TIGER WOODS SPEAKS PUBLICLY
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2010
FREE
TARNISHED GOLFER SPEAKS ON INFIDELITY, 1B
DELIVERED EVERY SATURDAY
TO 4,000 HOMES
A HEARST PUBLICATION
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
ECONOMY ZAPATA FAITHFUL OBSERVE LENT
Pumping in funds
ASH WEDNESDAY USHERS IN SEASON OF SACRIFICE By LORRAINE L RODRIGUEZ
Zapata County has received more than $3 million for community
THE ZAPATA TIMES
M
any people congregated on Ash Wednesday at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in observance of Lent. According to the Women of Faith and Family, “the penitential season of Lent is the period of 40 days, beginning on Ash Wednesday. It is a season of the church year that commemorates the forty days Jesus fasted and prayed in the wilderness before He began His public ministry of preaching for repentance. Six Sundays are within the season; the last, Passion Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week. Holy Thursday begins the Triduum (three days) before Easter day, which includes Good Friday and Holy Saturday.” Some parishioners asked themselves what they were going to give up for Lent this year as they received their ashes on their foreheads. For some, it is a tradition to give up the same thing for Lent every year; for others, it is beneficial to their health to sacrifice something they love to eat, such as sweets. According to Leticia Dominguez, the secretary of Our Lady of Lourdes, some adults will promise to attend church regularly or become more active in the ministry. Rogelio and Maria Gonzalez, who have been married for more than 27 years, traditionally sacrifice the same thing every year, they said.
See LENT PAGE 10A
By JOE RUTLAND THE ZAPATA TIMES
Photo by Ulysses S. Romero | The Zapata Times
Priest Agustine Escalante, ashes already on his forehead, gives a special Ash Wednesday sermon at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church on Ash Wednesday evening.
Zapata County was not left out in the cold when it came to receiving funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. More than $3 million was allocated toward improvements in education, law enforcement and community activities. These funds were secured through the work of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, who represents Zapata County within his 28th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Of these funds, $42,500 was earmarked for the Zapata Boys and Girls Club. Peggy Umphres Moffett, president of the Zapata County Economic Development Center, said from a true economic development perspective, “I think it’s sort of a jobless recovery.” “It’s something where some jobs are being created, but I really think it’s about job retention,” Umphres Moffett said. Last Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of President Barack Obama signing the Recovery Act into law. “When you look at the economic impact, the funding that Zapata County received
went to the Boys and Girls Club and much of that is focused on their mentoring programs,” she said. “So either they will preserve or create jobs and enhance those programs.” Umphres Moffett said the Webb County Independent School District also received funding that will support elementary and secondary education. “It will go toward improving teaching and learning for students at the risk of failing the state’s standard academic achievement tests,” she said. “So those could be positions either created or retained that would have been lost. That’s primarily for support staff, but it also could include counselors, teachers or aides.” Zapata County also picked up $15,000 for a juvenile probation program that it oversees. According to Recovery Act data, more than $634 million in funding has provided investments toward local infrastructure, transportation, education, health care, agriculture, energy and other community priorities in District 28. More than 274,000 families in District 28 benefited from the Making Work Pay Tax Credit provided by the act.
See ECONOMY PAGE 10A
CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
County museum delays opening doors By LORRAINE L. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata County Museum officials have postponed the opening of the museum until May, pending the hiring and observance of an independent architect. At the last Commissioners Court meeting, the Historical Commission committee requested an independent architect to be hired and observe the damaged foundation and report whether it can be repaired. Hildegardo Flores, Ph.D., heads the museum. He voiced his concerns about the apparent damages to the museum’s foundation. “The contractor claims they are hairline cracks,” Flores said. “They don’t look like hair-
“
The contractor claims they are hairline cracks.” HILDEGARDO FLORES, MUSEUM HEAD
line cracks to me.” According to Flores, the Historical Commission does not know the extent of the building’s damage, making it necessary to request a professional’s opinion. The concrete floor is showing cracks through the paint. According to PM2i Project Manager Adam Moore, when
concrete dries, it spreads and sometimes cracks — especially when plugs are added. “They had that in the original plans, and that’s how it’s going to stay,” Moore said. Flores also voiced his concern about the acoustics of the building. He believes that the museum will not be able to bring in more than two groups of children at a time because of a loud echo originating from a large room with high ceilings and a concrete floor. “Next, we will probably ask for the Commissioners … to allocate funds to possibly carpet the floors,” Flores said. “The carpet would help with the aesthetics and acoustics of the building.” (Lorraine L. Rodriguez may be reached at 728- 2557.)
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
Project manager Adam Moore, second from right, and construction company employees check out final details at the museum under construction in Zapata. The museum should be open in May, according to county officials.