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EDUCATION
ZAPATA
Lockdown DISTRICT ATTORNEY OPENS PERMANENT OFFICE leads to absences Some say action was not necessary, but noise brings out law enforcement By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Nearly half the students at A.L. Benavides Elementary in San Ygnacio didn’t go to school Friday, a day after kids and teachers were locked down for more than an hour after there were reports of gunfire across the Rio Grande. Friday, school and law enforcement officials said the extreme measure of a lockdown wasn’t necessary. Principal Gerardo Montes said the campus closed at about 1 p.m.
Thursday as a precautionary measure because of several calls received from parents and anonymous people. But law officers could find no evidence of the gunfire. No one was injured, and no property damage was reported. Benavides Elementary is located a few blocks off U.S. 83. Montes said during the lock-down, nobody left or entered the premises for about an hour. “There has been too
See LOCKDOWN PAGE 12A
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY
Photo by Cuate Santos | Laredo Morning Times
O.J. Hale, chief investigator for the Webb and Zapata District Attorney’s Office, left, looks on as Julianita Sanchez Sanchez asks Isidro "Chilo" Alaniz, district attorney, for assistance in a case at the Zapata County Courthouse on Friday morning where Alaniz was opening his new offices. Sanchez’ grandson Juan A. Sanchez stands in the background.
Election Day Privacy for crime victims is now possible follows good early turnout T By DENISE BLAZ
THE ZAPATA TIMES
he Office of the District Attorney unveiled its first-ever office in Zapata at a reception Friday afternoon.
By STEPHANIE IBARRA THE ZAPATA TIMES
Despite recent inclement weather toward the end of the early voting period, a large number of residents cast their votes in the Zapata County Democratic Primary. According to Doroteo Garza, County Auditor, a total of 1,965 residents voted. “That is tremendous. We had a good outcome,” Garza said. Garza said there were no votes cast in the Republican Primary. Zapata County averages about 3,000 total votes in primary elections; Garza anticipates that, this year, the county will hit the 3,500 mark. Though early voting has ended, residents can still vote Tuesday, March 2, the official Election Day.
Election Day polls On Tuesday, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
at the following locations: Precinct No. 1 Zapata County Courthouse 200 E. 7th Ave., Building “B” Zapata Precinct No. 1A Falcon Community Center 3rd & Ramireno Falcon Precinct No. 1B Lopeno Community Center 4th St. and “A” Ave. Lopeño Precinct No. 2 Zapata County Pavillion 23rd Ave. and Glenn St. Zapata Precinct No. 2A Guadalupe & Lilia Martinez Public Branch Library 1103 N. US Hwy 83 San Ygnacio Precinct No. 3 New Community Center 605 North U.S. 83 Zapata Precinct No. 4 Precinct No. 4 Annex Building 1701 17th Ave. Zapata
The office space, which was allotted by the Zapata Commissioners Court, is located on the second floor of the Zapata County Courthouse. Furnishings, equipment and construction of the new office which houses three rooms were funded
with $20,000 of forfeiture money. “In my talks and visits with people during my campaign, it’s something that I noticed people were asking for,” said Isidro “Chilo” Ala-
See OFFICE PAGE 12A
APPRECIATION DAY
EMERGENCY AID
Winter Texan’s day is Thursday
American Red Cross to offer training here
By STEPHANIE M. IBARRA THE ZAPATA TIMES
The organizers of this year’s Winter Texan-Senior Citizen Appreciation Day were flooded with phone calls weeks before the event, and the excitement is building towards Thursday’sevent. Many of the calls circulate around the confusion of the event’s official date. Originally set for late February at the Community Center, that day ended up coinciding with County Fair events, so the Winter Texan-Senior Appreciation Day was moved to its March date. With sudden rearrangements required, sponsors
were quick to offer assistance. According to Celia Balderas, Zapata Chamber of Commerce Membership Services Coordinator, much could not have been accomplished without such active sponsorship. “The Winter Appreciation has been going on for years,” she said. “This year we have the economical issue but Super S foods and Champion Care are providing so much — they were first to really step up. A lot of business came through.” In light of the economic situation, organizers have set
Zapata residents expressed a desire to receive disaster training and American Red Cross is responding with the first orientation session in years. The American Red Cross, Laredo branch, will be having the volunteer orientation March 6 at Kings Way Church. The Laredo branch, which falls under San Antonio’s jurisdiction, is responsible for five nearby counties, Zapata included. “This all comes after several members of the Zapata community communicated an interest in receiving training,” said Estella Sanchez of the American Red Cross. Volunteers are accepted as young as 15, officials said.
See TEXANS PAGE 12A
See RED CROSS PAGE 12A
By STEPHANIE M. IBARRA THE ZAPATA TIMES
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
Saturday, Feb. 27
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A trail ride and breakfast will be followed by opening ceremonies for the 38th Annual Zapata County Fair today. The ride begins at 8 a.m. and the ceremonies at 1:30 p.m. at the Zapata County Fair Pavilion. For more information call the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce at (956) 765-4871, or go online at www.zapatacountyfaironline.com. Contestants for Zapata County Fair Little Cowboy, Miss Zapata County Fair, and Junior Miss Zapata County Fair Pageants will compete today at 3:30 p.m. at the Zapata High School Auditorium. For more information call the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce at (956) 765-4871, or go online at www.zapatacountyfaironline.com
Sunday, Feb. 28 ZCF hosts Queen’s Contest at Zapata High School Auditorium at 2 p.m. today. A social hosted by Gina Rathmell at Holiday Restaurant will immediately follow. For more information call the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce at (956) 765-4871, or go online at www.zapatacountyfaironline.com Today is the last day to register for Zapata County Little League at the Zapata County League Field. Registrations are open to girls and boys, ages range from 5 to 16. There is a $30 fee per child, or $20 fee per additional sibling. For additional information, contact Olga Elizondo at 334-9375.
Tuesday, March 2 Primary elections are today. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 4 Winter Texan and Senior Appreciation Day. For more information call the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce at 765-4871.
Saturday, March 6 As just one of the many Zapata County Fair events, gates open for Car Show and Cook-Off contenders today. All their supporters can go down to the fairgrounds starting at 1 p.m. For more information call the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce at (956) 7654871, or go online at www.zapatacountyfaironline.com
Thursday, March 11 The Zapata County Fair officially begins today. Starting at 8 a.m. various animals will be up for exhibit. Judging for arts and crafts will begin at 4 p.m. and the much anticipated Battle of the Bands contestants are set to hit the stage from 6 p.m. to midnight. For more information call the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce at (956) 7654871, or go online at www.zapatacountyfaironline.com
Friday, March 12 The Zapata County Fair continues today. From the hours of 8:30 a.m. to noon, rabbits, lamb, goats, and deer are up for judging today. Winner of Thursday’s Battle of the Bands will perform at 6:30 p.m., followed by a line-up of musicians. For more information call the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce at (956) 765-4871, or go online at www.zapatacountyfaironline.com
Saturday, March 13 The Zapata County Fair ends today but not without ensuring fun for all of Zapata county. Between the 10 a.m. Zapata County Fair Parade and the Jalapeno Contest closing the night at 11:30 p.m., there is plenty to do. For more information call the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce at (956) 765-4871, or go online at www.zapatacountyfaironline.com
Saturday, March 20 The 60th annual Flower and Art Show, sponsored by the United Methodist Women of the First United Methodist Church, will display beautiful flowers and paintings in the Fellowship Hall from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Public is invited. Admission tickets will be sold at the door.
Sunday, March 21 The 60th annual Flower and Art Show, sponsored by the United Methodist Women of the First United Methodist Church, continues today from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. The public is invited, and admission tickets will be sold at the door. To submit an item for the daily calendar, send the name of the event, the date, time, location and a contact phone number to editorial@lmtonline.com
Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News | AP
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stake out the home of a suspected criminal alien in Seguin, during the last day of the three-day Operation Cross Check, on Thursday.
284 immigrants nabbed By LINDA STEWART BALL ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Federal agents arrested 284 immigrants with criminal records during a three-day immigration enforcement surge across Texas — their biggest push so far, authorities said Friday. Dubbed Operation Cross Check, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said this week’s action was one of the largest sweeps the agency has ever conducted targeting at-large foreign nationals convicted of crimes. “Texas is safer” because fewer criminal immigrants are on its streets, ICE director John Morton said, stressing that they did not arrest any non-criminals. That’s a shift from several years ago when immigrant advocates complained that ICE agents were arresting illegal immigrants who
happened to be home when authorities knocked on the door looking for someone else. About 56 percent, or 159, of the 284 arrested this week had previous convictions for violent crimes such as homicide or assault. “These are not people that we want walking our streets here in Texas or living in our communities,” Morton said. The arrests were carried out Tuesday through Thursday by local law enforcement officers working with ICE, the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. Arrests in the Dallas-Fort Worth area netted 119 criminal immigrants, 73 in San Antonio, 59 in Houston and 33 in El Paso, authorities said. Those arrested came from at least 22 nations in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, officials said.
63 starving longhorns seized in east Texas
Former deputy sentenced in meth case
Man who headed arts panel arrested at SMU
McKINNEY — Animal welfare authorities have found at least 50 carcasses of longhorn cattle that had apparently starved in an eastern Texas field. The SPCA of Texas also seized about 63 malnourished cattle and three donkeys from the field in rural Van Zandt County, about 60 miles east of Dallas. The animals were taken to a shelter in McKinney pending a custody hearing Tuesday.
LUBBOCK — A former West Texas sheriff ’s deputy has received a prison sentence for his part in a multistate methamphetamine distribution ring. U.S. District Judge Sam Cummings sentenced 39-year-old Jose Jesus Quintanilla to three years in federal prison. The former Hockley County sheriff ’s deputy pleaded guilty in November to knowing of a felony and failing to report it.
DALLAS — A Dallas man appointed to head a Texas arts commission was arrested at Southern Methodist University on trespassing charges after he was warned to stay off the campus because students alleged he offered alcohol to minors. Lee William “Bill” McNutt III was arrested by campus police on Feb. 15.
Former Spur player accused of sex assault
Hundreds salute IRS worker killed in crash
SAN ANTONIO — A former NBA All-Star faces sexual assault of a child and sex trafficking charges alleging he was among seven people who kidnapped and assaulted a 14-year-old girl who was forced into prostitution and made to dance at a strip club. An arrest warrant has been issued for one-time San Antonio Spurs player Alvin Robertson.
AUSTIN — Hundreds of mourners crowded a church in eastern Austin to pay tribute to an Internal Revenue Service worker killed when a man plunged his small plane into the building housing an IRS office. More than 200 people gathered at the St. James Missionary Baptist church for the funeral of 68year-old Vernon Hunter.
Death row inmate who harassed senator gets stay HOUSTON — Condemned inmate Richard Tabler, who used a smuggled cell phone to threaten a state senator from death row, has won a reprieve from his scheduled May execution. Texas prison officials say they’ve received an order from U.S. District Judge Walter Smith in Waco that blocks Tabler from being taken to Huntsville for lethal injection May 20. -- Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Killer whale shows to go on at SeaWorld
CONTACT US
ORLANDO, Fla. — Shamu is big business at SeaWorld, which owns more killer whales than anyone else in the world and builds the orca image into its multimillion-dollar brand, and the killing of a trainer this week won’t change that. Shamu shows will resume Saturday, three days after a six-ton bull orca dragged Dawn Brancheau underwater to her death at the end of a show in Orlando.
