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UKRAINE
TEXAS ELECTION 2014
$1B aid package
GOP pushes right
Secretary of State Kerry backs beleaguered country By LARA JAKES ASSOCIATED PRESS
KIEV, Ukraine — In a somber show of U.S. support for Ukraine’s new leadership, Secretary of State John Kerry walked the streets Tuesday where more than 80 anti-government protesters were killed last month, and promised beseeching crowds that American aid is on the way. Kerry met in Ukraine with the new government’s acting president, prime minister, foreign minister and top parliamentary officials. Speaking to reporters afterward, Kerry
urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to stand down and said the U.S. is looking for ways to de-escalate the mounting tensions. “It is clear that Russia has been working hard to create a pretext for being able to invade further,” Kerry said. “It is not appropriate to invade a country, and at the end of a barrel of a gun dictate what you are trying
to achieve. That is not 21st-century, G-8, major nation behavior.” Kerry made a pointed distinction between the Ukrainian government and Putin’s. “The contrast really could not be clearer: determined Ukrainians demonstrating strength through unity, and the Russian government out of excuses, hiding its hand behind falsehoods, intimidation and provocations. In the hearts of Ukrainians and the eyes of the world, there is nothing strong about what Russia is doing.” He said the penalties against Russia are “not something we
are seeking to do, it is something Russia is pushing us to do.” President Barack Obama, visiting a Washington, D.C., school to highlight his new budget, said his administration’s push to punish Putin put the U.S. on “the side of history that, I think, more and more people around the world deeply believe in, the principle that a sovereign people, an independent people, are able to make their own decisions about their own lives. And, you know, Mr. Putin can throw a lot of words out
See UKRAINE PAGE 10A
PROFESSIONAL RODEO
FEWER RODEO COWBOYS Group eyes youth for membership By DALE ROBERTSON HOUSTON CHRONICLE
HOUSTON — Anyone asking Bobby Mote to recite the injuries he has suffered in his nearly 20 years as a professional bareback rider better plan to pull up a chair and sit a spell. After rattling off the long list of setbacks, Mote will explain that all the pain, the Motrinfilled toll being a rodeo cowboy takes on a man’s physical wellbeing, is worth it, and he would do it all over again. “It’s how I make my living,” the 37-year-old four-time bareback world champion said. While it may not be readily apparent to fans attending the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo — the world’s largest — which began Tuesday and continues through March 23 at Reliant Stadium, far fewer young athletes are following Mote’s career path these days. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association membership roster has plunged by nearly a thousand since 2005 to just over 5,000 today, and permit-holders, who haven’t yet earned enough
Photo by Josh Huskin/Houston Chronicle | AP
Bobby Mote rests before the semi-finals of a competition at the San Antonio Rodeo in San Antonio, on Feb. 21. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association membership roster has plunged by nearly a thousand since 2005. prize money to apply for a PRCA card, have dropped by more than 50 percent since 1997. PRCA commissioner Karl Stressman has said the association’s “No. 1 focus as we go forward” will be to boost membership. Although Mote’s dad was a horse trainer, he admitted his parents weren’t overly enthusiastic about his initial decision
to pursue a career as a cowboy. Still, they crossed their fingers and told him Godspeed. But more and more parents, it seems, are pushing their kids into different, less dangerous sporting pursuits. Also, fewer children are growing up on farms and ranches, so they aren’t exposed to rodeoing at a young age. Therefore, the PRCA has
ramped up its junior outreach program, scheduling about 20 pro-cowboy-taught clinics across the country, even in major urban areas, to teach children as young as 8 the basic elements of the rodeo’s rough-stock events — bareback, saddle-bronc and bull-riding — with future plans to also teach the timed events.
See COWBOY
By PAUL J. WEBBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Republicans decided who was more conservative while Democrats sought to galvanize new voters as Texas held a first-in-the-nation primary Tuesday that could push the state farther right, even as the left looks to stake new claims. Six of Texas’ top jobs are open after GOP Gov. Rick Perry decided not to run again following a record 14 years in office, prompting a stampede of 26 Republicans candidates for various stepping stones to higher office. Democrats set on breaking the nation’s longest losing streak in races for statewide office meanwhile hoped charismatic gubernatorial hopeful Wendy Davis would turn out long-dormant voters. “If people don’t start supporting the Democratic Party and voting as a Democrat, instead of being a Democrat voting in the Republican primary, then we’re never going to win races and we’re never going to establish ourselves as a serious party here,” said Janet Veal, 43, a Texas Tech student adviser who cast a Democratic ballot in Lubbock. That possibility, and the rising influence of tea party firebrand U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, has Texas Republicans flanking farther right this primary season. Some have blasted an “invasion” of immigrants coming across the Texas border, where immigration arrests have almost tripled in recent years but remain at about one-third of their historic highs. Others pledged to further tighten some of the nation’s strictest abortion laws and doubled down on the state’s gay marriage ban — one of several state bans recently ruled unconstitutional by federal courts. “I think we need to bolster the border security and get tougher on immigration,” 38-year-old conservative Republican Glendon Paulk said after voting in Lubbock. “I’m all for people who come over here legally but the illegal immigrants, it doesn’t make sense for them to get a break while we’re working and having to pay taxes.” Frigid weather greeted some voters with a dangerous drive to the polls. Austin locations opened late because of icy conditions and extended voting for two hours. Turnout was light in many places, with election workers seen knitting or reading a newspaper in between voters’ sporadic arrivals. Among those on the ballot Tuesday was a new member of the Bush dynasty: George P. Bush, the nephew of former President George W. Bush and son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, making his political debut by running for land commissioner. Six of Texas’ top offices lack an incumbent; the last time Texas had so many open statewide seats was 2002, when Perry won his first full term.
PAGE 10A
See ELECTION PAGE 10A
NUEVO LAREDO, MEXICO
Former mayor’s wife waiting for ‘good news’ Reports circulating in Nuevo Laredo state ex-mayor has been kidnapped by an unknown group THE ZAPATA TIMES
Reports circulated online over the weekend stating that Benjamín Galván Gómez, former Nuevo Laredo, Mexico mayor, who was kidnapped last week, was found dead near his home. But Galván’s wife, Martha Alicia Aldapa, said Sunday night in a Facebook post that she was waiting for “good news.” “Thank you all for your words but still waiting to return with good news,” she wrote. “Let us pray for good
GALVÁN GÓMEZ
news soon.” On Saturday, a Nuevo Laredo, Mexico official con-
firmed Galván was kidnapped in the city Thursday. The official had knowledge of the case and spoke on the condition of anonymity. A blog, Nuevo Laredo en Vivo, reported that Galván and his driver had been abducted at about 9 p.m. at Calle Campeche and Avenida Aquiles Serdan in Colonia Madero in East Nuevo Laredo. Galván and his driver were allegedly intercepted while traveling in a vehicle, which was found abandoned.
On Friday, Ruben Dario Rios Lopez, spokesman for the Tamaulipas state attorney general’s office, said the office had not been notified about the alleged kidnapping. Galván became Nuevo Laredo’s 85th mayor in 2011. He served a three-year term that ended in 2013. At about 11 a.m. June 29, 2012, a car bomb exploded in front of the mayor’s office at City Hall in Nuevo Laredo. The blast injured seven people and damaged 11 vehicles and the City Hall building.
The Tamaulipas public security agency and attorney general’s office said in a statement that a Ford Ranger pickup with Coahuila license plates was used in the bombing. The vehicle was placed in Galván’s parking spot, about 33 feet from his second-floor office, which faces Heroe de Nacataz Street. Galván was not in his office at the time of the explosion. About two months prior to the explosion, 14 heads were found in three ice
chests in a vehicle on Juarez Avenue, between Maclovio Herrera and Heroe de Nacataz, in front of City Hall. Witnesses reported finding the ice chests in front of the building, and soldiers from the Mexican Army and explosives experts were called to the scene to investigate. It was then that the 14 heads were found inside the coolers, along with a “manta,” which authorities said was written by the Sinaloa Cartel.
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Zin brief CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2014
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
Thursday, March 6
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 7270589 “Visiones del Anáhuac” exhibit opening reception. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum, 810 Zaragoza St. Exhibit features paintings by renowned Mexican landscape artists José María Velasco. Call 7270977 or visit webbheritage.org.
Today is Ash Wednesday, March 5, the 64th day of 2014. There are 301 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On March 5, 1946, Winston Churchill delivered his “Iron Curtain” speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo. Churchill declared: “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.” On this date: In 1766, Antonio de Ulloa arrived in New Orleans to assume his duties as the first Spanish governor of the Louisiana Territory, where he encountered resistance from the French residents. In 1770, the Boston Massacre took place as British soldiers who’d been taunted by a crowd of colonists opened fire, killing five people. In 1868, the Senate was organized into a Court of Impeachment to decide charges against President Andrew Johnson, who was later acquitted. In 1933, in German parliamentary elections, the Nazi Party won 44 percent of the vote; the Nazis joined with a conservative nationalist party to gain a slender majority in the Reichstag. In 1934, the first Mothers-inLaw Day celebration and parade took place in Amarillo, Texas. In 1960, Cuban newspaper photographer Alberto Korda took the now-famous picture of guerrilla leader Ernesto “Che” Guevara during a memorial service in Havana for victims of a ship explosion. In 1963, country music performers Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins died in the crash of their plane, a Piper Comanche, near Camden, Tenn., along with pilot Randy Hughes (Cline’s manager). In 1970, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons went into effect after 43 nations ratified it. In 1979, NASA’s Voyager 1 space probe flew past Jupiter, sending back photographs of the planet and its moons. In 1982, comedian John Belushi was found dead of a drug overdose in a rented bungalow in Hollywood; he was 33. Ten years ago: Martha Stewart was convicted in New York of obstructing justice and lying to the government about why she’d unloaded her Imclone stock just before the price plummeted; her ex-stockbroker, Peter Bacanovic, also was found guilty in the stock scandal. (Each later received a five-month prison sentence.) Five years ago: As thousands demonstrated outside, California Supreme Court justices listened to legal arguments over the passage of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage. One year ago: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Latin America’s most vocal and controversial leader, died at age 58 after a struggle with cancer. Today’s Birthdays: Actor James Noble is 92. Actor Paul Sand is 82. Actor James B. Sikking is 80. Actor Dean Stockwell is 78. Actor Fred Williamson is 76. Actress Samantha Eggar is 75. Actor Michael Warren is 68. Actor Eddie Hodges is 67. Thought for Today: “Boredom is the root of all evil — the despairing refusal to be oneself.” — Soren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher (1813-1855).
Friday, March 7 Christian Life Seminar: What It Means To Be A Christian. 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., every Friday until April 11. San Martin De Porres Catholic Church’s St. Elizabeth Room. Free. Light snacks served. Contact Leah Cayanan at 2860654 or leigh.cayanan@gmail.com.
Saturday, March 8 Affordable Care Act Information and Enrollment session. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. UTHSC Regional Campus, 1937 E. Bustamante St. Navigators and certified application counselors available. Bring personal identification and income verification. Call 712-0037.
Monday, March 10 Zapata County Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. Zapata County Courthouse. Call Roxy Elizondo at 7659920. Free health careers camp for high school students. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. UTHSC Regional Campus, 1937 E. Bustamante St. To register, contact Rey Cruz at 712-0037 or rcruz@mrgbahec.org.
Tuesday, March 11 AARP Smart Driver Class. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. San Martin de Porres Church, 1704 Sandman St. Designed for persons age 50 and over. Call 2063513 to reserve seat.
Thursday, March 13 42nd Annual Zapata County Fair. 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Zapata County Fairgrounds. Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 7270589.
Friday, March 14 42nd Annual Zapata County Fair. 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Zapata County Fairgrounds. Christian Life Seminar: What It Means To Be A Christian. 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., every Friday until April 11. San Martin De Porres Catholic Church’s St. Elizabeth Room. Free. Light snacks served. Contact Leah Cayanan at 2860654 or leigh.cayanan@gmail.com.
Saturday, March 15 42nd Annual Zapata County Fair. 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Zapata County Fairgrounds.
Thursday, March 20 Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 7270589
Friday, March 21 Christian Life Seminar: What It Means To Be A Christian. 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., every Friday until April 11. San Martin De Porres Catholic Church’s St. Elizabeth Room. Free. Light snacks served. Contact Leah Cayanan at 2860654 or leigh.cayanan@gmail.com.
Saturday, March 22 3rd Annual 5K Run, Walk & Roll for Rehab. Registration 7 a.m. Race 8 a.m. Slaughter Park, 202 N. Stone Ave. First 100 participants receive free Tshirt and goodie bag. Drop off application/register at Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center, 1220 N. Malinche Ave. $15 early registration; $10 groups of 10 or more; $10 kid’s run; $20 late registration after March 20. Call 7222431.
Monday, March 24 Zapata County Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. Zapata County Courthouse. Call Roxy Elizondo at 7659920.
Monday, April 14 Zapata County Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. Zapata County Courthouse. Call Roxy Elizondo at 7659920.
Photo by Josh Forst | AP
In this image provided by Josh Forst, flames and smoke shoot up after an explosion at a townhouse complex Tuesday, in Ewing, N.J. A gas line damaged by a contractor exploded "like a bomb" while utility crews worked to repair it Tuesday at the complex, killing one person and injuring at least seven people while several homes were destroyed or damaged.
1 killed in NJ explosion By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI AND GEOFF MULVIHILL ASSOCIATED PRESS
EWING, N.J. — A gas leak and subsequent explosion leveled one house and damaged dozens of others at a suburban town house development Tuesday, killing one resident and injuring seven workers, authorities said. The body was not discovered until late in the day, some distance from the home, after authorities had thought the neighborhood had escaped the blast without any deaths. Police were working to establish the victim’s identity, Lt. Ron Lunetta said, adding that no one else was believed to be missing. At least 55 units in the complex were damaged, police said, including the house that was leveled, and seven others that were “pretty much destroyed,” Fire Marshal Bill Erney said. The events leading to the explosion began
with a contractor working to replace electric service to the house that later blew up, officials from the utility PSE&G said. Around noon, the utility got a call that the contractor had damaged a gas line. Crews were repairing the line about an hour later when, PSE&G spokeswoman Lindsey Puliti said, “there was an ignition.” The force from the explosion buckled windows in an apartment complex nearby, said resident Marsha Brown, and pictures fell from her walls. “It felt like a bomb,” she said. At least one home was a blackened pile of rubble, and others had damage, including windows that were blown out. Debris was widely scattered, with insulation hanging in some tree branches. “My body was shaking. I like to say I am calm, but I was shaking,” said Brown.
Asteroid passing Earth will be closer than moon
Dead deer found at Vt.’s Santa’s Land holiday park
Oscar pizza delivery man gets $1,000 tip
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — An asteroid is headed this way. But even though it will come closer than the moon, astronomers say it will pose no danger. The newly discovered asteroid, called 2014 DX110, will hurtle between the moon and Earth today. DX110 will pass an estimated 217,000 miles from Earth. Relatively close approaches like this occur all the time, although DX110 is extra close.
PUTNEY, Vt. — More than a dozen dead deer have been found at Santa’s Land, a holidaythemed amusement park in Southern Vermont, and the owner and a caretaker have been accused of animal cruelty. Windham County Sheriff Keith Clark told the Brattleboro Reformer that caretaker Brian Deistler, 24, and owner Lillian Billewicz, 55, will likely receive civil tickets for animal cruelty and that prosecutors will decide whether to file charges.
LOS ANGELES — The pizza delivery man who fed stars at the Oscars received a best tip award for a supporting player: $1,000 in cash handed over by ceremony host Ellen DeGeneres. The Big Mama’s & Papa’s delivery guy, Edgar Martirosyan, said he had already gotten a reward: serving Julia Roberts, whom he called the woman of his dreams.
University of Colorado gets holocaust archive BOULDER, Colo. — The University of Colorado in Boulder is the new home of an extensive collection of Holocaust-era documents, books and photographs. The university on Tuesday announced the donation of the Mazal (Mah-ZAHL’) Holocaust Collection, calling it the world’s largest privately owned Holocaust archive.
SkyWest plane slides off runway in Montana MISSOULA, Mont. — A SkyWest Airlines flight has reached its destination in Salt Lake City after sliding off the main runway Tuesday at Montana’s Missoula International Airport, as freezing rain was reported. No one on Delta Connection Flight 4600 was injured.
Metro Rail train, car collide in Los Angeles LOS ANGELES — A minivan collided with a light rail commuter train in Los Angeles, leaving 13 people injured, two seriously. Fire Department spokeswoman Katherine Main says 12 people from the train were taken to the hospital. The minivan driver didn’t have serious injuries and declined to be transported. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE WORLD Militants kill 11 people in their homes in Nigeria MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Officials say Islamic militants have burned 11 people to death inside their homes in northeastern Nigeria, where frequent attacks have claimed at least 130 lives in the past four days alone. The attack late Monday on Jakana village in Borno state occurred about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from a village where 39 people were slaughtered on Saturday, said Nigerian Senator Ahmed Zannah. Violence has escalated in recent weeks in three northeastern Nigerian states that have been under emergency rule for over nine months.
As Pompeii crumbles, Italy OKs urgent repairs ROME — Citing “utmost urgency,” Italy has approved work to repair walls in ancient Pom-
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Drum Queen Juliana Alves from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school parades during carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday. peii that collapsed after heavy rains, and authorized spending 2 million euros ($2.7 million) on routine maintenance. The decisions were made Tuesday in Rome after a meeting of the culture minister with archaeological experts. On Sunday,
stones from an arch and a stretch of wall collapsed in the popular tourist site. Italy’s culture ministry said priority will also be given to work to reduce flood risk in unexcavated areas. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
Local
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Texas marks start of balloting with ID laws 9 other states also require a form of identification By MARK NIQUETTE AND DAVID MILDENBERG BLOOMBERG NEWS
Texans had to prove who they were to cast ballots Tuesday, beginning a series of U.S state elections that will show the effect of laws pushed by Republicans requiring photo identification at the polls. Nine states this year are holding their first major votes — including for governor and Congress — under such laws, according to the Denver-based National Conference of State Legislatures. The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for many such requirements last year after throwing out a core element of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which was meant to enfranchise blacks in the segregated South. Republicans have said the measures will stop fraud, while Democrats say they are meant to keep minorities and the poor from participating. The effects may be sweeping: In Dallas County alone, the elections department mailed letters in January to warn almost 200,000 people of discrepancies between voter registrations and identification records, said Kathleen Thompson, spokeswoman for the countys Democratic Party. Were going to be watching it very closely, obviously with an eye to concern about just how much it reduces Latino turnout at the elections or even results in Latinos being turned away from the polls, said Brent Wilkes, national executive director for the League of Unit-
Photo by Eric Gay/file | AP
An election official checks a voter’s photo identification at an early voting polling site, in Austin, on Feb. 2. Voters in 10 states will be required to present photo identification before casting ballots — the first major test of voter ID laws after years of legal challenges. ed Latin American Citizens, an Washington-based group that opposes the laws.
Court challenges Nineteen states have enacted some form of identification law, according to the NCSL. Besides Texas, other states where laws are taking effect for major elections this year are Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Virginia, the group said. Measures in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are on hold because of court challenges, and 10 other states are debating new or more stringent requirements, the conference said.
The Texas Legislature passed its law in 2011. It was null until the Supreme Court threw out a requirement in the Voting Rights Act that the U.S. Justice Department approve election rules in Texas and all or part of 14 other states, most Southern. In Texas today, polls show that few races are close. Attorney General Greg Abbott leads the Republican race for the governor nomination. On the Democratic side, the candidates include state Senator Wendy Davis, who gained fame for a filibuster last year in an attempt to kill an law restricting abortions. Other candidates in the Republican primary include U.S. Senator John Cornyn, who is
seeking re-election. Surveys show he leads Tea Party favorite Steve Stockman, a U.S. representative.
Acceptable ID To make their choices, voters in the Lone Star State must show one of seven forms of photo identification, including a drivers license, election identification certificate, personal identification card or concealed handgun license, as well as a passport and military card from the federal government, according to the Texas Secretary of State. The law was used for the first time in November when there were proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot state-
wide. Supporters of the measures have said that before their passage, unregistered people could give false names to cast ballots. Abbott says on his campaign website that voter fraud is real and that laws are needed to prevent cheating at the ballot box. Opponents said theres little evidence of such behavior. The premise of the law is somewhat suspect, voter Don Campbell, 75, said in an interview today after voting at the Dallas County Courthouse. Its designed to solve a nonexistent problem.
Second chances Campbell, who carries
an ID and said the requirement isnt a burden for him, called the requirement a new type of poll tax. It may affect minorities and the elderly, he said. Under Texas law, voters whose personal information doesnt match exactly can initial a form to get a regular ballot. Those without an ID can vote using a provisional ballot, which gives them six days to verify their identity and have the ballot counted, said Alicia Pierce, a spokeswoman for the secretary of states office. There were no immediate reports from polling places today of problems linked to the ID requirement, Pierce said. Between 8 percent and 12 percent of eligible U.S. citizens lack required identification, and while many states offer free cards for voting, it is difficult for some residents to travel to get them, said Myrna Perez, a lawyer at the Brennan Center for Justice in New York who represents groups challenging the Texas law.
Increased turnout Results from the November election in Texas showed that turnout increased to about 9 percent of registered voters from about 5 percent in a similar election two years earlier. Participation increased in counties with larger percentages of minorities, according to a Feb. 11 issue paper by Hans von Spakovsky, a legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington research group that promotes conservative policies. This delegitimizes claims that voter ID laws are likely to negatively affect poor and minority voters, he wrote.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2014
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COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Case of elusive disease By LLEWELLYN KING HEARST NEWSPAPERS
The federal government has a mostly open dialogue with those it serves and those who serve it. This happens pretty well across government agencies, from the Pentagon to the Department of Transportation to the Department of Agriculture. So it is troubling that the National Institutes of Health, an arm of the Department of Health and Human Services, appears to have no communication with a critical but ignored patient cohort: those suffering from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and often referred to only as ME/ CFS. The NIH does not appear to hear the cries of the petitioners at its door; it seems to be interested only in classifying and defining the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control, ME/CFS afflicts 1 million people in the United States, and 17 million people around the world. While those numbers of victims are disputed, their suffering is not; they are ill in a terrible way. ME/CFS takes healthy — often athletic — people and casts them into a shadow world of physical incapacity, mental fog, loneliness and relentless dependence on others. The suffering is measured in years and decades. Suicide is common. It is a disease of the immune system, but what triggers it is unknown. Physicians who treat ME/CFS have told me that they would rather have cancer than this disease. One epidemiologist said, “With cancer, you are cured or you die. ME/CFS just goes on and on. You live the life of a zombie.” From a physician devoted to treating and researching ME/CFS, this is not only a terrible admission, but also a de facto indictment of the national effort to find a cure, or even a therapy, for alleviating the suffering. One of the problems affecting ME/CFS treatment is diagnosis. There are no biological labels, known as markers, that enable doctors to easily identify ME/CFS; it cannot be picked up in a blood tests or a urine sample. It is a ghostly manifestation, and doctors fall back on what is known as wastebasket diagnosis. In its simplest form, this means testing for a lot of diseases and if it does not turn out to be one of them, it could be ME/CFS. But one case definition has satisfied the ME/CFS community in recent years, and it is endorsed by specialists in the field. Established in 2001, it is called the Canadian Consensus Criteria. Yet, incomprehensibly, the NIH is spending some of the paltry $6 million devoted to ME/CFS, on a study to come up with a new case definition for the disease; something that no one wants and which could do real harm. To do this work, the NIH selected the Institute of Medicine, which has no expertise in ME/CFS and which had drawn opprobrium with its clumsy attempt to do a case definition of Gulf War Syndrome. The NIH, which has failed to explain itself in plain English, has ignited incandescent rage in the patient community and from patient advocates. In a unique outpouring of objection, 50 of the world’s top doctors and clinicians wrote to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sibelius, pleading with her not to muddy the waters and to stay with the definition which is working well. The NIH went ahead with the IOM contract. So lacking is government support, moral as well as financial, that the research community, including dedicated physicians such as Andreas Kogelnik of Mountain View, Calif., Daniel Peterson of Incline Village, Nev., and Derek Enlander of New York City, feel they have to raise funds privately to continue their work. Even celebrity virus hunter Ian Lipkin of Columbia University has abandoned hope of getting his seminal work funded by the NIH and has joined the researchers who have had to hold out begging bowls to the public to do their research. Judging by social media, the entire patient community is in a state of metaphorical war with the NIH. There is a cry from and on behalf of the pitiable sick for action, sympathy and even courtesy from the bureaucrats in Bethesda, where the NIH is headquartered. The Hippocratic Oath says, “first do no harm.” When people are in pain and despair, inaction is palpable harm. A congressional hearing is needed to investigate decision-making in the NIH, find out about its budget request to the Office of Management and Budget, and to demand that it listen to those who suffer and those who are trying to help them. (Llewellyn King is executive producer and host of ”White House Chronicle” on PBS. His e-mail is lking@kingpublishing.com.)
COMMENTARY
Anatomy of how west deals with Putin’s Ukrainian power play By ELIOT A. COHEN SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON POST
In the first days of a crisis like the Russian invasion of Crimea, the questions are operational: How many troops? Where are they? Should we cancel just the planning session for the Group of Eight meeting in Sochi or abandon it altogether? Should the president issue a statement? Leave it to John Kerry and Joe Biden? Then come the recriminations. It is Khrushchev’s fault for giving Ukraine a peninsula soaked in Russian blood. The overthrow of Viktor Yanukovych by the mobs was a bit too much. Maybe it was a mistake to give gay athletes such a prominent role on the American team at Sochi. The final stage is excuses. Vladimir Putin is an unpredictable autocrat. There is not a lot we can do about this other than make some gestures that will be forgotten in six months anyway. Besides, the Bush administration didn’t do anything serious about Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008, so who are the Republicans to point fingers? This sequence of events misses the deeper causes of the crisis, its larger frame and, above all, the long-term consequences. In retrospect, historians will not find it difficult to piece together why and how this happened: Putin is indeed a brutal Great Russian nationalist who understands that Russia without a belt of subservient client states is not merely a very weak power but also vulnerable to the kind of upheaval that
The final stage is excuses. Vladimir Putin is an unpredictable autocrat. There is not a lot we can do about this other than make some gestures that will be forgotten in six months anyway. Besides, the Bush administration didn’t do anything serious about Russia’s invasion of Georgia. toppled Yanukovych’s corrupt and oppressive regime. Ukraine’s chaos and Crimea’s anomalous history gave the opening; Russian adeptness at the dark arts of provocation and covert operations provided the means; President Obama’s history of issuing warnings and, when they are ignored, moving on smartly to the next topic gave a kind of permission. The largest issue here is whether Russia will remain bent on disrupting the postCold War settlement, including through the overt use of force in Europe. Absent a severe penalty — one that inflicts pain where Putin can feel it, to include Russia’s economy and his personal wealth and control of that country — the lesson learned will be, “You can get away with it.” One larger issue is the future of the Baltic republics, which also have Russian minorities and whose status as independent states can be no less contested than that of Ukraine. But the Baltic republics belong to NATO, and Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty obliges the United States and its allies to fight in their defense. Thus to say that “no one wants a
war,” which is true, is to begin introducing the proposition that there is nothing worth fighting for in Europe. In which case NATO does not really exist. And then that pillar of America’s position in the world since 1945 has evaporated before our eyes. “There will be costs,” President Obama said on Friday, presumably referring to something more than the aviation fuel for the transports and bullets in the guns of the thinly disguised Russian soldiers occupying Crimea. The precedent to be remembered here is not any phony red line previously proclaimed but Putin’s op-ed last fall after the joint deal to (supposedly) remove Syrian chemical weapons. The Russian leader, having gotten what he wanted, kicked a bit of sand in Obama’s face, declaring that the United States really is not all that special — neither ideologically nor as a great power. Power is a psychological relationship and not just a reflection of material circumstances. At the moment, the Russian president, exquisitely sensitive to the ripples and flow of power, knows that he is a strong man dealing with weakness. That, in
turn, means that he would see no reason not to push elsewhere, and hard. Georgia was a tiny, remote country that had foolishly provoked the Russians and that did not stand a chance when they invaded in 2008. The fighting was over in days. There was no such provocation here, and Ukraine is a big country on the border of the European Union. If Russia can rip off a limb with impunity, why can’t China do the same with the Senkaku Islands? Putin is not Hitler, and the 2010s are not the 1930s. But the world is a darkening place, and the precedents being set are ones that will haunt us for decades to come unless the U.S. administration can act decisively and persistently against Russia. Otherwise, Churchill’s words after a not-dissimilar episode, in which a powerful state seized borderlands inhabited by its ethnic compatriots, will ring true again: “And do not suppose this is the end. This is only the beginning of the reckoning.” Eliot A. Cohen teaches at Johns Hopkins University. From 2007 to 2008, he was counselor of the State Department.
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Nation
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Recovering from the ice Motorists stranded on icy eastern Arkansas roads getting gasoline By ADRIAN SAINZ ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Gerald Herbert/The Star-Ledger | AP
Rachel Canning smiles during a hearing Tuesday, in Morristown, N.J. Canning, who says her parents kicked her out when she turned 18, is now suing them.
Teen won’t get immediate aid ASSOCIATED PRESS
MORRISTOWN, N.J. — A northern New Jersey honor student who says her parents kicked her out of the house when she turned 18 is now suing them, asking a court to make them support her and pay for her college. A judge in Morristown Tuesday ruled against immediately forcing Rachel Canning’s parents to pay her $650 weekly child support and pay for her remaining year of high school tuition, as she requested in a lawsuit filed last week. Judge Peter Bogaard scheduled a hearing for next month to decide whether to require her parents to pay for Canning’s college tuition. Court documents show frequent causes of parent-teenage tension — boyfriends and alcohol — taken to an extreme. In court filings, there are accusations and denials, but one thing is clear: the girl left home Oct. 30, two days before she turned 18 after a tumultuous stretch during which her parents separated and reconciled and the teen began getting into uncharacteristic trouble at school. In court filings, Canning’s parents, retired Lincoln Park police Chief Sean Canning and his wife Elizabeth, said their daughter voluntarily left home because she didn’t want to abide by reasonable household rules, such as being respectful, keeping a curfew, doing a few chores and ending a relationship with a boyfriend her parents say is a bad influence. They say that shortly
before she turned 18, she told her parents that she would be an adult and could do whatever she wanted. She said her parents are abusive, contributed to an eating disorder she developed and pushed her to get a basketball scholarship. They say they were supportive, helped her through the eating disorder and paid for her to go to a private school where she would not get as much playing time in basketball as she would have at a public school. They also say she lied in her court filing and to child welfare workers who are involved in the case. She’s been living in Rockaway Township with the family of her best friend. The friend’s father, former Morris County Freeholder John Inglesino, is paying for the lawsuit. Inglesino told the The Daily Record of Parsippany that he and his wife decided to pay for the lawsuit because they fear Canning will lose opportunities for a strong education and a happy future without her parents’ contributions. A cheerleader and lacrosse player who hopes to become a biomedical engineer, Canning is seeking immediate financial support and wants to force her parents to pay for her college education and more than $5,000 owed for her last semester at Morris Catholic High School. She also wants a judge to declare that she’s non-emancipated and dependent as a student on her parents for support.
WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. — Motorists were stranded overnight and into Tuesday on icy eastern Arkansas interstates, and the state was bringing fuel to people stuck so long that they ran out of gas, slowing efforts to make the roads passable. The icy conditions have lingered since a weekend storm that dumped a half a foot snow on the ground in parts of the South, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Some drivers said they’ve been stranded at a West Memphis truck stop since Sunday night because they couldn’t get out of the parking lot. Traffic was stalled Tuesday on I-55 southbound between Blytheville and West Memphis and ice created snarls over a 40-mile stretch of I-40 between Forrest City and the Mississippi River. Those areas had the most extreme tie-ups, but there were trouble spots scattered across almost the entire state. “I understand that it takes a lot of money to buy salt and sand for the roads. Still, they knew ice was coming. They could have done better than what they have done,” said trucker Ted Simpson, 56, who was hauling a load of cardboard boxes from Murfreesboro, Tenn., to Russellville, Ark. Simpson got off the interstate in West Memphis and spoke while waiting for diesel in a half-mile line that stretched from a truck stop. Gov. Mike Beebe’s office said members of the Arkansas National Guard and Game and Fish officers were bringing fuel to motorists who ran out of gas. The governor’s office also noted in a statement that the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department “is constitutionally independent from the governor’s office and other state agencies.” “We’ve been trying to figure out why the highway department wasn’t there quicker with treating those roads,” Beebe said. “They tell us that what happened to them, and I have
Photo by Kendall Owens/Times-Herald | AP
Eastbound traffic moves slowly on icy Interstate 40 near Forrest City, Ark., on Monday. Some motorists on the highway in eastern Arkansas were stranded overnight due to lingering icy conditions from a weekend winter storm. to rely on what they say, that they did pre-treat them but the rain washed it off and then was suddenly hit with the ice.” Highway department spokesman Randy Ort said it is no easy task to clear the roads when they’re packed with ice. “We’ll get a jackknifed rig moved and traffic will move and then something else will happen,” Ort said. Roads that did thaw were forecast to refreeze overnight. The storm was followed by a blast of arctic air that sent temperatures plummeting into the single digits, though the forecast for West Memphis calls for temperatures to rise in the next few days. At a Petro truck stop, more than 100 semi-trucks were stranded in the parking lot Tuesday. Tom Pate, who was hauling grain from Owensboro, Ky., to Waco, Texas, was among those who said he’d been there since Sunday night He echoed the thoughts of many when he said the state failed to treat the roads ahead of the storm. Others complained that the truck stop had not done enough to clear its parking lot. A message left for Ohiobased Petro after hours Tuesday wasn’t immediately returned. Trucker Ralph Wilson, 62, said he called state police and traffic information to no avail. “You’ve got millions of dollars of goods just sitting there, that are going right down the
tube,” said Wilson, who was hauling steel from Fort Smith to Georgetown, Ky. “You can’t get a wrecker, you can’t get state police out here to do anything.” With temperatures in the teens and single digits overnight, crews were limited in what they could accomplish, Ort said, noting road salt is ineffective when temperatures drop below 22 degrees. On Interstate 40 from Tennessee into Arkansas, traffic edged along at 5 mph. Sandra Lockhart Roberts said her car had moved little more than a mile in 45 minutes. “It’s a total inconvenience,” she said. “It’s so stressful. Stressful. I have to calm down. Patience is a virtue.” Trucker Daniel Rayford, 38, said it took him about nine hours to get from Little Rock to Memphis on Monday. The trip usually takes two hours. “It’s crazy,” Rayford said in West Memphis, about 130 miles east of Little Rock. “To get to Little Rock from here, from what I saw last night, I might get there sometime tonight and it’s 11:15 a.m.” Ort said state police had to stop what movement there was on the highways so tow trucks could reach disabled vehicles. “People get very frustrated when they don’t see us working on the roadway,” Ort said. “If they’re not moving then we can’t move. We understand their frustration.”
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera
Agenda en Breve ZAPATA 03/08— A las 7 a.m. se realizará un desayuno con los participantes del Trail Ride de ZCFA en el área Bustamante Roping. A las 8 a.m. comenzará el paseo desde ahí. A las 12:30 p.m. habrá una comida para los participantes en Zapata County Fairgrounds Pavilion.
LAREDO 03/05— Novena celebración del Día Internacional de la Mujer en Laredo Community College rendirá homenaje a 18 mujeres locales, por sus logros y contribuciones a la comunidad, a las 12 p.m. en el William N. “Billy” Hall Jr. Student Center en LCC-Campus del Sur. Evento gratuito. 03/05— Clínica de Vacunación contra la Rabia será de 6 p.m. a 7 p.m. en el Laredo Animal Care Facility, 5202 Maher Avenue. El costo por vacuna es de 12 dólares. El microchip cuesta 10 dólares y el registro es de 5 dólares. Otras vacunas están disponibles, según se solicite por un costo adicional. 03/05— Se presenta el Recital Voice Studio Midterm dentro del Salón de Recitales del Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de TAMIU a las 7:30 p.m. 03/06— Feria para Carreras Empresariales y Hospitalarias en Texas A&M International University se llevará a cabo de 1 p.m. a 4 p.m. en el Student Center Rotunda de TAMIU. Evento gratuito y abierto a la comunidad. 03/06— El recital de apertura de Alumnos de Arte de TAMIU tendrá lugar en la Galería de Bellas Artes y Artes Escénicas de la universidad a las 6 p.m. Evento gratuito y abierto al público. Más información llamando al 326-2654. 03/06— Recepción de apertura de “Visiones de Anáhuac” una exhibición de pinturas de José María Velasco, de 6 p.m. a 8 p.m. en el Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum, 810 Zaragoza St. 03/07— Octavo St. Jude’s Trike-A-Thon anual por los estudiantes del Centro de Desarrollo Infantil Camilo Prada, se realizará de 9:30 a.m. a 11:30 a.m. en el Complejo Recreativo del Laredo Community College, Campus del Sur. Lo que se recaude se donará al St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. 03/07— BÉISBOL: El equipo Dustdevil de TAMIU recibe a Rogers State University (DH) a las 12 p.m. en Jorge Haynes Field. Costo: 5 dólares. 03/07— SOFTBÓL: El equipo Dustdevil de TAMIU recibe a Rogers State University (DH) a las 12 p.m. en Dustdevil Field. Costo: 5 dólares.
NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO 03/05— Cine Club ‘Carmen González’ presenta “Miércoles de Ceniza” de Roberto Govaldon, a las 6 p.m. en el Auditorio de Estación Palabra. 03/06— La Orquesta Sinfónica Infantil y Juvenil se presentará en concierto a las 7 p.m. en la sala Sergio Peña. 03/07— Maquila Creativa presenta el “Mes del Grafitti” con la proyección de películas sobre Banksy y otros artistas urbanos, a las 5 p.m. Entrada libre. 03/07— El Instituto Municipal de la Mujer invita a conmemorar el Día Internacional de la Mujer con el evento “Palabra de Mujer” en el Teatro Experimental del Centro Cultural, a las 5 p.m. Participarán la periodista Lydia Cacho, la escritora Guadalupe Loaeza y la psicóloga Marina Castañeda.
MIÉRCOLES 05 DE MARZO DE 2014
CASO DE SECUESTRO DE BENJAMÍN GALVÁN
Esperan regreso TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Reportes que circularon a través de Internet durante el fin de semana señalaron que Benjamín Galván Gómez, ex Presidente Municipal de Nuevo Laredo, México, quien fue secuestrado la semana pasada, había sido encontrado sin vida cerca de su casa. Pero la esposa de Galván, Martha Alicia Aldapa, dijo el domingo por la noche, a través de una publicación en Facebook, que se encuentra esperando “buenas noticias”. “Gracias a todos por sus palabras, pero seguimos esperando que regrese con bien”, escribió. “Sigamos en oración para recibir buenas noticias pronto”. El sábado, un oficial de Nuevo
Laredo, México, confirmó que Galván fue secuestrado en la ciudad el jueves. El oficial tenía conocimiento del caso y habló en condición de anonimato. Un sitio en Internet, Nuevo Laredo en Vivo, reportó que Galván y su chofer habían sido secuestrados alrededor de las 9 p.m. en calle Campeche y avenida Aquiles Serdán, en la colonia Madero, al este de Nuevo Laredo. Supuestamente Galván y su chofer fueron interceptados mientras viajaban en el vehículo, el cual encontraron abandonado. El viernes, Rubén Darío Ríos López, un vocero de la Oficina General del Fiscal del Estado de Tamaulipas, dijo que la oficina no había sido notificada sobre el supuesto secuestro.
Galván se convirtió en el Presidente número 85 de Nuevo Laredo en 2011. Sirvió por un periodo de tres años que concluyó en 2013. Alrededor de las 11 a.m. del 29 de junio de 2012, un coche bomba explotó en la parte frontal del ayuntamiento en Nuevo Laredo. Este suceso dejó a varias personas heridas y dañó 11 vehículos y el edificio del ayuntamiento. La agencia de Seguridad Pública de Tamaulipas y la Oficina del Fiscal General dijeron, a través de un comunicado que una camioneta Ford Ranger, con placas de Coahuila, fue utilizada en el atentado. El vehículo fue colocado en el lugar reservado para que el vehículo de Galván fuera estacionado, alrededor de 33 pies de su oficina en el se-
gundo piso, con vista hacia la calle Héroe de Nacataz. Galván no estaba en su oficina al momento de la explosión. Alrededor de dos meses antes de la explosión, 14 cabezas fueron encontradas en tres hieleras en un vehículo estacionado en avenida Juárez, entre Maclovio Herrera y Héroe de Nacataz, frente al Ayuntamiento. Testigos reportaron las hieleras frente al edificio, y soldados del Ejército Mexicano y expertos en explosivos fueron llamados a la escena para investigaciones. Entonces se descubrieron las 14 cabezas dentro de las hieleras, junto con una “manta”, la cual, de acuerdo con las autoridades, fue escrita por el Cártel de Sinaloa.
ROMA-MIGUEL ALEMÁN
CONDADO DE ZAPATA
86 ANIVERSARIO
Inician feria con cabalgata POR MALENA CHARUR TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto de cortesía
En la fotografía se muestra el puente colgante que une a las ciudades de Roma, Texas y la ciudad de Miguel Alemán, México, tras su construcción.
Celebran a Puente de suspensión Roma-San Pedro de Roma POR MARTIZA PEÑA ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
El 1 de marzo de 2014, las ciudades fronterizas de la Ciudad de Roma y la Ciudad de Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas, México, se reunieron para el aniversario número 86 del Puente Colgante. Cerca de 100 personas de ambas ciudades asistieron al evento. El objetivo del evento es establecer un acuerdo bilateral entre las autoridades de Roma, Texas, y Ciudad Miguel Alemán, donde un compromiso permanente entre las dos regiones establece, como acuerdo, alinear las acciones comunes, para encaminarlas en beneficio y bienestar de las personas que viven a ambos lados de la frontera, considerando los lazos ancestrales de la familia, historia, sectores geográficos, económicos, sociales, políticos y culturales. Santiago Rodríguez, reportero de Enlace se
desempeñó como maestro de ceremonias. Los cadetes de JROTC de Roma High School, presentaron los colores de ambas naciones, así mismo Yomara Cortez, finalista de La Voz México realizó la entonación del Himno Nacional de Estados Unidos y el Himno Nacional Mexicano. El Juez del Condado Starr, Eloy Vera y el Comisionado del Condado del Precinto 2 de Starr, Roy Peña, realizaron una declaración sobre la historia del puente. Carlos Rugerio, Director del Archivo General del Estado de Tamaulipas e historiador de la Ciudad de Roma, habló con detalle acerca de la historia y el futuro de rehabilitación del Puente Colgante. El alcalde de Ciudad Miguel Alemán, Ramiro Cortez Barrera y el Alcalde de la ciudad de Roma José Alfredo Guerra Jr., firmaron el acuerdo bilateral.
Foto de cortesía
El pasado 1 de marzo, el Alcalde de la Ciudad de Roma, Texas, José Alfredo Guerra Jr., a la derecha, y el Presidente de Ciudad de Miguel Alemán, México, Ramiro Cortez Barrera, firmaron un acuerdo bilateral a favor del bienestar social en ambos lados de la frontera.
La cabalgata que marca el inicio oficial de la Feria del Condado de Zapata en su edición número 42, se llevará a cabo el sábado en punto de las 8 a.m. Al final de la cabalgata, la cual iniciará en Bustamante Arena para terminar su recorrido hasta el Zapata County Fair Pavillion, se realizará el corte de listón inaugural de la feria que en esta ocasión estará a cargo de Jessica Villarreal, presidenta de la Feria del Condado, junto a otras personalidades de la localidad. Diversas actividades como la exhibición de animales, desfile, proyectos de arte, manualidades, fotografía, presentaciones musicales, carnaval, entre otras, podrán ser disfrutadas por grandes y chicos desde el próximo miércoles 12 hasta el sábado 15 de marzo. Dora Martínez, integrante del comité de la cabalgata para la feria del condado, explicó que en el pasado han contado con la presencia de hasta 150 participantes entre niños y adultos. “El costo por participar es de cinco dólares e incluye el desayuno y la comida. Cada quien debe llevar su caballo”, dijo Martínez. El recorrido de la cabalgata abarca unas 15 millas. “La tradicional cabalgata es un evento donde todos aquellos que sienten pasión por montar a caballo y por las actividades al aire libre, puedan tomar parte en una gran experiencia que reúne a la comunidad”, indica Jessica Villarreal en el mensaje de bienvenida del sitio de Internet de la feria. Al término de la cabalgata los jinetes se reunirán para el tradicional corte de listón seguido de una comida. Para mayores informes acerca de la inscripción en esta actividad y eventos de la feria, puede acceder a la página de Internet en www.zapatacountyfair.com (Localice a Malena Charur en el 7282583 o en mcharur@lmtonline.com)
COLUMNA
Historiador narra nexos de himno mexicano POR RAÚL SINECIO ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
(En esta historia Raúl Sinecio nos narra el surgimiento del Himno Nacional Mexicano y la relación que el compositor tuvo con el estado de Tamaulipas. Segunda de dos partes). En el, a veces sutiles, Himno Nacional Mexicano y el himno a Tamaulipas existen nexos únicos. Si seguimos la huella, recorreremos así ruta de lectura. Con breves renglones basta. Olvidada pronto la pieza musical, el vínculo tamaulipeco repuntó al encabezar
Himno Nacional de México tendría raíces en Tamaulipas, debido a las vivencias que tuvo el autor en el estado vecino. el régimen centralista Antonio López de Santa Anna, estando este ausente hubo necesidad de reestrenar al otro día en presencia del senil dictador, nunca entregó los premios estipulados. Rumbo al extranjero ante el pronunciamiento de Ayutla, tampoco promulgó el decreto que adoptaba la composición. No obstante, el Himno Nacional Mexicano surgiría unido a Tamaulipas. Lo anterior, pues entonces conme-
moraba el XXV aniversario del triunfo sobre la intentona española de reconquista, cuyas glorias regenteara Santa Anna. Dicha gesta tuvo lugar justo donde colinda la entidad con Veracruz.
Faena Oficializado durante la dictadura porfiriana, el Himno Nacional Mexicano acrecentó nexos con el noreste extremo de México, de-
bido a la visita de Jaime Nunó a Ciudad Victoria, capital de Tamaulipas, recibiéndolo la Escuela Anexa a la Normal, en calle Hidalgo y callejón 12. De avanzada edad, arribaría hecho “un viejecito maravillosamente bello”, recordó Emilio Portes Gil. Miles de niños le tributaron afectuosa bienvenida. Cuando iba a tomar la palabra –añade Portes Gil—, le ganó el llanto. “No tenga usted cuidado, señor el me-
jor discurso que nos ha podido decir, son las lágrimas que han rodado por sus mejillas”, habría manifestado el gobernador. Dizque verificada la recepción en 1903, Nunó traspuso las fronteras nacionales sólo en 1901 y 1904. Contrasta asimismo el almibarado relato transcrito con las crónicas de prensa. Al confesar que el himno lo compuso en 1854 “sin más impulso que el premio de quinientos pesos” — reprocha cierto periódico capitalino—, “Nunó, por propia confesión, no hizo más que una faena vulgar”.
International
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
The right to use force More marchers jailed Russia’s president backs off, but keeps talking By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV AND TIM SULLIVAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
MOSCOW — Stepping back from the brink of war, Vladimir Putin talked tough but cooled tensions in the Ukraine crisis in his first comments since its president fled, saying Tuesday that Russia has no intention “to fight the Ukrainian people” but reserved the right to use force. As the Russian president held court in his personal residence, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Kiev’s fledgling government and Moscow agreed to sit down with NATO. Although nerves remained on edge in Crimea, with Russian troops firing warning shots to ward off Ukrainian soldiers, global markets catapulted higher on tentative signals that the Kremlin was not seeking to escalate the conflict. Kerry brought moral support and a $1 billion aid package to a Ukraine fighting to fend off bankruptcy. Lounging in an armchair before Russian tricolor flags, Putin delivered a performance filled with earthy language, macho swagger and sarcastic jibes, accusing the West of promoting an “unconstitutional coup” in Ukraine. At one point he compared the U.S. role to an experiment with “lab rats.” But the overall message appeared to be one of de-escalation. “It seems to me (Ukraine) is gradually stabilizing,” Putin said. “We have no enemies in Ukraine. Ukraine is a friendly state.” He tempered those comments by warning that Russia was willing to use “all means at our disposal”
Photo by Sergei Grits | AP
Photo by Esthela Chiquete/El Debate de Culiacan | AP
Pro Russian soldiers guard an infantry base in Perevalne, Ukraine, on Tuesday. Tensions stayed high in the Crimea peninsula.
Police arrest protesters during a march in support of jailed drug boss Joaquin Guzman Loera, ”El Chapo,” in Culiacan, Mexico, on Feb. 26. Hundreds of people demanded that Guzman be freed.
to protect ethnic Russians in the country. Significantly, Russia agreed to a NATO request to hold a special meeting to discuss Ukraine on Wednesday in Brussels, opening up a possible diplomatic channel in a conflict that still holds monumental hazards and uncertainties. While the threat of military confrontation retreated somewhat Tuesday, both sides ramped up economic feuding in their struggle over Ukraine. Russia hit its nearly broke neighbor with a termination of discounts on natural gas, while the U.S. announced a $1 billion aid package in energy subsidies. “We are going to do our best (to help you). We are going to try very hard,” Kerry said upon arriving in Kiev. “We hope Russia will respect the election that you are going to have.” Ukraine’s finance minister, who has said Ukraine needs $35 billion to get through this year and next, was meeting Tuesday with officials from the International Monetary Fund. World stock markets, which slumped the previous day, clawed back a large chunk of their losses
Tuesday on signs that Russia was backpedaling. Gold, the Japanese yen and U.S. treasuries — all seen as safe havens — returned some of their gains. Russia’s RTS index, which fell 12 percent on Monday rose 6.2 percent Tuesday. In the U.S., the Dow Jones industrial average was up 1.2 percent. “Confidence in equity markets has been restored as the standoff between Ukraine and Russia is no longer on red alert,” said David Madden, market analyst at IG. Russia took over the strategic peninsula of Crimea on Saturday, placing its troops around its ferry, military bases and border posts. “Those unknown people without insignia who have seized administrative buildings and airports ... what we are seeing is a kind of velvet invasion,” said Russian military analyst Alexander Golts. The territory’s enduring volatility was put in stark relief Tuesday morning: Russian troops, who had taken control of the Belbek air base, fired warning shots into the air as some 300 Ukrainian soldiers, who previously manned the airfield, demanded their jobs back.
By MARTIN DURAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
CULIACAN, Mexico — The number of people reported arrested during a demonstration in favor of captured drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman rose to 211 Monday, as outrage grew over what some fear is the glorification of a man considered the hemisphere’s most powerful trafficker. “As a Mexican citizen, this really makes me indignant,” Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam said of Sunday’s demonstration. “It cannot be that someone who has bragged about killing and injuring and hurting so many people could be defended in this way.” Police and local courts earlier reported that about 100 people had been detained as police tried to break up the protest in Guzman’s home state of Sinaloa in northern Mexico. By early Monday, the final tally of those detained on disturbing-the-peace charges had more than doubled. Marchers chanted “Freedom!” and “Chapo!” as they walked the streets of Culiacan, the Sinaloa state capital, and carried signs opposing possible extradition of the drug lord
to the U.S., something Mexican authorities have already said won’t happen soon. Local Judge Gabriel Pena Gonzalez said all but 30 of the 211 people arrested at the protest had been freed. Many paid fines that averaged about 500 pesos ($37) apiece, but others said they had been unfairly detained just because they were walking in the area. Protester Aida Hermosillo complained about the heavy presence of local and federal police at the march. “They want to arrest us all and I think we have a right of free speech. We are the people. Are they going to take us all because we want to march?” The Sinaloa state human rights commission said it was investigating. The march ended with gunshots, though it was unclear who fired the shots. Sunday’s demonstration followed a Wednesday march in Culiacan during which hundreds of people shouted pro-Guzman slogans and demanded his release, saying he had provided local residents with jobs, income and protection from violent crime. The show of support for
Guzman has sparked fears he may become some sort of folk hero, though some marchers said they had been offered 700 pesos (about $53) paid to participate. In an editorial published Sunday, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico decried what it called the country’s “Chaponization” — an apparent play on “canonization,” part of the process of declaring a person a saint. “Events in society suggest an alarming decline in society and the government. It is amazing to see a public invitation to march in favor of a criminal and demand his release,” the archdiocese said in an editorial on its website, “Desde la Fe.” “This is not only regrettable ... it also raises questions,” the editorial said. “Who was corrupted by Chapo’s money to support this march?” The editorial said that “we should worry about the narco-culture and the mythologizing of a capo, the corruption of authorities who protect and cover up for drug cartels, and worry about the situation of the people of Sinaloa, manipulated and abandoned by those responsible for public welfare.”
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2014
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS: ZAPATA HAWKS
Powerlifting on to states
Courtesy photo
The Zapata girls’ powerlifting team is sending 13 of the 20 team members to the state meet after a strong performance at last week’s regional meet in Pleasanton.
13 make cut; girls’ golf finishes 5th at Border Olympics By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
LAREDO — The Zapata girls’ golf team placed fifth at the Border Olympics golf tournament at the Max Mandel golf course Friday and Saturday. The field included 13 teams from the 4A and 5A level. "The girls are playing well but they know they can score much better," Zapata head golf coach Clyde Guerra Jr. said. "We had many putts for par, but did not convert on many. Our short game is what we
need to improve, both boys’ and girls’. So our practices will take place around the green from 50 yards in." Pacing the Lady Hawks’ girls’ golf team is senior Leanna Saenz, who has been the face of the program for the past few years. Saenz is the defending District 31-3A champion and is poised to make another run at the title. Rounding out the girls’ golf team are seniors Krysta Lozano and Jessenia Garza along with sophomores Andrea Reyes and Kaity Ramirez. Over the two-day tourna-
ment, Saenz had a score of 9393 for a score of 186 while Reyes dropped a 95-92 for a 187. The duo were followed by Ramirez (96-103, 199), Lozano (10698, 204) and Garza (98-113, 211). "All the girls at some point in the round played good three-five hole stretches, but we need to be able to put together 18 holes with minimal mistakes," Guerra said. Senior Rod Saldivar, junior Ramiro Torres, sophomore Clyde Guerra III and freshmen Conner Moreno and Clemente Cruz make up the boys’ golf team. That group will be head-
ing to the South Padre Island Golf Club on Friday and Saturday for its next competition. Powerlifting sends 13 to state The girls’ powerlifting team is sending 13 of its 20 members to state after surviving the regional meet in Pleasanton last weekend. Zapata’s 42 points tied Crystal City for the top spot, but were bumped down to second place because the Lady Javelinas had one more first place than the Lady Hawks. Twentytwo teams attended the Region 5 Division II meet. Zapata’s second place finish
sends a large number of lifters to the state meet. In the 105weight division Jackie Garcia finished second while Delaney Cooper grabbed the same spot in the 148-pound division. Amanda Esquivel (181-pound) and Gaby Reyes (220-pound) also came in second in their respective divisions. Brianna Gonzalez (114) and Alana Montes (123) both grabbed gold at the meet. Zapata is gearing up for the state meet in Corpus Christi on March 14. E-mail: sandoval.clara@gmail.com
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: DALLAS MAVERICKS
Mavs fighting for playoff spot Dallas 0-6 against top five teams in West over last two months By SCHUYLER DIXON ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki joked after a loss to San Antonio that the Mavericks don’t “want to see anyone” in the playoffs, given their recent record against winning teams. Dallas hasn’t beaten any of its likely firstround opponents in more than two months — and that’s assuming the Mavericks get in after a 12year streak of reaching the playoffs ended last season. At the moment, Dallas is one of four teams in a tight battle for the final three playoff spots in the Western Conference. And yes, Nowitzki says, the Mavericks need to beat Portland on Friday. Or Oklahoma City when they play twice in a span of nine days. Or the Los Angeles Clippers in a pair of games a week apart. “Not necessarily just for confidence but also because we want to stay in
the playoff hunt,” Nowitzki said. “If we keep losing against the good teams, most of our games left are against teams with winning records. We’ve got to keep winning at a high clip if we want to make it and so the pressure’s on. You gotta love it.” A 112-106 loss to the Spurs on Sunday dropped Dallas to 0-6 against the top five teams in the West since a victory against Houston on Dec. 23. Since then, the Mavericks have blown big leads at home against the Rockets and Clippers. They’ve fallen 38 points behind the Trail Blazers, also at home. They haven’t been able to get a substantial lead against the Spurs. All of which means nothing to coach Rick Carlisle because all he sees is Wednesday night’s game at Denver, which has been in free fall because of injuries but finally has point guard Ty Lawson back. “The analysis of which teams are better ones and
all that, I mean, we’re going to see them when we see them,” Carlisle said. “Right now, we’ve got to focus on Denver.” After the Nuggets, the Mavericks get the Blazers at home, followed two nights later by East-leading Indiana. The Pacers actually represent the last impressive win for Dallas in the final game before the break. The victory at Indiana came during a 10-2 stretch for Dallas, but eight of the wins were against teams with losing records. After four straight wins against sub-.500 teams, the Mavericks had a big lead early against Chicago but let the Bulls pull away in the fourth quarter. Now Dallas has lost two straight to winning teams. After facing the Nuggets, the Mavericks get three straight winning teams. That happens again when they figure to be battling for a playoff berth in the last three games, including the finale at Memphis, one of
the teams in the battle for the final three spots. “You either rise to the challenge or you don’t,” Carlisle said. “And right now our mindset is we’ve got to rise above all challenges, but we’ve got to do it collectively.” To Carlisle, that means help for Nowitzki, who is the closest he’s been to championship form since Dallas beat Miami for the title in 2011. Monta Ellis, Jose Calderon and Devin Harris give the Mavericks a better backcourt than they did when they missed the playoffs a year ago, and Vince Carter has been a go-to scorer more often as the sixth man after a slow start to the season. New center Sam Dalembert’s production figures strongly in Dallas’ chances, and a team that has been defensively challenged at times will lean on Shawn Marion to shore up that area. “Every game here is huge and we know it,” Nowitzki said.
Photo by John F. Rhodes | AP
With no shortage of scorers, especially in the backcourt, the Mavericks are counting on veterans like Shawn Marion to help shore up any defensive issues. Dallas holds one of the three final playoff spots in the Western Conference.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
THE MARKET IN REVIEW DAILY DOW JONES
STOCK EXCHANGE HIGHLIGHTS
u
NYSE 10,489.96 +160.16
GAINERS ($2 OR MORE) Name
u
NASDAQ 4,351.97
Vipshop 169.21+41.45 +32.4 BallardPw CrwfdB 9.95 +1.57 +18.7 RosettaGn Luxoft n 34.10 +5.27 +18.3 ModusLink DaqoNEn 52.89 +7.78 +17.2 FuelCellE JinkoSolar 35.95 +5.23 +17.0 InsysTh n EPAM Sys 37.21 +5.19 +16.2 HarvAppR Autohme n 47.99 +6.61 +16.0 MecoxLane iP LXR2K 154.65+21.18 +15.9 InterCld wt E-CDang 17.11 +2.28 +15.4 SutorTch h Care.com n 20.47 +2.63 +14.7 SungyMo n
Dow Jones industrials
16,440
Close: 16,395.88 Change: 227.85 (1.4%)
16,220
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17,000
5.36 +1.13 5.15 +1.08 5.68 +1.14 2.71 +.54 83.37+14.88 6.19 +1.10 4.74 +.76 10.27 +1.49 2.09 +.30 31.83 +4.54
16,500
+26.7 +26.5 +25.1 +24.9 +21.7 +21.6 +19.1 +17.0 +16.8 +16.6
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Last Chg%Chg Name
Last Chg%Chg
RadioShk BarcShtB PUVixST rs DrxRsaBear C-TrCitiVol Lentuo CSVInvNG McDrmInt ProUltCmdy EKodak wt
2.25 12.94 63.92 18.34 2.90 4.30 3.36 7.44 21.50 13.97
7.46 4.06 2.54 7.18 10.66 9.75 10.28 4.17 33.38 3.07
-.47 -2.61 -9.60 -2.64 -.37 -.42 -.31 -.67 -1.94 -1.23
-17.3 -16.8 -13.1 -12.6 -11.3 -8.9 -8.4 -8.3 -8.3 -8.1
AmElTech ZipRlty BioLineRx CSVxSht rs HowardBcp Gentiva h OvaScience MandDig rs ChiMobGm Dndreon
-1.79 -.72 -.38 -.98 -1.33 -1.10 -1.08 -.43 -3.09 -.24
-19.4 -15.1 -13.0 -12.0 -11.1 -10.1 -9.5 -9.3 -8.5 -7.3
MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) Name
Vol (00)
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S&P500ETF1563931187.58 +2.60 iShR2K 1056775 119.83 +2.94 BkofAm 982309 16.73 +.43 Pro7-10yrT 602393 52.63 -.79 iShEMkts 591928 39.44 +.66 Penney 581902 8.29 +.33 VerizonCm 498881 47.90 +.59 iSh1-3yTB 493329 84.52 -.07 SPDR Fncl 478875 21.97 +.44 iShJapan 446331 11.63 +.29
Vol (00)
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PlugPowr h 1166228 FuelCellE 655199 Zynga 564314 SiriusXM 463072 Facebook 410588 BallardPw 377076 Cisco 341919 BlackBerry 320883 MicronT 306944 PwShs QQQ 306770
6.69 +.87 2.71 +.54 5.65 +.41 3.59 +.01 68.80 +1.39 5.36 +1.13 21.82 +.25 10.34 -.03 25.11 +.63 90.81 +1.14
DIARY Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows
Volume
2,589 528 90 3,207 302 9 3,624,473,784
DIARY Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows
Volume
14,030.37 5,878.12 462.66 8,814.76 3,154.79 681.01 1,512.29 1,092.17 15,967.60 898.40
Name
16,395.88 7,466.08 518.57 10,489.96 4,351.97 824.14 1,873.91 1,389.21 20,133.02 1,208.65
MONEY RATES S
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AT&T Inc AEP BkofAm Caterpillar CCFemsa CmtyHlt ConocoPhil Dillards EmpIca ExxonMbl FordM FuelCellE GenElec HewlettP HomeDp iShEMkts iSh1-3yTB iShR2K Intel IntlBcsh IBM
NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY Nasd NY NY NY NY NY NY Nasd Nasd NY
YTD Yld PE Last Chg %Chg
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YTD Yld PE Last Chg %Chg
5.7 4.0 .2 2.5 1.2 ... 4.2 .3 ... 2.6 3.3 ... 3.4 1.9 2.3 2.2 .3 1.2 3.7 1.9 2.0
Lowes Lubys MetLife MexicoFd Microsoft Modine Penney PlugPowr h Pro7-10yrT RadioShk S&P500ETF Schlmbrg SearsHldgs SonyCp UnionPac USSteel UnivHlthS VerizonCm WalMart WellsFargo Zynga
NY NY NY NY Nasd NY NY Nasd NY NY NY NY Nasd NY NY NY NY NY NY NY Nasd
.72 ... 1.10 3.18 1.12 ... ... ... ... ... 3.35 1.60 ... .25 3.64 .20 .20 2.12 1.92 1.20 ...
1.4 ... 2.1 ... 2.9 ... ... ... ... ... 1.8 1.7 ... 1.4 2.0 .8 .2 4.4 2.6 2.6 ...
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1.84 2.00 .04 2.40 1.19 ... 2.76 .24 ... 2.52 .50 ... .88 .58 1.88 .86 .22 1.41 .90 .46 3.80
10 16 17 18 ... 28 11 13 ... 10 12 ... 17 11 22 ... ... ... 13 15 12
32.15 +.29 50.05 +.33 16.73 +.43 97.02 +.71 96.97 +.87 41.91 +.48 66.50 +.19 91.27 -.69 6.99 +.47 96.52 +1.02 15.37 +.17 2.71 +.54 25.65 +.53 30.12 +.39 82.87 +.87 39.44 +.66 84.52 -.07 119.83 +2.94 24.61 +.11 24.64 +1.48 186.44 +2.18
-8.6 +7.1 +7.5 +6.8 -20.4 +6.7 -5.9 -6.1 -17.3 -4.6 -.4 +92.2 -8.5 +7.6 +.6 -5.6 +.2 +3.9 -5.2 -6.5 -.6
24 47 15 ... 14 81 ... ... ... ... ... 18 ... ... 19 ... 17 12 15 12 ...
50.63 +.44 +2.2 6.63 +.29 -14.1 51.19 +1.12 -5.1 25.91 +.34 -11.6 38.41 +.63 +2.7 15.35 +.61 +19.7 8.29 +.33 -9.4 6.69 +.87+331.6 52.63 -.79 +6.0 2.25 -.47 -13.5 187.58 +2.60 +1.6 92.49 +1.23 +2.6 45.84 -.40 -6.5 17.36 +.15 +.4 183.85 +4.34 +9.4 24.37 +.31 -17.4 81.50 +.43 +.3 47.90 +.59 -2.5 75.13 +1.01 -4.5 46.74 +.59 +3.0 5.65 +.41 +48.7
Stock Footnotes: g=Dividends and earnings in Canadian dollars .h= Doe not meet continued- listings tandards lf = Late filing with SEC. n = New in past 52 weeks. pf = Preferred. rs = Stock has undergone a reverse stock split of at least 50 percent within the past year. rt = Right to buy security at a specified price. s = Stock has split by at least 20 percent within the last year. un = Units. vj = In bankruptcy or receivership. wd = When distributed. wi = When issued. wt = Warrants. Mutual Fund Footnotes: b = Fee covering market costs is paid from fund assets. d = Deferred sales charge, or redemption fee. f = front load (sales charges). m = Multiple fees are charged. NA = not available. p = previous day’s net asset value. s = fund split shares during the week. x = fund paid a distribution during the week. Gainers and Losers must be worth at least $2 to be listed in tables at left. Most Actives must be worth at least $1. Volume in hundreds of shares. Source: The Associated Press. Sales figures are unofficial.
Prime Rate Discount Rate Federal Funds Rate Treasuries 3-month 6-month 5-year 10-year 30-year
3.25 3.25 0.75 0.75 .00-.25 .00-.25 0.05 0.09 1.54 2.70 3.65
YTD 12-mo Chgg %Chg %Chg %Chg +227.85 +163.15 +4.38 +160.16 +74.67 +12.39 +28.18 +22.94 +322.29 +32.29
+1.41 +2.23 +.85 +1.55 +1.75 +1.53 +1.53 +1.68 +1.63 +2.75
-1.09 +.89 +5.71 +.86 +4.20 +.04 +1.38 +3.48 +2.17 +3.87
+15.03 +21.66 +6.21 +16.84 +34.98 +18.88 +21.70 +24.41 +23.83 +30.33
CURRENCIES
Last PvsWeek
STOCKS OF LOCAL INTEREST
2,143 462 114 2,719 285 9 2,378,662,760
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Dow Industrials Dow Transportation Dow Utilities NYSE Composite Nasdaq Composite S&P MidCap S&P 500 S&P MidCap Wilshire 5000 Russell 2000
15,000
LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)
Name
10 DAYS
16,000
14,500
LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)
16,588.25 7,591.43 537.86 11,334.65 4,342.59 824.21 1,867.92 1,382.57 20,044.39 1,193.50
+74.67
GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)
Last Chg%Chg Name
STOCK MARKET INDEXES 52-Week High Low
0.05 0.08 1.51 2.70 3.66
Australia Britain Canada Euro Japan Mexico Switzerlnd
Last
Pvs Day
1.1182 1.6674 1.1110 .7281 102.27 13.2712 .8875
1.1199 1.6659 1.1082 .7281 101.43 13.3287 .8834
British pound expressed in U.S. dollars. All others show dollar in foreign currency.
MUTUAL FUNDS Name Alliance Bernstein GlTmtcGA m Columbia ComInfoA m Eaton Vance WldwHealA m Fidelity Select Biotech d Fidelity Select BrokInv d Fidelity Select CommEq d Fidelity Select Computer d Fidelity Select ConsFin d Fidelity Select Electron d Fidelity Select FinSvc d Fidelity Select SoftwCom d Fidelity Select Tech d T Rowe Price SciTech Vanguard HlthCare Waddell & Reed Adv SciTechA m
Total Assets Obj ($Mlns)NAV WS 618 84.69 ST 2,499 52.71 SH 955 12.78 SH 11,009 225.79 SF 835 72.70 ST 347 31.43 ST 681 76.44 SF 249 16.36 ST 1,253 69.24 SF 778 81.69 ST 3,838 125.31 ST 2,406 132.01 ST 2,916 40.79 SH 10,763 209.62 ST 3,555 16.96
Total Return/Rank Pct Min Init 4-wk 12-mo 5-year Load Invt +9.3 +25.5/B +18.6/D 4.25 2,500 +7.9 +24.7/E +19.8/E 5.75 2,000 +10.9 +49.9/C +22.6/E 5.75 1,000 +11.8 +83.1/A +35.3/A NL 2,500 +5.1 +30.0/B +24.6/B NL 2,500 +6.0 +30.8/D +24.0/D NL 2,500 +7.1 +29.2/D +28.8/A NL 2,500 +6.6 +23.8/C +21.9/D NL 2,500 +11.2 +41.5/B +27.2/B NL 2,500 +5.7 +24.9/B +21.8/D NL 2,500 +7.7 +46.8/B +32.0/A NL 2,500 +9.1 +36.9/C +31.0/A NL 2,500 +6.8 +42.3/B +26.7/C NL 2,500 +10.9 +47.2/C +26.0/C NL 3,000 +8.7 +54.0/A +28.9/A 5.75 750
CA -Conservative Allocation, CI -Intermediate-Term Bond, ES -Europe Stock, FB -Foreign Large Blend, FG -Foreign LargeGrowth, FV -Foreign Large Value, IH -World Allocation, LB -Large Blend, LG -Large Growth, LV -Large Value, MA Moderate Allocation, MB -Mid-Cap Blend, MV - Mid-Cap Value, SH -Specialty-heath, WS -World Stock, Total Return: Chng in NAV with dividends reinvested. Rank: How fund performed vs. others with same objective: A is in top 20%, E in bottom 20%. Min Init Invt: Minimum $ needed to invest in fund. Source: Morningstar.
JOSE CESARIO MORALES Aug. 27, 1927 – Feb. 28, 2014
Jose Cesario Morales passed away Feb. 28, 2014, at Falcon Lake Nursing Home in Zapata. Mr. Morales lived in Kingsville until retirement from the Texas Highway
Department. He enjoyed hunting at his ranch in Zapata County. Mr. Morales is preceded in death by his daughter, Diana Alicia Perez and parents, Serapio and Vidala Morales. Mr. Morales is survived by his wife Eloisa O. Morales; son Jose C. Jr. (Shelly) Morales; daughters Nydia E. Morales, Velma E. (Frank) Salinas and Vidala E. (Reynaldo) Silguero; 14 grandchildren and 10 greatgrandchildren; and by numerous cousins, nephews, nieces, friends and other family members. Visitation hours were held Sunday, March 2, 2014, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a
rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession departed Monday, March 3, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata.
Photo by Gerald Herbert | AP
Revelers yell for beads in the rain during Mardi Gras festivities in the French Quarter in New Orleans, on Tuesday. Rain and cold temperatures kept much of the massive and festive crowds away.
Case against a general Mardi Gras revelers Prosecutor in Army sex case wanted charges dropped against Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair continue celebration By MICHAEL BIESECKER ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — About a month before a U.S. Army general’s trial on sexual assault charges, the lead prosecutor broke down in tears, appearing drunk and suicidal as he told a superior he didn’t think the closely watched case should go forward, according to testimony Tuesday. Lt. Col. William Helixon said he was convinced the accuser had lied about crucial evidence, but thought the case against Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair was of such strategic importance to the military’s crackdown on sexual assaults, he felt pressured to pursue it, according to testimony from Brig. Gen. Paul Wilson, who found the prosecutor distraught in a Washington hotel room. Sinclair faces a courtmartial on charges that include physically forcing a female captain under his command to perform oral sex. His attorneys have asked a judge to dismiss the most serious of the charges against him, saying top brass at the Pentagon have unlawfully interfered with prosecutorial decisions in the case, but the judge refused Tuesday. Helixon was removed from the case last month, and a new prosecutor was assigned to take it to trial, which is set to begin this week. The case against Sinclair, believed to be the most senior member of the U.S. military ever to face trial for sexual assault, comes as the Pentagon grapples with a troubling string of revelations involving rape and sexual misconduct within the ranks.
SINCLAIR
Helixon wasn’t called to testify, but Wilson took the stand and talked about finding Helixon in the hotel room Feb. 8. Wilson testified Tuesday that Helixon appeared drunk and suicidal, and he was taken for a mental health evaluation. “He was in the midst of a personal crisis. He was crying. He was illogical,” Wilson said. “I truly believed if he could have stepped in front of a bus at the time, I think he would have.” Sinclair, who was the deputy commander of the 82nd Airborne and a rising star among the U.S. Army’s top battle commanders, is fighting charges that could land him life in a military prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty to eight criminal charges including forcible sodomy, indecent acts, violating orders and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. Lawyers for the married father of two have said he carried on a three-year extramarital affair with an officer under his command during war tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In pretrial hearings, prosecutors painted Sinclair as a sexual predator who abused his position of authority to prey on a sub-
ordinate. They also say he threatened to kill her and her family if she told anyone of their relationship. But the lead prosecutor became convinced the accuser lied to him when she testified in January about evidence collected from her cellphone. The captain testified that on Dec. 9, shortly after what she described as a contentious meeting with prosecutors, she rediscovered an old iPhone stored in a box at her home that still contained saved text messages and voicemails from the general. After charging the phone, she testified she synced it with her computer to save photos before contacting her attorney. However, a defense expert’s examination suggested the captain powered up the device more than two weeks before the meeting with prosecutors. She also tried to make a call and performed a number of other operations. Wilson testified that Helixon was distraught that the accuser had lied to him. “I served with him in combat in Afghanistan, making targeting decisions with people’s lives on the line. I have never seen another human being in a state like that,” he said of their meeting at the RitzCarlton in Washington. Wilson said he took Helixon to the emergency room of a nearby military hospital for a mental health evaluation. Though a psychiatrist who interviewed the prosecutor declined to admit him for treatment, Wilson said he told Helixon’s immediate superior back at Fort Bragg that the prosecutor was no longer fit to handle the case.
By CHEVEL JOHNSON AND STACEY PLAISANCE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS — A cold, gray day greeted revelers — but didn’t deter them — along parade routes Tuesday as the Carnival season in New Orleans headed to a crest with the unabashed celebration of Mardi Gras. The first street marching groups, including clarinetist Pete Fountain’s Half-Fast Walking Club, were to begin their marches along oak-lined St. Charles Avenue and into the business district. The Zulu parade began on schedule, led by a New Orleans police vanguard on horseback that included Mayor Mitch Landrieu. Later, the floats of Rex — the king of Carnival — and hundreds of truck trailers decorated by family and social groups would wind down St. Charles Avenue. Rain fell, and umbrellas and raincoats sprouted along the parade route. Sleet was falling on some merrymakers in areas north and west of the city. But revelers gathered by the thousands in the French Quarter, where the bawdy side of Mardi Gras would surely be on full display. Mark Nelson of St. Louis said he would be in the mix even in a downpour for his first Mardi Gras. “That’s why God made washing machines,” Nelson said as he sipped on a daiquiri. Revelers lined up near a stand on Bourbon Street where artist Gail Vertucci was painting Carnival masks on faces. “These people are cra-
zy,” she said. “They’ll get painted no matter what. It doesn’t matter if it’s pouring rain, these people will line up all day long.” Die-hards braved the weather in costume in the Quarter. The weather wasn’t going to stop them. “We’ll drink, drink, drink until it gets drier,” said Dean Cook of New Orleans as he walked Bourbon Street dressed as a pirate with vampire fangs. “Mermaids love the water,” he said of his wife, Terrina Cook, who was dressed in a shiny blue mermaid costume. Along the Uptown parade route, Carol LeBlanc and husband Hov LeBlanc of New Orleans were strolling along St. Charles Avenue with friends Vicki and Duane O’Flynn from Arabi, La. The troupe was dressed as scarecrows, stuffed with grass and wearing plaid pants and tattered coveralls. The cold weather wasn’t worrying LeBlanc. “I’ve got my long johns on,” she said. Nearby, April Womack and her family had tents set up. Grills were fired up, and pots of crawfish were boiling. They camped overnight, a family tradition for almost two decades. “It’s all about location,” she said. Her cousin, Yolanda Moton, said Mardi Gras is the opportunity for an annual family reunion, with relatives coming from as far away as Georgia. “This is the one time of the year that everyone in the family fits this in their schedule.” Sue and Kevin Preece from Edmonton, Canada,
were at their first Mardi Gras. “We wanted to come for Mardi Gras for about 10 years. It was on my bucket list, and he (Kevin) made it happen,” said Sue Preece, a social worker. Ronnie Davis, a professor of economics at the University of New Orleans, decided to break his button-down image for at least one day. Clad in tutus, he and his wife, Arthurine, strolled through a rain-thinned crowd. “All year I have to dress professionally. This is the one time I get to act like a fool,” Davis said. Celebrations were scheduled throughout Louisiana and in coastal Mississippi and Alabama, sharing the traditions brought by French colonists in the 18th century. In Louisiana’s bayou parishes, riders on horseback would go from town to town, making merry in what is called the Courir du Mardi Gras. The merriment must come to a halt at midnight, when the solemn season of Lent begins. New Orleans police were expected to sweep down Bourbon Street at midnight in the annual ritual of letting revelers know the party is over. The Zulu krewe’s 2014 Witch Doctor, Derek Rabb, said he was charged with praying for the krewe’s good health and good weather on Mardi Gras. “By God’s grace, there will be sun,” he said. When out of costume, Rabb works ata New Orleans firm. A member of the organization for the past eight years, he said being in such a position has been an experience he won’t soon forget.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2014
UKRAINE Continued from Page 1A there, but the facts on the ground indicate that right now he is not abiding by that principle.” The Obama administration announced a $1 billion energy subsidy package in Washington as Kerry was arriving in Kiev. The fast-moving developments came as the United States readied economic sanctions amid worries that Moscow was ready to stretch its military reach further into the mainland of the former Soviet republic. Kerry headed straight to Institutska Street at the start of an hourslong visit intended to bolster the new government that took over just a week ago when Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych fled. Kerry placed a bouquet of red roses, and twice the Roman Catholic secretary of state made the sign of the cross at a shrine set up to memorialize protesters who were killed during mid-February riots. “We’re concerned very much. We hope for your help, we hope for your assistance,” a woman shouted as Kerry walked down a misty street lined with tires, plywood,
barbed wire and other remnants of the barricades that protesters had stood up to try to keep Yanukovych’s forces from reaching nearby Maidan Square, the heart of the demonstrations. Piles of flowers brought in honor of the dead provided splashes of color in an otherwise drab day that was still tinged with the smell of smoke. “We will be helping,” Kerry said. “We are helping. President Obama is planning more assistance.” The Ukraine government continued to grapple with a Russian military takeover of Crimea, a strategic, mostly pro-Russian region in the country’s southeast, and Kerry’s visit came as Russian President Vladimir Putin said he wouldn’t be deterred by economic sanctions imposed punitively by the West. Ukraine Foreign Minister Andrii Deshchytsia told reporters that Ukraine was in a much stronger position today than it was even a week ago, having rallied the support of the U.S. and the West. He said it’s unlikely Kiev will ever go
COWBOY Learning the latter’s requisite skills presents more complications because live animals are required and youngsters must know how to ride a horse pretty well before they can even begin to think about roping or steer wrestling. The good news is neither roping nor bull-dogging is as dangerous as mounting rough stock. Caleb Smidt, the PRCA’s 2013 All-Around Rookie-of-theYear, is a 24-year-old roper and a steer wrestler with the potential to eventually rank among the best ever. The Bellville cowboy readily admits he never “had much of an interest” in beating himself up trying to survive the requisite eight seconds on the back of a bucking horse or bull. He figured out early on that timedevent cowboys have longer careers and spend less time in emergency rooms. “But,” he added, “it’s simpler to ride rough stock. You can go to a rodeo in a car. You don’t need a big truck and a horse trailer.”
Indeed, prospective bronc and bull riders often arrive at the PRCA’s “Rodeo 101” camps in the family station wagon. Each camp accommodates up to 40 youngsters for a single six-hour session, and one of the first was in Fort Worth in January, the only stop scheduled for Texas this year. The next closest to the Houston area will be one in Crosset, Ark., a five-hour drive east of Dallas, scheduled for March 29. “Our program is designed to provide kids with the opportunity to try out rodeoing in a safety-first environment,” Julie Jutten, the PRCA’s outreach coordinator, told the Houston Chronicle. “We’ve always been involved in youth rodeo, but we’ve decided to take a more proactive role in promoting rodeo as a sports option. “Other organizations are recruiting kids,” she continued. “We should be, too. But for us it’s a lot more complicated than just taking your bat and your ball to the park like you do when you first learn
to war to prevent Russia from annexing Crimea but said doing so wouldn’t be necessary, describing the economic penalties and diplomatic isolation more painful to Russians than bullets would be. U.S. officials traveling with Kerry, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Obama administration is considering slapping Russia with unspecified economic sanctions as soon as this week. Members of Congress say they’re preparing legislation that would impose sanctions as well. As Kerry arrived, the White House announced the package of energy aid, along with training for financial and election institutions and anti- corruption efforts. Additionally, the officials said, the U.S. has suspended what was described as a narrow set of discussions with Russia over a bilateral trade investment treaty. It is also going to provide technical advice to the Ukraine government about its trade rights with Russia. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be quoted by name before the official announce-
ELECTION ment was made. Putin pulled his forces back from the Ukrainian border on Tuesday, yet said that Moscow reserves the right to use all means to protect Russians in the country but hopes it doesn’t have to. Putin declared that Western actions were driving Ukraine into anarchy and warned that any sanctions the West might place on Russia for its actions there will backfire. Speaking from his residence outside Moscow, Putin said he still considers Yanukovych to be Ukraine’s leader and hopes Russia won’t need to use force in predominantly Russianspeaking eastern Ukraine. In Washington, the White House said the $1 billion loan guarantee was aimed at helping insulate Ukraine from reductions in energy subsidies. Russia provides a substantial portion of Ukraine’s natural gas and U.S. officials said they are prepared to work with Kiev to reduce its dependence on those imports. The assistance is also meant to supplement a broader aid package from the International Monetary Fund.
Continued from Page 1A how to play baseball.” Rodeo 101 beginners are taught technique through drills and mechanical equipment by real pro cowboys, some retired, who volunteer their time. “They don’t do live buckouts,” Jutten said, “until they’re ready to get serious” and take the next step, which would be to sign up for a private rodeo school. Scholarship money is being made available to attend college, too. “Our focus is on teaching the basics, goal-setting, good sportsmanship and healthy living habits,” Jutten said. “The idea is to get them started the right way instead of going out and jumping on some guy’s horse in the back pasture and getting badly hurt.” It’s too early to see measurable impact of overall participation because 18 is the minimum age to earn a PRCA card. In the interim, numbers are likely to continue to trickle lower — especially in bareback riding, which, bull-riding’s no-
toriety notwithstanding, is the most potentially debilitating discipline because of the whiplash effect on the neck. Mote has gone through periods of suffering excruciating pain from a pinched cervical nerve, and now, like most of his peers, he wears a special brace designed to help stabilize the head while the body is being wildly jerked about. “Most recently,” Mote said, beginning his list of injuries, “my pancreas got split, and I had to have half of it taken out.” He said it as matter-of-factly as if he were talking about a broken finger nail. “That was about a year and a half ago and cost me a couple months,” he said. “The horse slipped in the bucking chute and banged me up against the side. Before that, I had to have surgery on a sports hernia. It took about a year to get back to normal, but I was still trying to compete. And I’ve broke my collarbone, bones in both legs, my arm and my wrist.”
Continued from Page 1A While Democrats are running mostly unopposed in their primaries, crowded fields in the Republican races for attorney general, comptroller and commissioners for agriculture and railroads make May runoffs likely. Davis’ bid for governor headlines a roster of underdog Democrats girding instead for the Nov. 4 general election. That’s the only day that matters to Davis and her Republican opponent, Attorney General Greg Abbott, in the year’s marquee showdown. Neither has a competitive primary, leaving Davis poised to become the first female gubernatorial nominee in Texas since Ann Richards in 1994. Abbott was set to become the GOP’s first new gubernatorial nominee other than Perry to appear on the ballot since George W. Bush in 1998. Beverly Hanson — who was among a handful of people who had voted at a Houston elementary school on a cold, rainy day — said women’s issues are a key component of the election. “And that means Wendy Davis,” the 68-yearold retired teacher said, later explaining, “She’s not one of the old boys. In Texas, we have for so many years had the old boys in office.” Hanson said Davis has an uphill battle against Abbott but believes the attorney general erred by campaigning with shock rocker Ted Nugent, who called President Barack Obama a “subhuman mongrel,” a comment for which he later apologized. “It just an example of Republicans having a narrow perspective of what Texas is,” Hanson said, adding, “It will be a fight.” Unlike Davis and Abbott, few other Texas candidates have the luxury of uneventful primaries. Almost all are on the Republican side, where candidates have wooed voters with vows to emulate Cruz’s no-compromise style. Even U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, two of the state’s most powerful Republicans, have spent money campaigning against longshot challengers who say the incumbents have grown too moderate in Washington. Changes are far more likely in Austin. Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who lost to Cruz in the U.S. Senate race in 2012, appears headed for his first runoff in 11 years for the state’s No. 2 job, which doubles as the state Senate president and exerts considerably more influence than elsewhere in setting the legislative agenda. The race has been the nastiest and most competitive this primary season. Ralph Kramer, 70, a semi-retired petroleum engineer from The Woodlands who described himself as more conservative than most Republicans, said he didn’t like the tone of Dewhurst’s recent campaign against challenger state Sen. Dan Patrick. Kramer described political ads as “just a way to lie, exaggerate.” “And I don’t like a dirty campaign,” he said. Illinois holds the nation’s next primary March 18, followed by a flood of state primaries in May and June.