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CRIME
Theater tragedy
What took place? ASSOCIATED PRESS
Here’s a guide to some key questions in the wake of the mass shooting at a Colorado movie theater during a showing of “The Dark Knight Rises.”
Q: What happened? A: Shortly after midnight Friday, a gunman wearing a gas mask and black SWAT gear set off a gas canister and then opened fire inside a crowded theater in the Denver suburb of Aurora, Colo., killing 12 people and wounding nearly 60 others, authorities said. The suspect was arrested near a car behind the theater and identified as 24-yearold James Holmes. Authorities did not release a motive. The FBI said there was no indication of ties to any terrorist groups.
Q: Who is the suspect?
Photo by David Zalubowski | AP
Investigators place evidence markers at the Century 16 Theatre east of the Aurora Mall in Aurora, Colo., on Friday.
Gunman uses 3 guns to kill 12, wound 59 others By THOMAS PEIPERT AND P. SOLOMON BANDA ASSOCIATED PRESS
AURORA, Colo. — As the new Batman movie played on the screen, a gunman dressed in black and wearing a helmet, body armor and a gas mask stepped through a side door. At first he was just a silhouette, taken by some in the audience for a stunt that was part of one of the summer’s most highly anticipated films. But then, authorities said, he threw gas canisters that filled the packed suburban Denver theater with smoke, and, in the confusing haze between Hollywood fantasy and terrifying reality, opened fire as people screamed and dove for cover. At least 12 people were killed and 59 wounded in one of the deadliest mass shootings in re-
cent U.S. history. “He looked like an assassin ready to go to war,” said Jordan Crofter, a moviegoer who was unhurt in the attack early Friday, about a half-hour after the special midnight opening of “The Dark Knight Rises.” The gunman, identified by police as 24-year-old James Holmes, used a military-style semi-automatic rifle, a shotgun and a pistol, stopping only to reload. The suspect marched up the aisle in the stadium-style theater, picking off those who tried to flee, witnesses said. Authorities said he hit 71 people. One of them was struck in an adjacent theater by gunfire that went through the wall. “He would reload and shoot and anyone who would try to leave would just get killed,” said Jennifer Seeger, adding that bul-
Photo by Barry Gutierrez | AP
Shamecca Davis hugs her son Isaiah Bow, an eyewitness to the shooting, outside Gateway High School where witnesses were brought for questioning Friday, in Denver. After leaving the theater Bow went back in to find his girlfriend. “I didn’t want to leave her in there. But she’s OK now,” Bow said. let casings landed on her head and burned her forehead. Within minutes, frantic 911 calls brought some 200 police officers, ambulances and emergency crews to the theater. Holmes was captured in the parking lot. Police said they later found that his nearby apart-
FEDERAL COURT
Local man sentenced for distributing marijuana By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A 25-year-old Zapata man was sentenced to federal prison this week in Laredo for attempting to distribute more than 470 pounds of marijuana, federal authorities announced Thursday. Lenny Salinas, 25, convicted March 7 for possession with the intent to distribute, was handed a 63-month term. U.S. District Judge George P. Kazen further ordered Salinas to
serve four years of supervised release following completion of that prison term. A federal criminal complaint dated Sept. 21 states Homeland Security Investigations agents learned a white Ford F150 loaded with narcotics was parked at Alamo and Brazos streets. Agents quickly detected marijuana odor emanating from the truck, court documents add. A K-9 unit called out to the scene detected the possible presence of contraband in the
suspected truck and a horse trailer parked several feet away from the truck, the complaint states. While agents waited for search warrants, Salinas rode up on horseback and told agents he was the truck owner. He claimed he had recently bought the truck from the registered owner, according to the complaint. The search of the truck and the horse trailer yielded 79
See SENTENCE PAGE 9A
A: Holmes was studying neuroscience in a Ph.D. program at the University of Colorado-Denver but was about to drop out. He enrolled in the program in June 2011 and was in the process of withdrawing, though it wasn’t immediately clear why. He played soccer at Westview High School in the San Diego area and graduated with honors from the University of California, Riverside, in the spring of 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience. Those who knew Holmes described him as a shy, intelligent man who grew up in San Diego with parents who were active in their well-to-do suburban neighborhood. Police in San Diego read a statement from family members in which they said their hearts go out to those involved. The family said they’re cooperating with authorities in San Diego and Aurora, and are trying to process everything.
Q: What is going on at Holmes’ apartment?
ment was booby-trapped. Authorities gave no motive for the attack. The FBI said there was no indication of ties to any terrorist groups. In New York City, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said:
A: Police said the third-floor apartment was booby trapped, so they’ve evacuated five surrounding buildings and bomb technicians were determining how to disarm flammable or explosive material. “It’s a pretty extensive booby trap. We’re not sure what it’s at-
See GUNMAN PAGE 9A
See Q&A PAGE 9A
Settlement reached in case involving body of Native American man By JJ VELASQUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A settlement has been reached in the case involving an Indian burial mound that was paved over in a county-approved construction project, said Juan Cruz, an attorney representing Zapata County. Cruz could not comment further because of a confidentiality clause in the agreement the county reached with Reim Construction, which was charged with a paving project in San Ygnacio.
The funds for the project were approved in a 2006 bond package, said Commissioner Jose E. Vela. Vela said the lawsuit was filed in 2010, the same year the paving project was completed. The burial mound, under which the remains of a Native American man lie, is at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Treviño Street. Vela said no one was able to identify the tribe to which the Native
See PAVING PAGE 9A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, JULY 21
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will show “Bolt” at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. General admission is $3. For more information, call 956-326-3663.
Today is Saturday, July 21, the 203rd day of 2012. There are 163 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On July 21, 1925, the socalled “Monkey Trial” ended in Dayton, Tenn., with John T. Scopes convicted of violating state law for teaching Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. (The conviction was later overturned on a technicality.) On this date: In 1773, Pope Clement XIV issued an order suppressing the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits. (The Society was restored by Pope Pius VII in 1814.) In 1796, Scottish poet Robert Burns died in Dumfries at age 37. In 1861, during the Civil War, the first Battle of Bull Run was fought at Manassas, Va., resulting in a Confederate victory. In 1930, President Herbert Hoover signed an executive order establishing the Veterans Administration (later the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). In 1944, American forces landed on Guam during World War II. In 1949, the U.S. Senate ratified the North Atlantic Treaty. In 1952, the Democratic National Convention, which would nominate Adlai Stevenson for president, opened in Chicago. In 1959, the NS Savannah, the first nuclear-powered merchant ship, was christened by first lady Mamie Eisenhower at Camden, N.J. In 1961, Capt. Virgil “Gus” Grissom became the second American to rocket into a suborbital pattern around the Earth, flying aboard the Liberty Bell 7. In 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin blasted off from the moon aboard the ascent stage of the lunar module for docking with the command module. In 1972, the Irish Republican Army carried out 22 bombings in Belfast, Northern Ireland, killing nine people and injuring 130 in what became known as “Bloody Friday.” In 1980, draft registration began in the United States for 19- and 20-year-old men. Ten years ago: Telecommunications giant WorldCom Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection about a month after disclosing it had inflated profits by nearly $4 billion through deceptive accounting. Ernie Els won the British Open in the first sudden-death finish in the 142-year history of the tournament. Today’s Birthdays: Movie director Norman Jewison is 86. Former Attorney General Janet Reno is 74. Cartoonist Garry Trudeau is 64. Comedian-actor Robin Williams is 61. Comedian Jon Lovitz is 55. Rock singer Emerson Hart is 43. Actress Ali Landry is 39. Actor Justin Bartha is 34. Actor Josh Hartnett is 34. Actress Sprague Grayden is 34. Reggae singer Damian Marley is 34. MLB All-Star pitcher CC Sabathia is 32. Singer Blake Lewis (“American Idol”) is 31. Rock musician Johan Carlsson (Carolina Liar) is 28. Actress Vanessa Lengies is 27. Actor Jamie Waylett (“Harry Potter” films) is 23. Thought for Today: “Suspense is worse than disappointment.” — Robert Burns (1759-1796).
SUNDAY, JULY 22 The Laredo Theater Guild International’s rendition of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” is at 3 p.m. today at Texas A&M International University’s Center for Fine and Performing Arts Theatre. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $10 for students and seniors with ID, and $5 for children 10 years and under. For more information, contact 956-319-8610 or laredotheaterguild@gmail.com.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 25 The Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will show “Origins of Life” at 4 p.m. and “Extreme Planets” at 5 p.m. General admission is $3. For more information, call 956-326-3663.
THURSDAY, JULY 26 The Laredo Animal Protective Society will host the Bark-N-Bowl today starting at 6 p.m. at Jett Bowl North, 701 Gale St. Registration for teams of five will be at 5:30 p.m. All proceeds will go toward the care of homeless and unwanted dogs and cats.
SATURDAY, JULY 28 The Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will show “One World, One Sky Big Bird’s Adventure” at 5 p.m., “Black Holes” at 6 p.m. and “Ancient Skies, Ancient Mysteries” at 7 p.m. General admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Premium shows are $1 more. For more information call 956-326-3663. The third annual Cat Appreciation Day/Cat Contest is today from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Petco, 5410 San Bernardo Ave. Cat owners can bring their cats or a photo of their cat to participate. Registration will be from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. Prizes will be given for the best pet in each category. There is a $1 donation for each participating category. All proceeds will go toward bringing the SNAP Mobile Neutering/Spaying Clinic from San Antonio to Laredo. For more information, call Birdie Torres at 956-286-7866.
MONDAY, JULY 30 This is the last day to see the third annual Distinguished Veterans’ Art Exhibit during regular library hours at the Laredo Public Library, 1120 E. Calton Road. For more information about the exhibit, contact Pam Burrell at 956-7952400, extension 2268, or pam@laredolibrary.org.
THURSDAY, AUG. 2 South Texas Food Bank’s Empty Bowls VI fundraiser is today from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Laredo Energy Arena, 6700 Arena Blvd. The event will feature a concert by Creedence Clearwater Revisited and a silent auction and will honor H-E-B for its contribution. Individual floor table tickets start at $100 each; a full table for 10 at $1,000; and concertonly tickets at $25, $15 and $10. For more information, call 956-324-2432.
SATURDAY, AUG. 11
Photo by Billy Calzada/San Antonio Express News | AP
Air Force Staff Sgt. Luis Walker, right, arrives for the fourth day of his trial at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio on Friday. Walker is accused of sexually assaulting 10 basic trainees, with charges ranging from rape and aggravated sexual assault to obstructing justice and violating rules of professional conduct.
Jury gets A.F. rape case By WILL WEISSERT ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN ANTONIO — The jury was still deliberating the case of an Air Force instructor late Friday, accused of preying on female trainees in a military sex abuse scandal. Maj. Patricia Gruen delivered the prosecution’s closing argument Friday and called Staff Sgt. Luis Walker a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” who took advantage of already scared Air Force trainees. But Walker’s attorney, Joseph Esparza, argued authorities offered no other evidence during three days of witnesses besides the testimony of alleged victims. Walker is charged with 28 counts, including rape and aggravated sexual assault involving at least 10 women in basic training. He faces up to life in prison if convicted. Walker’s trial is seen as the cornerstone of
a major investigation into trainers at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, where every American airman receives basic training. Six instructors have been charged on counts ranging from rape to adultery. Walker is the first to stand trial. Gruen said trainees arrived at Lackland “terrified” of their instructor, and Walker used that fear to take advantage of them. “He is the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Consummate predator,” Gruen said. He took his victims to hallways and other areas where surveillance cameras would not catch him, she said. Women in separate trainee groups knew details about Walker that he had allegedly told them, such as that he had a vasectomy, Gruen said. Trainers like Walker “rule their worlds,” Gruen said. “They get off that bus and, bam! Their world is changed.”
DNA links Houston policeman to alleged rape
Air permit for Las Brisas plant needs more work
Ex-head of chemical plant indicted In Beaumont
HOUSTON — A Houston police officer accused of sexually assaulting a woman while he was on duty has been linked to the alleged crime via DNA. Officer Adan Jimenez Carranza on Friday was being held at the Harris County Jail. The victim told police the officer handcuffed her and allegedly raped her in his patrol car’s back seat after a June 18 traffic accident. Prosecutors said Carranza then drove the woman to jail where he booked her for reckless driving.
CORPUS CHRISTI — An air permit for a planned coal-fired power plant on the Texas coast is expected to face another review by regulators. Parties in the Las Brisas Energy Center dispute agreed Thursday to fine tune their language related to the disputed permit. More information is needed so the judge in the case can update his order and allow the permit to re-enter the TCEQ process.
BEAUMONT — The former president of a Southeast Texas chemical plant has been charged in a 13-count federal indictment with conspiring to transport hazardous material illegally. Matthew Lawrence Bowman was owner and president of the Port Arthur Chemical and Environmental Services, where two employees died from exposure to hydrogen sulfide in 2008 and 2009.
Not enough cash to dry dock Battleship Texas LA PORTE — Authorities say the 100-year-old Battleship Texas will not be dry-docked due to a lack of money. State officials said Thursday they will continue to patch the leaky vessel in its San Jacinto Battleground mooring
Man says wife read his FB Indictment: Man page, stabbed him sex-trafficked 14-year-old BRYAN — A Central Texas man told police that his wife stabbed him in the hand after reading his Facebook page. Rhonda Rochelle Washington said her husband was high on drugs and they were arguing when she struck his hand with her keys. Police said the husband did not appear to be intoxicated.
HOUSTON — A Houston man has been indicted on charges that accuse him of sex-trafficking of a 14-year-old girl. A federal magistrate in Houston on Thursday ordered Jeremy Jacobi Scott detained until trial on the single count. If convicted, the 28-year-old defendant could get life imprisonment. — Compiled from AP reports
The Back To School Kids Fishing Tournament takes place today.
MONDAY, AUG. 27 First day of school for Zapata County Independent School District.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 21 The Sun Country Fishing Tournament begins and runs through Friday, Sept. 28, at Falcon Lake.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 22 The Bud Light 2012 San Antonio Division tournament takes place at Falcon Lake.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18 The Anglers Quests tournaments begin, to run through Sunday, Oct. 21.
SATURDAY, OCT. 27 The Bass Champs South Region Championship takes place today and Sunday, Oct. 28.
SATURDAY, NOV. 17 The Bud Light Tournament Fall 2012 San Antonio Division tournament returns to Falcon Lake.
AROUND THE NATION Iowa missing girls case now considered abduction EVANSDALE, Iowa — Law enforcement officials in Iowa reclassified the disappearance of two missing cousins as an abduction Friday after an FBI dive team failed to find their bodies in an Iowa lake. Ten-year-old Lyric Cook-Morrissey and 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins disappeared a week ago while riding bikes near Meyers Lake in Evansdale. Their bikes were later found on a path near the lake. Black Hawk County Chief Deputy Rick Abben told reporters later Friday that divers were confident the girls’ bodies were not in the lake. See story, Page 8A
App detects potholes, alerts Boston city officials BOSTON — The next time your car hits a pothole, a new technology could help you imme-
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 Charlie Neibergall | AP
Law enforcement authorities on Friday conduct surveillance for an FBI dive team in search of missing children Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, who disappeared July 13 at Meyers Lake in Evansdale, Iowa. diately tell someone who can do something about it. Boston officials are testing an app called Street Bump that allows drivers to automatically report the road hazards to the city as soon as they hear that unfortunate "thud," with their smart-
phones doing all the work. The app’s developers say their work has already sparked interest from other cities in the U.S., Europe, Africa and elsewhere that are imagining other ways to harness the technology. — 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 21, 2012
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Disaster emergency loans now available SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Webb and Zapata counties are among a group of farming areas that have been declared eligible for Farm Service Agency disaster emergency loans. As a result, farmers who have lost at least 30 percent of their production or suffered any physical loss because of the drought beginning Jan. 1 can apply for the funds. Proceeds from crop insurance will be taken into consideration when the FSA determines a producer’s eligibility and total loss. Farmers are urged to submit their applications to the FSA as soon as possible.
“We hope farmers will get their applications in early rather than waiting until near the deadline, which is March 12, 2013. The longer they wait, the more chance there is for long delays. If the applications come in early, we can avoid backlogs and speed up the process,” said FSA Farm Loan Manager Edmundo J. Garza. Other eligible counties include Aransas, Brooks, Duval, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, McMullen, Nueces and San Patricio. For more information about the emergency loans, call 361-668-8361, extension 2.
Deputies, feds arrest 3, seize 350 pounds of pot
Photo by Cuate Santos/file | The Zapata Times
In this 2011 file photo, Marisol Macias has her eyes examined by Maj. Joseph Rogalinski, of the Texas State Guard, during Operation Lone Star in Laredo. This year’s Operation Lone Star will run this week at Zapata Middle School, beginning at 8 a.m. every day. Military physicians will provide comprehensive preventive exams.
Operation Lone Star begins Monday SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ The fourth annual Operation Lone Star, which provides free medical services to people in South Texas, begins Monday at Zapata Middle School. This year, it will also be held in Rio Bravo. The operation runs from Monday through Thursday. People can take advantage of free medical exams, immunizations (for children only, up to 18
THE ZAPATA TIMES
Deputies and federal authorities combined forces to arrest three men accused of transporting 350 pounds of marijuana last weekend in the FalPICEÑO con-Lopeño area. Authorities identified the alleged offenders as Cesar Adrian Piceño, 22, of Rio DIAZ-TORRES Grande City and Mexican nationals Eloy DiazTorres, 24, and Jose Gomez-Caballero, 37. All are charged GOMEZ-CABALLERO with possession of marijuana. If convicted, the men could face 2 to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for the seconddegree felony. On July 15, deputies
years of age), sports physicals, vision and hearing screenings, behavioral health evaluations, blood pressure and glucose screenings, medical referrals and preventive health education. Dental and pharmacy services will not be provided this year. Military physicians will provide comprehensive preventive exams. Operation Lone Star also serves as a full emer-
gency response exercise for state and local officials for disaster recovery and mass services while serving thousands of underserved and underinsured people. It is a cooperative effort among the Department of State Health Services, other health and human services agencies, Texas Joint Military Forces, City of Laredo Health Department and many community volunteers.
Courtesy photo
Shown are some of the 18 bundles of marijuana, with a street value of about $286,000, according to authorities. stopped a 2000 Ford truck in the Falcon-Lopeño area in Southern Zapata County. Authorities identified the driver as Piceño, according to Sgt. Mario Elizondo. Meanwhile, U.S. Border Patrol agents were called to assist in searching for two men who had allegedly bailed out before from the truck. Agents responded with K-9 units and the Customs and Border Protection helicopter. Agent Efrain Perez, Border Patrol spokesman, said agents began tracking the men and
found them in possession of some bundles of pot. Agents eventually discovered more bundles in the brush, according to Perez. Diaz-Torres, Gomez-Caballero and Piceño are behind bars at the Zapata Regional Jail. Elizondo said. The 18 bundles concealed in duffle bags had a street value of about $286,000. In the last three weeks, deputies have seized more than $2 million worth of marijuana. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
School district asking for donations to session THE ZAPATA TIMES
Local businesses are being asked to donate pencils, pens, gift certificates, brochures and discount coupons for the ZCISD General Session, set for Wednesday, Aug. 22.
The Zapata County Independent School District suggests the items may be marked as business promotional materials. They will be given to the district’s 600 employees. Businesses are asked to respond to the district by
Aug. 10. Donations can be delivered to the curriculum department at 17th and Carla Street. For more information, call Mari Guzman at 7656546; Martha Rodriguez at 765-6439 or Minnie Quintanilla at 76-5855.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
OTHER VIEWS
Presidential visit, like rain, is rare A “ USTIN — We Texans have enjoyed something in recent weeks that we don’t get much of. No, I mean in addition to rain. I’m talking about visits from presidential candidates. When it comes to White House campaigns, we’re pretty much off the beaten path (save for fund-raising forays) because it’s been so long since a Democrat (Jimmy Carter, 1976) has beaten a Republican in Texas. But we saw Mitt Romney in Houston on July 11 at the NAACP national convention. And President Barack Obama was in San Antonio and Austin on Tuesday to get money. Nothing wrong with getting money, but I was more impressed by Romney’s visit, which earned him some boos.
Courage I give Romney credit for showing up to speak to folks unlikely to vote for him. ”With 90 percent of African-Americans voting for Democrats, some of you may wonder why a Republican would bother to campaign in the African-American community, and to address the NAACP,” he said, vowing to represent all Americans. Romney did draw some applause, but the news coverage centered on the boos for promising to ”eliminate every nonessential, expensive program I can find; that includes Obamacare.” It took some courage for Romney to say that at an NAACP convention. And it took some courtesy for the NAACP to invite him to speak. Presidential candidates often speak to home crowds. They sometimes speak to neutral crowds. They rarely speak to folks they know won’t support them. Can anyone point to an Obama appearance in front of folks as unlikely to support him as the NAACP members are to support Romney? Obama’s Texas stops were for folks willing to pay to see him.
KEN HERMAN
”I have to admit to you that Texas is not yet a battleground state,” he said at a fund-raiser earlier this week. The Obama visit offered a reminder of how presidential travel happens. Amie Parnes, White House correspondent for The Hill, was the print media pool reporter for the trip. As pooler, her job was to tag along, inside the security bubble, and file reports to other correspondents. I learned during my White House correspondent years that pool reporting can be a fine art. On one hand, it is journalists talking among themselves. On the other hand, it is journalists writing reports that become part of presidential history. There is room for humor, but only when carefully used and devoid of the pool reporter’s opinion. Later Tuesday at Obama’s Austin Music Hall event, Parnes noted that the president stood next to a large Texas flag. ”They do love their flag here, I’m reminded,” she wrote. Still later, Parnes offered an architectural review of the private home. ”The condo has soaring ceilings, a two-story, circular wine cellar that seemed to wrap around a dome in the residence and a ginormous media room. Outside the media room, there’s also a gigantic guitar sculpture with gold mosaic tiles. (How Austin!),” she wrote. As customary, the pool reporters were escorted from the room a few minutes into the event. Parnes noted that Obama ”told the crowd that the press corps works very hard following him around every day. Crowd clapped for the travel pool.” As a veteran pool reporter, I can report that pool reporters never draw applause at Republican events. (E-mail: kherman@statesman.com.)
Unwise words do hurt
COLUMN
Post office red ink is a myth By FREDRIC ROLANDO THE WASHINGTON POST
Would it startle you to learn that the U.S. Postal Service netted an impressive profit in the first quarter of this fiscal year? Probably so, given all that has been said about an agency supposedly bleeding billions of dollars as Americans abandon paper mail for the ease of the Internet. Yet it’s true: Revenue from selling stamps and other products exceeded the costs of delivering mail by $200 million, the Postal Service’s chief financial officer reported in February. Much has been written about the Postal Service, an institution embedded in our Constitution and actually older than the country. It touches the lives of all Americans, and for six straight years it was named the public’s most trusted federal agency, according to the Ponemon Institute.
Incorrect info Yet conventional wisdom about the Postal Service is strikingly misleading. I’d like to provide some context that’s rarely heard. One prevalent myth is that delivering the mail to 150 million addresses six days a week, as more people turn to the Internet, puts taxpayers on the hook for multibillion-dollar losses. In fact, boosted by record worker productivity, the Postal Service is admirably weathering the worst economy in 80
years. In fiscal 2007 through 2010, if you subtract the related costs from the earned revenue from mail delivery (the Postal Service hasn’t received taxpayer money in 30 years), it had an operating profit of $611 million. There is indeed red ink, but the reasons are unrelated to the mail. In 2006 Congress required that, within the next decade, the Postal Service prefund future retiree health benefits for the next 75 years — a burden no other agency or company faces. That accounts for 85 percent of all of the agency’s red ink since — and more than 90 percent of the $6.46 billion shortfall from the first half of fiscal 2012.
Profits Before pre-funding began in 2007, the Postal Service had annual profits in the low billions. It’s this unaffordable payment that the Postal Service is “simply not capable of making” next month, a spokesman said this week. Some argue that letter carriers claim, naively, that if Congress simply removed the pre-funding requirement, all financial problems would disappear. This notion, repeated in The Post’s July 9 editorial, “Postal disservice,” has it backward. On the contrary, we unequivocally acknowledge the structural challenges — and if Congress fixed the artificial mess it created, the Postal Service could focus on addressing those challenges, including the di-
version of much first-class mail to the Internet. Pre-funding isn’t just bankrupting the Postal Service; it’s also forcing the agency into a panic mode that absorbs energy and resources in a desperate effort to find about $5.5 billion every September for this unique burden. Inexplicably, instead of focusing on how to best meet today’s challenges so Americans can continue to enjoy the world’s best delivery service, Congress has made its top postal priority the funding of benefits for retired workers nearly a century out. If lawmakers address their part of the problem, the Postal Service could do what it has done for 200 years: develop a forward-looking business plan that adapts to society’s evolving needs, just as it did when the telephone, telegraph and fax machine came along. Each time the agency emerged stronger. Dismantling the network and degrading service isn’t a business plan.
Called a ‘dinosaur’ Some say the Postal Service is a dinosaur. Official figures belie this, as do the millions of Americans who go without Internet service. Over the first half of fiscal 2012, even with the declining volume of first-class mail, it came close to breaking even in operational terms — which it attributes to delivering more goods ordered online. Private car-
riers increasingly turn to the Postal Service to deliver those packages more economically. The Internet poses challenges; it also offers opportunities. Some say that eliminating Saturday delivery is a good way to cut postal costs. Actually, it would hurt Americans and prove highly counterproductive to achieving financial stability. Consider that when the postmaster general asked the Postal Regulatory Commission last year to back this change, the commission declined, saying the purported $3 billion savings would actually be $1.7 billion. Reducing service by 17 percent to save 3 percent of costs is an irrational business formula. Furthermore, the cutback would disproportionately affect the elderly and rural communities — which include people who require medicines on weekends — as well as small businesses that need to send and receive financial documents. Dropping Saturday delivery would drive customers away and decrease revenue. It would also impair the agency’s ability to capitalize on the expanding e-commerce market — a key to its future — because the best day to deliver packages is when people are home: Saturday. When Congress returns to the issue of postal reform, lawmakers should bear in mind the truth behind these popular myths. (The writer is president of the National Association of Letter Carriers.)
By CHRIS CILLIZZA
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY
THE WASHINGTON POST
WASHINGTON — Anytime you are compared to former senator Joseph McCarthy — he of “red scare” infamy — it’s probably not good for your political career. That’s the situation Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) found herself in after it came to light she and four other House Republicans had sent letters to the inspectors general of Homeland Security, State and Justice, asking them to look into whether the Muslim Brotherhood has tentacles within the U.S. government. One of their targets was Huma Abedin, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s longtime personal aide, who, the letter alleged, has three relatives with ties to the Islamic group. The focus on Abedin angered Sen. John McCain (RAriz.), who took to the Senate floor to castigate his House colleagues. He called the attacks “sinister” and described Abedin as “an intelligent, upstanding, hardworking and loyal servant of our country and our government.” House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) also rebuked his colleagues, saying “accusations like this being thrown around are pretty dangerous.” Heck, even CNN’s Wolf Blitzer — a paragon of fairness — joined the Bachmann pile-on, describing the allegation against Abedin as “an outrageous McCarthylike charge.” Bachmann, who is typically ubiquitous on the cable chat circuit, went silent in the face of the outrage. But the damage was done. Michele Bachmann, for turning yourself into a modern-day McCarthy, you had the worst week in Washington. Congrats, or something.
The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The
phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our
readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-call-
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
ing or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012
LCC to hold open house SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Area residents will have an opportunity meet the LCC family during the Laredo Community College Enrollment Open House on Tuesday. Running from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m., residents who wish to apply to LCC or who need to register for the fall semester are invited to attend the Enrollment Open House at the Zapata County Technical and Advanced Education Center, 605 N. U.S. 83. Students can take advantage of LCC academic advisors, financial aid staff and other college personnel who will be on hand to help with any questions related to admissions, registration, advising, orientation, assessment and financial aid. Students also can learn more about LCC’s collegelevel academic courses available at the Zapata Technical and Advanced Education Center. These courses, which are part of the core curriculum for students who want to earn certificates or associate’s degrees at LCC, or a bachelor’s degree at a university, are transmitted from LCC’s Fort McIntosh and South Campuses to the ZTAC via teleconferencing technology or through a face-to-face classroom setting. Also, the college will offer free meningitis vaccines to the first 30 who come in that day and qualify. In order to receive the vaccine at no cost, students must be registered for the fall semester and must demonstrate financial need by completing the financial aid application. Students receiving any scholarship or financial aid in any amount will qualify to receive the vaccine at no cost. The vaccine is available on a first-come, firstserved basis. For more information, call the Enrollment and Registration Services Center at 956-721-5109.
LCC notes aid change SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
LCC students are urged to be aware of changes to financial aid. Simply fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid online at http:// www.fafsa.ed.gov/. But, a new guideline has been instituted by the Department of Education. Now, students selected for verification must submit an Internal Revenue Service Transcript to the Financial Aid Center.
Online tools In order to learn what documents must be submitted, students can log in to their PASPort account, the college’s portal, and check the Financial Aid tab. Students also can decrease their chances of having to submit verification documents by using the new IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which allows students and parents to access IRS tax information needed to complete the FAFSA application. Students and parents may transfer the data directly into their FAFSA. For more information about these changes, call the LCC Financial Aid Center at 721-5361 or 794-4361.
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012
THE BLOTTER DWI Javier Rodriguez, 39, was arrested after a traffic stop and charged with driving while intoxicated at about 1 a.m. July 15 at 20th Avenue and Alamo Street. He had a $5,000 bond at the Zapata Regional Jail.
ONLINE FRAUD A 24-year-old woman reported at 1:05 p.m. July 13 at the International Bank of Commerce at 10th Avenue and U.S. 83 that somebody used her debit card without her authorization. Deputies say the offender made $607 worth of charges.
POSSESSION
Angel Dagoberto Villarreal, 21, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance at about 7 p.m. July 12 near the Takkiris parking lot at 23rd Avenue and U.S. 83. He had a $10,000 bond at Zapata Regional Jail.
PUBLIC INTOXICATION Griselda Garcilazo, 43, was arrested and charged with public intoxication at about 7:30 a.m. July 14 in the intersection of Eighth Avenue and Glenn Street. She was given time already served. Adalberto Perez Jr., 57, was arrested and charged with public intoxication at about 2:45 a.m. July 15 by Oso Blanco Lane in the Falcon Lake Estates area. He
was released from jail for a future court appearance.
THEFT A 29-year-old man reported at 6:30 p.m. July 15 at the Super S Food Store, 909 N. U.S. 83, that a 53-year-old man stole $80 worth of pork ribs. The alleged offender was not charged. However, he was banned from the store, according to a Zapata County Sheriff’s Office spokesman. A 41-year-old man reported at 10:33 a.m. Tuesday in the 5000 block of North Siesta Lane that someone stole 250 feet of copper wire worth about $3,000. A theft was reported at 12:59 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of the 22nd Avenue and Delmar Street.
Houston rage crashes exceed 900 in five years By YANG WANG AND JOHN TEDESCO HOUSTON CHRONICLE
HOUSTON — From fender benders to fatalities, from fists flying to guns blazing, enraged drivers in the greater Houston area have caused more than 900 motor vehicle accidents that injured hundreds and killed five over the last five years, according to crash data from the Texas Department of Transportation. Road-rage crashes across Texas peak during evening rush hour, with nearly one out of four occurring between 4 and 7 p.m. Most of the time, angry men are involved, and the most commonly used vehicle is a truck. One such incident ended in the shooting death of 49-year-old Ted Mitsakos after he honked at a black Chevrolet pickup for cutting him off near the Southwest Freeway and Beltway 8. Security cameras captured Mitsakos’
white Dodge truck being aggressively chased by the Chevrolet’s driver and shot at along the way. After a bullet struck Mitsakos in the head, his truck hit an SUV, then smashed into an apartment bedroom at the Timbers of Keegans Bayou complex on West Bellfort. “They chased him all the way for miles and shot eight times to make sure he is dead? The whole thing is crazy,” said Melanie Zeroni, Mitsakos’ widow. Jose Gerado Silva, 25, has been charged with murder, and police are seeking more suspects. The 900 road-rage crashes reported by the DOT include only altercations that involve vehicle accidents. Overall, crashes in Houston and Texas decreased from 2007 through 2011. The Houston Police Department credits the use of stealth vehicles to tar-
get aggressors. “Most aggressive drivers don’t realize they are passing a police vehicle until it’s too late,” said HPD spokesman John Cannon. “We’d like to think these efforts have helped to keep the numbers stable.” The decrease in crashes surprised some. “I wouldn’t think road rage or aggressive driving is decreasing, especially in large metropolitan areas when we have more serious traffic congestion, which is certainly a trigger,” said Scott Cooner, a research engineer at Texas Transportation Institute who studies road construction to reduce accidents. Houston’s largest likely spots for angry drivers — where incidents have happened repeatedly — are in the Galleria area and on U.S. 59 between Kirby and Weslayan, according to the Chronicle’s analysis of the data.
Congressman talks about transportation SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Zapata County residents met with their congressional representative Wednesday for a town hall meeting conducted by telephone. Rep. Henry Cuellar hosted the telephone town hall to facilitate a questionand-answer session with residents CUELLAR about issues facing their community, particularly matters related to transportation and roads. Representatives of the Texas Department of Transportation, including Pharr District Engineer Mario Jorge, also participated in the telephone town hall and answered questions from callers concerning transportation needs. More than 4,600 callers from Zapata and surrounding counties reportedly participated in Wednesday’s call. “This telephone town hall meeting was designed to focus specifically on the transportation needs of people in our community,” Cuellar said. Many of the roads and projects discussed during the call have received federal funding. U.S. 83 is projected to receive $105,003,165 in federal and state funds —
spanning from late 2009 to spring 2014. This funding has supported projects including rehabilitation of roads and the widening of lanes along the highway. During the call, Cuellar explained how federal funds support the improvement of roads and transportation infrastructure in the area. Many of these improvements are paid for by the gas tax motorists pay at the pumps. Cuellar also conducted a poll with the callers, ask-
ing how they would fund increases for federal transportation improvements. Thirty-eight percent said they would cut defense spending, 21 percent requested adding a user fee for people who use roads and transportation systems, 19 percent did not want to increase funding, 11 percent said they would raise taxes, 9 percent said they would cut Medicare and Medicaid and 2 percent said they would cut Social Security.
SÁBADO 21 DE JULIO DE 2012
Agenda en Breve ZAPATA 07/23— Operación Lonestar de servicios médicos gratuitos será en la Escuela Secundaria Zapata, 702 E. 17th Avenue, de 8 a.m. a 2 p.m. 07/24— Operación Lonestar de servicios médicos gratuitos será en la Escuela Secundaria Zapata, 702 E. 17th Avenue, de 8 a.m. a 2 p.m. 07/24— Open House para inscribirse en Laredo Community College, de 10 a.m. a 1 p.m. y de 4 p.m. a 7 p.m. en el Zapata County Technical and Advanced Education Center (ZTAC), 605 N. Highway 83 07/25— Operación Lonestar de servicios médicos gratuitos será en la Escuela Secundaria Zapata, 702 E. 17th Avenue, de 8 a.m. a 2 p.m. 07/26— Operación Lonestar de servicios médicos gratuitos será en la Escuela Secundaria Zapata, 702 E. 17th Avenue, de 8 a.m. a 2 p.m. 07/27— Operación Lonestar de servicios médicos gratuitos será en la Escuela Secundaria Zapata, 702 E. 17th Avenue, de 8 a.m. a 2 p.m.
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 7A
SALUD
Atención médica TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Operación Lonestar de servicios médicos, proveídos gratuitamente por militares cada año, se ha programado del lunes 23 al viernes 27 de julio, pero en esta ocasión los servicios no contemplan a Laredo, sino solamente a Río Bravo y Zapata en esta región. En Río Bravo, el personal se ubicará en la Escuela Primaria Juárez-Lincoln, por Camino Espejo Molina, de 8 a.m. a 2 p.m. En Zapata estarán en la Escuela Secundaria Zapata,
702 E. 17th Avenue, de 8 a.m. a 2 p.m. A excepción de los servicios de odontología y de farmacia, regresan el resto de los exámenes como son médicos, aplicación de vacunas, exámenes físicos para deportistas, revisión de la vista y audición, evaluaciones de salud mental, presión arterial, exámenes de glucosa, referencias médicas y la educación preventiva de la salud. El Director del Departamento de Salud, Héctor González, dijo que en la Operación Lonestar participan el Departamento
de Servicios Estatales de Salud (DSHS), el Departamento de Salud de Laredo, además de los Servicios Humanos de las Fuerzas Militares conjuntas, así como cientos de voluntarios. “La Operación Lonestar ofrece la oportunidad para que los habitantes reciban una buena atención, la salud básica y prevengan problemas futuros”, concluyó González. Si requiere transportar para acudir a alguno de los dos eventos, puede comunicarse al (956) 7954922.
Foto por Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
El Mayor Joseph Rogalinski, de la Guardia Estatal de Texas, revisa la vista de Marisol Macias durante la Operación Lonestar el año pasado. El programa se ofrecerá del 23 al 27 de julio en Zapata y Río Bravo.
TAMAULIPAS
EDUCACIÓN
LCC tendrá Open House
RÍO BRAVO Del 07/23 al 07/27— Operación Lonestar de servicios médicos gratuitos será en la la Escuela Primaria Juárez-Lincoln, por Camino Espejo Molina, de 8 a.m. a 2 p.m.
POR MONICA MCGETTRICK ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
LAREDO 07/21— Hoy es la Jornada Sabatinas 2012 en el Consulado General de México en Laredo de 9 a.m. a 1 p.m. 07/21— Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presenta “Bolt” a las 12 p.m. 2 p.m., 4 p.m. y 6 p.m. Costo: 3 dólares. 07/21— El Spurs Summer Caravan se presentará de 12 p.m. a 1 p.m. en Academy Sports + Outdoors (10820 International Blvd.). Evento gratuito. 07/21— Continúa el 10mo Festival Anual de Ciudades Hermanas de 10 a.m. a 7 p.m. en Laredo Energy Arena. Habrá 200 expositores de 10 estados de la República Mexicana. Hoy se contará con el Spurs Summer Caravan, de 2 p.m. a 5 p.m. 07/21— Clínica de Vacunación contra la Rabia es de 8 a.m. a 10 a.m. en Laredo Civic Center, 2400 San Bernardo. Costo por vacuna: 12 dólares. 07/21— Laredo Theater Guild International (LTGI) presenta “Cinderella” en el Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de TAMIU, a las 8 p.m. Costo: 20 dólares, general; 10 dólares, adultos mayores y estudiantes con identificación; 5 dólares, niños de 10 años y menores. 07/22— Hoy es el último día del 10mo Festival Anual de Ciudades Hermanas de 10 a.m. a 5 p.m. en Laredo Energy Arena. Habrá 200 expositores de 10 estados de la República Mexicana. 07/22— Laredo Theater Guild International (LTGI) presenta “Cinderella” en el Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de TAMIU, a las 3 p.m. Costo: 20 dólares, general; 10 dólares, adultos mayores y estudiantes con identificación; 5 dólares, niños de 10 años y menores. 07/22— Verano de Danza Clásica presenta “Giselle” a las 5 p.m. en Teatro Principal del Centro Cultural. Costo: 50 pesos. 07/23— Conferencia sobre “Acción Diferida” a cargo de Nelly Vielma, Abogada Consultora es hoy a las 6 p.m. en el Consulado de México, 1612 Farragut.
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
Vacacionistas disfrutan las playas de Tamaulipas, pero el Gobierno del Estado asesoró que cuando las familias acudan a la playa o la piscina, las personas lleven estrictamente lo necesario, sin objetos de valor.
DESCANSO DE VERANO Aún de viaje, piden extremar precauciones TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Tamaulipas sigue recibiendo visitantes a sus playas y ciudades históricas durante las actuales vacaciones de verano, por tal razón, a través de un comunicado de prensa se dieron a conocer algunas estrategias para orientar y garantizar la seguridad y el patrimonio de las familias. En especial, la Secretaría de Seguridad Pública dio a conocer las siguientes medidas preventivas:
En el vehículo Colocar el equipaje de forma que no moleste al conductor. Evitar realizar periodos muy largos de conducción y hacer paradas de descanso. No ingerir alcohol y tener cuidado con medicamentos que puedan producir somnolencia. Respetar al máximo las normas de tráfico y especialmente los señalamientos y los límites de velocidad. En el destino, evitar relajarse respecto de las medidas de
seguridad, los desplazamientos cortos también produce accidentes graves.
En el hotel No dejar a la vista dinero u objetos de valor y para ello utilizar las cajas de seguridad. En las zonas comunes, vigilar equipaje y objetos personales.
En la vía pública No perder de vista las pertenencias. Vigilar el bolso o cartera en las aglomeraciones. Proteger la cámara de video o fotográfica en los lugares de esparcimiento. Evitar los juegos de azar en la calle. Desconfiare de ayudas sospechosas (aviso de manchas en ropa, de averías en vehículo, etc.). Eludir los negocios fáciles. Podrían ser un timo. De utilizarse algún vehículo, no dejar ningún objeto de va-
lor a la vista.
En la playa Cuando se asista a la playa o a la piscina, llevar lo estrictamente necesario y de ser posible, acudir sin objetos de valor. No dormir en la playa. De hacerlo, se aconseja estar en grupo protegiendo los objetos personales. No dejar nunca solos los objetos personales cuando se vaya al agua. Existen bolsas herméticas para llevarlas encima. Si no queda más remedio, no perderlos nunca de vista. Por último, la Secretaría de Seguridad Pública del Estado subrayó la disposición de las autoridades de los tres órdenes de gobierno para brindar de manera coordinada la atención que requieran los visitantes, los turistas y las distintas personas que se trasladen a lo largo y ancho de Tamaulipas con motivo del asueto de verano. Además recordó a la ciudadanía llamar al 066 en caso de observar cualquier situación anómala.
Residentes de Zapata tendrán la oportunidad de conocer a la familia de Laredo Community College (LCC) y aprender cómo estudiar en el colegio, durante el Open House programado para el martes 24 de julio, de 10 a.m. a 1 p.m. y de 4 p.m. a 7 p.m. en el Zapata County Technical and Advanced Education Center (ZTAC), 605 N. Highway 83. Pueden acudir residentes de Zapata quienes deseen inscribirse al semestre Otoño 2012. Los estudiantes estarán ahorrándose un viaje a Laredo y tomarán ventaja de la presencia de asesores académicos, personal de ayuda financiera, entre otros, quienes responderán dudas relacionadas a admisiones, inscripciones, asesoría/orientación, evaluación, ayuda financiera y los cursos académicos a nivel colegio disponibles en ZTAC. Los cursos disponibles en ZTAC, que son parte del currículo para estudiantes quienes deseen obtener un certificado o grado asociado en LCC, y/o un bachillerato en una universidad, son transmitidos desde los campuses Fort McIntosh y del Sur de LCC a través de tele conferencia en el ZTAC, o en un ambiente de aula caraa-cara.
Vacunas Además, con el apoyo de la Fundación Guadalupe and Lilia Martínez, el colegio también ofrecerá vacunas gratuitas contra la meningitis a los primeros 30 estudiantes interesados en LCC que asistan el 24 de julio y califiquen. A fin de recibir la vacuna gratuita, los estudiantes deben inscribirse al semestre Otoño 2012, y deben demostrar una necesidad económica por medio de llenar la solicitud de ayuda financiera para asistir a LCC. Estudiantes recibiendo cualquier beca o ayuda financiera en cualquier cantidad, calificarán para recibir la vacuna sin costo. Las vacunas están disponibles con la regla de ‘primer en llegar, primero en ser atendido’. Más información acerca del evento llamando al (956) 721-5109.
ECONOMÍA
Autorizan préstamo para agricultores ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Los condados de Webb y Zapata se encuentran entre un grupo de áreas agrícolas que han sido declaradas elegibles para los préstamos de emergencia por desastres de la Agencia de Servicio Agrícola (FSA, por sus siglas en in-
glés). Como resultado, los agricultores quienes hayan perdido al menos 30 por ciento de su producción o sufrido cualquier pérdida física debido a la sequía a partir del 1 de enero de este año, pueden solicitar los fondos. Las ganancias del seguro de cultivo será
tomado en consideración cuando la FSA determine la elegibilidad y pérdidas totales del productor. Se conmina a los agricultores a presentar sus solicitudes al FSA lo antes posible. “Esperamos que los agricultores entreguen sus solicitudes pronto, en lu-
gar de esperar a que se acerque la fecha límite, que es el 12 de marzo del 2013”, indicó el gerente de préstamos agrícolas del FSA, Edmundo J. Garza. “El mayor tiempo que esperen, hay mayores probabilidades de que esperen más (una respuesta). Si recibimos solicitudes pronto,
se traducirá en un proceso acelerado”. Otros condados elegibles son: Port Aransas, Brooks, Duval, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, McMullen, Nueces y San Patricio. Más información llamando al (361) 668-8361, extensión 2.
National
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012
Candidates speak as parents By BEN FELLER AND JIM KUHNHENN ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — For a day, at least, President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney stopped assailing each other and spoke as heartbroken parents. The Colorado movie theater massacre upended the presidential campaign on Friday, obliging both candidates to cast aside the increasingly bitter tone of the race and reach for a rare moment of American harmony. Yet the moment itself was a political test, for a president charged with consoling a nation and for a challenger needing to show that he could rise to the occasion. “There are going to be other days for politics,” Obama said from one key electoral state, Florida. From another one, New Hampshire, Romney said much the same. It was more than an unusual case of agreement between the political foes. At times, they sounded just like each other, speaking of evil and of prayer, of the unfulfilled dreams of those killed, of the need to put aside daily and petty grievances to appreciate life and show compassion to others. The president openly wondered of his 14-year-old and 11-year-old daughters: “What if Malia and Sasha had been in the theater?” Addressing a crowd that had gathered for what was expected to be a raucous political rally, he said somberly, “Michelle and I will be fortunate enough to hug our girls a little tighter tonight, and I’m sure you will do the same with your children.” Likewise, Romney said to his audience, “Each one of us will hold our kids a little closer.” He said, “I stand before you today not as a man running for office, but as a father and grandfather, a husband, an
By PRIYA ANAND HEARST NEWSPAPERS
Photo by Alan Diaz | AP
President Barack Obama walks down the steps after speaking about the Aurora, Colo., shooting at an event at the Harborside Event Center in Ft. Myers, Fla., on Friday. Obama, who was scheduled to spend the day campaigning in Florida, canceled his campaign events to return to Washington. American.” Amid their calls for unity and prayer, both men said nothing of gun control, a polarizing issue that has been all but absent from the campaign debate this year. Both Romney and Obama have shifted with the times, moving away from stances that favored tougher gun control laws. The issue may rise anew. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a gun control advocate, said, “You know, soothing words are nice, but maybe it’s time that the two people who want to be president of the United States stand up and tell us what they are going to do about it. ... Instead of the two people — President Obama and Gov. Romney — talking in broad things about they want to make the world a better place, OK, tell us how.” On Friday, Obama and Romney swiftly stripped their day of overt campaigning that surely would have seemed crass given the enormity of the tragedy.
They scrambled to yank all their television spots, attack ads or otherwise, from Colorado stations — though strongly critical ads continued elsewhere. Both campaigns pulled their top surrogates off the talk shows this Sunday. Nothing else mattered as the country absorbed the news that a man opened fire on people watching the new Batman movie in an Aurora, Colo., theater outside Denver. Twelve people were killed and dozens more were wounded by a suspect said to be using an assault rifle, a shotgun and a handgun in the attack. “If there’s anything to take away from this tragedy, it’s the reminder that life is very fragile,” Obama said in Fort Myers, Fla. “What matters at the end of the day is not the small things, it’s not the trivial things, which so often consume us and our daily lives,” Obama said. “Ultimately, it’s how we choose to treat one another and how we love another.”
Romney spoke outside a Bow, N.H., business, at a podium stripped of campaign paraphernalia, in front of a large American flag. He set a tone by saying that he and his wife, Ann, joined Obama and first lady Michelle Obama in offering condolences. “This is a time for each of us to look into our hearts and remember how much we love one another, and how much we love and how much we care for our country,” Romney said. In Florida, Obama was notified at dawn about the shootings. He canceled a second Florida event and came back to the White House, getting an Oval Office briefing about the investigation. The U.S. flag at the White House was lowered to half-staff, and Obama ordered similar action at all federal facilities. Obama telephoned Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates and told him to expect full support from the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies.
Girls’ case considered abduction By RYAN J. FOLEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
EVANSDALE, Iowa — Investigators reclassified the disappearance of two missing Iowa cousins as an abduction case Friday after an FBI dive team failed to find their bodies in a lake near where they were last seen a week ago. Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, vanished after riding bikes near Meyers Lake in Evansdale, a small town in northeast Iowa that has been devastated by their disappearance. Their bikes were later found on a path near the lake. Investigators are confident the girls did not drown or die in the lake, and they do not believe the girls got lost because they would have been found by now, Black Hawk County Chief Deputy Rick Abben told reporters during an afternoon news briefing. “Since we can’t find them, and they are not in the lake, we’re calling it an abduction,” said Abben, who announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. “Now that it’s an abduction, everyone is a suspect until we find these two young girls.” Abben spoke after an FBI dive team that focuses on underwater searches spent hours Friday on a boat equipped with sonar equipment, searching the bottom of the 26-acre lake. FBI spokeswoman Sandy Breault said divers were confident the girls were not there based on the surveillance, and they did not need to conduct any dives. The lake had been partially drained, and the sandy and muddy bottom could be seen in some spots. The shift in the case also came after authorities took steps to keep a closer watch on Lyric’s father, a man with a lengthy criminal history who has stopped cooperating with police. A judge on Thursday
Report: Cruz dominates in donations
Photo by Charlie Neibergall | AP
Divers search Meyers Lake for missing children Lyric CookMorrissey, 10, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, who disappeared last week, in Evansdale, Iowa. The girls’ bikes were found a week ago near a bike trail at the edge of the lake. granted a prosecution request to place Daniel Morrissey, 36, in a pretrial supervision program of the Iowa Department of Corrections while he faces September trials in two separate drug cases that could land him in prison for decades. The change means Morrissey, who has been free on bond, will be supervised by parole officers who will make sure he shows up in court and does not violate the terms of his release. Abben said authorities sought the order “so that
we have a little bit closer” monitoring of Morrissey. But he also said Morrissey was not considered a suspect, and investigators were scrutinizing others in the family with criminal histories. “We’re looking at everybody, not just one set of parents over the other. Not just because one family may have a criminal background. Everything has to be considered,” Abben said. Morrissey’s wife, Misty Cook-Morrissey, 34, pleaded guilty in 2003 in federal court to conspiracy to man-
ufacture and distribute methamphetamine, court documents show. She also has theft and alcohol violations in state court and is on supervised release after her probation was revoked in September because of drug and excessive alcohol use and failure to comply with drug tests. Cook-Morrissey told KWWL-TV on Friday that she believed authorities were unfairly scrutinizing her and her husband because of their criminal histories. She said she believed police were getting frustrated after searching extensively for a week and coming up empty. “It’s frustrating for us as well,” she said.
WASHINGTON — Texas tea party sweetheart Ted Cruz has nearly 14 times more cash on hand for the final leg of the state’s Republican Senate nomination contest than his establishment-backed opponent Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, the latest federal campaign finance reports show. Cruz saw $522,602 in net contributions between July 1 and July 11, according to Federal Election Commission reports made public Friday. By contrast, Dewhurst pulled in just $160,392 for the race to replace retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. The primary election is July 31. The former state solicitor general had about $1.5 million in his campaign war chest, compared to the $107,343 in Dewhurst’s campaign reserves, FEC records show. While fundraising could reflect voter support, the numbers could mean Texans know Dewhurst’s pockets go deep, said Viveca Novak, communications director for the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. “Well, clearly, Dewhurst
CRUZ
DEWHURST
can put as much money as he wants to into the race,” she said. “So whatever he has right now is subject to change, just in terms of not only fundraising from supporters, but what’s in his wallet is kind of an open question.” Dewhurst, whose personal fortune would rank him among the richest of U.S. senators if elected, has burned through $18.8 million this election cycle. He is worth a net average of $177 million and he has loaned himself $16.5 million to win the Senate seat. In addition, Dewhurst also donated $3,000 to himself between July 1 and July 11, according to the reports. That makes for a total of $22,147 that he has self-contributed throughout the election cycle. While individuals cannot contribute more than $2,500 to a candidate per election, there is no ceiling on how much a candidate can donate to his or her own cause.
SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
HIGINIO SANCHEZ Higinio Sanchez, 82, passed away Sunday, July 15, 2012, at Laredo Medical Center in Laredo. Mr. Sanchez is preceded in death by his parents: Lucio and Paula Sanchez; and by his sister and brotherin-law: Rosa (Leonel) Gonzalez. Mr. Sanchez is survived by his wife, Maria Del Refugio Sanchez; daughters: San Juanita SanchezUmphres, Yolanda SanchezNeeck and Maria Lourdes Sanchez; step-daughter, Rosalinda Benavidez; son, Samuel Gonzalez; and numerous grandchildren and other relatives and friends. Honorary pallbearers were: Noel Barraz and Samuel Gonzalez. Pallbearers were: Osiel Sanchez, Manuel Rogelio Sanchez, Eulalio Sanchez Jr., Lucio Sanchez, Jose Manuel Sanchez and Rogelio Sanchez. Visitation hours were Tuesday, July 17, 2012, from 6 to 9 p.m. with a wake at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. A chapel service
Q&A Continued from Page 1A tached to. There are trip wires. There are three containers and we don’t know what it’s inside,” said Chris Henderson, deputy Aurora fire chief. The apartment is about four miles from the theater.
Q: Are movie theaters still showing the film?
was held Wednesday, July 18, 2012, at 10 a.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. Committal services followed at 16 de Septiembre Cemetery in Chihuahua, Texas. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. 83, Zapata.
A: Yes, though theaters and police increased security and AMC Theaters, the nation’s second-largest chain, barred customers from wearing masks or costumes. Some fans were nervous about going to see the film, but many were undeterred. Two police officers were stationed outside the AMC theater in New York’s Times Square, which had showings beginning every 20 minutes Friday. Later in the day, the officers gave way to a police cruiser that was parked out front with an officer in it. At the Regal Gallery Place multiplex in downtown Washington, theater employees searched patrons’ bags and purses while taking their tickets.
Q: Who was hurt in the theater? A: Many victims treated at hospitals were under 40, including a 4-
month-old baby and a 6-year-old. The oldest reported patient was 45. Victims were treated for chemical exposure, apparently related to canisters thrown by the gunman, and gunshot and shrapnel wounds. The Defense Department said two sailors and an airman were wounded and one sailor was unaccounted for in the shooting.
Q: Was there any link between the shooting and the movie? A: It’s unclear. New York City’s police commissioner said he was told the gunman had painted his hair red and called himself the Joker — Batman’s nemesis — but Aurora police would not confirm that. In “The Dark Knight Rises,” a masked villain leads a murderous crew into a packed football stadium and wages an attack involving guns and explosives. But violent attacks on the public by villains are key components of most superhero movies. There are general parallels to the shooting, “The Dark Knight” and the comic book character. Bruce Wayne’s drive to become Batman arose from witnessing the deaths of his parents at the hands of a small-time criminal who shot and killed them after they had left a movie theater. The Batman video game called “Arkham City”
takes place in an abandoned movie theatre.
Q: How many guns did the suspect have? A: Officers found an AR-15 assault rifle — the civilian form of the M-16 — a Remington 12-guage shotgun and a .40-caliber Glock handgun in the theater and another identical handgun in the car. The gunman also set off two devices that released a smoke or an irritant, Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said.
Q: When was the last mass shooting in the U.S.? A: The massacre in Aurora was one of the deadliest in the U.S., and the worst mass shooting in the U.S. since the Nov. 5, 2009, attack at Fort Hood, Texas, when an Army psychiatrist killed 13 soldiers and civilians and wounded more than two dozen others. In Colorado, it was the deadliest shooting since the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999, when two students opened fire at the school in the Denver suburb of Littleton, killing 12 classmates and a teacher and wounding 26 others before killing themselves.
MARIO H. GARZA SAN YGNACIO — Mario H. Garza, 85, passed away Saturday, July 14, 2012, at Laredo Medical Center in Laredo. Mr. Garza is preceded in death by his daughter Maricela G. Botello; parents: Florentino and Rosaura Garza; and a brother, Roberto Garza. Mr. Garza is survived by his wife of 64 years, Rosario C. Garza; sons: Roberto “Tito” (Carmen) Garza, Hector M. (Rosario) Garza, Adrian Garza, Mario H. Garza Jr. and Luis C. (Eva) Garza; daughters Ruth Garza Chapa, Diana R. (Juan) Villarreal, Patricia N. Garza, Juanita (Joel) Medina and Nydia “Abby” (Jose Luis) Facundo; 32 grandchildren; 47 great-grandchildren; sonin-law, Eduardo Botello; and sisters-in-law: Yolanda Garza and Lupita C. Garza; and by other family members and many friends. Visitation hours were Monday, July 16, 2012, from 5 to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral pro-
GUNMAN Continued from Page 1A
cession departed Tuesday, July 17, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Refuge Mission in San Ygnacio, Texas. Committal services followed at Panteon Del Pueblo in San Ygnacio. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. 83, Zapata.
SENTENCE Continued from Page 1A bundles of marijuana with an approximate weight of 476 pounds. Salinas claimed ownership of the contraband on both the truck and the
horse trailer, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office news release. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
PAVING Continued from Page 1A American man belonged, but it is believed he may have been a Coahuilatecan. Archaeology consultants had previously recommended that the body be exhumed, but that never
happened, said Vela, because concerns over where he would be re-buried mounted. (JJ Velasquez may be reached at 728-2579 or jjvelasquez@lmtonline.com)
“It clearly looks like a deranged individual. He has his hair painted red. He said he was the Joker, obviously the enemy of Batman.” Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates would not confirm that information, but did say he had spoken to Kelly. The two used to work together in New York. Asked whether Holmes had makeup to look like the Joker, Oates said: “That to my knowledge is not true.” It was the worst mass shooting in the U.S. since the Nov. 5, 2009, attack at Fort Hood, Texas. An Army psychiatrist was charged with killing 13 soldiers and civilians and wounding more than two dozen others. It was the deadliest in Colorado since the Columbine High School massacre in suburban Denver in 1999, when two students killed 12 classmates and a teacher and wounded 26 others before killing themselves. The new Batman movie, the last in the trilogy starring Christian Bale, opened worldwide Friday with midnight showings in the U.S. The plot has the villain Bane facing Bale’s Caped Crusader with a nuclear weapon that could destroy all of fictional Gotham. The shooting prompted officials to cancel the redcarpet premiere in Paris, and some U.S. movie theaters stepped up security for daytime showings. The attack began shortly after midnight at the multiplex in Aurora, an urban community on Den-
ver’s east side. Audience members said they thought it was part of the movie, or some kind of stunt associated with it. The film has several scenes of public mayhem — a hallmark of superhero movies. In one scene, Bane leads an attack on a stock exchange, and in another he leads a shooting and bombing rampage on a packed football stadium. A federal law enforcement official said Holmes bought a ticket to the show, went into the theater as part of the crowd and propped open an exit door as the movie was playing. The suspect then donned protective ballistic gear and opened fire, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. At some point, the gunman appeared to have stepped outside because several witnesses saw him come through the door. “All I saw is the door swinging open and the street lights behind, and you could see a silhouette,” said Crofter, who was sitting on the left side of the theater and toward the front. Sylvana Guillen said the gunman, clad in dark clothing, appeared at the front of the theater as the character Catwoman appeared in the movie. Then they heard gunshots and smelled smoke from a canister he was carrying. As she and her friend, Misha Mostashiry, ran to the exit, Guillen said, they saw a man slip in the blood of a wounded wom-
an he was trying to help. Oates said the gunman wore a gas mask and a ballistic helmet and vest, as well as leg, groin and throat protectors. He said among the guns was an AR-15 rifle and that the gunman used two gas canisters. “I thought it was showmanship. I didn’t think it was real,” Seeger said. She said she was in the second row, about four feet from the gunman, when he pointed a gun at her face. “I was just a deer in headlights. I didn’t know what to do,” she said. Then she ducked to the ground as the gunman shot people seated behind her. Seeger said she began crawling toward an exit when she saw a girl of about 14 “lying lifeless on the stairs.” She saw a man with a bullet wound in his back and tried to check his pulse, but “I had to go. I was going to get shot.” Moviegoer Eric Hunter and his friends made their way to an exit. When he opened the door, he said, he saw two teenage girls — one shot in the mouth and the other one crying. He asked them if they were OK. “Help us. Help us, please,” he recalled them saying. Later, police began entering the theater, asking people to hold their hands up as they evacuated the building. Some of the victims were treated for chemical exposure apparently related to canisters thrown by the gunman. Those hurt included a 4-month-old ba-
by, who was treated at a hospital and released. Those who knew Holmes described him as a shy, intelligent person raised in California by parents who were active in their well-to-do suburban neighborhood in San Diego. Holmes played soccer at Westview High School and ran cross-country before going to college. On Friday morning, police escorted Holmes’ father, a manager of a software company, from their home while his mother, a nurse, stayed inside, receiving visitors who came to offer support. Holmes also has a younger sister. “As you can understand, the Holmes family is very upset about all of this,” Lt. Andra Brown, the San Diego police spokeswoman, told reporters in the driveway of the family home. “It’s a tragic event and it’s taken everyone by surprise. They are definitely trying to work through this.” Police released a statement from his family that said: “Our hearts go out to those who were involved in this tragedy and to the families and friends of those involved.” There have been no indications so far that Holmes had any run-ins with the law before Friday. Holmes graduated from University of California, Riverside, in the spring of 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience, a school spokesman said. Holmes couldn’t find a job after earning a master’s degree and returned to school.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012
No license trips woman By CHUCK BARTELS ASSOCIATED PRESS
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A woman who worked for five years as a nurse at an Arkansas elementary school never actually had a license, authorities said Friday. Suzanne Elaina Johnson, 49, of Pleasant Plains, who also went by Suzanne Pitts, is charged with practicing nursing without a license and has a court appearance set for Aug. 2 for the misdemeanor charge. Johnson had worked at Sidney Deener Elementary School in the Searcy School District since 2007. Searcy is about 50 miles northwest of Little Rock. The attorney for the Arkansas Nursing Board, Fred Knight, said while it takes only a few seconds on the agency’s website to confirm whether a person has a nursing license, it’s unlikely the school district would check it. “In all fairness to the school, the school is in the business of educating. They check and verify licenses for teachers and instructors. It probably never occurred to them to check the nurse’s license,” he said. The agency’s website shows she has never been licensed in Arkansas as a nurse. A national registry doesn’t show Johnson licensed either, Knight said. The Nursing Board never received any complaints about how Johnson treated patients. A state Health Department nursing consultant who advises schools was the first to raise a question about Johnson’s license, according to the board’s investigative file, which The Associated Press obtained through an Arkansas Freedom of Information Act request. The school district is “going back and monitoring our procedures to safeguard against something like this occurring again,” Superintendent Dianne Barrett said.
She said Johnson “technically” remains employed by the district. The Nursing Board file on Johnson shows she was working as a summer school nurse and “will be relieved of that duty until she can present a verifiable and current Ar-
kansas nursing license.” Johnson was arrested July 10 and released the same day on $5,500 bond. There was no answer at a phone number for Johnson and she didn’t reply to a text message from The Associated Press.
SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors SUMMER CAMPS
BASEBALL
Learning the game
Hawks draw academic honors By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
Courtesy photo
Young Zapata basketball players participate in a summer basketball camp this week.
Basketball camp teaches Zapata’s next generation By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
This week the Zapata High School gym was filled with the sounds of elementary and middle school athletes who wanted to learn the fundamentals of basketball from high school coaching staffs. Fifty-three athletes made their way to the gym for a three-day summer basketball camp. Ages of children participating in the camp widely varied. They were split into groups to maximize their potential. The youngest group was the minors di-
vision — ages 5 through 7 — where kids learned basic basketball skills to lay the foundation for their future development. The junior group, made up of 8- to 10year-olds, focused on more comprehensive ball handling and offensive and defensive drills. The oldest was the seniors group for 11year-olds through incoming freshmen. This group was trained in advanced drills and skills to prepare them for high schoollevel competition. “The camp was a huge success,” said Zapata basketball coach Juan Villarreal. “We had 60 campers this year … Both
coach Hector Garcia and I were very excited for the mixture for boys and girls who attended the camp.” Each camper walked away with a certificate of participation and, more importantly, knowledge gained. The camp will benefit both boys’ and girls’ basketball programs at the middle and high school levels. Money raised by the camp’s participation fee will be used to enhance the programs through equipment purchases. Many parents saw the quality of the
See BASKETBALL PAGE 2B
The Zapata Hawks baseball team has experienced success on and off the field. Last year, Zapata won its first bi-district title since 2009, giving the Hawks a lot to celebrate. A number of Hawks were named to the 32-3A All-District team, and senior Manuel Salinas was named Most Valuable Player. Four Hawks were named to the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association All-Academic Team. Eduardo Bustamante Jr., Oscar Flores, Luis Ramon and Salinas were named to this prestigious team for their hard work in the classroom. They had to maintain an A-plus average in their classes to qualify. These four Hawks epitomize what is it to be a true studentathlete, taking the same determination into the classroom and on the diamond. Salinas left as one of the most decorated athletes from Zapata when he graduated in May. He was named to the inaugural Zapata Times All-City Team for his athletic ability and now has some academic accolades to add to his trophy case. “My coaches always preached to us that school came first because in studentathlete the student part comes first,” Salinas said. “If you cannot pass your classes then you cannot play, and I have always been taught to do my best in whatever I do. “I also remember one of my middle school coaches would always tell me the way that we hit each other on the football field is the same way that we need to hit the books, and that has always stayed with me and is why it was important for me to do both well.” Salinas did not receive any college baseball scholarship offers, but that does not mean he
See BASEBALL PAGE 2B
7-ON-7 FOOTBALL
HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY
Hawks install passing game during summer
Ibañez named next XC coach
By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
LAREDO — The Zapata Hawks football is adaded another dimension to its game, making the trip up Highway 83 a handful of Wednesday’s this summer to participate in Laredo’s 7-on-7 football league. Historically, under coach Mario Arce, the ground game has been Zapata’s bread and butter, leading them to many district titles and postseason appearances, but the Hawks are looking to add an aerial attack this fall. “This league works on our passing game,” Arce said. “We still will be sticking to the ground game because we are a run-oriented team, but this opens another option in our offense.” The ball has been in the arms of quarterback Alonso Gutierrez, who has double the wins from last year’s 7-on-7 season. “I see a lot of positive things from the way they are playing, and it shows us that we can pass the ball a little more than we have done in the past years,” Arce said. “We have put up quite a few points, and that is always positive.” The Hawks are also getting valuable experience on how to defend the passing game, which will come in handy when they face three Laredo teams in the preseason. “This is a great opportunity for our defense to start preparing for those teams, because they throw the ball a lot,” Arce said. “When we broke for the summer, I told them what type of league to expect and they have done a great job on the defensive side. “The kids see a lot of passing routs and what they need to do to defend them.”
By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
A new era is underway at Zapata High School as Roel Ibañez takes over the boys’ cross-country program after the departure of Luis Escamilla to Laredo. Ibañez inherits a successful program, one that made numerous trips to the state meet under Escamilla, and is working hard to keep that winning tradition alive. “This is an honor to be named the boys’ head cross country coach,” Ibañez said. “This is my first (cross country) head coaching job, and I hope to continue what coach Escamilla started. “This is very solid program and we have very high expectations for the team and they have been really putting in the work,” he said. Ibañez has been working for Zapata CISD for 10 years. He spent nine of those years as a coach. He worked his way up to the high school level and was a football coach and a varsity head track coach for the Hawks before making the move over to the boys cross-country program early this summer.
“
They have been looking very good in practice and are really pushing each other to get back to state.” HEAD CROSS COUNTRY COACH ROEL IBAÑEZ
Ibañez brings in nine years of coaching experience and has high expectations to a team that is accustomed to traveling to the regional and state meets. “Our expectations are high,” Ibañez said. “This a very successful program, and the boys know what it takes to get to the next level.” Last year, the Hawks were ranked all season long and rose as high as No. 2 in the state before things came undone at the regional meet and Zapata, uncharacteristically, stayed home. “The boys were very disappointed about last year’s performance and are on a mission to get to state,” Ibañez said. “They have been really putting in the time and are getting their mileage in during the summer.” The Hawks finished second
at the district meet and were out of the top five at the regional meet. The graduation of Rafael Benavides, who recently signed with Texas A&M International University, leaves big shoes to fill, but Zapata has a core of runners who are challenging themselves on the course. Enter juniors Carlos Rodriguez and Luis Garza, two runners the Hawks will be leaning on this year. Rodriguez brings in varsity experience that will be vital to the success of the program while Garza will also contribute his strengths. Also making a comeback this year are seniors Jose Garcia and Jerome Cabugos, who were hurt all of last year and did not
See XC PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
Rockets trade Lee to Celtics By CHRIS DUNCAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets will send Courtney Lee to the Boston Celtics as part of a multi-team, sign-and-trade deal, completed on Friday. The Rockets will receive a second-round pick in next year’s draft from Boston (a pick that originally owned by Charlotte), forward JaJuan Johnson, guard E’Twaun Moore and forward/center Sean Williams. Houston will also acquire the rights to guard Jon Diebler from Portland. The Celtics completed the deal by trading guard/forward Sasha Pavlovic to Portland. Houston previously withdrew a qualifying offer for Lee, which made him an unrestricted free agent. The 6-foot-5 Lee played two seasons in Houston, averaging 9.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 139 games. Yahoo Sports reported that Lee’s deal is for four years and $21.5 million. Lee, a first-round draft pick by Orlando out of Western Kentucky in 2008, announced that he had signed on his Twitter account earlier Friday, before the teams wrapped up the other details of the deal. “Want to thank all the ppl in Houston friends and fans,” Lee wrote. “Enjoyed my time. Also would like to thank all the Cs fans for the love.” Lee is a 38.6 percent career shooter from 3-point
range and could fill the void left by Ray Allen’s departure. Allen, the NBA’s career leader in 3-pointers made, bolted from Boston after five seasons to join Miami. The Celtics have also added guard Jason Terry and got Kevin Garnett back since losing to the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. “We are very excited that we were able to acquire Courtney Lee,” said Danny Ainge, the Celtics’ president of basketball operations. “Courtney brings a vast set of tools on both ends of the court and will be a great fit on our roster.” The Rockets, meanwhile, continued to reshape their roster after introducing Jeremy Lin at a press conference on Thursday. Houston is also expected to sign Bulls center Omer Asik to a threeyear, $25 million offer sheet. The 6-foot-10 Johnson averaged 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 36 games as a rookie for the Celtics last season. He was drafted 27th overall in the 2011 draft by New Jersey and was traded to Boston. Johnson ranks second in Purdue history in blocks (263), fifth in rebounds (854) and seventh in scoring (1,919 points). He was named the Big Ten’s top player and best defensive player as a senior in 201011, becoming only the third player in the conference’s history to win both awards in the same season.
SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012
Astros, Blue Jays trade ten ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — The Houston Astros acquired closer Francisco Cordero and outfielder Ben Francisco as part of a 10-player trade with Toronto on Friday. Houston will also receive four minor leaguers in the deal — right-handed pitchers Joe Musgrove and Asher Wojciechowski, left-handed pitcher David Rollins, catcher Carlos Perez and a player to be named later. The Blue Jays, who entered Friday at 45-47 and in last place in the AL East, will receive pitchers Brandon Lyon, J.A. Happ and David Carpenter from Houston. “This is a very good deal for us,” Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow said. “Once again, we are adding depth to our minor-league system with quality young players. We really feel this will help us moving forward and are extremely excited about the players we’ve added to our organization.” Cordero has 329 career saves, second among active players to the New York Yankees’ Mariano Rivera (608). In 794 career relief appearances, the 37year-old Cordero has a 3.28 ERA and has reached 40 or more saves in three seasons. Cordero is 3-5 with two saves in 41 appearances for Toronto this season. Francisco is hitting .244 in 23 games for Toronto in 2012. He has a .259 career average with 45 home runs in 483 career games with Cleveland, Philadelphia and
Photo by Matt Slocum | AP
The Houston Astros acquired closer Francisco Cordero, pictured in this file photo, and outfielder Ben Francisco as part of a 10-player trade with Toronto. Toronto. Lyon signed a threeyear, $15 million contract with the Astros in December 2009. He struggled with tendinitis in his right biceps in 2011 and appeared in only 15 games. He’s 0-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 37 appearances this season. The left-throwing Happ is 7-9 with a 4.83 ERA in 18 starts this season, his third in Houston. Carpenter, currently playing for
the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City, was 0-2 with a 6.07 ERA in 30 relief appearances for the Astros this season. The Astros are 34-59, the worst record in the majors, and are committed to rebuilding through their minor-league system under Luhnow, hired in December by new owner Jim Crane. Houston has struggled to find an identity in the
last few years as star after star has been traded away. First to go were Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman, and last summer Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn followed. Carlos Lee was traded before the All-Star break, leaving Houston with no position players who were on the team fulltime before 2010. Musgrove was Toronto’s first pick in the first compensation round of the 2011 draft. In two appearances with Rookie Level Bluefield in 2012, the 19-year-old Musgrove had a 1.12 ERA with no walks and nine strikeouts. Musgrove made a combined nine appearances (seven starts) with Bluefield and Toronto’s Gulf Coast League club in 2011. Wojciechowski, 23, was Toronto’s first pick in the first compensation round of the 2010 draft. He was 7-3 in 18 starts at Class A Dunedin this season with a 3.57 ERA and 76 strikeouts. In his last seven starts, he was 5-1 with a 1.49 ERA. Rollins, 22, was 6-1 with a 2.78 ERA in 18 starts with Class A Lansing this season with 75 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings pitched. Drafted in 2011, Rollins has a 10-1 career minor league record in 25 starts with a 2.46 ERA with 104 strikeouts. Perez, 21, hit .269 in 70 games at Lansing this season with 21 doubles, five triples, five home runs and 40 RBI. In five minor league seasons, he has a .279 career average in 332 games with 70 doubles, 24 triples and 11 home runs.
Snedeker charges up leaderboard at British Open By PAUL NEWBERRY ASSOCIATED PRESS
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England — Brandt Snedeker plays fast and talks even faster, and he was on a roll Friday in the British Open. He raced up the leaderboard with five birdies in a sevenhole stretch, tied the 36-hole record for a major championship and looked like he was bent on running away from the field at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. Not so fast. Along came Adam Scott, playing cautiously and picking his spots for three birdies on the back nine to pull within one shot. Not far behind was Tiger Woods, sticking to a conservative game plan and delivering a dramatic finish by holing out from the bunker to set off a wild cheer from 6,000 spectators crammed into the bleachers. As the second round ended, this Open was just getting started. On another benign day when the only concern was pools forming in the bottom of pot bunkers from overnight rain, Snedeker became the latest player to match the course record at Royal Lytham with a 6-under 64 that gave him a one-shot lead. He has yet to make a bogey over 36 holes, the first player to go bogey-free in the opening two rounds of a major since Woods won at St. Andrews in 2000. Snedeker’s 10-under 130 tied the 36-hole record set by Nick Faldo in 1992 when he
won the Open at Muirfield, and it broke by four shots the 36-hole record at Lytham. Even more amazing? Snedeker hasn’t hit into any of the 206 bunkers in two days. “No bogeys around here is getting some good breaks and playing some pretty good golf,” Snedeker said. “My mantra all week has been to get the ball on the greens as fast as possible. Once I’m on there, I have a pretty good hand for the speed of the greens. Just going to try and keep doing that over the weekend.” Snedeker has never made the cut in three previous trips to the British Open, though this brand of golf is nothing new. As a rookie on the PGA Tour in 2007, he was 10 under through 10 holes on the North Course at Torrey Pines before having to settle for a 61. He picked up his third win there this year by rallying from a seven-shot deficit on the last day. “Brandt is a momentum-type guy, once he gets going and starting making putts and hitting shots,” said Mark Calcavecchia, another player who doesn’t waste time. “He plays quick and he’s got the quick tempo and he putts quick. And they go in quick. That’s awesome golf.” What does that get him? “A whole lot of nothing,” Snedeker said. “We’ve got 36 more holes to go. A lot can happen.” And that was before Scott, the 32-yearold Australian, began making his steady
BASEBALL
move up the third day, and smashing hillock to
the leaderboard. He bogeyed hole for the second straight then turned it around by a 3-wood that bounced off a the right of the green on the
par-5 seventh hole and set up a two-putt birdie. Scott opened the back nine with back-to-back birdies, and then hit two beautiful shots to 8 feet for another birdie on the 18th and a 67.
Paterno statue could come down
Continued from Page 1B
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM is going to sit back. He aspires to walk on at Texas A&M Corpus Christi University this fall. “That is something that I always wanted to do, and I am going to go out there and give it my best,” Salinas said. “I am just going to work hard in the classroom and on the field.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
As emotions continue to swirl around Penn State’s larger-than-life statue of Joe Paterno, the university president is methodically seeking input from trustees, alumni
XC Continued from Page 1B get the opportunity to help the Hawks. Cabugos was voted team captain, a role he takes to heart. He wants to stay healthy for the team his final year of high school crosscountry. “They have been looking
Photo by Peter Morrison | AP
Brandt Snedeker gestures after finishing his second round at Royal Lytham & St Annes golf club at the British Open Golf Championship in Lytham St Annes, England, on Friday.
very good in practice and are really pushing each other to get back to state,” Ibañez said. Rounding out the team is senior Romeo Morales and junior Heriberto Perez, who have been keeping pace with the team’s top runners.
and others about the fate of the monument. The statue has become a lightning rod since an investigation concluded the Hall of Fame football coach and other top university officials concealed child sex abuse allegations against former
defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky more than a decade ago. President Rodney Erickson is expected to announce his decision next week. Predictably, it will be unpopular no matter what.
Many of Paterno’s supporters will be incensed if the bronze statue comes down. But critics say it would be unseemly to leave the statue in place in the wake of an internal investigation that found Paterno, ousted President Graham
Spanier and two other Penn State officials covered up a 2001 allegation against Sandusky to shield the university from bad publicity. Sandusky is awaiting sentencing after felony convictions of abuse involving 10 boys.
BASKETBALL Continued from Page 1B programs at the high school level since Zapata high school coaches were conducting the camp with great enthusiasm. “The Hawks and Lady Hawks coaching staff would like to thank the community for coming out and supporting us,” Villarreal said. “Also, we would like to
thank all the participants and their parents. You kids did an excellent job making our team proud to have you as the future. “Finally, we would like to thank all of the high school athletes that assisted us. Thanks for giving up time during your summer. Special thanks to Steak House for your
generous donation.” Campers are also encouraged to attend high school games to start understanding what needs to be done to get a start in playing for Zapata High. Boys and girls games at the high school level start November and run through February.
SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
HINTS | BY HELOISE Dear Heloise: Caring long term for elderly family members or friends can become emotionally and physically draining. If you have friends or family members who are CAREGIVERS, lend an occasional hand. Here are some ideas for helping: Fix supper for the caregiver and/or the patient. Invite the caregiver to your home for supper, telling the person to “come as you are.” Require him or her to bring nothing, and don’t permit your guest to help with cleanup. — Kim in Mount Gilead, Ohio It’s amazing how a small gesture can make such a big difference! — Heloise TOILET SEAT Dear Heloise: I’m having mixed company coming over tonight. I am a man, and I don’t entertain too often. My question is about the bathroom: How do I set the toilet? Lid up? Lid down? Seat up? Seat down? Both up or both down? Help! — Gary L., via email Oh, my — this question again! Why not make it the same for all? Put the seat and lid in the DOWN position. Make sure the restroom is stocked with extra
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HELOISE
toilet tissue, facial tissue, hand soap and hand towels. — Heloise PET PAL Dear Readers: Bonnie M. in Fort Wayne, Ind., sent a picture of her gorgeous Lab and shepherd mix dog, Martha Washington. Martha is a photographer’s assistant, and she is pictured behind a camera on a tripod. She seems to be saying, “Say ’Cheese!’” To see Martha and our other Pet Pals, go to www.Heloise.com and click on “Pets” on the left side of the home page. — Heloise EASY STORE Dear Heloise: As my camera’s photo memory cards keep accumulating, I was looking for a way to organize them. I was about to purchase a “memory card holder” for about $10 when I realized that it was basically the same as a plastic weekly pill holder that I can buy at the dollar store. Mission accomplished, for one-tenth the price. — Michelle in Florida
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London Olympic Games
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SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012
The Dream Team’s footprints By BRIAN MAHONEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Lefteris Pitarakis | AP
A British Royal Marine Sea King helicopter carrying the Olympic flame flies past the Tower Bridge on its way to the Tower of London, in London, on Friday.
Flame arrives in London By DANICA KIRKA ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON — With the flame comes the games. After years of preparation and months of buildup, London’s Olympic moment has finally arrived. Royal Marine Martyn Williams is poised to rappel from a helicopter carrying the Olympic torch on Friday night, dropping down within the stone walls of the Tower of London. The commando’s grand entrance plunges the symbol of the games into the city’s historic heart, bringing Olympic pageantry to the British capital that last held the event in 1948. For Londoners, it ignites a time of excitement — as well as four weeks of extreme crowds and transport strains. Organizers have tried to smooth the way. London Underground subway lines are festooned with big magenta and pink signs pointing routes to the Olympic venues. Car-
toony ads with wide-eyed horses and beefy musclemen warn commuters to remember that Olympic competitions are taking place and to rethink their daily journeys. Barriers are being erected to mark the special traffic lanes for vehicles connected to the games — disparagingly dubbed “Zil lanes,” after the limousines granted exclusive use of special lanes on Soviet-era highways. Londoners who already struggle to get to work on any given weekday aren’t convinced all will be well — and haven’t been shy about saying so. The atmosphere of gloom has been segmented by the neverending rain and a constant stream of headlines about the failure of security contractor G4S to provide enough guards. The mayor has a message for the naysayers: “Put a sock in it.” “We’ve got an advanced case of Olympo-funk,” Mayor Boris Johnson wrote in an op-ed piece in
The Sun newspaper. “We agonize about the traffic, when our transport systems are performing well and the world’s athletes are arriving on time. ... We gnaw our fingernails about the blinking weather, when it seems to be brightening up a bit — and anyway, it’s England in July for goodness sake and a spot of rain never hurt anyone.” Ready or not, the games are a reality. Olympic banners in hot pink, acid yellow and lime green have painted London in neon. The tubby Cyclops-like mascots, Wenlock and Mandeville, are dancing around central London tourist attractions in a desperate bid to be huggable. The city’s famous red double-decker buses are sporting ads flogging the last of the unsold Olympic soccer tickets. The stadiums themselves are nearly ready. At the athletes village, Cuba and Denmark have been the first to drape flags off their balconies. The Olym-
pic clock ticking down the days in Trafalgar Square has reached single digits. Olympic historian David Goldblatt, co-author of “How to Watch the Olympics,” said the flame’s arrival in London marks a key turning point. “I think it signifies the moment when everyone, whether for, against or indifferent, is thinking ‘Oh Lord let’s just get the bloody thing started,’ ” he said. It was only weeks ago that celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee sent Britons into a spasm of patriotic flag waving and “God save the Queen” singing as they watched a flotilla of 1,000 boats on the River Thames. Will the flame’s arrival inspire the famously inhibited British to do it all again — to cheer and wave and weep and be inspired — as the torch relay winds through the city’s 33 boroughs? Could be — if the first 62 days of the torch’s travels are any indication.
BARCELONA, Spain — Forever in the Dream Team’s shadow, the U.S. Olympic basketball team is now walking in its footsteps. The Americans are back in Barcelona, site of their greatest glory, the scene of the best basketball ever played, as they finish their preparations for London. Twenty years after their predecessors stormed their way to gold here, the Americans will see one of the Dream Team’s lasting legacies: the strength of international programs that rose in part because of the interest it created. The U.S. will play exhibition games against Argentina and Spain, teams with veterans old enough to remember seeing Magic and Bird play. The Americans beat both en route to the gold medal four years ago, holding off the Spaniards in a gold-medal game thriller. Both countries have enjoyed lengthy stays near the top of international basketball, each winning a major title in the past decade, and should provide quality tests for a U.S. team that still has some improving to do. “It seems like each game the competition progresses a little bit more,” U.S. guard Chris Paul said. “We’ve had three great games so far, but we have to keep getting better because we know when we get there and play against Argentina and Spain, they’re going to be great games.” The Americans had an easy one Thursday, beating Britain 118-78 in Manchester, England. The U.S. carved up a defenseless opponent, shooting 60 percent, collecting 39 assists on 47 baskets, and leading by as much as 47 points. But the British are just getting going in basketball, where the sport is largely ignored. The Americans know to expect better in their upcoming games at Palau Sant Jordi. Pau Gasol’s first contact with the NBA game came as a 12-year-old boy watching the Dream Team on TV in his Northern Spain home. He’s gone on to become one of the NBA’s best big men and was the MVP of the 2006 world basketball championship, when Spain won the gold medal. Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola both starred in Europe and became international stalwarts before taking their pro careers to the NBA, and were the driving forces behind an Argentina squad that won the 2004 Olympic gold medal and the silver in the 2002 world championships. The U.S. will play Argentina on Sunday and Spain on Tuesday. Those games should more resemble the Americans’ 80-69 victory over Brazil than the romps over the Dominican Republic and Britain. “Yeah, well we had a big test against Brazil, a team that has big guys. Argentina will definitely be another test for us,” U.S. forward Carmelo Anthony said. “Then of course everybody wants to see the Spain matchup, so we’re getting prepared for that.”