The Zapata Times 7/27/2013 by The Zapata Times

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VOTING RIGHTS ACT

ZAPATA COUNTY

Taking aim at Texas

Mexico office to be here

Feds strike back against court’s Voting Rights ruling By PETE YOST AND KEITH COLLINS ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration opened an aggressive new front in the battle over vot-

er protection Thursday, singling out Texas for legal action and promising broader efforts to come after last month’s Supreme Court ruling that wiped out a major provision of

the Voting Rights Act. It was the administration’s first legal response to counter the justices’ 5-4 decision, but Attorney General Eric Holder pledged that “it will not be

“we cannot allow the slow unraveling of the progress that so many, throughout history, have sacrificed so much to achieve.”

our last.” In a speech to the National Urban League in Philadelphia, Holder called the Voting Rights Act “the cornerstone of modern civil rights law” and said that

See VOTING PAGE 9A

TEXAS HISTORY

SHIPWRECKS IN THE GULF

Photo by NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program | AP

An oxidized copper hull sheathing and possible draft marks are visible on the bow of a wrecked ship in the Gulf of Mexico about 170 miles from Galveston. Officials with Texas A&M University at Galveston and Texas State University say the recovery expedition of the two-masted ship that may be 200-years-old, concluded Wednesday.

Team finds 3 well-preserved ships 4,300-plus feet deep By MICHAEL GRACZYK ASSOCIATED PRESS

GALVESTON — Marine archaeologists made a thrilling discovery this week while examining a well-preserved shipwreck deep in the Gulf of Mexico — two other sunken vessels that likely went down with it during an early

19th century storm. Much isn’t known about the ships, including the flag or flags they sailed under and the year they sank about 170 miles southeast of Galveston. They came to rest 4,363 feet, or nearly three-quarters of a mile, below the surface, making them the deepest Gulf or North American ship-

wrecks to have been systematically investigated by archaeologists, the researchers said. “What you’re going to see and hear I hope will blow your mind. Because it has ours,” lead investigator Fritz Hanselmann told reporters at a Thursday news conference in which the team revealed its ini-

tial findings. “We went out with a lot of questions and we returned with even more. The big question we’re all asking is: What is the shipwreck? And the answer is we still don’t know,” said Hanselmann, a researcher from Texas State University in San Marcos’ Meadows Center for Water and

the Environment. During eight days of exploration that ended Wednesday, the scientists used remote-controlled machines to recover more than 60 artifacts from the initial shipwreck site, including musket parts, ceramic cups and dishes, li-

See SHIPS PAGE 9A

Consulate General of Mexico to offer services until 2 By MALENA CHARUR THE ZAPATA TIMES

For the second time this year, the Consulate General of Mexico in Laredo will be in Zapata today to assist county and area residents needing consulate services. Consul General Miguel Ángel Isidro Rodríguez said the mobile office was here in February to help people needing services from the consulate, located in Laredo. “The consulate decided to provide this service for people who have transportation problems, such as senior citizens, those with illnesses or other situations,” said Ivonne Aguirre, supervisor of the Consulate’s health matters. “We practically dismantled the office — staff and computers — and moved there to assist people in that area.” Aguirre said about 200 people visited the mobile office when it last visited Zapata. She said staff accepted 152 applications for services and because of the demand, the consulate decided to return. The event has the support of County Judge Joe Rathmell, she said. “We can help people who are applying for passports, Mexican identification cards, birth certificates and information and other services provided by the consulate such as legal advice and other guidance,” Aguirre said. For today’s visit, in addition to consulate services, will be personnel from the state’s Health and Human Services Commission, Office of Border Affairs, Zapata County Independent School District and Zapata County, plus a health fair, according to press releases. The mobile consulate will be located at the Technical and Advanced Education Center, North Highway 83 and 9th Street, and will operate from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Contact Malena Charur at 728-2583, or at mcharur@lmtonline.com. Translated by News Editor Mark Webber.)

FEDERAL COURT

Testimony: Cocaine came from Zapata By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES

LAREDO — Zapata was named the town where cocaine loads originated from to later be transported to Atlanta, Ga., according to testimony heard in a federal trial in Laredo against three men facing drug charges. An indictment filed June 27, 2012, charges Enrique Mendez, Carlos Flores Sr., and Carlos Flores Jr., with

conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of at least 5 kilograms of cocaine. Mendez faces additional charges of money laundering conspiracy and obstruction by threats of force while Flores Sr. faces an added charge of possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. The case is being heard before U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo. On Monday, Robert

The agent said authorities suspected a cocaine transaction based on what they heard on the intercepted calls. Flores, Homeland Security Investigations special agent, testified to several surveillance instances which implicated a man identified as Elbert Figue-

roa and the Floreses. Federal authorities identified Figueroa as the person in charge of the connections in Mexico and the transportation cells in Laredo.

Figueroa would pick up cocaine and stash it to later be moved to Atlanta. He was also in charge of receiving drug money to later be taken into Mexico. Seizures included sums in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Agents arrested Figueroa in 2010 on conspiracy and cocaine charges. He’s yet to be sentenced. Figueroa took the stand Tuesday to detail how cocaine conspiracy worked. He implicated Mendez dur-

ing his testimony. Mendez, owner of KCM Transportation in Laredo, had been part of the drug trafficking organization since 2003 or 2005. And Mendez knew the money taken into Mexico was from cocaine proceeds, Figueroa testified. In a recorded phone conversation, Mendez allegedly complained of not getting paid. Figueroa said Mendez had mistakenly sent 26

See TRIAL PAGE 9A

PAGE 2A

Zin brief CALENDAR

SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013

AROUND TEXAS

TODAY IN HISTORY

SATURDAY, JULY 27

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Epoca de Oro Social Club summer dance. Roli’s Music Hall, 100 Taylor St. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Ticket sale Saturday, July 20, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Holiday Inn. Ticket sale day of event, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call Teresita at 723-9809, Sylvia at 718-0024 or Daniel at 290-7341. 4th Annual Cat Appreciation Day and Cat Contest, sponsored by PETCO and Gateway Gatos. PETCO, 2450 Monarch Dr. 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Proclamation by Mayor Raul Salinas at 12:30. Registration for 10 categories from 12:30 to 1 p.m. Judging and prizes 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. for live categories and 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. for photo categories. $5 donation for each category. Call 286-7866. United Way’s Caring, Loving, Giving Concert. 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Laredo Civic Center Ballroom. Presale tickets $15 at United Way of Laredo office, 1815 Hillside Road or IBC locations: IBC Main Bank, El Banquito Mall del Norte No. 1, El Banquito South, El Banquito Plantation and IBC Wal-Mart at Loop 20. $20 at the door. Call 7239113. PILLAR Light Up the Night 5K Walk/Run. Registration 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Children’s run 7:30 p.m. Walk/Run 8 p.m. North Central Park. Registraton $25 for adults and $5 for children. Call 723-7457. Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Training. 902 E. Calton Road. 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. No experienced needed. Training free. Contact Alexis Herrera at 727-8691 or alexis@vozdeninos.org to reserve seat.

Today is Saturday, July 27, the 208th day of 2013. There are 157 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On July 27, 1953, the Korean War armistice was signed at Panmunjom, ending three years of fighting. On this date: In 1789, President George Washington signed a measure establishing the Department of Foreign Affairs, forerunner of the Department of State. In 1861, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan took command of the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War. In 1866, Cyrus W. Field finished laying out the first successful underwater telegraph cable between North America and Europe. A previous cable in 1858 burned out after only a few weeks’ use. In 1909, during the first official test of the U.S. Army’s first airplane, Orville Wright flew himself and a passenger, Lt. Frank Lahm, above Fort Myer, Va., for one hour and 12 minutes. In 1940, Bugs Bunny made his “official” debut in the Warner Bros. animated cartoon “A Wild Hare.” In 1960, Vice President Richard M. Nixon was nominated for president on the first ballot at the Republican National Convention in Chicago. In 1974, the House Judiciary Committee voted 27-11 to adopt the first of three articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon, charging he had personally engaged in a course of conduct designed to obstruct justice in the Watergate case. In 1996, terror struck the Atlanta Olympics as a pipe bomb exploded at Centennial Olympic Park, directly killing one person and injuring 111. Anti-government extremist Eric Rudolph later pleaded guilty to the bombing. Ten years ago: Comedian Bob Hope died in Toluca Lake, Calif. at age 100. Five years ago: A gunman went on a rampage at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, killing two people and wounding six others. (Jim D. Adkisson later pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.) One year ago: Britain opened its Olympic Games in a celebration of Old England and new, even cheekily featuring a stunt double for Queen Elizabeth II parachuting with James Bond into Olympic Stadium. The International AIDS Conference closed in Washington, D.C. Today’s Birthdays: TV producer Norman Lear is 91. Actor Jerry Van Dyke is 82. Sportscaster Irv Cross is 74. Actor John Pleshette is 71. Singer Bobbie Gentry is 69. Actress-director Betty Thomas is 65. Olympic gold medal figure skater Peggy Fleming is 65. Singer Maureen McGovern is 64. Actress Janet Eilber is 62. Rock musician Tris Imboden (Chicago) is 62. Actress Roxanne Hart is 59. Country musician Duncan Cameron is 57. Comedian-actress-writer Carol Leifer is 57. Comedian Bill Engvall is 56. Jazz singer Karrin Allyson is 51. Country singer Stacy Dean Campbell is 46. Rock singer Juliana Hatfield is 46. Actor Julian McMahon is 45. Thought for Today: “Diplomacy is the art of saying ’Nice doggie’ until you can find a rock.” — Will Rogers, American humorist (18791935).

MONDAY, JULY 29 Laredo Area Parkinson’s Disease Support Group. 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Community Room, Ground Floor of Tower B at Laredo Medical Center. Presentation from neurologist Dr. Fernando Sanchez. Information pamphlets and refreshments available. Call Richard Renner at 645-8649 or 724-5619.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31 Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows: “The Little Star that Could” at 4 p.m. “Black Holes” at 5 p.m. General admission $3. 326-3663. Meeting of National Association of Retired and Veteran Railway Employees. 10 a.m. Laredo Masonic Lodge, 9901 Crystal Court. Pension information provided. Call Joe Sosa at 2864237.

THURSDAY, AUG. 1 Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo County Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 7270589.

SATURDAY, AUG. 3 First United Methodist Church will hold a used book sale, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 1220 McClelland Ave. Hardback books are $1, paperback books 50 cents, and magazines and children’s books 25 cents.

TUESDAY, AUG. 6 The Les Amis Birthday Club will host monthly luncheon at the Holiday Inn Civic Center. This month’s honorees are Maria Olivia Salinas, Hercilia Camina and Carmen Santos. Hostesses are Thelma Sanchez, Cristina Garza, Herminia Molina and Grace Stegmana.

File photos by Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office | AP

These photos provided by the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office show Eric and Kim Williams. Eric Williams and his wife Kim were indicted on capital murder charges June 27 in the slayings of prosecutors Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse, District Attorney Mike McLelland and McLelland’s wife, Cynthia. Authorities are seeking the death penalty.

