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CRIME
IMMIGRATION OVERLOAD
Human smuggling
Government to soon close 3 shelters
2 accused of transporting illegal immigrants By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A couple accused of transporting illegal immigrants from San Ygnacio to Laredo for money gain has been arrested, according to court records released last week. Roberto Gonzalez and Adriana Valero-Monsivais
were charged via criminal complaint with transporting illegal immigrants, court records filed July 24 show. At 3 p.m. July 21, a U.S. Border Patrol responded to an area along U.S. 83 near the City of Rio Bravo to assist a Department of Public Safety trooper. The trooper told the agent that Gonzalez,
the driver, admitted to transporting illegal immigrants from San Ygnacio to Laredo. The trooper then observed four suspected illegal immigrants in the back of the vehicle, according to court records. A front passenger identified as Valero-Monsivais stated she had documents to
be here and presented paperwork for a notice to appear. DPS cited Gonzalez, a U.S. citizen, for displaying a fictitious registration insignia, having an expired registration and for not having a driver’s license. In a post-arrest interview,
See ACCUSED PAGE 8A
IMMIGRATION
A CAUTIONARY TALE
Photo by Bob Owen/San Antonio Express-News
Francisco Ramos, 48, father of Gilberto Francisco Ramos Juarez, whose body was found along the Rio Grande, displays his son’s boots and hat in the dirt floor living area of their home in San Jose las Flores, a small village in the Cuchumatanes Mountains in Guatemala, on Saturday, July 26.
Teenager heading for US-Mexico border dies By AARON NELSEN SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
SAN JOSÉ LAS FLORES, Guatemala — Gilberto Francisco Ramos Juarez lived with his family in a sparse tworoom cement-block home deep in the mist-shrouded Cuchumatanes Moun-
tains, nestled between forest and rows of corn. As with all new construction in this remote hamlet, the house was built with money earned in the United States, and as with every young man here who dreams of making his way in the world, all roads lead north.
This spring, as scores of his peers joined an unprecedented wave of migration from Central America heading for the U.S.-Mexico border, Gilberto, 15, set out on his own journey down the mountain.
See TALE PAGE 9A
Child immigrants have been housed at US military bases By ALICIA A. CALDWELL ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — The government said Monday it will soon close three emergency shelters it established at U.S. military bases to temporarily house children caught crossing the Mexican border alone. It said fewer children were being caught and other shelters will be adequate. A shelter in Oklahoma at Fort Sill is expected to close as early as Friday, the Health and Human Services Department said. Shelters in Texas at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland and in California at Naval Base Ventura County-Port Hueneme will wrap up operations in the next two to eight weeks, agency spokesman Kenneth Wolfe said. About 7,700 children had been housed at the three military bases since shelters there opened in May and early June. They stayed an average of 35 days. Since Oct. 1 more than 57,000 unaccompanied children, mostly from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, have been caught crossing the Mexican border illegally. A 2008 law requires that unaccompanied child immigrants from countries that don’t border the United States be handed over to the Health and Human Services Department within 72 hours of being apprehended. The children are cared for by the government until they can be reunited with a relative or another sponsor in the United States while they await a deportation hearing in immigration court. The crush of Central American children caught at the border in recent months has strained resources across the government and prompted President Barack Obama to ask Congress to approve an emergency $3.7 billion spending bill to deal with what he described as a humanitarian crisis. Just before leaving town for the August recess, the House approved a pair of bills that would provide the administration with $694 million and end a program that protects some young immigrants from deportation for up to two years. Obama objected, saying Republican lawmakers of “not even trying to solve the problem.” The Senate had blocked its version of the border bill, leaving the problem unresolved before Congress left Washington for its five-week summer recess. Last month, the Homeland Security Department reported that the number of child immigrants crossing the border alone had started to decline, from as many as 2,000 each week in June to about 500 each week in mid-July. Administration officials said at the time that multiple factors likely contributed to the decline. The number of people caught crossing the border illegally typically declines during the hottest summer months. Administration officials have said as many 90,000 child immigrants could cross the border by the end of the budget year in September. The military base shelters could reopen if the number of young border crossers spikes again in the near future, Wolfe said.
SPACEX
Texas beach chosen for rocket launch site The company plans to invest $85 million, create 300 jobs By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
McALLEN, Texas — SpaceX will build the world’s first commercial site for orbital rocket launches in the southernmost tip of Texas. The state of Texas added $15.3 million in incentives to the geographic value of a location east of Brownsville that will allow SpaceX to have greater control over the timing of its launches. The company has said it plans to launch 12 rockets a year from the Boca Chica Beach, a short walk
from the Gulf of Mexico and just a couple miles north of the U.S.Mexico border. Gov. Rick Perry’s office said Monday it will provide $2.3 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund. The state will offer an additional $13 million from the Spaceport Trust Fund to the Cameron County Spaceport Development Corp. to pay for infrastructure development. “Texas has been on the forefront of our nation’s space exploration efforts for decades, so it is fitting that SpaceX has chosen our state as they expand the frontiers of commercial space flight,” Perry said in a prepared statement. SpaceX plans to make an $85 million investment and create 300 jobs. The company already has a rocket testing facility in McGre-
gor that employs 250 people. Space Exploration Technologies CEO Elon Musk, said, “In addition to creating hundreds of high-tech jobs for the Texas workforce, this site will inspire students, expand the supplier base and attract tourists to the South Texas area.” Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez said he always knew Brownsville had a good shot at landing the facility. Locations in Florida, Puerto Rico and Georgia had apparently been considered as well. “It’s a barrier breaker,” Martinez said. “It opens up a lot of doors for a lot of things.” He said SpaceX hopes to have the first launch in 2016. The Greater Brownsville Incentives Corp. committed an additional $5 million to the project.
Over a 10-year period — longer than the state’s incentive program — Brownsville expects SpaceX to create 500 jobs. Gilberto Salinas, executive vice president of the Brownsville Economic Development Council, said the region’s work is just beginning. He said his organization will facilitate the project’s construction, help work out supply chain logistics and look for opportunities to draw related companies into the area. One of the site’s biggest hurdles seemed to be its environmental impact. The site is bordered on three sides by state park land that’s managed by the federal government as part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge. But in late May, the Federal Aviation Administration released a final environmental re-
view that found the project was unlikely to jeopardize the existence of protected animal species and would create few unavoidable impacts. Rick Tumlinson, co-founder of Space Frontier Foundation and Texas Space Alliance, said in May that SpaceX’s establishment of its launch site in Texas would be significant. “What that means is we could at some point see flights originating in Texas that are carrying astronauts or passengers to the space station, orbital space hotels, to the moon and eventually even we might see human beings boarding spacecraft in Texas and flying to Mars,” Tumlinson said. “That’s huge.” Carissa Bryce Christensen,
See ROCKET PAGE 8A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2014
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
Thursday, Aug. 7
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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. Sisters of Mercy “Conversations with the Sisters,” a series of discussions focusing on earth, nonviolence, women, racism and immigration. 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. 1000 Mier St.
Today is Wednesday, August 6, the 218th day of 2014. There are 147 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On August 6, 1914, AustriaHungary declared war against Russia and Serbia declared war against Germany. On this date: In 1813, during the Venezuelan War of Independence, forces led by Simon Bolivar recaptured Caracas. In 1825, Upper Peru became the autonomous republic of Bolivia. In 1862, the Confederate ironclad CSS Arkansas was scuttled by its crew on the Mississippi River near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to prevent capture by the Union. In 1926, Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel, arriving in Kingsdown, England, from France in 14 1/2 hours. In 1930, New York State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Force Crater went missing after leaving a Manhattan restaurant; his disappearance remains a mystery. In 1945, during World War II, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, resulting in an estimated 140,000 deaths. In 1956, the DuMont television network went off the air after a decade of operations. In 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov became the second man to orbit Earth as he flew aboard Vostok 2. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act. In 1978, Pope Paul VI died at Castel Gandolfo at age 80. In 1986, William J. Schroeder (SHRAY’-dur) died at at Humana Hospital-Audubon in Louisville, Kentucky, after living 620 days with the Jarvik 7 artificial heart. In 1993, Louis Freeh won Senate confirmation to be FBI director. Ten years ago: A court found two former top East German officials guilty of failing to stop the killing of people trying to escape across the Berlin Wall and sentenced them to probation. Five years ago: Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed as the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice by a Senate vote of 6831. One year ago: U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan went on trial at Fort Hood, Texas, charged with killing 13 people and wounding 32 others in a 2009 attack. (Hasan, who admitted carrying out the attack, was convicted and sentenced to death.) Today’s Birthdays: Actordirector Peter Bonerz is 76. Actress Louise Sorel is 74. Actor Michael Anderson Jr. is 71. Actor Ray Buktenica is 71. Actor Dorian Harewood is 64. Actress Catherine Hicks is 63. Rock singer Pat MacDonald (Timbuk 3) is 62. Country musician Mark DuFresne (Confederate Railroad) is 61. Actress Stepfanie Kramer is 58. Actress Faith Prince is 57. Rhythm-and-blues singer Randy DeBarge is 56. Actor Leland Orser is 54. Country singers Patsy and Peggy Lynn are 50. Basketball Hall of Famer David Robinson is 49. Actor Jeremy Ratchford is 49. Country singer Lisa Stewart is 46. Actress Merrin Dungey is 43. Thought for Today: “A successful lie is doubly a lie; an error which has to be corrected is a heavier burden than the truth.” — Dag Hammarskjold, U.N. Secretary-General (1905-1961).
