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BORDER WALL REACTIONS BUILDING THE BORDER WALL
Local officials dissatisfied Mayor Pete Saenz believes order could have a powerful effect on trade. By Julia Wallace LA R ED O MORNI NG T IME S
Not even a week into his presidency, Donald Trump has signed 12 executive orders. On Wednesday, Trump inked No. 11, an order that has the potential to directly affect Laredo and Webb County: to begin construction on a border wall. Trump visited Laredo in July 2015 and met with several city officials at the World Trade Bridge. Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz often cited that Trump seemed to understand at this time that a wall would not be necessary here where the Rio Grande acts as a natural barrier to Mexico. After the announcement on Wednesday, Saenz said he was disappointed to have to point out that the border area is still a part of the United States. “I’m dissatisfied,” Saenz said. “It’s offensive to us and to Mexico. Can you imagine going into the downtown area and seeing that? Any type of wall would be visibly unfriendly. Walls are meant to divide, and we don’t need any additional division. “We do recognize that the border has to be secured, but not with a wall. It’s not a good idea.” Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, also said that this order is offensive, especially considering that Trump signed it while Mexican secretaries are visiting Washington, D.C. to discuss NAFTA. “If they push Mexico out of NAFTA, it will be the largest foreign policy mistake the U.S. has made in decades,” Cuellar said. But Cuellar also said that he examined the executive order and concluded that in many ways it’s a show. “He’s not talking about building a fence that’s 1,954 miles long,” Ceullar said. “He talks about operational control, which is how to combat unlawful entry with technology or fencing. This is nothing new, but he’s building it to be something new.” “If you look at the executive order, it’s really no big deal,” he said. However, Saenz believes this order could have a powerful psychological effect on the LaredoNuevo Laredo area and on trade. “Mexico is the number one trading partner for Texas. This is a rallying call for our city that we need to diversify. ... I’m convinced we need to create other economic engines for our city so that we can sustain ourselves,” Saenz said. Public officials such as Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina, Webb County Republican Chair Randy Blair, and Gerry Schwebel, executive vice president of the Corporate International Division at IBC Bank-Laredo, all agreed that a border wall could serve a purpose in areas of the U.S. where there is no natural barrier. But in Los Dos Laredos, where the Rio Grande cuts through the middle, a wall is not necessary. “I don’t think a border wall like they have in Jerusalem would be good for Texas or for the U.S.,” Blair said. “We need something more friendly because we have friendly neighbors. We have a different issue here.” A way to improve Laredo’s natural border and up security would be to eradicate Carrizo cane and clean up both sides of the border, according to Schwebel. “This would allow more visibility for our law enforcement and first responders to do their job. Wall continues on A11
20 percent tax proposed Officials worry tariff could spark trade war By Lynn Brezosky, David Hendricks and Rye Druzin SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS
President Donald Trump’s proposal Thursday to impose a 20 percent tax on goods imported from Mexico cast a chill over Texas and worried leaders from Monterrey to
Calgary that the administration was starting a North American trade war that would increase the price of consumer goods. The idea was raised by White House spokesman Sean Spicer hours after Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto called off a scheduled trip to Washington, a decision that came in
aides said it is response to not directed Trump’s at Mexico, but executive rather at an order to array of goods begin fulfillcoming in ing his camfrom abroad. paign promTrump Peña Nieto In remarks ise to build to reporters a border traveling to Philadelphia, wall. House Republicans min- where congressional Republicans are holding a imized Spicer’s remarks, retreat, Spicer said under saying they have been the “plan taking shape formulating a so-called right now” the administraborder adjustment tax tion could raise $10 billion since June as part of a a year by broader tax overhaul. SevTax continues on A11 eral top congressional
BORDER SECURITY
PRESIDENT TRUMP: START BUILDING THE WALL
Justin Sullivan / Getty
A view of the US-Mexican border fence at Playas de Tijuana on January 27, 2017 in Tijuana, Mexico. U.S. President Donald Trump announced a proposal to impose a 20 percent tax on all imported goods from Mexico to pay for the border wall between the United States and Mexico.
New detention centers and policy changes ordered By Bill Lambrecht, Jason Buch and Aaron Nelsen HEARST NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s orders Wednesday to start building a southern border wall and step up immigration enforcement sets the stage for confrontations
with Mexico, with so-called sanctuary cities and with members of Congress who must finance his far-reaching plans. Following through with promises that helped him win the White House, Trump issued a pair of executive orders that amount to a dramatic shift in policies under Barack
Trump
Obama and a further move away from the immigration reform proposals that stood on the verge of passing Con-
gress in 2010. In addition to calling for “immediate” construction of the wall, the president also ordered: new detention centers; 5,000 new Border Patrol agents; 10,000 more Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel;
and an end to what detractors refer to as a “catch and release” policy for immigration law violators. His two orders did not estimate the cost of a complete border wall — 650 miles of wall and fencing already exist on the 2,000mile border — or of hiring the thousands of agents and building more detention centers. South Texas already is home to two large family detention centers in Dilly and Karnes County. Estimates of completing the Border continues on A11
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Trump nixes trade deal By Julia Wallace LAREDO MORNING TIME S
Courtesy / Office of Rep. Henry Cuellar
Miguel Conchas and Sam Vale participate in a panel discussion Monday in Washington, D.C. regarding trade with Mexico.
Hours after President Trump swiftly withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal on Monday, members of Congress representing the border gathered in Washington to meet with business leaders regarding NAFTA. The panel, hosted by Rep.
Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, was made up of a bi-partisan group of 12 members of Congress from California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, including Laredo’s Henry Cuellar. Cuellar invited Laredo Chamber of Commerce President Miguel Conchas and Sam Vale, CEO of the Starr-Camargo Bridge Company, to participate in the panel discussion.
“The purpose of this gettogether was to bring in experts like Miguel and Sam that know the border better,” Cuellar said. “... We’re sending out the message that trade is important.” Trump has been threatening to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement since the start of his presidential campaign, although Cuellar Trade continues on A11
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, January 28, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28 United ISD Zumba Master Class event. Registration at 8 a.m. at the United 9th Grade Campus (gym), 8800 McPherson Road. Zumba class to be held from 9 to 11 a.m. and will be taught by elite Zumba instructors from the city. Fee is $20 and includes a goody bag and T-shirt. All proceeds to benefit United ISD students with scholarships to college. For more information call, 956-473-6201 or visit www.uisd.net. Spiritual Wisdom on Karma and Reincarnation. 1-2:30 p.m. Fairfield Inn & Suites meeting room, 700 W. Hillside Road. Better recognize life experiences and how they’re related to lessons from the past. See people in your life from a whole new viewpoint. Se habla español. Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29 Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
MONDAY, JANUARY 30 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available. Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31 Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
Pat Sullivan / AP
In this July 30, 2014, file photo, the Houston Astrodome is reflected in a puddle in Houston.
ASTRODOME NOW A LANDMARK AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Historical Commission has granted landmark status to the Houston Astrodome amid plans to redevelop the no-longer-used enclosed stadium. Commission members voted Friday to recognize the Astrodome as a Texas antiquities landmark and to provide legal protections. The Astrodome opened in 1965 but has been vacant for 18 years, falling into disrepair and declared unfit for occupancy in 2009. Voters in 2013 rejected a $217 million renovation package.
Harris County commissioners last year approved a $105 million redevelopment project for the Astrodome, planning space for public and other commercial use, plus parking. County Judge Ed Emmett expressed appreciation Friday for the landmark designation and says officials will work closely with the historical panel on future Astrodome plans. The Astrodome in 2014 joined the National Register of Historic Places. — Compiled from AP reports
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 Book Room open. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee. Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2 Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 for more details.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4 Book sale. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee. Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 for more details.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available. Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting. 6:30—7:30 p.m. Area Health Education Center, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. Every first Monday of the month. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting. While a support group does not replace an individual’s medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength and hope.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7 Alzheimer’s Support Group meeting. 7 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, building B, meeting room 2. The support group is for family members and caregivers taking care of someone who has Alzheimer’s. For information, please call 956-693-9991.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8 Book Room open. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
Maintenance workers killed by train were on drugs PHILADELPHIA — Both maintenance workers killed by an Amtrak train near Philadelphia last year were on drugs when the crash happened, test results show. Toxicology reports released Thursday by federal safety investigators show backhoe operator Joseph Carter Jr. tested positive for cocaine and supervisor Peter Adamovich
had morphine, codeine and oxycodone in his system. Tests on train engineer Alexander Hunter, who was injured in the crash, showed evidence of marijuana use. Other documents released by the National Transportation Safety Board pinned blame on a lax safety culture that put Carter, 61, and Adamovich, 59, in harm’s way as they performed maintenance on an active track in April. “Although the materials do not reflect that drug use was the cause of this incident, any
positive drug test result is completely unacceptable,” Amtrak President and CEO Charles “Wick” Moorman wrote in a letter to employees. Among the other documents released Thursday was a report posted in error — and later removed — in which investigators criticized Amtrak managers for allowing the track maintenance work to go on without a detailed plan identifying safety hazards. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE WORLD Mexico stunned by Trump tweet on canceling trip MEXICO CITY — The Mexican government had no immediate reaction to a tweet by U.S. President Donald Trump that appeared aimed at canceling a planned Jan. 31 meeting with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. Trump tweeted Thursday that “If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting” in Washington D.C. Trump said Wednesday he would start building a U.S.Mexico border wall and vowed to make Mexico pay for it. Mexico opposes the wall and has repeatedly said it won’t pay for it. Mexican officials said there was no immediate reaction to Trump’s tweet. Officials said Wednesday Mexico was “considering” canceling.
Andrew Harrer / Bloomberg
The Twitter Inc. accounts of U.S. President Donald Trump are seen on an Apple Inc. iPhone.
Former foreign relations secretary Jorge Castaneda told local media “Pena Nieto has no other choice but to say ‘I’m not going.”’ Finance Secretary Jose Antonio Meade told Grupo Formula radio that “I think that, in general, diplomacy is not conducted via Twitter.”
