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DIOCESE OF LAREDO
Cubans flock to Texas border
Ministry scandal
Refugees fear changes to policy By JULIÁN AGUILAR TEXAS TRIBUNE
The same week President Obama makes the first trip to Cuba by an American president in almost 90 years, The Rolling Stones will play a free concert in Havana — the first open-air show there by a British rock band. But changing times in the Communist country haven’t stopped tens of thousands from fleeing the island and saying gimme
See CUBANS PAGE 5A
Bishop halts campus project By PHILIP BALLI, JUDITH RAYO AND GABRIELA A. TREVIÑO THE ZAPATA TIMES
Diocese of Laredo Bishop James A. Tamayo has halted construction of the Catholic Student Center, a project that the Brothers of St. John and a host of Laredo citizens and community leaders have been trying to get off the ground for the past two years. The center, located on private land adjaTAMAYO cent to Texas A&M International University, would support thousands of students during a critical, transitional time in their lives and help them discover their vocations, accord-
RAY KECK
DENNIS NIXON
ing to the project’s advocates. The Brothers of St. John, who spearheaded the project, held a groundbreaking ceremony for the center in fall 2013. As the brothers raised more money and secured a bank loan, another groundbreaking blessing was scheduled in spring 2015. But before construction was set to start, Tamayo, who did not attend the 2013 groundbreaking, stopped the pro-
DIANA SALDAÑA
ject. It’s unclear why, but according to the project’s donors and supporters, Tamayo said the agreement was null and void because he was “under duress” when he signed a document with the brothers in 2009 to allow for the campus ministry’s formation. Nonetheless, the brothers exchanged correspondence with Tamayo for at
See BISHOP PAGE 6A
Photo by Cuate Santos | Laredo Morning Times
Newman Club Laredo members pray Friday morning after meeting at the site of the Catholic Campus Ministry Center at TAMIU. More than two years after a ground breaking ceremony was held, construction for the center has not begun.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
BACK-TO-BACK BOMBINGS
Photo by Geert Vanden Wijngaert | AP
A man walks by solidarity messages written in chalk outside the stock exchange in Brussels on Tuesday. Explosions, at least one likely caused by a suicide bomber, rocked the Brussels airport and subway system Tuesday, prompting a lockdown of the Belgian capital and heightened security across Europe. At least 34 people were reported dead.
Islamic State claims responsibility for attack that kills at least 34 By RAF CASERT AND RAPHAEL SATTER ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Ketevan Kardava / Georgian Public Broadcaster | AP
In this photo provided by Georgian Public Broadcaster, injured women are seen in Brussels Airport in Belgium after explosions were heard Tuesday. A developing situation left a number dead in explosions that ripped through the departure hall at Brussels airport Tuesday, police said.
BRUSSELS — Islamic extremists struck Tuesday in the heart of Europe, killing at least 31 people and wounding scores of others in back-to-back bombings of the Brussels airport and subway that again laid bare the continent’s vulnerability to suicide squads. Bloodied and dazed travelers staggered from the airport after two explosions — at least one blamed on a suicide attacker and another reportedly on a suitcase bomb — tore through crowds checking in for
morning flights. About 40 minutes later, another blast struck subway commuters in central Brussels near the Maelbeek station, which sits amid the European Commission headquarters. Authorities released a photo taken from closed-circuit TV footage of three men pushing luggage carts, saying two of them apparently were the suicide bombers and that the third — dressed in a light-colored coat, black hat and glasses — was at large. They urged the public to contact them if they recognized him. The two men believed to be the suicide attackers apparently were wearing dark gloves
on their left hands. In police raids across Brussels, authorities later found a nail-filled bomb, chemical products and an Islamic State flag in a house in the Schaerbeek neighborhood, the state prosecutors’ office said in a statement. In its claim of responsibility, the Islamic State group said its members detonated suicide vests both at the airport and in the subway, where many passengers fled to safety down dark tunnels filled with hazy smoke from the explosion in a train pulling away from the platform. European security offi-
See BOMBINGS PAGE 5A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Spanish Book Club. 6–8 p.m. Laredo Public Library – Calton. For more information, call Sylvia Reash at 7631810. Holi: Festival of Colors. 2–5 p.m. TAMIU’s Senator Zaffirini Student Success Center Green. Open to the TAMIU student community. For more information, contact Triana Gonzalez at 956326-2565 or email triana.gonzalez@tamiu.edu.
Today is Wednesday, March 23, the 83rd day of 2016. There are 283 days left in the year. The Jewish holiday Purim begins at sunset. Today’s Highlight in History: On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry delivered an address to the Virginia Provincial Convention in which he is said to have declared, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” On this date: In 1792, Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 in G Major (the “Surprise” symphony) had its first public performance in London. In 1806, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, having reached the Pacific coast, began their journey back east. In 1914, the first installment of “The Perils of Pauline,” the legendary silent film serial starring Pearl White, premiered in the greater New York City area. In 1919, Benito Mussolini founded his Fascist political movement in Milan, Italy. In 1933, the German Reichstag adopted the Enabling Act, which effectively granted Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers. In 1942, the first JapaneseAmericans evacuated by the U.S. Army during World War II arrived at the internment camp in Manzanar, California. In 1956, Pakistan became an Islamic republic. In 1965, America’s first twoperson space mission took place as Gemini 3 blasted off with astronauts Virgil I. Grissom and John W. Young aboard for a nearly 5-hour flight. In 1973, before sentencing a group of Watergate break-in defendants, Chief U.S. District Judge John J. Sirica read aloud a letter he’d received from James W. McCord Jr. which said there had been “political pressure” to “plead guilty and remain silent.” In 1996, Taiwan held its first direct presidential elections; incumbent Lee Teng-hui (lee dung-hway) was the victor. In 2001, Russia’s orbiting Mir space station ended its 15year odyssey with a planned fiery plunge into the South Pacific. Ten years ago: U.S. and British forces freed three Christian peace activists — one Briton and two Canadians — near Baghdad, ending a four-month hostage ordeal that saw an American in the group killed. Five years ago: Academy Award-winning actress Elizabeth Taylor died in Los Angeles at age 79. One year ago: Sen. Ted Cruz launched his bid for the Republican presidential nomination at Liberty University, a Christian school in Lynchburg, Virginia, founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell. Today’s Birthdays: Comedian Marty Allen is 94. Sir Roger Bannister (the runner who broke the 4-minute mile in 1954) is 87. Movie director Mark Rydell is 87. Singer Chaka Khan is 63. Actress Amanda Plummer is 59. Actress Marin Hinkle is 50. Bandleader Reggie Watts (TV: “The Late Late Show With James Corden”) is 44. Actor Randall Park is 42. Actress Keri Russell is 40. Gossip columnistblogger Perez Hilton is 38. Thought for Today: “When people say, ‘She’s got everything,’ I’ve got one answer — I haven’t had tomorrow.” — Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011).
THURSDAY, MARCH 24 Easter Party. 2–4 p.m. LBV-Inner City Library, 202 W. Plum St. Enjoy free food, an egg hunt, crafts, a petting zoo, egg decorations, races and more. Call 956-795-2400 x2521 for more information. Preschool Read & Play. 11 a.m.–12 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. Story time and crafts for preschoolers. For more information, contact Priscilla Garcia at priscilla@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2403. Family Story Time & Crafts. 4–5 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. For more information, contact Priscilla Garcia at priscilla@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2403. Solo organ performance by Dr. Colin Campbell. 12:15–1 p.m. TAMIU’s Center of Fine & Performing Arts Recital Hall. Free and open to the TAMIU community. For more information, call Dr. Campbell at 956-326-3071 or email colin.campbell@tamiu.edu.
FRIDAY, MARCH 25 Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium show. 5–7 p.m. TAMIU. The showings include “Seven Wonders” and “Earth to the Universe.” Open to the public. Admission for children and TAMIU faculty and staff is $4. General admission is $5 for adults. For more information, contact Claudia Herrera at 956-3262463 or email at claudia.herrera@tamiu.edu.