Monday, Aug. 11 Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. to noon. Zapata County Courthouse. Contact Roxy Elizondo at 7659920.
Thursday, Aug. 14 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.
Thursday, Aug. 21 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.
Friday, Aug. 22
Photo by Copyright Raiford Communications | AP
In this frame grab of video made on June 10, 1983, former president Richard Nixon talks about his 1974 resignation in a series of interviews. The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and the Nixon Foundation are co-releasing a trove of videotaped interviews with the former president to mark the 40th anniversary of his resignation following the Watergate scandal.
Tapes reveal final days By GILLIAN FLACCUS AND KRYSTA FAURIA ASSOCIATED PRESS
South Texas Food Bank’s Empty Bowls VIII, mission of feeding the hungry fundraiser. 8:30 p.m. Laredo Energy Arena. Music by Motown Legends and Commodores. Beaumont Foundation to be honored. Tickets on sale at LEA box office and Ticketmaster for $10, $15, and $25. Contact Salo Otero at 324-2432.
Saturday, Aug. 23 Annual Back to School Kid’s Fishing Tournament. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bravo Park Pond. Contact cbalderas@zapatachamber.com.
Monday, Aug. 25 Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. to noon. Zapata County Courthouse. Contact Roxy Elizondo at 7659920. Monthly meeting of Laredo Parkinson’s Disease Support Group. 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, Tower B, First Floor Community Center. Patients, caregivers and family members invited. Free info pamphlets available in Spanish and English. Call Richard Renner (English) at 645-8649 or Juan Gonzalez (Spanish) at 2370666.
Thursday, Aug. 28 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.
Thursday, Sept. 4 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. Sisters of Mercy “Conversations with the Sisters,” a series of discussions focusing on earth, nonviolence, women, racism and immigration. 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. 1000 Mier St.
Thursday, Sept. 11
YORBA LINDA, Calif. — Almost a decade after Richard Nixon resigned, the disgraced former president sat down with his one-time aide and told the tale of his fall from grace in his own words. For three decades, that version of one of the nation’s largest and most-dissected political scandals largely gathered dust — until this week. Starting Tuesday, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Nixon’s resignation, portions of the tapes will be published each day by the Nixon Presidential Library & Museum and the private Richard Nixon Foundation. The postings begin with Nixon recalling the day he decided to resign and end Saturday — the date of his last day in office — with the 37th president discussing his final
2nd American aid worker with Ebola arrives in US ATLANTA — A second American aid worker infected with Ebola arrived Tuesday in Atlanta, where doctors will closely monitor the effect of an experimental drug she agreed to take even though its safety was never tested on humans. Nancy Writebol, 59, arrived from Monrovia, Liberia, in a chartered jet at Dobbins Air Reserve Base and was then taken in an ambulance to Emory University Hospital, just downhill from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Writebol is weak but shows signs of improvement, said Bruce Johnson, president of SIM USA, the aid group with which she was working. Johnson said he had spoken with her husband, David Writebol, about her condition. “A week ago we were thinking about making funeral arrangements for Nancy,” David Writebol said in a statement read by
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.
Saturday, Sept. 13 South Texas Collectors Expo. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Energy Arena. Celebrities, comic book artists, cosplayers, vendors and more. Tickets on sale at LEA box office and Ticketmaster.com. Visit southtexascollectorsexpo.com or email info@stcelaredo.com.
Thursday, Sept. 18 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.
Thursday, Sept. 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. Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com. Items will run as space is available.
day at the White House. The segments were culled from more than 30 hours of interviews that Nixon did with former aide Frank Gannon in 1983. The sections on Watergate aired publicly once, on CBS News, before gathering dust at the University of Georgia for more than 30 years. The decision to release these interviews now might not be a coincidence, said Luke Nichter, a Nixon expert and professor at Texas A&M University. With the passage of time, he said, every former president sees their legacy re-examined and recast. “Watergate’s never going to go away,” Nichter said. “Nixon’s role in that and the cover-up is so well-documented. But I think what we’re trying to say here, 40 years later, is Nixon doesn’t have to be all bad or all good. He can be a combination of the good, bad and ugly.”
Johnson at a news conference. “Now we have a real reason to be hopeful.” Though she was wheeled from the ambulance in a stretcher, she is progressing, according to her husband. Three days earlier, the other American aid worker diagnosed with the virus arrived at Emory. Dr. Kent Brantly, 33, walked from an ambulance. The two patients — being treated in an isolation unit — were infected despite taking precautions as they treated Ebola patients in West Africa. The treatment, called ZMapp, was developed with U.S. military funding by a San Diego company, using antibodies harvested from lab animals that had been injected with parts of the Ebola virus. Tobacco plants in Kentucky are being used to make the treatment.
13 hurt in NYC Theater District bus crash NEW YORK — A traffic accident involving two double-decker
tour buses in the city’s Theater District on Tuesday afternoon sent shattered glass flying and injured 13 people, three of them seriously. None of the injuries was believed to be life-threatening, the Fire Department of New York said. The accident occurred around 47th Street and Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, an area of Times Square usually teeming with tourists near the TKTS discount Broadway tickets booth and the Hershey’s Chocolate World store. It shut down a stretch of Seventh Avenue. At least eight people, including several bus passengers, were treated at the scene, city officials said. One of the buses crashed into a light pole, causing it to topple, witnesses said. “It sounded like something was falling from really high,” said Josh Price, visiting the city from Lafayette, New Jersey. The glass in the front of the bus was shattered, and glass was strewn on the pavement. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND TEXAS 41,000 motorists mistakenly charged toll DALLAS — The Texas Department of Transportation says it’s fixing a billing system that erroneously charged more than 41,000 motorists. The department told the Dallas Morning News on Monday that the effected motorists drove a new toll road in the Dallas-Fort Worth area during a free period. The department billed transactions between May 27 and July 6. The North Texas Tollway Authority has an agreement with TxDOT to bill customers who use state-developed toll lanes. An authority spokesman says his agency will credit all TollTag users who were wrongly billed. He says bills for drivers without TollTags won’t be mailed out.
Fisherman catches 809-pound tiger shark PORT ARANSAS — A Texas
CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Account Executive, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 765-5113 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Managing Editor, Nick Georgiou ................. 728-2565 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ..........................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo............ 728-2569 Photo by Ryan Spring via The San Antonio Express-News | AP
Ryan Spring poses with an 809-pound, 12-foot, 7-inch tiger shark he caught after reeling it in for more than seven hours in the Gulf of Mexico, off Port Aransas, on Sunday. Spring plans to donate meat from the shark to charity. fisherman has landed an 809pound tiger shark in the Gulf of Mexico after reeling it in for more than seven hours. Ryan Spring of San Antonio says he caught the shark on Sunday about 5 miles off Port Aransas (uh-RAN’-suhs). He says the
12-foot, 7-inch shark was about as big as his boat and that it pulled the vessel south for more than 15 miles. It took about a dozen men to haul the male shark onto the dock. — 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
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2014
New set of wheels By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Courtesy photo
District Attorney Isidro R. “Chilo” Alaniz, left, hands Zapata County Sheriff Alonso M. Lopez the keys to a donated police car. del Bosque, Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office chief. “Although the sheriff ’s office has adequate resources, any contribution helps in the daily operations.” Del Bosque said the office is fortunate to provide and receive helpful support to increase the efficiency of services provided to county residents. Alaniz, who took office in 2009, and Lopez, who became sheriff in 2013, share the same goals of providing safety and security to all county resi-
dents. “Their focus is on Crime Prevention and Drug Interdiction. They strive to educate the public about safety and security,” del Bosque said. “Sharing resources demonstrates the cooperation of offices to strengthen the unity between both agencies and continue to provide services needed in the community of Zapata and Webb.” (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
LBV scholarship available SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Workforce education is receiving a major boost at Laredo Community College thanks to the Lamar Bruni Vergara Career and Technical Scholarship. Eligible students are encouraged to apply by the Aug. 15 deadline. The scholarship is open to students enrolled in oneyear career/technical certificate programs, including basic automotive collision repair technician, electrician, oil and gas, phlebotomy, professional truck driver, vocational nursing, welding and many others. The scholarship also is
Festival set for Oct. 4 Annual Autmus Fest to take place at TAMIU
THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Webb County District Attorney’s Office donated a police car to the Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office on Friday. District Attorney Isidro R. “Chilo” Alaniz presented the keys of a Dodge Charger to Sheriff Alonso M. Lopez. The vehicle will be used as part of a partnership in drug interdiction. “Collaboration is important to keep crime rate down in Zapata County,” Alaniz said. “The goal is to show more law enforcement presence on the highways.” The vehicle was purchased with forfeiture funds and was part of the district attorney Fleet. “The deed is a demonstration of both agencies’ efforts to work together in order to increase the efficiency of services provided. In a time of budget consideration, sharing resources is an exemplary action,” said Raymundo
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
available to students enrolled in the Associate Degree Nursing Program, Associate Degree Nursing Transition Program and the two-year Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Program. Funding for the scholarship is provided by a donation from the Lamar Bruni Vergara Trust. The LBV scholarship provides up to 85 percent of the students’ total educational cost, including tuition, fees, assessments and books. The student is responsible for the remaining cost. The application can be found online at laredo.edu/ financialaid or by visiting
the Financial Aid Center in the Lerma Peña Building, Room 143, at the Fort McIntosh Campus or at the William N. “Billy” Hall Jr. Student Center, Room 123, at the South Campus. To qualify for the scholarship, students must reside in Webb, Zapata or Jim Hogg counties, have and maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or greater, and be in good standing at the college. The fall 2014 semester begins Aug. 25. For information about the LBV Career and Technical scholarship, contact the LCC Financial Aid Center at 956-721-5361 or 956-794-4360.
