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Locals unite to help Harvey victims Community, officials made disaster relief a reality By César G. Rodriguez THE ZAPATA T IME S
Zapata County united as one to help families affected by Hurricane Harvey. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the community members and volunteers for all they have done to make this Hurricane Harvey Relief Operation a reality,” said Sheriff Alonso M. Lopez on his Facebook. He further stated that
hard work and dedication showed the “county’s strength, power and unity.” “Without the generous support of the community and the leadership of all the volunteers, this project would not have been possible. We are so fortunate and blessed to live in such a caring and compassionate community. Thank you Zapata,” the sheriff stated. Sheriff’s officials rendered help to people in Zapata continues on A12
Zapata County Sheriff’s Office / Courtesy
Zapata County volunteers and officials share a moment of prayer.
DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
‘DREAMERS’ LEFT FEELING BETRAYED
Border wall construction put on hold By Nomaan Merchant and Will Weissert ASSOCIATED PRE SS
They grew up in America and are working or going to school here. Some are building businesses or raising families of their own. Many have no memory of the country where they were born. Now, almost 800,000 young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or overstayed their visas could see their lives upended after the Trump administration announced Tuesday it is ending the Obama-era program that protected them from deportation. “We are Americans in heart, mind and soul. We just don’t have the correct documentation that states we’re American,” said Jose Rivas, 27, who is studying for a master’s in counseling at the University of Wyoming. Rivas’ grandmother brought him to this country from Mexico when he was 6. He wants to become a school counselor in America but lamented: “Everything is up in the air at this point.” The news that the government is phasing out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, over the next six months was met with shock, anger and a sense of betrayal by its beneficiaries, often called “Dreamers.”
HOUSTON — The U.S. government carefully designed a path of least resistance to building a border wall in Texas, picking a wildlife refuge and other places it already owns or controls to quickly begin construction. All it needed was Congress to approve the money. Then came Harvey. President Donald Trump’s administration must now grapple with a storm that devastated the Texas Gulf Coast, with some areas still underwater and tens of thousands of people forced from their homes. Rebuilding will require billions of dollars to start — and may come at the expense of what is perhaps Trump’s best-known policy priority. The White House wanted $1.6 billion for 74 miles of initial wall, including 60 miles in Texas’ Rio Grande ValPresident Donald ley. While a fraction of Trump’s what the overall Harvey recovery administration effort will cost, fundmust now grapple ing for the wall alwith a storm that ready faced strong opposition from devastated the Senate Democrats. Texas Gulf Coast. Three days before the storm made landfall, Trump threatened a government shutdown unless Congress provides funding. That threat now appears to be off the table, as is any potential maneuver to tie the wall to providing disaster relief. “If Trump is saying, ‘Listen, you’re only going to get your disaster funding if I get my wall,’ that is a total political loser,” said Matt Mackowiak, a Texas-based Republican consultant. “That’s just not tenable.” Another potential way to get the wall started would be tying initial funding to the program shielding young immigrants from deportation, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which the Trump administration announced Tuesday it would seek to phase out. The White House and Republican congressional leadership are discussing a larger package of legislation to address DACA, money for the border wall and other elements. Democrats have ruled out any trade off of DACA legislation with the border wall, though, casting doubt on such an approach. Before the storm hit, the U.S. government had spent months quietly preparing to begin new construction in Texas. The first construction site would be the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, a verdant forest with butterflies and rare bird species next to the Rio Grande — that wasn’t affected by Harvey. Those preparations are still underway. At Santa Ana, crews were seen as recently as Friday drilling holes for testing the soil on the river levee built to withhold high waters from
DACA continues on A11
Border continues on A11
Drew Angerer / Getty Images
From left to right, Dayana Arrue, Sofia Ruales, and Erica Ruales, all in their early 20s and originally from Ecuador, watch Attorney General Jeff Sessions' remarks on ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program on Sofia's smartphone before a protest in Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan on Tuesday.
Immigrants shocked by Trump’s decision By Andrew Selsky and Josh Hoffner ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Sue Ogrocki / AP
Young immigrants hold a sign in support of DACA at a news conference in Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
Zin brief A2 | Wednesday, September 6, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 6
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
Today is Wednesday, Sept. 6, the 249th day of 2017. There are 116 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History: On September 6, 1901, President William McKinley was shot and mortally wounded by anarchist Leon Czolgosz at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 13 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
MONDAY, SEPT. 18 Ray of Light Anxiety and Depression Support Group Meeting in Spanish. 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. Spanish group meets every 3rd Monday of the month. Holding Institute, 1102 Santa Maria Ave., classroom #1. Ray of Light Anxiety and Depression Support Group provides a forum for people with anxiety and/or depression to meet, talk, share experiences and learn more about the conditions. Support groups can help individuals make connections with others facing similar challenges. While a support group does not replace an individual's medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength, and hope. The support group welcomes adults suffering from anxiety and/ or depression to participate in free confidential support group meetings and social events. Contact information for a representative: Anna Maria Pulido Saldivar, gruporayitodeluz@gmail.com, 956-307-2014
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 20 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 23 Joe A. Guerra Public Library and Villa Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society sponsor speaker Renee Laperriere; The Gutierrez Family of Ocampo, Tamaulipas. 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Multipurpose room, Joe A Guerra Public Library off Calton. Open to the public. For more info, call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 28 Spanish Book Club. 6 - 8 p.m. Joe A Guerra Public Library off Calton Road. For more info, call Sylvia Reash a 763-1810.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Sen. John McCain returns from the August recess to face work on immigration, the debt limit, funding the government, and help for victims of Hurricane Harvey, in Washington on Tuesday.
MCCAIN BACK ON CAPITOL HILL WASHINGTON - John McCain is not your typical brain cancer patient. It has been 48 days since the Republican senator from Arizona announced his diagnosis and 18 days since he completed his first round of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Now, far from shrinking from public life, McCain is back on Capitol Hill with the rest of the Senate, ready to manage the floor debate over a defense authorization bill and begin the work of an extraordi-
Grizzly bear mauls bow hunter in Montana HELENA, Mont. — A grizzly bear mauled a bow hunter in southwestern Montana, slashing a 16-inch cut in his head that required 90 stitches to close. “I could hear bones crunching, just like you read about,” said Tom Sommer, as he recovered in a Montana hospital on Tuesday afternoon.
narily busy and consequential month in Washington. McCain, 81, was spotted in the halls of Congress ahead of the Senate’s first votes since members departed for their home states on Aug. 3. His last memorable act before the break was to cast the decisive “no” vote against the Republican healthcare bill, delivering a dramatic thumbsdown on the Senate floor as GOP leaders watched, aghast. — Compiled from the Washington Post
Sommer said he and a hunting partner were looking for an elk they had been calling Monday morning when his partner spotted a grizzly bear feeding on an elk carcass in the southern end of the Gravelly Range, just north of the Idaho border. “The bear just flat-out charged us,” Sommer said. He said it closed the 30-foot distance in 3 or 4 seconds. His hunting partner deployed his bear spray, which slowed the bear’s charge. Som-
mer said he grabbed his canister so quickly that he couldn’t release the safety and he couldn’t afford to look down as the bear closed in. He ran around a tree twice and dropped his bear spray in the process. Sommer then grabbed his pistol and turned to confront the bear. “It bit my thigh, ran his claws through my wrist and proceeded to attack my head,” Sommer recalled Tuesday. — Compiled from AP reports
SATURDAY, SEPT. 30 Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Texas A&M International University. On-site registration begins at 7:30 a.m. in the walkway between the Student Center and the TAMIU’s Fine and Performing Arts Center. The walk begins at 9:30 a.m. after a brief opening ceremony at 9 a.m. Those who wish to register online and establish a fundraising team with family, friends, or co-workers can go to alz.org/walk and follow prompts to the Laredo walk.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, OCT. 7 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 11 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions. The 32nd Distinguished Business Awards banquet. 6 p.m. Laredo Country Club. The Laredo Chamber of Commerce announced the selection of Ermilo Richer Jr. and Ermilo Richer III as Laredo 2017 Businesspersons of the Year. For ticket and sponsorship information, call 956-722-9895 or email miriam@laredochamber.com .
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 25 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
AROUND THE WORLD Putin: North Korea will ‘eat grass’ before giving up nukes MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday condemned North Korea’s latest nuclear test, but also warned against using military force against the country, calling it a “road to nowhere” that could lead to a “global catastrophe.” Russia condemns North Korea’s nuclear test as “provocative,” Putin told a televised news conference in China. But he stopped short of expressing willingness to impose more sanctions on North Korea, saying Moscow viewed them as “useless and ineffective.” Putin said North Korea’s neighbors should engage with it, not whip up “military hysteria.” “It’s a road to nowhere. Whipping up military hysteria — this will lead to no good,” he said. “It could cause a global catastrophe and an enormous loss of life.”
Mikhail Klimentyev / AP
Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaks during a news conference in Xiamen, Fujian province, China on Tuesday.
North Korea conducted its most powerful nuclear test to date on Sunday, triggering warnings from the United States of a “massive military response.” Rattled by the test, South Korea on Tuesday conducted live-fire exercises at sea in its second straight day of military displays. The Russian president, who was in China for a summit of leading emerging economies,
told reporters that he had remarked to one of his counterparts at the talks that North Korea “will eat grass but will not give up the (nuclear) program, if they don’t feel safe.” Putin said it was important that all parties affected by the crisis, including North Korea, not face “threats of annihilation” and “step on the path of cooperation.” — Compiled from AP reports
On this date: In 1861, Union forces led by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant occupied Paducah, Kentucky, during the Civil War. In 1916, the first self-serve grocery store, Piggly Wiggly, was opened in Memphis, Tennessee, by Clarence Saunders. In 1925, the silent film horror classic "The Phantom of the Opera," starring Lon Chaney, had its world premiere at the Astor Theater in New York. In 1939, the Union of South Africa declared war on Germany. In 1943, 79 people were killed when a New York-bound Pennsylvania Railroad train derailed and crashed in Philadelphia. In 1954, groundbreaking took place for the Shippingport Atomic Power Station in western Pennsylvania. In 1966, birth control advocate Margaret Sanger died in Tucson, Arizona, at age 86, eight days before her birthday. In 1970, Palestinian guerrillas seized control of three U.S.-bound jetliners. (Two were later blown up on the ground in Jordan, along with a London-bound plane hijacked on Sept. 9; the fourth plane was destroyed on the ground in Egypt. No hostages were harmed.) In 1975, 18-year-old tennis star Martina Navratilova of Czechoslovakia, in New York for the U.S. Open, requested political asylum in the United States. In 1985, all 31 people aboard a Midwest Express Airlines DC-9 were killed when the Atlanta-bound jetliner crashed just after takeoff from Milwaukee's Mitchell Field. In 1997, a public funeral was held for Princess Diana at Westminster Abbey in London, six days after her death in a car crash in Paris. In 2002, meeting outside Washington, D.C. for only the second time since 1800, Congress convened in New York to pay homage to the victims and heroes of September 11. Ten years ago: President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao, in Sydney, Australia, for an AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation summit, called for greater international cooperation in tackling climate change without stifling economic growth. Five years ago: President Barack Obama conceded only halting progress toward solving the nation's economic woes, but vowed in a Democratic National Convention finale, "Our problems can be solved, our challenges can be met." One year ago: On the campaign trail, Democrat Hillary Clinton accused Republican Donald Trump of insulting America's veterans and pressing dangerous military plans, while Trump declared "our country is going to hell" because of policies he said Clinton would make even worse. Today's Birthdays: Comedian JoAnne Worley is 82. Country singer David Allan Coe is 78. Rock singermusician Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) is 74. Actress Swoosie Kurtz is 73. Comedian-actress Jane Curtin is 70. Rock musician Mick Mashbir is 69. Country singer-songwriter Buddy Miller is 65. Actor James Martin Kelly is 63. Country musician Joe Smyth (Sawyer Brown) is 60. Actor-comedian Jeff Foxworthy is 59. Actor-comedian Michael Winslow is 59. Rock musician Perry Bamonte is 57. Actor Steven Eckholdt is 56. Rock musician Scott Travis (Judas Priest) is 56. Country singer Mark Chesnutt is 54. Actress Betsy Russell is 54. Actress Rosie Perez is 53. Rhythm and blues singer Macy Gray is 50. Singer CeCe Peniston is 48. Rhythm-and-blues singer Darryl Anthony (Az Yet) is 48. Actress Daniele Gaither is 47. Rock singer Dolores O'Riordan (The Cranberries) is 46. Actor Dylan Bruno is 45. Actor Idris Elba is 45. Actress Justina Machado is 45. Actress Anika Noni (ah-NEE'-kuh NOH'-nee) Rose is 45. Rock singer Nina Persson (The Cardigans) is 43. Actor Justin Whalin is 43. Actress Naomie Harris is 41. Rapper Noreaga is 40. Actress Natalia Cigliuti is 39. Rapper Foxy Brown is 39. Actor Howard Charles is 34. Actress Lauren Lapkus is 32. Rock singer Max George (The Wanted) is 29. Thought for Today: "We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality." — Iris Murdoch, Anglo-Irish author and philosopher (1919-1999).
CONTACT US AROUND TEXAS 1 jailed, 1 sought when severed head found in Arlington ARLINGTON, Texas — One man is jailed on a murder charge and another is sought after a severed head was found near downtown Arlington. Police affidavits say police found the head of what ap-
peared to be a 20-to-30-yearold Hispanic man with a sign with a Spanish text that roughly translates as “the race is in control and four are left.” Some of Hispanic heritage refer to their ethnic group as “the race.” Mariano Sanchez, who was already in custody on outstanding burglary and drug possession warrants, has been
charged with murder in the case. A murder warrant has been issued for 28-year-old Hector Acosta-Ojeda, a 5foot-8-inch, 190-pound man police believe to be armed and dangerous. Investigators say other human remains have been found related to the case. They believe the victims were targeted. — Compiled from AP reports
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SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Wednesdays and Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata and Jim Hogg counties. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times in those areas at newstands, The Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas, 78044. Call (956) 728-2500.
The Zapata Times
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, September 6, 2017 |
A3
STATE ZAPATA COUNTY BLOTTER TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY Liliana Vela, 48, was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated on Aug. 26. ZAPATA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE Santos Daniel GalvanGomez, 34, was arrested and charged with criminal trespass, evading arrest, resisting arrest and theft on Aug. 21. Daniel Salazar, 56, was arrested and charged with theft on Aug. 21. He was
additionally served with warrants charging him with theft and failure to appear on a driving while intoxicated charge. Roberto Salinas Jr., 19, was arrested and charged with burglary of vehicles on Aug. 22. Rene Guerra III, 34, was arrested and charged with assault by contact on Aug. 23. Marvin Miranda-Santos, 21, was arrested on warrant for fail to identify by giving false, fictitious information on Aug. 24. Martin Salinas Jr., 21, was
arrested and charged with terroristic threat on Aug. 24. Jose Guadalupe Gonzalez, 22, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana on Aug. 25. Dulce Jemima Campos, 19, was arrested and charged with evading arrest with vehicle and a liquor violation on Aug. 26. Juan Manuel Salas, 25, was arrested and charged with public intoxication on Aug. 28. Marcos Villarreal, 21, was arrested and charged with public intoxication on Aug. 28.
Texas seeks swift reversal of blocked ‘sanctuary cities’ law ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Mark Lambie / AP
In this Aug. 31 photo, Marcia Fulton feeds a grackle at the Second Chance Wildlife Rescue in El Paso, Texas.
Rehab sanctuary designed for birds By Maria Cortes Gonzalez EL PA S O T IME S
EL PASO, Texas — They may be considered the only surviving dinosaurs but, these days, the odds are highly stacked against birds. If it’s not a free-roaming cat that is threatening their existence, there are the man-made obstructions — everything from development that encroaches on their habitats to collisions with moving cars, windows or electrical wires. “In the last 40 years, we have lost 40 percent of all wildlife,” said Josie Karam, who has rehabilitated birds for more than 15 years. “That’s a huge amount. So we do our little bit to give them a second chance to get out there, thrive and propagate,” she told the El Paso Times . “They need us.” After about 60 years of home-based wildlife rehabilitation, the Second Chance Wildlife Rescue, run solely by volunteers, recently opened just northwest of El Paso in Vinton in a spacious home built in the 1900s. Karam and Marcia Fulton, another wildlife rehabilitator, are there most days tending to injured birds, from nurturing baby roadrunners that were dehydrated to splinting broken wings
Baylor settles rape lawsuit By Jim Vertuno A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — Baylor University has settled a federal lawsuit filed by a former student who said she was gang raped by two football players and alleged the program at the nation’s largest Baptist school fostered a “culture of violence.” The settlement is one of several in recent weeks as Baylor moves to close out lawsuits filed in the aftermath of an investigation into how the school handled reports of sexual and physical assaults for years.
on white-winged doves and other birds. Over the past couple of months, volunteers have built an aviary on the property. This past summer, they had about 25 volunteers helping to set up the facility. In the past week, Fulton has been caring for three tiny roadrunner babies, providing them with a lamp to help them maintain their body heat and their favorite meal, cut up mice. “When they came in, they were dehydrated and we’ve been slowly feeding and seeing if they can digest their food. Now, they are begging for food and open their mouths readily so they are easy to feed,” Fulton said. Karam added, “We give them lots of support. Sometimes that’s all we can do because we are not veterinarians. We don’t have a lab where we can test them. So we basically treat them by observing them.” Karam’s goals for the rescue, however, are as big as the property that encompasses the center. The property spans seven acres with 7,000 square feet of building space, including a horse barn. The natural features of the landscapes — native plants, trees and a protected wetlands with tall cattails — provide the perfect shelter for birds,
who once rehabilitated seemed to stay. Karam said she would like to have several more aviaries built, including a large one for raptors like hawks, owls and falcons that are important to the ecosystem. “Our vision is to make the whole inside a rehabilitation facility center where we can have different rooms for different things, maybe even a room for education purposes, training and holding areas for animals,” Karam said. Most of the injured birds come via referrals from Animal Services and other organizations that can’t handle wildlife calls. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department also assists with calls. Karam said she would also like to see a bird hospital room and waiting area in a former garage that would make it easy for veterinarians to donate an hour or two for surgeries. For Karam, taking care of injured birds makes sense. All native North American birds are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. “We are very excited about this facility and El Paso should embrace this center because it’s the first time in the history of this county that we have a facility like this,” she said.
AUSTIN, Texas — Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking a federal appeals court for an emergency order blocking a lower ruling that kept Texas’ new anti"sanctuary cities” law from taking effect. In a filing Tuesday, Paxton requested expe-
dited consideration and a ruling from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court within two days. A San Antonio-based federal judge last week temporarily suspended Texas’ new law amid a lawsuit questioning its constitutionality. The law had been set to kick in Sept. 1. It allows police to inquire about people’s
immigration status during routine interactions like traffic stops. Police chiefs also could face removal from office and even criminal charges for not complying with federal requests to hold people jailed on nonimmigration offenses longer for possible deportation. Opponents call it a “show your papers” law.
Zopinion
Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com
A4 | Wednesday, September 6, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COMMENTARY
OTHER VIEWS
When a red state gets the blues By Garrison Keillor WA S H INGT ON P O ST
The Republic of Texas believes in self-reliance and is suspicious of Washington sticking its big nose in your business. “Government is not the answer. You are not doing anyone a favor by creating dependency, destroying individual responsibility.” So said Sen. Ted Cruz, though not last week. Sunday on Fox News, Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas would need upward of $150 billion in federal aid for damages inflicted by Harvey. The stories out of Houston have all been about neighborliness and helping hands and people donating to relief funds, but you don’t raise $150 billion by holding bake sales. This is almost as much as the annual budget of the U.S. Army. I’m just saying. I’m all in favor of pouring money into Texas but I am a bleeding-heart liberal who favors single-payer health care. How is being struck by a hurricane so different from being hit by cancer? I’m only asking. Houstonians chose to settle on a swampy flood plain barely 50 feet above sea level. The risks of doing so are fairly clear. If you chose to live in a tree and the branch your hammock was attached to fell down, you wouldn’t ask for a government subsidy to hang your hammock in a different tree. Ronald Reagan said that government isn’t the answer, it is the problem, and conservatives have found that line very resonant over the years. In Sen. Cruz’s run for president last year, he called for abolition of the IRS. He did not mention this last week. It would be hard to raise an extra $150 billion without the progressive income tax unless you could persuade Mexico to foot the bill. Similarly, if a desert state such as Arizona expects the feds to solve its water shortage, as Sen. Jeff Flake suggested recently, by guaranteeing Arizona first dibs on Lake Mead, this strikes me as a departure from conservative principles. Lake Mead, and Boulder Dam which created it, were not built by Lake Mead, Inc., but by the federal government. The residents of Phoenix decided freely to settle in an arid valley and they have used federal water supplies to keep their lawns green. Why should we Minnesotans, who chose to live near water, subsidize golf courses on the desert? You like sunshine? Fine. Take responsibility for your decision and work out a deal with Perrier to
keep yourselves hydrated. Arizona is populated by folks who dread winter and hate having to shovel snow. In Minnesota, we recognize that snow is a form of water and it’s snowmelt that replenishes the aquifers. So we make a rational decision to live here. A warm dry winter is a sort of disaster for us but we don’t apply to Washington for hankies. If we made a decision to live underwater on a coral reef off Hawaii, we wouldn’t expect the feds to provide us with AquaLungs. If we chose to fly to the moon and play among the stars and spend spring on Jupiter and Mars and we got lost out there, we wouldn’t expect NASA to come rescue us. Get my drift here? I was brought up by fundamentalists who believed it was dead wrong to get tangled up in politics. They never voted. Our preachers had no time for that. They knew that we were pilgrims and wayfarers in this world, and we shouldn’t expect favors from the powerful. We were redeemed by unfathomable grace and preserved by God’s mercy and our citizenship was in heaven. We looked to the Lord to supply our needs. This has changed and godly Republicans now believe in the power of the government to change the world in their favor, of the Department of Education to channel public money freely to religious schools, of the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and prohibit Joshua from marrying Jehoshaphat. Conservatives blanch at spending additional billions to subsidize health care for the needy, but a truckload of cash for Texas? No problem. It makes me think that we Minnesotans should get a few billion in federal aid for recovery from the upcoming winter. It is going to be cold. This will cause damage to homes. Drive-in movie theaters and golf courses and marinas will suffer loss of revenue. We must salt the highways to prevent accidents and the salt corrodes our cars. And then there is the mental anguish. If Minnesota gets billions of dollars for winter recovery, then I am going to seriously consider becoming a conservative. As a philosophy of governing, conservatism is rather sketchy, but if it helps Minnesota, I am all in favor. I have my principles but I can be bought, same as the rest of you. Garrison Keillor is an author and radio personality.
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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.
COLUMN
Trump sends out Sessions to do his heartless work By Will Bunch PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS
The idea behind the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program is to recognize that hundreds of thousands of migrants who were brought across the U.S. border as children have grown up to accomplish wonderful things on American soil. They are top college students, nurses, and construction workers, and pillars of their local churches and neighborhoods. But when the program to protect these young immigrants called "Dreamers" was launched during the Obama years, even the program’s biggest backers couldn’t have dreamed up a hero quite like Alonso Guillen, 31. Guillen, an undocumented Mexican migrant who’d come to Lufkin, Texas, when he was just 14, graduated from Lufkin High School, went to church at his local Catholic parish, and — now grown up and with the protections offered by DACA — established a comfortable life working in construction and as a weekend DJ in his adopted hometown two hours north of Houston. He’d become too much of an American to watch the frightening images of flooding from Hurricane Harvey and not feel like he had to do something to help his neighbors, even after his father, Jesus, begged him not to go. Guillen and two friends borrowed a boat, drove south, and when
they reached the northern end of the flood zone in Spring, Texas, tried to rescue people trapped in an apartment complex. It was the last act of Alonso Guillen’s tooshort life. In the fastmoving waters, the boat struck a bridge and threw out its passengers. Guillen and one of his friends didn’t make it; family members searched for Guillen’s body for days until it surfaced in the subsiding waters on Sunday. "Thank you, God," Jesus Guillen told the Houston Chronicle, "for the time I had with him." At roughly the same time that the family was pulling Guillen’s corpse from the water, news reports said the Trump administration had decided to end the DACA program in six months without intervention from Congress, raising the possibility that 800,000 youths and younger adults like Guillen who’ve rooted themselves in American life as our classmates and our coworkers could lose all of that and might even be uprooted and deported back to nations they barely remember from their toddler days. Yet again, President Trump faced a choice between a legally complicated but undoubtedly popular program (supported by roughly twothirds of the public) that embraced the idea of an idealistic, hopeful and welcoming America — and the grim xenophobic fears of his narrow political base. Once again,
Trump went with the darkest possible vision of the country he’s supposed to lead. Trump’s defenders say that the president is only playing politics — that in the end he’d like to continue the "Dreamer" program but that the final say should come from Congress. And given past support for the 2010 Dream Act from a host of moderate Republicans, it’s not unreasonable to hope for that rarest of outcomes, salvation from Capitol Hill. But let’s be clear: Trump "playing politics with DACA" is a polite way of saying he is terrorizing decent people — people who look ahead six or seven months and don’t know whether they’ll be sitting in chemistry class or an immigration jail cell, waiting for a bus across the Mexican border. In a not particularly shocking development, Trump’s back-in-favor attorney general, Jeff Sessions, managed to make matters worse when, sent out to do his boss’ dirty work, he could barely contain his glee in announcing that DACA had been "rescinded" for the 800,000 humans he referred to as "illegal aliens" - all while prattling on about how unlawful immigration "has put our nation at risk of crime, violence, even terrorism." This time last week, I was wondering if the simple humanity that was displayed again and again in Houston and its surrounding communities —
the journalists who dropped their microphones to help rescue flood victims, the imams who opened their mosques to shelter the needy, and, yes, the immigrants who baked bread or trudged through four feet of water to reach their menial jobs — would change our mostly toxic national conversation. It probably has for some, but that buck has stopped well short of the White House. It now seems the tonedeaf cruelty at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is set on auto-pilot. Trump showed this weekend that the former reality-show star can take enough stage direction to hug black and brown children at a hurricane shelter, but our president and his henchmen like Sessions remain incapable of truly embracing human decency, and the stubborn dignity of real Americans like the late Alonso Guillen. Hurricane Harvey, for all its destruction and heartbreak, was their opening for a reset. There was a chance to use Houston’s remarkable diversity and the willingness of thousands of undocumented immigrants to go to work rebuilding south Texas to make a brand-new start of it, but it was naive and even foolish to think Trump or Sessions would ever seize such an opportunity. You can’t mend a heart that doesn’t want to be unbroken. Will Bunch is a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, September 6, 2017 |
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Zfrontera A6 | Wednesday, September 6, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE Operación ‘Do More’ 1 Colecta de artículos de limpieza para las víctimas del Huracán Harvey el sábado 9 de septiembre de 9 a.m. a 3 p.m. en el estacionamiento del Banco IBC, 908 N Hwy 83. Se solicitan donaciones de guantes, bolsas de basura grandes, cloro, cubrebocas, limpiadores multiusos, esponjas, etc.
Donativos Huracán Harvey 1 La Ciudad de Roma ha creado una cuenta para aportar donativos a las víctimas del Huracán Harvey. Las donaciones pueden hacerse en Lone Star National Bank, 305 Grant St. El número de cuenta es 1019243728 a nombre de City of Roma Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund.
Sociedad genealógica 1 La Sociedad Genealógica Nuevo Santander invita a su reunión el sábado 9 de septiembre a las 2 p.m. en el Museo de Historia del Condado de Zapata. Moisés Garza, Somos Primos/We Are Cousins, presentará: “Recursos para obtener el máximo de su ADN”. Admisión 5 dólares. Evento gratuito para miembros de la sociedad.
Retiro religioso 1 Grupo de Oración del Divino Niño Jesús invita al mini-retiro por el 12avo. aniversario Divino Niño Jesús el sábado 9 de septiembre, de 12 p.m. a 5 p.m. en la Iglesia La Sagrada Familia de Los Sáenz, Texas
INMIGRACIÓN
Confirman fin de DACA Por Luis Alonso Lugo ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WASHINGTON — El gobierno del presidente Donald Trump anunció el martes que en seis meses pondrá fin a un plan de alivio migratorio que exime de la deportación y concede permisos temporales de trabajo a unos 800.000 inmigrantes traídos sin autorización a Estados Unidos cuando eran niños. “No podemos admitir a cualquiera que le guste venir aquí”, dijo el secretario de Justicia, Jeff Sessions, al anunciar la decisión. “Esa es una política de fronteras abiertas y el pueblo estadounidense la ha rechazado”. El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional dijo que los inmigrantes cuyo beneficio terminará antes del 5 de marzo de 2018 tendrán hasta el 5 de octubre de este año para gestionar la renovación. El anuncio generó protestas inmediatas. En Nueva York una docena de jóvenes fueron arrestados después de que impidieran el tránsito en la Quinta Avenida. “Queremos decirle a la comunidad que este es el momento de seguir luchando”, dijo a The Associated Press una de las jóvenes, la mexicana de 30 años Erika Andiola, antes de ser arrestada en medio de los gritos de los manifestantes que llevaban carteles con lemas
Richard Vogel | Associated Press
Kimberly Valerian se une a simpatizantes de la Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA por sus siglas en inglés), durante una protesta en el centro de Los Angeles, el martes 5 de septiembre de 2017.
como “Dignidad para todos”. Trump defendió su decisión y en un comunicado indicó que “no va a cortar DACA de golpe, sino que dará un plazo al Congreso para que finalmente actúe”, aludiendo a las siglas en inglés del programa de Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia. El mandatario agregó que no está a favor de castigar a los hijos por las acciones de sus padres, pero “los jóvenes estadounidenses también tienen sueños”. El presidente del Congreso Paul Ryan expresó el martes en un comun-
icado su esperanza “de que la cámara y el Senado, con el liderazgo del presidente, puedan lograr consenso sobre una solución legislativa permanente que incluya garantizar que aquellos que no han hecho cosas malas aún puedan contribuir como una parte valiosa de este gran país”. El gobierno de México lamentó la cancelación del programa y anunció que apoyará a quienes decidan regresar al país, además de que dará asistencia a los jóvenes que permanezcan en Estados Unidos. La jefa de la bancada demócrata en la cámara
baja, Nancy Pelosi, calificó la decisión de Trump de “acto profundamente vergonzoso de cobardía política y un ataque despreciable contra personas inocentes en comunidades a lo largo de Estados Unidos”. Legisladores de ambos partidos presentaron en enero en las dos cámaras del Congreso un proyecto de ley que busca extender durante tres años adicionales la protección de la deportación a los “dreamers”. El proyecto de ley “Dream Act”, que buscaba suspender la deportación de inmigrantes que ingresaron a Estados
HURACÁN HARVEY
EDUCACIÓN
ENVÍAN DONACIONES
Festival Nuevo Santander 1 La Sociedad Genealógica Nueva Santander invita al Festival Nuevo Santander el 13 y 14 de octubre de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. en el Museo de Historia del Condado de Zapata.
Foto de cortesía | Oficina del Alguacil de Zapata
El Alguacil Alonso M. López agredeció a la comunidad de Zapata por su colaboración en la Operación de Ayuda por el Huracán Harvey.
Autoridades llevan a cabo recolección para víctimas Por César G. Rodríguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
El condado de Zapata se unió para ayudar a las familias afectadas por el huracán Harvey. "Quisiera aprovechar esta oportunidad para agradecer a todos los miembros de la comunidad y voluntarios por todo lo que han hecho para hacer de la Operación de Ayuda por el Huracán Harvey una realidad", publicó en su Facebook el Alguacil Alonso M.
López. Además afirmó que el trabajo duro y la dedicación demostraron la "fuerza, poder y unidad del condado". "Sin el generoso apoyo de la comunidad y el liderazgo de todos los voluntarios, este proyecto no habría sido posible. Somos tan afortunados y bendecidos de vivir en una comunidad tan cariñosa y compasiva. Gracias Zapata”, dijo el alguacil. Los oficiales del alguacil ayudaron a víctimas de Harvey
en las áreas de Rockport y Tradewinds. Las autoridades llevaron a cabo una campaña de recolección de agua, alimentos enlatados, artículos de limpieza, entre otros. "No hay palabras que puedan explicar lo impresionante que es que todos los ciudadanos de Zapata se hayan reunido por una gran causa. Dios es grande. Gracias por su apoyo y todos los suministros y donaciones", publicó el Jefe de la Oficina del Alguacil Raymundo Del Bosque Jr. en Facebook.
Roma Fest 2017 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita al festival Roma Fest 2017 que se llevará a cabo el domingo 8 de octubre de 5 p.m. a 11 p.m. El desfile iniciará a las 5 p.m. en el Citizen State Bank.
Caminata contra cáncer 1 Walk All Over Cancer! en su cuarta caminata anual el 21 de octubre. Inscripciones llamando al 956-849-1411 x 9241.
Otorgan becas en materia energética E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Noche mexicana 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a la Noche Mexicana que se celebrará el 14 de septiembre de 7 p.m. a 11 p.m. Disfrute de bailes folclóricos y antojitos mexicanos en la Plaza Guadalupe de la Ciudad de Roma.
Unidos sin autorización cuando tenían menos de 16 años, naufragó en el Senado en 2010 pese a que la cámara de representantes ya lo había aprobado y contaba con el apoyo del entonces presidente Barack Obama. El gobierno de Trump anunció la decisión al cumplirse el plazo fijado en junio por un grupo de legisladores estatales republicanos que acudirían a los tribunales para desmantelar el beneficio si la administración no actuaba antes del 5 de septiembre. Aunque hizo campaña como enemigo intransigente de la inmigración ilegal, Trump había dicho que simpatiza con la suerte de los inmigrantes que llegaron de niños y no tienen recuerdos de sus países de origen. Obama, quien aprobó el programa DACA por decreto en 2012 como una solución de emergencia después de tratar en vano de que el Congreso aprobara una reforma migratoria integral, reaccionó el martes criticando la decisión. “La acción adoptada hoy no es necesaria legalmente”, publicó el expresidente en Facebook. “No deberíamos amenazar el futuro de estos jóvenes que están aquí sin que sea su culpa, que no representan amenaza alguna y no nos privan de nada al resto de nosotros”.
GUERRERO AYER Y HOY
Costumbres y vida social Nota del editor: Esta serie de artículos sobre la historia de Ciudad Guerrero, México, fueron escritos por la guerrerense Lilia Treviño Martínez (19272016), quien fuera profesora de la escuela Leoncio Leal. Por Lilia Treviño Martínez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
La vida social giraba en torno a los bailes, tertulias vespertinas, festivales artísticos y escolares, y la plaza del centro, llamada Vicente Guerrero. Hubo sociedades de señores
que organizaban suntuosos bailes: “La Fraternal”, “El Casino”, y clubes de jóvenes, como el Femenil Guerrerense, que se reunían para convivir alegremente. Los bailes formales se celebraban en el Hotel Flores, y las costumbres en el trato de los asistentes eran muy caballerosas y corteses. Había otros salones de recreo y diversión: el Anáhuac y el Victoria, y los bailes populares se celebraban en el local del Cine Politeama, o en el zocalo de la plaza principal. La Plaza era el sitio de reu-
nión de jóvenes y personas mayores. Para los jóvenes era costumbre tradicional “dar la vuelta” una y otra vez por los andadores o banquetones de la periferia: las muchachas, en sentido contrario a las manecillas del reloj, y los varones a la inversa, lo cual era muy conveniente para formar parejas, pues cada vuelta daba la oportunidad de dos encuentros, que generalmente conducían a que el galán se separara de sus amigos y requiriera la compañía de su elegida, para sentarse en una banca y formalizar así la relación.
CIUDAD VICTORIA, México — Con el fin de garantizar que las empresas energéticas instaladas en la entidad cuenten con personal tamaulipeco bien preparado para cubrir espacios laborales, el Gobierno del estado puso en marcha el programa de Formación de Recursos Humanos para el sector Energético de Tamaulipas. El programa fue elaborado con el apoyo del Clúster de Energía de Coahuila y la Embajada Británica en México y en él participan además la Secretaría de Educación de Tamaulipas, la compañía transnacional Vestas, dedicada al desarrollo de parques eólicos y TransCanada, compañía dedicada al sector energético principalmente en el rubro de gas natural. Además, el Gobierno de Tamaulipas a través de la Comisión de Energía firmó un convenio con Vestas para la impartición de talleres y diplomados para estudiantes tamaulipecos por parte de personal altamente calificado. Producto del inicio del programa, el Gobernador Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca, hizo entrega este martes de 10 becas a igual número de estudiantes que asistirán a la Universidad de Calgary, en Canadá. La beca cubre la instrucción, alimentación y vivienda, además de transportación gracias a la Secretaría de Educación de Tamaulipas. Advirtió el mandatario que “los conocimientos adquiridos por los estudiantes darán ventajas competitivas a los alumnos que se gradúen en carreras técnicas y universitarias, favoreciendo en ellos la posibilidad de encontrar mejores empleos”. Los estudiantes tamaulipecos cursarán durante un semestre completo un diplomado en gasoductos en la Escuela de Ingeniería de la Universidad de Calgary. “El Gobierno a mi cargo continuará trabajando sin descanso, para crear cada día mayor confianza en los inversionistas y más y mejores fuentes de trabajo”, dijo el gobernador. “Tamaulipas pronto será un estado reconocido mundialmente por sus aportaciones a la generación de energías renovables”.
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, September 6, 2017 |
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: HOUSTON ROCKETS
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NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS A&M AGGIES
Pressure intensifies for Kevin Sumlin
Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle file
Tilman Fertitta agreed to a record $2.2 billion deal to purchase the Houston Rockets from Leslie Alexander.
Restaurant, casino owner to buy Rockets from Alexander
Danny Moloshok / Associated Press
Kevin Sumlin responded Tuesday to a university system regent calling for his firing after Texas A&M led by 34 points in the third quarter Sunday against UCLA and lost 45-44.
Aggies’ late collapse keeps coach on hot seat By Kristie Rieken ASSOCIATED PRE SS
By Kristie Rieken A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
HOUSTON — Restaurant and casino owner Tilman Fertitta agreed to buy the Houston Rockets from Leslie Alexander on Tuesday for an NBArecord $2.2 billion, a person with knowledge of the details said. The price surpasses the $2 billion Steve Ballmer paid for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014. The value was confirmed to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because terms were to remain private. The deal must be approved by the NBA Board of Governors. It includes Clutch City Sports and Entertainment, which puts on shows and concerts at the Toyota Center. “I am truly honored to have been chosen as the next owner of the Houston Rockets. This is a life-long dream come true,” he said. “Leslie Alexander has been one of the best owners in all of sports, and I thank him immensely for this opportunity ... I am overwhelmed with emotion to have this opportunity in my beloved city of Houston.”
Fertitta will be the team’s sole owner. He is the owner of the Landry’s restaurant chain and Golden Nugget casino and hotels. He was born in Galveston, Texas and has lived in Houston his entire adult life. The 60-year-old billionaire is the chairman of the board of regents of the University of Houston System and star of the reality show “Billion Dollar Buyer” on CNBC. Alexander, who announced the team was for sale in July, took over as owner on July 30, 1993, and the Rockets went on to win back-to-back titles in 1994-95 behind the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. In 24 seasons under Alexander, the Rockets have won 56.9 percent of their games. “I am excited to welcome and pass the torch to Tilman,” Alexander said. “He is a Houstonian, business leader and committed to the success and excellence of the Rockets both on and off the basketball court. I have personally known Tilman for over 24 years and don’t think I could have found anyone more capable of continuing the winning tradition of our Houston Rockets.”
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin answered a single football question on Tuesday before the focus shifted to his job security and comments from a university system regent calling for his firing. Sumlin cut off the reporter before the question was even done, no doubt prepared for it after the Aggies squandered a 34point third-quarter lead in a loss to UCLA in their opener on Sunday night. “People are frustrated,” he said. “I’m frustrated about a lot of things. I’m not real happy. I’m sure there’s a lot of things being said about this program.” That includes what was posted on Facebook by regent Tony Buzbee, a Houston attorney. “Our players were better tonight,” Buzbee wrote Sunday night after the stunning loss. “Our players were more talented tonight. But coaches were dominated on national TV, yet again. I’m only one vote on the Board of Regents but when the time comes my vote will be that Kevin Sumlin needs to GO. In my view he should
go now. We owe it to our school and our players. We can do better.” Buzbee didn’t stop with Facebook, taking to Twitter to express his displeasure, too. “Sumlin has got to go,” he tweeted followed by the hashtag firesumlin. The 53-year-old Sumlin has three years and $15 million left on his contract that runs through the 2019 season. He insists he spends no time thinking about his critics and said his only focus is on his team and helping it improve before hosting Nicholls State on Saturday night. “I’m not in the business of really paying attention to anything outside of this program,” he said. “And comments, whether they’re good or bad, my focus is on what we can do to be better. I really don’t have time to get involved in things that are said about the program or about me or whatever. I’ve just never been that kind of person.” The Aggies often talk about ignoring outside noise, but it’s unlikely that they could be shielded from comments like those from Buzbee. “You have to block it out when you’re at this
level,” running back Trayveon Williams said. “But it hurts because that’s your leader and that’s your coach.” Sumlin was already on the hot seat entering this season after going 8-5 in each of the last three years after starting 5-0 each time. The nationally televised loss to UCLA certainly upped the pressure. Sumlin knows it’s imperative that his team puts what happened behind them quickly so things don’t snowball for the Aggies before they enter Southeastern Conference play on Sept. 23 against Arkansas. “When you look at the whole picture, everybody’s frustrated about what happened Sunday and nobody’s more frustrated than me and upset about it than the players,” Sumlin said. “But there are some things out of that that we can learn from and get better from and that’s what today’s about ... we’ve got 11 more games that are guaranteed and I think the key is not to let this situation create another situation this weekend.” The Aggies will move on without quarterback Nick Starkel and senior free safety Donavan Wilson. Both players had
surgery to repair injuries suffered in the loss to UCLA. True freshman Kellen Mond took over after Starkel was injured on Sunday, but Sumlin wouldn’t say if Mond or Jake Hubenak will start on Saturday. He did say that he expects both of them to play as they try and sort out the situation in the next two non-conference games before meeting the Razorbacks. The Aggies were off on Monday and as they return to practice on Tuesday Sumlin will try to help his team look forward and not wallow in the loss to UCLA. “What happened happened and we’ve got to fix it,” he said. And regardless of what’s being said about Sumlin outside of the team, it was clear on Tuesday that his players stood firmly on his side. “Without a doubt. I would never want to play for another coach but coach Sumlin,” Williams said. “He’s a great man, great leader and I came here because of him. So I’m always going to support him and be behind him.”
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS
J.J. Watt's relief fund hits $20 million goal By Aaron Wilson H OUSTON CHRONICLE
Texans star defensive end J.J. Watt's philanthropic efforts hit a new milestone Tuesday, reaching his $20 million goal. What began with the relatively modest aim of raising $200,000 to provide relief to those impacted by Hurricane Harvey has spread astronomically. Over 184,000 people have donated, and the fund is up to $20.028 million as of 1 p.m. Central. Watt emphasized Sunday that he plans to proceed carefully with all of the money he's raised. He's consulted with organizations involved with helping to rebuild New
Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and other relief efforts. "I know people are trusting me with their money," Watt said. "I'm going to make sure I do this thing right. It's not a one-day, it's not a oneweek, not a one-year project. I'm going to make sure I do this thing right because this is a long-term project. "The biggest thing everybody keeps telling me is to take your time and make sure you do it right. That's exactly what I'm going to do. "I can't say thank you enough to people around the world, people around America, people around Texas, showing their compassion, showing their true colors," Watt said. "When there's diffi-
cult times and times get tough, humans step up to help other humans." Texans uncertain about status of D'Onta Foreman, Alfred Blue The Texans' injury situation is improving as they head into their season-opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Pro Bowl alternate wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins returned to practice from a thumb injury and said he will definitely play Sunday. And starting wide receiver Braxton Miller returned to practice from an ankle injury that had sidelined him since getting hurt in the first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. Meanwhile, the status of running backs D'Onta
Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle
Anna Ucheomumu high fives Texans defensive end J.J. Watt after loading a car with relief supplies for people impacted by Hurricane Harvey on Sunday. Watt’s fund surpassed its $20 million goal Tuesday.
Foreman and Alfred Blue is more iffy. Foreman has been dealing with a groin injury and didn't practice Monday, but has been getting better. Blue is out of a walking boot he had
worn after suffering a high-ankle sprain, but is expected to miss this game. Neither player has been ruled out yet. "I'm not sure about either one," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said of Fore-
man and Blue. "It was good to get Braxton back. At this point, I would say that both guys have a chance to play on Sunday, but I won't know that until later in the week."
A8 | Wednesday, September 6, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
King inspired ‘It’ filmmakers to become storytellers By Sandy Cohen A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — In 1989, when Stephen King had already published more than 20 books, three teenagers were discovering his horror novel “It,” a 1,100-page epic about a group of adolescent outcasts and a shapeshifting villain who most often manifests as a child-eating clown. Those teenage readers grew up to become filmmakers, and they joined forces to make “It” into a movie, opening Friday. Director Andy Muschietti, screenwriter Gary Dauberman and producer Seth Grahame-Smith say King’s work shaped the storytellers they are today, and his approval of their adaptation is critical if they’re to consider the film a success. “There’s no way I would be a writer or a novelist without Stephen King,” said GrahameSmith, author of “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” both of which were adapted for the screen. “The last thing we would ever want is to be part of a lesser Stephen King movie.” “He’s definitely on my Rushmore of horror writers,” Dauberman said, also mentioning Edgar Allan Poe, Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine. If King dislikes the film, “it’s like disappointing a family member in a way,” said the screenwriter, who counts the horror hit “Annabelle: Creation”
Brooke Palmer / Waner Bros. Pictures
Bill Skarsgard plays Pennywise in the new Stephen King movie "It."
among his credits. “And my wife’s from Maine (like King), so I’m like, ‘Am I going to be able to go back and visit?’ He’s just everywhere.” Muschietti said King is one of the greatest creative influences in his life. “I’m wired with his way of telling stories,” he said. But with “It,” the filmmakers immediately made two major changes to the original novel: they chopped it in half and shifted its setting by 30 years. “It just became evident that you can’t take an 1,100-plus page book and condense it down into one movie,” Grahame-Smith said. The novel centers on seven characters in Derry, Maine, during two periods in their lives: as kids in the late 1950s, and as adults in the mid-’80s. The film, though, focuses only on their childhood, when they first meet Pennywise the Dancing Clown. And it’s set around the time the filmmakers first discovered the book. Today’s moviegoers may be more nostalgic for
the 1980s than the 1950s, Grahame-Smith said. “They remember growing up and being teenagers in the 1980s, so it just made sense to push it forward,” he said. “So that ultimately when we do hopefully get to tell the second part of the story, it’ll be present day.” This film is about how a group of kids who call themselves “The Losers’ Club” band together when they discover a mysterious and evil force is responsible for the frequent disappearance of children in their small town. One boy in the club lost his beloved little brother to it. Others have had personal encounters with the creepy being. They decide that their only chance of beating it is to stick together. “It” stars a fine bunch of child actors, including Jaeden Lieberher ("The Book of Henry”) and Finn Wolfhard ("Stranger Things”), with Bill Skarsgard as the terrifying Pennywise. King said in an interview last week that the book is among his favorites, “in kind of a problematic way.”
WHY DO I HEAR... BUT NOT UNDERSTAND? Study by Cambridge University in England Reveals Key Answer
U
ntil recently, there was no practical way to identify dead regions of hearing cells in the ear. However, a new British-developed procedure using standard test equipment now allows for identification of dead hearing cell regions. The study suggests that the presence or absence of dead regions may have serious implications in thefitting of hearing aids. This research reveals that amplifying dead cells is a mistake which will result in poorer speech understanding in noise. A new type of digitally programmable microcircuit is now being released from Audibel – one of the world leaders in nanoScience technology – that can be programmed to bypass the dead cells. As a result, the patient’s usable hearing cells receive amplification, thereby improving speech understanding in noise. “We are employing a like method in our diagnostic sound booths using a sound field speech in noise procedure”, said Randy Schoenborn of NewSound Hearing Aid Centers. “ This test simulates hearing in a noisy crowd. We are able to determine maximum speech understanding by frequency shaping this
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new hearing aid.” The results have been phenomenal. For the first time, a patient is able to actually realize the exact percentage of speech understanding improvement in noisy listening environments. These new products come in all shell sizes, including the smallest digital models, with low introductory prices available. During its release, NewSound Hearing Aid Centers is offering this new frequency-shaping hearing instrument on a 30-day satisfaction trial. “Your satisfaction is absolutely guaranteed,” Schoenborn said. Find out what you are hearing and what you’re not. Call us at NewSound Hearing Aid Centers for a FREE no-obligation appointment: 956-790-0936.
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Beyonce to headline Harvey relief telethon ASSOCIATED PRE SS
NEW YORK — Beyonce, Blake Shelton, Barbra Streisand and Oprah Winfrey will headline a one-hour benefit telethon to benefit Hurricane Harvey victims that will be simulcast next week on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CMT. The event will be telecast live at 8 p.m. Eastern on Sept. 12, and on tape delay at 8 p.m. on the West Coast. It is being organized by Houston rap artist Bun B and Scooter Braun, founder of SB Projects. The show will also be streamed live on Facebook, YouTube
and Twitter. George Clooney, Matthew McConaughey, Beyonce Dennis Quaid, Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx, Ryan Seacrest, Michael Strahan, Kelly Rowland, George Strait, Reese Witherspoon and others will also participate with taped or live messages. Journalists Matt Lauer and Norah O’Donnell will also participate. More celebrities are expected. It will benefit several organizations, including United Way of Greater
Houston, Habitat for Humanity, Save the Children, Direct Relief, Feeding Texas and The Mayor’s Fund for Hurricane Harvey Relief. Other entertainment figures have already stepped up to help flood victims. The ABC networks held a “day of giving” last week, and singers Paul Simon and Edie Brickell pledged $1 million. The telethon will air from Los Angeles, but there will be stages in New York and Nashville, Tennessee. A performance from George Strait’s San Antonio benefit concert for Harvey will also be shown.
Springer may run for office By Emily Heil WASHINGTON P O ST
Think “Jerry Springer” and you might conjure some of the daytime TV host’s greatest talk-show guests. Brawling strippers, maybe, or that mother-daughter dominatrix duo, or maybe the guy who married a horse! But Springer might soon want you to think of something slightly more serious, like the Ohio governorship. Springer is considering running for office in his home state, he told reporters after a Labor Day rally on Monday. Springer, who has been active in Democratic politics and even served briefly as the mayor of Cincinnati, insisted in an interview with Cleveland.com that this is no publicity stunt. “It’s a
Autumn Driscoll / For Hearst Connecticut Media
This 2016 file photo shows Jerry Springer in his office at the Rich Forum in Stamford where “Jerry Springer” is taped.
serious position and it deserves serious consideration,” he said. Springer would have plenty of company among those seeking the Democratic nomination - the field includes former congresswoman Betty Sutton, D-Ohio, former state representative Connie Pillich, former state Senate minority leader Joe Schiavoni and Dayton
Mayor Nan Whaley. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray is also considering jumping into the ring. One indication that Springer’s name recognition might help? At the Monday rally, supporters reportedly broke into the chant made famous by his in-studio TV audiences: “Jerry, Jerry!”
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, September 6, 2017 |
A9
BUSINESS
Oil jumps as post-Harvey refinery Stocks fall, revivals trigger demand boost bonds rally amid Korea, Irma threats By Jessica Summers BL OOMBERG
By Andrew Dunn BL O O MBE RG
U.S. stocks slipped while Treasuries rallied the most in 10 months as tensions with North Korea mounted and another Atlantic hurricane threatened to make landfall. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 234 points at the start of a week packed with centralbank decisions, Federal Reserve speakers and economic data that will help illuminate the path of the global economy. The S&P 500 index dropped the most since Aug. 17, ending a six-day rally. Ten-year Treasuries climbed amid lingering unease over North Korean plans for a ballistic missile launch, while Hurricane Irma threatened a region already dealing with the devastation from Harvey. West Texas intermediate crude climbed for a third day and copper extended its rally. Gold also rose. The Stoxx Europe 600 index dropped slightly as the euro and yen gained against the dollar. The greenback declined amid dovish comments from Fed Governor Lael Brainard. Buyers of four-week Treasury bills demanded the highest yields since 2008 in Tuesday’s auction as the
Tensions escalated after Asia Business Daily reported North Korea was preparing to fire an ICBM. deadline to raise the U.S. debt ceiling neared. Big economic news still awaits. Mario Draghi may give more clarity on paring the European Central Bank’s bond-buying program when he speaks after a rates decision on Thursday. U.S. durablegoods figures, the trade balance, unemployment claims, and the release of the Fed’s Beige Book will add to the global data mix after a purchasing managers’ index Tuesday indicated the euro area is poised for the fastest economic expansion in a decade. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to support billions of dollars in new weapons sales to South Korea after North Korea’s largest nuclear test, while his ambassador to the United Nations said America would seek the strongest possible sanctions against Kim Jong Un’s regime. Tensions escalated after Asia Business Daily reported North Korea was preparing to fire an ICBM.
Crude advanced the most in six weeks as key refineries and pipelines resumed operation following hurricane-driven shutdowns, stoking demand and making oil futures the best-performing energy contract of the day. Oil climbed as much as 3.6 percent in New York. Refiners including Valero Energy Corp. and Citgo Petroleum Corp. worked to get Texas plants back on track, while Exxon Mobil Corp. began supplying filling stations with fuel after repairs to a Houston pipeline. Even as the hardest-hit operators worked to resurrect output, traders watched another major hurricane approaching from the east that has already led to the shutdown of an oil terminal. The market was “waiting for the refineries to restart so demand could start to pick up again,” Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management in Seattle, which oversees $142 billion of assets, said by telephone. “That’s really what speculators had been waiting for.” Harvey forced refineries, pipelines, ports and offshore platforms to shut as the storm intensified before making landfall on Aug. 25. While many of those facilities are back in service, others have yet to resume production, in-
Bryan Thomas / NYT
Customers line up to fill their tanks at a Valero gas station in Houston on Sept. 1.
cluding plants owned by Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Total SA. Still, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. sees half of the refining capacity lost to Harvey back to work by Sept. 7. Dry weather across southeast Texas should help minimize the loss of demand for gasoline and diesel, according to the bank. Fuel makers are “starting to put more supply into the chain -- that’s going to put pressure on
gasoline prices,” Bob Yawger, director of the futures division at Mizuho Securities USA Inc. in New York, said by telephone. Simultaneously, oil demand is rebounding “and you get the corresponding rally in crude oil prices.” West Texas Intermediate crude for October delivery added $1.44 to $48.73 a barrel at 12:33 p.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier in the trading
session, the contract was up as much as 3.6 percent for the biggest intraday gain since July 25. Brent for November settlement advanced $1.07 to $53.41 a barrel on the Londonbased ICE Futures Europe exchange and traded at a premium of $4.25 to November WTI. October gasoline futures dropped 5.29 cents to $1.6950 a gallon. There was no settlement Monday because of the U.S. Labor Day holiday.
Facebook said to offer hundreds of millions for music rights By Lucas Shaw and Sarah Frier BL O O MBE RG
Facebook Inc. is offering major record labels and music publishers hundreds of millions of dollars so the users of its social network can legally include songs in videos they upload, according to people familiar with the matter. The posting and viewing of video on Facebook has exploded in recent years, and many of the videos feature music to which Facebook doesn’t have the rights. Under current law, rights holders must ask Facebook to take down videos with infringing material. Music owners have been negotiating with Facebook for months in search of a solution, and Facebook has promised to build a system to identify and tag music that infringes copy-
rights. Yet such a setup will take as long as two years to complete, which is too long for both sides to wait, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing details that aren’t public. Facebook is eager to make a deal now so that it no longer frustrates users, by taking down their videos; partners, by hosting infringing material; or advertisers, with the prospect of legal headaches. The latest discussions will ensure Facebook members can upload video with songs just as it’s rolling out Watch, a new hub for video, and funding the production of original series. Facebook is attempting to attract billions of dollars in additional advertising revenue and challenge YouTube as the largest site for advertising-supported video on the web. Facebook Chief Executive
Officer Mark Zuckerberg said on the company’s second-quarter earnings call that for the next few years video will drive Facebook’s business and determine how well the company performs. He told investors to expect the company to continue to increase its investment in the format, as it sees video sharing overtaking text and photo sharing in the future. While Facebook can still pursue professional music videos, the company chose to prioritize clearing user-generated material. Most of the videos being uploaded to Facebook are by individuals (as opposed to media companies). Tamara Hrivnak, a former YouTube executive, has been leading negotiations for Facebook since joining the company earlier this year. Also a former executive at Warner/Chappell Music Publishing, Hrivnak is well-liked
by her former peers. The money from Facebook is the latest windfall for a music industry surging from the growth of on-demand streaming services Spotify and Apple Music. Global music sales grew 5.9 percent in 2016, according to The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Vivendi SA’s Universal Music Group, owner of the world’s largest record label, reported a 15.5 percent increases in sales in the most recent fiscal quarter, while Warner Music Group, owner of the third largest label, reported a 13 percent increases in sales. Most of the growth is attributable to paid services from Spotify and Apple, though sales from advertising on YouTube are growing as well. The industry has rebuked YouTube time and again for not respecting intellectual property and
paying too little to musicians. Getting into business with Facebook presents something of a Faustian bargain. Rights holders need a deal. Given the current legal framework for copyright online, users are going to upload video with infringing material no matter what. The onus is on rights holders to police those videos. A deal ensures they get something rather than waste resources tracking down all the illegal videos. Music industry executives also hope licensing songs for user-generated video on Facebook will place greater pressure on YouTube to behave. Yet by further empowering Facebook to host video and music, rights holders risk creating another YouTube — a great source of promotion, but a place where consumption outpaces sales.
A10 | Wednesday, September 6, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
INTERNATIONAL
NAFTA talks ends amid resistance over Mexico wages By Christopher Sherman and Mark Stevenson A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MEXICO CITY — The second round of talks on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement ended Tuesday amid resistance to discussing Mexico’s low wages and large differences over dispute resolution mechanisms. The head negotiators for all three countries at the talks in Mexico City said progress had been made, but U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer said some areas were going to be challenging. “There’s no secret that the labor provisions will be contentious and that it’s our objective to have provisions that raise wage rates in Mexico,” Lighthizer said. “I think that’s in the interest of Mexicans and in the interest of the United States.” He also said that while the U.S. had proposed eliminating the current dispute resolution mechanism, “we haven’t had any detailed negotiations” on the system, which is known as Chapter 19. Text was coming together for most chapters of the treaty, however, including small and medium enterprises, compet-
itiveness, digital trade, services and the environment. “The strategy is to conclude in the short term those things that can be concluded” and then tackle the thornier issues, Mexican Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo said. Regarding energy, Guajardo said “there are no points of difference or controversy.” He said the main question was whether it should have its own chapter or be spread across all chapters. But those close to the talks said relatively few concrete proposals appear to have been made on contentious issues like dispute-resolution mechanisms, seasonal farm tariffs and regional content rules. The United States wants to eliminate the Chapter 19 private arbitration panels, while Canada wants to keep them. The panels can overrule tariffs, making it harder for the United States to unilaterally block products. “It is clear that there are differing positions on Chapter 19,” Guajardo said. Produce growers, many of whom have operations in all three countries, said they like the current dispute resolution system. They said changing it might force them to adjudicate
Pedro Pardo / AFP/Getty Images
Mexican Economy Minister Idelfonso Guajardo speaks during a press conference on the last day of the second round of talks of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in Mexico City on Tuesday.
disputes in courts in one of the three countries, a prospect they don’t relish. “I think industries across all three countries have found Chapter 19 to be an effective, timely method for dealing with disputes,” said the head of the United Fresh Produce Association, Thomas Stenzel. Repealing it “could certainly make it a much more complicated, legalistic process.” The U.S. also wants to tighten labor standards and local content rules in products like autos. But business groups want to keep wages out of the
talks. Lighthizer declined to go into detail on either of those topics. “I think mandating wages becomes very difficult across multiple countries,” said Stenzel. “Within the trade agreement itself we believe that the workers’ standards of fair treatment, addressing forced labor, child labor, those issues, is appropriate. But when it comes to wages we don’t feel that that is as appropriate in the trade agreement.” Mexico has drawn plants and investments by capitalizing on low wages and weak
union rules, and Mexican business and labor leaders appear to be resistant to any attempt to tighten labor standards or ensure that Mexican wages rise. Mexican and Canadian auto unions have said in a report that Mexican autoworkers earn about $3.95 an hour, which is about one-ninth of average wages north of the border. The United States also wants to increase minimum levels of regional content in products like autos, so that fewer parts are imported from Asia or Europe, assembled in Mexico and labelled “made in North America.” As for seasonal anti-dumping tariffs, Stenzel said growers don’t like the idea though that proposal appears not to have been formalized yet. Such measures seek to protect producers like tomato growers in Florida against surges in Mexican imports. Stenzel and other big producers fear it could be extended to apply to other crops. The five days of talks in Mexico City were held in 25 working groups. The first round of talks took place in Washington in mid-August and the next round will be held Sept. 23-27 in Ottawa, Canada.
Hurricane Irma bears down on Caribbean Mexico’s political parties strike alliance By Danica Coto A S S O CIAT E D PRE SS
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Wielding the most powerful winds ever recorded for a storm in the Atlantic Ocean, Hurricane Irma bore down Tuesday on the Leeward Islands of the northeast Caribbean on a forecast path that could take it toward Florida over the weekend. The storm, a dangerous Category 5, posed an immediate threat to the small islands of the north-
ern Leewards, including Antigua and Barbuda, as well as the British and U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. “The Leeward Islands are going to get destroyed,” warned Colorado State University meteorology professor Phil Klotzbach, a noted hurricane expert. “I just pray that this thing wobbles and misses them. This is a serious storm.” Irma had maximum sustained winds of 185 mph in late afternoon as it
approached the Caribbean from the east, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. Four other storms have had winds that strong in the overall Atlantic region but they were in the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico, which are usually home to warmer waters that fuel cyclones. Hurricane Allen hit 190 mph in 1980, while 2005’s Wilma, 1988’s Gilbert and a 1935 great Florida Key storm all had 185 mph winds.
Irma is so strong because of the unusually warm waters for that part of the Atlantic. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 60 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds extended outward up to 175 miles. The center of Irma was about 130 miles east of Antigua and about 135 miles east-southeast of Barbuda, prompting an ominous warning from officials as the airport closed.
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s main conservative party and a center-left party struck an alliance Tuesday to run a joint candidate in the 2018 presidential race, though so far they’re not in agreement on what their coalition should be called. The conservative National Action Party, or PAN, is calling it the Citizen’s
Front for Mexico, while the Democratic Revolution Party, or PRD, says it’s the Broad Democratic Front. Democratic Revolution later appeared to yield, with party leader Alejandra Barrales tweeting: “Today we officially formed the Citizens’ Front for Mexico.” Both parties are hoping to unseat the Institutional Revolutionary Party next year.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, September 6, 2017 |
A11
FROM THE COVER
Maryland man dies after officer uses Taser to police. Officers later recovered two small baggies of suspected crack cocaine and a glass pipe. Medics who evaluated Tunnell at the scene, which is protocol after deployment of a Taser, determined that he needed no further medical help. But Tunnell requested to go to the hospital and was taken there in a police van. He was examined and released into police custody shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday. While being taken to the police department for booking, Tunnell, who was monitored through the audio and video system in the van, said he wasn’t feeling well and indicated that he may have swallowed drugs prior to his arrest. Minutes later, according to police, Tunnell appeared to have a seizure. Officers began performing CPR before emergency medical personnel arrived. Tunnell
was taken by ambulance back to Atlantic General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Greg Shipley, a state police spokesman, said the Ocean City officers did not have body cameras, but that investigators were reviewing video footage from the police transport van. Tunnell’s death comes just over a year after another man who claimed to have swallowed drugs prior to his arrest died after suffering a seizure while in Ocean City police custody. Jerome Weston, 37, of Greenwood, Delaware, who reportedly had 1,500 bags of heroin in his vehicle, told emergency personnel after his August 2016 arrest that he had swallowed cocaine. Shipley said Tuesday that a medical examiner found no trauma during the Weston autopsy, and that his death was ruled an accidental overdose.
the Rio Grande. The head of the National Butterfly Center, also next to the border, recently caught workers chopping trees and mowing vegetation on her property without her permission. And contractors have been spotted at a courthouse in a neighboring county examining land ownership records. The government wants to build on the 3 miles of river levee cutting through the northern edge of the refuge, separating the visitor center from the rest of the park. A gate in the wall would open and close for visitors. Vegetation in front of the wall would be cleared for an access road and open land to give agents better visibility. Under current plans, another 25 miles would go on other parts of the levee, where government agencies are believed to control land rights and have previously built sections of fencing. The remaining construction would go through river towns further west, taking a route the government examined the last time it built a border barrier, under the 2006 Secure Fence Act. Scott Nicol, co-chair of the Sierra Club’s Borderlands campaign and a longtime opponent of the plan, said that the storm “should stop them from trying to build a wall.” “If we had an administration that was acting responsibly, that was acting in the best interest of the United States, they
would say, ‘We have a much more important thing to do right now,”’ Nicol said. Law enforcement officials in the Rio Grande Valley say the wall is part of their strategy to slow the entry of drugs and illegal immigration. And they want to avoid the issues that stymied the U.S. government after the Secure Fence Act. That resulted in hundreds of lawsuits and years of delays in Texas, and yielded just 100 miles of fencing in the state. That’s why they want to start in Santa Ana. “That is government property already,” Manuel Padilla, the Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley sector chief, told The Associated Press last month. “So we don’t have to deal with the landowner because that’s a process and it takes time.” The Valley is the nation’s busiest place for illegal border crossings. Agents routinely catch human and drug smugglers along the state’s 800-mile border with Mexico, most of which is not fenced. “Smugglers exploit the refuge because it has limited access to law enforcement,” Padilla said. Opponents say Padilla is overstating the threat in the refuge. The Border Patrol says its agents have intercepted just eight human smuggling cases in Santa Ana since October. By comparison, during that same period, agents intercepted more than 2,000 human smuggling cases in the Rio Grande Valley overall. Environmentalists say
cutting through Santa Ana’s forests would irreparably damage the area and endanger animals in the event of floods. Several endangered wildcats and 400plus species of birds live at the refuge. Still, the Department of Homeland Security can waive environmental and other reviews to expedite construction, as it’s already done in San Diego, where the remaining 14 miles of border wall is currently planned. Even if Congress doesn’t approve funding, the department might still be able to build in the refuge by reallocating money already in its budget. It’s a plan that would be hard for opponents of a wall to stop. But after Harvey, the state faces a rebuilding effort that will draw not just on government money, but the efforts of construction companies and natural resources that might have otherwise gone to a wall. So far, Texas Republicans won’t rule out a wall but say it shouldn’t jeopardize Harvey recovery funding. Sen. John Cornyn has filed a $15 billion border security bill that would build some new portions of border wall, though he opposes fencing off the entire, nearly 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border. He said the message from the White House so far has been to offer immediate storm aid without political strings. “Asked if he was concerned the border wall fight could tie up federal disaster spending, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said simply, “No.”
statement. Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge commended Trump’s decision. “While we are a compassionate country, the United States is a country of laws and President Trump recognized that President Obama’s DACA program went far beyond the executive branch’s legal authority,” Rutledge said. “Congress has always been the proper place for this debate.” In Miami, Paola Martinez, 23, who is from Bogota, Colombia, sobbed as she attended a rally of about 100 immigrants, and said she will feel helpless without DACA. She recently graduated with a civil engineering degree from Florida International University. “Instead of going a step forward, we are going a step backwards. We are
hiding in the shadows again after my work (permit) expires. It’s just sadness,” she said. “You just feel like you are empty. There is no support anymore.” Martinez said she is not able to renew her permit because it expires in 2019, so she is hoping her employer or another company sponsors her so she can stay and help support her parents, who depend on her for rides and household expenses. In Florida, immigrants who are illegally in the country cannot get driver’s licenses. Karen Marin, a 26year-old from New York whose parents brought her to the U.S. before she was a year old, was in physics class at Bronx Community College when Sessions made the announcement. “I honestly I can’t even
process it right now. I’m still trying to get myself together,” Marin said. “I just hope that they do change their mind and they realize what they’re doing is wrong.” Carla Chavarria, 24, is a Phoenix entrepreneur who owns a digital marketing firm and a fitness apparel line. She came to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 7. Her permit expires in November and she is waiting for her renewal to be processed. She is set to close on the purchase of a home later this month. “It’s hard being a business owner as it is, especially with being young and being a woman and someone who’s an immigrant. It’s already hard as it is. Now having DACA being taken away,” she said. “I’m sort of like in limbo right now.”
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Roberto Koltun / AP
Residents purchase water at BJ Wholesale in preparation for Hurricane Irma on Tuesday in Miami. Hurricane Irma grew into a dangerous Category 5 storm, the most powerful seen in the Atlantic in over a decade, and roared toward islands in the northeast Caribbean Tuesday on a path that could eventually take it to the United States.
Florida on edge as Hurricane Irma nears By Adriana Gomez, Terry Spencer and Kelli Kennedy A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
KEY LARGO, Fla. — Hurricane Irma’s size and strength put the entire state of Florida on notice on Tuesday, and residents and visitors prepared to leave in anticipation of catastrophic winds and floods that could reach the state by this weekend. Throughout South Florida, officials readied evacuation orders and people raided store shelves, buying up water and other hurricane supplies. Long lines formed at gas stations and people pulled shutters out of storage and put up plywood to protect their homes and businesses. Parker Eastin filled up his gas tank at a busy fuel station. He and his girlfriend said they decided to plan well in advance after seeing what Hurricane Harvey did to Texas. “We ordered water off Amazon because the stores were out and also ordered food,” said Eastin, a 43-year-old lawyer who has lived in Florida 12 years. “Seeing the devastation in Texas is a sad reminder that you have to take the events very seriously.” Irma’s winds were 185 mph (297 kph) on Tuesday, a strong Category 5 storm, and forecasters say it could strengthen more as it neared the eastern-most Caribbean islands, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The storm had the most powerful winds ever recorded for a storm in the Atlantic Ocean and posed an immediate threat to the small islands of the northern Leewards, including Antigua and Barbuda, as well as the British and U.S. Virgin Islands and
DACA From page A1 Demonstrations broke out in New York City, where police handcuffed and removed over a dozen immigration activists who briefly blocked Trump Tower, and in other cities, including Salt Lake City, Denver, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said DACA, started by President Barack Obama in 2012, was an unconstitutional exercise of executive power. The Trump administration and other DACA opponents argue that it is up to Congress to decide how to deal with such immigrants. Attorneys general for several states threatened to sue to protect the DACA beneficiaries. “We stand ready to take all
Puerto Rico. The last major storm to hit Florida was 2005’s Wilma, its eye cutting through the state’s southern third as it packed winds of 120 mph (193 kph). Five people died. Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in all 67 counties to give local governments “ample time, resources and flexibility” to prepare for the storm. In the Keys, a chain of 42 low-lying islands that includes Key West, government officials said visitors would be told to leave Wednesday and residents should be out by the following day. “This is not one to fool around with,” said Monroe County spokeswoman Cammy Clark, whose county covers the Florida Keys. Under a mandatory evacuation order, no one is forced by police or other government agencies to leave, but anyone who stays should not expect to be rescued if they are in danger, officials said. The island chain only has one highway connecting it to the mainland. Keys residents are famous for riding out hurricanes, but Randy Towe, who owns a recreational fishing company in the Keys, said Irma is different. “I’ve talked to a lot of Conchs (Keys natives) whose families have lived here a hundred years and they say this certainly might be a big one,” said Towe, who has lived in the Keys 36 years. He said owners of large boats secured them in canals by tying them to mangrove roots. Smaller boats were put on trailers and into storage. He plans to evacuate with his family if Irma’s forecast doesn’t change. In Key Largo, Janet Roberts, 51, was getting
ready to leave her mobile home community on Thursday for her daughter’s house 30 miles away in Florida City, which is the first city north of the Keys on the mainland. “She lives in a complex and has hurricane shutters. At least we stand half the chance,” she said. She remembered how much damage Hurricane Andrew caused when its eye passed just north of Florida City in August 1992. “We didn’t hit the eye and I had nothing left,” Roberts said. “This has Andrew beat. This is really bad, really, really, really bad.” The deadliest storm to hit the Keys struck on Labor Day in 1935. More than 400 people died in winds estimated at 185 mph (297 kph) and a storm surge of 18 feet (5.5 meters). Bridges and railroad beds were washed away, cutting off the middle and lower Keys except by sea and air. In 1960, Hurricane Donna hit the Keys on Sept. 10 with sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph) and storm surge reached 13.5 feet (4 meters). Four people died. On the Florida mainland, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez urged tourists to cut their vacations short and said residents may be asked to leave as early as Wednesday. “The potential is too great for us not to take action right now,” Gimenez said. Publix, the state’s largest grocery chain, said its South Florida stores were packed with customers and bottled water was in particular demand along with bread and canned goods. “Even as the aisles are emptying, we are trying to replenish as quickly as possible,” spokeswoman Maria Brous said.
appropriate legal action to protect Oregon’s Dreamers,” Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum tweeted. Ricardo Ortiz, who was brought to the U.S. from Monterrey, Mexico, at age 3, has been volunteering at the downtown Houston convention center that sheltered thousands of Hurricane Harvey victims. Ortiz, a 21-year-old student at the University of Houston, said he doesn’t know what he will do if DACA is ended or he is forced to leave the country. “It’s crazy that people really think that we don’t belong here when we’ve been here all of our lives,” he said. Even small children would face deportation, among them students at Nellie Muir Elementary School in the predomi-
nantly Latino town of Woodburn, Oregon. Vice Principal Oscar Belanger greeted them in English and Spanish on their first day of class, and told a reporter that administrators and teachers want Washington to stand by the Dreamers. Belanger said the school would refuse to turn over students’ information to immigration agents, noting that Oregon law expressly prohibits that. Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, a Republican and an early Trump supporter, said the president has every right to end DACA. But he added that it would be unconscionable to deport Dreamers. “These children grew up believing they are American and so many of them have lived lives of which America can be proud,” Reyes said in a
OCEAN CITY, Md. — Maryland State Police are investigating the death of a man who was shocked with a stun gun while being arrested by Ocean City police. Authorities said Byron K. Tunnell, 28, of Ocean City was stopped for a traffic violation about 11 p.m. Monday. Police said Tunnell drove several blocks before pulling over, telling the officer that he knew his license was suspended and that he wanted to get his car back to his house. The officer informed Tunnell that he was under arrest and tried to handcuff him. Tunnell, who is black, reportedly resisted, and a backup officer, who is white, discharged his Taser. The device did not have its intended effect and Tunnell fled on foot, allegedly discarding drugs before being subdued, according
BORDER From page A1
A12 | Wednesday, September 6, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER
Zapata County Sheriff’s Office / Courtesy
Zapata County Sheriff’s Office / Coutesy
Pictured is the penny Chief Raymundo Del Bosque Jr. came across at the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office parking lot.
The Zapata County Sheriff's Office helped out victims of Hurricane Harvey around the Rockport and Tradewinds areas.
ZAPATA From page A1
lot floor.’ Then again, I see something catch my eye and there it was. I look closer to the ground and see a penny that had a cross in the center cut out from it. I stayed speechless and got a knot in my throat,” Del Bosque stated. He added it was a blessing to help out families
the Rockport and Tradewinds areas. Authorities held a collection drive where they gathered water, canned food, cleaning supplies, among other items. “No words can explain
how awesome it is for all of the citizens of Zapata coming together for a great cause. God is great. Thank you for your support and all the supplies and donations,” said Chief Raymundo Del Bosque Jr. on his Facebook. Del Bosque expressed on social media that they are doing the “work of the
Lord.” He shared a brief anecdote. At about 1:18 p.m. Friday, he stepped out of his unit and came across penny at the Sheriff’s Office parking lot. It was not was a not a typical penny but one with a divine message. “I stepped back and say to myself, ‘That looked like a cross on the parking
affected by the hurricane. “We were and are (their) angels, and we will keep doing the work of the Lord for as long as these people need it. God is great,” Del Bosque stated. Del Bosque encouraged people to keep donating because the work is not done.
“Zapata Citizens please keep on bringing canned foods, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and insect / mosquito repellent to The Zapata County Sheriff's Office. Our mission is not over. It just started. We will keep heading out to the affected areas and counties as soon as we can,” he stated.