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FEDERAL COURT
ZETAS DRUG CARTEL
Facing charges ‘El Taliban’ now in US to stand trial THE ZAPATA TIMES
RAUL IVAN TURI
Youth pleads not guilty
LAREDO — “El Taliban,” an alleged former top member of the Zetas drug cartel, was in federal court Friday to face numerous conspiracy charges in Lare-
do and Sherman, Texas, for his overseerer role in narcotrafficking along the U.S.-Mexico border. Also known as “50,” Ivan Velasquez-Caballero, 43, faces conspiracy charges of narcotics trafficking and money laundering in
Laredo. The Nuevo Laredo native also faces four conspiracy counts of narcotics trafficking, money laundering, weapons smuggling and continuing a criminal enter-
IVAN VELASQUEZ-CABALLERO See ZETAS PAGE 9A
50TH ANNIVERSARY
RECALLING JFK’S DEATH A plaque displaying part of the speech President John F. Kennedy was to give the day he was assassinated is unveiled after a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of his death on Friday, at Dealey Plaza in Dallas. Kennedy’s motorcade was passing through Dealey Plaza when shots rang out on Nov. 22, 1963.
Area teen faces immigration charges By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A teenager detained in San Ygnacio on human smuggling charges Oct. 25 pleaded not guilty this week, according to court documents. Raul Ivan Turi, 18, had arraignment set for Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga. But on Wednesday, a defense attorney representing Turi submitted a waiver of presence at arraignment and entered a not guilty plea. A pretrial conference was set for 8:30 a.m. Dec. 9. Turi has been in federal custody since his arrest Oct. 25 on a $75,000 bond. An indictment filed Nov. 13 charges him with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal immigrants within the United States, and three counts of transport and attempt to transport illegal immigrants for financial gain. Each count carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison, the indictment states. Turi’s lawyer had requested a bond reduction Oct. 31 in order for Turi to graduate from Zapata High School but a federal judge denied the motion Nov. 1, court records state. U.S. Border Patrol agents allege that on Oct. 25, Turi was transporting illegal immigrants in a red Chevrolet Cruze. He
See COURT
PAGE 9A
Photo by Tony Gutierrez | AP
Writer remembers the day (Editors note: Journalist Carmina Danini is a native Laredoan who retired after 17 years at the San Antonio Express-News, where she opened the Mexico City bureau in 1994. She began her journalism career as a proofreader at the thenLaredo Times. She also worked at the now-defunct Laredo News.)
By CARMINA DANINI SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Photo by Victor Strife | The Zapata Times
Enrique T. De La Garza and Dr. Reynaldo Godines speak about President John F. Kennedy’s murder during a presentation, Assassination of John F. Kennedy, at the Laredo Center for the Arts on Friday morning. Godines and De la Garza will be repeating their presentation today at the center at 11:30 a.m., in Spanish.
Fifty years ago Thursday, the first inkling of an abominable crime that shook this country came from the radio in Chula Pugh’s car. Both freshmen at Laredo Junior College (now Laredo Community College), she had picked me up at home on Houston Street. En route to school, we heard a bulletin about shots
fired at the limousine carrying President John F. Kennedy, first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Texas Gov. John Connally and his wife Nellie to a luncheon in Dallas. At the Chuck Wagon on campus, people were already clustered around the television. The news from Dallas was not reassuring. Newsmen said there were unconfirmed reports that Kennedy was dead and the governor was undergoing surgery at Parkland Hospital. Then, Walter Cronkite of CBS News announced that the president had died at 1 p.m. Central Standard Time. The news was stunning. Just the day before, adoring crowds in San Antonio had mobbed the
See KENNEDY
PAGE 9A
ENERGY REFORM IN MEXICO
Panel discusses possible energy reform By MALENA CHARUR THE ZAPATA TIMES
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
TAMIU President Ray Keck III gave opening remarks and introduced the speakers Monday morning at the Zaffirini Success Center, where TAMIU’s Binational Center held its “Mexican Energy Reform and Industrial America” forum.
A panel of experts discussed energy reform in Mexico this week at the Binational Center for Research, Education, Leadership and Public Service at Texas A&M International University. On the panel were experts from the oil industry, an attorney, banker and professor. They presented their views on the need for energy reform in Mexico and the impact it would have. Maria Eugenia Calderon-Porter, Binational Center director, said the event was designed to begin integrating regional needs into the international community concerning energy in Texas, which would contribute to an understanding of what could hap-
pen in Mexico concerning possible reform. “Even when reform is not defined, it is powerful and potential links have to be prepared as a region, as a corporation, as an industrial zone and as the friends we are. At the same time, we need to see how we can work better together and see how fruitful this development will be for everybody,” Calderon-Porter said. She said that since 1940, when the first energy reform took place during the administration of President Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico has been in control of its hydrocarbons through the ownership of its underground resources. Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, is the agency in charge of exploration and developing hy-
drocarbons. It is subject to strict rules on procurement that allows private participation only in certain activities. Juan Acra, president of the energy committee of the Employers Confederation of the Mexican Republic, or COPARMEX, a business association, spoke about how it is promoting energy reform. “Mexico requires a reform in energy to end the disaster between an open, competitive economy and a closed energy sector, one that’s out of sync with the times,” Acra said. He emphasized that it is important to clarify that reform would still keep energy resources as the property of the country.
See MEXICO
PAGE 9A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2013
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, NOV. 23
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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. Bethany House warehouse sale. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. 405 Hidalgo St. $5 Clothing bag sale. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bethany House vintage store. 920 Hidalgo St.
Today is Saturday, Nov. 23, the 327th day of 2013. There are 38 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Nov. 23, 1936, Life, the photojournalism magazine created by Henry R. Luce (loos), was first published. On this date: In 1765, Frederick County, Md. became the first colonial entity to repudiate the British Stamp Act. In 1804, the 14th president of the United States, Franklin Pierce (puhrs), was born in Hillsboro, N.H. In 1889, the first jukebox made its debut in San Francisco, at the Palais Royale Saloon. In 1903, Enrico Caruso made his American debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, appearing in “Rigoletto.” In 1910, American-born physician Hawley Harvey Crippen was hanged at Pentonville Prison in London for murdering his wife, Cora. (Crippen’s mistress, Ethel Le Neve, was acquitted in a separate trial of being an accessory.) In 1943, during World War II, U.S. forces seized control of Tarawa and Makin (MAH’kihn) atolls from the Japanese. In 1959, the musical “Fiorello!,” starring Tom Bosley as legendary New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, opened on Broadway. In 1963, the classic British science-fiction series “Doctor Who” premiered on BBC Television, starring William Hartnell as the first incarnation of the time-traveling title character. In 1971, the People’s Republic of China was seated in the U.N. Security Council. In 1980, some 2,600 people were killed by a series of earthquakes that devastated southern Italy. In 1996, a commandeered Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767 crashed into the water off the Comoros Islands, killing 125 of the 175 people on board, including all three hijackers. Ten years ago: Five U.S. soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. Eduard Shevardnadze (shehvahrd-NAHD’-zeh) resigned as president of Georgia in the face of protests. Five years ago: The government unveiled a bold plan to rescue Citigroup, injecting a fresh $20 billion into the troubled firm as well as guaranteeing hundreds of billions of dollars in risky assets. One year ago: Actor Larry Hagman, best known for playing the scheming oil baron J.R. Ewing on TV’s “Dallas,” died at the age of 81. Today’s Birthdays: Former Labor Secretary William E. Brock is 83. Actress Elmarie Wendel is 81. Actor Franco Nero is 72. Actress Susan Anspach is 71. Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas is 69. Actor-comedy writer Bruce Vilanch is 66. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is 63. Singer Bruce Hornsby is 59. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., is 58. Actor Maxwell Caulfield is 54. Actor John Henton is 53. TV personality Robin Roberts (“Good Morning America”) is 53. Rock singer-musician Ken Block (Sister Hazel) is 47. Rock musician Charlie Grover is 47. Actress Salli Richardson-Whitfield is 46. Actor Oded Fehr (OH’-dehd fayr) is 43. Thought for Today: “The ultimate aim of the human mind, in all its efforts, is to become acquainted with Truth.” — Eliza Farnham, American reformer (1815-1864).
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.
Photo by Todd Spoth/The Houston Chronicle
Shannon Lee, left, recruiter for Randstad staffing, organizes her received résumés, during a job fair Sept. 10, 2012, at the M.O. Campbell center in Houston. The seasonally adjusted Texas unemployment rate slipped to 6.2 percent in October for the third consecutive month of declines, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday.
Unemployment rate slips ASSOCIATED PRESS
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.
TUESDAY, NOV. 26 TAMIU Planetarium shows. “Zula Patrol: Down to Earth” 2 p.m.; “Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” 3 p.m.; “Season of Light” 4 p.m. General admission $4. Call 326-3663.
THURSDAY, NOV. 28 Guajolote 10k Race. 9 a.m. to noon. Hamilton Trophies, 1320 Garden St. Register at Hamilton Trophies, Hamilton Jewelry (607 Flores Ave.) or at http://www.raceit.com/search/ event.aspx?id=23722. Call 724-9990 or 722-9463.
SATURDAY, NOV. 30 Small Business Saturday. Shop local businesses this Christmas season to help the community. Contact Miriam Castillo at 722-9895 or miriam@laredochamber.com.
TUESDAY, DEC. 3 South Texas Food Bank fundraiser. 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Hal’s Landing, 6510 Arena Blvd. Featuring music of Ross and Friends. Admission $10. Call 324-2432.
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.
SATURDAY, DEC. 7 First United Methodist Church will hold a used book sale, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 1220 McClelland Ave. Hardback books are $1, paperback books 50 cents, and magazines and children’s books 25 cents.
SUNDAY, DEC. 8 4th Annual Christmas Animal Posada. 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. St. Peter’s Plaza (Matamoros Street and Main Avenue). Pets should be taken with leash, harness or cage. Owners can participate by wearing animal mask or costume. Contact Berta Torres at 2867866 or birdtorres@hotmail.com.
MONDAY, DEC. 9 Zapata County Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. Zapata County Courthouse. Call Roxy Elizondo at 7659920.
MONDAY, DEC. 23 Zapata County Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. Zapata County Courthouse. Call Roxy Elizondo at 7659920.
Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com.
AUSTIN — The seasonally adjusted Texas unemployment rate slipped to 6.2 percent in October for the third consecutive month of declines, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday. The commission released jobless figures for last month and also September, when statewide unemployment was 6.3 percent. Data for both months were delayed from the original schedule because of this fall’s federal government shutdown of more than two weeks. TWC officials also rely on national figures from the U.S. Department of Labor. The nationwide jobless rate for October was 7.3 percent. Midland had the lowest statewide jobless
rate in October, at 3.1 percent. The McAllenEdinburg-Mission area had the highest average unemployment in Texas last month, at 10.1 percent, according to the TWC. “The private sector in Texas recorded a strong annual growth rate of 2.9 percent in October, adding nearly 265,000 jobs over the year,” said Andres Alcantar, TWC chairman. Texas last month had an estimated total nonfarm employment of 11,232,700 jobs, an increase of 267,400 jobs over the year. Total nonfarm employment in Texas rose by an estimated 7,400 positions in October, following an increase of 36,400 jobs in September, a total of 43,800 jobs added over the last two months. “It’s good to see our unemployment rate declining for three consecutive months, from 6.5 percent in July to 6.2 percent in October,” Commissioner Ronny Congleton said.
Texas A&M keeps oceanographic program
TxDOT to out habitual toll violators monthly
Mom of missing baby waives extradition
COLLEGE STATION — The National Science Board has given the go-ahead for Texas A&M University to continue managing a global oceanographic exploration program in a deal worth as much as $250 million to the school. The five-year arrangement begins Oct. 14, 2014.
AUSTIN — Texas aims to bring more pain to toll-road freeloaders by publishing a monthly list of habitual unpaid toll violators. A Friday statement from the Texas Department of Transportation says TxDOT will publish updated lists of the state’s top 25 toll-road scofflaws, starting Dec. 2.
EL PASO — An El Paso woman sought in the disappearance of her 5-month-old son has waived extradition from Michigan for return to Texas. Texas authorities said they suspect an infant’s body found Wednesday buried in the New Mexico desert is the missing child. A court official in Escanaba, Mich., says Jenna Farrey waived her right to a hearing there, expediting her return to El Paso.