Internationally renowned bands will gather in Laredo during the 10th annual AutMus Fest on Saturday, Oct. 4. As one of the longest standing traditions at Texas A&M International University, the event plans to offer a one-of-a-kind concert at Texas A&M International University. AutMus Fest, the TAMIU Alumni Association’s autumn music festival, will take place on campus grounds starting at 4:30 p.m. “The event is an exciting opportunity to sample some of the great musical sounds of today’s and tomorrow’s artists,” the association said. Co-headlining this year’s festivities are Latin Grammy winners 3BALLMTY
File photo by Danny Zaragoza | The Zapata Times
The lead singer of the local band VANKUVER, Meme Guerra, performs on stage with guitarist Carlos Gutierrez during a show at the 2012 Autmusfest at Texas A&M International University. (pronounced: Tribal Monterrey) and A.B Quintanilla’s Kumbia KingAllstarz. 3BALLMTY’s album “Intentalo” was selected amongst iTunes Best of 2012 in the category Best Latin Breakthrough Album. Other featured bands include Hysteria, Immortal Guardian and Stitched Up Heart. In addition to the featured artists, the Laredo Wrestling Alliance will host a special performance for attendees. The event is open to the public and pro-
ceeds help to promote the university and increase the association’s scholarships to TAMIU students. A limited number of tickets will be available for $15 at autmusfest.com. Admission for children 12 and under is free. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. Food and beverages will also be located throughout the event grounds. For information regarding sponsorship opportunities, contact Yelitza Howard at 956-326-4483.
TAMIU retention rates SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Students at Texas A&M International University keep coming back … and that’s a really good thing according to those who study student retention rates. Nationally, up to one in three first-year college students don’t return for their sophomore year, making the national retention rate for selective fouryear institutions granting bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees like TAMIU about 83 percent, according to ACT, a nonprofit focused on education and career assessments. Student retention is im-
portant because if they don’t return, students can’t earn their degree and their futures dim considerably. At TAMIU, the retention rate for students remaining in higher education is almost 87 percent, among the highest of The Texas A&M University System’s regional campuses. The retention rate for those returning students remaining at TAMIU is about 74 percent, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Texas’ state average for student retention is about 73 percent. Conchita Hickey, dean of TAMIU’s University
College, said supportive programming is responsible for the high percentage of TAMIU students returning and maintaining their path to degree completion. “We have a variety of programs in place that are hyper-focused on keeping students engaged, supported and productive,” Hickey said. “University College provides students with their ‘roots and wings’ — roots that are strengthened and deepened by strong academic support and wings that allow them to experience academic success and turn their career dreams into reality.”
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2014
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COMMENTARY
OTHER VIEWS
Someone can easily carry Ebola into US By MICHELLE BARNES SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON POST
I left Uganda on New Year’s Eve 2007 after a two-week adventure vacation, passing through London, then Iowa, on my way home to Colorado. I had no idea I was traveling the world while infected with a deadly virus. The symptoms began enroute but for five days I lived my normal life. All the while, I was carrying this horrible disease at the height of its contagious period. I’m the only person known so far to have imported an Ebola-like disease to the United States uncontrolled. I had contracted the Marburg virus from a bat cave in Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of Uganda’s most popular tourist attractions. In the medical world, Marburg is known as Ebola’s “kissing cousin.” While different molecularly, the viruses infect victims in the same way and cause the same symptoms. Both result in fatality rates of 60 percent to 90 percent and run hot through a community. There is no vaccine or cure for either. During my first days back in the United States, my body was slowly shutting down from multi-system organ failure. I visited my doctor and urgent care, complaining of a splitting headache, stomach rash, fever, nausea and confusion. I was sent home with painkillers and nausea prescriptions. My liver, kidney, lungs, gallbladder and pancreas slowed. On my third visit to the doctor, I collapsed
and was rushed to the hospital. More than 220 health care professionals treated me over 12 days, offering excellent supportive care and compassion. But they couldn’t diagnose my problem. Doctors treated me with fluids and antibiotics, and, surrounded by my husband and siblings, my body was able to fight off the illness that was shutting down all of my organs. After I started to recover, I was sent home. Twelve months later, I read about a Dutch woman who died of Marburg after visiting the same bat cave I had been to in Uganda. The World Health Organization investigated and determined that the bats carried the virus. My infectious disease doctor retested me, and jackpot! In Africa, Ebola is moving from person to person, crossing borders, and has already killed more than 700 people with hundreds more in quarantine. But the story in the United States is different. While Americans aren’t exempt from contracting Marburg or Ebola, our odds of survival are better than people living in rural villages. We have access to more sophisticated health infrastructure, better information about the spread of disease and practices that more effectively contain infections. If the Ebola virus is exported to the U.S., as the Marburg virus was by me, I don’t fear an outbreak here. Our health care system is prepared. I’m proof of that.
EDITORIAL
Movement on Medicare THE WASHINGTON POST
For years, lawmakers, policy experts and journalists have fretted about the explosive growth of health-care spending. Would the United States ever find a way to “bend the curve” on economic charts that projected seemingly endless growth in health care’s share of the gross domestic product and, consequently, uncontrolled expansion of federal spending on health-care entitlement programs? Lately, though, the situation has quietly been improving — as the most recent government data released last week again confirmed. The trustees of Social Security and Medicare reported that the latter program should have enough money in its hospital insurance trust fund to last through 2030 — four years longer than they projected last year and 13 years longer than projected in 2009. The Congressional Budget Office’s updated estimate of long-term federal spending on major health programs (Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Obamcare health-care exchange subsidies) would equal 8 percent of GDP in 2039 — 1.6 percentage points, or about 15 percent, less than
the 9.6 percent the agency projected in 2010. It’s now 4.8 percent of GDP. In short, the curve may not have bent yet, but it is flattening. The question of precisely how and why is a contentious one, like almost every other issue in Washington. Some of the Medicare slowdown may be attributable to curbs on hospital readmissions caused by President Obama’s health-care reform, but the law is still too new to explain all or even most of the cost moderation. Indeed, economists see the slowdown in health spending, public and private, as a puzzle, though the growth rate does seem to ebb and flow with overall economic growth — which cratered in 2009 and has been sluggish since. Economist Louise Sheiner of the Brookings Institution argues in a forthcoming working paper that the business cycle accounts for much of the recent slowdown in overall health spending — but not what she calls the “dramatic” easing of Medicare spending specifically. The real issue is how to respond to this good news. No doubt the path of least resistance, politically, would be to pocket the recent gains in Medicare’s life expectancy and postpone systemic reform.
