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PRESIDENT TRUMP’S BUDGET PROPOSAL
SOUTH TEXAS
Border wall funding, prosecutions top list John Moore / Getty Images
A road crew improves a road along the Rio Grande this week in Hidalgo, south of McAllen.
DHS reviving border fence plans John Moore / Getty Images
A Border Patrol agent stops traffic as immigrants are deported across an international bridge into Mexico on Tuesday from Hidalgo, Texas. The Trump administration has ordered an increase in deportations, part of the larger strategy to get tough on illegal immigration and strengthen border security.
Acerage near the Rio Grande will be condemned By Jason Buch SAN ANTONIO
Rep. Cuellar: Plan would be a disaster for Texas
By Alicia A. Caldwell and Sadie Gurman ASSOCIATED PRE SS
W
ASHINGTON — For core supporters counting on President Donald Trump to crack down on illegal immigration, his proposed budget reads like a wish list: billions of dollars for some of his most controversial campaign
Cuellar
promises, including a $2.6 billion down payment on a border wall that he had insisted Mexico
would pay for. Trump’s spending blueprint released Thursday is light on specifics, but makes clear that his cam-
paign pledge to confront illegal immigration is a top priority. Even as he plans to cut the Justice Department’s budget by more than $1 billion, Trump is asking for hundreds of millions of dollars to hire 60 federal prosecutors and 40 deputy U.S. Marshals to focus on border cases. “The president’s proposed budget would be a Budget continues on A10
VERACRUZ, MEXICO
Mexico state has so many mass graves, lacks space for bodies By Mark Stevenson A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MEXICO CITY — The clandestine graves being unearthed in Mexico's Veracruz state are of such an industrial scale that backhoes or bulldozers were likely used in creating them and contain so many bodies that officials aren't digging in some places because they don't have space for the remains, a prosecutor said Thursday. Veracruz state attorney general Jorge Winckler said there were already 300 bodies or sets of bones in state forensics facilities.
Jonathan Estudillo / AP
This image shows the area known as Colinas de Santa Fe in Veracruz, Mexico where mass graves were found.
Winckler said trained dogs have detected another site south of the city of Veracruz
where there were apparently also clandestine graves. But with morgues
filling up, some sites just aren't being explored. "There are a lot of towns where clandestine graves have been found," Winckler said. "There are pits where we are not working because we don't have space to put the bodies that we might find." Winckler spoke at a site north of the state capital where 253 skulls and bodies have been found. He confirmed that victims' advocates were led to the site by a map drawn for them by someone who was familiar with the pits. The person handed them the Graves continues on A10
EXPRE SS-NEWS
The Homeland Security Department is moving forward on condemning property for several miles of South Texas border fence that was authorized a decade ago but never built. Landowners in Los Ebanos, near McAllen, and in Roma, 30 miles upstream, said that in recent months, they received notices the federal government is reviving long-dormant lawsuits to condemn acreage they own near the Rio Grande. Noe Benavides, a former Roma city councilman, said earlier this month that he received a letter telling him the government is taking 5.7 acres of real estate his family owns near the riverbank. The land initially was condemned in 2008 after then-President George W. Bush signed the Secure Fence Act, but a clerical error kept the government from taking control of his property, Benavides said. “It’s a strip 60 feet wide by the lands on the river that we have there,” he said. “And you know, I wouldn’t mind if they went parallel to the river, but they’re not.
They’re following a road that I have there, and there’s probably about 20 acres plus left behind the fence.” Spokespeople for homeland security, the Border Patrol and the U.S. attorney’s office, which has filed lawsuits to condemn property for the fence, didn’t respond to requests for comment Wednesday. President Donald Trump has ordered homeland security to build a wall, one estimated to cost $21 billion, but Congress has yet to fund it and the notices sent out this year are related to an earlier law that authorized construction of a physical barrier on the border with Mexico. Scott Nicol, co-chair of the Borderlands Team for the Sierra Club, said homeland security is likely trying to build 14 miles of fencing that were abandoned in 2008 because they were planned in the Rio Grande floodplain. About 650 miles of fencing was constructed, much of it in Arizona and New Mexico, under the 2006 Secure Fence Act. Almost 60 miles were built in the Rio Grande Valley, most of it on levies above the river. An international treaty restricts conLand continues on A10
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, March 18, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
MONDAY, MARCH 20
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22 Fourth Annual Laredo Media and Film Festival. LISD Civic Center. The Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts Audio and Video Production Department is hosting the free festival, which is open to all local middle and high school students, clubs or classes who are interested in TV, film, animation and radio.
THURSDAY, MARCH 23 Fourth Annual Laredo Media and Film Festival. LISD Civic Center. The Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts Audio and Video Production Department is hosting the free festival, which is open to all local middle and high school students, clubs or classes who are interested in TV, film, animation and radio.
SATURDAY, MARCH 25 Gateway Gatos of Laredo’s Cat Fundraiser. 12-3 p.m. Petco north store. All donations received will go toward financially helping cat community caretakers to neuter and spay their cats. For more details, call Birdie at 286-7866. 67th Annual Flower and Art Show. 1-6 p.m. Fellowship Hall, First United Methodist Church. Sponsored by the United Methodist Women. Guest artists: Laredo Community College Art Instructors. $3 admission fee per person. Public invited. Rally at the Border Laredo. 4-7 p.m. Convent Avenue.
SUNDAY, MARCH 26 67th Annual Flower and Art Show. 1-6 p.m. Fellowship Hall, First United Methodist Church. Sponsored by the United Methodist Women. Guest artists: Laredo Community College Art Instructors. $3 admission fee per person. Public invited.
Andrew Harnik / AP
Budget Director Mick Mulvaney speaks about President Donald Trump's budget proposal for the coming fiscal year during the daily press briefing at the White House Thursday.
GOP, DEMS PROTEST CUT TO MEALS ON WHEELS By Matthew Daly ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WASHINGTON — Meals on Wheels, the popular service that provides food to the elderly, faces a sharp funding cut under President Donald Trump's budget proposal, drawing protests from congressional Republicans and Democrats. The exact size of the cut is unknown, but White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said the government "can't spend money on programs just because they sound good — and great." "Meals on Wheels sounds great. Again,
that's a state decision to fund that particular portion, to take the federal money and give it to the states, and say look, we want to give you money for programs that don't work," Mulvaney said. Mulvaney's comments Thursday caused consternation at the Capitol and beyond as lawmakers from both parties vowed to protect the program, which serves nearly a million meals per day nationwide through a network of more than 5,000 local programs. More than 2.4 million older Americans are served each year, including more than 500,000 veterans.
MONDAY, MARCH 27 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29 Spanish Book Club. 6-8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library on Calton. or more info call Sylvia Reash 763-1810. Laredo Next Generation Rotary Club “Unsung Heroes” dinner. 7:30 p.m. Montecarlo Reception Hall, 6415 McPherson Road. This year’s recipients are Ignacio Urrabazo, Samuel Ayala and Gigi Ramos. For more information about sponsorship levels or to reserve a table, contact Rudy Morales at 956-206-5378 or Hector Chapa at 956-206-1505 or visit nextgenerationrotary.com
Mom found dead after infant saved in lake rescue ST. LOUIS — A woman found dead in a St. Louis-area lake was identified Friday as the mother of an infant rescued hours earlier by a paramedic, who performed CPR on the hood of the submerged SUV in which the child was found floating shortly after a fatal fire erupted at their home. The coroner in nearby Madison County, Illinois, released
the information as investigators tried to untangle the events that preceded the death of the woman, 32-year-old Cristy Lynn Campbell. Six of her children escaped the fire Thursday morning at her house in Glen Carbon, Illinois, but a man in the house was killed. Campbell's ex-husband, 37-year-old Justin Campbell, lived at the home and remains unaccounted for. Court records show they had a volatile relationship, with several reports of domestic violence.
THURSDAY, MARCH 30
AROUND THE WORLD
Speaker and book signing. 6-7:30 p.m. Multipurpose Room at Joe A. Guerra Public Library on Calton. Hosted by Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society and the library. The speaker is Mauricio J. Gonzalez, LCC instructor and author of “My Grandfather’s Grandfather: Tomas Rodriguez Benavides.” Open to the public. For more info call Sylvia Reash 763-1810.
Death toll in Peru climbs to 67 from El Nino rains, floods
SATURDAY, APRIL 1 Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee.
MONDAY, APRIL 3 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available. Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting. 6:30—7:30 p.m. Area Health Education Center, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. Every first Monday of the month. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting. While a support group does not replace an individual’s medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength and hope.
TUESDAY APRIL 4 Community Conversation on Teen & Young Adult Mental Health. 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Border Region Behavioral Health Center, Auditorium, 1500 Pappas St. The purpose of this event is to encourage the community to voice concerns, ask questions and share information on available resources to help those afflicted with a mental illness or a substance abuse problem. We invite the community to join others in the community for an informal conversation on mental health presented by the Area Health Education Center, Border Region Behavioral Health Center and Texas Department of State Health Services-Office of Border Services.
LIMA, Peru — The number of people killed in Peru following intense rains and mudslides wreaking havoc around the Andean nation climbed to 67 Friday, with thousands more displaced from destroyed homes and others waiting on rooftops for rescue. Across the country overflowing rivers caused by El Nino rains damaged 115,000 homes and collapsed 117 bridges. "We are confronting a serious climatic problem," President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said in a statement broadcast live Friday afternoon. "There hasn't been an incident of this strength along the coast of Peru since 1998." The highly unusual rains follow a series of storms that have struck especially hard along Peru's northern coast, with voracious waters inun-
About 15 minutes after the fire was reported, a passing motorist spotted an SUV driving down a hill and into Silver Lake in Highland, Illinois, about 16 miles from the fire scene. Highland paramedic Todd Zobrist jumped into the water where he found the 3-monthold boy floating inside the car. Zobrist pulled the baby by the arm to the hood of the SUV, where he began CPR, then swam with the child to shore. — Compiled from AP reports
Martin Mejia / AP
Men hold onto a rope as they wade through flood waters towards safety in Lima, Peru Friday.
dating hospitals and cemeteries, and leaving some small villages entirely isolated. On Thursday, the National Police rescued eight people who had been trapped for three days in Cachipampa and removed the body of an 88-year-old man killed in the floods. In the highlands along the department of La Libertad, dramatic video
showed crashing water inundating several buses and trucks, killing at least five people. Rescuers were searching Friday for survivors. In Peru's capital city of Lima police had to help hundreds of residents in an outskirt neighborhood cross a flooded road by sending them along a rope. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND TEXAS Texas House ethics chair probes anti-abortion group contract AUSTIN, Texas — The head of the Texas House ethics committee says she wants answers about an anti-abortion group that received $1.6 million to bolster women's health clinics after The Associated Press found that promises have come up short.
