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CENSUS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Figures show new US
Stopping the funds
Hispanics hit 50 million milestone
No new agreement results in order to vacate offices By NICK GEORGIOU ZAPATA TIMES
A potential legal battle may be brewing after Zapata County commissioners voted Wednesday to stop funding the Economic Development Center and ordered the nonprofit to vacate county offices within 30 days. The vote came on the heels of
a proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the center and the county falling through. The document would have allowed the county to appoint a majority of the center’s board of directors and gain oversight of the organization. Commissioners said the MOU was justified because the county gives the center $80,000 a year
that’s doled out in quarterly payments. Peggy Umphres Moffett, president and executive director of the center, had said she supported the MOU, but that it threatened the organization’s status as a nonprofit. County Commissioner Eddie Martinez said that in his view, the center does not even exist anymore, as eight of its nine
board members had resigned early this month. But Umphres said that ever since the former members resigned, the center has largely reassembled its board of directors. New board members include Dr. Edmundo Garcia, Meg Guerra of Laredo’s LareDos publication,
See COUNTY PAGE 12A
By HOPE YEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Hispanics accounted for more than half of the U.S. population increase over the last decade, exceeding estimates in most states as they crossed a new census milestone: 50 million, or 1 in 6 Americans. Meanwhile, more than 9 million Americans checked two or more race categories on their 2010 census forms, up 32 percent from 2000, a sign of burgeoning multiracial growth in an increasingly minority nation. The Census Bureau on Thursday released its first set of national-level findings from the 2010 count on race and migration, detailing a decade in which rapid minority growth, aging whites and the housing boom and bust were the predominant story lines. Analysts said the results confirmed a demographic transformation under way that is upending traditional notions of racial minorities, political swing districts, even city and suburb. “These are big demographic changes,” said Mark Mather, an associate vice president at the nonprofit Population Reference Bureau. “There is going to be some culture shock, especially in communities that haven’t had high numbers of immigrants or minorities in the past.” “By 2050, we may have an entirely new system of defining ourselves,” he said. According to data released Thursday, Americans continued their decades-long migration to fast-growing parts of the Sun Belt. Their move to big states
See CENSUS PAGE 12A
GRATEFUL STUDENTS
Photo by Ulysses S. Romero | The Zapata Times
Monica Rodriguez, William Hammers and Lizette Cervantes sign a Thank You sign at TAMIU as a way to show gratitude to all the university donors.
COLLEGE LIFE
Transport program rolling up success stories By ERICA MATOS THE ZAPATA TIMES
Cries of dismay across Laredo campuses frequently revolve around escalating gas prices, limited parking and rush-hour traffic. But for some Zapata students, these aren’t merely idle complaints; they are factors that can make or break college careers. It is precisely for them that the Zapata County College Transportation Program exists.
The program has been in place since March 2010, and every semester, Laura Guerra, program director, enrolls an average of 28 students for transportation service on the two buses. She has 37 students enrolled and a waiting list of about 70-90 students. One of the many students grateful for these services, Julian Delgado, is a second-year criminal justice student at Laredo Community College. Attend-
ing school didn’t seem like a viable option to him for a while. Despite having a fascination for criminal justice since he was very young, Delgado encountered a number of obstacles during his first semester at LCC. The family of three — his mother, his younger brother of 13 and himself — share one car. “One (thing) is that right now, I haven’t been able to get my driver’s license. Second is the gas prices. We’re not really
of high income, and it’s only my mom,” Delgado said. “My two first semesters, it was hard because if I couldn’t find a ride to college, I couldn’t go.” Delgado is the first in his immediate family to go to college and was inspired by an uncle to study to become a U.S. customs agent. Thanks to the program, he can ride either the 6 a.m. or the 7 a.m. bus to LCC Fort McIntosh for only a dollar a day.
In fact, the buses travel to both LCC Fort McIntosh and South Campus, Texas A&M International University, Kaplan College and Laredo Beauty College. The brainchild of Commissioners Gabriel Villarreal (Precinct 2) and Jose Emilio Vela (Precinct 1) started small, but didn’t stay that way for long “We got started with only one student, Pablo Zapata, a year
See BUSES PAGE 12A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, MARCH 26 The South Texas Food Bank is having its first fishing tournament at Falcon Lake, the First International Bass Challenge, featuring a $2,000 prize for the heaviest stringer. Entry to the Bass Challenge is $150 per boat. Register at the Zapata Chamber of Commerce or by calling Pancho Farias at the South Texas Food Bank at (956) 568-3673. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) will be at the Laredo Country Club from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to get children 10 and under excited about the sport of tennis and encourage a healthy and active lifestyle on the court. For more information, contact Michael Welnetz at mike@laredocountryclub.net. TAMIU’s Leaders Organizing Volunteer Events (LOVE) committee is hosting “The Big Event” at Slaughter Park, 200 N. Stone St., from 8:302:30 p.m. “The Big Event” is a student volunteer day focused on making an impact through volunteerism in our community and to beautify Laredo. Participation in “The Big Event” is open to any TAMIU student, faculty, or staff member. For more information, please contact Jerry Alva at (956) 326-2280 or e-mail gerardo.alva@tamiu.edu. The Laredo Theatre Guild International (LTGI,) in cooperation with TAMIU presents Oscar Wilde’s timeless comedy “The Importance of Being Earnest” at TAMIU’s Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Theatre at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are available for advance purchase at Foster’s, 1202 Del Mar Boulevard, Suite 101; Blue Top, 101 Hillside Rd #11; at the TAMIU Bookstore and at the box office prior to each show. Tickets are $15 general admission and $10 for both students with valid ID and senior citizens. For more information, call (956) 319-8610 or visit laredotheaterguild.com. Spend the evening at the Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium and enjoy “One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure” at 5 p.m. and “IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System” at 6 p.m. From 7-9 p.m., TAMIU Planetarium presents Floyd After Dark with the screening of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” at 7 p.m. and “Wish You Were Here” at 8 p.m. At 9 p.m. there will be a musical performance by “Reborn.” General admission is $6 and $5 for children and TAMIU students, faculty, staff and alumni. Premium shows are $1 more. For additional show times, call (956) 326-DOME (3663) or click on tamiu.edu/planetarium. Laredo Community College’s Teatro Flamenco Company and VMT present Georges Bizet’s “Carmen,” one of the world’s most popular operas featuring gypsy dancers. The performance will take place in the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center Theater from 7 – 8:30 pm. Admission is $10 per person with proceeds benefiting student scholarships.
SUNDAY, MARCH 27 The Movimiento Easter Funfair and Car Show is from noon to 6 p.m. today at Romeo Flores Park, in Zapata. Admission is free for children 12 or younger and $5 for adults. The event will begin with an Easter egg hunt. To RSVP or for more information, call 210-429-2628. The United Methodist Men of the First United Methodist Church will host an all-you-can-eat spaghetti lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. today in the Fellowship Hall, 1220 McClelland Ave. There is no admission fee, but free-will donations are welcome. The Laredo Theatre Guild International (LTGI,) in cooperation with TAMIU presents Oscar Wilde’s timeless comedy “The Importance of Being Earnest” at TAMIU’s Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Theatre at 3 p.m. Tickets are available for advance purchase atFoster’s located at 1202 Del Mar Boulevard, Suite 101; Blue Top located at 101 Hillside Rd #11; at the TAMIU Bookstore and at the box office prior to each show. Tickets are $15 general admission and $10 for both students with valid ID and senior citizens. For more information, call (956) 319-8610 or visit laredotheaterguild.com. The Texas A&M International University 2010-2011 Organ Recital Series continues with organist Jungjin Kim from 4-6 p.m. in the Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the Department for the Fine and Performing Arts at (956) 326.2654. For a list of upcoming fine arts events, call (956) 326-ARTS or visit tamiu.edu/coas/fpa/coe.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Eric Gay | AP
In this 1987 file photo, rescue workers carry Jessica McClure to safety in Midland after she was trapped for 58 hours after she plunged 22 feet into a water well. Now married with two children, Jessica McClure Morales turns 25 today and gains access to a trust fund of up to $800,000, the result of donations from thousands of sympathetic strangers.
Baby Jessica turns 25 By BETSY BLANEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
MIDLAND — Baby Jessica is all grown up. She’s Momma Jessica now. The toddler who tumbled down an abandoned water well and got trapped more than two decades ago turns 25 on Saturday, a milestone that gives her access to a trust fund of up to $800,000 donated by thousands of sympathetic strangers. Jessica McClure Morales is now a stay-athome mother of two, and her youngest is 18 months old — the same age she was when her accident drew the eyes of the world to this oil-patch city. “That’s all Jessica has ever wanted was to be a mom and have a family,” said her father, Chip McClure. “She’s a good mom and keeps her eyes on her kids. She’s certainly a doting mother.”
McClure Morales has no memory of being wedged in the pipe or of the 15 operations that followed her ordeal, according to her father. A scar from her hairline to the bridge of her nose is still visible where her head rubbed against the wall of the well. She also lost a toe to gangrene because one leg was pinned above her head in the underground shaft. These days, she and her husband run a mobile car- and truck-washing business out of their home, according to a recent interview she gave to the Dallas Morning News. In October 1987, Chip and Cissy McClure were poor teenagers struggling to make ends meet during the depths of the oil bust. While visiting her sister, Jessica’s mother left her in the yard while she went to answer the phone. Moments later, Jessica came upon the 8-inch well opening and fell inside.
Ruling benefits child porn victims
Suspect shot by Dallas police at bail bonds site
Texas jobless rate 8.2 percent in February
HOUSTON — An appeals court ruling in a Texas case could make it easier for victims of child pornography around the country to get restitution from individuals convicted of these crimes, including those who didn’t create such images but viewed them. But with courts throughout the United States split on how to award such restitution, legal experts say the issue might ultimately have to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled that federal restitution law generally doesn’t require victims to detail how an individual defendant harmed them in order to get compensation, which is different from other rulings. In the Texas case, a woman is seeking compensation from an East Texas man who was convicted of possessing child pornography.
DALLAS — A wanted man accused of trying to open fire on Dallas police at a bail bonds company is in critical condition after being shot by officers. Police say 22-year-old Steven Matthew Sanchez was recovering Friday at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Sr. Cpl. Melinda Gutierrez told The Associated Press that Sanchez originally was sought on a family violence warrant. Officers on Thursday night responded to a call from a bail bonds company near the Lew Sterrett Justice Center about a wanted man being inside the business. Officers struggled with Sanchez while trying to arrest him. Investigators say Sanchez pulled a gun. Two officers shot Sanchez before he could open fire. Dallas police say that Sanchez will be charged with aggravated assault on a public servant.
AUSTIN — The Texas unemployment rate for February has slipped to 8.2 percent. The Texas Workforce Commission on Friday announced the seasonally adjusted figure compares to a statewide metro jobless rate of 8.3 percent in January. Nationally, unemployment stood at 8.9 percent last month. Commission Chairman Tom Pauken says hiring in the professional and business services industry rose in February, with companies adding about 14,500 jobs. Texas total nonfarm employment was up by 22,700 jobs last month, for a total gain of 254,200 jobs from a year ago. The Midland area had the state’s lowest unemployment rate, at 4.8 percent. The highest unemployment for Texas was in Edinburg-McAllen-Mission, at 12.2 percent. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Across country, GOP pushes photo ID RALEIGH, N.C. — Empowered by last year’s elections, Republican leaders in about half the states are pushing to require voters to show photo ID at the polls despite little evidence of fraud and already-substantial punishments for those who vote illegally. Democrats claim the moves will disenfranchise poor and minority voters — many of whom traditionally vote for their candidates. The measures will also increase spending and oversight in some states even as Republicans are focused on cutting budgets and decreasing regulations.
Jury selection resumes for doctor of Jackson LOS ANGELES — Scores of potential jurors have reported as the second day of jury selection begins in the trial of the doctor
Today is Saturday, March 26, the 85th day of 2011. There are 280 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On March 26, 1911, American playwright Tennessee Williams (“The Glass Menagerie,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ”) was born in Columbus, Miss. On this date: In 1804, the Louisiana Purchase was divided into the Territory of Orleans and the District of Louisiana. In 1827, composer Ludwig van Beethoven died in Vienna. In 1874, poet Robert Frost was born in San Francisco. In 1892, poet Walt Whitman died in Camden, N.J. In 1917, the Seattle Metropolitans became the first U.S. team to win the Stanley Cup as they defeated the Montreal Canadiens. In 1958, the U.S. Army launched America’s third successful satellite, Explorer 3. In 1971, East Pakistan proclaimed its independence, taking the name Bangladesh. In 1979, a peace treaty was signed by Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin (menAH’-kem BAY’-gihn) and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and witnessed by President Jimmy Carter at the White House. In 1982, groundbreaking ceremonies took place in Washington, D.C., for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In 1997, the bodies of 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate techno-religious cult who’d committed suicide were found inside a rented mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. Ten years ago: Comair pilots walked off the job, beginning a three-month strike after contract talks with the regional airline broke off. A fire in a Kenyan secondary school dormitory killed 67 students. Today’s Birthdays: Conductor-composer Pierre Boulez is 86. Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor is 81. Actor-director Leonard Nimoy is 80. Actor Alan Arkin is 77. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (puh-LOH’see) is 71. Actor James Caan is 71. Author Erica Jong is 69. Journalist Bob Woodward is 68. Singer Diana Ross is 67. Actor Johnny Crawford is 65. Rock singer Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) is 63. Singer and TV personality Vicki Lawrence is 62. Actor Ernest Thomas is 62. Comedian Martin Short is 61. Country singer Ronnie McDowell is 61. Movie composer Alan Silvestri is 61. Rock musician Monte Yoho is 59. Radio talk show host Curtis Sliwa is 57. Country singer Dean Dillon is 56. Country singer Charly McClain is 55. TV personality Leeza Gibbons is 54. Actress Ellia English is 52. Actress Jennifer Grey is 51. College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen is 51. Actor Eric Allan Kramer is 49. Basketball Hall of Famer John Stockton is 49. Actor Michael Imperioli is 45. Rock musician James Iha (EE’-hah) is 43. Country singer Kenny Chesney is 43. Actor T.R. Knight is 38. Rapper Juvenile is 36. Actress Amy Smart is 35. Actress Bianca Kajlich (KY’-lihk) is 34. Actress Keira Knightley is 26. Rapper J-Kwon is 25. Thought for Today: “Make voyages. Attempt them. There’s nothing else.” — Tennessee Williams, American playwright (1911-1983).
CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Business Manager, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 324-1226 Chief Accountant, Thelma Aguero .............. 728-2553 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Retail Adv. Manager, Raul Cruz................... 728-2511 Classified Manager, Jesse Vicharreli ........... 728-2525 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Editor, Diana Fuentes ................................728-2581 City Editor, Mary Nell Sanchez .................. 728-2543 Sports Editor, Dennis Silva II......................728-2579 Business Journal Editor, Sean Bowlin.......... 728-2529 Entertainment Editor, Emilio Rábago III ....... 728-2564 Online Editor, Julie Daffern ....................... 728-2565 Photo by John Hanna | AP
Kansas state Sens. David Haley, left; Kelly Kultala, center and Oletha FaustGoudeau, right confer during a debate on an election fraud bill on Tuesday at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan., sought by Secretary of State Kris Kobach. charged in Michael Jackson’s death. The 160 candidates were greeted Friday by the judge and attorneys in the case. Only one woman raised her hand when Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor
asked if anyone had not heard of the case against Dr. Conrad Murray. Potential jurors are answering questions about their availability for the trial, which could take up to two months. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011
Zlocal
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THE BLOTTER
Easter Bash Fun Fest set for Sunday
ASSAULT Daniel Arturo Lozano was arrested and charged with assault causing family violence at approximately 6:45 p.m. March 18 in the 400 block of Laredo Street. The man was taken to the Zapata Regional Jail. An aggravated sexual assault was reported at 8:20 a.m. March 22 in the vicinity of Carla Street and 26th Avenue. Deputies responded to an “aggressive female” call at 8:07 p.m. March 22 in the 1100 block of Mier Avenue. Bernice Yazmin Martinez was arrested and charged with assault causing family violence and taken to the Zapata County Jail.
By ERICA MATOS THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Easter Bash Fun Fest is around the corner, bringing lighthearted Easter spirit to Romeo Flores Park on Sunday. The event will host several car clubs in addition to fun and games for local children. The day will kick off at noon with a large-scale Easter egg hunt and continue until 6 p.m. with the raffling of Easter baskets donated by participating car clubs, a number of moonbounces, and pictures with the Easter bunny. “What I’m asking the car clubs to bring is one Easter basket per vehicle, and those will be given out to the kids,” said event coordinator Daniel “Loke G” Olavarrieta. One of the main attractions for parents bringing kids to the festivities is the car club exhibitions. Participating clubs will be contending for the title of best
The day will kick off at noon with a large-scale Easter egg hunt and continue until 6 p.m. with the raffling of Easter baskets donated by participating car clubs, a number of moonbounces, and pictures with the Easter bunny. lowrider, best paint job, best sound system, best big rims and best overall car. Judging for the competition will begin at 5:45 p.m., and the grand prize for best overall car is a lowrider motorcycle. The Fun Fest will also feature an extensive set list of musical artists — 17, to be precise, including Olavarrieta’s Knights of the Round Table. This event serves as an excellent opportunity for ambitious local talent to find its way into the entertainment busi-
ness. The deadline for artists to register has passed, but car clubs can still register through today. The Knights of the Round Table frequently host benefits such as this. “In Zapata, this is the fourth charity event we’ve done,” Olavarrieta said. Car club members must arrive at the park by 10 a.m. to help set up the event. Concessions will be available, but those who wish to have their own booths must contact Olavarrieta at (210) 429-2628.
Fish tourney drops hook today By ERICA MATOS THE ZAPATA TIMES
Fishing enthusiasts full of goodwill are reminded to register for the first Bass International Challenge at Falcon Lake today. The event is sponsored by the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce and Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar. “Our mission is to fight hunger, and I hope the fishermen are going to join us in this event,” said Pancho
Farias, South Texas Food Bank representative. All the proceeds go to the food bank, which services seven other counties in addition to Zapata County. However, some lucky entrants won’t leave empty-handed; all those competing are eligible for $2,000 in cash prizes.” In addition, the tournament is an opportunity to support and promote tourism at Falcon Lake, especially during spring, which is an ideal time to visit.
One goal is to put Zapata at the forefront of communities vying for the title of Ultimate Fishing Town USA, recently announced by the World Fishing Network. “So far, it’s looking pretty good. We’re shooting for 100 people,” said Pete Arredondo, assistant chief at the Webb County Sheriff ’s Office. For more information on rules and regulations or on the event, contact Farias at 645-0840 or Arredondo at 489-2421.
Courtesy photo
Zapata County deputies confiscated more than 140 pounds of marijuana March 3 in the northeastern part of Zapata County.
Chase reveals 140 pounds of marijuana By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A high-speed chase yielded more than 140 pounds of marijuana the morning of March 3 in the northeastern part of Zapata County. The driver of the vehicle escaped into the brush. At approximately 11:45 a.m., sheriff ’s deputies attempted to stop a 2000 Ford truck heading east on Texas 16. According to Sgt. Mario Elizondo, the truck accelerated and led deputies in a chasse that
eventually ended at a ranch in the vicinity of Bustamante, about 12 miles northeast of Zapata. Elizondo said the driver escaped into the brush and could not be located. However, deputies found 27 bundles of marijuana in the back of the truck. The approximate weight was 146 pounds. Sheriff ’s office investigators are looking into the case. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 7282568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
BURGLARY Deputies responded to a burglary of a habitation call at 12:45 p.m. March 20 in the 300 block of Paradise Point. The complainant stated that someone stole two dressers, two end tables and a coffee table.
CRIMINAL MISCHIEF Deputies responded to a criminal mischief call at 5:49 p.m. March 20 in the 1800 block of Kennedy Street, where a man told officials that someone poured sugar in his vehicle’s gas tank.
DISORDERLY CONDUCT Deputies responded to a fight in progress at 4:57 p.m. March 22 in the 600 block of Miraflores Avenue. Lizzet Gonzalez was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and taken to Zapata County Jail.
THEFT Deputies responded to a theft call at 7:49 a.m. March 19 in the 1400 block of Ramireño Avenue. The complainant told deputies someone stole $100 from the residence.
Zopinion
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SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011
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EDITORIAL
OTHER VIEWS
Do not cut food stamps NEW YORK TIMES
F
ood stamps are part of the social safety net, but they work more as the ultimate ground-level crutch for Americans staggering against poverty. During the recession, food stamps were an important factor in helping an estimated 4.5 million Americans stave off the official poverty (no more than $21,756 annually for a family of four) that engulfed nearly 16 percent of the nation. The stamps are win-win: $9 in fast economic stimulus for every $5 spent on food for a hungry family. Sad wonder, then, that cuts in food stamps are the latest proposal heading for the House Republicans’ budgetary chopping block. An attempt to set them back at the levels of 2007 — and cost a family of four $59 out of their $294 monthly allotment — is part of welfare “reform” legislation being proposed by leaders of the powerful
Republican Study Committee. This group, embraced by two-thirds of the House majority, is the conservative engine driving much of the deficit-slashing crowd to extremes. Even last year, when the Democrats controlled the House, the political vulnerability of food stamps was clear as sleazy budget deals were attempted to tap the program to protect farm subsidies and other power blocks. Now the threat is worse as Republicans wildly estimate they could save $1.4 trillion across a decade in cutting the full array of welfare programs — yet still help down-and-out families. Politics is already in the mix, including a surly provision to deny food stamps to any family that includes a worker on strike. Surely hard times should find public servants protecting the neediest first, not targeting them for crumbs from a program more vital to society than another tired round of anti-welfare politicking.
COLUMN
World sees naïve Obama By JONATHAN GURWITZ SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
“T
he president does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.” — Barack Obama, 2007 In what was one of the most devastating political commercials of the 2008 primary election, Hillary Clinton underscored how unprepared the Democratic frontrunner — a constitutional law professor — was for the challenges of presidential leadership. “There’s a phone in the White House and it’s ringing. It’s 3 a.m. Something’s happening in the world,” a voice ominously warns. “Who do you want answering the phone?” If a sequel to that commercial were to be made today, it would begin with the phone ringing in the Oval Office … and ringing and ringing for a month. Then French President Nicolas Sarkozy would answer the call. “So sorry,” he would declare. “President Obama has, how do you say, vacated to Latin America.” Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi has presided over a nasty, brutish regime for 42 years. He has tortured and killed his opponents, churned bloody conflicts across the African continent and sponsored global terrorism that has claimed American lives. Yet for two weeks after the rebellion started in Libya, the president said nothing — longer than his silence about the protests to topple Hosni Mubarak, a putative ally whose military didn’t turn its guns on the people of Egypt. Does that make any sense? Then Obama said Gadhafi must “step down from power and leave.” But he offered no plan, no strategy for how that might be accomplished, as though his mere utterance of the words might make it so. Instead, he outsourced the planning to the French
and the British, who would presumably give a military intervention in Libya an international patina. But there could be no doubt that most of the bombs and missiles to fall on Libya would be made in the USA. Then the president of the United States received the blessing of the Arab League and the U.N. Security Council to take military action in Libya. But the constitutional law professor was too clever for his own good. He failed to get approval from the U.S. Congress, as he had once said a president must. Maybe if you win a Nobel Peace Prize on hope alone, it grants you a form of critical immunity. Like a Get Out Of Jail Free card in Monopoly, it entitles you to launch one “kinetic military action” of choice against a Muslim nation that poses no threat whatsoever to the United States. Say what you will of President George W. Bush’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. At least he took the case for those wars, beforehand, directly to the American people. And unlike his scholarly successor, he had the good sense to obtain the authorization of the peoples’ representatives. And say what you will about Gadhafi, who, to borrow a phrase from the anti-Bush past, has effectively been kept in a box by the international community since 2003. Whatever his predations on Libya and its neighbors, they pale in comparison to Saddam’s actual invasions and missile attacks against his neighbors and slaughter of Shiites. A slaughter in Libya has barely been averted. If Obama is slowly coming to the recognition that there are bad people in the world who sometimes can only be stopped with guns and Predator drones, who can only be detained in places like Gitmo or only be tried by military commissions, then so much the better. But while he’s learning on the job, the phone is ringing at the White House. It’s 3 a.m., and nobody’s home.
COLUMN
President stuck in the middle W
ith Republican Newt Gingrich and Democrat Dennis Kucinich both talking impeachment, President Obama is in a special place. Call it caught between two extremes. While not exactly comfortable, the middle ground is where he needs to be to win reelection. That’s the Obama team’s hope and they have reason to believe in it.
Ahead now A new Pew Research Center poll shows Obama beating a generic Republican, 47 to 37 percent. Of course, Obama will be running against an actual Republican, in an election that is more than 18 months away. A lot can and will happen between now and then. If what happens in Libya is perceived as bad, that won’t be good for Obama. But given the ideological beating Obama is taking now, from Donald Trump to Hugo Chavez, he has every right to sell himself as a champion of the political center. That’s important, because independent voters elected him in 2008 and he will need them again.
Voter appeal Critics at both ends of the political spectrum are helping him make the case for 2012 to that same constituency. In many ways, this is presidential political histo-
“
JOAN VENNOCHI
ry repeating itself. Once in office, you can never be pure enough to satisfy the purists, because that makes you unelectable. Meanwhile, the opposition will always attack, because that’s what opponents do.
From both sides When Republican George W. Bush was president, liberals demonized everything he did, and mocked the notion of “compassionate conservatism.” But conservatives were also disappointed in certain Bush stands — immigration reform, for example. Before Bush, Democrat Bill Clinton was demonized by the political right. Liberals were also disappointed in certain stands he took — welfare reform, for example — and were not happy to have him declare an end to the era of big government.
Another round Both presidents won second terms. They were reelected partly because of whom they were running against and partly because the sensible middle did not buy the extreme portraits painted by their most ferocious foes. Clinton remained popular, despite the Monica Lewinsky scandal. By the time Bush left office, he
was very unpopular. But when he was running against Democrat John Kerry, voters had not yet translated Bush’s moral certitude as stubborn recklessness.
One-sided Up until Obama’s decision to participate in an international effort to help rebels by bombing Libya, the president’s harshest critics came from the right. If Obama’s for it, they’re against it, whether it’s health care reform or high-speed rail. Some policy issues raised by the GOP are resonating with the public. Republican victories during last November’s midterm election cycle prove that. But the petty, unrelenting chorus raising insidious questions about his citizenship, carping about every presidential trip, and whining about his low-key approach to crisis sounds slightly unhinged after a while.
Missing a chance Then came Libya. Obama missed a big opportunity to speak with one voice on a no-fly zone. Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona expressed early support for that option. Announcing it in the Rose Garden with McCain at his side would have sent a powerful bipartisan message. Instead, Obama waited while two sides inside his administration fought it out. Still, this is a president who took his time to as-
semble international support and consider the nuances before acting. When the bombing finally kicked off, McCain said, “He waited too long, there is no doubt in my mind. But now, it is what it is. And we need, now, to support him and the efforts that our military are going to make.”
No help Support is not what Obama is getting from either extreme. Republicans who complained that he was “dithering” over Libya are now saying he acted precipitously. Hardcore liberals also question whether the U.S. missile strikes are constitutional. U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio — who also sought to bring impeachment articles against Bush — specifically asked why the Libyan missile strikes aren’t impeachable offenses. Gingrich’s allusions to impeachment did not relate to Libya, but to Obama’s failure to defend the Defense of Marriage Act.
One more time Critics from the right and left are casting a shadow on yet another president. Obama can only hope he gets past the shadows, to the sunny middle, where reasonable people understand he is doing his best under tough circumstances. (Joan Vennochi can be reached at vennochi@globe.com.)
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DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
ing or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
State
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011
More workers on the job Feb. sees fifth month of gains ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Darren Abate/VisitSanAntonio.com | AP
In this handout photograph, historical re-enactors, dressed as Mexican soldiers, observe the 175th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo by marching past the Alamo Cenotaph monument Saturday, March 5, at Alamo Plaza in San Antonio. Sunday marks a commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the execution of 342 men in Goliad.
Massacre marks 175th By SCOTT HUDDLESTON SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
GOLIAD — John Willingham long has been fascinated with the horrific “Goliad Massacre,” which came three weeks after the 1836 Battle of the Alamo and further riled the Texans in their war for independence. When the Waco-born author speaks Saturday at this weekend’s commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the execution of 342 men, he’ll likely contrast the Alamo with Goliad. “When you ask people what they think about the Alamo, they tell you immediately what comes to mind: never give up; fight to the death; an absolute right and wrong,” he said. “Goliad is more complex.” Lovers of history can explore the mysteries and relive the intense emotions through re-enactments, lectures and ceremonies in memory of the March 27, 1836, executions at Presidio La Bahía, near Goliad. One highlight of a candlelight tour late Saturday is a re-enactment of Col. Jose
Nicolas de la Portilla getting orders sent by Santa Anna to execute Col. James Fannin and his men, who had surrendered at the Battle of Coleto. “Even if you don’t know Spanish, the tension is so high the hair stands up on the back of your neck,” said Newton Warzecha, director of the 1749 presidio. On the anniversary of the Palm Sunday massacre, readings of the story of Goliad survivor Isaac Hamilton and a “death march” from La Bahía to the execution site will be followed by a memorial service Sunday. Visitors will walk in procession to the Fannin Memorial Monument, where the dead are buried, for a reading of the eulogy Texas Gen. Thomas Jefferson Rusk delivered June 3, 1836, several weeks after Texans won independence at San Jacinto. Willingham, whose book “The Edge of Freedom” focuses on Goliad, said the Alamo represents a romantic tale, while Goliad captures a pragmatic approach in the form of a surrender, a
gambit to achieve peace. The executions outraged Americans and helped set the stage for a Texan victory at San Jacinto. But Santa Anna’s order also fanned racial tensions, Willingham said. The Goliad tale includes elements of heroism through Francita Alavez, the celebrated “Angel of Goliad,” and Father Thomas Malloy. Together, they saved dozens of prisoners from execution. “I see them as brave, persistent activists, driven by their religious faith,” Willingham said. Historians have said Fannin made some bad decisions but stayed true to what he felt was in the best interests of his troops. “It’s a fascinating moralethical conflict between a romantic age and a pragmatic age that requires compromise,” Willingham said. “When I enter the Alamo, I immediately feel a sense of reverence. At Goliad, there’s mystery, puzzlement and an intriguing challenge to try to understand it.”
Ruling benefits child porn victims By JUAN A. LOZANO ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — Victims of child pornography around the country could have an easier time getting restitution from those convicted of possessing such images, according to a federal appeals court ruling this week in a Texas case. But experts say the issue
now may have to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court because courts throughout the United States are split on how to award such compensation. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled that federal restitution law doesn’t generally require victims to specifically detail how an individual defendant has
harmed them in order to receive restitution. Other appeals court rulings have upheld restitution awards against individuals convicted of possessing child pornography. But those courts interpreted federal law to require that victims show a more direct connection between what a defendant did and the harm victims suffered.
AUSTIN — The unemployment rate in Texas dropped slightly to 8.2 percent in February, powered by a fifth consecutive month of job gains, the state’s employment agency said Friday. The jobless rate was down from 8.3 percent in January after total nonfarm employment increased by 22,700 jobs, according to figures from the Texas Workforce Commission. The state has gained 254,200 jobs compared to a year ago, the agency said. Nationally, unemployment stood at 8.9 percent last month. Friday’s report comes a day after the nonpartisan Legislative Budget Board projected that cuts in the Texas House version of the upcoming budget could end up costing the state 335,000 jobs over the plan’s two-year cycle. The state’s budget shortfall could be as high as $27 billion. Professional and business services had the largest increase of any sector last month with 14,500
more jobs. Trade, transportation and utilities had an increase of 7,500 jobs. “Texas has demonstrated positive monthly growth in 12 out of the last 14 months over a broad range of industries,” said Andres Alcantar, the agency’s commissioner representing the public. “That’s encouraging for our state’s growing and diverse labor force, which reached more than 12.2 million workers in February.” Five of the 11 job categories lost jobs last month, led by construction with 4,500 fewer jobs. Unemployment rates are adjusted for seasonal trends in hiring and firing, which most economists believe give a more accurate picture of the job market. Without the seasonal adjustment, the jobless rate in Texas dropped to 8.4 percent in February from 8.5 percent in January. Midland maintained the state’s lowest metro unemployment rate at 4.8 percent for February. The highest rate was still in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission region, at 12.2 percent. The local rates are not seasonally adjusted. The preliminary local jobless rates for February,
with revised January numbers in parentheses. South Texas Brownsville-Harlingen 12.1 (12.5) Corpus Christi 8.2 (8.7) Laredo 8.4 (8.7) McAllen-EdinburgMission 12.2 (12.8) Victoria 7.4 (7.6) Statewide Abilene 6.5 (6.7) Amarillo 5.5 (5.8) Austin-Round RockSan Marcos 6.9 (7.3) Beaumont-Port Arthur 11.0 (11.6) College Station-Bryan 6.2 (6.6) Dallas-Plano-Irving 8.2 (8.5) El Paso 10.1 (10.4) Fort Worth-Arlington 8.1 (8.4) Houston-Sugar LandBaytown 8.4 (8.8) Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood 8.0 (8.1) Longview 7.0 (7.3) Lubbock 6.1 (6.4) Midland 4.8 (5.0) Odessa 6.6 (7.0) San Angelo 6.4 (6.7) San Antonio-New Braunfels 7.5 (7.8) Sherman-Denison 8.5 (8.8) Texarkana 7.5 (7.8) Tyler 7.8 (8.2) Waco 7.5 (7.7) Wichita Falls 7.3 (7.7)
SÁBADO 26 DE MARZO DE 2011
Agenda en Breve SÁBADO 26 DE MARZO AVISO: LAREDO — Se invita a miembros y ex miembros de la 850th C & C Co. de Laredo a anotarse para la toma de una foto para conmemorar el servicio a la nación, en el Edificio P-50 del Fort McIntosh del Laredo Community College el sábado 2 de abril. Llame al (956) 722-3434, 763-6353 ó 3344185 para más información. No se requiere llevar el uniforme. LAREDO — La Compañía de Teatro Flamenco de LCC invita a disfrutar “Carmen” de Georges Bizet a las 7 p.m. en el teatro del Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center del campus Fort McIntosh. Costo: 10 dólares. Los fondos se destinarán a becas escolares. LAREDO — Juego de Hockey, los Laredo Bucks reciben a Missouri Mavericks a las 7:30 p.m. en Laredo Energy Arena. El domingo 27 de marzo reciben a Texas Brahmas a las 4 p.m. LAREDO — Laredo Theatre Guild International y TAMIU invitan a presenciar la obra “The Importance of Beign Earnest” en el Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Theatre a las 3 p.m. y 8 p.m. Otras funciones el domingo 27 a las 3 p.m. NUEVO LAREDO — Irma Lozano participa hoy en “Leo luego existo” con lecturas de Oscar Wilde a las 8 p.m. en Auditorio de Estación Palabra. Entrada libre. ZAPATA — El primer Torneo Internacional de Róbalo en el Lago Falcón será desde el amanecer y hasta las 3 p.m. en la rampa de botes del condado. Las ganancias se destinarán al Banco de Alimentos del Sur de Texas. Cuota de entrada es de 150 dólares por bote. Copatrocinan el Alguacil Martin Cuellar del Condado de Webb y la Cámara de Comercio de Zapata.
DOMINGO 27 DE MARZO LAREDO — Organ Recital Series de TAMIU presenta a Jungjin Kim a las 4 p.m. en el Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall. El evento es gratuito y abierto al público en general. LAREDO — La Compañía de Teatro Flamenco de LCC invita a disfrutar “Carmen” de Georges Bizet a las 7 p.m. en el teatro del Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center del campus Fort McIntosh. Costo: 10 dólares. Los fondos se destinarán a becas escolares. ZAPATA — Desde las 12 p.m. y hasta las 6 p.m. de hoy será el Movimiento Easter Funfair and Carshow en el Parque Romeo Flores. Entrada gratuita para niños de 12 años y menores. Adultos pagan 5 dólares. El evento iniciará con la búsqueda de cascarones de Pascua. Reserve llamando al (210) 4292628.
LUNES 28 DE MARZO LAREDO — Greenpeace invita a participar en la Vigilia por Japón de 6:30 p.m. a 7:30 p.m. en el lago cerca del crucero de Jacaman Road y Sinatra Parkway. El objetivo es dar apoyo moral a las víctimas del terremoto y tsunami que azotó a Japón.
VIERNES 1 DE ABRIL LAREDO — Laredo Little Theatre presenta “Real Women Have Curves” de Josefina Lopez, a las 8 p.m. de hoy, en el 4802 Thomas Ave. Otra función el 2 de abril a las 3 p.m. y 8 p.m.
SÁBADO 2 DE ABRIL EL CENIZO — El Segundo Baile Anual del Pollo y la Cerveza es hoy a partir de las 7:30 p.m. en la calle Cecilia Lane. Boletos a la venta por 10 dólares.
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 7A
CENSO: CASI 50 MILLONES DE HISPANOS EN EU
Cada vez son más POR HOPE YEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Los hispanos representaron más de la mitad del aumento poblacional en Estados Unidos durante la última década, superando los cálculos en la mayoría de los estados y alcanzando un nuevo hito en el censo: suman 50 millones o uno de cada seis estadounidenses. En tanto, más de 9 millones de estadounidenses se identificaron con dos o más categorías raciales en sus formularios del censo del 2010, una señal de la creciente diversidad étnica en una nación donde las minorías aumentan. La Oficina del Censo reveló su primera serie de hallazgos a nivel nacional en materia de raza y migración, a raíz del conteo aplicado en el 2010, dando detalles sobre una década en la que el crecimiento acelerado de las minorías, el envejecimiento de los blancos, así como el auge y crisis de
FRONTERA
Eligen oficial de salud
“
Para el 2050, podríamos tener un sistema totalmente nuevo para definirnos”. MARK MATHER, VICEPRESIDENTE ASOCIADO DE LA OFICINA DE REFERENCIA POBLACIONAL
la vivienda fueron las noticias principales. Los analistas dijeron que los resultados confirmaron una transformación demográfica en proceso, la cual está modificando las nociones tradicionales sobre minorías raciales, distritos neutrales en lo político e incluso podría cambiar el concepto de ciudad y suburbio. “Son grandes cambios demográficos”, dijo Mark Mather, vicepresidente asociado de la Oficina de Referencia Poblacional, una organización sin fines de lucro. “Para el 2050, podríamos tener un sistema totalmente nuevo para definirnos”, avizoró. Las minorías raciales y étnicas representaron una
cifra sin precedente del 90% del crecimiento total de población en Estados Unidos desde el 2000, debido a la inmigración y a las mayores tasas de nacimientos de los hispanos. Además de representar la sexta parte entre el total de población, entre los niños los hispanos representan una cuarta parte. “Esta es realmente una década de transformación para la nación”, afirmó William Frey, demógrafo en Brookings Institution que analizó los datos del censo. “El censo de 2010 demuestra vívidamente cómo estas nuevas minorías representarán el grueso del crecimiento de nuestra fuerza laboral en la próxima déca-
da a medida que sigan dispersándose a más partes del país”. Por primera vez, el crecimiento de la población hispana superó la de negros y blancos en la región, modificando la tradicional imagen del sur de “blancos-negros”. En los próximos meses los estados empezarán a retrazar los distritos políticos con base en población y composición racial, con cambios que los analistas creen que producirán más distritos con mayoría hispana. Los cambios de población resultarán en un cambio de 12 bancas en la Cámara de Representantes, donde la representación de cada esta-
DIVERSIÓN POR ANIVERSARIO
CD. VICTORIA, México — Fue designado el representante oficial de Tamaulipas ante la Comisión de Salud Fronteriza México-Estados Unidos. Jorge Sebastián Hernández Rodríguez, en su nueva responsabilidad, tendrá como objetivo fortalecer las acciones binacionales coordinadas que mejoren la salud y la calidad de vida de la población de los Estados fronterizos.
De acuerdo al plan de trabajo 2011 de la Comisión, destacan los retos y desafíos para el cumplimiento de los indicadores relacionados con cáncer cérvico uterino, cobertura de vacunación, el acceso a los servicios de salud, la salud ambiental, mortalidad infantil y el incremento de consultas perinatales. Hernández es el fundador de la Maestría en el Programa de Salud Pública de la Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas y es el Presidente de la Asociación de Salud Pública de Tamaulipas, A.C.
Acercan plan de empleo temporal TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
CD. VICTORIA, México — Fueron realizadas las encuestas y revisión de expedientes en la Frontera Chica para en breve iniciar las acciones emergentes para la reactivación económica del área.
EGIDIO TORRE CANTÚ: Dijo que habrá opciones durante PET.
Atención
Enfermedades
ECONOMÍA
Ya realizaron encuestas y expedientes
TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
“El gobierno promueve un Tamaulipas humano, una sociedad solidaria y generadora de oportunidades que atienda las necesidades más apremiantes de la población en materia de salud”, dijo el Secretario de Salud en Tamaulipas, Norberto Treviño García Manzo. La Comisión de Salud Fronteriza México-Estados Unidos tiene entre sus principales objetivos institucionalizar un enfoque doméstico en salud fronteriza que pueda trascender cambios políticos, así como la creación de un foro efectivo de discusión binacional para atender los asuntos y problemas de salud pública, según comunicado de prensa del Gobierno de Tamaulipas.
do depende de su población. Los cambios también alterarán el número de votos electorales presidenciales en 18 estados. Estos son emitidos por los delegados estatales con base en la representación del estado en la cámara baja además de sus dos senadores nacionales. La mayoría de los estados que ganan bancas electorales, que incluyen Texas y Florida, tienen orientación republicana, aunque la mayoría de su crecimiento demográfico es impulsado mayormente por hispanos de orientación demócrata. Después de los temores iniciales de baja participación, el conteo de la población hispana en el 2010 superó por 900.000 las expectativas, igualando o rebasando los estimados en 37 estados, según el Pew Hispanic Center, un centro investigador sin filiaciones partidistas. “Los hispanos aportan un rejuvenecimiento necesario para una población blanca que va llegando a la edad de la jubilación”, añadió Frey.
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Ciudad Mier
Los integrantes de Circus Vid, grupo de payasos, se presentaron en la Escuela Club de Leones No. 1 de Ciudad Mier el 11 de marzo en el marco de los Festejos del 258 Aniversario de la ciudad.
CIUDAD MIER
Empiezan a llegar beneficios Entregarán fondos de Oportunidades
Se trata del Programa de Empleo Temporal (PET) que el Gobierno de Tamaulipas coordina a través de la Secretaría de Desarrollo Social (SEDESOL) en Ciudad Mier, Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, Miguel Alemán, Díaz Ordaz y Camargo. Las encuestas y expedientes a la vez fueron enviados a la Secretaría del Trabajo Estatal para su consideración, indica un comunicado del Gobierno del Estado. El Gobernador Egidio Torre Cantú aclaró que la “focalización de los recursos estará a cargo de los Ayuntamientos”.
Horas
POR ALBERTO GONZÁLEZ TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
CIUDAD MIER — El Gobierno Municipal y el del Estado celebraron reunión para revisar los compromisos adquiridos en semanas pasadas. El representante personal del Gobernador de Tamaulipas, Egidio Torre Cantú, Mario Leal Rodríguez se reunió con el Presidente Municipal Alberto González Peña analizaron el avance del programa emergente de empleo, de las labores de urbanización, rehabilitación, equipamiento y limpieza en edificios comerciales, públicos e históricos, además de parques y calles. “Para el Gobernador la estabilidad y progreso de Ciudad Mier es una prioridad”, expresó Leal Ro-
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Ciudad Mier
El Presidente Municipal de Ciudad Mier Alberto González reitera a las familias afiliadas al programa federal Oportunidades que los primeros beneficios bimestrales serán entregados el lunes 28 de marzo. dríguez.
Apoyos La encargada de Enlace Municipal con el Gobierno Federal, Rosalinda Aguilar, dio a conocer que será el lunes 28 de marzo cuando las familias reciban su primer apoyo bim-
estral del programa federal Oportunidades. El pasado 11 de marzo más de 187 personas conocieron los detalles y se afiliaron, en evento llevado a cabo en el Casino Argüelles. “Será una interesante derrama económica para el municipio”, dijo González.
El comunicado explica que el programa PET considera que a los beneficiarios se les pagarán dos jornadas diarias por seis días a lo largo de tres meses. “Ellos deberán desempeñar actividades familiares o comunales”, dijo Torre. Entre tales actividades la SEDESOL citó el pintado de cordones y viviendas, barrido de calles, desazolve de canales de riego en algunos casos y construcción de guarniciones y banquetas, entre otras. En la primera fase del Programa de Empleo Temporal, se incluyó a los Mier, Abasolo y Jiménez. Después de su aplicación emergente en la Ribereña, se contempla una segunda etapa en municipios como Tula, Jaumave, Soto La Marina y Valle Hermoso.
ZEntertainment
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011
COMING UP Bass Challenge at Falcon Lake The First International Bass Challenge at Falcon Lake is set for 3 p.m. today in Zapata. The event begins at the Zapata County boat ramp. Proceeds will benefit the South Texas Food Bank. Entry fee is $150 per boat; the event is sponsored by Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar and the Zapata Chamber of Commerce. The top prize is $2,000. A fish fry for event contestants and the public is from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Zapata County Community Center, 607 N. U.S. 83. Fish plates are $10. For more information, call Pancho Farias, at 645-0840.
paring for one of its biggest community fundraisers. The second annual Chicken and Beer Dance will take place Saturday, April 2, on Cecilia Lane. This year’s event will feature live music by Fito Olivares y La Pura Sabrosura and Sonora Sol. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m., and the event will end at midnight. Admission is $10 and includes a free chicken plate between 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. and a free beer for those 21 years of age or older. “It’s a unique concept from up north that our community embraced last year, and with La Sabrosura de Fito Olivares, we can only expect a record crowd,” said Raul L. Reyes, El Cenizo’s mayor. For more information, visit cityofelcenizo.com.
Chicken and Beer LLT postpones Dance in El ‘Real Women Have Cenizo Curves’ Courtesy photo | Laredo Community College
Laredo Community College and Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications and Fine Arts students will perform highlights from Georges Bizet’s “Carmen,” one of the world’s most popular operas, featuring gypsy dancers at 7 p.m. today and Sunday. Pictured, from left to right, are Luis Torres as Escamillo (toreador), Aime Jimenez as Carmen (gypsy girl), and Mario Flores as Don Jose (corporal).
LCC and VMT flamenco artists to hit the stage Highlights from Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ will be featured tonight and Sunday SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
The Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center stage at Laredo Community College will be full of thundering steps and a live orchestra as the college’s Teatro Flamenco Company presents Georges Bizet’s “Carmen” starting tonight. LCC’s Teatro Flamenco Company will join forces with students from the Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications and Fine Arts Flamenco and Philharmonic Orchestra teams
as Bizet’s highlights of “Carmen” are performed. One of the world’s most popular operas, “Carmen” features gypsy dancers and is set for two shows at 7 p.m. today and Sunday. The performances will take place at LCC’s theatre stage on the Fort McIntosh Campus. Admission is $10 per person with proceeds benefiting student scholarships. “Carmen” is about an attractive woman who has a feisty temperament and is tormented by sexual pas-
sion and jealousy. The flamenco dancers will perform “El Toreador” with a live orchestra and a vocal soloist. This is the fourth consecutive year the music and dance concert will feature a full orchestra with live music from the VMT Philarharmonic Orchestra. Live music accompaniment also will be provided by the Flamenco Gypsy Passion Band and the Matador Brass Band and by vocal soloist Joseph Crabtree. For more information on the two-day, music-anddance concert, call the LCC Performing Arts Department at 721-5330.
The City of El Cenizo is pre-
“Real Women Have Curves,” set to be performed this weekend at the Laredo Little Theatre, has been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. According to Maria Eugenia Lopez, the play’s assistant director, the play has been postponed due to a death in an actresses immediate family. The play is now set for next weekend, beginning on Friday, at the Laredo Little Theatre. Showtimes are set for 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with a matinee performance scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday Produced by Josefina Lopez, the most produced Latina playwright in the country, “Real Women Have Curves” will be produced by special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Ill. The play will be directed by Joe Cano, and will feature an all-female cast. For more information, call LLT at 723-1342. — The Zapata Times
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
GM to restart shut truck plant By ALAN SAYRE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Jerome Delay | AP
Smoke rises from a Libyan military base near Tajura, 20 miles east of Tripoli, Libya, on Friday. NATO agreed to take over command of the no-fly zone over Libya, but the alliance’s new role doesn’t allow the U.S. to make a quick exit from the costly military operation.
US eyes air power in Libya
NEW ORLEANS — General Motors will resume regular production at its pickup plant in Shreveport, La., on Monday, a week after the company shut it down and blamed a shortage of parts from Japan. Falling supplies of auto parts have disrupted car factories around the world ever since a massive earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11. That nation is a top producer of autos, but also parts, which aren’t reaching car factories because of earthquake damage, power outages and transportation problems. Doug Ebey, head of the United Auto Workers local, said Friday that the 800 employees at the Louisiana plant will resume their normal four-day work week on March 28. GM also confirmed the plant was reopening. "We made the decision to restart Shreveport be-
cause we need to build trucks for our customers," said GM spokesman Kim Carpenter. The company makes the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado small pickups at the plant. GM cited a lack of parts when it shut the plant this week. Hitachi, a Japanese company that makes electronic air sensors, reported that it ran out of some parts. GM uses air sensors on its pickup trucks, and Hitachi supplies several GM models. Carpenter declined to say which parts caused the shutdown. GM’s Shreveport plant was the first U.S. auto factory to shut production completely following the Japan disaster. Other car companies have trimmed production by running part-time schedules or eliminating overtime to conserve parts at North American sites. Carpenter would not speculate on whether other shutdowns could happen in the future because of the earthquake.
By ROBERT BURNS ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Even as other nations begin taking a larger role in the international air assault mission in Libya, the Pentagon is considering adding Air Force gunships and other attack aircraft that are better suited for tangling with Libyan ground forces in contested urban areas like Misrata, a senior Pentagon official said Friday. Navy Vice Adm. William Gortney told a Pentagon news conference that for the second consecutive day, all air missions to enforce a nofly zone over Libya were flown by non-U.S. aircraft, and U.S. planes conducted about half the missions attacking Libyan air defenses, missile sites and ground forces. Qatar became the first Arab nation to join the effort, flying F-16s in support of the no-fly zone. “The division of labor between the U.S. and our partners has largely evened out,” Gortney said. With the Obama administration eager to take a back seat, it remained unclear when NATO would assume command of the no-fly patrols. Also unclear was when — and even if — the U.S. military’s African Command would hand off to NATO the lead role in attacking Libyan ground targets. President Barack Obama spoke with Democratic and Republican congressional leaders about Libya on Friday afternoon amid criticism that he’s failed to adequately consult with Capitol Hill on the U.S. military goals there. Political pressure on Obama to spell out his Libya policy mounted Friday as a
With the Obama administration eager to take a back seat, it remained unclear when NATO would assume command of the no-fly patrols. prominent Democrat expressed reservations about the wisdom of continuing the military mission. “I know the president carefully weighed all the options before taking this emergency action but now that our military has prevented an immediate disaster, I have very serious concerns about what this intervention means for our country in the coming weeks,” Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., said. “Our military, and our budget, are stretched thin fighting two wars already, and I want to avoid getting into another conflict with unknown costs and consequences.” Obama intends to update the country in the “very near future,” press secretary Jay Carney told reporters. Obama was traveling in Latin America last weekend when he authorized the U.S.-led attacks on Moammar Gadhafi’s defenses. Obama has not spoken out on the fighting since returning on Wednesday. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has been traveling abroad this week, also was quiet on Libya Friday. In announcing on Thursday that NATO had agreed to take on the no-fly zone mission, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the campaign was evolving in line with Obama’s plan to limit U.S. involvement. “We’re already seeing a significant reduction in the
number of U.S. planes involved in operations as the number of planes from other countries increases in numbers,” she said. Gortney, however, said there has been no reduction in the number of American planes participating. In fact, he said the Pentagon was considering bringing in side-firing AC-130 gunships, helicopters and armed drone aircraft that could challenge Libyan ground forces that threaten civilians in cities like Misrata. The U.S. has avoided attacking in cities thus far out of fear that civilians could be killed or injured. AC-130 gunships, which operate at night at low altitude, can attack with unusual precision. Gortney is staff director for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. NATO’s governing body, the North Atlantic Council, is expected to meet again on Sunday to revisit whether the alliance will take command of the rest of the Libya operation, including the protection of civilians. Asked about the condition of Gadhafi’s armed forces after a week of U.S. and coalition bombing, Gortney said their communications had been degraded, yet they remain a dangerous threat. In the contested city of Ajdabiya, for example, attacks against pro-Gadhafi forces were producing limited results. “We assess that our strikes on regime forces
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around the city have had an effect, but the regime is still able and still determined to reinforce their positions there,” Gortney said. As the transition to NATO command and control of the military operation proceeds, the administration has still not made a decision about recognizing the Benghazi-based Libyan opposition council as the legitimate government of the country. The U.S. closed its embassy in Tripoli in February but has not broken diplomatic relations with the Gadhafi regime. Gene Cretz, the U.S. ambassador to Libya who has been reaching out to opposition figures, said the administration was still not entirely certain about the identities and intentions of the transitional council, although he said they had made positive statements about their goals and plans to respect human rights. “I think they’re off to a good start,” he told reporters at the State Department. “That’s not to say that we know everything about them; we don’t. We have to be very careful about who might be included in the future and how they go about forming a government, if in fact they have that opportunity.”
Photo by Damian Dovarganes | AP
Attorney Lisa Helfend Meyer, right, argues for visitation rights for her paralyzed client, Abbie Dorn, not seen, during closing arguments at a hearing to determine her client’s visitation rights with the children Thursday, in Los Angeles. The father of Abbie’s triplets, Dan Dorn, is seen second from left.
Visits to disabled mom draw attorneys’ praise ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — Attorneys for both sides are declaring victory after a judge issued a decision that gives a badly braindamaged mother temporary visitation rights with her 4-year-old triplets. Abbie Dorn’s lawyer Lisa Helfland Meyer called the Friday ruling an “astounding” and “precedentsetting” victory for all disabled parents. The judge ruled that Dorn will get to see the children three hours a day for five straight days each year at her home, with the father’s supervi-
sion. Dorn also will be allowed a 30-minute monthly videoconference with the triplets. Father Dan Dorn’s attorney Vicki Greene says her side is “thrilled” with the decision, because the visits will be minimal and supervised. Greene says she hopes the ruling will help avoid a pending trial in the lawsuit brought by Abbie Dorn’s parents.
Advertisement and Invitation for Bids COUNTY OF ZAPATA Lift Stations Improvement Project The Project consists of vacuuming and pressure washing 23 lift stations with depths varying from 12' to 40'. Repair one existing manhole with new ring and cover and concrete apron for structural stability.
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Call for Estimates/Llama para un Presupuesto
(956) 237-1621
The County of Zapata will receive bids for Lift Stations Improvement Project until 3:00 PM (Central Time) on April 8,2011 at 200 East 7th Avenue, Zapata, Texas 78076. The bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at 200 East 7th Avenue, Zapata County Court House, County Judge's Office, Zapata, Texas. Bid / Contract Documents, including Drawings and Technical Specifications are on file at the offices of PREMIER Civil Engineering, LLC 1505 Calle Del Norte Suite 220, Laredo, Texas 78041, Tel: (956) 717-1199 Fax: (956) 717-1196. Copies of the Bid/Contract Documents may be obtained by depositing $100.00 with PREMIER Civil Engineering, LLC for each set of documents obtained. Half of the deposit will be refunded if the documents and drawings are returned in good condition within ten (10) days following the bid opening. The County of Zapata reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any informality in the bidding process. Only bids and bid guaranties actually in the hands of the designated official at the time set in this Notice to bidders shall be considered. It shall be the responsibility of the contractor to insure the bid is received. Bids may be held by the County of Zapata for a period not to exceed 45 days from the date of the bid opening for the purpose of reviewing the bids and investigating the bidder's qualifications prior to the contract award. Zapata County is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer; small, minority and female owned firms are encouraged to submit bid proposals for this project. For more information contact Premier Civil Engineering at 956-717-1199. NOTICE March 26, 2011 • NOTICE April 2, 2011
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011
DRUG TUNNEL INTO CALIFORNIA
Mexico eyes agent’s pursuit of migrant ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Joselito Villero/Imperial Valley Press | AP
A drug tunnel entrance in Mexico is seen through the border fence from California. Attorney General Kamala Harris visited the site, about 20 miles east of the border city of Calexico, Calif. along with law enforcement officials on Thursday.
Drug war refugees Report: Violence displaces 230,000 By MARK STEVENSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — About 230,000 people have been displaced in Mexico because of drug violence, and about half of them may have taken refuge in the United States, according to a new study. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre based this week’s report on studies by local researchers, saying that the Mexican government does not compile figures on people who have had to leave their homes because of turf battles between drug gangs. “Independent surveys put their number at around 230,000,” according to the global report’s section on Mexico. “An estimated half
of those displaced crossed the border into the United States, which would leave about 115,000 people displaced, most likely in the States of Chihuahua, Durango, Coahuila and Veracruz.” While that number is far below the estimated 3.6 to 5.2 million displaced by decades of drug- and guerrilla-war violence in Colombia, the report suggested that people who had to flee drug violence in Mexico have received little support. “In Mexico, state and federal authorities did not acknowledge or start to respond to the internal displacement caused by drug cartels,” the Geneva-based organization said. Mexico’s Interior Department said it had no comment on the report. However, government census figures released this
month support the idea of an exodus, at least in some areas. The census, carried out in mid-2010, listed as uninhabited 61 percent of the 3,616 homes in Praxedis G. Guerrero, a border township in the Rio Grande Valley east of Ciudad Juarez. The area has suffered turf battles between the Juarez and Sinaloa cartels, and people in the town said gunmen have told them to leave. A striking 111,103 of the 488,785 homes in violencewracked Ciudad Juarez were abandoned, or about 23 percent, and almost onethird of the 160,171 houses in Reynosa were unoccupied. The figure for Mexico as a whole was 14 percent, and many of those, especially in southern states, may belong to migrants who went to the United States seeking work.
MEXICO CITY — Mexican authorities have launched investigations into the behavior of an immigration agent who pursued a migrant into the river that marks the border between Mexico and Guatemala, and then stood by the bank as the woman drifted away, officials said Friday. A video shot by bystanders shows the agent standing on the bank of the Usumacinta river as the female migrant barely stays afloat. She apparently jumped into the river to avoid capture, and was eventually rescued by a boater. The agent is seen in the video, which was posted on the Internet, with a machete that he lay on a stone wall, but it is unclear whether he threatened the woman with it. Mexican immigration agents normally
do not carry weapons. Mexico’s National Migration Institute announced that it was investigating the incident. And the government’s National Human Rights Commission said Friday it is also investigating whether her rights were violated. In response to complaints that police and gangs abuse the migrants who cross the country to reach the United States, Mexico changed its laws and no longer considers illegal immigration a crime. The issue of migrant abuse — which Mexico complains bitterly about when it occurs in the United States — came to the fore following the massacre of 72 illegal Central and South American migrants last August at a ranch in the northern border state of Tamaulipas. A drug gang is suspected in those killings.
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
Aurora Muñiz Aurora Muñiz, 63, passed away Monday, March 21, 2011, at Laredo Medical Center. Ms. Muñiz is preceded in death by a brother Martin Muñiz. Ms. Muñiz is survived by her sons: Delfino Villarreal, Gonzalo T. Garza and Frankie Muñiz; daughters: Linda Villarreal and Delma Mendoza; nine grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren; brothers and sisters: Guadalupe M. Soto, Dora M. Swan, Lilia Chancey, Ignacio Muñiz, Pedro Muñiz, Jesus Maria Muñiz and Yolanda M. Lopez; and a friend, Abel Guerra, Jr. Visitation hours were held Tuesday, March 22, 2011, from 6 to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession
Trial begins in woman’s case By DENISE BLAZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
departed Wednesday, March 23, 2011, at 9:45 for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 Highway 83, Zapata.
A lifelong Zapata resident is scheduled to begin trial this week in court on allegations that she represented herself as an attorney, and conned at least three illegal immigrants out of their hard-earned money. Irma Idalia Perez, 43, stands accused of three counts of falsely holding
oneself out as a lawyer, a third degree felony. According to prosecutors, Perez would charge varying amounts ranging from $600 to $1,000 in order to prepare paperwork for U.S. citizenship for the illegal immigrants. A search on the State Bar of Texas website does not have a listing for Perez. “They lived humbly; they sold their homes in
Mexico and other belongings in order to achieve the American dream,” said Pedro “Pete” Garza, deputy chief prosecutor. In order to pay for the costs paid out to Perez, the victims would clean homes and work on ranches, according to Garza. Two out of the three counts were investigated by the FBI; the remaining count was investigated by
Gadhafi son was in US before uprising By DANIEL WAGNER
Dewhurst: Don’t cut new budget By HAPRIL CASTRO ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said Friday that spending on public education can be maintained and even increased in the next two-year budget and the Senate, over which he presides, won’t agree to cut Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing homes. The Republican lieutenant governor’s vision is a far cry from the severe cuts to public education and Medicaid headed for a vote in the House next week. Lawmakers have been looking for ways to address a projected shortfall of as much as $27 billion. Dewhurst recently announced the formation of a special committee aimed at finding “non-tax” revenue to help plug the budget hole. He said staggering cuts can be avoided by selling state land, reducing certain expenses and raising other revenue, but not increasing taxes. “We can still fund education, the Foundation School Program . . . at the same appropriated level we’re funding right this second, actually higher,” he said at a legislative conference in New Braunfels. Maintaining current spending levels on the program that pays for basic school operations still would not account for about 160,000 new students expected to enroll in Texas schools over the next two years. Dewhurst also said prisoners “will stay locked up,” and he predicted that universities would face “minimal” spending reductions.
“I’ve known the lieutenant governor to be able to work magic before and for the sake of Texas families, he’s my number one magician right now,” said Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, leader of the Senate Democrats. The House budget calls for the state to spend $77.6 billion of its own money over the two years. Even after an agreement to make a limited withdrawal from Texas’ Rainy Day Fund, the House plan still would underfund public schools by almost $8 billion and Medicaid by $4 billion. A state study released Thursday showed the state would lose 335,000 jobs if the current budget proposal in the House became law. Data from the non-partisan Legislative Budget Board said the budget would eliminate 188,787 state jobs by the end of 2013 and private companies would eliminate 146,457 jobs under the House plan. Experts also say a proposed cut to Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing homes could leave as many as 45,000 senior citizens homeless. Republican senators said this week they were committed to using any available money to adequately fund Texas schools. Republican Rep. Jim Pitts, the chief House budget writer, has warned that lawmakers in that chamber have little appetite for increasing proposed spending levels. The differing proposals set up stark battle lines as the two chambers work to consolidate both drafts into one budget in the final days of the legislative session.
the Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office, according to the office of the district attorney. Perez faces up to two to 10 years per count, if convicted. Judge Bert Richardson, a visiting judge from Bexar County, will preside over the case in the Zapata courtroom. (Denise Blaz may be reached at 728-2547 or dblaz@lmtonline.com)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Joe Amon/The Denver Post | AP
Firefighters from Standing Rock N.D. gather to hike to the fire line in Golden Gate Canyon during the Indian Gulch fire in Jefferson County, Colo. on Wednesday. Crews battling the wildfire burning in the foothills west of Denver got some help from helicopters and planes Wednesday as windy weather diminished.
Crews snuff most recent wildfires By SHEILA V KUMAR ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER — Colorado firefighters started to see results Friday after battling blazes that erupted the past several days on the Rocky Mountain’s parched and windy foothills and the state’s eastern plains. Most of the fires, including one that prompted the evacuation of thousands of people, were declared contained. Authorities say a 2.5square-mile wildfire near Franktown was completely surrounded by fire lines Friday afternoon. Another fire that burned roughly 2.5 square miles in the foothills west of Denver was 77 percent contained. The fire near Franktown was contained just about 24 hours after the fire broke out and prompted the evacuation of about 8,500 people. No structures were destroyed though the roof of
one home near Franktown was singed. All evacuated residents have been let back in but have been warned to prepare to leave again in case of flare-ups, said Douglas County emergency management director Fran Santagata. Fire crews were able to gain the upper hand on the fire there despite strong winds, partly because a helicopter contracted by the county was able to start dropping water on it within about 20 minutes of the fire starting, Santagata said. Later, a slurry-dropping plane and another helicopter arrived to help from the fire near Golden. Another similar-sized fire burning near Golden was expected to be fully contained by the end of the day. Firefighters had dug containment lines around most of the blaze that started Sunday in the steep hillsides about 15 miles from downtown Denver.
Authorities suspect both fires were humancaused because there have not been any downed power lines or lightning strikes that could have started the fire. Investigators in Jefferson County have set up a tip line seeking help from the public on the cause of the Golden fire. Firefighters have also battled two larger blazes in less populated areas, including one that nearly prompted the evacuation of the tiny town of Karval on the Colorado plains. The fire grew to a little more than 18 square miles before it was contained Thursday night. Earlier in the day, the approximately 100 people who live in Karval were told to evacuate but then were able stay after winds shifted, said Lincoln County sheriff ’s Capt. Clint Tweden. A barn and two wooden bridges on county roads were burned.
WASHINGTON — A son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi toured U.S. ports and military facilities just weeks before he helped lead deadly attacks on rebels protesting his father’s authoritarian regime. Khamis Gadhafi, 27, spent four weeks in the U.S. as part of an internship with AECOM, a global infrastructure company with deep business interests in Libya, according to Paul Gennaro, AECOM’s senior vice president for global communications. The trip was to include visits to the Port of Houston, Air Force Academy, National War College and West Point, Gennaro said. The West Point visit was canceled on Feb. 17, when the trip was cut short and Gadhafi returned to Libya, Gennaro said. The uprising there began with a series of protests on Feb. 15. By late February, forces controlled by Khamis Gadhafi were leading the brutal assault to retake Zawiya, a city near Tripoli that rebels captured soon after the uprising began. Gennaro said the U.S. State Department approved of the trip, and considered Gadhafi a reformer. He said the government signed off on the itinerary, at times offering advice that affected the company’s plans. State department officials denied any role in planning, advising or paying for the trip. “We did greet him at the airport. That is standard courtesy for the son of the leader of a country,” said State Department spokesman Mark Toner. Toner said the government was aware of his itinerary, but “did not sign off on it.” AECOM was not paid to arrange the trip, and did not pay for related expenses, Gennaro said.
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011
COUNTY Continued from Page 1A Ramiro Cerrillo of the U.S. Border Patrol, Bobby Mosses of Paloma Resources, R. David Guerra of Zapata National Bank and Douglas Gonzalez of H-E-B. Also, a draft document sent to Laredo Morning Times by the center’s attorney, George Altgelt, points out a supposed misconception that the county asked the previous board of directors to resign. The document, titled “Clearing up Some Misconceptions about Zapata Economic Development Center,” states that the former board members resigned voluntarily because of governance and financial concerns. Altgelt said Friday that commissioners’ decision to stop funding the center is in breach of the county’s agreement with the organization and with Zapata’s residents. “They had committed themselves to not only supporting the (center), but
supporting the community through the (organization’s) grant writing and fundraising capabilities,” he said. According to the “misconception” document, the center has generated a 165 percent, or $132,000, return on the county’s money. The county’s funds have been “successfully managed” and created the value equivalent to an organization with an operating budget of $317,000, the document states. It adds: “Those monies have been effectively managed and leveraged, contributing to unprecedented economic growth the county has experienced and significant economic impact.” The center lists the following achievements: worldwide recognition of Falcon Lake; unprecedented tourism promotion that’s increased profits for local businesses; infrastructure development, and attracting millions of dollars
in new capital investment and jobs. The center also cited the Advanced Education Center, which brings higher education and workforce training to Zapata. Juan Cruz, of Escamilla, Poneck and Cruz, a law firm contracted by Zapata County, refuted Altgelt’s claim that the county is in breach of its contract with the Economic Development Center. Commissioners can rescind any action they have taken, including discontinuing the funding adopted at the start of the budget process, he said. Also, Cruz’s firm sent a letter to Altgelt on Friday saying that the center possesses $315,000 in reimbursed grant money that belongs to the county. If the center does not send the money to the county, Cruz said commissioners have authorized his firm to pursue civil and criminal charges.
BUSES Continued from Page 1A The $1 million grant went toward the Advanced Education Center. Cruz added that Altgelt has five days to respond to the letter. Altgelt said the county must comply with the grant to get the money back, citing missing paperwork and an allegedly mismanaged project. “As such, we’re under no obligation to pay the county any money until they have complied with the terms of the grant,” which funded the advanced learning center. “It’s not like we’re keeping it without justification.” Meanwhile, Umphres said she is applying for grant money that would fund the center’s operations and county officials said they might consider creating the county’s own economic development department. (Nick Georgiou may be reached at 728-2582 or ngeorgiou@lmtonline.com)
CENSUS Continued from Page 1A such as California and Texas as well as fast-growing Mountain West states pushed the nation’s mean center of population roughly 30 miles southwest to a spot near the village of Plato, Mo. The 10 fastest-growing cities over the last decade were actually suburbs of major metropolitan areas. They included Lincoln, Calif.; Surprise, Ariz.; and Frisco, a suburb of Dallas, which increased 247 percent to 116,989 in 2010. African-Americans in search of wider spaces increasingly left big cities such as Detroit, Chicago and New York for the suburbs, typically in the South. Both Michigan and Illinois had their first declines in the black population since statehood as many of their residents opted for warmer climes in the suburbs of places such as Atlanta, Dal-
las and Houston. The smaller numbers were a surprise to some city officials, including New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who questioned the census count of 8.2 million for his city and suggested immigrants may have been missed. Census director Robert Groves said the agency had not yet received any formal complaints about the census count and that overall indicators showed high accuracy in 2010 compared to 2000. After initial fears of low participation, the 2010 count of the Hispanic population came in 900,000 higher than expected, matching or surpassing census estimates in 37 states, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan think tank. Many of the biggest jumps were in the South, including Alabama, Louisia-
na, North Carolina and Louisiana, where a small but fast-growing Hispanic population was fueled by an influx of immigrants during the housing boom. Multiracial Americans now make up 2.9 percent of the U.S. population, a steadily growing group — even if it did not include President Barack Obama, who identified himself only as AfricanAmerican on his census form. Obama’s mother Ann Dunham, a white woman from Kansas, married his father, the Kenyan native Barack Obama Sr. The vast majority of multiracial Americans lived in California, Texas, New York and Hawaii. The most numerous race combinations were white-American Indian or Alaskan Native, white-black and white”some other race.” In some cases, white Hispanics may be opting to list themselves
as multiracial in the “some other race” category, which would put the actual number of multiracial Americans lower than the official tally of 9 million. In all, racial and ethnic minorities made up about 90 percent of the total U.S. growth since 2000, part of a historic trend in which minorities are expected to become the majority by midcentury. “Hispanics and immigrant minorities are providing a much needed tonic for an older, largely white population which is moving into middle age and retirement,” said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution who analyzed many of the census figures. “They will form the bulk of our labor force growth in the next decade as they continue to disperse into larger parts of the country.”
ago,” Guerra said. “Within three weeks, I had my buses full.”
Federal funding The buses are funded by a grant from Rep. Henry Cuellar, and Guerra is currently working towards attaining more funding to serve the large number of students who are trying to get educations. Another entity that has been instrumental in the program’s development is the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Foundation. According to Guerra, even more growth is anticipated in the coming year. “This program has been … much-needed in our community, a program that without it, many of the students, because of financial problems and transportation, wouldn’t be able to go to college,” Guerra added. “They’re all top students,” he added. “They work really hard to keep their grades up and to be mentors.” Another such top student is Sandra Hernandez, a TAMIU student working towards a bache-
lor’s degree in special education. Her brother has cancer, so as a way of giving back to people with special needs, she changed her major from math to special education.
More time “Mainly, it’s a big help for the economic reasons. And it gives you more study time,” said Hernandez. She has to be in class some days at 7:30 a.m. It is this kind of ambition and optimism that fills the buses each morning and afternoon — students focused on working through extraordinary circumstances to make their ways in life. “I just want people to know (about the program), to take the opportunity,” Delgado said emphatically. The Zapata County College Transportation Program will offer students transportation for both Summer Session 1 and 2. For more information on how to take advantage of all this program offers, contact Laura Guerra at (956) 765-9519.
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors SWEET SIXTEEN
The house next door UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, left, watches his players during a workout in Houston’s Astrodome on Jan. 19, 1968. UCLA played Houston the next day in what was called the “Game of the Century.” UCLA star Lew Alcindor, later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, holds the ball.
Idle Astrodome awaits decision on future By CHRIS DUNCAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
AP photo
HOUSTON — Elvin Hayes jogged down the dark tunnel and the massive crowd in the Astrodome erupted in cheers as he came through the giant green doors. It was the late 1960s and college basketball, like everything else, seemed to be changing. Integration was taking hold and the
SWEET SIXTEEN WOMENS BASKETBALL
sport’s popularity was growing. But it had never seen anything like this. On Jan. 20, 1968, Hayes led the second-ranked Houston Cougars to a 71-69 upset of Lew Alcindor and top-ranked UCLA in what was billed as the “Game of the Century.” The brainchild of Houston coach Guy Lewis, it was the first college basketball game played in
See ASTRODOME PAGE 2B
MLB
Photo by Greg Pearson | AP
Texas A&M players celebrate their 70-48 victory over Rutgers in a second-round game of the NCAA women’s college basketball tournament in Shreveport, La., on Tuesday.
Georgia on Blair’s mind By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M coach Gary Blair settled in behind the podium and began fiddling with his smartphone. Soon the smooth voice of Ray Charles was wafting through the room crooning “Georgia on My Mind.” Texas A&M wants another shot
at Baylor, but for that chance, Blair and the Aggies must first take care of Georgia in Sunday’s Dallas Regional semifinal. Baylor plays Wisconsin-Green Bay in the other game in Dallas. “We are talking about Georgia this week,” Blair said as Charles’ 1960 rendition of that “old sweet song” finished playing. “There
See A&M PAGE 2B
Baylor to battle Green Bay WisconsinGreen Bay’s Kayla Tetschlag (42) shoots over Michigan State forward Cetera Washington (15) during the second half of an NCAA tournament game Tuesday in Wichita, Kan.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Kayla Tetschlag swished jump shot after jump shot before practice over a teammate with a little extra something. Tetschlag was forced to hit her baskets over 6-foot-2 Katie Bushman, who was playing defense with a foot-long green piece of foam extending from her outstretched arm. This is one of the ways Wisconsin-Green Bay is getting ready for Baylor and 6-foot-8 sophomore shot-blocking sensation Brittney
See BAYLOR PAGE 2B
Photo by Orlin Wagner | AP
Photo by Charlie Riedel | AP
In this Feb. 28 file photo, the Texas Rangers’ Josh Hamilton bats during a spring training baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Surprise, Ariz.
HAMILTON’S FOLLY MVP reflects on fall and comeback By STEPHEN HAWKINS ASSOCIATED PRESS
Josh Hamilton was putting on an impressive show, even hitting some balls more than 500 feet. Except that was long before the slugger’s spectacular display in the All-Star Home Run Derby at old Yankee Stadium, playing in the World Series or becoming the American League MVP. Way before there was the inspiring comeback story of a former No. 1 overall draft pick who fell into the devastating depths of cocaine and alcohol addictions. Well be-
fore the problems that could have kept him from ever playing again, ills that did keep him out of baseball for four prime development years. The only person to see all those homers five years ago was the pitcher in the empty stadium at the baseball academy where Hamilton had to rake infields and clean toilets just to earn time on the field. When they were done, Hamilton and Roy Silver walked the outfield and beyond the fences picking up balls. “I talked to him about what he could do if he could stay clean,” said Silver, who shares Hamilton’s Christian faith.
“Him being an All-Star and doing the things that he has done physically are not the things that I’m most impressed with. What I’m most impressed with is his growth as a man.” The MVP trophy from last season, when he led the majors with a .359 batting average along with 32 homers and 100 RBIs, is still in the box on a desk at Hamilton’s home. He will soon get his AL championship ring from the Texas Rangers after the first World Series in their 50-season history.
See HAMILTON PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011
HAMILTON Continued from Page 1B Yet those aren’t the most valuable prizes for Hamilton in his comeback. Nor is the $24 million, two-year contract the outfielder got from the Rangers this winter. Hamilton got something much more personal and eternal out of his horrid journey from clean-cut teenage baseball phenom to a drug addict with his life spiraling downward out of control. “If none of that stuff would have happened, I wouldn’t have had a relationship with Christ like I do now. I wouldn’t see things like I do now, I wouldn’t want to,” the 29-year-old Hamilton said. “I was always a good person, but that doesn’t get you where you want to be all the time, and ultimately doesn’t get you where you need to be.” His priorities now are God, humility, family, sobriety and baseball — in that order. Hamilton was still suspended from baseball, had been estranged from his family and gone through at least eight stints in drug rehab by early 2006 when he arrived in Clearwater, Fla., at the old spring training complex of the Philadelphia Phillies where Silver and Randy Holland run their academy. The nearly $4 million record signing bonus Hamilton got when Tampa Bay drafted him No. 1 overall in 1999 was long gone. “At that point in his life, he had no identity beyond the field. And that’s not a good place to be,” Silver said. “Just dealing with reality like a man, using his reality for maturity purposes, getting back with Katie and being a husband, being a father, that allowed him to maximize his potential at work.” Since making his major league debut with Cincinnati in 2007, eight years after being drafted, Hamilton has hit .311 with 93 homers and 331 RBIs in 468 games. He has been an All-Star starter in each of his three seasons since being traded to the Rangers. While he is doing the kind of things on the field that were expected when the can’t-miss prospect was drafted, he is really just now getting into the routine of major league baseball. He played only 23 games above the Class A level before going to the Reds. “I missed some valuable years, and those were sup-
posed to be my learning years,” Hamilton said. “Now I’m having to play catch-up. ... I feel like I’ve obviously grown as a player.” Hamilton went four years without even playing a game, beginning in July 2002 when he went on the disabled list in the minor leagues after surgery on his left elbow and shoulder. By then, the tattooed slugger was already caught up in the drugs that would contribute to being off the field three full seasons. It wasn’t until July 2006, months after his time as a groundskeeper at The Winning Inning baseball academy, that Hamilton was allowed by Major League Baseball to play in minor league games. He hit .260 with no homers in 15 games at Hudson Valley, a shortseason Class A team for Tampa Bay. When the Rays left him unprotected off their 40-man roster that winter, Hamilton was acquired by the Reds through the Rule 5 draft. Hamilton went to Sarasota, Fla., about a month before spring training, and was working out one day with a group that included Joey Votto, then a Reds minor leaguer who was the NL MVP last season. “They’re taking batting practice and Josh is making Joey Votto look like a high schooler with the display he’s putting on,” said Wayne Krivsky, then the Reds’ general manager. “He’s hitting balls where no one’s ever hit balls before. ... He’s just wearing it out.” Krivsky, now a special assistant to New York Mets GM Sandy Alderson, still laughs recalling the report he got that day from the Reds scout who was watching the workout: “I just watched Herman Munster take batting practice.” Hamilton hit .292 with 19 homers in 90 games for the Reds, a breakthrough season despite two stints on the disabled list. “You saw the ability, and the raw ability. It was scary what the guy could do in batting practice, the displays of power, and his throwing arm and everything else,” Krivsky said. “You saw a guy that was a little rusty, but at the same time, you could visualize this guy really being good in a matter of a year or two.” Yet, pitching-desperate Cincinnati traded Hamilton that winter for young starter Edinson Volquez and left-
handed reliever Danny Herrera. Krivsky, speaking by phone recently from the Sarasota stadium where four years earlier he was part of an introductory news conference with Hamilton, said the Reds “agonized” over that deal and were not looking to trade him. But they had several young talented outfielders and needed pitching. Volquez went 17-6 with a 3.21 ERA that first season with Cincinnati and was an All-Star like Hamilton, who wowed everyone in New York in the first round of the Home Run Derby with 28 homers. Hamilton hit .300 and led the AL with 130 RBIs. In 2009, Hamilton was limited to 89 games primarily because of an abdominal muscle strain. It was also that year before spring training that he went into an Arizona bar to have dinner and ended up drinking for the first time in 3½ years. Hamilton immediately called his wife and his support network that included team officials. That was months before Deadspin.com posted a dozen pictures showing him taking shots off the bar, and dancing and hugging several young women. He then publicly apologized. “The difference is when Josh had that setback, he didn’t fall all the way into the bottom of the pit,” Silver said. “The first time through, he was this young kid that had all the talent and he was, other than being on the field, out of his element.” Hamilton and his wife speak to countless groups and are involved in many ministries, among them helping feed kids and assisting single mothers. He still openly shares his testimony and his story, and it never gets old to him because of the impact his experiences can have for people who are struggling. “It’s easy. Anytime you get to just talk about yourself and struggles you’ve gone through and what God has done to bring you through those, it’s pretty simple,” he said. “When you get to the point where you understand that you can’t do this on your own, and even if you do do it on your own you’re going to be miserable doing it, you stay humble,” he said. “And if you don’t stay humble, you’ll be humbled very quickly.”
A&M
BAYLOR
Continued from Page 1B
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will not be another word mentioned about Baylor when we talk to our team. The fans talk about it, the media has to talk about it ... to sell tickets we need to talk about it, but as coaches we cannot afford that luxury.” The Aggies rolled their eyes and laughed when asked about Blair’s musical offerings this week. That doesn’t mean they don’t understand the point he’s trying to make. “It’s just like the Big 12 tournament where we had to beat two teams to get to Baylor, but it ended up happening,” senior Maryann Baker said. “You can see the future of what you’re trying to achieve and it just makes you that much more focused on the task at hand.” The Aggies are back in the NCAA round of 16 for the fourth time in school history and the first since 2009 with a goal of earning their first-ever trip to the Final Four. No. 2 seed Texas A&M (29-5) has just five losses this season and three of them have come against the No. 1 seeded Lady Bears. The most recent meeting in the Big 12 tournament championship ended with a 61-58 Baylor win after the Aggies led 12-0. But first, Georgia, a team the Aggies have never met before. Blair loves a good story and regales anyone in his path with his colorful tales. He shared one this week that veered away from basketball, but stayed on the subject of Georgia. He told of a 10-year-old Aggie fan with cancer who he has been corresponding with for the last month. He held up a picture the little girl had sent, posing in front of a wall that displayed a team photo Blair had given her. The girl, bald from chemotherapy but smiling broadly, also included a note. “Thank you for the team picture,” she wrote. “Gig’ em.” The girl, who lives in Georgia but whose parents attended Texas A&M, is reason Georgia has been on Blair’s mind long before he was game planning for the Lady Bulldogs. “It’s sort of apropos that we would be playing Georgia,” Blair said. “It’s pretty neat. Sometimes things work out.” The Aggies won their first two tournament games by an average of 31 points. They expect a much tougher fight from Georgia, a program coach Andy Landers is taking to the round of 16 for the 19th time. “This basketball team has worked very hard for this moment, but instead of enjoying the moment, you have to seize the moment and make sure it doesn’t pass you by,” Blair said.
Griner. “I think it will be a shock once we see her but we’ll get over it,” Green Bay guard Celeste Hoewisch said Friday, a few hours before the fifth-seeded Phoenix left for Dallas to face top-seeded Baylor in an NCAA Dallas Regional semifinal Sunday night. “You’ve got to respect that she’s a great player but you can’t change what got you here,” she said. “You do a few different things. You try to pull her away from the basket as much as you can, but we still have to be aggressive. You have to go at her a little bit.” That’s been the plan of attack for most of the Bears’ opponents this season, though it’s seldom worked. Including her eight-block game against West Virginia in the second round, the sophomore has blocked at least eight shots in 24 career games. In seven career NCAA tournament games, she’s blocked an astounding 54 shots. With her as an anchor, Baylor (33-2) ranks second in the NCAA in field-goal percentage allowed (32.0). Green Bay (34-1), with an experienced roster of players as adept at scoring outside as inside, thinks it at least has a chance. The 6-foot Tetschlag averages a team-high 13.9 points per game, followed by fellow 6-footer Julie Wojta (13.8) and the 5foot-7 Hoewisch (13.4). Tetschlag and Wojta are the tallest players among those averaging at least 10 minutes per game, and they’ll share time defensively against Griner, who averages 22.6 points per game and has reached double figures in all 35 games. “We do what we do,” coach Matt Bollant said. “We’ve got to have a balance. We’re not going to be able to go inside, like we have throughout the year, but we don’t want to just shoot 3s, either. We have to have a balance and mix things up and make her have to guard on the perimeter and see if we can get some other kids inside.” While Green Bay is an obvious underdog against what Bollant calls the best team and best player in the country, the players aren’t the least bit uptight. Green Bay, a perennial mid-major powerhouse, has won 25 consecutive games since losing 63-60 at Marquette on Dec. 12 to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time. The Phoenix had been knocking on this door for years, reaching the second round under former coach Kevin Borseth in 2006-07 and again last season under Bollant. “This group is having fun right now,” Tetschlag said. “I think we’re focused but at the same time we have so much fun together. We just seem really loose and ready to go.” Even in the biggest game in program history? “That’s not our team,” Bollant said of being nervous. “They believe in each other.”
ASTRODOME Continued from Page 1B a dome and the first regular-season game broadcast nationwide. It was a television hit, drawing about 12 million viewers, and it lured 52,693 fans to the Astrodome, launching the era of domed stadiums as viable venues for major basketball events. It was such a success that the dome landed the Final Four in 1971. “There will never be anything like that night,” said Hayes, who scored 39 points in the victory. “You look up, and you just saw all those people. That was the most amazing spectacle that I’ve ever seen.” The Final Four returns to Houston later this week, but the host site is Reliant Stadium, the huge, sparkling home of the NFL’s Houston Texans. Next door, the Astrodome sits silent and ignored, a locked-up and lifeless monument to the city’s sports and cultural history. Hayes wishes the stadium could’ve been refurbished and opened for some kind of basketball-themed event in conjunction with the Final Four. Instead, the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” hailed as an architectural marvel when it opened in 1965, is rotting inside as Harris County leaders ponder its fate. It’s more than just a building to Hayes, who refers to it lovingly, like a captain to his ship. “I will always have a very special fondness for that building,” said Hayes, now a
It was the site of circuses, bullfights, polo matches, Major League Baseball’s first indoor game, a Republican National Convention and the world’s largest indoor rodeo. radio analyst for Houston basketball games. “But when I pass by now, I also have a sadness. There’s the dome just sitting there. All that happened inside, all she meant to so many people — it’s all just a memory now.” And what a history. The dome was the vision of former Houston mayor and county judge Roy Hofheinz, a flamboyant salesman who was part of a group awarded the city’s first major league franchise in 1960, the Colt .45s. Hofheinz wanted a stadium that would protect fans from the searing summer heat, torrential downpours and bloodthirsty mosquitoes. When it was finished, it included a Texas-sized apartment for Hofheinz beyond right field as well as a one-lane bowling alley, barber shop, chapel and other unusual rooms. “He had a room with a Caribbean theme, and another one with a bar and a lot of novelty items,” said Tal Smith, one of the original employees of the Colt .45s. “Everything he did was colorful. He was very creative, he liked to have fun and he added some flavor to everything he did.” The signature of the space-age building was the $2 million scoreboard that
flashed a gaudy light show after the team, renamed the Astros, produced home runs and victories. The display featured fireworks, snorting bulls with Texas and U.S. flags on their horns, and a galloping roper trying to lasso a calf. The NFL’s Oilers played there, too, as did Elvis, the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Pink Floyd and Paul McCartney over the years. Ali fought here, Earl Campbell ran over defenders here, Nolan Ryan’s fastball went over 100 mph here. It was the site of circuses, bullfights, polo matches, Major League Baseball’s first indoor game, a Republican National Convention and the world’s largest indoor rodeo. It hosted the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King, WrestleMania and served as an emergency shelter in 2005 for refugees from Hurricane Katrina. “It’s sort of the building that put Houston on the map,” said Dave Bush, a spokesman for the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance. “When you used to fly into Houston, one of the first things you’d see was the Astrodome. People would look out the window of the plane and talk about it, because it was such an
unusual building and it was really one of a kind.” Out of necessity, the dome also christened the one-of-akind surface called AstroTurf. The floor was originally sodded with Bermuda grass, but baseball players complained that they were losing fly balls in the natural light that came through the translucent panes in the ceiling. Hofheinz ordered the panes painted opaque, but the limited sunlight killed the grass. Hofheinz sent Smith in search of a solution and he got a tip that a prep school in Providence, R.I., had installed a synthetic material called ChemGrass in a playground there. Smith, now the Astros’ president of baseball operations, flew to Providence to see it for himself. He ran and rolled baseballs on it, then called Hofheinz to say he might have found the answer. Hofheinz was sold, and the turf was installed on the infield in time for the start of the Astros’ 1966 season. “It took its share of criticism,” Smith said of the turf, blamed for countless knee injuries through the years, “but I think it served its purpose in the Astrodome quite well.” The dome, named in a nod to the space program’s
huge influence on Houston, also wowed architects and provided a template for other stadiums, including the Superdome. It was the first domed sports venue, the first with air conditioning, and was spacious enough to fit an 18-story building under its 208-foot high roof. “The Astrodome stretched state-of-the-art construction and design practices to new dimensions,” said Stephen Fox, an architectural historian and author of the “Houston Architectural Guide.” ’’It has exceptional historical significance, as the model for a new generation of sports stadiums.” But the dome long ago gave way to those newer stadiums, adorned with retractable roofs and updated luxury boxes. The scoreboard was removed in 1988 after Oilers owner Bud Adams demanded it be replaced by 10,000 seats. Nearly 10 years later, the Oilers moved to Tennessee. The Astros opened play at Minute Maid Park in 2000 and the rest of the Astrodome’s major tenants and events were gone by 2003, including the city’s giant annual rodeo. In July 2008, the fire marshal’s office cited the county-owned building for nine code violations, including a
faulty sprinkler system, and only maintenance workers and security guards are now allowed inside. Last month, a fire started in the dome when water leaked onto a transformer. “It’s really a spooky place,” county judge-executive Ed Emmett said. “It’s got all those empty seats, and all these old bathrooms and kitchen facilities. It’s going to be forever springing leaks.” The structure is also draining money from taxpayers, between $2 million and $4 million in maintenance and insurance costs annually. “It’s just sitting there,” Emmett said. “Something needs to be done with it.” Emmett and the county commissioners are awaiting a cost analysis from the county’s sports and convention corporation on three proposals for transforming the structure and its 10-acre footprint: Demolition of the Astrodome and construction of a fountain and outdoor plaza in its place at an estimated cost of $128 million. Conversion into a science and technology center, with solar panels on the roof forming a world map, for approximately $374 million. Conversion into a multipurpose facility, with science and technology exhibits, a museum, movie-studio space and conference space suitable for exhibitions, festivals and conventions for about $588 million.
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
HINTS BY | HELOISE Dear Heloise: Thank you for getting out the information about LILIES (they are poisonous to cats — Heloise) in your recent article. My cat ate lily petals, and I was fortunate to catch her in the act. I took her to the emergency clinic, and they gave her medicine to vomit up the lily. She recovered fully; however, the emergency care was more than $1,000. — Kathy, via e-mail Thanks for sharing your experience, and I’m glad your cat survived. With Easter coming up, it’s a good reminder for my readers who are owned by cats. — Heloise GIVE TO ANIMAL SHELTERS Dear Heloise: Our animal charity takes in abused dogs and cats that have no home. It is terrible that people lose their homes. Could you print what the animal shelters need? This way, people who can afford to help will know what to give. — A Reader in Ohio Readers: The things most shelters always need are dog and cat food, dog and cat toys, kitty/puppy milk replacement and cat litter. Call your shelters to see what their specific needs are. — Heloise DOG WALKER Dear Heloise: I read the comments from a reader about hints for walking a dog. I would like to take it one step further. I’m a walker (and a previous dog owner), and countless times I encounter “leavings” from dogs on the sidewalk.
“
HELOISE
Here’s my proven solution: Since dogs love to go on walks and are intelligent animals, they can be taught to “do it” in their own yard before leaving home. Simply ask your pet if it wants to go for a walk, then take it out in the yard to “do its thing” by giving it the same command every day. Don’t leave for your walk until your pet “does it.” Then, on your walk, if your pet stops to “do it,” simply tell it “no.” It may take some time, but it will learn that if it wants to go for a walk, it has to “do it” first. — A Walker in Oregon NEW BABY Dear Heloise: I have an idea to pass on regarding how to get pets used to a new baby. Our daughter and son-in-law did this when their newborn daughter was still in the hospital. Our son-in-law took a receiving blanket and put it on the floor, and one by one the cats went over and inspected it. When the baby came home, they all came over and sniffed, three walked away, and the fourth sat next to her for a while. None of the cats has ever bothered her. To get used to the smell before she came home, they also allowed the cats to walk in the baby’s bedroom and inspect everything. — Tricia in Iowa
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Sports
4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011
Four teams alter ticket sales plans By BARRY WILNER ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Steve Nesius | AP
Andretti Autosport’s Danica Patrick accelerates out of turn one during an afternoon practice session for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg auto race Friday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Danica returns to IndyCar By MARK LONG ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Danica Patrick is getting used to swapping back and forth between NASCAR and IndyCar. She makes smooth transitions between the different terminology and technology. She has no trouble adjusting to the diverse feel between the peppy and sophisticated open-wheel cars and the bulky and often testy stock cars. She even balances questions about the challenges both cars provide, trying hard not to offend anyone in either series. She’s also well-versed in one all-important aspect: Expectations. As Patrick makes the move from NASCAR’s Nationwide Series to the IndyCar season opener for the second time in as many years, she welcomes the high aspirations that come with returning to her primary racing career. “That is what I expect, to run up front every week-
end,” Patrick said Friday on her 29th birthday, two days before the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. “With that kind of goal, maybe perhaps you’re a little more disappointed more often. If the goal is to win every weekend, there’s not that many people that win every weekend. It’s just that hard.” Patrick has one victory in 98 career IndyCar starts, and with Chip Ganassi’s powerhouse team doubling to four cars in 2011 and Penske Racing’s three-car team eager to reclaim the championship after a fouryear drought, she could face even more competition in her seventh season. Nonetheless, she’s been encouraged by preseason test sessions — as well as the confidence boost she’s received from leaving the Nationwide Series ninth in points. “I think it’s been a really good start,” she said. “Obviously, the NASCAR results have been pretty good and IndyCar testing has gone
really well for me, too. Last year, it was tough. My first (testing) lap at Sebring last year I spun. That’s just how my year started. This year, it’s been much more competitive, much closer, so I think overall the whole year has started off really well.” Patrick’s year began with her briefly leading laps at Daytona International Speedway. Still relatively inexperienced in stock cars, Patrick faded in the middle of the race and finished 14th. Still, it was five spots better than her previous best finish, which came in the 2010 season finale. She was even better two weeks after Daytona, finishing fourth at Las Vegas. It was the best finish by a woman in a national NASCAR race. She showed her competitiveness last week at Bristol after she tangled on the track with Ryan Truex. Patrick waited for him to pass by after the accident and raised her arms as if to say, “What was that?” She was running inside the top 20 at
Down by the Bay Hill Laird leads at Invitational By DOUG FERGUSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
ORLANDO, Fla. — Martin Laird loves when he can smash a driver, and that carried him a long way Friday at Bay Hill. Laird reached three of the par 5s in two shots, converted one of them into an eagle and wound up with a 7-under 65 for a one-shot lead over K.J. Choi and Spencer Levin in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It wasn’t just the par 5s. Even without any wind in the afternoon, Laird hit driver on the 384-yard fifth hole to set up a simple pitch and another birdie. He closed his round with a 321-yard tee shot on the ninth and a 12-foot birdie. Choi put in three hybrids to go with his driver and two fairway metals, all to get ready for the Masters. It paid dividends at Bay Hill with a tournament-best 64. Levin didn’t play his best in the morning, but his putting carried him to a 70. Levin made all four of his birdie putts outside 15 feet to stay atop the leaderboard until Laird’s late surge. Tiger Woods is still in the game, too. Woods raised his arm on the ninth green as his 20foot birdie putt rolled in for a 4-under 68, leaving him six shots behind going into the weekend. Considering how so much of his year has gone, this would be considered progress for the six-time winner at Bay Hill. Laird was at 9-under 135. “I’m driving the ball really well and putting really well,” Laird said. “Ask any pro — that’s a pretty good combination to have, especially on a golf course this long where you have to drive the ball in the fairway.” Temperatures are expected to soar on the weekend, and Saturday figures to sort out several players still in the mix.
the time of the accident and finished 33rd. Now, it’s back to IndyCars. She was seventh in St. Petersburg last season and has three more top-10 finishes at the 1.8-mile course that runs on downtown streets. “I’ve never really been fast here, unfortunately,” she said. “But I’ve had OK results. I’ve had sixth, seventh. It’s not like my results have been awful.” She might just have an advantage this time around. The IndyCar Series has implemented double-file restarts, which should create more passing situations and probably more chaos after caution flags. “It’s always been a trackposition series on road courses because it’s difficult to pass,” she said. “But perhaps with some new rules like they are, with the double-file restart, maybe some things will be different and maybe there will be some opportunities to make more passing happen, which would be great.”
The New York Giants and Jets, Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills made changes to their season-ticket plans this year to account for the lockout, with the Giants taking the biggest step by not requiring renewals until the labor stoppage ends. According to a survey of all 32 teams by The Associated Press, 17 teams are not changing ticket prices, nine are raising them, four are decreasing them — and two are both raising and decreasing, depending on seat location. May 1 normally is the due date for full payment by Giants season ticketholders. Not this year, barring a settlement beforehand of the dispute between owners and players. “We felt comfortable with it, and we shouldn’t be singled out,” co-owner John Mara said. “Each team has its own cash situation and relationship with their ticket holders. “I have not heard anything (from other teams). Each team has its own individual circumstances. We’ve asked an awful lot out of our fans in the last few years over the stadium.” The Giants and Jets shared the $1.6 billion cost for the New Meadowlands Stadium that opened last season. They also required personal seat license fees for most fans. For 2011, the Giants
are not raising ticket prices, while the Jets are having a 2.3 percent average increase. The Jets added a payment alternative that defers 50 percent of the total amount due until a training camp date is announced. The Panthers added a fourth payment option for fans: 10 percent of the renewal price due up front and 90 percent due upon the signing of a new collective bargaining agreement. Buffalo extended its series of payments by one pay period and adjusted payment terms so that 50 percent of the account balance is not due until the league announces games will be played. Fans then have a twomonth period to make the remaining payments. Jacksonville is offering more flexibility in its payments, but a team spokesman said it had nothing to do with the lockout. The four clubs reducing the cost of tickets are San Diego, Cleveland, Arizona and Tampa Bay. San Francisco and Kansas City are dropping some prices, raising others. In Candlestick Park, more than 40,000 seats for Niners games will decrease or remain unchanged in price, but the average season-ticket price will be approximately $83, up about $6 from last season. At Arrowhead Stadium, twothirds of the seats will have reduced or flat prices, and some sidelines seats will increase.
Robles ends career a champ By BOB BAUM ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by John Raoux | AP
Ernie Els, of South Africa, walks off the ninth green after the completion of his second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill in Orlando, Fla., on Friday. Charles Howell III, who needs a win to play his hometown tournament in two weeks at Augusta National, had a 65 and was three shots behind with Hunter Mahan and Steve Marino. Mahan turned his fortunes around quickly. He went out in 38 to fall seven shots behind, then ran off four straight birdies to start the back nine, and finished with a shot that hit the pin on the 18th for his seventh birdie in a round of 69. He was “My game didn’t go anywhere ... it just didn’t feel good,” Mahan said. “But it can change that quickly. So I knew that and I just had to trust that it was going to happen.” Choi has never shot better than 67 at Bay Hill, and he wasn’t expecting a low one Friday. Along with changing his bag to include the three hybrids — his irons begin with the 7-iron — he saw Pat O’Brien last month to help with his put-
ting and realized his posture was off. Choi then went back to his old putter, and it was a happy reunion. “I would never have thought that I would score 8 under today on a course like this,” Choi said. “I’m just happy that I’ve done that, and I just want to keep this rhythm going on for the last two days.” For a short time, it didn’t seem as though so many players would be in the mix. Levin walked off the sixth green during his morning round and noticed that he already had a sixshot lead. He didn’t make his first bogey of the tournament until the 14th hole of the second round, then dropped another shot on the 17th. He wound up with a 70 and had a two-shot lead when he finished, then fell one behind to Laird. “I scored a lot better than I played today,” Levin said.
TEMPE, Ariz. — Anthony Robles says he can’t remember even once feeling sorry for himself. His mother was 16 when she gave birth to this child born without a right leg. Soon they were joined by his stepfather, and the couple raised their son to believe there was nothing he couldn’t do. “My parents raised me to believe I could do whatever I set my mind to,” Robles said. “I grew up thinking that way. I didn’t think of my condition as something that could hold me back. I just thought this is how God made me and I’m going to make the best of it.” This week, in a gauntlet of interviews that could not erase the big smile from his face, Robles celebrated a senior wrestling season of perfection — a 36-0 record at Arizona State, punctuated by last weekend’s NCAA championship, a moment of triumph that’s become an Internet sensation, one of those rare, inspiring scenes that seems to transcend mere sports. Now, he insists, he’s called it a career. His attention is turning to a book and movie of his life, of a career in motivational speaking. He certainly has a story to tell. “It’s overwhelming,” he said of the whirlwind that has followed his final win, “but I’m just enjoying the ride. I feel like the hardest part is over.” Yes, he repeated, it’s over. There will be no tryout for the U.S. Olympic freestyle team, no matter how much he might be tempted, he said. “I’m sure I’ll definitely probably get the itch back,
Photo by Matt Slocum | AP
Arizona State’s Anthony Robles, right, poses after beating Iowa’s Matt McDonough in their 125-pound finals match March 19 at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia. but competition-wise, I’m done,” he said. “I achieved what I wanted to. I won my national title. I want to walk out on top. I’m satisfied with how everything went.” In May, Robles will earn a degree in business communication. He had a 3.5 GPA last semester and figures he will get a 3.3 in this one, despite all the distractions. He and his family are sorting out the offers. He’s working with a speech instructor and intends to give motivational talks for a fee. His message, he said, is for everyone, not just those with physical challenges like his. “It doesn’t have to be a missing leg, you could have any obstacle in your life,” he said. “Whatever that is, you don’t have to let that prevent you from doing things. You don’t have to let the negativity of people or the doubters stop you from going after your dreams.”
Robles’ began his wrestling career as a 90-pound freshman at Mesa High School, not far from the Arizona State campus. “My older cousin, he wrestled, and he volunteered me to be the practice dummy for one of his teammates,” he said. “After that I said, ‘Wow, this is pretty fun.’ I got beat up, but I enjoyed it. I liked the sport. I was like ‘I’m going to do it.”’ By his junior season, he was a state high school champion. Robles’ attitude allowed him to transform his physical disadvantage to a competitive advantage. “Don’t stay concerned with the negatives — what can hold me back, what my disadvantages are,” he said. “I stay focused on the positive things — what I have, what I can do. That was the whole thing with my coaches. Starting in high school and all the way through Arizona State, we focused on the things that I could do.”