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Bill Clinton pays visit
Zapata County Fair events
Campaigns for Hillary at TAMIU By KENDRA ABLAZA THE ZAPATA TIMES
Former President Bill Clinton visited Laredo on Monday to campaign for his wife, telling a crowd at TAMIU that she wants to build “ladders of opportunity and empowerment,” not walls. “We don’t need somebody to build walls. We need somebody to tear down barriers and build ladders of opportunity,” Clinton told about 1,200 to 1,500 people at a get-out-thevote rally for Hillary Clinton at Texas A&M International University. Infrastructure, quality of life and job growth were among the topics that Bill Clinton focused on when he spoke at TAMIU. He said Hillary Clinton is the ideal choice for U.S. president because her policies on those topics are good for both Republicans and Democrats. He said his wife, a demo-
“
Trail ride, parade take place in March
We don’t need somebody to build walls. We need somebody to tear down barriers and build ladders of opportunity.”
THE ZAPATA TIMES
Sunday, Feb. 28 2 p.m.: Zapata County Fair Queens Contest at the Zapata High School Auditorium
Saturday, March 5
FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON cratic presidential candidate, would take care of the country’s infrastructure needs, especially when it
See CLINTON PAGE 11A
Photo by Danny Zaragoza | The Zapata Times
Former President Bill Clinton greets supporters of his wife, democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, on Monday afternoon after speaking about several political points such as immigration, college tuition and debt at Texas A&M International University’s Kinesiology Convocation Building.
Zapata County Fair Association Trail Ride: 7 a.m.: Trail ride breakfast for riders at Bustamante Roping Arena 8 a.m.: Trail ride starts from Bustamante Roping Arena 9 a.m.: Books open for Annual ZCFA Roping at Zapata County Roping
See FAIR PAGE 11A
TEXAS
CRIME RATES GO DOWN Border communities safer than big cities By JULIÁN AGUILAR AND ALEXA URA TEXAS TRIBUNE
Photo by Victor Strife | The Zapata Times file
A pedestrian crosses the street in downtown Laredo in this November 2015 file photo. Border communities like Laredo, El Paso, Edinburg and Brownsville all saw fewer than 400 crimes for every 100,000 residents in 2014.
It’s a scene repeated often in Texas towns along the Rio Grande: a white U.S. Border Patrol van sporting the agency’s trademark green stripe competing with a Laredo Police Department car at a busy Stripes convenience store. Just two miles away, a nondescript orange building tucked between a bus stop and the Mariscos El Pescador restaurant houses divisions of the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Agency. Across the
street, dozens of Border Patrol SUVS and trucks fill a block-long parking lot. If nothing else, the money and manpower being deployed to keep unauthorized immigrants, terrorists and drugs out of the country have flooded Texas border counties with law enforcement. Crime has dropped, and the Texas side of the border apparently is now safer than the state’s larger cities. But a political tug-of-war about the security needs of the re-
See CRIME PAGE 11A
ZAPATA COUNTY
Two men indicted on human smuggling charges By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Two men were recently indicted on human smuggling charges, according to court documents released last week. Authorities alleged that Carlos Antonio Puente and Alberto Armando Lucio picked up 12 illegal im-
migrants in Zapata County. On Feb. 17, a grand jury in Laredo charged the men with conspiracy to transport undocumented people within the United States and attempt to transport undocumented people for financial gain. If convicted, the men could face a maximum of
10 years in federal prison. The incident unfolded Jan. 29, when U.S. Border Patrol agents patrolling the Dolores Creek area received reports of suspicious activity, states the criminal complaint filed Feb. 1. An older model gray Dodge Ram and a Chevrolet Equinox were loading
several people south of the Webb and Zapata County line, court documents state. Records show air support spotted the suspect vehicles exiting U.S. 83 onto Espejo Molina Road toward the City of Rio Bravo. Agents said the Equinox pulled over to the side
of the road and five people ran to the brush area. However, all were detained, according to court documents. A second bailout was reported moments later, when authorities said seven people got out of the Dodge Ram on Rio Nilo in Rio Bravo. Agents who responded to the area appre-
hended the group. A Texas Department of Traffic Safety trooper then pulled over the Dodge Ram for a traffic violation. Lucio was identified as the driver, records state. He was turned over to federal authorities. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The sounds of Broadway giants Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein III take center stage at LCC as the college’s Opera Workshop proudly presents “A Grand Night for Singing” at 7:30 p.m. at the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center theater. The musical revue will feature a medley of classic songs from beloved productions such as “Cinderella,” “The King and I,” “South Pacific,” “The Sound of Music,” and other cherished musicals. Tickets are $10 and benefit student scholarships. Spanish Book Club from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at City of Laredo Public Library – Calton. For more info, call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810. STEM Professional Development and Internship Fair from 1–4 p.m. at the Student Center Rotunda. Provides opportunities to those interested in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics sectors for TAMIU students, alumni and the Laredo community. Employers will also host corporate presentations throughout the day. Spanish Book Club from 6-9 p.m. at City of Laredo Public Library – Calton. For more info, call Sylvia Reash at 956-763-1810 Preschool Read & Play at McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St., from 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Story time and crafts for preschoolers. For more information, contact Priscilla Garcia at priscilla@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2403. Family Story Time & Crafts at McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St., from 4-5 p.m. For more information, contact Priscilla Garcia at priscilla@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2403. Meeting of the Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society. Dr. Jose Barragan will speak about land grants from 3-5 p.m. at St John Neumann Parish Hall. The public is invited. For more info call Sanjuanita Martinez-Hunter, 722-3497.
Today is Wednesday, Feb. 24, the 55th day of 2016. There are 311 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Feb. 24, 1868, the U.S. House of Representatives impeached President Andrew Johnson following his attempted dismissal of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton; Johnson was later acquitted by the Senate. On this date: In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII issued an edict outlining his calendar reforms. (The Gregorian Calendar is the calendar in general use today.) In 1803, in its Marbury v. Madison decision, the Supreme Court established judicial review of the constitutionality of statutes. In 1920, the German Workers Party, which later became the Nazi Party, met in Munich to adopt its platform. In 1938, the first nylon bristle toothbrush, manufactured by DuPont under the name “Dr. West’s Miracle Toothbrush,” went on sale. In 1955, the Cole Porter musical “Silk Stockings” opened at the Imperial Theater on Broadway. In 1986, the Supreme Court struck down, 6-3, an Indianapolis ordinance that would have allowed women injured by someone who had seen or read pornographic material to sue the maker or seller of that material. In 1988, in a ruling that expanded legal protections for parody and satire, the Supreme Court unanimously overturned a $150,000 award that the Rev. Jerry Falwell had won against Hustler magazine and its publisher, Larry Flynt. In 1996, Cuba downed two small American planes operated by the group Brothers to the Rescue that it claimed were violating Cuban airspace; all four pilots were killed. Ten years ago: Suicide bombers attempted to drive explosive-packed cars into the world’s largest oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia, but were foiled by guards who opened fire, detonating both vehicles; al-Qaida claimed responsibility. Five years ago: Discovery, the world’s most traveled spaceship, thundered into orbit for the final time, heading toward the International Space Station on a journey marking the beginning of the end of the shuttle era. One year ago: President Barack Obama, defying a Republican-led Congress, rejected a bill to approve construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. A Texas jury rejected the insanity defense of Eddie Ray Routh, convicting him of murdering famed “American Sniper” author Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield. Today’s Birthdays: Actor Steven Hill is 94. Actress Emmanuelle Riva is 89. Opera singer-director Renata Scotto is 82. Singer-writer-producer Rupert Holmes is 69. News anchor Paula Zahn is 60. Baseball Hall of Famer Eddie Murray is 60. Movie director Todd Field is 52. Actor Billy Zane is 50. Actress Bonnie Somerville is 42. Actor Wilson Bethel is 32. Rapper-actor O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Film: “Straight Outta Compton”) is 25. Thought for Today: “It is my feeling that Time ripens all things; with Time all things are revealed; Time is the father of truth.” — Francois Rabelais, 16th century French writer and physician.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26 The sounds of Broadway giants Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein III take center stage at LCC as the college’s Opera Workshop proudly presents “A Grand Night for Singing” at 7:30 p.m. at the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center theater. The musical revue will feature a medley of classic songs from beloved productions such as “Cinderella,” “The King and I,” “South Pacific,” “The Sound of Music,” and other cherished musicals. Tickets are $10 and benefit student scholarships. A Fresh Start to a Healthier You. Learn practical cooking and shopping tips and recipes for success in the kitchen at McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St., from 4:30-5:30 p.m. For more information, contact Angie Sifuentes, Webb County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, 956-5235290, angelica.sifuentes@ag.tamu.edu.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27 The sounds of Broadway giants Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein III take center stage at LCC as the college’s Opera Workshop proudly presents “A Grand Night for Singing” at 7:30 p.m. at the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center theater. The musical revue will feature a medley of classic songs from beloved productions such as “Cinderella,” “The King and I,” “South Pacific,” “The Sound of Music,” and other cherished musicals. Tickets are $10 and benefit student scholarships.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28 The sounds of Broadway giants Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein III take center stage at LCC as the college’s Opera Workshop proudly presents “A Grand Night for Singing” at 3 p.m. at the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center theater. The musical revue will feature a medley of classic songs from beloved productions such as “Cinderella,” “The King and I,” “South Pacific,” “The Sound of Music,” and other cherished musicals. Tickets are $10 and benefit student scholarships.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29 Chess Club at the LBV – Inner City Branch Library. Free for all ages and skill levels. Basic instruction is offered. Every Monday from 4-6 p.m. For more information call John at 956-795-2400 x2520.
Photo by Ralph Barrera/Austin American-Statesman | AP file
In this Oct. 1, 2015, file photo, protesters gather on the West Mall of the University of Texas campus to oppose a new state law that expands the rights of concealed handgun license holders to carry their weapons on public college campuses. State law requires public universities to allow concealed handguns in classrooms and buildings starting Aug. 1.
