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NUEVO LAREDO, MEXICO
ZAPATA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Business owner killed
Drug confiscation 2 separate cases net 1,000 pounds of marijuana By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ
Officials: Mora found with gunshot to the head THE ZAPATA TIMES
A well-known Nuevo Laredo, Mexico businessman was found dead Wednesday, several sources told the Zapata Times. Sergio Carlos Mora Medina, 65, owner of a wrecker service, Grúas Mora, and father of Sergio Mora, former Webb County Democratic Party chair, was found with a gunshot MORA wound to the head, authorities said. His body was dumped at Parque Polvo Enamorado, a Southeast Nuevo Laredo park located near the riverbanks just north of Colonia Infonavit, said a Mexican federal source who spoke on the condition of anonymity. A city official with knowledge of the incident said Mora was kid-
THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata County Sheriff’s Office deputies confiscated nearly 1,000 pounds of marijuana and arrested two people on felony drug charges in separate enforcement actions, authorities announced this week. The first seizure took place June 26 when deputies pulled over a brown Ford pickup for a traffic violation just south of the Veleño Bridge. The deputy approached the pickup and noticed large bundles covered in the
back seat, according to sheriff’s officials. Deputies counted 21 bundles of marijuana. The contraband GUZMAN weighed 439 pounds and had an estimated street value of $351,200. Authorities identified the driver as Linda Rosa Martinez, 44. She bonded out June 27. The second marijuana sei-
zure occurred Monday. That day, deputies attempted a traffic stop on a white Dodge pickup along U.S. Hwy 83 MARTINEZ South. A pursuit ensued down Monterrey Lane into the Siesta Shores neighborhood. Identified as the driver, Roberto Guzman, 31, abandoned his vehicle but was later found hiding inside a
mobile home, according to authorities. Deputies seized 22 bundles of marijuana from the pickup weighing 489 pounds. The pot was valued at $391,200. Guzman remained behind bars at the Zapata Regional Jail, custody records show. Guzman and Martinez face possession of marijuana charges, a second-degree felony that could carry two to 20 years in prison. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS
RED, WHITE AND BLUE
See MORA PAGE 11A
CBP
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
U.S. CBP Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske, left, shakes hands with members of the U.S. Border Patrol Horse Patrol Unit on Thursday.
Chief stops in Laredo
Photo by Matt York | AP
People wave flags as the Independence Day parade rolls down Main Street, on Friday, in Eagar, Ariz. The Northern Arizona town celebrates the Fourth of July annually with a parade and fireworks.
United States marks 238 years as independent nation ASSOCIATED PRESS
T
More than 220 deaths along the southwest border have been reported by U.S. Border Patrol so far this year. That includes 34 water-related deaths, 14 of which occurred in the Rio Grande Valley. “The journey (to the United States) is too dangerous. Children will not get legal papers if they make it. They are the future — let’s protect them.” That’s the message federal authorities want to disseminate with the Dan-
he United States marks 238 years as an independent nation as it celebrates the Fourth of July with fireworks, food and music. Nature and politics also play a role this year, with Hurricane Arthur crashing holiday parties along the East Coast and subdued festivities in Moscow amid growing antiAmerican sentiment over the crisis in Ukraine. Here are some highlights of Independence Day celebrations across the globe:
See CBP PAGE 12A
See CELEBRATIONS PAGE 12A
By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Photo by Laurie Skrivan | AP
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
Saturday, July 5
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Used book sale, hosted by First United Methodist Church. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hardback books are $1, paperback books 50 cents, and magazines and children’s books 25 cents.
Today is Saturday, July 5, the 186th day of 2014. There are 179 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On July 5, 1954, Elvis Presley’s first commercial recording session took place at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee; the song he recorded was “That’s All Right.” On this date: In 1687, Isaac Newton first published his Principia Mathematica, a three-volume work setting out his mathematical principles of natural philosophy. In 1811, Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain. In 1865, William Booth founded the Salvation Army in London. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act. In 1943, the Battle of Kursk began during World War II; in the weeks that followed, the Soviets were able to repeatedly repel the Germans, who eventually withdrew in defeat. In 1946, the bikini, created by Louis Reard (ray-AHRD’), was modeled by Micheline Bernardini during a poolside fashion show in Paris. In 1947, Larry Doby made his debut with the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first black player in the American League. In 1962, independence took effect in Algeria; the same day, civilians of European descent, mostly French, came under attack by extremists in the port city of Oran. In 1975, Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win a Wimbledon singles title as he defeated Jimmy Connors. In 1984, the Supreme Court weakened the 70-year-old “exclusionary rule,” deciding that evidence seized in good faith with defective court warrants could be used against defendants in criminal trials. In 1989, “The Seinfeld Chronicles,” the pilot to the situation comedy “Seinfeld,” aired on NBC-TV. Ten years ago: In a stinging rebuke, Mexican President Vicente Fox’s chief of staff, Alfonso Durazo, resigned; in a 19-page letter, Durazo said he objected to first lady Marta Sahagun’s presidential ambitions and claimed the administration was repeating some of the vices of the old ruling party that Fox had unseated after seven decades in power. Five years ago: A bankruptcy judge ruled that General Motors Corp. could sell the bulk of its assets to a new company, clearing the way for the automaker to emerge from bankruptcy protection. One year ago: Pope Francis cleared two of the 20th Century’s most influential popes to become saints in the Roman Catholic church, approving a miracle needed to canonize Pope John Paul II and waiving Vatican rules to honor Pope John XXIII. Today’s Birthdays: Actress Katherine Helmond is 85. Actress Shirley Knight is 78. Singer-musician Robbie Robertson is 71. Julie Nixon Eisenhower is 66. Rock star Huey Lewis is 64. Baseball Hall-of-Fame pitcher Rich “Goose” Gossage is 63. Singersongwriter Marc Cohn is 55. Thought for Today: “Without promotion something terrible happens: Nothing!” — P.T. Barnum, American showman (born this date 1810, died 1891).
Monday, July 7 Laredo Soups monthly microfinance dinner. 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Holding Institute, 1102 Santa Maria Ave. $5 for soup, salad, bread and a vote to micro-fund a community project. Four presentations. Contact tfriar@gmail.com or 771-9671.
Thursday, July 10 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. Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Contact Beverly Cantu at 7270589 for more information. “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.
Photo by WFAA-TV | AP
This photo from video provided by WFAA-TV in Dallas shows the aftermath of a fireworks explosion in Comanche, on Thursday. A trailer loaded with fireworks exploded near a Texas high school, killing one person and injuring three other people who were setting up for a Fourth of July show. It’s unclear what triggered the explosion.
1 killed, 3 hurt in explosion ASSOCIATED PRESS
Friday, July 11 Free Chick-fil-A at Chick-fil-A North Laredo (Loop 20). Visit the restaurant and dress up like a cow from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. to get free food.
Thursday, July 17 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. Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Contact Beverly Cantu at 7270589 for more information. “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.
COMANCHE — A trailer loaded with fireworks exploded Thursday near a Texas high school, killing one person and injuring three other people who were setting up for a Fourth of July show, authorities said. It’s unclear what triggered the explosion, which occurred near a baseball field adjacent to the high school in Comanche, a town of about 4,300 people about 100 miles southwest of Fort Worth, fire department spokesman Lt. Marcus Nettleton said. The trailer was hooked to a pickup truck. Members of the Kiwanis Club were setting up the fireworks for a Friday celebration. Nettleton said one club member, local chiropractor Russell Reynolds, died at the scene, and three others were hospitalized with serious injuries.
The club has organized the fireworks show for the past 24 years with no previous mishaps, Nettleton said. Christine Perkins, executive director of the Comanche Chamber of Commerce, said Friday’s Fourth of July events have been canceled. She said the fireworks show has been one of the largest in the region, drawing 15,000 people, many from metropolitan areas such as Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin. “We’re still in shock,” she said. “And definitely in a community our size, there will be some kind of ceremony” to recognize the victims, she said. The agency has a permit on file that authorized Friday’s pyrotechnics, said Rachel Moreno, spokeswoman for the fire marshal’s office. The permit listed Reynolds as one of two pyrotechnic operators for the event.
Thursday, July 24 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. Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Contact Beverly Cantu at 7270589 for more information. “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.
Friday, July 25 Alumni night for 25th reunion of J.W. Nixon High School Class of 1989. 8 p.m. to midnight. LIFE Fairgrounds and Branding Iron. $25 per person. Facebook: J.W. Nixon Eightynine.
Saturday, July 26 Dinner and dance for 25th reunion of J.W. Nixon High School Class of 1989. 8 p.m. to midnight. Embassy Suites. $30 per person. Facebook: J.W. Nixon Eightynine.
Firefighters treated, released after collapse
15 migrants found in sweltering tractor-trailer
Schools get state OK to exceed class limits
FORT WORTH — Two Fort Worth firefighters have escaped serious injuries after part of a ceiling and roof collapsed during a house fire. Fire officials say the fire destroyed a garage and burned off half the roof. Five family members, two adults and three children, escaped unharmed. The cause remained under investigation.
FALFURRIAS — Federal officials say 15 migrants attempting to enter the country illegally have been found in a sweltering tractor-trailer at a South Texas border checkpoint. The U.S. Border Patrol says the group was discovered during an inspection early Thursday in Falfurrias (fal-FYOO’-ree-uhs. Officials say they will be returned to their countries.
AUSTIN — More than 1,200 schools across Texas have been granted a state exemption that allows them to exceed limits on class sizes. The Texas Education Agency allowed 1,272 elementary schools to exceed the 22-pupil limit in kindergarten through fourth grade.
Source: UT president’s resignation demanded
2 jailed after caught with $43,000 in fake cash
AUSTIN — The University of Texas System chancellor has told University of Texas at Austin President Bill Powers that he must either resign or be fired. A person with direct knowledge of the conversation between Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa and Powers says Cigarroa told Powers he must resign before the July 10 Board of Regents meeting.
BROWNSVILLE — Two men are in custody in the Rio Grande Valley after police found they had $43,000 in counterfeit $100 bills. Cameron County prosecutors say 27-year-old Lavarus Armstead and 33-year-old Brandon Neville Smith are charged with evading arrest and forgery. The two were apprehended after leading police on a car chase.
Immigrants screened at West Texas hospitals EL PASO — The Border Patrol in West Texas will use local hospitals to perform health screenings of immigrants apprehended crossing the border. Border Patrol spokesman Ramiro Cordero told the El Paso Times that they’ve met with local hospitals to find “the most ideal process of handling any undocumented immigrants flown into El Paso from South Texas.” — Compiled from AP reports
Monday, July 28 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.
