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MEXICO
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Troops rescue 20 hostages in four cities
Fed round-up
THE ZAPATA TIMES
NUEVO LAREDO — A woman was injured in a crash resulting from a chase on city streets here Wednesday, while 20 people were rescued by soldiers Monday and Tuesday in continuing operations by the Mexican Army along the U.S.-Mexico border. Mexico’s national Depart-
ZAPATA COUNTY FAIR
Queen to be named Sunday
ment of Defense, known as SEDENA, issued a news release recounting the rescue of the 20 people in four Tamaulipas cities: Nuevo Laredo, Ciudad Mier, Ciudad Madero and Altamira. Soldiers rescued five men from a house at the intersection of Cesáreo García and Ignacio Treviño in Nuevo Laredo on
See MEXICO PAGE 12A
Hunt continues for suspected traffickers By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Federal authorities continued Operation Fallen Hero-Operation Bombardier on Friday in Webb and Zapata counties, sending a clear message to drug trafficking organizations that their actions will not be tolerated. Several raids were conducted in the area Thursday as part of a nationwide sweep that started Wednesday night. Authorities said it’s a “direct response” to the killing of ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata last week. ICE Special Agent Victor Avila also was wounded in the attack that occurred in San Luis Potosi, as the two men were traveling to Mex-
ico City. “This is personal,” Louie Garcia, deputy special agent with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told The Associated Press on Thursday. “We lost an agent, we lost a good agent. And we have to respond.” More than 200 people were arrested Thursday, and officials said at least $8 million in cash was confiscated along with millions in illegal drugs. Law enforcement agencies in Brazil, El Salvador, Panama, Colombia and Mexico also conducted sweeps in conjunction with the U.S. operation. There were no official details issued about the re-
IT’S HOG HEAVEN AT LIFE
By ERICA MATOS
Budget gets a going over By ERICA MATOS THE ZAPATA TIMES
INSIDE
See QUEEN PAGE 12A
EDUCATION
Trustees eye ways to cover a possible 26% loss of funds
THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata royalty will fill the Zapata High School auditorium Sunday for the annual crowning of the Zapata County Fair Queen. The 2011 queen event begins at 2 p.m. Four young women ENTERTAINMENT: are competing Fair to feature music for the honor by La Mafia, David of the crown Lee Garza, and Raand sash. món Ayala. Page 8A The contest for the crown has been a part of Zapata’s rich history for the past 34 years, having been initiated only a few years after the Zapata County Fair began. “As a matter of fact, some of the past queens have been daughters (of queens) … It’s a really nice experience,” said Marissa Moya, assistant to Zapata County Fair Queen organizer Paco Mendoza. This year’s contestants are Maryjo Sanchez, Jacy Clifton, Cassandra Gutierrez and Paola Jasso. Those competing have to be enrolled in high school to participate in the contest. Each candidate’s academic performance is taken into account; the winner must excel in all areas. At the contest, the women will first perform an opening number with last year’s queen, and then proceed to participate in a western wear competition, a talent competition and an evening wear competition. The candidates are judged on
See HUNT PAGE 12A
Photo by Danny Zaragoza | The Zapata Times
Esteban Alfaro tries to control two curious hogs at the 2011 LIFE Fair on Wednesday morning, in Laredo.
Zapata County ISD board members discussed possible options for what’s expected to be a tight budget for the 2011-12 school year at the board’s monthly meeting earlier this week. Board members considered a hiring freeze for this year in an effort to stem the growing concern over the state budget shortfall, which could mean losing millions of dollars in state aid. ZCISD Superintendent Norma Garcia, Ph.D., said board members are participating in workshops to determine the parameters of potential budget shortfalls locally. “At this time we are working with preliminary amounts and won’t know exact numbers until June,” Garcia said. Garcia confirmed three specific concerns: an anticipated 37 percent decline in property taxes, a possible state cut of $8.1 million, and a $5 million recapture, which requires the district, which is considered property wealthy, to contribute funding that is shared by property-poor districts. “This means that our overall budget cuts could be as much as 26.1 percent,” Garcia stated. “At this time we are putting together an exigency plan describing possible cut areas.”
See FUNDS PAGE 12A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, FEB. 26 The Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will show “Star Signs” at 5 p.m., “IBMX-Search for the Edge of the Solar System” at 6 p.m. and “Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon” at 7 p.m.. General admission is $5, $4 for children and TAMIU students, faculty, staff and alumni. Premium shows are $1 more. For upcoming events, call (956) 326-DOME. Texas A&M International University’s baseball team plays Newman University at 12 p.m. General admission tickets are $5, $3 for students, and free for anyone with a TAMIU I.D. For more information, call (956) 326-2891 or visit GoDustdevils.com. A one-day SAT workshop for high school students is from 7:45 a.m. to noon today in the DD Hachar Building at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Laredo Campus Extension, 1937 E. Bustamante St. It offers guidance and instruction on the verbal and mathematical sections of the SAT. The Texican CattleWomen will have a Beef Brisket Cook-off at noon today at LIFE Downs. Cash prizes will be awarded. There will be a limit of 25 teams. For more information or applications, e-mail the Texican CattleWomen at texicancattlewomen@gmail.com or call Jessica at the Walker Plaza, 5810 San Bernardo Ave., Suite 490, at 723-7151. A Silva Life Systems seminar will be held today and Sunday at 112 Del Court, Suite A. Diana Silva Mendez and Belinda Lozano of Silva International will be the instructors for this unique program for mind development and memory improvement. Call 1-800-5456463 or 956-722-6391 for additional information.
SUNDAY, FEB. 27 “College Goal Sunday” is a chance to get financial aid questions and concerns addressed, held at 2 p.m. at Texas A&M International University’s Pellegrino Hall, room 211. This event is free and open to the public. Parents and their students should bring 2010 tax returns and W2s. Assistance will be available in English and Spanish. Participants will also be eligible for a chance to win $250 for their college textbooks. For more information about College Goal Sunday, go to http://financialaid.tamu.edu/cgs. For more on financial aid at TAMIU, contact the Office of Financial Aid at (956) 326-2225, e-mail financialaid@tamiu.edu, click on tamiu.edu/affairs/financial or visit offices in the University Success Center 214. The Texas A&M International University 2010-2011 Organ Recital Series continues with organist Ken Cowan from 4-5:30 p.m. in the Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the Department for the Fine and Performing Arts at (956) 326-2654. For a list of upcoming fine arts events, call (956) 326-ARTS or visit tamiu.edu/ coas/fpa/coe. A Silva Life Systems seminar will be held today at 112 Del Court, Suite A. Diana Silva Mendez and Belinda Lozano of Silva International will be the instructors for this unique program for mind development and memory improvement. Call 1-800-545-6463 or 956-722-6391 for additional information.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Michael Paulsen/Houston Chronicle | AP
Emergency personnel respond to the location where a fire broke out at a day care operated by Jessica Tata, killing three children and injuring four others on Thursday in Houston.
Dad trying to cope By ANGELA K. BROWN AND JUAN A. LOZANO ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — The father of a toddler who was among three children killed and four injured in a Houston day care fire said Friday that he was in shock and trying to cope as investigations by fire and state licensing officials continued. “It’s something that we never expected to happen,” Emmanuel Kojah told The Associated Press from his home in Cypress, a Houston suburb. “It’s very difficult.” Kojah said he and his family had no idea how to plan a funeral for a baby, 20-monthold Elizabeth Kojah, and had not yet decided how to share the news with his 5-year-old daughter, who was staying with a friend. The fire apparently started in the kitchen of Jackie’s Child Care, which was operating out of a one-story Houston home. The smoke
was so thick firefighters had to use thermal imaging cameras to locate some of the youngsters trapped inside. They cradled the children in their arms as they carried them out and performed CPR on the tots in the yard or rushed them to ambulances on the crowded streets. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, which licenses day care centers, has started an investigation into several matters, such as whether the children were left alone at any point before the fire began and whether the number of preschool children in the home exceeded the state limit, spokeswoman Gwen Carter said. State regulations allow no more than six children under preschool age to be cared for in any 24-hour period in registered childcare homes. Preschool age is generally defined as 5 or younger, Carter said.
UT chancellor concerned over handgun proposal
Group pushes for tougher computer recycling rules
Scholarships offered for white males
AUSTIN — University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa said students, faculty and administrators worry that proposals to allow concealed handguns on Texas college campuses will make schools more dangerous. Cigarroa expressed his concerns to Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and state lawmakers in a letter dated Thursday.
AUSTIN — In 2010, manufacturers collected about 24 million pounds of computer equipment in Texas for reuse or recycling. But Texas Campaign for the Environment, an environmental group, says that more than 90 percent of the electronic waste collected in 2010 was collected by only four manufacturers.
SAN MARCOS — Colby Bohannan said that when he first applied to college, he found many scholarships for women and minorities, but none aimed at people like him: white men. “I felt excluded,” said Bohannan, a Texas State University student. So Bohannan and others formed the Former Majority Association for Equality — a San Marcos-based nonprofit group that is offering five $500 scholarships exclusively to white male students.
Former Dallas mayor enters Senate race AUSTIN, Texas — Former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert is running for the U. S. Senate. Leppert, who stepped down as mayor this week, announced Friday he had formed a federal committee to run for the seat currently held by longtime incumbent U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who says she is leaving office in 2012.
No discipline for CIA psychologist DALLAS — A state agency has dismissed a complaint against a psychologist who was a figure in the CIA’s post-Sept. 11 interrogation practices. Documents obtained Friday by The Associated Press show that the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists dismissed the complaint against Jim Mitchell at a meeting Feb. 10. The board said there was insufficient evidence to substantiate a violation of its rules.
Texas burglary suspect drives into bank lobby SAN MARCOS, Texas — A burglary suspect in Central Texas allegedly created his own drive-thru lane at a bank. San Marcos police say a man early Friday crashed his car into a closed Bank of America branch and then drove away. — Compiled from AP reports
TUESDAY, MARCH 1 Les Amis will have its monthly luncheon at 11:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn at 800 Garden St. The honoree is Alicia Zuñiga. The hostesses are Alicia V. Laurel, Irma Velasquez, Viola Gonzalez and Rebecca Martinez.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2 The Border Counseling Association will host “Prescription Drug Abuse: A Growing Trend in Today’s Youth” from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. today in the Teachers Credit Union, 7114 McPherson Road. Continuing education units will be offered for attendance. For more information, call Esther Limon at 286-7216.
THURSDAY, MARCH 3 Representatives from Laredo Community College’s financial aid department will answer questions on how to use financial aid while in college at the Cigarroa Science Building, Room 126, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. To submit an item for the calendar, send the name of the event, the date, time, location and contact phone number to editorial@lmtonline.com
AROUND THE NATION Phil Spector won’t appear in person at civil trial LOS ANGELES — Prison officials won’t allow music producer and convicted murderer Phil Spector to attend a civil trial in which he is trying to recoup $1 million paid to attorney Robert Shapiro, a lawyer told a judge on Friday. Spector will still be a witness in the case but will instead appear via a videotaped deposition. His attorney Michael Dempsey said he expects the footage to be shown near the conclusion of Spector’s civil case claiming breach of contract against Shapiro. Dempsey said at a pretrial hearing that he was advised by prison officials that his client would not be moved for the trial scheduled to begin March 7. Spector was convicted of the murder of actress Lana Clarkson and is serving a sentence of 19 years to life.
Today is Saturday, Feb. 26, the 57th day of 2011. There are 308 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Feb. 26, 1861, Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., received its initial funding from its namesake, businessman Matthew Vassar, who presented the newly formed Board of Trustees with more than $400,000 in securities. (Although created exclusively for women, Vassar went co-educational in 1969.) On this date: In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from exile on the Island of Elba. In 1870, an experimental airdriven subway, the Beach Pneumatic Transit, opened in New York City for public demonstrations. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure establishing Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. In 1929, President Calvin Coolidge signed a measure establishing Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. In 1940, the United States Air Defense Command was created. In 1945, a midnight curfew on night clubs, bars and other places of entertainment was set to go into effect across the nation. In 1952, Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that Britain had developed its own atomic bomb. In 1970, National Public Radio was incorporated. In 1987, the Tower Commission, which probed the IranContra affair, issued its report, which rebuked President Ronald Reagan for failing to control his national security staff. In 1993, a bomb built by Islamic extremists exploded in the parking garage of New York’s World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others. Ten years ago: A U.N. tribunal convicted a Bosnian Croat political leader (Dario Kordic) and a military commander (Mario Cerkez) of war crimes for ordering the systematic murder and persecution of Muslim civilians during the Bosnian war. Five years ago: On the final day of the Turin Winter Olympics, Sweden beat Finland 3-2 to win the men’s hockey gold. Germany finished first in overall medals with 29 and golds with eleven, while the Americans won 25 medals overall, nine of them gold. Drew Lachey leaped to victory with professional partner Cheryl Burke on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” One year ago: New York Gov. David Paterson announced he wouldn’t seek reelection amid a criminal investigation over his handling of a domestic violence complaint against a top aide. (Investigators found no evidence of witness tampering.) Today’s Birthdays: Singer Fats Domino is 83. Country-rock musician Paul Cotton (Poco) is 68. Singer Mitch Ryder is 66. Democratic National Chairman Tim Kaine is 53. Singer Erykah (EHR’-ih-kah) Badu is 40. Thought for Today: “Only the mediocrities of life hide behind the alibi ’in conference.’ The great of this earth are not only simple but accessible.” — Isaac Frederick Marcosson, American journalist (1876-1961).
CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Business Manager, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 324-1226 Chief Accountant, Thelma Aguero .............. 728-2553 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Retail Adv. Manager, Raul Cruz................... 728-2511 Classified Manager, Jesse Vicharreli ........... 728-2525 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Editor, Diana Fuentes ................................728-2581 City Editor, Mary Nell Sanchez .................. 728-2543 Sports Editor, Dennis Silva II......................728-2579 Business Journal Editor, Sean Bowlin.......... 728-2529 Entertainment Editor, Emilio Rábago III ....... 728-2564 Online Editor, Julie Daffern ....................... 728-2565 Photo by Charles Dharapak | AP
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, center, flanked by other governors, speaks to reporters outside the White House in Washington on Friday after Democratic governors met with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
Panel’s findings on oil spill to be delayed again NEW ORLEANS — A federal panel investigating the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil
spill won’t finish its final report by the anniversary of the disaster as it had hoped. Its final report was due in March. Instead, the panel now has until July. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 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
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
Zlocal
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High school to hold Financial Aid Night SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Guidance counselors at Zapata High School have scheduled Financial Aid Night on Monday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the high school library. The counselors, in conjunction with Laredo Community College and Texas A&M International University, will “ensure all students have the opportunity to apply and qualify for as much financial aid as possible,” according to a press release. Students should bring a parent to the session in order to complete the financial aid form, the press release states. Parents must bring proper 2010 tax documentation. Seniors will be given a form with the documentation required for complet-
ing the FAFSA.
Documents needed Documents needed include records of income earned in the year prior to when students will start higher education, including records of parents’ income information for a dependent student. For the 2011-2012 school year bring financial information from 2010. This information can include: Social Security card Driver’s license (if any) 2010 W-2 forms and other records of money earned A 2010 Federal Income Tax Return (and spouse’s, if married). IRS 1040, 1040A, 1040 EZ
Parents’ 2010 Federal Income Tax Return (for a dependent student) Your 2010 untaxed income records Current bank statements Current business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stock, bond and other investment records Alien registration or permanent resident card (if not a U.S. citizen). One can also present a foreign tax return, or a tax return for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federal States of Micronesia or Palau. To organize information, print and complete a FAFSA on the Web Worksheet before entering information online. However, one is
Three men arrested, jailed after PlayStation 3 found in car By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Three men were arrested and accused of plotting to break into a residence and steal a video game console early Monday in the 1000 block of Laredo Avenue. Jose Eduardo Barron, 19 and Juan Carlos Salinas, 21, were arrested and charged with burglary of a habitation and engaging in organized criminal activity. Deputies also arrested Angel Dagoberto Villarreal, 20, and charged him with engaging in organized criminal activity. The three men were taken to Zapata Regional Jail. Barron and Salinas were held in lieu of a combined bond of $70,000 each. Vil-
JOSE EDUARDO BARRON: Jailed in lieu of combined bond of $70,000. JUAN CARLOS SALINAS: Jailed in lieu of combined bond of $70,000. ANGEL DAGOBERTO VILLARREAL: Jailed in lieu of $40,000 bond. larreal had a bond of $40,000. Deputies responded to a burglary in progress call at 1:06 a.m. at a residence on Laredo Avenue. “Barron and Salinas went inside the residence while the victim was inside the residence,” said Sgt. Mario Elizondo.
“They forced upon the front door and took a PlayStation 3.” Deputies received information about the two men leaving the scene in a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am. Moments later, authorities patrolling the vicinity of Alamo Street and Bravo Avenue spotted a vehicle matching the description. Deputies pulled over the car and identified the men as Barron, Salinas and Villarreal. Elizondo said officials noticed the stolen PlayStation 3 in the back seat of the vehicle. All men were arrested and taken to the county jail. A PlayStation 3 could be worth up to $400. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
not required to do so. FAFSA on the Web guides one through the questions to be answered, and one can save an application and return
to it later. For more information contact the high school counselor’s office at 7650280.
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Zopinion
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
No more allies who are dictators A
n apocryphal story holds that Franklin Roosevelt once said of Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza, “He’s an S.O.B., but he’s our S.O.B.” Variations of this quote have also been attributed to Roosevelt with regard to Dominican strongman Rafael Trujillo and to CIA director Bill Casey describing Panamanian caudillo Manuel Noriega. While the history behind the purported statement is murky, the concept it animates isn’t. The world is populated with all sorts of unsavory leaders who sit atop governments of questionable legitimacy. When the free world was standing up against German Nazism or Soviet Communism, it was far better for the United States to have some influence on those governments than to have none at all. Jeanne Kirkpatrick, who became a foreign policy adviser to Ronald Reagan, formulated a Cold War doctrine around this notion. The totalitarian regimes of the Soviet bloc were brutally efficient at maintaining power, while the dictatorships the United States supported tended to ameliorate over time. In Latin America, Somoza, Trujillo and Noriega are all gone. Democratic governments of varying quality have succeeded them. Meanwhile, the Castro brothers maintain the iron grip of one-party rule in Cuba. There’s even an echo of the Kirkpatrick Doctrine today in the Middle East. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt departed their decades-long dominions with relatively little violence. Moammar Gadhafi is defending his 42-year dictatorship to the last bullet. What accounts for the difference? American aid and close ties between the U.S. military and the officer corps in Tunisia and Egypt made it possible for the United States to exert a moderating influence and prevent the Ben Ali and Mubarak regimes from turning their guns on the protesters. Gadhafi, with weapons from Russia and, pathetically, Western Euro-
pean nations, is bombing his own cities. Gadhafi is a bastard. Ben Ali and Mubarak were our bastards. But why, in 2011, does the United States have any bastards at all? Up through the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, a reasonable argument could be made that in foreign affairs the United States often had to choose unpalatably between the lesser of two evils. And as Kirkpatrick correctly surmised in countries as diverse as Chile, South Korea and the Philippines, American influence eventually encouraged those lesser authoritarian evils to evolve into greater democratic goods. Occasionally, today, that argument can be made to sound barely plausible in places such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. But in a global sense, there’s no threat to freedom and prosperity so great that it requires the United States — a nation founded on the principles of individual liberty and the consent of the governed — to sully itself with unquestioning support of absolute monarchs and tin-pot dictators. The events of the last month have demonstrated that the choice between stability and liberty is a false one. The real choice now for the United States is whether it will be a defender of bastard regimes in the Middle East and beyond or be an advocate for democratic change. Rarely in international relations do interests and principles perfectly align. They didn’t during World War II, when the United States had to sidle up to Josef Stalin — another murderous S.O.B. — to partly liberate Europe. They didn’t during the Cold War, when the United States temporized with dictators. Today, those interests and principles align pretty well. Brave democratic reformers from Benghazi to Beijing who peacefully challenge illegitimate tyrants should know the United States has an interest in seeing them succeed. The tyrants, friend or foe, should know that as a principle the United States will no longer suffer S.O.B.s.
EDITORIAL
Poor countries need food help NEW YORK TIMES
F
ood prices are soaring to record levels, threatening many developing countries with hunger and political instability. Food prices are now higher than their 2008 peak, driven by rising demand in developing countries and volatile weather, including drought in Russia and Ukraine and a dry spell in North China that threatens the crop of the world’s largest wheat producer. The World Bank says the spike has pushed 44 million people into poverty just since June. In 2008, 30 countries had food riots. That has not happened, at least not yet. Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, has benefited from improved agricul-
tural productivity. Misguided government policies could make matters worse. Some countries are stockpiling food. When India did that last year, food ended up rotting. Others are imposing agricultural export bans, which discourages investment in production. The Obama administration has pledged $3.5 billion to G-20, the world’s industrial nations. So far, it has delivered $66.6 million. It is now asking for $408 million for the fund — part of a $1.64 billion request for its Feed the Future initiative, which aims to bolster food production capabilities. This isn’t a question of charity. It is an issue of life or death for millions of people.
COLUMN
The challenge of filling a hole T
he 82nd Legislative Session was launched last month in the midst of a budget hole that’s almost three times larger than it’s ever been. Based on the state comptroller’s revenue estimate, Texas will have $15 billion less for the next biennium than the amount needed to uphold current state services. But because Texas grew by about a million residents in the last biennium, the number of Texans enrolled in public schools, in Medicaid and other entitlements also grew. When growth is included, the state is $26.8 billion short. And to make matters even worse, the current biennial budget lacks $4.3 billion to get the state through to the end of the fiscal year. That brings the tally to just over $31 billion.
How we got here The state’s budget hole is due in part to a recession that’s caused tax revenue to fall dramatically — a drop for 14 straight months. A “structural” deficit created in 2006 by cutting school property taxes while expanding the business tax is also to blame for the current shortfall. The newly structured business tax brings in $9 billion less than the property tax did. For as long as there have been taxes, there have been tax exemptions for everything under the kitchen sink.
Missing monies And every time an ex-
“
REP. RYAN GUILLEN
emption is passed — often — it represents millions — sometimes billions — in lost revenue to Texas. Yet another part of the shortfall can be attributed to using “one time” federal stimulus money to balance the previous budget. Had the shortfall been addressed without using “one time” dollars, the hole Texas finds itself in wouldn’t be so large. So there are two ways out of this predicament — massive cuts or new revenue.
Difficult choices Facing a $10 billion shortfall in 2003, the new Republican majority used cuts and fee hikes to balance the budget. According to Republican state leaders, the same cutting practices should be used again this session. But the cuts-only budget approach that they’ve proposed has enraged Democrats and alarmed Texans from across the state. The proposed cuts are so deep, they’ll adversely affect public education, public health, public safety and economic recovery in Texas.
Using savings One option to lower the shortfall is to use the $9.4 billion Rainy Day fund which was created to help weather tough fiscal times. Another is casino gambling, estimated to
raise $1 billion. But aside from the moral objections, there’s infighting among industry groups over which industry — racetracks or destination resort casinos — gets the leg-up in the lawmaking process. Estimated to raise $7 billion, some economists argue that a personal income tax is the only way to grow revenue over time. But if you ask any political observer, they’d probably say it’ll never happen in Texas. Other tax hikes that could be considered are a ½-cent sales tax increase, a 0.25 percent franchise tax hike, a ½-cent gas tax increase, a .59-cent cigarette tax increase, an Internet purchase sales tax, a 0.5 percent motor vehicle sales tax increase, a 1cent beer tax and a 1 percent soda tax to raise a combined $9 billion. Eliminating tax exemptions/discounts such as sales taxes on business/ professional services, high-cost-natural-gas exemption, optimal percentage homestead exemption, school property tax abatement, freeport property tax exemption, 10 percent property appraisal cap, sales tax timely filer/prepayment discount, sales tax holiday, ineffective tax exemptions, gas tax collection allowance and CAPCO tax credit would collectively raise $11.5 billion.
Political realities The fact is that Texas’ population is growing faster than its tax revenue — more than three times as fast over the past 10 years. And people living in pov-
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
erty — those who rely most on state services — grew twice as much as Texas’ population. But the most staggering statistic is that although Texas has grown by 20 percent in the last decade, spending has almost doubled. So even if this Legislature were to implement casino gambling, a state income tax and all the tax hikes I listed and eliminate all the fee exemptions listed above, Texas would still be short of the $31 billion needed to continue with business as usual. But Republican state leaders, who have a House supermajority, a Senate majority and every statewide office, have vowed to balance the budget through cuts without raiding the Rainy Day fund, without raising fees and without raising taxes — something they contend Texans endorsed when they swept the 2010 general elections last fall.
Promises My fellow Democrats and I understand these odds, but more importantly, we understand what’s at stake for the people we represent. And although I believe we must hold the line on spending and keep from overburdening taxpayers, I also believe we must do good by the commitments we’ve made and stand by the goals we have for Texas. And that cause is worth fighting for. But when you spend too much and raise too little, something’s gotta give. (State Rep. Ryan Guillen, D- Rio Grande City, represents Duval, Starr, Webb and Zapata counties.)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
Teen eyes mayor’s office in Lyford By ALLEN ESSEX VALLEY MORNING STAR
LYFORD — Jorge Isaac Torres not only runs on the Lyford High School Bulldogs track team, the 18-year-old also is running for mayor of his hometown. A very serious young man, Torres plans to build a career of public service, he said. Getting elected mayor would be a steppingstone toward his goal of someday being governor of Texas, he said. Although he’s in his senior year of high school, he’s also a college student through a dual enrollment program, Torres said. “It’s a big head start,” he said of the chance to take college speech and government classes in high school. Whether he’s elected mayor or not, more college is in his plans, he said. “If I win, I’ll go to the University of Texas-Pan American. If I lose, I’ll go to Texas A&M University Kingsville,” he said. He also plans to eventually go to law school. The idea of running for mayor of Lyford occurred to him last summer when he went to Texas Boys’ State, Torres said. “They were getting us prepared to be volunteers, to serve in our community,” he said. “They made us run for political office,” he said of mock elections at Boys’ State. “I ran for attorney general,” he said. The Texas Election Code allows someone 18 years old or older to run for office in a Class A General Law city such as Lyford, a spokesman for the Texas Secretary of State’s office said. Home rule cities such as Harlingen or Brownsville require candidates to be at least 21, the Texas Election Code states. If elected, Torres will serve a two-year term as mayor of the town of 2,611 people. He said he plans to work closely with the police department to improve safety and security, he said. Most crime comes from expressway traffic, but so would prosperity, he said. “My parents are very supportive and they think it’s a big step,” he said. But no one in his family has ever run for elected office. “I’ll be the first,” he said. “It’s straight from the heart.”
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
Last crew all experienced space fliers By MARCIA DUNN ASSOCIATED PRESS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The six astronauts on Discovery’s final flight are making space shuttle history. One never expected to be on board. Astronaut Stephen Bowen was added to the crew just last month, replacing lead spacewalker Timothy Kopra, who was hurt in a bicycle wreck. There’s never been a shuttle crew shake-up so close to flight. Kopra helped train him for spacewalks at the International Space Station. “We’re all disappointed that he’s not going to be here,” said commander Steven Lindsey. ——— Commander Steven Lindsey admits it’s “really cool” being the last person to skipper Discovery. At the same time, it will be sad when it comes time for him to call “wheels stop” at the end of the flight. He quickly ticks off all of Discovery’s accomplishments: returning the shuttle fleet to flight following two disasters, delivering observatories, traveling to
the space station. ——— Pilot Eric Boe considers his life part science fiction. “I look at the space shuttle and to me, there’s nothing cooler from a science fiction perspective than to see real science fiction,” he said. The 46-year-old Air Force colonel would like nothing more than to fly whatever spacecraft replaces the shuttle. ——— Navy Capt. Stephen Bowen is closing out his space shuttle-flying career with an extra mission. NASA tapped Bowen to fill in for the mission’s lead spacewalker, Timothy Kopra, who had to bow out following a bicycle wreck near his Houston-area home in mid-January. Bowen was a natural choice: He’d flown to the space station on the previous shuttle mission and performed two spacewalks. ——— Benjamin Alvin “Al” Drew Jr. can remember wanting to be a pilot as young as 4. He was 51/2 when he asked his father whether it
was a better career move to become a pilot or an astronaut. “I didn’t want to give up either of them,” he recalled. The elder Drew advised his son to become a pilot since most astronauts were pilots. ——— Dr. Michael Barratt never thought he’d ride on the space shuttle before the program ended. So he tossed his shuttle training notes into the recycling bin before leaving for Russia in 2009 to hitch a ride on a Soyuz rocket to the space station. What a mistake. He was exercising at the space station when he learned he’d be returning to orbit. He’ll operate the robot arm. ——— Nicole Stott learned via e-mail that she was getting one more shuttle ride. She was at the space station in 2009 when her bosses informed her that she’d been assigned to Discovery’s last flight. She immediately called husband Christopher, even though it was 2 in the morning. “Are you willing to go for this kind of thing?” she asked. He was all for it.
Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA | AP
Members of NASA’s management watch the launch of space shuttle Discovery from the firing room at Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
UT chancellor mulls handgun proposal By JIM VERTUNO ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa said students, faculty and administrators worry that proposals to allow concealed handguns on Texas college campuses will make schools more dangerous.
Cigarroa expressed his concerns to Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and state lawmakers in a letter dated Thursday. The Legislature is considering bills that would allow anyone with a concealed handgun license, which would include some students, faculty and staff, to carry
their weapons into campus buildings. “I would be remiss in my duties as chancellor of the state’s largest university system, if I did not convey my concerns regarding this issue,” Cigarroa wrote. The UT system has nine university campuses and several more health science and medical school facilities.
Texas enacted its concealed handgun law in 1995, allowing people 21 or older to carry weapons if they pass a training course and a background check. Businesses, schools and churches can set rules banning guns on their on their premises. On campuses, guns are prohibited in buildings, dorms and cer-
tain grounds around them. The state had 461,724 license holders as of Dec. 31. Texas has become a battleground for a movement to prevent schools from banning concealed weapons. The Senate passed a bill in 2009, and more than half the members of the House have signed on to a similar bill this year.
Deputies responded to an incident call at 10:10 a.m. Feb. 19 in the 200 block of Matamoros Avenue in San Ygnacio. The complainant told deputies that she found
two pounds of marijuana, worth $885, inside a room she rented out to some people. The Zapata County Sheriff’s Office has an open investigation of the case.
THE BLOTTER BURGLARY Alejandro Gutierrez-Garza, 27, was arrested and charged with burglary of a habitation and theft at about 5:45 p.m. Feb. 20 in the 1500 block of Zapata Avenue. Deputies took him to the Zapata Regional Jail, where he was held in lieu of $40,000 combined bond.
Deputies responded to a burglary call at 10:14 a.m. Tuesday at a ranch located in the vicinity of Third and Carla streets, where the victim told deputies that someone burglarized a trailer and stole 10 small boxes of .22-caliber ammunition. A burglary of a habitation was reported at 9:28 a.m. Tuesday
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MARIJUANA
SABÁDO 26 DE FEBRERO DE 2011
Agenda en Breve SÁBADO 26 DE FEBRERO LAREDO — El equipo de béisbol de TAMIU recibe a Newman University a las 12 p.m. Boleto de entrada a 5 dólares. LAREDO — Pase la tarde en el Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU y explore “Star Signs” a las 5 p.m., “IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System” a las 6 p.m., y Pink Floyd’s ”Dark Side of the Moon” a las 7 p.m. Entrada general es de 5 dólares. NUEVO LAREDO — Rudy García ofrecerá un Taller de Fotografía Digital Urbana Artística hoy de 11:30 a.m. a 12:30 p.m. para personas mayores de 15 años con cámara propia en Maquila Creativa, Espacio de Artes y Oficios, Eva Sámano 1501, Colonia 20 de Noviembre. Más información en photos.n.designs@gmail.com NUEVO LAREDO — El Museo Para niños presenta Grupo de Teatro Ambulante (percusión y teatro) en la Sala de Servicios Educativos del Museo Reyes Meza del Centro Cultural Nuevo Laredo a las 4 p.m. Entrada libre. SAN ANTONIO — Dentro del Ciclo de Cine Mexicano se presenta “Escuela de Música” (español con subtítulos en inglés) con las actuaciones de Pedro Infante y Libertad Lamarque, a las 5 p.m. en el Auditorio del Instituto Cultural de México, 600 Hemisfair Park. Reserve su espacio a (210) 227 0123.