San Angelo rep. arrested with weapon at airport AUSTIN — A state lawmaker from San Angelo has been charged with carrying a gun in his carry-on luggage at the Austin airport. According to the arrest affidavit, state Rep. Drew Darby was arrested on Nov. 14 after the loaded .380 caliber Ruger showed up in the x-ray screening. Darby told the officer he holds a concealed handgun license and had forgotten the pistol was in his bag.
Man pleads guilty to $133M tax fraud SAN ANTONIO — A businessman who handled payroll and insurance programs for some South Texas groups has pleaded guilty in a $133 million tax fraud case. Federal prosecutors in San Antonio say 61-year-old Charles Pircher pleaded guilty Thursday to tax fraud conspiracy and mail fraud conspiracy. No sentencing date was immediately set for Pircher.
Parts of Texas get freezing weather, light snow DALLAS — Freezing weather has reached parts of Texas with homes and businesses losing power and an airport closed for hours amid icy conditions. Forecasters issued a winter storm watch for the Dallas-Fort Worth area from Sunday through Monday morning. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Man missing after dog returns with bloody leash LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles police are searching for a 22-year-old man who has been missing for more than two days after the black Labrador he took for a walk returned without him but had a bloody leash. Police say Darwin Vela was last seen around 9 p.m. Tuesday when he took his dog for a walk in South Los Angeles. The canine returned home but without his owner. No one has heard from Vela since and his cellphone, wallet and keys were left at his home. Police say they would test the blood found on the leash to see whether it was Vela’s.
Killer dinosaur found in Utah; preceded T. rex NEW YORK — Scientists have discovered a killer dinosaur that roamed in what is now Utah
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Spectators view the presidential limousine of John F. Kennedy that is on display at The Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Mich., on Thursday. Friday marked the 50th anniversary of the president’s assassination in Dallas. some 100 million years ago. The two-legged beast was estimated to be more than 30 feet long and weigh more than 3 tons. Researchers from the Field Museum in Chicago and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh an-
nounced the finding Friday. They named the beast Siats meekerorum, (SEE’-otts MEE-keROH’-ruhm) after a man-eating monster of legend from Utah’s Ute tribe, and a family that has donated to the Field Museum. — 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
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2013
LAREDO MORNING TIMES 3A
TAMIU Man accused of involvement in shootings 9th for online colleges By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Affordable Colleges Online recently identified colleges and universities in each state with the most affordable online degree programs, naming Texas A&M International University ninth among the “Most Affordable Online Colleges in Texas.” AC Online focused specifically on distance learning options from public and private nonprofit institutions with full accreditation. “For-profit schools no longer dominate the distance-learning landscape,” said Dan Schuessler, founder and CEO of AC Online,“So many of today’s top universities have added full online degree programs to their catalogs, making it much easer for non-traditional students to receive a quality education.”
More are online Opponents of for-profit distance learning have cited both quality and affordability as drawbacks of online model. Yet over the last few years, traditional colleges and universities with proven quality have made online programs accessible via discounted tuition and assistance programs, Schuessler observed. “Offering students great online programs is only half the battle,” said Schuessler. “The colleges on our list offer students quality, flexibility and affordability.” TAMIU provost and vice president for Academic Affairs Pablo Arenaz said while affordability is key, relevant programs make the investment in online education worthy. “We have worked diligently to develop online programs, especially at the graduate level, that are regionally relevant, but have a broad national and international appeal. Examples of this are our MS in Criminal Justice, the MA in Translation and the MBA in Spanish. We think of our online programs as passport degrees to global opportunities,” Arenaz said.
Backgrounds He noted that the online expertise and research background of TAMIU’s faculty further enhances its online profile. “Our faculty are topnotch educators adept at online teaching. Each has substantial research expertise that also taps into our unique location, cultural confluences and the international experience that infuses our programs. These strengths, combined with our low cost and flexible entry, are proving most attractive to students,” Arenaz said.
More in the future Arenaz said the university will continue to expand its online offerings. “We will continue to build on our innovative online programs that have a regional economic impact, but can clearly be exported nationally and internationally. Our campus and programs are at an enviable crossroads of the Americas which will continue to fuel our online programs in Spanish for Spanish-speaking countries in this hemisphere and beyond,” he said. The Affordable Colleges Online “Most Affordable Online Colleges in Texas” listing is available at http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/online-colleges/texas/.
Deputies recently arrested a man accused of being involved in at least three shootings reported in one night, a Zapata County Sheriff ’s spokesman said Friday. Marvin Mathew Bravo, 19, was arrested Oct. 23 and charged with six
counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of deadly count. Bravo posted a $100,000 bond Nov. 1. Tony Elizondo, a supervisor/ terminal agency coordinator for the sheriff ’s office, said the investigation is ongoing. More arrests are possible. Anyone with information on the case is
asked to call the sheriff ’s office at 7659960 to provide information. All callers may BRAVO remain anonymous. The shootings were reported the night of Oct. 23. The first incident was reported at 9:30 p.m.
when deputies responded to the 300 block of Papaya Drive. Two complainants reported damage to their vehicles following gunshots heard in the area. Shots fired were then reported in the Siesta Shores area. Lastly, another shooting was reported in the 300 block of Nora Drive. No injuries were reported, only prop-
erty damage. Deputies received information that led them to recover a firearm in the 1700 block of Alamo Street. Further investigation yielded Bravo as the suspect, according to Elizondo. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 7282568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
University adds 3 recruiters to staff SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Texas A&M International University has added new members to its Student Recruitment Team to drive its expansion into new student markets in Austin, Corpus Christi, Houston, San Antonio and the Valley. Joining the team are TAMIU alumni Michael Bustamante, Mirian Granados and Madison Moji-
ca. Bustamante (’10) is based in Houston. Granados, (‘13), is headquartered in McAllen and will focus on the Rio Grande Valley. Mojica (’09, ’11) and a former Dustdevils Volleyball team player, will handle Austin, Corpus Christi and San Antonio markets. Minita Ramírez, TAMIU vice president for Student Success, said the additions are critical to the universi-
THE BLOTTER Assault An assault was reported at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 1400 block of Sixth Street. An assault was reported at 8:09 p.m. Tuesday in the 2200 block of Carla Street.
Burglary A burglary of building was reported at 7:36 a.m. Monday at the Little League Baseball Field. A burglary of a vehicle was reported at 10:23 a.m. Mon-
day in the Dollar General parking lot. A burglary of a business was reported at 11:13 a.m. Wednesday at Mari’s Flower Shop.
Criminal mischief A criminal mischief incident was reported at 4:34 p.m. Tuesday in the Zapata High School parking lot. A criminal mischief incident was reported at 5:02 p.m. Thursday in the 5300 block of Peña Lane.
Dog bite A dog bite was reported at 7:29 a.m. Wednesday in the 1400 block of Texas 16.
Structure fire A structure fire was reported at 8:50 a.m. Tuesday in the 500 block of Kennedy Lane.
Theft A stolen vehicle was reported at 7:15 a.m. Thursday from along U.S. 83 in Zapata.
ty’s continuing enrollment growth. “TAMIU is a regional university of choice and we have found that the best way to address growing enrollment interest from these cities and areas is to provide on-site recruiters who can offer quick, insightful and targeted local response in these regions. This expansion is a natural growth for TAMIU and we very optimistic
about the possibilities,” Ramírez said. She said TAMIU’s affordability, high academic quality, international experience and dynamic student life are of keen interest to out of town students. “Laredo is on its way to becoming a University town, and an academic destination for students statewide to come and get a richly relevant international educational experi-
ence alongside students and faculty from around the world. We’ve also scored some major national accolades, which have fueled student inquiries from these areas,” Ramírez noted. “The Chronicle of Higher Education named TAMIU among the nation’s fastest-growing public master’s institutions in its “Almanac of Higher Education 2013.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2013
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Kennedy’s flame burns brightly By KATHLEEN PARKER THE WASHINGTON POST
WASHINGTON — By now, most of the world has digested the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, and millennials can sigh relief that another such re-examination is at least 10 years away. While most recent books and films have covered Kennedy’s life and the mysteries that remain, an equally compelling exploration is why people who were alive and cognizant at the time are still obsessed with events surrounding the 35th president. What is it that makes his presidency and death so profound for millions? Neither the truth nor the myth of the man seems to matter as much as the deeply personal experience of hearing the words: “President Kennedy is dead.” “A death in the family” is how many have described that day and this is as accurate as any explanation, especially for people who were children then. The president and Mrs. Kennedy were more than the nation’s first family; they were our parents, too. We identified with the children and looked up to the grownups. In my own home, President Kennedy seemed to be about the age of my father, “a Kennedy Democrat,” though the president was actually seven years older. I thought my mother every bit as beautiful and refined as Mrs. Kennedy. Thus, when Kennedy died, we lost our symbolic father and our grief was for ourselves as well as the Kennedys. We observed and absorbed Jacqueline Kennedy’s grace and dignity; we felt her children’s loss as our own. Not only had we lost the leader of our nation, but our idealized notion of the American family was shattered. At the time, no one knew of JFK’s dalliances, but even if they had, men in those days were allowed latitudes that today would land them in rehab and an eternal limbo of contrition. As is required by such remembrances, I was in seventh-grade P.E. when an announcement came over the P.A. system. I don’t remember the precise words, but a sudden silence fell over the locker room. I do remember that, for a guilty moment, I felt enormous relief that, for whatever reason, I was being spared the daily horror of the group shower. Shortly thereafter, my older brother and a friend, our junior high’s honor guard, lowered the
flag to half-staff. Home later that Friday afternoon, the full impact of events settled in. My father, who had navigated us through bomb-shelter drills during the Cuban missile crisis, was silent and somber. Two days later, as we all gathered in front of the TV that had been on nonstop, we witnessed the utterly shocking moment when Jack Ruby sprang forward from a crowd and shot Lee Harvey Oswald in the gut. Oswald and the president were buried the same day, though members of the press had to serve as Oswald’s pallbearers since no one except his family showed up. To children of the era, who were accustomed to seeing people “shot” in plenty of TV shows — always for the good when “Bonanza’s” Cartwrights were forced to draw — this was instantly recognizable as something terribly different. Not only had someone killed our beloved father-president, but we had just watched someone shot in real time with a real gun resulting in a real death. To today’s Internet generation, many of whom may have witnessed beheadings, hangings and worse on YouTube or in real time, this may seem pallid stuff. But to people of relative innocence, these two events were numbing and horrifying. Individually, we would never be the same. After the assassinations of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (April 4, 1968) and Bobby Kennedy (died June 6, 1968), we became a different people — frightened and anesthetized against hope. Adding to my personal sense of doom, my 18-year-old brother had left in January 1968 for Vietnam and a tour of Khe Sanh with the Marine Corps. These were fractious times, to be sure, but more than that, they were deeply sad times, even more so in retrospect. Our murdered leaders, our 58,000 dead brothers, sons, husbands, fathers and uncles. It seemed we had come to mark time by the dead. It should be little wonder, then, that we can’t shed these memories. They are in our bones. The eternal flame that burns at Kennedy’s grave in Arlington National Cemetery is a tribute not only to a man but to a lost time when life held promise. To Americans of a certain age, there really was once a spot, for one brief shining moment, known as Camelot. It is hard to let go. (Contact Kathleen Parker at kathleenparker@washpost.com.)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our
readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No namecalling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
WORST WEEK IN WASHINGTON
Bad week after cocaine buy By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST
It’s 10:30 p.m. Do you know where your congressman is? If you live in Florida’s 19th District, you did Wednesday night. That’s because Rep. Trey Radel was apologizing right about that time after reporters uncovered his arrest for buying cocaine in Washington. “I will be taking a leave of absence,” Radel told reporters. “During that time I’m going to donate my salary to a charity. I believe in faith, I believe in forgiveness and redemption.” Radel’s announcement that he will go to rehab — yes, yes, yes — came on
the same day he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug-possession charge in D.C. Superior Court. But Radel was actually arrested several weeks ago after paying an undercover police officer $250 for 3.5 grams of cocaine. In his apology — to America, the citizens of southwestern Florida, his wife (he repeatedly referred to her as his “rock,” although she did not attend the news conference) and his 2year-old son — Radel failed to mention why it took him so long to, ahem, come clean. Like so many embattled politicians before him, Radel is clearly hoping that a trip to rehab will heal him mentally, physically and, yes, politically. He
made no mention of resigning — and the local press corps, inexplicably, didn’t ask. So far, House Republican leaders haven’t said much other than to wish him well in his recovery. But it’s hard to imagine that Radel is out of the woods. His local paper, the Fort Myers News-Press, called on him to step aside: “He embarrassed the voters who put their faith and trust in him,” the editorial board wrote. One of Radel’s 2012 Republican opponents called the congressman a “scuzzbag.” Trey Radel, for saying you’re sorry three weeks after the fact, you had the worst week in Washington. Congrats, or something.
