ALDS SHOWDOWNS
SATURDAY OCTOBER 10, 2015
FREE
ASTROS, RANGERS TRY TO TAKE 2-0 SERIES LEADS ON THE ROAD, 1B
DELIVERED EVERY SATURDAY
TO 4,000 HOMES
A HEARST PUBLICATION
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
ZAPATA COUNTY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
FBI
‘Bullied, harassed’
Border area has lower murder rate
Records shed light on feelings toward Nuques By JUDITH RAYO THE ZAPATA TIMES
NUQUES
During a Zapata County ISD school board meeting in June, a trustee told then-Superintendent Raul Nuques that employees were afraid and “feel bullied, harassed and intimidated by him,” according to an email recently provided by the district. The records shed light
on the sentiments that some ZCISD school board members may have had toward Nuques, who resigned from the district Aug. 10. During the board meeting in June, several ZCISD trustees confronted Nuques in closed session about concerns they had with decisions he was making.
See ZCISD PAGE 8A
THE ZAPATA TIMES
RAMIREZ
SOUTH TEXAS
BATTLE WITH PTSD
WASHINGTON — Congressman Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, released Thursday a compilation of the latest statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation that show a lower murder rate in cities along the Texas-Mexico border than in other major cities across the nation and the State of Texas. The numbers are from 2014. The FBI crime rates also show that the number of robberies, assaults, and rapes are significantly lower in border cities than the major metropolitan cities in Texas.
“Many people, both in the political arena and out, mischaracterize the southern border region as very unsafe,” Cuellar said. “But today’s numbers, for yet another year, paint a very different picture. These statistics clearly show that some of the safest cities in the United States are on the U.S.-Mexico border. The murder rate is actually higher in Washington, D.C. where I work than in McAllen, El Paso or Brownsville, all along the Texas border with Mexico. “These numbers should cause people to rethink some of the
See BORDER PAGE 10A
MURDER ON THE BORDER Muder rates in U.S.cities per 100,000 population (National rate: 4.5 murders per 100,000 population) 43.56 15.95
10.9
9.11
7.21
5.6
4.34
3.54
3.08
2.73
Detroit Houston SanAntonio McAllen El Paso Washington D.C. Dallas Laredo Austin Brownsville Source: 2014 FBI Uniform Crime Reports
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
Inmates to be released early 870 low-level drug offenders in area from Houston to Laredo to be let out By JASON BUCH AND CINDY GEORGE HEARST NEWSPAPERS Photo by Maricela Rodriguez/Valley Morning Star | AP
In this photo taken July 15, Fred Rendon, Jr. poses for a portrait in Harlingen, Texas. Rendon recently finished a book entitled, "My Battle with P.T.S.D." In the book, Rendon recounts his battle with the condition after serving in the Vietnam Conflict.
Vietnam veteran chronicles struggle in book By EMMA PEREZ-TREVINO VALLEY MORNING STAR
H
ARLINGEN — Sleep for Vietnam veteran Fred Rendon Jr. was not an option. “It’s a good time to die,” he explained to the Valley Morning Star of Harlingen. “It’s a good time to get killed,” Rendon said.
Author of the just released “My Battle With PTSD,” Rendon chronicles his battle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which shadowed his life for years. For the now 67-year-old Rendon, who has lived in California, Dallas, Brownsville, McAllen and now Harlingen, it all started when he was 18 years old.
“I felt there was something wrong with me when I returned,” Rendon said of when he came home in 1967 after his tour in Vietnam in 1966. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. Nobody did. “I knew that I couldn’t be around people anymore,” he recalled. “I felt very uncomfort-
able. I hated to look people in the eye.” Writing the book, he hopes, leads to a better understanding of the disorder, and helps families of veterans understand, but also know it is manageable. His feelings of desperation upon his return from
See VETERAN PAGE 8A
Hundreds of federal prisoners sentenced in the Southern District of Texas who qualified for retroactive cuts to their punishments are set for early release as soon as Nov. 1. The South Texas defendants will comprise the largest group of inmates who applied for reductions and the largest set whose requests were granted, according to a retroactivity report published in August by the U.S. Sentencing Commission. The early releases are the result of the commis-
sion, an independent agency that sets sentencing policies for federal crimes, cutting the potential punishments for future drug offenders last year and then making that change retroactive. In April 2014, the commission approved a sentencing reduction amendment that became effective in November 2014. In July 2014, the commission voted to make those sentencing cuts retroactive, but required the courts set release dates of Nov. 1, 2015, or later for inmates whose terms were re-
See INMATES PAGE 10A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The 36th Annual Texas Hispanic Genealogical and Historical Conference at La Posada Hotel, hosted by the Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society. Call Sanjuanita M. Hunter at 722-3497 or Sylvia Reash at sjre0348@yahoo.com. TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows. 2 p.m.: Accidental Astronaut; 3 p.m.: Secret of the Cardboard Rocket; 4 p.m.: Star Signs; 5 p.m.: Black Holes. General Admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Admission is $4 for TAMIU students, faculty and staff. Matinee Shows are $1 less. Call 956-326-DOME (3663). Public Square Rosary coordinated nationally by America Needs Fatima to be held at Andrew Trautmann Park Pavilion (Rangel Field), 400 W Del Mar Blvd. at noon. Trail Clean-Up and Open House. LCC’s Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center will host their trail day clean up from 8 a.m.–12 p.m. at the Paso del Indio Nature Trail. The center will be open from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for students and senior citizens. Entrance is free for children 3 and under, and LCC and TAMIU students, faculty and staff with a valid ID. Cleanup at Slaughter Park with Councilman Alex Perez. 8 a.m.– 12 p.m., 202 N Stone Ave.
Today is Saturday, October 10, the 283rd day of 2015. There are 82 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On October 10, 1935, the George Gershwin opera “Porgy and Bess,” featuring an allblack cast, opened on Broadway, where it ran for 124 performances. On this date: In A.D. 19, Roman general Germanicus Julius Caesar, 33, died in Antioch under mysterious circumstances, possibly from poisoning. In 1845, the U.S. Naval Academy was established in Annapolis, Maryland. In 1913, the Panama Canal was effectively completed as President Woodrow Wilson sent a signal from the White House by telegraph, setting off explosives that destroyed a section of the Gamboa dike. In 1943, Chiang Kai-shek took the oath of office as president of China. In 1955, the film version of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical “Oklahoma!” premiered before an invitationonly audience at the Rivoli Theatre in New York. In 1964, the first Summer Olympics to be held in Asia were opened in Tokyo by Japanese Emperor Hirohito. In 1967, the Outer Space Treaty, prohibiting the placing of weapons of mass destruction on the moon or elsewhere in space, entered into force. In 1968, the sexy science-fiction spoof “Barbarella,” starring Jane Fonda, was released by Paramount Pictures. In 1973, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, accused of accepting bribes, pleaded no contest to one count of federal income tax evasion, and resigned his office. In 1985, U.S. fighter jets forced an Egyptian plane carrying the hijackers of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro to land in Italy, where the gunmen were taken into custody. Actor-director Orson Welles died in Los Angeles at age 70; actor Yul Brynner died in New York at age 65. Ten years ago: Angela Merkel struck a power-sharing deal that made her the first woman and politician from the ex-communist east to serve as Germany’s chancellor. Five years ago: President Barack Obama delivered one of his most stinging criticisms yet of the GOP record to several thousand people in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood as he urged voters not to sit out the midterm elections. One year ago: Malala Yousafzai, a 17-year-old Pakistani girl, and Kailash Satyarthi, a 60-year-old Indian man, were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for risking their lives for the right of children to receive an education and to live free from abuse. Today’s Birthdays: Former Illinois Sen. Adlai Stevenson III is 85. Actress Jessica Harper is 66. Author Nora Roberts (aka “J.D. Robb”) is 65. Rock singer David Lee Roth is 61. Country singer Tanya Tucker is 57. Actress Julia Sweeney is 56. Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre is 46. Actor/TV host Mario Lopez is 42. Actor Dan Stevens is 33. Singer Cherie is 31. Actress Aimee Teegarden is 26. Thought for Today: “We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.” — Orson Welles (19151985).
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11 First day of the Pumpkin Patch, sponsored by the youth of the First United Methodist Church. 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the church lawn, 1220 McClelland. Public is invited; no admission fee. Climate Change Talk. Laredo Public Library, 1120 E. Calton Rd. at 2 p.m. Learn how we can manage the risks of climate change with Peter Bryn, former Exxon Mobil engineer.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 12 Chess Club meets at the LBV–Inner City Branch Library from 4–6 p.m. Free for all ages and skill levels. Basic instruction is offered. Call John at 7952400, x2521. Laredo Fossils Talk. 7 p.m. at Texas A&M International University, Student Center Auditorium 236. The presentation is called “Ancient Laredo Fossils: Stalking 40-million-year-old rain forest and swamp beasts at Lake Casa Blanca” and is led by RGISC and an international team of paleontologists, led by Dr. James Westgate and Dr. Carole Gee.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13 Take the challenge and climb the Rock Wall. Free. Bring ID and sign release form. 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at LBV–Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Call 795-2400, x2520. TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows. 6 p.m.: Cosmic Adventures; 7 p.m.: Led Zeppelin. General Admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Admission is $4 for TAMIU students, faculty and staff. For more information call 956-326DOME (3663).
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15 TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows. 6 p.m.: Cosmic Adventures; 7 p.m.: Led Zeppelin. General Admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Admission is $4 for TAMIU students, faculty and staff. For more information call 956-326DOME (3663).
Photo by Cody Duty/Houston Chronicle | AP
Authorities search for a man as they investigate a shooting at Texas Southern University, Friday, in Houston. A student was killed and another person was wounded in a shooting outside a student-housing complex on Friday, and police have detained at least two people, authorities said.
One killed at university By DAVID WARREN AND MIKE GRACZYK ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — A student was killed and another person was wounded in a shooting outside a Texas Southern University studenthousing complex on Friday, and police have detained at least two people, authorities said. The university quickly went on lockdown after the shooting was reported around 11:30 a.m. in a parking lot at the University Courtyard Apartments, a university-owned student apartment building on the edge of the Houston campus. Police have detained two people and are searching for a third for questioning, but there is no active shooting investigation, police spokeswoman Jodi Silva said. She said police still don’t have a motive in the case. University President John Rudley said the school, which has about 9,700 students, is no
longer on lockdown. But he criticized what he said was a culture among students who believe they shouldn’t snitch on each other. “We’re in the inner city. Crime is all around us. Our students have to be more vigilant,” he said during a press conference Friday afternoon. Rudley said the student who was killed was a freshman at the school, though the student’s name and age haven’t been released. Silva said the second victim, whose name also hasn’t been released, was shot twice and is hospitalized in stable condition. The incident occurred just hours after another shooting near the same housing complex. It’s unclear whether the shootings were related. “My main concern is what they’re going to do now,” said Daijsa Fowls, a 19-year-old pharmacy student from Houston.
Perry hearing before top appeals court delayed
Baylor rescinds honorary degree awarded to Cosby
Professor cites campuscarry law in quitting
AUSTIN — Texas’ highest criminal court is delaying for two weeks its hearing on whether former Gov. Rick Perry should be prosecuted on felony abuse-ofpower charges. The Court of Criminal Appeals agreed to hold oral arguments on Nov. 18. Perry is accused of using his veto power to try and force the resignation of a Democratic district attorney who was convicted of drunken driving.
