The Zapata Times 3/4/2017

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45TH ANNUAL COUNTY FAIR TO BE 3-DAY EVENT César G. Rodriguez / The Zapata Times

Zapata County Judge Joe Rathmell talks to the media about border security in his county as Congressman Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, stands by his side.

Cuellar disapproves Trump’s wall Laredo and Zapata leaders take a proactive step toward border security

By César G. Rodriguez TH E ZAPATA T IME S

T

wo days after President Donald J. Trump delivered his first speech to Congress where he reiterated the construction of a “great wall,” Congressman Henry Cuellar met with the U.S. Border Patrol, city and county leaders from Laredo and Zapata to take a proactive approach toward border security.

Cuellar labeled the border security roundtable a productive meeting where officials said they took a proactive position of saying, “Let’s work together when we talk about border security,” the congressman said.

“Border security, as you know with the new Trump administration, has put an emphasis on a wall. A wall has different types of connotations. It could be a wall like the Great Wall of Wall continues on A10

Cuate Santos / Laredo Morning Times

Zapata County Fair royalty are, back row, left to right, Miss Teen Kristal Cantu; Zapata County Fair Queen Clarissa Garcia; first runner-up Triana Gonzalez, and Junior Miss Abigail M. Garza. Front frow, Little Miss Mia del Bosque; Little Cowboy Lorenzo Guerra, and Tiny Miss Monzeratt Ramirez.

Expect carnival rides, street dancing, a parade, goat shows and much more

By Judith Rayo LAREDO MORNING TIME S

T

Courtesy photo / U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar’s office

Congressman Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, leads a meeting with city and county officials from Zapata and Laredo.

he Zapata Royal Court is describing the 45th annual Zapata County Fair as exciting, fun and an event with great food.

Clarissa Yvette Garcia, 16, is this year’s Zapata County Fair Queen.

Her court includes Triana Isabel Gonzalez, 16, and the Junior Royalty. Gonzalez was the first-runner up for Zapata County Fair Queen.

The Junior Royalty is comprised of Mia Del Bosque, Abigail Garza, Lorenzo Guerra III, Kristal Cantu and Monzeratt Ramirez.

All together, the Zapata Royal Court refer

to themselves as pageant brothers and sisters.

The Junior Royalty said their favorite part of the fair is the carnival rides.

For Garza, her favorite part is spending time with her royal friends as a family.

The fair, which is dubbed the “Biggest Little Town Fair in Texas,” will be held March 9 to the 11.

The three-day event includes a jalapeño eating contest, carnival rides, a parade, rabbit judging, arts and crafts, street dancing and goat shows.

On Friday, March 10, the community can enjoy music from Kevin Fowler. On March 11, Intocable is set to perform.

For more details and a full schedule of events, visit http://zapatacountyfair.com/

IBC BANK

Nixon: Trump may hurt Texas trade Laredo CEO speaks out against the president’s key policies

By Lynn Brezosky SA N A NT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS

A prominent Laredo banker who drew ire as a fundraiser for Donald Trump spoke against some of the president's key policies Wednesday, saying the White House needs to rethink its positions on Mexico.

“We’ve all seen massive positive influence from that agreement,” IBC Bank CEO Dennis Nixon said in a meeting

with the San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board. “One in five jobs in Texas is tied to trade.

So you’d better be careful or you could end up putting Texas into a big hole and not being able to recover.”

He cited the Toyota plant in San Antonio: “it would not exist if it wasn’t for Mexico.”

Nixon’s comments come as Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos, a Republican, departs for

Mexico City to smooth relations amid Trump’s calls to reopen the Nixon North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, build a border wall, tax Mexican imports and purge the U.S. of unauthorized immigrants who have committed crimes.

Texas Gov. Greg Abott, who plans to meet with Mexican leaders in a Trump few weeks, is “extremely bullish” about maintaining the state’s $200 billion annual cross-border trade with Mexico, Pablos said Monday.

International Bancshares Corp., the Laredo-

based parent company of International Bank of Commerce, has a corporate office that’s a stone’s throw from the Rio Grande and gets a lot of business from Mexican nationals with homes and businesses on the Texas side. As such, Nixon said the bank is deeply invested in strong U.S.-Mexico trade and relations, which Trump’s tough talk has put at risk.

It riled some Demo-

cratic leaders last year to learn that a business leader close to the border and from one of the nation’s bluest counties helped host a Trump fundraiser in San Antonio held on the same day and in the same city as the state Democratic Convention.

Nixon contributed $36,100 to the Trump Victory Fund and $5,400 to Trump himself, on top of $66,800 to the RepubTrade continues on A9

Zin brief A2 | Saturday, March 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

CALENDAR

AROUND TEXAS

TODAY IN HISTORY

SATURDAY, MARCH 4

ASSOCIATED PRE SS

Improve Health, Delay Aging event.

8 a.m.-12 p.m. Laredo Regional Campus of UT Health San Antonio, 1937 Bustamante St. Free community event. This is part of the Stay Healthier Longer Conference Series. The keynote speaker will be Fernando Sanchez, MD, a neurologist at the Laredo Medical Center. To register, call 523-7400 or email laredocampus@uthscsa.edu

Today is Saturday, March 4, the 63rd day of 2017. There are 302 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On March 4, 1917, Republican Jeannette Rankin of Montana took her seat as the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, the same day President Woodrow Wilson took his oath of office for a second term (it being a Sunday, a private ceremony was held inside the U.S. Capitol; a second, public swearing-in took place the next day).

Book sale. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee.

Laredo Northside Farmers Market.

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. North Central Park.

There will be a raffle for a garden pail with gardening tools. There will also be games for the children.

MONDAY, MARCH 6 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.

THURSDAY, MARCH 9 Laredo Area Retired School Employees Association meeting. 11 a.m.

Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall. The meeting topic is health care.

MONDAY, MARCH 13 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.

Carolyn Van Houten / San Antonio Express-News

University President Ricardo Romo talks about his retirement during a news conference at the H-E-B University Center at the University of Texas at San Antonio in September 2016.

UTSA’S ROMO RESIGNS AFTER CONDUCT ISSUE University of Texas at San Antonio President Ricardo Romo has resigned, two weeks after he was placed on administrative leave. In a statement released Friday, Steve Leslie, executive vice chancellor for UT System, wrote that Romo would be retiring, effective immediately.

"I have been made aware that the manner in which I embraced women made them uncomfortable and was inappropriate," Romo said. "I understand and respect Chancellor McRaven's concerns

about my behavior and I deeply apologize for any conduct that offended anyone."

University President Ricardo Romo talks about his retirement during a news conference at the H-E-B University Center at the University of Texas at San Antonio in September 2016. In mid-February, Romo was placed on leave "pending a review of allegations related to his conduct." Several sources close to the investigation said that the review was related to sexual harassment allegations.

MONDAY, MARCH 20 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.

SATURDAY, MARCH 25 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.

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.

THURSDAY, MARCH 30 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.

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.

SXSW caught in immigration debate after artist rips contract AUSTIN — A New York musician tweeted Thursday he will no longer perform at the SXSW Music Festival over a contract provision stating that U.S. immigration agents may be contacted if an international artist violates the performance agreement.

SXSW organizers responded

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.

mine an artist acts in ways that “adversely affect the viability of their official SXSW showcase.”

SXSW co-founder Roland Swenson said in a statement the contract clause was merely a safeguard in case an artist does “something truly egregious” such as disobeying rules about pyrotechnics, starting a brawl or causing safety issues.

SXSW envelops Austin each year with hundreds of “unofficial” events around the city, and the official showcases that require festival credentials.

— Complied from AP Reports

AROUND THE NATION U.S. pot fans plan to party on Indian land near Vegas LAS VEGAS — A federal prosecutor has snuffed out plans by pot fans to celebrate Nevada's new recreational marijuana law by lighting up on an Indian reservation near Las Vegas.

U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden took a hard line in a letter to organizers of a cannabis festival this weekend, saying that federal law applies and pot smokers could be prosecuted.

The warning raised concerns about a possible Trump administration crackdown on marijuana.

Organizers of the High Times Cannabis Cup festival say there will still be music, T-shirts and souvenirs at the event at a Moapa Band of Paiutes festival site.

Spokesman Joe Brezny says it will essentially be just a

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.

by saying that Felix Walworth, who goes by the stage name Told Slant, had misunderstood their policies and that no artist in the festival’s 30-plus-year history had been reported to federal immigration agents.

Walworth’s tweet drew swift reaction on social media and comes amid heightened fears of immigration crackdowns under President Donald Trump. Walworth singled out a portion of the event contract that states “SXSW will notify the appropriate U.S. immigration authorities” if organizers deter-

John Locher / AP

Rick Cook, right, and Dalton Brown set up a sign for the High Times Cannabis Cup festival, Friday near Moapa, Nev.

concert this year.

"We've removed the marijuana," he said. "There will be no smoking area, no edibles competition, no cannabis topicals or lotions."

Brezny said more than 10,000 tickets were sold this week for the two-day event Saturday and Sunday at a site about 35 miles north of the Las

Vegas Strip. The concert is headlined by hip-hop artist Ludacris.

Robert Capecchi, federal policies chief at the Marijuana Policy Project advocacy group in Washington, D.C., said a lot of attendees might be disappointed or upset that they can't smoke on site.

— Compiled from AP reports

AROUND THE WORLD Cuba keeps drug trafficking, consumption in check, according to US Miami Herald (TNS) MIAMI - Although Cuba is near Caribbean drug lanes and the U.S. market, the U.S. State Department’s annual narcotics control report found that it’s not a major consumer, producer or transit point for illegal

narcotics, and that drug consumption on the island remains low.

The report to Congress, which was released Friday, discusses the record of countries around the world in fighting the global drug trade.

It is the first time since 2008 that the report was released to the media.

William Brownfield, assistant secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, says the U.S. is experiencing "perhaps the

On this date: In 1789, the Constitution of the United States went into effect as the first Federal Congress met in New York.

In 1791, Vermont became the 14th state.

In 1797, John Adams was inaugurated the second president of the United States.

In 1837, the Illinois town of Chicago was incorporated as a city with a population of 4,170.

In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge’s inauguration was broadcast live on 21 radio stations coast-to-coast.

In 1937, at the 9th Academy Awards, “The Great Ziegfeld” was named outstanding production of 1936 and its leading lady, Luise Rainer, best actress; Paul Muni won best actor for “The Story of Louis Pasteur.”

In 1940, Kings Canyon National Park in California was established.

In 1952, Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis were married in San Fernando Valley, California.

In 1960, an explosives-laden French freighter, La Coubre, exploded in Havana’s harbor, killing at least 75 people.

Ten years ago: NAACP President Bruce S. Gordon announced he was quitting the civil rights organization after just 19 months at the helm, citing growing strain with board members over the group’s management style and future operations. Former Sen. Thomas Eagleton, who resigned as George McGovern’s running mate in 1972 after it was revealed he’d been hospitalized for depression, died in St. Louis at age 77.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama, in an address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington, said he didn’t want war but that he would not hesitate to attack Iran if that were the only option left to stop it from getting a nuclear weapon. Vladimir Putin scored a decisive victory in Russia’s presidential election to return to the Kremlin and extend his hold on power for six more years. Nearly 300 people in the Republic of Congo were killed after a series of blasts at an arms depot in the capital Brazzaville.

One year ago: The U.S. Supreme Court blocked enforcement of a Louisiana clinic regulation law placing new restrictions on abortion. Bud Collins, the tennis historian and American voice of the sport in print and on TV for decades, died in Brookline, Massachusetts, at age 86. Pat Conroy, author of “The Great Santini” and “The Prince of Tides,” died in Beaufort, South Carolina, at age 70.

Today’s Birthdays: Former Congressional Budget Office director Alice Rivlin is 86. Actress Paula Prentiss is 79. Movie director Adrian Lyne is 76.

Singer Shakin’ Stevens is 69. Author James Ellroy is 69. Former Texas Gov. and Energy Secretary-designate Rick Perry is 67. Singer Chris Rea is 66.

Actor/rock singer-musician Ronn Moss is 65. Actress Kay Lenz is 64. Musician Emilio Estefan is 64. Movie director Scott Hicks is 64. Actress Catherine O’Hara is 63. Actor Mykelti Williamson is 60. Actress Patricia Heaton is 59.