COLUMN
Recalling day JFK was killed AUSTIN — Folks of my generation can’t get a specific number and a specific word out of our heads or off our lips: 50 years. The day JFK was killed remains indelibly on the short list of days baby boomers recall with detailed clarity, even a halfcentury later. I was a 9-year-old at Brooklyn’s P.S. 99 when I heard the news. I had a personal connection with Kennedy. Sort of. I had met him. Sort of. In a childhood memory I’ll never forget, my dad took me to see Kennedy campaigning on Kings Highway, a major shopping street in Brooklyn. It looks like it was on Oct. 20, 1960. I remember huge crowds and great excitement. And I remember that, as a little kid in a big crowd, I never really saw Kennedy. But something about the excitement left an indelible impression that this was something and somebody important. I also remember the wall-to-wall TV news coverage of the assassination. Thinking back on it now, that coverage was important to me on a couple of levels. I recall being unable, as a 9-year-old, to immediately discern whether pres-
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KEN HERMAN
idential murders were something that happened with some regularity or whether it was out of the ordinary. The TV coverage reassured me that this was different, way different. And I’m sure the coverage left an imprint that news coverage is important and something I might want to do. Other things I had no way of knowing as a kid who, as of Nov. 22, 1963, had ventured as far west as New Jersey: It was unfathomable that I’d spend five years covering the White House. Equally unfathomable was that someday I’d live in Texas (beyond the New Jersey frontier) and that someday former Gov. John Connally’s granddaughter, working for my family, would pick up my kids each day after school and that I’d attend her wedding at Connally’s Floresville ranch. Austin and Austinites have connections of varying degrees to JFK. Rachel Porter, Lee Harvey Oswald’s daughter, once
worked here as a waitress, something her sister June Porter recalled in a 1995 New York Times article: “During college, Rachel supported herself at the Texas Chili Parlor in Austin. It’s right across from the Capitol, and she was a waitress. Well, there’s a travel guide she found out about that actually listed the Texas Chili Parlor and said the daughter of Lee Harvey Oswald worked there. So she became a sort of tourist attraction.” Congregation Agudas Achim, my synagogue, has a historic tie to the assassination. Then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, unaware he’d become president on Nov. 22, 1963, was scheduled to speak at the dedication of the congregation’s new building on Bull Creek Road on Nov. 23, 1963. “Rumors surfaced that President John F. Kennedy might show up since he was also scheduled to appear in Austin after the Dallas parade on Friday, Nov. 22,” the congregation’s history says. “The excitement about the Agudas Achim dedication weekend vanished when the congregation joined the nation in mourning the death of President Kennedy.” The dedication was res-
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
cheduled for Dec. 30, 1963, and LBJ attended. “I am grateful that my first nonofficial public remarks since November 22 can be made here in Austin and in conjunction with the dedication of a house of worship,” Johnson said, later mentioning “the evil visited upon us just recently.” “We have met a great test, and we have met it well,” he said. For a wonderful account of this, read Austin author Cathy Schechter’s article about it on tabletmag.com. Look for “Lyndon Johnson was scheduled to visit my Austin shul the day after Kennedy died.” All these years later, some of the Camelot rhetoric now seems so dated. “The Democratic Party and I believe in a minimum wage of $1.25,” Kennedy said that day I almost saw him in Brooklyn. But some of it still seems like a goal. “I don’t say that all people have equal talent,” Kennedy also said that day, “but what I do say is that everyone should have their chance to develop their talent equally.” (Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin AmericanStatesman. E-mail: kherman@statesman.com.)
National
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2013
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Nation marks 50th anniversary of death By JAMIE STENGLE AND NOMAAN MERCHANT ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — From a street in downtown Dallas to the shores of Cape Cod, a somber nation paused Friday to remember John F. Kennedy 50 years after the young, handsome president was gunned down in an open-top limousine. A half-century later, the assassination still stirs quiet sadness in the baby boom generation that remembers it as the beginning of a darker, more cynical time. The anniversary ceremonies reflected that solemnity, with moments of silence, speeches by historians and, above all, simple reverence for a time and a leader long gone. “A new era dawned and another waned a half-century ago, when hope and hatred collided right here in Dallas,” Mayor Mike Rawlings said at the largest memorial service, in Dealey Plaza, the scene of the Nov. 22, 1963, shooting. “We watched the nightmarish reality in our front yard. Our president had been taken from us, taken from his family, taken from the world.” Rawlings told about 5,000 people gathered under gray skies in nearfreezing temperatures that the slaying prompted Dallas to “turn civic heartbreak into hard work” and helped the city to mature. Kennedy “and our city will forever be linked in tragedy, yes,” he said. “But out of tragedy, an opportunity was granted to us how to face the future when it’s the darkest and uncertain.” Rawlings unveiled a plaque with remarks Kennedy was supposed to deliver later that day in Dallas. His remarks were followed a mournful tolling of bells and a moment of silence. The plaza includes the Texas School Book Depository building, where sniper Lee Harvey Oswald perched on the sixth floor above the president’s motorcade. A stage for the memorial ceremony, just south of the depository building, was backed with a large banner showing Kennedy’s profile. Video screens showed images of Kennedy with his family. Shortly after sunrise, Attorney General Eric Holder paid his respects at
“
We watched the nightmarish reality in our front yard. Our president had been taken from us, taken from his family, taken from the world.” DALLAS MAYOR MIKE RAWLINGS
Kennedy’s recently refurbished grave at Arlington National Cemetery, where a British cavalry officer stood guard, bagpipes played and a flame burned steadily as it has for the last half-century. About an hour later, Jean Kennedy Smith, 85, the last surviving Kennedy sibling, laid a wreath at her brother’s grave, joined by about 10 members of the Kennedy family. They clasped hands for a short, silent prayer and left roses as a few hundred onlookers watched. In Dallas, the bitter weather was far different from the bright sunshine that filled the day Kennedy died. “President Kennedy has always been kind of revered in our family,” Colleen Bonner, 41, of suburban Hurst, said. “I just wanted to honor his memory, and I wanted to be a part of history.” In a nod to Kennedy’s military service, the U.S. Naval Academy Men’s Glee Club sang at the ceremony, but an Air Force flyover was canceled because of the weather. In Boston, Gov. Deval Patrick and Maj. Gen. Scott Rice of the Massachusetts National Guard endured a heavy rain during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Kennedy statue on the front lawn of the Statehouse. The statue, dedicated in 1990, has been largely off-limits to public viewing since security procedures put in place after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But the area was opened to visitors Fri-
day. Both of Kennedy’s grandfathers served in the Massachusetts Legislature and in January 1961 the president-elect came to the Statehouse to deliver one of his most famous addresses, which came to be known as the “City on a Hill” speech, just before leaving for his inauguration in Washington. The quiet remembrance extended across the Atlantic Ocean to Kennedy’s ancestral home in Ireland. Earlier Thursday in Dublin, a half-dozen Irish soldiers toting guns with brilliantly polished bayonets formed a guard of honor outside the U.S. Embassy as the American flag was lowered to halfstaff. An Irish army commander at the embassy drew a sword and held it aloft as a lone trumpeter played “The Last Post,” the traditional British salute to war dead. A bagpiper played laments including “Amazing Grace.” A U.S. Marine raised the flag again as the bugler sounded an upbeat “Reveille.” More than a dozen retired Irish army officers who, as teenage cadets, had formed an honor guard at Kennedy’s graveside gathered in the front garden of the embassy in the heart of the Irish capital to remember the first Irish-American to become leader of the free world. Together with Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore and embassy staff, they observed a minute’s silence and laid two wreaths from the Irish and American governments in memory of JFK. The former cadets invited by Jacqueline Kennedy to serve as the graveside honor guard described the awe — and fear — they experienced as they traveled to the United States 50 years earlier. “We were young guys, all pretty much 18. We had no passports, no visas. None of us had flown before,” said retired Col. Brian O’Reilly, 68. “We were told on the Saturday night we were wanted for the funeral. The next day, we were on the plane with our own president (Eamon de Valera) heading for Washington.” The day of the funeral was crisp and windless, with trees full of autumn leaves and a cloudless blue sky, the sun blindingly low on the horizon.
Photo by Alastair Grant | AP
Tatiana Schlossberg, granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy, lays a wreath at his memorial at Runnymede, England, on Friday. It overlooks the site of the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215.
National
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2013
Wallet gets homeless man reward By KATE BRUMBACK ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star | AP
A woman leaps over flooded gutters of a street near the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., while coping with the after effects of heavy rains Friday. Three people were killed in Northern California, and football playoffs were called off because of rain in Arizona.
3 die as winter weather hits By MICHELLE RINDELS ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS — Three people were killed in blustery Northern California, football playoffs were called off because of rain in Arizona, and dozens of cars became stranded in snowy rural Nevada as winter weather barreled through the West. The weather system was expected to head east and reach the opposite coast by the middle of next week, but not before dropping rain on the Southwest through Saturday morning, National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Anderson said. A low pressure front dropped down from Alaska, followed closely by a high pressure system that stirred up the fierce winds linked to three deaths Thursday in California. Police responded to reports of an unresponsive person in Oakland and found fallen sections of a tree and power lines. The person was pronounced dead at the scene; the cause of death was being investigated.
Another man died in Oakland less than an hour later after he crashed into a fallen tree while apparently trying to avoid debris in the road, the Contra Costa Times reported. Neither man has been identified. In Yuba County, Sherri Pesich, 52, died when part of a 30-inch tree fell on a parked car in which she was sitting, Undersheriff Jerry Read said. Another woman in the car was taken to a hospital; her condition was unknown. Meanwhile, a homeless man had to be rescued from a tree by helicopter and four others were plucked from an island after becoming trapped in the swollen Santa Ana River in California’s San Bernardino County. In northern Utah, transportation officials warned truck drivers of potential trailer-toppling gusts. No accidents had been reported, but big rigs were pulling off to the side of the freeways to wait out the winds Friday morning, Utah Highway Patrol officials told The Salt Lake Tribune. The rain was turning to
heavy snow in higher elevations, including rural eastern Nevada’s Lincoln County, where 50 to 60 cars got stranded early Friday in “a long stretch of absolutely nothing,” dispatcher Shannon Miller said. No injuries were reported, but U.S. 93 was closed south of Ely. Snow in New Mexico and Arizona prompted some schools to delay opening Friday. Interstate 25 and roads throughout northern New Mexico were icy and packed with snow. A flood watch was in effect until early Saturday in the Phoenix area, where several miles of the Loop 303 freeway in the western suburbs were closed due to flooding. The weather service said rain totals through Saturday morning could exceed 2 inches in the Phoenix area. The wet conditions prompted the Arizona Interscholastic Association to push back high school football semifinal games set for Friday and Saturday. Officials rescheduled the games to Monday. Showers in Las Vegas rained on the parade
Thursday at the Latin Grammy Awards, where the green carpet was shut down and starlets in sparkling skin-tight gowns scampered indoors. Authorities, meanwhile, responded to hundreds of crashes as the storm dropped rain over desert dwellers. Trooper Loy Hixson said the Nevada Highway Patrol responded to 141 collisions between 7 a.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. Friday, including 37 with minor injuries. That’s four to five times what the agency sees on a normal day. Las Vegas police reported 112 accidents on surface streets during a rainy fivehour period Thursday. “This happens every time we get bad weather,” said Las Vegas police officer Laura Meltzer. At least one business in thirsty southern Nevada was rejoicing over the storm system. Officials at the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort north of Sin City measured 11 1/2 inches of snow at midday Friday, with a week to spare until opening day.
