The Zapata Times 11/11/2015

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WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 11, 2015

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ZAPATA COUNTY

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE REPORT

Sheriff’s deputy shot Man used to work for Zapata County

By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES

ARRIAGA

Arriaga runs for public office SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

A local fire department lieutenant and arson investigator announced his bid for constable in late October.

Daniel “Danny” Arriaga is running for Pct. 2-2A Zapata County constable. He has worked as an EMT, firefighter and peace officer with the Zapata County Fire Department and Zapata County Fire Marshal’s Office over a 10-year period.

Arriaga is a native of San Ygnacio and graduated from Zapata High School in 2002.

“If elected as your new constable for Pct. 2-2A of Zapata County, first and foremost I will do my duties as constable, which include providing bailiff for the Justice of the Peace Court(s) within the respected precinct and serving process issued by the respected court and any other court,” Arriaga said in a press release. “I will patrol, be very involved with the community, especially with our youth. I will have a strong open door policy to be able to assist, listen, and work hard for the citizens of Za-

See ARRIAGA PAGE 8A

Moments before being fatally shot, former Zapata County Sheriff ’s Deputy Cesar Cuellar Jr. pointed a gun at two female Laredo police officers who responded to his Northeast Laredo apartment, said LPD Chief Ray Garner.

A sixyear-veteran officer opened fire striking Cuellar twice, GarCUELLAR ner said during a news conference Tuesday at police headquarters.

“The officers did tell him to drop (the gun).

(They) told him several times to throw out the weapon.

Mr. Cuellar pulled the GONZALEZ weapon up and pointed it at the officers. One officer did fire (her) weapon.

See DEPUTY PAGE 8A

Photo by César G. Rodriguez | The Zapata Times

Laredo Police Chief Ray Garner speaks with the media outside the apartment complex where a sheriff’s deputy was shot Monday.

VETERANS DAY 2015

FIGHTING FOR RECOGNITION

Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais | AP

Jan C. Scruggs visits the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, Monday. Scruggs, who led efforts to build the memorial on the National Mall, is calling for a national memorial for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, even though violence in those countries is still claiming the lives of service members.

Man pushes for national memorial for 9/11 veterans

By JULIE WATSON ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN DIEGO — Jan Scruggs knew as a young Army infantryman re-

turning from Vietnam that his fellow veterans and his entire country needed a place to go to heal.

More than three dec-

ades later, the man who led efforts to build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, said it’s now time such a wall be built for post-9/11 com-

bat veterans, even though service members are still dying in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“A lot of these veterans were hurt physically.

There are high rates of PTSD, just like among Vietnam veterans, and if we wait until the war on

See VETERANS PAGE 8A

IMMIGRATION

Obama appeals to Supreme Court to save plan

By ALICIA A. CALDWELL AND KEVIN MCGILL ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will ask the Supreme Court to save the president’s plan to shield as many as 5 million immigrants living in the country illegally from deportation, after lower

courts blocked it.

A federal appeals court in New Orleans on Monday upheld a Texas-based federal judge’s injunction against President Barack Obama’s plan. Obama has issued executive orders to protect from deportation parents whose children are citizens or legal permanent residents, along with

other immigrants who came to the country illegally as children.

The Justice Department said Tuesday it disagrees with the 2-1 ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and would appeal to the high court.

Republicans have criticized the plan as illegal executive overreach since

Obama announced it last November.

Twenty-six states challenged the plan in court.

The administration argued that the executive branch was within its rights in deciding to defer deportation of selected groups of immigrants, including children who were brought to the U.S. illegal-

ly.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott praised the ruling.

“President Obama should abandon his lawless executive amnesty program and start enforcing the law today,” Abbott said in a news release.

“We strongly disagree with the 5th Circuit’s decision,” the White House

said in a statement. “The Supreme Court and Congress have made clear that the federal government can set priorities in enforcing our immigration laws.”

The ruling further dims prospects of implementation of the executive action before Obama leaves office

See OBAMA PAGE 8A

PAGE 2A

Zin brief CALENDAR

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

AROUND TEXAS

TODAY IN HISTORY

THURSDAY, NOV. 12

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Laredo Noon Optimist Youth Appreciation Day, noon luncheon, IBC-Laredo Annex on Jacaman Road. Laredo high school seniors take over city, county and federal offices for the day.

Guest speaker is Gerry Schwebel, IBC executive vice president. For more information call Optimist President Rosy Trujano at 744-2401.

Opening reception for Solar Powered Painting Exhibition at LCC from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Martha Fenstermaker Memorial Visual Arts Gallery, West End Washington Street. Featured artwork by renowned artist Carol Flueckiger will be on display. Join us for an opening reception and art discussion led by Flueckiger. Admission is free and open to the public.

Today is Wednesday, Nov. 11, the 315th day of 2015. There are 50 days left in the year.

This is Veterans Day in the U.S., Remembrance Day in Canada.

Today’s Highlight in History: On Nov. 11, 1918, fighting in World War I came to an end with the signing of an armistice between the Allies and Germany.

On this date: In 1620, 41 Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, anchored off Massachusetts, signed a compact calling for a “body politick.”

In 1778, British redcoats, Tory rangers and Seneca Indians in central New York killed more than 40 people in the Cherry Valley Massacre.

In 1831, former slave Nat Turner, who’d led a violent insurrection, was executed in Jerusalem, Virginia.

In 1889, Washington became the 42nd state.

In 1921, the remains of an unidentified American service member were interred in a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in a ceremony presided over by President Warren G. Harding.

In 1938, Irish-born cook Mary Mallon, who’d gained notoriety as the disease-carrying “Typhoid Mary” blamed for the deaths of three people, died on North Brother Island in New York’s East River at age 69 after 23 years of mandatory quarantine.

In 1942, during World War II, Germany completed its occupation of France.

In 1965, Rhodesia proclaimed its independence from Britain.

In 1966, Gemini 12 blasted off from Cape Kennedy with astronauts James A. Lovell and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. aboard.

In 1972, the U.S. Army turned over its base at Long Binh to the South Vietnamese, symbolizing the end of direct U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War. In 1990, Stormie Jones, the world’s first heart-liver transplant recipient, died at a Pittsburgh hospital at age 13.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush strongly rebuked congressional critics of his Iraq war policy, accusing them of being “deeply irresponsible.”

Five years ago: A disabled Carnival Splendor cruise liner inched into San Diego Bay after three nightmarish days adrift on the Pacific, bringing cheers from passengers who described trying to pass the time with limited food, backed-up toilets and dark cabins.

One year ago: Leaders of Asia-Pacific economies meeting in China agreed to begin work toward possible adoption of a Chinese-backed free-trade pact, giving Beijing a victory in its push for a bigger role in managing global commerce.

Today’s Birthdays: Jazz singer-musician Mose Allison is 88. The president of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, is 70. Golfer Fuzzy Zoeller is 64. Rock singer Dave Alvin is 60. Actor Stanley Tucci is 55. Actress Demi Moore is 53. TV personality Carson Kressley is 46.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is 41.

Thought for Today: “I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.” — President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969).

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13 Parish Rummage Sale from 3-6 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament Church Parish Hall on Bartlett and Galveston Streets. Clothes, shoes, furniture, bedding and jewelry. All items $1 except luxury items. For more information, call Rebecca Sepulveda at rsepulveda@dioceseoflaredo.org or 956-727-2140.

Adoption Day for Webb County will be at 9:30 a.m. at 406th District Court, Webb County Courthouse, 1110 Washington Street, 4th Floor. Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in partnership with 406th District Court and the Honorable Judge Oscar J. Hale Jr. are the participants. This event is open to the public.

TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows, 5201 University Blvd. 6 p.m.: Earth, Moon and Sun; 7 p.m.: Live Star Presentation (Observing will occur after show if weather permits).

General Admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Admission is $4 for TAMIU students, faculty and staff. For more information call 956-326-DOME (3663).

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14 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. The American Cancer Society invites the community to its 2nd annual Bark for Life of Webb County event. It will take place at North Central Park from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Come honor canines who are cancer survivors or who serve as caregivers for cancer patients. Dogs can participate in games and contests, which includes a costume contest. The theme is Bark for Life Around the World: It’s A World Full of Hope. Registration fee is $15 per dog. For more info, contact Laura Nanez at 956-286-6955 or Diana Juarez at 956-319-3100 or register at Bark for Life of Webb County.

TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows, 5201 University Blvd. 2 p.m.: The Little Star that Could; 3 p.m.: Saturn: Jewel of the Heavens; 4 p.m.: Back to the Moon; 5 p.m.: Pink Floyd’s The Wall. General Admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Admission is $4 for TAMIU students, faculty and staff. 2 p.m. show is $1 less.

For more information call 956-326DOME (3663).

Parish Rummage Sale from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament Church Parish Hall on Bartlett and Galveston Streets. Clothes, shoes, furniture, bedding and jewelry. All items $1 except luxury items. For more information, call Rebecca Sepulveda at rsepulveda@dioceseoflaredo.org or 956-7272140.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16 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 7952400x2521 for more information.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17 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. Call 7952400, x2520.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18 International Bank of Commerce Keynote Speaker Series presentation featuring Dr. Tony Payan, director of the Baker Institute’s Mexico Center at Rice University.

Shelby Knowles | Texas Tribune

I-35 in Austin tops the 2015 list of the 100 most congested roadways in Texas compiled by the Texas A&M University Texas Transportation Institute.

Most congested roadways

By LUQMAN ADENIYI AND MILES HUTSON TEXAS TRIBUNE

Austin drivers who complain about Interstate Highway 35 have been validated.

A new report from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute named the stretch of I-35 between U.S. 290 N and SH 71 as the most congested roadway in Texas.

The annual report of the top 100 congested roadways in the state — commissioned by the Texas Department of Transportation — called a stretch of Houston’s I-610 the secondmost congested roadway (it was No. 1 last year and I-35 in Austin was No. 2). Two separate sections of U.S. 59 in Houston and a portion of I-35 E in Dallas round out this year’s top five.

