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30 year sentence Man pleads guilty to 2003 murder, assaults By MATTHEW NELSON THE ZAPATA TIMES
LAREDO — Joseph Allen Garcia was sentenced to 30 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to a 2003 murder and three counts of aggravated assault Friday. Garcia, 27, reached the agreement as both sides were preparing for a second trial. He was sentenced to 30 years for murder, 10 years for two counts of
aggravated assault and two years for a third count of aggravated assault. The charges stem from a 2003 shooting that left Mario Alberto Gonzalez dead. “His affiliations, his resources and his strong will was going to make this another long, hard fought battle. We were prepared, but here in the late hours, getting close to our trial again, we reached an agreement,” District Attorney Isidro Alaniz said.
“The two biggest things here that the state took into consideration is accountability and responsibility.” Alaniz said he believes Garcia to serve “90 percent of his time based on his prior criminal history (and) based on the fact that these crimes did entail the use of a deadly weapon.” Garcia’s defense attorney Roberto Balli called the sentence “lengthy,” but
See CONVICTION
PAGE 11A
POLITICS 2014
BUSH VISITS THE AREA
Photo by Marco Ugarte/file | AP
A group of leftist Mexico City lawmakers have introduced a bill Thursday to legalize the sale of marijuana in the nation’s capital.
Mexico City eyes legal pot sales Left-leaning legislators want to follow lead of US states, Urugay By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Delcia Lopez | The Monitor
George P. Bush greets supporters at the Hidalgo Chamber of Commerce, in McAllen, on Wednesday. George P. Bush is running for Land Commissioner of Texas and was touring the Valley on his bus, visiting Zapata and Laredo on Thursday.
Laredo, Zapata were on his list for Thursday By MATTHEW NELSON THE ZAPATA TIMES
W
ith three weeks until the Republican primary, George P. Bush, candidate for commissioner for the Texas General Land Office, arrived at Cosmos Bar and Grill in Laredo on Thursday to applause and flashing cameras, to which he greeted with handshakes and smiles.
His appearance is part of a six-week, 35-city campaign in anticipation for the Republican primary March 4 that also included an appearance in Zapata on Thursday. “I’ve always been drawn to public service as a public high school teacher, being in the military and felt that, on a personal level, it was a good time to offer my services to the State of Texas,” Bush said during his
bilingual speech in Laredo. The land commissioner oversees the use of public land, its resources and allocation. Other responsibilities include protecting the Gulf Coast as well as chairmanship on the Veteran’s Land Board and School Land Board, among others. Each term is four years. Bush, 38, stressed his past as a former public school teacher, intelli-
gence officer with the U.S. Navy Reserve as well as his involvement with the private oil and gas industry. For veterans, Bush said he wanted to address the high rate of suicide among veterans. He said he believes post-traumatic stress disorder and unemployment are contributing factors to veterans’ decision to resort to suicide.
See BUSH
PAGE 11A
MEXICO CITY — Leftist lawmakers on Thursday proposed allowing the sale of marijuana within Mexico City, seeking to join Uruguay and the U.S. states of Washington and Colorado in creating legal markets for the drug. The bill is vague on many key points and faces legal hurdles that may be impossible to overcome but it creates at least the possibility of an island of legalization of one drug in a nation that has been devastated by the fallout from the U.S.-backed fight to stop the northbound flow of recreational narcotics. Most legislators in the Mexico City assembly haven’t said whether they back the proposal, but the local legislature controlled by the leftist Democratic Revolution Party is the most liberal in Mexico and has previously legalized abortion and gay marriage. Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera supports the plan. Approval could force a legal showdown with the federal government, which would have to decide whether to effectively override the local law by enforcing federal laws barring drug trafficking, challenging the city law in the courts, or both. President Enrique Pena Nieto has come out against drug legalization, which he says will not reduce the violence that has left tens of thousands dead across the country over the last seven years. The initiative would allow stores in the city of 8 million to sell marijuana in amounts up to 5 grams. The bill envisages a limit on the cumulative amount that each business could sell, but doesn’t specify what that could be. Since 2009, Mexican federal law has allowed the possession of no more than 5 grams of marijuana, about four joints, for personal use, but it still requires the arrest of anyone caught buying or selling any amount. The bill is silent on the number of stores that would be allowed, or how marijuana sales would be regulated, taxed and enforced. The sponsors are also asking allies in the federal congress to push forward with a law that would legalize marijuana production throughout the country, effectively providing a source for any legal pot shops. That federal bill, which also proposes allowing Mexicans to legally possess up to 30 grams of marijuana, is almost certain to go nowhere in the national legislature, which is dominated by Pena Nieto’s party and the conservative National Action Party.
See MARIJUANA
PAGE 10A
LAREDO COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Trustees vote to hold $100M bond election By ALDO AMATO LAREDO MORNING TIMES
LAREDO — LCC will float a $100 million bond After nearly a year of deliberation, the Laredo Community College Board of Trustees voted Thursday to hold a bond election in May to help complete renovations and help recruit new students to the campus. Trustees met for a special called meeting to discuss a proposed bond election set for May 10. If approved by voters, the bond would pay for the third phase of major renovations to
the college’s downtown Fort McIntosh campus. LCC trustees Leonides Cigarroa Jr., Allen Tijerina, Carlos Carranco Jr., Hilario Cavazos III, Mercurio Martinez and Rene De La Viña all voted in favor of a May election while Jesse A. Porras and Gilberto Martinez Jr. opposed. Board President Cynthia Mares was absent from the meeting. Cavazos said the decision on the bond amount could be made as early as the next LCC board meeting, which will be held Feb. 27. “I am definitely for a bond
that would pay for these much needed renovations,” Gilberto Martinez said. “However I wanted us to have this in November when more voters are likely to participate. There would definitely be a bigger presence due to other elections going on.” The college increased tax rates and student fees in 2009 to bankroll its $120 million facilities master plan, which involved a comprehensive renovation of the college’s downtown campus. A seven-cent increase is likely this time around but officials said tuition will not go up. Porras said although he is in
favor of renovations and attracting new students, he would like to focus on the college’s current predicaments beginning with enrollment. Records show student enrollment is the lowest it has been in five years, falling by about 1,300 students since fall of 2011. After peaking at 10,046 students in 2011, enrollment has slipped to 8,732 this year, according to data from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. “I am not against progress, however we have to remain cautious,” Porras said. “From what I’ve heard is that we’re basically
broke and I don’t want us to be in so much debt that we’ll be forced to drive up tuition. Students are exploring other options and I don’t want this board to have that legacy.” What a majority of trustees agreed on was that the college had to increase its marketability efforts. De La Viña said Texas A&M-International University has been poaching students for years. “TAMIU is getting hundreds of new students each year,” he said. “We have to be in the
See BOND PAGE 10A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
Saturday, Feb. 15
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LCC Fun Fest and Musicale. Noon to 5 p.m. Laredo Community College’s Fort McIntosh Campus, next to Maravillo Gym. Games, petting zoo, live music, food, pony rides, rock climbing, face painting, inflatable slides, bounce houses. Free admission. Contact 7215140 or mpro@laredo.edu.
Today is Saturday, Feb. 15, the 46th day of 2014. There are 319 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Feb. 15, 1764, the site of present-day St. Louis was established by Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau. On this date: In 1564, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa. In 1898, the U.S. battleship Maine mysteriously blew up in Havana Harbor, killing more than 260 crew members and bringing the United States closer to war with Spain. In 1933, President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt escaped an assassination attempt in Miami that mortally wounded Chicago Mayor Anton J. Cermak; gunman Giuseppe Zangara was executed more than four weeks later. In 1944, Allied bombers destroyed the monastery atop Monte Cassino (MAWN’-tay kah-SEE’-noh) in Italy. In 1952, a funeral was held at Windsor Castle for Britain’s King George VI, who had died nine days earlier. In 1961, 73 people, including an 18-member U.S. figure skating team en route to the World Championships in Czechoslovakia, were killed in the crash of a Sabena Airlines Boeing 707 in Belgium. In 1965, Canada’s new maple-leaf flag was unfurled in ceremonies in Ottawa. In 1971, Britain and Ireland “decimalised” their currencies, making one pound equal to 100 new pence instead of 240 pence. In 1982, 84 men were killed when a huge oil-drilling rig, the Ocean Ranger, sank off the coast of Newfoundland during a fierce storm. In 1989, the Soviet Union announced that the last of its troops had left Afghanistan, after more than nine years of military intervention. In 1994, just as his trial was about to start, drifter Danny Harold Rolling pleaded guilty to the 1990 murders of five college students in Gainesville, Fla. (Rolling was executed in Oct. 2006.) In 2002, a private funeral was held at Windsor Castle for Britain’s Princess Margaret, who had died six days earlier at age 71. Ten years ago: Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Daytona 500 on the same track where his father was killed three years earlier. Five years ago: President Hugo Chavez (OO’-goh CHAH’vez) of Venezuela won a referendum to eliminate term limits, paving the way for him to run again in 2012. One year ago: With a blinding flash and a booming shock wave, a meteor blazed across Russia’s western Siberian sky and exploded, injuring more than 1,000 people as it blasted out windows. Today’s Birthdays: Former Illinois Congressman John Anderson is 92. Former Defense and Energy Secretary James Schlesinger is 85. Actress Claire Bloom is 83. Author Susan Brownmiller is 79. Songwriter Brian Holland is 73. Rock musician Mick Avory (The Kinks) is 70. Jazz musician Henry Threadgill is 70. Actress-model Marisa Berenson is 67. Actress Jane Seymour is 63. Singer Melissa Manchester is 63. Thought for Today: “We live by encouragement and die without it — slowly, sadly and angrily.” — Celeste Holm, American actress (1917-2012).
Thursday, Feb. 20 Orthopedic clinic. 8:30 a.m. Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center, 1220 N. Malinche Ave. Benefits children with cerebral palsy, club foot, scoliosis, spina bifida and more. First come, first served basis. $5 processing fee. Call 722-2431. Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 7270589. Winter Texan & Senior Citizen Appreciation Day. 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Photo by LM Otero | AP
Friday, Feb. 21 TAMIU Planetarium shows. “Secrets of the Sun” 6 p.m. and “Violent Universe” 7 p.m. General admission $4 children and $5 adults. Premium shows $1 more. Call 326-3663.
Saturday, Feb. 22 38th Annual Noche Mexicana: A Presentation of Señor y Señora Internacional. 6:30 p.m. Laredo Civic Center Ballroom. Sen. Wendy Davis is Señora Internacional representing the U.S., and Senadora Cristina Diaz Salazar is Señora Internacional representing Mexico. Dinner served at 8 p.m. Tickets $50 per person; tables for 10 $500. Call Mace Martinez at 645-2441.
Monday, Feb. 24 Monthly meeting of Laredo Parkinson’s Disease Support Group. 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, Tower B, First Floor Community Center. Patients, caregivers and family members invited. Free info pamphlets available in Spanish and English. Call Richard Renner (English) at 645-8649 or Juan Gonzalez (Spanish) at 2370666.
Thursday, Feb. 27 Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 7270589. Book-signing with Joe Lopez, author of “The First Texas Independence, 1813.” 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum, 810 Zaragoza St. Books available for sale that evening. Call 727-0977 or visit webbheritage.org.
Monday, March 10 Zapata County Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. Zapata County Courthouse. Call Roxy Elizondo at 7659920.
Thursday, March 13 42nd Annual Zapata County Fair. 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Zapata County Fairgrounds.
Friday, March 14 42nd Annual Zapata County Fair. 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Zapata County Fairgrounds.
Saturday, March 15
Makenzie Wethington, center, smiles during at a news conference with Dr. Seema R. Sikka, right, and her mother Holly Wethington at Baylor University Medical Center on Thursday, in Dallas. Wethington spoke for the first time publicly since she survived a fall of more than 3,000 feet in a skydiving accident in Oklahoma.
Teen: ‘I blacked out’ By JAMIE STENGLE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — A 16-year-old Texas girl who plummeted more than 3,000 feet to the ground in a skydiving accident last month in Oklahoma said Thursday that she remembers screaming and then blacking out when she was unable to correct a malfunction with her parachute. Makenzie Wethington, whose injuries included damage to her liver and a kidney, some bleeding in her brain, and a broken pelvis, lumbar spine in her lower back, shoulder blade and several ribs, spent a about a week after the Jan. 25 accident at a Chickasha skydiving school at an Oklahoma City hospital before being transferred to Dallas. “I remember jumping out of the plane and looking up and seeing that there was a com-
Rice farmers face 3rd year of limited water
2 Komodo dragons to go on exhibit in Galveston
Man charged with abuse over burped, injured son
HOUSTON — A Texas agency may restrict water supplies to Gulf Coast bays, estuaries and rice farmers for a third straight year. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality held a hearing Wednesday to consider the request by a Central Texas water authority. The commission is expected to announce its decision later this month.
GALVESTON — Large lizards alert. Sibling Komodo (kuh-MOH’doh) dragons named Diablo and Murphy will go on exhibit today at Moody Gardens in Galveston. Experts say the Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and can grow to a length of more than 11 feet.
SAN ANTONIO — A South Texas man has been charged with child abuse after he allegedly caused a brain injury to his then-2-month-old son while burping the baby. Ryan Schwope of Alamo Heights has been charged with causing serious bodily injury to a child. He was released Thursday on $25,000 bond. Doctors say the baby suffered brain injury and had a seizure.