WACO — Baylor University has joined a growing list of schools rescinding honorary degrees conferred on Bill Cosby over the years. The university’s board of regents on Thursday voted to rescind an honorary doctorate awarded to Cosby in 2003. Baylor spokeswoman Lori Fogleman said that “acts of interpersonal and sexual violence” contradict the school’s values.
AUSTIN — A tenured professor at the University of Texas says he will not teach next year because the new law allowing for concealed handguns at public universities has left him fearing for his safety. Economics Professor Daniel Hamermesh says he teaches required courses that draw hundreds of students and it would be difficult to identity one who may be disgruntled or has a mental disorder.
Heavy rain brings flash floods to South Texas
Ex-border officer gets prison in drug conspiracy
Gas prices across Texas go up by a penny
SAN ANTONIO — Up to 10 inches of rain has fallen overnight in parts of Texas Hill Country, triggering flash flood warnings, road closures and the cancellation of classes. Heavy rainfall fell early Friday morning in Rio, Uvalde, Zavala and other counties west of San Antonio. Lighter precipitation moved eastward.
BROWNSVILLE — A former South Texas border patrol officer has been sentenced to 6 1⁄2 years in federal prison for letting drughauling vehicles pass in deals allegedly made by cellphone. Former Customs and Border Protection Officer Jose Luis Zavala entered his guilty plea Thursday and was ordered to serve 3 years of supervised release.
COPPELL — Retail gas prices across Texas remain relatively stable, going up by 1 cent to $2.06 per gallon this week. AAA Texas on Thursday reported that the price this week is $1.05 less per gallon than last year. Nationally, drivers are paying $2.31, which is 25 cents more than the average in Texas. — Compiled from AP reports
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17 TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows. 2 p.m.: Cosmic Adventures; 3 p.m.: The Little Star That Could; 4 p.m.: Back to the Moon; 5 p.m.: Violent Universe: Catastrophes of the Universe. General Admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Admission is $4 for TAMIU students, faculty and staff. Matinee Shows are $1 less. Call 956-326-DOME (3663). 21st Paso del Indio Trail Workday. Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center. LCC Ft. McIntosh campus, 1 West End Washington St. (Near windmills).
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19 Chess Club meets at the LBV–Inner City Branch Library from 4–6 p.m. Free for all ages and skill levels. Basic instruction is offered. Call John at 7952400, x2521.
AROUND THE NATION Obama: we must ‘come together’ on gun crimes ROSEBURG, Ore. — President Barack Obama says the American people will eventually have to “come together” to figure out how to prevent deadly mass shootings like one that took place in Oregon last week. He met privately Friday with the victims’ grieving families. Eight students and a teacher at a community college in Roseburg were killed by a shooter who then turned the gun on himself. Obama’s renewed call for stricter gun laws did not go over well in Roseburg, where gun ownership is popular.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20
13-year-old boy accused in fatal shooting of girl
Take the challenge and climb the Rock Wall. Free. All participants must bring ID and sign release form. 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at LBV–Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St.
JASPER, Mo. — A 13-year-old boy appears to have deliberately shot and killed a 12-year-old girl outside a home in rural southwest Missouri with a gun that
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 Copy Editor, Nick Georgiou ....................... 728-2565 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ..........................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo............ 728-2569 Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais | AP
President Barack Obama, center, with Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, right, and Roseburg Mayor Larry Rich, left, pauses as he makes a statement after meeting with families of the victims of the shooting at Umpqua Community College, Friday. came from the house, the local sheriff said Friday. Officers tried to revive the girl, Teresa J. Potts, but she died Thursday evening near the town of Jasper in front of a foster home, Jasper County Sheriff Randee Kaiser said.
The boy was arrested without incident and is being held by the Jasper County Juvenile Office. “It was not a situation where they were playing. It does not appear to be a situation where it was an accident,” Kaiser said. — 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, OCTOBER 10, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Fashion show honors survivors By GABRIELA A. TREVIÑO THE ZAPATA TIMES
Courtesy photo | Guillermo Sosa
Beatriz Lopez of Zapata models fashions from Joe Brand at the 15th Annual Breast Cancer Forum and Survivor Fashion Show on Wednesday night in Laredo.
The women’s ages range from early 30s to mid-70s, but they all shared one thing in common: they had all been diagnosed with breast cancer. Thirteen breast cancer survivors, including some still going through chemotherapy, strutted across the catwalk at the 15th Annual Breast Cancer Public Forum & Survivor Fashion Show on Wednesday evening at the UT Heath Science Center hosted by Doctors Hospital of Laredo. Griselda Rubio, director of the Cancer Center at Doctors Hospital, said that out of the 50 women she called, only 15 agreed to participate in the fashion show held to honor them, their struggle and triumph and to spread awareness. Of the 15, two dropped out last minute and the show went on with the following 13 women: Rosa Montiel Marcela Sager
Oralia Martinez Maria Martinez Sara Ortiz Lilia Bautista Laura Montemayor Sara Tejeda Lidia Treviño Beatriz Lopez Cristina Santos Elsa Hull Rubi Dominguez Zapata resident Beatriz Lopez, 47, said she was encouraged by her family to participate in the event. “It was important for me to raise awareness (on the issue). … I’ve had a lot of support from my family. Everyone tells me I’m a strong person,” Lopez said. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in June, began chemotherapy in July and will undergo cancer removal surgery in December. Rosa Montiel walked onto the runway with a scarf wrapped around her head. Emcee Al Guevara said she had just completed chemotherapy and will have breast surgery Friday. Marcela Sager, 53, said
she agreed to participate in the fashion show, in which the models walked the runway twice — once in a casual outfit and once in a more elegant ensemble — because she said she is proud to be a breast cancer survivor. “Whenever they ask me to help out with anything involving breast cancer and survivors, of course I’m going to help,” Sager said. Sager was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in March and just finished her chemotherapy. She is scheduled to have a cancerremoval surgery soon. Rubi Dominguez, 33, was dressed in a three-quarter sleeved fuchsia top from Joe Brand that showed her crucifix tattoo on her wrist when she said she participated in the event to show other women that there is a chance at survival. She was diagnosed in March 2013 with stage two breast cancer. She underwent chemotherapy and had a bilateral mastectomy. “I do things differently
Zapata Fun Tours schedule events SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Zapata Fun Tours released their 2015 fall travel schedule Wednesday. The events are as follows.
Wednesday, Oct. 21 Just Roaming Around Roma We leave Zapata at 8 a.m. and stop for a breakfast to go. We’ll visit the Roma Flea Market and then shop Beall’s, Melrose, Mercado and more. After lunch, we’ll make another stop and be
home about 4 p.m. Cost: $15
Friday, Oct. 30 Palmview Flea Market You never know what you will find at this valley market but we’ll have fun looking for veggies, bargains and hidden treasures. It is one of the area’s cleanest outdoor markets. We leave at 8 a.m. and return before 5 p.m. Cost: $19
Tuesday, Nov. 10
Pamper Yourself We leave at 7:30 a.m. for the Cosmetology Arts College in LaJoya for pampering, which can include a free manicure or hair cut. Call for a brochure that lists all their services, which are very reasonable. We’ll have a late lunch and be home at about 4 p.m. Cost: $18
Tuesday, Nov. 24 Lunch & Movie – Rio Grande City We leave Zapata at 9 a.m. to make a few stops
before we get to Denny’s for an early lunch. The StarPlex Theater offers a choice of 10 movies, something to please everyone! We should be home before 5 p.m. Cost: $16, movie is $5.50
Monday, Nov. 30 North Laredo Shopping Leave Zapata at 8:30 a.m. for TJ Maxx, Ross, Hobby Lobby and more. Then we’ll lunch at Montana Mikes, shop Target and return to Zapata at
about 4 p.m. Cost: $17
Tuesday, Dec. 15 Movie / Shop Mall Del Norte We leave Zapata at 9 a.m. and spend the day at the mall for shopping, movie or dining. We leave the mall at 3 p.m. and should be home by 4:30. Cost: $15 For more information, contact Vicki Anderson at 765-9056 or at va65101@aol.com
now. Cancer hits anyone at any age. Just because you’re young doesn’t mean that you’re not going to get it,” Dominguez said. Oralia G. Martinez, 71, said she had more than 15 family members in the audience including several of her grandchildren. She survived breast cancer 13 years ago but is now battling bone cancer, which has misshapen her jaw. “I would like other women to know that there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel,” Martinez said. Rubio said it was important for the community to get to know each of the women’s stories as a catalyst to motivate other women to check themselves and schedule mammograms. Additionally, she said it was important for breast cancer survivors to feel pampered and recognized for the journey they had taken during their ordeal. (Gabriela A. Treviño may be reached at 956-728-2579 or gtrevino@lmtonline.com)
Exhibit opens at museum SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
The Nuevo Santander Genealogical Society will be hosting its Third Annual Family Tree Exhibition today, Oct. 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Zapata County Museum of History, 805 N. U.S. Hwy 83. This exhibit is free and open to the public. The museum will also be featuring the following exhibits: Guerrero Viejo, The Civil War in Zapata County, Turn of the Century Gadgets, and Antique Dolls & Marbles. For more information, call 7658538.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Smartphones hurt your relationships By CYNTHIA M. ALLEN FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
Here’s something a little counterintuitive that might get you thinking: Technology, for all its many virtues, may be ruining your life. And its weapon of choice is that one device you can’t live without: your cellphone. The more obvious dangers of excessive smartphone use, like texting while driving — an activity the Texas Legislature yet again was unable to make a punishable offense during the session that ended in June — are not the only collateral damage caused by our obsession with the tiny glowing screens. According to a study just released by Baylor University, cellphones are a drain on our relationships. And they are having harmful effects on individual emotional health, too. Researchers at Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business who studied the relational effects of "phubbing" — or "partner phone snubbing" — found that distractions caused by cellphone use while spending time with a partner may lead to "enhanced feelings of depression and lower well-being" by the individual being phubbed. None of this is surprising. Think of how often you enter a coffee shop or a restaurant and see two people (sometimes more) at a table, looking not at each another, but at their respective phones. It’s a common occurrence. So it’s not difficult to imagine people developing complexes over feeling they are less interesting to their partners than email, Facebook or Twitter — to all of which we enjoy perpetual, unfettered access thanks to the wonders of technology. Indeed, results of one survey used in the Baylor study found that nearly half (46.3 percent) of respondents were phubbed by their partner, and nearly a quarter (22.6 percent) of those who were phubbed said it caused conflict in their relationships. Apparently that conflict was serious enough in some cases to cause emotional damage; more than a third (36.6 percent) of respondents said they felt depressed at least some of the time. That depression, researchers assert, is probably an outgrowth of the insecurity caused by the frequency with which one’s partner checks his or her phone. Most people can probably relate to that senti-
ment. Emotional distress isn’t the only potential consequence of being forced to play second string to a digital device. A series of studies by two researchers at the University of Essex found the very presence of a phone during an encounter, even if it is not in use, can be detrimental to an individual’s attempts at interpersonal connection. The result is less closeness, empathy and trust between individuals. The irony, of course, is that our efforts to stay connected at all times, to reach new people in remote places and improve human contact, may be having the opposite effect. We are becoming less connected, physically and emotionally, to the actual people — not Twitter followers or Facebook "friends" — who occupy important places in our lives. Even if we were to ignore the emotional harm to relationships that the aforementioned studies correlate with excessive smartphone use, the notion that individuals are increasingly choosing to interact with others in the virtual world instead of the physical one should give us pause. Robert Putnam warned us about this phenomenon, writing in his 2000 book “Bowling Alone” about how vibrant civic institutions — which help produce better schools, faster economic development, lower crime and more effective government — are on the wane. One of the culprits (there are several) is the growth of technological forms of entertainment that have come to replace in-person social activities. More than a decade later, as the Baylor and University of Essex studies show, this cultural epidemic is eroding society at its most fundamental level. Our personal relationships and our own mental health are at stake. While many people feel tied to their screens for professional reasons (which is another problem entirely), many others are choosing to spend their leisure time with technology. But a rousing Twitter debate isn’t likely to bring the kind of longterm satisfaction a conversation with a partner or a discussion with a book group can produce. If it does, as a society, we may be beyond saving. Cynthia M. Allen is a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Readers may send her email at cmallen@star-telegram.com.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure
our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No namecalling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
COMMENTARY
Education will change your life By JEAN HERNANDEZ TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
How does a poor Latina from Texas end up as the president of the fourthlargest community college in the state of Washington? Drive, education and helping hands. My parents might not have had the opportunity to stay in school long, but they both realized the value of education. They not only ran their small family upholstery business and raised their children, they also taught English and U.S. citizenship classes to recent immigrants and were active volunteers in the community. I also had some wonderful teachers, who, even with limited resources, inspired me, believed in me, and kept me excited about learning. When I learned my hard work and class standing would get me a few scholarships, I was
thrilled beyond words. I give thanks to the many people — family members, teachers, friends and colleagues — who offered me their encouragement and support as I navigated my way through college and down a career path that led me to where I am today. I found my niche in the community college system, because I know first hand how access to education can not only provide marketable skills, but also build self-esteem and provide a pathway towards more enriching lives. I also know, personally, that access to education means textbooks and classwork, as well as the opportunity to connect with role models who will take the time to say, "I’ve been there, it’s hard, but I’ll help you, and you can succeed." How can we provide that support? I have several beliefs that have served
me well: Lift as you climb. We must not only show others that they are very capable, we need to take the time to share our experiences so that others can learn from our mistakes and our successes. Pay it forward (especially financially). One of the biggest hurdles for students is having sufficient funds to pay for college. Personally, I have established three different scholarship programs (one at my high school and two at Edmonds Community College) to help students pay for a community college education. I hope to lead by example and reach out to others to create similar legacies. Give back by serving as a mentor and advocate for others. To increase the number of Latinas serving at the higher levels of administration, I initiated quarterly dinners to en-
courage them to obtain their doctorate degrees. In my role as president of Edmonds Community College, I also involve students in leadership roles at the college and enjoy one-on-one meetings with them. As a young Latina growing up in Texas, I did not set out to become a community college president. Now, I realize this is my most rewarding career experience because I get to influence the services and resources we provide our students, work with an outstanding group of students and employees, and influence so many in my community. I hope more Latinos and Latinas will reap the rewards of a higher education degree and achieve their dreams. I’ve attained mine. Jean Hernandez is president of Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood, Wash.