SATURDAY, MARCH 26 Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium show. 2–6 p.m. TAMIU. The showings include “Zula Patrol” at 2 p.m., “Seven Wonders” at 3 p.m., “Violet Universe” at 4 p.m., and Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” at 5 p.m. Open to the public. Admission for children and TAMIU faculty and staff is $4. General admission is $5 for adults. For more information, contact Claudia Herrera at 956-326-2463 or email at claudia.herrera@tamiu.edu.
MONDAY, MARCH 28 Mexico Lindo. 7 p.m. Laredo Little Theatre, 4802 Thomas Ave. $10. Presented by the Gabriela MendozaGarcia Ballet Folklorico. This concert features regional folkloric dances of Mexico. Children and adults will perform dances from the Mexican states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Sinaloa and Veracruz. In addition, the adult company will premier “Chicano Power! Dances of Political Expression” which is the most recent scholarly and choreographic work of the director. Here, the dancers will portray the music and dances of those involved with the Chicano movement. Chess Club. Every Monday from 4–6 p.m. LBV – Inner City Branch Library. Free for all ages and skill levels. Basic instruction is offered. For more information call John at 956-795-2400 x2520.
Photo by Michael Graczyk | AP
Convicted killer Adam Kelly Ward is photographed Feb. 10 in a visiting cage outside death row at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Polunsky Unit near Livingston, Texas. Ward, 33, fatally shot code enforcement officer Michael Walker in Commerce, Texas, in 2005. Walker was taking pictures of Ward’s home, where rubbish was hoarded inside and outside.
33-year-old executed By MICHAEL GRACZYK ASSOCIATED PRESS
HUNTSVILLE — A Texas man on death row for killing a worker who was on his property looking for city code violations was put to death Tuesday. Adam Ward was given a lethal injection for shooting and killing Michael Walker, a code enforcement officer who was taking photos of junk piled outside the Ward family home in Commerce. Ward insisted the shooting was in self-defense, but the 44-year-old Walker only had a camera and a cellphone. Ward’s attorneys, both at his trial and later for his appeals, described him as delusional and mentally ill. Hours before his execution, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal that argued his mental illness should have disqualified him from the death penalty. Ward was pronounced dead at 6:34 p.m.
1 dead, gunman injured in shooting at Wal-Mart
School named after general picks new name
Mayor quits, operations manager suspended
KAUFMAN — Authorities say one person was killed and the gunman wounded in a shooting inside a Dallas-area Wal-Mart store. Donald Ray Coleman, 55, shot 59-year-old Wal-Mart employee John Morgan multiple times Tuesday morning in the garden center of the store in Kaufman. Coleman, who then shot himself in the head, is hospitalized in critical condition.
DALLAS — Students at a middle school who last month voted to drop a Confederate general’s name as the moniker for their school have chosen a new name. Students at John B. Hood Middle School voted to change its name to Piedmont Global Academy on Monday. Piedmont is a housing addition in the area known as Pleasant Grove, southeast of downtown Dallas.
MERTZON — The mayor of a West Texas town has quit and the operations manager was suspended amid a public corruption case involving theft allegations. Mertzon Mayor Carol Shaw resigned Monday night. Jim Rose faces charges of theft by a public servant and official oppression. Council members in Mertzon, a town of about 800, suspended Rose with pay.
Texas child fatally struck by car at day care HOUSTON — Officials say a 4year-old boy has died after an 81year-old woman picking him up from a Houston day care didn’t realize he wasn’t in her sport utility vehicle and he was struck. The boy was struck Tuesday outside KD Learning Center. When the driver got out of the moving vehicle to try to help the boy, the vehicle continued in reverse, slamming into the day care.
TUESDAY, MARCH 29 Mexico Lindo. 3 p.m. Laredo Little Theatre, 4802 Thomas Ave. $10. Presented by the Gabriela MendozaGarcia Ballet Folklorico. This concert features regional folkloric dances of Mexico. Children and adults will perform dances from the Mexican states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Sinaloa and Veracruz. In addition, the adult company will premier “Chicano Power! Dances of Political Expression” which is the most recent scholarly and choreographic work of the director. Here, the dancers will portray the music and dances of those involved with the Chicano movement. Knitting Circle. 1–3 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. Please bring yarn and knitting needles. For more information, contact Analiza Perez-Gomez at analiza@laredolibrary.org or 7952400 x2403. Crochet for Kids. 4–5 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. Please bring yarn and a crochet needle. For more information, contact Analiza Perez-Gomez at analiza@laredolibrary.org
CDT Tuesday after being given a lethal dose of pentobarbital. He became the ninth convicted killer executed this year nationally and the fifth in Texas, which carries out capital punishment more than any other state. In their appeal to the Supreme Court, Ward’s attorneys argued the high court’s ban on executing mentally impaired prisoners should be extended to include inmates like Ward who have a severe mental illness and that putting him to death would be unconstitutional because of evolving sentiment against executing the mentally ill. The justices have ruled mentally impaired people, generally those with an IQ below 70, may not be executed. State attorneys, who said evidence showed Ward’s IQ as high as 123, said the late appeal did not raise a new issue, meaning it was improper and without merit.
SMU fraternity shut down Fort Worth hail could cost for health, safety issues $600M in damage DALLAS — National officials with the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity say they’ve shut down their chapter at Southern Methodist University for at least five years due to health and safety issues. The national fraternity suspended the SMU chapter citing “multiple operational and new member incidents that violated the oaths and rules of our fraternity.”
FORT WORTH — A trade group says it estimates that damage caused by hailstorms that rolled through the Fort Worth area last week will reach $600 million in auto and property claims. Mark Hanna, a spokesman for the Insurance Council of Texas, estimates $300 million came from vehicle damage and that at least 50,000 vehicles were damaged. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE WORLD Obama calls for burying ‘last remnant’ of Cold War HAVANA — Capping his remarkable visit to Cuba, President Barack Obama on Tuesday declared an end to the “last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas” and openly urged the Cuban people to pursue a more democratic future for this communist nation 90 miles from the Florida coast. With Cuban President Raul Castro watching from a balcony, Obama said the government should not fear citizens who speak freely and vote for their own leaders. And with Cubans watching on tightly controlled state television, Obama said they would be the ones to determine their country’s future, not the United States. “Many suggested that I come here and ask the people of Cuba to tear something down,” Obama said. “But I’m appealing to the young people of Cuba who will
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U.S. first lady Michelle Obama, President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro attend an exhibition game between the Cuban national baseball team and MLB’s Tampa Bay Devil Rays at the Estado Latinoamericano in Havana, Cuba. lift something up, build something new.” On the streets of Havana, the president’s address sparked extraordinarily rare public discussions about democracy, and some anger with Cuba’s leaders. Cubans are used to complaining bit-
terly about economic matters but rarely speak publicly about any desire for political change, particularly in conversations with foreign journalists. Later, Obama sat beside Castro at a baseball game. — Compiled from AP reports
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National
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Cruz calls for Muslim scrutiny Woman found By VIVIAN SALAMA ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz said Tuesday that surveillance in Muslim neighborhoods in the U.S. must be intensified following the deadly bombings on Brussels’ airport and subway. Echoing his rival Donald Trump, Cruz said the U.S. should stop the flow of refugees from countries where the Islamic State militant group has a significant presence. The Islamic State took credit for the Brussels attacks that killed dozens Tuesday and wounded many more. “We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized,” the Texas senator said in a statement. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, condemned Cruz’s call for surveillance, saying it sends “an alarming message to American-Muslims who
CRUZ
increasingly fear for their future in this nation and to all Americans who value the Constitution and religious
liberties.” Trump, who spoke to Fox News as developments in Brussels were unfolding, said he had warned about such attacks. “Brussels was a beautiful city, a beautiful place with zero crime, and now it’s a disaster city. A total disaster,” he said. In December, following attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, Trump called for a temporary and conditional ban on Muslims coming to the United States. He described Brussels as a “hellhole” because of its radical elements and their connection to the Paris attacks. Both Cruz and Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton criticized Trump for saying Monday that NATO “is costing us a fortune” and the U.S. should diminish its role in the
coming years. Cruz said the suggestion of withdrawing from NATO is a “pre-emptive surrender.” Speaking to CNN, Clinton called NATO “the best international defense alliance, I think, ever.” She reasserted her view that the U.S. should embrace, rather than alienate, Muslim communities, saying “we want them to report it; we want them to be part of protecting the United States.” Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders, campaigning in Arizona on Tuesday, said boosting national security and protecting civil rights must go hand-inhand. He said he strongly disagrees with calls by some Republicans for heightened domestic surveillance of Muslims. “That would be unconstitutional — it would be wrong,” Sanders said. Asked about Cruz’s comment, none of a halfdozen conservative House Republicans meeting with reporters Tuesday criticized him and most spoke of the need to keep the country safe. “Nearly every neighbor-
hood is patrolled. That’s what local law enforcement does,” said Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., who has endorsed Cruz. He said he didn’t know specifically what Cruz was referring to. “We need to do everything that makes good common sense, that’s in the best interests of national security, but obviously it needs to be done in a way that’s consistent with the Constitution,” said Rep. Jim Jordan, ROhio. “It’s an interesting question. It’s the jazzy kind you guys like on a presidential front-runner. That’s a cool question,” said Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va. He criticized reporters for not asking Democrats if they have plans to keep the country safe. “I believe in the First Amendment, the Second Amendment, every one of them, but we also know that in this country, we’re going to have to step up security in every neighborhood across America,” said Rep. Matt Salmon, an Arizona Republican who has endorsed Cruz.
dead in freezer By JEFF MARTIN ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA — A kitchen worker died after she was apparently trapped inside of a walk-in freezer for about 13 hours at a downtown Atlanta hotel, police said Tuesday. A search for the woman began when she didn’t return home after her shift at the Westin Peachtree Plaza, one of the city’s most recognizable skyscrapers with its cylindrical shape. Investigators reviewed hotel surveillance video, and they believe she may have entered the freezer about 8 p.m. Monday. She was found shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday, Atlanta police Lt. Charles Hampton said. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the woman as Carolyn Robinson, 61, of East Point. There was evidence the woman tried to get out of the freezer, but Hampton didn’t elaborate
on what led investigators to believe that. “It appears that there was some type of mechanism to allow anyone who was inside to be able to exit,” Hampton said. He wasn’t sure if it was working properly. “Right now there does not appear to be any foul play,” Hampton said. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating, spokesman Michael D’Aquino said in an email. The hotel said in a statement it was devastated by the tragic loss of its long-time worker. “We are working closely with the authorities in their investigation, and we are providing whatever support that we can for her family,” the statement said. Police plan to wait for an autopsy to determine whether the woman had any type of medical condition that may have prevented her from getting out, Hampton said.
Authorities want charge for mom shot by son By JASON DEAREN ASSOCIATED PRESS
PALATKA, Fla. — The mother of a 4-year-old boy who shot her as they were riding in a pickup truck should face a misdemeanor charge, authorities said Tuesday as they released details of the shooting for the first time. The mother, 31-year-old Jamie Gilt, put a loaded .45-caliber handgun underneath the front seat of her pickup on March 8 and the weapon slid into the back seat where her son Lane was riding in a child
booster seat, Putnam County Sheriff ’s Capt. Gator DeLoach said. The boy had recently learned how to unbuckle himself, got out of his seat and picked up the gun. He fired through the front seat, hitting his mother in the back. There was also a dinosaur toy on the floor near where the gun would have slid, according to a police report. “She felt something strike her in the back, then noticed the windshield of her truck was broken,” DeLoach said. The bullet had exited
through her chest and gone through the windshield. The child was uninjured. Gilt was hospitalized but DeLoach wasn’t sure of her current condition or whether she was still there. Investigators gave her time to recuperate before interviewing her at the hospital last Tuesday. Gilt was apparently a gun lover who made numerous social media postings about gun rights, including one about teaching her 4-year-old to shoot. DeLoach wouldn’t talk about that at a news conference,
saying investigators only focused narrowly on what happened March 8. He wouldn’t confirm Gilt’s gun advocacy or the reports that she had taught Lane how to shoot. A community Facebook page listed under Jamie Gilt for Gun Sense was filled with posts advocating for gun rights, including a quote that said “My right to protect my child with my gun trumps your fear of my gun.” After the shooting, the page appeared to be inundated with mocking comments from other Face-
book users. The Associated Press was unable to verify whether the page, which has since been taken down, belonged to Gilt. Authorities said they are recommending a charge of allowing a child access to a firearm, which is punishable by up to 180 days in jail, DeLoach said. It will be up to prosecutors, who are reviewing the case, to decide whether to file the charge or any others. Gilt has not been arrested. A message left for her was not immediately re-
turned. The gun, which was not in a holster and didn’t have the safety lock on, was a Springfield X Compact, according to the sheriff ’s offense report. It was legally owned. The state’s child welfare agency is also investigating. DeLoach said he expected the agency this week to interview the boy, who is in the custody of relatives. The Department of Children and Families said in a statement it was not able to comment further due to confidentiality laws.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016
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COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Middle age not a time of crisis The phrase almost completes itself: Midlife … crisis. It’s the stage in the middle of the journey when people feel youth vanishing, their prospects narrowing and death approaching. So they become undone. The red Corvette pops up in the driveway. Stupidity reigns. There’s only one problem with the cliché. It isn’t true. “In fact, there is almost no hard evidence for midlife crisis at all, other than a few small pilot studies conducted decades ago,” Barbara Bradley Hagerty writes in her new book, “Life Reimagined.” The vast bulk of the research shows that there may be a pause, or a shifting of gears in the 40s or 50s, but this shift “can be exhilarating, rather than terrifying.” Bradley Hagerty looks at some of the features of people who turn midlife into a rebirth. They break routines, because “autopilot is death.” They choose purpose over happiness — having a clear sense of purpose even reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s. They put relationships at the foreground, as career often recedes. “Life Reimagined” paints a portrait of middle age that is far from grim and decelerating. Midlife begins to seem like the second big phase of decision-making. Your identity has been formed; you know who you are; you’ve built up your resources; and now you have the chance to take the big risks precisely because your foundation is already secure. The theologian Karl Barth described midlife in precisely this way. At middle age, he wrote, “the sowing is behind; now is the time to reap. The run has been taken; now is the time to leap. Preparation has been made; now is the time for the venture of the work itself.” The middle-aged person, Barth continued, can see death in the distance, but moves with a “measured haste” to get big new things done while there is still time. What Barth wrote decades ago is even truer today. People are healthy and energetic longer. We have presidential candidates running for their first term in office at age 68, 69 and 74. Greater longevity is changing the narrative structure of life itself. The elongation of vital life has changed the phases of life. The most obvious change is the emergence of the odyssey years. People between age 20 and the early 30s can now take a little more time to try on new career options, new cities and new partners. However, another profound but more hidden change is the altered shape of middle age. What could have been considered the beginning of a descent is now a potential turning point — the turning point you are most equipped to take full advantage of. It is the moment when you can look back on your life so far and see it with different eyes. Hopefully you’ve built up some wisdom, which, as the psychologists define it, means seeing the
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DAVID BROOKS
What could have been considered the beginning of a descent is now a potential turning point — the turning point you are most equipped to take full advantage of. world with more compassion, grasping opposing ideas at the same time, tolerating ambiguity and reacting with equanimity to the small setbacks of life. By middle age you might begin to see, retrospectively, the dominant motifs that have been running through your various decisions. You might begin to see how all your different commitments can be integrated into one meaning and purpose. You might see the social problem your past has made you uniquely equipped to tackle. You might have enough clarity by now to orient your life around a true north on some ultimate horizon. Lincoln, for example, found in midlife that everything so far had prepared him to preserve the Union and end slavery. The rest of us don’t have causes that grand, but plenty of people bring their life to a point. They dive fully into existing commitments, or embrace new ones. Either way, with a little maturity, they’re less likely by middle age to be blinded by ego, more likely to know what it is they actually desire, more likely to get out of their own way, and maybe a little less likely, given all the judgments that have been made, to care about what other people think. The people who find meaning at this stage often realize the way up is down. They get off that supervisor’s perch and put themselves in direct contact with the people they can help the most. They accept that certain glorious youthful dreams won’t be realized, but other, more relational jobs turn out to be more fulfilling. They achieve a kind of tranquillity, not because they’ve decided to do nothing, but because they’ve achieved focus and purity of will. They have enough self-confidence, and impatience, to say no to some things so they can say yes to others. From this perspective, middle age is kind of inspiring. Many of life’s possibilities are now closed, but limitation is often liberating. The remaining possibilities can be seized more bravely, and lived more deeply.