Actor Steven Weber is 56. Rock musician Jason Newsted is 54. Actress Stacy Edwards is 52. Rapper Grand Puba is 51. Rock musician Patrick Hannan (The Sundays) is 51. Rock singer Evan Dando (Lemonheads) is 50. Actress Patsy Kensit is 49. Gay rights activist Chaz Bono is 48. Actress Andrea Bendewald is 47. Actor Nick Stabile is 47. Rock musician Fergal Lawler (The Cranberries) is 46.

Country singer Jason Sellers is 46. Jazz musician Jason Marsalis is 40. Actress Jessica Heap is 34. Actor Scott Michael Foster is 32. TV personality Whitney Port is 32. Actress Margo Harshman is 31. Actor Josh Bowman is 29. Actress Andrea Bowen is 27. Actress Jenna Boyd is 24.

Thought for Today: “It is almost impossible to state what one in fact believes, because it is almost impossible to hold a belief and to define it at the same time.” — William Carlos Williams, American poet (born 1883, died this date in 1963).

CONTACT US worst drug crisis that we have seen in the United States of America since the 1980s.”

But Cuba and the United States have begun to work more closely against the drug trade. A new U.S.-Cuba agreement was signed in July 2016, and there is a U.S. Coast Guard liaison in the U.S. Embassy in Havana to coordinate with Cuban law enforcement.

— Compiled from a Miami Herald report

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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, March 4, 2017 |

A3

STATE

Texas System Board of Regents chairman praises McRaven

By Jim Vertuno A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

AUSTIN, Texas — The chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents said Friday that the board still has great confidence in Chancellor Bill McRaven after his decision to scuttle a controversial expansion project in Houston.

In a letter to McRaven on Friday, board Chairman Paul Foster praised McRaven's leadership, despite McRaven's acknowledgement he

couldn't muster widespread support for the expansion plan, which came under fire from state lawmakers and others.

McRaven ended the project on Wednesday, saying it was distracting from other important projects. Asked then if he still had the support of the board he worked for, McRaven said, "I think you'd have to ask the Board of Regents that, but I certainly think so."

Foster answered that question with a letter to McRaven on Friday that

Texas woman who got prison for voter fraud out on appeal A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

FORT WORTH, Texas — A lawyer for a Mexican national sentenced to eight years in prison for voter fraud in Texas says she’s been released as her appeal is pending.

Attorney Clark Birdsall said 37-year-old Rosa Maria Ortega was released Thursday after posting $11,111.11 bond. Ortega was convicted in Fort Worth last month on two felony counts of illegal voting.

Ortega is accused of

improperly casting a ballot five times between 2005 and 2014. Birdsall has said Ortega is a permanent resident and that she mistakenly thought her green card allowed her to vote.

Birdsall says a state district judge this week granted his request for an appeal bond.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Carl Rusnok says the agency is reviewing the case and can’t comment further.

called him a "strong servant leader."

McRaven is a retired four-star admiral and former Navy SEAL. Before taking the job as chancellor, he was the head of U.S military special operations and planned the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

He is in the last year of a three-year contract with the university system.

"Your decisive leadership and willingness to step forward and assume responsibility are among the many reasons that my fellow regents and I are so proud that you are

at the helm of the U.T. System. We have great confidence in and respect for you and your leadership," Foster wrote.

The University of Texas System doesn't have an academic campus in the nation's fourth largest city and McRaven's plan to build a data and research center surprised state and local officials, who said they weren't consulted. McRaven and Foster recently sparred with state lawmakers over the project at a legislative hearing.

Lawmakers last month

Delcia Lopez / dlopez@themonitor.com

This 2016 file photo shows Tx- UT Chancellor Admiral William H. McRaven at the McAllen Convention Center.

also appointed three new members of the board, which means more than half the nine-member panel wasn't involved in McRaven's hiring.

Although Texas had

already moved to buy land in the Houston area, McRaven announced Wednesday that he was ending the project and that any purchased land would be sold.

New energy secretary receives nearly $12 million from oil and gas industry

By Margaret Sessa-Hawkins Rick Perry, who was confirmed by the Senate Thursday as head of the Department of Energy, has received more than $15 million in contributions from the energy and natural resources sector during the course of six campaigns, according to a MapLight analysis of data from the National Institute of Money In State Politics.

Within the energy and natural resources sector, the overwhelming majority of money came from the oil and gas industry, which gave Perry $11.65 million. The next-highest sector, electric utilities, contributed $1.48 million.

Ninety-two percent of donations from the oil and gas sector came from individuals working in

Al Drago / NYT

Rick Perry, the former Texas governor, smiles during his confirmation hearing to be head of the energy department before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee in Washington.

the industry, and 8 percent were from companies donating through political action committees. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Perry received another $1.58 million from the oil and gas industry through outside groups

during his 2016 run for president.

Texas, where Perry served as governor from 2000-15, is home to roughly one-third of estimated U.S. oil reserves. Several major oil companies also have U.S. headquarters in the state,

including ExxonMobil, Valero, and ConocoPhillips.

However, the large donations Perry has received from the industry could add to concerns many environmental advocates have expressed over his selection. During his eight years in office, former President Barack Obama encouraged the DOE to focus on initiatives that would develop clean energy and slow climate change.

Testifying before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Perry said he planned to support all forms of energy, including renewables. He also expressed regret for a statement he made during his 2012 bid for president calling for the elimination of the Energy Department.

Zopinion

Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com

A4 | Saturday, March 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

It’s time to revive the Equal Rights Amendment

By Mary Sanchez TH E KA NSAS CI T Y STAR (T NS)

We lie to young girls.

We tell them that they can be anything that they want to be, that nothing will hold them back from their aspirations but their ability to dream big.

Lean in, women are told in mid-career. Keep your head down, be diligent and network. You’ll reach your highest goals.

But women in their 60s and older suspect the truth. Women still are not regarded as full equals in America.

They know, because they remember. One of the reasons that women still struggle for equal pay for equal work, and equitable treatment by the law and courts, is directly traceable to something that didn’t happen 35 years ago.

In 1982, the Equal Rights Amendment fell short of being ratified. It needed three more of the 15 holdout states to reach 38.

Mention this to younger women and they look puzzled. Women aren’t protected as equals under the U.S. Constitution? No, we are not. We skipped a crucial step.

The lack of Constitutional grounding allows for gaps and loopholes.

What about the 14th Amendment, goes a common reaction, with its equal protection clause?

Here is what nowdeceased U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had to say on that: "The Constitution does not protect women from sexual discrimination.

No one ever thought that’s what it meant. No one ever voted for that."

This huge lapse in constitutional protection is pertinent every day of the year. But let’s play the calendar game and use the upcoming March 8 annual International Women’s Day to grab some attention.

What would life be like for women (and men because everyone would benefit) if the Equal Rights Amendment had been ratified?

If you do one thing this International Women’s Day, make it be this.

Download a copy of the 2016 documentary "Equal Means Equal" directed by Kamala Lopez. Buy a copy of the book by the same title.

The author is Jessica Neuwirth, former director of the New York office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Both works shake complacency to dust.

Well-sourced, both walk through a range of

problems that are exacerbated by the lack of an amendment: disparities in pay, sex discrimination cases, sexual assault, unequal access to healthcare, poverty.

For middle-class women who are college-educated and comfortably situated in their careers and home lives, this might not seem all that relevant. It is relevant, however, albeit perhaps less piercingly than it is to their African-American and Latino sisters and to those who are less economically stable.

Wherever gender disparities exist, women of color suffer at greater levels.

We’re almost numb to hearing that women earn less than men. But the problem clearly hasn’t been addressed. Women earn less than men, on average, in virtually every occupation, including nursing, where women far outnumber men.

Another outrage: The U.S. is the only developed country without mandated paid maternity leave. The impact on personal and family income is dramatic.

This ought to be mobilizing information. A bill to support the Equal Rights Amendment passed the Nevada Senate recently. And other states have pending proposals as well. The Republican Party can be counted on to oppose the amendment, but getting them to articulate why is key.

You have to wonder if our sexist president would indeed be the commander-in-chief if the Equal Rights Amendment had been ratified.

History will likely judge Trump’s electorate harshly for its attitudes about women in 2016.

While there were many reasons people chose Trump over Hillary Clinton, it also required strenuous mental gymnastics for them to dismiss his glaring misogyny on the campaign trail.

If women were considered full equals, if they had the Constitution firmly behind them, the nation never would have seen fit to elect a man who held such heinously backward views of women.

Our president is a grim reminder for how far women have yet to go to be treated as equals in America . and perhaps the best advertisement there is for a new equal rights amendment.

Mary Sanchez is an opinion-page columnist for The Kansas City Star.

YOUR OPINION

Writer asks community to save the date for annual luncheon, fashion show benefit This annual event is celebrating its 25th Anniversary.

The style show production team and community participants are hard at work to ensure this upcoming fashion show will be an event to cherish and remember.

In addition to the spectacular show and delicious luncheon, there is a raffle featuring a trip to Las Vegas, art work by well-known and recog-

nized artists, fine jewelry and fashion accessories and so much more. All at only $5 a chance.

Additionally, many fine door prizes will be presented throughout the event.

We look forward to your continued support and help with this special event.

Your involvement continues to provide enrichment and diversity to the lives of consumers

for Border Region Behavioral Health Center.

If you wish to purchase a table, please contact Laura Kim at 956-794-3130 or via email atblaurak@borderreqion.orq.

Sincerely, Jo-Ann Kahn President The Volunteer Services Council for Border Region Behavioral Health Center

Trump’s safe and sane ‘regulatory reform’ idea

tal organizations; trade associations; and state, local and tribal governments.

In the abstract, all of this is eminently reasonable — and, in practice, it could produce big dividends. Few people noticed, but the Obama administration’s own efforts at regulatory reform generated more than $28 billion in savings over five years.

Because the White House itself lacks the capacity to scrutinize the stock of existing regulations, the Trump administration was smart to call for task forces within each agency to do that -and to require them to engage with the public to see which regulations are really causing trouble.

In addition, Trump’s emphasis on cost-benefit analysis is both welcome and hugely important.

Some regulations impose significant costs, and the private sector really doesn’t like them. But they also create significant benefits, by helping consumers save money and saving lives. It would be a mistake to repeal them.

True, the Trump administration isn’t likely to be issuing a ton of new regulations. As of this writing, exactly zero regulations are under review at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. By contrast, the George W. Bush administration cleared 164.

But there’s a big difference between a slowdown in the flow of new regulations and “deconstruction” of what’s now on the books. Almost no one likes regulation in the abstract, but if we are speaking of food safety, highway safety, air pollution standards or protection of disabled people against discrimination, it makes no sense to take a meat ax to the administrative state.

What’s needed is a scalpel, in the form of an evidence-based effort to see what really deserves to go, after close engagement with the American public. It’s too soon to know what will ultimately emerge, but the good news is that Trump’s reform officers and task forces have been charged with undertaking exactly that effort.

To the editor: The Volunteer Services Council for Border Region Behavioral Health Center invites the Laredo community to SAVE THE DATE, Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at 11:30 a.m. to attend "A Toast to 25 Years of Music, Art and Fashion" at the Laredo Country Club to celebrate the Administrative Professional Day Luncheon and Fashion Show.

COLUMN

Cass R Sunstein BL OOMBERG

In one of his few statements since joining government, Presidential Adviser Stephen Bannon announced that one of the Trump administration’s principal goals was “the deconstruction of the administrative state.”

Given the critical role of federal agencies in protecting public health and safety, that’s pretty provocative. But President Donald Trump’s latest action suggests that reform is the aim, rather than deconstruction.

The action took the form of an executive order, “on enforcing the regulatory reform agenda.”

The order calls for the official designation of “Regulatory Reform Officers” and “Regulatory Reform Task Forces” within each department

and agency of the federal government.

The reform officers are charged with carrying out three earlier executive orders. The first is Trump’s own requirement that agencies eliminate two regulations for every one that they issue.

The reform task forces have a specific job. Within 90 days, they must provide a report to agency heads, identifying specific regulations that are ripe for repeal, replacement or modification. They are charged with calling out those rules that eliminate jobs or inhibit job creation; that are outdated, unnecessary or ineffective; or that impose costs in excess of benefits. The task forces are specifically directed to seek input from those affected by regulations, including small businesses; consumers; nongovernmen-

LETTERS POLICY Laredo Morning Times does not publish anonymous letters.

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DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, March 4, 2017 |

A5

INTERNATIONAL

Polish EU lawmaker says women intellectually inferior to men A S S O CIAT E D PRE SS

WARSAW, Poland — A Polish member of the European Parliament has launched another sexist tirade, calling it a “20th century stereotype that women have the same intellectual potential as men,” and that the stereotype “must be destroyed because it is not true.”

Janusz KorwinMikke’s insults on Friday in Warsaw came two days after he told the European Parliament

that “women must earn less than men because they are weaker, they are smaller, they are less intelligent.”

The president of the Parliament opened an investigation Thursday into the comments, for which Korwin-Mikke could face sanctions such as a reprimand, a fine or a temporary suspension.

His latest blast came after he was challenged by female lawmakers during a visit to the Polish parliament in Warsaw. Joanna Scheuring-

Former president of Haiti dies at 74

By Jacqueline Charles M IA M I HE RALD (T NS)

Former Haitian President Rene Preval died Friday, his wife Elisabeth Delatour Preval confirmed to the Miami Herald. He was 74.

Preval, who was president during Haiti’s tragic Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake, died at home in Laboule, a neighborhood in Portau-Prince. His wife, who wasn’t with him, said she had spoken to him "three times" Friday morning.

"He was in excellent humor," said Delatour Preval, who was traveling. "He asked, ‘When are you coming home?’ I refused to believe it. I cannot believe it."

Preval served as president from 1996 to 2001, and again from 2006-2011.

He is the only president in Haitian history to have served two full presidential terms and not be

jailed or killed.

Jerry Tardieu, a member of the Lower House of Deputies, was equally surprised by the news. He had spent two hours with the former president at his home Friday morning.

Preval devoted his years to boost the national production of agricultural products. A savvy politician, he continued to be sought out by foreign diplomats as Haiti.

"He was fine," said Tardieu. "He looked no different than any other day. I am in shock."

At one point during their discussion, former Haitian minister of culture Daniel Elie walked into the room and Preval, in his usual humor, turned to Elie and said, "I know that you know Jerry Tardieu. But you don’t know the congressman who is going to defend national production."

Wielgus, from the Modern party, accused him of offending women and said she would not allow him to do it again.

“There are more women than men in Poland, we’re better educated, and I will not let you offend Polish women, European women and women all over the world. It’s a disgrace,” she told him.

Korwin-Mikke has a history of getting attention for outrageous comments, including comparing the European

Union to the Third Reich.

In 2015, he raised his arm in a Nazi salute to make a political point in the European Parliament, the EU’s elected legislative arm, forcing the centrist government in Warsaw at the time to apologize and express shame for his behavior.

Korwin-Mikke heads a small party which won just under 5 percent of the vote in Poland’s last parliamentary election in 2015, failing to clear the 5 percent threshold to get any seats.

Alik Keplicz / AP

Janusz Korwin-Mikke, Thursday, commented that "women must earn less than men because they are ... they are less intelligent." He can be reprimanded fined or temporarily suspended for such comments.

Mexico: Journalist shot dead in Guerrero state

By Jose Antonio Rivera And Peter Orsi ASSOCIATED PRE SS

ACAPULCO, Mexico — A journalist has been murdered in the troubled southern state of Guerrero, Mexican authorities said Friday, adding to a long list of reporter killings in what is considered one of the world’s most dangerous countries for media professionals.

The Guerrero state prosecutor’s office said in a statement that Cecilio Pineda Birto was shot dead Thursday evening in Ciudad Altamirano while in a hammock at a car wash waiting for his car to be serviced. Prosecutors said two attackers arrived on a motorcycle and one of them fired a handgun, according to eyewitness accounts.

Authorities were in-

vestigating, and there was no immediate word on whether his killing may have been related to his work.

Pineda was the founder of La Voz de Tierra Caliente, collaborated with various other media outlets and also published reports via Facebook, said Carlos Lauria, senior program coordinator for the Americas at the U.S.based Committee to Protect Journalists, who has been working to document the case.

Lauria told The Associated Press that according to a witness, Pineda was shot at least 10 times “execution-style,” including once in the neck and four times in the chest.

Pineda was apparently receiving threats on a weekly basis, mostly through social media, according to Lauria. He

added that Pineda escaped a previous attempt to kill him in September 2015 when a gunman shot at him at his home.

Guerrero state security spokesman Roberto Alvarez Heredia said Pineda had been in a special protection program for journalists for a time in 2015, but those protections were ended after it was determined that the risk had diminished. He said Pineda could have appealed the decision but did not.

Alvarez Heredia called the victim “a model journalist” who “was very exposed” for his work reporting in a dangerous area.

“Often he got ahead in reporting situations before they were even known by the municipal authorities,” Alvarez Heredia said.

According to the CPJ, at least 37 journalists have

been killed in Mexico since 1992 for motives confirmed as directly related to their work.

Forty-nine more were slain during the same period in circumstances that have not yet been fully explained.

“Mexico is clearly the worst, most dangerous place for journalists in the Western Hemisphere,” Lauria said. “And what makes it worse is the impunity surrounding most of these cases that perpetuates a climate of violence where journalists are left wide open to attacks.”

Ciudad Altamirano is an area where heroinproducing poppy crops are grown in a region disputed by several drug gangs. Recently some of the most fighting has been between members of La Familia cartel and a group known as Los Tequileros.

A6 | Saturday, March 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

BUSINESS

Interior Sec. Zinke promises review of coal leasing program

By Matthew Daly A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

WASHINGTON — Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Friday promised a comprehensive review of the federal coal leasing program, even as President Donald Trump moves to do away with a moratorium on coal leases on public lands.

Trump, who has vowed to revitalize the slumping coal industry, is expected to issue an executive order any day now abandoning the moratorium on new coal leases imposed under the Obama administration.

Zinke, who was sworn in Wednesday as interior secretary, said he will "look at everything across the board" on coal, adding that the department is likely to revamp the leasing program to ensure maximum value for coal companies and taxpayers alike.

Under the current coal leasing program, "there is no probability that actually you can do with that lease what's intended with it," he said, comparing federal lease sales to junk bonds.

"Rather than selling a junk bond, we need to look at maybe selling a

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

In this 2017 file photo, Interior Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington.

double-A bond," the former Montana congressman told reporters after an introductory speech to Interior employees. "I think we all benefit from that."

The Interior Department "needs to do a lot of homework upfront, look at that (lease) and value it correctly," Zinke said.

"And also give the buyer a

probability that there is a return on investment."

As a former Boy Scout, Zinke said he wants to "make sure when I leave the campground it's returned to the same or better" condition. "I think America on our public lands has the same view," he said.

The Obama administration imposed a three-year

moratorium on new coal leases on federal lands in January 2016, arguing that the $1 billion-a-year program must be modernized to ensure a fair financial return to taxpayers and address climate change.

The coal program has remained largely unchanged for more than 30 years despite complaints that low royalty rates and

a near-total lack of competition have cost the government hundreds of millions of dollars a year in untapped revenue.

The moratorium imposed by then-Interior Secretary Sally Jewell drew praise from environmental groups and Democrats, but condemnation from Republicans who called it another volley in

what they asserted was a "war on coal" waged by President Barack Obama.

At least 30 mining applications in nine states have been blocked under the directive, according to a federal list obtained by The Associated Press.

Some of the largest projects are in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana, the nation's top coal-producing region.

More than 40 percent of U.S. coal production, or about 450 million tons a year, comes from public lands in Wyoming, Montana and other Western states, bringing in more than $1 billion in annual revenue.

Coal reserves under lease before the moratorium was imposed can continue to be mined.

In a speech to Congress this week, Trump boasted about "a historic effort to massively reduce job crushing regulations," including some that threaten "the future and livelihoods of our great coal miners."

Trump signed a law last month overturning an Obama administration rule to prevent coal mining debris from being dumped into nearby streams.

‘Frankenstein’ U.S. border tax will hurt consumers, Canada warns

By Josh Wingrove and Andrew Mayeda B L OOM BE RG NEWS

A proposal by House Republicans to raise taxes on imports would be bad for American consumers and is opposed by Canada, the country’s envoy to Washington said.

While the details of House Speaker Paul Ryan’s tax plan — and the White House’s interest in it — remain unclear, Canada is against any measures to simply tax imports across the board, Ambassador David MacNaughton said in an interview on Friday.

“Any border tariff that punishes imports is a bad idea from our point of view, and we will aggressively present al-

ternatives as opposed to just opposing it,” MacNaughton said from his office in Washington.

“The reality is that the notion of simply taxing imports is not a good idea — not a good idea for the Americans, and not a good idea for Canada.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised his concerns in a meeting with Ryan last month, but MacNaughton said the appetite for any border tax among the House, Senate and with President Donald Trump remains unclear.

Canada is the top buyer of U.S. exports and the second-largest trading partner overall, leaving it highly vulnerable to both a border tax and any pending changes to the North American Free

Trade Agreement. For trade moving in the other direction, Canada is the biggest foreign supplier of oil to the U.S. Ryan’s “border-adjustment” plan would tax goods based on where they’re consumed, rather than produced. The proposal would replace the U.S. corporate income tax of 35 percent and charge U.S. companies’ domestic sales and imports at a new 20 percent rate. Exports would be exempted.

The plan would raise more than $1 trillion over 10 years — revenue that Ryan and other supporters say is needed to pay for other tax cuts for U.S. businesses and individuals.

Trump has also floated the idea of a “border tax” as a way to encourage

companies to keep production in the U.S. But it’s unclear if he means an increase in tariffs, or a tax levied on companies that relocate production off shore.

Ryan has not yet detailed whether there would be exemptions to certain countries or products, MacNaughton said. Canada believes Ryan favors border import tariffs as a revenue tool — to finance other tax cuts — instead of an across-the-board consumption tax, known also as a value-added tax, or VAT. “They don’t want to put in a straight consumption tax because they know they can’t get it through” and approved by lawmakers, McNaughton said. “This would all be solved by

simply saying, we’re going to have a consumption tax. So they’ve got a half-consumption-tax” that is being proposed by Ryan. MacNaughton called it “kind of a Frankenstein VAT.” The proposal may raise prices of gas and consumer goods, with the Canadian envoy saying those considering the policy should think about people shopping at Wal-Mart. American retailers have spearheaded a publicity campaign against the plan. Canada would propose alternatives to the U.S. and work to find alternatives to a flat border tax, he said.

“Until we see what they’ve got in mind, I think it’d be speculation as to what. I’m just saying if there’s something

that simply taxes imports into the United States, that would be something we would clearly oppose,” said MacNaughton.

Canada expects Trump to give notice sooner rather than later on Nafta renegotiations, MacNaughton said.

Trump’s press for Nafta changes is mostly aimed at Mexico, although the Canadians are optimistic the North American Free Trade Agreement can be preserved, he said.

“I think we will find a way to get to a good place on strengthening the economic relationship between Canada and the United States,” along with trade, he said. “But there’s going to be bumps along the way. It’s not going to be smooth sailing.”

Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, March 4, 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.

COMPETENCIA CARNE ASADA 1 Competencia Carne Asada por el 45 avo.

Aniversario de la Feria del Condado de Zapata, el sábado 4 de marzo desde las 7 a.m. Cuota de entrad 200 dólares por equipo. Categorías: Pollo, pan y frijoles charros. Para mayores informes llame a Aaron Cruz (956) 240-3408.

CABALGATA 1 Cabalgata Bluestone por el 45 avo.

Aniversario de la Feria del Condado de Zapata, el sábado 4 de marzo. Inicia con desayuno para jinetes a las 7 a.m., en Bustamante Roping Arena.

Cabalgata inicia a las 8 a.m.; 12:30 comida en el Pabellón de la Feria de Zapata.