ATLANTA — The management at a downtown Atlanta hotel on Friday rewarded a homeless man who turned in a guest’s stolen wallet with a weeklong hotel stay and a cash reward. The hotel guest from France, who was in town for a medical conference, told police she was carrying a lot of things as she walked to her car Nov. 7 when a man pushed her and grabbed her purse, according to a police report. She told police she didn’t get a look at the suspect. Later that day, a man who said he was homeless came to the Omni Hotel and said he was looking in a nearby trash can for food when he found the wallet, which contained credit cards and identification, hotel managing director Scott Stuckey said. The Omni staff returned the wallet to the woman after determining she was a guest. Stuckey said he saw what had happened in the hotel’s security log the next day and began searching for the man using the name he had given to hotel staff, Josh Crabber. “Your heart bleeds when you hear about something like that, with a person who’s going through the garbage looking for food,” Stuckey said. “He did the right thing, and now I want to do the right thing for him.” The man, whose name turned out to be Joel
Hartman, told CBS Atlanta that he was sitting on a bus and a woman he often sees on that route told him people were looking for him and showed him on her phone the news stories about Stuckey’s search. Hartman decided to go to the hotel. “He was very emotional. He cried and gave Scott a big hug,” said the hotel’s marketing manager, Elizabeth Ergle. “He was over-the-moon grateful.” The hotel checked Hartman in a room, ordered him a steak dinner from room service and said he could stay a week, through the day after Thanksgiving, Ergle said. They also gave him $500 in cash and plan to buy him some new clothes, she said. Hartman said he didn’t think anything of turning the wallet in, he just thought it was the right thing to do. “I feel honored that they would even take the time to even think about me like that,” he said of the hotel management. “It’s pretty cool. That does a bit more for my faith in humanity also.” Stuckey had no luck tracking the man down by name. But security footage, broadcast on a local news station Thursday, showed a man with a beard in a long camouflage jacket and dark ball cap. That’s when tips started flowing in. Many people who contacted the hotel said the man often hangs out in downtown Atlanta and that his first name was Kenny, not Josh.
SÁBADO 23 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2013
Agenda en Breve LAREDO 11/23— Se estará realizando la Carrera/Caminata 5K por parte de Sonya Hernandez Memorial a partir de las 9 a.m. en el Parque Estatal Lago Casa Blanca. El evento beneficiará a los estudiantes que han tenido o tienen a alguno de sus padres combatiendo el cáncer. 11/23— El Departamento de Policía de UISD estará celebrando el Primer Torneo Anual de Fútbol con Bandera “Defending Our Badge” a partir de las 9 a.m. en Kruger Field. Fondos recaudados serán destinados al Christmas Annual Toy Drive. 11/23— Se estará llevando a cabo el primer RotaStrong Play y Mini Fun Fest dentro del Centro de estudiantes William N. (Billy) Hall Jr. del LCC Campus Sur, en 5500 South Zapata Highway a partir de las 9 a.m. 11/23— El Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU estará presentando a partir de la 1 p.m. y hasta las 5 p.m. —“Star Signs,” “Mystery of the Christmas Star,” “Season of Light,” “Holiday Music Magic.” Costo de boletos es de 4 a 6 dólares. Más información llamando al 326.DOME (3663). 11/23— Se presentará el concierto Las Posadas a partir de las 7 p.m. en el teatro del Centro de Bellas Artes y Artes Escénicas de TAMIU. Costo 5 dólares y gratuito para menores de 10 años. Más información llamando al 326-ARTS (2778). 11/25— Se presentará el concierto Mariachi Internacional a partir de las 7:30 p.m. en el salón del Centro de Bellas Artes y Artes Escénicas de TAMIU. 11/25— El Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara estará presentando los espectáculos—“One World, One Sky”, “Earth, Moon and Sun”, “Mystery of the Christmas Star”. De 2 a 4 p.m. Costo de boletos es de 4 dólares.
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 7A
GOBIERNO DE TAMAULIPAS
Anuncian obras TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Tamaulipas recibirá más de 12 mil millones de pesos como parte del Presupuesto de Egresos de la Federación 2014, lo que es un 32 por ciento más de recursos federales con respecto al presupuesto del año pasado. El Gobernador de Tamaulipas, Egidio Torre Cantú, anunció que el dinero se destinará a obras de infraestructura en salud, educación, infraestructura carretera y portuaria, entre otras áreas. En infraestructura hidráulica se va a construir la Planta Tratadora de Aguas Residuales en Reynosa y la construcción de sistema de agua potable, en el ejido Joyas de Maravilla en Tula.
“Son poblaciones que nunca antes han tenido, jamás habían tenido agua en su vida y gracias a la perforación de pozos profundos que se hiTORRES cieron se encontró el agua y ahora se les va a conectar con las poblaciones para que desde su casa abran la llave y tengan agua”, explicó Torre. En todo el estado se prevé dotar de equipamiento médico a 19 hospitales y atender las necesidades de las 12 jurisdicciones sanitarias. En el presupuesto destacan las obras de infraestructura aeroportuaria y portuaria, por más de 1.500 millones de pesos.
En recursos hidráulicos se tuvo un incremento de más de 200 millones de pesos dando un total para el año 2014 de 853 millones de pesos. En educación el presupuesto se adiciona 220 millones de pesos para terminar con 1.741 millones para el año entrante. El campo tamaulipeco recibirá en los rubros de agricultura y ganadería un incremento sustancial de más del 30 por ciento lográndose una inversión de 338 millones para el siguiente año. En pavimentación y espacios deportivos para municipios se incrementa en más del 100 por ciento pasando de 99 millones de pesos a 191 millones de pesos, y un fondo de ampliación para proyectos de
MIGUEL ALEMÁN, MÉXICO
INAUGURAN PARQUES DE BARRIO
NUEVA CIUDAD GUERRERO
Apoyan pesca Presa Falcón TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO 11/23— Estación Palabra presenta “Bazar de Arte” en la Sala Gabriel García Márquez a las 12 p.m.; “Festival Infantil” con cuentacuentos, dinámicas y lecturas de los libros de Roald Dahl en el área infantil a las 2 p.m. 11/24— El grupo de Teatro Laberintus estará presentando la obra de teatro “La Nave de José Luis Pineda Servín, a las 12 p.m. en el Teatro del IMSS, entre las calles Reynosa y Belden (sector centro). 11/25— Directora de la Unidad UPN 284 dará un discurso de inauguración por las actividades que se realizarán para festejar el 34 aniversario de la escuela. Evento será en la escuela, ubicada en Reynosa 1410, a partir de las 6 p.m. 11/25— Se impartirá la conferencia “La Epistemología en la Investigación-Acción”, dentro de la Unidad UPN 284 (Reynosa 1410), a partir de las 7 p.m. 11/26— Se realizará una Semblanza de la Unidad UPN 284, con motivo a su 34 aniversario dentro de la sala audiovisual de la institución ubicada en Reynosa 1410, a partir de las 6 p.m. 11/26— Se realizará un panel con el tema “La Nueva Ley de Educación: La Evaluación del Docente”, dentro de la sala audiovisual de la Unidad UPN 284 ubicada en Reynosa 1410, a partir de las 7 p.m. 11/26— Se impartirá la conferencia “Bilingual Education in the U.S: Perspectives, Legislation, Pedagogical Concerns, and Academic Stagnation For Hispanics Acquiring English as A Second Language” dentro de la Unidad UPN 284 (Reynosa 1410), a partir de las 7 p.m.
desarrollo regional lo que representa un total de 7 mil 354 millones de pesos, dijo el secretario de finanzas, Alfredo González Fernández. En cuanto a apoyo para la reconstrucción de daños de la tormenta Ingrid, se llegó a la autorización de 1.710 millones de los cuales 750 millones ya están canalizados. Dentro de las obras relevantes se encuentra el Boulevard Tamaulipas en Ciudad Victoria, y la modernización de la carretera a Miquihuana, la ampliación del acceso al Puente Internacional Nuevo Laredo III; en Mante, el sistema de alumbrado público en las salidas a las carreteras a Victoria, González y Ciudad Valles.
Foto de cortesía
Familias y funcionarios encabezaron la ceremonia de inauguración de dos parques de barrio, que apoya el Gobierno de Tamaulipas, en la ciudad fronteriza de Miguel Alemán, México.
Programa busca unir a familias TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Esta semana fueron abiertos al público dos nuevos parques de barrio en Miguel Alemán, México. Los parques, que ya suman 26 en toda la entidad, forman parte del programa del Gobierno de Tamaulipas “Convive, parques para todos”. “El Gobernador (Egidio Torre Cantú) quiere que las familias se
hagan amigas entre sí, que los jóvenes puedan convivir en armonía con otros jóvenes y que a los niños les sobren los motivos para sonreír”, aseguró el Secretario de Desarrollo Social, Homero de la Garza Tamez, durante la ceremonia de inauguración. “Para nuestros niños y jóvenes este parque es muy importante porque nos permite acercarnos como familias y como vecinos”, dijo
Delia García, integrante del comité de vigilancia del parque. “Nosotros nos comprometemos a cuidarlo y mantenerlo en buenas condiciones”. El Presidente Municipal de Miguel Alemán, Ramiro Cortez Barrera aseguró que los nuevos parques representan una oportunidad para las familias y ayudarán a lograr un entorno más saludable para las nuevas generaciones.
Con una inversión de 875 mil pesos se iniciaron acciones para beneficiar la actividad pesquera en la Presa Internacional Falcón, ubicada en Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, México. El Secretario de Desarrollo Rural, Carlos Ernesto Solís Gómez, dijo que el Programa SOLÍS Estatal de Fortalecimiento a la Actividad Pesquera en Regiones busca implementar acciones que detonen el desarrollo sustentable del sector agropecuario. Solís informó que se entregaron 204 redes a igual número de permisionarios pesqueros, a lo que se destinó un monto de 450 mil pesos. “Al entregar estos recursos, sabemos que sin duda alguna les va a facilitar el trabajo y van a mejorar las condiciones en las cuales realizan sus labores”, comentó Solís. Agregó que también se realizó la siembra de poco más de 438.000 crías de tilapia con un monto de 96.360 pesos, así como 244.144 crías de lobina negra actividad a la que se asignó la cantidad de 429.621 pesos en beneficio de 816 personas. La presa Falcón significa un importante bastión para la pesca deportiva, recreativa y comercial, ubicada en una zona estratégica de la frontera de Tamaulipas, concluyó Solís.
SALUD
Participan en foro turismo médico ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Para fomentar el turismo de salud y mostrar las ventajas competitivas de Tamaulipas, centradas en la calidad en los productos, los cruces fronterizos y las relaciones con el mercado texano, además de la infraestructura hotelera, restaurantes y servicios en la frontera, la Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico y Turismo participó en el Primer Foro Nacional de Turismo Médico COPARMEX 2013. Por la Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico y Turismo, Emilio Lamadrid de Aguinaco, Director de Desarrollo de Productos Turísticos, expuso en el panel “Participación de los Gobiernos Estatales en la promoción del Turismo Médico” con el tema “Modelo y Estrategias del Turismo de
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
La imagen muestra el módulo informativo del Gobierno de Tamaulipas durante el Primer Foro Nacional de Turismo Médico COPARMEX 2013, celebrado en la Ciudad de México, el 13 de noviembre. Salud para Tamaulipas” moderado por Roberto Zapata Llabrés, presidente de
la Comisión Nacional de Turismo de COPARMEX. El evento se llevó a cabo
el 13 de noviembre, en la Ciudad de México. Los asistentes pudieron
aprender de conferencias magistrales: Estrategias para la oferta de Turismo Médico por zona geográfica, servicios y mercados meta, impartida por Luis Alfonso Pérez Romero, especialista en Mercadotecnia de Servicios de Salud; “Marca México”, asignatura indispensable para el desarrollo del Turismo Médico en nuestro país por Jorge Azpiri López, Director General del Swiss Hospital, por mencionar algunas. Carlos Joaquín González, Subsecretario de Operación Turística de la SECTUR, informó que la SECTUR está al tanto del trabajo que realiza el Gobierno de Tamaulipas con los empresarios y los gobiernos municipales para impulsar el desarrollo y consolidación del Turismo de Salud.
