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RELIGION
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Seeking $80,000 Development center looking for new funding By RAFAEL BENAVIDES SPECIAL TO THE TIMES Photo from St. Patrick’s Church/Tahira Khan Merritt PLLC
Father Hugh Clarke, accused in a church sex case in the 1970s at Christ the King Church in Corpus Christi, sits in his church office in this undated photo.
Funding for the Economic Development Center in Zapata is a question as the organization looks to reestablish itself in light of recent turmoil with the
Zapata County Commissioners Court. The center, which used to be allocated $80,000 a year from the county, must now rely heavily on other forms of funding if it wants to stay active. “We are always looking across different sectors, but my official position is
Church sex case hits Laredo
that we have a valid contract with the county until Sept. 30, and we should be funded through Sept. 30. There’s clearly a breach of contract,” said the center’s president and execu-
See CENTER PAGE 9A
CELEBRATING MEXICAN FOLK ART
Tamayo investigated case against Father Clarke
LEFT: A colorful skeleton figurine is one of the many Mexican arts and crafts found at the annual Laredo Sister Cities Festival held at the Laredo Energy Arena on Friday. The event runs through Sunday afternoon. BELOW: At left, Gabriel Ramirez tries on a mask as Josue Nuno from Guadalajara, Mexico, wears another at the Laredo Sister Cities Festival on Friday afternoon.
By VALERIE GODINES FITZGERALD LAREDO MORNING TIMES
Father Hugh Clarke, the late priest accused of sexually abusing at least three boys at a church in Corpus Christi, has been linked to other allegations at St. Patrick’s Church in Laredo, where he served in the 1980s. Bishop James Tamayo of the Diocese of Laredo, who in 1985 was a priest assistant in the Diocese of Corpus Christi, was one of the investigators of the Laredo case, which involved at least three boys, according to attorneys and handwritten notes TAMAYO from the Diocese of Corpus Christi. Following the Laredo allegations, Tamayo helped coordinate Clarke’s relocation to an out-of-state treatment center that focused on, among other things, making gay priests straight. During Clarke’s treatment, he was diagnosed with a “psychosexual disorder” and given a “poor-to-guarded” prognosis. In a confidential letter to Tamayo dated April 3, 1985, Clarke’s psychologist at the treatment center wrote, “There were only 3 young people involved and there have been
Photos by Ulysses S. Romero | The Zapata Times
See CHURCH PAGE 10A
BORDER SECURITY
Drone could be based on U.S.-Mexico border By GARY MARTIN SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
WASHINGTON — A Predator drone based along the Gulf Coast could be moved to the U.S.-Mexico border to better fight smuggling under pending legislation, a South Texas lawmaker said Thursday.
Obama administration officials announced last week that they would station a second drone at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. But Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, said he has put language into the Department Homeland Security spending bill that orders a study on moving a drone because of weather woes that have hampered the
program in Corpus Christi. Cuellar said his provision calls for an “alternate base of operations in an airfield on the Southwest border which would reduce the frequent weather-related lapses required for constant surveillance.” The legislative language does not specify an exact location and only re-
quires DHS to explore another site in the Southwest. But Cuellar said the new location could include Laredo, or Del Rio, which is roughly midway along the 1,254 miles of Texas border with Mexico. Obama administration officials declined to comment.
See DRONE PAGE 9A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, JULY 23
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Laredo Theater Guild International presents “Annie” at the LCC Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Theater. Show begins at 8 p.m. Regular admission is $15, and seniors and students with an ID enter for $10. Tickets are available at the box office one hour before each show. Spend the evening at the Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium and enjoy “The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather” at 5 p.m., “Earth, Moon, and Sun” at 6 p.m. and “Seven Wonders” at 7 p.m. General admission is $5 and $4 for children and TAMIU students, faculty, staff and alumni. Premium shows are $1 more. For additional show times, call 326-DOME (3663) or click on tamiu.edu/planetarium.
SUNDAY, JULY 24 The Laredo Theater Guild International presents the 3 p.m. performance of “Annie” at the LCC Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Theater. Regular admission is $15, and seniors and students with an ID enter for $10. Tickets are available at the box office one hour before each show. For more information, contact Joe Arciniega at laredotheaterguild@gmail.com.
Photo by M. Spencer Green | AP
In this July 2, 2009 photo, job seekers line up for a career fair in Oak Brook, Ill. The national unemployment rate is 9.2 percent, while the rate in Texas is only 8.2 percent, according to state officials. In Laredo, it’s 9 percent.
Jobless rate for June up ASSOCIATED PRESS
MONDAY, JULY 25 Aqua Zumba, a water fitness class, is now being offered at Texas A&M International University. Integrating the Zumba formula with traditional aqua fitness disciplines, the Aqua Zumba class blends all into a safe, challenging, water-based workout that is cardio-conditioning, body-toning and, most of all, exhilarating beyond belief. Class will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the TAMIU Residential Learning Center. Register at the Rec Center Front Desk for Monday sessions from July 11 – Aug 15. Class fee is $20 for members and $40 for non-members. For more information, contact Denise Schuster at 326-3017 or e-mail dschuster@tamiu.edu.
TUESDAY, JULY 26 Belly dancing is now being offered at TexasA&M International University. Class will be held from 7 – 8 p.m. in the Rec Center. To register, visit the Rec Center front desk. For more information, please contact Denise Schuster at 326-3017. Join Dr. Tagi Sagafi-nejad, TAMIU Radcliffe Killam Distinguished Professor of International Business and Director of the Center for the Study of Western Hemispheric Trade, at 2 p.m. today in the Trading Room, WHTC for the presentation of the "World Investment Report 2011: Non-Equity Modes of International Production and Development." TAMIU serves as the only US launch site for this Report, an annual compilation of the research findings of a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
WEDNESDAY, JULY 27 Learn to apply for work-study and student employee positions at Texas A&M International University at the “Finding an On-Campus Job” Workshop. The TAMIU Office of Career Services will teach interested students how to navigate the DustyWorks system, how to fill out the PDF application and what students need to know about the application process. The workshop will take place today from 10:30 – 11 a.m. and 3 – 3:30 p.m. in the Student Center, room 114. For more information, please contact the Office of Career Services at 326-HIRE (4473) or e-mail careerservices@tamiu.edu. Spend the afternoon at the Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium and enjoy “Origins of Life” at 4 p.m. and “Force 5: Nature Unleashed” at 5 p.m. General admission is $3. Premium shows are $1 more. For additional show times, call 326-DOME (3663) or click on tamiu.edu/planetarium. Aqua Zumba, a water fitness class, is now being offered at Texas A&M International University. Integrating the Zumba formula with traditional aqua fitness disciplines, the Aqua Zumba class blends all into a safe, challenging, water-based workout that is cardio-conditioning, body-toning and, most of all, exhilarating beyond belief. Class will be held from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the TAMIU Residential Learning Center. Register at the Rec Center Front Desk for Monday sessions from July 11 – Aug 15. Class fee is $20 for members and $40 for non-members. For more information, please contact Denise Schuster at 326-3017 or e-mail dschuster@tamiu.edu.
AUSTIN — The Texas unemployment rate jumped to 8.2 percent in June despite an increase of 32,000 jobs over the same period, the state employment agency reported Friday. The preliminary jobless rate for Laredo for June was 9 percent. The jobless rate increased from 8 percent in May and marked the state’s first rise in unemployment since December, according to Texas Workforce Commission figures.The number of jobs grew for the ninth consecutive month in June, although the commission said the May figure was revised downward to 2,100 jobs from 8,800. The national unemployment rate is 9.2 percent. Government payrolls expanded by 12,300
Dallas Opera cancels production, citing costs DALLAS — The Dallas Opera is canceling one of the productions scheduled for the upcoming season due to finances. The opera announced Friday the cancellation “Katya Kabanova.” Season ticket holders will get refunds. Single tickets haven’t gone on sale.
No injuries in charter bus fire south of Dallas ITALY — The engine area of a charter bus on Interstate 35 caught fire but the driver stopped the vehicle and everyone on board safely evacuated. Ellis County sheriff ’s Capt. Chuck Laubach says the vehicle pulled over late Friday morning near Italy. Laubach had no reports of anyone hurt. He told The Associated Press that the bus fire sparked small grass fires along I-35, but firefighters quickly contained those blazes.
jobs after declining in three of the previous four months. The second biggest increase among industries came in leisure and hospitality, which added 10,600 jobs. “As businesses continue to shift resources into Texas, new opportunities arise for job seekers already here, and for those who come here looking for opportunity,” said commission Chairman Tom Pauken. Unemployment rates are adjusted for seasonal trends in hiring and firing, which most economists believe give a more accurate picture of the job market. Without the seasonal adjustment, the jobless rate in Texas jumped to 8.8 percent in June from 7.9 percent in May. The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area in South Texas had the highest rate at 13 percent, a big jump from 11.9 percent in May. The local rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Prosecutors: Jailer snuck Ticketing resumes Sunday inmate hacksaw in tacos by Houston red-light cams SAN ANTONIO — Prosecutors say a Texas jail guard tried helping a convicted murderer and two others escape by smuggling them tacos stuffed with hacksaw blades. Alfred Casas began testifying Friday at his criminal trial in San Antonio. The 31-year-old faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on charges of helping three inmates hatch an escape plan from the Bexar County jail in 2009.
HOUSTON — Ticketing will resume Sunday for red-light runners in Houston months after voters rejected the camera traffic surveillance system. Police Chief Charles McClelland says citations will be issued again at 50 intersections. A day earlier, a federal judge ruled Houston may not appeal his June decision invalidating the 2010 election when voters said red-light cameras should be turned off.
Primoris gets $123.6 Possible arson million Texas highway deal investigated in church fire DALLAS — Primoris Services Corp. said Friday that a subsidiary won a $123.6 million contract to widen a stretch of Interstate 35. The Texas Department of Transportation picked James Construction Group for the work in Waco. The job is scheduled to be completed by July 2015.
ZEPHYR — Federal investigators will help determine whether arson is to blame for a fire that destroyed a nearly century-old country church in West Texas. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is helping investigate the July 15 blaze at Bethel Baptist Church. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Obama ends gays in military ban WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Friday signed off on ending the ban on gays serving openly in the military, doing away with a policy that’s been controversial from the day it was enacted and making good on his 2008 campaign promise to the gay community. The president joined Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Adm. Mike Mullen, the joint chiefs of staff chairman, in signing a notice and sending it to Congress certifying that military readiness would not be hurt. That means that 60 days from now the ban will be lifted.
