ZAPATA SENIORS RUN AT STATE
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 13, 2013
FREE
GARCIA, GARZA CLOSE HIGH SCHOOL CAREERS IN ROUND ROCK 1B
DELIVERED EVERY SATURDAY
TO 4,000 HOMES
A HEARST PUBLICATION
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
DRUGS
CRIME
Woman arrested Two immigrants allegedly found at home By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A woman was recently arrested for allegedly harboring two undocumented immigrants who were hiding underneath a bed at her home in San Ygnacio, the small town between Laredo and Zapata, according to court documents. Rosa Imelda Orozco was charged
with bringing in and harboring illegal immigrants, the criminal complaint filed Nov. 1 reads. Orozco has a preliminary hearing set for Friday in courtroom 2C before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker. She remained behind bars on a $75,000 bond. On Oct. 29, a U.S. Border Patrol agent observed a boat making landfall on the riverbanks in San Ygna-
cio at about 7:45 p.m. Two people exited the boat and walked toward a neighborhood in San Ygnacio. An agent and his canine began following foot traces, which led to a gate in front of a brown house, according to the complaint. That home is located about a ½ mile from the Rio Grande. Another
See IMMIGRANTS PAGE 8A Photo by Brennan Linsley | Associated Press
VETERANS DAY
In this in Dec. 31, 2012 file photo, Rachel Schaefer of Denver smokes marijuana on the official opening night of Club 64, a marijuana-specific social club, where a New Year’s Eve party was held, in Denver.
VISUAL MEMORIAL
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
Daughters of the American Revolution representative Annabelle Hall, left, and Korean War Veteran Association member John McKeown display a photo album that was presented to the association by Daughters of the American Revolution at Monday’s Veterans Day memorial service in Jarvis Plaza. Area veterans groups also participated in a parade held along Matamoros Street that morning.
‘High’ driving worries experts By DAN FREEDMAN HEARST NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON — Law enforcement officials and traffic safety experts fear that marijuana’s rising popularity will further spike the traffic hazard of driving while high. While research remains incomplete on how much toking is too much, “smoking marijuana has a very negative effect on your ability to operate a motor vehicle,” said Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy — the Drug Czar. “It’s quite dangerous to you, your passengers and others on the road.” Marijuana advocates acknowledge that driving under the influence of cannabis is ill-advised. But they argue that law enforcement’s concern is overblown and point to a study last year that concluded the auto accident risk posed by marijuana is on par with antihistamines and penicillin. The debate over marijuana and highway safety is set against the backdrop of voter-approved marijuana legalization — for personal use — in Washington and Colorado, as well as medical marijuana laws on the books in California and 19 other states. Law enforcement officials say that while traffic fatalities in Colorado decreased 16 percent between 2006 to 2011, deaths involving drivers testing positive for just marijuana increased 114 percent.
“I’m not sure the public really understands the danger of it,” said Chuck Hayes, a retired Oregon State Police captain who works with the International Association of Chiefs of Police training uniformed officers to be drug recognition experts. “A lot of education needs to be done in this area.” Texas has embraced neither legalization nor medical marijuana. Yet law enforcement officials express concern that marijuana and other drugs present more and more of a hazard on Texas highways. “Driving is most dangerous thing we do on a routine basis,” said Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw in an interview. “Anything you do that changes your perception, reaction times, reasoning (and) alertness is a threat to public safety, no question.” McCraw said he’s particularly worried by the appeal of marijuana, “ecstasy” and other drugs to teens — “the most at-risk driving population.” Traffic fatalities have been trending upward over the past three years, with 2,423 killed in auto accidents so far this year. Texas does not separate drugged-driving from drunkdriving, so it is difficult to measure the impact of drugs on traffic safety. But of 62,962 police requests to DPS over the last three years for blood-alcohol
See DRIVING PAGE 8A
FRACKING
Oil and gas drillers turn to water recycling By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI ASSOCIATED PRESS
MIDLAND — When the rain stopped falling in Texas, the prairie grass yellowed, the soil cracked and oil drillers were confronted with a crisis. After years of easy access to cheap, plentiful water, the land they prized for its vast petroleum wealth was starting to dry up. At first, the drought that took hold a few years ago seemed to threaten the economic boom that arose from hydraulic fracturing, a drilling method that uses huge amounts of high-pressure, chemical-laced water to free oil and natural gas trapped deep in un-
derground rocks. But drillers have found a way to get by with much less water: They recycle it using systems that not long ago they may have eyed with suspicion. “This was a dramatic change to the practices that the industry used for many, many years,” said Paul Schlosberg, co-founder and chief financial officer of Water Rescue Services, the company that runs recycling services for Fasken Oil and Ranch in West Texas, which is now 90 percent toward its goal of not using any freshwater for fracturing, or “fracking,” as it is commonly known. Before the drought, “water
was prevalent, it was cheap and it was taken for granted,” he added. Just a few years ago, many drillers suspected water recyclers were trying to sell an unproven idea designed to drain money from multimillion dollar businesses. Now the system is helping drillers use less freshwater and dispose of less wastewater. Recycling is rapidly becoming a popular and economic solution for a burgeoning industry. The change is happening so swiftly that regulators are racing to keep up and in some cases taking steps to make it easier for
See FRACKING PAGE 8A
Photo by Pat Sullivan | AP
A jar holding waste water from hydraulic fracturing is held up to the light at a recycling site in Midland, Texas, Sept. 24.
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013
AROUND THE WORLD
TODAY IN HISTORY
Thursday, Nov. 14 Women’s City Club monthly luncheon. 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call 763-9960. Noon Optimist Youth Appreciate Day. Noon. Holiday Inn Civic Center. Speaker: Dr. Ray Keck. Laredo high school seniors take over city, county and federal offices at 9 a.m. Call Juan Loera at 235-4595. Laredo Area Retired School Employees Association monthly meeting. 12:30 p.m. Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall, 1501 Bartlett Ave. Guest speaker: Seth Taylor from Members Benefits. Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call 727-0589. Laredo Border Slam Poetry spoken word competition. 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Second and fourth Thursday of each month. Gallery 201, 513 San Bernardo Ave. Three minutes to perform, two rounds and five random judges from the audience. Cash and quirky prizes. $2 suggested donation at the door. Email Julia Orduña at juliaorduna@gmail.com or visit facebook.com/ laredoborderslam.
Saturday, Nov. 16 TAMIU Planetarium shows. “Earth, Moon and Sun” 2 p.m. “Season of Light” 3 p.m. “Mystery of the Christmas Star” 4 p.m.; “Holiday Music Magic” 5 p.m. General admission $4 children and $5 adults. Premium shows $1 more. Matinee shows $4. Call 326-3663.