State
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2013
Dawes Rolls list tribal memberships By DIANE SMITH FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
FORT WORTH — In the early 1900s, 61-year-old Clement Rogers filled out federal paperwork at a post office in Claremore, Okla., that detailed his ties to the Cherokee Indians. Among the details provided by Rogers was information about his 20-year-old son, William P. Rogers. Under sworn testimony, the elder Rogers answered a series of questions to establish whether he was eligible for tribal membership in one of the Indian groups known as the Five Civilized Tribes. Native Americans who qualified could obtain land allotted by the federal government. “Are you Cherokee by blood?” asked a government agent. “Yes, sir,” Rogers answered. That documentation is included in what has come to be known as the Dawes Rolls, and Will Rogers became a legendary entertainer whose name is on highways, parks and building across the nation, including the sprawling Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth. Documents that authenticate his Cherokee heritage are among the thousands kept at the National Archives at Fort Worth, the
government’s second largest repository of records from the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. It serves as genealogical treasure chest for people searching their family’s roots, an alternative to digging for information online or in libraries, cemeteries and attics. “People like to know about their own heritage,” said Donna Akers, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, who teaches a course on Native Americans. The information at the archives center is significant because documenting first-hand accounts from older Indian relatives can be challenging as they age. Additionally, Indian languages have been disappearing, Akers told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Akers, who is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, said documenting this history is critical and should be shared with younger generations. “It gives kids roots,” Akers said “It gives them a sense of identity.” The desire to document a family’s roots often starts with a family story. Sometimes, families hear that “Grandma was a Cherokee princess,” or that family members were part of the Trail of Tears, the forced relocation of Native Americans in the 1830s.
Photo by Rodger Mallison/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram | AP
Documents are used to prove or disprove citizenship in five of the Native American nations at the National Archives in Fort Worth. “That’s a source of curiosity that a lot of people want to know if it is true,” Akers told UTA students at a recent campus workshop aimed at helping document American Indian family ties. Family stories get retold during the Thanksgiving holidays, said Meg Hacker, director of archival operations at the National Archives at Fort Worth. Hacker said the Friday after Thanksgiving Day has typically been busy, with people calling with questions or visiting to start genealogy research. “We are open,” Hacker said. “Avoid Black Friday... . We really want people to come in and do their research.” The National Archives office at 2600 West 7th Street allows people to access dig-
itized records. They can use online tools such as Ancestry.com for free, she said. People can also access free online tools at the Fort Worth Central Library, which is the third largest genealogy facility in Texas, said Beth Shankle, manager of the genealogy, history and archives unit. At the library, people can get a beginner’s packet that includes family tree charts and a checklist of sources, Shankle said. People can also find records on other tribes at the National Archives by searching the 1900 Federal Population Census, which counted Native Americans. Sometimes, families find evidence that a relative was listed on a Census card and is among thousands enrolled in the Dawes Rolls, the hard copies of which
are housed in Fort Worth. Being listed on the Dawes Rolls establishes ties to one of the Five Civilized Tribes: Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Seminole. The Dawes Rolls has Census information that includes names recorded from 1898 to 1914, according to the National Archives. The rolls have the names, sex, blood degree (also known as blood quantum) and Census card number. The Dawes Rolls can be accessed online through the National Archives website and through Oklahoma Historical Society’s genealogical resources. The Dawes Rolls gets their name from Henry Dawes, who chaired the Dawes Commission. That body negotiated lands with the Five Civilized Tribes, according to the National Archives. Under this government program, established tribe members could get land if they abolished their tribal governments and recognized federal laws. Akers said those negotiations paved the way for the land runs in which settlers obtained homesteads. “It’s the old Indian land that they were claiming,” she said. Sometimes, families can’t prove Indian heritage, said Vicki Prough, a genealogy
manager at the Choctaw tribal headquarters in Durant, Okla. Other times, families find a connection, but learn they don’t have a direct blood line required for tribal membership. Prough said her family has ties to the Dawes Rolls, but she is not in a direct line to those enrolled in government records. Her family apparently didn’t do the paperwork, she said. “We know that the Choctaw blood is there, but we just can’t prove it,” she said. “You will hear a lot of people tell you that. Hacker said document records likely don’t tell all the stories. It difficult to know how Native Americans learned they needed to enroll. “You have to be at the right place at the right time for the right reason,” Hacker said of how the Census was documented. Prough said sometimes a sibling married and moved out of state before the Census took place. That person would not be considered a tribal member for purposes of the Census, she said. But Prough said she has witnessed many genealogical triumphs. “We have people who come in and say they have been searching for something for years and, ‘I found it!’ They get all excited,” Prough said.
Students help non-English-speaking parents By HEATHER NOEL THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
DALLAS — When Mang Lian arrived in the United States three years ago, he had only a minimal knowledge of English. Much like other refugees who enter this country, he became immersed in a world with a language different from the Burmese he grew up speaking in the Chin State in Myanmar. “A lot of people came here and didn’t know how to speak English or anything,” Mang Lian told The Dallas Morning News. “So if they can’t speak anything, they can’t do what they want. They can’t express themselves.” That existing language barrier also means non-English-speaking parents, like his own, might have difficulty understanding how their child is performing in school. This year, the Emmett J. Conrad High School junior is helping to make that communication between parents and teachers smoother by serving as a volunteer translator interpreting conversations into his native language. Mang Lian is one of more than 40 Conrad students who form Venturing Crew 9, which is part of a coed youth development program of the Boy Scouts of America. Each Scout crew selects a specialty based on the interests of its members. For Venturing Crew 9, that focus is community service, said the crew’s committee chair, Tricia Johnson. One way they serve the community is using their diverse language skills to support district translators at parent-teacher conferences, PTA meetings and other school events where translators are needed. “I really wanted to translate for them as much as I can because it’s an opportunity for me to help people,” Mang Lian said. Scout translators earn an interpreter strip from the Boy Scouts for their respective languages, which are visible on their uniforms while they translate at the schools. They also become volunteers with the district and go through interpreter ethics training from Catholic Charities of Dallas, Johnson said. Zeljka Ravlija, program coordinator in Dallas ISD’s Refugee School Impact Grant Program, helps coordinate the students to
Photo by Rose Baca/The Dallas Morning News | AP
Tricia Johnson leads a group of more than 40 Conrad High School students who form Venturing Crew 9, a co-ed youth development program of the Boy Scouts of America. They are shown at the high school in Dallas. The students volunteer as translators between parents and teachers. work alongside professional translators in parent-teacher conferences at elementary and middle schools and at new student orientation at Conrad. “I think it’s very neat that they have this group, and with the adequate training and proper placement we all can benefit from this voluntary work,” Ravlija said. Johnson believes the Conrad students have made an impact in the schools where they’ve volunteered by helping further the dialogue between parents and teachers. “Once you get the communication going and the comfort level is there, then you’re going to be able to move that child through any kind of problem they’re having,” Johnson said. Janet Abreu, an English-as-a-secondlanguage teacher at Sam Tasby Middle School, said when there aren’t enough translators to serve the population, parents have to wait longer, which means they might walk away. Abreu said having extra people around who can speak the languages makes parent-teacher conference night run smoother. “Obviously (parents) come to parent conferences, so they want to know what’s going on and to have that roadblock of not being able to communicate taken away
means a lot to them,” Abreu said. Since Johnson formed the group three years ago as an offshoot from Conrad’s Community Service Club, its list of students continues to grow, as does the number of languages spoken, she said. From Burmese and Arabic to Nepali and Swahili, the Scouts speak a wide range of languages, which helps them serve the diverse population of the schools in Conrad’s feeder pattern. Ivette Weis, director of Dallas ISD’s Translation Services, said the need for translation is growing in the district. Spanish continues to be the No. 1 language needed based on the number of requests for translators, but requests for Swahili and Arabic are also high on the list. With Conrad and its feeder schools pulling largely from the Vickery Meadows neighborhood where there are high concentrations of refugees, Weis does not see the demand decreasing anytime soon. “The parents of those children, many of them don’t speak English, so we provide services that assist them in getting involved with their child’s education,” Weis said. With a staff of 11 translators, she said Translation Services cannot cover every meeting in the district. She said she
works closely with the district’s Refugee Support Services to fulfill requests for translators in those languages not as widely available. Having the Scout translators who can also speak those lesser-known languages aids the professional translators in covering the need, Weis said. “I think that’s outstanding that they are providing that support because it is their community and they know which parents need their help,” Weis said. In addition to providing support in the district, Johnson believes the work has also affected the Scout translators themselves. She said many of the Scouts in the crew probably didn’t think of their native language as a skill they could use to help people. However, through their volunteering in the district she said many have started thinking about translating as a career option. Mang Lian said he plans to one day be a business owner, but one of his life goals is to help people in the community. He views facilitating conversations between parents and teachers as a way to give back to the community. “If I translate, it’s helping people,” Mang Lian said. “It’s good for them and it will affect the future.”
Parts of state get cold weather ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Freezing weather has reached parts of Texas with hundreds of homes and businesses losing power and an airport closing amid icy conditions.
Airport closes Abilene Regional Airport closed Friday due to weather as officials continued to assess travel conditions. The National Weather Service says the
Abilene area received light snow and had temperatures in the 20s. More than 1,700 Dallas County customers of electric utility Oncor lost power Friday morning as cold, drizzly weather reached North Texas. That number was pared to about 700 outages Friday afternoon as crews worked to restore electricity. Forecasters issued a winter storm watch for the Dallas-Fort Worth area from Sunday through Monday morning.
Public Notice Region 11 of the Department of State Health Services, in partnership with the Texas Military Forces may conduct a health care program called “Operation Lone Star” in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Jim Hogg, Zapata and Webb Counties. Free medical and dental services may be provided for up to one week in late July and/or early August 2015. Questions should be addressed to: Innovative Readiness Coordinator ATTN: MSG Marta Cruz JFTX-J7 P.O. Box 5218 Austin, TX 78763-5218 (512) 782-5738 L-20
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2013
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
ENRIQUETA DE LOS SANTOS
ZETAS Continued from Page 1A
July 15, 1924 – Nov. 21, 2013 Enriqueta De Los Santos, 89, passed away Nov. 21, 2013, at Laredo Medical Center in Laredo, Texas. Ms. Bustamante is preceded in death by her husband, Antonio De Los Santos; son, Baby De Los Santos; parents, Manuel and Maria Guadalupe Buentello; brothers, Manuel Jr. (Juanita) Buentello, Antonio (Alicia) Buentello, Faustino Buentello, Raul Buentello; sisters, Maria Luisa (Silvestre) Bustamante and Serafina Buentello. Ms. Bustamante is survived by daughter, Noellia (Raul A.) Coronado; grandchildren, Mari Elizalde, Norma Coronado (Florentino Herrera), Raul A. Coronado, Jr., Juan A. (Mayra) Coronado; great-grandchild, Juan Antonio Coronado, Jr.; brothers, Martin (Carmen) Buentello, Matias Modesto (Rosa) Buentello; sisters, Maria Guadalupe (†Teodulo) Villarreal; Antonia (Ramon) Gonzalez, Beatriz (Alonzo) Juarez; sisterin-law, Lamar Buentello; and by numerous nephews, nieces and friends. Special thanks to Dr. Carlos Cigarroa, Mary Plattner and staff, Dr. Garza-Gongora, Champion Care Home Health and Dr.
Javier Montes. Visitation hours will be held Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013, from 6 to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession will depart Monday, Nov. 25, 2013, at 9:30 for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services will follow at Bustamante Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata.
COURT Continued from Page 1A parked at Pepe’s Exxon Gas Station in San Ygnacio and went inside the store. Meanwhile, two illegal immigrants who ran from the Cruze were apprehended shortly after, according to a criminal complaint filed Oct. 28. Turi could not be found inside the store. Later, an agent patrolling the San
Ygnacio area spotted a red Ford Mustang, where Turi was a passenger in the backseat. Court documents state he admitted to being hired to transport immigrants from San Ygnacio to Laredo for $300 per person. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
prise in Sherman, Texas, located 30 miles south of Lake Texoma. He faces maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted. The government is also seeking a $10 million money judgment in the case. If the full amount cannot be seized, the government will substitute property tied to the criminal acts cited in the indictment. Velasquez-Caballero is one of 34 defendants in a 54-page indictment. The indictment includes counts ranging from murder, conspiracy to kidnap and murder U.S. citizens in a foreign country, use of juveniles to commit a violent crime, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and promoting unlawful activity among many others. “Of those originally charged in relation to the case, 15 have been convicted and sentenced with two receiving life sentences. In addition, four others have also been convicted in separate indictments resulting from the same investigation,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement released Friday. The indictment is a result of Operation Prophecy, an Organized Crime
familiar with different aspects of local intel that we acquire daily, hourly I would say,” Baeza said. “It’s paramount that our department is able to participate and facilitate some of that information that helps them in some of their larger scale investigations and we’re proud to be a part of that.” Velasquez-Caballero’s bond hearing is scheduled for Nov. 27. He is set for an arraignment and detention hearing on Dec. 3. Mexican authorites extradited Velasquez-Caballero to the U.S. Thursday. He had been in Mexican custody since he was arrested in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, on Sept. 26, 2012. “In the grand scheme of things, narcotrafficking and cartel activity is a monster with many heads and this is one of them. It’s a daily ongoing issue facing the security of our community and our country, but I think the proven successful track record the agencies have by working together in bringing in someone of this particular high rank within an organization like the cartel he represents is going to be extremely valuable to law enforcement,” Baeza said.