"The state’s worsening traffic gridlock is driven largely by a rapid growth in population without a corresponding growth in

roadway space," the institute said in a news release.

The rankings, released late last month, are based on the amount of delay caused by traffic on each road. Institute researcher Tim Lomax said 29 new roads were added to the list this year, but he said “the worst congested roads are probably going to stay the worst congested roads.”

The seven most congested roadways in Texas are as follows: 1. I-35 in Austin 2. W Loop Freeway/I-610 in Houston 3. Eastex Freeway/U.S. 59 in Houston 4. Southwest Freeway/U.S. 59 in Houston 5. Stemmons Freeway/I-35 E/U.S. 77 in Dallas 6. North Freeway/I-35 W/U.S. 287 in Fort Worth 7. Lyndon B. Johnson E/I-635 in Dallas

Former justice of the peace admits stealing

Convicted felon who escaped jail gets 3 years

Pedestrian dies after hit by rapid transit bus

WICHITA FALLS — Federal prosecutors say a former North Texas justice of the peace faces up to 10 years in federal prison after admitting to stealing more than $40,000 from Archer County by keeping a portion of the fines people paid to him.

Prosecutors say 63-year-old Joseph Charles Boyle pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds.

GALVESTON — A convicted felon from Houston who slipped out of a Southeast Texas jail through an unlocked door must serve three years in prison.

The Galveston County Daily News reports 44-year-old Thomas Penn Watson pleaded guilty Monday to escape. Watson in August fled from the city jail in La Marque and was on the run for about 12 hours before getting caught less than a mile away.

DALLAS — Authorities say a man standing along a highway waving vehicles away from a traffic accident has died after being hit by a Dallas Area Rapid Transit bus.

The Dallas County Sheriff ’s Office says the accident happened early Tuesday. Deputies say the victim was struck by a DART bus along Interstate 35 east. The victim’s name wasn’t immediately released.

Man’s hand cut off in machete fight

57 cats found living in filth, removed from home

Man gets 45 years in slaying of store owner

BRYAN — A Central Texas man has been charged with assault over a bar fight in which a machete was used to cut off another man’s hand.

Bryan police say the Nov. 1 fight began inside a bar, then moved outside. Paulino Martinez, 38, was being held Tuesday on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

SAN ANTONIO — Nearly 60 cats living in unsanitary conditions have been removed from a northeast San Antonio home.

Animal Care Services spokeswoman Lisa Norwood says staff conducted an hours-long investigation at the home and seized 57 cats that were living in filth.

Crews found large amounts of animal waste inside the house.

CORPUS CHRISTI — A South Texas man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for the 2014 slaying of a Corpus Christi convenience store owner during a robbery.

Navarro is the second person ordered to prison for the April 2014 fatal shooting of 59-year-old Mostafa “Ben” Bighamian.

— Compiled from AP reports

AROUND THE NATION 2 dead as business jet crashes into building AKRON, Ohio — A small business jet crashed into an apartment building on Tuesday, killing at least two people aboard, authorities said.

Investigators were trying to determine how many people were on the 10-seater Hawker H25 jet, but they confirmed two deaths, said Lt. Sierjie Lash, an Akron fire department spokeswoman.

No one was inside the small brick apartment building or a neighboring home that caught fire, she said. The jet clipped a utility wire on the way down and burst into flames and disintegrated after impact.

Jimmy Carter says no new cancer growth found ATLANTA — Doctors have found Jimmy Carter is responding well to treatment for cancer

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 Scott Ferrell | AP

A firefighter walks up a driveway as an apartment building burns in Akron, Ohio, Tuesday, where authorities say a small business jet crashed. The plane burst into flames and disintegrated after impact. and report no evidence of new tumors, according to a statement released by the former U.S. president’s spokeswoman on Tuesday.

Doctors at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute told Carter that recent tests have shown there is no evidence of

new malignancy, and his original problem is responding well to treatment. Carter, 91, revealed in August that doctors had removed melanoma from his liver and discovered four small tumors on his brain.

— 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 & State

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A

Lottery expansion shot down ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott has told Texas lottery officials to stop efforts to explore the expansion of sports betting lottery games and other types of gambling that are prohibited under state law.

The Dallas Morning News reports Abbott told Texas Lottery Commission Chairman J. Winston Krause in a letter Monday that he does not want the agency to continue its exploration of the games that other states have launched.

Abbott wrote that the executive director and staff should be notified that any request to travel to gather information about gaming opportunities should be denied.

Such an expansion would require approval of the Legislature, where efforts failed during the 2015 session. Texas currently has lottery drawings, such as Powerball and Lotto Texas, and scratch-off tickets.

The instructions from

Photo by Jason Hoekema/Valley Morning Star | AP file

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is shown at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley Regional Academic Health Center on Sept. 14. the governor come after letters obtained by the newspaper between the

commission executive director Gary Grief and his Delaware counterpart Ver-

non Kirk indicate the agency’s interest in the expansion of Internet betting and other games. Griek thanked Kirk for the hospitality shown when the director and his staff visited Delaware to learn about that state’s operations in October.

Robert Rivera, a member of the Texas Lottery Commission and the Arlington City Council, said the five-member panel that oversees the agency did not direct Grief or the staff to pursue expanding the state’s gaming portfolio and that he would ask for more details information about the exploration at the commissioners’ meeting next week.

Rivera said, “The Lottery Commission has no interest in expanding what we have in front of us,” he said.

Texas Lottery Commission spokeswoman Kelly Cripe said in an email on Monday that “We will adhere to what has been expressed in the Governor’s letter.”

Man held for shooting judge

By JIM VERTUNO AND DAVID WARREN ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN — A man being investigated in the shooting and wounding of an Texas judge last week was charged Tuesday with murder in an unrelated Houston slaying, police said.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said Chimene Hamilton Onyeri, 28, is being held in Houston. A criminal complaint filed by the Harris County district attorney’s office shows he’s accused in the May 18 fatal shooting of 31-year-old Jacobi Demon Alexander.

Authorities say Alexander was walking through a common area of a Houston apartment complex when he was approached by two men and shot several times.

No motive was given for

the slaying and the complaint didn’t specify how Onyeri may be linked to it.

Onyeri has a preliminary court appearance on the murder charge scheduled for Thursday. Neither his lawyer, Michaela Cuellar, nor the Harris County district attorney’s office responded to messages seeking comment.

Acevedo said Onyeri is being investigated but isn’t considered a formal suspect yet in Friday’s “cowardly” attack on state District Judge Julie Kocurek, who was shot and wounded as she arrived at her Austin home. Her injuries were not considered life-threatening, but she remained hospitalized Tuesday.

Investigators are working to establish an “affirmative link” that shows Ko-

curek was targeted because of her work on the bench, Acevedo said.

Kocurek, a former prosecutor, was appointed to the court by then-Gov. George W. Bush and has been Travis County’s presiding felony judge since 1999.

Travis County prosecutors filed a motion Aug. 28 seeking to have Onyeri’s probation revoked after authorities in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, charged him with unauthorized use of a debit card. Kocurek was considering that motion.

An arrest affidavit from Onyeri’s 2012 arrest in his Travis County case shows Austin-area police charged Onyeri with fraudulent use of identifying information after police found 17 gift cards encoded with stolen

bank account information during a traffic stop.

Onyeri has a criminal record dating to 2006, with offenses that include fraudulently using another person’s identity or bank cards. He’s also been charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, marijuana possession and evading detention. He was arrested in 2008 in Harris County on a murder charge that was later dismissed.

Court records do not list a reason for the dismissal.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Cameron Welch told The Associated Press that Onyeri was taken into custody Monday in Houston following a traffic stop. He was being sought by officials in Lake Charles, Louisiana, on a larceny charge for allegedly stealing a vehicle.

Thanksgiving dinner offered SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Zapatans will be able to enjoy a free Thanksgiving dinner the week before the holiday takes place.

Dr. Stanley’s Pediatric Practice Association is hosting its first annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner on Nov. 17 from 6-8 p.m.

“Dr. Stanley and staff invite you to a free holiday dinner to share in the spirit of the season with our community,” states a press release.

The dinner will take place at the Zapata County Community Center, 605 N. U.S. Hwy. 83. For more information, call 956-4881200.

Woman busted for theft at mall

By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES

A woman from Zapata was arrested at a Mall del Norte store in Laredo for stealing $800 in cosmetics, authorities said.

On Sunday, Laredo police charged Leilani Cantu, 19, with theft, a Class A misdemeanor punishable with up to one year in jail or a $4,000 fine or both.

Cantu was released on a $1,000 bond from the Webb County Jail on Monday.

At about 5 p.m. Sunday, police officers responded to a theft call at J.C. Penney, 5300 San Dario Ave, where loss prevention employees had a woman de-

tained.

Loss prevention stated to police they had observed through CANTU closed circuit television a woman concealing items in the Sephora department, said Investigator Joe E. Baeza, police spokesman.

Identified as Cantu, she allegedly placed the items inside her purse.

“She exited the store with no intent to pay,” Baeza added.

(César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)

ACADEMIC/WORKFORCE

FAIR

Need help opening the door to your future?

Whether you’re a current Palomino or a prospective student, come join us at this special event where you can interact with faculty and staff from the many instructional programs LCC offers. Get an idea of what career is best for you and be ready to register for the Spring 2016 semester!

FORT MCINTOSH CAMPUS Tuesday, November 17th 10 am - 2 pm Kazen Student Center

SOUTH CAMPUS Thursday, November 19th 10 am - 2 pm William N. (Billy) Hall Jr. Student Center

Open to students and the public For more information, call the Dean of Enrollment and Registration Services, 956.721.5357.

PAGE 4A

Zopinion

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

Finding joy after a life of trauma Kennedy Odede is one of the most joy-filled people I’ve met.

He grew up in the Kibera slum in Nairobi. With his American wife, Jessica Posner, he created a school for girls and a community organization called Shining Hope for Communities, or SHOFCO, there.

My eldest son worked at the school a few summers ago, and I’ve gotten to know Kennedy’s mischievous laughter during his trips to the U.S. But I just read “Find Me Unafraid: Love, Loss and Hope in an African Slum,” the gripping book Kennedy and Jessica wrote together about their lives.

