The Zapata Times 7/13/2013

FREE AGENT FRENZY

SATURDAY JULY 13, 2013

FREE

SPURS, OTHERS TAKE ACTIVE ROLES IN OFFSEASON SIGNING SPREE, 1B

DELIVERED EVERY SATURDAY

TO 4,000 HOMES

A HEARST PUBLICATION

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

LEGISLATURE

Abortion battle Senators face tough battle to pass or nix bill

By CHRIS TOMLINSON ASSOCIATED PRESS

Texas Republicans on Friday defended a sweeping abortion proposal

against Democratic attempts to show the tough restrictions were not only unnecessary, but also unconstitutional.

The Senate’s debate took

place between a packed gallery of demonstrators, with anti-abortion activists wearing blue and abortionrights supporters wearing orange. Security was tight,

and state troopers reported confiscating bottles of urine and feces as they worked to prevent another

See SENATE PAGE 9A

Photo by Tamir Kalifa | AP

The Senate Gallery at the State Capitol is filled to capacity with opponents and supporters of abortion rights in Austin, on Friday.

FEDERAL COURT INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

Man gets 34 month sentence

MEXICO IN THE US

Felipe Alaniz convicted in transportation scheme

By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES

A man who led a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper on a chase in a Ford Explorer filled with illegal immigrants was sentenced to federal prison this week.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo handed over a 34-month sentence to Felipe Alaniz on Monday, followed by three years of supervised release. Alaniz is to complete 200 hours of community service within his first two years of release. Alaniz had pleaded guilty to transporting illegal immigrants within the United States on April 15.

The case dates back to Jan. 24 when U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Zapata station observed a Ford Explorer speeding north at 9:20 p.m. on FM 649. Court documents stated the Explorer reached speeds of 110 mph.

Behind the Explorer, agents noticed a DPS trooper with his vehicle’s emergency lights on. Agents went to assist the trooper. They noticed the trooper had stopped on the side of the road in Guerra in Jim Hogg County. Court records allege Alaniz had gone through a gate to avoid capture.

Following foot signs into the brush, lawmen detained seven people in the brush. One man identified as the driver was Alaniz. The remaining people were determined to be Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States.

Two immigrants held as material witnesses stated they swam across the Rio Grande in the vicinity of Roma with the help of guides. Both immigrants wanted to be transported to North Carolina for $2,000.

(César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)

Photo by Danny Zaragoza | The Zapata Times

Alyssa Burnsed plays with some of the toys up for sale at the Laredo Energy Arena during the opening day of the Sister Cities Festival on Friday afternoon. It runs through Sunday.

Sisters Cities Festival begins its annual run

By RICARDO R. VILLARREAL THE ZAPATA TIMES

LAREDO — A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Friday morning at the Laredo Energy Arena to kick-off the 11th annual Laredo International Sister Cities Festival.

Scheduled to run until Sunday, admission is free.

Items for sale include art, jewelry, food, house wares, furniture, fashion and health products from 13 states and 48 cities in Mexico.

Laredo Convention and Visitors Bureau director Blasita Lopez introduced local officials and well as officials from several Mexican municipalities.

“Mexico has come to Laredo, Texas,” Laredo Mayor Raul Salinas said.

Salinas voiced his support for comprehensive immigration reform in the U.S. and his opposition to a wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

“Our relationship with Mexico is about friendships,

and unfortunately, some members of Congress don’t get the picture,” Salinas said.

He recognized the effort the vendors expended to attend the event. Some traveled more than 10 hours by bus or car. They also had to ensure all their documents were in order to cross and sell their wares.

Among them was Pedro Apolinar Toledo, from Mexico City, who was selling alebrijes, popular fantasy creatures which morph elements

from dragons, wolves, bats and dogs. He said he comes to Laredo every year to exhibit his art, which he said he has been producing for 25 years.

“Alebrije means dream, something imaginary that doesn’t exist. These are carved from copal wood, and the wings are made from pine and they’re hand-painted,” Toledo said in Spanish.

He explained a dragon figure

See FESTIVAL PAGE 9A

CROSS BORDER CHILD ABDUCTION TRAINING AND TABLETOP EXERCISE

Speaker: Abductions frequent

By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES

J.L. WALTERS

Abductions and trafficking of U.S. residents happen more often than people would think.

“The reality is the majority of juveniles that are trafficked in our country are trafficked domestically, meaning that they’re U.S. citizens or maybe they have dual citizenship in Mexico but they’re our children that somebody lures them in, or force

them into being exploited or being used against their will,” said J.L. Walters, assistant chief of police at Southern Methodist University and Amber Alert liaison for training and technical assistance.

Walters stopped by at the Cross Border Child Abduction Training and Tabletop Exercise held this week at the state Sen. Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center at Texas A&M International University.

Walters works with the Southern Border Initiative, a Department of Justice program for child abductions, child exploitation and trafficking on the southern border of the United States.

“Human trafficking becomes a crime against the child when there’s some force or some coercion that is used,” Walters said, noting they are used for labor or domestic or sex jobs. “We know in Mexico children are ab-

ducted to be used to produce pornography, to be used for sex slavery and things of that nature.”

Children who run away from home are the most at risk because they’re more subject to exploitation, he said.

In child abductions, time is law enforcement’s biggest enemy. If a child is abducted, authorities should not waste time

See CHILDREN PAGE 9A

PAGE 2A

Zin brief CALENDAR

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

AROUND TEXAS

TODAY IN HISTORY

SATURDAY, JULY 13

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Training. 902 E. Calton Road. 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Training will prepare volunteers to assist youth by advocating their best interest and outside of court by monitoring emotional, medical, educational and personal needs. No experienced needed. Training free. Contact Alexis Herrera at 7278691 or alexis@vozdeninos.org to reserve seat.

19th Annual Laredo Builders Association 2-Man Scramble Golf Tournament. Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course. 9 a.m. shotgun start. Entry fee $125 per golfer. Sponsorship and golfer entry forms available at www.laredobuilders.org. Golfers and sponsors call Sheri Alba at 722-5553 or Danny Zuñiga at 724-7141.

Today is Saturday, July 13, the 194th day of 2013. There are 171 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On July 13, 1863, deadly rioting against the Civil War military draft erupted in New York City. (The insurrection was put down three days later.)

On this date: In 1787, the Congress of the Confederation adopted the Northwest Ordinance, which established a government in the Northwest Territory, an area corresponding to the present-day Midwest and Upper Midwest.

In 1793, French revolutionary writer Jean-Paul Marat was stabbed to death in his bath by Charlotte Corday, who was executed four days later.

In 1913, broadcaster Dave Garroway, the first host of NBC’s “Today” show, was born in Schenectady, N.Y. In 1923, a sign consisting of 50-foot-tall letters spelling out “HOLLYWOODLAND” was dedicated in the Hollywood Hills to promote a subdivision (the last four letters were removed in 1949).

In 1939, Frank Sinatra made his first commercial recording, “From the Bottom of My Heart” and “Melancholy Mood,” with Harry James and his Orchestra for the Brunswick label.

In 1960, John F. Kennedy won the Democratic presidential nomination on the first ballot at his party’s convention in Los Angeles.

In 1972, George McGovern received the Democratic presidential nomination at the party’s convention in Miami Beach.

In 1973, former presidential aide Alexander P. Butterfield, under questioning from Senate Watergate Committee staff members, revealed the existence of President Richard Nixon’s secret White House taping system. (Butterfield’s public revelation came three days later.)

In 1977, a blackout lasting 25 hours hit the New York City area.

In 1978, Lee Iacocca was fired as president of Ford Motor Co. by chairman Henry Ford II. In 1985, “Live Aid,” an international rock concert in London, Philadelphia, Moscow and Sydney, took place to raise money for Africa’s starving people.

In 1999, Angel Maturino Resendiz, suspected of being the “Railroad Killer,” surrendered in El Paso, Texas. (Resendiz was executed in 2006.)

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Patrick Stewart is 73. Actor Robert Forster is 72. Actor Harrison Ford is 71. Singerguitarist Roger McGuinn (The Byrds) is 71. Actor-comedian Cheech Marin is 67. Actress Daphne Maxwell Reid is 65.

Actress Didi Conn is 62. Singer Louise Mandrell is 59. Actor-director Cameron Crowe is 56. Tennis player Anders Jarryd is 52. Rock musician Gonzalo Martinez De La Cotera (Marcy Playground) is 51. Comedian Tom Kenny (TV: “SpongeBob SquarePants”) is 51. Country singer-songwriter Victoria Shaw is 51. Bluegrass singer Rhonda Vincent is 51.

Actor Kenny Johnson is 50.

Actor Michael Jace is 48.

Country singer Neil Thrasher is 48. Singer Deborah Cox is 40.

Thought for Today: “Individuality is freedom lived.” — John Dos Passos, American author (1896-1970).

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17 Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows: “The Future is Wild” at 4 p.m.

“Star Signs” at 5 p.m. General admissions $3. 326-3663.

Laredo Toastmaster’s evening meeting. Public speaking and leadership are focus. Meetings held at third Wednesday of each month. http://laredotoastmasters.toastmastersclubs.org.

Contact Humberto Vela at humbertovela@sbcglobal.net or 740-3633.

THURSDAY, JULY 18 Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows: “The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” at 4 p.m. “Wonders of the Universe” at 5 p.m. General admission $3. 326-3663.

Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club meeting. Laredo Country Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Call Beverly Cantu at 727-0589.

Laredo A&M Mothers’ Club Membership Drive. Commerce Bank, 800 E. Mann Road. 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Students attending Texas A&M University in College Station in the fall and their parents invited to attend.

FRIDAY, JULY 19 Meeting for Strength Within Me, a support group for people with physical disabilities from ages 14 to 35. 2 p.m. Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center’s Conference Room No. 2, 1220 N. Malinche Ave. Drinks and appetizers served. Attendees should RSVP before July 17 with Ariana Mora at 722-2431 or arianamora@stx.rr.com.

SATURDAY, JULY 20 The PFC Ira “Ben” Laningham IV 5K Memorial Run is set for 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. There will also be a 200m Kids Fun Run. Early registration through Sunday is $8; from Monday through July 19, $10; and late registration on race day is $15. Registration for the Kids Fun Run is $5.

