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6-month-old’s death Grand jury indictment charges Zapata man with second cousin’s demise By DENISE BLAZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A man is still in custody on a $1 million cash bond at the Zapata Regional Jail after an indictment returned by a grand jury charged him with killing an infant. The indictment filed
June 29 alleges that Gabriel Alvarez Briones, 35, hit his 6-month-old second cousin in the head, leading to the child’s death in Zapata earlier this year. Alvarez Briones, authorities said, is being held in isolation from the general population at the Zapata Regional Jail for
his own safety. According to the Office of the District Attorney, Alvarez Briones was babysitting his second cousin, Carlos Eduardo Gonzalez, while his wife drove Gonzalez’s mother to work March 28. At about 5:30 p.m., Zapata County Fire Department paramedics responded to the scene of a 911 call at the residence, where officials encountered the baby in a blan-
ket being held by his 19year-old mother. Paramedics on the scene indicated Gonzalez had his eyes closed and was moaning, according to officials. Reports state the mother said her child seemed to be OK when she returned home, but later noticed the baby was “very unresponsive” while she was changing his diaper.
See GRAND JURY PAGE 8A
HIGHER EDUCATION
A NEW TWIST ON GOING TO COLLEGE Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
A tire, empty paint cans and household garbage bags litter the scenic rest stop north of Zapata in this May 13 file photo.
Overlooks may close By LORRAINE L. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata County scenic overlooks are in danger of being shut down completely in the fall because of a lack of funding and staffing by the county and the Texas Department of Transportation. Eduardo Gracia Jr., Texas Department of Transportation Hebbronville Area engineer, said the agency has been responsible for cleaning the rest stops once or twice a week and requested help from the county. However, county officials said they needed time to look for an alternative solution because they said they also did not have the manpower to maintain the areas. TxDOT gave the county until the fall to act on the
trash and other debris at the scenic overlooks \in San Ygnacio and Zapata. The rest stops have become a burden to clean due to a lack of time and money. “It’s a shame,” Gracia said. “They’re nice parks, but our focus is to maintain existing roads with the available funding.” Gracia said. Earlier this year, TxDOT removed 11 rest stops from other counties leaving only three. The two rest stops still in Zapata County and one in Jim Hogg County are at risk of being shut down. Trash such as tires, flying debris, household appliances and animal carcasses became an issue with people visiting the rest stops.
See OVERLOOKS PAGE 8A
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
TAMIU students, from left, Mayra Martinez, Abigail Garza and Stephanie Vera prepare to board a van, part of the Zapata College Transportation Program, that will take them back to Zapata on Wednesday afternoon.
Students ride buses to Laredo classes By STEPHANIE M. IBARRA THE ZAPATA TIMES
I
t’s been nearly three months since Zapata County began its College Transportation Program, and the numbers of participating students continue to in-
crease. “We started with two and right now we have anywhere between 45 to 55 students registered for the fall semester,” said Laura Guerra, College Transportation Program director. Guerra credits the success
of the program to the “unconditional support from the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Foundation” and local commissioners, namely “Commissioner Gabriel Villarreal, Pct. 2, for providing the funding to
See COLLEGE PAGE 9A
CULTURE
County museum may open in September By LORRAINE L. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
The opening of the Zapata County museum has now been delayed until September at the earliest, officials said this week. Hildegardo Flores, Ph. D.,
chair of the museum’s Board of Directors, said a specific date is not certain but officials are looking at mid September. The opening has been delayed several times and had most recently been expected to occur in June. The museum has encoun-
tered several setbacks, ranging from cracks in the foundation to issues with acoustics and exhibit consultants. In several Commissioners’ Court meetings, Flores requested an independent architect to inspect foundation cracks, de-
laying the construction process further. Flores said an independent engineer has since surveyed the cracks on the floor and has identified them as superficial, meaning they would not affect the foundation. The cracks are
visible and the acoustics of the building are being affected, so carpet will be needed to hide the cracks and help improve acoustics. “Several problems came up
See MUSEUM PAGE 9A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SUNDAY, JULY 4
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Today marks the annual ’4th of July’ Webb County Trail Ride starts 4.8 miles east on Del Mar Blvd. (at the old Detention Center) Registration is at 7 a.m. with the ride out at 8 a.m. Breakfast will be provided by District Attorney Isidro "Chilo" Alaniz and lunch provided by Sheriff Martin Cuellar. Don’t forget your coggins. For more information, call the Webb County Trailriders at (956) 744-2146. In celebration of the Fourth of July, AARP and American Legion Auxiliary will be providing booths, alongside a plate sale by Marine Corps League at the American Legion Building. For those interested in setting up, tables are priced at $2 outside and $5 inside. Everything from fashion jewelry, shoes, western decorations and signs will be for sale. Call Karran at (956) 763-0468 for more information.
MONDAY, JULY 5 VFW #7768 will hold its general meeting today at 7 p.m. at the post home, Highway 16 and 16th Street.
THURSDAY, JULY 8 In preparation for a farmer’s market, Laredo Main Street will host free gardening workshops, sponsored by AEP, at El Pasillo de San Agustin, 912 Grant St. in Historic Downtown, today and Thursday, July 22, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Topics include composting, soil, tools, plant varieties and irrigation. Master gardeners will be available for questions. Call Laredo Main Street at (956) 523-8817 for more information or to register.
SATURDAY, JULY 10 Pawsitive Pet Pals, an organization aimed to raising money and awareness for homeless and abused animals, will be hosting The Pooch Parade at North Central Park. Registration for the parade begins at 8:00 a.m. and is $10 per entry. Forms may be picked up at Laredo Animal Shelter, Petland and KGNS Pro-8 News. For more information, call (956) 724-8364 or (956) 724-5118.
FRIDAY, JULY 16 Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Zapata County ANR Program Area Committee invite the community to “Pasture to Plate” Beef Market Seminar, part of the 2010 Beef Improvement Program Series today from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Oswaldo and Juanita Ramirez Exhibit Hall. A complimentary lunch will be sponsored by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, Juancarlo Rendon. For more information, call (956) 765-9967. The 2nd Annual Fish for Life Extravaganza will kick-off today, with registration at Oso Blanco from 5 to 7 p.m. The March of Dimes benefit fishing tournament will be Saturday, July 17 at Falcon Lake in Zapata.
SATURDAY, JULY 17 The Zapata County Chamber of Commerce presents the 2nd Annual Fishing Tournament for Life Extravaganza March of Dimes on Falcon Lake. Take off time is at 7 a.m. with weigh-in at 3 p.m. at the Oso Blanco Lodge Boat Ramp. Prize awards will be based on 100 teams. For more information, call Melissa Ramirez at (956) 7654444 or Juan Gamez at (956) 2857225.
Photo by Cody Duty | AP
Martin Gonzalez looks at the truck that he hydroplaned and flipped over on the side of Highway 114 in Irving, Texas on Friday. Thunderstorms caused traffic problems in North Texas, and the state-wide forecast calls for rain throughout the holiday weekend.
Alex delays cruise ship ASSOCIATED PRESS
GALVESTON — Hurricane Alex provided an extra day at sea for passengers on the Carnival Cruise Lines ship Ecstasy as it waited off Texas to dock. Carnival spokesman Tim Gallagher says the ship arrived in Galveston early Friday. Port of Galveston director Steve Cernak says the cruise ship could not dock Thursday because of a strong cross current in the channel. Harbor pilots, who guide boats in the harbor, could not reach the Ecstasy amid the rough seas. Gallagher said the Ecstasy was fine in the weather and stayed fairly close to shore Thursday, until conditions were safe for harbor pilots to board. Hurricane Alex on Wednesday night made
landfall in northern Mexico, sending rain to coastal Texas before weakening. Meanwhile, shelters emptied and flooded streets receded Thursday after Alex harmlessly swiped the state and let the Rio Grande Valley escape with a mild test run. Alex dissipated Thursday night after having been downgraded to a tropical storm earlier in the day as it moved westward across northern Mexico. “It was a great drill,” said Johnny Cavanos, Cameron County’s emergency management coordinator. The storm dumped 9 to 11 inches of rain in the Brownsville area, but the intermittent punches of Alex’s spinning outer bands gave the flood-prone Rio Grande Valley time to recede between lashes of soaking downpours and gusts that reached 66 mph.
Supreme Court lets Green Party on ballot — for now
Case of mom accused in underage affair dropped
US rig count up by 5; Texas gains nine
AUSTIN — The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday the Green Party can put its candidates on the November statewide ballot while it considers whether the party took improper donations to fund its petition drive. The Green Party has maintained the donations were legal, but state Democrats insist they are not. The court overturned a lower court’s decision blocking the Green Party from the ballot.
HOUSTON — Prosecutors say they have dropped charges against a Houston mother accused by authorities of flying to Canada and luring a 16-year-old boy away from home after allegedly having an online sexual relationship with him. Charges were dropped against 43-year-old Lauri Price after investigators determined they would not be able to prove Price knew the teenager was a minor.
HOUSTON — The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. increased by five this week to 1,557. Houston-based Baker Hughes Inc. said Friday that 960 rigs were exploring for natural gas and 587 for oil. Ten were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago this week, the rig count stood at 928. Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Texas gained nine, and New Mexico gained three.
Massage therapist gets prison time for fraud
Firms respond to claims of unmarked pipelines
3 accused in alleged prostitution ring
LUBBOCK — A Lubbock massage therapist has been sentenced to more than 6 years in federal prison and fined $1.6 million for healthcare fraud. Kawai Ary-Berry was sentenced Friday, three months after she was convicted of nine counts of healthcare fraud and one count of making a false statement.
AMARILLO — Two pipeline companies are defending themselves after a federal official said the lines weren’t marked before two deadly explosions last month in Texas. Two workers were killed after a bulldozer hit a pipeline June 8 near Darrouzett in the Panhandle. One drill operator died in the June 7 blast near Cleburne.
PORT ARTHUR — A man and wo women who have his name tattooed on their necks have been indicted on organized crime charges after allegedly running a prostitution ring here. Investigators tracked the ring in part by using coupons, allegedly advertising the operation, showing scantily clad women. − Compiled from AP reports
SATURDAY, JULY 31 Knights of Columbus and Colubian Squires host a 5K Run and 2 mile walk today. Registration begins at 7 a.m., with the start of the race at 8 a.m. Trophies will be awarded to the top three finishers in each age division, two overall trophies for both male and female winners, first six overall walkers will also win an award. The first 100 to register will receive a free t-shirt. Registration forms are available at the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce. Call Homer Carrizales at (956) 2850220 for more information.
MONDAY, AUGUST 2 Imaginarium of South Texas hosts Dirty Science Chemistry Camp, Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. this week. Kids will study the different states of matter and get messy in the kitchen chemistry. Breakfast and lunch is provided by the LISD Summer Food Program. Visit www.imaginariumstx.org for more information. To submit an item for the calendar, send the name of the event, the date, time, location and contact phone number to editorial@lmtonline.com
AROUND THE NATION Jury deliberating in train shooting trial
CONTACT US
LOS ANGELES — Jurors have begun deliberating in the trial of a former San Francisco Bay area transit officer accused of murdering an unarmed black man during an altercation on an Oakland train platform last year. The panel was given the case Friday after attorneys gave their closing arguments in the trial of Johannes Mehserle.
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Army changes mind on ‘psy ops’ WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Army has dropped the Vietnamera name “psychological operations” for its branch in charge of trying to change minds behind enemy lines, acknowledging the term can sound ominous. The Defense Department picked a more neutral moniker: “Military Information Support Operations,” or MISO.
Today is Saturday, July 3, the 184th day of 2010. There are 181 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On July 3, 1863, the threeday Civil War Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania ended in victory for the North as Confederate troops retreated. On this date: In 1608, the city of Quebec was founded by Samuel de Champlain. In 1775, Gen. George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Mass. In 1890, Idaho became the 43rd state of the Union. In 1898, the U.S. Navy defeated a Spanish fleet outside Santiago Bay in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. In 1944, World War II, Soviet forces recaptured Minsk. In 1962, Algeria became independent after 132 years of French rule. In 1971, singer Jim Morrison of The Doors died in Paris at age 27. In 1979, Dan White, convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the shooting deaths of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, was sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison. (He ended up serving five years.) In 1985, the time-travel comedy “Back to the Future,” starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, was first released. In 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down an Iran Air jetliner over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard. Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton made a congratulatory telephone call to Mexican President-elect Vicente Fox, a day after Fox’s election. A 1970s steel observation tower that preservationists said had desecrated the battlefield of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania was demolished. Harold Nicholas, the younger half of the legendary tap-dancing Nicholas Brothers, died at age 79. Five years ago: A NASA space probe, Deep Impact, hit its comet target as planned in a mission to learn how the solar system formed. Saudi security forces killed Moroccan Younis Mohammed Ibrahim al-Hayari, the al-Qaida terrorist group’s leader in the country, during a gun battle in Riyadh. Roger Federer won his third consecutive Wimbledon title by beating Andy Roddick. Today’s Birthdays: Actor Tim O’Connor is 83. Movie director Ken Russell is 83. Jazz musician Pete Fountain is 80. Playwright Tom Stoppard is 73. Writer-producer Jay Tarses is 71. Singer Fontella Bass is 70. Actor Kurtwood Smith is 67. Actor Michael Cole (“The Mod Squad”) is 65. Country singer Johnny Lee is 64. Humorist Dave Barry is 63. Actress Betty Buckley is 63. Rock singer-musician Paul Barrere (Little Feat) is 62. Actress Jan Smithers is 61. Former Haitian President Jean-Claude Duvalier is 59. Talk show host Montel Williams is 54. Country singer Aaron Tippin is 52. Rock musician Vince Clarke (Erasure) is 50. Actor Tom Cruise is 48. Actor Thomas Gibson is 48. Thought for Today: “The trouble with life isn’t that there is no answer, it’s that there are so many answers.” — Ruth Benedict, American anthropologist (1887-1948).
Photo by John Seewer | AP
Algae drips off a rake in a channel behind in St. Marys, Ohio. State officials are advising people not to touch the water in Grand Lake St. Marys because tests show low levels of toxins.
$3.4B Indian settlement added to war-bill HELENA, Mont. — The U.S. House of Representatives attached a $3.4 billion government
settlement with Indian trust beneficiaries to a war-funding bill hat it passed Thursday. The settlement was made late Thursday to the $80 billion appropriations bill that includes troop funding for Afghanistan. − Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010
Zlocal
PAGE 3A
Responders remind all Cattle market topic to use fireworks safely of AgriLife seminar By DENISE BLAZ
THE ZAPATA TIMES
As the Fourth of July weekend gets under way, law enforcement officials are emphasizing safety for revelers and reminding the public that although fireworks are legal in Zapata, users should practice caution. “There isn’t a burn ban,” said Juan J. Meza, Zapata County Fire Department Chief. “There is an ordinance on aerial fireworks, though. They are illegal if any part of the firework comes down. People can face a fine of $500.” Officers on duty during the weekend will also be on alert while patrolling the
streets, with authorities looking for speeders, drunken drivers and seatbelt violators. Although there is no county burn or fireworks ban in effect outside the city limits, officials are urging common sense and safety. According to The National Council on Fireworks Safety, revelers are encouraged to always have water handy and to always use fireworks as intended. Never relight a dud firework, according to the council. Instead, wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water. Alcohol and shooting off fireworks do not mix, reminds the council. It urges
a designated shooter. Although gunshots tend to be a bigger problem during New Year’s celebrations, Capt. Eloy Vega, Laredo Fire Department spokesman, reminded the community that “what goes up, must come down.” “We do encounter reports of shots-fired during Fourth of July weekend,” he said. “It is illegal to discharge weapons within city limits. We’ve seen the tragic results when they fall. There have been tragic cases of severe injuries and even death,” said Vega. Adding to more safety tips, Meza also encourages the public to make sure that an adult is present if a child is using sparklers.
THE BLOTTER ASSAULT Deputies responded to an assault causes bodily injury call at about 9:30 a.m. Monday at the intersection of Seventh Street and Texas 16. The complainant stated some people assaulted him. Deputies responded to an aggravated assault call at 4 p.m. June 27 in the 2100 block of Retama Lane. An incident report states a man was assaulted with a hammer. Deputies responded to an aggravated assault call at 5 p.m. June 26 in the 2100 block of Retama Lane. The complainant stated known person assaulted her. Authorities responded to a
domestic disturbance call at 9:45 a.m. in the 400 block of Second Street in the Flores Addition. An incident report states a known person assaulted the victims inside the house.
HIT AND RUN Deputies responded to a hit-and-run call at 7:45 p.m. June 27 at the intersection of 20th Street and Medina Avenue. A male victim stated he drove to the store. When he returned home, he noticed a vehicle struck his pickup and damaged the left rear fender.
THEFT Deputies responded to a
theft call at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 1700 block of Carla Street. The complainant stated someone stole her gun, but she did not know when. An employee of Radio Shack at 117 U.S. 83 reported at 4:15 p.m. June 26 someone stole an RF modulator from the store. Deputies responded to a theft call at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 5200 block of Salvador Lane. The female complainant stated an unknown person stole her two dogs. Deputies responded to a theft call at 3 p.m. Wednesday in the 600 block of Del Mar Street. The complainant stated someone stole frozen food and a power generator from the property.
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
The demands of the beef industry are changing, leaving South Texas cattle producers with less profits than they could be making, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert. To help them better understand the new demands, a beef marketing seminar will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Oswaldo and Juanita Ramirez Exhibit Hall in Zapata on July 16, according to Caleb Eaton, a county Extension agent in Zapata County. The exhibit hall is located near the intersection of Glenn and 24th streets, three blocks east of U.S. 83. “The historical trend in Zapata County and most of South Texas is to produce cattle with lots of Brahman genetic influence,” Eaton said. “But the beef industry now demands cattle with more English influence so producers here are making less money than they could.” Cattle with Brahman genetic makeup of a fourth or more are getting less money for their livestock than producers who sell cattle with no Brahman influence, he said. “The difference in price between high quality calves and lower quality calves is increasing,” Eaton said. “In the old days all a rancher had to do was set a few bulls loose with his cows, sell the
calves and make money. It’s not that easy anymore.” Short of swapping out their entire herds, there are some steps producers can take to increase their profitability, since Brahman-influenced breeding cows are still needed to survive in the subtropical brush country and the coastal areas of Texas, Eaton said. The beef marketing seminar, “Pasture to Plate,” is designed to help producers better understand a market that is constantly changing and help them improve their profitability, Eaton said. The Brahman breed of cattle, distinguishable by large humps over their shoulders, was imported to the U.S. in the early 1900s from India. Fortified by centuries of exposure to little food and an abundance of insect pests, parasites, diseases and the harsh weather of tropical India, they showed remarkable adaption to South Texas, he said. “But their meat quality is not as highly desirable as it once was,” Eaton said. “The market today demands a more moderate-sized animal and a more uniform calf in size and appearance. Genetic improvement is just one way producers can improve their ranch’s profitability; many other improvements will be discussed at the seminar.” “They could, for example, sell at a different time of year or they could sell
value-added cattle by vaccinating their animals before they are sold,” he said. Speakers and their topics include Joe Paschal, Ph.D., an AgriLife Extension beef specialist in Corpus Christi, who will discuss “Raising Marketable Beef Cattle in South Texas.” Omar Montemayor and Ronnie Zamora, AgriLife Extension agents in Starr County, will discuss sale barn trends. After a complimentary lunch provided by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, Mike Risica, of Rio Beef Feedyard in Linn will talk about feedlot industry preferences. The final speaker will be Tanner Machado, Ph.D., a professor of meat science at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, whose talk is titled “Meat Industry and Consumer Demands.” “We’ve gathered the most knowledgeable beef cattle experts so that producers will hopefully walk away with a better understanding of the beef industry process and how they as producers can alter management of their operations to make them more profitable,” Eaton said. The “Pasture to Plate” beef marketing seminar is sponsored by the AgriLife Extension Service and the Zapata County Agriculture/Natural Resources program area committee and is a part of the 2010 Beef Improvement Program series.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010
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EDITORIAL
OTHER VIEWS
It’s Google vs. the Chinese NEW YORK TIMES
A
s the Chinese Communist Party sees it, its very hold on power depends on controlling the access of ordinary Chinese to information about their country, rulers and the world. When Google decided in March to stop self-censoring search results in China by automatically redirecting queries to its uncensored service in Hong Kong, no one should have been surprised if Beijing rejected it. The Chinese government is now pushing back, threatening not to renew Google’s license as an Internet content provider. So far, Google’s response to Beijing’s displeasure appears consis-
tent with its original vow. Instead of automatically rerouting queries to its Hong Kong engine, it started sending visitors to www.google.cn to a new “landing page” that links to the Hong Kong website, where users can perform searches beyond the reach of Chinese censors. It is true, as Google says, that its departure from China would impose a cost on the many Chinese who have relied on its search engine as a window into the world. But a censored Google is worse than no Google at all. Threatening to depart, it at least clarifies to Chinese Internet users the extent of their government’s control over information and the cost this policy entails.
COLUMN COLUMN
Taking on big government
Problems roil across border L
By GEORGE WILL
WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP
By JONATHAN GURWITZ SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
T
he police chief of a town in a violent border region is found decapitated, his head in his lap, hours after gunmen with Kalashnikov rifles killed the deputy police chief and his bodyguard in a nearby municipality. Assassins kill the leading candidate for governor in a neighboring border state. Military and intelligence forces respond to a credible threat to blow up a dam that, if successful, could flood an area with 4 million residents. Iraq? Afghanistan? No — Mexico in recent months, just across the Rio Grande from Texas. The police killings were in Nuevo Leon, the assassination in Tamaulipas, and the dam was at Falcon Lake, straddling the border between Tamaulipas and Starr County, Texas. Too often, discussions about the border, including President Barack Obama’s address July 1, devolve into the passionate debate about immigration. That debate and the emotions it engenders tend to obscure a more fundamental issue: Our nation’s porous border is a threat to U.S. national security. Migrants from Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America who come here to pick crops, wash dishes and clean houses don’t represent a fifth column of foreign invaders. They are people looking for better lives, discouraged from seeking legal entry by an immigration system that stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the powerful current created when the world’s wealthiest nation shares a 2,000-mile border with a developing nation. But here’s an inescapable truth. The same routes and crossing points, the same coyotes and smugglers who manual laborers rely on to enter the United States can also be used by intruders with far less benign objectives. The most obvious examples are the drug cartels battling each other and the Mexican government for control of the lucrative trafficking routes into the United States. The armed groups that have turned Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso,
into a war zone — 200 people dead in only one week last month — have distribution networks that crisscross this country. The cartels, their paramilitary enforcers and street gangs move illicit drugs north and cash and guns back south. In the multi-billion-dollar drug trade, the border is irrelevant. And there’s no reason to believe the people doing the beheadings and assassinations will indefinitely be solicitous about keeping violence on one side of an international boundary, as the alleged plot to blow up Falcon Dam suggests. There are some less obvious examples as well. In May, the Department of Homeland Security warned law enforcement officials in Texas of the potential illegal entry from Mexico of a suspected member of the al-Shabaab terrorist group, an al-Qaida affiliate in Somalia. Why would terrorists from Somalia or anywhere else choose to clandestinely enter the United States from Mexico? Because if millions of Mexican laborers can do it, so can they. That’s the troubling fact at the heart of what the U.S. government calls “special interest aliens” — illegal immigrants from countries that pose a national security threat. Hundreds of them are apprehended in the United States each year. No one knows how many are being missed. A recent report from the U.S. Southern Command obtained by the Washington Examiner raises a warning flag on the special interest alien problem. “Of particular concern is the smuggling of criminal aliens and gang members who pose public safety threats to communities throughout the border region and the country,” it cautions. “These individuals include hundreds of undocumented aliens from special interest countries, primarily China, but also Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan.” People who wish to do harm to the United States can and are entering the country undetected. That ought to be the starting point of any national discussion about the border. (E-mail: jgurwitz@express-news.net)
AS VEGAS – Sometimes provocative people become that way because they were provoked. Sharron Angle, 60, could be enjoying the 10 grandchildren she loves even more than her .44 magnum. Instead, she is the Republican nominee against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s quest for a fifth term. Her campaign began, in a sense, three decades ago, when a judge annoyed her. When her son was depressed about having to repeat kindergarten – “He was a 6-year-old dropout” – she decided on home schooling, which Nevada law permitted. But a judge construed the law to require that parents who home school must live at least 50 miles from a public school.
Fighting for rights She and many kindred spirits descended on Carson City to get the Legislature to correct this. One legislator, irritated by such grass-roots impertinence, said, “If I’d known there would be 500 people here instead of 50 and it would take five hours instead of 30 minutes, I would have thrown it (the legislation) in my drawer and it would never have seen the light of day.” Angle asked a cowboy standing next to her, “Can he
do that?” The cowboy said yep. She has been politically incandescent ever since. Even when asked where she was born, she is on message: “I was conceived in Lovelock (Nevada) but – if you’re not pro-life – I was born in Klamath Falls (Oregon).” During her four terms in Nevada’s 42-seat Assembly, many votes were “41-toAngle.” She wears as a badge of honor having been voted Nevada’s worst legislator, a disparagement she says is always bestowed on a conservative because the voters are members of the press and the political class (the legislators and their staff). Her favorite legislators? U.S. Sens. Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn and Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann. They are coming here to help her. She says she will be 73 at the end of two Senate terms, but notes that her 103-year-old aunt lives in Arizona with her two sons, both in their 80s.
More voters The Democrats’ Senate leader before Reid was from another thinly populated state: South Dakota’s Tom Daschle was defeated in 2004. Such is the constant flood of new voters into Nevada – only 24 percent of residents were born in the state – Reid’s national stature matters less than it might in a place where the electorate
has more local memories. Perhaps 200,000 Nevadans – in an electorate of 2 million – have never seen Reid’s name on a ballot. He argues that Nevada now needs his Washington potency more than ever. Angle, who laughs easily and often, does so about that: Nevada, she says, has the nation’s highest bankruptcy and home foreclosure rates, and now, for the first time since April 2006, Michigan does not have the nation’s highest unemployment rate. Nevada does: 14 percent.
Nomination fight Nevada candidates buy television time here, in Reno and – to cover eastern Nevada – in Salt Lake City. Reid supporters spent substantial sums trying to ensure Angle’s nomination by attacking her principal opponent in the primary. Reid has $9 million on hand with more coming. Angle will have ample money from conservatives nationwide. It remains to be seen whether these resources will be squandered by a campaign organization unready for prime time. If the election becomes a referendum on him, she wins. If he makes it about some of her injudicious statements – e.g., “transition out” of Social Security; using Yucca Mountain north of here not for storing nuclear waste but for reprocessing such waste –
he might survive.
Key state Nevada is a swing state. Bill Clinton carried it twice, as did George W. Bush before Barack Obama won with 55 percent. Reid, who entered politics in Richard Nixon’s first term, is a canny realist. Although his approval ratings are steadily in the 30s, he might get, say, 43 percent of the November vote. This might be enough because in addition to Angle, there will be seven other Senate candidates siphoning away dissatisfied voters, and people will vote “none of the above,” which is Nevada’s catharsis for the disgusted.
Voters speak Before Chicagoan Abner Mikva, now retired from the federal judiciary, was a congressman, he was a young man who dropped by a political clubhouse where a member of the city’s machine asked who sent him. He said, “Nobody.” The machine man said, “We don’t want nobody nobody sent.” Angle is somebody nobody sent. Nobody in the upper reaches of national or even Nevada politics, that is. But voters may not be finished sending her places. (Reach George Will at georgewill@washpost.com)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The
phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our
readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-call-
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
ing or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010
Zlifestyle
PAGE 5A
FOURTH OF JULY EVENTS IN LAREDO
‘Minimo No’: Polo Polo at arena Thursday By EMILIO RÁBAGO III LAREDO MORNING TIMES
Polo Polo, the iconic comedian from Mexico, is performing at the Laredo Energy Arena on Thursday. It will be the comedian’s first show in Laredo in years. He has been in Laredo a couple of times and to Nuevo Laredo more often, including performances at La Feria, or our sister city’s fair and exposition. Some of his jokes concentrate on our border towns, including his joke “El Vampiro Fronterizo.” Mostly concentrating on dark or adult humor, Polo Polo is performing at 8 p.m., his first performance at the arena which has hosted several comics, including George Lopez, Carlos Mencia, and Gabriel Iglesias, who is scheduled to return to the LEA in October. Born Leopoldo García Peláez, Polo Polo has been entertaining audiences, big and small, in Mexico since
1972. He got his start at a small Mexico City club in the downtown’s Zona Rosa. His show is in Spanish, and touches on many subjects, but always with majaderas, or bad words. His anecdotes tell stories of people in everyday situations, but always pack a punch. The jokes are so funny throughout, earning him the nickname “maestro.” Known for his high selling albums, he started touring in the United States about two decades ago, in 1988, and has been kept going since. “Polo Polo is known as the Grand Mexican comedian who will bring a new comedic experience to Laredo,” stated Roy Medina, general manager at the Laredo Energy Arena, in a press release. “His comedy performance is known to be in the same caliber as late comedian George Carlin.” Tickets for the Polo Polo show on Thursday are $32
Saturday, July 3 The Veteran’s Parade will be making its way down San Bernardo Avenue, starting at 9 a.m. The City of Laredo presents the annual 4th of July Independence Day Celebration, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. The event hosts an abundance of activities at the Civic Center Grounds and Ballroom. For those preferring to spend their festive day indoors, the Imaginarium of South Texas hosts SANDtastico!, featuring an all-day indoor beach party at the Imaginarium today.
Sunday, July 4
Courtesy photo
Polo Polo, the iconic comedian from Mexico, is performing at the Laredo Energy Arena on Thursday, beginning at 8 p.m. for floor seats and $22 for arena bowl seating. Facility charges are extra. Only 2,500 will be available, so check Ticketmaster for availability. Although his comedy is very strong and knows no
boundaries, the show is for all ages. Medina said parents should consider the type of show this is. (Emilio Rabago III may be reached at 728-2564 or by e-mail at erabago@lmtonline.com)
Bright and early, from 7 a.m. to 7:40, runners can register for the Joey Muñoz Fourth of July Run at Laredo Community College between the tennis courts and pool area; the race will begin at 8 a.m. Also beginning registration at 7 a.m., Webb County Official Fourth of July Trail ride will ride out at 8 a.m., starting 4.8 miles east on Del Mar Blvd. at the old detention center and ending at LIFE Downs. Offering free admission, lunch and breakfast will be provided and
prizes will be distributed for the most-patrioticdressed horse and rider. Meanwhile, downtown at 8 a.m. the line up begins at St. Peters Plaza in preparation for the annual Fourth of July parade. The parade will end at the Civic Center where another stunt show, watermelon and jell-o eating contests also scheduled for today, with first place winners of each age category winning $100 and $50. The Imaginarium will be introducing its own patriotic parade through the mall to close the SANDtastico! weekend celebration. The parade begins in front of Sears at 1 p.m., with a decoration station set up around noon to help participants decorate for the parade. Following the parade, children and parents are welcome to take part in the Make Your Own Sundae party. At 3 p.m. is a performance by LITE Production. The “Jungle Book Kids” will be performed at the Laredo Civic Center. Already on the itinerary of many, the Fireworks Extravaganza scheduled for the end of the Laredo Broncos game is tentatively scheduled to begin around 10 p.m. — Stephanie Ibarra
COMING UP Big Tejano weekend in San Antonio Actor/comedian Paul Rodriguez is hosting the 30th annual Tejano Music Awards on Sunday, July 11. The awards ceremony will take place at the Municipal Auditorium in downtown San Antonio. The Tejano Music Awards is the culmination of the Tejano Music 2010 Historic Weekend, which
brings together the seventh annual Tejano Music Convention, the 30th TMAs and the sixth annual Tejano Academy Awards. Musical tributes will be given to La Mafia, Latin Breed, the Quintanilla family and Laura Canales. Musical director will be Bob Gallarza. Tickets for the events — to be held at various venues, including the Hyatt on the Riverwalk, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and the Municipal Auditorium — range from $15 to $60 and
are available at all Ticketmaster locations. For more information, visit www.tejanomusicawards.com
Pet Pooch Parade next weekend PAWSitive Pet Pals, an organization made up of the Laredo Animal Protective Society, along with partners Petland and KGNS, is teaming up for the first ever Pet Pooch Parade, a fundraiser
for the animal shelter that will be fun for pets, their owners and everyone who wants to help pets in need. PAWSitive Pet Pals aims to raise money and awareness for homeless and abused animals in the community. The parade will be Saturday, July 10, at North Central Park. Registration, for a $10 donation, starts at 8 a.m.The first 100 people get a T-shirt, and the first 100 dogs get a bandana. The walk kicks off at 9 a.m.,
with the parade’s official Pet Pooch Parade Master, District VI Council Member Gene Belmares, along with his shelter dog, Hayley. To enter, interested participants should pick up a form from any of the three sponsor agencies. Bring a bowl for your pet; water will be made available for them throughout the park. For more information, call Lori at 724-2364, Joe or Laura at 7245118, or Victoria at 727-8888. — Laredo Morning Times
PAGE 6A
Zentertainment
Photo by Kimberley French/Summit Entertainment | AP
In this film publicity image, Taylor Lautner, left, and Kristen Stewart are shown in a scene from “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," now playing in theaters.
‘Twilight’ eclipses chapters 1 and 2 By DAVID GERMAIN ASSOCIATED PRESS
REVIEW
A moon-eyed teen must choose between her vampire lover and her werewolf pal, a decision she faces amid the ever-simmering rivalry between bloodsuckers and lycanthropes. Wait a sec, aren’t we right back where we were last year on this whole “Twilight Saga” thing? Chapter three, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” seems on its surface to be nothing more than a retread of last year’s retread, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.” Yet with the franchise under new management again, this time director David Slade (best known for the hard-core vampire horror flick “30 Days of Night”), and a stronger story than the first two, “Eclipse” manages to do
what its dreadfully dumb predecessors could not. It almost makes believers out of those of us who don’t care whether Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan chooses vampire stud Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) or werewolf hunk Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Almost. The trouble is, while “Eclipse” may not be dreadfully dumb, it’s still pretty dumb. Slade and his collaborators use that to their advantage here and there, lightening up on the relentless gloom of the first two movies by making fun of some of the franchise’s silliness (why not slip in your own wisecrack about Lautner’s constant shirtlessness, rather than letting the audience snicker when
he shows off his torso?). Still, the filmmakers made “Eclipse” for the “Twilight” faithful, so while the movie’s a bit more light on its feet, it wallows in what fans love most, that whiny romantic triangle among a schoolgirl and her two beastie boys. This time, Bella’s dealing with transitional developments teens face — high school graduation, saying goodbye to classmates, whether or not to let her boyfriend turn her into a vampire so they can stay young, beautiful and broody together forever. Her still-chaste dalliance with Edward and friendship with Jacob take on new strains as the Cullen vampire clan and the local werewolf pack join forces to battle the Newborn Army, more formidable than the name implies.
5 indicted in LA for celebrity burglaries By ANTHONY MCCARTNEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — Five people accused of burglarizing celebrities’ homes now face conspiracy charges after a grand jury issued an indictment against the group. The indictment, unsealed Friday, details the research and planning that went into the break-ins at the homes of stars such as Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Orlando Bloom and Megan Fox. In the case of the breakin at Hilton’s home, the indictment alleges members
prepared detailed floor plans, including the placement of security cameras and where the heiress stashed a front door key. The group already faced a variety of charges, but prosecutors opted to present their case to grand jurors rather than having a judge evaluate the evidence during a preliminary hearing. Now, the group may go on trial by November. They are accused of stealing millions of dollars worth of clothing, jewelry and other luxury items. Some of the property, including Hilton’s jewelry,
have been recovered. But prosecutor Sarika Kim said in court Friday that one of the defendants, Rachel Lee, may still have some of the goods. An investigator previously told The Associated Press the value of the unrecovered property may be as much as $2 million. The burglaries targeted young celebrities with homes in the Hollywood Hills between October 2008 and August 2009. Hilton’s home was the first one burglarized; the indictment states planning started a month earlier.
SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010
SÁBADO 3 DE JULIO DE 2010
Agenda en Breve
Zfrontera Elecciones son el domingo Elegirán Gobernador, Alcaldes y Diputados locales
SÁBADO 3 DE JULIO
POR MELVA LAVÍN-CASTILLO
LAREDO — L.I.T.E. Productions y el Departamento de Parques y Servicios de Entretenimiento de la Ciudad de Laredo invitan a disfrutar el día de hoy ‘Jungle Book Kids’ de Disney a las 7 p.m. en el Auditorio del Laredo Civic Center. El boleto de entrada es de 5 dólares. Más información llamando al (956) 645-8088. LAREDO — Pase la tarde en el Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU y explore “One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure” a las 6 p.m., “Attack of the Space Pirates” a las 7 p.m., y “Rock on Demand” a las 8 p.m. La entrada general es de 5 dólares, el día de hoy. NUEVO LAREDO — Estación Palabra presenta dentro del Cine Club Infantil, la película ‘Kika La Súper Bruja’ del director austriaco Stefan Ruzowitzky, a las 12 p.m. y 4 p.m. Entrada gratuita.
TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
DOMINGO 4 DE JULIO LAREDO — L.I.T.E. Productions y el Departamento de Parques y Servicios de Entretenimiento de la Ciudad de Laredo invitan a disfrutar el día de hoy ‘Jungle Book Kids’ de Disney a las 3 p.m. en el Auditorio del Laredo Civic Center. El boleto de entrada es de 5 dólares. Más información llamando al (956) 645-8088. LAREDO — Festival de la Independencia en Karma Lounge & Nightclub a las 3 p.m.
PÁGINA 7A
Es fin de semana de elecciones. Ciudadanos tamaulipecos elegirán el domingo a su nuevo gobernador, presidente municipal en los 43 municipios y diputados locales. En el caso de Nuevo Laredo se elegirá a tres diputados locales y en el caso de la zona ribereña a uno, que corresponde al Distrito IV con cabecera en Miguel Alemán. Pero, dentro de la efervescencia electoral, la entidad y el país en sí, vivió una semana de luto tras el asesinato del candidato de la Coalición Todos Tamaulipas Rodolfo Torre Cantú, el 28 de junio.
Tres días Torre Cantú fue acribillado cuando viajaba hacia el aeropuerto sobre la Carretera Ciudad Victoria – Soto La Marina, junto a otros cuatro integrantes de su campaña, el Diputado Enrique Blackmore Smer y tres guardaespaldas Luis Gerardo Sotero, Rubén López Zúñiga y Francisco David López Catache. El martes, los cinco fueron despedidos tras una ceremonia, primero privada para las familias, y posteriormente oficial en el Centro Cultural Polyforum de Ciudad Victoria. El mismo día del atentado, el Presidente de México Felipe Calderón Hinojosa acusó de los hechos a la delincuencia organizada, sin mencionar algún grupo en específico. El miércoles la Coalición, integrado por Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), Verde Ecologista (PV) y Nueva Alianza (NA), tuvo que registrar a un nuevo candidato. La responsabilidad recayó en la misma familia, el hermano mayor de Rodolfo Torre Cantú,
aceptó la encomienda. Egidio Torre Cantú, un empresario contratista de 53 años de edad, fue registrado poco antes de las 2 p.m. del miércoles, día que también fue el cierre oficial de campañas electorales, como lo marca la Ley. “Qué difícil es aceptar lo que no debió suceder”, dijo Torre Cantú tras su registro. “Rodolfo era el mejor hombre para ser gobernador”. Según encuestas Rodolfo Torre Cantú era el favorito para ganar la elección del domingo.
Candidatos Para los votantes se aclara que las boletas mantendrán el nombre de Rodolfo Torre Cantú, pero los votos serán para Egidio Torre Cantú. Los otros candidatos a gobernador son por el Partido Acción Nacional (PAN), José Julián Sacramento; por el Partido Convergencia (PC), Alfonso de León Perales; por el Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD), Julio César Almanza Armas; por el Partido del Trabajo (PT), Armando Vera García. Como candidatos a Diputados están: Distrito 01 Nuevo Laredo Norte: PAN, José Luis Chavez Castillo; Coalición PRI-NA, Héctor Martín Canales González; PRD, Jorge Salinas Falcón; PT, Ana Laura López Martínez; PV, Heriberto Galván Franco; PC, Francisca Gladis Molina Álvarez. Distrito 02 Nuevo Laredo Sur: PAN, Roberto Rodríguez Chávez; Coalición PRI-NA, Aurelio Uvalle Gallardo; PRD, Luis Rafael Orozco Domínguez; PT, Irene López Ramírez; PV, José Luis Flores Pachicano; PC, Julio César Baldenegro Barrera.
Distrito 03 Nuevo Laredo Oriente: PAN, Iliana Maribel Medina García; PRI, Rosa María Alvarado Monroy; PRD, Lizbeth Denyse Marín Sánchez; PT, Laura Araceli Villegas Esquivel; PV, Dora María Elena Hernández Ruiz; PC, Sofía Aurora Cervantes Gómez; el NA no registró candidato. Distrito 04 Miguel Alemán: PAN, Luis René Cantú Galván; PRI, Adolfo Víctor García Jiménez; PRD, Julián Enrique Chapa Leal; PT, Oscar Gerardo Canales Longoria; PV, Eulalia Madero Andasola; PC, Jesús Saldaña Villarreal; NA, Carlos Eduardo Cervantes. Los candidatos para Presidente Municipal son: En Camargo: Coalición PRI-NA, José Cruz Treviño Garza y PRD, María del Carmen Rocha Hernández. PAN, PT, PV y PC no registraron candidato. En Guerrero: Coalición PRI-NA, Luis Gerardo Ramos Gómez y PT, Jesús Manuel Mata Navarro. PAN, PRD, PV y PC no registraron candidato. En Gustavo Días Ordaz: PAN, Santiago Solís Rodríguez; Coalición PRI-NA, Humberto Roque Cuellar; PRD, Francisco López Moreno; PT, José Armando Sánchez Martínez. PV y PC no registraron candidato. En Mier: Coalición PRI-NA, Alberto González Peña; PRD, José Luis Durán Vivas; PT, Edgar Oliveros Balderas. PAN, PV y PC no registraron candidato. En Miguel Alemán: PAN, Jorge Luis Martínez Cantú; Coalición PRI-NA, Ramón Edmundo Rodríguez Garza; PRD, Lucio Chávez Salazar; PT, Juan Manuel Arriaga Pérez. PV y PC no registraron candidato. En Nuevo Laredo: PAN, José Salvador Rosas Quintanilla; Coalición PRI-PV-NA, Benjamín Galván Gómez; PRD, Everardo Quiroz Torres; PT, Angélica López Quiroz; PC, Jorge Alejandro García Montemayor. (Localice a Melva Lavín-Castillo en el (956) 728-2569 ó en mecastillo@lmtonline.com)
DESPUÉS DE ‘ALEX’
Obispo pide no temer
LUNES 5 DE JULIO LAREDO — Debido a la festividad del 4 de julio, las oficinas administrativas del Condado de Webb estarán cerradas hoy, incluyendo la Oficina de la Recaudadora-Asesora de Impuestos. El Departamento del Alguacil continuará sus servicios de forma regular.
MARTES 6 DE JULIO
POR MIGUEL TIMOSHENKOV
LAREDO — Desde hoy y hasta el 9 de julio habrá horario extendido de la Feria del Pasaporte en la Biblioteca Pública de Laredo (1120 E. Calton Road) de 9 a.m. a 5 p.m. LAREDO — El Laredo Heat recibe hoy a las 8 p.m. a los Midland Sockers en el Complejo Deportivo de TAMIU.
TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
MIÉRCOLES 7 DE JULIO LAREDO — Pase la tarde en el Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU y explore “The Future is Wild” a las 3 p.m. y “Wonders of the Universe” a las 4 p.m. La entrada general es de 3 dólares, el día de hoy. Foto por Eduardo Verdugo | Associated Press
JUEVES 8 DE JULIO LAREDO — Pase la tarde en el Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU y explore “The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” at 3 p.m. and “New Horizons” at 4 p.m. La entrada general es de 3 dólares, el día de hoy. LAREDO — El comediante Polo Polo se presenta en la Laredo Energy Arena a las 8 p.m. Los boletos son de 22 y 32 dólares. Puede adquirirlos en Ticketmaster y en la taquilla de LAE.
VIERNES 9 DE JULIO LAREDO — El Laredo Heat recibe a los Leones de Houston en las canchas de TAMIU a las 8 p.m. Es la noche de Make-A-Wish. LAREDO — El Laredo Heat recibe hoy a las 8 p.m. a los Midland Sockers en el Complejo Deportivo de TAMIU.
Elementos de la Naval Mexicana caminan frente a casas de madera colapsadas tras que el Huracán Alex golpeó a Playa Bagdad, cerca de Matamoros, el jueves. Alex arrancó techos, causó inundaciones severas y forzó a miles de personas a dejar las villas en la costa del Golfo de México.
Remesas recuperan impulso ASSOCIATED PRESS
MÉXICO — Las remesas que los mexicanos envían al país recuperaron impulso en mayo, al crecer 12% respecto al mismo mes del año anterior, reportó el banco central. Los envíos ascendieron en mayo a 2.128 millones de dólares, cuando en el mismo mes de 2009 sumaron 1.900 millones de dólares, según la actualización mensual del Banco de México divulgada el jueves en su sitio de internet. Mayo fue el segundo mes
consecutivo que las remesas mostraron una tasa de incremento, luego de caídas permanentes desde finales de 2008. El impulso observado en mayo, sin embargo, no fue suficiente para revertir la caída acumulada durante los primeros cinco meses del 2010. El banco central señaló que entre enero y mayo las remesas ascendieron a 8.731 millones de dólares, una caída de 4,64% respecto al mismo periodo de 2009. Las remesas son enviadas casi en su totalidad desde Estados
Unidos y son la segunda fuente de divisas del país después del petróleo. Desde 2008, los envíos de los emigrantes mexicanos han mostrado un comportamiento hacia la baja y el banco central ha señalado que una de las razones es la desaceleración económica en Estados Unidos, donde radica la mayoría de los emigrantes mexicanos. Más de 11,8 millones de mexicanos radican en ese país. México es también el principal receptor de remesas en América Latina.
SÁBADO 10 DE JULIO LAREDO — Hoy es la Clínica de Vacunación en el Departamento de Salud de la Ciudad de Laredo de 8 a.m. a 12 p.m. Las vacunas tienen costo de 4 dólares por niños, con un máximo de 12 dólares por familia. Más información en el 795-4906. LAREDO — Hoy se presenta Clay Walter en el “Deer in the Headlights Music Fest” a llevarse a cabo en la Laredo Energy Arena a partir de las 2 p.m. Otros artistas a presentarse serán Buddy Vargas, Joel Green y los Turnpike Troubadours, y The Bottom Line. Los boletos en preventa a 30 y 35 dólares. Adquiera sus boleto en Ticketmaster, la taquilla de LEA, Guerra Communications, Casa Raul, Rumor’s y Rudy’s BBQ.
Arizona y Texas critican plan POR PAUL DAVENPORT Y BOB CHRISTIE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHOENIX — Arizona y Texas criticaron el lunes los planes del gobierno federal para la seguridad fronteriza porque consideran insuficiente el número de efectivos de la Guardia Nacional que serán desplegados en ambos estados limítrofes con México. “Lo que escuchamos no era lo que esperábamos”, dijo la gobernadora de Arizona, Jan Brewer, a la prensa al término de una reunión de 90 minutos que sostuvo con un equipo de funcionarios federales que envió el presidente Barack Obama. El gobernador de Texas, Rick Perry, del Partido Republicano al igual que Brewer, dijo que el despliegue de efectivos en su estado es “insuficiente para satisfacer las necesidades de seguridad en la frontera con México”.