“The foreign relations secretary is involved up there, having meetings up there, and we’ll have to see what comes out of that, what report they send to the president and what conclusions they arrive at from all that,” said Meade. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Students, bus driver escape serious injury in crash LOS ANGELES — Students and their driver escaped serious injury when their school bus and multiple other vehicles crashed in South Los Angeles early Friday, leaving the bus almost on top of a crushed car, authorities said. Seven students were aboard the bus. Four complained of pain but were not hospitalized,
while the bus driver and the driver of a car had minor injuries and were treated at hospitals, according to a California Highway Patrol report. “It’s not as bad as it definitely could have been,” California Highway Patrol Officer Randy Rodriguez said. A security surveillance video obtained by KABC-TVshowed how the accident unfolded: As a car on a cross-street made a left turn onto the roadway, another car swerved to the right to avoid it and then
Associated Press Today is Saturday, Jan. 28, the 28th day of 2017. There are 337 days left in the year. This is the Chinese New Year of the Rooster. Today’s Highlight in History: On Jan. 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. On this date: In 1547, England’s King Henry VIII died; he was succeeded by his 9-yearold son, Edward VI. In 1813, the novel “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen was first published anonymously in London. In 1909, the United States withdrew its forces from Cuba as Jose Miguel Gomez became president. In 1915, the United States Coast Guard was created as President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill merging the Life-Saving Service and Revenue Cutter Service. In 1939, Irish poet-dramatist William Butler Yeats died in Menton, France. In 1945, during World War II, Allied supplies began reaching China over the newly reopened Burma Road. In 1956, Elvis Presley made his first national TV appearance on “Stage Show,” a CBS program hosted by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. In 1962, the last of Washington, D.C.’s original streetcars made its final run. In 1973, a cease-fire officially went into effect in the Vietnam War. In 1977, actor-comedian Freddie Prinze, 22, co-star of the NBC-TV show “Chico and the Man,” shot and mortally wounded himself at the Beverly Comstock Hotel (he died the following day). In 1980, six U.S. diplomats who avoided being taken hostage at their embassy in Tehran flew out of Iran with the help of Canadian diplomats. In 1999, Ford Motor Co. announced it was buying the Volvo car division in a $6.45 billion deal. Ten years ago: U.S.-backed Iraqi troops attacked insurgents allegedly plotting to kill pilgrims at a major Shiite Muslim religious festival; Iraqi officials estimated some 300 militants died in the daylong battle near Najaf. Five years ago: The Arab League halted its observer mission in Syria because of escalating violence. Victoria Azarenka routed three-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0 to win the Australian Open. Ashley Wagner won her first U.S. Figure Skating title at the championship in San Jose, California. One year ago: Absent Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidates strained to take advantage of a rare opportunity to step out of the front-runner’s shadow during a debate in Des Moines, Iowa. Dozens of educators who competed alongside Christa McAuliffe to become the first teacher in space gathered to remember the seven astronauts who perished aboard Challenger 30 years earlier. Paul Kantner, a founding member of the Jefferson Airplane, died in San Francisco at age 74. Former Providence, Rhode Island, mayor Buddy Cianci died at age 74. Today’s Birthdays: Actor Nicholas Pryor is 82. Actor Alan Alda is 81. Actress Susan Howard is 75. Actress Marthe (cq) Keller is 72. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., is 70. Actress-singer Barbi Benton is 67. Evangelical pastor Rick Warren is 63. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is 62. Actress Harley Jane Kozak is 60. Movie director Frank Darabont is 58. Rock musician Dave Sharp is 58. Rock singer Sam Phillips is 55. Rock musician Dan Spitz is 54. Country musician Greg Cook (Ricochet) is 52. Gospel singer Marvin Sapp is 50. Singer Sarah McLachlan is 49. Rapper Rakim is 49. DJ Muggs (Cypress Hill) is 49. Actress Kathryn Morris is 48. Humorist Mo Rocca is 48. Rock/soul musician Jeremy Ruzumna (Fitz and the Tantrums) is 47. Rhythm-andblues singer Anthony Hamilton is 46. Singer Monifah is 45. Actress Gillian Vigman (Film: “The Hangover”) is 45. Rock musician Brandon Bush is 44. Retired MLB All-Star Jermaine Dye is 43. Actress Terro Conn is 42. Singer Joey Fatone Jr. (’N Sync) is 40. Rapper Rick Ross is 40. Actress Rosamund Pike (Film: “Gone Girl”) is 38. Actress Angelique Cabral is 38. Singer Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys) is 37. Actor Elijah Wood is 36. Rapper J. Cole is 32. Actress Alexandra Krosney is 29. Actor Yuri Sardarov is 29. Actress Ariel Winter is 19. Thought for Today: “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” — William Arthur Ward, American writer (1921-1994).
CONTACT US swerved out of control to the left, crossed the center line and hit the side of the approaching bus. Deon Jones, owner of the mangled car, told the TV station that he was at home when he heard the crash and went outside. “Thank you, Lord, for not me being in that car. That’s what I was thinking. I was blessed not to be in the car,” he said. — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, January 28, 2017 |
STATE
Federal judge again blocks Texas fetal remains rules By Will Weissert A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — A federal judge late Friday again blocked Texas rules mandating burial or cremation of fetal remains, in a victory for abortion rights groups. Austin-based U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks said that the health department regulations would remain suspended until further notice and that attorneys will now have 30 days to work out scheduling logistics before a full trial date is set. Sparks had previously suggested in court that the proposed rules had public health benefit. Opponents argue they could unduly burden women seeking abortions. The rules seek to ban hospitals and clinics from disposing of fetal remains from abortions or miscarriages as biological medical waste, usually meaning they are incinerated and placed in sanitary landfills. They were set to take effect in December, but Sparks issued restraining orders after national advocacy groups sued. He then heard two days of testimony before issuing Friday’s injunction. Federal courts previously blocked similar measures in Louisiana and Indiana. Texas first proposed the rules in July, days after the U.S. Supreme Court voided much of the state’s larger anti-abortion law, which was approved in 2013 and would have left Texas with 10 abortion clinics, down from more than 40 in 2012. The state health department said the rules sought to protect “human dignity.” But while hearing evidence earlier this month, Sparks said they were “100 percent politi-
Tamir Kalifa / AP
In this July 13, 2013 file photo, abortion rights advocates, left, protest in the State Capitol as anti-abortion rights supporters pass them in Austin, Texas.
cal” and could supersede established Texas law that allows scattering of ashes on any private property with owner’s consent, which could include landfills. Lawyers for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office countered that that law applied only to human remains and not specifically to fetal tissue, which prompted Sparks to exclaim: “It’s the official doctrine of the state that fetal tissue is not human remains. So you’re bringing dignity to non-human remains?” The groups suing say cremation and burial would cost more and force women to cover the
additional expenses. Exactly how much more isn’t clear, though some estimates have put the figure at an extra $400 per fetus — perhaps doubling the costs of an abortion. Texas argues that those estimates assume individualized burial or cremation being required for each fetus when the rules would allow groups of remains to be collected for mass burial or cremation, lowering the cost considerably. Even as the legal fight rages, top Republicans in the state Legislature have filed bills to codify similar fetal remains rules into formal Texas law.
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Zopinion
Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com
A4 | Saturday, January 28, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
OP-ED
OTHER VIEWS
Being pro-life is more than being pro-birth By Cynthia M. Allen FO RT WORT H STAR-T E LE GRAM
Thanks to last week’s Women’s March on Washington, which predictably devolved into a pro-abortion rally, and in the wake of this week’s annual March for Life, the debate over "abortion rights" in the U.S. is beginning anew. So it’s worth debunking one of the most persistent (and lazy) myths about pro-lifers that impede an honest and open discussion: the notion that the pro-life community is not really pro-life. In the words of one reader, "If you have done nothing to make sure unwanted children lead happy productive lives then you are not pro-life, only pro-birth." The false claim continues that men and women who oppose abortion but do not favor large government programs that provide support for children and mothers after birth are hypocrites. It’s true that the pro-life community is affiliated with the political right, which generally supports reducing the size and cost of bloated government programs, inefficient welfare programs included. But rejecting government administration of welfare is not the same thing as rejecting its program goals or not supporting alternative methods of achieving them. And to the extent that people of pro-life convictions are overwhelmingly religious, there is no community is the U.S. as committed to the cause of women, mothers and families. According to The Philanthropy Roundtable, "religious practice is the behavioral variable most consistently associated with generous giving," and such giving has had a dramatic impact on the fight against domestic and global poverty. As Rob Schwarzwalder and Pat Fagan of the Family Research Council explained in The Washington Post last year, the amount of money overtly religious organizations spend on health care, education and anti-poverty programs dwarfs what they spend on "social" causes (like fighting abortion) and exceeds or rivals what non-religious foundations and the federal government spend on such programs. They cited a Roundtable report showing that in 2009, American churches donated more than $13 billion to overseas
“To wit, the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. spends the overwhelming majority of its income on health care and education.” relief and development efforts, compared with "$5 billion sent abroad by foundations in the same year, $6 billion from private and voluntary relief organizations apart from church support, and $9 billion donated internationally by corporations. The $13 billion in religious overseas philanthropy also compares impressively to the $29 billion of official development aid handed out by the federal government in 2009." Compared with the government, many charitable religious organizations are far more efficient with their use of funds. To wit, the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. spends the overwhelming majority of its income on health care and education. A 2012 analysis by The Economist found that with an estimated annual budget of $170 billion, the Church spends only 6 percent on parish and diocesan operations. In Fort Worth, Texas, a legion of mostly volunteers runs The Gabriel Project, a ministry of the Catholic Church that helps women in crisis pregnancies long after children are born. Rachel Ministries serves women and men, including those in prison, who are suffering from guilt and anxiety after abortion. Catholic Charities Fort Worth, through a combination of paid staff and volunteers, administers a variety of programs that serve the poor, the immigrant community and other marginalized populations - and with notable success. Add to that the robust services of Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services, which provide adoption assistance, financial planning, food aid and disaster relief among their many efforts to assist vulnerable people the world over, regardless of faith. The debate about abortion will rage on, particularly now under a new president who seems to be making good on his promises to the pro-life community, but the contention that pro-lifers are merely pro-birth should not.
EDITORIAL
Trump is on the right side of the pipeline debate THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
President Donald Trump’s executive actions this week give fresh hope to the Keystone XL and the Dakota Access pipelines. And that’s the way it should be. We applaud Trump’s executive action to ease the way for the government to reconsider its review and renegotiate terms of the Keystone XL pipeline. The pipeline, which would transport tar sands crude oil from Canada to Gulf Coast refineries in Texas, has become one of the most studied and politicized pipelines in recent U.S. history. It was approved at numerous stages of development, at one point even by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but former President Barack Obama waffled on it, creating new hurdles for it to scale before rejecting the proposal in 2015.
The Keystone pipeline is not the grand jobs engine as its supporters claim, but neither is it a dire threat to the environment as opponents contend. It’s a pipeline, just like the many thousands of miles of other pipelines that move crude oil and gas from one end of the United States to another. Pipelines are safer than shipping oil on trucks, tankers and rail cars. For example, a State Department study during the Obama administration concluded that carbon emissions from the Keystone pipeline would amount to less than 1 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, hardly a threat to climate change or greenhouse gas mitigation strategies. And experts say that moving the crude oil by rail, truck or tanker would generate at least a 28 percent bigger greenhouse gas footprint than the pipeline.
The number of jobs created from the pipeline has always been a dubious claim, which unfortunately Trump repeated at the signing ceremony this week. Yes, jobs will be created but not the 28,000 that he claimed. The greater benefit is in maintaining jobs for U.S. refiners and suppliers and providing another source of crude closer to home. Canada plans to export its crude oil to market. Completing the pipeline gives the United States an opportunity to benefit from energy sources on this continent. Trump also took action on the Dakota Access Pipeline, which has been in limbo since the Army Corps of Engineers halted the project in December to consider alternative routes. Protesters from the local Standing Rock Sioux tribe and others had stymied progress on
COLUMN
Trump’s wall is about rage, not immigration Francis Wilkinson BL OOMBERG
Just to be clear on President Donald Trump’s agenda, he is currently jeopardizing relations with the U.S.’s thirdlargest trading partner, a neighbor with whom we share a roughly 2,000mile border along with a vast array of law-enforcement and foreign-policy priorities, in order to show American voters that he is tough. To recap: After signing an executive order this week that directed (but did not fund) the construction of a wall across the southern border, Trump reiterated his demand that Mexico pay for the construction. That, in turn, led Mex-
ican President Enrique Pena Nieto to cancel a scheduled meeting with Trump. Mexican politician Margarita Zavala, wife of former President Felipe Calderon, called Trump’s provocation a “humiliation,” and, in a tweet, included a hashtag with an implied, and wholly unsurprising, threat of future hostilities: #MexicoFirst. In a December survey of the largely Republican Texas congressional delegation, the Texas Tribune reported that none of the delegation’s 38 members “offered full-throated support of a complete border wall.” Republican Will Hurd, who represents a swing district along the border, this week called a wall “the
most expensive and least effective way to secure the border.” In a Senate hearing, Trump’s own Homeland Security secretary, John Kelly, said, “A physical barrier in and of itself will not do the job.” He also said the U.S. needs partnerships in Latin America, where Trump is currently alienating our closest neighbor, to combat trafficking in drugs and migrants. So why is Trump so insistent on an expensive boondoggle that knowledgeable people deride and that the local congressional delegation doesn’t want — despite promised billions in instate spending? “There is no practical reason for a border wall, of course, since illegal
LETTERS POLICY Laredo Morning Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer's first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the
letter. Laredo Morning Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. This space allows for public debate of the issues of the day. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-calling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Also, letters longer than 500 words will not be accepted. Via email, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
the pipeline, claiming that it would pose an environmental threat to the tribe’s drinking water and would cross through its reservation. We’ve examined those concerns and don’t find them persuasive. The route does not cross the reservation and while it does travel underneath the Missouri River, the primary drinking water source for the tribe, eight other oil and gas pipelines already safely cross the river. Trump’s executive memo directs the Army Corps to "review and approve in an expedited manner, to the extent permitted by law" the Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners’ project. The approximately 1,100-mile pipeline from the Dakotas to Illinois is more than 90 percent complete and deserves a timely decision on the remaining piece.
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
migration has been zero or negative for nearly nine years,” said Princeton University professor Douglas Massey, an expert on Mexican migration. “The number of border apprehensions is at its lowest level since 1971 and increasingly those apprehended are unaccompanied minors or members of family groups from Central America. The illegal migration of Mexicans is decidedly negative.” Obviously, if Trump’s aggressive posture toward Mexico on trade causes the Mexican economy to suffer, incentives for illegal immigration into the U.S. will increase. The militarization of the border has not shut down trafficking, but it has professionalized it.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, January 28, 2017 |
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BUSINESS
Obamacare sign-up reminders remain after Trump pulls advertising By Zachary Tracer BL OOMBERG NEWS
Jae C. Hong / AP
In this Feb. 7, 2016, file photo, Lady Gaga sings the national anthem before the NFL Super Bowl 50 football game in Santa Clara, Calif.
To stand out at Super Bowl 51, ads are going for stunts By Mae Anderson A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — Lady Gaga is reportedly entertaining an unusual twist on her Super Bowl halftime show, which — though it’s not confirmed — she could perform from the roof of the stadium. If that comes to pass, she won’t be the only one making a big play for attention this year. Advertisers from first timer 84 Lumber to veteran Hyundai are ramping up the marketing stunts in order to stand out from the crowd during the big game. Some will air live ads, ,or at least teasers for their campaigns; one will even shoot its commercial during the game. Others are deliberately courting controversy. Super Bowl LI, in which the Atlanta Falcons will take on the New England Patriots, is expected to be the biggest live TV event of the year. THE WAR FOR YOUR ATTENTION Every year, more than 30 advertisers vie to create the most-remembered 30 to 90 seconds of the Super Bowl by stuffing commercials with celebrities, slapstick humor and cute animals. But now that so many ads get pre-released online or teased ahead of
the game, advertisers have a harder time making a lasting impression. And with more than 110 million people expected to tune in on Feb. 5 and 30 second spots going for around $5 million, they need to scramble hard. So this year, marketers are turning to stunts. “It used to be, ‘We need a Super Bowl spot.’ Then, it was, ‘We need a Super Bowl spot and program,”’ said Mark DiMassimo, CEO of ad agency DiMassimo Goldstein in New York. “Now, it’s we need a Super Bowl stunt or event. It needs to be newsworthy, social and surprising — and it needs to be much bigger than 30 seconds.” GOING LIVE Snickers said Wednesday it will air a live Super Bowl ad in the third quarter starring Adam Driver ("Star Wars: The Force Awakens”). The Mars brand will also live stream the set of the commercial for 36 hours ahead of the spot. “The actual ad is only part of the equation,” said Allison Miazga-Bedrick, a Snickers brand director, who promises “over 30 hours of original content” streamed live leading up to the game. Similarly, Wix — an Israeli website hosting service— turned to Facebook Live and YouTube
Live on Jan. 17 to debut teasers for its Super Bowl ad. The teaser — which was prerecorded and only streamed live — starred Israeli actress and model Gal Gadot, who plays Wonder Woman in her own film later this year, and the English actor Jason Statham ("The Fast and the Furious”). The company said it’s the first time a Super Bowl campaign has been launched live. BETTING ON REJECTION First-time Super Bowl advertiser 84 Lumber pulled a vintage ad stunt when the company went public with claims that Fox rejected its original ad because it was too “controversial.” The Pennsylvania building materials supplier bought a 90 second ad during the game — a huge commitment for a regional brand. But Amy Smiley, the company’s director of marketing, said its first ad was rejected because some of its imagery, including a border wall that supposedly prevented people from working in the U.S., steered too close to political rhetoric about the Mexican border from President Donald Trump. Fox declined to comment, ensuring that 84 Lumber got plenty of
press well ahead of the game. SHOOTING ON THE FLY In perhaps the biggest gamble, Hyundai is teaming with director Peter Berg ("Deepwater Horizon”) to actually film a 90-second ad while the Super Bowl is underway. Hyundai said the ad will show “off the field” moments captured during the game, and will air right after the contest ends. Traditionally, ads that air before or after the Super Bowl itself aren’t very successful at drawing eyeballs. But the onthe-fly aspect of this ad could make it hard to ignore. “The challenge for all of these companies is, ‘How do you stand out?”’ said Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University. “As a result we’re going to see this year people try some very curious approaches.” Dean Evans, Hyundai’s chief marketing officer, said the shoot-duringthe-game approach is all about buzz. “We wanted to test ourselves,” Evans said. “We thought we would have to do it in a new and nontraditional way to really show the U.S. public that we’re back in the game.”
U.S. health officials haven’t completely stopped promoting Obamacare, as e-mail and Twitter reminders for consumers to sign up for the program’s health coverage were sent a day after millions of dollars in government advertising were pulled. A neon tweet flashing the Jan. 31 deadline for purchasing 2017 health plans appeared Friday on the Twitter account of HealthCare.gov. The account had been quiet most of Thursday, when the Department of Health and Human Services said it withdrew about $5 million of advertising that was intended to encourage people to sign up for insurance through the Affordable Care Act, the health law the new president has promised to repeal. “Come back to HealthCare.gov and submit your application right away,” an e-mail sent Friday said. Withdrawing the ads could depress enrollment in the law’s markets, a closely watched indicator of how the ACA, often called Obamacare, is faring. Lagging ACA enrollment could jeopardize the stability of the
health insurance market, America’s Health Insurance Plans, an industry group, said Friday. “We need as many people as possible to participate,” the group said in an e-mail. Many major insurers have already left at least some of Obamacare’s state marketplaces after incurring financial losses. Looking for Efficiencies Trump, who campaigned on a promise to repeal Obamacare, signed an executive order on his first day in office directing federal agencies to work to minimize the law’s economic and regulatory burdens. “The federal government has spent more than $60 million promoting the open enrollment period,” Matt Lloyd, an HHS spokesman, said Thursday in an e-mail. “HHS has pulled back roughly $5 million of the final placement in an effort to look for efficiencies where they exist.” Politico reported the withdrawals earlier Thursday, saying the advertising had already been paid for by the Obama administration. Lloyd said the $5 million would be returned to the government.
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Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, January 28, 2017 |
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE Boys & Girls Club 1 La organización Boys & Girls Club invita a su evento Clays for Kids Skeet Shoot & Cook-Off en su décima edición, que se celebrará el sábado 28 de enero. Para registrarse o para mayores informes visite bgcazapata.com o llame a Mark Alvarenga al (956) 3375751.
Trámites consulares 1 El Consulado de México estará en la Ciudad de Roma, el sábado 4 de marzo, donde los residentes podrán realizar los trámites de expedición de matrícula consular y pasaporte, en el Centro Mundial de las Aves, Plaza Histórica frente a la Iglesia Católica Nuestra Señora del Refugio, esquina de Portscheller y avenida Convento. Mayores informes en el Consulado de México en McAllen al teléfono 956-686-0243.
Caminata amistosa 1 El Servicio de Extensión Texas A&M Agrilife invita a la segunda caminata Walk Across Texas que iniciará desde el 1 de febrero y hasta el 24 de marzo. Una competencia amistosa para ver quién acumula más millas haciendo cualquier actividad física como correr, caminar andar en bicicleta, , baile, etc. Mayores informes en Texas A&M Agrilife Service Extension al (956) 487-2306.
TRATADO DE LIBRE COMERCIO
TAMAULIPAS
Guerra comercial
Promueve inversión en Texas
Expertos pronostican desastre económico Por Peter Orsi y Paul Wiseman ASSOCIATED PRE SS
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO — Si el presidente Donald Trump cumple su amenaza de desechar el Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte e imponer aranceles a los productos mexicanos, se arriesga a desatar una guerra comercial que podría derivar en lo que más busca evitar: un enorme incremento en el número de mexicanos que migran hacia Estados Unidos, de acuerdo con economistas. El resultado sería catastrófico para la economía mexicana: Recesión. Un drástico debilitamiento del peso, incluso por debajo de la baja histórica en la que ya se encuentra debido a la belicosa retórica de Trump. Una galopante
inflación, alza en tasas de interés y desempleo. “México es más pequeño que Estados Unidos y puede resultar mucho más perjudicado que Estados Unidos en este conflicto”, dijo Adam Posen, presidente del Instituto Peterson de Economía Internacional, un grupo de expertos en Washington a favor del libre comercio. Una guerra comercial con México “llevaría el peso a la baja, así como las oportunidades para los mexicanos que trabajan de manera honesta en la industria manufacturera”, añadió. “Habría más mexicanos desesperados cruzando la frontera”. Y de ninguna manera Estados Unidos sería inmune a las consecuencias. México es el tercer principal socio comercial
de Estados Unidos, y entre ambas naciones hicieron operaciones comerciales transfronterizas por unos 583.600 millones de dólares en 2015, de acuerdo con la Oficina del Representante Comercial de Estados Unidos. Estados Unidos adquiere el 80% de las exportaciones mexicanas, y los automóviles, maquinaria eléctrica y combustibles, encabezan una lista en la que se incluyen productos agrícolas como frutas, vegetales, vinos y cerveza. La propuesta que planteó el gobierno de Trump esta semana de un arancel del 20% a las importaciones provenientes de México para pagar el muro prometido en la frontera sur, no tardó en ser definida por las autoridades como solo una de varias “opciones”. También podría enfrentar una dura oposición en el Congreso, incluyendo a algunos republicanos a favor del libre comercio. El peor escenario de una guerra comercial es
aterrador, aseguran los economistas. Si Estados Unidos gravara las importaciones mexicanas, violaría los términos del TLCAN y anularía el pacto, de acuerdo con Alfredo Coutiño, director de Moody's Analytics para Latinoamérica. México podría imponer sus propios aranceles como represalia. La incertidumbre alejaría a los inversionistas y a las empresas, incluyendo a las compañías estadounidenses con operaciones en México, que podrían retirarse. Coutiño pronosticó que el caos económico en México fortalecería a los cárteles que trafican drogas hacia los Estados Unidos — otro supuesto objetivo del muro fronterizo — dado que los desempleados son más susceptibles a ser reclutados por el crimen organizado. Orsi reportó desde la Ciudad de México y Wiseman desde Washington.
RT BARRERA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
TRABAJO POLICÍACO
Laboratorio Computacional 1 La Ciudad de Roma pone a disposición de la comunidad el Laboratorio Computacional que abre de lunes a viernes en horario de 1 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Historical Plaza, a un lado del City Hall. Informes en el 956-849-1411.
Museo en Zapata 1 A los interesados en realizar una investigación sobre genealogía de la región, se sugiere visitar el Museo del Condado de Zapata ubicado en 805 N US-Hwy 83. Opera de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. Existen visitas guiadas. Personal está capacitado y puede orientar acerca de la historia del Sur de Texas y sus fundadores. Pida informes en el 956-765-8983.