EDITORIAL
US House thrown into chaos THE WASHINGTON POST
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) threw the House into chaos Thursday by announcing that he would not seek to become speaker, leaving the GOP caucus without a clear leader and deepening worries that Congress will be incapable of performing basic functions. Would it be fairer to blame the so-called Freedom Caucus that opposed McCarthy, a few dozen hard-core Republicans who apparently didn’t come to Washington to govern but to tear the place down? How about the many House Republicans who are more civic-minded but who shrink from making the principled case for compromise and order? Or
perhaps Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), who couldn’t or wouldn’t tame his restive caucus over the past five years, leaving a mess for whoever succeeds him? Everyone on this list may deserve blame, but at this point we hope members of Congress will shift from pointing fingers to thinking seriously about the good of the country and the dangers it faces. Even before the leadership crisis, the House had failed to face facts on the budget, the debt ceiling, immigration and many other issues. Now dysfunction could produce outcomes that would seriously harm the nation and the world, starting with default and shutdown. This isn’t a question of right wing vs.
left but of nihilism vs. a willingness to govern. Legislators who care about the national interest must find the courage to forge governing coalitions, even with willing Democrats, if that’s what it takes to sideline a faction that abhors compromise. That willingness must start with Boehner, stymied for now in his desire to retire. He has said he will stay on until his colleagues can settle on a replacement. He should use this time to seek a longterm budget and debt-ceiling deal with the Senate and Obama and put it to a simple up-or-down vote. Boehner can’t and shouldn’t have to do this alone. He needs good-faith negotiating partners on both sides of the aisle.
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
Most House Republicans are conservative on policy, but most also understand the danger of shutting down the government or refusing to raise the debt limit in order to register anger and score ideological points. They recognize that a great democracy can’t function when one faction issues unrealistic demands and threatens to burn everything down if it doesn’t get its way. If these Republicans can find their voice, Democrats should reciprocate with a willingness to find solutions. The House doesn’t need a "caretaker" speaker to paper over the toxic divide in the GOP caucus. It needs a leader who will neutralize the destructive influence of the Republican Party’s Jacobins.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015
“I can’t tell you how much I love that it stands up on its own.”
“Excellent stability!” “I would not be caught without it.”
- Babbette
- BigLittLeather
- Robin
1 In America #
Selling Cane
“I love this cane!” - Brian
“Four days ago, I threw away my walker!”
“I feel so much more balanced nced and safe.”
-Victor
- Peachy
“There’s nothing that even comes close to this cane.” “The most security my mom has felt in years.”
- BigEdBowman
-GerryAnn
“I absolutely love it! Stairs are no longer such a problem!” ” - SharonL
“It’s given my wife stability and confidence. She loves it, and that’s good enough for me.”
“Thank you HurryCane!”
-OkiRuss
- Dan48
Thousands of Glowing HurryCane® Reviews! America is raving about the Freedom Edition™ HurryCane®. Many people love its ability to stand beside them. Others love its ability to fold up and fold out in seconds. And many love how the HurryCane® helps them tackle sand, gravel, grass, and snow.
If you’ve ever wanted to try the cane inspired by the human body, here’s something you’re bound to love: right now, the Freedom Edition™ HurryCane® is being offered at a historically low price. That’s our best deal ever!
OUR BEST DEAL EVER Package Includes: Freedom Edition™ HurryCane®, Wrist Strap, Travel Case & Certificate of Authenticity
PLUS, FREE SHIPPING Unlock a Historically
LOW PRICE! With promo code: NW14
HurryCane.com or 800-771-0034 Supplies are limited (2 per household) Your HurryCane® comes with a full 60-Day Money Back Guarantee. If you are not completely convinced that the HurryCane® truly stands alone in a world of inferior canes, you’ll receive a full refund; return postage may be required.
© 2015 Marketing Architects
Nation
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
1 student killed Republicans see savior in Ryan at Arizona school By ERICA WERNER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
By FELICIA FONSECA ASSOCIATED PRESS
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — An overnight brawl between two groups of students escalated into violence Friday when a freshman at Northern Arizona University opened fire on four fraternity members, killing one and wounding three. Steven Jones, an 18-yearold fraternity pledge, told police he shot the group of students only after they hit him in the face and chased him, according to court documents. He also said he tried to administer first aid to one of the victims. Prosecutors said the suspect’s account amounted to a “self-serving” statement and alleged Jones was the aggressor. “There is no indication of self-defense here,” Deputy County Attorney Ammon Barker said. “The defendant had retreated from the fight, he obtained a gun and then he went back into the fray.” The shooting occurred in a parking lot just outside Mountain View Hall dormitory on the Flagstaff campus, which provides housing for many of the campus’ sororities and fraternities. The victims were all members of the Delta Chi fraternity while Jones was a pledge at Sigma Chi. It’s not clear why the fight started. Student Colin Brough was killed, and Nicholas Prato, Kyle Zientek and Nicholas Piring were wounded. The prosecutor said Brough was hit twice — in the chest and shoulder — with Jones’ .40-caliber handgun. Flagstaff Medical Center said it couldn’t release any information on conditions. “This is not going to be a normal day at NAU,” said school President Rita Cheng. “Our hearts are heavy.” Jones told investigators that several people approached him and two friends while they were outside a residence. A fight broke out between the two
groups, and Jones said he was hit in the face. He says a group chased him to his car, where JONES he retrieved a handgun. Two of the victims had stopped following him but turned around when Jones yelled that he had a gun, court documents said. At one point, a group tried to subdue Jones, who fired a shot in the air. Jones said he then dropped his firearm, which had a flashlight attached to it. Jones was booked Friday for one count of first-degree homicide and three counts of aggravated assault. Defense attorney Burges McCowan asked Flagstaff Justice Court Judge Paul Christian to allow Jones to be released to his parents, saying he has no prior criminal history.
WASHINGTON — Endlessly divided, House Republicans pleaded with Rep. Paul Ryan on Friday to rescue them from their damaging leadership vacuum. But the GOP’s 2012 vice presidential nominee showed little appetite for the prestigious yet thankless job of speaker of the House. The Wisconsin Republican who chairs the taxwriting Ways and Means Committee — his dream job, he’s repeatedly declared — refused comment again and again as reporters chased him around the Capitol a day after Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy shocked his colleagues by withdrawing from the speaker’s race moments before the vote. McCarthy’s abrupt decision came just two weeks after the current speaker, John Boehner of Ohio, announced his own plans to
Photo by Doug Mills | New York Times
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) arrives at the Capitol for a meeting with House Republicans, in Washington, Friday. resign at month’s end, citing opposition from the small but strident bloc of hardcore conservatives who almost immediately turned on McCarthy, Boehner’s No. 2. That left Republicans in chaos, with a yawning void at the top of their leadership ladder even as they confront enormous fiscal challenges and budgetary deadlines that could threaten a government shutdown and unprecedented default in the months to come. So GOP lawmakers, from Boehner and McCarthy on
down, turned to Ryan, 45, the only figure in the House seen as having the stature, wide appeal and intelligence to lead Republicans out of the mess they’re in. “He’d be an amazing speaker,” McCarthy declared to a bank of TV cameras after Republicans met behind closed doors to discuss their predicament. “But he’s got to decide.” Said Rep. Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia, himself a potential candidate for the job: “He’s the only guy who can unite us right now.”
Not long after, Ryan rushed out of the Capitol, refusing to talk to reporters. With Congress heading into a weeklong recess, he was on his way home to Janesville, Wisconsin, to his wife and young family. Ryan’s spokesman, Brendan Buck, said: “Chairman Ryan appreciates the support he’s getting from his colleagues but is still not running for speaker.” Why not? Possible reasons include the presidential ambitions he may well still harbor. The speaker’s post, highly prestigious and second in line to the presidency, requires a huge commitment of time and effort in corralling a party’s House members. It is not on anyone’s tactical roadmap to the White House. But Republicans were determined to do what they could to get Ryan to reconsider. Rep. Darrell Issa of California said he carried Ryan’s gym bag for him Friday morning in an effort to persuade him to run.