Body believed to be missing Colo. woman SAN ANTONIO — Police say they believe a body found in suburban San Antonio is that of a Colorado woman missing nearly four weeks. The San Antonio ExpressNews reports Garden Ridge police believe the body found Thursday is that of 33-year-old Leanne Bearden. Police say Bearden’s ID and jewelry were also found.
42nd Annual Zapata County Fair. 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Zapata County Fairgrounds.
Monday, March 24 Zapata County Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. Zapata County Courthouse. Call Roxy Elizondo at 7659920.
Monday, April 14 Zapata County Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. Zapata County Courthouse. Call Roxy Elizondo at 7659920.
Monday, April 28 Zapata County Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. Zapata County Courthouse. Call Roxy Elizondo at 7659920.
Monday, May 12 Zapata County Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. Zapata County Courthouse. Call Roxy Elizondo at 7659920. Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com.
plication with the parachute and so I started kicking my feet like I was taught in the class and I looked up and it still wasn’t fixing so I tried to pull the toggles apart,” Wethington, who is from the small town of Joshua, said at a news conference at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. “I just was not strong enough to fight off the wind. I just remember screaming and then I blacked out and I don’t remember anything after that, for three days after.” Dr. Seema Sikka, who is treating Wethington at Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation, said she expects Wethington to make a full recovery, noting the teen is already walking “a good amount” with a walker. Sikka said Wethington may be released from the hospital in about a week. After that she’ll continue to need various outpatient therapies.
University announces $55M in donations ABILENE — Abilene Christian University says it will use $55 million in gifts from three donors to fund a new football stadium and three new science facilities. The college announced the donations Friday, including a $30 million gift from April Anthony, founder of a Dallas company, and her husband, Mark. Abilene Christian says part of that gift will go toward a new oncampus football stadium.
Brush-eating goats could help firefighters VICTORIA — Some hungry goats have been put on two months of fire-prevention duty. City officials in Victoria are renting the barnyard animals as part of an experiment for the goats to eat dry, flammable brush at Riverside Park. Fire prevention officials are monitoring the project. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Big, runaway snowball slams into college dorm PORTLAND, Ore. — Two math majors at Reed College lost control of a massive snowball that rolled into a dorm, knocking in part of a bedroom wall. No one was injured. The students began making the snowball last week during a rare snowstorm in Portland, Ore. Nobody weighed it, but college spokesman Kevin Myers says it was estimated to weigh 800 pounds or more. The students responsible for the runaway snowball reported the incident and have not been disciplined. Myers says they didn’t intend to cause damage and feel awful about what happened.
Boy credited for 911 call as little sister choked SOUTH PASADENA, Calif. — A 9-year-old Southern California
CONTACT US
Photo by Reed College | AP
A large snowball that crashed into a Grove Quad dormitory at Reed College in Portland, Ore., is shown on Feb. 8. The crash ripped a wall off its studs and narrowly missed a window. No one was injured in the collision. boy has been hailed as a hero for calling 911 when his 3-year-old sister began choking on a grape. Jaequon (juh-KWAHN) Santos was saluted by the South Pasadena Police Department on Thursday. KABC-TV reports that little
Yaleona (juh-LAY-nuh) Santos’ snack time became a life-threatening emergency on Jan. 9. A Fire Department official says minutes matter in such a situation and the culmination of all the efforts worked perfectly. — Compiled from AP reports
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Local
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014
THE BLOTTER Assault Arnoldo Gonzalez was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon Friday at the Lucky Spins in Falcon.
Criminal trespass Eric Norberto Garcia was served with a criminal trespass warrant Tuesday at the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office.
Drug paraphernalia Ruben Rene Villarreal was arrested and charged with having drug paraphernalia Friday in the 2200 block of Carla Street.
DWI Omar Dario Cuellar was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated Saturday in the intersection of First Street and Mier Avenue. Hector Martinez Salas was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated Saturday in the intersection of First Street and Bravo Avenue. Javier Sarmiento Santiago was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated Sunday by 10th Street and Zapata Avenue.
Evading arrest Alfred Flores was arrested and charged with evading arrest Thursday by 26th Avenue and Carla Street.
Injury arrest Jose Fernando Guerra was arrested and charged with injury to child/elderly/disable with intent bodily injury Wednesday in the 1500 block of Hidalgo Boulevard. Luis Antonio Arias-Aleman was arrested and charged with injury to child/elderly/disable, reckless bodily injury Thursday in the 400 block of Ann Drive.
Possession Randy Sanchez was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance Saturday in the intersection of First Street and Mier Avenue. Roel Alaniz Jr. was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance Sunday in the intersection of 10th Street and Villa Avenue.
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Man tells court he’s not guilty By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A man indicted for transporting a couple of illegal immigrants from Zapata to Laredo pleaded not guilty Tuesday. Furthermore, federal court records state Amado Ricardo Martinez posted bond Wednesday. Before that, he waived his presence at arraignment but entered his written not guilty plea, according to court documents. An indictment filed Feb. 4
charges Martinez with conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants within the United States, and transport and atMARTINEZ tempt to transport undocumented immigrants for monetary gain. Martinez could face a maximum of 10 years in prison if he’s found guilty. A final pretrial conference is set for March 7. His charges stemmed from Jan. 1 when a Webb County
Sheriff ’s Office deputy pulled over a vehicle on U.S. 83, one mile south of Rio Bravo. He issued the driver, Martinez, a warning citation for speeding. A U.S. Border Patrol agent who assisted in the case determined Martinez’s two passengers were Honduran citizens with no legal documentation to be in the country, a criminal complaint states. Martinez would tell agents that the immigrants asked him for a ride to Laredo at a gas station in Zapata, according to
LCC hosts Fun Fest today SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Throughout the years, Laredo Community College’s annual Fun Fest and Musicale has provided families with the opportunity to experience a day full of fun in a wholesome and educational environment. The LCC family once again invites the public to join in on a day where the college takes fun to a higher degree today from noon to 5 p.m. on the Fort McIntosh Campus grounds next to the Maravillo Gymnasium. As part of the Washington’s Birthday Celebration tradition, this family-friendly event offers games, music, food and fun for anyone looking to unwind after a long work week. Now in its 26th year, the Fun Fest and Musicale will feature decadent treats for every palate, exhilarating live music to bring out the dancer in everyone, and exotic animals for the kids to interact with. Admission to Fun Fest is free of charge. One of the highlights of Fun Fest is the musicale, which has quickly become a fan favorite. The musicale features performances from the talented students in LCC’s performing arts programs, as well as those from other local schools, private dance studios and local talent. Variety is the spice of life, and there is plenty to be found with modern dance, mariachi music
court records. “(Martinez) stated that he was afraid and felt intimidated by the way they asked,” the complaint states. Martinez denied knowledge of the men being illegal immigrants and denied monetary gains for transporting the immigrants to Laredo. But both illegal immigrants told agents Martinez instructed them to get in his car, court documents states. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
Fair trail ride is March 8 SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Staff file photo | The Zapata Times
Dance companies and school performers put on a show for hundreds of fans in February 2013 as part of the many attractions at the annual LCC Family Fun Fest held at the Laredo Community College grounds. and traditional Mexican dances sharing the stage. Those who bring children can keep them engaged by trying out the interactive games and activities hosted by college faculty and staff. Whether children want to fish for prizes, try their hand at the bean bag toss or paint themselves a beautiful bookmark, there is plenty to keep them entertained. In addition to the games, kids young and old love the petting zoo, which features a variety of
exotic animals. There also are pony rides, rock climbing, face painting, inflatable slides and bounce houses. Fun Fest also offers plenty of delicious fare no matter one’s preference. One can choose from standard festival fare like funnel cakes, roasted corn, candy and marshmallow shish kabobs. LCC student organizations will be selling hot dogs, burgers, corn dogs, nachos, pizza and corn in a cup. Proceeds will benefit the respective organization.
Put on your full trail riding regalia and get ready to rough out a good number of miles at the upcoming trail ride. The 2014 Zapata County Fair Trail Ride is set for Saturday, March 8. Registration begins at 7 a.m. The fee is $5. The ride out kicks off at 8 a.m. from Bustamante Arena on Hwy 16. Proof of Coggins tests are required for all horses. Breakfast and t-shirts will be provided to all riders. The ride is expected to end at 12:30 p.m. at the Zapata County Fair Pavilion. A ribbon cutting ceremony will follow. This year’s trail boss is the Martinez Family and the lead scout is Danny Santos. Lunch is sponsored by Arguindegui Oil Companies. For more information, contact Dora Martinez at 285-7794.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014
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COMMENTARY
OTHER VIEWS
Lesson for the US, from Britain By LLEWELLYN KING HEARST NEWSPAPERS
In Britain, they are talking about “the year the lights will go out.” The metaphor is based on the 1951 film “The Day the Earth Stood Still.” There are those who believe they can pinpoint the year: 2023. It is the year that all but one of Britain’s 16 operating nuclear power reactors will have been withdrawn from service because of their age. Britain commissioned its first nuclear power plant back in 1954. For decades, Britain was at the forefront of the development of nuclear energy. Then came natural gas. Discoveries in the North Sea coupled with improvements in gas turbine technology caused a boom in gas-powered electricity generation. At one point, it looked as though 50 percent more gas-fired electricity generation would be installed than needed. The next surge of generating enthusiasm was for wind. Under the Labor government of Tony Blair, Britain planned to lead the world in wind generation, both on shore and off. Wind, as elsewhere, was subsidized because it was politically lovable. What better source of energy for a windswept island with a stormy coastline than wind, wind and more wind? But the high cost of wind-generated electricity, coupled with intermittent availability, began to turn the country off wind. While the Conservative government of David Cameron is still pushing wind through subsidies, it has been forced into a painful rethink to avoid catastrophe. Coal mines — the engine of the Industrial Revolution — began to be phased out under Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government partly because of continuing labor problems, but primarily because its cost was rising as mines became less productive. Britain became an importer of coal. Nuclear just languished; the fabrication capacity declined, the design shops closed up, and the universities turned out fewer graduates in the nuclear sciences. The North Sea gas boom gained altitude in the 1980s and ‘90s. Plants were cheap to build and operate, and the emissions were half those of coal. But gas began to peak in Britain’s North Sea fields in 2000, and gas imports began to rise. The jig was up for cheap, non-controversial energy. Cameron’s government, looking toward the day when the lights will fail, has supported an aggressive nuclear building program — none of it designed or built by British companies. The French government-owned utility, Electricite de France (EDF), will build Britain’s first new reactors; the technology will come from Areva, the French nuclear plant builder, and some of the construction funding will come from China. But to lure EDF, a mechanism called the
Nuclear plants contribute 19 percent of our electricity, about the same percentage they contributed in Britain in the 1990s before plant retirements. “strike price” had to be negotiated. Under this deal, the British government guarantees a floor price for the electricity generated at the new nuclear plants. The strike price for the EDF deal is $154 per megawatt hour, or about twice the current wholesale price of electricity in Britain. British industry is screaming that it will be driven offshore, particularly chemicals. The European Union is screaming that this is a subsidy by another name. And British consumer groups are screaming that it will kill off old people, who will not be able to afford the Gallic electrons. The Cameron government has its fingers in its ears, because it knows the screaming will be far worse if the lights do go out. Across the Atlantic, a sequel to the year the lights will go out in Britain may be in production. We are already shuttering nuclear plants; the total down from 104 to 99 with many more endangered as the plants either become uneconomic, as a result of competition from our gas boom, or too old. Four big new nuclear plants are under construction in Georgia and South Carolina, but they are all that are likely to be built in the foreseeable future. Currently, nuclear plants contribute 19 percent of our electricity, about the same percentage they contributed in Britain in the 1990s before plant retirements began. The numbers are being kept up by extraordinary operating efficiency gains and by upgrading — called “uprating” in the industry — the plants. How long the gas boom will last is a matter of conjecture. The lifespan of the new hydraulically fractured fields is not known, but it is expected to be about one-third that of conventional fields. The full environmental consequence is not known either. Yet the euphoria of gas abundance is boosted by multimillion-dollar campaigns from the oil and gas industries, led by the giant American Petroleum Institute. These advertisements give the impression that gas is forever in America. The way it was in the North Sea? (Llewellyn King’s email is lking@kingpublishing.com)
COLUMN
Settlement offer is too soon AUSTIN — In what could be postponement of the inevitable, the Austin City Council on Thursday opted not to consider a proposed payoff to the children of another local man killed by city police officers. The facts, as we now know them, probably justify the settlement. The timing, however, was wrong, as Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole noted as the item was pulled from the council’s Thursday agenda. “The death of Larry Jackson was a very tragic incident faced by our community, and I believe that the settlement of this case involving his minor children would have been in order,” she said, adding, however, the city never has settled such a case during a grand jury investigation. “We should wait until after that event had occurred,” Cole said, also noting a separate pending civil litigation. It did seem kind of weird to settle this claim — no lawsuit has yet been filed by Jackson’s preteen kids — while the grand jury continued to look at the case and a federal lawsuit from Jackson’s parents is pending. Sometimes, of course, settling can seem right even if you think you’ve done nothing wrong.