Grupos de apoyo 1 El grupo de apoyo para personas con Alzheimer se reunirá en su junta mensual, a las 7 p.m., en el Laredo Medical Center, primer piso, Torre B en el Centro Comunitario. Las reuniones se realizan el primer martes de cada mes en el mismo lugar y a la misma hora. 1 El grupo Cancer Friend se reúne a las 6 p.m. el primer lunes del mes en el Centro Comunitario de Doctors Hospital. Padecer cáncer es una de las experiencias más estresantes en la vida de una persona. Sin embargo, los grupos de apoyo pueden ayudar a muchos a lidiar con los aspectos emocionales de la enfermedad.
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Foto de cortesía / Departamento de Policía de Roma
Oficiales del Departamento de Policía de la Ciudad de Roma hablan sobre su trabajo ante un grupo de menores de la escuela primaria RT Barrera durante el evento RT Barrera Career Day el martes por la mañana.
COLUMNA
Charles Dupin, personaje de horca y cuchillo en Tamaulipas Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Con el respaldo de los conservadores domésticos, para imponer al emperador Maximiliano de Habsburgo invaden a México, tropas de Napoleón III. Ellas traen consigo a Charles Dupin. Personaje de horca y cuchillo, protagoniza numerosas tropelías. En Tamaulipas éstas dejan terrible huella. Chaparro, de mirada burlona y blancas barbas, hacia marzo de 1864 el coronel Charles Dupin llega a Tampico. Cincuentón, por vez primera desembarca en suelo tamaulipeco. Ante cualquiera parece tranquilo y simpático abuelo. Nada más lejos de la verdad. Parrandero, mujeriego y jugador, inicia carrera militar en las guerras imperialistas de su natal Francia. Le sirven para darse al saqueo de
Pekín en 1859. Arruinado en los naipes, saca luego a la venta “objetos de arte que provienen en buena parte del Palacio de Verano” pequinés. Y como así lo anuncia en tabloides parisinos, las flagrantes raterías causan escándalo público. Gana de este modo deshonrosa baja en febrero de 1862. Las influencias le permiten trasladarse a México, en calidad de voluntario. Halla pronto acomodo. Nadie mejor que él para hacerse cargo de la contraguerrilla, estrenada pocos meses adelante. Comanda un bien pagado cuerpo de mercenarios, compuesto “por franceses, norteamericanos, españoles que desertaron del ejército […] de [Juan] Prim y algunos mexicanos de las bandas conservadoras”, señala Gastón García Cantú. Acorde con el mote de El Carnicero Rojo, Charles Dupin lleva capa de igual color, sombrero charro
galoneado y en la boca un habano encendido. Hasta fines de 1865 prolonga su campaña en Tamaulipas. Adopta la estrategia de tierra arrasada y hace del terror arma cotidiana. Al comenzar agosto de 1864, manda colgar “a cinco guerrilleros mexicanos en los faroles del alumbrado de la plaza [de la Libertad de Tampico], sin formación de causa”, anota Joaquín Meade. Dupin despotrica contra los patriotas tamaulipecos: “Espero poder alcanzar a algunos […], que como bien pensáis irán a columpiarse al cabo de una cuerda: es una economía de cartuchos”. Por sus desmanes regresa a París, destituido. Napoleón III lo envía de vuelta a emprender entre febrero y junio de 1866 nueva ofensiva, desastrosa como la primera. “No soy tan viejo como para no tener hermosos
deseos”, confiesa en “Mis amores y la guerra de Argelia”, obra inédita. Jean Meyer revela que Dupin “vivió un amor imposible con su sobrina Marie de Bussy, hija de su hermana. Cuando regresó de México [a Europa] pidió su mano, se la negaron, ella decidió retirarse a un convento”, aunque “no lo hizo”. Dupin muere de meningitis aguda en 1867. El que en comarcas tamaulipecas cometía atrocidades a diestra y siniestra, pero se consideraba todavía con suficientes ímpetus para hermosos deseos amorosos, derrama lágrimas de cocodrilo en septiembre de 1866, cuando le escribe a Marie de Bussy: “Hacemos una guerra atroz, sin esperanza alguna de conseguir una solución”. Cabe añadir que esa guerra atroz le valdría muy espléndido sueldo. Ganaba bastante más que los colegas suyos de igual rango castrense.
E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
El Gobernador de Tamaulipas, México, Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca reforzó este viernes la relación de Tamaulipas con empresarios del sur de Texas, en un encuentro en el que fueron expuestas las oportunidades de inversión en materia energética, comercial e industrial que existen en la entidad. “Tamaulipas, su vecino al sur, está abierto para hacer negocios. Estamos listos para trabajar con Texas y el resto de América del Norte para ofrecer oportuGarcía nidades a las empresas en esta vibrante región”, subrayó. El mandatario también invitó públicamente a los Presidentes Donald Trump, de Estados Unidos y Enrique Peña Nieto, de México, a que celebren un encuentro en la frontera de Tamaulipas y Texas para que descubran las coincidencias que existen entre ambas entidades. El Gobernador de Tamaulipas, Francisco García Cabezas de Vaca participó en Mc Allen, Texas a invitación del Centro de Estudios Económicos de la Frontera de la Universidad de Texas Rio Grande Valley, donde hablo sobre la creación de una Comisión Estatal de Energía que guiará a inversionistas y empresarios nacionales y extranjeros en la creación de empresas y generación de nuevos empleos. “Estamos tomando tan en serio la energía, que el gobierno estatal está lanzando una campaña para atraer más inversión y generar más empleos como nunca antes, apostamos por la energía, pero no solo estoy hablando de petróleo y gas de los cuales tenemos algunas de las mayores reservas del mundo, estamos implementando proyectos en energías renovables como el la eólica, la hidráulica y la solar”, declaró. Explicó que Tamaulipas es el segundo estado en México con mayores oportunidades en materia de energía eólica, con 2 parques en funcionamiento en la actualidad, 2 más por inaugurarse, 5 en desarrollo y 15 más en espera de aprobación final. “Estos 24 parques, representarán una capacidad total de 2 mil 600 megawatts de energía limpia en Tamaulipas”, precisó. Dijo además que su administración impulsará el puerto de Matamoros como una opción para la industria energética, la industria de la transformación y el comercio de las ciudades y estados en 500 kilómetros a la redonda. En el evento también participaron otros especialistas en negocios de la Universidad de Texas, de la Universidad Texas A&M, del Centro de Estudios Económicos de la Frontera y del Dallas FED Bank que hablaron del panorama económico para la región fronteriza. También, el Gobernador declaró ser una persona que opina que en lugar de construir muros, se requiere la construcción de puentes, no de acero y cemento, sino de oportunidades.
A8 | Saturday, January 28, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL
Miami’s Little Havana placed on list of ‘national treasures’ By Adriana Gomez Licon A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MIAMI — Historic preservation groups announced a partnership Friday with city officials to save Miami’s Little Havana, bidding to safeguard its heritage as the famed epicenter of the Cuban diaspora was placed on a list of “national treasures.” The nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation said awarding its special designation for the Spanish-speaking enclave is just one step of the partnership to protect Little Havana from largescale developers who are transforming much of
downtown Miami. Home to a vibrant community of Cuban heritage and many others from around Latin America, Little Havana is under multiple threats: Demolition of historic buildings, displacement of its existing residents, and decades of wear and tear. The same organization placed the neighborhood in its annual list of America’s 11 most endangered historic places in 2015. “Little Havana has a really strong immigrant history,” said Stephanie Meeks, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “It’s a very inviting place. It’s very colorful. It’s very warm. The sense of community is very strong.”
But she cautioned: “We want all that to remain but at the same time we know that communities need to adapt and change overtime to meet the needs of the residents.” She said the “national treasures” designation also will help allied organizations, city officials, residents and investors unite to discuss ways to improve the living conditions of its working-class population, preserve historic buildings and allow moderate development of its neglected areas. In coming months, planners and developers are to discuss what to do with vacant lots, abandoned buildings and consider which historic sites are worth protecting.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, January 28, 2017 |
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ENTERTAINMENT
North American rhapsody: Queen, Lambert tour; no record yet Chris Pizzello / AP
By Wayne Parry A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
Queen has clearly found somebody to love in Adam Lambert. Since joining forces with the “American Idol” runner-up for a series of shows in 2012, the band that ruled rock radio in the 1970s and early ‘80s has enjoyed tremendous success, with audiences embracing Lambert as the heir to Freddie Mercury’s onstage legacy. They’ve been selling out areas around the world for five years now, and have just announced a 25-city North American tour beginning June 23 in
Phoenix. But there’s one thing they haven’t dared try yet: recording a studio album of all-new Queen songs. And despite their effortless box office success, it might not happen soon, if at all. “We get asked that question constantly, but we really haven’t had much of a conversation about it internally,” said Lambert, who maintains a solo career between Queen tours. “It’s totally possible. But what is it? I would never re-record a song that Freddie recorded because that would be sacrilege. If I were to record something brand new, would it be called
‘Queen?’ Would we have some supergroup name?” Lambert said he and founding members Brian May (guitar) and Roger Taylor (drums) have not recorded demos of any new material. May said the band took its cue from the ho-hum response to a studio album it did with Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers in 2008, “The Cosmos Rocks.” “The world kind of turned a blind eye to it, and I think we subconsciously absorbed the message that people wanted to hear Queen with Freddie,” May said. “That’s what they expected; they didn’t want to
In this July 3, 2014 file photo Brian May of Queen, left, and Adam Lambert perform in Los Angeles.
hear anything else. I don’t know if that’s a correct conclusion or not, but that’s kind of the message we got, so I think we turned our attention to live.” Taylor said recording a new studio album “seems like an obvious thing to do, but really, we don’t plan ahead that much or that far. The band is working beautifully, so we don’t want to stop that until it’s not working beautifully.” May is more receptive to the idea of a new album now with Lambert on board.
“If the moment came up, if there was a real reason to make a new recording, a new song, if the right song came up, we would go with it in the snap of a finger,” he said. “But at the moment, we’re very happy touring.” That entails staging an entirely new show from scratch, with a new set list, lighting, video screens — and the way the band interacts with the audience. Mercury’s give-and-take with the crowd, including daring them to match his a cappella vocal acrobatics,
and May’s acoustic singalongs on “Love of My Life” and “39” became integral and enduring parts of a Queen concert. When Mercury died in 1991 of complications from AIDS, “Brian and I thought everything was kind of over,” Taylor said. “But Adam Lambert is an extraordinary talent and just fits in perfectly with us.” “It was good when it started, but now I feel like it’s more secondnature,” Lambert said. “I feel like I’ve crawled into these songs and can run around in them now.”
Grammys, CBS to honor Bee Gees with tribute concert ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Tawni Bannister / NYT
Megyn Kelly, who is leaving Fox News for NBC, in New York, Dec. 8, 2016. Kelly is being considered for a time slot at 9 or 10 a.m., a move that could shake up NBC’s current incarnation of the Today show.