Wednesday, Nov. 20 Laredo Toastmaster’s evening meeting. Public speaking and leadership are focus. Meetings held at third Wednesday of each month. http://laredotoastmasters.toastmastersclubs.org. Contact Humberto Vela at humbertovela@sbcglobal.net or 740-3633.
Thursday, Nov. 21 Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call 727-0589.
Friday, Nov. 22 Dance lock-in to benefit South Texas Food Bank. Noon to 6 a.m. Peter Piper Pizza, 1400 Guadalupe St. Call 285-4441 or email aalisai@mail.com. Email Ron2cal@yahoo.com or 3240322.
Saturday, Nov. 23 Sonya Hernandez Memorial 5K Walk/Run. 9 a.m. Lake Casa Blanca State Park. Benefits students whose one parent is battling cancer or has died of cancer. Color Vibe 5K. 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. 6320 Sinatra Parkway. Come as a blank canvas and leave as a colorful mural. Sign up at thecolorvibe.com/Laredo.php. TAMIU Planetarium shows. “Star Signs” 2 p.m.; “Mystery of the Christmas Star” 3 p.m.; “Season of Light” 4 p.m.; “Holiday Music Magic” 5 p.m. General admission $4 children and $5 adults. Premium shows $1 more. Matinee shows $4 for 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. only. Call 326-3663.
Sunday, Nov. 24 Laredo Ministerial Association Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service. 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Christ Church Episcopal, 2320 Lane St. Rev. Paul Frye officiating. All religious denominations invited. Monetary collection offering to benefit South Texas Food Bank. Call 324-2432.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Aaron Favila | AP
A survivor writes a message on their port to call for help at typhoon-ravaged Tacloban city, Leyte province central Philippines on Monday. Authorities said at least 2 million people in 41 provinces had been affected by Friday’s disaster and at least 23,000 houses had been damaged or destroyed.
Victims plead for aid By JIM GOMEZ & TODD PITMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
TACLOBAN, Philippines — Bloated bodies lay uncollected and uncounted in the streets and desperate survivors pleaded for food, water and medicine as rescue workers took on a daunting task this week in the typhoonbattered islands of the Philippines. Thousands were feared dead. The hard-hit city of Tacloban resembled a garbage dump from the air, with only a few concrete buildings left standing in the wake of one of the most powerful storms to ever hit land, packing 147-mph winds and whipping up 20-foot walls of seawater that tossed ships inland and swept many out to sea. “Help. SOS. We need food,” read a message painted by a survivor in large letters on the ravaged city’s port, where water lapped at the edge.
Storm surges caught Philippines by surprise
Former union leader dies in northern Mexico
MANILA, Philippines — Hours before Typhoon Haiyan hit, Philippine authorities moved 800,000 people to sturdy evacuation centers — churches, schools and public buildings. But the brick-and-mortar structures were simply no match for the jetforce winds and massive walls of waves that swept ashore Friday, devastating cities, towns and villages and killing thousands, including many of those who had huddled in government shelters. The tragedy is another reminder that nature’s fury is sometimes so immense that it can overwhelm even the most diligent preparations. Combine that with a string of unfortunate circumstances — some manmade — and the result is the disaster that the country faces. “Sometimes, no matter how much and how carefully you prepare, the disaster is just too big,” said Zhang Qiang, an expert on disaster mitigation.
MEXICO CITY — Joaquin Hernandez Galicia, the oncefeared boss of Mexico’s powerful oil workers union, died Monday at age 91, his sons said. Hernandez died after spending several days in a hospital in the northern city of Tampico for stomach problems, said his son Juan Manuel Hernandez Correa. His son noted his advanced age contributing to his death.
Thursday, Dec. 5 Christmas Parade and Lighting of the County Plaza. Parade lineup starts 5 p.m.. 17th Avenue and Glenn Street. Music, refreshments and toys with Santa. Email cbalderas@zapatachamber.com. Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location and purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.
Iran, US trade blame over failed nuclear deal DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran and the United States on Monday blamed each other for the failure to reach agreement on a deal to limit Iran’s uranium enrichment in exchange for an easing of Western sanctions. In spite of the accusations, there was some diplomatic progress as Iran promised to offer more information and expanded access to U.N. nuclear inspectors
— including more openings at a planned reactor and uranium site.
Germany starts identifying Munich art BERLIN — Bowing to pressure from Jewish groups and art experts, the German government made public details of paintings in a recovered trove of some 1,400 pieces of art, many of which may have been stolen by the Nazis, and said it would put together a task force to speed identification. The German government said in a written statement that about 590 of the pieces could have been stolen by the Nazis. In a surprise move, it quickly featured some 25 of those works on the website www.lostart.de and said it would be regularly updated. Officials had so far released few details about the art found in the Munich apartment of 80-yearold Cornelius Gurlitt, though it included pieces by Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION
Monday, Nov. 25 Zapata County Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. Zapata County Courthouse. Call Roxy Elizondo at 7659920. TAMIU Planetarium shows. “One World One Sky Big Bird’s Adventure” 2 p.m.; “Earth, Moon and Sun” 3 p.m.; “Mystery of the Christmas Star” 4 p.m. General admission $4. Call 3263663.
There was no one to carry away the dead, which lay rotting along the main road from the airport to Tacloban, the worst-hit city along the country’s remote eastern seaboard. At a small naval base, eight swollen corpses — including that of a baby — were submerged in water brought in by the storm. Officers had yet to move them, saying they had no body bags or electricity to preserve them. Authorities estimated the typhoon killed 10,000 or more people, but with the slow pace of recovery, the official death toll three days after the storm made landfall remained at 942. However, with shattered communications and transportation links, the final count was likely days away, and presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said “we pray” it does not surpass 10,000.
Pope’s rep: US bishops shouldn’t preach ideology BALTIMORE — The Vatican ambassador to the U.S., addressing American bishops at their first national meeting since Pope Francis was elected, said Monday they should not “follow a particular ideology” and should make Roman Catholics feel more welcome in church. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano noted the challenges from broader society to Christian teaching. Vigano cautioned that the bishops’ witness to faith would be undermined if they failed to live simply. Pope Francis has been in office for eight months.