Judge says suspects can talk to each other PLACERVILLE, Calif. — A California judge says the couple charged with kidnapping Jaycee Dugard will be allowed to speak with each other while in jail. The decision by an El Dorado Superior Court judge came Friday in response to a defense request the two suspects be al-
Today is Saturday, Feb. 27, the 58th day of 2010. There are 307 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Feb. 27, 1960, the U.S. Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviets, 3-2, at the Winter Games in Squaw Valley, Calif. (The U.S. team went on to win the gold medal.) On this date: In 1801, the District of Columbia was placed under the jurisdiction of Congress. In 1807, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine. In 1861, in Warsaw, Russian troops fired on a crowd protesting Russian rule over Poland; five marchers were killed. In 1922, the Supreme Court, in Leser v. Garnett, unanimously upheld the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which guaranteed the right of women to vote. In 1933, Germany’s parliament building, the Reichstag, was gutted by fire. Chancellor Adolf Hitler, blaming the Communists, used the fire as justification for suspending civil liberties. In 1939, the Supreme Court, in National Labor Relations Board v. Fansteel Metallurgical Corp., outlawed sit-down strikes. In 1951, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, limiting a president to two terms of office, was ratified. In 1973, members of the American Indian Movement occupied the hamlet of Wounded Knee in South Dakota, the site of the 1890 massacre of Sioux men, women and children. (The occupation lasted until May.) In 1979, Jane M. Byrne confounded Chicago’s Democratic political machine as she upset Mayor Michael A. Bilandic to win their party’s mayoral primary. (Byrne went on to win the election.) In 1991, President George H.W. Bush declared that “Kuwait is liberated, Iraq’s army is defeated.” Ten years ago: Texas Governor George W. Bush’s campaign released a letter to New York Cardinal John O’Connor in which the Republican presidential candidate said he deeply regretted “causing needless offense” by making a campaign appearance at Bob Jones University, a South Carolina school whose leaders had espoused anti-Catholic views. Five years ago: Pope John Paul II made a surprise first public appearance after surgery, appearing at his Rome hospital window. The Iraqi government announced the capture of Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hassan, Saddam Hussein’s half brother and former adviser. Today’s Birthdays: Actress Joanne Woodward is 80. Actress Elizabeth Taylor is 78. Consumer advocate Ralph Nader is 76. Opera singer Mirella Freni is 75. Actress Barbara Babcock is 73. Actor Howard Hesseman is 70. Actress Debra Monk is 61. Rock singer-musician Neal Schon (Journey) is 56. Rock musician Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) is 53. Actor Timothy Spall is 53. Rock musician Paul Humphreys (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) is 50. Rock musician Leon Mobley (Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals) is 49. Thought for Today: “There is no inevitability in history except as men make it.” — Felix Frankfurter, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1882-1965).
Photo by Steve Helber | AP
A crew patches a pothole along an access road in Richmond, Va., on Friday. Several recent snow storms in the Virginias have left roads with multiple potholes. lowed jailhouse visits.
Outbreak kills hundreds of bighorn sheep RENO, Nev. — Pneumonia outbreaks that have killed hundreds
of bighorn sheep this winter in several Western states have wildlife officials grappling with how to minimize the impact. Officials say the disease shows up in wild herds, but it’s unusual to have so many outbreaks. -- Compiled from AP reports
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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 27, 2010
Zlocal
PAGE 3A
Deputies seize 200 pounds of marijuana By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Courtesy photo | Border Patrol/
Ropes are attached to blocks of marijuana wrapped in cellophane and feed sacks so that traffickers can carry the bundles on their backs. These were seized near San Yngacio by Border Patrol agents.
Agents nab 380 pounds of pot SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Border Patrol agents assigned to the Zapata Station seized 380 pounds of marijuana Tuesday. Agents patrolling north of San Ygnacio discovered four makeshift backpacks lying in a
patch of brush. Agents found several cellophanewrapped bundles inside the backpacks, which were fashioned from feed sacks and rope. The bundles contained marijuana weighing 380.2 pounds with an estimated street value of $304,160.
They were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. To report suspicious activity such as drug and/or alien smuggling, contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol toll free telephone number at 1-800343-1994.
Zapata County Sheriff Office deputies seized more than 200 pounds of marijuana with a value close to $94,000. Deputies responded to reports of suspicious activity at about 11 a.m. Feb. 19 in the 1400 block Falcon Avenue. Sgt. Mario Elizondo said deputies conducted a search at the residence and discovered five suitcases containing 37 bundles of marijuana. The contraband had an approximate weight of 213 pounds and an estimated street value of $93,933. Nobody has been arrested in this case.
Courtesy photo
This is the more than 200 pounds of marijuana seized by the Zapata County Sheriff’s Department this week. Sheriff detectives have an open investigation on the case.
(César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
THEFT
Juan Jose Herrera, 57, was arrested on a charge of theft at about 10 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Super S Food store on 10th Avenue and U.S. 83. Deputies say the man stole $62 worth of razor blades. He was booked and taken to Zapata Regional Jail and held on a $1,000 bond.
THE BLOTTER ASSAULT Ricardo Buruato-Vera, 30, was arrested on a charge of assault family violence at about 10:30 p.m. Feb. 19 in the 400 block of Falcon Shore Drive. The man was booked and transported to Zapata Regional Jail. He was fined $250. Guadalupe Gonzalez Jr., 30, was arrested on a charge of assault family violence at about 12:15 a.m. Feb. 20 in the 100 block of Santa Maria Avenue. The man was booked and transported to Zapata Regional Jail. He was fined $500.
BURGLARY A 27-year-old woman reported around 6 p.m. Feb. 21 in the 1500 block of Villa Avenue that someone
burglarized her vehicle. An incident report stated that a black purse and a book bag were stolen. A 39-year-old man reported around 12:15 p.m. Monday that someone pried open a window and entered the building to steal a laptop computer in the 3000 block of North U.S. 83.
CRIMINAL MISCHIEF A 34-year-old woman reported around 4 p.m. Feb. 21 that someone punctured her right rear tire with an unknown sharp object behind the Dairy Queen on First Avenue and Jackson Street.
DEADLY CONDUCT Deputies responded to a call
of shots fired at about 5:45 a.m. Tuesday in the intersection of 22nd Avenue and Fresno Street. A 30year-old man stated that someone drove by and shot at a house, then drove by a second time and shot again at the house. Nobody was injured. Deputies recovered 9mm casings. Detectives have an open investigation on the case.
DWI Sylvia Maria Flores, 43, was arrested after a traffic stop violation at about 2:45 a.m. Feb 19 at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and U.S. 83, an incident report states. She was charged with driving while intoxicated. The woman was booked and transported to Zapata County Jail and held under a
$2,500 bond. Rogelio Amador Campos, 66, was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated at about 9:30 p.m. Feb. 20 in front of the Zapata Fire Department on 1207 Kennedy St. The man was booked and transported to Zapata Regional Jail, where he was held on $5,000 bond.
POSSESSION Aurelio Cruz Jr., 28, was arrested on a charge of possession of a controlled substance penalty group one (cocaine) at about 5:45 p.m. Feb. 20 in the intersection of Texas 16 and Sixth Street. The man was booked and transported to Zapata Regional Jail, where he was held on a $5,000 bond.
A 29-year-old woman reported around 2:15 p.m. Feb. 19 that unknown people stole all four chrome hub caps from a vehicle at the Zapata County Court House parking lot on Hidalgo Boulevard.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Youth grow cool toward Democrats By GARY ANDRES HEARST NEWSPAPERS
W
ASHINGTON — Democrats turned in such an impressive performance among younger voters (18-29) in the 2006 and 2008 election cycles that some liberal commentators like Ruy Teixiera and John B. Judis pronounced a new permanent political marriage between the Democratic left and America’s youth.
Youthful help Writing in the American Prospect in 2007, Teixiera and Judis proclaimed, “The Democratic majority in 2006 was bolstered by support from voters age 18 to 29. . . in contrast with the previous generation, they prefer Democrats over Republicans and the center-left over the center right. . . .the millennials can be expected to bolster a new Democratic majority.” Barack Obama kept the youthful juggernaut moving in the Democratic direction, winning the age group by a 66 percent—32 percent margin in 2008.
percent edge Democrats held in 2008. What could cause the Democrats’ advantage to ebb by more than half in about a year? It’s not just random fluctuation in polling. Rasmussen finds a similar trend on a variety of measures — including the generic ballot that asks poll respondents whether they would vote for the Republican candidate or the Democratic candidate — and polls that ask which party younger voters trust to handle various issues.
Policies could hurt military
GOP pulls ahead For example, its most recent polling found Republicans now lead by 14 points on the generic ballot among voters 1829. That’s compared to a 12 point Democratic lead in February of 2009 — a net shift of 26 points in one year. Democrats also dipped 10 points (from plus-12 to plus-2) on which party younger voters trust more on the key issue of the economy.
Little production
Yet some scholars take a more cautious approach about these short term fluctuations among age groups. For example, political scientists Karen Kaufmann, John Petrocik and Daron Shaw, in their book“Unconventional Wisdom: Facts and Myths About American Voters,” argue that the under-30 crowd is among the weakest in its attachment to political parties and somewhat fickle to boot.They posit that younger voters are a highly volatile segment of the electorate. “Young American voters are known for their weak partisan ties, and history has shown us that levels of party affinity can change over time,” Kaufmann and her collaborators write. So was it a little too early to announce that the millennial generation made a life commitment to the Democrats, based on the last two elections? Perhaps.
The drop probably has a lot to do with the gap between rhetoric and reality.The political process in Washington in 2010 looks very much like it missed the lifeline offered by Obama’s campaign rhetoric. The president — and by extension his party — haven’t produced much in the way of change promised so often by the candidate’s lofty claims. Many young voters bought in to the promises and now are understandably demoralized. Where they go from here is still an open question. Yet there’s another more subtle dimension to millennials’ political views that deserves mention, and also may help explain the Pew and Rasmussen polling results. As Kaufman and her colleagues point to in the book, while today’s younger voters view themselves more as Democrats than Republicans, they describe themselves in polls as “weak partisans” or even as independents who just “lean” Democratic.
Pew analysis
Fewer changes
Kaufmann and her colleagues’ views were supported by a Pew Research study published last week, analyzing the political views of the millennial generation. The report titled, “Democrats’ Edge Among Millennials Slips,” shows why this group, with weaker partisan ties to begin with, may be shifting again after observing the first year of the Barack Obama/Democratic majority tag team in Washington. But the Pew study should not lead Republicans to dash to their local celebratory watering hole either. According to the report, at the end of 2009, Democrats still maintained a strong 14point (54 percent - 40 percent) advantage in party identification among these voters.Yet that’s considerably smaller than the 62 percent -30
Research has shown that the stronger a person’s partisanship on self-identification, the less likely he is to change his political attachments over time. In other words, many millennials are attached to the Democrats for now, but unlike older cohorts, their party links are more tepid. These realities mean the group is more politically volatile than suggested by conventional wisdom and liberal cheerleaders. Do these shifts in partisan identification among the millennials mean whole scale defection from the Democrats? Not at all. But their volatility as a group due to their weaker partisan attachments does mean their current cohabitation with the Democrats may not result in permanent nuptials.
Weak attachments
COLUMN
By JONATHAN GURWITZ n the early 1990s, I had the privilege of working for a small think tank under the chairmanship of Gen. Bernard Schriever. Schriever served as a bomber pilot in World War II then became the father of the U.S. ballistic missile program and an adviser to presidents on science, technology and intelligence matters.
ful. Ordinance was being expended and crews lost for marginal gains. Wasn’t the same crew with the talented bombardier leading the missions? The answer was no. The bombardier had been discovered to be gay. The command staff grounded him, and he awaited an unceremonious discharge. The cigar-chomping general supposedly responded, “We’re not going to let a little (expletive)ing stand between us and victory, are we?”
Visionary
Ability matters
Late in life, the fourstar Air Force general was properly recognized for his enormous contributions to U.S. national security. Schriever died in 2005. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Neal Sheehan depicted him as a courageous visionary in his 2009 book, “A Fiery Peace in a Cold War: Bernard Schriever and the Ultimate Weapon.” Back in 1993, when the debate about gays in the military was raging, Schriever shared an anecdote from his service in the Pacific. By his telling, Gen. Curtis LeMay, commander of air operations against Japan, had gone to a base to monitor an important mission, which turned out to be a success. LeMay singled out the crew of the lead bomber and its bombardier in particular for precisely “painting the target,” making it easier for the planes following in formation to drop their bombs accurately. LeMay returned weeks later. Subsequent missions weren’t as success-
The story is apocryphal. Schriever and LeMay became antagonists after the war, tangling about the future of the Air Force. Still, it reveals a kernel of military wisdom: In times of war, what matters most is the ability of individuals to carry out their missions. Supporters of a change to the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy can marshal all sorts of polls showing that a vast majority of Americans support gays being able to openly serve in the military. They can point to premier fighting forces around the world, including the Israel Defense Forces, where gays openly serve in elite units and as commanders. They can quote respected military leaders such as Adm. Mike Mullen, Gen. John Shalikashvili and Gen. Colin Powell — current and former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — whose views on the subject have changed over the years. They can even cite Dick Cheney, who, with regard to “don’t ask, don’t tell,” says “society has
SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
I
moved on.” But what really matters in the meritocracy of the military, where lives are at stake, is not polls or quotes or even the various traits that make up individual identity. Instead, it’s whether individuals can carry out their missions. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” — which in reality means plenty of asking but no telling — is preventing some of those individuals from serving their nation. And it has created some absurd unintended consequences.
