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MEXICAN BORDER
Immigration overload Gov. extends National Guard stay By PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Eric Gay | AP file
In this Feb. 24 file photo, members of the National Guard patrol along the Rio Grande at the TexasMexico border, in Rio Grande City, Texas.
AUSTIN, Texas — Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ordered Texas National Guard troops on Tuesday to remain at the Mexico border,
extending once again a mission that began in 2014 when unaccompanied children started pouring into the country and that will now continue due to another wave of arrivals. As many as 1,000 armed
troops patrolled the Rio Grande Valley at the height of what the White House once called a “humanitarian crisis” of children showing up at the Texas border.
See IMMIGRATION PAGE 11A
OIL & GAS
WIND FARMS
Tender to purchase crude oil
TURBINES IN TEXAS
Pemex said to be planning a tender to buy light, U.S. crude By SHEELA TOBBEN BLOOMBERG NEWS
Mexico’s oil-trading arm PMI is said to be planning a tender to buy light, sweet U.S. crude in what may be the first shipment under a four-month-old swap agreement between the two countries. Pemex wants to acquire U.S. grades including West Texas Intermediate, West Texas Sour, Mars, Bakken and Light Louisiana Sweet for a test run into the Mexican refining system, according to a document requesting information from potential crude sellers obtained by Bloomberg. Word of this tender is not surprising. It was to be expected, given that they have the permit and swaps approvals in place, John Auers, executive vice president at Turner Mason & Co. in Dallas, said in a phone interview. The U.S. in August agreed to allow up to 100,000 barrels a day of light oil and condensate to be exchanged for heavy Mexican crude, according to a statement from Petroleos Mexicanos, Mexico’s state-owned oil company and PMI’s parent. It was the first time in 40 years that the U.S. had given broad approval to export its crude to a country other than Canada. Pemex plans to import as much as 75,000 barrels a day of U.S. crude in 2016, which will help Mexico’s refineries produce cleaner fuels, according to an Oct. 28 company statement. Auers said he expected the oil to come from the Permian Basin or the Eagle Ford formation in Texas. Pemex’s media department didn’t immediately respond to e- mails and calls for comment.
Photo by Rodger Mallison/Star-Telegram | AP
Jimmy Horn talks about wind farms near turbines on his ranch in a Dec. 9, 2015 photo, in Windthorst, Texas. His company, Horn Wind Energy, helped develop the new 119-turbine, 204-megawatt Shannon Wind Farm, now operated and partly owned by Alterra Power Corp. of Canada.
Critics concerned about planned wind farms By BILL HANNA FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
HENRIETTA, Texas — The residents of Clay County gained national attention over the summer when it was announced the county’s new Shannon Wind Farm would power Facebook’s new billiondollar Fort Worth data center
100 miles to the southeast. Last July, Clay County Judge Kenneth Liggett told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that residents overwhelmingly supported the new wind farm near Windthorst, saying: “99 percent of folks like it. One or two don’t.” The Star-Telegram reports five months later, he said
that’s no longer the case. “It has been diminished a bunch by the actions of this group,” Liggett said. That group, Clay County Against Wind Farms, has been having meetings to raise awareness about two new proposed wind farms in the county just east of Wichita Falls. With an estimated popula-
tion of 10,370, Clay County maintains a rural feel, and rancher Forrest Baldwin wants to keep it that way. “What we’re trying to do is get folks that might be interested in wind turbines to stop and think about it a little bit,” said Baldwin, whose family
See FARMS PAGE 11A
OBITUARY
Congressman’s mother passes away THE ZAPATA TIMES
Congressman Henry Cuellar, D-Zapata, suffered the loss of his mother on Tuesday morning. Odilia P. Cuellar was 87 years old and died in San Antonio, according to Joe Jackson Funeral Chapels in Laredo. The Zapata native was born June 2, 1928 to parents Enrique Perez Torres and Elisa Reyes Sanchez. The family moved to Tamaulipas when Odilia
Cuellar was a girl, where she met her husband Martin. They moved to Laredo after they married but traveled as migrant farmers for years. They eventually settled in the city permanently when Henry was 3. In a 2014 Houston Chronicle profile on Congressman Cuellar, he recalls how his mother, who did not speak English, encouraged her children in school.
“My mom was all about studying. ‘Study, study, study,’” he said. “She H. CUELLAR would make sure we sat down to do our homework right away, and didn’t get up until it was done.” Odilia and Martin had
eight children, Henry the oldest. Her son Martin is the O. CUELLAR Webb County sheriff, and her daughter Rosie is a municipal judge in Laredo. She is survived by her husband, Martin Siller
Cuellar; children, Henry (Imelda) Cuellar, Carlos (Laura) Cuellar, Martin (Veronica) Cuellar, Tony Cuellar, Jorge (Monica) Cuellar, Odilia Cuellar, Rosie Cuellar, Manuel “Meme” (Diana) Cuellar; 18 grandchildren; 8 greatgrandchildren; sister, Rosita Perez; as well as a great number of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. The family will receive condolences on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015 at Joe Jack-
son North Funeral Chapels, 1410 Jacaman Rd., in Laredo, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a Vigil for the Deceased and Rosary to be recited at 7 p.m. The procession will depart the funeral home at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 18, 2015 for a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 555 E. Del Mar Blvd., at 10 a.m. Rite of Committal and Interment will follow to the family plot at the Calvary Catholic Cemetery.
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
Thursday, December 17
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Grey Santa Toy Drive at Laredo International Airport, 5210 Bob Bullock Loop. Toys can be dropped off until Jan. 31. Spanish Book Club. From 6-8 p.m. Laredo Public Library-Calton. For more info please contact Sylvia Reash at 763-1810. Knitting Class at the Barbara Fasken Branch Library, 15201 Cerralvo Drive, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Bring your needles, hooks and yarn to a free knitting class. All ages welcome. Thursday Workouts at LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Participate in yoga, boot camp, kickboxing and body pump. Adults are welcome to participate in this free program. Call 7952400 x2520 for more information. Basic English Conversation Class at LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Have fun picking up common phrases for everyday situations. Students are required to have a basic understanding of English. No registration required.
Today is Wednesday, Dec. 16, the 350th day of 2015. There are 15 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Dec. 16, 1773, the Boston Tea Party took place as American colonists boarded a British ship and dumped more than 300 chests of tea into Boston Harbor to protest tea taxes. On this date: In 1809, the French Senate granted a divorce decree to Emperor Napoleon I and Empress Josephine (the dissolution was made final the following month). In 1811, the first of the powerful New Madrid earthquakes struck the central Mississippi Valley with an estimated magnitude of 7.7. In 1907, 16 U.S. Navy battleships, which came to be known as the “Great White Fleet,” set sail on a 14-month round-the-world voyage to demonstrate American sea power. In 1930, golfer Bobby Jones became the first recipient of the James E. Sullivan Award honoring outstanding amateur athletes. In 1944, the World War II Battle of the Bulge began as German forces launched a surprise attack against Allied forces through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium and Luxembourg (the Allies were eventually able to turn the Germans back). In 1950, President Harry S. Truman proclaimed a national state of emergency in order to fight “world conquest by Communist imperialism.” In 1960, 134 people were killed when a United Air Lines DC-8 and a TWA Super Constellation collided over New York City. Ten years ago: In a stinging defeat for President George W. Bush, Senate Democrats blocked passage of a new Patriot Act to combat terrorism at home. (The result was a revised Patriot Act signed by Bush in March 2006.) Five years ago: The House joined the Senate in passing a massive bipartisan tax package preventing a big New Year’s Day tax hike for millions of Americans. Today’s Birthdays: Civil rights attorney Morris Dees is 79. Actress Joyce Bulifant is 78. Actress Liv Ullmann is 77. CBS news correspondent Lesley Stahl is 74. TV producer Steven Bochco is 72. Former Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons is 71. Pop musician Tony Hicks (The Hollies) is 70. Pop singer Benny Andersson (ABBA) is 69. Actor Ben Cross is 68. Rock singer-musician Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) is 66. Rock musician Bill Bateman (The Blasters) is 64. Actor Xander Berkeley is 60. Actress Alison LaPlaca is 56. Actor Sam Robards is 54. Actor Jon Tenney is 54. Actor Benjamin Bratt is 52. Country singer-songwriter Jeff Carson is 52. Actor-comedian JB Smoove is 50. Actor Daniel Cosgrove is 45. Rhythm-andblues singer Michael McCary is 44. Actor Jonathan Scarfe is 40. Actress Krysten Ritter is 34. Actress Zoe Jarman is 33. Country musician Chris Scruggs is 33. Actor Theo James is 31. Actress Amanda Setton is 30. Rock musician Dave Rublin is 29. Thought for Today: “It’s discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.” — Sir Noel Coward, English actor, playwright, composer (born this date, 1899; died in 1973).
Friday, December 18 TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows. 6 p.m.: Stars of the Pharaohs; 7 p.m.: Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Admission is $4 for TAMIU students, faculty and staff. For more information, call 956326-DOME (3663).
Saturday, December 19 Teatro Tejano de la Calle from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at La Posada Hotel, 1000 Zaragoza St. Street theatre-style history tour, $5 per person. Laredo Free Thinkers: Operation Give Back. The LFT will be giving out warm clothing, blankets and toys to Laredo’s needy in Jarvis Plaza at 3 p.m. Please donate clothing or toys or even bring food. For more information please call 744-5674 or visit the Facebook page Laredo Free Thinkers. TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows. 2 p.m.: Wonders of the Universe; 3 p.m.: Season of Light; 4 p.m.: Mystery of the Christmas Star; 5 p.m.: Let it Snow (Music Show.) Admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Admission is $4 for TAMIU students, faculty and staff. The 3 p.m. show is $1 less. For more information, call 956-326-DOME (3663). Spiritual Wisdom on Dreams. Free Bilingual Spiritual Discussion. 12:30 p.m. at the Laredo Public Library on Calton. For more information please call 210-831-7113 or go to our websites: www.Eckankar-Texas.org or www.spiritualexperience.org. Presented by the Texas Satsang Society, Inc.