Study: Record number of foreign students hit US WASHINGTON — Hundreds of thousands of Chinese students are flocking to U.S. colleges and
Today is Wednesday, Nov. 13, the 317th day of 2013. There are 48 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Nov. 13, 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, designed by Maya Lin, was dedicated on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. On this date: In 1312, England’s King Edward III was born at Windsor Castle. In 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter to a friend, Jean-Baptiste Leroy: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” In 1849, voters in California ratified the state’s original constitution. In 1909, 259 men and boys were killed when fire erupted inside a coal mine in Cherry, Ill. In 1927, the Holland Tunnel opened to the public, providing access between lower Manhattan and New Jersey beneath the Hudson River. In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a measure lowering the minimum draft age from 21 to 18. In 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws calling for racial segregation on public city and state buses. In 1971, the U.S. space probe Mariner 9 went into orbit around Mars. In 1985, some 23,000 residents of Armero, Colombia, died when a volcanic mudslide buried the city. Ten years ago: Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who had refused to remove his granite Ten Commandments monument from the state courthouse, was thrown off the bench by a judicial ethics panel for having “placed himself above the law.” Five years ago: A wind-driven fire erupted in Southern California; the blaze destroyed more than 200 homes in Santa Barbara and neighboring Montecito. Colombian rocker Juanes won five awards, including record of the year and album of the year, at the Latin Grammys in Houston. One year ago: The Pentagon said it was looking into more than 20,000 pages of documents and emails between Marine Gen. John Allen and Florida socialite Jill Kelley. (Kelly had reportedly received threatening emails from Paula Broadwell, the biographer who had an affair with Gen. David Petraeus.) Today’s Birthdays: Actress Madeleine Sherwood is 91. Journalist-author Peter Arnett is 79. Producer-director Garry Marshall is 79. Actor Jimmy Hawkins is 72. Country singer-songwriter Ray Wylie Hubbard is 67. Actor Joe Mantegna is 66. Actress Sheila Frazier is 65. Actress-comedian Whoopi Goldberg is 58. Actor Rex Linn is 57. Actress Caroline Goodall is 54. Actor Neil Flynn is 53. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel is 46. Actor Steve Zahn is 46. Actor Gerard Butler is 44. NBA player Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest) is 34. Actor Chris Noth (nohth) is 59. Actress Monique Coleman is 33. Country singersongwriter Ray Wylie Hubbard is 67. Thought for Today: “As you live, believe in life. Always human beings will live and profess to greater, broader and fuller life. The only possible death is to lose belief in this truth simply because the great end comes slowly, because time is long.” — W.E.B. Du Bois, American author and reformer (1868-1963).
CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Business Manager, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 324-1226 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 Managing Editor, Mary Nell Sanchez........... 728-2543 Sports Editor, Adam Geigerman..................728-2578 Spanish Editor ........................................ 728-2569 Photo by Patrick Semansky | AP
Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, center, listens to a report as he sits with fellow bishops at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ annual fall meeting in Baltimore on Monday, their first meeting since Pope Francis was elected. universities, helping to drive the number of international students studying in America to record levels. Similarly, all-time high numbers of American students are studying abroad, although there are far fewer and they tend to do
much shorter stints than students coming to the United States. The findings are in an analysis released Monday that was conducted by a nonprofit group and the State Department. — 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
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013
Zlocal
PAGE 3A
Journalist to speak at TAMIU SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
American journalist and author Jonathan V. Last will bring his expertise on fertility and demographics to the next Texas A&M International University International Bank of Commerce 2013-14 Keynote Speaker Series Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. Last’s lecture, “What to Expect When No One’s Expecting: America’s Coming Demographic Disaster,” is based on his book by the same name. According to Last, the “population bomb” we
LAST
were warned about never exploded. He cites statistics from around the world which say the population growth has actually been slowing
for two generations. Last points to the wave of immigration over the past 30 years which kept the U.S. population from shrinking. “Because if America wants to continue to lead the world, we need to have more babies,” according to Last. He is a senior writer at The Weekly Standard in Washington. His writings have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The New York Post, The Claremont Review of
Books, First Things, The Week, Salon, Slate, TV Guide and elsewhere. He is a regular commentator on both television and radio and has appeared on outlets ranging from ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News Channel to PBS, NPR, CNBC, Sky News, and the BBC. This Speaker Series presents practical and targeted lectures imparted by distinguished leaders, recognized experts and outstanding scholars in the trade and business arenas. Admission is free and open to the public. A reception starts at 7 p.m.
Courtesy photo
Minnie Mouse, left and Mickey Mouse are shown during a Disney On Ice performance.
Laredo plans holiday events By ALDO AMATO THE ZAPATA TIMES
Laredoans will have two festival options this December as the City of Laredo plans to launch the “Light the Way for Christmas” festival to coincide with the tree-lighting ceremony at the Laredo Energy Arena. The official tree-lighting ceremony has moved from the Laredo Civic Center after the venue was purchased by the Laredo Independent School District. This year, the ceremony will still be held at a centralized location, the Laredo Energy Arena. “Traditionally, the official City of Laredo Christmas tree would be housed at the Laredo Civic Center, but we have found a new location to light the tree this year, which I think will be just as fabulous,” Laredo City Councilwoman Cindy Liendo said in an Oct. 29 statement. The new “Light the Way for Christmas” event will be held at North Central Park as the city aims to replicate similar light festivals in
San Antonio and Austin. Councilman Charlie San Miguel said a portion of the event will be dedicated to all Laredo veterans who never came home and will not make it home for Christmas. “We are going to have a roll call to read all of the names of Laredo veterans,” he said. “Councilwoman Liendo and I thought it would be a great idea to honor those who have served our country and make sure they’re not forgotten at the happiest time of the year. This holiday is ultimately about love and family.” San Miguel said there will be vendors, a toy drive and other family-friendly activities at the event. “We are really excited about this event because it will go hand in hand with our tree-lighting ceremony at the LEA,” he said. “I know we are planning to expand both events in the future, but our inaugural event promises to be full of joy and excitement.” ( Aldo Amato may be reached at 728-2538 or aamato@lmtonline.com)
Disney On Ice returns to LEA SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Photo by Danny Zaragoza | The Zapata Times
The City of Laredo’s Christmas tree is lit up at the Laredo Civic Center in this Nov. 30, 2012 photo during the annual treelighting ceremony.