Those who wish to participate may register at Zapata Boys & Girls Club, 306 6th St.; Zapata County Chamber of Commerce, 601 N. U.S. 83; Momentum Running Co., 1202 E. Del Mar Blvd., Ste. 103, Laredo; or by email at http://www.evenbrite.com/ event/5820121139#.

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Training. 902 E. Calton Road. 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Training will prepare volunteers to assist youth by advocating their best interest and outside of court by monitoring emotional, medical, educational and personal needs. No experienced needed. Training free. Contact Alexis Herrera at 7278691 or alexis@vozdeninos.org to reserve seat.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24 Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows: “One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure” at 4 p.m. “Force 5: Nature Unleashed” at 5 p.m. General admission $3. 326-3663.

THURSDAY, JULY 25 Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows: “Zula Patrol: Down to Earth” at 4 p.m. “Stars of the Pharoahs” at 5 p.m. General admission $3. 326-3663.

Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club meeting. Laredo Country Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Call Beverly Cantu at 727-0589.

SATURDAY, JULY 27 Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Training. 902 E. Calton Road. 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Alexis Herrera at 727-8691 or alexis@vozdeninos.org to reserve seat.

Photo by Brad Doherty/The Brownsville | AP

A vehicle is lifted from the water by a crane at the Shrimp Basin located at the Port of Brownsville on Thursday, in Brownville. Five people died when the sport utility vehicle in which they were riding plunged into a South Texas port basin.

SUV plunges into water ASSOCIATED PRESS

BROWNSVILLE — A 14-year-old girl was behind the wheel of an SUV that plunged into a South Texas port basin, killing her mother, three siblings and a man, authorities say.

The girl, who has not been yet identified by authorities, was the sole survivor of the accident and was released from a Brownsville hospital shortly after being rescued from the water Thursday.

Investigators are trying to determine what caused the girl to drive the SUV off a dockyard into the water of the basin at the Port of Brownsville, but Lucio says no foul play is suspected.

The accident happened in an area of the port known as Shrimp Basin, where

shrimping boats dock.

Port of Brownsville police Chief Carlos Garcia said the girl told him that her mother and siblings were in the car. "It was just the basic information. She was in shock when I talked to her," Garcia said.

Divers worked Thursday afternoon to recover the SUV, a Mercury Mountaineer.

The vehicle had to be hoisted up from the water with cranes.

Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio identified those killed in the accident as 29-year-old Juana Edith Alvarez; her children, 10-year-old Jesse Lee Alvarez, 7-yearold Emily R. Espino and 4-year-old Joe Alvarez; and 56-year-old shrimp boat captain Juan Pablo Morales. Lucio said apparently the family was on its way to drop off Morales at his work in a shrimping boat.

San Antonio man allegedly Teen out of jail thanks to hurt girlfriend’s baby donated bond SAN ANTONIO — A South Texas man has been charged with breaking the skull of his girlfriend’s 8-month-old son when the restless baby apparently kept him from sleeping.

Officials say 19-year-old Julian Garza of San Antonio was booked Tuesday on a charge of injury to a child. Bond was set at $30,000.

The boy was taken to a hospital.

Baylor gives nearly $300K for West demolition WACO — Baylor University says it’s committing nearly $300,000 to a West church that’s clearing away homes destroyed by a deadly fertilizer plant blast.

The university said Wednesday that it will provide $290,000 from its relief fund for the First Baptist Church in West. The church has knocked down 57 homes so far.

Nearly 50 flee from truck pursued by deputies

NEW BRAUNFELS — An anonymous donor has provided $500,000 to post bail for a teen jailed since April on a terroristic threat charge for writing on Facebook that he was going to “shoot up a kindergarten.”

Comal County Jail officials confirmed 19-year-old Justin Carter was released Thursday. His attorney, Donald Flanary III, tells the San Antonio Express-News the donor contacted the defense team with an offer to help. Flanary wouldn’t identify the donor.

ALICE — Authorities in South Texas say nearly 50 immigrants who were smuggled into the country fled from the back of a cargo truck this week as deputies approached.

KIII-TV in Corpus Christi reports 31 were apprehended and another 15 fled through fields.

The driver of the truck, believed to be the smuggler, got away.

Texas A&M president Bowen Loftin to resign

CORPUS CHRISTI — A predawn explosion and fire destroyed a Corpus Christi home Friday, injuring three people — two of them critically — and shattering windows on houses up to three blocks away, authorities said.

The blast occurred about 5:30 a.m. in a neighborhood on the south side of the coastal city.

— Compiled from AP reports

COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M University President Bowen Loftin is stepping down.

The university said Friday in a news release that Loftin will leave his position in January.

Loftin will remain with A&M as a tenured professor.

Blast at Corpus Christi home, 2 hurt seriously

AROUND THE NATION Third girl aboard Asiana jet dies from injuries SAN FRANCISCO — A little girl who was aboard the Asiana Airlines flight that crash-landed died Friday, the same day authorities confirmed one of the two Chinese teenagers killed in the disaster was hit by a firetruck.

No one knows yet whether the two teens lived through the initial impact. But police and fire officials confirmed Friday that Ye Meng Yuan, 16, was hit by a firetruck racing to extinguish the blazing Boeing 777.

The other girl died Friday morning. San Francisco General Hospital said she had been in critical condition since arriving Saturday after the accident. Officials did not identify the girl at the request of her parents.

Penn State authorizes Sandusky settlements UNIONTOWN, Pa. — Penn

CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Business Manager, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 324-1226 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Copy Editor, Nick Georgiou ....................... 728-2565 Managing Editor, Mary Nell Sanchez........... 728-2543 Sports Editor, Adam Geigerman..................728-2578 Spanish Editor ........................................ 728-2569 Photo by Diane Bondareff/Invision for Heineken | AP

Heineken challenges JFK travelers to drop their plans for new legendary destinations with Departure Roulette in New York, on Thursday.

State could soon be paying out millions of dollars to victims of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky after disclosing Friday it had tentative agreements with some of the young men who say he sexually abused them.

Sandusky, 69, is serving a 30to 60-year prison sentence.

The school does not plan to comment on specifics until the deals are made final, which could happen in the coming weeks.

— Compiled from AP reports

SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted.

The Zapata Times is free.

The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500.

The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net

Local

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A

$224K grant to aid insurance enrollment SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Congressman Henry Cuellar, (D-Laredo), has announced a $224,286 grant award for the Gateway Community Health Center.

Funding will assist local health centers in Texas enroll uninsured individuals and families in new

coverage options available through the Affordable Care Act. “These funds will go directly to helping families get health insurance,” Cuellar said. “It is a simple equation: health insurance means access to affordable care, which results in healthier families. This enrollment program is a crucial

first step in reducing the millions of dollars local hospitals and the government spends to cover the uninsured.”

Miguel Treviño, chief executive officer of Gateway Community Health Center, said outreach is the goal.

“Gateway is elated to have re-

Banker receives honor SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

IBC Bank-Zapata CEO Renato Ramirez was honored Monday by the Zapata County Commissioners Court for his 12-year effort in developing and emplacing the Tejano Monument on state capitol grounds.

The monument, unveiled March 2012 on the south lawn of the Texas capitol, honors the contributions of Texas’ early Spanish American settlers and their descendants.

Ramirez, who chaired the fundraising committee consisting of a group of business, community and educational leaders, was instrumental in the monument’s conception, capitalization and completion, raising $1.3 million from private donors.

“The Tejano Monument is a touchstone for all Texans, of all races and cultures, who take pride in the state and its roots,” Ramirez said. “We hope the millions of early Tejano settler descendants feel as proud as I do of this symbolic masterpiece.”

Tejano history The Tejano Monument is seen by the more than 1 million people who visit the Texas State Capitol each year. Five bronze plaques surround the monument and tell the story of the Tejano experience from the 1500s to present times.

Zapata County Judge

Courtesy photo

Zapata County Commissioners Court honored IBC Bank-Zapata CEO Renato Ramirez for spearheading the Tejano Monument project.

Joe Rathmell also recognized Ramirez for having been named Mr. South Texas 2014 for the 117th Washington’s Birthday Celebration, presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the growth and development of South Texas.

“Mr. Ramirez has forever impacted Zapata, the Brush Country, South Texas and beyond. His humanitarian and philanthropic

efforts have improved our quality of life and made a meaningful difference to countless individuals in our community,” Rathmell said.

Ramirez’s impact on regional development includes philanthropic work in Zapata, Laredo and Mexico. He constructed a golf course for the Zapata community and made significant donations to the Zapata Boys and Girls Club.

ceived outreach and enrollment supplemental funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The goal of the program is to expand current outreach and enrollment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program to eligible health center patients and service area

residents in the counties of Webb, Zapata and Jim Hogg. The current economic situation has left many with limited resources to take care of their health and that of their family. Gateway hopes to improve the health of eligible persons through this outreach and enrollment effort.”

PAGE 4A

Zopinion

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

What’s next on Perry’s agenda?

SAN ANTONIO — So, summing up, here’s what we know: Gov. Rick Perry’s not running for governor again and he might (and probably wants to) run for president again.

And we know he’s been history-book successful about the former and spectacularly unsuccessful about the latter.

“Any future considerations I will announce in due time,” he said Monday in an announcement that probably drew more attention than any previously made in a heavyequipment warehouse.

The “future considerations” calculation will be heavy on math, specifically the sometimes-incalculable math of presidential politics: Can Perry win?

White House bid?

Odds are against it, but, looking forward to a 2016 White House campaign with big questions on both sides, it’s too early to discount the possibility.

Perry’s Monday announcement came as he garners national attention for his high-profile backing of an abortion restriction bill. The last time Perry told us he was seriously thinking about running for president also came as he was working on a red-meat Red State measure. On May 27, 2011, after signing the voter identification bill in the Governor’s Reception Room — and after months of saying he had no interest in the presidency — Perry told us he was considering it.

The rest is history, bad history about a bad result for a bad candidate.

The current conventional wisdom about the 2016 GOP presidential nomination battle revolves around whether the party will go further right with someone like a Perry, Rick Santorum, Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio, all of whom might be solid contenders in crucial early contests in Iowa and South Carolina. (You never know what those odd folks in the odd state of New Hampshire are going to do.)

The further-to-the-right approach is favored by Repubs who blame their 2008 and 2012 losses on nominees they viewed as moderates — John McCain and Mitt Romney.