COLUMN
‘Home of the Month’ curse Writer was met with a ‘terrible surprise’ last weekend: A 2-foot-by-2-foot green-and-gold painted wooden sign that recognized his home’s exterior By FRANK CERABINO COX NEWSPAPERS
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — I got a terrible surprise this past weekend. Sometime on Saturday before 9 a.m., someone slipped noiselessly into my front yard and deposited a sign just steps from the front door. The item was a 2-footby-2-foot green-and-gold painted wooden sign that had been affixed to a wrought iron frame. This allowed its message to be hoisted to nearly 4 feet off the ground to passing traffic. Hard to miss. Especially since it had been staked near the shaggy lawn and among the plantings of dead, nearly dead and on-the-way-to-bedead geraniums. The sign read “Home of the Month.” I immediately notified my wife that neighborhood pranksters were at work. “Since when did the ‘Home of the Month’ designation become an ironic award?” I asked her. We have been living in the same Boca Raton neighborhood of singlefamily homes for nearly 28 years, and in all that time, the neighborhood association had yet to designate our home as a “Home of the Month.” This had given me great faith in the award. For there was only one time during the past three
decades when our home might have been a contender. That was nine years ago after we sought professional help. This resulted in the planting of trees, a redesign of the gardens and the installation of landscape lighting. But in all months before and after that brief moment, there has always existed a variation of changing issues with the frontyard appearance that validated the neighborhood association’s decision to select some other home for the sign. The current menu of issues includes a garage door that doesn’t quite close right, leaving a space big enough on one side to allow a procession of chunky curly-tailed lizards to use it as their private entrance. I’ve been meaning to fix this in a meaningful way, but my short-term solution was to stuff a towel into the space where the garage door is supposed to touch the ground. Then there are the geraniums, which looked good when we planted them in the spring, but have now succumbed to the steady assault of dachshund urine and too much sunshine. The landscape lighting works, but the timer doesn’t. So unless I go out and manually turn them on, the lights don’t come on at night. And the exterior of the house could use a new paint job, something
I was planning to do last winter, but never got around to it. These are some of the highlights of the home’s appearance issues, but by no means all of them. My first thought was to ignore the “Home of the Month” sign. But August is a long month, and to complicate matters, my wife’s parents were coming for a visit this week. So I either had to rip the sign out of the ground and hide it, or engage in some emergency beautification. I had reserved tickets for the Sunday matinee performance of Anton Chekhov’s play “The Seagull” at Florida Atlantic University. If I stashed the sign in my garage, we could see the play. But what if the homeowner’s association noticed the sign was missing and notified police. That would lead to an awkward confession. So it was emergency beautification, not Chekhov. My wife went to a nursery and came back with a trunk full of begonias while I mowed, edged and began filling 10 large leaf bags full of pruned landscaping. While she pulled the geraniums and planted the begonias, I tackled the repair to the garage door, bloodying a finger on the pulley mechanism, but getting the door to close all
the way. OK, well, at least enough to get rid of the towel. When it started raining, we just kept going. “What the hell are you doing?” my next-door neighbor asked. “You already got Home of the Month.” Sometime before making the trip to Home Depot for something to kill dollar weed and 15 bags of mulch, a representative of the homeowner’s association stopped by. She said her name was Helen, and that she was the person who planted the sign in our yard the previous day. “Look what you made us do!” I said, as I stood on my lawn, saturated in sweat and covered in dirt. “How could this happen?” Helen said she wasn’t on the selection committee. It was only her job to plant the signs and take photos of the winning homes for the neighborhood’s online newsletter. “I already took a photo of your home yesterday,” she said. “Yesterday?” I said. “It looked terrible yesterday.” “I can come back and take another photo,” she said. “Yes, please do,” I said. “I had no idea that the association uses the award to shame homeowners into improving the mediocre appearance of their homes. But I’m wise to your diabolical plan now.”
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International
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
US general killed 15 wounded in bloodiest insider attacks By ROBERT BURNS AND RAHIM FAIEZ ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Khalil Hamra | AP
Palestinians in a car with their belongings drive past a destroyed house in Rafah’s district of Shawkah in the southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday.
Negotiating new deal Indirect talks between Israel, Hamas to happen in Cairo By KARIN LAUB AND MAGGIE MICHAEL ASSOCIATED PRESS
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The outlines of a solution for battered, blockaded Gaza are emerging after Tuesday’s tentative IsraelHamas cease-fire: Norway is organizing a donor conference and Westernbacked Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas aims to oversee rebuilding and reassert his authority in the territory, lost to Hamas in 2007. Forces loyal to Abbas would be deployed at Gaza’s crossings to encourage Israel and Egypt to lift the closure they imposed after the Hamas takeover. Indirect Israel-Hamas talks in Cairo are to tackle the details. The hope is that promises of a better life for Gazans will coax compromise and avert what had been looking like a fight to the finish. The gaps remain wide, especially between Israel and Hamas. Israel says it has inflicted a painful blow to Hamas’ military capabilities in the monthlong fighting and wants to make sure the group cannot re-arm if bor-
der restrictions are eased. “The extent to which we are going to be ready to cooperate with the efforts to have better access and movement in Gaza will deeply depend on the kind of arrangements that would secure our peace and security,” said Yossi Kuperwasser, a senior official in Israel’s Strategic Affairs Ministry. Hamas, in turn, has signaled flexibility on ceding some authority to Abbas in Gaza, but insists on having a say on reconstruction and that it will not disarm. Izzat Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said disarming isn’t up for discussion. “We’d take the life of anyone who tries to take the weapons of resistance,” he told The Associated Press. Despite such tough talk, Hamas is in a position of relative weakness. The Islamic militant group’s fortunes changed dramatically last year after the Egyptian military deposed a Hamas-friendly government in Cairo and began closing hundreds of smuggling tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border. The closures deprived Hamas of a key source of
revenue — the taxation of goods brought through the tunnels — and prevented weapons and cash destined for Hamas from flowing into Gaza. By this spring, Hamas was in such a severe financial crisis that it accepted a reconciliation deal with Abbas. Under that agreement, an Abbas-led government was to run both the West Bank and Gaza, though thorny issues were put off, including Hamas’ insistence that it retain control over its security forces. The unity government was stumbling by the time Israel-Hamas fighting erupted on July 8. Even before the war, Gaza was in bad shape because of the prolonged blockade. Unemployment in the impoverished territory of 1.8 million people had risen well above 50 percent, in part because of Egypt’s tunnel closures. Only half of Gaza’s electricity needs were being met, and the closure prevented most Gaza residents from travel. After four weeks of intensive fighting, including close to 5,000 Israeli strikes on Gaza targets, the devastation is widespread.
KABUL, Afghanistan — An American major general was killed Tuesday in one of the bloodiest insider attacks of the long Afghanistan war when a gunman dressed as an Afghan soldier turned on allied troops, wounding about 15 U.S. and coalition forces, including a German general and two Afghan generals. The U.S. two-star general was the highest-ranked American officer killed in combat in either of the nation’s post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His name was not immediately released. The attack at Marshal Fahim National Defense University underscored the tensions that persist as the U.S. combat role winds down — and it wasn’t the only assault by an Afghan ally on coalition forces on Tuesday. In eastern Paktia province, an Afghan police guard exchanged fire with NATO troops near the governor’s office, provincial police said. The guard was killed in the gunfight. It wasn’t clear if the two incidents were linked, and police said they were investigating. The circumstances of the lethal attack at the defense university were murky. The wounded included a German brigadier general and two Afghan generals, officials said. A U.S. official said that of the estimated 15 wounded, about half were Americans, several of them in serious condition. U.S. officials still asserted confidence in their partnership with the Afghan military, which appears to be holding its own against the Taliban
Photo by Massoud Hossaini | AP
An Afghanistan National Army soldier stands guard at a gate of Camp Qargha, west of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday. A man dressed in an Afghan army uniform opened fire on foreign troops. but will soon be operating independently once most U.S.-led coalition forces leave at the end of the year. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars have taken more than 6,700 U.S. lives. Insider attacks rose sharply in 2012, with more than 60 coalition troops — mostly Americans — killed in 40-plus attacks that threatened to shatter all trust between Afghan and allied forces. U.S. commanders imposed a series of precautionary tactics, and the number of such attacks declined sharply last year. The White House said President Barack Obama was briefed on the shooting. Obama and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel both spoke with Gen. Joseph Dunford, the top U.S. general in Kabul, who said a joint U.S.-Afghan investigation was underway and who assured his bosses he still had confidence in the Afghan military. The Pentagon’s press secretary, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, announced that the U.S. general officer was killed in the attack but he refused to be specific about his rank, citing concern that his family had not yet been fully and officially notified. Another U.S. official said the officer was a major general. There are only a few U.S. generals in Af-
ghanistan. Kirby said the general and other officials were on a routine visit to the military university on a base west of Kabul. Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry, said a “terrorist in an army uniform” opened fire on both local and international troops. Azimi and U.S. officials said the shooter was killed. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid praised in a statement the “Afghan soldier” who carried out the attack. He did not claim the Taliban carried out the attack, although in the past the Taliban have encouraged such actions. Such assaults are sometimes claimed by the Taliban insurgency as proof of their infiltration. Others are attributed to personal disputes or resentment by Afghans who have soured on the continued international presence in their country more than a dozen years after the fall of the Taliban from power. Mark Jacobson, a former NATO deputy civilian representative to Afghanistan and now a senior adviser at the private Truman National Security Project, said the threat of Afghan troops turning their guns of their American partners is a serious problem.
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera
Agenda en Breve LAREDO 08/06— Entrega de solicitudes para vales para uniformes de UISD en los salones de Bellas Artes 1 y 2 del Complejo de Actividades para Estudiantes (SAC), ubicado en 5208 de Santa Claudia Lane, a partir de las 8 a.m. y hasta las 6 p.m. 08/06— UISD celebrará una feria de salud de 8 a.m. a 2 p.m. Durante la feria se aplicarán inyecciones, se realizarán exámenes físicos, revisiones de salud, entre otros beneficios. 08/06— TAMIU ofrecerá un Open House a estudiantes de nuevo ingreso en el Centro de Éxito Estudiantil Senator Judith Zaffirini, de 9 a.m. a 9 p.m. se dará información sobre oportunidades de becas escolares, asesoría académica, ayuda financiera, entre otras cosassobre 08/06— Lutheran Social Services Foster en Texas realizará una Orientación para los Nuevos Padres a las 6:30 p.m. y hasta las 8 p.m. en 102 de Calton Road, departamento 4. Se impartirán temas sobre los procesos para ser padres de crianza y se responderá a las preguntas que surjan. Más información llamando a Linda Mendiola al (956) 791-4909. 08/06— Se llevará acabo “Operation Lone Star 2014”, donde se proporcionarán servicios médicos gratuitos, de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m. en el Centro de Artes Escénicas de LISD, ubicado en 2400 de avenida San Bernardo. 08/07— Se llevará acabo “Operation Lone Star 2014”, donde se proporcionarán servicios médicos gratuitos, de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m. en el Centro de Artes Escénicas de LISD, ubicado en 2400 de avenida San Bernardo. 08/07— En el marco del 120 Aniversario de Sisters of Mercy se invita a la serie de discusiones “Conversaciones con las Hermanas”. La segunda charla será a las 6:30 p.m. en el Centro de Educación Lamar Bruni Vergara, 1000 Mier, esquina con Hendricks, con el tema de Sin Violencia. La conversación será Bilingüe. 08/08— Se llevará acabo “Operation Lone Star 2014”, donde se proporcionarán servicios médicos gratuitos, de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m. en el Centro de Artes Escénicas de LISD, ubicado en 2400 de avenida San Bernardo. 08/08— Se estará proyectando la película “The Lego Movie”, a las 8:30 p.m. en Santa Rita Park, ubicado en 83 de Prada Machin. 08/09— Octava Entrega Anual del torneo Pulling for Kids Sporting Clay, a partir de las 8:30 a.m. en el Complejo de Tiro del Sur de Texas. Habrá alimentos, bebidas, premios y galardones. Cuota de inscripción de 150 dólares para adultos y de 125 para jóvenes hasta los 18 años.
NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO 08/06— Cine Club Carmen Montejo, proyectará “El tercer hombre”, a las 6 p.m. dentro del Auditorio de Estación Palabra. 08/07— Se inaugurará la exhibición artística de Pedro Ramos, en la Sala Principal de la Casa de la Cultura Polivalente, a las 6 p.m. Entrada gratuita. 08/07— El programa Jueves de Teatro presenta “Ponshow”, un espectáculo clown, a las 7 p.m. dentro del Teatro Lucio Blanco, en la Casa de la Cultura. Costo 20 pesos. 08/07— El Jazz Tam Fest presenta a Alex Mercado Trío, a las 7 p.m. en el Centro Cultural. 08/08— Jazz Tam Fest presenta a Ed Lorenz & Jazz Quartet, a las 7 p.m. en el Centro Cultural.
MIÉRCOLES 6 DE AGOSTO DE 2014
GOBIERNO
Cierre de albergues POR MICHAEL D. SHEAR NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON — El gobierno federal se encuentra cerrando tres albergues temporales que habían sido abiertos para atender un incremento de niños solos, de origen centroamericano, entrando a los EU, a través de la frontera sur, dijeron oficiales el lunes. Los albergues en bases militares en Texas, Oklahoma y California han proveído un techo a más de 7.700 menores desde que fueron abiertos en mayo y junio. Decenas de miles de niños han cruzado la frontera con México en meses recientes, desatando un debate político acerca de qué hacer con los niños migrantes y qué tan rápido se debe enviarlos de regreso a sus casas en Honduras, Guatemala y El Salvador. Pero oficiales en el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos, el cual alberga a niños migrantes mientras sus casos continúan pendientes, dijeron que los albergues de emergencia en las bases militares ya no eran necesarios. “Podemos tomar este paso por-
Foto por Eric Gay | Associated Press
La imagen tomada a finales de junio, muestra el albergue temporal para menores solos que han entrado a EU de manera ilegal en la Base Lackland de la Fuerza Aérea en San Antonio. El lunes, el gobierno de EU dijo que cerrará tres albergues de emergencia establecidos en bases militares de EU. que hemos expandido de manera proactiva la capacidad de cuidado para niños en albergues convencionales, los cuales son instalaciones significativamente menos costosas”, dijeron oficiales del departamento en un comunicado. “Al mis-
mo tiempo, hemos visto una disminución en la cantidad de niños cruzando la frontera suroeste”. Oficiales de administración han dicho en las pasadas dos semanas que el flujo de niños migrantes cruzando la frontera sur ha empe-
zado a disminuir, aunque son cautelosos acerca de desconocer si el ritmo pudiera incrementarse de nuevo en los meses por venir. Por ahora, oficiales dicen que no se requiere espacio adicional en las bases militares. El albergue en Fort Sill en Oklahoma no será utilizado después del viernes, dijeron oficiales, aunque los albergues en la Base Lackland de la Fuerza Aérea en Texas y la Base Naval en el Condado de Ventura en California serán cerrados paulatinamente durante las siguientes varias semanas. Oficiales del Departamento de Salud dijeron que los tres albergues pudieran ser reabiertos si hubiera un resurgimiento de niños migrantes cruzando la frontera. Igualmente negaron que la decisión de cerrar los albergues en las bases militares sea el resultado de la falta de recursos porque una solicitud legislativa del Presidente Barack Obama al Congreso falló. Kenneth J. Wolfe, un vocero para el departamento, dijo que la agencia hubiera cerrado los albergues inclusive si la solicitud de Obama hubiera sido aprobada.
CULTURA
TMC
JAZZTAMFEST 2014
Alegan racismo y discriminación POR PHILIP BALLI TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
El grupo “Alex Mercado Trío” se presenta en el JazzTamFest 2014, que tendrá como sede a Nuevo Laredo, Victoria y Tampico, México. Ofrecerán un concierto de jazz acústico contemporáneo con composiciones originales.
Evento será del 7 al 10 de agosto TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
D
el 7 al 10 de agosto, tres ciudades de Tamaulipas serán sede del JazzTamFest 2014. Residentes y visitantes de Nuevo Laredo, Victoria y Tampico, México, podrán disfrutar espectáculos con artistas estatales, nacionales e internacionales, tales como Dannah Garay, Ed Lorenz & Jazz Quartert, Cecilia Toussaint, Alex Mercado Trío y Joe d’Etienne Big Band. De Tamaulipas participarán el grupo matamorense Trasfuga y los victorenses Alán Rene y Jacinto Efrén. Además el público de Tampico y Victoria tendrán la oportunidad de presenciar la charla – documental “Nota dominante. El jazz mexicano habla” en el Espacio Cultural Metropolitano (METRO) el 8 de agosto y el 9 de agosto en el Auditorio Alberto López, del Centro Cultural Tamaulipas. La agenda en Nuevo Laredo incluye, el jueves 7 a “Alex Mercado Trío”; el viernes 8, “Ed Lorenz & Jazz Quartet”; y, el viernes 9, “Dannah Garay con ‘My
Miracle’”. Los tres eventos serán a las 7 p.m. en el Teatro Principal del Centro Cultural. En el caso de la banda mexicana Alex Mercado Trío, ellos presentarán un concierto de jazz acústico contemporáneo con composiciones originales “caracterizadas por un virtuosismo en la ejecución y frescura en la interpretación, fundiendo constantemente la tradición más pura del lenguaje jazzístico con la modernidad de las corrientes musicales actuales”, según un comunicado de prensa del Gobierno de Tamaulipas. Alex Mercado toca el piano, además de estar a cargo de la dirección y composición. Agustín Bernal está a cargo del contrabajo y Gabriel Puentes en la batería. Ellos interpretarán composiciones de su disco “Symbiosis”. Además de Nuevo Laredo, Alex Mercado Trío se presentará el 9 de agosto en Tampico, a las 7 p.m. en el METRO; y el 10 de agosto, en Libre 17 de Victoria a las 7 p.m. También se contará con la presencia del Big Band
de Joe D’etienne con el concierto “Música de México y Estados Unidos”. “Con 10 años de trayectoria, la banda ofrece un concierto de alto impacto, combinando buen gusto, finura, contraste dinámico y variedad rítmica para lograr un show emocionante y así levantar el espíritu y la alegría”, agrega el comunicado. “Se trata de una propuesta fresca de jazz instrumental que incluye canciones de compositores mexicanos y americanos”. D’etienne es trompetista, pianista, compositor y arreglista nacido en Alemania en 1963. Cursó una maestría en la Universidad Estatal del Norte de Texas. Big Band de Joe D’etienne se presentará el 7 de agosto en el Teatro Amalia G. de Castillo Ledón de Victoria a las 8 p.m.; en Tampico será el 8 de agosto en el METRO a las 7 p.m. El Gobierno de Tamaulipas indica que el JazzTamFest es un festival que invita al encuentro del saxofón y el oído, durante cuatro días. Los eventos son gratuitos.
