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MEXICO

RUNGE, TEXAS

Oil patch schools suffer Many districts facing budgetary difficulties By Kiah Collier TEXAS TRIBUNE Damian Dovarganes / AP file

A street vendor sells chocolates in Mexico City. A study published Tuesday, shows that Mexico's 8-percent tax on high-calorie snacks has been successful in reducing junk food purchases, but only by a small amount and only among poor and middle-class households.

Junk food tax has little impact

In December 2014, the week Pam Seipp became interim superintendent of Runge schools, the tiny South Texas district held a symbolic groundbreaking for schools and sports facilities to be paid for by a $22 million bond that local voters

overwhelmingly approved just as oil prices began to slip. Seipp’s main responsibility since then? “The bearer of bad news,” she says. Four months into the job, she had to inform the board of trustees that local property values were expected to drop by Oil patch continues on A11

Robin Jerstad/Texas Tribune

Pam Seipp, interim superintendent of Runge schools, looks over ongoing construction of a new football stadium.

EDUCATION

Purchases cut by 5.1 percent among the poor, middle-class By Mark Stevenson A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s 8 percent tax on high-calorie snacks has been successful in reducing junk food purchases, but only by a small amount and only among poor and middle-class households, a study said Tuesday. The report published in the online journal PLOS-Medicine showed

an average reduction of 5.1 percent in purchases of items subject to the tax, which was implemented in 2014. The reduction equaled only about 25 grams (0.88 ounces) per month per person. Poorer households bought 10.2 percent less junk food, while medium-income households bought 5.8 percent less, according to bar code

TEXAS SCHOOLS TO GAIN PRE-K GRANTS

Food continues on A11

SAN ANTONIO

Seniors turn to speed dating to find spark By Richard A. Marini SA N ANT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS

SAN ANTONIO — Dating at any age can be stressful, exhausting, even hazardous to one’s selfesteem. Now imagine wading into the dating pool when you’re past retirement age. Fireworks are rare for those who date during their so-called golden years, especially for women, who significantly outnumber their male counterparts. To help right this imbalance, some seniors are borrowing a strategy from younger generations and trying speed dating in hopes of again feeling that spark of attraction. “It’s hard meeting a

man who’s single,” said Sandy Camero, 69, who attended a recent event at the Igo Branch Library designed for seniors who wanted to meet new people. “They’re either too old and don’t ever want to do anything, or, if they’re my age, they’re looking for someone younger.” While we as a society often obsess over the physical needs of the elderly, we rarely talk about the emotional desires for friendship, intimacy, even love and sex that don’t evaporate upon receipt of an AARP membership card. “You’ll hear a family say, ‘But we fill grandma’s time,’ " said Kelley Kelch, Dating continues on A11

Marjorie Kamys Cotera / Texas Tribune

In this photo, Gov. Greg Abbott signs HB4, which adds funding for pre-K, into law at the Anita Uphaus Early Childhood Center in Austin on May 28, 2015. The state will divvy up $116 million among 578 school districts and charter schools to bolster high-quality pre-kindergarten programs.

$116M said to be spread among 579 districts By Kiah Collier TEXAS TRIBUNE

Texas will divvy up $116 million among 578 school districts and charter schools to bolster highquality pre-kindergarten programs, Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced Tuesday. State lawmakers approved the grant program during last year’s leg-

islative session after Gov. Greg Abbott named early education as his top legislative priority, though some critics argued that the grants didn't go far enough. The funding will reach nearly half of the state's more than 1,200 school districts and charters. Qualifying districts will receive up to $1,500 per student, meaning larger

districts are getting bigger grant awards. The Houston school district, for example, will receive $9.2 million total while many smaller ones will receive just over $3,600. The awards will be paid out in two installments: the first one coming immediately to retroactively cover the 2015-16 school year, and another this fall for the upcoming school year.

"Implementation of this important grant program, which remains a priority of Gov. Abbott, provides important educational support to our youngest Texans," Morath said in a statement. "By working to ensure and expand high quality prekindergarten programs across our state, we take an important step toward ensuring every Pre-K continues on A11

Zin brief A2 | Wednesday, July 6, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

CALENDAR

AROUND THE NATION

TODAY IN HISTORY

THURSDAY, JULY 7

ASSOCIATED PRE SS

Cancer Friends Meet. 6 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, A.R. Sanchez Cancer Center, Tower A, 1st Floor. Having cancer is often one of the most stressful experiences in a person’s life. However, support groups help many people cope with the emotional aspects of cancer by providing a safe place to share their feelings and challenges and learn from others who are facing similar situations. For more information, call the A.R. Sanchez Cancer Center at 956-796-4725.

Today is Wednesday, July 6, the 188th day of 2016. There are 178 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On July 6, 1944, an estimated 168 people died in a fire that broke out during a performance in the main tent of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Hartford, Connecticut. (One of the survivors of the blaze was future actor Charles Nelson Reilly, then age 13.)

FRIDAY, JULY 8 1

Sister Cities Festival. Opening ceremony: 9 a.m. Expo: 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Laredo Energy Arena. The LEA is transformed over the three-day event to hold such exotic items as beautiful artisan produced and hand-crafted wooden furniture, leather goods, jewelry, pottery and home goods and accessories, clothing for the whole family and food from across the Mexican republic. Information on the Sister Cities Festival may be obtained by calling the Laredo Convention and Visitors Bureau at 795-2200 or 800361-3360 or by logging onto www.visitlaredo.com.

SATURDAY, JULY 9 1

Sister Cities Festival. 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Laredo Energy Arena. The LEA is transformed over the three-day event to hold such exotic items as beautiful artisan produced and hand-crafted wooden furniture, leather goods, jewelry, pottery and home goods and accessories, clothing for the whole family and food from across the Mexican republic.

SUNDAY, JULY 10 1 Sister Cities Festival. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Laredo Energy Arena. The LEA is transformed over the three-day event to hold such exotic items as beautiful artisan produced and hand-crafted wooden furniture, leather goods, jewelry, pottery and home goods and accessories, clothing for the whole family and food from across the Mexican republic.

MONDAY, JULY 11

Alan Diaz / AP file

In this May 26, 2016 photo, travelers stand in line as they prepare to pass through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Miami International Airport.

AIRLINES TO USE MORE C.T. SCANS ASSOCIATED PRE SS

Federal officials said Tuesday that they are expanding tests to speed up airport lines and improve security. In a first in the U.S., the Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday that it plans to begin using computedtomography or CT scanners to inspect carry-on bags at one checkpoint in the Phoenix airport by the end of the year. CT scanners are already used to screen checked baggage. The process is mostly automated — the scanners generate 3-D images that are analyzed by computers.

Security workers only check a bag if something is suspicious. The use of CT technology at airport checkpoints would eliminate the need for screeners to examine X-ray images of every bag. It could also let travelers leave liquids and laptops in their carry-on bags. TSA said it will work with American Airlines to make other changes to increase automation and speed up screening this fall in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and Miami. American will spend $5 million on the changes, said the airline’s chief officer.

Chess Club. 4–6 p.m. Every Monday. Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete in this cherished strategy game played internationally. Free. For all ages and skill levels. Instruction is offered. 1 Laredo Stroke Support Group. 7 p.m. San Martin de Porres Church, Family Life Center. Meetings are held the second Monday of each month and are open to all stroke survivors, family and caregivers. Everyone is welcomed to share their story, encourage and support others, and hear informative speakers. For more information on the support groups, call 956-286-0641 or 956-763-6132.

TUESDAY, JULY 12 1

Take the challenge and climb the Rock Wall. 10 a.m.–12 p.m. Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Fun exercise for all ages and it's free. Must sign release form. For more information call 956-795-2400 x2520.

MONDAY, JULY 18 1

TUESDAY, JULY 19 1

THURSDAY, JULY 21 1

Cancer Friends Meet. 6 p.m. Every third Thursday of the month. Laredo Medical Center, A.R. Sanchez Cancer Center, Tower A, 1st Floor. Having cancer is often one of the most stressful experiences in a person’s life. However, support groups help many people cope with the emotional aspects of cancer by providing a safe place to share their feelings and challenges and learn from others who are facing similar situations. For more information, call Nancy Santos at 956-285-5410.

Widow of slain officer: Body armor failed to stop bullets ATLANTA — A Georgia police officer’s body armor failed to stop bullets from piercing his back, killing him as he worked an off-duty security job, his widow alleges in a federal lawsuit. Tammy Jordan filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court, saying a vest from Michigan-based Armor Express failed to save the life of her husband, former

Griffin Police Officer Kevin Jordan. Jordan was shot five times while intervening in a fight at a Waffle House in Griffin, Georgia, in 2014, according to the lawsuit. In court documents, Armor Express denied that one of its vests failed to meet standards. The company hasn’t seen the vest, and hasn’t been given specific information about it, such as how it was being worn, or exactly where Jordan was shot, lawyer John Dixon wrote in court documents. Dixon and a representative of the company

did not immediately return phone calls Tuesday. The vest was designed to protect Officer Jordan “from bullet wounds or being shot by a .40-caliber handgun in his upper, middle and low back areas,” Tammy Jordan contends in the lawsuit. “The armored vest specifically physically covered” the parts of Jordan’s back where he was shot, she said. The officer was a father of seven. Tammy Jordan is suing on behalf of herself and kids. — Compiled from AP reports

AROUND THE WORLD Cuba warns of energy problems, cuts work hours HAVANA — Cubans face tough times in the energy sector in the coming months, official media warned Tuesday amid orders from authorities to implement power-saving measures and some state-run entities reducing hours of operation. Tourism Ministry official Yamila Rombaut said fuel allotments for the agency’s vehicles had been cut in half. “The outlook is tight,” Rombaut told The Associated Press. “These will be difficult months.” Speaking to members of parliament, Marino Murillo, Cuba’s vice president in charge of economic matters, said Monday that the country’s financial situation has been hurt by falling prices for nickel, a key export; missed production targets in the sugar industry;

Desmond Boylan / AP file

An oil well pump operates in Boca de Jaruco, Cuba. Officials are warning of tough times ordering energy-saving measures.

and problems in other unspecified sectors. The Communist Party newspaper Granma reported that Murillo said the energy problems will require strict savings and efficient use of energy and fuels. The goal of the measures is to “avoid blackouts for the population and hits to basic

services,” Granma quoted him as saying. Some Cubans who work for the government are now being told to go home early to save energy. A senior official at the Center for Marti Studies said the workday now ends at 12:30 p.m. and employees must turn off units by 11:30 a.m. — Compiled from AP reports

On this date: In 1945, President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order establishing the Medal of Freedom. Nicaragua became the first nation to ratify the United Nations Charter. In 1957, Althea Gibson became the first black tennis player to win a Wimbledon singles title as she defeated fellow American Darlene Hard 6-3, 6-2. In 1964, the movie “A Hard Day’s Night,” starring The Beatles, had its world premiere in London. British colony Nyasaland became the independent country of Malawi. In 1971, jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong died in New York at age 69. In 1988, 167 North Sea oil workers were killed when explosions and fires destroyed a drilling platform. Medical waste and other debris began washing up on New York City-area seashores, forcing the closing of several popular beaches. In 1996, a Delta MD-88 jetliner’s left engine blew apart during an attempted takeoff from Pensacola, Florida, sending metal pieces ripping into the cabin, killing a mother and her son. Ten years ago: Magazine publisher Ralph Ginzburg, who was at the center of two First Amendment battles in the 1960s and served eight months in federal prison for obscenity, died in at age 76. Five years ago: President Barack Obama held his first Twitter town hall, which focused on jobs and the economy. Jury selection began in the perjury trial of former baseball pitcher Roger Clemens, who was accused of lying under oath to Congress when he denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs during his career (the proceedings ended abruptly in a mistrial; Clemens was later acquitted in a retrial). The 2018 Winter Olympics were awarded to the South Korean city of Pyeongchang, sending the winter games to Asia for the first time since 1998. One year ago: The Associated Press obtained documents in which Bill Cosby admitted in 2005 that he’d secured quaaludes with the intent of giving them to young women he wanted to have sex with and that he gave the sedative to at least one woman and other people; Cosby’s lawyers insisted that two of the accusers knew they were taking quaaludes from the comedian, according to the unsealed documents. Pope Francis received a hero’s welcome in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s biggest city, as he celebrated the first public Mass of his South American tour. Hollywood producer Jerry Weintraub, 77, died in Santa Barbara, California. Today’s Birthdays: Singer-actress Della Reese is 85. The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is 81. Actor Ned Beatty is 79. Singer Gene Chandler is 76. Country singer Jeannie Seely is 76. Actor Burt Ward is 71. Former President George W. Bush is 70. Actor-director Sylvester Stallone is 70. Actor Fred Dryer is 70. Actress Shelley Hack is 69. Actress Nathalie Baye is 68. Actor Geoffrey Rush is 65. Actress Allyce Beasley is 65. Rock musician John Bazz (The Blasters) is 64. Actor Grant Goodeve is 64. Country singer Nanci Griffith is 63. Retired MLB All-Star Willie Randolph is 62. Jazz musician Rick Braun is 61. Actor Casey Sander is 61. Country musician John Jorgenson is 60. Former first daughter Susan Ford Bales is 59. Hockey player and coach Ron Duguay is 59. Actress-writer Jennifer Saunders is 58. Rock musician John Keeble (Spandau Ballet) is 57. Actor Brian Posehn is 50. Political reporter/moderator John Dickerson (TV: “Face the Nation”) is 48. Actor Brian Van Holt is 47. Rapper Inspectah Deck (Wu-Tang Clan) is 46. TV host Josh Elliott is 45. Rapper 50 Cent is 41. Actress Tamera Mowry is 38. Actress Tia Mowry is 38. Comedian-actor Kevin Hart is 37. Actress Eva Green is 36. Actor Gregory Smith is 33. Rock musician Chris “Woody” Wood (Bastille) is 31. Rock singer Kate Nash is 29. Actor Jeremy Suarez is 26. Thought for Today: “Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.” — William Faulkner, American author (born 1897, died this date in 1962).

MONDAY, JULY 25 1

Chess Club. 4–6 p.m. Every Monday. Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete in this cherished strategy game played internationally. Free. For all ages and skill levels. Instruction is offered. 1 Laredo Parkinson’s Disease Support Group. 6:30 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, 1st Floor, Tower B in the Community Center. The meeting is open to anyone with Parkinson’s disease, a friend or family member of a PD patient, and primary care givers of patients with PD who are interested in learning more about the disease. Pamphlets with more information in both English and Spanish are available at all support group meetings. For more information, call Richard Renner at 645-8649 or 237-0666.

AROUND TEXAS Town won’t release chase policy after cop, boy killed HOUSTON — Almost three weeks after a small-town Texas officer and an 11-year-old boy died in a crash during a chase, the officer’s department won’t release its policy on high-speed pursuits. Officials in Patton Village wouldn’t share the department’s policy with the Houston Chronicle , nor would several

CONTACT US other small departments near Houston. Sgt. Stacey Baumgartner was chasing a man on June 19 who was allegedly urinating in public. Baumgartner’s vehicle was hit entering an intersection by an SUV carrying a family of seven. Authorities say a boy in the SUV was killed. According to the Chronicle, 1,102 people have been killed in high-speed police chases in Texas since 1979. Nearly half of those people were not people accused of breaking the law,

the newspaper reported. The Texas Department of Public Safety on Friday faulted Baumgartner for disregarding a red light at the intersection and not slowing down. But officials in Patton Village, about 35 miles northeast of downtown Houston, have declined to release the department’s pursuit policy. Mayor Leah Tarrant would only say that the department has a written policy and that Baumgartner was “totally compliant.” — Compiled from AP reports

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The Zapata Times

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, July 6, 2016 |

STATE

Wealthy friends donate toward Ken Paxton’s legal defense

5 train cars derail, spill chemical, injuring two By Chris Quinn

By Paul J. Weber

SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS

A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

AUSTIN, Texas — Wealthy friends and donors of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have chipped in nearly $330,000 to cover his legal defense against criminal charges of securities fraud, according to state filings made public Tuesday. The list reveals for the first time those paying Paxton’s legal costs while the Republican fights two felony counts of defrauding wealthy investors in the tech startup Servergy Inc. If convicted, Paxton faces 5 to 99 years in prison. Paxton, who has pleaded not guilty, is also being sued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in a separate court case over the same accusations: that he lured investors to Servergy, a data-storage company, without disclosing that he was being paid to recruit new backers. Among those footing Paxton’s legal bill are Preferred Medical CEO James Webb, who pitched in $100,000 and is a longtime donor to the state’s top prosecutor. At least one is also a Servergy investor, Keresa Richardson, who gave $10,000 and told the Associated Press last year that Paxton was “the cleanest guy in the world” when asked about his name being linked to a federal investigation. A Paxton spokesman said the attorney general followed the law in raising and disclosing the funds. “The financial burdens of defending against politically motivated prosecutions can be significant and Attorney General Paxton is grateful for the support of his friends in fighting back against these false allegations,” Paxton spokesman Matt Welch said in an email. Paxton until now had not disclosed how he is paying for a team of high-powered attorneys — which at times included a former federal judge and former

Eric Gay / AP file

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during a hearing in Austin, Texas. State filings made public Tuesday shows the amount of money Paxton has received from friends and donors to help pay his legal defense against criminal charges of securities fraud.

federal prosecutor — since being indicted last summer. Earlier this year, state ethics regulators denied giving Paxton their blessing to let him tap political donors to cover the cost. But Paxton cited an exemption to Texas bribery laws when listing two dozen legal supporters in a filing with the Texas Ethics Commission. The exemption allows gifts to public servants when there exists a “personal, professional, or business relationship” that is independent of the officeholder. Many of Paxton’s legal supporters live in and around his hometown of McKinney, a conservative Dallas suburb where he was indicted. They include Kelly Shackelford, the president and CEO of the Liberty Institute, which takes on religious

freedom lawsuits and had two of its top attorneys join Paxton’s staff at the attorney general’s office earlier this year. Shackelford gave $1,000 and was among the smallest contributors. Paxton was indicted just six months into taking office in 2015 and is still a long way from any trial. He recently lost a second bid to have the case thrown out and could next seek a dismissal at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which in February tossed a criminal indictment against former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Perry was charged with abusing his power in office. Paxton’s alleged misdeeds, on the other hand, are not linked to his state duties and instead happened in 2011 when he was a state legislator.

SAN ANTONIO — Five train cars overturned Sunday afternoon on the Southwest Side, spilling an estimated 1,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide and causing authorities to temporarily evacuate the area. The Bexar County Sheriff's Department responded to the call about 4 p.m., when the train was derailed at the intersection of Fischer and Quintana Road. Bexar County Sheriff spokesperson Monica Ramos said the sodium hydroxide did not cause any fumes or residue in the area. Sodium hydroxide is only dangerous once people touch the chemical, Ramos said. Two men were in the tugger train car, Ramos said, when it overturned resulting in minor injuries. The men were treated on scene before

being released. As a precaution, authorities temporarily evacuated Trader's Village. "Once the team on sight realized the spill was very minimal and that the substance itself did not pose any immediate threat, that evacuation was cancelled," Ramos said. Authorities allowed cars to cross the intersection about 5:30, and the train was permitted to clear the tracks around 6 p.m. The train, privately owned by University and Schumberger, was derailed on land owned by Schumberger. "Currently we have an environmental group on scene, is remediating it and taking care of the spill itself," Ramos said. "At no time was there any danger or anything like that." Ramos said authorities are investigating the cause of the derailment.

Sheriff’s deputy drowns after falling from boat ASSOCIATED PRE SS

TEMPLE, Texas — A Central Texas sheriff’s deputy has drowned after falling from a fishing boat at Belton Lake. The body of 35-year-old Stephen Kay Foster was found Monday following an extensive search of the lake west of Temple. The Temple Daily Telegram reports the Bell County deputy was with several family and friends in two boats early Sunday when he

fell overboard. A Texas Parks and Wildlife Department dive team helped in the search using sonar equipment. Game wardens who were searching by helicopter later spotted Foster’s body. It was not clear how he fell overboard and why those in his group were unable to assist him. Foster began working in Bell County as a jailer in 2013. He graduated from the police academy and was promoted to deputy last year.

Zopinion

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

A4 | Wednesday, July 6, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

God broke the mold when he made Anita Morales Anita “Annie” Sauceda Morales is a most unique person. Charming, intelligent and sweet. Child of God. Unwavering servant to all. Currently, she is retired from the business/public world but I doubt if the popular perception of “retired” applies to Annie. I’m sure there are projects that claim her talents and energy and I’m equally certain they all involve family(ies), friends, charity and church. Annie grew up in Stafford, a unique little city that straddles the county line that separates Fort Bend and Harris counties, a buffer to Houston’s engulfing sprawl. Stafford’s uniqueness, to me, was always that its original settlers were Italian immigrants who gave the town an Anglican name and were quickly followed by a significant influx of Hispanic population. It made for a colorful and always inspired public persona that collectively sought the peaceful anonymity of daily living, but the very magnetism of that mix brought attention. Annie answered an ad that I ran in the mid-1960s seeking a typesetter/typist and allaround helper for a small weekly newspaper, The Fort Bend Mirror. Her typing speed and accuracy were off the charts so I pounced on the opportunity and hired her. I quickly learned that her perception of right and wrong as it applied to news reporting and to editorial positions was generally right on, as well. She quickly made her presence felt with her dignity, grace and absolute commitment to doing an excellent job, which she made look easy with her supreme intelligence, sterling character and unparalleled work ethic. Her combination of typing skills, bilingualism and superior spelling and grammatical abilities made her an outstanding and much-coveted newspaper employee. Was I then and am I now totally enamored of one Annie Sauceda aka Anita Morales? Dern tootin’, and then some. The world needs multitudes of Annies/Anitas. In the 1960s, in those dawning years of offsetproduced community newspapers, Anita was a marvel at the Friden Justowriters and later the Compugraphic typesetting devices.