No major errors Those two nominees shared something else in common. Each benefited from failed first bids for the GOP nomination, McCain in 2000 and Romney in 2008. Neither, however, had major oops moments in their first bids.

Weighing against the

“

KEN HERMAN

notion of a nominee from the Perry-Santorum-Rubio wing of the party is the possibility that Republicans, in some states, could be viewed as having gone too far right. The current Texas abortion bill battle, with Perry as a leading voice for the bill, could be a litmus test of that.

And there’s the feel, even among some in his own party, of a national softening on some issues — same-sex marriage, gay Boy Scouts — on which Perry remains a hard-liner. On immigration, however, it must be noted that Perry, with a border-state governor’s sensibilities, took some GOP heat in 2012 for backing in-state college tuition for children of illegal immigrants.

Possible players How it all plays for Perry and others of his rightwing ilk remains to be seen. If the Repubs opt for a more centrist nominee, potential contenders such as Jeb Bush and Chris Christie could benefit.

All of this plays into the math as Perry does the homework he must do to mount a stronger second race for the White House. The two major questions he must answer are intertwined: Is he prepared to be president and can he win the nomination and general election?

Being more properly prepared than he was in 2012 can go a long way to answering the second question.

The stagecraft for his Monday non-announcement about the 2016 presidential race was far different than his 2011 event at which he first expressed interest in the 2012 race.

The latter came during qand-a with reporters, and his answer surprised some Perry aides.

“I’m going to think about it,” he told us back then, “but I think about a lot of things.”

He’s thinking about it again, probably never has stopped thinking about it.

Last time, he entered as a front-runner. This time, as a result of last time, he might start as a secondtier candidate. And unlike recent Repubs who captured the nomination on their second attempt, Perry starts with the challenge of overcoming — not building on — what he did the first time.

Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman.

Email: kherman@statesman.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters.

To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary.

Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication.

We want to assure our

readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms.

Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No namecalling or gratuitous abuse is allowed.

Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.

EDITORIAL

Bush: Right idea on reform THE WASHINGTON POST

On a trip to Tanzania last week, former President George W. Bush made news when he said, “The reason to pass immigration reform is not to bolster a Republican Party, it’s to fix a system that’s broken. Good policy yields good politics, as far as I’m concerned.”

Bush didn’t endorse the immigration reform bill that the Senate sent to the

House for consideration.

But he made clear that he remains in favor of sweeping immigration reform, something he attempted to accomplish as president.

“I think it’s very important to fix a broken system, to treat people with respect and have confidence in our capacity to assimilate people,” he said.

Bush’s remarks are the more striking because he has used his post-presidency platform so sparingly,

showing considerable dignity in his reluctance to lecture or criticize his successor. He has, however, spoken out on immigration reform before. In December in Dallas, he said, “America can be a lawful society and a welcoming society at the same time.

As our nation debates the proper course of action relating to immigration, I hope we do so with a benevolent spirit and keep in mind the contribution of

immigrants.” In the same vein, he is scheduled to speak Wednesday morning at a naturalization ceremony for 20 people from 12 countries at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas.

Bush’s remarks and his willingness to use his and his wife’s new institute in this way offer a welcome reminder that sensible immigration reform is a national necessity, not a partisan cause.

COMMENTARY

Why make cuts to food stamps?

By MELINDA HENNEBERGER THE WASHINGTON POST

Can I tell you a real success story? One we should all be proud of ? Great, here goes: The program formerly known as food stamps has kept hunger from exploding along with the number of Americans living in poverty.

“That food insecurity hasn’t increased” since the financial meltdown in 2008, says David Beckmann, president of the Christian antihunger group Bread for the World, “is a tremendous testament to the power of SNAP,” the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that replaced food stamps.

That does not mean that every child in this rich country of ours has enough to eat. On the contrary, Eli Saslow’s recent Washington Post piece on a summer bread bus that takes lunch to kids in rural Tennessee was like something straight out of “Angela’s Ashes.”

The 7-year-old who saves the juice from his fruit cup to feed to his baby sister reminded me of Frank McCourt and his classmates drooling for the apple peelings their teacher tossed into the garbage in Limerick in the 1930s.

But government spend-

ing has kept the bottom from falling out: “What I see every day is how much food stamp programs mean to people on the edge,” said Monsignor John Enzler, president of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington. “I tried to live on what food stamps give you for a week last year, and I couldn’t do it, but it does make enough of a difference to allow people to stay in their apartments and pay medical expenses and take care of their children.”

In a still-sluggish economy - and compared to the alternative - isn’t that an outcome we should count as a win? You’d think so. Yet on Thursday, the Republican-controlled House passed a farm bill without the nutrition programs normally funded through that legislation.

Why? Well, as Republicans themselves explained on the House floor, it’s because so many on their side of the aisle felt that the $20.5 billion in cuts to nutrition programs in the version of the farm bill that failed last month just weren’t deep enough. “Oh my goodness,” Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, ROkla., said some colleagues asked him, “why couldn’t you do more?”

Oh my goodness, why should poor kids get to eat free?

Funding food programs through the farm bill “doesn’t serve the needs” of the poor, insisted Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., a fourth-generation farmer who called the bill that passed “the next logical step on the path to real reform.”

If you’re serious about cutting government, Lucas urged, then vote for the bill.

And yet some conservative groups opposed it for not going far enough. (Remember when George W. Bush said he wouldn’t balance his budget on the backs of the poor? His party doesn’t seem to.)

Responding to poverty by paring back food stamp programs is like answering a rise in diabetes by slashing insulin production. And as Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Tex., argued, almost all of the recipients are either children or elderly.

What’s to become of these nutrition programs now is unclear. But even the Democratic-controlled Senate wants to cut them, by $4 billion, and the White House has said it can live with that number. So the argument our leaders are having really boils down to whether we’re going to cut

DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

or gut a program that keeps at-risk kids from going hungry.

Some opponents of the bill practically burst into flames on the House floor, where some of the loudest voices were female: “Mitt Romney was right,” thundered Corrine Brown, DFla. “You all do not care about the 47 percent! Shame on you!”

“Vote no! Vote no! It’s ridiculous what you’re doing to our children!” said Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Tex. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi wasn’t shouting but was shaming: To pass the bill, she said, was “to dishonor the God who made us.”

“To take food out of the mouths of babies? What are you thinking?” she asked.

“Or are you thinking?”

Female anger is a hot topic right now; I just finished Claire Messud’s notnice novel “The Woman Upstairs,” about an elementary school teacher whose life has turned into a human cauldron and “a ravenous wolf.” Even the Virgin Mary is fuming in Colm Tibn’s “The Testament of Mary.” And if Democratic women on the House floor on Thursday were no slouches in tearing the roof off, well, sometimes fury is the only rational response.

Local/Area

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A

LIONS CLUB HAS NEW OFFICERS

BP agents are shot at SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

AUSTIN — Texas Department of Public Safety officers responded to multiple incidents that took place Thursday on the Rio Grande. No specific locations were released, citing security reasons.

According to preliminary information, the first incident occurred early Thursday afternoon, when a Texas Rangers’ boat responded to a “shots fired” call by the U.S. Border Patrol. After arriving at the scene, the Rangers observed the Border Patrol agents had taken cover inside their boat while pointing across the river

toward individuals on the Mexico side believed to be responsible for the shots fired.

Rangers then launched tear gas rounds in the direction of the individuals in Mexico, who vacated the area.

Later in the afternoon in a different incident, a DPS Tactical Marine Unit team was patrolling the river when they came upon a raft that was nearing the U.S. shore with subjects aboard. As the TMU team approached, the subjects abandoned the raft and swam to Mexico. The TMU team seized the raft, which was on the U.S. side and contained several bundles of marijuana

totaling about 1,100 pounds.

Around the same time, at about 5 p.m., the Texas Rangers’ boat responded to assist with the marijuana seizure incident. While en route, the Rangers’ boat was fired upon from Mexico.

DPS officers aboard the Rangers’ boat returned fire, at which time the subjects in Mexico vacated the area. The TMU patrol vessel was not present at the time of this shooting.

No injuries were reported in all three incidents. Additionally, no charges have been filed in these cases, as all subjects fled into Mexico.

Three accused in kidnapping case THE ZAPATA TIMES

McALLEN — A criminal complaint has been partially unsealed following the recent arrests of three area residents alleging their involvement in the kidnapping of a Mission resident, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced Tuesday.

Roel Garza, 25, of Rio Grande City, was arrested late Monday. Mexican citizen Orlando Hernandez, 26, and Jose Lorenzo Davila, 24, both of Rio Grande City, were arrested Thursday and Friday, respectively.

The three were allegedly involved in the kidnapping of a Mission man which was carried out in retaliation for an alleged theft of more than 100 kilograms of cocaine tied to the Gulf Cartel.

On May 28, 2011, the victim and his wife drove to the residence of a family member in Mission, at

which time three vehicles simultaneously arrived, one of which was a white Ford pickup.

The driver, Gerardo Villarreal, 23, of Roma, identified himself as a police officer. The victim was placed in the truck and allegedly handcuffed by Davila. Believing her husband had been placed in police custody, the victim’s wife followed the truck but lost sight of it.

She called local law enforcement about the “arrest,” at which time she was informed they had no record of such an arrest and he was not in their custody, according to the complaint. The victim was allegedly struck, blindfolded, gagged and bound with duct tape thereby immobilizing his arms and legs and initially taken to a ranch in the Mission/Alton area.

The complaint alleges

that after the kidnapping, some or all of the defendants became aware that they had kidnapped the wrong person. However, the victim was still transported in the trunk of a vehicle from the ranch to the Rio Grande River where he was crossed into Mexico and subsequently murdered, according to allegations. The victim was a permanent resident of the U.S. with no criminal record and had no involvement in the theft or sale of cocaine. The victim has not been heard from or seen since this event.

If convicted, all face up to a life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.

Villarreal previously pleaded guilty in a separate, but related, case and is pending sentencing. The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anibal J. Alaniz is prosecuting.