Arizona recibirá 524 efectivos de la Guardia Nacional; Texas, 250. La Casa Blanca dijo en un comunicado que el despliegue adicional de 1.200 efectivos a lo largo de la frontera con México “complementará los recursos y acciones ulteriores que este gobierno ha comprometido para la seguridad de la frontera suroccidental”. Según la iniciativa, Arizona recibirá 524 efectivos de la Guardia Nacional; Texas, 250; California 224, y Nuevo México, 72, dijeron las autoridades. Otros 130 soldados de la Guardia Nacional estarán disponibles en una oficina de enlace nacional.
NUEVO LAREDO — La Diócesis local hizo un llamado a no caer en la cobardía, no ceder a las intenciones del crimen organizado y salir a votar el domingo para elegir gobernador, presidente municipal y diputados locales. “Tenemos un enemigo común”, dijo el Obispo de la Diócesis Gustavo Rodríguez Vega. “No se puede continuar en el encierro porque los criminales han aterrorizado. RODRÍGUEZ “El encierro ha causado esta zozobra (y) es el momento de las alianzas por la vida y la fe”. En una carta dirigida a sacerdotes y religiosas, Rodríguez les pidió que motiven a los feligreses a salir a votar para fortalecer la democracia de Tamaulipas y México. “Si la intención de muerte para (Rodolfo) Torre Cantú era atemorizar a los votantes, no tendrán éxito”, escribió Rodríguez. Torre fue asesinado el lunes junto a otras cuatro personas cuando viajaba sobre la Carretera Ciudad Victoria-Soto La Marina. “Ya no es tiempo de pensar en partidos y religiones, necesitamos unirnos como sociedad”, dijo él, agregando que sociedad y gobierno deben unirse para enfrentar al crimen organizado. La Diócesis alabó que los partidos políticos no hayan aceptado cambiar el día de elección evitando así ser víctimas del secuestro democrático. Rodríguez dijo que se debe orar por todos aquellos que han caído en la violenta guerra que enfrenta el gobierno mexicano contra el crimen organizado. “Cada día pedimos a Dios porque los hombres del crimen se conviertan en personas razonables, además pedimos que liberen a quienes han mantenido privados de su libertad”, dijo él. En su carta, el Obispo también solicita a los sacerdotes y laicos tener valor para buscar y encontrar la vida normal dentro de la prudencia. “Pero no se debe dejar de votar”, reiteró. Las elecciones en Tamaulipas son el domingo. (Localice a Miguel Timoshenkov en el 728-2583 ó en mramirez@lmtonline.com)
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010
Green Party Strings put on school funds gets on ballot By APRIL CASTRO
ASSOCIATED PRESS
By JIM VERTUNO ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that the Green Party can put its candidates on the November statewide ballot while it considers whether the party took improper donations to fund its petition drive. The Green Party has maintained the donations were legal, but state Democrats insist they are not. The high court overturned a lower court’s decision blocking the Green Party from the ballot but said it wants to consider the Democrats’ arguments. Shortly after the ruling, the Green Party filed the names of candidates Deb Shafto (governor), Herb Gonzales Jr. (lieutenant governor), Ed Lindsay (comptroller) and Art Browning (railroad com-
mission) with the secretary of state. Friday was the deadline. But the candidates’ time on the ballot may be short. The Supreme Court said it wants more information from the parties and could give a final ruling later this month. Green Party officials have said if their candidates are blocked from the ballot, it would be a “death penalty” for the party. Republicans as well as Democrats are involved in the fight. The Texas Democratic Party sued to block the Green Party candidates, alleging the petition drive was political subterfuge waged by Republicans with the goal of pulling liberal votes away from Democratic nominee for governor Bill White. White is running against Republican Gov. Rick Perry.
AUSTIN, Texas — A special provision tacked on to a supplemental budget bill this week in the U.S. House cuts Texas education officials out of the decision-making process that will determine how more than $800 million in federal aid to schools will be spent in the state. The Texas caveat also requires Gov. Rick Perry to make assurances to Washington that state funding for education will not fall below a certain level through the 2013 fiscal year. Perry’s office says that requirement is unconstitutional and will effectively deny Texas schools the money. “At the urging of Texas Democrats, the U.S. House has added language to the war supplemental bill that effectively kills about $800 million in federal funding for Texas schools,” said Perry spokeswoman Kath-
erine Cesinger. “The Housepassed version requires that the governor guarPERRY antee the Legislature will provide a certain level of state funding, which is prohibited by the Texas Constitution. “Texas would not be able to use any of these funds to save teacher jobs — as Congress has intended the money be used — for at least one full school year.” U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, the Austin Democrat who drafted the amendment with the special Texas provision, disagrees with Perry’s assertion the measure is unconstitutional. “The governor has veto power, if he can certify in his application that the state will not hold this federal money against the school districts, the state of Texas gets the money,”
Doggett said. Led by Doggett, Democrats in Congress said they gave special treatment to Texas because of the way the state handled federal stimulus dollars last year. The provisions only apply to Texas. The measure has not yet been approved in the Senate. Doggett says state lawmakers used $3.2 billion in federal stimulus money last year to save state money, allowing them to end last year’s legislative session with billions in the state’s Rainy Day Fund. By supplanting $3.2 billion in state education dollars, Doggett said, state lawmakers perpetrated “a massive abuse of what was intended.” Bypassing the state in this round of federal aid is a safety net of sorts, to ensure state officials don’t divert education dollars to other parts of the budget, Doggett said.
“We just sought to go a little extra because of this history of Texas diverting $3.2 billion, to try to do the best that we could to see that this money actually goes to what it’s appropriated,” Doggett said. But state officials say Texas used the money just like every other state, and Washington is punishing Texas for refusing to participate in some key Obama Administration education initiatives. “I think they’ve certainly painted a target on Texas for our refusal to turn over our schools to the federal government,” said Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott. Scott, who has been a vocal opponent of Obama’s Race to the Top education initiative, said a review by the Texas Education Agency has found most Texas school districts would have received more money under the state funding formulas than under the federal formulas.
OVERLOOKS Continued from Page 1A Gracia said the rest stops are not utilized as much as previous years because the speed limits have increased and the growing number of gas stations. In shutting the rest stops, TxDOT would remove picnic tables, shade structures and trash cans, and would allow the grass to grow, Gracia said. He added TxDOT has not met with the county since requesting help but will be
meeting soon to finalize the decision. “Probably what’s going to happen is we’re going to remove them for lack of funds and manpower,” Gracia said. “We have other duties to handle.” Zapata County Commissioner Jose E. Vela said the county wanted to maintain the rest stops but there aren’t any county employees available or the funds to hire any new employees
solely for that purpose. “We decided not to maintain them,” Vela said. “It will be kind of sad because it’s a pretty area, and because you could see the lake. “I wouldn’t like to see them go because they’re nice, but they’re being abused,” he added. As a solution, the county suggested a prisoner program or organization adoption to maintain the rest
GRAND JURY Continued from Page 1A Gonzalez was transported from his house, 601 Ramireño Ave., to Laredo Medical Center. A day after being transported to LMC, the baby was airlifted to Methodist Children’s Hospital. Reports state that when Gonzalez reached the hospital, he was given only a few hours to live. San Antonio Police Department officials called the Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office that day, informing them the baby was in serious condition, officials in the district attorney’s office said. He was later pronounced dead, and Dr. Corinne
Stern, Webb County medical examiner, ruled the death a homicide. Alvarez Briones was arrested at his residence a day after the baby’s death. According to Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez, Alvarez Briones admitted to hitting the baby after he became frustrated with the infant’s crying. “The baby died of multiple fractures to his head,” Gonzalez said in an April Laredo Morning Times article. Zapata County Sheriff ’s Sgt. Greg Gutierrez said as many as three families, including Alvarez Briones’ and the Gonzalezes, may
have been living in the same residence and sharing responsibilities of taking care of the children. Alvarez Briones, a native of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, was living and working in Zapata when the crime occurred. A criminal check of Alvarez Briones shows he does not have a criminal record in the United States. Briones is considered a flight risk, so prosecutors say they deem the defendant a danger to society and that they will oppose any bond reductions. (Denise Blaz may be reached at 728-2547 or dblaz@lmtonline.com)
stops. TxDOT was supposed to find a solution but has not, Vela said. In previous years, organizations would adopt the highways but never got credit so they gave up, Vela
said. “They don’t do it any more because people kept littering,” Vela said. “Maybe that’s the solution – to get rid of them. People don’t appreciate the efforts
by the state. “They’ve been there for a long time,” he added. “They’re historical.” (Lorraine L. Rodriguez may be reached at (956)7282557.)
SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
Tribe revels in ‘Twilight’ spotlight By MANUEL VALDES ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEATTLE — The leader of the Quileute Nation in northwest Washington first began hearing her tribe had a role in a popular series called the “Twilight Saga” from fans clamoring to know more about the place where a vampire tale of teenage love unfolds. Some fans sent e-mails. The most dedicated among them made trips to the remote reservation that is home to the series’ heartthrob werewolf Jacob Black. “The interest in our tribe was a surprise, a good surprise,” tribal Chairwoman Anna Rose Counsell-Geyer said. “I thought to myself, people are going to actually get to know the Quileute and we are going to be recognized as a people. The real Quileute.” That was a couple of
years ago. With “Eclipse,” the series’ third movie in theaters now, the 750member Quileute Nation is reveling in the “Twilight” spotlight, attempting to capitalize on the blockbuster’s massive financial pull and welcoming new interest in the tribe’s culture. At their Oceanside Resort, the tribe is opening a cabin decorated in a wolf theme, a shout out to Jacob and the Quileute’s own origin story, which begins with a transformation from wolves to people. At a Quileute store in the reservation town of La Push, handmade beanie hats with “Jacob” stitched on them sell for nearly $35. There’s also a “Jacob’s Java” espresso stand. “This is historical. This is going to be imprinted on people’s lives for generations to come,” Counsell-Geyer said.
COLLEGE Continued from Page 1A jump start the program, and Commissioner Jose Emilio Vela, Pct.1, for helping with the structure of the office space needed for the program.” The funding for the program maintains two bus schedules during the day in order to address the transportation needs of the students. Many of the grants received go towards keeping two buses running daily from Zapata to Laredo’s colleges ¯both Laredo Community College campuses, Texas A&M International University, Kaplan College and Laredo Beauty College. Ashley Navarro, LCC freshman, discussed how much the program meant to her. “It saves money. It’s just $1 a day to go and come back,” Navarro said, adding that taking the recent inclement weather into consideration, even if her situation was different, using the program is much safer than driving on her own. Stephanie Vera, a junior who is both enrolled and working at TAMIU, agreed. “It helps that you don’t have to worry about driving or counting on a commuting partner,” Vera said. Meanwhile, other students view the transporta-
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
TAMIU students, from left, Stephanie Vera, Mayra Martinez, Abigail Garza, Ashley Navarro and Roxy Ibañez use the Zapata College Transportation Program to attend school in Laredo. tion as the only means of receiving a higher education. “I don’t have that much money to be going and coming and my parents need their vehicle. I found out they were having a bus coming to Laredo. That’s why I enrolled in school. If not I probably wouldn’t have. I come everyday. I don’t mind. I like it,” said Nancy Baer, Kaplan College Medical Billing and Coding Specialist student. Responsible for busing students five days a week in the 14-passenger buses are Zapata County drivers Ruben Garza and Juan Reyes, both huge propo-
nents of the transportation program. “A lot of kids need this, need transportation to a college. Hopefully it’ll continue. I know it will. By the time you know it, we’ll need more buses for more students,” Garza said. Reyes echoed Garza’s sentiments, adding, “Some of them just have one car at their house. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived through it.” Reyes anticipated the numbers of students using the program in the fall it hit well above 55. “They’re calling their friends. They’re calling Mrs. Guerra. We’re doubling,” Reyes said.
Guerra said the program is in the process of applying for additional grants. “We’ve had a lot of success within the last two and half months. We are very blessed and fortunate to have these services in our community. We will need a third bus in order to address the increase demand for services next year,” Guerra said. The program is being administered through the Zapata County Treasurer’s Office, under the supervision of County Treasurer Romeo Salinas. (Contact Stephanie M. Ibarra at (956) 728-2567 or sibarra@lmtonline.com)
not advertised in the local newspaper. He also said there may be an opportunity to have a curator at no cost to the county, which is an option that should be explored.
These are possible agenda items the next commissioners’ court meeting, he added. (Lorraine L. Rodriguez may be reached at (956)7282557.)
MUSEUM Continued from Page 1A and have to be fixed before we carpet the area,” Flores said. “The contractor still has work to do on the building.” After installing the car-
pet, there remains the issue of training the staff, Flores said. In other business, at the last commissioners’ court meeting Flores requested
Amparo Montes-Gutierrez be hired as museum curator with a salary of $30,000 per year plus fringe benefits, effective July 1.
Commissioner Jose E. Vela said the item was rescinded because several people complained the job advertisement was only available online and was
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010
SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors CAMP
Zapata ready for bball camps By CLARA SANDOVAL ZAPATA TIMES
Summer sports camps are designed to give youngsters an edge on the competition and stress the fundamentals. Thousands of basketball camps are offered across the nation, where athletes can sharpen their skills or continue to take their game to the next level. The Zapata youth does not have to travel far this summer to participate in a quality basketball camp that will stress the basic fundamentals of basketball, which are vital in any level of competition, from the elementary level all the
A WORLD CUP TITAN FALLS IN UPSET
way to the professional ranks. The Zapata High School basketball coaching staff will be conducting the third annual Hawk Pride Basketball Camp at the high school gymnasium. “Our basketball camp is conducted by the Hawk and the Lady Hawk basketball coaches, along with former players,” Zapata head girls basketball coach Clyde Guerra Jr. said. “Kids that come out (to the camp) will sharpen their basketball skills and appreciate the game of basketball.” The camp kicks off Mon-
See CAMPS PAGE 2B
Photo by Andre Penner | AP
WIMBLEDON
The Netherlands’ Andre Ooijer, left, and Netherlands’ John Heitinga, right, celebrate following the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Friday.
Netherlands stun Brazil, reach semis By ROB MURRAY ASSOCIATED PRESS
J
OHANNESBURG — The Netherlands came from behind to upset mighty Brazil 2-1 on Friday and become the first team into the World Cup semifinals, setting up a meeting with Uruguay, who beat Ghana in a penalty shootout. Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder was involved in both second-half goals in Port Elizabeth after Robinho had scored for Brazil in the 10th minute. Brazil thrilled in the first half, completely dominating the Dutch, but crumbled when Sneijder’s cross in the 53rd minute was deflected into his own net by Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo. Sneijder then headed in the winner in the 68th from near the penalty spot after Dirk Kuyt flicked the ball on from a corner. Felipe Melo was shown a direct red card in the 73rd for stamping on Netherlands winger Arjen Robben, who tormented the Brazilian defense. “We didn’t expect this,” Brazil coach Dunga said. “We know that any World Cup match is about 90
AP Photo
Spain’s Rafael Nadal shouts as he wins a point from Britain’s Andy Murray, during their men’s singles semifinal on the Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, Friday.
Nadal to face Berdych in tennis final By STEPHEN WILSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
WIMBLEDON, England — Rafael Nadal is back in the Wimbledon final for the fourth time in his last four appearances, while Britain’s 74-year wait for a homegrown men’s champion goes on. The top-ranked Spaniard took apart fourth-seeded Andy Murray 6-4, 7-6 (6), 6-4 on Friday to move within one win of a second Wimbledon title and an eighth Grand Slam championship. Nadal was at his relentless best, whipping topspin forehands from corner to corner, as he put on a bravura performance in front of a Centre Court audience that included David Beckham. Nadal will be a heavy favorite in Sunday’s final against 12th-seeded Tomas
Berdych of the Czech Republic, who defeated No. 3 Novak Djokovic 6-3, 7-6 (9), 6-3 to reach his first Grand Slam title match. Nadal won Wimbledon in 2008, beating Roger Federer in an epic five-set final, but was unable to defend his title last year because of tendinitis in both knees. Defending and sixtime champion Federer was upset in the quarterfinals this week by Berdych, and Nadal now has the chance to reclaim his crown. “For me, it was amazing day, very important victory for me, one of the more difficult victories of my career,” Nadal said. “I think it’s one of the biggest victories in my career.” Nadal ended Murray’s hopes of becoming the first
See WIMBLEDON PAGE 2B
minutes. In the first half we were able to play better, and we weren’t able to maintain that rhythm in the second half.” The Netherlands, which extended its unbeaten streak to 24 games since losing to Australia in September 2008, will play Uruguay on Tuesday in Cape Town. Ghana failed in its mission to become the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal. Uruguay reached the World Cup semifinals for the first time since 1970, beating Ghana 4-2 on penalties after the last African team in the tournament missed a spot kick in the final minute of extra time. The Uruguayans advanced after Sebastian Abreu casually chipped the last penalty straight down the middle to secure the win, after a 1-1 draw following 120 minutes of play. Asamoah Gyan had a chance to win the game, but he hit the crossbar with a penalty in the last second of extra time after Luis Suarez was sent off for handling the ball on the line.
See SOCCER PAGE 2B
TOUR DE FRANCE
Lance ready for final ride By SAMUEL PETREQUIN ASSOCIATED PRESS
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, — The Tour de France gets under way today and Lance Armstrong says he doesn’t expect to win the 5.5-mile prologue of what will be his last ride in cycling’s premier event. The short and mainly flat stage through the Dutch port of Rotterdam’s city center doesn’t feature major problems, but Armstrong has recently struggled in the discipline. He used to dominate his rivals in time trials during his heyday. Last year, his failure in the Annecy time trial hampered his chances in his comeback attempt to win the Tour for the eighth time. Armstrong eventually finished third. “I’m not going to win on Saturday, I know that,” Armstrong said. “These time trials ... I don’t know, it’s just I’ve lost it.” Armstrong built his seven straight Tour victories with strong displays in the mountains and time trials. But at nearly
AP Photo
Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong of the US trains today with an individual time trial over 5.5 miles in Rotterdam. 39 years old, he lacks explosiveness in the race against the clock. Armstrong said this Tour is one of the toughest he’ll tackle, with rid-
ers going through seven dangerous and treacherous cobblestone sectors in the third stage. “The first week, we can’t have any mistake,”
Armstrong said. “We can’t lose time. I have to get through the first week neutral. There will be people, I think, that will be minutes behind. “If you consider the first three or four stages in relation to the last four stages, it’s a full race. There is three weeks of real racing. It’s start to finish.” The Texas has had a complicated season without much time to practice. He was expected to compete in time trials at the Circuit de la Sarthe and at the Tour of California, but had to withdraw because of illness and a crash. “He did some time trial work, but it has been a catch-up constantly to find a good condition,” said Armstrong’s RadioShack sports director Johan Bruyneel. Armstrong finished second at the Tour of Switzerland last month following a solid performance in the final stage. Among the prologue favorites are Olympic time trial champion Fabian
See TOUR DE FRANCE PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
TRANSACTIONS BASEBALL American League CHICAGO WHITE SOX: Reinstated RHP Bobby Jenks from the bereavement/family medical emergency list. DETROIT TIGERS: Recalled the contract of LHP Daniel Schlereth from Toledo (IL). NEW YORK YANKEES: Selected the contract of RHP Dustin Moseley from Scranton/WilkesBarre (IL). Optioned LHP Boone Logan to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Eastern League READING PHILLIES: Announced RHP Ryan Madson was assigned to the team. American Association FORT WORTH CATS: Traded INF Mike Bell to
Quebec (Can-Am) for future considerations. Signed RHP Aaron Jackson. GRAND PRAIRIE AIRHOGS: Signed OF Nook Logan. LINCOLN SALTDOGS: Signed RHP Noel Baca. Traded RHP Ben Paxton and INF Chris Brown to Grand Prairie for INF Juan Camacho. PENSACOLA PELICANS: Signed RHP Austin Chambliss. SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS: Acquired OF Tim Alberts from Windy City (Frontier) for a player to be named. ST. PAUL SAINTS: Released RHP Todd Mathison and RHP Joe Woerman. Signed LHP Ashton Norris. WICHITA WINGNUTS: Released OF Adam Godwin. Can-Am League PITTSFIELD COLONIALS: Signed RHP Reymond
Cruz and INF Daniel Barbero. QUEBEC CAPITALES: Signed OF Brendan Rowland. WORCESTER TORNADOES: Signed INF Michael Baillargeon. Released INF Thomas DiBenneto. BASKETBALL NBA BOSTON CELTICS: Signed G Avery Bradley. FOOTBALL NFL DETROIT LIONS: Signed CB Dre’ Bly to a twoyear contract. Released CB Paul Pratt. HOCKEY NHL CAROLINA HURRICANES: Named Doug Bennett assistant athletic trainer. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Signed D John Scott to a two-year contract.
SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: Signed D Nate Guenin, F Trevor Frischmon and F Kyle Wilson to one-year contracts. EDMONTON OILERS: Signed D Jason Strudwick and D Richard Petiot to one-year contracts. FLORIDA PANTHERS: Signed LW Chris Higgins, RW Bill Thomas and LW Triston Grant to oneyear contracts. MINNESOTA WILD: Signed C Warren Peters to a two-year contract and D Drew Bagnall to a one-year contract. NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Agreed to terms D Mark Eaton on a two-year contract and Milan D Jurcina and G Nathan Lawson on one-year contracts. PHOENIX COYOTES: Re-signed D Sami Lepisto and C Andrew Ebbett to one-year contracts. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Signed D Pavel Kubina to a two-year contract and F Niklas Persson to a one-year contract.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Signed G Dany Sabourin to a one-year contract. AHL HAMILTON BULLDOGS: Signed F Jimmy Bonneau to a one-year contract. NORFOLK ADMIRALS: Signed F Tim Marks to a one-year contract. COLLEGE ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK: Promoted Jeremy Haworth to full-time assistant baseball coach. Named Brandon Rowan assistant baseball coach. AUGUSTA STATE: Announced 2B Jeff Rice has transferred to the school from Mercer. BRYN MAWR: Named Jason Hewitt cross country and track and field coach. CHATTANOOGA: Named Katie Galloway Burrows women’s assistant basketball coach. CONNECTICUT: Named Kevin Ollie men’s assistant basketball coach and Glenn Miller, di-
rector of men’s basketball administration. DUKE: Named Jomar Wright graduate assistant football coach. FURMAN: Named LaCheryl Smith women’s assistant basketball coach. GEORGE MASON: Named Lucas Jones assistant baseball coach. HARDIN-SIMMONS: Named Dan Sheppard softball coach. ILLINOIS: Announced the resignation of tight ends coach Greg Nord, to take the same position at Kentucky. SOUTH CAROLINA-UPSTATE: Named Ollin Dunford women’s assistant basketball coach. WENTWORTH: Announced the resignation of assistant baseball coaches Billy Sitig and Brian Nelson. Named Matt Dannenhoffer and Pete Oggeri assistant baseball coaches. WINTHROP: Fired baseball coach Joe Hudak.
SOCCER Continued from Page 1B “To be among the four best (teams) in the world, there are no words for that,” said Uruguay forward Diego Forlan, who scored the equalizer with a free kick in the 55th minute. “We felt we were going to faint with each penalty.” In Saturday’s quarterfinals, Argentina plays Germany in Cape Town and Spain takes on Paraguay in Johannesburg. Germany coach Joachim Loew sought to tone down the pre-match criticism of Argentina by saying his players respect their quarterfinal opponents. Several players criticized Argentina ahead of Saturday’s match and Loew said there was “freedom of speech” in his team. He then proved it Friday by calling Argentina “incredibly aggressive” on the field. Loew said Argentina is “physical to the limit” and that he expected the “greatest possible resistance” from the South Americans. Africa was dealt another blow before kickoff on Friday when FIFA threatened to suspend Nigeria from world football unless the
Photo by Ivan Sekretarev | AP
Uruguay’s Jorge Fucile, left, and Uruguay’s Andres Scotti, right, react after Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan, center, failed to score on a penalty kick during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday. country’s government overturns its ban on the national team following its elimination in the group stage last week. Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan has until Monday evening to back down on his threat to pull the Nigerian Football Federation out of international competi-
tion for two years. England’s Football Association decided to retain coach Fabio Capello despite the team’s disappointing World Cup campaign. Capello has a contract through to the 2012 European Championship, but England’s struggle to qualify second in its group before
being emphatically beaten by Germany in the round of 16 led the FA to say it would take two weeks to review the Italian’s position. In the end, it only took the FA five days to confirm that Capello would fulfill his contract. “We will look to introduce new players to give the team new ener-
gy and I will use all my experience to take England forward,” Capello said. “I am extremely proud to be the England manager, it means so much to me and I am determined to succeed.” Laurent Blanc was officially appointed as France coach to replace Raymond Domenech at a French Football Federation council meeting following its calamitous World Cup. Striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home for abusing Domenech, resulting in the rest of the squad refusing to train. France lost its final group game to go out for the second straight tournament without winning a match, after its first-round exit from Euro 2008. Council member Lilian Thuram, who played alongside Blanc as France won the 1998 World Cup, said Patrice Evra’s role in the training boycott that led to the defender losing the France captaincy should have repercussions. “I asked that Patrice Evra does not play again for the France team,” Thuram said after the FFF meeting. “I think there is a minimum amount of respect to have.”
