FINISHING STRONG
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Super S Foods gets new owner
Attack on town
By ERICA MATOS THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata residents may soon see changes in their main grocery store, Super S Foods, with Lowe’s Foods’ acquisition of the 38-year-old company in late March. The changes will be gradual and minimal, keeping the Super S name for several months before noticeable change occurs, according to an industry source, Supermarket News. “(W)e may change that somewhere down the line,” said Roger Lowe Jr., chief executive officer of Lowe’s. “None of those decisions has been made yet.” Super S, which carries brands such as Parade and Better Valu, is expected eventually to incorporate Lowe’s brands, which are supplied by Affiliate Foods in Amarillo. Lowe’s also offers Better Valu products, in addition to its own Lowe’s Food
brand; Full Circle natural and organic foods; World Classics Brand; X Brand academic, household, and electrical products; and Top Care health, beauty, personal and baby care products. Super S is a Central and South Texas grocery store chain that was founded in 1973 and has 53 locations, all of which were acquired by the Northwest Texas-centered Lowe’s, founded in 1954. Super S store personnel, supervisors, and some Super S management will keep their jobs, according to Lowe. The transaction puts Lowe’s at 143 stores, with a $250 million in annual volume projected coming from the 53-store acquisition. The majority of Lowe’s locations are in the Panhandle region, with some stores in New Mexico, Arizona and — according to the corporate website — locations opening in North and South Carolina.
Alleged Zetas vandalize Miguel Alemán THE MCALLEN MONITOR
A convoy of armed gunmen allegedly belonging to the Zetas attacked Miguel Alemán on Thursday, shooting at, vandalizing and torching the headquarters of the Tamaulipas State Police, the local transit police head-
quarters and nearly a dozen buildings, authorities said. The attack left one civilian and several gunmen dead. Miguel Alemán is across the Rio Grande from Roma. According to the information released by the
Mexican Army, a firefight with gunmen resulted in the death of one gunman and the arrest of 11 more. They also reported one soldier dead. Also on Thursday, the body count found in mass graves in rural San Fernando rose to 177. The Zetas are accused of killing
those people and placing their bodies in several mass graves, the most recent of which was discovered Tuesday. The attack began about 5:15 a.m. Thursday and continued until 7:30 a.m., when the Mexican mili-
See ZETAS PAGE 10A
RIVER PIERCE FOUNDATION
TIME OF MY LIFE
Helping girls on prom night Woman, daughter aiming to dress up 15 girls by May 14 By ERICA MATOS THE ZAPATA TIMES
A girl’s prom is her night to shine at the height of her youth. However, for a lot of young women, prom is not a rite of passage, but an unaffordable luxury. One Zapata local, Nina Gutierrez, is starting the charitable organization, Time of My Life, with her daughter, Selisa, to provide girls with special occasion dresses who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend their proms. Gutierrez was once in this position, and she found inspiration in a simple act of kindness that her classmate, Gina Rathmell, showed her 25 years ago, “I was a sophomore in high school. My parents weren’t able to come up with that money. ... I remember going to ask her if she had any dresses I could
borrow,” Gutierrez said. Rathmell went above and beyond, offering Gutierrez several dresses from which to choose. “We want to be able to offer that to the girls … It’s time to pay it forward.” Currently, Gutierrez and her daughter have numerous people helping them out. The goal for May 14 is to have 10 to 15 dresses from which those interested can choose. Any girl who wishes to see the dresses collected by Time of My Life will be welcomed into Gutierrez’s home, where she can try on several dresses in privacy, find her dream dress and not have to worry about a price tag. “What we’re asking is anybody that wants to, to make a donation of gently used prom dresses (and) cocktail dresses,” Gutierrez stated. She is also hoping to find someone willing to donate their time and services for possible minor alterations
See PROM PAGE 10A
Photos by Ulysses S. Romero | The Zapata Times
ABOVE: The outside wall of the fort is still marred by oil, accidentally sprayed there as work crews paved the street in front of the fort last year. BELOW: The historic landmark sign on the fort is festooned with cobwebs. The fort will receive extensive restoration thanks to a grant of more than a quarter million dollars received by the River Pierce Foundation.
A SLICE OF HISTORY Fort in San Ygnacio to benefit from funding By LYNN BREZOSKY SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
SAN YGNACIO — The routine never varied. As a young girl, Shirley Gonzalez and her godmother would join others from this small settlement on the Rio Grande to meet the mail truck from Laredo. On the return trip, down Uribe Street, they would pass a mysterious cluster of old stone buildings. Gonzalez would beg for a peek inside, but the Treviño-Uribe Rancho was always locked, off-limits. But on Monday, decades after those daily jaunts, Gonzalez stood in-
See FORT PAGE 10A
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Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, APRIL 23
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PETCO-North, 2450 Monarch Drive, will have an Easter event today. The event will feature a Kids Easter Coloring Contest and adoption of homeless cats. For more information, call the store at 723-3719 or Richard Barraza, event coordinator, at 2060572.
MONDAY, APRIL 25 The public is invited to attend a proclamation of the week as Memorial and Recognition of Laredo’s Vietnam War Veterans Unsung Heroes Week by Mayor Raul Salinas at City Council Chambers, 1110 Houston St.
TUESDAY, APRIL 26 The Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center will have a fundraiser at Hal’s Landing, 6510 Arena Road, at 7 p.m. today. Bottom Line will perform. Events will include a pool tournament, silent auction and raffle. Admission is $5. For more information, call (956) 722-2431. Laredo Community College vocalists will sing songs in various languages during the annual LCC Vocal Celebration Concert, which is from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. today in the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center theater. The concert is free and open to the public.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 The 19th annual MHMR secretaries’ luncheon and style show is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. today at the Laredo Country Club, 1415 Country Club Drive. The theme is “Come Fly With Me.” Vegas-style shows and fashion from Steinmart will be the highlights of the event. Tables for 10 are $600. For reservations, call Molly Martinez at 724-2300. A Vietnam-era veterans social event is from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. today in the Laredo Civic Center Ballroom, 800 Garden St. Vietnam-era verification is required. The Southwest Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Webb County Heritage Foundation announce a unique exhibit of rare photographs spotlighting the lost architectural heritage of Laredo. The public is invited to attend an opening reception for the “Lost Laredo” exhibit from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at the Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum, 810 Zaragoza St. For more information, contact the Webb County Heritage Foundation at (956) 727-0977 or heritage@webbheritage.org. Two award-winning, internationally acclaimed, multitalented Chicanas will be at the Laredo Public Library, 1120 East Calton Road, for An Evening of Stories and Poetry, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. today in the H-E-B Multi-Purpose Room. The event will feature native Laredoans Norma Cantú and Raquel Valle-Sentíes reading from their latest novel and book of poetry, respectively. The event is free to the public. The presentation will be filmed for a documentary on the Washington’s Birthday Celebration, tentatively titled “Las Martas,” by Cristina Ibarra.
THURSDAY, APRIL 28 A Veterans Baseball Field Celebration is from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. today at the field, 2200 Santa Maria Ave. The event is free.
SATURDAY, APRIL 30 The March of Dimes’ 2011 March for Babies is today from 8 a.m. to noon at Texas A&M International University. To register your family or company team, visit http://www.marchforbabies.org/. For more information, contact Luis Garcia, division director, at 1-800-580-3256 or LGarcia@marchofdimes.com. The first Zapata County Scouting Competition pitting the Zapata Girl Scouts vs. the Zapata Explorers, will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Zapata County Pavilion. For more information, call the Zapata Chamber of Commerce at (956) 765-4871.
THURSDAY, MAY 5 Zapata High School is having its annual Scholarship Night ceremony at 6 p.m. today at the high school auditorium. To sponsor a scholarship or for more information, call the ZHS counseling staff at 765-0280.
SATURDAY, MAY 7 A book sale will be held in the Widener Room of the First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave., from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donated books and magazines are accepted. Call 722-1674 for more information.
Photo by Rodger Mallison/Fort Worth Star-Telegram | AP
A home in the Gaines Bend neighborhood at Possum Kingdom Lake is burned to the ground but the one behind it appears unaffected as officials still try to deal with the wildfires and their aftermath in Palo Pinto County west of Fort Worth on Thursday.
Homes to be rebuilt By ANGELA K. BROWN AND LINDA STEWART BALL ASSOCIATED PRESS
POSSUM KINGDOM LAKE, Texas — Their homes have been reduced to a gray heap of ashes, and acres of trees turned into blackened sticks. Yet many who live in a lakeside community ravaged by a massive Texas wildfire — whether in a million-dollar mansion, a quaint lake house or a simple fishing cabin — say they hope to rebuild and get back to watching the wildlife and whiling away the hours with loved ones. “Possum Kingdom is a state of mind,” said Carolyn Bennis, whose dream house was destroyed in the fire that has charred nearly 150 square miles in three North Texas counties. “It’s not necessarily a place. It’s just your heart and you just get addicted to it.” Firefighters have contained about a fourth of the blaze, and U.S. Forest Service spokes-
woman Janice Gakin said law enforcement officers will escort residents into parts of the area to view the devastation firsthand Friday. The fire that erupted a week ago near the lake about 70 miles west of Fort Worth has destroyed about 160 of the community’s 3,000 homes — mostly belonging people who lived there on weekends or during the summer. “It will be years before this is back to what it used to be,” said Palo Pinto County Sheriff Ira Mercer, standing near a blackened field where the smell of smoke was thick and wind gusts blew ashes in the air. The blaze is one of several burning in the drought-stricken state, including two massive wildfires in West Texas. Since Jan. 1, wildfires have scorched more than 1.4 million acres in the state and led to the deaths of two firefighters.
was involved in the brib2 ex-Hidalgo County court Cantu ery scheme. workers plead to bribery Facebook bragging nabs 4 EDINBURG, Texas — Two in Houston bank robbery South Texas court employees who accepted bribes to fix misdemeanor cases will be sentenced in June. Plea deals have been accepted by now-former Hidalgo County Court-at-Law coordinator Daniel Vega and his assistant, Javier Mireles. Vega on Tuesday pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe. Mireles pleaded guilty April 14. Prosecutors recommend that each man spend five years in prison. An informant contacted the FBI in 2008 after witnessing Vega guarantee probation in a DWI case. Vega was offered $500. The driver received 90 days of probation. An affidavit says Vega asked for more than $4,000 to get a case thrown out, then accepted some cash. Investigators have said there’s no evidence that Judge Arnoldo
HOUSTON — Some Facebook bragging about bucks has led to four suspects accused of holding up a Houston bank. The postings about the March 23 robbery of International Bank of Commerce were included in a criminal complaint unsealed this week. The arrests, including two bank employees, were announced Thursday. A tip directed law officers to a pair of Facebook pages. One suspect’s Facebook page boasted: "IM RICH." Another said: "WIPE MY TEETH WITH HUNDREDS."
9 caught in alleged crack cocaine ring in Terrell DALLAS — Nine people have been arrested over an alleged Dallas-area cocaine distribution ring involving several relatives. Federal prosecutors say the
defendants in the Terrell drug investigation faced initial court appearances Friday in Dallas. Each is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute crack cocaine. Investigators say four of the nine suspects are related.