Death penalty sought ASSOCIATED PRESS

KAUFMAN — Authorities will seek the death penalty against a former East Texas county official accused of killing three people, including two prosecutors. Special prosecutor Bill Wirskye said Friday during a court hearing that the state will look to execute former Kaufman County Justice of the Peace Eric Williams. He’s charged with killing Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse in January as he walked into work and District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia at their home in March. Wirskye said no determination has been made whether to seek the same penalty against Williams’ wife, Kim Williams. Both are charged with three counts of capital murder. Jury selection in the trial of Eric Williams, 46, could begin in the spring, with a trial tentatively planned for October 2014.

FEMA grants nearly $3 million for West schools

Suspect in ’92 Texas murder arrested in Denver

Pilot killed in Amarillo plane crash

WEST — Federal emergency officials have announced a grant of nearly $2.8 million to help schools devastated by an April fertilizer plant explosion in a Central Texas town. On Friday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced a grant that includes money for temporary classrooms and administrative buildings to replace those destroyed or damaged in the explosion.

DENVER — A Texas murder suspect on the run for 21 years is now in custody in Colorado. U.S. Marshals arrested Jose Luis Aguilar on Thursday in Denver. He’s been wanted since 1992 for allegedly shooting and killing a man during an argument at a rodeo in Plainview. Aguilar is being held in the Douglas County jail south of Denver as he awaits extradition back to Texas.

AMARILLO — A federal aviation spokesman says the pilot of a small plane was killed after it crashed in a Texas Panhandle neighborhood Thursday. Family members and business associates identified the pilot as Ben Harned IV. There were no reports of injuries to people on the ground. Police say the crash happened near a highway interchange within the Amarillo city limits.

Texas teen charged in auto wreck that killed 3

Baby elephant at Fort Worth Zoo named Belle

Boy, 4, drowns in Beaumont motel pool

NACOGDOCHES — A man has been charged in a crash that killed three classmates at Stephen F. Austin State University in May. 19-year-old Kevin Garcia of Nacogdoches was charged this week with three counts of criminally negligent homicide. If convicted, Garcia could be sentenced to two years in jail.

FORT WORTH — An elephant born at the Fort Worth Zoo has been named Belle. Zoo spokeswoman Alexis Wilson said Thursday that Belle was the overwhelming favorite after the public was invited to vote on six possible names recommended by the zoo staff. The Asian elephant was born July 7 at the zoo.

BEAUMONT — Investigators say a 4-year-old boy has drowned while swimming in a Texas motel pool with his family. Beaumont police on Thursday identified the child as Torrell Malilk Martin. The Beaumont boy was pronounced dead Wednesday night at a hospital. An autopsy has been ordered. — Compiled from AP reports

THURSDAY, AUG. 8 Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo County Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 7270589. Lulac Council #12. 25th Annual Presentation of Scholarships. 7 p.m. Falcon International Bank, 7718 McPherson Rd. Each student will receive a $500 scholarship. Call Ed Bueno at 763-2214.

FRIDAY, AUG. 9 Magic show for Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center patients and families. 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Conference Room No. 2, 1220 N. Malinche Ave. Doors open 30 minutes prior. Snacks and drinks provided. RSVP by Wednesday, Aug. 7 with Ariana Mora/Maribel Cruz at 722-2431.

TUESDAY, AUG. 13 The Indispensable Assistant Workshop. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Room 101 of Laredo Community College’s De La Garza Building. Early bird registration $149 per person. Regular registration (after July 31) $159 per person.

Authorities believe the killings were to avenge the former justice of the peace’s conviction on theft charges that cost him his office and law license. McLelland and Hasse prosecuted the case. Williams was elected to his judicial post in 2010 after practicing law in the county east of Dallas for a decade. He previously served as a peace officer in five North Texas cities and two counties, including Kaufman, according to records previously obtained by The Associated Press from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. As recently as December 2010, he was a reserve officer in the Kaufman County Sheriff ’s Department. During his theft trial, McLelland and Hasse portrayed Williams as a dishonest public official with a dangerous streak. The prosecutors presented evidence indicating Williams had made death threats against another local attorney and a former girlfriend.

AROUND THE NATION Green paint splattered on the Lincoln Memorial WASHINGTON — The Lincoln Memorial was temporarily closed Friday after someone splattered green paint on the statue of the 16th president, though the National Park Service said it would reopen by evening. The apparent vandalism was discovered around 1:30 a.m. Friday on the statue, the pedestal and the floor, U.S. Park Police said. No words, letters or symbols were visible in the paint. The marble Lincoln statute had green paint on its shin, coattail, chair and base, as well as paint on the floor of the memorial building.

Wis. woman gets 5 years in starvation case MADISON, Wis. — A judge has sentenced a woman accused of torturing her stepdaughter

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

Dancers perform choreographer Mark Dendy’s "Ritual Cyclical," presented by Lincoln Center Out of Doors and the American Dance Festival on Thursday in New York City. and starving her to 68 pounds to five years in prison. The Madison woman pleaded no contest in April to first-degree recklessly endangering safety and causing mental harm to a child. The charges carry a combined maximum penalty of 25

years in prison and $50,000 in fines. Judge Julie Genovese sentenced her to eight years in the state prison system — five years behind bars and three years on extended supervision. — 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

Area

SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013

UT, Southmost OK separate campuses SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

BROWNSVILLE – Leaders from The University of Texas System and Texas Southmost College met Friday as UT Brownsville and Texas Southmost College begin the separation process after two decades of sharing a campus, resources and programs. UT System Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa and TSC President Lily F. Tercero signed agreements for leases and land transactions that clearly define both campuses, granting them separate identities for the first time in 20 years. Under the agreement, both institutions will exchange, sell or lease property and buildings. TSC will receive the Science, Engineering and Technology Building; assignment of UT’s purchase contract with the City of Brownsville for the purchase of the National Guard Armory building; and an approximately $28.5 million payment for the sale of acreage, buildings and agreed-upon reimbursement for TSC improvements. In exchange, UT will receive several tracts of land and buildings, surface parking lots, the Student Union Building and TSC’s University Boule-

vard Library and classroom buildings. UT will also continue to lease several buildings on the TSC campus. TSC students will continue to have access to the library. TSC will retain ownership of the Recreation, Education and Kinesiology Center; however, UT will continue to pay its share of the bond debt and students enrolled at the local UT campus will continue to have access to the center. Additionally, both institutions have agreed to a fair and equitable distribution of personal property, which ensures that both entities will be ready to serve students by the fall 2013 semester. These transactions will benefit the development of both campuses that adjoin each other along Ringgold Street, with Texas Southmost College on the west and The University of Texas on the east. “My vision is for students to have seamless transitions from elementary school all the way through high school and undergraduate studies to medical school, graduate school or other professional programs,” Cigarroa said. “Texas Southmost College and UT Brownsville can make that a real-

ity in this region. Today’s signing is a very positive step in that direction.” Tercero commented on the separation of campuses. “TSC is back! We are starting our 88th year of service to our community,” Tercero said. “We are proud of the contributions TSC has made towards the development of The University of Texas in Cameron County and look forward to our new collaborative relationship with the valleywide University of Texas.” Cigarroa was in Brownsville earlier this month to celebrate the signing of legislation that authorizes the creation of a new UT institution in the Rio Grande Valley. It will unite the assets and resources of UT Brownsville and UT Pan American to create a unified research university with a medical school. “We have not yet worked out every detail of this development, and we continue to seek the advice of Valley educators and business and community leaders to help us shape what is to come,” Cigarroa said. “We have admiration and respect for the leadership of TSC and we invite their support and wise counsel as our future plans unfold.”

THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A

Cancer dinner is Aug. 14 SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

The American Cancer Society is dedicating an evening to cancer survivors. The Survivors’ and Caregivers’ Dinner, hosted by the American Cancer Society, is set for Aug. 14 at 6 p.m. at Holi-

day Inn Express, 167 U.S. Hwy 83. All cancer survivors and one guest are invited to attend. No RSVP is required. For more information, contact Jessica Cardenas at Jessica.cardenas@cancer.org or 512-919-1848, or visit relayforlife.org.

BLOTTER ASSAULT An assault was reported at 12:15 a.m. July 20 in the 1700 block of Bravo Avenue. An assault was reported at 7:05 a.m. July 20 in the 2200 block of Elm Street.

An aggravated assault with deadly weapon was reported at 10:12 p.m. July 20 at the Hawk’s Quick Pick.

was reported at 11:30 p.m. July 21 at Guevara Auto Parts.

BURGLARY

A lost cell phone was reported at 2:03 p.m. July 21 in the 1100 block of U.S. 83.

A burglary of a vehicle

LOST CELL PHONE

PAGE 4A

Zopinion

SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013

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

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

Challenge may be Dell’s end AUSTIN — Like you, I thought by now we’d have a better handle on the future, one way or another, of a major local company with a storied past. We all know the legend: In 1984, while you were listening to Wang Chung, young Michael Dell, then an 11-year-old University of Texas linebacker, discovered that used CB radio parts could be fashioned into ”computers” that impressionable youth would use to play violent video games that would supplant baseball as America’s favorite pastime. Or something like that. For many years, Central Texas and many Central Texans benefited from this as Dell Inc. grew to become the region’s largest private employer. Dell and all things Dell became a driving force in our economy and our culture, especially if you became a Dellionaire. Dell, the man, became a local icon (now one trying to fend off an Icahn). And a grateful region hailed Dell by putting his name on a neighborhood (Delwood), a school district (Del Valle) and a high school (St. Michael’s). But then to oversimplify things, which is what I do for a living, the world changed, and it became harder for a computer company to make money selling computers. If you’re a computer company, this can be a real headache. The device, it seems, became just another relatively low-margin product on which the make-or-break for sellers is whether they can sell you the extended warranty.

No more outlet Because I’m an expert on these things, I can pinpoint the day when Dell Inc. went from economic miracle to challenged company: It was when Dell closed its outlet store in the old Kmart on Research Boulevard. I loved that place — the Dell store, not the Kmart. And I’m guessing I’m not the only one who got my first computer (a 386) at the Dell Outlet Store. Come to think of it, I bought that computer at the original Dell Outlet Store, somewhere in the North Austin Kramer/Parmer area where you now go to buy tiles. Michael Dell, despite his considerable record of providing jobs and philanthropy, has become a controversial figure, as many rich people do. I’m pretty sure some reader will attach a comment to the online version of this column to remind us

“

KEN HERMAN

about the $100 million penalty the company paid and the $4 million Dell himself paid in 2010 to settle SEC allegations of fraudulent accounting.

Rooting for Dell Having no direct personal financial stake in the outcome of the current battle, I find myself rooting for Michael Dell, and by this I mean I hope it turns out that his plan proves to be best for the company and fair to shareholders. I like local control, and I like the notion of local control of this local, yet global, business. And I’m swayed by the fact that his name really is on some stuff around town. We didn’t name them for him. He bought his way on to them the honorable way, through philanthropy that, among other things, has given us the Dell Children’s Medical Center and Dell Jewish Community Campus. It’s a different kind of deal, but the Dell Diamond, home of your Round Rock Express, is another valuable local facility that benefits from Dell’s success. And in 2016, the first future doctors will attend classes at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas, financed in part by $50 million from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. For more about the foundation, go to msdf.org.

Next meeting Looks like we might get an answer about the company’s future next Friday when shareholders are scheduled to decide on the founder’s attempt to take it private. Between now and then, there could be more surprises before the decision on whether Dell prevails over Carl Icahn in the battle for the enterprise birthed in Dell’s dorm room. Here’s a little insider info for you — and don’t tell anyone where you heard this: I hear that Icahn’s bid to take over Dell soon will be joined by an aging rock diva. The partnership will be called Icahn-Tina Turner. (Now you know why I don’t want you to tell anyone where you heard this.) Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. Email: kherman@statesman.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure

our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No namecalling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.

WORST WEEK IN WASHINGTON

Anthony Weiner brings lewdness down to a new low By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST

Danger — Carlos Danger. That’s the nom de plume that former congressman and current New York City mayoral hopeful Anthony Weiner used in lewd online exchanges with a woman named Sydney Leathers. She’s one of three strangers to whom, as he acknowledged Thursday, Weiner sent explicit messages after he was forced to resign from the House in 2011 for — sending explicit messages to random women. And Weiner said more women might emerge, noting, “I can’t tell you absolutely what someone else

Even though Weiner isn’t in Washington anymore, he was all anyone in this town could talk about this past week. is going to consider inappropriate or not.” Um, no kidding. Barraged by these latest revelations, Weiner ended his mayoral campaign, right? Ha! No way! At a surreal news conference Tuesday — one of the best/worst we have ever witnessed — Weiner and his wife, Huma Abedin, insisted that his behavior was in the past and that they were moving forward.

“I am sure many of my opponents would like me to drop out of the race,” Weiner said. They would, of course, though common decency might suggest that, too. Weiner began the week as a co-front-runner in the mayoral contest, along with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. But, according to a Marist-NBCWall Street Journal poll released Thursday, he’s ending it in a downward

spiral. Weiner is clinging to 16 percent of the vote, good enough for second place behind Quinn, but his favorability ratings have dropped more than 20 points since a similar survey conducted a month ago. Even though Weiner isn’t in Washington anymore, he was all anyone in this town could talk about this past week. For that — and for ensuring that “Carlos Danger” will be in the political-junkie lexicon until, well, forever — Anthony Weiner, you had the worst week in Washington. Congrats, or something. Cillizza covers the White House for The Washington Post and writes The Fix, its politics blog.

YOUR OPINION Writer urges veterans to register with VA to help new clinic in Laredo To the editor: In my opinion, a result of the hard work of the Congressional Delegation headed by U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, the city of Laredo and Webb County, veterans have a beautiful, new clinic. This clinic is for the loyal veterans to be serviced locally instead of traveling to Harlingen, San Antonio or Corpus Christi. In my opinion, it needs more veterans to register with the Veterans Administration to support this clinic. There are hundreds of qualified veterans in the area who have not registered with the Veterans Administration. Regardless of what we do, it is a numbers game.

The clinic needs the numbers to operate effectively. I believe the numbers will allow the clinic to attract the necessary doctors and medical technicians to properly serve the local veterans in need. To rectify the problem, all veterans, whether or not they need the services, need to register with the Veterans Administration. It may take a little time, but it is important for the veterans who need the services. Until the numbers come up, the clinic will not be fully staffed. Any veteran not registered, please register with the Veterans Administration as soon as possible. This can be done by obtaining form 10-10EZ from

the local Veteran Service office, (956) 523-4399 or the Veteran’s clinic, (956) 5237850. They will also assist you in filling out the form. You may also call toll free 1-877-222-8387. You will be asked to attach a copy of your social security card, copy of your driver’s license and a copy of your DD-214. At the time of filing the form with the SS office, you will receive a form which you can use to attach to the 10-10EZ which will serve as verification. If you do not have a driver’s license, you may use any other picture ID for the same purpose. If you do not have a copy of your DD-214, you may ob-

DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

tain a copy at the County Clerk’s office of your county. If you still do not have a copy, contact the Veterans Service office to assist you in filling out that form. Every veteran should have this form in their possession for future benefits, if needed, such as a grave marker. The veteran’s clinic in Laredo is located at 6551 Star Court, off Calle del Norte east of Mall del Norte. You may be able to complete all the above requirements by going to the VA website, va.gov and select “Contact the VA.” Sincerely, Douglas M. Alford, GCA

Area

SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013

THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A

CLEANING THINGS UP IN BRUNI, OILTON

Courtesy photo

Workers from the Webb County Facilities Department gather up garbage for disposal during a recent Clean-Up Campaign held in Oilton and Bruni. Courtesy photo

Brothers get prison time in drug case By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES

Two Roma brothers have been sentenced to federal prison for attempting to smuggle about 1,000 pounds of marijuana through a checkpoint in Zapata County. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña sentenced Daniel Ramirez and Marco Antonio Ramirez to 60 months in prison followed by five and four years of supervised, respectively. Both men are to complete 75 hours of community service once completing their sentences. Daniel and Marco Antonio Ramirez had pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana April 3. Marco Antonio Ramirez pleaded guilty April 3 to possession with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. On Dec. 13, U.S. Border Patrol agents manning a checkpoint along U.S. 83 about one mile south of Zapata observed a dark blue 2006 Chevrolet Silverado and a Ford F-150 approach the primary lane. The Silverado that was already in the primary inspection exited the lane

and made a U-turn through the traffic cones that prohibited into the adjacent lane and sped away, headed south. Agents pursued the pickup to conduct an immigration inspection of the driver, according to court documents. The Silverado eventually stopped at U.S. 83 and Mesa Salinas Road. Agents identified the driver as Marco Antonio Ramirez, and noticed what appeared to be bundles of marijuana in the passenger side covered with a blanket and other bundles in the back seat. Agents discovered 15 bundles of marijuana weighing 377.9 pounds, court documents state. The 2006 Ford F-150 driven by Daniel Ramirez continued through the inspec-

tion lane. He was referred to secondary inspection after a narcotics detection gave an alert for possible contraband. In secondary inspection, agents saw several bundles of marijuana on the bed of the pickup covered by a plastic mat. In total, agents counted 25 bundles weighing 631.30 pounds. Authorities determined both men were brothers from Roma. An analysis of the defendants’ cell phone records showed they were in cell phone communication through the immigration inspection and the time of their arrest, plea documents for the brothers state. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)

From left, Jason Suarez, Abel Suarez and Os Longoria discuss how well forage is growing. Suarez has had a first cutting of high quality Bermuda grass hay and more will be available every 33 days.

Agency helps ranchers SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Abel Suarez has more than a few things to smile about these days besides the rain that fell on his San Benito ranch and the Grand Champion commercial heifer at the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show. Suarez has already had a first cutting of high quality Bermuda grass hay and more will be available every 33 days, as a result of the technical and financial assistance he obtained from the USDANatural Resources Conservation Service. “I bought this place in 1961 and my background was in construction and inspecting, not farming, so the NRCS staff like Os Longoria, were a lot of help and gave me good advice on what I could do to improve my land and my production,” Suarez said. “What used to take a week to water now takes a few days and a lot more effort. Now I just open the valve.” Three generations of the Suarez family raise show steers and club calves for 4-H and FFA students on the ranch making good quality forage a must to keep the family business going. “We used to lease land to cut and bale but it was low quality hay, so when we

learned we could increase our forage production with less work by land leveling and improving our irrigation system on our own land, it made total sense,” said Jason Suarez, who has spent a lot of time alongside his dad and grandfather using a shovel to dike farrows and direct water to where it was needed. “Just wish we had done this a long time ago.” Cameron County District Conservationist Os Longoria visited the ranch and learned what Suarez’s goals were for the land and then made recommendations, such as increasing the size of the irrigation pipeline to 15 inches, taking a soils test for a nutrient analysis so he knew what was needed in each pan for fertilization, and also implementing rotational grazing once forage is established. “It’s like a prescription for proper fertilization that not only will help him increase his forage production, but also lower his input costs and reduce runoff of nutrients the soil doesn’t need,” Longoria said. For more information contact the Cameron County NRCS office at 2315 West Highway 83, Room 103 in the USDA Service Center in San Benito or call (956) 399-2522.

National

6A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013

Manning verdict up to judge By DAVID DISHNEAU AND PAULINE JELINEK ASSOCIATED PRESS

FORT MEADE, Md. — Army Pfc. Bradley Manning’s fate was in the hands of a military judge Friday after nearly two months of conflicting portrayals of the soldier: a traitor who gave WikiLeaks classified secrets for worldwide attention and a young, naive intelligence officer who wanted people to know about the atrocities of war. Judge Col. Denise Lind said she will start deliberating Friday night on the 21 charges Manning faces, but she did not say when she would rule. The most serious charge is aiding the enemy, which carries a potential life sentence in prison. During closing arguments, defense attorney David Coombs said Manning was negligent in releasing classified material, but he did not know alQaida would see the material and did not have “evil intent,” a key point prosecutors must prove to convict Manning of aiding the enemy. Prosecutors contended Manning, 25, knew the material would be seen across the globe, even by Osama bin Laden, when he started the leaks in late 2009. Manning said the leaks didn’t start until February the following year. “Worldwide distribution, that was his goal,” said the military’s lead prosecutor, Maj. Ashden Fein. “Pfc. Manning knew the entire world included the enemy, from his training. He knew he was giving it to the enemy, specifically al-Qaida.” After Coombs finished his three-hour argument, there was a smattering of applause from Manning supporters, who were hushed by the judge. “All right, that’s

9/11 memorial pushed out due to expansion By HANNAH DREIER ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo by Cliff Owen | AP

David Coombs, attorney for Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, waits for his car to clear a security check before entering a courthouse parking lot at Fort Meade, Md., on Friday. enough,” Lind said. “This is a court of law. I would ask, please, that you keep your reactions muted.” Meanwhile, one of Manning’s most visible supporters was banned Friday after the judge said someone posted threats online. Clark Stoeckley, a college art instructor from New Jersey, confirmed he was the one booted. Stoeckley attended the court-martial often as a sketch artist, arriving each day in a white box truck with bold words painted on the sides: “WikiLeaks TOP SECRET Mobile Information Collection Unit.” A tweet Thursday night from an account Stoeckley used said: “I don’t know how they sleep at night but I do know where.” It was removed Friday and Stoeckley told The Associated Press on Twitter he couldn’t comment. Inside the courtroom, a few spectators smiled — as did Manning — when Coombs mocked a former Army supervisor who testified last week that Manning told her the American flag meant nothing to him and that she suspected before they deployed to

Iraq that Manning was a spy. Coombs noted she had not written up a report on Manning’s alleged disloyalty, though had written ones on him taking too many smoke breaks and drinking too much coffee. Manning also faces federal espionage, theft and computer fraud charges. The Crescent, Okla., native has acknowledged giving WikiLeaks some 700,000 battlefield reports, diplomatic cables and videos. But he says he didn’t believe the information would harm troops in Afghanistan and Iraq or threaten national security. “The amount of the documents in this case, actually is the best evidence that he was discreet in what he chose because if he was indiscriminate, if he was systematically harvesting, we wouldn’t be talking about a few hundred thousand documents — we’d be talking about millions of documents,” Coombs said. Giving the material to WikiLeaks was no different than giving it to a newspaper, Coombs said. “That’s giving information to a legitimate news organization in order to

hold the government accountable,” Coombs said. The government disagreed and said Manning would also be charged if he had leaked the classified material to the media. Coombs also showed three snippets of video from a 2007 U.S. Apache helicopter attack Manning leaked, showing troops firing on a small crowd of men on a Baghdad sidewalk, killing several civilians, including a Reuters news photographer and his driver. Coombs said the loss of civilian lives shocked and horrified the young soldier. “You have to look at that from the point of view of a guy who cared about human life,” Coombs said. Coombs has said Manning was troubled by what he saw in the war — and at the same time was struggling as a gay man in the era of “don’t ask don’t tell.” Those struggles made him want to do something to make a difference and he hoped revealing what was going on in Iraq and Afghanistan and U.S. diplomacy would inspire debate and reform in American foreign and military policy.

LAS VEGAS — The city known for detonating its past to make way for gleaming new development on the Las Vegas Strip is preparing to push out its Sept. 11 memorial. The shrine on the Las Vegas Strip sprung up spontaneously under the ersatz skyline of the New YorkNew York casino in the days after the terrorist attacks. For more than a decade, a rotating collection of first responder T-shirts from across the country, many bearing handwritten notes, has decorated a wrought-iron fence near the faux fireboat below the casinos’ 47-story replica of the Empire State Building. Now, MGM Resorts International is starting a $100 million renovation of the promenade in front of the 16 year-old Manhattan-themed casino and the adjoining Monte Carlo. The memorial will have to go. MGM says it will relocate the shrine, which has remained a heartfelt marker amid the plastic artifice of the desert playland. “We are working with representatives of the First Responder community in Las Vegas to identify and determine an appropriate and permanent placement of the memorial to the victims of September 11th,” MGM spokesman Clark Dumont said Friday. On Friday morning, several quiet bulldozers and a pile of rubble sat around what remained of the display. In 2003, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas began collecting the T-shirts, hats and handwritten notes left at the memorial. It now

stores nearly 6,000 of the artifacts in plain office boxes at the university library. Curators rotate the memorabilia through a permanent display case that MGM opened in 2003 at the foot of the resort’s 150-foot model Statue of Liberty. Gambling professor David Schwartz, who oversees the university’s involvement with the memorial, said he hopes MGM will relocate the display somewhere equally visible. “It would be nice to have the public be able to view the shirts still. It’s something unique to Vegas, though of course the tragedy affected everybody,” he said. “When we first got the shirts and we were going through them, just seeing the messages people who had lost someone had written kind of drove the horror of the whole thing home.” MGM is in the process of transforming the congested sidewalks in front of its New York City and European-themed casinos into an outdoor plaza. The new promenade is intended to recall Madison Square Park.

NOTICE TO PUBLIC Request for Proposals

The Zapata County Independent School District is accepting Proposals for

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RFP # 13-1003 RFP # 13-1004 • • • • RFP # 13-1005 RFP # 13-1006 RFP # 13-1007 RFP # 13-1008 RFP # 13-1009 RFP # 13-1010 RFP # 13-1011 RFP # 13-1012 RFP # 13-1013 RFP # 13-1014 RFP # 13-1015

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• • • • • RFP # 13-1016 RFP # 13-1017

Gasolinet& Diesel Fuel Child Nutrition Department Contract Services Plumbing Electrical Refrigeration Dietitians District Wide Benchmark Printing Janitorial Supplies Vehicle parts & supplies Building Supplies & Materials General Supplies & Materials Vehicle Maintenance Building Maintenance Repairs Grounds& Building Improvements Athletic Equipment Band Equipment Purchase of Support Service Shirts/Scrubs (need Sample of Shirt) Bus Drivers Custodians Maintenance Securities Cafeteria Workers Student Uniform Shirts (need Sample of Shirt) Student Uniform Jeans, Socks, Tennis, Underclothes

for fiscal year 2013-2014. Interested parties should contact the Business Office @ (956)765-6546 ext. 2010. Proposals & completed proposal packages should be submitted to the Business Office by 2:00 p.m., August 5, 2013. Bid packages are available at the ZCISD Business Office, 702 E. 17th avenue. Zapata, Texas 78076 or to download a copy please go to www.zcisd.org. Proposals received on time shall be opened and read by the administration and submitted to the Board of Trustees for consideration as soon as possible after the closing date and time. The Board of Trustees and the ZCISD assumes no responsibility for proposals mailed or misdirected in delivery. Proposals received after the closing date and time will not be accepted and will not be part of the process. Facsimiles WILL NOT be accepted. The Zapata County Independent School District reserved the right to accept or reject any and all proposals and to waive all formalities in the process. For details and specification contact Patricia Gonzalez @ (956)765-6546 ext. 2010 or Suzette M. Barrera, Chief Financial Officer @ (956)765-6546 ext. 2006. Proposals should be clearly marked outside the envelope: With the description and RFP numbers (eg. Support Services uniforms RFP #13XXXX, and addressed to Patricia G. Gonzalez, 702 E. 17th avenue Zapata, Texas 78076.

SÁBADO 27 DE JULIO DE 2013

Agenda en Breve LAREDO 07/27— Cuarto Día Anual de Reconocimiento a los Gatos – Concurso de Gatos, a la memoria de Jacob Ivey, en instalaciones de PETCO, 2450 Monarch Dr. (HEB Plus Shopping Center) a partir de las 12:30 p.m. 07/27— United Way of Laredo anuncia el concierto “Caring, Loving, Giving 2013”, patrocinado por Lewis Energy Group. El evento se llevará a cabo en el Salón de Baile del Laredo Civic Center, a partir de las 8 p.m. Costo: 20 dólares. Lo que se recaude beneficiará a las agencias de United Way of Laredo. Informes en el 723-9113. 07/27— De 11 a.m. a 1 p.m. se celebrará el Día Internacional de la Bondad, organizado el Grupo de Duelo y la Fundacion M.I.S.S., en el Laredo Animal Protective Society, 2500 calle González. Se necesita comida seca para perros, toallas usadas, cloro, comida seca para gatos, y Cat litter. 07/27— “Books-A-Million” presenta “Story Time” de 1 p.m. a 3 p.m. Habrá lectura, manualidades y regalos para los niños. El objetivo es motivar la alfabetización, habilidades sociales y valores familiares. 07/27— Caminata/Carrera PILLAR Light Up the Night se llevará a cabo en North Central Park. Las inscripciones son de 6:30 p.m. a 7:30 p.m. La carrera infantil dará inicio a las 7:30 p.m. en tanto que la Caminata/ Carrera será a las 8 p.m. Inscripciones: 25 dólares para adultos y 5 dólares para niños. 07/27— LTGI presenta el musical de Broadway “Hairspray”, dirigida por Vernon Carroll y producida por Joe Arciniega, a las 8 p.m. en el Teatro del Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center de LCC. Costo: 20 dólares; 10 dólares para estudiantes y adultos mayores; 5 dólares para niños de 10 años de edad y menores. Adquiera su boleto en Blue Top, 101 Hillside Road, # 11. Otra función el domingo a las 3 p.m.; y del 30 de julio al 2 de agosto a las 8 p.m. 07/30— Taller Deshágase de la Tensión y Migraña se realizará de 6 p.m. a 9 p.m. en Laredo Community College. Estará a cargo de Enrique T. De la Garza. Costo: 25 dólares. El objetivo es aprender técnicas que le pueden ayudar a deshacerse de los dolores de cabeza y malos hábitos. Inscríbase llamando al 721-5110. 07/31— Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presenta: “The Little Star that Could” a las 4 p.m.; y, “Black Holes” a las 5 p.m. Costo: 3 dólares. 08/01— El Departamento de Salud de la Ciudad de Laredo invita a la “Operation Lone Star”, de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m. en Washington Middle School, 10306 River Bank Dr. La acción permite que personal civil y militar provean servicios médios (la mayoría gratuitos) a la población en general. Evento concluye el viernes 2 de agosto. 08/01— Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presenta: “Earth, Moon and Sun” a las 4 p.m. y “Extreme Planets” a las 5 p.m. Costo: 3 dólares.

NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO 07/28— El Grupo de Teatro Laberintus presenta la obra “Alicia en el país de las maravillas”, del Clásico de Lewis Carroll, dirigida por Luis Edoardo Torres, a las 12 p.m. en el teatro del IMSS, Reynosa y Belden, Sector Centro. Costo 20 pesos.

— Envíe sus actividades a mecastillo@lmtonline.com

Zfrontera

PÁGINA 7A

NAPOLITANO Y OSORIO FIRMAN ACUERDO EN TAMAULIPAS

Red transfronteriza TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Los gobiernos de México y Estados Unidos suscribieron el martes, en Matamoros, un memorándum de entendimiento sobre comunicaciones transfronterizas entre ambos países. El Secretario de Gobernación, Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong y la Secretaria de Seguridad Interna de Estados Unidos, Janet Napolitano, realizaron la firma del convenio, teniendo como testigo y anfitrión al Gobernador de Tamaulipas, Egidio Torre Cantú. México y EU implementarán una estrategia conjunta para la frontera, basada en cuatro ejes: Planeación, Coordinación y Confianza, Prevención y Evaluación. “Compartimos la visión de que una frontera dinámica y segura, implica una responsabilidad compartida”, dijo Osorio. “Estamos convencidos que nuestra frontera mutua puede ser fuente de grandes beneficios para nuestras naciones”. Afirmó que México está trabajando decididamente por hacer de

“

“Construimos con este acuerdo la frontera del Siglo XXI”. SECRETARIA DE SEGURIDAD INTERNA DE EU, JANET NAPOLITANO

la frontera norte una región más segura, y mejor ordenada para reforzarla como un área de prosperidad y competitividad. Por su parte, Napolitano expresó que “continuamos construyendo la asociación para la frontera del Siglo XXI. Una frontera que es más segura y protegida, regida por el imperio de la ley y el respeto mutuo”. Dijo que ambos países progresan y sus economías crecen más rápido por lo que “podemos hacer aún más para que nuestras sociedades y nuestras familias y comu-

Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas

De izquierda a derecha, la Secretaria de Seguridad Interna de EU, Janet Napolitano, el Secretario de Gobernación de México, Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong; y, el Gobernador de Tamaulipas, Egidio Torre Cantú. Napolitano y Chong firmaron un convenio entre ambas naciones. nidades pueden prosperar en estas regiones de la frontera”. La reunión, celebrada en las las instalaciones de la garita del Puente Internacional General “Ignacio

Zaragoza” de Matamoros, forma parte de los trabajos del Grupo Binacional sobre la Prevención de la Violencia Fronteriza entre México y Estados Unidos.

CULTURA

GOBIERNO

ORQUESTAS, BANDAS Y COROS

Consulado acerca servicios a Zapata POR MALENA CHARUR TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Fotos de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas

Niños que tocan el violín observan una partitura mientras toman una clase durante la semana del Encuentro Regional de orquestas, bandas y coros infantiles y juveniles del Noreste de México en Reynosa, México.

200 jóvenes participan en encuentro TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

l día de hoy concluye el Encuentro Regional de orquestas, bandas y coros infantiles y juveniles del Noreste de México en el Parque Cultural Reynosa. El evento arrancó el 21 de julio, y reunió a jóvenes instrumentistas y coralistas que el Sistema Nacional de Fomento Musical (SNFM) realizó en este verano con el objetivo de crear una base social que fortalezca la identidad nacional, a través de la práctica musical. Por Tamaulipas el evento recibió el apoyo del Instituto Tamaulipeco para la Cultura y las Artes. Durante el encuentro participaron 200 músicos y coralistas de entre 7 y 19 años de edad, procedentes de Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León y Tamaulipas. “A diferencia del encuentro realizado en Guanajuato, en Reynosa, Tamaulipas, la base de instrumentistas y coralistas estará integrada por los (170) miembros de la Orquesta y Coro comunitarios que el SNFM tiene en Reynosa”, dijo Eduardo García Barrios, coordinador del Sistema Nacional de Fomento Musical. Explicó que durante la semana los participantes tuvieron acceso a una serie de talleres musicales intensivos que más allá de la depuración musical, buscaban crear una sinergia que involucre a los músicos, directores, gestores culturales y público en general

Hoy sábado 27 de julio concluye el Encuentro Regional de orquestas, bandas y coros infantiles y juveniles del Noreste de México. en un movimiento social que propicie la renovación del tejido social. “La música es una actividad que llega a involucrar a más de 100 personas, incentiva la solidaridad y el trabajo en equipo; fortalece la identidad y la autoestima de los niños y jóvenes, a través del reconocimiento en grupo; además de fomentar el pensamiento abstracto y simbólico de los niños”, dijo él. Además de lúdicos, estos encuentros o laboratorios musicales, desde el punto de vista musical y humano, ofrecen nuevas experiencias a los jóvenes participantes, quienes trabajan al mismo tiempo repertorio para orquestas sinfónicas, bandas y coros. “Lo primordial es que los chicos exploren diversas atmósferas, no es lo mismo tocar en una orquesta que en una banda sinfónica”.

A través de estos encuentros musicales se busca que los instrumentistas, su familia y el público en general constaten que existen más opciones de esparcimiento y desarrollo social; que los niños gocen hacer música y que sus amigos y familiares también disfruten de este ritual tan maravilloso que encierra el quehacer musical. “A través de la música se puede crear una conciencia colectiva, y cómo ésta puede ser un herramienta de transformación social”, sostuvo García. Hoy, el encuentro regional de orquestas, bandas y coros infantiles y juveniles del Noreste cerrará sus actividades con un concierto a realizarse a las 7 p.m. en el Teatro Principal del Parque Cultural Reynosa. La entrada será libre. Para mayores informes consulte la cartelera en http://snfm.conaculta.gob.mx

Por segunda ocasión en el año, el Consulado General de México en Laredo invita hoy sábado a su oficina móvil para atender las demandas de servicios y trámites de los residentes del área del Condado de Zapata, según indica un comunicado de prensa. En febrero pasado, a instancia de Miguel Ángel Isidro Rodríguez., Cónsul General, se realizó el primer Consulado Móvil para acercar este organismo a las personas que, por alguna razón, les es difícil trasladarse hasISIDRO ta Laredo para realizar algún trámite. “En atención a las personas que por cuestiones de transporte, adultos mayores, situaciones de enfermedad o alguna otra situación, es que el Cónsul decidió brindar este servicio”, explicó en entrevista vía telefónica Ivonne Aguirre, encargada de la Ventanilla de Salud del Consulado. “Prácticamente se desmonta la oficina —personal y computadoras— y nos trasladamos hasta allá para atender a las personas de esa zona”. Aguirre agregó que en el primer operativo que se realizó a principio de este año, se atendieron alrededor de 200 personas. Se dio trámite a 152 solicitudes quedando un remanente de 50 personas por atender, por lo que, ante la demanda, se tomó la decisión de repetir este evento, que ha sido apoyado por Joe Rathmell, Juez del Condado de Zapata. “Los trámites que podrán realizar las personas que acudan son la expedición de pasaporte, matrícula consular (ID mexicana), registro de nacimiento e información de otros servicios que presta el consulado como asesoría legal y orientación al público en otros temas”, comentó Aguirre. En esta ocasión, adicional a los trámites del consulado, en coordinación con la Comisión de Salud y Servicios Humanos, la Oficina de Asuntos Fronterizos, el Distrito Escolar y el Condado de Zapata, también se estará ofreciendo una feria de salud, en la que se ofrecerán los servicios de toma de pruebas de glucosa, índice de masa corporal. Además, habrá módulos que proporcionarán información acerca del programa Paisano, guía familiar, educación financiera, y educación preventiva en salud entre otras temas, se informa de acuerdo al comunicado. El Consulado Móvil estará dando servicio en las instalaciones del Country Technical & Advance Education Center, ubicado en N. Highway 83 y calle 9th, en Zapata, con horario de atención al público de 8 a.m. a 2 p.m. Si requiere mayor información puede comunicarse al (956) 723-0990. (Localice a Malena Charur en 728-2583 o en mcharur@lmtonline.com)

State

8A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013

Drought keeping lake levels depressed By BETSY BLANEY ASSOCIATED PRESS

WHITE RIVER LAKE — When A.O. Smith bought the lone marina on White River Lake in 2000, the water level was already low. Since then there have been some wet years and some really dry ones, and the lake is now so low that the 68-year-old wonders how much longer he can keep his doors open. “Business is down and it’s all connected to water,” said Smith, who’s surviving on revenue from the marina’s restaurant and his savings. “I’ve never seen the lake this bad.” The 10,000 people who rely on water from the White River Lake, 70 miles southeast of Lubbock, also wonder if their faucets will run dry. They’re not alone. Twelve other Texas water districts have reported they could be 45 days away from running out of water and 12 more are down to a 90-day supply. The 109 lakes that provide water to Texans are at their lowest combined level for this time of year, 64 percent, and — unless there is significant rain by fall — the outlook is dire. Ground was left parched by the 2011 drought and that means no runoff into rivers and lakes, which are at their lowest since 1990 for this time of year. About 71 percent of the state is in severe to exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Widespread rains across the state last week will help in the

Photo by Betsy Blaney | AP

Water level at White River Lake is so low July 9 that the water district serving about 10,000 people is forced to use temporary pumps to get water to the treatment plant. short term, but more is needed. “I don’t think they’re going to go away unless we get the reservoirs back up,” Ruben Solis, director of surface water resources for the Texas Water Development Board, said about mandatory and voluntary restrictions. “2011 was an eye-opener.” The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality works closely with water suppliers to identify alternative sources. Restrictions including limiting and prohibiting outdoor water use are set locally according to drought contingency plans. About 22 percent of the state’s 4,660 public water suppliers are under voluntary or mandatory

restrictions. Ongoing dry conditions prompted Gov. Rick Perry earlier this month to renew a 2011 drought disaster declaration for 222 of 254 counties. The declaration allows counties to receive private and public assistance. Planning for future water needs has become a priority for lawmakers who this year agreed to establish a $2 billion water fund that needs voter approval in November. Some areas are faring better than others, Solis said. North Central Texas and East Texas have gotten more rain and therefore lakes there have benefited; the western half of the state and South Texas are “not good at all,”

State loses another battle against EPA By SARAH FERRIS HEARST NEWSPAPERS

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Court of Appeals slapped down Texas’ most recent challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday, the latest defeat in Attorney General Greg Abbott’s lengthy legal crusade against the federal government. Abbott had attempted to block the EPA from controlling the state’s system for issuing permits to power plants. That process has been under federal oversight since 2010. The EPA gave itself the authority to intervene in the permit processes of 13 states, including Texas, in 2010 because the agency claimed that those states’ policies did not consider greenhouse gas emissions. The D.C. Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the petitioners — which included Texas, Wyoming and a handful of industry groups — didn’t have legal standing to bring the case. Judge Judith Rogers wrote in the majority opinion that the states had failed “to show how they have been injured” by sharing permitting power with the EPA. A dissenting opinion by Judge Brett Kavanaugh argued that states should be allowed to issue permits on their own as they update their laws to consider greenhouse gases.

The decision comes a year after the same court rejected the state’s first challenge related to the greenhouse gases, and the latest case is one of 28 filed by Abbott against the Obama administration. He has won 10 of those cases, including four against the EPA. Bryan Shaw, chairman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, who has fiercely opposed the EPA’s rules, said it was “remarkable” that the courts have repeatedly denied the state’s appeals. In response to the latest Circuit Court decision, Shaw issued a statement that claimed that “the EPA has effectively re-written the Clean Air Act to impose its new standards, imposed severely restrictive timelines on the states to implement its new requirements, and then twisted the act to immediately impose its agenda on Texas.” Abbott spokesman Charlie Castillo declined to comment on the latest decision. The state attorney general previously described the EPA rules as part of an “unprecedented and overreaching greenhouse gas environmental regulatory scheme” run by the Obama administration. The drawn-out battle over greenhouse gases stems from a 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled that the EPA could

regulate the gases under the Clean Air Act. After the EPA issued its rules, state officials, including Abbott and Shaw, immediately objected. In a letter to then-EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, the Texas officials wrote that the state had “neither the authority nor the intention of interpreting, ignoring, or amending its laws in order to compel the permitting of greenhouse gas emissions.” Abbott, who recently announced his candidacy for governor, could could ask the Supreme Court to review this latest decision or request that it is reviewed by the full D.C. Circuit Court in addition to the three-judge panel. Peter Zalzal, an attorney with the Environmental Defense Fund — an environmental advocacy group that intervened on behalf of the EPA before the appeals court — said the Texas challenge seemed odd because without the EPA’s “limited” intervention, utility companies couldn’t earn approval for construction plans. The EPA role will ensure a “smooth and uninterrupted permitting of large sources of greenhouse gas emissions” during the interim period when Texas and other states update their laws to cover greenhouse gases. (Email: sarah.ferris@chron.com)

ZCISD Auction Locations

Zapata Middle School Old ZSE School 702 E. 17th St. 500 Del Mar Bus Shop & & 21st & Kennedy Cafeteria Central “A” Gym Warehouse 702 E 17th St. 702 E 1th St. All sales will be auctioned by lot numbers. Items to be auctioned are as follows: School Furniture Tires Cafeteria Equipment All awarded bidders will have one week to remove all purchased items from lots. To schedule a walk-through of the lots please contact Patricia Gonzalez @ (956)765-6546, Lesvia Cuellar @ (956)765-6546, and Ms. Teresa Hien @ (956)765-9786 on July 29, 2013 from 8:00am – 3:00pm. Bids must be delivered by August 6, 2013 at the Zapata County ISD Administration Building @ 702 East 17th & Carla Zapata, TX 78076. Please note: ZCISD will not be held liable for any accidents.

he said. And the next month doesn’t bode well for an area west of a line from Wichita Falls to Del Rio, where there’s an increased chance of below normal rainfall, while the rest of the state has equal chances for above, normal or below normal precipitation. Ironically, Texas lakes were 68 percent full in July 2011 thanks to heavy rainfall the previous year. In July 2010 the lakes were 83 percent full. But by November 2011 they were only 58 percent full — the worst levels for Texas lakes at any time of year going back to 1990, Solis said. A lack of substantial rain isn’t the only problem. Evaporation

from wind and hot temperatures can rob the lakes of as much as 7 million acre-feet, or about 2.3 trillion gallons, a year, according to averages produced by the Texas Water Development Board. State climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon said evaporation could cause the largest volume gap ever between the amount of water actually in Texas lakes and their total storage capacity. At White River Lake, permanent pumps for the $25 million water treatment plant along the shore are unusable because the lake is too low. Two temporary floating pumps are set nearby to carry water to the plant. Only one boat ramp remains open, and Smith’s marina docks are yards from the waterline. Few motorboats use the lake, which supplies water to Ralls, Post, Crosbyton and Spur. Last summer the towns received $2.1 million in Texas Department of Agriculture grants to rehabilitate groundwater wells and dig a new one. Water use has dropped 40 percent since August, and in May the district’s most strident restrictions were implemented — no outside watering for any purpose, district general manager Tom Fulton said. The district will probably “squeak by (by) the skin of our teeth,” Fulton said. Recent rains helped raise White River Lake by three-quarters of a foot, but did not resolve the problem. “We are going through a disaster, we really are,” Fulton said. “We’re on unchartered ground.”

Solons reach funds deal By CHRIS TOMLINSON ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN — Texas lawmakers reached a deal Friday to increase funding for roads and bridges — if voters approve a constitutional amendment in November 2014. Republican Sen. Robert Nichols, the author of the measure, said negotiators from the House and Sen-

ate had agreed to divert revenue from the Rainy Day Fund and only needed to fix a few details about how to maintain a minimum balance in it. Ultimately the Legislative Budget Board would determine what that balance should be and have authority to cut off funding for transportation if more money is needed for the fund.

Experts say Texas needs an additional $4 billion in the state budget to maintain the current road network, but the Republican majority refuses to consider raising taxes. Instead they have proposed taking an estimated $848 million in oil and gas taxes that would normally flow into the Rainy Day Fund to help pay for transportation.

NOTICE TO PUBLIC Request for Proposals

The Zapata County Independent School District is accepting Proposals for

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RFP # 13-1003 RFP # 13-1004 • • • • RFP # 13-1005 RFP # 13-1006 RFP # 13-1007 RFP # 13-1008 RFP # 13-1009 RFP # 13-1010 RFP # 13-1011 RFP # 13-1012 RFP # 13-1013 RFP # 13-1014 RFP # 13-1015

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SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013

THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A

NORMA ALICIA ‘LICHA’ SALINAS

SHIPS Continued from Page 1A

NOV. 13, 1961 — JULY 18, 2013 SAN YGNACIO — Norma Alicia “Licha” Salinas 51, passed away on Thursday, July 18, 2013, at Laredo Medical Center in Laredo. Ms. Salinas is preceded in death by her father Reynaldo Salinas; mother Lilia M. Luna Salinas; and a brother Anibal Salinas. Ms. Salinas is survived by her sons Travis Brickley, Flumencio Brickley, Rene R. Salinas and Anibal Salinas; daughters Britney Martinez, Rosaisela M. Salinas and Angela Rose Luna; numerous grandchildren; brothers Reynaldo (Ana) Salinas and Victor (Cristina) Salinas; sister Sylvia Y. Salinas and by numerous nephews, nieces and friends. Visitation hours were held Monday, July 22, 2013, from 5 to 8 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. A funeral Mass was held Tuesday, July 23, 2013, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Refuge

in San Ygnacio. Committal services followed at Panteon Del Pueblo in San Ygnacio. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata.

quor bottles, clothing and even a toothbrush. The artifacts, including china from Britain, ceramics from Mexico and at least one musket from Canada, will help researchers determine the ships’ histories, Hanselmann said. “Nationalities, cultures, all collide in these shipwrecks. We hope to return in the future next year with more work,” he said. Although they weren’t allowed to retrieve artifacts from the two new sites under the terms of their agreement to examine the initial one, the researchers took thousands of photos and closely examined the wreckage of all three ships, which came to rest within five miles of one another. Two of the ships were carrying similar items, and researchers believe they may have been privateers, or armed ships that governments would hire,

TRIAL Continued from Page 1A packages of money into Mexico and did not keep one for him as payment. Mendez had been transporting cocaine to Atlanta and bringing down money from that city and into Mexico, Figueroa testified. Figueroa said Mendez began to lose shipments and was “too slow” to transport the drugs. Smugglers had to look for other means of transportation, according to Figueroa. People known only as “Gordo” and “Compa” supplied Figueroa with the cocaine, which came from Zapata. Part of the conspiracy was to meet with the narcotics traffickers in parking lots of stores and restaurants to exchange vehicles laden with money or cocaine. Figueroa testified he used numerous phones for the operation, each for communicating with a different person, such as his boss or people from Atlanta, Nuevo Laredo, Laredo or Zapata. Emilio Davila Jr., attorney for Carlos Flores Sr., said Figueroa had been waiting to be sentenced for about two years since he pleaded guilty in February 2011. Figueroa not only testified in hopes to get a reduced sentenced but to protect his wife, Davila said. He added that Figueroa’s wife would take money into Mexico but that prosecutors chose not to prosecute her in exchange of Figueroa’s testimony. On Wednesday, a federal special testified about a surveillance incident that took place Sept. 28, 2009, at Academy Sports and Outdoors on San Bernardo Avenue after federal authorities had intercepted a call made to Figueroa. Figueroa was recorded talk-

ing about bringing some “muchachas” to go out with them later. “Muchachas” is slang for cocaine, the federal special agent testified. He said smugglers use code words to refer to the narcotics. This helps the dealers avoid being caught. Figueroa allegedly arrived at the location in a narcotics-laden vehicle. An exchange of vehicles was to occur. When agents ran license plates checks on the vehicles involved in the alleged transaction, they were tied to both Flores. Carlos Flores Jr. and his wife were photographed at the scene, according to the agent. Oscar A. Vela Jr., who represents Flores Jr., questioned the agent as to how he was able to identify people from the surveillance pictures. Vela said the agent did not have a good position to identify his client and his wife at the alleged transaction at Academy. Vela presented the agent with an overview map of the area. The agent could not recall his exact position. Davila Jr., who represents Carlos Flores Sr., pointed out federal authorities did not seize the cocaine from the alleged transaction at Academy. The agent said authorities suspected a cocaine transaction based on what they heard on the intercepted calls. Attorney Silverio A. Martinez Jr., who represents Mendez, said federal authorities executed search warrants on four properties belonging to his client, including one at KCM Transportation. No narcotics were found, he said. Martinez also claimed

that agents did not have enough evidence to wiretap Mendez’s phone. The alleged recording of Mendez’s voice was done through another phone owned by a person identified as “Delgadillo.” Authorities jumped to conclusions in identifying Mendez simply because “Delgadillo” refers to a man as “Kike” or “Patron.” Martinez said “Delgadillo” was referring to his drug boss and not his client. On Thursday, Eduardo Paul Delgadillo, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, said he knew Enrique Mendez was paid to bring money from Atlanta. Mendez allegedly received a 5 percent payment, according to Delgadillo. He further testified Mendez was in charge of dividing the money. Delgadillo said he’d receive payments of $500 to $600 for his role. In recorded calls played in court, Delgadillo identified the speakers as Figueroa and Mendez. Delgadillo added Figueroa and Mendez were talking about money. Mendez was the one giving the orders, thus making him a leader, according to Delgadillo. In crossexamination, Martinez pointed out that Delgadillo has pleaded guilty to federal charges. Court documents for Delgadillo state he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder monetary instruments Feb. 28, 2011. Delgadillo is expected to get some benefit for testifying for the government. Perhaps he could get a role adjustment in the scheme, Martinez said. The trial resumes Monday.

Hanselmann said. The third vessel was loaded with hides and large bricks of tallow, suggesting that it may have been a prize seized by the privateers. The artifacts are headed for preservation work at a Texas A&M University research facility. “For now, there’s lot of conjecture, lots of hypotheses,” said Jim Delgado, the director of the Maritime Heritage Program for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “We may have answered some questions, but we have a large number of new questions. But that’s archaeology.” Delgado said the ships likely went down during the first two decades of the 1800s, which was a time of great upheaval in the Gulf region and in the New World, in general. “Empires were falling, Spain was losing its grip,

France was selling what it has, Mexico becomes independent, Texas independent, Latin America becomes independent and the U.S. is beginning to make a foothold in the Gulf,” he said. “So these wrecks are all tied to that, we are sure.” It’s likely each ship was carrying 50 to 60 men and that none of them survived. Among the wreckage were telescopes and other navigational tools that survivors likely wouldn’t have left behind if they could have helped it, the researchers said. Delgado said the ship the team set out to examine was armed with six cannons and may have had two masts. Undersea images show the outline of a copper-clad, 84-foot-long by 26-foot-wide wooden hull. A Shell Oil Co. survey crew notified federal Interior Department officials

in 2011 that its sonar had detected something resembling a shipwreck. It also detected other material. “Like a medical ultrasound, interpreting can be difficult,” said Jack Irion, of the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. “This case is the same way. You can’t tell if it’s an historic shipwreck or just a pile of stuff.” A year later, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration vessel examining seafloor habitat and naturally occurring gas seepage used a remotecontrolled vehicle to briefly examine the wreck. Besides determining the ship’s dimensions, the examination showed it to be undisturbed and likely from the early 19th century. That ship has been dubbed the “Monterrey Shipwreck,” adopting the name Shell had proposed for its development site.

VOTING Continued from Page 1A Texas Republicans suggested the administration effort was more about politics. “This decision has nothing to do with protecting voting rights and everything to do with advancing a partisan political agenda,” Sen John Cornyn said after Holder’s speech. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said the administration seemed to be “sowing racial divide” and accused the administration of joining Texas Democrats with an eye on the 2014 elections. Abbott is running for governor. The Supreme Court, on June 25, threw out the most powerful part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Holder said the first Justice Department move would be to ask a federal court in San Antonio to require advance approval for voting changes in Texas, a state riven with political battles, from redistricting to voter ID requirements. “Even as Congress considers updates to the Voting Rights Act in light of the court’s ruling, we plan, in the meantime, to fully utilize the law’s remaining sections to ensure that the voting rights of all American citizens are protected,” Holder said. The Justice Department is asking that a preapproval requirement in Texas apply for 10 years and “beyond 10 years in the event of further discriminatory acts,” the department said in a court filing. The separate provision of the Voting Rights Act that Holder is invoking may be a difficult tool for the Obama administration to use. A handful of jurisdictions have been subjected to advance approval of elec-

tion changes through the Civil Rights Act provision it is relying on, but a court first must find that a state or local government engaged in intentional discrimination under the Constitution’s 14th or 15th amendments, or the jurisdiction has to admit to discrimination. Unlike in other parts of the voting law, the discriminatory effect of an action is not enough to trigger the so-called bail-in provision. In the Texas case, the department is not directly intervening but is filing what’s known as a statement of interest in support of private groups that have filed suit. “The fact that intervention in Texas is the Department of Justice’s first action to protect voting rights” following the Supreme Court decision “speaks volumes about the seriousness of Texas’ actions,” said state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, a Democrat from San Antonio and chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, which is a plaintiff in the San Antonio case. In Texas, Holder said, there is a history of “pervasive voting-related discrimination against racial minorities.” Based on evidence of intentional racial discrimination presented last year in a redistricting case, “we believe that the state of Texas should be required to go through a preclearance process whenever it changes its voting laws and practices,” said Holder. In its filing in San Antonio, the Justice Department said that “in every redistricting cycle since 1970, courts have similarly found that one or more of Texas’

statewide redistricting plans violated the voting guarantees of the Constitution or provisions of the Voting Rights Act.” A three-judge panel in San Antonio has been looking at Texas voting maps for state and congressional redistricting since 2011, when the court threw out boundaries drawn by a then-GOP supermajority in the statehouse. An ensuing legal battle between the state and a coalition of minority rights groups upset the 2012 elections in Texas, delaying party primaries that ultimately used temporary maps drawn by the court. Under the direction of GOP Gov. Rick Perry last month, the Legislature ratified those interim maps as permanent over the objection of Democrats, who still contend the maps are biased and underrepresent minorities. On Thursday, Perry called the Obama administration’s actions an “endrun around the Supreme Court.” Last year, a federal court in Washington, D.C., found that Texas lawmakers had intentionally discriminated against minorities in drawing political maps and that the state’s voter ID law would disenfranchise minority voters. But the Supreme Court decision throwing out part of the Voting Rights Act removed the power of that court to stop those measures from going into effect. Minority groups asked the three-judge panel in San Antonio last month to adopt the findings of the District of Columbia court and require Texas to submit all proposed voting-law changes for court review.

10A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

Sports&Outdoors NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: OFFSEASON ACTIVITIES

Keeping up with Kiffin Photo by LM Otero | AP

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones speaks on Thursday in Arlington.

AT&T gets naming rights Photo by Gus Ruelas | AP

The Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin is embracing his time during the Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, Calif.

Cowboys’ new coordinator adds new level By MICHAEL LEV THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

OXNARD, Calif. — Monte Kiffin still can run. As Cowboys practice concludes, the new Dallas defensive coordinator sprints past

a converging throng of media and up a hill toward the team’s makeshift locker room. Not bad for a 73-yearold. Kiffin slows down only upon recognizing a reporter from his recent tenure at

USC. He stops to talk, and if you think his gait is fast, you should hear the words spill out of his mouth. “He kind of reminds me of the guy off ‘The Waterboy,’ the old country guy who kind of rambles,” veteran

Cowboys make deal in innovative ways By GARY JACOBSON, KAREN ROBINSON-JACOBS AND DAVID MOORE THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

cornerback Brandon Carr said, referencing the hilariously incomprehensible Farmer Fran. “Sometimes you can’t understand what he’s saying. But he gets his

DALLAS — At first glance, it falls short of being the biggest stadium naming rights deal in America. But some sports business experts say Jerry Jones and his Dallas Cowboys, with the help of AT&T Inc.’s wireless technology, are pioneering a new source of revenue for big-time

See COWBOYS PAGE 2B

See AT&T PAGE 2B

Texans aim for more Watt, Houston harbor high hopes for 2013 By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS

AP photo

This photo taken from former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez’s surveillance system shows Hernandez at home with what appears to be a gun.

Details emerge in Hernandez case By ERIKA NIEDOWSKI ASSOCIATED PRESS

ATTLEBORO, Mass. — Bail was set Friday at $500,000 cash for a so-called right-hand man of Aaron Hernandez who prosecutors say was with the former New England Patriots star

on the night his friend was shot to death. Ernest Wallace appeared in Attleboro District Court on a charge of being an accessory after the fact to murder in Odin Lloyd’s killing. Defense

See MURDER PAGE 2B

HOUSTON — Reaching the playoffs for the last two seasons has made the Houston Texans hungry to do much more in 2013. “I think we’ll always be disappointed if we’re not a Super Bowl team, because that’s our goal,” owner Bob McNair said. As they prepare for the start of camp this week, they certainly have the talent to be among the league’s best this season with a team led by last year’s defensive player of the year J.J. Watt. The defensive end had 20½ sacks last year, but is determined to improve in 2013 and is focused on becoming more of a leader for the Texans despite it being just his third season. “Last year was fun, but nowhere near my potential,” Watt said. “There is no reason to try and repeat last year. I’m trying to be better than last year.” Coach Gary Kubiak is looking forward to seeing how his players

Photo by Dave Einsel | AP

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) hopes to led the Texans to another successful season. come together and how new additions like safety Ed Reed and rookie receiver DeAndre Hopkins will fit in. “This time of year, it’s about chemistry of the team,” he said. “Putting this 2013 group together, we’re going to be different, we’re going to have a different personality and we’re trying to start to put that together.”

Five things to look for as the Texans open camp:

1. WILL REED BE READY? A nine-time Pro Bowler, Reed was Houston’s biggest offseason addition but the question is when

See TEXANS PAGE 2B

PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL

Former A&M ace shows flaws in MLB draft By TYLER KEPNER NEW YORK TIMES NEWS

AP photo

Former A&M pitcher Barrett Loux was the Aggies’ ace in 2010. The Arizona Diamondbacks grabbed with the sixth overall pick.

ROUND ROCK — The very moment he was drafted, in 2010, Barret Loux was buried. His team, Texas A&M, was waiting out a rain delay at an NCAA regional game in Miami and had gathered in the weight room to watch the draft on TV. Loux, a junior right-hander, was the Aggies’ ace, with an 11-2 record, a 2.60 earned run average and 136 strikeouts, which led the

Big 12 Conference. He was projected to be a late first-round choice, and when the Arizona Diamondbacks grabbed him much higher, with the sixth overall pick, Loux’s teammates pounced. “I got tackled,” Loux said, smiling at the memory. Moments later, possibly while Loux was still in that joyous pile on the floor, the New York Mets prepared to make their selection. Their executives had identified Bryce Harper, Jameson Taillon

and Manny Machado as the three best players in the draft, and all were gone — Harper to Washington, Taillon to Pittsburgh and Machado to Baltimore, in that order. The next-best player on the Mets’ list, according to Omar Minaya, their former general manager, was a junior right-hander from the University of North Carolina who watched the draft with friends at the Chapel Hill home

See LOUX PAGE 2B

PAGE 2B

Zscores

Texas hopes to jump back

COWBOYS Continued from Page 1B point across. Guys really relate to him.” That the Cowboys’ consensus so far when it comes to Kiffin: They love him. They love his enthusiasm. They love his passion. They love his motor. Coach Jason Garrett mentioned how Kiffin would take his assistants onto the field in the offseason — without players — to teach them how to coach the 4-3 defense he is bringing to Dallas. Kiffin also was a big hit at a clinic for Dallas-area youth and high school coaches held last week at Cowboys Stadium. “I hope I have that type of energy when I’m 73 years old,” said Jason Witten, the Cowboys’ 31-yearold tight end. Monte Kiffin can still run. But can he still run a defense?

SCHOOL DAZE Forgive USC fans if they view the Cowboys’ hiring of Kiffin with a healthy dose of skepticism. Kiffin was supposed to be one-third of a dream team of coaches lured from Tennessee in January 2010, along with son Lane, the Trojans’ head coach, and recruiting ace Ed Orgeron. Yet in three seasons, USC never finished higher than 54th in the nation in total defense or 40th in points allowed per game. In Kiffin’s bio in the Cowboys media guide, there is no mention of any of his defenses’ accomplishments while at Tennessee for one season and USC the past three. It’s almost as if it never happened, or shouldn’t count against him. Kiffin resigned at the end of the 2012 season. He described his time at USC as “awesome.” But it wasn’t remotely satisfying. It wasn’t unreasonable to

wonder whether the game had passed Kiffin by. Yet less than two weeks after his final game at USC, the Cowboys hired him to reshape their scuffling defense.

FAIR TO COMPARE? The Cowboys ranked 19th or worse in total defense, points allowed and takeaways last season. They haven’t had a top-10 defense since 2009 — which, not coincidentally, was the last time they made the playoffs. Kiffin had a hard time dealing with the NCAA’s “20-hour rule,” which limits how much time coaches can spend with players. Back in the NFL, he can watch as much film with them as he wants. “Even in college, the players want to come up and talk football,” Kiffin said. “But you can’t go on the board; you can’t do a lot of things with them. (Now) they can come in and watch tape anytime they want. It’s just a different deal.” Kiffin won’t face as many exotic offenses in Dallas as he did at USC. But it’s worth noting that the new coach of the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles is Chip Kelly — the same Chip Kelly who devised the Oregon scheme Kiffin’s defense couldn’t stop last November. Another NFC East foe, Washington, runs a similar type of read-option offense. Veteran Cowboys safety Will Allen, who played for Kiffin in Tampa, said his old coordinator has “some new things he’s implementing.” Perhaps those tweaks will make a difference. Perhaps returning to the NFL, where he had great success before, is all Kiffin needs to recapture his mojo. Can Monte Kiffin still run a defense? We’ll see.

SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013

By RUSTIN DODD THE KANSAS CITY STAR

DALLAS — Tre Walker was speaking the truth, or at least something close. He was trying to be polite, respectful, all the ways players are expected to act at Big 12 Media Days. But as Walker, a K-State senior linebacker, sat inside the Omni Hotel on Monday afternoon, his words still came off as a direct shot across the Bevo. For the last half-decade, the Wildcats have owned Texas. And according to Walker, it was pretty clear why. “They kind of laid down a little bit,” Walker told reporters. Walker, of course, has some firm ground to stand on. The Wildcats are the defending Big 12 champions, and they enter the season with a five-game winning streak over the Longhorns. But in the big picture, Walker’s comments reveal a growing sentiment in the conference. Four years after Texas appeared in its second BCS title game in five years, some of that old Texas mystique is gone. The Longhorns are just 22-16 during the last three seasons — including a five-win debacle in 2010 — and Big 12 opponents have provided plen-

Photo by Tom Reel | San Antonio Express-News

Univeristy of Texas quarterback David Ash warms up under the watchful eye of Mack Brown before the looming season. ty of retribution and pain. Consider: In the last three years, Texas coach Mack Brown has lost more conference games (15) than he had in the 11 previous years combined (14). “We did lose it,” Brown says. “Because when you win five games you’re not gonna be as confident and have the swagger — especially in Austin, when you win 12 the year before. And we lost it very quickly.” But three years after rock bottom, there are signs that Brown may have

AT&T Continued from Page 1B sports. “The next big thing is the second-screen viewing experience,” said University of Texas at Dallas marketing expert Abhijit Biswas as he considered the potential future for fans inside what is now AT&T Stadium. In announcing the deal in Arlington on Thursday, which ESPN reported as worth $17 million to $19 million a year for an undefined period, the Cowboys and Dallas-based AT&T said they “will work together to deliver an interactive game day experience for fans like no other.” “This is about smartphones, pads, computers and technology,” Stephen Jones, son of the Cowboys owner, said in an interview. “We have targeted them from the get-go. This was not just about settling for a naming right’s deal. . . This is a bigger deal.” During games, Biswas and sports business expert Craig Depken speculated, fans could be streaming highlights from other NFL games, communicating with friends outside the stadium, and viewing custom content provided by the Cowboys or others on their mobile devices. The Cowboys and AT&T will likely share in rev-

TEXANS Continued from Page 1B he’ll be ready. The Texans hope he will shore up their secondary, but it’s unclear if he’ll be ready for the season-opener after surgery to repair a partly torn labrum on April 30. During minicamp the longtime Ravens star wouldn’t put a date on when he expects to be healthy enough to play, saying he should have a better idea of the timetable for his return when training camp begins.

2. WHAT’S UP WITH WATT? Along with his 201/2 sacks, Watt also had 81 tackles, four forced fumbles and defended 16 passes. It was such a dominant season that Houston defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who began coaching in the NFL in 1976, called it the “best season ever” for a defensive lineman. So now the question becomes what can the player dubbed J.J. Swatt for his incredible knack for batting down passes do for an encore?

3. HOPKINS TO OFFENSE

The Texans are hoping first-round draft pick Hopkins can jump right into the offense. Houston hasn’t guaranteed Hopkins a starting job, but told him he could certainly earn it with a strong performance in camp. He joins Andre Johnson as the only receivers to be taken in the first round by the Texans and the 32year-old Johnson can’t wait to play with Hopkins. Hopkins led Clemson with 82 receptions for 1,405 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior last season. He also played for the Tigers’ basketball team as a freshman in 2010 and believes fighting for rebounds during games helps him be a better receiver.

4. CUSHING IS BACK Early last season Houston’s defense seemed unstoppable as Watt and linebacker Brian Cushing worked together to lead the unit. Then Cushing tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Week 5 and missed the rest of the

played in the majors. Reggie Jackson went next to the Kansas City A’s. Sixteen years later, the Minnesota Twins used the fourth overall pick on Bryan Oelkers, who never won a game for them. The Mets grabbed Dwight Gooden next. In 2001 — after passing on David Wright with their first choice and taking Aaron Heilman — the Mets got their future captain at No. 38. The pick before, the Oakland Athletics took John Rheinecker, who never pitched for them. The difference in Loux’s tale is that the Diamondbacks rejected him without even trying to sign him. Before the draft, Loux had told them he would sign for $2 million, below the recommended value assigned to that slot. Then, after a physical exam, the team pulled the offer. Loux said he had shoulder tightness in high school but overcame it with stretching exercises

season. Though the defense was solid after Cushing’s injury, it never seemed to be as dominant as it was in the first few weeks. Cushing, the 2009 defensive rookie of the year, is healthy and expected to be ready for the start of camp. Now the Texans will wait to see if he can return to be the player he was before the injury and turn in a season like he did in 2011 when he finished with 114 tackles and four sacks.

5. FOSTER’S FINE The team got a scare early in organized team activities when star running back Arian Foster strained his right calf. He didn’t practice again after the injury, but Kubiak said he was fine and that he was keeping him out until training camp as a precaution. Foster, who started his NFL career as an undrafted free agent, has developed into one of the top running backs in the league and ran for 1,424 yards and 15 touchdowns last year for his third straight 1,200-yard rushing season.

that improved his flexibility and strength. The problem never resurfaced in college, but the Diamondbacks were so alarmed that they decided they would rather have a compensation pick in the 2011 draft, which would be No. 7, than sign Loux at any price. Indirectly, the Diamondbacks could still benefit from their decision to drop Loux. With the compensation pick, they chose Archie Bradley, now widely considered the best pitching prospect in the minors. Bradley signed for $5 million, far more than Loux has earned so far. Last Saturday, he folded his 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame into a rocking chair above the left field berm at Dell Diamond before a game against the Round Rock Express. The Cubs are his third organization, and, incredibly, he joined them specifically because he was healthy. Loux traveled to Baltimore, Cincinnati, Milwau-

enue yielded by technology that has yet to be developed. Some of the new interactive enhancements will be available to only AT&T customers, the company said. All of that means extra data usage on AT&T’s network, which has been boosted inside the stadium, in the plazas and parking lots. Wireless data is one of AT&T’s fastest growing business segments. Data revenue alone grew nearly 20 percent to $5.4 billion in the second quarter, the company reported this week. AT&T expects mobile data to remain a cornerstone for future growth. Some of the exclusive content might come with an extra charge, Biswas and Depken said, while acknowledging that a lot of experimentation with offerings and pricing is likely. “Jerry is always ahead of the curve in finding ways to generate revenue,” said Depken, a former professor at the University of Texas at Arlington who is now at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Around the NFL, Jerry Jones is credited for being an innovator and for his aggressive pursuit of corporate sponsorships and revenue from suites and lucrative club seats.

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LOUX Continued from Page 1B of his pitching coach, Scott Forbes. He had not heard much from the Diamondbacks and was not expecting them to draft him. But he had been in contact with the Mets and knew they had scouted him extensively. “They called my name, and it was a pretty special moment,” he said. “I was kind of in shock, and I couldn’t really move. Everybody else in the room is going crazy. I was so happy, but I just kind of sat there. Everybody came up to me and was hugging me, and I’m still sitting there.” The name of that pitcher, who was so relieved to be drafted where he wanted, was Matt Harvey. The history of the draft is filled with misevaluations. Over time, every team will make them, and every team will benefit from others’ mistakes. In 1966, the Mets used the first overall pick on Steve Chilcott, a high school catcher who never

weathered the worst of a choppy storm. The Longhorns return 19 starters, including experienced quarterback David Ash, and, in somewhat of a surprise, longtime college football analyst Phil Steele ranked the Longhorns as his No. 4 team in the country. Brown believes the Longhorns are ready to mature into a conference title contender. And that could begin with Ash, a 6-foot-3 junior, taking the next step in a career that’s been defined by fits and starts.

kee and Minnesota for workouts but signed with the Rangers, who did not see him pitch. They had scouted Loux in college and believed he had the command, the size and the intelligence to be a reliable fourth-starter type in the majors. Loux signed with the Rangers for $312,000 and reported to instructional camp in Arizona. His roommate there, Mike Olt, said Loux never even mentioned his draft ordeal. He was eager to put it behind him, and over the next two seasons, Loux went 22-6 with a 3.62 ERA, earning Pitcher of the Year honors in the Class AA Texas League in 2012. Loux’s fastball sometimes touched 94 miles an hour, Fagg said, but usually it was slower, and he thrived by executing game plans and using a deceptive windup in which he tilted his head toward third base while lifting his left leg.

attorney David Meier had sought bail of $10,000, arguing Wallace wasn’t a flight risk and wanted to return to his family in Florida. But Assistant District Attorney William McCauley asked for $1 million bail, saying Wallace was at risk of fleeing. He said Wallace had a long criminal history that included drug convictions and that he had used aliases and impersonated others. Meier wouldn’t comment after court, including about whether his client expected to make bail. Wallace, who had previously pleaded not guilty, was taken back into custody following the hearing. Wallace, 41, did not speak during the proceeding, but mouthed “I love you” and “I miss you” to a woman watching in the courtroom. Prosecutors were pleased with the bail, said Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for Bristol County District Attorney Samuel Sutter. Hernandez, 23, has pleaded not guilty to murder in the death of Lloyd, a 27-year-old Boston semiprofessional football player whose body was found June 17 in an industrial park about a mile from Hernandez’s home. The two men were friends and Lloyd was dating the sister of Hernandez’s girlfriend. Prosecutors say Hernandez orchestrated Lloyd’s killing because he was upset at him for talking to people Hernandez had problems with at a nightclub days earlier. They say Hernandez, Wallace and a third man, Carlos Ortiz, drove with Lloyd to the industrial park. Authorities have not said who fired the shots, but according to documents filed in Florida, Ortiz told police that Wallace said it was Hernandez. In court Friday, McCauley painted Wallace as having no fixed address and no job and said Hernandez appeared to be his “sole

support.” He said Wallace has been described as Hernandez’s right-hand man, and that he had been spending more time at Hernandez’s house in the months before the killing, using a car Hernandez rented for him. McCauley also said Hernandez’s aunt provided financial assistance to Wallace after Lloyd’s death as he made his way south to Miramar, Fla., where his parents live. Wallace later turned himself in to police in Miramar. Friday’s hearing followed the release of court documents a day earlier that included photos of Hernandez in his home, holding what authorities have said was a gun, both before and minutes after Lloyd’s homicide. The photos came from Hernandez’s home video surveillance system and are among evidence authorities have obtained with search warrants. Authorities believe Lloyd was killed with a .45-caliber Glock, which they have said hasn’t been recovered. Prosecutors have said that a gun Hernandez is seen holding in the home surveillance appears to be a Glock. Authorities recovered an ammunition clip for .45caliber bullets in Hernandez’s Hummer as well as ammunition of the same caliber inside a condo he rented in Franklin, Mass. Prosecutors this week won a delay, to Aug. 22, for a probable cause hearing for Hernandez, saying they needed more time to present evidence to a grand jury. Hernandez will continue to be held without bail. In the course of investigating Lloyd’s death, authorities found a vehicle at the home of Hernandez’s uncle in Bristol, Conn., Hernandez’s hometown, that was wanted in a 2012 double killing in Boston, according to the Florida records. It had been rented in Hernandez’s name.

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Dear Heloise: Do you have a list of flowers that DEER DO NOT LIKE? My daughter lives in the country, and the deer even tore down hanging baskets to eat the flowers. — Roberta T. in Ohio Oh “deer,” this can certainly be a challenge! I, too, live in an area where the deer seem to eat any and all landscaping. Overpopulation of deer has become a major problem in many parts of the United States. You live in Ohio, where white-tailed deer are thriving. Since more land is being developed, deer lose their natural habitat, and the plants, shrubs and even trees that the deer eat are gone. White-tailed deer don’t have many natural predators, and their population can grow rather quickly, since does can have as many as three fawns each year. Deer have been known to eat just about anything! I’ve even had them eat my cactus! It’s best to visit your gardening center or home-improvement store

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HELOISE

for more ideas of plants for your part of the country, or call your county extension agent. Here are some plants you can try: Perennial flowers, like cornflower, iris, tiger lily, bellflower and peonies. Annual flowers like alyssum, marigolds, snapdragons, geranium, blue salvia, sunflowers, morning glory and wax begonias. Vines like honeysuckle, wisteria, grape and trumpet creeper. Good luck! — Heloise HANDY KEY RINGS Dear Heloise: Hang a three-quarter-inch key ring over the hook on clothes hangers, and hang another hanger, with coordinating clothes, on the key ring. This saves lots of room, and helps keep “outfits” coordinated. Two items take little more space than just one. — Shirley L., Elgin, Ill.

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SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013