Helping families New Yorker Bill White is president of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and a trustee of the Fisher House Foundation. I have gotten to know him over years of visiting with servicemen and women and their loved ones at Fort Sam Houston’s Brooke Army Medical Center and the remarkable Center for the Intrepid, which White helped create. Few people have done more than he has to assist the community of military families touched by the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. By the way, White is gay — a detail that I suspect is insignificant to the literally thousands of wounded warriors whose lives are better or to their family members whose worries and grief have been alleviated because of his efforts. White had been under consideration for a senior Pentagon appointment in the Obama administra-
tion. He had the support of such distinguished military leaders as national security adviser and former Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James L. Jones, former Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Hugh Shelton, former Joint Chiefs vice chairman Adm. Bill Owens, former commandant of the Coast Guard Adm. James Loy, and Gen. Shalikashvili. But a year ago, a senior member of the Obama personnel team informed him that his appointment would pose a challenge to “don’t ask, don’t tell,” a challenge the administration wasn’t then ready to make. And so a skilled individual was regrettably passed over because of the contradiction of having a gay person serve as a service secretary while those in uniform are subject to “don’t ask, don’t tell.” In congressional hearings last week, Army chief of staff Gen. George Casey and Air Force chief of staff Gen. Norton Schwartz expressed concern about asking the military to repeal the policy while it is engaged in two wars. Perhaps their concerns are valid. Or perhaps especially with two wars, now is not the time to tell qualified volunteers they aren’t wanted, experienced veterans that their careers are over or leaders who have demonstrated extraordinary service to the military community that the Pentagon isn’t ready for them. Perhaps now more than ever, what matters most is the ability of individuals to carry out their missions. (E-mail: jgurwitz(at)express-news.net)
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ing or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010
Zentertainment
‘Crazies’ taps into our fear of infection By GLENN WHIPP
PAGE 5A
Puro Texas LIFE to host Jay Perez, Michael Salgado in annual concert tonight
ASSOCIATED PRESS SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Breck Eisner’s insane-inthe-membrane update of the George A. Romero cult horror movie “The Crazies” opens with a brief shot of fire, devastation and small-
REVIEW town apocalypse, followed by a title card that takes us back to the same Iowa farm community two days earlier. We see white-picket fences, clapboard houses and good neighbors, and hear birds warbling and Johnny Cash singing “We’ll Meet Again,” a song whose title hints at the nature of the alarming events about to transpire. When these Middle American folks do meet again, those pitchforks they’re carrying won’t be intended for bales of hay. Romero sandwiched his 1973 “Crazies” in between his more celebrated zombie movies, “Night of the Living Dead” and “Dawn of the Dead,” both of which have been remade, too, with varying results. While “The Crazies” isn’t a zombie movie per se, it derives much of its horror from the same fear — the enemy lurks both within and without you. There’s a very real chance you might turn into a monster. Eisner’s remake maintains the dynamic of that unease, while Scott Kosar and Ray Wright’s screenplay gives the audience a rooting interest by whittling down the political subtext and making the movie more of a survival story. It helps, too, that Eisner’s budget probably exceeds that of all of Romero’s movies combined. Eisner puts the money to good use, delivering a beautifully shot film that contains equal measures of style and gore. We first sense something might not be right in Ogden Marsh when Rory (Mike Hickman) wanders into the middle of the high school baseball field during a game. He’s carrying a shotgun and wearing a faraway look in his eyes. The town sheriff (Timothy Olyphant) assumes he’s drunk and tries to talk Rory down. He doesn’t succeed. After that, locals begin trickling into the office of the beautiful doctor (Radha Mitchell), complaining of fevers and being tired and not feeling “right.” Germs seem to be spreading — and so is the news. Soon, we see Ogden Marsh from satellite, with the words: “Initiate containment protocol.” Uhoh. Romero made his mark during the Vietnam and post-Vietnam era, and, as he went along, his anti-military broadsides became bolder and more pointed. He split his “Crazies” evenly be-
Overture Films
Radha Mitchell stars in Overture Films’ ‘The Crazies.’ tween the military containment forces and the infected townspeople. Heroes were in short supply. What “The Crazies” really taps into is our pervasive unease over disease, that moment when the person sitting next to you on the subway or airplane or, yes, the movie theater sneezes
or breaks into a coughing fit and you realize you’re unarmed. Never mind the pitchfork. Just don’t leave the hand sanitizer at home. “The Crazies,” an Overture Films release, is rated R for bloody violence and language. It is playing at Cinemark Mall Del Norte and Hollywood Theaters.
The Laredo International Fair and Exposition is going to be alive and rocking with the sounds of the hypnotic rhythms of Tejano tonight, when San Antoniobased Tejano legend “La Voz,” also known as Jay Perez, as well as Michael Salgado, a fellow Alamo City Tejano star, take the stage beginning at 8 p.m. That’s, of course, in addition to the daylong activities hosted by the LIFE fair, which include an Amazing Rain Forest Experience — more than 50 species of exotic animals that perform for the audience in a circus style, as well as plenty of games and a petting zoo. Perez, best known as “La Voz” for his signature vocals, last played LIFE in 2008. He’s garnered a number of accolades, in-
cluding the Billboard Latin National Music Award for best new artist in the regional Mexican category, and several Tejano Music awards, including (appropriately) Male Vocalist of the Year and Male Entertainer of the Year. Joining Perez will be Michael Salgado, originally of Barrancos, Chihuahua, Mexico. He, too, is a winner of several Tejano Music Awards, including Best Song of 2001 with “Ya No Voy a Aguantar” and an awards from Billboard Latin Music in 1998 for Best Regional Mexico Album. Starting out at the young age of 7, Salgado released his first album in 1989. “I have always liked accordion music because it is part of my roots,” the singer said. “I don’t want limits on my music; I only want the satisfaction of my fans by doing the best I can do.”
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Zlifestyle
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010
Fort McIntosh exhibit reviews city’s military roots By DENISE BLAZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
For Ricardo Villarreal, the downtown campus of Laredo Community College isn’t just a part of Laredo’s history — it’s his history, too. Villarreal, 53, is a part of a microcosm of several others like him whose families were formed after men stationed at Fort McIntosh decided to settle in Laredo after their military service. That history, integral to the Gateway City’s founding fabric, is currently on display at the Border Heritage Museum, 810 Zaragoza St.
A personal look Recalling his immediate family’s history, Villarreal noted that their origins stem back to the plight of his grandfather, Steve Litman, who was forced to immigrate to the United States from Eastern Europe. After enrolling in the Army during World War I, Litman was then stationed at the fort as a private for about three years. “He met my grandmoth-
er, who was working at Kress. She barely spoke any English and he didn’t speak a lick of Spanish. It was a whirlwind romance,” Villarreal said. “They ended up getting married and had 10 kids. He wanted to take my grandmother up east, but they ended up staying. What’s interesting about our story is that we became border hybrids. He just assimilated into the local culture; it happens to so many families.” Staying together for 55 years, his grandparents remained married until the date of his passing in 1975.
The exhibit In keeping with preserving Laredo’s history, which was once home to his grandfather, Villarreal has been an employee of Webb County Heritage Foundation for the past 11 years. And the foundation’s most current example of its work, “A History of Fort McIntosh,” which features a display of photographs and artifacts from Laredo’s military installation. The exhibit also runs
with celebrating the foundation’s 30th anniversary. According to the Web site, the foundation, which promotes an awareness and appreciation of guarding the architecture, artifacts and cultural traditions of Laredo, was chartered in 1980. The charter has been active in the naming of local historic districts throughout town by working hand in hand with Laredo’s Historic District Landmark Board and other historical preservation organizations. The foundation also oversees tours of the downtown area, the operation of the Republic of the Rio Grande Museum and the assembly of a variety of historical and artistic exhibits. The group’s work extends beyond downtown and into the classroom with a recent $250,000 grant that will fund the creation of a curriculum for teachers to teach about Laredo’s history. Tentative plans for future museum exhibits right now include several exhibits on the history of the Mexican Revolution (Denise Blaz may be reached at 728-2547 or dlaz@lmtonline.com)
Photos by Ricardo Segovia | Laredo Morning Times
WCHF Member Diana Rodriguez and Raymundo Rios-Mayo, presidente de la Sociedad Histórica de Nuevo Laredo were among those who saw a pictorial history of Fort McIntosh at the Webb County Heritage Museum.
SÁBADO 27 DE FEBRERO DE 2010
Agenda en Breve SÁBADO 27 DE FEBRERO LAREDO — Un recital de piano en honor del bicentenario del nacimiento de Frederic Chopin será hoy a las 3 p.m. en el Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Theatre de TAMIU. El recital es gratuito y abierto al público en general. Más información llamando al 3262639. LAREDO — Hoy es el concierto de Música y Danza 2010 del Laredo Community College a las 7:30 p.m. en el Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center del campus Fort McIntosh. La entrada es de 15 dólares. Las ganancias se destinarán a becas estudiantiles. ZAPATA — Una Cabalgata y Desayuno seguirá a las ceremonias de apertura de la 38va Feria Anual del Condado de Zapata el día de hoy. La Cabalgata inicia a las 8 a.m. y la ceremonia a la 1:30 p.m. en el Pabellón de la Feria del Condado de Zapata. Más información llamando a la Cámara de Comercio del Condado de Zapata al (956) 765-4871, ó visitando www.zapatacountyfaironline.com. ZAPATA — Hoy es el concurso para Little Cowboy, Miss Zapata County Fair y Junior Miss Zapata County Fair hoy a las 3:30 p.m. en el Auditorio de la Preparatoria Zapata. Más información llamando a la Cámara de Comercio del Condado de Zapata al (956) 765-4871, ó visitando www.zapatacountyfaironline.com.
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 7A
Se toman medidas de seguridad TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
MIGUEL ALEMÁN — EL Jefe de Gobierno Servando López Moreno anunció una serie de operativos para prevenir el vandalismo en algunas colonias. Aunque no es un toque de queda, López Moreno sí dio a conocer se instrumentarán operativos especiales por parte de la autoridad policial preventiva. El martes por la tarde en un comunicado de prensa se habría informado que se implementaría “toque de queda” en la ciudad. En el mismo se informaba que “todo menor (de 16 años) de edad que anduviera después de las 12 a.m. sin compañía de un adulto, sería retenido hasta que sus padres lo reclamaran”. “López Moreno dijo que recientemente mantuvo una importante reunión con autoridades policíacas y llegaron la conclusión que para evitar la proliferación de pandillas (que no existen en esta ciudad) se optará por implementar operativos especiales a partir de las 12 de la noche”, según el comunicado.
“
El Gobierno tiene el mando de Tamaulipas”. PROCURADOR DEL ESTADO JAIME RODRÍGUEZ INURRIGARRO
La medida de acción contra presuntas pandillas es asumida, según López Moreno, por el incremento de robos domiciliarios y daños a áreas municipales donde los protagonistas son menores de edad.
Caso Nuevo Laredo La Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional emitió comunicado de los hechos del 12 de febrero donde solamente detalló pertrechos confiscados y los vehículos donde fue localizado diverso armamento. Según el comunicado, personal militar tienen en su poder 31 armas de asalto de diferentes calibres, aditamentos para lanzar gra-
nadas, 80 granadas calibre 40 mm, cargadores para cartuchos de diferentes usos, además de dosis de marihuana y cocaína, chalecos antibalas, radios de comunicación, celulares y binoculares. El comunicado describió dos enfrentamientos uno en la Colonia Viveros y otros en la Colonia Juárez. Mientras tanto, en Ciudad Victoria, capital de Tamaulipas, el Procurador del Estado Jaime Rodríguez Inurrigarro aseguró que “el Gobierno tiene el mando de Tamaulipas. El jueves por la tarde, Rodríguez aceptó en entrevista radiofónica al programa de Adela Micha (grupo Imagen) que se habían reportado balaceras, del domingo al martes,
en Matamoros, Reynosa, Díaz Ordaz, Camargo y Mier, con un saldo de 19 muertos. Finalmente Rodríguez dijo que una granada sí había estallado en Reynosa pero sin heridos y que la última balacera registrada había sido en Matamoros el miércoles. El Gobernador de Tamaulipas Eugenio Hernández Flores giró instrucciones para que operen grupos institucionales en Reynosa, Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo y Tampico para coordinar esfuerzos con las instancias federales. Igualmente reiteró el llamando para no hacer caso a rumores en torno a la contingencia que en materia de seguridad pública se vive en algunos puntos del Estado. De igual manera, por instrucciones del gobernador de Tamaulipas Eugenio Hernández Flores se instaló de manera permanente el grupo de coordinación interinstitucional en materia de seguridad, como una respuesta a los hechos violentos suscitados en la entidad en las últimas horas. (Con información del reportero Miguel Timoshenkov)
Salud: vacune a sus hijos
CENTENARIO
ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Aplicarán 500 mil vacunas del 27 de febrero al 5 de marzo
DOMINGO 28 DE FEBRERO LAREDO — Las Series de Recitales de Órganos de TAMIU presentan hoy al organista Storm Knien a las 4 p.m. en el Center for the Fine and Performing Art Recital Hall de TAMIU. El evento es gratuito y abierto al público en general. Más información llamando al 3262654. ZAPATA — ZCF llevará a cabo el día de hoy el Concurso de Reina en el Auditorio de la Zapata High School a las 2 p.m. Una reunión con Gina Rathmell como anfitriona seguirá en el Holiday Restaurant. Más información en la Cámara de Comercio del Condado de Zapata en el (956) 765-4871 ó en www.zapatacountyfaironline.com ZAPATA — Hoy es el último día para inscribirse a la Liga Pequeña del Condado de Zapata en el Campo de Liga del Condado de Zapata. Las inscripciones están abiertas para niñas y niños, en edades de 5 a 16 años. Hay una cuota de 30 dólares por niño(a) ó 20 dólares por hermano(a). Más información llamando a Olga Elizondo al 334-9375. CIUDAD MIER — En vísperas del 257 Aniversario de la Ciudad se invita aun recorrido en bicicleta “Kilómetro del Peso” en la Explanada de la Plaza Principal.