We “pioneers” (harrumph) in that mode of producing a weekly paper, prayed to find people like Anita. She filled an enormous gap for us at The Mirror. And, she did so with a sweet smile and great tolerance for the 70-hour-workweek-sleepdeprived muddling of a young madcap editorpublisher. Plus, she probably saved my hide a multitude of times with eagle-eyed proofing and correcting. If we ever angered or flustered Anita, she never really showed it. Oh, I could see that Latina spirit in her eyes, but the dignified exterior remained unruffled and she never blew her cool. And, I’m sure my country-boyplow-ahead demeanor was offensive at times. Our derring-do newspaper venture was in a growing and extremely competitive market against two more established papers, so the stakes were high and frayed ownership-publishing-editing edges often to the point, I felt, of insanity. Not Anita. Shoulder to the wheel. Get it done. As often as not, it was keep up with Annie. If a high-strung editorpublisher tore up a pasted-down page of news that required freshly printed replicas, the most grudging display by Anita might be an I-can’tbelieve-you-did-that nod of the head followed by a no-comment production of new type with which to build the page. It’s an automatic assumption that she carried the same kind of dedication for excellence and devoted performance to her ultimate job of administrating the municipal court of her hometown Stafford. I am equally convinced that the municipal court judge has similar feelings of admiration and love for the magnificent person that is Anita Morales. The daily time she devoted to her career has now transferred fully to family and church. I hope they all appreciate and love Anita as I did and do. Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editor-publisher of more than 50 years experience. He can be reached by email at wwebb1937@att.net.

COLUMN

Choosing leaders: Clueless or crazy? These days, if you want to elect a leader, you generally have two choices: a sensible, establishment figure who is completely out of touch, or a populist outsider who is incompetent, crazy or both. That was the choice British Labour Party members faced in 2015, when they were picking a new leader. They went with the incompetent, inexperienced outsider, Jeremy Corbyn. He recently lost a no-confidence vote among members of Parliament in his own party, 172-40. That was the choice Republican voters in the states faced throughout the primaries. Passing up the out-of-touch insiders, they went for an overflowing souffle of crazy incompetence in the form of Donald Trump. And this is certainly the choice that confronts members of the British Conservative Party. Calm cluelessness comes to them in the form of David Cameron. He was a good prime minister, but he called for a “Brexit” referendum for shortterm political gain, blithely unaware of what was happening in his own nation. Crazy incompetence comes in the forms of the two leading pro-Brexit campaigners, Boris Johnson and Michael Gove. Johnson is a witty, rakish showman who always puts himself at the center of attention and is willing to put up with a lot of scandal and disapproval in order to

“

DAVID BROOKS

stay there. It’s not clear Johnson was really in favor of Britain leaving the European Union, but leading a campaign for it seemed to be the quickest way to make himself prime minister. When his side of the referendum surprisingly won, he emerged ashen-faced, like a boy who’d had fun playing with matches but accidentally blew up his own house. His first response apparently was denial. He had no post-referendum plan and canceled a meeting with MPs 15 minutes before it was due to start, but, according to British newspapers, did manage to spend a day playing cricket with his friend Earl Spencer at Althorp House, Princess Diana’s ancestral estate. The next day he hosted a barbecue at his house in Oxfordshire that was described in The Telegraph as “boozy, shambolic, disorganized and ill-disciplined” — which sounds fun but maybe not for a politician in the middle of a world crisis. Then came the backpedaling. He wrote an op-ed piece for The Telegraph headlined “I Cannot Stress Too Much That Britain Is Part of Europe — and Always Will Be,” which went beyond reassuring the markets and

left the impression that nothing very important had happened at all. The week ended with him abandoning his campaign to become prime minister — an astounding feat of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory that must make some of history’s all-time choke artists gape and applaud. Gove, on the other hand, is earnestly sincere, with a manner that would get him kicked off many math teams for being too nerdy. Two years earlier, Gove had expressed disdain for Johnson, reportedly telling a crowd after a long dinner: “Boris is incapable of focusing on serious issues and has no gravitas. He isn’t a team player and plays to the gallery the whole time.” But during the Brexit campaign, Gove was Johnson’s deputy and seemed destined to be his No. 2 in the government. But sometime in the days after the victory he decided that Johnson was wobbly and that he himself should really be No. 1. Gove’s doubts were fortified by an email from his wife, the Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine. She reminded her husband that party members were skeptical of Johnson but found him reassuring. “Do not concede any ground. Be your stubborn best,” she wrote to him. How an email from a wife to a husband got leaked to the press is a question for another day.

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.

DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

Gove shockingly announced that rather than support Johnson, he would run against him. This may have been an act of principle, but it left the impression, as one Tory party leader told The Telegraph, that Gove is a “Machiavellian psychopath” who had planned to stab his friend in the back “from the beginning.” In any case, they are both now thoroughly in disgrace, Johnson out of the race and Gove languishing. The big historical context is this: Something fundamental is shifting in our politics. The insiders can’t see it. Outsiders get thrown up amid the tumult, but they are too marginal, eccentric and inexperienced to lead effectively. Without much enthusiasm, many voters seem to be flocking to tough, no-nonsense women who at least seem sensible: Angela Merkel, Hillary Clinton and, now, the Conservative Party frontrunner, Theresa May. We probably need a political Pope Francistype figure, who comes up from the bottom and understands life there, but who can still make the case for an open dynamic world, with freeflowing goods, ideas, capital and people. Until that figure emerges, we could be in for a set of serial leadership crises. David Brooks is a columnist for the New York Times.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, July 6, 2016 |

NATIONAL

Former National Guard member charged with plotting to help IS By Matthew Barakat ASSOCIATED PRE SS

E. Jason Wambsgans / AP

A man is taken into an ambulance after a shooting in Chicago. Chicago police flooded the streets with thousands of officers and took dozens of gang members into custody over the July 4 weekend.

3 shot to death, dozens hurt in Chicago over July 4 weekend By Don Babwin A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

CHICAGO — The July 4 weekend in Chicago ended with 50 people shot, three fatally, by gunfire after the police force flooded the streets with thousands of officers and arrested dozens of gang members. On Tuesday, a day after pointing to the statistics as “progress” in the fight against the city’s street violence, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said there were three fewer homicides this July 4 weekend than last year’s holiday weekend. And while there were 50 shooting victims compared to 48 in 2015, he noted July 4 fell on Monday this year, adding one more day to the holiday weekend. The weekend also ended with three fewer homicides and six fewer shooting victims than the Memorial Day weekend. The dramatic rise in the number of homicides and shootings in the first

half of 2016 compared to the same time last year — culminating in 72 homicides and 447 shooting victims in June alone — had raised fears in some of the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods that the long holiday weekend would be particularly bloody. But after 5,000 officers hit the streets — 1,000 to 2,000 more than a typical summer weekend — there was a feeling of relief. “We were on a pace this year that we thought the violence was going to go off the charts,” said the Rev. Marshall Hatch, a prominent minister on Chicago’s West Side. “I think it would have been a lot worse out there if it weren’t for these (police department) efforts.” During a press briefing Tuesday, Johnson suggested the department’s crime fighting measures he implemented over the weekend paid off. But he hinted that it might be difficult to dispatch the same number of officers

to the streets every weekend during the summer, when the number of violent crimes typically climbs. “Some parts of it (are) sustainable and some will be a bit of a challenge,” Johnson said. The weekend did bring into focus a cornerstone of the department’s strategy to reduce the violence: A concerted effort to target the city’s street gangs. In two raids last week, the latter ending late Friday, the department reported that more than 110 gang members were arrested on drug and gun charges. The vast majority of those are on a list of people police have identified as being most likely to be suspects or victims in gun violence. The department hopes that as more of those people are taken into custody, the number of shootings will drop. Johnson has said there will be more raids in the coming months like the ones the department conducted last week.

McLEAN, Va. — A former National Guard soldier has been charged with plotting to help the Islamic State group and contemplating a Fort Hood-style attack against the U.S. military. Mohamed Jalloh, 26, of Sterling, made a brief initial appearance Tuesday afternoon in federal court in Alexandria. A judge ordered Jalloh held without bond pending a detention hearing next week. His lawyer, Ashraf Nubani, declined comment after the hearing. Court records made public Tuesday indicate Jalloh is a former member of the Army National Guard who says he quit after hearing lectures from radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. Cotton Puryear, a spokesman for the Virginia Army National Guard, said Jalloh served as a specialist from 2009 until 2015, when he was honorably discharged. A court affidavit spells out a three-month sting operation in which Jalloh said he was thinking about carrying out an attack similar to the 2009 shootings at Fort Hood, which left 13 people dead. Jalloh’s case is the most recent of several in which men from the northern Virginia area just outside Washington have been charged with attempting to support the Islamic State group. Court records indicate the FBI saw Jalloh buying an assault rifle Saturday at a gun shop in Chantilly.

The affidavit is not clear as to whether authorities believe Jalloh planned to use the rifle himself or whether he may have been procuring it on behalf of an informant. He was arrested Sunday. Jalloh’s sister, Fatmatu Jalloh, said in a brief telephone interview that she is serving as one of her brother’s attorneys. She said she had not yet seen the unsealed charges but denied he would be helping the Islamic State group. Jalloh is identified in the affidavit as a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Sierra Leone. The affidavit says the investigation began in late March, when an unidentified member of the Islamic State group brokered an introduction between Jalloh and a government informant. According to the affidavit, Jalloh had been communicating with the Islamic State member, who is now deceased, before he ever interacted with the government informant. The FBI agent says in the affidavit that he believes Jalloh met the Islamic State member on a trip to Africa early this year. In April, Jalloh told the informant he had been thinking about carrying out a Fort Hood-style attack. Asked to explain, Jalloh said, “Nidal Hasan type of things. That’s the kind of stuff I started thinking,” according to the affidavit. Later in April, Jalloh told the informant that the Islamic State group had asked Jalloh if he wanted to participate in an attack.

According to the affidavit, Jalloh told the Islamic State representative that “I really want to but I don’t want to give my word and not fulfill it.” In May, according to the affidavit, Jalloh tried to give a $500 donation to the Islamic State, but the money he sent actually went to an account controlled by the FBI. Last month, the affidavit says, Jalloh drove to the Charlotte, North Carolina, area with another person looking for weapons to buy. On Friday, Jalloh tried to buy an AR-15 assault rifle from a Chantilly gun store but was turned away because he lacked the proper paperwork. The affidavit says he returned the next day and bought a different assault rifle, which was rendered inoperable before he left the store. Jalloh’s arrest comes on the heels of several other cases in the area. Mohamad Khweis of Alexandria was charged after traveling to join the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, then surrendering himself to Kurdish forces after becoming disillusioned with the group. Two Woodbridge men, Mahmoud A.M. Elhassan and Joseph Farrokh, were charged with trying to join the Islamic State. Farrokh has pleaded guilty, while Elhassan awaits trial. Last year, 17-year-old Ali Shukri Amin of Manassas was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for helping another teen travel to Syria to join the Islamic State.

Zfrontera A6 | Wednesday, July 6, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

RIBEREÑA EN BREVE Próximos deportistas 1 Estudiantes interesados en participar en deportes en Zapata Middle School y Zapata High School deberán acudir al examen físico de atletismo el martes 28 de julio. Para el nivel preparatoria será a la 1 p.m. en el gimnasio de ZHS. Para el nivel secundaria (7o y 8o grados) será a las 3 p.m. en el gimnasio de ZHS. El costo es de 20 dólares. Para cualquier información llame a Roni Arce en el Departamento de Atletismo de ZCISD en el 956765-0280, extensión 3517.

Laboratorio Computacional 1 La Ciudad de Roma pone a disposición de la comunidad el Laboratorio Computacional que abre de lunes a viernes en horario de 1 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Historical Plaza, a un lado del City Hall. Informes en el 956-849-1411.

Caminata/Carrera 1 La Cuarta Caminata/ Carrera y Competencia Infantil Anual de 5K PFC Ira “Ben” Laningham IV se realizará el sábado 16 de julio a partir de las 8 a.m. con salida del Palacio de Justicia (Courthouse) del Condado de Zapata. Habrá trofeos para ganadores en cada categoría. Cuota de participación es de 15 dólares, si se inscriben con anterioridad visitando active.com o 20 dólares el mismo día. Precio especial para estudiantes y niños.

United Way 1 La Administración de la Ciudad de Roma, el Departamento de Policía de Roma, El Departamento de Bomberos de Roma, y Autoridad en la Vivienda, participaron en el United Way Day of Caring, organizado por el United Way of South Texas. El evento ayuda con artículos escolares a 900 estudiantes que estarán en el noveno grado. Esto es 300 estudiantes en cada escuela (Roma High School, Rio Grande High School y Grulla High School). Entidades del condado participaron organizando los artículos.

EDINBURG RECONTRATARÍA CONSULTOR

CIUDAD MIER, MX

Ciudad destino

Aseguran 43 paquetes

Abren oficina en Monterrey, MX

TIEMP O DE LAREDO

Por Steve Taylor RIO G RANDE GUARDIAN

EDINBURG, RGV — A menos de un año de haber cerrado su oficina en Monterrey, México, la Corporación para el Desarrollo Económico de Edinburg (EEDC por sus siglas en inglés), ha decidido volver a abrirla. Durante una junta directiva, los directores de EEDC autorizaron de forma unánime a su director Gus García, firmar “un acuerdo de servicios profesionales” con Guillermo Canedo Sternenfels, el consultor que manejó la oficina de Monterrey durante varios años. García dijo que recomendó volver a contratar a Canedo. García dijo que confiaba en que el consultor les ayudaría a promover Edinburg como una “ciudad destino” en Monterrey y otros lugares en México. “Se están desarrollando más destinos en Edinburg. El punto de tener al Sr. Canedo en Monterrey a nombre de EDC y de la Cámara de Comercio de Edinburg era promover Edinburg y ahora es un buen momento para impulsar esos esfuerzos y dar a conocer que Edinburg tiene mucho que ofrecer”, dijo García. “Hay más destinos aquí, como el nuevo cine IMAX, el nuevo estadio de fútbol soccer y los conciertos que se presentarán en la nueva arena. Además, tenemos la comunidad médica y la universidad”, agregó García. “Están sucediendo muchas cosas grandiosas aquí. Hay muchos más lugares que neces-

itamos promover en México”. La decisión de cerrar la GARCÍA oficina de Monterrey se dio cuando una nueva junta directiva se hizo cargo de EEDC el año pasado. La nueva junta quería revisar todos los proyectos y los programas que EDC estaba manejando para mejorar la eficiencia. La junta decidió el verano pasado que podría ahorrar dinero al cerrar la oficina de Monterrey. “La oficina ha estado cerrada por cerca de un año, lo cual no es tan malo. Como sabes, la junta tomó una decisión para no renovar el contrato del Sr. Canedo pero después de considerar nuestro nuevo plan maestro y los destinos que están aquí, pensamos que es buen momento para resucitarlo”, sostuvo García. “Necesitamos promovernos. Por ejemplo, el fútbol soccer es algo grande en México. Hay potencial turístico que puede surgir de esto y lo necesitamos”. García cree que Edinbrug es conocido en Monterrey. “El esfuerzo que el Sr. Canedo y EDC así como la Cámara de Comercio han hecho ha sido grande. En el pasado creo que los compradores mexicanos y los turistas han pasado de largo y ahora es tiempo para llegar a ellos. Tenemos nuevos hoteles que se han construído, como el Marriott y el Resident’s Inn. También tenemos nuevas instala-

ciones de aduanas que se estarán inaugurando el próximo mes en nuestro aeropuerto. Eso permitirá que los turistas mexicanos vuelen a nuestro aeropuerto y sean revisados por la aduana. Nunca hemos tenido eso antes. Esta es otra razón por la que pensamos que necesitamos tener al Sr. Canedo promoviéndonos en Monterrey”, explicó. García dijo que Canedo ha estado asociado con Edinburg por cerca de 10 años. Dijo que su récord para atraer negocios hacia Edinburg habla por sí mismo. “Él jugó un papel importante en traer Santana Textiles. Ha sido parte de Select USA, que ha tenido una gran cumbre cada año. Él ha participado en eso. Lo conocen muy bien. Él tiene muchos lazos en México. Tiene muchas conexiones útiles para nosotros. Él nos ha ayudado a traer varios restaurantes, como Luciano Neighborhood Pizzeria, el parque industrial y algunos de los negocios aquí. Él nos ha traído negocios en el pasado y pienso que lo hará de nuevo”, dijo. “Mi recomendación es volver a contratar al Sr. Canedo así que espero que funcione”. El alcalde de Edinburg Richard Garcia (sin relación con Gus García) hizo a Edinburg una ciudad destino y fue el prinicipal tema de su reciente informe del estado de la ciudad. El alcalde García es miembro de la junta directiva de EEDC. Más detalles visitando riograndeguardian.com/

ZAPATA

CONQUISTA

STFB 1 El Second Annual Super Shredder Day, se realizará el sábado 16 de julio, de las 8 a.m. a las 2 p.m. en el Edificio Administrativo del Departamento de Bomberos de Laredo, 616 East Del Mar. Se invita a los ciudadanos a llevar sus documentos, hasta 50 libras, para ser triturados de manera gratuita. Se invita a la comunidad a realizar un donativo a beneficio del Banco de Alimentos del Sur de Texas. Informes llamando a Salo Otero en el (956) 324-2432.

Alerta ante calor 1 El Alguacil del Condado de Webb, Martin Cuellar, reitera el llamado para que se evite dejar niños y/o mascotas dentro de un vehículo. Cuellar dijo que la temperatura sube rápidamente 40 grados de diferencia con la temperatura actual. Es decir, si la temperatura actual es de 100 grados, dentro de un vehículo cerrado sube hasta 140 grados.

Foto de cortesía | Red Bull

Envíe su evento a tiempo@lmtonline.com Foto de cortesía | Red Bull

Jonny Durand, practicante de parapente intenta romper un récord mundial desde Zapata. Durand, originario de Australia, intenta romper el récord por una distancia de 475-millas.

Policías estatales de Tamaulipas aseguraron un cargamento de 430 kilogramos de marihuana, el lunes en Ciudad Mier, México. El Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas detalló en un comunicado de prensa que los policías estatales realizaban reconocimientos terrestres en el tramo carretero MierMiguel Alemán, México, cuando detectaron sobre una brecha que conduce

al Río Bravo unos paquetes abandonados entre los arbustos. Al revisar ese punto, encontraron 43 paquetes rectangulares confeccionados con cinta canela, dando un peso total de 430 kilogramos de la droga. El aseguramiento fue puesto a disposición del Agente del Ministerio Público de la Federación, quien realizará la investigación correspondiente, agrega un comunicado de prensa.

TAMAULIPAS

Foto por Cuate Santos | Tiempo de Zapata

El gobernador electo del estado de Tamulipas, México, Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca, en el podio, contesta preguntas de los medios de comunicación la semana pasada en las instalaciones del Ayuntamiento de la Ciudad de Laredo.

Fortalecerán trabajo conjunto Por Gabriela A. Treviño TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

Después de una junta con el recién electo alcalde de Nuevo Laredo, México, Enrique Rivas, el Gobernador electo de Tamaulipas, Francisco Javier García Cabeza de Vaca, se reunió con oficiales locales y estatales el miércoles en el ayuntamiento de Laredo. Los representantes estatales Richard Peña Raymond y Tracy King, el Congresista Henry Cuéllar, el Administrador de la Ciudad de Laredo Jesús Olivares, y el alcalde interino Juan Narváez hablaron sobre reforzar la relación entre Laredo, Nuevo Laredo y Tamaulipas. Cuéllar indicó que la reforma energética de México reforzaría los lazos entre México y Texas. El mensaje fue tan claro como en la junta de la semana pasada entre el alcalde de Laredo Pete Sáenz y Rivas: La región trabajará en conjunto para progresar en el futuro. En el ayuntamiento, García Cabeza de Vaca habló sobre su interés en reforzar nuestros lazos entre Texas y Tamaulipas y volver a ganar la confianza del público. Dijo que parte de su plan de acción para obtener la confianza del público, era crear una fuerza policiaca para las diferentes municipalidades de Tamaulipas y hacer que se entrenara en los EU. Él reiteró la opinión de Cuéllar de que la reforma energética fortalecerá las acciones de negocios y económicas de la región. Cuando los medios de comunicación mexicanos le preguntaron si sabía que había 5.000 personas desaparecidas en Tamaulipas, García Cabeza de

Vaca corrigió al periodista. “Son 5.700”, dijo. Él agregó, “Es un tema que causa dolor, estas familias tienen la esperanza de volver a ver a sus familiares que han desaparecido. Por su puesto, la nueva administración usará todos los recursos posibles y la voluntad política para encontrar estas personas y atender este serio problema que tienen 5.700 personas. Es por esto que la gente quería un cambio”. “No querían continuar con las mismas políticas del pasado. …No permitiremos más impunidad”. Economía Él también fue cuestionado sobre los recortes al presupuesto federal. Él contestó diciendo que se aseguraría de que no afectara a Tamaulipas. También dijo que después de su victoria, el presidente mexicano Enrique Peña-Nieto le llamó para felicitarlo. Él dijo que trabajarían juntos, a pesar de sus diferencias de partido, para prosperar en la región. La construcción de una carretera nacional sería otra de las cosas por hacer una vez que tome su puesto. “La construcción ha mermado el flujo de transporte de carga”, dijo Cabeza de Vaca. Rectificar este asunto, dijo, se encuentra entre sus prioridades y añadió que pensaba pedir ayuda federal y también trabajaría en conjunto con los estados de Nuevo León y Coahuila. García Cabeza de Vaca, del Partido Acción Nacional (PAN), fue elegido gobernador, después que el estado de Tamaulipas había estado bajo el Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) durante 86 años.

Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, July 6, 2016 |

Source: Mavs have deal with Nowitzki, will add Seth Curry By Schuyler Dixon A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki’s new contract will give the Dallas forward a chance spend 20 seasons with the only franchise he has ever played for. The Mavericks and Nowitzki have reached agreement on a two-year, $40 million contract, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because contracts can’t be signed until late Wednesday night Central time. Nowitzki will have a player option in the second year. The person also said the Mavericks have agreed to a two-year, $6 million contract with free agent guard Seth Curry, the younger brother of two-time MVP Stephen Curry. At $20 million per season, Nowitzki’s deal is a significant raise for the 38-year-old, who opted out of the final year of a three-year, $25 million deal that was a huge discount for the Mavericks. It helped them get Chandler Parsons in free agency two years ago, although he is leaving for a max deal in Memphis. L.A. Lakers star Kobe Bryant was just the fifth player in NBA history to reach 20 seasons and he retired in April as the only one so far to do it all with one team. Tim

Tony Gutierrez / AP file

An AP source says that Dallas has a deal wth Dirk Nowitzki on a two-year contract that could get the star forward to 20 seasons in Dallas. The agreement would be worth roughly $20 million per season with a player option in the second year.

Duncan of the Spurs is considering whether to return for a 20th season in San Antonio. Last spring, Nowitzki said after another firstround playoff exit that he felt as if he had at least two more good seasons in him after leading the Mavericks in scoring for the 15th time in 16 seasons. The 2007 NBA MVP essentially told a media outlet in his native Germany on Tuesday that he would retire with the Mavericks. “I’ve always said that I’ll end my career in Dallas,” Nowitzki told the German news agency DPA in comments translated by the AP. “I’ve been here 18 seasons. It would be great if I can make it 20.” Nowitzki’s future with the Mavericks was actually a legitimate question

Friday, the opening day of free agency when Dallas struck out on its top targets for the fifth straight year. Nowitzki had said the only way he wouldn’t return is if the Mavericks tried to surround him with unproven players. But the Mavericks added three veteran starters in two days, including two-fifths of the lineup for the 73-win Golden State Warriors, who blew a 3-1 lead and lost the NBA Finals to Cleveland. Dallas is set to add small forward Harrison Barnes on a max deal at four years and $94 million. Barnes was a restricted free agent, but the Warriors will renounce the rights to him to make room under the salary cap for Kevin Durant. Golden State also had

to find a new home for Andrew Bogut after securing a commitment from Durant, and agreed to trade the 31-year-old center to the Mavericks. The Mavericks will have three returning starters in Nowitzki, shooting guard Wesley Matthews and point guard Deron Williams, who has agreed to a second season with his hometown team on a one-year, $10 million contract. Williams started Dallas’ run of failures in free agency in 2012 when he decided to make the move with the Nets from New Jersey to Brooklyn. But he quickly joined the Mavericks on a $5 million deal when the Nets bought him out last summer. Nowitzki, the NBA Finals MVP when the Mavericks won the franchise’s only championship in 2011, figures to become the sixth player in NBA history and seventh player overall to reach 30,000 career points next season. The 7-footer with the smooth jumper has 29,491 in 18 seasons, sixth on the NBA list and eighth with ABA players included. The 25-year-old Curry will be on his fifth team in four seasons. After playing sparingly for Memphis, Cleveland and Phoenix his first three years, Curry averaged 6.8 points and 1.5 assists in 44 games for Sacramento last season.

Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News file

San Antonio forward Boris Diaw was traded Tuesday for salary cap space to add free-agent forward Pau Gasol.

Boris Diaw sent packing to Utah By Jeff McDonald SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS

The Spurs are nearing completion of a deal that would send veteran forward Boris Diaw to Utah, league sources said. Complete terms of the deal were not yet known, but the Spurs needed to make a move to clear salary cap space to add free-agent for-

ward Pau Gasol. Gasol, 36, agreed to a two-year, $30 million deal to come to San Antonio on Thursday. Moving Diaw's salary — $7 million for next year — was necessary to make the math work. Diaw, 34, played 4 1/2 seasons with the Spurs, and was a key component of their 2014 NBA championship team.

UFC 200 caps 3 shows in 3 nights Nearly five years after his last fight, and a year after saying he was done with MMA, the UFC 100 headliner returns to the cage to fight knockout artist Hunt. Lesnar will get a big payday for taking the enormous risk, and the UFC will get another boost from the biggest pay-per-view draw in the sport’s history.

By Greg Beacham ASSOCIATED PRE SS

Kin Man Hui / San Antonio Express-News file

Former Spurs forward David West, 30, has signed a one-year deal worth the veteran’s minimum to play with Golden State next year.

David West headed to Warriors for minimum By Jon Krawczynski A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

David West’s pursuit of that ever-elusive championship came up short in his lone season in San Antonio. Now the proud veteran is heading to Golden State to give it one more try. West agreed to a one-year deal with the Warriors for the veteran’s minimum on Tuesday, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract cannot be signed until Thursday. Less than 24 hours after Kevin Durant shook the NBA landscape with his decision to leave Oklahoma City for Golden State, West jumped at the chance to join him in the Bay Area. It will be his 14th season in the league, and he has yet to capture a championship. But joining a team with four AllStars and two MVPs should give him the best chance yet. West left some $11 million on the table last season when he opted out of his contract with Indiana to try to get a

title with the Spurs. He averaged a career-low 7.1 points per game and the Spurs lost to Durant’s Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. Durant’s decision to come to the Warriors stocked their starting lineup with talent rarely seen in NBA history. But it also caused them to jettison some important parts of their success, including Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut, and gutted their bench. With their salary cap stretched, the Warriors are relying on veterans willing to work for the minimum to give them some depth. And while West’s best days are behind him, his decision to join the Warriors on a $1.5 million deal is an enormous boost. West will give the second unit some much-needed defensive toughness, help out on the glass and also knock down the mid-range jumper. His veteran presence in the locker room will also help serve as a calming influence as the team endures what will be a season under the microscope. NBA.com first reported the agreement.

UFC 200 has grown so big that a single fight card can’t contain it. The world’s dominant mixed martial arts promotion is throwing an anniversary party for itself in Las Vegas, staging several days of events collectively dubbed International Fight Week. The UFC is putting on shows on three consecutive nights, along with innumerable accompanying fan activities and entertainments, including everything from a massive fan expo to a 5K run. It all culminates Saturday night in UFC 200, which has one of the most stacked fight cards in the promotion’s history. Sure, it’s not technically the UFC’s 200th actual pay-per-view show, since it has been forced to cancel two numbered events. But with a recent run of success inside and outside the cage, along with widespread rumors of the entire promotion’s impending sale for multiple billions, the UFC brass clearly feels the numerical milestone is a great time to celebrate. “It’s pretty cool to be involved in something like this,” said Jon Jones, whose rematch with Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight title caps the entire week. “You know it’s a historic week for the UFC, and they’ve come a long way to get to this point.”

John Locher / AP file

Daniel Cormier, right, fights Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title at UFC 200.

The UFC did a similarly super-sized week of three consecutive fight cards last December, and all three shows drew sizable crowds in the UFC’s hometown. They’re going even bigger this time, scheduling the first two shows at the MGM Grand Garden Arena before moving across the Strip on Saturday to the sparkling-new T-Mobile Arena, the home of Las Vegas’ expansion NHL franchise. Here are five things to know heading into the big week: TITLE FIGHTS EVERY NIGHT A belt will be won on each of the three shows, culminating in three title fights Saturday. Lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos’ defense against Eddie Alvarez headlines Thursday’s card, while strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk takes on Claudia Gadelha atop Friday’s show. The three championship fights at UFC 200 are Jose Aldo’s interim featherweight

title fight with Frankie Edgar, bantamweight champion Miesha Tate’s defense against Amanda Nunes, and Jones’ second meeting with Cormier. EVERYONE’S A STAR UFC 200 alone features nine fighters who have held a championship belt during their careers. Former heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez, former bantamweight champ T.J. Dillashaw and former welterweight champ Johny Hendricks are all in difficult bouts. The card also includes former title contenders Cat Zingano, Mark Hunt and Diego Sanchez, along with some of the most crowd-pleasing fighters in UFC history, including Joe Lauzon and Jim Miller. BIG BAD BROCK Along with the legitimate competitive reasons to buy UFC 200, there’s also the biggest spectacle in MMA: Brock Lesnar, the former heavyweight champ and current professional wrestler.

CONOR AND NATE II Conor McGregor’s rematch with Nate Diaz isn’t on the UFC 200 card, thanks to McGregor’s brief scrap with the UFC over money and promotional responsibilities earlier this year. But the charismatic Irishman and his Californian conqueror will make their presence felt at International Fight Week. They’re scheduled for a news conference Thursday to promote their meeting at UFC 202 on Aug. 20. It will feel more like a fight: The promotion is holding the event at T-Mobile Arena, and it’s open to the public. GRAND FINALE The festivities all come down to Jones’ second meeting with Cormier. A victory would be redemption for Jones (22-1), widely considered the world’s top pound-for-pound MMA fighter. He had his 205-pound title stripped last year after his involvement in a hit-and-run accident, but returned earlier this year. Cormier (17-1) has never lost to anyone but Jones, but he was outclassed in their first meeting.

A8 | Wednesday, July 6, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

ENTERTAINMENT

‘Nation’ film inspires library lectures ASSOCIATED PRE SS

Chris Pizzello / AP file

Smokey Robinson performs at the 2015 BET Awards in Los Angeles. Robinson has been honored by the Library of Congress with the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

Smokey Robinson honored with national pop music prize By Ben Nuckols A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

WASHINGTON — Whether he was singing his own compositions or writing for other artists, Smokey Robinson was instrumental in shaping the Motown sound that changed American popular music in the 1960s. Now, his accomplishments have won him the pop music prize from the national library. The Library of Congress announced Tuesday that Robinson, 76, is this year’s recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The lifetime achievement award is named for the duo of George and Ira Gershwin and was created by Congress to honor songwriters who entertain, inform and inspire. Past recipients include Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson and Stevie Wonder. Robinson has writing credits on more than 4,000 songs, and was behind some of the biggest hits in Motown history. As the lead singer of the Miracles, he wrote and performed “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me,” “The Tracks of My Tears” and “I Second That Emotion.” He also wrote some of the Temptations’ best-known songs, including “My Girl,” “Get Ready” and “The Way You Do the Things You Do.” “It gives me such joy and gratitude to be included among the past recipients of this most prestigious songwriting award,” Robinson said in a statement. Robinson still performs regularly and was

in Washington on Monday night as part of the lineup for annual “Capitol Fourth” concert on the lawn of the Capitol. Born in Detroit, Robinson collaborated closely with Motown founder Berry Gordy, working as a producer and talent scout in addition to his songwriting duties. He was the label’s vice president for nearly 30 years. In addition to the Temptations, he wrote for Marvin Gaye, Brenda Holloway and the Marvelettes, among others, and the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Michael Jack-

son are among the artists who’ve cited him as an influence. “His rich melodies are works of art — enduring, meaningful and powerful. And he is a master at crafting lyrics that speak to the heart and soul, expressing ordinary themes in an extraordinary way,” acting Librarian of Congress David Mao said in a statement. “It is that quality in his music that makes him one of the greatest poetic songwriters of our time.” Robinson will accept the prize in Washington in November.

NEW YORK — Nate Parker’s “The Birth of a Nation” isn’t out until October, but some libraries will be teaching about the slave rebellion that it’s based on later this summer. “The Birth of a Nation: Slavery, Resistance & Abolition” will be offered in libraries, museums and other institutions from Aug. 21 through Oct. 30. Those are the dates when Nat Turner began his bloody slave revolt in 1831 and when it ended, with his capture. He was convicted and hanged days later. Parker said he hopes the movie will inspire people to challenge injustices worldwide and said the lecture series would help. “This speaker series is a great way to engage local communities in an honest discussion about slavery and its legacy in America,” he said in a statement released Tuesday. The American Library Association and the United Nations Remember Slavery Programme are teaming up with Fox Searchlight Pictures, which is releasing the film, and BazanED to present the lectures. Among the libraries that have already signed up for the lectures are public libraries in Chicago and Detroit. “The Birth of a Nation” will be released Oct. 7.

Atta Kenare / Getty Images

Iranian film director Asghar Farhadi takes part in a gathering to pay tribute to film director Abbas Kiarostami at Tehran's Museum of Cinema on Tuesday.

Iranian leaders mourn loss of acclaimed movie director ASSOCIATED PRE SS

TEHRAN, Iran — Hundreds of Iranians attended a candlelit ceremony Tuesday to mourn the death of film director Abbas Kiarostami, who died at the age of 76 after a career spanning more than four decades. President Hassan Rouhani said on Twitter that the director’s “different and deep attitude toward life and invitation to peace and friendship” would be a “lasting achievement.” He referred to Kiarostami by his first name, a sign of closeness in Iranian culture. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Kiarostami’s death was a loss for international cinema, and referred to him as “Ostad,” a term of respect rarely used by political leaders when referring to artists. Iranian artists and other celebrities expressed condolences, including fellow director Asghar Farhadi , who

won Iran’s first Oscar for “A Separation” in 2012. “His death is not believable and I already miss his expressions,” Farhadi said, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. On Tuesday night hundreds of Iranians, including many artists, gathered in Tehran Cinema Museum to light candles beneath large portraits of him. Neda Samadi said she flew all the way to Tehran from Bandar Abbas, some 1,250 kilometers (780 miles) south of Tehran, to pay her respects. “Kiarostami reflected my life and those of many others like me in his films,” she said. Kiarostami wrote and directed dozens of films. His 1997 film “Taste of Cherry” won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He died in Paris, where he was undergoing treatment for cancer. Kiarostami’s body will be flown back to Iran next week for the funeral.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, July 6, 2016 |

BUSINESS

Chipotle executive to face Many might be overpaying drug possession charges for streaming music By Ryan Nakashima By Candice Choi

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NEW YORK — The Chipotle executive leading the chain’s efforts to rebound after an E. coli outbreak that has sent sales plunging turned himself in Tuesday to face cocaine-possession charges, his lawyer said. Mark Crumpacker, one of the Mexican food chain’s top executives, heads marketing as its chief creative and development officer. Since the outbreak last year, Chipotle has been trying incentives, coupons and other plans to win customers back. New York Police Department Sgt. Lee Jones said Crumpacker, 53, was arrested at 9 a.m. Tuesday on seven counts of possession of a controlled substance. Crumpacker’s attorney, Gerald Lefcourt, said Crumpacker was not in New York over the weekend and turned himself in on Tuesday morning. He was released on $4,500 cash bail and his next court date is Sept. 8, Lefcourt said. Crumpacker did not respond to a message left on his cellphone. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. said late Thursday it

Chris O'Meara / AP

The Chipotle marketing executive leading the chain's efforts to rebound after an E. coli outbreak was arrested Tuesday on multiple counts of cocaine possession.

placed Crumpacker on leave following a New York Daily News report that he was among 18 customers of a cocaine ring named in an indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. According to the indictment, Crumpacker bought cocaine on multiple dates between Jan. 29 and May 14. During that time, Chipotle was trying to manage the fallout from the E. coli outbreak that had come to light this past fall, as well as other subsequent food scares. One of the alleged cocaine purchases came on the same day Chipotle temporarily closed a store in Massachusetts amid concerns that some employees had norovirus. Crumpacker was given

a pay package worth $4.3 million last year, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Chipotle saw sales at established locations drop 30 percent in the first quarter of the year. The efforts to rebound have included coupons for free burritos, a summertime loyalty program, and plans to introduce chorizo as a topping in restaurants nationally. The company said Crumpacker’s responsibilities have been assigned to other senior managers. “We made this decision in order to remain focused on the operation of our business, and to allow Mark to focus on these personal matters,” Chipotle said in its statement.

LOS ANGELES — When Lauren Higgins tried to sign up for Spotify’s premium plan on her iPhone, she was irked that the music service asked for $13 a month, $3 more than the gift subscription she had given her boyfriend. “I was pissed and I wasn’t going to do it,” said Higgins, a 25-yearold public-relations executive in New York. She tweeted her annoyance. Within five minutes, a member of Spotify’s social media team reached out to tell her that she could get Spotify for a monthly $10 fee if she signed up on the web rather than through Apple. She did just that. Call it a $3 tax on ignorance, as Apple prohibits apps from pointing to lower prices available elsewhere. Spotify says it charges a “significant” number of its 30 million paying subscribers $3 more per month because they sign up through Apple, which takes a cut of up to 30 percent. Spotify says 70 percent of its revenue already goes to artists, recording labels and music publishers, so

John Locher / AP file

A model wears headphones at the Intel booth during the International CES in Las Vegas. Spotify says a significant number of its 30 million paying subscribers are charged $3 more per month because they sign up through Apple, which takes a cut of up to 30 percent.

turning over another 30 percent to Apple would leave Spotify with nothing unless it passes along the fee to customers. The price gap is especially grating to music services like Spotify because Apple’s own Apple Music service doesn’t have to pay the same fee and can charge just $10. “They’re trying to have their cake and eat ours, too,” Spotify spokesman Jonathan Prince said. “We find it bad for consumers, unfair to consumers and ultimately something that could stifle music streaming subscriptions across the board.” The dispute has in-

tensified in recent weeks as Spotify got more aggressive about offering subscriptions outside Apple’s billing system. It also suspended new subscriptions from iPhone apps completely. Last week, Spotify complained that Apple had rejected a new version of Spotify’s iPhone app over the dispute. Apple shot a letter back, saying its rules applied equally to all app developers, regardless of whether they competed with Apple. Prince responded in a tweet Friday that Spotify wasn’t doing anything prohibited. Spotify and Apple declined further comment.

Oil declines to one-week low amid ample global crude stockpiles By Mark Shenk B L OOMBE RG NEWS

Crude tumbled to a oneweek low as the outlook for the world economy darkened while oil stockpiles remain ample. Futures fell 4.9 percent in New York as the dollar climbed and equities slipped. OPEC output rose in June, lead by Nigeria, a Bloomberg survey showed. Gasoline dropped to the a three-month low after supplies on the U.S. East Coast reached a record, limiting available storage around New York Harbor, the delivery point for the futures contract. "Concerns about the economy and a rising dollar are having a major impact," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital LLC, a New York hedge fund focused on energy. "There’s a realization that there’s a product glut, especially in New York Harbor. The seasonal leader is pulling everything lower." Crude has risen about 80 percent from a 12-year low in February amid supply disruptions and falling U.S. output. The price rebound has spurred activity in the Amer-

ican shale patch, where drillers last week brought back the most oil rigs of any week this year. West Texas Intermediate for August delivery slipped $2.39 to close at $46.60 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Contracts for delivery further out fell less than August futures, shrinking contango, the structure where prices for delivery today are lower than those in future months. There was no settlement on the Nymex Monday because of the U.S. Independence Day holiday. Trades were booked Tuesday for settlement purposes. Risk off Brent for September settlement fell $2.14, or 4.3 percent, to $47.96 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The global benchmark crude closed at a 67-cent premium to WTI for the same month. The Bloomberg Dollar Index, which tracks the currency against major peers, rose 0.7 percent. A stronger greenback curbs investor demand for dollar-denominated commod-

ities. Commodity companies accounted for six of the ten biggest losers on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. The S&P Oil & Gas Exploration and Production Index fell 3.9 percent. "It’s a risk-off day across the markets," said Bob Yawger, director of the futures division at Mizuho Securities USA in New York. "OPEC production estimates are making the rounds and they’re showing a rise in Nigerian production, which is negative for the oil market. The contango is coming in, which is the classic sign of oversupply." Nigerian production Nigeria pumped an average of 1.53 million barrels a day in June, up about 90,000 a day from May, according to the Bloomberg survey. Militants have resurfaced this month, with the Niger Delta Avengers group claiming attacks on five crude-pumping facilities overnight Sunday. Production in Saudi Arabia, the biggest crude exporter, rose by 70,000 barrels a day to 10.33 million last month, the survey showed. The kingdom typically burns more crude in

the summer to generate electricity for air conditioners. Libya raised output by 40,000 barrels a day to 320,000. "The path of least resistance is lower," said Michael Wittner, the New York-based head of oil-market research at Societe Generale SA. "The long-term picture remains bullish but in the short-term, crude is coming back from the disruptions. We have a lot of crude to work off as well." Record supplies Gasoline stockpiles along the U.S. East Coast surged to 72.5 million barrels in the week ended June 24, data from the Energy Information Administration show. Imports to the region jumped to a six-year seasonal high. U.S. gasoline production hit a record the previous week as refineries bolstered operations to meet driving-season demand. Several tankers carrying gasoline could not be unloaded at the Port of New York and were forced either to anchor offshore or continue on to the U.S. Gulf Coast, Commerz bank AG said in a note Tuesday. The EIA said in a monthly

report on June 30 that gasoline demand in April was 9.21 million barrels a day, down from 9.49 million that had been estimated in weekly data. "The April data raised questions about the strength of gasoline demand," Wittner said. "While gasoline demand is strong, it’s starting to look less spectacular than earlier thought." August gasoline futures dropped 5.6 percent to close at $1.4287 a gallon, the lowest settlement since April 7. 1 Three attacks hit Saudi Arabia on Monday: one near a Shiite mosque in the eastern city of Qatif, another near the U.S. consulate in Jeddah and a third outside the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. 1 Chevron Corp. has decided to go ahead with the $36.8 billion expansion of the Tengiz oil project in Kazakhstan. 1 Crude prices won’t rise much further over the next year and a half as demand growth slows and refiners comfortably meet gasoline consumption, Vitol Group Chief Executive Officer Ian Taylor said in a Bloomberg Television interview.

A10 | Wednesday, July 6, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

INTERNATIONAL

Lawyer to Vatican court: Client not likable, but not guilty By Nicole Winfield A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

VATICAN CITY — The lawyer for a woman at the heart of a trial over leaks from the Vatican said Tuesday her client may not be likable, but that she shouldn’t be convicted just because she’s “unpleasant, insufferable, arrogant and presumptuous.” Lawyers for the five defendants in the case began their closing arguments Tuesday after prosecutors rested their case. Prosecutors requested the stiffest sentence, three years and nine months, for Francesca Chaouqui, a communications expert who gave birth during the trial. Chaouqui was a member of a papal reform commission investigating Vatican finances. She, the commission’s No. 2 and his secretary were ac-

cused of forming a criminal association and providing commission documents to two Italian journalists. The journalists wrote books last year based on confidential documents exposing greed, mismanagement and corruption in the Vatican. They too were put on trial, accused of conspiracy and publishing confidential information — a crime under Vatican City State law. Prosecutors on Monday asked that one journalist, Emiliano Fittipaldi, be absolved for lack of evidence that he was part of the conspiracy. They requested a one-year suspended sentence for the other one, Gianluigi Nuzzi. Prosecutors on Monday described Chaouqui as the “inspiration” for the conspiracy. Chaouqui, who has come to trial this week with baby

Giuseppe Lami / AP

Public relations expert Francesca Chaouqui, center, arrives with her newly born son Pietro, and her husband Corrado Lanino at the Vatican for her trial, on Tuesday.

Pietro, has denied she passed reserved documents to the reporters

and has vowed to go to jail, babe in arms, rather than seek a papal pardon

if she’s convicted. Monsignor Lucio Vallejo Balda, a former high-

ranking Vatican official, admitted he provided Nuzzi with passwords to the password-protected documents, but has blamed Chaouqui for creating an atmosphere of threats and pressure that made him feel that he had no choice but to provide the documents. Chaouqui’s lawyer, Laura Sgro, told the court on Tuesday that Vallejo was the culprit, and was heaping blame on Chaouqui to try to improve his lot. “Francesca Chaouqui isn’t likeable. She’s never quiet. She talks when she shouldn’t,” Sgro told the court. “But you can’t convict her just because she’s unlikeable, unpleasant, insufferable, arrogant and presumptuous.” Lawyers for Nuzzi, Fittipaldi and Vallejo’s secretary are due to give their closing arguments Wednesday with a verdict expected thereafter.

Friend says suspect, US student scuffled after a robbery By Nicole Winfield A S S O CIAT E D PRE SS

ROME — Rome police detained a homeless man on suspicion he pushed a 19-year-old American student into the Tiber River after a fight, as details emerged about Beau Solomon’s final hours in the thick of Rome’s summertime nightlife. Police took suspect Massimo Galioto, 40, into custody Tuesday, saying he was “seriously suspected of aggravated homicide” in Solomon’s death. Police said they were looking into the hypothesis that Solomon was robbed, went to the riverbank under a bridge in Trastevere where he got into a scuffle with Galioto, who then pushed him into the Tiber. The police official spoke on condition of anonymity because prosecutors asked that no information be released at this stage. Police on Monday pulled Solomon’s body from the Tiber a few kilometers (miles) downstream of the Garibaldi Bridge where Galioto’s encampment is located. The student had last been seen early Friday at a nearby pub popular with U.S. students in Trastevere, just hours after arriving in Rome for an exchange program at John Cabot University. The ANSA news agency said preliminary autopsy results indicated that Solomon had suffered injuries consistent with a fall and with days spent in the water. The police official said investigators were in particular looking to see if

he was conscious when he fell in the water. Staterun RAI Solomon television on Tuesday interviewed a woman identified as Galioto’s companion, Alessia, who said Solomon had come down the stairs to their settlement along the Tiber early Friday with two people who robbed him. It did not give her last name. Alessia told RAI that Solomon and Galioto got into a scuffle, with each one pushing the other. It wasn’t immediately clear how Solomon ended up in the water, but the po-

lice official said they believed Galioto pushed him. The site was underneath Garibaldi Bridge, one of the busiest bridges in Rome, which connects the bar-filled Trastevere neighborhood to the other side of Rome’s historic center. John Cabot, an English-language university in the Italian capital, said it had been alerted by Solomon’s roommate that he had lost contact with Solomon around 1 a.m. Friday and was worried when he didn’t show up for orientation later that day. The president of John Cabot, Franco Pavoncello, said the school takes maximum measures to

keep its students safe on campus and around its residences, using both Italian soldiers and private security forces. But Pavoncello said it was up to Italian authorities to keep people safe on the streets of Rome. “Nightlife is nightlife,” he said. “It’s not up to the president of John Cabot University to do an evaluation of the dangers of Rome’s nightlife, it’s up to judicial authorities.” John Cabot is a fouryear university located in Trastevere. Solomon, who had just completed his first year as a personal finance major at the University of WisconsinMadison, had just arrived for John Cabot’s summer program.

One of his brothers, Cole, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Solomon’s body was found with a head wound and blood on his shirt. He added that thousands of dollars were charged to his brother’s credit card after his disappearance. He didn’t immediately respond to AP requests for comment. Another brother, Jake Solomon, described Beau as an athlete who successfully battled cancer for years as a child. Italian state TV said charges worth 1,500 euros (about $1,700) were run up Saturday on Solomon’s credit card at a Milan store, hundreds of miles from where he was last seen in Rome.

Comments by Galioto’s companion suggested that the people who stole Solomon’s wallet might have used the credit card, not Galioto. Without citing sources, ANSA said two Italians claimed to have seen a man throw a person into the Tiber the night that Solomon disappeared. Sky TG24 TV also said witnesses reported seeing someone pushed into the Tiber near Garibaldi Bridge. On Tuesday, the U.S. ambassador to Italy, John Phillips, pledged his assistance to Italian authorities investigating the death. “My heart goes out to his family and friends,” Phillips said.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, July 6, 2016 |

A11

FROM THE COVER OIL PATCH From page A1 more than half from the previous year because of a major slowdown in oil and gas drilling, and that the $6 million savings account the 300-student district had built up during the recent boom would quickly evaporate. She delivered a similar message this year with property values expected to plummet another 42 percent amid the lingering low oil prices that have brought drilling in the state — and across the U.S. — to a near halt. The district is now operating on a deficit budget and moving to restructure its bond because it can’t afford payments. “It’s not been a good experience for me,” Seipp said. “I can hardly wait ‘til they get a permanent person here.” Runge is a worst-case example of the budgetary difficulties facing school districts in oil producing regions across the state, where a drilling frenzy raged for nearly a decade until oil prices tanked. But the bust is threatening to deal a serious financial blow to many districts — particularly if it lingers. Several are projecting sizable deficits for the upcoming budget year, with some looking at dipping into savings to break even. Those in a better financial position are delaying pay raises and hiring and hoping that oil production will pick up again. This summer, United Independent School District officials must offset an estimated $30 million budget deficit. “More or less a disaster,” said Cuero interim schools superintendent Ben Colwell, when asked what he was expecting for the upcoming budget year, and beyond. Property values in DeWitt County, where the district is located, are projected to drop 35 percent this year, which will force the district to cut its $23 million budget by as much as 22 percent. (Final values won’t be known until late July.) That may be doable for one year, Colwell said, but — even as oil prices tick up — he fears there will be a similar drop in valuations next year. “In two, three years, you are basically bankrupt,” he said. “This thing is unfortunately not just a one-year cycle.” “People don’t realize what a catastrophic thing this is going to be for schools.” Aside from making deep budget cuts and draining savings, Colwell said the other option districts have is to raise taxes. But many in the region are already taxing at the maximum rate, or at least high enough that they’d have to ask voters to approve an increase — something superintendents say is unlikely to happen during the downturn. In 1999, the Legislature passed a law allowing the state to help districts facing “a rapid decline in the tax base” due to factors outside their control by adjusting the taxable

PRE-K From page A1 child is prepared for the classroom from the very first day." The passage of House Bill 4 during last year's legislative session was uncertain at times amid criticism from staunch conservatives — including those on a panel that advises Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — who saw it as an expansion of statefunded pre-K. Early education advocates also initially

While Runge appears to be the only school struggling with bond repayment, several Eagle Ford superintendents said it could be an issue for more districts if the bust persists. Mary Springs, the incoming superintendent of Three Rivers schools. During the boom, the district passed a bond to build a new secondary campus. “The $11 million school featured terrazzo floors, a Valero-sponsored agriculture and vocational building, and a football field carpeted with the same lime-green turf used by the Dallas Cowboys,” according to a Texas Monthly report. Now the 700-student district in Live Oak County, at the heart of the Eagle Ford, is facing a 22-percent budget cut. Most Eagle Ford school districts were able to build up savings during the boom that will help carry them through the bust. But the drop in appraisals has been so dramatic in some areas that any financial cushion will quickly disappear. And superintendents point out that most of the newfound wealth has not been not theirs to keep. During the boom, many Eagle Ford districts became classified as property wealthy for the first time, requiring them to send millions of dollars to the state each year to help buoy property-poor school districts under the state’s Robin Hood program. For most Eagle Ford districts, that “recapture” payment is larger — in some cases multiple times larger — than its entire annual budget. Superintendents complain that the state calculates those recapture payments on year-old property tax data, meaning this year’s tabs will be based on collections before the bust took full effect. Districts in the Eagle Ford may look wealthy on paper right now, but they’re really not, said Winn, the Karnes City schools chief. “We have to treat ourselves as poor if we’re going to survive the bust,” she said. Seipp, the Runge interim superintendent, is hoping the district will lose its property-wealthy status soon and ultimately break even. But she readily admits she’s not really sure what will happen. “I’ve got to let them know the picture is looking pretty bleak,” she said of her school board. Several superintendents expressed hope that the boom will bounce back and save them from a yearslong budget nightmare. Industry analysts expect that it will, at some point, although how quickly it will happen remains to be seen.

value of the property. But lawmakers cut that funding in 2011, said school property tax expert Dan Casey, a partner at Moak, Casey & Associates, an Austinbased consultancy. “If you get compounding decreases in value, it becomes very difficult to address,” he said. “They need some kind of safety net, and they just don’t have it right now.” The problem is particularly pronounced in South Texas’ Eagle Ford Shale, which — unlike West Texas’ Permian Basin — hadn’t seen widespread drilling activity until the recent boom, which rapidly expanded the region’s tax base. Long considered property poor, many school districts in the region took advantage of the newfound wealth by asking voters to pass sweeping bond measures to renovate and build state-of-the-art schools, performing arts centers and football stadiums. While Runge appears to be the only school struggling with bond repayment, several Eagle Ford superintendents said it could become an issue for more districts if the bust persists. They note that local voters backed the measures with industry assurances the boom would endure for another decade or longer and that the expectation was that the bonds would largely be paid off by the time it ended. (The state must back bonds if a district defaults, but that has never happened.) “I really feel for those doing the 30-year notes who don’t have the property values to keep it up,” said Karnes City schools superintendent Jeanette Winn, explaining that her district opted for a shorter bond in case the boom ended earlier than expected. “What we did was we socked a ton of money away to the principal [of the bond], and we’re only paying on ours for 10 years,” she said. Still, the district is postponing all big expenses and plans to cut its budget by 1 percent annually over the next 15 years. Many school officials foresaw the budgetary nightmare a bust would bring, but they say it is much worse than they expected — a "massive thunderstorm" rather than a "shower," quipped Colwell. In less financially fortunate districts, the burden for paying off the bonds will increasingly shift to residents. “The smaller the tax base, the more your taxpayers have to pay because that burden is spread out evenly,” said

The Zapata Times contributed to this report.

lobbed criticisms at the legislation, hoping it would emerge stronger from the legislative meat grinder. They complained that it did not mandate full-day pre-K or fully restore a similar, $200 million grant program lawmakers gutted in 2011. (The state currently funds half-day pre-K programs for students who are needy, including those in foster care, or those from military families.) At one point, the legislation set aside $130 million for the program. That later fell to $118 mil-

lion before landing at $116 million. But Abbott, and the lawmakers who championed the legislation on his behalf, stressed that the grant program would incentivize high-quality programs by allocating funding to districts that met certain standards including certified teachers and a parent engagement plan. It also would require districts to report pre-K enrollment and other indicators to the state for the first time, as they do for K-12, they noted.

FOOD From page A1 analyses based of consumer-tracking data. Higher-income shoppers showed no impact at all from the new taxes. The tax applies to processed foods having more than 275 calories per 100 grams of product. The study did not indicate whether families reduced calorie intake, bought healthier foods or simply switched to cheaper street food — important factors for Mexico, which is plagued with high obesity rates. The study was conducted by researchers from Mexico’s National Institute of Public Health and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who said future studies “should explore how these shifts are linked to changes in the nutritional quality of the overall diet.” Nutritionist Julieta Ponce of the Center for Dietary Orientation said the study’s finding only open the debate on how to substitute empty calories in Mexicans’ diet for better-quality food. For example, the junk food reductions noted in the study could be replaced by eating a single tortilla or a third of a cup of

DATING From page A1 who leads the Older Adult Ministry at Oak Hills Presbyterian Church. “That’s great. But no one wants to talk about the other needs grandma might have.” In addition to her church position, Kelch has hosted two senior speed dating events designed to help folks ages 65 to 85 meet one another for companionship. Speed dating, for those who haven’t been single and looking during the past two decades or so, is a formalized matchmaking process during which two people sit together for a limited amount of time, usually about five minutes, to chat, learn about one another and then decide whether they’re interested in getting together at a later date. Once time is up, they move on to the next person. For older adults looking for companionship, speed dating offers a way to meet up to a dozen new people quickly and without commitment in a safe, controlled environment. It’s only recently, however, that seniors have gotten into the game, in part because of the release of the documentary “The Age of Love,” directed by filmmaker Steven Loring. At once funny and poignant, promising and bittersweet, the film tells the story of a group of seniors ages 70 to 90 who participate in a speeddating event in Rochester, New York. The documentary focuses on single-and-looking seniors such as Addie, a well-traveled free spirit who terrifies her more strait-laced, would-be suitors; Lou, an elderly body builder moved to tears when he learns that only one of 15 women he had “speed dated” wanted to meet him again; and Jon and Janice, who connect and hesitatingly form what promises to be something more than just a casual friendship. At its most basic, the film’s message is that hope springs eternal. Or, as Addie puts it, “You still want to feel that touch, that excitement, that physicalness. You want to feel the butterflies.” Loring said he made the documentary to help spur a conversation about the overlooked emotional needs of older adults. “I was inspired by watching my 78-year-old uncle fall in love for the

beans. Ponce said the question is how to return such foods as fresh fruits and vegetables to the average Mexican’s diet on a larger scale. “Obesity and adverse metabolic effects are also the result of the loss of the traditional diet, not just the consumption of junk food,” Ponce said. “At the moment, Mexico lacks a broader policy on eating well. For the moment, there are just emergency measures to limit the damage.” The study is in line with a paper released late last year suggesting another Mexican tax on sugary soft-drinks had achieved an average 6 percent reduction in some purchases. That tax is 1-peso (5 cents) per liter. Critics of the fast-food tax have suggested that poorer Mexicans, faced with higher pass-along prices on processed snacks sold by major companies, may simply switch to non-taxed similar foods sold by unlicensed street vendors. The country’s streets, especially outside schools, parks, bus stops and subway stations, are crowded with vendors selling no-brand or home-made snacks that often have salt, sugar or fat counts as high as

name brands. Even name-brand chips are sometimes made worse at street stands, where vendors will open a bag of chips and douse them in an infinite variety of salty, sugary or spicy sauces. Supporters of the tax agree that those practices, known as junk food “substitution,” could blunt the gains of tax-induced reductions, but insist they won’t erase the improvements. “There will be a discussion about ‘substitution,’ but I don’t think any (street) product has the distribution network that these (name-brand) products have,” said Alejandro Calivillo, director of the advocacy group The Power of the Consumer. “There could be substitution in some cases, but I don’t think it would be anything significant.” Mexico is among the fattest countries in the world. Just under onethird of adults are obese, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. Seven out of 10 Mexicans are overweight and the country has surpassed the U.S. in obesity rates, mostly due to a diet of fatty foods and sugary sodas, according to a United Nations report.

very first time in his life,” Loring said. He’d also watched his mom struggle with losing the love of her life when his dad died. During Kelch’s most recent event, nine women and eight men (the ninth man canceled at the last minute — doctor’s appointment) met in a clubby dining room at Bob’s Steak & Chop House at The Rim. She had little difficulty filling all the spots. The nine reserved for women were snapped up almost immediately, and she had to nudge only a few of the men to sign up. “Apparently, word got around that senior speed dating can be fun,” she said. Jay Mummau attended for much the same reasons as most of the other participants. “I want ... how do I say it? ... I want to love and be loved,” the 80-year-old said while sitting at the restaurant bar waiting for the festivities to begin. Dating is more difficult for seniors for a number of reasons, according to Joan Price, advocate for what she calls “ageless sexuality” and author of “The Ultimate Guide to Sex After 50.” “Most young single people are surrounded by other young, single people, so they’ve got plenty of possibilities, plenty of people to choose from,” she said. “When you’re older, however, you don’t meet new people as regularly or as easily. And those you do meet are likely to be already paired off.” Demographics also play a role. According to 2015 census data, in Bexar County there are about 1.25 women for every man ages 65 to 84. Nationally, the ratio is even more skewed, about 1.4 women for every man. This imbalance played out when Irene Scharf recently tried to organize a speed dating event at the Igo library in May. “We had many more women than men signed up,” she said. Rather than canceling, however, she adjusted her sights and changed it to a speed connect event, for people to make friends rather than potential love connections. Several women, for example, agreed to get together when one offered to teach the others how to make Indian food. Still, dating as a senior citizen affords certain freedoms. “When you’re older, a

person’s looks often don’t play as big a part in their attractiveness,” said Pepper Schwartz, love and relationship ambassador for AARP. “And the same holds true for social class, religion, even race. So in that respect, there’s a bigger pool to choose from.” At Kelch’s speed dating event at Bob’s, participants were seated two to a table. Kelch reviewed the rules — dates last five minutes, don’t share personal information such as home address and phone number, etc. — and rang a bell. The chatting began. Despite any lingering doubts or nervousness, the daters’ personalities quickly shined through. There was the spitfire, energetically chattering away with her often-overwhelmed male companions; the smooth-talking Texan, his honeyed voice enthralling female after female; and the warm, charming gent, healthy and hale, with a full head of hair telling impressive stories of building his own airplane and boat. “Watch,” whispered one observer, referring to this apparent catch of the day. “When he gets to their table, the women sit up straight, they smile, they get more energy. He’s very impressive.” After each five-minute date, the bell rang and the men moved on to the next table. Everyone had been given a paper scorecard on which they could indicate whether they wanted to get together with the person at a later date. They also were repeatedly encouraged to make notes of each date on the scorecard’s tear-off panel — the person’s hair color, what they talked about and so forth. “Write it down because when you get home you’ll forget,” Kelch warned. After collecting the scorecards, Kelch matched couples who had picked one another. Within a few days, the participants received letters in the mail with the names and contact information for their matches. Marie Rockne, 69, had five matches and quickly agreed to a first date of drinks and a movie with one gentleman. There may not be a second. “He pulled out a coupon for a free order of nachos,” she said. “That was kind of embarrassing.” Still, she said, “it was fun. I’d be willing to try it again.”

A12 | Wednesday, July 6, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES