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TEXAS LEGISLATURE
FEDERAL COURT
Border progress
Indicted for human smuggling
House, Senate move forward on security bill By JULIÁN AGUILAR TEXAS TRIBUNE
The Texas House and Senate appear to be making headway on border security legislation, a thorny subject that Gov. Greg Abbott has declared a priority this legislative session. Nearly two months after being sent to the upper chamber, House Bill 11 by
BP charge man after car chase
state Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, was scheduled Thursday for a May 18 hearing before the Senate’s Committee on Veteran Affairs and Military Installations subcommittee on Border Security. The measure would increase over two years the number of Texas Depart-
See LEGISLATURE PAGE 9A
By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Photo by Marjorie Kamys Cotera | Texas Tribune
Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, listens during debate of his campus carry bill SB 11 on March 18.
MICHOACAN, MEXICO
A man accused of transporting illegal immigrants when he led authorities on a car chase that ended in a crash and seriously injured a juvenile was indicted this week, ac-
cording to court records filed in a Laredo federal court. On Tuesday, a grand jury indicted Alex Flores, of Laredo, on charges of one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented people
See INDICTED PAGE 9A
SOUTH TEXAS FOOD BANK
EMPTY BOWLS EVENT SET Photo by Miguel Garcia Tinoco | AP
Alondra Diaz Garcia arrives for a court hearing in Los Reyes, Mexico, Tuesday. A Mexican judge returned the long-missing teenager to her U.S. mother Friday.
Teenager returned to mom DNA tests confirm girl is daughter of US woman By MARIA VERZA AND PETER ORSI ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — A Mexican judge returned a long-missing teenager to her U.S. mother Friday, ending the woman’s eight-year search and a cross-border custody case in which another girl was mistakenly sent to Texas against her will. Alondra Diaz, 13, and Houston resident Dorotea Garcia left a courthouse together following the afternoon ruling in Los Reyes, a town in the southwestern state of Michoacan, after DNA tests confirmed her identity. They were under heavy police guard and did not comment publicly, but Judge Cinthia Elodia Mercado called the case closed. “The recovery of a minor by an applicant mother has happened,” Mercado said. “This is over.” Alondra Diaz was taken to Mexico in 2007 by her father, Reynaldo Diaz, without her mother’s consent,
See TEENAGER PAGE 9A
Local foundation will be honored SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
The South Texas Food Bank Empty Bowls IX fundraiser is set for Aug. 21 at the Laredo Energy Arena featuring a concert by the 1970s-80s rock band Kansas. The event will recognize the Jose Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Foundation for its contribution to the food bank’s mission of feeding the hungry. Shirley Sandlin Gonzalez and Bob Gonzalez of the Martinez Foundation board joined the food bank’s board, headed by President Anna Benavides Galo, and interim Executive Director Erasmo A. Villarreal as the South Texas Food Bank made the announcement of the event and the honoree at a Wednesday news conference at the Laredo Energy Arena. “I am so happy that the South Texas Food Bank will honor the foundation that my uncle and aunt started,” Shirley Gonzalez said. “This recognition will be quite a tribute to the way they led their lives and how they extended their contributions to the community even after their passing.” Gonzalez spoke “of
Photo by Cuate Santos | Laredo Morning Times
Jose Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Foundation representatives Bob Gonzalez and Shirley Sandlin Gonzalez pose with South Texas Food Bank board member and Zapata County Treasurer Romeo Salinas at the Laredo Energy Arena Wednesday morning where a press conference was held to announce the Empty Bowls IX fundraising event. The Martinez Foundation will be honored and the featured band for this year’s concert is the 1970s-80s rock band Kansas. The event will be held on Friday, August 21, at the LEA. family traditions like baptisms, birthdays, communions and weddings where ‘Papi and Mama’ as I called them were always there for us. I now feel the spirit of my aunt and uncle. We’re doing our duty as family members involved in carrying
out their wishes. We’re training another generation so that through our tutelage their influence in Laredo will continue for many more years.” Sponsorship tables of 10 that include dinner and access to silent auction items are available.
A special sponsorship is $25,000 in honor of the recent 25th anniversary. The others remain at Diamond $20,000, Platinum $10,000, Gold $5,000, Silver $2,500 and Bronze $1,500. Individual table tickets
are $150. Table tickets are available at the South Texas Food Bank office, 1907 Freight at Riverside, or by calling 956-726-3120 or 956-3242432. Concert-only tickets are still $10, $15 and $25.
See FOOD BANK PAGE 9A
National
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2015
Possibility that flying object caused train crash By MICHAEL R. SISAK AND MARYCLAIRE DALE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHILADELPHIA — The Amtrak train that derailed along the nation’s busiest tracks may have been struck by an object in the moments before it crashed, investigators said Friday, raising new questions about the deadly accident. National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt said an assistant conductor told investigators that she heard Amtrak engineer Brandon Bostian talking over the radio with an engineer for a regional railroad just before the crash. The regional engineer, who was in the same area as the Amtrak train, said his train had been hit by a rock or some other projectile. The conductor heard Bostian say the same had happened to his Amtrak train, according to Sum-
Photo by Julio Cortez | AP
Workers labor on the site where a deadly train derailment happened earlier in the week, Friday in Philadelphia. Amtrak is working to restore Northeast Corridor rail service between New York City and Philadelphia. Service was suspended after a train derailed in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, killing eight. walt. The windshield of the Amtrak train was shattered in the accident but one area of glass had a breakage pattern that could be consis-
tent with being hit by an object, he said, and the FBI is investigating. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority does not yet know
what caused the damage to its train that night, said Jerri Williams, a spokeswoman for the agency.
SEPTA trains traveling through the area — including one of the poorest and most violent parts of the city — have had projectiles thrown at them in the past, whether by vandals or teenagers, she said. It was unusual that the SEPTA train was forced to stop on Tuesday night. The deadly Amtrak wreck has made it clear that despite the train industry’s widespread use of electronic signals, sensors and warning systems, safety still sometimes comes down to the knowledge and experience of the engineer at the controls. Those skills would have been critical on the curve where the New York-bound train derailed, killing eight and injuring more than 200 in the deadliest U.S. train accident in nearly six years. Instead of high-tech signals or automatic controls,
engineers on that stretch of track have to rely on their familiarity with the route and a printed timetable they carry with them, not unlike engineers a century ago. “We’re depending heavily on the human engineer to correctly obey and interpret the signals that he sees and also speed limits and other operating requirements,” said David B. Clarke, a railroad expert at the University of Tennessee. The engineer of the train has told investigators that he does not recall the moments leading up to Tuesday night’s crash. The conductor told the NTSB in an interview Friday that he felt comfortable with the train and was not fatigued, Sumwalt said. In the minute before the derailment, the Amtrak train accelerated from 70 mph to more than 100 mph.
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2015
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Sports&Outdoors MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: TEXAS RANGERS
Hamilton progressing Photo by Aram Boghosian | MCT
Lawyers for former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez are requesting his conviction for the murder of Odin Lloyd be thrown out due to a lack of evidence.
Lawyers want ruling thrown out Photo by Mark Zaleski | AP
Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton is set to continue his rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco after Triple-A Round Rock’s homestand and could rejoin the Rangers as early as next week.
Rangers outfielder reporting to Double-A Frisco ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARLINGTON — Josh Hamilton is getting closer to the Texas Rangers’ home ballpark. The Rangers said Thursday that Hamilton will report to Double-A Frisco after the end of Triple-A Round Rock’s homestand. The Express had a scheduled doubleheader Thursday night, and a game Friday. Hamilton joined Round Rock last Sunday after some time in extended spring training in Arizona.
Texas re-acquired Hamilton in a trade from the Los Angeles Angels on April 27. The 2010 AL MVP and five-time All-Star, who had shoulder surgery in February and didn’t go to spring training with the Angels, went to Arizona the day after the Rangers got him back. When the Express head to Colorado for their next series, Hamilton is expected to play Saturday and Sunday for Frisco, which plays in a Dallas suburb only about 40 miles from the Rangers’ ballpark in Arlington. He will take Monday off before scheduled games with the RoughRiders
NBA: CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Tuesday and Wednesday. The Rangers will then determine whether Hamilton needs more games in the minors or is ready to get back to the major leagues. If he is ready then, Hamilton’s season debut with the Rangers could be at Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium. After three games at home this weekend against Cleveland, the Rangers open a nine-game road trip Tuesday at Boston. They play three games against the Red Sox, then three at the New York Yankees and three more at Cleveland.
Hernandez’s attorneys cite lack of evidence ASSOCIATED PRESS
FALL RIVER, Mass. — Lawyers for former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez have asked a judge to throw out his murder conviction, saying it was based on “improper speculation, conjecture and guesswork.” The lawyers say in papers filed this week with the trial judge that “no reasonable jury” could have found Hernandez guilty of killing Odin Lloyd in June 2013, and cite insufficient evidence for a conviction. Hernandez was convicted in
See HERNANDEZ PAGE 2B
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
NFLPA to call Goodell as witness By JIMMY GOLEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Nam Y. Huh | AP
Cleveland guard Matthew Dellavedova scored a team-high 19 points Thursday in a 94-73 win over the Chicago Bulls as the Cavaliers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals.
Cavs, James take step toward crown By TOM WITHERS ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND — LeBron James sat in his usual middle seat at the postgame podium talking about another playoff win, one moving him closer to another NBA championship. He was joined by unlikely company, a point guard to his right and power forward to his left but not the same ones he began these playoffs with a few weeks ago. The superstar was flanked by Matthew Dellavedova and Tris-
tan Thompson - hardly the Big 3, more like Cleveland’s Unexpected 3. Showing resiliency and toughness with contributions from the team’s most unsung players, the Cavs ended Chicago’s season on Thursday night by beating the Bulls 94-73 to win the semifinal series in six games, advancing to play either Washington or Atlanta for the Eastern Conference title. Without Kevin Love, their best rebounder who was
See CAVS PAGE 2B
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady wants to call Commissioner Roger Goodell as a witness in the appeal of the four-game suspension he was handed for “Deflategate.” The NFL players union said in its appeal of the penalties that Goodell can’t hear the appeal because one of the issues is his credibility. The union also said in the letter released Friday it will call league vice president Troy Vincent, who handed down the punishment. The Super Bowl MVP was suspended for four games and the Patriots were fined $1 million and docked a pair of draft picks for using illegally inflated footballs in the AFC championship game. The appeal also complains that the evidence collected in the Wells report doesn’t support such a harsh penalty. The union lawyers say that the suspension is invalid because only Goodell can punish players for conduct detrimental to the league. The penalties were handed down by Vincent, NFL’s executive vice president of football operations. Brady appealed the decision on Thursday, and later in the evening Goodell announced that he would hear the appeal personally. Although the collective bargaining agreement gives him the right to do that, the appeal letter claimed Goodell cannot remain impartial because he will called as a witness.
Photo by John Samora | AP
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and the NFL players union plan to call Commissioner Rodger Goodell as a witness in the appeal of Brady’ four-game suspension. Writing to Vincent, the union said it intends “to call both you and Commissioner Goodell as essential witnesses in the proceeding.” And it told Vincent “your personal involvement in the game-day events surrounding this matter render you inherently biased in any disciplinary determination.” The union asked Goodell to appoint a neutral arbiter and threatened to go outside the league’s system of appeals if he does not. “If the Commissioner does not
appoint such a neutral arbitrator, the NFLPA and Mr. Brady will seek recusal and pursue all available relief to obtain an arbitrator who is not evidently partial,” it said. The team has not said if it will appeal its penalties, which include losing a first-round draft pick next year and a fourthrounder in 2017. The deadline to appeal is May 21. Wells concluded that Brady was “at least generally aware” of
See GOODELL PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2015
Photo by Kathy Kmonicek | AP
LeBron James fell just short of a triple-double Thursday finishing with 15 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds as the Cavaliers won 94-73 on the road to eliminate the Chicago Bulls.
CAVS Continued from Page 1B
Photo by LM Otero | AP
Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn was one of three players evacuated Friday as police serached the area for suspects in an armed robbery.
Stars players evacuate in lockdown in an armed robbery. Frisco police barricading an area around the Dr. Pepper StarCenter evacuated everyone from the building as they investigate what they believe to be multiple sus-
ASSOCIATED PRESS
FRISCO — Three Dallas Stars players are among those evacuated from the NHL franchise’s practice facility as local police search for suspects
pects in the arena parking garage. The Dallas Morning News reports the players are Stars left wing Jamie Benn, defenseman Jason Demers and right wing Ales Hemsky.
Police say the suspects robbed a jewelry store and eventually drove into the garage. No injuries have been reported. Frisco is about 10 miles north of Dallas.
Thibodeau’s future unknown By ANDREW SELIGMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls’ season ended. And the Tom Thibodeau watch began. The Bulls headed into the offseason Friday with one big issue hanging over them — the future of their coach. There is heavy speculation that Thibodeau will not be back because of a rift with management despite a 255-139 record and playoff appearances in each of his five seasons. But there was no word from the Bulls on Friday. “If it was up to me, he’ll be back,” Derrick Rose said Thursday night after a season-ending loss to Cleveland in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Thibodeau said Thursday he expects to be back unless he’s told otherwise. If he’s not going to resign — and the relationship is broken beyond repair — the Bulls could fire him. But with two years left on his contract, a more desirable option for them would probably be a trade. Thibodeau no doubt would rise to the top of the list of available coaching candidates. New Orleans, coming off a playoff appearance and with one of the game’s brightest young stars in Anthony Davis has a vacancy after firing Monty Williams. The Orlando job is open, too, and Denver finished the season with an interim coach. “I haven’t really thought about it. Haven’t thought about it,” he said. Thibodeau’s .647 winning percentage ranks seventh in NBA history among coaches with at least 200 games. He led the Bulls to the top seed in the playoffs his first two seasons and was the NBA’s
Photo by Nam Y. Huh | AP
Tom Thibodeau has two years remaining on his contract but is not expected to return next season as head coach of the Chicago Bulls. Coach of the Year in 2011 — the same year Rose became the league’s youngest MVP. Chicago advanced to the Eastern Conference finals that season, but it’s the only time the Bulls have made it past the second round under Thibodeau. That was expected to change with the signing of Pau Gasol and return of Derrick Rose after missing most of the previous two years because of injuries to each knee. Instead, Rose was inconsistent. The Bulls fought through injuries and lacked continuity. Their effort wavered at times, and they wound up with 50 wins — not bad, but not what they anticipated. “I think this team has more potential,” Gasol said. “We showed at times our potential. But in order to be a great team and a championship-caliber team we have to be a little more consistent than we have been. Injuries are always a factor, but I think that happens to most teams out
there. We just have to mature and take the opportunity to grow as a team, kind of digest the pain of losing against the Cavs and being eliminated from the playoffs. Just take it all in and work this summer and get ourselves ready for the next run.” The question is who will be coaching them for that run. Friction between Thibodeau and general manager Gar Forman and John Paxson seemed to mount. The coach chafed at minutes restrictions placed by management on Rose and Joakim Noah, who was coming off knee surgery, along with veteran Kirk Hinrich. The idea was that the Bulls would be in better shape for the playoffs and not run out of steam, the way they seemed to the previous two years. But it also went against Thibodeau’s belief that good habits are developed through repetition. Adding to the tension, ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy accused the Bulls of
undermining their coach during a game at Dallas in January. It wasn’t the first time he had criticized the organization. But to many, whether it was true or not, it seemed he was serving as a messenger for Thibodeau. After all, he was an assistant to Van Gundy in New York and Houston. If this is the end for Thibodeau in Chicago, he is certainly not the first successful coach to lose in a clash with management. For that matter, he would not be the first successful Bulls coach to lose in a clash with management. Just ask Phil Jackson. Thibodeau has also lasted five years, an eternity in a league where some teams burn through coaches. Did the speculation take a toll on the team? “In this league, if you’re a pro, it’s easy to get sidetracked,” Thibodeau said. “You always want to guard against that. If you want to find an excuse, you can. If you want to make good, you can.”
HERNANDEZ Continued from Page 1B April of first-degree murder and sentenced to a mandatory term of life in prison without parole.
Lloyd was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancee. The filing asks the
judge for a finding of not guilty. The defense must take the step before an appeal, which is automatic
under Massachusetts law. Hernandez is awaiting trial in the killings of two men in 2012.
knocked out by a shoulder injury in the opening round, and without AllStar guard Kyrie Irving, who re-injured his left knee in the first half of Game 6. This season of turmoil, scrutiny and expectation as James chases a title for his home region, rolls on. "The power of team trumps all," said first-year coach David Blatt. The Cavs will have nearly a week to heal bumps and bruises and hope Irving can recover from a sprained right foot and tendinitis in his left knee. Irving spent the second half of Thursday’s game as a benched cheerleader, his knee wrapped, his stomach in knots. "A week of treatment and it all goes down in one play," he said. Irving’s injury forced the Cavs to turn to Dellavedova, a scrappy, undrafted Australian whose previous biggest moment of the series came when he put Chicago’s Taj Gibson in a leg lock during a skirmish in Game 5. But in Game 6, the 6-foot-4 Dellavedova, a Saint Mary’s (California) product who downs a cup of black coffee right before every game, scored a team-high 19 points. "This guy right here," James said, motioning toward his new sidekick. "He’s not the most athletic, fastest, greatest shooter in our league but I’d put him out there with anybody. This guy has to guard Kyrie Irving every single day in practice. That’s not an easy task. But when your mind is true, I just think the game gives back to you." It was validation for the teammate known affectionately as "Delly." His turnovers and shaky shot selection early in the season prompted Cavs general manager David Griffin to search for a backup point guard at the trading deadline. Griffin had already dealt for Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Timofey Mozgov, pieces that have positioned the Cavs for a title shot.
But Dellavedova never stopped working and it paid off. "I guess I wasn’t playing as well as I would have liked, helping the team," he said. "I’m just happy that they stuck with it, and I’m doing the job." Thompson’s journey this season has been just as impressive. When the Cavs traded for Love last summer, Thompson was shoved to the bench after starting 82 games in each of the two previous seasons. But instead of pouting or complaining, the Canadian embraced his new role, becoming one of the league’s top reserves. "I went in and punched the clock," he said. He grabbed 17 rebounds in Game 6 and the No. 4 overall pick in 2011 continually outworked Chicago’s big men to keep possessions alive for the Cavs. Thompson has grown close with James. They share the same agent, Rich Paul, and Thompson looks to James as both role model and mentor. "I am playing with this father here," Thompson said, nodding at James. "Delly, Kyrie and I saw an opportunity to play with one of the best. It started on Labor Day when LeBron was the first one in the gym and last one out. We knew we would have to catch up if he does that. It would mean working three of four times harder than he did." Just as he did in leading Miami to four straight Finals, James is making those around him better. And James might be enough for Cleveland, where his supporting cast seems to change every game. James bristled when asked if he felt that the reconfigured Cavs are no longer favorites. "Underdog? Me?" he said incredulously. "I will never be an underdog. I think we have a great chance. That’s what we’re here for. We’re gonna play hard, we’re gonna give ourselves a fighting chance."
GOODELL Continued from Page 1B plans by two team employees to prepare balls to his liking, below the leaguemandated minimum. The NFL requires a range of 12.5-13.5 pounds per square inch. Footballs with less pressure can be easier to grip and catch and some quarterbacks prefer those with less air. The union’s appeal letter said the Wells report contained “insufficient evidence to find that Mr. Brady committed any violation of NFL rules.” A day earlier, the Patriots issued a point-by-point rebuttal of the league investigation. Patriots attorney Daniel Goldberg, who represented
the team during the investigation, wrote in the 20,000-word document that those conclusions are “at best, incomplete, incorrect and lack context.” The team’s rebuttal presented its own science to explain the loss of pressure in a more innocuous way. And it claimed that a ballboy’s reference to himself as “The Deflator” was just a reference to losing weight. It also says increased communication between Brady and the ballboys after the scandal broke were just normal expressions of concern, rather than evidence of the quarterback’s guilt.
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2015
Dear Heloise: What kind of DRY ABSORBENT could I sprinkle on my garage floor so I could sweep up the oily road film/sand/ slush with a broom? I’ve seen cat-box filler suggested. –– Mickie in Fort Collins, Colo. Hi, Mickie. The old standby is to use clay-type cat litter, sand or even sawdust. Also baking soda, which can be bought for very little. Of course, it’s best to tackle the oil spot while it’s still fresh. Sometimes I put a squirt of dish soap over the baking soda, scrub, scrub and scrub, then rinse off with water. Baking soda is great multitasker around the home, and even in the garage! I’ve loved using baking soda for many years, and I’ve put together a collection of my favorite baking-soda hints and recipes that have worked wonders for me in a handy pamphlet. If you’d like to receive one, send $5 and a stamped (70 cents), self-addressed, business-size envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. You
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
“
HELOISE
also can order this pamphlet and others at www.Heloise.com. Not sure if your baking soda is fresh? Mix a bit with some vinegar. If you get a fizzy reaction, the baking soda is good to go! –– Heloise FEED THE BIRDS Dear Heloise: We love watching the wild birds in our yard. I thickly spread peanut butter on empty toilet-tissue rolls and dredge them in birdseed. We slide them onto empty branches of trees, and the birds flock to them! –– Joyce in Virginia SPOTLESS SHADES Dear Readers: Lampshades can gather dust and should be dusted often. But sometimes the tiny little folds sure hold a lot of dust. A clean hairbrush, a clean paintbrush or a microfiber cloth all will do the job quickly. –– Heloise
4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2015
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2015
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, MAY 16
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Laredo Health Coalition invites the community to a Spring Walk/ Health Fair. From 8a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Blas Castaneda Park (corner of McPherson and Wyoming Street). Health and social service agencies will offer free health screening services along with Tai-Chi, Zumba and Kick Boxing activities for the entire family. For more information call AHEC at 7120037. Garage sale at Holy Redeemer Church, 1602 Garcia St., from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call Amparo Ugarte at 286-0862.
Today is Saturday, May 16, the 136th day of 2015. There are 229 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 16, 1975, Japanese climber Junko Tabei became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. On this date: In 1763, the English lexicographer, author and wit Samuel Johnson first met his future biographer, James Boswell. In 1770, Marie Antoinette, age 14, married the future King Louis XVI of France, who was 15. In 1868, the U.S. Senate failed by one vote to convict President Andrew Johnson as it took its first ballot on the eleven articles of impeachment against him. In 1920, Joan of Arc was canonized by Pope Benedict XV. In 1929, the first Academy Awards were presented. “Wings” won “best production,” while Emil Jannings (YAHN’-ings) and Janet Gaynor were named best actor and best actress. In 1939, the federal government began its first food stamp program in Rochester, New York. In 1948, CBS News correspondent George Polk, who’d been covering the Greek civil war between communist and nationalist forces, was found slain in Salonika Harbor. In 1955, American author and critic James Agee died in New York at age 45. In 1965, the musical “The Roar of the Greasepaint — the Smell of the Crowd” opened on Broadway. In 1988, the U.S. Supreme Court, in California v. Greenwood, ruled that police can search discarded garbage without a search warrant. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop released a report declaring nicotine was addictive in ways similar to heroin and cocaine. In 1990, death claimed entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. in Los Angeles at age 64 and “Muppets” creator Jim Henson in New York at age 53. Ten years ago: Newsweek magazine retracted its Quran abuse story that sparked deadly protests in Afghanistan. Five years ago: BP crews finally succeeded in keeping some of the oil rushing from a blown well out of the Gulf of Mexico by hooking up a milelong tube to funnel the crude into a tanker ship. One year ago: Federal safety regulators slapped General Motors with a record $35 million fine for taking more than a decade to disclose an ignition-switch defect in millions of cars linked at that point to at least 13 deaths (the figure later rose to 90). Today’s Birthdays: U.S. Rep John Conyers, D-Mich., is 86. Former U.S. Senator and Connecticut Governor Lowell Weicker is 84. Jazz musician Billy Cobham is 71. Actor Danny Trejo is 71. Actor Pierce Brosnan is 62. Singer Janet Jackson is 49. Actor David Boreanaz is 46. Political correspondent Tucker Carlson is 46. Entrepreneur Bill Rancic is 44. Actress Tori Spelling is 42. Actress Megan Fox is 29. Olympic bronze medal figure skater Ashley Wagner is 24. Actor Miles Heizer is 21. Thought for Today: “The enemy of the conventional wisdom is not ideas but the march of events.” — John Kenneth Galbraith, American economist, diplomat and author (1908-2006).
SUNDAY, MAY 17 St. Patrick Church Men’s Club scholarship steak asado plate sale, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Patrick grounds, 555 Del Mar Blvd. $5 per plate. Call Salo Otero at 956-324-2432.
TUESDAY, MAY 19 Rock wall climbing from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at LBV Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. People of all ages are invited. Climbers must bring an ID and sign the release form, weather permitting. Contact John Hong at john@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2520.
Photo by Bob Daemmrich | Texas Tribune
During the Defense of Texas Marriage Amendment Rally on Mar. 23 at the Texas Capitol, a protester raises questions of marriage sanctity noting celebrities who’ve been married multiple times.
Gay marriage ban eyed By JIM MALEWITZ TEXAS TRIBUNE
THURSDAY, MAY 21 Elysian Social Club will be hosting its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. Contact Herlinda Nieto-Dubuisson at 956-285-3126.
FRIDAY, MAY 22 TAMIU commencement ceremonies at the Kinesiology and Convocation Building. College of Arts and Sciences (undergraduates only) at 10 a.m.; College of Arts and Sciences (graduates) at 2 p.m.; A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business at 2 p.m.; College of Education at 6 p.m.; College of Nursing and Health Sciences at 6 p.m. Office of the University Registrar at 326-2250.
SATURDAY, MAY 23 Founders’ Day Celebration at noon at Laredo Center for the Arts, 500 San Agustín Ave. The Webb County Heritage Foundation will host a luncheon honoring the descendants of its founder, Don Tomas Sanchez, and all the founding families of the community. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $60. For ticket information and table reservations, WCHF at 956727-0977 or visit www.webbheritage.org. Laredo Area Retired School Employees Association awards luncheon and installation of officers. The event will take place at 11:30 a.m. at Embassay Suites, 110 Calle del Norte. For more information, contact Marta Kinslow at 722-0214.
TUESDAY, MAY 26 Rock wall climbing from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at LBV Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. People of all ages are invited. Climbers must bring an ID and sign the release form, weather permitting. Contact John Hong at john@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2520. The Color of Music, a Ballroom Gala-Dance at the Laredo Center for the Arts, 500 San Agustin, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are $15 and are available at the Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications and Fine Arts office at 820 Main and at the Laredo Center for the Arts. Tickets sold at the door. Proceeds will benefit the student activity fund. Contact Robert M. Lopez at 273-7811 or rmlopez004@laredoisd.org.
SATURDAY, MAY 30 LCC’s Rio Grande Arts Festival from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. at LCC Fort McIntosh Campus West End. This celebration includes contests in playwriting, play production, short film, song writing, battle of bands and dance. Admission is free. For more information, contact the Martinez Fine Arts Center at martinezfineartscenter@laredo.edu or 721-5334. LCC presents Girl in a Coma as part of the Rio Grande Arts Festival, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free.
SUNDAY, MAY 31 LCC’s Rio Grande Arts Festival from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at LCC Fort McIntosh Campus West End. This celebration includes contests in playwriting, play production, short film, song writing, battle of bands and dance.
House Republicans want Texans to know they still oppose same-sex marriage – even if foot-dragging Democrats thwarted a debate on the polarizing subject Thursday night. The House Republican Caucus on Friday released a letter reaffirming its support of the state’s long-standing ban on gay marriage, calling marriage between a man and woman a “principle that is so dearly held by Texans far and wide.” “This letter provides legislative support and a legal foundation for the Texas constitutional provision,” Kelly Carnal, executive director of the caucus, said in a statement. The letter was signed by 93 of the 98 House Republicans. Those who did not sign were: Sarah Davis of West University Place, Jason Villalba of Dallas, Matt Schaefer of Tyler,
Larry Gonzales of Round Rock and Speaker Joe Straus. As speaker, Straus doesn’t typically sign any such letters. Schaefer declined to sign the letter out of disappointment and frustration after the House failed to move a proposal aiming to protect the state’s marriage laws. "I wanted action, not just words in the journal," he said. "We need a loud clear message to ring in the ears of the Supreme Court that people believe in marriage, as God instituted it, around the country. But unfortunately, the headline will be, the Texas House failed to act." At midnight on Friday – the deadline for passing bills originating in the House – time ran out on House Bill 4105, which would have forbidden state or local governments from using public funds to issue same-sex marriage licenses.
Tornadoes in Corpus Christi area injure 3
Town awaits ‘Jade Helm’ military exercise
Students pass STAARs, so teacher to eat live worms
SINTON — Severe thunderstorms spawned several weak tornadoes in the Corpus Christi area of South Texas, causing minor injuries to three workers at a steel pipe factory construction site. One tornado touched down briefly Friday at the TPCO America Corp. pipe plant being built in Gregory, about 12 miles northeast of Corpus Christi.
BIG SPRING — The West Texas town of Big Spring is among those that will see part of the Jade Helm 15 military exercise that has alarmed some Texans concerned about a federal takeover. Big Spring Mayor Larry McLellan said that military officials had contracted with some local ranchers, but no one was expected to have to leave their homes during the exercise this summer.
COPPERAS COVE — Teachers at one Central Texas elementary school have rewarded their students for finishing their endof-year tests by performing a series of escalating dares — including eating live worms. One teacher had to kiss a guinea pig, and another ate frog legs. But reading and language arts teacher Michele Cox had to eat live earthworms.
State Aquarium sues over chemical after fish deaths CORPUS CHRISTI — The Texas State Aquarium is suing a company that it says supplied a chemical labeled as a parasite treatment that actually ended up killing nearly 400 fish. The lawsuit alleges Fishman Chemical sold what was labeled as a parasite treatment known as trichlorfon, but what turned out to be hydroquinone, which is used as an additive to motor fuel.
"No Muslims" sprayed on sign at Texas Tech LUBBOCK — Police are investigating who spray-painted the words “No Muslims” on a large reproduction of the school seal outside the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center. KCBD-TV reports the graffiti was likely spray-painted late Wednesday or early Thursday. Crews were cleaning the sign Thursday morning.
Pope Francis picks priest as new Victoria bishop VICTORIA — A longtime Houston priest and archdiocesan official has been named bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Victoria. Pope Francis named the Rev. Brendan Cahill to lead the 10county diocese. The 51-year-old will be ordained in his new position June 29, replacing retiring Victoria Bishop David Fellhauer. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Toys R Us says it will close FAO Schwarz store NEW YORK — Toys R Us is closing its iconic FAO Schwarz store, citing the high and rising costs of running the retail space on New York City’s pricey Fifth Avenue. The company said Friday it will close the 45,000-square-foot store July 15 and it is looking for another location in midtown Manhattan. FAO Schwarz says it is the oldest toy store in the U.S., as it has had a location in New York City since 1870. It moved to its current Fifth Avenue location in 1986. The location features a candy store and numerous specialty toy departments spread across three levels.
Prosecutors in Freddie Gray case seek gag order BALTIMORE — Baltimore prosecutors are seeking a gag order as they pursue a criminal
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In this Nov. 21, 2011 file photo, shoppers stand outside of FAO Schwarz in New York. Toys R Us is closing its iconic FAO Schwarz store, citing the high and rising costs of running the retail space on New York City’s pricey Fifth Avenue. case against six city officers in the case of Freddie Gray, a 25year-old man who died a week after suffering a spinal injury while in police custody. A court document that references the gag order, obtained by The Associated Press, is dated
Wednesday. Assistant State’s Attorney Antonio Gioia wrote that the gag order motion was mailed to defense attorneys. A gag order typically prevents attorneys and witnesses from publicly commenting. — 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, MAY 16, 2015
Blue Bell lays off 1,450 By JUAN A. LOZANO ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — Blue Bell Creameries will lay off more than a third of its workforce following a series of listeria illnesses linked to its ice cream that prompted a nationwide recall of all its products, the Texas company announced Friday. The company, whose production plants remain closed, said 750 full-time employees and 700 part-time workers are losing their jobs. That represents about 37 percent of its 3,900 employees. Another 1,400 workers will be furloughed but will be still receive a substantial portion of their current pay. Employees essential to the ongoing cleanup and repair efforts will continue working but have their pay reduced, Blue Bell said. The company’s production plants in Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama have been closed since Blue Bell issued a full recall in April, after more of its products tested positive for listeria. The company’s ice cream
ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — A Texas House deadline has come and gone, killing many toppriority bills for both parties — among them raising the criminal age of responsibility, Tesla-backed direct car sales, regulating ridehailing companies and limiting or expanding gay rights. Midnight Thursday was the last chance for House bills to win initial, fullchamber approval. Since any proposal can be tacked onto other bills as amendments, no measure is completely dead until the legislative session ends June 1. But even with such resur-
Upcoming events in Zapata County SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Photo by Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News | AP
Flags flutter in the breeze outside of the Blue Bell Creameries on Thursday in Brenham, Texas. Blue Bell announced Friday that it will lay off more than a third of its workforce. has been linked to 10 listeria illnesses in four states, including three deaths in Kansas. Blue Bell CEO and President Paul Kruse called the decision to layoff and furlough workers the “most difficult one I have had to make” as head of the company. “At Blue Bell, our employees are part of our family, and we did everything we could to keep people on our payroll for as long as possible. At the same time, we
have an obligation to do what is necessary to bring Blue Bell back and ensure its viability in the future. This is a sad day for all of us at Blue Bell, and for me personally,” Kruse said. The layoffs come after the company signed agreements on Thursday with health officials in Texas and Oklahoma detailing steps the company will follow to resume production of ice cream products. No timeline has been set for when Blue Bell will resume production.
Deadline kills House bills By EVA RUTH MORAVEC
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
rections, actually becoming state law now gets far tougher. “The reality is, when you file many thousands of bills, the funnel is only so large,” said Rep. Tan Parker, chair of the House Republican Caucus. Regulations for ride-sharing companies passed out of committee, but never reached the House floor, despite strong lobbying efforts that cost both the taxi industry and companies such as Uber and Lyft up to a total of $1 million. Among the most-watched of the hundreds of bills that didn’t survive the final frantic hours of floor debate was one prohibiting government
officials from issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. The measure, by Magnolia Republican Rep. Cecil Bell, would have attempted to defy the U.S. Supreme Court if gay marriage is legalized. But Democrats were focused on keeping the bill from coming up for debate and succeeded by slowing House activity to a crawl, even at the sacrifice of some of their own legislation. A Democratic-backed bill to enable all minors — even gays and lesbians — to avoid charges of indecency with a child if they are in a consensual relationship also failed to pass.
The Zapata Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Memorial Day celebration, a Treviño-Cuellar Ceremony. The event will take place May 25 at 9 a.m. at the Courthouse Rotunda. The keynote speaker is LTG Ricardo S. Sanchez, U.S. Army (retired). The event is sponsored by IBC Bank.
ZCISD Parent Workshop The ZCISD Compensatory Education Department is hosting a parent workshop Tuesday from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Zapata County Technical & Advanced Education Center on Highway 83. Sessions will include: How to help you child be successful in ELA, math, science and social studies Colonias safety project Nutrition for your children Families will receive a free homework survival kit and there will also be lunch and door prizes. For more information, contact Director of Compensatory Education Suzette M. Barrera at sbarrera@zcisd.org or at 7654822.
Health Conference The Zapata Chamber of Commerce invites residents to attend the U.S. Mexico Regional Binational Health Conference about diseases and emergency updates.
The conference will take place June 4 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the University of Texas Health Science Center Regional Campus, 1937 E. Bustamante St. in Laredo. Registration for this forum is required and the deadline to register is May 22. To reserve a place, submit a registration form to Lupita Guerrero, OBH regional staff, at lupita.guerrero@dshs.state.tx.us or fax to 729-8600. The agenda is as follows: 9–9:10 a.m. National Anthems and Welcome Dr. Ronald J. Dutton, Director, Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Office of Border Health, Austin, Texas 9:10–9:35 a.m. Overview of United StatesMexico Border Health Commission – U.S. Jose Luis Velasco, M.S.W., USMBHC Executive Director, U.S. Section 9:35–10 a.m. Overview of United StatesMexico Border Health Commission - Mexico Dr. Gudelia Rangel Gómez, USMBHC Interim Executive Secretary, Mexico Section 10–10:30 a.m. Local Perspective in Public Health Issues – U.S. Dr. Hector F. Gonzalez, Director, City of Laredo Health Department 10:30–11 a.m. Local Perspective in Public Health Issues - México Dr. Jaime Emilio Gutierrez Serrano, Director, Secretariat of Health, Health Jurisdiction No. V, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas 11–11:15 a.m. Break 11:15–11:45 a.m. Health Perspective in
the State of Nuevo Leon Dr. Francisco González Alanís, Assistant Secretary of Prevention and Health Promotion of the Ministry of Health in the State of Nuevo León 11:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Mosquito Borne Diseases Ronald D. Tyler Jr., DVM, MS, Zoonosis Control Veterinarian, Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Public Health Region-11 12:15–12:45 p.m. Aftermath of Narco-Violence – Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Francisco Barrios Cardoza, BA in Psychology, Director of the Comprehensive Center for Mental Health (CISAME), Secretariat of Health, Health Jurisdiction No. V, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas 12:45–2 p.m. Lunch 2–3 p.m. The Dark Side of the Immigrant Experience: Victims of Human Trafficking Jolie Person, Program Specialist, Maternal and Child Health Program, Texas Department of State Health Services, Public Health Region-1 3–3:15 p.m. Break 3:15–3:45 p.m. TB Factories: Diagnosis & Treatment of TB in Mexican Prisons Dr. Moncerrato Garcia Viveros, Head of Tamaulipas Department of Mycobacteriosis 3:45–4:15 p.m. Measles & Influenza Update Kenda Deputy, RN, BSN, Nurse Consultant – Immunization Branch, Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, Texas 4:15–4:30 p.m. Closing Remarks 4:30 p.m. Adjournment
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2015
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COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Many mishandle tragedy By CHRISTINE M. FLOWERS PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS
Tuesday night I went through a crash course in what really matters, in humanity, in mortality. I was watching the news reports about the Amtrak derailment, and amid my secondhand anguish for injured strangers I thanked God, literally thanked him out loud, for the fact that my immigration hearing in Baltimore had been canceled. Had it not been, I might have been sitting in one of those mangled cars. But relief quickly and seamlessly turned into fear, as I realized a person I hold deep and dearly in my heart travels regularly on that route, commuting between her homes in Philly and New York. It was midnight, but I didn’t care. I called her phone and barely keeping my voice steady I disguised a plea as a simple inquiry: “Are you OK?” She was. Seven long hours later she called me back, apologized for having turned her ringer off that night and assured me she was safe at home, in New York. It was a happy ending. And yet the panic I felt at the moment I called was so visceral and potent that I can still recall it as I write these words, many hours later. I’m sure anyone who has been in that similar situation, ignorant of the outcome but hoping for the best, can relate. Mothers of deployed soldiers, wives of police officers, fellow comrades of firefighters on other ladders — all of them become aware of the tensile thin thread that binds us to our lived ones and a normal life. So Tuesday-intoWednesday reinforced my appreciation for the fragility of relationships and the miracle of being spared tragedy, when you stand in no better shoes and are equally deserving of suffering as the afflicted ones. And that’s why what happened afterward saddened and angered but didn’t surprise me. Bodies were still being transported to hospitals; sirens were still wailing and lights still flashing; a mayor was rising far above the low expectations he’d been saddled with and became truly heroic in the last stage of his administration; first responders acted like the heroes they’d always been. And in those same moments of crisis and chaos, the media types started spinning their looms to knit stories that would achieve the ratings they so dearly craved. Political and partisan considerations began to creep into the pens and voices of journalists and pundits, and suddenly it became all about how the Republicans were opposed to funding infrastructure repairs because they hated the president. At first, I attributed my impression that the focus was being lost to the fact that I hadn’t gotten much sleep and was still rattled by the tragedy. I really didn’t want to believe that a tragedy could be so quickly poli-
ticized after the recent debacle in Baltimore. Surely we learned our lesson, I thought. Naivete, thy name is Christine. The spin on this tragedy was more subtle than the one in Baltimore, but it was clearly there. The fingers, instead of being pointed directly in the face of police officers and “white society” were delicately gesturing in the direction of conservatives who would supposedly sacrifice the safety of these poor passengers to their unwillingness to cooperate with the president. It’s depressing to see how quickly the thought monitors jump into action at the first sign of an opportunity. You would think that these political opportunists would wait until the smell of blood had dissipated before coming out with their suggestions that it was all the fault of the GOP. In fact, they would have looked less ridiculous had they waited, since we now know the train was traveling at 106 mph. Hard to argue that “infrastructure” was at fault, but why let facts get in the way of a good political talking point? On the other hand, they’re no better than my conservative friends who in the wake of 9/11 found it opportune to blame Bill Clinton for ignoring acts of terror like the bombing of the Cole and laying the responsibility for the World Trade Center tragedy at his feet, even though President Bush had been in office a full nine months by that point. Still, liberals seem more motivated to blame conservatives for the evils of the world, in part because they suffer from a paranoia that transforms opposition to the White House agenda into personal hatred for Obama. But there is enough blame to go around. Truly, we are creatures of habit. The moment something catastrophic happens, we look for a simple answer, easy to cram into sound bites and man-onthe-street interviews. In those moments between apprehension for my friend’s welfare and certainty that she was safe, I felt my humanity and helplessness quite keenly. I didn’t wonder if conservatives bleed more profusely than liberals, or if the children that were being thrown about in the mangled train cars went to public or parochial schools. It didn’t matter. But that sense of community doesn’t last very long in an atmosphere charged with partisan angling, where being on this side or that is what matters more than “being” human. The only pure people in this whole affair are those who rushed around, in darkness, to save lives. If only there were more of them. (Christine M. Flowers is a lawyer and columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News. Readers may send her email at cflowers1961@gmail.com.)
COLUMN
Jeb Bush had the worst week By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST
WASHINGTON — This past week, likely GOP presidential contender Jeb Bush swung and missed on the question of whether he would have authorized the use of force against Iraq in 2003, knowing what we know now. Then he swung and missed again. And again. It started Monday, when Bush told Fox News’ Megyn Kelly that he definitely would have approved the war. “So would’ve Hillary
Clinton,” he said. And “almost everybody who was confronted with the intelligence they got.” The problem? He misheard the question. Kelly didn’t ask what he would have done then. She asked what his decision would be “knowing what we know now.” Of course, these things happen. So Bush called into conservative radio host Sean Hannity’s show Tuesday to clarify his position on the deeply unpopular war. Except, not. “I don’t know what that decision would have been, that’s a
hypothetical,” Bush said when asked the “knowing what we know now” question. OK, OK. Everybody misses a hanging curveball once in a while. So, on Wednesday, Bush surely took care of business on the question, right? Nope! “Going back in time and talking about hypothetical, ‘what would have happened, what could have happened,’ I think does a disservice” to the men and women who served in Iraq, Bush said at a Nevada town hall. Finally, on Thursday, in Tempe, Arizona, Bush
found the right answer. “If we’re all supposed to answer hypothetical questions: Knowing what we now know, what would you have done? I would not have engaged. I would not have gone into Iraq.” Good! That only took four days and four different answers. Jeb Bush, for forgetting that three strikes makes an out, you had the worst week in Washington. Congrats, or something. (Cillizza covers the White House for The Washington Post and writes The Fix, its politics blog.)
COLUMN
Bush and a fraternity of failure Jeb Bush wants to stop talking about past controversies. And you can see why. He has a lot to stop talking about. But let’s not honor his wish. You can learn a lot by studying recent history, and you can learn even more by watching how politicians respond to that history. The big “Let’s move on” story of the past few days involved Bush’s response when asked in an interview whether, knowing what he knows now, he would have supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He answered that yes, he would. No WMD? No stability after all the lives and money expended? No problem. Then he tried to walk it back. He “interpreted the question wrong,” and isn’t interested in engaging “hypo-
“
PAUL KRUGMAN
theticals.” Anyway, “going back in time” is a “disservice” to those who served in the war. Take a moment to savor the cowardice and vileness of that last remark. And, no, that’s not hyperbole. Bush is trying to hide behind the troops, pretending that any criticism of political leaders — especially, of course, his brother, the commander in chief — is an attack on the courage and patriotism of those who paid the price for their superiors’ mistakes. That’s sinking very low, and
it tells us a lot more about the candidate’s character than any number of up-closeand-personal interviews. Wait, there’s more: Incredibly, Bush resorted to the old passive-voice dodge, admitting only that “mistakes were made.” Indeed. By whom? Well, earlier this year Bush released a list of his chief advisers on foreign policy, and it was a who’s-who of mistake-makers, people who played essential roles in the Iraq disaster and other debacles. Seriously, consider that list, which includes such luminaries Michael Chertoff, who as director of the Department of Homeland Security during Hurricane Katrina was unaware of the thousands of people stranded at
the New Orleans convention center without food and water. In Bushworld, in other words, playing a central role in catastrophic policy failure doesn’t disqualify you from future influence. If anything, a record of being disastrously wrong on national security issues seems to be a required credential. Iraq is a special problem for the Bush family, which has a history both of never admitting mistakes and of sticking with loyal family retainers no matter how badly they perform. But refusal to learn from experience, combined with a version of political correctness in which you’re only acceptable if you have been wrong about crucial issues, is pervasive in the modern Republican Party.
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CLASSIC DOONESBURY (1982) | GARRY TRUDEAU
Entertainment
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Blues great B.B. King leaves legacy By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS ASSOCIATED PRESS
INDIANOLA, Miss. — Blues legend B.B. King grew up as poor as could be, alone and in debt at 14, living in primitive cabins and sharecropping cotton in Mississippi. His natural talent with a guitar enabled him to escape grueling poverty and manual labor. He became a millionaire, and played for presidents, the pope and the Queen of England. But glittering wealth and international fame never kept him from his roots in the Delta, and friends say he showed no bitterness about his rough start. King died at 89 Thursday at his home in Las Vegas, but his impact is still deeply felt in small towns along the Mississippi Blues Trail, where he came of age before the industrialization of agriculture and other factors prompted the descendants of slaves to migrate in huge numbers out of the Deep South. “I think he never considered himself as having left,” author Charles Sawyer, who wrote “The Arrival of B.B. King” in 1980, explained Friday. “And he was very conscious about how he presented himself to the world, and he didn’t want to present himself as an angry man.” The future King of the Blues was born as Riley B. King in 1925 to sharecropper parents in a long-gone cabin along a creek in Belclair, a community near the tiny town of Itta Bena. His parents soon split, his mother died young and his grandmother then died as well, leaving him to raise and pick an acre of cotton by himself in the even smaller town of Kilmichael. King’s pay — $2.50 a month, or about $42 in today’s money — never matched the 8 percent interest that was typically added to sharecroppers’ debts every three months, Sawyer said. Luckily for the teenager, a federal agricultural subsidy canceled his first debt, freeing him to
Photo by Josh Sisk/Washington Post | AP
BB King performs a sold out New Year’s Day show in 2011 in Alexandria, Virginia. join a cousin in Indianola, the town where he first gained attention singing gospel on a street corner as a 17-year-old. In 1980, King literally left his handprints in the cement on that corner — it’s one of many spots identified with historical markers as part of the Mississippi Blues Trail. One spot not on the Blues Trail is the planta-
tion near Indianola where King suddenly found himself in debt a second time, in his early 20s, prompting him to flee to Memphis, Tennessee, and give up gospel for the blues. A tractor King had parked lurched forward, breaking off its exhaust stack. Fearing retribution, King fled the plantation, wrote a farewell note to his first wife, grabbed his gui-
tar and hitched a ride on a produce truck for the big city, where he realized music could make him money. King then decided to return to Indianola, work off the cost of the tractor repair and leave for Memphis for good with a clean slate, Sawyer said. A lot of entertainers “denied where they’re from because they were ashamed of it,” said a longtime King friend, Carver Randle, whose Indianola law office has a mural-sized, blackand-white photo of the young bluesman on an outside wall. “B.B. has never been ashamed to say he was from Indianola, and he claims Indianola as his home,” Randle said. “So, that stands out in my mind, in letting me know the humility of the man.” Indianola still has just 10,300 people, but for more than three decades, it’s where King hosted the B.B. King Homecoming, a summer music festival that
brought big crowds to town. His life story is told at the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center that opened in 2008 in Indianola, attracting visitors from around the world who seek an authentic American roots music experience. But at King’s insistence, the small museum has become a community center, hosting music camps for children, offering docent jobs to young adults, and sponsoring seminars on such topics as controlling diabetes, a disease King had for years. “He’s the only man I know, of his talent level, whose talent is exceeded by his humility,” said museum board member Allan Hammons last week. King’s influence was evident as elementary school students spent their afternoons exercising, learning about nutrition and taking music and art classes. Teachers from nearby Delta State University showed one group how to play a rudimentary blues song on
electric guitars, adding their own improvised lyrics. Education coordinator April Brock showed off portraits other children painted during Black History Month, of Rosa Parks, Michelle Obama and B.B. King. King’s legacy also can be found in a recording studio named in his honor at historically black Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, and in the blues archive at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, where King donated about 8,000 of his recordings — mostly 33, 45 and 78 rpm records, but also some Edison wax cylinders. Archive curator Greg Johnson said some of the recordings were of King himself, but many were of other artists King admired, including the Belgian-born guitarist Django Reinhardt. The collection also includes about 50 foreign language courses from which King learned phrases to use on stage during international tours.
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera Choque fatal
SÁBADO 16 DE MAYO DE 2015
MUEREN NUEVE; SIETE LESIONADOS
Ribereña en Breve TALLER PARA PADRES
El Zapata County ISD, a través de su Departamento de Educación Compensatoria invita a un Taller para Padres, el martes 19 de mayo, de 12:30 p.m. a 2:30 p.m. en el Zapata County Technical & Advanced Education Center (ZTAC) por Carretera 83 (frente al Community Center). Familias participantes recibirán una herramienta gratuita para tareas. Las sesiones darán consejos sobre cómo ayudar a los hijos a sobresalir en Lectura y Escritura; Matemáticas; Ciencia; Estudios Sociales. También se hablará de Proyecto de Colonias y Nutrición para los hijos. Informes en el (956) 765-4822.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CIUDAD VICTORIA, México— Al menos nueve obreros murieron y otros siete resultaron heridos en un choque entre un autobús y un camión con doble remolque ocurrido en una carretera federal de la frontera norte de Tamaulipas, informaron las autoridades. Roberto Segura, policía investiga-
Cinco de los fallecidos eran hombres y el resto mujeres. dor del municipio de Río Bravo, indicó que cinco de los fallecidos eran hombres y el resto mujeres y aseguró que todos han sido identificados. Los heridos, añadió, fueron tras-
ladados a hospitales de Reynosa y Río Bravo, pero sólo cuatro quedaron ingresados. El accidente tuvo lugar el jueves por la mañana en la carretera que
NUEVA CIUDAD GUERRERO
SEGURIDAD
TRIBUTO AL HÉROE
Pasan fondos para jueces
RECAUDACIÓN DE FONDOS El Boys and Girls Club del Condado de Zapata se encuentra recaudando fondos para sus programas juveniles y eventos programados para el 2015. Interesados en apoyar la causa, la compañía Tupperware se encuentra ofreciendo que por cada producto Tupperware que se compre, un 40 por ciento de las ventas se destinará directamente al club de Zapata. Le meta es recaudar 3.000 dólares. Pida informes llamando al (956) 765-3892.
TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
CARRERA Carrera/Caminata 8K y 5K Memorial Day Mayhem, se realizará el sábado 23 de mayo, en Lions Club of Zapata County, ubicado en 2312 de Hidalgo Street. Puede inscribirse en líneao más información visite: http://tinyurl.com/mm2nc3q.
DÍA DE LOS CAÍDOS Se llevará a cabo la Celebración por el Día de los Caídos (Memorial Day), el lunes 25 de mayo, a las 9 a.m. en la Rotonda del Palacio de Justicia de Zapata. El orador principal será el Teniente retirado Ricardo S. Sánchez, del Ejército de EU.
MERCADO AGRÍCOLA Y DE ARTESANOS El Mercado Agrícola y de Artesanos de Zapata se realizará el sábado 6 de junio, de 9 a.m. a 1 p.m. en el estacionamiento del Centro Comunitario, 605 N US Highway 83. Pida informes en el (956) 536-7171.
CAMPAMENTO DE VERANO Del 9 de junio al 2 de julio, tendrá lugar un Campamento de Verano, para los estudiantes de ZCISD desde preescolar a quinto año. Las sesiones serán de 8 a.m. a 12 p.m. y de 12 p.m. a 4 p.m. El desayuno y el almuerzo serán proporcionados. No habrá transporte. El campamento es gratuito, sin embargo, los estudiantes deberán cumplir con las normativas de fin de año para ser elegibles. Las solicitudes de ingreso deberán ser entregadas antes del 14 de mayo. Para más información puede llamar a Gerardo García al (956) 765-6917; a Dalia García, al (956) 7654332; a Ana Martínez, al (956) 765-5611; o a Marlen Guerra al (956) 765-4321.
EXHIBICIÓN DE ARTE El Boys and Girls Club de Zapata tendrá una exhibición de arte, el sábado 27 de junio, de 1 p.m. a 4 p.m. Los integrantes del club interesados en participar pueden llamar al (956) 7653892. La participación es exclusiva para integrantes del club. Las personas que gusten inscribirse pueden acudir al club o llamar al (956) 765-3892.
conecta el municipio de Río Bravo con Matamoros cuando un camión de doble remolque se metió en el carril contrario por exceso de velocidad y chocó con un transporte de personal de la maquiladora INVAMEX, detalló el informe de la fiscalía. Siete de los obreros fallecidos murieron en el acto. El conductor del camión que provocó el accidente fue detenido.
Fotos de cortesía
El miércoles 13 de mayo, autoridades de Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, México, realizaron la colocación de una ofrenda floral, como tributo a la memoria de José Bernardo Maximiliano Gutiérrez de Lara, primer diplomático mexicano, héroe independentista en Texas y primer Gobernador Constitucional de Tamaulipas, señala un comunicado. Tras la ofrenda floral se rindieron honores a la bandera.
ELECCIONES 2015
Impulsaría bolsa de trabajo TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Durante una visita a las ciudades de Ciudad Mier y Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas, México, la candidata a la Diputación Federal por el Distrito I, Yahleel Abdala Carmona, expresó su deseo de ayudar a los jóvenes en ambas ciudades. En Miguel Alemán, aprovechó para exponer sus propuestas ante un grupo de jóvenes, destacando la bolsa de trabajo para estudiantes recién egresados. “A las empresas les da miedo contratar a los jóvenes porque dicen que no tiene experiencia por lo que vamos a hacer una bolsa de trabajo en lo general para el que estudia, el que esté titulado o el
que se haya quedado a medias”, dijo Abdala. “Se gestionará que a todos los que son empresarios o los que son comerciantes se integren ABDALA y crear para ellos un incentivo fiscal importante, qué quiere decir esto, que no van a pagar ciertos impuestos si contratan a jóvenes recién egresados”. En Ciudad Mier, un grupo de estudiantes expuso a Abdala que, debido a que el gobierno municipal de Ciudad Mier ya no les proporciona un subsidio para la compra de combustible, les es imposible trasladarse al Colegio de Bachilleres que se ubica en Miguel Ale-
mán. Ciudad Mier carece de escuela preparatoria. Los alumnos sostuvieron que tienen dos años sin recibir el subsidio, siendo los padres de familia quienes absorben el costo del traslado. Ellos aseguraron que sus familias son de bajos recursos, lo que ha obligado a algunos adolescentes ha dejar los estudios. Abdala fue notificada que los autobuses son de la Secretaría de Educación Pública, y que PEMEX puede donar alguna parte del combustible. Ella dijo que, en sus posibilidades, asumía el compromiso de apoyarlos y buscar una solución. Las elecciones se realizarán el 7 de junio.
Fueron aprobados fondos para financiar más de 50 nuevos jueces de inmigración. El viernes, el Congresista Henry Cuellar (D-TX28), dio a conocer que después de que el presidente John Culberson (R-TX7), solicitara a los créditos del proyecto de ley para Comercio-JusticiaCiencias (CJS, por sus siglas en inglés), se lograron los fondos para aprobar 55 nuevos jueves de inmigración, y equipo de apoyo para reducir los atrasos por inmigración, señala un comunicado de prensa. Los nuevos jueves, además de los más de 260 jueves de inmigración, ya están en el sistema. “Los últimos informes sobre la serie de atrasos de inmigración mostraron casi medio millón de casos pendientes, y estoy agradecido (con Culberson), por la inclusión de mi solicitud de aumento de los fondos para los jueces y el personal de inmigración para reducir el atraso” dijo Cuellar a través del comunicado. El jueves, los fondos avanzaron por una votación de la Cámara de Asignaciones CJS de un subcomité, como parte de una ley de gastos de 51.4 billones. “El procesamiento y adjudicación de los casos de inmigración es parte importante de la defensa de las leyes de nuestra nación”, dijo Culberson en un comunicado. “La financiación de este proyecto de ley ayudará a reducir el creciente número de casos pendientes que frenan nuestros tribunales y que comprometen el estado de derecho”. El proyecto de ley también aumenta la inversión en agentes Federales, Alguaciles, de DEA y ATF y otras personas en las líneas del frente de los sistemas de inmigración y de justicia penal, encargadas del cumplimiento del orden, añade el comunicado. El financiamiento fue solicitado en marzo.
COLUMNA
Propiedades se ven afectadas por ciclón Nota del editor: Esta es la segunda parte de dos donde el autor relata declaraciones y reporte oficial de ciclón que golpeó Tamaulipas en 1909.
POR RAÚL SINENCIO CHÁVEZ ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
El ciclón de 1909 ingresó con fuerza por costas próximas al Trópico de Cáncer. Espiridión Ledesma, jefe de la Estación Meteorológica, dedujo “que el centro del ciclón tocó la costa de Tamaulipas 80 kilómetros al norte de Tampico, a las dos de la tarde del día 27, y” afectó “en su trayectoria” amplia franja de la en-
tidad, “internándose […] a Nuevo León y San Luis Potosí [...] La dirección que seguía era hacia Durango y Culiacán”. Si bien “las desgracias personales fueron relativamente pocas, […] la propiedad urbana y agrícola sufrieron mucho”, pues los ríos Purificación, “Guayalejo o Tamesin”, Frío, Mante, Sabinas, Pilón, Santa Engracia, “Conchos y últimamente el río Bravo […] en una palabra todos los […] cursos de agua […] recogieron enormes volúmenes de” ella, “que en muchos casos desbordaron sobre las poblaciones, campos y sementeras”, resalta. El gobernador de Tamaulipas
Juan B. Castelló pormenoriza la catástrofe. El reporte remitido a las autoridades federales habla de víctimas mortales por decenas y de veintitrés municipios siniestrados. La zona descrita va del litoral a EUA y las fronteras más occidentales. Figura Soto la Marina, donde quinientos pobladores buscaron “refugio en la loma El Puertecito”. A orillas del Bravo padecen inundaciones Ciudad Guerrero, Mier, Camargo y Matamoros, este último con “120 manzanas sur y poniente” anegadas. Ciudad Victoria y las municipalidades aledañas registran también severos daños. “Tu-
la.— Puente Juárez, casas y sembrados destruidos”, más “12 personas ahogadas”, refiere el documento. “Tampico y [Nuevo] Laredo […] se libraron del desastre”, asegura Castelló al rendir su informe de gobierno. Pero respecto al “puerto de Tampico” la Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Obras Públicas lo enmienda: “El ciclón […] destruyó la baliza luminosa de la escollera norte e inutilizó […] la de la escollera sur”. Acaso por vez primera se fotografía este tipo de calamidades. (Con permiso del autor, según fuera publicado en La Razón, Tampico, el 8 de mayo)
International
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
Burundi president returns after failed coup By TOM ODULA AND GERARD NZOHABONA ASSOCIATED PRESS
BUJUMBURA, Burundi — President Pierre Nkurunziza thanked his security forces Friday for crushing a military coup that tried to topple him, and he urged an immediate halt to the protests that have erupted in Burundi in recent weeks since he decided to seek a third term. Nkurunziza’s motorcade rolled into the capital earlier in the day and he returned to the presidential palace, said his spokesman, Gervais Abayeho. The president did not appear in public. His jubilant supporters cheered his return and the failure of the coup. Maj. Gen. Godefroid Niyombare, a former intelligence chief, had announced Wednesday while Nkurunziza was in Tanzania that he had relieved the president of his duties. That triggered fierce fighting in the capital between his forces and those loyal to Nkurunziza. The city was calm but tense Friday, with many businesses closed. Some residents who don’t support the government emerged from their homes to resume protests.
Photo by Berthier Mugiraneza | AP
Supporters of Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza hold photographs of him as they turn out to watch the presidential motorcade arrive, in the Kamenge district of the capital Bujumbura, Burundi, Friday. The convoy headed in the direction of the presidential palace. Three army generals accused of trying to topple Nkurunziza were arrested when they were found hiding in a house, while another senior security official was caught at the border while trying to flee to Tanzania, Abayeho said. He added that Niyombare remained at large and a manhunt was underway. U.N. officials urged authorities
to ensure that a campaign of reprisals do not take place against the supporters of the coup and other government opponents in the impoverished Central African country. In his speech, which was posted on his website in Burundi’s official language of Kirundi, Nkurunziza thanked “the security and defense forces for the efficiency with which they fought the
Gay prime minister marries ASSOCIATED PRESS
LUXEMBOURG — The prime minister of Luxembourg married his partner on Friday, a year after the tiny Roman Catholic nation approved a law allowing same-sex marriage. Xavier Bettel did so five years after Iceland’s prime minister married her partner in the first same-sex wedding of a ruling government leader in Europe. “I wish for everybody to be as happy as I am, thank you to the Luxembourg people and to everyone, I do not make any distinctions, thank you,” Bettel told a crowd of well wishers outside the capital’s city hall. Bettel at first said he wanted to have a very private wedding, but by Friday morning, he had already posted a picture of himself with Belgian part-
Photo by Charles Caratini | AP
Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, right, walks out of the town hall with his partner Gauthier Destenay after their marriage in Luxembourg, on Friday. ner Gauthier Destenay on his Twitter profile page. The official ceremony at Luxembourg City Hall was held late Friday afternoon. Bettel, a 42-year-old law-
yer, heads the free-market DP liberals, who entered a coalition government with the Socialists and the Greens to end 34 years of Christian Democrat reign in Luxembourg.
coup against the democratically elected institutions.” He said “peace reigns throughout the country, even in Bujumbura where this small group of criminals wanted to commit the irreparable,” a reference to the coup plotters, and he added that they had been preparing their actions “for a long time, since last year and before.” Nkurunziza called for an immediate end to all hostilities and urged dialogue. “We therefore urge the immediate cessation of the demonstrations, that those who have claims do so in dialogue and consultation, not through force and revolt,” he said. The protests began April 26, a day after the ruling party made Nkurunziza its presidential candidate, and at least 15 people have been killed in the unrest. Opponents said his plan violated the Constitution as well as peace accords that ended a civil war. The Constitution states a president can be popularly elected to two five-year terms, but Nkurunziza maintains he can run for a third because parliament voted him into office the first time, leav-
ing him open to be popularly elected to two terms. More than 105,000 Burundians have fled to neighboring countries recently, according to the U.N., and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein warned Friday that the country is at risk of descending further into chaos. He urged authorities to ensure that the instigators of the failed coup are not harmed and that there are no reprisals against their perceived supporters, journalists, human rights activists and the many civilian protesters. At the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke to Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta about Burundi and emphasized the need for regional leaders “to join efforts to help resolve the crisis,” said deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. Ban plans to talk to Nkurunziza and other regional leaders in the coming days, he added. Haq then summarized Ban’s statement from Thursday that urged “all political and security leaders to clearly and openly reject the use of violence, refrain from acts of revenge and rein in their militants.”
National
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2015
Jury orders death for Boston bomber By DENISE LAVOIE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOSTON — A jury sentenced Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death Friday for the Boston Marathon bombing, sweeping aside pleas that he was just a “kid” who fell under the influence of his fanatical older brother. Tsarnaev, 21, stood with his hands folded, his head slightly bowed, upon learning his fate, sealed after 14 hours of deliberations over three days. It was the most closely watched terrorism trial in the U.S. since the Oklahoma City bombing case two decades ago. The decision sets the stage for what could be the nation’s first execution of a terrorist in the post-9/11 era, though the case is likely to go through years of appeals. The execution would be carried out by lethal injection. “Now he will go away and we will be able to move on. Justice. In his own words, ‘an eye for an eye,”’ said bombing victim Sydney Corcoran, who nearly
Illustration by Jane Flavell Collins | AP
In this courtroom sketch, Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, center, stands with his defense attorneys as a death by lethal injection sentence is read at the Moakley Federal court house in the penalty phase of his trial in Boston, Friday. bled to death and whose mother lost both legs. Karen Brassard, who suffered shrapnel wounds on her legs, said: “We can breathe again.” Three people were killed and more than 260 wounded when Tsarnaev and his brother set off two shrapnelpacked pressure-cooker bombs near the finish line of the race on April 15, 2013.
The Tsarnaevs also shot an MIT police officer to death during their getaway. The 12-member federal jury had to be unanimous for Tsarnaev to get the death penalty. Otherwise, the former college student would have automatically received a sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole. In weighing the arguments for and against death,
the jurors decided among other things that Tsarnaev showed a lack of remorse. And they emphatically rejected the defense’s central argument — that he was led down the path to terrorism by his big brother. “Today the jury has spoken. Dzhokhar Tsrnaev will pay for his crimes with his life,” said U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz. Tsarnaev’s father, Anzor Tsarnaev, reached by phone in the Russian region of Dagestan, let out a deep moan upon hearing the news and hung up. Tsarnaev’s lawyers had no comment as they left the courtroom. The attack and the ensuing manhunt paralyzed the city for days and cast a pall over the marathon — normally one of Boston’s proudest, most exciting moments — that has yet to be lifted. With Friday’s decision, community leaders and others talked of closure, of relief, of resilience, of the city’s Boston Strong spirit. “Today, more than ever, we know that Boston is a city of hope, strength and re-
silience that can overcome any challenge,” said Mayor Marty Walsh. Tsarnaev was convicted last month of all 30 charges against him, including use of a weapon of mass destruction. Seventeen of those charges carried the possibility of a death sentence; ultimately, the jury gave him the death penalty on six of those counts. Tsarnaev’s chief lawyer, death penalty specialist Judy Clarke, admitted at the very start of the trial that he participated in the bombings, bluntly telling the jury: “It was him.” But the defense argued that Dzhokhar was an impressionable 19-year-old led astray by his volatile and domineering 26-year-old brother, Tamerlan, who was portrayed as the mastermind of the plot to punish the U.S. for its wars in Muslim countries. Tamerlan died days after the bombing when he was shot by police and run over by Dzhokhar during a chaotic getaway attempt. Prosecutors depicted Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as an
equal partner in the attack, saying he was so coldhearted he planted a bomb on the pavement behind a group of children, killing an 8-yearold boy. To drive home their point, prosecutors cited the message he scrawled in the dry-docked boat where he was captured: “Stop killing our innocent people and we will stop.” And they opened their case in the penalty phase with a startling photo of him giving the finger to a security camera in his jail cell months after his arrest. “This is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev —unconcerned, unrepentant and unchanged,” prosecutor Nadine Pellegrin said. The jurors also heard grisly and heartbreaking testimony from numerous bombing survivors who described seeing their legs blown off or watching someone next to them die. Killed in the bombing were Lingzi Lu, a 23-year-old Boston University graduate student from China; Krystle Campbell, a 29-year-old restaurant manager; and 8year-old Martin Richard.
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
HILARIO "LAYO" GUZMAN
LEGISLATURE Continued from Page 1A
Jan. 14, 1969 – May 6, 2015 Hilario “Layo” Guzman, 46, of Hopkins, South Carolina passed away May 6, 2015 at Palmetto Health Richland Columbia, South Carolina. He was born on January 14, 1969 in Tlamaya Xilitla, Mexico to Juan and Felicitas Arroyo Guzman. Layo was a hardworking and friendly man. He had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh and liked to make others laugh. He lived life to the fullest and enjoyed a very active social life. Layo was always active. Roofing was his passion, although he was a talented carpenter and a gifted woodworker. Layo could use the most basic of tools and would produce works of art. Layo was most proud of his family. He loved his children and especially his grandchildren. Layo is preceded in death by his father, Juan Guzman. Layo is survived by his loving wife, Beverly Dawn Rabon; his children, Mayra Guzman (Abraham Meza), Jesus Ivan Guzman, Maria Guzman (Jorge Luis Meza); grandchildren, Kayla Meza, Kaylee Meza, Camila Guzman, Osvaldo Guzman, Vanessa Meza and Jorge L. Meza, Jr. He is also survived by his mother, Felicita Jasso; brothers, Sergio (Jacinta) Guzman, Librado (Ana) Guzman, Mauricio Guzman; sisters, Viviana Guzman, Maria Guzman (Carlos Hinojosa, Jr.). Layo leaves behind his beloved niece, Hilaria Guzman, and many other nieces, nephews, cousins and friends that will miss him
dearly. A service was held at Thompson Funeral Home at Greenlawn Memorial Park on Thursday, May 14, 2015 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Funeral services were held at the chapel of the funeral home, on Friday, May 15, 2015 at 10 a.m. with Fr. Javier Heredia officiating. Visitation hours will be held on Sunday, May 17, 2015, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession will depart on Monday, May 18, 2015, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services will follow at Zapata County Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy 83 Zapata, Texas.
INDICTED Continued from Page 1A within the United States, and two counts of transport and attempt to transport undocumented people for financial gain. Flores, 23, could serve up to 10 years behind bars if he’s convicted. U.S. Border Patrol said the smuggling attempt occurred April 25, when Laredo agents relayed information of possible human smuggling attempt to Zapata agents in Salado Creek in Zapata County. Reports state that several immigrants suspected of entering the country illegally got in a 2003 Volvo S60, which had parked off U.S. 83. An agent, records state, attempted to get a closer look at the vehicle, but agents said the driver, who was later identified as Flores, accelerated heading north on U.S. 83. Agents, assisted by the Webb County Sheriff ’s Office, attempted to pull over
the Volvo by Becerra Creek in Webb County. But the Volvo exited on the Espejo Molina Road exit. Flores failed to control speed and collided with a cement pillar under the U.S. 83 overpass on Espejo Molina, according to a criminal complaint filed April 28. Agents said they removed seven immigrants who had entered the country illegally. All were taken to local hospitals. Only a male juvenile remained hospitalized because he suffered a broken pelvis, records show. In a post-arrest interview, Flores allegedly told authorities he expected a $900 payment for transporting the group to Laredo. Flores sought bond but a federal judge ordered him detained pending trial May 1 given his priors with law enforcement, records state. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
ment of Public Safety officers on the border, establish an intelligence center in Hidalgo County to analyze border crime data and create a voluntary corps of retired DPS officers to bolster the agency’s ranks. It is part of a three-package set of proposals that affect border security and Department of Public Safety staffing. The bill has been tied up amid gridlock between the two chambers, which prompted Bonnen last month to allege that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was “playing games” with border security. Bonnen’s bill was passed out of the lower chamber on March 19, but stood idle until Thursday’s scheduling. Bonnen, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said his bill gaining traction was a sign that the two
chambers could come together on one of the governor’s emergency items. “I appreciate the very respectful and collaborative way that the House and Senate are beginning to move the important issues before us to conclusion,” Bonnen said Thursday. Bonnen is also in the middle of a grudge match with the upper chamber over tax cuts. But he said Wednesday that although no deal has been reached on that issue, negotiations had begun on that front. He said Thursday that his border security bill finally getting scheduled for a hearing had nothing to do with the two chambers finally moving on the other issue. (The Senate has favored an increase in homestead exemptions. The House has pushed for a decrease in sales tax.)
“At this point I think it’s a coincidence” he said. “And I think that the Senate is wanting to show, and the House is wanting to show, that we can work together and bring these issues to conclusion.” State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, the chairman of the subcommittee and the author of the Senate companion, Senate Bill 3, said in a statement that the House bill would probably move quickly in the upper chamber. “Securing our southern border and preventing crimes associated with illegal border-crossings are issues of great importance to the citizens of this state,” he said. “This has been a top priority for the Senate, and I’m eager to finalize the Legislature’s hard work on our
border security initiatives here in the coming days.” It’s unclear whether senators will try to attach more controversial measures, such as the “sanctuary cities” bill that expands the immigrationenforcement powers of local law enforcement. But during debate on Birdwell’s SB 3, the lawmaker did not accept any amendments that included other broad-based measures, including the “sanctuary cities” legislation or a measure to repeal in-state tuition rates for noncitizens, including undocumented immigrants. Attaching those measures to Bonnen’s bill would probably stall or possibly derail the proposal, something lawmakers might not have the appetite for in the waning days of the 84th Legislature.
FOOD BANK Continued from Page 1A They will soon be available at the LEA box office and via Ticketmaster.
Foundation Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez, with deep pioneer family roots in their native Zapata County, established the foundation in 2001. Lilia Martinez died in 2003. Guadalupe Martinez died in 2006. The foundation, led by charter member and president Shirley Gonzalez, has provided more than $18 million to more than 40 nonprofits in Webb and Zapata counties in the areas of health care, education, community, religion and the arts. Martinez went to elementary school in San Ygnacio and to high school at Holding Institute in Laredo. After Byrne Business College in San Antonio, he returned to San Ygnacio to Rancho La Union, the Spanish Land Grant ranch he inherited from his mother’s family. Lilia Mar-
tinez, also a descendent of Land Grant families from Zapata, received an education degree from Texas A&I and enjoyed a longtime career as a school teacher and elementary principal in Zapata County.
Kansas Kansas is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The “garage band” from Topeka released their debut album in 1974 after being discovered by Wally Gold, who worked with Don Kirshner. The band produced eight gold albums, three sextuple-Platinum albums (Leftoverture, Point of No Return, Best of Kansas), one platinum live album (Two for the Show) and a million-selling gold single, “Dust In The Wind.” Kansas appeared on the Billboard charts for over 200 weeks in the 1970s and 80s, playing to sold-out arenas and stadiums all over North America, Europe and Japan.
“Carry On Wayward Son” was the No. 2 most played on classic rock radio in 1995 and went to No. 1 in 1997. Original band members were Phil Ehart, Dave Hope, Kerry Livgren, Robby Steinhardt, Steve Walsh and Richard Williams. Garth Brooks said, “You can talk about the Beatles, you can talk about the Eagles or whoever … you can put Kansas on that list for me.”
South Texas Food Bank The South Texas Food Bank opened in 1989 under the auspices of H-E-B as the Laredo Webb-County Food Bank distributing supplemental food to the unemployed, under-employed and those living on fixed incomes especially the elderly. The food bank now serves an eight-county area from Del Rio (Val Verde County) to Rio Grande City
(Starr County), helping an average of 27,000 families, 7,000 elderly and 500 veterans and their widows per month. Also served are an average of 1,500 children that includes 2,500 meals Monday through Friday in the Kids Café program at 19 sites — 15 in LaredoWebb County. Sixty percent of the annual food bank’s budget comes from government sources and the other 40 percent from grants, private donations and fundraisers. Empty Bowls chairperson Benavides highlighted the importance of fundraisers like Empty Bowls. She noted, “For the past 25 years, the South Texas Food Bank has been providing food assistance to the needy. The STFB is blessed to receive grants, corporate donations and individual gifts. Our ability to provide assistance also depends largely on the kindness of good-hearted patrons. As a non-profit organization and fundraising plays an important part.”
TEENAGER Continued from Page 1A and her whereabouts had not been known until recently. Garcia has indicated that she would drop legal complaints against the father if she got custody. The case gained international attention last month after Mercado erroneously ruled that 14year-old Alondra Luna was the missing girl and ordered her turned over to Garcia. Video recordings circulated widely of Alondra Luna screaming and desperately resisting as police dragged her away.
DNA testing performed after the girl was taken to the United States showed she was not Garcia’s daughter, and she returned to her real family in Guanajuato. With a media spotlight now on the case, Reynaldo Diaz delivered the real Alondra Diaz to family members who then presented her to authorities, saying she was prepared to go live with her mother. Garcia had an emotional reunion with her daughter this week in a
courtroom in Los Reyes. In the case of the first girl, the judge denied requests by her and her family for DNA tests, saying it was not within her authority. This time Mercado waited for DNA confirmation. The difference in treatment prompted Alondra Luna and her parents to travel to Los Reyes to stake out the courthouse Friday and demand an apology. “We have been here since 9 a.m. and the judge does not want to see us,
nor will she open the door, and she says that if we remain here she will call police to remove us,” said Susana Nunez, the girl’s mother. “We want to make it clear that my girl’s rights were trampled.” Nunez said the family intended to file formal complaints next week but wanted to meet face-toface with Mercado first to express their displeasure. “I see this as a kidnapping that was ordered by the judge,” the girl’s father, Gustavo Luna, said.