Courtesy photo

Lions Club installed new officers Wednesday. Back row, from left, Roberto Villarreal; Frank Pineda; Said Alfonso Figueroa, one-year director; Humberto Gonzalez, two-year director; Douglas Gonzalez, one-year director; Romeo Mercado; Daniel Gonzalez; Jaime A. Gonzalez Sr., membership chairperson. Front row, from left, Steve Sanchez, second vice president; Jose E. Gonzalez, first vice president; Aurelio Villarreal, president; J. Michael Olszewski, governor; and Jose Luis Morales, secretary/treasurer.

THE BLOTTER Assault An assault was reported at 1:32 p.m. July 5 in the Siesta Shores neighborhood.

An aggravated assault and an assault were reported at 1:40 a.m. July 5 along Laredo Avenue.

An assault was reported at 3:30 a.m. July 5 in the Siesta Shores subdivision.

An assault, family violence incident was reported at 4:46 a.m. July 5 at F.L.E. East.

An assault was reported at 11:57 p.m. July 6 in the 400

block of Papaya Drive.

An assault, family violence was reported at 12:21 a.m.

Tuesday in the Siesta Shores neighborhood.

An assault, family violence incident was reported at 7:39 p.m. Tuesday on Brazos Street.

An assault was reported at 12:18 a.m. Thursday in the 100 block of Trinity Lane.

An assault was reported at 11:30 p.m. Thursday in the 1700 block of Bravo Avenue.

Burglary

A burglary of a home was reported at 3:33 p.m. July 4 in the700 block of Falcon Drive.

A burglary of habitation was reported at 2:34 p.m. July 7 in the Siesta Shores neighborhood.

Theft A wallet was reported stolen at 11:31 a.m. July 3 at the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office lobby.

A theft of service was reported at 5: 26 p.m. July 3 at the Executive Inn, 143 U.S. 83.

National

6A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

Zimmerman jury resumes talks today

By MIKE SCHNEIDER AND KYLE HIGHTOWER ASSOCIATED PRESS

SANFORD, Fla. — With police and civic leaders urging calm, a jury began deliberating George Zimmerman’s fate Friday after hearing dueling portraits of the neighborhood watch captain: a cop wannabe who took the law into his own hands or a well-meaning volunteer who shot Trayvon Martin because he feared for his life.

As the jury got the murder case, police in this Orlando suburb went on national television to plead for peace in Sanford and across the country, no matter what the verdict.

“There is no party in this case who wants to see any violence,” Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger said. “We have an expectation upon this announcement that our community will continue to act peacefully.”

During closing arguments, Zimmerman’s lawyers put a concrete slab and two life-size cardboard cutouts in front of the jury box in one last attempt to convince the panel Zimmerman shot the unarmed black 17-year-old in self-defense while his head was being slammed against the pavement.

Attorney Mark O’Mara used the slab to make the point that it could serve as a weapon. He showed the cutouts of Zimmerman and Martin to demonstrate that the teenager was considerably taller. And he displayed a computer-animated depiction of the fight based on Zimmerman’s account.

He said prosecutors hadn’t met their burden of proving Zimmerman’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Instead, he said, the case was built on “could’ve beens” and “maybes.”

“If it hasn’t been proven, it’s just not there,” O’Mara

Photo by John Raoux | AP

Chimurenqa Waller leads a group of demonstrators in a chant in front of the Seminole County Courthouse while the jury deliberates in the trial of George Zimmerman on Friday, in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin. said. “You can’t fill in the gaps. You can’t connect the dots. You’re not allowed to.”

In a rebuttal, prosecutor John Guy accused Zimmerman of telling “so many lies.” He said Martin’s last emotion was fear as Zimmerman followed him through the gated townhouse community on the rainy night of Feb. 26, 2012.

“Isn’t that every child’s worst nightmare, to be followed on the way home in the dark by a stranger?”

Guy said. “Isn’t that every child’s worst fear?”

One juror, a young woman, appeared to wipe away a tear as Guy said nothing would ever bring back Martin.

The sequestered jury of six women — all but one of them white — will have to sort through a lot of conflicting testimony from police, neighbors, friends and family members.

Jurors deliberated for three and a half hours

when they decided to stop Friday evening. About two hours into their discussions, they asked for a list of the evidence. They will resume deliberations this morning.

Witnesses gave differing accounts of who was on top during the struggle, and Martin’s parents and Zimmerman’s parents both claimed that the voice heard screaming for help in the background of a 911 call was their son’s.

Zimmerman, 29, is charged with second-degree murder, but the jury will also be allowed to consider manslaughter. Under Florida’s laws involving gun crimes, manslaughter could end up carrying a penalty as heavy as the one for second-degree murder: life in prison.

The judge’s decision to allow the jury to consider manslaughter was a potentially heavy blow to the defense: It could give jurors who aren’t convinced the

More charges filed in kidnapping case

By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS ASSOCIATED PRESS

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Month after month, year after year, the decade-long ordeal of three Cleveland women takes shape in the charges against the man accused of imprisoning them: August 2002, kidnapping. October 2005, rape.

November 2006, aggravated murder.

Christmas Day 2006, rape.

A new 977-count indictment filed Friday provides a numbing look at what prosecutors say was 10 years of captivity for the three women in suspect Ariel Castro’s home in a rough Cleveland neighborhood. Among the most serious charges: that he caused the death of one of his victims’ fetuses by punching and starving her.

Among the most haunting: that he assaulted the women throughout their captivity, causing psychological harm to them and to the daughter he fathered with one of them through assault. And in another newly unveiled accusation, the indictment also alleges that on the same day that the child was born, Christmas of 2006, Castro raped one of the other women, who had helped deliver the baby.

“Today’s indictment moves us closer to resolution of this gruesome case,” Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty said in a statement.

Castro, 53, is accused of kidnapping the three women and holding them captive — sometimes restrained in chains — along with the 6-year-old girl he fathered. The women disappeared separately between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16 and 20 years old. Each said they had accepted a ride from Castro,

who remained friends with the family of one girl and even attended vigils over the years marking her disappearance.

He is charged with two counts of aggravated murder related to one act, saying he purposely caused the unlawful termination of the pregnancy of one of the women. The new indictment also charges him with 512 counts of kidnapping, 446 counts of rape, seven counts of gross sexual imposition, six counts of felonious assault, three counts of child endangerment and one count of possessing criminal tools.

Authorities say the filing covers the entire period that the women were imprisoned, from 2002 until May of this year, superseding an earlier indictment that listed accusations for only some of the years. The indictment does not include charges that could carry a death sentence, but McGinty said he is still reserving that option. Castro will be arraigned on the new charges Wednesday.

He is scheduled for trial Aug. 5.

Castro pleaded not guilty to the earlier indictment of 329 counts. A message was left with his attorney Friday seeking comment on the new charges. His legal team has hinted Castro would plead guilty if the death penalty was off the table.

A communications firm representing the women said they would not comment. The women released a three-minute video this week thanking the community for its support.

News that the women had been found alive electrified the Cleveland area, where two of the victims were household names after years of searches, publicity and vigils. But elation soon turned to shock

as allegations about their treatment began to emerge.

Castro is accused of restraining the women, sometimes chaining them to a bedroom heater, inside a van or to a pole in a basement — once with a motorcycle helmet over the head of one woman. Once, when one woman tried to escape, authorities say, he assaulted her with a vacuum cord around her neck.

Later, Castro moved them to upstairs rooms where they were kept as virtual prisoners, according to investigators.

All the while, Castro continued driving a school bus and playing bass in local bands, with fellow musicians saying they never suspected a thing. He was fired as a bus driver last fall after leaving his bus unattended.

The picture of Castro as a friendly musician began to erode soon after the women were freed, as family members told of a man who terrorized his common-law wife, beating her and locking her in an apartment and the same house where the women were later kept.

Castro was arrested May 6, shortly after one of the women broke through a door and yelled to neighbors for help.

One woman, Amanda Berry, now 27, told officers that she was forced to give birth in a plastic pool in the house so it would be easier to clean up. Berry said she, her baby and the two other women rescued with her — Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight — had never been to a doctor during their captivity.

Castro has been held on $8 million bail. Cuyahoga County jail logs show him spending most of his time sleeping, lying on his bunk, watching TV and occasionally drawing or exercising.

shooting amounted to murder a way to hold Zimmerman responsible for the killing.

To win a manslaughter conviction, prosecutors must show only that Zimmerman killed without lawful justification.

O’Mara dismissed the prosecution’s contention that Zimmerman was a “crazy guy” patrolling his townhouse complex and “looking for people to harass” when he saw Martin.

O’Mara also disputed prosecutors’ claim that Zimmerman snapped when he saw Martin because there had been a rash of breakins in the neighborhood, mostly by young black men.

The defense attorney said Zimmerman at no point showed ill will, hatred or spite during his confrontation with Martin — which is what prosecutors must prove for seconddegree murder.

“That presumption isn’t

based on any fact whatsoever,” O’Mara said.

In contrast, prosecutors argued Zimmerman showed ill will when he whispered profanities to a police dispatcher over his cellphone while following Martin through the neighborhood. They said Zimmerman “profiled” the teenager as a criminal.

Guy said Zimmerman violated the cornerstone of neighborhood watch volunteer programs, which is to observe and report, not follow a suspect.

Zimmerman’s account of how he grabbed his gun from his holster at his waist as Martin straddled him is physically impossible, Guy said.

“The defendant didn’t shoot Trayvon Martin because he had to; he shot him because he wanted to,” Guy said. “That’s the bottom line.”

But to invoke self-defense, Zimmerman only had to believe he was fac-

ing great bodily harm, his attorney said. He asked jurors not to let their sympathies for Martin’s parents interfere with their decision.

“It is a tragedy, truly,” O’Mara said. “But you can’t allow sympathy.”

With the verdict drawing near, police and city leaders in Sanford and other parts of Florida said they have taken precautions for the possibility of mass protests or even civil unrest if Zimmerman, whose father is white and whose mother is Hispanic, is acquitted.

There were big protests in Sanford and other cities across the country last year when authorities waited 44 days before arresting Zimmerman.

About a dozen protesters, most of them from outside central Florida, gathered outside the courthouse as the jury deliberated. Martin supporters outnumbered those for Zimmerman.

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A

PÁGINA 8A

Zfrontera

Agenda en Breve LAREDO 07/13— Conferencia Carismática Católica de la Diócesis de Laredo presenta el tema “Jesucristo es el Señor” en horario de 8 a.m. a 9 p.m. en Laredo Civic Center. Costo: 8 dólares, personas mayores de 17 años; 5 dólares para jóvenes de 10 a 16 años. Niños entran gratis.