Megyn Kelly may get NBC morning show, shaking up ‘Today’ By John Koblin and Michael M. Grynbaum N EW YORK T I ME S
NBC is looking to place its new star Megyn Kelly in the morning hours. Kelly, who announced this month that she was leaving Fox News for NBC, will start at the network in May, and plans are beginning to take shape for her new show, according to two people briefed on the discussions. Kelly is being considered for a time slot at 9 or 10 a.m., for a show that is expected to begin in the fall. If she moves to 10 a.m., the popular fourth hour of “Today,” hosted by Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, would move to 9 a.m. One thing that is known for sure: The current iteration of the third hour of “Today,” hosted by Tamron Hall and Al Roker, will be a thing of the past once Kelly’s show begins. Kelly’s apparent move to the morning, which Variety reported earlier, removes her from the minefield of syndicated daytime TV. Other TV news hosts, including Jane Pauley, Meredith Vieira and Katie Couric, have tried their hand at the format and failed. That was one of the reasons that NBC initially planned to make Kelly’s show a straight news show; because other anchors could not make it work, the network saw no reason to try that strategy again. But in recent weeks, NBC executives have had
more of an open mind over what direction her show should take: There have been discussions about whether it should be softer in focus than what was originally discussed, one person briefed on the plans said. They also have not decided whether Kelly’s show would be branded as part of the “Today” show or not. If Kelly locked up the 9 a.m. hour, it would also set up an intriguing battle royal that would pit her against another longtime morning host, ABC’s Kelly Ripa. The 9 a.m. hour for “Today” has been a tricky proposition for NBC: Facing formidable competition against Ripa’s “Live With Kelly,” the network has tried several solutions, including bringing in Billy Bush last year. Shortly after Bush was brought in to host, he was let ago after the infamous “Hollywood Access” recording of him and Donald Trump was released in October. Roker will continue to work on the early parts of “Today.” And Hall, who is in contract negotiations with the network, will continue to host her MSNBC show. There are no concrete plans yet for the Sunday night newsmagazine show that NBC plans to have Kelly host, the people said. Fox News has not missed a beat since Kelly left her 9 p.m. time slot. Tucker Carlson, who replaced Kelly this month, has seen big ratings gains in the busy news weeks since his debut.
LOS ANGELES — The Recording Academy and CBS will pay tribute to the Bee Gees two days after the Grammys with a concert featuring a range of artists, including Celine Dion, Andra Day, John Legend and Keith Urban. The show, “Stayin’ Alive: A Grammy Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees,” will mark the 40th anniversary of the pop legends’ soundtrack to “Saturday Night Fever,” according to a joint announcement released Friday. Barry Gibb, the sole surviving member and co-founder of the Grammy-winning group who released a solo album late
Marta Lavandier / AP
This July 29, 1998 file photo shows brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, left to right, of the pop group the Bee Gees during a news conference in Miami Beach, Fla.
last year, will perform a selection of hits from the soundtrack, which won a Grammy for album of the year in 2004. The concert will be
taped Feb. 14 at the Microsoft Theater, to be broadcast on CBS later this year. Little Big Town, Nick Jonas, Tori Kelly, Demi Lovato and the Pentatonix
are among others to perform, with additions expected. The Bee Gees “helped make ‘Saturday Night Fever’ an emblem of 1970s pop culture,” said Neil Portnow, president and CEO of The Recording Academy. “With expert harmonies, undeniable groove and a personal charisma matching their on-stage persona, the iconic band of brothers defined not just a genre, but a generation.” Tickets for the show start at $25. Details are available at Axs.com. The show is similar to joint tribute concerts with AEG Ehrlich Ventures honoring Stevie Wonder, The Beatles and Frank Sinatra.
Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty, Maroon 5 to headline Jazz Fest By Chevel Johnson ASSOCIATED PRE SS
NEW ORLEANS — Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Maroon 5, Usher and Dave Matthews are among some of the big names playing at this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The lineup, announced Friday, includes more than 500 bands covering a diverse array of musical styles over more than a dozen stages set up at the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course. “All but about 80 of the acts are local,” festival organizer Quint Davis said, enthusiastically. “We’ve evolved to a point though where every stage, every day has at least one national act. It’s taken awhile to get to that point, but we’re there.” Davis said he was encouraged by the response to the lineup, so far, by fans of the festival. “A lot of people are really looking at the schedule in depth,” he said. “They’re paying attention and going deep into it. We’re hearing things like, ‘Wow, Corinne Bailey Rae’s coming’ and after rain ruined Snoop Dogg’s debut last year, people now have a second chance to see him for the first time.” Some of the other artists appearing include Alabama Shakes, Kings of Leon, Patti LaBelle, Widespread Panic and rappers Pitbull and Nas.
Jesse Grant / Getty
Musician Stevie Wonder performs for the crowd at the 2017 NAMM Show at the Anaheim Convention Center on Jan. 21 in Anaheim, California.
The festival also features artists from Louisiana and New Orleans, such as the Hot 8 Brass Band, Ellis Marsalis, Trombone Shorty, the Soul Rebels, Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys, Irma Thomas and The Meters. A full list of participants can be viewed at www.nojazzfest.com . Jazz Fest’s Cultural Exchange Pavilion will focus on Cuba this year. Last year, Belize was in the spotlight. Davis said they’re looking to enlarge the pavilion’s tent this year allowing more fans
to “experience the experience.” “It’s going to be Cuban music all day,” Davis said. The festival, presented by Shell, takes place April 28-30 and May 4-7. Tickets currently are on sale for $65 through Feb. 14. The price rises to $70 on Feb. 15 and the gate price will be $80. Children’s tickets (ages 2-10) remain $5. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, the nonprofit owner of the festival, also gives out 8,000 free tickets to community groups annually.
Davis said he’s hoping this year’s event will not include the rain that deluged 2016’s second weekend. “I’m starting to question my requests to the weather gods,” he said, laughing. “But people are really giving us a lot more slack these days. Last year’s first weekend was the best ever, the second was the rainiest ever. Still, people came out in huge numbers, saying ‘We’re not, not coming!’ Whether you experience Jazz Fest in the rain or not, you want to be there.”
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, January 28, 2017 |
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FROM THE COVER TRADE From page A1 noted that he has altered his language, and is now talking about renegotiating instead. Multiple news sources reported Monday that the president will be meeting with leaders of Canada and Mexico this week to discuss the agreement. “What we were trying to accomplish today is to start the process of educating our own constituents, the nation, plus the new administration as we approach the renegotiation of NAFTA,” Vale said. “I think that quality of life is the overarching issue.” In his campaign against NAFTA, Trump has attempted to appeal to residents of the Rust Belt, many of whom saw manufacturing jobs leave the country after the agreement was signed. But a point brought up by several panelists on Monday is the underappreciated value of exporting goods from the U.S. to Mexico. Leila Aridi Afas, international policy director of Toyota, said prior to NAFTA, 5 percent of Mexico’s imports were U.S. content — now 40 percent comes from the U.S. And since Mexico trades with more countries than the U.S., border trade facilitates a highly competitive global region, she said. Another common argument was that if the U.S. were to withdraw from NAFTA, this would create a void filled by other countries to the nation’s detriment. “If we leave that vacuum, the mexicanos are going to trade with other countries,” Cuellar said. “Imagine if the Chinese or any other country starts drilling down there. The Chinese are all over the world as far as natural resources. I’m concerned about the vacuum.” Conchas pointed out
WALL From page A1 I believe that’s a way of improving it,” Schwebel said. Wall-backers Behind this largely unified voice of local officials are Laredoans who support a border wall right here in town. One of whom is Bill Young, a retired U.S. customs officer of 10 years, and lifelong Laredoan — a direct descendant of Tomas Sanchez, he said. Young said he grew up farming with his father along the river; he’s “just about seen it all.” “I think we need a border wall, and I think we need it really bad, because of all the Carrizo cane,” he said. “I think the border wall would add so much security to our area. ... It would help both countries. I really believe that in my heart.” Young doesn’t worry about the view from a room at La Posada or a store downtown with a wall mere feet away. “They’ll be able to see over the wall. ... It doesn’t make a difference. The only difference is in your mind if you think that way,” he said. Law enforcement “Why are we going to get a wall where they are going to climb across it?” Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar said. “I got other alternatives I’m looking at.” Recently, the Sheriff’s Office told Laredo Morning Times they have plans to visit Austin and Washington to pitch their security measure dubbed Border SMART (Strategic Mobile And Response Team). This is a border security measure that would be implemented from Starr to Val Verde counties. Authorities plan to use smart cameras, sensors and have communication
that $284 billion in trade crossed the U.S.-Mexico border last year, and the U.S. should nurture its relationship with Mexico. “NAFTA has not only been good for Laredo, but also for the state of Texas and the country as a whole,” he said. “One thing the country doesn’t understand is that in every dollar of U.S. exports, 40 percent is Mexico made.” Most panelists, however, said that renegotiating NAFTA doesn’t have to be harmful. For instance, one panelist noted that when this agreement was drafted, we didn’t have smartphones in our pockets or use the internet with any regularity. He cited a Forbes article that recommended updating NAFTA to include cross-border data flows and exports of digital products. Trans-Pacific Partnership Cuellar said the TPP would have been like NAFTA 2.0, and that it would have been good for Laredo’s economy. “I regret that the president has chosen to cut economic growth and jeopardize our position as one of the most competitive centers of international trade,” Cuellar said in a statement. “... TPP would cut more than 18,000 taxes, in the form of tariffs, on American-made products. The agreement would boost U.S. exports by almost $124 billion by 2025 through streamlining customs procedures and by cutting red tape for international trade, helping our manufacturers, farmers and small businesses compete and win in today’s global markets.” However, Cuellar said Congress’ immediate focus should be on NAFTA. He also said Republicans are already talking about gathering money for the border fence. “Things are moving pretty quickly,” he said.