You meet somebody in adulthood, and you think the person you know is the one who was always there. But when I read about Kennedy’s childhood, it was like descending into some unexpected pit.

When Kennedy was 3 his cherished grandmother died after she was bitten by a rabid dog. The family moved to a Nairobi slum where they lived with constant hunger and complete poverty.

His drunken stepfather beat him constantly; when he was 5 the beating was so relentless, all the feces escaped from his body.

When he was 8, his best friend died, maybe of malaria. Driven by hunger, Kennedy once tried to steal a mango from the market. The crowd beat him savagely (this is how mob justice sometimes works in Kibera) and would have killed him if a stranger hadn’t intervened.

To survive he joined a street gang. He did some street crime, armed and unarmed. Driven by hunger, his best friend tried to steal a purse and was beaten to death by a mob. Another friend tried to rob a store with a toy pistol and was killed by the police.

Kennedy found another friend; the friend hanged himself at age 17.

Kennedy briefly got to attend a church school, but the priest would lock him in a room and molest him each week. Two of his sisters were raped and impregnated.

During ethnic violence, four of his best friends were essentially castrated and left to bleed to death.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

Reading all this I kept wondering: How did this delightful man emerge from this horrific childhood? In a future column I’ll describe the research on how some people survive trauma, but for now I’ll let Kennedy speak for himself.

Here’s an abridged version of an email he sent me over the weekend:

“

DAVID BROOKS

“While I didn’t have food, couldn’t go to school, or when I was the victim or witness of violence, I tried to appreciate things like the sunrise — something that everyone in the world shares and can find joy in no matter if you are rich or poor. Seeing the sunrise was always healing for me, it was a new day, and it was a beauty to behold.

“There were times when my pain led me to do things I’m not proud of.

I did drugs like sniffing glue and petrol. But eventually I learned a trick: Replace a negative addiction with a positive. I replaced my addiction to drugs and alcohol with an addiction to books, which also provided me a much needed escape.

“I grew to know that no situation lasts forever. I used to tell myself that even when the day felt dark, eventually the light would somehow come.

Nothing is constant.

“For every bad person I encountered who hurt me and caused me suffering and pain, I also met a lot of good people. For the priest that abused me, I met a man of God who saved my life on the day I stole a mango and was almost beaten to death (he paid back the mango’s price and more).

“My mom taught me that while there is a God, that one God might be very busy, so we have to rely on the people we encounter in our life who become what she called ‘small gods.’

“As a child, I knew how much my mom loved me.

She was often in hard situations herself, but I knew she believed in me, she thought I was special, and I never gave up because I knew how much my mom wanted for me, and how much her love for me often cost her (beatings from my stepdad, suffering herself).

“When I was on the streets as a child I thought of what my mom had told me, that no matter where I was in the world, if I could see the stars I should know that she could see them, too, and I felt her love always.

“Finally, SHOFCO saved my life and helped me to remain positive even when the worst happened. It made me feel not like a passive victim, but like I had agency and power to change what was happening in my community.

“I think starting SHOFCO also gave me a sense of the power of ‘ubuntu,’ feeling connected to a universal humanity.”

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.

COLUMN

My contrasting coaches Right away you should understand that in the early and mid-1950s, one did not use nicknames for coaches, particularly your high school football coaches, who had the power and respect, which enabled them to employ disciplinary tactics that could leave quite an “impression.”

Oh, you might do it in hushed tones on campus and more boldly off campus, but no player wanted to get on any coach’s “list.”

Elvis “Boots” Simmons was our head coach in my freshman and sophomore years. He was an All-American on the Texas A&M 1939 national champion team. He was also a World War II hero and was wounded in action in the European Campaign.

Boots was a nice guy … too nice, I think, to be a successful coach. Ultimately, he became an elementary principal and spent the remainder of his then-much-happier career there.

When he was my coach, I saw him do things that left me in awe. He could punt a football in a perfect spiral 70 yards on the fly.

During wind sprints — one of the great dreads in football practice — we lined up in a single row on a

yard-line marker and across the field’s width. Boots stood a couple of yards in front of us and upon giving us the “hike” command to run, he’d run backwards and outrun us whether it was 10 yards or 50 yards. That was even with the steel plate in his left thigh, implanted because of a WWII wound. His stomach was always as flat as the palm of my hand.

Boots stayed in tremendous shape.

In our freshman year, the varsity went 2-7 and in our soph season it was 4-5-1.

That’s when Boots exited coaching and went into administration where he remained until retirement.

The only “damage” he ever did to me or anyone else that I knew of was with a paddle. The paddle was about 25-30 inches long, perhaps two inches wide and about a half-inch thick.

Boots paddled players who made bad grades. He drew back and made hefty swings. He had a low tolerance for poor academics, particularly when he knew

you could do better.

He also wielded that paddle on your birthday. The only difference was, Boots didn’t draw back for that “celebration.” He’d hold the paddle about six-eight inches from your rear then use wrist action to make the pops. He paddled me on my 15th birthday and I had to “rest” every two-three licks.

Ed “J.B.” Hepler was my coach for the final two high school years. Jugbutt was a nickname assigned to him by us smart-aleck players.

We sure didn’t use it in front of him or any teacher or administrator for that matter. And, frankly, he didn’t deserve that name. He was tough, demanding and a good coach.

If memory serves, we were 4-5 my junior year.

Hepler expected us to be in tip-top shape.

During pre-season practice calisthenics, there was a drill wherein you lay on your back and raised your feet/legs six inches off the ground. Then, on command you spread your legs as wide as you could. Often, during that part of the exercise, a cleated-shoe Hepler (6-1 and a pear-shaped 250) came and stood on your stomach. If you looked like you were weakening, he’d

jostle just a bit to “get your attention.”

Teague High School played in Class A football through my junior year. In those days, classifications went from B through 4A. For my senior year, we had 220 students in four grades, 10 more than the cut-off between Class A and AA, so we were moved into an AA district with Mexia, Hillsboro, Ennis and Waxahachie. Two years later, Teague dropped back to Class A while Ennis and Waxahachie moved to 3A, quite a disparity.

We began the season with five wins over Class A teams, including the champions of the district we’d just left, and had a non-district tie with one AA district title team. We began our district play with a 13-6 win in Hillsboro, then dropped three straight to Waxahachie (47-6), Ennis (25-6) and Mexia (7-0), a game I missed due to a leg injury.

Teague finished that season 6-3-1, not too bad for a small school in a big district.

Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editorpublisher of more than 50 years experience. He can be reached by email at wwebb1937@att.net

EDITORIAL

We shouldn’t pay for patriotism PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE

Professional sports teams have collected more than $53 million from the Department of Defense for patriotic displays that cheer the U.S. military. Two U.S. senators who authored a report on the practice decry it as unnecessary and wasteful "paid patriotism."

Let’s not end displays that recognize the sacrifices of men and women in the U.S. military. But if costs are involved, sports teams, not the Department

of Defense, should pay for them.

The report by Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake, both Republicans from Arizona, found that heartwarming displays such as honor guards, giant flags and ceremonial first pitches — even the singing of "God Bless America" — came with a bill. Payments were made to professional baseball, football, basketball and hockey teams, as well as NASCAR. Among pro football teams, the Atlanta Falcons

collected the most money, $879,000 over four years.

Compared with that, the Steelers’ take, $9,000 in 2013 and $27,000 in 2014, was paltry. But it’s not the amount that is problematic, but the practice — and not just because Steelers fans don’t want their tax money going to the Cleveland Browns.

No one can question McCain’s patriotism and love for his country; a Navy aviator for 22 years, he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for more than five

DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

years and serves as chair of the Senate’s Armed Services Committee. But he is appalled at the payment of tax dollars to wealthy sports franchises — as every American should be.

Cognizant of how bad the practice looks, the NFL has already asked its teams to stop accepting tax money and said it will conduct an audit and possibly return the funds to the Defense Department. Better, as Sen. McCain has suggested, is to donate the money to veterans’ causes.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

Zentertainment

PAGE 5A

CBS dominates ‘Project Runway Junior’ succeeds TV ratings

By LEANNE ITALIE

ASSOCIATED PRESS

By DAVID BAUDER ASSOCIATE PRESS

NEW YORK — For all of the changes in how and when people consume television content, CBS’ dominance in showing more scripted material that people watch each week remains consistent.

Of the 30 most popular dramas and comedies shown on TV last week, 18 were CBS programs, the Nielsen company said.

They include "NCIS," still the most-watched drama on TV, and the comedy "The Big Bang Theory" and incorporate much of the network’s prime-time schedule.

NBC was second with six scripted shows and ABC had four. Fox had only one ("Empire") and AMC’s "The Walking Dead" held the flag for cable networks.

Things are more evenly divided if you restrict the top 30 shows to viewers aged 18-to-49, the demographic most prized by advertisers, but CBS still leads. CBS had 10 of the top 30 shows among this group. ABC was next with seven, NBC had six, Fox had five and AMC and the CW both had one.

ABC ("Dancing With the Stars"), NBC ("The Voice") and CBS ("Survivor") each have strong non-scripted franchises. Fox’s relative weakness in this category, with the exception of "Master Chef," explains why it lags so far behind its rivals at this point.

CBS averaged 10.3 million viewers in prime time last week. NBC was second with 8.3 million, ABC had 7 million, Fox had 3.5 million, Univision had 2.2 mil-

lion, the CW had 1.6 million, Telemundo had 1.5 million and ION Television had 1.1 million.

ESPN was the week’s most popular cable network, averaging 2.97 million viewers in prime time.

Fox News Channel had 1.77 million, Hallmark had 1.69 million, USA had 1.56 million and AMC had 1.55 million.

NBC’s "Nightly News" topped the evening newscasts with an average of 9 million viewers. ABC’s "World News Tonight" was second with 8.8 million and the "CBS Evening News" had 7.6 million viewers.

NEW YORK — Tim Gunn said he was apprehensive about participating in a bite-size version of “Project Runway” featuring teen designers as young as 13.