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015
ZCISD Continued from Page 1A At one point, Nuques left the meeting and slammed the door. He later told The Zapata Times that he did not intentionally slam the door, saying he had “slipped” and used the door to balance himself. However, he did intentionally slam the door after he felt “ambushed” by the board in closed session, according to an email he sent to the board. In June, The Zapata Times requested documents from ZCISD filed in relation to the incident. ZCISD requested an opinion from the Texas Attorney General’s Office on whether the requested documents were public record. The office recently ruled that two of the records were public information. One was a brief email in which Nuques apologized to the board for slamming the door. The other was an email he sent to board President Ricardo X. Ramirez in which he details the closed session discussion. Ramirez did not return requests for comment on this story. Nuques could
not be reached for comment either. A phone number for him could not be located. In the email Nuques wrote to the board, he said he wanted to apologize “for a third time” for his action during the closed session on June 4. “I should not have walked out or slammed the door regardless of the discussion took place,” he wrote. “I hope this matter stays behind us and we continue to focus on our children from Zapata County ISD.” Two days later, on June 19, he sent an email to Ramirez detailing his closed session discussion with him and the other trustees. Nuques wrote that when Ramirez told him that “people feel bullied, harassed and intimated” by the superintendent, he said he told Ramirez that he did not know what he was talking about. “I also stated that there have not been any grievances filed against me in regards to such claims,” Nuques wrote. “The board
Nuques wrote that when Ramirez told him that “people feel bullied, harassed and intimated” by the superintendent, he said he told Ramirez that he did not know what he was talking about. president then stated that the reason no one files is because they know that the board will take the superintendent’s side.” Nuques said Anselmo Treviño, ZCISD trustee, chimed into the discussion, saying he, too, had received calls about harassment, bullying and intimidation. “Again, I stated that this was news to me,” Nuques wrote. “I then asked why they had not brought this up to my attention on an individual basis. I also stated that those claims were false and that if they were true, that these individuals were still resistant to change, thus making false accusations.” Ramirez described a lack
of communication as well. “Sir, you don’t talk to me, you don’t call me. I am the board president and you are trying to split this board,” Nuques recalled Ramirez as saying. “I told Mr. Ramirez that I do call him and he does not answer his calls. I also text him and email him as well. Mr. Diego Gonzalez, board member, entered into the conversation and demanded to know why I was not calling the board president and why I was not communicating with the board president. “Mr. Ramirez jumped in again and stated that I had come to Zapata and made so many changes. He stated, ‘the people are from
Zapata, we are from Zapata; did you take into consideration all the things that are happening to people before making any moves?’” Nuques, who was raised in New York City, was hired as ZCISD superintendent in March 2014. He is a native of Ecuador who graduated from Texas A&M International University and started his education career at United ISD in Laredo. Nuques said he reminded the school board about a district-wide climate survey completed in December “with an approval rating of 92 percent for the office of the superintendent.” “Mr. Ramirez continued with his comments of staff being harassed and bullied by me,” Nuques wrote. “I was offended and felt humiliated by his continued accusations without any evidence of such comments. “I stood up and told (Ramirez) that never in my professional experience had I been insulted by his comments and false accu-
sations and never had my honor and integrity been questioned. I also told him that if he wanted me out of the district all he had to do is say it.” Nuques then left the closed session meeting and slammed the door. “I went outside of the building, got some air and cooled of for a bit and went back into closed session. I apologized to the board for walking out and slamming the door,” Nuques wrote. “At this time the board president continued with the same false accusations. He further stated that he had been on the board for 15 years and he had never retaliated against anyone. He continued to talk and continued to try to get the other board members to turn on me.” In August, the ZCISD Board of Trustees voted 6-1 to accept Nuques’ resignation. Veronica Gonzalez voted against. Nuques’ contract was set to expire June 2018. (Judith Rayo may be reached at 728-2567 or jrayo@lmtonline.com)
planned on getting out of the VA. “I had no idea there was compensation. I just wanted to know what was wrong with me,” he said. “The VA is a mess and it has always been a mess. It was all about them. Their goal became how do we turn veterans down?” Rendon said. Veterans die waiting for assistance. “A dead veteran is a dead claim,” he observed. It would take Rendon some 25 years for the VA to recognize some of his service-connected ailments. He filed his first claim with the VA in November 1980 and it has been a lifelong struggle with the VA. “Even when they know exactly what it is, when you tell them, when you can show them everything, they will still deny you and continue to deny. It’s a game the VA plays. It’s a game they play today. It’s a game they
play every day,” he said. His life changed in 2006 when he discovered a counseling organization in Dallas called Pathways. The nonprofit organization notes it has several missions, including reaching out to veterans and their families in helping them find the piece of themselves left behind on the battlefield. “It helped immensely and turned my life around,” he said, adding this is one of the reasons he wrote the book, to tell veterans and their families there is help. “If you don’t do something, it will stay with you all your life. It stays with you,” he said. Rendon tries to stay focused and optimistic. “You don’t see when you’re walking how far you have walked. I don’t turn and look back. I just keep walking. I just keep walking and that’s what I do,” he said.
VETERAN Continued from Page 1A Vietnam were in sharp contrast to his life prior to joining the Marine Corps in 1966. “Before Vietnam, I was out singing in little clubs, night clubs. That is when the Beatles first came out,” he reminisced. A musician, Rendon had been a backup vocalist in a group with Dusty Hill and Rocky Hill, who would subsequently be in a group that became the American rock band ZZ Top. “But when I returned I couldn’t be around people. That was part of the question of, ‘What’s going on with me?’ “Everything changed. I didn’t know why,” he recounted. At the time, little did he know he would embark on a life filled with inner turmoil, drugs, alcohol and marital problems. And although he was able to find jobs, he was unable to keep them.
“As time passed, I continued feeling more and more worthless. I would wake up hung over or simply so depressed that I couldn’t go to work,” Rendon recalled. “I couldn’t understand myself. Sometimes I felt like fighting and then sometimes I felt overwhelmingly scared.” When in Vietnam one day, three guards had been on perimeter duty about 100 yards from his post. “All three of them fell asleep at the same time, and the next morning they were found. All three of them had their throats slit,” he said. “For me that was a certain wakeup call — I’m not sleeping anymore until I get home.” But when home, he couldn’t sleep either. His mother later told him that, “I couldn’t sleep at night. I would scream and yell, had nightmares. I couldn’t sleep at night.”
“Those are some of the things I brought back with me, but it never dawned on me to put that and this together. I was 18 years old. I had no idea. I kept getting into trouble because I would drink to calm myself down. Then drinking became a problem. I began drinking too much, but that is the only thing I could do to let me rest for a little while,” he recounted. He sought help the year after his return. He felt nervous all of the time, sure someone would attack him from behind. He felt very paranoid. A psychiatrist dismissed Vietnam right away. “They said probably when I got home my parents had separated right before I got back and something about an Oedipus complex — you want to marry your mother, and hate your father. Oh my God!” he said. “But that’s
what they said,” Rendon recalled. “But all my brothers were there, my mother was there, everybody was the same, except me. I had changed dramatically.” “I had participated in shooting and probably killed some people and watched people get killed. That was part of being there, seeing death and dealing with death. But I didn’t think it affected me,” he said. Soon after he arrived in California from Vietnam, he was hitchhiking in uniform and a motorist tried to strike him. “Too many people were upset with us. That added to the confusion,” he said. Rendon also chronicles his experiences with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “I found out real quick they didn’t like veterans,” he said, recalling he was asked at a VA hospital how much money he
SÁBADO 10 DE OCTUBRE DE 2015
Ribereña en Breve ENTRENAMIENTO PARA EMPLEADOS Negocios privados con fines de lucro, y menos de 100 empleados, pueden adquirir entrenamiento para sus trabajadores de tiempo completo en su comunidad local o el colegio técnico o el Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). Las tutorías y cuotas son absorbidas por el programa de subsidios del Skills for Small Business. Empresas seleccionan clases en catálogos de colegios comunitarios o técnicos y sus horarios, además de que pueden solicitar fondos del Texas Workforce Commission (TCW). Las empresas pueden solicitar uno o más cursos para sus empleados. El programa paga hasta 1.450 dólares por cada nuevo empleado y 725 dólares por empleados con un periodo de 12 meses de antigüedad. TWC aprueba la solicitud, trabaja con el colegio e inscribe a los empelados, y paga las tutorías y cuotas al colegio. Especialistas de Proyectos de TWC están disponibles para ayudar a través del proceso de solicitud. Más información visitando ssb.texasworkforce.org, llamando al (877) 463-1777 o escribiendo a Skillsforsmallbusiness@twc.state.tx.us
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 9A
ACUSACIÓN
Temieron por su vida LA VOZ DE HOUSTON
Esta semana, un operador de camiones fue acusado formalmente de transportar a un grupo de 39 inmigrantes indocumentados. Las personas rescatadas eran de origen hispano y dijeron a las autoridades tras el rescate que llegaron a temer por su vida al pasar varias horas encerrados en un remolque, el cual carecía de ventilación – excepto de una pequeña compuerta, de acuerdo al reporte oficial. Según la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Frio, oficiales de esta agencia rescataron al grupo de inmigrantes el 18 de septiembre en una parada de camiones ubicada al norte de Pearsall, una ciudad situada 55 millas al suroeste de San Antonio. Su acción fue grabada por las cámaras que portaban en sus uniformes. El grupo de indocumentados incluía a personas originarias de El Salvador, Guatemala y México, y cuatro de ellas son menores de edad.
Foto de cortesía | NBC
La imagen cortesía de la cadena NBC muestra el momento en que Oficiales del Alguacil de Friar rescataron a inmigrantes indocumentados que viajaban en el interior de una caja para trailer. Según el sargento Jerry Reyna, uno de los primeros oficiales en llegar al lugar del incidente, el servicio de emergencias 911 había recibido una llamada en la que alguien avisaba que había visto a un camionero que estaba diciendo a los indocumentados que salieran del remolque y que instantes después les ordenó volver a esconderse en él. El acusado fue identificado como Drew Christopher Potter, de 33 años y originario de Watuga, Texas. Él declaró desconocer que
había un grupo de inmigrantes en el remolque del camión. Potter ha sido acusado de cuatro cargos de conspiración para introducir inmigrantes indocumentados en Estados Unidos y transportarlos. De ser encontrado culpable podría recibir una sentencia de 10 años en prisión. El alguacil Aaron Ramírez, otro de los oficiales que ayudó a salir a los indocumentados del remolque, dijo que estaban sudando y deshidratados y describió la escena como algo “horrible”.
Según Reyna, los inmigrantes pudieron llegar a estar encerrados en el remolque unas cuatro o cinco horas. Inmigración y Aduanas precisó que los inmigrantes fueron tratados en hospitales de la zona y posteriormente fueron trasladados a Laredo por agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza. Según indicó Reyna, es posible que algunos de los indocumentados permanezcan en EU para participar como testigos en el juicio de Potter. La situación recordó un caso ocurrido en 2003 en Victoria, donde 17 inmigrantes murieron asfixiados, según reportó el canal de televisión KSAT-12, la estación afiliada de la cadena ABC en San Antonio.
EXHIBICIÓN DE ÁRBOLES GENEALÓGICOS
TAMAULIPAS
PASADO Y PRESENTE
Sube boleto para camión
DESFILE ROMA — El Roma Fest Parade, con el tema “250 Years of Culture and Heritage” será el domingo 11 de octubre a partir de las 3 p.m. La alineación de participantes será en Nix Street (detrás del Citizens State Bank). Los contingentes continuarán hasta US Hwy 83 (Garcia St.). Interesados en participar puede llamar al Ayuntamiento de la Ciudad de Roma en el (956) 8491411. Entrada es de 10 dólares para empresas y gratis para organizaciones sin fines de lucro.
TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
RODEO POR LA CURA Brush Country Trail Riders Inc. invita al Rodeo por la Cura “2nd Annual Youth Ranch Hand” el viernes 16 de octubre en L.I.F.E. Downs Hwy. 59 de Laredo, a partir de las 7 p.m. Las ganancias del rodeo se destinarán a Mercy Ministries Cancer Program de Laredo. Informes con Lisa al (956) 744-6606 o con Joe al (956) 489-7736.
Foto de cortesía
La Sociedad Genealógica del Nuevo Santander será anfitriona del “Third Annual Family Tree Exhibition” el sábado 10 de octubre, de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. en el Zapata County Museum of History, 805 N. US Hwy 83 en Zapata. Evento gratuito, abierto al público. Nuevas exhibiciones en el museo incluyen, Guerrero Viejo, The Civil War in Zapata County, Turn of the Century Gadgets, y Antique Dolls & Marbles. Informes en el (956) 765- 8538.
COLUMNA
CABALGATA ANUAL 10ª Cabalgata Anual para Atención al Cáncer de Seno se llevará a cabo el 17 de octubre. El registro inicia a las 7 a.m. y la cabalgata arrancará a las 9 a.m. en Brewster Ranch sobre Carretera 59 en Laredo. Comida en Hurd Ranch y final en Life Downs. Donaciones: 20 dólares para cabalgantes, niños y adultos; donaciones para carretas es de 5 dólares, niños y adultos.
Detallan nombres de plazas principales cerca de 1810 Incluso lejos unas de otras, las plazas principales comparten determinadas características en nuestro país. Ejemplo de ello ofrecen sus denominaciones. Los motivos que lo explican dan sabor al urbanismo mexicano.
EMBRUJADAS CON ESPUELAS
POR RAÚL SINENCIO CHÁVEZ
Pretty in Pink invita a “Wicked in Spurs” el sábado 17 de octubre en L.I.F.E. Downs Hwy. 59 de Laredo a partir de las 4 p.m. Informes con Lisa al (956) 744-6606 o con Joe al (956) 4897736.
ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
PROYECTOS AMBIENTALES El programa Vida Silvestre sin Fronteras-México, creado por el Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de EU, invita a presentar proyectos que puedan ser parte de su programa anual. Durante el 2014, VSSFM apoyó a 18 proyectos en México. La fecha límite es el 16 de octubre. Visite www.fws.gov para más detalles. — Tiempo de Zapata
Conquistada por Hernán Cortés, de capital mexica pasa Tenochtitlan a ser capital de la Nueva España. Para esto último los teocalis son destruidos sin miramientos. Típico ejemplo del Viejo Mundo desplegándose al interior casi en forma de telaraña. Los tenochcas retoman por lo contrario la división cuadripartita aplicada en Teotihuacán; abierta, carente de murallas, puede ensancharse con orden conforme las exigencias demográficas, cruzándola arterias viales de trazo rectilíneo. “Desde que vimos […] aquella calzada tan derecha y por nivel como iba a México, nos quedamos admirados”, escribe Bernal Díaz del Castillo, de las huestes conquistadoras. Ambos modelos –europeo y mesoamericano—se combinan en la Ciudad de México. Ordenándoselo Cortés, la proyecta Alonso García Bravo, alarife que aplica por sistema el “plan de ajedrez”. Esto acaso inspira la cédula real de 1523, en que Carlos V fija caracte-
rísticas obligatorias para futuros asentamientos humanos en territorios del imperio. Sea lo que fuere, lo dispuesto en la metrópoli novohispana trasciende el virreinato. Conviene por ende detenernos en ciertos detalles. Al respecto, la plaza principal adquiere gran importancia. Porque combina y pone en juego tres aspectos, estrechamente unidos entre sí. En primer lugar tenemos su emplazamiento, resuelto justo al centro del área correspondiente. Lo anterior vuelve posible definir a cordel las calles y avenidas que atraviesan en ángulos de noventa grados el plano citadino. Desemboca éste asimismo en zonas que le facilitan extenderse de modo armonioso, según el censo repunte. Originalmente, dicha plaza es rectangular con medidas que ninguna otra posee y menos aún supera. Termina imponiéndole distintivos rasgos el hecho de albergar o reunir en los alrededores el palacio del virrey, la Catedral y el recinto edilicio, símbolos de los poderes terrenales y religiosos. Ya señalamos que las referidas particularidades alcanzan fuerza normativa. Felipe II viene a robustecerlas con las “Ordenanzas del Escorial”. Por lo tanto, rigen la formación de ulteriores urbes en la Nueva España, retomándose en parte tras la independencia. Vistos los antecedentes del caso, na-
da extraña que al menos en nuestro país los mencionados espacios públicos compartan denominaciones a través del tiempo. Quizás primigenia, la de Plaza Mayor se explica sola. Por el tamaño concedido, rebasan claramente a las restantes manzanas del polígono respectivo. Después también las denominan Plaza de Armas. Todavía algunos municipios continúan identificándolas así. En cuanto a la sede capitalina, hacia fines del siglo XIX explica José María Marroquí: “Se llamó Plaza de Armas por ser […] en donde […] se reunían para los alardes y revistas, primero los conquistadores armados, y más tarde los ejércitos, ya los del rey, ya los de la República; y aún hoy […] se forma en ella todas las mañanas la parada de las guardias” del Palacio Nacional. En 1812 cobra vigencia el código supremo de la monarquía española. A las autoridades peninsulares y ultramarinas toca publicitarlo y rendirle juramento ante el vecindario reunido. Las cortes de Cádiz a propósito decretan: “Que la plaza principal de todos los pueblos […] en que se celebre […] este acto solemne, sea denominada en lo sucesivo Plaza de la Constitución”. Tal nombre sigue usándose hasta el presente. (Con permiso del autor, según fuera publicado en La Razón, Tampico)
A partir de esta semana empezó a aplicarse una nueva tarifa en el servicio que brinda el transporte público en el estado de Tamaulipas. Un segundo ajuste entrará en vigor en enero del 2016. Hace una semana, usuarios en Nuevo Laredo, México, se vieron afectados cuando, sin previo aviso, debieron tener que pagar más de lo acostumbrado por el uso de los camiones urbanos. Durante el fin de semana, ante las protestas, los concesionarios decidieron recortar sus rutas y unidades en la ciudad. Así, de acuerdo a un comunicado de prensa del Gobierno de Tamaulipas, “tras una serie de análisis se llegó al acuerdo para ajustar la tarifa de este servicio”. La nueva tarifa es de 9 pesos para los usuarios en general, y de 6 pesos para estudiantes con credencial vigente, personas de la tercera edad y personas con capacidades diferentes, anunció la Subsecretaría de Transporte Público en Tamaulipas. “El incremento a los insumos, como el diésel y refacciones, influyeron en la decisión de la nueva tarifa" sostuvo Gonzalo Treviño Alanís, Subsecretario de Transporte Público en Tamaulipas. Agregó que, por su parte, los concesionarios se comprometieron a "continuar participando con la modernización de sus unidades y trabajar en la incorporación de nuevos vehículos”. En cuanto al segundo ajuste de 1 peso se encuentra programado al entrar enero del 2016, pero solo será aplicado en las unidades modelo 2013 y posteriores las cuales "hayan cumplido con revisiones y sus unidades estén en perfectas condiciones mecánicas y de imagen; además de haber implementado el sistema de barras y lectores de tarjeta de prepago, y contar con las revistas mecánicas y el tarjetón del operador", agrega el comunicado de prensa.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015
BORDER Continued from Page 1A things they may have heard about the region. Misinformation like that hurts our local economy and makes it difficult to attract skilled workers and encourage investment.” Some of the key takeaways from the latest FBI crime statistics include:
The murder rates in Washington, D.C., Dallas, and Houston are more than twice the murder rates in McAllen, Brownsville and El Paso, respectively In 2014, there were 242 murders in Houston and 116 in Dallas, compared to
14 murders in Laredo, six in McAllen and five in Brownsville In 2014, there were 10,186 robberies in Houston and 4,202 robberies in Dallas, compared to 415 in El Paso, 196 in Laredo, 138 in Brownsville and 68 in McAllen
INMATES Continued from Page 1A duced. Of more than 17,000 retroactive reductions requested nationwide, 1,300 were from those sentenced in the Southern District of Texas, which runs from Houston to Laredo. Most of the prisoners and their lawyers filed motions in district courts for early release. The Justice Department requested sentence reductions for others. Of the 13,000 motions granted through July 24, 870 were from the Southern District of Texas, according to the commission’s retroactivity report. Federal judges denied onethird of the sentence reduction requests — 460 motions — from the South Texas district. Nationwide, most of the reductions are for people sentenced from 2010 through 2014 and the average time cut was 23 months, the report said. Nearly half of the people cleared for early release were convicted for crack and powder cocaine offenses and 31 percent went to prison for involvement with methamphetamine. The Sentencing Commission sets the advisory guidelines federal judges are expected to consider when deciding punishment. Taking into account myriad factors including criminal history and cooperation with the government, the guidelines were created to make sure that sentences are uniform across the country. The Justice Department expects 6,000 low-level
drug offenders will be released next month under new sentencing guidelines. About a third will be deported and more than 4,000 will be returning to society. In total to date, 13,187 offenders have received a sentence reduction under the program. In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that the guidelines are not mandatory, but judges have to consider them and are bound by statutory sentences set by Congress. Last year, the commission determined that the guidelines were recommending unnecessarily harsh sentences for drug crimes and allowed convicts to ask judges for new sentences. They set new guidelines for drug sentences, and the releases next month will be the first wave of drug offenders whose reduced prison terms have expired. It’s up to the defendants, usually represented by the Federal Public Defender’s Office, to ask a judge for a sentence reduction under the new rules. “The reason these people are being released is not because the Department of Justice decided to let them out early,” said James Felman, a Florida defense attorney who testified before the Sentencing Commission last year in favor of the change. “The reason they’re being released is because the Sentencing Commission lowered the guideline, and a judge granted a motion made by the defendant to have their sentence lowered under that guide-
line.” More than 50,000 people sentenced between 1991 and October 2014 will likely be eligible for some sort of sentence reduction. The average sentence under the new guidelines will be 8.5 years in prison. When it announced the reductions last year, the Sentencing Commission said it delayed releases until November to give the Justice Department, which oversees the Bureau of Prisons, time to prepare for the influx. Many of those being released next month are likely already in halfway houses, Felman said. The Bureau of Prisons wouldn’t say what steps have been taken to prepare for the releases. The two Texas judicial districts likely have so many offenders affected by the new guidelines because of the large number of low-level drug smugglers caught at the border, said John Convery, a San Antonio defense attorney and former federal prosecutor. The changes don’t apply to leaders and organizers of smuggling rings and criminal groups or violent offenders, Convery said. He called the change “overdue.” “It’s a general recognition that the guidelines were inviting judges to sentence people too harshly,” Convery said. The releases follow growing national pressure to reduce sentences for some criminals, including low-level drug offenders, Felman said.