“
KEN HERMAN
The council in recent years approved $1.75 million in settlements in two other fatal shootings by Austin cops. But, commendably, this council has not always settled for settling. A federal court jury ruled for the city when it fought a lawsuit stemming from the May 2011 fatal shooting of Byron Carter by a city cop. Sometimes, that jury said (and common sense says) police use of force is justified. Pending what we might learn from the grand jury or pending federal lawsuit, this case does not seem to be in that category. The facts as we now know them: Last July 26, detective Charles Kleinert, since retired, was investigating a bank robbery when Jackson, 32 and not a suspect in the case, tried to enter the closed bank. He left, returning minutes later. A bank official told Kleinert that Jackson had identified himself as a bank customer the official knew he was not. Jackson fled when Kleinert tried to question him. The ensuing chase, in which Kleinert got a ride from a civilian, ended
with a scuffle that ended with a bullet from Kleinert’s revolver in the back of Jackson’s neck. The Austin AmericanStatesman has reported Kleinert told investigators he accidentally fired his gun as he tried to subdue Jackson, who was unarmed and whose criminal record included a financial fraud conviction. Acccidents happen. I don’t know if this was one. Accidents can carry culpability and that, at the least, was why the council had the proposed settlement teed up Thursday. I think back to something police Chief Art Acevedo said after a terrible seven-hour stretch in April 2012 when Officer Jaime Padron was killed at a Wal-Mart and Ahmede Bradley was killed by an Austin cop while fleeing from a traffic stop. Nothing good, Acevedo said then and often, happens when somebody flees the police. “We have got to teach people that no matter what you’re involved in, when you run from the police, it is placing citizens at risk. It places the suspect running at risk. It places the police officers at risk,” he said back then. Grand jurors found no reason for Officer Eric Copeland to face a criminal trial for his use of force in
subduing Bradley, who had a long criminal record in his past and cocaine and $1,700 in his present when he was killed during the hand-to-hand fight that followed his flight. Much of what Kleinert did in chasing Jackson raises questions. It will be helpful if the grand jury investigation and the pending lawsuit help us better understand what happened. If the facts show that Jackson indeed was fleeing a police officer, he contributed to his own death and put others at potential risk. But that’s a far, far different statement than saying he deserved to die. There are many good cops and some bad cops. When you run from either kind, you run the risk of bad outcome — possibly death at the hands of a good cop using justifiable force or at the hands of a bad cop using unjustifiable force, or an accident. Those are widely differing scenarios that can share the same, very final outcome. The only difference, as we’ve seen in Austin police shootings in recent years, might be whether your survivors get any money from the city. Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. Email: kherman@statesman.com.
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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Financial aid days Spanish healthcare to help seniors site is now online SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
The Zapata High School Counseling Department will host two financial aid completion days for parents and students needing help to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Both financial aid completion days — Monday and Tuesday — will take place at the ZHS library. Monday’s session will
begin at 9 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. Laredo Community College will be present to provide assistance. Tuesday’s session, with Texas A&M International University present, is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. In order to complete a FAFSA application, parents must bring, if applicable: 2013 income tax form with W-2 and student’s 2013 income tax
form Social Security, TANF benefits or child support documents for 2013 A completed FAFSA qualifies students for federal and state aid as well as student and parent loans. For more information, contact any of the ZHS counselors at 765-0280, ext. 3544 for Homer Carrizales; 3509 for Claudia Garza; and 3508 for Yvonne Flores.
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
The Spanish language Healthcare.gov website, CuidadodeSalud.gov, has formally launched, according to an announcement by Congressman Henry Cuellar on Friday. Cuellar also reminded constituents that the deadline of open enrollment for new healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act is March 31. In January, 90,000 Texans enrolled in a healthcare
plan as part of the new health insurance marketplaces, increasing total enrollment since Oct. 1 to 207,500. Nationally, 3.3 million people have enrolled in a plan since October, an increase of 53 percent over enrollment in the previous three monthsTo apply, one may: Visit Healthcare.gov Call the toll free customer call center at 1-800318-2596 Meet with a certified enrollment counselor, or
visit any community health center. One can find counselors and locations nearby at https://localhelp.healthcare.gov Mail a paper application form. After receiving an eligibility notice, you may finish the application online or by contacting the call center. One may download the application form along with the instructions at Healthcare.gov For additional information on how to enroll, visit Healthcare.gov.
Kidnapping battle tested in farm town By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN ASSOCIATED PRESS
YAUTEPEC, Mexico — Gunmen grabbed a taxi driver near his home in this bustling central Mexico farm town in December and demanded a $3,000 ransom. His family paid but his captors killed him anyway. A 22-year-old student was taken, slain and dumped by a highway after his family failed to produce $30,000. Gunmen broke into an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, picked out a hardware store owner, kidnapped and killed him, too. In December alone, at least seven people were kidnapped in this town of 100,000 people, according to a tally by community organizers. All but one was slain, several after a ransom was paid to kidnappers that officials describe as a fragment of a nationwide drug cartel looking for new sources of income after authorities arrested and killed many of its leaders.
Frightened and furious, residents launched a series of protests outside city hall demanding government action. The state’s tough-talking new public security chief took control of the municipal police department last month and sent hundreds of state police to Yautepec, promising prompt arrests. But in this proving ground in Mexico’s fight against a nationwide surge in kidnappings, people are still staying home after dark, watching the streets for strange cars and feeling sick with dread whenever a loved one doesn’t come home on time. Residents say the reinforcements are welcome but they have no confidence that government institutions they claim are rotten with corruption can have any real long-term impact on a problem that has reached epidemic proportions in this sunbaked stretch of sugarcane and tomato fields dotted with the weekend homes of Mexico City’s upper-middle class.
The mayor dismisses their complaints as politically inspired “psychosis.” In the absence of genuine statistics, no one really knows. “At this moment there are roadblocks but we don’t see any investigation. There’s no information. That’s the reason for the people’s sense of impotence, for their grief,” said Israel Serna, a state lawmaker for the leftist Citizens’ Movement party who participated in the marches on city hall. “The people don’t see their leader, their mayor, their congressman, facing the problem, so people start to organize.” Even officials acknowledge that the kidnapping spike is a direct result of Mexico’s crackdown on organized crime. As the country waged its U.S.-backed offensive over seven years, larger gangs were dismantled. Thousands of lowerranking criminals diversified into kidnapping, targeting prosperous and working-class families in places like Yautepec as
Photo by Eduardo Verdugo | AP
Maria Gonzalez touches a picture of her son Cesar inside her home in Yautepec, Mexico, on Feb. 5. In 2012, Cesar, 33, was kidnapped in Cuernavaca and later found dead in the trunk of his car. quick, easy sources of cash. Last year, as Mexico and the U.S. touted the arrests of capos and said organized-crime-related murders were down, reported kidnappings hit a 16-year high. The official count was 1,695 but government polls show that less than 2 percent of kidnappings are reported to police. If accurate, the real number of abductions would exceed 100,000
a year. Yautepec sits in the center of a relatively prosperous and heavily populated stretch of suburbanizing countryside that stretches east from Cuernavaca, the capital of Morelos, the second smallest of Mexico’s 31 states and among the top five in kidnappings per capita, according to federal statistics. Cuernavaca is one of the historic bases of the Beltran-Leyva cartel, a
once-powerful drug-trafficking organization splintered in recent years by killings and arrests of its commanders. One cell of Beltran-Leyva gunmen began kidnapping members of the state’s rising middle class — shopkeepers, schoolteachers and prosperous farmers living along 30 miles of federal highway that slices from Cuernavaca through Yautepec to the larger city of Cuautla, said Jesus Alberto Capella, a former Tijuana police chief named last month as secretary of public security in Morelos. “The lieutenants, the orphans, dedicated themselves to this type of criminal activity,” Capella said. “The crisis in Yautepec has to do with this criminal group carrying out kidnappings more crudely than we’re used to, killing its victims, who don’t have great financial resources.” Cappella and the Morelos state prosecutor say they are looking hard at local government complicity with the kidnappers.
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera Nuevo cargo
SÁBADO 15 DE FEBRERO DE 2014
CÁRTELES DE DROGAS
Agenda en Breve LAREDO
02/15— El Mercado Agrícola de Laredo se realizará en la Plaza Jarvis a las 9 a.m. Evento gratuito. Estacionamiento gratis a quienes compren en el mercado dentro del estacionamiento de El Metro, 1301 Farragut. 02/15— WBCA— Festival de la Diversión y la Música del Laredo Community College se celebrará de 12 p.m. a 5 p.m. en el Fort McIntosh Campus. Habrá juegos, zoológico, música en vivo, comida, paseos a caballito, alpinismo, pinta caritas, brincolines, y resbaladillas. Entrada gratuita. 02/15— Plaza Sésamo presenta “Make a New Friend” a las 10:30 a.m. y 2 p.m., en Laredo Energy Arena. Costo de 14, 20, 28 y 50 dólares, más la cuota de instalaciones. 02/16— WBCA— Espectáculo Aéreo (Stars and Stripes Air Show Spectacular) inicia a las 11 a.m. en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Laredo. Entrada por Maher). Costo: 5 dólares, adultos; niños de 12 años de edad y menores entran gratis. 02/16— Plaza Sésamo presenta “Make a New Friend” a las 2 p.m., en Laredo Energy Arena. Costo de 14, 20, 28 y 50 dólares, más la cuota de instalaciones. 02/16— Se estará presentando el pianista Andrius Zlabys, en el salón de recitales del Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de TAMIU a las 3 p.m. El evento es gratuito y abierto al público. Más información llamando al 326-2654. 02/20— WBCA— Desfile Juvenil ‘Bajo las Estrellas’ inicia a las 6 p.m. al sur de Avenida San Bernardo. Entrada gratis. Bancas: 3 dólares (en la puerta). 02/21— Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presenta: “Secrets of the Sun” a las 6 p.m.; y, “Violent Universe” a las 7 p.m. Costo general: 4 dólares para niños y 5 dólares para adultos. 02/21— WBCA— Festival Jalapeño se realizará a partir de las 6 p.m. en El Metro Park & Ride (Thomas y Hillside). Pase de dos días a 35 dólares; concierto de grupo Duelo, a 30 dólares. 02/22— WBCA— Festival Jalapeño se realizará a partir de las 3 p.m. en El Metro Park & Ride (Thomas y Hillside). Pase de dos días a 35 dólares; concierto de grupo Los Tigres del Norte, a 30 dólares.
POR CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
McALLEN— Un nuevo encausamiento federal fue dado a conocer el jueves en un tribunal de San Antonio contra un ex ministro estatal de finanzas mexicano a quien ya se le había abierto proceso en Texas por lavado de dinero el año pasado. Héctor Javier Villarreal Hernández, ex titular del Servicio de Administración Tributaria del estado de Coahuila, en el norte de México, se entregó el miércoles a las autoridades de El Paso y tuvo su primera comparecencia el jueves ante un tribunal federal de San Antonio, informó la fiscalía federal. La nueva acusación formal presentada en la corte del distrito oes-
te de Texas contra Villarreal Hernández es por un cargo de asociación delictuosa para lavar dinero. Un acta de acusación abierta en noviembre lo acusó a él y a Jorge Juan Torres López, ex gobernador interino y secretario de Finanzas del estado, de lavado de dinero, fraude bancario y fraude por medios electrónicos. En esa época las autoridades estadounidenses solicitaron la ayuda del público para localizar a los acusados. No se revelaron de inmediato detalles sobre cómo Villarreal Hernández, de 42 años, se entregó a las autoridades. Tampoco se sabe si cuenta actualmente con un abogado. Después de su comparecencia ante un juez el jueves por la tarde continuó bajo custodia federal.
En el nuevo encausamiento se afirma que desde el 2008 hasta principios de este mes, Villarreal Hernández y otras personas lavaron dinero a través de Estados Unidos a fin de encubrir los sobornos de funcionarios públicos y el robo de fondos públicos. De ser hallado culpable se le podría condenar hasta a 20 años de prisión. El acta procesal de noviembre en Corpus Christi argumenta que Villarreal y Torres movieron fondos malversados en México hacia bancos en Estados Unidos y después al exterior. Fiscales estadunidenses dijeron que los hombres enviaron cada uno más de 2 millones de dólares a cuentas en las islas Bermudas. En febrero de 2013, autoridades federales anunciaron que confisca-
ron la cuenta de Villarreal en el extranjero, la cual tenía más de 2,2 millones de dólares. En la demanda de confiscación se argumentó que Villarreal transfirió dinero de Coahuila a un banco en Brownsville y luego a las Bermudas. Él era secretario de Finanzas del estado en 2008, pero antes había trabajado como subsecretario de presupuesto. Villarreal renunció en 2011 al estar bajo investigación de las autoridades mexicanas, según un comunicado emitido en febrero por la fiscalía estadounidense. Más tarde ese año, un juez mexicano lo acusó de falsificación de documentos oficiales para obtener préstamos por más de 200 millones de dólares. Fue arrestado, se le dejó en libertad condicional y huyó.
TRANSPORTE
NACIONAL
BANDERAZO DE SALIDA
Obama pide apoyar reforma Prioridad sería sistema migratorio POR CHARLES BABINGTON ASSOCIATED PRESS
Foto de Cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
Reynosa puso en marcha el servicio de Taxis Rosas, que servirán exclusivamente a mujeres y niños para impulsar la modernización del transporte público.
