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State battles education case judge
US to open immigrant family detention centers By ALICIA A. CALDWELL ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Eric Gay/pool | AP
A toddler sits on the floor with other detainees at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing facility Wednesday, in Brownsville. CBP provided media tours Wednesday of two locations that have been central to processing the more than 47,000 unaccompanied children who have entered the country illegally since Oct. 1.
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration said Friday it will open new detention facilities to house immigrant families caught crossing the border illegally, amid a surge from Central America. Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the administration was actively looking for additional space to house immigrant families, primarily mothers with young children, caught crossing the Mexican border illegally. He did not say how many people the new family detention centers would house or where they will be located.
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OCELOT
WILDLIFE SURVIVAL PLAN By MATTHEW TRESAUGUE HOUSTON CHRONICLE
RAYMONDVILLE — Geographically, El Tecolote Ranch sits in the middle of nowhere — more than five miles from the nearest paved road. It is an hour’s drive north of Brownsville and about four hours south of San Antonio. It is a place found by landmarks, not by maps. Yet the large swath of long grasses, mesquite trees and night-blooming cacti is at the center of an ambitious effort to bring a wild cat back from the brink of extinction. The federal government
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Photo by Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle | AP
Colleague mulls removing judge overseeing finance case By WILL WEISSERT ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — The judge overseeing Texas’ long-running school finance trial should be removed due to favoritism so blatant that he used outside emails to coach attorneys for school districts suing the state, Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office argued during an often tense hearing Friday. The state wants District Judge John Dietz to recuse himself because of perceived bias, but he has refused — sending the matter to fellow District Judge David Peeples of San Antonio. Attorneys for more than 600 school districts that have sued Texas due to lack of funding argue that Dietz has done nothing wrong DIETZ and say ousting him will further delay a case that has dragged on for 18-plus months, with funding for more than 5 million public school children hanging in the balance. The trial grew out of the Legislature’s cuts of $5.4 billion to public education in 2011, prompting the districts to claim that funding was inadequate and unfairly distributed between rich and poor areas. After Dietz ruled last February that the school finance system violated the state constitution, lawmakers restored around $3.4 billion in funding. The judge briefly reopened the case in January to hear new evidence and had planned to issue a final ruling on the matter this spring. The effort to remove him has delayed that process indefinitely. If Dietz is removed, the case may have to start over. Peeples heard about five hours of arguments Friday and planned to rule early next week. But Peeples, who traveled to Dietz’s Austin courtroom to consider recusal, made it clear Friday, “The recusal judge doesn’t have any business second-guessing or maybe even changing the rulings Judge Dietz made on the main case.” Dietz, who oversaw a similar school finance trial in 2004, wasn’t present, and no
A sign alerts drivers to the presence of ocelots located at El Tecolote Ranch, an hour north of Raymondville. The federal government recently spent $3 million to purchase land for the benefit of the ocelot.
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NATURAL RESOURCES
Methane inquiry closes, but questions linger By JIM MALEWITZ AND NEENA SATIJA THE TEXAS TRIBUNE
WEATHERFORD — Steve Lipsky has nearly everything he needs on his 14-acre estate along the Brazos River, west of Fort Worth. The estate includes a guesthouse, a resort-style swimming pool and a seven-bathroom, 15,000-square-foot home where he lives with his wife and three children. But the Wisconsin trans-
plant, who makes a living bundling mortgages, lacks one item that most people take for granted: a reliable supply of clean drinking water. “All I want to say is, I don’t want to live here anymore,” said Lipsky, who pays $1,000 a month to truck in water from Weatherford, which he filters and stores. So much methane has migrated into water wells in his neighborhood in the last three years,
Lipsky said, that he and at least one neighbor can light their flowing water ablaze. It is a phenomenon they blame on nearby drilling activity in the gas-rich Barnett Shale, which lies thousands of feet below the Trinity aquifer. But in a report released last month, the Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates oil and gas, rejected that argument and effectively shut the door on its investigation. The move came as
independent geoscientists remained divided about the cause of the rapid increase of methane in the neighborhood’s water, with some fearing that the Railroad Commission was too quick to dismiss potential evidence of groundwater contamination from oil and gas drilling. “I can’t understand,” said Rob Jackson, a geoscientist at Stanford University who has studied the effects of drilling activity on
groundwater contamination. If the water quality deteriorated in neighborhoods, Jackson said, “wouldn’t that suggest to you that you might want to keep monitoring what’s happening in that situation?” Three other scientists asked to review the report said more testing was needed to rule out drilling as a factor.
See METHANE PAGE 10A
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Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
Saturday, June 21
ASSOCIATED PRESS
1964 Zapata High School Class 50th reunion. Dinner at The Steak House on Wednesday, June 25. Call Dora Martinez at 324-1226 or Ninfa Gracia at 500-5219. 3rd Annual 5K Run, Walk & Roll for Rehab to benefit Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center. 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. North Central Park. $15 early registration (May 21-June 13) and $20 late registration day of event, from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.. $10 kids ½ mile run (10 and under). Call 722-2431. Habitat for Humanity donation drive. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Falcon Bank, 7718 McPherson Road. Items needed include appliances, furniture, electrical items, cabinets, countertops, flooring, hardware, light fixtures, lumber, novelty items, paint, electrical materials, plumbing supplies and roofing materials. Call 724-3227 or visit habitatlaredo.org. South Texas Food Bank’s bucket brigade. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. HillsideMcPherson, McPherson-Shiloh, CaltonYeary, Springfield-Del Mar, GuadalupeMeadow, Saunders-Bartlett, ZacatecasZapata Highway and Arkansas-Clark. Volunteers collecting coins and dollars. Call Salo Otero at 324-2432. TAMIU Planetarium shows. “The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” 2 p.m.; “Earth, Moon and Sun” 3 p.m.; “Wonders of the Universe” 4 p.m.; and “Destination Saturn” 5 p.m. Admission $4 children and $5 adults. Premium shows $1 more. Call 326-3663.
Today is Saturday, June 21, the 172nd day of 2014. There are 193 days left in the year. Summer arrives at 6:51 a.m. Eastern time. Today’s Highlight in History: On June 21, 1964, civil rights workers Michael H. Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James E. Chaney were slain in Philadelphia, Mississippi; their bodies were found buried in an earthen dam six weeks later. (Seven people were convicted of conspiracy in the case; none served more than six years in prison. Edgar Ray “Preacher” Killen, a former Ku Klux Klansman, was convicted of manslaughter on June 21, 2005 and is serving a 60-year sentence.) On this date: In 1788, the United States Constitution went into effect as New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it. In 1913, Georgia “Tiny” Broadwick became the first woman to parachute from an airplane as she jumped over Los Angeles. In 1942, German forces led by Generaloberst (Colonel General) Erwin Rommel captured the Libyan city of Tobruk during World War II. (Following his victory, Rommel was promoted to Field Marshal; Tobruk was retaken by the Allies in November 1942.) In 1943, Army nurse Lt. Edith Greenwood became the first woman to receive the Soldier’s Medal for showing heroism during a fire at a military hospital in Yuma, Arizona. In 1955, the David Lean movie “Summertime” starring Katharine Hepburn and Rossano Brazzi opened in New York. In 1963, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini was chosen during a conclave of his fellow cardinals to succeed the late Pope John XXIII; the new pope took the name Paul VI. In 1982, a jury in Washington, D.C., found John Hinckley Jr. not guilty by reason of insanity in the shootings of President Ronald Reagan and three other men. In 1989, a sharply divided Supreme Court ruled that burning the American flag as a form of political protest was protected by the First Amendment. Ten years ago: The SpaceShipOne rocket plane punched through Earth’s atmosphere, then glided to a landing in California’s Mojave Desert in the first privately financed manned spaceflight. Five years ago: Newsweek reporter Maziar Bahari was among hundreds of people arrested during the Tehran government’s crackdown on nationwide protests over Iran’s disputed presidential election. (Bahari was released nearly four months later.) One year ago: A one-page criminal complaint unsealed in federal court accused former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden of espionage and theft of government property in the NSA surveillance case. Today’s Birthdays: Composer Lalo Schifrin is 82. Actor Bernie Kopell is 81. Actor Monte Markham is 79. Songwriter Don Black is 76. Actress Mariette Hartley is 74. Comedian Joe Flaherty is 73. Actress Meredith Baxter is 67. Thought for Today: “It is only on paper that one moralizes — just where one shouldn’t.” — Richard Le Gallienne, English poet and essayist (1866-1947).
Tuesday, June 24 TAMIU Planetarium shows. “The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” 2 p.m.; “Earth, Moon and Sun” 3 p.m.; “Wonders of the Universe” 4 p.m.; and “Destination Saturn” 5 p.m. Admission $4 children and $5 adults. Premium shows $1 more. Call 326-3663. “The Calling” series of Bible talks. 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Laredo Church of Christ Chapel, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 340. Contact Miguel Zuñiga at 286-9631 or mglzuñiga@yahoo.com.
Wednesday, June 25 1964 Zapata High School Class 50th reunion. Dinner at The Steak House. Call Dora Martinez at 324-1226 or Ninfa Gracia at 500-5219.
Thursday, June 26 Grief support group. Noon to 1:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave. Free and open to public. Contact Patricia Cisneros at 722-1674 or pcisneros@mhm.org. Cow Appreciation Day. 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Chick-fil-A North Laredo (Loop 20). Make your own cow costume with supplies provided. TAMIU Planetarium shows. “The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” 2 p.m.; “Earth, Moon and Sun” 3 p.m.; “Wonders of the Universe” 4 p.m.; and “Destination Saturn” 5 p.m. Admission $4 children and $5 adults. Premium shows $1 more. Call 326-3663. Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:14 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 7270589.
Friday, June 27 Live Star Show. 8 p.m. TAMIU Planetarium. $3 admission. Call 3263663.
Photo by Juanito M. Garza/San Antonio Express-News
Job candidates fill out forms at a job fair at Norris Conference Centers site, in Wonderland of the Americas Mall, on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in San Antonio. Job growth kept up in Texas as the unemployment rate declined for a third straight month to 5.1 percent for May, the Texas Workforce Commission announced Friday.
Jobless rate slips again ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Job growth kept up in Texas as the unemployment rate declined for a third straight month to 5.1 percent for May, the Texas Workforce Commission announced Friday. The latest seasonally adjusted jobless rate compares to 5.2 percent unemployment in April, according to commission figures. A total of 383,100 jobs were added in the past 12 months, making it the largest over-the-year job increase in Texas in nearly 17 years. The Texas unemployment rate was 5.5 percent in March, after holding steady in January and February at 5.7 percent. Nationwide, the jobless rate was unchanged in May at 6.3 percent, the Labor Department reported earlier. Gov. Rick Perry welcomed the state’s May
economic figures, touting Texas as the top spot nationwide for jobseekers. “Texas continues to be the epicenter of job creation in America and today’s numbers are further proof that if you want a job, or your company needs employees, Texas is the best place in America to find both,” Perry said. The annual growth rate climbed to 3.4 percent in May, the state’s highest since November 2012, the commission reported. Employers from all 11 major industries in Texas expanded their payrolls in May. Education and health services expanded the most, adding 12,400 jobs. Mining and logging posted the highest annual growth rate among the major industries at 7.4 percent. “It is good news for job seekers when Texas industries grow across the board,” said Commissioner Ronny Congleton.
Civil War cannon being displayed in Texas City
City extends public ban on cigarettes to e-cigs
4 children fall off car, hurt after swimming
TEXAS CITY — A Civil War cannon from the 1863 sinking of the USS Westfield has a new resting place at a Texas museum just miles from where the ship went down. Officials at the Texas City Museum on Wednesday welcomed the restored 12-foot, 4-ton cannon for a maritime exhibit. Museum curator Linda Turner says the cannon is on loan from the Navy.
EL PASO — El Paso is extending its ban on cigarette smoking in public places to electronic cigarettes. The City Council voted Tuesday to extend the ban, effective Sept. 1. The El Paso Times reports the ban will bar smoking and vaping in 2015 from all cityowned properties, including parks. The ban also would keep smoke-free areas within 20 feet of all public entrances, except for El Paso International Airport.
DALLAS — Police say four children have been hospitalized after falling from atop a moving car following a swim trip to a North Texas community pool. Crowley police say two mothers face charges after letting six children ride on the hood and trunk because their clothes were still wet. Police say one child who fell suffered a serious head injury.
Father, 2 children found dead in mobile home CARRIZO SPRINGS — Authorities are trying to determine what caused the deaths of a man and his two children whose bodies were found in a burning South Texas mobile home. Firefighters on Thursday afternoon responded to neighbor’s report of a residence on fire in Carrizo (kuh-REE’-zuh) Springs and discovered the bodies.
Retail gasoline prices jump 6 cents across state IRVING — Retail gasoline prices have jumped 6 cents this week across Texas. AAA Texas on Thursday reported the average price at the pump statewide reached $3.50 per gallon. Gasoline prices nationally rose 2 cents this week to hit $3.67 per gallon.
Mail carrier faces animal cruelty count FORT WORTH — A North Texas mail carrier has turned himself in to face an animal cruelty charge after a pet dog on his route was injured and had to be euthanized. The owner of the dog said his pet apparently wandered across the street, he heard the dog howling and he believes the mail carrier hit the dog with a rock. — Compiled from AP reports
Saturday, June 28 Voz de Niños training. 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. 902 E. Calton Road. Free. Topics assist in volunteering with foster youth and prepare individuals to be Court Appointed Special Advocates. Must be 21 or older; clear background. TAMIU Planetarium shows. “The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” 2 p.m.; “Earth, Moon and Sun” 3 p.m.; “Wonders of the Universe” 4 p.m.; and “Pink Floyd’s The Wall” 5 p.m. General admission $4 children and $5 adults. Premium shows $1 more. Call 3263663.
Monday, June 30 Monthly meeting of Laredo Parkinson’s Disease Support Group. 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, Tower B, First Floor Community Center. Patients, caregivers and family members invited. Free info pamphlets available in Spanish and English. Call Richard Renner (English) at 645-8649 or Juan Gonzalez (Spanish) at 2370666.
Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com. Items will run as space is available.
AROUND THE NATION Apparent suicide at national cemetery ARLINGTON, Va. — The Army says a man found with a single gunshot wound at Arlington National Cemetery apparently committed suicide. The Army Criminal Investigation Command says it does not suspect foul play in the shooting that occurred in the section that contains the remains of 50 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the Pentagon. Spokeswoman Melissa Bohan (BOH’-an) says military and civilian police responded at about 10 a.m. Friday to reports of a single shot fired. Bohan says all indications are that the shooting is “a tragic and isolated incident,” with no threat to the public.
Rare foul flower spreads stench in Orange County COSTA MESA, Calif. — The
CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Account Executive, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 765-5113 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Managing Editor, Nick Georgiou ................. 728-2565 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ..........................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo............ 728-2569 Photo by Robert F. Bukaty | AP
The first rays of sunlight color the sky above the Crystal Springs Farm while a small flock of sheep grazes at dawn, Friday, in Brunswick, Maine.
stench of blue cheese and dead bodies at a Southern California college is not repelling visitors but drawing them in. A huge, rare and famously putrid Indonesian flower is blooming this weekend, spreading its stench across Orange Coast Col-
lege in Costa Mesa. The school said in a statement that the stench of the so-called corpse flower has been compared to rotting flesh, and the greenhouse where it’s unfurling its blossom is open to the public. — 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
Local
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
TAMIU’s Ed college regains its certification SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
The State Board for Educator Certification has notified Texas A&M International University’s College of Education of its full accreditation based on students’ scores on 2012-2013 performance tests. Last year, the college had been placed on probationary status in light of student scores on 2011-2012 performance tests. The probationary status provided an opportunity for the college to put corrective measures in place to improve test scores based on low pass rates or small numbers in demographic sub-groups by August 2013 to the SBEC-mandated benchmark of 80 percent. Some 19 other Texas university teacher education training programs were similarly affected.
The TAMIU College of Ed implemented sweeping changes, developing, revising, and reinstituting policies and procedures to meet and exceed SBEC testing mandates. College Dean Catheryn Weitman’s corrective changes focused on raised admission requirements for Teacher Education, elevated academic standards, curricular issues and restructured testing procedures. According to official scores, TAMIU students clearly responded to the challenge, posting overall scores of 96 percent (59 testing); 97 percent for females (46) and 95 percent for males (13). To date, 110 students for this academic year have taken the TExES exams, posting 100 percent success in passing. About 90 percent of these
students passed the exams on their first attempt. Weitman credited the collaboration of students and many faculty and staff with the rapid turnaround and successful attainment of accreditation status. “Since these changes were implemented, we have seen a stronger, more focused student enrolling into our educator preparation programs. Without the support of many, the changes could not have had such a positive and immediate effect. We are most proud of our students, our faculty and staff. We remain confident that our Educator Preparation programs will continue to thrive and meet the needs of students, graduates, employers and all monitoring agencies,” Weitman said. TAMIU President Ray Keck
Federal indictment
concurred. “We are certainly grateful to the TEA for their dedicated assessment and oversight of our teacher education program that helped reveal serious weaknesses and strengths, and most impressed by the collaboration between faculty and students that aggressively secured this accreditation status,” Keck said. Among corrective actions taken by the college were the raising of admission standards so that only general core education courses with grades of “C” or better are accepted (regardless of where they are taken) and an oral interview, with a written sampling; elevated academic standards including limited numbers of times a student may repeat any class before changing majors, a stiffer grading scale,
all content TExES exams passed prior to enrolling in student teaching, while all suspensions incur a long-term absence and improved curriculum which better addresses the standards. Also, new courses in arts and sciences as well as in the college, a new professional core for all certification areas grounded in the TExES Professional Practices and Responsibilities and a new foundation for all elementary programs centered on subject-area readiness. Finally, restructured testing protocols are in place so that students demonstrate diagnostic readiness to sit for the TExES exam. Additional changes aimed at improving the quality of future educators continue and include a higher 2.75 admission GPA, effective this fall.