Guns on campus debate By JIM VERTUNO ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — When Texas’ conservative Legislature passed a law requiring public universities to allow concealed guns on campus, it also gave the state’s private institutions of higher learning the chance to follow suit. None has so far. More than 20 private schools have said they won’t lift their gun bans when the law takes effect this August, including the state’s largest private universities that have religious affiliations and often align with the type of conservative values espoused by the politicians behind the law. The opposition has not surprised top Texas Republicans who championed the law as a matter of constitutional rights and self-defense. But it reflects a widespread belief even among conservative university leaders that
guns have no place in the classroom. Baylor, Texas Christian and Southern Methodist universities have all declined to allow guns on their campuses. “My own view is that it is a very unwise public policy,” Baylor President Ken Starr, a former prosecutor and judge best known for his work on the Whitewater investigation involving President Bill Clinton, said late last year. The Baptist school announced this month that guns would not be allowed on campus. Previous law generally banned concealed handguns from Texas’ public and private universities. That changed last year, when lawmakers passed the so-called “campus carry” law that requires public universities to allow concealed handgun license holders to bring their weapons into campus buildings and classrooms.
Indicted attorney general makes case to court
4 Houstonians sentenced for sex trafficking minors
Texan faces 12 attempted capital murder counts
AUSTIN — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argues that criminal charges against him are unconstitutionally vague in his formal appeal to a Dallas court. His expected appeal comes two months after a lower judge refused to throw out felony indictments against the state’s top prosecutor. Paxton is accused of defrauding wealthy investors in 2011.
HOUSTON — Four people have been sentenced to federal prison for sex trafficking minors at a Houston apartment complex used as a brothel. The longest sentence handed down is 120 months in federal prison. Authorities say that the defendants mainly employed women and girls living in the U.S. illegally as prostitutes, charging $40 for 15 minutes of sex.
ODESSA — A West Texas woman faces 12 counts of attempted capital murder of a peace officer over a standoff in which two officers were shot while trying to arrest her husband. Roy Daniel Garza is accused of wounding two Odessa police officers during the Dec. 23 standoff and firing at several others. The officers were serving an aggravated robbery warrant.
Mexican man convicted in Death row inmate sues for Texas of $15M fraud wrongful conviction EL PASO — A Mexican businessman faces up to 30 years in a U.S. prison for running a $15 million investment swindle on both sides of the border. A federal jury on Friday convicted Roberto Trinida Del Carpio of 24 counts of wire fraud and 10 counts of money laundering. The 39-year-old formed several companies in Texas even thought he was not licensed as a dealer.
HOUSTON — A former death row inmate has filed a request for almost $2 million in state compensation saying he spent more than 12 years in prison because he was wrongfully convicted of murder. The 33-year-old Houston man was released in June after spending nearly a decade on Texas’ death row for the fatal shooting of a Houston police officer.
Teacher accused of having sex with student IRVING — A suburban Dallas high school teacher has been arrested for having an inappropriate relationship with a student 43 years younger than him. Authorities say 60-year-old Farley Ashford Simon was arrested Feb. 19 and booked into Irving City Jail on two charges of improper relationship between an educator and a student. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Where is the ‘LOVE?’ Statue moved for rehab PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia’s iconic “LOVE” statue has taken a ride to its temporary home while the park named after it gets a multimillion-dollar renovation. The Robert Indiana sculpture was loaded onto a lift truck Tuesday morning at the now-closed Love Park. It was slowly transported across the street to its new home at Dilworth Plaza, near City Hall. Perennial tourist attraction Love Park is closed for about a year during the renovation. The new-and-improved park will have more green space and a new fountain.
New trial for ex-cops stands in Katrina case NEW ORLEANS — A sharply divided federal appeals court has rejected prosecutors’ efforts to re-instate the convictions of five
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Philadelphia’s famed LOVE sculpture is on the move, in the rain from its original location in LOVE Park to Dilworth Park in front of City Hall, Tuesday, in Philadelphia. The iconic statue has taken a ride to its temporary home. former New Orleans police officers connected to deadly shootings of unarmed civilians in the chaos that followed Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Tuesday’s 7-7 tie vote on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in effect, maintains earlier rul-
ings that overturned the men’s earlier guilty verdicts. A judge had ordered a new trial after a scandal involving federal prosecutors’ improper, anonymous comments about the case on a newspaper’s website. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
Crime and More
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Saudi oil minister speaks about market in Houston By DAVID KOENIG ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — Saudi Arabia’s oil minister said Tuesday that production cuts to boost oil prices won’t work, and that instead the market should be allowed to work even if that forces some operators out of business. Ali Al-Naimi said production cuts by big, lowcost producers like Saudi Arabia would amount to subsidizing higher-cost ones — an apparent reference to U.S. shale oil drillers. Booming U.S. production effectively ended oil trades
at more than $100 per barrel that were taking place less than two years ago. A barrel of U.S. crude is now hovering around $30, a price at which many shale operators are assumed to be losing money. “The producers of these high-cost barrels must find a way to lower their costs, borrow cash or liquidate,” Naimi said. “It sounds harsh, and unfortunately it is, but it is the more efficient way to rebalance markets.” Naimi disputed a common view in the industry: that Saudi Arabia has kept pumping oil to protect its
market share and undercut shale producers. “We have not declared war on shale or on production from any given country or company,” he said. Naimi spoke at a gathering of global energy leaders in Houston. The price of benchmark U.S. crude fell Tuesday by nearly 5 percent to $31.81 a barrel. Brent crude, used to price oil internationally, dropped $1.36 to $33.31 a barrel in London. Just a day earlier, oil prices surged after the International Energy Agency predicted that oil supply and demand would balance
next year because of a steep drop in new drilling, namely in the U.S. The group’s executive director, Fatih Birol, predicted that crude would more than double to $80 a barrel by 2020. Shale and other new sources attracted by years of high oil prices pushed the supply of oil much higher than global demand, leading to the sharp drop in crude prices since mid-2014. OPEC decided in late 2014 that it would not cut production to prop up prices, and Naimi echoed OPEC’s thinking. “Cutting low-cost production to subsidize higher-cost supplies
only delays an inevitable reckoning,” he said. Analysts expect more U.S. shale operators will fail unless prices rise. Mark Papa, now an investment firm executive and the former CEO of EOG Resources, an early shale-gas producer, said the shale boom created many new companies. In the next year or so there will be “bodies all over the place — a lot of bankruptcies,” and drillers who survive will emerge weaker, he said. Others say that it might not take much of a rally in oil prices for shale drillers to thrive.
Vance Scott, an Ernst & Young consultant to oil and gas companies, said shale operators are continuing to cut costs and can squeeze subcontractors more and improve efficiency with technological advances in drilling. “They could make a go at $40 and maybe even lower” depending on the field, Scott said. “They will innovate.” While Naimi rejected production cuts as politically unworkable, he endorsed a freeze on production at current levels if major oilproducing countries go along.
Scalia suffered from many health problems By DAVID WARREN ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Antonin Scalia suffered from coronary artery disease, obesity and diabetes, among other ailments that probably contributed to the justice’s sudden death, according to a letter from the Supreme Court’s doctor. Presidio County District Attorney Rod Ponton cited the letter Tuesday when he told The Associated Press there was nothing suspicious about the Feb. 13 death of the 79-year-old jurist. He said the long list of health problems made an autopsy unnecessary. Ponton had a copy of the letter from Rear Adm. Brian P. Monahan, the attending physician for members of Congress and the Supreme Court. The letter was to Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara, who conducted a death inquiry by phone and certified Scalia’s death. The letter dated Feb. 16 said Scalia’s many “significant medical conditions led to his death,” Ponton
said. In the letter, Monahan listed more than a halfdozen ailments, including sleep apnea, degenerative joint disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and high blood pressure. Scalia also was a smoker, the letter said. Ponton declined to provide a copy of the letter, saying an open-records request must be made to Guevara. The AP filed a records request with the judge last week, but she did not provide the letter or respond to a reporter’s phone message Tuesday. The Texas Department of State Health Services has declined to release a copy of the death certificate. Scalia was found dead in his bed at the Cibolo Creek Ranch, not far from the Mexico border, where he had gone on a hunting trip. Dr. Mark Hlatky, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University, said a 79-year-old man with those conditions, especially coronary artery disease and sleep apnea, would be at risk for a po-
Photo by Charles Rex Arbogast | AP file
In this Oct. 18, 2011 file photo, U.S. Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia is shown in Chicago. A letter from the Supreme Court’s doctor says Scalia suffered from coronary artery disease, obesity and diabetes that probably contributed to the justice’s sudden death. tentially fatal heart arrhythmia. “A lot of people do die in their sleep, and they’re found the next day.” The conditions are also associated with pulmona-
ry embolism and stroke, which could also “kill somebody very suddenly.” Scalia’s death, he said, was unexpected, “but it sounds like it wasn’t suspicious.”