4 win Nobel Peace Prize By PAUL SCHEMM, BOUAZZA BEN BOUAZZA AND KARL RITTER ASSOCIATED PRESS
TUNIS, Tunisia — It was the fall of 2013 and Tunisia’s newfound democracy was in grave danger. The assassination of a leftwing politician had prompted the opposition to walk out of the constitutional assembly. The government was paralyzed, the constitution unfinished and the country on the brink of war. In nearby Egypt, which had followed Tunisia in a democratic revolution, a coup had just overthrown the Islamist government, and some sectors in Tunisia wanted to follow suit. Then four civil society groups — the main labor union, the bar association, the employers’ association and the human rights league — stepped into the fray. Working together, they got the Islamists to
Photo by Adel Ezzine/Xinhua | TNS
Representatives of the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet attend a press conference on Friday in Tunis, Tunisia. agree to resign in favor of a caretaker government that would organize new elections, while the angry opposition returned to the table to complete the country’s constitution. On Friday, that coalition — the National Dialogue Quartet — received the Nobel Peace Prize for its patient negotiating efforts, which carried Tunisia through an extended constitutional crisis and laid the groundwork for the only democracy that remains
following the 2011 Arab Spring demonstrations. The prize comes at an important time, as Tunisia faces a new crisis that is nearly as critical as the one it confronted in the fall of 2013: A pair of attacks against tourists earlier this year left more than 60 people dead, provoking fear and devastating Tunisia’s vital tourism sector, even as the faltering economy dragged support for the democratic process to historic lows.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
Wholesale stockpiles rise By JOSH BOAK ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Cheaper oil and less demand for autos and machinery weighed on wholesalers in August, as their inventories edged up just slightly while sales dropped. The Commerce Department said Friday that wholesale stockpiles rose 0.1 percent, and sales fell 1 percent. Sales have slid 4.7 percent over the past 12 months. Inventories have increased 4.1 percent. Falling oil prices account for much of the declining sales. Oil inventories — which are measured in
Photo by Seth Wenig | AP file
This Aug. 24 file photo shows the New York Stock Exchange. World stock markets rose Friday, on expectations the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates at a record low for at least several more months.
Stocks close out best week of the year By KEN SWEET ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — The stock market closed out its best week this year with a modest gain on Friday, helped by airlines and industrial companies. Investors now turn their focus to corporate earnings, which will start to pick up next week. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 33.74 points, or 0.2 percent, to 17,084.49. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 1.46 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,014.89 and the Nasdaq composite rose 19.68 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,830.47. The S&P 500 ended the week up 3.3 percent, its best week since mid-December. Global markets also had a strong week, with markets in Germany and France rising more than 5 percent. In Asia, markets in Japan, China and Hong Kong are up roughly 4 percent each. Most of the gains this week came immediately following the release of last week’s disappointing jobs report, which sent a signal to investors that the Federal Reserve would hold pat on raising interest rates at least for several more months. That signal was reinforced Thursday, when the minutes from the September Fed meeting showed policymakers are too concerned about low inflation and
the slowdown in China to raise interest rates. “In short, we found little to change our view that the first Fed hike will not occur in 2015 (and the) market has reached the same conclusion,” wrote Ajay Rajadhyaksha, head of fixed-income at Barclays, in a report. One sector that did push higher was airlines. The companies said they flew nearly full flights last month, an important profit driver for the industry. United Continental flew flights on average 82.9 percent full; while American Airlines reported its flights were 82.7 percent full. United Continental rose 6.6 percent, American rose 6.7 percent, JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines added 3 percent each. One industrial company that did not do well was Alcoa, the aluminum company, which fell 75 cents, or 7 percent, to $10.26. The company reported a steep drop in profits for its third quarter, citing lower aluminum prices and a strong U.S. dollar. Investors are now positioning themselves for corporate earnings, which pick up steam next week with most of the nation’s largest banks report their results, as well as big companies like Intel, Netflix, UnitedHealth and General Electric. Earn-
ings are expected to be down roughly 5.5 percent from a year ago, according to FactSet, mostly because of a sharp drop in commodity prices. “Earnings are going to dominate the next few weeks. Once we get guidance from Corporate America, investors will be reasonably more confident about getting back into the market,” said Bob Doll, chief equity strategist at Nuveen Asset Management. The price of U.S. oil edged higher Friday. Benchmark crude oil rose 20 cents to close at $49.63 a barrel in New York. Brent Crude, which is used to price international oils, slipped 40 cents to $52.65 a barrel in London. In other futures trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, wholesale gasoline rose 0.9 cents to close at $1.417 a gallon. Heating oil fell 1.1 cents to close at $1.591 a gallon and natural gas rose 0.4 cents to close at $2.502 per 1,000 cubic feet. U.S. government bond prices rose slightly. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.09 percent. The euro rose to $1.1363 while the dollar rose to 120.24 yen. Metals prices rose. Gold climbed $11.60 to $1,155.90 an ounce, silver gained five cents to $15.82 an ounce and copper climbed seven cents to $2.41 a pound.
dollars — plummeted 4.6 percent in August and 36.6 percent over the past 12 months. Sales of autos and machinery also slipped. But rising inventories for equipment, pharmaceuticals and chemicals suggest that wholesalers still see ongoing demand heading into end of the year. Wholesale inventories are at a seasonally adjusted $583.9 billion, 4.1 percent above a year ago. Sales weakened as the broader economy began to cool in August, hampered in large part by the risks of a worldwide deceleration in economic activity. The slowing Chinese economy triggered alarms
about corporate profits, resulting in a stock market sell-off. Canada has officially retreated into recession, and emerging economies such as Brazil have veered into a downturn. Growth in Europe continues to muddle along. These problems seeped into the U.S. economy in the forms of a stronger dollar and lower energy prices. The rising value of the dollar caused American-made goods to become more expensive overseas, cutting into exports. Cheap oil and natural gas have led energy firms to cut back on their drilling activities and orders for pipeline and equipment.
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES
Tight games for Texas duo
Photo by Charlie Riedel | AP
Photo by Frank Gunn | AP
Kansas City’s Lorenzo Cain, left, scores on a single by teammate Eric Hosmer as catcher Jason Castro and the Astros lost 5-4 Friday. The ALDS is now tied heading to Game 3 in Houston.
Texas’ Hanser Alberto hit a game-winning single in the 14th inning as the Rangers won 6-4 in Toronto Friday to take a 2-0 lead in the ALDS.
Astros squander 3-run lead, Royals tie ALDS after 2 games
Rangers win in 14 innings, take 2-0 ALDS lead on Blue Jays
By DAVE SKRETTA ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ben Zobrist hit a go-ahead single in the seventh inning, reliever Wade Davis got replay help for a key pickoff in the ninth and the Kansas City Royals rallied from a three-run hole to beat the Houston Astros
5-4 on Friday, evening their AL Division Series at a game apiece. The Royals knotted the game at 4 off Scott Kazmir and relievers Oliver Perez and Josh Fields in the sixth. Kansas City took the lead in the seventh when Alcides Escobar led off with a triple against Will Harris (0-1) and Zobrist fol-
lowed with his single through the left side. Kelvin Herrera (1-0) and Ryan Madson each tossed a scoreless inning of relief for the Royals, and Davis came on to close it. Davis walked Preston Tucker with one out, and speedy Carlos Gomez came
See ASTROS PAGE 3B
NFL: HOUSTON TEXANS
By IAN HARRISON ASSOCIATED PRESS
TORONTO — Fed up with his own bat, Hanser Alberto grabbed one belonging to teammate Delino DeShields. Good choice, rookie. Alberto, the seldomused backup infielder, lined a tiebreaking sin-
gle to center in the 14th inning, helping the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-4 for a 2-0 lead in the best-offive American League Division Series. “I didn’t even ask him for it,” Alberto said, smiling at DeShields sitting beside him on the postgame interview po-
dium. “Good wood, too, you know?” It sure was. DeShields then picked the bat up and put it to good use, driving in another run with an infield hit after Liam Hendriks replaced La Troy Hawkins (0-1), The underdog Rang-
See RANGERS PAGE 3B
NATIONAL SOCCER: UNITED STATES VS. MEXICO
USA-Mexico look to qualify By GREG BEACHAM ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Patric Schneider | AP
Houston quarterback Brian Hoyer is back atop the quarterback depth chart for the Texans after replacing Ryan Mallett Thursday night in a loss to the Colts.
Hoyer gets Texans’ QB job back By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — Brian Hoyer has his job back as Houston’s starting quarterback. Hoyer won the job out of camp but was pulled in the fourth quarter of a seasonopening loss to the Chiefs after committing two turnovers. Ryan Mallett has started since then, but he has struggled and Hoyer took over in both of the last two games as the Texans fell to 1-4. Hoyer replaced Mallett in the second quarter on Thursday night and threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted by Mike Adams
File photo by Tycho Gregers | AP
The United States national soccer team squares off with Mexico Saturday at the Rose Bowl in a onegame playoff for a spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.
IRVINE, Calif. — Clint Dempsey has been immersed in the U.S. soccer rivalry with Mexico pretty much from the moment he understood what the international game means to both nations. “I grew up in Texas, and I played with a lot of kids from Mexico that went to my high school, and we were always talking trash,” Dempsey said. “It’s just that competitive rivalry, being so close in proximity to Mexico. It’s just exciting to have big games like that and want to win so bad. I think
See SOCCER PAGE 2B
NCAA FOOTBALL: NO. 3 BAYLOR BEARS AT KANSAS JAYHAWKS
Russell, Bears head to KU
with less than 2 minutes left to help seal the Colts’ 27-20 victory. The Texans have 10 days before they’ll try to get back on track when they travel to Jacksonville on Oct. 18. Although O’Brien is going with Hoyer against the Jaguars, he wouldn’t commit to anything beyond that. “It’s 11 one-game seasons so he’s the starter for Jacksonville,” O’Brien said. “I think over the last two games he’s gone in there with a really good attitude, with a calmness about him, with really good mechanics. Has he been perfect?
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Rather than playing for one of the best teams in major college football, quarterback Seth Russell was oh-so-close to playing for what is arguably the worst. The talented junior from the Dallas area was recruited by Kansas coach Turner Gill, and for a while had committed there. But when Gill was fired after the 2011 season, Russell backed out of his pledge
See TEXANS PAGE 2B
See BAYLOR PAGE 2B
By DAVE SKRETTA ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Tony Gutierrez | AP
Baylor wide receiver Jay Lee and the No. 3 Bears travel to last-place Kansas in a Big 12 matchup Saturday.
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015
Slumping Texas meets No. 10 Sooners By RALPH D. RUSSO ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Everything about Texas football seems broken right now. The Longhorns are 1-4, off to their worst start since 1956 and coming off a humiliating 50-7 loss to TCU. The players were sniping at each other on social media earlier in this week. Now, Longhorns mascot Bevo the steer is critically ill. It would be tough for it to get much worse for coach Charlie Strong’s program, though losing the biggest rivalry game on the schedule would certainly push things in that direction. Texas (1-4, 0-2 Big 12) faces No. 10 Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0) on Saturday in their annual grudge match at the Cotton Bowl. Longhorns fans must be feeling as if they have already eaten too much fried food at the Texas State fair watching their team play this season. Only 18 games into Strong’s tenure in Austin, his future looks murky. “The thing I say about it is adversity’s going to hit you and you want to do more because it’s just who you are when you have that competitive nature in you,” Strong said. “You expect more, you want to see more. And I say to people all the time, I’m OK. I can only imagine what you’re going through. It is what it is. This is the University of Texas. This is what you sign on for.” Beating Oklahoma
File photo by Deborah Cannon | MCT
Jerrod Heard and the Longhorns are off to a 1-4 start as they head into the Red River Rivalry against No. 10 Oklahoma Saturday. won’t cure all that ails Texas, but it would provide some much-needed relief and it wouldn’t be the first time a struggling Texas team beat Oklahoma. Texas is 5-2 in the Red River Rivalry since 1989 when it is unranked and the Sooners are ranked. Just a couple years ago, during Mack Brown’s rocky final season with Texas, the Longhorns beat the Sooners 36-20. Maybe TCU was rock bottom for the Longhorns? “Now everyone is more
focused because of what happened last Saturday, and they don’t want it to happen again,” quarterback Jerrod Heard said. “I feel like everyone is in the books and in the film room more than there was last week.” Sooners coach Bob Stoops is quick to point out that winning the Red River Rivalry doesn’t make for a good season. Oklahoma has won four of the last five against Texas, including last year when the Sooners still struggled to an 8-5 finish.
