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EDUCATION
FEDERAL COURT
Schools balk at calculator directive
Teen gets 1 year
ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — School district officials across Texas say efforts to equip students with new technology are being impeded by a state directive that they must purchase costly calculators for eighth-graders. Districts are eager to invest in iPads and other mobile devices for students. Administrators could then download a $15 application with features virtually identical to the calculators. But the Austin American-Statesman reports the state still requires graphing calculators that cost $100 a piece. The state for now won’t allow schools to use the app in lieu of the calculator because of test-security concerns. “What it means for us is we won’t be able to purchase some technology that we desperately need for our kids to become proficient in 21st-century skills,” said Frances McArthur, superintendent of the Lexington school district, about 50 miles northeast of Austin. Educators are focusing on making technology available in order to personalize instruction and better engage students. The Houston school district, for example, has equipped about 18,000 students at a quarter of its high schools with laptops and aims to cover all high school students by 2016, according to the Houston Chronicle. The state’s requirement that each student have a calculator on test day could slow efforts by districts to get technology as they have to redirect dollars to supply the graphing calculators, which are required for next year’s State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. The Texas Education Agency is exploring the app as an alternative to the calculators but the sticking point is test security, said Debbie Graves Ratcliffe, an agency spokeswoman. Current policy prohibits calculation devices that provide access to the Internet or have a camera. “It’s the camera on the device that creates the security risk. ... This is an issue that we will be re-examining for future years,” Ratcliffe said. Jennifer Bergland, director of governmental relations for the Texas Computer Education Association, said she understands the security concerns. However, “if that could be worked out, it’s silly for school districts to use their resources to pay for something they already have on the device,” she said. There were 367,000 eighth-graders in Texas public schools last year. It is not clear how calculators will be needed because some students will buy their own and districts may already have some for their algebra students.
Judge sentences Raul Turi in transportation case By PHILIP BALLI THE ZAPATA TIMES
A Zapata High School student arrested in the San Ygnacio area on human smuggling charges was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Laredo to one year in prison. Raul Ivan Turi, 18, pleaded guilty in January to transportation of illegal immigrants, an offense punishable with up to 10 years in federal prison, an indictment reads. Turi’s defense attorney, Juan Garcia, told U.S. District Judge Marina Marmolejo that the problem Turi has is due to the group of friends he hangs out with in San Ygnacio.
Turi has been behind bars following his arrest Oct. 25 with a $75,000 bond. Garcia requested a bond reduction for TURI Turi so he could graduate from high school, but the motion was denied Nov. 1. U.S. Border Patrol agents allege Turi was transporting illegal immigrants in a red Chevrolet Cruze. He parked the vehicle outside Pepe’s Gas Station in San Ygnacio and went inside the establishment. Then, two illegal immigrants ran from the Cruze but
were apprehended shortly after, according to court documents. Turi could not be located inside the store. Federal officials requested assistance. An agent patrolling the San Ygnacio area spotted a red Ford Mustang, where Turi was a passenger in the backseat. In a post-arrest interview, Turi admitted to being hired to transport the illegal immigrants. Before handing down the sentence, Marmolejo attempted to convey to Turi the seriousness of the offense he had committed. “You’re 18 years old, and I
don’t think you understand that this will affect you the rest of your life,” Marmolejo said. “I could have given you a sentence of five to 10 years, but I hope a 12 month sentence will help you see that you cannot commit these crimes.” Turi said it was easy for him to commit the crimes and that he wanted to stop. Marmolejo also made attaining his GED a part of Turi’s sentence as well as three years of supervised release and 100 hours of community service. (Philip Balli may be reached at 728-2528 or pballi@lmtonline.com)
ZAPATA COUNTY FAIR
QUEEN AND HER COURT
Photo by Victor Strife | The Zapata Times
The Zapata County Fair court includes Carina Andrea Cruz, second runner up; Lydia Eliza Garza, queen; and Selissa Lynette Lopez, first runner up. They visited the Laredo Morning Times last week.
Lydia Eliza Garza and court rules the 42nd fair By PHILIP BALLI THE ZAPATA TIMES
Lydia Eliza Garza was recently crowned Zapata County Fair Queen in the traditional competition where young women show off their talent and beauty for the title. Selissa Lynette Lopez was named first runner-up, and Carina Andrea Cruz was
second runner-up. The three of them, referred to as “The Ladies in Red,” make up this year’s queen and court. Garza said the competition this year was tough as each of the six women were strong candidates. “Every single one of us had strong talents and were each very different, so we all had a good chance,” Garza said. “I can’t express how excited I was when
they called my name. It is such an honor to be able to represent Zapata County.” This was Garza’s third time participating in a pageant. She was also named Miss Falcon Lake in 2012. The pageant has been a tradition in Zapata since the 1970s. Attendees were camping outside of the doors of Zapata
See FAIR PAGE 10A
CULTURE
Show honors Jose Velasco By MALENA CHARUR THE ZAPATA TIMES
An exhibition featuring the work of landscape painter Jose Maria Velasco, commemorating the 100th anniversary of his death, was inaugurated Thursday at the Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum. The traveling exhibition, “Visions of Anahuac,” consists of 25 authorized reproductions reflecting Velasco as a painter in addition to illustrating contemporary life in Mexico. Miguel Angel Isidro, Consul
General of Mexico in Laredo, spoke at the opening reception of Velasco’s exhibition. Velasco is considered one of the greatest landscape painters of the 19th century. Isidro said Velasco was born in 1840 in the state of Mexico. At an early age he studied art, entering San Carlos Academy where he excelled in painting scenes of nature. His early works were related to architecture, but he later noticed the beauty in the Valley of Mexico City, with its volcanoes with snowy peaks which he focused on. Velasco participated in interna-
tional exhibitions in Paris and Chicago, and died in Mexico City in 1912. Isidro said Mexico’s Foreign Ministry has made it possible to exhibit cultural offerings of Mexico that includes Velasco’s work. The exhibit was produced by the National Museum of Mexican Art to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Velasco’s death in 2012. “Mexico has a vibrant arts heritage, and within this category, the works of Jose Maria Velasco is a fundamental part of the historical
See PAINTINGS
PAGE 10A
Photo by Victor Strife | The Zapata Times
Calixto Seca Jr. and Reyna Arzate admire artwork created by 19th-century Mexican painter Jose Maria Velasco at the “Visiones De Anahuac” art exhibit at the Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum in Laredo.
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
Wednesday, March 12
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TAMIU Planetarium shows: “The Little Star that Could” 2 p.m.; “Earth, Moon and Sun” 3 p.m.; and “Force 5: Nature Unleashed” 4 p.m. $4 general admission.
Thursday, March 13 42nd Annual Zapata County Fair. 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Zapata County Fairgrounds. Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 7270589.
Friday, March 14 42nd Annual Zapata County Fair. 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Zapata County Fairgrounds. Christian Life Seminar: What It Means To Be A Christian. 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., every Friday until April 11. San Martin De Porres Catholic Church’s St. Elizabeth Room. Free. Light snacks served. Contact Leah Cayanan at 2860654 or leigh.cayanan@gmail.com.
Saturday, March 15 42nd Annual Zapata County Fair. 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Zapata County Fairgrounds.
Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision | AP
Edward Snowden talks during a simulcast conversation during the SXSW Interactive Festival on Monday , in Austin. Snowden talked with American Civil Liberties Union’s principal technologist Christopher Soghoian, and answered tweeted questions.
Snowden live at SXSW ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thursday, March 20 Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 7270589.
Friday, March 21 Christian Life Seminar: What It Means To Be A Christian. 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., every Friday until April 11. San Martin De Porres Catholic Church’s St. Elizabeth Room. Free. Light snacks served. Contact Leah Cayanan at 2860654 or leigh.cayanan@gmail.com.
Saturday, March 22 TAMIU Planetarium shows: “Earth, Moon and Sun” 3 p.m.; “Wonders of the Universe” 4 p.m.; “Two Small Pieces of Glass” 5 p.m.; “Pink Floyd’s The Wall” 6 p.m. General admission $4 children and $5 adults. Premium shows $1 more. Call 3263663.
Monday, March 24 Zapata County Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. Zapata County Courthouse. Call Roxy Elizondo at 7659920.
Thursday, March 27 Orthopedic clinic. 8 a.m. Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center, 1220 N. Malinche Ave. Clinic benefits children with cerebral palsy, club foot, scoliosis, spina bifida and more. $5 processing fee. Patients must register before day of clinic. Call 722-2431. Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 7270589.
Friday, March 28 Christian Life Seminar: What It Means To Be A Christian. 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., every Friday until April 11. San Martin De Porres Catholic Church’s St. Elizabeth Room. Free. Light snacks served. Contact Leah Cayanan at 2860654 or leigh.cayanan@gmail.com.
AUSTIN — NSA leaker Edward Snowden spoke via live video conference Monday to a packed audience at the South By Southwest Interactive Festival. The former NSA contractor, who remains in Moscow living in temporary asylum, faces felony charges in the U.S. after revealing the agency’s mass surveillance program by leaking thousands of classified documents to media outlets. Christopher Soghoian, principal technologist at the American Civil Liberties Union, spoke to Snowden from the Austin event along with Snowden’s legal adviser, the ACLU’s Ben Wizner. The hour-long conversation was extensive and Snowden touched on a number of issues. He dispensed advice on how U.S. citizens can
keep their web-surfing activities more private by using a free service called Tor, which encrypts web traffic. He also called on the technology industry to create more software and services that help guard individual privacy. Snowden appeared to have no regrets about exposing the U.S. government’s surveillance methods. “I took an oath to support the Constitution, and I felt the Constitution was violated on a massive scale,” he told the audience. The ACLU offered a live blog of Snowden’s talk on its website and the Texas Tribune’s website hosted a live video stream. Fugitive WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange spoke at the SXSW conference in a similar manner on Saturday. Assange is living in asylum at the Ecuadorean embassy in London.
Woman sentenced in husband’s burning death
Schools balk at state calculator requirement
Prada Marfa art site vandalized again
AUSTIN — A woman convicted of arson in the bathtub burning death of her husband has been sentenced by a Central Texas jury to 20 years in prison. Travis County jurors reached their decision Tuesday in the punishment trial of Shriya Patel. She had faced a sentence of five years to life in prison for the April 2012 incident that killed 29year-old Bimal Patel.
AUSTIN — Local school officials say efforts to equip students with new technology are being impeded by a state directive that they must purchase costly calculators for eighth-graders. School districts are eager to invest in iPads and other devices for students. Administrators could then download a $15 application that works as a calculator. The state requires a graphing calculator that costs $100 a piece.
VALENTINE — The Prada Marfa public art installation in West Texas has been targeted again by vandals. The building near Valentine, about 35 miles northwest of Marfa, was found plastered with paint and posters. The store that looks like a retail location for Prada shoes and handbags opened in 2005.
Nearly 300,000 get new health insurance HOUSTON — Fewer than 90,000 Texans bought health insurance in the new federally subsidized marketplace in the past month, leaving thousands uninsured with just weeks left before open enrollment ends March 31. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says Tuesday that 295,025 Texans have bought insurance on the marketplace since Oct. 1.
Cold snap knocks electric generators offline AUSTIN — January’s polar vortex knocked several coal-fired electricity plants offline, and the Sierra Club says the loss of power shows the need for energy conservation programs. ERCOT, which runs the grid that serves most Texans, issued a report detailing the failure of coal-fired plants to meet the grid’s needs on Jan. 6.