“I thought,” he recalled in a recent interview, “will I have to soft-pedal my critiques? Is it all going to be watered down?

Are they going to be emotional wrecks and very fragile?”

Gunn was pleasantly surprised by the freshman class on “Project Runway Junior,” which premieres Thursday at 9 p.m. EST on Lifetime.

And yes, he DOES employ

Photo by Jordan Strauss | AP

Kelly Osbourne at the MTV Video Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. his signature catchphrase: “Make it work!”

The mentor, former educator at the Parsons design school and adult wrangler on the long-running “Project Runway” called the new show’s young contestants lovable,

sweet to each other and respectful of the process swirling around them.

That’s saying a lot, considering the age range — 13 to 17 — among the 12 contestants from around the country.

Gunn saw bits of his younger self in them all, as did his co-host, model Hannah Davis, and two of the three judges, Christian Siriano and Kelly Osbourne. Aya Kanai, the executive fashion editor at Cosmopolitan and Seventeen magazines, rounds out the judges’ crew.

“These young people ... are all loners. There’s no one like them who comes home from school and plays with a sewing machine,” Osbourne said.

“They’ve been put in a room of their peers, with kids just like them, for the first time in their life.”

Gunn agreed.

“Compared to the designers on a regular season of ‘Runway,’ these teens ... accept responsibility for their actions,” Gunn said. “There’s never any factor that comes into their interaction with the judges or with me about why this isn’t going as well as they had wanted it to go, versus regular ‘Runway’ when there’s nothing but excuses.”

“With the grown-ups on ‘Runway,”’ Gunn said, “it’s like, ‘Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!”’

Nation

6A THE ZAPATA TIMES

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

Race tension at U. of Missouri isn’t new

By ALAN SCHER ZAGIER AND SUMMER BALLENTINE ASSOCIATED PRESS

COLUMBIA, Mo. — This week’s events at the University of Missouri seemed to unfold rapidly, with little warning. But some students, faculty and alumni say the protests and sudden resignation of the president and chancellor are the culmination of years of racial tension on the state’s flagship campus.

The history of racially charged incidents dates back generations.

When the university denied admission to black law school applicant Lloyd Gaines, the issue led to an influential 1938 Supreme Court decision that helped pave the way for the civil rights movement.

Three decades later, during the unrest of the late 1960s, the Legion of Black Collegians emerged at Mizzou to press for increased minority representation among students, staff and faculty — a goal student protesters say remains unmet.

And the 2011 suicide of black swimmer Sasha Menu Courey after she was allegedly raped by several football players led some to question the campus commitment to investigating sexual assaults.

“Who built this universi-

ty?” asked student government President Payton Head. “Who was building buildings in 1839” when the school was founded?

“Slavery wasn’t abolished until 1865,” Head said. “But we don’t talk about that history here at the University of Missouri.”

Head’s social media accounts of having racial slurs shouted at him from a passing pickup truck helped spark a renewed protest movement at Missouri that culminated Monday with the resignation of university system President Tim Wolfe. Hours later, the top administrator of the Columbia campus, Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin, was forced out.

On Tuesday, the university named Chuck Henson, a black law professor and associate dean, as its first-ever interim vice chancellor for inclusion, diversity and equity. The appointment follows an emergency meeting of the four-campus system’s governing board Monday.

The meeting concluded with promises of restoring a “culture of respect” while providing additional, though unspecified, support for aggrieved students and a renewed commitment to bolster minority hiring and recruitment.

Members of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus met Tuesday with protest

Photo by Sarah Bell/Missourian | AP

Concerned Student 1950, led by University of Missouri graduate student Jonathan Butler, second from right, speaks following the announcement that University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe would resign Monday, in Columbia, Mo. organizers, including leaders of the group Concerned Student 1950 — named for the year the school admitted its first black student.

Also joining the meeting was graduate student Jonathan Butler, whose weeklong hunger strike led to a two-day walkout by more than 30 members of the Missouri football team.

That move thrust the campus turmoil into the national spotlight.

“The issues going on up here are systemic,” said state Rep. Brandon Ellington, a Kansas City Democrat and caucus chairman.

“This is something that didn’t happen overnight.”

The meeting with students was held in the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center, a main gather-

ing spot for black students named after a civil rights pioneer who successfully sued to gain admission to the segregated University of Missouri law school but never enrolled. Lloyd Lionel Gaines disappeared in a 76year-old mystery with little likelihood of being solved.

The university that denied him admission to its law school honored Gaines with a posthumous honorary degree in 2006. The Missouri Bar awarded Gaines an honorary law license that same year.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the state had to either admit Gaines or establish a separate law school for blacks. Missouri chose to create a bare-bones law school for blacks in a former St. Louis beauty a-

cademy, leading Gaines to move north and earn a master’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan. He was last seen leaving a Chicago boarding house in 1939.

One of Gaines’ attorneys from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was a young Thurgood Marshall, who would go on to argue the landmark Brown vs.

Board of Education desegregation case in 1954 before spending 24 years as a Supreme Court justice.

When unrest began to mount this fall, the university scrambled to respond, announcing plans in early October to offer diversity training to all new students starting next semester, as well as faculty and staff.

On Friday, the now-former chancellor issued an open letter decrying racism after a swastika smeared in feces was found in a campus dormitory. Loftin’s delayed public response drew condemnation from Jewish student groups and a coalition of 35 organizations, on and off campus.

Among other recent events, members of the Legions of Black Collegians, whose founders include a recently retired deputy chancellor, said slurs were hurled at them by an apparently drunken white student while practicing for a

homecoming performance.

Resentment of Wolfe escalated after black protesters blocked his convertible during the homecoming parade and subsequently criticized the university leader for not speaking with them.

Protests again flared Tuesday as hundreds gathered in the shadow of Jesse Hall, the main administration building, for a graduate student-led rally.

“I’m very proud of the protesters that they got what they wanted,” said Evan Kleekamp of Chicago, a 2013 graduate whose mother is black mother and father is biracial. “But the president is just a symbol of the culture.”

“Ultimately, for a person of a color, being a woman, being a queer person, a trans person, any type of minority, the MU campus is not safe.”

State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, a Democrat from suburban St. Louis who was active in protests after Michael Brown’s fatal police shooting in Ferguson by a white officer, said the attention to race relations at the 35,000-student university is long overdue.

“If the football team did not make a position over this,” she said, “this would have been a long, drawn-out event that would have further embarrassed the state of Missouri.”

VA focuses on homelessness

By KEVIN FREKING ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Though it has made much progress, the Department of Veterans Affairs is likely to miss its target on two ambitious goals: ending veteran homelessness in 2015 and ending the backlog in disability claims.

The latest count available showed about 50,000 homeless veterans on a single night in January 2014.

That’s a decline of 33 percent from January 2010. Results from the January 2015 count are expected later this month.

The disability and pension claims backlog also is on a downward path, although not before the claims processing system became so overwhelmed that lawmakers and veterans groups demanded changes at the VA. The number of claims pending for more than 125 days soared from about 180,000 at the start of 2010 to more than 611,000 by March of 2013. It now stands at about 76,000.

Those are the kind of trends that politicians would surely like to cite during election season.

Yet, as one crisis began to fade at the VA, another blossomed. Reports of thou-

Photo by Evan Vucci | AP

In this Nov. 9 photo, President Barack Obama speaks during a Organizing for Action event in Washington. sands of veterans waiting months and sometimes years for health care have taken priority and colored the way all other issues are viewed.

Investigators looking into delayed care found that inappropriate scheduling practices were a nationwide systemic problem.

More than a year after the scandal broke congressional Republicans want to know why the number of employees fired is so low.

VA Secretary Robert McDonald faces complaints that he has overstated the number of employees disciplined.

The VA’s reputation suffered another blow earlier this month after two high-

ranking officials refused to testify at a congressional hearing on allegations that they manipulated the agency’s hiring system for their own gain. Investigators say they forced lower-ranking regional managers to accept job transfers against their will and then stepped into those vacant positions, keeping their pay while reducing their responsibilities.

Veterans groups have always viewed the twin goals of ending homeless and the disability claim backlog with a healthy dose of reality. They’re generally encouraged by the trend lines.

“If you don’t meet your goals, it doesn’t necessarily

mean failure,” said Joe Davis, a spokesman at Veterans of Foreign Wars. “You have to think big if you’re going to do big.”

The VA has been focused on getting the homeless into housing immediately and paying for it with a voucher that subsidizes most or all of the rent. The VA then works to provide the veterans with counseling, health care and other benefits.

In August, Connecticut became the first state to announce it had ended chronic homelessness among veterans. Officials said that means any veterans who had been homeless for more than a year or had four separate bouts of homelessness in recent years were either in permanent housing or on an immediate path to it. New Orleans, Houston and a few others have also made such declarations.

McDonald said last week that the end of the year was still the goal for ending veteran homelessness.

The survey verifying that outcome won’t take place until January and takes almost a year to tabulate.

McDonald said his focus is now on Los Angeles with an estimated 4,200 homeless veterans.

Foodborne illness common

By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEATTLE — Foodborne illnesses like the E. coli outbreak linked to Chipotle restaurants in the Northwest are more common than the public realizes, experts say, with most instances never making the news.

About 48 million cases of foodborne disease occur in the U.S. annually, sending about 105,000 people to the hospital and resulting in 2,000 deaths, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s about 1 in 7 people in the country getting sick from food every year.

Many of these illnesses involve people eating at home, but even restaurantrelated outbreaks are fairly common, said Dr. Paul Cieslak, medical director for communicable diseases at Oregon’s state health agency.

“Screw-ups can occur in any kitchen, but obviously it’s more dramatic when it occurs in a kitchen that serves 5,000 people,” said

Cieslak, who has helped investigate the E. coli outbreak that sickened about 45 people in Washington state and Oregon.

There are things people can do to ward off foodborne illnesses: Wash your hands before making or eating food, avoid undercooked hamburger or raw shellfish, be careful about cross-contamination of raw meat, wash produce thoroughly, and steer clear of unpasteurized milk or juice.