“So the only way to win them all or to keep winning is you do the same things every week,” Stoops said. “They’re all important, and they are. The players, coaches — we have the same routine. We put the same importance on every single one of them. That’s the only way you can have consistent play through the year, because you have to win.”
Things to watch for when Texas and
Oklahoma meet for the 110th time: NEW QBs Both starting quarterbacks will be making their first starts in the Red River Rivalry. Heard was inserted as the starter in the second game of the season and gave some hope to a Texas offense that looked hopeless against Notre Dame in the opener. The Longhorns are still trying to figure out what they are, transitioning from a West Coast of-
fense to more of a spread. Heard is averaging 196 yards per game in total offense, but the Longhorns are still last in the Big 12 in total yards at 339 per game. Baker Mayfield, who is from Austin and transferred to Oklahoma from Texas Tech, is in his first season as a starter for the Sooners. He has fit in perfectly to their new Air Raid-style attack, averaging 380 total yards per game. “Being from Austin, there’s always Longhorn fans that wish you good luck, but say, ’Hey, I’ll still be cheering for my team,”’ Mayfield said. TURNOVERS Texas has scored three defensive touchdowns this season and an interception return against the Sooners two years ago helped swing momentum to the Longhorns. The offense has scored only two touchdowns the last two games so defense may have to do it for the Longhorns. The Sooners have been giving, with eight turnovers and a minus-1 ratio on the season. Texas is plus-five. PENALTIES The Sooners’ other problem has been penalties. They are 126th in the country in penalties yards per game with 94. Texas is 101st at 70.6 yards per game in penalties. The Big 12 in general has been a flag-happy conference this season, so expect the officials to be busy at the Cotton Bowl.
BAYLOR Continued from Page 1B and chose to play closer to home, signing instead with Art Briles at Baylor. On Saturday, Russell will lead the Bears into Memorial Stadium against the Jayhawks. “Coach Gill was a phenomenal guy. I had high respect for him,” Russell said. “I went up there when Coach Gill got released and Coach (Charlie) Weis came in. It just didn’t have the same feel.” Rather than a family, Kansas suddenly felt like a business. “But when I came to visit Baylor it was just like Kansas all over again, before Coach Weis,” Russell explained. “I felt like it was a good fit for myself, and it
was.” Russell has the thirdranked Bears (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) in prime position for the College Football Playoff heading into Saturday’s game at Kansas, directing an offense that is putting up the kind of numbers that you only see in video games. Like 63.8 points per game, and an average of 745 yards of offense. “I think if Turner stayed the coach up there, we wouldn’t have Seth,” Briles said. “Seth was certainly a guy we always wanted and felt he would fit our system.” The Jayhawks (0-4, 0-1) sure could use him these days.
After losing Michael Cummings to a knee injury in the spring game, Montell Cozart to a shoulder sprain and third-stringer Deondre Ford to torn tendons in a finger, coach David Beaty is down to freshman Ryan Willis making his first career start against the Bears. Willis has only played a couple dozen snaps this season, briefly in the opener against South Dakota State and then last week at Iowa State, when Cozart went down with his injury. No pressure, kid. “Man, he’s excited. I think that’s the thing that I’m most encouraged about with him,” Beaty said. “He is really excited about this opportunity. He has no
TEXANS Continued from Page 1B No. But I think that ... overall he’s played pretty well.” Mallett helped Houston to its only win in his second start when he threw a touchdown pass, but also had an interception in a 19-9 victory over Tampa Bay. His struggles continued in a 48-21 loss to Atlanta when he threw an interception and didn’t lead the Texans to any points before Hoyer took over. Hoyer threw two touchdown passes and directed three scoring drives late against a Falcons defense that had pulled most of its starters. O’Brien stuck with Mallett, starting him again on Thursday — and the results were much the same. A pass deflected by Arian Foster was intercepted on Houston’s first drive on Thursday and Mallett was unable to get the Texans any points on the next two drives either. He took an illegal hit to the ribs on Houston’s next possession, forcing him out of the game. Hoyer came in and Mallett was fine a couple of minutes later, but O’Brien went with Hoyer for the rest of the game. Mallett was not happy about the decision and appeared to be moping on the sidelines. “Ryan’s a competitor and he wants to play, but we have to do what’s best for
the team and that’s what we think is best for the team right now,” O’Brien said. O’Brien has liked the way Hoyer has played in the two games since the season opener, when he seemed a bit tight. “There’s no position that’s more important than quarterback when it comes to consistency,” O’Brien said. “Over the last however many quarters he’s played (Hoyer’s) been a consistent player for us.” Notes: Along with their quarterback switch, the Texans are also dealing with another injury to last year’s top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, though this one doesn’t seem serious. He had a walking boot on his right ankle in the locker room on Friday, but O’Brien said he’s OK and should play against the Jaguars. Clowney played just four games as a rookie last season because of various injuries before seasonending microfracture surgery. He was injured early in Thursday night’s game, but missed only a couple of plays before returning to the field. ... The Texans should get receiver Cecil Shorts back for the next game after he sat out Thursday with a shoulder injury, but Nate Washington (hamstring) is day to day.
shortage of confidence. Man, that’s something that you can’t give them. They either have it or they don’t.” Here are some things to watch for as the Bears visit the Jayhawks on Saturday. LONG ODDS Depending on the oddsmaker, Baylor is favored by about 45 points on Saturday. Not that Briles seems to care. “If we can get out of there 7-6, I’ll get on the plane as happy as I can be,” he said. “This is set up now like it’s a playoff situation. You win and advance, win and advance. You don’t win and you’re fighting an uphill battle.” COX RETURNS
Kansas will get running back Taylor Cox back on Saturday. He’s had injuries derail each of the last two seasons. While his impact on the game in yards and points may prove to be minimal, Beaty said this week that his leadership is invaluable. SHOCK AND AWE Baylor running back Shock Linwood is averaging 146 yards rushing per game, fifth-best nationally and tops in the Big 12. “It says a lot about our offense running the ball,” he said. “It shows that our offense has another way besides the passing game.” CLOSE CALL There are still a few Baylor players around who
were part of the 2011 team, led by Robert Griffin III, that needed overtime to beat Kansas on the road. “They usually have that one game a year where they beat somebody or it’s close,” Bears offensive lineman Spencer Drango said. “We don’t want that to be us.” OLD PALS Briles and Beaty have known each other for years, back when they were both high school coaches in Texas. They even won state titles right after each other in 1999, when Briles coached Stephenville and Beaty was leading Garland. “I’ve had to match up with him a lot, every place I’ve been,” Beaty said. “Good coach.”
SOCCER Continued from Page 1B both countries want to be able to flex their muscles, and want to be able to have bragging rights.” Dempsey and his U.S. teammates were already anticipating the next chapter in this lively rivalry when they went through a workout Thursday under picturesque California sunshine on the UC Irvine campus. The slumping Americans face Mexico on Saturday at the sold-out Rose Bowl in a one-game playoff for a spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia, a prelude to the 2018 World Cup. While Mexico had a raucous summer that included its Gold Cup triumph and the firing of coach Miguel Herrera, the U.S. team reaches Pasadena in need of a landmark victory. Their worst Gold Cup finish in 15 years is just part of an unimpressive year that has Landon Donovan suggesting coach Jurgen Klinsmann should be fired if the Americans
don’t beat Mexico on Saturday. The Americans don’t appear to see it as a make-or-break moment for a team that does not start World Cup qualifying until next month. They seem more excited about the chance to play a big-time game with real stakes against their closest rivals in front of a frenzied, bipartisan Southern California crowd. “Just the tension that’s involved in it, the passion from both sets of supporters, from the players, it just goes so far back,” U.S. striker Jozy Altidore said. “The game means that much more each time it’s played. I think this will be one of the biggest ones to date.” Nobody in either jersey has forgotten that these teams met on the same Rose Bowl turf four years ago in the Gold Cup final, and that Mexico rallied from an early two-goal deficit for a riotous 4-2 victory. That loss led to
the departure of U.S. coach Bob Bradley, and the Americans are 3-0-3 against Mexico since Klinsmann’s tenure began. The Americans are underdogs heading into this playoff game, with Mexico fielding a strong lineup despite several injury problems and an interim coaching staff. Giovani Dos Santos, the LA Galaxy star who scored Mexico’s fourth goal in the 2011 Gold Cup final, has been ruled out. Altidore sees an opportunity for the U.S. team to right itself after a year of unimpressive results. The veteran striker hopes he’s a part of it. “I’m excited, because I never really get these opportunities with the national team,” said Altidore, who hurt his hamstring during the 2011 Gold Cup and missed the final. “Always something happens to me, or I get injured or something. So knock on wood I’m OK, and I get the chance if the
coach gives it to me on Saturday to take part in a special event.” The Confederations Cup is a valuable World Cup prelude for the eight teams that earn a berth. Teams from every international confederation get a trial run through the stadiums and facilities for the 2018 World Cup — and for the U.S. or Mexico, the tournament provides a rare opportunity to compete against the top teams from Europe and South America with real stakes. But first, the U.S. and Mexico will add another game to the local rivalry. “I’ve always been very proud to represent the U.S., so any time you can put on the jersey and play in a big game, it’s a dream come true,” said Dempsey, who scored seven of the Americans’ 12 goals in the Gold Cup. “It’s what you dreamed about as a little kid: playing in games like this in a packed stadium, representing your country in important games.”
Sports
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
Photo by Ron Jenkins | AP
TCU wide receiver Josh Doctson and the No. 2 Horned Frogs are in Manhattan this weekend facing off with Kansas State. Photo by Tony Gutierrez | AP
Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Red Raiders will be at home against Iowa State this weekend after back-to-back losses to No. 2 TCU and No. 3 Baylor.
Tech tries to break losing skid at ISU ASSOCIATED PRESS
LUBBOCK — Texas Tech looks to rebound from back-to-back losses to top-five teams when the Red Raiders take on Iowa State on Saturday. The Cyclones are aiming for a second Big 12 road win after beating Kansas last week. Texas Tech coach Kliff Kinsgbury sees a much improved Iowa State team led by quarterback Sam Richardson. The Red Raiders are No. 124th in the nation — fourth from the bottom — in total defense, giving up 581 yards per game. “Anytime you have a senior quarterback that’s played a lot, that’s going to give you problems,” the third-year coach said. “He can run well, he throws well, so it’ll be a good challenge for us.” Texas Tech (3-2, 0-2 Big 12), which leads the nation in passing offense and ranked third in total offense, lost to then-No. 3 TCU two weeks ago and fell to then-No. 5 Baylor last week. Paul Rhoads, coach of the Cyclones (2-2, 1-0), is hopeful a new defensive scheme this year will help stifle the Red Raiders’ offense fire power, both in the air and on the ground. “You’ve got to try to leverage as best as possible with all your defense against all their weapons,”
he said. “They’re going to take advantage of the entire field. They’re going to do it vertically. They’re going to do it horizontally.”