Thursday, July 31 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. Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Contact Beverly Cantu at 7270589 for more information. “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. Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com.
AROUND THE NATION Thousands pray for peace at Rainbow Family fest SALT LAKE CITY — About 8,000 members of counterculture group the Rainbow Family have arrived in eastern Utah for the annual gathering’s final celebration. Members on Friday joined hands in prayer for world peace, releasing one big “om.” The ritual takes place every year on July 4th. The group was formed in the wake of the Vietnam War. Its creed revolves around nonviolence. Last year, the gathering drew 10,000 to Montana. Authorities expect most members to head home on Sunday.
Bear attacks jogger, her dogs in Montana COLUMBIA FALLS, Mont. — State wildlife officials are trying to trap a bear that attacked a fe-
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John David Dowdle holds his 23-month-old Blakely Dowdle as she laughs while being sprayed with water by the Germantown Fire Department during the Poplar Estates Fourth of July parade in Germantown, Tenn., on Friday. male jogger and her dogs on U.S. Forest Service land in northwestern Montana. Initial reports indicate the bear first attacked the woman’s dogs and then went after her late Thursday morning north of Columbia Falls. The bear then left
the area. Fish, Wildlife and Parks investigator Brian Sommers says the woman suffered several bites and claw wounds. She was treated and released from the hospital in Whitefish. — 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, JULY 5, 2014
Urbanfest set for Sunday at the LEA Lineup includes 50 bands, artists By GABRIELA A. TREVIÑO THE ZAPATA TIMES
Over 50 bands and artists have been confirmed for the fifth annual Urbanfest, taking place at the Laredo Energy Arena on Sunday from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. The event has been organized by David Perez, owner of tdK Boutique and CEO of Too Dope Brand. His sister, Mari Perez, has been acting as the accounting manager for Urbanfest. “It keeps growing every year … it’s not just a concert,” Perez said. The first two years after its inception, the event was held at Karma Lounge. In its third year, Urbanfest was held at the Civic Center. This will be the second year the event will take place at the LEA. Although acts in hip hop, reggaeton, rock and DJs are scheduled to perform, the event will also showcase fine art, fashion, dance and sports such as skateboarding and wrestling. Local restaurant Caffe Dolce, which doubles as a café and art gallery, is organizing an effort to showcase artists who have shown their work in their space. A jazz band will perform as spectators admire the artwork by local artists on display. Cosmo’s Bar and Grill is sponsoring the performance of Chicago-based DJ Trentino. He is the 2013 Red Bull Thre3Style US Champion, whose music has been featured on MTV, VH1, ESPN, Oxygen and the Style Network.
The Laredo Border Slam Poetry group and the Laredo Wrestling Association will be showcasing their talents inside the LEA. Outside, spectators can enjoy watching the skills of local skateboarders and rollerbladers on a ramp that will be set up especially for the event. Perez said the event is meant to encourage and praise creative youth culture. Urbanfest will be a hub of talent, hoping to act as a catalyst for more creative minds to showcase their talents. “The young generation is into a lot of different things,” she said. Encompassing the worlds of art, music, fashion and dance, Urbanfest is sure to have something for all ages and tastes. In a press release for the event, David Perez said the event was open for families and people of all ages. “Our goal is to knock down barriers by bringing different groups together using major passion points such as music and art. We believe with this strategy, we can fight the battle against drugs and violence in our communities and create the best avenues for the young minds of Laredo,” the statement reads. Presale tickets are available at the LEA box office, at tdK Boutique at Mall del Norte and Ticketmaster for $23. Tickets at the door will be $28. (Gabriela A. Treviño may be reached at 956-7282579 or gtrevino@lmtonline.com)
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
LCC building gets makeover THE ZAPATA TIMES
Over the last several years, Laredo Community College students have grown accustomed to the sight and sounds of renovation at the Fort McIntosh Campus. With new buildings sprouting up and older buildings undergoing a technological and structural renovation, the face of LCC, the college said, is changing for the better. In early 2012, renovation began on the Adkins Building, which houses LCC’s English and Communications Department, as part of the second phase of a facilities master plan to modernize and improve existing facilities on campus. Most LCC students are familiar with the building, having taken a composition, literature, speech, reading or developmental course there during their time at the college. When the building was reopened later that same year, students and faculty were given greater access to the technology they need to succeed at LCC, thanks to the improve-
Courtesy photo
Projectors linked directly to computers within the classroom help LCC instructors like English and Communications Department Chair Amelia Arguijo weave technology into their lessons. ments in the building. Having had more than a year to settle in, department Chair Amelia Arguijo, who has been with LCC for seven years, has seen a marked improvement in the morale among faculty and students thanks to the renovation. “Our faculty and students were asking for these improvements, and now we’re in heaven,” she said. It is hard to recognize the older Adkins Building when looking at the stained glass windows or lounging on the comfort-
able furniture while studying or socializing between classes. But, more importantly, the refurbished classrooms now give faculty and students direct access to the technology needed to succeed in an increasingly technological world. Gone are the days of checking out a TV/VCR combo and having to lug it to the classroom. All classrooms are equipped with projectors that connect to the classroom’s computer, and the building is outfitted with WiFi. Students also have ac-
cess to iPads and tablets should they be needed for class. The building also houses the Manuel Blanco Writing Center, which is run by the department in conjunction with the Title V Focus on Student Success grant. The Writing Center has long been a home for students searching for tutoring services or for access to computers. “Students have access to the computers, software and tutors all day, and students can always find help here if they need it,” Arguijo said. During the summer, the Writing Center is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition to the Writing Center, the Adkins Building also houses eight computer labs for classroom instruction, and instructors have access to computers on wheels. Arguijo said she views the renovation as a boost for both students and faculty and has noticed that direct access to technology in the classroom has created a better learning environment.
THE BLOTTER ACCIDENT Fernando Garcia-Lopez was arrested and charged with accident involving damage to vehicle June 25 in the 400 block of Falcon Shore Drive.
ASSAULT Claudia Yvonne Salazar and Erika Liliana Salazar were arrested and charged with assault June 23 in the 1500 block of Jackson Street.
BURGLARY Crystal Lee Paredes was arrested and charged with burglary
of habitation June 24 in the 1500 block of Jackson Street.
CRIMINAL MISCHIEF David Andrew Garza was arrested and charged with criminal mischief June 25 along U.S. 83 in Zapata.
DUI Jose Thomas Cuellar was arrested and charged with driving under the influence June 28 in the intersection of Seventh Avenue and Texas 16. Omar Jimenez was arrested
and charged with driving under the influence June 29 in the intersection of FM 496 Road and Kennedy Street.
DWI Joel Arnulfo Vargas was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated Wednesday in the intersection of Seventh Street and Texas 16. Santos Galaviz was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated with open container June 23 along North U.S. 83 in Zapata.
POSSESSION
Noe Guadalupe was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance June 28 in the intersection of U.S. 83 and 20th Avenue. Enrique Flores Jr. was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance June 28 between Seventh and 10th avenues. Ricardo Flores was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance Tuesday in the intersection of U.S. 83 and Monterrey Lane. Larry James Boatright was arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia Tuesday in the intersection of U.S. 83 and Monterrey Lane.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COMMENTARY
OTHER VIEWS
Problems deserve attention By DENNIS ROSS SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON POST
Rarely have the psychological gaps between Israelis and Palestinians been greater. The kidnapping of three teenagers in the West Bank traumatized Israeli society, which celebrates and cherishes its children. On the Palestinian side, the kidnapping was initially celebrated as a means to get prisoners released from Israeli jails; the fact that the kidnappers made no demands did not seem to register with the members of the Palestinian public who adopted a three-finger gesture, symbolizing the three Israeli teens, as a sign of potential victory. But there was no victory, only the killing of the teens, Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar and Naftali Fraenkel, followed by the killing of Palestinian teenager Mohammad Abu Khieder, possibly in reprisal. These slayings will surely widen the gaps, with the Israeli public feeling deep anger and the Palestinians feeling they are again the victims of Israeli power. Moreover, with Hamas operatives believed responsible for the Israeli teenagers’ killings, there may also be serious escalation between Israel and Hamas, particularly in Gaza. Making peace in such an environment seems farfetched, to say the least. Unfortunately, the gaps between Israelis and Palestinians have developed over a long period. For Israelis, the Palestinian rejection of far-reaching peace offers from Ehud Barak and Bill Clinton in 2000 was one thing; the fact that it was followed by the suicide bombings of the second intifada was quite another. Similarly, Israel’s unilateral withdrawals from Lebanon in 2000 and Gaza in 2005 were followed first by Hezbollah and Hamas dominance and later by rockets, suggesting that Israeli concessions produced not peace but violence. For Palestinians, the Oslo process that began in 1993 failed to produce statehood but did yield an ever-larger Israeli settler presence. They saw security cooperation with the Israelis producing only limited autonomy. In their eyes, both negotiations and violence failed to produce independence and the fulfillment of Palestinian national aspirations. As someone who has long sought to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians, I have worried as the signs of disbelief on each side have grown. Today, it seems that neither Israelis nor Palestinians believe the other is committed to a two-state outcome. For most of the past decade, strong majorities on each side supported a twostate solution, but this support is eroding. On the Palestinian side, disbelief became evident in polls, with those favoring two states declining from close to 80 percent at the high point of the Oslo process to a narrow majority last year. Now, in a new poll commissioned by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a majority of Palestinians favor a one-state outcome. In this poll, only about a third of Palestinians supported two states as a means to produce peace. In other words, Palestinians appear either to reject or have given up on two states. Is this because
the continuing disbelief has finally taken its toll? Maybe. After all, the same poll shows little support for violence and even a readiness for Palestinians to work in Israel for higher pay. The Israel Democracy Institute peace index shows that a majority of Israelis still favor two states, but they remain convinced it will never happen. Ironically, the one thing Israelis and Palestinians share is their doubts about the possibility of achieving two states. There is one other irony: Today in the Middle East no one seems to care about Israeli-Palestinian peace. With the horrific conflict in Syria, the threat in Iraq of the Islamic State, the existential struggle in Egypt between President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Islamists and the proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the region’s concerns lie elsewhere. In light of the regional realities, many commentators have argued that Secretary of State John Kerry should not have focused such time and attention on the peace process. I was not one of them. While I understood that Israeli-Palestinian peace would not transform the region, I also saw that neglecting this issue would deepen the disbelief and make an eventual agreement harder to achieve - and we surely didn’t need instability between Israelis and Palestinians to add to the upheaval in the Middle East. However, now our diplomacy must take account of the two different worlds that Israelis and Palestinians see. It must also incorporate the lessons from Kerry’s good-faith effort to overcome the gaps on the core issues of the conflict. He made progress, but the landscape has changed. Good statecraft requires marrying objectives and means - and the prospect today of achieving a formal peace agreement that resolves the questions of borders, security, settlements, refugees and Jerusalem is nil. That, however, cannot be an argument for walking away from diplomatic efforts. Much like in dealing with the rest of the challenges in the region, our choices cannot be limited to solving the problem or doing nothing. In the case of the Israelis and Palestinians, our first objective should be to prevent a further deterioration - and the cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian security forces on the kidnapping could be something to build on. Our next objective should be to broker parallel steps that would not require formal agreements but could improve the situation. Israelis could start by opening Area C - 60 percent of the West Bank - to Palestinian industrial projects and housing construction, something that meets an acute Palestinian need and would resonate. Palestinians could forgo further steps to join international organizations or to try to prosecute Israeli officials in the International Criminal Court, actions the Israelis see as part of an effort to delegitimize Israel. The results may not be heroic, but they will reflect the essence of smart statecraft: Change the circumstances so that what you cannot achieve today you can achieve tomorrow or in time.