FEMA funds help Ike-damaged museum GALVESTON — A flight museum battered in 2008 by Hurricane Ike will get a new home with a $7.6 million grant. The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Monday announced the funding to relocate the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston to Houston. The Lone Star Flight Museum suffered more than $20 million in damage during Ike. — Compiled from AP reports
Saturday, March 29 TAMIU Planetarium shows: “Zula Patrol: Under the Weather” 3 p.m.; “Black Holes” 4 p.m.; “The Great Space Race” 5 p.m.; “Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon” 6 p.m.. General admission $4 children and $5 adults. Premium shows $1 more. Call 3263663.
Monday, March 31 Monthly meeting of Laredo Parkinson’s Disease Support Group. 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, Tower B, First Floor Community Center. Patients, caregivers and family members invited. Free info pamphlets available in Spanish and English. Call Richard Renner (English) at 645-8649 or Juan Gonzalez (Spanish) at 2370666. 9920. Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location and purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.
AROUND THE NATION Haitians sue UN over cholera epidemic NEW YORK — A new lawsuit has been filed by 1,500 Haitian plaintiffs against the United Nations over a cholera outbreak that has killed thousands. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in a Brooklyn federal court, seeks compensations for deaths and illnesses and funding for clean water in Haiti, which was devastated by a 2010 earthquake. Scientific studies have shown that cholera was likely introduced in Haiti by U.N. peacekeepers from Nepal, where the disease is endemic. The new suit also asks the court to declare that the U.N. has no immunity.
Couple attacked by cat say they’ll get it help PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon owners of a 22-pound housecat who trapped them in their
Today is Wednesday, March 12, the 71st day of 2014. There are 294 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On March 12, 1664, England’s King Charles II granted an area of land on the East Coast of present-day North America known as New Netherland to his brother James, the Duke of York. On this date: In 1864, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant assumed command as General-in-Chief of the Union armies in the Civil War. In 1912, the Girl Scouts of the USA had its beginnings as Juliette Gordon Low of Savannah, Ga., founded the first American troop of the Girl Guides. In 1914, American inventor George Westinghouse died in New York at age 67. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered the first of his 30 radio addresses that came to be known as “fireside chats,” telling Americans what was being done to deal with the nation’s economic crisis. In 1934, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake shook much of northern Utah along with parts of Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Wyoming. In 1938, the Anschluss merging Austria with Nazi Germany took place as German forces crossed the border between the two countries. In 1939, Pope Pius XII was formally crowned in ceremonies at the Vatican. In 1951, “Dennis the Menace,” created by cartoonist Hank Ketcham, made its syndicated debut in 16 newspapers. In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson won the New Hampshire Democratic primary, but Sen. Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota placed a strong second. In 1994, the Church of England ordained its first women priests. In 2003, Elizabeth Smart, the 15-year-old girl who’d vanished from her bedroom nine months earlier, was found alive in a Salt Lake City suburb with two drifters, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee, who are serving prison terms for kidnapping her. Today’s Birthdays: Playwright Edward Albee is 86. Politician, diplomat and civil rights activist Andrew Young is 82. Actress Barbara Feldon is 81. Broadcast journalist Lloyd Dobyns is 78. Singer Al Jarreau is 74. Actress-singer Liza Minnelli is 68. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is 67. Singer-songwriter James Taylor is 66. Former Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., is 66. Rock singer-musician Bill Payne (Little Feat) is 65. Actor Jon Provost (“Lassie”) is 64. Author Carl Hiaasen is 61. Rock musician Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) is 58. Actor Jerry Levine is 57. Singer Marlon Jackson (The Jackson Five) is 57. Actor Jason Beghe is 54. Actor Courtney B. Vance is 54. Actor Titus Welliver is 53. Former MLB All-Star Darryl Strawberry is 52. Actress Julia Campbell is 51. Actor Aaron Eckhart is 46. CNN reporter Jake Tapper is 45. Rock musician Graham Coxon is 45. Country musician Tommy Bales (Flynnville Train) is 41. Actor Rhys Coiro is 35. Country singer Holly Williams is 33. Actor Samm Levine is 32. Thought for Today: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams, American president (1767-1848).
CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Account Executive, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 765-5113 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Copy Editor, Nick Georgiou ....................... 728-2565 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ..........................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo............ 728-2569 Photo by Tony Giberson/The Pensacola News Journal | AP
In this photo taken Monday, University of South Carolina spring breaker Michelle Meeder gets in a little recreation at Pensacola Beach in Pensacola, Fla. Meeder is visiting the area with her brother, Virginia Tech student Matthew Meeder. bedroom after attacking their baby say they’re not giving up on their pet and are getting it medical attention and therapy. Two days after police arrived to subdue the 4-year-old Himalayan cat, owner Lee Palmer of Portland says he’s taking the fe-
line to a veterinarian. A pet psychologist also is due at the house to see the cat, named Lux. Palmer says the animal attacked after the 7-month-old child pulled its tail. The baby wasn’t injured. — 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
Local
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Two men await their SEAL speaks March 20 sentencing date SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Two brother-in-laws caught in Zapata County with eight illegal immigrants were convicted Monday in federal court in Laredo. In February, Victoriano RamirezHernandez and Juan Olvera-Angeles entered a not guilty plea to human smuggling charges. But at re-arraignment Monday, they pleaded guilty to transporting and attempt to transport undocumented immigrants for financial gain before U.S. Magistrate Judge Guillermo R. Garcia. A sentencing date is pending. Their case dates back to Jan. 17. At 5:30 a.m. that morning, U.S. Border patrol agents had a temporary checkpoint along U.S. 83 near Zapata. They then observed a silver Ford F-150 and a black Nissan Pathfinder made Uturns to allegedly avoid the check-
point. Agents stopped both vehicles. Identified as the drivers, Olvera-Angeles and Ramirez-Hernandez admitted they were transporting a total of eight illegal immigrants, according to court records. In post-arrest interviews, RamirezHernandez told federal agents that he had made an agreement to transport four illegal immigrants from Zapata to Laredo for money. He further told agents that Olvera-Angeles is his brother-in-law. They both picked up the immigrants at the same place, the complaint states. Olvera-Angeles also admitted to transporting the immigrants. He said was to be paid $600, court records state. Two people held as materials witnesses against identified RamirezHernandez and Olvera-Angeles as the drivers of the vehicles. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
Helping the hungry Ranchers for the Hungry assist with meat donations SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
The South Texas Food Bank mission of feeding the hungry received a huge boost at the recent Laredo International Fair and Exposition through its Ranchers for the Hungry program. The South Texas Food Bank will wind up with thousands of pounds to meat product from the auction to be distributed to the needy. Pancho Farias, South Texas Food Bank coordinator for Ranchers for the Hungry, reported LIFE donations of seven steer, 10 pigs, 14 goats and 22 sheep — all an increase over last year. “The steer will bring about 3,000 pounds of finished product. These are prize-winning animals,
high-quality,” Farias said. The program started six years ago with a deer harvest coordinated by Robert Laurel and Oscar Laurel at their ranch in Zapata County. It has grown and two years ago was recognized at a Feeding America National Conference for food banks as the food resourcing program of the year. Robert Laurel and friends were processing cost donors last year. South Texas Food Bank board member Tano Tijerina is chairman of Ranchers for the Hungry. Farias added that South Texas hunters and ranch owners donated almost 50 deer this season. David Jenkins at the Cerrito Prieto Ranch in
northern Webb County is among the new donors. Other deer came from the Colorado Ranch and the Callaghan Ranch. Farias recognized the J.W. Nixon High School meat processing class and Robert Ruiz Custom Meats for their contributions. “The 30,000 families per month served supplemental food by the South Texas Food Bank are blessed to have support from Ranchers for the Hungry. We certainly could not continue this monumental mission without community advocates,” STFB executive director Alfonso Casso said. The South Texas Food Bank is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
Author and former Navy SEAL officer Eric Greitens will present the 2014 A. R. Sanchez, Sr. Distinguished Lecture Series on Thursday, March 20 at 7 p.m. in the Texas A&M International University Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall. Admission is free of charge and open to the public. Greitens’ lecture will be “Why it Takes the Heart and the Fist.” Greitens, selected by TIME Magazine in 2013 as one of the world’s 100 most influential people, is the author of three books. His latest is The New York Times’ bestseller “The Heart and the Fist: The Education of a Humanitarian, the Making of a Navy SEAL” (Mariner Books, 2012). Born and raised in Missouri, he was educated in public schools. An Angier B. Duke Scholar at Duke University, he studied ethics, philosophy, and public policy. He was selected as a Rhodes and Truman Scholar, attending the University of Oxford from 1996 through 2000 and earn-
ing a master’s degree in 1998 and Ph.D. in 2000. His doctoral thesis, “Children First,” inGREITENS vestigated how international humanitarian organizations can best serve war-affected children. He has worked as a humanitarian volunteer, documentary photographer, and researcher in Rwanda, Cambodia, Albania, Mexico, India, Bosnia, and Bolivia. He served as the commander of a Mark V Special Operations craft detachment, commander of a Joint Special Operations Task Unit, and as commander of an al Qaeda Targeting Cell. In 2005, he was appointed by the president as a White House Fellow, and in 2011 the Association of the United States Navy named him Navy Reserve Junior Line Officer of the Year. His military awards include the Navy Achievement Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Purple Heart and the
Bronze Star. Upon returning from Iraq in 2007, he founded The Mission Continues to challenge veterans to serve American communities. Through The Mission Continues fellowships, more than 680 post-9/ 11 veterans serve in communities throughout the United States, leading nearly 800 service projects and engaging 35,000-plus volunteers. Full employment, higher education or ongoing service often results. The Manhattan Institute for Social Entrepreneurship listed Greitens among America’s most effective leaders and Goldman Sachs has recognized his innovative entrepreneurship. In 2012, he received the Charles Bronfman Prize, which celebrates the vision and endeavor of an individual less than 50 years of age whose humanitarian work has contributed significantly to the betterment of the world. For more information contact the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at 326-2460. Information is also available on the university’s website, tamiu.edu.
Conference is 27th, 28th ASSOCIATED PRESS
If you’re curious about the kinds of academic research students embark on at Texas A&M International University, you’re invited to attend a series of presentations taking place at the Sixth Lamar Bruni Vergara & Guillermo Benavides Z. Academic Conference on March 27-28. The conference, free and open to the public, will be from 1 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 27 and from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Friday, March 28 at the Success Center, room 101. TAMIU’s premier annual academic conference, the event provides all graduate
and undergraduate students with an opportunity to present academic research, art and performances to the community. “We invite anyone in the community who is interested in the excellent research and scholarship of TAMIU students to come and enrich their knowledge at this Conference,” said Zoila FrancoHinojosa, research administrator for the Office of Graduate Studies and Research. “This is an opportunity to see the level of research that we do on campus, to meet future leaders and know what they can offer,” she added. The conference, supported
by the Lamar Bruni Vergara Trust and Guillermo Benavides Z., provides an opportunity for recognition of the excellent research and scholarship of TAMIU students, with cash prizes for best presentations in their disciplines, Franco- Hinojosa said. Winners are announced at an award ceremony and buffet dinner on Friday, which concludes the conference. Parents of students are especially encouraged to attend the award ceremony. For more information, call Franco-Hinojosa at 326.3025, email zoila.francoh@tamiu.edu or visit offices located in the Killam Library, room 326.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Changing SAT is not enough By ALEXANDRA PETRI THE WASHINGTON POST
By now you’ve probably heard the news. The SAT is reverting to a 1600-point scale and making the essay portion of the test optional. The vocabulary words and math sections are changing and the guessing penalty (where you were penalized for getting a question wrong instead of not answering it) has been eliminated. “What?” you may well say. “But the SAT just changed to include that essay.” Ah, but then its rival, the ACT, started to take over the SAT’s market share. The College Board, which administers the SAT, insists that the changes will make the test do a better job of reflecting what students learn. In my experience, “more reflective of what students learn in high school” always is a nicer way of saying “easier.” How could it not be? Look at what people are actually learning. Less and less, every day. Employers, when asked if college students strike them as at all ready for the workforce, have stopped responding and just emit a low chuckle, gazing off into the distance. Frankly, the SAT has not changed enough. Sure, the vocabulary words are no longer what the New York Times describes as “arcane ‘SAT words.’” This is completely right. After all, we wouldn’t want to have SAT words on the SAT. It is no place for them. They should be locked away and forgotten. Goodbye, “deprecatory” and “membranous.” Hello, “synthesis” and “empirical.” Even that’s too much, in my opinion. Why learn any words that aren’t just “synergy,” over and over again? It’s a great all-purpose word that you can use in the classroom, in the workplace and in the home. Synergy! Never leave home without it! Forget “pleonasm” and “squaloid.” Who do you think you are, William F. Buckley? Learning words is for people who don’t have games on their phones to keep them occupied on winter evenings. The SAT will now include excerpts from important source documents — such as the Constitution or “Letter From the Birmingham Jail.” Testing actual information? Still? What is this, 1600? (The year, not the score.) At least the SAT got rid of the penalty for guessing. Rewarding people for not volunteering an answer when they know they don’t have one is a very poor idea. The supply of Strong Opinions About the Situation in Ukraine would dry up in a day. Maybe I am a little bitter about the change. I was part of the goshforsaken Class of 2006, when nobody knew what standard the colleges would want to look at so we were forced to take every available SAT: The 1600-point one, with analogies and no essays. The 2400-point version, with the essay section where you could cite anything regardless of the truth of your assertion. The 83-point SAT, something offered by a guy in a trench coat outside my high school and for which my mother sent me to eight test-prep classes. The 1600-pointer was the most useful because that’s the one you can use to compare your performance with the SAT scores of celebrities. And I was even a good test-taker! This brought me no boons. If you do poorly on the SAT, you can go on and have a nice life. If you do well on the SAT, you spend the rest of your days awkwardly attempting to work your score into the conversation, and it never goes over quite as well as you hoped. All the skills on which you were tested are active hindrances to real success. Give me a passage to analyze for grammatical errors, and I instantly pinpoint the “who/whom” confusion. Unfortunately, this habit, like a useless and frankly somewhat inconvenient superpower, does not disappear after the SAT, and it greatly limits your invitations to parties. Setting up the expectation that you will be rewarded when you point out triumphantly that “there should be a semicolon here” is a cruel joke to play on a person at a formative stage of life. Basically, the SAT used to test things such as grammar, reading ability and the size of a person’s vocabulary. But possessing grammar, reading ability and a vocabulary are active hazards these days, at college if not in the world at large. The SAT will test less now. But it should test far, far less. It really should consist of just one question: “Can you use Google?” And a follow-up: “Are you willing to pay somebody a grotesque amount of money to spend four years drinking?” If the answer to both questions is “Yes,” you are all set for a great college career.
COLUMN
The best way to help Ukraine By LAWRENCE SUMMERS SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON POST
Recent events in Ukraine have underscored the need for effective external support for economic and political reform. The international community is finally responding with concrete indications of support. On one level, the situation in Ukraine is unique — a product of the country’s strategically sensitive location between Russia and Europe. On a broader level, however, it is merely the latest example of a phenomenon that recurs all too often. A government that is illegitimate, or at least highly problematic, is brought down. The world community seeks to support economic reform. A new government, purportedly more democratic and legitimate, is installed in its place. Think of the transition that occurred after the Berlin Wall fell, or after the Arab uprisings began, or in more isolated cases such as East Timor or Rwanda. As a general rule, outsiders acted with the best intentions in offering support. But results have often fallen far short of their aspirations. Over the past quarter-century, I have seen close to a dozen cases where the precedent of the Marshall Plan was invoked. None was as successful as the original. This reflects the truth that functioning institutions cannot be
imposed from the outside. Countries and their peoples shape their own destinies. Still, there are important lessons for the design of support programs. First, immediate impact is essential. New governments will not last unless they deliver results that are felt on the ground. Any conditions placed on assistance, intended to ensure progress toward reform, need to recognize political and economic realities. Assistance must be delivered promptly and in a way in which its impact is immediately visible. For example, social safety nets need to be strengthened before subsidies on items such as food and fuel are removed — not afterward, as has too often been the case in the past. The international community needs to understand that, even when the conditions it imposes are economically rational, they may be more than the political process can bear. It is no use blaming the country being assisted when this results in the adoption of bad policies. This is surely a time for political concerns to trump technocrats’ fears. Second, avoid “Potemkin money” — the tendency to announce huge assistance packages that grab the headlines but belie the inevitable truth that much of the cash will take time to arrive. The result is disappointment followed by disillusionment as
recipients realize that not all assistance can materialize quickly or meet urgent local needs. Recall that the original Marshall Plan was announced without any figures or fact sheets. In Ukraine, the West should make modest promises — and then strive to deliver more than the country has been led to expect. Third, be realistic about debts. Ukraine’s debt-income ratio is low compared with the crisis countries of the European periphery. Honoring these obligations may be worthwhile, given the benefits of financial stability. That said, Ukraine’s private creditors have for some years received risk premiums of 500 basis points or more. This suggests that careful consideration should be given to rescheduling or restructuring the country’s debts. Debt relief can provide a strong signal of political support — as happened in Poland in 1989. Countries in crisis should be wary of taking on debt to finance projects that will not generate the cash flows necessary to repay it. In such cases, donors should offer support in the form of grants rather than loans. Fourth, honest management is as important as prudent policy. Policymakers have traditionally focused on the latter. But that is a mistake. Theft of public re-
sources is a major source of poor economic performance. The international community should do everything it can to recover ill-gotten gains from former Ukrainian officials and to put in place procedures that would prevent such activity. The benefits would be political as well as economic. Fifth, countries need to pursue broad polices in a way that benefits Ukraine. So, for example, Congress needs to demonstrate that the United States is as committed as the rest of the world to providing full funding for the International Monetary Fund. The United States should also move to allow crude oil and natural gas exports to flow more freely. Over time, this would contribute to Ukraine’s autonomy and economic strength. All of this also goes for Europe — which is far closer to Ukraine and has an even greater stake in its future prosperity. The most natural north star for Ukrainian reformers is the possibility of a closer partnership with the European Union. Respect for these principles does not ensure success. But ignoring them almost guarantees failure. Given what is at stake with Russia in Crimea, that gloomy outcome must be strenuously avoided. Lawrence Summers is a professor and past president at Harvard.
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International
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Malaysian military: Airliner changed course By EILEEN NG ASSOCIATED PRESS
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The missing Boeing 777 jetliner changed course over the sea, crossed Malaysia and reached the Strait of Malacca — hundreds of miles from its last position recorded by civilian authorities, Malaysian military officials said Tuesday, citing military radar data. The development added confusion and mystery into one of most puzzling aviation incidents of recent time, and it has raised questions about why the Malaysia Airlines flight apparently was not transmitting signals detectable by civilian radar, why its crew was silent about the course change and why no distress calls were sent after it turned back. Many experts have been working on the assumption there was a catastrophic event on the flight — such as an explosion, engine failure, terrorist attack, extreme turbulence, pilot error or even suicide. The director of the CIA said in Washington that he still would not rule out terrorism. Flight MH370, carrying 239 people, took off from Kuala Lumpur at 12:41 a.m. Saturday, bound for Beijing. Authorities initially said its last contact with ground controllers was less than an hour into the flight at a height of 35,000 feet, when the plane was somewhere between the east coast of Malaysia and Vietnam. But local newspaper Berita Harian quoted Malaysia’s air force chief, Gen. Rodzali Daud, as saying that radar at a military base had tracked the jet as it changed its course, with the final signal at 2:40 a.m. showing the plane to be near Pulau Perak at the northern approach to the Strait of Malacca, a busy waterway that separates the western coast of Malaysia and Indonesia’s Sumatra island. It was flying slightly lower, at around 29,528 feet, he said. “After that, the signal from the plane was lost,” he was quoted as saying. A high-ranking military official involved in the investigation confirmed the report. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose sensitive information.
Photo by Daniel Chan | AP
Malaysian officials in Sepang, Malaysia, give media a briefing on search and recovery efforts within existing and new areas for missing a Malaysia Airlines plane Monday. Authorities now say the jetliner changed course and headed towards land. Authorities had said earlier the plane may have tried to turn back to Kuala Lumpur, but they expressed surprise it would do so without informing ground control. The search was initially focused hundreds of miles to the east, in waters off Vietnam, with more than 40 planes and ships from at least 10 nations searching the area without finding a trace of the missing aircraft. Earlier Tuesday, Malaysia Airlines said in a statement that search-and-rescue teams had expanded their scope to the Strait of Malacca. An earlier statement said the western coast of Malaysia was “now the focus,” but the airline subsequently said that phrase was an oversight. It didn’t elaborate. Civil aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said the search remained “on both sides” of Malaysia. Attention will now likely focus on the condition of the Boeing 777’s electronic systems as it charted its new course back toward and then across Malaysia. A radar antenna on the ground sends electromagnetic waves that reflect from the surface of an air-
craft and almost instantly return, allowing controllers to calculate how far away a plane is. The antenna is mounted on a rotating platform, sending and receiving signals 360 degrees across the sky, enabling the plane’s direction to be tracked by constant sweeps. The system has limitations: Military and civilian air traffic controllers know something is moving through the air but might not know what it is. So planes were outfitted with transponders that can send a unique signal back to the radar station, which can differentiate them from other aircraft. From this signal, controllers can tell the flight number, heading, speed and altitude. Radar stations at airports are designed to track planes up to about 60 miles. They are used to help sequence and space landing aircraft. Another series of stations called air route surveillance radar can track planes 200-250 miles away, depending on weather and the age of the technology. Station locations are selected to allow for a slight overlap so planes in heavy-traffic areas are never out of reach of radar. While radar black spots can ex-
ist, experts said the plane’s transponders normally would have been emitting signals that would have been picked up by civilian radar. The fact that it apparently wasn’t detected suggests they were either disabled or switched off. Planes with no transponders can still be tracked by radar. Low-flying planes can sometimes avoid radar detection. There is no set height they must be under, but the farther away they are from a radar station, the higher they can be because of the angle of the radar antenna and the curvature of the Earth. Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar, who has been ordered to look at possible criminal aspects in the disappearance of Flight MH370, said hijacking, sabotage and issues related to the pilots’ psychological health were all being considered. An Australian TV station reported that the first officer on the missing plane, Fariq Abdul Hamid, had invited two women into the cockpit during a flight two years ago. One of the women, Jonti Roos, described the encounter on Australia’s “A Current Affair.” Roos said she and a friend were
allowed to stay in the cockpit during the entire one-hour flight on Dec. 14, 2011, from Phuket, Thailand, to Kuala Lumpur. She said the arrangement did not seem unusual to the plane’s crew. “Throughout the entire flight, they were talking to us and they were actually smoking throughout the flight,” said Roos, who didn’t immediately reply to a message sent to her via Facebook. The second pilot on the 2011 flight was not identified Malaysia Airlines said it took the allegations very seriously, which it said it was not able to confirm, adding: “We are in the midst of a crisis, and we do not want our attention to be diverted.” Also Tuesday, Malaysian and international police authorities said two people who boarded Flight MH370 with stolen passports were Iranians who had bought tickets to Europe, where they planning to migrate. Their presence on the flight had raised speculation of a possible terrorist link. Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said investigators had determined one was a 19-year-old Iranian, Pouria Nourmohammadi Mehrdad. “We believe he is not likely to be a member of any terrorist group,” Khalid said. Interpol identified the second man as Seyed Mohammed Reza Delavar, a 29-year-old Iranian, and released an image of the two boarding at the same time. Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said the two men traveled to Malaysia on their Iranian passports, then apparently switched to their stolen Austrian and Italian documents. CIA Director John Brennan said in Washington that Malaysian authorities “are looking very carefully at what went wrong; you know, if these individuals got onto the plane with these stolen passports, why they were not aware of it.” He also said there has been “a lot of speculation right now — some claims of responsibility that have not been, you know, confirmed or corroborated at all. We are looking at it very carefully.” Asked if terrorism could be ruled out, Brennan replied, “No, I wouldn’t rule it out. Not at all.”
National
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014
Family lost woman By ED WHITE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Richard Drew/file | AP
People walk by a Jos. A. Bank store in New York. Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank will combine to create the nation’s fourth largest seller of men’s wear.
$1.8B suits firm well By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AND MICHELLE CHAPMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Looks like the best suitor won. After an extended chase that included overtures on both sides, Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank will combine to create the nation’s fourth largest seller of men’s wear. Men’s Wearhouse Inc. said Tuesday that it’s buying its rival Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. for $1.8 billion. The company will pay $65 a share, a 5 percent premium to Jos. A. Bank’s most recent closing price. As part of the deal, Jos. A. Bank also said it’s terminating its deal to acquire the parent company of Eddie Bauer, which sells rugged outerwear. Shares of both companies rose on the news: Men’s Wearhouse’s shares were up nearly 5 percent to $57.13, while shares of Jos. A. Bank increased nearly 4 percent to $64.22. The acquisition comes after months of the two chains publicly fighting over who would acquire whom. Industry watchers had speculated that a merger was inevitable given the challenges the companies face in the increasingly competitive men’s wear landscape. With more than
1,700 U.S. stores and $3.5 billion in annual sales, the combined company’s reach in men’s clothing will fall behind only Macy’s, Kohl’s and J.C. Penney. “Together, Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank will have increased scale and breadth,” Doug Ewert, president and CEO of Men’s Wearhouse, said in a statement. Jos. A. Bank made the first move in October when it offered to buy its larger rival for $2.3 billion, just a few months after Men’s Wearhouse ousted its founder and chairman. Men’s Wearhouse shot down that offer, and turned the tables, offering to buy its rival for $1.54 billion. But after Jos. A. Bank turned down that bid, Men’s Wearhouse increased its offer to $1.6 billion, and then again to $1.78 billion. In the middle of the back-and forth, Jos. A. Bank said last month that it was buying the parent of Eddie Bauer, but left the door open for a deal with Men’s Wearhouse. At the time, it said if it received a superior acquisition offer, it would pay a fee to end the Eddie Bauer deal. By early March, Men’s Wearhouse had an offer of $63.50 per share on the table but said it may raise the bid to $65 per share if
some conditions were met. Despite, the rough courting period, both companies say they expect a smooth integration. In a joint press release, they said shareholders of both companies will benefit from about $100 million to $150 million in savings realized over three years as it streamlines its duplicative corporate function and improves sourcing and merchandising. A spokesman for Men’s Wearhouse declined to comment on any layoffs or comment on management changes beyond what the release said: “management will consist of the most qualified individuals from both organizations. “ “Our board has been focused on pursuing a path for our shareholders that maximizes value created,” said Robert N. Wildrick, chairman of Jos. A. Bank’s board. “The transaction we are announcing today clearly reflects the success of our efforts.” Analysts say there’s a bright future for the combined company. The suit business, which generated $2.3 billion in revenue last year, has been relatively healthy. The business has been up 4 percent over the past three years, after being flat or down since the recession, according to research firm NPD Group.
DETROIT — The family of a woman whose mummified body likely was found in a suburban Detroit garage had tried for years to find her and even reached out to police to check the home, relatives said Tuesday. Pia Farrenkopf was a successful self-employed financial trouble-shooter who traveled the world and greatly valued her privacy, said Paula Logan, a sister in Carver, Mass. “It kills us to read that maybe nobody cared for her,” nephew Eric Logan of Plymouth, Mass., told The Associated Press. “It’s completely opposite. All of us are just devastated. ... We have been looking for her. We’ve done everything we could do.” The body of a woman who may have died as long ago as 2008 was discovered last week in the rear seat of a Jeep in the attached garage at Farrenkopf ’s home in Pontiac, 30 miles north of Detroit. Paula Logan told the AP she feels “100 percent sure” it’s her sister, but authorities haven’t confirmed the identity yet. Oakland County authorities have said Farren-
Photo by Daniel Mears/Detroit News | AP
Police tape is seen outside a home Friday in Pontiac, Mich., where the mummified body of a woman was found in the garage. The body found last week in Pontiac is that of Pia Farrenkopf. kopf paid her mortgage and other bills automatically through a checking account that once had a balance of $54,000. The money ran out a year ago, and the home went into foreclosure. A contractor sent by the lender discovered the body. Investigators are puzzled: There was no sign of foul play, and the key in the ignition was in the off position. The fuel tank had gas. Paula Logan said her sister, one of 10 siblings from an Irish-Belgian family in the Boston area, typically stayed in touch even while working or traveling in Germany, England,
Switzerland and Egypt. She said she last saw her in 2007. “It’s not like we were estranged. ... My sister had died. I tried to get in touch with her,” Logan said. “My mother passed, too. We tried to get in touch with her. The phone just rang, rang, rang.” She said she asked police in Pontiac to go to Farrenkopf ’s home. She couldn’t recall the date. “They said they did a wellness check and didn’t see anything wrong,” Logan said. Pontiac has been patrolled by the county sheriff ’s office since summer 2011.
Seeds prompt lawsuit By JOE MANDAK ASSOCIATED PRESS
PITTSBURGH — A first-time mother who says she failed a drug test while in labor because she ate poppy seeds has sued a Pittsburgh hospital, saying officials defamed her and violated her doctor-patient confidentiality by sharing the results with a child welfare agency. Rachael Devore, 31, who gave birth at Magee-Women’s Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center on June 24, contends in her lawsuit
that the hospital staff tested her urine while she was in labor and then turned over the “positive” drug test to county caseworkers. “I just delivered and it’s supposed to be this beautiful, wonderful, happy time and I’m being accused of something that’s completely ridiculous,” Devore told The Associated Press. A UPMC spokeswoman declined to comment. Opiates like heroin are made from poppies, which is why the seeds can result in false positives on drug tests. But Devore
said she didn’t realize what prompted the failed drug test until weeks later — when she bought the same kind of bread she had eaten ate the day before she went into labor and saw poppy seeds when she sliced into it. Last year, another Pennsylvania woman settled a lawsuit with Jameson Hospital in New Castle for $143,500, after a county child welfare worker seized the woman’s newborn in 2010 after that mother also tested positive for drugs after eating a poppy seed bagel.
MIÉRCOLES 12 DE MARZO DE 2014
Agenda en Breve ZAPATA 03/12— Espectáculo de Pee Wee Goat de 7 p.m. a 9 p.m. en el Ramírez Exhibit Hall; cambio de los Cerdos a los terrenos de la feria, será de 6 p.m. a 8:30 p.m. 03/13— 42ª Feria Anual del Condado de Zapata, de 8 a.m. a 1 a.m. en Zapata County Fairgrounds. 7 a.m.: los proyectos se cambian a terrenos de la feria; 8 a.m.: pesaje; 9 a.m.: proyectos de trabajos en metal se llevan a la feria; 4 p.m.: se califican manualidades y fotografía; 4:30: se califican manualidades y edredones; 4 p.m.: se califican aves de corral en el Ramirez Exhibit Hall; 7 p.m. en el Ramirez Exhibit Hall: se califican cerdos; 7 p.m.: Batalla de las Bandas. 03/14— 42a Feria Anual del Condado de Zapata, de 8 a.m. a 1 a.m. en Zapata County Fairgrounds. 8:30 a.m.: calificación de conejos en el Ramirez Exhibit Hall; 9 a.m.: calificación de cocina en el County Pavilion; 11 a.m.: calificación de corderos; 1 p.m.: calificación de cocina para juniors y adultos mayores; 2 p.m.: calificación de carne de cordero; 6 p.m.: calificación de novillos; 5 p.m.: actuación de grupos de escuelas locales; 7 p.m.: presentación del Grupo Klibre; y, calificación de conducir; 8:45 p.m.: presentación de Los Zamorales; 10:15 a.m.: concurso de Jeans ajustados; 10:30 p.m.: presentación de Randy Rogers Band. 03/15— Feria del Condado de Zapata que incluye el Desfile a partir de las 9:30 a.m., iniciando en 3rd Ave. Habrá diferentes actuaciones en los terrenos de la feria desde la 1 p.m. Presentación del ganador de la Batalla de las Bandas a las 4:15 p.m.; Grupo Lázaro Pérez y su Conjunto a las 6 p.m.; Grupo Visión, a las 7:45 p.m.; Grupo Duelo a las 9:30 p.m.; Los Huracanes del Norte, a las 11:30 p.m.
LAREDO 03/12— AVISO: El Departamento de Salud de la Ciudad de Laredo notifica al público que debido a una sesión de entrenamiento, no se estarán ofreciendopruebas TB el día de hoy. Los exámenes se restaurarán el viernes 14 de marzo en horarios regulares. 03/12— La Biblioteca Pública de Laredo, 1120 East Calton Road, invita a vivir actividades en familia. De 10:30 a.m. a 11:30 a.m. habrá lectura de cuentos (Lotería/Premios) y de 4 p.m. a 5 p.m. será la Hora del Cuento (Separador de Libros de San Patricio). Evento gratuito. Los padres deben permanecer con sus hijos. 03/12— Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presenta “The Little Star that Could” a las 2 p.m.; “Earth, Moon and Sun” a las 3 p.m.; “Force 5: Nature Unleashed” a las 4 p.m. Costo general: 4 dólares. 03/13— La Biblioteca Pública de Laredo, 1120 East Calton Road, invita a vivir actividades en familia. De 10:30 a.m. a 11:30 a.m. habrá lectura de cuentos para niños de pre-escolar y de 5 p.m. a 6 p.m. será la Tarde Familiar. Evento gratuito.
NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO 03/12— Cine Club ‘Carmen González’ proyectará “La monja Alférez”, dirigida por Emilio Gómez, y que fungirá como homenaje a María Feliz, a las 6 p.m. en el Auditorio de Estación Palabra. Entrada Libre. 03/13— Se presentará Gala con Francisco Bibriesca y la Orquesta Infantil y Juvenil de Nuevo Laredo, en la Sala Sergio Peña a las 7 p.m. Entrada Libre.
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 7A
TRÁFICO DE PERSONAS
Aceptan culpa POR CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Dos cuñados que fueron arrestados en el Condado de Zapata con ocho inmigrantes indocumentados fueron condenados el lunes en una corte federal en Laredo. En febrero Victoriano Ramírez-Hernández y Juan Olvera-Ángeles entregaron una declaración de inocencia por cargos de contrabando de personas. Pero al regresar a la lectura de cargos el lunes se declararon culpables de
transportar e intentar transportar a inmigrantes sin documentos legales a cambio de una ganancia financiera ante el juez de EU, Guillermo R. García. El día para dictar sentencia se encuentra pendiente. El caso se remonta al 17 de enero. Esa mañana a las 5:30 a.m. agentes de Patrulla Fronteriza de EU montaban un puesto de control temporal a lo largo de U.S. 83, cerca de Zapata. Después observaron una Ford F-150, color plateado, y un Nissan Pathfinder, color negro, haciendo vuelta en ‘U’
para supuestamente esquivar el punto de revisión Agentes detuvieron los dos vehículos. Identificaron a los conductores como Olvera-Ángeles y Ramírez-Hernández, admitiendo que estaban transportando a un total de ocho inmigrantes sin documentos, de acuerdo con reportes de la corte. En una entrevista posterior al arresto Ramírez-Hernández dijo a los agentes federales que había hecho un acuerdo para transportar a cuatro inmigrantes de Zapata a Laredo a cambio de dinero. Además dijo a los agentes de Ol-
vera-Ángeles es su cuñado. Ambos recogieron a los inmigrantes en el mismo lugar, señala la querella. Olvera-Ángeles también admitió transportaba a los inmigrantes. Dijo que se le pagarían 600 dólares, según documentos de la corte. Dos personas detenidas como testigos materiales identificaron a Ramírez- Hernández y Olvera-Ángeles como los conductores de los vehículos. (Localice a César G. Rodriguez en 728-2568 o en cesar@lmtonline.com)
FERIA
TAMAULIPAS
CONTINÚA TRADICIÓN
Logran decomiso de drogas y armas
Corte de honor cuenta su experiencia
TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
POR PHILIP BALLI TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Lydia Eliza Garza fue recientemente coronada como Reina de la Feria del Condado de Zapata en el tradicional concurso donde jóvenes mujeres muestran su talento y belleza para obtener el título. Selissa Lynette López fue nombrada como la primera dama de honor, y Carina Andrea Cruz fue la segunda dama de honor. Las tres, a quienes se les refiere como “Las damas de rojo”, constituyen a la reina y su corte para este año. Garza dijo que la competencia de este año estuvo difícil ya que cada una de las seis mujeres que participaron eran fuertes candidatas. “Cada una de nosotros tenía fuertes talentos y eran muy diferentes, así que todas teníamos una buena oportunidad”, dijo Garza. “No puedo expresar cuán emocionada estaba cuando dijeron mi nombre. Es un gran honor el poder representar al Condado de Zapata”. Esta era la tercera ocasión que Garza participaba en una competencia. Ella también obtuvo el título de Miss Falcon Lake en el 2012. Esta competencia ha sido una tradición en Zapata desde los años de 1970. Los asistentes estaban acampando afuera de las puertas de la escuela preparatoria Zapata County High School horas antes de la competencia para asegurarse un lugar. El espectáculo atrae a concursantes experimentadas al igual
Foto por Victor Strife | Laredo Morning Times
La corte de la Feria de Zapata, Carina Andrea Cruz, segunda finalista; Lydia Eliza Garza, reina de la Feria; y Selissa Lynette López, primera finalista. que aquellas que no cuentan con experiencia. Para Cruz, este fue su primera vez en un evento como este. “Nunca había estado en un concurso, por lo que estoy extática con los resultados porque ni siquiera creí que quedaría en la corte”, dijo Cruz. “Me siento muy contenta con sólo estar en la corte y alrededor de estas chicas”. Cruz dijo que está emocionada con todas las experiencias que las tres mujeres tendrán en el futuro cercano, iniciando con una aparición pública en la Feria del Condado de Zapata, en su edición número 42. El concurso para elegir a la reina inició con un número de baile, para que los jueces y miembros en la audiencia pudieran ver a las concursantes interactuando juntas. También incluyó una sección de modelaje de prendas vaqueras, talento, vesti-
dos de fiesta y preguntas. Fue durante la sección de vestidos de fiesta que, para la sorpresa de Garza, Cruz y López, cada una vestía vestidos rojos. “Cuando fuimos coronadas, todos se referían a nosotros como “Las damas de rojo”, dijo López. “Fue realmente divertido y es bueno saber que se habla de nuestro show en forma muy positiva”. Esta fue la segunda ocasión que López participa como concursante. Las tres harán presentaciones públicas en eventos como March of Dimes en Zapata, Relevo para la Vida, Jamboozie y muchos más. Cada una es requerida para realizar 20 horas de servicio comunitario, lo cual, dice Cruz, le dará algo qué hacer en el verano. (Localice a Philip Balli en el 728-2528 o en pballi@lmtonline.com)
Durante el fin de semana se realizó el decomiso de armamento, cargadores y municiones, así como un cargamento de marihuana de una tonelada y media, anunciaron autoridades del Estado de Tamaulipas. El Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas (GCT) dio a conocer, a través de un comunicado de prensa, que el sábado 8 de marzo se realizaron los decomisos durante dos operativos diferentes, en el municipio de Camargo, Tamaulipas. El asegurmiento de la droga ocurrió en una casa ubicada en la colonia Cuauhtémoc, de dicho municipio y que fue derivado de una denuncia ciudadana. El personal militar encontró y aseguró un total de 326 paquetes envueltos en cinta plástica color café. Así mismo se aseguraron cinco armas largas AK-47, 53 cargadores para esas armas y 1.000 cartuchos calibre 7.62 x 39 milímetros. Los aseguramientos quedaron a disposición de un Agente del Ministerio Público de la Federación junto con la droga. En el segundo operativo, los elementos de la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional aseguraron un domicilio en la Colonia Nuevo Camargo, donde encontraron nueve armas AK-47, nueve carabinas calibre 5.56 x 45 milímetros, otros cinco fusiles de diversos calibres, dos pistolas automáticas, 266 cargadores para diferentes armas y 5.907 cartuchos de variados calibres. La Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional insta a la población tamaulipeca a seguir realizando denuncias ciudadanas llamando al (818) 351-41-99, (818) 331-80-34, ó (899) 926-70-92, o escribiendo a denuncia.ivrm@mail.sedena.gob.mx.
OFICINA DE ADMINISTRACIÓN DE TIERRAS
Promueven adopción de caballos y burros POR MALENA CHARUR TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Después de varios años de no presentarse en la ciudad, la Oficina de Administración de Tierras de EU (BLM por sus siglas en inglés), llevará a cabo un evento de adopción de caballos y burros en terrenos de Laredo International Fair and Expo, el viernes 14 y sábado 15 de marzo. El evento pondrá a disposición alrededor de 30 a 35 ejemplares entre burros y caballos, que incluye potros y caballos (entre dos y seis años de edad), divididos en igual número en hembras y machos. BLM retira periódicamente el exceso de animales de los prados, donde suelen habitar libremente, con el fin de mantener los rebaños sanos y para proteger otros recursos de los pastizales, según se indica en un comunicado de prensa. El programa de adopción es esencial para el logro de estos objetivos, continúa el comunicado.
Paul McGuire, especialista de relaciones públicas de BLM, dijo que han tenido eventos de adopción en los últimos años en otras ciudades del sur de Texas como Uvalde, Beeville, y Mercedes, entre otros. “Es grandioso finalmente regresar a Laredo y ofrecer esta oportunidad a los residentes locales”, dijo McGuire. El comunicado informa que para poder adoptar uno de estos animales es necesario llenar un formulario en el lugar para ser aprobado. Entre los requisitos se encuentra ser mayor de 18 años, sin que haya registro de un abuso de animales, poseer un corral con espacio para animales con acceso libre a comida, agua y albergue con un mínimo de 400 pies cuadrados. Además, se requiere una valla de seis pies para caballos adultos, cinco para potros y cuatro y medio para burros. “Es importante que las personas que adopten a los animales tengan instalaciones apropiadas para el cuidado de los animales.
Esto es requerido por ley. Ya que estos animales pertenecen al pueblo americano, el gobierno debe asegurar su bienestar”, señaló McGuire. El proceso de adopción tiene una tarifa oficial de 125 dólares, que podrán ser liquidados con cualquier forma de pago. Los ejemplares serán dados en adopción de acuerdo al orden de llegada de las personas. BLM también está ofreciendo un incentivo de adopción de 500 dólares para aquellas personas que adopten caballos menores a cuatro años, el cual se pagaría en su totalidad después de un año que los adoptantes reciban el título de propiedad del caballo, según se establece en el comunicado. McGuire expresó que personal de BLM puede proporcionar una guía acerca de los cuidados generales de estos animales, los cuales deben permanecer en los Estados Unidos. “Todos los animales deben permanecer en los Estados Unidos
por al menos un año después de la adopción o hasta que el adoptante reciba los papeles de propiedad por parte de BLM, ya que hasta que no se reciba este título continúan siendo propiedad del gobierno federal”, indicó. Agregó que esta regla se ha diseñado con el fin de asegurar que los animales estén bajo buen cuidado en un largo plazo. Los caballos salvajes y los burros son símbolos del patrimonio del oeste americano y son reconocidos por su fuerza, resistencia, agilidad e inteligencia, características que han adquirido en la naturaleza y que los hacen ideales para el trabajo o la recreación, se señala en el comunicado. Los horarios del evento son el viernes de 12 p.m. a 6 p.m., y sábado de 8 a.m. a medio día. Para mayores informes, llame al 866-468-7826 o bien, visite la página de Internet www.blm.gov/ nm/whb. (Localice a Malena Charur en el 728-2583 o en mcharur@lmtonline.com)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors NFL: DALLAS COWBOYS
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS: ZAPATA HAWKS
State title dreams File photo by LM Otero | AP
The Cowboys cut DeMarcus Ware, the franchise’s all-time leader in sacks, Tuesday to save $16 million against the salary cap. Ware declined to take a pay cut.
Cowboys cut star DE Ware By SCHUYLER DIXON ASSOCIATED PRESS Photo by Clara Sandoval | Laredo Morning Times
Zapata’s Aileen Campos earned a trip to this weekend’s state meet in the 165-pound weight class. Campos is one of 13 Lady Hawks who will compete Friday and Saturday at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi.
Powerlifting heads to final meet in Corpus Christi By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Zapata girls’ powerlifting team is approaching its final meet of the season after navigating through the preseason and the regional meet. The Lady Hawks sent 20 lifters to the regional meet, which took place in Pleasanton two weeks ago, and 13 earned a spot in the 3A state meet. The Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association state meet unfolds this Friday and Saturday at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi. Zapata will be lifting on Saturday in the 3A division. The Lady Hawks are no strangers to the state meet and have grown accustomed to making yearly pilgrimages to Corpus Christi, but no Zapata team has been able to return with the holy grail — a state title. "(The team) continued to practice hard daily," Zapata powerlifting coach Veronica Arce said. "Girls are excited, yet are determined to bring home a state championship.”
Zapata finished second at the regional meet with Jackie Garcia, Delaney Cooper, Amanda Esquivel, Gaby Reyes, Brianna Gonzalez and Alana Montes taking either first or second in their respective divisions.
Hawks basketball All-District selections The basketball season has been in the books for a few weeks and the postseason honors have started rolling in for the Hawks. Zapata closed the season in second place in District 31-3A after escaping a few close calls during the district season. After falling in the area game to West Oso, who shot the lights out from the perimeter, the District 31-3A coaches released their All-District selections. Senior Alonzo Gutierrez was Mr. Everything for the Hawks and was named District 31-3A co-Most Valuable Player. Gutierrez was a standout on both ends of the floor, but it was his offense that
drew the most attention as he usually scored in double figures. When he missed time following a midseason ankle injury, Zapata suffered immensely on the court. Gutierrez had the ability to slash to the basket or shoot the 3 on the fly. First team all-district selections included the members of Gutierrez’s supporting cast in E.G. Garcia, Rod Saldivar and Javier Lopez. Garcia and Lopez complemented Gutierrez beyond the 3-point arc and formed one of the most lethal frontcourts in the district. Saldivar did all the dirty work in the paint for the Hawks and was usually found fighting for rebounds inside. Second team honors went to Raul Ruiz and Juan Gil, who both closed gaps in the offense when other players didn’t have their best nights. Jake Gutierrez and Carlos Saenz received honorable mention honors to round out the All-District selections for the Hawks. E-mail: sandoval.clara@gmail.com
NCAA BASKETBALL: BIG 12 POSTSEASON AWARDS
Ejim named Big 12 Player of Year By STEPHEN HAWKINS ASSOCIATED PRESS
Melvin Ejim accomplished much more than just one record-setting game this season. The Iowa State senior forward has a unique top-10 standing in the Big 12. The 6-foot-6 Ejim was named Monday as The Associated Press Big 12 Player of the Year. He joined Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins, the league’s Freshman of the Year, as unanimous All-Big 12 first-team selections. Ejim, whose 48-point game against TCU last month set a Big 12 single-game scoring record, is the league’s only player in the top 10 in scoring and rebounding. He ranks second in both categories, averaging 18.2 points and 8.6 rebounds. “To see the progression of Melvin’s basketball career from where he came in as a freshman, very raw ... it just shows when you put a lot of work into your game, it’s going to pay off, and it certainly helps with your culture,” fourth-year Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg said of the A-student history major and his only four-year starter. “He’s a great leader and young guys see what he’s doing and the impact that has on our team and our program.”
File photo by Justin Hayworth | AP
Iowa State forward Melvin Ejim (3) won the AP Big 12 Player of the Year award after averaging 18.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. His season was highlighted by a 48-point performance against TCU. Only Iowa State had two firstteam players. Ejim was joined in the top five by 6-4 senior teammate DeAndre Kane, a transfer from Marshall who was the unanimous pick for Newcomer of the Year. Kane averaged 17.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists. “Three great years at Marshall, but had never reached the tournament,” Hoiberg said. “I know that was huge for him, and he’s going to get that opportunity.” Oklahoma State sophomore guard Marcus Smart and West Virginia junior guard Juwan
Staten, the Big 12’s leader with 18.4 points and 5.94 assists per game, rounded out the firstteam selections that matched the coaches’ five picks released Sunday. Oklahoma’s Lon Kruger, who led the Sooners to a No. 2 seed in this week’s conference tournament, was selected as the AP Big 12 Coach of the Year with 11 of the 18 votes from a panel of AP sports writers and sportscasters who cover the league on a regular basis Ejim got 11 votes for top player. He is the first Iowa State player to win that AP award
since Jamaal Tinsley in 2001, a year after Cyclones standout Marcus Fizer won it. “It’s pretty gratifying to know that my hard work over four years has been good. I’ve done all the right things. I’ve developed,” Ejim said. “I never really thought I’d win it,” he said. ’My goal was to make first team (All-Big 12). So that was just pushing me, and I wanted to play really well this year. It’s pretty cool. I definitely don’t think as a freshman that I thought I’d ever be the Player of the Year with all the big names and the big schools.” Embiid, who got the other vote for top freshman, headed up the AP All-Big 12 second team that also includes Oklahoma State’s Markel Brown, Kansas State freshman Marcus Foster, Oklahoma sophomore Buddy Hield and Baylor’s Cory Jefferson. Kansas coach Bill Self, whose Jayhawks clinched their 10th Big 12 title in a row with a young group, got five votes for top coach. Texas’ Rick Barnes got the other two. In their voting, Big 12 coaches also tabbed Ejim as top player, Kane top newcomer and Wiggins as the league’s outstanding freshman. They differed on top coach, selecting Barnes.
IRVING — The Dallas Cowboys are moving on without franchise sacks leader DeMarcus Ware. Now they have to figure out how to rebuild their defensive line. The Cowboys released Ware on Tuesday, a salary cap move that owner Jerry Jones called “extremely difficult” after the worst season of the star pass rusher’s career. Ware broke Harvey Martin’s 30-year-old franchise record for sacks in 2013, but got to the quarterback a career-low six times and missed games for the first time in his nineyear career with a thigh injury. The 31-year-old Ware also had offseason elbow surgery and was set to count $16 million against the salary cup. Negotiations on a reduced salary failed, so his release saves about $7.4 million and gives Dallas about $9 million to spend at the moment. “A decision like this, involving a man who is a cornerstone player in the history of your franchise, is extremely difficult,” Jones, also the team’s general manager, said in a statement announcing the decision just as free agency opened. “We were also in very strong agreement that playing for the Dallas Cowboys would be one of the options we would both be exploring.” Still, Ware has likely played his last down for an owner who always had a tough time letting aging superstars go. Without Ware and with 2013 team sacks leader Jason Hatcher already headed for free agency, all the projected starters from a year ago are gone from a defense that gave up the most yards in franchise history and finished last in the league in total defense. Rod Marinelli is taking over for the demoted Monte Kiffin as defensive coordinator after both joined the staff last year. Marinelli was in charge of the injury-riddled front last season. Anthony Spencer, who like Ware had to make the transition to defensive end in a four-man defensive front, missed almost all of last season with a knee injury and is a free agent. Dallas released defensive tackle Jay Ratliff in the middle of last season. Nick Hayden signed as a free agent last year to be a backup but ended up starting all 16 games because of injuries and the uncertainty surrounding Ratliff. The most accomplished player on the Cowboys’ defensive front right now is George Selvie, who wasn’t even on the roster when training camp started last year. Dallas added him when injuries hit. The switch away from a 3-4 defense forced Ware to play with his hand on the ground closer to the offensive line rather than a stand-up outside linebacker who could get a faster start on the snap. Still, Ware looked good in training camp and even intercepted a pass by Eli Manning on the first play of last season. But he never did find his form as a pass rusher after fading late in 2012 and finished third on the team in sacks behind Hatcher and Selvie. “DeMarcus Ware, through his performance on the field and his outstanding character, is someone who is held in the highest regard within the Dallas Cowboys family,” Jones said in the statement. “He is worthy of our greatest respect, and we want what is best for him and his family.”
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
THE MARKET IN REVIEW DAILY DOW JONES
STOCK EXCHANGE HIGHLIGHTS
d
NYSE 10,425.64
-60.51
GAINERS ($2 OR MORE) Name
d
NASDAQ 4,307.19
BoydGm 13.75 +1.95 +16.5 CleanDsl RCS Cap n 28.05 +2.68 +10.6 LaJollaPh db-X 2020 28.98 +2.56 +9.7 ChinaPStl iP LESPX 149.57+13.05 +9.6 Datarm rs PowerSec 25.28 +2.18 +9.4 OceanPw h Medifast 26.97 +2.01 +8.1 Burcon g CortsJCP 17.61 +1.21 +7.4 Galectin un iPBtaCocoa 46.49 +2.87 +6.6 PingtanM BiP Plat 32.31 +1.91 +6.3 Oxigene EmergeE n 50.10 +2.89 +6.1 Senomyx
Dow Jones industrials
16,520
Close: 16,351.25 Change: -67.43 (-0.4%)
16,280
Last Chg%Chg
17,000
4.92 17.96 3.16 4.30 5.45 4.78 45.00 3.53 2.42 11.03
16,500
+2.10 +7.06 +.67 +.76 +.90 +.78 +7.09 +.53 +.36 +1.62
+74.2 +64.8 +26.9 +21.5 +19.8 +19.4 +18.7 +17.7 +17.5 +17.2
16,040
LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)
15,500
BridgptEd 16.02 -2.99 Nuverra rs 15.25 -2.74 ChiNBorun 2.92 -.40 ChinaDEd 22.47 -3.00 GM wt C 2.85 -.33 TurqHillRs 3.56 -.40 Vipshop 143.74-14.74 ResoluteEn 8.12 -.80 PostHldg 54.94 -5.24 BioAmb wt 2.67 -.25
-15.7 -15.2 -12.0 -11.8 -10.4 -10.1 -9.3 -9.0 -8.7 -8.6
6.03 5.10 6.26 4.50 5.29 5.70 3.28 28.80 4.48 6.64
-4.28 -1.78 -1.81 -1.15 -1.15 -1.17 -.65 -4.96 -.75 -1.03
MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) Name
Vol (00)
Last Chg Name
S&P500ETF 893281 187.23 -.93 BkofAm 885387 17.27 -.20 iShEMkts 714939 38.81 -.44 Penney 498127 8.67 +.25 iShR2K 461813 118.06 -1.24 SPDR Fncl 445838 22.23 -.15 GenMotors 406132 35.18 -1.91 VerizonCm 405018 46.70 -.33 iShChinaLC 384490 33.90 -.54 AMD 346748 3.85 +.04
Vol (00)
Last Chg
PlugPowr h 2367328 FuelCellE 1873062 BallardPw 729508 Facebook 575302 Zynga 440041 CpstnTurb 430083 SiriusXM 380918 Cisco 325706 Intel 252897 Microsoft 237029
6.03 -4.28 3.28 -.65 5.10 -1.78 70.10 -1.93 5.65 +.12 2.18 +.22 3.43 -.04 21.61 -.08 24.73 -.11 38.02 +.20
DIARY Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows
Volume
1,001 2,081 111 3,193 108 31 3,319,708,218
DIARY Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows
Volume
700 1,905 106 2,711 132 12 2,408,271,042
MELIDA ISABEL GONZALEZ FLORES
Dow Industrials Dow Transportation Dow Utilities NYSE Composite Nasdaq Composite S&P MidCap S&P 500 S&P MidCap Wilshire 5000 Russell 2000
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NY NY Nasd NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY Nasd NY Nasd NY NY NY NY NY Nasd Nasd
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1.84 2.00 ... .04 2.40 1.19 ... 2.76 .24 ... 2.52 ... .50 ... .88 .58 1.88 .86 1.41 .90 .46
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YTD Yld PE Last Chg %Chg
5.7 4.1 ... .2 2.5 1.2 ... 4.1 .3 ... 2.7 ... 3.3 ... 3.4 1.9 2.3 2.2 1.2 3.6 1.9
IBM Lowes Lubys MetLife MexicoFd Microsoft Modine Penney PlugPowr h RadioShk S&P500ETF Schlmbrg SearsHldgs SonyCp SPDR Fncl UnionPac USSteel UnivHlthS WalMart WellsFargo Zynga
NY NY NY NY NY Nasd NY NY Nasd NY NY NY Nasd NY NY NY NY NY NY NY Nasd
3.80 .72 ... 1.10 3.18 1.12 ... ... ... ... 3.35 1.60 ... .25 .32 3.64 .20 .20 1.92 1.20 ...
