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Native son dies Automobile accident claims life of Jacob Ivey By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
LAREDO — Family and friends mourned the loss of a man they described as a hardcore Green Bay Packers fan, an animal lover and a compassionate person. Zapata native Jacob Lowell Ivey, 24, died Tuesday.
At 6:30 a.m. that day, his 2012 Toyota Scion veered off to the center median of north Interstate 35, about 40 miles outside Laredo. Ivey overcorrected and crossed both northbound lanes and the east frontage road, crashing into a tree near mile marker 36, according to Department of Public Safety officials.
He was later airlifted to San Antonio, where he was pronounced dead at about 12:30 p.m. Donna Magnon, Ivey’s mother, said her son did not leave this world without doing one more act of kindness: organ donation. “It was the hardest decision. I just had a child that has died. Minutes later,
someone is asking you if you are interested in donating body parts,” Magnon said. The family pondered the decision but ultimately agreed Ivey would’ve donated the organs to help others have a chance in life.
See JACOB PAGE 9A
Photo by Ulysses S. Romero | The Zapata Times
Zapata native Jacob Lowell Ivey, 24, died Tuesday in an automobile accident on Interstate 35, about 40 miles north of Laredo.
TEXAS LEGISLATURE
ZAPATA COUNTY FAIR
FUN AT THE FAIR
Medicaid expansion may happen Key lawmaker pledges to work on including more uninsured people By CHRIS TOMLINSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Ulysses S. Romero | The Zapata Times
Liliana Flores from the Mesquite 4-H club bathes her steer as she gets it ready for the Zapata County Fair Showroom on Friday afternoon.
Today: Competition, food, music and more at fairgrounds By RICARDO R. VILLARREAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
W
eighins for livestock began Thursday morning while judging for arts, crafts and photography occurred in the afternoon as the 2013 Zapata County Fair kickedoff its public events. “Along with the best music, events and attractions the Zapata County Fair also serves as the venue of choice for family reunions. Relatives and friends make the annual trek to Zapata to visit loved ones. It’s been said that most family reunions happen while the fair is in full swing,” said 2013 Zapata County Fair President Jose “Paco” Mendoza Jr. Livestock judging also began on Thursday afternoon and a Battle of the Bands was on the stage in the evening.
Judging for livestock and baking took place Friday. Local school groups performed in the afternoon and street dances were scheduled for the evening featuring Zamorales, Solido and culminating with headliner Kevin Fowler. A Tight Jean Contest was sure to attract crowds beginning at 8:30 p.m. Today will bring the fair’s main events with the Zapata County Fair Association Parade beginning at 9:30 a.m. and roping at 10:30 a.m. The selling of arts, crafts, baking and photography entries, local talent performances, awards for parade contestants and a buyers’ social are scheduled for the afternoon. The livestock auction will begin at 4 p.m. and street dances will feature several bands in-
See FAIR PAGE 9A
AUSTIN — Texas Republicans have made it clear they hate the idea of expanding health care for the poor under the Affordable Care Act, but a key leader pledged Friday to work on a state alternative to accomplish the same goal and bring in the same federal matching funds. House Appropriations Chairman Jim Pitts said lawmakers from several committees will work together to try to come up with a home-grown solution to providing more poor people with health care. A Gallup poll released Friday showed 28.8 percent of Texans lacked health insurance in 2012, which Gallup called the highest rate
in the nation and highest ever recorded in the United States. “I think we owe Texans an obligation to discuss this plan during the legislative session and get something done this legislative session,” Pitts said in the most unequivocal statement yet on expanding Medicaid. Lawmakers heard three hours of testimony about how Texas could provide 1 million people with health care coverage and better reimburse doctors by spending $18 billion and earning $100 billion in federal matching funds over 10 years. State officials, hospital representatives and county leaders said the state might even save
See MEDICAID PAGE 9A
FEDERAL COURT
Prison time possible in pot case Man traveling to Zapata charged with possession, intent to distribute By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Photo by Ulysses S. Romero | The Zapata Times
Yelitza and Landon Martinez hold on tight during a camel ride at the Zapata County Fair on Friday afternoon.
A man accused of transporting 463 pounds of marijuana from Roma to Zapata was indicted in federal court this week. A federal grand jury formally charged Mario Alberto Ambriz, 34, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, an indictment filed Tuesday states. Ambriz faces five to 40
years in prison per count, according to court records. He is in federal custody. Ambriz is set to be arraigned at 11 a.m. Thursday in Courtroom 2B before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga. On Feb. 15, U.S. Border Patrol agents at 10 a.m. spotted a red Dodge pickup driven by Ambriz heading north on U.S. 83, about three miles south of the town of Zapata. Allegedly, Ambriz reduced speed when he drove by the agents’ position. A
See FEDERAL COURT PAGE 9A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, MARCH 9
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Bass Champs South Region Fishing Tournament will take place from 7 a.m. through 3 p.m. The Zapata County Fair Association Parade kicks off at 9:30 a.m. Performances by the battle of the bands winner, Los 5 De Zapata, Siggno and Pesado highlight Day Three of the Zapata County Fair.
Today is Saturday, March 9, the 68th day of 2013. There are 297 days left in the year. A reminder: Daylight-saving time begins Sunday at 2 a.m. Clocks go forward one hour. Today’s Highlight in History: On March 9, 1963, two Los Angeles police officers, Ian Campbell and Karl Hettinger, were disarmed and abducted by ex-convicts Gregory Powell and Jimmy Lee Smith during a traffic stop in Hollywood; the officers were taken to an onion field near Bakersfield, Calif., where Campbell was shot to death while Hettinger managed to escape. (Powell and Smith were sent to prison; the case was detailed in the book “The Onion Field” by Joseph Wambaugh.) On this date: In 1661, Cardinal Jules Mazarin, the chief minister of France, died, leaving King Louis XIV in full control. In 1796, the future emperor of the French, Napoleon Bonaparte, married Josephine de Beauharnais (boh-ahr-NAY’). (The couple later divorced.) In 1862, during the Civil War, the ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (formerly USS Merrimac) clashed for five hours to a draw at Hampton Roads, Va. In 1916, Mexican raiders led by Pancho Villa attacked Columbus, N.M., killing 18 Americans. In 1933, Congress, called into special session by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, began its “hundred days” of enacting New Deal legislation. In 1945, during World War II, U.S. B-29 bombers launched incendiary bomb attacks against Japan, resulting in an estimated 100,000 deaths. In 1954, CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow critically reviewed Wisconsin Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy’s anti-communism campaign on “See It Now.” In 1962, the science fantasy novel “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle was first published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux. In 1977, about a dozen armed Hanafi Muslims invaded three buildings in Washington, D.C., killing one person and taking more than 130 hostages. In 1983, Margaret Heckler was sworn in as secretary of Health and Human Services, the same day Anne M. Burford resigned as head of the embattled Environmental Protection Agency. In 1992, former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin died in Tel Aviv at age 78. In 1997, gangsta rapper The Notorious B.I.G. was killed in a still-unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; he was 24. Ten years ago: Recep Tayyip Erdogan won a seat in the Turkish parliament, clearing way for him to become prime minister. The film musical “Chicago” tap-danced away with a haul of movie honors at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, including best ensemble cast and the lead-actress prize for star Renee Zellweger. Today’s Birthdays: Former Sen. James L. Buckley, Conservative-N.Y., is 90. Actorcomedian Marty Ingels is 77. Singer Mark Lindsay (Paul Revere and the Raiders) is 71. Former ABC anchorman Charles Gibson is 70. Country musician Jimmie Fadden (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) is 65. Thought for Today: “Conscience is the perfect interpreter of life.” — Karl Barth, Swiss theologian (1886-1966).
MONDAY, MARCH 11 The Zapata County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. at the Zapata County Courthouse.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13 The Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will show “The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” at 3:30 p.m. and “Violent Universe: Catastrophes of the Cosmos” at 4:30 p.m. General admission is $4 for children and $5 adults. Premium shows are $1 more. For more information, call 956-326-3663. The I Can Cope class is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Doctors Hospital’s Cancer Treatment Lobby. The program gives participants an opportunity to share their concerns with others and to design ways to cope with the challenges of a cancer diagnosis. This month’s guest speaker is local physician Dr. John Knecht, who will present “Understanding Cancer Treatments.” The class is free and open to the public. For more information, call Diana Juarez at 956-319-3100.
THURSDAY, MARCH 14 The Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will show “Attack of the Space Pirates” at 3:30 p.m. and “The Future is Wild” at 4:30 p.m. General admission is $4 for children and $5 adults. For more information, call 956-3263663. The monthly Look Good Feel Better session is from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Laredo Medical Center’s A.R. Sanchez Sr. Cancer Center. The program supports women undergoing chemotherapy. It is a free session that shows ladies how to disguise the loss of hair and changes while in treatment. Ladies receive a free makeup bag. For more information or to reserve a seat, call Diana Juarez at 956-319-3100. The 5th Annual Spring Break Kite Festival is from noon to 7 p.m. at North Central Park, 10202 International Blvd. The event is free to the public, and festival-goers are invited to bring a kite. Some refreshments and kites will be given away while supplies last. There will be games, activities, carnival rides, birdhouse building, a jumping castle, pony rides, a petting zoo, music, a car show and safety activities. For more information, call 791-7461.
THURSDAY, MARCH 21 The four-day Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament – Falcon Slam – begins at 7 a.m. at the Zapata County Public Boat Ramp. For more information, go to www.zaspatachamber.com.
SATURDAY, MARCH 23 Learn to build, buy and beautify homes at the NeighborWorks Second Annual Home Fair Expo, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Laredo Energy Arena. There will be free workshops, giveaways and activities for kids. For more information, contact Raul Ugalde at 956-712-9000 or rugalde@bizlaredo.rr.com. The Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will show “Zula Patrol: Under the Weather” at 3 p.m. and “Lamps of Atlantis” at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Matinee show is $4. General admission is $4 for children and $5 adults. Premium shows are $1 more. For more information, call 956-326-3663.
TUESDAY, MARCH 26 The Laredo Community College Health Sciences Open House is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Lopez Nursing Building and Ruben Garcia Allied Health Center at the Fort McIntosh campus. Visitors can meet with health science faculty and students, as well as visit the new nursing simulation lab and learn more about the various health science programs. For more information, call 721-5262.
SATURDAY, JUNE 1 The Bass Champs South Region Fishing Tournament is set for 7 a.m. through 4 p.m. at the Zapata County Public Boat Ramp. Submit calendar items by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com.
Photo by Juan Carlos Llorca | AP
El Paso Mayor John Cook, right, presents a report that says Ft. Bliss has a $6 billion dollar economic impact on the El Paso area during a news conference on Friday in El Paso. He is joined by area military and local officials. West Texas officials plan to meet Pentagon leaders and legislators next week to ask them to spare the military installation from budget cuts.
Fort Bliss to fight cuts ASSOCIATED PRESS
EL PASO — West Texas officials said Friday they plan to meet with Pentagon leaders and members of Congress next week in an effort to spare Fort Bliss from automatic federal budget cuts. A study by the University of Texas-El Paso’s Institute for Policy and Economic Development shows the base and adjacent medical center have a $5.9 billion economic impact and creates nearly 62,000 jobs with more than $4 billion in compensation to the area. The study was done last month for the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce. “It’s not chump change,” Rick Glancey, the chamber’s military forces division chairman, said at a news conference Friday. Glancey said the chamber plans to meet with members of Congress from Texas and
New Mexico as well as “two- and three-star rank generals” in the Pentagon to make the case for Fort Bliss and adjacent military installations in New Mexico such as Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo and Las Cruces’ White Sands Missile Range. Tom Thomas, the civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army for West Texas, said he is optimistic about the outcome of their lobbying efforts. “When you face a trillion dollar cuts in ten years, everybody’s going to take a hit. But I think we’ll come out as good or better as any installation in the country,” he said after the news conference. Maj. Joe Buccino, Fort Bliss’ public information officer, highlighted a statistic from the report that said the base accounts for 11 percent of the jobs in the area and 16 percent of its economy.
Fat cat slims down, adopted by vet
New judge to decide DA’s contempt citation
Bush urges Egyptian women to be leaders
DALLAS — An obese stray cat found wandering six months ago near Dallas has slimmed down to 34 pounds and been adopted by the veterinarian overseeing his care. Dr. Brittney Barton said Friday that the orange tabby dubbed Skinny is doing well on a special diet to help lose weight and increase his metabolism.
DALLAS — A judge who declared the Dallas County district attorney in contempt of court for not testifying during a hearing agreed on Friday to let another judge decide how to handle that citation. District Judge Lena Levario’s order refers contempt proceedings against District Attorney Craig Watkins to Judge John Ovard.
DALLAS — Former first lady Laura Bush has told aspiring female leaders from Egypt that including women throughout society strengthens communities and improves the stability of countries. She spoke Friday in Dallas to the first graduates of the George W. Bush Institute’s Women’s Initiative Fellowship Program event on the campus of Southern Methodist University.
School district awaits state decision PREMONT — A South Texas school district facing closure after years of underperformance remained optimistic that officials will recognize the progress made in a short time and let it continue to operate. Premont ISD Superintendent Ernest Singleton said a talk with the Texas Education Commissioner this month left him feeling that the struggling district would survive.
Senator files school choice bill AUSTIN — The head of the Texas Senate Education Committee on Friday filed a bill offering businesses tax credits for donations that help poor and at-risk children leave public schools for private ones. Houston Republican Sen. Dan Patrick waited until the last day of the legislative session to file bills formally offering his proposal.
Updates nearly done at plaza where JFK shot DALLAS — Updates to Dealey Plaza are ahead of schedule and construction barriers will soon come down at the Texas site where President John F. Kennedy was shot. The $1.6 million restoration includes repairs to fountains, upgrades to landscaping and cleanup of a nearby triple underpass. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Colo. shooting suspect was hospitalized DENVER — Colorado theater shooting suspect James Holmes was taken from jail to the psychiatric ward of a hospital in November because he was considered a danger to himself, and he was frequently held in restraints while hospitalized, according to a document released Friday. The document said Holmes was taken to Denver Health Medical Center on Nov. 15 because he was "in immediate need of a psychiatric evaluation." He was held there for several days. The document also described an earlier incident in which Holmes was hospitalized for "potential self-inflicted head injuries in his cell." It did not say when. The revelations heighten expectations that Holmes would plead not guilty by reason of insanity on Tuesday, his next scheduled court appearance. Holmes lawyers said on Nov.
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A century and a half after the Civil War ship USS Monitor sank, two unknown crewmen found in the ironclad’s turret were buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Friday’s burial may be the last for Civil War soldiers at the cemetery. 14 that he had been taken to a hospital but did not say why.
Delta Air Lines CEO opposes TSA knife policy WASHINGTON — The head of
Delta Air Lines, CEO Richard Anderson, on Friday joined the growing opposition to the Transportation Security Administrations new policy allowing passengers to carry small knives onto planes. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
Local
SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Clay tourney raises $60K for youth group SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Chad Cooley and Leonor Garza were the first-place male and female shooters during the Sixth Annual Sporting Clay Tournament & Cook-off, held in Zapata on Jan. 26. The event raised $60,000 for the Zapata Boys & Girls Club. Nine cook-off teams competed during the event. This year, 183 contestants participated in the tournament and competed for the $1,500 first prize. Three hundred local residents, including representatives of local businesses and community volunteers, came together to support the Boys & Girls Club in the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the
year. The main sponsor of the event was IBC Bank-Zapata and it took place at CEO Renato Ramirez’ ranch. “I am amazed to see how this event had evolved throughout the years and how it has grown, both in the amount of money raised and in support from the community,” IBC Bank President Ricardo Ramirez said. “The money raised at this year’s event will help fund the cost of running the club that provides services to more than 400 children of all ages in Zapata County.” Ricardo Ramirez and Mark Alvarenga, vice president of sales for the bank, sere as president and vice president of the Zapata Boys & Girls Club,
and together they created the concept for the event in 2007. Senior Vice Presidents Ramiro Torres and Janie de la Garza co-managed the tournament this year with Ramirez and Alvarenga. “We would like to thank the community of Zapata for their support and generosity for once again making this event a great success,” Alvarenga said. “We are proud to support an organization that make3s such a difference in the lives of area children.” The clay tournament attracts shooters and spectators from as far away as Canada, who come down to shoot a 12station sporting clay course of 100 clay targets with 12-auge or smaller shotguns.
Courtesy photo
Fourteen Texas A&M International University students are traveling to Turkey during Spring Break as part of the “Reading the Globe” program. Participating in the study-travel project are, left to right, front: Annette Lara, Jessica Gómez, Rocio Cavazos, Laura González, Gabriella Castillo, Dim Siam and Naomi Cortina. Back row, left to right: Esteban Vargas, Juan Carlos Nava, Lorena Abrego, Christian Nielsen, Sergio Bernal and Hector González-Cantú.
Students travel to Turkey for Group to continue Power Spring Break Breakfasts this year SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
The series of Zapata Economic Development Corporation’s Power Breakfast events will begin Wednesday. “Economic Outlook 2013-Zapata County” is the topic of the presentations. The ZEDC is taking all the information it has gathered about the county, discovering new opportunities, and is making it useful to businesses, entrepreneurs, government, education, civic organizations and community groups to consider and to provide a way forward that is workable for the people of Zapata County. “The need to recover a positive image for the county in the mind of visitors and potential investors, to provide enhancements that will bring the county into parity with other areas in the nation, and to unlock the economic potential of the coun-
ty, has resulted in a lack of new industry locations, low rates of expansion for existing businesses, and fewer good paying jobs,” said Peggy Umphres Moffett of the ZEDC in a press release. Recognizing this, the ZEDC has received assistance from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and was awarded a grant to investigate the economy to develop solutions and action-oriented initiatives focused on creating more opportunities and a better quality of life for the people of Zapata County. The Power Breakfast event is held monthly on the second Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. through 8:30 a.m. at the Zapata Technical & Advanced Education Center in front of the Zapata Community Center at 607 U.S. 83. Convenient parking is available at the Community Center park-
ing lot. The event is free and open to the public, does not require RSVP and includes a light breakfast. Over the next six months, the ZEDC Power Breakfast events will feature local, state, and national leaders, including Zapata County Judge Joe Rathmell, Sen. Judy Zaffirini, Rep. Tracy King, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, the South Texas Development Council, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism, the Texas Workforce Commission and others to present an agenda to build capacity and compete for better jobs and greater levels of investment in Zapata County. For more information or to sponsor an event, call 956-7651113, email peggy.moffett@zapataedc.com. or visit the website at www.zapataedc.com. Zapata EDC is at the intersection of U.S. 83 and 13th Ave.
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
A group of 14 Texas A&M International University students will travel to Turkey during Spring Break as part of the “Reading the Globe” program. They were selected for the program after a competitive essay based on the university’s campus read selection, “Prisoner of Tehran” by Marina Nemat. Conchita Hickey, dean of University College, which directs the annual initiative, said the students have a remarkable study-travel opportunity ahead of them. “We will be visiting a country that has an old and rich history that has propelled itself into the modern world with a dynamic synthesis of east and west that truly bridges Europe and Asia. In addition to a 10,000-year old heritage, Turkey is also home to stunning natural beauty and rich study opportunities to explore the life and culture of Asia Minor,” Hickey said. Highlights of the groups’
study-travel will include Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar; the Princess Islands, the World War I battlefields of the Gallipoli Peninsula, the Dardenelles, the Archaeological Museum of the Ephesus Ruins, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hierapolis, the Silk Market of Bursa and a cruise along the Bosporus, the strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. Students participating in the study-travel project are Lorena Abrego, Sergio Bernal, Carlos Calderón, Hector Gonzalez-Cantu, Gabriella Castillo, Rocio Cavazos, Naomi Cortina, Jessica Gomez, Laura Gonzalez, Annette Lara, Juan Carlos Nava, Christian Nielsen, Dim Siam and Esteban Vargas. This is the fifth TAMIU student group in the program. Previous study-travel sites have included Poland, Ghana, Cambodia and Chile. Student impressions and galleries of previous trips are archived at tamiu.edu/spotlight.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
OTHER VIEWS
COLUMN
We could all use some more money AUSTIN — In general, I’ve found that Republicans favor prosperity. I like that about them because prosperity is among my life goals, one I should have pondered prior to becoming a journalism major largely because it didn’t require much math or foreign language. With the GOP/prosperity link in mind, it’s odd that a GOP legislator wants to declare everybody in Texas ”economically disadvantaged.” That means you, me, Michael Dell, the squeegee guy at the red light, everybody. This legislation comes from state Rep. Drew Springer, R-Muenster. I introduced you to freshman Springer this week as sponsor of legislation to overturn Austin’s bag ban. I’m not stalking this guy, really. But it’s easy to keep an eye on the stuff Springer files because he issues press releases about it, which is very thoughtful. In Wednesday’s release (”Rep. Springer Files Several Bills to Benefit District 68”), he listed seven bills ”for the benefit of rural Texans,” including measures about school start dates, notification of controlled burns, burn violation fines, libraries in unincorporated areas, juror compensation and housing projects. And then there’s his HB 2522, which would deem all of us economically disadvantaged. The fact is many of us are not as economically advantaged as we’d like to be. But I’m not sure it’s accurate to say we’re all economically disadvantaged. I, for example, have a 73-inch TV. You also probably have some nice things (though perhaps nothing as lifechangingly important as a 73-inch TV). Springer wants state law to say we’re all economically disadvantaged. It’s part of his effort to erase the ”historically underutilized business,” or HUB, process that helps minorityand women-owned businesses get government contracts. A key to getting HUB designation is meeting the state law definition of ”economically disadvantaged person.” Here’s the current standard: ”Economically disadvantaged person means a person who is economically disadvantaged because of a person’s identification as a member of a certain group, including Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, women, Asian Pacific Americans, and Native Americans, and who has suffered the effects of discriminatory practices or other simi-
“
KEN HERMAN
lar insidious circumstances over which the person has no control.” That’s pretty much everybody other than plain ol’ white guys, pretty much the only demographic you can still make jokes about without earning a trip to the human resources department. Springer, a plain ol’ white guy, wants to simplify the definition of economically disadvantaged person to a ”person who is a member of a racial or ethnic group that comprises less than 50 percent of the state’s population.” According to the U.S. census, that’s everybody. The 2011 stats say 44.8 percent of Texans are non-Hispanic whites, 38.1 percent are Hispanic, 12.2 percent are black, and 4 percent are Asian. Springer’s statement says the bill reflects ”the shifting demographics in the state of Texas” and would ”level the playing field for all businesses, regardless of the race of the owner, to compete for state contracts.” On the House floor Thursday, despite battling laryngitis, Springer was nice enough to briefly speak with me about his bill. It’s simple, he said. ”We’ve got to that point now. Everybody in the state is a minority now.” True, but counter to what his bill says, we’re not all economically disadvantaged. Programs like HUB contracting and affirmative action are valuable as we work toward the goal of a discriminationfree world. My question, perhaps a rhetorical one, always has revolved around what we’ll do if we ever reach that goal. Are these programs here in perpetuity? I’ve got to tell you that, selfish idiot that I can be, I’d be for keeping them around forever if I benefited from them. My attempted point is I have no problem with periodic review of programs like HUB contracting. I’m sure there is room for discussion about how it works and if it achieves what it’s supposed to achieve. I’m equally sure the way to do that does not include declaring all of us economically disadvantaged, regardless of the size of our TVs. (Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. Email: kherman@statesman.com.)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our
readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-calling 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.
WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL
Health care now very costly THE WASHINGTON POST
Once upon a time, the Defense Department and the Social Security Administration reigned as the budgetary giants of the federal bureaucracy. But as health-care costs have grown and Washington has taken on more financial responsibility for them, a once-obscure civilian agency has surpassed them both: the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. In fiscal year 2011, CMS spent $962 billion on Medicare and Medicaid, about a quarter of all federal outlays that year.
A lot of that money flowed out according to established formulas and eligibility rules — that is, more or less on autopilot. Still, an agency that handles such a huge volume of taxpayer funds can never be a mere check-writing shop. It needs a steady, expert, fully empowered administrator, someone who understands both the mechanics of hospital and physician reimbursement and larger policy issues. Yet CMS has lacked exactly that for nearly a decade. While a number of able men and women have served as temporary bosses, not one of them has had the benefit of Senate confirmation since Mark McClellan,
President George W. Bush’s pick, was approved on a voice vote in 2004. (He resigned in 2006.) The problem, in a nutshell, is that the CMS directorship has gotten caught up in the polarized politics of health care. The most recent instance was the case of Donald Berwick, who served as a recess appointee of President Obama between July 2010 and December 2011 but could never overcome filibuster threats trying to score points against Obamacare. Now Mr. Obama has nominated the acting CMS administrator, Marilyn Tavenner, to head the agency permanently. A widely respected professional, she en-
joys bipartisan support from seven past confirmed CMS administrators, as well as an endorsement from no less a conservative Republican than House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Va. The Senate should move expeditiously to confirm Ms. Tavenner. More broadly, Congress should consider whether short-term political appointment remains the best way to fill this trillion-dollar post. The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation serves a 10-year term. The commissioner of Social Security serves six years. These arrangements help minimize the politicization of functions. Running the gigantic CMS is the same kind of job.
WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL
Filibuster takes aim at drones THE WASHINGTON POST
After Sen. Rand Paul, RKy., held the Senate hostage Wednesday in order to warn that American citizens could be targeted by drone strikes on U.S. soil, he was rightly taken to task for gross and irresponsible mischaracterizations of the Obama administration’s policy. We’ve got another complaint: Mr. Paul and his followers are distracting attention from the real issues raised by the administration’s secret warfare. Mr. Paul’s filibuster was triggered by the response of Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to the question of whether the president "has the authority to order lethal force, such as a drone strike, against a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil, and without a trial." Mr. Holder’s unremarkable answer was that the administration had no intention of ever using such force but that "in an extraordinary circumstance," such as the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, it would be "neces-
sary and appropriate" for the president to order military action inside the United States. From that answer, Mr. Paul and allies such as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, somehow concocted the absurd notion that Americans "sitting quietly in cafes" could be blasted by Hellfire missiles. No, they couldn’t be, as Mr. Holder made clear in a letter to Mr. Paul on Thursday. But the reality is that Americans who become combatants for forces with which the United States is at war, such as alQaida, are legitimate targets. If one such enemy combatant attempted to crash an airliner into the Capitol, the president would be at fault if he did not deploy the Air Force in defense. But enough about Mr. Paul: The fact that his paranoid fantasies gained some traction is testimony to the administration’s real failures in managing its counterterrorism campaigns. Mr. Obama has chosen to
carry out hundreds of drone strikes against al-Qaida targets in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, including one against a U.S. citizen, without any public accounting. Justice Department memos authorizing the attacks have not been disclosed; only this week were senators on the intelligence committee allowed to read them. The White House has devised a process for adding names to a target list for drone strikes but has never revealed even its outlines. Instead, it insists on its righteousness and invites Americans to trust that its decisions are justified. That is not how a democracy should operate. As we have previously argued, there is no cause for most of the secrecy in which the drone operations are shrouded. The political backlash against them, both at home and abroad, could be diminished if the administration were to conduct strikes with regular military forces, rather than the
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
CIA, and report on them as it does all other military operations. More important, the administration could greatly increase the legitimacy and sustainability of the strikes by openly laying out the criteria under which they can be carried out and by seeking congressional authorization. That framework could include special measures for the targeting of U.S. citizens, such as review by a secret court when practicable. It could also give Mr. Obama the explicit authority to expand the use of drones to countries where al-Qaida is establishing itself, such as Mali and Syria. Mr. Holder acknowledged to a Senate committee before Mr. Paul spoke that "there is a greater need for transparency" about the drone war and that he expects Mr. Obama to speak about it. A presidential speech would certainly be welcome. But only disclosure and congressional authorization will solve this problem.
Education
SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Senator’s bill could Schools to stay open help private schools By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
By WILL WEISSERT ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — The head of the Texas Senate Education Committee on Friday filed a highly anticipated bill offering businesses tax credits for donations that help poor and at-risk children leave public schools for private ones. Houston Republican Sen. Dan Patrick has spent months clamoring for expanding “school choice” but waited until the last day of the legislative session to file bills formally offering his proposal. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who oversees the flow of legislation in the state Senate, assigned it SB 23, a low enough number that debating the measure will be a priority before the Legislature adjourns in May. It is likely to face stiff, bipartisan opposition. Co-sponsored with fellow tea party favorite Sen. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney, Patrick’s plan allows firms to get up to a 15 percent credit on state business or franchise taxes for donating to nonprofits that provide funding so low-income and at-risk children can leave traditional schools for private and religious alternatives. “Several hundred-thousand students are stuck in low-performing schools today,” Patrick said in a statement. “This should not be acceptable to anyone.” Patrick’s was the highest-profile of a rash of school choice bills filed by conservative lawmakers in both the state House and Senate. Gov. Rick Perry said in a news release that such measures “will empower parents to make
“
It is appalling to see such legislation filed that would create a corporate tax loophole.” UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION
decisions in the best interest of their children, and provide an incentive to keep all Texas schools competitive.” “I applaud these lawmakers for championing legislation that will benefit our students and our schools as well as the employers and industries that depend on our highly competitive workforce,” Perry said Friday. Patrick calls himself an “education evangelist,” and says that while wealthy families can afford to move so their kids attend strong public schools, low-income students are “held hostage by their zip codes.” But defenders of traditional schools dismiss his plan as a new wrinkle on long controversial voucher systems that funnel money away from already cash-strapped traditional public schools. The Coalition for Public Schools said the bill and other educational proposals championed by some conservative lawmakers show “our public schools are under attack.” “It is appalling to see such legislation filed that would create a corporate tax loophole and voucher
scholarships to divert critical dollars into an experimental voucher program to subsidize private education,” the umbrella group of religious, child advocacy and education organizations said in a statement. Dewhurst has also been a vocal supporter of would-be scholarship programs — but fellow Republican and House Speaker Joe Straus says there’s little chance any bill using public money to fund private schools can pass the lower chamber — despite the GOP majority there. As recently as 2007, the Texas House solidly voted to reject state funding going to private schools. Patrick counters that giving parents and students more educational options will increase competition between public and private schools and lead to better outcomes. He has introduced a separate bill erasing the current cap of 215 licenses Texas issues to operate charter schools and creating a special board to oversee a flood of new charter applications he expects will follow. About 154,000 of the state’s more than 5 million public school students attend charter schools, but Patrick says 101,000-plus other kids are on waitlists to attend charters where there’s no space. “In order to give the children of Texas a better education and a brighter future,” he said, “we must focus on creating more choices for parents including charter, online learning, and the ability for parents to find the right school for their child.”
PREMONT — A school district facing the threat of closure after years of underperformance remained optimistic that state officials will recognize the progress made in a short time and let it continue to operate. Premont Independent School District Superintendent Ernest Singleton said a lengthy conversation with Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams this month left him feeling that the struggling district 95 miles northeast of Zapata on U.S. 281 would survive. “I’m still out on that limb saying we are going to be good to go,” Singleton said. More than a year ago, Singleton suspended the district’s athletics in an ef-
fort to focus on academics and save money. State officials ordered the district to close in late 2011, but later granted a reprieve on the condition that Premont fulfill a long list of requirements. The district has met nearly all of them, including moving its budget back into the black, building two new science labs in its high school, facing audits and having its buildings pass inspections, Singleton said Wednesday. He saw a visit from threedozen school board members from around the state Thursday to show off the district’s gains. Abysmal attendance that once led Singleton and the high school principal to accompany the constable to implore parents to send their kids to school has also improved. Principal Enrique Ruiz
said last month his school’s attendance had not dropped below 90 percent this year. On a visit to the campus a year earlier, the sign in front of the school put the day’s attendance at 88 percent, below the state average of 96 percent at the time. Premont’s exception is student performance, which remains below state targets and was something Singleton said he and the commissioner spoke about. “When you deal with years of gaps in instruction and in student learning, as I expressed to the superintendent, it’s hard to make that up in one year,” Singleton said. School board President Michelle McCleery said engagement from parents and the community had increased tremendously in the past year.
This Space can be yours To reserve a space in our Business Directory please call (956) 645-3592 With 4,000 Free home delivery in Zapata.
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013
Court limits gadget searches By CRISTINA SILVA ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHOENIX — A federal appeals court ruled Friday that Border Patrol agents must have reasonable suspicion of criminal activity before conducting comprehensive searches of laptops or other digital devices in what civil liberties activists are calling a significant victory for privacy rights. The decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals creates for the first time a broad standard aimed at protecting travelers’ private information from arbitrary searches. “A person’s digital life ought not be hijacked simply by crossing a border,” Judge M. Margaret McKeown wrote for the appeals court majority. The ruling only applies to Border Patrol agents operating within the 9th Circuit, which includes the U.S.-Mexico border along Arizona and California. The court did not define what constitutes a comprehensive search, and it’s likely Border Patrol agents will still conduct superficial reviews of computers, thumb drives, compact disks, cellphones, cameras and other electronic devices during border stops. Legal observers expect both sides will appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. The federal government insists border agents don’t need reasonable suspicion to search electronic devices for hidden and deleted files. The case centered on Howard Cotterman, a U.S. citizen whose laptop was seized at the Arizona-Mexico border in 2007. After a months-long review, federal investigators found hundreds of hidden child pornography files on Cotterman’s computer, including images of him molesting a young girl, the court decision states. A grand jury had indicted Cotterman for offenses related to child pornography, but a district court deemed the search illegal and suppressed evidence. The Fourth Amend-
Jobless numbers increase ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Shari V. Hill/Las Cruces Sun-News | AP
Border Patrol agent Jose Solis walks near Lordsburg, N.M. on Feb. 21. A federal appeals court ruled Friday that agents must have reasonable suspicion of criminal activity before conducting searches of laptops or other digital devices. ment prohibits “unreasonable searches and seizures.” The appeals court ruled that federal agents had reasonable suspicion based on a 15year-old child molestation conviction against Cotterman and because Mexico is known as a sex tourism destination. Bill Kirchner, a Tucson lawyer representing Cotterman, declined to discuss the specifics of his client’s case other than saying his criminal history was not sufficient grounds for reasonable suspicion. In its ruling, the appeals court noted that the intrusive nature of forensic searches of electronic devices triggers the reasonable suspicion requirement. Under federal policy, investigators can detain electronic devices for months without cause. The forensic reviews often uncover password-protected and deleted files. “It’s definitely a move in the
right direction in terms of recognizing privacy rights in the digital age,” said Sharon Bradford Franklin, a lawyer with the Constitution Project, which had filed an amicus brief in the case supporting new privacy standards. Nearly 7,000 people had their electronic devices searched by border agents from 2008 to 2010, according to the Constitution Project. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona declined to comment on the case. In a dissenting opinion, Judge Consuelo Callahan said the court’s decision flouted “more than a century of Supreme Court precedent, is unworkable and unnecessary and will severely hamstring the government’s ability to protect our borders.” But Hanni Fakhoury, a staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said reasonable suspicion is a far cry
from probable cause, which would require Border Patrol agents to obtain a warrant before fishing for hidden digital files. The foundation had filed an amicus brief urging the court to rule that forensic searches of electronic devices at the border should never be performed without reasonable suspicion. “It’s still a very lax standard,” Fakhoury said. “It still allows law enforcement to do their job and keep us safe.” Kirchner said it was likely he would appeal the decision. He said privacy advocates should be alarmed that the ruling only applies to exhaustive searches, not superficial content reviews. “They can take your iPhone, they can take your Kindle, they can take anything they want and keep it and search it for a non-forensic search,” Kirchner said.
AUSTIN — The state’s unemployment rate for January rose slightly to 6.3 percent, but remained well below the national rate, according to unemployment figures released Friday. The Texas Workforce Commission announced the higher jobless rate compares to a seasonally adjusted 6.2 percent in December and 7.2 percent in January 2012. Nationwide unemployment for January was 7.9 percent and slipped to 7.7 percent in February. Commission officials say Texas employers continued to expand their payrolls in January with the addition of 10,400 nonfarm jobs for a total of 310,900 jobs added in 2012. In the Rio Grande Valley, the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area had the state’s highest jobless rate at 11.6 percent, followed by Brownsville-Harlingen with 11.0 percent. Laredo had a 7.2 percent jobless rate, while El Paso clocked in with a 9.5 jobless rate. Commission Chairman Andres Alcantar said in a news release that the Texas economy continues to add jobs with growth in all 11 major industries over the last year. The leisure and hospitality sector has seen the most growth, with 8,900 new jobs in January alone. It’s added about 62,500 jobs over the last year for a 5.9 percent annual growth rate, according to the commission. “It’s good to see so many different opportunities continuing to arise here in Texas,” Commissioner Ronny Congleton said in the release. “For example, the trade, transportation and utilities industry alone has grown by nearly 64,000 jobs over the past year.” The mining and logging sector added 19,700 jobs for the year ending in January. The construction field saw 28,500 new jobs over the same period. Private businesses added 304,700 positions over the last year, the commission said. When it comes to unemployment rates in the state, Midland had the lowest unemployment in January at 3.4 percent.
SÁBADO 9 DE MARZO DE 2013
Zfrontera SENADOR DE TEXAS DEMANDA A MÉXICO PROVEER AGUA; CILA DEFIENDE POSTURA
Agenda en Breve
A cuenta gotas “
ZAPATA 03/09— Feria del Condado de Zapata presenta el Desfile del ZCFA a las 9:30 a.m. iniciando en 3rd. Ave. Posteriormente en los terrenos de la feria, presentaciones artísticas, premiaciones, manualidades, fotografía, subasta de ganado a las 4 p.m.; presentación del Ganador de la Batalla de las Bandas a las 6 p.m.; Concurso de Jalapeño a las 7:30 p.m.; “Los 5 de Zapata” a las 8 p.m.; “Signno” a las 10 p.m.; y, “Pesado” a las 11:30 p.m.
NUEVO LAREDO, MX 03/09— Feria del Taco y el Canto 2013 en la Explanada Independencia frente al Palacio Federal. Habrá variedad de tacos y números musicales. 03/12— Colectivo Moviendo Conciencia presenta la exposición artística “Esencia de nostalgia” de 6 p.m. a 9 p.m. en el lobby del teatro del IMSS, Belden y Reynosa. Entrada gratuita. 03/12— Proyecto Teatro presenta “Esencia de nostalgia” de Miguel Angel Cedano, a las 7 p.m. en el Teatro del IMSS, Belden y Reynosa. Costo: 20 pesos.
PÁGINA 7A
POR MIGUEL TIMOSHENKOV TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
La sequía que afecta la región México-Estados Unidos está creando enconos por la limitación en la agricultura de uso de agua en la cuenca del Río Grande. El Senador John Cornyn y agricultores tejanos han emitido reclamos, pero no proponen una solución técnicamente hablando. México no es ajeno a cumplir sus contribuciones de agua con Estados Unidos en la cuenca del Río Bravo, pero el ciclo compromiso termina hasta octubre del 2015, explicó José de Jesús Luevano, Secretario de la Comisión Internacional de Límites y Agua (CILA) en Ciudad Juárez. El tributario mexicano, CILA, resume que aún faltan dos años y medio, así que hasta que no concluya su tiempo podrá determinar si hubo o no faltante. “El compromiso de México es que debe aportar, en el ciclo de cinco años, 431.7 millones de metros cúbicos (de agua)”, dijo Luevano. “Pero también prevé el Tratado de 1944 que de no cumplirse el adeudo se traspasa al siguiente ciclo”. Recientemente, Cornyn declaró al Associated Press que envió una carta a Edward Drusina, ejecutivo de la Comisión Internacional de Límites y Aguas para presionar a
Globalmente contamos con un 32.7 de almacenaje de las dos presas”.
JOSÉ DE JESÚS LUEVANO, SECRETARIO DE LA CILA EN CIUDAD JUÁREZ México acerca del pago del agua. Cornyn escribió que una deuda de agua de 10 años entre 1992 y 2002 costaron a cientos de agricultores de Texas millones de dólares, y el cumplimiento se logra sólo a través de negociaciones directas con México. Aunque el interés de Cornyn se traduce a las necesidades de los agricultores de Texas que reportaron pérdidas millonarias, la única realidad existente es que no hay agua.
Promedio Luevano dijo a Laredo Morning Times que la capacidad global de de las Presas La Amistad y Falcón, se ubica en 32.7%. “Estamos conscientes que en la década de los 90, principios de los 2.000, no se cumplió con el ciclo”, sostuvo Luevano. “Sabemos que el déficit es cuantioso, pero las lluvias cesaron y no habido aportación de sus afluentes”.
El adeudo actual de CILA Sección México es de 2.158 millones de metros cúbicos, pero no cuenta con suficiente agua para cubrirlos. Por ejemplo, el almacenaje de la presa La Amistad hasta el día 26 de febrero era de 1.270 millones de metros cúbicos de agua, de los cuales 1.042 millones corresponden a Estados Unidos y solo 228 millones de metros cúbicos a México. Representando un 31.43% de su capacidad, esto la ubica en situación crítica. Mientras tanto, la presa Falcón actualmente cuenta con 1.117 millones de metros cúbicos, de los cuales 581 millones corresponden a Estados Unidos y 536 millones a México. Su almacenaje se ubica en el 34%, según Luevano.
Bipartita “Globalmente contamos con un 32.7 de almacenaje de las dos presas”, dijo Luevano. “Yo creo que el requerimiento que está presentan-
do Estados Unidos, es obviamente porque estamos en una sequía en toda la cuenca del Río Bravo. Sostuvo que la sequía lógicamente ha afectado a México y EU, por lo que la necesidad de agua es para todos, asumió Luevano. “Tenemos que entender que la sequía así como la está enfrentando Texas, también vivimos esta crisis del lado mexicano”, dijo él. “Todos pasamos por situaciones críticas”. Sostuvo que aunque el Tratado de 1944 esté firmado, las condiciones climáticas no son favorables y por tanto no se pude obligar a lo imposible. “El patrón de lluvias acostumbrado en la cuenca está cambiando (y) nos regimos por este contexto”, dijo Luevano. Fue en 2010 cuando por el Huracán Alex, las dos presas estuvieron llenas, e inclusivo hubo de soltarse agua por seguridad. Después de Alex dejó de llover y las presas se han secado. “Lo que tenemos que aprender es a usar el agua de manera más eficiente”, sostuvo Luevano. “Solamente hay una verdad de esta situación y es que tenemos que adaptarnos a los patrones de lluvias y vivir con ello con más eficiencia”. (Localice a Miguel Timoshenkov en el (956) 728-2583 o en mramirez@lmtonline.com)
LAREDO 03/09— El equipo de softból de TAMIU recibe a Newman University, a las 12 p.m. en el Dustdevil Field. 03/09— El Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presenta: “One World, One Sky Big Bird’s Adventure” a las 3 p.m.; “Stars of the Pharaohs” a las 4 p.m.; y is “Dark Side of the Moon” a las 5 p.m. Costo: 5 dólares, general; 4 dólares, niños. 03/10— Equipo de Softball de TAMIU recibe a Texas Woman’s University, a la 1:30 p.m. en el Dustdevil Field. 03/11— Campamento para Carreras de Salud es de 9 a.m. a 12 p.m. en UT Regional Campus. 1937 E. Bustamante. Programa gratuito abierto a estudiantes de preparatoria. 03/13— Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presenta: “The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” a las 3:30 p.m.; y “Violent Universe: Catastrophes of the Cosmos” a las 4:30 p.m. Costo: 4 dólares. 03/13— South Bound Music Festival presenta a “Kinky”, con el invitado especial “The Limousines” en el club de Laredo Energy Arena, a las 9 p.m. Costo: 20 dólares. Boletos disponibles en Ticketmaster o en la taquilla de LEA. 03/14— Quinto Festival Anual del Papalote por el Descanso de Primavera, de 12 p.m. a 7 p.m. en North Central Park, por avenida McPherson y San Isidro Parkway. Evento gratuito para toda la familia. Habrá algunos refrigerios y papalotes, y las personas pueden llevar sus refrigerios para un picnic. 03/14— La Sociedad Americana del Cancer y el Centro de Tratamiento A.R. Sanchez de Laredo Medical Center invitan a la sesión de ‘Look Good Feel Better’ de 2 p.m. a 4 p.m. El programa brinda apoyo a mujeres en tratamiento de quimioterapia. El evento es gratuito. Reserve su espacio llamando a Diana Juárez en 319-3100. 03/14— Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presenta “Attack of the Space Pirates” a las 3:30 p.m.; y, “The Future is Wild” a las 4:30 p.m. Costo: 4 dólares (niños) y 5 dólares (adultos). 03/16— La segunda edición del “5-K Run, Walk & Roll for Rehab” es de 7 a.m. a 11:30 a.m. en North Central Park. Registro anticipado es de 15 dólares.
COMUNIDAD
MIGUEL ALEMÁN
DÍA DE FERIA
Deciden clausura temporal de penal TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto por Ulysses S. Romero | The Zapata Times
Jonathan Martínez muestra su cabra durante la Feria Anual del Condado de Zapata, el viernes por la tarde, en Terrenos de la Feria de Zapata.
Zapata tendrá algo para toda la familia POR RICARDO R. VILLARREAL TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
L
a Feria del Condado de Zapata 2013 dio inicio con la pesa de ganado que comenzó el jueves por la mañana mientras la evaluación del jurado de las artes, artesanías y fotografías se llevaron a cabo esa misma tarde, como parte del inicio de las actividades públicas. “Junto con la buena música, eventos y atracciones la Feria del Condado de Zapata se convierte en el lugar de elección para reuniones familiares. Familia y amigos hacen el viaje anual a Zapata para visitar a sus seres queridos. Se ha dicho que la mayoría de las familias viajan mientras que la feria está en marcha”, dijo José “Paco”
Mendoza Jr., Presidente de la Feria del Condado de Zapata.El proceso de juzgar la ganadería comenzó el jueves por la tarde y por la noche una Batalla de Bandas estuvo presentándose sobre el escenario. La selección del ganado y la preparación del mismo tuvieron lugar el viernes. Por la tarde, grupos escolares locales hicieron su presentación, mientras que por la noche se encontraban programados números con Zamorales y Sólido, para culminar con broche de oro la presentación de Kevin Fowler. Un concurso de “Pantalones Ajustados”, con el cual aseguraban atraer multitudes comenzó a las 8:30 p.m. El sábado traerá eventos como el Desfile de la Asociación
de la Feria del Condado de Zapata, que comenzará a las 9:30 a.m. y el concurso de lazado a las 10:30 a.m. La venta de arte, artesanías, panadería y fotografía, espectáculos con talentos locales, premios a los participantes del desfile y compras sociales se han programado en la tarde. La subasta de ganado comenzará a las 4 p.m. y los bailes en la calle contarán con varias bandas, incluyendo al ganador del Concurso de Bandas, Los 5 de Zapata, Siggno y el Grupo Pesado en la noche. El concurso para comer jalapeños y el concurso del Grito serán presentados la noche del sábado. (Rick Villarreal puede ser localizado en 728-2528 o en rvillarreal@lmtonline.com)
La cárcel de mínima seguridad (Centro de Ejecución de Sanciones —CEDES) de Miguel Alemán, México, fue clausurada temporalmente a partir del 6 de marzo, anunció la Secretaría de Seguridad Pública del Estado (SSPE) en un comunicado de prensa. Los 148 internos del fuero común y 4 del fuero federal fueron trasladados al penal estatal de Reynosa y al Centro Federal de Matamoros, respectivamente. La Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (SEDENA) y la Policía Federal apoyaron el dispositivo de seguridad para la reubicación. El martes 26 de febrero, a la 1:40 a.m., un grupo de 15 civiles armados ingresaron a las instalaciones del CEDES y se llevaron a doce internos. Las personas armadas entraron en varios vehículos y sometieron al personal, según un comunicado de prensa del SSPE. Los internos evadidos son del fuero común, dos en calidad de sentenciados y 10 procesados. Ocho de ellos estaban por el delito de Atentados a la Seguridad de la Comunidad y Contra Servidores Públicos (halconeo), dos por el delito de homicidio, uno por violación y uno por robo de vehículo. Esta semana, con base a la evaluación de las condiciones actuales del CEDES de Miguel Alemán, la Secretaría de Seguridad Pública determinó su clausura, haciendo del conocimiento a los integrantes del Grupo de Coordinación Operativa en su última sesión.
DEPORTES
Clasifica Raúl Curiel en la Selección de Boxeo ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
CD. VICTORIA, México— El boxeador tamaulipeco Raúl Curiel García forma parte del equipo “A” de la Selección Mexicana de Boxeo. El anuncio se dio a conocer en el Centro Deportivo Olímpico Mexicano de la Ciudad de México en voz del presidente de la Federación Mexicana de
RAÚL CURIEL GARCÍA: Parte de la Selección Mexicana de Boxeo. Boxeo Amateur, Ricardo Contreras Hernández, quien hizo la presentación oficial de las delegaciones del presente ciclo deportivo. De acuerdo al dirigente de la FMBA, en el actual período se estará traba-
jando con aproximadamente 200 pugilistas, entre juveniles y femeniles, así como el seleccionado mayor de donde el originario de Tampico es uno de los 10 integrantes. El Sub Campeón del Mundo en Armenia el pasado mes de diciembre, es el titular de la división 60 kilogramos de peso y tomará parte de la gira de preparación y fogueo en
los campeonatos de Venezuela y Puerto Rico a finales de marzo y más adelante en la gira de la selección nacional por Europa. Estos eventos son parte del proceso rumbo a los Juegos Centroamericanos de Veracruz en el año 2014 y para el Campeonato Mundial de Boxeo Amateur que se celebrará este 2013 en Kazajistán.
Por su parte, la también originaria del puerto de Tampico, Zaida Judith Enríquez Cedillo, es parte de la preselección femenil. En el caso del boxeo en esta rama, el proceso es diferente ya que hay solo 3 divisiones olímpicas y la tamaulipeca no pertenece a ninguna de ellas, sin embargo, su preparación estará encaminada a otros eventos internacionales.
National
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013
Civil War sailors buried in Virginia By JESSICA GRESKO ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Daryn Slover/Lewiston Sun Journal | AP
David Marsters is seen in Sabattus, Maine. Selectmen on Tuesday voted down his proposal to have townspeople vote on an ordinance requiring every Sabattus head of household to own a gun.
Town eyes gun ownership for all By GLENN ADAMS ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUGUSTA, Maine — A town of 140 people in western Maine is considering an ordinance making gun ownership mandatory, the latest of a handful of communities nationwide to pass or consider such a rule even though the measures are widely considered unenforceable. All three members of the Board of Selectmen in Byron favor it, and Head Selectman Anne SimmonsEdmunds said she expects residents to approve it at Monday’s town meeting, a New England institution where townspeople vote up or down on municipal proposals. “We’re hoping that the town will get on board with us but will accept whatever the town wants,” Simmons-Edmunds said Friday. Communities from Idaho to Georgia have been inspired to “require” or recommend their residents arm themselves ever since a gunman killed 26 youngsters and educators Dec. 14 in a school in Newtown, Conn., and raised fears among gun owners about an impending restriction on Second Amendment rights. The article up for a vote in Maine asks, “Shall the town of Byron vote to require all households to have firearms and ammunition to protect the citizens?” Backed by gun rights supporters, the ordinance is intended to pre-emptively block gun-control laws, Maine Attorney General
Janet Mills said, adding that it will be “null and void” even if it passes. It is pre-empted by a 2011 state law that bars municipalities from adopting firearm regulations. “I think the town is going to have to shoot it down,” Mills said Friday. That’s what happened this week in Sabattus, in southwestern Maine, where the selectmen took the police chief ’s advice and voted not to send a similar proposal to voters. David Marsters, a retiree in Sabbatus, had proposed the ordinance, saying it would act as a hedge against crime. The idea has also caught on in Nelson, a city of just over 1,300 about 50 miles north of downtown Atlanta, where supporters of the gun-ownership proposal say light police patrols leave city residents virtually unprotected for most of the day. The proposal contains several exemptions for people who object to owning firearms because of personal beliefs, religious reasons or mental disability. In a statement, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan Bishop said convicted felons would also be exempted. “I am in no way attempting to face off with the federal government, only doing what an elected official is supposed to do,” Councilman Duane Cronic, who proposed the ordinance, said in an email Friday. The rule passed unanimously on its first reading and awaits a final vote April 1. In Kennesaw, Ga., city officials worried at the
time of its law’s passage in 1982 that population growth in nearby Atlanta might bring crime to the community, which now has about 30,000 people. “They wanted to send an anti-crime message, also,” Craydon said. And it has worked, he argued, with crime staying low. Craydon acknowledged Kennesaw’s ordinance is “unenforceable” and said no attempt has ever been made to do so. Some communities don’t go so far as to call for required gun ownership. Spring City, Utah, moved forward with an ordinance this year “recommending” the idea of keeping firearms. Other ordinances have been passed in Virgin, Utah, and Cherry Tree, Pa., largely as symbolic gestures. A southwestern Idaho town of 900 people, Greenleaf, adopted an ordinance in 2006 that encourages residents who don’t object on religious or other reasons to keep a gun in the house and to seek training on using firearms. City officials said they don’t know how many residents own guns. In Maine, Byron’s Simmons-Edmunds said that probably 90 percent of the households in town already have a gun and that passage would not mean the town would enforce it by checking every household. “We not going to invade anybody’s privacy,” Simmons-Edmunds said. “We just want to send a statement that we’re not going to give up our guns.”