TRÁMITES CONSULARES 1 El Consulado de México estará en la Ciudad de Roma, el sábado 4 de marzo, donde los residentes podrán realizar los trámites de expedición de matrícula consular y pasaporte, en el Centro Mundial de las Aves, Plaza Histórica frente a la Iglesia Católica Nuestra Señora del Refugio, esquina de Portscheller y avenida Convento. Mayores informes en el Consulado de México en McAllen al teléfono 956-686-0243.

SEGURIDAD FRONTERIZA

Discuten acciones proactivas Cuéllar propone opciones estratégicas Por César G. Rodríguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

Dos días después de que el presidente Donald Trump pronunciara su primer discurso ante el Congreso donde reiteró la construcción de un "gran muro", el congresista Henry Cuéllar se reunió con la Patrulla Fronteriza de Estados Unidos, líderes municipales y de los condados de Laredo y Zapata para adoptar un enfoque proactivo hacia la seguridad fronteriza.

Cuéllar calificó a la mesa redonda de seguridad fronteriza como una reunión productiva donde los funcionarios tomaron una posición proactiva y acordaron "trabajar juntos en cuestiones de seguridad fronteriza", dijo el congresista.

"La seguridad fronteriza, como ustedes saben con la nueva administración de Trump, ha

puesto énfasis en un muro. Un muro tiene diferentes tipos de connotaciones. Podría ser un muro como la Gran Muralla de China. Podría ser una cerca. Podría ser una barrera. Podría ser cosas diferentes. Es por eso que estamos teniendo esta conversación ... Creo que todos ustedes conocen nuestra posición. No queremos ver una cerca o una pared", dijo Cuéllar.

"Pero si tenemos que considerar opciones, queremos considerar algo estratégico, y diré esto muy cuidadosamente, yo no estoy apoyando una cerca sino un cercado estratégico en ciertos puntos problemáticos”.

Cuéllar mantuvo su posición en contra de la construcción del muro.

“No queremos un muro. Más bien buscamos más tecnología. Sin duda queremos ver más personal. Eso es lo que queremos. Pero la mayoría

republicana, que incluye al presidente, el señor Trump, si asignan más dinero para una cerca, habrá una cerca, entonces queremos sentarnos y hablar acerca un cercado estratégico”.

Cuéllar, funcionarios de Laredo y Zapata se reunieron con la Patrulla Fronteriza de los Estados Unidos para abordar la seguridad fronteriza de una manera sistemática y revisar la zona fronteriza milla por milla.

"No apoyo un muro.

Prefiero no ver ningún cercado, pero si algunos puntos problemáticos requieren un cercado estratégico, queremos poder aportar para determinar qué es considerado un punto problemático", dijo Cuéllar.

Cuéllar dijo que ha discutido con funcionarios de Laredo la construcción de una barrera de cemento a lo largo de las riberas, similar al dique que existe en el Valle del Río Grande.

"Queremos minimizar cualquier cercado estratégico. Queremos ver más énfasis en el uso de aerostatos, cámaras,

ZAPATA COUNTY FAIR

Reacción de Zapata En Zapata, la Patrulla Fronteriza ha estado usando un aerostato que cubre 40 millas. Las autoridades han descubierto que su implementación es efectiva, dijo Joe Rathmell, Juez del Condado de Zapata.

"Sería de gran ayuda si hubiera más de esos dirigibles, sin duda", dijo Rathmell.

Un muro a lo largo de los bancos del lago no sería beneficioso.

"Si el acceso al lago fuera restringido, tendría un efecto devastador en nuestra economía. Estamos muy preocupados por eso", dijo Rathmell.

"Juntos podemos llegar a una solución que mejore la seguridad nacional y, al mismo tiempo, no atente contra nuestros residentes".

Muchos pescadores de todo el país visitan Zapata. Un muro restringiría su acceso al lago, dijo

Rathmell. Además, los agricultores y ganaderos tendrían problemas para obtener agua para su ganado, dijo el juez.

"Queremos proteger a nuestros residentes, pero no estamos a favor de una barrera física”, dijo Rathmell, quien favorece la contratación de más agentes y mayores recursos para la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata.

Raymundo Del Bosque Jr. jefe de la Oficina del Alguacil Raymundo Del Bosque Jr. hizo eco del comentario.

"Estamos totalmente en contra (del muro).

Nuestra ciudad, nuestro lago es nuestra principal atracción turística y uno de los centros de actividades en el estado de Texas que atrae gente e ingresos. Sería muy perjudicial para nuestra economía ", dijo Del Bosque Jr. Para fines de seguridad fronteriza, Del Bosque preferiría recibir asistencia para contratar a más oficiales de paz y trabajar en conjunto con las autoridades del orden del área.

REALEZA DE ZAPATA

Foto de cortesía

El Puente Colgante Miguel Alemán-Roma celebra su aniversario número 89 el día de hoy.

Celebran aniversario de puente colgante

Roma High School Gladiator Band—Superhero 5 K— el 4 de marzo en la Arena Gladiator. Registro a las 7:30 a.m. Carrera inicia a las 8 a.m..

Cuota de participación 15 dólares. Mayores informes al 849—2440

E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

FERIA DE ZAPATA

LABORATORIO COMPUTACIONAL 1 Ciudad de Roma pone a disposición de la comunidad Laboratorio Computacional que abre de lunes a viernes en horario de 1 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Historical Plaza. Informes en el 956-849-1411.

sensores. Pero si hay algún cercado estratégico, queremos poder aportar. Es por eso que tuvimos esta reunión hoy", dijo el congresista.

MIGUEL ALEMÁN-ROMA

CARRERA 5 K

1 Arranca 45ava.

Feria del Condado de Zapata, el jueves 9 de marzo desde las 5 p.m., con la presentación de Elida Reyna y Avante en terrenos de la Feria de Zapata.

1 Presentación de Kevin Fowler, Siggno y Jaime y Los Chamacos el viernes 10 de marzo desde las 5 p.m., en terrenos de la Feria de Zapata.

1 Desfile de la Feria del Condado de Zapata iniciará a las 8:30 el sábado 11 de marzo a las 8:30 a.m. en 3a. Avenida.

1 Presentación de Intocable, La Leyenda y Los Traileros del Norte el sábado 11 de marzo desde las 5 p.m., en terrenos de la Feria de Zapata.

A7

Foto por Graphitiks

La reina de la Feria del Condado de Zapata, Clarisa Yvette García, izquierda, y la princesa Triana Isabel González, posan para una fotografía como las representantes reales de la feria para el 2017

COLUMNA

Tamaulipas adopta cuera como traje icónico Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

De tintes rojizos, despliega largos flecos al frente, en la parte baja de las mangas y atrás. Cosidos, lleva contrastantes arabescos y grecas que le dan realce. En la espalda ostenta el complejo emblema de la entidad federativa. La vistosa chamarra pueden lucirla hombres y mujeres, con similares pantalones o faldas, respectivamente. Hablamos de la cuera tamaulipeca, cuyos orígenes en nada

desmerecen.

Remontémonos a horizontes novohispanos, cuando los pueblos originarios de Aridoamérica oponen brava y tenaz resistencia. Provistos al principio de corazas y cascos, sufren los conquistadores severos reveses.

El blindaje metálico a la postre va sustituyéndose por uniformes de cuero vacuno. Duros, económicos, ligeros, resisten hasta cierto punto flechazos enemigos.

Durante el siglo XIX la indumentaria de marras ensancha presencia en la

vida civil y campirana, incluido el centro del país.

Así lo reflejan pintores de la época. No obstante, continúa el uso militar del atavío. “Los soldados de la frontera” septentrional –observa hacia 1839 Manuel Payno en Tamaulipas–, combaten “incursiones de … tribus bárbaras”; “su vestido se compone de” chaparreras “de gamuza, un cotón (o chaqueta) de lo mismo … y un sombrero tendido”.

Tamaulipas la adopta como traje icónico, distinguiéndola con determinadas características.

El Municipio de Miguel Alemán, México, que encabeza la alcaldesa Rosy Corro se encuentra listo para conmemorar el 89 aniversario del Puente Internacional de suspensión Miguel AlemánRoma, el único puente colgante a lo largo de la frontera que bordea el Río Grande entre Estados Unidos y México.

Su aniversario es celebrado de manera conjunta y alterna por ambas ciudades desde hace más de 20 años.

El puente ha conseguido ser reconocido como punto histórico por la Comisión Histórica de Texas y como monumento artístico en México, lo que garantiza su permanencia.

En febrero de 2004, el puente logró ser declarado Monumento Artístico Nacional por el Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes.

“Decreto por el que se declara monumento artístico la construcción conocida como Antiguo Puente Internacional de Suspensión, ubicado en Ciudad Miguel Alemán, Estado de Tamaulipas”, se lee en la publicación del Diario Oficial de la Nación que lleva la rúbrica de Vicente Fox Quesada, presidente de México en ese momento.

“Que la construcción

conocida como Antiguo Puente Internacional de Suspensión, … realizada por el arquitecto George E. Cole en 1928, representa una forma de expresión artística de la arquitectura, en donde se refleja la armonía arquitectónica en relación con la integración geográfica y cultural de la región, simbolizando una época de desarrollo y prosperidad económica que vivieron las poblaciones fronterizas ribereñas”.

Siendo ciudad Miguel Alemán, la ciudad sede, el día de hoy, desde las 10 a.m., se estará dando inicio al programa con el abrazo fraternal entre las delegaciones de México y Estados Unidos a mediación del puente, conocido como “Abrazo de Amistad”.

Posteriormente se llevará a cabo un acto mexicano de baile para los visitantes en el salón Millenium así como la degustación de comida mexicana.

Se espera la asistencia de importantes autoridades de ambos países como Secretarios de Estado así como el Cónsul de México en Mcallen y autoridades del valle de Texas, concluyendo los festejos programados del aniversario del puente colgante, único en su tipo en toda la frontera norte con Estados Unidos.

A8 | Saturday, March 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

NATIONAL

Lisa Poole / AP

This 2008 file photo shows the campus of Harvard University. Harvard University is taking new steps to confront its past ties to slavery. The Ivy League school is hosting a conference Friday, exploring the historical ties between slavery and early universities.

Harvard publicly acknowledges historical ties to slavery

By Collin Binkley A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.

— Harvard University publicly acknowledged its deep ties to colonial-era slavery on Friday, casting a light on parts of its history that long remained in the shadows.

At a conference that Harvard organized to explore the relationship between colleges and slavery, university President Drew Faust said the school must confront the grimmer parts of its past before it can move forward.

"Harvard was directly complicit in slavery from the college's earliest days in the 17th century until the system of bondage ended in Massachusetts in 1783," Faust, a historian, said in her opening speech. "We look at both past and present today in the firm belief that only by coming to terms with history can we free ourselves to create a more just world."

Scholars from several universities gathered at the Cambridge campus to present research detailing how Harvard and other early American schools benefited from slavery.

At least two of Harvard's early presidents brought slaves to live and work on campus, historians said. Some of the school's major donors made their fortunes

through slave labor or the slave trade. The university invested in merchant voyages trading crops produced by slaves. The 19th century Harvard scientist Louis Agassiz promoted theories about race that were used to justify slavery.

"Some of our most esteemed educational institutions are also the product of some of the most horrific violence that has ever descended on any group of people," said Sven Beckert, a Harvard history professor who has studied the school's slavery ties.

Other colleges, including the University of Virginia, used slaves to build and operate their campuses, and some were founded by wealthy merchants involved in the slave trade.

Harvard is the latest in a string of universities that have sought to confront their connections to slavery recently, often only after students demanded it.

Last month, Yale University agreed to change the name of a residential college that honored a 19th century alumnus who was a fierce supporter of slavery. Columbia University issued a report in January examining its link to slavery.

Georgetown University announced last year it will give admission preference to the descendants of 272 slaves who were sold in 1838 to save the

school's finances.

At Harvard, the topic reached a crescendo last year after students demanded the law school abandon its coat of arms, which was taken from the family crest of a slave-owner who helped found the school.

The law school eventually agreed to drop the shield, and weeks later Faust called on further exploration of the school's past relationship with slavery.

But there's still debate at Harvard about how to reconcile for past wrongdoings. At the conference, writer and keynote speaker Ta-Nehisi Coates drew applause when he suggested colleges make some sort of financial reparations for their role in slavery.