The justice’s many ailments, taken together, were “quite dangerous,” said Dr. David Zich, a physician of internal and emergency medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Zich said he would advise a patient with those conditions who was still smoking to stop smoking first and then lose weight. “Those are the main two things someone in his position can do himself,” Zich said. “The rest falls on the physician to medically manage blood pressure and make sure their blood sugar levels are controlled well.” Zich said he would also want such a patient to use a continuous positive airway pressure machine, or CPAP, at night for sleep apnea “to make sure the heart and body aren’t stressed while sleeping.” Guevara, who as county judge is the top administrator in the area, previously said she conferred by phone with Sheriff Danny Dominguez and a U.S. marshal before certifying the death. On the day Scalia died, she also
conferred with Monahan by phone before determining the cause of death. Scalia’s death “was handled in a similar fashion as the cases of other elderly people who have died in Presidio County,” Ponton said. In rural Texas, justices of the peace investigate deaths, among other duties, but the two justices in the region were out of town and unavailable. Guevara was also out of town, more than 60 miles away, but agreed to conduct the death inquiry by phone. The Supreme Court does not provide regular reports about the justices’ health. It is left to each court member to decide how much to make public about medical conditions. Some justices, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, have released detailed reports of hospital stays and surgeries. The Supreme Court’s press office could find just one release in 29 years pertaining to Scalia’s health, a report of surgery in 2003 to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016
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COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
My hero and favorite public servant Price Daniel Sr. is one of my favorite public servants. I believe I’ve made that statement before, and I’ve related several personal experiences that cemented that choice. In my fairly encompassing knowledge of this man, I do not know of one single, solitary action by him that could be labeled dishonest. And, I have written about several members of the family on occasion. Of course, one famous member of the family tree is my No. 1 public figure hero, Sam Houston. And, I have related the story of the Governor keeping some bigwigs waiting while he talked to this-then 20-year-old journalist about the newspaper business and about his grandfather having owned and published my hometown newspaper, The Teague Chronicle. His son, Price Jr., lived a star-crossed life and met a tragic and untimely end. Another son, Houston, is a successful attorney in the family’s home base of Liberty. Daughter Jean Houston Murph is a community journalist, following the family’s other career bent — newspapering as opposed to law. Give me liberty AND newspapers! Can’t have liberty without newspapers. Jean publishes the Citizens’ Advocate in Coppell, in the shadows of Dallas and the DFW Airport. She’s a chip off the other side of the “Old Block.” But, back to the Governor. His service to his state includes three terms in the Texas House of Representatives, Attorney General, United States Senator, of course Governor, and Texas Supreme Court justice, in that order. His service to Texas is unmatched. He did get some blame for something he did not approve — our sales tax. Even though he refused to sign the initial bill imposing the tax, he did not veto it and, thus, was blamed for Texans having to pay it. To add insult to injury, the initial paying of a onecent sales tax, that penny was called by many sidewalk philosophers: “a penny for Price.” Frankly, I believe the Texas Legislature would have passed the tax with a two-thirds override of his
veto, since a majority of that body felt they had exhausted other means of tax revenue to finance state government. The governor knew that to be a political reality and let the tax bill become law without his signature. I have written about his son, Price Jr., and my short-term encounters with him and elective office, and, sadly, his tragic demise. And, I have written at some length about his brother, Bill, a real character. Bill was a cowboy in the sense that he ranched, rode horses, roped cows and calves and was generally genuine and certifiable. Bill and I used to visit at the Cleveland Advocate, where I was publisher, and in the evenings at the Texan Theater, which I managed for my newspaper partners who owned the movie house. Yep, I burned the candle at both ends. Bill and I sat on the back row, ate popcorn (which he’d been forbidden by his doctors to do) and talked politics. The favorite politician for both of us was Price Daniel Sr. Bill sacrificed a promising political career for his younger brother, whom he adored, protected and defended. Bill’s flamboyance was in almost direct contrast to the Governor’s cool head and dignified manner. Both cared deeply about their fellow Texans. Newspaper folks are very careful observers of the political scene and of the governing performance. Most are careful to maintain personal neutrality as we are often expected to put a public measuring stick to gubernatorial governance. I’ve never known anyone, save a political opponent or the sidewalk philosophers who decried the sales tax, to speak ill of Price Daniel Sr. I certainly won’t. He was my public service hero. Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editor-publisher of more than 50 years experience. He can be reached by email at wwebb1937@att.net.
COLUMN
Three views of marriage Two years ago the Northwestern University psychologist Eli Finkel had an article in The New York Times describing how marriage is polarizing: The best marriages today are better than the best marriages of generations ago; the worst marriages now are worse; overall, the average marriage is weaker than the average marriage in days of yore. Expectations about marriage have risen, Finkel wrote. People now want marriage to satisfy their financial, emotional and spiritual needs. But while some people spend a lot of oneon-one time working on their marriage, and reap the benefits, most people spend less time, and things slowly decay. The way we talk about marriage is polarizing, too. If you read the popular literature, there are three different but not mutually exclusive lenses through which to think about marriage decisions. Most of the popular advice books adopt a psychological lens. These books start with the premise that getting married is a daunting prospect. Forty-five percent of marriages end in divorce; 10 percent of couples separate but do not divorce. The psychologists want you to think analytically as well as romantically about whom to marry. Pay attention to traits. As Ty Tashiro wrote in “The Science of Happily Ever After,” you want to marry someone
“
DAVID BROOKS
who scores high in “agreeableness,” someone who has a high concern for social harmony, who is good at empathy, who is nice. You want to avoid people who score high in neuroticism — who are emotionally unstable or prone to anger. Don’t think negative traits will change over time, Tashiro wrote, because they are constant across a lifetime. Don’t focus on irrelevant factors, like looks. Don’t filter out or rationalize away negative information about a partner or relationship. The second lens is the romantic lens. This is the dominant lens in movie and song. More than people in many other countries, Americans want to marry the person they are passionately in love with. Their logic is that you need a few years of passionate love to fuse you together so you’ll stay together when times get hard. It’s a process beautifully described by a character in Louis de Bernières’ novel “Corelli’s Mandolin”: “Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it. We had roots that
grew toward each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.” In “The Good Marriage,” Judith Wallerstein and Sandra Blakeslee concluded that 15 percent of couples maintain lifelong romantic marriages. The third lens is the moral lens. In this lens a marriage doesn’t exist just to exist or even just for procreation. It exists to serve some higher purpose, whether it is seeking God’s kingdom for the religious or in service to some joint cause or humanity-enhancing project for the secular. In “The Meaning of Marriage,” Tim Keller argued that marriage introduces you to yourself; you realize you’re not as noble and easy to live with as you thought when alone. In many marriages there’s an unspoken agreement not to talk about what you don’t admire in the other, because the truth from a loved one can be so painful. But in a good marriage you identify your own selfishness and see it as the fundamental problem. You treat it more seriously than your spouse’s selfishness. The everyday tasks of marriage are opportunities to cultivate a more selfless love. Everyday there’s a chance to inspire and encourage your partner to become his or her best self. In this lens, marriage isn’t
about two individuals trying to satisfy their own needs; it’s a partnership of mutual self-giving for the purpose of moral growth and to make their corner of the world a little better. It’s probably best to use all three lenses when entering into or living in a marriage. But there are differences among them. The psychological lens emphasizes that people don’t change much over a lifetime. Especially after age 30, people may get a little more conscientious and agreeable, but improvements are modest. In the romantic view, the heart is transformed by love, at any age. In the moral view, spiritual transformation — over a lifetime, not just over two passionate years — is the whole point. People have great power to go against their own natures and uplift their spouses, by showing a willingness to change, by supporting their journey from an old crippled self to a new more beautiful self. The three lenses are operating at different levels: personality, emotions, the level of the virtues and the vices. The first two lenses are very common in our culture — in bookstores, songs and in movies. But the moral lens, with its view of marriage as a binding moral project, is less common. Maybe that’s one of the reasons the quality of the average marriage is in decline.
COLUMN
A Black History Month moment By JIM MITCHELL THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Consider how much civil rights history 106year-old Virginia McLaurin has witnessed. The depths of violent segregation. The Harlem Renaissance. Integration of the U.S. military. The infamous Tuskegee Syphilis experiment. Jackie Robinson and the smashing of the color barrier in Major League Baseball. The rise of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. Thurgood Marshall, the first black man on the U.S. Supreme Court. Carl Stokes of Cleveland, the first black mayor of a ma-
jor U.S. city. Douglas Wilder and Deval Patrick, the nation’s only black governors. Colin Powell, the first African-American U.S. secretary of state. Sidney Poitier and Halle Berry, the first African-American man and woman to win Oscars for best actor and actress. Condoleezza Rice, the first black female U.S. secretary of state. Now she meets the nation’s first black president, something she never imagined, and in Barack and Michelle Obama, she sees the product of individual sacrifices. That’s why she’s dancing.
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CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
National
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Two dead as tornadoes rip through South By KEVIN MCGILL AND CHEVEL JOHNSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
KENNER, La. — A suspected tornado ripped through a Louisiana recreational vehicle park Tuesday, leaving a mangled mess of smashed trailers and killing at least one person, officials said. In neighboring Mississippi, authorities said one person died when a possible tornado hit a mobile home. St. James Parish Sheriff Willy Martin, speaking on local television, said there was definitely one fatality and possibly another victim at the RV park in Convent. Martin says authorities are still looking for people believed to be trapped under the debris. He said he could not give an accurate number of people injured but that he saw at least 25 people with injuries — some who were able to walk out while others were more severe. “We never had anything like this, we never had this many people injured in one event, and so much destruction in one event,” Martin told WVUE news. In Mississippi, officials are still sorting through reports of damage to some buildings, but Vann Byrd of the Lamar County Emergency Management Agency said one person died in a mobile home west of Purvis. Byrd didn’t release the
Photo y Max Becherer | AP
Volunteers Percy Mitchell, 62, left, and Eugene Trice, 38, carry a ladder as they attempt to knock down bricks from the wall of the New Mount Bethel Baptist Church which suffered weather damage in Kenner, La., Tuesday. A massive storm system caused damage throughout the region. person’s name. Forecasters spotted debris on the ground Tuesday afternoon that is a typical hallmark of a tornado, said David Cox, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pearl, Mississippi. Storm damage was also reported at a second location in the county that appeared to be caused by the severe storm system. The reported tornadoes are part of a line of severe weather and storms that has ripped through Louisiana. Earlier Tuesday a reported tornado caused some damage but no injuries near New Orleans’ main airport. Emergency officials and the National Weather Service said the reported tornado was spotted near Louis Armstrong New Or-
leans International Airport in the suburban city of Kenner. It was believed to have touched down in a nearby field. Ronald Myers lives across the street from New Mount Bethel Baptist Church, where and his wife are members. He recalled the sky darkening and high winds — he believes it was a tornado. They came outside when they heard the church’s alarm go off. “My wife came over to turn the alarm off and she came back home and said, ‘Baby, the wall behind the church has done fell down,”’ said Myers. He said he struggled to keep his footing in the wind, and it nearly knocked his wife down: “I weigh 242 pounds. If it could move me, it was moving.”
Details only deepen mystery in shooting By JEFF KAROUB ASSOCIATED PRESS
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — As details emerge about the night authorities say Jason Dalton has admitted gunning down six randomly chosen victims in and around Kalamazoo — attacks apparently carried out over hours during which he also ferried passengers around town as an Uber driver — any hint as to why remains stubbornly elusive. A prosecutor said Monday that Dalton picked up fares for the ride-hailing service after the first shooting Saturday that left a woman seriously wounded and probably got more riders after the two subsequent shootings that proved fatal. But none of the shootings appeared to be connected to fares. Uber officials acknowledged the company received complaints about Dalton’s erratic driving that day, and said that company policy is to contact the driver when alerted to unsafe driving. But they would not say whether anyone at the company spoke to Dalton. Dalton, meanwhile, appeared briefly in court by video link and was charged with six counts of murder, which carry a
mandatory life sentence. A judge denied bail for the 45-year-old former insurance adjuster, who Kalamazoo police Det. Cory Ghiringhelli told the court had admitted to investigators “that he took people’s lives.” The admission seemed only to deepen the mystery of what was behind the killings of six people with no apparent connection to the gunman. Police and prosecutors acknowledge a motive may never be fully known. “This is a terrible moment in the community. We face violence like any other community does but nothing on this scale,” said Kalamazoo County
prosecutor Jeff Getting. “We’ve lost six people, we have a 14-year-old girl clinging to life, we have another victim who is recovering, thankfully, ... we have a high school that’s lost a classmate. “And no one understands why it happened.” An Uber passenger said he called police to report that Dalton was driving erratically more than an hour before the shootings began. Matt Mellen told Kalamazoo television station WWMT that he hailed a ride around 4:30 p.m. Saturday. He said Dalton introduced himself as “MeMe” and had a dog in the backseat.
High winds sheared the brick and mortar from the rear wall of the church. Severe weather watches were expected to last into the evening in the state. In neighboring Mississippi, Gov. Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency, in anticipation of severe weather. High winds ripped off roofs and downed trees around the greater New Orleans area. Other suspected tornadoes were reported north of Lake Pontchartrain and west of the city in St. Charles and Ascension parishes. In Kenner, cars were reported damaged at a parking lot near the airport. In Prairieville, between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, heavy damage was reported to some buildings, including a fitness gym.
More than 6 million people in parts of five states — Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Georgia — were in an area of moderate risk for a few strong tornadoes and other severe weather Tuesday, the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, estimated. Meanwhile, schools across south Louisiana and Mississippi canceled classes ahead of the storm, sending tens of thousands of students home early to avoid having buses on the road when severe storms arrived. Forecasters said about half of Alabama had a moderate risk of severe weather including tornadoes. On Tuesday afternoon, an emergency management official in west Alabama said a storm has knocked down
trees and damaged at least one home near the rural town of Reform. Ken Gibson, emergency management director in Pickens County, said no one was injured in the storm Tuesday. The storms began as a line of fierce thunderstorms moved across Texas, raising the risk of tornadoes, hail and damaging winds around several states, forecasters said. The South Texas storms left thousands of people without power and windows broken after hail the size of golf balls damaged some buildings, but no one was injured after the bad weather Monday night, according to the Kinney County Sheriff ’s Office in that state. In Alabama and Georgia, forecasters issued flash flood watches ahead of the storm system, which was expected to drop 1 to 2 inches of rain, with higher amounts possible in some areas. The warnings, which covered large parts of both states, were expected to be in effect through Wednesday afternoon. In Arkansas, heavy rain, powerful winds and some snow were forecast for parts of the state Tuesday and Wednesday. The National Weather Service in Little Rock described the storm system as a “threeheaded monster” on its Facebook page.
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera
Ribereña en Breve RESCATE DE CUERPOS La Patrulla Fronteriza de EU, con base en Roma, Texas, informó que fueron recuperados los cuerpos de dos hombres hispanos, del Río Bravo, el viernes. La primera víctima llevaba puesto zapatos Nike, color negro, pantalón de mezclilla color azul, una camiseta color azul, una camisa color blanco y una sudadera de cremallera color negro. El segundo cuerpo apareció cerca del Observatorio de Roma. La víctima llevaba botas con cintas color negro, pantalón de mezclilla color azul, camisa color gris, y una sudadera de cremallera color negro. Los hombres no han sido identificados al no portar documentación alguna. El Juez de Paz ordenó la autopsia de ley, y los cuerpos fueron trasladados a la funeraria Rodríguez.
JUNTA ESCOLAR Zapata County ISD invita a una Junta de Padres de Familia el jueves 25 de febrero de 12:45 p.m. a 2 p.m. en el Gimnasio de Zapata North Elementary School. Se hablará sobre información de la escuela, contabilidad, asistencia escolar, maestros con altas cualidades, presentación del equipo de porristas, presentación del programa bilingüe e inglés como segundo idioma.
MIÉRCOLES 24 DE FEBRERO DE 2016
ELECCIONES 2016
Visita de Clinton POR KENDRA ABLAZA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Casi una semana antes de la elección primaria Demócrata, el ex presidente Bill Clinton habó el lunes en TAMIU durante una campaña para salir a votar, en apoyo de su esposa. Su visita a Laredo, una comunidad de más de un cuarto de millón de personas donde alrededor del 95.6 por ciento se identifica como hispano o latino, pudiera significar el asegurar una demografía que es crucial para la elección presidencial. Alberto Torres Jr., presidente del Partido Demócrata en el Condado de Webb, dijo que Clinton se enfocó en temas que son muy cercanos a muchos de los votantes hispanos y latinos. Tales temas incluyeron la infraestructura, calidad de vida y crecimiento laboral. “Ofreció un muy buen panorama de las metas de la Secretaria Clinton en caso de que fuera electa y las cosas que desea hacer”, dijo Torres. “Más importante aún, tocó el hecho de que ella desea hacer la educación superior más accesible para quienes se ubican en la clase media y baja. También, lo importante que es para ella el comercio y el ofrecer un pago justo a las familias trabajadoras, y continuar mejorando el cuidado de salud universal para
Foto por Danny Zaragoza | Laredo Morning Times
El presidente Bill Clinton sube al escenario de Texas A&M International University, el lunes por la tarde, para hablar acerca de varios puntos políticos tales como inmigración, cuotas y deudas en la educación superior, en el TAMIU Kinesiology Convocation Building. todos”. El vocero de la Universidad, Steve Harmon dijo que entre 1.200 a 1.500 personas asistieron al evento. Clinton dijo que su esposa Hillary es la elección ideal para presidente de EU porque sus políticas sobre esos temas son buenas tanto para los Republicanos como para los Demócratas. “Hay personas que desean construir muros”, dijo Clinton, haciendo referencia al muro fronterizo que respalda Donald
Trump. “Hillary desea construir escaleras de oportunidades y empoderamiento, y puentes para las personas que serán nuestros socios y no nuestros enemigos”. Agregó que su esposa se haría cargos de las necesidades de infraestructura del país, especialmente cuando se trata de niveles peligrosos de plomo subterráneos. Clinton se estaba refiriendo a la crisis de agua en Flint, Michigan. También dijo que Hillary Rodham-Clinton se aseguraría que aquellos viviendo en pueblos pe-
queños y áreas rurales tendrían acceso inmediato a Internet costeable, lo que los ayudaría a formar parte de la economía global. Clinton siente que la deuda por prestamos estudiantiles debería ser distribuida en un periodo de alrededor de 20 años, y que los pagos de tales préstamos deben ser limitados a cantidades pequeñas. El Congresista Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) dijo a la multitud en la universidad que Laredo estaba prosperando bajo NAFTA (Tratado de Libre Comercio), el cual fue apoyado por Bill Clinton. De igual forma la multitud abucheó cuando Cuellar mencionó a Donald Trump al citar la llamada “una pared”. Previo al encuentro en TAMIU, Clinton ayudó a recaudar fondos para la campaña de su esposa en una recepción celebrada en la casa del Representante Cuellar. Torres dijo que espera la visita de Clinton motive a los laredenses a salir a votar an la elección primaria de marzo. “Cuando tenemos visitas de personas como el ex presidente o actuales candidatos… ciudades como Laredo tienden a inclinarse hacia ellos, sí motiva a las personas… a salir a votar”, dijo Torres. (El San Antonio Express-News y The New York Times contribuyeron con este reporte. Localice a Kendra Ablaza en el 728-2538 o en kablaza@lmtonline.com)
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB DE ZAPATA
DÍA PARA AGRADECER
FAMOSA DONACIÓN
Winter Texan and Citizen Appreciation Day se realizará el jueves 25 de febrero en el Zapata Community Center, 605 N. U.S. Hwy 83, de las 12 p.m. a las 5 p.m. La música en vivo estará a cargo de Terry Porter Rowe & Jeanette Silva. Asistentes podrán participar en la “Mesa Mejor Decorada”, donde habrá premios para el primer, segundo y tercer lugar. Durante el evento habrá revisiones de salud, comidas, refrigerios, rifas de regalos, módulos de información, entretenimiento y una serie de actividades. Informes llamando al Zapata County Chamber of Commerce en el (956) 7654871.
ELECCIÓN DE REINA La Feria del Condado de Zapata elegirá a sus representantes de belleza el domingo 28 de febrero. El concurso para Reinas de la Feria del Condado de Zapata se celebrará a las 2 p.m. en el Auditorio de Zapata High School.
Foto de cortesía | BGCZ
Bruce y Mauna Loa Woodliff donaron dos jerseys autografiados por jugadores de los Houston Texan al Boys and Girls Club of Zapata, el martes por la mañana.
TEXAS
CORTE FEDERAL
Discuten sobre energía
Acusan a dos de traficar humanos
CABALGATA Feria del Condado de Zapata invita a la Cabalgata Anual en Bustamante Arena, Hwy 16 en Bustamante, Texas. El registro inicia a las 7 a.m. y la cabalgata arrancará a las 8 a.m. Cuota de registro es de 5 dólares. La meta será en el Zapata County Fair Pavilion. Informes con Aaron Cruz al (956) 2403408.
ANIVERSARIO DEL PUENTE El Concilio de la Ciudad de Roma y la Comisión Histórica, así como el Gobierno Municipal de Miguel Alemán, México, y la Sociedad Americana de Ingenieros Civiles invitan a la celebración por el 88º aniversario del puente de suspensión Roma-Miguel Alemán, el sábado 5 de marzo a las 9:30 a.m. Se tiene proyectada la ceremonia de “Abrazo de Amistad” a mitad del puente.
PEE-WEE GOAT Espectáculo de cabras pequeñas (pee-wee goat), con edades de 2 a 8 años, el martes 8 de marzo de 7 p.m. a 9 p.m. en Ramirez Exhibit Hall, en el marco de la Feria del Condado de Zapata.
POR MIKE WARD LA VOZ
A fin de discutir el tema de la energía, el gobernador de Texas Greg Abbott se reunió con el presidente de México, Enrique Peña Nieto, el lunes en Houston. Calificada como una visita sorpresa, ambos hablaron sobre un sobre un grupo especial de colaboración energética en momentos en que el precio del petróleo sigue disminuyendo. Aunque no se han dado a conocer aún los detalles de la reunión, asistentes de Abbott dijeron que el grupo de colaboración es parte de un acuerdo alcanzado el año pasado cuando Abbott visitó México. Esto ayudará a Texas a aprovechar las grandes oportunidades de negocios e inversiones que ofrecen las reformas petroleras llevadas a cabo recientemente en México, según indicó el personal de Abbott. Abbott expresó en un comunicado que la reu-
POR CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto de cortesía | Oficina del Gobernador de Texas
El gobernador de Texas, Greg Abbott, y el presidente de México, Enrique Peña Nieto, se reunieron el lunes en Houston. nión “reafirma el compromiso de México y Texas para enfrentar desafíos a ambos lados de la frontera”, incluida la infraestructura. “Tengo confianza de que mediante la colaboración conjunta seguiremos fortaleciendo nuestros lazos económicos y culturales”, indicó el gobernador. Nieto visitó Texas para asistir a una reunión con ejecutivos en el renglón de hidrocarburos de todo el mundo. Ejecutivos desde Co-
nocoPhillips y General Electric se encuentran entre los invitados especiales. Era incierto si Abbott y Nieto hablaron acerca de la seguridad fronteriza. Oficiales mexicanos, quienes se han opuesto a la militarización de la frontera, han criticado duramente el paquete de seguridad fronteriza de 800 millones de dólares de Abbott, el cual hizo ley el año pasado. (Associated Press colaboró con este reporte)
Recientemente dos hombres fueron acusados por cargos de contrabando de humanos, de acuerdo con documentos de la corte dados a conocer la semana pasada. Autoridades sostuvieron que Carlos Antonio Puente y Alberto Armando Lucio recogieron a 12 inmigrantes ilegales en el Condado de Zapata. El 17 de febrero un gran jurado en Laredo acusó a los hombres con conspiración para transportar personas indocumentadas dentro de los Estados Unidos e intentar transportar personas indocumentadas para obtener ganancia económica. El incidente se desarrolló el 29 de enero, cuando agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza patrullando el Arroyo Dolores recibieron reportes de actividad sospechosa, indica la querella criminal presentada el 1 de febrero. Una Dodge Ram, color gris, de modelo antiguo, y una Chevrolet Equinox, estaban
subiendo a varias personas al sur de la línea divisoria entre el Condado de Webb y Condado de Zapata, de acuerdo con documentos de la corte. Archivos indican que apoyo aéreo observó a los vehículos sospechosos cuando salían de U.S. 83 hacia Espejo Molina Road y continuaban hacia Ciudad de Rio Bravo. Agentes dijeron que la Equinox se detuvo al lado de la carretera y entonces cinco personas salieron y corrieron hacia un área con maleza. Sin embargo, todos fueron detenidos, de acuerdo con documentos de la corte. Un segundo rescate fue reportado momentos más tarde cuando autoridades dijeron siete personas descendieron de la Dodge Ram en Rio Nilo, en Ciudad de Rio Bravo. Los agentes que respondieron lograron aprehender al grupo. Oficiales del Departamento de Seguridad Vial de Texas entonces detuvo a la Dodge Ram por una violación vial. Lucio fue identificado como el conductor, de acuerdo con archivos.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: HOUSTON ASTROS
NBA: DALLAS MAVERICKS
Astros open camp
Lee to get shot in rotation with Dallas By SCHUYLER DIXON ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Karen Warren | Houston Chronicle
Astros manager A.J. Hinch chats with Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa during the first full-squad workout Tuesday at spring training in Kissimmee, Florida.
Houston holds its first full-squad workout By DICK SCANLON ASSOCIATED PRESS
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Jose Altuve mentioned the World Series again on the first day of spring training. This time, nobody laughed. “I said it last year, too, but it sounded crazy,” the Houston Astros’ All-Star second baseman said Tuesday. “Now it sounds better because of what happened last year. It was a nice season.” The Astros fell short of the World Series four months ago. But after finishing at least 28 games out of first place in each of Altuve’s first four seasons, they won 86 games in 2015, beat the New York Yankees in the wildcard game and lost 3-2 to Kansas City in the American League Divisional Series. Fortified by the additions of starting pitcher Doug Fister and reliever Ken Giles, the full squad that worked out together
for the first time has an entirely different set of expectations. “Everybody’s excited to be here,” said shortstop Carlos Correa, the AL Rookie of the Year. “It’s a little different atmosphere from the last couple years. We’re a winning team now and we know we’re good.” Management did nothing to tone down the optimism. “The goal is pretty simple. It used to be to get better, then it was to have a winning team and to get to the playoffs,” said general manager Jeff Luhnow. “Now it’s to win the whole thing. Nothing is really going to satisfy us this year except going the distance.” Former Astros ace Roger Clemens, now a special assistant to Luhnow, said he can barely wait for opening day. “Spring training is exciting and fun and full of hope, but I think we’re way past that now,” Clem-
ens said. Owner Jim Crane, in camp for the first workout, noticed the difference. “This is our fifth year in camp, and when I took over we had the worst team in baseball and the worst minor league system,” he said. “We had a plan and we’ve stuck with the plan. I’d like to tell you we’re smarter than everybody else, but we haven’t won anything yet.” A young staff led by Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel is one reason for the optimism, but the sudden stardom of Correa, the first overall pick in the 2012 draft, has pushed Houston’s expectations over the top. “We saw what he did last year in (99) games, but this year he’s going to start from Day One. It’s going be pretty interesting,” Altuve said. “He’s going to be the best player in the game soon, and I’m really excited and I
feel very proud to play next to him.” Outfielder Colby Rasmus, who re-signed with the Astros after a big postseason, expressed the team’s new mindset. “There’s a lot of smiles and everybody’s walking around with their chest puffed out right now feeling pretty good about themselves, which is what we need,” Rasmus said. “We don’t need to have our tails between our legs because we lost those games against the Royals. We played ’em good, and they know we’re there .... Being an Astro is good right now, it’s a good place to be.” Notes: Luhnow said the Astros are “as healthy as we’ve ever been” going into spring. The only setbacks are the strained oblique of reliever Luke Gregerson, who is throwing lightly, and the sports hernia surgery which might cause DH Evan Gattis to miss the start of the regular season.
DALLAS — David Lee might play behind Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas. The twotime All-Star is more likely to see time as the backup to center Zaza Pachulia. Either way, he figures to be part of the rotation for the Mavericks after never getting off the bench in his final month with Boston before the Celtics finally waived him following the trade deadline last week. “I hope to have courtside seats for a team when I come back when I’m done playing,” Lee said Tuesday, a day before his expected Dallas debut at home against Oklahoma City. “That was no fun to sit and watch this year. This will be great to be part of a team that I’ll have a chance to contribute because to work as hard as I work and not have a chance to step on the floor and play some minutes was really frustrating.” Lee went to Boston in an offseason trade with Golden State, where he had gone from All-Star to seldom-used reserve by the time the Warriors won their first championship in 40 years last season. In both cases, younger players took his spot — most notably rookie Draymond Green with the Warriors a year ago when Lee was out with a hamstring injury. The youth movement with the Celtics was so strong Lee last played for them on Jan. 10. So that’s why Lee hasn’t really concerned himself with how often Dallas coach Rick Carlisle plans to use the 11th-year pro off the bench. “I see it as a positive that I’ve been the No. 1 option on teams and I’ve been a guy that’s given two- and three-minute shifts on a team,” said Lee, who has been well off his career averages of 14.4 points and 9.2 rebounds since last season. “So I’ve kind of seen everything there is to see.” Carlisle said Lee fits more naturally as the backup to Pachulia, but he is also working at Nowitzki’s forward spot. “We didn’t get him to sit him,” Carlisle said after Lee’s first full workout
Photo by Winslow Townson | AP
David Lee is expected to see time in the Mavericks’ rotation behind Dirk Nowitzki and Zaza Pachulia after signing with Dallas this week. with the team. “He’s an excellent rebounder. He’s athletic, big and skilled and experienced. I just feel he fits in with our style of play on offense and defensively.” Lee’s days of averaging a double-double are likely over. He did that three times in five seasons covering both of his All-Star appearances — with New York in 2010 and Golden State three years later. But only one of those teams had a winning record. And while the Mavericks are far from title contenders behind Golden State and San Antonio in the Western Conference, Lee expects to help a playoff team still looking for its first postseason series win since taking the franchise’s only championship in 2011. “You can see the chemistry from playing against them and that’s something I want to be a part of,” Lee said of the Mavericks. “All those things fit well and I think we’re in a great spot to make a run here.” Dallas made a similar move last season with Amare Stoudemire after he was waived by the Knicks and managed to get to 50 wins. But that was only good enough for seventh in the West — and a firstround loss to Houston in five games. “Obviously you’d love to have a guy from training camp on,” Nowitzki said. “Sometimes in the league, you’ve got to adjust. It’s not like he’s 21 years old and he’s still a college player. He knows the pro game. So that makes it a lot easier.”
National
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016
McConnell shuts door on Senate action By ALAN FRAM ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Majority Leader Mitch McConnell emphatically ruled out any Senate action on whoever President Barack Obama nominates to fill the Supreme Court vacancy, an extraordinary step that escalated the partisan electionyear struggle over replacing the late Antonin Scalia. Democrats promised unremitting pressure on Republicans to back down or face the consequences in November’s voting. After winning unanimous public backing from the 11 Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, McConnell told reporters that that panel would hold no hearings and ruled out a full Senate vote until the next president offers a nomination. Such steps would defy many decades of precedent that have seen even the most controversial choices questioned publicly by the Judiciary Committee and nearly always sent to
the entire chamber for a vote, barring nominees the White House has withdrawn. “In short, there will not be action taken,” McConnell told reporters. The Kentucky Republican said he wouldn’t even meet with an Obama selection should the White House follow tradition and send the nominee to Capitol Hill to visit senators. Such a snub could generate campaignseason television images of a scorned selection standing outside a closed door. “I don’t know the purpose of such a visit,” McConnell said. “I would not be inclined to take one myself.” Obama is expected to announce a nomination in the next few weeks. Since the Senate started routinely referring presidential nominations to committees for action in 1955, every Supreme Court nominee not later withdrawn has received a Judiciary Committee hearing, according to the Senate Historical Office.
Photo by J. Scott Applewhite | AP
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., center, smiles as he is joined by, on the right, Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas. With the issue certain to roil this year’s presidential and congressional elections, Democrats said Republicans were topping their own obstructionist high-water mark of three years ago, when their doomed effort to force Obama to repeal his own health care law helped produce a 16-day partial government shutdown. They also accused Republicans of following the lead of billionaire Donald Trump, a leading GOP presidential candidate who’s called on Senate Republicans to derail any Obama court selection. Democrats
Cruz, Rubio face critical test in Nevada By STEVE PEOPLES AND NANCY BENAC ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS — Ted Cruz is fighting to keep from spiraling out of contention. Marco Rubio is fighting to prove he can build on his recent momentum. And Donald Trump, with his rivals locked in a battle for second, is fighting for a third straight victory to expand a delegate lead that could soon become insurmountable. Tuesday night’s Nevada caucuses force a critical test on the Republican Party’s leading presidential candidates. “I think it’s the most unpredictable of all the races we’ve had so far. You go in really knowing less about this than any other election,” said a less-than-confident Rubio. “We’ll see.” Cruz, a fiery conservative popular among voters on the GOP’s right, needs a spark to recover from one of the weakest moments of his campaign. After denying charges of dishonest tactics for several weeks, the Texas senator on Monday asked for the resignation of a senior aide who spread an inaccurate news report suggesting Rubio had criticized the Bible. That was just days after Cruz finished a disappointing third in South Carolina after spending much of the past two weeks defending his integrity. Another disappointing finish in Nevada’s low-turnout caucuses would raise new questions about Cruz’s viability heading into a crucial batch of Super Tuesday states on March 1. “There’s something wrong with this guy,” Trump said with his usual measure of tact during a massive Las Vegas rally Monday night. The former reality television star called the Texas senator “sick.” Nevada voting takes place in schools, community centers and places of worship across the state. Unlike a primary, which involves quick and solitary voting, caucuses involve a more public pronouncement of presidential preference including speeches to try to persuade undecided neighbors. The state marks the first Republican election in the West, the fourth of the campaign. A GOP field that included a dozen candidates a month ago has been reduced to five, with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush the latest to drop out after a disappointing finish in South Carolina. Ohio Gov. John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson remain in the race and could play spoilers as the trio of leading candidates, Trump, Cruz and Rubio, battle for delegates with an increasing sense of urgency.
Trump’s rivals concede they are running out of time to stop him. The election calendar suggests that if the New York billionaire’s rivals don’t slow him by midMarch, they may not ever. Trump swept all of South Carolina’s 50 delegates, giving him a total of 67 compared to Cruz and Rubio who have 11 and 10, respectively. There are 30 delegates at stake in Nevada, awarded to candidates in proportion to their share of the statewide vote so long as they earn at least 3.33 percent. While proportional contests give Trump’s weaker rivals a chance to accumulate dele-
gates, proportional contests also make it difficult to catch up if one candidate runs up a significant lead. Rubio and Cruz have been laying into each other viciously in recent days, an indication they know Trump can be stopped only if one of them is eliminated. But neither of the first-term Hispanic senators is predicting victory in Nevada. Rubio left the state before voting began, preferring to campaign in Minnesota and Michigan instead. He lived here as a boy, from grades 3 through 8, and Nevadabased family members and friends poured into his Las Vegas-area rallies in recent days.
and some Republicans believe that if Trump is the GOP presidential nominee, he will cost Republicans seats in Congress. “The party of Lincoln is now the party of Donald Trump,” Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters. Filling the vacancy left by Scalia’s unexpected death on Feb. 13 is crucial because without him, the Supreme Court is left in a 4-4 ideological knot between justices who are usually conservative and its liberal wing. The battle has invigorated both sides’ interest groups
and voters who focus on abortion, immigration and other issues before the court. “He hasn’t seen the pressure that’s going to build,” Reid said when asked if McConnell might relent. “It’s going to build in all facets of the political constituency and the country.” After meeting privately with GOP senators for the first time since Scalia’s death, McConnell and other leaders said rank-and-file Republicans were overwhelmingly behind the decision to quickly halt the nomination process. “Why even put that ball on the field?” Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said of hearings. “All you’re going to do is fumble it. Let the people decide.” Moderate Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., who faces an arduous re-election race this fall, are among the few who’ve voiced support for at least holding hearings on an Obama nominee. Democrats are hoping that other Re-
publican senators facing November re-election in swing states including New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin will relent over time or face retribution from voters. No. 3 Senate leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said McConnell wanted to quickly end any talk of a nomination process proceeding because, “He wants to lock his people in because he knows the whirlwind’s coming.” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said it was “absolutely” possible the Senate would end up holding hearings, pointing to statements by Collins, Kirk and others. Earnest said Obama has spoken in the last day to Republican lawmakers, including some on the Judiciary panel. McConnell and other Republicans have said the high court vacancy should not be filled during a presidential election year and that the voters — by electing the next president — should choose who makes that nomination.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
Apple thinks Congress must decide By TAMI ABDOLLAH ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Apple Inc. will tell a federal judge this week in legal papers that its fight with the FBI over accessing a locked and encrypted iPhone should be kicked to Congress, rather than decided by courts, The Associated Press has learned. Apple will also argue that the Obama administration’s request to help it hack into an iPhone in a terrorism case is improper under an 18th century law, the 1789 All Writs Act, which has been used to compel companies to provide assistance to law enforcement in investigations. A lead attorney for Apple, Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., previewed for the AP some of the company’s upcoming arguments in the case. Apple’s chief executive, Tim Cook, has also hinted at the company’s courtroom strategy. Apple’s effort would move the contentious policy debate between digital privacy rights and national security interests to Congress, where Apple — one of the world’s most respected technology companies — wields considerably more influence. Apple spent nearly $5 million lobbying Congress last year, mostly on tax and copyright issues. Key lawmakers have been openly divided about whether the government’s demands in the case go too far.
Photo by Julie | AP
A demonstrator stands outside the Apple store on Fifth Avenue, Tuesday, in New York. Protesters assembled in more than 30 cities around the world to lash out at the FBI for obtaining a court order that requires Apple to make it easier to unlock an encrypted iPhone used by a gunman in December’s mass murders in California. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym in California ordered Apple last week to create specialized software to help the FBI hack into a locked, county-issued iPhone used by a gunman in the mass shootings last December in San Bernardino, California. Syed Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people at an office holiday party in an attack at least partly inspired by the Islamic State group. “The government is really seeking to push the courts to do what they haven’t been able to persuade Congress to do,” Boutrous said in an AP interview. “That’s to give it more broad, sweeping authority to help the Department of Justice hack into devices, to have a backdoor into devices, and the law simply does not provide that authority.” The White House spokes-
man, Josh Earnest, this week disputed that Congress should settle the issue and called the government’s request narrow. Earnest said the magistrate judge “came down in favor of our law enforcement” after evaluating arguments by Apple and the FBI. Apple hasn’t yet made any filings in the case because the Justice Department asked the magistrate to rule before Apple had an opportunity to object. “Sending complicated things to Congress is often not the surest way to get a quick answer,” Earnest said. “In fact, even asking some of the most basic questions of Congress sometimes does not ensure a quick answer.” Apple intends to argue that the 1789 law has never been used to compel a company to write software to help the government. Michael Zweiback, the
former chief of the cybercrimes section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, said it was highly unusual for the U.S. to ask Apple to give the FBI specialized software that would weaken the digital locks on the iPhone. “There’s a significant legal question as to whether the All Writs Act can be used to order a company to create something that may not presently exist,” Zweiback said. He said as a former prosecutor he was sympathetic to the government’s case, but he described Apple’s arguments as strong and said the issue has broad implications. “We are not the only ones who are asking for encryption keys,” he said. “The Chinese government has made similar demands upon them, the European Union has made similar demands upon them, so the
implications are really not even national. They’re international in scope.” Another expert, Mark Bartholomew, a professor specializing in cyberlaw at SUNY Buffalo, said Apple may have a compelling case arguing that it would be unfair to force it to make its devices less secure, though it’s not clear whether courts would agree that Congress should decide the matter. “When you’re requiring a private entity not just to unlock something, or not just to show you something, but to actually change their design — then you start getting into different grounds,” Bartholomew said. “It makes the stakes higher. It makes us, I think, more sympathetic to what Apple is arguing for. It seems more violative of Apple’s independence.” The U.S. has used the All Writs Act at least three
times — most recently in 1980 — to compel a phone company to provide a list of dialed numbers, but in those cases the technology and tools already existed, said Jennifer Granick, an attorney and director of civil liberties and the Stanford Center for Internet and Society. “This is a terrorism investigation that’s solved. We know who did it,” Granick said. “What happens so often is we do something that’s justified for terrorism, but it’s going to get used in regular, run-of-the-mill cases.” Apple is challenging government efforts to overcome encryption on at least 14 electronic devices nationwide in addition to the iPhone in California, according to court papers filed Tuesday in a similar case in New York. Lawyers told U.S. Magistrate Judge James Orenstein in Brooklyn that Apple is opposed to relinquishing information on at least 15 devices in a dozen court cases in California, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York. Before then, the government said Apple had helped it retrieve information from at least 70 devices since 2008. Those phones, with operating software designed earlier than the iPhone used in California, allowed Apple to use a physical tool to extract data from them. Since late 2014, that capability has not existed on newer phones.