centers placed in strategic areas or hotspots for illicit activity, authorities said. Veterans coming from overseas would man those centers to watch over the cameras, said Sheriff’s Office Chief Fred Garza in a recent interview with LMT. “We don’t believe that a wall installed in our border is a solution. ... We should be able to be smart on how we protect our borders,” he said. “We are glad that the president is now supporting agents and border security. Agents will be able to do their job,” said Hector Garza, president for the National Border Patrol Council Local 2455 in Laredo. The construction of the wall will help agents, Garza said, because they are being overrun by illegal activity crossing into the Unites States. A border wall will slow down the illicit traffic, allowing agents enough time to respond to the location and apprehend the suspects before they get away, said Garza, who is an agent. He added that with the current border security, agents are not able to stop narcotics entering the country. Border Patrol union representatives nationwide met with Trump on four different occasions during his campaign. He said the most recent meeting with Trump was right before the election at Trump Tower in New York. There, they discussed additional manpower and more resources for agents, Garza said. “The construction of the wall will really help us do the job and help keep the country safe,” Garza said. LMT staff writer César G. Rodriguez contributed to this story. Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com
BORDER From page A1 wall alone have been up to $15 billion or more. The long-anticipated executive orders, part of what Trump promised as soon as he took office, also come at a time when illegal immigration — measured by apprehensions at the border — has plunged to its lowest level since early 1970s. “We’re in the middle of a crisis on our southern border. The unprecedented surge of illegal migrants from Central America is harming both Mexico and the United States,” Trump said, speaking at the Homeland Security Department. “A nation without borders is not a nation,” he said. “Beginning today, the United States of America gets back control of its borders, gets back its borders.” The president, flanked by Vice President Mike Pence and newly installed Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, introduced families of several victims of undocumented immigrants whose stories, he contended, were not told by “pundits.” Not all Republicans share Trump’s enthusiasm. U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-San Antonio, who has 800 miles of border in his district, called the wall “the most expensive and least effective way to secure the border.” Hurd said in a statement that a wall might be effective in densely populated areas but that in places like Big Bend National Park it “is unnecessary and would negatively impact the environment, private property rights and economy. There is no question that we must secure our border, but we need an intelligence-led approach.” U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, said Trump was “opening a Pandora’s Box” with his orders and his “America’s First” assertions, threatening foreign trade and emboldening Mexico and countries around the world to assert that they, too, will operate in their own self interests. Cuellar, the only Democrat from the Southwest on the House Appropriations Committee, said some of the Republicans he asked to deny funding told him, “‘sorry Henry, we have to go with Trump.’” “I’m hoping that they won’t be worried they’ll be tweeted at by Trump
TAX From page A1 levying a 20 percent tariff on Mexican goods to pay for a new border wall. “It’s a 20 percent tariff for consumers,” said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, who was mayor of San Antonio in 1992 when the North American Free Trade Agreement was first signed at a ceremony here that included former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, former Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari and former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. “Mexico doesn’t pay it. We pay it. I don’t think it’s a good idea.” That kind of tax could have a profound effect on car prices, manufactured goods and produce, especially in Texas where Mexico is the state’s largest trading partner, local executives and officials said. Many worried that it also could spur inflation and unemployment in both countries. Mexico is the third-largest exporter to the U.S. with $309 billion in goods sold to America in 2015,
and decide to do the right thing,” Cuellar said in an interview. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, called the wall “a lazy and ineffective strategy...President Trump’s actions represent a hostility toward Mexico, one of our oldest allies and trading partners. He is driving Mexico into China’s arms. I expect that whatever President Trump takes away from Mexico, China will step in to offer.” Working with Mexico Trump referred at several points during his speech to the benefits to Mexico from his new policies. Mexican leaders have steadfastly rejected Trump’s assertion that their country must pay for the wall, a topic that is expected to come up again next week when President Enrique Peña Nieto visits the White House. Trump said those discussions also would include “dismantling of cartels and keeping illegal weapons and cash from flowing out of America and into Mexico.” “I want to emphasize we will be working in partnership with our friends in Mexico to improve safety and economic opportunity on both sides of the border,” he said. “I have deep admiration of the people of Mexico and I greatly look forward to meeting again with the president of Mexico.” Trump threatened in his campaign to scuttle the North American Free Trade Agreement and impose punitive duties on Mexican products, more proposals that have riled Mexican leaders because of their potential for economic harm. In his speech, the president asserted: “We are going to save lives on both sides of the border and we also understand that a strong and healthy economy in Mexico is very good for the United States.” Trump made no mention of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that has given nearly 750,000 undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States with their parents protection from deportation and eligibility for work. That omission from his initial border strategy and statements Wednesday from the White House reinforced the sense that the president has no immediate plan to follow through with a promise to cancel the
five-year-old program. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Wednesday that the president’s priorities “first and foremost are the people in this country who seek to do us harm” and that he intends to take a “humane” approach toward DACA. “The president understands the magnitude of this problem. He’s a family man; he understands, he has a huge heart, he understands the significance of this problem,” he said. Emergency funding Trump endured criticism recently when Republicans in Congress began devising ways to pay for the wall. During the campaign, he left the impression that the cost would be borne by Mexico before the wall was built. He has since vowed since that Mexico will reimburse the U.S. Treasury. Republicans talked of tacking on an appropriation to a funding bill that needs to pass by April to keep the government running. But U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said Wednesday the GOP-run Congress intends to pass an emergency funding bill that would pay for initial construction and other security measures Trump demands. “He (Trump) wants to move at lightning speed and be very decisive. He’s going to have to work with the Congress, whether he likes it or not,” McCaul said in a television interview. Trump, in an interview with ABC News that aired Wednesday, said: “But I’m just telling you there will be a payment; it will be in a form, perhaps a complicated form.” Spicer, the White House spokesman, said among the president’s new orders is a directive to the Homeland Security Department “to look at these funding streams and figure out how they can be cut off.” San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor sent a memo Wednesday to her council colleagues, outlining the city's position on “sanctuary cities,” noting the issue has been elevated by national media and the federal government. Though Taylor said San Antonio doesn't use the term “sanctuary city” to describe local policies, she said “SAPD does not question the immigration status of individuals.” On the border
Attorney Ricardo de Anda lives outside of Laredo in a house overlooking the Rio Grande. His property includes river vega, or floodplain, where construction isn’t allowed or feasible. A wall there would have to be built on ground above the floodplain, cutting him off from parts of his property where his family hunts, camps and holds gatherings, de Anda said. He also draws water from the river for use at his house. “As far as ranchers down here are concerned, that’s big government at its ugliest form, confiscation of private land,” he said. The wall would be “ineffective” and a “logistical nightmare,” de Anda said, “and would likely be counterproductive to the extent that we would have to build roads along the wall to maintain it in areas that are inaccessible to vehicles at this time, making it easier for people who get over the wall to get on from there.” He questioned the need for more Border Patrol personnel, saying he lives “probably in the safest part of the county” because of the number of agents patrolling the river, but de Anda said he preferred increasing the law enforcement presence to constructing a wall. One of the easiest changes for Trump to make would be to loosen the guidelines the Obama administration put on who ICE agents can deport. Under Obama, agents were instruction to only deport immigrants who were suspected of being terrorists or gang members, had been convicted of serious crimes or had entered the U.S. illegally or been ordered deported after Jan. 1, 2014. Ending what Trump called “catch and release” for the Border Patrol would be more difficult, said Jaime Diez, an immigration attorney in Brownsville. Some immigrants are released on bond or under some sort of supervision because ICE doesn’t have enough bed space to hold them, Diez said. Unaccompanied immigrant children apprehended by Border Patrol by law must be turned over to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, and a federal judge in California has ruled that the government cannot hold families for extended periods of time. Staff Writer Josh Baugh contributed to this story.
according to the most recent data available from the International Trade Centre in Switzerland. About $84 billion of those goods were sold to Texans in 2015, roughly a third of the state’s imports that year, according to U.S. census data. Automakers who are heavily reliant on Mexican-made parts and vehicles may have to raise prices and pass the cost of the border tax to the consumer, said Scott Vazin, spokesman for Toyota Motor Corp.’s U.S. operations. “Every car price is going to go up, so the customer will suffer for sure, and we think that’s going to be a challenge for us and it’s going to be a challenge for the entire industry,” Vazin said. About two-thirds of Toyota’s midsize Tacoma pickup are built at the company’s San Antonio plant while 100,000 Tacomas are built in Baja, Mexico and imported into the U.S. Toyota announced late last year that it’s investing $150 million in the Mexico location to meet American demand. “One possible scenar-
io is you average the two and prices for all Tacomas go up, or do we rebalance our mix and say anything produced in Mexico stays south of the border, but with that scenario we’re not meeting market demand,” Vazin said. The company hasn’t changed its plans yet, he said, “but depending on what ultimately is in effect in terms of tariffs and taxes, that could change our approach.” Congressional Republicans emphasized that Spicer’s remarks did not represent a new policy proposal, but simply were an example of one way to pay for the wall. Democrats were even more skeptical. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat from Laredo, said it’s misleading for Spicer to portray it as a tax against only Mexico when it was part of a larger discussion over tax reform that has been floated since last year and would impact some 100 countries that import to the U.S. “It’s very misleading for Trump and Spicer to say it’s a way to get Mexico to pay for the wall,” Cuellar said. “They know Mexico is not
going to pay for it, and it’s a way to save face.” Critics of the plan say it could reignite trade wars across the globe and raise the costs of imports for American consumers, regardless of whether the tax revenues are dedicated to building Trump’s wall. U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, a San Antonio Republican who represents more miles along Mexico than anyone else in Congress, said a wall is the most expensive and least effective way to secure the border. “As a conservative, I don’t believe it is something that anyone should pay for,” he said in a statement. “This tariff would be devastating to the communities in my district that rely on border trade, harmful to the thousands of U.S. companies that work hand-in-hand with Mexican companies to produce goods and services, and expensive to the millions of middle class families who will feel the pinch as prices go up.” Staff Writers Kevin Diaz, Jennifer Hiller, Joshua Fechter, Richard Webner, Lomi Kriel and Mike Ward contributed to this report.
A12 | Saturday, January 28, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ZAPATA COUNTY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIAL EDUCATION OFFICE PUBLIC INFORMATION | CHILD FIND/CHILD SERVE Do you know a child or a student ages 0-21 who shows signs of developmental delay, on-going learning problems, behavioral or medical problems that interfere with learning? Do you suspect the presence of a disability?
¿Conoce Ud. algùn niño o algùn estudiante entre la edad de 0 a los 21 años que demuestre retraso del desarrollo, problemas de aprendizaje, problemas de salud o problemas de comportamiento que se interponen con su aprendizaje? ¿Sospecha Ud. la presencia de algùn impedimento?
Zapata County Independent School District hasw an on-going process in identifying locating, and evaluating any children/students residing within the district who are in need of special education and related services. Please contact any of of the following for referral information:
El distrito escolar del condado de Zapata tiene un proceso para identificar, localizar y evaluar niños o alumnos dentro del distrito escolar que tienen necesidad de educaciòn especial o de servicios relacionados. Para màs informaciòn avor de comunicarse con alguna de las siguientes personas:
Gerardo Garcia
Elsa Martinez
Carmen G. Zavala
Diana Brandon
Dahlia Garcia
Juanita Lovejoy
Marlen Guerra
Elma Almaraz
Ana Perez
Principal Zapata High School Box 3750 Zapata, Texas 78076 956-765-0280
Principal A.L. Benavides Elementary P.O. Box 219 San Ygnacio, Texas 78067 956-765-5611
Principal Fidel & Andrea R. Villarreal Elem. Box 3637 Zapata, Texas 78076 956-765-4321
Principal Zapata Middle School Box 3636 Zapata, Texas 78076 956-765-6542
Director of Special Instructional Services P.O. Box 158 Zapata, Texas 78076 956-765-6130
Principal Zapata South Elementary Box 2030 Zapata, Texas 78076 956-765-4332
Child Find Specialist Region One ESC 1900 West Schunior Edinburg, Texas 78539 1-800-274-7346
Principal Zapata North Elementary Box 3224 Zapata, TX78076 956-765-6917
ZAPATA COUNTY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIAL EDUCATION OFFICE CONFIDENTIALITY RIGHTS AS A PARENT OF A STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY OR ADULT STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY (18 YEARS OR OLDER OR MARRIED), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: 1. RECEIVE A LIST OF THE TYPE AND LOCATION OF YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATIONAL RECORDS WHICH ARE COLLECTED, MAINTAINED, OR USED BY THE SCHOOL (34 CFR 300.565); The student’s records are maintained at the Special Education Office located at 17th & Carla Street and at the school the student attends. The referral information, the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee reports, the related service reports, assessment reports, and any correspondence pertaining to the student is kept in the main folder at the Special Education Office. The school folder contains the copies of the Admission, Review, or Dismissal (ARD), and Individual Educational Plan. 2. INSPECT AND REVIEW ALL OF YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATIONAL RECORDS WITHOUT UNNECESSARY DELAY AND BEFORE ANY IEP MEETING OR DUE PROCESS HEARING AND IN NO CASE MORE THAN 45 DAYS AFTER YOUR REQUEST (34 CFR 300.562). When you and/or a student makes the request, the Director of Special Instructional Services will ensure that before records are made available, identification will be required when the request is received from an individual of the specified classification who is not personally known. Each request will be honored as soon as possible, but the time will be no longer than fortyfive days. The superintendent of schools will be notified if a request cannot be honored in time. A suitable place for record inspection will be provided by the Director of Special Instructional Services. The Director will see that a notification is placed in the student record folder indicating date of access, name of individual obtaining access, and reason for inspection. 3. SEE A LIST OF THOSE PERSONS, BESIDES YOU OR AUTHORIZED SCHOOL EMPLOYEES, WHO HAVE SEEN YOUR CHILD’S EDUCTIONAL RECORDS AND WHY THEY SAW THEM. (34 CFR 300.563) The district will not honor requests for personally identifiable information or records unless authorized by written consent by the parent/guardian or eligible student unless requested by responsible school officials needing the information to provide educational services to the student. Responsible school officials are considered to be representatives of the school listed in Texas Education Agency, Region One Education Center, and the United States Government. The Director will be responsible to determine that representatives of the agencies listed above have a legitimate need to the information to carry out an audit or monitoring function. The list of the persons who have seen your child’s records will be maintained in the individual student folder for seven consecutive years. The Director of Special Instructional Services assumes the responsibility for ensuring the confidentiality of any personally identifiable information.