Fort Hood gets new commanding general FORT HOOD — Fort Hood has a new commanding general. Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell took command of the Texas Army post at a ceremony Thursday. Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, the departing commanding general, will take command of the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, Va. With Cone’s departure, now Campbell will decide whether Maj. Nidal Hasan will be courtmartialed and face the death penalty in the 2009 shootings at Fort Hood. Two Army colonels have made that recommendation. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Schweitzer seeks changes to bison relocation bill HELENA, Mont. — Gov. Brian Schweitzer has requested changes to a bill that prohibits the relocation of wild bison to a wildlife management area south of Avon, one of 14 vetoes by the governor. The Legislature approved Senate Bill 174 this month, which aims to stop the relocation of bison to the Spotted Dog Wildlife Management Area. Relocation of wild bison has been unpopular topic among ranchers who fear the transfer of disease to livestock and property damage from the massive animals. Critics of restrictive bison bills like SB174 say the wild animals need more land to roam than just Yellowstone National Park. On Thursday, Schweitzer requested lawmakers change SB174 to allow Spotted Dog to be considered as another possible
Today is Saturday, April 23, the 113th day of 2011. There are 252 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On April 23, 1616, English poet and dramatist William Shakespeare, 52, died on what has been traditionally regarded as the anniversary of his birth in 1564. On this date: In 1789, President-elect George Washington moved into the first executive mansion, the Franklin House, in New York. In 1791, the 15th president of the United States, James Buchanan, was born in Franklin County, Pa. In 1896, the Vitascope system for projecting movies onto a screen was publicly demonstrated in New York City. In 1910, former President Theodore Roosevelt delivered his famous “Man in the Arena” speech at the Sorbonne in Paris. In 1940, about 200 people died in the Rhythm Night Club Fire in Natchez, Miss. In 1954, Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves hit the first of his record 755 major-league home runs, in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. (The Braves won, 7-5.) In 1961, Judy Garland performed her legendary concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall. In 1968, student protesters began occupying buildings on the campus of Columbia University in New York; police put down the protests a week later. In 1969, Sirhan Sirhan was sentenced to death for assassinating New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. (The sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment.) In 1985, the Coca-Cola Co. announced it was changing the secret flavor formula for Coke (negative public reaction forced the company to resume selling the original version). Ten years ago: USS Greeneville Commander Scott Waddle was given a letter of reprimand as punishment for a submarine collision that killed nine people aboard a Japanese fishing vessel off Hawaii. Today’s Birthdays: Actress-turned-diplomat Shirley Temple Black is 83. Actor Lee Majors is 72. Irish nationalist Bernadette Devlin McAliskey is 64. Filmmaker-author Michael Moore is 57. Actress Jan Hooks is 54. Actress Valerie Bertinelli is 51. Actor George Lopez is 50. Rock musician Gen is 47. U.S. Olympic gold medal skier Donna Weinbrecht is 46. Actress Melina Kanakaredes (kah-nah-KAH’ree-deez) is 44. Rock musician Stan Frazier (Sugar Ray) is 43. Country musician Tim Womack (Sons of the Desert) is 43. Actor Scott Bairstow (BEHR’-stow) is 41. Actor Barry Watson is 37. Actor Kal Penn is 34. MLB All-Star Andruw Jones is 34. Actress Jaime King is 32. Actor Aaron Hill is 28. Actress Rachel Skarsten is 26. Tennis player Nicole Vaidisova (vay-deh-SOH’vuh) is 22. Actor Dev Patel (puh-TEHL’) (“Slumdog Millionaire”) is 21. Actor Matthew Underwood is 21. Actor Camryn Walling is 21. Thought for Today: “The remarkable thing about Shakespeare is that he is really very good — in spite of all the people who say he is very good.” — Robert Graves, English poet (1895-1985).
CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Business Manager, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 324-1226 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 Entertainment Editor, Emilio Rábago III ....... 728-2564 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavín-Castillo............ 728-2569 Online Editor, Julie Daffern ....................... 728-2565 Photo by Eliza Wiley/The Independent Record | AP
In this April 13 photo, Gov. Brian Schweitzer takes a branding iron to veto a bill at a ceremony on the steps of the state capitol in Helena, Mont. Schweitzer has vetoed several bills by Montana Republican legislators. transfer point for wild bison.
Rain forecast leaves Indiana bracing for flood DIANAPOLIS — Parts of central and southern Indiana this
weekend are bracing for some of the worst flooding in years, as another storm system follows 21 tornadoes and heavy rainfall that buffeted the state earlier in the week and caused moderate flooding. — 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
Zlocal
SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011
PAGE 3A
STUDENTS WITH CHARACTER
Scholarship Night nears Seniors to meet those who helped By ERICA MATOS THE ZAPATA TIMES
Courtesy photo
Villarreal Elementary has named its Students of the Week with Great Character. Bottom row left to right, Ricardo Carrizales, Manuel Grimaldo, Miguel Sanchez, Rodolfo Vargas, Maria Ayala. Second row bottom up left to right, Amanda Sanchez, Juan J. Gonzalez Mariana Vaughn, Miguel Esquivel, Maya Ayala, Jazmin Grimaldo, Luis Villafuerte, Kenya Nino. Third row left to right, Robert Camacho, Esteban Gonzalez, Cindy Zuniga, Luis Alberto Carmona, Amy Cardenas, Shelly Sanchez, Jesus Salinas, Jesus Araiza. Top row left to right, Jose Bravo, Rene Garcia III, Aaron Cruz, Alejandro Garcia, Katherine Sornia, Andrea Martinez, Stephanie Sedillo.
Next week is Dia del Niño By ERICA MATOS THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata will be celebrating Día del Niño next Saturday with a fun-filled day catering to its youthful citizens. The celebration will be held at Precinct 4’s Walking Park, located between 20th and 21st Street, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All Zapata County residents are invited to attend the festivities. “We’re going to be gathering together and offering food, games and prizes,” said Nina Gutierrez, a volunteer for Judge Fernando Muñoz’s office. Admission is free for everyone, and everyone is welcome. Those who attend can look forward to face painting, flying kites and frolicking in the moon
bounces. Volunteers will also distribute goodie bags among the children. The event’s success, according to Gutierrez, relies on the generosity of various donors. “Dr. Ike’s is going to be donating all the food, among other people who are making donations,” Gutierrez explained.
“Anybody that’s willing to come and volunteer … That would be greatly appreciated,” Gutierrez stated. This is the first year this event is taking place. Those interested in making donations, either money or prizes, can contact Garza at 765-6655, Muñoz at 765-9945 or Gutierrez at 750-0710.
Zapata High School has begun preparing for an event many students consider as momentous as the graduation ceremony: their Annual Scholarship Night Ceremony. At 6 p.m. May 5, eligible students will be able to meet the various local entities who generously donate to fund the education of Zapata’s highest achievers. “Businesses, organizations and individuals (are encouraged) to unite efforts and encourage our
students to go to college by donating a scholarship to one or more of our high school seniors,” stated Rachel L. Mejia, counselor, in a written statement. Donations range from $50 to $10,000, and anyone may make a donation. Those who wish to be contributors can donate to a specific student of their choice. Donors may also choose to review a packet of scholarship applicants. “We give the donors a lot freedom,” said Marta Rivera, Zapata High School counselor and primary event coordinator. Though the deadline for scholarship applications has passed, the deadline has not yet passed for do-
nors; thus, a student can submit an application for the opportunity to be included in the scholarship packets for donors who have yet to receive packets. So far, Zapata High School has seen many entities willing to assist these soon-to-be graduates. “We have about 130 donors,” said Rivera. “We have our regular donors who give us money every year.” This year, 171 students have already thrown their hats in the ring. The school’s goal is to award each student money to go toward their college educations. In the past, the high school has awarded up to $300 per applicant.
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Zopinion
SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Obama does a flip on the debt ceiling By JONATHAN GURWITZ SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
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rving Kristol, who managed to outgrow his youthful commitment to socialism, is credited with describing a neoconservative as “a liberal who had been mugged by reality.” Could it be that President Obama has been the victim of a similar mugging?
Earlier vote Back in 2006, Congress had the opportunity to engage in a debate about raising the nation’s debt limit. Then, the debt ceiling was just over $8 trillion. In order to avert a government shutdown and a disastrous loss of confidence in the U.S. Treasury, lawmakers faced a crucial vote on raising the ceiling by about $800 billion. “Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren,” argued one young senator who voted against raising the debt limit. “America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership.”
His own words That was no tea party firebrand. It wasn’t Jim DeMint from South Carolina or Tom Coburn from Oklahoma. It was Sen. Barack Obama, DIll. Now the debt ceiling is $14.3 trillion. According to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, the U.S. government will hit that legal limit no later than May 16. If the limit is not raised by July 8, the government will have to begin shutting down operations. Obama, rather than being a senator in the opposition, is now the president. For the first two years of his term, Democrats controlled both houses of Congress, including more than four months during which they held a supermajority in the Senate. And what is President Obama’s position about America’s debt problem and failures of leadership?
Another view “I think that it’s important to understand the vantage point of a senator versus the vantage point of a president,” he told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. “Nobody likes to be tagged as having increased the debt limit for the United States by a trillion dollars. As president, you start realizing,
‘You know what? We can’t play around with this stuff.”’ Call the Secret Service — there’s been a mugging at the White House.
Realities strike This is far from the only time, however, that President Obama has been mugged by the realities of the Oval Office. One of his first acts as president was to sign an executive order closing down the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay “no later than one year from the date of this order.” That was Jan. 22, 2009. The executive order was part of a broader pledge to dismantle the security apparatus created by the Bush administration following the 9-11 attacks, including the use of military commissions to try suspected terrorists, warrantless wiretaps and use of the state secrets privilege among a broad range of executive powers related to national defense.
Status quo Twenty-seven months later, Gitmo is still open. In March, the Obama administration ordered trials by military commission to resume at the facility. In federal court cases, the Obama Justice Department has defended warrantless wiretaps by invoking the state secrets privilege and arguing in one case that “the judiciary is particularly illequipped to secondguess” the executive branch’s determination of national security interests. So a politician broke some pledges, you might say. The sun rises in the east and the sky is blue. But these weren’t run-ofthe-mill pledges that can be blithely dismissed. They were at the core of a belief system that claimed these practices and the people advocating them were shredding the Constitution.
Which way? As with his acknowledgment that you can’t play around with the debt limit, President Obama’s adoption of his predecessor’s national security policies can be viewed in one of two ways. The charitable view is that the assault of presidential reality has caused him to outgrow deeply held yet mistaken convictions. The alternative is that a president of no convictions is in way over his head. (Email: jgurwitz@express-news.net)
EDITORIAL
Species act must be left alone NEW YORK TIMES
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s part of its budget bill, Congress approved a brief rider, 11 lines long, that removes gray wolves in Idaho and Montana from the protections of the Endangered Species Act. The rider overturns a recent court ruling and prohibits further judicial review. It sets a terrible precedent — allowing Congress to decide
the fate of animals on the list. The law’s purpose is to base protections on science. Now that politics has been allowed to trump science when it comes to the gray wolf, which species will be next? The rider’s sponsors, Sen. Jon Tester of Montana and Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho, were responding to the demands of ranchers, who sometimes lose live-
stock to wolves, and hunters, who complain that wolves reduce deer and elk populations. Surprisingly, they were abetted by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who declared last month that he would accept what he called a “legislative solution” to the status of the wolf in the Rocky Mountains. Idaho and Montana plan to allow controlled hunts.
COLUMN
Sliced brisket a better choice By JOHN KELSO COX NEWSPAPERS
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USTIN — State Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Van, is full of extra cheese for filing a resolution that would designate the hamburger as the Official State Sandwich of Texas. The resolution is still pending in committee. Good place for it. I don’t have anything against burgers. It’s just that you can go to, say, Delaware and get one. There’s nothing uniquely Texan about a burger. The state sandwich should be the sliced BBQ brisket sandwich with pickles, onions, a little sauce, on squishy Mrs. Baird’s white bread. You can’t get that in New Hampshire. Or, before 11 a.m, it should be the breakfast taco. You’re probably thinking Flynn’s burger efforts are frivolous. (He couldn’t be reached for comment; could you?) Maybe so. In case the hamburger can’t fulfill its duties as the state’s official sandwich, does the ham on rye fill in? On Flynn’s website, it says, “Vision, Value and Leadership.” It should say, “Lettuce, Tomato and Onion.” This kind of critical thinking is nothing new for the Legislature. Texas
is just lousy with officially designated state thises and thats. I’ve got one list that covers 38 officially designated items and another that includes 59 towns dubbed Texas capitals of pancakes, peaches, pump jacks, you name it. Did you know Houston Black is the state soil? There was a move afoot a few years back to make the devil’s cigar the official state fungus. I thought Kinky Friedman’s cigar was the official state fungus. Anyway, the official state fungus didn’t make it through the House. This being a Republican state, Bill Clinton’s cigar probably would have made it through the House. Anahuac is the alligator capital of Texas. The state molecule is the buckyball. Brownsville is the state chess capital. Knox City is the seedless watermelon capital of Texas. No word here on the whereabouts of the seeded watermelon capital. But Odessa is the Jackrabbit-Roping Capital of Texas. Get a rope. And the state grass is sideoats grama, except in Austin, where grass is the official state grass. OK, so it’s not. But it should be. And the official state sandwich here in Austin should be the brie and tofu panini. These designations don’t just happen by themselves.