But it’s impossible to avoid all bacteria on food, Cieslak says. For example, if lettuce or berries are contaminated with E. coli, it’s very difficult to wash them well enough to get to every nook and cranny where the bacteria are hiding.

“When you go to a restaurant, let’s face it — you’re kind of at the mercy of what’s going on in the kitchen,” he said.

Most reports of potential food-related illnesses pose no ongoing threat, so local health departments do not report them to the public, according to Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for Seat-

tle and King County Public Health.

Of the more than 1,000 potential cases each year in the county that includes Seattle, only a handful are confirmed as food-related outbreaks. When those confirmed cases pose an ongoing risk to the public, an announcement is made.

Duchin said that’s why the most recent Chipotle-related outbreak attracted widespread media attention, while a smaller case — five people sick from eating at one Seattle Chipotle restaurant in July — was not reported.

The July outbreak had ended by the time the health department investigated, and officials found no evidence of an ongoing problem that people needed to know about, said Duchin, who noted the two cases involved different E. coli strains.

A Seattle attorney who specializes in food-safety cases and whose daughter was a frequent customer of the Chipotle in the earlier case was upset when he heard about that outbreak.

“It just drives me nuts,” said Bill Marler, who built his national reputation with the 1993 E. coli outbreak at Seattle Jack in the Box restaurants. “This is the kind of thing that tears apart people’s belief that government can actually do stuff correctly and good.”

Government regulations and restaurant and farm inspections prevent some people from getting sick, but critics say more must be done to prevent foodborne illness.

Better testing on farms and in warehouses is one hope of Jaydee Hanson, a senior policy analyst at the Center for Food Safety.

Photo by Elaine Thompson | AP

A barista reaches for a red paper cup as more, with cardboard liners already attached, line the top of an espresso machine at a Starbucks coffee shop in the Pike Place Market, Tuesday.

Starbucks cups cause outcry

By MAE ANDERSON ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — It’s as red as Santa’s suit, a poinsettia or your neighbor’s ugly Christmas sweater.

Yet Starbucks’ stark new holiday coffee cup has set off complaints that the chain is making war on Christmas.

The outcry — which gained in intensity after Donald Trump suggested boycotting the coffee chain — illustrates the fine line companies must walk during the all-important holiday season: They want to stand out from their competitors, but not go so far as to offend or unsettle.

“The challenge is that the holiday language is same for everything,” said Allen Adamson, founder of BrandSimple Consulting.

“Everyone does it, so how do you do it in a way that’s distinctive? If you push too far with distinctiveness, you might end up ruffling feathers.”

Since 1997, Starbucks has offered holiday drinks in a festive red cup, adorned with such things as Christmas ornaments, reindeer and snowflakes.

This year’s design is minimalist: vivid red, with nothing but the familiar

green Starbucks logo.

Starbucks executives said they wanted to embrace “simplicity and quietness” and show that the coffee shops are a “sanctuary” during the holidays. The company also reminded customers that it is selling its Christmas Blend of coffee as usual this year.

But some religious conservatives saw the new cup as an affront to tradition and yet another example of what some have called the “war on Christmas” — the taking of religion out of the Yuletide season by doing such things as greeting customers with “Happy holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.”

On Twitter, where the topic became a sensation, some people were upset over the cup, while others said they didn’t understand what the big deal was.

Trump weighed in on Monday by saying, “Maybe we should boycott Starbucks.” He added: “If I become president, we’re all going to be saying, ‘Merry Christmas’ again. That I can tell you.”

And a group called Faith Driven Consumer urged people to go to Dunkin’ Donuts or Krispy Kreme instead.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

Sports&Outdoors NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS

NFL: CLEVELAND BROWNS

Cowboys sliding Photo by Aaron Josefczyk | AP

Johnny Manziel will lose his starting job if Josh McCown is healthy when the Browns take on the Steelers on Sunday.

Manziel’s starting role in question

By TOM WITHERS ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo by Brandon Wade | AP

Matt Cassel is 0-3 trying to fill in for the injured Tony Romo. He had had his best game in three starts in a loss to Philadelphia Sunday night. Only one team has made the playoffs in NFL history after starting 2-6.

Romo’s return in question after losing streak

By SCHUYLER DIXON ASSOCIATED PRESS

IRVING, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys are on the verge of making the return of quarterback Tony Romo a moot point — if they haven’t already.

The team’s longest losing streak since 1989 — all six games that Romo has missed with a broken left collarbone — has the defending NFC East champions facing this sobering stat: Only one team has made the playoffs in NFL history after starting 2-6.

“I think you always want to address that, the perspective of where we are, where we’ve been and where we’re going and what’s out there,” coach Jason Garrett said Monday, a day after Philadelphia beat Dallas 33-27 on Jordan Matthews’ 41-yard touchdown catch in overtime.

“But I don’t think you want to spend too much time on that.”

The Cowboys have one more game before Romo is eligible to return — the

first of consecutive games in Florida at Tampa Bay on Sunday. Dallas visits Miami next week, when Romo can come back.

Two of the losses have been on opposing touchdowns to start overtime (New Orleans and the Eagles), another thanks to a go-ahead kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter (New York Giants) and a fourth on a late drive to a field goal (Seattle).

Even in an 11-point loss to Atlanta, Dallas had a two-touchdown lead three times. The only blowout was something of a given with Romo and receiver Dez Bryant missing — a 30-6 loss to undefeated New England.

Matt Cassel had his best game in three starts against Philadelphia, but the bottom line is simple: He and Brandon Weeden are both 0-3 trying to fill in for Romo.

“We have to address why it hasn’t been good enough,” said Garrett, whose longest losing streak in five years as coach was two games be-

fore the current skid. “All this stuff about how we play is important. But then you have to do those things at the end of the ballgame to win the game.”

Dallas, which won the NFC East at 12-4 last year, is fortunate no team has separated from the pack, even though the divisionleading Giants moved two losses ahead of the Cowboys with a victory at the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Getting Romo back with a 3-6 record beats the alternative in the Cowboys’ pursuit of consecutive playoff berths for the first time since 2006-07, Romo’s first two years as the starter.

“We’re right there,” safety Barry Church said.

“We’re a play here, a play there away from switching the whole thing around. I feel like we can.”

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones bears responsibility for believing Weeden could be the answer if Romo went down.

The trade for Cassel after Romo’s injury was the first sign Dallas wasn’t sure, after an offseason of no

movement. Three straight games with a spotty offense forced the move to Cassel.

“I didn’t expect to lose six games with our roster,” Jones said. “I didn’t expect to lose Romo after the second game. A lot of people lose players, and a lot of people win games. We’re just very disappointed for everybody concerned that we haven’t won more games.”

If the Cowboys need a source of inspiration, maybe it’s the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals. They won their last six games in the 14game era for an 8-6 finish before a 17-10 playoff loss to the Baltimore Colts in the first year of the merger.

Or maybe they just need a team meeting.

“We’ve definitely got to get together and figure out ways to stop this madness,” defensive end Jeremy Mincey said. “What’s this, six in a row now?

That’s too much. It’s unacceptable for me, unacceptable for the rest of the guys.”

It’s a reality, too.

BEREA, Ohio — The cries to start Johnny Manziel are growing louder by the loss.

Browns coach Mike Pettine hears them, and so far is ignoring them.

Pettine said Tuesday that quarterback Josh McCown, who remains sidelined with injured ribs, will start Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers — as long as he’s physically able.

Pettine spent part of a long weekend off discussing Cleveland’s QB situation with his staff and came to the conclusion that a healthy McCown is a better option than Manziel.

“We’ve said all along that Josh McCown started the season as our No. 1 quarterback, and he’s been out due to injury and potentially coming back,” Pettine said. “I get the call for ’Hey, why not?’ but we’re tasked as coaches to put the roster out there that’s going to give us the best opportunity to win. I understand that as the year goes on those circumstances can change, but we’ll see.”

Pettine said McCown’s health is “improving” but he remains “day to day.”

The Browns (2-7) are eager to find out if he can play as soon as possible.

“That’s not a decision, especially with the quarterback, that you want to wait until the end of the week,” Pettine said.

Manziel started in place of the 36-year-old McCown last week in Cincinnati, and the second-year QB may be called upon again to face the Steelers (5-4) if McCown isn’t cleared.

Manziel had an impressive first half against the

unbeaten Bengals. But they adjusted at halftime, kept him from scrambling outside the pocket and rolled to a 31-10 win. Manziel finished 15 of 33 for 168 yards and one touchdown, but he was just 4 of 15 for 40 yards in the second half.

While the performance showed some of those Johnny Football flashes, it’s unclear whether Manziel can be a quality NFL starter.

The only way for the Browns to find out is to play Manziel, but Pettine hasn’t reached that point.

Although another season in Cleveland is spiraling downward, Pettine isn’t ready to look toward the future and begin benching veterans in favor of developing younger players.

Manziel is 1-1 as a starter this season. The 22-yearold, who remains under NFL investigation for a recent domestic incident, has completed 43 of 83 passes for 561 yards and four touchdowns with one interception.

His statistics look OK, but Manziel’s inability to step up and make throws under pressure has driven the belief that he can’t have lasting success as a pro.

Pettine, though, said Manziel has shown potential to become an effective pocket passer.

“He’s improved,” Pettine said. “I think there were some instances the other night that that didn’t happen. There were some examples, not just in the Cincinnati game, but going back to (Week 2 against) Tennessee and in practice and the (Week 1) Jets game where he’s proven that he can. We knew it would take some time for him to be able to adapt. He’s getting better. To me, he’s headed in the right direction.”

8A THE ZAPATA TIMES

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

VETERANS Continued from Page 1A terror is over, they will never see it happen,” he said.

Building a wall on the National Mall would require action from Congress to overturn the 1986 Commemorative Works Act, which stipulates that work cannot begin until 10 years after a war has ended.

Scruggs said the law was enacted to prevent too many memorials from being built too quickly and to allow time for history to judge a conflict’s significance.