TOUR DE FRANCE Continued from Page 1B Cancellara of Switzerland, Bradley Wiggins and David Millar of Britain as well as Tony Martin of Germany. “For sure, to win this stage is a big goal,” Martin said. “Hopefully, I will be able to achieve this.” Armstrong’s hopes have been boosted this year because there is only one big time trial scheduled during the three-week race, coming on the eve of the finish on the Champs-Elysees.
The course has 23 mountain passes and favors defending champion Alberto Contador, who is considered the best climber. Contador says Armstrong can’t be ruled out. “I think he’s stronger than last year,” the 27-year-old Spaniard said. “There are maybe about 10 to 12 riders with intentions to win the Tour, and Armstrong is among them.” Contador had a tense relation-
ship with the seven-time champion when they rode together on the Astana team last year. “He seems very motivated, we’ll have to look out for him,” Contador said. Contador is aiming to win the Tour for the third time, with help from Alexandre Vinokourov, a Kazakh star who is returning from a two-year doping ban. “My relations with Vino are excellent, there’s great trust be-
tween us, and it’s impossible that something like last year will happen this year,” Contador said. The race features a daunting last week in the Pyrenees, with four stages in the mountains that form the border of France and Spain. The Tourmalet, one of the toughest climbs in cycling, will be scaled twice. “The route is better than last year’s because there are more mountains,” Contador said.
“And finishing with the Tourmalet is great for me.” Returning to the Tour after a two-year doping ban, Giro d’Italia winner Ivan Basso said the cobblestones stage was “a bit frightening.” “It’s going to be a very difficult stage,” Basso said. “This stage doesn’t suit my skills and I will have to be very relaxed. But we had a stage with the same kind of stress level during the Giro, and I handled it well.”
WIMBLEDON Continued from Page 1B British player to win the men’s title since Fred Perry in 1936. No British man has even reached the final since Henry “Bunny” Austin in 1938, and British men have now lost in 10 Wimbledon semifinals since then. “For Andy it was important playing at home in Wimbledon,” Nadal said. “That was a little bit more pressure than usual. But Andy’s a very, very nice person and a very, very nice guy and I wish him the best of luck.” Even with most of the 15,000-capacity Centre Court crowd willing Murray on, including Beckham and son Brooklyn in the row behind Murray’s guest box, Nadal was simply too strong and too determined to be stopped. After Nadal saved a set point in the tiebreaker and went up two sets to love, it was always unlikely he would let the lead slip. Even though he went down a break in the third set, Nadal fought back and ran off four games in a row to close out the match. Nadal converted three of four breakpoint chances, while Murray broke just once. Nadal had 31 winners and only 13 unforced errors in the 189 points played. “I had chances in all of the sets,” Murray said. “It was the difference of maybe five or six points. He just played better than me. You’re not going to be able to play every single point
on your terms against the best player in the world, one of the best players ever.” Nadal fell flat on his back at the baseline after Murray hit a forehand volley long on the first match point. Nadal met briefly with Beckham after the match. “Always is special (to) meet with great sportsman like David,” he said. “What I admire a lot of him is ... he fights like the best of them, more than the rest.” Nadal, who won his fifth French Open title last month, is aiming to win the French and Wimbledon back-to-back for the second time. “Winning the last tournament at Roland Garros gave me a lot of confidence,” he said. “I was a little bit more calm than usual here on (the) important points.” Murray, who has been carrying the annual burden of British expectations, looked devastated and close to tears after his second straight semifinal defeat at Wimbledon. “There’s a lot more pressure playing here,” he said. “It doesn’t affect the outcome of the matches. It’s not a valid excuse to make. I obviously wanted to win for myself. I want to win for the guys I work with. I want to win for the U.K.” Nadal is 7-3 against Berdych, including wins in their last six matches. “I played against him in
looked in a strong position after smacking consecutive aces of 125 mph and 133 mph to lead 5-4. When Nadal double-faulted, Murray held a set point on serve at 6-5. But Nadal attacked his second serve and then hit a perfect backhand crosscourt drop volley. On the next point, Nadal hit a backhand passing shot that clipped the top of the net and skipped past Murray to give the Spaniard a set point. He converted with another big forehand that Murray couldn’t reach. Murray bounced his racket on the turf in frustration. The 24-year-old Berdych
is the first Czech to reach the men’s final at the All England Club since Ivan Lendl in 1987. The only Czech to win the men’s title was Jan Kodes in 1973. “The feeling is absolutely amazing. It is really tough to describe,” Berdych said. “Every young kid, from the first time he hits the ball and thinks to be a tennis player, this is the dream to be in the final of any Grand Slam. This is definitely the biggest tournament for me.” Berdych lost serve just once in 16 games and broke Djokovic three times. The Czech had 11 aces, 34 winners and 17 unforced errors. Djokovic hurt his own chances with eight double faults, including two in a row in the eighth game of the third set to lose serve and give Berdych the chance to serve out the match. “He’s just a better player today on the court,” Djokovic said. “When I had the opportunities, I didn’t use them. In important moments I served some double faults. I was a little bit unfortunate in some points. But definitely didn’t take my chances and he used it, so he deserved to win.” The 70-minute second set was a mini-match in itself featuring some spectacular points, controversial calls, sudden changes in momentum and saved set points by both players in a rollercoaster tiebreaker.
Guerra and Villarreal will stress the fundamentals, which include dribbling, shooting and passing, along with defensive skills and offensive moves that will make all campers well-rounded basketball players.
For more information on the basketball camp or any questions on the start time, call Coach Villarreal at 7500785 or Coach Guerra at 847-6090. (Clara Sandoval can be reached at csandovalzapatatimes@gmail.com)
AP Photo
Britain’s Andy Murray holds his head during his men’s singles semifinal against Spain’s Rafael Nadal, during their men’s singles semifinal on the Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon. the quarters in 2007, he’s always a difficult opponent,” Nadal said. “Big serve, very flat and powerful shots from the baseline. It will be very difficult.” The first set was decided on a single break of serve by Nadal in the ninth game. The Spaniard followed up a deep serve return with a forehand winner to set up break point, which he converted when Murray committed a forehand error. Nadal had only one unforced error in that set. The second set was a compelling, high-quality affair with Murray holding the upper hand most of the
way. Murray actually won more points in the set than Nadal — 42 to 41. Murray held at love in his first three serve games of the set and won 13 straight points on serve at one stage. Murray held two break points at 4-3, but missed the first with a forehand serve return error after a mobile phone rang in the stands. After the point, he wheeled around to look into the crowd and gestured. On the second break point, Nadal forced the play with punishing forehands that forced a backhand error by Murray. In the tiebreaker, Murray
CAMPS Continued from Page 1B day and runs through Thursday, from 8 a.m. -12:30 p.m. The camp is designed for both boys and girls, ages 5 years old to incoming freshmen. Registration will take place on Monday from 8
a.m. -8:30 a.m. The cost of the camp is $40 and lunch will be provided for all the campers. All campers are encouraged to come in basketball attire (t-shirt, shorts and basketball shoes) and be prepared to have fun learn-
ing the skills that will make them knowledgeable players for the upcoming season. Incoming freshmen are highly encouraged to attend the camp in order to familiarize themselves with the basketball terminology
that is utilized at the high school level, as well as the high school facilities. The incoming freshmen will also get an opportunity to meet the head girls and boys basketball coaches, Guerra and Juan Villarreal.
SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010
THE ZAPATA TIMES | 3B
HINTS BY HELOISE Dear Heloise: Please recommend a good way to CLEAN MY BIRDBATHS. Thank you. — David, via e-mail Happy to oblige with an easy hint to help our feathered friends. You do want to keep the bath clean and algae-free, so birds can dip in and drink fresh water. Add a drop or two of dishwashing liquid and scrub the bath with a stiff brush. Rinse thoroughly. If there is a buildup of algae, add chlorine bleach (in a ratio of 9 parts water to 1 part bleach) to the water and let soak for about 20 minutes. (Any longer will not do any better.) To ensure that no birds drop by for a swim, cover the bath during the bleaching process. After soaking, scrub the bath again with the stiff brush, carefully dump out the water and let the bath air-dry. Then fill with cold, fresh water. The National Audubon Society suggests deep-cleaning birdbaths a couple of times a month and changing the water
“
HELOISE
daily. — Heloise PET PAL Dear Readers: Ardis Hill of Colorado Springs, Colo., sent a photo of her dachshund, Henri, wrapped in the sleeve of a sweater. Ardis says: “Henri likes to stay warm and cozy. I found him the other day wrapped in the sleeve of my sweater getting warm. He’s such a precious pet and oh, so smart!” To see Henri all wrapped up, visit www.Heloise.com. — Heloise MICROCHIP REMINDER Dear Heloise: Could you please remind your readers who have microchips in their pets that they should update contact information if they change phone numbers or move? — Larissa Taylor, Waterville, Maine
DAILY CRYPTOQUOTES — Here’s how to work it:
LEGALS
250
Journeyman Construction is receiving best value qualified bids for the replacement of 6 on-site sanitary sewage facilities at Falcon State Park until 07/21/2010 at 2pm. The scope involves septic system work. Please fax proposals to 512-385-6699. For project information visit www.journeymanco.co m/texaspandw/ or call 512-247-7000. L-57 HOMES FOR SALE 61 1313 Sta. Cleotilde property for sale by owner, $39,000 call: 321-537-9409 Alexander- 3608 Josefina 4bd/3ba/2cg, Pool,3,000sqft LA,REDUCED $298,500 Call 774-9702; 771-3831 For Sale by Owner 3227 Windfall (Windfield) 3bd/2ba 2000sqft, tile in all rooms,ref/stv.$235,000 OBO Call 744-7373 For Sale by Owner 3227 Windfall (Windfield) 3bd/2ba 2000sqft, tile in all rooms,ref/stv.$235,000 OBO Call 744-7373
LOTS FOR SALE
70
PETS & SUPPLIES
407 S. Seymour, 7300sqft, 49ft x 149ft $35,000 Owner Financing Available Call 727-w5245 5112 Angel Falls,blk 6,8,498sqft Lakeside Subd.,$64,000 Negotiable Call 744-5247 or 726-0573 5400 McPherson 144 x300 Zone Commercial, $12.50sq.ft. 725-3000 Lot for sale by owner, 636 Morales $30,000 or owner finance w 1/2 down, El Cenizo 771-1685; 774-6316 Lot for sale. 3009 Pecos, 62x100, $35,000 Call 771- 4897 Lot for sale. 3012 San Eduardo, 145’x165’ $28,000 Call 235-6101
FARMS & RANCHES 77 168 ACRES, North Golaid. Large oaks. lots of game. Water and electric, windmill and 3 ponds. $4200 p/ac OBO Call 361-438-1438 leave message.
COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT 79 Professional Offices for Sale- 408 Shiloh Dr., 2 buildings, front building over 6,000sqft, rear building 3,000sqft.Total property approx 60,000sqft
Currently leased! INCOME PRODUCING! $1.1million Negotiable Call Julio Patino 956-229-5454
PETS & SUPPLIES 128 2 Male Fawn Pug, and 1 MaleBlack Pug for sale, 6wks 1st shots/ dewormed, $300 Contact Melissa @ 956-220-0672 Adorable Chihuahua(Toy) puppies,7wks old,1st shots,3girls & 1boy, $125-$250 Call:220-5095 bantams/cubanos chicks for sale, starting at $5 & up call: 220-0769 Chihuahua apple head puppies, all shots/ dewormed $175 call:319-2469
Chihuahua,Poodles,Scotch Terriers,shots & dewormed $135 & up Call 753-0118 Chihuahua/Poodles puppies 2M/1F, 2&3mths, $150 obo.call 763-2594; 645-4910
DENNIS THE MENACE
FAMILY CIRCUS
PETS & SUPPLIES 128 Boxer Puppies for sale. 3f/3m, Tigerstriped, 5wks., $150ea. Call 775-0022 Jack Russell Terrier Puppies, pure breed,shots,3 mths.,both parents on site, $200 326-5865 Jack Russell, Purebreed CKC,6 weeks, Tail Cut,Dewormed $250 956-337-9194; 791-8274
Pug Puppy,6wks.old,Male $350 OBO Call:(956) 750-1260; 286-9603 PUGS for sale, 8wks, 1st shot & dwmd, $225 Call 729-1054 Pure breed Weimaraners,10mths female & 12mths male. $200ea. Call 725-7184
Shih-tzu, 7 months old, $400 Negotiable, Call 229-1366 TOY CHIHUAHUA Puppies, shots, dewormed, m& f $150 & up Call 319-5029 White colored Parrot $750 with large cage Call: 334-9806
LIVESTOCK & SUP PLIES 130 3 Ponies Starting $250ea. includes new saddle, Call 401-3070
MISCELLANEOUS
ARTICLES FOR SALE 136 1 Phillips HomeTheater,1000 watts with ipod dock $125 401-7410 8 pc.Solid wood bedroom set & recliner.$2500 OBO call:635-5070; 774-7715
18 inch aluminum extension ladder $50 OBO call: 722-2504 20inch Acer flat screen computer monitor like new, $70 call:645-0647 6ft. long folding table w/8 metal chairs, $75 call:645-0647 Billiard Tables, parts, service $25 & up 744-1575, bimbo1951@yahoo.com Coach handbags, Ed Hardy belts, sunglasses, caps $29 & up Call 754-5112 Essex Piano for sale! perfect conditon, cherry wood, $4,000, 774-9702 Kenmore Refrigerator 2dr., ice/water despenser & GE Stove $900 OBO Call 334-6614
CABRITOS, Live/Vivos, Chivos/Chivas $50 & up 948-5218
Kenmore Washer & Dryer,$400 for both! Excellent cond., Call SOLD
Coastal Hay Mixed grass square bales $7.00 401-3070
Kenmore Washer & Dryer,Space saver, $500 OBO Call 334-6614
ARTICLES FOR SALE 136 2 racing A tv’s $3800 OBO call:723-6633 Laredo Country Club Full membership $2,500 No transfer fee. call:740-2621
ARTICLES FOR SALE 136 Whirlpool appliances, refridgerator & stove, both for $800 Call: 721-6753
TRANSPORTATION
Large Refrigerator in good working condition. $75 OBO Call 251-1296
PicnicTables ($150,6 person) ($120, 4 person) heavy-duty 722-1731; 703 Garfield Printers and Scanners HP, Cannon, Lexmark, $25 & up. 401-7410
Queen & King Mattress. Starting $220 Call 645-2006 Rocker recliner & swival desk chair both in good cond., starting @ $65ea. OBO Call:722-2504 Se venden 2 recamaras nino y nina, completa $250 c/u Inf: 771-7925 Selling bakery items,prices starting at $5 & up, call:645-3131
Sofa Bed,Entertainment Center,& desk.Starting at $150 OBO. Call 725-4985; 949-0623 RCA 5 CD Home audio system w/ ipod deck;300 watts $100 401-7410 Sony S-Master Digital DVD Player,5CD, AM/FM, $95 Call 401-7410
Utility trailer, double axel, 6ft. ramp, almost new, $950 OBO call:723-6633
MOTORCYCLES
196
1996 Harley Softail classic burgandy, chromed,garaged 49K,$8300 OBO Hebbron 361-935-7840 Suzuki GSXR 750CC ‘97, 24Kmi., good condition, $4500 Call 333-2282 BRAND NEW Four Wheeler ATV 110 $1500 OBO Call 236-9212
CAMPERS & RV’S 191
Suzuki Intruder ‘94, 1400CC, lots of extras. $2250 OBO Call 712-0249
TRUCKS FOR SALE 198 Chevy Impala LS ‘02, All power, On-star, A/C, Blue title $3900 OBO 236-9407
HEAVY EQUIPMENT 192 32ft Tandem Dual Gooseneck Flatbed. $6,100 Call 724-8596 48in Cement trowel machine, pulidora de cemento, $250 Call 285-3182
AUTOMOTIVE PARTS 194 4 slightly used Goodyear tires, 265x70x17, $100 OBO Call: 740-0119 Brand New Goodyear Tires with Rims P265/70R17 $550 Call 235-0805; 145*2*49577 Diesel engines Chevy 6.6 Ford 7.3 & Cummins 5.9 Remanufactured w/warranty will deliver, $2,950. 713-918-5811.
Original Chevy tires 265/70/16, semi used, $270 call: 324-0358
03 Minivan Pontiac Montana 55k mi., $3,700 Call 251-6398 99 Surburban, 4x4, lifted, 20’ wheels $6500 Call:721-6753 2000 Land Rover in good condition, $4,200 OBO Call:645-4198 2006 Lincoln Mark LT,41K miles, loaded, clean, $17,500 OBO call:740-0119
‘02 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport $7,500 call:857-2266 ‘03 ford f-150 v8,alarm,cabina 1/2, auto,a/c,airbag,good cond., $4750 call:237-5609
‘04 Nissan Armada 78K miles, nunca chocada, $13,900 OBO call: 220-7163; 9613 Whitewing Lp. Chevy 2500, 2007 1 owner, std, $11,000 obo call 744-4520
TRUCKS FOR SALE 198 Dodge Pickup ‘85,shortbed, excellent motor, $1200 Call 251-1296 F-150,2004,6cyl,1 owner,std; $4000 obo call 744-4520 Ford Windstar ‘01 double a/c, stereo, good cond., $3,150 OBO call 251-5958 GMC Yukon 1997, 4x4, W/20 in wheels, in good condition, $3,000 OBO, Call 285-3182 Jeep Cherokee sport 01’, 6cyl., automatic,good cond., $3,700 OBO call 712-0249 or 771-6489
CARS FOR SALE
200
1988 Mustang 5.0 $800 Not running; needs work; have some parts; 956-324-2428 1997 Oldsmobile Aurora, A/C, leather seats, sunroof, $2100 OBO Call: 949-3084 2008 Honda fit sport,5spd.manual transmission,am/fm mp3 radio, new tires, $12,00 call: 956-251-1182 ‘02 Ford MustangV6,cold A/C, good cond.,very sporty,MUST SELL $3,000 CASH call:774-4662,SERIOUS INQUIRES ONLY! FordTaurus 00’,No A/C,$1,200, good runnig condition, Gas saver, Call 220-7543
Mazda 626 ‘99, 4cil., Std, $3,000, en buenas condiciones! Call 753-8372
Sports
4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010
Dallas in hot pursuit of Dirk By JAIME ARON ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki now knows how much he’s worth to the Dallas Mavericks. Whether it’s enough remains to be seen. Mavericks president Donnie Nelson said he made a “significant” contract offer to Nowitzki’s adviser during a meeting Friday. Nowitzki could respond as soon as Saturday, when the sides are expected to meet again. “Everything is going in a positive direction,” Nelson said. “The communication and common intent is there. Now it’s just a matter of Dirk getting comfortable with everything and sleeping on it. This is just a normal ne-
gotiation.” Nelson is cautiously optimistic that the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder will be back to extend his records. The most Nowitzki could re-sign for is $96 million over four years. He also could get a notrade clause. “We’re not celebrating yet, not doing back flips,” Nelson said. Nowitzki opted out of the final year of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time. However, he’s given the Mavs the first shot at keeping him. Nelson was going to fly to Germany for their first get-together, but Nowitzki and adviser Holger Geschwindner offered to come to Dallas. They detoured
through New York before arriving late Thursday night. The initial meeting Friday included only Nelson and Geschwindner. “It was our first opportunity to really sit down and go through everything,” Nelson said. “It was a very productive, meaningful meeting. I think we’re looking forward to tomorrow.” The 2007 NBA MVP has spent his entire career in Dallas. He’s led the Mavericks to 10 straight 50-win seasons, but has yet to win a championship. The closest he’s come was a 2-0 lead in the 2006 NBA finals. The club has won only one playoff series since. The Mavs would like to secure Nowitzki, then use his return to try wooing other free agents. Dallas
AP Photo
The Mavericks have launched "DFW Digs Dirk" week in an effort to show Dirk Nowitzki that Dallas is the best and only city for him. can only add players through sign-and-trade deals, but has assembled many desirable pieces to prepare for such a move. Losing Nowitzki would mean a whole new plan
for the summer, and for the future of a club that’s been in win-now mode in hopes of maximizing Nowitzki’s prime years. Nelson said he’s hoping Nowitzki accepts soon,
but he’s most concerned with him simply accepting. “That’s his decision,” Nelson said. “Only he knows the timing. ... Stay tuned.”
NCAA database of figures to grade coaches By NOAH TRISTER ASSOCIATED PRESS
John Brady has been the basketball coach at Arkansas State for two seasons, and he’s facing a predicament. Although the Red Wolves are improving on the court, their academic progress rate is well below the NCAA’s benchmark, so the team was recently docked a scholarship and hit with a practice time restriction. And now, the NCAA is about to publish a database of APR figures for individual coaches — a very public black eye for those with poor numbers. To Brady, it seems a bit harsh. “Every program I have inherited, it’s been a mess, to just be honest. I’ve had to clean it up. The only way I know to clean it up is to change personnel, and when you do that, you get yourself sometimes behind the eight ball,” Brady said. “I think that APR number is misleading when a coach inherits a situation that’s not very good, and he has to stabilize it. ... Sometimes you’ve got to go backward before you go forward.” Brady isn’t the only coach expressing concern over the APR formula, which is billed as a realtime academic measure of college teams and can lead to penalties for underperforming programs. The new database is being met with a mixture of acceptance and skepticism. “Coaches should be held Carmen Ramirez - Rathmell, D.D.S.
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accountable, but we’re not the only one responsible,” North Carolina’s Roy Williams said. “Kids have to do the work. Your academic support system has to help them as much as it possibly can. I’m very proud of the fact that our APR has been in that top 10 percent I guess since they started doing that, and I have no idea if it’ll drop out of that because of three transfers in the last four years.” For APR purposes, an athlete receives one point per semester for remaining academically eligible and another point each semester for remaining at that school or graduating. A mathematical formula is then used to calculate a final team score, with 1,000 points being perfect. Teams falling below 925 can face conditional scholarship losses, and teams consistently falling below 900 can be penalized more harshly. Until now, those numbers have been released as part of a school-by-school report with coaches’ names left out. Last year, however, the NCAA said it was planning an Internet database with figures for individual coaches. The initial data rollout is expected this summer in
AP Photo
Arkansas State’s head basketball coach John Brady has been the basketball coach at Arkansas State for two seasons, and he’s facing a predicament. six sports — football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and men’s and women’s track and field. “It makes it easier to connect with the coach,” said Walt Harrison, chairman of the NCAA’s Committee on Academic Performance. “Basically, in the interest of transparency and accountability, we should be making this information available to anybody who’s interested.” The coaches’ APRs will be available for informational purposes, without
any accompanying penalties that might have been imposed on their program. Still, weak scores will
carry an obvious stigma. At Colorado, which was recently penalized one scholarship in men’s bas-
ketball and five in football, athletic director Mike Bohn said the statistics can be deceiving. “The coach has the most significant ability to influence APR through discipline, through recruiting and through the way they run their daily operation,” Bohn said. Harrison said the database will highlight “transition years” when a new staff takes over and a school might be susceptible to an APR plunge. He also said a school isn’t penalized for an early departure if the player was eligible — or if a student transfers with at least a 2.6 gradepoint average. Jim Haney, executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, said coaches should make sure schools are equipped to help athletes academically.