Entran en función nuevos Taxis Rosas en Reynosa TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
E
l miércoles por la mañana en la ciudad de Reynosa, México, se puso en marcha el servicio de Taxis Rosas, que servirán exclusivamente a mujeres y niños, con la finalidad para impulsar la modernización del transporte público. Con una inversión superior a los 33 millones de pesos para 20 taxis libres, de 26.530.790 pesos para abrir
tres rutas más de transporte con 22 camiones nuevos y una inversión de 3.537.600 pesos para 15 taxis rosas, del servicio que será prestado por mujeres. “Con estas inversiones el trasporte público de nuestra entidad se moderniza, para ser de calidad, sustentable, con un mejor trato al usuario y dar la certeza y seguridad de un sistema de transporte confiable”, dijo Humberto René Salinas Treviño, Secretario de Desarrollo Urbano y
Medio Ambiente. Agregó que es el compromiso plasmado en el Plan Estatal de Desarrollo en el Tamaulipas Humano, en el rubro de oportunidades de desarrollo para las mujeres, en donde el objetivo, es promover acciones que potencien a la mujer en el ejercicio pleno de sus derechos con igualdad de acceso a las oportunidades sociales, el desarrollo de sus capacidades y participación en los asuntos públicos, comunitarios y productivos.
NUEVO LAREDO, MX 02/15— Estación Palabra presenta “Bazar de arte”, a las 9 a.m.; “Festival Infantil”, con el tema “Fábulas de amor y amistad”, a las 2 p.m.; “Tertulia en el Jardín”, a las 3 p.m. Eventos gratuitos. 02/15— Laberintus teatro impartirá el taller/audición “Invisible” con la finalidad de encontrar a niños interesados en participar en un próximo montaje de la compañía. Taller será dentro del Teatro del IMSS de 10 a.m. a 12 p.m. 02/15— Se realizará la Audición Juventud Urbano Fest, a las 4 p.m. en Maquila Creativa. Entrada libre. 02/16— El grupo de Teatro Laberintus estará presentando la obra infantil “La Nave”, de José Luis Pineda Servín, a las 12 p.m. dentro del teatro del IMSS, entre Reynosa y Belden (sector centro). Costo 20 pesos. 02/16— Se presentará el evento “Bailando por Amor, Recuerdos del Rock n’ Roll” por parte de la Centenaria Banda de Música Municipal y los Incógnitos, en la Sala Sergio Peña, a partir de las 4 p.m. Evento gratuito.
COLUMNA
Realizan paseo por fauna de Tamaulipas POR RAUL SINENCIO ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Numerosos cronistas recorren cada año Tamaulipas. La fauna con que se encuentran les produce admiración e interés. Guiados por tres de ellos, disfrutemos de los paisajes que se narran.
Criaturas “El 16 de mayo de 1822 salimos de Altamira. Como a una legua de Chocoy entramos en una llanura. Al lado del camino vimos guajolotes silvestres en abundancia”, escribió Robert Philips, de Pueblo Viejo, Veracruz, México, a Real de Catorce transporta maquinaria importada para el enclave minero de SLP. A continuación puntualiza, “bajamos por una loma y nos encontramos en una llanura muy hermosa. El verdor, la exuberancia y la belleza de las plantas silvestres excedían a todo lo que yo pu-
Los tlacuaches ‘nacen en una bolsa que las hembras tienen debajo de la barriga’. diese describir. Había una abundancia extraordinaria de venados, y parecía como que la naturaleza se hubiese esforzado en dar a estas tímidas criaturas un retiro seguro y feliz”.
Mancha Dejemos ahora que Concepción Lombardo nos lleve por el área central. Esposa del conservador Miguel Miramón, ella y sus hijos abandonan Ciudad Victoria rumbo a suelo potosino. Bosqueja en la primavera de 1863: Atravesamos la espesura, “acompañados del alegre gorjeo de innumerable pajarillos. Liebres, conejos, agachonas, gallinitas salvajes y otros animales
aparecían de tiempo en tiempo, e infinidad de mariposas de alas plateadas y variados colores volaban a nuestro alrededor haciendo gala de su belleza”. Cerca de Jaumave detalla, “un extraño murmullo llegó a mis oídos, me pareció oír” voces “humanas. Alcé la cabeza hacia donde venía el ruido y se encontró mi vista con una gran nube de papagayos que volaban sobre nuestras cabezas, gritando alegremente en su carrera”.
Gordos Conducidos por Jean Louis Berlandier, trasladémonos a las septentrionales inmediaciones de
Laredo, entonces mexicanas. Alrededor de 1830 el naturalista franco-suizo reseña fascinantes especimenes. Los tlacuaches “nacen en una bolsa que las hembras tienen debajo de la barriga”, retirándose estas marsupiales, “una vez cumplido el voto de la naturaleza, al fondo de los bosques”, señala. Berlandier complementa “el zorrillo a pesar de su olor desagradable, lo comen comúnmente los soldados y vecinos después de haberle quemado el pelo y quitándole las glándulas anales; los comanches lo aprecian mucho”. Integrante del equipo científico que encabeza el general Manuel Mier y Terán, añade Berlandier: “En invierno, aunque esté muy frío o muy caliente, permanecen en sus cuevas, de las que no salen sino en hay días frescos y nublados. (Contenido cortesía de Raul Sinencio, según fue publicado en ‘La Razón’ de Tampico, México)
CAMBRIDGE— El presidente Barack Obama dijo el viernes que las principales prioridades para el Congreso deberían ser aumentar el salario mínimo y reformar el sistema migratorio, mientras que reconoció que la política de un año de elecciones podría complicar estos esfuerzos. Obama y el vicepresidente Joe Biden dieron discursos en el retiro de los representantes demócratas en la costa Este de Maryland, a menos de nueve meses de que los legisladores enfrenten una reelección en medio de una desaprobación generalizada al Congreso entre los votantes. El presidente y el vicepresidente pidieron cambios profundos en las leyes de inmigración, pero los líderes republicanos casi han descartado su aprobación antes de las elecciones de mediados del periodo presidencial de Obama. El presidente instó a los demócratas a seguir trabajando para lograrlo e insistió que algunos republicanos quieren un acuerdo. “Pero tienen miedo, y están asustados por las repercusiones políticas. Y deben tener en cuenta que todos aquí son funcionarios electos y todos podemos notar las maniobras que ocurren, especialmente en un año electoral”, dijo Obama.
Cambio Obama argumentó que aplazar el asunto “afecta a la gente, afecta a la economía y afecta a las familias”. Biden tuvo un tono más partidista en sus declaraciones y dio a entender que el Partido Republicano está demasiado dividido como para ser efectivo. Instó a los demócratas a no enfocarse “en las pocas cosas con las que tenemos problemas”, y afirmó que los estadunidenses los apoyan en asuntos como aumentar el salario mínimo, ampliar la educación temprana para los niños, la reforma migratoria, el matrimonio gay e incluso el sistema de salud. El presidente también agradeció a los legisladores por unirse para aumentar la deuda del gobierno sin efectos en la legislación que el Congreso aprobó esta semana, y por apoyar su ley de seguros de salud a pesar de su duro comienzo.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
Mexico
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014
Wants protection Writers want butterflies watched ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Felix Marquez | AP
The granddaughters of slain journalist Gregorio Jimenez walk towards the cemetery in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, on Wednesday. Veracruz state officials concluded that Jimenez, a police beat reporter, was killed in a personal vendetta.
Few believe slaying story By RODRIGO SOBERANES SANTIN ASSOCIATED PRESS
COATZACOALCOS, Mexico — Officials in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz jumped to the conclusion that a journalist found slain this week was killed in a personal vendetta, angry colleagues said Wednesday, calling for a thorough investigation into potential ties between the reporter’s work and his murder. Many pointed to the fact that Gregorio Jimenez’s body was discovered alongside the corpse of a union leader whose kidnapping was the topic of two of the reporter’s stories. Jimenez, a police beat reporter for the newspapers Notisur and El Liberal, wrote a short, relatively straightforward article shortly after the disappearance of Ernesto Ruiz Guillen, who was kidnapped in January during an assembly of the Workers Confederation, Mexico’s largest labor union. He followed that with an article noting that little was being done by authorities to investigate the kidnapping. Last week, at least five gunmen forced Jimenez, 42, out of his home in the city of Coatzacoalcos and drove him away in an SUV. Veracruz state authorities said Jimenez’s body was found Tuesday in the backyard of a house in
the nearby town of Las Choapas, along with the union leader’s body and the corpse of a taxi driver whose name wasn’t released. Hours after Jimenez’s body was discovered, the Veracruz state prosecutor told reporters that investigators’ dominant theory was that Jimenez’s killing was ordered by an acquaintance with a personal vendetta. Veracruz state spokeswoman Gina Dominguez said authorities believe Teresa Hernandez, who owns a cantina in Coatzacoalcos, threatened Jimenez three months ago after a falling out between her son and his daughter, who had dated. Four men arrested Tuesday on suspicion of participating in the reporter’s killing told investigators that Hernandez paid them to kidnap and kill him, Dominguez said. Jimenez is at least the 12th journalist slain or missing since 2010 in the Gulf coast state. In at least three of the cases, Veracruz state authorities swiftly attributed the killings to personal disputes, outraging the victims’ colleagues and press freedom advocates who say state officials don’t thoroughly investigate killings. Dominguez acknowledged Jimenez had written about Ruiz Guillen’s kidnapping and said authorities had not discounted alternate motives for his killing.
“We’re looking at the stories that have to do with Ruiz Guillen,” Dominguez said. “The investigation isn’t closed. His work is relevant.” Journalists expressed skepticism that a personal dispute could have led to Jimenez’s slaying. “I don’t believe in what the government says because Gregorio was not one to get into fights. He was a kind, humble person,” said Elizabeth Avina, who works for the newspaper El Heraldo de Veracruz. Gregorio Hernandez, another colleague of Jimenez’s, said the slain reporter often wrote about crime even though his byline didn’t appear on his stories. “There has to be a serious investigation because he often looked into disappearances, crimes and kidnappings,” Hernandez said. Journalists throughout Mexico have organized protests since Jimenez disappeared to demand authorities consider retaliation for his work as a motive, and find those responsible. “We want justice. We want authorities in charge of solving the case to take responsibility. We don’t want scapegoats,” said Victoria Rasgado, a reporter with Diario del Istmo, a Veracruz newspaper.
MEXICO CITY — Dozens of scientists, artists, writers and environmentalists on Friday urged the leaders of Mexico, Canada and the United States to devote part of their meeting next week to discussing ways to protect the Monarch butterfly. A letter to the three leaders signed by more than 150 intellectuals, including Nobel literature laureate Orham Pamuk, U.S. environmentalist Robert Kennedy Jr. and Canadian author Margaret Atwood, notes the Monarch population has dropped to the lowest level since record-keeping began in 1993. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, U.S. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper Obama are meeting in Toluca, near Mexico City, on Wednesday to discuss such matters as economic competitiveness, trade and investment, entrepreneurship and security. The Monarch’s spectacular annual migration to spend the winter in Mexico is little understood. Experts blame the drop in numbers on several things: extreme weather trends, a dramatic reduction of the butterflies’ habitat
Photo by Marco Ugarte/file | AP
A Monarch butterfly sits on a tree trunk at the Sierra Chincua Sanctuary in the mountains of Michoacan state. in Mexico from illegal logging, and genetically modified crops in the U.S. displacing milkweed, which the species feeds on. The petition, put together by Mexican writer and environmentalist Homero Aridjis, says Mexico is addressing the logging problem and calls on the U.S. and Canada to deal with the impact of their agricultural policies. After steep and steady declines in the previous three years, the black-and-orange butterflies now cover only 1.65 acres in the pine and fir forests west of Mexico City, according to a report last month by the World Wildlife Fund, Mexico’s Environment Department and the Natural Protected Areas Commission. Monarchs covered more than 44.5 acres at their recorded peak in 1996. Because the butterflies clump together by the thousands in trees, they are counted by the area they cover.
No more odd names ASSOCIATED PRESS
HERMOSILLO, Mexico — Parents in the Mexican state of Sonora will no longer be allowed to name their children “Facebook,” “Rambo” or 59 other now banned given names. The names have been found at least once in state registries. And the list could grow because officials are still checking the state’s 132 newborn registries, Sonora state Civil Registry director Cristina Ramirez said Tuesday. The law banning a list of 61 odd or offensive names took effect Monday. It seeks to protect
children from being bullied, Ramirez said. “The law is very clear because it prohibits giving children names that are derogatory or that don’t have any meaning and that can lead to bullying,” she said. Ramirez said that in the town of Navojoa a boy was recently named “Juan Calzon,” or “Juan Panties,” and a girl was named “Lady Di.” Other odd names include a girl called “Marciana,” or “Martian,” and a boy called “Circuncision,” or “Circumcision.” Sonora is across the border from the U.S. state of Arizona.