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32.23 -.28 -8.3 48.70 -.51 +4.2 5.10 -1.78+236.6 17.27 -.20 +10.9 96.84 +.09 +6.6 97.12 +1.25 -20.2 38.63 -.51 -1.6 66.53 -.36 -5.8 92.55 +.26 -4.8 7.06 -.15 -16.4 94.01 -1.49 -7.1 70.10 -1.93 +28.3 15.30 -.21 -.8 3.28 -.65+132.6 25.90 -.14 -7.6 29.91 +.01 +6.9 81.29 -.42 -1.3 38.81 -.44 -7.1 118.06 -1.24 +2.3 24.73 -.11 -4.7 24.83 -.14 -5.8
12 23 45 15 ... 14 80 ... ... ... ... 18 ... ... ... 20 ... 16 15 12 ...
186.76 +.37 -.4 49.46 -.53 -.2 6.34 -.19 -17.9 52.98 -.38 -1.7 25.40 -.24 -13.3 38.02 +.20 +1.6 15.29 -.17 +19.3 8.67 +.25 -5.2 6.03 -4.28+289.0 2.17 +.03 -16.5 187.23 -.93 +1.4 91.95 -.92 +2.0 46.88 -1.09 -4.4 17.85 -.19 +3.2 22.23 -.15 +1.7 185.77 -.45 +10.6 24.78 +.28 -16.0 77.11 -1.41 -5.1 74.92 +.49 -4.8 47.81 -.34 +5.3 5.65 +.12 +48.7
Stock Footnotes: g=Dividends and earnings in Canadian dollars .h= Doe not meet continued- listings tandards lf = Late filing with SEC. n = New in past 52 weeks. pf = Preferred. rs = Stock has undergone a reverse stock split of at least 50 percent within the past year. rt = Right to buy security at a specified price. s = Stock has split by at least 20 percent within the last year. un = Units. vj = In bankruptcy or receivership. wd = When distributed. wi = When issued. wt = Warrants. Mutual Fund Footnotes: b = Fee covering market costs is paid from fund assets. d = Deferred sales charge, or redemption fee. f = front load (sales charges). m = Multiple fees are charged. NA = not available. p = previous day’s net asset value. s = fund split shares during the week. x = fund paid a distribution during the week. Gainers and Losers must be worth at least $2 to be listed in tables at left. Most Actives must be worth at least $1. Volume in hundreds of shares. Source: The Associated Press. Sales figures are unofficial.
Prime Rate Discount Rate Federal Funds Rate Treasuries 3-month 6-month 5-year 10-year 30-year
-1.36 +2.16 +4.00 +.24 +3.13 -.12 +1.04 +2.26 +1.57 +2.01
+13.16 +23.27 +4.54 +15.07 +32.84 +17.83 +20.30 +21.37 +22.01 +26.25
CURRENCIES
3.25 3.25 0.75 0.75 .00-.25 .00-.25 0.05 0.09 1.61 2.77 3.71
YTD 12-mo Chgg %Chg %Chg %Chg
16,351.25 -67.43 -.41 7,560.07 -20.18 -.27 510.21 -2.30 -.45 10,425.64 -60.51 -.58 4,307.19 -27.26 -.63 822.81 -4.29 -.52 1,867.63 -9.54 -.51 1,372.82 -9.17 -.66 20,015.91 -117.16 -.58 1,187.05 -13.49 -1.12
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STOCKS OF LOCAL INTEREST
-41.5 -25.9 -22.4 -20.4 -17.9 -17.0 -16.5 -14.7 -14.4 -13.4
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MONEY RATES
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PlugPowr h BallardPw SunshHrt Arotech AltairNano FuelTech FuelCellE Hydrognc RealGSolar HK Tv
14,373.32 5,878.12 462.66 8,814.76 3,154.96 692.52 1,536.03 1,101.03 16,177.06 898.40
Name
15,000
LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)
Last Chg%Chg Name
10 DAYS
16,000
14,500 Name
16,588.25 7,627.44 537.86 11,334.65 4,371.71 829.33 1,883.57 1,391.72 20,226.72 1,212.82
-27.26
GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)
Last Chg%Chg Name
STOCK MARKET INDEXES 52-Week High Low
0.05 0.09 1.54 2.70 3.65
Australia Britain Canada Euro Japan Mexico Switzerlnd
Last
Pvs Day
1.1147 1.6629 1.1105 .7210 102.91 13.2633 .8773
1.1091 1.6638 1.1104 .7210 103.19 13.2255 .8781
British pound expressed in U.S. dollars. All others show dollar in foreign currency.
MUTUAL FUNDS Name Alliance Bernstein GlTmtcGA m Columbia ComInfoA m Eaton Vance WldwHealA m Fidelity Select Biotech d Fidelity Select BrokInv d Fidelity Select CommEq d Fidelity Select Computer d Fidelity Select ConsFin d Fidelity Select Electron d Fidelity Select FinSvc d Fidelity Select SoftwCom d Fidelity Select Tech d T Rowe Price SciTech Vanguard HlthCare Waddell & Reed Adv SciTechA m
Total Assets Total Return/Rank Pct Min Init Obj ($Mlns)NAV 4-wk 12-mo 5-year Load Invt WS 618 83.61 +3.0 +21.5/B +17.4/E 4.25 2,500 ST 2,499 52.37 +2.5 +21.0/E +19.5/E 5.75 2,000 SH 955 12.54 +4.6 +44.4/C +22.1/E 5.75 1,000 SH 11,009 218.16 +2.1 +69.9/A +34.5/A NL 2,500 SF 835 72.34 +1.5 +25.7/B +25.5/B NL 2,500 ST 347 31.15 +0.9 +25.4/D +23.1/D NL 2,500 ST 681 74.82 +1.1 +22.8/E +27.9/A NL 2,500 SF 249 16.41 +3.5 +21.3/C +22.5/C NL 2,500 ST 1,253 68.98 +5.2 +36.5/B +25.7/C NL 2,500 SF 778 82.17 +3.0 +22.2/B +22.1/D NL 2,500 ST 3,838 123.33 +2.7 +41.6/B +31.0/A NL 2,500 ST 2,406 130.72 +3.9 +32.5/B +30.0/A NL 2,500 ST 3,059 40.55 +3.0 +37.6/B +25.5/C NL 2,500 SH 10,763 206.46 +5.8 +42.7/C +25.6/C NL 3,000 ST 3,738 16.68 +2.8 +46.3/A +27.7/A 5.75 750
CA -Conservative Allocation, CI -Intermediate-Term Bond, ES -Europe Stock, FB -Foreign Large Blend, FG -Foreign LargeGrowth, FV -Foreign Large Value, IH -World Allocation, LB -Large Blend, LG -Large Growth, LV -Large Value, MA Moderate Allocation, MB -Mid-Cap Blend, MV - Mid-Cap Value, SH -Specialty-heath, WS -World Stock, Total Return: Chng in NAV with dividends reinvested. Rank: How fund performed vs. others with same objective: A is in top 20%, E in bottom 20%. Min Init Invt: Minimum $ needed to invest in fund. Source: Morningstar.
Investors may be getting fooled by firms buying back their stock By BERNARD CONDON ASSOCIATED PRESS
On Saturday, March 8, at her home in Zapata, Melida Isabel Gonzalez Flores left our world to rest peacefully in the arms of our Lord. She was an exceptional woman and an exemplary role model for her family. She lived a full life as a devoted and loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and friend. Melida, the cherished only daughter of Melquiades Gonzalez Guerrero and Genoveva Muzza de Gonzalez, was born in Old Guerrero in 1934. She married the love of her life, Ruben Flores Montalvo, in 1954 and moved to Zapata where he was teaching. There they established their happy home, raised their family and developed many life long friendships. She was beloved in her community by her neighbors and friends. Mother, Mom, Guela was beautiful, kind and giving; she is in heaven but will live in our hearts forever. She was preceded in death by her parents, Melquiades Gonzalez Guerrero and Genoveva Muzza de Gonzalez and her husband, Ruben Flores Montalvo. Melida’s greatest pride and joy were her children and grandchildren. She is survived by her five children, Teresa F. Sanchez (Noel), Isabel F. Davenport (Dick), Melida Olinda Flores (Javier), Dinorah F. Regalado (Sergio) and Ruben Flores, Jr. (Luisa). Also, her 10 grandchildren, Noel Carlos (Cristina) Sanchez, Gabriela Elisa Sanchez, Michael Thomas Davenport, Javier Luis Flores Jr. (Veronica), Matthew Dale Davenport, Sergio Alejandro Regalado, Marco Alonzo Regalado, Sofia Isabel Regalado, Evana Marisa Flores and Ruben Luis Flores. She is also survived by her sisters in law, Beatriz Flores de Garcia and Dolores Gonzalez de Flores. During her illness, Mother received many visits, calls, prayers and acts of kindness that will never be forgotten. The family would like to express our sincere appreciation to Dr. Luis Benavides for the care that he gave our mother for so many years. Also, to the nurses from Nurses on Wheels, Mary and Julie. Special thanks to her kind caregivers, Estela, Imelda and Samantha. Visitation hours were Monday, March 10, 2014, from 6 to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at the Rose Garden Funeral Home chapel. The funeral procession departed Tuesday, March 11, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic. Committal services will follow at the Zapata County Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.rosegardenfuneralhome.com. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata.
NEW YORK — If you’re puzzled why the U.S. stock market has risen so fast in a slowgrowing economy, consider one of its star performers: DirecTV. The satellite TV provider has done a great job slashing expenses and expanding abroad, and that has helped lift its earnings per share dramatically in five years. But don’t be fooled. The main reason for the EPS gain has nothing to do with how well it runs its business. It’s because it has engaged in a massive stock buyback program, halving the number of its shares in circulation by purchasing them from investors. Spreading earnings over fewer shares translates into higher EPS — a lot higher in DirecTV’s case. Instead of an 88 percent rise to $2.58, EPS nearly quadrupled to $5.22. Companies have been spending big on buybacks since the 1990s. What’s new is the way buybacks have exaggerated the health of many companies, suggesting through EPS that they are much better at generating profits than they actually are. The distortion is ironic. Critics say the obsessive focus on buybacks has led companies to put off replacing plant and equipment, funding research and development, and generally doing the kind of spending needed to produce rising EPS for the long run. “It’s boosted the stock market and flattered earnings, but it’s very short term,” says David Rosenberg, former chief economist at Merrill Lynch, now at money manager Gluskin Sheff. He calls buybacks a “sugar high.” Over the past five years, 216 companies in the S&P 500 are just like DirecTV: They are getting more of a boost in EPS from slashing share count than from running their underlying business, according to a study by consultancy Fortuna Advisors at the request of The Associated Press. The list of companies cuts across industries, and includes retailer Gap, supermarket chain Kohl’s, railroad operator Norfolk Southern and drug distributor AmerisourceBergen. The stocks of those four have more than tripled, on average, in the past five years. Companies insist that their buybacks must be judged case by case. “The vast majority of our shareholders are sophisticated investors who not only use EPS growth but other important measures to determine the success of our company,” says Darris Gringeri, a spokesman for DirecTV. But Fortuna CEO Gregory Milano says buybacks are a waste of money for most companies. “It’s game playing — a legitimate, legal form of manufacturing earnings growth,” says Mi-
Photo by Elise Amendola/file | AP
DirecTV logos are seen on flyers in North Andover, Mass., on Aug. 6, 2009. From 2008 to 2013, earnings per share of DirecTV nearly quadrupled, due mostly to the company cutting the number of its shares in circulation by purchasing them from investors. lano, author of several studies on the impact of buybacks. “A lot of people (focus on) earnings per share growth, but they don’t adequately distinguish the quality of the earnings.” So powerful is the impact, it has turned what would have been basically flat or falling EPS into a gain at some companies over five years. That list includes Lockheed Martin, the military contractor, Cintas, the country’s largest supplier of work uniforms, WellPoint, an insurer, and Dun and Bradstreet, a credit-rating firm. It’s not clear investors are worried, or even aware, how much buybacks are exaggerating the underlying strength of companies. On Friday, they pushed the Standard and Poor’s 500 stock index to a record close, up 178 percent from a 12year low in 2009. “How much credit should a company get earning from share buybacks rather than organic growth?” asks Brian Rauscher, chief portfolio strategist at Robert W. Baird & Co, an investment company. “I think the quality of earnings has been much lower than what the headlines suggest.” And it could get worse. Companies in the S&P 500 have earmarked $1 trillion for buybacks over the next several years. That’s on top of $1.7 trillion they spent on them in the previous five years. The figure is staggering. It is enough money to cut a check worth $5,345 for every man, women and child in the country. There is nothing necessarily nefarious or wrong about buybacks per se. It doesn’t seem that managements are trying to cover up a poor job of running their businesses. Even without factoring in a drop in share counts, earnings in the S&P 500
would have risen 80 percent since 2009. The problem is that many investors are pouring money willy-nilly into companies doing buybacks as if they are always a good thing, and at every company. A fund that tracks companies cutting shares the most, the PowerShares Buyback Achievers Portfolio, attracted $2.2 billion in new investments in the last 12 months. That is nine times what had been invested at the start of that period, according Lipper, which provides data on funds. For their part, the companies note there are all sorts of reasons to like them besides EPS. WellPoint points out that it has increased its cash dividend three times since 2011, a big draw for people looking for income. Cintas says that it’s timed its buybacks well, buying at a deep discount to stock price today. And DirecTV says investors judge it also by revenue and cash flow, both of which are up strongly. What’s more, companies seem to genuinely believe their shares are a bargain and they’d be remiss for not buying, though their record of choosing the right time is poor. The last time buybacks were running so high was 2007, right before stocks fell by more than half. There are signs the next $1 trillion in buybacks for S&P 500 companies could also prove ill-timed. Stocks aren’t looking so cheap anymore. After a surge of nearly 30 percent last year, the S&P 500 is trading at 25 times its 10-year average earnings, as calculated by Nobel Prize winning economist Robert Shiller of Yale. That is much more expensive than the
long-term average of 16.5. Many investors assume shrinking shares automatically make remaining shares more valuable. The math is seductive. A company that has $100 in earnings and 100 shares will report $1 in earnings per share. But eliminate half the shares and the same $100 is spread over 50 shares, and EPS doubles to $2. But that doesn’t make the shares more valuable. Shares aren’t just a claim on short-term earnings. They are an ownership stake in an entire company, including R&D programs and plants and equipment needed to boost productivity long into the future. Critics say it’s no accident companies are spending lavishly on buybacks at a time when investment in their capital stock, or assets used to produce earnings, is the weakest in decades. “It’s just like your car depreciating or your home depreciating — you have to invest,” says Gluskin Sheff ’s Rosenberg, “The corporate sector has barely preventing the capital stock from becoming obsolete.” One result: U.S. productivity, or output per hour, increased just 0.5 percent last year, a pitiful performance. It has grown by an average 2 percent a year since 1947. It’s unclear whether the kind of investor who dominates stock trading now cares about the long-term consequences of buyback mania. Buybacks are one of the few sure-fire ways to push a stock higher in the short term, and investors these days are very short term. They “don’t care what happens in three or five years,” laments Rauscher, the Baird strategist. “The market has become less of an investor culture, more of a trading one.”
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014
FAIR Continued from Page 1A County High School hours before the pageant to ensure they had a seat. The spectacle attracts experienced pageant participants as well as the inexperienced. For Cruz, this was her first time in a pageant. “I have never been in a pageant, which is why I am ecstatic with the results because I didn’t even think I would make it on the court,” Cruz said. “I feel overjoyed just being in the court and being around these girls.” Cruz said she is excited about the many upcoming experiences the three will have in the near future, beginning with their public appearance at the 42nd annual Zapata County Fair. The pageant began with an opening dance number, so judges and audience members could see all of the contestants perform together. It also included a Western-wear modeling portion, a talent portion,
evening-wear portion and impromptu questions. It was during the evening-wear portion that, to the surprise of Garza, Cruz and Lopez, each wore red dresses. “Whenever we were crowned the court, everybody was referring to us as ‘The Ladies in Red,’” Lopez said. “It was really fun and it feels good to know our show was talked about in so many positive ways.” This was Lopez’s second time participating in a pageant. The three will make public appearances at such events as the March of Dimes in Zapata, the Relay for Life, Jamboozie and many others. They are each required to do 20 hours of community service, which Cruz said will give her something to do in the summer. (Philip Balli may be reached at 728-2528 or pballi@lmtonline.com)
PAINTINGS picture of Mexico. Velasco was one of the leading landscaping painters of the 19th century. He portrayed, in some way, how the Mexico City and the Valley of Mexico were in those years of the late 19th century,” Isidro said. He said the artist, through his work, showed a city that had been growing, with significant development during that era. “Above all it shows that Mexico is not the same, that’s it’s grown but still retains much of the beauty that Velasco managed to capture in his work,” Isidro said. He thanked the Webb County Heritage Foundation and the Mexican Cultural Institute of Laredo for their support. These organizations have collaborated with the consulate several times, he said. “By collaborating in these projects, it shows that we share a fundamental passion, that of culture, the power to present culture to the Laredo community, and
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in this case, the artistic heritage of Mexico. It is a country with a very extensive cultural background,” he said. Margarita Araiza, Webb County Heritage Foundation executive director, said the organization was proud to present this exhibition, something that is rarely available in Laredo and the area. She said it is a wonderful opportunity for the community. “It’s a great opportunity to appreciate the beauty and grandeur of these Mexican landscapes, which nobody can portray like Jose Maria Velasco,” Araiza said. She invited the community to view the exhibit, which will be available through April at the Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum, 810 Zaragoza Street. For more information call 727-0997, view www.webbheritage.org, via Facebook. (Contact Malena Charur at 728-2583, or at mcharur@lmtonline.com. Translated by Mark Webber of the Times staff.)
Intgrigue at the top: CIA, Senate feud before the public By NANCY BENAC ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Secret reports. Vanishing documents. Whispers of crime, intimidation and cover-up. A quarrel between the CIA and the Senate that’s been rumbling beneath the surface for years burst into full view Tuesday when Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., laid it all out in eye-popping detail on the Senate floor, and the CIA quickly pushed back. Each side has suggested improper meddling by the other, and raised questions about criminal activity. Such intrigue at the highest levels of government — laid out in public, no less — raises big constitutional questions spanning two presidencies and has revived old questions about harsh CIA interrogation of suspects after the 9/11 terror attacks of 2001. A look at the unfolding dispute: HOW IT STARTED: It begins with questions of torture. The Senate Intelligence Committee in 2009 began a wide-ranging investigation into CIA interrogation techniques during the Bush administration, including waterboarding of terrorism suspects at secret overseas prisons. The resulting 6,300-page report, completed in 2012, has never been publicly released. The current dispute centers on whether the CIA impeded the Senate’s investigation, and whether the Senate improperly obtained or handled CIA documents along the way. THE DOCUMENT DUMP: The CIA responded to the Senate investigation with a giant “document dump,” to use the words of Feinstein, who chairs the committee. Under a carefully negotiated agreement, the agency handed over 6.2 million pages of unindexed material to Senate investigators, who plowed through it on CIA-supplied computers set up at a secure site in northern Virginia. The ground rules were supposed to keep the CIA from meddling in the Senate’s investigation and its computer files, and to keep Senate investigators from seeing things they shouldn’t. A VANISHING ACT: As they plowed through the CIA papers, Senate investigators noticed that hundreds of pages of documents they had once been able to access on the computers had inexplicably van-
Such intrigue at the highest levels of government — laid out in public, no less — raises big constitutional questions spanning two presidencies and has revived old questions about harsh CIA interrogation of suspects after the 9/11 terror attacks of 2001. ished. After Feinstein protested, the CIA promised in 2010 it wouldn’t remove any more documents or meddle in the investigators’ work. The CIA even apologized. That was supposed to fix the problem. A VANISHING ACT, PART II: Among the documents that Senate investigators reviewed later in 2010 were draft versions of a key internal CIA paper Feinstein called the “internal Panetta review” (named for former CIA Director Leon Panetta.) This document is a big deal because it acknowledged “significant CIA wrongdoing,” according to Feinstein. There’s a mystery here: Senators aren’t sure if this document was provided on purpose by the CIA, accidentally by the CIA, or arrived courtesy of a CIA whistleblower. At some point in 2010, most versions of the Panetta document vanished from the computers the Senate investigators were using. LOOK WHO’S HACKING: Questions have swirled about how Senate investigators got hold of the Panetta documents, and whether they should have immediately given them back, because they were marked “deliberative” and “privileged” material. “To be clear,” Feinstein said Tuesday, “the committee staff did not hack into CIA computers to obtain these documents.” She says they were part of that big document dump. A DISCONNECT. When the Senate committee completed its big report in December 2012, it gave the CIA a chance to respond to the findings. The agency agreed with some parts but disagreed with other important points. This is where the importance of the Panetta review becomes clear. According to Feinstein, some of the same findings that the agency disputed in its response to the report had been agreed with by the agency in the Panetta document. “This is puz-
zling,” Feinstein said. “How can the CIA’s official response to our study stand factually in conflict with its own internal review?” LOOK WHO’S HACKING, PART II: Feinstein in 2014 accuses the CIA of improperly spying on the Senate. The CIA, anxious about the Panetta document, informs Feinstein that it searched the CIA-provided computers used by the Senate investigators. The CIA search even poked into the Senate committee’s “standalone computer system” that was to be separate from the CIA network. Feinstein cries foul, but Brennan’s response is unrepentant and adamant: “The CIA was in no way spying” on the committee or the Senate, he said Tuesday. He added: “We weren’t trying to block anything.” SORTING IT ALL OUT: How to get to the bottom of this? The Justice Department is being asked to investigate potential wrongdoing on both sides of the equation. The CIA’s inspector general sent over allegations of possible criminal violations by CIA personnel. And the CIA’s acting general counsel sent over a report raising questions about the committee staff ’s actions. Feinstein calls that “a potential effort to intimidate this staff.” WHAT ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE? It’s trying not to take sides, pointing to the potential investigations. But spokesman Jay Carney says that if something fishy was going on, “we would want to get to the bottom of it.” ABOUT THAT REPORT. Feinstein’s committee is still working on final updates and revisions to the report, and hoping to get a declassified version released to the public. As in the beginning, it all comes back to questions about torture. Feinstein’s goal, she says: “To ensure that an un-American, brutal program of detention and interrogation will never again be considered or permitted.”