US home market sales and prices climbing By JOSH BOAK ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — U.S. home sales are climbing. Prices are rising, too. So the outlook for the housing market is golden, right? Not entirely. A series of reports released Tuesday pointed to potential cracks in the foundations of America’s residential real estate market. On the one hand, job growth and low mortgage rates have fueled demand and boosted sales to levels that were last glimpsed in the waning months of the housing bubble nine years ago. Those gains could spur more construction and additional spending on furniture and renovations that could help lift the economy. Yet the number of homes for sale has fallen. With demand for homes up and supply down, prices have risen faster than incomes. Because many homes have become unaffordable for would-be buyers, further gains may be unsustaina-
ble. “The real takeaway from the numbers is that despite demand being high, the future is looking somewhat muted for homebuyers,” said Ralph McLaughlin, chief economist at the real estate firm Trulia. This mismatch between supply and demand arrives at a delicate moment. Global pressures have roiled the stock market and hurt exports. That’s meant that the economy must lean more heavily on consumers — including home buying — to extend its 61/2-yearold recovery from the Great Recession. A snapshot of the housing market points to some concerns: Sales of existing homes rose 0.4 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.47 million, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday. Those gains build on a strong 2015. Sales last year reached a nine-year peak, evidence of healthy demand that has led some economists to predict that the real estate sector will
Photo by Pat Sullivan | AP
In this Feb. 16 photo, "For Sale" signs are stacked up outside a new complex of townhouses in Houston. keep improving. But the report also shows a shortage of available homes. The number of home listings in January fell 2.2 percent from a year ago. The result is that those shopping for homes have fewer options and must pay elevated prices. The median home sales price was $213,800 in January, an 8.2 percent annual increase from a year ago. Price increases are concentrated in some of the hottest job markets, according to Standard & Poor’s/ Case-Shiller 20-city home price index. Home values
are up 11.4 percent in Portland, 10.3 percent in San Francisco and 10.2 percent in Denver. Yet even Detroit, which has been emerging from municipal bankruptcy, notched a year-over-year gain of 7.1 percent in December. Strong demand showed some hints of weakening ahead of the spring sales season. The share of Americans looking to buy a home within six months reached a sixmonth low, according to the Conference Board’s consumer confidence index. That percentage sank to 5.3
percent for February from 7.4 percent in January. Solid demand for housing has failed to coax more homeowners to list their properties. Many are reluctant to sell. They’re enjoying savings from low mortgage rates, and many lack enough equity to comfortably upgrade to another house. The consequence is that would-be buyers now face both rising prices and more competition from others looking to buy. “So far, sales have been bulletproof to price increases, but this is unsustainable in a slowly growing economy unless inventory improves,” said Nela Richardson, chief economist at the real estate brokerage Redfin. Sales have been buttressed so far by a stable job market. Employers have added a healthy 2.67 million jobs over the past year, and the unemployment rate has fallen to a low 4.9 percent. Pay growth has been less robust, though it has accelerated somewhat, with a 2.5 percent increase from a year
ago. But it remains unclear whether the pace of job gains will endure amid signs that U.S. economic growth has dwindled. China’s slowdown and troubles in such other emerging economies as Brazil and Russia have triggered a sharp decline in commodity prices such as oil. Those price drops, in turn, have driven a downturn in U.S. stock prices and a rise in the dollar’s value to levels that have hurt exports. Still, for now, the global chaos may have helped boost home sales. As many investors have shifted money into the safety of 10-year U.S. Treasury notes, the cost of borrowing has dropped for both the government and homebuyers. Mortgage rates tend to track the yields on longterm Treasurys. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage remained near record lows last week — 3.65 percent, significantly less than the historic average of roughly 6 percent.
PAGE 10A
Zentertainment
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016
Academy may be hooked on ‘Oscar’ bait By JAKE COYLE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — In the Coen brothers’ recent 1950s Hollywood satire, “Hail, Caesar!” Ralph Fiennes’ ascot-wearing British director Laurence Laurentz is helming a stuffy drawing room drama full of tuxedoed men and ballroom-gowned women. The movie, “Merrily We Dance,” Laurentz declares is a “prestige picture.” But it’s clear that the Coens think so-called “prestige pictures” can be just as much a joke as any other type of movie. In its day, “Merrily We Dance” would have been destined for Oscars. Lately, the narrow parameters of movies celebrated by the Academy Awards in the best picture category haven’t been quite so funny. Self-serious prestige films have long found a ready seat at the Oscars, while films starring or directed by minorities have struggled to. There are many factors behind what’s led to two straight years of all-white acting nominees, but one is the stifling limitation of what gets considered an “Oscar movie.” What frequently guides a movie toward a best picture nomination or a star toward an acting nod is a confluence of factors that frequently have only so much to do with quality. Influential is how a movie is released (a prominent festival rollout can pay big dividends), how much support a movie has from its distributor (the parties and advertisements that go into Oscar campaigns are expensive) and how willing the talent is to promote themselves. “It’s a racket,” says Viggo Mortensen, who was nominated in 2008 for David Cro-
nenberg’s “Eastern Promises.” “The nomination process is essentially run by, dictated by money and public relations maneuvering,” Mortensen says. “And so that’s why every year, there are only a handful of, in my opinion, deserving and enduring nominees of enduring quality.” This year’s best picture nominees boast a handful of films from outside the film academy’s traditional comfort zone, most notably George Miller’s much-nominated post-apocalyptic chase film “Mad Max: Fury Road.” But many of the films that could have put a charge into this year’s awards
Photo by Jasin Boland/Warner Bros. Pictures | AP
This photo provided by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Tom Hardy, left, and Charlize Theron in a scene from "Mad Max:Fury Road." The postapocalyptic chase film is nominated for an Oscar for best picture. didn’t fit the limited confines of Oscar bait. Ryan Coogler’s “Creed,” while it landed a nod for Sylvester Stallone’s supporting performance, had the odds stacked against it. It’s a seventh entry in a franchise
and it wasn’t much pushed by its studio, Warner Bros. Its humanistic heartbeat is perhaps — like Coogler’s previous “Fruitvale Station,” also starring Michael B. Jordan — outside the kind of films starring black
actors that usually garner academy attention. Few African American actors have ever won for a film by a black director. (A notable exception is Denzel Washington for Antoine Fuqua’s “Training Day.”) No black actress has ever won for a film helmed by a black director. The N.W.A biopic “Straight Outta Compton” — which lacked a white protagonist or the historical sweep of “12 Years a Slave” — also didn’t fit the usual criteria. One academy member, the writer-director Rod Lurie, says he heard numerous academy voters dismiss even screening “Straight Outta Compton.” Taste plays a part, but
the playing field is uneven. If it wasn’t, Melissa McCarthy would have an armful of Oscars by now. Like many genres, comedy is all but forgotten come awards season. This year, the trend reached a somewhat absurd endpoint when David O. Russell’s somber “Joy” and the nerdy space adventure “The Martian” sneaked into the comedy category at the Golden Globes. It’s one reason why Leonardo DiCaprio was passed over for his brilliantly outlandish performance in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street,” but is likely to win instead for crawling in mud and eating bison liver in “The Revenant.”
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
Experts look at buildings after tornadoes By STEVE THOMPSON THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
ROWLETT, Texas — Before the walls shook, before the two-by-fours twisted and the roof began tearing off, Amanda Bose saw news about the tornado on television. “Everybody in the bathroom — right now!” the 36year-old mother told her 5year-old and 15-year-old. There was almost no time to wonder, she says, whether the home would protect them — or collapse around them. The Dallas Morning News reports similar scenes played out in homes across North Texas during the Dec. 26 storm, which destroyed 159 houses and did major damage to 311 in Rowlett alone. Damage from the storm will reach
$1.2 billion, the Insurance Council of Texas estimates. As populations grow denser throughout the “tornado alley” that stretches from North Texas through South Dakota, many experts say communities should consider designing buildings to withstand twisters just as coastal communities build to survive hurricanes. “Tornado-resilient designs of houses, or of any structure, is a thing within our grasp,” said University of Florida engineering professor David Prevatt, who surveyed the damage in North Texas. “It’s something we can do, and we ought to do it.” The tornado that hit Rowlett was rated an EF3 as it moved over Bose’s neighborhood. That means the National Weather Ser-
vice estimated its peak winds there could have been as high as 165 mph, a speed at which even wellbuilt homes are in trouble. But most homes in a tornado’s path don’t experience its top winds, Prevatt and other experts say. So while improving building standards might not save every home in a storm, it could save many. Two weeks after the storm, Prevatt walked Bose’s street with a team of his students. They were joined by employees of Simpson Strong-Tie, a California-based company that makes products for windresistant building. He pointed to Bose’s home as one of many vulnerable to damage because of weak construction. Building codes have improved since Bose’s home
was built in 1984, as engineers and researchers analyze what worked and what didn’t after disasters. In the 1980s, codes in North Texas and in most places required design against only 70 mph winds. That threshold rose to 90 mph about 15 years ago, in accordance with standards set by the International Code Council. Cities typically adopt the ICC’s codes, sometimes adding their own small amendments. But adopting changes that substantially increase costs can threaten a city’s competitiveness in the real estate market if surrounding cities don’t do likewise, some local officials say. Still, Rowlett’s mayor, Todd Gottel, says the city should consider adopting a more tornado-resilient
CLINTON Continued from Page 1A comes to unsafe lead levels underground. Clinton was referencing the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. He also said Hillary Clinton would make sure those living in smaller towns and rural areas would have immediate access to affordable Internet, which would help them take part in the global economy. “They wouldn’t have to be in Laredo or New York or Long Beach, California or Seattle, Washington to take advantage of the global economy,” Bill Clinton said. “The Internet could take them there, and they could lift themselves, too.” Recognizing the crowd mostly made up of students, Clinton said he feels debt from student loans should be stretched to a period of about 20 years, and payments on those loans should be limited to small amounts. “Hillary says it is time to lift the burden of debt off people by letting them pay off college loans over 20 years,” he said. Another plan is to let graduates refinance their student loans when interest rates drop. “I want you to look at the future with confidence and embrace change, not run away from it,” Bill Clinton said.
The Hispanic vote His visit to Laredo — where the overwhelming majority of the population is Hispanic or Latino — could mean securing a demographic that is crucial to winning the presidential
election. Webb County Democratic Party Chairman Alberto Torres Jr. said Clinton during his speech focused on topics that are near and dear to the heart of many Hispanic and Latino voters. “He gave a really good overview of what Secretary Clinton’s goals are if she were to be elected and the things she wants to do,” Torres said. “More importantly, he touched upon the fact that she wants to make higher education affordable for those in the middle class and below. “Also, how important commerce is for her and bringing fair pay for hardworking families, and continuing to better universal health care for everybody.” Torres said he expects many Hispanic voters to vote for Hillary Clinton because of her husband’s impact with the Hispanic community during his time as president from 1993-2001. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, DLaredo, told the crowd at Monday’s rally that Laredo was prospering under NAFTA, which was backed by Bill Clinton, and the crowd booed when Cuellar mentioned Donald Trump’s call for building a wall on the border. Torres also said Clinton granting amnesty to at least 3 million undocumented during his administration has also attracted the Hispanic vote in the Clintons’ favor. “Bill Clinton always did a lot for the middle and working class,” Torres said. “That reflects now on Hillary Clinton. I guess that’s what the
building code. Costly upgrades shouldn’t be imposed on those homeowners trying to rebuild, he said. But for new construction afterward, he continued, “We should look at alternative building standards or codes, to see if it makes sense.” In the meantime, the code is only a minimum, says Selso Mata, president of the Building Officials Association of Texas and director of building inspections in Plano. “It is not the maximum standard,” Mata said. “A lot of people build better than that.” Builders tend to spend money on things that buyers can see. Bricks and stone make nice-looking façades, but add little strength. The two-by-four studs behind the bricks are
what make a structure sturdy. Homebuyers should consider asking for — and be prepared to pay more for — structural features that exceed the code, Mata said. Small improvements can dramatically increase a home’s defenses, experts say. Like using metal straps, rather than only nails, to secure walls to roof rafters. And using bolts, rather than nails, to anchor walls to a foundation. Neither is required in North Texas by the building code. Tornadoes don’t destroy homes instantly. Instead, they find weak points and progressively tear homes apart from there, says Chris Ramseyer, an engineering professor at the University of Oklahoma who specializes in structural design.
FAIR Continued from Page 1A
people are hoping for.” Earlier Monday, Clinton helped raise money for his wife’s campaign at a fundraising reception at Cuellar’s home. Monday’s event was the closest the city has come to center stage in the campaign since Donald Trump visited last year to denounce the state of border security. Clinton now heads to Dallas for an evening event at Paul Quinn College. Adding punch to the Clinton campaign’s final push was former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who campaigned on her behalf in San Antonio on Monday. Torres said he hopes Clinton’s visit will motivate Laredoans to vote in the March primary election. Early voting ends Friday. Election day is Tuesday. “When we have people like a former president or the actual candidates visit … cities like Laredo that tend to incline toward them, it does motivate people … to actually go out there and cast their vote,” Torres said. According to the New York Times, Clinton defeated democratic candidate Bernie Sanders 58 percent to 42 percent in the delegate count of the 76 precincts of Clark County, which includes Las Vegas and most of Nevada’s Latino population. Clark County is also believed to be home to many registered Democrats who are Hispanic. (The San Antonio ExpressNews and The New York Times contributed to this report. Kendra Ablaza can be reached at 728-2538 or kablaza@lmtonline.com)
Arena 10:30 a.m.: Annual ZCFA Roping starts 12:30 a.m.: Trail ride lunch for riders at Zapata County Fairgrounds Pavilion
7:45–8:45 p.m.: Los Fantasmas Del Valle 9–10:15 p.m.: Lazaro Perez Y Su Conjunto 10:30 p.m.–12 a.m.: Ricky Naranjo Y Los Gamblers
Tuesday, March 8
Friday, March 11
7 p.m.: Pee Wee Goat Show at Ramirez Exhibit Hall
9 a.m.: Lamb Judging at Ramirez Exhibit Hall 9 a.m.–12 p.m.: Submission of baking entries for all categories inside of County Pavilion (all age groups) 1 p.m.: Meat Goat Judging at Ramirez Exhibit Hall 1 p.m.: Judging for all Baking, Arts & Crafts, and Photography 6 p.m.: Heifer Judging at Ramirez Exhibit Hall 5–6 p.m.: Local School Groups Perform 5–7 p.m.: Baking, Arts & Crafts, and Photography Silent Auction starts 6–6:45 p.m.: Street Dance by Kix Garcia Band 7 p.m.: Steer Judging at Ramirez Exhibit Hall 7–8 p.m.: Street Dance by Michael Salgado 8:30–10 p.m.: Street Dance by Aaron Watson 10:15–10:30 p.m.: Tight Jean Contest Sponsored by Casa Raul 10:30 p.m.–12 a.m.: Street Dance by Duelo (Headliner) 11 p.m.: Ramirez Exhibit Hall Closes to the Public 12:15 a.m.: Fairgrounds Close
Wednesday, March 9 5 p.m.: All livestock projects move into the Ramirez Exhibit Hall *Weigh-in times will be at the discretion of all ZCFA Livestock Committee Superintendents
Thursday, March 10 10 a.m.: Rabbit Judging at Ramirez Exhibit Hall 10 a.m.–12 p.m.: Submission of Arts & Crafts, and Photography entries inside of County Pavilion 11 a.m.: Metal works projects move into Ramirez Exhibit Hall 2 p.m.: Poultry Judging at Ramirez Exhibit Hall 4 p.m.: Judging of Arts & Crafts, and Photography inside of County Pavilion 6 p.m.: Hog Judging at Ramirez Exhibit Hall Conjunto Thursday 6:30–7:30 p.m.: Randy Garcia Y Conjunto Estrella
Saturday, March 12 7 a.m.: Zapata County Fair Association Parade Line-up on 3rd Avenue 9:30 a.m.: ZCFA Parade Sponsored by Sames Motor Company will begin starting from 3rd Avenue 12–2 p.m.: Selling of Baking, Arts & Crafts, and Photography (NonPlacing entries) 1 p.m.: Local Talent Performs at Fairgrounds 1:30 p.m.: Award Ceremony for Parade Participants at Fairgrounds 2 p.m.: Local Dance Team Performance at Fairgrounds 2:30 p.m.: Buyer’s Social Sponsored by IBCZapata and Med-Loz Lease Services at Ramirez Exhibit Hall 3–4 p.m.: Art, craft, photography, painting, and baking entry pickup (non-placing or unsold entries) 4 p.m.: Livestock Auction Begins at Ramirez Exhibit Hall 7:30–9 p.m.: Street Dance by Solido 9–9:30 p.m.: Grito Contest 10 p.m.: Ramirez Exhibit Hall Closes to the Public 9:30–11 p.m.: Street Dance by La Mafia 11–11:30 p.m.: Jalapeño Eating Contest Sponsored by IBC-Zapata 11:30 p.m.–1 a.m.: Street Dance by Pesado (Headliner) 1:15 a.m.: Fairgrounds Close
CRIME Continued from Page 1A gion remains full of fiery rhetoric and competing views about how safe border communities really are. "It’s much safer than say San Antonio, Houston or Dallas,” said Democratic state Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, who represents a McAllen-based district. “It’s certainly much safer than Washington D.C. or Chicago.” State and federal crime data backs those claims: Violent crime rates have remained the same or dropped in many border cities in the last five years for which data is available. In 2014, Houston’s violent crime rate — counting murder, non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault — stood at 991 crimes for every 100,000 residents, according to the FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Report. The violent crime rate in Dallas was 665 crimes for every 100,000 residents. Border communities like Laredo, El Paso, Edinburg and Brownsville all saw fewer than 400 crimes for every 100,000 residents. Brownsville is one of the few cities where crime rates, though relatively low, have increased recently, rising from 253 crimes for every 100,000 residents in 2009 to 304 in 2014. Meanwhile, the violent
crime in El Paso, the most populous border town, has dropped from 457 crimes for every 100,000 residents in 2009 to 393 in 2014. For years, the West Texas city has been declared the safest of its size, according to Congressional Quarterly. The FBI report includes crimes voluntarily reported by local law enforcement agencies across the country, and the agency warns against using the data to directly compare cities. Rankings of cities by crime rates “ignore the uniqueness of each locale” and the local factors that influence crime, the bureau says. But to some on the ground, the influx of agents, troopers, deputies and guardsmen to the border has had a noticeable impact. “You’ve got to understand, we’re a border city so we have a lot of local law enforcement,” said Ponce Treviño, Webb County Jail commander. “You have Laredo [Police Department]. You have Webb County Sheriff ’s Office. You’ve got the constables. Then you have the federal government here. You’ve got customs. You’ve got border patrol. You’ve got ICE. You have a big influx of law enforcement and there’s officer presence, so that makes the crime rate a lot lower.” And it’s quite a law en-
forcement stew — local police and sheriff ’s departments, Border Patrol agents, DPS troopers, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, the FBI, DEA and the Texas National Guard, among others. Border Patrol staffing in the Southwest Border section — which includes Arizona,California, New Mexico and Texas — grew from 17,408 in federal fiscal year 2009 to 18,127 in fiscal year 2014. The count of agents in the region has more than doubled since 2001. At least 100 more DPS troopers have been sent recently to patrol the Rio Grande Valley after graduating from an abbreviated trooper academy — part of an effort to permanently add 250 more troopers to the area by the end of the year. Approximately 5,600 peace officers work at county sheriff and constable offices and local police departments along the border. More than half of those officers work for police departments in four counties: Hidalgo, El Paso, Cameron and Webb. Home to Edinburg and McAllen, Hidalgo County alone has 1,566 pairs of boots on the ground even without federal and state law enforcement assigned to patrol the area. There are also about 100 Texas National Guard soldiers that remain as part of
Texas’ 2014 deployment. And federal agencies — ICE, DEA and the FBI — have long had their own agents sprinkled along the border. Much of the recent law enforcement surge has been pushed by Republicans and opposed by Democrats, prompting some curious political anomalies. Republicans have fought for — and largely succeeded in obtaining — record expenditures for border security, but they continue to argue the border is unsafe. Democrats argue against "militarizing" the border but acknowledge the influx of law enforcement has made it a safer place. “When you have more and more visibility, there’s obviously a deterrent for those who commit crimes,” Hinojosa said. “We’re dealing with some serious problems on the border ... that’s why this last [legislative] session we focused on law enforcement that will be effective.” Despite the crime statistics, border officials say they must continually push back against widespread perceptions that their communities are caught up in the violence wracking towns across the Rio Grande in Mexico. Republicans don’t help when they argue for more resources by portraying the area as a hotbed of
narco terrorism and immigrant crime. But they contend the border is an entry point from which crime spreads throughout the state. Gov. Greg Abbott signed a sweeping, multimilliondollar border security measure last June flanked by Republican lawmakers at a Texas DPS office in Houston. Abbott said the ceremony’s location was appropriate because a porous border means the entire state — not just the stretch of cities hugging the Rio Grande — is in peril. For others, perceptions of unsafe conditions in border communities are driven by the incorrect assumption that undocumented immigrants are more likely to commit crimes than the general population. “If people connect undocumented immigration with safety, they would be wrong saying that because they pass through the border the border communities are less safe,” said Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, a public affairs and security studies professor at the University of TexasRio Grande Valley. A Texas Tribune analysis of incarceration and immigration records found there is little evidence that undocumented immigrants commit crimes at higher rates than the general population and they appear to be
underrepresented in both Texas prisons and Texas’ death row. “I really believe that the people that make it to our community from other countries including Mexico — and in El Paso’s case primarily Mexico — are here to get ahead, to work hard, to do well,” said Congressman Robert "Beto" O’Rourke, D-El Paso. “They want to see their kids succeed, they want to integrate. Part and parcel with that is staying out of trouble.” For many border residents, concerns in Austin about the area’s safety don’t reflect their daily reality. But many accept that perceptions weigh heavily into the rhetoric condemning the area. Jim Ward, a fifth-generation El Pasoan and local business owner, said that he thinks his hometown is safe. But he fears what would happen if one person entered the United States through Mexico with the intent of doing serious and widespread harm. “I think everybody can see how quickly our border would change if one person comes through and does something,” Ward said. “Then it’s not going to be about farm workers anymore, it’s not going to be about maids. It’s going to be about terrorists. I have a real fear that this will turn into a police state pretty quickly.”
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016