Tech earnings help stocks end week with solid gain A big earnings miss from Caterpillar Friday didn’t derail a rally that pushed the stock market up 2 percent for the weekCa-
Today is Saturday, July 23, the 204th day of 2011. There are 161 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On July 23, 1886, a legend was born as Steve Brodie claimed to have made a plunge from the Brooklyn Bridge into New York’s East River. (However, the exact circumstances of the jump are in dispute, with skeptics saying it never actually occurred.) On this date: In 1829, William Austin Burt received a patent for his “typographer,” a forerunner of the typewriter. In 1885, Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United States, died. In 1914, Austria-Hungary issued a list of demands to Serbia following the killing of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serb assassin; the dispute led to World War I. In 1945, French Marshal Henri Petain, who had headed the Vichy government during World War II, went on trial, charged with treason. (He was convicted and condemned to death, but the sentence was commuted.) In 1951, Henri Petain died in prison. In 1952, Gamal Abdel Nasser launched a successful coup against King Farouk I. In 1967, a week of deadly race-related rioting that claimed 43 lives erupted in Detroit. In 1977, a jury in Washington, D.C., convicted 12 Hanafi Muslims of charges stemming from the hostage siege at three buildings the previous March. In 1986, Britain’s Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey in London. In 1996, at the Atlanta Olympics, Kerri Strug made a heroic final vault despite torn ligaments in her left ankle as the U.S. women gymnasts clinched their first-ever Olympic team gold medal. Ten years ago: Pope John Paul II urged President George W. Bush in their first meeting, held at Castel Gandolfo, Italy, to bar creation of human embryos for medical research. Indonesia’s national assembly ousted President Abdurahman Wahid, electing Megawati Sukarnoputri head of state. Negotiators from 178 nations rescued the 1997 Kyoto Protocol after marathon talks in Bonn, Germany. Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Eudora Welty died in Jackson, Miss., at age 92. Today’s Birthdays: Actress Gloria DeHaven is 86. Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy is 75. Actress Edie McClurg is 60. Actress-writer Lydia Cornell is 58. Actor Woody Harrelson is 50. Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman is 44.Model-actress Stephanie Seymour is 43. Rhythm-andblues singer Sam Watters is 41. Country singer Alison Krauss is 40. Rhythm-andblues singer Dalvin DeGrate is 40. Actor-comedian Marlon Wayans is 39. Retired MLB All-Star Nomar Garciaparra is 38. Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky is 38. Actress Stephanie March is 37. Rhythm-and-blues singer Michelle Williams is 31. Thought for Today: “There is nothing harder than the softness of indifference.” — Juan Montalvo, Ecuadorean essayist and political writer (1832-1889).
CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Business Manager, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 324-1226 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Retail Adv. Manager, Raul Cruz................... 728-2511 Classified Manager, Jesse Vicharreli ........... 728-2525 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Managing Editor, Julie Silva ...................... 728-2565 City Editor, Mary Nell Sanchez .................. 728-2543 Sports Editor, Dennis Silva II......................728-2579 Entertainment Editor, Emilio Rábago III ....... 728-2564 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavín-Castillo............ 728-2569 Photo by Paul Sancya | AP
In this July 12 photo, Caterpillar excavators tear down Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School in Detroit. Higher costs and cautious comments about China’s economy sent Caterpillar’s shares sliding on Friday. terpillar Inc. fell nearly 6 percent after the heavy equipment maker earned less than analysts were expecting last quarter, partly because of the earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan. The company is seen as a bellwether for the global economy because
it sells construction and mining machinery all over the world. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 43.25 points, or 0.3 percent, to 12,681.16. Even with the decline, the Dow gained 1.6 percent for the week. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
Zlocal
SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011
PAGE 3A
Deal hopes to cut down on crime By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ LAREDO MORNING TIMES
There’s a new way to keep an eye on crime. A partnership between Time Warner Cable and the Texas Department of Public Safety allows cable users to view the Texas Most Wanted series in the Crime Stoppers category with local on-demand channels. In Laredo and Zapata, people can tune in to channel 831. The goal is to assist DPS in catching most-wanted offenders. The programming features video profiles, updated monthly, of the 10 most-wanted fugitives and 10 sex offenders from across the state. “Time Warner Cable’s participation provides citizens additional op-
portunities to help remove these violent offenders from our streets,” states a news release from DPS Assistant Director Tom Ruocco, chief of the criminal investigations division. “Combined with cash rewards from the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division, this effort will hopefully generate additional tips that will lead to the arrest of some of the most wanted and dangerous fugitives in Texas.” Each video provides details about the fugitive’s case, including the name, city of criminal activity and the amount of cash reward being offered for anonymous tips that lead to the fugitive’s whereabouts and arrest. Tom Vinger, a DPS spokesman in Austin, said violent offenders have al-
Cartel man to be held 40 days By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ LAREDO MORNING TIMES
A man associated with the Gulf Cartel has been ordered held for 40 days while federal officials investigate the case, Mexico’s attorney general’s office (PGR) officials announced Thursday. Federal police arrested Raúl Cepeda López, known as “El Pelón,” on July 15 in Reynosa, a border town across the Río Grande from McAllen. He is accused of engaging in organized crime, kidnapping and human trafficking. PGR officials through the Assistant Attorney General’s Office for Special Investigations on Or-
ganized Crime, obtained the order for detention for Cepeda López. Officials say there is enough probable cause to investigate the man for his alleged involvement in organized crime, kidnapping and trafficking of undocumented people. PGR officials allege Cepeda López arranged the transportation of people who were to be smuggled into the United States. Cepeda López remains at the federal detention facility Centro de Investigaciones Federales. The case remains under investigation. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 7282568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
legedly committed crimes ranging from sexual assaults to kidnappings, robberies and murders. Vinger sees the partnership as an expansion of scope to bring the men to justice and hopefully remove the offenders from the streets. “Our focus is to generate some tips that will lead us to these individuals’ arrest,” he said. Cash rewards are offered for tips leading to an arrest. For sex offenders, the rewards are between $1,000 and $5,000. Vinger said rewards for violent offenders are between $5,000 and $15,000. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 orcesar@lmtonline.com)
Social Security offices to shorten operating hours SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Social Security offices in Laredo, Eagle Pass, Del Rio, McAllen, Harlingen and Brownsville will operate from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday starting Aug. 15. This will be a reduction of 30 minutes per day due to congressional budget cuts. While agency employees will continue to work their regular hours, this shorter public window will allow them to complete face-to-face service without incurring the cost of overtime. Congress provided Social Security with nearly $1 billion less than the
PUBLIC NOTICE Attention: ALL Homeowners
The Enviromental Health Department is now enforcing regulations for all new septic installations as well as most modifications of existing systems. All installations are prohibited unless an application for permit is made by the owner of the proposed septic system and a permit is issued by the Enviromental Health Department, an application requires information such as the lot size and where the septic system will be located. The design shown here is from a typical compartment septic tank. For more information, please call the Enviromental Department at (956) 765-6201 or stop by the office located at 2505 North U.S. Highway 83, Zapata, Texas.
Conventional Drain Field System Conventional Media Distribution System
president requested for the budget this fiscal year, which makes it impossible for the agency to provide the overtime needed to handle service to the public. Most Social Security services do not require a visit to an office. For example, anyone wishing to apply for benefits, sign up for direct deposit, replace a Medicare card, obtain a proof of income letter or inform us of a change of address or telephone number may do so at www.socialsecurity.gov or toll-free at 1-800-772-1213. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing may call a TTY number, 1-800-3250778.
Courtesy photo
Zapata High School cheerleaders took part in a NCA cheerleading camp. Participants, standing from left to right, are Justin Brandon, Liana Flores, Jackie Salinas and Gabriella Gutierrez. Kneeling are Rebecca Quintanilla, Gabrielle Garcia and Mary Jo Sanchez. Not shown are Daniela Lopez and Kristina De Leon.
Cheerleaders excel at camp 9 members earn numerous awards SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Nine Zapata High cheerleaders brought home several awards during an NCA cheerleading camp earlier this month. Hawk cheerleaders brought home a “Herkie Team Award,” a “S.P.O.T. Award” for showcasing excellent skills in stunt technique, a “Technical Excellence Award” in motion technique, a bid to compete at the 2011 NCA National Championship, an NCA Spirit Stick and four Superior ribbons.
Jackie Salinas, Justin Brandon, Kristina De Leon, Liana Flores, Gabrielle Garcia, Gabriella Gutierrez, Daniela Lopez, Rebecca Quintanilla and Mary Jo Sanchez were nominated to try out for the NCA All-American Team. Salinas, the head cheerleader, De Leon and Quintanilla were selected as members of the 2011 NCA All-American team. Salinas also received a “Leadership Award” for leadership skills during Captain’s Class and received an application to become part of the 2012 NCA staff. The camp was held at United South High School in Laredo on July 13-15.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
YOUR OPINION
OTHER VIEWS
Writer takes exception to statements made by the sheriff on criminal activity in Zapata To the editor: Zapata Sheriff Sigifredo “Sigi” Gonzalez’s response to my letter suggesting that he stop bashing Zapata with unfounded claims of violence is what I expected — a personal attack utilizing mindless, worn-out clichés. Interestingly, USA Today ran an article on July 15 that said: “(Others read the numbers as proof) the issue of ‘spillover violence’ from Mexico is being exaggerated and used as an impetus for anti-immigration legislation and stepped-up federal and state funding to law enforcement agencies along the border. “‘The data really spells out the irresponsibility of many of our elected leaders in their role in this immigration debate,’ said Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum. … ‘This is the ugliest version of the politics of fear that our country has seen for quite a while.’” The article also states that USA Today “analysis found that rates of violent crime along the U.S.-Mexico border have been falling for years.” Interestingly, the study shows that Zapata County has a lower crime rate than the average for Texas in six categories (murder, robbery, assault, rape, larceny and car theft) and higher in one category — burglary. Sigi’s claim of assaults is contradicted by the statistics. The full article can be viewed at http://www.usatoday.com/ news/washington/2011-0715-border-violencemain_n.htm. Sigi points to $10 million in government grants that he secured, and we know of the staggering losses at the county jail and at the Regional Detention Facility under his direction. His wasteful spending provides the sharpest contrast between
Sigi and me. Sigi has wasted millions of dollars and has nothing to show for it. He continues wasting money and hurting commerce with unsubstantiated allegations of violence. By contrast, investors bought $2 million of stock in IBC-Zapata in 1984 and asked me to create a bank. We have turned that $2 million into a $450 million bank with 13 branches, 18 ATMs in eight counties and 30,000 customers. We are proud that we have earned approximately $100 million in net profits and paid approximately $40 million in taxes. The icing on the cake is that we facilitated the financial success for many of our customers while contributing millions of dollars to public charities. Sigi and I are significantly different in education, in intellect, in generosity, in contributions for the public good, in business acumen and financial success, and physically. Sigi was a flute player in high school with an unimpressive academic record. I know of no significant donation out of his personal funds to charity. His entrepreneurial success is very limited. By contrast, I have a long history of teaching financial and bank management at major universities, a 45-year career teaching how to manage and managing financial institutions. I served with pride as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, and I was a three-year letterman on the wrestling team at Texas A&M, getting to the finals in the 1960 Southwest Conference Tournament. My charitable donations are well-known. Sigi needs to quit bashing Zapata and hurting local businesses. Signed, Renato Ramirez
EDITORIAL
Slow march to freedom THE WASHINGTON POST
P
ost-revolutionary Egypt often appears to be on the verge of a breakdown. Strikes and protests remain rampant, while the economy is still moribund. Since July 9, thousands of protesters have been gathering once again in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, accusing the ruling military of betraying their revolution. There have been occasional clashes with regime forces; meanwhile, the generals have been hinting at an attempt to grant themselves extraordinary powers in the new political system. On closer inspection, there is less cause for alarm. Egypt is progressing steadily — though messily — toward greater freedom. Last week hundreds of police officers implicated in abuses were dismissed, while a cabinet reshuffle this week brought more secular liberals into the civilian administration of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf. Parliamentary elections have been pushed from September until November to give new democratic parties more time to organize. Military leaders have been relatively responsive to demands from the revolutionaries. Even the proposed constitutional en-
shrinement of military powers has grown out of an attempt by the ruling council of generals to satisfy a demand from many liberals that a new constitution be prepared before elections are held. While continuing to resist that approach, the military says it will issue a “declaration of principles” to govern the writing of the new charter to ensure that basic freedoms are protected. All this, of course, does not mean that Egypt’s transition to democracy is assured, or that there is no role for the United States and other outside powers to play. While the Egyptian military appears anxious to yield responsibility for government, it will want to protect its privileges — including the large slice of the economy it controls — and prevent Islamic parties from taking power. U.S. and European officials should meanwhile be pressing Sharaf’s administration for steps to turn around the economy. Inevitably, Egypt will continue to look disorderly for months and probably years to come — especially when compared with the rotten stasis of its former autocracy. But it still has an extraordinary chance to forge a working democracy and tip the rest of the Arab world toward freedom.