Scruggs said the law is out of touch with today’s conflicts, which do not have clear-cut endings. He pointed to the recent death of Army Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler, the U.S. soldier fatally wounded in a hostage rescue mission in Iraq last month.

“It’s not about the conflict,” he said. “It’s about the service of the veterans and people willing to give their lives for their country.”

Retired Rear Adm. George Worthington, a Navy SEAL who served in

Vietnam, agreed.

“Whatever memorial they build, it has to be cognizant of the fact that this isn’t an end game. The war on terror is going to be an issue in the next several presidential elections, I’m afraid,” he said. “They need to build a temple, maybe a pyramid, something that will last thousands of years, or maybe just put a stake in the National Mall for future building rights.”

Still, work on a memorial must get started since it will take years to get done, said Worthington, whose son is an active-duty SEAL. The Korean War Memorial was built in 1995 and the World War II Memorial in 2004. A World War I Memorial is slated to be built near the White House in 2018, marking a century after that war ended. A Gulf War Memorial is also in the works.

Scruggs headed up a team of veterans in the late 1970s to build the memorial despite strong opposition at the time. His team

raised $8.4 million and pushed through legislation.

Since the Vietnam war memorial wall was dedicated in 1982, wives, children, veterans, peace activists, politicians and presidents have gone there to mourn, reflect and share their pain.

Afghanistan veteran Andrew Brennan, a former Army captain, said he was awed by its impact, and has organized the Global War on Terror Memorial Foundation, Inc., with other young veterans to take up the calling of building a wall for 9/11 warriors.

“I look at the Vietnam veterans and they really jelled around their memorial after it went up,” the West Point graduate said.

“It was a very conflicted conflict in the hearts and minds of Americans, and the same can be said about the global war on terror, but the memorial gave everyone a focal point.

“I want that for my era of veterans, to kind of have our own place to heal,” he said.

DEPUTY Continued from Page 1A Mr. Cuellar was struck twice in the upper torso,” Garner said.

Prior to the shooting, dispatch had received a call at 11 a.m. Monday from a female friend of Cuellar. Reports state the friend had received messages from Cuellar indicating he wanted to harm himself.

A field training officer and a newly sworn officer were sent over for a welfare concern. Officers arrived at Shiloh Crossing, 11119 Kirby Drive, at 11:07 a.m. and found the door open as they approached.

They entered and made contact with Cuellar at approximately 11:09 p.m.

Cuellar came out of his bedroom into the kitchen/ living room area with a semiautomatic gun to his side before the deadly encounter with police, Garner said.

“It’s a tragic situation.

It’s tragic for the Sheriff ’s Office. It’s tragic for the Cuellar family and it’s tragic that we have an officer involved in something like this. Most officers, I’m thinking about 95 percent of us, retire without ever having to shoot somebody.

This officer is not going to have the ability to leave law enforcement with that in her mind,” Garner said.

Cuellar was a deputy for the Webb County Sheriff ’s Office.

LPD and Texas Rangers are conducting parallel investigations. The District Attorney’s Office is also part of this investigation.

“It was my decision to bring in the Texas Rangers. They were brought in simply because we want to be very transparent in all the investigation, most importantly in an investigation where our officers are involved in a shooting,” Garner said.

“We’re tying to keep this very open and transparent with what’s going on in our society about the dis-

trust of the police. This is a protocol that we’ve used in the past and this will be a protocol for now on. …

We’re going to have an outside agency come in and follow our investigation.”

For now, the two police officers who responded to the scene were placed on administrative duties, pending the outcome of criminal and internal investigations. Their names are expected to be released before the end of the week.

On Tuesday, police had secured the scene, pending a search warrant to be served, according to Investigator Joe E Baeza, LPD spokesman.

“We still have a lot of ground in relationship to investigating this initial information. It’s a very fluid investigation. It’s evolving. It’s changing,” Baeza said.

“We have secured the area. We haven’t even gone through the apartment formally … We are waiting for specialized equipment that the Texas Rangers are bringing in in order to take a better set up with regards of the apartment diagram.”

Once that part is completed, the LPD criminal investigation division will go inside the apartment and conduct an inventory of the items in the apartment, Baeza said.

“We’re not leaving anything off the table. We’re trying to convey as much transparency by working parallel with an independent agency, the Texas Rangers,” Baeza said. “We welcome the fact that they’re alongside us, but they are conducting their own independent investigations separate from us.”

Cuellar Cuellar had prior law enforcement experience before enrolling with the

Webb County Sheriff ’s Office in October.

He began working with the Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office as a detention officer April 2010. He later moved up the ranks to become a sheriff ’s deputy from Dec. 25, 2011, to March 24, 2013, records state.

Cuellar then left the Sheriff ’s Office but would return March 1, 2014, until April 24, 2015.

The current Sheriff ’s Office administration declined requests for comment regarding Cuellar’s career.

Cuellar worked under the direction of former Zapata County Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez Jr. for more than a year. Gonzalez recalled Cuellar as an intelligent individual and dedicated hard worker.

“He cared a lot for the people he served,” Gonzalez recalled. “All around, he was a good individual.”

Gonzalez, who is good friends with Cuellar’s family, said he never received complaints about Cuellar’s work. He added Cuellar was liked by the public because the way he treated people.

“His dream was to become a (Drug Enforcement Administration) agent,” Gonzalez said.

The Zapata County Fire Department released a statement on their Facebook regarding the passing of Cuellar.

“Condolences to the Arambula-Cuellar family.

Cesar Cuellar Jr. was a great help to us here at the fire department. (He was) always willing to lend a helping hand without asking why,” the post states.

“He will always be remembered for his hard work, dedication and for being a great friend to all. Rest in peace brother we’ll take it from here. God bless you.”

(César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonine.com)

ARRIAGA Continued from Page 1A pata County Pct. 2-2A and for Zapata County.”

Voting for this position will take place in March 2016.

“I strongly believe that I would be a great asset as your new Zapata County

Constable Pct. 2-2A. The citizens of Pct. 2-2A would greatly benefit from my experience in the field of emergency services, which include fire, police, and EMS. It has and will continue to be a great honor

to service the wonderful community that I grew up in as a firefighter, EMT, arson investigator, peace officer, and hopefully as your new Zapata County Constable Pct. 2-2A,” Arriaga said.

OBAMA Continued from Page 1A in 2017. Appeals over the injunction could take months and, depending on how the case unfolds, it could go back to the Texas federal court for more proceedings.

Justice Department spokesman Patrick Rodenbush said in a statement that the department “remains committed to taking steps that will resolve the immigration litigation as quickly as possible” so that the Department of Homeland Security can prioritize “the removal of the worst offenders, not people who have long ties to the United States and who are raising American children.”

Part of the initiative included expansion of a program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, protecting young immigrants from deportation if they were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. The other major part, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans, would extend deportation protections to parents of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have been in the country for years.

The 70-page majority opinion by Judge Jerry Smith, joined by Jennifer Walker Elrod, rejected administration arguments that the district judge

“

Although there are approximately 11.3 million removable aliens in this country today, for the last several years Congress has provided the Department of Homeland Security with only enough resources to remove approximately 400,000 of those aliens per year.”

JUDGE CAROLYN DINEEN KING

abused his discretion with a nationwide order and that the states lacked standing to challenge Obama’s executive orders.

They acknowledged an argument that an adverse ruling would discourage potential beneficiaries of the plan from cooperating with law enforcement authorities or paying taxes.

“But those are burdens that Congress knowingly created, and it is not our place to second-guess those decisions,” Smith wrote.

In a 53-page dissent, Judge Carolyn Dineen King said the administra-

tion was within the law, casting the decision to defer action on some deportations as “quintessential exercises of prosecutorial discretion,” and noting that the Department of Homeland Security has limited resources.

“Although there are approximately 11.3 million removable aliens in this country today, for the last several years Congress has provided the Department of Homeland Security with only enough resources to remove approximately 400,000 of those aliens per year,” King wrote.

MIÉRCOLES 11 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2015

Ribereña en Breve DÍA DE LOS VETERANOS Se llevará a cabo la Colocación de una Ofrenda Floral con motivo del Día de los veteranos, hoy miércoles 11 de noviembre en el Zapata County Courthouse, de 8:30 a.m. a 9:15 a.m. El evento es patrocinado por el Condado de Zapata y el Zapata County ISD. La Cámara de Comercio de Zapata permanecerá cerrada el miércoles 11 de noviembre con motivo del Día de los Veteranos.

MISIÓN MÉDICA Hoy es el último día de la 7ª misión médica anual que organiza Servicios Sociales Católicos (CSS, por sus siglas en inglés) de la Diócesis de Laredo. El objetivo es ayudar a los menos afortunados con servicios de cuidado para la salud.

Los servicios gratuitos se ofrecen en el Salón de la Iglesia de Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 1609 Glenn St., en horario a partir de las 8 a.m.

Se atenderá según como la persona vaya llegando.

Los servicios gratuitos incluirán atención médica, dental y cuidado de la visión para adultos y niños. Igualmente se tiene programada una Misa de Sanación a las 7 p.m. en Zapata.

Más información llamando a CSS en el (956) 722-2443.

Zfrontera

PÁGINA 9A

CASO CÉSAR CUELLAR JR.

Disparo mortal POR CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Momentos después de recibir un disparo mortal, el Oficial del Alguacil del Condado de Webb, César Cuellar Jr., apuntó con un arma a las oficiales del departamento de policía de Laredo que acudieron a su departamento al Noreste de Laredo, dijo el Jefe de LPD, Ray Garner.

Una oficial de policía, veterana por 6 años, disparó a Cuellar en dos ocasiones, dijo Garner durante una conferencia de prensa en las oficinas de la policía, el martes.

“Las oficiales le dijeron que soltara (el arma). (Ellas) le dijeron en varias ocasiones que soltara el arma.

El señor Cuellar blandeó el arma y apuntó a las oficiales. Una oficial disparó (su) arma. El señor Cuellar recibió dos balazos en la parte superior del torso”, dijo Garner.