"I don't know how you conduct research that shows that your very existence is rooted in a great crime, and you just, well, shrug, and maybe at best say I'm sorry," said Coates, who writes for The Atlantic magazine.

"You have to do the right thing and try to make some amends."

Coates praised Georgetown's effort to help slave descendants but said there's still work to be done.

Faust said the university will continue to investigate its past, adding that the conference was only the "beginning of a very important trajectory of discovery."

Andrew Harnik / AP

This file photo shows Vice President Mike Pence pausing as he speaks before administering the oath of office to Energy Secretary Rick Perry Thursday in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington.

WH defends Pence's use of private email

By Ken Thomas ASSOCIATED PRE SS

WASHINGTON — A White House spokeswoman said Friday that Vice President Mike Pence, "did everything to the letter of the law," after public records revealed that he used a private email account to conduct public business as Indiana's governor.

The Indianapolis Star reported that emails provided through a public records request show that Pence communicated with advisers through his personal AOL account on homeland security matters and security at the governor's residence during his four years as governor.

The governor also faced email security issues.

Pence's AOL account was subjected to a phishing scheme last spring, before he was chosen by Donald Trump to join the GOP presidential ticket. Pence's contacts were sent an email falsely claiming that the governor and his wife were stranded in the Philippines and needed money.

As Trump's running mate, Pence frequently criticized rival Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server as President Barack Obama's secretary of state, accusing her of purposely keeping her emails out of public reach

and shielding her from scrutiny.

Sarah Sanders, the White House spokeswoman, doubled down on that defense, stressed to reporters on Air Force One that state and federal laws are different and claiming that is efforts to turn over the messages to be archived are "why anybody even knows about the account."

"He did everything to the letter of the law," she said.

Pence spokesman Marc Lotter added that "the comparison is absurd" because Clinton had set up a private server in her home at the start of her tenure at the State Department and, unlike Clinton, Pence did not handle any classified material as Indiana's governor.

The governor moved to a different AOL account with additional security measures, but has since stopped using the new personal account since he was sworn-in as vice president, said Lotter.

Lotter said Pence "maintained a state email account and a personal email account" like previous governors in the state.

At the end of his term Pence directed outside counsel to review all of his communications to ensure that state-related emails were transferred and properly archived by the state, the spokesman

said.

The newspaper reported that the office of Pence's successor, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, released more than 30 pages from Pence's AOL account, but declined to release an unspecified number of emails because they were considered confidential.

Public officials are not barred from using personal email accounts under Indiana law, but the law is interpreted to mean that any official business conducted on private email must be retained to comply with public record laws.

The state requires all records pertaining to state business to be retained and available for public information requests.

Emails involving state email accounts are captured on the state's servers, but any emails that Pence may have sent from his AOL account to another private account would need to be retained.

At the end of his term, Pence hired the Indianapolis law firm of Barnes & Thornburg to conduct a review of all of his communications and that review is still ongoing, Lotter said. Any correspondence between Pence's AOL account and any aides using a state email account would have been automatically archived, he said.

Former journalist arrested, charged with threats against Jewish facilities

By Mark Berman and Matt Zapotosky WA S H INGT ON P O ST

Authorities investigating recent bomb threats against Jewish institutions nationwide arrested a former journalist Friday morning and said he was behind at least some of the threats, describing them as part of the man’s campaign to harass a woman.

The arrest in St. Louis appears to be the first made in response to a recent wave of bomb threats at Jewish centers and schools across the country in recent days.

Headstones also have been vandalized at Jewish cemeteries in Missouri, Pennsylvania and, most recently, upstate New York.

But officials said Friday that they don’t believe the man — Juan Thompson, 31 — was behind all of the calls or the vandalism.

The bomb threats against Jewish centers and schools in January and February — including another string of such calls on Monday that evacuated schools in Maryland and Virginia, among other places — brought the total number of incidents to 100 across dozens of states, according to the Jewish Community Center Association of

North America. The threatening behavior, arriving at a time of increased anxiety about anti-Semitism, has prompted frenzied evacuations and forced people to scramble from schools, offices and daycare facilities, sometimes pushing cribs carrying young children.

Last month, a bomb threat was called in to the Anti-Defamation League’s headquarters in New York. Police said that a search did not turn up a bomb.

The FBI arrested Thompson on Friday morning in St. Louis, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York.

Thompson is a journalist who was fired from the Intercept, an investigative journalism website, for fabricating quotes and misleading colleagues to cover his tracks. In an editor’s note last year, the publication said Thompson had engaged in “a pattern of deception” and wrote that he created fake email accounts to impersonate people.

“We were horrified to learn this morning that Juan Thompson, a former employee of The Intercept, has been arrested in connection with bomb threats against the ADL

and multiple Jewish Community Centers in addition to cyberstalking,” Charlotte Greensit, the Intercept’s managing editor, said in a statement Friday. “These actions are heinous and should be fully investigated and prosecuted.”

Greensit said Thompson worked at the Intercept from November 2014 until he was fired in January 2016.

An FBI spokeswoman said Thompson is not believed to be responsible for all the threats to Jewish Community Centers across the country.

Thompson was arrested in St. Louis, not far from a Jewish cemetery in suburban University City, Mo., where 150 headstones were recently vandalized, but the spokeswoman said he is not believed to be responsible for that incident.

Thompson was charged with cyberstalking for allegedly communicating at least eight threats to Jewish Community Centers as part of a sustained campaign of harassment targeting a woman.

Relatives for Thompson could not be located in the wake of his arrest.

According to the complaint, the woman and Thompson had been in a romantic relationship, and after their relation-

ship ended, he began sending defamatory emails and faxes to her workplace, making false reports that she was involved in criminal activity and making threats to the Jewish centers in her name.

Authorities also said some of his threats were made in his own name, part of what they believe was an effort to make it seem as if the woman was trying to frame him. Attempts to reach the woman were not immediately successful.

The criminal complaint filed in federal court points to his Twitter page, where he rails about an ex-girlfriend he describes as a “nasty/racist #whitegirl.” In one tweet, Thompson accused the woman of harassing and threatening him before saying she had framed him for a bomb threat to a Jewish Community Center.

Thompson’s page also expresses disdain for President Donald Trump and white people generally. Trump earlier this week condemned the anti-Semitic threats and vandalism, his second such condemnation, but in a meeting with attorneys general he also questioned who was behind it and apparently suggested that it may have been the

work of his political opponents.

Trump said that while the threats were reprehensible, sometimes it’s “the reverse,” according to two attorneys general at the meeting. He also said last month that some bigoted public sentiments could be traced to his opponents and “it won’t be my people,” but will be done to make his supporters look bad.

ADL leaders said Friday that law enforcement officials informed them that the arrest was made in the case of a bomb threat against its offices as well as “several other” facilities.

The New York Police Department confirmed that an arrest was made and referred further questions to the FBI. The bureau did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“The defendant allegedly caused havoc, expending hundreds of hours of police and law enforcement resources to respond and investigate these threats,” James P. O’Neill, the New York police commissioner, said in a statement. “We will continue to pursue those who peddle fear, making false claims about serious crimes.”

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly re-

cently pledged additional support to Jewish communities after “unacceptable and escalating threats and actual harassment directed at faith-based communities around the country, with a particular focus on threats to Jewish Community Centers.”

In a statement, Kelly had said he was directing the agency “to heighten our outreach and support to enhance public safety.”

As part of that, a branch of Homeland Security spoke with executive directors of the JCC association to offer more help with training and protective measures, he said.

On Thursday, the ADL said that at least 16 headstones were toppled at a cemetery in Rochester, N.Y., that it said has been used by the Jewish community there for nearly a century.

“A number of headstones were recently vandalized and toppled over at Waad Hakolel Cemetery in Rochester,” New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, D, said in a statement. “Given the wave of bomb threats targeting Jewish community centers and disturbing vandalism at Jewish cemeteries nationwide, I am directing the state police to immediately launch a full investigation into this matter.”

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, March 4, 2017 |

A9

ENTERTAINMENT

Subtle 'gay moment' in new Disney film generates buzz

By Jocelyn Noveck A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

The so-called "gay moment" in Disney's new live-action version of "Beauty and the Beast" is so subtle that one could easily miss it with an ill-timed sneeze or glance away from the screen.

And it may sail over the heads of young viewers.

But the cast and director say it is indeed a gay moment — one they're proud of. And advocates are calling it a big step forward for Disney and for youth entertainment.

Mere word of it was also enough to lead one Alabama drive-in theater to cancel plans to show the film.

The scene in question involves the character of LeFou (Josh Gad), the timid and lovable sidekick to the preening villain Gaston (Luke Evans).

Without spoiling too much, it's safe to say that LeFou spends much of the film in Gaston's thrall, and toward the end also has a moment where the

same-sex theme is more overt.

At the film's Los Angeles premiere on Thursday evening, Gad said he was "very proud" of the scene. "(Director) Bill Condon did an amazing job of giving us an opportunity to create a version of LeFou that isn't like the original ... but that makes him more human and makes him a wonderfully complex character to some extent," he said.

"And there's a moment at the end of the film that I don't want to ruin ... because I want the surprise to be intact, but I'm very proud of it. I think it's an incredible moment and it's subtle, but I think it's effective."

Condon suggested that descriptions of LeFou as the first Disney gay character went too far. "I keep saying it's more like the first gay moment," he said. "Because I think it's a very fluid character."

The director added: "You can't help but wonder in his adoration of Gaston ... (is there) something more going on?"

TRADE From page A1 lican National Committee, according to federal campaign data.

Nixon explained himself with a June 8 fundraising letter to “friends and colleagues” urging them to support Trump because the other choices — voting for Democrat Hillary Clinton or not voting at all — were unacceptable.

“We need a candidate who can cut the red tape and lift the regulatory burdens off the backs of business, so that companies can grow, expand, and create jobs,” Nixon wrote. “I do believe that if Donald Trump wins, he will engage in the traditional thinking of solving real problems and getting our fiscal house in order.”

Still, Nixon’s visit to the Express-News on Wednesday, the day after Trump’s first address to a joint session of Congress, largely was about the damage some of Trump’s most popular ideas could do to the Texas and border economies.

Nixon highlighted how Laredo has been the primary beneficiary of NAFTA, with free trade feeding its growth to the largest inland port and third largest Customs district in the United States.

“Trade with Mexico and Canada has grown from basically near zero to well past a trillion dollars, and every state of the union has benefited,” he said. “That is something that I don’t think should be unwound … because it’s been mutually beneficial.”

He agreed with Trump that some of the country’s trade deals were unfair and that the 23year-old NAFTA needed to be revisited to take in Mexico’s newly opened oil and gas industry as well as technical advances that have transformed commerce.

However, he said he was frightened that Trump may be going overboard on nationalism and said border communities already were seeing a backlash against Trump’s insulting tone and proposal for tariffs on Mexico’s exports to the U.S. “Mexico has already done some boycotting of American institutions in Mexico,” he said.

“We’ve seen travel diminish along the border.

We’ve seen fewer shoppers, fewer people coming. … We are not going to be able to do these things without some sort of response. You slap me, I slap you back.”

Plans to increase the number of Customs and Border Protection agents and spend $20 billion on a border wall missed the point that unauthorized immigrant apprehensions have declined from a peak of 1.6 million to about 400,000 last year, he said. He blamed the more recent surge of unaccompanied minors from Central America on a system that encouraged them to come.

“We’ve gone out and increased the Border Patrol, increased the Border Patrol, increased the Border Patrol, and all they’re doing is catching more and more people that we can’t process and handle with the legal system,” he said.

Nixon passed out a pamphlet, “Common Sense Border Security Solutions: Thoughts from Dennis E. Nixon,” which among other things suggests beefing up the immigration system instead of releasing minors to relatives due to backlogged courts, clearing the Rio Grande of nonnative weeds and Carrizo cane that impede border apprehensions, and building riverside patrol roads for the Border Patrol.

As for whether he’d gotten Trump’s ear on his concerns, he said he’d tried.

“I’ve mentioned it and I’ve talked to him about it,” he said. “I haven’t had an hour where I could sit down and say pay attention to these issues. I’ve had spurts and moments that I could talk to him and I’ve talked to a lot of good people around him. And I believe they’ll eventually see the reason.”

Laurie Sparham / AP

This image released by Disney shows Josh Gad as Le Fou, left, and Luke Evans as Gaston in a scene from, "Beauty and the Beast," opening nationwide on March 17.

The length of the scene is not what's important, said Sarah Kate Ellis, president of GLAAD, the LGBTQ media advocacy group.

"It's a wonderful step forward," she said. "And this is incredibly important for the youth of today.

They need to see themselves reflected in the media they consume.

More and more, as studios want to appeal to youth audiences, they're going to have to include LGBTQ story lines and characters."

Ellis noted that in the annual survey that GLAAD puts together on LGBTQ inclusion in movies, "we have struggled year after year to find any content in major studio

films. We're usually the punching bag or the laughingstock. So this is an enormous step forward for us."

In the past, many have speculated on what they see as "coded" gay characters, or winking references to gay characters or themes in Disney and other youth-oriented films. Ellis said the difference here is that "we're moving from coded, where you have to put together the pieces, to this being in the spotlight ... It shows the direction America is moving in."

A Facebook page that apparently belongs to the Henagar Drive-In Theatre in Henagar, Alabama, announced that the theater won't be showing the

film as planned because its operators are "first and foremost Christians" and "will not compromise on what the Bible teaches."

"If we cannot take our 11-year-old granddaughter and 8-year-old grandson to see a movie we have no business watching it," the message said. Theater operators did not immediately respond to emails or phone messages to confirm the Facebook posting. The theater's website continued on Friday to say the film was coming in March.

Audra McDonald, the Tony-winning Broadway actress who plays a particularly tuneful supporting character in "Beauty and the Beast," said she was "so honored" to be a

part of the moment. "The thing is, Disney's not doing anything all that revolutionary," she said.

"LGBTQ people have always existed, interracial couples have always existed. And now they're shining light on it. So they're just representing the world the way it actually is and I think that's spectacular and necessary."

(Interracial couples also appear in the film.)

Evans said the scene in question was "about unity.

It's about never judging a book by its cover, but digging a little deeper and understanding to not be fearful of things you don't know, people that are a little different to you. Fear is not a good thing to fuel."

Here’s what critics say about Nintendo Switch

By Daniel Victor C.2017 NEW YORK TIME S NEWS SERVICE

Early reviews of the Nintendo Switch were largely positive, but most of the enthusiasm was tempered by reviewers’ inability to test key aspects of the gaming console, including online play and game downloading.

Naturally, there is plenty of disagreement among reviewers about the hybrid system, which will allow gamers to alternate between playing on their home TVs and playing on the go. Several reviewers said the system, released Friday, has enticing potential, but Nintendo has more to prove before it becomes a mustbuy for gamers.

Brian X. Chen of The New York Times called the Switch “mediocre as a portable gaming device, with short battery life and an OK screen.” But he said it “excels as a powerful and compelling home console.”

Buying the Switch is “a risk worth taking,” he said, but added that most people would be better off waiting.

Gamers may not have a

choice but to wait, anyway, if the initial supply is as limited as expected.

“The biggest deterrent to buying the Switch could be how tough it will be to get your hands on one. Nintendo said that it planned to make 2 million systems available worldwide this month — but if my fun experience with it is any indication, it might be hard to find one left on store shelves.”

On Engadget, Devindra Hardawar said the lack of full testing didn’t inspire confidence.

“Clearly, Nintendo was in a bit of a rush to launch the Switch. That’s a shame, because it’s tough, as a reviewer, to completely weigh in on a system that’s not quite finished. It’s also particularly worrying after the failure of the Wii U, a console that launched with a series of baffling issues, as well. If Nintendo wants to make shoppers more confident about its abilities to launch new hardware and networking capabilities, this isn’t a good start.”

But Is It Fun? That’s the bigger ques-

tion. Reviews were uniformly positive about “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” the biggest title available right away. But most noted the light catalog of games.

Nathan Olivarez-Giles of The Wall Street Journal said that “the Switch’s versatility will make it a must-have console like the legendary original Wii” if it can deliver exciting games. But for now, it’s too early to tell.

“As incredibly versatile as the Switch’s hardware and technical capabilities are, the console feels incomplete at launch without a strong lineup of games, access to Nintendo’s rich back catalog of iconic titles and really any online services to speak of. The Switch has the potential to be a console for everybody. But most everyone but die-hard Nintendo — well, ‘Legend of Zelda’ — fans should wait to see if it shapes up.”

On The Verge, Ross Miller said that the “Switch has all the makings of something truly great” and that Nintendo “has innovated upon some of its best ideas,” but that the company

would still have to prove it would support the console.

“The most shocking thing about the Switch might be how many obvious pitfalls Nintendo has managed to elegantly avoid.

Going from playing on the tablet to the TV is completely effortless, and there’s no sense of compromise whichever way you choose to play. Once you hold and use the Switch, it just makes sense.”

The Promised Versatility Does it truly work as a hybrid gaming system?

The staff at Polygon said it meets its basic promise “of a platform that will move without fanfare or effort across the hand-held and home console spaces.”

“There is something remarkable about seeing ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ running in portable mode, followed by that ‘wow’ moment of docking the console and continuing on a television.

It’s hard not to wonder if we’re staring at the future of portable gaming, with Nintendo and the Switch promising to bridge the gap between mobile and console.”

Schwarzenegger on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’: I quit

By David Bauder ASSOCIATED PRE SS

NEW YORK — Arnold Schwarzenegger said Friday that he’s through with “The New Celebrity Apprentice,” and he’s blaming President Donald Trump for the television reality show’s recent poor performance.

The former California governor said he wouldn’t mind working with NBC and producer Mark Burnett again “on a show that doesn’t have this baggage.”

Schwarzenegger replaced the president as host of the show, but Trump remained as an executive producer.

The president taunted Schwarzenegger for the show’s recent poor performance in the ratings, even mocking him during an address at the National Prayer Breakfast.

The show, which wrapped up its 15th season last month, averaged fewer

Paul Drinkwater / AP

This 2016 image shows Arnold Schwarzenegger in California. Schwarzenegger said, Friday, he's done with "The New Celebrity Apprentice," and blames President Trump for the show's recent poor performance.

than 5 million viewers per episode. That was lower than any other incarnation except for a 2010 Trumphosted edition without celebrities, and the most poorly-rated edition among the youthful viewers NBC cares most about, the Nielsen company said.

Even if he were asked again, Schwarzenegger said

he wouldn’t want to do it.

“With Trump being involved in the show people have a bad taste and don’t want to participate as a spectator or as a sponsor or in any other way support the show,” he said in an interview with the Empire web site. “It’s a very divisive period now and I think this show got caught up in all

that division.”

After Schwarzenegger’s debut in January, Trump took to Twitter to report the show had been swamped “in comparison to the ratings machine, DJT” — using his initials.

Schwarzenegger shot back on social media that he hoped Trump would work for the American people as aggressively as he did for his ratings. The actor, like Trump a Republican, did not endorse Trump and said during last fall’s campaign that he would not vote for him.

When “The New Celebrity Apprentice” ended its season last month, Trump tweeted that Schwarzenegger “did a really bad job as governor of California and even worse on The Apprentice, but at least he tried hard.”

NBC had no immediate comment about whether the show would return with a new host.

A10 | Saturday, March 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

FROM THE COVER

Cuellar

Zapata reacts In Zapata, Border Patrol has been using an aerostat Rathmell that covers 40 miles.

Authorities have found its implementation effective, said Zapata County Judge Joe Rathmell.

“More placement of those blimps would certainly help,” he said.

A wall along the lake banks would not be beneficial.

“If the access to the lake would be restricted, it would be have a devastating effect in our economy.

We are very concerned about that,” Rathmell said.

“Together we can come up with a solution that will improve homeland security, and at the same time, not infringe on our residents.”

Many fishermen from

Courtesy photo / U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar’s office

This photo shows the levee fencing in the Rio Grande Valley. Cuellar said he has discussed with Laredo officials having a cement barrier along the riverbanks similar to the levee.

around the country visit Zapata. A wall would restrict their access to the lake, Rathmell said. In addition, farmers and ranchers would have trouble getting water for their cattle, the judge said.

“We want to protect our residents, but a physical barrier, we’re not in favor of,” said Rathmell, who favors more agents on the grounds and resources for the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s Office Chief Raymundo Del Bosque Jr. echoed the comment.

“We’re totally against (the wall). Our town, our lake is our main tourist

attraction and one of the hubs for the state of Texas to bring in people and revenue. It would really hurt our economy,” he said.

For border security, Del Bosque would rather receive assistance to hire more peace officers and work together with area law enforcement agencies.

WHY DO I HEAR...

BUT NOT UNDERSTAND? Study by Cambridge University in England Reveals Key Answer

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ntil recently, there was no practical way to identify dead regions of hearing cells in the ear.

However, a new British-developed procedure using standard test equipment now allows for identification of dead hearing cell regions.

The study suggests that the presence or absence of dead regions may have serious implications in thefitting of hearing aids.

This research reveals that amplifying dead cells is a mistake which will result in poorer speech understanding in noise. A new type of digitally programmable microcircuit is now being released from Audibel – one of the world leaders in nanoScience technology – that can be programmed to bypass the dead cells. As a result, the patient’s usable hearing cells receive amplification, thereby improving speech understanding in noise.

“We are employing a like method in our diagnostic sound booths using a sound field speech in noise procedure”, said Randy Schoenborn of NewSound Hearing Aid Centers. “ This test simulates hearing in a noisy crowd. We are able to determine maximum speech understanding by frequency shaping this

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These new products come in all shell sizes, including the smallest digital models, with low introductory prices available. During its release, NewSound Hearing Aid Centers is offering this new frequency-shaping hearing instrument on a 30-day satisfaction trial. “Your satisfaction is absolutely guaranteed,” Schoenborn said.

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China. It could be a fence.

It could be a barrier. It could be different things.

This is why we are having this conversation … I think you all know our position. We don’t want to see a fence or a wall,” Cuellar said.

“But if things have to be looked at, we want to look at strategic, and I’ll say this very carefully, I’m not supporting a fence but strategic fencing in certain hot spots.”

Cuellar maintained his disapproval for the wall.

“We don’t want a wall.

We rather see more technology. We certainly want to see more personnel.

That’s what we want. But the Republican majority, which includes the president, Mr. Trump, if they put more monies for fencing and there will be a fencing, then we want to sit down and talk about strategic fencing.”

Cuellar, Laredo and Zapata officials sat down with U.S. Border Patrol to approach border security in a systematic way and review the border area mile by mile.

“I do not support a wall. I rather not see any fencing, but if we are going to be looking at some hot spots with strategic fencing, we want to have input as to what that hotspot is,” Cuellar said.

Cuellar said he has discussed with Laredo officials having a cement barrier along the riverbanks similar to the levee fencing in the Rio Grande Valley.

“We want to minimize any strategic fencing. We want to see more emphasis of aerostats, cameras, sensors personnel. But if there is some strategic

fencing, we want local input.

That’s why we had this meeting today,” he said.

UN

WALL From page A1

If you find a lower advertised price on an identical hearing aid at any local retail competitor, NewSound will beat their price by 10% when you buy from us. Just bring in the competitor’s current ad!

Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, March 4, 2017 |

B1

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS

Ware looking at return to Cowboys Former Dallas star may start and finish his career for Cowboys

By Clarence E. Hill FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM

Joe Mahoney / Associated Press file

Denver outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, right, may look to return to the Cowboys in free agency after winning a Super Bowl in 2015 with the Broncos.

INDIANAPOLIS — Defensive end DeMarcus Ware is eyeing a return to the Dallas Cowboys to bookend his career, per a source.

Ware, who will be 35 next season, is a free agent after playing the past three seasons with the Denver Broncos, where he won a Super Bowl ring in 2015.

Going back to Denver is an option, but so is a re-

turn to the Cowboys where he spent the first nine years of his career.

His representatives might have some informal talks with the Cowboys during the NFL scouting combine this week.

Ware continues on B2

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

TONY ROMO TO TEXANS? Growing belief Romo will head to Houston Mark Maske WA S H INGT ON P O ST

INDIANAPOLIS — As the NFL quarterback carousel prepares to begin spinning in free agency and those teams expected to be involved (and even those that aren’t) attempt to predict the next destination of Tony Romo, several people within the sport said they regard the Houston Texans as a strong contender.

There will be plenty of quarterback-related intrigue in the coming days and perhaps weeks with Romo, Jay Cutler and Colin Kaepernick among the veterans expected to be available. There is particularly intense interest about what will happen with Romo, the four-time Pro Bowl selec-

tion likely to leave the Dallas Cowboys after rookie sensation Dak Prescott took over as the team’s successful starter this past season while Romo was hurt.

The Texans and Denver Broncos have been prominent in the Romo speculation. Several agents and coaches and executives with other NFL teams said in recent days at the NFL scouting combine that they regard the Texans as the most likely destination for Romo.

“That one makes the most sense to me,” a highranking official with one franchise said. “I don’t think anyone in the league would be surprised to see that one happen.”

It is not clear yet if Cowboys owner Jerry Romo continues on B2

Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle file

Dallas quarterback Tony Romo is expected to be released this offseason, and Houston is becoming a strong landing site for the former Pro Bowler.

NCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

NBA: SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Baylor’s Mulkey apologizes for remarks about assault scandal ASSOCIATED PRE SS

Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press

Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey apologized for her recent comments addressing the school’s past history with assault scandals.

WACO — Baylor women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey made a tearful apology for her recent controversial remarks about the school’s

sexual assault scandal.

The two-time national championship coach said Thursday at a news conference that she’s “sorry for the choice of words.”

In defending the Baylor continues on B2

NCAA BASKETBALL: TCU HORNED FROGS

A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

FORT WORTH — A week into February, TCU had just pulled out a one-point victory at home and already won six Big 12 games under new coach Jamie Dixon.

The Horned Frogs,

who had only six conference wins combined the previous three seasons, were then rightly being projected for a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.

But that bubble has likely burst for TCU TCU continues on B2

After the Warriors have lost two straight following an injury to Kevin Durant, right, Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs are focused on themselves as they try to make up ground in the Western Conference.

Spurs focus on themselves as Warriors slump

Bubble bursting for TCU after quick start in Dixon’s debut

By Stephen Hawkins

Ben Margot / Associated Press file

By Tom Orsborn SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS

Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press file

With the Big 12 season winding down, TCU looks like it’s on the outside looking in for an NCAA tournament bid under first-year head coach Jamie Dixon.

NEW ORLEANS – With Kevin Durant sidelined, the league-leading Golden State Warriors are proving vulnerable – not that it matters to the Spurs.

The Warriors lost their second-straight game Thursday night, meaning the Spurs entered Friday trailing the two-time West champions by just

two games in the loss column and three games in the standings.

Coach Gregg Popovich says the Spurs aren’t going to get caught up in scoreboard watching, a stance some of his players echoed Friday morning at the team’s shootaround.

“We are just focused on what we need to do every game, making sure we get better as a team,” center Dewayne Demon said.

Spurs continues on B2

B2 | Saturday, March 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

SPORTS

Astros' Correa discusses offseason swing adjustments

By Jake Kaplan HOUSTON CHRONI CLE

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — When speaking at the end of last season of holes he needed to fix in his swing, Carlos Correa declined to elaborate.

But five months later, the first week of spring training games have provided clues as to which areas the Astros star shortstop focused on in the offseason.

Slight adjustments to Correa's stance have been evident through his first 12 Grapefruit League plate appearances.

Among the most noticeable differences: he's positioning his hands higher and standing a little taller.

Asked on Friday about the adjustments, Correa said he's been focused on keeping his elbow lower and more relaxed so his swing "can be more fluid." Last year his elbow was "a little higher," he said.

"I don't want (my elbow) to be above my shoulder," he said. "I want it to be level in order for me to stay behind the ball and drive it."

Correa, who is 2 for 8 with a double and four walks so far in spring, also acknowledged he's standing taller in the batter's box but "still staying strong in my legs."

"In 2015 I was standing a little taller, strong on my legs, giving myself

Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle

Houston shortstop Carlos Correa has been working on his swing in the offseason as the Astros have high expectations for their young team in the upcoming 2017 season.

more room to drive the ball," he said. "I'm working on my stride. I don't want it to be too long, either. I want it to stay short."

Over the winter, Correa worked in the Minute Maid Park batting cages about five afternoons a week with his father, Carlos Sr. He also had his longtime hitting coach from Puerto Rico, Jose

WARE From page B1 The only issue for Ware, regardless of where he signs, is his health.

He missed six games in 2016 and finished the season on injured reserve because of a ruptured disc in his back.

Ware is healthy after undergoing back surgery and believes he is ready to finish his career with a flourish, according to a source.

Ware is the Cowboys

SPURS From page B1 Backup big man David Lee said he fully expects the Warriors to bounce back from their “slump” and the loss of Durant to a knee injury.

Thursday’s loss at Chicago was the Warriors’ first full game since Durant went down early in Tuesday’s loss at

BAYLOR From page B1 school against critics after her 500th career win on Saturday night, Mulkey told Baylor fans to “knock them right in the face” if people say they don’t want to send their daughter to the school.

She also said it’s time to “move on” from the scandal.

“The timing wasn’t good. Poor analogy maybe, as well,” Mulkey said Thursday. “For those of you who know me, I’m an emotional person. I coach with emotion. I

TCU From page B1 (17-13, 6-11 Big 12), which hasn’t won again since beating Texas Tech 62-61 on Feb. 7.

“Certainly we can go win some games in the (Big 12) tournament and that can change everything,” Dixon said. “But we’re not going to win games playing the way we’re playing.”

Dixon returned to his alma mater after last season, when he led Pittsburgh to its 11th NCAA Tournament appearance in his 13 years as head coach.

“Simply put, we just aren’t getting it done,” Dixon said of his Frogs.

“I’m disappointed. I really believe we’re better than what we play, and I’m trying to instill that in our players. ... We have good enough play-

Brad Loper / Dallas Morning News file

DeMarcus Ware made a name for himself in the NFL with nine dominant years for the Cowboys.

all-time leading sacker and a future inductee in the team’s hallowed Ring of Honor.

The question for the

Cowboys is how much does he have left and how he fits in a Rod Marinelli’s defense that doesn’t generally make allowances for

Rivera, fly up for the last month of the offseason.

Correa said on Friday he's "been feeling really good at the plate" but made sure to point out several times that "it's been only eight at-bats."

"I want to do it for 600 at-bats," he said. "Try to stay consistent."

Odds and ends Lance McCullers' sim-

specialists.

But there is no doubt that a healthy Ware still fits a need for a Cowboys defense void of differencemaking pass rushers.

Ware recorded four sacks last season in a part-time role, despite missing six games with injuries.

He has 111/2 sacks over the past two seasons.

Ware also ranked higher among edge defenders in 2016, per Pro Football Focus, than any current Cowboys player, despite his limitations.

ulated game Saturday should last two innings.

If it goes well, he could start as soon as Thursday.

Dallas Keuchel remains on schedule to throw his simulated game on Tuesday morning during the team's off day.

Will Harris threw off a mound Friday and could get into his next game

within a few days. The reliever exited Tuesday's game mid-inning because of groin tightness but he and manager A.J. Hinch have downplayed the removal as precautionary.

Evan Gattis (shoulder soreness) has increased his throwing but won't catch his first Grapefruit League game until at the earliest Wednesday.

Elaine Thompson / Associated Press file

Dallas quarterback Tony Romo was injured in the preseason on a hit by Seattle defensive end Cliff Avril. The injury sidelined him most of the regular season and he lost his job to rookie Dak Prescott.

ROMO From page B1

ful defense that will again have J.J. Watt after he was injured and missed much of this past season. The Texans also have a proficient offensive line and running game and might regard themselves as a viable Super Bowl contender if they can add Romo and he can stay healthy and in the lineup.

The Broncos likewise can offer Romo a highpowered defense as a complement, and they are only one season removed from winning a Super Bowl title in quarterback Peyton Manning’s final season. Denver has bigger questions about its offensive line and running game. John Elway, the Hall of Fame quarterback who is the Broncos’ chief roster architect, also must balance any desire to develop young quarterbacks Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch with a possible urge to take a win-now approach with Romo.

Other possibilities for Romo might include the Kansas City Chiefs if they’re willing to unseat Alex Smith as their starter, which they say they aren’t, or the Buffalo Bills if they part with Tyrod Taylor.

Washington. Durant is out indefinitely with a sprained MCL in his left knee, but the Warriors haven’t ruled out a return before the playoffs.

“It’s a pretty big compliment when a slump is losing two games in a row,” said Lee, who helped the Warriors win the NBA title in 2014-15.

“They are a great team and they have the best record in the league and

that is who everyone is chasing. But we have got to take care of what we are doing.”

Fortunately for the Spurs, Lee believes they are playing “some of their best basketball of the year.” The Spurs rode into New Orleans with a five-game winning streak and a 46-13 record, second in the NBA only to the Warriors’ 50-11 mark.

“That is what you hope to have happen, to peak at the right time,” Lee said. “We are doing great right now and we have to continue to improve on a couple of things and get better and we will see those guys (the Warriors) down the road. Most importantly, we have to worry about ourselves and playing the kind of ball we are capable of playing.”

played with emotion, and it was an emotional moment. I guess you’d say it got the best of me because I really do love this place.”

Baylor officials have acknowledged at least 17 women reported being raped by 19 football players since 2011. Lawsuits against the school put the number of alleged sexual assaults at more than 50 over a four-year period.

“Awful things happened here, guys,” Mulkey said. “We failed victims here, but I’m encouraged every day because I see what’s taken place to fix it. And, I just

think we’ve responded the way that we can aggressively, financially.

We’ve admitted our mistakes.”

Baylor officials have emphasized changes they’re making to improve response to sexual violence, spending more than $4 million in recent years on federal Title IX response services.

The school also says it adopted most of the recommendations presented by a law firm that investigated the school. It found years of mishandled cases and stated the football program operated “above the rules,” as some coaches and staff

failed to report allegations and interfered with some witnesses and investigations.

Mulkey, hired at Baylor in 2000, has guided her teams to the 2005 and 2012 NCAA titles.

“My heart goes out to victims. How could it not?” Mulkey said. “I’m a woman. I have a daughter. I’m responsible for how many in that locker room. In fact, I’m angry that we’ve failed those women. But I’m also encouraged because I see that we’re trying to do better.”

The school also faces a federal civil rights investigation.

Jones will release Romo, putting the quarterback completely in charge of picking his next team, or try to get something in return for Romo via a trade. Even in a trade scenario, Romo potentially could exert some control over where he is headed. He is to count $24.7 million against next season’s salary cap under his current contract. A team trading for Romo would inherit that contract and might be interested in reworking the deal. It’s also unlikely a team would trade for Romo if he does not want to play there.

The Texans signed quarterback Brock Osweiler to an $18 millionper-season deal in free agency last offseason.

Osweiler struggled and was benched in favor of Tom Savage late in the season but regained the starting job when Savage suffered a concussion.

The Texans beat the Oakland Raiders in a firstround playoff game but lost at New England in an AFC semifinal.

Houston has a power-

ers.”

But without a championship run in next week’s Big 12 Tournament, the Frogs will likely have to wait even longer to have a chance to get their first NCAA Tournament victory since Dixon was a player for them 30 years ago.

They have made only that one other NCAA appearance since.

TCU’s current sixgame losing streak includes one-point losses at home in each of their last two games.

The Frogs trailed Kansas State by 11 points at halftime Wednesday night, then got within a point five times without being able to tie the game or go ahead in a 75-74 loss.

That was four days after losing 61-60 to 10thranked West Virginia, which got the gamewinning free throw with

4.8 seconds left after a questionable foul. That was very similar to how TCU got its last victory with 1.4 seconds left against Texas Tech , when the Frogs had won three consecutive conference games for the first time since 2007-08 when in the Mountain West.

“Just not being able to get over the hump,” said Brandon Parrish, one of four TCU seniors. “We’ve been good at times, but in all honesty, over these last five or six games, we haven’t been able to put two halves together. ...

There’s a lot of young guys on this team. It’s going to hurt. Sometimes the pain helps to learn.”

TCU has a young starting backcourt with true freshman point guard Jaylen Fisher (10.1 points per game) and sophomore Alex Robinson (11.3 ppg), who first went to Texas A&M before trans-

ferring to his hometown university and having to sit out last season.

Kenrich Williams, a junior who missed all of last season with a knee injury, is averaging 10 points and 9.3 rebounds a game. The other two starters are sophomores, leading scorer Vladimir Brodziansky (13.7 ppg) from Slovakia and JD Miller.

Before going to the Big 12 Tournament next week, TCU finishes the regular season Saturday at Texas Tech.

“If we want to even have a chance at this thing, we can’t put our heads down for too long,” Parrish said after the latest loss. “We’re going to have to go to Kansas City and literally lay it all on the line, and be better than we’ve been all season. Knowing that pressure’s on, hopefully we’ll find something.”

TCU hasn’t won a game since Feb. 7 as it looks like it will fall short of the NCAA tournament barring a title run in the Big 12 tournament.

Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press file

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, March 4, 2017 |

Dear Readers: My mother, the original Heloise (1919-1977), published a book titled "Hints for Working Women" in 1970!

She was a big advocate for working women TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES. A solid hint from this book? Straight from her mouth! "Take an hour for yourself. Make sure hubby and kids will be okay -- send them off to the park, the mall or to the movies, and then settle in. Draw a warm (not hot) bath and jump in, slather on your fave facial moisturizer, and relax. After several minutes, scrub your feet to revive them.

This is a luxury, and a necessity. The new refreshed you will be all the better to care for your family!" -- Heloise, the original From daughter Heloise: I agree! So much is going on today, we all need and SHOULD have some "alone" time. Even if you have to go sit in the car,

on the stoop or hide out in the bathroom. -- Hugs, Heloise II FLOWERS ONLINE Dear Readers: Sometimes when I order flowers online for friends, I order for me, too. This way I'll know exactly what the order looks like.

I'm generally impressed with the flowers, but sometimes not.

I snap a picture of the flowers right out of the box to document what they looked like on arrival. If they "poop out" before they were supposed to, I email the vendor with the photo. This is especially important when using a NEW-to-me vendor; otherwise, I trust the site I've used before.

Most sellers want to know how the product arrived. -- Heloise

B3

B4 | Saturday, March 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

SPORTS

What to look for as free agency begins in the NFL

By Barry Wilner A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

On first look, it’s tempting to ask “Is that all there is?” on the NFL free agency front.

A deeper investigation reveals some talent being available at most positions. As for studs, game changers and franchise players, well, there simply isn’t much now that the Steelers won’t be letting prize running back Le’Veon Bell slip away.

While last year’s crop had a collection of AllPros, some of whom wound up with franchise tags, this year’s group had only one full-time All-Pro, Kansas City safety Eric Berry, who also went through this in 2016 before being tagged at $10.8 million. He got his long-term deal at the end of February.

Minnesota kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson is the other AllPro whose contract is up.

The salary cap increases from $155.27 million to $167 million. So let the spending begin.

THE CREAM Unquestionably, Bell was the best among the unrestricted guys — and the most untouchable.

Pittsburgh often has let players leave the Steel City, but those have been aging performers or ones who never made a major contribution. Bell is a difference maker and will be getting his money from the Steelers.

Beyond Bell, there are a half-dozen or so topflight players, all of whom come with a significant question mark on their resumes.

Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles, both stalwarts for their previous clubs and with AllPro credentials, are out there. But how many 30-plus running backs get long-term deals, even proven ones such as these? And both will want big bucks.

Berry’s Chiefs teammate, Dontari Poe, is among the league’s top nose tackles; he also delivers jump passes for TDs, but he has had back

Max Faulkner / TNS file

David Goldman / Associated Press file

Former Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is a free agent for the first time in his career along with former Chiefs star rusher Jamaal Charles.

issues.

Darrelle Revis is out there, and he once was a premier shutdown cornerback. But he slumped in his second go-around with the Jets, and now he might have legal issues.

Still, the free-agent offerings on defense appear more enticing: Calais Campbell, Dont’a Hightower, Chandler Jones (non-exclusive tag), Lorenzo Alexander.

Wide receiver is perhaps the deepest spot for free agents on offense with Alshon Jeffery, Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson and Terrelle Pryor.

With Kirk Cousins tagged by the Redskins, likely making him the league’s highest-paid player, the starting quarterback market is rather bare. Considering that the other QBs available range from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Landry Jones to Mike Glennon (more on him later), Cousins would have been one popular guy if the Redskins didn’t swallow hard and pay him.

WHO ARE THE BIG SPENDERS? The Giants found free agency valuable in retooling, with defensive additions Damon Harrison, an All-Pro at tackle, Janoris Jenkins and Olivier Vernon helping lift them into the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

They have cap room to satisfy Jason Pierre-Paul, and need to solidify the offensive line.

Tail enders Cleveland,

San Francisco and Jacksonville — who happen to own three of the first four draft picks — are swimming in cap space.

The Jaguars have not fared well in free agency, though.

Ominously, only a half-dozen teams have more flexibility with the cap than do the Patriots.

AGING BUT AVAILABLE They are hardly old men outside the realm of professional sports.

Within the NFL, such free agents as Julius Peppers (37), DeMarcus Ware (34), Vincent Jackson (34), Andrew Whitworth (35), Vince Wilfork (36), Trent Cole (34), Brandon Marshall (32), Vernon Davis (33), Chad Greenway (34), DeAngelo Williams (33), and Jahri Evans (33) carry caveats with their availability, like Peterson and Charles. Just how much do they have left?

Most, if not all of them, would command hefty money and each is unlikely to get anything resembling a long-term deal. With the exception of perhaps Whitworth, all are past their primes.

Their value, especially in this class, comes from their experience and the guidance they can provide, if only for one season, to the “kids” they would be leading.

QUESTIONABLE QBS Maybe we are being kind by categorizing the passers this way. Other than Cousins, there’s

little proven talent on the market.

Glennon presents the most potential, albeit hardly franchise QB worthy. He was going nowhere in Tampa with Jameis Winston ahead of him, and several NFL personnel people believe Glennon has grown as a quarterback even with limited snaps that count.

Does that mean he’s headed for big bucks and starter’s status somewhere? Probably not, but he’s a more intriguing prospect than the rest of the 2016 cast of journeymen: try Josh McCown, Mark Sanchez, Matt Schaub, Matt Cassel, Brian Hoyer — you get the message.

WHERE ARE THE BARGAINS? As always — just look at New England — there are value picks out there, guys who won’t cost a fortune or destroy a team’s salary structure.

Maybe this year’s Chris Long (a free agent yet again, but with a Super Bowl ring, more expensive) is Bills linebacker Zach Brown.

Bengals guard Kevin Zeitler, Colts tight end Jack Doyle, Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye, Cardinals safety Tony Jefferson, Cowboys TE Gavin Escobar, Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and Patriots CB Logan Ryan won’t break the bank. They might enrich a new team with their less costly contributions.

Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre is back in the Rangers lineup during Spring Training and could be back in play to compete in the World Baseball Classic.

Beltre in Rangers’ lineup, could play in WBC ASSOCIATED PRE SS

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Adrian Beltre was in the Texas Rangers’ lineup Friday for the first time this spring training and could play for the defending champion Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.

Beltre had not played in the Rangers’ first seven games because of a strained left calf, an injury sustained Feb. 14 during a workout at his California home.

Will Middlebrooks was in the original starting lineup at third base against Seattle, but Texas revised the batting order after Beltre consulted with Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister.

“He told me the MRI looks better, that it was about 85 percent healed and he didn’t expect it to be healed right now,” Beltre said. “It’s going to take some time to be completely healed. But according to what he sees and what I’ve been doing running and everything with no setback and no discomfort, that’s it on me.”

Beltre, who is 58 hits shy of 3,000, fielded two ground balls flawlessly and went hitless in two at-bats. He left after three innings in the Rangers’ 8-2 victory.

“I feel OK,” Beltre said.

“I didn’t feel any discomfort, any problems. I know something is still there. ... I just needed to be out there to see how it was going to feel. I could not make any decisions without getting on the field and knowing. I don’t have to feel 100 percent.”

Beltre’s only WBC appearance was in 2006.

A five-time Gold Glove winner who turns 38 next month, Beltre hit .300 with 32 homers, 31 doubles and 104 RBIs last season.

He said he is most cautious about the “first step coming of the box.”

“I’ve been doing a lot of lateral stuff and it’s no problem,” Beltre said.

He said he would like to play in another game or two with the Rangers before making a WBC decision. The Dominicans open against Canada on Thursday in Miami.

With caddie ailing, Mickelson turns to his brother

By Doug Ferguson A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

MEXICO CITY — Phil Mickelson had a familiar face on the bag Friday in Mexico Championship.

He called him “Bro,” not “Bones.”

Mickelson’s younger brother was pressed into duty at Chapultepec Golf Club when Jim “Bones” Mackay fell ill and couldn’t go more than three holes. Mackay was the latest player or caddie suffering from a stomach virus this week, and he gingerly stepped into a cart on the 13th hole.

That’s when Tim Mickelson got the call to step in. He was at this World Golf Championship as the agent for Spanish rookie Jon Rahm, whom he coached at Arizona State.

“I was having breakfast and Phil called and said, ‘Just be around if something happens,”’ he said.

“Jon had nothing pressing going on so I said, ‘Yeah, no problem.’ So I started following and on 13 he called it a day.”

They were on the par-3 13th hole, facing an uphill climb the rest of the nine — at nearly 7,800 feet of elevation — before making the turn. On the first full hole, Mickelson clipped a tree and made bogey.

After that, they didn’t miss a beat.

Buda Mendes / Getty Images

Phil Mickelson played in the second round of the Mexico Championship Friday and turned to his brother to caddie for him.

Mickelson finished with a 3-under 68 and was in contention.

“It was the first time we were able to do that, and it was fun,” Tim Mickelson said. “Trust me, I don’t want Bones’ job, though. I have a whole new respect.

Every hole seems uphill.”

Mickelson and Mackay have one of the longest player-caddie relationships on the PGA Tour that dates to 1992. He has been on the bag for all of Mickelson’s 45 victories

worldwide, including his five majors.

It wasn’t the first time someone had to fill in.

Steve Loy, Mickelson’s coach at Arizona State and now his manager, was on the bag for the 1993 Tucson Open. Mickelson took his college roommate, Rob Mangini, to Japan in 1995.

Mackay once couldn’t finish at the Singapore Open in 2012, and Mickelson’s father-in-law filled in.

Mackay is coming off

double knee replacement surgery in the offseason, but this was more about something he ate.

“He’s irreplaceable,” Mickelson said about his longtime looper. “I mean, he’s one of the best in the business. He’s so good at club selection, and here at altitude that’s where he’s invaluable. But he’s hurting. It’s a difficult course to walk because it is hilly.

He had two knees done but that’s not the issue, he just hasn’t been feeling

well.”

Little brother didn’t have to do much.

Tim Mickelson said they both worked the yardage numbers and adjusted to altitude, but it was always going to be his brother’s call.

Just like always.

“He’s never listened to me on the course or off the course, so nothing is going to change,” Tim Mickelson said. “We both made sure we did the numbers, and then after that, it was up

to him to figure out stuff.”

Mickelson said his brother is a good golfer and knows plenty about the game from coaching at Arizona State.

“He understands how to play the game at a high level and how to shoot low scores and when to go for it and when not to,” Mickelson said. “And as a college golf coach for many years, he also understands smart strategies, strategic play and smart plays.”

Plus, the younger brother has seen plenty of Mickelson to know to expect anything.

One of those occasions was on the second hole, when Mickelson was in the trees. He immediately looked to the top of the branches to find a gap and went for a flop shot that he caught a little heavy.

There was no discussion about what kind of shot to hit.

“He didn’t say it, but I knew it,” Tim Mickelson said. “I’ve seen him play long enough, so I knew that’s exactly what he was going to do.”

Mackay was hopeful to be back at work on Saturday, when Mickelson plays in the final group. Tim Mickelson wasn’t asking much in the form of a payment.

“A nice dinner and a glass of wine, and we’ll call it a day,” he said.