The Zapata Times 12/20/2014

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TEXAS ECONOMY

SOCIAL INNOVATION FUND

State jobless rate falls

Federal investment

Nov. unemployment rate is 4.9 percent ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN — Texas’ unemployment rate has declined for the third month in a row to 4.9 percent in November as the state continues to add jobs, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday.

The state added 34,800 seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in November for a total of 441,200 jobs added since last year.

The November seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was slightly lower than the 5.1 percent reported in October, and down from 6.1 percent a year ago. The rate was 5.2 percent in September and 5.3 percent in August.

“The Texas economy continued its record-breaking expansion, providing job opportunities across a wide range of industries,” Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Andres Alcantar said. He added that “we must continue to focus our efforts on expanding our state’s skilled workforce to meet employer needs in high-demand industries.”

Seven of 11 major industries added jobs in Texas over the month, including an additional 13,500 jobs in professional and business services, 7,200 jobs added in education and health services and 6,000 jobs added in leisure and hospitality.

In November, employers added 4,500 manufacturing jobs, marking the industry’s largest monthly increase since January 2006. Construction grew by 3,600 jobs.

The information industry added 3,300 jobs in November and includes jobs in publishing, telecommunications, data processing, hosting and related services.

Midland had the lowest unemployment rate in November, at 2.3 percent. The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area had the highest, at 8.2 percent.

$10M grant to improve healthcare in South Texas

By PHILIP BALLI THE ZAPATA TIMES

Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas was presented Wednesday with a ceremonial check for $10 million from the Social Innovation Fund to support a program aimed toward improving behavioral health and chronic disease in South Texas.

Healthcare Ministries is the largest private, faith-based funding source for health care services in South Texas.

The Social Innovation Fund is a key White House initiative and program of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

The unprecedented grant to Methodist Healthcare Ministries marks the first time the Social Innovation Fund has selected a

Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times

U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar spoke Wednesday morning at the First United Methodist Church at a press conference where Cuellar presented a ceremonial check for $10 million to the Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas. The funds come from Unprecedented Federal Grant to benefit Webb County and South Texas.

See GRANT PAGE 12A

CHRISTMAS PARADE AND LIGHTING OF COUNTY PLAZA

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS

Courtesy photo

A school bus decorated as a lighted cartoon character was part of the Christmas Parade and Lighting of County Plaza activities. See related photos, page 9A.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Border apprehensions in Texas spiked in 2014

By JULIÁN AGUILAR TEXAS TRIBUNE

Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman | AP

In this July 24 photo, U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehend men who crossed the Rio Grande River from Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico in Anzalduas Park in McAllen.

MCALLEN — Federal immigration agents apprehended nearly 97,000 more people trying to enter the U.S. illegally through Texas’ southern border during the 2014 fiscal year that they did in 2013, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Friday.

About 332,460 people were apprehended in Texas between October 2013 and September 2014, up from 235,600 the year before.

Nationwide, agents apprehended about 486,600 people in fiscal year 2014, compared with 420,800 in 2013.

The government attributed

the increase to the influx of undocumented children and families caught in Texas during a mass exodus from Central America over the summer.

“While Border Patrol apprehensions of Mexican nationals in FY 2014 decreased by 14 percent when compared to FY 2013, apprehensions of individuals from countries other than Mexico — predominately individuals from Central America — increased by 68 percent,” the agency said in its annual report.

About 50,000 unaccompanied children were caught in the Rio Grande Valley sector in fiscal year 2014, compared with 21,550 in 2013. An additional 3,800 and 3,270 were apprehended in the in

the Laredo and Del Rio sectors, respectively, in 2014. Overall, about 68,600 unaccompanied minors were apprehended along the southwest border, an increase of 77 percent from 2013.

There were also about 68,400 family units apprehended in 2014 on the southwest border, including about 52,300 in the Rio Grande Valley — an increase of more than 500 percent in that region compared with 2013’s 7,265.

The state’s Republican leadership responded to the influx this year by sending a surge of Department of Public Safety officers to the Rio Grande Valley in June. Weeks later, the Texas Na-

See BORDER PAGE 12A

PAGE 2A

Zin brief CALENDAR

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

AROUND TEXAS

TODAY IN HISTORY

SATURDAY, DEC. 20

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Planetarium movie showings.

From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. TAMIU LBV Planetarium and Science Center. Contact Claudia Herrera at claudia.herrera@tamiu.edu or tamiu.edu/planetarium. For more information call 326DOME (3663).

Disney Junior Live: Pirate and Princess Adventure. Starts at 5 p.m. at the Laredo Energy Arena, 6700 Arena Blvd. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com.

2nd annual Holiday Celebration for families of individuals with Down syndrome from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Laredo Public Library, Media Room, 1120 E. Calton Rd., Laredo.

Contact Raquel Canizales at raquelucha56@yahoo.com. Immediate family members only due to limited space.

Please RSVP.

Today is Saturday, Dec. 20, the 354th day of 2014. There are 11 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On Dec. 20, 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union as all 169 delegates to a special convention in Charleston voted in favor of separation.

On this date: In 1790, the first successful cotton mill in the United States began operating at Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was completed as ownership of the territory was formally transferred from France to the United States.

In 1812, German authors Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published the first volume of the first edition of their collection of folk stories, “Children’s and Household Tales.”

In 1963, the Berlin Wall was opened for the first time to West Berliners, who were allowed one-day visits to relatives in the Eastern sector for the holidays.

In 1987, more than 4,300 people were killed when the Dona Paz, a Philippine passenger ship, collided with the tanker Vector off Mindoro island.

In 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, sending troops into Panama to topple the government of Gen. Manuel Noriega.

In 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that homosexual couples were entitled to the same benefits and protections as wedded couples of the opposite sex.

Ten years ago: In a sobering assessment of the Iraq war, President George W. Bush acknowledged during a news conference that Americans’ resolve had been shaken by grisly scenes of death and destruction, and he pointedly criticized the performance of U.S.-trained Iraqi troops.

Five years ago: Relatives reported the death of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, 87, the spiritual father of Iran’s reform movement. Actress Brittany Murphy, who’d starred in “Clueless” and “8 Mile,” died at age 32.

One year ago: Russian President Vladimir Putin pardoned jailed tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who had spent 10 years in prison on charges of tax evasion and embezzlement. A federal judge struck down Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage.

Today’s Birthdays: Former South Korean President Kim Young-sam is 87. Actor John Hillerman is 82. Original Mouseketeer Tommy Cole (TV: “The Mickey Mouse Club”) is 73. Rock musician-music producer Bobby Colomby is 70.

Rock musician Peter Criss is 69. Producer Dick Wolf (“Law & Order”) is 68. Rock musician Alan Parsons is 66. Actress Jenny Agutter is 62. Actor Michael Badalucco is 60.

Actress Blanche Baker is 58.

Rock singer Billy Bragg is 57.

Actor Joel Gretsch is 51. Country singer Kris Tyler is 50.

Rock singer Chris Robinson is 48. Actress Nicole deBoer is 44. Movie director Todd Phillips is 44. Singer David Cook (“American Idol”) is 32. Actor Jonah Hill is 31. Singer JoJo is 24.

Thought for Today: “Experience teaches you that the man who looks you straight in the eye, particularly if he adds a firm handshake, is hiding something.” — Clifton Fadiman, American author, editor and radio personality (19041999).

Photo by Ruben R. Ramirez/El Paso Times | AP

SUNDAY, DEC. 21 “Ring we now of Christmas” from 4 to 5 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland. Linda Mott at lmott@stx.rr.com or the church office at 722-1674.

In this photo taken Thursday, neon, self-powered artwork illuminates Interstate 10 near the El Paso International Airport in El Paso.

El Paso displays lights ASSOCIATED PRESS

MONDAY, DEC. 22 Webb County December Adoption Meeting. Starting at 6 p.m. DFPS Offices, 1500 N. Arkansas. For more information, contact Cornelia Garza 361-516-0943.

Planetarium Open House. From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. TAMIU LBV Planetarium and Science Center. Contact Claudia Herrera at claudia.herrera@tamiu.edu or tamiu.edu/planetarium.

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

SUNDAY, DEC. 28 Winterfest 2014 at Roxxy, 8510 Las Cruces Dr. From 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

MONDAY, DEC. 29 Monthly meeting of Laredo Parkinson’s Disease Support Group.

6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, Tower B, First Floor Community Center. Patients, caregivers and family members invited. Free info pamphlets available in Spanish and English. Richard Renner (English) at 645-8649 or Juan Gonzalez (Spanish) at 237-0666.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31 Epoca de Oro New Year’s Scholoarship Dance. Table reservations and tickes on sale at Rolis. Call Rosa at 337- 7178, Sid at 740-3572 or Daniel at 290-7341 for more information.

THURSDAY, JAN. 1 First Day Hikes at Lake Casa Blanca International State Park. From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., the Mesquite Bend Nature Hike, about 1.75 miles. From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., White-tail Loop Fossils Hike, about 1.25 miles. From 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Junior Ranger Hike, about 1 mile. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Roadrunner Trail, about 2.25 miles.Meet at the Boat Ramp Restrooms for all hikes. Contact Holly Reinhard at holly.reinhard@tpwd.texas.gov or 725-3826.

MONDAY, JAN. 5 Colecta Navideña 2014 Baja Duty Free. 1420 Grant St. 728-8954

(Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location and purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.)

EL PASO — More than 20 color-changing towers and sculptures, powered by wind turbines that generate electricity, are illuminating an interstate near the El Paso International Airport.

The display was officially lit Thursday evening along Interstate 10 near Airway Boulevard, marking the end of Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority’s $7 million project, which also includes lighting, landscaping, painting and pedestrian walkways.

The neon attraction by Seattle-based artist Vicki Scuri will be lit daily from dusk to dawn.

Scuri said the sculptures were inspired by aeronautical forms and the shape of desert plants.

“We want people who pass through El Paso to say, ‘Wow. This is a great city, maybe we need to stop,”’ city Rep. Emma Acosta told the El Paso Times.

Before construction finished on the pipelike structures, which are plain white during the day, some El Paso residents criticized that they looked like egg-beaters and space aliens.

“In the beginning, we had our doubts.

Nothing was happening and it took so long,” resident Joe Castillo said.

But after seeing the finished product, he and Gloria Castillo said they were impressed with the lighting display.

“They are beautiful,” Gloria Castillo said. “For people who come from out of town and passing through, they are going to say, ‘Have you seen those lights in El Paso?”’

Texas eatery worker gets 10 Aryan Brotherhood of mink coat from customer Texas members get prison LIBERTY — A worker at a Houston-area fast-food restaurant has received a $10,000 mink coat from a customer who literally offered the fancy fur right off her back.