Today is Saturday, March 18, the 77th day of 2017. There are 288 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 18, 1937, in America's worst school disaster, nearly 300 people, most of them children, were killed in a natural gas explosion at the New London Consolidated School in Rusk County, Texas. On this date: In 1917, the Mexican newspaper Excelsior published its first edition. In 1925, the Tri-State Tornado struck southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois and southwestern Indiana, resulting in some 700 deaths. In 1940, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini met at the Brenner Pass, where the Italian dictator agreed to join Germany's war against France and Britain. In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order authorizing the War Relocation Authority, which was put in charge of evacuating "persons whose removal is necessary in the interests of national security," with Milton S. Eisenhower (the youngest brother of Dwight D. Eisenhower) as its director. In 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Hawaii statehood bill. (Hawaii became a state on Aug. 21, 1959.) In 1962, France and Algerian rebels signed the Evian Accords, a cease-fire agreement which took effect the next day, ending the Algerian War. In 1965, the first spacewalk took place as Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov went outside his Voskhod 2 capsule, secured by a tether. Farouk I, the former king of Egypt, died in exile in Rome. In 1980, Frank Gotti, the 12-year-old youngest son of mobster John Gotti, was struck and killed by a car driven by John Favara, a neighbor in Queens, New York. (The following July, Favara vanished, the apparent victim of a gang hit.) In 1990, thieves made off with 13 works of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston (the crime remains unsolved). Ten years ago: Pakistan's national cricket team coach, Bob Woolmer, 58, was found dead in his hotel room in Kingston, Jamaica, during cricket's World Cup tournament. (An inquest into Woolmer's death ended with the Jamaican jury unable to reach a ruling on the cause.) Five years ago: Mitt Romney scored an overwhelming win in Puerto Rico's Republican presidential primary, trouncing chief rival Rick Santorum. One year ago: A jury in St. Petersburg, Florida, sided with ex-pro wrestler Hulk Hogan, awarding him $115 million in compensatory damages in his sex tape lawsuit against Gawker Media. (Three days later, the jury awarded $25 million in punitive damages; Gawker, which ended up going bankrupt, finally settled with Hogan for $31 million.) Police in Brussels captured Europe's most wanted fugitive, Salah Abdeslam, who was the prime suspect in the deadly 2015 Paris attacks. North Korea ignored U.N. resolutions by firing a mediumrange ballistic missile into the sea. Today's Birthdays: Composer John Kander is 90. Country singer Charley Pride is 83. Nobel peace laureate and former South African president F.W. de Klerk is 81. Country singer Margie Bowes is 76. Actor Kevin Dobson is 74. Actor Brad Dourif is 67. Jazz musician Bill Frisell is 66. Singer Irene Cara is 58. Alt-country musician Karen Grotberg (The Jayhawks) is 58. Movie writer-director Luc Besson is 58. Actor Geoffrey Owens is 56. Actor Thomas Ian Griffith is 55. Singer-songwriter James McMurtry is 55. TV personality Mike Rowe is 55. Singer-actress Vanessa L. Williams is 54. Olympic gold medal speedskater Bonnie Blair is 53. Country musician Scott Saunders (Sons of the Desert) is 53. Actor David Cubitt is 52. Rock musician Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains) is 51. Rock singer-musician Miki Berenyi (ber-EN'ee) is 50. Actor Michael Bergin is 48. Rapper-actress-talk show host Queen Latifah is 47. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus (ryns PREE'-bus) is 45. Actor-comedian Dane Cook is 45. Country singer Philip Sweet (Little Big Town) is 43. Rock musician Stuart Zender is 43. Singers Jaron and Evan Lowenstein are 43. Actress-singerdancer Sutton Foster is 42. Singer Devin Lima (LFO) is 40. Rock singer Adam Levine (Maroon 5) is 38. Rock musician Daren Taylor (Airborne Toxic Event) is 37. Olympic gold medal figure skater Alexei Yagudin is 37. Actor Adam Pally is 35. Actor Cornelius Smith Jr. is 35. Actress Lily Collins is 28. Actress-dancer Julia Goldani Telles is 22. Actress Ciara Bravo is 20. Actor Blake Garrett Rosenthal is 13. Thought for Today: "To start is easy, to persist is an art." — German proverb.
CONTACT US Republican state Rep. Sarah Davis on Thursday grilled top state officials over The Heidi Group, which received taxpayer funds last summer as part of a broader effort by conservative lawmakers to give women alternatives to Planned Parenthood. The AP reported this week that eight months into a contract to help clinics attract more patients, The Heidi Group has done little of the sweeping outreach it promised. Davis, who chairs the House General Investigations and
Ethics Commission, hinted that a closer look will be taken as to how The Heidi Group received funding in the first place. "It's just not looking very good. It's not looking promising for this provider," Davis told state officials testifying before her committee in the Texas Capitol. "And we're going to be back here, and talking about contracting and procurement issues with this. I'm just predicting that." — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, March 18, 2017 |
A3
LOCAL & STATE
Former Texas congressman accused of taking charity's money A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
HOUSTON — Former Texas Rep. Steve Stockman, who invited rocker Ted Nugent to President Barack Obama's 2013 State of the Union address, is accused of spending money meant for charity on himself and contributions to his campaign. Stockman, a Republican who served two inconsecutive terms in the U.S. House, is charged with conspiracy to make conduit contributions and false statements. He was released from custody after a hearing Friday in Houston federal court. The Houston Chronicle reports that Stockman on Friday blamed his arrest on a "deep state" shadow government, which is a theory that has taken hold among some conservatives that there is a shadowy network of powerful entrenched federal and military interests working to undermine President Donald Trump. In an affidavit, FBI Agent Vanessa Walther wrote that in January 2013, shortly after starting his second House term, Stockman solicited $350,000 in charitable donations from an unidentified wealthy businessman on behalf of a Nevada-based nonprofit, Life Without Limits, which had been set up to help people through traumatic events. The donation was solicited for the purpose of renovating a house in Washington, D.C., called the Freedom House. But the check was deposited at a bank branch in Webster, Texas, into an account set up by Stockman doing business as Life Without Limits, according
Softball tournament to raise funds for special needs program SPECIAL TO THE TIME S
A co-ed softball tournament will be held at 9 a.m. today at the Zapata Precinct 4 softball field. Funds raised will be donated to the local high school’s Coffee Time Coffee Shop program. This program is run by students with special needs in order to develop money handling skills, interper-
Evan Vucci / AP
In this Jan. 3, 2013, file photo, Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Texas, right, participates in a mock swearing-in ceremony in Washington. Former Texas Rep. Stockman is accused of spending money meant for charity on himself and contributions to his campaign. He was released from custody after a hearing Friday in a Houston federal court.
to the affidavit. Financial records show that Stockman made no significant expenditures toward the purchase, renovation or operation of Freedom House, which never opened. Rather than spending the money on Freedom House, Stockman secretly diverted the money to pay for a variety of personal expenses and to funnel contributions to his campaign under the guise that they were from other people, the affidavit states. "It is a crime to make a
campaign contribution by one person in the name of another, and to make a false statement to the Federal Elections Commission," according to Walther's sworn statement, which was unsealed Friday. Stockman served a term in the U.S. House from 1995 until 1997 and another from 2013 until 2015. He ran for the U.S. Senate in 2014 but lost in the Republican primary to incumbent John Cornyn, who won re-election.
sonal skills, employability skills and other communication skills. Students run a coffee service at the school. Orders are taken days prior, and coffee and cupcakes are delievered on a Friday to designated classrooms. Proceeds from Coffee Time Coffee Shop are used to help students with events and school trips.
Today’s event will be an eight team, co-ed, doubleelimination tournament composed primarily of law enforcement and community partners. Teams must be comprised of an equal number of males and females to play on the field at all times. Border Patrol recruiters will also be on site at 10 a.m.
Zopinion
Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com
A4 | Saturday, March 18, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Disciples of a false prophet By Charles M. Blow N EW YORK T I ME S
The con Donald Trump committed on his voters is slowly coming undone. He is not honest. He is not a brilliant deal maker. He is not even competent. His entire life, Trump has sold shimmer and called it silver. It was and is all an illusion, a brand built on selling banality with braggadocio. He shaped vapors into dreams and delivered them to those hungry for a taste of the showy, hollow form of the high life he came to represent. He was successful at exploiting those with an ostentatious appetite for the air of success. Trump’s life story is a pyramid scheme of ambitions. He took that history to a people struggling through a drought of opportunity and he exploited their weaknesses: a shrinking sense of economic security and growing nativist tendencies. But Trump doesn’t speak so much from facts as from feelings. For him, the truth is malleable and a lie is valuable. He creates his own reality rather than living in the reality of others. Deception is just a tool; betrayal is just an inconvenience. Now even some of the people who once supported him with vigor are being forced to remove the scales from their eyes. They are now the betrayed disciples of a false prophet. Furthermore, there is mounting evidence of connections and contacts between the Trump team and Russia, a country that proof-positive interfered in our election in an effort to help Trump and hurt his opponent. The rolling disaster of the Trumpcare repeal and replacement plan is increasingly imperiled as even Republicans run in fear from the damage it would do and the electoral price that would be paid. Trump’s scurrilous accusations against President Barack Obama — that he ordered his phones in Trump Tower wiretapped — is being met with increasing disbelief, having no demonstrable basis in fact, at least as of yet. One thing that I find fascinating is to go back and reread the transcript of Trump’s presidential bid announcement in light of what we now know. So much of it consists of lies or of him criticizing others for things that he would later be proved guilty of doing. Two of the central pillars of that speech, and in fact of his entire candi-
“But Trump doesn’t speak so much from facts as from feelings. For him, the truth is malleable and a lie is valuable. He creates his own reality OPINION rather than living in the Nations have separated children from reality of parents before — it never ends well others.” dren were being rescued a morally and emotionally bies.) Procreating out of By Nara Milanich WASHINGTON P O ST
dacy, were the border wall and the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Trump said during the speech: “I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall.” First, the price tag for the wall has ballooned by billions of dollars. As Bess Levin noted in Vanity Fair: “According to an internal report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, it’s going to cost about $21.6 billion. That number is significantly higher than Team Trump’s $12 billion estimate, or Republican leadership’s $15 billion estimate, because it takes into account pesky little things the White House did not factor into its back-of-the envelope calculations.” The many lies Trump told between that speech and today have only compounded his flaws and his betrayals. But now, the bill is coming due. Trump’s lies, his brand and his presidency are like a house of cards and the truth is a box of matches. It’s becoming ever more likely that the consuming flames — destined to reduce the entire edifice to ashes — are imminent, as Trump slowly converts former acolytes into disappointed adversaries. Charles M. Blow has been a New York Times Op-Ed columnist since 2008.