Sunday, December 20 Memorial Bells of the First United Methodist Church presents the seventh annual Christmas concert entitled Handbell Festival. 4 p.m. First United Methodist Church sanctuary, 1220 McClelland. The event is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted to help defray concert-related costs.
Monday, December 21 TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will show their Holiday Break Special. 2 p.m.: Accidental Astronaut; 3 p.m.: Mystery of the Christmas Star; 4 p.m.: Let it Snow (Music Show). General admission is $3. For more information, call 956-326-DOME (3663). Chess Club at the LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Free for all ages and all skill levels. Basic instruction is offered. Call John at 795-2400 x2521 for more information. Knitting Club at the LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Learn how to knit scarves, crochet hats and much more. Knit at your own pace. Instruction is available and supplies are limited. Call John at 795-2400 x2521 for more information.
Tuesday, December 22 TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will show their Holiday Break Special. 2 p.m.: The Little Star that Could; 3 p.m.: Season of Light; 4 p.m.: Let it Snow (Music Show). General admission is $3. For more information, call 956-326-DOME (3663). Computer Basics class at the Laredo Public Library, 1120 E. Calton Rd., from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Classroom B on the second floor. Classes are free. Seating is limited and first come first served. No registration required. Call 795-2400 x2242 for more information.
Photo by Sebastian Scheiner | AP file
In this Oct. 23, 2013, file photo, Israel’s President Shimon Peres, left, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry speak during a ceremony in the President’s residence in Jerusalem. Texas A&M University has scrapped plans for a $200 million campus in the Israeli city of Nazareth and instead is launching a $6 million marine research center.
A&M’s Israeli center By DAVID WARREN ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Texas A&M University has scrapped plans for a $200 million campus in the Israeli city of Nazareth and instead is launching a $6 million marine research center that’s expected to contribute to critical projects Israel is pursuing along the Mediterranean Sea. The research center, which will open in February in collaboration with the University of Haifa, is a departure from plans announced in October 2013, when A&M System Chancellor John Sharp said a “peace university” was planned for Israel’s largest Arab city, Nazareth, that would bring Arabs and Jews together. The plans for an A&M branch were unveiled after consulting with then-Israeli President Shimon Peres, an advocate of coexistence between Israel’s Jewish majority
and its Arab minority. While Israel has restrictive laws that can prevent the opening of foreign branch campuses, Sharp told The Associated Press last week that A&M changed its plans because elected officials in Nazareth wanted to dictate the direction and aim of the campus. “We’re not going to put our name on something we didn’t have total control over,” he said. Plans for Haifa are consistent with the original intent of A&M two years ago, Sharp said. “This agreement is in keeping with what A&M wanted all along in Israel: It is about teaching and research and it is just the beginning of what this relationship is going to be,” he said. “They don’t call it ‘startup nation’ for nothing,” he said.
Oklahoma fugitive caught, Woman lying about lottery accused in July slaying scam gets 2 years JARRELL — A murder suspect who escaped from an Oklahoma county jail has been caught nearly 400 miles away at a Texas truck stop in a stolen rig. Paul Newberry was captured Tuesday in Jarrell, in a semitruck stolen in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Newberry and another prisoner on Sunday night broke a window and fled from the Muskogee County jail. Raymond Noriega was soon captured. The Williamson County Sheriff ’s Office says a GPS device on the truck, reported stolen Monday, led to Newberry. He was unarmed when captured Tuesday morning as he tried to drive away, still wearing brightly colored jail-issued slippers that were spray-painted brown. Newberry is charged with murder in the fatal shooting of 88-year-old rancher Charley Kirk during a July burglary.
TEXARKANA — A Texas woman who says she lost $80,000 in a lottery scam must serve two years in prison for continuing the ruse and duping others. The Texarkana Gazette reported Monday that Sandra Gloria Lockett was sentenced by a federal judge in Texarkana. She must also repay nearly $188,000. The 61-year-old Texarkana woman in August pleaded guilty to mail fraud. Lockett was arrested after investigators intercepted a package meant for her and containing more than $44,000 in cash and checks. Lockett says she joined the socalled Jamaican lottery scheme, in which victims are urged to pay taxes and fees to get a share of the winnings, to recoup her own losses. Lockett was sentenced Dec. 9. Her alleged co-conspirators were not named in court documents in the scam since 2013.
State on a decline in death penalties HOUSTON — Texas sent far fewer prisoners to death row in 2015, marking the lowest number of new condemned inmates since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the state’s capital punishment statute nearly four decades ago, according to a Texas-based group opposed to the death penalty. Three convicted killers were sentenced to death this year, the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty said. Last year, there were 11 new death sentences in Texas, in the nation’s most active execution state. That was the most since a dozen in 2008. The decline reflects lower murder rates and the effect of recent changes in sentencing laws that have given juries the lifewithout-parole option in capital cases. Legal scrutiny in death penalty cases also has intensified and DNA testing has become more prominent. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Clinton highlights need for anti-terror strategy MINNEAPOLIS — Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton says the American people “cannot give in to fear” — a message she is touting as part of her strategy for homeland security and preventing a domestic terrorist attack. Speaking Tuesday at the University of Minnesota, Clinton attacked Republican rivals, saying that promises by GOP candidates “to carpet bomb until the desert blows” sound “in over your head. Clinton’s speech sought to address proactive steps for capping Islamic State recruitment in the U.S., especially online, and for stopping potential jihadists from training overseas.
Driver crashes into hotel after bill dispute ALVA, Okla. — A Texas driver faces charges after surveillance
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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during the 2015 National Immigration Integration Conference in New York, Monday. Clinton says the American people “cannot give in to fear.” video shows his pickup truck crashing into the front desk of a Oklahoma hotel and nearly hitting two women. The Enid News and Eagle reports the incident happened last Thursday at Alva Comfort Inn and Suites after a bill dispute.
Police say 62-year-old John Parsley of Gonzales, Texas, wanted a refund on two transactions. Officer Wade Suffon says he offered to talk to a manager but Parsley drove off and crashed into the hotel. — 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
State
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
State Track shutdowns loom in Texas uses subpoena powers By JORDAN RUDNER TEXAS TRIBUNE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN, Texas — State investigators say they have used subpoena powers 15 times since September in cases mostly involving allegations of state teachers having improper relationships with students. The Austin American-Statesman reports the Texas Education Agency, which can sanction and revoke the licenses of educators, was granted the subpoena powers earlier this year after battling school districts for documents during investigations. TEA officials say the districts would redact the names of key witnesses and other information in a teacher’s personnel records if documents were handed over. “Most school districts request a subpoena when they would previously have delayed or refused to give documents, or given highly redacted documents, citing confidentiality concerns,” said TEA spokeswoman Debbie Ratcliffe. Officials with the Eanes and Pflugerville school districts said they are always willing to cooperate with the agency, but they were not sure if they were allowed legally to hand over investigative documents that were protected by state and federal privacy laws. The agency singled out the Eanes school district during a Senate hearing last week in regards to an investigation of a teacher. The district said during that meeting that lawmakers must resolve the conflict between the agency’s subpoena authority and privacy laws that leave school districts vulnerable to lawsuits. State law prohibits the release of information reported to Texas Child Protective Services, where many cases involving improper teacher relationships with students are sent to, and documents that evaluate teachers. Since Sept. 1, there have been 41 cases of improper relationships have been reported to the agency. There were 188 cases reported last year.
After a tense meeting and a deadlocked vote, the Texas Racing Commission declined Tuesday to repeal its earlier authorization of historical racing, a move that could mean a statewide shutdown for the entire horse racing industry in February. The commission has been on a crash course with several members of the legislature since last year, when the Commission voted to authorize tracks to implement historical racing, which involves gambling on electronic simulations of old races. Critics, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Jane Nelson, RFlower Mound, have decried the Commission’s efforts as a backdoor expansion of gambling in Texas. A state district judge ruled last year that the commission had overstepped its authority. The Texas Horsemen’s Partnership, Texas Thoroughbred Association, the Texas Quarter Horse Association and Sam Houston Race Park have appealed the ruling. While the legality of the commission’s actions have been makings its way through the court system, legislators weren’t content to wait. They threatened to defund the the commission entirely if it didn’t repeal its historical racing rules. Defunding the commission would, in effect, dismantle the horse racing industry across the entire state, as tracks can’t operate without the commission in place to regulate them, according to state law. In September, after a one-day shutdown, the commission and the Legislative Budget Board agreed to a temporary truce, extending funding through February. The implied condition of the extension was a repeal of historical racing — the repeal that did not pass at Tuesday’s meeting. The board voted 4-4 to maintain guidelines for historical racing, at least until the February meeting. Victoria North, who attended the meeting as Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s representative on the Commission, abstained.