Project Niño Director 5709 Springfield Laredo, Texas 78041 956-728-1769
DISTRITO ESCOLAR INDEPENDIENTE DEL CONDADO DE ZAPATA OFICINA DE EDUCACION ESPECIAL DERECHOS CONFIDENCIALES USTED, COMO PADRE DE UN ESTUDIANTE CON IMPEDIMENTOS, O ESTUDIANTE ADULTO CON IMPEDIMENTOS DE 18 ANOS EN ADELANTE O CASADO TIENE EL DERECHO DE: 1. RECIBIR UNA LISTA DONDE SE LOCALIZA LOS ARCHIVOS Y TIPO DE EDUCACION QUE RECIBE SU HIJO(A) QUE SE CONSERVAN, O QUE SE UTILIZAN EN LAS ESCUELAS (34 CFR 300.565); Los archivos de los estudiantes se conservan en la oficina del Departamento de Educaciòn Especial ubicada en 17th & Carla asì como en la escuela a la que asiste el estudiante. La informaciòn de referencia, el reporte del comitè de Admisiòn, Repaso, y Retiro (ARD), reporte de servicios relacionados, reportes de evaluaciòn, y correspondencia que estè relacionada con el estudiante se conservan en el archivo principal en la oficina del Departamento de Educaciòn Especial. El archivo que permanece en la escuela contiene copias del reporte de Admisiòn, Repaso y Retiro (ARD), reportes del comitè, y El Plan Individual de Educaciòn (IEP). 2. REVISAR Y REPASAR TODOS LOS ARCHIVOS EDUCATIVOS DE SU HIJO(A) SIN TENER QUE ESPERAR MUCHO TIEMPO, Y ANTES DE CUALQUIER JUNTA DE IEP O AUDIENCIA, Y POR NINGUN MOTIVO ESPERAR MAS DE 45 DIAS DESPUES DE HACER SU SOLICITUD (34 CFR 300.562). Cuando usted o el estudiante hace la solicitud, el Director del Programa de Instrucci ón Especial, deberà solicitar, ya sea por escrito o verbalmente, que estos archivos le sean proporcionados. El Director se reserva el derecho de pedir identificaciòn al solicitante, si este no es ampliamente conocido. Cada solicitud serà atendida lo màs pronto posible, y siempre antes de los 45 dias. Se darà aviso oportunamente al Superintendente de las escuelas si por algun motivo la solicitud no puede ser atendida dentro de los 45 dìas. El Director del Programa de Instrucci ón Especial asignarà un lugar apropiado para el repaso de los archivos. El Director anotarà en el archivo del estudiante la fecha en que se llevò a cabo el repaso del archivo, el nombre de la persona que hizo la solicitud, y la razòn por la cual se hizo el repaso. 3. TENER ACCESO A L A LISTA DE PERSONAS, ADEMAS DE USTED O PERSONAL AUTORIZADO DE LAS ESCUELAS, QUE HAN TENIDO ACCESO A LOS ARCHIVOS EDUCATIVOS DE SU HIJO(A) Y LA RAZON POR LO CUAL FUERON REVISADOS (34 CFR 300.563). El distrito no atenderà la solicitud para la revisiòn de archivos con informaciòn personal si no està autorizada por escrito por los padres/tutores o estudiante elegible y solamante se està autorizado por algùn oficial responsable de la escuela que necesite la informaciòn para prestar servicios educativos al estudiante. Oficial responsable de la escuela se considera a aquellas personas que se considera sean representantes de la escuela segùn la lista del Boletìn de la Agencia de Educaciòn de Texas, Centro Educativo Region I, la Agencia de Educaciòn de Texas, y el gobierno de los Estados Unidos. El Director tendrà a su cargo la responsibilidad de verificar que las razones de los representantes de las agencias arriba mencionadas sean legìtimas y necesarias para llevar acabo una auditorìa o para supervisar las actividades. Una lista de las personas que han revisado el archivo de su hijo(a) se mantendràn en el archivo personal del estudiante por un perìodo de siete años consecutivos. El Director del Programa de Instrucci ón Especial es responsable de mantener informaciòn confidencial y no podrà dar ninguna informaciòn a la persona sin presentar propia identificaciòn y consentimiento de los padres o tutor.
If you have any concerns regarding the confidentiality rights, feel free to write or call:
Si tiene alguna duda sobre sus derechos confidenciales, puede llamar o escribir a:
CARMEN G. ZAVALA DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES 1302 Glenn Street / P.O. BOX 158 ZAPATA, TEXAS (956) 765-6130 (956) 765-3967 Fax
CARMEN G. ZAVALA DIRECTOR DEL PROGRAMA DE EDUCACION ESPECIAL 1302 Glenn Street / P.O. Box 158 Zapata, Texas 78076 (956) 765-6130 (956) 765-3967 Fax
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, January 28, 2017 |
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: TEXAS RANGERS
B1
NCAA FOOTBALL
Wright agrees to deal with Rangers Tamika Moore / Associated Press
Oxford High School student Kwon Alexander dons an LSU cap on national signing day.
Recruiting reforms could bring end to signing day circus By Ralph D. Russo ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle file
Former Astros relief pitcher Wesley Wright agreed to a minor-league deal with the Rangers Friday.
Former Astro signs a minor-league contract A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
ARLINGTON — Lefthanded reliever Wesley Wright has agreed to a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers and will report to major league spring training.
The club also said Friday that right-hander Brady Dragmire has cleared waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Round Rock. Dragmire also was invited to big league camp in Surprise, Arizona.
Wright, who turns 32 Saturday, had pitched in the majors for eight consecutive seasons with five clubs before the streak ended last year. He was released by Arizona late in spring training and spent part of the season
with Boston’s Triple-A Pawtucket club before the Red Sox released him in July. The 23-year-old Dragmire was designated for assignment on Jan. 19 to make room for free agent right-hander Tyson Ross.
The first Wednesday of February in college football has become a celebration of hat-picking suspense and hopeful speculation. Schools use national signing day to excite their fans, market the program and impress future recruits with a flashy welcome. On one day, thousands of high school football players make their commitments to schools official. A few last-minute
flips, mad moms and disappointed dads provide a dash of intrigue. Every now and then a teenager pulls out a puppy to announce he will attend some school with a dog mascot. Signing day has become something of a circus and as the folks at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey can attest, this is not a good time to run a circus. The phenomena of national signing day as a spectacle could be heading toward extinction Signing continues on B2
PGA TOUR
NBA: CHICAGO BULLS
A SHORT RETURN AND A MISSED CUT FOR TIGER
Matt Marton / Associated Press file
The Bulls have been coming unglued in recent days after comments by Dwyane Wade (3), Jimmy Butler (not pictured) and Rajon Rondo (9).
Wade, Butler benched by Bulls By Andrew Seligman A S S O CIAT E D PRE SS
CHICAGO — Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler were dropped from the Chicago Bulls’ starting lineup Friday night against the Miami Heat — Wade’s former team — as punishment for postgame comments questioning the their teammates’ desire following a loss. “Just based on what happened the other night, we felt it was appropriate to make the change,” coach Fred Hoiberg said in announcing the decision about 90 minutes before tipoff. Paul Zipser and Doug McDermott were inserted into the starting lineup.
“It doesn’t matter if I start,” Butler said. “I still have to do what I do anyways, help the team win. Nothing surprises me anymore.” Before the morning shootaround, the Bulls held a team meeting to clear the air after Rajon Rondo fired back at Wade and Butler in an Instagram post Thursday. There was an uneasy detente in place for the three leaders of the scuffling Bulls, who are now answering questions about their ability to get along, not just why they aren’t winning more. Rondo said he “absolutely” felt he needed to defend the younger playBulls continues on B2
Jeff Gross / Getty Images
Tiger Woods returned to the PGA in San Diego this week but missed the cut at Torrey Pines for the first time in his career.
Woods misses first career cut at Torrey Pines By Doug Ferguson ASSOCIATED PRE SS
SAN DIEGO — Tiger Woods returned to the PGA Tour after 17 months and lasted only two days. Woods never got anything going after starting with a birdie Friday in the Farmers Insurance Open and didn’t come close to making the cut. He missed a 12-foot birdie putt on his final hole on the North Course for an even-par 72 and missed the cut at Torrey Pines for the first time in his
career. “I just didn’t make enough birdies,” Woods said. He finished at 4-over 148, missing the cut by four shots. It was the third straight time that he failed to complete 72 holes at Torrey Pines, the course where he has won eight times in his PGA Tour career. Woods missed the 54-hole cut in 2014 and withdrew after 11 holes with tightness in his back in 2015. Expectations were different this time, except for Woods.
“It’s frustrating not being able to have a chance to win the tournament,” Woods said. “I didn’t make the cut.” Woods at least kept good company. Jason Day, the No. 1 player in the world, again struggled to make cuts and shot a 74 to miss the cut for the first time since the Farmers Insurance Open last year. Also in his group was U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson, who shot 74 and missed the cut. Woods was coming off the longest layoff of his
career as he recovered from two back surgeries. Woods last played the PGA Tour in August 2015 at the Wyndham Championship, where he tied for 10th. He played in the Bahamas the first week of December in an unofficial event with an 18-man field and no cut. This was different. More than dealing with the Pacific morning chill and the thick, wet rough on the South and North Course, Woods faced a full field under the pressure of making the cut. Woods continues on B2
B2 | Saturday, January 28, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SPORTS
Nadal wins, to face Federer in Australian Open final By John Pye A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal fended off Grigor Dimitrov in five long sets to set up a vintage title match against Roger Federer at the Australian Open, where every singles finalist is in their 30s. Nadal completed the 30-plus finals quartet Friday night when he beat Dimitrov 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-4 in a grueling, 4-hour, 56-minute semifinal. Federer, 35, and the Williams sisters — 36year-old Venus and 35year-old Serena — had clinched their spots in the finals on Throwback Thursday. After clinching his 21st win in 24 major semifinals, the 30-year-old Nadal dropped to the court behind the baseline and lay face down for several seconds before getting up and embracing Dimitrov at the net. His reward for the win is another duel with 17time Grand Slam champion Federer, the only man with more major titles than he has. Federer’s lead is three, but Nadal has beaten the Swiss star in six of their eight major finals. The Nadal-Dimitrov semifinal started in prime time Friday and finished at 12:45 a.m. Dimitrov, who had only beaten Nadal once in eight previous matches and was in a Grand Slam semifinal for only the second time, played the match of his life. Nadal took some moments to commend Dimitrov after converting his third match point, pointing toward the 25-
BULLS From page B1 ers after Wade and Butler teed off on the team following a rough loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. He did just that while calling out the two stars and insinuating that they were overriding Hoiberg when it came to the game plan — a notion the coach shot down. Wade insisted he has “no issue, no problems” with Rondo. He also made it clear he has no regrets about his comments, shaking his head no. Butler said he has no issues with Rondo, that he has a right to speak his mind. “I like it. I like controversy,” Butler said. All three players were fined by the team but not suspended. “It’s not how we want to operate,” general manager Gar Forman said about the uproar. “It is totally unacceptable, and we made it very clear to the players that were involved that it’s unacceptable. It’s a distraction that’s not needed. I think it’s a detriment to team growth. We have visited with the players that spoke out at length and we have dealt with that
WOODS From page B1 He would have needed a round of 68, and he never looked as though he would get there. After an opening tee shot over the gallery’s head on the right side of the 10th fairway, he managed to get up-and-down for birdie. Two holes later, he blasted too long
SIGNING From page B1
year-old Bulgarian and gesturing to the cheering crowd like a conductor acknowledging his orchestra. “Grigor played great. I played great. So was a great quality of tennis,” he said. “So just for me, is amazing to be through to a final of Grand Slam again here in Australia at the first of the year.” Nadal said he wasn’t entirely confident he could beat Dimitrov when he was deep into the deciding set after midnight and had to fend off breakpoints in the eighth game. “Arrive moment in the fifth set that for sure I wanted to win. I say to myself, ‘I am giving my best, I am playing very well. If I lose, that’s it. Grigor deserves, too,”’ he said. “I think both of us deserve to be in that final. Was a great fight. Finally was me. I feel lucky.” Then he turned his attention to Sunday, and the match that transcends tennis. “I feel that this rivalry is talked about outside the tennis world, and that is good for our sport,” Nadal said of the Federer match. With Federer and Nadal both returning from injuries, and neither having won a major since mid-2014, a ninth Grand Slam final between two of the most dominant men in the sport was considered an extreme long shot at Melbourne Park. Nadal, who had a couple of months off to rest his injured left wrist after an up-and-down 2016 that started with a shocking first-round exit in Australia, was ranked No. 9. Federer, off for six months with an injured left knee, was ranked No. 17.
Together, they’ve won 31 Grand Slam titles. Federer is aiming to extend his men’s record to 18. Nadal will be hoping to cut the gap and move into outright second on the all-time list by winning his 15th. Federer loves tennis, and most likely would have been watching Friday night’s match at some point as a spectacle. Nadal had to endure it, just as he did in the semifinals in 2009 when he edged Fernando Verdasco in a 5-hour, 14-minute thriller. He beat Federer in five in the final that year — his only title so far in Australia. Against Dimitrov, dubbed ‘Baby Fed’ for the similarities he has with Federer’s style, Nadal showed signs of the brute strength and determination that carried him to the top of the rankings for 141 weeks in total from the day after winning gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics — after spending 160 consecutive weeks at No. 2 behind Federer. Dimitrov, who won the Brisbane International title earlier in the month, hit 20 aces, moved with precision, broke Nadal’s serve four times, and
pounded the Spaniard with 79 winners. In the end, he couldn’t break up the weekend party reserved for players over 30. It will be the first time in the Open era that all four singles finalists are older than 30. Nadal leads Federer 23-11 in their career meetings, and is 9-2 in Grand Slam matches, including 6-2 in finals. And despite winning four titles in Australia, Federer hasn’t beaten Nadal on Rod Laver Arena. The Williams sisters practiced at Melbourne Park on Friday, the day ahead of the women’s final where Serena is aiming for an Open-era record 23rd Grand Slam title. Venus Williams hadn’t been to a major final since losing the 2009 Wimbledon final to her sister, and won the last of her seven Grand Slam titles the previous year in London. The women’s doubles is already decided, with Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova combining for their second Australian title with a 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-3 win over Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai.
internally. We’ve also visited with our team and we’ve talked about the issue with our entire team.” Forman spoke for about 90 seconds and did not answer questions. The controversy is just the latest issue for a struggling team. The Bulls came into the game against Miami eighth in the Eastern Conference at 23-24 after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Forman and executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson attended the lengthy meeting, and everyone involved said the younger players had a chance to speak. Hoiberg said he also met with Wade, Butler and Rondo on Thursday. “Certain comments were made,” Rondo said. “I feel like I needed to make a statement for my team. One thing that I loved about this team that was different from the past, the last couple years of my career, is when I got here the young guys — they were in the gym. I love to come back by myself at night. When I came back there were seven, eight guys here getting work in.” So when the stars blast-
ed the team’s desire after Wednesday’s loss, with Wade in particular questioning the younger players, Rondo took issue. On Instagram, he said the veterans he played with in Boston never took days off. That seemed to be a direct shot at the 35-year-old Wade, who rarely practices and sometimes sits out the back end when the Bulls play on consecutive nights. “I could take that as a personal attack,” Wade said. “But what’s that going to do for me? Come in here and fight Rajon because he said his vets practiced every day? I’m 35. I’m not practicing every day. That’s very clear. Everyone has their own things. My vets did different things, too. They were very successful with what they did in Boston. “I took it as a human being expressing himself and feeling he wanted to come out and say something regarding the young guys on the team, and he felt it was portrayed different,” he continued. “And that’s his leadership. That’s his way of leading. Just like my way of leading is my way of leading. When I come out here and I smile and say all these positive things, that’s my way of leading.
And when I come in and say I’m pissed off, that’s my way of leading at that time.” It’s been a rocky first season in Chicago for Rondo, who signed a $30 million, two-year contract. He came to Chicago with a history of clashing with coaches and has gone from starting to being benched to serving as a backup. Along the way, he served a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, and his future with the team is certainly in question. The Bulls might not have signed him had they known Wade and Michael Carter-Williams would become available. Wade agreed to join his hometown team on a $47 million, four-year deal a few days later after he felt Miami lowballed him, and Carter-Williams came in a trade with Milwaukee in October. For what it’s worth, Wade insisted he has no regrets about signing with the Bulls. “I’ve been happy,” he said. “The process of losing ball games is never fun. ... I’m not having fun being an average team, from that standpoint, but I am enjoying the journey.”
with the likely introduction of an early signing period. Wednesday’s signing day will mark the end of an era. “I hope so,” said MidAmerican Conference Commissioner John Steinbrecher, who has been part of two groups that have been working on reforming football recruiting for three years. All the freaking out and fawning over players who have never played a college game creates unrealistic expectations for the newbies and to some seems unfair to the ones already on campus. “You’re celebrating stuff that is speculative in nature,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said. Steinbrecher said: “At times it seems a bit unseemly.” A wide-ranging proposal of recruiting reforms, including a 72hour December signing period, is in the NCAA pipeline and on target to be approved in April. The proposal also would create opportunities for recruits to take earlier official visits to campuses. The legislation is a reaction to trends more than a potential catalyst. The vast majority of recruits are already making up their minds way before signing day, Steinbrecher said. The hope is to create more transparency and certainty in a system that currently has nonbinding offers and commitments as its foundation. “I think it’s been a long time coming,” said Mike Farrell, the director of recruiting for Rivals. “I think it will help settle down some of the craziness of recruiting.” Media coverage and fan interest in recruiting spiked with the growth of the internet in the 1990s and over the last 15 years signing day has become a TV event with ESPNU and CBS Sports Network doing marathon coverage. It grew into hours of analysis, sprinkled with an occasional spurt of action and a smattering of uncertainty. Minidramas emerge when a recruit and family member don’t see eye-to-eye, delaying delivery of a national letter of intent after what looked like a jubilant announcement in a high school gym. Social media gets stoked for a while. The action and uncertainty figures to be at a minimum on Wednesday. The number of incoming freshmen enrolling in college early continues to grow, putting dozens of players on campuses, going to class and working out with new teammates, weeks before they sign their letters. By signing financial aid papers, they are giving schools permission under NCAA rules to trumpet their arrivals. LSU, Tennessee, Miami, Arkansas, Boston College and Maryland are among the many schools that have already announced their mid-year enrollees. “There’s no mystery in it,” Tennessee outgoing athletic director Dave Hart said of signing day. “If you look at our last couple of recruiting classes, maybe a handful of mystery in the sense of
out of a bunker and down the ridge, leading to a bogey. Just like Thursday on the South Course, birdie chances didn’t come along very often. He was rarely pin-high, and when he did have a chance, his birdie putts slid by the hole. “I hit a lot of beautiful putts that didn’t go in, but I hit it much better today, which was nice,” he said.
His biggest concern? A 17-hour flight that awaits to Dubai, where he will play next week. Still to be determined was whether Woods was going home to Florida first instead of leaving from the West Coast to the Middle East. He has not played in Dubai since 2014, two months before the first of his three back surgeries. Woods said his body held up fine for two days at
Torrey Pines, where he had to wear extra layers to keep warm and slash out of the rough far too often. “Flying out here was something I hadn’t done in a while,” he said. “So now we’ve got a pretty good jaunt.” After Dubai, Woods has a week off before playing back-to-back weeks on both ends of the country, Los Angeles
(Genesis Open) and Florida (Honda Classic). This is the eighth straight season Woods has played that he has missed a cut, after having missed only four cuts in his first 13 years as a pro. Patience has never been one of his hallmarks, though Woods was taking a long view of what he wanted out of his game. It’s all about the Mas-
Cameron Spencer / Getty Images
Rafael Nadal defeated Grigor Dimitrov Friday to set up an Australian Open final against Roger Federer.
we’ve got four kids we really don’t know yet. The rest of them, you were pretty confident they were coming.” This year’s elite recruits are a particularly settled bunch. Using 247Sports’ composite rankings, only four of the 32 recruits who have received a five-star rating entered the last week of the recruiting cycle uncommitted. “Twelve of the top 18 players in our composite rankings are early enrollees, and that’s including three kids committed to Stanford who aren’t allowed to enroll early,” 247Sports director of scouting Barton Simmons said. “The colleges are really anxious to get these guys on campus early, and these kids are becoming really anxious to get on campus early because they understand what a jump start that gives them for really becoming impact firstyear players.” An even more recent development has been schools trying to capitalize on the recruiting craze. Nearly every school in the country — from Temple to Fresno State — holds some type of signing day event for fans. It’s a way for athletic departments to bridge the gap between the end of the season and spring football and market ticket packages. But if a big chunk of the class is already locked in December, what happens in February? “That will make that signing day in February kind of moot and if you do it in December there’s already a lot of stuff going on there,” Stricklin said. “I don’t know if you need another event.” David Bassity, associate AD for communication at the University of Houston, thinks he will need another event. Not necessarily for the fans. “I feel like you’re also speaking to future recruits,” he said. “Kids are becoming enamored with what the schools are doing and how it makes them feel special.” Last year, the Cougars used social media messages by local rappers, former UH stars and local NFL players such as J.J Watt to welcome the signing class. It wasn’t quite Michigan’s “Signing of the Stars,” which included appearances by Tom Brady and Derek Jeter , but it was a lot more than just a press release. The original version of the recruiting proposal now being considered also suggested a June signing period. Coaches came out strongly against that, saying it did not allow for enough time to get to know recruits. The June period was removed, but the opportunity for recruits to take official visits in the spring was expanded. Steinbrecher likes the idea of another signing period for recruits in July or August so they can wrap up recruiting before their senior years. Many recruits are already committed by then. But he said this is package and the new signing period is a good first step toward improving recruiting for players and coaches — and maybe even reining in the signing day circus. “I hope this would reduce it a little bit,” he said.” I have no idea whether it will or not.”
ters, the major he has won four times but not since 2005. “Just like everybody, I’m trying to get ready for the first full week in April,” Woods said. “That’s where eventually I want to have everything come together. That’s the plan. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to win this golf tournament on the weekend. But I have next week.”
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, January 28, 2017 |
Dear Heloise: Each new electronic comes with its own POWER/CHARGING CORD. I generally have them plugged into a power strip under my desk. To keep them separate and labeled, I take the plastic tabs from bagel and bread packages, label them and place them on the cords. The tabs rest on top of my desk. When I need to plug in and charge one of my electronics, I look for the correct tab. No more having to figure that out by looking at the power strip, or crawling under the desk to find the right one. -- R.T., via email Oh my! Have you been looking at the tangle of cords under my desk? I color-code them with nail polish or duct tape! -Hugs, Heloise SEND A GREAT HINT TO: Heloise P.O. Box 795000 San Antonio, TX 782795000 Email: Heloise(at)Helo-
ise.com ON-THE-GO SNACKS Dear Readers: Preparing a simple "on-the-go snack" or quick munchies bag is perfect when you may be out all day and you don't want to spend extra money at a fast-food place. Use a plastic grocery bag, or to make it nice for a visiting guest, use a gift bag with handles. Put in a bottle of water or other drink, maybe a healthfood bar, orange or apple, a small bag of grapes, etc. Here are a few hints for when this "food on the go" bag is a fit: 1) Make some for visitors who are going to be out most of the day sightseeing 2) When taking a long trip in a vehicle and you want to cover a lot of miles before stopping, as well as save a LOT of money! 3) Take to the beach or lake to hold you over until it's time to eat the next meal. Include some napkins and towelettes. -- Heloise
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B4 | Saturday, January 28, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES