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Local emergency dispatcher honored Martinez receives Distinguished Professional Award
Eric Gay / AP
Texas lawmaker claims to seek officials who refuse to help enforce federal immigration law in Texas.
‘Sanctuary city’ ban approved
By César G. Rodriguez TH E ZAPATA T IME S
Maricela Martinez, of the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office, was recently honored with the Distinguished Professional Award during the South Texas 911 Appreciation Luncheon and Awards Ceremony at La Posada Hotel. Organizers said the Distinguished Professional Award was given to people who have consistently upheld an exemplary level of professionalism in their work. These individuals are model professionals that possess the qualities we hope to see in administrators and call takers: empathy, kindness, compassion and composure, according to organizers. “I think getting the award means that I, as a 911 telecommunicator, am doing my job to the best of my ability. I am very honored in getting this award,” Martinez said. “I speak for myself when I say we dispatchers are the voice for our citizens with sending them an officer and at the same time, we Dispatcher continues on A8
Bill allows the state to withhold government funds By Will Weissert ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Courtesy photo / Zapata County Sheriff’s Office
Maricela Martinez and Sheriff’s Office Chief Raymundo Del Bosque Jr. recently posed for a photo. Martinez was honored with the Distinguished Professional Award during the South Texas 911 Appreciation Luncheon and Awards Ceremony on April 19 in Laredo.
AUSTIN, Texas — The Republican-controlled Texas House approved early Thursday a strict ban on “sanctuary cities” in the country’s second-largest state, seeking to empower law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law against anyone they detain and threatening to jail police chiefs and sheriffs who refuse to do so. The vote came just before 3 a.m. and followed 15-plus hours of heated, sometimes tearful debate, much of it from outnumbered Democrats.
The bill would allow Texas to withhold funding from county and local governments for acting as sanctuary cities — even as the Trump administration’s efforts to do so nationally have hit roadblocks. Other Republican-led states have pushed for similar polices, but Texas would be the first in which police chiefs and other officials could face criminal charges and be removed from office for not helping enforce immigration law. The proposal is needed to “keep the public safe and remove bad people from the street,” said Republican Rep. Charlie GeSanctuary continues on A8
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION
PRESIDENT SUPPORTS GUN RIGHTS Trump to NRA: You have a friend in the White House By Jonathan Lemire ASSOCIAT ED PRE SS
A
David Goldman / AP
Top: Citizens in Baltimore watch on a television as the president speaks at the National Rifle Association's annual convention in Atlanta. Bottom: Protesters gather across the street from the National Rifle Association's annual convention in Atlanta on Friday.
TLANTA — President Donald Trump reaffirmed his support for gun rights Friday, telling attendees of a National Rifle Association convention that "the eight-year assault on your Second Amendment freedoms has come to a crashing end." Trump, the first sitting president to address the group's annual convention in more than 30 years, assured the audience that he would defend their right to bear arms in a campaign-like speech reminiscent of his election rallies. "You have a true friend and champion in the White House," he said. The president's trip to Atlanta also served as his first foray into a congressional race since taking office. After delivering his NRA remarks, the president headed to a private fundraiser for Republican
congressional candidate Karen Handel, who is running in a special congressional race that has become a national referendum on his presidency. During the speech, the president congratulated Handel and urged Republicans to support her. "She's totally for the NRA, and she's totally for the Second Amendment, so get out and vote," he said. Trump has been a champion of gun rights and supportive of NRA efforts to loosen restrictions on gun ownership. During the campaign, he promised to do away with President Barack Obama's efforts to strengthen background checks and to eliminate gun-free zones at schools and military bases. The last president to address an NRA convention was Ronald Reagan, who spoke to the 1983 gathering, according to the powerful gun rights lobby. Trump continues on A8
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, April 29, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, APRIL 29
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
World Tai Chi & Qigong Day. 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Blas Castaneda Park, 5700 McPherson Road. The event is free and open to the public.
Today is Saturday, April 29, the 119th day of 2017. There are 246 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History: On April 29, 1992, a jury in Simi Valley, California, acquitted four Los Angeles police officers of almost all state charges in the videotaped beating of motorist Rodney King; the verdicts were followed by several days of rioting in Los Angeles resulting in 55 deaths.
MONDAY, MAY 1 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available. Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting. 6:30—7:30 p.m. Area Health Education Center, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. Every first Monday of the month. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting. While a support group does not replace an individual’s medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength and hope.
TUESDAY, MAY 2 Alzheimer’s Support Group Meeting. 7 p.m. Meeting room 2, building B of the Laredo Medical Center. The support group is for family members and caregivers taking care of someone who has Alzheimer's. For information, call 956-693-9991.
FRIDAY, MAY 5 2017 Laredo Open. May 5-7. Laredo Country Club. $150 registration fee, which includes live music, food, drinks and raffle prizes. Guest fee: $20 per day. Registration deadline: May 2 at midnight. Sponsor and player packet pickup and party is set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 3 in the Rosewood Room. Sign up today at tennislaredo.com or at the LCC Tennis Pro Shop.
SATURDAY, MAY 6 Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee. 2017 Laredo Open. Laredo Country Club. $150 registration fee, which includes live music, food, drinks and raffle prizes. Guest fee: $20 per day. Registration deadline: May 2 at midnight. Sponsor and player packet pickup and party is set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 3 in the Rosewood Room. Sign up today at tennislaredo.com or at the LCC Tennis Pro Shop.
Rich Pedroncelli / AP
A woman passes a make-shift memorial to remember Fusako Petrus, that has been erected at a fence surrounding the track of Highlands High School on Friday in Sacramento, California.
ARREST MADE IN SCHOOL ATTACK NORTH HIGHLANDS, Calif. — A young man has been arrested in the sexual assault and beating death of an 86year-old California woman who was attacked as she tried to help a friend during a morning walk, officials said Friday. Neven Glen Butler, 18, was arrested after he was detained on unrelated assault and elder abuse charges stemming from a separate attack that happened a few miles (kilometers) away also on Wednesday, said Sacramento sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tony Turnbull. Homicide detectives tied Butler to the scene of the sexual
assaults of 86-year-old Fusako Petrus and a 61-year-old friend earlier that day, Turnbull said. Petrus died after she was badly beaten, while her friend was treated for injuries. Butler is being held on suspicion of murder, without bail. He is set to be arraigned in Sacramento Superior Court on Monday. Butler was arrested that afternoon several miles (kilometers) away when he assaulted a 92-year-old woman, Turnbull said Friday. She was treated at a hospital for facial injuries, Turnbull said. — Compiled from AP reports
SUNDAY MAY 7 2017 Laredo Open. Laredo Country Club. $150 registration fee, which includes live music, food, drinks and raffle prizes. Guest fee: $20 per day. Registration deadline: May 2 at midnight. Sponsor and player packet pickup and party is set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 3 in the Rosewood Room. Sign up today at tennislaredo.com or at the LCC Tennis Pro Shop.
SATURDAY, MAY 6 Health and Wellness Fair 2017. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Laredo Public Library, 1120 E. Calton Road. The fair will have free screenings for blood pressure, fitness and nutrition demos, a puppet show and reading time, giveaways and door prizes.
MONDAY, MAY 8 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
MONDAY, MAY 15 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
MONDAY, MAY 22 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
MONDAY, MAY 29 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
Boy who turns in $2,000 he found receives Outstanding Citizen Award ARLINGTON, Mass. — A 6-year-old Massachusetts boy who turned in $2,000 in cash he found in a bank bag lost by a restaurant employee has received an Outstanding Citi-
SATURDAY, JUNE 10 The Martin High School Class of 1957 60th Reunion. Embassy Suites, 110 Calle Del Norte. Classmates wishing to attend should register by checking the class website at mhsclassof57.org or calling Irma Perales Mireles at 956-286-6385.
Police located an employee at the company's Medford restaurant who said she had lost the bag earlier. The money was returned to the family-owned restaurant. Father and son each received an Outstanding Citizen Award from police and gifts from the Mexican food company. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND TEXAS Charges wanted in genital cutting cases Lawmakers in Minnesota and Texas are pushing to crack down on parents involved with genital cutting after an indictment against a Detroit-area doctor accused of performing the procedure on two young Minnesota girls highlighted the little-known practice. Dr. Jumana Nagarwala is charged with female genital mutilation, conspiracy and other crimes. Prosecutors say Nagarwala performed the illegal procedure on two 7-year-old girls at a clinic in February and that the girls were brought to Michigan by their mothers. A clinic manager and his wife who are members of the same Muslim religious sect have also been charged. Nagarwala's attorney has said she was merely performing a harmless religious ritual. In Minnesota, a Republican lawmaker has offered a bill that
MONDAY, JUNE 5 Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting. 6:30—7:30 p.m. Area Health Education Center, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. Every first Monday of the month. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting. While a support group does not replace an individual’s medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength and hope.
zen Award. Arlington resident Jasper Dopman was walking with his father, Erik Dopman, on April 18 when he spotted a cloth bag on the ground near a school. The bag contained cash and deposit slips. Erik Dopman called the Arlington police and turned in the bag. An investigation determined the money belonged to Tenoch Mexican Food Corp.
Clarence Tabb Jr. / AP
FBI agents leave the Burhani Clinic in Livonia, Michigan on Friday after completing a search for documents.
could strip custody from parents who knowingly allow their children to be subjected to genital cutting. A Texas Senate committee recently passed similar legislation that clarifies religious or cultural rituals are not an acceptable defense. It's difficult to gauge how often genital cutting occurs in the United States. A 2012 study
from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention estimated that more than 513,000 girls in the United States had been subjected to or were at risk of undergoing genital cutting. Nagarwala is believed to be the first person to be charged with violating the U.S. government's ban. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE WORLD Seoul: North Korea fails in missile test SEOUL, South Korea — A North Korean mid-range ballistic missile apparently failed shortly after launch Saturday, South Korea and the United States said, the second such test-fire flop in recent weeks but a clear message of defiance as a U.S. supercarrier conducts drills in nearby waters. North Korean ballistic missile tests are proscribed by the
United Nations because they're seen as part of the North's push for a nuclear-tipped missile that can strike the U.S. mainland. The latest test came as U.S. officials pivoted from a hard line to diplomacy at the U.N. in an effort to address what may be Washington's most pressing foreign policy challenge. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the North fired the unidentified missile from around Pukchang, which is near the capital Pyongyang, but
On this date: In 1429, Joan of Arc entered the besieged city of Orleans to lead a French victory over the English. In 1798, Joseph Haydn's oratorio "The Creation" was rehearsed in Vienna, Austria, before an invited audience. In 1817, representatives of the United States and Britain concluded the Rush-Bagot Agreement, which limited the number of naval vessels allowed in the Great Lakes. In 1861, the Maryland House of Delegates voted 53-13 against seceding from the Union. In Montgomery, Alabama, President Jefferson Davis asked the Confederate Congress for the authority to wage war. In 1916, the Easter Rising in Dublin collapsed as Irish nationalists surrendered to British authorities. In 1957, the SM-1, the first military nuclear power plant, was dedicated at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. In 1967, Aretha Franklin's cover of Otis Redding's "Respect" was released as a single by Atlantic Records. In 1977, Pope Paul VI and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Donald Coggan, participated in a Christian unity service in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel. In 1987, Ronnie DeSillers, a 7-yearold liver recipient whose story had prompted thousands of Americans, including President Ronald Reagan, to lend support, died at a Pittsburgh hospital while awaiting a fourth transplant. In 2011, Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton were married in an opulent ceremony at London's Westminster Abbey. Ten years ago: An elevated section of highway that carried motorists from the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to a number of freeways was destroyed after heat from an overturned gasoline truck caused part of one overpass to crumple onto another. St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Josh Hancock, 29, was killed in the crash of his sport utility vehicle. Five years ago: Despite past differences, President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton began a summer fundraising blitz with an event in McLean, Virginia. An out-ofcontrol SUV plunged more than 50 feet off the side of a New York City highway overpass and landed on the grounds of the Bronx Zoo, killing all seven people aboard, including three children. One year ago: Hundreds of rowdy protesters broke through barricades and threw eggs at police outside a hotel in Burlingame, California, where Donald Trump addressed the state's Republican convention. Sharing a Vatican stage with Pope Francis, Vice President Joe Biden urged increased funding for cancer research during a conference on regenerative medicine. North Korea sentenced Kim Dong Chul, a U.S. citizen of Korean heritage, to 10 years in prison after convicting him of espionage and subversion. Today's Birthdays: Actor Keith Baxter is 84. Bluesman Otis Rush is 82. Conductor Zubin Mehta is 81. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld is 63. Actor Leslie Jordan is 62. Actress Kate Mulgrew is 62. Actor Daniel Day-Lewis is 60. Actress Michelle Pfeiffer is 59. Actress Eve Plumb is 59. Rock musician Phil King is 57. Country singer Stephanie Bentley is 54. Actor Vincent Ventresca is 51. Singer Carnie Wilson (Wilson Phillips) is 49. Actor Paul Adelstein is 48. Actress Uma Thurman is 47. International Tennis Hall of Famer Andre Agassi is 47. Rapper Master P is 47. Actor Darby Stanchfield is 46. Country singer James Bonamy is 45. Gospel/rhythm-andblues singer Erica Campbell (Mary Mary) is 45. Rock musician Mike Hogan (The Cranberries) is 44. Actor Tyler Labine is 39. Actress Megan Boone is 34. Actress-model Taylor Cole is 33. Actor Zane Carney is 32. Pop singer Amy Heidemann (Karmin) is 31. Pop singer Foxes is 28. Thought for Today: "Show me somebody who is always smiling, always cheerful, always optimistic, and I will show you somebody who hasn't the faintest idea what the heck is really going on." — Mike Royko (1932-1997).
CONTACT US provided no other details. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said the missile was likely a mediumrange KN-17 ballistic missile. It broke up a couple minutes after the launch, and the pieces fell into the Sea of Japan. Analysts say the KN-17 is a new Scudtype missile developed by North Korea. The North also test-fired the missile earlier this month, but U.S. officials called that launch a failure. — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 29, 2017 |
A3
LOCAL
George HW Bush released from Houston hospital By Juan A. Lozano A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
HOUSTON — Former President George H.W. Bush was released Friday from a Houston hospital where he received treatment for a mild case of pneumonia and chronic bronchitis during a twoweek stay. “President and Mrs. Bush are very pleased to be home spending time with family and friends and grateful for the outstanding care provided by his doctors and nurses,” Bush spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement. The 92-year-old Bush had been admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital on April 14 for treatment of a persistent cough. Doctors determined he had pneumonia. But after the pneumonia was treated, Bush remained hospitalized as he dealt with a case of chronic bronchitis — a constant irritation of the lining of tubes that carry air to one’s lungs. Bush’s doctors said chronic
Evan Sisley / AP
This April 20 photo provided by the Office of George H.W. Bush shows former President George H.W. Bush, left, posing with his son former President George W. Bush at Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston where he is recovering from a mild case of pneumonia.
bronchitis is a condition more prevalent with age and can aggravate the symptoms of pneumonia. Bush will continue receiving treatment for bronchitis at home, but this should not affect the 41st president’s plans to travel to his home in Kennebunkport, Maine, where he and his 91-yearold wife, Barbara, spend their summers, McGrath
said in an email. Bush and his wife live in Houston during the winter. Bush, who served as president from 1989 to 1993, was hospitalized for 16 days in January for pneumonia. During that hospital stay, which included time in intensive care, doctors inserted a breathing tube and connected him to a ventilator. He was also hospital-
ized in 2015 in Maine after falling at home and breaking a bone in his neck. He was also hospitalized in Houston in December 2014 for about a week for shortness of breath. He spent Christmas 2012 in intensive care for a bronchitis-related cough and other issues. Bush has a form of Parkinson’s disease and uses a motorized scooter or a wheelchair for mobility. Despite his loss of mobility, Bush celebrated his 90th birthday by making a tandem parachute jump in Kennebunkport. Last summer, Bush led a group of 40 wounded warriors on a fishing trip at the helm of his speedboat, three days after his 92nd birthday celebration. After his release from his hospital stay in January, Bush participated in the coin flip at the Super Bowl in Houston. George Herbert Walker Bush, born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts, also served as a congressman, CIA director and Ronald Reagan’s vice president.
Texas looks to nullify federal laws By Meredith Hoffman A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — Republicans who control Congress and the White House have promised to slash the size of the federal government while easing regulations on guns, the environment and energy production. But in the nation’s largest conservative state of Texas, it may not be enough. A proposal in the GOP-led Legislature would allow Texas to
ignore federal law and court rulings and forgo enforcing national regulations. Arizona already has approved a similar policy, and other states want to follow suit, despite the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which stipulates federal laws and treaties take precedence. State Rep. Cecil Bell’s Texas Sovereignty Act allows for overriding federal laws through the same process as passing a bill. First a legislative committee, then the
whole Legislature, would vote for nullification, and then the governor would sign his approval. “This is an effort to establish how states can say, ‘No, you can’t do that in our state,” said Bell, a Republican from Magnolia, about 45 miles north of Houston. Bell is “very thankful” Republicans control Washington but says he wants to prohibit future overreach from the federal government. One key target could be legalization of gay
marriage. In 2015, Bell introduced a bill prohibiting Texas from enforcing court orders sanctioning gay marriage. The bill died on the last day to pass House legislation, but only amid Democratic stalling tactics. Constitutionality questions haven’t stopped the Texas Legislature before. Federal courts have savaged the state’s strictestin-the-nation voter ID law, and the U.S. Supreme Court voided nearly all of its tough 2013 abortion law.
Austin abortion clinic reopens following high court ruling ASSOCIATED PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — A medical provider whose legal challenge led the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down much of Texas’ tough abortion law has reopened an Austin abortion clinic. Whole Women’s Health reopened in the state capital Friday. It had been among roughly 20 abortion clinics that closed after Texas passed a law in 2013 requiring such facilities to make costly upgrades to meet
the standards of ambulatory surgical centers. The Austin clinic is only the second of the shuttered clinics to reopen since the Supreme Court ruling last June, meaning Texas now has around 20 centers offering the procedure. Whole Women’s Health and other advocates sued the state after the 2013 law was approved. Austin has other abortion clinics that never closed. But many parts of Texas still don’t have any.
Dallas County leader found not guilty in corruption trial ASSOCIATED PRE SS
DALLAS — A Dallas County jury on Friday found a longtime county commissioner not guilty of bribery and mail fraud charges and failed to reach a verdict on other counts. Jurors told U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn that further deliberations would not yield a verdict on tax-fraud charges against Commissioner John Wiley Price so she dismissed the jury and ended the trial. Dapheny Fain, a top aide to Price and codefendant, was acquitted of charges that included lying to the FBI. Price told The Dallas Morning News that he was “relieved” by the outcome. “We were prayed up and therefore we didn’t have to be preyed on,” he
Price
said. Testimony in the trial began Feb. 27 and jurors began deliberating the case
April 19. A conviction on all 11 charges against the longtime political leader and civic activist would have meant decades in prison. Three others earlier were convicted of charges related to the Price corruption probe. “We’re of course very gratified at the finding by the jury of no bribery whatsoever, but we are not surprised,” said Shirley Baccus-Lobel, an attorney for Price. Lynn has given federal prosecutors a month to determine whether they will retry Price on the charges that had hung up the jury.
Zopinion
Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com
A4 | Saturday, April 29, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
No room for pro-lifers By Christine Flowers P H ILA D E LPHI A DAI LY NEWS
Tom Perez just said pro-life Americans are not welcome in the Democratic Party. He suggested they should surrender their U.S. passports, because they don’t belong in this country, either. Of course, he didn’t put it in exactly those terms. Politicians never speak clearly, out of the fear that someone might actually understand them. But the message resounded like a clarion bell. Here is what the chairman of the Democratic National Committee said this week about people like me: "Every Democrat, like every American, should support a woman’s right to make her own choices about her body and her health. That is not negotiable, and should not change city by city or state by state." It’s no surprise that pro-life Democrats have something in common with Moses: a familiarity with wandering in deserts. This has been the case since unforgiving amazons such as Cecile Richards placed their Mahnolo-Blahniked feet on the throat of the party and demanded full and uncompromised fealty from the membership. So far, they’ve gotten it, even though there have been notable renegades like Bob Casey Sr., a proud Pennsylvanian who wasn’t afraid to speak truth to power, and suffered the repercussions. The shock comes from the fact that not only does the DNC chairman presume to evict 23 percent of the family from the homestead (because about one-quarter of the registered Democrats believe abortion should be illegal in virtually all circumstances). That is his right as the official voice of the party, even though it is a foolish thing to do. The real horror of his words is their breadth and depth, reaching as they do to delegitimize American citizens who disagree with his position on abortion. To be fair, some Democrats have decided to push back somewhat against the truly terrifying statement of their mouthpiece. On "Meet the Press," Nancy Pelosi said that "of course" a politician could be a Democrat and pro-life, and then promptly choked and had to be resuscitated on air. Sen. Bernie Sanders continued to show independence and guts and endorsed a pro-life Democratic mayoral candidate in Omaha, Neb. And then there is Sen. Bob Casey Jr., son of that great profile in courage, Gov. Bob Casey Sr. Sen. Casey has always de-
scribed himself as "prolife," but has a less than convincing record in opposing abortion. I reached out to his office, asking for a reaction to Perez’s edict and this was the initial response I received: "Senator Casey is a pro-life Democrat he supports women and children before and after birth. Senator Casey has a long record of advocating for women in the United States Senate, including providing access to contraception and funding for family planning services. He voted to confirm both Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court while opposing the confirmation of Justice Gorsuch. In the Senate, he passed into law the Pregnancy Assistance Fund which provides aid to pregnant women across the country. And Senator Casey has fought back against far right attempts to defund Planned Parenthood and cut family planning funding through Title X. Senator Casey has also been a tireless fighter for Medicaid and the WIC program which help women and children." That sounds nice. But I wondered how writing an article about an event where a bunch of party gals started hacking away at a replica of a senator was "relevant news," much less how it drove "civic engagement." And then it dawned on me: abortion. Pinto must have ordered up the Toomey piñata because she hates the Republican senator’s position on abortion. I contacted Billy Penn editor Chris Krewson and wanted to know whether he’d reached out to Toomey’s office for some balance. He responded in an email: "As Sen. Toomey is a public figure, we did not reach out to his office any more than we would not have reached out to Hillary Clinton’s "camp" if we decided to write about Philadelphians wearing "Hillary for Prison" tshirts, for instance." I get the public figure part. But wearing a Tshirt with a marginally offensive slogan is, I would argue, different from bashing a replica of a senator’s head because he believes in the sanctity of life. But that’s just me. I’m a pro-life American, and I think people who defend the civil and human rights of the unborn deserve respect, not ridicule or harassment. If Perez and his fellow travelers had their way, I’d be expressing that opinion in a foreign language. Christine Flowers is a lawyer and a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News.
LETTERS POLICY Laredo Morning Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer's first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the
letter. Laredo Morning Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. This space allows for public debate of the issues of the day. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-calling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Also, letters longer than 500 words will not be accepted. Via email, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
EDITORIAL
Can the Dreamers really ‘rest easy?’ By Francis Wilkinson BL OOMBERG VIEW
What doesn’t Donald Trump understand about the word "illegal"? That’s the gist of some right-wing reaction to the president’s comments in an interview with the Associated Press last week. The sticking point is Trump’s position on Dreamers, the undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children, and who were shielded from deportation by executive actions signed by President Barack Obama. Trump had expressed sympathy toward Dreamers before. But last week he explicitly said he would protect them. There is something gratuitously cruel about the president telling a group of people to "rest easy," while his own federal agents are locking them up. In February, Trump’s Homeland Security secretary, John Kelly, ordered that the government "will not exempt classes or categories of removable
aliens from potential enforcement." In an interview with Bloomberg News Thursday, Kelly said, "ICE, DHS, we do not deport people. Law deports people. We just execute the law." He has been true to his word. Mothers of American children have been deported. Several Dreamers have been arrested and detained. At least one was deported, though the circumstances are in dispute. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, speaking after Trump’s AP interview, made a point of saying that Dreamers are indeed "subject to deportation." As a result of this stew of conflicting words and actions, and in light of Trump’s long trail of broken promises, Dreamers, and immigration advocates more broadly, were not reassured by the president’s words. At the same time, Trump has also aggravated the anti-immigrant pillars of his base. If the third or so of Americans who are eager for a border wall aren’t growing anx-
ious about its prospects, they should be. Meanwhile, Mark Krikorian, director of the restrictionist Center for Immigration Studies, told Breitbart radio that Trump’s avowed soft spot for Dreamers, and his failure to rescind the executive actions that protect them, betray a promise. "During the campaign, now-President Trump had said he was going to end that on day one because it’s an unconstitutional action," Krikorian said. "And of course he’s right, it’s illegal." Trump has always cast his deportation plans as a consequence of his respect for law. He’s not against immigrants, he insists. Just illegal immigration. "We’re going to have people come in, but they’re going to come in legally," Trump said in 2015, making a point he frequently repeated. But the laws passed by Congress do not differentiate between Dreamers, about 750,000 of whom registered to take advantage of Obama’s plan, and millions of other un-
documented immigrants. That distinction was made by Obama, in executive actions that conservatives denounced and that the House of Representatives voted to rescind. If Trump follows Obama’s lead, then he is following the discretionary path of common sense and decency. Dreamers, after all, did nothing wrong by following adults into the U.S. And the U.S., which has invested in them through education and infrastructure, has much to gain from their full integration and employment. But such a course is not following the immigration law. And if Trump is not following the law regarding Dreamers, why is he following it by deporting their mothers, who also pose no threat to anyone and participate in the economy? It’s possible to produce a coherent answer to that question. Trump hasn’t. Francis Wilkinson writes editorials on politics and U.S. domestic policy for Bloomberg View.
EDITORIAL
Conservatism flourishing under Donald Trump By Taylor Budowich THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
The resurgent conservative movement, fueled primarily by the Tea Party, has dramatically changed the political map in America. Outside of major metropolitan areas, liberals and Democrats have retreated to the two coasts, while heartland America has seen historic growth among conservatives. It will continue under President Donald Trump. Since 2009, Democrats have lost more than 1,000 seats in state legislatures, governor’s mansions and Congress. Voters rejected the agenda and rhetoric of the Democratic Party, while finding inspiration in a Republican Party revitalized by the conservative movement. Because Trump has had his own transition from a New York Democrat to a Make America Great Republican, many pundits falsely assumed that the modern conservative movement is doomed. As we have watched
nationalist movements ascend around the globe, many observers believe that conservatism under Trump will be marginalized by his nationalistic rhetoric. But if you look to the pillars of Ronald Reagan’s presidency as the lodestar for modern conservatism, Trump is a worthy successor in three areas. Strong national defense: Between the missile attack on Syria, the Mother of All Bombs drop in Afghanistan and the aircraft carrier group being sent to the Korean Peninsula, does anyone have any lingering doubts that Trump is following Reagan’s prescription of peace through strength? Strong economic growth: Growth will also define the role of conservatism under President Trump. Americans have suffered dramatically under an economy that has yet to recover. Instead of 5 percent and 6 percent growth after the recession, Barack Obama presided over an anemic 2 percent growth, ham-
pering the ability of all Americans to get ahead. President Trump’s campaign proposed bold tax reform that simplifies the tax code and flattens rates as the only way to provide the financial spark our economy needs. He has argued for the repeal of more than a trillion dollars of Affordable Care Act taxes to boot. Unheralded in much of the media has been the dramatic elimination of regulations by the Obama administration, with Trump already signing a dozen rollbacks of intrusive government regulations. He knows the regulatory burden is almost worse than the tax burden in curtailing economic growth. Instilling confidence in America: You don’t have to go any further than his campaign slogan of "Make America Great Again." Polls show a boost in economic confidence, and his success in tax and regulatory reform will make his reelection campaign like Reagan’s "It’s morning in
America again." Trump has never claimed to be a conservative ideologue in the mold of Barry Goldwater. He will never articulate the conservative intellectual arguments that Reagan often advanced, but the core of his policies fall squarely within conservative action. Conservatism is alive and well under Trump’s administration, and the immediate goal of conservatives should be to extend the political pendulum swing. That’s why conservatives of every stripe should work with President Trump in advancing conservative policies and not get hung up on nuance and legislative minutia. Then, as policy victories begin to mount, Tea Party Express and organizations like ours can continue recruiting and electing more conservatives who are willing and able to push the envelope even further. Taylor Budowich is the executive director of Tea Party Express.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 29, 2017 |
A5
NATIONAL
Man pleads guilty to killing 3 in 4-day span By Tom Davies A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man pleaded guilty Friday to killing three people over four days last spring in attacks that authorities say he justified by citing the horror movie, "The Purge." Marion County court records show 20-year-old Johnathan Cruz accepted a plea agreement that calls for him to receive three consecutive prison sentences of life without parole. In exchange for pleading guilty to three counts of murder and an armed robbery charge, prosecutors dropped plans to seek the death penalty. Cruz was charged with fatally shooting Billy Boyd and Jay Higginbotham on May 12, and Jose Ruiz on May 15, along with a May 14 armed robbery during attacks happened between midnight and 6 a.m. on the city's east and north sides. Detectives said a witness told them Cruz confessed he'd been "purging," in a reference to the 2013 movie about violent crime, including murder, being legal one night each year. Prosecutor Terry Curry said Friday that the attacks were "absolutely random," and the victims had no connections with Cruz. Cruz wasn't a suspect in the attacks until he was arrested the day after the third killing in
connection with a restaurant confrontation with a teenage girl who impliCruz cated him, Curry said. "There was no reason up to that point to connect the three homicides," he said. "The victims had nothing in common whatsoever." Curry, who has said Cruz committed the killings "for sport," said he decided not to pursue the death penalty because a plea agreement avoids potentially years of legal fights that the victims' families would have to endure. A telephone message left by The Associated Press seeking comment from Cruz's defense lawyer, Eric Koselke, wasn't immediately returned Friday. A sentencing hearing for Cruz is scheduled for May 11. Murder charges are pending against another man for allegedly driving the car used in first two fatal shootings. Curry said there wasn't any way to know what role the movie may have played in Cruz's motivation for the attacks. "There's certainly nothing that would indicate that he intended to stop," Curry said Friday. "On the contrary, he was pretty much bragging about it based on statements to witnesses and what was found on his cellphone."
Lannis Waters / AP
Dr. Salomon Melgen holds hands with his wife, Flor, as he leaves the federal courthouse with family and friends after arriving for a jury question Friday.
Focus turns to senator with doctor guilty of Medicare fraud By Curt Anderson and Terry Spencer ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A prominent Florida eye doctor accused of political corruption was convicted of Medicare fraud Friday, increasing the odds that federal prosecutors could pressure him to testify against New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez. Dr. Salomon Melgen faces 15 to 20 years in prison on 67 counts, including health care fraud, submitting false claims and falsifying records in patients' files, if he doesn't strike a deal before his sentencing, scheduled for July 14. The senator denies any wrongdoing. The doctor, 62, collected more money from Medicare than any other physician in the nation — $21 million — at the height of the fraud in 2012. He showed no reaction when the verdict was read and was immedi-
ately taken into custody. Several of his family members burst into tears outside the courtroom. "It's not fair," said his wife, Flor Melgen. "He's a good doctor." Defense attorney Kirk Ogrosky said he's considering an appeal. "He cares very deeply about his patients and tried very hard to help them," Ogrosky said. "He had hopes the jury would see it differently." Prosecutors had no immediate comment. Melgen and Menendez face trial on Sept. 6 in New Jersey on charges the doctor bribed the senator for favors, including intervention in the fraud probe. Prosecutors convinced jurors the doctor stole up to $105 million from the federal medical insurance program between 2008 and 2013 by performing unneeded tests and treatments on mostly elderly and disabled patients. Melgen's attorneys argued that the Dominican-born, Harvard-
trained doctor was a kind and caring physician. They acknowledged that he made billing and treatment mistakes, exposing him to potential lawsuits and possibly losing his medical license. But they said they were unintentional, and therefore not a crime. Prosecutors countered that anybody can make an occasional mistake, but Melgen's actions were too numerous to be honest. For example, the doctor frequently billed Medicare for tests and treatment of prosthetic eyes. Prosecutors also pointed to tests run in seconds that were supposed to take five minutes or more. That made the tests unusable for diagnosis, but enabled him to bill Medicare up to several hundred dollars each for as many as 100 patients a day. He pocketed millions more by splitting singleuse vials of an expensive eye drug into four doses and billing the government for each one, they
said. Melgen became politically active in 1997, when he treated Florida Democratic Gov. Lawton Chiles, who appointed him to a state board. He was soon hosting Democratic fundraisers at his 6,500-square-foot (605-square-meter) North Palm Beach home. That led to his friendship with Menendez, during which Melgen paid for trips he and the senator took to France and to the doctor's home at a Dominican resort. Menendez reimbursed Melgen $58,500 after the trips became public knowledge. Federal prosecutors in New Jersey say Melgen's gifts to Menendez were actually bribes. In return, they say, the senator obtained visas for the married Melgen's foreign mistresses, interceded with Medicare officials investigating his practice, and pressured the State Department to intervene in a business dispute Melgen had with the Dominican government.
Concert fans angry as hyped Bahamas festival Trump signs order aimed is canceled
at opening Arctic drilling
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MIAMI — Organizers of a much-hyped music festival in the Bahamas canceled the weekend event at the last minute Friday after many people had already arrived and spent thousands of dollars on tickets and travel. Fyre Festival organizers announced the cancellation of what they previously billed as a "once-in-a-lifetime" concert along the lines of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Southern California. People had already begun arriving in the Exuma islands for the first of two weekends that was to include performances by Blink-182 and others. A statement cited "circumstances out of our control," for inability to prepare the "physical infrastructure" for the event in the largely undeveloped Exumas. Photos published on social media showed tents, wooden stalls and portable lavatories had been brought in for the festival, which was produced by a partnership that includes rapper Ja Rule. "I'm heartbroken at this moment," Ja Rule, whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins, said on Twitter. "I wanted this to be an amazing event. It was not a scam as everyone is reporting." The organizers said they were working to arrange charter flights to Miami for people who had already arrived in
By Matthew Daly and Jill Colvin ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Ja Rule
Exuma and said inbound flights had been canceled. "I don't know how everything went so left but I'm working to make it right," the rapper said. The Fyre Festival had promised "culinary delights and luxury" over this weekend and the second one in May. Organizers had relied on models and other minor celebrities to heavily promote the festival as a glitzy destination event. It was unclear from the website if the second weekend would also be canceled. The Bahamas tourism ministry had expected it to be one of the largest such events ever held in the island chain east of Florida. But attendees complained bitterly about disorganization, a lack of accommodations and inadequate food in social media posts.
WASHINGTON — Working to dismantle his predecessor's environmental legacy, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday aimed at expanding oil drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. With one day left to rack up accomplishments before he reaches his 100th day in office, Trump signed an order reversing some of former President Barack Obama's restrictions and instructing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to review a plan that dictates which federal locations are open to offshore drilling. It's part of Trump's promise to unleash the nation's energy reserves in an effort to reduce oil imports and spur jobs, regardless of fierce opposition from environmental activists who say offshore drilling harms whales, walruses and other wildlife and exacerbates global warming. U.S. oil production has boomed in recent years, primarily because of improved drilling techniques such as fracking that have opened up production in areas previously out of reach of drillers. "This executive order starts the process of opening offshore areas to jobcreating energy exploration," Trump said during a White House signing ceremony. "It reverses the
Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP
President Trump answers a question from the media in in Washington on Friday.
previous administration's Arctic leasing ban and directs Secretary Zinke to allow responsible development of off-shore areas that will bring revenue to our treasury and jobs to our workers." "Today," he said, "we're unleashing American energy and clearing the way for thousands and thousands of high-paying energy jobs." The executive order aims to reverse part of a December effort by Obama to deem the bulk of U.S.-owned waters in the Arctic Ocean and certain areas in the Atlantic as indefinitely off limits to oil and gas leasing. It also directs Zinke to review the locations available for offshore drilling under a five-year plan Obama signed in November. The plan blocked new oil and gas drilling in the
Atlantic and Arctic oceans. It also stopped the planned sale of new oil and gas drilling rights in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas north of Alaska, but allowed drilling in Alaska's Cook Inlet southwest of Anchorage. The order could lead to the opening of oil and gas exploration areas off Virginia and North and South Carolina, where drilling has been blocked for decades. It could also re-open the door to the use of seismic surveys by energy companies to map potential drilling sites for oil and natural gas in the Atlantic Ocean. The oil and gas industry has pushed for Atlantic drilling and pledged that exploration would be done safely, with lessons applied from the disastrous 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Many lawmakers from Georgia to Virginia support offshore drilling, but the plan faces broad opposition from the fishing industry, tourism groups and even the U.S. military, which has said Atlantic offshore drilling could hurt military maneuvers and interfere with missile tests the Navy relies on to protect the East Coast. More than 120 coastal cities and towns from New Jersey to Florida_including cities such Wilmington, North Carolina, Myrtle Beach and Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia— have passed resolutions against Atlantic drilling and seismic testing. Zinke said that leases scheduled under the existing plan will remain in effect during the review, which he estimated will take several years. The order also directs Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to conduct a review of marine monuments and sanctuaries designated over the last 10 years. Citing his department's data, Zinke said the Interior Department oversees some 1.7 billion acres on the outer continental shelf, which contains an estimated 90 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and 327 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas. Under current restrictions, about 94 percent of that outer continental shelf is off-limits to drilling.
Zfrontera A6 | Saturday, April 29, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE
SEMANA NACIONAL DE TELECOMUNICACIONES
TEATRO
Operadora de 911 de Zapata recibe reconocimiento
El grupo de teatro de Zapata High School presenta hoy sábado en su auditorio la obra de teatro ganadora a nivel estatal ‘Las Soldaderas’ a las 2 p.m. Entrada libre. No habrá admisión después de las 2 p.m. RECOLECCIÓN DE MEDICINAS
Agencias de las fuerzas del orden y sin fines de lucro invitan a la comunidad a deshacerse de sus medicinas no necesarias, expiradas o peligrosas de manera segura. La recolección de medicamentos se realizará el sábado 29 de abril de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m. en la Corte de Zapata ubicada en 200 E. 7th Av. El evento es gratuito y anónimo. CARRERA DE BICICLETA: ZAPATA A LAREDO
El próximo 30 de abril, Pro Bike Laredo llevará a cabo una carrera que abarcará 43 millas desde los terrenos de la feria del Condado de Zapata hasta Cielito Lindo Road, cerca de la Preparatoria LBJ en Laredo. Habrá diferentes categorías de competencia tanto masculina como femenil e incluyen bicicletas de carretera, bicicletas de montaña y bicicletas contrarreloj. Más informes al 956-726-3469. Carrera 5K La Ciudad de Roma invita al Tributo a las Fuerzas Armadas con Caminata/Carrera 5K iniciando en Guadalupe Plaza, el sábado 20 de mayo a las 8 a.m. a 12 p.m. PAGO DE IMPUESTOS
Desde diciembre, los pagos por impuestos a la propiedad de la Ciudad de Roma deberán realizarse en la oficina de impuestos del Distrito Escolar de Roma, localizado en el 608 N. García St. PAGO EN LÍNEA
La Ciudad de Roma informa a sus residentes que a partir de ahora el servicio del agua puede pagarse en línea a cualquier hora las 24 horas del día. LABORATORIO COMPUTACIONAL
La Ciudad de Roma pone a disposición de la comunidad el Laboratorio Computacional que abre de lunes a viernes en horario de 1 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Historical Plaza, a un lado del City Hall. Informes en el 956-849-1411. MUSEO EN ZAPATA
A los interesados en realizar una investigación sobre genealogía de la región, se sugiere visitar el Museo del Condado de Zapata ubicado en 805 N US-Hwy 83. Opera de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. Existen visitas guiadas. Personal está capacitado y puede orientar acerca de la historia del Sur de Texas y sus fundadores. Pida informes en el 956765-8983.
Premian a profesionales de sur de Texas Por César G. Rodríguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Maricela Martínez de la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata fue reconocida con el Premio al Profesional Distinguido durante el almuerzo de agradecimiento y ceremonia de entrega de premios para operadores de 911 del sur de Texas llevado a cabo en el hotel La Posada. Los organizadores del evento dijeron que el Premio al Profesional Distinguido es otorgado a aquellos que han mantenido consistentemente un nivel ejemplar de profesionalismo en su trabajo. Estos individuos son profesionales modelo que poseen las cualidades que esperamos ver en administradores y operadores telefónicos: empatía, amabilidad, compasión y compostura, según los organizadores. "Creo que conseguir el premio significa que, como operador de 911, estoy haciendo mi trabajo en la medida de mis capacidades. Me siento muy honrada por recibir este premio", dijo Martínez. "Hablo por mí cuando digo que los operadores 911 son la voz de nuestros ciudadanos cuando envíamos a un oficial y al mismo tiempo, somos los oídos de nuestros of-
SOCIEDAD GENEALÓGICA
iciales". El jefe de la oficina del alguacil, Raymundo Del Bosque Jr., dijo que los operadores de 911 son las primeras personas a quien se debe recurrir en caso de una emergencia. "A pesar que los operadores de 911 no pueden ver lo que está sucediendo, son los ojos y los oídos del personal de primeros auxilios, nuestros ángeles guía se aseguran que el personal correcto llegue a una situación de emergencia lo más rápido posible y estén seguros al ayudar a las personas durante la emergencia," dijo Del Bosque. La Semana Nacional de Telecomunicaciones es una oportunidad para reconocer a la gente al otro lado de la línea telefónica. También es una oportunidad para reconocer gente como Martínez, dijo Del Bosque. "Felicitaciones a todos por su bien merecido reconocimiento", dijo Del Bosque. Martínez comentó que no todos los días los operadores 911 son reconocidos o reciben agradecimientos por trabajar largas horas lejos de sus familias. "Los operadores de 911 tenemos una gran carga en nuestras manos cada vez que trabajamos. Hacemos nuestro propio turno interesante y divertido, para que nuestras horas de trabajo pasen más rápido", dijo Martínez. "Obtener este premio significa que estoy haciendo mi trabajo correctamente. Amo mi trabajo. Ayudar a nuestros ciudadanos hace que mi trabajo valga la pena".
Recuerdan época prehispánica y origen de Laredo Por Malena Charur TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Una charla sobre Tomás Sánchez de la Barrera, fundador de Laredo, fue impartida a los miembros de la Sociedad Genealógica Villa San Agustín de Laredo, el jueves en la Biblioteca Pública Joe A.Guerra. Celso Sánchez, descendiente directo de Sánchez de la Barrera, en séptima generación y miembro de la Sociedad Genealógica Villa San Agustín de Laredo, fue el encargado de dar una visión de las tribus indígenas que vivían en esta área y de la vida posterior a la fundación de Laredo. “Llevaban una vida muy dura y eran tribus nómadas”, explicó Sánchez. “También lo fue para Tomás Sánchez de la Barrera y los primeros pobladores cuando fundó la ciudad en 1755 bajo las órdenes de José de Escandón, primer Conde de la Sierra Gorda. Hacía mucho calor, eran tierras poco cultivables y no había madera”. Escandón fue responsable de la fundación de poblaciones como Camargo y Reynosa en 1749, Dolores en 1750, Revilla en 1750, Mier en 1752 y Laredo en 1755. Durante su charla, Sánchez habló de la fisonomía que pudo haber tenido Sánchez de la Barrera basados en un testimonio de una mujer que lo conoció siendo niña. “Era un hombre alto, rubio y de ojos azules”, a decir de la mujer. “Sánchez de la Barrera fue
Foto por Danny Zaragoza | Laredo Morning Times
Celso Sánchez, descendiente de Sánchez de la Barrera.
un hombre honesto y recto y fue un visionario”, dijo Sánchez. “Hay una tumba en terrenos de la iglesia de San Agustín que se cree es la de Tomás Sánchez de la Barrera, pues se encontró un cuerpo vestido a la usanza de la época”. Para Sánchez, empleado retirado del distrito escolar United Independent School District, las escuelas deberían incluir en su curriculum académico la enseñanza de la historia de Laredo. “Los estudiantes deben saber la historia de su ciudad. Es importante que conozcan sus raíces para comprender el presente y ver hacia el futuro”, manifestó. La Sociedad Genealógica Villa San Agustín de Laredo fue fundada en 1996 para promover investigación genealógica en los orígenes de la población Méxicoamericana e hispana de Laredo, el Condado de Webb y áreas circunvecinas.
INSTITUTO PARA LA COMPETITIVIDAD Y COMERCIO EXTERIOR
CONCLUYE CONGRESO Funcionarios resaltan importancia de región Por Melissa Santillana TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Las presentaciones y pláticas del primer Congreso Regional para la Competitividad concluyeron en Nuevo Laredo, México el viernes por la tarde. El congreso fue comisionado por la Ciudad de Laredo y la Ciudad de Nuevo Laredo al Instituto para la Competitividad y el Comercio Exterior de Nuevo Laredo (ICCE) y es la primera en una serie de dos conferencias, la segunda se llevará a cabo en septiembre en Laredo. Jorge A. Viñals director de ICCE dijo que la conferencia está dirigida a empresarios, inversionistas, académicos investigadores, emprendedores, estudiantes y gente con ideales de superación. “El congreso tiene dos objetivos: posicionar a Los Dos Laredos como el mejor punto de comercio y dar a conocer afuera que Laredo y Nuevo Laredo (es) la capital de logística más importante de América y una de las más importantes del mundo”. “Estamos listos para competir”, dijo Viñals. Algunos de los temas discutidos durante el congreso fueron la relación entre Estados Unidos y México, el desarrollo energético, los retos y expectativas para el comercio internacional, así como las oportunidades
Foto de cortesía
El evento contó con la presencia del gobernador de Tamaulipas Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca y del presidente municipal de Nuevo Laredo Enrique Rivas.
de innovación para la región, comentó Viñals. De igual manera, el Presidente Municipal de Nuevo Laredo Enrique Rivas mencionó que el clima político que gobierna la relación entre EU y México es algo que será discutido sobre la conferencia. “Es importante poder estar hablando de lo que está pasando a nivel global en esta nueva realidad de una relación que posiblemente es tensa con los Estados Unidos pero que aquí lejos de estar hablando de muros de endurecer las políticas migratorias aquí estamos hablando de ver como el vamos a hacer para tener esa competitividad que nos retribuya a los dos países”, dijo
Rivas. El presidente municipal indicó que no ha habido ninguna consecuencia o impacto negativo en la industria manufacturera como respuesta a la retórica de Trump de mantener los trabajos de manufactura en los Estados Unidos. “No, por el contrario creo que es una gran oportunidad para el comercio inclusive para otro mercado venirse a instalar en el lado mexicano tiene una implicación de consecuencia y beneficio”, dijo Rivas. “Cuando se instala una inversión en Nuevo Laredo le ayuda a Laredo y viceversa”. “Acá en Nuevo Laredo el objetivo es poder regresar a Nuevo Laredo a los
carriles de alta competencia, es a donde nosotros nos interesa regresar, recuperar ese liderazgo traer más inversiones. Estamos planeando una delegación acudir a China, a oriente, a ir por inversiones para que vengan y se instalen aquí en esta región”, comentó Rivas. El Gobernador de Tamaulipas Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca, dijo que el congreso dará acceso a conocimientos para visualizar mayores oportunidades y ventajas en el mundo de los negocios internacionales. “Junto a nuestros amigos del norte aprovechamos ahora nuestras coincidencias y aumentemos nuestra cooperación im-
pulsando el desarrollo y la comunidad de nuestras fronteras para generar más oportunidades que mejorar la calidad de vida de las familias”, expresó García. El gobernador hizo hincapié en que nuestros vecinos de Texas son aliados, socios y que para insertarlas en la economía global es imperativo que fortalezcan su competitividad mediante la consolidación de la relación. La clausura tuvo lugar en el teatro principal del Centro Cultural, en un evento presidido por el Presidente Municipal de Nuevo Laredo, Enrique Rivas Cuéllar, y en la que también estuvo presente Pete Sáenz, Alcalde de la Ciudad de Laredo.
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 29, 2017 |
A7
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Spurs get much-needed time off before semifinal with Houston Team rests after beating Grizzlies By Teresa M. Walker A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Gregg Popovich feels like his San Antonio Spurs survived the Memphis Grizzlies and is grateful their first-round series finally is over after six games. His Spurs desperately need a couple days off before hosting Houston on Monday night in their Western Conference semifinal. The Spurs finished the game on a 22-8 run Thursday night after trailing by seven in beating Memphis 103-96 to take the series 4-2. Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points, and Tony Parker added 27. “I’m seriously thrilled that we were able to get through that first round,” Popovich said. “That’s the good news. The bad news is that we now have to go play Houston.” The Spurs advanced by winning on the road, something neither San Antonio nor Memphis had managed against each
Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News
Kawhi Leonard averaged 28.5 points against the Rockets in the regular season to help the Spurs win three of their four games.
other all season long. LaMarcus Aldridge had 17 points and 12 rebounds as San Antonio outrebounded Memphis 46-28. They got 16 of those on the offensive boards, leading to 17 second-chance points. Parker said the Spurs treated this like a Game 7 to make sure they avoided heading home to play a deciding seventh game that had been scheduled for Saturday. That would’ve meant only one day to rest and prepare
for the No. 3 seeded Houston Rockets with this semifinal starting Monday night in San Antonio. “We wanted those days off before playing Houston because it’s going to be a fast-paced game against them,” Parker said. “They have a great offense, and the key is going to be defense. So we’re going to have to have our legs. I think this win is huge obviously, because we won the series, but even to prepare against Houston.”
For much of this series, Leonard carried the Spurs as he matched or topped his playoff career high in scoring in three of the five games. He also hit his first 42 free throws of this series, the most to start a postseason series in NBA history. But some of the other Spurs started stepping up as San Antonio turned a 2-2 tie into a series victory. Patty Mills came through in San Antonio’s Game 5 win with 20 points off the
bench, and he added another 10 Thursday night. Manu Ginobili ended an 0-of-15 shooting skid with 10 points off the bench in Game 5. Parker had his best game of the series Thursday night, hitting his first six shots and finishing with 27 points. He also had two rebounds and four assists. The veteran guard, who turns 35 on May 17, was seen icing both feet and his left knee after the game but walked
just fine talking to reporters. He said he talked with Popovich about how the Grizzlies were going under on pick-and-rolls and not giving shots for Aldridge. “I had to be aggressive,” Parker said. “That’s a choice that Memphis made. We talked about it last week. They just are going to leave me in the corner 3s and just go under the pick-and-rolls, so I had to be aggressive.” The Spurs easily swept the Grizzlies a year ago when Memphis had a patchwork roster with Mike Conley and Marc Gasol injured on the bench. Then they lost to Oklahoma City in six games. They agreed this series against Memphis will be much better preparation for what lies ahead. “It’s an experience that helps you push through the tough times on the floor, and that’s how you gain confidence,” Leonard said. Leonard said the break also will be good for the older Spurs, plus himself after a very physical series. “We can just regroup, get our energy back and get our bodies prepared for the next round,” Leonard said. “It’s going to be tougher.”
Larry Bird steps down as Pacers president By Jon Krawczynski ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle
New Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is pictured with his family at a news conference Friday at NRG Stadium.
Texans rookie Deshaun Watson carries reputation as a quick study at QB By Aaron Wilson H OUSTON CHRONICLE
The primary questions surrounding Texans rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson focus on his readiness for the NFL after not operating a classic prostyle offense at Clemson. There aren't any questions about how quickly he absorbs knowledge about a playbook and applies it quickly on the football field. When Watson was a true freshman at Clemson, he was pushing for the starting job and preparing for his first collegiate road game against the University of Georgia in Athens. The Bulldogs liked to run a complicated blitz package and Watson was coached on how to make specific adjustments on the fly if he saw a combination of a strong safety, linebacker blitz coming at him. "That was really the
first time that we were able to experience how special Deshaun was and how quickly he was able to learn things and process things," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said in a telephone interview Friday. "There was a really exotic blitz Georgia had shown on tape, a strong safety and linebacker blitz, and something they probably only run two percent of the time. It was very dangerous. If we didn't get into right protection and the right call, it could be a big-time sack and a free hit on the quarterback. We're talking about this particular blitz and telling them, 'Hey, we need to check out of that play and change the protection and signal in this one pass concept to the receivers and you've got to do it quickly or they will cut off the blitz. "In one of the early series in the game, we decided to put Deshaun
out there and their defensive coordinator decided he would challenge the rookie quarterback. He called that exotic strong safety blitz off the edge. Deshaun looked like a three-year starter. He immediately recognized it, changed the protection, signaled to the receivers, all within five seconds. He throws a 40-yard touchdown strike right down the middle for the first touchdown in Clemson career on his first drive. I think the coaches, we said, 'Wow' on the headsets about 100 times in the next five minutes. That's something we couldn't believe he could do as a true freshman in his first game off the bench." Watson used that Georgia game as a springboard in a career where he piled up 9,201 career passing yards, 83 touchdowns and just 29 interceptions with 1,744 rushing yards and 21 scores.
Larry Bird started the week by driving an IndyCar down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to stump for the NBA’s All-Star weekend returning to Indiana. He ended it by stepping down as president of basketball operations for the Pacers, a stunningly abrupt decision that has become a hallmark of the NBA great’s post-playing career. Bird made the call Friday and general manager Kevin Pritchard will be elevated to take his place, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the move, which was first reported by Yahoo! Sports. Bird leaves the Pacers ahead of a pivotal summer in which the franchise will have to decide what to do with star forward Paul George. He can become a free agent after next season and there is wide speculation he would prefer to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Pacers will have to decide whether to try to persuade him to stay long term or trade him. With that potentially franchise-changing scenario pending, Bird is stepping down from a major role with the Pacers for a third time. His quick exit follows a pattern for Bird. When the Hall of Famer makes up his mind, that’s it. “Larry is very special, tremendous integrity,” Pacers owner Herb Simon
Alex Brandon / Associated Press
Larry Bird stepped down Friday as president of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers.
told The Indianapolis Star this month. “His word means something.” Bird coached the Pacers from 1997-2000, leading them to the NBA Finals in 2000 before walking away from the job after applying a long-held theory that a coach’s effectiveness is diminished after three or four years on the job. He returned as team president in 2003, helping construct a club that was among the best in the league, won 61 games and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals in 200304. That team fell apart the following season after the “Malice at the Palace,” the ugly scene in Detroit in which players Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O’Neal fought with Pistons fans. The French Lick, Indiana, native methodically reshaped the team into a contender again, building a promising core around George and Danny Granger and helping to mold Lance Stephenson from a troublemaker into a force. He was named NBA executive of the year in 2012,
then stepped down a few months later. Bird hinted at the time that health played a role in his decision then, and he stayed away for a year before returning as the Pacers’ top executive. With Frank Vogel as his coach, the Pacers reached the conference finals in 2013 and 2014 with a new core of George, Stephenson and Roy Hibbert. Bird did not renew Vogel’s contract after last season and installed Nate McMillan as his coach. The Pacers were swept out of the first round this season by the Cleveland Cavaliers. George has not hesitated to make his displeasure known regarding the direction of the franchise. George resisted Bird’s preference of playing him at power forward as part of a sleeker, faster lineup with Myles Turner at center. The Pacers ultimately bowed to George’s preference to stay at small forward, and he averaged 23.6 points and 6.7 rebounds for a team that finished 42-40 this season.
A8 | Saturday, April 29, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
BUSINESS & FROM THE COVER
DISPATCHER SANCTUARY From page A1
From page A1
are the ears for our deputies.” Sheriff’s Office Chief Raymundo Del Bosque Jr. said dispatchers are the first people to talk to when calling in an emergency. “Even though dispatchers can't see what’s happening, they are the eyes and ears of emergency responders — our guiding angels who ensure that the right responders get to an emergency as fast as possible and keep responders safe as they help people in their emergency situation,” Del Bosque said. National Telecommunicators Week is an opportunity to recognize the people on the other side of the phone. It is also an opportunity to recognize people like Martinez, Del Bosque said. “Congratulations to everyone on your welldeserved recognition,” he said. Martinez said it’s not every day dispatchers get recognized or thanked for long work hours away from their families. “We dispatchers have a big load in our hands every time we work. We make our own shift interesting and fun, in order to let our work hours pass by quicker,” Martinez said. “Getting this award means that I am definitely doing my job right and to the best of my ability. I love my job. Helping our citizens makes my job all worthwhile.”
ren of Fort Worth, its House sponsor. The term “sanctuary cities” has no legal definition, but Republicans want local police to help federal authorities as part of a larger effort to crack down on criminal suspects in the U.S. illegally. The Texas House bill originally allowed local law enforcement officers to inquire about federal immigration status only if someone is arrested. A version passed in March by the state Senate went further, permitting immigration inquires of anyone who is detained, including during traffic stops. But a tea party-backed floor amendment extending the House version to apply to those detained as well as those arrested passed on an 81-64 vote — bringing the full bill closer to what the Senate approved previously. Democrats, and even some veteran Republicans, opposed the change to no avail. It drew rebuke from the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops which tweeted, “We’re disappointed House voted to allow police to inquire into legal status during detention rather than arrest.” President Donald Trump is trying to withhold federal funding for sanctuary cities, but on Tuesday, a federal judge in California issued a preliminary injunction preventing him from doing so. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has declared the issue an “emergency” item, and the state is poised to pass an antisanctuary cities law regardless of what happens nationally. Sally Hernandez, the sheriff of Travis County, which includes liberal Austin, enraged conservatives by refusing to honor federal requests to hold
suspects for possible deportation if they weren’t arrested for immigration offenses or serious crimes such as murder. But Hernandez softened her policy after Abbott cut grant funding to the county and she has said she’ll conform to the state’s ban if it becomes law. Other sheriffs warn the bill could make their jobs harder if immigrant communities — including crime victims and witnesses — fear the police. “Today we’ve made real that fear,” said Roland Gutierrez, a San Antonio Democrat. Many of his colleagues decried what they called a “show me your papers law.” Wednesday night, dozens of protesters, many waving signs and banners skewering the bill and its supporters, gathered inside the Texas Capitol to chant pro-immigrant slogans in English and Spanish. Some later filed into the House visitors’ gallery to applaud bill opponents on the floor. “God is watching what you’re doing,” one woman yelled at Republican lawmakers before being escorted out. Things had quieted hours later, when the bill was approved. Still, Democratic Rep. Mary Gonzalez of El Paso, on Texas’ border with Mexico, wept openly as she recalled being sexually assaulted, saying the bill will empower criminals. Rep. Victoria Neave, a Dallas Democrat, staged a fourday fast in opposition. “I have seen the fear of children who worry their parents are going to be deported,” Neave said. The state Senate’s version is different enough from what the House passed that the two chambers must compromise before sending a bill to the governor. Similar efforts have collapsed in the past, though, meaning the issue isn’t yet fully settled.
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TRUMP From page A1 Trump's appearance in Atlanta sparked protests from people advocating for stricter gun control measures. They included Steve Hagen, who called the NRA's push for federal legislation to make any state's concealed-carry permits valid nationwide "the dumbest thing I've ever heard." "I guess the promoters are throwing states' rights out the window," Hagen, a 68-year-old from the Atlanta suburb of Tucker. "It's just crazy." Opponents of the bill say the move would effectively turn the weakest gun standards in the nation into the law of the land. The GOP-led Congress already passed a resolution to block a rule that would have kept guns out of the hands of certain people with mental disorders, and Trump quickly signed it. Trump, who also attended last year's NRA convention as a candidate, boasts of owning a pair of guns and mentioned again on Friday that his two adult sons are avid hunters. He stirred controversy during the campaign when he suggested that "Second Amendment people" could stop his opponent Hillary Clinton, which some interpreted to be a call for violence against the Democratic nominee. Trump disputed that
charge. White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on the plane trip from Washington that NRA members supported Trump during the election based on his strong commitment to gun rights. He also cited Trump's appointment of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. "I know the NRA is glad to have a justice in that seat who is such a staunch defender of the Constitution," he said. Kevin Michalowski, executive editor of a magazine published by the United States Concealed Carry Association, said seeing that a president will be addressing the annual meeting "gives the gun industry a feeling of he's on our side." The political landscape has changed dramatically with a president now in the White House friendly to the gun industry and gun rights. But Michalowski said it's premature to get complacent with gun sales having tapered off since the election and "there's always a group out there that opposes the Second Amendment and what it stands for." Trump attendance at the private fundraiser for Handel is his first such endeavor for a congressional hopeful since he took office and confirmation that the GOP sees Georgia's 6th Congressional District runoff as a barometer of the 2018 midterm elections.
The affluent, welleducated district has been in Republican hands since 1979 — when voters put the future House Speaker Newt Gingrich to the seat — and it still covers the usually conservative northern suburbs of Atlanta. But an upstart Democrat, 30-year-old Jon Ossoff, used an antiTrump wave to raise more than $8 million ahead of an April 18, multiparty primary and nearly won the seat outright, finishing almost 30 points ahead of Handel, the top Republican votegetter. Handel largely avoided mentioning Trump during the primary campaign, a nod to his struggles in November, when he barely won a district that usually gives GOP presidential nominees more than 60 percent of the vote. But Handel has openly embraced the president in the opening days of the runoff campaign. Trump called to congratulate her on qualifying for the runoff and praised her via his personal Twitter account. Both major parties and their aligned organizations have flooded the district with volunteers, paid staffers and promises of millions in additional television advertising ahead of the June 20 second round. The winner will succeed Republican Tom Price, who resigned to joint Trump's Cabinet as health secretary.