Photo by Justin Dehn | Texas Tribune
Two racing horses graze Tooter Jordan’s New Braunfels, Texas ranch on Nov. 9. The Texas Racing Commission declined Tuesday to repeal its earlier authorization of historical racing. Commission chairman Rolando Pablos, who Gov. Greg Abbott appointed to the board last week after former chair Robert Schmidt stepped down from the leadership role, made clear during the meeting that he was in favor of a repeal. After the vote, he said the commission might as well begin taking steps to shut itself down. “This one silver bullet that was supposed to help the industry is now creating some serious side effects and some unintended consequences for this agency,” he told the crowd. The commission is “beyond the point” of changing the legislature’s mind, he added. Before the vote, various representatives from the horse racing industry pled with the commission to maintain historical racing’s legality for the time being. In tearful testimonies, racetrack owners, track employees and the
directors of the state’s largest racing associations outlined the impact a repeal would have on thousands of racetrack workers across the state. Marsha Rountree, executive director of the Texas Horsemen’s Partnership association, said employees were right to be concerned. “It’s an unusual day for me when I don’t get a call or an email from a horseman asking if there’s any hope of Texas recovering from this crisis,” Rountree testified. “I don’t know how to respond, because I am not sure that we will recover.” Rountree said industry leaders have attempted to work within the bounds of what the legislature will allow, but said members of the legislature have provided no opportunity for dialogue about what she said is the necessity of continued historical racing.
“We didn’t just decide one day to go all rogue and poke the legislators in the eye,” she said. “During each and every legislative session this industry has gone to them, hat in hand. And each and every session we’ve been told that we need to come up with a solution.” No one testified against historical racing at the meeting. Commissioner Gloria Hicks, from Corpus Christi, said the emotional testimonies resonated with her — as did allegations that legislators had bullied the industry. “We did what we thought would help the people in the racing industry in our state, and it is an industry worth saving,” Hicks said. “I feel like I have been bullied.” ‘I have an elementary school named after me, and we have bullying sessions,” Hicks added. “I know what it is like.”
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015
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COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
The year of unearthed traumatic memories Childhood fears and adult traumas are stored differently in the brain than happy memories. They are buried like porous capsules deep in the primitive regions, below awareness and beyond easy reach of conscious thinking and talking. They are buried so deep that they are separated from the normal flow of life, and so time cannot work its natural healing powers. There is a vast psychological literature on the diverse ways people are held back by these hidden capsules. Often, they don’t feel fully grounded or empowered. Some people experience a longstanding but vague sense of unease about the crucial matters of life, a tangled, inchoate sense of depression in the heart that is hard to pinpoint and articulate. The symptoms differ according to the nature of the hidden memories. Some people dissociate from their experiences, detaching themselves emotionally from their surroundings. Some feel compartmentalized, as though they are actors trapped in many roles at once. Some fear making commitments because of the ways past bonds have been simultaneously loving and frightening. Some suffer from nightmares, or numb themselves through substance abuse, or have their emotions powerfully undone by certain triggers. There are hundreds of psychological methods that try to unearth the memory capsules and restore a sense of empowerment. The process is hard. As Judith Herman writes in “Trauma and Recovery,” “The conflict between the will to deny horrible events and the will to proclaim them aloud is the central dialectic of psychological trauma.” But people with patience and resolve can look forward to a life in the sunshine. They face their fears, integrate the good and bad memories — recognizing that many different truths lie side by side. After years, many build a sturdy sense of self and make lasting commitments that bring joy, strength and peace. The parallel is inexact, but peoples and cultures also have to deal with the power of hard memories. Painful traumas and experiences can be passed down generation to generation, whether it is exile, defeat or oppression. These memories affect both the victims’ and the victimizers’ cultures. Many of the issues we have been dealing with in 2015 revolve around unhealed cultural memories: how to acknowledge past wrongs and move forward into the light. The most obvious case involves U.S. race relations. So much of the national conversation this year has concerned how to think about past racism and oppression, and the power of that past to shape present realities: the
“
DAVID BROOKS
Confederate flag, Woodrow Wilson, the unmarked sights of the lynching grounds. Fortunately, many people have found the courage to tell the ugly truths about slavery, Jim Crow and current racism that were repressed by the wider culture. Many of the protests on campus and other places have been about unearthing memory or asserting a narrative, or, at their worst, coercing other narratives into silence. There have been pleasant and unpleasant episodes during all this, but overall, you’d have to say this has been a good and necessary stage in the nation’s journey. Unhealed cultural memories have shaped other policy areas. In the Middle East, Sunnis and Shiites are battling bloodily over competing pasts. In its sick way, the Islamic State is driven by historical humiliation. Thus, we find ourselves involved at all levels in the therapy of memory. I’d only mention three concepts that might be useful going forward. The first is Miroslav Volf ’s notion of soft difference. The person who feels that diversity is filled with hard differences sees the world divided between his group and the alien. A demagogue like Donald Trump offers the following bigoted choice: Submit or be rejected. The person who sees diversity as characterized by soft differences allows others the space to be themselves and sees her mission as one of witness and constant invitation. The second is the distinction between blame and responsibility. Where there is blame, there must be atonement and change. If you emigrated from Norway to the United States last year, you’re not to blame for the history of racism, but as a new American, you probably have a responsibility to address it. An ethos of responsibility is less defensive than an ethos of blame and provides a better context for cooperation, common action and radical acceptance. The third is the danger of asymmetric rhetoric. If one person in a conversation takes the rhetorical level up to 10 every time, the other person has to rebut at Level 10 and turn monstrous, or retreat into resentful silence. Rhetorical passion, which feels so good, can destroy conversation and mar truth and reconciliation. Even after a tough year, we are born into a story that has a happy ending. Wrongs can be recognized, memories unearthed, old hurts recognized and put into context. What’s the point of doing this unless you’re fueled by hope and comforted by grace?
COLUMN
Odd, interesting neighbors perked up my childhood Most of us are connected to our childhood by typical and quite pleasant memories. Then there are those of us who have past occurrences on the sort of odd side that sneak up and whack us when we least expect it. It has been well documented in this space that I am a dog lover. When I arrived in this world on Mother’s Day, yea those many years ago, there was a dog awaiting my arrival — a white collie with large black and caramel spots named Rex, and he was my protector until I was about 10. We migrated “to town” (Teague) when I was eight. Our family moved into a house on a 50-foot wide lot compared to the big log farm-ranch house (yep, me’n Abe) where I spent most of my first eight years. Rex went with us and of course, as was ordinary then, he had free roam of the neighborhood. All of our neighbors seemed to be extraordinarily nice although a couple had rather, er, uh, “odd” personalities. On one side (on the corner of Cypress and 8th Avenue) were D.O. and
Myrtle Horn. Next door were the Standridges. Next to the Standridges were Henry Belk and his wife (his third, whose name I don’t remember. She died, he married a fourth and, after a few months, she left him. He married a fifth and she outlived him.) Both D.O. and Henry were railroad retirees. D.O. taught my brothers and me how to play solitaire, which I play now on my computer instead of wearing out decks of cards. He was a sickly man who suffered from a heart malady and from diabetes. He walked around his and our yards every day, very slowly and deliberately so as not to overwork his heart. Ultimately and sadly he lost his battle and succumbed to his multiple afflictions, His wife, Myrtle, was an odd person but kindly. She had blue-black hair, wore loads of makeup and rode her horse, Silver, a solid black equine, which she kept in a fenced area equal
to about two lots behind their house. She may have been quirky but no one could say she didn’t have a sense of humor. Myrtle rode all over town almost every day and she always rode in Teague parades as well as the grand entry at the local July 4th rodeo. Dad and some of the other neighborhood men teased a widowed Myrtle about the multi-marriage Henry. She didn’t like it a bit and would issue one of her loud, high-pitched “huhs” to their needling. Dad even teased Mother a little about “watching out for” Henry, but he knew better than to do it very much or very often. Mother didn’t think it was a dang bit funny. At the time, there were three Webb sons — me being the eldest, followed by Kerry and at-the-timeyoungest, Clydell. Our windowsills were just the right height for Clydell to stand on his toes on the baseboard, hang his elbows in the window and look out at the world. He and “Horn” became pals via that window. I roamed the neighborhood but was told to stay out of the Belk yard and to
keep Rex away from there because Henry didn’t like animals. Henry spoke a halting, hesitant speech that was more than a stutter, but I never knew a name for his vocal affliction. He would open his mouth and make guttural sounds for what seemed like a very long time before words erupted. My dog, Rex, wound up poisoned and everyone in the neighborhood figured it was Henry, but no one ever broached the subject with him as far as I knew. Myrtle kept on riding and “huh-ing” after D.O. died but she never remarried despite the teasing by Dad and other neighborhood “gentlemen.” Mother regarded her as a “good woman” and just enjoyed her quirkiness. The Belks and the Horns introduced this country boy to “town living” and, frankly, I wouldn’t go back to the farm-ranch for all the tea in China. Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editor-publisher of more than 50 years experience. He can be reached by email at wwebb1937@att.net.
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ing 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.