The Trump administration has already proposed a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, a ban on travel from six countries, a shutdown of the refugee program and extensive detentions and deportations of undocumented immigrants. This month, officials floated a new tactic: splitting families up. Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly said last week that his agency is considering separating parents and children if they’re detained as they cross the border. According to a Department of Homeland Security memo, the motivation is humanitarian: “The journey north is a dangerous one with too many situations where children are often exploited, abused or may even lose their lives.” Forcible separation is actually a child-protection measure, the administration is suggesting, because it discourages parents from embarking on such journeys in the first place. Children really are crossing the border in large numbers, and the journey is, indeed, dangerous. In just four months, from Oct. 1 to Jan. 31, some 54,000 family units were apprehended crossing the border, the vast majority of them Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Hondurans fleeing violence in their home countries. The mass separation of these families would be catastrophic. But it would not be unprecedented: Modern states have long practiced forcible removal of children from their parents’ care. And in doing so they have invoked motives that echo uncannily those of the Trump administration: the children’s own wellbeing. The idea that the government is acting in the child’s best interests is
powerful one. Yet historically, this rationale has often produced heinous results. Perhaps the most familiar historical instance involved Native Americans. Beginning in the late 19th century, the U.S. government removed tens of thousands of Native American children from their families and placed them in boarding schools to be instructed in English, Christianity and the benefits of “civilization.” “Kill the Indian and save the man,” declared Richard Henry Pratt, founder of the Carlisle Indian School and a vocal advocate of the “Friends of the Indian” movement. In this ethnocidal version of tough love, the government’s harsh educational project was inseparable from the ostensible goal of saving Indian children from their Indian-ness. Eventually, the boarding schools were shuttered, but they were replaced in the mid-20th century by staggering rates of foster care placements. Welfare authorities cited poverty and social pathology as reasons to separate children from kin and communities. In 1978, in response to this long and sordid history, Congress passed the Indian Child Welfare Act, giving greater power over child custody actions to tribal governments. A parallel logic governed social policy toward children born illegitimately. Through much of the 20th century, young, unmarried mothers from Australia to Ireland were obliged, through various kinds of coercion, to give up their children. (In the United States, young white women were similarly pressured; for a variety of reasons, young black women were also stigmatized but found it easier to keep their ba-
wedlock marked mothers as irresponsible, lacking in judgment and unfit to raise children. Removing the child served as redemption for a mother’s moral transgression, but it was also seen as preferable for the child, who would be better off in a normative, two-parent family. In Australia, as many as 150,000 “forced adoptions” occurred between 1950 and 1975. They have since become the subject of official investigations, a national apology and special support services for those affected. In Ireland, 60,000 children were coercively separated from their mothers in the decades after World War II. Some were interned in religious institutions; several thousand were sent to adoptive families in the United States, an episode explored in the 2013 film “Filomena.” Argentina continues to grapple with the ethical and political fallout of its government’s policy of appropriating children. In the 1970s, Argentina’s right-wing military government waged a murderous “dirty war” against its political opponents, detaining thousands of people on charges of subversion. Among them were hundreds of pregnant women who gave birth in prison. Other children of dissidents were caught up in police operations in which their parents were killed or arrested. Military officials placed these children, whom they designated “orphaned” or “abandoned,” with adoptive families. The Argentine government may not have set out to “redeem” the children of its political enemies, as was the case with Native American children or illegitimate ones. Yet it, too, couched its actions in humanitarian motives: Innocent chil-
LETTERS POLICY Laredo Morning Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer's first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the
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CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
from parents whose subversive politics made them unfit guardians. When the dictatorship ended in the early 1980s, a truth commission denounced the military’s “perfidious usurpation” in the name of child welfare. These events launched powerful social movements spearheaded by the children’s grandmothers and, as they grew up, the children themselves. These movements have shaped national and international child rights norms and spurred ongoing criminal investigations. There are countless other historical examples of state-sponsored child appropriation. In the 19th-century United States, self-described “childsavers” gathered up tens of thousands of needy urban waifs and shipped them west on “orphan trains” in the belief that life in salubrious farm families would save them from vice and delinquency. A similar logic guided child migration projects in Britain, where poor children were removed from families and sent, often without parental consent, to far-flung parts of the empire. Child removal is an extraordinary act of modern state power that falls most heavily on the poor and the powerless: the colonized, the subaltern, the dissident. Authorities have wielded this power over individuals and groups in an effort to redeem, punish and deter them. Now, they threaten to do so once again on the U.S.-Mexico border. Milanich is an associate professor of Latin American history at Barnard College and a volunteer with the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, March 18, 2017 |
A5
A6 | Saturday, March 18, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
BUSINESS
Jeff Chiu / AP
This file photo shows the sign of a Wal-Mart store in San Jose, Calif. Wal-Mart says it bought trendy online clothing seller ModCloth. The company declined to specify the price on the deal that closed Friday, saying only that it was in the same range as its previous two purchases of online businesses. Those were $51 million and $70 million.
Wal-Mart buys online Auto industry backs commitment clothing seller to fuel economy amid doubts ModCloth Gene J. Puskar / AP
In this Thursday, July 16, 2015, file photo, a customer re-fuels her car at a Costco in Robinson Township, Pa. Auto industry executives say even though President Donald Trump may weaken U.S. fuel economy requirements, they’ve already invested billions in efficient vehicles that they’ll continue to sell.
By Tom Krisher A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
DEARBORN, Mich. — Just because President Trump may weaken U.S. fuel economy requirements, don't expect gas guzzlers like the giant 13 mpg Hummer H1 to make a comeback. Executives from automakers and suppliers gathered at a conference outside of Detroit Thursday said looser fuel economy standards might allow for sales of more trucks in areas where they're popular. But otherwise, the pursuit of fuel-efficiency technologies will proceed unabated. Trump came to the Detroit area earlier this week to announce that his Environmental Protection Agency will reexamine gas mileage requirements that were affirmed in the Obama administration's last days. Those regulations require the fleet of new cars and trucks to average 36 mpg in real-world driving by 2025, about 10 mpg over the current standard. Environmentalists warned Trump's decision could reverse years of reduced tailpipe emissions. Executives at the Fuel Economy Detroit conference said the billions of dollars already invested in efficient vehicles makes reversing course impractical. And while
the U.S. may relax rules, other countries are toughening them, leaving the industry no choice but to keep researching ways to make gas engines more efficient and develop cheaper and longerrange electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. "We're all global companies. We have to design our vehicles to be fuel efficient not only in the U.S., but in Europe and Asia," said John Juriga, director of powertrain at the Hyundai-Kia technical center near Ann Arbor, Michigan. Automakers lobbied Trump hard to get the government to reopen a "midterm review" of the standards for 2022-2025. They say the EPA under Obama rushed out the review just seven days before Trump took office, reneging on promises to get industry input. The agency also didn't place enough weight on the pronounced consumer shift to SUVs and trucks, the automakers claim. The EPA decided the standards are flexible enough to account for the market shift, and that automakers have the technology to meet them. The agency calculated that higher standards would raise vehicle costs by $875, but that would be offset by $1,620 in savings at the gas pump. Given Trump's promises to auto CEOs about easing regulations, it's
likely the requirements will be weakened when the new review is finished by April of next year. Here's what that means for new vehicles: WHAT WILL CHANGE Truck and SUV sales likely will keep rising. Auto companies don't expect a major cut in the 36 mpg requirement. But they're hoping for standards that are flexible enough for them to sell more trucks and SUVs without penalties. Those high-profit, bigger vehicles made up over 60 percent of new vehicle sales last year, up from less than 50 percent five years ago. Lower mileage requirements will let the industry sell more trucks and SUVs in areas like the Southwest, where they are popular. Profits from those sales will help pay for low-margin electric and other efficient cars sold on the West Coast, says Sam Abuelsamid, a senior analyst for the market research firm Navigant. If the standards remain the same and gas prices stay low, the industry contends it would lose money trying to sell efficient cars to people who don't want them. Like other automakers, Hyundai and Kia have the technology to meet the standards, but the cost has to be weighed against consumer de-
mand, Juriga says. ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WHAT WON'T CHANGE The push by automakers and parts companies to make more efficient vehicles. Paul Nahra, director of the Advanced Engine Group for parts maker BorgWarner, says his company sells to automakers worldwide including regions with stricter gas mileage standards. "We need to be pushing the right technology that's going to get broad acceptance," he says. For instance, China, Europe and Japan will all require fleets to average 47 miles per gallon or higher by 2020. Work continues on downsizing engines, shedding weight and on new engine technology that makes a gas engine perform like a more efficient diesel. "So far there's no indication there's going to be any backtracking on this stuff," says Abuelsamid. THE FALLOUT Proponents of the Obama standards aren't happy. Environmental groups and the states of California and New York took legal action after Trump's announcement and warned that higher pollution could harm children and senior citizens. California Gov. Jerry Brown denounced the move as a "gift to polluters."
NEW YORK — WalMart has bought trendy clothing seller ModCloth, part of a big push to pick up smaller online brands as it tries to make headway against Amazon. The company declined to specify the price on the deal that closed Friday, saying only that it was in the same range as its previous two purchases of online businesses. Those were $51 million and $70 million. Wal-Mart is working hard to attract younger and more affluent shoppers, but winning over ModCloth's devoted customers, fans of its vintage-inspired patterned dresses, inclusive sizing and community feel, may be a challenge. Many expressed their disappointment on social media when they heard talk of a deal with WalMart. Bentonville, Arkansasbased Wal-Mart said ModCloth will continue to operate as a standalone and complementary brand to its other e-commerce sites, and will bring experience and talent to strengthening the company's fashion business aimed at millennials. Independent designers who sell on ModCloth's site, it said, will gain the opportunity to expand their reach. ModCloth CEO Mat-
Wal-Mart is working hard to attract younger and more affluent shoppers, but winning over ModCloth's devoted customers, fans of its vintage-inspired patterned dresses, inclusive sizing and community feel, may be a challenge
thew Kaness, his executive team and the company's 300-plus employees will stay based in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh, and will join Wal-Mart's U.S. e-commerce retail organization. Wal-Mart spent more than $3 billion for upstart Jet.com last year and since then has purchased other smaller companies, including online footwear retailer ShoeBuy.com and the outdoor gear seller Moosejaw. Marc Lore, the founder of Jet.com who is now CEO of Walmart.com, said last month that the company was still looking for new startups to buy. ModCloth, founded in 2002, has one physical store in Austin, Texas.
Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, March 18, 2017 |
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE PAGO DE IMPUESTOS 1 Desde diciembre, los pagos por impuestos a la propiedad de la Ciudad de Roma deberán realizarse en la oficina de impuestos del Distrito Escolar de Roma, localizado en el 608 N. García St. PAGO EN LÍNEA 1 La Ciudad de Roma informa a sus residentes que a partir de ahora el servicio del agua puede pagarse en línea a cualquier hora las 24 horas del día. PRIMERA CARRERA POPULAR POR EL AGUA 1 La ciudad de Miguel Alemán, México, invita al público en general a la Primera Carrera Popular por el Agua.el domingo 19 de marzo, a partir de las 8 a.m., salida y meta serán en la Presidencia Municipal. CAMINATA AMISTOSA 1 El Servicio de Extensión Texas A&M Agrilife invita a la segunda caminata Walk Across Texas que iniciará desde el 1 de febrero y hasta el 24 de marzo. Una competencia amistosa para ver quién acumula más millas haciendo cualquier actividad física como correr, caminar andar en bicicleta, , baile, etc. Mayores informes en Texas A&M Agrilife Service Extension al (956) 487-2306.
THE OUTLET SHOPPES
Abren centro comercial Por Julia Wallace TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
El centro comercial The Outlet Shoppes en Laredo abrió sus puertas al público el jueves por la mañana y fue celebrado por miles de visitantes. La directora del Buró de Visitantes y Convenciones de Laredo, Blasita López, dijo que para la hora que ella se retiró del centro comercial, alrededor de la 1 p.m., estaba “lleno de gente”. Alrededor de 20 minutos antes que las tiendas abrieran oficialmente a las 10 a.m., docenas de compradores hicieron fila en el exterior de NIke, la cual es la única tienda de franquicia en el
Foto por Danny Zaragoza | Laredo Morning Times
Compradores se formaban en el exterior de la tienda Michael Kors, el jueves por la mañana, antes de la apertura de la tienda en The Outlet Shoppes en Laredo
centro comercial que cuenta con dos pisos. La tienda Converse también contaba con una larga fila antes de su apertura, y regalaron bolsas para el gimnasio a las prim-
eras 50 Para las 11 a.m., había 50 personas en línea para pagar por su mercancía en Michael Kors. Un flujo constante de personas llenaban los pasil-
los cubiertos del centro comercial. El alcalde Pete Sáenz dijo que esta inauguración fue un sueño compartido que finalmente se realizó, y que todo el centro comercial es ahora parte de la ciudad. “Este es un gran día para Laredo, Texas”, dijo. (El centro comercial Outlet) tomó su tiempo pero está aquí”. Cincuenta y un tiendas y restaurantes estuvieron abiertos el jueves, de acuerdo a Ramón Chávez, director de servicios del edificio. Ocho aún están bajo permiso de construcción. Gabriel Palizo, de 27 años, estuvo haciendo línea afuera de la tienda Nike antes que abriera
MIGUEL ALEMÁN, MX
LABORATORIO COMPUTACIONAL 1 La Ciudad de Roma pone a disposición de la comunidad el Laboratorio Computacional que abre de lunes a viernes en horario de 1 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Historical Plaza, a un lado del City Hall. Informes en el 956-849-1411. DÍA DE LA TIERRA 1 Por segundo año consecutivo, la Ciudad de Roma invita a la Recolección de Llantas para celebrar el Día de la Tierra, el sábado 22 de abril, desde las 8 a.m., en la Plaza Guadalupe. MUSEO EN ZAPATA 1 A los interesados en realizar una investigación sobre genealogía de la región, se sugiere visitar el Museo del Condado de Zapata ubicado en 805 N US-Hwy 83. Opera de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. Existen visitas guiadas. Personal está capacitado y puede orientar acerca de la historia del Sur de Texas y sus fundadores. Pida informes en el 956-765-8983. GRUPOS DE APOYO 1 Grupo para personas con Alzheimer, junta primer martes de mes en LMC, Torre B, desde las 7 p.m.
con su esposa y sus niños pequeños. Dijo que vino a la gran inauguración porque todo estaba nuevo, y esperaba obtener buenos descuentos. “Esto es algo que nunca tuvimos”, dijo. Sin embargo, dijo que no le gustaba la situación del estacionamiento. Unos cuantos compradores afuera de Michael Kors y Papaya dijeron que estaban emocionados por el centro comercial debido a su novedad. Y un grupo de cuatro adolescentes en el interior de Abercrombie & Fitch, se probaban chaquetas, y estaban emocionados de regresar a los outlets de Laredo. “¡Mañana!” dijeron.
INMIGRACIÓN
EXPROPIACIÓN PETROLERA
Habrá juez temporal en Laredo E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
CAMINATA & ZUMBATÓN 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a la Caminata & Zumbatón para la Concientización del Autismo, de 9 a.m. a 12 p.m., el 1 de abril en el Parque Municipal de Roma. HUEVOS DE PASCUA 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a la comunidad a celebrar la Pascua con la búsqueda de huevos en el Parque Municial de Roma, el sábado 8 de abril desde las 10 a.m.
A7
Foto cortesía | Gobierno de Miguel Alemán
La alcaldesa de Miguel Alemán , México, entrega la bandera mexicana a la escolta de la Telesecundaria del poblado Los Guerra, durante la celebración del 79 aniversario de la Expropiación Petrolera.
Celebran 79 aniversario de evento histórico E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Miguel Alemán, México— Autoridades educativas en coordinación con la administración 20162018 que dirige Rosa Icela Corro Acosta conmemoraron este 17 de marzo el 79 aniversario de la Expropiación Petrolera en
un evento realizado en la Escuela Telesecundaria del poblado Los Guerra. Desde el año de 1938 en que el general Lázaro Cárdenas se pronunció por la expropiación petrolera han transcurrido 79 años, que se cumplirán este 18 de marzo.En el evento, los alumnos de esta Telesecundaria, pres-
entaron una obra de teatro y declamaciones alusivas a la fecha, donde relataron la consolidación de la expropiación de uno de los recursos naturales que mayores riquezas le generan al país. La alcaldesa Corro Acosta destacó la importancia de esta fecha y rememoró los anteced-
entes y el ejercicio de la Expropiación Petrolera que se concretara el día 18 de marzo de 1938 por el ex presidente Lázaro Cárdenas del Río. En esta ceremonia estuvieron presentes los directores de la Telesecundaria del poblado Los Ángeles y por supuesto del poblado Los Guerra.
WASHINGTON—Ayer, el Congresista Henry Cuéllar (D-TX-28), hizo la siguiente declaración de que la Oficina Ejecutiva para Revisar la Inmigración (EOIR por sus siglas en inglés), estará detallando un Juez de Inmigración a Laredo, Texas. “He estado trabajando para lograr tener Equipos de Jueces de Inmigración para las comunidades fronterizas, como Laredo, por años y aplaudo a EOIR por enviar un juez temporal a Laredo”, dijo Cuéllar. “Estaré trabajando con EOIR y con Control de Aduanas e Inmigración para hacer que ese puesto sea permanente en Laredo y potencialmente agregar más.Actualmente, debido en parte a la falta de jueces disponibles, los inmigrantes en la frontera o son detenidos por largos periodos, o liberados en los Estados Unidos con una promesa de regresar después a la corte. Ninguna de estas dos son buenas opciones, para los inmigrantes o la aplicación de nuestras leyes”.
COLUMNA
“Huapango” de Moncayo, parte de la música popular mexicana, se estrena en 1941 Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Lo conocen muchos como Huapango de Moncayo. Incluso en otros continentes, engalana los mejores conciertos. Estimulante, alegre, con encanto autóctono, hace vibrar a propios y extraños. La composición en realidad se llama Huapango. El autor, José Pablo Moncayo García, nace en Guadalajara, México, en 1912. En la Ciudad de México le imparte clases de piano el maestro Eduardo Hernández Navarro, quizás entonces recibe las primeras noticias del
José Pablo Moncayo
nacionalismo artístico que domina la escena posrevolucionaria. Cuando en 1929 ingresa al Conservatorio Nacional, domina el piano. De Carlos Chávez aprende composición y Candelario
Huízar le enseña armonía. Sin arredrarse ante circunstancias adversas, Moncayo García desempeña modestos empleos, que contribuyen a costearle los estudios profesionales. Toca en cafeterías y empresarios radiofónicos lo contratan para el acompañamiento de cantantes populares. En 1931 se vuelve percusionista de la Orquesta Sinfónica de México, recomendado por Chávez, titular del Conservatorio. Hacia 1949 dirige la Orquesta Sinfónica del Conservatorio, después Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional. Poco tardan la Escuela Superior Noc-
turna y el Colegio de Iniciación Artística en incorporarlo al cuerpo docente. El referido Conservatorio le confía además importante cátedra. Apenas cumplidos 24 años, concluye Sonatina para violín y piano, cuyo estreno acoge el Palacio de Bellas Artes. Más de tres decenas suman las obras del jalisciense. Entre los muchos aportes sobresale Huapango. Lo compone por encargo, al programarse la serie de conciertos denominada “Música popular mexicana”. Tal encomienda lo lleva hasta el puerto de Alvarado, Veracruz, “donde se conserva la música folclórica
en su estado más puro”, dice el artista. Tras aquella estancia, ciertos retos dificultan la síntesis. Busca el consejo de Huízar, quien le recomienda exponer fielmente los materiales recogidos, imponiéndoles luego particular sello. “Nace (así) –revela él—mi laboriosa obra que nombré Huapango. Fue estrenada el 15 de agosto de 1941 por la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional, bajo la batuta del maestro Chávez”. José Pablo Moncayo García fallece el 16 de junio de 1958. Casi a fin de mes iba a cumplir 46 años. En la Ciudad de México, el Panteón Español le brinda sepultura.
A8 | Saturday, March 18, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL
Medic killed by ambulance By Colleen Long ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Beth Nakamura / AP
In this file photo, tiny living pods are viewed in Portland, Ore.
Pilot program puts homeless in residents' backyards By Gillian Flaccus A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
PORTLAND, Ore. — Faced with an intractable homeless problem, officials in Portland are thinking inside the box. A handful of homeless families will soon move into tiny, government-constructed modular units in the backyards of willing homeowners. Under the pilot program taking effect this summer, the homeowners will take over the heated, fully plumbed tiny houses in five years and can use them for rental income. The project, called A Place for You, is believed to be the first in the nation to recruit stable residents to address a homeless crisis that's gotten so bad the city last year declared a state of emergency and made it legal to sleep on the street. Portland has an affordable rental shortage of 24,000 units and nearly 4,000 people sleep on the street, in a shelter or in transitional housing each night. Residents just passed a $260 million housing bond, but it will be two years before those units are ready, said Mary Li, director of Multnomah County's new Idea Lab, which devel-
oped the concept. "We said to ourselves, 'What does FEMA do when they have to house 10,000 people after an earthquake?' Well, they grab a bunch of trailers and they plop them in a field," she said. "Well, there's underutilized space in people's backyards. What if we provide a lower-cost — but very habitable option — in people's backyards?" About 200 homeowners have signed up to learn more after Multnomah County's project was first made public this week by the city's alternative weekly paper. Becca and Kelly Love were some of the first to express interest. Becca, a social worker, and Kelly, a counselor, see the impacts of sky-high rents first-hand in their jobs working with lowincome students at Portland Community College. They live in North Portland, an area struggling with homelessness. "Just because you don't have housing, it doesn't make you a bad person or more likely to be a bad tenant. In fact, you'd be a better tenant because you'd appreciate it," said Becca Love.
NEW YORK — A man accused of stealing an ambulance and then driving it over a fire department medic, crushing her to death, told reporters he wasn't guilty as he was escorted out of a police station Friday surrounded by angry uniformed emergency medical technicians, who hurled insults. "I'm innocent. I didn't do nothing," said Jose Gonzalez, 25, who was set to be arraigned in a Bronx courtroom later Friday on charges including murder. In a twist, authorities said he lived on the same block as the Fire Department Emergency Medical Services technician he is accused of killing, Yadira Arroyo. Police said Gonzalez, who has 31 prior arrests, was high on drugs when he hopped on the back of Arroyo's ambulance as it drove through the Bronx on Thursday evening on its way to a routine medical call. He has a history of violent and erratic behavior with police, they said. Arroyo, who was 44 and had five sons, worked as medic for 14 years and was incredibly dedicated, responding to calls even during asthma attacks, her colleagues said Friday. Fire officials draped black and purple bunting over Arroyo's stationhouse in a somber ceremony as uniformed officers saluted and bagpipers played "Amazing Grace." "Yadi was the matriarch of the station," Lt. George Lampon said, choking back tears. "She was not only a mother of five, but a mother to the 100-plus people who worked here. She will live on in the lives she
WNYW FOX 5 NY / AP
This still image taken from video shows police at the scene where Yadira Arroyo, 44, an emergency medical technician has died after she was run over by a stolen ambulance Thursday in the Bronx borough of New York.
saved and the people she helped." Another medic, Anastasia Rabos, said Arroyo was a great mentor and friend. "She was a very humble person. I love her, we all love her and we will never forget her," she said. Fire officials said she was bravely doing her job when she and a partner over after being alerted that someone was on the back of the vehicle. When they got out to check, Gonzalez ran around the ambulance, got in and threw the vehicle in reverse, authorities said. Arroyo was struck and became trapped beneath the wheels. Gonzalez was captured moments later by a passing transit police officer and a civilian bystander after the ambulance hit several parked cars and got stuck on a snowbank, authorities said. Video posted on Twitter by a bystander captured the horrific scene as it unfolded. It showed
the ambulance speeding across an intersection with one of its doors open, its lights flashing and Arroyo's body being dragged beneath the vehicle. Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said Friday EMTs do crucial work and while they know it can be dangerous, they still don't expect violence. He said Arroyo was extremely brave. "We will with her family celebrate her life," he said. "We will mourn her death and stand strong together." Arroyo's family was devastated. Her sister-inlaw Monica Salazar told the New York Post that Arroyo's children range in age from 7 to 24, and the youngest lives in Connecticut. All but the youngest were able to say goodbye. "It was devastating. It was their mother. They were very upset, but the eldest held it together for the others, and he gave them a beautiful speech saying he was going to take care of his brothers and be a rock for them," she told The Post.
There was no immediate information on an attorney who could comment on Gonzalez's behalf. Gonzalez lived at a group home for about a month for chronically homeless single adults. The second EMT was treated at a Bronx hospital for minor injuries, police said. The video posted on Twitter captured both the arrest of the driver and a scene of anguish as the second EMT kneeled, sobbing, over the body of her fallen partner. Arroyo had been with the Fire Department of New York for 14 years, officials said. Justin Lopez told the Daily News that he shot the video as his brother was driving. "I was coming from the street, up to the red light, and I just saw the ambulance, the sirens and lights, and I told my brother, 'Look, something's happening,' and then somebody just hopped in, and then he hit two cars and ran over the person," he said. "I realized he was hijacking the car."
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, March 18, 2017 |
A9
ENTERTAINMENT
Nobel laureate Derek Walcott, Caribbean poet, dies at 87 By Guy Ellis and David Mcfadden A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
CASTRIES, St. Lucia — Derek Walcott, a Nobel prize-winning poet known for capturing the essence of his native Caribbean, died Friday on the island of St. Lucia. He was 87. "Derek Alton Walcott, poet, playwright, and painter died peacefully today, Friday 17th March, 2017, at his home in Cap Estate, Saint Lucia," said a family statement. It said the funeral would be held in St. Lucia and details would be announced shortly. The prolific and versatile poet received the Nobel Prize in literature in 1992. The academy cited the "great luminosity" of his writings including the 1990 "Omeros," a 64-chapter Caribbean epic that it praised as "majestic." "In him, West Indian culture has found its great poet," the Swedish academy said in awarding the $1.2 million prize to Walcott. St. Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet said flags throughout the island would be lowered to half-staff to honor Walcott, one of the most renowned figures to emerge from the small country. "It is a great loss to Saint Lucia," he said. "It
is a great loss to the world." Walcott, who was of African, Dutch and English ancestry, said his writing reflected the "very rich and complicated experience" of life in the Caribbean. His dazzling, painterly work earned him a reputation as one of the greatest writers of the second half of the 20th century. With passions ranging from watercolor painting to teaching to theater, Walcott's work was widely praised for its depth and bold use of metaphor, and its mix of sensuousness and technical prowess. He compared his feeling for poetry to a religious avocation. Calling the poet "the great lyric voice of the Caribbean," Soviet exile poet Joseph Brodsky, who won the Nobel literature prize in 1987, once complained that some critics relegated Walcott to regional status because of "an unwillingness ... to admit that the great poet of the English language is a black man." Jonathan Galassi, president of Farrar, Straus & Giroux who was Walcott's friend and longtime U.S. publisher, praised the poet as "the great lyric voice of the Caribbean." "He was a brilliant thinker about human predicaments, historical
and personal, really the last English language poet with the gift to match what feels like 19th century ambitions," Galassi said. Walcott himself proudly celebrated his role as a Caribbean writer. "I am primarily, absolutely a Caribbean writer," he once said during a 1985 interview published in The Paris Review. "The English language is nobody's special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself. I have never felt inhibited in trying to write as well as the greatest English poets." Walcott was born in St. Lucia's capital of Castries on Jan. 23, 1930 to a Methodist schoolteacher mother and a civil servant father, an aspiring artist who died when Walcott and his twin brother, Roderick, were babies. His mother, Alix, instilled the love of language in her children, often reciting Shakespeare and reading aloud other classics. In his autobiographical essay, "What the Twilight Says," he wrote: "Both the patois of the street and the language of the classroom hid the elation of discovery. If there was nothing, there was everything to be made. With this prodigious ambition one began."
Berenice Bautista / AP
In this Tuesday April 1, 2014, file photo, the recipient of the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature Derek Walcott attends a news conference in Mexico City. Walcott, known for capturing the essence of his native Caribbean and becoming the region’s most internationally famous writer, died early Friday on the island of St. Lucia, according to his son, Peter.
Walcott once described straddling "two worlds" during his childhood in St. Lucia, then a sleepy outpost of the British empire. "Colonials, we began with this malarial enervation: that nothing could ever be built among these rotting shacks, barefooted backyards and moulting shingles; that being poor, we already had the theater of our lives. In that simple schizophrenic boyhood one could lead two lives: the interior life of poetry, and the outward life of action and dialect," he wrote. Early on, he struggled with questions of race and his passion for British poetry, describing it as a "wrestling contradiction of being white in mind and black in body, as if the flesh were coal from which the spirit like tormented smoke writhed to escape." But he overcame that inner struggle, writing: "Once we have lost
our wish to be white, we develop a longing to become black." At 14, he published his first work, a 44-line poem called "1944," in a local newspaper. While still in his teens, he self-published a collection of 25 poems. At 20, his play "Henri Christophe" was produced by an arts guild he co-founded. He left St. Lucia to immerse himself in literature at Jamaica's University College of the West Indies. In the 1950s, he studied in New York and founded a theater in Trinidad's Port-of-Spain. For much of his life, Walcott, who taught at Boston University for many years, divided his time between the United States and the Caribbean. Although he was best known for his poetry, Walcott was also a prolific playwright, penning some 40 plays, including "Dream on Monkey Mountain" and "The Last
Carnival," and founding theaters such as the Boston Playwrights' Theatre. British writer Robert Graves said in 1984 that Walcott handled "English with a closer understanding of its inner magic than most — if not any — of his English-born contemporaries." Not all his work was met with accolades. He collaborated with American pop star Paul Simon to write "The Capeman" story, which became a Broadway musical in 1997 and quickly became a major flop, closing less than two months into its run and getting panned by critics. His reputation was weakened by sexual harassment allegations made against him at Harvard and Boston universities in the 1980s and 1990s. He retired from teaching at Boston University in 2007 and spent more of his time in St. Lucia.
Turning James Joyce's 'Ulysses' In new recruitment into a virtual reality game ads Marines shown as good citizens By Philip Marcelo A S S O CIAT E D PRE SS
BOSTON — Students are developing a virtual reality game based on James Joyce's "Ulysses" as part of a class at Boston College. The goal of "Joycestick" is to expose new audiences to the works of one of Ireland's most celebrated authors, as well as to give a glimpse of how virtual reality can be used to enhance literature, said Joseph Nugent, the Boston College English professor who is coordinating the project. "This is a new way to experience the power of a novel," he said. "We're really at the edge of VR. There's no guidance for this. What we have produced has been purely out of our imagination." Nugent and his students hope to release a version of the game on June 16 in Dublin during Bloomsday, the city's annual celebration of the author and novel. They've already showcased their progress at an academic conference in Rome last month. "Joycestick," in many ways, fills in the blanks of the novel, as many of the places key to the story have been lost to time as Dublin has evolved, said Enda Duffy, chairman of the English Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who has tried a prototype of the game. "The VR version in this way completes the book," she said. "It makes it real. 'Ulysses' is an ideal book to be turned into a VR experience, since Dublin is, you might say, the book's major character." There have been a
By Julie Watson ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Charles Krupa / AP
In this Jan. 26, 2017, photo, Boston College student Michael Quinn holds up virtual reality goggles at a virtual reality lab at Boston College in Boston. College students in Boston are developing a virtual reality game based on James Joyce’s ponderous tome “Ulysses.”
number of efforts to bring works of literature into the gaming world over the years, including a computer game of F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" that became a viral hit in 2011 as it mimicked the look and feel of a classic, 1980sera Nintendo game. But the Boston College project is unique for trying to incorporate virtual reality technology, says D. Fox Harrell, a digital media professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is impressed that the students are taking on such a complex text. "It requires multiple entry points and modes of interpretation, so it will be fascinating to see how their VR system addresses these aspects of the work," said Harrell, who hasn't tried the game out yet. Considered the epitome of the 1920s-era modernist literature, "Ulysses" traces a day in the life of an ordinary Dubliner named Leopold Bloom. The title reflects how the
novel draws parallels between Bloom's day and "The Odyssey," the ancient Greek epic. "Joycestick" isn't meant to be a straight re-telling of "Ulysses," which in some versions runs nearly 650 pages long, acknowledged Evan Otero, a Boston College junior majoring in computer science who is helping to develop the game. Instead, the game lets users explore a handful of key environments described in the book, from a military tower where the novel opens to a cafe in Paris that is significant to the protagonist's past. It's also not a typical video game in the sense of having tasks to complete, enemies to defeat or points to rack up, said Jan van Merkensteijn, a junior studying philosophy and medical humanities who is also involved in the project. For now, users can simply explore the virtual environments at their leisure. Touching certain objects triggers readings from the novel.
The project represents an extension of what academics call the "digital humanities," a field that merges traditional liberal arts classes with emerging technology. Nugent has had previous classes develop a smartphone application that provides walking tours of Dublin, highlighting important landmarks in Ulysses and Joyce's life. But the native of Mullingar, Ireland, is quick to shift credit for the current project's ambition to his group of 22 students, who are studying a range of disciplines, from English to computer science, philosophy, business and biology, and have also been recruited from nearby Northeastern University and the Berklee College of Music. "These are ambitious kids," Nugent said. "They want to prove they've done something on the cutting edge. They have the skills. They're doing the work. All I'm trying to do is direct these things."