FANS INSIDE STATE PRISONS
Illegal immigrant accusations has man in legal trouble By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A man accused of moving 11 illegal immigrants between Laredo and Zapata at $100 per person has been indicted in federal court, documents obtained this week show. A grand jury charged Pedro Gonzalez-Almaraz with one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants within the United States and two counts of transport and attempt to transport undocumented immigrants for financial gain. Gonzalez-Almaraz could face up to 10 years behind bars if he’s convicted, according to the indictment filed June 10. He waived his presence at arraignment and entered a not guilty plea, according to court records. A pretrial conference was set for Aug. 11. Gonzalez-Almaraz’s
charges date back to May 12 when U.S. Border Patrol received anonymous information regarding a suspicious vehicle in San Ygnacio. During surveillance, agents observed a gold GMC pickup parked at an empty lot adjacent to an abandoned home. Agents witnessed the driver, identified as Gonzalez-Almaraz, placing two jugs of water by the side of the house. “(Agents) saw two people cautiously look out from inside the house and reached out to get the containers of water,” the complaint reads. Gonzalez-Almaraz escorted a man to the passenger side of the GMC. “The manner in which the person was dressed was consistent with illegal (immigrants who) have been in the brush for numerous days,” court records state. Agents detained several people discovered inside
the cab of the GMC while others were hidden in the abandoned home. A total of 11 immigrants were taken into custody. Gonzalez-Almaraz is an illegal immigrant who had been released on his own recognizance by Enforcement and Removal Operations, records show. He allegedly admitted to agents about being paid $100 per immigrant smuggled. He was to be paid an additional $250 for transporting the immigrants from Zapata to Laredo. Court records identified Jorge Arambula, known as “El Camarón” or “El Güero,” as the person who allegedly paid Gonzalez-Almaraz. Agents seized $3,499.25 from Gonzalez-Almaraz. That was the money given to him by the immigrants, according to court records. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
Photo by Michael Graczyk | AP
A cooling fan recently installed at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Holliday Unit near Huntsville, is seen inside the prison. The nation’s most populous prison system, facing legal actions and criticism about inmates having to endure oppressive summer heat, is looking to make conditions a bit more bearable at seven state lockups by installing cooling systems similar to those seen on the sidelines of early-season football games.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014
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COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Time to put diplomatic focus on Iraq By TRUDY RUBIN THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
For more than a year, Mideast analysts have warned about an al-Qaida offshoot that was creating a virtual state in eastern Syria and western Iraq, where it trained European and American recruits. The Obama team failed to focus on this virulent threat to U.S. interests, either in Syria or Iraq. Now those jihadis — known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) — have jolted the region by pouring out of Syria, seizing Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul, and heading toward Baghdad. “This is al-Qaida 6.0,” says Ryan Crocker, the former U.S. ambassador to Baghdad and Kabul, “and they will be stronger than they ever were in Afghanistan.” The White House is belatedly trying to devise a policy to stop ISIS’s advance. The first step should be for President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry to put Iraq back on their mental map. “Since we pulled our troops out of Iraq, we have also pulled out our diplomacy,” Crocker told me in a phone interview. Vice President Biden, the administration point man on Iraq, hasn’t visited Baghdad since November 2011. (He called Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki this week — from Brazil, where he was attending the first U.S. World Cup game.) Kerry has visited only once since he took office. As for Obama, he lists the complete pullout from Iraq as one of his stellar foreign policy achievements and has had little or no interest in personally engaging its leaders. This lack of high-level focus left the White House blindsided when ISIS invaded Mosul. The administration’s aversion to Iraq meant that no one was using Washington’s remaining leverage to press Maliki to form a more inclusive government, as he had promised Biden in 2011. The Iraqi leader’s Shiite sectarianism created the widespread Sunni hostility that enabled ISIS to roll through Iraq’s north with the help of disaffected Sunni tribes. The administration’s Iraq aversion had already meant it didn’t try hard enough to find a formula for a follow-on presence of military advisers after 2011, which would have provided more leverage on Maliki. U.S. officials apparently assumed the U.S.trained and armed Iraqi forces could handle any remaining threat from al-Qaida. They failed to pay sufficient attention to the growing violence perpetrated by ISIS inside Iraq over the past year — or to the fact that the attacks were being mounted out of ISIS safe havens inside Syria. The ISIS violence was so threatening that Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari asked last fall for U.S. drone strikes on ISIS militants — which weren’t forthcoming. Nor did the administration give much help to moderate Syrian rebels who were trying to fight ISIS on the Syrian side
U.S. officials apparently assumed the U.S.-trained and armed Iraqi forces could handle any remaining threat from al-Qaida. of the border. Now, finally, Obama has awoken to the ISIS threat. No matter his aversion to Iraq, no matter the sins of the Bush administration that created the Iraq mess, the president can no longer afford the president’s hands-off posture toward Baghdad. Obama has rightly said he won’t send combat troops. Nor will he consider military action, such as air or drone strikes against ISIS, unless “Iraq’s leaders set aside sectarian differences.” Yet Maliki shows no sign that he gets the message or is ready for genuine outreach to Sunnis. And at this point, it will be harder than ever to convince reasonable Sunnis they can trust him. So the chances of an internal Iraqi political deal that could undercut ISIS’s gains are minimal at best, but they are zero unless Obama gets directly engaged. However, arguments are already circulating in Washington as to why such engagement isn’t needed. One prominent claim is that the ISIS move has effectively partitioned Iraq into three parts, among Sunnis, Kurds, and Shiites, and the United States should accept that. Apart from the horrible human costs, that argument ignores the strategic risks that partition poses. Even if ISIS halts at Baghdad’s gates — as many believe it will — the threat it poses will not stop there. ISIS now controls a territory as large as a country, and it has seized massive amounts of U.S. heavy weapons from Iraqi bases, along with hundreds of millions of dollars from Mosul banks. “This is an army, not a militia,” Crocker says. “ISIS can build a caliphate and plan how to attack us” or threaten neighboring Arab countries. Partition would also leave Tehran in virtual control of an Iraqi Shiite rump state in the south along with Iraq’s main oil holdings. Any claim that Iran would cooperate with Washington in fighting ISIS ignores this fact: Tehran’s Iraqi file is under the control of Gen. Qasem Souleimani, head of the al-Quds force of the Revolutionary Guards, who has shown little interest in pressing Maliki to be more inclusive. “Souleimani is in Baghdad now,” says Crocker. “Kerry should be there. We’ve got to politically reengage at the top levels.” Or else watch Iraq devolve into an Iranian protectorate and a jihadi emirate.
COLUMN
Cowboy boots confuse writer
“
KEN HERMAN
AUSTIN — I hope I’m wrong on this. I hope I’m wrong because this is going to upset some folks and it pains me to upset folks, especially when I’m wrong. And I hope I’m wrong because I think I might want cowboy boots. But, and I could be wrong, I think cowboy boots might be underwear. Hear me out. I’ve thought about this for a while but figured this would be a good time to mention it because I’m out of state right now, so don’t bother phoning in your outrage. I’ve lived in Texas since 1975, starting in East Texas where cowboy boots are common (mandatory?). I’ve long liked cowboy boots but never bought any. I’ve been fascinated by cowboy boots since I was a kid growing
up in Brooklyn and being a cowboy seemed exotic. (Living in East Texas also seemed exotic. Then I lived there.) I’ve admired cowboy boots in cowboy stores — that is the right terminology, right? — but never had the courage or ready cash to buy any. Ditto for those fancy-decorated cowboy shirts. Recently, I revisited the possibility of a boot purchase. I’m ready to announce that I will not be doing so. I will not be doing so because my research shows that cowboy boots, for men, largely are underwear. A male who buys cowboy boots faces three options: Pant legs tucked into the boots. Pant legs over the boots. One pant leg tucked into the boot and one pant leg over the boot — the unbalanced look favored by the unbalanced. Let’s eliminate the final option as indefensible in a court of fashion. That leaves
us with pant legs over the boots or pant legs tucked into the boots (or, I guess, cowboy boots and shorts, an option which, by law, is available only to females). Wearing the pant legs tucked into the boots makes a certain statement, one that I think many men would choose not to make, at least while they’re not punching doggies or whatever it is that cowboys do. So we’re down to what my research shows to be the most common fashion option: pant legs over the boots. This means that some large percentage of the boots — including very fancy parts — never shows. We have a name for garmenture that doesn’t show. It is called “underwear.” Defenders of cowboy boots tell me several things. First, they tell me to shut up and go back to Brooklyn. When I don’t do either of those, they tell me that cowboy boots are comfortable. Underwear can be comfortable.
Then they tell me that the part of the boots that shows looks good. Yes, and that part is called “shoes.” They also note that when you sit down and your pant legs ride up you can see part of the undercover portion of the boot. Fine. That’s called “socks.” In this case, it becomes high-dollar, hotin-the-summer leather socks. Gov. Rick Perry, a Texan, has had a change of heart about cowboy boots. Back in March, asked by ABC if his cowboy boots are gone for good, Perry said, “I wouldn’t say they were gone forever. I’ve found that my shoes are more comfortable. After I had the back surgery, the flatter is better for my back.” Being a gentleman cowboy, Perry obviously held his tongue and didn’t accuse cowboy boots of being underwear. Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin AmericanStatesman. E-mail: kherman@statesman.com.
WORST WEEK IN WASHINGTON
President tripped up by Iraq By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST
Six years ago, Barack Obama ran for president promising to end what he described as “a dumb war” in Iraq. And in 2012, he campaigned for reelection by declaring that he’d achieved that goal. But this
past week, Obama decided to send 300 troops back into the country — one deeply riven by sectarian violence and teetering on the edge of chaos. “American forces will not be returning to combat in Iraq, but we will help Iraqis as they take the fight to terrorists who threaten
the Iraqi people, the region and American interests as well,” Obama said at a news conference Thursday announcing the decision. It was immediately greeted with skepticism. You could forgive Obama for feeling as if his hands were tied. The American public is war-weary — Oba-
ma’s pledge to end the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan helped fuel his political rise — and yet there is real concern among foreign policy experts that the sacrifices made by the U.S. military in the Iraq war could be made meaningless in this latest round of sectarian fighting.
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Nation
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
High museum goes from glass to interactive By HOLLY RAMER ASSOCIATED PRESS
MOUNT WASHINGTON, N.H. — Weeks spent in some of harshest conditions Earth has to offer are finally paying off for a Boston photographer whose images are central to a refurbished museum atop the Northeast’s highest peak. At 6,288 feet, Mount Washington offers views of six states, plus the Atlantic Ocean on a clear day. But it’s better known for its extreme weather, including a 231 mph gust in 1934 that remains the highest wind speed ever observed by man. Now, summer and winter are coming together in Extreme Mount Washington, a museum that recently underwent a $1 million transformation from a modest collection of artifacts behind glass to a modern facility packed with hands-on exhibits. Boston-based director of photography Tom Guilmette spent about 30 nonconsecutive winter days at the summit to capture the photos and video footage, con-
Photo by Jim Cole | AP
A simulator of a snowcat driving up the Mount Washington Auto road is used at the new Extreme Museum on the top of Mount Washington. The new Extreme Mount Washington museum recently underwent a $1 million transformation. structing elaborate heated cases hooked up to car batteries to keep his cameras working. At one point, he had to take apart a $60,000 camera and use a hair dryer to remove ice crystals that had formed inside. Another
time, he got blown across the observation deck and had to scramble to find another way back into the building. “There were times when I was setting up time-lapse cameras out on the summit thinking to my-
self, ‘If there was no building for shelter for me to go inside and grab a hot cup of tea, that if I was out here for five minutes more, even the way I was dressed, that I would die,”’ he said. Mount Washington owes its
weather to its location at the confluence of three major storm tracks and its high profile, combined with its steepness and the north-south orientation of the Presidential Range, which aid wind speed. Housed in the lower level of the Mount Washington State Park visitor center, the museum aims to explain the cold, wind, snow and ice to the 300,000 people who reach the summit by foot, car or cog railway each summer. It has stunning time-lapse video of rime ice growing overnight on the railing of the observatory’s observation deck and video showcasing both the harsh conditions weather observers face and the frozen beauty that often surrounds them. Just last Sunday, the weather changed from blue skies and sunny to foggy with 70 mph winds in seconds. Visitors struggled to stay upright as they moved about outside. Inside, they were able to still enjoy the view thanks to three large screens that show a 180-degree image taken on a clear fall day.