National
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
LA schools cancel classes after email threat By CHRISTOPHER WEBER AND TAMI ABDOLLAH ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — The nation’s two biggest school systems — New York City and Los Angeles — received threats of a large-scale attack Tuesday, and L.A. reacted by shutting down the entire district. New York dismissed the warning as an amateurish hoax and held class as usual. In LA, the threat came in the form of an email to a school board member that raised fears of another attack like the recent deadly shooting in nearby San Bernardino. Authorities in New York reported receiving the same “generic” email that was sent to other cities around the country. They decided there was no danger to schoolchildren, with Mayor Bill de Blasio concluding the threat contained “nothing credible.” “It was so outlandish,” he
said. New York Police Commissioner William Bratton agreed, quipping that it looked like the sender of the threat had watched a lot of the Showtime terrorism drama “Homeland.” The shutdown abruptly closed more than 900 public schools and 187 charter schools attended by 640,000 students across Los Angeles. Los Angeles officials defended the move. “It is very easy in hindsight to criticize a decision based on results the decider could never have known,” LA Police Chief Charlie Beck said at a news conference. The threatening email sent to the New York City school superintendent warned that every school would be attacked with pressure cooker bombs, nerve agents and machine guns. The email claimed the writer and “138 comrades” would carry out the attack. Students “at every school
Photo by Richard Vogel | AP
A police officer puts up yellow tape to close the school outside of Edward Roybal High School in Los Angeles, on Tuesday. in the New York City school district will be massacred, mercilessly. And there is nothing you can do to stop it,” the message said. The anonymous writer claimed to be a student at a district high school who had been bullied. A law enforcement official with access to the document provided the email to
The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to disclose details of an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. The person who wrote the note also claimed to be a jihadist but made errors that suggested the writer was really a prankster, including spelling the word
“Allah” with a lowercase “a.” The threats came in simultaneously to New York and LA school officials at about 1:20 a.m. EST Tuesday, or about 10:20 p.m. Monday in Los Angeles. According to LA school police, the FBI and LAPD were contacted late Monday, which would mean within 90 minute or so of the threat coming in. The decision to close Los Angeles schools was announced at 6:25 a.m. PST, well after NYC had already concluded a hoax and kept schools open. Los Angeles Superintendent Ramon Cortines said every campus would be searched, and he asked for a report on the searches certifying that all buildings are safe. Bratton called the closure in Los Angeles a “significant overreaction.” “We cannot allow ourselves to raise levels of fear,” said Bratton, who once ran
the LA Police Department. Hours later, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee also said the threat was believed to be a hoax. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said he would not second-guess the decisions made in Los Angeles or New York. He said the FBI has been in touch with California authorities. The decision to close the district disrupted the morning routines of many Los Angeles families. Lupita Vela, who has a daughter in the third grade and a son who is a high school senior, called the threat “absolutely terrifying” in light of the San Bernardino attack, which killed 14 people earlier this month. “I know the kids are anxious,” she said. Beck said the email was specific to all the campuses in the district and included implied threats about explosive devices, assault rifles and machine pistols.
Freddie Gray jurors deadlocked, deliberating By JULIET LINDERMAN AND DAVID DISHNEAU ASSOCIATED PRESS
BALTIMORE — Jurors in the manslaughter trial of a police officer charged in the death of Freddie Gray said Tuesday they were deadlocked, but the judge overseeing the case told them to keep deliberating. The jury sent a note to Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams after about nine hours of discussions over two days. It wasn’t clear if they were stuck on one or more of the four charges Officer William Porter faces. He is the first of six officers to stand trial in Gray’s death. As the jury deliberated, armored vehicles and police were stationed around the
city, and officials promised they were prepared for any unrest. Last spring, parts of the city were burned and looted as frustrations grew over the police department’s alleged mistreatment of blacks. The note about being deadlocked was jurors’ fifth on Tuesday. Later in the afternoon, they told the judge they would deliberate until 5:30 p.m. EST before going home for the evening. They earlier requested highlighters, an easel and sticky notes, suggesting they were taking a businesslike approach to assessing Porter’s role in the arrest and death of Gray. The jury also received a set of external computer speakers to improve the sound quality of recordings in evidence,
Photo by Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun | AP
Baltimore City police officer William Porter, leaves Courthouse East after his trial has gone into juror deliberation Monday. including Porter’s videotaped interview with Baltimore police detectives, po-
lice radio transmissions on the day Gray was arrested and cellphone videos made
at two of the wagon’s six stops, starting with Gray’s arrest. In all, the jury heard from more than two dozen witnesses during eight days of testimony. Jurors received about 100 pieces of evidence, and at one point, they took a trip outside the courtroom to look at the police wagon in which Gray was injured. The trial began Nov. 30. Porter faces charges of manslaughter, assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct. If convicted of all charges, he could face 25 years in prison. Gray died April 19, a week after his neck was broken while he was in the back of the van with wrists and ankles shackled. The autopsy concluded that the
injury probably occurred as Gray slammed against a wall during cornering or braking. Earlier Tuesday, the judge refused a jury request for the clerk’s list of trial exhibits, since it wasn’t evidence, and denied defense motions for a mistrial and change of trial location. The latter two requests were part of a motion seeking to ask jurors if they’d seen a letter the city schools chief sent home with children Monday, warning of consequences for violent responses to any verdict. The jury has not been sequestered, but they have been warned not to read news articles about the case or talk about it with anyone other than fellow jurors during deliberations.
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera TEXAS
Agenda en Breve
Estrategia
DINOSAUR GEORGE El miércoles 16 de diciembre, se presentará la exhibición “Dinosaur George, Traveling Museum Exhibit”, en el Centro Comunitario del Condado de Zapata, ubicado en 605 de N. U.S. Hwy. El evento, que es gratuito para estudiantes, escuelas y público en general, está programado de 8 a.m. a 6:30 p.m.
BAILE DE NAVIDAD El grupo Costumbre se presentará en el Baile de Navidad de Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, Tamaulipas. El baile tendrá lugar el viernes 25 de diciembre, a las 9 p.m. en el Centro Cívico de la Ciudad.
TAMAULIPAS El proyecto de Fertilizantes Sustentables fue presentado por el Coordinador de la Federación de Productores Rurales de Jalisco, Rodrigo Gutiérrez, durante el Tercer Congreso Internacional del Sorgo. “El campo tamaulipeco es muy bueno (y) tiene mucho potencial”, expresó Gutiérrez mediante un comunicado de prensa. “Nosotros somos principales consumidores de sorgo tamaulipeco, para la alimentación de nuestros animales”. Gutiérrez sostuvo que la idea del proyecto de Fertilizantes Sustentables es que el sorgo se “produzca bien, que produzcan mejor, un sorgo de mayor calidad con mayor aporte de proteína y energía”. Otro aspecto que dijo espera se pueda aplicar en tierras tamaulipecas es lo que en Jalisco se conoce como “las zeolitas”. “Éstas ayudan a capturar la humedad, compostas orgánicas, mejoradoras de suelo, micorrizas y bacterias benéficas”, sostuvo él. Para ellos solo está pendiente el contacto con la Secretaría de Desarrollo Rural.
MIÉRCOLES 16 DICIEMBRE DE 2015
POR PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
El gobernador de Texas Greg Abbott, extendió el martes el despliegue de soldados de la Guardia Nacional en la frontera con México debido a un aumento en el arribo de niños migrantes sin acompañante. La orden llega luego de que las cifras de la Patrulla Fronteriza mostraran que más de ABBOTT 10,000 niños sin acompañante cruzaron a Estados Unidos durante octubre y noviembre, lo que representa el doble de cruces en los
“
No seremos victimizados como estado por la respuesta apática del gobierno federal”. GOBERNADOR GREG ABBOTT
mismos dos meses del año pasado. El repunte ya provocó que la Patrulla Fronteriza abriera dos albergues en Texas y uno en California. “Texas no permanecerá inactivo frente a este reto”, dijo Abbott. “No seremos victimizados como estado por la respuesta apática del gobierno federal en cuanto a la seguridad fronteriza”.
Soldados de la Guardia Nacional fueron primero desplegados por el ex gobernador Rick Perry en 2014. Envió a más de 1,000 aunque sólo unos cientos permanecían en meses recientes. Abbott, quien asumió el cargo en enero y autorizó hace algunos meses un presupuesto récord para seguridad fronteriza por 800 millones de dólares, no indicó cuánto
tiempo duraría el despliegue. Abbott previamente se negó a decir cuándo terminaría la misión de la Guardia Nacional, al decir que no quería que los soldados dejaran Texas hasta haber entrenado a cientos de nuevos agentes policiales para reemplazarlos. El gobierno estadounidense no desea que se repita la crisis a la que se enfrentó en el verano del 2014, cuando decenas de miles de niños y familias atravesaron la frontera sin autorización, y las áreas de detención de la Patrulla Fronteriza se saturaron y había incluso niños durmiendo en el piso. La Casa Blanca calificó la masiva llegada de niños inmigrantes solos como una “crisis humanitaria”.
DEPORTES
MERLINS CAMPEONES
SOCIEDAD GENEALÓGICA La Sociedad Genealógica Nuevo Santander informa que la próxima reunión será el sábado 9 de enero del 2016 a las 2 p.m. en 805 N Main St/ US Hwy 83. El tema será “Texas Land Heritage Award”. La sociedad indica que se invita especialmente a quienes tienen una granja o rancho que ha funcionado más de 50 años.
FERIA DEL CONDADO DE ZAPATA La Feria del Condado de Zapata elegirá a sus representantes de belleza a inicios del 2016. El Certámen de Belleza para Jr. Royalty se celebrará el 7 de febrero; en tanto que el Concurso para Reinas de la Feria del Condado de Zapata se celebrará el 28 de febrero. Ambos eventos se realizarán a las 2 p.m. en el Auditorio de Zapata High School.
PERIODO DE REGISTRO Agricultores y ganaderos son invitados a participar en el periodo general de inscripción para el Programa de Reserva de Conservación (CRP, por sus siglas en inglés) que está vigente actualmente y concluye el 26 de febrero. El CRP, que cumple 30 años, es un programa con fondos federales que ayuda a los productores agrícolas con los costos de restauración, mejora y protección de ciertos tipos de césped, arbustos y árboles a fin de mejorar la calidad del agua, prevenir la erosión del suelo y reducir la pérdida del habitat de la vida salvaje. En el programa han participado agricultores, ganaderos, conservacionistas, cazadores, pescadores, entre otros entusiastas del exterior, de acuerdo con un comunicado de prensa. La duración del control es de entre 10 a 15 años.
Foto de cortesía | ZCISD
El equipo de fútbol soccer Merlins de Zapata se coronaron campeones del Distrito al ganar 7-14 a los Veterans. Defendían el Campeonato del Bi-Distrito.
DPS
OBITUARIO
Concluyen entrenamiento
Fallece Odilia Cuellar
ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
AUSTIN — Tres agentes y tres canes graduaron del Departamento de Seguridad Publica de Texas (DPS) después de completar un entrenamiento de ocho semanas. Este equipo de canes se unirá a otros 41 equipos de DPS repartidos por todo Texas, incluyendo seis equipos detectores de explosivos en Austin. “Los equipos de canes de DPS realizan increíbles contribuciones a los esfuerzos del departamento para mantener las drogas alejadas de nuestras comunidades”, dijo el director de DPS Steven McCraw. “Con su habilidad especializada para detectar drogas ilícitas, estos agentes re-
cién graduados y los perros serán instrumentales en el detenimiento de operaciones de trafico de drogas en el estado”. Dos de los perros fueron obtenidos del Departamento de Defensa de los EU, y el tercer perro provenía de un refugio. Esta clase de canes graduados incluye dos Pastores Alemanes y un Labrados. Serán utilizados para detección de drogas. En 2014, equipos caninos de DPS asistieron a la confiscación de alrededor de 15.600 libras de marihuana, 293 libras de cocaína, 52 libras de heroína, 441 libras de metanfetaminas, 21 libras de hachís, 72 libras de otras drogas y 5,4 millones de dólares en efectivo.
TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
La familia Cuellar de Laredo se encuentra de luto, al haberse dado a conocer el fallecimiento de Odilia P. Cuellar. Ella es la madre del Congresista Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) y del Alguacil del Condado de Webb, Martin Cuellar. “Estaba dormida y agradecemos a Dios por eso”, escribió la Oficina del Alguacil en una publicación a través de Facebook. Odilia Cuellar falleció a la 1:30 a.m. del martes en San Antonio. Tenía 87 años de edad. Le sobreviven su esposo Martin Siller Cuellar, y sus hijos Henry (Imelda) Cuellar, Carlos (Laura) Cuellar, Martin (Verónica) Cuellar, Tony Cuellar, Jorge (Monica) Cuellar, Odilia Cuellar, Rosie Cuellar, Manuel “Meme” (Diana) Cuellar; así como 18 nietos, 8 bisnietos; su hermana Rosita Pérez, entre otros sobrinos, familiares y amigos.
“Mi madre fue todo lo que somos hoy”, continuó Martin Cuellar. “Una parte de mí ha muerto y se ha ido para siempre”. El Alguacil agregó que la familia continuará sirviendo a la comunidad, siguiendo el ejemplo de su madre. Hasta el cierre de esta edición, el Congresista Henry CueO. CUELLAR llar no había emitido algún comunicado al respecto. Los servicios funerarios se realizarán en Joe Jackson North Funeral Chapels, 1410 Jacaman Rd, de 5 p.m. a 9 p.m. del miércoles. El cortejo será el viernes 18, saliendo de la funeraria a las 9:30 a.m., para continuar con una Misa de Cuerpo Presente en St. Patrick Catholic Church, 555 E. Del Mar, a las 10 a.m. Ella descansará en el Cementerio Católico Calvary.
HISTORIA
Tamaulipeco sobresale en Cataluña, España Nota del Editor: Esta es la segunda de dos partes acerca de la vida de Bartolomé Robert y Yarzábal.
POR RAÚL SINENCIO CHÁVEZ ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Bartolomé Robert y Yarzábal nació en Tampico, México, el jueves 20 de octubre de 1842. Es electo alcalde de Barcelona en 1899, tiempo en el que depura el padrón electoral. Renuncia al no desear
obedecer órdenes para que realice embargos en perjuicio de gente descontenta con las onerosas contribuciones hacendarias. Empero, en 1901, su tierra adoptiva lo elige a la cámara baja del congreso nacional. Hombre culto, se identifica con la Cataluña progresista. En “países heterogéneos […] el centralismo del Estado no es más, administrativamente considerado, que un régimen absoluto”, sostiene durante los
debates. Airoso Bartolomé cierra las actividades parlamentarias. El miércoles 10 de abril de 1902 colegas suyos le ofrecen un banquete. Sin embrago, al tomar la palabra sufre repentino ataque cardiaco. Sus exequias testimonian enorme pesar en Cataluña. Tras su muerte le erigen monumentos en Sitges, Camprodóm y Barcelona. Aún fallecido, Bartolomé gana una batalla antiautoritaria. Porque hacia 1940 la dic-
tadura franquista desmonta en la urbe barcelonesa el conjunto escultórico dedicado a Robert, que diseña Josep Llimona y Bruguera. Concluido el periodo dictatorial y tras insistentes reclamos sociales, lo restituyen en la plaza Tetuán al mediar 1985. A la respectiva ceremonia acuden los reyes de España, el presidente de Cataluña Jordi Pujol, el alcalde de Barcelona Pasqual Margall y el jefe edilicio de Tampico Gustavo González Gar-
cía. Popular refrán nos dice que nadie es profeta en su propio terruño. Lejos de su tierra, Bartolomé Robert y Yarzábal escala alto, mereciéndose aprecios y reconocimientos. No obstante, en la península ibérica están bien claros los orígenes tamaulipecos de este ilustre personaje. (Con permiso del autor según fuera publicado en La Razón de Tampico, México, el 27 de noviembre del 2015)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Stars returning to Cuba Triumphant return for Cuban baseball defectors Puig, Abreu By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN ASSOCIATED PRESS
HAVANA — A lineup of Cuban-born baseball stars, including some of the most famous defectors in recent memory, made a triumphant return to the island Tuesday as part of the first Major League Baseball trip here since 1999. Once the object of official disdain in Cuba for leaving the country illegally, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, St. Louis Cardinals catcher Brayan Pena, and first baseman Jose Abreu and shortstop Alexei Ramirez of the Chicago White Sox were swarmed by fans and members of the state media in the lobby of Havana’s soaring Hotel Nacional at the start of a three-day mission meant to warm relations between MLB and Cuba. The major leagues and Cuban baseball have been moving quickly to rebuild ties since Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro declared a year ago Thursday that they would
re-establish diplomatic relations. The official return of baseball defectors earning millions in the major leagues was a landmark in the new relationship and a dramatic manifestation of Cuba’s shifting attitude toward the hundreds of players who have abandoned the country that trained them. Puig, who fled to Mexico in a smuggler’s fastboat in 2012 and then crossed the border to Texas, wrapped his childhood coach Juan Arechavaleta in a bear-hug, resting the side of his face atop the smaller man’s head. “I’m very happy to be here,” said Puig, who signed a seven-year, $42 million contract and was barred from returning to Cuba until he was granted special permission for this week’s trip. Photo by Desmond Boylan | AP Pena, who is from Havana, was met by at least 20 Dodgers OF Yasiel Puig, right, and Cardinals C/1B Brayan Pena joke family members. They at the Hotel Nacional in Havana, Cuba on Tuesday. laughed at stories of the catcher’s life in America The players will hold business with their Cuban and handed him the phone two days of youth clinics counterparts, including to talk to relatives who while league and Major former President Fidel hadn’t been able to make League Baseball Players Castro’s son Tony, who is it to the hotel. Association executives talk one of the most powerful
men in Cuban baseball. League officials said they were optimistic about sealing a deal by early next year for the Tampa Bay Rays to play two spring training games in Cuba. They also hope to make progress in one day creating a legal route for Cuban players to make their way to the major leagues. “It’s the goal of our commissioner and our owners to ultimately negotiate with the Cuban Baseball Federation, and with the cooperation of the U.S. government and the Cuban government, a safe and legal path for Cuban baseball players who desire to play Major League Baseball to reach the major leagues,” Dan Halem, MLB’s top lawyer, told a press conference covered by what appeared to be every state newspaper, radio and television station in Cuba. Peter Bjarkman, author of the upcoming book “Cuba’s Baseball Defectors: The Inside Story,” said that he had counted 102 national-level players who
had left Cuba this year, nearly a third of all those who have departed since 1980. The departures are part of a broader wave of Cuban emigration sparked by the fear that the U.S. will cancel special Cold War-era privileges for Cubans as part of the new relationship with the island. “I got the distinct impression that right now the Cubans have absolutely no idea of what they’re going to do. They’re in total chaos in this right now,” said Bjarkman, who spent much of the fall in Cuba speaking with people involved in the country’s baseball league. Cuban television avoids games featuring defectors but fans watch their idols’ performances on pirated recordings distributed on computer USB drives. Most experts agree that the future does not look bright without a solution to the problem of talent fleeing the country. But a group of fans who gathered in the lobby of the Nacional said the defectors’ return to Cuba filled them with optimism.
National
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015
Teen convicted in rape, murder of teacher ASSOCIATED PRESS
SALEM, Mass. — A Massachusetts teenager was convicted Tuesday of raping and killing his high school math teacher when he was 14. Philip Chism followed his ninth-grade algebra teacher, Colleen Ritzer, into a school bathroom, strangled her, stabbed her at least 16 times and raped her. Chism, now 16, was convicted of a raping Ritzer inside the bathroom but was acquitted of a second rape, committed with a tree branch in woods near the school where Chism put her body. He was also convicted of armed robbery for stealing Ritzer’s credit cards and her underwear. Chism stared straight ahead and did not have any visible reaction as the verdicts were read in Salem Superior Court. His mother declined to talk to reporters as she left the courthouse. Standing later with the district attorney that prosecuted the case, Ritzer’s parents said the verdicts mark a new phase in their lives in which they hope to honor their 24-year-old daughter’s legacy. “This guilty verdict, while the beginning of justice for Colleen, is certainly no cause for celebration as there can never be true justice for the crime committed,” said Thomas Ritzer, her father. “There remains a tremendous absence in our lives, one that sadly can never be replaced.” The family, he added, will still be reminded of the crimes as Chism appeals the case and is eligible for parole at some point. “We will carry on and do our ve-
Photo by Paul Bilodeau/The Eagle Tribune | AP
Psychologist Kelly Casey testifies during Philip Chism’s trial at Salem Superior Court, Dec. 8, in Salem, Mass. Chism is charged with rape and murder in the October 2013 slaying of 24-year-old Danvers High School teacher Colleen Ritzer. ry best to find the good in every day,” said Peggie Ritzer, the victim’s mother. During the trial, his lawyer admitted Chism killed Ritzer, but said he was suffering from severe mental illness and was not criminally responsible for his actions. A psychiatrist who testified for the defense said Chism was hearing voices and in the throes of a psychotic episode when he killed Ritzer. Ritzer was a popular teacher at Danvers High School, about 25 miles north of Boston, doing her
dream job, teaching math, Assistant District Attorney Kate MacDougall told jurors in her opening statement. On Oct. 22, 2013, Ritzer asked Chism to stay after school. Another student who also stayed late that day testified that Ritzer tried to engage Chism — a student who had recently moved to Massachusetts — in talk about how his new community compared with his old town of Clarksville, Tennessee. The student said Chism became visibly upset and Ritzer eventually changed the subject.
Detective kills self, faced sex charges
Chipotle aims for perfect By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
GAINESVILLE, Va. — A police detective who once made national news when he took out a search warrant to photograph the genitals of a teen sexting suspect killed himself Tuesday as his fellow law officers were attempting to arrest him on child sex abuse charges, officials said. David Edward Abbott, 39, a detective for the Manassas, Virginia, police, barricaded himself in his home then shot himself as Prince William County police tried to serve warrants charging him with indecent liberties and using a communications device to solicit sexual offenses, the county police said. The warrants stemmed from an investigation involving communications between Abbott and a 13year-old boy he met while coaching for a local hockey league. Police say the contact began two years ago and included soliciting sexual acts by phone, text, social media and email. Authorities say Abbott also had inappropriate communications with another hockey league player dating to 2008, when the victim was 13. Abbott served on a task force that investigates crimes against children, police said. He was the lead detective in a sexting case that drew national attention last year after Abbott obtained search warrants authorizing police to take photos of a 17-year-old boy’s genitals in a sexually aroused state so that they could be compared to a photo the boy allegedly sent to his 15-year-old girlfriend. Police and prosecutors never followed through on the search warrant. Abbott later filed a defamation lawsuit against the boy’s attorney after she told reporters that Abbott’s pursuit of the sexually aroused photos was “crazy.” The lawsuit was eventually withdrawn.
A short time later, Ritzer left the classroom. Jurors were shown chilling surveillance video that showed Ritzer walking down the hallway to the bathroom. Seconds later, Chism is seen poking his head out of her classroom and looking down the hall. He then goes back into the classroom, but comes right back out with his hood on. Chism is then shown putting on a pair of gloves as he walks into the bathroom. Minutes later, he is shown emerging from the bathroom carrying the black pants Ritzer was
wearing. A bloody box cutter, mask, gloves and a hooded sweatshirt were later found in his backpack by police who found Chism walking beside a highway in neighboring Topsfield. Chism’s lawyers had said he should be acquitted of the rape in the woods, arguing Ritzer was already dead by then. Prosecutors, however, had said Chism did not deliver the fatal stab wounds to her neck until he brought her outside. Chism was tried as an adult. He faces life in prison on the firstdegree murder charge. As a juvenile, he cannot receive a life sentence without parole following decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court and the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. Adults convicted of first-degree murder in Massachusetts automatically receive life without parole. Judge David Lowy set a status hearing for Dec. 22 to discuss sentencing. Chism’s lawyers are also expected in court in Boston on Wednesday as he faces separate charges of attempted murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after he allegedly attacked a state Department of Youth Services worker in June 2014 while awaiting trial. Prosecutors in that case say Chism had been in custody at a youth detention facility in Boston when he followed a female worker into a locker room. They say he choked and beat her before other workers intervened. The unnamed worker suffered injuries to her face, jaw, neck and back.
Photo by Steven Senne | AP
A worker stands at an entrance to a passenger train as it rests on tracks Dec. 10, in Boston.
Investigators eye driverless train case By STEVE LEBLANC ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOSTON — A lawyer for the operator of a runaway train in Massachusetts says he denies tying a rope or cord around the train’s throttle. Investigators are looking at that as a possible reason why the train took off last week without a driver on board. Transit investigators recommended Tuesday that the operator, 53-yearold David Vazquez, be fired. The recommendation came after a disciplinary hearing.
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority General Manager Frank DePaola was expected to accept that recommendation, according to an individual with direct knowledge of the decision. The person wasn’t authorized to discuss the situation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The driverless train left a suburban Boston station Thursday morning and rumbled through several stops before transit workers stopped it by cutting power to the rails. No passengers were injured.
SEATTLE — Perfect food safety is not possible, but Chipotle is trying to get as close to that ideal as they can with new procedures and testing inside and outside their restaurants, the company’s founder and CEO said Tuesday during a visit to Seattle. “It is impossible to ensure that there is a zero percent chance of any kind of foodborne illness
anytime anyone eats anywhere,” CEO Steve Ells told The Associated Press at the beginning of a day stopping by Seattle restaurants to talk to employees about new food safety rules. Although the Denverbased chain is sure the October and November E. coli outbreak was caused by bacteria in fresh food like tomatoes or cilantro, Ells said they will never know for sure which item actually sickened more
than 50 people who ate at their restaurants. In addition to more testing along the supply chain, Chipotle is instituting more high-tech food tracking inside its restaurants and some new procedures, including cutting, washing and testing tomatoes at central commissaries to ensure they are as clean as possible. Ells said the company’s approach to food safety is similar to its focus on food quality.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
Mexico slow on making payments By MARK STEVENSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — Getting paid has always been hard for government contractors in Mexico, but seldom has the problem been so bad, as low oil prices are battering government finances. Analysts and officials said Tuesday the problem has broken out into the open. Government contractors are openly complaining and experts worry the country’s largest construction firm could be nearing bankruptcy. The head of Mexico’s top business chamber publicly rebuked President Enrique Peña Nieto on Monday, say-
ing that late payments were putting Mexican businesses at risk of failing. “The late payments and non-payments don’t just put thousands of businesses at risk,” Juan Pablo Castanon said at event with Peña Nieto. “They put at risk the jobs of thousands of families in Mexico.” The president’s office said it had no response to the comments. The problem has been broached before, and Mexico’s antiquated bureaucracy has always been slow with payments. In one case, hotels in the southern state of Guerrero complained the government hadn’t paid them for host-
ing thousands of federal police officers dispatched to the troubled state. But steep declines in oil prices — the source of about 37 percent of government revenue in Mexico — has battered the Peña Nieto administration and forced cutbacks. Eugenio Aleman, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities, said the drop in oil prices had been “a very hard blow” for the government. “I think they’re taking their time” with payments, “trying to organize what little amount of funds they have right now.” In recent months, hotels in the southern state of Guerrero complained the
government hadn’t paid them for hosting thousands of federal police officers dispatched to the troubled state. Mexico’s largest construction company in the public-works sector, Empresas ICA, appears to be teetering near insolvency after delaying a $31 million interest payment due on bonds in December. ICA, one of Mexico’s oldest construction firms, has a 30day grace period to make up the payment. Most of its work is for the government, or state-sector companies. Moody’s Investors Service this month downgraded ICA bonds to Caa3, saying its failure to make the
interest payment “reflects the precarious liquidity of the company and is a likely precursor to more formal refinancing process or distressed exchange.” ICA didn’t help itself by taking out a lot of debt denominated in US dollars, while much of its income is denominated in pesos — a currency that has devalued by 16 percent against the dollar over the last year, and 31 percent over the last two years. But one government official who was not authorized to be quoted by name said the company’s cashflow problems were worsened by late payments from the government-owned oil company, Pemex,
and some state-level governments. Pemex said it had no immediate comment and ICA investor relations representative Elena Garcia said the company, by policy, does not make comments to the press. Delgado said he thinks the government will do what it can to keep ICA from bankruptcy. “What the government is doing is to try to speed up the payments, so the company won’t have problems,” Delgado said. “It’s not aid for the company, it’s just a question of speeding up the process so the company gets what the government owes it, or what is coming due soon.”
Stocks post big gain led TCW to thwart by energy and banks downgrades on $1.3B of student bonds By MARLEY JAY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Stocks posted their biggest gains in more than a week Tuesday, led by rising energy companies and banks. The market was higher all day, building on a late gain the day before. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose for the second day in a row, something that hadn’t happened since early November. Energy stocks rose as the price of crude oil jumped 3 percent, and banks moved higher a day ahead of an expected rate increase by the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones industrial average added 156.41 points, or 0.9 percent, to 17,524.91. The S&P 500 increased 21.47 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,043.41. The Nasdaq composite index gained 43.13 points, or 0.9 percent, to 4,995.36. Stocks have been on a bumpy ride ever since a six-week winning streak ended in early November. They dropped sharply in mid-November, then bounced back the following week, but failed to build consistently on those gains. Last week, a plunge in the price of oil set off a sharp drop in energy stocks, which dragged the broader market down to its second-worst weekly performance of 2015. Now with more encouraging signs on the economy, many expect the Fed to begin returning borrowing costs back toward normal levels with its first interest rate increase in nine years. The government said early Tuesday that prices for a variety of goods and services rose last month, including plane tickets and medical care. Overall prices were unchanged from last year because food and energy prices are weak,
but “core inflation,” which leaves out energy and food, rose 0.2 percent. That’s the best result in more than a year. Michelle Girard, chief U.S. economist for RBS, said the reassuring signal on inflation should remove any last barriers to the Fed to raise rates. The inflation report gave the Fed “a green light to take action tomorrow,” Girard said. The Fed’s key short-term interest rate has been near zero for seven years. Energy stocks were the topperforming sector as U.S. crude rose $1.04, or 2.9 percent, to $37.35 a barrel in New York. That’s on top of a 2 percent gain on Monday. Oil is still down 30 percent in 2015 and is at its lowest in more than six years. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, rose 53 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $38.45 a barrel in London. That helped the energy sector, which has struggled throughout 2015. Exxon Mobil had its best day since late August. Its shares jumped $3.40, or 4.5 percent, to $79.43. Offshore drillers Ensco added $1.21, or 8 percent, to $16.40 and Transocean rose 74 cents, or 5.9 percent, to $13.38. Natural gas continued to tumble. Its price gas slid 7.2 cents, or 3.8 percent, to $1.822 per 1,000 cubic feet. That’s the lowest price since March 1999, not adjusting for inflation. Industrial demand for natural gas has been weak, and the warm weather means most Americans haven’t needed as much heat for their homes as they usually do this time of year. In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 1.1 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $1.2444 a gallon and heating
oil rose 1.9 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $1.147 a gallon. Bank stocks climbed as investors anticipated that higher interest rates would help banks become more profitable by charging more for loans. JPMorgan Chase rose $1.83, or 2.8 percent, to $66.10 and Wells Fargo gained $1.71, or 3.2 percent, to $54.91. Investors dipped a toe back into the high-yield bond market after several days of selling. The iShares high yield corporate bond ETF rose $1.29, or 1.6 percent, to $80.12 and the SPDR Barclays high yield bond ETF rose 39 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $33.81. High yield bonds have been attractive to investors in recent years because their returns are high. But investors are becoming worried that more companies could default. Guy LeBas, chief fixed income strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott, said plunging oil prices were a big contributor to the recent decline. And he thinks more pain is coming. “Buyers of high yield bonds will be, on average, pretty happy five years from now,” he said. “But I think they’re going to be pretty unhappy in the next three months.” Prices for U.S. government bonds, which are considered extremely low-risk, fell. The yield on the 10-year note rose to 2.27 percent from 2.23 percent late Monday. Gold fell $1.80 to $1,061.60 an ounce, while silver gained 7.5 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $13.77 an ounce. Copper fell 5.5 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $2.06 per pound. The euro fell to $1.0917 from $1.0998. The dollar rose to 121.73 yen from 120.84 yen on Monday.
By MATT SCULLY BLOOMBERG
TCW Group Inc. is shielding itself against downgrades looming over bonds tied to U.S. student debt by pushing out maturities on $1.3 billion of the securities it holds. The money manager entered a pact with Navient Corp. that will extend the due dates on six bonds by as many as 40 years, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. TCW’s agreement with Navient, one of the biggest sponsors of these deals, is the first of its kind and may be replicated by other investors, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public. TCW spokesman Doug Morris declined to comment. Navient spokeswoman Patricia Nash Christel didn’t respond to an e-mail seeking comment. The deal gives TCW, which disclosed the bonds in its portfolio as of Oct. 31, a cushion against credit rating companies, which warned this year that slowing repayments are creating the possibility of technical defaults on otherwise sound deals. While the underlying loans were originated by the now-defunct Federal Family Education Loan Program and are backed by the U.S. government, making a typical default virtually impossible, slow repayments mean the bonds could still technically default. One investor, believed to own
all the notes, “made the amendments easy to implement”, Brian Ford, an analyst at Barclays Plc, said in Dec. 11 note to clients. He didn’t identify TCW as the investor. Downgrade Risk As much as $60 billion of the $170 billion of bonds tied to student-loans originated under the FFEL program face downgrades as companies like Fitch Ratings come up with new criteria for the securities, according to Deutsche Bank AG estimates. The change could result in about 15 percent of AAA rated bonds being cut to below investment grade, according to a Nov. 18 Fitch report. TCW’s approach is the simplest and most direct solution to shield bonds from a technical default, but not all deals will be as easy easy to amend, said Ford. Other deals may be held by multiple investors, and all of them may have to agree before terms can be changed. Fitch described the agreement with Navient as an “effective mitigant to maturity risk” in a statement last week that didn’t identify TCW as the holder of the bonds. The six deals were issued last year and were due as early as 2043. They’ll now mature by 2083. Navient has taken other steps to minimize the effect on investors should Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch reduce bond ratings. That includes buying out more than $1 billion in higher-risk loans from securitization trusts.
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Facebook enforces ‘real name’ policy By ABBY OHLHEISER THE WASHINGTON POST
Facebook has changed a lot since it first went online, but at least one thing has remained pretty much immovable: The site requires users to use their "real" names, and not a pseudonym, on the social network. The "real name" policy is designed to encourage accountability, but it’s come under fire in recent years from users who feel Facebook hasn’t done nearly enough to address its biggest unintended consequences. On Tuesday, Facebook announced that it was testing two changes to its "real" name reporting and verification process, designed to make sure that Facebook’s name policy "works for everyone, especially for communities who are marginalized or face discrimination." Transgender, drag and Native American Facebook users are among those who have campaigned for Facebook to change or drop its "real" name policy, arguing that it has unfairly singled out many members of their communities for unwarranted scrutiny, sometimes preventing them from using the site at all with their preferred names. Although Facebook has said its policy doesn’t require users to identify by their legal name - only the name by which most people would know them - Facebook’s verification system is often difficult to navigate for users whose names don’t appear on some form of legal identification. Facebook’s changes, announced in a blog post on Tuesday, will require reporters to provide more context before flagging an account, and will allow anyone asked to verify their name to give Facebook more specific information about their circumstances. Facebook said it made the changes after "many conversations with community leaders and safety organizations around the world." Facebook employees are responsible for verifying the names on user accounts, but that verification process is often the result of a user-reported alleged violation. Facebook’s Chris Cox apologized to transgender and drag users for the "hardship that we’ve put you through" last year after the site stepped up enforcement of its real names, after one user reported a large number of accounts as "fake."
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015
‘Star Wars’ for a new generation By JAKE COYLE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Long before I was a movie writer and critic, I was a teenager driving up the Garden State Parkway in a Storm Trooper helmet, inquiring toll booth attendants if they had seen two droids. I don’t know what this means for my relationship with “Star Wars” and the coming sequel, “The Force Awakens,” which is some mix of boyish excitement and adult despair. I do know that it’s difficult to operate a stick shift with a Storm Trooper helmet on and that New Jersey toll booth attendants are a hard bunch to faze. As “The Force Awakens” makes its way into theaters, moviegoers and critics of generations old and young will again have to wrestle with a cultural force as colossal as the Death Star, whose cinematic firepower is alternatively seen as the vile source to today’s franchise-mad blockbustercrazy Hollywood or the ultimate expression of a glorious movie passion that spans time, galaxies and dreadfully disappointing prequels. For a fairly impersonal epic of corny characters, “Star Wars” inspires curiously personal reactions. It drives some people to don Wookiee costumes and others to curse an entire industry as infantile. Since the 1977 debut of “A New Hope,” it’s become a generational rite of passage not just to experience the saga, but also to form one’s relationship with movies around it, whether in happy lockstep or rebel opposition. “‘Star Wars’ made, and changed, movie and cultural history, and anybody who wants to make sense of either has to take it
Photo by Southwick | AP file
In this May 25, 1983 file photo, three fans of the "Star Wars" movie trilogy stand in a line of ticket buyers outside a Boston theater, before the first showing there of the film "Return of the Jedi." on,” wrote critic Glenn Kenny in “A Galaxy Not So Far Away: Writers and Artists on Twenty-Five Years of Star War.” “Star Wars” didn’t, by itself, change movies. But more than any other film, it heralded the blockbuster era that would follow the maverick filmmaking of the ‘70s —— a continuing chapter in movies that swells with every new superhero movie. Lucas, himself, straddled the divide he came to be the poster boy of. Coming off the success of “American Graffiti,” which he wrote, his pal Francis Ford Coppola wanted him to direct “Apocalypse Now.” (Take a moment to contemplate
THAT parallel universe.) Lucas was instead busy with his script for “Star Wars,” a project that few expected much of and that Universal Studios passed on before 20th Century Fox paid Lucas to develop it. But to the astonishment of everyone, including Lucas (who fortuitously negotiated for the sequel and merchandising rights), the movie he called “‘The Sting’ in outer space”’ was a smash that was still No. 1 at the box office more than 40 weeks after opening. Many critics watched its rise warily. Pauline Kael called the movie “a box of Cracker Jacks which is all prizes.” John
Simon fretted: “O dull new world!” All the profits fueled the multiplexes erected through the 1980s. Their walls would blare with Lucas’ own sound system, THX, and play countless action sequences designed by Lucas’ effects house, Industrial Light and Magic. Many of the forces Lucas unlocked —— the merchandizing power, the franchise building, the super-fandom —— now define the modern movie business. Paul Schrader, writer of 1976’s “Taxi Driver” and 1980’s “Raging Bull,” once called “Star Wars” ‘’the film that ate the heart and soul of Hollywood.”
“Star Wars,” though, was part of a broader and perhaps unstoppable trend. It followed James Bond films and Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” (the first movie to open in wide release). “Superman: The Movie” arrived the year after. “The Force Awakens” now finds itself in a more competitive blockbuster environment, just one of the prime assets in the stable of the Walt Disney Co., which purchased Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion — a fitting home for “Star Wars” considering Lucas considered it “a Disney movie.” Inheriting Lucas’ empire, director J.J. Abrams — one of those kids transfixed by “Star Wars,” now grown up — isn’t trying to redefine moviegoing. His “The Force Awakens” is more like a restoration project: a blend of new and old; old-school special effects with a more diverse cast. Alongside the old guard of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, the new characters are effectively stand-ins for new fans. “It was the idea of what would this new generation be, given that they were standing on the shoulders of characters we knew from years earlier,” Abrams said in an earlier interview. “How their history is the history that we know.” “Star Wars” ultimately belongs to the young. The saga’s new chapter will be written by a franchise-savvy generation of moviegoers who can pre-order tickets without standing in line, and critics who grew up in the shadow of “Star Wars” —— some of whom even know how fast Han Solo can make the Kessel Run. “12 parsecs!” exclaims this one, with more pride than shame.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
ZARINA YASLEEN GARCIA May 6, 2014 – Dec. 9, 2015 Zarina Yasleen Garcia, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015 at McAllen Medical Center in McAllen, Texas. Zarina is survived by her parents, Hector and Elizabeth Garcia; sisters, Tiana Delgado and Katrina Laylee Garcia; maternal grandparents, Raquel Solis and Adam Salinas; great-grandparents, Filiberto and Francisca Solis and by numerous aunts, uncles, cousins other family members and friends. Visitation hours were Friday, Dec. 11, 2015, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a chapel service at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home and on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015 at 8 a.m. with a chapel service at 10 a.m. The funeral procession departed Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, at 11 a.m. Committal services followed at Zapata County
Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home Daniel A. Gonzalez, Funeral Director, 2102 N. US HWY 83 Zapata, Texas.
Photo by Mandel Ngan/Pool Image | AP
US Secretary of State John Kerry, left, speaks with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow Tuesday. The United States and Russia need to find "common ground" to end Syria’s civil war and restore stability in eastern Ukraine.
FARMS Continued from Page 1A owns the 7,000-acre Sanzenbacher Ranch near Henrietta, established in 1873. “Are we really going to fundamentally transform the county from this rural setting that you see to more of an industrial type complex, and I think the majority of people now are saying, ‘No that’s not what we want,’ " Baldwin said. To him, wind farms are a blight for several reasons, among them: They ruin the rural skyline, hurt land values and reduce the acreage used for agriculture. On a recent visit, Baldwin, his ranch manager and a team of cowboys were branding cattle and inoculating the herd. The scene has played out here for generations — except the cowboys use electronic tags now instead of branding irons. Baldwin, who splits time between the ranch and a home in Dallas, said he loves the untouched feel of the ranch. “It’s 100 miles apart and two completely different worlds, and we want to keep it that way,” Baldwin said. A few miles to the southwest, Jimmy Horn has a dramatically different view on wind farms. His company, Horn Wind Energy, helped develop the new 119-turbine, 204-megawatt Shannon Wind Farm, now operated and partly owned by Alterra Power Corp. of Canada. During a tour of the wind farm, Horn shows off the turbines on his ranch. Horn has no problems with the wind turbines and plans to eventually build a home on the ranch, not far from his parent’s home. He currently splits time between Windthorst and his home in Austin. The idea for two new wind farms originated with landowners, Horn said. Landowners were interested in wind farms near Byers and Petrolia, not far from the
Red River, as well as near Bluegrove in the central part of the county. “The anti-wind farm folks say how can you do that your neighbor,” Horn said. “The landowners I’m dealing with would ask why would a neighbor try to tell them what they can or cannot do with their own property.” The landowners originally contacted Liggett, who in turn reached out to Horn. Liggett’s involvement has drawn criticism from residents who view it as a conflict of interest. Liggett said he is working as a land man for Horn Wind Energy and has called many of the landowners to see whether they would be interested in having turbines on their property. If a tax abatement for either project comes before Clay County commissioners, Liggett said he would recuse himself from the vote as required by law. The Shannon Wind Farm received a tax abatement from Clay County. For now, Liggett isn’t sure whether the wind farms will ever happen. “Some people are still interested,” Liggett said. “I think there’s a good bit of intimidation with residents concerned about ‘what my neighbor would say.”’ Horn remains optimistic that one or both of the wind farms will eventually get built. “The only thing that would slow it down is a fatal flaw that says those places aren’t right for wind farms or changes in the federal tax credits,” Horn said. But he acknowledges a county tax abatement would help the project. “Our goal is not to proceed without a tax abatement,” Horn said. “There’s a chance we might go ahead if we don’t have one. They have been built without them before.”
Kerry accepts Russian stance By MATTHEW LEE AND BRADLEY KLAPPER ASSOCIATED PRESS
MOSCOW — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday accepted Russia’s long-standing demand that President Bashar Assad’s future be determined by his own people, as Washington and Moscow edged toward putting aside years of disagreement over how to end Syria’s civil war. “The United States and our partners are not seeking so-called regime change,” Kerry told reporters in the Russian capital after meeting President Vladimir Putin. A major international conference on Syria would take place later this week in New York, Kerry announced. Kerry reiterated the U.S. position that Assad, accused by the West of massive human rights violations and chemical weapons attacks, won’t be able to steer Syria out of more than four years of conflict. But after a day of discussions with Assad’s key international backer, Kerry said the focus now is “not on our differences about what can or cannot be done immediately about Assad.” Rather, it is on facilitating a peace process in which “Syrians will be making decisions for the future of Syria.” Kerry’s declarations crystallized the evolution in U.S. policy on Assad over the last several months, as the Islamic State group’s growing influence in the Middle East has taken priority. President Barack Obama first called on Assad to leave power in the summer of 2011, with “Assad must go” being a consistent rallying cry. Later, American officials allowed that he wouldn’t have to resign on “Day One” of a transition. Now, no one can say when Assad might step down.
IMMIGRATION Continued from Page 1A Military officials who previously refused to publicly state an end date on the deployment said after Abbott’s announcement that December was supposed to have been the end of a nearly 18month mission. Neither Abbott nor the Texas National Guard would say when troops would now go home. Lt. Col. Travis Walters also would not disclose how many troops would remain, but said no new troops would be deployed. Abbott issued the order in response to U.S. Border Patrol figures showing that more than 10,000 unaccompanied children crossed into the U.S. in October and November, double the number of crossings in the same two months of last year. The increase has already prompted federal officials to open two shelters in Texas and one in California. “Texas will not sit idle in the face of this challenge,” Abbott said. “We will not be victimized as a state by a federal government’s apathetic response to border se-
curity.” The criticism is similar to what former Texas Gov. Rick Perry said last year when he first announced the deployment. Perry said at the time that he was sending National Guard troops because Border Patrol agents were getting too overwhelmed to keep an eye on the border. In recent months, only a few hundred National Guard troops have remained as the mission has wound down. Walter said plans for all troops to return home by the end of December had already been in place but did not specify for how long. “This was the tentative plan for us,” he said. The Obama administration has defended the amount of federal resources put toward border security in the last two decades as more than at any point in history. But a letter obtained by The Associated Press this week revealed Sylvia Burwell, the secretary of Health and Human Services, renewing concerns to Congress that too little mon-
ey will be available to house the latest influx of children. Federal officials are hoping to avoid a repeat of the crisis it saw in the summer of 2014, when tens of thousands of children and families came over the border. Border Patrol holding areas became overcrowded, with children sleeping on concrete floors covered by aluminum foil-like blankets. Abbott, who took office in January, approved a record $800 million in state border security spending earlier this year. The governor had previously declined to say when the National Guard mission could end, saying he did not want troops to leave until Texas trained hundreds of new law enforcement officers to replace them. Abbott said he has also ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to increase patrols in the air and on the Rio Grande. He is also providing more money to two counties near Dallas where as many as 1,000 of the children are expected to stay at two rural camps.
Russia, by contrast, has remained consistent in its view that no foreign government could demand Assad’s departure and that Syrians would have to negotiate matters of leadership among themselves. Since late September, it has been bombing terrorist and rebel targets in Syria as part of what the West says is an effort to prop up Assad’s government. “No one should be forced to choose between a dictator and being plagued by terrorists,” Kerry said. However, he described the Syrian opposition’s demand that Assad must leave as soon as peace talks begin as a “nonstarting position, obviously.” Earlier Tuesday in the Kremlin, Putin noted several “outstanding issues” between Russia and its former Cold War foe. Beyond Assad, these include which rebel groups in Syria
should be allowed to participate in the transition process and which should be deemed terrorists, and like the Islamic State group and al-Qaida, combatted by all. Jordan is working on finalizing the list of terrorist vs. legitimate opposition forces. Representatives of Syria’s opposition themselves hope this week to finalize their negotiating team for talks with Assad’s government. The U.S., Russia and others hope those talks will begin early next year. Appearing beside Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hailed what he described as a “big negotiating day,” saying the sides advanced efforts to define what a Syrian transition process might look like. The two countries also have split on Ukraine since Russia’s annexation of the Crimea region last year
and its ongoing, though diminished, support for separatist rebels in the east of the country. The U.S. has pressed severe economic sanctions against Russia in response and has insisted that Moscow’s actions have left it isolated. That wasn’t the case on Tuesday. “We don’t seek to isolate Russia as a matter of policy, no,” Kerry said. The sooner Russia implements a February cease-fire that calls for withdrawal of Russian forces and materiel and a release of all prisoners, he said, the sooner that “sanctions can be rolled back.” The world is better off when Russia and the U.S. work together, he added, calling Obama and Putin’s current cooperation a “sign of maturity.” “There is no policy of the United States, per se, to isolate Russia,” Kerry stressed.
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015