This Thursday through Sunday, the Laredo Energy Arena welcomes a century of classic and new Disney stars as it plays host to “Disney On Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic.” The show combines Disney’s unforgettable stories and enthralling characters that have entertained families all over the world. It features the largest cast ever of lovable Disney stars on ice — Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket, Stitch, Nemo and the Incredibles – and exciting moments from Disney’s “Mulan” and “The Lion King.” Audiences will be treated to figure skating chore-
ographed to Academy Award-winning songs “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Under the Sea,” “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and many more. Dazzling sets, memorable characters, elaborate costumes and special effects will transport audiences through decades of Disney stories. Tickets for both adults and children are $45, $35 and $15 on opening night; and $45, $35, $20 and $13 (child price, only available with the purchase of a $20 adult ticket) for all other shows. They can be purchased at the Laredo Energy Arena Box Office, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
OTHER VIEWS
OTHER VIEWS
Kerry’s dream world By JACKSON DIEHL THE WASHINGTON POST
Imagine a world in which the Middle East is not descending into carnage and chaos but is on the brink of a monumental series of breakthroughs. In this world in spring 2014, Iran’s nuclear program has been secured and Egypt has become a liberal democracy. Syrian dictator Bashar Assad has stepped aside. And, not least, Israelis and Palestinians have settled on the terms for a Palestinian state. This is the world that John Kerry inhabited as he shuttled across the world last week: a fantastical realm created by his billowing vision of what he can accomplish as Secretary of State. Meanwhile, on this planet, aid agencies reported starvation and an outbreak of polio in Syria; Egypt’s last elected president was put on trial; Israeli and Palestinian leaders described their U.S.brokered peace talks as broken; and France’s foreign minister suggested the would-be accord with Iran was “a fool’s game.” Call it Kerry’s Magical Mystery Tour. On Nov. 3 in Cairo, he announced that “the road map 1/8to democracy in Egypt3/8 is being carried out to the best of our perception,” after failing even to mention the politicized prosecution of deposed president Mohammed Morsi. On Tuesday, Kerry offered the following explanation of why the Syrian peace conference he’s pushing will succeed: “The Assad regime knows full well that the purpose of” the conference is “the installation of a provisional government.” And “the Syrian government has accepted to come to Geneva.” It apparently follows that Assad will show up and placidly agree to hand over power. If not, Kerry ventured, “the Russians and the Iranians . . . will make certain that the Syrian regime will live up to its obligation.” Kerry’s optimism was far from exhausted. His next stop was devoted to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, both of whom had broken a vow of silence to say the negotiations Kerry persuaded them to begin in July had gone nowhere. Not to worry, said Kerry: “I am convinced from my conversations” with them “that this is not mission impossible; this can happen.” All this was all before his weekend trip to Geneva for what became a failed attempt to close a deal with Iran on its nuclear program. Kerry’s conclusion: “I can tell you, without any reservations, we made significant progress.” Stipulated: The mission of the U.S. secretary of state is to tackle big problems diplomatically, even if it means taking on missions impossible. Still, it’s hard to think of a previous chief of Foggy Bottom who has so conspicuously detached himself from onthe-ground realities. To those outside the Kerry bubble, Egypt is ruled by a regime more repressive than any in decades, with a muzzled media and thousands of political prisoners. Syria is mired in an anarchic struggle whose most likely winners appear to be Assad and alQaida, with neither inclined to negotiation. Israelis and Palestinians are further apart on the terms for a settlement than they were at the turn of the century. And the emerging conditions for a deal with Iran threaten to drive a wedge between the United States and some of its closest allies. All this raises the question: Does Kerry really believe his rhetoric? In fact, it appears he does, particularly on the IsraeliPalestinian account. Desperate for a legacy at the end of his long career, the former senator has convinced himself that a) the terms for a settlement are readily apparent and b) he has the political skills to convince Netanyahu and Abbas to accept them. Kerry, like President Obama, also is convinced that detente, if not a “grand bargain,” has all along been possible between the United States and Iran, if only the right people (like him) are at the table. Other Kerry stances are the logical result of Obama’s decision to radically retrench U.S. policy in the Middle East. Obama decided at summer’s end to restrict U.S. activity to “core interests” that don’t include the defense of democracy, preventing humanitarian catastrophe or ending “someone else’s civil war.” That means that Kerry, who once pushed to arm the Syrian opposition as a way of “changing Assad’s calculations,” is left with little recourse other than to plead with Russia and Iran to accomplish what the United States will not. Faced with Obama’s dictum that U.S. cooperation with Egypt’s military will continue, Kerry must pretend that the generals are installing a democracy and pray that they take the cue. If any one of Kerry’s dreams comes true, the world would be better off, so I hope skeptics like me will be proved wrong. If not, this secretary of state will be remembered as a self-deceiving bumbler — and his successor will have some large messes to clean up.
COLUMN
LBJ Library: No longer free AUSTIN — Because I’m an optimist (some people think the glass is half full, other people are half loaded), I have been able to find the bright side of the federal government gridlock that spawned sequestration and shutdown. We’ve reaped the benefit of it right here in Austin, as have the out-of-towners who have visited one of our town’s best tourist attractions. Thanks to the Washington, D.C., nonsense, free admission to the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library has lingered for many months longer than it was supposed to. But, alas, it’s ending Tuesday. The background is pretty simple. The presidential library/museum on the University of Texas campus opened in 1971. And for many, many years it was the only presidential library without an admission fee. A change was announced last November when, after an extensive and impressive re-do, the library reopened and officials announced an $8 admission fee for grownups (it’s based on age, not behavior). “To sustain this vibrant, evolving institution, the LBJ Library will charge admission for the first time in its 41-year history beginning on Dec. 22 (2012) when the library reopens to the public,” said a statement. ”The decision was made after thoughtful consideration by the LBJ Foundation Board and has the support of the Johnson family.” As noted on the Texas Exes website tour of the UT campus, “It is the only presidential library that does not charge admission because President Johnson insisted that his library be available to all.”’ Aware of that historic man-
“
KEN HERMAN
date, the board, speaking through Chairman Larry Temple, said it “strongly believes that (LBJ) and Mrs. Johnson would approve this decision” to enact an admission fee. Hearing no objection from either, the admission fee schedule was enacted: $8 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for kids 13-17. And, sticking with LBJ’s wish that his library “be available to all,” there’ll be free admission on eight days, including Aug. 27, his birthday.
Free to fee But it takes time (I don’t think anybody anticipated it would take this much time) to go from free to fee. So until personnel could be put in place to collect the fees, the library went with an interim plan asking visitors to make a donation equal to the not-yetformally-in-place admission fees. That extended interim ends Tuesday. “The library will start charging admission beginning Nov. 12, the day after Veterans Day,” Anne Wheeler, the library’s communications director, told me by email. So why the long delay in actually starting to charge admission? “Our original plan was to begin charging admission when we opened our redesigned exhibits on Dec. 22, 2012,” Wheeler explained, “but because of a hiring freeze, sequestration and the govern-
ment shutdown, it has taken almost a year to hire and train the staff required to take admissions at a federal facility.” (My advice: Never make an admission at a federal facility.) Added to the payroll were two full-time and two parttime “information receptionists” who will work the front desk. The whole process seems cumbersome, but this is the federal government. I’m guessing it doesn’t take WalMart that long to hire greeters, but they don’t ask you for money. Through Oct. 28, 101,450 visitors had checked out the new exhibits, which are very well done and very well worth your time (and your eight bucks). FYI, visitors donated $234,000 during that period, meaning an average of about $2.30 per person. By comparison, there were 81,418 visitors in the first 10 months of 2011 (the library was closed in 2012 for the remodeling). “We do not know how many of our visitors have paid the suggested donation versus no donation or a lesser amount,” she wrote. “However, many of our visitors have been happy to make donations to the library.” That’s commendable. What would you do in that situation? Would you “donate” the suggested amount? Would you give something less? Could your conscience allow you to give nothing?