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera
Agenda en Breve ZAPATA 06/21— La Clase 1964 de Zapata High School se reunirá para celebrar los 50 años de haber graduado. El miércoles 25 de junio en el Steak House. Interesados en asistir a la cena pueden solicitar informes con Dora Martínez al (956) 324-1226.
LAREDO 06/21— Tercer evento para Correr, Andar o Circular por la Rehabilitación, de 5K, en beneficio del Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center, de 8 a.m. a 11 a.m. en North Central Park. Cuota de 20 dólares, general; niños de 10 años y menores pagan 10 dólares por media milla. Se pueden inscribir de 7 a.m. a 8 a.m. 06/21— El ‘ReStore’ de Habitat for Humanity tendrá una Campaña de Donación de Artículos para beneficiar a la tienda, de 8 a.m. a 2 p.m. en el estacionamiento de Falcon Bank, junto a la esquina de McPherson and Del Mar Blvd. Se aceptarán artículos del hogar, así como donaciones en efectivo y tarjetas de crédito. 06/21— Campaña para recaudación de fondos del Banco de Alimentos del Sur de Texas, de 9 a.m. a 1 p.m. en las esquinas de HillsideMcPherson, McPherson-Shiloh, Calton-Yeary, SpringfieldDel Mar, Guadalupe-Meadow, Saunders-Bartlett, ZacatecasZapata Highway, ArkansasClark. Informes en 324-2432. 06/21— El Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU estará proyectando “The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” (El Secreto del Cohete de Cartón), a las 2 p.m.; “Earth, Moon and Sun” (Tierra, Luna y Sol) a las 3 p.m.; “Wonders of the Universe” (Maravillas del Universo), a las 4 p.m.; “Destination Saturn” (Destino Saturno), a las 5 p.m. Costo: 3 dólares niños y 4 dólares adultos. 06/21— Summer Stock Theater Project del Laredo Community College presenta “Boy Gets Girl”, de Rebecca Gilman, a las 7:30 p.m. en el teatro del Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center, dentro del Campus Fort McIntosh. 06/22— El cómico Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias presenta “Unity thorugh laughter world tour” en Laredo Energy Arena. Costos son de 33 dólares, 48 y 68. Adquiera su boleto en taquilla del LEA. 06/23— La Academia Principal de Tambor George N. Parks inicia hoy en Texas A&M International University y continúa hasta el viernes 27 de junio. Se trata de la principal academia de tambores en el país. Éste es el primer campamento de su tipo en TAMIU y solo en segundo en Texas en el 2014. 06/24— El Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU estará proyectando “The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket”, a las 2 p.m.; “Earth, Moon and Sun” a las 3 p.m.; “Wonders of the Universe”, a las 4 p.m.; “Destination Saturn”, a las 5 p.m. Costo: 3 dólares niños y 4 dólares adultos.
NUEVO LAREDO, MX 06/22— Grupo de Teatro Laberintus A.C. presentará la puesta en escena “Invisible”, una adaptación de Damián Aviña del libro clásico “El Principito”, a las 12 p.m. en el Teatro del IMSS, entre Reynosa y Belden (sector centro. Obra es para toda la familia. Costo 20 pesos. 06/23— Laberintus A.C. presentando la obra de teatro “En el desierto no hay sirenas”, de Luis Edoardo Torres, a partir de las 7 p.m. en el teatro del IMSS, ubicado entre Reynosa y Belden.
SÁBADO 21 DE JUNIO DE 2014
CONDADO DE WEBB
Acepta cargo POR PHILIP BALLI Y ALDO AMATO TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
El Comisionado del Condado de Webb, Mike Montemayor, se declaró culpable el jueves a un cargo de soborno en la corte federal de Laredo. Montemayor, quien enfrentaba dos cargos por soborno, aceptó un acuerdo de culpabilidad durante una conferencia previa al juicio celebrada ante la Juez de Distrito de EU, Marina García Marmolejo. Durante la conferencia previa al juicio, Montemayor se declaró culpable al segundo cargo de la acusación, que indica aceptó alrededor de 11.000 dólares en efectivo y 2.700 dólares en electrónicos por parte de un empresario, que sin que Montemayor supiera, era un agente encubierto del Buró Federal de Investigaciones (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés). Prometió tomar acción oficial en sus capacidades como comisionado
para promover los intereses del negocio del agente a cambio de efectivo y electrónicos. El abogado de la defensa Oscar Vela MONTEMAYOR Jr., dijo que Montemayor aceptó la plena responsabilidad de sus acciones sobre el segundo cargo de la acusación. “El primer cargo será desestimado por el gobierno federal”, dijo Vela. “Esperaremos su sentencia, que ocurrirá en una fecha posterior”. El acuerdo de culpabilidad de Montemayor refleja tres sobornos de efectivo independientes, los cuales ocurrieron durante un periodo que va desde el 11 de julio y concluyó el 25 de noviembre. “A cambio de las cosas de valor, Montemayor utilizó y acordó tomar acción oficial para asistir (al agente encubierto) y a su compañía a te-
ner negocios con el condado”, señala el acuerdo. La ayuda como oficial de Montemayor para el negocio fue representada en el acuerdo de culpabilidad e incluyó, “proporcionar (al agente encubierto) información sobre lo que las compañías de la competencia ofrecían al condado, acordando colocar un tema en la agenda de la Corte de Comisionados para beneficio de la compañía (del agente encubierto); y prometiendo su contribución al apoyar y votar a favor de la compañía (del agente encubierto). En abril, Montemayor aceptó una suspensión temporal sin goce de sueldo. Un mes después, Linda Ramírez, una maestra para United South High School, fue seleccionada por el Juez de Distrito David Peeples, como el remplazo temporal de Montemayor. El cargo del que Montemayor se declaró culpable conlleva una sen-
tencia máxima de 10 años en una prisión federal, una multa por 250.000 dólares y tres años de libertad condicional. De acuerdo con la ley estatal, “la condena de un oficial del condado por un pequeño jurado, por cualquier delito grave o menor, que implique una conducta deshonesta oficial, funciona como una destitución inmediata de dicho funcionario”. Montemayor dijo que envió un correo electrónico a los comisionados y al juez con su renuncia el miércoles por la noche, pero que enviaría una carta formal el jueves. A Montemayor se le permitió continuar libre bajo fianza. La fecha tentativa para la audiencia de sentencia ante Marmolejo está programada para el 7 de octubre; sin embargo, Marmolejo dijo que la fecha se dejaría abierta a la espera de que se presente un reporte de investigación por parte de la Oficina de Libertad Condicional de EU.
MIGUEL ALEMÁN
TAMAULIPAS
MEJORAMIENTO GENÉTICO
PAN alista alternativas electorales TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
El Secretario de Desarrollo Rural del Gobierno de Tamaulipas, Carlos Ernesto Solís Gómez, observa una de las 80 cabezas de ganado bovino subastada durante el evento de Mejoramiento Genético realizado para beneficiar a ganaderos de Miguel Alemán, México.
Programa beneficia a ganaderos de la región TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Se llevó a cabo un evento de Mejoramiento Genético con beneficio directo para ganaderos de Miguel Alemán, México. El objetivo fue subastar 80 cabezas de ganado bovino, dijo Carlos Ernesto Solís Gómez, titular de la Secretaría de Desarrollo Rural. “El equivalente es por un momento de 1 millón 160.000 pesos, en beneficio de los ganaderos de la región”, sostuvo Solís.
Los productores pecuarios que participaron en el evento adquirieron animales de registro hasta con un 75% de subsidio de su costo real lo que permite una mejora genética en los hatos ganaderos y la comercialización de becerros a los Estados Unidos, indica un comunicado de prensa del Gobierno de Tamaulipas. “Las razas que se comercializaron son las siguientes: Beef Master. limousin, brangus negro, brangus rojo, charoláis, simbrah, simmental”,
subrayó Solís. Agregó que se tiene contemplado ofertar 1400 cabezas de ganado bovino para el Ejercicio Fiscal 2014, con un monto de 20 millones 300.000 pesos, al igual que 80 cabezas de ganado ovino con una inversión superior a los 440.000 pesos y 70 cabezas de ganado caprino con un monto de 385.000 pesos. El monto total es de 21 millones 125.000 pesos. El programa es en Concurrencia con las entidades Federativas y la SAGRAPA.
Con miras hacia la gubernatura de Tamaulipas en el 2016, el Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) ha iniciado las reuniones de grupo. José Alberto López Fonseca, Presidente del Comité Directivo Estatal del PAN, dijo que la alternancia en la gubernatura del estado es una posibilidad real y viable. “Definitivamente creo que esta es la mejor etapa del PAN, sobre todo por los logros alcanzados en la contienda electoral anterior”, expresó López. En el proceso electoral del 2013, el PAN obtuvo triunfos en diputaciones locales y presidencias municipales. “Hay absoluta confianza pero también sabemos que es una gran responsabilidad”, dijo López al reunirse con diputados panistas de la LXII legislatura y ex Diputadas. Hay nombres que ya se manejan como posibles candidatos a la gubernatura, entre los cuales destacan el Presidente Municipal de Nuevo Laredo, México, Carlos Canturosas Villarreal; la Presidenta Municipal de Matamoros, México, Norma Leticia Salazar; y, los Senadores Maki Ortiz y Francisco Javier García Cabeza de Vaca. “Ya me he entrevistado con quienes me han manifestado interés en participar y buscar la candidatura a la gubernatura y hemos coincidido que la unidad es el factor importante para llegar fuertes al 2016”, dijo López. Al referirse al proceso electoral del 2015, López indicó que “falta recuperar espacios”. “En este proceso estamos buscando refrendar lo que tuvimos y recuperar los que nos faltan”, indicó. “Ocho distritos en los que ahora serán candidatos cuatro mujeres y cuatro hombres, de acuerdo a las nuevas disposiciones electorales”. Finalmente, destacó la unidad como un factor determinante para alcanzar la alternancia en Tamaulipas.
CULTURA
Convocan artistas a ‘Bienal de Fronteras’ TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
El Instituto Tamaulipeco para la Cultura y las Artes (ITCA), en colaboración con el Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes (Conaculta), convoca a artistas visuales y curadores emergentes de México y el extranjero a participar en la Bienal de las Fronteras. Se trata de un programa de arte emergente que fue presentado en el Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Tamaulipas, en Matamoros, México. “La Bienal tiene dentro de sus objetivos promover la creación de obras y proyectos curatoriales facilitando el acceso a artistas y curadores emergentes a exponer y desarrollar sus propuestas que aporten al diálogo, el intercambio y la discusión crítica que consideren el binomio regional-global, sus retos y oportunidades”, indica un comunicado de prensa. “Llegar a este momento representa abrir la ventana a una bienal que se constituye como un referente de Tamaulipas en el mundo”, expuso Libertad García Cabriales, titu-
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
De izquierda a derecha, Othón Castañeda, coordinador de la Bienal de las Fronteras; Ada Lozano, directora del Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Tamaulipas; y, Libertad García, titular del ITCA, presentan ‘Bienal de las Fronteras’, en Matamoros, México. lar del ITCA. Será en la Bienal, donde el Gobierno de Tamaulipas espera que los asistentes posean un espacio de convergencia “donde la creación, el análisis y la difusión del arte contemporáneo promueven la exploración de las fronteras de las prácticas artísticas actuales”, agrega el
comunicado. Además explica que ofrecerá al público un lenguaje directo y accesible. La recepción de las propuestas de los artistas y los proyectos curatoriales se realizará a través de la página web bienaldelasfronteras.org. La fecha límite para recibir los
proyectos curatoriales es el 22 de agosto. Para el caso de los artistas que envíen sus propuestas de forma independiente, deberán enviar la información antes del 22 de septiembre. La sede de la Bienal será el MACT, y cuenta con el respaldo de instituciones como el Museo Carrillo Gil de la Ciudad de México, los departamentos educativos del Guggenheim Museum y el Museo del Barrio en Nueva York. La Bienal de las Fronteras a través de un fondo de adquisición prevé la premiación y adquisición de obras de arte y proyectos curatoriales destacados a beneficio de la Colección del Instituto Tamaulipeco para la Cultura y las Artes. Durante la presentación participaron, Othón Castañeda, coordinador de la Bienal de las Fronteras, Ada Lozano González, directora del Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Tamaulipas (MACT), Tomas Mittnacht, Cónsul General de Estados Unidos en Matamoros y Sergio E. Jacobo Patiño, Cónsul Adjunto de México en Brownsville.
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
Nation
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014
Photo by J. Scott Applewhite | AP
Photo by Brennan Linsley | AP
Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen talks to reporters during a break in his appearance before the House Ways and Means Committee hearing on their continuing probe of whether tea party groups were improperly targeted for increased scrutiny by the IRS, on Friday.
Chef Alex Tretter carries a tray of cannabis-infused peanut butter and jelly cups to the oven, at Sweet Grass Kitchen, a well-established gourmet marijuana edibles bakery in Denver. Sweet Grass Kitchen, like other cannabis food producers in the state, is held to rigorous health inspection standards.
IRS leader, solons clash over emails
Food safety a new frontier for legal pot
By DAVID S. JOACHIM NEW YORK TIMES
WASHINGTON — A congressional hearing examining how the IRS lost thousands of emails sought by investigators turned into a shouting match Friday, with Republicans on the panel accusing the IRS commissioner of lying. “Sitting here listening to this testimony, I don’t believe it,” Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told the commissioner, John Koskinen, at a hearing of the Ways and Means Committee. “That’s your problem. No one believes you.” “You ask taxpayers to hang on to seven years of their personal tax information in case they’re ever audited, and you can’t keep six months’ worth of employee emails?” Ryan added, referring to the agency’s practice of overwriting backup tapes. Democrats on the committee repeatedly objected to Republicans who interrupted Koskinen before he could answer or used their time to confront Koskinen without asking a question. “For him to take the oath and then have people suggest to him, ‘We don’t believe you,’ that is not the way this committee has functioned in the past, and it ought not to be the way we function going forward,” said Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Mass. Koskinen, in his testimony, pointed to a report by an inspector general of the Treasury Department, the parent agency of the IRS, which concluded that while agency employees had acted improperly, there was no evidence of political motivation or outside influence. He also said a delay in the disclosure of the lost emails was not indicative of a cover-up. He submitted as evidence an email exchange from 2011 between the agency’s technology staff and Lois Lerner, then an
IRS official, in which she sought to have her messages restored. He said a computer crash and an effort to retrieve the lost messages had occurred before the agency was notified that Congress was receiving complaints from conservative political groups that they were being unfairly scrutinized. Several of the Democrats called the panel’s inquiry a “witch hunt” meant to create the appearance of a conspiracy during an election year. Some of them, instead of asking their own questions, gave their time to Koskinen to respond to the Republicans’ accusations. The Democrats also said the committee’s inquiry was missing a larger point: that political groups of all kinds were effectively getting subsidies from taxpayers as “social welfare groups,” even though they actually conducted political activities. During the past week, the IRS has said thousands of emails of interest to investigators looking into suspected mistreatment of political groups by the agency had been destroyed because of computer crashes affecting seven employees. Those employees included Lerner, who has been accused of orchestrating a politically motivated effort to hold up applications for tax exemption from Tea Party groups before the 2012 election. Republican lawmakers responded to the disclosure with incredulity, questioning whether the emails were truly unrecoverable and accusing the agency of a Nixonian cover-up. They have also suggested that the disappearance of the emails violated federal recordkeeping laws. Several Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee said that the IRS had lost credibility because of repeated de-
nials that they claimed turned out to be wrong. “Over three years ago, this committee started asking the IRS: Was it targeting conservatives for their beliefs, was it asking groups inappropriate questions, was it harassing conservative donors,” said Rep. Dave Camp, the committee’s chairman. “The IRS assured this committee, and even testified before Congress, time and time again, that no targeting was occurring.” He said that the IRS’ denials had since been proved untrue. “The IRS lied to Congress and the American people,” Camp said. “In fact, this committee has found that there’s ample evidence to suggest the IRS violated the constitutional rights of taxpayers.” He then chastised the agency for withholding information about the missing emails until last week, even though it had shared that information with officials at the Treasury Department weeks before then. Lerner, who quit in September as the head of the agency’s division on tax-exempt organizations, was cited for contempt by the Republican-led House last month after refusing to answer lawmakers’ questions. In a previous hearing she had read a statement asserting her innocence but then declined to answer questions, invoking her Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate herself. Republican lawmakers said that Lerner had effectively waived her Fifth Amendment right by commenting on the accusations against her in the statement and in other settings, including under questioning from the Justice Department. Some Republicans have called for a special prosecutor to investigate the IRS’ suspected misconduct. So far, the Justice Department has declined to appoint one.
Concern is over how products containing pot are made By KRISTEN WYATT ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER — The marijuana in those pot brownies isn’t the only thing that can potentially make consumers sick. The industry and regulators are taking a closer look at how pot-infused edibles are actually made. The thriving edible marijuana industry In Colorado is preparing for new testing requirements — due to take in effect in October — to make sure the products are safe to eat and drink. While consuming too much of an edible has been connected to at least one death and a handful of hospital visits since retail recreational sales began in January, officials say there have been no reports of anyone getting a foodborne illness from edibles. Still, activists, producers and officials agree that safety testing is long overdue for a sector of the new pot market that, according to one industry estimate, has seen the sale of at least 8 million pieces this year. Food safety testing is necessary “to building any sort of credibility for the industry ... to create that public confidence that we’re not just a bunch of stupid kids throwing marijuana into cookies and putting them on the market,” said Jazzmine Hall-Oldham, general manager of Bakked, which makes cannabis concentrates and potinfused chocolate bars. With federal help in regulating production nonexistent because the drug is illegal under federal law, state and local governments have had to assemble a patchwork of health and safety regulations for foods with cannabis. The agency that regulates Colorado’s marijuana industry, the state Department of Revenue, requires pot manufacturing facilities to meet the same sanitation requirements as re-
tail food establishments, including adequate hand-washing and refrigeration. But the question of whether the state’s 51 licensed recreational ediblepot makers meet those standards is left to local health departments, said agency spokeswoman Natriece Bryant. State regulations requiring them also to pass tests for common food contaminants — such as E. coli and salmonella — don’t take effect until the fall. In Washington state, where retail sales are expected to begin the week of July 7, regulations call for samples of all marijuana sold for consumption to clear a “microbiological screening,” whether it’s in edible, smokeable or concentrate form. The state’s Liquor Control Board has adopted limits for how many “colony forming units” of molds, bacteria and yeast are considered acceptable, with zero tolerance for any presence of salmonella or E. coli. Commercial pot kitchens in Washington must pass a state Agriculture Department inspection before people who make edibles can be licensed, and so far, only one such inspection has occurred. The results of that inspection haven’t been released, and there will likely be no marijuana-infused brownies, cookies or other edibles on pot-shop shelves when sales begin. In Colorado, for now it’s
a case of buyer-beware when eating foods including cannabis. In Denver, where most of Colorado’s edible-pot producers are located, health officials have been meeting with the businesses to explain new city requirements that edible marijuana processing facilities get inspected at least twice a year, the same as restaurants. Denver’s manager for food safety inspections, Danica Lee, showed about 50 industry workers examples of bad food-prep sanitation — bottles of bleach on the food-prep surface and improperly stored utensils — and warned that they could face steep fines or even lose their licenses if they fail repeated inspections. “We’re treating your industry like any other subset of the food industry,” Lee told the edible pot makers. Hall-Oldham and other processors at the meeting seemed to welcome stricter oversight. Josh Fink, a former pastry chef who owns Medically Correct, which makes cannabis-infused candies and protein bars, said most of the people who are getting into the edibles business don’t have a food preparation background. “They might know how to make four muffins at home but not 40,000 muffins at a time. That’s where the training comes in,” he said.
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
STANLEY FLORIAN JANOWSKI
HOMERO FALCON
MIGUEL BURUATO
April 17, 1925 — June 15, 2014
March 27, 1952 – June 16, 2014
May 31, 1919 – June 17, 2014
Stanley Florian Janowski, born April 17, 1925, in Bruce, Wisc., was the youngest son of Constance (Minta) and Joseph Janowski. Stanley passed away on Sunday, June 15, 2014, at Falcon Lake Nursing Home in Zapata. Stanley grew up on a farm in Bruce, Wisc. He served our country in the U.S. Navy during WWII prior to earning his bachelor’s degree with a Major in Biology and Minors in Education, German and Chemistry from Northland College at Ashland, Wisc., where he met his wife Geraldine Wickman. They married June 12, 1951, in Madison, Wisc. He received his masters of arts degree from Colorado State University in Greely and was elected to membership in Phi Delta Kappa, a national honorary fraternity. He held several principalships and superintendencies in Colorado before moving to new administrative positions in Minnesota. Stanley was a principal in Minnesota until 1964 when he accepted position of superintendent of the American Community School of Saigon, Asia. From 1965 – 1967 Stanley was high school principal of Taipei America School in Taiwan. They then traveled to Laos where he was superintendent at the American School of Vientiane. Stanley and Geraldine returned to the U.S. after 14 years in Asia. Stanley then accepted principalship at Franklin Pierce School in Tacoma, Wash. A life member of the National Education Association, he was also a member of the National Association of School Administrators. He was active in the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the state education association, and the Elks and Kiwanis clubs. Stanley was a great sportsman and enjoyed flying private aircraft in the Minnesota. He is preceded in death
by brothers, Edward C. (Alice) Janowski of Cicero, Ill., George J. (Mary) Janowski of Bruce, Wisc., Daniel C. (Josephine) Janowski of Chicago, Ill.; a sister Alice A. (Andy) Shipshock of Turtle Lake, Wisc. and a nephew, Rodney C. Janowski of Chicago, Ill. Stanley Florian Janowski is survived by his dearly loved wife, Geraldine and brother Edwin C. Janowski of Rio Grande City; Nieces, Carol (Al) Fedie of Tucson, Ariz., Jeanna (Steve) Erickson of Lake Elmo, Minn.; Connie (Ron) Sundberg of Wasilla, Ark.; Marilyn (Frank) Pazora of Port Charlotte, Fla.; nephews, Bob Janowski of Quincy, Calif.; Bruce (Teri) Shipshock of McCook, Neb.; Tom Shipshock of Turtle Lake, Wisc.; Joe (Kathy) Janowski of Pine City, Minn.; John Janowski of Minn.; and Michael (Kathy) Janowski of Berwyn, Ill. Visitation was held Friday, June 20, 2014, at 5:30 p.m. with a chapel service at 6 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. Services included full Military Honors by the American Legion Post 486 Color Guard. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata, Texas.
SURVIVAL Continued from Page 1A recently spent $3 million to purchase 1,119 acres of the well-managed land for the benefit of the ocelot after damaging the endangered species’ habitat to build 70 miles of fences along the border with Mexico. The money came from $50 million set aside by the Department of Homeland Security to make up for installing the border fences through wilderness and protected lands. The 18-foot-high steel posts between Falcon Dam and the Gulf of Mexico were
intended to deter illegal immigration and drug trafficking, but they also blocked the ocelot from passing freely through its historic range. The newly purchased land will become part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, a 90,000-acre patchwork of tracts that were purchased over the last 30 years to become corridors for the ocelot and other wildlife to travel. However beautiful, the landscape is biologically unique.
Homero Falcon 62, passed away on Monday, June 16, 2014 at his residence in Zapata. Mr. Falcon is preceded in death by his wife, Odilia C. Falcon and father, Roberto Falcon. Mr. Falcon is survived by his sons, Homero Falcon Jr., Jorge Luis Falcon; daughters, Cynthia Falcon, Maricela Falcon (Juan Carlos Riojas), Anna Lisa Falcon (Lorenzo Salinas, Jr.); grandchildren, Claudia Y. Boatright (Julian Santana), Robert J. Boatright (Yvonne Garcia), Luis A. Hinojosa (Lorena), Karina L. Hinojosa, Ashley R. Delgado, Delissa M. Peña, Miguel A. Delgado, Lorenzo Salinas III, Matthew R. Salinas; mother, Elma Zepeda; sister and brother, Maribel (Domingo) Garcia, Sergio Gonzalez and by numerous other family and friends. Visitation hours were held Wednesday, June 18, 2014, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession
departed Thursday, June 19, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata, Texas.
FAMILIES Continued from Page 1A The government currently operates only one such facility, in Berks County, Pennsylvania, with space for fewer than 100 people. Mayorkas said about 39,000 adults with children have been apprehended at the border since the start of the budget year in October. The administration has released an unspecified number of them into the U.S. in recent months with instructions to report later to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices. Mayorkas, the No. 2 official at the agency and former head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, told reporters he didn’t know how many people have been released or subsequently appeared as ordered. Mayorkas said the administration will also send more immigration judges, ICE attorneys and other immigration officials to the region to help process immigrants caught crossing the border illegally and, when possible, quickly return them to their home countries. Immigrants crossing the border illegally have overwhelmed U.S. immigration agencies. More than 174,000 people, mostly from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, have been arrested in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley this year. The spike in border crossers — southern Texas is now the busiest border crossing in the country — prompted the Homeland Security Department earlier this year to start send-
ing families to other parts of Texas and Arizona for processing before releasing them at local bus stops. Family detention has long been a contentious issue for Homeland Security. In 2009 the department was forced to shutter a large family detention center in Texas after legal challenges about the conditions of the facility. And in 2012, ICE abandoned plans to accept bids for a new family detention center in Texas amid complaints from advocates about the possibility of housing immigrant families in jails. Also Friday, House Speaker John Boehner urged President Barack Obama to send National Guard troops to the southern border to help deal with the surge of children and other immigrants. More than 52,000 children traveling alone have been caught crossing the border illegally since October. Former President George W. Bush deployed thousands of troops to the border during his second term to augment the Border Patrol as it bolstered its ranks. Since then, the agency has nearly doubled to more than 20,000 agents and the number of immigrants caught crossing the border illegally has declined overall. Mayorkas said the administration only recently received Boehner’s letter and will review it to understand how lawmakers envision the role of the National Guard.
Miguel Buruato, 95, passed away Tuesday, June 17, 2014, at Falcon Lake Nursing Home in Zapata. Mr. Buruato is preceded in death by his wife, Petra G. Buruato; son, Luis Lauro Buruato; grandson, Omar Rosas; brothers, Wenseslao, Inosencio, Donato, Salomon, Arturo and by sisters, Teresa Garza and Herlinda Molina. Mr. Buruato is survived by his sons, Miguel Angel (Marta) Buruato, Corando (Thelma) Buruato, Ramiro (Irma) Buruato, Ismael (Irma) Buruato, Sergio Buruato; daughters, Vilma (Val Jr.) Castillo, Thelma (Rodolfo) Bravo, Leticia (Eliseo) Rosas, Petra (Juan) Benavides, Sylvia Buruato; 26 grandchildren; 58 great-grandchildren; three great great grandchildren; and a sister, Adela B. Rodriguez and by numerous other family members and friends. Visitation hours were held Thursday, June 19, 2014, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home.
The funeral procession departed on Friday, June 20, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata, Texas.
SCHOOLS Continued from Page 1A witnesses were called. Instead, Assistant Attorney General James “Beau” Eccles detailed recent emails Dietz and his staff exchanged with school district attorneys while working on his final ruling. Eccles said they showed bias and that the state wasn’t aware they were sent until much later. “We really, really don’t want to be here asking for this, but under these circumstances, how could anyone feel confident at his impartiality?” Eccles said. He pointed to one message in May in which Dietz wrote to a school district attorney, “I’m trying to tread a line where I am coaching and hopefully reaching even greater heights.” Peeples asked if that wording meant Dietz was “walking a line between coaching and encouraging,” to which Eccles replied: “I’m not sure that I care,” saying the point was the judge was communicating exclusively with the school districts in an effort to improve their case. Mark Trachtenberg, representing school districts in wealthier areas of Texas, countered that communications between attorneys and the judge are common in civil cases, especially complicated ones — and that both sides and Dietz agreed early on to maintain a running dialogue to better manage a trial
that includes more than 15 lawyers, dozens of witnesses and tens of thousands of pages of evidence. “We think all of these communications reflect well on Judge Dietz and aren’t a basis for recusal,” Trachtenberg said. Trachtenberg also noted that the messages came after Dietz had already ruled in favor of the school districts once, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the final ruling he was compiling would side with them. He argued that Dietz reopened the case because he knew his decision would be appealed to the state Supreme Court and wanted the record to be updated, not because he’d changed his mind. “It was clear from every party, understood that Judge Dietz was sticking with his original ruling finding the system unconstitutional,” Trachtenberg said. Abbott, a Republican who is running for governor, is not arguing the case personally. But his Democratic opponent, state Sen. Wendy Davis, has accused him of deliberately delaying the proceedings so that Dietz’s final ruling doesn’t come until after the November election. Still, Eccles said fairness was more important than finishing the case quickly, imploring Peeples “to not rank judicial economy over judicial impartiality.”
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014
METHANE Such questions are the latest in a controversy that has pitted the Railroad Commission — which has long toed the line between industry watchdog and champion — against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and thrust Lipsky into the national discussion of the impacts of oil and gas drilling. In 2010, the EPA decided that Texas had no plans to act on complaints and charged Range Resources, a Fort Worth-based driller, with tainting the neighborhood’s water with methane, benzene and other substances. The agency ordered the driller to provide drinking water to Lipsky and one of his neighbors. A year after a Railroad Commission investigation cleared the company of all allegations, the EPA withdrew its order as part of a settlement in which Range agreed to share future well testing data. Throughout the saga, Range has maintained that it is not responsible for the methane and noted that
natural gas had migrated into some area water wells before it started drilling in 2006. “Every credible expert and agency that has examined this case over the last four years has determined that Range’s operations in no way caused or contributed to the longstanding and well-documented issue of naturally occurring methane in the Trinity aquifer,” a Range spokesman, Matt Pitzarella, said. Still, neighborhood residents continued to complain to the Railroad Commission, prompting the agency’s 11-page report in May. The agency found methane levels had increased in five of seven water wells tested from 2010 to September 2013, and a chemical analysis showed that the gas could have originated from the Barnett, or the much shallower Strawn formation, which lies just beneath the aquifer. Or, the report said, the methane might be the product of the mixing of gases or the oxidation of bacteria.
But citing information on well construction and faults below the surface, the report said evidence was “insufficient” to implicate the driller. The methane “may be attributed” to unrelated processes, including migration from Strawn, the report said. “Further investigation is not planned at this time.” Jackson, who has published some studies that suggest a link between groundwater contamination and drilling and some that dismiss it, said the data in the latest report could implicate Range because “the water quality is changing.” He noted that levels of ethane and propane in those wells have also increased, and neither of those are naturally occurring elements. He said he also disagreed with the conclusion that Range’s wells were not leaking. Through its spokeswoman, Ramona Nye, the commission refused interview requests with the report’s authors or other experts on staff.
Continued from Page 1A
Photo by Cooper Neill | The Texas Tribune
Steve Lipsky shows the methane contamination of his well by igniting the gas with a lighter outside his family’s home in Parker County near Weatherford, on Tuesday.
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors NBA DRAFT
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS: ZAPATA HAWKS
Grabbing success Photo by Orlin Wagner | AP
Top prospect Joel Embiid will wait to see his draft stock after the favorite for the NBA draft’s top pick had foot surgery Friday.
Courtesy photo
The Zapata girls’ golf team defended their district championship and even picked up the girls’ individual title.
Embiid undergoes surgery By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Zapata sports has a winning 2014 campaign Editor’s note: This is part two of a two-part series taking a look at the year in Zapata athletics.
By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
The fall season was only a prelude to what was coming to Zapata during the winter sports and the spring season which saw every team in the postseason. After all four teams clinched in the fall sport season, Zapata continued that streak during the winter in basketball
as the boys’ and girls’ teams made the playoffs. The Hawks took second place while the Lady Hawks were co-district champions with Lyford. Both teams won their first playoff game to claim the bi-district title, but bowed out in the area game. "Hard work, dedication, commitment from the girls was the key to our season," Zapata girls’ basketball coach Hector Garcia said. The spring sports kept the roll going as the weather heated up for Zapata starting with the diamond sports. The baseball team captured the District
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS
31-3A title while the softball team squeezed into that fourth spot in a very even district race. The baseball team was able to pick up a bi-district title but could not get over that area hump which has been haunting the program for some time. The softball team lost to a very tough Rio Hondo team in the three-game series to open the postseason. In the swing sports, golf and tennis each picked up a district title. The girls’ golf team successfully defended their
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Top prospect Joel Embiid had surgery on the stress fracture in his right foot Friday, and now he waits. He waits to see how far he falls in the NBA draft Thursday night. He waits to see how long it will be before he can hit the court again. He waits to see how he responds to an injury that has a history of giving NBA big men problems. The Kansas center, who was in the running to be taken No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers, had two screws inserted into the navicular bone in his right foot at Southern California Orthopedic Institute, according to a re-
See ZAPATA PAGE 2B See EMBIID PAGE 2B
NCAA COLLEGE WORLD SERIES: TEXAS 4, VANDERBILT 0
File photo by LM Otero | AP
Photo by Brendan Sullivan | AP
Eagle Stadium at Allen High School in Allen, Texas has major flaws, as the recently-built $60 million high school stadium was designed poorly throughout the facility, from the concourse to the scoreboard according to the district.
Texas’ Brooks Marlow celebrates his second-inning triple against Vanderbilt in a College World Series game in Omaha, Neb. on Friday.
$60M Texas stadium has major flaws
Longhorns shutout Vandy Texas moves on to second bracket final against Commodores Saturday By ERIC OLSON
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ALLEN, Texas — A North Texas school district said Thursday that its $60 million high school football stadium has design flaws throughout the facility, with problems in the concourse, press box and scoreboard. Eagle Stadium, the palatial facility that opened two years ago, had to be closed earlier this year after officials discovered that extensive cracking in the concourse’s concrete was a sign of structural problems. The school district released a summary of a forensics firm’s report Thursday. The firm found problems with the
concourse, the structure and support columns of the press box, and the south scoreboard, which features a high-definition video board — one of the major amenities of the stadium. Officials hope to have Eagle Stadium re-opened for Allen High School’s graduation in spring 2015. Its state champion football team has already moved its home games for 2014 to neighboring Plano. The firm, Nelson Forensics, estimates in a summary of its findings that the stadium could be ready by May 2015 if construction begins this summer.
See STADIUM PAGE 2B
ASSOCIATED PRESS
OMAHA, Neb. — Nathan Thornhill and John Curtiss pitched Texas’ second straight shutout at the College World Series, and the Longhorns forced a second bracket final against Vanderbilt with a 4-0 victory Friday. The Longhorns (46-20) and Commodores (48-20) will meet again Saturday, with the winner advancing to the best-of-three finals against Virginia or Mississippi. Those teams played a bracket final Friday night. For the second straight game, Texas pitchers didn’t allow a runner past second base. The Longhorns have held opponents scoreless 19 straight innings and
have given up four runs in their four games in Omaha. Texas scored twice in each of the first two innings to lead 4-0, with a couple of the runs crossing the plate as a result of quirky plays. The Longhorns are batting just .198 at the CWS, but have won three of four games. For them, it’s all about pitching. Chad Hollingsworth and Travis Duke combined on a four-hit shutout against UC Irvine on Wednesday, and Thornhill (9-3) led Texas to its 13th shutout of the season by holding Vanderbilt to six singles in eight innings. Curtiss pitched a 1-2-3 ninth. Vanderbilt starter Tyler Ferguson (8-4) lasted just two-thirds of an inning. Reliever Brian Mill-
er went the rest of the way, holding Texas to four hits and striking out eight. The Commodores were without third baseman Xavier Turner, who was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for the rest of the CWS for an unspecified rules violation. Tyler Campbell, who had appeared in 14 games and had a total of 15 at-bats, started in Turner’s place and went 2 for 3. The Longhorns scored in some unusual ways to take the early lead. After Texas loaded the bases in the first against Ferguson on two hit batters and a walk, C.J. Hinojosa sent a low line drive up
See TEXAS PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014
TCU’s College World Series’ run ends By ERIC OLSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
OMAHA, Neb. — All TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle could do this time was credit the team that eliminated his Horned Frogs from the College World Series. In losing 6-4 to Mississippi on Thursday night, the Frogs left the bases loaded in one inning, went 0 for 9 with two outs and failed to get another hit after Kevin Cron homered to tie it in the fifth inning. “We set the table a couple of times and Derek (Odell) smoked a ball that was run down, and we had other opportunities,” Schlossnagle said. “Just wasn’t meant to be.” Two nights earlier, after a 15inning loss to Virginia, Schlossnagle expressed his frustration over the factors that have made it a struggle to produce offense in college baseball, especially against the prevailing winds at the massive TD Ameritrade Park. “I thought today was a really clean college baseball game,” he said. “There were some walks and hit batters, but I felt like when the ball got hit hard, it went out of the ballpark. When it didn’t quite get hit hard enough, it stayed in the ballpark. And that’s the way it’s supposed to be.” Ole Miss (48-20) advanced to play No. 3 national seed Virginia on Friday night. The Rebels would need to beat the Cavaliers (51-14) on Friday and again Saturday to reach next week’s best-of-three championship series.
Photo by Ted Kirk | AP
Mississippi’s Auston Bousfield runs past TCU catcher Kyle Bacak on his way to score as the Rebels won 6-4 eliminating the Horned Frogs Thursday. The other bracket has unbeaten Vanderbilt (51-14) against Texas (45-20). Will Allen and Sikes Orvis combined for six of Ole Miss’ 11 hits against the Frogs. Allen, the Rebels’ regular catcher who was the designated hitter to rest a sore shoulder, snapped out of a mini-slump with three hits and three RBIs. The Rebels put up the most runs allowed by TCU (48-18) in 16 games, and they did it against a pitching staff that came in with a nation-leading
2.16 ERA. Ole Miss won its fourth elimination game in the NCAA tournament. “It’s just something with this team, when our back’s up against the wall, we play really good baseball,” Allen said. “Just a tough team, a very confident team. And we’ve continued to do it throughout the whole season.” Allen, a .336 hitter for the year, was batting .219 in his previous eight games and was 0 for 8 in the CWS when he stepped
to the plate in the third inning. His two-out, two-run double produced a 3-0 lead, he had the tiebreaking base hit in the seventh, and he scored an insurance run after he singled in the ninth. Allen had been struggling with a sore right shoulder the entire postseason. Austin Knight played a strong game behind the plate and set up a run in the third inning with a sacrifice. Three Mississippi relievers held TCU without a hit after
Cron’s homer. Josh Laxer (3-2) worked 2 2-3 innings for the win, and Aaron Greenwood went the last 1 1-3 innings for his fifth save. Jordan Kipper (8-3), who relieved struggling TCU starter Tyler Alexander, took the loss. Alexander, TCU’s first 10game winner in four years, struggled for a second straight start after he won six in a row. He gave up consecutive hits to start the fourth and left with his team down three runs. Ole Miss starter Sam Smith lost his control and didn’t make it out of the fourth, either. Laxer came on with the bases loaded and issued a two-out walk to Cody Jones that tied it 3-all. Derek Odell hit a long fly that J.B. Woodman caught near the warning track to end the inning. Each team added a run in the fifth, with Cron driving Laxer’s high fastball 10 rows into the stands in left field for the CWS’ second homer in 10 games. “It doesn’t quite feel the same now that we didn’t get the win, but at the time, it was a big part of the game to get that run back,” Cron said. “But it’s somewhat bittersweet, obviously.” Laxer and freshman Wyatt Short combined to retire nine straight after Cron’s homer. TCU threatened in the eighth, putting runners on first and second with one out. But Short struck out Dylan Fitzgerald, and Greenwood came on and got Keaton Jones to ground to shortstop, with Errol Robinson pumping his fist after throwing out Jones.
Peverley still recovering from heart attack ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Dallas Stars forward Rich Peverley says he is working hard to return to the NHL ice after suffering a heart attack during a game three months ago. “If I can play, great; if I can’t, then I’ll deal with that at that time,” he told The Dallas Morning News in a telephone interview from his home in Guelph, Ontario. Peverley had been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat before the season and had a procedure to address the problem. In the 62nd game he played last season, though, he collapsed on the bench when his heart stopped. Team medical personnel quickly
moved him off the bench and revived him, he was discharged from the hospital two days later. On March 1, he underwent cardiac ablation surgery and has been recovering since. An important part of his rehabilitation, he said, has been to increase his workout intensity, and with it his heart rate. “I’ve been able to do more and use my upper body, so I definitely feel like I’m making progress. But it’s just the start. I have a long way to go,” he said. The NHL revealed Wednesday that the 31-yearold hockey journeyman will present the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas next week. The award goes to the player
“who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” It is named after the former the onetime center for the Minnesota North Stars, the Dallas Stars’ predecessor, who collapsed on the ice during a game and died of a brain injury in 1968. Peverley said he will return to Dallas sometime this summer for follow-up testing by the Stars. The Stars are being patient with Peverley’s recovery, general manager Jim Nill said. “I would say he’s being monitored over the next eight weeks just to see where things go and then kind of sit down with the doctors and kind of consult moving forward,” he said.
ZAPATA Continued from Page 1B district championship and even picked up the girls’ individual title. Meanwhile, the boys’ were the runner-ups at the District 31-3A district golf meet. "Great season overall for both teams," Zapata golf coach Clyde Guerra Jr. said. "We competed for the top spot in every tournament we attended. Very excited about our future, our middle school program is strong and growing." On the tennis courts, it was a district championship for the Hawks. They won the boys’ and girls’ championship at three of the six tournaments they competed in. All 10 seniors also received Academic All-State recognition from the Texas High School Coaches Association. "We had the best tennis season ever at ZHS," Zapata tennis coach Robert Alvarez said. "In spring regionals all our players reached the quarterfinals and semis. We just could not break through to get to state. Our kids were great all year. They worked hard in
practice and competed with everything they had. They were also great off the courts." The girls’ powerlifting team had all 20 of its athletes qualify for regionals and had two regional champions. The team also placed second at the regional meet as 12 girls made it to the state meet and placed fourth as a team. On the boys’ side, there were eight regional qualifiers and two moved on to the state meet as they placed fourth and fifth in their respective division. During the season, the girls’ team was ranked No. 11 in the nation. "Once again both the boys’ and girls’ team were fighting for regional and state titles," girls’ powerlifting coach Veronica Arce said. "Zapata High School is well known around the state for their elite lifters. They are consistently fighting for top rankings year end and year out." Clara Sandoval can be reached at Sandoval.Clara@Gmail.com.
Dallas center Rich Peverley is still on his way back from suffering a heart attack during a game last season.
EMBIID Continued from Page 1B lease distributed by agent Arn Tellem. “The surgery went very well and I’m confident that after appropriate healing he will be able to return to NBA basketball,” said Dr. Richard Ferkel, who performed the surgery, said in the release. “Joel tolerated the surgery without difficulty and will begin his rehabilitation in the near future.” While it is the same injury that Houston Rockets center Yao Ming suffered twice and ultimately retired because of, it’s impossible to say how Embiid will recover this early in the process. Bill Walton also was slowed by the injury, but that was more than 30 years ago while Zydrunas Ilgauskas was able to make a full recovery from his broken navicular bone and resume a long and productive career. It is not immediately clear how long Embiid will be out, with estimations ranging from nine months to a full season de-
STADIUM Continued from Page 1B The 18,000-seat stadium features a second deck on one sideline and vendor stands hawking Chick-fil-A and Texas barbeque. The stadium has stood out for its features and glamour even in Texas, where high school football under the “Friday Night Lights” have been mythologized in print and television. The district has insisted that the
File photo by Paul Sancya | AP
original architect and contractor pay for all repairs to the stadium. “This district did everything it should have done with regards to this stadium,” Allen Superintendent Lance Hindt said Thursday, according to KXAS-TV. “This is not a black eye, I’ve said that from the beginning, for Allen ISD, nor a black eye for the city of Allen.”
pending on how the rehabilitation process goes. The lack of clarity has turned the top of the draft into a crapshoot. Kansas guard Andrew Wiggins and Duke forward Jabari Parker were the two names mentioned most often with Embiid at the top of the draft, with Australian point guard Dante Exum an intriguing, but largely unknown, long-shot possibility. A lithe and super-athletic 7footer with nimble footwork and a soft shooting touch, Embiid has drawn comparisons to Hakeem Olajuwon and, after an impressive workout in front of NBA teams in California this month, seemed to be distancing himself from Wiggins and Parker in the eyes of many talent evaluators. But the Cavaliers passed on injured Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel with the No. 1 pick last year and are eager to get back into the playoffs after a four-year absence. So taking a chance on an injured Embiid may not be in
their plans Thursday night and the Milwaukee Bucks, sitting at No. 2, could also use immediate help as they begin their first season under new ownership. That could drop Embiid to the Philadelphia 76ers, who are preaching patience in the second year of a massive tear-down and rebuild under GM Sam Hinkie. The Sixers acquired Noel, who was recovering from a torn ACL, on draft night last year and sat him out for the entire season. Could they take the same approach for a second straight season? Assuming a full recovery, an Embiid-Noel frontcourt with Michael Carter-Williams running the point could be a dynamic core to get the 76ers back to relevance in the wide open Eastern Conference. After the Sixers at No. 3, the Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers all wait in the wings. And so does Embiid.
TEXAS Continued from Page 1B the middle. Second baseman Dansby Swanson was there to start a possible double play, but umpire Mark Uyl couldn’t dodge the ball. The ball struck Uyl, meaning the play was dead immediately, and runners by rule were allowed to advance one base. That allowed Brooks
Marlow to score from third. In the second, after Zane Gurwitz tripled, Vanderbilt right fielder Rhett Wiseman came up short when he dived to catch Marlow’s dying fly. The ball rolled to the warning track and Marlow ended up on third. Marlow came home when
Miller, after tagging Mark Payton on a close play at first, dropped the ball as he rolled on his back after a near collision with the Payton. Firstbase umpire Jeff Head initially called Payton out, then reversed himself, and the call stood after an umpire conference.
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014
“
HELOISE
Dear Heloise: My son’s BASEBALL CAPS get filthy with sweat and dirt. Do you have hints on how to clean the caps while keeping their shape? — Sandra L. in Oklahoma As long as the caps are washable, and not old or valuable, there are a couple of things to try. Try hand-washing the caps using a gentle soap (laundry detergent or shampoo) and water. Scrub the stains gently, inside and out, with a toothbrush. Under running water, rinse the caps, then shake out the water or pat the caps with a towel. Hang to dry, then place on an upside-down bowl or canister to keep its shape. Another Heloise hint is to use the dishwasher. Attach the caps with clothespins to the TOP rack of the dishwasher. After the rinse cycle, take out the caps to air-
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
dry. — Heloise PET PAL Dear Readers: T.V. sent a picture, via email, of her Chihuahua, Booter, peeking his head over the blankets. Booter loves to be held in her arms like a baby, and is always ready to have his picture taken. To see Booter’s picture, go to my website, www.Heloise.com, and click on "Pets." — Heloise BLOCK OUT Dear Heloise: When I read your column about rooms being too bright to sleep and you said to check for light-emitting things, I had to share what I do. I bought a square of black felt. I cut it to the size I needed and covered my VCR clock, light on the answering machine, etc. It makes a world of difference in the room. — Roberta S., Judsonia, Ark. SHARP SCISSORS Dear Heloise: I have found another use for aluminum foil. Whenever my scissors need a quick sharpening, I cut through several layers of aluminum foil, and they work like new! Hope this helps your other readers! — Sandy in Tennessee
4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014