Antes de la balacera, a las 11 a.m. del lunes, una operadora recibió

una llamada por parte de respondieron a la escena fueuna amiga de Cuellar. Regisron colocadas en tareas admitros señalan que la amiga renistrativas, a la espera de los cibió un mensaje por parte resultados de las investigaciode Cuellar donde le indicaba nes criminal e interna. Se esque quería lastimarse. pera que sus nombres sean Una oficial de entrenaemitidos antes del fin de seCUELLAR miento de campo y una ofimana. cial de reciente ingreso fueron enviadas al lugar. Las oficiales llegaron a Shiloh Crossing, en 11119 Kirby Drive, a las 11:07 a.m., y conCuellar tenía experiencia previa forme se acercaron observaron la en las agencias del orden, antes de puerta abierta.

Entraron y sostuvieron contacto entrar a la Oficina del Alguacil del con Cuellar, alrededor de las 11:09 Condado de Webb, en octubre. Él comenzó a trabajar para la p.m. Cuellar salió de su dormitorio a la cocina/el área de la sala, con Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de una pistola semiautomática a su la- Zapata, como oficial de detención do, antes de su encuentro mortal en abril de 2010. Después se convirtió en oficial del alguacil, del 25 de con las oficiales.

LPD y Texas Ranger están reali- diciembre de 2011 al 24 de marzo de zando investigaciones paralelas. La 2013, señalan registros.

Cuellar dejó la Oficina del AlguaOficina del Alguacil de Distrito tamcil, pero regresó del 1 de marzo de bién es parte de la investigación.

Por ahora, las dos oficiales que 2014 al 24 de abril de 2015.

Cuellar

ECONOMÍA

MATAMOROS, MX

‘BUEN FIN’

Grupo contra rapto comienza operativos

SEMINARIOS ANTE PÉRDIDAS El seminario “Impactos ante Perdidas en Tierras Rurales sobre Agua, Vida Salvaje y Agricultura” se ofrecerá de manera gratuita para propietarios, abogados, profesionales de recursos naturales, y cualquier persona que trabaje en familias agrícolas y ganaderas.

El seminario, a ofrecerse el viernes 13 de noviembre en Uvalde, se enfocará sobre las tendencias de perdidas en tierras, administración de herramientas, y programas que ayuden a los propietarios a heredar su tierra a futuras generaciones.

No es necesario registrarte, pero el evento está sujeto a espacio disponible. Comida disponible para quienes se registren para las 6 p.m. del lunes 9 de noviembre.

Más información llamando al (210) 826-0074.

TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Foto de cortesía | Miguel Alemán, México

La Cámara Nacional de Comercio, Servicios y Turismo dio a conocer que del 13 al 16 de noviembre se llevará a cabo la edición anual de “El Buen Fin”. “Este tipo de actividades, en las que participan los comerciantes de la localidad y foráneos que vienen a exponer sus productos, representa una alternativa para el municipio y su economía”, sostuvo el Alcalde, Ramiro Cortez, durante una conferencia de prensa. Durante ‘El Buen Fin’ comerciantes ofrecen ofertas especiales permitiendo a los consumidores obtener lo más necesario a precios médicos y, en ocasiones, con facilidades.

NOCHE DE CASINO El Club de Leones de Zapata invita al evento Casino Night Fundraiser que se realizará el sábado 14 de noviembre de 7 p.m. a 10 p.m. en el Holiday Inn Express de Zapata. Habrá refrigerios, bebidas, fichas para apuestas. Los estilos serán Blackjack, Texas Hold ‘Em, Roulette y Craps.

Todos los juegos serán al estilo de casino (no dinero). El boleto es de 30 dólares por persona, y puede adquirirlos en Zapata Chamber of Commerce. Las ganancias beneficiarán la 4ª Entrega Anual de Pavos en Navidad por parte del Club de Leones de Zapata.

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), y pueden elegir 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.

La actual administración de la Oficina del Alguacil declinó a las peticiones para realizar comentarios sobre la carrera de Cuellar.

Cuellar trabajó bajo la dirección del ex Alguacil del Condado de Zapata, Sigifredo Gonzalez Jr., por más de un año. González recordó a Cuellar como una persona inteligente y dedicada.

El Departamento de Bomberos del Condado de Zapata emitió una declaración a través de su página en Facebook, en relación a la muerte de Cuellar.

“Nuestras condolencias a la familia Arámbula-Cuellar. César Cuellar Jr., nos ayudó mucho en el departamento de bomberos. Siempre estaba dispuesto a ayudar sin preguntar por qué”, se lee en la publicación.

“Siempre será recordado por su trabajo arduo, dedicación y por ser un gran amigo para todos. Descansa en paz hermano, nos encargaremos de aquí. Dios te bendiga”.

INVESTIGACIÓN

Ejecutan arresto de seis en caso por homicidio ASSOCIATED PRESS

CIUDAD VICTORIA, México — La policía detuvo a seis personas en relación con el homicidio del padre y hermano del director de cine Alejandro Monteverde.

El domingo, Francisco Galindo, jefe de la policía federal, dijo que los sospechosos fueron arrestados el sábado durante un operativo realizado al

sur de Tamaulipas.

Agregó que los detenidos tenían privados de su libertad a seis inmigrantes centroamericanos al momento del operativo. Galindo sostuvo que la pandilla está relacionada a 20 casos de secuestros y/o homicidios.

La pandilla operada al sur de Tamaulipas y norte de Veracruz, un área controlada por el Cartel del Golfo.

Los cuerpos de Juan Manuel Gómez Fernández y Juan Manuel Gómez Monteverde — el padre y hermano del director mexicano de cine — fueron encontrados el 19 de septiembre en Pueblo Viejo al norte de Veracruz. Los hombres habían sido reportados desaparecidos el 4 de septiembre.

Alejandro Monteverde está casado con la actriz y ex Miss USA, Ali Landry.

Ante un repunte en casos de secuestro en Matamoros, México, el Gobierno de Tamaulipas activó el domingo un grupo especial que combatirá éste y otros delitos.

El grupo está integrado por policías federales de la División de Investigación y policías estatales antisecuestros, quienes contarán con el apoyo de la Secretaría de Marina y Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional, de acuerdo con un comunicado de prensa.

Integrantes del Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas decidió activar un grupo especial que combata delitos que se han agravado en Matamoros, México, principalmente el secuestro, a partir del domingo 8 de noviembre. (Foto de cortesía/Gobierno de Tamaulipas) Integrantes del Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas decidió activar un grupo especial que combata delitos que se han agravado en Matamoros, México, principalmente el secuestro, a partir del domingo 8 de noviembre. (Foto de cortesía/Gobierno de Tamaulipas) “Para tal efecto se duplican los elementos estatales y federales que ya estaban combatiendo la delincuencia en Matamoros”, dijo el Gobernador Egidio Torre Cantú en el marco de la 46a reunión itinerante del Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas.

Para tal efecto, la Secretaría de Marina dividió a Matamoros en seis sectores que serán vigilados por siete bases de Operaciones Mixtas. Las bases se integran con elementos de la Secretaría de Marina, Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional, Policía Federal y Fuerza Tamaulipas, entre otras instancias del Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas, indica el reporte.

El Comisario General Omar Hamid García Harsuch fue designado el mando superior del grupo.

"Se cuenta con analistas, negociadores y operativos de campo, mismos que desde el domingo 8 de noviembre ya están activos en este municipio", declaró Hamid.

Por su parte, la presidenta municipal de Matamoros, Leticia Salazar Vázquez reconoció el compromiso del gobierno del estado, para reforzar la confianza de la ciudadanía.

COLUMNA

Sabor de ‘tortas’ tiene orígenes tamaulipecos Nota del Editor: Esta es la primera parte de una serie de dos artículos, donde el autor narra la manera en que el sabor de la comida que hoy conocemos como tortas tiene influencia y orígenes en la cocina tamaulipeca y cómo se extendió su popularidad.

POR RAÚL SINENCIO CHÁVEZ ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

La torta es “masa de harina, con otros ingredientes, de forma redonda, que se

cuece a fuego lento” o “cualquier masa reducida a forma de torta”, explica la Real Academia Española. Algunas naciones sudamericanas –complementa—así denominan al “pastel grande”.

Aclara empero que en nuestro país significa “panecillo partido longitudinalmente, relleno con diversos alimentos”.

Guido Gómez de Silva, en su “Diccionario breve de mexicanismos”, la define como “especie de emparedado

hecho típicamente de un pan llamado ‘telera’ partido” de modo horizontal.

Quitándole el migajón –continúa—“se le pone […] aguacate (o guacamole), frijoles refritos, cebolla, lechuga tijereteada, rebanadas de jitomate, rajas de queso panela, chiles en vinagre y crema, más uno de los rellenos que le dan nombre (es decir, ‘torta de lomo’, ‘torta de pierna’, etcétera): lomo, pierna [de cerdo], pavo, milanesa, pollo, jamón, queso, huevo”.

Lo cierto es que existen numerosas variantes, incluso con tamal o arroz.

La “especie de emparedado” nace en la urbe poblana, afirma Ricardo Flores y Escalante. Sitúa el suceso en la primera mitad del siglo XIX. Al bolillo, telera o pan francés –remata—ahí le dicen torta, denominativo que se habría extendido a la indicada exquisitez.

Bajo el segundo imperio, en la Ciudad de México cobra auge el bocadillo. Las

“tortas compuestas […] que se vendieron en la plaza principal” durante “el mes de noviembre” último, van a expenderse ahora “en la alacena número 1 del portal del Coliseo Viejo, con la prontitud y limpieza de costumbre”, anuncia “El Pájaro Verde”, periódico conservador, el 8 de febrero de 1864.

(Con permiso del autor, según fuera publicado en La Razón de Tampico, el 23 octubre 2015)

International

10A THE ZAPATA TIMES

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

Myanmar army to keep privileges

By ESTHER HTUSAN AND GRANT PECK ASSOCIATED PRESS

YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar’s military-backed ruling party appeared set Tuesday for an overwhelming electoral defeat, but a victory by Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition National League for Democracy party would not mean the end of military involvement in the nation’s politics. Far from it.

The military, which took power in a 1962 coup and brutally suppressed several pro-democracy uprisings during its rule, gave way to a nominally civilian elected government in 2011 — with strings attached.