Here are some things to watch for when Texas Tech hosts Iowa State: THIN RECEIVING CORPS The Red Raiders pass offense is the best in the country but their receiving corps is thin. Ian Sadler and Devin Lauderdale, who have combined for five TDs and 527 yards, are both day-to-day. Sadler got injured in the TCU game and didn’t play against Baylor, while Lauderdale went down against the Bears. “But with our offense, the way we do things, if you’re one of those young wide receivers, you got to grow up quick because we’re going to need you,” Kingsbury said. TURNOVERS AND PENALTIES Up until last weekend’s loss to Baylor Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury was pleased with how the Red Raiders had turned around last year’s turnover and penalties woes. QB Pat Mahomes, still somewhat hampered by a leg knee injury he got early in the TCU loss, threw two interceptions, while the team notched 17 penalties for 142
yards against Baylor. Kingsbury was plenty displeased. “We’d made big strides in those areas, the penalties and turnovers, so to play such a good team and then revert back to that was disappointing.” CYCLONES RUSHER Freshman RB Mike Warren could cause fits for the Red Raiders rush defense, which sits at the bottom of the Big 12 in giving up about 277 yards per game, and also set an Iowa State record. He’s coming off a 175-yard performance on 18 carries in the win at Kansas after 128 yards on 21 rushes in the OT loss to Toledo. No Iowa State player has rushed for 100 yards in three consecutive games since 2010, and no Cyclones freshman has ever topped 100 yard three times in a season. “Mike’s going to be very active,” Rhoads said. SACK ATTACK Mahomes is the most well protected quarterback in the conference. He’s been sacked only once in five games. Conversely, Iowa State’s defense is ranked second in the Big 12 with 14 sacks. Rhoads isn’t promising lots of sacks but he’s got his eye on causing some disruption. “We’ve got to let him know we’re there and at least cause his feet to shuffle a little bit, and maybe have him hold onto the ball a little longer,” he said.
No. 2 TCU unbeaten heading to K-State By DAVE SKRETTA ASSOCIATED PRESS
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas State coach Bill Snyder spent his 76th birthday doing what he has for most of the past three decades: Trying to figure out how to slow down an opponent. This year happened to be No. 2 TCU, a tougher one than most. “If you fall behind with a team like that, it is pretty difficult to get back on the table,” Snyder said grimly this week, “and that is what happens to a lot of teams.” It is certainly what happened to Texas, which was routed 50-7 by the Horned Frogs (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) last weekend. The Longhorns trailed 30-0 by the second quarter and they didn’t get on the scoreboard until a throw-away touchdown in the fourth quarter. Along the way, Heisman Trophy candidate Trevone Boykin threw for 322 yards and five TDs without an interception. KaVontae Turpin caught four touchdown passes and Josh Doctson caught two, one from running back Shaun Nixon. And lest anyone think the Horned Frogs were one-dimensional, they also piled up 228 yards rushing. “They’re a team that can go fast, and if you are not paying attention, they will go deep on you no matter what the time is,” Kansas State linebacker Elijah Lee said.
The Wildcats (3-1, 0-1) could be in trouble if the game becomes a shootout. Joe Hubener is expected to be back under center on Saturday after briefly getting knocked out of last week’s loss at Oklahoma State. The injury, combined with other injuries to the position, forced Kansas State to use wide receiver Kody Cook as the emergency quarterback. Cook played well before getting hurt, too. Hubener wound up finishing the game. “They’re a lot like what we used to be like. They run the option, they read it, they run the power. They try to get you on islands, whether it’s in the pass or in the run,” TCU coach Gary Patterson said. “They’re going to make you beat them. You’ve got to get ready to go.” Snyder has been working all week to make sure his guys are ready to go. What else would he be doing on his birthday? “Like every Wednesday for the past 26 years,” he said. “I will not do anything, and I never really have except when I was a little toot. My mother made me blow out the candles on the cake.” TACKLING PROBLEMS Not everything is rosy at TCU, where Patterson spent the week bemoaning his team’s tackling. “I don’t think we’ve ever had 22 missed tackles in a ballgame in my lifetime here,” he said. “There’s a standard of what we play like.”
MORE ON INJURIES The Wildcats are already without quarterback Jesse Ertz and top cornerback Dante Barnett. Thirdstring quarterback Alex Delton is also hurt, while Cook may not play because of the injury he sustained against the Cowboys. PROVE IT Just a few seconds and a long field goal kept Kansas State from making this a game between the unbeaten. But that doesn’t mean the Wildcats don’t view TCU as an opportunity to make a statement. “You can’t prove yourself playing against the 122ndranked team,” Hubener said. “You need these games against quality programs where you can come out and shock the world.” STREAKING FROGS TCU is riding a 13-game winning streak, second only to Ohio State (18). The Horned Frogs have also won 21 of their last 27 conference road games. But Patterson is just 1-2 against his alma mater since taking over in Fort Worth. CROWD CONTROL At a time when attendance is dipping across college football, this will be the 23rd consecutive sellout at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. “Everyone heard about the loss we took, so we have that weighing on our shoulders,” Wildcats offensive lineman Terrale Johnson said. “But we have this great opportunity in front of us ... to make our fans happy.”
Cain got the Royals’ tying rally started with a double, and Astros manager A.J. Hinch called for Oliver Perez. He allowed back-to-back singles and a walk to leave the bases loaded for Fields, who walked Salvador Perez on four pitches to tie the game. When the Royals took the lead the following inning, their shutdown bullpen made it stick. CORREA HOBBLED Astros rookie Carlos Correa fouled a pitched off the inside of his back knee in
the fifth inning, and for a while appeared as if he might leave the game. He eventually remained in the game but struck out, though he did single off Herrera in the seventh. UP NEXT Keuchel threw six shutout innings in the Astros’ wild-card win over the Yankees, and tossed eight shutout frames against the Royals in June. Volquez tossed two scoreless innings of relief in Kansas City’s regularseason finale in Minnesota to tune up for the playoffs.
didn’t back down. I’ll leave it at that.” Toronto starter Marcus Stroman took a 4-3 lead into the eighth. He left after a leadoff single by DeShields, and Shin-Soo Choo put down a sacrifice against Brett Cecil. After Prince Fielder struck out, Napoli singled. Napoli had been 2 for 17 in his career against Cecil before the tying hit. Napoli was caught in a rundown to end the inning, but Cecil injured his left calf while chasing down Napoli and had to be helped off the field by the trainer. “He’s got a pretty significant tear, so that’s not very good,” downcast Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton finished 0 for 6 and is hitless in his past 30 postseason at-bats. Choo hit an RBI single in the first and a second
run scored on a throwing error by Martin. The Blue Jays escaped the jam when first baseman Chris Colabello turned an unassisted double play, tagging out Hamilton near the bag before sprinting across the diamond to retire Fielder, who was hung up between third and home plate. Donaldson hit his first postseason home run in the bottom half of the first. Toronto took its first lead of the series in the fifth. Pillar led off with a bloop double, went to third on a sacrifice by Ryan Goins and scored when Ben Revere grounded a single through the drawn-in infield. UP NEXT Estrada took the loss in his only start against Texas this season despite allowing just one run in six innings. Perez did not face Toronto this season.
ASTROS Continued from Page 1B in as a pinch-runner. Davis snapped a throw that first baseman Eric Hosmer neatly snagged on one hop as Gomez made a dive back to the bag — Gomez was initially ruled safe, but the call was overturned upon review. Jose Altuve then grounded out to end it, giving Davis a save. It was a crucial victory considering what awaits Kansas City in Game 3 on Sunday: Astros ace Dallas Keuchel, who was 15-0 at home this season. Edinson Volquez will start for Kan-
sas City. Two starters acquired with October in mind, Johnny Cueto of the Royals and Kazmir of the Astros, pitched largely to a stalemate Friday, which meant the outcome hinged on the bullpens. Kansas City’s relief corps was simply better, allowing the reigning AL champions to become the first home team to win in six games this postseason. Colby Rasmus homered, doubled and drove in two runs for the Astros, becom-
ing the first player in major league history with an extra-base hit in his first six playoff games. George Springer also drove in a pair of runs after hitting a solo shot in the series opener. Salvador Perez homered for Kansas City. Hosmer also drove in a run. The Astros jumped on Cueto right from the start, just as they did Yordano Ventura in the series opener. Rasmus doubled in a run in the first inning, and Springer added a two-run
single in the second as restless Royals fans began to shower their ace with boos. Perez got one back for Kansas City with a homer to left in the bottom half, but Rasmus matched him with his third home run in three games this postseason. Cueto finally settled in, but it looked as if it would be too late. Kazmir allowed a run in the third, but otherwise had Kansas City off balance until the sixth inning. Still trailing 4-2, Lorenzo
RANGERS Continued from Page 1B ers will try to sweep the Blue Jays at home in Game 3 Sunday. Martin Perez will start for Texas against Marco Estrada. “This is an uphill battle but it’s been done before,” Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin said. San Francisco was the last team to do it, coming back to beat Cincinnati three straight times after losing at home in the first two games of their 2012 NL Division Series. Alberto, batting last and only in the lineup because star third baseman Adrian Beltre was out with a strained back, made an error that led to Toronto’s first two runs but redeemed himself with his big hit in extra innings. “We were pretty confident going into the second game regardless of Adrian getting hurt,” DeShields said. “We were kind of bummed out about that,
but we kept our heads up.” The 22-year-old Alberto, who made his big league debut this season, also had a sacrifice fly. “It’s extremely special for him,” Rangers firstyear manager Jeff Banister said. “Really, a guy that has sat at the end of the bench for us, an extra player.” Texas shut out the highest-scoring team in the majors after the fifth inning. The victory for Banister’s team made road clubs 5-0 in the playoffs to that point — the only previous time that happened in the postseason was the 1906 all-Chicago World Series, STATS said. Kansas City snapped that skid a little later Friday with a 5-4 victory over Houston in Game 2 of their Division Series. Keone Kela (1-0) worked one inning for the win, staying calm after a dust-
up with Toronto slugger Josh Donaldson. Ross Ohlendorf, with an old-school, double-armed windup, finished for a save. The 33-year-old journeyman picked up the first save of his major league career earlier this year. Mike Napoli hit a tying single for Texas in the eighth. Another packed crowd at Rogers Centre that made a lot of noise early was quiet at the very end. Toronto, back in the postseason for the first time since winning the 1993 World Series, lost for the second straight day at home. “Our backs are against the wall,” Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. “It’s not where you want to be but that’s what we’re faced with.” Rougned Odor hit a twoout single off Hawkins in the 14th but was nearly
thrown out after going too far around second base on a single by Chris Gimenez, with the call confirmed by replay review. “You wonder if 50,000 could be wrong,” Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar said. “I’m pretty sure I saw some daylight there.” That call proved pivotal when Alberto lined a single to center, sending Odor tumbling home. Donaldson was back in the lineup after taking a knee to the head trying to break up a double play in the opener. He homered in his return. Both benches and both bullpens briefly emptied in the bottom of the 13th when Donaldson and Kela traded words after the slugger’s deep fly went foul. Donaldson eventually struck out. “We made eye contact and exchanged a few words,” Donaldson said.” He didn’t back down, I
4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015