Nation
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014
Drought plan is lacking By COTT SMITH ASSOCIATED PRESS
FRESNO, Calif. — Farmers in California’s droughtstricken Central Valley said Friday that the financial assistance President Barack Obama is delivering on his visit does not get to the heart of California’s long-term water problems. Amid one of the driest years in the state’s recorded history, Obama came to the Fresno area to announce $100 million in livestock-disaster aid, $60 million to support food banks and another $13 million toward things such as conservation and helping rural communities that could soon run out of drinking water. Sarah Woolf, a partner with Clark Brothers Farming in Fresno County, said anything will help, but the federal government needs to better manage the state’s water supplies so farmers have enough during future droughts like the current one. “Throwing money at it is not going to solve the problem long-term,” she said. In the ever-present tension between farmers and endangered fish, Woolf said she would like Obama to recognize the importance of providing the region with ample water for growers like her. Woolf typically plants 1,200 acres in tomatoes, garlic and onions, but this year 800 acres will remain bare because there’s not enough water. Protecting the environment is important, but endangered fish too often get priority over farming, Woolf said. In wet years, too much water is sent down rivers and out to the Pacific Ocean, supposedly benefiting the fish, that could be stored up for dry years like this, she said. The Central Valley produces nearly one-third of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, and Fresno County leads the nation in agricul-
Photo by Richard Vogel | AP
Morning traffic makes it’s way toward downtown Los Angeles along the Hollywood Freeway past an electronic sign warning of severe drought on Friday. ture. Ryan Jacobsen, executive director of the Fresno County Farm Bureau, estimates that 25 percent of the county’s irrigated land will go unplanted because of the drought. The drought has caused Democrats and Republicans in Congress to propose dueling emergency bills. Led by Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, the House passed one that would free up water for farmers by rolling back environmental protections and stop the restoration of a dried-up stretch of the San Joaquin River that once had salmon runs. Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer proposed their own version that pours $300 million into drought-relief projects without changing environmental laws. The bill would allow more flexibility to move water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to farms in the south and speed up environmental reviews of water projects. In his visit, Obama is scheduled to meet with a round table of farmers in Firebaugh and Los Banos and see the drought’s impact firsthand. Mark Borba, of Borba Farms, said he hasn’t been invited to meet the president and share his story. Borba’s farm typically grows 11,000 acres of almonds, tomatoes, garlic, lettuce, onions and much
more. Because of the drought, Borba said one-third of his crops won’t be planted. Rather than bringing money, Borba said the president could ease this year’s drought hardship on farmers by relaxing federal environmental regulations within the boundaries of the law intended to protect endangered fish. “We don’t want money,” Borba said. “We don’t want a handout.” Not everybody dismissed Obama’s announcement. Rick Palermo of the Community Food Bank in Fresno said he expects that the drought will lengthen lines in three Central Valley counties he serves. The Fresno food bank expects to receive some of the president’s money, but his worry is that the donations they get from farmers may be lacking. About half of the 30 million pounds of food they distribute each month is grown in the Central Valley, he said. “If folks aren’t growing it, there’s a good chance we’re not going to get the type of donations we need,” Palermo said. “It’s a dual impact on us.” Members of least one environmental group plan to converge on Fresno to voice their positions on California’s divisive struggles over water.
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014
Sephardic Jews finding comfort from Spain By JORGE SAINZ AND ARON HELLER ASSOCIATED PRESS
MADRID — They were burned at the stake, forced to convert or chased into exile. Now Spain is moving to right a half-millennium old “historic mistake” against its onetime flourishing Sephardic Jewish community: the European Union country is on the verge of offering citizenship to descendants of victims estimated to number in the millions. The Spanish conservative government plans to make amends with a law expected to be passed within weeks or months in Parliament that offers citizenship to the descendants of legions of Jews forced to flee in 1492. Asked whether the new law amounted to an apology, Spanish Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon replied: “Without a doubt.” “What the law will do, five centuries later, is make amends for a terrible historic mistake, one of the worst that Spaniards ever made,” Ruiz-Gallardon told The Associated Press in an interview. Descendants of Sephardic Jews, he said, will be considered “children of Spain.” The term “Sephardic” literally means “Spanish” in Hebrew, but the label has come also to apply to one of the two main variants of Jewish religious practice. The other — and globally dominant one — being “Ashkenazic,” which applies to Jews whose lineage, in recent times, is traced to northern and eastern Europe. Because of mixing between the groups and other factors, there is no accepted figure for the global Sephardic population, but reasonable estimates would range between a fifth and a third of the world’s roughly 13 million Jews. Hundreds of thousands live in France and already have EU passports. But the largest community is in Israel. It is not completely clear how much of a historical link Spain will require. Most of Israel’s Sephardics hail from northern Africa and southern Europe, which were early ports of call after the expulsion from Spain, and so they may be able to easily show direct links. But other communities, from places like Iraq and Yemen, are considered Sephardic by religious practice yet may have trouble proving a con-
Photo by Paul White | AP
Spain’s Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz Gallardon speaks during an interview in Madrid, Spain, on Thursday. A law expected to be passed within weeks in Parliament will offer citizenship to the legions of Jews forced to flee in 1492.
For centuries Sephardic Jews have maintained some of their gastronomic customs, an extensive oral tradition of popular Spanish novels, and in some cases spoken Ladino. nection to Spain. Either way, interest already is running high. Hundreds of Israelis claiming Sephardic ancestry have contacted the Spanish Embassy in Tel Aviv, begun researching their family histories and taken to the airwaves to discuss their newfound citizenship possibilities. To some, the prospect of Spanish citizenship marks a significant dose of historic justice. To others, it simply offers a European Union passport. That’s a big deal in a country that is still technically at war with many of its neighbors and where prosperity is a relatively recent phenomenon. Israel’s per capita GDP of nearly $40,000 year is significantly higher than that of Spain — which has been wracked by economic crisis in recent years — and on a par with rich nations like France and Britain. But the Sephardics in Israel, despite their large numbers, have yet to close the socio-economic gap with the European Jews who founded the country
and control most levers of power. There has never been a Sephardic prime minister, and the Ashkenazi Jews still earn more on average and are overwhelmingly dominant in academia and other key areas. “I want to live somewhere else, and if I can do it without too much of a fuss I will,” said Maoz Mizrachi, a 25-year-old salesman whose father’s family traces its roots to Spain. “It’s tough for young people to get ahead here and this gives me the opportunity to try somewhere else.” The fact that Israel’s economy is actually in better shape than Spain’s didn’t seem to concern him: “If I get it (Spanish citizenship), I’ll be the happiest guy in the world,” he said. Leon Amiras, who heads an association of immigrants to Israel from Latin countries, said his phone hasn’t stopped ringing since the news emerged. “People from every corner are interested, from professors to doctors, engineers to plumbers and bus drivers,” he said. “Everyone is talk-
ing about this.” The reform will allow dual nationality, enabling the newly minted Spaniards to retain their previous citizenship. Such an arrangement would give Sephardic Jews the same dual nationality privilege Spain currently grants only to Latin Americans. Elsewhere in Europe, Germany offers citizenship to descendants of Jews forced to flee the Nazis. Israel itself, of course, offers automatic citizenship to Jews. Previously, under a 1924 law, the government had discretionary powers to award Sephardic Jews nationality, but the new law is much more far-reaching: According to Ruiz-Gallardon, Spanish nationality to those who can prove ancestry will be a right the authorities must honor. The nuts and bolts of the new law, the government says, will be relatively simple: Applicants need only have their ancestry certified by a rabbi in any country and the Spanish Federation of Jewish Communities. Genetic testing has not been mentioned as an option.
The greater the documentary evidence an applicant presents, the quicker the procedure will run, Ruiz-Gallardon said. Applicants will have to provide details of their birth and family name or prove knowledge of Ladino, the Judeo-Spanish language considered to be the “Yiddish” of Sephardic Jews. For centuries Sephardic Jews have maintained some of their gastronomic customs, an extensive oral tradition of popular Spanish novels, and in some cases spoken Ladino, which is close enough to Spanish that it enables communication with Spanish speakers anywhere. Further details on eligibility will be published after lawmakers approve the legislation. Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, doubted that Spain will receive a flood of applications for citizenship. But he said key questions remain on how people will prove eligibility. “I’m sure it could be a bureaucratic nightmare to determine who is eligible and who is not,” he said during a visit this week to Madrid in which he met with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and King Juan Carlos. Sergio Della Pergola, a Jewish demographer at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, said it was very hard to give an exact number of descendants due to intermarriage and conversion over the years. But it was definitely in the millions, he said, estimating that in Israel alone about 2.5 million people were descendants of exiled Sephardim. Shmuel Refael of Bar Ilan University thought the number of those who would qualify if the language provision was enforced is much lower, with only about 250,000-300,000 people in Israel having some potential knowledge of Ladino. “It’s very hard to reconstruct a list of exiled Jews of Sefarad (Spain), even though we know historically where the Sephardic Jews went, to the Balkans and north Africa,” he said. “It will be complex and complicated to say an exact number of exiled Sephardim in the world.” Because Israel has association agreements with the EU, Israelis can generally travel there with great ease already.
MARIJUANA Continued from Page 1A
Photo by Damian Dovarganes | AP
Tourists pose for a photo at Muscle Beach as they enjoy the warm weather in the Venice Beach area of Los Angeles, on Friday, while much of the Northeast is gripped by snow and ice storms.
Warm in some places
The proposal in Mexico City’s assembly also doesn’t specify if it would allow only city residents to buy pot. The bill’s sponsors acknowledged many details remain to be worked out, but called it an important step in fueling Mexican discussion about marijuana legalization, a topic that has gained major momentum with the legalization of sales in Colorado, Washington and Uruguay. Many Mexicans find it increasingly absurd that their country is spending money and lawenforcement effort to keep marijuana from crossing the northern border into a country where it is already legal for millions of people. While the Mexico City
bill would have little to no effect on the larger crossborder drug trade, sponsor Vidal Llerenas called it a move toward allowing authorities to focus on more serious crimes. “Mexico needs to lead a discussion about how we can deal with drugs in a different way,” Llerenas said. The initiative “puts Mexico City in a leading position in Latin America,” said Jorge Castañeda, a former Mexican foreign minister. “Rather than continue fighting a war that makes no sense, now we are joining a cutting-edge process,” he added. Mexico has seen a slight increase in drug use in the
last few years, according to health authorities and marijuana remains the most commonly used drug. Mexican Assistant Interior Secretary Roberto Campa said that so far there is no plan to challenge the initiatives, but stressed that both require a deeper analysis before their approval. U.S. President Barack Obama has said it is not his administration’s priority to prosecute marijuana use and has allowed the Colorado and Washington plans to proceed without federal action against them. Uruguay last year became the first country to legalize the production and commercialization of marijuana nationwide.
Southwestern US is warmed by record temperatures By TERRY TANG ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHOENIX — With much of the Northeast gripped by snow and ice storms, the Southwest is riding a record heat wave that sent people to beaches and golf courses in droves Friday. People in Phoenix and Southern California were sunning themselves in 80degree weather, with forecasters predicting more of the same through the weekend. Both areas are known for warm weather, but the National Weather Service said the temperatures are uncharacteristically hot for this time of year. The heat is the result of a high-pressure system off the coast of Southern California. In the Phoenix, the many Midwestern retirees and visitors who flock to the desert each winter were thrilled about the 80degree days — and not being in the miserable cold back home. Rocky Krizan, a Chisago City, Minn., retiree who spends his winters in
the Phoenix area, said his daughter and two grandchildren just arrived from Minnesota and were stunned by the difference. “When they left there at 5 o’clock in the morning, it was minus 24. That’s actual temperature and wind chill,” he said. By 11 a.m. in Phoenix, they were at the pool in mid-70s temperatures. Frigid cold has paralyzed the East Coast and left more than 1 million homes in the South without power. At least 21 deaths have been blamed on the treacherous weather, including that of pregnant woman struck by a mini-snowplow in a New York City parking lot. In the Southwest, the weather service says several cities in Arizona may break February records during the President’s Day weekend. Phoenix is expected to reach 87 on Saturday and 85 on Sunday. Both would be new highs for those dates. In Tucson, the mercury is expected to hit 89. In southwest Arizona, Yuma is expected to reach 90 Friday and 91 on Satur-
day. “When high pressure is stationary for long periods of time, it leads to warming temps and clearsky days. We don’t have any weather disturbances coming through to disturb that,” said Charlotte Dewey, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Phoenix. Southern California was awash Friday in summery conditions under warm, clear skies after a week of record-setting temperatures caused by a high-pressure front. Temperatures hit the 80s in inland areas, and at least one community, Saugus, simmered at 90 at midday. Beachgoers found plenty of sunshine but much less warmth as highs along the immediate coast ranged only from the 60s to low 70s. The National Weather Service predicted a general cooling of Southern California temperatures by Saturday. Meanwhile, locals and visitors have been taking advantage of the weather around metropolitan Phoenix.
BOND Continued from Page 1A schools and getting new students whether the citizens approve a new bond or not.” If the bond passes, new facilities to attract students could pop up around campus in the new couple of years. The health science center, proposed as a threestory $26.6 million complex on the east part of the campus, would house all of LCC’s health-related instruction: EMS, phlebotomy, medical assistant, radiology and general classrooms. Also included in the design is a public health clinic. An estimated $20.4 million project, the two-story student union center building would include within its confines a gathering, dining and stage area; a bookstore; a kitchen; a campus recreation department; a game room; and health services department. The design calls for the construction of an eight lane junior Olympic pool and support areas on the premises, which figures to cost about $5 million total. “We need to work on en-
rollment and marketing but we have to finish what we started,” Tijerina said. “I think the election in May will show just why (LCC President Juan Maldonado) proposed the idea.”