Evento continúa el domingo de 8 a.m. a 6 p.m.

07/13— Festival Internacional de Ciudades Hermanas de Laredo en Laredo Energy Arena, 6700 Arena Dr., de las 10 a.m. a las 7 p.m.

Evento continúa el domingo de 10 a.m. a 5 p.m. Entrada gratuita.

07/13— La caravana de los Spurs, junto con El Coyote, Silver Dancers y algunos otros invitados especiales estarán en Academy Sports + Outdoors, ubicado en 5720 San Bernardo, a la 1 p.m.; y de 2 a 5 p.m. estarán en el Festival de Ciudades Hermanas.

07/13— The Artisans y Enactus invitan a ‘The Bazaar’ que se realizará de 6 p.m. a 10 p.m. en The French Quarter, 1605 E. Del Mar Blvd. Estacionamiento y entrada gratuita.

07/13— Football: Laredo Rattlesnakes visitan a Venom en Amarillo, y van por el título para el Campeonato del LSFL 2013. Los Rattlesnakes se han asociado con TKO Shiloh para una fiesta y poder disfrutar el partido, a partir de las 7 p.m.

07/13— Béisbol: Laredo Lemurs reciben a El Paso Diablos en Estadio Uni-Trade a las 7:30 p.m.

07/13— Soccer: Laredo Heat SC recibe a El Paso Patriots a las 8 p.m. en TAMIU Soccer Complex.

07/14— Béisbol: Laredo Lemurs reciben a El Paso Diablos en Estadio Uni-Trade a las 7:30 p.m.

07/15— Béisbol: Laredo Lemurs reciben a St. Paul Saints en Estadio Uni-Trade a las 7:30 p.m.

07/16— Béisbol: Laredo Lemurs reciben a St. Paul Saints en Estadio Uni-Trade a las 7:30 p.m.

07/17— Reserve su espacio para participar en el grupo de apoyo ‘Strength Within Me’ que se realizará el viernes 19 de julio en el Centro de Rehabilitación ‘Ruthe B. Cowl’, 1220 N. Malinche Avenue. El objetivo es unir a personas con discapacidades físicas con edades de los 14 a los 35 años.

07/17— El Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de Texas A&M International University presentará “The Future is Wild”, a las 4 p.m. y a las 5 p.m. “Star Signs”. El costo de admisión es de 3 dólares por evento.

07/17— Béisbol: Laredo Lemurs reciben a St. Paul Saints en Estadio Uni-Trade a las 7:30 p.m.

07/18— El Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de Texas A&M International University presentará “The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” a las 4 p.m. y a las 5 p.m. “Wonders of the Universe”, ambas presentaciones con costo de 3 dólares.

07/20— “Flesh: and exhibition” de Catherine Avaritt se presenta a partir de las 7 p.m. en Caffe Dolce, 1708 calle Victoria. Música en vivo, vino y comida. BYOB.

NUEVO LAREDO, MX 07/13— Exposición “El cuerpo como paisaje”, de Jorge Marín, en el Museo Reyes Meza dentro del Centro Cultural Nuevo Laredo. Entrada gratuita. Exposición continuará hasta el 13 de septiembre.

07/13— Exposición “La Divina Comedia”, con obras de Salvador Dalí en el Museo Reyes Meza dentro del Centro Cultural Nuevo Laredo.

Entrada gratuita.

SÁBADO 13 DE JULIO DE 2013

IETAM RESUME RESULTADOS DE PROCESO ELECTORAL DEL 7 DE JULIO EN TAMAULIPAS

Partidos celebran triunfos POR MELVA LAVÍN-CASTILLO TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

El domingo 7 de julio se celebraron elecciones en los 43 consejos municipales y 22 distritales de Tamaulipas. La jornada dejó varias sorpresas, y aunque el Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) continúa teniendo mayoría en el Congreso y la mayoría de las Presidencias Municipales, el Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) obtuvo el triunfo en las ciudades fronterizas de Nuevo Laredo, Miguel Alemán, Ciudad Mier y Matamoros.

Los integrantes del Consejo General del IETAM cerraron el lunes la sesión permanente de la jornada electoral 2012-2013, luego de que diera por concluido el cierre del Programa de Resultados Electorales Preeliminares (PREP), indica un comunicado de prensa.

La entrega de constancias de mayoría a los candidatos que fueron electos fueron entregadas a partir del martes.

Hoy se tiene previsto que sesione el Consejo General a efecto de realizar el cómputo final de la elección de diputados según el principio de representación proporcional y emitir la declaratoria de validez, señala el comunicado. Asimismo,

“Estos triunfos municipales nos permitieron también incrementar el porcentaje de población gobernada por el PAN, al pasar de un 17 por ciento a un 30 por ciento”, dijo López.

La entrega de constancias de mayoría a los candidatos que fueron electos fueron entregadas a partir del martes. en esa sesión se dará a conocer el resultado de la aplicación de la fórmula de asignación de regidores por la vía de representación proporcional.

A la vez el IETAM aceptará inconformidades de candidatos, una vez que se hayan dado a conocer los cómputos de la elección. Tales inconformidades deberán quedar resueltas a más tardar en septiembre.

PAN Catorce candidatos del PAN resultaron ganadores en las elecciones del 7 de julio.

José Alberto López Fonseca, Presidente del PAN en Tamaulipas, aseguró que era un momento histórico.

“Para nosotros representa un logro muy importante haber ganado en ocho municipios y en seis distritos electorales”, dijo López. “Creci-

mos en votos, crecimos en municipios y diputaciones ganadas”.

Los candidatos ganadores en la frontera, y quienes ya recibieron su constancia de mayoría son, en Nuevo Laredo: Carlos Cantúrosas Villarreal, para Presidente Municipal; Salvador Rosas, Distrito 1; Laura Zárate, Distrito 2; y, Enrique Rivas, Distrito 3. Ciudad Mier: Roberto González González, para Presidente Municipal. Miguel Alemán: Ramiro Cortez Barrera, para Presidente Municipal. Matamoros: Norma Leticia Salazar, para Presidenta Municipal; Juan Patiño Cruz, Distrito 10; Juan Martín Reina, Distrito 11; y, Belén Rosales Puente, Distrito 12.

El Partido Acción Nacional obtuvo un histórico triunfo electoral al haber ganado por primera vez el municipio de Nuevo Laredo y sus tres distritos al igual que en Matamoros también con sus tres distritos, señala un comunicado de prensa del PAN.

PRI Por su parte, el PRI triunfó en 35 municipios y 16 diputaciones electorales.

“Hemos ganado la mayor parte de los municipios, tenemos tendencias de triunfo y la votación es favorable”, dijo Ramiro Ramos Salinas, Presidente del Comité Directivo Estatal (CDE).

En la elección del siete de julio el PRI ganó las Presidencias Municipales de Reynosa, Tampico, Madero, Altamira, Río Bravo, Valle Hermoso, González, Aldama, Camargo, Nuevo Morelos y Padilla, entre otros.

“El resultado es favorable, con la seguridad de gobernar en 35 municipios, con alcaldes y diputados que le cumplen a la gente”, dijo Ramos. “(Haremos) un gran trabajo para Tamaulipas y para México”.

(Localice a Melva Lavín-Castillo en mecastillo@lmtonline.com o en (956) 728-2569)

NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO

TEXAS

ENCUENTRO TEATRAL

Alertan sobre secuestro POR CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Fotos de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas

La Bruma Creativa Escénica presenta “Lejos Volar”, de Gibrán Portela, y bajo la dirección de Isaac Martínez Peña, en el XXXII Encuentro Estatal de Teatro ‘Rafael Solana’, el domingo 14 de julio a las 7 p.m. en el Centro Cultural Nuevo Laredo.

Artistas llevan su talento al escenario POR ALEJANDRA MACHORRO TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

N

uevo Laredo, México, es sede del XXXII Encuentro Estatal de Teatro Rafael Solana.

El evento es considerado la mayor fiesta teatral en Tamaulipas, donde artistas a lo largo del estado se reúnen para disfrutar de las puestas en escena mejor logradas que se realizaron a lo largo del año.

“Es importante para la ciudad porque se reúne toda la comunidad teatral del estado y eso nos hace evaluar nuestro esfuerzo como comunidad artística al buscar ser un excelente anfitrión”, dijo Luis Edoardo Torres, director y promotor cultural en Nuevo Laredo.

En el marco de este evento se estarán presentando 10 obras teatrales, seis de éstas fueron seleccionadas por medio de convocatoria y las cuatro restantes fueron invitadas a manera de muestra.

“Este evento permitirá a la comunidad tener acceso a puestas en escena de primer nivel, lo que promueve el desarrollo cultural de la ciudad”, dijo Torres.

Para continuar con las festividades del encuentro, el sábado 13 de julio, el grupo Desde la Trinchera de Reynosa tendrá en escena la obra “Moby, poeta ballena”, a las 6 p.m., seguido de la compañía de teatro Cía. Espacio Cultural Metropolitano de Tampico, quienes llevará a escena la obra “Brevísimo ensayo sobre el amor”, de Luis Edoardo Torres, en punto de las 7 p.m.

El domingo 14 de julio continúan las celebraciones con las puestas en escena “Bordes efí-

De Ciudad Victoria, México, se presentará la obra “Ana ¿Verdad?”, escrita por Francisco Hinojosa y dirigida por Alexandra Benavides Treviño, el martes 16 de julio a las 5 p.m. en el Centro Cultural Nuevo Laredo.

“

Este evento permitirá a la comunidad tener acceso a puestas en escena de primer nivel”.

LUIS EDOARDO TORRES, PROMOTOR CULTURAL

meros”, de Cynthia Rodríguez Leija, de la compañía de danza Ceres, con sede en la vecina ciudad y con la obra “Lejos, volar”, de Gibrán Portela, por la compañía La bruma, Creativa Escénica de Tampico, ambas obras estarán presentándose a las 7 p.m.

Las compañías Aura, de Tampico y Naif, de Reynosa, también estarán presentes en el festival el lunes 15 de julio con las obras “Arrullo”, de Martha Ponce y “Jonás”, de Ricardo Montesino, respectivamente, ambas estarán sobre el escenario a las 7 p.m.