$12 philanthropy I ran into a similar situation recently in Philadelphia. I was there during the federal government shutdown, which meant lots of historic, important stuff was closed. A local
private museum, sensing the tourism void, very commendably dropped its usual $12 admission fee and allowed visitors to pay however much they wanted to. That puts a little pressure on visitors, and I felt it. Paying nothing didn’t seem to be the way to go. But not taking advantage of the offer by paying less than full price seemed foolish. Nevertheless, and not unusually, I opted to go with foolish and paid full price, a decision that made me feel like a great humanitarian/philanthropist. How often do you get to feel like a great humanitarian/philanthropist for just 12 bucks? Glancing toward the big wall of big-bucks donors, I asked the desk lady when, on the strength of my $12 payment, my name would be added to the wall. She ignored my query and urged me to head on into the museum. The fees that go into effect Tuesday at the LBJ Presidential Library: Adults: $8. Seniors (age 62 and up): $5. Children 13-17: $5. College students: $3. No admission charge for children 12 and under, active military, UT students and staff, student groups with reservations, members of Friends of the LBJ Library and Future Forum membership groups. Admission is free to all on: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Aug. 27th (LBJ’s birthday), Presidents Day, Veterans Day, Austin Museum Day, Explore UT days. ( Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin AmericanStatesman. E-mail: kherman@statesman.com.)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number
IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our
readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility.
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
No name-calling 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.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS: ZAPATA HAWKS
State meet Zapata’s Garcia finishes 23rd, Garza 42nd By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
ROUND ROCK — Zapata was represented by a pair of seniors at the UIL 3A cross-country meet held in Old Settlers Park Saturday morning. Jazmine Garcia was making her fourth consecutive trip to Round Rock and tied Jessica Martinez, who competed in four straight runs at the state meet and went on to run for Texas A&M -Kingsville. "This is awesome," Garcia said. "It is hard to get up here and it has been a magnificent journey. I am proud to say that I came four years and I finished it." Garcia placed 23rd overall with a time of 12 minutes, 17 seconds to conclude her high schoolcross country career. "Today I felt real good on the course," Garcia said. "I did not place where I wanted to, but I am glad that I finished in the top 25." As a freshman, Garcia finished 10th to become the first runner from Zapata to medal, covering the course in 12:05. "She ties Jessica Martinez, making it four years, but she is the only one to medal and that is a big accomplishment," Zapata girls coach Mike Villarreal said. "We would have liked her to go home with another medal, but it didn’t happen. She ran awesome but she added another thing to her resume."
Garcia attributes all her success to the teammates and coach she’s worked with over the past
really well," Zapata boys coach Roel Ibanez said. "He had a great season despite having a knee in-
“
"It is hard to get up here and it has been a magnificent journey. I am proud to say that I came four years and I finished it."
JAZMINE GARCIA, ZAPATA SENIOR
four years. "One thing that I would like to compliment more than anything is my team, because they are my No. 1, not me," Garcia said. "Without them I would not be here today at the state meet." Garcia will be missed by the program where she set a high standard for those future athletes to follow. "Today is an emotional day," Villarreal said. "Seeing her mature as a runner and as a person, I wish her the best. She gave everything she had every day. State does things to people. This is our 10th consecutive year being here, an individual or a team, people that you expect to win don’t always." Luis Garza was making his second state appearance and came in as the Region IV-3A champion and the district champion. "Luis has always been a top runner for Zapata and always did
jury earlier (this season)." Garza placed 42nd with a time of 17:34 to close a standout career at Zapata. "Luis tried to stay up with the top guys and was trying to finish in the top 10, but it was a fast pace for him," Ibanez said. "At the end it caught up with him, the last couple of meters he did not have his legs under him. He ran a good race." While Garza did not place where he wanted to, he was glad that he finished his high school cross country career at the state meet. "I am glad to be here and I was going for the title, but unfortunately that didn’t happen," Garza said. "All you can do now is get back up and worry about the track season." Follow @LMTNews on Twitter for the latest on all local sports. E-mail: sandoval.clara@gmail.com
Photos by Clara Sandoval | Laredo Morning Times
Zapata senior Jazmine Garcia (top) placed 23rd in her fourth consecutive trip to Round Rock. Luis Garza (bottom), the Region IV-3A champion, finished 42nd.
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013
Feds arrest immigrant By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A Mexican immigrant was arrested recently in Zapata County for re-entering the country — again, according to federal authorities. A criminal complaint filed Nov. 6 against Jose Luis Razo-Rostro charges him with re-entry of a deported immigrant. He has been given a $75,000 bond, according to court records. U.S Border Patrol agents arrested him Nov. 4 near Zapata. After a brief interview it was determined that Razo-Rostro was an ille-
gal immigrant from Mexico. He was then arrested. Further investigation revealed that he was previously removed from the United States in Laredo on Jan. 5, 2004. No record exists indicating that Razo-Rostro had applied for or received information from federal authorities to re-enter the United States after deportation. A federal public defender has been assigned to represent him. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 7282568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
World Diabetes Day is Nov. 14 By MALENA CHARUR THE ZAPATA TIMES
The City of Laredo Health Department, as well as agencies and organizations in more than 160 countries, will be celebrating World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14. Zaida Gonzalez, the department’s supervisor of health education, said the intention is to raise public awareness about the risks of the disease and to promote its prevention. “The incidence among Hispanics is high. Our diet does not help us. About 45 percent of people examined as part of the Buena Vida program show abnormal levels of blood glucose,” Gonzalez said. She said the Healthy Living Viviendo Mejor program, a six-week program open the public, aims to
File photo by Ulysses S. Romero | The Zapata Times
In a study released by Men’s Health Magazine this year, Laredo is ranked among the cities with the most soda consumption in the nation. This sugary diet contributes to diabetes, health officials say. educate on three main components: education, exercise and cooking classes. “It’s intended that when people graduate from these
courses, they will know what and what not to eat, and what they must eat,” Gonzalez said. A similar goal is what
makes up the World Diabetes Day program. “We want people to take this opportunity to participate and to receive free testing for blood glucose, which also indicates the level of glucose over the last three months,” she added. Activities include a presentation by physicians, cooking presentations and a dance. “It is important to prevent and control diabetes, as diabetes can be controlled if you know how to,” she said. The free event will take place at the City of Laredo Health Department facility, 2600 Cedar Ave. For more information, call 721-4994. ( Contact Malena Charur at 728-2583, or at mcharur@lmtonline.com. Translated by Mark Webber of the Times staff.)