The man behind the movement to make the burger the official state sandwich is Rick Vanderpool, 61, a former constituent of Flynn and a Lubbock photographer, writer and artistic poster designer. “I made the joke that if it doesn’t pass, the Legislature is a bunch of vegetarians, or a bunch of cardcarrying PETA members,” Vanderpool said. Vanderpool drives all over the state taking pictures of, say, barbecue joint signs, various things shaped like stars, wildflowers or, in this case, hamburger place signs. Then he’ll turn his photos into a Texan icon theme poster. He has a new one out that features 450 hamburger joints, including some Austin places: Dan’s, Fran’s, Dirty’s, Top Notch and Hut’s among them. Vanderpool came by the hamburger as royalty idea the same way most great ideas are sprung. “Well, a buddy of mine and I were having a beer,” he said. The friend told Vanderpool the hamburger was invented in Athens, Texas. “And I said, ’You’re kidding me.’” So Vanderpool contacted Athens, previously designated by the Legislature as the Original Home of the Hamburger, and started a
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure
our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No namecalling 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.
The best hope for the wolves is that the states adhere to their management plans and not let the hunts get out of control. Salazar has made it harder to uphold the integrity of a law that has withstood attacks from industry, ranchers, real estate developers and their political allies. Other protected species like the grizzly bear could now face their own “legislative solution.”
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
movement. “They gave me some gas money and dubbed me the Hambassador,” he said. Vanderpool has done this kind of work before. He says he’s the guy who got Commerce designated the Bois d’Arc Capital of Texas. “It’s referred to as the horse apple or the hedge apple or the osage orange,” Vanderpool said. “It’s an amazing tree.” I’ll bet that packs ’em in over in Commerce. Vanderpool adds he helped Friona get named the Cheeseburger Capital of Texas. He says in Friona he’s known as “The Big Cheese.” If you ask me, the claim that Athens is the original home of the hamburger is based on skimpy evidence. The story goes that in the late 1800s, a man named Fletcher Davis developed the burger, then sold them at his lunch counter on the Athens courthouse square. While selling burgers at an exposition in St. Louis in 1904, “the novelty of the hamburger so impressed a reporter from the New York Tribune that he even mentioned it in a newspaper article,” the resolution says. What that tells me is that Davis gave the reporter a free hamburger. (Email: jkelso@statesman.com.)
SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Man’s lifeless body found Monday at park By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ LAREDO MORNING TIMES
A man known for his love for jogging and weightlifting was killed after a suspected auto-pedestrian collision reported Monday night on Del Mar Street, behind Romeo T. Flores Park. On Friday afternoon, bright spray-painted orange markings on the street were still visible. That indicated the area where authorities found the body of Jonathan Garcia, a Zapata High School graduate. He was 21. Details on his death were not immediately available. While the Department of Public Safety investigated, family gathered at the Garcia residence in the 2500 block of Brazos Street to remember Jonathan. Agustin Garcia, his father, recalled that his son went out to jog that night at Romeo T. Flores Park. Agustin felt strange that his son had not returned.
Photo by Cesar G. Rodriguez | The Zapata Times
Orange paint on a street at Romeo T. Flores Park marks the spot where Johnathan Garcia, 21, was found Monday. He was reportedly the victim of an auto-pedestrian accident. He went to buy some tostadas for supper, while the family played Monopoly. He did not see his son running on the streets he would usually run at. Later that night, around
1:30 a.m., Agustin got worried and called the Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office. Authorities then told him about the accident. Officials had trouble locating the next of kin because
Jonathan did identification.
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have
Agustin said a relative recognized his son from pictures from the scene. Family members say there are more questions than answers. Julio Valadez, Jonathan’s uncle, said he cannot believe how someone could not see his 5-foot, 11inch nephew jogging on Del Mar, noting the street is well lit. “Besides, no one should be driving fast in that area,” he said. Family members want to know what led to their loved one’s demise. “It’s a park. Someone must have seen something,” Valadez said. “It makes you feel powerless … He was like my son.” Dalia N. Bernal, Jonathan’s sister, echoed the thought. “We want justice,” she said. Agustin said he doesn’t want to see this in-
cident go unpunished. Jonathan had recently turned 21. He did not want a birthday party. Instead, Jonathan wanted to borrow his dad’s F150 pickup to go cruising on U.S. 83. Agustin said his son washed it and left it impeccable. “He was the kind of guy who would do things right,” his father said. Jonathan aspired to become a Marine. Every day, people could see him jogging from his home on Brazos to the Romeo T. Flores Park. That’s approximately a 2.5-mile run. At home, Jonathan continued his workout with free weights. In addition, he would play soccer. “He was full of life,” Bernal said. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
THE BLOTTTER ASSAULT An assault was reported at 6:13 p.m. April 16 in the vicinity of Ramireño, north of Zapata. An aggravated assault report was filed at 6:54 p.m. April 17 concerning an incident in the intersection of Seventh Street and Falcon Avenue in the Medina Addition.
substance incident was reported at noon Wednesday in the vicinity of 10th Street and Medina Avenue.
RECKLESS DRIVING A reckless driving report was filed at 2:20 a.m. Monday in the vicinity of Villa Avenue in the Medina Addition.
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FIRE A fire was reported at 6:10 p.m. April 16 in Lopeño, south of First Street. Deputies say bales of hay were on fire.
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INTERESADO DE VENDER SU CARRO O TROCA? A possession of a controlled substance incident was reported at 2:15 a.m. April 17 in the 2500 block of Brazos Street. A possession of a controlled
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FAIR HOUSING STATEMENT Zapata County hereby declares its support of fair housing practices. It is hereby declared that the policy of the county is to bring about, through fair housing and orderly and lawful procedures, the opportunity for each of its residents to obtain housing without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental handicap, marital status, parenthood, or age. It is further declared that such policy is established upon a recognition of the inalienable rights of each individual to obtain housing and further that denial of such rights is detrimental to the health, safety, and welfare of the inhabitants of the county and constitutes and unjust denial or deprivation of such inalienable rights, which is within the power and the proper responsibility of government to prevent. Zapata County has a Fair Housing Policy that can be examined and copied by groups or interested individuals at Zapata County Judge’s Office located at the Zapata County Courthouse, between the hours 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Zapata County has proclaimed the Month of April “Fair Housing Month”, copies of the official proclamation are available to the public at the above address at the hours stated. This year marks the Forty Third (43rd ) Anniversary of the National Fair Housing Law. To promote fair housing practices, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. For more information or to report Fair Housing Discrimination, call the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-669-9777.
PROCLAMATION OF APRIL AS FAIR HOUSING MONTH WHEREAS
Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended, prohibits discrimination in housing and declares it a national policy to provide, within constitutional limits, for fair housing in the United States; and
WHEREAS
The principle of Fair Housing is not only national law and national policy, but a fundamental human concept and entitlement for all Americans; and
WHEREAS
The Forty Third Anniversary of the National Fair Housing Law, during the month of April, provides an opportunity for all Americans to recognize that complete success in the goal of equal housing opportunity can only be accomplished with the help and cooperation of all Americans.
NOW, THEREFORE, WE, the Commissioner’s Court of Zapata County, do proclaim April as Fair Housing Month in the County of Zapata and do hereby urge all the citizens of this locality to become aware of and support the Fair Housing Law. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have affixed our signatures and seal on this the 11th day of April, 2011.
EXCESSIVE FORCE RESOLUTION A resolution establishing rules and regulations regarding the use of excessive force during nonviolent civil rights demonstrations, including physically barring entrance to a facility or location which is the subject of such demonstration, and providing penalties for violations thereof: In the following County of Zapata, State of Texas, as follows:
ZAPATA COUNTY POLICY OF NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY OF NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAPPED STATUS The County of Zapata does not discriminate on the basis of handicapped status in the Admission or access to, or employment in, its program or activities. Nellie Trevino, Personnel Manager Director has been designated to coordinate compliance with the Nondiscrimination requirements contained in 51.55 of the revenue sharing regulations.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT The County of Zapata does not discriminate on the basis of color, national origin, sex, Religion, age and handicapped status in employment or the provision of services.
A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNTY OF ZAPATA, TEXAS ADOPTING A LOCAL OPPORTUNITY PLAN The County of Zapata, agrees to implement the following affirmative action steps to increase the utilization of business concerns located within its boundaries. • Identify eligible business concerns for TCDP assisted contracts through: The Chamber of Commerce, the Urban League, local advertising media, including public signage, project area comities citizen advisory groups, lists from local HUD officials, regional planning agencies, and all other appropriate referral resources. • Maintain a list of eligible business concerns for utilization in TCDP funded procurement, to insure that all appropriate project area businesses are notified of pending contractual opportunities, and to make the list available for general city procurement needs. • Require all bidders on contract to submit a written Local Opportunity Plan including utilization goals and specific steps planned to accomplish these goals. • Insure that contracts, which are let on a negotiated rather than a bid basis in areas other than the project area, are also let on a negotiated basis, wherever feasible in the project area. • Maintain records, including copies of correspondence, memoranda, etc., which document that all of the above affirmative action steps have been taken. • Appoint an executive official of the County as Equal Opportunity Officer to coordinate the implementation of this plan.
Passed and adopted by the Zapata County Commissioners Court, State of Texas, on the 11th day of April, 2011.
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011
Veteran donates ring from Iwo Jima conflict By LYNN BREZOSKY SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
HARLINGEN — The gold Marine Corps ring was exchanged 66 years ago, on board a World War II transport barge docked at Honolulu. Neither Harlon Block nor Glen Cleckler knew where they were going, but Block sensed he’d never make it back alive. He didn’t. He and Cleckler landed separately on the island of Iwo Jima, two farm boys from deep South Texas. Block was killed, but not before achieving immortality as one of the six men photographed raising a U.S. flag in what became an iconic image of valor. The photo by Joe Rosenthal inspired the bronze sculpture next to Arlington National Cemetery. The plaster model for the sculpture was brought to the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen in 1982, and Block’s body was reinterred there for the 50th anniversary in 1995.
Cleckler always wore the ring Block had handed him in February 1945. He visited Block’s mother in Weslaco that April, and she asked him to keep it. It stayed on his finger through his military police and color guard duties at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, his football career with the Bobcats at Southwest State Teachers College in San Marcos, and his years as a Harlingen teacher, coach, high school principal, husband and father. But on Thursday, Cleckler, now 86, said it was time to pass it on. He is the last of his cohort of eight high school students who graduated early to go to war, he said, and when he joins other local veterans for coffee, he’s one of only two remaining who served in World War II. Some of his “kids,” as he calls former students, are passing middle age. He thinks sometimes his memory slips, though a word can quickly nudge him back to one of his stories. In a small ceremony in
front of Block’s grave marker, Cleckler handed the ring to Brig. Gen. Stephen Cheney, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.), the academy’s president. It will be displayed at the school’s Iwo Jima Memorial Museum. “I had second thoughts, until I think about how old I am,” he said after the ceremony. “There’s not many World War II vets that you can sit down and talk to any more. . . . All my buddies are gone. My kids all grew up.” It’s a reluctant separation, Cleckler said. “That ring could tell a long story,” he said. “It has quite a lot of mileage on it, even after it came back to the States.” Block purchased the ring at a PX in 1943. He had already seen combat when he bumped into Cleckler while on liberty in Hawaii, and said he had a bad feeling about the next campaign. “I told him to go jump in the lake,” Cleckler remembered. “But he got that look in his face. A lot of guys got that feeling.”
Actor to seek Ph.D. in Houston HOUSTON — James Franco has won a muchsought-after spot in a University of Houston creative writing program. The university confirms that the actor nominated for the 2010 Academy Award for best actor in “127 Hours” has been accepted for the school’s doctoral program in literature and creative writing. Creative writing program director James Kastely tells the Houston Chronicle that Franco plans to enroll in September 2012. Franco publicist Robin Baum did not respond to telephone and email messages Thursday.
ACTOR JAMES FRANCO: Has a spot in a creative writing program. Kastely says 20 students are chosen from about 400 applicants each year.
The 33-year-old actor co-hosted the 83rd Academy Awards with actress Anne Hathaway in February. He has been studying in a doctoral program in English at Yale University this spring.
SÁBADO 23 DE ABRIL DE 2011
Agenda en Breve SÁBADO 23 DE ABRIL AVISO: El vertedero y centro de reciclaje municipal está cerrado hoy y 24 de abril. La Biblioteca Pública Municipal y la sucursal en Plaza Bruni estarán cerradas desde hoy y hasta el domingo. AVISO NUEVO LAREDO: Las ventanillas para pago del impuesto predial permanecen abiertas hoy en la Torre Administrativa Municipal (Palomar) y en el módulo de Wal-Mart, de 9 a.m. a 2 p.m. Se da 8 por ciento de descuento por pago anticipado y 50 por ciento para adultos mayores, personas con capacidades diferentes, jubilados y pensionados. PECTO-North, 2450 Monarch Drive, invita a evento con motivo de la Pascua con la realización de un concurso de dibujos infantiles y la adopción de gatos. Pase la tarde en el Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU y disfrute “The Little Star That Could” a las 12 p.m., “One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure” a la 1 p.m. y “The Little Star That Could” a las 2 p.m. Costo: 5 dólares general y 4 dólares para niños. Béisbol: Dustdevil’s de TAMIU reciben a Texas A&M University-Kingsville a la 1 p.m. y 4 p.m. en el diamante universitario. Costo: 5 dólares general y 3 dólares para estudiantes. NUEVO LAREDO — Estación Palabra invita a Charla para niños sobre el libro infantil y juvenil, “Un viaje de cuentos al mundo de Hans Christian Andersen” a las 2 p.m. en el área de infantil de Estación Palabra. NUEVO LAREDO — Actividades para niños en el área infantil de Estación Palabra presenta “Tres Cuentos de Pascua” a las 2:30 p.m. NUEVO LAREDO — Estación Palabra invita a “Un recorrido por el libro”, Charla con Marcos Rodríguez, Premio Nacional de Periodismo, en conmemoración del Día Mundial del Libro, a las 3 p.m.
DOMINGO 24 DE ABRIL CONCURSO: La oficina de la Juez de la Corte Municipal de Laredo Rosie Cuellar Castillo invita a estudiantes de 17 a 21 años de edad a diseñar una mascota y crear un nombre con slogan positivo para promover la obediencia de la ley vial y seguridad en general. Fecha límite para participar es el viernes 13 de mayo.
LUNES 25 DE ABRIL AVISO: La Biblioteca en la Plaza Bruni se encuentra cerrada el día de hoy. Abre nuevamente el martes 26 de abril. AVISO: Las oficinas administrativas del Condado de Webb estarán cerradas hoy y el lunes 25 de abril debido a la Pascua, incluyendo la Oficina de la Asesora/Recaudadora de Impuestos. Hoy es la ceremonia de reconocimiento, recuerdo y proclamación de los veeranos de Vietnam, héroes olvidados de Laredo, hoy a las 10 a.m. en la Sala de Cabildo de la Ciudad de Laredo, 1110 de calle Houston. Como orador invitado estará el veterano de Laredo, Erasmo Elias Riojas, de la Naval de EU. Asista a las clases para alumbramiento de 6 p.m. a 8 p.m. en el Centro Educativo para Mujeres de Doctor’s Hospital. Evento gratuito.
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 7A
SUPUESTOS ZETAS LANZAN ATAQUE A LO LARGO DE MIGUEL ALEMÁN
Ciudad sufre atentado THE (MCALLEN) MONITOR
Un convoy de hombres armados supuestamente perteneciendo a los Zetas atacó la ciudad el jueves disparándole, vandalizando e incendiando la central de la Policía Estatal de Tamaulipas, la central del tránsito local y casi una docena de edificios en Miguel Alemán, según las autoridades. El ataque resultó en la muerte de un civil y varios pistoleros. Según la información comunicada por la Secretaría Nacional de Defensa (SeDeNa), un enfrentamiento contra civiles armados resultó en la muerte de un pistolero y en el arresto de otros 11. También reportaron la muerte de un militar. También el jueves, la cifra de cuerpos hallados en fosas comunes en áreas rurales de San Fernando aumentó a 177. Los Zetas están acusados de matar a esas personas y ocultarlas en varias fosas comunes, de las cuales la más reciente fue descubierta el martes. El ataque inició alrededor de las 5:15 a.m. del jueves y continuó hasta las 7:30 a.m., cuando el ejército mexicano logró provocar que los ma-
leantes huyeran del pueblo, dijo un oficial que pidió permanecer en el anonimato por razones de seguridad. La SeDeNa transmitió un comunicado de prensa que no menciona al civil muerto o a los demás pistoleros reportados por el oficial del orden público. Uno de los grupos permaneció en Miguel Alemán y se midió ante el ejército mientras el otro huyó hacia Ciudad Mier. Como resultado del enfrentamiento, el ejército mexicano reportó el decomiso de 20 armas largas, ocho granadas, más de 300 cargadores y más de 7,600 municiones. Según la 8va Zona Militar en Reynosa, los Zetas también atentaron contra una patrulla militar sobre la Carretera Ribereña antes del ataque sobre Miguel Alemán que provocó la movilización de tropas militares hacia el área. También, antes del arribo del ejército, cuando los Zetas llegaron al pueblo, ellos empezaron a disparar en contra de centrales policíacas y en contra de edificios y unidades de patrullaje al igual que causar otros daños, dijo el oficial de
orden público mexicano. El grupo luego recorrió el pueblo disparando en contra e incendiando una cantidad de edificios destacados a lo largo de la avenida principal de la ciudad, incluyendo los concesionarios Ford y Nissan, una tienda de autopartes, una mueblería grande y un negocio de autos usados. Durante el alboroto, un empleado de la embotelladora Coca-Cola fue muerto mientras se dirigía hacia el trabajo. Su nombre no fue comunicado ya que se encuentra pendiente la notificación a sus familiares, dijo el oficial del orden público. Cuando fuerzas militares arribaron cerca del fin del atentado, surgió un enfrentamiento. En el caso de San Fernando, la Procuraduría General de la Republica (PGR) anunció la detención de otro policía municipal de San Fernando que es acusado de formar parte del grupo de policías que proveyeron protección para los Zetas durante la realización de las masacres. El oficial Joel Reséndiz Moreno fue presentado el jueves por la tarde por parte de la PGR mientras la agencia solicitó la ayuda del pú-
TAMAULIPAS
blico en presentarse y levantar cargos en contra del hombre en conexión al caso. Él representa el 17o oficial en ser detenido en relación al caso. La Procuraduría General de Tamaulipas (PGJE), dijo el jueves que las primeras fosas comunes fueron descubiertas el 1 de abril, y desde entonces las autoridades han continuado hallando más. La fosa más reciente fue encontrada el martes cuando autoridades descubrieron seis fosas con seis cuerpos adicionales. De los 177 cadáveres, 122 pueden ser vinculados con la investigación de una sucesión de autobuses secuestrados el mes pasado, según un comunicado de prensa de la PGJE. Los otros 55 cuerpos habían estado sepultados por un período más largo y no están relacionados con la investigación, según la PGJE. La agencia también dijo que a partir del miércoles 345 individuos se han presentado para buscar a familiares desaparecidos, 237 de ellos han presentado denuncias por la desaparición de un ser querido y 280 han entregado muestras de ADN para fines de investigación.
AGRICULTURA
Productores recibirían apoyo económico TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
Trabajadores realizan el remozamiento de edificios y servicios públicos dentro del programa de rescate de ciudades y plan de trabajo temporal, en Ciudad Mier, México.
REHABILITACIÓN FRONTERIZA Gobierno aplica estímulos TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
“C
omunidades fuertes para todos” es un programa del Gobierno de Tamaulipas que aplica estímulos para responder a las demandas de las familias en la frontera chica, como son los residentes en Ciudad Mier, Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, Miguel Alemán, Camargo y Díaz Ordaz. En los cinco municipios destaca la rehabilitación de fachadas de negocios, casas y edificios históricos que resultaron afectados como producto de hechos delictivos. En comunicado de prensa se informa que los hechos delictivos se han reducido drásticamente lo que permitió que este año se realizara una pollada en el marco del 258 Aniversario de la Fundación de Ciudad Mier y que en Miguel Alemán se reanudará su Feria local. El coordinador general del programa, Mario Leal Rodríguez informó que el programa ha otorgado 600 empleos temporales y 14,500 apoyos patrimoniales en los cinco municipios de la Ribereña. También se ha dotado de retroexcavadoras y motoconformadoras para impulsar tra-
CD. VICTORIA — Alrededor de 5,000 productores de Tamaulipas podrían recibir apoyos emergentes del gobierno para sobrellevar las afectaciones que han sufrido a causa de la sequía. La Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación (SAGARPA) anunció que productores pasando por una etapa difícil pueden solicitar un subsidio ascendente hasta 3.500 pesos. “Este programa emergente otorga apoyos para el ganado como melaza, sales minerales y pacas, entre otros”, dijo el Secretario de Desarrollo Rural en Tamaulipas, Jorge Reyes Moreno. La SAGARPA espera que los beneficios ayuden a los productores que se han visto afectados por las altas temperaturas y la prolongada ausencia de precipitaciones pluviales que provocan la muerte del ganado. Reyes explicó que ante la incertidumbre climatológica que se presenta en Tamaulipas por las recurrentes sequías que afectan severamente la economía del sector pecuario, decidieron solidarizarse y trabajar de cerca con los productores. Productores interesados en solicitar el subsidio deben acudir a la Asociación Ganadera de su ciudad y llenar una solicitud. “Con el estímulo podrán comprar insumos anexando copia fotostática de su fierro de registro, su credencial de elector y la Clave Única de Registro de Población”, dijo Reyes. De igual manera se anunció la activación del Programa emergente por causas climatológicas, solicitando el pago del 100 por ciento de la cuota que les corresponde a través del Programa de Apoyos Directos al campo. “En el caso de los productores afectados por bajas temperaturas, se está gestionando brindarles el apoyo correspondiente a través del Programa de Prevención y Manejo de Riesgos en el renglón de desastres naturales, en los sectores agropecuario y pesquero”, agregó.
Ciclo agrícola Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
La nueva planta tratadora de aguas en Ciudad Mier, México, pronto entrará en funciones, conforme lo acordaron el Gobierno de Tamaulipas y el municipal. bajos de rehabilitación de caminos, encalichamiento y pavimentación de calles, limpieza de predios y basureros clandestinos, agregó Leal. “Los alcaldes Alberto González Peña (Mier), Ramón Rodríguez Garza (Miguel Alemán), María del Carmen Rocha Hernández (Camargo), Humberto Roque Cuellar (Díaz Ordaz) y Luis Gerardo Ramos Gómez (Guerrero), reconocen la voluntad política del Gobernador Egidio Torre Cantú para ayudarlos a sacar adelante a sus respectivos municipios”, sostuvo. El comunicado explica que “Comunidades fuertes para todos” es el instrumentado para resarcir daños colaterales, dar empleos temporales y apoyos patrimoniales, otorgar maqui-
naria en comodato, restablecer servicios públicos como recolección de basura y alumbrado, garantizar el apoyo de las diversas Secretarías estatales, así como dotar de servicios de educación, salud y cultura, entre otros, a ciudades en la frontera chica. “(Se han) reforzado los servicios de salud, de educación y cultura destinando el personal que se requería en nuestros municipios”, dijo González Peña. En el caso de Ciudad Mier, González Peña sostuvo que las 72 peticiones de ayuda planteadas al Gobierno de Tamaulipas, le han sido cumplidas, incluyendo que en un lapso de 45 días será puesta en funcionamiento una planta potabilizadora de agua.
Concluyó el ciclo agrícola otoño-invierno 2010-2011, con 788,000 hectáreas sembradas, principalmente de sorgo. “Tamaulipas registró un avance de siembras de 90 por ciento en relación con el programa agrícola propuesto”, dijo Reyes. “Para el presente ciclo agrícola se había programado sembrar 885,000 hectáreas con una producción estimada en 3 millones de toneladas de sorgo y maíz en sus variedades blanco y amarillo”. Recordó que con motivo de las contingencias climatológicas que se presentaron a finales del 2010 e inicio del presente año, la ausencia de lluvias en el sur del estado y las bajas temperaturas en la región norte, fue necesario reprogramar las siembras y ampliar fechas. Los cultivos más relevantes sembrados hasta el momento son: sorgo, con 665,000 hectáreas que representan el 84 por ciento y una producción estimada de 3, 011,000 toneladas; maíz amarillo, con 68,000 hectáreas equivalentes al 8.6 por ciento y un producción estimada de 403,000 toneladas; y maíz blanco, con 26,000 hectáreas que significan el 3.2 por ciento y una producción estimada en 95,000 toneladas.
ZEntertainment
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011
Courtesy photo
DJ Tiesto, one of the world’s most prominent DJ/producers, will perform at the Laredo Energy Arena in May. Tickets go on sale next Saturday, and will range from $30 to $100, plus facility fees.
World-famous DJ Tiesto to play in Laredo
Photo by Ricardo Arduengo | AP
Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin performs in concert in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on March 25. The concert marked the opening night of Martin’s Musica+Alma+Sexo world tour.
Ricky Martin returns to LEA By EMILIO RÁBAGO III
By EMILIO RÁBAGO III THE ZAPATA TIMES
The biggest name in electronic music is making its way to Laredo and the Laredo Energy Arena. Global Groove London announced on Friday that DJ Tiesto, the world’s top DJ/producer for three consecutive years, will be performing live. Tiesto, who was recently on South Padre Island for a spring break concert, will be in Laredo on Sunday, May 29. The Memorial Day Weekend concert follows Tiesto’s most successful concert in South Texas. He played at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in front of 13,000 fans from throughout South Texas and northern Mexico in March. Hundreds of Laredoans made the trip for that concert. “It’s going to be monumental,” said Paul Magee of Global Groove. “My dream is now coming true.” Magee has been in Laredo for about six years now, and has worked on some of the biggest concerts at the arena. He’s the promoter who brought in the first major hip hop act when Atlanta’s T.I. performed. He also brought Lil Wayne to Lare-
do, just weeks before the rapper was to report to jail. At the time, Lil Wayne was the hottest artist in America, with several hits topping the mainstream charts. “The world’s biggest DJ is coming to my adopted hometown,” said Magee, who is originally from England. Tiesto is known for attracting hundreds of thousands of fans to festivals and clubs across Europe and the rest of the world. He was the first DJ to perform at the opening ceremony for the Summer Olympic games, having played at the 2004 games in Athens, Greece. Tiesto’s performance at the Laredo Energy Arena will start at 6 p.m. and will end at 2 a.m., giving the arena a club-like ambience. Tickets go on sale Saturday, April 30, at 10 a.m. Tickets are $30-$50 for bowl seating, plus fees, and general admission on the floor is $50. Special VIP tickets for the floor area will be $100, plus facility fees. Tickets will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, including the LEA box office, and Ticketmaster.com. (Emilio Rábago III may be reached at 728-2564 or erabago@lmtonline.com)
THE ZAPATA TIMES
Martin is his last name. But in the entertainment world, especially the Latin music realm, Ricky suffices. While he’s not really a one-name star such as Madonna, Pele or Beyoncé, Ricky Martin is just as famous. Almost exactly four years after his initial appearance in the Gateway City, the global superstar is returning. He performed here for the first time on May 11, 2004, at the then-Laredo Entertainment Center. This time around, he’ll play at the same building — now called the Laredo Energy Arena — on Tuesday at 8 p.m. Expect an elaborate production. Last year, the accomplished performer made
headlines when he publicly came out as gay via his Twitter account. Some might have thought that his revelation would hurt him in frequently homophobic Latin America, one of his largest fan bases, but make no mistake, the Puerto Rican singer is still one of the world’s biggest acts. He’s transcended his roots in Latin music after crossing over to English, packing stadiums across the globe. Some of his songs are translated from Spanish to English; in this town, he could go either way. His first English album was released in 1999 and there are few who don’t recognize “Livin’ La Vida Loca” — a mega hit across the
Planet Earth. Ricky Martin is touring behind his newest album, “Música+Alma+Sexo,” which has already spawned several hit singles. His music has been popular for decades, dating back to when Ricky was in Menudo, a Latino boy-band that was wildly popular in the late 1970s and 1980s. Some Laredoans have been following Ricky ever since. He has sold more than 60 million copies worldwide, receiving numerous awards. He’s starred in television shows such as “General Hospital” and “Alcanzar una Estrella.” Martin also has used his star power for humanitar-
ian efforts. When a huge earthquake stuck Haiti in January 2010, Ricky Martin was on the ground with Habitat for Humanity in the days following the natural disaster. He’s been recognized for his passion, with awards such as the Leadership in the Arts Award, Hispanic Heritage Award, the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award and the International Humanitarian Award. Tickets for Ricky Martin’s concert are still available via Ticketmaster. They range from $80.50 to $126, plus facility fees. Doors open at 7 p.m. For more information, call the LEA at 712-2825.
SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
RE-ENACTING CHRIST’S PASSION
JONATHAN GARCIA Jonathan Garcia, 21, passed away Monday, April 18, 2011, in Zapata. Jonathan is preceded in death by his grandmother, Maria de Jesus Garcia. Jonathan is survived by his parents: Agustin R. and Dalia Y. Garcia; brothers: Saul (Yarni) Garcia and Agustin R. Garcia Jr.; sisters: Dalia N. (Pablo) Bernal, Garcia, Yaranis Garcia and Barbara Garcia; nephews: Saul Garcia Jr. and Pablo Bernal III; nieces: Mia Garcia and Brianna Bernal; paternal grandfather, Agustin Garcia; maternal grandparents: Sergio Valadez and Herlinda Sifuentes; and by numerous other family members and many friends. Visitation hours were held Thursday, April 21, 2011, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. with Catholic service at 10 a.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home.
Re-enactors take part in a Good Friday Passion Procession through downtown San Antonio on Friday.
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.
Photo by Eric Gay | AP
The faith in our Easter traditions A
lleluia! He is risen! I greet you with these words of unbridled joy and enthusiasm for Easter Sunday. Many of you will gather Sunday in celebration of Easter. The smoke of backyard barbecues fills the air with the intense aroma of mesquite, the shrieks of children chasing after each other with colorful cascarones and the laughter of family and friends enjoying quality time together brings to mind fond memories of Easter Sunday celebrations past. And in Laredo, some of you might even head to another tradition-filled destination for your familial celebration — Lake Casa Blanca. As the spiritual leader of the Catholic community, I invite you to remember that all our traditions during this time of the year have faith connotations.
Cascarones Take, for example, the cascarones. These colored eggs filled with confetti engage and inspire both young and old alike to partake in an afternoon of revelry. The egg symbolizes new life.
“
JAMES TAMAYO
The confetti hidden inside the egg reminds us of how Jesus was buried in the tomb and was hidden from the world. As the colorful confetti surprises Easter revelers, it should also remind us of the glorious resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who offers us the gift of eternal life. The resurrection of Jesus Christ erases the despair in our life and replaces it with an opportunity for eternal salvation with our Father in heaven. The Resurrection also serves as an opportunity for a new beginning in our life. However, the seed to start a new life needs to be planted and nurtured in our faith-filled sanctuaries. If not, the opportunity to start anew can be swept away like the confetti during the after-party cleanup. Each Easter egg reminds us to reflect on the true meaning and source of this joyous celebration. We should never forget that He
offered His life for our eternal salvation. When that seed is cultivated and we develop a relationship with God, it lasts beyond this lifetime. As in the Christian tradition, when someone passes from this earth, we are reminded that life does not end but changes. On Easter Sunday, we gather around the family table to break bread together. Whether indoors or outdoors, warmth and laughter spill over as we spend time face-to-face sharing our bounty and sharing our stories. Another wonderful way, then, to begin the Easter celebration is with our brothers and sisters in our communities of faith who gather at the table of the Lord.
Every Sunday Every Sunday is Easter Sunday as a community gathers to commemorate the resurrection of our redeemer, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Every Sunday is a celebration of joy and resurrection. Every Sunday is an opportunity for us to bring our families together in unity with our brothers and sisters in faith to honor the
life, death and resurrection of Jesus. And in our Catholic tradition, every Mass is an opportunity to witness the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. This miracle unites us with the real presence of the risen Lord. Believers throughout the world renew and strengthen their relationship with God and serve as witnesses to Christ’s death and resurrection when we participate in Holy Mass. It also serves as a time to reconcile with the Father and to unite us as one family of love. With all this in mind, I encourage and invite you to discover the deeper meaning of Easter. I urge you to join me in drawing closer to God through active participation in worship services. And I extend my blessing to you during this glorious and most holy Easter season. May you and your loved ones discover the joy of living life in union with our Holy Redeemer, Todo Con Amor. (James A. Tamayo is Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Laredo, which includes parishes in 11 cities, including Zapata.)
Senate committee approves budget plan By APRIL CASTRO ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — A Texas Senate committee on Thursday approved the use of $3 billion from the state’s Rainy Day Fund to help bring into balance the $176 billion state budget proposal for the next two years. In all funds, the Senate plan would still make about $11 billion in cuts, compared to the current budget. But the cuts are
much less severe than those in the bare-bones House version. Bracing for a fight, Republican Sen. Steve Ogden said he’s prepared to defend the legislation to get it to the governor’s desk. “This bill keeps Texas government functioning and essential services available to Texans without doing harm to the private sector,” he said, shortly after the bill was approved. “It doesn’t generously meet
the essential needs of Texas, but I think it’s adequate and I think in these circumstances adequate is a pretty big deal.” The state is facing a revenue shortfall of at least $15 billion. The hole is partially because of the economic downturn, but a structural deficit in the state’s taxing system also has contributed to the gap. Despite resistance from conservatives, including many in the House and
Gov. Rick Perry, Ogden said he couldn’t have gotten the bill out of committee without tapping the Rainy Day Fund, the state’s reserve fund. The contingency language only allows money to be used as a last resort and requires the money be spent on public school operations. Thursday’s 11-4 vote sends the 2012-2013 budget to the full chamber for consideration, which Ogden said it will likely do late
next week. Three Democrats and one Republican voted against the budget. The plan would still underfund public schools by about $4 billion. But it’s about half of the cuts approved in the House plan. “While this causes pain, it is pain that’s bearable compared to House Bill 1, that is unbearable,” said Rep. Chuy Hinojosa, a Democrat who served as vice-chair of the Senate Finance Committee.
Rig count up by 28, mostly in Texas ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. increased by 28 this week to 1,800. Houston-based Baker Hughes Inc. reported that 913 rigs were exploring for oil and 878 for gas. Nine were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago, the count was 1,482. The report was issued Thursday, a day early because of the Good Friday holiday. Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Texas gained 22 rigs and Oklahoma picked up four. Pennsylvania added two, and Wyoming and North Dakota gained one apiece. Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico lost one rig each. California, Colorado and West Virginia were unchanged. The rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981, the height of the oil boom. The record low of 488 was in 1999.
Read online. www.lmtonline.com under entertainment, click ¿Qué Pasa? Online.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011
ZETAS Continued from Page 1A tary was able to run the gunmen out of town, said a law enforcement official who asked not to be named for security reasons. The Mexican military issued a news release that doesn’t mention the dead civilian or the other gunmen reported by the law enforcement official.
Weapons One of the groups stayed in Miguel Alemán and fought with the military while the other went toward Ciudad Mier. As a result of the firefight, the Mexican army reported seizing 20 assault rifles, eight grenades, more than 300 magazines and more than 7,600 ammunition rounds. According to the 8th Military Zone in Reynosa, the Zetas also attacked a military patrol along the Riberena highway prior to the attack in Miguel Aleman which prompted the mobilization of army troops toward the area. Also prior to the arrival of the military, when the Zetas arrived in town, they began shooting at the law enforcement headquarters and shot at the buildings and patrol cars, as well as causing other damage, the Mexican law enforcement official stated. The group then went around town shooting at and setting fire to a number of high-profile buildings along the city’s main avenue, including the Ford and Nissan dealerships, an AutoZone store, a convenience store, a large furniture store and a used car lot. During the rampage, one employee of the local Coca-Cola Co. bottling plant was killed as he drove to work. His name was not released pending notification of next of kin, the law enforcement official said. When military forces arrived toward the
SUPPORTER OF LIBYAN REBEL ‘HEROES’
PROM Continued from Page 1A
The attack left one civilian and several gunmen dead. end of the rampage, a shootout ensued. In the San Fernando case, Mexico’s attorney general’s office announced the arrest of another San Fernando municipal police officer who is described as being part of the group of police officers who provided protection to the Zetas during the time that the massacres took place. Officer Joel Reséndiz Moreno was presented Thursday afternoon by the PGR as the agency asked for the public’s help in coming forward and filing charges against him in connection with the case. He is the 17th officer to be arrested in connection with the case. The Tamaulipas attorney general’s office said Thursday that the first mass graves were discovered April 1, and authorities have continued to find more since. The most recent grave site was found Tuesday when authorities found three graves with six additional bodies. Of the 177 bodies, 122 can be related to the investigation into a string of hijacked buses last month, according to a news release by the Tamaulipas attorney general’s office. The other 55 bodies have been buried for a longer time and are not related to the investigation, the press release stated. The agency also said that as of Wednesday, 345 individuals have appeared to look for missing relatives, 237 of those have filed complaints into the disappearance of loved ones and 280 have provided DNA samples for investigative purposes.
Photo by Nasser Nasser | AP
U.S. Sen. John McCain, backdropped with a pre-Gadhafi flag, talks during a press conference in Benghazi, Libya, on Friday. McCain, one of the strongest proponents in Congress of the American military intervention in Libya, said Libyan rebels fighting Moammar Gadhafi’s troops are his heroes.
Though Time of My Life will offer dresses for any occasion, the fast-approaching date for prom, May 14, creates a demand for prom dresses. Gutierrez and her daughter are asking that community members dig in their closets for that formal dress that usually has been worn only once. These should be in ready-to-wear condition, with no tears or stains. Those with a closet full of once-worn dresses can contact Gutierrez at 750-0710 or her daughter, Selisa, at 334-2154, who can pick up the donated garments at the place of residence.
FORT Continued from Page 1A side the fort, now grown and the head of a philanthropic foundation. She was among a list of speakers celebrating a $269,130 federal grant to restore the structure, considered as historically significant as the Alamo and the Statue of Liberty. “It’s every bit as exciting as my young imagination thought it would be,” she said of the fort, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998. The “Saving America’s Treasures” grant will be matched with private fundraising, making for a sizeable boost for the efforts of the River Pierce Foundation, heading up the buildings’ preservation. With state and federal budget cuts, however, the check may be the last public grant in a while for any historic project in Texas. “To receive this federal, national acknowledgement and to be able to restore the building and have it available for public visits also brings a positive acknowledgement to this part of the country, a Tex-
as-Mexico border as we hear nothing but bad press, horror stories,” said foundation Executive Director Christopher Rincón. The fort dates to the Spanish colonial period, when areas south of the Nueces River were still Mexico and settlers’ land holdings sometimes straddled the Rio Grande. The thick walls of the original fort, circa 1830, would have protected ranchers from marauders. The gun ports and turrets remain in place, as does the trademark sundial. “It embodies a shared heritage of the United States and Mexico along this extensive borderlands,” said U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, representing the Department of the Interior for the “Saving America’s Treasures” award. Following the Mexican War, Don Jesús Treviño sent his daughter and son-inlaw to live there, adding two large rooms and a kitchen. The fort became
the focus of San Ygnacio, with the Spanish style echoed in most of the surrounding structures. While once fairly common in the area, most of the original Colonial Mexican settlements were drowned with the 1950s flooding for the Falcon Dam. The National Park System designated the site a National Historic Landmark in 1998, but its walls and thick wooden ceiling beams continued slowly to deteriorate from lack of care. Rincón and artist Michael Tracy purchased the building and started River Pierce in 2008, continuing
a long battle to get those in, and outside of, San Ygnacio to grasp the structure’s significance. The two said they were flabbergasted last year to find the fort’s outer walls defaced with road tar. The pair initially felt vandalized, Rincón said, but have since accepted the explanation that a lever got stuck on a paving truck and the driver was unable to stop the spew of goo. The contractor handling the road resurfacing project has agreed to fund the delicate cleanup, with cost estimates between $50,000 and $100,000.
SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
NFL
Photo by Ron Jenkins/Fort Worth Star-Telegram | AP
The Dallas Cowboys’ head coach Jason Garrett applauds from the sideline during an NFL game against the Detroit Lions at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington on November 21, 2010.
Courtesy photo
The 2011 Zapata varsity softball team is pictured.
HAWKS WIN DISTRICT Softball team earns program’s first title By CLARA SANDOVAL
Pick No. nine
THE ZAPATA TIMES
Garrett, Cowboys weigh draft options
History was made Tuesday night as the Lady Hawks beat La Feria to be crowned District 31-3A champions for the first time in the softball program’s history. Zapata finished the regular season with a 7-1 victory against Rio Grande La Grulla Thursday night in front of packed stadium that was ready to get the party started. “The energy that everyone felt from the people at the stadium was incredible,” Zapata coach Jaime Garcia said. “We had al-
By JAIME ARON ASSOCIATED PRESS
Courtesy photo
The 2011 Zapata junior varsity softball team is pictured. See HAWKS PAGE 2B
NBA
Game 3 ‘Grindhouse’ By TERESA M. WALKER
IRVING — The Dallas Cowboys are about to get their reward for a lousy 2010 season: the ninth overall pick in next week’s NFL draft. How they use it could be a window into the world Jerry Jones and his new coach, Jason Garrett. Garrett’s background is all offense, and this team’s biggest weakness on offense is clearly the line. The Cowboys need better, younger blockers to protect Tony Romo and open holes for the running backs, which is why most mock drafts have Dallas taking the guy widely deemed the top lineman available, Southern Cal tackle Tyron Smith. But it may not be that
simple. Smith is more of a project than an NFL-ready talent. That’s why he’s expected to still be around at No. 9. So maybe the Cowboys would be better off taking a defensive player. They certainly have plenty of needs — a cornerback, or one of the many defensive linemen that are considered the strength of this year’s crop. There’s also strategy to consider. With so many holes to fill, perhaps Dallas could help itself most by trading down and adding a pick or two. Or they could go the other direction and trade up for a player they think could be a differencemaker, like LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson if he
See COWBOYS PAGE 2B
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Grizzlies guard Tony Allen says the sellout crowd Saturday night can expect Memphis’ FedExForum to be turned into the Grindhouse. The series is tied with top-seeded San Antonio, and Allen says the plan is to make the Spurs work for everything they get in Game 3. “I like how the referees have been calling the games the last two games,” Allen said after practice Friday. “They’ve been letting us actually go out and you know play backyard basketball. Surprised me, but I love it, so it could be a physical game again. I’m looking forward to joining in.” Allen defines backyard basketball as pulling, grabbing and scratching. He can point to his left forearm where someone’s nail dug into his flesh. Fans are hoping to see the Grizzlies add to their first postseason win with their first playoff victory at home. Allen said the Grizzlies must focus on correcting their mistakes and getting the loose balls they missed in Wednesday night’s loss 93-87 in San Antonio. That includes doing a better job keeping
NBA
Blazers look to even series vs Mavericks By ANNE M. PETERSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Eric Gay | AP
The San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan (21) talks with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, right, during the fourth quarter of Game 2 of the first-round NBA playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday in San Antonio. Spurs guard Manu Ginobili off the free throw line. Ginobili scored 17 points Wednesday night in his first game back with a sprained right elbow, and he was 7 of 13 at the line. “We’ve just got to be more disciplined down the stretch and take care of the
ball,” Allen said. If this already physical series ramps up even more, guard Tony Parker insists the Spurs are ready for what should be a lot of fun. “It’s going to be a great game with a lot of intensity,” Parker said. “It’s going to be very physical, and they play very well at
home. It’s going to be a great challenge for us.” Parker said the Spurs are feeling confident. Ginobili’s return, plus how San Antonio smothered Memphis center Marc Gasol and power forward Zach Randolph in the paint
See SPURS PAGE 2B
PORTLAND, Ore. — While the energy in the first-round playoff series against Dallas looks to have tilted Portland’s way, the Trail Blazers still need to address some issues if they hope to even the series. The Blazers need to improve aspects of their defense, despite the 97-92 victory in Game 3. And they’re still lacking production from the bench, even though Brandon Roy’s 16 points were somewhat a breakthrough. “We can be better,” coach Nate McMillan said Friday. “And we’re going to need to be better.”
Wesley Matthews led the Blazers with 25 points in Portland’s victory Thursday night, which drew the Blazers within 2-1 into best-of-7 series. The result was true to the regular-season series, when each team won twice on their home court. The Blazers will host the Mavericks in Game 4 on Saturday afternoon. Besides Matthews, LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points in the victory. Dependable veteran guard Andre Miller had 16 — as did Roy, who had scored just one field goal in the previous two playoff games.
See MAVS PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011
No deadline to save NFL season By RACHEL COHEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — The NFL hasn’t set a deadline for when games would be canceled without a collective bargaining agreement. “We don’t have a date by which the season is lost, or a date by which we have to move from 16 games to some other (number),” Eric Grubman, the league’s executive vice president for business operations, said Friday at a meeting with Associated Press Sports Editors. “Our intentions are to play a full season, and we will pull every lever that we can within the flexibility we have or can identify to make that happen.” Even during the lockout, Grubman said, the NFL and teams are working so they will be ready to start the season quickly once a deal is reached. “We have to be able to figure
out: When you turn the key, is the gas going to flow?” he said. “Is everything going to work?” The 2011 schedule released Tuesday has games beginning Sept. 8, but includes some room to maneuver. The NFL could still squeeze in 16 games with a delayed start by eliminating bye weeks and the week between the conference championships and the Super Bowl. The league also has a deal with host Indianapolis to potentially hold the Super Bowl a week later, stemming from the earlier possibility of playing an 18-game regular season. But a delayed opening would remove a meaningful date from the schedule. For now, the first Sunday of the season falls on the 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, and part of the NFL’s business-as-usual planning includes deciding how to commemorate that moment. “Its national significance is profound,” Grubman said. “And
the significance of competitive sports in America is also very profound.” Predicting a deadline for when the schedule would have to be revised is difficult because it’s impossible to know how negotiations will play out. If at some point it becomes clear a deal is near, the NFL can begin setting plans for the upcoming season. If an agreement is reached unexpectedly and rapidly, there might be more lag time before the games start. The league and teams have mostly turned to pay cuts to reduce expenses during the lockout. It costs about $40 million a week to run the business of the NFL, Grubman said. Commissioner Roger Goodell, whose salary was slashed to $1 during the lockout, recently received a pay stub for 4 cents. “There’s no possible way we could have a state of readiness and achieve the season quickly if we cut staff and the clubs cut
staff,” Grubman said. Executive vice president for football operations Ray Anderson said it was feasible to play fewer than the normal four preseason games, but general managers and coaches would prefer at least two. The two sides took a break from mediation earlier this week after four sessions and aren’t scheduled to reconvene until May 16. Before then, U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson is expected to decide on the players’ request to immediately lift the lockout. Goodell said he didn’t believe the labor impasse would be resolved through the courts. “I recognize people try to get leverage in negotiations, but at the end of the day it’s going to come down to the negotiations,” said Goodell, who unexpectedly attended the final 10 minutes of the 90-minute meeting. “The sooner we get to that negotiation, the better.”
SPURS Continued from Page 1B with double-teams certainly helped. The Spurs practiced Friday in San Antonio before flying to Memphis. The Grizzlies are very comfortable at home, having won 30 games here this season. Shane Battier, who sealed Game 1 with his timely 3-pointer, knows from personal experience with Memphis’ first playoff team how amped up the fans will be this time around. He expects fans to unleash years of frustration Saturday night. “It’s a whole different story. Last time Game 3 was make or break. We all know how that ended,” Battier said of a Spurs’ win on their way to a sweep. “We’re in a five-game series now. For all intents and purposes, it’s 0-0, and the first team to win three games wins the series.” Ginobili said the Spurs know what it takes to get a win on the road in the postseason — they’ve done it before.
Allen defines backyard basketball as pulling, grabbing and scratching. He can point to his left forearm where someone’s nail dug into his flesh. “And this is no different. We got to go there and try to get one. It’s going to be tough because they play hard on the road, and not even at home, where their fans aren’t backing them up,” Ginobili said. “So we’re going to have to play better and harder and make a few shots.” The foul calls could be the determining factor. San Antonio has gone to the free throw line more than Memphis in each of the first two games with 79 fouls called on the Grizzlies compared to 53 for the Spurs. Grizzlies guard Mike Conley said he plans to work harder to keep Parker or Ginobili from
drawing fouls against him while driving to the basket. Battier had another idea against a couple of gritty guards who don’t shy away from contact. “We didn’t get our money’s worth on our fouls against those guys,” Battier said. “If they’re going to draw fouls, we’ve got to make them feel a little more. We can’t give them touch fouls, get three-point plays and allow them to escape through the lane. Not saying we’re going to do anything more dirty.” Parker is hoping to shoot a little better in Memphis, and he said the Spurs are counting on continuing to keep shooting so many free throws.
“We have to,” Parker said. “They play very physical. So we have to penetrate and be aggressive and make sure we don’t settle for jump shots and keep penetrating. Because they’re going to foul. That’s their philosophy. So we’re going to get to the free throw line.” Memphis coach Lionel Hollins isn’t about to bite on the idea that officials might be calling the playoffs differently than the regular season. He said it’s the same officials who may be emphasizing different things that might have been let go earlier. “I don’t even want to talk about the officials. I like my money,” Hollins said.
COWBOYS Continued from Page 1B slips to, say, fifth or sixth, close enough that a trade wouldn’t cost more than a third- or fourth-round pick. What do you think, Jason? “If you go across our roster you could say, ‘Hey, they could get better here, they could get better here, they could get better here,”’ Garrett said during the NFL owners’ meetings earlier this offseason. “What we need to do is try to figure out who allows us to do that, and there are a lot of different areas we can do that.” Garrett’s real thoughts will be shared only with Jones. But the answers will come once the Cowboys are on the clock Thursday night. By then, the owner and coach likely will have gone
over every possible scenario so they’ll be ready for whatever comes their way. Remember, Garrett is all about preparation — stacking good days together — and with the lockout preventing much else from getting done, the draft likely has soaked up all of his attention. Garrett has been part of the Dallas draft process before, but only as a coordinator and assistant head coach. In those roles, he made suggestions. While Jones will still be the one making decisions, Garrett’s voice will be louder than ever. The wrinkle this year is that it could be a test of sorts. The better Garrett’s picks turn out, the more Jones will value his picks in the future. The flip
side could prove to be true, too. Jones already trusts Garrett’s opinion. The simplest proof is that he got the job without Jones really considering anyone else. But it goes deeper, to Jones’ respect for Garrett’s Ivy League education to the years Jones spent getting draft advice from Garrett’s dad, Jim, a longtime scout. “The biggest thing you want to do is evaluate the players and decide what kind of player you want on your football team,” Garrett said. “My role changes simply in the fact that, in past, I was involved with the offensive guys; now I’m involved with the whole football team.” At the combine, Jones struggled with the fact the Cowboys
went 6-10 last year with a roster considered loaded with talent. “One doesn’t necessarily equate with the other,” Jones said. Since the draft is all about acquiring talent, the respect for Dallas’ roster indicates he has been doing a good job lately. And with the ninth pick in each round, perhaps the draft will be a great chance to make something good out of the lost 2010 season. “There is nothing as far as looking ahead regarding what we can do that overshadows the disappointment that we had last year,” Jones said. “It’s (an attitude of) ‘Roll your sleeves up, let’s get in here and let’s get this thing right.”’
HAWKS Continued from Page 1B ready clinched the (district) title, but we wanted to finish on a positive note to head into the playoffs.” Zapata is heading into the Class 3A area playoffs and will await the winner of the Aransas Pass-Sweeny bi-district game. The site, time and date will be determined at a later date. Zapata (9-1, 15-9) clinched the title behind the pitching of junior Estella Molina, who has been a force on the mound for the Lady Hawks all season long. Molina (9-1), who took her bumps and bruises as a sophomore, emerged as the top pitcher for the Lady Hawks this year and helped take Zapata all the way to the top. “Estella is a very controlled pitcher and does not walk many people,” Garcia said. “She has several pitches and makes batters earn their way on base.” Molina has a great defense to back her and is led by shortstop Jackie Gutierrez and first baseman Jackie Salinas, who are acquainted often throughout the game. The general of the outfield is senior Selina Mata, who has made some acrobatic plays to keep the Lady Hawks at the top of the district. Rightfielder Gabby Chapa also provides a blanket of security for Molina. “They are very solid players and Estella knows that if a ball is hit to the outfield, they are ready to catch it,” Garcia said. Zapata also boasts a solid offense that has become a terror at the plate for opposing defenses. Junior catcher Michelle Arce has ripped the ball for a .400 batting average to lead all the hitters. Following Arce’s offense is Maria Espinosa (.391), Liana Flores (.389), and Gina Jasso (.333). Garcia always knew that he had a great team that was going to make a run for the playoffs, but he started to notice the team chemistry that bounded the team tightly together on the field. “When I saw that they had great team chemistry, I knew that we were not only going to make a run at a playoff spot, but at the district title,” Garcia said. The Lady Hawks mowed through the competition and dug deep down inside in those tight games against district foes Rio Hondo and Port Isabel to emerge as the top team. Zapata’s only blemish in its district record came at the hands of Port Isabel, but that game only served as fuel to roll off four consecutive victories. Garcia also noted the importance of the senior leadership that has helped point the team in the right direction. Seniors Ashley Pizana, Selina Mata, Karen Diaz and Crystal Del Bosque were freshmen when Garcia was given the nod to take over the softball program after serving as a longtime varsity assistant. “The seniors are a very special group,” Garcia said. “This is the first team when I arrived and I want to thank them for being part of the program. They are a very supportive group and have brought in great team chemistry.” Zapata also had unparalleled fan support since day one. “The fans have been tremendous,” Garcia said. “I want to thank all of Zapata for supporting the Lady Hawks.” The future looks bright for the Lady Hawks, as the junior varsity was crowned co-district champions for the third consecutive year. Veronica Arce and Rosie Villarreal coach the junior varsity team.
MAVS Continued from Page 1B Roy had groused in frustration after going scoreless in Game 2. His comments touched off controversy in Portland, where fans seemed divided in their support. The three-time All-Star had arthroscopic surgery on both his knees in January and has struggled with his role off the bench. But spurred by the presence of his family, and supportive text messages — even one from Charles Barkley — Roy played with abandon in Game 3. Now the trick for him is to do it again. “Last night I went out there and just played and had fun,” Roy said. “And that’s what I’m going to have to do on Saturday.” Overall, the Mavericks’ bench outscored the Blazer’s bench by 109-56 through the first three games. The Blazers had trouble stopping Jason Terry, who came off the bench and had 29 points and seven assists. The game before that it was Peja Stojakovic who gave the Blazers fits, and the game before that, there was Jason Kidd. Those three have had the bulk of scoring to complement Dirk Nowitzki.
“We’d like to get a few more guys involved and able to score a few more points. But if you’re not going to have a balanced game, you need to have a couple of guys who go for big numbers,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “There’s no set formula for us. We don’t say Dirk’s gotta be the first guy and Jet (Terry) is going to be the second and (Shawn) Marion’s the third work that way for us.” The Mavericks opened this year’s playoffs with an 89-81 victory. Kidd had 24 points, including a playoff career-best six 3pointers. Nowitzki had 28 points — 18 in the fourth quarter alone — and 10 rebounds. In a 101-89 Game 2 victory, Stojakovic tied his career playoff best with five 3-pointers and finished with 21 points, while Kidd pitched in 18. Nowitzki, showing more resolve than in the opener, finished with 33. “It usually comes down to Xfactors and who makes shots,” said Nowitzki, who had 25 points and nine rebounds in Game 3. “In the playoffs you have to attack from everywhere, and you have to make shots and make enough plays from all over the place. Whoever is in has to be in that attack mode to
really help the team win.” Nowtizki said the Mavericks also need to correct minor things that stood out in Game 3 — Dallas had 13 turnovers and made just 13 of 23 free-throw attempts. But he liked how his team was able to hang with the Blazers in front of the their hometown crowd. “We feel like we took their best blow and we’re still right there,” he said. “We have another opportunity on Saturday, and obviously we don’t want to go home with a tied series.” Portland has won 11 of its last 10 at the Rose Garden. Overall against Dallas, the Blazers have a 47-18 advantage at home in the regular season, and they’re 7-1 in playoff games. Dallas is 2-1 when it opened 2-0 in 15 previous best-of-7 series. The exception was the 2006 NBA Finals when the Miami Heat defeated the Mavericks in six games. The Heat were just the third team to claim a championship after trailing 0-2. The last time Dallas and Portland met in the playoffs was 2003. The Mavs claimed the first three games before the Blazers won the next three. The Mavericks took the deciding game in Dallas.
The Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki (41) goes to the basket as Portland Trail Blazers’ Nicolas Batum, left, of France, defends in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of their NBA firstround playoff series Thursday in Portland, Ore.
Photo by Rick Bowmer | AP
SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
HINTS BY | HELOISE Dear Readers: Always around Easter time, we see vendors selling adorable BABY CHICKS AND BUNNIES. They are cute and cuddly, but they aren’t really good pets, especially for young children. And it’s illegal in many areas. Don’t give in! Babies are cute but will grow up and then may not seem as cuddly! Many times, rescue groups are overloaded with bunnies that were bought for Easter without the owners realizing the responsibility and care these animals require. Baby chicks often don’t live long, because they aren’t treated as carefully as they should be. Another caution about baby chicks is the threat of salmonella bacteria. Anyone who comes in contact with chicks should immediately wash his or her hands with soap and water. Did you know that rabbits can live up to 10 years? They require vet visits, nail trims and a specific diet. So, thought must be put into bringing a bunny into your home. Buy TOY bunnies or chicks, and chocolate ones would be a better choice. Who doesn’t love chocolate? If you do decide to buy a live pet, please research carefully so you will know everything needed to provide a good home. It deserves the best care possible. — Heloise
PET PAL Dear Readers: Rose Chaffins of Sidney, Ohio, sent us a picture of her beautiful sheltie, Lucy. Lucy is standing on the patio with a wellworn and well-played-with watering can in her mouth, eager to “help” water the lawn and flowers for spring! To see Lucy and our other Pet Pals, go to www.Heloise.com and click on “Pets.” — Heloise
HARNESS A HEALTHY HOUND
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HELOISE
Dear Heloise: I read your article in the San Antonio Express-News the other day about dog leashes. I thought you should know what has happened to our beagle Peggy Sioux. Peggy was making a guttural sound deep down in her throat and panting very hard. We got her to the vet the next day, and he took Xrays and found she had chest congestion and a COLLAPSED TRACHEA. It seems that she has always pulled on her leash. We now have a harness for her and our Boston terrier, too. — Heloise Sanders, Brady, Texas
SOCK IT TO HIM Dear Heloise: Our dog had stitches in his leg. We found it impossible to keep a bandage wrapped around it. So I got some old socks that didn’t have any mates, cut the toe out of one of them and slid it up his leg. The elastic held it on securely. I also went to the dollar store and purchased some newer socks and used them (the elastic was better). — Delores in Salem, Ore.