Cheryl Semien says she was working at a Whataburger in Liberty when she complimented the driver about the beautiful fur coat she wore. The customer was picking up food Wednesday when she took off the coat and handed it to Semien via the drive-thru window.

Death among 5 reported in listeria outbreak DALLAS — Texas health officials say one person has died and three became sick in a food poisoning outbreak linked to prepackaged caramel apples.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday said the listeria outbreak includes 10 states and five deaths.

Texas authorities rescue beached dolphin

HOUSTON — Ten more members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas have been sentenced to prison to complete prosecution of three dozen people indicted in 2012.

All 10 defendants who were sentenced this week were convicted of racketeering-related counts and acknowledge being part of the white supremacist gang.

BOLIVAR PENINSULA — Authorities in Southeast Texas have rescued a bottlenose dolphin that was found beached. The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network recovered the animal on Thursday after a Galveston County Sheriff ’s Office employee spotted it on a beach near Galveston Bay. The female dolphin has been taken to a rehabilitation tank in Galveston.

2 brothers dead in possible suicides

Perry criticizes Obama’s new Cuba policy

BEAUMONT — Two brothers have been found dead in Beaumont and investigators say the men appear to have committed suicide.

Police say the bodies were located late Thursday afternoon behind a house. Sgt. Rob Flores Jr. says a person living at the home called 911 to report finding two of his visiting relatives dead in a wooded area.

AUSTIN — Outgoing Texas Gov. Rick Perry criticized President Barack Obama’s shift in U.S. policy toward Cuba, saying it’s part of a troubling pattern of negotiating with those who hold Americans captive. Perry said he was happy that American government contractor Alan Gross had been released after five years as a Cuban prisoner. — Compiled from AP reports

AROUND THE NATION Driver charged after car crashes into crowd TORRANCE, Calif. — A 56year-old woman has been charged with five felony counts for allegedly driving into a crowd outside a California church, killing four people including a 6-year-old boy.

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office says Margo Bronstein is expected to be arraigned Friday. She is charged with four counts if gross vehicular manslaughter and one count of driving under the influence of a drug causing injury.

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Flu season hitting hard in South and Midwest

Firefighters work on a victim at left after a driver suspected of being intoxicated hit a group of pedestrians and another car outside a church as a Christmas service ended in Redondo Beach, Calif., Wednesday evening.

NEW YORK — Health officials say the flu is now hitting hard in parts of the country, especially the South and Midwest.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday reported cases were widespread in

29 states last week. If the trend continues, it could bring another early peak to the flu season as happened in the last two winters.

Experts worry this will be a bad season because the dominant strain is a nasty bug not covered in this year’s vaccine.

But officials have not seen an unusually high number of hospitalizations or deaths so far.

Flu season traditionally peaks around February. But in the last two winters, flu peaked by early January. — 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.

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A

Specialty crops further protected in bill SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Greater protection is now available from the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program for crops that traditionally have been ineligible for federal crop insurance.

The new options, created by the 2014 Farm Bill, provide greater coverage for losses when natural disasters affect specialty crops such as vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, floriculture, ornamental nursery, aquaculture, turf

grass, ginseng, honey, syrup, and energy crops.

“These new protections will help ensure that farm families growing crops for food, fiber or livestock consumption will be better able to withstand losses due to natural disasters,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday. “For years, commodity crop farmers have had the ability to purchase insurance to keep their crops protected, and it only makes sense that fruit and vegetable, and

other specialty crop growers, should be able to purchase similar levels of protection.

Ensuring these farmers can adequately protect themselves from factors beyond their control is also critical for consumers who enjoy these products and for communities whose economies depend on them.”

Previously, the program offered coverage at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50 percent of

expected production. Producers can now choose higher levels of coverage, up to 65 percent of their expected production at 100 percent of the average market price.

The expanded protection will be especially helpful to beginning and traditionally underserved producers, as well as farmers with limited resources, who will receive fee waivers and premium reductions for expanded coverage. More crops are now eligible for the pro-

ZAPATA LIONS CLUB PASSES OUT TURKEYS TO FAMILIES IN NEED

gram, including expanded aquaculture production practices, and sweet and biomass sorghum. For the first time, a range of crops used to produce bioenergy will be eligible as well.

To help producers learn more about the program and how it can help them, a Web tool, available at www.fsa.usda.gov/nap, allows producers to determine whether their crops are eligible for coverage.

It also gives them an opportunity to explore a va-

Woman free in poisoning case ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo courtesy of Zapata Lions Club

On Friday the Zapata Lions Club and the newly formed Zapata High School LEO club help 88 families have a merrier Christmas by passing out turkeys to community families. This was made possible from funds raised during a chicken plate sale.

riety of options and levels to determine the best protection level for their operation.

If the application deadline for an eligible crop has already passed, producers will have until Jan. 14, to choose expanded coverage through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. To learn more, visit the Farm Service Agency website at www.fsa.usda.gov/nap or contact the local FSA office at offices.usda.gov.

CORPUS CHRISTI — A South Texas woman is free on bond while she awaits a new capital murder trial for the 2006 salt poisoning death of her 4year-old foster son.

Hannah Overton, 37, of Corpus Christi, already had served more than seven years of a life prison term when she was released Tuesday on $50,000 bond. Prosecutors had sought $250,000 bail.

State District Judge Mario Ramirez Jr. also allowed her to have contact with her five other children. Prosecutors had requested restrictions on the contacts.

In September, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, citing poor legal help at her 2007 trial, overturned her conviction in the death of Andrew Burd.

At her trial, prosecutors contended Overton fed the child a mixture of water and Cajun seasoning, causing sodium poisoning.

Evidence showed he had elevated sodium levels when he died at a Corpus

Christi hospital. Physicians also found he had suffered a head injury that led to bleeding on his brain and swelling. A physician testified at her trial that the boy could have survived if he had been brought to the hospital sooner. The child’s death was ruled a homicide.

Overton has maintained that the boy she and her husband were planning to adopt had emotional and medical problems, including an eating disorder that made him consume odd food items.

Defense attorneys called about a half dozen witnesses who testified to Overton’s “gentle,” “patient,” and “exemplary” character. Attorneys also provided a letter from the warden at a Gatesville prison where Overton has been locked up, describing her as “the epitome of a model prisoner.” Every month, Overton’s husband and other children visited her in prison, separated from her by glass and speaking with her on a telephone.

PAGE 4A

Zopinion

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

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

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

Airport inspections eased for WWII vets AUSTIN — It shouldn’t take an act of Congress to help expedite the airport screening process for elderly World War II vets headed to Washington to see the monument this nation built for them.

It shouldn’t take an act of Congress, but it did.

It’s H.R. 4812, and it was signed into law Tuesday by President Barack Obama.

To its credit, and showing that it can be done, Congress moved quickly on this one, advancing it from introduction in June to House approval in July and Senate approval this month.

The measure doesn’t actually do anything, but it tells somebody to do something.

Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond’s measure requires the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration to establish “a process for providing expedited and dignified passenger screening services” for veterans visiting “memorials built and dedicated to honor the service of such veterans.”

It’s called the “Honor Flight Act” for the private, nonprofit program that takes elderly vets, at no charge to them, to the National World War II Memorial in Washington.

“In Congress and across the country, we stand in support of treating our veterans with the reverence they deserve,” Richmond said in a statement after the Senate OK’d his bill. “I am proud the Senate has joined the House of Representatives in acting to pay a debt of gratitude to a group of Americans who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. I’m humbled to have been able to play a small role in ensuring that veterans across the nation continue to enjoy a more expedient process as they travel to our nation’s capital.”

The Congressional Budget Office’s fiscal analysis of the bill provides one reminder about how World War II veterans, in the not-toodistant future, will be just a memory. The office reports the costs of the measure “would be negligible, particularly because of the relatively small number of veter-

“

KEN HERMAN

ans who would qualify for expedited screening under the bill.”

Here’s another reminder about how World War II vets are becoming a scarce asset: The Congress that convenes in January will be the first without a World War II vet since that war. The last two to leave are Reps. John Dingell, an 88-year-old Michigan Democrat, and 91-yearold Ralph Hall, R-Texas.

Approval of the Honor Flight Act provides another chance to tout the local version of the program. So far it’s had 22 flights that have taken over 650 vets to Washington.

Earlier this month, there was a special flight for 13 Pearl Harbor survivors on the anniversary of the devastating Japanese attack on Hawaii. Also this month, there was what’s known as a “TLC Lone Eagle” flight to Washington to take a terminally ill vet.

In that case, program officials note, TLC can stand both for “tender loving care” and “their last chance.”

Allen Bergeron, Honor Flight Austin chairman, said officials with the TSA, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Southwest Airlines have been very helpful with getting the local vets on board the flights.

“TSA at ABIA is extremely supporting and understanding,” Bergeron said, adding, however, that Washington’s Reagan National Airport “for obvious reasons is a different animal. The process of going through TSA (at Reagan) is much slower.”

Let’s hope the Honor Flight Act helps on that end.

Three local Honor Flights are scheduled for April and May. If you’re looking to give a holiday season gift with meaning, this program is worth your consideration. Check it out at honorflightaustin.org.

Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. Email: kherman@statesman.com.

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EDITORIAL

Kim fires warning shot THE WASHINGTON POST

The cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment has taken an even more disturbing turn.

First it demonstrated how cyberthieves can raid a company’s most valuable trade secrets.

Now it has escalated into a blatant terrorism threat by a group linked to North Korea and an assault on the freedom of speech directed from a capital of totalitarianism.

Both the cyberattack and the coercion are unacceptable and cannot go unanswered.

According to news reports, the U.S. government has determined that a group in North Korea, or one sponsored by it, broke into Sony Pictures’ networks in retaliation for the studio’s production of a comedy depicting the assassination of leader Kim Jong Un.

Sony Pictures hastily withdrew the film from theatrical release after the same hackers threatened theaters. We’ve never been wild about the widespread comical treatment of Kim; he may have a funny haircut, but there is nothing funny about the gulag where hundreds of thousands of Koreans have been condemned to slavery and death.

Still, the canceled movie, “The Interview,” shouldn’t be judged without being seen — and whatever its merits, the method of its demise should ring alarm bells everywhere.

Threat to democracy The most serious threat is to free speech, a pillar of democracy that protects a screwball comedy in which a foreign leader gets his head blown off, just as it protects an artist who

draws a blasphemous picture of a religious figure.

These crudities may rise or fall in the market of public opinion, but bans are not the right response.

Satire cannot be censored, even when it is offensive.

This is a principle entirely alien to Kim, who presides over one of the most rigidly controlled prison-states on the planet.

The cyberattack on Sony Pictures by a group calling itself Guardians of Peace looted sensitive trade secrets from a U.S. subsidiary of a global conglomerate.