VIERNES 5 DE MARZO CIUDAD MIER — En el marco del 257 Aniversario de la ciudad, las actividades de hoy son: 9 a.m. Encendido de Lámpara Votiva frente al Palacio Municipal; 3 p.m. Desfile de disfraces y comparsas partiendo de la Plaza Hidalgo; 8 p.m. Corte de listón y ceremonia de inauguración. Coronación de S.G.M. Daniel I en el Teatro del Pueblo; 11:30 p.m. Mañanitas a Ciudad Mier por las principales calles de la ciudad.
SÁBADO 6 DE MARZO ZAPATA — Hoy es el Espectáculo de Carros y Concurso de Cocina el día de hoy. Todos los interesados pueden ir a los terrenos de la feria a partir de la 1 p.m.
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Ciudad Mier
Felipa Rodríguez Castillos espera frente a su casa. Doña Felipa es una de las Abuelitas del Centenario en Ciudad Mier ya que cumplirá 100 años de edad el 27 de mayo.
Abuelita celebrará 100 años de vida en mayo POR YAHAIRA L. ZAMBRANO ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
CIUDAD MIER — Felipa Rodríguez Castillos vio por primera vez la luz del mundo el 27 de mayo de 1910. Doña Felipa cumplirá 100 años y por esa razón el Gobierno Municipal la nombró una de las Abuelitas del Centenario. Dio vida a seis hijos a quienes también vio par-
tir. Actualmente cuenta con el apoyo de dos de sus nietos, Guadalupe Ubaldo y Santiago Mora. Ellos no viven con su abuela pero la procuran, y le brindan especial cuidado cuando enferma. A sus 99 años Doña Felipa es todo un ejemplo de vida. Vive sola por la calle Terán cuadra 700 porque “no puede dejar sus recuerdos ni mucho menos
la casa que con esfuerzo su esposo le construyó”. Integrante del programa Adopta un Abuelito del Sistema para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia, Doña Felipa mantiene su casa limpia y es bendecida por su posee una vista casi perfecta. Martha Tamez, quien dirige el programa Adopta un Abuelito, dijo que Doña Felipa recibe ayuda
del Gobierno de Tamaulipas destinada a personas de edad avanzada. “Nosotros homenajeamos a Doña Felipa por su incansable lucha por la vida”, dijo la Presidenta del DIF Municipal Isabel Cristina Treviño de Mancías. “Y celebramos sus 100 años de vida”. (Yahaira L. Zambrano es Directora de Comunicación Social del Gobierno de Ciudad Mier).
Inicia Feria de Zapata County ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
ZAPATA — El Condado de Zapata anunció su 38va feria anual. La Feria, una de las más grandes pequeñas ferias en Texas presentará este año su tradicional Cabalgata, el concurso de Miss Zapata County Fair Pageant y el concurso de crías de ganado. También este año se agregan el Car Show Cookoff y la Exhibición de Pit bull. Según comunicado de prensa, la Feria del Condado de Zapata posee varios record en las categorías de animales de granja. Algunas estrellas de la música presentándose este años son Los Huracanes Del Norte, Solido, Siggno, La Batalla, Los Garcia Brothers, entre otros. Lógicamente una feria no está completa sin la comida, y la Feria del Condado de Zapata tiene mucha para ofrecer. Habrá piernas de pavo, fajitas, elote desgranado y pasteles. Inclusive habrá concur-
CALENDARIO DE ACTIVIDADES Sábado 27 de febrero 8 a.m. Desayuno/Cabalgata. Inicia en Bustamante TX y concluye en Zapata County Pavilion a la 1:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. Certamen ZCF Little Cowboy, Miss ZCF, Junior ZCF Auditorio Zapata High School Domingo 28 de febrero 2 Certamen Reina de ZCF Zapata County Fair Sábado 6 de marzo 1 p.m. Exhibición de autos y Pit Bulls; Batalla de las Bandas Zapata County Fair Pavilion sos donde los participantes mostrarán sus conocimientos culinarios. “Muchos de nosotros en Zapata han crecido junto con La Feria, y han sido parte de muchas de sus funciones durante los años”, dijo Monica Mendoza, Presidenta de ZCF. La feria arranca el sábado con la popular Cabalgata. Vea los detalles en www.ZapataCountyFairOnline.com
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Ciudad Mier
El pago puntual del servicio de agua permite que en Ciudad Mier se haya decidido continuar con la misma tarifa.
Tarifa sigue igual POR YAHAIRA L. ZAMBRANO ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
CIUDAD MIER — No habrá aumento a la tarifa del agua en esta ciudad. El Director de la Comisión Municipal de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado Onofre Fernández Vivanco hizo el anuncio tras comentar que esto es gracias a que la población cumple a tiempo con su pago por el servicio. “Esto favorece ante la situación económica actual que prevalece en el país”, dijo Fernández. “El Gobernador Eugenio Hernández Flores ha girado instrucciones para apoyar a las familias tamaulipecas”. El funcionario agregó que sí existen familias que tienen rezagos en el pago del servicio. “Estamos tratando de darles alternativas”, dijo Fernández. La COMAPA requiere del pago puntual del servicio ya que el costo del mantenimiento de equipo y el proceso de llevar el agua a las casas es alto.
CIUDAD VICTORIA — Más de 2 mil puestos de vacunación serán instalados en la Primera Semana Nacional de Salud 2010, del 27 de febrero al 5 de marzo. “La meta es aplicar más de 500 mil dosis de vacunas”, dijo el Secretario de Salud Juan Guillermo Mansur Arzola. Durante esta semana se aplican las vacunas de Sabin, Triple Viral, Tétanos, DPT, Pentavalente, Hepatitis B, BCG, Rotavirus, Neumococo, y SR, así como de influenza estacional e influenza A H1N1 a los grupos correspondientes. El lema de la Semana de Salud es “Cuídalos, Quiérelos, Vacúnalos” y las actividades incluyen cerca de un millón 400 mil actividades, mismas que están enfocadas a la vacunación; nutrición, toma de peso y talla para incorporarlos a los programas Desnutrición Cero o Crece Sano; proporcionar información a los responsables de los menores sobre las enfermedades diarreicas y respiratorias, principalmente; distribución de sobres Vida Suero Oral y acido fólico; información y aplicación de la vacuna del tétanos a mujeres embarazadas y hombres. Mansur dijo que la vacuna hepatitis B y BCG, se aplica al nacer; la pentavalente, rotavirus y neumococo al mes y medio y a los 3 meses; a los 4 meses la pentavalente y la hepatitis B; al año de edad se aplica la SRP y neumococo; y todos los niños que tienen de 6 a 36 meses de edad se les aplicará la vacuna de influenza estacional. “(Gracias) a las acciones que se desarrollan durante las semanas nacionales de salud, en Tamaulipas se han mantenido erradicados padecimientos como la poliomielitis, sarampión, difteria, tétanos neonatal, entre otros”, dijo Mansur. Algunos puestos de ubicación se ubicarán en los centros de salud y unidades hospitalarias.
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010
GETTING READY FOR TAKS
Courtesy photo
Students at Villarreal Elementary are working hard to get ready for the upcoming TAKS writing test. Kneeling in front is student Juan Carmona. Stanading, left to right, are student Jesus Martinez, Reading Coach Teresa C. Villarreal, students Hector Barrientos and Orlando Camarillo and teacher Anita Campos. The students elaborated their ideas using a star as a graphic organizer.
Some may get income tax returns done free By JOE RUTLAND THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata County residents who qualify could have their Internal Revenue Service tax returns for this year done free of charge today. Low- to moderate-income families, with support from the Laredo Family Economic Success Coalition, can go to the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program during “Super Saturday” from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. today at the Goodwill Store, at 5901 San Dario Ave. in Laredo. Families that have incomes from $49,000 per year and lower can reach out for this support. “We’ll take a mobile unit out to the colonias of El Cenizo and Rio Bravo for those citizens, too,” said Richard Faz, AmeriCorps VISTA project coordinator. “We’d like to get at least 150 people at Goodwill so they can have their taxes done for free. As of now (last Monday), we have brought more than $1.1 million back into the Laredo economy through tax returns done for this season alone.” Faz said “Super Saturday” is a nationwide VITA
initiative. “These are IRS-certified volunteers that will be on hand to help out,” he said. The Laredo FESC, a four-year-old organization, helps support VITA.
Helpers A number of local entities make up the coalition, including: Azteca Economic Development and Preservation Corporation City of Laredo Community Development Department Goodwill H-E-B Internal Revenue Service Laredo Area Community Foundation Laredo Public Library Laredo Federal Credit Union Laredo Independent School District
Texas A&M International University Webb County Economic Development Department AmeriCorps VISTA Workforce Solutions for South Texas and United Independent School District. “LISD offers us work space at Martin High School,” Faz said. “UISD has some students who are IRS-approved volunteers from Alexander, United and LBJ high schools. They give us space at Alexander to help people out, too.” For more information, contact Faz at (956) 320-0016 or Julio Cruz at (956) 8578629. If you want more information on the Laredo Family Economic Success Coalition, visit their Web site at www.laredofesc.org. (Joe Rutland may be reached at 728-2529 or jrutland@lmtonline.com)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010
Health care odds long; Dems push on By ALAN FRAM ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Democrats pushed hard to revive President Barack Obama’s stalled health care overhaul on Friday — and pointed to glimmers of hope — but the long odds facing them seemed little changed after Obama’s extraordinary summit with both parties’ leaders. At the White House, press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama would unveil a “way forward” next week on legislation that has been his foremost domestic priority. Obama, who will first discuss the strategy with Democratic congressional leaders, said at Thursday’s bipartisan marathon that he’s open to several Republican ideas, including medical malpractice changes. There were signs of intensified activity on Capitol Hill. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and top adviser David Axelrod discussed health care in an early evening meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. And a spokesman for Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said White House officials have asked the senator to submit details of suggestions he made at Thursday’s meeting on rooting out
fraud from the medical system. In addition, a pair of retiring Democrats who opposed the legislation when the House approved it in November appeared willing to reconsider. And some supporters of a House provision strictly banning federal financing for abortion — a complicated sticking point — indicated an openness to different language. The outcome could affect nearly all Americans, remaking the way they pay for health care, the kinds of care they’re likely to receive and where they’re likely to get it. Or there could be smaller changes — or none — outcomes the Democrats say will lead to crushing budget problems and tens of millions of people still being left out. Republicans see problems in the health care system, too, but recommend less-far-reaching prescriptions. Despite the signs of movement, a day after television cameras brought the nation Obama’s unusual daylong discussion with top Republicans and Democrats there were no clear indications of a major change in Congress. The equation remained the same: Democratic leaders, especially in the House, will have to scramble to find votes to pass any
health legislation and they’re almost certainly going to have to do it without Republican support. And there are Democratic doubts, as well. “People who voted ’yes’ would love a second bite at the apple to vote ’no’ this time, because they went home and got an unpleasant
experience” because of their votes, said Rep. Jason Altmire, a moderate Democrat from Pennsylvania. “On the other hand,” he added, “I don’t know anybody who voted ’no’ who regrets it.” Top Democrats spoke of plunging ahead anyway. Pelosi said she saw “good pros-
Lawmaker: Toyota hid evidence By STEPHEN MANNING AND TOM KRISHER ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — A House lawmaker said Friday that internal Toyota documents show the automaker deliberately withheld key vehicle design and testing evidence in lawsuits filed by Toyota drivers injured in crashes. In a letter to Toyota’s top North American executive, House oversight committee Chairman Edolphus Towns accused Toyota of shielding its testing data on potential problems with Toyota vehicles. Towns wrote that Toyota chose to enter hefty settlements with plaintiffs to avoid disclosing the database, which the lawmaker said was referred to as the “Books of Knowledge.” The Toyota documents “show a systematic disregard for the law and routine violation of court discovery orders in litigation,” Towns wrote in the letter to Yoshimi Inaba. Towns asked Inaba to respond to the issues raised by March 12. Toyota said in a statement that it is confident it acted appropriately in product liability lawsuits and it looks forward to addressing Towns’ concerns. The automaker said it is not uncommon for companies to object to demands for documents made in lawsuits. “Consistent with that philosophy, we take appropriate steps to maintain the confidentiality of competitive business information and trade secrets,” the statement said.
Photo by Alan Diaz | AP
The Toyota logo is shown at a dealership in North Palm Beach, Fla.. Inaba and Toyota President Akio Toyoda appeared before the committee on Wednesday, the second of two House hearings this week on Toyota’s recall of 8.5 million vehicles over safety concerns. Toyota turned over thousands of internal documents before the hearings. A third Toyota hearing is scheduled for next week in the Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Lawmakers and federal safety regulators have accused Toyota of concealing safety problems over cases of sudden unintended acceleration due to gas pedal problems. The company has pledged to be more responsive to customer complaints and safety warnings. The oversight committee also subpoenaed records from Dimitrios Biller, the former managing counsel of Toyota’s U.S.-based product liability group. Biller, who worked at Toyota from 2003 to 2007, dealt with lawsuits against the company for vehicle rollover crashes. In a July lawsuit filed in Los Angeles, Biller accused Toyota of conspiring to withhold evidence in the rollover cases and forcing him to resign when he told the company it had a legal duty to release evidence to plaintiffs’ attorneys.
The lawsuit says Biller was harassed by Toyota.He made a wrongful discharge claim and agreed to a $3.7 million severance package. According to memos Biller provided to the committee, Toyota had a database covering design problems and “countermeasures” that it developed to resolve the rollover problems. It could be searched by vehicles or component part, and was kept by Toyota’s technical center. Biller said he discovered the database while working on a case, and warned that it should be released during litigation. Biller wrote in an e-mail that he agreed to a $1.5 million settlement in 2006 to avoid disclosure in a rollover case.
pects for passing” health legislation and contended Thursday’s meeting showed a GOP content to accept the status quo of insurance companies bullying consumers. That was echoed in the Senate by No. 2 Democratic leader Richard Durbin of Illinois, who said, “We are not going to wait.” The Democrats seem ready to use “reconciliation,” a seldomused procedure that could let them push legislation through the Senate with a simple majority. Until now, Republicans have used a filibuster to force Democrats to find 60 votes in the 100member Senate — one more than they have. Republicans say reconciliation should be used for budget changes, not a dramatic reshaping of national health care policy. With polls showing some voters consider the process unfair, some moderate Democrats have expressed a reluctance to support it. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., said Friday she will be a “definite no” if it is used. Spokesmen for the House and Senate Republican leaders said Friday their party does not plan a formal response to Obama, having made clear a belief that Democrats should scrap their bills.
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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
DOMINGO BANDA Domingo Banda, 69, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010, at Laredo Medical Center. Mr. Banda is preceded in death by wife, Alicia Banda; brother, Higinio Banda; sister, Maria Concepcion (Jose) De Leon; and a sister-in-law, Herculana Banda. Mr. Banda is survived by his wife, Rosalva Banda; sons, Roberto (Vicky) Piedra, Daniel Hernandez and Juan Hernandez; daughter, Azucena Hernandez; grandchildren, Roberto Piedra Jr. and Rolando Piedra; brothers, Bartolo Banda and Emilio (Victoria) Banda; sister-inlaw, Primitiva Banda; and by numerous nephews, nieces and many friends. Visitation hours were held Friday, Feb. 5, 2010,
from 6 to 9 p.m. with a wake at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession departed Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010, after a chapel service at 10 a.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.rosegardenfuneralhome.com. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 U.S. 83, Zapata.
Genealogy society sets talk today SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society members and the public will have the opportunity to meet Mary Jo Galindo, Ph.D., when she presents “ Con Un Pié en Cada Lado: Ethnicities and the Archaeology of Nuevo Santander Ranchos” today at 2 p.m. at the UT Health Science Center – Laredo campus auditorium, 1937 E. Bustamante St. in Laredo. Mary Jo Galindo is a registered professional archaeologist who has worked for SWCA Environmental Consultants as a principal investigator for three years. Galindo was recently elected president of the Council of Texas Archaeologists and appointed to the Texas Historical Commission’s Antiquities Advisory Board. She earned her doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin in 2003. Galindo’s presentation documents the ethno-history and the origins of Rancho San Lorenzo de Las Minas, a mid-18th-century rancho associated with the community of Mier, Tamaulipas, Mexico, founded by pobladores Ramon
Guerra and Rosalia Hinojosa. Galindo will also summarize Raul Guerra’s research on the Guerra Cañamar name and how it relates to Ramon Guerra Cañamar. Galindo’s dissertation explores the archaeology and ethnicities of 18th-century Nuevo Santander colonists.
JUVENTINO ZAPATA Juventino Zapata, 88, passed away Feb. 6, 2010, at his residence. Mr. Zapata was a WWII veteran and recipient of numerous metals including the Purple Heart. Mr. Zapata is survived by his beloved wife of 62 years, Alejandra V. Zapata; loving children, Juventino (Maria N.) Zapata Jr., Javier (Deborah L.) Zapata, Oralia Z. (Juan) Garza and Yolanda Z. (Ricardo) Soliz; grandchildren, Juventino (Laura) Zapata III, Tatiana († Eduardo) Villarreal, Marco Antonio Zapata, Sebastian Zapata, Marissa Y. Garza, Liza A. Soliz and Raziel Soliz; five great-grandchildren and by numerous brothers, sisters and other relatives. Visitation hours were Monday, Feb. 8, 2010, from 6 to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession departed Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010, at 9:30 for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Burial services followed at Zapata County Cemetery, including full Military Honors by the American
Legion Post 486 Color Guard. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.rosegardenfuneralhome.com. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 US 83, Zapata.
ROSA B. GARCIA Rosa B. Garcia, 88, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, at Falcon Lake Nursing Home in Zapata. Ms. Garcia is preceded in death by her husband, Rafael Garcia Jr.; son, Rafael Garcia III; granddaughter, Roxana Garcia; brothers, Dagoberto (Ofelia) Ramirez, Martin Ramirez, Eduardo Ramirez and Pedro Ramirez Jr.; sisters, Ernestina (Pedro) Ramirez and Amanda (Donato) Gonzalez; and a son-inlaw, Virgilio Guerra. Ms. Garcia is survived by her son, Raul R. (Mirtha) Garcia; daughter, Elsa (Mike) Johnson, Rosalinda Guerra; grandchildren, Michael Johnson, Mike Jr. (Monique) Johnson, Cynthia (Robert) Longoria, Raul Garcia Jr., Velma (Randy) White, Roy (Liza) Garcia and Maria Teresa (Freddie) Escobar; sister-inlaw, Lucilla P. Ramirez; and by numerous nephews, nieces and many friends. Visitation hours were Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010, from 6 to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral proces-
sion departed Monday, Feb. 8, 2010, at 9:30 for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.rosegardenfuneralhome.com. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 U.S. 83, Zapata.
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010
RED CROSS
OFFICE Continued from Page 1A niz, district attorney for Webb and Zapata counties. “It’s a small space but it’s a big commitment. A few blocks from here, across the border, there’s terrorism and crime. When you cross over here there’s law, order and respect. We do see big crimes in Zapata. It’s important to have professionalism here to protect the families and community of Zapata.” Keeping with one of his campaign promises, Alaniz noted that the use of the new space will be designated to meet with victims in privacy. The defense bar, he said, would also be able to meet and discuss cases at the new office. In the future with the help of the Zapata Commissioners Court, Alaniz plans on accommodating a full staff. Until further notice, the office will operate on a scheduled visit basis. “Our office employs 77 people, but I look forward to having that
Keeping with one of his campaign promises, Alaniz noted that the use of the new space will be designated to meet with victims in privacy. number grow with our office here in Zapata. I think today we’re planting the seed for better things to come,” said Alaniz. Before the new office, the Office of the District Attorney would travel to Zapata around three to five times a week. Prosecutors for Zapata County handle about 300 cases a year and try about three to four cases a year. The new office is expected to serve as a more expedient process of moving cases to court. (Denise Blaz may be reached at 728-2547 or dblaz@lmtonline.com)
Continued from Page 1A
Photo by Cuate Santos | Laredo Morning Times
Zapata County officials sit in the background as Isidro "Chilo" Alaniz, district attorney for Webb and Zapata counties, at podium, speaks about his new offices at the Zapata County Courthouse on Friday morning.
TEXANS Continued from Page 1A a cap of $500 per donation, with many sponsors making donations in the form of gifts. Balderas asserts that the most popular items are usually trinkets and miscellaneous items. Prizes aside, Balderas maintains that last year’s Winter Texan event marked a defining achievement for Zapata County. “Before last year the senior citizens of Zapata were never included in Winter Appreciation,” Balderas said. “Now the four or five adult centers in town provide transportation to and from the event.
“We’ll have dancing, prizes, food, and vendors will set up,” she added. “Bingo is the favored event and we’re still working on a different kind of bingo. We have our own senior citizens that do La Chalupa, so I thought it’d be good to get creative with bingo. We’ll see.” Music will make the event all the more enjoyable. After searching through lists of south Texas entertainers, organizers stumbled upon Carlos R. Canas. Canas, a San Benito native, is set to take stage at 4 p.m., singing favored oldies of
the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Fun activities, live music and prize drawings all day long are set to draw the crowds. This year, Balderas estimates an attendance of about 250. Events for the Winter Texan-Senior Citizen Appreciation Day begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Zapata Community Center and continue until 6 p.m. For more information, call the Zapata Chamber of Commerce at 765-4871. (Stephanie M. Ibarra may be reached at 728-2567 or sibarra@lmtonline.com)
“We have some high school volunteers,” Sanchez said. “We just can’t always use youth on certain assignments but I still encourage 15-, 16-year-olds to come out. “Anyone that has the heart to help their community — come,” she invited. “We will train volunteers to aid their community in the case of a local disaster, fires, floods. We want to invest in volunteers and orientation is prep training.” At the orientation, prospective volunteers learn the history of the American Red Cross, get a general overview of Red Cross services as well as find out about opportunities for additional training. After completion of the orientation, volunteers must undergo a criminal background check, after which they can choose the kind of specialized training they prefer. Sanchez hopes that this orientation will garner greater attention among local residents. “The Red Cross is a very rewarding way of participating in the community,” she said. “We’re the ones that get called to help others in need. This is a good cause.” Should residents be unable to make the March 6 orientation, the Red Cross plans to host another in Laredo on March 13. For more information on local Red Cross orientations and trainings, call 726-4778. ( Stephanie M. Ibarra may be reached at 728-2567 or sibarra@lmtonline.com)
LOCKDOWN Continued from Page 1A much panic, but it’s not as bad as it sounds,” Montes said. Montes advised the parents their children could remain safely at school. However, he said many parents feared for their children and did not send them to school on Friday. “We did see a large amount of absences,” the principal said. About 47 students were reported absent on Friday out of the total 118 students, according to Montes. He noticed a strong presence
of deputies in the surrounding area and said he has kept in constant communication with the Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office. Zapata County Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez Jr. said after the office received reports of shots fired, deputies deployed to the area along with Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and U.S. CBP Border Patrol agents. “We also went over to see what was going on,” Gonzalez said. He said nobody was harmed
and no property damage was reported on the U.S. side. It was unclear whether any of the callers had actually heard gunshots themselves or were reporting what someone else had said. Friday, Gonzalez agreed with Montes’ assessment of the situation. “It wasn’t really necessary for a lock-down,” the sheriff said. Agent Jason Darling, U.S. CBP Border Patrol public information officer, said Border Patrol agents
responded because of the reports of gun fire in the area. Their efforts were coordinated with the local and state law enforcement agencies. “There was gunfire being overheard on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande,” Darling said. Darling said Border Patrol’s routine patrol continues along the area. “We will definitely maintain presence,” Darling said. Gonzalez said about 28 patrol officers cover Zapata County,
which is 997 square miles. “We have people in the area at all times,” Gonzalez said. The sheriff said residents should report any suspicious activity. “Be cautious. Be aware of the surroundings,” he said. To report suspicious activity, call the sheriff ’s office at 765-9960 or Border Patrol at (800) 313-1994. In an emergency, call 911. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors Lifting their way to regionals Five Zapata girls headed to Carrizo Springs to compete for a chance to reach state meet THE ZAPATA TIMES
Five members of the Zapata High School girls’ powerlifting team have advanced to the regional meet, where they will compete for a chance to make it to state next weekend. April Guzman, Marisol Garcia, Michelle Arce, Kat Garcia and Amanda Sanchez each met the total lifts required to qualify
for regional competition and will lift at the Region V Powerlifting Championships in Carrizo Springs on Saturday, March 6. Guzman, a sophomore, made it to the state meet as a freshman last year and placed fifth in her weight class. She enters regional competition as the top-ranked lifter in the Class 3A division of the 97pound weight class.