ARLINGTON, Va. — More than 150 years after the USS Monitor sank off North Carolina during the Civil War, two unknown crewmen found in the ironclad’s turret when it was raised a decade ago were buried Friday at Arlington National Cemetery. The evening burial, which included a gun salute and a band playing “America the Beautiful,” may be the last time Civil War soldiers are buried at the cemetery overlooking Washington. “Today is a tribute to all the men and women who have gone to sea, but especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf,” said Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, who spoke at a funeral service before the burial. The Monitor made nautical history when the Union ship fought the Confederate CSS Virginia in the first battle between two ironclads on March 9, 1862. The battle was a draw. The Monitor sank about nine months later in rough seas, and 16 sailors died. In 2002, the ship’s rusted turret was raised from the Atlantic Ocean floor, and the skeletons of the two crew members were found inside. On Friday, the remains of the two men were taken to their gravesite by horse-drawn caissons, one pulled by a team of six black horses and the other pulled by six white horses. Whitegloved sailors carried the caskets to their final resting place near the cemetery’s amphitheater. A few men attending the ceremonies wore Civil War uniforms, and there were ladies in long dresses from the time. The ceremony also in-
Photo by Alex Brandon | AP
Diana Rambo, related to USS Monitor crew member Jacob Nicklis and her husband Lorin Rambo, pause at a casket.
cluded “Taps,” which was written the same year that the Monitor sank and became associated with military funerals as early as the Civil War. The sailors buried Friday would not have recognized some parts of the graveside service, however. The military band played “America the Beautiful,” which wasn’t written until two decades after the Monitor sank. And the flags that draped the silver coffins were modern ones with 50 stars, not the 34-star American flag of the early 1860s. The cemetery where the men will lie, however, has strong ties to the Civil War. Arlington was established as a military cemetery during the war and is on grounds formerly owned by the Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. One of the cemetery’s first monuments was a memorial to
unknown Civil War soldiers. A marker with the names of all 16 men who died onboard the Monitor will ultimately be placed at the gravesite of the sailors buried Friday. Researchers were unable to positively identify the remains, though they tried reconstructing the sailors’ faces from their skulls and comparing DNA from the skeletons with living descendants of the ship’s crew and their families. Medical and Navy records narrowed the possibilities to six people. What is known is that one of the men was between 17 and 24 years old and the other was likely in his 30s. A genealogist who worked on the project believes the older sailor is Robert Williams, the ship’s fireman, who would have tended the Monitor’s coal-fired steam engine.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Notice is hereby given that original Letters Testamentary for the Estate of Oscar Gutierrez, Deceased, were issued on December 11, 2012, in Cause No. P-01792, pending in the County Court at Law of Zapata County, Texas, to: Juan E. Garcia. All persons having claims against this Estate which is currently being administered are required to present them to the undersigned within the time and in the manner prescribed by law. c/o: Melissa Saldaña, Attorney Law Office of Melissa Saldaña, P.C. 809 Victoria Street Laredo, Texas 78040 DATED the 7th day of March , 2013.
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Manhattan Project agent dies at age 92 ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Nathan Safferstein was barely 21 when circumstances suddenly propelled him from his job as a supermarket manager into the stealth world of a counterintelligence agent on the project that produced the atomic bomb. A customer at the Connecticut market had told her brother — an Army intelligence commander — about a bright young prospect. Soon, paperwork was filled out, recommendations made. Wartime security being paramount, Safferstein eavesdropped on phone calls of scientists and engineers in Los Alamos, N.M., to make sure no Manhattan Project secrets were leaked, and delivered bomb-making uranium and top-secret messages. He also scrawled his signature on the first A-bomb, called “Little Boy,” dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945. A second bomb leveled Nagasaki on Aug. 9, and Japan surrendered six days later. Safferstein died Tuesday night at his home in the Bronx after a long illness, his family said. He was 92. “We had that feeling right from day one that this was the instrument that was going to end this war,” Safferstein said in a
Photo by Michael Safferstein | AP
This May 2010 photo provided by the Safferstein family shows Nathan Safferstein and his wife, Bernice Safferstein, in New York. Safferstein, a counterintelligence agent on the Manhattan Project during World War II, died Tuesday night at 92. 2005 interview conducted by one of his sons, Michael, along with an oral history project moderator. “In my heart, I know that it saved us from the invasion of Japan and millions of casualties that would have come about.” The Washington-based National World War II Memorial online registry includes a photo of Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves, who ran the top-secret Manhattan Project at
Oak Ridge, Tenn., and Los Alamos, presenting Safferstein with a Bronze Star medal after the war. Safferstein, a native of Bridgeport, Conn., had been working as a supermarket manager in nearby Fairfield when his life took the extraordinary turn. One day, he was ordered to join about 100 other men in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal.
FAIR Continued from Page 1A cluding the winner of the Battle of the Bands, Los 5 de Zapata, Siggno and Grupo Pesado in the evening. A jalapeño eating contest and a grito
contest will be featured this evening as well. (Rick Villarreal may be reached at 7282528 or rvillarreal@lmtonline.com)
FEDERAL COURT Continued from Page 1A complaint alleges he tried to hide from the agents. As agents followed, Ambriz accelerated. Ambriz abandoned the vehicle on the side of the road when agents activa-
ted their emergency lights. He jumped a gate and ran away from agents toward the brush. Agents caught him eventually. Court records allege two men in Zapata had offered
Ambriz $500 to drive the loaded pickup from a warehouse in Roma to Zapata. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
JACOB Continued from Page 1A Ivey loved to help people, his mother said. As soon as he would cash his check, he would give to the less fortunate, she said. “He had the gift of compassion and forgiveness. That’s a true gift from God,” Magnon said. Ivey grew up loving football and played for the Alexander Bulldogs. But at one point, Ivey took a wrong turn in life that led him to drugs. Magnon spoke proudly of her “Jake” overcoming difficult situations. A day before the wreck, Magnon said her son told her something she’ll never forget. “Mom, I just needed you to know I’m so grateful you never gave up on me,” Magnon recalled him tell-
ing her. “I didn’t know he was telling me goodbye,” a tearful Magnon said. Ivey wanted to become a motivational speaker to advise high school students to stay away from drugs and to follow their dreams. “He had an uncanny ability to make people laugh,” Magnon said. Ivey worked at Petland for about eight months before taking an oilfield job near Encinal. He was on his way to work the day of the wreck, Magnon said. She described her son as an animal lover, saying he had a Chihuahua dog named Odie. “Odie was everything to Jake,” Magnon said. Ivey fulfilled his dream to catch a Packers win
over archrivals the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on Sept. 13. He and Magnon made the trip. Ivey bought all sorts of memorabilia that now decorates his room as homage to his life. Ivey was a true Packers fan. “You couldn’t talk to him if they lost,” Magnon jokingly recalled. In lieu of flowers, Magnon asked the community to donate to Gateway Gatos of Laredo, a nonprofit that cares for animals. For information, call 286-7866. Funeral home visitation will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Hillside Funeral Home Chapel in Laredo (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
“It seemed like a thing out of a Bond movie,” he recalled years later. “We were all dressed in our Adam hats and cover cloth coats. ... Ten or 12 agents would drop off: Syracuse, Buffalo, Chicago. The train kept going west.” Safferstein’s group disembarked in New Mexico. Two cars took them to a wooded area where they met Maj. Peer DeSilva, the laboratory’s commander.
“He explained to us for the first time this ultra top secret mission, that they were working on a bomb that would be able to dig a hole into the ground some 80 to a hundred feet deep and perhaps 5, 10 miles long. And that from this point on, you are in the Manhattan Project,” Safferstein recalled. Most of Safferstein’s activities remained a mystery to his family and friends, including his future bride, Bernice Klein. Duty later called Safferstein to the Mariana Islands in the western Pacific, where U.S. forces had built airfields to launch longrange raids on Japan itself, and in mid-1945 the two bombs from Los Alamos had been secretly delivered by Navy ship. About 12 hours before “Little Boy” was placed aboard the aircraft Enola Gay, a scientist appeared at a Quonset hut on the island of Tinian to make final adjustments. He “explained the whole function of this bomb,” Safferstein recalled. “And then he left and here I am alone with ‘Little Boy.’ And so I walked over to it, saw that there were some initials on it ... and added my signature to the bomb.” He said that after the war, he decided to return to a career in supermarkets.
MEDICAID Continued from Page 1A enough money at the local level to cover its $18 billion investment. Billy Hamilton, a former state revenue estimator who now works as an economic consultant for Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, said counties and hospital districts spend $2.5 billion a year on indigent health care, and private hospitals provide $1.8 billion a year in charity care. Expanded Medicaid would reduce much of those costs, he said. “I don’t really think you’re going to see a more overwhelming fiscal opportunity” than Medicaid expansion, he said.
Tax adjustments Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said expanded health care coverage would allow him to lower county and hospital district taxes. He said the mentally ill also would gain coverage, reducing the likelihood they end up in the county jail. “If we can get behavioral services for those people outside of our jails ... that’s a much better way of doing it,” he said. The only person to speak against expanding health care coverage was John Davidson, a policy analyst with the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation. He said expanding the number of people who rely on government-funded
health care means evergrowing costs for taxpayers. “We believe Medicaid spending is on an unsustainable trajectory,” he said. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia have agreed to Medicaid expansion, with most states developing unique methods for spending increased funding to make sure everyone who earns less than the federal poverty level gets health coverage. In Texas, that’s $11,170 a year for an individual, or $19,090 a year for a family of three. Democrats agree with Republicans that Texas should develop its own program to meet the state’s unique needs. Rep. Sylvester Turner, DHouston, expressed surprise when Health and Human Services Commissioner Kyle Janek said he had not developed a Texas proposal to take to Washington for consideration. “Y’all are driving me nuts! The state of Arkansas has come up with a plan! This is not funny,” Turner said, referring to Arkansas’ plan to provide private health insurance to the poor by using federal and state money. Janek said he was awaiting instructions on what lawmakers want a Texas plan to look like. House Republicans started the week by rejecting Medicaid expansion under
current Affordable Care Act provisions. But Speaker Joe Straus said Thursday it was time for Republicans to start looking for a conservative solution to Texas’ high uninsured rate.
Governor’s position Gov. Rick Perry has roundly rejected expanding Medicaid “under current conditions” and is believed to be open to an alternative. Ideas floated include requiring co-payments from those who enroll, setting up a defined network of providers and offering a menu of services rather than a set package. Concerns include how much Medicaid reimburses doctors, and whether there are enough doctors to absorb the expected influx of new patients. Doctors complain current reimbursement rates set by the Legislature only cover 52 percent of actual treatment costs. The Texas Medical Association reports only 30 percent of doctors are accepting new Medicaid patients because of low rates. The group has recommended Texas expand health care for the poor, but only if reimbursement rates improve. Reimbursement rate increases are included in the $18 billion state price tag of the plan lawmakers considered Friday.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013
SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS: ZAPATA HAWKS ROUNDUP
Into the swing Photo by Kin Man Hui | San Antonio Express-News
Former Texas Longhorn Alex Okafor (80) plans on participating in the University of Texas’ pro day on March 26 in Austin.
Set to shine on NFL’s stage UT’s Okafor carries high belief in self as NFL-caliber defensive end By TOM ORSBORN SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
Photo by Clara Sandoval | The Zapata Times
Zapata’s golf teams have been swinging away throughout the spring season, recently competing in the Border Olympics in Laredo.
Zapata spring sports surge into full stride By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata’s golf teams have been swinging away throughout the spring season, recently competing in the Border Olympics in Laredo. The tournament brings together some of the best golfers in South Texas, and Zapata put its best effort into play in the girls’ tournament last weekend. “Our girls did well, even though
all our girls didn’t play because of our county fair,” Zapata golf coach Clyde Guerra Jr. said. “We have eight competitive golfers, and our district meet — on April 8 — should be exciting.” The biggest name missing from the team’s lineup was Leanna Saenz, who has taken Zapata golf by storm as the defending district champion. Stepping in during Saenz’s absence were sophomore Leanna
Hughes, junior Jessenia Garza, and freshmen Andrea Reyes and Kaity Ramirez. Garza and Reyes led the Lady Hawks on the course on the first day, shooting a 99 and a 90, respectively, on the first day of competition. Garza finished with a 90 for a two-day total of 189. Reyes was close behind with a 90 in the first day
See ZAPATA PAGE 2B
Alex Okafor is confident he possesses the athletic skills needed to excel as an NFL defensive end. But the former Texas standout’s belief that he will shine in the league doesn’t just stem from his pass-rush moves and non-stop motor. He also views his Nigerian ancestry as a reason he’ll star on Sundays. “Africa pumps out some beasts, man,” said Okafor, who has a Nigerian father and a U.S.-born mother. “We pump out some freaks. I’ve got a long generation of freaks and animals coming in.” Christian Okoye blazed the trail from the African nation to the NFL in 1987, when the Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the second round out of Azusa Pacific. Playing six seasons, Okoye’s bruising running style earned him the nickname “The Nigerian Nightmare,” the 1989 NFL rushing title and two Pro Bowl trips. Since then, NFL rosters have been dotted with Nigerians or the sons of Nigerians who have immigrated to the United States or other countries. Some of Okafor’s Nigerian-linked predecessors at defensive end include Osi Umenyiora of the New York Giants; Brian Orakpo of the Washington Redskins; Sam Acho of the Arizona Cardinals; Adewale Ogunleye, who played 11 seasons in the NFL; and San Antonio’s Ndukwe Kalu, a Marshall High grad and Rice-ex whose
See TEXAS PAGE 2B
NFL: FREE AGENCY
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Rivera braces for announcement ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Genevieve Ross | AP
Tuesday the NFL checkbooks open up. Clubs will participate in free agency depending on their needs.
This year’s pickings stay slim By JUDY BATTISTA NEW YORK TIMES
Twelve months ago, the NFL universe was waiting for Peyton Manning to pick his landing spot and for Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III to find their first professional homes. It was one of the most transformative offseasons in recent years. Those, though, happen rarely. There is no Manning, no Luck, no Griffin available this year — no highly regarded quarterback at all in free agency or
the draft — and, as a result, there is not as much sizzle to this NFL shopping season. But when free agency opens Tuesday — after a sanctioned tampering period starting Saturday, in which teams can negotiate with agents but not officially sign players — the market will be flush with quality veterans, albeit no boldfaced names. That, it turns out, is a lot like the 2013 draft class. Farewell to the drama of clan-
See FREE AGENTS PAGE 2B
TAMPA, Fla. — Mariano Rivera’s family is on its way to Florida for the expected announcement that one of baseball’s greatest relievers will retire after the season. There have been numerous reports — one by The Associated Press — that this will be the last season for the 43-year-old closer. A news conference is scheduled for Saturday at the Yankees’ spring training complex in Tampa. Rivera said after working out Friday that those wanting to know his plans will have to wait. He said “whatever’s out there is speculation until I talk to you guys.” “My wife is traveling today,” Rivera said. “They’re traveling, coming here.” Rivera is baseball’s saves leader with 608 and has a record 42 postseason saves with an 0.70 ERA while helping the Yankees win five World Series championships. “I’ve got to be a little bias, without Mo being out there closing those games out, I would say that he’s by far has been one of the biggest impacts for us winning those championships” Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte said. “He’s absolutely dominated the game. I’ve never
Photo by Kathy Kmonicek | AP
New York Yankees’ Mariano Rivera plans to retire after the 2013 season, via a person that spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday on condition of anonymity because there had been no official announcement. seen anything like it. I don’t think we’ll ever see anything like it ever again, to tell you the truth.” Rivera, coming back from knee surgery, is expected to make his 2013 spring training debut Saturday against Atlanta. “I am taking everything one day at a time,” Rivera said. “I’m not going to rush it. When I get the chance, do what I have to do.” Rivera pitched in nine regu-
lar-season games last year, his season ending when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while tracking down a fly ball during batting practice in Kansas City on May 3. He had surgery on June 12. “I’ve been playing with Mo for 20 some years, so I’ve always enjoyed my time with Mo,” Yankees captain Derek Jeter said. Jeter, noting that the Yankees rarely do new deals until a contract is done, smiled when he said Saturday’s news conference “might be announcing an extension” for Rivera. “I wish somebody would fill me in on why you’re asking so many questions about Mariano Rivera,” Pettitte said with a laugh. “Is there a press conference tomorrow? Is it for Mariano Rivera? If there’s a press conference for Mariano Rivera, I’ll probably be there.” Rivera is a 12-time All-Star. “I don’t think you’ll ever see another guy that can throw one pitch and dominate the game of baseball.” Pettitte said. “He’s made it into a Hall of Fame pitch. It’s got all to do with his mental makeup, physical makeup, the consistency that he brings every day, the focus he brings to the mound everytime out. All those things factor in.
See RIVERA PAGE 2B
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Zscores
SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013
FREE AGENTS Continued from Page 1B destine visits with Manning. But the risks of pursuing lesser-known commodities should make this offseason just as intriguing.
AFC EAST BUFFALO: Which comes first, the receivers or the quarterback? Does Ryan Fitzpatrick need better wideouts to improve the league’s 25th-ranked passing game? Or should the Bills draft another quarterback? (How about Ryan Nassib reuniting with new Buffalo coach Doug Marrone, his coach at Syracuse?) In addition, Mike Pettine is remaking the defense to a 3-4, and he needs an outside linebacker to provide a pass rush with Mario Williams. MIAMI: Last year’s mission was to finally find a suitable heir to Dan Marino. But remember how Marino had the Marks brothers, Duper and Clayton? The Dolphins need to find at least one receiver or tight end to help secondyear quarterback Ryan Tannehill make the offense, which ranked 27th in points scored, more dynamic. Hello, Mike Wallace or Greg Jennings? The Dolphins have plenty of cap space, so they could be big players. NEW ENGLAND: The team has ensured that Tom Brady will be a Patriot for life. If the Patriots do nothing else, that will probably be enough. But to help Brady win at least one more ring, they have to finally improve their pass defense. It was ranked near the bottom of the NFL in the past two seasons and was shredded by Joe Flacco and Eli Manning on their way to Super Bowl titles. More pass rushers, especially from the inside, and secondary players are in order, especially if cornerback Aqib Talib leaves. And even if the Patriots resign Wes Welker, they have to add receivers, maybe in the draft. NEW YORK JETS: Should we do this alphabetically or numerically? It’s hard to know where to start. Finding someone who will provide a legitimate challenge to Mark Sanchez? Deciding Darrelle Revis’ fate? How about adding some offensive firepower, shoring up the offensive line and overhauling the linebacking corps? Let’s call this what it is: a rebuilding year. And it might take more than one.
AFC North BALTIMORE: You might have heard that Ray Lewis retired. With Joe Flacco’s deal done, the Ravens have to focus on their defense, and keeping free-agent linebacker Dannell Ellerbe would be a big help. Next, the Ravens must decide what to do about safety Ed Reed, who, even with his play beginning to decline, remains a feared defender. Both sides want him to stay in Baltimore, but will the price be right? CINCINNATI: These are flush times for the Bengals, who have made the playoffs in two straight seasons. But to win some playoff games, they have to get more dynamic on offense, perhaps by adding a receiver to take the focus off A.J. Green, and an explosive running back to complement BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Using the franchise tag on defensive end Michael Johnson was the right move, but there is also a potential need at linebacker, with Rey Maualuga, Manny Lawson and Thomas Howard all free agents. CLEVELAND: The Browns are starting over, again, so the most important questions coach Rob Chudzinski and offensive coordinator Norv Turner must answer are simple: Is quarterback Brandon Weeden the guy? Could Matt Moore do better? And whoever gets the job needs
Photo by Joe Howell | AP
Tuesday the checkbooks open up. Clubs will participate in free agency depending on their needs. a dependable wide receiver. PITTSBURGH: The best prescription for the Steelers: stay healthy. There are going to be changes because the Steelers are in a salarycap bind and are coming off a second-half collapse that dropped them to third in their division. But retaining cornerback Keenan Lewis has to be the priority.
AFC South HOUSTON: The late-season swoon that dashed the Texans’ Super Bowl hopes exposed one thing: They needed better inside linebackers to stop the run after Brian Cushing’s injury. Maybe they move Brooks Reed inside. If so, they have to get another outside linebacker to rush the passer, particularly if Connor Barwin lands elsewhere. This will be another chapter in the long-running saga of whether the Texans can find a down-the-field receiver to play opposite Andre Johnson. And they could try to improve the right side of their offensive line, which would help the running game. INDIANAPOLIS: It’s going to be hard to top last season’s stunning turnaround, but there are still a lot of holes to fill. The most important priority is keeping Andrew Luck safe, so upgrading the offensive line is urgent. According to ProFootballFocus.com, Luck was knocked down or sacked 83 times last season. Dwight Freeney’s departure means the search is on for a new outside linebacker (a Paul Kruger/Chuck Pagano reunion?). And the situation at cornerback, other than Vontae Davis, is dire. JACKSONVILLE: The Jaguars are in a quarterback disaster zone, with no obvious upgrade to Blaine Gabbert available. So they must upgrade everything around Gabbert to give him a chance to succeed. TENNESSEE: You don’t often see guard as a team’s top priority, but then again, you don’t often see the confounding Chris Johnson situation. If Johnson is going to bear even a passing resemblance to CJ2K again and relieve some of the pressure on quarterback Jake Locker, the Titans have to get some interior offensive linemen who can throw defenders backward, perhaps even with their first-round pick.
AFC West DENVER: John Elway already made the most important move, putting the franchise tag on left tackle Ryan Clady. Otherwise, there isn’t much room for tinkering on a team that came within one mistimed jump of going to the AFC championship game. Resign receiver Brandon Stokley, and get ready to draft young defenders. KANSAS CITY: The Chiefs have hired a new coach, acquired a new quarterback, re-signed their best receiver, kept their punter, put the franchise tag on their left tackle and, Wednesday, released their right tackle. They need some run stoppers, but otherwise the Chiefs can turn their attention to figuring out what to do with the first overall draft pick. The release of Eric Win-
ston means Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel could be their man. OAKLAND: The Raiders are still paying for the Carson Palmer trade — no secondround pick this year — and they have to decide whether to cut him or ask him to take a pay cut and compete with Terrelle Pryor. SAN DIEGO: Remember when Philip Rivers was considered an elite quarterback? If the Chargers want him to return to that level and raise the fortunes of the team, they need to find offensive linemen, particularly a left tackle, to keep him upright (he was sacked 49 times last year).
NFC East DALLAS: Let’s set aside the Tony Romo hatred for a second, because the quarterback position isn’t even close to the top of the priority list. The Cowboys have to decide how much of their personnel will fit into defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin’s Tampa 2 scheme. Injuries wrecked the linebackers last season, but now the needs are everywhere, including at safety and defensive tackle. And the offense needs a running game. It ranked 31st in rushing attempts and yards last season. NEW YORK GIANTS: Was anything more unexpected than the Giants’ giving up the second-most yards in the NFL? While the headline issue for fans will be the fate of receiver Victor Cruz, a restricted free agent, the defense has to command at least as much attention. Upgrades are needed everywhere: at defensive tackle, at linebacker and in the secondary. And what of the pass rush, which struggled last year? With Osi Umenyiora on the open market and Justin Tuck hoping to rebound from his disappointing year, defensive end — the cornerstone of the unit — is suddenly thin. PHILADELPHIA: Easily the most fascinating team this offseason, the Eagles first have to decide which quarterback can run coach Chip Kelly’s fast-paced offense and if he is even on the roster. The entire secondary requires a makeover — safety is a strength of this draft class — and the Eagles have to hope that left tackle Jason Peters recovers sufficiently from his torn Achilles tendon or whoever is quarterback will need a better bodyguard. WASHINGTON: Let’s not pretend anything matters more than Robert Griffin III’s recovery from his knee injury. But whenever he returns, there will be questions: Can he still run? Do the Redskins even want him to run, which would expose him to more battering? Can they put together an offensive line to protect him better in the pocket? How about some better receivers so RGIII isn’t the only dynamic option? And that’s not even addressing the defense, which was awful, particularly the secondary.
NFC North CHICAGO: Welcome, Marc Trestman. Please try to keep Jay Cutler alive. The Bears’ needs can be summed up succinctly:
TEXAS Continued from Page 1B
ProFootballFocus.com did not give a positive year-end grade to any member of the offensive line, starter or backup. DETROIT: The Lions are a prime example of how a team can look promising, then look like an abject disaster a few months later. GREEN BAY: Aaron Rodgers was sacked 51 times in 2012, but he was the team’s second-leading rusher, with 259 yards. That says a lot about the sad state of the offensive line, which wasn’t great at pass protection but even worse at run blocking. Improving the running game, by acquiring a running back and by improving the line, would take some of the heat off Rodgers. MINNESOTA: Even if we accept the idea that Adrian Peterson is not entirely human, you can’t expect him to be an android every season, so the Vikings have to do something about their abysmal passing game.
12-year career ended after the 2008 season following a three-year stint with the Houston Texans. Like Okafor, Orakpo and Acho are former Longhorns. “We’re seeing more and more players of African heritage beginning to enter the league,” said ESPN’s Bill Polian, a former NFL general manager. “Certainly, it is a good sign for the growth of the game. ..... It’s about their athletic ability and their ability to have both speed and power at the same time.” A first-team All-Big 12 choice the last two seasons who recorded a combined 20/61/2 sacks during that period, the 6-foot-5, 264pound Okafor promises to make an immediate impact in the NFL. “I’m going to make some noise right off the bat,” he said last month at the NFL Scouting Combine. NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock called Okafor “a solid base 4-3 end” that
likely will be a secondround pick. “He’s tough,” Mayock said. “He’s got some natural pass-rush ability. He does everything pretty well, but I don’t think he does anything elite.” Okafor believes he could also thrive as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme, but Mayock likes the Pflugerville High grad better “with his hands in the dirt” going forward. “I don’t doubt he could probably play 3-4 outside linebacker, but he’s better going forward than he is backwards,” Mayock said. A hip injury at the Senior Bowl prevented Okafor from working out in Indianapolis, but he believes he’s already opened plenty of eyes. Okafor should be healed in time for Texas’ pro day March 26. Until then, he hopes teams study film of his Senior Bowl practices and his 4/61/2-sack effort in the Longhorns’ Valero Alamo Bowl win over Oregon State.
NFC South ATLANTA: The Falcons were achingly close to the Super Bowl, but now they have holes to fill. A big one would disappear if they could persuade — cajole? beg? — Tony Gonzalez to return for one more year, forestalling a need for a tight end who is never going to be as good as Gonzalez anyway. Then the Falcons could focus on restocking their pass rush, which was a weakness even before John Abraham was released, and adding a cornerback. CAROLINA: The Panthers don’t have much money and they have a new general manager, so they won’t be active in free agency. But during the draft, the Panthers should go after receivers to play opposite the ageless Steve Smith. NEW ORLEANS: Nothing the Saints do will have more effect than coach Sean Payton’s return from a seasonlong, bounty-induced suspension. Now he and the newly hired Rob Ryan can try to fix the defense. The move to a 3-4 might mean some players on the roster, including linebacker Jonathan Vilma and defensive end Will Smith, don’t fit well. TAMPA BAY: The bad news: The Buccaneers’ pass defense was atrocious. The good news: Free agency and the draft are loaded with cornerbacks. The Bucs had the worst pass defense in the league last year, a particular problem when you share a division with Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton.
NFC West ARIZONA: Let’s keep this simple: Everyone on offense not named Larry Fitzgerald is subject to review. This is a bad year to need a quarterback, and the Cardinals need one very badly after playing four of them last year. ST. LOUIS: Whither Danny Amendola? The Rams need receivers for Sam Bradford, and they can’t afford to lose their slot man in free agency. With two firstround picks, they can get a badly needed offensive tackle, a very strong position in the draft. SAN FRANCISCO: The terrifying thing about the 49ers is how few holes they have and how many resources they have to fill them. They need a No. 2 wide receiver; some help on the defensive line, particularly at nose tackle; and a backup quarterback. SEATTLE: The Seahawks hit on nearly every bet they made last season, and the roster is going to stay largely intact. A few tweaks should fortify them enough to challenge San Francisco. They need a top-flight wide receiver for Russell Wilson, help along the defensive line for the pass rush (Chris Clemons’ late-season knee injury is worrisome) and perhaps a right tackle (Breno Giacomini was flagged 12 times).
RIVERA Continued from Page 1B You don’t have to worry about him when he walks out there and takes that mound.” Rivera played catch with guest instructor David Wells, fielded five balls on the mound during defensive drills and did sprints on a back diamond at Steinbrenner Field. Jeter, who is nearing his initial exhibition game since offseason ankle surgery, went 1 for 5 with a walk against Pettitte in a simulated game. “So, now we move forward,” Jeter said. The shortstop went to Charlotte, N.C., Thursday for a scheduled visit to see Dr. Robert Anderson, the surgeon who operated on his ankle last October. “He said everything’s healed,” Jeter said. “100 percent healed.”
ZAPATA Continued from Page 1B and a 99 for a total of 189. Hughes came in third on the team with a two-day 197, shooting 101 in the opening round and 96 in the final. Myra Garcia had a two-day total of 203 (102101). Kaity Ramirez started the tournament with a 101 but withdrew from the second day of competition. “We are doing great,” Guerra said. “We have had our ups and downs, but our year has been great so far.” Zapata teams will be return to action on March 18 at the Zapata Boys Invitational.
Baseball The Hawks improved to a 9-3 non-district overall record, compiling four wins out of five games since March 1. The Hawks defeated La Joya Juarez-Lincoln on March 1, McAllen Memorial and La Grulla on March 2, and Laredo Nixon on March 5. The team’s only loss in that period came by way of an 11-4 bust up against Brownsville Hanna. ZAPATA 8, LA JOYA JUAREZLINCOLN 7: Alonzo Gutierrez went 2 for 3, helping Hawks to an 8-7 victory over La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at the La Joya Tournament. He singled in the first and second innings. Edgar Peña recorded the win for Hawks, allowing three runs over 2.2 innings. Peña struck out two, walked one and gave up five hits. BROWNSVILLE HANNA 11, ZAPATA 4: Despite Alonzo Gutierrez’s 2 for 3 performance at the plate, the Hawks took a 11-4 loss at the hands of Brownsville Hanna at the La Joya Tournament. Gutierrez had two extrabase hits for the Hawks: he tripled in the first inning and doubled in the second inning. The top of the first saw Hawks take an early 2-0 lead when Edgar Peña singled, scoring Gutierrez after his triple got things started. Zapata then tacked on another run when Peña scored on an RBI single by Oscar Garcia. The game was never in doubt after the third, as
Hanna scored four runs on a passed ball, a sacrifice fly, a RBI single, and a RBI triple. Hanna mounted threerun rallies in the fourth and fifth innings. ZAPATA 7, McALLEN MEMORIAL 5: Zapata and McAllen Memorial passed the lead back and forth five times on March 2 at the La Joya Tournament, but in the end the Hawks pulled out a 7-5 win in five innings. Zapata took the lead in the fifth inning and held on for the victory after a RBI single by Rene Ramon off Juann Carreon, scoring Cesar Ramos. Oscar Garcia racked up two RBI on a double in the first inning. Even though David Hinojosa allowed five runs over five innings, he still recorded the victory. He struck out three, walked four and surrendered eight hits. In the top of the first, Memorial grabbed a early 4-0 lead. After Steven Valadez singled, Victor Montenegro doubled to plate him. Memorial tacked more runs on when Montenegro scored on an RBI single by Manny Loredo, Loredo scored on a passed ball, and Quintanilla scored on a groundout by Glendon Voss. After posting three runs in the first, the Hawks again scored three in the fifth. In the first, Hawks scored on a RBI single by Andy Gonzalez, bringing home Alonzo Gutierrez. ZAPATA 13, LA GRULLA 2: Grulla had a tough outing on March 2, as Hawks dominated in a 13-2 win in five innings at the La Joya Tournament. Zapata scored five runs in the fourth on a two-run single by Alonzo Gutierrez, a RBI single by Andy Gonzalez, and a two-run single by Oscar Garcia. Gutierrez racked up four RBI on two hits for the Hawks. He also got the win for Hawks, allowing two runs over five innings. He struck out three, walked four and surrendered eight hits. The Hawks went up for good in the second, scoring four runs on a two-run double by Robert Martinez and a two-run triple by Gutierrez.
SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
HINTS | BY HELOISE HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS Dear Heloise: Here in Ohio, neighbors and friends TAKE FOOD TO THE FAMILY’S HOME when there is a death. There was enough food within two days to overflow three refrigerators. All was greatly appreciated. However, adding to the stress was the additional kitchen duty of cleaning baked-on foodstuff, and dishes and pans we had to try to label for return. Also, “helpers” may not be able to properly label dishes. People called in three weeks wanting to know if we had their dish, the lid was missing when a dish was returned, or they received a dish that was not theirs. This certainly adds to stress. It would be helpful when you want to help to: Call to determine if food is needed. Maybe in a couple of weeks, the family would really appreciate a prepared meal, a sack of groceries, or to be taken out for a bite to eat. Kindnesses can be extended for a month or two. Take food only in disposable containers. A wonderful friend brought a supply of disposa-
DENNIS THE MENACE
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HELOISE
ble cups and glasses, dessert and dinner plates, soup bowls, forks and spoons, napkins, paper towels, plastic wrap, aluminum foil, food and kitchen garbage bags. A neighbor volunteered to have a supply of ice cubes ready for use. Frozen foods (pizza, lasagna, etc.), if not immediately needed, can be put in a freezer for later. Hope these help. — B.B., North Canton, Ohio Your suggestions will most surely help many people who want to do “something” but aren’t sure what to bring. In our girlfriend circle, I’m the one who brings the paper products (including toilet paper!) and keeps the kitchen trash from overflowing. Others bring ice and soft drinks, and we each have a role we do checking the bathroom, picking up cups and plates, etc. You are absolutely right: These efforts probably are welcome a few months later, and maybe even more so. — Heloise
FAMILY CIRCUS
PEANUTS
GARFIELD
DAILY CRYPTOQUOTES — Here’s how to work it:
DILBERT
4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013