LETTER OF LAUGHTER Dear Heloise: When my cat goes to her water bowl, she very daintily dips her paw into it and sips from her paw. When I notice her right paw is wet, I know where she’s been! — Elsie in Florida Photo caption: Rose Chaffins of Sidney, Ohio, sent us this picture of her beautiful sheltie, Lucy, who is standing on the patio with a wellworn and well-played-with watering can in her mouth, eager to “help” water the lawn and flowers.
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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011
Cowboys Stadium to host bowling By LINDA STEWART BALL ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — With the NFL in the middle of a lockout, how about a few good strikes at Cowboys Stadium? The cavernous home of the Dallas Cowboys will host the U.S. Women’s Open this summer, the first time a bowling event has been held at the billion-dollar showplace of Jerry Jones. Shiny wooden lanes will be placed on either side of the famous Cowboys star at midfield and there will be temporary seats on the field for the June 30 event. Pro bowler Stefanie Nation said Friday it’s exciting to have “the pinnacle of women’s bowling” at the site of last season’s Super Bowl. “It’s incredible,” she said. “This is going to be the first time a major women’s (bowling) event will be held at a nontraditional venue.” The 80,000-seat stadium in suburban Arlington has hosted concerts, bull riding, boxing
matches, yoga and motocross races — but never before bowling. The Open finals will feature the world’s top five female bowlers who advance through the tournament, which will begin June 24 with qualifying rounds at AMF Euless Lanes in the Fort Worth suburb. The finalists will compete for a $50,000 prize and $5,000 Tiffany & Co. gift certificate. The two bowlers also have a shot at $1 million if the roll a perfect game. The hope is for the event to break the bowling attendance record set in 1995, when 7,212 watched the Men’s Open at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, said Steve Johnson, executive director of the nonprofit Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America, the event’s organizer. Usually the tournaments are held in bowling centers limited to the few hundred who can squeeze in. “That’s one of the beautiful things about Cowboys Stadium,” Johnson said. “We can get a lot of people in there.”
AP Photo
This artists rendering provided by the Bowling Proprietors Association of America shows shiny wooden lanes placed on either side of the Dallas Cowboys star at midfield in the team’s cavernous home in Arlington.
UT hoops trio departs Star threesome declare for draft By JIM VERTUNO ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Tony Dejak | AP
This March 20 file photo shows George Mason coach Jim Larranaga yelling to his players in the first half of an East regional NCAA college basketball tournament third-round game against Ohio State, in Cleveland. George Mason’s athletic director says Larranaga is leaving to become the men’s basketball coach at the University of Miami. Tom O’Connor tells The Associated Press that Larranaga called Friday morning to say that he has accepted the job at the Atlantic Coast Conference school.
Larranaga takes Miami hoops gig By STEVEN WINE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Jim Larranaga has taken the Miami Hurricanes’ basketball job after 14 years at George Mason, including an improbable run to the Final Four in 2006. Larranaga called George Mason athletic director Tom O’Connor on Friday morning to say he accepted Miami’s offer. The Hurricanes scheduled an evening news conference to introduced their new coach, who replaces Frank Haith. “Coach Larranaga is the real deal,” Miami president Donna Shalala said in a statement. “He’s a winner, an inspirational leader, and he cares deeply about his players and staff.” Larranaga, 61, led the Patriots to five NCAA tournament berths and went 273-164, setting a school record for victories. This season his team went 27-7 and reached the third round of the tournament before losing to overall No. 1 seed Ohio State. Larranaga helped the Patriots win three titles in the Colonial Athletic Association. Now he moves to the Atlantic Coast Conference, where the Hurricanes were 43-69 the past seven seasons under Haith. “Jim can coach at any level,” O’Connor said. “He could probably coach the Los Angeles Lakers if he wanted to.” Miami officials declined to comment. The hiring was made by Shawn Eichorst only nine days after he became the Hurricanes’ athletic director. Haith left for Missouri after going 129-101 at Mia-
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GEORGE MASON ATHLETIC DIRECTOR TOM O’CONNOR ed Connecticut before losing to Florida in the national semifinals at Indianapolis. Larranaga also led the Patriots to the tournament in 1999, 2001 and 2008. Miami made the tournament once under Haith, losing in the second round in 2008. Small crowds have been a chronic problem for the Hurricanes, who compete in a market that includes all four major professional sports. Average attendance at George Mason was 3,192 the season before Larranaga arrived but climbed to 6,834 the year after the Final Four appearance, and was 5,896 this past year. O’Connor said George Mason’s search for a replacement would start immediately. “I’m confident we can attract a very strong basketball coach,” O’Connor said. Miami’s hiring of Larranaga completes a revamping of the athletic department. Al Golden replaced Randy Shannon in December as football coach, and Eichorst replaced Kirby Hocutt, who became athletic director at Texas Tech.
a Texas team that rose to No. 3 in the rankings and challenged Kansas for the Big 12 title. They could join Kevin Durant (2007) and Avery Bradley (2010) as freshman who left the Longhorns in recent years. Texas has one of the top-ranked recruiting classes coming in, highlighted by guard Myck Kabongo. Texas started 11-0 in conference play before a 5-5 finish down the stretch with a second-round loss to Arizona in the NCAA tournament. Hamilton averaged 18.6 points last season. Thompson, the Big 12 freshman of the year, averaged 13.1 points and 7.8 rebounds and blocked 86 shots. His teammates voted him the Longhorns’ most valuable player. Joseph averaged 10.4 points and three assists.
Panthers ready for No. 1 pick as big draft looms ahead By MIKE CRANSTON ASSOCIATED PRESS
In all honesty, the university can only go so far with finances. . . We think we put together a very, very attractive financial compensation package. We couldn’t compete with an ACC school, a big football school with its budget.”
mi, including 21-15 this past season. Larranaga’s contract at George Mason, which ran until 2016, had a base salary of $525,000. The school offered him a package including incentive bonuses would that have put him in the top five among midmajor coaches in compensation, O’Connor said, but even that deal couldn’t compete with Miami’s resources. Unlike the Hurricanes, George Mason does not have a football program. “In all honesty, the university can only go so far with finances,” O’Connor said. “We think we put together a very, very attractive financial compensation package. We couldn’t compete with an ACC school, a big football school with its budget.” A native New Yorker, Larranaga also coached at Bowling Green for 11 seasons and Division II American International for two seasons. The improbable NCAA tournament run by George Mason in 2006 was a triumph for all mid-major programs. The Patriots beat Michigan State, North Carolina and second-seed-
AUSTIN — Texas players Tristan Thompson, Jordan Hamilton and Cory Joseph have all declared for the NBA draft. Hamilton, a 6-foot-7 sophomore forward who led the Longhorns in scoring last season, plans to sign with an agent, which would immediately end his college eligibility. “My family and I really took our time with this decision and waited to get a good feel of what this year’s draft class would look like and where I can be drafted. With all the information we received, it is best for me to move forward now and pursue this opportunity,” Hamilton said.
Thompson, a 6-8 forward and Joseph, a 6-3 guard, both were freshman last season. They plan to submit their names but will hold off on signing with an agent, according to Texas officials. That will allow them to return to Texas if they choose to. The NBA deadline for underclassmen to submit their names to the NBA is Sunday. The NCAA allows them to withdraw by May 8 and still maintain their college eligibility. “I will continue to gather all the information about my draft status and use that information over the next two weeks to determine whether or not to keep my name in the draft,” Thompson said. If Thompson or Joseph — or both — decide to leave with Hamilton, it would drastically change the lineup next season for
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It started with Jake Delhomme’s playoff meltdown in January 2009 and picked up steam through questionable personnel and coaching decisions, decimating injuries, an illtimed labor dispute and plain bad luck. Now after the swift fall from division winner to the NFL’s worst team, the Carolina Panthers have a chance to end a brutal two-year stretch of unwatchable football. All general manager Marty Hurney has to do is be perfect with perhaps the important selection in franchise history: the No. 1 overall pick in Thursday’s NFL draft. “You just want to make the right selection,” Hurney said. Thanks to the Panthers’ 28-month stretch of bad fortune, this is no easy choice. The top highlights for Carolina last season didn’t come on often touchdownless Sundays, but late on Saturday nights when Stanford’s Andrew Luck was dazzling out West and dreams hatched of a franchise quarterback coming to Charlotte. But not long after the Panthers locked up the No. 1 pick with a 2-14 season of punts, turnovers and general incompetence under lame duck coach John Fox, Luck stunned the Panthers by staying in school. So now what? There’s another potentially dominant quarterback out there who owns a national championship and a Heisman Trophy. Only Auburn’s Cam Newton carries enough off-
field baggage to make him one of the riskiest picks of recent times. “Newton is off the charts completely,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said of his physical skills before sounding a warning. “The game of football requires a lot of film study. You have to be able to love that part of it. If you don’t, you’re not going to be a great quarterback. That’s what they’re trying to figure out right now about Cam Newton.” Throw in a 2008 arrest, allegations that his father solicited money during his college recruitment and a resume that includes only 14 college starts, and Newton is a giant question mark. But the 6-foot-5 athlete with a rocket arm and elusive running ability has also drawn comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger and Michael Vick as potential game-changing QBs. Few are saying that about Jimmy Clausen, the NFL’s lowest-rated passer in 2010 who went 1-9 as a rookie starter with Carolina. “I think he’s a very talented player that is extremely competitive,” Hurney said of Newton. “I think being successful in the NFL is very important to him.” Still, the Panthers have shied away from players with character issues in the past. And they have numerous other holes, most specifically in the area most pundits believe has the most depth in this year’s draft, the defensive line. Alabama’s Marcell Dareus would help fill the hole at defensive tackle. While a cornerback has never gone No. 1 overall, scouts have raved about LSU’s Patrick Peterson,
who could replace starter Richard Marshall if he leaves in free agency. The Panthers haven’t had an effective No. 2 receiver in years, and Georgia’s A.J. Green could finally give them a deep threat opposite the aging Steve Smith. And then there’s another highly rated QB in Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert, who drew praise from new coach Ron Rivera at last month’s owners meetings. Rivera has stressed the need for a stable QB, something the Panthers haven’t had since Delhomme never recovered from his six-turnover nightmare against Arizona in Carolina’s last playoff game at the end of the 2008 season. Yet this is no normal draft or offseason. Rivera hasn’t been able to hold a minicamp or meet with his new players because of the lockout. Carolina has 28 free agents who are in limbo until a new deal is reached. The Panthers also haven’t been able to negotiate with agents of potential top picks. They don’t even know if there will be a rookie wage scale or if and what the salary cap figure will be. “It’s something that teams have had the option to do in the past,” Hurney said of negotiating with agents of potential top picks. “We don’t this year, but you just move ahead and keep focusing on making the right selection.” The best move may be to make a selection later. Hurney, who said he’s yet to receive a trade offer for the top pick, said he would listen if calls come next week.