Astros giving Manzella a chance
Guzman has surpassed her state lift total of 495 pounds from last year and qualified for regionals with a lift total of 560. Marisol Garcia competes in the 132-pound weight class and qualified for the regional meet with a lift total of 700 pounds – five higher than the requirement. She is ranked second among 3A lifters in her class.
Arce competes in the 165pound weight class and qualified for regionals with a lift total of 855 pounds – more than 100 pounds over the 745-pound requirement for her class. She enters next weekend’s meet as the top-ranked 3A lifter at 165 pounds. Kat Garcia also competes in the 165-pound class and is ranked third among 3A lifters
with a lift total of 810, which went above and beyond qualifying her for regional competition. Sanchez competes in the 181pound class and qualified for the regional meet with a lift total of 800 pounds – 25 higher than the requirement for her class. She is the top-ranked 3A lifter in her class heading into next weekend.
2010 LADY HAWKS SOFTBALL
LADY HAWKS GETTING READY FOR A SUCCESSFUL 32-3A CAMPAIGN
By CHRIS DUNCAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Tommy Manzella should have an easy time proving to the Houston Astros that he’s a majorleague shortstop, considering the personal challenges he’s already overcome. The 26-year-old rookie arrived at spring training tabbed as the everyday starter at the position after a steady climb through the minors. MANZELLA The Astros did not resign Miguel Tejada in the offseason, creating the opening for Manzella to show what he can do. He’s played in only two major-league games, but he’s confident that he’s got what it takes now to make it in the big leagues. “This is my opportunity,” Manzella said Friday. “At some point, you have to step up and bring your game to the next level, and change from someone who could get it done to someone who does get it done.” Houston has no questions about Manzella’s character or maturity. He showed how well he could handle adversity as a freshman at Tulane in 2002, when his mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Manzella hit his first college home run on the day he found out. “She got the ball and took it to her chemo treatments and everything,” Manzella said. “Just to see what she went through without complaining about everything, that’s something I grasp a lot of strength on.” The Astros drafted him in 2005 and two months later, Hurricane Katrina crashed into the Gulf Coast and destroyed his family’s home in Chalmette, a New Orleans suburb. Manzella was playing a game in Massachusetts for the Astros’ short-season affiliate in upstate New York when he got a text message from his mother, telling him what happened. “They were in Georgia and they had gotten a text from some of our neighbors who were on top of their roof,”
See MANZELLA PAGE 2B
Photo by Clara Sandoval | Special to the Times
Zapata High School softball coach Jaime Garcia instructs his catchers during drills at a practice earlier this week.
Softball team continues non-district schedule By CLARA SANDOVAL SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
The Zapata Lady Hawks are in the mist of their softball season as they continue to navigate through their pre-district schedule. Coach Jaime Garcia has the daunting task of replacing Lynda Leyva, Tessa Moss, Myra Alaniz and Angela Ramirez, who graduated last year and were instrumental in the team’s success. Leyva and Moss were the team’s pitcher and catcher, two vital positions in softball. “They were both instrumen-
tal in our success, but I have two sophomores who remind me of them so much, they are just as talented and hopefully they can come through for us,” Garcia said. The Lady Hawks were one spot away from capturing a playoff berth last season. Garcia enters his third year at the helm for Zapata and hopes to improve on last year’s record of 16-10 after suffering to 6-20 the previous year.
Leading the way Garcia will turn to this
Irvin pleased to hear charges won’t be filed By JEFF CARLTON ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — An angry Michael Irvin said Friday he was pleased but not surprised that Florida authorities won’t file sexual assault charges against him. The former Dallas Cowboys star, at times appearing to hold back tears, was speaking publicly for the first time since prosecutors in Florida declined to pursue allegations that emerged in a lawsuit accusing him of rape. A Florida woman filed suit Feb. 4 seeking unspecified damages for a sexual assault that she alleges occurred in July 2007 at a
South Florida hotel. “This has been the very thing I have tried so hard to avoid,” Irvin said during a news conference at his attorney’s office. “I am so pleased that trained inIRVIN vestigators concluded that what she claimed occurred never happened.” Irvin has had previous legal problems, including a no-contest plea to a cocaine possession charge in 1996. Later that year, Irvin and another Cowboys
See IRVIN PAGE 2B
Photo by Clara Sandoval | Special to the Times
The captains of this season’s Zapata High School varsity softball team are, from left, Jessica Garcia, Ashley Martinez and Amanda Sanchez. year’s captains to lead the team into the playoffs. Seniors Jessica Garcia, Ashley Martinez and Amanda Sanchez have been named
team captains for their leadership on and off the field. “I expect Jessica to lead the
See SOFTBALL PAGE 2B
ZAPATA HIGH SCHOOL DEDICATES NEW TENNIS COURTS
Photo by Clara Sandoval | Special to the Times
The new Zapata High School tennis courts were dedicated during a ceremony on campus earlier this week.
PAGE 2B
Zscores
MLB Free Agent Signings AMERICAN LEAGUE BOSTON (4): Signed Marco Scutaro, ss, Toronto, to a $12.5 million, two-year contract; signed Mike Cameron, of, Milwaukee, to a $15.5 million, two-year contract; signed John Lackey, rhp, Los Angeles Angels, to an $82.5 million, five-year contract; signed Adrian Beltre, 3b, Seattle, to a $10 million, one-year contract. TEXAS (5): Signed Rich Harden, rhp, Chicago Cubs, to a $7.25 million, one-year contract; signed Darren Oliver, lhp, Los Angeles Angels, to a $3.5 million, one-year contract; signed Vladimir Guerrero, dh, Los Angeles Angels, to a $6.5 million, one-year contract; signed Khalil Greene, ss, St. Louis, to a $750,000, oneyear contract; signed Endy Chavez, of, Seattle, to a minor league contract ($1.05 million). NATIONAL LEAGUE ATLANTA (3): Signed Billy Wagner, lhp, Boston, to a $7 million, one-year contract; signed
Troy Glaus, inf, St. Louis, to a $1.75 million, one-year contract; signed Eric Hinske, of, N.Y. Yankees, to a $1 million, one-year contract. CHICAGO (5): Re-signed John Grabow, lhp, to a $7.5 million, two-year contract; signed Marlon Byrd, of, Texas, to a $15 million, three-year contract; signed Chad Tracy, 1b, Arizona, to a minor league contract ($900,000); signed Xavier Nady, of, New York Yankees, to a $3.3 million, one-year contract. HOUSTON (4): Signed Pedro Feliz, 3b, Houston, to a $4.5 million, one-year contract; signed Brandon Lyon, rhp, Detroit, to a $15 million, three-year contract; re-signed Jason Michaels, of, to an $800,000, one-year contract; signed Brett Myers, rhp, Philadelphia, to a $5.1 million, one-year contract. LOS ANGELES (8): Re-signed Doug Mientkiewicz, 1b, to a minor league contract ($550,000); signed Jamey Carroll, 2b, Cleveland, to a $3.85 million, two-year contract; resigned Vicente Padilla, rhp, to a $5,025,000, one-year contract; re-signed Ronnie Belliard, 2b, to an $825,000, one-year contract; resigned Brad Ausmus, c, to a $1 million, oneyear contract; signed Reed Johnson, of, Chicago Cubs, to an $800,000, one-year contract; re-signed Jeff Weaver, rhp, to a minor league
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010
contract ($800,000); signed Brian Giles, of, San Diego, to a minor league contract ($550,000). NEW YORK (9): Re-signed Alex Cora, ss, to a $2 million, one-year contract; signed Henry Blanco, c, San Diego, to a $750,000, one-year contract; re-signed Elmer Dessens, rhp, to a minor league contract ($700,000); signed Kelvim Escobar, rhp, Los Angeles, to a $1.25 million, one-year contract; signed Jason Bay, of, Boston, to a $66 million, four-year contract; re-signed Fernando Tatis, inf-of, to an $850,000, one-year contract; signed Josh Fogg, rhp, Colorado, to a minor league contract ($600,000); signed Frank Catalanotto, of, Milwaukee, to a minor league contract ($650,000); signed Rod Barajas, c, Toronto, to a $500,000, one-year contract. PHILADELPHIA (6): Signed Brian Schneider, c, N.Y. Mets, to a $2.75 million, two-year contract; signed Juan Castro, ss, Los Angeles Dodgers, to a $750,000, one-year contract; signed Placido Polanco, inf, Detroit, to an $18 million, three-year contract; signed Ross Gload, 1b-of, Florida, to a $2.6 million, twoyear contract; signed Danys Baez, rhp, Baltimore, to a $5.25 million, two-year contract; signed Jose Contreras, rhp, Colorado, to a $1.5 million, one-year contract.
TRANSACTIONS BASEBALL American League KANSAS CITY ROYALS: Agreed to terms with RHP Anthony Lerew, INF Mike Aviles and OF Mitch Maier on one-year contracts. National League FLORIDA MARLINS: Agreed to terms with RHP Jay Buente, RHP Jose Ceda, RHP Brett Sinkbeil, 3B Jorge Jimenez, C Brett Hayes and Gaby Sanchez on one-year contracts. HOUSTON ASTROS: Agreed to terms with INF Tommy Manzella on a one-year contract. American Association LINCOLN SALTDOGS: Signed LHP Donald Furrow. PENSACOLA PELICANS: Traded INF Jason Diaz to Grand Prairie for future considerations. SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS: Signed RHP Eddy De La Cruz. Can-Am League BROCKTON ROX: Traded C Jon Gossard to Sussex for a player to be named.
SUSSEX SKYHAWKS: Signed RHP Andy Schon. BASKETBALL NBA NBA: Fined Los Angeles Lakets C Andrew Bynum $25,000 for publicly criticizing game officials following a Feb. 24 game against Dallas. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: Recalled F Darnell Jackson from Erie (NBADL). WASHINGTON WIZARDS: Signed G Shaun Livingston to a 10-day contract. FOOTBALL CFL WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS: Named Jim Bell president. Released DB Lenny Walls. Traded DE Gavin Walls to Montreal for DE Stan van Sichem. HOCKEY NHL NEW YORK RANGERS: Reassigned F Andres Ambuhl to Hartford (AHL) from the Swiss National Team. Assigned G Chad Johnson to Hartford. Recalled G Miika Wiikman from Hartford. OTTAWA SENATORS: Signed RW Ryan Shan-
non to a one-year contract. AHL BINGHAMTON SENATORS: Assigned F Keegan Dansereau and F Matt Lowry to Elmira (ECHL). ECHL ELMIRA JACKALS: Loaned LW Maxime Gratchev to Rochester (AHL). READING ROYALS: Announced F Matt Marquardt has been re-assigned to the team from Providence (AHL). Released G Shane Davis. SYRACUSE CRUNCH: Recalled G Dan Taylor from Gwinnett (ECHL). MOTORSPORTS NASCAR: Suspended R3 Motorsports crewman Keneth Luna indefinitely from the Nationwide Series for violating the substance abuse policy. SOCCER Major Indoor Soccer League PHILADELPHIA KIXX: Agreed to terms with F Shawn Boney. COLLEGE UNLV: Named Chad Brown men’s interim soccer coach.
Saltalamacchia, Teagarden fight for top spot Rangers catchers competing in camp to see who will be No. 1 this season ASSOCIATED PRESS
SURPRISE, Ariz. — In a Texas Rangers camp bereft of position battles, catchers Taylor Teagarden and Jarrod Saltalamacchia are the exception. The offensively talented Saltalamacchia was acquired from the Atlanta Braves four years ago in the Mark Teixeira trade. Teagarden is the homegrown defensive specialist who’s working to bring his offense in line with his consistency behind the plate. The job likely is Saltalamacchia’s to win, assuming he can prove he’s reco-
vered from offseason surgery to correct Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, a condition that causes pain, tingling and numbness in his arm. “Before Salty got hurt he showed a lot of improvement on the defensive end,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “We just want to see that he’s healthy and can do everything. We haven’t seen any hiccups.” Saltalamacchia had been slated to play winter ball in the Dominican Republic, but was sent home after only one game when his shoulder problems resurfaced. That question
Teagarden has shown promise behind the plate. It’s how he performs with a bat that remains an issue. Last season, his first full year in the majors, he hit .217 in 60 games. mark has placed the 24year-old in the middle of his third consecutive spring competition for the full-time job. “I’m approaching it the same as I did last year,” Saltalamacchia said Friday. “I have one focus, on the pitching staff and getting ready for Opening Day. Competition is fine. We can’t worry about the competition. ... We have 25
guys on this team and we have to focus on that otherwise you’re selling the other guys short.” His shoulder woes also affected Saltalamacchia at the plate, where he hit .233 with nine homers and 34 RBIs in 84 games. Teagarden has shown promise behind the plate. It’s how he performs with a bat that remains an issue. Last season, his first
full year in the majors, he hit .217 in 60 games. “Defensively I have been more consistent than offensively,” Teagarden said. “They know what I can do being a catcher.” Last year, the 26-yearold spent considerable time watching video to learn hitters’ tendencies. “You can’t learn a lot unless you’re in the big leagues,” Teagarden said. Even if relegated to a backup role, Teagarden said he will remain busy continuing to build on his knowledge of the league’s hitters. “You never really have a day off as a catcher,” he said. “When you’re talking about studying the hitters you have to keep your eyes in the game and see how the game calling is going.”
Washington said the starting job ultimately will be based more on who is able to get the most out of the Rangers pitching staff. “They can play for me if they can get my pitchers through games,” he said. Notes: RHP Warner Madrigal left the workout early Friday with tightness in his right forearm. ... CF Josh Hamilton returned to practice in a limited role Friday, skipping outfield drills and hitting off a tee in the batting cages rather than facing live pitching. Hamilton has missed most of the past two days with a left shoulder contusion. ... LHP Derek Holland is going to throw in the bullpen on Saturday as he continues working back from a mild right knee sprain.
treatment center, waited 16 days to report the incident and did so only after meeting with three different attorneys. The report said “it is problematic that she reported the incident to the police only after consultations with civil attorneys.” The Associated Press does not name alleged victims of sexual assault. Her attorney, David Lister, said his client has passed a polygraph test and challenged Irvin to submit to one. “My firm would not
have gotten involved in this matter if this young lady did not agree to submit to a polygraph examination,” Lister said. Irvin was fired from his Dallas-Fort Worth ESPN radio show on Feb. 5, the day after the lawsuit was filed. The network said the decision was made before the lawsuit surfaced and pointed to the show’s poor ratings. Friedman said Irvin may sue ESPN for wrongful termination. An ESPN spokesman declined to comment.
IRVIN Continued from Page 1B player were accused of sexual assault by a woman, but an investigation determined the story was false and the woman recanted. Irvin described this latest lawsuit as a “horrific ordeal.” Attorney Larry Friedman said Irvin didn’t speak until Friday because he had just returned the previous night from two weeks in Australia, where he was hanging out with actor Russell Crowe and his rugby team. According to the woman’s lawsuit, Irvin got her
drunk and took her to his hotel room where he and an unidentified man insisted on sexual favors. The woman claims Irvin raped her and the other man forced her to perform oral sex. Friedman said Irvin was approached by the woman’s lawyer shortly before appearing on last season’s “Dancing With The Stars” TV show. Irvin was told he must pay the woman $1 million or a lawsuit would be filed to coincide with the Super Bowl, Friedman said.
Friedman has filed a countersuit against the woman claiming civil extortion and defamation. He is seeking $100 million in damages. Friedman has filed a countersuit against the woman claiming civil extortion and defamation. He is seeking $100 million in damages. Investigators with the Broward State Attorney’s office in Florida said in a
report this week that the woman’s story is “replete with contradictions and inconsistencies ... that significantly diminish the strength of the evidence.” The report pointed out that she declined to be examined at a sexual assault
MANZELLA Continued from Page 1B Manzella said. “They texted them from their roof and said there was 10 feet of water.” His mother died in June 2008, just after Manzella found out he’d been promoted to the franchise’s Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock. He hit .219 but committed only three errors in 61 games that season, and was back at spring training in 2009. Manzella soon realized that he thought about his mother more when he struggled than when he succeeded. “When you get to a situation where your back’s against the wall, a situation where I’m supposed to come through and I don’t come through, that’s the kind of situation when I need her more,” he said, “because that’s the kind of situation that reminds me where I came from and who I am as a person and how I want to be known.” Manzella made his major-league debut last September after posting a .977 fielding percentage in 130 games with Round Rock in 2009. He learned all he
Manzella made his major-league debut last September after posting a .977 fielding percentage in 130 games with Round Rock in 2009. could, asking Tejada for guidance and watching the work habits of opposing shortstops. The Astros expect Manzella to be a defensive upgrade from Tejada, who committed 21 errors last season, second in the NL behind San Diego’s Everth Cabrera (23). But the Astros may have to sacrifice some offense to take advantage of Manzella’s glove. Last year, Tejada led the Astros with a .313 average in 2009, led the NL with 46 doubles and ranked second in hits (199). Manzella hit .289 with nine homers and 56 RBIs at Triple-A Round Rock last season, and bristles at the notion that he’s only here because of his well-regarded fielding skills. “No one wants to hear
that he’s just a defensive player and he’s just trying to get by with his bat,” Manzella said. “I take a lot of pride in the work I do offensively, and I put in more work there. I need to keep on it, just to make sure it stays sharp.” But Manzella said everything else is in place for the start of his majorleague career, starting with the confidence and the experience. “It’s something that I prepared for the whole offseason and really, that I’ve prepared for over the last four years,” he said. “Just getting different opportunities to play as I continued my progression through the minors, it’s all helped me develop a belief in my abilities and how that would translate to the major-league level.”
Photo by Rob Carr | AP
Houston Astros shortstop Tommy Manzella throws the ball to first as Jeff Keppinger looks on during spring training baseball practice on Thursday in Kissimmee, Fla.
SOFTBALL Continued from Page 1B team along, with Ashley Martinez and Amanda Sanchez,” Garcia said. “They are going to have to be the backbone of the team. “They are going to have to back up all these young girls and encourage them and push them and get them ready for every single game.” Garcia, a three year letterman, plays the center field position and is counted among the best outfielders on the Lady Hawks’
roster, along with Martinez. Martinez, the only four-year letterman, on the roster, plays left field. “We are just going to play a good solid defense and come around on offense,” Martinez said. “We have a tough district all around and can never under estimate anyone and you just to play every game hard.” Sanchez, also a three-year letterman, plays the hot corner at
third base.
Rainy days Zapata has only played two games this season due to the Mission Tournament being cancelled by rain. “We still have the La Joya Tournament, and our tournament before we open district with Lyford, so we will get plenty of
game to see what we need to work on,” Garcia said. The Lady Hawks will open district with the No. 1 team in the Rio Grande Valley, the Lyford Lady Bulldogs, who are led by pitcher Katrina Zamorano. “They are a tough team,” Garcia said. “They are returning eight lettermen, but one thing I have learned about softball is that anything can happen, and I have a talented, well-rounded
team that can get the job done.” In their opening game, Garcia saw his team play very good defense that can become their trademark. “Our defense really came through and we made a lot of plays. Amanda make a few plays out there, and our outfield is very solid,” Garcia said. “Hopefully we can put our offense and defense together and get out there in those playoffs.”
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010
THE ZAPATA TIMES | 3B
HINTS BY HELOISE Dear Heloise: Can you help me find a way to keep STRAY CATS out of my mother’s flowerpots? They are ruining her flowers. -Patricia McGhehey, Rockwall, Texas Patricia, cats do love to dig, but here are several things for you to try: Put lots of pine cones in the dirt; cats don’t like feeling them, you can water right through them, and they won’t hurt the flowers. Place net or wire over the dirt of the plant, so the cats can’t get to it. Throw citrus peels (or sprinkle lemon juice) around the base of the plant; the cats don’t like the smell. Hopefully one of these will work. -- Heloise PET PAL Dear Readers: Claire Esposito of Middletown, Ohio, sent a photo of her cat BeeBee “helping” with the sewing by being wrapped in the fabric. Claire says: “We rescued a 5week-old kitten we found abandoned on our lawn and named him BeeBee, which originally stood for ‘Beautiful Baby.’ As he aged, he became Beautiful Boy, then Big Boy
REAL ESTATE
“
HELOISE
and occasionally Bad Boy when he bites my ankles as I walk by! He is more like a dog than a cat.” To see BeeBee, the sewing helper, visit www.Heloise.com. -- Heloise HAIR NEST Dear Heloise: Back in the Victorian era, women put their hairbrush hair in small, covered containers called hair receivers. The hair was used for a variety of things: to make hair jewelry, as pincushion stuffing or to put inside lockets. I have found a wonderful, modern idea for using tufts of hair from the hairbrush. I go outside with the hairbrush, rake a comb through it and let the hair go into the wind. Birds use the hair for their nests -- they love it. Once in a while, after a storm, I will find a small nest. It brings a smile to my face every time! -Ellen in Indiana
HELP WANTED
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CAPSTONE REAL ESTATE SERVICES, INC. Is currently accepting applications for Leasing Consultant for Carmel Apartment Homes. Excellent benefits offered include 3 CONDOS FOR SALE 64 weeks paidvacation,401k & medical insurance. Regency Oaks Townhomes for Pre-employment drug screen & sale, 4246 Dorrel 2 & 3 bedroom, starting $87,900. Close background to Target South. Call check required. 956-237-2377 Position opened until filled. MOBILE HOMES FOR SALE 67 Fax resume: (956) 753-6502 Venta de Traila y teror Email: reno 3bd/2ba $45,000 maribel.olivarez@capstoneCall 206-9456 o management.com 718-2732 MOBILE LOTS FOR SALE 73 Carmel Apartment Homes is an 5423 Ramirez Dr.Newly Equal Opportunity Employer. Remodeled! 3/2 Kitchen,Living Rm.A/C.$15,000 Down, Owner finance. Call 319-4303
ACREAGE FOR SALE
76
1 Acre on Encinal, All utilities in front of park, $36,000 OBO 722-4708
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
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PETS & SUPPLIES
PETS & SUPPLIES
128
FOR SALE! Beautiful Miniture Schnauzer, 1yr. old, 1/male silver, 1/female black, All shots, ready to breed, $250/ea. OBO Call: 645-1981 or 645-1460 Labrodor puppies for sale, 1st shots, dewormed $150 Call: 333-3379 Last Beautiful Male Cockapoo 6mth. old, & 4mth. old Bullboxer, $150 & $250 respectively. 795-0261; 857-1123 Pug puppies, 8wks. old, 3F $400ea. Call:(956) 750-1260
MISCELLANEOUS
128
***2 Yorkys, shots, dwrmd, vet check, breeders welcome; AKC $499 se habla espanol 724-6007; 236-8208 AKC reg. West Highland white terriers 2M/1F, 5wks $300 call 206-9456 Beautiful & Tiny Pure breed Toy & Minitoy French Poodles & 1 Maltipoo $300/$350 795-0261, 857-1123
136
Gazelle Edge $60 Call: 724-4389
ARTICLES FOR SALE
136
* 1 Vitrina 100% Madera, 1 Sofa Grande, 3 Llantas Toyo 265/50R20, Comenzando en $160 Call: 333-3286 1 TV, Sony, 57” Flat Screen $499 Call: 796-1135
4 pc. Queen size bed, black, with matress, $575 Call:791-1286; 401-8223 Bar-B Que Pits Heavy Duty 1/4inch new casing.Top quality weld.Last a lifetime, all sizes available $175 & up Call Cesar 763-0143
NEVER BEEN USED Gas BBQ pit with side burner, $150 OBO Call:334-7271 REDUCED TO SELL 5 Acres 16 miles on Hwy 59 $39,00 OBO Call:722-4708
Beautiful Professional PoolTable, black wood finish with Italian Slate, covered with Aqua Colored selt.All accesories included.Along with MGB light lamp & wall mount. $900 Call:285-9939 Full Size wood bed, W/mattress, $200 call 401-8223 or 791-1286 Furniture, clothes, various items, prices starting at $5 & up. Call: 771-7333 King size 3pc., $200 OBO Call:725-1936; 645-0172
King size pillow top, good cond., Simmons, $350 Call:791-1286; 401-8223 Large Rainbow playset for sale., $4500 OBO CalL: 489-0210
MUST SEE Queen size sleigh bed in excellent cond.,dark cherry wood,with mattress included, $400 OBO SOLD
194
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Set of 3 dinning table beautiful, like new, iron, $350 set obo, Call 693-8903 Silla de ruedas marca Invacare uso 4 meses, costo $570 se va por $250 Call:251.1065
Slighty used 3ft.Stainless Stell utility table in good cond., $50 OBO call:334-7271
Sony TV 35” with console $250 call 206-8949
Diesel engines Chevy 6.6 Ford 7.3 & Cummins 5.9 Remanufactured w/warranty will deliver, $2,950. 713-918-5811. Need to sell 4 rims 22”fit GM 6 lug.Pick-ups,Tahoe,Suburban, Escalade 99 and up.Tire tread in very good condition.$1,200 OBO. MOTORCYCLES
Treadmill Health Rider Pulse capable $80 Call: 724-4389 Vendo comedor de fierro con vidrio con seis sillas. $550 llamar a 251-9626
Welding Machine 225 Lincoln, Gasoline, 100Ft of positive & negative cable $1,800 OBO call 775-5725 144
196
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Trailer BBQ Pit 6’x30”doble door with disc for Tripas $1600 Call 337-1794
JEWELRY
AUTOMOTIVE PARTS
1 New tire w/rim, 5 hole, R17 $75 Call:722-4708
Sofa set 3 pcs. for $300 OBO Call:286-6975
Ed Hardy auto floor mats for cars $30 Call: 857-8041
PETS & SUPPLIES
ARTICLES FOR SALE
198
1999 Ford F-250 V10, excellent cond., $6500 OBO Call:333-0000
2003 Nissan Pathfinder excellent cond., 74K miles, power windows, A/C, extras, $7000 Call:220-2453
Chevy Trail Blazer ‘08, Loaded 1 owner $4,000 down payment take over payments, Call 645-3757
Men’s Rolex President Gold watch $7,500 Call 210-204-3252
TRANSPORTATION
CAMPERS & RV’S
191
Fleet wood 99’ RV trail trailer sleeps 8, very good condition,CHA, $6,500OBO call 242-2479 HEAVY EQUIPMENT
192
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193
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TRUCKS FOR SALE
198
Ford Dually 1996 powerstrock diesel, 7.3, $5,500 Call: 754-7217
Nissan X-terra SE ‘02 All Elect., Good Cond.,Six cd changer.$5,600 OBO Call 693-9289 Silverado ‘01 Truck Z71, 4dr, Extended cab, $5,500 956-775-7995 CARS FOR SALE
200
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KIA Sportage 2001, 84K mi., auto, A/C, CD,$2,300 obo 723-5996
Chevy Impala 01’ V6, 57k miles, A/c, good cond., $4,000 OBO, Tel 949-4915 Ford Focus 2003 blue title,auto, A/C,4 dr.,good cond.,1 owner, $3000 call:237-0685; 135*830*9612
Ford Fusion 2007 Clean a/c and more Like New! $7,500 OBO 237-6619 Ford Taurus ‘05, Blue title, 75k miles, auto matic, A/c, $3,950 Call 727-1151 or 635-9114
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Malibu Classic 01’ good condition, $1,800 OBO Call 956-771-8124
Dodge Ram 2500 01’, Diesel, $6,500 OBO Call 242-3479
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Ford F150 ‘03, Good Condition, 4dr, $5,900 Call 744-2446
Mitsubishi Galant ES ‘08, low miles, 4cyl., MP3, all power, A/C $8,500 OBO 718-4064
Ford Truck ‘69, short bed, new paint, rebuilt motor, transmission, Cam headers $4650 OBO 645-4045
Pontiac Grand Prix 95’ good condition, $1,400 OBO Call 754-4892 Pontiac GT 2006 4 dr,leather seats,A/C, auto, all power, $6500 OBO Call:956-231-7478; 145*131942*3
Olympics
4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010
Photo by Matt Dunham | AP
Team Netherlands with Jan Blokhuijsen, Sven Kramer and Simon Kuipers, left to right, skate during the men’s team pursuit quarterfinals speed skating race at the Richmond Olympic Oval at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Friday.