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
ALBERTO A. FALCON
ESPERANZA C. MARTINEZ
TOMASA B. GUTIERREZ
Jan. 26, 1948 – Feb. 9, 2014
June 13, 1926 – Feb. 8, 2014
Sept. 21, 1934 – Feb. 8, 2014
Alberto A. Falcon, 66, passed away Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014, at Laredo Medical Center in Laredo. Mr. Falcon is preceded in death by his son, Miguel Angel Falcon; father, Alberto Falcon; mother, Emma B. Falcon; and in-laws, Higinio and Maria D. Morales, Leopoldo (Maria H.) (Adelina) Garza and Manuela Garza. Mr. Falcon is survived by his wife, Sandra M. Falcon; son, Marco Antonio Falcon; daughter, Karina Yvonne Falcon; sister, Ludivina F. (Edmundo) Hinojosa; brothers-inlaw, Juan Ned (Belinda) Garza, Faraon (Bertha) Garza, Leopoldo Garza; and by numerous nephews, nieces, cousins and friends. Visitation hours were held Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession departed on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funer-
al Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Burial services followed at Zapata County Cemetery, including full Military Honors by the American Legion Post 486 Color Guard. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata.
Esperanza C. Martinez, 87, a loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother entered into eternal rest after a lengthy illness Feb. 8, 2014. She was born in Zapata County on June 13, 1926, where she married and raised her family. She worked for Community Action Council of South Texas as a Headstart teacher until she retired. She was preceded in death by her husband, Derly Martinez; her parents, Juan Cuellar-Arredondo and Francisca GutierrezCuellar; brothers, Nicacio Eloy Cuellar, Angel Omar Cuellar; and sister, Gloria M. Cuellar. She is survived by her children, Derly O. (Lamar), Iris I., Jaime Abel, Jose Maria (Irma) and Juan C. (Maria Oralia) Martinez; seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren; sisters, Antonia C. Santos (Gilberto +), Lydia M. de Leon (Roberto); sisters-in-law, Ninfa Cuellar and Julieta Cuellar; and numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives. Visitation hours were held Monday, Feb. 10, 2014, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a
rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession departed Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services followed at the Zapata County Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata.
JOSE FIDEL GARZA
BUSH
April 24, 1937 – Feb. 9, 2014 SAN YGNACIO — Jose Fidel Garza, 76, passed away Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014, at Laredo Medical Center in Laredo. Mr. Garza is preceded in death by parents, Leobardo and Alicia Garza; sister, Maria G. (Ramon L.) Benavides Sr.; brother, Carlos Garza; brotherin-law, Juan Gonzalez; and a sister-in-law, Odilia Garza. Mr. Garza is survived by his brothers and sisters, Leopoldo Garza, Guillermina Garza, Estela Gonzalez, Cristelia Garza, Pedro Garza and by numerous nephews, nieces and friends. Visitation hours were held Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession departed Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Ref-
“The land office, through the chairmanship of the veteran’s land board, has an opportunity to rally the public sector and private sector to allocate the state’s resources through the 12 specialized health care facilities the state manages for our veterans,” he said. Bush also said he supports hydraulic fracturing, an industry that serves many Laredoans and has led to a shortage of real estate in the area. “I think if done responsibly and done in a prudent, sober way, it can continue to generate hundreds of uge Mission in San Ygnacio. Committal services followed at Martinez Cemetery in San Ygnacio. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata.
Tomasa B. Gutierrez, 79, passed away Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014, at Laredo Medical Center in Laredo. Mrs. Gutierrez is preceded in death by her parents, Ildefonso and Rita Benavides; brothers, Raul Benavides, Ramon Benavides, Rodolfo Benavides, Rene Benavides, Ruben Benavides; sisters, Josefina Garcia, San Juana Avalos and Francisca Gonzalez. Mrs. Gutierrez is survived by her husband, Heriberto Gutierrez; sons, Victor (Socorro) Gutierrez, Heriberto F. Jr. (Connie) Gutierrez, Sergio (Ana) Gutierrez; daughter, Rita Maria (Bonifacio) Perez; grandchildren, Castulo, Maria Isabel, Crissy, Andres, Aaron Michael, Alex Matthew, Justin Andrew, Julissa Celeste, Sergio Jr. Gutierrez, David Gilberto, Miguel Angel, Virginia Guadalupe Perez; great grandchildren, Elizabeth R., Castulo Jr., Erick, Christopher, Brianna, Ayden, Andy Jr., Araseli Gutierrez, Miguel Angel Jr., Melanie Anne Perez; brothers, Renato Benavides, Roberto Benavides;
and by numerous nephews, nieces and friends. Visitation hours were held Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014, from 8 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. with a Catholic Chapel Service at 10 a.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery. Cremation arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata.
Continued from Page 1A
millions in revenue for our school system. But, we’ve got to be competitive with the private sector. So, I’m for it if it’s done in a responsible way,” he said about the industry’s effect on the environment. He also mentioned his experience teaching and his involvement “in the charter school movement in North Texas.” Bush is the eldest son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and nephew of former President George W. Bush. His grandfather is former President George H. W. Bush. Each mention of or allusion to his
CONVICTION
family drew applause Thursday. While he said his family has “been an incredible resource,” he has “got to be a man who stands on his own two feet and has his own vision for the state.” “We’ve got to do a better job as Texans with limited resources. We’re a budget constrained state.” he said. “It can’t happen overnight, but I want to fight for these changes.” Bush visited Eagle Pass and Del Rio on Valentine’s Day. (Matthew Nelson may be reached at 728-2567 or mnelson@lmtonline.com)
Continued from Page 1A
added that it could allow him “to get out of prison one day.” “He feels satisfied, even though he feels sad about going away for 30 years. It’s tough to go away for 30 years for a mistake he made when he was 16 years old, but he understands that it was serious and somebody’s dead and some other people were injured,” Balli said. “He felt this was the right thing to do.” Garcia’s first conviction came from a jury trial in 2011 who sentenced him to 70 years. This conviction was overturned, however, after the Fourth Court of Appeals found his Sixth Amendment right to public trial was violated by Judge Elma Teresa Salinas Ender, who presided over the 341st District Court Photo by Cuate Santos | Laredo Morning Times at the time. Before Garcia was indicted, he fled Joseph Allen Garica leaves the 341st District Court room in Laredo under the custody of a Webb County Sheriff’s Deputy after pleading guilty to one murder and three aggravated asto Mexico. “Before he was indicted in the 341st sault charges Friday morning. Judge Beckie Palomo sentenced Garcia to 30 years in prison. District Court, he left to Mexico. He started a new life. He got married and 24, 2010. During that time, he was closure to this case and move on,” Alastarted a family and he was working,” placed on the 15 Most Wanted Fugi- niz said. “It took a very long time for Balli said. tives List. justice to finally arrive.” Garcia eluded capture until he was “The state is satisfied, the family is (Matthew Nelson may be reached at arrested and sent back to the U.S. Sept. satisfied. We’re glad to be able to bring 728-2567 or mnelson@lmtonline.com)
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors BASKETBALL: ZAPATA
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: TEXAS RANGERS
Texas adds Hanson Rangers sign pitcher in search of depth Photo by Clara Sandoval | The Zapata Times
By STEPHEN HAWKINS
Coach Hector Garcia has guided the Lady Hawks to the Class 3A area championship game after picking up a co-district title and a bi-district championship on Tuesday.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
T
he Texas Rangers first tried to get Tommy Hanson as part of what was a franchise-changing trade seven years ago. Now they have signed the free agent right-hander to a one-year contract in their search for depth in a rotation dealing with injury concerns. Hanson signed Friday, two days before Rangers pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Surprise, Ariz. “He’s a guy we followed for a long time,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “Probably back to the Mark Teixeira trade in ’07, followed his career and happy to have the opportunity to bring him in and looking forward to seeing him compete.” The 27-year-old Hanson was 4-3 with a 5.42 ERA in 15 games (13 starts) in a difficult season with the Los Angeles Angels that included a right forearm injury and the death of his stepbrother. “Mentally, I don’t think I was where I needed to be last year,” Hanson said. “It wasn’t only me. My whole family was dealing with that. It’s hard to see your family struggle. It’s difficult, something I don’t really like to talk about. I feel like I’m in a lot better place now than I was last year.” Hanson said he’s glad that is in the past. Physically, he said he feels great after two months of throwing. The Rangers made room for Hanson by putting left-handed reliever Joseph Ortiz on the 60-day disabled list with a broken left foot. He had surgery last month after he was run over by a motorcycle while home in Venezuela. The Angels traded for Hanson after he won at least 10 games in all four major league seasons (2009-12) with Atlanta, the organization he was with when the Rangers traded Teixeira in the deal that brought shortstop Elvis Andrus, left-hander Matt Harrison and Neftali Feliz — all since AllStars and part of two teams in Texas that reached the World Series. Daniels and the Rangers also inquired about Hanson in that deal. “But he was a guy that Atlanta rightfully didn’t want to give up on,” Daniels said. Texas lefty Derek Holland, who had a
Both Zapata teams in playoffs By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
File photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez | AP
The Texas Rangers signed right-handed pitcher Tommy Hanson to a one-year deal on Friday. Rangers-high 33 starts and career-high 213 innings last season, could miss more than half the season after microfracture surgery on the left knee injured when he was tripped by his dog on the stairs at his home. Harrison, last year’s opening day starter, is coming off a season when he made only two starts before two operations on a her-
SOCHI OLYMPICS: HOCKEY
niated disk in his back. Hanson said there were “quite of few teams” interested in him, but that Texas was the best fit for him. “Being able to go in and make the rotation, and be a big part of the team,” Hanson said. “Ultimately we thought Texas was the best choice and here we are now.”
Zapata has become a postseason town this year after the two basketball varsity teams captured a spot in the playoffs. The Lady Hawks captured a share of the District 31-3A title with Lyfors as they both sported a 6-2 record, but they set out to the postseason as the number one seed. Zapata battled Port Isabel in the Class 3A bi-district championship and came away with a 49-35 victory. Leading the offensive explosion was Roxy Galvan who poured in 20 points to account for half of Zapata’s scoring. Clarissa Villarreal added 11 while Tere Villarreal finished with 10 on the night. Zapata (17-14) led from the opening tip and took a 13-9 advantage at the end of the first quarter as Galvan established herself in the game. Port Isabel started to chip away and made it a one-point game midway through the
See ZAPATA PAGE 2B
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: MIAMI DOLPHINS
Inquiry on harassed Martin By STEVE REED ASSOCIATED PRESS
File photo by Associated Press
In this 1980 file photo, Soviet goalie Vladislav Tretiak allows a goal against the U.S. at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
Russia not looking past USA this time By JIM LITKE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SOCHI, Russia — As horror movies go, Dmitry Chernyshenko makes no claims to be a connoisseur or critic. Yet he had no problem editing the list of films that haunted his childhood down to three. “Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th,” the head of the Sochi 2014 organizing committee said Friday.
And the third? He smirked. “Miracle on Ice,” Chernyshenko said. The film depicting the upset win by a team made up mostly of U.S. college hockey players over the Soviet Union’s dynastic “Big Red Machine” at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics is actually titled “Miracle.” But everyone old enough to remem-
See HOCKEY PAGE 2B
An investigation into the racially charged Miami Dolphins bullying scandal detailed widespread harassment in the team’s locker room that extended beyond the two players at the center of the probe. The NFL-ordered report stated there was a “pattern of harassment” committed by at least three players and extended to two lineman and an assistant trainer, all targets of vicious taunts and racist insults. Lawyer Ted Wells released the report Friday, saying guard John Jerry and center Mike Pouncey followed Richie Incognito’s lead in harassing Jonathan Martin, who left the team in October. They threatened to rape his sister, called him a long list of slurs and bullied him for not being “black enough.” In a statement emailed by a league spokesman, the NFL did not make any mention of possible punishment stemming from the case. The league only confirmed it had received the report and said it appreciated the Dolphins’ cooperation with the investigation. Wells said he does not intend to comment further. Martin is biracial, Incognito is white, and Jerry and Pouncey are black.
File photo by Wilfredo Lee | AP
According to a report by the NFL, Jonathan Martin, right, was subjected to “a pattern of harassment” by Richie Incognito, left, and other teammates. Martin’s agent Kenneth Zuckerman said his client feels “vindicated” by the report. “He feels a great sense of relief,” Zuckerman told The Associated Press. “Jonathan Martin is a great man and he’s only shown me that he is very honest since the day I met him. He loves football and is eager to get back on the field, regardless of what team he plays for.” Incognito’s attorney Mark Schamel released a statement calling Wells’ report “replete with errors” and said that Martin “was
never bullied by Richie Incognito or any member of the Dolphins’ offensive line.” Martin, who has two years left on his contract with the Dolphins, declined interview requests. Incognito was suspended in November, but Pouncey and Jerry remained starters throughout the season. The report mentioned another offensive lineman and an assistant trainer who also routinely came under attack from the trio.