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 7A
SEDENA REPORTA RESULTADOS POR OPERATIVOS
CULTURA
Liberan a 20
Invitan a Muestra de cine en capital
2,633 kilogramos.
TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Entre el 21 y 22 de febrero, elementos de la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (Sedena) aseguraron casi tres toneladas de marihuana y liberaron a 20 personas en operativos llevados a cabo en Tamaulipas. Además de incautar vehículos, armas, granadas, municiones, chalecos antibalas y fornituras. A continuación los reportes de prensa emitidos por Sedena al respecto:
Ciudad Mier El 21 de febrero fueron agredidos con disparos de arma de fuego “por integrantes de la delincuencia organizada”. Al repeler la agresión aseguraron ocho armas largas, un aditamento lanza granadas, 37 cargadores, 700 cartuchos de diferentes calibres y un cañón ametrallador calibre .30”. Posteriormente, en el rancho El Troncón, se logró la liberación de dos personas. También fueron asegurados dos vehículos, dos armas largas, 30 cargadores y 1,260 cartuchos de diferentes calibres.
Camargo El 21 de febrero en la población de López y Nuevo Caudillo fue localizado un depósito subterráneo cubierto con tierra entre la vegetación y en el interior 461 paquetes de marihuana con un peso aproximado de
las de 30 MG. de Clobenzorex, 82 pastillas de tlamina clorhidrato, nueve ampolletas de hematina de 10 M.L., 700 pesos y una mochila; El 22 de febrero, tras responder a denuncia ciudadana en la colonia Adriana González de Madero, 0se logró la liberación de 12 personas y el aseguramiento de dos armas largas, 239 cartuchos 2.23 y 12 cargadores para cartuchos 2.23.
Nuevo Laredo El 21 de febrero sobre Boulevard Colosio y el Río Bravo, a la altura del Parque Industrial Finsa, fueron localizados ocultos entre la maleza ocho paquetes de marihuana con un peso aproximado de 238.4 kilogramos. Ese mismo día, en recorrido por calle Ignacio Treviño y Cesáreo García, de la colonia 150 Aniversario, se logró la liberación de cinco personas y aseguró dos vehículos, una granada de mano, cuatro armas largas, 56 cargadores, 1,005 cartuchos de diferentes calibres, dos chalecos antibala y seis fornituras.
Noreste del estado El 21 Feb. 2011 en Matamoros, personal militar aseguró un tractocamión con una cisterna con capacidad de 42,000 Lts. conteniendo aproximadamente 8,000 litros de gasolina, una cisterna con capacidad de 30,000 Lts. conteniendo aproximadamente 27,000 litros de gasolina, una cisterna con capacidad de 30,000 Lts. conteniendo aproximadamente 27,000 litros de gasolina y dos vehículos; y, en un puesto de control en la Garita del kilómetro 26 carretera federal Reynosa-San Fernando y en coordinación con los agentes aduanales se logró la detención de dos personas y el aseguramiento de un vehículo, 77,020 dólares americanos y 2.190 pesos. De estos hechos las autoridades correspondientes dieron fe de la liberación de 20 presuntos secuestrados y de la detención de dos personas, quedando a su disposición lo asegurado, a fin de que se integre la averiguación previa respectiva.
Altamira Tras denuncia ciudadana, fue liberada una persona en una casa ubicada por calle Violeta de la colonia Luis Donaldo Colosio. Díaz Ordaz El 21 de febrero en el poblado El Azúcar, personal militar localizó enterrado cubierto con una manta cuatro armas largas, 47 cargadores y 1,222 cartuchos de diferentes calibres.
Sur del estado El 21 de febrero, en Ciudad Victoria, fueron aseguradas 12 dosis de marihuana, 140 capsu-
Presentarán 20 cintas del 5 al 24 de marzo TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
CIUDAD VICTORIA, México — Todo está listo para que del 5 al 24 de marzo se realice la 52 Muestra Internacional de Cine en esta ciudad. El Gobierno de Tamaulipas, a través del Instituto Tamaulipeco para la Cultura y las Artes (ITCA), lanzó una invitación a los amantes del séptimo arte para que acudan a la muestra de cine que se realizará en la Cineteca del Centro Cultural Tamaulipas. La Directora del ITCA, Libertad García Cabriales, dijo que dando continuidad a los acuerdos interinstitucionales como el que existe con la Cineteca Nacional, se presentarán filmes nacionales e internacionales. “Algunos países participantes son España, Portugal, Canadá, Bélgica, Corea del Sur, Francia e Italia”, dijo García. “En total serán 20 películas que los asistentes a la Cineteca podrán apreciar”. En ella se podrán apreciar filmes de diversas épocas, como la película mexicana “Los Olvidados” de Luis Buñuel, hasta producciones más recientes de diversos cineastas y coproducciones de grandes directores. Los géneros también son variados, pero todos con temáticas importantes en el mundo actual. Las películas se presentarán a las 7 p.m. Previamente, el jueves 3 de marzo habrá una sesión informativa con los medios de comunicación para dar mayores detalles de la muestra.
DEPORTES
DOMINGO 27 DE FEBRERO LAREDO — En la Serie de Recitales de Órgano 2010-2011 hoy se presenta el organista Ken Cowan a las 4 p.m. en el Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall de TAMIU. El evento es gratuito y abierto al público en general. LAREDO — Juego de Hockey, los Laredo Bucks reciben a Arizona Sundogs a las 4 p.m. en Laredo Energy Arena. AUSTIN: Fox Elipsus se presenta hoy en Borders Books (Basse Rd.) a las 7 p.m. El evento es gratuito. Elipsus presentará su disco “The Road”.
MARTES 1 DE MARZO LAREDO — Fox Elipsus se presenta hoy en Fuddruckers, 711 Hillside Road, a las 7 p.m. El evento es gratuito. Elipsus presentará su disco “The Road”. LAREDO — Juego de Hockey, los Laredo Bucks reciben a Allen Americans a las 7 p.m. en Laredo Energy Arena.
MIÉRCOLES 2 DE MARZO LAREDO — La Border Counseling Association invita al evento “Prescription Drug Abuse: A Growing Trend in Today’s Youth” a partir de las 6 p.m. en el Teachers Credit Union, 7114 McPherson Road. MCALLEN: Fox Elipsus se presenta hoy en Starbucks a las 7 p.m. El evento es gratuito. Elipsus presentará su disco “The Road”.
JUEVES 3 DE MARZO NUEVO LAREDO — Hoy a las 8 p.m. se presenta la obra “Papá Querido” en el Teatro Lucio Blanco de Casa de la Cultura. Otras funciones el 10, 17, 24 y 31 de marzo.
VIERNES 4 DE MARZO NUEVO LAREDO — Hoy se presenta la obra “Más pequeños que el Guggenheim” en el Teatro del IMSS a las 8 p.m. Entrada general 50 pesos. Estudiantes al 2x1.
— Compilado por Tiempo de Laredo
UT REALIZA EVENTO ESTATAL Se reúnen en Nuevo Laredo 300 deportistas TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
E
n Nuevo Laredo, más de 300 deportistas de Tamaulipas participaron esta semana en el XII Encuentro Regional Deportivo Cultural de las Universidades Tecnológicas Nuevo Laredo 2011, en el Gimnasio de la Nueva Ciudad Deportiva. En busca de adjudicarse la Copa UT, el 23 de febrero inició la la justa cultural y deportiva, con la participación de atletas, estudiantes de las UT de Altamira, Matamoros, Reynosa, Escobedo y la anfitriona, Universidad Tecnológica de Nuevo Laredo. “El béisbol es similar a lo que vivimos en nuestras vidas, el juego no se acaba hasta que se acaba”, dijo en el mensaje inaugural el Presidente Muncipal Benjamín Galván Gómez. “Por eso hay que hacer el mejor de los esfuerzos”. Agregó que el fútbol no sólo cuenta el delantero que mete goles, también se debe tener un buen portero para atajar los problemas.
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Nuevo Laredo
El Presidente Municipal de Nuevo Laredo Benjamín Galván Gómez sonríe junto con estudiantes de Universidades Tecnológicas de todo Tamaulipas.
US Tae Kwon Do Open El victorense Romualdo Andrés Salazar Dragustinovis se coronó campeón de la categoría junior (14-17 años) en el Abierto Norteamericano de Taekwondo (US Open) celebrado en Austin, Texas. Salazar, actual campeón nacional y medallista de oro de la Olimpiada 2010, se alzó con el título de
la división Fly (48 kilogramos) tras vencer en la primera ronda al estadounidense Jonas Miguel Tabut por marcador de 1-0 para avanzar a octavos de final, donde enfrentó al también estadounidense Gennaro Couma, al que venció por 4-1. En la ronda de los cuartos de final venció al noruego Joakim Ellingsen por 13 puntos a 1 para ac-
ceder a la semifinal, donde derrotó a Martin Hoang, de Dinamarca por 6-0. La gran final fue ante el mexicano Daniel Gómez, a quien venció por 6-1 para quedarse con el campeonato. Fue un evento oficial para la Federación Mexicana de Taekwondo.Esta fue una competencia de preparación en el marco de la Olimpiada Nacional 2011.
TAMAULIPAS
Esperan modernizar transporte ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
CIUDAD VICTORIA, México — El Gobierno de Tamaulipas, a través de la Subsecretaría del Transporte Público, inició una serie de acercamientos con dependencias federales e instituciones financieras nacionales para tratar de conseguir recursos que permitan la modernización del transporte público en Tamaulipas. En representación del Secretario de Desarrollo Urbano y Medio Ambiente, Homero de la Garza Ta-
mez, el Subsecretario del Transporte, Ramiro Ramos Salinas, se reunió en la Ciudad de México con funcionarios del Fondo Nacional de Infraestructura (FONADIN). “Estamos buscando abrir las oportunidades de financiamiento para que los concesionarios puedan renovar sus unidades. Además buscamos recursos que nos permitan desarrollar proyectos a mediano y largo plazo que den como resultado un transporte público más eficiente y competitivo”, dijo Ramos.
El Subsecretario del Transporte Público entregó a Francisco Quiñones y a Carlos Mier y Terán, representantes del FONADIN, la carta de intención para iniciar el camino hacia créditos federales para mejorar el transporte de Tamaulipas. Indicó que al menos una empresa privada está interesada en ofrecer créditos para la compra de unidades a los concesionarios y en el corto plazo se espera que otras empresas envíen sus propuestas de financiamiento.
Tamaulipas busca instituciones que deseen invertir en la modernización del transporte público.
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
PAGE 8A
Zentertainment
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
Are you ready for the Fair? Zapata County Fair begins Thursday; Concerts feature La Mafia, Ramón Ayala By EMILIO RÁBAGO III THE ZAPATA TIMES
“The Biggest Little Town Fair in Texas” returns next Saturday and the entertainment lineup will feature some of the best regional and Tejano bands. The Zapata County Fair opens with the tradional trail ride, annual fajita cookoff and the ABKC-sanctioned Pitbull exhibit next Saturday at the Zapata County Fair Grounds. The prelude events attract hundreds of people from as far away as Austin, Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley. The breakfast trail ride begins at 7 a.m. Saturday, followed by the trail ride that starts at the Bustamante Roping Arena. At noon, the doors open for the fajita cookoff and dog show. Music begins at 2 p.m. with the South Texas Drifters Country Band. An awards presentation is set for 3:30 p.m. The Zapata County Fair will feature, of course, a variety of foods, fun and mu-
sic, plus the carnival — fun for the entire family. On Thursday, March 10, the fair continues with the judging for rabbits, steers, goats and lambs and the judging of arts, crafts, and photography, followed by a battle of the bands from 7 p.m. to midnight.
Big weekend Friday’s events will feature street dances by Zapata school groups beginning at 4 p.m. A street concert begins at 5 p.m. with Grupo Kalibre followed by Grupo Nexxo. Popular band La Costumbre plays at 7 p.m., and will be followed by the “Tight Jean” contest at 8:30 p.m. Music picks up at 9 p.m. with the Hometown Boys. Houston’s La Mafia closes out Friday’s entertainment with a set from 10:30 p.m. to midnight. The biggest day is Saturday, which starts with the Zapata County Parade at 10 a.m.; roping and folkloric dancing at 1 p.m.; a livestock auction at 4 p.m.; and
Ramon Ayala, a legendary figure in the norteño/regional genre, will headline at the Fair’s. He plays Saturday, March 12 at 11:30 p.m. San Antonio Express-News file photos
a jalapeño eating contest at 7:30 p.m. Street concerts are planned and will feature music by the firstplace winner of the battle of the bands at 5 p.m., Grupo Retonio at 6 p.m., Los Zamorales at 8 p.m., David Lee Garza y Los Musicales at 10 p.m. and legendary accordionist Ramón Ayala from 11:30 to 1 a.m. For more information, visit www.zapatacountyfaironline.com. (Emilio Rábago III may be reached at 728-2564 or erabago@lmtonline.com)
Learn to salsa from pros By EMILIO RÁBAGO III THE ZAPATA TIMES
Put on your best dancing shoes and hit the floor this weekend for “The Art of Salsa” — a hip-swaying, toetapping, learning experience in the art of Latin dance. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn from a master how to handle the seductive moves that those Miamistyle beats and rhythms demand. “The Art of Salsa” dancing workshop takes place Saturday at Paseo Real, 2335 Endeavor, near the Laredo Energy Arena. The event will feature a special instructor — Jorjet Alcocer, who is known in the dancing world as the “Salsa MVP” for her versatility on the floor. She teaches most Latin genres, including bachata, merengue and cha-cha as well as salsa, among others. The workshop begins at 1 p.m. with a special Zumba workout as a warmup and ends at 4 p.m. Zumba is a relatively new style of working out while dancing and
having fun, Elizondo said. Paty de Leon will lead the Zumba portion. Joel Cotton is the workshop’s director; Elizondo is assisting. Elizondo’s interest in salsa began when she was 15. She started as Cotton’s student, then became his dancing partner and has now graduated to instructor. “It’s fun. It’s a stress reliever,” said Elizondo, who has been honing her skills for
three years. “It gets you out of your usual routine. It’s fun. It’s excitement, it’s something different.” People interested in learning “The Art of Salsa” can sign up for $40 by calling Elizondo at 235-1186 or paying at the door. At night, the group plans to have a social event. (Emilio Rábago III may be reached at 728-2564 or erabago@lmtonline.com)
Latin Grammy award winning La Mafia headlines Friday’s entertainment, with a concert from 10:30 p.m. to midnight. Tickets to both nights are available at the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce, 601 N. US-83.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
International
Three relatives of slain activist found dead
3 young girls playing at home killed by gunfire
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — Mexican police on Friday discovered the bodies of three people related to a human rights activist who was killed last year in the volatile northern border state of Chihuahua. The bodies of a sister and a brother of Josefina Reyes and her sister-in-law were found in the desert outside Guadalupe Distrito Bravos, southeast of Ciudad Juarez, said Carlos Gonzalez, spokesman for the state prosecutor’s office. The three had been missing since Feb. 7, when witnesses reported that armed men forced the trio from a vehicle. The bodies of Maria Magdalena Reyes Salazar, Elias Reyes Salazar and his wife, Luisa Ornelas, were found with messages alluding to organized crime, according to Gonzalez, who did not immediately release details. The discovery led surviving relatives to demand justice, urging Mexican President Felipe Calderon to act with the same determination used to pursue the killers of Jaime Zapata, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who was fatally shot in northern Mexico on Feb. 15. The Mexican army on Wednesday detained alleged drug trafficker Julian Zapata Espinoza and two other men in connection with the shooting, which also wounded another ICE agent, Victor Avila. “Just as they have solved the crime against Zapata, I want them to solve the crime against my siblings,” Claudia Reyes, a sister of the victims, told reporters at a protest site set up in front of the Senate in Mexico City. The family said they will continue to protest for justice despite concern for their safety. Congresswoman Leticia Quezada, an opposition party member who sat with the family during the news conference, said Calderon and other officials would be held responsible “if anything else happens to the Reyes Salazar family.” Josefina Reyes was slain a year ago in Ciudad Juarez. She had led protests against alleged abuses by Mexican soldiers here. Last August, unknown assailants killed her brother Ruben. Earlier this month, the home of Reyes’ mother, Sara Salazar, was set on fire while she was protesting the crimes against her family. “The Reyes Salazar family, since the death of Josefina in 2010, has been the victim of a brutal harassment, partly by the state and partly by criminality,” a spokesman for the family, Adrian Fuentes, told MVS Radio. “The demand for justice will not stop.” The Reyes family’s case has led organizations such as Amnesty International to urge Mexico to protect the safety of human rights activists. Ciudad Juarez has been the scene of bloody drug cartel turf battles that have killed more than 6,000 people the past two years.
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico — Gunmen opened fire on six children playing in the yard of a home in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, killing three girls aged 12, 14 and 15, prosecutors said Thursday. Three other children in the yard were not hit by the bullets in the Wednesday attack. Some were as young as 8. Ciudad Juarez, in northern Chihuahua state across the border from El Paso, has been the scene of bloody drug cartel turf battles that have killed more than 6,000 people the past two years. In several instances, youths have been killed just because they were in the same home as the gunmen’s intended targets. The Chihuahua state prosecutors’ office said in a statement that the gunmen in the Wednesday attack were apparently targeting the father of two of the dead girls in a dispute that may have involved low-level drug dealing. Two of the dead girls were sisters, and the third victim was their friend. Mexico’s human rights commission said it had launched an investigation into the shootings. Three other youths, whose ages ranged from 13 to 15, were wounded in a shooting attack in Ciudad Juarez on a vehicle. State prosecutors said three adults in the vehicle were killed in that attack. Also Thursday, gunmen killed the head of a state police agency that prosecutes car thieves in the western state of Jalisco. The Jalisco attorney general’s office said Jesus Quirarte Ruvalcaba and his wife, Maria Guadalupe Aldrete Rosales, were killed in the city of Zapopan, just north of the state capital of Guadalajara. Quirarte, 51, and Aldrete, 49, were traveling in a state-owned Dodge Ram, apparently en route to their jobs, when gunmen fired on them.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
Image by Francisco Gasco/Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History | AP
This life restoration by Francisco Gasco provided Feb. 23 by the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History shows adult and juvenile Brontomerus Mcintoshi.
Photo by Rodolfo Gonzalez/Austin American-Statesman | AP
In this Feb. 11 photo, Joe Worsham poses for a portrait with his dogs, Major and Ana, in his kennel at his home in Georgetown. Worsham spent three years in Iraq and Afghanistan working with his dogs to search for the bodies of fallen soldiers.
Dogs on a mission Texas handler helps military find fallen soldiers By MIGUEL LISCANO AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN
GEORGETOWN — Major usually barks when he’s sniffed out what he looking for. Ana scratches and claws at the ground. And for most of the past three years, these Belgian Malinois braved sandstorms and the occasional threat of sniper fire with Joe Worsham, a Georgetown dog trainer hired to search for the bodies of fallen soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan for the U.S. military. Worsham, a former real estate broker with no military or law enforcement background, has trained dogs in some form for most of his life, learning the skill from his grandfather as a boy growing up in the Dallas area. In 2008, his work helping law enforcement agencies search for bodies in homicide investigations led to him becoming one of three handlers of human remains detection dogs in Iraq and Afghanistan. He stayed for three years — taking only two 30-day breaks — after he realized the importance of the work, he said. “When you live that for three years and see what they’ve sacrificed, it becomes a lot more personal,” Worsham said. “It’s about bringing an individual home that has paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.”
A few months ago, Worsham returned to his home on 8 acres in a rural part of Georgetown. His dogs are back in their kennels when they’re not in training or searching for tennis balls in the tall grass on his land. Worsham, who graduated from college with a degree in industrial arts, followed the real estate boom to Georgetown around 1983. Eventually, he opened his own real estate business and also became a homebuilder. At the same time, Worsham took what he’d learned from his grandfather and trained English pointers for hunting and competitions, he said. Then, about 13 years ago, Worsham said, he saw a TV program about cadaver dogs and was hooked. Worsham said he read everything he could find about training cadaver dogs, then tried to train a couple of dogs, using a powder that mimics the odor of decomposed human remains. After a couple of misfires, he said, he pestered local law enforcement dog trainers into allowing him to work with them during training to gain more experience. Eventually, Worsham’s dogs were good enough to help law enforcement agencies search for human remains. Worsham has been called to sites across the state, traveling on his own dime to search for bodies and test the limits of his dogs. “I was interested in two things: (first) in the hunt, to see if my K-9
could accomplish what I had trained him to do,” Worsham said. “The second was to possibly give some closure to a family.” He said he also liked the idea of helping put a bad guy in jail, even though he doesn’t follow cases through the court system and sometimes isn’t told who he’s looking for. Worsham said he received a call in 2008 from Florida-based American K-9 Detection Services, a company that had landed a contract with the military to provide human remains detection dogs and handlers in Iraq. “I thought it would be interesting,” he said. “I thought there was an opportunity there to get paid while I did something that I had a strong passion for.” Worsham’s son, Brian, said he wasn’t surprised his father decided to head to Iraq. “He’s always been an outdoorsman,” Brian Worsham said. “He’s been around weapons and knows how to take care of himself.” Worsham said he and the other handlers were stationed at Camp Victory outside Baghdad. Typically, a mission began after the military had received intelligence that a person’s body might be in a certain location, he said. When Worsham was picked for a mission, he and Major, who spent two years overseas, headed out with a platoon, typically under cover of darkness, to search an area, he said.
Bones of 26 dinosaurs coming to Houston By ALLAN TURNER HOUSTON CHRONICLE
HOUSTON — With hip bones connected to thigh bones and leg bones connected to ankle bones, the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s planned football field-size paleontology hall — part of an $85 million expansion set to open in summer 2012 — is an odds-on favorite to become the liveliest boneyard in town. Denizens of the hall will include favorites such as the menacing Tyrannosaurus rex, the 42-foot-long, 7½ -ton Cretaceous period predator, and the birdlike reptile, Quetzalcoatlus northropi, whose skin-covered wings reached a span in excess of 30 feet. All told, the hall will feature 26 dinosaurs among 61 major mounted skeletons, assistant paleontology director David Temple said. Those exhibits will be complemented by smaller skeletons, a veritable petrified forest, fossils and artistic renderings of prehistoric animals in action. While the Houston museum’s collection may not rival that of New York’s American Museum of Natural History, said museum director Joel Bartsch, its presentation arguably will be the nation’s most dynamic. “This will not be old school,” he said. “We’re not renovating a historic space on the classic idea of displaying skeletons in a row. We’re building a new structure. It will have 21st century interactivity.” One of the nation’s most popular science museums with approximately half a million school kids passing through its galleries annually, the museum will meld academics with enter-
Trilobites, ammonites and other invertebrate marine animals will be clustered around video viewing stations screening animated recreations of the ancient creatures scurrying across the ocean floor. tainment in an effort to convey how the hall’s ancient occupants lived and died. “All the mounts will be in action,” Bartsch said. “Everything will be chasing something; everything will be eating something.” Bartsch said the 200,000square-foot addition, the seventh expansion of the 102-year-old museum since its current facility opened in the 1960s, will roughly double exhibition space and triple classroom space. The four-story building will include galleries to accommodate traveling exhibits. Faced with severe space limitations in its current building, the science museum has held much of its collection out of sight in storage. With the new hall’s opening, the public for the first time will see the bulk of the museum’s 130-specimen Herb and Joan Zuhl petrified wood collection. Prehistoric skeletons will be hauled from storage to join new acquisitions such as “Willie,” a nearly complete Dimetrodon loomisiskeleton currently being excavated by the museum in Texas’ Permian Basin. A fearsome Permian period carnivore, the sail-backed animal lived between 280265 million years ago. New, too, will be a remarkably well-preserved Triceratops, a three-horned
plant-eating dinosaur that lived about 65 million years ago. The specimen is a double rarity, Temple said. “You see a lot of skulls,” he said, but only occasionally is a complete animal found. Fossils, including a 100plus-specimen trilobite collection, also will be displayed. Trilobites, ammonites and other invertebrate marine animals will be clustered around video viewing stations screening animated recreations of the ancient creatures scurrying across the ocean floor. Museum officials described the new paleontology hall as a “paleo safari,” but Temple called it a “fight club.” The realistic juxtapositioning of the animals — many poised to eat or be eaten by their display mates — will be the new hall’s defining characteristic. Typical of the displays — augmented by dozens of artistic renderings of prehistoric life — will be the skeletal remains of a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex attempting to raid a Quetzalcoaltus nest. In a diorama accompanying the display, the T rex has succeeded in munching an egg. But, confronted by several of the Late Cretaceous pterosaurs, its ultimate success is anything but assured.
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
MEXICO Continued from Page 1A Monday. “We (Mexican Army soldiers) were patrolling through Colonia 150 Aniversario when we noticed men running from the scene,” the release states. The five men were found blindfolded and tied up. No arrests were made, but soldiers confiscated several rifles, two vehicles, loaders and 1,005 rounds of 2.23-caliber ammunition. Farther south, at El Troncón in Ciudad Mier, two people were freed from an undisclosed location. Soldiers confiscated several assault weapons, two vehicles, 30 loaders and 1,260 rounds of ammunition. A citizen report led to the release of another kidnap victim in the Colonia Luis Donaldo Colosio in Altamira. Yet another anonymous
FUNDS
citizen report received Tuesday resulted in the discovery of 12 people being held blindfolded and tied up at a house in the Adriana Gonzalez neighborhood in Ciudad Madero, south of Tamaulipas. In other action, soldiers confronted several groups of armed men in separate incidents in Ciudad Victoria, Camargo, Altamira and Diaz Ordaz on Monday. The result was the seizure of nearly 3 tons of marijuana, seven vehicles, 20 assault weapons, 3,166 rounds of ammunition, 183 loaders and an unspecified amount of cash in U.S. dollars and Mexican pesos. In addition, soldiers recovered about 16,300 gallons of gasoline. “The gasoline was found inside a tank, and it’s be-
lieve that it was extracted illegally,” the release states. “They were committing a federal crime.” As for the woman who was injured, that occurred while federal officers were chasing a pickup believed to be headed toward Hospital General to break out a patient under federal guard. At the intersection of Leandro Valle and Avenida Perú, at about 10 a.m. Wednesday, the pickup ran a stop sign and broadsided another pickup, in which the woman was riding. Officials said two armed men were in the pickup that was being pursued; one man was injured in the crash and another made good his escape on foot. The woman and the suspect were taken to the hospital, where they were treat-
HITCHING RIDES TO WORK
Continued from Page 1A According to a report from Moak, Casey and Associates, ZCISD could lose between $4.9 million and $8.5 million each year during the 2012-13 biennium and up to 15 percent of funds — worrisome figures for Zapata. Moak, Casey and Associates concluded in their report that the best case scenario projects a 7 to 8 percent loss of funds. State Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, has said he is preparing an analysis of how exactly school districts in the counties he represents, including Zapata, will be affected. Garcia could not be reached for comment regarding the proposed hiring freeze or other topics discussed at Tuesday’s school board meeting. (To reach Erica Matos, call 728-2567 or e-mail ematos@lmtonline.com)
Photo by Rafiq Maqbool | AP
Commuters change trains as they travel to work in Mumbai, India, on Friday. Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced incentives for states with low accident rates in her railway budget for 2011-12 presented Friday,
HUNT
ed. Their conditions were not known. A federal source agreed to speak about the incident on the condition that he not be identified. “It’s believed that they were trying to rescue an injured man who has been in the hospital for several days under federal guard,” the source said. After the crash, more federal agents were seen patrolling the streets near the hospital. The gunbattle and subsequent wreck caused bystanders to scurry for cover. “I don’t know what happened,” said a street food vendor near the hospital. “We just heard gunshots and everyone ran to hide. We saw blue trucks and men dressed in black or blue. On their backs were
the words, ‘Policia Federal.’” Other witnesses said that after the gunshots came the sound of screeching tires, then more gunshots. “I saw the wreck — it made an impression,” said a woman standing near the hospital at the time. “They were coming very fast. There was shooting, and (I) tried to hide inside the doorway of a house.” After the wreck, two helicopters were seen hovering over the neighborhood. They appeared to belong to the Mexican Army, witnesses said. At the hospital on Wednesday, a security guard said no one would be allowed to enter. Calls to Hospital General’s administration had not been returned as of Friday.
QUEEN Continued from Page 1A poise and originality. Lastly, the candidates are each asked to answer an impromptu question. The Zapata County Fair Queen will attend a social gathering immediately following the crowning. “There will be a social at the Holiday Restaurant for the winner, for the board of directors and people that are involved with the fair and the parents,” Moya said. Tickets to the pageant are available for $10, presale only. For more information, call Moya at 8476222. The queen event moves the community one step closer to the big event: the trail ride begins at 7 a.m. on March 5 with livestock moving into the fairgrounds on Thursday, March 10. Baking judging will be Friday morning, March 11, with street dancing and other events at the fairgrounds Friday night. The big parade is scheduled for Saturday, March 12, kicking off a
full day of fair events and street dancing. “There is much to see and do during this (three)-weekend fair,” wrote Rosendo “Lupe” Canales, fair president, in a welcome letter on the fair’s website. “And most importantly — don’t forget, there’ll be plenty of your favorite fair foods!” Fair program books are available in restaurants and convenience stores in Freer, Hebbronville, Zapata, Roma and Laredo and at the Zapata Chambers of Commerce office. (To reach Erica Matos, call 728-2567 or e-mail ematos@lmtonline.com)
Continued from Page 1A sults of the sweeps in Zapata and Webb counties, but sources familiar with the investigation who asked not to be identified said at least two were conducted in San Ygnacio and several residences in Zapata were visited by federal agents. No arrests were reported in Zapata County. In Webb County, raids occurred in the Mines Road area and along Guadalupe Street in Laredo, yielding arrests and marijuana seizures. No names were released and no other information was available Friday. “All it is, is harassing the Zeta members,” the source said. “All places are places where Zeta associates live.” Sources say the participating agencies executing the operation were the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and the Drug Enforcement Administration, accompanied by local authorities. Federal authorities said the operation is not retaliation, but a coordinated effort to show that Zapata will not be forgotten. Mexico’s national Department of Defense announced the arrest of half a dozen suspects in the attack on the ICE agents; Mexican authorities say Zetas were responsible for the deadly assault on the agents.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
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Sports&Outdoors MLB
VETERAN HUNTER Astros outfielder a model of stability ASSOCIATED PRESS
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Hustling between drills in his high socks and tight cap, Hunter Pence gives the young Houston Astros an old-school look. And that works just fine for the 27-year-old right fielder, who has become a model of stability during four major league seasons. He has put up remarkably similar statistics in each of his three full seasons, including exactly 25 home runs in three straight years. Fresh from winning a $6.9 million salary in arbitration, Pence has become a leader by example. “I don’t use any numbers as standards or goals,” he said. “Baseball is a daily basis thing, it’s a process. To me it’s a long, focused effort and ultimately there are no individual numbers that can accomplish what I want to accomplish. That’s to be a part of a winning team. Ultimately if you’re winning, then everyone’s going to prosper.” Even on a team that used 11 rookies last season, Pence is somewhat reluctant to think of himself as a leader. He said bringing teammates “together” is just one of his duties. Manager Brad Mills calls him a treat. “That leadership comes from how he plays the game more than anything else, and that will probably increase with each year,” Mills said.
Photo by Charlie Riedel | AP
Texas Rangers players run while participating in spring trainingon Friday in Surprise, Ariz.
Below the Beltre Rangers’ baseman out with right calf strain By STEPHEN HAWKINS ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by David J. Phillip | AP
Houston Astros right fielder Hunter Pence throws during a spring training workout on Feb. 16 in Kissimmee, Fla. Pence was “very relieved” to have his arbitration matter settled Saturday. “I came (to camp) early, but that’s basically like your offseason program because they can’t have it organized. You hit
a little bit, you work out,” he said Thursday. “When everyone comes together is when you can really get into it. Baseball is a team sport so you start getting that team stuff going on.”
SURPRISE, Ariz. — New Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre will miss at least the first week of spring training games, and likely more after that, because of a bothersome right calf strain. The Rangers want to be cautious with their key offseason acquisition after an MRI showed an overstretching muscle but no tear. Beltre had never had any issues with his calf.
“I think we’re handling this in a very responsible and conservative matter considering where we are in the spring and the nature of who the player is,” assistant general manager Thad Levine said Friday. Levine said Beltre wouldn’t play in a game for at least 10-14 days, though the third baseman is expected to be ready for the regular season opener April 1 against Boston. The spring training opener is Sunday.
See BELTRE PAGE 2B
Adams sheds weight on way to stardom By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLLEGE STATION — As a junior college center, Danielle Adams was unstoppable. She punished opponents inside, took Jefferson College to the JUCO national title game in 2009 and won player of the year honors along the way. Despite that success, very few Division I schools showed interest in her. The reason, according to the Texas A&M star, was simple: her weight. It’s a touchy topic in women’s basketball, one that’s rarely talked about. For example, men’s college basketball rosters list player weights, while women’s rosters almost never do. Adams? She loves to tell people about the 40 pounds she’s lost and the success she’s had since slimming down. The 6-foot-1 center, who weighed more than 280 pounds when she came to Texas A&M, has gone from being a good player on the fifth-ranked team in the nation to one of the top players in the country this year. "I don’t mind talking about it because I’ve been through so much," she said. "Just to lose it has been an honor to me." While struggling to shed the weight and build endurance last season, she played just 23.4 minutes a game, but still averaged 16.3 points and was named the Big 12 newcomer of the year. Now she’s playing almost 30 minutes and averaging a Big 12-best 23.3 points. She’s the only player to be named Big 12 player of the week four times, scored a school-record 40 points in a win over Kansas and was recently named to the Naismith midseason list of the top 30 women’s basketball players in the nation. She was always a punishing physical presence inside, but now that she can play longer she has improved on defense and has been a factor in A&M’s transition game. Adams has been so dominant this season that Oklahoma State coach Kurt Budke said he considered limiting her to just 24 points against his
Photo by Lynne Sladky | AP
Miami athletic director Kirby Hocutt discusses the firing of the school’s head football coach during a news conference in Coral Gables, Fla., on Nov 28. 2010. Hocutt has resigned as Miami’s athletic director to take the same job at Texas Tech.
Texas Tech finds new Athletics Director By TIM REYNOLDS ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Jon Eilts | AP
Texas A&M’s Danielle Adams (23) goes to the basket over Texas Tech defender Monique Smalls (23) during the first half of a basketball game on Tuesday in College Station. team a "good night." Texas A&M coach Gary Blair knows her weight loss has been one of the biggest factors in her improvement this season. "I just think you’re looking at one of the all-time best players to play here," he said. Adams isn’t sensitive about her weight, but admits that the lack of interest she received coming out of junior college stung a bit. She used it as motivation. "Most people thought that I wasn’t going to lose the weight or that I was too big to get
See A&M PAGE 2B
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Kirby Hocutt resigned as Miami’s athletic director to take the same job at Texas Tech, barely two months after hiring a new football coach and speaking about his desire to see the Hurricanes chase national prominence in all sports. Hocutt told Miami officials of the decision Friday. University President Donna Shalala announced the move in a one-paragraph statement, doing so even before Texas Tech officials or Hocutt himself chose to make the decision public. “I am deeply disappointed,” Shalala said. Texas Tech later said shortly after Shalala released her statement that it has an “agreement in principle” with Hocutt, noting that some small details still need to be worked out. At Texas Tech, he’ll replace the retiring Gerald
Myers. Hocutt, 38, was at Miami for 21/2 years, and has been considered one of the rising administrators in college athletics. He was selected last year as part of the “40 Under 40” top sports executives by SportsBusiness Journal. “We are excited about the future of our athletics program and look forward to his leadership,” Texas Tech President Dr. Guy Bailey said in a release. “This is a great day for Texas Tech athletics.” For Hocutt, it’s a chance to return to his roots. He’s a Texas native, still has family there, worked at Oklahoma and played college football at Kansas State — both conference rivals of the Red Raiders. He was approached by officials from Kansas to discuss their athletic director opening several weeks ago, turning down those overtures. On Feb. 12, Hocutt told The Associat-
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Zscores
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
Photo by Darron Cummings | AP Photo by K.C. Alfred/San Diego Union-Tribune | AP
Texas Christian wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, left, and Fresno State wide receiver Jamel Hamler walk to interviews during the scouting combine in Indianapolis on Friday.
San Diego State students have been camping out for days to get tickets to the SDSU-BYU game that is on Saturday.
QBs on the block at NFL combine
SDSU amped for revenge By BERNIE WILSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN DIEGO — Saturday’s Top 10 showdown between BYU and San Diego State won’t begin until “The Show” begins. Minutes before the 11 a.m. PST tipoff, on cue from SDSU running back Ronnie Hillman, a few thousand students will begin chanting “I believe that we will win” while jumping up and down in a sort of vertical mosh pit stretching from the front row behind the east baseline to the top row of Viejas Arena. There will be a gecko, a Spider-Man, an elf, a 12-year-old kid dressed as a banana — his dad’s a booster — and others in wacky costumes. They’ll continue making noise of some sort during the nationally televised game, until the No. 6 Aztecs have either gained revenge for their only loss or
been foiled again by Jimmer Fredette and the No. 7 Cougars. The 27-1 record and No. 6 ranking aren’t the only indications that Steve Fisher’s once-lowly Aztecs have hit the big time in college basketball. Conveniently located near the visitors’ bench, the ever-expanding student section has given the Aztecs a formidable homecourt advantage in the 12,414-seat arena, which has been sold out for most of this breakout season. The Aztecs have gone 13-0 while feeding off “The Show.” Opposing coaches have lauded it. Fredette has noticed it before. While school officials keep their fingers crossed that “The Show” won’t push the limits of decency, as some felt it did last year against BYU, the noise could be earsplitting on Saturday. “I don’t know if the an-
ticipation can get any bigger than it already is,” said sixth-year senior Matt Bishop, one of the core members of “The Show.” Bishop recalls past seasons when he could buy a ticket 15 minutes before tipoff and still get a frontrow seat. This week, he had to camp out overnight to get tickets, just like the rest of the students did. That was supposed to be something that went on at Duke and other blue blood basketball schools, not at SDSU. But that’s how hot of a ticket the Aztecs have become. “It’s a really good problem to have. We love it. It’s awesome,” Bishop said. “We’re not a Pac-10 school and we don’t have that much basketball tradition. We’re just living the moment.” After games, SDSU players walk over to high-five students. “’The Show’ is, to me,
the best student section I’ve seen in college basketball,” senior forward Malcolm Thomas said. “If we’re not executing, they just cheer and give us all sorts of energy. I know they’re hyped for this game, and they’ll help a lot.” Last year, as Cougars fans began chanting “BYU! BYU!” at the end of a 71-69 win over the Aztecs, some in the SDSU student section responded with chants of “You’re still Mormon!” SDSU officials felt that was out-of-bounds. Earlier this week, Fisher sent an e-mail to students, asking them to keep it classy and not cross the line by making fun of someone else’s religion. “A lot of that comes from 30 rows out,” Bishop said. “It’s tough to regulate what a drunk frat boy starts chanting. We don’t participate in that. We try to regulate that.”
TECH Continued from Page 1B ed Press that he was “not a candidate” at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders persisted, and eventually, things changed. “As a former student-athlete and administrator, I am very familiar with the Big 12 Conference and look forward to returning to my home state of Texas,” Hocutt said in a statement released by Texas Tech. Texas Tech formally presented Hocutt an offer earlier this week. Hocutt flew back to South Florida on Thursday, and told some staff of his decision — which he said to have anguished over — on Friday. “We did everything we could to convince him to stay, but in the end it was an intensely personal decision,” Shalala said. “I thank Kirby for his integrity, leadership, and dedication to the university.” Shalala’s statement did not discuss how the Hurricanes will search for a new athletic director, specify if an interim will be chosen or how long the university expects to spend on that process. However, some names are
INDIANAPOLIS — Much of the buzz at the NFL Combine has surrounded Auburn quarterback Cam Newton’s unusual decision to perform the complete battery of workouts this weekend. Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert isn’t conceding anything to him. Newton won the Heisman Trophy and a national championship, then declared himself eligible for the NFL draft a year early. Gabbert said he, Washington’s Jake Locker and Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett all are competing with Newton to be the first quarterback chosen. Gabbert, who will wait until his pro day on March 17 to throw, said he expects the battle among the top quarterback
prospects to continue until the late April draft no matter how well Newton performs at the combine. “He may move up on the draft boards in your eyes, but I’m still going to go out and have a great pro day and still work my tail off,” Gabbert said. “Nobody knows what’s going to happen until draft day.” Gabbert said he’ll have a formal interview with the Carolina Panthers, who have the No. 1 pick, on Saturday. Aware that there were questions about his mechanics and ability to thrive in a pro-style system, Newton worked out for the media earlier this month in San Diego. Now, in his quest to prove he’s the best quarterback available, he’s putting his reputation on the line again at the combine.
A&M Continued from Page 1B
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We are excited about the future of our athletics program and look forward to his leadership,” TEXAS TECH
PRESIDENT DR. GUY BAILEY circulating as possible candidates for the job, including Florida Atlantic’s Craig Angelos and Western Kentucky’s Ross Bjork, who was Miami’s Associate Athletic Director for External Operations from 2003 through 2005. Shalala said Hocutt had “a very successful tenure,” but the move comes at a curious time for Miami. Hocutt made the decision in late November to fire football coach Randy Shannon, then led the search that resulted in the hiring two weeks later of Al Golden — who will ultimately report to someone else before he coaches his first game for the Hurricanes. Hocutt also said this month that men’s basketball coach Frank Haith was safe for
By CLIFF BRUNT ASSOCIATED PRESS
the 2011-12 season. Haith would be owed $3 million for the final two years of his deal, and for a private university without deep athletic pockets like Miami, that’s a colossal sum — especially on top of the money Shannon is owed for the final four years of his now-ended contract. Hocutt also helped secure the largest gift in Miami’s athletic history late last year, a $5 million donation from the Ted & Todd Schwartz Family Foundation to help provide a new academic center for members of Hurricane sports teams, a larger sports medicine facility, a new football locker room and a gallery of champions. Texas Tech has not said when Hocutt will be formally introduced.
up and down the floor," she said. "I just knew I had something to prove to everybody and A&M believed in me so I knew I had to give it my all. So that’s what I did. I just wanted to prove to the country that I could lose the weight." Adams lost weight in a healthy way, working with a nutritionist to develop an eating plan and the team’s strength and conditioning coach to identify workouts best suited to her body type. Blair is quick to point out that he didn’t get involved in Adams’ weight loss plan, leaving it to the nutritionist and strength and conditioning coach to emphasize the benefits of looking and feeling healthy. "So generally I don’t have to be the bad guy," he said. Toni Torres-McGehee, an athletic trainer and professor at South Carolina who has done research on body image and eating disorders in athletes, said it’s crucial that those who advise athletes about their weight have the proper qualifications and experience.
"You can’t just go off weight," she said. "You have to look at their body composition. You have to look at a lot of other factors that tie into why they may or may not be gaining or losing the weight. You really need somebody with expertise to make ... healthy recommendations for any particular athlete." South Carolina is working on a policy that says conversations about weight must go through the athletic trainer. Torres-McGehee said most of the department already follows that policy. "Everything that we do and things that we recommend, we always do it for a health purpose or a medical purpose," she said. "We implement what is called a medical weight management program just so it doesn’t lead to any more detrimental issues such as disordered eating or body dissatisfaction or depression or any of these other things for these athletes." Texas Tech coach Kristy Curry said her program follows a similar policy. Curry said there are over-
weight players — and those who don’t weigh enough. "When you talk about weight, you’re talking about players that maybe need to drop some weight, but we’re just as concerned on the other end of things as far as making sure that our kids have enough fuel every day, enough nutrients, that they’re doing things the right way," Curry said. "Just healthy, smart-eating habits and right sleep habits." Arkansas coach Tom Collen said he leaves weight issues to a nutritionist, and is very careful about being sensitive when speaking to his players about anything related to weight. "I think it’s a touchy thing with women in particular," he said. "I think the day and age we live in right now, as a coach, you make the observations and then you present those things to your strength coach and to your nutritionist and you let them deal with them for that reason."
BELTRE Continued from Page 1B “Nobody wants to be hurt, especially coming into spring training. But you want to look at the positive side, it’s better to happen now than the season,” Beltre said. “Now is enough time to get healthy 100 percent and be ready to break camp healthy 100 percent.” Beltre got a guaranteed $80 million, five-year contract last month that also includes a vesting option for a sixth year and $16 million more. That free agent signing prompted the Rangers to make six-time All-Star Michael Young, who played third base the last two seasons, their primary designated hitter and
utility infielder. Young was away from camp for the second day on Friday tending to a personal family matter, but was expected back Saturday. Manager Ron Washington said he isn’t planning for Young to be the everyday third baseman during Beltre’s absence. “I’m still going to move (Young) around down here in the spring,” Washington said. “We have to get him versatile because we expect Beltre to be ready opening day. So Michael is going to play third, he’s going to play at second, he’s going to play at first, going to DH.” Beltre said he initially
felt discomfort in his calf after working out on a treadmill at home about a week before reporting to spring training. “I didn’t feel a tweak, didn’t feel anything unusual,” Beltre said. “It started feeling sore after I was running.” The Rangers held him out of running drills and an intrasquad game this week. Beltre had the MRI on Thursday after feeling more pain while taking groundballs. “When it first happened, it was nothing serious. I was able to do everything else but running,” Beltre said. “Taking groundballs, it started being back to the
first time it happened. It was sore.” Levine said doctors determined Beltre has a grade 1 strain, the mildest kind. Beltre insisted he could still hit and play catch. He said he would do what he felt comfortable doing and increase his activity as he feels better. Levine said the Rangers want Beltre to take it easy over the weekend. Washington said there is plenty of time for Beltre to get ready for the start of the regular season. “We’ve had the conversation with Adrian to make him understand that the finish line is,” Washington
said. “The finish line is April 1, not Feb. 25.” In the Rangers’ second intrasquad game Friday, Chris Davis played third base for the lineup made up of the expected starters. Davis also was in that role Thursday. Beltre, a two-time Gold Glove winner, hit .321 with 28 homers, 102 RBIs and 49 doubles in 154 games last year in his only season with Boston and was an All-Star for the first time in his 13-season career. He became a free agent after turning down a $10 million player option. In 1,835 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers (199804), Seattle (2005-09) and
Boston, Beltre is a .275 career hitter. Since playing 77 games as a 19-year-old rookie, Beltre has averaged 147 games per season. Young last month requested a trade from the Rangers, who tried unsuccessfully to accommodate his request even though they preferred keeping him in his new role. Young reported to camp on time and said he was ready to prepare for the season, a comforting fact for Washington. “Without a doubt, without a doubt,” Washington said. “That’s our depth right now, that’s why we have all the versatility we have.”
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
HINTS BY | HELOISE Dear Readers: Friendly dogs are just that, and UNFRIENDLY DOGS can bite! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 4 million dog bites are reported annually. Many of these bites require medical care or even reconstructive surgery. Sadly, children 5 to 9 years old are at the highest risk! What can you do to teach your children about dogs, their behavior and the fact that some bite? If a dog growls or doesn’t seem nice, it probably isn’t. When children come in contact with strange dogs, here are some safety hints they should know and follow. Teach them these hints, and practice and stress these points every so often: Don’t walk right up to or try to pet a strange dog, even if it is tied up. Don’t stare directly into a strange dog’s eyes -- this could mean a challenge to the dog. If a strange dog comes toward you, stay still! Don’t move, yell or run. This seems counter to your instinct, but it’s what the experts say. The dog may think that you are prey or that it’s a game if you move. * Teach young children that if a dog bites them, they should tell an adult what happened and what the dog looks like ASAP. Talk to your children about good and bad dogs, and good and not-good behavior, so hopefully they
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HELOISE
won’t be bitten. -- Heloise A BALL FOR BO Dear Heloise: I have a miniature rat terrier named Bo, and he has lots and lots of energy. He loves to play with balls; the larger children’s plastic ones are his favorite. He herds a ball around the backyard because the balls are bigger than he is, and when the ball would get lodged against the steps or the fence, he would bite at the ball trying to move it, and the ball would pop. We went through several plastic balls, until I thought of a basketball. We bought him one, and he likes it as well as the others, and best of all, he can’t pop it. Well, not so far! -- K.M. in Texas BEST PET Dear Readers: When getting a pet, research carefully the kind that you’re interested in. Each pet has pluses and minuses. For example, dogs are great companions, but there are different exercise requirements among breeds. Labs, golden retrievers and border collies require a lot of exercise. Pugs, Pekingese, and Chihuahuas need little. Most cats are independent, don’t play fetch, and most likely won’t want to go for a run! -- Heloise
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4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
Lockout one week away NFLPA hopes deal gets done before CBA expires By MICHAEL MAROT ASSOCIATED PRESS
INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL Players Association doesn’t want a lockout. It wants a deal. On Friday, union executive director DeMaurice Smith and four of the league’s most prominent agents put on a unified front at the league’s annual scouting combine. The hope is the union and the NFL can agree on a new collective bargaining agreement before the current one expires next week. If they can’t, a lockout could begin next Friday. “We want a deal and our hope is it will get done as quickly as possible,” Smith said before entering the afternoon session of a daylong meeting with player agents. When asked to characterize the last seven days of negotiations with a federal mediator, Smith declined to answer. He said “thanks” and briskly walked away. Both sides have abided by mediator George Cohen’s request to keep quiet about negotiations, even as the league and union have spent the past two days going over contingency plans and possible lockout rules. The union took the unusual step of putting Tom Condon, Ben Dogra, Drew Rosenhaus and Joel Segal side-by-side in a show of support for the players. The agents represent some of the league’s biggest names, including brothers Peyton and Eli Manning, Michael Vick, Drew Brees and Terrell Owens. “The agents are unified. We are 100 percent behind Dee Smith and my clients are 100 percent behind Dee Smith,” Rosenhaus said. “He’s doing everything he can to get a fair deal with
Photo by Ross D. Franklin | AP
Driver Trevor Bayne, middle, winner of the Daytona 500 last week, talks about his practice lap wreck with the garage crew, as other crew members move quickly to get another car ready during practice in preparation for a NASCAR Sprint Cup auto race at Phoenix International Raceway on Friday in Avondale, Ariz. Photo by Evan Vucci | AP
NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith arrives for labor talks with NFL representatives on Wednesday in Washington. the owners.” It’s been a strange week at the combine, one of the league’s biggest and busiest offseason events. Three blocks away from the opening workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts and next year’s Super Bowl, Smith was talking to agents about how to handle a lockout. On Thursday, the same day the Super Bowl host committee unveiled its logo, NFL officials were discussing contingency plans with coaches and general managers in a local hotel. Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio called it an informational session. “We know we’re going to play football in 2011, so our preparation has not changed one bit,” Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak said Friday. “Like everyone else, if (a lockout) does take place, we’ll adjust and be able to handle it.” And then there are the NFL prospects showing off their talents for interested teams. During Smith’s speech, some agents at the closeddoor meeting began tweeting that a lockout would prevent draft prospects from speaking with team
representatives during predraft workouts on their college campuses. NFLPA spokesman George Atallah and the four agents quickly quashed those reports. “With draft-eligible players, we will continue on as we have in the past,” Condon said. “We anticipate they will work out here, they will do their pro days and they will have visits with those teams.” The future pros, who aren’t in the union yet, didn’t know it was an issue. “I haven’t heard any of that,” Nebraska receiver Niles Paul said. “Honestly, as of right now, I’m not focused on that. I’m only doing what I can control. I’m confident they’ll get a deal done, but I’m here for the combine and trying to put myself in the best position to be drafted.” Players and teams will have to deal with plenty of other obstacles, though. Without a CBA, the agents said, free agency would be delayed and the players selected in April’s draft would not be able to sign contracts. Teams, they believe, also would not be permitted to cut players or sign undrafted free agents immediately after the
draft. “I’m optimistic,” Rosenhaus said. “Things have never been better in the league, and I think this deal has been extremely fair and that they (the owners) could hurt the game dramatically by locking the players out.” The most recent CBA was signed in 2006, but owners exercised an optout clause in 2008. Owners want a greater percentage of the roughly $9 billion in annual revenue that is shared with the players. Among the other significant topics in negotiations: a rookie wage scale; the owners’ push to expand the regular season from 16 games to 18 while reducing the preseason by two games; and benefits for retired players. The threat of a lockout has sped up the pace of negotiations. After months of infrequent and sometimes contentious talks, the sides went more than two months without any formal bargaining until Feb. 5, the day before the Super Bowl. The sides met again once the next week, then called off a second meeting that had been scheduled for the following day.
Bayne trying to find sponsors for Talladega races ASSOCIATED PRESS
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne is still working on finding sponsors for his Sprint Cup and Nationwide cars. The 20-year-old driver says he’d like to add both races at Talladega, but doesn’t have anything lined up. He also says Friday his car would have a lot of open spaces on it this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway because the Wood Brothers are still trying to line up more sponsors. Bayne is scheduled for 18 Sprint Cup races, but would like a full season. His Nationwide car doesn’t have a sponsor.
The youngest driver to win the Daytona 500, Bayne says he’s had a chaotic week, including calls from President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, TV appearances and meeting actress Pamela Anderson, who told him he reminded her of her son. Bayne’s first post-Daytona weekend didn’t start off well. Early in Friday’s practice session at Phoenix, the front end of his No. 21 car locked up, sending him careening into the wall off Turn 3. The practice session was red-flagged as a tow truck came out to take Bayne’s car off the track, and the team pulled out his backup from the hauler.