that would match surveillance video shot before and after the egg-throwing incident. The warrant does not state whether any footage of Bieber actually throwing eggs at his neighbor’s home was retrieved. Bieber’s attorney Howard Weitzman declined comment. The warrant was first reported by Los Angeles Fox affiliate KTTV on Thursday night. Bieber, 20, was delayed at Los Angeles International Airport by authorities on Thursday after returning from an international trip. His publicist Melissa
PAGE 9A
Photo by Walter Bieri/Keystone/file | AP
Bieber’s neighbor in Southern California has accused the pop singer of battery and making threats during an argument. Victor confirmed the singer was subjected to “secondary questioning” by customs officials but was released without incident. U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Jaime Ruiz said he could not comment on a specific passenger’s interactions with agents when entering the country unless the person was charged with a crime. Bieber frequently posts photos in Instagram, which is owned by Facebook and allows users to post images from their mobile phones. Law enforcement agencies now routinely search suspects’ social networking accounts such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter searching for evidence of wrongdoing. If postings are going to be used as evidence in a case, a search warrant is frequently obtained to gather information direct-
ly from social networking companies. Earlier this week, Bieber apologized for offending people after posting two images from the Yasukuni Shrine in Central Tokyo that commemorates 2.5 million war dead, including Japan’s 14 convicted war criminals. The site is seen as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism and has been criticized by the nation’s neighbors, who were subjected to atrocities by Japan’s military in the 1930s and 1940s. Bieber removed photos he posted from the shrine. Bieber gained stardom with his debut album at age 15, but he has had a string of recent legal troubles. He’s scheduled to go on trial in Miami in July on charges of driving under the influence and resisting arrest and the Toronto assault case is also pending.
NEW YORK — NBC’s news chief says she supports embattled “Meet the Press” moderator David Gregory “now and into the future” as the Sunday morning public affairs program tries to turn around sinking ratings. NBC News President Deborah Turness, in a memo to “Meet the Press” staff members, said Gregory has been the victim of vindictive, personal and untrue chatter. “NBC News is proud to have David in the important anchor chair of ‘Meet the Press,”’ Turness wrote. “He is passionate about politics, and is committed to getting answers for our viewers on the issues that matter to them the most.” The network has been concerned by the reaction to a story published Sunday in The Washington Post that said that NBC commissioned a “psychological consultant” to interview Gregory’s wife and friends. The word “psychological” quickly became a sticking point; NBC says they worked with a brand consultant probing perceptions of Gregory’s strengths and weaknesses to develop a marketing campaign. NBC said its problem is not with the Post but how other media organizations have picked up on the article to make suggestions that NBC had Gregory see a psychologist, said an NBC executive who requested anonymity because the person could not discuss personnel matters. The consultants did their work more than a year ago, before Turness joined
William B. Plowman/file/NBC | AP
Moderator David Gregory poses on the set of “Meet the Press,” in Washington. It was once the dominant Sunday morning program. NBC. Gregory, in an interview with Washington radio station WTOP on Friday, denounced “gossip reporting gone wild.” He said there was nothing unusual about what the consultants did and that “the idea that there’s any psychological counseling or testing is a complete fiction.” The Post story does not mention any psychological counseling or testing. Paul Farhi, who wrote the Post article, said Friday he’s comfortable with how the questioning was characterized. “I don’t know what kind of ‘brand’ research involves interviewing your wife and friends about you and your personality,” he said. “Meet the Press” recently slipped behind ABC’s “This Week” into third place in viewership among the Sunday morning political chat shows. CBS’ “Face the Nation” is first, although its rivals claim CBS’ ratings are skewed because only the first half hour of the show is measured by the Nielsen company. Some CBS stations
don’t carry the full hour of “Face the Nation.” The NBC show is also third among 25-to-54-yearold viewers, the demographic that is the basis for most advertising sales for news programs. Last year, it was in a virtual tie with CBS for first, the Nielsen company said. Ratings problems are perhaps more acutely felt at NBC because “Meet the Press” was by far the dominant Sunday morning show when it was hosted by the late Tim Russert. NBC also believes the growing strength of CBS’ “Sunday Morning” program has an impact on ratings for the later shows. Russert’s longtime executive producer, Betsy Fischer Martin, was replaced last June by Rob Yarin. Turness said that she wanted to reach out to the show’s staff “to reiterate my support for the show and for David, now and into the future, as we work together to evolve the format.” She said Gregory is at the helm for any changes in the works.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014
Protestors getting prison ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHICAGO — Three protesters acquitted of terrorism for plotting Molotov cocktail attacks in Chicago during a NATO summit were sentenced to prison terms Friday of between five and eight years on lesser arson and mob-action charges. Among the targets the activists discussed attacking during the 2012 event, prosecutors say, was President Barack Obama’s campaign headquarters, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s house and police facilities. Despite their acquittals during a February trial on all terrorism counts — brought under a rarely used Illinois statute — the issue remained at the forefront of Friday’s five-hour sentencing hearing. Judge Thaddeus Wilson raised in his remarks minutes before imposing the
sentences, saying the plan to lob gas-filled bottles at the targets, had it been carried out, would have struck fear in the city. “It might not be terrorism,” the Cook County circuit judge said. “But it is terrorizing.” All three were convicted of the same charges, but Brian Church, 22, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., ended up getting the shortest sentence — five years. Jared Chase, 29, of Keene, N.H., got the longest, 8 years; and Brent Betterly, 26, of Oakland Park, got six years. With credit for their two years in jail awaiting trial, all three could end up serving less than a third of their designated sentences. Church could be out in less than a year. The decision by Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez to prosecute the three under the state’s terrorism statute raised
eyebrows. A conviction on that charge carries a maximum life sentence. Lead prosecutor Jack Blakey began his statement urging Wilson to hand all three men 14-year sentences by referring to the Boston Marathon bombings one year ago, which left three people dead and hundreds injured. “Why bring up Boson? Because in Boston there were no undercover (police) to intercede,” Blakey said. He suggested that only the successful infiltration of Chicago police posing as activists stopped the defendants from creating similar mayhem. Church said in a statement to the judge earlier that that he resented that comparison. “Despite what some people would have you believe, I love my country,” Church said. “To be compared to Boston ... it rips my heart.”
SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
SAINTHOOD who passed away in 1963, in the first double pope canonization since the Middle Ages. Dignitaries including French Prime Minister Manuel Valls and the king of Spain will join as many as 800,000 pilgrims to see Francis bring together two sainthood drives that began intensely and came to represent two of the most influential visions for today’s Church. Neither campaign succeeded in fully sidestepping the protocol and miracle investigation of modern-day canonization, though both benefited from shortcuts that sped up the process. Now, the slogan on banners held by mourners at John Paul’s funeral in 2005, has come to symbolize the fervor of both camps, and the original Italian, Santo Subito was chosen as the official smart phone application for pilgrims this weekend. “These were two popes who had the courage to innovate,” said Andrea Tornielli, author and coordinator of Italian newspaper La Stampas Vatican Insider news site. “In 1963, no one would have unfurled a banner in St. Peters Square. But for both popes there was this widespread fame of saintliness.” The drive for John Paul, the Polish-born Karol Wojtyla, was kick-started immediately after his death by then-newly elected Pope Benedict XVI, in breach of the standard five-year waiting period. For John XXIII, whose campaign developed more slowly, it was Francis who cut through the red tape by waiving the Vatican’s two-miracle requirement. That departure from tradition gave Francis the chance to honor John XXIII, an Italian who introduced the Mass in vernacular, alongside John Paul, whose worldwide celebrity remains fresh though his later years were marred by revelations about sexual abuse carried out by priests. Wojtyla drew 1 million spectators to his 2011 beatification, a ceremony marking the next-tolast step on the path to sainthood. “John XXIII was a good country priest with a very large sense of humor and a great saintliness,” Francis said last year. “John Paul was a missionary, a man who brought the gospel everywhere. You know that better than me.” The ceremony will start at 10 a.m., local time, with canonization Mass celebrated by Francis. Relics of John and John Paul will be presented during the liturgy. Of the 800,000 visitors expected by retailers association Confcommercio this week, just a portion will fit outside the cathe-
Continued from Page 1A
dral in St. Peters Square and the adjacent Via Della Conciliazione. The rest will watch on closed circuit jumbo screens set up around Rome’s city center. Benedict, now pope emeritus with no role in governance, is welcome and may make a public appearance at the event, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said Tuesday. Benedict has lived privately within the walls of the 44-hectare Vatican City since stepping down last year for health reasons. The Germanborn Benedict is the first pontiff in 600 years to retire. President Barack Obama is sending adviser John Podesta, who will lead the U.S. delegation comprising Representative Xavier Becerra, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, and legislative director Katie Beirne Fallon. The legacies of John XXIII and John Paul continue to influence Church strategy as its leaders wrestle with issues like divorce and contraception and plan remedies for the sexual abuse of children by priests. Policy debates within the Vatican are often engaged by officials who identify with either John, on the one hand, or John Paul, on the other. “Francis recognized that many progressive Catholics loved John XXIII but have reservations about John Paul II, and many conservatives loved John Paul II and have reservations about John XXIII,” said Thomas Reese, senior analyst at the National Catholic Reporter. “The joint canonization was done very purposefully as a way to reconcile different voices in the church.” Building church unity has been a hallmark of Francis’s first 14 months in power, even as he made headlines with remarks about homosexuality and a promise to punish child abusing priests. Francis has sought to bring his flock together in a fight against poverty and economic injustice globally, a recurring appeal that is often paired with a request to tone down confrontation over social issues in the developed world. The ceremonies on Sunday will bring the number of canonized popes to 80 out of a possible pool of 264 deceased pontiffs. While sainthood was relatively easy to achieve for popes in the first millennium, with all of the first 35 popes being saints, more recent pontiffs have not had the same privilege. In the past 700 years, only two popes have become saints, Pius V in 1712 and Pius X in 1954, making this weekend’s celebration a unique event
in recent Church history. The overall rate of canonizations accelerated under John Paul, who oversaw 482 additions and did away with the institution of the so-called Devils Advocate, an official in the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints who compiled a case against each prospective candidate. The Vatican was cleared to proceed with John Paul’s canonization after a second miracle, the recovery of a Costa Rican woman with an aneurysm in 2011, was certified by last year. John XXIII has one Vatican-approved miracle, the cure of an Italian woman with a stomach hemorrhage. The modern era of canonization is understood to start after 1588 when Pope Sixtus V founded the Sacred Congregation for Rites to oversee the canonization process. John XXIII’s renown endures in his native Italy, which still recognizes him as The Good Pope. His informal style and impromptu addresses — typified by the so-called Speech to the Moon after his cancer diagnosis in 1962 — broke the mold of the distant, intellectual pope. His 1962 train trip to the Italian town of Assisi, home of Francis’s namesake patron saint, was novel at the time and set the stage for the globetrotting outreach of John Paul. Johns is also known for the Vatican II Council, a meeting of all the world’s bishops called in 1962 and ended in 1965, two years after his death. That council, the 21st in the 2,000year history of the Church introduced changes like the vernacular Mass, the recognition of freedom of conscience and democracy, making interaction with the faithful simpler and more direct, traits that are now associated with Francis, the first South American pope. The participants of the Vatican II Council pushed for John’s immediate sainthood, calling it canonization by acclamation at the time. John Paul stirred loyalty and admiration for perseverance and for his role in helping overthrow communism in Eastern Europe, though the late years of his pontificate were marred by the explosion of sex abuse scandals and the steps taken by church officials to shield perpetrators from justice. He survived a gunshot wound from a would-be assassin in 1981 and in later years suffered visibly from Parkinson’s disease. In his tenure, he visited 130 countries and toured every continent except Antarctica.
ALAMEDA THEATER Continued from Page 1A tano “Tano” Lucchese envisioned it when the theater opened in 1949 as the largest Spanish-language movie and vaudeville palace in the country. But that’s just the façade, which was restored in 2000, a positive step on a long, often rocky road to reopen the historic theater. Inside, the heart of what was once “little Mexico” shows the signs of more than two decades of neglect. It’s dark and dusty, crammed full of old furniture. That could change as quickly as next year if Ernest Bromley’s vision for the Alameda becomes reality. An important step in the restoration process has just been taken: the completion of backstage improvements this month. “This is a sacred place,” said Bromley, the San Antonio advertising executive who is chairman of Alameda Theater Inc., a nonprofit organization that is the master leaseholder on the Alameda, city property since 1994. “All the great artists of the Mexican golden age — Pedro Infante, Maria Felix, Vicente Fernandez — performed here. Cantinflas performed here 11 times. This was little Mexico — shopping, dining, theater row. “Right here you had KCOR radio, the first Mexican American Chamber of Commerce in the country and the Mexican Consulate. Gus Garcia, the civil rights litigator, had his offices here. The building was built with Mexican steel. It was a hotbed for the Spanish-speaking world. Tano was not a political activist, but what he did with his money was activism.” The initial phase of transforming the dormant theater into a modern performing arts space reached completion this month, the San Antonio Express-News reported. Behind the scenes, workers busted out the back wall to double the size of the stage and install a modern stagehouse with the infrastructure to host everything from touring Broadway productions to standup comics. “Our intent is to restore this theater pretty much the way it was — but to modernize it and make it flexible enough for television, theater, dance, concerts, opera and comedy,” said San Antonio architect Kellis Almond, who specializes in the restoration of old theaters and has worked for years on the Alameda. Designed by architect N. Straus Nayfach, who was best known for his homes in the Monticello Park Historic District, the Alameda “has been called one of the finest examples of Mexican-American architecture in the United States,” Al-
mond said. Funded with $6 million in Bexar County venue tax bonds and $1.1 million in city funding, the $7.1 million first phase of a planned $25 million renovation includes dressing rooms, offices, an orchestra pit and a loading dock capable of accommodating a 53-foot tractor/trailer full of sets, props and equipment. “I’d love to see productions like (the Tony Award-winning musical) ‘In the Heights’ in there or groups like Ballet Hispanico out of New York,” Bromley said. “I’d like to see comedy in there, particularly Latino comics. I’d like to screen movies as well, classic Mexican movies that may have premiered at the Alameda back in the day. I’d like to host an international film festival. And I’d like to see us rent to local groups; I’ve talked to Jump-Start Performance Co. and Arts San Antonio. “I don’t see us producing content initially because that’s too expensive,” he added. “But I do see the Alameda growing our creative economy in terms of utilizing local talent. And with the school there, it will create careers for young people.” Last year, the Henry Ford Academy: Alameda School for Art + Design moved into the theater complex, occupying two floors of the iconic Casa de Mexico International Building, which houses the theater. The tuitionfree charter school signed a 10-year lease. “The Alameda has such a tradition, particularly relative to the Hispanic community and to that part of the city,” said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, who was mayor when the city purchased the theater in 1994. “Trying to get the doors back open has been a long, complicated process over 20 years. (The county has) done our part with the backstage area, and the school is in there. So it’s being used. But it’s got a ways to go. The issue now is to raise additional funds.” Bromley hopes to take advantage of public TIRZ, or Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, funding that could generate $10 million. But he has to raise matching funds for future renovations. Phase II ($7 million) includes mechanical and electrical for a fully functioning stagehouse and a finished intermission lobby space with a new concession stand. Phase III ($7 million) includes the completion of the restoration of the theater’s famous murals, heating and airconditioning, concession areas and toilets, carpet, lighting and technical plat-
forms, and new seating. “We’re going to use wider seating with more legroom, so capacity will actually go down from 2,500 to 2,000,” Bromley said. Completion of theatrical stage lighting and a digital sound system is at the heart of the final phase ($4 million), which also will see the restoration of the lobby and mezzanine. But Bromley said he’s raised only about $50,000, mostly from poster sales of artist Jesse Trevino’s iconic painting of the Alameda. He’s also set up a seat sponsorship plan but is awaiting a decision on downtown TIRZ funding. “It’s real slow,” Bromley said of fundraising. “What I need are major gifts from individuals and foundations, but a lot of people I’m talking to want to be a part of this match.” Lori Houston, Center City Development & Operations director, said the city will make a decision on TIRZ funding soon. “The city is supportive of the project,” she wrote in an email, “and is working with the county on a potential funding plan. The city will present an item to the Houston Street TIRZ in the next two months.” Bromley remains optimistic. He’ll continue “pushing” to open the theater in 2015 with a variety show “that is a smorgasbord of what this theater is capable of doing.” A member of the Public Broadcasting System board, he plans to approach public television for opening night funding and a possible live broadcast. In the long history of the Alameda Theater’s restoration, which includes a break with one-time sister entity the Museo Alameda in Market Square, more than one opening date has been projected only to pass with the doors still closed. Is it the Alameda’s time, finally? Securing the backstage is a positive step, Almond said. Bromley’s passion for the Alameda restoration is palpable. His first visit there at age 11 “left an indelible impression,” he said. “This place is very special to me and my family,” he added. Today, his first stop with visitors — and potential funding sources — is the ladies room, an opulent example of modern design where women used to being segregated to the balcony in other theaters could comb their hair, touch up their makeup and sneak a smoke. “The Alameda,” Bromley said, “is uniquely San Antonio. It tells our Mexican-American story. It personifies who we are.”
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014
MEXICO Continued from Page 1A pects. Troops found the body of one of the attackers inside, while the other body was found on the ground next to the vehicle, the press release stated.
Weapons Inside the vehicle were two Colt .38 Super pistols, five fragmentation grenades, three radios, four batteries for the radios, a
magazine, marijuana cigarettes, bags of marijiuana and an undisclosed number of bullets of different calibers. Translated by Mark Webber of the Times staff.
Rejection eyed in school killing By DAVE COLLINS AND PAT EATON-ROBB ASSOCIATED PRESS
TORNADOES stretch into parts of Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama later Sunday. Strong winds in the upper and middle atmosphere will meet most air moving north from the Gulf of Mexico, creating conditions conducive for tornado development, Bunting said. “The threat is there and folks need to monitor the latest information from the National Weather Service,” Bunting said. Bunting said that people in the affected areas should be aware that dangerous weather is possible. But when it comes to exactly where and how dangerous, he said it’s too early to say. Large hail and damaging straight-line winds of
more than 70 mph are likely, in addition to possible tornadoes. The system is expected to bring heavy rain, so flash flooding and even some river flooding is possible, according to the National Weather Service. The Midwest and South haven’t seen many severe storms yet this spring, but Bunting noted that residents in the forecast area are accustomed to violent weather this time of year. Bunting said people who are headed to outdoor activities, from golf outings to spring festivals, should make sure they can receive weather warnings in case they need to quickly find shelter. The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is scheduled for Sunday and orga-
CARTEL residents. Beltran said some townspeople tried to prevent the vigilantes from entering Arteaga to hunt for cartel gunmen, as selfdefense groups have down in more than a dozen townships in Michoacan over the last year. But he contended the demonstrators in Arteaga acted under threat from the cartel and said many people were becoming more trustful of the vigilantes. Residents want to get the local iron ore mines re-opened so the area’s economy can start again. The government cracked down earlier this year on the Knights Templars’ extensive involvement in iron ore exports to China. The vigilantes sprang
Continued from Page 1A nizers are emphasizing their alert system to notify participants and spectators of approaching storms. The marathon has three parking garages near the start and finish lines where people can take shelter. A color-coded warning system will be in place at medical aid stations that dot the course. If people need a reminder of how dangerous tornadoes can be, this weekend marks the third anniversary of a 175-twister, multi-day outbreak that killed 316 people, the third-deadliest outbreak in U.S. history. The fatalities occurred as 122 tornadoes swept through on April 27, 2011, striking parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia.
Continued from Page 1A
up in February 2013 to fight the cartel’s extortion demands, kidnappings and killings. Armed with assault rifles, they travel from town to town in pickup trucks and set up highway checkpoints, seeking to expel cartel gunmen from the largely agricultural state. The government is trying to register and reign in the vigilantes, to avoid copy cats and infiltrators, like dozens of members of a rival cartel who were arrested earlier this week in Michoacan wearing vigilante-style T-shirts. The federal government has given the vigilante groups until May 10 to demobilize, which is usually understood as handing in their largest-caliber weap-
ons and ending armed patrols. The government has offered them the option of signing up as members of an army-controlled Rural Defense corps. Beltran said other selfdefense fighters may become municipal policemen. Many of the state’s local cops have been fired or re-assigned, in part because of suspected links to crime gangs. Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong appeared to suggest Thursday the demobilization would entail, as a minimum, that vigilantes leave their guns at home. “Starting May 10, there cannot be armed people in the streets,” Osorio Chong told a news conference.
HARTFORD, Conn. — A 16-year-old girl was stabbed to death inside a Connecticut high school Friday, and police were investigating whether a boy attacked her after she turned down an invitation to be his prom date. Maren Sanchez was stabbed in a hallway of Jonathan Law High School in Milford, about an hour’s drive from New York City, around 7:15 a.m. Staff members and paramedics performed life-saving measures on the girl, but she was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said. The 16-year-old boy was charged with murder as a juvenile offender. Police said the suspect, whose name was not released, was being held Friday afternoon in police custody at a medical facility and could be charged later as an adult. Imani Langston, who describes herself as one of Sanchez’s best friends, said students were gathered in an auditorium when a teacher came and told them Sanchez had been stabbed. “She basically just explained to us that Maren Sanchez got stabbed in the throat for saying no about going to prom” with the suspect, she said. Langston said she saw the suspect taken out of the school in handcuffs. She said Sanchez and the boy were friends but had never dated. She said Sanchez had helped to organize the junior prom and was looking forward to attending with her boyfriend. The dance was scheduled for Friday night but was postponed because of the stabbing. In class on Thursday, Sanchez “told me about her prom dress, she told me how she got asked to prom,” Langston said. “We
were just laughing, talking about what we were going to do when we got there, how many pictures we were going to take.”
Busy student Sanchez, a junior, was in the National Honor Society and engaged in school activities, schools Superintendent Elizabeth Feser said. Students were released from school early, and officials were offering counseling services. “We are obviously devastated by the loss of one of our students, Maren Sanchez,” Feser said at a news conference. “She was a 16-year-old junior — vibrant, very, very involved in Jonathan Law High School, an incredible contributor, someone who was loved and respected.” A cousin of Sanchez, Edward Kovac, said the family is shocked and devastated. He described her as a “bright light full of hopes and dreams” as he read from a family statement and said more needs to be done to ensure young people are protected from attacks at school. Students described an emotional, somewhat chaotic scene as police and paramedics swarmed the school.
Running Sarah Golden, a 14-yearold freshman, said she was sitting in the main lobby with friends when she was startled by security guards running down the hall. Then she heard a voice on a walkie-talkie say that someone had been strangled. “I was trying not to freak out because it was really scary,” Sarah said. “I just don’t believe that something like that happened at my school. It’s something that seems so unreal.”
Golden’s 17-year-old sister, Rebecca, a senior at the school, said she saw the victim lying on the floor surrounded by teachers, some of whom were crying. She said she didn’t know what was going on at the time, and teachers directed her away from the victim. Police Chief Keith Mello said investigators were looking into the reports involving the prom rejection. “This is something that everybody wants to get to the bottom of and find out why it happened, how it happened and what can we do to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.
Schools said safe Mello said town schools are very safe, despite not having metal detectors. He said police will review surveillance camera footage for evidence. Milford police said late Friday that they recovered a knife from the crime scene and executed at a search warrant at the suspect’s home. An arraignment is scheduled for Monday in New Haven. Janet Golden, Sarah and Rebecca’s mother and a Milford alderman, said she rushed to the school to get her daughters. She said the stabbing most likely will result in more community discussions about school security, like those that were spurred by the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown in December 2012. “How can we create an environment that’s safe for our children?” Janet Golden asked. “My daughter actually saw the victim lying on the floor, so I’m dealing with kids that are pretty traumatized now. I can’t believe this is happening in our town. It’s frightening.”
SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS: ZAPATA HAWKS
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS: ZAPATA HAWKS
Playoff bound Softball drops bi-district opener to Rio Hondo By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
It’s late April and the Zapata baseball and softball teams are still busy, as both have clinched
playoff spots. The Hawks’ baseball season did not start off on a strong note. The team was slugged its way through the non-district season and had a 3-7-1 re-
cord when they opened district play against Kingsville. Things did not get any better when Zapata started with a 6-4 loss to the Brahmas.
But Zapata (12-8-1) rolled off seven straight district wins to race to the top of the district standings and is now headed to
See PLAYOFFS PAGE 2B
ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP
JONES VS. TEIXEIRA
Courtesy photo
Trey Alvarez (above) and Alex Reyes won their first boys’ doubles match before losing in round two at the Region 3A tournament.
Hawks get tough draw at regionals By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
Photo by Reinhold Matay | AP
Things did not go exactly as Zapta hoped at the Region 3A tennis tournament last week. The Hawks were unable to get the seeding they thought they deserved, which brought some challenging draws. In boys’ doubles, Trey Alvarez and Alex Reyes were not seeded despite
being regional semifinalists last year and having a 29-3 record, four tournament titles, a second place finish at the Border Olympics and a third at the UISD Spring Open. Kingsville was seeded second and the Hawks had beat them three out of the four times they played. “It was tough,” Zapata
See TENNIS PAGE 2B
Fabricio Werdum, right, surprised many by beating Travis Browne last weekend, the lead-up to Saturday’s UFC 172. Jon Jones and Glover Teixeira meet in the main event this weekend.
NCAA FOOTBALL: UNIONIZATION
Two fighters meet in UFC 172 main event By DAN GELSTON ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jon Jones went from pound-for-pound the best fighter inside the octagon to just plain pounded. Jones took a beating, the worst one of his record reign, in a bout against Alexander Gustafsson that knocked the light heavyweight champion on the canvas for the first time in his career and put his belt in jeopardy. Looking as human and
humbled as ever, Jones wouldn’t let his hardearned championship slip away easily and gutted out another title defense — a UFC record sixth straight — that set up him up to find another challenger of the month. Enter Glover Teixeira. Teixeira boasts a whopping 20-bout winning streak that dates nine years and is coming off a first-round TKO of Ryan Bader.
See UFC PAGE 2B
Photo by Reinhold Matay | AP
Fabricio Werdum’s win sets up a fight against Cain Velasquez in Mexico later this year. Photo by Charles Rex Arbogast | AP
Northwestern football players cast secret ballots Friday to decide whether to form the first-ever union for college athletes.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
NW football 49ers GM supports Smith players vote on union By JANIE MCCAULEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke is committed to supporting linebacker Aldon Smith like a family member in the wake of his latest legal trouble — and keeping Smith around for the long haul, too. “You continue to work as you would with any family member, you continue to work until they leave you no choice,” Baalke said Friday in his annual sitdown with media leading up to the draft. “Does character matter? It does.” Baalke repeatedly referenced the word “disappointed” during his 59-minute session when discussing a recent list of off-the-field problems for
File photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez | AP
49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was arrested April 13 at Los Angeles International Airport after telling a TSA agent he had a bomb. his 49ers, who lost in the NFC championship game to eventual Super Bowl
winner Seattle. Regarding a May 3 deadline whether to exercise
Smith’s 2015 contract option, Baalke gave all indications he hopes to have the menacing pass rusher in a Niners uniform well into the future. Baalke said for 2015, “and ’16, and ’17 and ’18.” Smith was arrested April 13 at Los Angeles International Airport. Police say the 24-year-old NFL star was randomly selected for a secondary screening and became uncooperative with the process, telling a TSA agent that he had a bomb. The district attorney has referred the case for misdemeanor consideration. Baalke said Smith is “growing, starting to understand, starting to realize the importance of his own accountability.”
See SMITH PAGE 2B
By JASON KEYSER AND MICHAEL TARM ASSOCIATED PRESS
EVANSTON, Ill. — In a historic vote, Northwestern University football players cast secret ballots Friday on whether to form the nation’s first union for college athletes — a decision that could change the landscape of American amateur sports. “You got to give the people what they want!” one of the players shouted at reporters, who were kept away from the players as they entered a campus
building to vote. Some waved and another showed off some dance moves. The results of the closely watched vote will not be known for some time. After two rounds of voting on this 19,000-student campus, the ballot boxes were sealed and will remain so for weeks, months, perhaps even years as the university challenges the effort to unionize the team. Still, some of those behind the push were already celebrating, saying
See UNION PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014
SMITH Continued from Page 1B Yet this follows Smith’s five-game absence last season to undergo treatment after his September DUI arrest. In November, Smith pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of illegal possession of an assault weapon, stemming from a June 2012 party at his home. Investigators say several shots were fired, two partygoers were injured and Smith was stabbed. In the subsequent investigation, prosecutors say detectives found five unregistered, illegal weapons in Smith’s house, including two Bushmaster rifles and an Armalite AR-10T. When it comes to how to best deal with Smith going forward, Baalke said that’s going to be a process. “That’s still being discussed internally,” Baalke said. “Everything factors in, you take a look at everything. The one word I can use to describe the situation is disappointing. The
important thing is that it’s equally as disappointing to Aldon. “Like all of us, you have the keys to your own car. You make decisions and you live with the consequences of those decisions. Life is a growing process, it’s a growing process for all of us. He knows what needs to be done. We’re all accountable. Each and every one of us in this organization is accountable.” The 49ers also still hope to reach agreement on a long-term extension with quarterback Colin Kaepernick before the start of training camp. Baalke said the team would let the investigation play out regarding Kaepernick being linked to a Miami police report earlier this month involving a woman who passed out in a hotel and later woke up in a hospital not knowing how she got there. Kaepernick has strongly
File photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez | AP
San Francisco general manager Trent Baalke said he’s still hoping to have Smith, 24, in a 49ers uniform this fall. denied any wrongdoing via Twitter. “Any time an individual puts himself in a situation that becomes newsworthy, we certainly pay attention
to it,” Baalke said. “To say there’s no concern, that would probably be a misrepresentation of the facts. At the same time, let’s let this thing play out and let’s
see where it goes.” In addition, cornerback Chris Culliver — who became famous for the wrong reasons when he made anti-gay remarks before the Super Bowl in February 2013 — has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor hitand-run charges and felony possession of brass knuckles from a March 28 arrest. “Are we disappointed we’ve had a string? Absolutely,” Baalke said. “One is too many. So if one’s too many, then five or six is way too many. This isn’t something we take lightly. We expect a lot from our football players. We expect a lot from ourselves.” He said he is sorry a few players have hurt the reputation of the entire roster and organization. “I’m adamant in my thoughts that this is a good group of men. Have they made some mistakes? Absolutely they have,” Baalke said. “I’m not going to sit
up here and defend them. There is concern. We hold ourselves to a high standard. The community deserves that. We represent the community.” Baalke also addressed his working relationship with coach Jim Harbaugh: “To say it’s always two rams butting heads is so false and misleading. To say there’s no tension would also probably be false and misleading, but it’s good tension.” NOTES Baalke said he hasn’t heard from LaMichael James or his representatives to formally request a trade, but knows the RB said on Twitter he could benefit from a change. Baalke’s understanding is James isn’t at the voluntary offseason program because of a new baby at home. ... LG Mike Iupati is out of a walking boot for his broken left leg suffered in the NFC title game.
UFC Continued from Page 1B Jones (19-1) and Teixeira (22-2) fight in the main event of UFC 172 Saturday night when the promotion makes its debut in Baltimore. Phil Davis fights Anthony Johnson in the other headline bout. Jones, one of UFC’s biggest active payper-view draws, won a unanimous decision against Gustafsson at UFC 165 in September. Gustafsson cut the champion at the right eye midway through the first round. And with a minute left, he took Jones down for the first time in the champion’s UFC career. Jones said he knew he was as close as ever to dropping the belt. “I realized I needed to switch up my strategy and begin improvising a little bit more, and that’s what I did,” he said. “I think with Gus I was trying to fight like a technical kick boxing match and I think I
was losing at that. I just had to switch my style up and start flowing a little better and start winging things, making up, creating, and finding new openings.” He found enough of them to escape and put his name in the record book. With the win, Jones passed UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz’s light heavyweight mark of five straight successful title defenses. After beating Shogun Rua on March 20, 2011 to win the belt, Jones went on to defeat Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen and Gustafsson.. He beat all but Evans and Gustafsson during the streak via TKO or submission, and three times earned UFC fight of the night honors. Known as “Bones,” Jones said it’s time to return to his dominant form to keep the streak going. “I’m totally prepared to fight for five
rounds, but my goal in this fight is to dominate the fight in a way that no one seen possible,” he said. Domination is in my psychology. It’s the way I train. It’s the way I eat. It’s the way I visualize. It’s the way I believe. “If I don’t dominate the fight, I’ll still be happy with the victory. But domination is what I’m planning on.” Teixeira, the No. 2 title contender, is 5-0 since jumping to UFC but a 5-1 underdog in the fight of his life. “My strategy against Jon Jones is simple, go out there and be myself and knock this guy out,” he said. “I’ve been training my whole life for this.” Jones, a former college wrestler and the brother of two NFL players, nearly suffered a broken arm in his win over Belfort and broke a toe against Sonnen. Winning while hurt, then turning around the Gus-
UNION Continued from Page 1B that even if a union is voted down, the campaign has the power to change things. “We’re one step closer to a world where college athletes are not stuck with sports-related medical bills, do not lose their scholarships when they are injured, are not subject to unnecessary brain trauma and are given better opportunities to complete their degree,” said former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter, who helped lead the effort with the help of the United Steelworkers. The full National Labor Relations Board has agreed to hear the Northwestern’s appeal of a regional director’s March ruling that the players are university employees and thus can unionize. Ballots will remain impounded until that process is finished, and perhaps until after any court fight that might follow a decision. Supporters say a union would help athletes obtain better compensation, medical care for injuries and other benefits. One day before the vote, the NCAA endorsed a plan that would give big schools like Northwestern much more autonomy to address such issues for its athletes. None of the players participating in the voting stopped to talk with reporters, but the excitement of some was evident as they waved or thrust their arms into the air in view of TV news cameras. Sophomore Michael Odom, 20, said he quit the team a couple months ago because the demands of playing football were detracting from his studies for a journalism degree. Though he wasn’t eligible to vote, he called a union “long overdue” and had heard from his former teammates they felt pressured to vote against it. “I don’t know if intimidation is
the word I’d use. I think that’s a little strong. I know a lot of my teammates have been influenced by former players as well as coaches and officials at the university,” Odom said, adding that parents got emails from university officials urging them to press their children to vote no. “It seems like things are kind of leaning toward ’no,”’ he said of the overall vote. “I think a lot of them have been successfully talked out of voting yes.” Last month’s decision by NLRB’s regional director sent shockwaves through college sports, prompting criticism from the NCAA, Northwestern and athletic departments nationwide. While the ruling would apply only to private universities — they are subject to federal labor law while public schools are under state law — many saw the decision as a first step toward the end of the traditional “student-athlete” era. Seventy-six scholarship football players were eligible to cast ballots. The rules under which the ballots were impounded don’t even allow them to be counted, so it was not known how many actually voted. Colter had hoped to be an official voting observer for the College Athletes Players Association, which would represent the players at the bargaining table if the prounion side prevails. He left after attorneys for Northwestern objected, said union attorney John Adam, leaving the union without a representative during the first session. Ramogi Huma, president of CAPA, said just having the vote take place was a victory. “The NCAA cannot vacate this moment in history and its implications for the future,” he said. Donald Remy, chief legal officer
tafsson bout in the final two rounds, proved to Jones he can win under any circumstances. “After that Gustafsson fight, I’m even more confident in my will,” he said. “I know I have a lot of will. I know that I’m armed with that going into this battle on Saturday night. Jones has two brothers in the NFL, including Arthur, a Super Bowl champion with the Ravens who now plays for the Colts. Arthur Jones will be at Baltimore Arena with some of his former teammates rooting on his brother for the feel of a hometown advantage. “They supported our family while he was here and that’s why I wanted to fight here,” Jon Jones said. “I hope his leaving doesn’t change anything because I still love the fans and the support they have given to me and our family.”
TENNIS Continued from Page 1B
for the NCAA, said the organization remained steadfast that college athletes are not employees. “Whatever concerns or issues one may have with college athletics, turning student-athletes into employees and changing the relationship between students and their universities is certainly not the answer,” he said. “For nearly three years, NCAA member schools have worked on specific proposals designed to enhance the student-athlete experience and support their success in the classroom, on the field and in life.” Huma, a former UCLA linebacker, had accused the university of using scare tactics to thwart the effort. Northwestern sent a 21-page question-and-answer document to the players outlining the problems it sees with forming a union. In it, Northwestern said it hoped unionization would not lead to player strikes in the event of a dispute — but that if it did, replacement players could be brought in to cross picket lines. Northwestern spokesman Alan Cubbage denied any suggestion that the university engaged in an unfair campaign of intimidation, saying the school was careful to stick to NLRB guidelines while getting across its position. Cubbage noted that Northwestern already offers its football players four-year scholarships and medical benefits that are extended to cover players for a year after they’ve left the team and sometimes longer. “We are truly serious about continuing the conversation,” he said. “Regardless of what happened today on the vote, our intention is that — or our hope certainly is — that Northwestern is going to be a leader in discussing those issues that have come to the forefront.”
head coach Robert Alvarez said. “My mixed team of Manuel Benavides and Gaby Alvarez went 21-5 this year with three tournament victories. Three out of the five losses were to the United South team that won the 5A district. "It was crazy we could just not get the votes we needed. We were left to the luck of the draw." Benavides and Alvarez defeated Sandra Cortez and Carson Petty of Hondo in the first round 6-1, 6-2, but then faced the top seeds and eventual champions, Westin Jablonski and Rachel Kuenstler of Bellville, and lost 6-3, 6-1. In boys doubles’, Alvarez and Reyes faced 30-3A district champions Joseph Kruppa and Michael Mcburney of Rockport Fulton in the first round and defeated them 6-2, 6-0. They then moved on to play No. 3 seed Blake Jordan and Brady Zapalac in the quarterfinals. The Zapata duo got off to a slow start and lost the first set 6-2. "The boys played a great second set and had break chances to take the lead and the set with a service hold,” Alvarez said. “But we just could not get that those points, losing the set and match 7-5.” Alexa Alvarez faced Kelly Poore of La Vernia in girls’ singles. "Alexa played a strong first set, but was not able to match Poore in the second, losing 6-3, 6-2," Alvarez said. "Alexa was battling a bad head cold and sore throat. I was proud of the way she fought." In boys’ singles, Chris Davila faced off against Carson
Jahn, the 30-3A district champion. Davila won the first set 6-2 only to have Jahn take the second 6-1. Davila wore down a visibly tiring Jahn in the third set to win the match 6-2. Davila then played the No. 4 seed from Needville, Landon Schultz-Zwahr. "Zwahr had a great backhand, but in scouting him we felt we could break down his forehand," Alvarez said. "Chris executed the gameplan flawlessly and destroyed Zwahr 6-0, 6-1 to advance to the semifinals." In the semis Davila play Sam San Marco of Wimberly, the top seed and defending regional champion. Davila played about as well as Alvarez could have hoped, but it still was not enough as San Marco won 6-2, 6-1. Davila’s next opponent was Harrison Weedle of Bellville. "If he could win the match, he would likely get a playback for second as San Marco was a heavy favorite to win the finals," Alvarez said. "In a match that was moved indoors due to rain, Chris again played great but came up just a little short losing 6-3, 6-4 to finish in fourth place. "It was hard not to feel disappointed. We had really worked hard to try and get to state and I felt some coaches were voting out of friendship and loyalty than actually listening to the records and information presented. But you have to play the hand you are dealt and we needed to come through when we had the chance and we did not.” E-mail: sandoval.clara@gmail.com
PLAYOFFS Continued from Page 1B the playoffs. "We caught fire when district started," Zapata assistant coach Mario Benavidez said. "The team just started clicking on the field and that has been the difference down the stretch of the district season." The Hawks’ seeding heading into the playoffs depends on the outcome of Friday’s season finale. Should Zapata dropped their game against La Grulla, Kingsville gets the outright district title and the No. 1 seed. If the Hawks win, they earn a share of the District 31-3A title as La Grulla will be the No. 3 seed regardless of Friday’s outcome. The senior pitching duo of Joel Rodri-
guez (3-1) and Alonzo Gutierrez have led the Hawks on the mound, while Rene Alvarez has powered the offense. Lady Hawks vs Rio Hondo The Lady Hawks grabbed the fourth and final playoff spot in District 31-4A after battling through a tough slate that included Kingsville, Raymondville and Lyford. Zapata met Rio Hondo in the Class 3A bi-district championship series, which started Thursday night at home. The Lady Hawks would love to erase a second inning where they gave up six runs on a string of errors. Rio Hondo jumped on Zapata early and left with a
7-6 victory in the Game 1 of the three game series that continues today in Rio Hondo. Pitcher Selissa Lopez went the distance for Zapata and took the loss. The Lady Bobcats did most of their damage in the second inning after the game was knotted at one apiece at the end of the first. Zapata made two costly errors in the second inning and opened the door for Rio Hondo, just enough for them to score six runs and take a 7-1 lead. The Lady Hawks clamped down defensively and worked for the next five innings to make it a one-run affair as Rio
Hondo. That offensive outburst the Lady Bobcats enjoyed was long gone as Zapata didn’t allow another run. Zapata started to get its bats in order, led by Tere Villarreal and Casssandra Garcia, who started to connect at the plate to ignite a Lady Hawks rally. Game 2 is Saturday morning at 10:45 a.m. at the Lady Bobcat softball field and, if necessary, Game 3 will be at La Joya on Monday at 7 p.m. "We just have to minimize our errors," Zapata head softball coach Jaime Garcia said. "If we can do that today, it is a different ballgame." E-mail: sandoval.clara@gmail.com
SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
HINTS | BY HELOISE Grounds for Problems Dear Readers: A column recently ran about COFFEE GROUNDS and why you should not put them down the disposal or drain. Here is a reader’s response about his experience: “Our family owned a large plumbing/heating/AC company. We had the contract to install the heating/ AC at a hospital’s addition. At the main entrance, there was a gift-and-snack shop. About nine months after they occupied the new addition, we received a call about a leak in one of our heat/AC units. Searching for the source, someone ran water in the snack shop, and water came dripping down from a horizontal drain line. It seems that the snack shop was flushing coffee grounds down the sink with just enough water to rinse out the sink. Thus the grounds stayed in the pipe and eroded it. Talk about strong coffee!” -- R.D. Smith, Lima, Ohio It’s amazing what people put down the kitchen sink, expecting it to just “disappear”! For my readers who
“
HELOISE
are saying to themselves, “I’ve done this all of my life and never had a problem,” count yourself lucky! Remember, when in doubt, throw it out. Trust me on this one: My husband, David, who built our house, said to me that if it can go in the trash or compost pile, it should, rather than try to stuff a sinkful of potato peels or celery remains down the plumbing system. -- Heloise PET PAL Dear Readers: George and Shirley Palmer of Punta Gorda, Fla., sent a picture of their adopted tabby-andwhite cat, Bentley, sitting on a chair. They say he loves people and is always ready to greet them when the doorbell rings. George and Shirley say they are lucky that Bentley found them. To see Bentley’s picture, go to my website, www.Heloise.com, and click on “Pets.” -Heloise
DENNIS THE MENACE
FAMILY CIRCUS
PEANUTS
GARFIELD
DAILY CRYPTOQUOTES — Here’s how to work it:
DILBERT
Sports
4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014
MLB rules may change for defectors By BRENDAN FARRINGTON ASSOCIATED PRESS
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Major League Baseball would have to change its policy on Cuban players if the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays want a share of state money that would be set aside for professional sports stadiums under a bill the House passed Friday. Los Angeles Dodgers’ outfielder Yasiel Puig’s dangerous escape from Cuba to Mexico was the inspiration for the conditions the bill places on baseball stadium construction money. With the exception of Canada, residents of foreign nations can negotiate with all 30 baseball teams before signing a contract, but teams aren’t allowed to negotiate with Cuban players if they remain in that country because of the U.S. embargo of the communist island. And Cuban players are subject to the amateur draft if they come directly to the U.S., potentially costing them tens of millions of
dollars. That’s why Cuban players seek to establish residency in a third country first, often at great risk. “Vote for this bill for every young boy in Cuba that wants a fair chance to come to this country and play baseball without having to be forced into the arms of human traffickers, smugglers and drug cartels,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Shalimar. “That’s more important to me, frankly, than what stadium gets built.” Details of Puig’s escape from Cuba were revealed recently in a lawsuit that described a dangerous journey, dealings with shady characters and Puig and a Cuban boxer being held hostage over unpaid smuggling debts. Puig, boxer Yunior Despaigne and their families have continued to receive death threats and one of the men who smuggled them out of Cuba was shot dead in Mexico, according to a story first reported in Los Angeles Magazine. Puig signed a $42 million contract with the
Photo by Jeff Chiu | AP
The House passed a bill related to state funding for stadiums that would force MLB to change its rules on Cuban defectors. Dodgers. Gaetz and Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, R-Miami, attached the language to the
stadium bill after reading about Puig’s story. The bill passed on a 93-16 vote. A similar Senate bill doesn’t
have the language regarding Cuban players. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and Chief Operating Officer Rob Manfred said the situation with Cuban players is being discussed. “We’re just a little speck in that whole problem. But of course we have concerns, and the more I read and the more I hear, the answer is yes,” Selig said when asked if he had concerns. Manfred said MLB is talking with the players association about what could be helpful to Cuban players. “The first question you have to ask yourself before you think about changing the rules is whether there is any difference between trafficking to the United States or trafficking to Mexico, whether the destination would change what happens to players when they try to get out of Cuba,” Manfred said. “Over the long haul, what I’d say to you is it is a problem that is larger than baseball.” Major League Baseball
Players Association executive director Tony Clark said the union shares MLB’s concern. “We are looking forward to sitting down with MLB to discuss the issue in more detail,” Clark said. Gaetz was pleased that MLB is taking notice. “It is encouraging that there is the will to institute needed reforms,” he said. “Florida stands ready to be part of the solution.” The bill sets up criteria for professional sports to be able to access state money for stadiums. The fund could help pay for a number of proposed projects, from a professional soccer stadium in Miami to the renovation of Daytona International Speedway. The Marlins opened a new stadium last year. The Rays have been discussing the idea of building a new stadium to replace the downtown St. Petersburg dome they play in now. The bill (HB 7095) would establish a pool of $12 million that could be spent each year, with no team or project receiving more than $2 million a year.