See MARTIN PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014
Stewart returns to racing, undaunted by layoff By JENNA FRYER ASSOCIATED PRESS
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. As far as he’s concerned, those are the only major changes since he broke two bones in his leg in an August sprint-car crash. So when the green flag drops Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway for his first race since the accident, Stewart believes it will be the same old “Smoke” behind the wheel. “We’re not going to need a backup driver,” boasted Stewart, who is scheduled to be in the race car for the first time Friday for 105 minutes of practice for the exhibition Sprint Unlimited. “I feel good enough that I’m confident we’re not going to have to worry about anything,” he added. “We’ve planned for anything that we think might or could go wrong, and when I say ‘go wrong,’ it’s not anything that’s going to take us out of the race car. It’s just a matter of making everything as comfortable as possible.” Stewart has not raced in more than six months, an unheard of amount of time off for a driver who makes his money racing in NASCAR yet crisscrossed the country cramming 50 or more weeknight events into his yearround schedule. Six-time champion Jimmie Johnson isn’t dismissing Stewart’s chances of making a successful return. “Tony’s a guy that when he’s motivated, he can do anything,” Johnson said. “And his motivation and desire to get in the car is probably higher than it’s been since he was a little kid, so it could be really dangerous for all of us, you know what I mean?” Last August, Stewart was leading with five laps remaining at Southern Iowa Speedway
when a lapped car spun in front of him, causing Stewart to hit that car and flip several times. Stewart’s time sidelined was certainly difficult, enhanced by the pain from his broken leg. He had two surgeries for the breaks, then a third to treat an infection. He was flat on his back, confined to the first-floor bedroom of his longtime business manager, where he was forced to lay with his leg elevated above his heart. When there was Stewart-Haas Racing business to address, team personnel did it at his bedside. Stewart required an ambulance to get to his doctor appointments, and when he finally was able to get out of bed, he needed a wheelchair to get around. And when Stewart — a driver SHR vice president of competition Greg Zipadelli referred to as “Superman” in the days after his accident — finally made an appearance at the race track, it was on a motorized scooter. Nobody was comfortable seeing the three-time NASCAR champion so restricted. Many wondered if he’d ever be the same. Not Stewart. “Right off the bat, the surgeon, the therapists, they’ve all said, ‘You’re going to have 100percent recovery,”’ Stewart said. “With that, from Day 1, it took the doubt out.” Any questions about getting back into a race car were erased, and Stewart turned his attention to his recovery. He wondered when he’d be 100 percent — doctors have told him it will take a year, and he said this week his leg is only 65-percent healed — and when the pain would subside. He asked doctors if he’d always have some sort of lingering pain, and he threw himself into a tough rehabilitation program. As he progressed and moved closer to Friday’s practice sessions, his SHR team built a mod-
Photo by John Raoux | AP
Tony Stewart adjusts the rear view mirror in his car before going out on the track to practice Friday. Stewart has not raced in more than six months since he broke two bones in his leg in an August 2013 sprint-car crash. ule that includes a seat, steering wheel, steering column and pedals so Stewart could sit and hold the pedal down for 20 minutes to simulate the pressure of having his foot on the throttle. New teammate Kevin Harvick ordered Stewart a special pad that hangs off the steering wheel that will prevent his knees from banging into the steering column. Now his peers wait to see how Stewart will drive. Harvick said they attended a sponsor appearance together this week and when they left, Stewart “was
ZAPATA Continued from Page 1B quarter before Zapata was able to take a 22-10 halftime edge. Zapata came out of the locker room with a new sense of rejuvenation and started to find the basket more often than the Lady Tarpons to take their biggest advantage of the game at 32-24 to heading into the fourth quarter. The Lady Hawks played solid defense and forced Port Isabel into some untimely turnovers that proved to be the difference of the game. Zapata took on Devine on Friday after press time for the Class 3A area championship in Alice with tip-off set for 7 p.m. "Devine is very good team. They have one girl that’s tall,
can dribble and can shoot," Zapata head girls’ basketball coach Hector Garcia said. "They play a very aggressive 2-3 zone and a full-court press. But I think my team will match up very good with Devine. "The combination of our transition offense and controlling the game will be the factor of the game." Hawks battle Rio Hondo While the girls’ basketball is in the second round of the state Class 3A playoffs, the Hawks are set to start their postseason run on Tuesday. After starting the season with a tough preseason schedule that had the Hawks at the
Border Olympics in Laredo and the La Feria tournament, Zapata learned how to overcome any adversity on the court despite dropping games. The Hawks also dealt with injuries to key players but were healthy enough at the start of the district season to finish in second place in District 31-3A. Zapata is preparing for the Class 3A bi-district game Tuesday night where they will face a tough Rio Hondo team at La Joya. The winner stays alive and advances to area championship game. Clara Sandoval can be reached at sandoval.clara@gamil.com
MARTIN Continued from Page 1B Neither was identified in the report. The report chronicled Martin’s struggle to deal with a “pattern of harassment,” including emotional text exchanges with his parents and a description of him crying in the bathroom after one particularly painful attack. Martin also told investigators that he “believed that trying to engage in a physical confrontation with these three — whom he viewed as a united group — would only make matters worse.” The inquiry said Martin was taunted and ridiculed almost daily. After Martin left the team, Incognito boasted about “breaking Jmart” in a notebook the linemen used to tally fines and bonuses among themselves. When the investigation began, Incognito asked another player to destroy the book, saying “They’re going to suspend me.” The other harassed player was “subjected to homophobic namecalling and improper physical touching,” while the assistant trainer, who was born in Japan, was subjected to racial slurs. “It was not difficult to conclude that the Assistant Trainer and Player A were harassed, but the questions raised in Martin’s case were more complex, nuanced and difficult,” the report says. Although Wells concluded that Martin was abused by three teammates, the report said “they did not intend to drive Martin from the team or cause him lasting emotional injury.” Evaluating Martin’s claims
was difficult, “given his mental health issues, his possible heightened sensitivity to insults and his unusual, ‘bipolar’ friendship with Incognito,” the report said. “Nonetheless, we ultimately concluded that Martin was indeed harassed by Incognito, who can fairly be described as the main instigator.” The report comes about three months after the league hired Wells to investigate the case, which prompted a national debate about hazing and workplace bullying. “To a great extent, Incognito dictated the culture,” the report said. “We doubt that matters would have gotten so out of hand had Incognito not set a tone on the offensive line that made extremely vulgar taunting a typical form of communication.” Dolphins offensive line coach Jim Turner didn’t attempt to stop the behavior and even took part in some of the taunting of “Player A,” the report said. Several people interviewed told investigators that Turner gave Player A, a male sex doll as a gag gift around Christmas 2012. Turner told investigators he did not remember the incident, but investigators said they did not believe him. However, the report found no evidence that the Dolphins front office or head coach Joe Philbin was aware of the conduct Martin found abusive. The 6-foot-5, 312-pound Martin abruptly left the team Oct. 28. He was briefly hospitalized and then
joined his family in California and underwent counseling for emotional issues. Incognito was barred from the season’s last eight games. Incognito expressed regrets about the racist and profane language he used with Martin, but said it stemmed from a culture of locker-room “brotherhood,” not bullying. Martin has said he tried to be friends with Incognito. The two players traded more than a thousand text messages in a year’s span, and the teasing and vulgar banter went both ways. Martin also participated in the teasing of Player A, although investigators say he was simply trying to fit in with the other linemen. The report also mentioned Martin having suicidal thoughts. “Whether or not Incognito, Jerry and Pouncey fully appreciated the effect of their actions on Martin, there is no doubt that, from Martin’s perspective, their actions were abusive and hurtful,” the report said. “We are not, however, in a position to evaluate Martin’s assertion that the abusive conduct of his teammates was, in fact, the exclusive triggering cause of his depression and contemplation of suicide.” The NFL Players Association said it will review the findings closely, confer with players and all relevant parties involved. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said in a statement: “As an organization, we are committed to a culture of team-first accountability and respect for one another.”
like a crazed lunatic. You could see that look in his eye. He looked at me and said, ‘I’m ready to ... race!”’ A driver who has excelled in races because of his ability to feel the car, some have wondered if the injury has taken that talent from Stewart. He doesn’t believe the broken leg has robbed him of anything. “When you hear the quote, ‘It’s a seat-of-the-pants feel,’ you feel it in your core,” he said. “Everything that is processed through your brain is between your core as far as feeling what’s
going on. Your hands and arm are feeling pressure in the steering wheel. But as far as from your legs down, you’re not really feeling that sensation. It’s more of what your brain is telling your legs to do. “If we had to have an area to have an injury, my right leg was probably the one.” Denny Hamlin struggled all last season after missing five races with a fractured vertebra in his lower back. But Hamlin cited Stewart’s superior talent as reason why Stewart won’t have similar issues.
HOCKEY Continued from Page 1B ber the game — Chernyshenko was 11 at the time — knows exactly what he was talking about. “We all grew up in the culture that hockey is a religion in our country,” Chernyshenko said, “and we were educated by this very dramatic story of the competition between our two great countries.” That rivalry is renewed Saturday inside the Bolshoy Ice Dome in Sochi, though this time it’s only a preliminary round game instead of a semifinal. What’s also different is the diminished tension surrounding this encounter. The 1980 game was played against the backdrop of a stillsimmering Cold War, portrayed as a surrogate battle of good vs. evil. Which side was which depended largely on where you viewed it from. The young men on both sides who play one another Saturday tend to see it only through the prism of hockey. “We don’t refer to them as the big, bad Russians, because we know a lot of them and play with a lot of them (in the National Hockey League),” said U.S. captain Zach Parise. “There just isn’t the political rivalry that there was back then. But it’s still special when you see the U.S.-Russia matchup. “It’s still hockey rivals. It’s still sports rivals. But I guess,” he added, “you don’t have that political stuff going on in the background, too.” A few old guys who played in the 1980 game have done their part to ratchet up the stakes. Hall of Fame goaltender Vladislav Tretiak, now president of the Russian Hockey Federation, was pulled after two periods in what turned out to be a 4-3 win that paved the Americans path to the gold medal in 1980. He said earlier this week, “It was a good lesson that the Americans taught us. “You have to respect your competitors and only after the game can you tell what you think about them. We did not have respect for the competitors at that time, but we don’t have that during this Olympics.” Mike Eruzione, who scored the game-winning goal in 1980, bristled after opening the paper and reading Tretiak’s remarks. “I was a little disappointed, frankly. That game meant a chance to win the gold medal. So tell me how a team of professionals — and remember, the Soviets
were 27- and 28-year-old career Army guys, whose ‘job’ was playing hockey — doesn’t respect an opponent. “It’s almost like,” Eruzione said finally, “they still can’t give us credit for being a good team.” That won’t be a problem this time around. The Russian team is under considerable pressure to deliver the gold medal. They can’t afford to overlook anyone. “Everyone is expecting only one thing from us,” Russian captain Pavel Datsyuk said. “And we won’t have the right to make an error.”
Men’s hockey roundup SOCHI, Russia — Teemu Selanne became the oldest hockey player to score in Olympic history, helping Finland rout Norway 6-1. “That record makes me feel very old,” Selanne said with a grin. The 43-year-old wasn’t the only ageless wonder who helped his team win Friday. Jaromir Jagr scored for the second time of the Sochi Games, on the eve of his 42nd birthday, to help the Czech Republic beat Latvia 4-2. “I don’t get old, man,” Jagr said. A relative young fella, 41-yearold Daniel Alfredsson of Sweden, skated past the competition to get to the front of the net and poke in a game-winning goal with 7:21 left to beat Switzerland. The defending Olympic-champion Canadians cruised to a 6-0 win over Austria. They don’t have any old players, just a bunch of good ones, including Jeff Carter, who scored three straight goals in the second period of Canada’s second game of the tournament. Finland (2-0) faces Canada (2-0) on Sunday for an automatic spot in the quarterfinals. The loser might get the wild-card berth to move on to the final eight in the 12-nation tournament. The Jagr-led Czechs (1-1) likely will have to play an extra game in the qualification round just to reach the quarterfinals even if they beat Switzerland (1-1) on Saturday. Sweden (2-0) moved into a favorable position to earn a spot in the quarterfinals as the only undefeated team in Group C. With a victory over winless Latvia on Saturday, they Swedes will earn a pass into the quarterfinals.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014
“
HELOISE
Dear Heloise: In a recent Washington Post article, you stated that leftover COFFEE GROUNDS should never be put down the garbage disposal. Why? — Al S., via email Al, you and many readers were curious, so here’s the “scoop.” It’s not that the disposal won’t handle them; it does grind up all sorts of food. It’s when they go down the drain and supposedly disappear into the sewer system. That black hole in the kitchen sink is attached to the plumbing, and that’s where the problem might come up and, well, really stop things up! Look under the kitchen sink, and you will see a Ptrap (I say it looks like a bent elbow). If you don’t run enough water (and most folks don’t), the grounds can get stuck in there or in the plumbing
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
farther down the line. Then you add other foods scraped from plates, or you wash a pan that has grease or oil on it. Combine all of these factors, and you just might end up with a clogged drain. My mantra: It’s better to prevent a problem than to have to deal with one. When in doubt, throw it out! If you live in a house, the plumbing can run a long way to the sewer or septic system. Hope this helps “clear up” the coffee-grounds question. — Heloise PET PAL Dear Readers: Debra Amos in Moulton, Ala., sent a photo of her blueeyed Lab puppy, Crystal Dynasty, sleeping wedged between furniture. She was named after her owner’s alma mater’s numerous national football championship titles. She is full of personality and has become the ambassador for a nonprofit organization that her owner runs. To see Crystal’s photo, go to www.Heloise.com and click on “Pets.” — Heloise
Sports
4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014
Australia’s Lydia Lassila makes history By EDDIE PELLS ASSOCIATED PRESS
KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia — Lydia Lassila already has a gold medal sitting back home in Australia. At these Olympics, she was looking for something better. So, she raised her hand and took off down the biggest ramp on the aerials course Friday night for a jump that would cement her as the sport’s foremost trailblazer regardless of whether it earned another gold or not. She bounded off the ramp, flew six stories high and packed four twists inside of three flips. In a training run a day earlier, she had become the first woman to land that jump on snow. In the final, she bowed backward on the landing and her hands spiked against the landing hill. The 32-year-old mom from Melbourne settled for a bronze medal but did her sport a favor — make that two favors. She raised the bar for the next generation of jumpers, while clearing the way for another of the grand veterans of the game, Alla Tsuper of Belarus, to win the gold medal in her fifth and final try at the Games. “I’m really happy with the bronze,” Lassila said. “I came into these Olympics wanting to get the
most out of myself and wanting to push the sport. I wanted to lift barriers and inspire women to do harder tricks.” Xu Mengtao also bobbled backward during her landing and settled for silver, giving the Chinese women their world-leading fifth Olympic medal in this daredevil sport. None of them are gold, however. The 34-year-old Tsuper was the only skier of the four in the super final to land her jump cleanly. She scored a 98.01. At the last Olympics, she competed for Ukraine and finished eighth after winning the qualifying round — another disappointment for a woman who had been favored to medal in the three Olympics before that but had always come up empty. “In Vancouver, when I made it to the final but I didn’t medal, I thought that was it,” she said. “I took a break for two years, had a daughter and was offered to try again.” The victory gave her new country, Belarus, its third gold medal of the Olympics, leaving it one behind the United States, Norway and Canada, and one ahead of the host country, which has about 15 times the population. “I don’t think it will be our last medal of the Olympics,” Tsuper said. “Our guys are still going to perform here.”
Photo by Sergei Grits | AP
Australia’s Lydia Lassila makes her bronze medal-winning jump during the women’s freestyle skiing aerials final at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park on Friday at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. It was an American, the late Jeret “Speedy” Peterson, who became the most notable boundary pusher on the men’s side of this sport, consistently throwing caution to the wind and throwing his Hurricane jump — five twists inside of three somersaults — before finally being rewarded for with a silver medal in 2010. The women’s side has been looking for that sort of push for a while. Li Nina won silver four
years ago with a four-twisting double flip and attempted the same jump in the final Friday. Going first, she wiped out wildly and scored a 46.02. That gave Lassila a better chance of winning the gold even without trying her most difficult jump. But that decision had already been made. “It was all or nothing for us,” she said. The jump looked good in the
air, the green stripes sewed onto the inside of her arms and the outside of her pant legs lining up in almost perfect symmetry — an easy way for the judges to see that she’s “penciling” the jump. But in aerials, the jump counts for 50 percent, while the take-off counts for 20 and the landing is the rest. Lasilla wiped out and scored 72.12. “It’s a tough call,” said American Emily Cook, who competed in her third and final Olympics and finished eighth. “The winner’s the one who puts down the best jump. But she’s amazing. She’s transforming the sport, which is incredible.” American Ashley Caldwell, who finished 10th after leading the way in qualifying, agreed. “That’s who I’m inspired by,” Caldwell said. “She’s trying to push the sport so that girls are jumping like the boys, and she’s doing it, and it’s really impressive.” Asked if she wanted to be remembered more for the time she won the Olympics or the time she finished third but also gave her sport a little nudge, Lasilla didn’t hesitate. “I really hope it’s for the trick I did today and what I tried to do today,” she said. “I hope I left my mark on the sport and inspired some other athletes.”
Texas Tech’s family feel By BETSY BLANEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Bernat Armangue | AP
Jason Brown of the United States finished ninth in the men’s free skate in his first Olympics Friday in Sochi, Russia.
US skater Jason Brown takes 9th By RACHEL COHEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
SOCHI, Russia — Imagine what Jason Brown could accomplish with a quadruple jump in his repertoire. Add that most difficult of elements to his programs, and the American teen could go from finishing ninth in his first Olympics to winning major championships. “For sure, for sure. It’s really exciting what I’ve been able to do without the quad,” Brown said. “That’s a huge confidence builder and a huge excitement about what can happen in the future. I definitely think with that anything is possible.” The 19-year-old from Chicago was in sixth place but less than a point out of third after Thursday’s short program at the Sochi Games. By the time he took the ice for Friday’s final free skate, bronze was likely out of Brown’s reach because of the points racked up by several competitors. Then he two-footed his toe loop on his triple-triple combination and stepped out on his triple axel, both jumps marked down for under-rotation. But the most costly mistake came when his foot appeared to slip on the takeoff for his double axel and he regrouped before trying it a second time. Under figure skating rules, the attempt counts as a jump, so his triple loop near the end didn’t earn any points because it was technically one more jump than permitted. Brown was 11th in the free skate and finished 16.73 points behind bronze medalist Denis Ten. Still, a top-10 Olympic showing is an impressive achievement for a skater who wasn’t sure at the start of the year if he should compete at the junior or senior level. He’s working on his quad every day in practice, determined to contend at the next two Olympics. It took him 31/2 years to develop his triple axel, but that forced him to polish the spins and footwork that allow him to score so many points despite the lack of a
quad. As of now, Brown isn’t in line to skate at the world championships in March. The U.S. spots would go to Max Aaron and Jeremy Abbott, though Abbott said Friday he wasn’t sure yet if he’d go to worlds. For Abbott, a four-time U.S. champ who plans to retire after the season, the free skate was a small measure of redemption. He slammed into the ice on his quad attempt Thursday to place 15th in the short program. Abbott woke up Friday morning racked by pain. His body was bruised from his hip up the length of his ribs, and the muscles on his right side were seizing up. That made it impossible to do any loops, so he swapped them for other jumps Friday. As for the quad toe loop to open his free skate, his coaches counseled him to “be smart.” So when he didn’t feel quite right going into it, he did a triple instead. It was a clean if not perfect program. Abbott was eighth in the free skate to move up to 12th overall. Yet again, he excelled at nationals only to falter at a major championship. Asked what he would tell people who consider him a choker, Abbott inhaled slowly then started to answer. Laughing, he apologized to U.S. Figure Skating communications director Barb Reichert for what was coming. “Bring it,” she said. His words were razor sharp, but he delivered them far more philosophically than angrily. “I would just want to put my middle fingers in the air and say a big ‘F you’ to everyone who’s ever said that to me, because they’ve never stood in my shoes, and they’ve never had to do what I had to do,” Abbott said. “Nobody has to stand center ice in front of a million people and put an entire career on the line for eight minutes of their life when they’ve been doing it for 20-some years. “If you think that’s not hard, then you’re a,” he paused for a moment to decide on the word, “damn idiot.”
LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Tech senior Jaye Crockett has heard plenty through the years about his physical talent. But now he’s gaining additional skills under first-year coach Tubby Smith. Smith, the fourth Red Raiders coach in as many years, has shown Crockett the importance of smarts on the court. “He wants us to be mentally tough,” said Crockett, who is averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds to lead Texas Tech. “He tells us this is the time of year when teams start getting down on themselves. You can either give up or try to build off that and just try to get a streak going.” That’s what the Red Raiders hope to continue doing when they travel north to take on No. 11 Iowa State on Saturday. They’ve won three straight conference games for the first time since 2011 and their five Big 12 wins are more than the past two seasons combined. Texas Tech also has two wins over Top 25 teams in the past month. One was the 65-61 win over thenNo.-19 Oklahoma State last weekend that got overshadowed by the incident involving Marcus Smith and a Texas Tech fan he shoved. Smith
was quick to remind his players to focus on the outcome. “You have to just focus on what you and your teammates need to do to be successful,” Tolbert said of Smith’s reminder. Texas Tech (13-11, 5-6) was looking for stability when it hired Smith in April. The program had had two coaches who each stayed a year — Billy Gillispie and Chris Walker, who stepped in as interim coach after Gillispie left in September 2012 for medical reasons. The program also needed success. The Red Raiders’ last winning season was 2009-10 under Pat Knight; their last winning conference record came in 2006-07 under Bob Knight. Smith, 62, said he worried he would have to resell Texas Tech’s program to the players he inherited, especially since they’d had so many different coaches. He discovered otherwise. “That’s been the most pleasant surprise is how coachable and how receptive and how kind and caring these young men are,” said Smith, who won a national title at Kentucky in 1998. “Really, they’re a special group in that regard. They really stick together. They watch each other’s back.” Smith had just gotten fired at Minnesota when Texas Tech reached out. Coming in after all the
coaching chaos wasn’t easy, but players think Smith leaned on his past, having grown up one of 17 children. “He really makes it like a family atmosphere,” said junior Jordan Tolbert, who is averaging 10.8 points and 5.8 rebounds. “The older guys are like the big brothers, so all of them look up to us and we try to be on our best behavior and try to do everything as right as we can.” Crockett said he laments he’ll only play for Smith this season. He likes the specificity and detail about the game he gets from Smith. “If he was here for four years I feel like I would be a smarter player just overall,” Crockett said. “He’s a coach that will tell you something and explain why he just told you. He knows the game so well. After the Iowa State game, the Red Raiders host No. 7 Kansas on Tuesday and travel to Stillwater Feb. 22 for their second matchup with Oklahoma State. Crockett says players have had postseason goals in the backs of their minds all season. “We’re not going to give up,” he said of getting an invite to play in the NCAA tournament. “We can make a run in the Big 12 tournament. We can go on a run and open some eyes and hopefully get some votes to get into some postseason play.”
Olympic glance: Cologna golden ASSOCIATED PRESS
It was a big medal day for the Swiss: Dario Cologna won his second gold of the Sochi Olympics with a dominant performance in the 15-kilometer classical-style cross-country race, five days after winning the opening 30-kilometer skiathlon. Then, Sandro Viletta put down the second-fastest slalom run to win the men’s super-combined. Finally, Selina Gasparin shot cleanly to take the silver in the women’s 15-kilometer individual race in the biathlon. JAPAN’S FIRST FIGURE SKATING GOLD Despite two falls, Yuzuru Hanyu won Japan’s first Olympic gold medal in men’s figure skating. Patrick Chan, trying for Canada’s first such victory, took silver. World silver medalist Denis Ten of Kazakhstan took the bronze. All of the medalists had flawed performances, but the 19-year-old Hanyu held on in great part because of his 3.93-point lead after the short program. He is the first Asian man to take Olympic gold. THE SILVER SURFER Skiing in the super-combined, Ivica Kostelic of Croatia again won silver. He became the first skier to win three straight silvers in a single Alpine skiing discipline - in 2006, 2010 and 2014. Kostelic’s younger sister, Janica, won four golds and two silvers at the 2002 and 2006 Games. It’s 10th Olympic medal in the family, “and this fact makes be very proud,” Kostelic said. ANOTHER LIZZY REIGNS FOR ENGLAND Britain’s Lizzy Yarnold won the women’s skeleton, posting a fourrun time that was 0.97 seconds faster than U.S. silver medalist Noelle Pikus-Pace. Russia’s Elena Nikiti-
Photo by Gregorio Borgia | AP
Switzerland’s Dario Cologna earned his second gold medal of the Sochi Olympics on Friday winning the the 15-kilometer classical-style cross-country race. na got the bronze. Pikus-Pace entered retirement by exorcising the memory of letting a medal slip away in Vancouver four years ago. BELARUS’ DAY IS TSIMPLY TSUPER Alla Tsuper delivered a stunning win in aerials that capped a golden day for Belarus. Tsuper beat a field that included defending Olympic champion Lydia Lassila of Australia. Earlier, Darya Domracheva got her second gold medal of the Sochi Games, winning the women’s 15-kilometer individual race in the biathlon, and teammate Nadezhda Skardino got the bronze. It was the first time two athletes from the Eastern European country got medals in the same Winter Games event. WARDROBE ADJUSTMENTS
Another warm day in the Caucasus Mountains above Sochi saw cross-country skiers modifying their wardrobes in the 50 degree (10 degree C) temperatures. Some wore short sleeves, while Norway’s Chris Andre Jespersen cut off his pants down his thigh. Said German veteran Alex Teichmann: “I became a winter athlete to do my sport in winter, not in summer. That was definitely the warmest race of my career.” PUTIN IN THE HOUSE President Vladimir Putin visited the Olympic headquarters of the United States — even wearing a Team USA pin. U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun said: “Putin was very gracious.” Some American athletes said “Welcome!” to him in Russian, and he answered “Thanks!” in English, Russian news agencies reported. The visit was a sharp contrast with the chilly state of political relations between Washington and Moscow. Putin also visited Canada House. MEDALS One week into the competition at the Sochi Games, Norway and the United States are exactly even in the medals count, with 13 total, including four gold. The Netherlands and Russia also are tied with 12 total medals, although the Dutch have four gold and the hosts have only two. Canada has 11 total medals, with four of them gold. Germany has 10 medals with seven of them gold. SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHT Seven medal events will be contested, including the women’s super-G, where Anna Fenninger, Nicole Hosp and Elisabeth Goergl lead Austria’s charge to win the race for the third consecutive Olympics.