MEXICO Continued from Page 1A “This is the basic principal shared by all Mexicans. However, we can give Mexico new and better tools that would strengthen us as a country and allow … better situations for everybody,” he said. Acra provided data on oil production in Mexico. Since 2004, production has declined by 900,000 barrels per day, or the equivalent to 30 percent of its total production. “Mexico is slow. While in the United States, in 2012, 9,100 wells were drilled, in Mexico only three and in deep and ultra-deep water drilling 137 by the United States, while Mexico had just six,” he said. Javier Zenteno Barrios,
KENNEDY president and now he was dead. Later, we would learn that someone from my generation was the alleged shooter. In 2008, a Florida demographer dubbed those of us born between 1929 and 1945 the Lucky Few. It was an ironic description of Lee Harvey Oswald, the man at the center of the first presidential assassination in the United States since that of William McKinley in 1901. But no one thought of that then. A few classmates and I had a biology exam that afternoon to fret about. Thankfully, the professor canceled it so I left and made my way back downtown. Home could wait. What was happening in Laredo was more important. At the Laredo Times — the word “Morning’’ wouldn’t be added until the 1980s when it became an a.m. newspaper — located on Matamoros Street, across from the Post Office, things were busier than usual, an aunt who worked in the Times office would tell me later.
Drug Enforcement Task Force helmed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Laredo Police Department. “Any time that they actually do capture somebody alive, that’s when you start to tie up some of the loose ends in terms of some of these investigations that have been initiated by this joint task force that we’re a part of,” Investigator Joe Baeza, LPD spokesman, said. The DEA and LPD received assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Texas Department of Public Safety, U.S. Marshals Service, Webb County District Attorney’s Office and Webb County Sheriff ’s Office. The operation has been ongoing for approximately 10 years and targets drug cartel and narcotrafficking activity. LPD plays a crucial role as their street-level experience of the ongoings of border activity and crime proves invaluable to the federal agencies participating in the operation. “A lot of the agents who work for some of these federal agencies aren’t from Laredo … So they’re not really
Unlike today, newspapers in the 1960s didn’t have television sets scattered about the newsroom. There was no watching events unfold in real time. News from afar came in to the Times newsroom via a single teletype machine. News would dribble in bits and pieces. Bells would clang with urgency when there was a really important event, like the death of the president. The Times was an afternoon paper so most homes would have received the Friday, Nov. 22, edition by mid-afternoon, too late to make over the front page. I don’t recall if the Times printed an Extra edition and friends I spoke with don’t either. Sadly, my parents, who had subscriptions to Life, Look, and Time magazines and kept everything tied to the Kennedy assassination, did not save the Times. All the magazines, plus special editions of the San Antonio newspapers, were kept in the bottom drawer of my father’s
a legal expert on energy issues and urban infrastructure, said that since the 1990s, the country has tried reform but only until now are efforts starting to succeed. He noted that in the past, there were political barriers; however, groups wanting changes have formed a consensus concerning the need for energy reform.
Vote may happen He said that there is now a quorum for a vote in the House, and that if circumstances continue to evolve, there could be a vote for reform when the factions agree. He gave as examples
Colombia and Brazil, which have emerged as success stories, doubling production after reforms to their energy policies were made. Juan Carlos Soliz Mendoza, a member of the Mexican Bar Association, said Pemex decided to evaluate potential drilling sites over the next four years, and if it remains solely responsible for production, it would have to drill 175 wells, an investment of $3 billion. “The conclusion is obvious. Pemex cannot keep doing it alone in Mexico and needs to have access to different technology that will allow them to explore fields that do not lend themselves to tradi-
tional methods,” Soliz Mendoza said. Rogelio Montemayor, a former governor of Coahuila state and a former Pemex director, said he is convinced that reform is needed because the relationship between the federal government and oil company is not good due to debts incurred by the firm. “The exploration of shale does not require as much investment as deep sea drilling. It is an extraordinary opportunity to acquire experience in this area,” Montemayor said. Contact Malena Charur at 728-2583, or mcharur@lmtonline.com. Translated by Mark Webber of the Times staff.
Continued from Page 1A
dresser. I found them after he and mom died and I still have them. Walking further downtown that afternoon, it was apparent that people were shaken by the news and could not hide their feelings. Many wept openly. But then, Kennedy was revered by Hispanics. South Texas Democrats voted in large numbers for the young, charismatic senator from Massachusetts in 1960. They knew about his beautiful wife and two young children. And they sympathized over the death of their third child, a boy. The first Roman Catholic president in this country, thousands of Laredoans proudly displayed Kennedy’s photo in their homes. One of the largest framed photos of the 35th president I ever saw in Laredo was in the home office of Florita Calderon, a midwife who delivered more than 5,000 babies, primarily to women from Mexico. A few photos of the president could also be seen in small,
mom and pop stores. Following the sad news from Dallas, many stores closed. On one of the doors at Richter’s department store, a favorite with Laredo and Mexican shoppers, was a note saying it was closed out of respect for the slain president. Offices at City Hall, where Market Hall is now located, seemed deserted. There was no need to go up the stairs to the Laredo Public Library. Looking up from the first floor, it too appeared empty. Walking west and then south on Convent toward the bridge, fewer people were on the streets. Many of those were heading to Nuevo Laredo. To their surprise, the Laredo International Bridge, also called the Convent Street Bridge, was closed. For decades, it was the only span that connected Laredo and Nuevo Laredo until the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge was inaugurated in 1976. An earlier bridge had been flattened by the Great Flood of 1954, when the Rio
Grande swallowed up everything in its path, including homes and businesses on both sides of the border. Until the new bridge was built, drivers drove uneasily across a pontoon bridge. There was no imminent flood this time. Authorities had closed the bridge on Nov. 22 out of fears that the assassin might flee into Mexico, it was later reported. For the next three days, Laredo, like most of the country, followed events on television. Two days after Kennedy died, accused assassin Oswald was shot on live television. There would be more indelible images of a funeral much like that of Abraham Lincoln’s nearly 100 years earlier. Who can forget the riderless horse or the horse-drawn caisson or the president’s two-yearold son in a blue coat saluting his coffin outside St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington. A half century later, those poignant memories remain unforgettable.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2013
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2013
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS: ZAPATA LADY HAWKS
District MVP Zapata’s Gutierrez, others earn awards By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
Courtesy photo
Colleagues selected Zapata head coach Rosie Villarreal as the district’s Coach of the Year after she led the Lady Hawks to the 31-3A title.
The volleyball season is officially in the books and the District 31-3A coaches announced the all-district awards earlier this week. Zapata was crowned the District 31-3A champion for the fourth year in a row and has now won six titles in nine years. Kingsville and Lyford finished second and third, respectively,
while Raymondville came in at fourth. Zapata senior setter Gabriella Gutierrez was named Most Valuable Player while sophomore Cassandra Garcia earned Newcomer of the Year. "I am very proud of both of them," Zapata coach Rosie Villarreal said. "Gaby did a great job getting after the ball as a setter and sometimes as a hitter. Gaby along with (Clarissa Villarreal) did a great job as cap-
tains. It is rare that a setter gets MVP. “Cassy did a heck of a job as a first year varsity player. She lead the team in kills and blocks. She was determined to get better on her hitting and did great." Lyford junior Miranda Ramirez and Raymondville sophomore Natalie Janes were named Co-Offensive Player of the Year.
See ZAPATA PAGE 2B
NFL: DALLAS COWBOYS
NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS A&M AGGIES
BAYOU SHOWDOWN Photo by Dave Martin | AP
Dallas quarterback Tony Romo and the Cowboys could get back into a first place tie with the Eagles with a win over the Giants Sunday.
Cowboys eye first place By TOM CANAVAN ASSOCIATED PRESS Photo by Bob Levey | AP
Johnny Manziel’s days in an Aggies uniform may be numbered, but he’ll try to keep Texas A&M’s three-game winning streak alive Saturday at Tiger Stadium.
Manziel, Aggies visit No. 18 LSU By BRETT MARTEL ASSOCIATED PRESS
BATON ROUGE, La. — Another season filled with memorable scrambles, long touchdown throws and gaudy statistics has Johnny Manziel in contention for a
second straight Heisman Trophy. It could come down to how well Manziel plays in two tough road games at the end of the regular season, starting this Saturday with Texas A&M’s visit to LSU’s Tiger Stadium.
“Performances by our complete team and by him to close out the season are going to have a lot to say about awards for all kinds of folks and where we’re going to be in the bowl conversation,” Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Playing a meaningful NFC East game in the second half of the season is nothing new for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.
It happens annually. Two years ago, the teams met on the final weekend of the season for the division title. The Giants won and it fueled a Super Bowl charge. The difference this year
See COWBOYS PAGE 2B
surmised this week. The final two weeks will say a lot about how good the Aggies (8-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) really are. After visiting LSU (7-3, 3-3), which is 5-0 in Death
See TEXAS A&M PAGE 2B
Baylor looks to stay perfect ASSOCIATED PRESS
STILLWATER, Okla. — The Big 12 Conference championship will be at stake when No. 3 Baylor visits No. 11 Oklahoma State on Saturday. The Bears (9-0, 6-0 Big 12), powered by the nation’s most dynamic offense, will try to claim the school’s first Big 12 title and first nonshared conference championship since winning the old Southwest Conference back in 1980. They’re also maintaining hopes of landing a spot in the BCS national championship contest. For Oklahoma State (9-1, 6-1), having the opportunity to contend for the Big 12 title seemed improbable after a 30-21 loss at West Virginia on
Photo by Jason Fochtman | AP
Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt and the Texans are desperate for anything to lift them from an eight-game losing streak.
Texans try to reset vs. Jags By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by LM Otero | AP
Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty leads one of the nation’s most potent offensive attacks, but Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy said he’s most concerned about the Bears’ defense. Sept. 28. But the Cowboys, after changing their quarterback and
primary running back, have won six straight, including last week’s 38-
See BAYLOR PAGE 2B
HOUSTON — Houston defensive end J.J. Watt shook his head and scoffed when asked if it will be difficult to get motivated to play the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Despite preseason expectations, the Texans are in no position to take anyone lightly. They enter this weekend’s game desperate to break a franchise-record eight-game skid.
"We’re doing everything we can to try and get this thing on the right track," Watt said. "Obviously, everybody is frustrated, but frustration isn’t going to help us. We’re not going to get anywhere by packing it in and we’re not going to get anywhere by being down in the dumps. All you can do is put in the work to find a way to win." Houston (2-8) and Jacksonville (1-9) have the two
See TEXANS PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
ZAPATA Continued from Page 1B Defensive Player of the Year honors went to Lyford senior Roxie Lopez. Zapata coach Rosie Villarreal was selected as Coach of the Year for guiding Zapata to another district title. The first team All-District consists of Kingsville seniors Celeste Flores and Kristi Rangel, Rio Grande City La Grulla senior Danielle Galvan, Lyford seniors Jackie Barrera and Danielle Gonzales, Raymondville junior Jazzleen Barraza and Zapata senior Clarissa Villarreal. Second team honors went to Kingsville junior Jennifer Rivas and senior Jaymee Garcia, Rio Grande City La Grulla seniors Cecilia Salinas and Veronica Escott, Lyford junior Rebekah Perez, Raymondville junior Aritza Garcia, Zapata sophomore Tere Villarreal and juniors Isela Gonzalez and Alexandra Garcia. Honorable Mention hon-
ors went to Kingsville seniors Miranda Salinas and Moniquita Sandoval and junior Lexi Hernandez, Rio Grande City La Grulla sophomores Evelyn Zarate and Erika Salinas, junior Alexia Andrade and senior Marisol Garza; Lyford sophomore Bailey Scogins, juniors Skylar Villarreal and Miranda Martinez and senior Ana Bennack; Raymondville junior Camille Kafka, seniors Brandie Gonzales, Rosie Saucedo, Vanessa Torres and Sonya Hernandez; Zapata sophomores Alexis Alvarez and Roxy Galvan, seniors Valerie Gutierrez and Secilia Mata. Zapata’s Alexis Alvarez, Roxy Galvan, Alex Garcia, Cassy Garcia, Lily Garza, Isela Gonzalez, Gabriella Gutierrez, Selissa Lopez, Secilia Mata, Clari Villarreal and Tere Villarreal also earned a spot on the AllAcademic team. E-mail: sandoval.clara@gmail.com
BAYLOR Continued from Page 1B
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2013
TEXAS A&M Continued from Page 1B Valley, Manziel and Co. travel to SEC East-leading Missouri. No. 9 Texas A&M and No. 18 LSU are already out of the SEC championship picture, but retain goals of double-digit victories and significant bowl bids — the hallmarks of elite programs. Sumlin, who has never coached at Tiger Stadium, recalled seeing LSU coach Les Miles on television after big home victories, saying that Death Valley is the place where opponents’ “dreams come to die.” “We’re trying to keep our dreams alive,” Sumlin said. The Tigers are trying to help Miles become the first LSU coach to have four straight 10-win seasons, which can be accomplished with victories over A&M this week, Arkansas next week, and a bowl opponent after that. “If we get 10 wins it will be a successful season,” running back Jeremy Hill said. “We’re still motivated. ... I’m sure if we win these next two games there will be a bowl that we can get pretty excited for.” Here are five things to watch for when Texas A&M plays at LSU: NO COMPARISON While the matchup features two of the top three quarterbacks in the SEC, LSU’s Zach Mettenberger scoffs at the notion that he’d try to measure himself against Manziel. “Yeah, I’m going to compare myself to a guy who’s 6-foot and runs a 4.3 (40-yard dash),” the 6-5 Mettenberger said sarcastically. “I mean, he does a lot of things I could never dream of doing and I think I can do some things he couldn’t do.” Mettenberger is the SEC’s third-leading passer with 2,733 yards and 20 TDs. Manziel ranks first with 3,313 yards and 31 TDs. He also has rushed for 611 yards and eight TDs. ROAD SWEET ROAD The Aggies take a 10-game road winning streak into Saturday’s game. It is the second-longest in school history and the longest since they won 11 in a row in 1939-
Photo by Dave Martin | AP
LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger laughed at comparisons to Johnny Manziel, but his 2,733 passing yards rank third in the SEC. 40. The Aggies haven’t lost on the road since a four-overtime, 53-50 defeat at Kansas State on Nov. 12, 2011. Sumlin hasn’t lost on the road in 15 games, having won his last five road games as Houston’s coach before taking over at A&M. “It’s all about preparation,” offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi said. “Knowing that where we go, it’s going to be loud, so stay focused on the task at hand and win the day. It’s more fun to quiet the crowd. That’s the challenge.” BILETNIKOFF CANDIDATES The Aggies and Tigers each field a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the top college receiver in the nation. For A&M, it’s Mike Evans, who leads the league with 1,263 yards and 12 TDs. For LSU, it’s Odell Beckham Jr., who
has 1,051 yards and eight TDs. WHAT A START Texas A&M has made a habit of starting fast under Sumlin. The Aggies have scored at least nine points in the first quarter of nine straight games and have scored first in 22 of 23 games. They’ve also scored on their first offensive series in 18 of 23 games, with 17 touchdowns. SHOOTOUT? LSU ranks a respectable fourth in total defense, allowing 353.7 yards per game, while Texas A&M ranks last, yielding 454.4. But LSU’s inexperienced defense has struggled against some of the SEC’s most explosive offenses, giving up 525 yards to Mississippi and 494 to Georgia. So the potential for a high-scoring game exists.
TEXANS Continued from Page 1B
Photo by Michael Thomas | AP
Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert has a conference-leading six interceptions and has taken two back for touchdowns. 13 rout over then-No. 23 Texas. Now each school will play its biggest game of the season in the national spotlight. “Stuff doesn’t always work out for you, and you’ve got to be able to play through the adversity,” said Oklahoma State offensive lineman Parker Graham. “What happened with us against West Virginia, we could have gone down and lost a couple more games, but we decided as a team to push ourselves through it and that’s what’s gotten us here.” Baylor will face TCU and Texas after this weekend. “We’ve got to play real clean and we’ve got to be real sharp with our focus,” said Bears coach Art Briles, whose squad attempts to snap a 10-game losing streak in Stillwater. “I think we’re going in there without question a more mature football team than any other time.” Five things to watch on Saturday: OUT IN FRONT Baylor has scored first in seven of its nine games and has outscored opponents in the first quarter by a combined margin of 191-40. Overall, the Bears have trailed for just 17:11 combined all season, including the season-high 10:58 during last week’s 6334 win over Texas Tech. CHELF IN CHARGE Cowboys QB Clint Chelf has improved every game since replacing J.W. Walsh on Oct. 19, with his best performance coming last week at Texas when he completed 16 of 22 passes for 197 yards and two
touchdowns, while also rushing for 95 yards and two scores on just 10 carries. “If Clint needs to throw the ball or run the ball, we have confidence that he can do both,” said WR Charlie Moore. UNSUNG HEROES The overwhelming success of Baylor’s offense has overshadowed just how impressive its defense has played this year, ranking seventh in the country in allowing 17.4 points per game and fourth in average yards per play (4.22). “The biggest concern for us is their defense,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said. “They’ve got several guys who can play in the NFL, in our opinion.” RETURN TO SENDER Oklahoma State senior CB Justin Gilbert is a threat whenever he gets his hands on the ball, having returned two of his conference-leading six interceptions for touchdowns this season, as well as a 100-yard kickoff return. To win, the Cowboys will probably need at least one non-offensive touchdown. DEPTH CHARGE Baylor has relied upon its strong depth after losing injured RB Lache Seastrunk, who ranks second in the nation with 8.7 yards per carry and leads the Big 12 with 11 rushing touchdowns, and WR Tevin Reese, who leads the nation with 25 yards per catch. In larger roles last week against Texas Tech, freshman Shock Linwood rushed for 187 yards and a touchdown, and junior Levi Norwood had seven receptions for 156 yards and two scores.
worst records in the AFC and are taking up the bottom spots in the AFC South. The difference between the two squads is no one really expected the Jaguars to do much this year, while the Texans were predicted to contend for a Super Bowl. Watt said that doesn’t change the way he feels about this season. "To me, it doesn’t matter what expectations are," he said. "I can’t stand losing either way. Whether people predicted us to be high, predicted us to be low, I can’t stand losing one time. I definitely can’t stand losing eight times in a row." The Jaguars, who picked up their only win two weeks ago against Tennessee, figure the Texans will get things together eventually. Their fingers are crossed it isn’t this week. "They just haven’t clicked yet and maybe this is the week that they click, hopefully not," Jacksonville quarterback Chad Henne said. "Hopefully we get an opportunity to play well against them, but teams are going to have their issues." Five things to know about the Jaguars-Texans game: JOHNSON VS. JAGS Houston receiver Andre Johnson
had the best game of his career in his last meeting with the Jaguars. Johnson grabbed 14 receptions for 273 yards, both career highs, in Houston’s 43-37 overtime win last season. Johnson is having another solid season despite Houston’s struggles and is fourth in the NFL with 966 yards receiving. GETTING SHORTED? Jacksonville receiver Cecil Shorts was unhappy after being targeted just five times in the team’s last loss, and said he thought more balls should come his way. Shorts leads the Jaguars with 629 yards receiving this season. Henne said they discussed the situation and that Shorts "understands where we’re coming from." "Cec has never come up to me and said anything bad or why am I not getting the ball? We addressed all of that the last couple of days," Henne said. "Cec has always been a team player and to hear a comment like that, we addressed it. Everything is fine." SECOND-HALF WOES The Texans have led at halftime in each of their last three games, only to be outscored a combined 51-16 in
the second half and lose all three. Guard Wade Smith said if he knew why they have struggled so much in the second half he would have told the guys and they would have gotten it turned around. "We’ve made a concerted effort to try and come out there and do better in the second half," he said. "Bottom line, we haven’t been executing, especially in the third quarter. When you don’t execute in this league you won’t be successful." ON THE CASE Coach Gary Kubiak decided to stick with Case Keenum as his starting quarterback despite benching him in the third quarter of Houston’s loss to the Raiders. Kubiak said he pulled Keenum, who spent last season on the practice squad, because he didn’t want to put the undrafted free agent in a bad situation that could hurt his development. Kubiak said he has complete confidence in Keenum, who was a recordsetting quarterback at the University of Houston. Keenum has thrown for 992 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception in four starts since taking over for veteran Matt Schaub.
COWBOYS Continued from Page 1B is the game is before Thanksgiving. It has the potential to get the Cowboys (5-5) back into a tie for first place with idle Philadelphia, and to end the Giants’ bid to get back into contention after losing their first six games. Make no mistake, this is a must win for the Giants (4-6), who are trying to become only the second NFL team to lose the first six and win the next five. Tennessee did it in 2009 en route to an 8-8 record. The Cowboys returned two of six takeaways for touchdowns in the season opener, a 36-31 win. If Dallas sweeps the series Sunday at MetLife Stadium, it would have a two-game lead over New York and the head-tohead tiebreaker with five to go. The Giants’ chances of winning the division would be slim if they lose, and seven losses might not be good enough to make the playoffs as a wild card. While a loss would not eliminate the Giants from postseason contention, defensive end Justin Tuck says the team understands the situation. “Instead of us digging ourselves out of a hole there, if we lose this football game, it’s more like them throwing dirt on it,” Tuck said. “Mathematically is would not put us out of it, but we are looking at it as a must win.” The Cowboys come off a much-needed bye week. They were crushed by New Orleans 49-17 before the bye when the Saints had an NFL-record 40 first downs. “I think in the NFL you’ve got to be able to put the last game behind you, win or lose, no matter what happens, and go get the next one, and that’s our approach,” said Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who has 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. One thing the Cowboys won’t have to worry about is their coach. Owner Jerry Jones said Jason Garrett will return next season. “I’m disappointed we don’t have a better record, but he has got us in position to win the division and got a
team here I firmly believe has the ability to be one of the better-playing teams at the end,” Jones said. Dallas will face a somewhat new-look Giants, especially on defense. The unit has given up two touchdowns in the current winning streak, the first on a 5-yard drive by Oakland after it forced a fumble on the opening kickoff. While the Giants haven’t had a breakout game on offense, they are playing better. Eli Manning has had two interceptions in the winning streak after throwing 15 in the first six games. The line has stabilized and the return of Andre Brown from a broken leg two weeks ago has the running game in gear. Here are five things to watch when the Cowboys visit the site of this season’s Super Bowl: SPECIAL TEAMS MISMATCH Dwayne Harris of the Cowboys ranks second with return averages of 32.3 yards on kickoffs and 15.1 on punts. The Giants have struggled in both areas, allowing three punt returns for TDs and several long runbacks on kickoffs. ROMO’S ROUGH ROAD While Manning is trending upward, Romo is headed in the opposite direction. He completed less than 50 percent of his passes in two of the past three games after he hadn’t been that low since 2009. Before getting just 193 yards against the Saints, the Cowboys only once failed to gain 200 yards in a Romo start. GETTING HEALTHY Dallas is still without linebackers Sean Lee and Justin Durant because of injured hamstrings. However, safety J.J. Wilcox (three games, knee), receiver Miles Austin (three games, hamstring) and cornerback Morris Claiborne (two games, hamstring) are expected back. Pass rushing star DeMarcus Ware (thigh) says he’s going to play.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2013
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
HINTS | BY HELOISE CAP SCRATCH FEVER Dear Heloise: I wanted to share a hint for those who have cats. Even though my cat is declawed (front paws only), she would SCRATCH UP some of my furniture with her back claws. One of the technicians at the veterinary office told me that there is a product that can be placed over the nail to eliminate the problem. It is a soft nail cap that is glued on to the cat’s nails. They can last up to six weeks, and cats usually don’t have a problem with them. It is an easy solution for those who are having problems or don’t want to have their cats declawed. — S.L. in San Antonio Great idea! You usually can purchase these at a petsupply store. If you can’t do them at home, check with your vet, who may be able to do it for a small fee. — Heloise PET PAL Dear Readers: Taley A. in San Antonio sent in a picture of her toy poodle, Coco, playing in her gym bag. Taley says that Coco is
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HELOISE
a sweet puppy who loves to go to the beach and snuggle. To see Coco’s picture, go to my website, www.Heloise.com, and click on “Pets.” — Heloise BUTTON BONANZA Dear Heloise: Recently, the button on my favorite pair of jeans fell off. My creative and crafty friend had the idea to sew a new button on. We went to a crafts store and picked out the cutest button, and in minutes a new button was sewed on. Now I sew new, individualized buttons on most of my jeans. Be careful not to buy too big of a button, though, because the jean loop still needs to fit around the button. — Corrie C. in Minnesota P.S.: Visit my website, www.Heloise.com, for links to my Facebook and Twitter pages — hints, fun facts and more! Come see what’s happening!
DENNIS THE MENACE
FAMILY CIRCUS
PEANUTS
GARFIELD
DAILY CRYPTOQUOTES — Here’s how to work it:
DILBERT
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4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2013
Houston tries to break recent skid By JEREMY RAKES ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — After consecutive losses against nationally-ranked Central Florida and Louisville, the Houston Cougars will try to end their skid against another team fighting for the American Athletic Conference title in the Cincinnati Bearcats. Cincinnati enters Saturday’s matchup with the Cougars on a five-game winning streak. Despite the consecutive losses, which has dropped the Cougars to fourth in the league, the Cougars’ goals haven’t changed. “We’ve talked about regardless of what’s taken place in the past, win or lose, and regardless of what’s beyond our next opponent, none of that matters,” coach Tony Levine said. “We’re trying our best to win a football game this week, then we’ll do the same next week and see where we’re at after that.”
Houston has scored 27 points in the last two games after scoring 30 or more points in six of its first eight. The Cougars for the third straight game will play a defense that’s in the top 20 in points allowed. “We’re just trying to move the chains when we’re efficient at first down, so that’s something we’re going to focus more on this week because I thought that was a big negative for us against Louisville,” Levine said. Five things to know about the CincinnatiHouston game: TRICKY TOMMY Tommy Tuberville has started emptying his bag of trick plays. The Bearcats have recovered an onside kick in each of the last two games. During a 52-17 win at Rutgers on Saturday, they recovered an onside kick, got a first down off a fake punt and ran several reverses. On one reverse, receiver Shaq Washington threw a 28-yard touchdown
Photo by Mel Evans | AP
Houston receiver Deontay Greenberry is questionable for Saturday’s game after suffering a concussion in last week’s loss. pass to receiver Chris Moore. Will they keep it going against Houston? “As long as we have excitement on the sidelines and we’re having fun, we’ll keep doing those things,” Tuberville said. “I always go into the games with a
couple of things that we can possibly try, but you have to execute them and our guys did an excellent job of executing. These aren’t things we just thought about running. We’ve been practicing them all year long, and this was just the perfect time
and the perfect situation.” TAKING IT AWAY Houston has been controlling the turnover margin this season, leading the nation with a margin of plus-22. Houston safety Trevon Stewart leads the nation with a combined nine turnovers — four interceptions and five fumble recoveries. The Cougars had forced multiple turnovers in 17 straight games until forcing just one against Louisville last week. The 33 turnovers have led to 110 points. BEARCATS’ SURGE Cincinnati has won five in a row, playing its best football as the season winds down. Their defense is ranked eighth in the BCS in yards allowed. Sixth-year senior quarterback Brendon Kay leads an offense that has thrived in the last five games. “We’ve always had a strong bond on the team as a whole,” Kay said. “I think everything we’ve gone through this year, and as
tough as it’s been, I think it’s brought us closer in a lot of ways. But overall the team camaraderie has been really high. Winning does a lot of that, too.” GREENBERRY INJURED Houston wide receiver Deontay Greenberry is questionable for Saturday’s game after the sophomore sustained a concussion in the first quarter last week. Greenberry has 70 catches for 1,042 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Levine said he was feeling good on Tuesday, but that he wouldn’t know if he could play until later this week. ACCURATE QB Kay has been a key to Cincinnati’s recent success. He was 24 of 38 for a careerhigh 405 yards and four touchdowns against Rutgers, the third time he’s thrown four TD passes this season. Since the Bearcats went to a spread offense, Kay has completed 76 percent of his throws for 1,740 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Texans’ scuffle nothing new By ARNIE STAPLETON ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Ricky Moon | AP
SMU receiver Jeremy Johnson has been quarterback Garrett Gilbert’s favorite target with 87 receptions for 925 yards and six touchdowns. Receiver Darius Joseph also has 79 catches for 895 yards.
SMU faces sliding USF By FRED GOODALL ASSOCIATED PRESS
TAMPA, Fla. — Willie Taggart isn’t conceding anything in his effort to turn South Florida’s struggling football program into a winner, including what’s left of a disappointing first season on the job. The Bulls (2-7, 2-3) have lost three straight heading into Saturday night’s game against SMU and already are assured of finishing the year with a losing record. True freshman Mike White will make his third start against the Mustangs (4-5, 3-2) as Taggart continues to look for a spark on offense, however he’s not considering making wholesale changes over the final three games to get a headstart on next season. “This year is not over. That wouldn’t be fair to this football team. These guys have worked very hard and done everything we’ve asked of them,” Taggart said. “It’s only right that we go and do everything in our power to right the ship. We’ve got three opportunities left,” the coach added. “It’s on all of us to do whatever it takes to win ballgames ... and make it right
for this football program.” SMU has won three of its past four and can become bowl eligible by winning two of its remaining three games, however that won’t be easy. After facing USF, the Mustangs travel to Houston before finishing up at home against American Athletic Conference leader Central Florida. Five things to watch as USF attempts to end its three-game skid and SMU seeks its fourth conference victory. INEXPERIENCED QB White played well in his first college start at Houston, however he struggled last week at home during a 23-10 loss to Memphis, finishing with four interceptions. Jones is impressed with what he’s seen of the freshman on film and doesn’t believe White necessarily took a step backward in his development last week. “It probably had more to do with Memphis’ defensive personnel,” the SMU coach said. PROLIFIC OFFENSE SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert leads the nation in total offense at 405.7 yards per game. He’s been even more productive lately, averaging 459 yards over
his last five game, including 420 passing, with 17 touchdowns and just one interception. Overall, Gilbert’s completed a schoolrecord 316 passes for 3,390 yards, 21 TDs and six interceptions this season. CAN THEY SCORE ENOUGH In addition to being last in the AAC in total offense, averaging 263.7 yards per game, USF is last in scoring offense at just under 15 points per game. Taggart remains confident the Bulls aren’t far from demonstrating they’re capable of moving the ball consistently and getting into the end zone. His optimism is based on what he’s seen in practice. “That’s why I’m not real bent out of shape. I know they can do it,” Taggart said. “It’s just a matter of getting out of our own way and stop hurting ourselves (with mistakes) and making it happen.” PLAYMAKERS GALORE WR Jeremy Johnson has 87 receptions for 925 yards and six touchdowns, however he’s far from the only option Gilbert has when SMU throws the ball. WR Darius Joseph has 79 catches for 691 yards and five TDs, and WR Keenan Holman has 57 receptions for 895 yards and a team-high eight TDs.
Meltdowns are as much a part of the NFL sidelines as cheerleaders and firstdown markers. It seems every week a receiver retreats to the bench yelling at his quarterback, who usually barks right back. Last weekend it was Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub screaming at each other. Sometimes it’s players directing their anger at their coaches or even coaches throw barbs — or in Buddy Ryan’s case, a right jab — at a fellow coach. Even superstars aren’t immune from the emotions of the game. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, who meet up for the 14th time Sunday, have had their famous fits, Manning with center Jeff Saturday and Brady with offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. Here are six of the most celebrated sideline scuffles in NFL history: MAD MANNING During the Colts’ run to Super Bowl in 2005, a request to “run the damn ball” by center Jeff Saturday after three straight incomplete passes by Manning against the Rams pushed the perfectionist passer over the edge. Manning jumped off the bench and began screaming at his center, “Hey, quit calling the (expletive) plays, all right?” They later hugged it out, and like most fights, they also kept the fallout in-house. Only, Manning was miked up for this particular game, informing Dallas Clark and Brandon Stokley moments after his
Photo by Morry Gash | AP
Texans’ quarterback Matt Schaub recently got into a heated sideline argument with his top receiver, Andre Johnson. blowup that his heated exchange would make for good TV, and sure enough, it became an instant, infamous classic. COACHES CLASH The most famous fight at the Houston Astrodome wasn’t Muhammad Ali’s bout against Cleveland Williams in November 1966 but Ryan’s bout with Kevin Gilbride on Jan. 2, 1994. It was late in the first half of Houston’s 24-0 victory over the New York Jets when Ryan, the Oilers’ defensive coordinator, took a swing at Gilbride, the Oilers’ offensive coordinator. Ryan was 59 at the time, Gilbride was 42. Ryan threw a right-handed punch at his head. Players had to jump in and pull the two apart. Two days later, Ryan said that Gilbride would be “selling in-
surance in two years.” DOUBLING DOWN They do things bigger in Texas, including sideline snits. Dez Bryant overshadowed Calvin Johnson’s 329-yard day last October with a pair of tantrums. First, Bryant lost his cool by interrupting a sideline chat between Tony Romo and QB coach Wade Wilson with coach Jason Garrett and receivers coach Derek Doley trying unsuccessfully to act as peacemakers. Then, Bryant and Jason Witten got into it with the offense waiting to go back on the field after Detroit’s goahead score with 12 seconds left. Owner Jerry Jones had Bryant’s back, saying he’s a “very passionate player” who’s “bought enough slack with me.”
Ming enjoys new life in retirement By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — Yao Ming wears a variety of different hats since hanging up his size 18 shoes and retiring from the NBA in 2011. There’s the stressed out and probably overzealous Yao, owner of the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball League. "I don’t want to talk about it because we just lost this morning," Yao grumbles shaking his head in his hands. There’s the 33-year old college sophomore Yao who feels out of place in a classroom full of students 12-15 years younger than he is. And there’s the chilled out and introspective Yao, owner of a Napa Valley wine company, Yao Family Wines. The most successful Chinese player in NBA history
certainly hasn’t used his retirement as a time to slow down — though he does like the wine business. "This is a lifestyle," he said in between sips of his $170 YaoMing cabernet sauvignon. "It’s about friends chatting with each other, shared experiences and you need a (medium) to put everybody together. And red wine is something you can enjoy with your friends." "Then sometimes on a peaceful afternoon you can sit right next to your window and read a book, listen to some soft music and drink a glass of wine." Yao worked closely with winemaker Tom Hinde on the brand being sold in China and the United States. Yao was intimately involved because he didn’t want his name on something that wasn’t up to his standards. He knows that some will buy the wine
File photo by Eugene Hoshiko | AP
Former Rockets center Yao Ming retired in 2011 and now spends his time as a student and owner of a Chinese basketball team. simply because it bears his name, but he wanted it to have value for reasons apart from his fame. Yao developed a taste for red wine enjoying big Texas steaks with his teammates while playing for the Houston Rockets, and he started learning more
about it from teammate Dikembe Mutombo. He released the YaoMing cabernet and the $625 YaoMing Family reserve, also a cabernet sauvignon, in 2011. This year, he’s launched a more reasonably priced wine with his $48 Napa Crest, a Bordeaux-style red
blend. Wine consumers in China haven’t yet warmed up to white wine, so Yao only makes red for now. On a recent Friday afternoon at a posh restaurant in downtown Houston, Yao nibbled on a Caesar salad and admitted he was playing hooky from classes at the prestigious Shanghai Jiao Tong University for a trip to the United States to promote his wine. He received permission from his professors to miss a week, but he’s still responsible for homework that will be due as soon as he returns. Yao is about two years away from graduating with a degree in economics and management. Becoming an undergrad as a 30-something multimillionaire may seem odd to some, but it’s part of a promise he made years ago. When he signed his first basketball contract
with the Sharks at age 17, he guaranteed his parents he’d return to school when his basketball career was done. The university is about an hour drive from his home, so he looked into staying on campus during the week to avoid the commute. But the on-campus housing didn’t have any beds large enough to accommodate his 7-foot-6 frame. So he leaves at 6 a.m. each morning with a sack lunch made by his wife and tries to blend in with the masses. He causes a stir at the start of each term before his classmates settle down and treat him like any other student. Already feeling uncomfortable because of his age, Yao said he had an awkward moment recently when one of his professors turned out to be a high school classmate.