NBA refs may get expanded replay use By BRIAN MAHONEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — After further review, the play stands as called. Not because it was right, but because referees weren’t allowed to determine it was wrong. NBA officials were already considering expanding referees’ instant replay options before two key plays in this postseason couldn’t be changed even after refs saw them on the monitor. For now, the rules are clear about what referees can look at. But Commissioner Adam Silver said the league will “inevitably” reach a point where they can do more. “So far, in terms of all of our triggers, we’ve tried to maintain a line of what is clearly objectively ascertainable,” Silver said Thursday. “You know, foot on the line or not, buzzer or not. My sense is where we’ll end up is giving the referees more discretion over what they can look at once we go to replay.” Silver’s comments to a group of Associated Press Sports Editors came hours before Atlanta’s Jeff Teague tossed in a wild 3pointer as he dribbled left with the shot clock winding down and the Hawks leading Indiana by six. When officials later reviewed the shot to see if Teague was behind the arc, it was clear he had first stepped out of bounds before shooting. As Indiana players screamed for the basket to be overturned, referee Tony Brothers explained that it couldn’t be. The Golden State Warriors hung on for a 109-105 victory
Photo by John Bazemore | AP
Atlanta guard Jeff Teague, center, hit a 3-pointer with the Hawks leading by six in Game 3 on Thursday. But the basket never should have counted as he stepped out of bounds before taking the shot. over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 1 of their series after a similar replay issue. When officials went to the monitor to review a ball out of bounds with 18.9 seconds left and Golden State leading by two, they could see that the Warriors’ Draymond Green had first fouled Chris Paul. However, because that wasn’t reviewable, all they could rule was the ball had gone off of Paul. Silver said it’s confusing for viewers to see something obvious
on replay, yet the officials appear to have “blinders” on and do nothing about it. “I think the most difficult area now, even for our fans to understand, is when an official can go to replay and everyone can see something that looks like a foul or wasn’t a foul, but yet the official is restricted from being able to apply, in essence, his judgment on the play,” Silver said. “And I think that’s an area that I think inevitably we’re going to reach, where an official is going to need
to have some more discretion.” But senior vice president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe said it’s a bit of a “slippery slope” in determining how far officials can look backward before the play they are reviewing. “Those are things that when you start to have subjective calls and you’re looking at a lot of things, and you’re giving more discretion on what to look at, those are the problems and the issues that you try to figure out,”
VanDeWeghe said. “But like Adam said, giving the referees a little bit more discretion when there’s something obvious that happens within the context of the foul, you want to get it right.” Clippers coach Doc Rivers, a member of the league’s competition committee, said the committee talked about it last year. They apparently had the same concerns as VanDeWeghe. “It’s a hard one. It really is,” Rivers said. “We all want them to get everything right. But how far does that go when you start doing that? How far do you go on that? Did he step on the line? Well, maybe he fouled him. But there was a travel down there. Look, there. At some point, is it just on the ball? Is it off the ball? It can go a long way. Just think, right now we’re looking at one play and it takes five minutes. If you start doing that, it may take forever.” The competition committee will meet again for two days in July to recommend any changes, which would have to be approved by owners. VanDeWeghe agreed with Silver that the NBA will use more replay. “It’s always a balancing act at the end of the day because we want to get the calls right, want to have the players decide the game, get the calls right, but also we don’t want to have a fourhour game, so we’re continually balancing it,” VanDeWeghe said. “But if we can utilize replays more, if we can utilize data more, we’re going to do it to make our game better.”
McGary fails drug test, declares for draft By NOAH TRISTER ASSOCIATED PRESS
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan sophomore Mitch McGary is entering the NBA draft, saying he had little choice after testing positive for marijuana during an NCAA tournament he couldn’t play in because of an injured back and because he was facing a one-year ban. “I am ready to move on to the next stage in my life and enter the NBA draft,” the 6-foot-10 McGary said in a statement released by the school Friday. “Being a part of a program that values integrity, it is important to let everyone know of a poor decision I recently made. I tested positive for marijuana during the NCAA tournament. We were notified of that result after the Final Four. I regret thoroughly disappointing my family, coaches and administration.” McGary was terrific in the 2013 tournament as a freshman, helping Michigan reach the national title game, where the Wolverines lost to Louisville. He considered jumping to the NBA then, but instead came back for his sopho-
more year and was a preseason All-American. But McGary played only eight games this season. He was bothered from the start by a back problem and eventually had surgery. He was shut down shortly after a Dec. 14 matchup with Arizona. It was unclear how his future would be impacted by the injury. Was his draft stock still high enough for him to leave, or would he need to come back to Michigan in 201415? McGary is old for his class, turning 22 in June, but his injury made his decision a difficult one — until the flunked drug test. “I feel I’m ready, but this pushed it overboard,” McGary told Yahoo Sports. The NCAA says its year-round testing program generally does not involve street drugs or stimulants, but its NCAA championship testing program — which includes events such as the basketball tournament — may File photo by Charlie Neibergall | AP include tests for those drugs. NCAA rules say Michigan’s Mitch McGary, left, admitted to smoking marijuana and that a positive test results his failed test brought an NCAA-mandated one-year suspension. in ineligibility for a calendar year — although last reduce the penalty for a drugs during NCAA week, members voted to first positive test for street championships, including
marijuana. The penalty will be reduced to a half-season from a full season, effective Aug. 1. Athletes at Michigan are subject to random, year-round drug testing under the school’s policy, but if McGary had been caught under that program, the penalty could have been much less severe. Under Michigan’s rules, a first offense calls for an immediate oneweek suspension from team activities. In addition, the athlete “must sit out the next 10 percent of the maximum allowable contests during the traditional competitive season or postseason of their respective sport.” McGary’s departure leaves Michigan facing major personnel losses for a second straight season. The Wolverines lost guards Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the NBA after the 2012-13 Final Four run, but they won the Big Ten anyway this year behind Nik Stauskas, Caris LeVert and Glenn Robinson III. Michigan reached the NCAA quarterfinals before losing to Kentucky. Now Stauskas, Robin-
son and McGary are all leaving early for the pros. The frontcourt looks particularly thin for next season, with Jon Horford transferring and McGary declaring for the draft. The Wolverines will still have the rapidly improving LeVert in the backcourt, and both Derrick Walton and Zak Irvin return after contributing this season as freshmen. McGary averaged only 7.8 points and 6.6 rebounds in his two-year career at Michigan, but his potential is tantalizing. In Michigan’s six NCAA tournament games in 2013, he averaged 14.3 points and 10.7 rebounds. Although he was injured most of this season, he remained a fan favorite and an energetic presence on the Michigan bench. “Mitch has had a tremendous impact on our program from the moment he committed to us,” coach John Beilein said. “The progress he has made on and off the court has been outstanding. His willingness to face a personal issue head on and his positive work ethic during his recent injury have helped him to grow in many ways.”