COLUMN
Portraying philandering coach got me in trouble My public school experiences were uneventful from the standpoint of “trouble.” I was never paddled (yep, that was the method in the 1950s). I always knew if I got in trouble, whatever punishment dealt would lead to a double dose at home. In school all four Webb boys had pretty much trouble free school years. However, as you get older and advance to your senior year in high school, there is a tendency to feel a bit privileged and “untouchable.” As seniors in those halcyon 1950s, we decided it was entirely appropriate and clever to do a skit impersonating the teachers. Some producer-directorscript writer decided I should portray a married coach who was carrying on an affair with a held-over senior girl. She was also married and her husband was in U.S. military service in Korea. Of course, every kid in high school knew of the affair. So did many parents. As things played out, apparently the only people who did not know were the high school principal, the district superintendent and the coach’s wife. One big, popular event near the end of the school year was an all-school party held in the gymnasium and open to the public.
There was no dancing — after all the First Baptist minister put a huge crimp in the junior-senior prom by preaching about the evils of a boy and a girl in holding each other close while slowly gliding around the floor. So, there was mixing, mingling and the aforementioned skits. Our senior skit topped off the night as we set up chairs in a circle for the “model teachers meeting.” As it turned out, my seat was on the side of the circle that put my back to the audience. Per the script, the “principal” introduced each “teacher.” I had studied coach’s movement and mannerisms well and when “my name” was called, I rose and turned slightly toward the crowd and waved, saying, “Hello girls!” Out of the corner of my eye I saw Coach and his pretty wife, who’d just weeks before given birth to their first child. When I made my greeting, she looked at her philandering hubby with a withering glare. Since the coach’s cheating was actually wellknown among town folks,
there was a lot of laughter. Each “teacher” was called on to speak in the “meeting.” When it came my turn, I suggested we begin a girls’ softball team that would travel and play all over the globe and, of course, I (the coach) would travel with the team. That drew big laughter and a killer look from “Wifey” to Coach. Upon my arrival at school Monday morning, several fellow students suggested I might be in trouble. That made me nervous but the morning passed without incident. I went to lunch then to my class on third floor thinking perhaps I’d escaped “trouble.” No sooner had I sat down than a girl from the principal’s office, came in and summoned me to his office. There were lots of laughs and “oooos” from my classmates. Down the stairs we went to the first floor where were met at the door by the principal and he informed me the superintendent wanted to see me. The principal escorted me and we sat across the desk from the superintendent who was big and (everyone said) looked like a bulldog. He proceeded to talk to me very loudly and forcefully, occasionally pounding his desk for emphasis. This
chewing lasted for almost an hour and included the statement: “You have a spotless record and it’s near graduation, or I’d consider expelling you.” The superintendent told me that my punishment was to shake the coach’s hand and apologize. The coach was summoned and I did as I was told. A few weeks later, some substantiation was given to my performance and the coach’s contract was not renewed, which was done in schools instead of firing. I graduated and went to college. After two years I ran out of money and dropped out of school to make enough to continue my education. I took a job as news editor of my hometown paper. One of my regular weekly “beats” was to visit with the superintendent and gather school news. He was cordial and I managed to give the schools considerable news coverage. The “super” and I became friendly. One day, he looked at me and said, “You know, Willis, there was an incident when you were a senior. I was wrong.” That was it, but it did wonders for me. Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editorpublisher of more than 50 years experience.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The
phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our
readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-call-
ing or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
CUBANS Continued from Page 1A shelter to American immigration officials at Texas land ports. From October 2015 to February 2016, more than 18,500 Cubans arrived at Texas’ Laredo field office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which includes ports from Del Rio to Brownsville. If that trend continues, it will shatter last year’s numbers for the same ports, when a record 28,371 crossed. During the 2015 fiscal year, more than 43,150 arrived at the 20 CBP field offices in the United States that process immigrants. More than half — 25,800 — arrived in only the first five months of the current fiscal year. The president’s visit to Cuba Monday was the latest step in his mission announced in late 2014 to normalize relations with the Castro regime. “I’ve come to Havana to
extend the hand of friendship to the Cuban people,” Obama said in a statement Monday. “I’m here to bury the last vestige of the Cold War in the Americas and to forge a new era of understanding to help improve the daily lives of the Cuban people.” But many Cubans fear the so-called “improvement” will include abolishing a long-standing U.S. policy that welcomes Cuban refugees who arrive at ports of entry and allows them to seek legal permanent residency status, known as a green card, after one year. The policy is an amended version of the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act, which some lawmakers call unfair and outdated. In December, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, said the policy should be repealed. He’s since signed
on to a House bill by U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., that would end the immediate eligibility of all Cubans for the Refugee Assistance Program, instead limiting it to fleeing persecution. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, agreed with Cuellar and said the policy is outdated and isn’t fair to immigrants from other countries who have to wait much longer for legal status. But U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who has made his father’s story of fleeing Cuba a centerpiece of his campaign for the White House, said the act should only be repealed when Cuba is a free country. Asked about the refugee current surge in his home state and how Cuban policy differs from the “amnesty” he says the Obama administration willingly gives to millions of undocu-
mented immigrants, a Cruz aide offered up a quote Cruz gave in October 2015. “The (Cuban Adjustment Act) is a recognition of the oppressive communist regime in Cuba that engages in political repression, torture and murder,” Cruz said then. “I look forward to the day when the Cuban Adjustment Act is no longer necessary because a free Cuba will have returned.” But Cruz was quick to pounce on Obama’s visit to Cuba, saying the trip will only prop up the dictatorship. “The White House keeps saying that this trip will chart a new course for people-to-people relations, but all that Obama’s appeasement of the Castro dictatorship has done so far is create a channel for inside deals between large corporations and the Cuban mil-
itary, which holds all the keys to the island’s economy," he said in an opinion piece published in Politico. The state’s GOP leadership has also remained largely silent on the latest surge. Asked about the influx in February, Gov. Greg Abbott’s office declined comment but instead emailed a recording of remarks he gave in the Rio Grande Valley when asked about the Cubans. Abbott said then “challenges” existed because the federal government wasn’t doing its job to secure the border and Texas would step up and fill in the gaps. But Cubans arrive at inland ports and do not enter illegally like the thousands of undocumented immigrants from Central America that have poured into Texas since 2014. Abbott’s office didn’t respond on Monday when asked to
clarify his remarks. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who toured the border earlier this month, also declined to comment, as did the office of House Speaker Joe Straus. Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR, which takes a hard line on illegal immigration and also seeks to limit legal migration, said the Cuban Adjustment Act should have been repealed decades ago. “Most of the migrants coming from Cuba are not coming because of political repression, they are coming for economic reasons just like most of the other migrants,” he said. “It’s perfectly understandable from their perspective, but the consequences for American workers and American taxpayers is significant.”
haystack. Leaders of the 28-nation bloc said in a joint statement that Tuesday’s assault on Brussels “only strengthens our resolve to defend European values and tolerance from the attacks of the intolerant.” The United Nations’ lead official for Middle East refugees, Amin Awad, warned that Europe faced an increasing risk of racist retaliation against Muslim immigrant communities. “Any sort of hostilities because of the Brussels attack or Paris attack is misplaced,” Awad said. Reflecting the trauma of the moment, Belgian officials offered uncertain casualty totals at both the airport and subway, where police conducted controlled explosions on suspicious abandoned packages that ultimately were found to contain no explosives. Belgium’s health minister, Maggie de Block, said 11 people were killed and 81 in-
jured at the airport, where thousands of passengers were waiting to check luggage and collect boarding cards. Video posted on social media showed people cowering on the ground in the wake of the blasts, the air acrid with smoke, windows of shops and the terminal entrance shattered, and fallen ceiling tiles littering the blood-streaked floor. Some witnesses described hearing two distinct blasts, with shouts apparently in Arabic from at least one attacker before the second, bigger explosion. Zach Mouzoun, who arrived on a flight from Geneva about 10 minutes before the airport blasts, told BFM television that pipes ruptured, sending a cascade of water mixing with victims’ blood. “It was atrocious. The ceilings collapsed. There was blood everywhere, injured people, bags everywhere,” he said.
BOMBINGS Continued from Page 1A cials have been bracing for a major attack for weeks and warned that IS was actively preparing to strike. The arrest Friday of Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris, heightened those fears, as investigators said many more people were involved than originally thought and that some are still on the loose. “In this time of tragedy, this black moment for our country, I appeal to everyone to remain calm but also to show solidarity,” said Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, who announced three days of mourning in his country’s deadliest terror strike. “Last year it was Paris. Today it is Brussels. It’s the same attacks,” said French President Francois Hollande. Belgium raised its terror alert to the highest level, shut the airport through Wednesday and ordered a city-wide lockdown, deploying about 500 soldiers onto Brussels’ largely empty streets to bolster police checkpoints. France and Belgium both reinforced border security. Medical officials treating the wounded said some victims lost limbs, while others suffered burns or deep gashes from shattered glass or suspected nails packed in with explosives. Among the most seriously wounded were several children. The bombings came barely four months after suicide attackers based in Brussels’ Molenbeek district slaughtered 130 people at Paris nightspots, and intelligence agencies had warned for months a follow-up strike was inevitable. Those fears increased following Abdeslam’s arrest in Molenbeek, along with police admissions that others suspected of links to the Paris attacks were at large. A high-level Belgian judicial official said a connection by Abdeslam to Tuesday’s attacks is “a lead to pursue.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. Abdeslam has told investigators he was planning to
“restart something” from Brussels, said Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders. He said Sunday that authorities took the claim seriously because “we found a lot of weapons, heavy weapons in the first investigations and we have seen a new network of people around him in Brussels.” While they knew that some kind of extremist act was being prepared in Europe, they were surprised by the size of Tuesday’s attacks, said Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon. “It was always possible that more attacks could happen, but we never could have imagined something of this scale,” he said. Officials at the airport in the Brussels suburb of Zaventem said police had discovered a Kalashnikov assault rifle and an explosivespacked vest abandoned at the facility, offering one potential lead for forensic evidence. Bomb disposal experts safely dismantled that
explosive device. Shockwaves from the attacks crossed the Atlantic, where city and airport officials at several U.S. cities increased security force deployments and raised security levels. A U.S. administration official said American intelligence officers were working with European counterparts to try to identify the apparently skilled bomb-maker or makers involved in the Brussels attacks and to identify any links to bombs used in Paris. The official, who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on the investigations and demanded anonymity, told The Associated Press that at least one of the bombs at the airport was suspected to have been packed into a suitcase left in the departures hall. Three intelligence officials in Iraq told the AP that they had warned European colleagues last month of IS plans to attack air-
ports and trains, although Belgium wasn’t specified as a likely target. The officials, who monitor activities in the IS stronghold of Raqqa, said Brussels may have become a target because of the arrest of Abdeslam. One of the officials — all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about their knowledge of IS operations — said Iraqi intelligence officials believe that three other IS activists remain at large in Brussels and are plotting other suicide-bomb attacks. European leaders already struggling to cope with a wave of migration from the war-torn Middle East said they must rely on better anti-terrorist intelligence work to identify an enemy that wears no uniform and seeks the softest of targets. They emphasized that Europe must remain tolerant to Muslims as they seek to identify the Islamic State needles in that ever-growing
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016
BISHOP Continued from Page 1A least nine months, trying to move the project forward. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana, acting in her individual capacity, got involved by serving as a mediator. In a statement to LMT, TAMIU President Ray Keck said he has heard the bishop is being prudent and that Tamayo fears the center’s operating costs. “This simply cannot be the case,” Keck said. “Neither our experience in Laredo nor university experiences throughout the nation justify those fears. The overwhelming support to build this center reflects a deep community commitment to Laredo’s youth. “Catholic centers operate on every university campus in the country, a combination of student effort and community support.” Keck said he was clueless why Tamayo claimed he was under duress when he signed the 2009 agreement. “Frankly, I think it’s an absurd remark,” he said. Tamayo did not return several requests for comment. The Brothers of St. John also could not be reached for comment. On Friday, Keck notified the TAMIU faculty and student body via email of the project’s delay.
‘A tragedy for us all’ As 2015 came to a close, hope that Tamayo would allow construction to start began to fade. A number of the project’s donors — upon hearing no progress was being made — signed off on a letter sent to Tamayo on Dec. 16. “To (abandon the project) would be a tragedy for us all,” the letter states. “Because the deliberations have continued for such a long time, and because the issues have become almost impenetrably muddled, we ask that you honor the 2009 signed agreement. “If we do not hear from you by December 25, we will understand your silence as a refusal to honor the contract now in place.” The group did not hear from Tamayo. It’s unclear what repercussions, if any, could occur if Tamayo does not honor the agreement. Diocese of Laredo attorney John Kazen did not respond to requests for comment. In a last ditch effort, three prominent Laredoans sent a letter Jan. 8 to Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who was the apostolic nuncio, or the Vatican’s ambassador to the U.S., until recently. Keck, Dennis Nixon, CEO of IBC-Laredo and chairman of International Bancshares Corp., and Saldaña signed the letter. “We are now on the brink of a major scandal in our community,” the letter states. “At this juncture, except for the group of donors who wrote the bishop, neither students nor local citizens are aware of his actions to stop this project. “We … feel … that time is of the essence, and that this matter cannot be contained indefinitely.” The trio — concerned over the future of the youth of the local diocese — asked Viganò for his guidance and counsel. “We believe that any further delay in construction will only harm this community and holy church,” the letter states. Viganò responded to the letter, telling the group that they needed to work with the bishop, according to Keck. Having no luck with Viganò, the group can now only appeal to the Vatican, but Nixon said he thinks that process would take years. “The bishop has complete say on what goes on here and there’s not much, currently, we can do about it,” Nixon said. “It’s a situation without an answer.” Nixon added that the hindrance of the project is a big loss for the community. “I am baffled by the bishop’s behavior and I can’t speak to his reasons because he refuses to communicate,” Nixon said. Saldaña did not respond to requests for comment.
Beginnings The Brothers of St. John, along with Tamayo, started
to build upon the idea of the project in 2006. The Catholic center was going to be built on land that businessman and philanthropist David Killam donated. In October 2012, the Brothers of St. John, a local priory based at 505 Century Drive South, near Independence Hills Regional Park, told LMT it had raised about half the funds needed to build a church and campus ministry center. Laredo Morning Times reported if $2.3 million of the $4.2 million was collected in time, construction for the church and ministry would be complete in 2014. Among the original features of the project were a chapel that seats 300 people, a five-stories-tall bell tower, a student lounge, a dormitory for eight student residents and a student-run café. John Sharp, Texas A&M University System chancellor, delivered a keynote speech at a luncheon in October 2012 at a campus ministry event announcing the project. “It is a unique thing,” said Sharp, who spoke about the construction of a Catholic campus ministry center on the College Station university’s campus. “It will do dramatic things for this community and this university.” The Brothers of St. John, led by Fr. Michael Therese Scheerger, has been running the Catholic Campus Ministry for the Diocese of Laredo for over 17 years. It was “founded in the belief that the young adults desire to know, love and serve God,” the ministry’s website states. Its mission is "to touch the hearts and minds of the young adults of Laredo, at the most critical moments in their lives, and bring them to faith, hope and love in the person of Jesus Christ,” Scheerger, diocesan head of campus ministry, is quoted as saying on the website. The brothers are also known in the community for hosting adoration, community, theology and service, or ACTS, retreats.