Aside from installing retired senior officers in its proxy political party to fill Cabinet posts, the army granted itself constitutional powers that enshrine its influence over the govern-

ment no matter who is elected. In a state of emergency, a special military-led body can even assume state powers. Another provision bars Suu Kyi from the presidency because her sons hold foreign citizenship.

Right now, though, the focus is on the stunning, if not yet official, victory of Suu Kyi’s party over the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party in Sunday’s elections.

In an interview Tuesday with the BBC, Suu Kyi said her party expects to win 75 percent of the contested seats in the 664-member two-chamber Parliament.

It staked its claim even though the government’s Union Election Commission had announced results for only 88 lower house seats by Tuesday afternoon, with 78 going to the NLD and five to the ruling party. The commission has given no expla-

Photo by Mark Baker | AP

Supporters of Myanmar’s National League for Democracy party cheer as election results are posted in Yangon, Myanmar, Monday. nation for the slow results.

“The NLD’s big victory is best seen as the first step of a negotiation that is going to play out in the coming weeks and months between the elected power of the NLD, and entrenched, constitutionally guaranteed military power,” said Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division of New York-based Human Rights

Watch.

When the former military junta oversaw the drafting of the 2008 constitution, he said, “they built a political structure that keeps Aung San Suu Kyi out of the presidency and locks in their influence and prerogatives — with things like 25 percent of the seats reserved for the military, the 75 percent approval bar

to amend the constitution, no legislative scrutiny of military budgets, and ensuring only military men can lead the most powerful ministries, like defense, home affairs and border affairs.”

“So, even with the people behind her, Aung San Suu Kyi will face problems — because if she tries to force her way with the military, it will be like banging her head against the wall,” Robertson said.

Because the military still controls important political decisions, the NLD and other political parties have to cooperate with the military, said Toe Kyaw Hlaing, an independent political analyst in Myanmar.

“But I think the NLD will happily cooperate with them since one of their mandates is national reconciliation,” he said. The military “is an important

group in Parliament that shouldn’t be ignored. There must be cooperation and the NLD will have to convince the military to cooperate with them.”

In 1990 elections, the army annulled the results after a landslide victory by the NLD. But that kind of response is not widely expected this time. The military is invested in the freedup economy that semi-democracy has brought, as Western nations eased trade and investment sanctions in response to political liberalization. And the military always has its constitutional safeguards to fall back on.

Estimates by the NLD put it on pace with the 1990 landslide. Tin Oo, a senior colleague of Suu Kyi, told The Associated Press the party is likely to receive “nearly” 81 percent of the vote.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A

RAMIRO RUBEN TORRES JR. March 13, 1962 – Nov. 6, 2015 Ramiro Ruben Torres Jr., passed away on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015 in Zapata, Texas.

Mr. Torres is a 1980 Zapata High School graduate and a graduate of Southwest Texas State University.

He was an avid hunter and sportsman. Mr. Torres was a long-time employee of IBC Zapata as senior vice President. He was a great husband, father, son, grandfather, brother and uncle. He will be greatly missed.

Mr. Torres is survived by his wife, Viola Torres; sons, Rico R. Griffin and Ramiro R. Torres III; grandchildren, Lennox E. and Levi L.; parents, Ramiro R. and Dr. Cruz C. Torres; brother, Eddie X. (Elizabeth) Torres; niece, Alyssa M. Torres; and grandniece, Luna Grace and by numerous cousins, uncles, aunts and other family members and friends.

Visitation hours were held on Monday, Nov. 9, 2015, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home.

Fast food workers protest

By JOSEPH PISANI ASSOCIATED PRESS

The funeral procession departed on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery.

Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. HWY 83 Zapata, Texas.

NEW YORK — Workers from McDonald’s, Taco Bell and other chain restaurants protested in cities around the country Tuesday to push fast food companies to pay them at least $15 an hour. The protesters also had a message for presidential candidates: Support the cause or lose their vote next year.

The fast food protests were planned by organizers at more than 270 cities nationwide, part of an ongoing campaign called “Fight for $15.” Janitors, nursing home workers and package delivery workers also joined some protests, organizers said.

Dominique McCrae, who serves fried chicken and biscuits at a Bojangles’ restaurant for $7.55 an hour, joined a protest outside a McDonald’s in Durham, North Carolina. Her pay isn’t enough to cover rent or diapers for her child, the 23-year-old says.

She dropped out of college to

care for her grandfather, making finances tight.

“We just want to be able to support our families,” says McCrae, who has worked at Bojangles’ for two months.

A representative for Charlotte, North Carolinabased Bojangles’ Inc. did not respond to a request for comment.

The campaign began about three years ago and is funded by the Service Employees International Union, which represents low-wage workers. Several protests have been scheduled in front of fast food restaurants, garnering media attention.

This time workers are pledging not to vote for presidential candidates that do not support the campaign. Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both showed their support through Tweets on Tuesday. A protest was also planned near the Republican debates in Milwaukee Tuesday night, organizers said.

McDonald’s worker Adriana Alvarez says she plans to vote for the first time next year, but only for a candidate who wants to raise wages to $15 an hour.

Alvarez, who is 23 and lives in Chicago, says she makes $10.50 an hour. Higher pay can help her move out of the moldy basement apartment she shares with her 3year-old son.

“I can find a better place,” she says.

The protests are occurring against a backdrop of weak wage growth nationwide. Average hourly pay has increased at roughly a 2.2 percent annual rate since the recession ended more than six years ago.

In the retail, hotel and restaurant industries, average hourly pay for frontline workers — the roughly 80 percent who aren’t managers or supervisors — is below $15. It was $14.90 in the retail industry in October, the Labor Department said last week, and $13.82 for hotel employees. Restaurant workers, on average, earned $11.51 an hour.

Economists have long debated the impact of raising the minimum wage, and some recent research has found that modest increases seldom cost many jobs.

But a jump to $15 an hour would be more than double the federal minimum of $7.25 — a much higher increase than what economists have studied. It would also be far above the minimum wage’s previous peak of just under $11, adjusted for inflation, in 1968.

McDonald’s Corp., based in Oak Brook, Illinois, said in a statement Tuesday that wages at U.S. restaurants it owns increased $1 over the local minimum wage in July. The world’s largest hamburger chain said the move affected more than 90,000 employees.

Rival Burger King, which is owned by Canadabased Restaurant Brands International Inc., said it supports “the right to demonstrate and hope any demonstrators will respect the safety of our restaurant guests and employees.”

Banks at odds with personal finance websites

By KEN SWEET ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — The uneasy relationship between banks and companies that use their data to provide personal finance services has shown signs of fraying in recent months, causing some frustrating disruptions in service to people trying to track their spending.

Who knew keeping tabs

on your monthly coffee budget could be so contentious?

Personal finance websites and apps that can provide a way for users to monitor their finances across all of their banks and credit cards have become popular because they give users an almost realtime view of their financial lives in a way that was impossible a few years ago.

Mint, a personal finance service is owned by Intuit,

has 2.5 million daily users.

BillGuard, which monitors for fraudulent transactions, has 1.3 million users and was bought by the lending company Prosper earlier this year.

But these sites and apps depend on data from all of each user’s financial institutions, data that is extremely sensitive and extremely valuable for marketing financial products.

JPMorgan Chase and

Bank of America said they temporarily cut or slowed down the amount of data they are providing to sites like Mint.com on a few occasions recently. While Capital One still allows customers to access their data on these services, the bank offers a stern warning that it is not "liable for any resulting damages or losses" if a customer’s data is breached at one on one of those services.

Toys have best year in a decade

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — Toys are staging a comeback.

The U.S. toy industry is expected to have its strongest year in at least a decade after several years of kids choosing videogames and mobile apps over Barbie and stuffed bears.

Annual toy sales are projected to rise 6.2 percent to $19.9 billion in 2015, according to The NPD Group Inc., a market research firm that tracks about 80 percent of the U.S. toy market. That’s up from a 4 percent increase last year, and the biggest increase in at least 10 years since the group has tracked toys using its current system.

The increase factors in brisk sales during the final quarter of this year, when sales are expected to be up

Photo by Mark Lennihan | AP

In this Sept. 29 photo, Barbie Fashionista Dolls from Mattel are displayed at the TTPM Holiday Showcase in New York.

5 percent to $9.6 billion, a stronger pace than last year’s 3.6 percent gain.

The growth is being fueled by increasing popularity of collectibles, toys based on Hollywood blockbuster films and better technology that allows toys to do things like talk back to children. It comes after sales slowed and sometimes declined in the past 10 years as children — much

like their parents — became more enthralled with technology.

Now, toymakers are using chip technology, which is getting cheaper and more powerful, in toys. They’re also focusing on grabbing the attention of the long-ignored but increasingly influential preteen crowd.

“The selection is much greater than in the past,” said Jim Silver, editor-in-

chief of TTPM, an online toy review site. “Technology is much better in the toy aisle, and it’s really inspiring young kids to play but also bringing older kids to things like radio control and role play items.”

Surging demand for all things “Frozen” helped the toy industry achieve a rare gain last year. Toys related to the blockbuster about a princess who sets off to find her sister with icy powers were popular. In fact, “Frozen” was the top toy brand last year, reaching $531 million in sales, according to NPD. And the Hollywood infatuation is expected to continue with the release of the “Star Wars” movie on Dec. 18: Hundreds of products, from puzzles to action figures related to “Star Wars,” are expected to exceed Frozen’s success.

The banks say the reason for the disruptions is technical. The personal finance sites strain the banks’ computer systems, the banks say, because the millions of Mint users ping Chase or BofA constantly for recent transactions, deposits and other data. That leaves them a choice between providing services to these aggregators and keeping their own websites up and running.

The banks are uncomfortable with the personal finance services for other reasons, however. A few banks have admitted that they have failed to deliver comprehensive financial management tools to their customers, allowing these sites to flourish. And they say they are worried that these third-party sites could expose customer log-in data and financial information to cyber-criminals.

12A THE ZAPATA TIMES

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015