COLUMN
A peek into Perry’s spending By KEN HERMAN COX NEWSPAPERS
A
USTIN — Fun facts in the Texans for Rick Perry campaign finance report for the first half of 2011: On June 9, the committee spent $1,329.26 for Perry not to stay at the InterContinental Paris Le Grand Hotel. The “purpose of expenditures” was “Office Overhead/Rental Expense,” and the description box says “Campaign Cancellation Fees.” A last-minute decision not to campaign in Paris? Mais non, says Perry spokesman Mark Miner, reporting that the June special session forced cancellation of a Perry trip to France for D-Day and economic development events.
Another trip Another fun fact: Something called the SHOT Show in Las Vegas is a political event. Says so in the reporting of in-kind contributions from Southwest Airlines for Perry aides to travel with him “to assist governor at SHOT Show and other political events.” SHOT stands for Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show. (OK, who’s the wise guy who put the “i” key next to the “o” key?) In related news, the report shows a link to the
Austinite who is the finest gentleman Dick Cheney ever shot. The committee paid Harry Whittington $2,520 for parking. The committee took in $392,546 and spent $968,092, including $6.65 on Feb. 6 at a 7-Eleven in Simi Valley, Calif., for “food/beverage expense.” Four days earlier, the committee spent $15.01 at San Diego’s Hash House a Go Go. So few words, so much potential. But, alas, looks like it’s a trendy eatery.
Truck stop food Near the other end of the hip scale, the campaign on June 26 spent $26.79 at TravelCenters of America No. 174, a Wheat Ridge, Colo., truck stop. Again, a “food/beverage expense.” (What, nobody enjoyed a truck-stop shower?) This is political money, not state money, voluntarily coughed up by Perry backers. He’s not running for anything now, and if he runs for president he can’t use this money ($2.12 million in the bank) because it was raised under Texas rules allowing unlimited generosity. Federal law sets a $2,500 maximum on contributions — for the primary and again for the general election — to presidential candidates. That’s why the money raised under state law can’t be used in feder-
al races, wink, wink, nod, nod.
Talking to people The winks/nods acknowledge the period we’re in with Perry maybe-sort of running for president. He’s not campaigning, but it’s all anybody wants to talk to him about. Being friendly, he talks about it. So, Texans for Rick Perry money is, sort of, being spent on a presidential campaign, but not illegally. When and if he runs, the federal limits would kick in. So, a cynical person might be cynical about anybody who now gives Perry a lot of money. He can’t use it for a presidential campaign, but I’d guess he’d retain a warm spot in his heart for folks who pitch in now in an unlimited way.
Financial aid Houstonians Michael and Carol Linn are among those folks. They gave $150,000 to Texans for Rick Perry on June 29. Michael Linn is executive chairman of Linn Energy. Linn — the man and the company — moved to Houston from Pittsburgh in 2007. In May 2010, in a Houston Chronicle story headlined “Carol and Mike Linn cherish their Galveston getaway,” we learned
“tears welled in Mike Linn’s eyes” as he said, “This is the kind of beach house I’ve always wanted.” It noted Linn has owned “more than 20 seaside homes in places like Hilton Head, S.C., and Naples, Fla.”
Money to all Records show Linn is a financial newcomer to Perry. In fact, from December 2009 through October 2010, he gave $50,000 to Bill White, Perry’s 2010 Democratic challenger. And then, boom, $150,000 to Perry a few weeks ago. Geez, how does something like that happen? Let’s ask. “Thank you for reaching out to us, Ken,” Linn Energy spokeswoman Paula Beasley said in an email response to my interview request. “We are going to pass on this opportunity, but please keep us in mind in the future.” Pity, because that leaves us to surmise an answer, one that might involve something about a good businessman knowing a potentially good investment when he sees it. And giving big money to a potential president sounds like a potentially good investment. (Ken Herman is an editorial writer for the Austin American-Statesman. Email: kherman@statesman.com.)
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SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Corpus Christi in push for trees By LAURA GARCIA CORPUS CHRISTI CALLER-TIMES
Photo by L.M. Otero | AP
Taking a break from the heat, Sandy Baker, right, of Itascha, stands by as her 12-month-old granddaughter, Kera Upchurch, sleeps in a shaded van during a family outing to Burger’s Lake in in Fort Worth, on Thursday. A heat wave continued to grip much of the country’s mid-section leading into the weekend.
Drought harming water fun By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW BRAUNFELS — Boat ramps lay on dry ground. Float trippers drag their tubes around massive river rocks. Raft company workers go home for the summer with the season only a month old. One hundred degree temperatures can be the norm in Texas this time of year, but the state’s 3,700 streams, 15 major rivers and more than 200 reservoirs have traditionally made life bearable for the legions of fishermen, boaters, swimmers, and others willing to sit in a big rubber tube. Not so much this year, though, as the third worst drought in state history is leaving little room for fun this summer. “Your ability to stay wet in the summer has every-
thing to do with your ability to stay happy and people don’t have access to these waters anymore,” said Laura Huffman, the state director of the Nature Conservancy. She stood near a “Boat Ramp Closed” sign on a road leading to Lake Travis, an Austin-area reservoir that has been losing one foot of water a week. It has rained less than six inches on average statewide through the end of June, according to the state climatologist. Thirteen inches fall in a normal year. The MidlandOdessa area, in Texas’ Permian Basin, has gotten .16 inch all year. No estimates are available on the drought’s economic impact on tourism and recreation, but it’s clearly substantial. Some rafting and tubing outfitters along the Frio
River in Texas’ Hill Country have closed completely this summer. Along the Guadalupe, river businesses have shut some in-andout points. Across Texas, boat ramps are closed, marinas are shuttered, and tourism-dependent areas are hoping that not all vacationers head elsewhere. “We just have to roll up our sleeves and do what the farmers have been doing for umpteen years,” said Shane Wolf, general manager of Rockin R’ River Rides, who has closed three of his seven river spots and laid off more than 80 people. Texas’ problems are compounded by the fact all but one of its lakes are manmade reservoirs created to provide water and flood control. The Guadalupe River relies on releases from the upstream reservoir, Canyon Lake, to
provide rafters and tubers with a pleasant ride. That lake is down five feet and continually dropping. So releases into the Guadalupe have hit rock-bottom, with parts of the river now almost dry. It will only get worse if it doesn’t rain. “Mother Nature holds the gavel at the end of the day,” Wolf said, as tubers lay lazily in the shallow water behind him. Some 60 miles north is Lake Travis, one of the seven Highland Lakes in Central Texas that are crucial to the region’s water supply. The lake has been so depleted by a lack of rain and by continuous pumping that only two boat ramps remain open. Signs warning visitors “No Lifeguard. Swim at your own risk” protrude from a field of dry grass that crunches underfoot.
CORPUS CHRISTI — Sylvia Samaniego has been wanting to see more trees in the city for nearly a decade. She said she wants Corpus Christi to be designated a Tree City, invest in an urban forester and adopt ordinances that encourage planting. Samaniego, who sits on the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, finally realized the city doesn’t necessarily need a Tree City designation — just more trees. She said her first goal was for Corpus Christi to plant 1 million trees by 2012. Mayor Joe Adame said he supports the initiative, but after speaking with Michael Womack, a horticulturist and executive director of the South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center, he decided the city should focus on planting long-living tree species instead of focusing on such a high number of trees. Once the goal was lowered, the initiative Twelve Thousand Trees by 2012 was born. Samaniego, with help from other community leaders, will begin to look for residents, business owners and groups to sponsor and volunteer for the cause. This admittedly is the hard part, she said. But she’s hopeful. Another man had that same determination in 1945 and forever changed the city’s landscape. Before the mid-1940s, the Sparkling City by the Sea lacked greenery. Many trees just didn’t grow naturally here. Then-Editor Robert M. Jackson decided the CallerTimes would buy trees in bulk and sell them in its parking lot for prices so low, people lined up around
the block for the deal. One year he gave away 1,000 trees. Jackson’s tree sales brought anywhere from 100,000 to 150,000 trees to the city, according to Caller-Times archives. Many of the larger trees in town are from Jackson’s tree sales. But changing the community isn’t easy with limited resources and manpower. Samaniego works full time as a medical billing clerk at a women’s center but said she is willing to dedicate as much time as she can to the project. “To me it’s about timing,” she said. “Things happen that are meant to happen.” At the group’s first meeting July 9, she and a dozen others brainstormed ideas including planting fruit trees near bus stops. Samaniego said she is using San Antonio as a model. That city’s parks and recreation department planted more than 9,000 trees in its Tree Challenge Program, which aims to increase the city’s tree canopy from 38 percent to 40 percent. San Antonio would need to plant 450,000 trees to reach that goal. San Antonio used grants and planted trees in parks and areas in all 10 City Council districts. The city has a full-time urban forester and dedicated city resources to the project. Michael Nentwich, San Antonio’s urban forester, said the city’s utilities companies also offer rebates of as much as $150 for the first three trees planted. “It’s going to take the whole city to get this started,” Samaniego said. Angela Gonzales, coordinator of Pride Corpus Christi and the Clean City Advisory Committee, said there’s already interest in the initiative. “This is a really wonderful program,” she said. “Why wouldn’t we want to be a Tree City?”
PAGE 6A
Zentertainment
SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011
Photo by Dunkin’ Brands Inc. | AP
This screen shot provided by Dunkin’ Brands Inc. shows a scene from the Captain America marketing campaign.
Captain America serves up donuts By MAE ANDERSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — The makers of “Captain America: The First Avenger” are in a must-win pre-emptive battle against superhero fatigue. Their not-so-secret weapon? A patrioticthemed marketing campaign complete with fireworks and red, white and blue doughnuts. “Captain America,” which opened in theaters Friday, follows a string of action hero movies this summer that have been successful. So, when promoting the film, Paramount and Marvel Studios weren’t taking any chances that moviegoers would write it off as just another superhero flick. The studios are spending millions on marketing that has included fireworks at baseball games and American-themed products such as Dunkin’ Donuts’ bright red Cherry Coolatta frozen drink, Baskin-Robbins’ vanilla ice cream with blue chocolate chips and a cherry flavored swirl and Wrigley’s Captain America Orbit White and Juicy Fruit gum. “That’s the fear, there are so many superhero movies this summer,” said Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst for Hollywood.com. “But so far no one’s gotten lost in the shuffle. They all opened at No. 1.” These days, opening at the No. 1 spot is a necessity — not a bonus. Movie ticket sales are at their lowest in years, and a steady stream of superhero movies this summer such as “Thor” and “XMen: First Class” has made it particularly hard to stand out. So, Hollywood studios are willing to shell out millions to promote summer movies, which can cost more than $100 million and make up to half of their total box office receipts during opening weekend alone. For example, “Green Lantern,” which opened June 17, grossed $53 million during its opening weekend, and has made $112 million to
date. The makers of “Captain America” would not say how much they spent to promote the movie. But analysts estimate they spent between $30 million to $50 million to create buzz around the movie and its main character. Captain America, or “Cap,” epitomizes pro-American sentiment with his red, white and blue costume and shield. He first appeared in 1941 as a weakling transformed into a superhero to help fight the Nazis. “Certain characters lend themselves to unique marketing and Captain America is playing on the patriotic angle,” said Dergarabedian, the analyst, who predicts the film will make about $59 million to $60 million — a good showing for a summer movie. “Character-specific marketing can be very effective.” In addition to usual posters and trailers for the film, which will run globally, Paramount played up the patriotic theme that was American as baseball — literally. In the U.S., Paramount sponsored red, white and blue fireworks on July 4 at 10 major league baseball games, including the Chicago White Sox versus the Kansas City Royals in Chicago and the Rockies versus the Braves in Atlanta. T-shirts and mini posters were also given out at the games. The studio also ran promotional ads during the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby on July 12. Additionally, the studio played up the character’s military roots. The movie was screened on 30 military bases across the country the weekend of July 16 and 17. Makers of “Captain America” also teamed up with other companies to get the word out. Marvel had tie-ins including packaging and contests with Dr Pepper Snapple Group and 7-Eleven, a deal with Wrigley that put Captain America on gum and a partnership with Dunkin’ Brands.
Photo by Gregory Bull | AP
Directors Peter Jackson, left, and Steven Spielberg walk off the stage after a panel discussion for their new movie, “The Adventures of Tintin,” during Comic Con on Friday in San Diego.
Directors team up for ‘Tintin’ By DAVID GERMAIN ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN DIEGO — Hollywood still dictates what the world watches at movie theaters. But more and more, the world outside North America will dictate what Hollywood makes, Steven Spielberg said Thursday at the ComicCon fan convention. His “The Adventures of Tintin,” with Spielberg as director and “The Lord of the Rings” creator Peter Jackson as producer, is a prime example. While big Hollywood films used to open with a splash in the United States then make their way gradually overseas, “Tintin” is doing the opposite, opening in many international markets nearly two months before its Dec. 23 U.S. debut. That’s because “Tintin” is a beloved storybook character in much of the world, created in the late 1920s by Belgian artist Georges Remi under his pen name, Herge. Generations of children grew up on the adventures of Tintin, an intrepid young re-
porter traveling the world with his dog Snowy at his side. But Tintin’s far from a household name among Americans, so the filmmakers and executives at Paramount Pictures hope the movie will catch fire with fans overseas in October and November, arousing the curiosity of U.S. audiences. It’s a reversal of the way Spielberg’s movies used to roll out decades ago, showing up in Europe and elsewhere as much as six months after premiering in the United States. After a film such as “Jaws” had become a U.S. blockbuster, Spielberg found the domestic hype helped stoke fan interest overseas. “Six months later, it was fresh for them. It was as fresh for them as hopefully ‘Tintin’ will be in America after only two months” in theaters outside the United States, Spielberg said in an interview alongside Jackson. With DVD revenue sinking, Hollywood is looking to the overseas box office
to help make up the gap. International revenues once typically accounted for half or less of U.S. films’ income, but they now often amount to twothirds or more of the theatrical cash stream. So international appeal inevitably will be a growing consideration for Hollywood studios, Spielberg said. “Tintin” opens in Herge’s native Belgium and some other European markets Oct. 26 and makes its way into theaters elsewhere around the globe for the next two months. Drawing from several of Herge’s books, including “The Secret of the Unicorn,” the film casts Jamie Bell’s Tintin on a sea voyage with his pooch and the grouchy Captain Haddock (frequent Jackson collaborator Andy Serkis) in search of lost treasure. Unlike Spielberg, who discovered the “Tintin” books as an adult after a critic had compared them to his Indiana Jones tale “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Jackson grew up on Herge’s stories in English-
language translations. “They spread to the colonies,” Jackson said. “They were huge. They were just part of everybody’s DNA growing up. I don’t think you could find a single New Zealand household that didn’t have ‘Tintin,’ or a cousin or a friend that had a ‘Tintin’ book. They were books I looked at before I could even read.” Spielberg directed Bell and the supporting cast in the actual performancecapture shoot, in which actors’ body language was recorded digitally. Producer Jackson’s WETA visual-effects house handled the second phase, in which the performances were layered with digital animation to create finished characters and sets. It was Spielberg’s first time in the virtual world of performance capture, a technique Jackson used to create the creepy Gollum in “The Lord of the Rings” films and the upcoming “Hobbit” prequels and the great ape in “King Kong,” characters both played by Serkis.
SÁBADO 23 DE JULIO DE 2011
Agenda en Breve SÁBADO 23 DE JULIO LAREDO — Hoy es el segundo día del Festival Internacional de Ciudades Hermanas 2011 en Laredo Energy Arena, a partir de las 10 a.m. y hasta las 7 p.m. Habrá 140 expositores que traerán sus productos de 12 diferentes estados de México. LAREDO — “Arte en la Avenida” se presenta hoy de 11 a.m. a 4 p.m. en el 4002 de avenida San Bernardo. Habrá artistas locales, pintores, fotógrafos, joyería, manualidades y más. LAREDO — Pase la tarde en el Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara y explore “The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather” a las 5 p.m., “Earth, Moon, and Sun” a las 6 p.m. y “Seven Wonders” a las 7 p.m. Costo general: 5 dólares. LAREDO — Laredo Theater Guild International presenta la obra de teatro “Annie” hoy a las 8 p.m. en el teatro Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez del Laredo Community College. Costo: 15 dólares general; 10 dólares para estudiantes con ID y adultos mayores. NUEVO LAREDO, México — Bazar de Arte en Estación Palabra de 12 p.m. a 5 p.m. NUEVO LAREDO, México — “Autores a la Obra” presenta al poeta Salvador Pliego, quien hablará de sus obras y trayectoria en Estación Palabra. El programa es complementado con el “Sábado de Música” con la presencia del Cuarteto de Cuerdas “Sonatta Siglo XXI”.
DOMINGO 24 DE JULIO LAREDO — Hoy es el tercer día del Festival Internacional de Ciudades Hermanas 2011 en Laredo Energy Arena, a partir de las 10 a.m. y hasta las 4 p.m. Habrá 140 expositores que traerán sus productos de 12 diferentes estados de México. LAREDO — Laredo Theater Guild International presenta la obra de teatro “Annie” hoy a las 3 p.m. en el teatro Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez del Laredo Community College. Costo: 15 dólares general; 10 dólares para estudiantes con ID y adultos mayores. NUEVO LAREDO, México — Fundación Musical Sergio Peña, A.C. presenta “Jóvenes valores en concierto” hoy a las 2 p.m. en la Sala Sergio Peña (Antigua Aduana). NUEVO LAREDO, México — Domingos de Teatro Universitario presenta al Grupo Teatropolis con “Jóvenes para un único suicidio” en el Teatro Lucio Blanco de la Casa de la Cultura a las 7 p.m. Entrada gratuita.
MARTES 26 DE JULIO LAREDO — Copa LareDos presenta un partido amistoso entre Laredo Heat y Bravos de Nuevo Laredo hoy a las 8 p.m. en la cancha de TAMIU. Costo adultos: 5 dólares; niños de 12 años y menores, 1 dólar.
MIÉRCOLES 27 DE JULIO LAREDO — Pase la tarde en el Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU y explore “Origins of Life” a las 4 p.m. y “Force 5: Nature Unleashed” a las 5 p.m. Costo: 3 dólares. LAREDO — La obra de teatro “Solteronas Desesperadas” de la Nena Delgado se presenta hoy a las 8:30 p.m. en el Laredo Civic Center.
JUEVES 28 DE JULIO LAREDO — Pase la tarde en el Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU y explore “Attack of the Space Pirates” a las 4 p.m. y “Planet Quest” a las 5 p.m. Costo: 3 dólares.
VIERNES 29 DE JULIO LAREDO — The Mystery Storyteller lee un libro divertido en Open Art Studio, 801 de calle Guadalupe, y los usuarios se llevan a casa una manualidad. La entrada es gratuita pero se debe reservar el espacio en www.open2art.com. La lectura de hoy es a las 6:30 p.m. LAREDO — Hoy es el “Fightfest 3” en LIFE Downs con la presentación especial de Houston Alexander (UFC) y la chica de UFC, Ali Sonoma. Las peleas programadas son: Jorge “Goofy” Gonzalez vs Angel Perez; Derek Campos vs Gilbert “The Pitbull” Jimenez; Elias Marks vs Michael Salazar; Joe Rodriguez vs Daniel Loyde; Vinnie Lopez vs Carlos Martinez. El boleto cuesta: 15 dólares general y 60 dólares junto al ring.
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 7A
SECRETARÍA DE SALUD PIDE ACTUALIZAR ESQUEMA DE VACUNACIÓN
Alerta ante sarampión TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Ante la presencia de un caso de sarampión en una menor de 6 meses de edad procedente de Paris, Francia, la Secretaria de Salud en México implementó una alerta epidemiológica. El caso de la bebé es el primero en cuatro años en el país, según dio a conocer el Secretario José Ángel Córdova. Ella arribó con su familia al Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México el 10 de julio. El último caso registrado de sarampión en Tamaulipas se presentó en una mujer de 21 años de Reynosa el año de 1995. “El sarampión es una enfermedad que se manifiesta con malestar general de inicio súbito, fiebre y ronchas en la piel, además de presentar un cuadro de catarro. La recomendación es no automedicarse y acudir de inmediato al Centro de Salud más cercano en su comunidad”, explica el sitio de Internet del Gobierno del Estado. El Secretario de Salud en Tamaulipas, Norberto Treviño Gar-
ropa. La mayoría de los casos fueron en Francia”.
“
La recomendación es no automedicarse y acudir de inmediato al Centro de Salud”. SECRETARÍA DE SALUD DE TAMAULIPAS
cía Manzo, dijo que para evitar la presencia de la enfermedad es necesario que los ciudadanos participen y sean conscientes TREVIÑO de los síntomas. “En caso de presentar fiebre y exantemas (ronchas), acudan a las unidades de salud, chequen su cartilla de vacunación para ver si está completa”, dijo Treviño. “Si van a viajar (es mejor) se apliquen la vacuna que está disponible en los aeropuertos internacionales”. En caso de ocurrir un caso en Tamaulipas, la Secretaría de Salud procedería a aplicar un bloque epidemiológico alrededor
del paciente para vacunar a todas las personas que tienen contacto con él para evitar brotes. La vacuna contra el sarampión se aplica a menores de 1 a 4 años de edad, posteriormente se aplica un refuerzo cuando el niño entra a la primaria, en información que publica el Gobierno del Estado. Los Centros de Salud cuentan con alrededor de 15,000 dosis para las personas de 12 a 39 años de edad que no cuentan con su esquema completo de vacunación. Según un artículo de la Associated Press, “la Organización Mundial de la Salud registró más de 12.000 casos en los primeros cinco meses de este año en Eu-
Bajo vigilancia Treviño expuso que además mantienen estrecha vigilancia en los padecimientos de tuberculosis. Dijo que en lo que va del 2011 se han detectado 487 nuevos casos en Tamaulipas y esto se debe a la búsqueda intencionada de pacientes que de manera permanente realizan el programa. Tras que una persona da positivo al estudio gratuito de flema llamado “baciloscopía” que se realiza en los centros de salud, el paciente es canalizado para que reciba el tratamiento de seis meses. Treviño señaló que la no continuidad del tratamiento provoca la formación de cepas de la enfermedad que son más difícil de curar que las de la infección original. “Es decir, la tuberculosis tiene que curarse a la primera”, agregó.
SEGURIDAD
FORTALECIDOS Programa rescata a Ciudad Mier ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
D
iseñado para atender las necesidades de los habitantes de Ciudad Mier, México, el programa estatal “Comunidades Fuertes para Todos” busca impulsar y fortalecer a municipios que enfrentaban diversas problemáticas derivadas principalmente de situaciones de inseguridad. Actualmente el programa se ha extendido a Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, Miguel Alemán, Camargo, Díaz Ordaz, Valle Hermoso, San Fernando, Méndez, Cruillas, Burgos, Hidalgo, Villagrán y Mainero. El Coordinador Regional del programa, Mario Leal Rodríguez, señaló que el objetivo es lograr el rescate de espacios públicos, promover la transparencia y buen gobierno, además de garantizar la seguridad social de cada uno de los tamaulipecos. “Su objetivo es articular acciones y recursos de las distintas áreas del gobierno estatal para fortalecer el tejido social y los lazos al interior de las comunidades para desarrollarlas como seguras, humanas, competitivas y sustentables”, dijo Leal. Ciudad Mier fue un caso especial porque en diciembre del 2010 su población no superaba las 500 personas debido al fenómeno de la inseguridad. Actualmente el también conocido co-
Fotos de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
Uno de los objetivos del programa estatal “Comunidades Fuertes para Todos” es garantizar empleo a los residentes de Ciudad Mier, México, que así lo deseen. mo Pueblo Mágico cuenta con 2,200 habitantes. Durante una visita a la ciudad, el Gobernador del Estado, Egidio Torre Cantú, recibió alrededor de 70 peticiones que dieron lugar a 81 acciones. “Las acciones fueron para devolver a Mier su categoría de pueblo habitable y seguro y, a la fecha, todas presentan un avance importante o se han resuelto”, dijo Leal. “Comunidades Fuertes para Todos” y su aplicación en el municipio de Mier fue reconocido durante la mesa de trabajo de Prevención Social del Delito y Fortalecimiento de la Cohesión Social dentro de la Convención Nacional de Seguridad convocada por la Conferencia Nacional de Gobernadores (CONAGO), celebrada en Chihuahua. Leal dijo que el programa
El Coordinador Regional del programa “Comunidades Fuertes para Todos”, Mario Leal Rodríguez y el Alcalde de Ciudad Mier, México, Alberto González Peña, constataron el avance de las acciones para lograr el rescate de espacios públicos. también ha permitido el desarrollo de estudios de seguimiento en el ánimo de las personas, la integración de la identidad de cada ciudad fomentando sus fes-
tejos tradicionales y regionales, así como el desarrollo de políticas de prevención de adicciones principalmente en jóvenes.
CIUDAD MIER
Mierense recibe premio internacional TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Un economista originario de Ciudad Mier, México, y quien ahora reside en Monterrey, fue galardonado por una empresa internacional a inicios de mes. Jesús Ángel Guerra Barrera y su equipo, representando al país, recibieron el 2010 Finance Award de America por parte de la empresa PEPSICO.USA el 7 de julio. “Guerra y su equipo de trabajo recibieron el reconocimiento ya que durante el 2010 trabajaron para hacer crecer la marca “Azucaradas de Maizoro (parte de la familia PEPSICO) logrando aumentar sus ventas en un 600 por ciento, la producción del 30 por ciento al 90 por ciento”, ex-
plicó la Directora de Turismo y Cultura Municipal en Ciudad Mier, Carmen Alicia Guerra Ríos. Guerra es hijo de Jesús Ángel Guerra Mancias y Maribel Barrera Salcedo, estudió economía en el Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey, la maestría en la Escuela de Graduados del Tecnológico de Monterrey en Finanzas, y la concluyó en Estocolmo, Suecia. “Felicitamos a este mierense distinguido”, dijo Guerra. “Es el ejemplo de que Mier siempre tiene y tendrá las representaciones a través de sus ciudadanos que una vez mas demuestran que hay calidad en la formación de sus habitantes”.
Imagen del 2010 Finance Award de America entregado por Pepsico.USA a Jesús Ángel Guerra Barrera, originario de Ciudad Mier, el 7 de julio.
Foto de cortesía | La del Miernes
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
Ban gone on gays in armed forces By LOLITA C. BALDOR AND ERICA WERNER ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Friday formally signed off on ending the ban on gays serving openly in the military, doing away with a policy that’s been controversial from the day it was enacted and making good on his 2008 campaign promise to the gay community. The president joined Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Adm. Mike Mullen, the joint chiefs of staff chairman, in signing a notice and sending it to Congress certifying that military readiness would not be hurt by repealing the 17year-old “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. That means that 60 days from now the ban will be lifted. “As commander in chief, I have always been confident that our dedicated men and women in uniform would transition to a new policy in an orderly manner that preserves unit cohesion, recruitment, retention and military effectiveness,” Obama said in a statement. “Today’s action follows extensive training of our military personnel and certification by Secretary Panetta and Admiral Mullen that our military is ready for repeal. As of September 20th, service members will no longer be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our country.” Friday’s move was expected under the repeal law Congress passed in December. Before “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the military did not allow gays to serve. But in 1993 President Bill Clinton said gays would be discharged only if their sexual orientation became known. Repeal has drawn strong opposition from some in Congress, and there was initial reluctance from military leaders who worried it could cause a backlash and erode troop cohesion on the battlefield. But two weeks ago, the chiefs of the military services told Panetta that ending the ban would not affect military readiness. Advocacy groups that fought for the change called the decision Friday long-overdue, while opponents said it’s a political payoff to left-leaning gay and lesbian activists. “The president’s certification of repeal is a monumental step, not just for those forced to lie in order to serve, but for all Americans who believe in fairness and equality,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. Elaine Donnelly, who heads the Center for Military Readiness, which has lobbied against repeal, said it will “undermine morale and readiness in the all-volunteer force.” The Pentagon is expected to spend the next 60 days preparing the troops for the change, and ironing out legal and technical details, including how it will affect housing, military transfers and other health and social benefits. In most cases, the guidelines require that gays and lesbians be treated like any other member of the military. There will be differences, however. Same sex partners will not get the same housing and other benefits as married couples. Instead, they are more likely to be treated like unmarried couples. Once the repeal is final, service members can no longer be discharged for openly acknowledging they are gay. That’s the key change. And those who have been discharged previously based solely on the gay ban may apply to re-enter the force. Service members may also designate their same-sex partners as beneficiaries for insurance and other benefits — something they may have avoided earlier for fear it would cause their dismissal.
SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011
Bombs, gunfire rip Norway Blasts kill 7; gunman kills 10 By NILS MYKLEBOST ASSOCIATED PRESS
OSLO, Norway — A bomb ripped open buildings in the heart of Norway’s government Friday, and a man dressed as a police officer opened fire at an island youth camp connected to the ruling party. At least seven people were killed in the blast and nine more in the camp shootings, the peaceful nation’s worst violence since World War II. Oslo police said 9 or 10 people were killed at the camp on Utoya island, where the youth wing of the Labor Party was holding a summer camp for hundreds of youths. Acting Police Chief Sveinung Sponheim says a man was arrested in the shooting, and the suspect had been observed in Oslo before the explosion there. Sponheim said police were still trying to get an overview of the camp shooting and could not say whether there was more than one shooter. Aerial images broadcast by Norway’s TV2 showed members of a SWAT team dressed in black arriving at the island in boats and running up the dock. Behind them, people stripped down to their underwear swam away from the island toward shore, some using flotation devices. In Oslo, the capital and the city where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, the bombing left a square covered in twisted metal, shattered glass and documents expelled from surrounding buildings. Most of the windows in the 20-floor high-rise where Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and his administration work were shattered. Other buildings damaged house government offices and the headquarters of some of Norway’s leading newspapers. Stoltenberg was working at home Friday and was unharmed, according to senior adviser Oivind Ostang. Oslo University Hospital said 12 people were admitted for treatment following the Utoya shooting, and 11 people were taken there from the explosion in Oslo. The hospital asked people to donate blood. The attacks formed the deadliest day of terror in Western Europe since the 2005 London bombings, which killed 52 people. Sponheim wouldn’t give any details about the shooting suspect, who he said was dressed in a police uniform when he opened fire into a crowd of youths. A spokesman for Stoltenberg’s Labor Party, Per Gunnar Dahl, said he couldn’t confirm that there were fatalities at Utoya, about 60 miles northwest of Oslo. The party’s youth wing organizes an annual summer camp on the island, and Stoltenberg had been scheduled to speak
Photo by Thomas Winje Oijord/Scanpix | AP
An officer responds in downtown Oslo on Friday following an explosion that tore open several buildings, including the prime minister’s office, shattering windows and covering the street with documents and debris. there Saturday. “There are at least five people who have been seriously wounded and have been transported to a local hospital,” Dahl said. He said the shooting “created a panic situation where people started to swim from the island” to escape. Police blocked off roads leading to the lake around Utoya. An AP reporter was turned away by police about 5-6 kilometers from the lake, as eight ambulances with sirens blaring entered the area. In Oslo, police said the explosion was caused by “one or more” bombs, but declined to speculate on who was behind the attack. They later sealed off the nearby offices of broadcaster TV 2 after discovering a suspicious package. Ian Dutton, who was in a nearby hotel, said the building “shook as if it had been struck by lightning or an earthquake.” He looked outside and saw “a wall of debris and smoke.” Dutton, who is from New York, said the scene reminded him of Sept. 11 — people “just covered in rubble” walking through “a fog of debris.” “It wasn’t any sort of a panic,” he said, “It was
really just people in disbelief and shock, especially in a such a safe and open country as Norway, you don’t even think something like that is possible.” Public broadcaster NRK showed video of a blackened car lying on its side amid the debris. An AP reporter who was in the office of Norwegian news agency NTB said the building shook from the blast and all employees were evacuated. Down in the street, he saw one person with a bleeding leg being led away from the area. The explosion occurred at 3:30 p.m., as Ole Tommy Pedersen stood at a bus stop 100 meters away. “I saw three or four injured people being carried out of the building a few minutes later,” Pedersen told AP. At Utoya, Emilie Bersaas, identified by Sky News television as one of the youths on the island, said she ran inside a school building and hid under a bed when the shooting broke out. “At one point the shooting was very, very close (to) the building, I think actually it actually hit the building one time, and
the people in the next room screamed very loud,” she said. “I laid under the bed for two hours and then the po-
lice smashed a window and came in,” Bersaas said. “It seems kind of unreal, especially in Norway. This is not something that could happen here, this is something you hear about happening in the U.S.” Another youth at the camp, Niclas Tokerud, stayed in touch with his sister through the attack through text messages. “He sent me a text saying ‘there’s been gunshots. I am scared (expletive). But I am hiding and safe. I love you,”’ said Nadia Tokerud, a 25-year-old graphic designer in Hokksund, Norway. As he boarded a boat from the island after the danger had passed he sent one more text: “I’m safe.” The United States, European Union, NATO and the U.K., all quickly condemned the bombing, which Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague called “horrific” and NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen deemed a “heinous act.” “It’s a reminder that the entire international community has a stake in preventing this kind of terror from occurring,” President Barack Obama said. Obama extended his condolences to Norway’s people and offered U.S. assistance with the investigation. He said he remembered how warmly Norwegians treated him in Oslo when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. The U.S. Embassy in Norway warned Americans to avoid downtown Oslo. The attacks come as Norway grapples with a homegrown terror plot linked to al-Qaida. Two suspects are in jail awaiting charges.
ZHS Youth Cheerleading Clinic Monday & Tuesday July 25 & 26 At the Zapata Middle School Gym (Hardwood Floor) Time: 9:00am-3:00pm Lunch/Snacks will be provided on both days Parent Presentation will be Tuesday at 3:00pm Concession Stand will be available
ZHS Cheerleaders are hosting a clinic for girls ages 3 and up. If anyone is interested in buying a ticket, contact Zapata High School cheerleader or Ms. Christina Martinez at:
(361) 720-2550
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SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
Mexico feds Soldiers find pot, guns, bodies burn 27 tons of marijuana By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Procuraduría General de la República or PGR, Mexico’s attorney general’s office, announced Friday the incineration of more than 27 tons of contraband in Reynosa, the town that sits across the border from McAllen. Mexican federal officials say much of the contraband was marijuana seized during 44 investigations. The incineration took place at the Campo de Tiro y Pesca in Reynosa. Officials say the contra-
band was seized throughout towns such as Reynosa, Miguel Alemán and Matamoros. These last two are across from the Texas towns of Roma and Brownsville respectively. A PGR report states the majority of the contraband was marijuana. Federal officials seized approximately 27.6 tons of pot, as well as 13 pounds of cocaine, which also was incinerated. State, local and federal authorities witnessed the incineration. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
Mexican military personnel announced last weekend results from their enforcement actions — which highlight marijuana, weapons and narcograves — in Reynosa, the town across the border from McAllen. Enforcement actions by the Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional or SEDENA, Mexico’s defense ministry, took place July 10 through
July 16. A SEDENA report states officials are committed to enforce Operation Northeast to curtail narcotrafficking and organized crime. Soldiers seized 1,092 pounds of marijuana, along with 325 marijuana plants. A SEDENA report states that from the marijuana seized, drug gangs could have produced approximately 247,780 personal doses. On a small scale, offi-
“We can’t comment on the bill because there is pending legislation,” said Joanne Ferreira, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokeswoman.
Based on border Cuellar and Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, citing concerns by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers, asked Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano in April to base a drone at the border. In addition, the Texas lawmakers asked Napolitano to increase the number of flight crews and ground operations to support additional aerial surveillance. Sen. John Cornyn, RTexas, said he was open to the proposition that would put a drone on the border, but he also defended the Corpus Christi site for the drones. “Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi certainly needs new missions and this is important to that mission in Corpus Christi,” Cornyn said. Cuellar said an estimated 20 percent of unmanned aerial vehicle missions at NAS Corpus Christi have been cancelled due to high winds or inclement weather. Texas is to receive its second drone as part of a $600 million border security bill passed by Congress last year.
Two in Corpus Christi The two drones at NAS Corpus Christi include a Guardian UAV, a maritime variant of the Predator, which has been operating in the state since last year.
Texas is to receive its second drone as part of a $600 million border security bill passed by Congress last year. It is equipped to fly search and rescue missions over the Gulf of Mexico. The new Predator drone headed to Texas is equipped with infrared technology to improve night flights over the border, according to retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael Kostelnik, who heads the U.S. Customs and Border Protection UAV program.
Arizona eye Another Predator is used to monitor the U.S.Mexico border west of the Big Bend region in Texas; it is based at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. There are four drones based at the Arizona military installation, and two in Texas for a total of six along the Southwest border. In addition to requiring a study for an additional base of UAV operations along the Southwest, legislative language also calls on DHS to work with the Defense Department to implement other devices and technology being developed by the military.
communication devices and confiscated six cell phones, among other items. While investigating some areas, military personnel found two narcograves, where the remains of four bodies were recovered. The identities of the victims are unknown. All items seized were turned over to federal officials. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline,
THE BLOTTER BURGLARY A woman reported a burglary of a habitation at 12:26 a.m. Monday in the 100 block of First Street. The victim said someone broke into her residence and stole several items.
CARD ABUSE
DRONE Continued from Page 1A
cials confiscated 92 doses of cocaine. Troops seized 277 assault rifles, 103 handguns, 24 grenades and 25,730 rounds of different calibers of ammunition. During operations, soldiers arrested 33 people. They wounded two and killed three in armed confrontations. Sixty-two vehicles were seized, five of those armored. A small airplane also was seized. About 302,990 pesos were confiscated. Troops also took down 23 radio
A debit card abuse report was filed at 10:40 a.m. Tuesday at the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office. The complainant reported that someone withdrew money from an ATM without his authorization.
CRIMINAL MISCHIEF A juvenile broke a window and threatened
to burn down a house at 9:37 p.m. Tuesday in the 400 block of Papaya Drive.
DISORDERLY CONDUCT Elvia Lee Cuellar was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct at approximately 8 p.m. July 16 near the intersection of Fourth Street and Texas 16. She was taken to the Zapata County Jail.
DUI Ismael Zuniga Sanchez was arrested and charged with driving under the influence at about 9:15 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of 16th Street and Diaz Avenue. He was taken to the Zapata Regional Jail.
MINOR WITH ALCOHOL Christopher Lee Buentello was arrested and charged with minor in possession of alcohol at about 5 a.m. July 17 near the intersection of Fourth Street and Zapata Avenue. Buentello was taken to the Zapata Regional Jail.
THEFT A stolen vehicle was reported at 2:33 p.m. July 17 at Cuatro Ranch, off Old U.S. 83. Freida Lee Yvette Dominguez was arrested at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. An incident report states Dominguez was observed on surveillance cameras stealing three packages of cooked meat at the D&E Foodcraft Center at 1605 N. U.S. 83. Dominguez was taken to the Zapata County Jail.
CENTER Continued from Page 1A tive director, Peggy Umphres-Moffett. “I have been actively writing grant proposals and submitting them to different agencies. We’re always busy,” she added. Umphres also says that she is looking across different sectors and that hopefully funding will come soon from the pub-
lic and private sectors. In March, Zapata County commissioners voted to stop funding for the Economic Development Center after a memorandum of understanding between the two parties was not approved, and ordered the non-profit to vacate county offices within 30 days.
The memorandum of understanding would have given the county more oversight of the center and the right to appoint a majority of the center’s board of directors, but the center felt this agreement could put its non-profit status in jeopardy. That same month, the
center’s board of directors resigned and a new board was assembled. In response to a comment from County Commissioner Eddie Martinez that the center no longer existed, Umphres said: “It is an active corporation and we continue to do business and help people in the community.”
Trading blame on the debt crisis By DAVID ESPO ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — House Speaker John Boehner abruptly broke off talks with President Barack Obama Friday night on a deal to make major cuts in federal spending and avert a threatened government default, sending already uncertain compromise efforts into instant crisis. Within minutes, an obviously peeved Obama virtually ordered congressional leaders to the White House this morning for fresh negotiations on raising the nation’s debt limit. “We’ve got to get it done. It is not an option not to do it,” he declared. For the first time since talks began, he declined to offer assurances, when asked, that default would
be avoided. At a rebuttal news conference of his own a short while later in the Capitol, Boehner said, “I want to be entirely clear, no one wants default on the full faith and credit of the United States government, and I’m convinced that we will not.” The two men offered sharply different accounts of the compromise efforts so far and who was at fault for the collapse. “I’ve been left at the altar now a couple of times,” Obama said wryly. “It’s the president who walked away from his agreement,” Boehner contended. The speaker said Obama wanted higher taxes and not enough spending cuts. The president countered that he had offered an “ex-
traordinarily fair deal” that totaled $2.6 trillion in spending cuts and $1.2 trillion in additional revenue. Strikingly, the two sides had agreed on two highly controversial changes, according to aides on both sides of the talks. One would raise the age of eligibility of Medicare gradually from 65 to 67 for future beneficiaries, while the other would slow the increase in cost-of-living raises in Social Security checks. Given that accord, it seemed likely those agreements would be among many carrying over to the broader meeting Saturday morning and beyond. Barring action by Congress by an Aug. 2 deadline, the Treasury will be unable to pay all its bills. Officials say a default could destabilize the al-
ready weakened U.S. economy and send major ripple effects across the globe. Even by the recent standards of divided government, Boehner’s decision triggered an extraordinary evening in which first the Democratic president and then the Republican speaker maneuvered for political position on an issue of enormous national import. Unspoken, yet unmistakable in all the brinkmanship was the 2012 campaign, still 18 months away, with the White House and both houses of Congress at stake. In a letter circulated earlier to the House Republican rank and file, Boehner said he had withdrawn from the talks because the president wanted to raise taxes and was reluctant to agree to cuts in benefit programs.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011
CHURCH Continued from Page 1A no other episodes of any kind whatsoever in the last 20 years of his priesthood in the diocese. There once one (sic) previous episode in Maidstone, Kent (England) in about 1960.” The allegations apparently weighed heavily on the mind of Clarke, who wrote to Tamayo, in a letter dated March 23, 1985: “Sorry again James for all the scandal and tension I caused. I hope all is quiet. May God forgive me and bless us all.” After spending about two months in treatment, Clarke returned to pastoral duties and was even promoted to monsignor.
Disbelief Salo Otero and Tomas Rodriguez, members of the St. Patrick parish, said they were shocked to hear of the accusations against Clarke. “I found Father Hugh Clarke to be a very good priest,” said Otero, who recalled Clarke being the first to broadcast Mass on the local radio. “He was also a very good teacher. Frankly, when I heard these allegations, I was very much surprised. “To me, it’s very sad. I knew him differently. I had no idea.” Rodriguez said he too was surprised by the allegations. He described Clarke as a “very devoted priest.” “I thought he took care of all the parishioners in an outstanding manner and taught us a lot of good things about God and our faith,” he said. “I just have all good … memories of him. “He was a good teacher, but he was also a good sermon and message deliverer. He stressed family unity.” Last week, three plaintiffs were awarded $1.2 million in a settlement reached with the Diocese
of Corpus Christi in connection with abuse they suffered from Clarke while they served as altar boys at Christ the King Church in the 1970s. According to the lawsuit, Clarke would pick up the children from low-income projects near the church and ply the boys, who were as young as 11, with church wine and then tell them to get money out of his pockets, which had slits. He would force the children to play with his genitals while he touched theirs. One plaintiff said Clarke put the priest’s penis in his mouth and that he was raped by the priest, who would routinely give the altar boys church wine while they ate lunch.
Correspondence The attorney for the plaintiffs, Tahira Khan Merritt of Dallas, in response to questions from Laredo Morning Times, provided hundreds of documents obtained during the discovery process relating to the Corpus Christi Christ the King Church case. The documents, many of them handwritten, reveal that Tamayo was selected to investigate Clarke while he was at St. Patrick’s Church. A disturbing pattern emerged from the documents: Diocesan officials knew that Clarke had a problem, but he was spirited out of state for treatment. And he was later transferred to other churches, ending his career as a pastor in Refugio. He retired in 1996 and died in Ireland in 2002. Merritt, who with attorney Tom Rhodes from San Antonio reached the settlement, said she is convinced more victims are out there. “I think it’s important that the secrets be exposed, that the whole rea-
son victims bring these cases forward is never about the money,” she said. “In order for there to be effective child protection, the truth has to be out there. There can’t be secrets. If they say zero tolerance, why wouldn’t they go to St. Patrick’s and say, ‘Father Clarke was here, and give your statement to the police and let us help you.’” Clarke’s psychologist had concerns about his follow-up care following his stint in treatment, according to documents from the Diocese of Corpus Christi. He wrote to Clarke, “It was clear that nothing had been done by you to obtain psychiatric treatment, nor was your work being supervised. … A major correlate of your behavior disorder is the denial of the need for help, and thus the necessity for close supervision and follow-up on all your visits for treatment.” The psychologist also noted in a separate report that when examining Clarke, “What one sees is a kind of ongoing internal duel between indulgence and suppression, each apparently daring the other (one armed with pleasure, the other no doubt with guilt) to shoot first. “Occasionally one does shoot, and from a purely objective point of view, it could be argued that when one either scores a ‘hit’ the result is, psychologically, equally damaging, if unequally disturbing to some onlookers.” It is unknown if the Laredo accusations were reported to law enforcement. In the files, one scratch piece of paper has the word “sheriff ” scrawled across it. Another phrase, “felony w/ minor (state penitent)” is on that page, which is unsigned. The same page has written “three boys to Mexico drinking … (redacted) escaped by bus after resist-
ing and told parents.”
Tamayo’s words In a handwritten letter stamped confidential and dated March 18, 1985, Tamayo submitted the following: “I called Fr. Hugh Clarke in Laredo. He was reached at the Cursillo Center where he was conducting a retreat. He confirmed what Bishop Gracida knew and expressed sorrow over the situation. He expressed regrets for the people involved and a desire to cooperate fully with the bishop for his mental and spiritual wellbeing. He consented to leave for the Rest, Renewal, and Re-Creation Center in Alexandria, Virginia. … “Fr. Clarke will be evaluated by a staff psychiatrist Dr. John Kinnane. … (Another priest) was asked to assure the family that immediate action was taken. They were informed that Fr. Clarke was cooperating with the bishop and would be receiving assistance professionally for his actions. They were also encouraged to receive professional counseling. …” The letter indicates that only the parents appeared for counseling and they were encouraged to bring the boys in the future. “(A priest) informed me that he had been told that this was not the first experience of Fr. Clarke’s involvement with boys. I can’t clearly recall if (the priest) knew this before this episode or if the family informed him of this information. I seem to recall it is the former, since the latter would incriminate the present situation. (This information verifies what a former associate pastor told me about his suspicions regarding Fr. Clarke. At the time, I did not act since no proof surfaced publicly and since the associate didn’t want
to reveal anything. Father Clarke was serving also as an associate with this priest at Christ the King, Corpus Christi.” The letter was kept in a “locked fireproof cabinet.” Another letter, dated 418-85 and unsigned, reads, “The issue with Fr. (Clarke) seems to be a dead issue. … Dad said younger boy would most likely drop the Fr. (Clarke) situation.”
Diocese’s response In response to questions from Laredo Morning Times, the Diocese of Laredo issued the following statement late Wednesday afternoon: “Documents released by the plaintiffs’ attorneys after the settlement indicate that Bishop Tamayo, as a priest assistant to Bishop Gracida at the Diocese of Corpus Christi, was involved in the investigation of an abuse allegation against Rev. Clarke in 1985, while Msgr Clarke was assigned to St. Patrick Parish. “This investigation did not involve the 1970’s abuse claims that were the subject of the lawsuit. The documents indicate that after the 1980’s investigation, Rev. Clarke received psychotherapy treatment, and no additional allegations of abuse have been alleged to occur after Rev. Clarke received treatment in the 1980’s.” The diocese also made clear in its statement that Tamayo was not a party to
the lawsuit. He was not ordained as a priest until 1976. The statement relates that the bishop is “committed to reaching out to anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse by church personnel.” According to the statement, anyone who feels he or she has been a victim is encouraged to contact Diocese of Laredo Victim Assistance Coordinator Lucy Cardenas at 956-7647825. Information about the diocesan safe environment program is accessible on the diocesan website, www.dioceseoflaredo.org. “The Diocese of Laredo is committed to a program to prevent abuse as well as to respond to any allegation of wrongdoing by church personnel. His Excellency, Bishop James A. Tamayo, calls on the diocesan family to join him in prayer for all victims of sexual abuse.” (Valerie Godines Fitzgerald may be reached at 728-2557 or vfitzgerald@lmtonline.com. LMT reporter Nick Georgiou contributed to this story.)
SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors WNBA
I’m here for you, Zapata Today is an exciting day for me because I am writing the first column of my journalistic career. First of all, I hope to put a face to all those words that have been written in the Zapata Times sports section the past few years. I hail from the Valley, a spec on the map of Hwy 77, and strive to make this paper a great one with each passing week. This column will touch on all subjects that have to do with Zapata sports and beyond, so don’t forget to pick it up every Saturday. It’s even free! Any suggestions on how we can improve the sports section, I am just an email away. Excitement is in the air, and July coming to a close can only mark one thing ... the start of high school sports. This is the time of the year I head to my local Wal-Mart to buy a big calendar so I can jot down all the Zapata sports and their schedules, because I don’t want to miss one of them. I call all the head coaches and request a schedule so I can mark with a different color highlighter and write down their game or meet they are attending that particular weekend. Red is for volleyball, orange for football, yellow for boys’ cross country and pink for girls’ cross country. Yes, Coach Mike (Villarreal), I chose pink for girls’ cross country because they are always wearing something pink when they run, so that was the natural choice. Over the years, I have gotten to know all the head coaches, and even with the athletes I started to build a professional relationship, so anytime I would approach Marlena (Garcia) or Brandi (King), they already knew who I was and were more at ease with me. Last year, I was able to make it to a football game so don’t be surprised if I am a constant fixture at Hawk Stadium. I just want to jump ahead of the game and request a seat at the Stadium, Coach Arce, because I want the best view to cover the Hawks accurately. In the past few years, Zapata has become a hotbed for championships and is a constant fixture in the playoffs, something some schools on Highway 83 only dream of. The argument might be that they are 5A schools and the competition is tougher, but when Zapata heads north to play them, the Hawks hold their own. For example, the Lady Hawks’ volleyball team had a banner year and one of their few losses came at the hands of Laredo Nixon, of Class 5A, but to Zapata’s defense, head coach Rosie Villarreal was away, tending to some family business and I do recall that game being a close one. Zapata sports are no pushover and they will give 4A and 5A schools headaches for years to come. Only time will tell of they are able to take four teams into the playoffs or head to regionals and the state meet, but Zapata has four dedicated coaches who know how to get them there. (Clara Sandoval can be reached at sandoval.clara@gmail.com)
Rocking Alamo city The San Antonio Silver Stars’ Danielle Adams passes off to teammate Becky Hammon during team practice for today’s WNBA All-Star game in San Antonio. The two are representing the Silver Stars in today’s game at 2:30 p.m. on ABC.
WNBA all-stars descend upon San Antonio today By CLARA SANDOVAL LAREDO MORNING TIMES
Photo by Clara Sandoval | Laredo Morning Times
SAN ANTONIO – The brightest and biggest WNBA all-stars have descended upon the Alamo City for the league’s all-star game today. This is the first time San Antonio has hosted the WNBA AllStar game as the league is marking its 15th year of existence.
The WNBA will also add to its all-star festivities today and unveil the top 15 most influential players since the inception of the league in 1997. They will be introduced at halftime of today’s game, which is at 2:30 p.m. and will be televised on ABC. The San Antonio Silver Stars,
See WNBA PAGE 2B
NFL
Photo by John Amis | AP
John Elway, executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos, arrives for a meeting Friday in Atlanta.
HOLD THOSE HORSES Talks put on hold as players review owners’ offer By HOWARD FENDRICH ASSOCIATED PRESS
W
ASHINGTON — Lawyers from both sides of the NFL’s labor dispute plan will work through the weekend — although not face-to-face — to try to resolve the differences that are preventing players from voting on the owner-approved proposal to end the lockout. After the NFL Players Association decided not to vote Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, it’s now possible the group won’t make any decision until next week. It all depends on how long it takes to resolve the remaining differences.
So the NFL is stuck in a holding pattern. As it is, clubs already were told not to expect players to begin arriving at facilities Saturday, when owners hoped gates would open. “Now it’s just waiting,” Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said at an Atlanta hotel where team executives were briefed Friday on new rules for next season. “Be flexible, and wait and see what happens.” Owners ratified the tentative terms 31-0 — the Oakland Raiders abstained — on Thursday, provided players would give their OK, too, and re-establish their union. But players decided later Thursday not to hold a vote, saying they hadn’t had a chance
to see a finished product. By Friday, it was in hand. “Player leadership is discussing the most recent written proposal with the NFL, which includes a settlement agreement, deal terms and the right process for addressing recertification,” NFLPA president Kevin Mawae said in a statement released by the group. “There will not be any further NFLPA statements today out of respect for the Kraft family while they mourn the loss of Myra Kraft.” Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith attended Friday’s funeral in Newton, Mass., for Kraft, the
See LOCKOUT PAGE 2B
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
Fall sports are just around the corner By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
With football, volleyball and cross country just around the corner, the Zapata High School coaching staff would like to remind all the athletes that they must report to the first day of
practice with a few items on hand. As per UIL rules, all athletes must have a physical on file before they step on the practice field or hit the streets with the cross country team. Reporting day for high school football players is Aug. 1 for two-
a-days starting at 7:30 a.m. for the first practice session and 4 p.m. for the second practice session. All football players are to report to the high school gym for a general meeting with the coaching staff and players are highly encouraged to be dressed in their
own shirts, shorts and cleats for the first few days of practice in order to maximize the allotted time. For more information, players can contact head coach Mario Arce at 956-765-0280.
See HIGH SCHOOL PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011
Schleck on cusp of elusive victory By GREG KELLER ASSOCIATED PRESS
ALPE D’HUEZ, France — If Andy Schleck is to finally win the Tour de France, he’s going to have to overcome one final obstacle on his own. The two-time Tour runner-up has acknowledged the advantage he gains from racing alongside his older brother Frank. But the younger Schleck won’t have that support in Saturday’s crucial nextto-last stage, a time trial in which he’ll try to hold onto his lead over Cadel Evans. The Australian, also a two-time runner-up in cycling’s premier race, is considered better at the solo race against the clock. Andy Schleck captured the yellow jersey Friday on the famed Alpe d’Huez, setting up a riveting finish to the 2011 race with the time trial followed Sunday by the dash to the Champs Elysees in Paris. The final stage rarely affects the overall standings. Frenchman Pierre Rolland won the 19th stage, battling up the mountain’s 21 brutally steep bends to finish 14 seconds ahead of Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez and 23 seconds clear of threetime Tour champion Alberto Contador. Schleck, who lost the 2010 Tour by a mere 39 seconds to Contador, leads his brother Frank by 53 seconds, while Evans is third, 57 seconds behind. Schleck knocked Contador out of the running in Thursday’s ascent of the Galibier pass, launching a daring solo attack from over 30 miles out that the Spaniard couldn’t match.
Photo by Christophe Ena | AP
New overall leader Andy Schleck of Luxembourg climbs Galibier pass during 19th stage of the Tour de France Friday Schleck, considered one of cycling’s top climbers, protected his lead over Evans on the Alpe d’Huez, the last of a three-day stretch of epic mountain stages in the Alps and one of the most famous climbs in cycling. Though Evans didn’t gain any time Friday on the 26-year-old rider from Luxembourg, he still has a shot at beating both Schleck
brothers in the 26.4-mile time trial around Grenoble. Time trialing, the individual race against the clock excelled at by specialists such as Swiss world champion Fabian Cancellara and U.S. rider David Zabriskie, has long been a weak point for Andy Schleck. Evans is a strong time trialist, but it will take a superlative per-
formance to make up his 57-second deficit and upset the Schlecks’ long-held dream of becoming the first brothers to finish together on the winner’s podium in the Tour’s 108-year history. Andy Schleck said he has not pre-ridden the route for Saturday’s stage, but he dismissed concerns he won’t be able to hold off Evans. “Everybody tells me it’s a time
trial that suits me good, so I believe everybody and hope to show a good performance tomorrow,” Schleck said. Evans beat Schleck by nearly 2 minutes in a 2008 Tour time trial that was about 6.2 miles longer. Schleck was only 23 and riding in his first Tour then, and since has worked on improving in the discipline.
WNBA Continued from Page 1B
Photo by Renee Jones Schneider/Star Tribune | AP
Aaron Boogaard, left, breaks down while speaking about his brother Derek Boogaard during a public memorial service in St. Paul, Minn. On May 15.
Former Buck arrested By STEVE KARNOWSKI ASSOCIATED PRESS
MINNEAPOLIS — Hennepin County’s top prosecutor says the brother of the late NHL strongmen Derek Boogaard should have known better than to give his brother a narcotic pain pill the day after Boogaard out of treatment. Hennepin County Attor-
ney Mike Freeman tells reporters Derek Boogaard had gotten out of a drug rehabilitation center in New York the day before his brother gave him the pill that contributed to his death. Twenty-four-year-old Aaron Boogaard was charged Friday with unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.
Freeman says Aaron Boogaard won’t face more serious charges because prosecutors can’t prove the pill directly caused Derek Boogaard’s death. Freeman says Derek Boogaard had a lot more Oxycontin than one pill, and a lot of alcohol, in his system when he was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment May 13.
LOCKOUT Continued from Page 1B wife of New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft. Even when players decide they’re OK with a final agreement, their approval process is more complicated than the owners’ was. The 32 team reps will have to recommend accepting the settlement. Then the 10 named plaintiffs in the players’ lawsuit against the league — including Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees — must officially inform the court of their approval. Eventually, all 1,900 players would take a majority vote to approve returning the NFLPA to union status. When talks broke down in March, allowing the old collective bargaining agreement to expire, the players dissolved the union, turning the NFLPA into a trade association. That’s what allowed the players to sue the owners in federal court under antitrust law. Only after the NFLPA is again a union can it negotiate certain parts of a new CBA. Among those items
that are of most concern to players: n the league’s personal conduct policy; n drug testing; n benefits, such as pension funds, the disability plan, and the “88 Plan,” which provides money for care of former players with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. The major economic framework for a 10-year deal was worked out a week ago. That included how the more than $9 billion in annual league revenues will be divided (about 53 percent to owners and 47 percent to players over the next decade; the old CBA resulted in nearly a 50-50 split); a per-club cap of about $120 million for salary and bonuses in 2011 — and at least that in 2012 and 2013 — plus about $22 million benefits; a salary system to rein in spending on first-round draft picks; and unrestricted free agency for most players after four seasons. Goodell and the owners expressed hope Thursday
night that their vote would lead to a speedy resolution to the NFL’s first work stoppage since 1987. They called it an equitable deal that improves player safety and allows the sport to prosper even more. “It is time to get back to football,” a weary Goodell said. Already, one game is sure to be lost: The league called off the Hall of Fame exhibition opener, scheduled for Aug. 7 between the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams. As of Friday evening, the NFL still aimed to start the league year next Wednesday. But for the time being, the league’s labor impasse officially dragged on. “We were told there’s a lockout still in place, as far as the way we handle it, the way we’re supposed to handle it,” Denver Broncos chief of football operations John Elway said after the four-hour session for club executives in Atlanta. “We’re still in the same place we were.”
currently sitting third in the West with a 9-5 overall record, will be well represented as two of their own are counted among the many that will roam the AT&T Center this afternoon. Veteran Becky Hammon is making her sixth all-star appearance, while rookie teammate Danielle Adams is making her allstar debut. Hammon and Adams will suit up for the West as reserves, and the team is coached by Brian Agler (Seattle Storm) and assisted by Dan Hughes (San Antonio). The West is comprised of starters Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Swin Cash (Seattle Storm), Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) and Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks). Parker will not be able to play due to a knee injury she suffered on June 26 in New York. Rebekkah Brunson (Minnesota Lynx) takes her place. The West reserves include Hammon, Adams, Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx), Liz Cambage (Tulsa Shock) and Penny Taylor (Phoenix Mercury). The East is comprised of starters Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun), Katie Douglas (Indiana Fever), Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream), and Cappie Pondexter (New York Liberty). The reserves are Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky), Courtney Vandersloot
Hammon has taken Adams under her wing for most of the season, including this grand weekend, where it can sometimes be overwhelming for a rookie. (Chicago Sky), Renee Montgomery (Connecticut Sun), Epiphanny Prince (Chicago Sky), Essence Carson (New York Liberty) and Crystal Langhorne (Washington Mystics). Hammon and Adams joined the rest of the allstars at an open practice to the public at the AT&T Center late Friday afternoon. It was a quick 30minute, loose practice, just to feel out the team and then meet the public. “I probably just like hanging out with the players,” Hammon said of her favorite part of the AllStar weekend. “It’s not a high-stress situation, where most of the time you’re always competing, competing.” Hammon has taken Adams under her wing for most of the season, including this grand weekend, where it can sometimes be overwhelming for a rookie. “I just tell her to have fun, soak it up,” Hammon said. “I mea, it’s an honor, and I’m just really thrilled for her that the coaches honored her and put her on.” With Hammon making her sixth all-star game for two different teams (New York and San Antonio), she still gets excited
about the opportunity to play. “I think that every year it takes on its own personality,” she said. “And every year it’s an honor; whether it’s the coaches or the fans putting you on, it’s an honor to represent the league in this manner.” Hammon has many fond memories from her all-star experiences, but the one that sticks out the most was her first one where she suffered an injury right before the game. “It was in 2003 and I had blown out my knee right before and the coaches still put me on (the team), even though I wasn’t going to play,” she said. Adams, who is averaging 14.6 points and 4.7 rebounds following a stellar collegiate career for Texas A&M that ended with a national championship in the spring, is a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year and is eager to soak in the moment. “It’s amazing. I am at a loss for words,” Adams said. “It tells me that all my hard work is paying off and, if I continue to work hard, great things will come. “I grew up watching a lot of these girls.”
HIGH SCHOOL Continued from Page 1B All high school volleyball players, including incoming freshmen, are to report Monday Aug. 1 at 8 a.m. at the high school gym ready to practice. Players are to be dressed in their own practice clothing, which includes a tshirt, shorts and shoes. For more information, please contact head coach Rosie Villarreal at 956-3240981. The cross country team has been working out since the early summer months and will continue to practice. For more information, please contact head coach Mike Villarreal or Juan Villarreal at Zapata High. Zapata is coming off one of the most successful seasons to date as all four of the aforementioned teams made the
playoffs last year and will be working to mirror that success in the next couple of months.
Lady Hawk Volleyball Camp The camp will run from Wednesday, July 27- Friday, July 29 with two sessions. The first session will start at 9 a.m. to noon and it is geared toward 4-7 graders. The second session will go from 2-5 p.m. and it is designed for 8-9 graders. The cost of the camp is only $30 and will be run by the high school coaching staff. For more information, please contact Coach Villarreal at 956-324-0981.
SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
HINTS BY | HELOISE The Automated Voice Dear Heloise: Please let me SOUND OFF. How much trouble can it be, when calling a place, to have a human answer the phone? I called and got this automated lady asking why I was calling. The choices were not anything I could use. She kept saying, “I didn’t get that.” When a human person comes on the line, I already am angry enough to spit nails. Companies that value my business should provide a human person to answer questions or conduct other business. — Pat in Ohio Pat, most people agree with you. However, with the large national companies receiving the huge volume of calls they get, this is the way it is today! Readers, thoughts on her comments? — Heloise FAST FACTS Dear Readers: Here are a few ways to reuse cleaned frozen-treat sticks. Use them to label different plants in your yard. Paint them and make a picture frame. Stir coffee with one. Use as a straight edge for underlining things. — Heloise MEATLOAF FILLER Dear Heloise: I keep a small tub for collecting the crumbs at the bottom of cracker, chip and bread
“
HELOISE
bags for meatloaf filler and meatballs. Just remember that most will include salt, so go easy with seasoning. — Gayle in North Carolina LACE CURTAINS Dear Heloise: I am a daily reader of your column. I would like to know how to wash my lace curtains so that they will stay crisp. You printed it once before; would you be kind enough to print it again, please? — Ann T., Fulton, Miss. Happy to, Ann! Here’s how to get your curtains crisp and clean: Fill a sink with cool water, mix in 1 cup of Epsom salts and make sure the salts are completely dissolved. Put the curtains in the sink, then dip them in and out while being careful NOT to wring or twist them! Hang them either outside or over a bathtub to dripdry. That’s all there is to it! — Heloise SEND A GREAT HINT TO: Heloise P.O. Box 795000 San Antonio, TX 782795000 Fax: 1-210-HELOISE Email: Heloise@Heloise.com
DAILY CRYPTOQUOTES — Here’s how to work it:
FAMILY CIRCUS
DENNIS THE MENACE
4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011
Khan, Judah at a crossroads ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS — Amir Khan often spars in camp with Manny Pacquiao, so he’s used to tough fights. Zab Judah plans to give him just that when they meet for real Saturday in a 140-pound unification fight. Khan and Judah both bring titles into the bout, which pits a veteran who has been in the ring against some big names against a fighter who seems to just be reaching his prime. It figures to be a crossroads fight for both boxers, though Khan is the one with a potentially brighter future. The British fighter said he took the fight because he only wants to fight the best. “I think everyone knows I’ve got a big task in front of me. I’ve got Zab Judah,” Khan said. “My goals are to take the best out there and the likes of Floyd Mayweather one day. At the moment, I want to take things a step at a time.” To take on Mayweather, Khan sees himself moving up to 147 pounds and campaigning as a welterweight. For now, though, he’s comfortable at 140, where he has defended his WBA title three times since winning it in December 2009 by beating Dmitriy Salita. The fight comes after a disappointing performance in Khan’s last bout when his fight against Paul McCloskey in England ended when the ring doctor waved it to a close with McCloskey cut after the sixth round. In his fight before that, though, Khan beat Marcos Maidana in a bout that boxing writers voted fight of the year. In that fight, the former Olympic silver medalist answered questions about his chin that arose when he was stopped in 2008 in the first round by Breidis Prescott in the only loss of his career. That fight was also at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino, where he and Judah will square off. “There are those who say
Photo by Matt Sayles | AP
The Dallas Mavericks’s Dirk Nowitzki, seen here accepting an ESPY award, said he will play for Germany at the European Championship where an Olympic berth will be on the line for his home country.
Photo by Tom Hogan/Golden Boy Promotions | AP
In a photo provided by Golden Boy Promotions, Amir Khan works out on July 12 in Los Angeles as he prepares for today’s fight against Zab Judah in Las Vegas. Amir Khan can’t take a punch,” said Khan. “That I’m a bit chinny - Zab has been accused of that, as well. That’s why this is an exciting fight.” Judah is the biggest name Khan has met and, at the age of 33, he comes into the scheduled 12-round bout with the IBF version of the title. Judah, who lost a decision to Mayweather five years ago, has won five straight fights and says he has recommitted himself to a career that has now stretched over 15 years. Judah said his experience in big fights may be the deciding factor against his younger opponent. “I’ve been where he’s been, and he’s going to have to do it in the lights,” Judah said.
“I’ve beaten a guy from Argentina, a guy from Africa, and now I’m going to beat a guy from the U.K.” Khan originally wanted to fight Timothy Bradley, another 140-pound champion, but Bradley turned down the fight so he moved on to Judah, a three-time 140-pound titlist and former undisputed welterweight champion. “I got my second wind,” said Judah, who is from Brooklyn, N.Y., but now lives in Las Vegas. “I lived for years as Zab Judah the tough guy, the bully, the product of my environment. Well, you don’t forget where you come from, but I now know who I am.” Judah (41-6, 28 knockouts)
has former welterweight champion Pernell Whitaker in his corner, while Khan (25-1, 17 knockouts) is trained by Freddie Roach, who trains Pacquiao. Khan has sparred with Pacquiao both in the Philippines and in Los Angeles when Pacquiao trained for recent fights. But he said it was his brutal fight with Maidana, who rocked him late in the bout before Khan rallied to win, that taught him a boxing lesson. “I learned a lot about myself that night,” Khan said. “I proved I was a warrior and that I had a good chin. That will help my confidence against Zab Judah, no question.”
Nowitzki to play for Germany at Europeans ASSOCIATED PRESS
FRANKFURT, Germany — Dirk Nowitzki says he will play for Germany at the upcoming European Championship when Olympic berths will be at stake. The Dallas Mavericks forward says the break after the NBA finals was brief, but he’d “like to help the young German team have success.” Nowitzki led the Mavericks to the NBA championship over the Miami Heat and was named the series MVP. The European Championship is Aug. 31Sept. 18 in Lithuania. The two finalists qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London. Germany is in a group with France, Italy, Serbia, Latvia and Israel.