Dutch advance to semifinals By RAF CASERT Photo by Sergey Ponomarev | AP
Lindsey Vonn of the United States waves as she arrives in the finish area after skiing out in the first run of the women’s slalom at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, on Friday
Vonn fails to cross line in her last race By JAIME ARON ASSOCIATED PRESS
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Lindsey Vonn went down fighting. Ole Einer Bjoerndalen went out on top. Despite a broken finger and bruises from chin to shin, Vonn lined up for Friday’s slalom hoping to somehow snare a medal in her final race at the Vancouver Olympics, even though it wasn’t among her best event. She gave up about halfway through her first of two runs. Oh, well. While a third “did not finish” means these won’t go down as the Vonn-couver Games after all, she refused to let that tarnish her gold and bronze medals. Bjoerndalen added to his tremendous Olympics resume by anchoring Norway’s victory in the men’s biathlon relay. This was his first gold medal since sweeping all four events in 2002, and the 11th medal of his career. That leaves him one behind Bjorn Dahlie’s Winter Games record of 12. This was Norway’s eighth gold medal, tying the United States, Canada and Germany for the most in Vancouver.
OLYMPIC ROUNDUP The U.S. leads the overall race with 32 medals, two shy of matching its biggest haul, set at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. The Americans’ best gold rush is 10, also in ’02. They also are in position to win the medals race for the first time since 1932. Germany is second with 26. There were six other golds to be handed out Friday, including Apolo Anton Ohno’s final individual race in short-track speedskating. The men’s hockey team also could clinch no worse than silver by beating Finland in a semifinal; the Americans led 6-0 after the first period.
Hockey fallout The Canadian Olympic Committee better check its mail. A letter is coming from the International Olympic Committee seeking details about the goldwinning women’s hockey team having celebrated its victory by swigging champagne and beer, and lighting cigars, on the ice. While one IOC official called the behavior inappropriate, committee
Photo by Andrew Medichini | AP
Norway’s Ole Einar Bjoerndalen jubilates as he crosses the finish line to give Norway the gold medal in the men’s biathlon relay at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, on Friday. spokesman Mark Adams said the letter does not qualify as the start of an investigation. “To be honest, I think people are in search of a story that doesn’t exist,” Adams said. Hockey Canada apologized in a statement late Thursday, saying it regrets any embarassment caused by taking their party beyond “the confines of our dressing room.”
Slalom At least Vonn had something to cheer about: Her close friend, Maria Riesch of Germany, was the leader after the first run. Riesch won the slalom title for her second gold medal of the Winter Olympics. Riesch led after the first leg and had a combined two-run time of 1 minute, 42.89 seconds through the
snow and fog on Friday. Marlies Schild of Austria was 0.43 second back to take silver. Sarka Zahrobska of the Czech Republic trailed by 1.01 to get bronze. Germany has won three of the five women’s Alpine races after Riesch took the super-combined and Viktoria Rebensburg the giant slalom.
Curling There’s a new international power in curling: China, which is going home from its first Olympic curling competition with a bronze medal. The Chinese beat Switzerland, bringing joy to their Canadian-bred coach and disappointment to the Swiss skip who’d brought home back-to-back silver medals from the last two Olympics.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
RICHMOND, British Columbia — Sven Kramer led the Netherlands into the team pursuit semifinals Friday with a flawless ride around the Olympic Oval in his first race since his lane-switching gaffe cost him gold in the 10,000 meters. In the women’s team qualifying, the United States scored an upset by eliminating favored Canada by .05 seconds when 1,000 gold medalist Christine Nesbitt failed to get her skate across the line fast enough, the laggard on her team. Defending champion Germany beat the Netherlands. Among the men, defending champion Italy was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Canada to finish an awful Olympics for Enrico Fabris, who was the best skater in Turin four years ago with two gold and a bronze. He won nothing in Vancouver. The Canadian men, who have yet to win a speedskating medal at the Richmond Oval, finished with an Olympic record of 3 minutes, 42.38 seconds for their eight laps around the oval. In the tightest race of the heats and the most shocking, Norway eliminated South Korea by just .03 seconds for a time of 3:43.66. The Koreans have skated well throughout these games, winning three golds and two silvers, and their early elimination was a surprise. Four-time Olympic medalist Chad Hedrick extended his speedskating career another day, leading the United States to an easy win over Japan to set up a semifinal against the Dutch. The semifinals are set for later Friday with the fi-
nal on Saturday. All eyes, though, were on Kramer, who is seeking redemption after a shocking blunder. Along the side of the track, the team was coached by Gerard Kemkers, who sent Kramer into the wrong lane on Tuesday in the costly 10,000-meter race. Kramer took the lead from the start Friday, quickly built a big margin over the Swedes, and let his two teammates do the cleaning up. As he crossed the line, Kramer raised his thumb, pleased with the work. “We didn’t go full speed. It was good enough,” said his teammate Jan Blokhuijsen. “We will get better and better.” The team pursuit was added in Turin and provides head-to-head competition between teams of three tightly bunched skaters starting from opposite sides of the oval. There are no lane changeovers, and the winner is determined by which team gets all three of its skaters across the line first. The men race eight laps from the inside lane, the women six. It was a last chance for Fabris to save his Olympics but he, or rather his teammates, failed. The Canadians already were out of their skating crouch and pumping fists as they crossed the line, safe in the knowledge the huge lead they had built would suffice. The Italians struggled throughout and over the last lap, Fabris went out in front and basically had to wait for the others to catch up. The losing margin of 3.97 seconds was the biggest of all four quarterfinals. “It was negative. We didn’t feel the right rhythm. We didn’t find a way to keep enough energy,” he said.
U.S. men rout to make the gold medal game By IRA PODELL ASSOCIATED PRESS
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The torment began almost immediately. The shot by Ryan Malone of the United States into a wide-open net left Finland goalie Miikka Kiprusoff staring at the ceiling and shaking his head. What happened next in this semifinal jolted Canada Hockey Place: The Americans scored four times on Kiprusoff in a six-goal first period, surging into the Olympic gold-medal game with a 6-1 rout of Finland on Friday. The U.S. will meet the Canada-Slovakia winner on Sunday, 50 years to the day after capturing gold in 1960 at Squaw Valley, Calif. It is the second time in three Olympics the American men will play for gold. They haven’t claimed the top spot on the podium since the 1980 Miracle on Ice at Lake Placid, N.Y. Captain Jamie Langenbrunner slammed his stick against the boards as his teammates hugged on the bench.
Canada edged the U.S. for gold during the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, and a rematch could be in store. The Americans (5-0) topped the host nation 5-3 to conclude preliminary play Sunday. So much for the Americans having to ride the stellar play of Ryan Miller to win. Miller was relieved by Tim Thomas with 11:31 left in the game after stopping all 18 shots he faced. Miller had played every minute of the tournament until then. Thomas allowed Antti Miettinen’s deflected goal with 5:14 left in the game to spoil the U.S. bid for consecutive shutouts after a 2-0 quarterfinal win over Switzerland on Wednesday. The U.S. didn’t wait long for offense. The six goals in the first tied the U.S. Olympic record for goals in a period, a feat accomplished five other times but not since a 1964 win over Germany. Finland, the silver medalists four years ago in the Turin Games, will have to settle for a shot at the bronze. This proud group of aging stars, including Teemu Selanne and captain Sa-
ku Koivu, earned bronze in 1998 when the NHL first started sending players to the Olympics. The Americans were eliminated by Finland in the 2006 Olympic quarterfinals, but the Finns were the final opponent for the 1980 U.S. team that shocked hockey. U.S. fans took a page from the host country’s supporters and alternated with chants of “We Want Canada” and “U-S-A” as the final minutes ticked down. By the time Kiprusoff pulled himself out of the game 10:08 in, the U.S. had a 4-0 lead on only seven shots. The Calgary Flames goalie had allowed four goals total on 75 Olympic shots in three previous games, giving him the top save percentage in the tournament. Backup goalie Niklas Backstrom was still wearing his baseball cap on as he scurried on the ice to get ready to bail out Kiprusoff. Kiprusoff’s day appeared to be over after Eric Johnson made it 3-0 with a power-play goal at 8:36 that prompted Finnish coach Jukka Jalonen to call timeout. Kiprusoff stayed in, but
Photo by Matt Slocum | AP
The United States team celebrates after beating Finland 6-1 in a men’s semifinal round ice hockey game at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Friday. was back at the bench 1:32 later when Patrick Kane scored the first of two goals. This time, Kiprusoff kept his mask on and marched straight down the tunnel toward the dressing room. He returned to the bench soon after and was in place in the corner in time to see Backstrom allow two goals on the first four shots he faced. Other than cheers from American fans in the crowd, the biggest outburst came when it was announced that only one minute was left in the period in which the U.S. held a 13-4 shots edge.
Photo by Chris O’Meara | AP
Forward Paul Stastny (26) of the United States scores against Finland goaltender Niklas Backstrom during the first period.