Para concluir con las festividades del XXXII encuentro el Colectivo Trueque de Victoria pre-

sentará la obra “Ana, ¿verdad?” de Francisco Hinojosa a las 5 p.m., mientras que la compañía Escenario Azul de Matamoros cerrará con la obra “El gruñido del cerdo”, de Medardo Treviño en punto de las 7 p.m.

El encuentro es organizado por el Instituto Tamaulipeco para la Cultura y las Artes, (ITCA), en coordinación con la Dirección de Arte y Cultura de Nuevo Laredo.

Todas las funciones serán llevadas a cabo en el Centro Cultural de Nuevo Laredo, con excepción de “Bordes efímeros”.

La entrada es gratuita y abierta al público.

El secuestro de menores y el tráfico de personas ocurren más seguido de lo que mucha gente podría pensar.

“La realidad es que la mayoría de los adolescentes que sufren de tráfico de personas en nuestro país son víctimas de la trata en el mismo país, lo que significa que son ciudadanos estadounidenses, o que tal vez tienen doble nacionalidad en México pero que siguen siendo nuestros niños, que alguien utiliza como señuelos, o los explotan o los usan para realizar acciones en contra de su voluntad”, dijo J.L. Walters, asistente del Jefe de policía de Southern Methodist University y asistente para el enlace y enlace para la capacitación y asistencia técnica sobre la Alerta Amber.

Walters acudió al Entrenamiento sobre el Secuestro a Menores en la Línea Fronteriza y Ejercicio de Verificación celebrados el martes y miércoles en el Centro de Estudiantes Sen. Judith Zaffirini de Texas A&M International University.

Walters trabaja con la Iniciativa del la Frontera Sureste, que es un Departamento de Justicia que se enfoca en el secuestro de menores, explotación de menores y su tráfico en las fronteras al sureste de Estados Unidos.

“El tráfico de personas se convierte en un crimen en contra del menor cuando se utiliza la fuerza o la extorsión”, dijo Walters. “Sabemos que en México los menores son secuestrados para ser utilizados para producir pornografía, para ser utilizados como esclavos sexuales y cosas de esa naturaleza”.

Los niños que escapan de casa son quienes corren mayor riesgo porque están sobreviviendo ahí fuera mientras alguien se encuentra explotándolos, dijo.

Cuando se presenta un caso de secuestro infantil, el tiempo es el mayor enemigo de los oficiales. Si un menor es secuestrado, los oficiales no deben perder tiempo en encontrar un contacto.

En su lugar, deben buscar al menor de manera inmediata después del secuestro.

“El mayor desafío que enfrentas cuando un menor es secuestrado es el tiempo”, dijo Walters. “En los casos en los que un menor es secuestrado y muere, lo sabemos en las primeras tres horas, al 76 por ciento de estos niños se les dio muerte”.

Laredo tiene mejor comunicación con las contrapartes mexicanas que otras ciudades. En general, los oficiales de Estados Unidos no siempre están familiarizados con el funcionamiento del sistema legal mexicano.

Para llegar a las masas, el Alerta Amber ha interactuado recientemente con la comunidad con herramientas en redes sociales, tales como Facebook y Twitter. Walters dijo que mientras más ojos busquen al niño, más alta es la posibilidad de encontrarlo.

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A

FESTIVAL Continued from Page 1A about a foot tall takes about two days to carve and paint.

Toledo added the trip to Laredo was worth the effort.

“Our exhibitors find that Laredo is a really good market for them. They also get a lot of exposure for their products. Some of them come to build business relationships and get their products distributed here. And then some of them come out of loyalty because they’ve been here for ten, eight or seven years and they just really enjoy coming and being a part of the event,” Lopez said.

Lopez said entertainment is an important part of the festival. Groups from Laredo and Mexico will be performing throughout the three days.

“We’ve got a new ballet folklorico that’s coming in from Jalpan de Serra, Queretaro, which will be performing today and tomorrow and coming back is the Spurs Fan Experience and Caravan. We’re riding that wave of NBA finals with the Spurs having gone so far,” Lopez said.

Strolling through the exhibits were Laredoans Martin and Lety Fernandez.

“We came last year and it was crowded, so this year we decided to come early. It’s really nice. There are so many unusual things which we can buy without having to worry about crossing the border,” Martin said.

“We’re hoping to have 20,000 people come to the event. It’s a great reason to get out of the heat. Come over to the arena, walk around, sit in the air conditioning and take in all of the culture,” Lopez said.

(Rick Villarreal may be reached at 728-2528 or rvillarreal@lmtonline.com)

SENATE Continued from Page 1A attempt to stop the Republican majority from passing a proposal that has put Texas at the center of the nation’s abortion debate.

Senators could hear hundreds of protesters outside of the chamber in the Capitol rotunda cheering, chanting and singing, “We’re not going to take it anymore.” Some wore gynecological devices around their necks. Supporters of the restrictions carried photos of fetuses and Bible verses, praying in the hallway for the bill to pass.

The Senate could have voted on the abortion restrictions late Friday or early today, sending the bill to Republican Gov. Rick Perry who has said he will sign it.

The Republican majority is expected to pass the bill, with Democrats left to do little more than enter into the legislative record material that could help defeat it in federal court.

The circus-like atmosphere in the Texas Capitol marked the culmination of weeks of protests, the most dramatic of which came June 25 in the final minutes of the last special legislative session, when a Democratic filibuster and protest prevented the bill from becoming law.

House Bill 2 would require doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, allow abortions only in surgical centers, limit where and when women may take abortion-inducing pills and ban abortions after 20 weeks. Only five out of 42 existing abortion clinics meet the requirements to be a surgical center, and clinic owners say they can’t afford to upgrade or relocate.

CHILDREN

Sen. Glen Hegar of Katy, the bill’s Republican author, argued that all abortions, including those induced with medications, should take place in an ambulatory surgical center in case of complications.

Democrats pointed out that childbirth is more dangerous than an abortion and there have been no serious problems with women taking abortion drugs at home. They also introduced amendments to add exceptions for cases of rape and incest and to remove some of the more restrictive clauses.

Sen. Rodney West, a Dallas Democrat, asked why Hegar was pushing restrictions that federal courts in other states had suspended as unconstitutional.

“There will be a lawsuit. I promise you,” West said, raising his right hand as if taking an oath.

The bill under consideration mirrors restrictions passed in Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Alabama, Kansas, Wisconsin and Arizona. In North Carolina, lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow state health officials to apply standards for ambulatory surgical centers to abortion clinics.

Passing the law in Texas would be a major victory for anti-abortion activists in the nation’s second most-populous state. Hegar acknowledged working with anti-abortion groups to draft the legislation and said he monitored how similar bills did in other states. A lawsuit originating in Texas would also likely win a sympathetic hearing at the conservative 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Continued from Page 1A in tracking down a contact. Instead, they should be looking for the child within the first moments of the abduction.

“The biggest challenge you face when a child is abducted is time,” Walters said. “In cases where children are abducted and murdered, we know that in the first three hours, 76 percent of those children are murdered.”

Laredo does better than other cities when it comes to communicating with Mexican counterparts. In general, U.S. law enforcement is not always familiar with how the Mexican legal systems work.

“Many U.S. law enforcement don’t know that Mexico has an amber alert program just like we have … Last May, it was signed into law in Mexico. We spent two years helping them develop it so that both countries now have a compatible program,” Walters said.

To reach the masses, Amber Alert has recently interacted with the community with social media tools, such as Facebook and Twitter. Walters said the more eyes looking for the child, the greater the chances are to find him or her.

(César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)

JOHN RATHMELL

LUCIA GUZMAN

APRIL 8, 1958 — JULY 10, 2013

FEB. 9, 1959 — JULY 7, 2013

John Rathmell, 55, died Wednesday morning July 10, 2013, of a heart attack.

“Johnny,” as he was affectionately known, was born in Laredo on April 8, 1958, to Maria G. Rathmell and the late Jacob G. Rathmell of Zapata.

Johnny graduated from Zapata High School in 1976. He attended Texas A&I University in Kingsville and Laredo State University where he studied accounting and horticulture.

He returned to Zapata to work at Zapata National Bank where he rose to the position of Vice President. He left Zapata National Bank to manage Rathmell Land & Cattle with his father and two brothers.

Johnny was also active in community service. He was a long standing member of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He also served as president of the Zapata County Fair.

He was a generous supporter of youth of Zapata through various scholarship programs.

He was especially interested in beautification projects, having donated many trees and plants to the town.

Johnny, above all else, was devoted to his family. He was a faithful companion to his late father and a loving and loyal son to his mother.

Johnny, following in a long tradition of ranching, considered the land to be an extension of the family. He found his greatest joy in the serene quiet of the ranch.

Johnny is survived by his mother, Mrs. Maria G. Rathmell; siblings: Maricela (Arturo) Volpe, Patricia Rathmell, Graciela (Dr. Carlos) Garza, Ella (Jorge) Gonzalez, Judge Joseph (Gina) Rathmell, Sara Alicia Rathmell; sister–in-law, Dr. Carmen RamirezRathmell; nieces and nephews: John Carlos (Niti) Volpe, Triana Alicia Volpe, Jorge Gonzalez, James Lorenzo Gonzalez, Dr. Kristina Angela Rathmell, Jacob Paul Rathmell, Gabriella (Luis Carlos) Guevara, Robert Leopold Rathmell, Celia Andrea Rathmell; Sarah Josephine Rathmell; great nieces, Alegra Lamar Volpe, Anna Marie Volpe; and great nephew, Arturo Thomas Volpe.

Johnny is preceded in death by his paternal

grandparents, John and Celia Rathmell; maternal grandparents, Leopoldo and Maria B. Martinez; father, Jacob G. Rathmell Sr.; and brothers, Jacob G. Rathmell Jr., Juan Rathmell and James Rathmell.

Pallbearers are Joseph Rathmell, John Carlos Volpe, Jorge Gonzalez, James Lorenzo Gonzalez, Jacob Paul Rathmell, Robert Leopold Rathmell and Javier Luis Flores.

Honorary pallbearers are Arturo Volpe, Dr. Carlos Garza, Jorge Gonzalez and Luis Carlos Guevara.