The studio is not alone in its vulnerability. Congress has tried but failed to approve legislation that would have allowed the federal government to work more closely with the private sector to protect corporate networks.

We hope the next Congress will act soon. Not only movie studios but also

electric utilities, banks and other essential corporate actors are vulnerable.

Meanwhile, the United States cannot let Kim intimidate movie theaters into silence nor allow his terror threats to succeed. Nor can Sony Pictures or U.S. movie theaters be expected to stand up to the threat unaided, even if it is unsettling that the picture was withdrawn so quickly.

Perhaps posting “The Interview” to YouTube, so that billions of people could watch for free, would be one element in a fitting response.

The nation would not tolerate a ballistic missile landing in a movie lot; how should it respond to a cybermissile and a direct threat of violence? President Obama has signed a directive laying out criteria for the use of U.S. cyberforces for offense and defense. We hope he is reading it anew today.

WORST WEEK IN WASHINGTON

Sen. Menendez blindsided on Cuba

By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama shocked the world this past week by announcing that the United States would move toward normalizing diplomatic relations with Cuba after more than five decades of embargoes and travel bans.

No one was more surprised than Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., a son of Cuban immigrants whose outspoken opposition to the Castro regime sits at the center of his political persona.

“President Obama’s actions have vindicated the

brutal behavior of the Cuban government,” Menendez said in the immediate aftermath of the news. Later, he was no more sanguine: “I think it stinks,” he said, while admitting, according to NJ.com, that he had not been consulted

by Obama on the decision — which reportedly had been 18 months in the making.

To make matters worse for Menendez, his former Senate colleague and the likely 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, quickly came out in support of Obama’s move.

“Despite good intentions, our decades-long policy of

isolation has only strengthened the Castro regime’s grip on power,” Clinton said in a statement that had to make Menendez grimace.

It wasn’t just Cuba, though. The New York Times reported this past week that Menendez had engaged in a “relentless effort” to overturn the U.S. travel ban on a prominent Ecuadorean woman whose family had donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Democratic campaign committees. Those groups included the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which Menendez chaired in the 2010 election cycle. His office insisted that nothing untoward

was afoot — despite the fact that the woman and her family members were not New Jersey residents.

In a final indignity, Menendez’s time as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee officially ended this past week as the lame-duck session of the 113th Congress closed. With Republicans set to take over in January, Menendez had to hand over his gavel.

Bob Menendez, for getting blindsided and besmirched, you had the worst week in Washington.

Congrats, or something.

Cillizza covers the White House for The Washington Post and writes The Fix, its politics blog.

CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A

PÁGINA 6A

Zfrontera

Ribereña en Breve DESTINO TURÍSTICO El Gobierno de Tamaulipas invita a visitar sus Pueblos Mágicos, como una opción para visitar durante la temporada invernal Los Pueblos Mágicos de México se han convertido en un destino turístico para nacionales y extranjeros que gustan de disfrutar las tradiciones, gastronomía, artesanías, la arquitectura y todo lo que envuelve la cultura mexicana, además de ser una oferta basada en la historia y actividades propias del lugar, así como de la aventura y deporte extremo en escenarios naturales.

Los Pueblos Mágicos de Tamaulipas son Tula y Mier, México.

DEPORTES Nuevo Laredo, México, logró el primer lugar en la etapa estatal de la Olimpiada Infantil y Juvenil 2015 en la disciplina de Karate-Do, y con esto el trofeo "CONADE" de la Comisión Nacional de Cultura Física y Deporte.

Entre los jóvenes neolaredenses que asistieron a dicho encuentro, destacan Ana Karen Rodríguez Hernández, Yaneth Quiroz Castillo, Zugehin Gallardo Rivera, Magaly Uranga Balderas, César Ramos Hernández, Brenda Reyes Muro, Alondra Rivera Gallegos, Abraham Treviño Rangel, Christian Anaya Castro, Tania Ramos Hernández y Julio Treviño Rangel.

Dentro de la competencia estatal participaron deportistas procedentes de distintos municipios como Ciudad Victoria, Mante, Madero, San Fernando, Matamoros, Reynosa y Altamira, México.

Los ganadores del primero y segundo lugar de cada categoría, división y rama, integrarán la selección estatal que estará presente en el Campeonato Nacional Clasificatorio que definirá, a través del ranking, a los karatecas que estarán presentes en la Olimpiada Nacional 2015.

Con la participación de más de 80 jóvenes de distintas ciudades de Tamaulipas, se realizó la etapa estatal de la Olimpiada Nacional de Ajedrez, en donde destacó la participación de la delegación neolaredense.

Cristian Gael Bojórquez Gallardo, Grecia Cruz Espinoza, Ricardo Tamayo Vázquez y Alexia Carmina Galaviz, tuvieron un desempeño favorable al obtener el segundo lugar en sus divisiones varonil y femenil.

ECOLOGÍA El estado de Tamaulipas busca la conservación y aprovechamiento responsable de una amplia variedad de especies de flora y fauna silvestres en de los habitantes de las comunidades donde se encuentran, cuidando la sustentabilidad y equilibrio, señala un comunicado.

Con el objetivo de proteger, manejar y mantener los ecosistemas, hábitats y poblaciones de vida silvestre, se promueve la creación de nuevas Unidades de Manejo y Aprovechamiento de Vida Silvestre – UMA. Actualmente se cuenta con 1.952 unidades bajo ese esquema. En Abasolo, se realizan actividades de manejo y recuperación de ecosistemas.

Con la finalidad de fortalecer la actividad cinegética y generar una derrama económica en la zona rural, se expidieron oportunamente a los titulares de las UMAS 586 autorizaciones de aprovechamiento para las diferentes especies de interés, 2.251 cintillos de cobro cinegéticos y 847 licencias de caza deportiva.

— Con información del Gobierno de Tamaulipas y la Ciudad de Nuevo Laredo, México.

SÁBADO 20 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2014

FISCALÍA DE DISTRITO

No habrá cargos POR GABRIELA A. TREVIÑO TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Los oficiales del Departamento de Policía de Laredo (LPD, por sus siglas en inglés) que estuvieron implicados en la muerte a tiros de José Walter Garza, no enfrentarán ningún cargo criminal, de acuerdo con el Fiscal del Distrito del Condado de Webb, Isidro Alaniz.

El jueves por la tarde, durante una conferencia de prensa, la oficina del fiscal anunció la decisión realizada por un gran jurado en la Corte de Distrito 49.

Alaniz dijo que el jurado deliberó un “no bill” (caso sin suficientes causas y que es rechazado), después de considerar los cargos por homicidio que los oficiales enfrentaban.

“El uso de la fuerza mortal (en contra de Garza) fue justificado”, dijo Alaniz.

Los seis oficiales dispararon y mataron a Garza, de 30 años de edad, el 30 de agosto, después de responder a una llamada del 911, procedente de un empleado de Gate-

Foto por Danny Zaragoza | Laredo Morning Times

El Fiscal de Distrito Isidro Alaniz, apunta a un monitor en pausa que revela la ubicación de un oficial que intentó hablar con José Walter Garza, el 30 de agosto. Una conferencia de prensa se llevó a cabo en la oficina de Alaniz, el jueves. way Truck Stop.

La llamada al 911 fue reproducida a los asistentes a la conferencia de prensa, y quien llamó, Arnoldo Villarreal, dijo que Garza tenía un arma.

El arma, sin embargo era una réplica de arma de fuego de aire comprimido, la cual Garza compró en un Walmart poco antes de su muer-

te.

El video de un hombre no reconocible, quien Alaniz dijo era Garza, fue visto apuntando lo que parecía ser un arma en la dirección general del primer oficial en responder, Santiago Martínez, quien estaba de pie a algunos pies de distancia.

Cuando se produjo un movimiento (por parte de Garza) Alaniz dijo

que la policía disparó “simultáneamente”.

Entre seis oficiales dispararon un total de 61 tiros, 19 de los cuales golpearon a Garza.

Después de que Garza cae al suelo aún se escuchan disparos, sin embargo Alaniz sostuvo: “Los disparos continuarán hasta que una persona cae y ya no es una amenaza”.

Alaniz dijo que una alta cantidad de evidencia fue considerada, entre ella las llamadas al 911, testimonios de los seis oficiales implicados, testigos presénciales en los interrogatorios, videos de policía y videos de vigilancia de la escena.

De acuerdo con el vocero del departamento de policía, el investigador Joe E. Baeza, los seis oficiales aún se encuentran en licencia administrativa debido a que aún no se ha cumplido con una investigación judicial.

Una investigación interna se encuentra en curso.

(Localice a Gabriela A. Treviño en 728-2579 o en gtrevino@lmtonline.com)

TAMAULIPAS

FRONTERA

‘BIENVENIDO PAISANO’

Operativos arrojan muerte y decomisos TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas

El jueves dio inicio el Programa “Bienvenido Paisano, en tu camino, cuentas con nosotros”, en la Aduana del Puente Internacional Hidalgo, de Reynosa, México.

Inicia operativo de atención a visitantes TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

H

a comenzado la ejecución del Programa “Bienvenido Paisano, en Tu Camino Cuentas con Nosotros” en México.

El jueves, durante una conferencia de prensa, celebrada en la Aduana del Puente Internacional Hidalgo, de Reynosa, México, por parte de autoridades tamaulipecas se anunció que el Programa Paisano vuelve a estar en vigor en 17 cruces internacionales.

Durante la duración del programa se dará atención y auxilio a los paisanos las 24 horas del día en ciudades y carreteras, con información, orientación y vigilancia entre otros servicios.

“Sepan que en Tamaulipas encontrarán en todos lados gente hospitalaria y amable.

Nuestro propósito es que cada uno de nuestros paisanos sienta la mano amiga, que sepa que en nosotros podrá encontrar una oportunidad segura de regresar a su lugar de origen”, indicó Gobernador de Tamaulipas, Egidio Torre Cantú, quien estuvo presente durante la ceremonia.

El Instituto Tamaulipeco para Migrantes estará a disposición de los paisanos en las ciudades de Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, Matamoros y Tampico, México, donde brindará orientación, información y apoyo.

Del mismo modo, se instalaron puntos de atención en el kilómetro 13 Nuevo Laredo-

Reynosa, Reynosa, Matamoros, en la “Y” kilómetro 202 carretera Victoria-Matamoros; kilómetro 128 Victoria-Matamoros, carretera Aldama-La Coma, entre otros puntos de la red estatal de carreteras.

Con el inicio de este programa los connacionales podrán acceder al programa “Traza tu Ruta”, disponibles en las direcciones electrónicas: www.sct.gob.mx y www.paisano.gob.mx donde podrán planear sus rutas carreteras, así como revisar otras orientaciones para un viaje seguro por el territorio nacional.

Para mayor información de los puntos de auxilio en la franja fronteriza, centro y zona sur de la entidad se podrá consultar la página electrónica www.tamaulipas.gob.mx .

Dos personas muertas, un hombre arrestado y los decomisos de armamento y narcóticos, fueron el resultado de una serie de operativos y enfrentamientos ocurridos en tres ciudades del norte de Tamaulipas esta semana, anunciaron autoridades tamaulipecas.

Fue el martes, alrededor de las 6:30 p.m., que en la carretera Díaz Ordaz-Camargo, un grupo de civiles armados arremetieron en contra de elementos militares mexicanos. Los atacantes tripulaban una Toyota Tacoma y un Volkswagen Jetta, ambos de reciente modelo, señala un comunicado de prensa, emitido el miércoles.

Tras el ataque se produjo una persecución que continuó hasta la ciudad de Días Ordaz, México, donde la Toyota cayó en una parcela. Dos de sus tripulantes enfrentaron a los soldados y fueron abatidos, añade el reporte. Posterior al enfrentamiento se aseguraron tres armas largas, 37 cargadores para rifles AK-47 y AR-15, numerosos cartuchos útiles y dos fornituras, además del vehículo.

Los municipios de Reynosa y San Fernando, México, fueron el escenario de dos operativos conjuntos entre elementos de la Policía Estatal y Armada de México.

En Reynosa ocurrió el descubrimiento de un vehículo con las puertas abiertas, sin placas de circulación, de acuerdo con el comunicado. Posterior al hallazgo, se decomisó un arma con dos cargadores abastecidos, 18 cartuchos, un radio-frecuencia, tres celulares y una bolsa de plástico transparente con 73 bolsitas con cocaína y 70 con marihuana.

Elementos de la Policía Estatal realizaron el arresto de un hombre en el municipio de San Fernando después de que huyera de ellos. Se le encontró un cargador y 27 cartuchos de uso exclusivo del Ejército.

Según reportes sostuvo ser integrante de un grupo delincuencial que opera en esa región.

Todos estos objetos quedaron a disposición del Ministerio Público de la Federación.

INTERNACIONAL

Abren pesquisa; hay ocho niños sin vida POR MICHELLE INNIS ASSOCIATED PRESS

SYDNEY — Ocho niños fueron encontrados sin vida el viernes, en una sola casa en los suburbios de Cairns, Australia, la policía estatal de Queensland, está investigando.

Oficiales respondieron a una llamada a las 11:20 a.m. a una casa en los suburbios de Manoora, donde encontraron los cuerpos de niños de entre 18 meses y 15 años de edad, junto con una mujer de

34 años de edad, que presentaba heridas graves. Se cree que la mujer es la madre de siete de los ocho menores, y fue trasladada a un hospital donde fue tratada por las heridas del apuñalamiento.

Reportes de las noticias locales dijeron que al menos algunos de los niños fueron apuñalados. Un vocero de las oficinas de la policía del estado, quien habló bajo condición de anonimato, dijo que tomará días a los investigadores para determinar la causa de la muerte de los niños. Dijo que 12

investigadores especialistas de la policía han sido enviados a Cairns, en la parte norte de Queensland, por parte de la capital del estado Brisbane, para ayudar.

“Hay equipos forenses en la casa, y les tomará algunos días a los investigadores trabajar a través de la escena del crimen y determinar la causa de la muerte”, dijo.

Temprano, el Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar, dijo a reporteros en la escena, “Esta es una tragedia, un evento trágico”. Él dijo

que la mujer estaba en condiciones estables y estaba ayudando a la policía con la investigación.

Ella no ha recibido cargos.

Un vocero de la policía dijo que otros detalles no están disponibles.

El Primer Ministro, Tony Abbott, describieron las noticias como un corazón roto.

“Todos los padres sentirían un dolor desgarrador sobre lo que pasó”, dijo en un comunicado.

“Estos son días difíciles para nuestro país”.

Nation

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A

Obama vows response to hack

By ERIC TUCKER AND TED BRIDIS ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama declared Friday that Sony "made a mistake" in shelving a satirical film about a plot to assassinate North Korea’s leader, and he pledged the U.S. would respond "in a place and manner and time that we choose" to the hacking attack on Sony that led to the withdrawal.

The FBI blamed the hack on the communist government.

Speaking of executives at Sony Pictures Entertainment, Obama said at a yearend news conference, "I wish they had spoken to me first. ... We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship."

Obama said he imagined situations in which dictators "start seeing a documentary that they don’t like or news reports that they don’t like."

Sony said it had no choice but to cancel distribution of the movie since theaters were refusing to show it. North Korea denied anew that it had hacked the studio.

"There is not any connection," U.N. diplomat Kim Song told The Associated Press. Song criticized the film but disputed his government hacked Sony and orchestrated the movie’s shutdown: "It defamed the image of our country. It made a mockery of our sovereignty. We reject it. But there is no relation" to the hacking.

The U.S. decision to openly blame North Korea — which involved agreement by the State Department and intelligence agencies — escalated a global game of brinkmanship. It happened after the disclosure of confidential Sony emails and business files and threats of terror attacks against U.S. movie theaters until Sony agreed to cancel the Christ-

Photo by Damian Dovarganes | AP

A banner for "The Interview"is posted outside Arclight Cinemas, Wednesday, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. mas Day release of its comedy, "The Interview."

Obama spoke not long after the FBI provided the most detailed accounting to date of the digital break-in.

The president’s pointed criticism of Sony shifted focus to whether the studio would modify its decision, as some leading celebrities — including actors George Clooney and Sean Penn — have recommended.

"Sony is a corporation. It suffered significant damage.

There were threats against its employees. I am sympathetic to the concerns that they faced," Obama said.

"Having said all that, yes, I think they made a mistake."

Sony Pictures chief executive Michael Lynton said it was the president who was mistaken, noting that Sony canceled the release only after all major theater chains decided not to show the movie. But the Homeland Security Department concluded those threats were not credible, and the top multiplex chains in North America dropped "The Interview" only after Sony informed them it would not protest if the theaters pulled the film.

"The president, the press and the public are mistaken as to what actually happened," Lynton told CNN. "We do not own movie theaters. We cannot determine whether or not a movie will be played in movie thea-

ters."

Lynton did not indicate whether Sony planned to release the movie on DVD or through video-on-demand services, which are not controlled by theaters, but the company suggested that was an option in a statement late Friday.

"The only decision that we have made with respect to release of the film was not to release it on Christmas Day in theaters, after the theater owners declined to show it," the company said. "After that decision, we immediately began actively surveying alternatives to enable us to release the movie on a different platform."

As for the case against North Korea, the U.S. detected communications between computer Internet addresses known to be operated by North Korea and hacking tools left behind at the crime scene, which the FBI said contained subtle clues linking them to that country’s government.

The U.S. said in a statement: "North Korea’s actions were intended to inflict significant harm on a U.S. business and suppress the right of American citizens to express themselves."

The statement included a general promise to impose "costs and consequences" on any person, group or government using cyberattacks to threaten the U.S. or its in-

terests.

Obama wasn’t any more specific.

"They caused a lot of damage, and we will respond," he said. "We will respond proportionally, and we’ll respond in a place and time and manner that we choose. It’s not something that I will announce here today at a press conference."

In a taunting new email, the hackers told Sony that executives were "very wise" to cancel the movie’s release and warned the studio never to release the film "in any form."

In Hollywood, Clooney said the entertainment industry should push for immediate release of "The Interview" online. In an interview with the trade site Deadline, he urged Sony to "do whatever you can to get this movie out. Not because everybody has to see the movie, but because I’m not going to be told we can’t see the movie. That’s the most important part."

Penn said: "By caving to the outside threat, we make our nightmares real. The decision to pull ’The Interview’ is historic. It’s a case of putting short-term interests ahead of the long term."

The evidence implicating North Korea was previously described as largely circumstantial, including unspecified clues in the hacking tools left behind and the involvement of at least one computer in Bolivia traced to earlier attacks blamed on North Korea. Now, the FBI said, those clues included similarities to other tools developed by North Korea in specific lines of computer code, encryption algorithms and data deletion methods.

More significantly, the FBI discovered that computer Internet addresses known to be operated by North Korea were communicating directly with other computers used to deploy and control the hacking tools and collect the stolen Sony files.

Photo by Jason DeCrow | AP

An anti-police demonstrator and a pro-police demonstrator, confront one another during a pro-police rally in New York Friday.

Mayor faces protests, police

By JONATHAN LEMIRE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — Mayor Bill de Blasio was elected last year after making promises to keep crime low while improving relations between police and the community. As the tensions between those promises continue to mount, Friday showed just how tricky threading that needle has been.

In the morning, de Blasio met with leaders of the protests that have swept through New York City in the weeks after a grand jury declined to indict the police officer who placed Eric Garner in a fatal chokehold while trying to arrest him.

In the afternoon, he ventured to New York Police Department headquarters to heap praise on the force, a week after an angry police union circulated a petition to bar him from any NYPD funerals.

And in the evening, a pair of protests — one pro-police, the other against — were held outside City Hall, with each side yelling at the other while claiming a lack of support from its occupant.

“The mayor is making a big mistake. The police are the most important thing to control what goes on in this city,” said Andrew Insardi, whose brother is a retired NYPD officer.

The mayor has voiced support for the protesters’ rights, and the traffic-snarling protests have largely been peaceful, though a recent poll found that they are opposed by a majority of New Yorkers. De Blasio also took pains to say he supports Police Commissioner William Bratton.

CAUSE NO. P-01796 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: ALBERTO TREVINO, JR., DECEASED IN THE COUNTY COURT OF ZAPATA COUNTY, TEXAS NOTICE TO ALL PERSONS HAVING CLAIMS AGAINST THE ESTATE OF ALBERTO TREVINO, JR. Administration of the Estate of Alberto Trevino, Deceased, has been commenced by the issuance of Letters Testamentary to Etheliha Gloria Lopez Trevino on December 15, 2014, by the County Court of Zapata County, Texas acting in Cause No. P-01796, styled In the Matter of the Estate of Alberto Trevino, Jr., Deceased, in which court the matter is pending.

All persons having claims against the Estate are notified to present them to the Independent Executrix at the address shown below within the time prescribed by law: Ethelina Gloria Lopez Trevino c/o lucinda j. garcia Attorney for Independent Executrix 615 N. Upper Broadway, Suite 1100 Corpus Christi, Texas 78401-0748

DATED: December 15,2014

Nation

8A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

Theater shooter’s parents plead for son’s life

By SADIE GURMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS

DENVER — The parents of Colorado theater shooter James Holmes begged Friday for his life to be spared through a plea bargain — a move that rekindled the long-running, emotional debate about whether the horrific details of the mass killing should be played out at his upcoming trial.

The statement released

by Robert and Arlene Holmes emphasized a key legal issue in the tortured history of the case — whether Holmes was sane when 12 people were killed and 70 others were injured, and whether he should die if convicted of the crime.

“He is a human being gripped by a severe mental illness,” the parents wrote in just their second public comments since the 2012 attack. “We have always loved him, and we do not want him to be executed.”

The statement also thrust the mass shooting into the spotlight once again at a time of heightened concerns over theater safety. The hackers who prompted Sony to withhold the release of “The Interview” had threated violence against theaters.

Prosecutors previously rejected at least one proposed plea deal made by attorneys for Holmes, criticizing the lawyers for publicizing the offer and calling it a ploy meant to draw the public and the judge into what should be private.

They said the proposal could not be considered genuine because the defense repeatedly refused to give them information needed to evaluate it. No details were provided on the information but attorneys have argued in court previously about access to details concerning Holmes’ mental health.

Jury selection is set to begin on Jan. 20 in the trial.

It’s hard to know exactly

Photo by Andy Cross/pool/file/The Denver Post | AP

The parents of Colorado theater shooter James Holmes, shown, begged Friday for his life to be spared through a plea bargain. what Holmes’ legal defense looks like, since court filings have been heavily redacted and the findings of two court-ordered sanity evaluations have been sealed from public view.

Defense attorneys don’t deny he was the shooter but say he was in the grips of a psychotic episode.

The comments by Holmes’ parents incensed some survivors of the attack and relatives of those killed.

They questioned the timing around the holidays and as 9,000 jury summonses were being delivered for the trial.

“To give a person who committed such a calculated, horrific crime a life sen-

tence, to me that’s like giving him a slap on the wrist,” said Marcus Weaver, who was shot in the arm and whose friend, Rebecca Wingo, died in the attack.

He called the statement a ploy by defense lawyers to manipulate the jury pool and generate “sympathy for a man who has done a horrific thing.”

“For his parents to send us an apology letter three years later is an insult,” Weaver said. “It would have been better if they had said nothing at all.”

Holmes’ defense attorney Daniel King didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment.

The prospect of a long court battle troubled victim Pierce O’Farrill, who was shot three times.

He said he would welcome an agreement that imprisons Holmes for life and did not see how a possible death penalty would “bring peace to anybody, whether

it’s justice or not.”

“Life in prison, throw away the key, and he doesn’t see the light of day again and we move on.” O’Farrill said of a possible plea deal.

Prosecutors, who are under a gag order, declined to comment, saying it would hurt the fairness and integrity of the trial.

Holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the charges filed after the July 2012 attack at the theater in Aurora.

His parents, who live in Rancho Peñasquitos, California, say they want to avoid a traumatic trial. One option would be a deal that calls for a guilty plea in exchange for a sentence of life in prison without parole, they said.

“If that happened, our son would be in prison the rest of his life, but no one would have to relive those horrible events at a trial the media has permission to televise,” the parents wrote.

Local

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A

Courtesy photo

Helpers carry Christmas gifts as part of the recent Christmas Parade and Lighting of County Plaza activities.

Courtesy photo

A float featuring military veterans was part of the recent Christmas Parade and Lighting of County Plaza activities.

A LOOK AT THE CHRISTMAS PARADE

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

Santa Claus poses with the Zapata County Fair queen and her court at the recent Christmas Parade and Lighting of County Plaza activities.

Riders on horseback were part of the recent Christmas Parade and Lighting of County Plaza activities.

Courtesy photo

A school bus sporting hundreds of lights was a part of the recent Christmas Parade and Lighting of County Plaza activities.

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

Members of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps prepare for the Christmas Parade and Lighting of County Plaza activities.

The U.S. Border Patrol’s Santa Claus was part of the recent Christmas Parade and Lighting of County Plaza activities.

Floats representing businesses were part of the recent Christmas Parade and Lighting of County Plaza activities.

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

The Zapata County queen and her court were part of the recent Christmas Parade and Lighting of County Plaza activities.

Children rode on this Western-themed float during the recent Christmas Parade and Lighting of County Plaza activities.

Nation

10A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

Sandusky loses $4,900 monthly pension

By MARK SCOLFORO ASSOCIATED PRESS

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has lost a legal battle to restore his $4,900a-month pension, a benefit that was canceled two years ago after he was sentenced for child molestation.

The State Employees’ Retirement Board’s 122page opinion, made public Friday, determined Sandusky remained a Penn State employee after his announced retirement in 1999, meaning his abuse of children fell under a 2004 state law that added sexual offenses against students to the crimes that trigger forfeiture.

Sandusky attorney Chuck Benjamin said he planned to file a challenge to the decision in court.

“All I can say at this point is we’re looking for-

ward to litigating the revocation of the pension in court,” Benjamin said.

“That’s the next step of this process. We’ve exhausted our administrative remedies, and now we’ll be filing papers within the next 30 days in court.”

The decision went against the recommendation in June by a hearing examiner who said Sandusky had already retired by the time the Pension Forfeiture Act was expanded. Six sex crimes against two children met standards of the forfeiture law, the board said.

“He knew that his pension was conditioned on not performing certain conduct,” the opinion said. “He elected to engage in that conduct.”

The board said Sandusky, through his former charity the Second Mile, continued to work in an outreach capacity for

Photo by Gene J. Puskar/file | AP

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has lost a legal battle to restore his $4,900-a-month pension.

Penn State after 2004, appearing at golf tournaments that university alumni, boosters and athletics officials attended.

Sandusky, 70, is serving a decades-long sentence and appears likely to die in prison. His wife, Dottie, would have been in line to continue collecting 50 per-

cent of his pension upon his death, but the opinion also denied her survivorship benefits.

“I think that for the SERS to say that Jerry somehow remained a Penn State employee after he retired from Penn State and went to work for (the Second Mile) is ridiculous

and ignores reality,” Dottie Sandusky said in an email to the AP. The board wrote that Sandusky “continued to attend athletic events at Penn State, including football games in the Penn State suite designed to attract and solicit donors.”

It also said he had access to facilities, free tickets to events, an office and a free phone, highlighting a 1999 “letter agreement” with the university that the board said was unique.

“The nature of the work performed by (Sandusky) established an employment relationship,” the board concluded. “The parties expressly agreed and understood that (Sandusky’s) efforts were directed towards increasing the visibility and enhancing the reputation of Penn State and its athletic programs.”

The hearing examiner,

Michael Bangs, had said that the retirement system had improperly applied the forfeiture law to Sandusky for crimes he committed as a retiree.

Sandusky testified for nearly three hours by video link earlier this year at a hearing before Bangs regarding the forfeiture. He was the only witness called by his lawyers.

Sandusky spent decades as Penn State’s defensive football coach before retiring in 1999. Penn State employees do not work for the state government but are eligible to participate in the state pension system.

Sandusky collected a $148,000 lump sum payment at the time he retired, and a total of $900,000 in pension payments by September 2012.

He was convicted by a jury in 2012 of sexual abuse of 10 boys and sentenced to 30 to 60 years.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A

GABINO GUZMAN Jan. 4, 1934 – Dec. 16, 2014 Gabino Guzman, 80, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014, at Laredo Medical Center in Laredo, Texas.

Mr. Guzman is preceded in death by parents, Santiago and Juliana Guzman; and brothers, Tomas Guzman, Margarito Guzman and Santiago (Maria) Guzman.

Mr. Guzman is survived by his wife, Enriqueta Guzman; sons, Gabino Guzman, Rolando Guzman and Arnulfo Guzman; daughters, Yolanda Guzman and Maribel Guzman; grandchildren, Veronica (Edgar) Gutierrez, Nancy (Javier) Placensia, Evelyn (Enrique) Rico, Maria (Anthony) Rodriguez, Eduardo Luis Guzman, Hector Madrigal Jr., Saul Madrigal, Heriberto Madrigal, Jessica Guzman, Alejandra Guzman, Mariela Guzman, Arnulfo Guzman Jr., Damian Guzman, Emilio Guzman and Julian Guzman; 12 greatgrandchildren; brothers, Nicasio (Esperanza) Guzman and Noe (Ester) Guzman; sisters, Elvia (†Florencio) Aguilar, Adalia (Alfonso) Cruz, Irma (†Ernesto) Montemayor, Manu-

Chinese find homes in Wash.

By MANUEL VALDES ASSOCIATED PRESS

ela (†Isac) Chapa and Maria Ester (Jaime) Corona; and by numerous other family members and friends.

Visitation hours were held Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a wake at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home.

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

MEDINA, Wash. — Savvy Seattle-area real estate agents have gained an advantage by paying attention to the growing connections between China and Washington state.

“I’m so glad my mother made me study Chinese,” laughed property broker Janie Lee, after showing a client from Beijing a $4 million home in the suburb of Medina. “I’ve been using it a lot.”

This year, Chinese visitors are on pace to top the list of international travelers to the Evergreen State.

More than half of the 7,300 international students at the University of Washington are from the People’s Republic. And a recent topgrossing Chinese romantic comedy featured a Beijing woman who finds love in Seattle.

The influx has made its way to high-end property markets, and observers don’t expect it to slow down any time soon.

“This is just the beginning from just a few years ago. So in a few years

there will be even more,” Lee said, interpreting for her prospective buyer, Hongbin Wei. In anticipation, some Seattle-area homes are being built or remodeled to improve their feng shui, but other factors can help make a property attractive.

As Wei considered the Medina mansion, Lee asked the seller whether all five bedrooms had their own bathrooms.

“Most of the buyers, the Asian buyers, like private suites for their parents or extended family,” she said.

Behind their growing economy, wealthy Chinese homebuyers have poured into the U.S., spending $22 billion on property in the states, tops among all foreign purchasers over the 12 months preceding a March study from the National Association of Realtors. That was up from $12.8 billion the previous year, when Chinese buyers also took the No. 1 spot.

The homes had a median price of more than $500,000, which again trumped other international clients.

Washington state re-

ceived a hefty share of attention, ranking second only to California in sales to Chinese buyers.

“We’re at the very beginning of the Chinese outbound investment cycle.

It’s the tip of the iceberg,” said Simon Henry, co-CEO of Juwai.com, an influential real estate website that connects Chinese buyers with international properties.

The China-Washington ties include direct flights between Seattle, Beijing, Hong Kong and several other Chinese cities, and that proximity is part of what makes the West Coast attractive, said Jed Smith, a research director with the Realtors group.

Other foreign investors follow similar patterns, he said, noting that Mexican buyers often purchase in the Southwest, while Europeans tend to favor the Northeast.

Nationally, Smith said, foreign buyers spent about $90 billion on U.S. property last year, out of about $1.3 trillion in total sales. The international impact had potential to raise spot prices, but not enough to in-

flate costs across the U.S. or crowd out local buyers, he said.

The recent links — including the film “Bei Jing Yu Shang Xi Ya Tu,” which Lee says literally translates to “Beijing Meets Seattle” and references the Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan classic “Sleepless in Seattle” — come as other major U.S. cities, including New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas, have experienced a tourism boost from the Far East.

Chinese tourists have been among the fastestgrowing and highestspending U.S. visitors in recent years. In 2013, about 1.8 million Chinese travelers came to the U.S., contributing about $21 billion to the economy, according to a White House release.

State Department figures show Chinese tourists spent about $7,000 per person in the U.S., compared with the average of $4,500 for all overseas visitors.

To encourage such travel and spending, the U.S. government last month expanded the availability of visas to Chinese visitors.

Christmas shopping is down to the wire

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — Despite an early start, sales data provided to The Associated Press show that stores may once again have to rely on procrastinators to save the holiday shopping season.

Sales rose 1.8 percent from Nov. 1 through Monday compared with the same period a year ago, according to payment technology company First Data Corp.

The numbers are modest considering that the National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, expects sales for the entire season — November and December — to rise 4.1 percent to $616.9 billion.

The slow growth also comes at a time when retailers tried to do a number of things to jumpstart the season and encourage shoppers to spend. Some offered “holiday” discounts as early as Halloween instead of waiting until the day after Thanksgiving known as Black Friday. And more stores opened on Thanksgiving Day itself to offer people early enticements to spend.

But the incentives seem to have backfired. Shoppers took advantage of the earlier sales and hours, but that had the effect of syphoning away sales from Black Friday, which is typically the biggest sales day of the year.

“The numbers are lower than what people expected them to be so it will be interesting to see what happens in the final days of the holiday shopping season,” said Rishi Chhabra, First Data’s

Photo by John Minchillo | AP

Giselle Basurto, of Mexico, shops at a Kmart store in New York on Thanksgiving Day. Retail sales rose 1.8 percent from Nov. 1 through Monday, according to First Data Corp., which tracks purchases at 800,000 stores including online. vice president of information and analytics.

As a result of the modest sales, retailers are making a big final push to lure shoppers into stores.

And they’re employing tactics they’ve had to use since the recession.

Dennis May, CEO and president of Hhgregg Inc., said the consumer electronics chain added a “buy more, save-more” sales event that is ending this week.

And it’s also extending the cutoff date for online shoppers who want to pick up their items in

the store until noon Christmas Eve. Last year, the cutoff date was Dec. 23.

“I think the consumer is very savvy,” he said. “They’re not shopping with abandon. They’re not throwing their budgets to the wind.”

Major retailers including Macy’s and Toys R Us are offering marathon shopping hours.

Kohl’s, for instance, is opening its stores for 132 hours straight until 6 p.m. Christmas Eve. That compares with 108-hour stretch last year.

“Customers can rely on us around the clock for their lastminute gift-giving solutions,” said Michelle Gass, Kohl’s chief customer officer.

Despite the frenzy, retailers don’t necessarily have to panic.

There still are big potential spending days ahead, including today, which some industry watchers are saying could be the biggest shopping day of the year.

In fact, the average holiday shopper had completed only 52.9 percent of their holiday shopping as of December 10, according to a

survey of more than 6,165 shoppers conducted by the retail trade group.

But retailers also have to watch their bottom lines. Shoppers have become more accustomed to deals, and many aren’t willing to pay regular price anymore.

Indeed, C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group, said 60 percent of 1,000 shoppers polled last weekend said they were only buying deals this holiday season. That compares with 40 percent last year.

But all the discounts eat away profits. According to First Data, the number of transactions rose 1.8 percent, but the average transaction was flat at $73.85, showing how heavy discounting can hurt the bottom line.

“I don’t think it’s great out there,” said Ron Friedman, head of the retail and consumer products group at accounting firm Marcum LLP who estimates that holiday sales will be up 2 percent from last year. “People are out in the stores and shopping, but they’re all looking for deals.

Indeed, some shoppers are hesitant to spend a lot, despite some recent good economic news. Average gas prices nationally have dropped and the unemployment rate is at a six-year low. But some shoppers still struggle with higher costs and stagnant wages.

“I have to still watch what I spend and make sure everything’s on sale,” said Teresa Conrad, 51, who was shopping recently at a suburban Indianapolis mall.

12A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

NY pain doctor gets prison

By JENNIFER PELTZ ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — A pain doctor convicted of manslaughter in two patients’ overdose deaths was sentenced Friday to more than a decade in prison, after patients’ relatives pleaded for a tough punishment and said he put money ahead of medicine.

Dr. Stan Li got a 10 2/3-to-20-year term in a case that reflected the widening reach of criminal prosecutions of physicians accused of abetting prescription drug abuse.

Believed to be New York’s first manslaughter case against a doctor in an overdose death, it also invoked the specter of drugrelated violence: One of Li’s former patients shot four people in a pharmacy holdup.

“This is a fair and just sentence, given Li’s egregious criminal conduct,” city Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan said in a statement.

Li’s lawyer, Raymond Belair, didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry after court. He has called Li’s conviction a “miscarriage of justice” and said Li just tried to help people who misused medications and misled him.

Li, a 60-year-old anesthesiologist and

pain management specialist from Hamilton, New Jersey, was convicted in July of manslaughter, reckless endangerment and other charges.

He saw as many as 90 patients a day at a Queens weekend pain-management clinic that charged on a per-prescription scale, making at least $450,000 in two years on top of his six-figure salary as a hospital anesthesiologist, prosecutors said.

Other doctors called to tell him about one suicidal patient’s repeated overdoses.

Another patient’s father went to Li’s office to implore him to stop, according to prosecutors. But Li kept prescribing.

“I cannot understand how someone who took an oath to protect people can kill another human being,” Margaret Rappold wrote in a letter to the court. Li prescribed her 21-year-old son, Nicholas Rappold, scores of painkiller and anti-anxiety pills in the five weeks before he took too many and died in his car, slumped over a bottle of drugs Li had prescribed, prosecutors said.

Vincent Cornetta, whose brother Michael also was among Li’s patients, called the physician a “ghoul” who exploited drug dependency instead of treating it.

“Li cashed in his humanity each and every time he turned his back on Michael

and other afflicted addicts he cynically abused” to keep money coming in, Victor Cornetta wrote to state Supreme Court Justice Michael Sonberg. Michael Cornetta, 40, died of an overdose; his case spurred reckless endangerment but not manslaughter charges against Li. Li also was convicted of selling prescriptions to David Laffer, who shot and killed two employees and two customers while holding up a Long Island pharmacy for painkillers in June 2011. Laffer pleaded guilty to murder and is serving a life sentence.

Li’s defense said the doctor was genuinely treating, not just enabling, people who were often physically dependent on pain medications. He often reduced dosages other physicians had prescribed, and he sometimes stopped treating patients who didn’t take the medications as ordered, Belair said during Li’s trial.

Manslaughter charges against doctors for overprescribing drugs are uncommon.

Perhaps most notoriously, former cardiologist Conrad Murray was accused of giving pop superstar Michael Jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol as a sleep aid in 2009 and was convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

Woman killed boy

By JOHN KEKIS ASSOCIATED PRESS

BERNE, N.Y. — A 19-year-old woman strangled a 5-year-old cousin who had been in her parents’ care, then discarded his body along a road before calling in a false report that two masked intruders took the boy from their Albanyarea home, authorities said Friday.

Tiffany VanAlstyne’s bogus 911 call on Thursday afternoon set off a search for Kenneth White that lasted into the night, authorities said. A search dog picked up a scent at about 9 p.m., and Kenneth’s body was found in a culvert, covered with snow VanAlstyne used in a bid to hide the crime, Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said.

“We’re angry we had a 5-year-old taken from us, a senseless death,” he said.

“It’s sinful and it’s sad.”

VanAlstyne was charged Friday with second-degree murder. She said nothing at her arraignment. She is due back in court on Tuesday for an initial hearing to enter a plea.

GRANT Continued from Page 1A faith-based organization to receive funding since its inception, and is one of the largest grants made to the seven organizations selected to receive funding in 2014, according to a news release.

“This federal investment will greatly improve the health of the people of South Texas,” said U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, who was on hand to make the announcement and present the check.

“The Texas border region has some of the highest uninsured rates in the country and is disproportionate-

ly affected by chronic and communicable diseases.”

The investment will support Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ ‘Sí Texas: Social Innovation for a Healthy South Texas’ project.

The objective of the project is to stimulate improvements in behavioral health and chronic disease in South Texas, and to highlight integrated behavioral health models that are effectively improving health outcomes in the communities with high rates of poverty, depression, diabetes, obesity and

associated risk factors.

The project will target 12 counties that span the U.S.Mexico border, including Webb, Zapata, Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron, Willacy, Kenedy, Kleberg, Jim Wells, Duval, Jim Hogg and Brooks.

Sister Maria Luisa Vera of Mercy Ministries of Laredo emphasized how the funds will help address great needs in Webb County such as diabetes.

“The incident of diabetes is high here,” Vera said.

“Methodists Healthcare Ministries will provide some of the technical assistance to us, but we have

to do the ground work.”

During the presentation, Kevin Moriarty, president and CEO at Methodist Healthcare Ministries, explained how the grant complemented its previous and ongoing efforts in South Texas.

“We have been investing in programs and services that have sought to address the remarkable health care needs in Laredo to the tune of $12.6 million for over a decade,” Moriarty said.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries is accepting applications for funding from organizations that provides

medical services in the project’s 12-county area.

Rebecca Brune, vice president of strategic planning and growth at Methodist Healthcare Ministries, said it has been in touch with approximately 120 organizations that could potentially apply.

“We’re looking for somewhere between seven and 10 grantees and the grants will range anywhere between $250,000 and $2 million per grantee,” Brune said. “We know from our work with our funded partners that there are innovative models that can effec-

tively address these chronic illnesses and behavioral health needs.

“This project will allow us to evaluate these models and help sustain and scale those efforts by attracting additional investments in this region.”

Agencies interested in applying for funds must submit a letter of interest

by Dec. 19. The application itself is due Jan. 5, and the awards will be announced April 15, according to Brune.

(Philip Balli may be reached at 728-2528 or pballi@lmtonline.com)

tection and Border Patrol agents also seized about 1.017 million pounds of drugs in Texas, a slight dip compared with 1.2 mil-

lion pounds in 2013. About $7.7 million in cash was seized last fiscal year, compared with $13.6 million in 2013.

BORDER Continued from Page 1A tional Guard was deployed to assist in the mission. Gov. Rick Perry, House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said last month that the operation would extend through August and cost about $86 million. It

will be expanded to include the entire TexasMexico border, though the National Guard’s efforts will be drawn down gradually and be completed by March.

Since October of this year, the number of chil-

dren traveling alone has dipped, though the Rio Grande Valley continues to receive the most. From October to the end of November, about 3,200 children were apprehended in the Rio Grande Valley sector, compared with 5,460

during the same time frame last fiscal year.

In addition to the increase in apprehensions, Customs and Border Pro-

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

Sports&Outdoors NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

Trading to win now Photo by Stacy Bengs | AP

Minnesota forward Corey Brewer was sent to the Rockets in a trade for Troy Daniels, cash and two future second-round picks.

Photo by Winslow Townson | AP

Rockets trade for Brewer

Point guard Rajon Rondo was traded to the Mavericks on Friday night for Brandon Wright, Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson and two draft picks.

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI

Mavericks land PG Rajon Rondo from Celtics

By BECKLEY MASON MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE

After years of rumors and near misses, it finally happened: Point guard Rajon Rondo has been traded from the Boston Celtics.

Rondo, a four-time All-Star, and power forward Dwight Powell will join the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson, a 2015 first-round pick and a 2016 second-round pick. It was an aggressive move by the Mavericks, who are eager to make a championship push knowing that 36-year-old Dirk Nowitzki’s years as a premier player are numbered.

The trade is a tale of two teams taking different routes to championship

contention. The Mavericks (19-8) hope an upgrade at point guard, Rondo’s position, will propel them into the elite echelon of the brutal Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Celtics acquire more draft picks and an important trade exception, both of which will aid their long-term rebuilding efforts, in exchange for a player who was likely to leave in the off-season anyway.

In 2008, Rondo won an NBA title with a Celtics team that featured Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. He has shown a knack for taking his game to another level in the playoffs and nearly averaged a triple double for 14 playoff games in 2009. Yet Rondo is far from a known quantity.

Now 28 years old, he has not reco-

ASSOCIATED PRESS

vered his peak form since he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in January 2013.

Before his injury, Rondo recorded at least 10 assists in each of the first 37 games of the 2012-13 season, an incredible feat, and was shooting a tidy 48.4 percent from the field. Since returning to action, he has been neither the whirlwind attacking ballhandler nor the disruptive defender he once was.

This season, Rondo again leads the league in assists per game, but unless he improves his shooting (currently 40.4 percent), he may not do much to boost the Mavericks’ formidable offense. Dallas has the best scoring at-

MINNEAPOLIS — The Houston Rockets made a move to bolster their depth on the perimeter on Friday, landing veteran swing man Corey Brewer from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Rockets sent shooting guard Troy Daniels, cash considerations and a pair of future second-round picks to Minnesota, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade has not been officially announced. The Timberwolves will get a second-round pick in 2015 from Sacramento and a 2016 second-rounder from Houston.

The trade gives the Rockets another proven veteran defender in Brewer to

See RONDO PAGE 2B

See BREWER PAGE 2B

NCAA FOOTBALL: BOWL PREVIEW

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS

File photo by McCarn | AP

Photo by Andy Jocobsohn | AP

Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston leads the unbeaten Seminoles into the college football playoff looking for a second straight championship.

Dallas running back DeMarco Murray looks on course to play Sunday against the Colts after having surgery to repair a broken bone in his left hand this week.

Bowl season begins as playoff approaches

Cowboys’ Murray expected to play

By JOHN MARSHALL ASSOCIATED PRESS

The College Football Playoff era is here and as the bowl season starts, it feels a bit like a New Year’s threefor-one special: Three big games instead of one.

There’s still a bit of controversy just like there was in the BCS — ask Baylor and TCU — but most college football fans believe the selection committee got it right with two marquee

semifinal games to set up the Jan. 12 national championship game in North Texas.

But those are far from the only bowls worth watching.

With 39 bowls, there are plenty of other great games, star players and must-see matchups this season. And, of course, we’ve got a rundown of the biggest and the best.

TOP GAMES College Football Championship, teams TBD, Jan.

12 in Arlington, Texas. Goes without saying.

Rose Bowl, Florida State vs. Oregon, Jan. 1 in Pasadena, California. Not only a national semifinal, it pits the past two Heisman Trophy winners and two dynamic offenses.

Sugar Bowl, Ohio State vs. Alabama, Jan. 1 in New Orleans. Another national semifinal, another can’tmiss game.

See BOWL PAGE 2B

By SCHUYLER DIXON ASSOCIATED PRESS

IRVING — All signs point to DeMarco Murray playing for Dallas against Indianapolis despite the NFL rushing leader’s broken left hand.

Murray was listed as questionable Friday a few hours after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on his radio show that the team “should be able to count on” him playing.

The fourth-year back went through individual drills Wednesday before expanding his role in workouts Thursday and Friday. He says he will ultimately decide whether to play on Sunday.

“People deal with injuries all the time, so you’ve got to be able to fight through the pain,” Murray said Thursday. “These are some important games that we’ve got coming up, and I know how impor-

tant they are. We know how important they are.”

The NFC East-leading Cowboys (10-4) can wrap up a playoff berth if they beat the Colts (10-4) and Philadelphia loses to Washington. But Dallas could miss the postseason with a loss in one of two remaining games if the Eagles beat the Redskins and New York Giants.

Murray, injured late in

See MURRAY PAGE 2B

PAGE 2B

Zscores

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

Padres revamped with series of blockbusters

By BERNIE WILSON ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN DIEGO — In a dizzying series of trades in just more than a week, new San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller has revamped the worst offense in the major leagues by adding Matt Kemp, Wil Myers, Justin Upton, Derek Norris and Will Middlebrooks.

Preller’s wheeling and dealing isn’t over yet, since he has a surplus of outfielders.

Preller was hired in August after developing a reputation as a hard-working, hard-charging scouting and player development executive with the Texas Rangers.

Since Dec. 11, Preller has displayed a win-now attitude by working a five-player deal with the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers to get Kemp; an 11-player deal with Tampa Bay and Washington to get Myers, the 2013 AL Rookie of the Year with the Rays; a multipleplayer deal with Atlanta for Upton; a four-player trade

with Oakland involving Norris; and a straight-up trade with Boston to get Middlebrooks for catcher Ryan Hanigan, who came over from Tampa Bay. It’s a stunning haul for a team that has had only two winning seasons since its last playoff appearance, in 2006.

Kemp and Upton are among the top power hitters.

Kemp was scheduled to be introduced at a news conference Friday. He had a strong second half in 2014 for the NL West champion Dodgers. He finished the season with a .287 average, 25 home runs and 89 RBIs. That deal, agreed to early the morning of Dec. 11 at the winter meetings in San Diego, was finalized Thursday night.

Upton, who will earn $14.5 million in the final year of his contract, had 29 homers and 102 RBIs last season. That deal has yet to be finalized.

Preller seems to be a later-day “Trader Jack” McKe-

Photo by Al Behrman | AP

Outfielder Justin Upton was traded to San Diego from Atlanta, giving the Padres one of the most dangerous outfields in the league. on, just without the cigar.

McKeon was general manager of the Padres when they went to the World Series in 1984, earning his nickname for his fondness for deals.

Padres President Mike Dee said Preller had the advantage of seeing the Padres for the final two months of 2014, when they rebounded

enough from their awful first half to finish third in the NL West.

“He believes this team was competing last year,” Dee said. “We were over .500 after the All-Star break. His view was, let’s try to keep the core of our pitching staff intact, add some offense and let’s make a run with this group and we can compete

in 2015. That’s exactly what we’re doing. It’s something our fans can be excited about.”

Preller has managed to retain his top three starters and most top prospects.

In order, Preller has: —obtained Kemp and catcher Tim Federowicz from the Dodgers for catcher Yasmani Grandal and right-handers Joe Wieland and Zach Eflin. Preller also got $32 million from the Dodgers to help defray the remaining $107 million on Kemp’s deal. The Padres’ obligation of $75 million to Kemp during the next five years becomes the biggest contract in club history.

—obtained Myers, Hanigan, left-handed pitcher Jose Castillo and righthanded pitcher Gerardo Reyes from the Tampa Bay Rays while sending catcher Rene Rivera, right-hander Burch Smith and infielder Jake Bauers to Tampa Bay, as well as right-hander Joe Ross and a player to be named later to Washington, expected to be shortstop

Trea Turner, San Diego’s first-round draft pick in 2014 . The Rays receive outfielder Steven Souza Jr. and lefthander Travis Ott from the Nationals. In the works for several days, that deal was finalized Friday morning.

—acquired Norris, an All-Star catcher, and minor league right-hander Seth Streich from Oakland on Thursday night for righties Jesse Hahn and R.J. Alvarez along with an international signing bonus slot.

—landed Upton from Atlanta for a group of prospects that could include lefty Max Fried, one of San Diego’s top prospects.

—swapped Hanigan to the Boston Red Sox for Middlebrooks on Friday.

The Padres had a historically awful offense in the first half of 2014. Although they played better in the second half, they finished at the bottom of the majors with a .226 average, .292 onbase percentage and 535 runs. Their 109 homers were the second fewest in the baseball.

tage and missing the playoffs.

This is almost certainly not the last move for the owner Mark Cuban and the Mavericks’ front office.

They will do what they can to upgrade the backup center position and add shooting depth around Rondo. But defense will continue to be a major concern, and Carlisle may end up staggering Ellis and Rondo’s minutes so that Harris can cover guards like James Harden, Klay Thompson, Russell Westbrook and Tony Parker, whom Harris defended admirably in the playoffs last season.

Things will change in Dallas, that is for sure. But Cuban takes well-earned pride in the environment he has helped create since taking over the franchise.

The facilities are world class. The coaching staff and training resources are second to none.

Many scoffed when the Mavericks invested in Ellis, but the combination of Carlisle and Nowitzki brings out the best in almost any player. The Mavericks are hoping that they can repeat the trick with Rondo, and that Rondo can recreate his memorable playoff runs in Boston.

RONDO Continued from Page 1B tack in the NBA, thanks to talented personnel and coach Rick Carlisle’s elegant and devastating system.

Good offenses rely on spacing, and no three players stress a defense’s ability to cover the whole floor as do Monta Ellis, Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler.

Nowitzki is the best shooting big man in history, and his unblockable jump shot stretches the defense to the perimeter. Chandler is a constant threat to catch a lob for a dunk, and Ellis is as quick as they come off the dribble.

Where will Rondo, who is a poor shooter in the

middle of the worst shooting season of his career, fit into this ecosystem? And how will he and Carlisle two of the most intelligent, stubborn and sometimes abrasive personalities in the league - mesh on the same sideline?

Nelson, the guard whom Rondo will replace, has been struggling to make shots in his own right, but his advanced shooting statistics are stronger because he shoots so many 3pointers. In the long term, Rondo, who has indicated a willingness to re-sign with the Mavericks in the off-season, is clearly a better option than Nelson.

But the best fit next to Ellis and Nowitzki is a big, defense-focused guard who can cover for Ellis’ deficiencies and cash in on open 3-pointers; someone like the Mavericks backup point guard Devin Harris, or Jason Kidd, circa 2011. Rondo is a solid defender when locked in, but he is smaller than Ellis, loves to dribble and is a bad deep shooter. Talented though he may be, Rondo will force Carlisle to rejigger his system to keep the Mavericks’ offense at the top of the league.

Even if Rondo does regain his preinjury form, the Mavericks still could

end up dearly missing Wright, who leads the NBA in field goal percentage. Though a bit smaller than Chandler, Wright approximates his defense at the rim and is a lights-out finisher in the pick-androll. He is also crucial insurance should Chandler be injured. The Mavericks will not win a title without Chandler, but Wright could keep the Mavericks’ offense afloat if Chandler had to miss a month or two. This matters in the hypercompetitive Western Conference, where a monthlong swoon could mean the difference between home-court advan-

BREWER Continued from Page 1B compete in the demanding Western Conference, where they were in fourth place at 19-6 after Thursday’s games. Rockets GM Daryl Morey has been in pursuit of help for weeks, knowing that Golden State, Memphis, San Antonio, the Clippers all may have superior depth to his roster.

Houston lost out to rival Dallas in the bidding for point guard Rajon Rondo on Thursday, so Morey immediately turned his sights to Brewer, who scored 51 points in a game against them last year. That scoring explosion was an anomaly, but Brewer is a hard-working veteran who should fit in well with teammates James Harden and Dwight

Howard. Brewer is one of the NBA’s best at stealing the ball, and his ability to get out for easy transition buckets will allow him to make an easy transition to Houston.

Rockets coach Kevin McHale knows Brewer well. McHale was the GM in Minnesota when the Wolves chose him seventh overall in 2007.

Brewer left and won a championship with the Mavericks before blossoming as an energy guy off the bench with the Denver Nuggets.

He returned to Minnesota last year and was serving as a valuable mentor to youngsters Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Sha-

bazz Muhammad and Anthony Bennett. On a team beset by injuries, Brewer was even filling in at backup point guard for long stretches.

But with Mo Williams back playing after missing time with a back injury and Ricky Rubio possibly returning before January, the Wolves started to entertain offers for Brewer as they go with a full-on youth movement.

Injuries to Rubio, Nikola Pekovic, Kevin Martin and Williams have short-circuited any hopes the Wolves had of being a surprise team in the first season after trading Kevin Love to Cleveland. They were 5-19 heading into Friday night’s game at

Boston, the worst record in the West, so they flipped a valuable asset in Brewer, who has a player option on his contract next season for more than $5 million for a young shooter in Daniels and some future draft picks.

The move will allow them to get an even longer look at Muhammad, who has been their best player this season but has been stuck in a logjam on the wing partially because of Brewer’s presence.

Daniels played less than 7 minutes per game for the Rockets this season, but his ability to shoot the 3-pointer will be a welcome addition to the Wolves, who are among the league’s

BOWL Continued from Page 1B Cotton Bowl, Baylor vs. Michigan State, Jan. 1 in Arlington, Texas. Classic strengthagainst-strength matchup: the Bears’ prolific offense facing the stingy Spartans.

Fiesta Bowl, Boise State vs.

Arizona, Dec. 31 in Glendale, Arizona. Teams with a flair for the dramatic in bowl games. Might want to watch this one all the way through.

TOP PLAYERS Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon. Won the Heisman. You may have heard of him.

Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State. Despite the off-thefield troubles, last year’s Heisman winner is a dynamic player who still hasn’t lost a game as the Seminoles’ starter.

Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama. Heisman finalist is unstoppable even when teams know the ball his headed his way.

Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin. One last chance to see Gordon run before he heads to the NFL. Shaq Thompson, WR, Washington. The all-purpose All-American will be all over the Cactus Bowl.

Scooby Wright, LB, Arizona. Makes ball carriers scream ruh-roh!

TOP INDIVIDUAL MATCHUPS East Carolina WR Justin Hardy vs. Florida CB Vernon

Hargreaves III. Hardy set the NCAA career record with 376 receptions and Hargreaves is one of the nation’s best cover corners. Certainly should add some intrigue to the Birmingham Bowl.

Georgia Tech QB Justin Thomas vs. Mississippi State LB Benardrick McKinney.

Thomas leads an option offense that was third nationally in rushing. McKinney, a second-team All-American, will be the key to stopping him in the Orange Bowl.

Alabama OT Cam Robinson vs. Ohio State DE Joey Bosa.

A big game within the game to keep an eye on during the Sugar Bowl.

Auburn LB Cassanova McKinzy vs. Wisconsin’s Gordon. Gordon ran for over 2,300 yards and 26 TDs and McKinzy figures to meet him in a few holes during the Outback Bowl.

ODDS According to Glantz-Culver, the two national semifinals will not be close.

In the Rose Bowl, Oregon has been picked as a ninepoint favorite and Alabama is favored by 9 1/2 points over Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl.

The biggest spread is Stanford by 14 points over Maryland in the Foster Farms Bowl. The smallest spread is a point in three games: Kansas

State over UCLA in the Alamo Bowl, Nevada over LouisianaLafayette in New Orleans and Memphis over BYU at Miami Beach.

The highest over/under is 72 points between Oregon and Florida State in the Rose Bowl, the lowest 40 points between Boston College and Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl.

NUMBERS 33—Straight bowl appearances by Florida State, longest in the nation.

45—Consecutive games with touchdown pass by Marshall’s Rakeem Cato, an FBS record.

54—Years since Duke won a bowl game. The Blue Devils face Arizona State in the Sun Bowl.

87—Years since a bowl game was played outside the United States or Canada before this year’s Bahamas Bowl. The Bacardi Bowl in Havana, Cuba, was the last.

4,344—Passing yards this season by Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty, the FBS leader.

BOWL SPONSORS There was a time when dotcoms were the primary sponsors of bowl games.

Now, food and cars are king.

The 2014-15 bowl season includes six games sponsored by car-related companies and

worst 3-point shooting teams.

It also could signal the first of many moves as president and coach Flip Saunders embraces a youth movement he initially hoped to avoid. Saunders added Williams and veteran power forward Thaddeus Young in the offseason in hopes of surrounding a young core of Wiggins, Rubio and LaVine with experienced support.

But Rubio has been out since Nov. 7 with a sprained ankle, Martin is out until well into January with a broken wrist and Pekovic continues to be bothered by soreness in his right foot.

Yahoo Sports first reported the deal.

MURRAY six more that have to do with food, from potatoes to fried chicken.

Four bowls do not have primary sponsors, going only be the site name: Miami Beach, Boca Raton, Hawaii and Birmingham.

There’s also three bowls sponsored by apparel companies, one by a mover, a media company, health products and even one by the online home of the Duck Dynasty guys.

DISTANCES When it comes to hometown advantages, no team will have a better one than San Diego State this bowl season.

Playing in the Poinsettia Bowl, the Aztecs will face Navy just up the road at Qualcomm Stadium.

Stanford will have a similarly-short drive, making the 15mile-or-so trip to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara to face Maryland in the Fosters Farms Bowl, and Louisiana-Lafayette will be playing about 135 miles away in New Orleans against Nevada.

The longest trip by far belongs to Rice. The Owls will be about 3,900 miles from home when they face Fresno State in the Hawaii Bowl.

Longest trip without crossing an ocean goes to Florida State, which will travel roughly 2,200 miles to face Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

Continued from Page 1B last week’s win at Philadelphia that gave the Cowboys the division lead, has 1,687 yards rushing and needs 87 to break all-time NFL rushing leader Emmitt Smith’s franchise record of 1,773.

Rookie right guard Zack Martin didn’t practice all week because of an ankle injury, but Jones was optimistic about him playing.

“With what we did yesterday in practice, Murray and Martin, I’m pretty positive about having the ability to play them and to getting that decision,” Jones said. “Both of those guys, you should be able to count on.”

Jones indicated right tackle Doug Free wouldn’t be available as he battles injuries to his left foot and ankle. Free missed three games earlier this season with a broken right foot.

Murray had a large wrap on his hand Tuesday, the day after surgery to repair the bone above his left ring finger. But the wrap was significantly smaller Wednesday, and he said he did “a lot more” in practice a day later.

“This guy is like, there’s nothing to hold this guy from doing anything,” play caller Scott Linehan said. “He’s one of the great competitors I’ve been around.”

Murray missed at least two games each of his first three seasons with injuries. He sat out the final three games his rookie year with a broken ankle, missed six games with a sprained foot in 2012 and two more last year with a sprained knee. But now he has a 22game starting streak, easily the longest of his career.

“I’m competitive, very competitive person, and I want to help this team out as much as I can,” said Murray, who has tied Smith’s franchise record with 11 100-yard games this season. “Whatever that portrays me doing come Sunday, then we’ll see from there.”

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

A Champagne Lunch Dear Readers: A few months ago, I spoke at the sisterhood luncheon at Agudas Achim Synagogue in San Antonio. Proceeds from the event went to the Humane Society here, where we adopted our NEW DOG last year.

Champagne (Chammy, Cham, Chim, Cham Cham and Chaminator) was just the right dog to help mend our hearts after having to send Cabbie to doggie Valhalla just a month before. My husband and I learned through the years that our home is not complete without a furry, funny, cold-nosed cuddle charmer to share our space.

The group also worked with the Humane Society to bring some young puppies to the location and have them available for hugs and adoption. It was very tempting to go home with a new playmate for Cham, but we want her to feel secure in "her" home before adding another dog. The members also brought dog food to donate to the cause.

THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B

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HELOISE

Chammy came to liven up the event, and boy, did she! The saying "she never met a stranger" certainly applies to our girl! To open my "show," I had Cham on her purple harness with a retractable leash, and she chased her green toy. The soft, fuzzy toy is attached to a line on an old fishing pole, and we play "fishing with Cham" back and forth until one of us gets tired.

A lovely handwritten thank-you from the synagogue arrived a short while later on a beautiful floral notecard. The left inside of the card was blank, so I took a hint from myself ! I tore off that part, and now use it for quick notes to remind me of things to do while "putting on my face’ in the morning.

Big hug, and "woof, woof !"

– Heloise and Chammy

4B THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014