MIERCOLES 13 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2013
Agenda en Breve LAREDO 11/13— La Oficina de Servicios de Carreras de TAMIU estará celebrando una Feria de Carreras para los distritos escolares de 1 a 4 p.m. en el Salón del Centro de Estudiantes. El evento es gratuito y abierto al público. Más información llamando al 326.4473. 11/13— Artes y Ciencias de la Dirección General de Bellas Artes y Artes Escénicas de TAMIU presentará un concierto de orquesta a las 7:30 p.m. en el Salón de Recitales del Centro de Bellas Artes y Artes Escénicas. Evento gratuito. Más información llamando al 326.ARTS (2787). 11/13— TAMIU estará presentando a Jonathan V. Last en Keynote Speaker Series, exponiendo “Que Esperar Cuando Nadie Espera: El Próximo Desastre Demográfico de EU” a las 7:30 p.m. en el Salón del Centro de Estudiantes. Evento gratuito. Más información llamando al 326.2820. 11/14— El Departamento de Salud de Laredo estará ofreciendo una serie de actividades encaminadas a que la población reflexione acerca de los riesgos de la diabetes, estas tendrán lugar en el Departamento de Salud en 2600 de la avenida Cedar a partir de las 8 a.m. Evento gratuito. Mayor información llamando al (956) 721-4994. 11/14— Se estará realizando la Feria de Empleo Red, White and You por parte de Workforce Solutions del Sur de Texas en Centro de Ciencias de la Salud de la Universidad de Texas en 1927 E. Bustamante a partir de las 9 a.m. 11/14— La directora de United Middle School, Rebecca Morales, estará leyendo un libro mientras se encuentra de pie en la azotea de la escuela (en 700 East Del Mar Blvd.), esto con la finalidad de promover la lectura entre lo jóvenes en remembranza a la Semana Nacional de Lectores Jóvenes. La lectura comenzará a las 11:30 a.m. Para más información llame al 473-7316. 11/14— Se estará presentando Eva Smith y “Evolución y Revolución: Políticos y los Medios en 2013”, a las 7 p.m. en el Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall de TAMIU. Evento gratuito. Más información al 326.2460. 11/15— TAMIU presenta el Concierto de Danza de Otoño a las 8 p.m. en el teatro del Centro de Bellas Artes y Artes Escénicas. Costo 5 dólares y gratuito a menores de 10 años y estudiantes con credencial de la escuela. Más información al 326.ARTS (2787).
NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO 11/13— Se estará presentando la obra de teatro “El secreto del último Bin” en el Cultural a partir de las 11 a.m. 11/13— Cine Club estará presentando “El Quinteto de la Muerte” en el auditorio de Estación Palabra a las 6 p.m. 11/13— II Festival de Teatro Vértices presenta “Fotograma” a las 7 p.m. en el Teatro del IMSS, Reynosa y Belden. Entrada Libre. 11/14— Se realizará un foro denominado “Entienda la diabetes y tome el control”, organizado por el departamento de Servicios Médicos Municipales. Entre los servicios ofrecidos están consultas y pruebas gratuitas para la detección, prevención y tratamiento de diabetes por parte del personal médico de la dependencia. Evento comenzará a las 9 a.m. en la Sala Sergio Peña.
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 7A
SEGURIDAD VIAL
Peligro al conducir POR DAN FREEDMAN HEARST NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON—Los agentes de las fuerzas del orden y expertos en seguridad vial temen que incremento en la popularidad de la marihuana impactará el peligro de conducir mientras se está bajo el efecto de la droga. Mientras la investigación permanece incompleta acerca de cuánta ingesta es demasiado, “fumar marihuana tiene un efecto negativo en la habilidad para operar un vehículo motorizado”, dijo Gil Kerlikowske, director de Política Nacional de Control de Drogas de la Casa Blanca —zar de las drogas. “Es muy peligroso para usted, sus pasajeros y otros en el camino”. Los defensores de la marihuana reconocen que conducir bajo la influencia de cannabis no es aconsejable. Pero argumentan que la preocupación de las autoridades está exagerada y apuntan a un estudio realizado el año pasado que concluyó que el riesgo de acciden-
tes causado por la marihuana está a la par con los riesgos por ingerir antihistamínicos y penicilina. El debate sobre la marihuana y la seguridad en las carreteras se establece como telón de fondo para la legalización de la marihuana aprobada por los votantes —para uso personal— en Washington y Colorado, al igual que el uso médico de la marihuana en California y otros 19 estados. Las autoridades dicen que mientras las fatalidades por el tráfico en Colorado bajaron un 16 por ciento entre 2006 y 2011, las muertes que involucran conductores que resultan positivos sólo para marihuana aumentaron en un 114 por ciento. “No estoy seguro de que el público realmente entienda el peligro de esto”, dijo Chuck Hayes, un capitán retirado de la Policía Estatal de Oregon, quien trabaja con la Asociación Internacional de Jefes Policíacos, entrenando policías uniformados para ser expertos en reconocimiento de droga. “Se nece-
sita realizar mucha educación en esta área”. Texas no ha aceptado ni la legalización ni el uso médico de la marihuana. Sin embargo, las autoridades expresan su preocupación acerca de que la marihuana y otras drogas presentan más y más peligros en las carreteras de Texas. “Conducir es lo más peligroso que hacemos en la base de una rutina diaria”, dijo el director del Departamento de Seguridad Pública de Texas, Steven McCraw, en una entrevista. “Cualquier cosa que hagas que cambie tu percepción, la velocidad de reacción, razonamiento (y) vigilancia, es una amenaza a la seguridad del público, sin duda alguna”. Las fatalidades por tráfico se han ido incrementado en los últimos tres años con 2.423 personas fallecidas en accidentes de auto hasta este año. Texas no hace una separación entre conductores drogados y conductores ebrios, así que es difícil medir el impacto de las drogas en
la seguridad vial. Pero de 62.962 solicitudes policíacas al DPS para realizar niveles de concentración de alcohol en la sangre en los últimos tres años —el standard para medir a conductores ebrios— casi una tercera parte (19.366) también requirió exámenes toxicológicos para detectar drogas. Tales exámenes normalmente se utilizan para medir cocaína, metanfetaminas y otras drogas pero no marihuana, de acuerdo a la directora de comunicaciones de DPS, Katherine Cesinger. Pero la prueba de la marihuana estará disponible “más adelante en este año”, dijo. Cada uno de los 2.600 patrulleros que vigilan las carreteras de Texas tiene entrenamiento en cómo reconocer si un conductor está bajo la influencia de las drogas. Adicionalmente, 95 patrulleros más 346 oficiales de policía en Texas han completado el riguroso curso para ser “expertos en reconocimiento de drogas” certificados.