The funeral procession will depart Saturday, July 13, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Mass will be officiated by Bishop Daniel Flores.

Committal services will follow at Zapata County Cemetery.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.rosegardenfuneralhome.com.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata.

Lucia Guzman, 54, passed away July 7, 2013, at her residence in Huffman, Texas.

Ms. Guzman is preceded in death by her parents, Vicente Reymundo and Antonia Guzman and brother, Francisco Reymundo Guzman.

Ms. Guzman is survived by her brothers, Juan A. (Esperanza) Guzman, Jose G. (Claudia) Guzman, David A. (Beatriz) Guzman; sisters, Olivia (Juan) Tejada, Julieta (Jesus) Sanchez, Graciela (Enrique) Pena and by numerous other family members.

Visitation hours were

2013, at 10 a.m. for a 10:30 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

Committal services will follow at Zapata County Cemetery.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy 83, Zapata. held Thursday, July 11, 2013, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home.

The funeral procession departed Thursday, July 11,

ESPERANZA ELIA G. ZAPATA NOV. 10, 1933 — JULY 6, 2013 Esperanza Elia G. Zapata, 79, passed away July 6, 2013, at Laredo Medical Center in Laredo.

Mrs. Zapata is preceded in death by her husband, Ruben O. Zapata; parents, Serapio and Maria Blanca Garcia; brothers, Serapio Garcia Jr., Eulogio B. Garcia, Jose Jesus Garcia; sister, Elida Garcia; sister-inlaw, Irene T. Garcia; and inlaws, Rufino and Gregoria Zapata.

Mrs. Zapata is survived by her sons, Ruben O. (Maribel) Zapata, Javier E. (Raquel) Zapata; daughters, Omelia Zapata, Ofelia (Juan M.) Vela, Maria de los Angeles (Leonardo G. Jr.) Flores; 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren; brothers, Manuel M.

(Enedelia) Garcia, Juan E. (Hortencia) Garcia; sister, Rosa Nelia (Anselmo Jr) Treviño; sisters-in-law, Micaela J. Garcia, Viola V. Garcia, Mari Garcia and by numerous nephews, nieces and friends.

Visitation hours were held Monday, July 8, 2013,

from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home.

The funeral procession departed Tuesday, July 9, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

Committal services followed at Falcon Cemetery in Falcon.

Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata.

10A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

Sports&Outdoors NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: SAN ANTONIO SPURS

NBA: CELTICS, NETS

Spurs sign three Ginobili returns with Belinelli, Pendergraph

By MIKE MONROE

File photo by Lynne Sladky | AP

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

For the first time in two years Manu Ginobili will report to Spurs training camp in October well rested after an offseason in which his most vigorous activities will likely be chasing after his twin 3year-old sons, Dante and Nicola.

Anticipating that Ginobili will be better prepared for the rigors of the NBA season after three-plus months away from competitive basketball simplified the decision to bring him back to the club for two more seasons at a reported $7 million per season, according to general manager R.C. Buford.

“Obviously, he’s been a big part of the heart and soul of our team for many years and we’re excited that he’s got a summer to take off from the (Argentine) national team and rejuvenate his body,” Buford said. “We’re expecting big things again from Manu.”

Ginobili was one of three players the Spurs on Thursday officially acknowledged signing to free agent contracts. The agreements reached with former Bulls guard-forward Marco Belinelli and former Pacers big man Jeff Pendergraph in silver and black uniforms also were announced.

Buford expects starting center Tiago Splitter to have his new four-year contract signed and officially announced back in the coming days.

The three signings announced Thursday and the anticipated signing of Splitter put the Spurs at 14 guaranteed contracts for next season but Buford did not rule out bringing back restricted free agent guard Gary Neal.

The market will determine whether or not the Spurs want to match any offer sheet Neal may get from another club.

“The type of shooter he is and his ability to play a couple of positions make him an attractive player,” Buford said. “With restricted free agency we have the opportunity to allow him to find his market and make the decision: ‘Does this fit us, or not?’ “ Ginobili will celebrate his 36th birthday on July 28 but Buford believes the fact he will not be competing this summer for the

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett (left to right) are headed to Brooklyn.

Nets make trade official Land Pierce, Garnett for 2013-14

By BRIAN MAHONEY ASSOCIATED PRESS

File photo by Lynne Sladky | AP

San Antonio retains Manu Ginobili after he hit free agency. The team also signed Marco Belinelli (Chicago) and Jeff Pendergraph (Indiana).

Argentine national team will make a difference in his 2013-14 Spurs season.

Ginobili led Argentina to the gold medal in the FIBA Tournament of the Americas in 2011. He was on the Argentine team that suffered a bitter loss to Russia

in the bronze medal game of the 2012 Olympic tournament in London.

Both summers left him fatigued when training camp began in San Antonio just

MLB: TEXAS RANGERS

NEW YORK — The blockbuster breakup of the Celtics is complete. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are Brooklyn-bound.

The Nets and Celtics finalized their draft-night trade Friday, a nine-player, three-draft-pick swap centered on the two aging champions who won a title in Boston in 2008.

And with a championship chapter in the Celtics’ storied history closed, it’s the Nets who are thinking big as they head into their second season in Brooklyn.

“Today, the basketball gods smiled on the Nets,” team owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement. “With the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, we have achieved a great balance

See SPURS PAGE 2B See TRADE PAGE 2B

LIGA MX

Security hightened after brawl ASSOCIATED PRESS

File photo by Tony Gutierrez | AP

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Yu Darvish was diagnosed with fatigue as an exam revealed no serious injury to his right trapezius muscle.

No serious injury for Yu Darvish

By JEFF WILSON MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE

BALTIMORE — Nothing more than fatigue was diagnosed Thursday after Yu Darvish had his right trapezius muscle examined in Arlington

by Texas Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister.

Darvish will meet the team Friday in Detroit and begin a throwing program, said assistant general manager Thad Levine. The expectation remains that the right-hander will

come off the disabled list the first day he is eligible for reinstatement, July 22, to face the New York Yankees.

The Rangers followed through with the exam to place Darvish on the DL before the results of the exam were known, and left-handed reliever Joseph Ortiz was recalled from Triple A Round Rock.

The club also optioned right-hander Josh Lindblom,

See DARVISH PAGE 2B

LAS VEGAS — Soccer fans in Las Vegas will see stepped-up security for an exhibition match Saturday featuring Monarcas Morelia of Mexico and Luis Angel Firpo of El Salvador, following brawls at a match between intense Mexican rivals Chivas and Club America that sent six people to the hospital, officials said.

Las Vegas police officer Larry Hadfield said Friday that police were assigning an “appropriate” number of officers to this weekend’s game following the July 3 clash between fans of rival Mexican teams Chivas and Club America. He declined to provide specifics.

Eduardo Beltramini, president of the game promoter, Planet Futbol, told the Las Vegas ReviewJournal that when fans see more security “they’ll be less tempted to run onto the field and cause trouble.”

“We’ve talked to the stadium and the police and we’ll provide adequate security,” Beltramini said.

The Houston-based company has been organizing soccer games since 1993 and, Beltramini said, “never had the kind of incident that they had in Las Vegas last week with Chivas and Club America.”

Beltramini said the rivalry is

File photo by David Becker | AP

Police carry an injured soccer fan from the field after Chivas defeated Club America 1-0 at the El Super Clasico soccer match on July 3 in Las Vegas. less intense between Monarcas Morelia and Luis Angel Firpo and their respective fans.

Chivas won the “friendly” match, 1-0. But the event was marred by fights in the parking lot before the game, confrontations in the stands during the game and brawls on the field after fans stormed the field. Play halted with several minutes still on the clock.

Bottles and flares were thrown and fireworks were set off in the stands. Photos showed one fan punched and kicked in the face, leaving him bloodied, uncon-

scious and face down on the field.

The Las Vegas Sun reported the game, called El Super Clasico, drew 14,000 fans and was staffed by 170 part-time security officers, ushers, ticket takers and an initial assignment of about 40 police officers.

The number of officers nearly tripled after Las Vegas, Henderson and University of Nevada, Las Vegas police officers were summoned.

Photos showed officers in riot gear and bloodied fans being treated by paramedics.

PAGE 2B

Zscores

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

Bynum, Cavs still talkng

DARVISH Continued from Page 1B

By TOM WITHERS ASSOCIATED PRESS

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — As he addressed his reasons for signing with the Cavaliers, guard Jarrett Jack was asked about the team’s new center, the former All-Star with the balky knees and uncertain future.

What can Andrew Bynum do for the Cavs?

“Who?” Jack joked.

Cleveland’s free-agent class is still missing one member.

Bynum, who has agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the Cavs, was not present at a news conference Friday as the Cavs introduced their two newest players: Jack and forward Earl Clark. The Cavs and Bynum’s agent, David Lee, are still finalizing the complex deal that should eventually land the enigmatic 7-footer in Cleveland sometime next week.

Bynum never played for Philadelphia after being traded to the 76ers last summer because of knee injuries, and the Cavs are making sure they have protection in case he’s not ready to play. The sides agreed to a two-year, $24 million deal that only guarantees Bynum $6 million and includes a team option in the second year. Bynum can earn $12 million in the first year if he reaches performance incentives.

While he works on closing Bynum’s deal, general manager Chris Grant said he’s excited to add players who bring toughness, lead-

File photo by Bret Hartman | AP

Former Philadelphia and Los Angeles center Andrew Bynum is still finalizing a deal to join Cleveland for 2013-14. ership and playoff experience to the Cavs’ young core.

“We spent a lot of time debating and talking about these two gentlemen here and how well they fit into our organization,” Grant said. “We’re very happy to add both of these true professionals to our team.”

By league rules, Grant was not allowed to discuss Bynum. However, Jack was eager to analyze what the big man could do for a franchise that has gone 64166 the past three years.

“An anchor in the middle is something every team is desperately in need for and when healthy, he’s one of the best, if not the best big men in the game,” Jack said. “If we’re able to lock it down, and make this thing come to fruition, I

think he definitely helps take our team to the next level — and if he’s able to stay healthy, obviously.”

Jack signed a four-year, $25 million contract after averaging 12.9 points and 5.5 assists in 79 games for Golden State. Once the Warriors renounced his rights as a restricted free agent, Jack looked at his options and decided the Cavaliers, despite winning just 24 games last season, were a good fit.

“When I talked to my agent, we looked over the situation and found out that coach Mike Brown was the one spearheading this thing,” Jack said.

“That was the only vote of confidence that I needed.

Looking at the makeup of the team, it’s a very, very young team, but I think

with a promising future.

That’s something I desperately want to be a part of.

People tend to forget that when I joined Golden State they’d won 24 games that year.

“Taking on a challenge is something I pride myself on.”

One of the biggest is trying to get a Cleveland team to the top. Next year will mark the 50th anniversary since any of the city’s professional teams won a championship.

“That’s the thing that drives all of us,” Jack said.

Clark, too, has some background — albeit brief — with Brown.

Known mostly for his defense, Clark spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, who fired Brown after five games.

TRADE Continued from Page 1B

File photo by Elise Amendola | AP

Boston officially traded center Kevin Garnett, right, and forward Paul Pierce, left, to Brooklyn on Friday. They will join a starting five including point guard Darren Williams, shooting guard Joe Johnson and center Brook Lopez. on our roster between veteran stars and young talents.

This team will be dazzling to watch, and tough to compete against.”

The Nets also got Jason Terry and D.J. White from Boston, while sending Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph, Keith Bogans and first-round draft picks in 2014, 2016 and 2018 to the rebuilding Celtics.

Boston also gets the right to swap first-round picks in 2017.

The teams agreed to the deal on June 27 but it couldn’t be completed until after next season’s salary cap was set.

The Nets plan to introduce their new stars Thursday at Barclays Center.

Boston won five straight division titles from 2008-12 before falling back last season, the first following Ray Allen’s departure to Miami. Then the Celtics let coach Doc Rivers out of his contract after the season by acquiring a first-round pick from the Los Angeles Clippers. This trade signals a new phase for the team that has won an NBA-high 17 championships and got used to being in the hunt again after Garnett arrived in 2007.

“Paul and Kevin exemplified everything it means to be a Celtic,” Celtics managing partner and CEO Wyc Grousbeck said. “They were instrumental in bringing back Celtic Pride and providing our fans with the franchise’s first championship in over 20 years in 2008. We wish them nothing but the best in the future.”

The Nets went 49-33 in their first season in Brooklyn and have spent big in hopes of bettering that in 2013-14.

They also signed versatile forward Andrei Kirilenko, resigned backup big man Andray Blatche and added reserve guard Shaun Livingston.

They blew well past the luxury tax line and are facing a bill of more than $70 million in taxes, but Prokhorov wanted a title within five years of owning the team. A starting five of Garnett, Pierce, Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez, along with former Sixth Man of the Year Terry, has a chance to compete for one.

“We are excited to welcome Kevin, Paul and Jason to Brooklyn,” Nets general manager Billy King said. “All three players have championship pedigree and possess the veteran qualities that will make us a stronger team.”

The Celtics hadn’t won a title since 1986 before they acquired Garnett and Allen in 2007. They joined with Pierce

to form the core of a team that won 66 games and a title their first season together, reached the NBA Finals again in 2010, and returned the Celtics to their longtime place atop the league.

But Garnett is 37, Pierce will be 36 by opening night, and general manager Danny Ainge realized the Celtics’ days of competing for titles with this group were finished after a first-round exit, and chose to go in another direction.

“We would not have won Banner 17 without Paul and Kevin and they will go down amongst the all-time great players to have ever worn a Celtics uniform,” Ainge said.

“At the same time we are excited to welcome Gerald, Kris, Keith, MarShon and Kris to the Celtics family. They bring a wealth of talent, experience, depth, and flexibility to our team.”

The Celtics thanked Garnett and Pierce, who is second on the team’s career scoring list, with a full-page ad in Friday’s Boston Globe.

Wallace was a starter for the Nets last season, and Humphries and Bogans sometimes started. They join a Celtics team led by first-year coach Brad Stevens, the former Butler coach who was hired to replace Rivers.

The Nets also will be led by a rookie in Jason Kidd, who was hired shortly after retiring as a player and will see much more talent when he looks down his bench.

Garnett is a 15-time All-Star and Pierce a 10-time selection, and both are among the NBA’s top-20 career scorers.

Even while slowing down a bit as they near the end of their careers, Pierce averaged 18.6 points last season, and Garnett added 14.8 points and 7.8 rebounds while remaining one of the NBA’s most tenacious defensive big men.

Terry averaged 13.5 points last season, his only one in Boston.

Kirilenko agreed to his contract Thursday and was signed Friday. He will make $3.2 million this season and has an option for the second year. The forward opted out of a deal that would have paid him $10 million in Minnesota this season and will play again for former CSKA Moscow boss Prokhorov.

“He is a true talent with tremendous versatility,” Prokhorov said. “As a fellow countryman, I am especially proud that the best Russian player in the history of the NBA will be wearing a Nets jersey.”

File photo by Tony Gutierrez | AP

The Rangers breathed a sigh of relief after they found out ace Yu Darvish did not suffer a serious injury. He is eligible to return off the disabled list on July 22 against the Yankees.

the losing pitcher Wednesday against Baltimore, to Round Rock and recalled righty reliever Wilmer Font. The Rangers will have 10 relievers through at least the end of the first half, though it’s unlikely that long man Ross Wolf will be available after replacing Darvish on Thursday.

Levine said the results of Darvish’s exam were "as good of news as we could have gotten."

"The exam was totally normal, such that we didn’t even conduct an MRI or scans of any variety," Levine said. "We were hopeful this was going to be the case, and it turned out to be just that."

The Rangers have no regrets about placing Darvish on the DL and using long man Ross Wolf in the finale against Baltimore. Because the DL move was retroactive to Sunday and with the All-Star break approaching, Darvish will get a two-week break while missing only one start.

They used the All-Star break last year to give him a 12-day break between starts July 1 and July 14 while again missing only one start. The Rangers aren’t planning to send him on a rehab assignment.

"It’s the right time of the year," Levine said.

"The schedule plays so you can give a pitcher who’s been shouldering a big load for us and a guy that we’re going to count on down the stretch two weeks off to miss just one start."

Finality for Scheppers Right-hander Tanner Scheppers won’t be going to the All-Star Game after finishing fifth in the five-man Final Vote for the final spot on the

American League squad.

Toronto right-hander Steve Delabar won the vote with 9.6 million votes.

"Thank you for all the support and taking the time every day to vote for me," Scheppers said, addressing his supporters.

"I feel extremely blessed that people in Texas and around the country would give me that kind of support."

The Rangers will have three players - Yu Darvish, closer Joe Nathan and right fielder Nelson Cruz - Tuesday at Citi Field. Darvish isn’t eligible to pitch but plans to attend.

However, they won’t be represented in the Futures Game after Hickory third baseman Joey Gallo hit the disabled list with a strained groin.

His teammate, catcher Jorge Alfaro, also won’t play after suffering a broken hand two weeks ago.

Gallo is expected to return late next week.

Injury updates Outfielder Craig Gentry (broken left hand) plans to begin a medical rehabilitation assignment Sunday at Double A Frisco. Utility man Jeff Baker (sprained right thumb) took batting practice for the first time since his injury.

Right-hander Alexi Ogando (shoulder inflammation) made his second rehab start for Round Rock with the goal of hitting 60 pitches. He likely will need more starts before he comes off the DL. Designated hitter Lance Berkman said that there has been no noticeable improvement in his left hip but that he expects to come off the DL the first day he is eligible, July 22.

SPURS Continued from Page 1B a few weeks after those intense competitions.

Buford said Ginobili’s return and the addition of Belinelli put the Spurs on solid footing in the back court, where they will join All-NBA point guard Tony Parker and 3-point ace Danny Green.

Buford expects Belinelli’s skills to fit well with the Spurs. The 6-foot-5 guard from Italy averaged 9.6 points and 2.0 assists in just under 26 minutes per game with the Bulls last season.

“He does a lot of things that fit the way we play, both from a skill and cultural perspective,” Buford said. “The feedback we’ve gotten from people with the Bulls we really respect is that this is a play-

er that impacts winning.”

Pendergraph, 6-foot-9 and 250-pounds, came from the Indiana Pacers, and highly recommended by new assistant coach Jim Boylen, a former Pacers assistant.

“He’s a very physical player,” Buford said. “His skill set fits us. He’s a good passer who can play (power forward) and (center). All indications are he’s an 18-foot jump shooter who just hasn’t had a lot of opportunities.”

Pendergraph likely will fill the roster spot formerly held by DeJuan Blair, an unrestricted free agent who has made no secret of his desire to be on a team that would offer an opportunity for consistent playing time.

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B

HINTS | BY HELOISE ATTRACTING WILDLIFE Dear Readers: If you enjoy the outdoors and the wildlife that lives in it, there are some easy things you can do to SUPPORT THE ANIMALS. The National Wildlife Federation suggests the following: Select plants for around your home that are native to the area. Make sure you have plants that animals can use not only for nests and shelter, but that also provide food in the form of nectar, berries or nuts.

Have a water source available. If not a natural stream, then have a few decorative dishes filled with water, birdbaths or a small pot.

Think about planting smaller shrubs and grasslike plants. Along with rocks and special landscaping, smaller animals and reptiles can be encouraged to hide and live there.

Place birdhouses around your property, but also have plants that attract insects for the birds to eat.

Try doing just one small

“

HELOISE

thing to help benefit the wildlife near you. — Heloise P.S.: If you are lucky enough to enjoy backyard wildlife, please be sure to be kind to them all.

FLOWER POWER Dear Heloise: I enjoy reading your hints in the Abilene (Texas) ReporterNews. I read the one about buying flowers for the cemetery at a dollar store. I do this, but I also keep an eye out for closeouts. After Easter, one of the big chain stores had spring flowers for half off. Most were $1 to begin with, so at 50 cents, I was able to stock up. I keep a storage tub full of the extras so I have a “go to” supply.

I also buy inexpensive solar lights. I purchase the cheapest ones and use the tube and spike from them as a holder for the flowers at the cemetery. — Julie Walker, via email

DENNIS THE MENACE

FAMILY CIRCUS

PEANUTS

GARFIELD

DAILY CRYPTOQUOTES — Here’s how to work it:

DILBERT

4B THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013