A focal point for the city What excited Scheerger most about the Catholic Student Center is the infrastructure it would provide Laredo for the next 200 to 300 years. “(The center) would provide a structure for young adults of Laredo to discover their vocations,” he said during the project’s announcement in 2012. “I think that’s the most exciting thing about it on a longterm scale.” Sharp said the center would be a focal point of both the university and the city. “This is a special place, and it’s going to be made really special once it’s built,” he said. About five years after Scheerger came up with the idea of the center, Tamayo and the brothers signed an agreement to form the ministry. The agreement stated the brothers would be in charge of the ministry and then conveyed to the diocese five
years after the completion of construction, with the brothers continuing to oversee and implement the campus ministry on a long-term basis. Keck said problems with Tamayo began since day one. During the process of designing the ministry, Keck said Tamayo was not satisfied with the plans and proposed changes. Such changes include minimizing the ministry, with the end result of having no chapel at all. "The plans changed many times between the groundbreaking and the final halt to all effort,” Keck said in a statement to LMT. “Each time the bishop raised an objection, the brothers revised the plan, submitting a new version. In a short time, the bishop would demand another change. And another. Another revision. And another. “Then mediation to try to discover what was at the root of the endless insistence on alterations. “Finally the brothers accepted the truth. The bishop doesn’t want this to happen.” He added there were other plans in place in addition to the ministry, such as a dormitory. Nancy Blair, who led a finance committee for the project, said she and Scheerger met with a diocesan construction committee in April. She said they told Tamayo and the committee that enough money had been raised to complete construction. “The project is fully funded,” Blair said. “(Construction) needs to happen.”
Hope remains Keck said he feels students will have a difficult time comprehending why the Catholic Student Center is not moving forward. Upon hearing news of the delay, students have begun to voice their disappointment. Many said they are shocked and saddened. Lorena Abrego, member of the Newman Club at TAMIU, said she still has faith the project will move forward. “We’ve been good at keeping our hope,” she said. For a time in 2014, members of the Newman Club convened on the grounds of the future Catholic center for a monthly Mass. Kassandra Gomez, a sophomore at TAMIU, said Friday it hurt to see the empty plot of land where the center would be built. She envisioned seeing the ministry standing there soon. “I cried when I found out about this,” she said. She urged anyone responsible for completing the project to keep in mind the youth of Laredo. “This is really unfair,” she said. “We are told it will happen and once we are so close to the end, we are told it won’t. It brings you down.” Although there is no set date as to when this project may move forward, students said they continue to pray the ministry will be completed.
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MIÉRCOLES 23 DE MARZO DE 2016
Ribereña en Breve ZUMBATÓN El jueves 24 de marzo se celebrará un Zumbatón en la Presa Falcón por el lado de Nueva Ciudad Guererro. El objetivo es apoyar en los gastos médicos de una familia de ésa ciudad. Instructores certificados ofrecerán la clase. Costo: 50 pesos, adultos; y 10 pesos, niños. Adquiera su boleto con Divas de Zumba. Por otra parte se estará rifando un “Kit de Pachanga” que consta de un kilo de carne, una bolsa de pollo, surtido de bebidas, y una bolsa de carbón. Costo: 50 pesos.
B&G CLUB DE ZAPATA PIDE APOYO El Boys and Girls Club de Zapata tiene proyectada una búsqueda de cascarones de pascua para sus integrantes el viernes 25 de marzo. Por esta razón están solicitando el apoyo de los padres de familia y comunidad en general para que donen cascarones de pascua o snacks. Informes en el 956-765-3892.
FIESTA El Gobierno de Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, México, invita a disfrutar los eventos por las Vacaciones de Semana Santa 2016 el viernes 25 de marzo a partir de las 10 a.m. en el Parque Nuevo Amanecer.
BRAVO FEST La ciudad de Miguel Alemán, México, invita al evento “Bravo Fest” del 25 al 27 de marzo en las márgenes del Río Bravo, debajo del puente internacional que conecta con Roma, Texas. El festival tiene como objetivo promover el turismo local y regional, especialmente en el Valle de Texas.
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 7A
AGRICULTURA
Acción de rescate “ ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
A fin de abordar los problemas que conlleva la pérdida de grandes extensiones de tierra, el Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT por sus siglas en inglés), llevará a cabo un seminario gratuito denominado Going, Going, Gone: Impact of Loss of Rural Land on Water, Wildlife and Agriculture (Se va, se va, se fue: el impacto de la pérdida de tierras rurales en el agua, la vida silvestre y la agricultura), en Corpus Christi, a mediados de abril. Está dirigido a propietarios de tierras, abogados, asesores inmobiliarios, profesionales en recursos naturales, y funcionarios de la ciudad o el condado, en el sur de Texas. El seminario se enfocará en cómo las tendencias en la pérdida de las tierras impactan la calidad del agua y la vida silvestre, y así como la capacidad de los propietarios para administrar la propiedad y heredar las tierras familiares a las futuras generaciones. También se verán los beneficios públicos de la conservación de tierras privadas destacando programas exitosos que ayudan a los propietarios a conservar su
“Ésta dramática pérdida y fragmentación de (tierras de labor) está afectando la economía rural, conservación del agua, otros recursos naturales, y el aseguramiento de la comida”. ROEL LÓPEZ, DIRECTOR DEL IRNR
tierra mientras proporcionan fuentes de agua municipal. De 1997 al 2012, Texas experimentó una pérdida neta de alrededor 1,1 millones de acres de granjas de propiedad privada, ranchos y bosques, como resultado de la tendencia de pérdida de tierras rurales y fragmentación, de acuerdo al estudio Texas Land Trends hecho por Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IRNR por sus siglas en inglés). “Ésta dramática pérdida y fragmentación de granjas de propiedad privada, ranchos y bosques —también conocida como tierras de labor— está afectando a la economía rural, la conservación del agua y
otros recursos naturales, y el aseguramiento de la comida de la nación”, dijo Roel López, director del IRNR. “Seas o no el propietario de una tierra de labor, todos tenemos un interés en resolver estas situaciones ahora y para el futuro de los tejanos”. Por su parte, Blair Fitzimons, oficial en jefe ejecutivo de TALT, comentó que se trata de tierras que “captan, limpian y almacenan la lluvia que al final se convierte en el agua que bebemos… proporcionan los alimentos que comemos, limpian el aire que respiramos y proporcionan un hábitat para la vida silvestre”. Aseguró que consideró que para
que las tierras privadas continúen proporcionando tales beneficios públicos, se debe asegurar que las familias las sigan administrando. Durante el seminario se presentarán temas como: Datos actualizados del estudio Texas Land Trends Study; El impacto de la fragmentación en la calidad del agua del río Nueces; Minimizando el impacto del desarrollo del gas y el petróleo; Soluciones de ganar-ganar: asegurando las fuentes de agua municipal a través de la protección de tierras privadas en Nueva York, California y Ohio; y, El usufructo de la conservación: una herramienta para salvar las tierras familiares. “Going, Going, Gone: Impact of Loss of Rural Land on Water, Wildlife and Agriculture” se llevará a cabo el 15 de abril de 9 a.m. a 2 p.m., en el Hotel Omni sobre Shoreline Drive en Corpus Christi. El registro se abrirá a las 8:30 a.m. del mismo día. Para quienes se registren antes del 8 de abril en su paquete se incluirá servicio de alimentos. Para más detalles se puede visitar www.txaglandtrust.org. Para registrarse se debe llamar al (210) 8260074.
NUEVA CD. GUERRERO
DEPORTES
Mueren siete durante tiroteo
CAMPEONA ESTATAL
ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
ZCISD Zapata County ISD informa que el viernes 25 de marzo y el lunes 28 de marzo no habrá clases. Igualmente se informa que los exámenes STAAR empezarán a aplicarse la semana entrante. El martes 29 de marzo corresponde a English I para 9º grado y jueves 31 de marzo corresponderá a English II para 10º grado. Se sugiere que los estudiantes se duerman temprano la noche anterior. El día del examen estará prohibido que lleven dispositivos de medios sean teléfonos celulares, iPods, MP3s, etc. Aquellos alumnos que no tengan exámenes deberán reportarse a la Cafetería de ZHS a las 12:30 p.m.
ATENCIÓN AL AUTISMO Segunda Carrera/Caminata 5K y carrera infantil para sensibilizar sobre el autismo. La carrera inicia en Zapata County Court House en 7th Avenue y Boulevard Hidalgo, el 2 de abril a las 8 a.m. Los interesados podrán pre-registrarse con un costo de 10 dólares en línea en el sitio de Internet en active.com o en la Cámara de Comercio del Condado de Zapata en 800 North Hwy. El registro tendrá un costo de 20 dólares el día del evento. Los menores participando en la carrera para niños tendrán un costo de registro de 5 dólares para niños de 10 años y menores. Se premiará a los tres primeros lugares de cada categoría en la carrera de 5K, tanto hombres como mujeres. Lo 10 finalistas en la carrera de niños también serán premiados.
RECOLECCIÓN DE MEDICAMENTOS La Coalición Comunitaria del Condado de Zapata y la DEA realizarán el evento nacional Pill Take Back el 30 de abril, de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m. en el Palacio de Justicia del Condado de Zapata.
Foto de cortesía | ZCISD
Alana Montes, de Zapata, se ubicó como campeona de Levantamiento de Pesas en Texas, por segundo año consecutivo en competencia del Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association. Montes rompió el récord en su propio peso, y recibió reconocimiento como la mejor levantadora de pesas libra por libra en tres categorías.
Siete personas fallecieron después de un enfrentamiento armado contra elementos de la marina en Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, México, el fin de semana. El reporte del Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas indica que los marinos fueron agredidos por supuestos integrantes de un grupo delincuencial que opera en la región Ribereña. El comunicado no aclara a qué grupo se refiere, pero identifica a dos de las víctimas como Miguel Ángel López Zárate, de Sinaloa, México, y José Luis Luna Garza, de Nuevo León, México. Los hechos ocurrieron el sábado a la altura del kilómetro 15 de la carretera Nueva Ciudad Guerrero con los límites del municipio de Parás, Nuevo León. Los oficiales de marina realizaban un recorrido cuando supuestos civiles armados a bordo de varios vehículos empezaron a atacarlos, por lo cual respondieron a la agresión. Perdieron la vida siete hombres, cuyos cuerpos quedaron sobre una brecha ubicada a alrededor de tres kilómetros del punto inicial de la agresión, se explica en un comunicado. El resto de los agresores se dio a la fuga dejando abandonadas varias armas largas, municiones y otros objetos.
COLUMNA
Gobernador estatal busca evadir enmienda POR RAÚL SINENCIO CHÁVEZ ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Cuando llegan a otorgarse derechos a las clases desposeídas, de inmediato grupos opositores buscan restringirlos o anularlos a través de argucias legales o volverlos letra muerta como un hecho sucedido en Tamaulipas. A finales del siglo XIX, Porfirio Díaz contendía por una enésima reelección presidencial. Durante su dictadura el campo prosperaba y continuaba como
una fuente importante de riqueza. Pocos hacendados eran los dueños de extensos latifundios donde la actividad productiva se concentraba en un alto número de peones. Como mecanismo para retenerlos se utilizaba la práctica denominada ‘tienda de raya’, que consistía en adelantar salarios y fiar productos básicos, lo que hacía que los empleados tuvieran enormes deudas que les comprometía a prestar sus servicios por largo tiempo en condiciones de
desventaja. En algún momento el régimen porfirista decide enmendar estas prácticas en la Constitución. “El Estado (mexicano) no puede permitir …ningún contrato, pacto o convenio que tenga por objeto el menoscabo, la pérdida o el irrevocable sacrificio de la libertad del hombre, ya sea por causa de trabajo, de educación o de voto religioso”, de acuerdo a un decreto fechado el 10 de junio de 1893. El gobernador de Tamaulipas, Alejandro Prieto
toma con reserva las modificaciones y propone mecanismos que disminuyan los alcances del nuevo precepto. Para tal efecto, recurre al Congreso de la Unión para que las entidades legislen sobre los peones. Sin embargo, su propuesta es duramente criticada. “Al leer la iniciativa del gobierno tamaulipeco, proponiendo, encubiertamente, la vuelta a la esclavitud legal de los jornaleros, se comprende desde luego que… debe estar del todo dominado por los propietarios del
territorio del estado”, de acuerdo al diario “El Universal” en 1895. Prieto pasa por alto que al porfiriato le interesa guardar apariencias. Explica Friedrich Katz: “En 1894 el gobernador de Tamaulipas propuso instituir los trabajos forzados… pero…habría acabado con el mito del trabajo libre y las autoridades nacionales… se opusieron rotundamente”. (Con permiso del autor, según fuera publicado en La Razón de Tampico, México, el 11 marzo 2016)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
RB Morris joins Cowboys Dallas signs two players By CLARENCE E. HILL JR. FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
BOCA RATON, Fla. — The proverbial dam blocking the Dallas Cowboys in free agency has finally broken and the team is now bracing for the potential rush of three new players. Two are pretty much secured. The Cowboys signed former Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris to a two-year, $3.5 million deal Tuesday, per his agent Sean Stellato. He has a chance to earn up to $5.5 million with incentives. The Oakland Raiders declined to match a three-year, $8.55 million offer sheet to restricted free agent defensive end Benson Mayowa, clearing the path for him to officially join the Cowboys on Wednesday. And the team is close to adding former San Diego Chargers cornerback Patrick Robinson. A threeyear deal is only being held up by confusion regarding his representation, per a source. Morris, a two-time Pro Bowler, gives the Cowboys a starting-caliber running back to pair with Darren McFadden. In four seasons in Wash-
File photo by Tim Sharp | AP
Former Washington running back Alfred Morris joined the Cowboys on a two-year deal. The 27 year old started every game in his first four seasons racking up 4,713 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns. ington, Morris, 27, started all 64 games, rushing for 4,713 yards and 29 touchdowns on 1,078 attempts. Only Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings has rushed for more yards than Morris over the past four years. He has been very good against the Cowboys, rushing 152 times for 710 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in eight career games. Morris was best as a rookie in 2012, finishing with 1,613 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 335 carries. He had career lows last season with 202 carries for 751
yards and one touchdown, but he is still younger than McFadden, who turns 29 this summer. Morris would give the Cowboys an option in case McFadden falls off from last year’s surprising season when he rushed for 1,089 yards and three touchdowns on 239 carries. Most important, Morris gives Dallas another proven back in the team’s quest to get back to the run-dominant attack they were in 2014 when they finished second in the league in rushing. Vice-president Stephen Jones said the Cowboys
could still take a running back in upcoming NFL draft. The looming addition Mayowa helps the Cowboys address a huge need at defensive end. With Randy Gregory facing a four-game suspension to start the 2016 season and Greg Hardy, Jack Crawford and Jeremy Mincey as unrestricted free agents, the Cowboys had no bodies and no depth at the position. DeMarcus Lawrence, who is coming off back surgery, is the only proven performer under contract. The Raiders had until Wednesday to match the of-
fer sheet, but didn’t wait that long to make the decision. Oakland had given Mayowa the right-of-first refusal tender worth $1.671 million so they won’t receive any compensation from the Cowboys for Mayowa. Mayowa has just two sacks and three starts the past three seasons for the Raiders. But he is just 24 years old and the Cowboys see him as a player on the rise. The addition of Mayowa won’t prevent the Cowboys from targeting the position in the NFL draft. Ohio State’s Joey Bosa has been
projected by many to be taken by the Cowboys with the fourth overall pick. A potential deal with Robinson could also seal the fate of cornerback Brandon Carr, who could be asked to take a pay cut or be cut for salary cap reasons. Robinson is the third cornerback the Cowboys have had visit in free agency, joining Nolan Carroll and Leon Hall. But he is first to sign. Carroll eventually resigned with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year deal for $3 million. Hall came in last week on a visit, but left without a deal. Robinson’s presence should crystallize things with Carr, who could be a salary cap casualty because of his $9.1 million base salary and $13.8 million cap hit. Robinson started 10 games in 2015, recording 49 tackles and an interception. He had had eight pass deflections. Carr hasn’t had an interception since 2013. He also had just six pass deflections in 2015. Robinson gives the Cowboys’ veteran cornerback trio that includes Morris Claiborne and Orlando Scandrick. The Cowboys would like to keep Carr because of the need have an abundance of cornerbacks, but only at a reduced price. He called the Cowboys bluff on a potential salary reduction last year. This time they hold all the cards.
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
FBI may be able to unlock iPhone By BRANDON BAILEY AND AMANDA LEE MYERS ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — The government has been adamant for weeks: FBI investigators need to unlock an encrypted iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino attackers, and Apple Inc. was the only one that could do it. In a stunning reversal on Monday, federal prosecutors asked a judge to halt a much-anticipated hearing on their efforts to force Apple to unlock the phone. The FBI may have found another way, and Apple’s cooperation may no longer be needed, according to court papers filed late Monday, less than 24 hours before Tuesday’s hearing. “An outside party” came forward over the weekend and showed the FBI a possible method to access the data on Syed Rizwan Farook’s encrypted phone, according to the filing. “Testing is required to determine whether it is a viable method that will not compromise data on Farook’s iPhone,” the filing said. “If the method is viable, it should eliminate the need for the assistance from Apple.” If it’s viable, that also means the government has significantly undermined its arguments against Apple, said Kristen Eichen-
sehr, a visiting law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. “If they found another way into the phone, that doesn’t just weaken their case. It means they can’t satisfy the legal standard to sustain the court’s order,” said Eichensehr, referring to Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym’s Feb. 16 ruling compelling Apple to create software that would disable security features on the phone. Pym granted the government’s request to postpone Tuesday’s arguments in the case and stayed her previous order. She ordered the government to file a status report by April 5. The development raised more questions than it answered. It’s unclear who is helping the FBI with the phone and why it took so long for a possible solution to be identified. One thing seems clear — that the government likely would not have disclosed it had found another possible way to unlock the phone unless it was almost certain the method would work, said Robert Cattanach, a former U.S. Department of Justice attorney who handles cybersecurity cases for the Dorsey & Whitney law firm. He said the disclosure alone weakens the government’s case by introducing doubt that it could only ac-
Photo by Carolyn Kaster | AP file
This Feb. 17 file photo shows an iPhone. Apple’s cooperation may no longer be needed to unlock a suspected terrorist’s iPhone. cess the phone with Apple’s help. “They’ve created ambiguity in a place where they’ve previously said there is none,” he said. In a conference call with reporters, Apple attorneys said it’s premature to declare victory in the case because authorities could come back in a few weeks and insist they still need the company’s help. The attorneys spoke under an Apple policy that wouldn’t allow them to be quoted by name. The company hopes the government will tell Apple about whatever method it uses to access the phone’s encrypted files. But the attorneys said it may be up to the FBI to decide whether to share the information. Lawmakers, civil rights
advocates and other tech companies have criticized the FBI for not doing more to try to crack the iPhone itself before seeking to force Apple’s hand. “To me, it suggests that either the FBI doesn’t understand the technology or they weren’t giving us the whole truth when they said there is no other possible way” of examining the phone without Apple’s help, said Alex Abdo, staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union. “Both of those are scary to me.” The ACLU has filed a court brief supporting Apple’s position. Prosecutors have argued that the phone used by Farook probably contains evidence of the Dec. 2 attack in which the county food inspector and his
wife, Tashfeen Malik, slaughtered 14 at a holiday luncheon attended by many of his work colleagues. The two were killed in a police shootout hours later. The FBI has said the couple was inspired by the Islamic State group. Investigators still are trying to piece together what happened and find out if there were collaborators. The couple destroyed other phones they left behind, and the FBI has been unable to circumvent the passcode needed to unlock the iPhone, which is owned by San Bernardino County and was given to Farook for his job. Apple has argued that the government was seeking “dangerous power” that exceeds the authority of the All Writs Act of 1789 it cited, and violates the company’s constitutional rights, harms the Apple brand and threatens the trust of its customers to protect their privacy. The 18th-century law has been used on other cases to require third parties to help law enforcement in investigations. It’s not clear what method the government now wants to test. But even as the FBI has insisted that only Apple is able to provide the help it needs, some technical experts have argued there are other options.
The most viable method involves making a copy of the iPhone’s flash memory drive, said Jonathan Zdziarski, a computer expert who specializes in iPhone forensics. That would allow investigators to make multiple tries at guessing the iPhone’s passcode. A security feature in the phone is designed to automatically erase the data if someone makes 10 wrong guesses in a row. But if that happens, Zdziarski said, investigators could theoretically restore the data from the backup copy they have created. The data itself would remain encrypted until the phone is unlocked, but it would remain viable while investigators continued to guess the passcode, he added. “It’s a lot more involved than it sounds,” Zdziarski cautioned, and no one has demonstrated that it would work in this case. Some experts have also suggested that investigators could use lasers and acid to deconstruct the phone’s memory chip, in order to physically examine the encrypted data and the encryption algorithm, in hopes of cracking the code. But hardware experts say that method has a high risk of destroying the memory during the process.
Travel companies’ FDA adds boldest stocks drop after attack warning to painkillers By ALEX VEIGA ASSOCIATED PRESS
U.S. stock indexes closed mostly lower Tuesday as airlines, cruise companies and travel booking sites fell following the deadly bombings in Belgium. News of the attacks, which killed at least 31 people, pulled the broader market lower for much of the morning. An early afternoon rally erased some of the losses, but the rebound didn’t hold. Oil drilling companies also slumped following a downbeat forecast on drilling. Health care and technology stocks gained ground. The last-minute slide snapped a four-day winning streak for the market. Trading was relatively light, reflecting the Easter holiday weekend. It also signaled that traders were not rattled by the potential market implications of the attack. “This is the new invest-
ing normal now,” said Chris Gaffney, president of EverBank World Markets. “You’re going to have these big tragic events, so I don’t think investors are really too concerned with it long-term.” The Dow Jones industrial average lost 41.30 points, or 0.2 percent, to 17,582.57. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index dipped 1.80 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,049.80. The Nasdaq composite added 12.79 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,821.66. The three main U.S. stock indexes headed lower early on Tuesday as traders digested the news that bombs had struck the Brussels airport and one of the city’s metro stations. Belgium raised its terror alert to the highest level. Airports across Europe tightened security. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks. The major European stock markets declined early on, but ultimately
closed higher. Germany’s DAX rose 0.4 percent, while the CAC-40 in France edged up 0.1 percent. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 0.1 percent. Belgium’s BEL 20 index rose 0.2 percent. “What happens is investors and traders go in and start to bottom-fish on sectors that have sold off,” said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial. “It flies in the face of the headlines and the human cost of these terrorist attacks, but the stock markets tend to turn around.” In the U.S., travel-related companies slumped and never quite recovered. Royal Caribbean Cruises shed $2.24, or 2.9 percent, to $75.99, while Carnival lost $1.03, or 2.1 percent, to $48.75. American Airlines Group fell 71 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $42.76, while Delta Air Lines fell 73 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $49.39.
By MATTHEW PERRONE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Federal health regulators will add their strongest warning labels to the most widely prescribed painkillers, part of a multi-pronged government campaign to stem an epidemic of abuse and death tied to drugs like Vicodin and Percocet. The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday plans to add a boxed warning — the most serious type — to all immediate-release opioid painkillers, including some 175 branded and generic drugs. Those medications, which often combine oxycodone with lower-grade medications, are among the most commonly used drugs in the U.S. and account for 90 percent of all opioid painkillers prescribed. Roughly three years ago the FDA added similar warnings to long-acting opioid drugs like OxyContin, which slowly release their doses over 12 hours or
more. Now both immediate and extended-release formulations will highlight the risks of addiction, abuse, overdose and death. The long-awaited changes come as federal and state officials struggle to curb a wave of overdoses fueled by the overprescribing of medications and a steady supply of cheap heroin. “We’re at a time when the unfathomable tragedies resulting from addiction, overdose and death have become one of the most urgent and devastating public health crises facing our country,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said on a call with reporters. “I can’t stress enough how critical it is for prescribers to have the most current information.” But lawmakers from states that have been ravaged by opioid addiction said such labeling changes have “done little” to help their communities. “Unfortunately, it has taken FDA far too long to address the grave risks of
these drugs that have claimed the lives of thousands this year alone,” said Sen. Edward Markey, DMass. Opioids are a class of powerful and highly addictive drugs that include both prescription drugs like codeine and hydrocodone, as well as illegal narcotics, like heroin. Deaths linked to misuse and abuse of prescription opioids climbed to 19,000 in 2014, the highest figure on record, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heroin and opioid painkillers combined caused 28,650 fatal overdoses. Doctors are not required to follow the FDA’s instructions on drug labels, though they are often used as prescribing guidelines by hospitals, medical groups and insurers. Critics of the FDA, including Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing, called on the agency to add such warnings years ago.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016