COLUMN
Iraq: Vietnam redux?
“
KEN HERMAN
AUSTIN — It hurts to be so right about how that exceptional nation has been so wrong. I’ve said (feared?) for years that whether we stayed in Iraq for a month or a decade, all hell — or something like it — would break out shortly after we went home. During my years of covering the George W. Bush White House, the administration’s message, delivered repeatedly and relentlessly, was always that we were prepping Iraq to be a functioning democracy that could defend itself after we went home. We went home, and now Iraq is crumbling. The leadership we propped up has failed, and civil war has broken out, one that is
bloody and subhuman. And one that makes your heart ache for loved ones of U.S. troops killed in Iraq. For the U.S., all we ever could hope for was that the aftermath would not follow us home to our shores. At this point, that’s TBD. And a harrowing word — one Bush taught us to fear — was uttered this week when Sunni militants who captured parts of northern Iraq in recent weeks declared a “caliphate.” Though he pushed back against the Vietnam analogy, Bush proffered a Middle East domino theory. In a Sept. 5, 2006, speech, Bush said: “Violent Sunni extremists ... hope to establish a violent political utopia across the Middle East, which they call a caliphate, where all would be ruled according to their hateful ideology.” Granted, Saddam Hussein was a bad guy. But now it now seems we’re perilously close to making it inar-
guable that our invasion of Iraq has caused more problems than it solved. At an Aug. 21, 2006, press conference, I asked Bush about the then-sagging public support for the war in Iraq. Bush said he understood “why people are discouraged about Iraq. ... We live in a world in which people hope things happen quickly,” but he said it was in our national interest to stay his course in Iraq. I followed up by noting to Bush that the consequences he feared if we withdrew might never have existed if we’d never gone in. He acknowledged that Saddam had no weapons of mass destruction but said Saddam “had the capacity” to make them. Bush wrapped up by saying, “The terrorists attacked us and killed 3,000 of our citizens before we started the freedom agenda in the Middle East.” I asked Bush what Iraq had to do with that. ”Nothing,” he said, add-
ing: “The lesson of September the 11th is take threats (seriously) before they materialize, Ken.” He concluded by telling me, “You don’t succeed by leaving before the mission is complete, like some in this political process are suggesting.” Did President Barack Obama take us out of Iraq before the mission was complete? Could this mission ever be complete? Is this Vietnam redux? It will only turn out that well if, about 40 years from now, Iraq becomes a popular destination for U.S. tourists. On this holiday weekend, please think of the 4,425 U.S. troops killed and 31,945 wounded in this ill-fated international adventure. For their sake, I hope I turn out to be wrong about how Iraq will turn out. Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin AmericanStatesman. E-mail: kherman(at)statesman.com.
EDITORIAL
‘Judges of our own happiness’ THE WASHINGTON POST
Thomas Jefferson got a lot of love Friday as the author of the Declaration of Independence. But, argues a new book on that document, “The monumental achievement of Thomas Jefferson is, ultimately, to have produced a first draft.” The author of “Our Dec-
laration,” Danielle Allen, notes that Jefferson shared his draft with John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, who offered suggestions. It then went through the Committee of Five and on to Congress, which from July 2 to July 4 edited the Declaration extensively, “much to Jefferson’s chagrin.” Congress cut about a quarter of Jefferson’s
words, added some references to divinity and took out a section attacking slavery. “With changes such as these — with God edited in and a condemnation of slavery elided — Congress achieved a text that the men of that day and age could live with, including Jefferson grumpily,” Allen writes.
Before TJ’s army rises in defense, let us make clear that Allen, a political philosopher at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton, N.J., means all this as a compliment. Jefferson produced a work of such “philosophical integrity and unquestionable brilliance” that it could survive the “intense committee work.”
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SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Nation
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014
N. Carolina coast survives Hurricane Arthur By EMERY P. DALESIO ASSOCIATED PRESS
KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. — Proving far less damaging than feared, Hurricane Arthur left tens of thousands of people without power Friday in a swipe at North Carolina’s dangerously exposed Outer Banks, then brought lousy Fourth of July beach weather to the Northeast as it veered out to sea. The weather along the narrow barrier islands — whose beaches draw hundreds of thousands of tourists every summer — had already cleared by Friday afternoon as Arthur scooted north and its outer bands scraped the Delaware and New Jersey shores. Forecasters did predict a second landfall Saturday evening in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada. While state and local officials worked to restore access to Hatteras Island and help those who had suffered storm and flooding damage, the effects of the hurricane were mostly confined to that part of the state. Farther south, the beaches were once again packed with people soaking up the sun. “The North Carolina beaches are open for business and they’re open for tourists,” Gov. Pat McCrory said. “The umbrellas are going up as we speak right now.” Arthur struck North Carolina as a Category 2 storm with winds of 100 mph late Thursday, taking about five hours to move across
Photo by Gerry Broome | AP
A man crosses a flooded Highway 64 as wind pushes water over the road as Hurricane Arthur passes through Nags Head, N.C., on Friday. Hurricane Arthur left tens of thousands of people without power Friday. the far eastern part of the state. At the height of the storm, more than 40,000 people lost power, and the rush of water from the ocean on one side and the sound on the other side buckled part of North Carolina Highway 12 in a spot on Hatteras Island that was breached in Hurricane Irene in 2011. Dozens of workers were heading to fix the highway, and the Department of Transportation said it was confident the road would reopen Saturday as long as an underwater sonar test of a key bridge showed no problems. No injuries or deaths were reported. After praising emergency
Police: Act was intentional Harris, 33, faces murder, child cruelty charges in death of 22-month-old son By RUSSELL CONTRERAS ASSOCIATED PRESS
MARIETTA, Ga. — Justin Ross Harris was a devoted and loving father who talked about his toddler son often, his friends and family say. But prosecutors have portrayed him as a man unhappy in his marriage who exchanged nude photos with several women as his son died in a hot SUV. Harris, 33, faces murder and child cruelty charges in the June 18 death of his 22-month-old son Cooper, who police say was left in a vehicle for about seven hours on a day when temperatures in the Atlanta area reached at least into the high 80s. The medical examiner’s office has said the boy died of hyperthermia — essentially overheating — and has called his death a homicide. During a three-hour hearing Thursday, prosecutor Chuck Boring questioned a police detective at length, outlining evidence he said proves Harris intentionally left his young boy in the hot SUV. But defense attorney Maddox Kilgore argued the evidence was insufficient and that the boy’s death was a tragic accident. A judge declined at the end of the hearing to grant Harris bond, meaning he will remain in jail as law enforcement officers continue to investigate and present their findings to the Cobb County district attorney, who will decide how to proceed with the case. Meanwhile, court officials on Friday released a batch of search warrants confirming that authorities sought permission to examine Harris’ electronic devices to his personnel records at Home Depot. In the documents, investigators also state that Harris has talked with family members since his son’s death about “a life insurance policy that he has on Cooper and what they need to do in order to file for it.” Harris and his wife had two life insurance policies for the toddler, one for $2,000 and one for $25,000. Alex Hall and Winston Milling, who have both been friends with Harris since college and worked with him at Home Depot, testified in Thursday’s hearing that Harris talked all the time about how he
loved his son. The two went to lunch with Harris the day the boy died HARRIS and had planned to go to a movie after work that day. “Nothing stuck out,” Hall said. “Nothing was weird.” The two men later dropped Harris off so he could put a couple of light bulbs he had purchased in his car. Kilgore, the defense attorney, said that showed Harris did not mean to leave the boy there. “Why would he take his closest friends to his crime scene?” he asked. Kilgore said Harris had also sent his wife a text that afternoon asking, “When are you going to pick up my buddy?” And Harris described himself to police as a doting father who always kissed his son when he strapped him into the car seat because “he wanted Cooper to know his daddy loves him,” Cobb County Police Detective Phil Stoddard testified. Harris is a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and moved to Georgia in 2012 to work for Home Depot. Harris told police that on the day of the boy’s death, he had watched cartoons in bed with Cooper, then had breakfast with him at a Chick-fil-A restaurant. Surveillance video from the restaurant showed a child who “appeared wide awake and happy,” Stoddard said. Harris told police he forgot to drop the boy off at day care, instead driving straight to work. Harris told police he realized the boy was still in the car as he drove to the movies after work. A defense witness testified that Harris appeared to be extremely upset after pulling into the parking lot, trying to do CPR on his son. “He was saying, ‘Oh my God, oh my God, my son is dead, oh my God,”’ witness Leonard Madden said. But Stoddard, the detective, said witness accounts were not consistent. Harris never called 911 but was on his cellphone when officers arrived, Stoddard said.
officials and saying the state dodged a bullet, McCrory said he was heading to the beach himself for an Independence Day parade in Southport, a welcome surprise when he expected to be stuck in Raleigh monitoring the storm all day. By 11 a.m. Friday, Arthur had weakened to a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds around 90 mph, and additional weakening is expected, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The center was about 100 miles east-southeast of Ocean City, Maryland, and the storm was moving northeast near 24 mph.