SAN DIEGO — The Marine Corps no longer needs just a "Few Good Men" as it looks to diversify. The elite force — embroiled in a scandal of online nude photo sharing — is highlighting how its warriors are also good citizens in an ad campaign aimed at millennials. In one scene of the TV ads that aired Friday, Marines hoist "Toys for Tots" boxes. In another, real video shows a Marine veteran tackling an armed robber at a convenience store. The "Battles Won" campaign has been in the works for months, but its release comes as the Marine Corps' image has taken a beating amid an investigation into nude photos of female Marines posted without their consent on a private Facebook page used by Marines. The Marine Corps is in the process of trying to boost its numbers and recruit more women, and the new TV ads include clips of women in combat fatigues, though some who viewed the ads said the spots did not do enough to attract more female recruits or show the Marine Corps culture is changing toward women. Marine Corps officials said the campaign is not aimed at a particular demographic other than those of recruiting age. The Marine Corps shared the campaign with The Associated Press ahead of its official rollout Friday in conjunction with the first weekend of the hugely popular March Madness college basketball games. The military's smallest branch is also considering replacing its iconic tagline, "The Few. The Proud. The Marines," one of the most successful ad campaigns of the 20th century. The short, simple phrase highlighted the elite status given to Marine warfighters and drew recruits after the draft in the 1970s. It will continue for now as the Marine Corps' tagline in promotional materials or on the backs of
T-shirts. Marine Corps officials said the branch needed a recruitment ad campaign that portrayed who Marines are and why the Marine Corps exists. "Battles Won" is designed to drive home the message that mental, moral and emotional strength are as important as physical toughness. The campaign was created around three concepts, fighting selfdoubt, fighting the nation's battles and fighting for what's right, officials said. "It focuses on what we believe is the irreducible essence of a Marine — which is the fighting spirit," said Lt. Col. John Caldwell, assistant chief of staff, marketing and public affairs at the Marine Corps Recruiting Command. "It's the promise that we make that if there is a fight in which we engage in, we will win. We'll win that battle and also become a responsible member of our community post-service." Polls have shown millennials value giving back more than previous generations. The campaign comes as the 182,000-strong Marine Corps wants to add as many as 12,000 more troops and boost the percentage of women among its ranks to about 10 percent. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller acknowledged the nude photo scandal may hurt female recruiting. The force currently has the lowest percentage of all the services at about 8 percent. Neller has vowed to hold Marines accountable for the Facebook scandal and acknowledged that changes have to be made in the Marine Corps culture, where some male Marines don't accept women in the ranks. A Los Angeles marketing specialist, Isaac Swiderski, said the Marine Corps missed the chance to change that with the new ad campaign. The Marine Corps should have shown women in leadership rather than just struggling in the rigorous trainings. "You got to show women in better positions than in these ads," he said.
A10 | Saturday, March 18, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER GRAVES From page A1
disaster for Texas, and for the country,” said U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo. “He wants to take money from programs that Texans actually need, and use it to hire 20 new lawyers. Those lawyers’ entire jobs will be to take private property away from American landowners on the border, so the president can build his arbitrary border wall. “The wall will not
make anyone safer. Homeland security experts agree that it will do more harm than good. Our border security is too important to sacrifice to a symbolic political gesture.” Cuellar said that to pay for the wall, Trump wants to cut funding to education, rural water infrastructure, transportation infrastructure and support for agriculture. “It will immediately hurt the people of my district,” he said. “Ironically, the first to feel the pain of his decisions will
The border wall Hundreds of miles of border fencing already exist. With the largest stretch of unfenced border, Texas would likely be most impacted by a new border wall. CA
Phoenix
San Diego
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Lubbock
struction in the floodplain, and in 2008 the International Boundaries and Water Commission, the bi-national organization that oversees the U.S.-Mexico border, rejected homeland security’s request to build segments of fence near Roma, Rio Grande City and Los Ebanos, Nicol said. In 2012, the U.S. Section of the commission reversed itself, over the objection of its Mexican counterpart, and authorized the construction, but the funds weren’t available, he said. Recognizing Trump’s wall could be held up by years of legal wrangling, like its predecessor, Nicol said homeland security appears to be going after low-hanging fruit: Sections of fencing that were authorized by Congress but never constructed. “My guess is, as soon as Trump was elected, (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) said, ‘This is where we’re going to be able to build quick, so let’s finish it up so we can build walls and give him something to stand in front of,’” Nicol said. A spokeswoman for
the commission directed questions to homeland security. Yvette Salinas of Mission said that on Jan. 12, before Trump’s inauguration, homeland security sent her family a letter warning it was moving forward on condemning 1.2 acres near Los Ebanos and offering the family $2,900. The federal government had tried to condemn the property in 2008, Salinas said. It belonged to her greatgrandmother, who died without a will, leaving ownership of the property unclear. Salinas said she’s not sure why homeland security now is moving forward with the condemnation. “My family’s completely against it, because
while it’s just 1.2 acres, not to mention the low compensation, it’s part of a bigger piece of land that belongs to our ancestors, because not only is it gong to taint the space, but it’s going to devalue the land.” she said. “They want to take the part on the side of the river, but we have cattle and cows there, and that would essentially mean the cattle can’t drink from the river.” The Texas Observer first reported on Salinas’ property. Benavides said he also received a notice about fence construction near real estate his family owns in Roma’s central square and he heard the city received similar notices about property it owns. The Roma mayor
be the border communities a wall would supposedly protect.” Trump also wants to boost immigration courts by $80 million to pay for 75 additional teams of judges. That would speed up removal proceedings for people in the United States illegally and address a backlog of more than 540,000 pending cases. The plan foreshadows a greater emphasis on prosecuting people who cross the border illegally, those who come back after being deported, and anyone tied to human
and drug smuggling. Trump’s proposal also calls for adding $1.5 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s budget to find, detain and deport immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, along with more than $300 million to hire 500 new Border Patrol agents and 1,000 immigration agents. The president’s budget is the first step in a lengthy process of funding government agencies, and it’s not clear which of Trump’s priorities will be approved by Congress. But Hans von Spakov-
sky, a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation and a former Justice Department lawyer, said the calls for more spending are a “good sign” that Trump is following through on his promises and early actions cracking down on illegal immigration. “It’s part of this whole push by the president that’s been expressed in three different executive orders,” von Spakovsky said. “That means also getting more immigration judges in there to handle the backlog.”
Tijuana Pacific Ocean
NM
Tucson
nia or lif Ca
BUDGET From page A1
LAND From page A1
TX Ciudad Juárez
f of Gul
grisly map on condition of anonymity. The eerie, hand-drawn map marked the graves with dozens of small "x''s and included a phrase blaming the killings on the Jalisco New Generation cartel. That gang moved in to Veracruz around 2011, sparking bloody turf battles with the ferocious Zetas cartel. But Winckler said it appeared that authorities from previous state administrations must have been aware of the carnage. He said heavy machinery must have been used to create paths to some of the grave sites. "It is impossible that nobody realized what was going on here, how vehicles were coming and going," Winckler said. "If that is not complicity on the part of authorities, I don't know what it is." That was an apparent reference to the administration of fugitive former Gov. Javier Duarte and his predecessors. Duarte resigned as governor two months before his term ended last year and disappeared. He faces charges that include
money laundering and organized crime, and officials claim he thoroughly looted state coffers. But local police forces in several Veracruz communities have been arrested and charged with helping kidnap people and turning them over to drug gangs. Winckler said there was a possibility that the Colinas de Santa Fe — the site where 253 skulls or complete bodies have been found so far — might hold more human remains. He had reached agreements with victims' advocacy and search groups to use new methods to search already excavated pits, because there might be more bodies. Drug gangs have been known to bury stacks of victims, one atop another, in such clandestine graves. He did not specify what the new methods were, but in the past authorities have used ground-penetrating radar to find bodies. In the face of official inaction, the activists themselves went to the Colinas de Santa Fe starting in August 2016, sinking rods into the ground to detect the telltale odor of decomposition, and then digging.
Big Bend Ranch State Park
MEXICO
Existing border wall 1 652 miles of fence on the Southwest border 1 Congress appropriated $1.5 billion for initial construction 1 114.9 miles in Texas
Odessa
El Paso
Chihuahua
San Angelo Big Bend National Park
N 0
100 MILES
Austin
Del Rio San Ciudad Eagle Antonio Acuna Pass Parque Piedras Nacional Negras Laredo Corpus Cañon de Santa Christi Nuevo Elena Laredo McAllen
Torreón
Monterrey
Brownsville Reynosa
Sources: Center for Investigative Reporting, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Congressional Research Service Mike Fisher/San Antonio Express-News
and city manager did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday afternoon. Benavides said his riverfront property was granted to his wife’s family in the 18th century by the king of Spain. His family uses it regularly, and he used to host local Boy Scout troops. “We used to have camporees for the council here, and our family always picnics there by the river, but I guess my son and my daughter are the last generation that’s going to do that. My grandchildren won’t be able to do that. Are we giving the land to Mexico?” he said. “I can’t say we’re happy, because you can’t be happy when somebody comes in and says, hey, we’re going to take this property that’s been in my wife’s family since 1767, since they gave out these porciones (Spanish land grants). “If it’s something that’s going to benefit the whole, then we’re all for it, but not a wall that’s not going to be effective. A virtual wall, sensors, the helicopters that we have gong by every day, the blimps we have between here and McAllen … are probably more effective than the walls.”
Critics of the budget plan were quick to reject its underlying premise that the border is out of control and billions more need to be spent on security issues. Trump’s proposal also suggests the president is gearing up for legal challenges to his immigration enforcement machinery. In particular, there are sure to be fights over efforts to seize property at the border for his promised wall. (The Laredo Morning Times contributed to this report.)
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, March 18, 2017 |
WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: MEXICO
B1
NBA: HOUSTON ROCKETS
Adrian Gonzalez criticizes WBC over Mexico elimination Dodgers star rips WBC
Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle file
Former Rockets center Dwight Howard said this week he never had a personal problem with James Harden before his exit but the two had “communication issues.”
By Jose M. Romero A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Adrian Gonzalez had some harsh words for organizers of the World Baseball Classic. “They’re trying to become the World Cup, but they’re not even close to being the Little League World Series,” the Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman said Wednesday. Gonzalez’s Mexican team beat Venezuela 11-9 Sunday in Guadalajara, leaving both teams tied with Italy for second in Group D behind PuerGonzalez continues on B2
Howard: ‘Never had personal issue’ with Harden Tim Warner / Getty Images file
Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez wasn’t pleased with the World Baseball Classic after his Mexico team was eliminated in controversial fashion.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
DALLAS’ FREE AGENCY DRAMA
Michael Ainsworth / Associated Press file
The Cowboys lost their two starting cornerbacks in free agency this week as Morris Claiborne (24) signed with the Jets and Brandon Carr, right rear, went to the Ravens.
Cowboys retain running back McFadden, lose corners Carr, Claiborne By Nick Moyle SA N A NT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones will have his hands full with rebuilding
his team’s secondary. Cornerback Brandon Carr has agreed to a four-year deal with the Ravens, Baltimore announced Thursday. Carr started all 16 games last
season, finishing with 53 tackles, nine pass deflections and one interception. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is also reporting Morris Claiborne will sign with the Jets.
Drafted sixth overall in 2012, Claiborne was having arguably his best season as a pro before a groin injury kept him out of the Cowboys’ final nine regCowboys continues on B2
By Matt Young HOUSTON CHRONICLE
When Dwight Howard left the Rockets after a tumultuous 20152016 season that ended in a firstround playoff sweep, there was a lot of talk about the fractured relationship between Howard and Rockets star James Harden. In an interview with The Undefeated, which was published Friday, Howard said he didn't have a problem with Harden, but did admit there was a breakdown in communication between the two. "The issues they say happened between me and James were small communication issues," Howard said in the interview. "Instead of us coming together and talking about it, we allowed other people to do talking. The lines of communication were twisted. "But like I've always said, I've never had a personal issue with James. Why? Everything he is doing now, everything he is coming into, I've been that player. The awards, all that, the accolades. I wasn't there to try to compete against him. I wanted to win with him." Harden is having the best season of his eight-year career, averaging 28.9 points to go along with career-highs 11.3 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game. "He's having an unbelievable season," Howard said. "I'm really proud of his growth. A lot of the areas that people talked about him not doing, he's doing it now. He's been a great leader for the team. They switched him to the point guard position. He's facilitating the ball really well. He's shooting at a high clip. He's always going to get to the free throw line. I've seen that in James since he played at OKC. I always thought highly of James as a player." Howard has missed just six games in Atlanta this season, and he's averaging 13.1 points and 12.9 rebounds per game for the Hawks, who currently are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
PROFESSIONAL BOXING
Knockout artists: Golovkin, Jacobs vie for middleweight belt By Barry Wilner A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — Some believe Saturday night’s middleweight unification bout will go the distance. Not many, though. The odds of Gennady Golovkin and Danny Jacobs both standing after 12 rounds aren’t good. Golovkin has won 33 of his 36 fights by knockout, including the last 23, dating to 2008. Yep, nearly nine years. The Kazakh owns the WBC, IBF and IBO middleweight crowns.
WBA champ Jacobs has a string of his own going with 12 KOs since he was sidelined for 19 months while battling bone cancer. Counting his two fights before that, the streak is 14 since his only loss, to Dmitry Pirog in 2010. It’s the fight of the year — forget all that preposterous buzz about the retired Floyd Mayweather against UFC’s Conor McGregor, a farce about as likely to happen as Jimmy Kimmel climbing into the ring with either of those guys. Watch this one closely
from the beginning; it could end quickly. “He is one of the most dangerous for me,” Golovkin says. “He is very good in the ring. He is a good boxer with good technique. His right hand is good, his left hand. Everything is good.” Good might not be, well, good enough. The 34-year-old Golovkin, known as GGG, is one of the sport’s best and most powerful fighters. Jacobs, 30, might need to be great — something he’s certain will happen at Madison Boxing continues on B2
Andres Kudacki / Associated Press
Middleweight boxing champion Gennady Golovkin, center left, poses with challenger Daniel Jacobs, center right, as the two face off Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
B2 | Saturday, March 18, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SPORTS
Wizards’ Brooks has high praise for Spurs’ Leonard By Nick Moyle SA N A N TONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS
Wizards coach Scott Brooks is a little perplexed by the recent fervor surrounding Kawhi Leonard's MVP candidacy. It’s not that Brook is anti-Leonard, he’s just not sure why everyone else was so late to the party. “What’s crazy is all the talk that he’s just coming on now,” Brooks told USA Today. “He’s been there. He was there in November. The guy is one of the best players in the league, and if you gave him it you can’t really argue too much.”
Brooks, who coached Oklahoma City from 2008 to 2015, believes Thunder guard and triple-double addict Russell Westbrook is the league MVP, but he would no issue with Leonard claiming the award. “You can put him on ones, twos, threes, and fours and fives,” Brooks said of Leonard. “He has the heart of a champion. He defends and he cares, and he does it every night. And he doesn’t just do it in the last three minutes of a game and he doesn’t just do it when he feels like it. He knows that it’s important for him to do it every night, and that’s who he is. You
Eric Gay / Associated Press file
Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard has made himself an MVP candidate this season, and he’s the favorite in the eyes of Wizards head coach Scott Brooks.
could argue him for MVP. I’m glad I don’t get to vote.” This season’s race between Leonard, Westbrook, Houston’s James Harden and Cleveland LeBron James may go down as the greatest in NBA history. Leonard is averaging 26.4 points for a team one
game behind Golden State for the league’s best record, and could claim his third consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award. Westbrook is vying to become only the second man ever to average a triple-double. Harden’s move to point guard has revived a Rockets team that lacked any sort
of harmony in 2015-16. And James is still the best player on the East’s best team, averaging career highs in assists (8.9) and rebounds (8.4) to go along with nearly 26 points a night. There are countless arguments for each man, but few against. Like Brooks, Leonard’s
teammate Pau Gasol does not get an MVP vote either. If he did, he would give Leonard a slight edge due to his defensive commitment. "He's not the guy that just puts up 30 points and that's it," Gasol said. "He makes huge plays defensively. So to me, he's my MVP."
Andrew Cashner back on mound for the Rangers By Stefan Stevenson FO RT WORT H STAR-T E LE GRAM
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Rangers right-hander Andrew Cashner is scheduled to throw a 30-pitch bullpen Friday morning, his first in camp since being slowed by upper right biceps soreness. Rangers manager Jeff Banister said Cashner has shown progress since returning from Arlington. Cashner, however, is unlikely to be ready for his spot in the rotation by the first week of the season. "He continues to hit marks with the throwing program but it’s a day-to-day process with him," Banister said. "We’ll see how he is after the workload today." Cashner said he felt great after Friday’s session. He said his first potential regular-
GONZALEZ From page B1 to (3-0). The World Baseball Classic Twitter account initially announced Monday’s tiebreaker game would be between Mexico and Italy. But the WBC technical committee determined the tiebreaker — runs allowed per defensive inning — meant Italy (1.05) and Venezuela (1.11) advanced and not Mexico (1.12). The Mexican Baseball Federation objected that the ninth inning of Sunday’s game should count as a partial inning, even though Italy scored five runs without Mexico getting any outs. Gonzalez, a veteran of four WBCs, said he won’t play in any more. He said Mexico’s general manager called the two WBC representatives in Mexico seven times and sent several text messages and emails before Sunday’s game inquiring about what Mexico needed to do mathematically to advance. Gonzalez said WBC representatives never responded. “So during the game when they posted it on the broadcast, they came into the dugout and I said ‘Hey, we just need to win by two,”’ Gonzalez said. “When we had first and second, no outs in the eighth or ninth, whatever it was, we didn’t bunt because we felt we’re already up two. ... We win the game, and they change it on us.” Gonzalez said he spoke with Kim Ng, Major League Baseball’s senior vice president for baseball operations, and
Charlie Riedel / Associated Press
Texas pitcher Andrew Cashner is starting to throw for the Rangers after the free-agent acquisition has dealt with upper right biceps soreness this offseason.
season start is too far off to gauge how long he needs to be ready. "It all depends on once I get going how quick I can build
was told the WBC technical committee was not responsible for the information disseminated on Twitter by the WBC and MLB. “You’re MLB! What do you mean you’re not accountable?” Gonzalez said he responded. Dodgers teammate Joc Pederson walked up to the crowd of reporters around Gonzalez and said: “Unbelievable, huh? What kind of rules are those?” “Mexico! Mexico! Mexico!” Pederson chanted loudly. “Going into the ninth inning, our strategy we had talked about, was if we gave up a run, we would intentionally walk somebody and balk him in to tie the game, and try to win the game by two in extras,” Gonzalez said. “But because we were told you had to win by two, we went for the win.” “So the whole game strategy changes by what we were told,” Gonzalez added. “Unbelievable. And all they said afterwards was ‘Well, that’s what we decided.”’ At issue was the definition of a partial defensive inning. “The whole time they’re just putting their heads, like an ostrich sticking his head in a hole and trying to let it all diffuse and go away,” Gonzalez said. “I told it to their face. ‘You guys are unaccountable, you don’t account for your own actions, you guys have no integrity.’ “They don’t want to put out the face of ‘we made a mistake,”’ Gonzalez said. “They’re just
up," said Cashner, 30. "I still have to go through what everybody else went through to build up." That includes ramping up
going to stick to what they said, so it sounds like they didn’t make a mistake. They’re blaming it on the media outlets, not themselves. So that’s a cowardly way out.” Outfielder Alex Verdugo, Gonzalez’ Mexico teammate at the WBC, said he enjoyed the experience of playing in Mexico, but felt the ending circumstances left a “bad taste.” “There’s nothing we can do about it now,” Verdugo said. “When we won, you could see the emotions that we had. How we reacted when we won, how Venezuela reacted when they lost. They thought they were out. We thought we were advancing. It’s tough to swallow.” Verdugo said he’d participate again for his Mexico teammates, but would have to think about it given how the situation with his team was handled this year. NOTES: Manager Dave Roberts said Gonzalez, Verdugo, Sergio Romo and Rob Segedin, all WBC participants who rejoined the Dodgers on Wednesday, got the day to get re-acclimated to spring training and will soon be back in action. ... SS Corey Seager and OF Andre Ethier took part in the morning’s workout but still aren’t playing in games because of minor injuries, Roberts said. “If it was in the middle of the season, they would be able to play, but right now where we’re at, we still feel that it’s prudent to take it slow,” he said.
his pitch count, throwing live bullpens and putting together multi-inning stints. "It’s better to miss a week than a month for sure," he
COWBOYS From page B1 ular-season games. Though he showed flashes of greatness, most fans viewed his tenure as a supreme disappointment considering the high pick used to acquire him. Other secondary players departing from Dallas include safety J.J. Wilcox (Tampa Bay) and safety Barry Church (Jacksonville). Wilcox, 25, was drafted
BOXING From page B1 Square Garden. “He’s the No. 1 guy,” Jacobs says. “He has the belts and the impressive resume. I have a good respect where respect is due. “I think I’m the better fighter. I think this is the time to prove it. I’m the faster guy. He’s a very skillful fighter. My plan is to be the best me and use my best attributes.” One of those attributes would seem to be a homecrowd edge; Jacobs is a native of Brooklyn. But, like Golovkin, who calls the Garden his “second home,” both fighters expect plenty of support for the HBO pay-per-view telecast. Jacobs has won four Golden Gloves titles in the Garden and two pro bouts. In an odd twist, he is now a representative for Barclays Center in Brooklyn. “I’m a New Yorker. I’ve made a lot of history in this building,” Jacobs says. “And it’s all coming in a
said. "I don’t know where I’ll be. I just have to go through the throwing progressions and see where I’m at. Banister said it’s possible the Rangers would use a four-man rotation the first week or so of the season before Cashner is available. "We like to honor the off days and keep our guys in that rotation as long we can honor the off days," he said. "We are in a situation here, given the timetable, where we could start the season and go through the first few times through the rotation with only four starters. It’s not optimum but we could do that." The Rangers rotation in that scenario would likely be Cole Hamels, Yu Darvish, Martin Perez and then a combination of Mike Hauschild, Dillon Gee and A.J. Griffin.
80th overall in 2013. In four season with Dallas he appeared in 58 games, making 38 starts and compiling 156 tackles, 15 pass deflections and five interceptions. Church had been with the Cowboys since 2010. He made 59 starts over the past four seasons, including 12 in 2016. On the other side of the ball, Dallas lost one running back and retained another. Lance Dunbar signed a one-year, $3 million deal
with the Rams. He appeared in 54 games for Dallas over five seasons, rushing for 422 yards and adding another 646 receiving. Dallas opted to hang onto Darren McFadden, according to the Dallas Morning News. McFadden was the Cowboys’ leading rusher (1,089 yards) in 2015, but took a backseat to rookie sensation Ezekiel Elliott last season as he recovered from an injury suffered in the offseason.
circle, sort of.” GGG has a 4-0 record (all knockouts, of course) at MSG. “This is the biggest chance for us to show our world boxing class,” Golovkin says. “He’s come back to home. I feel the same way. I promise we’ll bring an amazing show.” That very much could depend on Jacobs’ staying power. But Jacobs also believes Golovkin can be hurt and that, in GGG’s last fight, Kell Brock had Golovkin “shaken up.” The problem for Jacobs is that when Golovkin gets tested, he tends to respond with more ferocity. There’s little to no retreat in GGG’s style. Not that Jacobs is likely to turn and run. Indeed, he’s seen fighters do that against Golovkin, noting it’s an instant recipe for defeat. “A guy steps in and is fidgety and he does not give his best performance,” Jacobs explains, invoking the name of Mike Tyson and how his opponents often were beaten before the first bell. “I don’t care
about that. I have lived for this moment. I’m not going to be intimidated, that’s the last thing I’m concerned about is being intimidated in the ring.” Golovkin and his handlers occasionally get asked about an anticipated bout with Canelo Alvarez later in the year. That would be a monstrous matchup, too, but first GGG has a pretty stern obstacle to clear in Jacobs. The undercard Saturday night features more knockout artists. Unbeaten Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez of Nicaragua, who has 38 KOs in 46 wins and owns the WBC super flyweight belt, faces mandatory challenger Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (41-4-1, 38 KOs) of Thailand. Carlos Cuadras, who once owned Gonzalez’s crown, brings a 35-1-1 mark with 27 knockouts into the ring against Mexican countryman David Carmona (20-3-5) in a 10-rounder. And in another 10-rounder, rising lightweights Ryan Martin and Bryant Cruz go at it.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, March 18, 2017 |
Dear Heloise: Some basic CELLPHONE ETIQUETTE: >> When at a table with friends having lunch, don't read your emails or texts. >> Don't look up everything being discussed. >> Don't show all your pictures of kids, grandkids, etc. I feel like I'm not there visiting with the person -- he or she is more interested in what is going on with the phone. I am tolerant, however, of those expecting a call that they need to take. Thanks for letting me sound off. -- C. in Kerrville Dear C.: You're welcome! It's a fact of our busy daily life that cellphones are now considered "an appendage" to many folks. You are correct about NOT excessively texting and reading texts while in a social or work setting. It also depends on the group.
Is it REALLY that important? Disengage from your phone for 30 minutes. I think you will find that the world went on without your eyes or thumbs connecting with your phone. -- Heloise FOSTER A DOG Dear Heloise: I work as a volunteer at a no-kill county animal shelter in Ventura, Calif. A big part of the operation is adoptions and finding foster homes for the residents. I just fostered my first pet -- so rewarding. The shelter set me up with blankets, toys, food, bowls and free vet services. For all animal lovers, please look into this rewarding experience. So many animals are in need of a warm home. -A reader, via email
B3
B4 | Saturday, March 18, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SPORTS
Report: Pitcher Jose Fernandez likely was operating boat during deadly crash By Freida Frisaro A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MIAMI — Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez was the “probable” operator of a speeding boat that crashed into a Miami Beach jetty on Sept. 25, killing the baseball star and two other men, according to a report issued Thursday by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which investigated the accident. The 46-page report included a seating chart that had Fernandez at the helm, based on “physical evidence” collected during the investigation, including the pitcher’s fingerprints and DNA on the steering wheel and throttle and projection of his body as he was thrown from the boat. It also listed drugs and alcohol as factors in the crash. Fernandez’s 32-foot Sea Vee hit Miami’s Government Cut north jetty at 65.7 mph just after 3 a.m. on Sept. 25, the report said. Fernandez and the boat’s other occupants — Emilio Jesus Macias, 27, and Eduardo Rivero, 25 — were ejected. Investigators concluded that had Fernandez survived the crash, he could have been charged with multiple crimes, including boating under the influence manslaughter; vessel homicide; and reckless or careless operation of a vessel. The report also included a text message exchange that night between Rivero and Maria Arias, Fernandez’s girlfriend. She told Rivero the pair had been arguing and asked him to take care of Fernandez. “He’s been drinking and is not in the best state of mind.” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews responded and divers found Fernandez submerged under the boat, pinned between the t-top and a boulder. Macias was submerged in a tidal pool next the jetty’s surface and Rivero was submerged, his head and chest
Alex Brandon / Associated Press file
A recent report said Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez was likely the driver of the boat that crashed this offseason and took his life along with two others.
under a bolder. They were pronounced dead at the scene. The report describes how officials were not able to identified Fernandez by his driver’s license photo because of face trauma. They searched the internet for photos of Fernandez’s tattoo, which had a baseball surround by gears, to identify him. They also found a Major League Baseball identification card inside his wallet. Fernandez’s boat was named “Kaught Looking” — the “K” is backwards, signifying a strikeout when the batter does not swing. According to the report, Fernandez’s mother, Maritza
Fernandez, was adamant in telling investigators the day of the crash that her son “was always the driver” of his boat. She also said she didn’t know her son to be a heavy drinker or user of drugs. Ralph E. Fernandez, a Tampa-based attorney who is a family friend, also was interviewed in a group setting with the pitcher’s mother and several other relatives. He said he knew the pitcher could “throw ‘em down” and wouldn’t be surprised to learn he had been drinking that night. The lawyer also described the pitcher as controlling and a “hot head.” Investigators also looked
into, and debunked, Fernadez’s contention that the pitcher could not have been driving the boat that night because he was aware of someone who was on the phone with the pitcher at the time of the crash. “He said this person heard Fernandez giving someone directions when suddenly he heard the crash occur and the phone went dead,” the report said. Ralph Fernandez did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the accident report. Investigators met with Yuri Perez, a South Beach club owner who claimed he was on the phone with Fernandez at the time of the crash. But GPS
and phone records show Perez was on the phone with Fernandez 12 minutes before the crash, while the boat was still on the Miami River. An autopsy concluded Fernandez and Rivero had cocaine and alcohol in their systems. “The presence of cocaethylene does confirm that alcohol and cocaine were consumed at the same time, from 15 minutes to 2 hours of most recent use,” the report concludes. Investigators found that Fernandez and Rivero arrived at American Social, a Miami bar, around 1 a.m. on Sept. 25 and spent about an hour and 45 minutes there. Fernandez bought two bottles of tequila, two vodka drinks and one gin drink. Macias bought three vodka drinks, according to the report. The trio left at 2:42 a.m. and the crash occurred at 3:02 a.m. The report says it was calm and dark in Miami — with visibility at 10 miles — when the crash occurred. The families of Macias and Rivero announced last month that they plan to file negligence and personal injury lawsuits against the estate of Fernandez, each seeking $2 million. They are represented by Christopher Royer, an attorney with the law firm of Krupnick Campbell, who declined to answer questions from The Associated Press. The In his four-year career, Fernandez was 38-17 with a 2.58 ERA and had 589 strikeouts. He was a two-time AllStar and the 2013 National League Rookie of the Year. “No matter what the report concluded, nothing will ever diminish Jose’s everlasting positive connection with Miami and the Miami Marlins,” Marlins President David Samson said in an email. “Nor can it lessen the love and passion he felt for his family, friends, teammates and all his fans in South Florida and around the world.”
US women’s hockey players Seahawks sign Texans’ Aboushi stand firm in wage fight By Nick Moyle SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS
By Stephen Whyno A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
U.S. women’s hockey players let a deadline to decide on whether they’ll boycott the world championships pass Thursday without any indication they’ve changed their minds in a standoff with USA Hockey over wages. “We are focused on the issue of equitable support and stand by our position,” the players said in a statement released shortly after the 5 p.m. EDT deadline. “We continue to be grateful for the encouragement and loyalty of our fans.” The powerhouse U.S. women’s program has been plunged into chaos less than a week until the scheduled start of training camp and just over two weeks from defending its world championship gold medal on home ice in Plymouth, Michigan. Coach Ken Klee was replaced by Robb Stauber earlier this month, and now it’s unclear how USA Hockey will fill its roster for a tournament it has won six of the past eight times and was expected to serve as a measuring stick for the South Korea Winter Olympics just 11 months away. It was not immediately clear what USA Hockey’s next step will be ahead of the International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Hockey Championship, which begins March 31. USA Hockey said it is proceeding according to plan. “The organization’s clear objective is to continue to work toward
Mark Humphrey / Associated Press file
The United States women’s hockey team is threatening to boycott the upcoming world hockey championships over a wage dispute.
ensuring the players that have been selected for the team are those that represent the United States in the world championship,” USA Hockey spokesman Dave Fischer said. Players are seeking more compensation and a four-year deal. The deadline came one day after the team announced it would boycott the tournament, citing a lack of progress in labor talks. Stars such as Hilary Knight, Amanda Kessel, captain Meghan Duggan and twins Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique LamoureuxMorando are leading the charge to skip the tournament. Knight thinks other players who might be asked will turn down the offer.
“We’re unanimously united as a player pool,” Knight said Wednesday. “Good luck getting a suitable No. 1 competition to represent our country on a world stage. I kind of dare them. It’s tough.” Jocelyne LamoureuxDavidson said USA Hockey emailed players on Wednesday asking for a decision on the world championships. “Every single player is still waking up every morning and training and preparing like we are going to show up for camp on the 21st,” Lamoureux-Davidson said Thursday after the deadline passed. “With that being said, there was a deadline that was not met today because we are wanting to resolve this. ... As far as we know that was a hard
deadline and we haven’t been told anything else, and so if USA Hockey wants to meet us at the table and resolve this, we’re waiting.” Several players said USA Hockey pays players $1,000 per month during their six-month Olympic residency period. Players only have contracts in Olympic years and are seeking a deal that covers them during the remaining 31⁄2 years. Some 14 months of negotiations have gone nowhere. An attorney for the players, John Langel, called the gap a “chasm.” Neither USA Hockey nor the players have revealed details of the wages in dispute or how the men’s team is compensated. The U.S. men’s team is comprised of highly paid NHL players, as are most established men’s national teams. Canada, the world’s other women’s hockey powerhouse, puts more money into the sport in part because of government funding. Hockey Canada general manager of women’s programs Melody Davidson said development players receive $900 a month and senior-level players $1,500 a month even outside Olympic years and that players are supported full-time for nine months around the Olympics. The wage dispute follows one by U.S. women’s soccer players, who last year filed a complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that alleged wage discrimination by the U.S. Soccer Federation.
The Seattle Seahawks signed former Texans starting offensive guard Oday Aboushi to a oneyear contract, according to a league source not authorized to speak publicly. Aboushi will play for offensive line coach Tom Cable, one of the top position coaches in the league. Aboushi played for the Texans for the past two seasons, starting eight games and appearing in 11 games overall. A native of Brooklyn, Aboushi played for the New York Jets previously for Texans offensive line coach Mike Devlin. For
Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle
Former Texans center Tony Bergstrom, center, joined the Seahawks Friday on a one-year deal.
his career, the former Virginia standout and Jets fifth-round draft pick has played in 26 career games with 18 starts. Aboushi, 25, is an aggressive, 6-5, 308-pound blocker who often split time with starting left guard Xavier Su'a-Filo this past season.
QB Smith leaving Jets to join the Giants By Art Stapleton THE RECORD
Former Jets quarterback Geno Smith has an agreement in place to join the Giants and compete to become Eli Manning’s backup quarterback, a source confirmed Friday for The Record. The Smith expectation is that Smith will take a physical at some point this weekend and if all goes well, he will sign his contract and the deal will become official early next week. The Giants also resigned veteran quarterback Josh Johnson, who spent much of last season
backing up Manning. Smith, 26, started one game for the Jets in place of Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2016 but tore the ACL in his right knee in that game. Smith has completed 57.9 percent of his passes for 5,962 yards, 28 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. He has good size and is a good athlete with a strong arm, but inaccuracy has led to turnovers and questions about his decision making. With the Giants, the issue is not whether Smith can emerge as an option to one day become Manning’s successor. If he can prove to be a more versatile backup than Ryan Nassib and Johnson, then Giants brass could determine Smith is an attractive addition at the right price.