WBCA: SR. SUR DE TEXAS 2015 La Asociación de Celebraciones por el Aniversario de Washington (WBCA, por sus siglas en inglés) anunció que el Senador de EU, John Cornyn, RTexas ha sido seleccionado como el Señor Sur de Texas 2015, el lunes por la mañana en el Texas Community Bank. Foto por Victor Strife | Laredo Morning Times
Varios miembros de la junta directiva de la organización sin fines de lucro con sede en Laredo, Teaching and Mentoring Communities (TMC por sus siglas en inglés), han sido acusados de hacer comentarios racistas y discriminación en contra de los mexicanos. Ex empleados de TMC alegan en una petición recientemente modificada en la corte federal que fueron víctimas de discriminación racial. “Este es un caso de discriminación racial, acoso racial y corrupción, calumnias y otros agravios e injusticias”, se establece en la querella. Los demandados son Louis Daniel Liskai (Presidente de la Junta de Directores de TMC), Jane Garling, el secretario de la junta directiva de TMC y miembros de la junta directiva Dave Weydert y Tim Ingle. Liskai y Garling son de Ohio y Weydert e Ingle son de Iowa, se establece en la petición, El abogado defensor Edward F. Maddox dijo que cree que la petición, presentada en una corte federal de Laredo, está tratando de alejar la atención de la conducta de Capello, la cual causó que la junta la removiera de su puesto de CEO en TMC. “Estamos en completo desacuerdo con la nueva serie de alegatos y confiamos que el señor Liskai será reivindicado a través del proceso judicial”, dijo Maddox. “Es absurdo sugerir que alguien que da mucho de su tiempo, esfuerzo y energía (a TMC) haría esa clase de declaraciones horribles que los demandantes han alegado”. Los otros demandantes son antiguos empleados de TMC, Norma I. Ybarra, John Eric Salinas y Rodney Rodríguez. Ybarra fue vice presidenta de recursos humanos, Rodney Rodríguez fungió como vice presidente de cumplimiento y Salinas fue director de menores y familias. Cada uno fue despedido el año pasado. La petición establece que otros dos empleados de TMC fueron despedidos a principios del 2014: Manuel Duque, oficial en jefe de operaciones y René González, gerente de comunicaciones corporativas. La petición recientemente modificada deriva de una demanda que Capello presentó en contra de TMC y Liskai a finales de enero, poco después que fue despedida. La demanda penal fue presentada originalmente en la Corte de Distrito 406. Pero fue tras-
ladada a la corte federal ya que Capello alega violaciones a la Ley de la Familia y Ausencia Médica, un estatuto federal. Ella reclama que la junta directiva de TMC le negó su solicitud por una ausencia sin derecho de pago debido a un “problema grave de salud”. Capello argumenta que tenía el derecho de tomar los días de ausencia bajo el estatuto federal. Capello, originaria de Zapata, fungió como presidenta y CEO de TMC desde el 2007 cuando se convirtió en la primera mujer CEO de la organización. La semana pasada, Ybarra, Salinas y Rodríguez se unieron a Capello en su lucha contra la organización sin fines de lucro. Liskai supuestamente se acercó a Capello en numerosas ocasiones y le dio instrucciones para deshacerse de su “su equipo de gerencia mexicano”, de quienes creía eran responsables por el desorden que existía en la oficina corporativa de TMC en Laredo. “Liskai continuamente instruía a Mary Capello para despedir ‘esa estúpida mexicana de Norma (Ybarra) o sería despedida’”, se establece en la querella Mientras tanto, Liskai ha acusado a Capello de robar a TMC al usar una tarjeta de crédito de la compañía para propósitos personales. El 29 de enero, el día que fue despedida, “Liskai tenía una cinta de escena de un crimen colocada en la oficina privada de Capello, insinuando que fue despedida por ser una criminal”, establece la petición. En la petición se agrega que Liskai también se quejó de que Capello se pagó en exceso a pesar de que la junta de directores estableció su salario. De acuerdo con la declaración de impuestos de la organización no lucrativa en el 2013, ella percibió un salario anual de 231.614 dólares. Un estudio, de acuerdo a la petición, muestra que ella y otros miembros del personal estaban “muy mal pagados”. “La separación involuntaria de la Srita. Capello constituye la culminación de una serie de intentos por ciertos miembros de la junta directiva para asegurar su partida a través de numerosas acciones adversas sucedidas durante el periodo de un año”, dijo el abogado de Capello, Murray E. Malakoff, en una declaración dada previamente al Laredo Morning Times. (Localice a Philip Balli en el 728-2528 o en pballi@lmtonline.com)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2014
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Historic hire Spurs add WNBA star Hammon By JON KRAWCZYNSKI ASSOCIATED PRESS
The San Antonio Spurs hired WNBA star Becky Hammon on Tuesday, making her the first fulltime, paid female assistant on an NBA coaching staff. Hammon, who plans to retire from the San Antonio Stars after this season, spent time working with coach Gregg Popovich and the Spurs last season and made a strong impression on an organization with a history of forward-thinking moves. During the 2001-02 season, Cleveland Cavaliers coach John Lucas brought Lisa Boyer into the team’s practices and some games. Boyer, now an assistant at South Carolina, was not paid by the Cavaliers and did not travel with the team, but did work with the players and coaches that season. Last season, Hammon attended Spurs practices, film sessions and sat behind the bench for the NBA champions at home game this season. She’s been friends with Spurs teammates Tony Parker and Tim Duncan since competing in an NBA AllStar shooting competition in 2008. “I very much look forward to the addition of Becky Hammon to our staff,” Popovich said. “Having observed her working with our team this past season, I’m confident her basketball IQ, work ethic and interpersonal skills will be a great benefit to the Spurs.” It’s the latest trailblazing move for the Spurs,
who hired European coaching legend Ettore Messina to join Popovich’s staff earlier this summer and have been the leaders in bringing international players to the NBA for almost two decades. The Spurs are coming off of their fifth NBA title, a decisive victory over the
“
I’m confident her basketball IQ, work ethic and interpersonal skills will be a great benefit to the Spurs.” - GREG POPOVICH, SPURS HEAD COACH
Miami Heat in June. The organization’s stature as the league’s gold standard, along with Popovich and GM RC Buford being viewed as two of the very best in the business, led other women who have long dreamed of coaching in the NBA to hope that this is the first major step toward bringing more women into the league. “I was so excited and pleased and the one thing that people have to remember is that the San Antonio Spurs don’t do anything for effect,” said
Nancy Lieberman, a former star player who was a head coach in the NBA Development League in 2009 and now serves as the GM of the Texas Legends. “That’s not who they are. They don’t do this for the record-breaking barrier. They do things out of respect. “And the fact that coach Popovich has this much respect for Becky’s basketball IQ, for how she handles herself with the guys in practice, her ability to relate to them, I’m sure he saw so much when she was working with them last fall. I’m sure he didn’t hire her because she was a woman. I’m sure he hired her because she was the best person for the job.” Charlotte Hornets sideline reporter Stephanie Ready, who served as an assistant on the Coppin State men’s team as well as in the D-League, called Popovich the perfect person to hire Hammon. “Because he’s proven he has a tremendous track record and he does not make bad decisions,” she said. Hammon’s reputation as a smart, hard-nosed, tough-minded player makes her a perfect fit for Popovich’s staff, Ready said. Hammon made six All-Star teams and averaged 13.1 points in her 16 seasons. “This will open the door for other women, even like myself,” Lieberman said. “My goal is to coach in the NBA and you’ve got to start somewhere. So this is a great day.”
Photo by Bahram Mark Sobhani | AP
The San Antonio Spurs hired WNBA star Becky Hammon as an assistant coach on Tuesday making her the first full-time paid female assistant on an NBA coaching staff.
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2014
2 storms head for Hawaii By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER AND AUDREY MCAVOY ASSOCIATED PRESS
HONOLULU — When a pallet full of bottled water ran out at a Honolulu warehouse store Tuesday, shoppers loading up on supplies ahead of a hurricane and tropical storm barreling toward Hawaii hovered around until a worker refilled it. Then, it quickly emptied again. “Days like today, in a situation like this, we just throw open the doors and hold on for the ride,” said Scott Ankrom, assistant general manager of the Costco. The busy store near downtown has had to continually restock water and sold as much of it on Monday as it sold all last week, he said. People also stocked up on paper towels, toilet paper, baby supplies and rice. Two big storms so close together is rare in the central Pacific, and Hurricane Iselle could
make landfall by Thursday and Tropical Storm Julio could hit three days later, officials said. It’s unclear how damaging the storms could be, but people throughout the islands weren’t taking any chances. Judy Castillo of Oahu said she wanted to make sure her family was prepared before big crowds flooded stores and shelves emptied. “Two storms in a row? It’s like, hello,” she said, pushing a cart with two cases of water and other items from a drug store to her car. A grocery store in the coastal Oahu community of Waianae opened 15 minutes early Tuesday because people were already lined up to buy supplies. Bottled water and cans of Spam and Vienna Sausage flew off the shelves, said Tamura’s Supermarket general manager Charlie Gustafson. “Just about every shopping cart I see has at least one case of
bottled water. Some as many as eight,” he said. “It’s all flowing out very fast.” Chris Pruett of Waikiki was anticipating the silver lining that comes from bad weather: good waves. “We’re just getting water and preparing ourselves, too, because it could be bad,” he said. “Of course we’re not looking for a storm ... but it tends to generate good waves.” The second storm system heightened the urgency to prepare, Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira said Tuesday. His county was expected to see Iselle first. Hurricane Iselle was expected to weaken to a tropical storm when it hits the Big Island on Thursday afternoon and then sweep over the other islands, said Brian Miyamoto, spokesman for State Civil Defense/Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.
ACCUSED Continued from Page 1A Valero-Monsivais stated that a friend she identified as April Castillo hired her to move illegal immigrants from San Ygnacio to Laredo for $50 per person. She stated their destination was either the Walmart along U.S. 83 South or the H-E-B on Guadalupe Street in Laredo. Valero-Monsivais allegedly told authorities this was her second
arrest for human smuggling. Gonzalez also had prior encounters with the law, including drug arrests and a conviction for conspire to transport illegal immigrants. He was given time served on the conspiracy charge, according to court records. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
ROCKET Continued from Page 1A managing partner at The Tauri Group, a Virginia-based space and technology consulting firm, said in an interview in April that having its own launch site would give SpaceX predictability. “SpaceX has made an absolute winning career of controlling its own destiny,” Bryce Christensen said. “SpaceX is arguably the most integrated launch company there is. They do it all themselves.”
SpaceX’s Dragon cargo ship already ferries supplies and experiments to and from the International Space Station for NASA. In April, NASA agreed to lease launch pad 39A at Cape Canaveral to SpaceX. The company also launches from Vandenberg Air Force base in California. SpaceX has proposed launching its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy — under development — rockets from Boca Chica.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
THE MARKET IN REVIEW DAILY DOW JONES
STOCK EXCHANGE HIGHLIGHTS
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NYSE 10,657.32 -109.36
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NASDAQ 4,352.84
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Chegg n US Cellular PUVixST rs MuellerWat DemMda rs Nautilus Checkpnt DrxRsaBear RTI IntlM TriNet n
7.10 39.10 35.88 8.86 11.10 11.58 13.36 14.00 26.97 27.08
28.95 4.43 29.09 3.91 2.36 13.54 15.00 8.90 10.89 2.07
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+20.5 +16.3 +13.8 +13.4 +11.7 +11.1 +9.8 +9.6 +9.5 +9.5
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Close: 16,429.47 Change: -139.81 (-0.8%)
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S&P500ETF1356851192.01 -1.88 B iPVix rs 764180 33.79 +2.24 iShEMkts 640504 43.79 -.68 BkofAm 639347 15.00 -.05 iShR2K 425922 111.38 -.28 AMD 402817 4.08 +.08 SPDR Fncl 395147 22.17 -.23 NokiaCp 309143 7.83 -.02 Walgrn 301805 69.12 -2.99 iShJapan 297638 11.82 -.19
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Apple Inc s 552493 Intel 490087 Groupon 443151 PwShs QQQ 439134 SiriusXM 355590 Facebook 342076 FrontierCm 337939 MicronT 315391 Microsoft 246588 CSVelIVST 244258
95.12 -.47 32.82 -1.00 7.07 +.05 94.59 -.73 3.37 +.03 72.69 -.82 6.81 +.27 31.09 -.60 43.08 -.29 36.59 -2.70
DIARY Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows
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888 2,230 106 3,224 25 78 3,379,520,138
DIARY Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows
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1,111 1,553 144 2,808 27 79 1,856,364,481
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IntlBcsh IBM Lowes Lubys MetLife MexicoFd Microsoft Modine Penney PwShs QQQ RadioShk S&P500ETF SanchezEn Schlmbrg SearsHldgs SonyCp UnionPac s USSteel UnivHlthS WalMart WellsFargo
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.50 4.40 .92 ... 1.40 3.07 1.12 ... ... 1.34 ... 3.58 ... 1.60 ... .24 2.00 .20 .40 1.92 1.40
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35.11 -.35 4.08 +.08 50.84 -.56 95.12 -.47 15.00 -.05 33.79 +2.24 101.50 -.31 109.18 -.50 48.14 +.45 79.74 -2.24 120.93 -1.41 7.19 +.12 98.20 -1.93 16.87 -.15 25.02 -.25 7.07 +.05 35.07 -.26 80.03 ... 43.79 -.68 111.38 -.28 32.82 -1.00
-.1 +5.4 +8.8 +18.7 -3.7 -20.6 +11.8 -10.3 +22.6 +12.9 +24.4 -14.9 -3.0 +9.3 -10.7 -39.9 +25.3 -2.8 +4.8 -3.5 +26.4
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25.05 +.04 187.10 -2.54 47.64 -.27 4.90 -.06 51.67 -.71 27.82 -.09 43.08 -.29 13.94 +.19 9.08 -.16 94.59 -.73 .65 +.10 192.01 -1.88 30.89 -.34 107.08 -2.59 37.07 -.62 18.01 -.29 97.96 -.33 34.84 +.84 106.88 +.43 73.34 -.20 50.40 -.59
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Stock Footnotes: g=Dividends and earnings in Canadian dollars .h= Doe not meet continued- listings tandards lf = Late filing with SEC. n = New in past 52 weeks. pf = Preferred. rs = Stock has undergone a reverse stock split of at least 50 percent within the past year. rt = Right to buy security at a specified price. s = Stock has split by at least 20 percent within the last year. un = Units. vj = In bankruptcy or receivership. wd = When distributed. wi = When issued. wt = Warrants. Mutual Fund Footnotes: b = Fee covering market costs is paid from fund assets. d = Deferred sales charge, or redemption fee. f = front load (sales charges). m = Multiple fees are charged. NA = not available. p = previous day’s net asset value. s = fund split shares during the week. x = fund paid a distribution during the week. Gainers and Losers must be worth at least $2 to be listed in tables at left. Most Actives must be worth at least $1. Volume in hundreds of shares. Source: The Associated Press. Sales figures are unofficial.
16,429.47 -139.81 -.84 -.89 +5.87 8,059.53 -89.55 -1.10 +8.90 +23.68 532.01 -6.65 -1.23 +8.45 +5.94 10,657.32 -109.36 -1.02 +2.47 +10.85 4,352.84 -31.05 -.71 +4.22 +18.74 853.28 -8.70 -1.01 +3.58 +12.27 1,920.21 -18.78 -.97 +3.89 +13.13 1,368.55 -6.40 -.47 +1.94 +10.36 20,320.47 -180.73 -.88 +3.12 +12.74 1,121.56 -3.26 -.29 -3.62 +6.60
CURRENCIES
‘Gluten-free’ labels on packaged foods have real meaning who have it can suffer weight loss, fatigue, rashes and other long-term medical problems. Celiac is a diagnosed illness that is more severe than gluten sensitivity, which some people self-diagnose. According to the American Celiac Disease Alliance, an estimated 3 million Americans have celiac disease. A decade ago, most people had never heard of celiac. But awareness and diagnosis of the illness have grown exponentially in recent years. It’s not entirely clear why. Some researchers say it was underdiagnosed; others say it’s because people eat more processed wheat products, such as pasta and baked goods, than in past decades, and those items use types of wheat that have a higher gluten content. The standard will ensure that companies can’t label products “glutenfree” if they are cross-contaminated from other products made in the same manufacturing facility. The rules don’t apply to restaurants, but the Food and Drug Administration is encouraging them to comply. Gluten-free foods have become big business in the last several years, topping
3.25 3.25 0.75 0.75 .00-.25 .00-.25 0.03 0.05 1.66 2.49 3.28
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1.0753 1.6876 1.0965 .7477 102.55 13.2973 .9093
1.0717 1.6854 1.0909 .7452 102.55 13.1982 .9068
British pound expressed in U.S. dollars. All others show dollar in foreign currency.
MUTUAL FUNDS Name Alliance Bernstein GlTmtcGA m Columbia ComInfoA m Eaton Vance WldwHealA m Fidelity Select Biotech d Fidelity Select BrokInv d Fidelity Select CommEq d Fidelity Select Computer d Fidelity Select ConsFin d Fidelity Select Electron d Fidelity Select FinSvc d Fidelity Select SoftwCom d Fidelity Select Tech d T Rowe Price SciTech Vanguard HlthCare Waddell & Reed Adv SciTechA m
Total Assets Total Return/Rank Pct Min Init Obj ($Mlns)NAV 4-wk 12-mo 5-year Load Invt WS 580 83.71 -5.0 +14.3/A +7.6/E 4.25 2,500 ST 2,536 56.57 -3.3 +22.1/B +14.1/D 5.75 2,000 SH 919 12.50 -3.3 +26.7/A +17.7/D 5.75 1,000 SH 8,218 195.51 -5.2 +16.8/E +26.4/A NL 2,500 SF 609 71.20 -3.9 +9.6/B +10.4/C NL 2,500 ST 260 31.28 -4.8 +14.7/D +11.7/E NL 2,500 ST 672 78.80 -1.7 +14.6/E +18.3/A NL 2,500 SF 147 14.96 -5.4 +4.0/E +13.5/A NL 2,500 ST 1,732 75.83 -4.3 +33.2/A +16.9/B NL 2,500 SF 1,195 82.32 -3.5 +9.6/B +8.6/D NL 2,500 ST 3,010 114.61 -3.8 +18.6/C +21.6/A NL 2,500 ST 2,548 119.35 -2.7 +19.4/C +18.1/A NL 2,500 ST 3,130 41.68 -2.0 +23.7/A +16.7/B NL 2,500 SH 10,301 204.83 -2.1 +27.4/A +20.2/C NL 3,000 ST 3,736 16.15 -6.1 +18.4/C +19.2/A 5.75 750
CA -Conservative Allocation, CI -Intermediate-Term Bond, ES -Europe Stock, FB -Foreign Large Blend, FG -Foreign LargeGrowth, FV -Foreign Large Value, IH -World Allocation, LB -Large Blend, LG -Large Growth, LV -Large Value, MA Moderate Allocation, MB -Mid-Cap Blend, MV - Mid-Cap Value, SH -Specialty-heath, WS -World Stock, Total Return: Chng in NAV with dividends reinvested. Rank: How fund performed vs. others with same objective: A is in top 20%, E in bottom 20%. Min Init Invt: Minimum $ needed to invest in fund. Source: Morningstar.
TALE Continued from Page 1A
Clements, Dumas, TX; sister, Cindy (Chuck) Black, Amarillo, TX; and several nephews. Services will be fulfilled by completing Rusty’s bucket list. Memorial donations may be made in Rusty’s name to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, 1317 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314. Arrangements are by the Coleman & Daniels Funeral Home, LLC, Endicott, NY.
Labeling standards WASHINGTON — Starting Tuesday, “gluten free” labels on packaged foods have real meaning. Until now, the term “glutenfree” was unregulated, and manufacturers made their own decisions about what it means. This new requirement is especially important for people who suffer from celiac disease and don’t absorb nutrients well. They can get sick from the gluten found in wheat and other cereal grains. Under a rule announced a year ago, food manufacturers had until this week to ensure that anything labeled gluten-free contains less than 20 parts per million of gluten — ensuring that those products are technically free of wheat, rye and barley. That amount is generally recognized by the medical community to be low enough so that most people who have celiac disease won’t get sick if they eat it. Currently, wheat must be labeled on food packages but barley and rye are often hidden ingredients. Celiac disease causes abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea, and people
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YTD Yld PE Last Chg %Chg
Starting this week, "gluten free" labels on packaged foods have real meaning. Until now, the term "gluten free" had not been regulated, and manufacturers made their own decisions about what it means.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Photo by Jon Elswick/file | AP
By MARY CLARE JALONICK
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RUSTY CLEMENTS Rusty Clements, 56, of Apalachin, NY, passed away July 31, 2014. Born Dec. 7, 1957, Rusty played his last round of golf following his battle with mesothelioma cancer. Rusty is predeceased in death by his father, Walter “Red” Clements. He is survived by his wife, Cathi and daughter, Shelby, Apalachin, NY; mother, Wavel Clements, Dumas, TX; sister, Laura (Juan) Patlan, Amarillo, TX; brother, Leslie (Valerie)
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ChannAdv 16.31 -6.90 -29.7 Enzymot n LeapFrog 6.01 -1.38 -18.7 RetailMNot Demandw 51.71-10.18 -16.4 BloominBr MonstrWw 5.59 -1.03 -15.6 RadioOne NeoPhoton 2.85 -.48 -14.4 RadioOneD CarboCer 105.94-16.01 -13.1 AllotCom h ArcosDor 8.73 -1.29 -12.9 SpanBdcst Landauer 38.50 -5.37 -12.2 Approach CobaltIEn 14.22 -1.75 -11.0 Five9 n BcoMacro 36.85 -3.98 -9.7 CallularBio
14,719.43 6,237.14 467.93 9,246.89 3,573.57 728.63 1,627.47 1,170.62 17,305.21 1,009.00
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an estimated $4 billion in sales last year. Millions of people are buying the foods because they say they make them feel better, even if they don’t have celiac disease. Alice Bast of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness says the glutenfree trend has been good for those diagnosed with celiac because of the increased variety of options in the grocery store. But she says it also may have prompted some companies to lose focus on the people who need those foods the most. The new regulations are “raising awareness that there is a disease associated with the gluten-free diet,” she said. Steve Hughes, CEO of Boulder Brands, which owns leading gluten-free food companies Glutino and Udi’s, says his company’s products all have 10 parts per million of gluten, less than the new standard. He praises the FDA regulations for being a “stake in the ground” that can increase the integrity of the gluten-free market. “If consumers can’t have confidence in the products long-term, it’s going to hurt the overall trend,” he said.
Motivated to earn money for medication to help his infirm mother, Cipriana Juarez Diaz, Gilberto used a loan to hire smugglers. His father, Francisco Ramos Diaz, urged his son to stay but borrowed $2,500 against his fields for the trip. Less than a month later, just north of the Rio Grande near La Joya, Gilberto succumbed to exposure. Since his death, which was widely reported, Gilberto’s journey has become a cautionary tale, giving pause to others who would follow in his footsteps. Yet in this impoverished region, buoyed by money that relatives send from abroad, survival is seen as inextricably linked to immigration. “I’ll go to the States, but right now they’re deporting everyone, so why lose the money?” said 17-yearold Gilmar Velasquez, and Gilberto’s friend. “You have to decide how you’re going to live.” Life in the Cuchumatanes is one of startling natural beauty and equally stunning poverty. Concrete and cinder-block homes have slowly replaced the dilapidated wooden shacks, clinging to mountains that soar 12,500 above sea level. Still, there is no commerce beyond subsistence farming; a doctor visits once a week for minor check-ups; many households still lack electricity and running water; and the teeth-rattling dirt road connecting towns here to the outside world is nearly impassable during the rainy season. Even as the Obama administration struggles to stem the flow of young immigrants pouring into the Rio Grande Valley, especially those unaccompanied by a parent, residents of San José Las Flores say increased enforcement and government warnings about the perilous route north are unlikely to change the ingrained culture of migration here. “After what happened to Gilberto, perhaps a kid will think twice before going,” said Gildardo Figueroa, whose four deportations from the U.S. have done little to dampen his prospects for a fifth attempt. “I imagine for people like me, if the economy is squeezing you, you’ll go anyway.” On one of his trips, Figueroa, 24, walked past the remains of other immigrants who had died in the Arizona desert. During another, he fainted in an overloaded van. Because of his failed efforts to immigrate to the United States, he still owes thousands of dollars to smugglers — an impossible sum on the paltry earnings a few extra bush-
els of corn generate every year. Figueroa has two young children at home, several brothers and cousins working in the United States and a 3-year-old son buried in the local cemetery. The small tombs of children, painted green, orange and pastel blue, occupy many of the plots, casting the harsh realities of life on the mountain in sharp relief. “I’ve asked my father if there is another way, he didn’t know what to tell me,” Figueroa said. The U.S. government “says don’t go, but if we don’t, we’ll die.” A few dozen teenagers, gathered for a weekly prayer group in the Catholic church on a recent Saturday afternoon, fell silent at the mention of their deceased friend. And yet their heads nodded in collective affirmation of the shared belief that moving away is the only alternative. In San José Las Flores, school-age children are raised on the promise of migration. Young men scarcely old enough to shave dream of a job in the United States that will enable them to send back money for a house, a truck and a triumphant return home. Raul Cifuentes, 40, found his version of the American Dream: five years spent manicuring the lawns of wealthy Floridians, and three more in a Tennessee poultry slaughterhouse. He left behind his young wife to raise their infant son alone, but his hard work and sacrifice enabled him to build a home for his family. Cifuentes’ success was the impetus for his 18year-old son, Estuardo, whose two attempts to reach the United States were thwarted at the border, his most recent just three months ago when he was deported. Since Gilberto died, however, Cifuentes is reluctant to allow his son to leave a third time. “These kids lack experience,” the elder Cifuentes said. “They don’t know the route, and if they get lost, they don’t know how to get found.” If not for the outpouring of communal sympathy on display at Gilberto’s funeral, Cifuentes’ daughter Mariana Azuceli, 12, said her elementary school classmates might have missed the significance of his death. When Mariana Azuceli graduates, her father has arranged for her to continue her education at the nearest middle school, a three-hour drive from town. But an education is a luxury that few here can afford. Gilberto dropped
out in the third grade to work alongside his father, who never left his 20-acre spread on the verdant mountain slope, raising his three sons on a diet of corn and beans. “Poor boy,” Mariana Azuceli said as she slapped a wad of corn masa into a fist-sized disk, then tossed it on a metal plate atop a wood-burning stove. “He was too young to go.” Now Gilberto’s brother, Gilberto Haroldo, 11, likely will take his place in the fields. In a region that comprises dozens of towns and villages, with a combined population of more than 100,000, local officials estimate that 20,000 or more have immigrated to Mexico or the United States over the years. In recent months, untold numbers of teenagers and mothers with small children left town, and some made it safely across the U.S.-Mexico border, says Cifuentes, who is president of the town’s development committee. Gilberto hoped to join his older brother, Esbin Ramos, in Chicago. In less than two years, Esbin managed to set aside money from his job in food preparation to pay for the green-and-red house shared by a half-dozen people, including his parents and his 7-year-old daughter. On May 17, with a change of clothes in his backpack, and Esbin’s phone number written on the inside of his Elvis 105 belt buckle, Gilberto left San José Las Flores. “It’s not to be millionaire,” a 22-year-old recent deportee said about the desire to move. Santos, who declined to give his last name, said he expected to give it another try again soon. “If (Gilberto) died, he died fighting.” But as some would infuse a certain valor in his death to make sense of the tragedy, it offers little comfort to Gilberto’s mother, who has epilepsy. Sitting in a flimsy plastic chair, the same shawl worn during her final embrace of his steely-gray coffin wrapped around her shoulders, Cipriana Diaz, 43, gently wept for her departed son. She cursed her disease and Gilberto’s decision to leave on her behalf. In a cruel twist, the government had provided her with a three-month supply of medication, and her condition had improved. “I didn’t want him to go,” she said meekly. “But he felt bad for me, and now I feel worse than before.” More than two weeks has passed since Gilberto was buried. Only white candles flickering in his memory remain.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2014