SALUD
COMUNIDAD
CONTRA DIABETES
Internos aprovechan oportunidad de estudiar y progresar TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Como parte de la reinserción social el Gobierno de Tamaulipas se encuentra impulsando la educación, actividades laborales y recreativas entre los internos de los seis Centros de Ejecución de Sanciones que funcionan en el Estado.
Foto de cortesía
En la imagen se ve como se realiza un examen de glucosa para la detección de diabetes.
Se realizarán actividades de prevención POR MALENA CHARUR TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
El día de mañana se celebrará el Día Mundial de la Diabetes, en más de 160 países y por esta razón se realizarán diversas actividades que pretenden concientizar a la población de los riesgos de esta enfermedad. Según datos de la Federación Internacional de la Diabetes, en datos de 2012, más de 371 millones de personas padecen diabetes y la mitad de las personas aún no están diagnosticadas. El gasto en cuidados de salud para esta enfermedad asciende a más de 478 mil millones de dólares. En Laredo, el Departamento de Salud de la ciudad, está invitando a la ciudadanía a unirse a las actividades para conocer los riesgos de la enfermedad y promover actividades saludables para su prevención y control. Zaida González, Supervisora de Educación en Salud, de LHD, comentó que las activida-
des están encaminadas a que la población reflexione acerca de los riesgos de esta enfermedad y promover su prevención. “La incidencia entre hispanos es alta. Nuestra dieta no nos ayuda. Cera del 45 por ciento de las personas que se revisan a través del programa Buena Vida, resultan con niveles anormales de glucosa en sangre”, señaló González. El Departamento de Salud de Laredo, dentro de su programa institucional Healthy Living Viviendo Mejor, cuenta con un curso de seis semanas cuya finalidad es educar en tres componentes principales: educación, ejercicio y clases de cocina. Una dinámica similar es la que se realizará en el programa de la celebración por el Día Mundial de la Diabetes. En Nuevo Laredo, el mismo día se realizará un foro denominado “Entienda la diabetes y tome el control”, organizado por el departamento de Servicios Médicos Municipales.
El doctor José Luis Ramos Barajas, será la persona encargada de dictar una conferencia relacionada con los síntomas de la diabetes, los riesgos y la forma de prevenir dicha enfermedad. La diabetes mellitus es la principal causa de muerte en Nuevo Laredo, seguida por las enfermedades del corazón y los tumores malignos, por eso es importante que la ciudadanía se informe acerca de este padecimiento, según se establece en un comunicado de prensa. El evento es gratuito y dará inicio a las 9 a.m., en la Sala Sergio Peña. Se incluirán consultas y pruebas gratuitas realizadas por parte del personal médico de la dependencia. El evento en Laredo también es gratuito y tendrá lugar en las instalaciones del Departamento de Salud de la Ciudad, en 2600 de la avenida Cedar, a partir de las 8 a.m. Si requiere mayor información puede comunicarse al (956) 721-4994.
“
“Tuve la oportunidad de terminar con mi educación primaria y recibir el certificado que lo avala”. INTERNO PEDRO PÉREZ OCHOA
Más de 380 internos concluyeron su educación básica en los centros ubicados en Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, Reynosa, Altamira, Victoria, Tula y Jaumave, México, informó el Secretario de Seguridad Pública de Tamaulipas, Rafael Lomelí Martínez. “Hace años cuando ingrese al reclusorio no había culminado mis estudios de educación básica, pero ya estando en el Centro de Ejecución de Sanciones tuve la oportunidad de terminar con mi educación primaria y recibir el certificado que lo avala”, comentó el interno Pedro Pérez Ochoa. “Ahora ya se leer y escribir, ya hasta se sumar y restar para saber aprovechar y darle el valor a mis recursos”. En la actualidad 15 internos se encuentran estudiando una carrera a nivel profesional bajo la modalidad de educación a distancia, con el apoyo del Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Victoria, en las carreras de Ingeniería en Sistemas Computacionales e Ingeniería Industrial, agregó. También se fomentan actividades, tanto laborales, como recreativas, culturales y deportivas las cuales ayudan en su proceso de reinserción social.
EDUCACIÓN
Alumna de Tamaulipas estará en feria internacional TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Una estudiante del segundo grado de secundaria en Ciudad Victoria, México, fue seleccionada para participar en un evento internacional que se llevará a cabo en Lima, Perú, este mes. Delia Itzel López Dueñas, representará a México del 18 al 22 de noviembre, tras haber ganado el Certamen Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología llevado a cabo en Puebla. López participó con el proyecto “Basurero para reciclaje automático selecti-
vo”. La Feria Internacional CIENTEC es un espacio para la presentación y competencia de proyectos de investigación de acuerdo al Manual para el Desarrollo de Proyectos. Para ser considerado finalista CIENTEC deberá clasificar de otras ferias locales, ya sean nacionales o internacionales, teniendo como objetivo clasificar a los mejores proyectos a Ferias Mundiales de Ciencias. “Es motivo de orgullo tener alumnas como ella, en Tamaulipas, Delia es ejemplo de capacidad académi-
ca, de tenacidad y además tiene ganas de trascender; por supuesto que vamos apoyarla en todo, ahora que nos represente a nivel internacional en Perú, tiene todo para poner el nombre de Tamaulipas y México en alto”, dijo el Secretario de Educación de Tamaulipas, Diódoro Guerra Rodríguez. Son los padres de López, Omar Jesús López Bernal y Delia Guadalupe Dueñas Guerra “quienes han sido muy importantes para conseguir sus logros ya que en su hogar siempre le han inculcado la importancia de estudiar”, dijo ella.
Foto de cortesía
Diana Itzel López Dueñas recibe la felicitación del Secretario de Educación Tamaulipas, Diódoro Guerra Rodríguez, en Ciudad Victoria, México.
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013
IMMIGRANTS Continued from Page 1A agent walked to the front of the home and saw two people outside. One was recognized by the agent as Benjamin Orozco-Elizondo, a person whom authorities had arrested before, according to the complaint. The agent attempted to talk to Orozco-Elizondo but he quickly went inside the home. The agent then asked a woman, identified as Orozco, if she had seen people running across her property. She said she had not, and the agent then obtained consent to check Orozco’s property for her and her family’s safety, the
Both witnesses said Orozco was to drive them to Laredo, according to court records. complaint states. “The foot sign was leading toward the back door of her residence. During this time, (Orozco) began to tell the (agent) that they could check inside the house if they wanted to,” court documents state. Orozco allegedly opened
the front door for the agents. Authorities found two people hiding underneath the bed who did not have legal documentation to be in the United States, court documents show. “Orozco claimed knowledge that the two subjects in her residence were ille-
gally in the United States and (she had) told them to hide under the bed when she saw Border Patrol agents up and down the street,” the complaint reads. Federal authorities held the two immigrants as material witnesses. One woman told officials that she had made arrangements for her and her uncle to be smuggled to San Antonio. Both witnesses said Orozco was to drive them to Laredo, according to court records. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
FRACKING Continued from Page 1A drillers to recycle. Fracking operations require millions of gallons of relatively clean water. Each time a well is drilled, about 20 percent of the water eventually remerges, but it is jam-packed with contaminants from drilling chemicals and heavy metals picked up when the water hits oil. Until recently, that water was dumped as waste, often into injection wells deep underground. Many companies, each using slightly different technology and methods, are offering ways of reusing that water. Some, like Schlosberg’s Water Rescue Services, statically charge the water to allow particles of waste to separate and fall to the bottom. Those solids are taken to a landfill, leaving more than 95 percent of the water clean enough to be reused for fracking. Other operators, such as Walton, Ky.-based Pure Stream, offer two technologies — one that cleans water so it can be reused in the oil patch and another more expensive system that renders it clean enough to be dumped into rivers and lakes or used in agriculture. Todd Ennenga, Pure Stream’s vice president of business development, said interest in the technology has doubled in the past year alone. Some others tout methods that leave behind no solid waste at all, eliminating the need to transport anything to a landfill. A few companies insist they can frack without any water.
“It’s really taken off,” Ennenga said of recycling. Two years ago, he said, most operators were still vetting the different systems. These days, they have a plan and are saying, “We need to do this right now.” In Texas, the fracking boom began around 2009, just as the state fell into years of drought. Especially hardhit were South and West Texas, where rock formations have proven to be rich sources of oil and gas. Residents who were told to cut back on lawn watering and car washing grumbled about drillers hogging water supplies. Similar issues have arisen in arid parts of Wyoming, North Dakota, New Mexico and Colorado. Farther east, states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, face different issues. There, water is relatively plentiful but disposal of wastewater has been bureaucratically difficult and expensive, while the sites that can collect it are scarce. States are scrambling to draft regulations for the new recycling systems. In Texas, requests for recycling permits rose from fewer than two a year in 2011 to 30 approved applications in fiscal year 2012. So the Texas Railroad Commission, the agency that oversees oil and gas operations, revamped the rules in March, eliminating the need for drillers to get a permit if they recycle on their own lease or on a third-party’s property. Commission spokeswoman Ramona Nye said in an email that the
new rules are designed to “help operators enhance their water conservation efforts” and encourage recycling. In Ohio, disposing of drilling wastewater has hit some obstacles. Activity at a deep injection well near Youngstown was tied to one in a series of earthquakes, and a former officer of the firm that ran the operation has been indicted in connection with a separate dumping incident that allegedly violated the Clean Water Act. That led to a temporary moratorium on disposal sites in that region, stricter rules and an EPA review. Pennsylvania, meanwhile, has few dumping sites, and operators once paid large sums to haul wastewater to Ohio. Recycling has now become cheaper, and transports to Ohio have dwindled. Back in Texas, Fasken Oil and Ranch believes it solved many of its early problems with the containment pools, tanks, pipelines and trailers. Within six months, the company expects to reach its goal of using no freshwater in its fracking operations — a feat made possible by combining recycled water with briny water drawn from an aquifer and treated. Then Fasken will start applying the same methods at drilling sites in South Texas and New Mexico, Manager Jimmy Davis said. “We face the same problems,” Davis said. “There’s not an abundance of freshwater.”
DRIVING Continued from Page 1A concentration levels — the standard for measuring drunk driving — almost a third of them (19,366) also required toxicology exams for drugs. Such exams currently measure for cocaine, methamphetamine and other drugs but not marijuana, according to DPS communications director Katherine Cesinger. But marijuana screening will be available “later this year,” she said. Each of the 2,600 troopers who patrol Texas highways has training on how to recognize whether a driver is under the influence of drugs. In addition, 95 of the troopers plus 346 other police officers in Texas have completed the rigorous course to become certified as “drug recognition experts.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2007 National Roadside Survey of nearly 10,000 drivers nationwide found 11.3 percent were positive for illegal drugs. The most popular: marijuana, at 8.6 percent. Numerous academic studies have concluded there is clear evidence of a link between marijuana consumption and traffic’s link to traffic accidents. A study conducted last year at Dalhousie University Medical School in Canada found those who consume cannabis within three hours of driving are almost twice as likely to cause an accident than those who are drug-or alcohol-free. But a 2011 study by two American researchers found a decrease in traffic fatalities in states with medical marijuana laws. The researchers, Mark Anderson at Montana State University and Daniel Rees at the University of Colorado-Denver, concluded marijuana often is a substitute for alcohol and users tend to consume it at home rather than driving to commercial establishments.
“
We don’t need to suddenly protect the public from a problem that doesn’t exist.” KRIS HERMES, SPOKESMAN FOR NONPROFIT AMERICANS UNITED FOR SAFE ACCESS
Marijuana advocates worry that law enforcement’s new emphasis on drugged driving will adversely impact casual users, especially medical marijuana patients. Since marijuana’s active ingredient, THC, lingers in blood and urine for days after consumptions, users who are not high might end up under arrest for relatively minor traffic violations, such as failure to use a turn signal or not wearing a seat belt. “Marijuana has been in use for decades without significant risk on the roads,” said Kris Hermes, spokesman for Americans United for Safe Access, a medical marijuana advocacy group. “We don’t need to suddenly protect the public from a problem that doesn’t exist.” Kerlikowske, a former Seattle police chief who is President Obama’s nominee to head U.S. Customs and Border Protection, called claims about detrimental impact on marijuana users “a bit of a red herring.” “It’s pretty obvious you’re getting stopped for a reason: bad driving,” he said. “In the real world, those arguments go up in smoke.” ( Allie Wright and Rachel Jackson of the Hearst Washington Bureau contributed reporting.)