While the Northeast wasn’t expected to take a direct hit, the rain from Arthur’s outer bands was disrupting the holiday. Fireworks displays in New Jersey and Maine were postponed until later in the weekend. Tropical storm warnings were in effect for coastal areas as far north as Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Tropical storm watches and warnings were in effect for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in southeastern Canada. Still, the first hurricane known to strike the U.S. on July 4 caused some frayed nerves on North Carolina’s Outer Banks — a 200-mile string of narrow barrier islands
with about 57,000 permanent residents and around 250,000 visitors on most summer weekends. A mandatory evacuation was issued for the southern Outer Banks. But while most visitors left, many residents stayed, accustomed to hurricanes that strike the area on average about every four or five years. Jesse and Carol Wray rode out the storm in their home in Salvo. They said the island was under several feet of water at the height of the storm. The six-foot-tall lamppost at the end of their driveway was under water except for its top, and that was after the sound a quarter-mile away receded several feet. “There’s a lot of damage to a lot of houses around here,” Wray said. “Everything flooded out. All the businesses are flooded, and there was a lot of wind damage.” Arthur is the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. It is the earliest in the season a hurricane has made landfall in North Carolina. McCrory said people who are still waiting on Arthur need to heed warnings, even if North Carolina came through better than expected. “I encourage them to take this very seriously as we did and hope for the best results,” McCrory said. “We’ve always felt that it was better to overreact than underreact, gladly this storm was more underwhelming than anticipated, which was very good news.”
The oldest living American Woman celebrates 116th birthday By JILL BLEED ASSOCIATED PRESS
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A south Arkansas woman celebrated her 116th birthday Friday with cake, a party and a new title — she’s now officially the oldest confirmed living American and second-oldest person in the world, the Gerontology Research Group said. Gertrude Weaver spent her birthday at home at Silver Oaks Health and Rehabilitation in Camden, about 100 miles southwest of Little Rock. This year’s festivities included the new award from the Gerontology Research Group, which analyzed U.S. Census records to determine that Weaver is the oldest living American, rather than 115-year-old Jeralean Talley, who was born in 1899. The research group, which consults with the Guinness Book of World Records, found that the 1900 Census listed Weaver as 2 years old — putting her birthday in 1898, said Robert Young, the research group’s database administrator and senior consultant for Guinness. That makes Weaver the secondoldest person in the world behind 116-year-old Misao Okawa of Japan and the 11th oldest person of all time, he said. “Normally, 116 would be old enough to be the world’s oldest person,” Young said. “There’s kind of heavy competition at the moment.” Weaver was born in southwest Ar-
Photo by Danny Johnston | AP
Gertrude Weaver poses at Silver Oaks Health and Rehabilitation Center in Camden, Ark., a day before her 116th birthday, on Thursday. kansas near the border with Texas, and was married in 1915. She and her husband had four children, all of whom have died except for a 93-yearold son. Along with Census records, the Gerontology Research Group used Weaver’s 1915 marriage certificate, which listed her age as 17, to confirm her birth year, Young said. Although no birth record exists for Weaver, she celebrates her birthday each year on July 4 and did the same this year. At her 115th birthday party last year, Weaver was “waving and just eating it all up,” said Vicki Vaughan, the marketing and admissions director at Silver Oaks. “Most people want to know, ‘Well, can she talk?”’ Vaughan said. “Her health is starting to decline a little bit this year — I can tell a difference
from last year, but she still is up and gets out of the room and comes to all of her meals, comes to activities. She’ll laugh and smile and clap.” Weaver first stayed at the Camden nursing home at the age of 104 after she suffered a broken hip, Vaughan said. But Weaver recovered after rehabilitation and moved back home with her granddaughter, before returning to the nursing home at the age of 109. Weaver cited three factors for her longevity: “Trusting in the Lord, hard work and loving everybody.” “You have to follow God. Don’t follow anyone else,” she told the Camden News this week. “Be obedient and follow the laws and don’t worry about anything. I’ve followed him for many, many years and I ain’t tired.”
Veteran dies in VA hospital By RUSSELL CONTRERAS ASSOCIATED PRESS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A veteran who collapsed in an Albuquerque Veteran Affairs hospital cafeteria — 500 yards from the emergency room — died after waiting around 20 minutes for an ambulance, officials confirmed Thursday. It took between 15 and 20 minutes for the ambulance to be dispatched and take the man from one building to the other, which is about a fiveminute walk, officials at the hospital said. Kirtland Air Force Medical Group personnel performed CPR until the ambulance arrived, VA spokeswoman Sonja Brown said. Staff followed policy in calling 911 when the man collapsed on Monday, she said. “Our policy is under expedited review,” Brown said. That policy is a local one, she said. News of the man’s death spread Thursday at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center. Lorenzo Calbert, 65, a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, said it was sad that a fellow veteran had to die so close to where he could have received help. “There’s no reason for it,” he said. “They have so many workers. They could have put him on the gurney and run faster than that ambu-
Photo by Russell Contreras | AP
The entrance to the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque, N.M., is seen Thursday. lance.” Paul Bronston, a California emergency-room physician and chair of Ethics and Professional Policy Committee of the American College of Medical Quality, said it may sound ridiculous that staff had to call 911 but that practice is the standard at hospitals. Typically, an ambulance would arrive faster, and other factors can stall workers trying to rush patients to the emergency room on foot, he said. “The question I would have (is) ... was there an AED (automated exter-
nal defibrillator) on site as required?” he said. Bronston said 90 percent of those who collapse are afflicted by heart problems and an AED could help them. It was not known what caused the man to collapse or whether an AED was nearby. The death comes as the Department of Veterans Affairs remains under scrutiny for widespread reports of long delays for treatment and medical appointments and of veterans dying while on waiting lists.
SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
PÁGINA 8A
Zfrontera
Agenda en Breve LAREDO 07/05— Venta de libros usados en First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave., de 8:30 a.m. a 1 p.m. Libros de pasta dura a 1 dólar; pasta blanda a .50 centavos; revistas y libros infantiles a .25 centavos. 07/05— La Asociación Laredo Northside invita al Mercado de 9 a.m. a 1 p.m. en el área de juegos del North Central Park. Habrá venta de productos naturales, de jardinería, comida, manualidades y organizaciones comerciales y sin fines de lucro. 07/06— TdK celebrará su Quinto Festival Urbano en el Laredo Energy Arena de 3 p.m. a 11 p.m. Costo: 28 dólares. 07/07— Reunión del Laredo Soup para otorgar micro-subsidios a proyectos en Ambos Laredos, es de 6:30 p.m. a 9 p.m. en Holding Community Center, 1102 Santa Maria Ave . Admisión: 5 dólares, como mínimo. Informes en el (956) 771-9671. 07/08— El Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presentará “Zula Patrol: Under the Weather”, a las 2 p.m.; “The Little Star that Could”, a las 3 p.m.; “Star Signs” a las 4 p.m. y “Black Holes”, a las 5 p.m. Costo de admisión general es de 3 dólares para niños y 4 dólares para adultos. 07/08— Se celebrará la publicación del nuevo libro de Raquel Valle Sentíes, “The Ones Santa Anna Sold”, con una lectura y canto del mismo, de 6:30 p.m. a 8 p.m. en el teatro del Centro para Estudiantes de TAMIU. 07/09— La Clase Producción de TAMIU presenta “Hellcab” de Will Kern, a las 8 p.m. en el Teatro Experimentar Sam Johnson del Center for the Fine and Performing Arts. Costo general: 5 dólares; gratis para estudiantes con identificación actualizada. Contenido para adultos y lenguaje fuerte. No es para audiencia joven. Otra presentación el jueves 10 de julio a la misma hora. 07/10— El Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presentará “Zula Patrol: Under the Weather”, a las 2 p.m.; “The Little Star that Could”, a las 3 p.m.; “Star Signs” a las 4 p.m. y “Black Holes”, a las 5 p.m. Costo de admisión general es de 3 dólares para niños y 4 dólares para adultos. 07/10— Laredo Heat recibe a Mississippi Brilla a las 8 p.m. en el Complejo de Soccer de TAMIU. 07/10— Alex’s Studio tendrá una exhibición de arte en Gallery 201, ubicada en 513 de avenida San Bernardo, de 7 p.m. a 10 p.m. 07/11— Hoy es la fecha límite para la Competencia de Fotografía del Laredo Histórico, a las 5 p.m. Lleve sus fotos y registro gratuito al la oficina del WCHF, 500 Flores Ave.
SÁBADO 5 DE JULIO DE 2014
TAMAULIPAS
Tomaría sobornos POR JASON BUCH SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
La Administración de Control de Drogas (DEA, por sus siglas en inglés) indicó que Eugenio Hernández Flores, ex gobernador de Tamaulipas, México, aceptó sobornos del cartel de las drogas de Los Zetas durante su periodo en el cargo y que lavó dinero en el Sur de Texas. Las acusaciones contra Hernández, quien fuera gobernador del 2005 al 2010, salieron a relucir durante la transcripción sin sellar de la audiencia de declaración, el 5 de diciembre, del empresario mexicano Guillermo Flores Cordero en Corpus Christi. Durante la audiencia, los fiscales
dijeron que Flores Cordero, quien se estaba declarando culpable de un cargo por conspiración para lavado de dinero, había administrado un negocio, sin licencia, para transferencia de
HERNÁNDEZ FLORES dinero. Él utilizó empresas ficticias para enviar dinero procedente de México a cuentas bancarias en el Valle de Río Grande, a nombre de terceros para disimular de dónde venían los fondos, dijo la Fiscal Asistente de EU, Julie Hampton. Entre los clientes de Flores, de acuerdo con la transcripción, estaban Hernández Flores y miembros
de su familia. “Eugenio Hernández ha sido identificado por la Administración de Control de Drogas de haber recibido sobornos del cartel de drogas Los Zetas, una organización criminal trasnacional, con la finalidad de que el cartel tuviera la capacidad de operar sin restricciones en Tamaulipas, mientras que el señor Hernández era gobernador”, dijo Hampton en la audiencia. “Uno de los instrumentos o métodos para movilizar las ganancias ilícitas obtenidas en México por el señor Eugenio Hernández y sus coconspiradores, a Estados Unidos fue un elaborado esquema para lavado de dinero”, dijo Hampton. “Este esquema fue desarrollado por Guiller-
INFRAESTRUCTURA
NUEVO LAREDO, MX
AMPLIARÁN PUENTE
Hallan cuerpo de Mora Medina TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto de cortesía | Ciudad de Pharr
Imagen aérea del Puente Internacional Pharr-Reynosa que conecta la Carretera US 281 con la ciudad de Reynosa, México. El cruce, que conecta a EU con México, mide 3.2 millas.
Puente tendrá inversión superior a 92 mdp TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
El Gobierno de Tamaulipas anunció el proyecto para ampliar el Puente Internacional Pharr-Reynosa, con una inversión superior a los 92 millones de pesos. Con la obra se pretende reducir la saturación del corredor internacional, informó el Secretario de Obras Públicas de Tamaulipas, Manuel Rodríguez Morales. “Con esta ampliación se registrará un tráfico más ordenado en el acceso a los módulos de inspección aduanera”, explicó Rodríguez. “Sobre todo facilita la circulación de las unidades que transitan de un la-
do hacia otro”. Detalló que el proyecto contará en el cuerpo principal con dos carriles de uso exclusivo para vehículos ligeros, además de la construcción de dos carriles laterales de 3.5 metros de ancho por cada uno, destinados para tráfico pesado con destino al puente internacional PharrPharr y la construcción del Paso Superior Vehicular (PSV) sobre el Boulevard Internacional en su cruce con el Boulevard Colosio. “Esta obra significa un mejoramiento sustancial en la conectividad urbana y cuenta con una longitud de 2.14 kilómetros, donde el tráfico pesado con destino a Pharr,
quedará aislado del entronque por una barrera de concreto”, dijo Rodríguez. Los beneficios alternos con la ampliación del cruce, es el fortalecimiento en intercambios comerciales entre ambas naciones. Los 92 millones de pesos destinados para la ampliación del puente internacional Pharr-Reynosa, forman parte de una serie de proyectos de infraestructura social y carretera que están incluidos dentro del convenio de los 1.500 millones de pesos, con recursos provenientes de la federación, de acuerdo a un comunicado de prensa del Gobierno de Tamaulipas.
INICIA PROYECTO
NUEVO LAREDO, MX 07/05— Estación Palabra invita a diversas actividades: ‘Bazar de Arte’ a las 10 a.m.; ‘Te Leo a la Una: Sinjao’ a la 1 p.m.; ‘Festival Infantil’ a las 2 p.m. Entrada gratuita a todos los eventos. 07/05— Taller ‘Vitrales’ para niños, impartido por Blanquet Blanco, todos los sábados de julio, de 4 p.m. a 6 p.m. en el Museo Reyes Meza. Abierto a niños de 5 a 12 años. Inscripciones abiertas en el (867) 717-5960. 07/06— Teatro Laberintus A.C. presenta “Invisible” a las 12 p.m. en el Teatro del IMSS, entre Reynosa y Belden. Obra es para toda la familia. Costo 20 pesos. 07/06— Teatro Universitario presenta “Romero y Julieta” a las 5 p.m. en el Teatro Lucio Blanco.
mo Flores Cordero”. Ella dijo que entre 2009 y 2012, Flores Cordero utilizó compañías ficticias para enviar de forma electrónica 30 millones de dólares a Estados Unidos, para sus clientes y ganó 2.5 millones en comisiones. Autoridades federales han decomisado millones de dólares en cuentas bancarias de Flores en Estados Unidos, así como en su casa en The Dominion, al noroeste de San Antonio. Se encuentra en prisión a la espera de que se le dicte sentencia en octubre. Hasta el miércoles por la tarde, Hernández no había respondido a los mensajes en busca de comentarios sobre su supuesta implicación con Flores.
Foto de cortesía | Ciudad de Roma
Despus de seis años de espera, el Proyecto de Drenaje Ebony del USDA inició el miércoles en la Ciudad de Roma, Texas. Oficiales actuales y pasados, quienes han sido parte integral del proyecto, asistieron al inicio de los trabajos. Como invitado especial asisti el Congresista Henry Cuellar.
Un conocido empresario de Nuevo Laredo, México, fue encontrado sin vida el miércoles por la noche, dieron a conocer varias fuentes a Laredo Morning Times. El cuerpo de Sergio Carlos Mora Medina, de 65 años, propietario de Grúas Mora, y padre de Sergio Mora, ex presidente del Partido MORA Demócrata en el Condado de Webb, fue encontrado con una herida de bala en la cabeza. Las autoridades descubrieron el cuerpo en el Parque Polvo Enamorado, al sureste de Nuevo Laredo, ubicado cerca de las orillas del Río Bravo, justo al norte de la colonia Infonavit, dijo una fuente federal mexicana, quien habló bajo condición de anonimato. Un oficial de la ciudad, quien conocía acerca del incidente, confirmó que el empresario había sido secuestrado el martes. Es incierta la razón por la cual fue secuestrado, dijo el oficial de la ciudad. Rubén Darío Ríos, un vocero para la oficina de la Procuraduría General de Tamaulipas, dijo que una investigación se encuentra en proceso. Se negó a hacer comentarios, citando que el caso se encuentra abierto. Fuentes dijeron a Laredo Morning Times que un hombre desconocido secuestró a Mora Medina alrededor de las 10 a.m. del martes. Se cree que Mora Medina se dirigía a su negocio, Grúas Mora. Pero nunca llegó. Mora Medina era una persona “muy apreciada” en el área, dijeron fuentes. Él fue director de tránsito durante el mandato del Presidente Municipal Daniel Peña Treviño, de 2005 a 2007. Su última participación en el área política de Nuevo Laredo, incluye una candidatura para una regiduría, durante la contienda del candidato a Presidente Municipal, por el Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), Carlos Montiel Saeb. Mora Medina era actual miembro del comité de financiamiento del PRI. Los servicios funerarios fueron celebrados en Capillas Vásquez en Nuevo Laredo.
TEXAS
Lanza campaña para desalentar migración POR CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
MISSION — Abrumado por un incremento en la inmigración ilegal, en especial por el arribo de menores de edad viajando solos, el gobierno de Estados Unidos lanzó una campaña in-
ternacional en medios para decir a las familias en Centroamérica que es mejor quedarse en casa. Al hacer el anuncio el miércoles a la orilla del Río Grande, el comisionado de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza Gil Kerlikowske dijo que el mensaje dirigi-
do principalmente a la gente de Honduras, Guatemala y El Salvador tiene dos partes: que el viaje a Estados Unidos es extremadamente peligroso y que los inmigrantes que logran cruzar la frontera no podrán quedarse. “Debemos detener el flu-
jo”, dijo Kerlikowske. Kerlikowske informó que 226 inmigrantes han fallecido cruzando la frontera desde octubre. Más de 52.000 menores viajando solos han sido detenidos en el mismo periodo por entrar ilegalmente a EU, la mayoría por el sur de Texas.
Se usarán anuncios panorámicos y mensajes en radio y televisión.En un anuncio se ve la imagen de las huellas de un niño en el desierto corriendo hacia el horizonte con el mensaje: “Creí que sería fácil que mi hijo consiguiera papeles en el norte... No era cierto”.
Nation
SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
Obama: US has been a nation of immigrants By DARLENE SUPERVILLE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Celebrating the ethnic diversity of America, President Barack Obama said more than two dozen foreignborn service members who became U.S. citizens at a White House ceremony on the Fourth of July are vivid reminders that the country is, and always has been, a nation of immigrants. He said the vast range of backgrounds and experiences that made America a melting pot for more than 200 years also makes it stronger, but that the immigration system has to be retooled for the U.S. to keep its place as the greatest nation on earth. “If we want to keep attracting the best and the brightest from beyond our shores, we’re going to have to fix our immigration system, which is broken,” Obama said after 25 service members from 15 countries raised their right hands and pledged allegiance to the United States. “Pass
common-sense immigration reform. We shouldn’t be making it harder for the best and the brightest to come here, and create jobs here, and grow our economy here. We should be making it easier.” The hot-button issue of immigration is earning renewed attention after the influx to the U.S. of tens of thousands of unaccompanied children from Central America. Under U.S. law, they must be sent back across the border with Mexico to their home countries, which has upset immigration advocates who already take issue with Obama’s strict enforcement of deportation policy. They want Obama to allow the children to stay; he says he must follow the law. At the same time, Obama blames House Republicans for delaying action on immigration legislation. A comprehensive measure the Senate passed last summer has been blocked by House leaders who also have done little to advance their own immigra-
tion proposals. Obama announced earlier this week that, as a result of inaction on Capitol Hill, he will pursue non-legislative ways that he can adjust U.S. immigration policy without waiting for Congress to send him a bill. “I’m going to keep doing everything I can to keep making our immigration system smarter and more efficient so hard-working men and women like all of you have the opportunity to join the American family and to serve our great nation,” he said at Friday’s ceremony. “So we can be stronger and more prosperous and more whole — together.” In the evening, Obama and his wife, Michelle, were welcoming a larger group of service members, including the new citizens, to an all-American barbecue on the South Lawn, along with prime seating for fireworks. “Together, all of you remind us that America is and always has been a nation of immigrants,” he told those at the ceremony.
Photo by Jacquelyn Martin | AP
U.S. Navy 2nd Class Petty Officer Ganesh Arjun holds his hand over his heart as the Marine Band plays the national anthem during a naturalization ceremony, on Friday, in the East Room of the White House in Washington.
International
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014
Clashes break out during Spying accusation Report: German intelligence service Palestinian funeral employee allegedly spied for US By YOUSUR ALHLOU ASSOCIATED PRESS
JERUSALEM — Israeli police clashed with rock-throwing Palestinian protesters in Jerusalem on Friday as thousands mourned at the funeral for an Arab teen who Palestinians say was killed by Israeli extremists in a revenge attack. Palestinian militants, meanwhile, fired rockets and mortars from the Gaza Strip into Israel, and the Jewish state later carried out several airstrikes on what it described as “Hamas terror targets” in Gaza. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Also, the Israeli military said its troops opened fire after spotting two Palestinians planting explosives near the Gaza border fence. An ambulance carried the body of 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir, wrapped in a Palestinian flag and traditional headscarf, to a mosque in the east Jerusalem neighborhood where he lived. Then mourners carried the open casket through the crowd to a cemetery. During the procession, scores of masked Palestinians threw rocks at Israeli police on duty nearby, and they responded with stun grenades, spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. He said more than 2,000 people attended the funeral. Rosenfeld said police also
clashed with hundreds of Palestinian protesters in other neighborhoods in the eastern part of the city, which has been rocked by violence since Abu Khdeir’s burned body was found Wednesday in a forest after he was seized near his home. At least 13 Israeli officers were injured by rock-throwers, with six taken to the hospital, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said. The Red Crescent said about 30 Palestinians were hurt by rubber bullets fired by Israeli forces. Dozens of others were treated for tear gas inhalation. Police had beefed up security in and around Jerusalem as the funeral coincided with the first Friday prayer services of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Tensions have been high since three Israeli teenagers, including one with U.S. citizenship, were abducted in the West Bank on June 12, sparking a huge manhunt that ended with the gruesome discovery of their bodies early this week. Israel has blamed Hamas for the abduction and murder of the teens and launched a crackdown on the Islamic militant group in the West Bank, drawing rocket attacks out of Gaza and Israeli airstrikes in a near-daily cycle of retaliation. Hamas, which has abducted Israelis in the past, praised the kidnapping of the teenagers but did not take responsibility for it.
Palestinians immediately accused Israeli extremists of killing Abu Khdeir in revenge for the deaths of the Israeli teens. Israeli police said they have not yet determined who killed the boy or why. The killing of the youngster was widely condemned by Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We don’t know yet the motives or the identities of the perpetrators, but we will. We will bring to justice the criminals responsible for this despicable crime, whoever they may be,” Netanyahu said Thursday. “Murder, riots, incitement, vigilantism — they have no place in our democracy.” On Friday, Palestinian militants in Gaza fired at least 14 rockets and mortars at Israel, the military said. It was far fewer rockets than the dozens of barrages reported in previous days, and when Israel did not immediately respond, waiting until late in the day to attack, there was talk that a ceasefire was in the works. Hamas spokesman Mushir alMasri said in Gaza, “There are some contacts and mediations regarding a truce.” There was no official comment from Israel regarding a possible truce. In Jerusalem, Abu Khdeir’s family set up a large tent outside the home for those seeking to pay condolences.
By FRANK JORDANS ASSOCIATED PRESS
BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman said Friday that she had been informed of the arrest of a German man who, according to media reports, is an intelligence service employee accused of spying for the United States. Federal prosecutors said a 31year-old German man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of spying for foreign intelligence services. They did not identify the suspect or the intelligence services. “The chancellor was also informed of this case yesterday,” Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters in Berlin. He declined to comment on reports by Der Spiegel magazine and the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung that the man worked for Germany’s foreign intelligence service, known by its German acronym BND. The newspapers, which didn’t identify their sources, said the man was suspected of passing on information about a German parliamentary committee investigating the activities of U.S. and other intelligence agencies in Germany. Seibert said committee members had also been informed of the arrest.
France: Mom kills teacher Mother of pre-school pupil fatally stabs teacher in front of class By ANGELA CHARLTON ASSOCIATED PRESS
PARIS — The mother of a pupil at a French pre-school stabbed a teacher to death in front of her class Friday, the last day of the school year, authorities said. The education minister said the mother apparently had “serious psychiatric problems,” and pledged support for teachers in the face of angry or violent parents. Police said the mother was taken into custody. Deadly attacks in a school are extremely rare in France, and the stabbing in front of a class of 5- and 6year-olds raised concern at the highest levels. French President Francois Hollande expressed outrage at the attack at the Edouard Herriot school in Albi in southern France. Education Minister Benoit Hamon traveled immediately to the school, and told reporters that the mother of a pupil “committed this abominable act in a class against a remarkable teacher.” A police official said the mother stabbed the teacher with a knife soon after school started Friday morning. Hamon said the attacker’s child had been in the school only for a month and a half, and the mother had had very little contact with the school staff until Friday. It was unclear whether her 5-year-old daughter was in class at the time of the attack. Police and city officials would not comment on possible reasons for the attack on Fabienne Terral-Calmès, 34. The slain teacher had two small daughters, Hamon said. The regional prosecutor was expected to speak publicly about the case Friday evening.
Photo by Christophe Ena/file | AP
French President Francois Hollande delivers his speech at his annual news conference, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on Tuesday, Jan. 14. After Friday’s attack, “the children were immediately taken in by another teacher who brought them to another classroom to talk to them, to tell them stories, to try to break them away from what they had just lived through,” Hamon said. Marie-Odile Gay, a member of the regional health and safety committee for the Education Ministry, said the mother thought the teacher had called her daughter a thief, and that misperception might have played a role in the attack. Gay said that the mother, 47, had received psychiatric counseling in the past, and had been accused by police earlier this year of abandoning her 15-year-old son. Gay said the 5-year-old daughter had not had any difficulties in school, and was transferred Friday to the care of social services. “This is something that will stay with her forever,” Gay said. “It’s very important to ensure that she is cared for.” Some teachers complained that staff cuts have left teachers more vul-
nerable, and urged better attention to the tensions they face with some parents. But fellow teacher Robert Couffignal of the regional teachers union insisted that the attack was an “isolated case” that had nothing to do with this particular school, and warned against going overboard with security measures as a result. “Metal detectors at schools are not the answer,” he told The Associated Press by telephone. “We want to have close contact with the parents that creates a link of trust.” He said the larger problem for schools in his region and around France is tension over economic decline and lack of job prospects for young people. The education minister lamented the painful timing of the attack. “This July 4, the moment when we should be happy for all children that school is over, that vacations are beginning, that teachers successfully completed the school year, has been turned into a day of mourning ... by this abominable crime,” Hamon said.
“I will have to leave the conclusions to you,” he said. Reports that the National Security Agency spied on German citizens, including on Merkel’s cellphone, have caused friction between Berlin and Washington since they were first published last year, based on documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Martina Renner, a member of the opposition Left Party on the parliamentary panel, said the case indicated that anyone who examined Snowden’s revelations in detail was subject to scrutiny by U.S. intelligence agencies. Her panel heard testimony on Thursday from two former NSA employees, Thomas Drake and William Binney. “If the media reports (about the case) are confirmed then there can’t just be a legal response, there also has to be a political response,” she said. In his testimony, Drake claimed cooperation between the NSA and BND greatly increased after the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States. He described the BND as an “appendage” of the NSA. Seibert said Merkel discussed “foreign policy matters” in a telephone conversation with President Barack Obama late Thursday. He said the conversation focused on Ukraine.
SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
AMALIA V. BENAVIDES
MORA Continued from Page 1A
NOV. 22, 1919 — JULY 3, 2014 Amalia V. Benavides, 94, passed away Thursday, July 3, 2014, at Laredo Medical Center in Laredo, Texas. Ms. Benavides is preceded in death by her husband, Ramon Benavides Sr.; son, Raul Benavides; daughter, Amalia Sylvia B. Garcia; brother, Jesus Vela; and sisters, Alicia V. (Anastacio) Benavides and Elvira V. (Serafin) Saenz. Ms. Benavides is survived by her son, Ramon Jr. (Leonor) Benavides; grandchildren: Raymond III (Mariana) Benavides, Rene C. (Linda) Benavides, Elizabet B. (Aaron) Murrell, Alexandro (Cynthia) Benavides, Raul Benavides Jr., Selena Benavides, Tilda Benavides, Sylvia Candelaria Garcia, Arturo Garcia Jr., Patricia G. Treviño; and by numerous great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews other family members and friends. Visitation hours will be Sunday, July 6, 2014, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession
napped Tuesday. It’s unclear why he was kidnapped, the city official said. Ruben Dario Rios, a spokesman for the Tamaulipas attorney general’s office, said an investigation is underway. He declined to comment further, citing the open case. Sources told Laredo Morning Times that unidentified men kid-
will depart Monday, July 7, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services will follow at Zapata County Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. US HWY 83, Zapata, Texas.
BMW board member Harald Kruger, left, and Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto shake hands in Mexico City, on Thursday.
BMW turns to Mexico ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — Germany’s BMW announced Thursday it will spend $1 billion to build a new luxury car factory in northern Mexico that will start production in 2019 as part of an effort to expand the company’s presence in the United States. BMW board member Harald Kruger said the plant in the northern state of San Luis Potosi will have the capacity to make 150,000 cars a year while employing 1,500 people. He made the announcement in Mexico City, accompanied by President Enrique Peña Nieto. Kruger said BMW’s only other North American factory, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, will receive $1
vo Laredo political arena included running for a councilman position during the mayoral race with the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, candidate Carlos Montiel Saeb. Mora was a current member of the PRI’s finance committee. Funeral services were held at Capillas Vásquez in Nuevo Laredo.
Economy closer to full health
Photo by Moises Castillo | AP
By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO
napped Mora at about 10 a.m. Tuesday. It is believed that he was on his way to his business, Grúas Mora. But he never arrived. Mora was a “very well liked” person in the area, sources said. He headed the traffic police division during former Nuevo Laredo Mayor Daniel Peña Treviño’s tenure from 2005 to 2007. His last bid in the Nue-
billion in investment to increase its production capacity to 450,000 cars by the end of 2016. “This decision underscores our commitment to the NAFTA region,” Kruger said. BMW, which has 28 factories in 13 countries, is also building a plant in Santa Catarina, Brazil, which will start production later this year. The announcement came a week after Daimler and Renault-Nissan said they would spend $1.6 billion on a factory in Mexico to make premium compact cars for the Infiniti and Mercedes brands. Since 2011, the BMW and Mercedes brands have been battling each other to be the leading seller of luxury autos in the U.S.
By JOSH BOAK ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — The 5-year-old U.S. recovery is gaining momentum from a surprisingly robust job market and moving the economy closer to full health. Employers added 288,000 jobs in June and helped cut the unemployment rate from 6.3 percent to 6.1 percent, the lowest since 2008. It was the fifth straight monthly gain above 200,000 — the best such stretch since the late 1990s tech boom. The stock market signaled its approval. The Dow Jones industrial average surged 92 points to top 17,000 for the first time. The breadth and consistency of the job growth are striking in part because of how poorly the year began. The economy shrank at a steep 2.9 percent annual rate in the JanuaryMarch quarter as a harsh winter contributed to the sharpest contraction since the depths of the recession. Yet employers have shrugged off that setback. They’ve kept hiring. The unemployment rate dipped from 6.3 percent in May to its lowest level since the financial crisis struck with full force in the fall of 2008, when the Wall Street firm Lehman Brothers went bankrupt. “This has now become a textbook jobs expansion,” said Patrick O’Keefe, director of economic research at the consultancy CohnReznick. “It is both broad and accelerating.” At least one nagging doubt is dampening the enthusiasm: Can the stepped-up hiring lead to higher incomes? Wages have yet to outpace inflation for most workers. Eventually, analysts say, the falling unemployment rate should cause pay to rise more sharply. But no one knows precisely when. The jobs report did make clear that, five years after the recession officially ended, the U.S. economy is showing more vitality even as major economies in Europe and Asia continue to struggle. Last month’s solid hiring followed gains of 217,000 jobs in May and 304,000 in April, figures
Photo by Tony Dejak | AP
People wait in line for the Cleveland Career Fair in Independence, Ohio, on Thursday, June 12. U.S. employers accelerated their hiring in June, adding a robust 288,000 jobs. that were revised upward by a combined 29,000. Over the past 12 months, the economy has added nearly 2.5 million jobs — an average of 208,000 a month, the fastest year-over-year pace since 2006. Economists say the steady U.S. hiring should fuel more purchases of goods from Asia and Europe and strengthen those economies at least slightly. Much of Europe is suffering from high unemployment. And China is trying to moderate its economy’s growth without slowing it too much. “If we have some momentum going into the second half of the year, it helps the world economy because we’re big consumers,” said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services. The U.S. job gains in June were widespread. Factories added 16,000 workers, retailers 40,200. Financial and insurance firms increased their payrolls by 17,000. Restaurants and bars employed 32,800 more people. Only construction, which gained a mere 6,000, reflected the slow recovery of previous years. Local governments added 18,000 education workers. But that might have been a quirk: Many schools that had been closed for snow days stayed open longer than usual in June, said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial in Chicago.
Over the past three months, job growth has averaged a healthy 272,000. And in May, the economy surpassed the jobs total from December 2007, when the Great Recession officially began. Researchers at the liberal Economic Policy Institute estimate that 6.7 million more jobs would have been needed to keep up with U.S. population growth. One key challenge is whether the job gains will pull more Americans back into the workforce. Many people who lost jobs during the recession and were never rehired have stopped looking for work. Just 62.8 percent of American adults are working or are looking for a job, compared with 66 percent before the downturn. The number of longterm unemployed has dropped 1.2 million over the past year to just under 3.1 million. But the government data suggests that numerous people without jobs have given up their searches — a trend that could drag on future U.S. growth. And average pay has grown just 2 percent a year during the recovery, roughly in line with inflation and below the longrun average annual growth of about 3.5 percent. The lack of strong wage growth means the Federal Reserve may not feel pressure to start raising shortterm interest rates soon as a way of controlling infla-
tion. “We are still not seeing any significant pickup in wage growth,” Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics, wrote in a research note. “We suspect that Fed officials will continue to cling to the view that there is still plenty of slack in the labor market.” However, the steady hiring means businesses are increasingly competing to find workers. “It’s becoming more difficult to find the candidates that we’re looking for,” said Brandon Calvo, chief operating officer at Cosentino North America, a Houston-based firm that sells materials for kitchen counters and bathrooms. The job gains have intensified despite the slump that kicked off 2014. The economy’s contraction in the first three months of this year was the sharpest since the recession. Ferocious winter storms caused factories to close and prevented consumers from visiting shopping malls and auto dealers. Still, the frigid weather failed to freeze hiring. Job gains ramped up with the warmth of spring and summer. “We’ve seen hiring growth out of the winter because it was stagnant,” said Richard Bitner, vice president of marketing for Visiting Angels, a home health care services firm headquartered in Havertown, Pennsylvania.
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014
CBP Continued from Page 1A gers Awareness Campaign, a Spanish language outreach effort to save and protect the lives of migrant children. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske and South Texas Campaign Cmdr. Robert L. Harris, of CBP, made a quick stop at Lake Casa Blanca International State Park for a mock water rescue Thursday. There, they talked about the campaign. Its purpose is to inform families through various media the dangers children and families may face when attempting to cross the border. In South Texas, agents and officers operate in some of the most rough, rugged, remote terrains across the entire U.S.-Mexico border, Harris said. People who are coming to cross the border are not
familiar with the types of terrain, temperatures and life-threatening situations that they are going to encounter in South Texas. “Although we know that crossing the border is illegal, it’s a crime in the United States, it does not mean a death penalty,” Harris said. “No one does more to protect and save the lives of migrants than CBP and (U.S.) Border Patrol.” Thursday’s visit was Kerlikowske’s first to Laredo. He was in McAllen on Wednesday to announce the campaign, which includes Spanish language media outreach and public service announcements that will air in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Recently, federal officials have reported an influx of Central American migrants. CBP said it has assisted those in need and
women who have made allegations of being sexually assaulted during their journey. This work has been done aside from securing the border, the commissioner said. “I could not be more proud of the men and women of Customs and Border Protection for the value they place on human life,” Kerlikowske said. On Thursday, the Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue, or BORSTAR, unit staged a mock water rescue of two people in distress. BORSTAR is a specialized law enforcement, search and rescue response from conventional to high-risk operations, the CBP website states. The local CBP sector said it has made 450 rescues since 2010. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
CELEBRATIONS Continued from Page 1A Fire in the sky The Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks show in New York City is the nation’s largest. Macy’s says more than 1,600 shells will be launched per minute during the 25-minute display over the East River. Among the celebrities performing at the event are the Zac Brown Band, Enrique Iglesias and Ariana Grande. Other major fireworks shows are being held in Chicago on Lake Michigan and in San Francisco over the bay.
Weather worries The first hurricane of the season, Arthur, forced many East Coast cities to switch the dates of their Fourth of July celebrations. Boston officials moved the annual Boston Pops July 4 concert and fireworks from Friday to Thursday. Then they cut
short the concerts so the fireworks could begin. Shortly after the dazzling display thundered to a close, a drenching rain began falling. Meanwhile, several cities in Maine, New Hampshire and New Jersey moved their fireworks shows to either Saturday or Sunday. Augusta, Maine, moved its fireworks to Aug. 2. When it crossed North Carolina’s Outer Banks late Thursday, Arthur narrowly missed becoming the first hurricane to make landfall on July Fourth, according to National Hurricane Center research that dates to the 1850s. In Phoenix, the first dust storm of the summer arrived with blinding winds that forced the cancellation of holiday plans, knocked out power to thousands and grounded numerous flights.
Inspiring music In Washington, composer John Williams is to debut a new arrangement of “The Star-Spangled Banner” featuring choirs, trumpets, an orchestra and cannons on the National Mall. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the national anthem. Francis Scott Key was inspired by the sight of the flag over Baltimore’s Fort McHenry in September 1814 after a 25-hour British bombardment.
Gluttony on the Fourth High-ranking chowhound Joey “Jaws” Chestnut dropped to one knee and proposed to his longtime girlfriend before Friday’s annual Coney Island hot dog eating contest, then packed away 61 franks and buns to hold onto his coveted mustard yellow winner’s belt.
SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors Going home? NBA: FREE AGENCY
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: FREE AGENCY
File photo by Seth Wenig | AP
Cavs meet with LeBron’s agent
Free agent forward Carmelo Anthony was offered a max deal by the Knicks worth nearly $130 million.
Knicks offer Melo max deal
By TOM WITHERS ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND — Four years after their messy breakup, the Cavaliers and LeBron James are at least talking about a reunion. Cavs officials met with James’ agent, Rich Paul, this week about the freeagent superstar’s possible return. The sides visited as James continued his family vacation, a person with knowledge of the details told The Associated Press on Thursday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the talks. It was not immediately clear if owner Dan Gilbert was at the meeting. James recently opted out of the final two years of his contract in Miami. The two-time NBA champion has gone to four straight finals with the Heat. However, after the team was throttled by San Antonio in this year’s finals, James said he would weigh his options this summer. One of them could be re-signing with the Cavs, the team he spent seven seasons with before leaving in 2010 to join forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in South Florida. Wade and Bosh also opted out of their deals with Heat, raising speculation the “Big Three” could be headed in different directions. James’ decision to leave Cleveland — Thursday was the four-year anniversary of the team’s last pitch to him — prompted Gilbert to condemn him in a scathing letter to Cavs fans. The owner also told The AP he felt James had quit during games in the playoffs. ESPN has reported that Paul also met with representatives for the Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks. A photo of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in Cleveland circulated on Twitter, though he said he was there for a commitment for his TV show, “Shark Tank.” While James has been out of the country with his wife, Savannah, and their two sons, Paul has been working on the four-time MVP’s future. Unlike
New York will give nearly $130 million to Anthony By BRIAN MAHONEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
File photo by Wilfredo Lee | AP
LeBron James’ agent met with Cleveland about a reunion. Miami’s free agent forward left his hometown team four years ago. four years ago, when teams flocked to Cleveland to make presentations to woo James, the courtship of him this time has been low key and rather businesslike. The Cavs have waited patiently for their chance to try and convince the Akron, Ohio, native to come home. In the past few weeks, the Cavs have hired new coach David Blatt, selected Kansas
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
swingman Andrew Wiggins with the No. 1 overall pick and gotten All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to agree to a fiveyear, $90 million contract extension. Now, they’re working on bringing back James, who has never ruled out the possibility of a return. Two years ago, James was asked if he
NEW YORK — The Knicks went coast to coast to let Carmelo Anthony know they want him to stay in New York. Team officials traveled to Los Angeles on Thursday night to meet with the free agent and offered him the maximum contract allowable, a person with knowledge of the details said. Team President Phil Jackson and general manager Steve Mills were part of the meeting but not Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, an official with knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details of the meeting were to remain private. The meeting was first reported by ESPN. Anthony was in Los Angeles to meet with the Lakers, who are among the teams hoping to convince the AllStar forward to leave New York. Anthony already visited Chicago, Houston and Dallas this week. The Knicks can offer him the largest contract, nearly $130 million over five years, though Jackson has said he hopes Anthony would take less than a maximum deal. Anthony had previously said he would be willing to do
See LEBRON PAGE 2B See ANTHONY PAGE 2B
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: NEW YORK YANKEES
Sabathia’s season in jeopardy By DAVE CAMPBELL ASSOCIATED PRESS
File photo by Matt Rourke | AP
Former NFL player Kevin Turner was one of many players suing the NFL for concussion issues. Some of those players are now saying the settlement was a ‘lousy deal.’
Ex-NFL players: Settlement ‘lousy’ By MICHAEL RUBINKAM ASSOCIATED PRESS
Seven retired NFL players are objecting to a proposed settlement of concussion claims, calling it a “lousy deal” for explayers whose symptoms don’t qualify them for compensation. The players’ lawyers filed a motion in federal court in Philadelphia on Wednesday urging a judge to reject the settlement
between the NFL and as many as 20,000 retired players. The settlement provides up to $5 million each for retired players who develop Lou Gehrig’s disease, dementia or other neurological problems believed to be caused by concussions suffered during their pro careers. The deal excludes players with symptoms of a degenera-
See CONCUSSION PAGE 2B
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees are no longer expecting CC Sabathia to return to their rotation this year, given the persistence of inflammation in his injured right knee. Asked Friday whether he believed Sabathia’s season was over, manager Joe Girardi said: “I think that’s about fair to say.” The six-time All-Star left-hander has been out with a degenerative cartilage problem in his right knee since mid-May, when his ERA reached a career-high 5.28. The Yankees were targeting a post-All-Star-break return for Sabathia, who had begun a rehabilitation assignment. In his second start, Wednesday for Double-A Trenton, Sabathia was hit hard: five hits, five runs and one walk while striking out two in 3 2-3 innings. The next morning, the 33-year-old woke up with swelling in the joint. An MRI test on Thursday didn’t reveal any new damage. Sabathia will be examined on July 14 by Dr. James Andrews before the next step is determined, Girardi said, but microfracture surgery is possible. Previously, Sabathia had an operation on the knee in October 2010 to repair a small meniscus cartilage tear. The microfracture procedure re-
File photo by Carlos Osorio | AP
Yankees ace CC Sabathia may be out for the remainder of the season with a knee problem. quires far more recovery time, though. “That’s a surgery a lot of players don’t want to hear when they need to have it,” Girardi said. The manager even acknowledged the possibility that Sabathia might have thrown his last pitch for the Yankees, as dire of a scenario that sounds like. “I think it’s too early to predict that, but whenever you have degenerative issues that cause
surgery or things like that, there’s always a little question there,” Girardi said. Despite his 6-foot-7, 285-pound frame, Sabathia has been remarkably durable, logging at least 28 starts and 180 innings every season of his career. He reached 230 innings or more in five different years, including in 2007 when he won the American
See SABATHIA PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014
Ginobili has stress fracture in right leg ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs say Manu Ginobili has a stress fracture of the lower fibula of his right leg. The injury could knock the key reserve for the NBA champion Spurs out of the upcoming World Cup of Basketball, where he was scheduled to play for Argentina. The tournament starts at the end of August in Spain. Ginobili wrote Tuesday on his Facebook page that his availability will depend on how he feels in about three weeks, but that he remains optimistic. It’s unclear when Ginobili was injured. He averaged 14.4 points in the NBA Finals, when the Spurs beat Miami in five games to give Ginobili his fourth championship. Kaman to Portland PORTLAND — Free agent center Chris Kaman has agreed to a two-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. A person with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed the agreement, which cannot be formally announced until new contracts are finalized next Thursday. The deal, worth a reported $9.8 million, was first reported Thursday night by Yahoo! Sports. Kaman confirmed the deal with a post on his official Twitter account. “Portland is a great fit for me, it’s a team that has done great things and has a lot of talent!
Can’t wait to get started in #RipCity,” he posted. The burley 7-foot center has averaged 11.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks over an 11-year NBA career. He is expected to back up Robin Lopez with the Blazers. He spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 10.4 points and 5.9 rebounds, but was limited to a career-low 18.7 minutes in 39 games. He struggled late in the season with injuries. Kaman was the sixth overall pick in the 2003 draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. The Michigan native, who played at Central Michigan, was an All-Star with the Clippers in 2010, averaging a career-high 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds, before he was traded to New Orleans the next season. He played for the Dallas Mavericks in 2012-13 before signing a one-year deal with the Lakers. The Blazers will be his fifth team. Portland went 54-28 last season, advancing to the Western Conference semifinals before losing to eventual NBA champion San Antonio. Hawks sign Sefolosha ATLANTA — The Atlanta Hawks have reached an agreement with small forward Thabo Sefolosha on a deal that leaves the team sufficient salary cap room for additional offseason moves. The Hawks and Sefolosha have agreed to a three-year, $12 million contract, a person with knowl-
edge of the deal said Friday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because teams can’t officially sign free agents until the NBA’s moratorium on deals is lifted on Thursday. The agreement was first reported by The Oklahoman newspaper. The deal with Sefolosha comes after the Hawks on Tuesday cleared more than $15 million in salary cap space by trading guard Lou Williams and the draft rights to center Lucas Nogueira to Toronto for forward John Salmons. The Hawks could have about $11.5 million for additional signings if they pay the $1 million buyout of Salmons’ $7 million salary. The Hawks are believed to have interest in Chicago Bulls freeagent forward Luol Deng. The 6-foot-7 Sefolosha averaged 6.3 points as a starter in 61 games last season for Oklahoma City. He is known as a strong defender but his 3-point percentage fell from 41.9 percent in 2012-13 to 31.6 percent. Sefolosha, a native of Switzerland, has averaged 5.8 points in eight seasons with the Chicago Bulls and Thunder. He set career highs with 108 3-pointers made and 7.6 points per game in the 2012-13 season with the Thunder. DeMarre Carroll was Atlanta’s primary small forward last season. Kyle Korver, normally a shooting guard, also played small forward in small lineups.
File photo by Wilfredo Lee | AP
After helping the Spurs knock off Miami in the NBA Finals, guard Manu Ginobili has a stress fracture of the lower fibula of his right leg.
LEBRON Continued from Page 1B could ever see himself playing for the Cavs again. “I don’t know. I think it would be great,” he said. “It would be fun to play in front of these fans again. I had a lot fun times in my seven years here. You can’t predict the future and hopefully I continue to stay healthy. I’m here as a Miami Heat player, and I’m happy where I am now, but I don’t rule that out in no sense. “And if I decide to come back, hopefully the fans will accept me.” Cleveland fans, most of them anyway, have gotten over James’ infamous “Decision,” when he announced he was leaving on a nationally televised special. He was booed mercilessly in his first games back with the Heat, but in recent years he has been received more favorably. Maybe that’s because the Cavs haven’t been to the playoffs since he left and Clevelanders know he might be the only chance they have to see a championship in their lifetimes. Cleveland hasn’t won a title in any of the major sports since 1964. If he were to come back, James could repair the damage he did to his image when he left. But that remains a big ’if.’
ANTHONY Continued from Page 1B so if it would help build a winning team, but the Knicks have made it clear the money won’t be an object. Other teams can offer Anthony slightly less than $100 million in a four-year deal, according to NBA rules. Contracts can’t be signed until July 10, so Anthony is under no rush to make a decision. But the Knicks apparently wanted to make sure they got to make a final pitch after his free agency tour. Jackson, Mills and new coach Derek Fisher had
File photo by Alan Diaz | AP
already met with Anthony last month in Los Angeles, where he informed them he would be terminating the final year of his contract and becoming a free agent. He has never said he wants to leave the Knicks, who acquired him from Denver in a February 2011 trade. But the 30-year-old forward also said his priority is contending for championships, and the Knicks were just 37-45 last season, the first time in Anthony’s 11-year career that he missed the playoffs.
SABATHIA Continued from Page 1B
Former Miami forward LeBron James has begun the process of searching through other possible teams to join in 2014-15. In having Paul meet with other teams, James could simply be putting on pressure for the Heat to upgrade their roster. Miami has been pursuing free agents and Yahoo Sports reported team president Pat Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra met in Los Angeles with Lakers free agent Pau Gasol. The Heat could have trouble surrounding James with enough talent if the reports he will only accept a
maximum contract are accurate. James is scheduled to be in Las Vegas next week to host a basketball camp, and then is expected to attend the World Cup in Brazil. In order for James to play again in Cleveland, he and Gilbert would have to have some sort of reconciliation. Gilbert’s letter — famously typed in comic sans font — was a blistering attack on James, who had
carried the Cavs to the NBA Finals in 2007 but failed to deliver on his promise of a championship. Gilbert had guaranteed the Cavs would win a title before James, but later regretted the prediction. “Looking back now, that probably was not the most brilliant thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Gilbert said. He and James may get a second chance together.
CONCUSSION Continued from Page 1B tive brain condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, those suffering from milder brain injuries and veterans of the defunct NFL Europe, the players’ objection said. The players also said that the proposed claims process is onorous and confusing and that attorneys for the plaintiffs failed to conduct any discovery in the case. “The revised settlement is a great deal — for the NFL and class counsel,” who would get $112.5 million in attorneys’ fees, the players’ motion said. “It is a lousy deal for the retired players, whose rights have been bargained away without adequate or independent representation.” A spokesman for the plaintiffs’ attorneys declined to comment on Thursday, referring to an earlier statement touting the deal. An NFL spokesman also declined to comment. More than 4,500 former players have filed suit, some accusing the league of fraud for its handling of
File photo by Charlie Neibergall | AP
CC Sabathia will visit Dr. James Andrews to determine whether microfracture surgery is necessary for his knee.
File photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais | AP
In 2011, former Bears quarterback Jim McMahon was a part of the lawsuit against the NFL for player safety from concussions. He now suffers from dementia. concussions. They include former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett and Super Bowl-winning Chicago Bears quarterback
Jim McMahon, who suffers from dementia. A revised settlement agreement filed last week removed a $675 million cap
on damages after U.S. District Judge Anita Brody questioned whether there would be enough money to pay all claims.
League Cy Young Award for Cleveland. Sabathia is in his sixth season with the Yankees. He gave up 10 home runs in 46 innings over his eight starts before landing on the disabled list on May 11. After signing a sevenyear, $161 million deal as a free agent prior to the 2009 season, Sabathia had his contract extended in 2011 by one year and $30 million. Making $23 million this season, Sabathia is scheduled to earn $23 million in 2015 and $25 million in 2016. The Yankees have a $25 million option on his deal for 2017 with a $5 million buyout. The Yankees have also been missing injured starters Ivan Nova and Michael Pineda, forcing
The Yankees’ top starter CC Sabathia could miss the remainder of the season with a knee issue. them to go with a makeshift rotation including Vidal Nuno, David Phelps and rookie Chase Whitley. Nova had season-ending elbow surgery in April. Pineda has been out with a shoulder muscle problem and is not expected back until August.
SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014
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HELOISE
Dear Readers: With droughts becoming more common across the United States, WILDFIRES are always a possibility. Here are some hints from the American Red Cross to keep you and your family safe: Be prepared. Have an escape plan, with two possible ways to get out of your neighborhood if fire is approaching. Back your car into the driveway or garage for a fast getaway. Keep some items to tackle smaller fires near your home, such as an ax, a rake, buckets and shovels. This could save your home until help arrives. Keep a water source outside to be used just for putting fires out, such as large drums of water, a small pool, a pond or a hose. Have supplies ready to leave with you: flashlight,
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medications, first-aid kit, cash, water, nonperishable food and important documents. Have a plan for your pets so they are not left behind. PET PAL Dear Readers: A reader, via email, sent in a picture of her four adopted cats spooning with each other. They are all lying on their sides with their paws around each other. The cats are great about posing for pictures. To see their picture, go to my website, www.Heloise.com, and click on "Pets." — Heloise That certainly makes the task easier! This can be used for any type of lawn decoration. — Heloise NO-SLIP SHOWER Dear Heloise: After a recent surgery, I needed something to prevent myself from slipping or falling when leaving the tub after a shower or bath. I have some leftover shelf liner, the plastic mesh type, and it works perfectly. It dries quickly on the edge of the tub when not in use. — Lynn in Colorado Springs, Colo.
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SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014