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HOMICIDE
Info scarce in death By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
LAREDO — A man born in Laredo but raised in Zapata was found dead inside his home at 3510 Cuatro Vientos Drive in Laredo on Thursday morning. Police have yet to release more information on the case and were limited to saying that Benavides had “multiple injuries” when found. But accordBENAVIDES ing to Benavides’ family members, Webb County Medical Examiner Corinne Stern told them Benavides passed away due to stab wounds. “Now, he’s in a better place,” said Carlos Benavides, a family spokesman. He added that his brother will be dearly missed. A relative found the lifeless body of Roberto Carlos Benavides, 23, in the back of the home. Benavides’ death marked Laredo’s fourth homicide this year. Investigator Joe Baeza, police spokesman, said Friday morning no one has been officially declared a suspect in the death. Detectives are reviewing and checking on whom Benavides had been in contact with before his demise. While police investigate the death of the young man, family members in Zapata mourn the loss of a man who they say lived his life to the fullest. Relatives released a statement written by Maria Linda Benavides, mother of Benavides. She states she’s feeling the loss of her child. “To hold your baby lifeless in your arms is the worst pain a mother can feel. I am begging and pleading for any one with information about my son’s death to please contact the Laredo Police Department,” Maria Linda stated. Maria Linda said she wants the person who killed her son to take responsibility for his or her actions and come forward. “I will not judge you at all. I just want to know why. If you have a mother, imagine how she would feel if this happened to you,” the mother said.
See HOMICIDE PAGE 10A
FREE
SAN YGNACIO
Enlarging the dump Meeting to center on a larger oil and gas disposal site By JJ VELASQUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
SAN YGNACIO — A stink is being raised over a proposed dump site less than a mile east of a neighborhood here. On Monday, the community will meet in the Martinez Civic Center at 6:30 p.m. to discuss
the proposal, the approval of which rests in the hands of the state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry. The Texas Railroad Commission is reviewing Texas Energy Service’s permit application to expand its facilities in San Ygnacio, which currently include a saltwater disposal site.
Commissioners Court officially opposed the oilfield service company’s permit application a year ago, when the plan came to light. Under the plan, Texas Energy Services would construct an oilfield dump site for waste generated in the Eagle Ford Shale, the brunt of which is being expelled from
drilling sites in Webb, La Salle and Dimmitt Counties. Two other such waste sites — where contaminated soils, sediments and sludges undergo a treatment process in the soil — already exist in Zapata County. The facilities operate
See DUMP PAGE 9A
Photos by Ulysses S. Romero | The Zapata Times
Ronald McDonald tries on a Mexican sombrero as McDonald’s employees look on during the kick off of the WBCA carnival in Laredo on Thursday afternoon at the Laredo Entertainment Arena parking lot.
RONALD VISITS THE CARNIVAL
Ronald McDonald and McDonald’s employees walk along the carnival grounds Thursday afternoon after a ribbon cutting ceremony. The carnival is part of Washington’s Birthday Celebration activities.
COMMISSIONERS
Grant could offer funds for security use By JJ VELASQUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Federal money could be coming Zapata County’s way as part of a bill to beef up security along the border. A representative from the U.S.-Mexico Border Counties Coalition will
make a presentation about the possible federal grant, which has been approved by Congress but is being amended. If the amendments are passed, it could lead to construction of new county roads or repairs of existing ones in Zapata County within a 10-mile radius of
the border. Commissioners Court convenes Monday at 9 a.m. in the Zapata County Courthouse to hear the report and consider action on other items. “That’s a really good thing we’re hoping goes through,” County Judge Joe Rathmell said.
The improvements are being proposed to help Border Patrol and other law enforcement agencies in their surveillance of activity coming from the international crossing. The court will also hear a presentation by a volunteer group, the Zapata County Beautifica-
tion Committee. The committee has drafted a plan to beautify the county and is seeking funds to put the plan into effect. Rathmell said the county’s budget already includes funds for the beautification of the
See COMMISSIONERS PAGE 9A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, FEB. 11
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Diocese of Laredo will recognize couples celebrating 25 or 50 years of Catholic marriage with a special Mass at 11 a.m. today at San Agustín Cathedral, 201 San Agustin Ave., officiated by Diocese of Laredo Bishop James A. Tamayo. The Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will host Family Movie Day, featuring the film “Shrek.” Show times are noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. General admission is $3. Snack bar items start at $1. For more show times, call 326-DOME or visit tamiu.edu/planetarium.
Today is Saturday, Feb. 11, the 42nd day of 2012. There are 324 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Feb. 11, 1812, Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry signed a re-districting law favoring his Democratic-Republican Party — giving rise to the term “gerrymandering.” On this date: In 1858, a French girl, Bernadette Soubirous (soo-beeROO’), reported the first of 18 visions of a lady dressed in white in a grotto near Lourdes. (The Catholic Church later accepted that the visions were of the Virgin Mary.) In 1861, President-elect Abraham Lincoln bade farewell to his adopted hometown of Springfield, Ill., as he headed to Washington for his inauguration. In 1862, the Civil War Battle of Fort Donelson began in Tennessee. (Union forces led by Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant captured the fort five days later.) In 1929, the Lateran Treaty was signed, with Italy recognizing the independence and sovereignty of Vatican City. In 1937, a six-week-old sitdown strike against General Motors ended, with the company agreeing to recognize the United Automobile Workers Union. In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin signed the Yalta Agreement during World War II. In 1960, “Tonight Show” host Jack Paar stunned his audience by walking off the program in a censorship dispute with NBC. (Despite his very public resignation, Paar returned to the Tonight Show less than a month later.) In 1972, McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. and Life magazine canceled plans to publish what had turned out to be a fake autobiography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. In 1975, Margaret Thatcher was elected leader of Britain’s opposition Conservative Party. In 1979, followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (hohMAY’-nee) seized power in Iran. In 1982, actress-dancer Eleanor Powell, 69, died in Beverly Hills, Calif. In 1990, South African black activist Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in captivity. Ten years ago: Israel attacked Palestinian security headquarters in Gaza City in response to unprecedented Palestinian rocket fire and a shooting attack on Israeli civilians. Argentina fully uncoupled the peso from the U-S dollar for the first time in more than a decade. Today’s Birthdays: Actor Conrad Janis is 84. Actress Tina Louise is 78. Actor Burt Reynolds is 76. Songwriter Gerry Goffin is 73. Bandleader Sergio Mendes is 71. Singer Sheryl Crow is 50. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is 48. . Rhythm-and-blues singer Kelly Rowland is 31. Actress Q’orianka Kilcher is 22. Actor Taylor Lautner is 20. Thought for Today: “We had better live as we think, otherwise we shall end up by thinking as we have lived.” — Paul Bourget, French author (1852-1935).
SUNDAY, FEB. 12 The Laredo Theatre Guild International, in cooperation with Texas A&M International University, will present William Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” at TAMIU’s Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Theatre at 3 p.m. today. Tickets are available for advance purchase at Foster’s, 1202 Del Mar Blvd., Suite 101; Blue Top, 101 Hillside Road, No. 11; the TAMIU Bookstore; and the box office before each show. Tickets are $15 general admission and $10 for students with valid ID and for senior citizens. For more information, call 956-319-8610 or visit laredotheaterguild.com.
MONDAY, FEB. 13 The Zapata County Commissioners Court will meet in regular session at 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 16 Today is Winter Texan and Senior Appreciation Day. For more information, call 956-765-4871.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15 The Texas A&M International University A.R. Sanchez Jr. School of Business and the Center for the Study of Western Hemispheric Trade present the International Bank of Commerce 20112012 Keynote Speaker Series featuring Russell Dillion, vice president of AlixPartners in Dallas. Dillion will present “Back to the Americas: Near-shoring in Mexico vs. Asia” from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. today in the TAMIU Student Center Ballroom, SC 203. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 326-2820 or visit http:// freetrade.tamiu.edu/whtc_services/ whtc_speaker_series.asp. Local AARP chapter 965 will hold its regular meeting at 2 p.m. today at the Laredo Public Library, 1120 E. Calton Road. The meeting is open to any person older than 50. This month’s discussion is on crime prevention and is centered on topics related to the generation, including Social Security. For more information, call chapter President Jorge Castillo at 722-5307.
SATURDAY, FEB. 18 The Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will show “One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure” at 4 p.m., “New Horizons” at 5 p.m., “Attack of the Space Pirates” at 6 p.m. and “Extreme Planets” at 7 p.m. General admission is $5, $4 for children and TAMIU students, faculty, staff and alumni. Premium shows are $1 more. For more showtimes, call 326-DOME or visit tamiu.edu/planetarium.
SATURDAY, MARCH 3 The parishioners of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and the Greens of Guadalupe invite everyone to their rummage sale from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 1700 San Francisco Ave., in Laredo. For more details or to volunteer, call the parish office at 723-6954 or Birdie at 286786.
TUESDAY, MARCH 8 Spring Break begins for Zapata ISD students. The Zapata County Fair begins today. For more information, call 956765-4871,
THURSDAY, MARCH 10 Today is the last day of the Zapata County Fair.
FRIDAY, MARCH 16 This is the last day of Spring Break for Zapata ISD students.
FRIDAY, APRIL 6 Easter holiday for Zapata ISD studentsMonday, April 9 Last day of Easter holiday for Zapata ISD students.
Photo by Carolyn Kaster | AP
First lady Michelle Obama visits the with students from Nancy Moseley Elementary School during a Let’s Move event with members of the Bravo series “Top Chef” on Friday at Kleberg Rylie Recreation Center in Dallas.
First lady in Dallas By LINDA STEWART BALL ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Michelle Obama heaped a healthy dose of praise on Dallas schools during a stop to help judge a cooking competition that paired chefs and grade-school students with some fit Dallas Cowboys on Friday. The cooks were from Bravo television’s “Top Chef ” reality competition show. Their sous-chefs were six students from Nancy Moseley Elementary School in southeastern Dallas. The first lady’s “Let’s Move” initiative brought them together to see who could whip up the tastiest lunch in 30 minutes at a Dallas recreation center. Obama, “Top Chef ” judge Tom Colicchio and assistant White House chef Sam Kass acted as judges. The center’s gym was
packed with about 200 hungry but happy, foot-stomping students from Nancy Moseley Elementary. “Are you guys fired up?” Obama asked. “The whole point of this is making sure you’re healthy.” She and others said they also wanted students to understand that healthy food can be delicious. The first lady was on Day 2 of her threeday tour to promote the second anniversary of a national campaign to encourage kids to eat right and exercise. Each chef was assigned two student souschefs and a jersey-clad Dallas Cowboy. They were Miles Austin, Felix Jones and DeMarco Murray. DeMarcus Ware was also there, along with the Cowboys’ hand-standing mascot Rowdy, in oversized cowboy hat, enormous boots and goofy grin.
Judge recommends inquiry into conviction
2 Texas abortion clinics fined for fetus disposal
Border officials: Program trimming wait times
GEORGETOWN — A judge recommended a former prosecutor face a court of inquiry into allegations he wrongfully sent a man to prison. Michael Morton was freed last fall after DNA tests implicated someone else in the 1986 murder of his wife Christine. State District Judge John Harle granted a request for the court of inquiry on charges prosecutor Ken Anderson concealed evidence from the defense.
McALLEN — Two Texas women’s health clinics and an Illinois waste disposal company will have to pay fines after state environmental officials concluded they improperly disposed of fetuses in a landfill. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ordered fines Wednesday of $22,980 and $17,430 for the Whole Woman’s Health clinics in Austin and McAllen. The clinics have already begun paying their fines.
EL PASO — Federal officials say a pilot program designed to make it quicker for pedestrians to enter the U.S. from Mexico has reduced wait times by 26 percent at a West Texas crossing. Radio transmitters that broadcast traveler information at El Paso and Laredo bridges went live Friday.
Schoolgirls excluded from Councilman resigning over Dallas movie screening reports of drug use
AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry has given $80,000 in tainted campaign donations to El Paso charities, after the original donor was convicted of bribery and fraud. The donations came from Bob Jones. He was convicted in a federal court of giving El Paso school board members and county commissioners campaign donations in return for votes favorable to his company. — Compiled from AP reports
DALLAS — A field trip for 5,700 fifth-grade boys in Dallas to see a movie about black fighter pilots in World War II has some questioning why the girls weren’t included. Herbert Carter, a Tuskegee Airman who flew 77 missions, says the airmen’s story offers lessons for boys and girls.
ARLINGTON — A city councilman in Texas is resigning after revelations that he obtained drugs from prostitutes he contacted through online escort services. The city of Arlington announced Councilman Mel LeBlanc’s resignation Friday. He’ll officially step down next week.
Perry gives away tainted campaign donations
AROUND THE NATION Navy names ship for former congresswoman WASHINGTON — The Navy has named a ship for Gabrielle Giffords, the recently retired congresswoman from Arizona who is recovering from a gunshot wound to the head received in January 2011. In a ceremony at the Pentagon, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus unveiled an artist’s rendering of the USS Gabrielle Giffords. Mabus said: “God bless the USS Gabrielle Giffords and all who sail in her.” Mabus also announced that the ship’s “sponsor” is Roxanna Green, the mother of ChristinaTaylor Green, who was among six people killed in the shooting.
Stocks fall sharply as Greek deal is held up NEW YORK — Stocks had their worst day of the year Friday after Greece hit a roadblock
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Former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, center, attended a ceremony at the Pentagon on Friday to unveil the USS Gabrielle Giffords. The Navy has named a ship for the recently retired congresswoman from Arizona. on its way to a critical bailout. The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 89.23 points, or 0.7 percent, at 12,801.23. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 finished down 9.31 points to 1,342.64. It was the first losing week for S&P this year.
On Friday, European finance ministers insisted Greece agree to deeper cuts in wages and spending. More than 15,000 people swarmed the streets of Athens. Four cabinet ministers have resigned over the cuts. — Compiled from AP reports
The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
Local
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012
Mexican Army finds 73 in Miguel Alemán By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Mexican authorities announced Thursday the Army rescued 73 undocumented Central Americans in Miguel Alemán, the border town across the Rio Grande from Roma. Army officials say the rescue took place Tuesday
in three stash houses throughout the municipality. A report by Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional or SEDENA, Mexico’s army, states that soldiers combating organized crime and narcotrafficking in Operation Northeast simultaneously raided the three homes. Troops arrested four people, but
their names were not released. The arrestees were turned over to federal authorities for an investigation. Soldiers also rescued 73 undocumented migrants. A report adds at least 18 of the 73 people were minors. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
THE BLOTTER BURGLARY A burglary of a building was reported at 10:43 a.m. Feb. 2 in the 1800 block of Zapata Street. Deputies responded to a residential alarm at 8:15 p.m. Feb. 4 in the 2100 block of North Siesta Lane. An incident report states someone broke into the home and stole a firearm. A burglary of a habitation was reported at 11:28 p.m. Monday in the 5400 block of McAllen Lane.
DISORDERLY CONDUCT Mario Medina Jr., 24, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct at about 8:45 a.m. Feb. 4 at Stripes, 102 N. U.S. 83. An incident report states Medina attempted to buy beer but became angry and belligerent with the cashier. Medina is out on bail from the Zapata Regional Jail.
DUI Juan Carlos Gonzalez Jr. was arrested and charged with driving under the influence at about 8 p.m. Feb. 3 at 13th Street and Roma Avenue in the Medina Addition. The man was taken to the Zapata Regional Jail.
DWI Courtesy photo
Sheriff’s office investigators allegedly found weapons and a substance with a street value of $500.
2 arrested after search By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A man and a woman were arrested Jan. 26 after deputies say they had narcotics, weapons and ammunition in their home in the 100 block of Kens Way. According to Sgt. Mario Elizondo, Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office investigators executed a search warrant and arrested Jose Armando Lara, 24, and Estela Sanchez, 35, both from Zapata. The couple is facing
ESTELA SANCHEZ: Faces possession of a controlled substance charge. charges of possession of a controlled substance, a second-degree felony punishable with up to 20 years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. Both were taken to jail. Each one is out on bail after posting $20,000 bonds. In a picture released by the sheriff ’s office, a black handgun with two clips and two other boxes
JOSE ARMANDO LARA: Contraband confiscated from a house. of ammo can be seen. Investigators also seized two pocket knives and brass knuckles, along with some $20 bills. Small amounts of contraband seized at the scene had an estimated street value of $500, Elizondo said. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 7282568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
Javier Martinez-Sanchez, 28, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and driv-
ing while intoxicated at about 11:30 p.m. Feb. 4 at Fourth and Seventh streets in the Medina Addition. An incident report states Martinez-Sanchez was driving on the wrong side of the roadway. Custody records show the man remained behind bars at the Zapata Regional Jail as of Friday morning.
the driver was charged with reckless driving and the two passengers for public intoxication. Baldemar Gonzalez Jr., 28, was arrested and charged with reckless driving at about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday at Seventh Street and Falcon Avenue. The man is out on bail from the Zapata Regional Jail.
MINOR IN POSSESSION
TERRORISTIC THREAT
Robert Emmanuel Camacho, 18; Jose Victor Chavez Jr., 17, and Marco Antonio Villanueva, 19, were arrested and charged with minor in possession of alcohol at about 1:45 a.m. Feb. 3 at Second Street and Bravo Avenue in the Medina Addition. All are out on bail from the Zapata Regional Jail.
Derly Torres Jr., 22, was arrested and charged with terroristic threat at about 8 p.m. Feb. 3 in the 600 block of Falcon Avenue. An incident report states Torres threatened another man by claiming he had a gun. Deputies say no gun was found in Torres’ possession. Torres remained at the Zapata Regional Jail as of Thursday night.
POSSESSION A juvenile was detained and charged with possession of a controlled substance at about 1:30 a.m. Feb. 4 at 10th Street and Juarez Avenue. Deputies referred the alleged offender to juvenile probation.
RECKLESS DRIVING An incident report states a white Tahoe was clocked driving 78 mph in a 35 mile per hour zone at about 2:30 a.m. Feb. 5 at Ninth Street and U.S. 83. Deputies arrested Alberto Javier Garcia, Victor Javier Garcia Jr. and Anibal Salinas. The sheriff’s office document states
THEFT Deputies responded to a theft call at 1:56 p.m. Feb. 2 at a ranch in Chihuahua, about 4.2 miles east of Zapata on FM 2687. A complainant said that someone stole a backhoe from the property. Freida Lee Yvette Dominguez, 32, was arrested and charged with theft at about 7:15 p.m. Feb. 2 at the Dollar General, 1104 Texas 16. She is out on bail from the Zapata Regional Jail. A man reported at 9:24 a.m. Monday in the 1600 block of Second Street that someone stole a hood and grill from a pickup.
‘Macbeth’ ends Sunday SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
“Celebrating Shakespeare at TAMIU,” a twoweek observation with performances of “Macbeth,” continues at Texas A&M International University through Sunday. The celebration, hosted by TAMIU’s College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Fine and Performing Arts, includes the Laredo Theater Guild International’s presentation of
“The Tragedy of Macbeth.” Performances of “Macbeth” continue today at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. General admission is $15 and $10 for seniors. TAMIU students can attend performances free if seats are unsold. Otherwise, tickets are discounted $10 with current student I.D. “Macbeth” is directed by Vernon Carroll and produced by Joe Arcinie-
ga. The cast features Carroll, John Maxstadt, Adolfo Ramos, Jake Rathmell, Ariadne Diaz, Margo Paz, Claudia Boone and Kelly Fitzgerald. Arciniega is Macbeth while Teena Arciniega is Lady Macbeth. Earlier in the celebration, lecturer Bonner Miller Cutting presented “Shakespeare: A Cross Examination,” which focused on questions about Shakespeare’s authorship of his writing.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Reform can fuel revival of economy By WILLIAM D. HARTUNA MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
On Monday the Obama administration will release the full details of its Fiscal Year 2013 budget proposal. Advocates of higher military spending are already spreading cries of alarm about the potential economic and national security impacts of the administration’s proposed adjustments in the Pentagon’s spending plans. In fact, we can implement a smarter, more affordable approach to defense and revitalize the economy at the same time. Despite the post-World War II record military budgets of recent years, the Department of Defense will present a budget that, according to its own briefing materials, will only decline by 1.6 percent in real terms over the next five years. This is a modest adjustment at best, not the kind of strategic shift we need if we are going to restore our position of global leadership.
It’s the economy As President Obama pointed out last month, "We need to renew our economic strength here at home, which is the foundation of our strength around the world." To do so, we need to get our fiscal house in order while simultaneously investing in activities that will help us adapt to the economic challenges of the 21st century. In his State of the Union the president pointed to two key pillars of future economic growth, quality education and increased support for scientific research. But how will we pay for these efforts at a time when the federal budget is being cut back? That’s where reforming and restructuring the Pentagon budget comes into play. Even after taking into account the adjustments proposed by the administration, we are slated to spend well in excess of $5 trillion on the Pentagon over the next decade. Spending on that scale imposes huge opportunity costs.
Generating jobs As a recent study by economists at the University of Massachusetts has documented, military spending is a particularly poor job creator. Virtually any other use of the same funds, from a tax cut to education spending, creates more employment than Pentagon outlays. In an era of deficit reduction, every dollar we spend on the Pentagon
comes at the expense of a dollar for education, or infrastructure, or energy research, or essential state and local government services. That means that unnecessary military spending can result in a net loss of jobs nationwide.
The long term Retaining and creating jobs in the short term is critically important. But we also need to plan for the future. A healthy, well-educated work force bolstered by public investments that lay the groundwork for new products and new industries is the foundation of future growth. This will be a heavy lift if we fail to institute needed military reforms that can free up funds for these purposes. Thankfully, we have a unique opportunity to do just that. The administration just needs to take its own rhetoric to heart. The positive elements of the defense policy review that the administration unveiled last month can provide a more focused, disciplined, and affordable approach to protecting the country. These positive elements include the plan’s call for an end to longterm, large-scale nation building efforts like those in Iraq and Afghanistan; its recognition that diplomacy and development can be as or more important than military approaches in dealing with the most urgent threats we face; its pledge to stop funding outmoded weapons programs that don’t address current and future threats; and its suggestion that we may be able to sustain nuclear deterrence with a smaller nuclear arsenal than we currently possess.
New health law is capricious By JONATHAN GURWITZ SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously said Congress had to pass President Obama’s health reform plan so people could find out what was in it. To help ram it through the legislative process before the public fully understood the consequences of Obamacare, the White House and Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill had to resort to some chicanery. There was the Cornhusker Kickback, a $100 million bribe to win over Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., by exempting his state from Medicaid costs that every other state must pay. There was the Louisiana Purchase, a $300 million sweetener to buy the vote of Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. There were goodies to lure the support of pharmaceutical makers, insurance companies, labor unions, the American Medical Association and AARP. Then there was the conscience clause bait — a vow to wavering Catholics that in the vast overhaul of the health insurance system, Catholic institutions would
not have to pay for products and services that contradict articles of faith. In a press release issued in November, Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life — an anti-abortion group — defended Obamacare by explaining, “The administration has no intention of forcing Catholic institutions to provide insurance coverage for services that are directly in opposition to their moral beliefs.” Not exactly. In late January, Day finally found out what’s in the bill when the Obama administration promulgated new rules that would have required Catholic schools, hospitals and other institutions to include in their health care plans coverage for contraception, sterilization procedures and drugs that induce abortion.
Feeling betrayed You don’t have to be a member of the Catholic Church to understand why so many Catholics — even those who don’t follow church doctrine on contraception — felt so betrayed by the Obama administra-
tion’s about-face on matters of conscience. You don’t have to support the Catholic Church’s position on procreation to recognize the ominous precedent the administration created. The fact that the president deceptively tried to walk back this egregious mandate yesterday is of little consolation. The fundamental defect of Obamacare is that it gives the government an arbitrary power of compulsion over individuals and private entities, which the president’s purely political conciliation only served to confirm. The conscience clause was always supposed to lead to a compromise, one that presumably would have allowed enrollees to directly access contraceptive services from their insurance company without Catholic institutions having to pay for them. The notion that people would have been denied vital reproductive health services is a canard, as is the fraud that anything is free. This administration’s idea of a compromise — like its definition of a “right” — is whatever it
says it is. If the government can force individuals to buy a specified form of health insurance, then it can also force providers to pay for specified services — even if it tramples on the free exercise of religion, an authentic constitutional right. The government has temporarily relieved Catholic institutions of choosing between serving Mammon and serving their own interests. But the ease with which the administration issued, then revised, its edict only underscores the capricious nature of the health care law’s powers over religious groups, businesses and individuals. In an interview on “60 Minutes” last year, Obama modestly ranked his accomplishments ahead of “any president — with the possible exceptions of Johnson, FDR and Lincoln.” Perhaps that explains how he could so easily ignore the admonition of a lesser leader, Thomas Jefferson: “No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority.”
More cuts Reductions that can and should be made as part of a new strategy include cutting the size of the Army and Marines by about twice the levels proposed by the administration, to reflect the deemphasis on large scale, "boots-on-the-ground," conflicts; eliminating or drastically scaling back overpriced and underperforming weapons systems like the F-35 combat aircraft; and abandoning plans to build incredibly costly and strategically unnecessary nuclear weapons programs, from new nuclear bombers and submarines to new nuclear weapons factories. Economic security should be our top national security priority, and enacting real defense reforms is the most direct way to provide for it.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our
COLUMN
readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No namecalling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
Santorum gets a to-do list By JENNIFER RUBIN THE WASHINGTON POST
WASHINGTON — Here are 10 things Rick Santorum should do to build on his successes Tuesday: 1. Win over the base. Deliver an uplifting, positive speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference that defines his agenda and shows he can command the room. Leave the attacks to surrogates. 2. Repeat over and over that his concern for the poor and his agenda aimed at reviving manufacturing do not mean he is out of the mainstream of fiscal conservatism. Indeed, Santorum has the most de-
tailed conservative plan for entitlement, spending and tax reform that adopts the mantra of low taxes, modest regulation and reduced spending.
Keeping his focus 3. Let his super PAC do the negative ads; focus his own ads on his economic agenda and record of getting conservative legislation passed. 4. Lead the effort to push back on the administration’s attack on the Catholic Church. 5. Lead on Iran. Seek to impress the hawks and show credibility as com-
mander in chief while President Obama plays down the military option and seems to want more negotiations.
Facing the president 6. Call out the president for being a coward on entitlement reform and the debt — the greatest challenges of our time. Obama hasn’t followed his own commission and has never set out his own specific tax, entitlement and spending reform plans. 7. Send Karen Santorum everywhere. She will soften his image and boost his standing with women.
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
8. Defend military spending and challenge the president’s spending priorities.
Why’s it bad? 9. Reach out to fiscal conservatives and libertarians by going after the bailouts and crony-capitalism mentality. Make the case for why the cozy relationship between business and government is bad for both and bad for consumers. 10. Present an affirmative, common-sense plan on immigration. He needs to be in favor of law and order but also reiterate that the GOP is in favor of legal immigration.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Texas
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
BROWNSVILLE SCOUT GOVERNMENT DAY
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012
Fines levied for improper fetus disposal By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Brad Doherty/The Brownsville Herald | AP
The 60th Scout Government Day kicks off at the City of Brownsville’s chambers on Friday, with Scouts reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts received job assignments with city departments. The Scouts spent the day learning about how the city functions.
Councilman quits after report ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARLINGTON — A city councilman is resigning after recent revelations that police found methamphetamine at his house last summer — although he was not arrested — and that he told authorities he previously obtained drugs from prostitutes. Councilman Mel LeBlanc will officially step down next week, the City of Arlington announced Friday. “I regret and apologize for any pain I have caused our organization,” LeBlanc wrote in an email to the council. He won’t seek a fourth term in office. LeBlanc, 61, could not immediately be reached Friday. Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck said LeBlanc was out of town. “This episode has been
MEL LEBLANC: Arlington councilman quits after drug use reports. difficult for all of us,” Cluck said in a statement. “Mel has made a good decision for himself, his family and the city. We wish him the best. The City Council will continue to move forward and to focus on our work for the Arlington community.” The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that police responded to a domestic disturbance call at LeBlanc’s home in July and seized about a gram of methamphetamine and a glass pipe. That incident — days after his release from a 90-day treatment program — was not publicized. Police say LeBlanc was not arrested because the drugs were not in his possession,
Prisons get new health care pact By MICHAEL GRACZYK ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — The Texas prison board on Friday approved a $46.8 million contract to lease a handful of beds at a hospital in Huntsville as part of a first-time move to secure offender health care services outside its traditional university health providers. The contract with Huntsville Memorial Hospital comes amid reluctance from the University of Texas Medical Branch to continue a nearly two-decadelong deal to provide prisoner health care because of what it has reported as unanticipated losses of tens of millions of dollars. The agreement ratified by the Texas Board of Criminal Justice in Austin covers only nine beds at Huntsville Memorial Hospital, but prison agency officials are promising to look elsewhere and negotiate on their own with health providers since UTMB officials have balked at continuing the current affiliation beyond this year. “This is the first of several contracts we will seek,” said Oliver Bell, the board’s chairman. Board member J. David Nelson called it “a landmark step in reducing the cost of health care to offenders” for Texas taxpayers. The contract, covering 31/2 years through the end of fiscal year 2015, includes the nine beds, emergency room facilities, imaging services, day surgery and physician services. “This contract makes great sense,” Nelson said. “It will save money ... While one may argue this is overdue, I will say it’s a good first step.” While the prison system has used the hospital at Huntsville, where the agency is headquartered and a half dozen prisons are based, it was an arrangement orchestrated through
UTMB, which covers about 80 percent of Texas’ 156,000 inmates. The new deal with the Huntsville hospital marks the first time the prison system has circumvented UTMB to make its own arrangements. An existing $430 million contract with UTMB, the result of an extension reached in December, covers health care through August for about 80 percent of Texas’ 156,000 inmates. Negotiations to extend that for 2013 initially had a Dec. 31 deadline. The deadline was extended to the end of last month.
and later he was not indicted. LeBlanc had missed several council meetings last spring, initially saying he was in Europe on a business trip and then saying he was getting treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. In May, he said he had recently relapsed after being sober for more than 20 years. But news about the July incident — first reported by the Star-Telegram — didn’t become public until last month, when interim City Manager Bob Byrd and City Attorney Jay Doegey told council members that LeBlanc had been investigated and cleared of criminal charges last summer. According to documents recently obtained by the newspaper, LeBlanc told police he was using illegal methamphetamine for 2-1/2
years before going into rehab. He said he bought drugs from prostitutes that he solicited from online escort ads. According to one report, LeBlanc also told police about his friendship with the owner of a strip club that the city targeted for criminal activity. But Flashdancer Cabaret owner Ryan Grant said he only talked to LeBlanc a few times and the discussions were about his club’s dealings with the city — not about drugs. In January, Grant agreed to close Flashdancer for one year as part of a settlement with the state and the city. The Texas Attorney General’s Office had a pending lawsuit against the club, which state and city officials called a nuisance property rife with drugs, prostitution and aggravated assaults.
McALLEN — Two Texas women’s health clinics and an Illinois waste disposal company will have to pay fines after state environmental officials concluded they improperly disposed of fetuses in a landfill. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ordered fines Wednesday of $22,980 and $17,430 for the Whole Woman’s Health clinics in Austin and McAllen. The clinics have already begun paying their fines.
$42K fine Stericycle, an Illinoisbased international medical waste disposal company used by both clinics, was fined $42,612. A portion of all three fines was deferred. TCEQ documents indicate the clinics changed waste disposal companies and have been in compliance since May. The clinics’ violations lasted three years before officials investigated last year following a complaint. Texas regulations require the disposal of fetuses in specific ways. Stericycle’s first step of “steam disinfection” was allowed, but then regula-
tions require the waste be buried, not dumped in a municipal solid waste landfill.
Cooperation Amy Hagstrom Miller, president and CEO of Whole Woman’s Health, released a statement saying the clinics cooperated fully with the state investigation. “We relied on the expertise of Stericycle to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations related to medical waste management and we were very upset to learn of the mishandling of our medical waste by Stericycle,” she said. Stericycle did not immediately return calls seeking comment. The company which operates across the U.S. and in a number of countries promotes its regulatory expertise on its website. “Since we operate in highly regulated businesses, it is only natural that we’re experts in understanding federal, state and local regulations,” it states. Texas regulations prohibit disposing of “recognizable human body parts, tissues, fetuses, organs and the products of human abortions” in municipal solid waste landfills.
SÁBADO 11 DE FEBRERO DE 2012
Agenda en Breve
Zfrontera 73 rescatados
LAREDO
POR MIGUEL TIMOSHENJOV
02/11 — Jornadas Sabatinas 2012 del Consulado de México en Laredo es hoy de 9 a.m. a 1 p.m. Servicio de: trámites de pasaportes ó matrículas consulares. Haga su cita marcando al servicio MEXITEL 1-877-639-4835 (desde Estados Unidos) ó 01-800-900-0773 (desde México). 02/11 — Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU y le invita a disfrutar un Día Familiar de Película con “Shrek” en proyecciones a las 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. y 8 p.m. Costo: 3 dólares. 02/11 — WBCA: Festival de Diversión Familiar y Musical de LCC de 12 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Laredo Community College. Entrada gratuita. 02/11 — Exposición de dibujos “Objects of Affection: New Work” por Erika Buentello en Caffe Dolce’s, 1708 Victoria. 02/11 — El comediante Gabriel “Fuffy” Iglesias se presenta con su “Stand-Up Revolution Tour” a las 8 p.m. en Laredo Energy Arena. Costo: 38 dólares. 02/11 — LTGI y TAMIU presentan “Macbeth” en el teatro del Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de TAMIU, a las 8 p.m. Costo: 15 dólares. Otra función el 12 de febrero a las 3 p.m. 02/12 — WBCA: Show Aéreo de las Barras y las Estrellas a las 11 a.m. en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Laredo (entrada por Maher) Costo: 5 dólares para adultos. Niños de 12 años y menores entran gratis. 02/14 — Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music es hoy a las 7 p.m. en Laredo Energy Arena. Otras funciones el 15 de febrero a las 10:30 a.m. y 7 p.m. 02/16 — WBCA: Desfile de la Juventud Bajo las Estrellas de IBC a las 6 p.m. al sur de la Avenida San Bernardo. Asiento en bancas: 3 dólares; asiento general es gratis. 02/17 — WBCA: Fiesta Cocktail de Caballeros en el Salón de Baile del Laredo Civic Center a las 6 p.m. Costo: 40 dólares. 02/17 — WBCA: Festival Jalapeño patrocinado por Stripes, de 6 p.m. a 12 a.m. en El Metro Park & Ride (Thomas y Hillside). Entretenimiento a cargo de: Biker Night con Ma Ferguson. Costo: 10 dólares. 02/17 — Recital Senior de Melissa Treviño a las 7:30 p.m. en el Recital Hall del Center for the Fine and Performing Arts. Más información en el 326-2654.
TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
NUEVO LAREDO 02/11 — Espacios (desde Matamoros) presenta “Curva Peligrosa” de Edeberto Galindo a las 7 p.m. en el Teatro Lucio Blanco de la Casa de la Cultura. Entrada gratuita. 02/11 — Serie final de la Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional: Toros de Nuevo Laredo recibe a Halcones Rojos del Veracruz en el Gimnasio Multidisciplinario de la Nueva Ciudad Deportiva, a las 8:30 p.m. 02/12 — Grupo Expresión presenta la obra de teatro: “Los Héroes Inútiles” de Guillermo Schmidhuber a las 7 p.m. en el Teatro Lucio Blanco de la Casa de la Cultura. Entrada gratuita. 02/16 — Grupo TIP presenta la obra de teatro: “El Secreto de Guiti” a las 7 p.m. en el Teatro Lucio Blanco de la Casa de la Cultura. Entrada gratuita. 02/17 — Laberintus Teatro presenta la obra de teatro: “Memorabolia” de Edoardo Torres a las 7 p.m. en el Teatro Lucio Blanco de la Casa de la Cultura.
Elementos de la Policía Militar Tamaulipas rescataron a 73 inmigrantes que mantenía secuestrados la delincuencia organizada. Entre los 73 migrantes había 30 mujeres. Cuatro personas fueron detenidas. Hombres, mujeres y niños fueron liberados en un suburbio de la colonia “Hercilla” en Miguel Alemán, México, informó una fuente del gobierno federal, quien habló bajo condición de anonimato. Miguel Alemán es frontera con Roma, y se localiza a 167 kilómetros al este de Nuevo Laredo, México. De acuerdo a la fuente federal mexicana, los militares observaron a unas personas sospechosas cuando abrían un portón. “La policía estatal mili-
tar pidió información a dos hombres que se mostraron nerviosos”, dijo la fuente. “Los agentes ingresaron a la bodega y sometieron a cuestionamientos a otras personas quienes terminaron por confesar acerca de las personas que tenían retenidas desde hace tiempo”. Andrés Peña, de la Red de Migrantes “Estamos Unidos Mexicanos” en Houston, se mostró agradecido porque las autoridades rescataron a los “hermanos migrantes, sean o no mexicanos”. “Con estas acciones se podrá dar más certeza de la lucha que lleva la autoridad contra la delincuencia organizada”, dijo Peña. Agregó que tras los hechos donde los cadáveres de 72 migrantes fueron ubicados en San Fernando, México, en 2010, el go-
bierno mexicano implementó una estrategia para prevenir y combatir el secuestro de migrantes. Ninguna autoridad mexicana reveló cómo llegaron los migrantes a la frontera de Miguel Alemán, si viajaban en autobuses o de manera individual, o si fueron llevados en grupo a la bodega donde se les ubicó. Hasta el cierre de esta edición el Instituto de Tamaulipas del Migrante no había emitido un reporte acerca del rescate. En tanto, en la Delegación Regional del Instituto Nacional de Migración de Tamaulipas, con sede en Nuevo Laredo, el Delegado Carlos Alberto Franco no pudo ser localizado para emitir algún comentario. (Localice a Miguel Timoshenkov en el (956) 7282583 o en mramirez@lmtonline.com)
PÁGINA 7A
Advierte EU no viajar a Tamaulipas ASSOCIATED PRESS
El Departamento de Estado de EU ha extendido su advertencia de viaje para ciudadanos de EU en México para todo o parte de 14 de los 31 estados mexicanos, siendo la advertencia de viaje más amplia emitida desde que inició la lucha contra el narcotráfico en 2006. El departamento solicita se evite cualquier viaje no necesario en todo el territorio de Chihuahua, Coahuila y Tamaulipas, los cuales son frontera con EU, y en el estado central de Durango, así como secciones de otros 10 estados. Pide precaución si se viaja en los tres estados fronterizos y diversas áreas del centro y poniente de México, donde los carteles de las drogas se han estado enfrentando. La advertencia emitida el miércoles indica que ciudadanos de EU han sido víctimas de violencia, incluyendo homicidios, secuestros y secuestro vehicular. La advertencia previa en abril del 2011, recomendando evitar viajar en todo el territorio de dos estados, Tamaulipas y Michoacán, y partes de otros ocho. “El gobierno mexicano se ha dedicado a un extensivo esfuerzo para contrarrestar a las organizaciones criminales transnacio-
nales, las cuales participan en el tráfico de narcóticos y otras actividades ilícitas a lo largo de México”, señalaron oficiales de EU en su advertencia emitida el miércoles. “Las mismas organizaciones criminales transnacionales se ven envueltas en una violenta batalla para hacerse del control de rutas para el tráfico de la droga y otras actividades criminales”. “A resultado de eso, los crímenes y la violencia representan graves problemas a lo largo del país y pueden surgir en cualquier lugar y momento. Ciudadanos de EU han sido víctimas de las actividades ilícitas de las organizaciones criminales transnacionales, incluyendo homicidios, enfrentamientos, privación de libertad, secuestros de vehículos y asaltos en las carreteras”. La cifra de ciudadanos estadounidenses reportados al Departamento de Estado de EU como asesinados en México aumentó de 35 en el 2007 a 120 en el 2011. Oficiales señalan que las zonas y destinos turísticos no han experimentado los altos niveles de violencia relacionada con el narcotráfico y crímenes reportados en las regiones fronterizas y otras áreas aledañas a las principales rutas utilizadas para el tráfico de narcóticos.
DONATIVO PARA CAMARGO Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
Elementos del Ejército Mexicano realizan labores de mejoramiento de la Secundaria General “Belisario Domínguez” en San Fernando, México.
ATIENDEN A SAN FERNANDO Familias reciben apoyo gratuito POR MIGUEL TIMOSHENKOV TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Brigadas de labor social por parte de elementos del Ejército Mexicano empezaron a desplegarse en San Fernando, México. Militares ubicaron consultorios médicos, odontológicos, peluquerías y células de trabajo de mantenimiento, ofreciendo servicio gratuito. En las acciones participan representantes de los tres niveles de gobierno, y en San Fernando participaron del 30 de enero al 4 de febrero con una jornada multidisciplinaria que incluye servicios médicos ofrecidos gratuitamente en las instalaciones de la Asociación Ganadera Local. Además, los soldados del Ejército Mexicano hicieron este día labor social en be-
neficio de la Secundaria General “Belisario Domínguez”. El Alcalde de San Fernando, Tomás Gloria Requena dijo la ciudad vive una recuperación del sector comercial, retorno de empresarios y más trabajo en el campo, donde se trabajan 80,000 hectáreas para sembrar sorgo. Por su parte, el comandante del 106 Batallón de Infantería, General Arturo Medina Mayoral, dijo que en San Fernando la normalidad es cada vez más constante y eso se puede comprobar porque hay más movimiento en las calles, el comercio está activado al 100% y todas las escuelas están abiertas en sus turnos matutino y vespertino. Medina explicó que además de estar en este municipio para restablecer la se-
guridad pública, los 600 soldados a sus órdenes también desarrollan pláticas de valores, de salud y realizan diversas labores sociales y trabajos de limpieza y reparación de techumbres que se resintieron por las últimas lluvias. Cuando el programa concluyó resultaron beneficiadas 3,510 personas, con los servicios ofrecidos de la siguiente manera: se atendieron a 146 personas en consultas medicas y 161 odontológicas, así como psicológicas, pediátricas, 207 oftalmológicas; 26 consultas ginecológicas; 43 consultas ortopédicas; 25 consultas de medicina interna; 97 reparaciones de equipos electrodomésticos, entre otros. (Localice a Miguel Timoshenkov en el (956) 728-2583 o en mramirez@lmtonline.com)
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno del Estado
Una representante del Gobierno del Estado hace entrega de medicamentos que fueron recetados a una familia, tras que recibieran una consulta médica gratuita por parte de Sedena.
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Camargo
La Alcaldesa de ciudad Camargo, Tamaulipas, María del Carmen Rocha Hernández recibió un donativo de parte del Club de Leones. Rocha recibió a nombre de la ciudad un autobús escolar y equipo médico diverso.
Medidas evitan riesgos en salud TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
La Secretaría de Salud de Tamaulipas aseguró que consolidarán normatividades para regular los riesgos sanitarios. Durante la Reunión de Evaluación 2012 de la Comisión Estatal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COEPRIS), el Secretario de Salud, Norberto Treviño García-Manzo, dijo que “la protección sanitaria debe proporcionar la seguridad, eficacia y calidad de los productos, bienes y servicios que consume la población”. En la reunión participaron los coordinadores regionales de las 12 jurisdicciones sanitarias del estado con el propósito de evaluar las acciones de fomento, regulación y vigilancia sanitaria realizadas por la Coepris en el 2011, en las tres áreas que la conforman: Operación Sanitaria, Evaluación y Acreditación Sanitaria, Evidencia y Análisis de Riesgo, indica un comunicado de prensa. Treviño se pronunció a favor de incentivar el desarrollo y la competitividad, fundamentada en la transparencia; que es-
tablezca las condiciones y garantías para que el gobierno, las empresas y los ciudadanos desarrollen sus actividades en un entorno de certidumbre jurídica y seguridad sanitaria. Por su parte el Comisionado Estatal de Protección Contra Riesgos Sanitarios, José Alfredo López de León, informó que los objetivos del encuentro fueron el seguimiento y consolidación de acciones en los 18 programas federales (alimentos, agua de calidad bacteriológica, emergencias sanitarias, productos milagro, plaguicidas, clembuterol, marea roja, muerte materna, entre otros) El encuentro que forma parte de una intensa agenda de trabajo iniciada desde el mes de enero en las 12 jurisdicciones sanitarias del estado, se analizaron temas como la revisión del mapa de riesgos sanitarios; padrones de establecimientos; operación sanitaria por riesgos y en proyectos; alertas sanitarias; fomento sanitario; documentos sanitarios legales de la Coepris; control sanitario de la publicidad, humo de tabaco, entre otros.
Texas
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012
Fighter pilot knocks boys’ movie trip By NOMAAN MERCHANT ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — When 5,700 fifth-grade boys in Dallas’ public schools recently went to see a movie about black fighter pilots in World War II, the girls stayed in school and saw a different movie instead. One of the pilots is among those asking why. A spokesman for the Dallas Independent School District said officials took only boys to see “Red Tails” Thursday because space at the movie theater was limited. Jon Dahlander told The Dallas Morning News that leaders of the district also thought boys would enjoy the movie more than girls. “Red Tails” tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the legendary pilots during World War II who become the first black aviators to serve in the U.S. military. The movie opened last month. Some female students were shown a different movie instead: “Akeelah and the Bee,” about an 11year-old girl who competes in a national spelling bee. Dahlander, who did not return several phone messages from The Associated Press, told the newspaper that the district often holds genderspecific events. “It’s not out of the ordinary,” Dahlander said. But an original Tuskegee Airman and others
questioned why everyone didn’t get to see the same movie. Herbert Carter, who flew 77 missions in World War II with only one crash landing, said he was “almost speechless.” “I’ve heard everything else,” said Carter, 94, in a phone interview. “This is the first time I’ve heard that it was unfit for female students.” Carter’s wife of nearly 70 years, Mildred, who died in October, became the first black woman in Alabama to hold a private pilot’s license, their son Kurt Carter said. But while Herbert Carter trained at Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute and went on to serve, Mildred Carter was barred by the military from flying, Kurt Carter said. She would go on to fly privately for decades after the war, he said. “My wife would turn flip flops,” Herbert Carter said. “She thought that all human beings were equal, regardless of sex, race, creed or color. She would take great offense to young women being denied this (opportunity).” The Tuskegee Airmen were not allowed to fight alongside their white counterparts. They earned respect for their success in escorting bombers during the war and distinguished themselves by painting the tails of their planes red. The airmen were given the Congressional Gold
Photo by G.J. McCarthy/The Dallas Morning News | AP
Students exit the AMC 30 movie theater in Mesquite, on Thursday, after a field trip in which several thousand Dallas Independent School District fifth-grade boys were brought to the theater for a screening of the feature film “Red Tails,” while the girls were left behind to watch a film about a spelling bee. The separate field trips sparked outrage and raised questions about gender equity in education. Friday, an original Tuskegee airman and others questioned why everyone didn’t get to see the same movie. Herbert Carter, who flew 77 missions in World War II with only one crash landing, said he was “almost speechless.” Medal in 2007 by President George W. Bush and were invited to attend President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration. Obama screened “Red Tails” at the White House in January. The field trip to see “Red Tails” cost Dallas schools about $57,000, which came from federal funds for low-income students, the newspaper re-
ported. Lisa Maatz, public policy director for the American Association of University Women, which advocates for gender equity in education, said news of the field trip showed “stereotypes are alive and well.” “Part of what we did here was show the girls they weren’t as valuable,” she said. “That’s not a les-
son that we want to teach our children.” Ana Rios, 11, a fifthgrader at Nathan Adams Elementary School in Dallas, said she wanted to see “Red Tails” — especially since she had already seen, “Akeelah and the Bee.” She planned to watch the movie on her own. “We are learning African-American history, and
it would be a great movie to see,” she said. Lucasfilm, the company founded by “Star Wars” creator George Lucas, produced the movie. In a statement, Lucasfilm said it did not know about the Dallas screening and declined to comment, “other than to say that we want all students — boys and girls — to enjoy ‘Red Tails.”’
Facebook ‘surfer’ page Court urges April vote lured teens: officials By PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
By JOE MANDAK ASSOCIATED PRESS
PITTSBURGH — A married father used phony Facebook profiles to pose as two different Florida surfers to solicit sexually graphic messages and photos from seven teenage girls in western Pennsylvania, and two of the girls eventually agreed to meet for sex with the surfers’ middle-aged “friend” — yet another fake persona he used, the state attorney general said Friday. William R. Ainsworth, 53, of Mars, was charged Thursday with 68 counts, including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and multiple counts of charges that include attempted unlawful contact with a minor, possession of child pornography and criminal use of a computer. Ainsworth has been jailed in Butler County, about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, since he was arrested on similar charges in September, when authorities say he traveled to the home of a 14-year-old girl for sex. Ainsworth’s September arrest led authorities to uncover “an elaborate and disturbing false identity scam” in which Ainsworth concocted profiles depicting two 15-year-old high school dropouts who had run away to become surfers, Attorney General Linda Kelly said at a news conference Friday. The profiles were created using pictures of anonymous teens investigators believe Ainsworth lifted from MySpace pages. The girls were psychologically manipulated because the “surfers” would pretend to share whatever experience the girls were going through. “If they were having family problems, (one surfer) would say he was having family problems. If they were thinking about running away, he’d talk about running away,” said Nils Frederiksen, a spokesman for Kelly. Authorities said the psychological manipulation included killing off the first surfer so the girls would become more sympathetic and likely to comply with requests from the second “surfer,” who typically introduced the girls to a friend named “Glenn Keef-
Photo by Keith Srakocic /| AP
Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly, center, points to a poster size image of William R. Ainsworth during a news conference Friday, in Pittsburgh, to elaborate on the charges Ainsworth faces. er.” “Keefer” was essentially Ainsworth’s alter-ego, a 50-something man from Pennsylvania who would offer the girls money for pictures or sex so they could run away to join the surfers, investigators said. “These three personas he created were all connected and had a purpose in the scheme,” Kelly said. The phony Facebook pages have been taken down, and the girls are not identified in the 68-page criminal complaint. The alleged victims were 13 to 15 years old, although one girl was 12 when the computer contacts began, Kelly said. “Given the nature and extent of the psychological manipulation, we’re being extremely careful not to revictimize these girls,” Frederiksen said. He confirmed that Ainsworth is married with children, but Kelly refused to say whether Ainsworth’s children knew any of the alleged victims or provide other details. Ainsworth does not have a phone number listed at the address on the criminal complaint. One listing his name in Mars led to a business, where Ainsworth was a used car salesman, but that call was not immediately returned. Ainsworth’s public defender also didn’t immediately return comment. Ainsworth allegedly posed as surfers “Bill Cano” and “Anthony ‘Rip’ Navari,” and it was the Cano persona who typically first contacted the girls through Facebook, authorities said. Cano claimed to be a runaway from the area, and sometimes claimed to have previously attended their school. Sometimes, though, Cano was contacted by
girls he didn’t solicit who saw his profile on their friends’ Facebook pages. Altogether, prosecutors said Ainsworth’s phony profiles garnered him more than 600 Facebook friends. Cano would eventually flirt with the girls or ask for nude photos. Although the charges pertain to just seven girls, investigators interviewed more than 30 and have gotten more than 18 search warrants to access records of his online contacts with them. Navari would eventually begin contacting the girls as a fellow surfer and sometimes even step-brother of Cano, authorities said. At some point, Navari posted a Facebook alert that Cano was attacked by a mob, had fallen into a coma and died. “Some of the girls were really emotionally distraught about it,” Kelly said. “When he was deceased, the shoulder to cry on became Rip.” Navari would play on the girls’ emotions and introduced them to Keefer who, himself or through Navari, would promise to send the girls money to run away — or send money to support Navari’s living expenses — in exchange for nude pictures or sex. The Keefer character introduced himself to the girls as a “Sugardaddy looking for Sugarbabies.” Kelly said the parents of most of the girls didn’t closely monitor their Internet habits and noted some of the girls frequently accessed Facebook away from home using smartphones or other portable devices. “People you meet online may not always be who they say they are,” Kelly said.
SAN ANTONIO — A federal court sent a message Friday that the Texas primaries shouldn’t be pushed past April because of disputed voting maps and ordered the state and minority groups to spend the weekend at the bargaining table. The fate of the Texas primaries, which have already been postponed once and risk being held too late to matter in the Republican presidential race, could be decided as early as Tuesday by the San Antonio court. The primaries are currently scheduled for April 3, though that date appears all but dead. The goal now is putting temporary voting maps in place quickly enough so the primaries are delayed only weeks, not months. A court deadline for a compromise passed this week with only a partial deal, after a coalition of minority rights groups suing the state over maps drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature splintered during talks. In a one-page court order issued late Friday, the three-judge panel made it clear they had no appetite for further
delays. “It is the Court’s desire to have redistricting plans in place for an April primary and all parties must continue their negotiations to assist the Court in accomplishing that task,” U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia wrote. Minority groups that balked at the Texas attorney general’s latest offer said they would negotiate in good faith, but also acknowledged that both sides remain far apart. “We have yet to reach the stage in our discussions with the attorney general where we feel we are making progress toward a resolution,” said Democratic state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Conference. “But at a minimum we might be able to eliminate some of the objections we have by talking to the other side to get them to compromise on their map.”
April 17 or April 24 are widely viewed as the most realistic new dates for a primary if new maps are put in place soon enough. The sudden urgency to settle on maps for the 2012 elections belies an intense redistricting fight that has dragged on since last summer. That was when nine plaintiffs, mostly minority groups, sued the state. How the maps are drawn have national ramifications. Texas was awarded four new congressional seats following the 2010 census, and whether they go Democrat or Republican could affect the balance of power in the U.S. House. Minority groups and Democrats say the population boom in Texas was driven by nearly 3 million new Hispanic residents over the last decade but that those numbers weren’t reflected in how the Legislature redrew districts statewide.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
JOSE VICTOR MORALES Jose Victor Morales, 52, passed away Friday, Feb. 3, 2012, at his residence in Zapata, Texas. Mr. Morales is preceded in death by his mother, Rosalva Diana Morales; grandparents: Serapio and Otilia Morales-Gutierrez; father-in-law, Rolando Benavides; and maternal aunt, Melva Brewster. Mr. Morales is survived by his wife, Cynthia Benavides Morales; daughters: Dr. Melissa Yvette Morales-Patel and Kristina Rene Morales; son-in-law, Sagar Kiran Patel; grandson, Jairo Josue; and mother-in-law, Acela Garcia Benavides. Pallbearers were: Sagar Patel, Rolando Benavides Jr., Martin Benavides, Sam Brewster Jr., Daniel Benavides, Ricardo Rubio, Teodoro Vasquez and Zaragoza Rodriguez IV. Honorary pallbearers were: Alfredo Martinez, Bruce Latocki and Armando Salazar. Victor was married to his high school sweetheart for 30 years. He was a loving husband and a wonderful dad. He possessed a wealth of knowledge and insight that he used to guide his family and friends when they were in
need. He will be greatly missed. Visitation was Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession departed Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012, at 8:30 a.m. for a 9 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 U.S. 83, Zapata, Texas.
a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession will depart Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, at 10:45 a.m. from Rose Garden Funeral Home for an 11 a.m. graveside service at Zapata County Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 U.S. 83, Zapata, Texas.
Misbranding charges filed ASSOCIATED PRESS
at 10 a.m. at Santa Ana Mission in Falcon, Texas. Committal services followed at Falcon Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 U.S. 83, Zapata, Texas.
DALLAS — Federal charges have been leveled against a Dallas-based mail-order compounding pharmacy over a shipment of a misbranded drug ingredient federal officials blame for three deaths in the Pacific Northwest. A Justice Department statement Friday says ApotheCure Inc. and its owner, Gary D. Osborn, have been charged with two misdemeanor criminal violations of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
Mislabeled dosages The case centers on a February 2007 shipment of a gout drug containing some vials with dosages more than seven times stronger than what was shown on the label, and some with strengths about two-thirds those shown. The shipment went to a now-defunct Portland, Ore., medical center. Autopsies showed three patients who died there after receiving the drug died of overdoses. A message left at Apothecure wasn’t returned.
Obama’s budget: $1.3T deficit ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s new budget predicts a $1.3 trillion deficit for the ongoing fiscal year but that would drop to $575 billion in 2018 if the president gets his wish to raise taxes and if policymakers can live within tight restraints on the Pentagon and other Cabinet agency budgets, the White House said Friday. After four consecutive years of trillion dollar-plus deficits, next year’s budget shortfall would drop to $901 billion under the administration’s tax and spending policies. In his budget submission on Monday, the president will also call for a “Buffett Rule” — that would guarantee that households making more than $1 million a year pay at least 30 percent of their income in taxes. Billionaire financier Warren Buffett has
made headlines proposing the idea, saying that it’s unfair for him to pay a lower tax rate than his secretary. Obama will also call for Congress to enact a tax reform plan that would raise about $1.5 trillion over the coming decade by eliminating numerous tax preferences and assuming revenues from the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts for people in the upper brackets. The president is also going to call for lower corporate tax rates as well as an end to many corporate tax loopholes. The election-year document is sure to get a brushoff from Republicans controlling the House. The White House says that Monday’s budget will contain many items from a September submission to a failed congressional deficit “supercommittee,” which deadlocked over tax increases and how much to cut popular benefit programs like Medicare. The Obama budget will also reflect
tight “caps” on agency operating budgets forged in last summer’s budget and debt limit pact between Obama and House Speaker John Boehner. Those include a $6 billion cut in the budget for core Pentagon operations and cuts to many domestic agencies as well. But it’s commonly assumed that presidential politics will prevent Democrats and Republicans from renewing efforts for a broader budget agreement, though negotiations on Capitol Hill are under way in efforts to renew jobless benefits for the longterm unemployed and a 2 percentage point cut in payroll taxes and prevent a 27 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors that’s the product of an outdated funding formula. Administration officials briefed reporters and issued a fact sheet after several figures were reported in The Wall St. Journal, which viewed leaked draft budget documents.
COMMISSIONERS Continued from Page 1A county. Among the other items the court could take action on is a possible transfer of funds to remodel a
portion of the Zapata County Clinic that Laredo Medical Center did not absorb. Rathmell said the county could use the of-
fice space to invite visiting doctors to treat patients there. “That will improve health care access to resi-
dents, so I think that’s a good thing,” he said. (JJ Velasquez may be reached at 728-2567 or jjvelasquez@lmtonline.com)
DUMP Continued from Page 1A
BABY DORA IMELDA ALVAREZ Baby Dora Imelda Alvarez passed away Monday, Feb. 6, 2012, at Doctor’s Hospital in Laredo, Texas. Baby Alvarez is survived by her parents: David and Cynthia Alvarez; and a sister, Betzy Alvarez; and by other family members and friends. Funeral arrangements
FALCON — Lilia L. Guerra passed away Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, at Starr County Memorial Hospital in Rio Grande City, Texas. Ms. Guerra is preceded in death by her husband, Raul F. Guerra; brother, Alfonso (Otila) Lopez; and a sister, Bertha (Miguel) Hernandez. Ms. Guerra is survived by her sons: Raul (Maria Adelina) Guerra, Roel (Rosalinda) Guerra, Romeo (Amanda) Guerra and Roberto (Pilar) Guerra; and by numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and many friends. Pallbearers were: Randy Guerra, Roel Guerra, Roy Guerra, David Guerra, Noe Guerra and Rene Guerra. Visitation was Monday, Feb. 6, 2012, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. A funeral Mass was held Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012,
By ANDREW TAYLOR
MARIA C. DOMINGUEZ Maria C. Dominguez, 70, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012, at Laredo Medical Center in Laredo, Texas. Ms. Dominguez is preceded in death by her husband, Jose Dominguez; son Gilberto Dominguez; daughter Ana Maria Gutierrez; and a grandson, Jose Isaac Alvarez. Ms. Dominguez is survived by her sons Polo (Yolanda) Dominguez, Juan Dominguez, Sergio (Sylvia) Dominguez, Fernando (Luz Maria) Dominguez and Jessie Dominguez; daughters Maria Elena (†Miguel) Vela, Alma Rosa (Wilfredo) Molinar, Alicia (Santos) Zavala, Rosario (Lorenzo) Macias and Mariana (Lardauri) Echemendia; 42 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; sister, Maria De Jesus (Felix) Uribe; and by numerous nieces, nephews and many friends. A funeral Mass was held Friday, Feb. 10, 2012, at 3 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Visitation hours followed from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with
LILIA L. GUERRA
are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 U.S. 83, Zapata, Texas.
near Bustamante Ranch on Texas 16. The waste is produced in the process of hydraulic fracturing, a drilling method that proliferated in the mid 2000s as a way to extract natural gas from hydrocarbon-bearing shale rock deep underground. A petition letter against the proposal is circulating. Opponents of the waste site are calling on residents and others who
oppose it to sign the letter by a Feb. 20 deadline. The letter lists several objections to the site. The proposed facility’s proximity to a San Ygnacio subdivision — Valle Verde, which stands 500 feet from the site — and El Grullo Creek, a water body that feeds into the Rio Grande and affects the county watershed, are among the reasons listed in the letter. The Rio Grande Inter-
national Study Center is one of the meeting’s sponsors. An email announcing the meeting notes that representatives from Texas Energy Services and the Railroad Commission were invited, in addition to Webb County Commissioner Jaime Canales, who is a member of the state task force on the Eagle Ford Shale. “Because of the proximity of the proposed site to the river and because the
site is directly upstream from San Ygnacio’s municipal water intake, it is critical to ask questions and to fully understand the potential environmental impact of such a project,” Tricia Cortez, a spokeswoman for the Rio Grande International Study Center, said in the email. (JJ Velasquez may be reached at 728-2567 or jjvelasquez@lmtonline.com)
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012
Judge: Check man’s jailing By WILL WEISSERT ASSOCIATED PRESS
GEORGETOWN — A judge recommended Friday that a former Texas prosecutor who is now a judge face a formal investigation into allegations he hid evidence and helped wrongfully send a man to prison for nearly 25 years. State District Judge Ken Anderson was the lead prosecutor during the trial where Michael Morton was convicted of his wife Christine’s 1986 murder. Morton, 57, was freed last fall after DNA tests implicated another man. Morton’s attorneys, including the New York-based Innocence Project, asked for a court of inquiry on allegations Anderson withheld evidence during Morton’s case that could have led police to a new suspect decades earlier. They claim Anderson even denied a direct order by the judge presiding over the original trial, the now-deceased William Lott, to turn over all relevant evidence to the defense. After a two-plus hour hearing featuring arguments from both sides, state District Judge Sid Harle
recommended that a court of inquiry proceed and referred the matter to the Texas Supreme Court. If the high state court upholds his recommendation, it will assign a judge other than Harle to oversee the matter. The court of inquiry process works a bit like a grand jury proceeding. If it determines there is evidence Anderson broke the law, he could eventually face criminal charges. Harle said the allegation against Anderson is that he “intentionally and knowingly concealed exculpatory evidence.” “I personally cannot imagine, having been a former prosecutor, a worse stain or tarnish on a prosecutor and a public servant’s reputation, his integrity, his legacy,” Harle said. Anderson has apologized for “the system’s failure” in Morton’s case, but says he believes prosecutors turned over all necessary information. Anderson has been a judge in Williamson County, where Morton was convicted, since 2002. He was not present at Friday’s hearing, although it was held just three doors down from his current courtroom in Georgetown.
Officials: ID cuts wait times By JUAN CARLOS LLORCA ASSOCIATED PRESS
EL PASO — Under the desert sun at the Paso del Norte bridge between Ciudad Juarez in Mexico and El Paso, hundreds of pedestrians stand in line for up to two hours to reach the immigration booths. Not Veronica Escobar. She, like almost a third of the nearly 14,000 people who walk daily across the bridge that connects the border towns’ downtown areas, uses a radio frequency-equipped ID card to access the ready lanes installed last November for pedestrians.
Faster entry The program — implemented by Customs and Border Protection to make it quicker for pedestrians to enter the U.S. from Mexico — has
reduced wait times by 26 percent at this West Texas crossing. Travelers swipe their cards or machine-readable documents, such as a U.S. passport, and as they wait, their personal information is retrieved from a database and sent to immigration agents. The process can trim up to 6 seconds per person. Escobar, 41, crosses from Juarez every other week to go shopping.
Hours to wait “Before, when I didn’t know that I could use these lanes, I would stand in line for up to three hours. Today, it was just 20 minutes,” Escobar said. Jesus del Rio, 48, made the same discovery Friday. He was recently issued a RFID visa card, but didn’t know about the new quick lanes. After a two-hour wait, he was in-
formed he could have walked to the gates inside the Point of Entry main building. “This is the last time I stand in the long line,” he said after a CBP officer showed him how to use the gate.
Possible expansion Customs and Borders Protection spokesman Roger Maier said Friday that future studies will determine whether the project at the Paso del Norte bridge expands to other U.S. border crossings. In an effort to further expedite the process, high-visibility LED signs were installed in November over vehicle lanes in the El Paso area and, on Friday, short-distance AM radio stations started broadcasting traveler information near the El Paso and Laredo bridges.
VILLARREAL ELEMENTARY CELEBRATES COUNSELOR’S WEEK
HOMICIDE Continued from Page 1A Carlos said his younger brother will be remembered as a nice and happy person who loved going to nightclubs to dance. “He was unique in his own way,” Carlos said. His brother loved his family unconditionally. Benavides, a Zapata High School graduate, sought bigger challenges and decided to move to Laredo five years ago. He worked at Doctors Hospital as a
medical assistant. Recently, Benavides had been a sales representative for a local company, his brother said. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call police at 956-795-2800 or Crime Stoppers at 956-727TIPS (8477). All callers may remain anonymous. Information leading to an arrest may be rewarded. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
Courtesy photo
Villarreal Elementary celebrated Counselor’s Week with a week full of activities for school counselor Claudia Garza, in white blouse. She was presented with a giant chocolate chip cookie, treated to lunch by administration and given a 600 Kisses Parade in which students, teachers and staff members treated her to a Hershey’s Kiss. Each grade level also presented Garza with a gift.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
New heights
Watch and learn, girls storm court T
he best part of the season is here for the Lady Hawks’ basketball team as it heads into the postseason. A coach is happy about this accomplishment, but not satisfied, because a great season would mean playing at the Frank Erwin Center, site of the state tournament. Zapata is fortunate to have one team in the state playoffs, but knowing Coach Juan Villarreal and the passion that he brings to the game of basketball, the Hawks will be back in the playoffs in the near future. Sometimes you go through those bumps and bruises to get to the promised land. What saddens me is that most female high school basketball players do not watch women’s basketball at any level, college or the WNBA, nor do female coaches push their
athletes in that direction. Most female high school basketball players watch the NBA and look up to players like Lebron James or Kobe Bryant, not people like Diana Taurasi, Becky Hammon or Sue Bird. Taurasi is the most electrifying player in the WNBA and is considered one of the top 15 players of all time. She was voted to the WNBA All-Star team this summer. Taurasi plays for the Phoenix Mercury and has led the team to a WNBA championship after collecting a few national titles at UConn. Hammon and Bird are considered some of the
See SANDOVAL PAGE 2B
HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS
Photo by Clara Sandoval | The Zapata Times
The Zapata boys’ basketball team isn’t happy with the results of its 2011-12 season, but it is learning from them.
Lady Hawks destined for first playoff trip By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Lady Hawks basketball team is heading to the playoffs for the first time under the direction of coach Hector Garcia Jr. Zapata came in second behind Rio Hondo in District 32-3A. Now the Lady Hawks will face Lyford in a bi-district game Mon-
day at Rio Grande City La Grulla gymnasium. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. “We are very excited to be in playoffs. The girls are ready to make a playoff run,” said Garcia, who took over the girls’ basketball program after Clyde Guerra left for the golf program. The Lady Hawks will face Lyford, which came in third in Dis-
trict 31-3A, but Zapata matches up well on the court. “Lyford is a very good team, but I feel that we match up very good with them,” Garcia said. “They play man-to-man defense and have two good players.” Zapata will rely on the halfcourt pressure press that has been
See BBALL PAGE 2B Courtesy photo
Zapata sophomore Alex Reyes advanced past the round of 16 alongside doubles partner Manuel Benavides, not pictured, at the 81st annual Falfurrias Hearts Delight tennis tournament last weekend before eventually losing to the No. 1 seeds, and eventual conference champions, from Calallen.
HIGH SCHOOL POWERLIFTING
Hawks lifted by strong showing By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
LAREDO — The Zapata powerlifting team continues to muscle their way into the latter part of the season, hoping to get a shot at the regional meet only a few weeks away. Zapata will be idle this week, but will be back in action on Feb. 18, when the powerlifters head to Hebbronville for the last opportunity to qualify for regionals. “We are still working hard even though we are open,” Zapata coach Veronica Arce said. “That last meet that we will attend in Hebbronville is basically to try and get those lifters who haven’t qualified or are very close to qualifying for regionals.” “At this time it looks like I have about 12 girls in a comfortable spot for regionals. I will max them out today to hopefully get new totals since we do not lift this week.” Last weekend, the team headed to the annual Nix-
Hawks unhurt by missing players By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
Photo by Clara Sandoval | The Zapata Times
Zapata’s Alexandra Garcia placed second in the 114-weight division at the annual Nixon Mustangs powerlifting meet on Feb. 4. on Mustangs powerlifting meet where it competed against more than 300 lifters. Zapata held its own and the Hawks came away with some of the biggest honors of the meet. “Well, we did OK overall, considering we had basketball and softball games on Friday,” Arce said. “Some did improve, but they’ve
got to keep working hard for the next and final meet before regionals.” Cigarroa’s Yesenia Carrera received the top lifter honors, while Hebbronvile’s Theresa Garcia came in second. Third place went to Zapata’s Angela Darnell. In the 181-220+ division, the best lifter was awarded to Zapata’s Klarisa Salinas, while Hebbronville’s Lora
Garcia came in second. Third place went to Zapata’s Elise Munoz. Ten Zapata female lifter’s placed in the top five in seven categories, while the boys team had two Hawks place in the top three. Angela Darnell has been having an outstanding season and took home first
See POWER LIFTING PAGE 2B
The Zapata tennis team hit the road and headed over to the 81st annual Falfurrias Hearts Delight Tennis Tournament Feb. 3 and 4. The Hawks were without the services of some of their top players due to a conflict with UIL and Mariachi. Additionally, some of the players were out with minor injuries. The top singles player, Trey Alvarez, had the district debate competition, while Carlos Poblano was recovering from a shoulder injury. This left the door open for some of the younger players to gain valuable experience against great competition. The highlight of the tournament was the play of sophomores Alex Reyes and Manuel Benavides at the No. 1 doubles. They ad-
vanced to the round of 16, where they played a solid match and easily defeated Hernandez and Richter of Alice 6-3, 6-1. This set up a confrontation with the No. 1 seed and eventual tournament champions, Meadors and Trevino of Calallen. It was the match of the tournament, as Reyes and Benavides went toe to toe with the Calallen duo before losing 6-4, 7-6 (7-5). “Alex and Manuel really played well,” Zapata coach Robert Alvarez said. “It seemed everyone just stopped what they were doing and started watching their match.” “There were some great back-and-forth points played that drew applause from those watching,” Alvarez said. “We were up twice on the second set at 5-4 and 6-5 before we lost it in the tiebreaker. The Ca-
See TENNIS PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012
Prep the diamond By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
Courtesy photo
The Zapata girls’ golf team placed second at the Lady Hawks Golf Tournament on Monday at the Los Ebanos Golf Course.
Hawks golf improving with local showing By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Zapata High School girls team is flying high after a stellar performance in their own back yard at the Lady Hawk Golf Tournament on Feb. 6, at the Los Ebanos Golf Course. The signs of improvement are starting to show. Every week, the golfers are lowering their overall scores. “We did OK,” Zapata coach Clyde Guerra Jr. said. “We improved our team score by 29 strokes. I’m extremely proud of the girls. “All girls improved their scores from their previous round, so that’s a great sign.” The Lady Hawks placed second with a score of 419. Laredo St. Augustine took home the first place honors after scoring 360. Third place went to La-
ZAPATA GOLF SCHEDULE Feb. 17 & 18 Cigarroa Casa Blanca Boys/Girls Feb. 24 & 25 Border Olympics Laredo Country Club Boys March 2 & 3 Border Olympics Casa Blanca Girls April 4 Pre-District Tierra Del Sol Boys/Girls (Pharr) April 10 District Tierra Del Sol Boys/Girls (Pharr) redo United South, which tallied 483 points to round out the top three teams at the meet. Zapata’s Leanna Saenz, who has been emerging as the Lady Hawks top player, had to win a playoff hole against a Falfurrias golfer to capture fifth place overall in the standings. St. Augustine also swept the top three individual honors with Narda Garcia taking home first place with a score of 74
strokes to beat out teammate Daniela Virgen by 13 strokes. Third place went to Vanya Peña. Laredo Nixon’s Vero Solis went home in fourth place with a score of 91. The Lady Hawks team next heads to the Laredo Border Olympics, March 2 and 3, at Lake Casa Blanca. Zapata will have two solid weeks of practice before then and hopes to improve on a couple of things in their game. “We hope to improve our short game,” Guerra said. “Our focus these next couple of weeks will be on putting, chipping and shots 60 yards or less.” The boys team was idle last week, but returned to action Friday and today at the Hawk Golf Tournament. (Clara Sandoval can be reached at sandoval.clara@gmail.com)
The Zapata High School baseball team is ready to hit the pre-season in preparation for the long district slate ahead. The Hawks return a wealth of experience to a team that claimed the District 32-3A title last year. “We are the defending district champions and we want to make another district run,” Coach Rene Alvarez said. “We have a great group of pitchers and we can go deep in the rotation and that is a first for Zapata. In the past we had to rely on two or three kids, but this year we can go five deep.” The ace of the group is senior Oscar Flores, who has been taking the mound for the Hawks since his sophomore year. Also making names for themselves in the rotation are seniors Jay Garza, Gauencio Mata, Conrad Herrera and Louie Ramos. The Hawks return senior shortstop Manuel Salinas, who was an all-district selection last year and has the hot bat, along with Ramos and senior outfielder Eddie Bustamante. Also making the AllDistrict team last year were junior third baseman Andy Gonzalez and sophomore second baseman Mario Ramirez. Zapata opens the season on Feb. 20, when the Hawks host Laredo Lyndon B. Johnson at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, the team is getting ready for the preseason with a few scrimmages on tap for the next few weeks. This morning, Zapata plays a tri-scrimmage against Hebbronville and Rio Grande City.
SANDOVAL Continued from Page 1B best point guards in the WNBA — the Ricky Rubios of their profession — but high school girls’ basketball players have never heard of them. It would be interesting for me to poll the Lady Hawks to see how many WNBA players they recognize and have seen play on TV. The WNBA has been around 15 years. I have made several trips to San Antonio to watch the Silver Stars, I was even a season ticket holder at one point.
All-Star experience This summer, San Antonio hosted the WNBA AllStar game and I could not resist covering it for our
sister paper, Laredo Morning Times. Taurasi, Hammon and Bird were there, players I had watched through their college careers. I was fortunate to interview all three of them and they were very down-to-earth, nothing like their NBA counterparts. That is what I love about the WNBA — the star athletes will stop and mingle with fans, sign a few autographs and pose for pictures. You don’t see Kobe or LeBron doing that, they always have an entourage with them — their bodyguards will not allow it. Even at the college level there are great players, and I take in a few Texas women’s basketball games a year. This past year, I was
BBALL Continued from Page 1B very successful for the team in district play and hopes to apply that to the Lady Bulldogs. “(If) we play our halfcourt press, hopefully, we control the game,” Garcia said. “It has gotten us this far, and we just need to execute our game plan.” The Lady Hawks will also rely on their inside presence with senior Shelby Bigler, who is averaging 18 points and 14 rebounds per game. Bigler will have to play big in the paint for Zapata to have any success in the game. The defensive unit, which consists of Kristian De Leon, Jackie Salinas, Rebecca Quintanilla and Aly Gutierrez, must be in full force Monday night to make sure the pressure half-court works to the team’s advantage and causes turnovers.
Hawks This is not by any means the season coach Juan Villarreal envisioned, but he
knew it was a possibility after he lost the entire starting line up from last year to graduation. The one thing the Hawks can take away from this season is the valuable court experience gained through the turbulent year. “(The players have gained) plenty of court experience, and … they realize that we can compete with the best teams in district,” Villarreal said. With the Hawks playing in a new district next year, only time will tell if it was the right move by the University Interscholastic League. “Not sure until we play our first district game,” Villarreal said about the new district. “The traveling is almost the same, so we are used to that.” The Hawks dropped a 5169 decision to Rio Grande City La Grulla on Tuesday night and have one more game to play to finish out the season. (Clara Sandoval can be reached at sandoval.clara@gmail.com)
Photo by Clara Sandoval | The Zapata Times
Zapata softball Coach Jaime Garcia goes over drills with catcher Michelle Arce in preparation for the coming season. The Hawks will kick things off with Hebbronville at 10 a.m. At noon, Rio Grande City and Hebbronville will square off. In the last game of the tri-scrimmage, Zapata and Rio Grande City will play at 2 p.m. In Zapata’s first scrimmage against Laredo United South, Alvarez saw a lot of good things from his team on the field, he said. “Our pitching and our defense really came through for us,” he said. “Each one of them pitched an inning and were consistently throwing strikes, but our hitting is not where we want it to be at this moment. It is early in the season and we are banking that it will come around soon.”
Lady Hawks The Lady Hawks scrimmaged Rio Grande City Monday and Coach Jaime Garcia came away satisfied with his team’s performance. “We were doing good and the girls were stepping it up,” he said. “We are playing some good defense so early in the season and that is what I like to see from this team.” Zapata put some runs up early in the game, which is the direction Garcia wants the team to head. “We managed to put up runs off some hits and off some aggressive base running, he said.” Garcia noted the play of Michelle Arce and Gaby Chapa at the plate.
TENNIS Continued from Page 1B
able to watch Baylor’s Britney Griner, who is on pace to be named the best female college basketball player. The Erwin Center was packed because the fans understood who Griner is and what she brings to the game, in addition to that love some UT fans have for the Lady Longhorns. Even if local female athletes do not have the opportunity to go to the games, there are always games on television. In the past, only the NCAA Division I basketball championship game was shown; nowadays, you can catch many games on ESPN or other channels, so there is no excuse. (Clara Sandoval can be reached at sandoval.clara@gmail.com)
lallen coach came over after the match and congratulated the boys on a great match. “If we can improve from here and close out matches when we have an opportunity, I really like our chances in district.” Also in boys’ doubles, Chris Davila and Jaime Tejada advanced to the quarters, where they ran into a tough San Benito team and lost 6-1, 6-1. In boys’ singles, Juniors Collin Moffet and Hector Leduc won their opening matches, but were both defeated in the round of 16. On the girls’ side, in the singles competition, sophomore Gabriella Alvarez advanced to the quarterfinals, where she ran into top seed Wheeler of Calal-
len. Also making her varsity debut and playing girls’ singles was Christina Martinez, who was downed by a Calallen player. “I was happy with the way Gaby played, but Wheeler has been to regionals in 4A for the last three years, and she is tough,” Alvarez said. “I had a couple of girls not able to go (to the tournament), so Christina went and gave it her best shot. We had some bad luck in the draw, but that’s the way it goes. The girls gained some valuable experience.” In girls’ doubles, the teams of Daniela Lopez and Jeanina Cabugos and Erica Gonzalez and Andie Medina ran into some
tough competition and dropped their opening sets. In mixed doubles, Tony Mendoza and Paola Jasso lost their opening match but advanced to the semis in the back draw, where they lost to a good Harlingen team. Zapata was scheduled to host a tennis tournament, but inclement weather pushed the tournament to March 30 and 31. The Hawks will get back to action at the Laredo Border Olympics Feb. 17 and 18. “This will be another tough tournament, but we are gaining experience and, I hope, getting better,” Alvarez said. (Clara Sandoval can be reached at sandoval.clara@gmail.com)
POWER LIFTING Continued from Page 1B place honors in the 97weight class, while Gina Rodriguez went home with fourth place. Jackie Salinas captured second place in the 105weight class, while Alexandra Garcia came in second in the 114-weight class. Crystal Navarro was fourth in the 123-weight class and Lily Cantu took home fifth place honors in the 132-weight class. Michelle Arce, who splits her time between the softball team and weight lifting, took home a gold medal in the 165-weight class. Alexis Garza came in fourth in the same category. Delany and Aileen Cooper came in second and fifth in the 148-weight class while Klarisa Salinas and Amanda Esquivel were first and third in the 181weight class to round out the Lady Hawks. On the boys side, Jorge Gutierrez came in third in the 242-weight class, while Francisco Moreno came in third in the 275-weight class to round out the
boys’ scoring.
Boys results 242-weight class 1. Victor Martinez-Martin 2. Ricky Martinez-United 3. Jorge Gutierrez-Zapata 4. Rolando Garza-Hebbronville 5. Christian Rosas-Alexander 275-weight class 1. Frank Villarreal-Martin 2. Arturo Velasquez-Roma 3. Francisco MorenoZapata 4. Jaime Cordova-Nixon 5. Gilbert Hernandez-Cigarroa
Girls Results 97-weight class 1. Angela Darnell-Zapata 2. Susana Valdez-Cigarroa 3. Alicia Guzman-Nixon 4. Gina Rodriguez-Za-
pata 5. Shelby Jenkins-Hebbronville 105-weight class 1. Amnada Salinas-Hebbronville 2. Jackie Garcia-Zapata 3. Alexis Soto-Bruni 4. Brandi Pineda-United South 114-weight class 1. Kassandra Muniz-Cigarroa 2. Alexandra GarciaZapata 3. Jennifer Sanchez-Nixon 4. Alyssa Fernandez-Cigarroa 5. Terry Pedraza-Martin 123-weight class 1. Elizabeth Cantu-Hebbronville 2. Yahida Galvan-Martin 3. Delisa Gonzalez-Hebbronville 4. Crystal Navarro-Zapata 5. Mariana Esparza-Cigarroa 132-weight class 1. Yesenia Carrera-Cigarroa 2. Samantha Pena-Hebbronville
3. Kayla Gonzalez-Hebbronville 4. Agusta Avila-Hebbronville 5. Lily Cantu-Zapata 148-weight class 1. Theresa Garcia-Hebbronville 2. Delany Cooper-Zapata 3. Amber Almeida-Nixon 4. Kristian BenavidezHebbronville 5. Aileen Cooper-Zapata 165-weight class 1. Michelle Arce-Zapata 2. Delicia Garza-Hebbronville 3. Alexis Garza-Zapata 4. Gabriela Banda-Cigarroa 5. Caryna Flores-Bruni 181-weight class 1. Klarisa Salinas-Zapata 2. Lora Gracia-Hebbronville 3. Amanda EsquivelZapata 4. Selena Gonzalez-United South (Clara Sandoval can be reached at sandoval.clara@gmail.com)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
HINTS | BY HELOISE Dear Heloise: A few months ago, while helping my dad with some things in the house, we could not figure out how to get CALCIUM DEPOSITS off the shower head in his bathroom. The water was barely flowing. He dismantled the shower head and soaked it in a bowl of vinegar. Within 30 minutes, it was perfectly clean and void of any blockage. My mother, who always used vinegar, and Heloise knew what they were doing! Our water is full of calcium and leaves showers and sinks spotted! I had tried expensive bathroom and tile cleaners. Nothing succeeded until I started pouring straight vinegar over the calcium buildup. (Heloise here: Do not pour on real marble.) Vinegar has become my cleaner of choice. I just wanted to thank you. — Sherry in New Braunfels, Texas Sherry, thank you for sharing how super vinegar is. Vinegar certainly is a workhorse around the home, and it is one of my favorite go-to cleaners! I have compiled a collection filled with money-saving and “green” vinegar hints. If you would like to receive one, please send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (65 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Fresh cola stains should come out of most washable fabrics after being sponged with white vinegar. Launder as usual. — Heloise PET PAL Dear Readers: Cathy in Madison, Maine, sent us a picture of Duckie, her 130pound mixed-breed dog, crashed out on the couch next to Zelda, a tortoise-colored cat. They look like best buddies! To see Duckie and Zelda, visit www.Heloise-
“
HELOISE
.com and click on “Pets.” — Heloise CAREFUL SHIPPING Dear Heloise: I would like to warn your readers regarding shipping valuable pictures. My mother moved across the country several years ago. To save space in the moving van, she sent her three children’s baby pictures (through high school) to her new address. The boxes never reached the intended destination. Hence, all the pictures were lost! — Sue in Rogers, Ark. Yikes! Sorry to hear about this, but thank you for writing to warn my readers. Better to carry precious personal items with you when you move. — Heloise TEST YOUR HINT IQ Dear Readers: What is the best way to put out a candle? A) Blow it out. B) Use a snuffer. C) Pinch the flame with your wet fingers. D) Push the wick into the wax with a metal blade. According to the National Candle Association, the safest way to extinguish a candle is to use a snuffer! If you said “B,” you would be correct! — Heloise WASHING STATION Dear Heloise: Put little pieces of hand soap into the toe of a sock that never has a mate, tie a knot, and you can do lots more scrubbing. — L.M. in Texas This is a classic Heloise hint. Also, you can drop the soap into an old pantyhose leg and hang by the water hose outside for outdoor washing. It’s perfect when camping or grilling. — Heloise
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Sports
4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012
Photo by Kamran Jebreili | AP
Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland plays a shot on the 13th hole during the second round of Dubai Desert Classic, Friday, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
McIlroy takes share of lead with Bjorn By MICHAEL CASEY Photo by Darren Abate | AP
The San Antonio Spurs’ Manu Ginobili, who missed a month of play due to a broken left hand, returns to the lineup when the Spurs face the New Jersey Nest, tonight.
Ginobili back in lineup By BRIAN MAHONEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Manu Ginobili will return to the San Antonio Spurs’ lineup on Saturday in New Jersey after missing more than a month with a broken left hand. Ginobili practiced Friday and will play against the Nets, though coach Gregg Popovich wasn’t sure if he would start and said his minutes would be “not many.” Ginobili said he was tired after the workout, agreeing with Popovich that he wasn’t in shape. “I don’t have great expectations for the first few games. I just want to con-
tribute, help a little bit, don’t change anything of what the team’s doing, just try to fit in again,” Ginobili said. “I think at the beginning I’m not going to play 30 minutes (but) come back slowly. I mean I wasn’t in great shape even before the surgery, so not going to be now.” Ginobili was hurt on Jan. 2 in the fifth game of the season when he reached in and fouled Minnesota’s Anthony Tolliver as Tolliver rose to shoot. It was believed Ginobili could miss as much as two months, but he’s been playing 1-on-1 and 2-on-2 in practice and said he’s been ready to return for a few
days. He was averaging 17.4 points when he was hurt, but the Spurs have been surprisingly fine without him. San Antonio has won six straight behind Tim Duncan, All-Star Tony Parker, and a solid group of young role players to pull into second place in the Western Conference. “I think the group has exceeded our expectations and mostly because Timmy’s been so steady, Tony’s played so well and the young kids, the bench guys, have outdone themselves,” Popovich said. Ginobili said he believed he was ready to go two games ago, but understood the doctor wanting
to wait until it had been at least four weeks after the surgery so the bone could heal. Plus, he recalled returning too quickly from a stress fracture in his ankle in 2008, so preferred being cautious this time. He said the hand is strong now, even allowing him to go for some steals Friday. And Popovich said there was no reason to wait, even with the team doing so well without Ginobili. “When Manu’s ready, you bring him back, so that made it easy,” Popovich said. “He’s Manu and when he’s ready to go, you don’t care if you’re winning, losing, it doesn’t matter. He’s coming back.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Rory McIlroy and Thomas Bjorn each shot 7-under 65 to share the lead Friday after the second round of the Dubai Desert Classic. McIlroy made seven birdies, including a 25-yard chip-in on No. 8. He overtook first-round leader Rafael Cabrera-Bello with a 13-under total of 131. “I was never really under pressure in any point of the round,” said McIlroy, the 2009 champion. “This was very stress-free golf; fairways most of the time, a lot of greens, and gave myself a lot of looks.” Bjorn closed with two birdies to tie McIlroy, finishing with five birdies on the back nine. Cabrera-Bello (69) was a shot behind the leaders. Fourth-ranked Martin Kaymer (67) made a holein-one on 16 to trail by two strokes. Third-ranked Lee
Westwood (65) birdied his last three holes to reach 10 under. McIlroy liked his improved driving after inconsistencies led to a secondplace finish at the Abu Dhabi Championship two weeks ago. “I’ve put that right for the most part and felt really confident off the tee,” said McIlroy, whose gallery included girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki. Bjorn, who beat Tiger Woods to win the tournament in 2001, started his charge on the ninth when he made three straight birdies and closed with another pair for a bogey-free 65. “I went out and played some solid stuff all day. I’ve done that for quite a long time,” Bjorn said. “I have just got to try and keep focused, keep going with what I am doing. I am not making too many big mistakes out there and that is the key to playing this golf course.”