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FEDERAL COURT
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Lopeño man found guilty
A trillion in the hole
Jury: Second suspect was also a smuggler
Administration: 2012 budget deficit will be $1.2 trillion By ANDREW TAYLOR ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — The White House predicts this year’s federal budget deficit will end up at $1.2 trillion, marking the fourth consecutive year of trillion dollar-plus deficits during President Barack Obama’s ad-
U.S. economic growth has slowed to an annual rate of just 1.5 percent. ministration. The bleak figures, while expected, are sure to add fuel to the already heated presidential
campaign, in which Obama’s handling of the economy and the budget is a main topic. Friday’s release came as the gov-
ernment announced that U.S. economic growth slowed to an annual rate of just 1.5 percent in the second quarter of this year, as consumers cut back sharply on spending. The White House budget office also predicts for this year
See DEFICIT PAGE 9A
By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
After a two-day trial and a two-hour deliberation, a legal permanent resident of Lopeño was found guilty in McAllen for three counts of transporting 10 undocumented people, federal authorities announced Wednesday. Enrique Gonzalez-Cavazos, 41, faces up to five years in federal prison on each count, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Sentencing has been set up for Oct. 4. Gonzalez-Cavazos remains in federal custody. Co-defendant and U.S. citizen Julian Cisneros Jr., 48, of Falcon, had previously pleaded guilty in April. Cisneros will be sentenced Aug. 20. During trial, witnesses identified Gonzalez-Cavazos as the driver of a red truck. Cisneros was identified as the passenger. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the defense attempted to convince the jury that GonzalezCavazos was “extremely intoxicated” and he did not know what he was doing. On March 19, U.S. Border Patrol agents walking a trail at about 9 p.m. near Fronton in Starr County observed several people traveling north from the Rio Grande. Agents requested assistance. An agent responding to the scene saw a red pickup heading north on FM 650 toward U.S. 83 in Roma. Agents received information that several people came out of the brush and got into a red pickup. A criminal complaint states the vehicle fitted the description of a suspected truck an agent had seen earlier. Authorities caught up to the truck. As an agent turned on the emergency lights and attempted a vehicle stop, the truck driver accelerated.
HEALTH CARE
TAKING CARE OF HEALTH
Photo by Ulysses S. Romero | The Zapata Times
Javier Jimenez of Zapata undergoes a medical exam by a Texas Guards member Thursday morning during Operation Lone Star at Zapata Middle School.
Operation Lone Star saw more than 250 people By JJ VELASQUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
B
everly Jimenez recently moved to South Texas from Indiana seeking a better quality of life and better health care. On Thursday, she said she
found just the kind of program she was looking for in Zapata. As of Thursday morning, Jimenez was one of more than 250 people, according to City of Laredo public health technician Dr. Manuel Ramirez, to receive free medical
services during Operation Lone Star, a weeklong program that ended here Friday. It was held at Zapata Middle School. “I just hope there are more programs out there for people like us, people in the community like us who need
it,” Jimenez said. Jimenez and others were able to receive medical exams, immunizations, sports physicals, vision and hearing screenings, behavior health evaluations, blood pressure
See LONE STAR PAGE 9A
See COURT PAGE 9A
SERVING CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN NEED
Policing underage drinking said difficult Workshop discusses ways lawmen can detect teen drinkers By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Photo by Danny Zaragoza | The Zapata Times
Eddie Torres, agent with the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commision, conducts a session on preventing underage drinking on Thursday afternoon at the Texas National Guard Armory in Laredo.
Curtailing underage drinking is tough, according to state and local authorities. “It’s truly impossible to completely curtail underage drinking because the manpower is not there,” said Senior Agent Eddie Torres of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission enforcement division, during an underage drinking prevention workshop Thursday in Laredo. The event was hosted by the Webb County Community Coalition of Serving Children and Adolescents in Need. Torres said the session was to inform law enforcement officers how better to
detect underage drinking, with an emphasis at clubs and bars. TABC will sanction these clubs for allowing minors in their clubs to possess and consume alcoholic beverages, Torres said. If a business violates the law, the establishment could face a few days of suspension or a $300 a day fine for the first offense. But Torres said if problems persist, a business can face cancellation of its alcohol-selling permit. “If you are a bar, you’re out of business. If you’re a store, you can sell eggs and milk, everything except alcohol,”
See WORKSHOP PAGE 9A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, JULY 28
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will show “One World, One Sky Big Bird’s Adventure” at 5 p.m., “Black Holes” at 6 p.m. and “Ancient Skies, Ancient Mysteries” at 7 p.m. General admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Premium shows are $1 more. For more information call 956326-3663. The third annual Cat Appreciation Day/Cat Contest is today from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Petco, 5410 San Bernardo Ave. Cat owners can bring their cats or a photo of their cat to participate. Registration will be from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. Prizes will be given for the best pet in each category. There is a $1 donation for each participating category. All proceeds will go toward bringing the SNAP Mobile Neutering/Spaying Clinic from San Antonio to Laredo. For more information, call Birdie Torres at 956-286-7866. TAMIU’s Office of Continuing Education will hold its Legal Nurse Consultant Training Course from 9:50 a.m. to 5 p.m. Course cost is $849. For more information, contact the Office of Continuing Education at 956326-3068 or continuingeducation@tamiu.edu.
Today is Saturday, July 28, the 210th day of 2012. There are 156 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On July 28, 1932, federal troops acting at the order of President Herbert Hoover forcibly dispersed the so-called “Bonus Army” of World War I veterans who had gathered by the thousands in Washington to demand payments they weren’t scheduled to receive until 1945. On this date: In 1540, King Henry VIII’s chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, was executed, the same day Henry married his fifth wife, Catherine Howard. In 1609, the English ship Sea Venture, commanded by Adm. Sir George Somers, ran ashore on Bermuda, where the passengers and crew founded a colony. In 1794, Maximilien Robespierre, a leading figure of the French Revolution, was sent to the guillotine. In 1821, Peru declared its independence from Spain. In 1914, World War I began as Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. In 1928, the Summer Olympic games opened in Amsterdam. In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced the end of coffee rationing, which had limited people to one pound of coffee every five weeks since it began in Nov. 1942. In 1945, a U.S. Army bomber crashed into the 79th floor of New York’s Empire State Building. The U.S. Senate ratified the United Nations Charter by a vote of 89-2. In 1959, in preparation for statehood, Hawaiians voted to send the first Chinese-American, Republican Hiram L. Fong, to the U.S. Senate and the first Japanese-American, Democrat Daniel K. Inouye, to the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1962, 19 passengers were killed when a Pennsylvania Railroad Co. train enroute from Harrisburg to Philadelphia derailed in Steelton. In 1976, an earthquake devastated northern China, killing at least 242,000 people. In 1990, political newcomer and upset winner Alberto Fujimori was sworn in for his first term as president of Peru. Ten years ago: Nine coal miners trapped in the flooded Quecreek Mine in Somerset, Pa., were rescued after 77 hours underground. Speaking publicly on the church abuse scandal for the first time, Pope John Paul II told young Catholics in Toronto that sexual abuse of children by priests “fills us all with a deep sense of sadness and shame.” Today’s Birthdays: Actor Darryl Hickman is 81. Former Senator and NBA Hall of Famer Bill Bradley is 69. “Garfield” creator Jim Davis is 67. Actress Linda Kelsey is 66. TV producer Dick Ebersol is 65. Actress Sally Struthers is 64. Rock musician Simon Kirke (Bad Company) is 63. The president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, is 58. Rock musician Steve Morse (Deep Purple) is 58. CBS anchorman Scott Pelley is 55. Thought for Today: “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.” — From the Tao (dow) Te Ching, the sacred book of Taoism.
MONDAY, JULY 30 This is the last day to see the third annual Distinguished Veterans’ Art Exhibit during regular library hours at the Laredo Public Library, 1120 E. Calton Road. For more information about the exhibit, contact Pam Burrell at 956-795-2400, extension 2268, or pam@laredolibrary.org.
THURSDAY, AUG. 2 South Texas Food Bank’s Empty Bowls VI fundraiser is today from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Laredo Energy Arena, 6700 Arena Blvd. The event will feature a concert by Creedence Clearwater Revisited and a silent auction and will honor H-E-B for its contribution. Individual floor table tickets start at $100 each; a full table for 10 at $1,000; and concert-only tickets at $25, $15 and $10. For more information, call 956-324-2432.
Photo by Michael Paulsen/Houston Chronicle | AP
Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate, former state Solicitor General Ted Cruz, left, and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst debate each other on Monday in Houston. Cruz appears to be gaining the support of the tea party nationally and in Texas.
Tea party backs Cruz By NOMAAN MERCHANT ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Flanked by three national tea party luminaries, U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz on Friday accused his opponent, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, of questioning his patriotism and character in attack ads and said he wouldn’t respond in kind. Cruz spoke at a Dallas country club Friday morning before local tea party leaders and with three U.S. senators known for bucking the national GOP in favor of the tea party: Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky. Other national figures in the tea party movement are rallying to Cruz’s side in the days before the July 31 Republican runoff. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is expected to appear at a Houston rally later Friday. Once seen as a longshot, The former state
solicitor general is locked in a tight battle with Dewhurst, the mainstream GOP choice with support from most top state Republicans. Cruz criticized a Dewhurst circular that puts his face in front of a Chinese flag — a reference to Cruz’s Houston-based law firm’s representation of a Chinese company in an intellectual property dispute with an American manufacturer. At a debate earlier this week, Cruz held up a copy of the pamphlet. “I observed that for a long time, it has been considered the very basis of gutter politics to impugn another candidate’s patriotism,” Cruz said Friday. “That ad was a blatant falsehood.” Matt Hirsch, a spokesman for Dewhurst, countered that Cruz had run “a relentlessly negative campaign from Day One.”
SATURDAY, AUG. 11 The Back To School Kids Fishing Tournament takes place from 8:30 a.m. through 3 p.m. at Bravo Park, Children ages 3 through 12 can fish. Children must be accompanied by their parent during the tournament hours. Parent can help cast, but cannot reel in any fish. For more information, call the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce at 956-765-4871. Registration forms can be emailed to customercare@zapatachamber.com or faxed to l956-765-5434 or dropped off at the Chamber office, 601 U.S. 83 North.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 15 The “How to Become a Better Communicator” workshop will be today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 101 of the De La Garza Building on the Laredo Community College Fort McIntosh Campus. For more information call 7215110.
FRIDAY, AUG. 24 The Bethany House Gala is from 6-11 p.m. at the Laredo Civic Center. For more information, contact Elia M. York at 956-724-7141 or elia@killamcompanies.com.
Death row inmate has execution stayed
Latest steroids test catches 9 for drugs
San Antonio police officer fatally shoots gunman
DALLAS — A convicted murderer described by his lawyers as not mentally competent to be executed has been granted a stay by the state’s highest criminal court. Marcus Druery was to be executed Aug. 1, but the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled Friday that it needed to review a motion Druery filed earlier this month on whether he was mentally competent.
AUSTIN — The latest round of Texas high school steroids tests caught nine athletes for using performance-enhancing drugs. The University Interscholastic League on Friday released testing results for the 2011-2012 academic year. The UIL report says 3,311 tests were conducted. Of those, nine were positive for steroid use. The tests selected athletes at 217 schools.
SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio police officer has shot and killed an armed man after an exchange of gunfire over the suspect’s ex-girlfriend. Police say the suspect early Friday wounded the woman, who’s a former roommate of the officer, but she’s expected to survive. The officer wasn’t hurt. Names of the two men and the woman weren’t immediately released.
Last of 7 sentenced in AmeriFirst fraud
Waco plumber dies after touching exposed wiring
Man accused of killing girlfriend, her brother
DALLAS — The last of seven defendants has been sentenced in an investment fraud that targeted senior citizens in Texas and Florida. A federal judge in Dallas sentenced John Porter Priest of Ocala, Fla., to one year in prison Friday, a week after Dennis Woods Bowden of Farmers Branch got a 16-year sentence.
WACO — Officials say a Central Texas plumber checking for natural gas leaks under a house has died after touching exposed electrical wiring. Investigators say the accident happened Thursday night in Waco. Authorities say 32-year-old Pedro Garcia was shocked as he checked the residence.
LUFKIN — Investigators searching with dogs and a helicopter have captured an East Texas man accused of killing his girlfriend and her brother. Angelina County Jail records show 31-year-old Terrance Demound Barnes of Lufkin was held Friday on a charge of capital murder of multiple persons. — Compiled from AP reports
MONDAY, AUG. 27
AROUND THE NATION
First day of school for Zapata County Independent School District.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 21 The Sun Country Fishing Tournament begins and runs through Friday, Sept. 28, at Falcon Lake.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 22 The Bud Light 2012 San Antonio Division tournament takes place at Falcon Lake.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18 The Anglers Quests tournaments begin, to run through Sunday, Oct. 21.
SATURDAY, OCT. 27 The Bass Champs South Region Championship takes place today and Sunday, Oct. 28.
SATURDAY, NOV. 17 The Bud Light Tournament Fall 2012 San Antonio Division tournament returns to Falcon Lake.
In gay marriage fight, some brands take a stand OLYMPIA, Wash. — Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos waded into a developing corporate culture war over gay marriage Friday with a $2.5 million donation to keep same-sex unions legal in Washington, becoming the latest in a list of high-profile executives to take public stands on a hot election issue. Bezos joins Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and companies like Starbucks Inc. and Nike Inc. with support to the campaign to uphold Washington’s law.
Boy hit by bird on NJ roller coaster JACKSON, N.J. — A boy is recovering after he was hit in the face by a bird while riding a roller coaster at an amusement park in New Jersey. The collision occurred as the coaster at Six Flags Great Adven-
CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Business Manager, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 324-1226 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Copy Editor, Nick Georgiou ....................... 728-2565 Managing Editor, Mary Nell Sanchez........... 728-2543 Sports Editor, Adam Geigerman..................728-2578 Spanish Editor ........................................ 728-2569 Photo by Diane Bondareff/Invision | AP
Darlene Love appears at the WhyHunger Chapin Awards Dinner in New York on June 13. She is recovering from a mild heart attack, her agent said Friday.
ture in Jackson was returning to the station Thursday.
Chaplain quits So. Baptists over gay rite NEW YORK — A long-serving
Air Force chaplain, Col. Timonty Wagoner, has left the Southern Baptist Convention after the conservative denomination publicly questioned his attendance at a same-sex civil union ceremony at his base in New Jersey. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Chamber of Commerce offering ads on new map THE ZAPATA TIMES
Businesses in the Zapata area will have opportunities to buy advertisements on a new, local map to be published by the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce. Ad sizes range from business card to full pan-
el. The map will be a fullcolor street map of Zapata plus a map of Zapata County and Falcon Reservoir. The chamber plans to print about 5,000 maps, which will be distributed by the chamber and advertisers for the next two
years. Maps will be made available to every new resident and business locating in the area. A representative of Lammert Publications, which will publish the map, will contact potential advertisers over the next few days, according to a press release.
Congressman talks about issues via phone SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
From gaining access to their pensions to securing transportation to medical appointments, Zapata County residents were able to ask Rep. Henry Cuellar their questions about Social Security and Medicare during a town hall meeting conducted by telephone on Thursday. Cuellar hosted the telephone town hall meeting to hear from people in the county about matters related to Social Security and Medicare. Social Security Administration District Manager Sylvia Serrano also participated in the telephone town hall and helped answer questions from callers about their benefits. “(I represent) 116,695 (who) rely on Social Security and Medicare benefits to meet their basic needs, and Thursday’s telephone town hall made it possible for me to hear about how these programs are serving them,” Cuellar said. “Telephone town halls help me share information about how the federal government is working for them.”
More than 5,700 callers from Zapata County and the area participated in yesterday’s telephone town hall. During the call, Cuellar discussed many aspects of the Social Security program, including the need for a cost of living adjustment to benefits. He also took a call from a veteran who thanked Cuellar for the help she received from his office in securing her military benefits. One caller reported that he has paid into both teacher retirement and the Social Security system and asked Cuellar what he thought of the current policy that allows him only to receive assistance from one of the programs. “I’m glad you asked this question,” Cuellar said. “Money that you worked for is money that you earned, which is why I have cosponsored legislation that makes appropriate changes so that you can earn what you paid into, and I will continue to keep pushing this issue.” When a caller asked how the Medicare program will be affected by
health care reform, Cuellar explained the new health care law offers additional services that are already benefiting many seniors, sharing that nearly 4 million people with Medicare received cost relief during the law’s first year and describing additional help that seniors are now getting to pay for their prescriptions. Another caller shared her story of her difficulties affording health insurance after losing her job, Cuellar replied that that type of situation illustrates the need for health care reform. “If you are a senior, you turn to Medicare,” Cuellar said. “If you are disabled, there is Medicaid — but the working middle class gets stuck.” In addition to answering questions from constituents, Cuellar conducted an informal poll of the callers, asking whether they believe Medicare should continue as it is today or if it should transition into a voucher system. About 91 percent of the callers voted in favor of continuing the current Medicare system.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Two sides of the Olympic competition A “ braham Lincoln said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. He was right about slavery, but the maxim doesn’t apply to much else. In general, the best people are contradictory, and the most enduring institutions are, too. The Olympics are a good example. The Olympics are a peaceful celebration of our warlike nature.
Opening night The opening ceremony represents one side of the Olympic movement. They are a lavish celebration of the cooperative virtues: unity, friendship, equality, compassion and care. In Friday’s ceremony, there’s expected to be be musical tributes to the global community and the Olympic spirit. There was a Pepsi commercial-type images of the people from different backgrounds joyfully coming together. There were pious speeches about our common humanity and universal ideals. And there was a lot of dancing. Because we’re social, semi-herdlike creatures, we take a primordial pleasure in the sight of a large number of people moving in unison. Dance is physical, like sports, but, in many ways, it is the opposite of sports. In dance, the purpose is to blend with and mirror each other; in sport, the purpose is to come out ahead. Dancers perform for the audience and offer a gift of emotion; athletes respond to one another and the spectators are just there to witness and cheer.
Some smiles Dancers, especially at the opening ceremony, smile in warmth and friendship. No true sport is ever done smiling (this is the problem with figure skating and competitive cheerleading). After the opening ceremony is over, the Olympics turn into a celebration of the competitive virtues: tenacity, courage, excellence, supremacy, discipline and conflict. The smiling goes away and the grim-faced games begin. The marathoner struggling against exhaustion, the boxer trying to pummel his foe, the diver resolutely focused on her task. The purpose is to be tougher and better than the people who are seeking the same pinnacle. If the opening ceremony is win-win, most of the rest of the games are winlose. If the opening ceremony mimics peace, the competitions mimic warfare. It’s not about the brotherhood of humankind. It’s about making sure our country beats the Chinese in the medal chart.
Levels of excellence Through fierce competition, sport separates the elite from the mediocre. It identifies the heroes and standards of excellence that everybody else can emulate (a noble loser can serve as well as a talented winner). The idea is not to win friendship; it’s to win glory. We get to see people experiencing the thrill of victory from the
DAVID BROOKS
agony of defeat and judge how well they respond. In sum, the Olympic Games appeal both to our desire for fellowship and our desire for status, to the dreams of community and also supremacy. And, of course, these desires are in tension. But the world is, too. The world isn’t a jigsaw puzzle that fits neatly and logically together. It’s a system of clashing waves that can never be fully reconciled.
Contradictions The enduring popularity of the Olympics teach the lesson that if you find yourself caught between two competing impulses, you don’t always need to choose between them. You can go for both simultaneously. A single institution can celebrate charitable compassion and military toughness. A three-week festival can be crassly commercial, but also strangely moving. F. Scott Fitzgerald famously said that the mark of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two contradictory thoughts in your mind at the same time. But it’s not really the mark of genius, just the mark of anybody who functions well in the world. It’s the mark of any institution that lasts. A few years ago, Roger Martin, the dean of the University of Toronto’s management school, wrote a book called “The Opposable Mind,” about business leaders who can embrace the tension between contradictory ideas. One of his examples was A.G. Lafley of Proctor & Gamble.
Decisions Some Procter & Gamble executives thought the company needed to cut costs and lower prices to compete with the supermarket store brands. Another group thought the company should invest in innovation to keep their products clearly superior. Lafley embraced both visions, pushing hard in both directions. The world, unfortunately, has too many monomaniacs — people who pick one side of any creative tension and wish the other would just go away. Some parents and teachers like the cooperative virtues and distrust the competitive ones, so, laughably, they tell their kids that they are going to play sports but nobody is going to keep score.
COLUMN
Games unify diverse peoples L
ast night, as did an estimated four billion people, I watched the opening ceremony for the 2012 London Olympics. The parade of athletes, coaches and trainers representing all the participating countries was a brilliant show of humanity and unity. As I reflected upon this, I thought of Pope Benedict XVI and his message for these Olympic games. Last Sunday, as part of his message after praying the Angelus at noon, the Holy Father spoke of the “strong symbolic value” the summer games possess. Pope Benedict XVI added that he hoped the athletes, coaches, volunteers and all involved would seize this moment as “an experience of brotherhood among the Earth’s peoples” and that the Olympics are a reminder of how
“
JAMES TAMAYO
“God creates peace.” A special group helping to bring peace, guidance and reconciliation will be the 24 Catholic chaplains at the London Olympics. This special group is a part of a team of 190 chaplains providing spiritual support for people of Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Zoroastrian, Baha’i and Jains faith. The Catholic chaplains are doing God’s work amidst the more than 10,000 athletes in the Olympic Village. It is moments like this that lead to the development of new endeavors toward unity and peace among the people of the world.
I clearly recall how in the Jubilee Year of 2000, and the first year of existence for the Diocese of Laredo, Blessed John Paul II opened a sports office at the Vatican and described the creation of this new ministry as “reinvigorating the tradition (of sport) within the Christian community.” This office eventually led to the development of the Clericus Cup — a soccer tournament featuring the different seminaries in Rome. This competitive, yet friendly, tournament places its focal point on God. The lessons instilled in the participants on and off the field convey that everything begins and ends with God and that the game should be played in the spirit of Catholic brotherhood. And it is in this spirit that in the Diocese of Laredo, I have commissioned
Is Obama neglecting issues? By ED ROGERS SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON POST
As the economy gets worse, President Obama is not building a campaign message that will sell in October. He is chasing Mitt Romney around over tax returns, his business career and any other distraction he can create while more storm clouds appear to gather on America’s economic horizon. As I’ve said before, pay
attention to the bad news; good news has a way of taking care of itself. Well, two timely articles, one by Judd Gregg in the Hill and the other by Jeff Cox on CNBC.com, suggest that we’re heading for a double-dip recession and slower job growth — or worse.
WHAT VOTERS THINK Voters already think America is in a recession, so if we do technically fall
back into negative growth, it will only confirm what they believe. But the president has isolated himself and Democrats by not having a plan beyond more of the same. If voters are frustrated now, they could be in a panic by October. There is the potential of an economic calamity on the horizon, and the president appears clueless. In politics, bad gets worse. Unfortunately, the worse
to come appears to be economic circumstances that exceed anything we’ve seen since the recession started. Obama’s only chance lies in voters thinking he has a real plan, and there is no evidence of that being true today. The president has an ideological point of view that won’t let him initiate progrowth policies and an ego that won’t let him admit mistakes.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The
phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our
readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-call-
One or the other Politics has become a contest of monomaniacs. One faction champions austerity while another champions growth. One party becomes the party of economic security and the other becomes the party of creative destruction. The right course is usually to push hard in both directions, to be a house creatively divided against itself, to thrive amid the contradictions. The Olympics are great, but they are not coherent.
the renewal of the Catholic Youth Organization, or CYO, under the auspices of the Department of Youth Ministry and its director, Chris Osgood. And in line with the Vatican, soccer will be the first sport starting this fall for children in grades 5-8. The season is tentatively scheduled to start Sept. 8. The CYO league is open to the Catholic youth of our parishes and schools. This first season is starting in Laredo before expanding to other parishes of the diocese. It is my desire and hope that the CYO league will bring forth the same message that Pope Benedict XVI stated for the 30th Olympiad, that through God, sporting events can bring unity and peace. Anything is possible when you put God before all things and that you do so “Todo Con Amor!”
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
ing or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Kids’ fishing tourney coming THE ZAPATA TIMES
A fishing tournament for children ages 3 through 12 will be held at Bravo Park on Saturday, Aug. 11. The 2012 Back To School Kids Fishing Tournament, which will take place from 8:30 a.m. through 3 p.m., is sponsored by the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce. All participants must be between 3 and 12 years old. All participant children must be accompanied by a parent. Parents can help participants cast, but cannot reel in any fish. For more information, call 956-765-4871. Registration forms can be emailed to customercare@zapatachamber.com, faxed to 956765-5434 or dropped off at the Chamber office, 601 U.S. 83 North.
Panel deadlines are Wed. SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
USDA Farm Service Agency Executive Director Martin J. Garcia reminds farmers, ranchers and landowners to nominate farmer and rancher candidates to serve on their local county committee by the Wednesday deadline. Elected county committee members serve threeyear terms and are responsible for making decisions on FSA disaster, conservation, commodity and price support programs, as well as other important federal farm program issues. “County committee members are a valuable asset because they are local producers who participate in FSA programs and have a direct connection to farmers and ranchers in the community,” Garcia said. “I would like to see a high level of participation in this year’s nomination and election process,” he said. Producers may nominate themselves or others as candidates. Organizations that represent minority and women farmers and ranchers may also nominate candidates. Nominees must participate in a program administered by FSA, be eligible to vote in a county committee election and reside in the local administrative area in which the person is a candidate. To become a nominee, eligible individuals must sign form FSA-669A. The form and more information about county committee elections are available online at: www.fsa.usda.gov/ elections. “It is important that the county committee reflects the demographics and agricultural interests of the community these individuals represent,” said Garcia. “I strongly encourage all producers, including women, minority and beginning farmers and ranchers to participate in the nomination and election process,” he said. County committees are comprised of three to five members elected by local producers. All newly elected county committee members and alternates will take office Jan. 1. Nomination forms must be postmarked or received in the local USDA Service Center by close of business on Wednesday. For more information about county committees, contact the office at 956-7233222, ext. 2, or visit www.fsa.usda.gov.
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
National
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Firm gets pipeline OK By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Mark Evans | AP
A large dust storm, or haboob, sweeps across downtown Phoenix on July 21. Dust storms are common across Arizona during the summer, and walls of dust more than a mile high can blanket an area in a matter of seconds, sometimes reducing visibility to zero.
Researcher: Dust could harm health ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHOENIX — Monsoon storms send huge walls of dust across parts of Arizona, sometimes snarling traffic on roadways and knocking out power. An Arizona researcher who studies them says there could be hidden health impacts for millions of people living in the state’s dust zone as well. William Sprigg, of the University of Arizona’s Institute of Atmospheric Physics, said dust storms carry a noxious mix of fungi, heavy metals from pollutants, chemicals and bacteria that could lead to cardiovascular and eye disease, and other illnesses. “We already know the cost of these storms in general,” he told the Ari-
zona Republic. “I would like to see a much more thorough examination of the effects of the dust on the region.” The National Weather Service issues warnings about dust storms but does not keep records in the same way as it does for temperature or precipitation. The storms aren’t new, but the impact was realized a year ago when a major one rolled through Phoenix. That storm had a wall of dust almost 1.5 miles high and 100 miles wide, and it deposited some 40,000 tons of sand and dust in just two hours. The storms typically develop when cold air in thunderstorms plummets to the ground. The Phoenix area has seen three, smaller dust storms in the past week
that felled tree limbs and power poles. Sprigg is working with the weather service and health agencies on a model to predict when the dust storms will hit. Health and environmental officials then would know whether to issue warnings to people who are at-risk for dust-related health complications, he said. “They have a tremendous economic and social impact that has been very, very difficult to nail down,” Sprigg said. “But we know enough now that we can tell people a lot more about what they are being exposed to.” The difficulty in determining the relationship between dust and human health is due to limited funding and a lack of routine soil sampling and analysis, he said.
HOUSTON — A Canadian company that wants to build an oil pipeline from Alberta’s tar sands region to Texas refineries has received a final permit for the Gulf Coast portion of the project and announced Friday that construction on the 485-mile section would start in the coming weeks. President Barack Obama encouraged TransCanada to move ahead with the segment that will run from a refinery in Cushing, Okla. to Texas after he rejected the broader plan, saying the pipeline needed to be rerouted around Nebraska’s sensitive Sand Hills region. For that project, TransCanada needs presidential approv-
al because it crosses an international border. The shorter portion only requires permits from state and federal agencies. TransCanada said the final of three permits it needed from the Army Corps of Engineers had been approved. “Receiving this final, key Army Corps permit for the Gulf Coast Project is very positive news. TransCanada is now poised to put 4,000 Americans to work constructing the $2.3-billion pipeline that will be built in three distinct ‘spreads’ or sections,” Russ Girling, TransCanada’s president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. The line from Cushing will help relieve a bottleneck at the Oklahoma refinery, but doesn’t fulfill
TransCanada’s broader goal of transporting more Canadian crude to U.S. refineries. Pipeline advocates say that would help decrease U.S. reliance on oil from unstable, sometimes unfriendly, countries, and provide muchneeded jobs to an economy suffering from 8.2 percent unemployment. But critics argue the tar sands oil is dirtier than most other heavy crudes and will further harm the air in the already polluted Gulf Coast. They also believe the crude’s more acidic properties increase the risk for accidents and spills. The issue took on political importance when Republicans forced a deadline on Obama to rule on the broader 1,179-mile Keystone XL pipeline.
Seattle agrees to reforms after accusations By CHRIS GRYGIEL ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEATTLE — Seattle officials agreed to an independent monitor and court oversight of its police department as part of an agreement announced Friday with the Justice Department following a damning report that found officers routinely used excessive force. City and federal negotiators were involved in tense talks over the scope of a deal for months, and Justice Department lawyers had threatened to sue the city if a deal was not reached by July 31. The agreement was announced at City Hall by Jennifer Durkan, U.S. Attorney for Seattle, and Mayor Mike McGinn. The
deal also calls for a special commission to concentrate on use of force issues. The Justice Department launched its civil rights investigation early last year after the fatal shooting of a homeless, Native American woodcarver. Surveillance cameras and police-cruiser videos captured officers beating other civilians, including stomping on a prone Latino man who was mistakenly thought to be a robbery suspect, and an officer kicking a non-resisting black youth in a convenience store. In December, a DOJ report found officers were too quick to reach for weapons, such as flashlights and batons, even when arresting people for minor offenses.
In all, the report found that force was used unconstitutionally one of every five times an officer resorted to it. The ACLU and other community groups called for scrutiny of the department after a Seattle officer shot and killed the woodcarver, John T. Williams, in 2010. Video from Officer Ian Birk’s patrol car showed Williams crossing the street holding a piece of wood and a small knife, and Birk exiting the vehicle to pursue him. Offcamera, Birk quickly shouted three times for Williams to drop the knife then fired five shots. The knife was found folded at the scene, but Birk later maintained Williams had threatened him.
SÁBADO 28 DE JULIO DE 2012
Agenda en Breve LAREDO 07/28— Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presenta: “One World, One Sky Big Bird’s Adventure” a las 5 p.m., “Black Holes” a las 6 p.m. y “Ancient Skies, Ancient Mysteries” a las 7 p.m. Costo: 4 dólares (niños) y 5 dólares (adultos). 07/28— El evento 6to. Torneo Anual Pulling for Kids Sporting Clay se llevará acabo el 4 de agosto en el South Texas Shooting Complex, y las ganancias se destinarán a que Voz de Niños provea a cada niño en adopción del Condado de Webb con un comité especial designado para abogar en la corte. Los representantes de Voz de Niños estarán registrando para el torneo en Academy por International Boulevard, de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m. Se acepta efectivo, cheques y tarjetas de crédito. 07/28— Producciones LITE y Laredo Center for the Arts presentan “beat. a play on words” de Kelly Groves en Laredo Center For the Arts, 500 avenida San Agustin a las 8 p.m. 07/28— “La Gira del Ádios” de Vicente Fernández se presenta hoy en Laredo Energy Arena a las 8 p.m. Como invitado se presenta Vicente Fernández Hijo. Costos varían de 110 dólares a 225 dólares (sin incluir la cuota de instalaciones). 07/29 Producciones LITE y Laredo Center for the Arts presentan “beat. a play on words” de Kelly Groves en Laredo Center For the Arts, 500 avenida San Agustin a las 3 p.m. 07/30 Concluye la tercer Exhibición anual de Arte de Veteranos Distinguidos en la Biblioteca Pública de Laredo, 1120 E. Calton Road. 08/01— Reunión de la Generación 1993 de Nixon HS, a las 7 p.m. en Old No. 2, 313 West Village Blvd. Se seguirá organizando la campaña para recaudación de fondos del 21 de agosto, así como las órdenes de camisetas y pagos. Más información con Melinda Vidaurri al (956) 763-3377 o en el correo electrónico melindavidaurri@hotmail.com. 08/02— Empty Bowls del Banco de Alimentos del Sur de Texas se celebra en Laredo Energy Arena. El evento inicia con una subasta a las 6 p.m. En el concierto, a las 8 p.m., el artista invitado es Creedence Clearwater Revisited (antes Creedence Clearwater Revival). Costos: 10 dólares, 15 y 25 (con toda las cuotas incluidas). 08/03— Producciones LITE y Laredo Center for the Arts presentan “beat. a play on words” de Kelly Groves en Laredo Center For the Arts, 500 avenida San Agustin a las 8 p.m. 08/04— Sexto Torneo anual “Pulling for Kids Sporting Clay” (Tiro al Plato) a partir de las 7 a.m. en Complejo de Tiro South Texas, Hwy 359, 9 millas al este del crucero de Loop 20 y Hwy 359. Costo: 150 dólares (adultos) y 125 dólares (de 18 años y menores). Interesado de llevar equipo. Recursos beneficiarán a la organización Voz de Niños. Informes en el (956) 727-8691. 08/04— U.I.S.D. invita al segundo evento anual ‘Stuff the Bus’ (Llenar el Autobús) de 9 a.m. a 12 a.m. en HE-B en Del Mar Blvd. y McPherson y en H-E-B Plus!, sobre Bob Bullock Loop. Las donaciones beneficiarán a estudiantes de UISD. 08/04— First United Methodist Church, 1220 avenida McClelland, invita a la venta de libros usados de 8:30 a.m. a 1 p.m. Libros de pasta dura a 1 dólar, de pasta blanda a .50 centavos.
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 7A
SERÁ EN OCTUBRE 22 JUICIO CONTRA ACUSADOS DE LAVADO DE DINERO
Operación ecuestre ASSOCIATED PRESS
Fiscales federales dijeron el miércoles que presentaran 30.000 páginas de documentos y expedientes de 2.000 conversaciones de llamadas telefónicas grabadas como parte de un extenso caso alegando la compra y entrenamiento de caballos de carreras americanos para lavar dinero de las ganancias del narcotráfico del cartel mexicano de Los Zetas. El Juez de Distrito de EU, Sam Sparks, programó un juicio el 22 de octubre en Austin para los siete hombres y una mujer que fueran arrestados por el supuesto plan. También sugirió que no todos los acusados “estarían aquí para ese entonces”, indicando que algunos podrían alcanzar negociaciones con los fiscales, o moverse a que sus casos sean juzgados diferentes. Quince personas han sido acusadas en lo que los fiscales federales dicen era una operación para lavar dinero centrada en un rancho de caballos en Oklahoma que discretamente gastaba millones en ga-
“
Dada la publicidad de éste caso, el último lugar del planeta al que iría sería México”. DAVID FINN, ABOGADO DE JOSÉ TREVIÑO MORALES
nancias del narcotráfico en carreras de caballos por Los Zetas. Ocho de los sospechosos han sido arrestados; el resto permanece prófugo. Los fiscales le dijeron a Sparks que la evidencia incluye 30.000 páginas de récords de caballos, así como documentos de bancos y subastas. Dice que también tienen grabaciones de 2.000 llamadas telefónicas obtenidas con el consentimiento de por lo menos una de las partes involucradas, no con intervención de teléfonos. También dijeron que los investigadores incautaron unas 200 cajas con evidencia de siete ubicaciones buscadas durante las redadas en junio que llevaron al arresto. Entre aquellos en custodia se en-
cuentran José Treviño Morales, hermano de dos supuestos líderes del cartel. El abogado de Treviño, David Finn, ha sugerido que las autoridades están tratando de “humillar públicamente” a su cliente por las supuestas acciones de sus hermanos. Miguel Ángel y Oscar Omar Treviño Morales (ambos considerados líderes de Los Zetas). Un investigador del IRS dijo que un distribuidor de droga trabajando para Los Zetas, quien es también un informante federal, se reunió con José Treviño Morales varias veces cuando secretamente cruzaba la frontera para juntas con sus hermanos. Una acusación abierta el mes pasado describe como los herma-
nos Treviño y una red arregló directamente comprar caballos de calidad con dinero del narcotráfico en subastas y disfrazaron la fuente de los fondos utilizados para comprarlos. La empresa “Tremor Enterprises LLC” empezó menor pero trabajaba a plena vista —con algunos caballos nombrados el Cartel Número Uno. Finn argumentó el miércoles que su cliente debería ser liberado bajo fianza porque no se atrevería a escapar a territorio mexicano. “Dada la publicidad de éste caso, el último lugar del planeta al que iría sería México”, dijo. El Fiscal Asistente de los EU, Doug Gardner argumentó que Treviño y sus hermanos eran acusados de mover hasta 25 millones de dólares al mes en ganancias del narcotráfico entre los EU y México. “Lo convierte en un riesgo mayor acompañar a sus hermanos en México”, dijo Gardner. Sparks defendió en una orden de magistrado previa que Treviño permaneciera en custodia federal.
SALUD
ATENCIÓN HUMANA Concluyen días de Operation Lone Star POR JJ VELASQUEZ TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Beverly Jiménez recientemente se mudó al Sur de Texas de Indiana buscando una mejor calidad de vida y mejor seguro médico. El jueves, ella dijo que encontró justo el programa que ella estaba buscando en Zapata. En la mañana del jueves, Jiménez era una de las más de 250 personas, de acuerdo con el técnico de salud pública de la Ciudad de Laredo, Dr. Manuel Ramírez, para recibir servicio médico gratuito durante la Operation Lone Star, un programa de una semana que terminó aquí el viernes. Fue llevado acabo en Zapata Middle School. “Solo espero que haya mas programas para la gente como nosotros, gente de la comunidad como nosotros que los necesita”, dijo Jiménez. Fue posible que Jiménez y otros recibieran exámenes médicos, inmunizaciones, examen físico, de visión y evaluaciones de oído, evaluaciones de salud del comportamiento, presión arterial y evaluaciones de glucosa, referendos médicos y educación de salud preventiva gratuita como soldados voluntarios, muchos de ellos enfermeros de oficio, de la Guardia Estatal de Texas y doctores administradores de cuidado. Los servicios también fueron ofrecidos en Rio Bravo por el Condado de Webb. El objetivo del programa tiene dos razones: Ofrecer cuidado gratuito a comunidades inmerecidas y sin seguro, y proveer entrenamiento para oficiales locales y estatales para preparase en caso de situación de desastre. “Esto nos da una oportunidad de trabajar juntos y aprender de las habilidades de cada uno”, dijo el soldado de la Guardia Estatal de Texas, quien citó inquietudes de seguridad para no revelar su nombre. La unidad de solo voluntarios fue enviada al Sur de Texas por varias partes del estado: de la franja del Oeste de Texas y la Costa del
Foto por Ulysses S. Romero | The Zapata Times
Javier Jiménez de Zapata es revisado por una integrante de la Guardia de Texas, el jueves por la mañana durante la Operación Lone Star en Zapata Middle School. Golfo a Hill Country. La unidad militar provista para apoyar el Departamento del Estado de Servicios de Salud de Texas en colaboración con el Departamento de Salud de la Ciudad de Laredo junto con otras agencias de salud. Ramírez dijo que los servicios estaban disponibles para todos los que entraran en la clínica. “No preguntamos nada”, dijo Ramírez. “No nos importa el seguro el estatus migratorio. Cualquiera que entre a la clínica puede tener servicio médico gratuito”. Los pacientes que iban por un día eran libres de regresar por varias visitas, agregó. Fue el cuarto año en que la operación fue con-
ducida en el Sur de Texas y la tercera vez que se llevó acabo en Zapata. Jiménez dice que su familia gana un salario bajo, y su esposo recientemente tuvo una operación de corazón abierto. Entre su esposo y su hija, ella intenta darles el servicio médico que ellos necesitan, dijo. A pesar de recibir cuidado sin ningún cargo, también estuvo satisfecha de la calidad del tratamiento. “Realmente fueron tan minuciosos como cualquier otro doctor que he visitado”, dijo Jiménez. (JJ Velásquez puede ser localizado en el 7282579 ó jjvelasquez@lmtonline.com)
TEXAS
INVESTIGACIÓN
Anuncian días sin impuestos
Arrestan a dos por accidente fatal
ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
AUSTIN — Los compradores podrán ahorrar dinero en artículos esenciales para el regreso a clases, ya que del 17 al 19 de agosto se realizará el fin de semana libre de impuestos sobre las ventas. La Contralora de Texas Susan Combs explicó que el ahorro ocurre al comprar bolígrafos, pantalones de mezclilla y zapatos hasta mochilas y otros artículos valorados en menos de 100 dólares, durante esos tres días. “Los compradores a través de Texas pueden aprovechar de los tres días sin impuestos y ahorrar más dinero para sus presupuestos”, dijo Combs. “Fa-
milias preparándose para el nuevo año escolar no pagaría ningún impuesto sobre las ventas para muchos artículos de regreso a la escuela de ropa y calzado para útiles escolares durante ese fin de semana”. Este año, se estima que los compradores ahorrarán 64.8 millones de dólares en impuestos estatales y locales sobre las ventas durante el fin de semana libre de impuestos sobre las ventas. Las listas de la ropa y los artículos escolares que puede comprar libre de impuestos se encuentran en la página Web de la Contralora en www.texastaxholiday.org. Este evento se ha celebrado anualmente desde 1999.
POR CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN ASSOCIATES PRESS
SAN ANTONIO — Dos personas heridas en el fatal accidente de una camioneta en que murieron 15 personas fueron dadas de alta de un hospital y detenidas por las autoridades de inmigración, informó un medio local el miércoles por la noche. El camión atestado con 23 presuntos inmigrantes, que al parecer estaban en el país sin autorización, se estrelló el domingo por la noche cerca de Goliad, unos 145 kilómetros (90 millas) al sudeste de San Antonio. Un portavoz del servicio de inmigración y aduanas le dijo al diario San Antonio Express-News que un adolescente y otra persona fueron dados de alta y entregados a la agencia. Otras seis personas seguían hos-
Murieron 15 personas. pitalizadas. El servicio de inmigración dice que los fallecidos de la camioneta que chocó contra árboles junto a la carretera federal 59 eran oriundos de Guatemala, Honduras y México. El martes, otra persona herida en el choque murió, con lo que ya suman 15 los decesos. Funcionarios del Departamento de Seguridad Pública de Texas dijeron que 23 inmigrantes, presuntamente sin permiso de estancia en el país, viajaban rumbo a Houston cuando su camioneta se salió del camino y se estrelló contra una arboleda. La posible causa del accidente fue la separación de la banda de rodamiento de la llanta delantera derecha.
State
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Lady Bird tribute planned for Sunday By MICHAEL BARNES AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN
AUSTIN — Once, Lady Bird Johnson explained to historian Lewis Gould the legislative contortions required to back a particular ecological program. “For five minutes, she launched into the land and water conservation fund,” the University of Texas professor emeritus remembers. “It was as if the curtains parted. She told me: ‘This is how it all worked.’ After a few minutes, she realized, maybe she’s telling me too much and the curtains closed.” The late first lady, whose centennial is celebrated this year, presented herself as a gracious Southern lady. Compared with her husband, President Lyndon Baines Johnson, she was the picture of rectitude and circumspection. But in Washington, as well as Austin, few were fooled. “She was as whip-smart as anybody around,” Gould says. “She figured out that it was not to your advantage in this culture to show that you were smarter than a man. I got a sense there was lots of brains there — working all the time — or she couldn’t have accomplished all she did.” Five years after her death, experts are still evaluating how much the president’s wife affected policy between 1963 and 1969. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is opening two small exhibits, one explaining the first lady’s environmental impact, the other displaying dozens of pens — borrowed from the LBJ Library and Museum — and used by LBJ to sign those “green bills.” Admission is free Sunday to Lady Bird Tribute Day, which includes various participatory activities at the Wildflower Center. Just as the reputations of presidents evolve after their terms in office, so too first ladies rise and fall in the esteem of White House watchers. Lady Bird Johnson’s stock continues to rise.
Photo by Phil Barr/San Antonio Express-News | AP
Lady Bird Johnson is seen in a parade float in 2005. Sunday is the centennial of her birth. “She was the most significant first lady, with the exception of Eleanor Roosevelt, with respect to influencing public policy,” says Rice University historian Douglas Brinkley, author of a recently published biography of Walter Cronkite. “She convinced her husband to sign a whole stack of environmental legislation. The most undersung aspect of the Johnson presidency is what LBJ and Lady Bird did for the environment. And she was the driving force.” With the help of Liz Carpenter and other aides, the first lady borrowed a staff, teamed with Secretary of the Interior
Stewart Udall to launch an effective media campaign and pushed the passage of more than 200 green laws. Those efforts protected air and water quality, added millions of acres to the National Parks system and enacted the popular but flawed Highway Beautification Act of 1965. How did she accomplish so much? “Part of her genius was that she didn’t care who got the credit,” Gould says. “I really think she didn’t have an ego that way. It was an admirable character trait. She faced a lot of misogyny and let it wash off.” It also helped that Lady Bird had been
Women say they enjoy game By DAVID HINOJOSA THE MONITOR
McALLEN — Little Jazmyn waited patiently for that moment when her mother would spin her around. It finally arrived, but not until Aimee Martinez took off her helmet and shoulder pads. Martinez picked up her 6-year-old daughter and twirled her around until they were both dizzy. Considering moments earlier Martinez was knocking helmets for the RGV McAllen Mystics women’s football team, it was a nice reward after a hard afternoon of practice. Yes, football practice. Women’s football practice. Another player walked off the field with one hand intertwined with her boyfriend’s and the other clutching her helmet. Welcome to the world of the Mystics, a full-contact team that is playing in its debut season. Thirty players make up the Mystics, which competes in the Sugar ‘N Spice Football League. In just its second season, the league has squads in Corpus Christi, Laredo, Austin and San Antonio. Games are on 8-on-8, and they are contested on a field 50 yards long and 28 yards wide. More than 70 showed up for tryouts. The Mystics will play a fourgame schedule. Their next game is tonight in at Corpus Christi, with the first home game set for Aug. 3. Martinez isn’t your stereotypical burly offensive lineman. Not many are slender 26-year-old single mothers of two daughters. Martinez is that, and she pays her bills by being in charge of several promotional groups who serve as ring girls for local boxing matches. And for the next two months, she is going to be a football player — something she never thought
Photo by Delcia Lopez/The Monitor | AP
Members of RGV McAllen Mystics women’s full-contact football team run through drills on July 12 at Bicentennial soccer field in McAllen. Thirty players make up the Mystics, who compete in the Sugar ’N Spice Football League. she could be. The narrative is similar for these mothers, sisters and wives — all football fans — who now have a chance to do what they have never had an opportunity to do before. Because they are female. “It’s empowering for women to go out and do something that you are not supposed to be able to do,” Martinez said. For linebacker Alexis Normendez, 23, empowerment stems from a desire to prove people wrong — mainly men. “My heart skipped a beat,” Normendez said about when she found out there was going to be a women’s football team in the Valley. “It was something new, something different. I just wanted to tell the guys I can kick your (butt) in football,” said Normendez, a 2007 Edinburg Economedes graduate. Normendez said playing football also serves as another outlet for keeping fit. Clearly, though, Normendez loves contact. She said she played several sports in high school, “everything, except golf and swimming, because you can’t hit people in those.”
The Mystics won their debut game two Saturdays ago in San Antonio, when they defeated the Texas Cowgirls, 8-6. Nicole Stoffel, 28, a McAllen resident and San Antonio native, accounted for the Mystics’ only touchdown in that game, a 23yard reception from Yoli Peña, who is a boxer and the team’s quarterback. Stoffel is a personal trainer by trade, but she said it took her awhile to get accustomed to playing football. Like many of her teammates, when she discovered she could get a chance to play football, she took it. “At first, when I found out, I was really excited,” Stoffel said. “As I was growing up, I didn’t have a chance to play a full-contact sport. When the opportunity came, I just jumped on it.” Edinburg native Michele Chavez jumped on that chance right as the window was closing. The 42-year-old mother of three sons tried out after someone posted a note on her Facebook page. “I thought, ‘How cool is that?’” Chavez said. “It said they were looking for girls between the ages of 18 and
46, I’m still within that age group.” Chavez, a nurse practitioner, is the only 40-something on the team, which has a median age in the mid-20s. Chavez keeps herself in shape by training for 5Ks and 10Ks. Two of her now-graduated sons played football in high school and she has another who plays youth football. She said watching her sons play football influenced her decision to try out for the team. Chavez has been surprised by how well she has kept up. She’s earned the nickname “Rudy,” because she said she keeps coming up after she gets knocked down. “I’m hanging in there, and I love it,” Chavez said. “I kind of take a momma role in it.” Santiago Cruz, an account executive for KGBTTV, coaches the team. He plays semi-pro football in the area and noticed a group of women trying to play football nearby his team’s practice last May. When he inquired about what they were doing, he found out about the Mystics, and shortly thereafter, he became their coach.
an advocate for nature all her life, stretching back to her bucolic childhood in East Texas. “This was in her DNA,” Brinkley says. “This is not an invented policy issue.” Lady Bird signaled her intentions early in LBJ’s presidency with public plantings in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and landscaping at a neglected mini-park near the U.S. Capitol. It was part of her strategy to improve the “two Washingtons,” the staid, monumental one and the shabby urban life experienced by so many Washingtonians. Her successes there, teaming with tireless benefactor Mary Lasker and public servant Nash Castro, set the stage for a national movement. “Almost 50 years have passed since she embarked on her quest for natural beauty, and it has passed the test of time,” says Castro, who served as White House liaison for the National Park Service. “Lady Bird Johnson’s good works in behalf of beautification and our national parks have enhanced markedly the quality of our lives and lifted the human spirit.” Castro recalls that Lady Bird was not always pleased with the framing of her campaigns. “Mrs. Johnson never embraced the word ‘beautification’ and often challenged those of us who worked with her ... to suggest something more appropriate,” he says. “One day, as she and I sat on the Truman Balcony planning her next beautification trip and enjoying a cool drink while at it, I suggested we substitute ‘landscape enhancement’ for it. ‘Oh, no!’ she said. ‘It’s too ritzy.’ That was the end of that.” Unfortunately, subsequent generations continue to stumble over the awkward verb “beautify.” Five years after her death, the visual results of her efforts in Washington and beyond are self-evident.
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
DEFICIT Continued from Page 1A that the economy will grow at a modest 2.6 percent annual rate and that the jobless rate will average 8 percent. It forecasts modest growth of 2.6 percent next year — down from the 3.0 percent it predicted in February — before rising to 4.0 percent in 2014. Unemployment would remain above 7 percent through the end of 2014, registering at 7.3 percent, the report predicts. “The economic recovery that began in 2009 will continue at a moderate rate and unemployment will gradually decline,” Jeffrey Zients, the acting White House budget director said in a blog post. “The economy still faces significant headwinds,” he added. The 2012 budget year ends on Sept. 30. The White House also predicted that next year’s deficit will fall just short of $1 trillion, higher than it predicted in its February budget release. The predicted deficit for 2012 actually improved by $116 billion, but some of that was because Congress didn’t enact much of Obama’s jobs plan. But the White House promises deficits will drop to about 3 percent of the size of the economy by 2017, in part through $1.5 trillion in tax increases over the coming decade. The White House report — released Friday afternoon with the Olympics
poised to distract voters for two weeks — again trumpets Obama’s longstanding approach to tackling the deficit. It includes tax increases on families earning more than $250,000, already enacted “caps” on agency operating budgets and modest savings from federal benefit programs like Medicare and Medicaid. “Since taking office, the president has worked to restore fiscal responsibility,” says the OMB report. Republicans scoffed, noting that Obama has violated his promise to wrestle the deficit in half by the end of his term. “The president’s string of broken promises on our nation’s fiscal challenges weighs heavy on an anemic economy,” said House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis. “The president’s commitment to ever-higher government spending and his failure to deliver on his economic promises have resulted in the fourth straight budget deficit in excess of one trillion dollars.” Under Obama’s budget plan, the total U.S. debt would reach $16.2 trillion by the end of the year and soar to $25.4 trillion at the end of a decade’s time. “America can have robust economic growth — and avert a catastrophic debt crisis — but it requires a credible fiscal plan and the leadership necessary to achieve it,”
said top Senate Budget Committee Republican Jeff Sessions of Alabama. The government is likely to reach its borrowing cap — the subject of a fierce fight last summer between Obama and Republicans — late this year or early next year, which is going to require the next Congress and either Romney or Obama to act together to increase the borrowing cap. That is seen by many as an opportunity to force lawmakers to finally tackle the country’s major budget problems. Also looming is the socalled fiscal cliff, a combination of big tax increases and deep, automatic budget cuts slated to begin in January unless Obama and congressional Republicans step in to block them this fall or during a postelection session of Congress. Many economists say that if the government plunges over the fiscal cliff it could drive the economy back into recession. Romney, for his part, offers relatively few specifics on the budget but promises to bring total government spending down to 20 percent of the U.S. economy by the end of a first term in 2016. That is roughly in line with where it was during Republican George W. Bush’s presidency. Government spending now equals 24 percent of gross domestic product.
COURT Continued from Page 1A The driver drove through a fence line on the north side of Athens Street in Roma. Several people jumped out of the truck and ran toward the brush. Agents found six people under the pickup’s bed cover and three in the cab area. An air support unit located three more people in the immediate area. Enrique Gonzalez-Cavazos, identified as the driver, refused to provide a statement with-
out an attorney present. According to the complaint, Cisneros said Gonzalez-Cavazos had offered him money and drugs if he accompanied him to go pick up three undocumented people. The immigrants paid anywhere from $2,800 to $5,000 to be smuggled into United States, the complaint states. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 7282568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
Explorers find sunken German U-boat By JAY LINDSAY ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOSTON — Divers have discovered a World War II-era German submarine nearly 70 years after it sank under withering U.S. attack in waters off Nantucket. The U-550 was found Monday by a privately funded group organized by New Jersey lawyer Joe Mazraani. It was the second trip in two years to the site by the team, some of whom had been searching for the lost U-boat for two decades. Using side-scan sonar, the team located the wreck listing to its side in deep water about 70 miles south of Nantucket. Sonar operator Garry Kozak said he spotted the 252-foot submarine during the second of an exhausting two days of searching. Kozak said the team asked him if they’d found it, then erupted in joy without a word from him. “They could see it with the grin (on my face) and the look in my eyes,” Kozak said. On April 16, 1944, the U-550 torpedoed the gasoline tanker SS Pan Pennsylvania, which had lagged behind its protective convoy as it set out with 140,000 barrels of gas-
“bring your own beer” events. In addition, deputies are busy responding to calls. Sheriff ’s Capt. Aaron Sanchez said the dances are definitely a challenge for deputies. Though organizers hire guards, they can’t focus on underage drinking because vehicles outside can get burglarized. If the guards spend their time outside safeguarding property, underage drinkers take advan-
SONAR OPERATOR GARRY KOZAK oline for Great Britain, according to the U.S. Coast Guard website and research by Mazraani. The U-boat slipped under the doomed tanker to hide. But one of the tanker’s three escorts, the USS Joyce, saw it on sonar and severely damaged it by dropping depth charges. The Germans, forced to surface, manned their deck guns while another escort vessel, the USS Gandy, returned fire and rammed the U-boat. The third escort, the USS Peterson, then hit the U-boat with two more depth charges. The crew abandoned the submarine, but not before setting off explosions to scuttle it. The submarine hadn’t been seen again until Monday. The U-550 is one of sev-
LONE STAR Continued from Page 1A and glucose screenings, medical referrals and preventive health education for free as volunteer soldiers, many of them nurses by trade, from the Texas State Guard and doctors administered care. Services were also offered in Rio Bravo for Webb County. The program’s objectives are two-fold: Offer free care to underserved and underinsured communities, and provide training grounds for local and state officials to prepare for disaster response.
“This gives us a chance to work together and learn each other’s skill sets,” said a Texas State Guard soldier, who cited security concerns for not revealing her name. The all-volunteer unit was dispatched to South Texas from various parts of the state: from the Panhandle to West Texas and the Gulf Coast to the Hill Country. The military unit provided support to the Texas Department of State Health Services in collaboration with the City of Laredo Health Department along
tage of that, he said. But a bigger problem arises later when drinkers go home, making it a danger for traveling motorists. People get arrested for driving while intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol. Sanchez said deputies do not purposely set up an operation. These arrests are results of traffic stops or people driving recklessly. Furthermore, Sanchez said TABC heads sting op-
with other health agencies. Ramirez said services were available to anyone who walked into the clinic. “We don’t ask anything,” Ramirez said. “We don’t care about insurance or immigration status. Anyone who comes to the clinic is able to get free medical service.” Patients who visited one day were free to return for multiple visits, he added. It was the fourth year the operation was conducted in South Texas and the third time it was held in Zapata.
Jimenez said her family earns a low income, and her husband recently had openheart surgery. Between her husband and her daughter, she’s intent on getting the family the health care it needs, she said. Despite receiving care at no charge, she was also satisfied with the quality of her treatment, she said. “They were really as thorough as any doctor I’ve been to,” Jimenez said. (JJ Velasquez may be reached at 728-2579 or jjvelasquez@lmtonline.com)
MARY LOU SHELTON
WORKSHOP Continued from Page 1A Torres said. He said curtailing underage drinking at a bar comes down to the officer’s experience and his or her ability to detect underage individuals by how they dress, how they look and how they act. Zapata County sheriff ’s investigator Hector Garcia attended the workshop. He said in Zapata, it’s hard for deputies to keep an eye on dances or “bailes” because those are
“
They could see it with the grin (on my face) and the look in my eyes.”
eral World War II-era German U-boats that have been discovered off the U.S. coast, but it’s the only one that sank in that area, Mazraani said. He said it’s been tough to find largely because military positioning of the battle was imprecise, and searchers had only a general idea where the submarine was when it sank. Kozak noted that the site is far offshore and has only limited windows of good weather. The team towed a sidescan sonar vessel in a mow-the-lawn pattern over the search area and found the U-550 after covering 100 square miles of ocean, between the trip this year and last year, Kozak said. Just the nose of U-boat was visible on sonar on the first pass, but the team was delirious after the second pass, when the sonar image made it obvious they’d found it, Mazraani said. Quick dives to the wreck to beat bad weather confirmed the find. The other team members were Steve Gatto, Tom Packer, Brad Sheard, Eric Takakjian and Anthony Tedsechi Mazraani is cagey about the vessel’s precise location, saying only that it’s in deep water.
erations in Zapata because the sheriff ’s office cannot use local undercover officers, since everybody knows each other in the close-knit community. “That’s how close we are,” Sanchez said. “We end up requesting assistance from other agencies.” (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 7282568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
Mary Lou Shelton, 61, passed away Thursday, July 26, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. at her residence in Zapata. Her loving husband of 20 years had been taking care of her during her battle with cancer for the past seven years. Mrs. Shelton is survived by her husband, Monroe Shelton; daughter, Vergie Johnson; step-children: Carrie Lee Shelton, Creg Shelton, Connie Davis and Claudia Davis; sister, Pat Bell; brother, Chuck Bell;
and grandchildren: Rebecka Ayers and Ryan Ayers. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 North U.S. 83, Zapata.
State
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Valley runoff seeks a ‘true’ Democrat By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
BROWNSVILLE — While Republicans battle to be known as a true conservative elsewhere in Texas, Democrats vying for the party nomination in a new, Hispanic-dominated congressional district at the state’s southernmost tip are fighting over who is the truest blue. Denise Saenz-Blanchard, who came in second in the May primaries with 12.9 percent of the vote, is accusing opponent and top primary vote-getter Filemon Vela of being a Republican at heart. “We now have a Republican who has converted to being a Democrat who I believe is taking a seat from the Democrats,” SaenzBlanchard told The Associated Press. The matter will be set-
tled Tuesday, when voters will decide who’ll run for the 34th District, which was created during this year’s federal redistricting lawsuit and runs from the Texas-Mexico border north about 200 miles. In a region long-dominated by Democrats, partisanship is rare, said Anthony Knopp, a professor emeritus of history at the University of TexasBrownsville. “This is basically a conservative, a moderately conservative area down here,” Knopp added, crediting Vela’s campaign for recently orchestrating a bus trip for area Democrats to attend an event for President Barack Obama in San Antonio. “What more can you set up to make it at least appear that you are the true Democrat?” Vela argues his bipartisanship is a strength. He
“
We now have a Republican who has converted to being a Democrat who I believe is taking a seat from the Democrats.” CANDIDATE DENISE SAENZ-BLANCHARD
says he is a staunch Democrat but concedes he’s backed candidates from both parties — including his wife, elected to the state’s 13th Court of Appeals as a Republican. “During the past 25 years, I have supported candidates who represent the values of South Texas,” said Vela, who received 40.5 percent of the vote in the primary. The Vela name insulates him to an extent — his fa-
ther was a federal judge appointed by Jimmy Carter and his mother was mayor of Brownsville. But his solid foundation in the community lent little to his campaign coffers, as only 16 percent of the itemized individual contributions came from inside the district, according to an analysis of campaign reports. More than one-third of Vela’s individual contributions were from addresses in Corpus Christi, which
was part of the old congressional district, but not the new one. Vela has a law office there, his wife sits on the court there and they own a home there. By contrast, Saenz-Blanchard has collected threequarters of her itemized individual contributions from inside the district. She could argue that after working nearly 20 years for former Congressman Solomon Ortiz, she knows the area’s needs best. After Ortiz was narrowly upset in 2010 by Republican Blake Farenthold, Saenz-Blanchard started her own consulting firm with the intention of helping small communities that can’t afford top-dollar lobbyists to help navigate governmental bureaucracy. “I started my company, but then I began to realize I didn’t want to be charging these folks money
when by virtue of being in (Congress) I can just pick up the phone a lot of times, solve their problems and help them, be that voice that they need, that I felt they don’t have right now,” she said. Vela said he hadn’t given much thought to running until friends asked him to consider it when the district was created. Republicans, too, choose their nominee next week. Only 202 votes separated Adela Garza from opponent Jessica Puente-Bradshaw in the primary. Garza owns a local pharmacy with her husband and is a first-term trustee at Texas Southmost College. Puente-Bradshaw, who has a real estate investment business, ran as a tea party candidate for Congressional District 27 in 2010.
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors “
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL
CLARA SANDOVAL OVAL
Zapata sports shine Area athletes had a great year It really has been a fun year covering Zapata sports with so many memories were left for us to look back at. In the fall, it was the legs of cross-country runner Jazmine Garcia that mesmerized us as she made a trip to the state meet for the second time in her young career. Rafael Benavidez was the force on the boys’ cross-country team and he is now taking that dedication to the TAMIU crosscountry program. How about the power that Mikey Alvarez displayed on the gridiron despite not looking like a threat to many teams? Alvarez epitomizes how far that hard work, dedication and the heart to play the game can take you. He will surely dazzle crowds this year, so be sure to go out there to Hawk Stadium and support not only Alvarez, but the whole team. On the volleyball court, it was Kristina De Leon, Jackie Salinas and Shelby Bigler who drew people’s
So close to history Zapata loses in sectional finals By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
I
t has been two weeks since the Zapata All-Stars (13-14 year old) made a memorable run that took them all the way to the Sectional Championship in Corpus Christi. After trying to get past the Laredo bump that kept the allstars from moving on to the next step, they finally advanced one step closer to a spot in the Texas Little League softball tournament. The Zapata All-Stars did it in grand fashion and beat Gateway in the District 34 softball championship to punch their ticket to the sectional tournament for the first time in Zapata County Little League softball history. “It had been five years since we tried to get through Laredo; and we lost, sometimes in the championship game,” Zapata All-Star coach Javier Ramirez said. “When we were finally able to beat Gateway this year it was exciting to go to the next
Courtesy Photo
Selissa Lopez pitches during one of the Zapata All-Stars’ games during the Sectional Championships in Corpus Christi. round.” Zapata made the most of their coming out party at sectionals, but it did not start on the right note when they dropped the opening game in the double elimination tourna-
See SOFTBALL PAGE 2B
HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
Zapata volleyball camp coming up
See SANDOVAL PAGE 2B
ZAPATA FOOTBALL
Ready for some football Practice begins August 6
The Zapata All-Stars’ bats came alive and they were able to get runners on base and score as they eliminated Corpus Christi, 13-3, to stay alive in
ment to the Brownsville AllStars, 20-1. With their backs against the wall, the Zapata All-Stars regrouped and were determined to come back against their next opponent, Corpus Christi.
Camp for local athletes begins on Monday By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
Photo by Clara Sandoval | The Zapata Times
Lady Hawk Andrea Vasquez attended volleyball camps at Zapata High during her middle school years.
The start of Zapata High School sports is exactly eight days away. For those volleyball players who would like to get a jump start on the competition, they can drop by the local high school. Volleyball coach Rosie Villarreal is happy to announce the Annual Volleyball Camp for the Zapata community. Villarreal, along with her coaching staff that consists of Mario Benavidez and Gaby
Montes, will conduct the camp at the Zapata Middle School gym. The camp will run in three divisions and starts on Monday. The first session is for fifth through seventh graders from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 30 and 31. The second session is for eighth and ninth graders, from 6 p.m. to 9 from July 30 through August 1. The cost of the camp is $30. For more information, contact Montes at 500-1834, Benavidez at 361-442-3455 or Villarreal at 324-
See VOLLEYBALL PAGE 2B
By CLARA SANDOVAL
NCAA DIVISION II VOLLEYBALL
THE ZAPATA TIMES
Calling all Hawk football players: The season is nearing, and there are items that need to be in order before athletes are allowed to set foot on the gridiron. Football practice will officially start on Monday, August 6, at 7:30 a.m. All freshmen, junior varsity and varsity football players must report to the Zapata High School gym for a meeting followed by practice. All players must have all their paperwork in place, including the UIL mandatory physical, before being allowed to step on the field. If there are questions on the paperwork or physicals contact trainer Doc Gomez at 765-0280, extension 3554. Early practices will be followed by a walk
See FOOTBALL PAGE 2B
Sano remembers 1984 Games By MATTHEW GORICKI THE ZAPATA TIMES
Marlon Sano remembers the women’s volleyball gold medal match of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles like it happened yesterday. He recalls Team USA struggling while their Chinese counterparts were playing great volleyball. Outside hitter Flo Hyman, Team USA’s best player, was off. Middle blocker Paula Weishoff was playing at her top level. Team USA lost in three sets, earning the team a silver medal while China celebrated winning a gold medal in America. If it seems Sano watched
Courtesy Photo
New Texas A&M International volleyball coach Marlon Sano was an assistant coach on the 1984 U.S. Women’s National team. Team USA lost to China in that year’s gold medal match. the game from inside the Long Beach Arena, well, he definitely did. But not from the stands. Sano witnessed the
match from Team USA’s bench as the second assistant coach. “The atmosphere was really, really, really elec-
tric,” Sano said. “You could just feel the energy. You could sense the emotions from the crowd. It was a great atmosphere.”
Sano, who accepted the job as head coach for the Texas A&M International volleyball team last Friday, will watch the 2012 Olympics from a perspective that is far different than nearly all American spectators. Sure, he will be watching the Games on television, but he understands what it is really like to be there. The opening ceremony of the London Games was on Friday, kicking off more than two weeks of competition between the world’s greatest athletes. Along with basketball, track and field, swimming and soccer, Sano believes volleyball is one of the most pop-
See SANO PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Texans open camp with optimism By CHRIS DUNCAN
laugh at it.” Kevin Walter is back as the No. 2 receiver, but Houston drafted DeVier Posey and Keshawn Martin, then cut Jacoby Jones in May as they restock the depth at receiver. The Texans re-signed Bryant Johnson, who caught six passes in 16 games last season, and coach Gary Kubiak has liked what he’s seen from Lestar Jean, an undrafted free agent in 2011. Schaub says he needs to take on the responsibility of helping the receivers learn Kubiak’s complex offense and develop the kind of chemistry he has with Johnson. “Coaches can do so much, and explain so much in meetings and on the field,” Schaub said. “Ultimately, we’re the ones out there on the field, between the lines playing and in the huddle.” The Texans finished second in rushing offense (153 yards per game), led the league in time of possession per game (32 minutes, 41 seconds) and ranked 12th in sacks allowed (33) behind an experienced offensive line. Houston surprisingly cut Winston, who’d started 87 consecutive games at right tackle, and lost Brisiel in free agency. Rashad Butler will move into Winston’s spot, and Antoine Caldwell will take over Brisiel’s starting role. Butler played in 16 games in 2009 and ’10 before missing most of last season with an injury.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — The Houston Texans are opening training camp with a few questions to answer. How will the right side of the offensive line hold up without stalwarts Eric Winston and Mike Brisiel? Who can emerge as dependable receivers behind Andre Johnson? How will Johnson and quarterback Matt Schaub hold up? The most pressing question may not be answered until season’s end — how will the Texans handle higher-than-ever expectations? The Texans reported for training camp on Friday, a trendy pick to make a run to the Super Bowl and it’s easy to see why. Houston had the league’s second-best defense in 2011, Arian Foster stamped himself as one of the NFL’s elite running backs and Schaub and Johnson are healthy again. “I think everybody would agree with me on the team that expectations for us can be no lower than getting to the Super Bowl,” defensive end Antonio Smith said. “Everybody should have that goal. If you don’t have that goal, then it’s like a defeatist type of mindset.” Houston went 10-6 last season, won its division and the fran-
Photo by Pat Sullivan | AP
Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson arrives to report for training camp on Friday in Houston. Johnson, who turned 31 on July 11, is widely regarded as one of the best receivers in the league. chise’s first playoff game before losing to Baltimore in the divisional round. Now, the Texans say they’re ready to embrace the pressure of being a marked team. “We have the right frame of mind and the right leadership on this team to attack those type of environments,” Schaub said. “To get to where we want to go, you have to go through those things. You have to go on the road in tough environments, and win
those types of games.” Schaub says his surgically repaired right foot is fully healed. After starting all 16 games in 2009 and ’10, Schaub missed the final six games and the playoffs last season with a fractured Lisfranc joint. Johnson, meanwhile, says he’s been running routes for Schaub for “the past few weeks.” He says he’ll be “full-go” when practices begin following arthroscopic sur-
gery on his right knee in May. Johnson sat out nine regular-season games last season with hamstring injuries. Johnson turned 31 on July 11 and he’s heard from outsiders that he’s getting old and his best years are behind him — some added incentive for this season. “I know I can still play at a high level, I know I can still put up big numbers,” he said. “It’s definitely motivation. It’s fun, I
VOLLEYBALL Continued from Page 1B 0981. The camp will go over the basic fundamentals of volleyball and the proper techniques that consists of hitting form, defensive stance and attacking the ball. Villarreal brings a wealth of experience and has taken Lady Hawk volleyball to new heights and deep into the playoffs. The Lady Hawks are the defending District 32-3A champions for the past two years and are eyeing a threepeat.
The majority of the varsity players attend Villarreal’s camp in their middle school years and as incoming freshman.
First Official Day of Volleyball With volleyball practice only eight days away athletes are encouraged to have all their paperwork in order. The high school volleyball teams will be officially hitting the court August 6 at 8
FOOTBALL Continued from Page 1B
a.m. All players must have all their paperwork, which includes a physical and other forms. Tryouts are conducted during the first few days and missing them will jeopardize their opportunities to make the team. If there are any questions, contact Villarreal or any member of the coaching staff to ensure that they get the proper advice on the paperwork that is required in order to play volleyball.
SANDOVAL Continued from Page 1B attention with their play. Each one was sensational to watch and, despite the graduation of Salinas and Bigler this past May, Zapata still has De Leon, who is set to embark on her senior year. Bigler was a dualsport athlete who also excelled in basketball with her play in the paint and the points and rebounds that she accumulated. On the boys’ basketball side it was Andy Gonzalez who could score on the fly or hit the long ball from threepoint land. Gonzalez was one of the best slashers to the
basket and could slice through defenses with ease. Gonzalez is set to return for his senior year and will bring back that experience to the Hawk. In the spring it was tennis player Trey Alvarez who sent screaming liners out of reach of opponents. Alvarez won the district title and made a great run to the regional meet. Only a junior, Alvarez will look to take one more step after last year’s finish. The dynamic duo of golf sensations Tony Gutierrez and Leann Saenz sent Zapata golf into a new era.
through-practice at 4 p.m. In football there is a four-day acclimatization period to start the season, which means programs are limited to no more than one practice per day. All athletes are required to go through the acclimatization period even if they come in after the first day of practice. During this period athletes are not allowed to use contact equipment, including a helmet, and are allowed to have a walk-through practice, which can take place inside or outside in addition to their one allotted practice.
There is not a required limit between the practice and the walkthrough, but UIL encourages an ample amount of time. Coaches should use their own discretion. Two-a-day practices will take place between August 10 and 17. The first day of contact is August 10, followed the next day by an inter-squad scrimmage All players are encouraged to bring shorts, shirts and cleats to practice. Please be dressed in this attire before entering the high school. For more information, please contact coach Blake Garza at 765-0280.
SOFTBALL Continued from Page 1B
Gutierrez and Saenz were the individual district champions and took both the boys and girls teams all the way to the regional golf tournament. Gutierrez is off to TAMIU while Saenz has two more years playing for Zapata. Manuel Salinas was an athlete all year as he starred for the football team and the baseball team. Salinas was the quarterback for the Hawks and was an offensive nightmare for opposing pitchers at the plate. With a new season set to begin in a few days more athletes will dazzle Zapata.
the tournament. The next two games for the Zapata AllStars were nail bitters as they squeezed out victories to keep their sectional tournament aspirations alive. Zapata eliminated San Diego, 5-4, on a walk off run and followed that performance to set up a rematch against the Brownsville All-Stars, the team that still had an unblemished record in the tournament. The Zapata All-Stars would have to beat Brownsville twice to get to the state softball tournament. Zapata came in with a new attitude and a bounce in their step as they attempted to take down the previously unbeaten Brownsville team. Zapata was able to take a 3-2 lead into the last inning and just needed three outs to keep their hopes alive. After getting two quick outs, Brownsville started to come alive at the plate and put the tying run on third base. With a hard hit to leftfield, Theresa Villarreal scooped up the ball and fired it home,
throwing out the tying run and preserving a 3-2 victory to force a game two for the sectional championship. The ensuing night, the Zapata All-Stars could not find the magic that allowed them to stave off three elimination games. Zapata dropped the Sectional Championship game, 17-4, to end a great run at the tournament. “We are very proud of the girls and this was an exciting year for us,” Ramirez said. “We could not have done this without the support of the parents and the community who were there for the girls.” Team members are Selissa Lopez (pitcher/center field), Daniela Martinez (first base), Isela Gonzalez (catcher), Andrea Garza (second base), Norma Ramirez (third base), Nadya Mercado (centerfield), Teresa Villarreal (leftfield), Cassandra Garcia (pitcher/ rightfield), Rebecca Villarreal (rightfield), Lily Garza (shortstop) and Roxy Galvan (catcher). Coaches are Javier Ramirez, Henry Garza and Mario Garcia.
SANO Continued from Page 1B ular Olympic sports.
Gold medal match Sano was 28 years old when Team USA lost to China on August 7, 1984 in the volleyball finals. Four days after the USA beat China in four sets, the Chinese dominated play, 16-14, 15-3, 15-9. “We struggled in that particular match to really stop them,” Sano, now 56, said. “As the match progressed, you could get the sense that we were just a little bit off. Had we played anybody else, we still would have been able to beat them. “Because China was so good and balanced like we were, and we were just a bit off and they were that much sharper, that created the differential. They capitalized and scored the momentum points that we didn’t score.” Sano remembers China’s top threat as Jenny Ping, an athlete that Sano described as an “allworld player.” Sano even recalls the six starters on Team USA during their five-match stretch during the 1984 Games: Hyman, Weishoff, outside hitter Rita Crockett, middle
blocker Rose Magers, opposite hitter Sue Woodstra and setter Debbie Green. “Unfortunately, our best player was off,” Sano said of Hyman in the gold medal match. “She carried us (in the four previous matches), but just struggled a bit in the gold medal match. It’s just one of those things. It was the wrong time to have a bit of a struggle.” Weishoff, who is an assistant coach on this year’s team in London, stepped up, but it wasn’t enough to lead Team USA past China and Ping. Ping was the Team USA head coach during the 2008 Beijing Games. “Our best player that match was Paula Weishoff,” Sano said. “We always knew Paula was incredibly talented.”
Making his way By late 1981, Sano had coaching experience at the high school and club levels, but none on the collegiate level. Sano became involved with the U.S. National Team that year while his friend, Michael Orendorff, was an apprentice coach on the team. When the top assistant
left in early 1982, Orendorff went from being apprentice coach to the second assistant coach. “I asked the head coach, Arie Selinger, if I could step into the role as the apprentice coach,” Sano said. “He accepted, so then I started out as the apprentice coach. I was really familiar with them all, so it wasn’t a big shock I was going to ask. Later that year my friend left and I was moved up to second assistant coach.” Through the 1984 Los Angeles Games, Sano served as second assistant coach to Selinger, one of the most famous coaches in volleyball history.
Sano said the core group of players began training full-time in 1978 despite the controversy that surrounded it. No USA team played in the 1980 Moscow Games, so the 1984 team that Sano was a part of was indeed the first full-time American team to compete in the Olympics. In sports such as volleyball, most people in America viewed college athletes as the best of the best prior to 1984. “A lot of people didn’t think we were really that good,” Sano said. “I think what people found out is that we were way better than the elite level collegiate teams. “Way better.”
Breaking through
Memorable experiences
While winning the 1984 silver medal was a great accomplishment for Team USA, their success couldn’t possibly be measured by what they won or lost. “We were the first full-time national team in the country,” Sano said. “No national team trained full-time, for any sport. They all worked jobs or joined up for a summer tour. “Our success also encouraged other sports to follow suit.”
Besides the gold medal match against China, Sano fondly remembers the match against West Germany on July 30, 1984. Team USA was the heavy favorites, but West Germany held their own early on, losing the first game by only two points. “That’s when we responded,” Sano said. “If we lost that one match, it would have been really critical. We might not even have made it (to the gold medal
match). They were the underdogs. For some reason we struggled.” Team USA went on to win that match in three sets and then beat Brazil, China and Peru before losing in the gold medal match.
Player’s reaction Jacquelynne Matula, one of three seniors on the TAMIU volleyball team, is thrilled to be learning from a coach who has such a historic background. “To think somebody who coached in the Olympics will coach me, it is amazing,” Matula said. “I literally just saw a picture with him and the team. Seeing that picture was really cool.” Matula, a middle blocker from Corpus Christi, said some of her teammates were a bit concerned about what would happen to the team when former coach Al Givens left last Friday. That concern was quickly squashed when they thought of their new coach. “Marlon coached Olympians, so we will be fine,” Matula said. “He has a lot of knowledge and experience. He coached an Olympic team; I think he knows what he’s talking about.”
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
HINTS | BY HELOISE TAKING THE BITE OUT OF MOSQUITOES DEAR READERS: Are you experiencing an especially “BUGGY” SUMMER? It’s to be expected. How can you protect yourself and your family from these annoying and pesky bugs? Here are some hints to keep mosquitoes at bay: Wear light-colored and baggy clothing, with long sleeves and pants, if possible. Never leave standing water around the yard. Mosquitoes are more active at dusk and dawn; don’t schedule outdoor activities then. A simple electric fan can repel mosquitoes off a deck. And here are some more fascinating facts about mosquitoes, from the American Mosquito Control Association (www.mosquito. org): Mosquitoes tend to prefer blond-haired people to brunettes, women to men, heavier-set people to thinner people, and active, wriggly people to more sedentary people. During a full moon? Mosquitoes tend
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HELOISE
to be more active then. — Heloise PET PAL DEAR READERS: Sharon in Tupelo, Miss., sent a picture of her gorgeous black cat, Pepper, curled up in a basket. Sharon says Pepper is a loving lap cat, except when she’s in the basket, of course! To see a picture of this cute cat, visit www.Heloise.com. — Heloise NO NAME, NO NUMBER DEAR HELOISE: I receive a lot of catalogs in the mail. I always remove our name and address from them before I throw them away. I discovered that some of the catalogs have an order form inside with my name, address, etc., preprinted on it. I would like to recommend a quick flip through catalogs to make sure such order forms are removed, too! — Mary, via email
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Olympics
4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Opening Ceremony kicks off Olympics By JOHN LEICESTER ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON — Britain opened its Olympics with a royal entrance like no other. London greeted the world in a celebration of Old England that was stunning, imaginative, whimsical and dramatic — and cheeky, even featuring a stand-in for Queen Elizabeth II parachuting into Olympic Stadium. Moments later, the 86-year-old monarch herself stood solemnly while a children’s choir serenaded her with “God Save the Queen,” and members of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force raised the Union Jack. Much of the opening ceremony was an encyclopedic review of British music history, from a 1918 Broadway standard adopted by the West Ham soccer team to The Who’s “My Generation” to “Bohemian Rhapsody,” by still another Queen. The evening started with fighter jets streaming red, white and blue smoke and roaring over the stadium, packed with a buzzing crowd of 60,000 people, at 8:12 p.m. — or 20:12 in the 24-hour time observed by Britons. An explosion of fireworks against the London skyline and Paul McCartney leading a singalong were to wrap up the threehour opening ceremony masterminded by one of Britain’s most successful filmmakers, Oscar winner Danny Boyle. He led off his spectacular in his favored medium: A movie depicted a high-speed flyover of the Thames, the river that winds like a vein through London and was the gateway for the city’s rise over the centuries as a great global hub of trade and industry. The rush of images showed a cricket match, the London Tube and the roaring, abundant seas that buffet and protect this island nation — set to a pulsating soundtrack including snippets of the Sex Pistols’ version of “God
Photo by Christophe Ena | AP
Performers march through the audience during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics on Friday in London. Save the Queen” — a anti-establishment punk anthem once banned by the BBC. To open the ceremony, children popped balloons with each number from 10 to 1, leading a countdown that climaxed with Bradley Wiggins, the newly crowned Tour de France champion. Wearing his race-winner’s yellow jersey, Wiggins rang a 23-ton Olympic Bell from the same London foundry that made Big Ben and Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell. Its thunderous chime echoed around the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium. Bells in Britain have traditionally pealed to celebrate the end of war and the crowning of kings and queens, and now for the opening of a 17-day festival of sports. The show then shifted to a portrayal of Britain that Britons cling to — a place of meadows, farms, sport on village greens,
picnics and Winnie-the-Pooh, A.A. Milne’s bear who has delighted generations of British children tucked warmly in bed. But the British ideal — to quote poet William Blake, of “England’s green and pleasant land” — then took a darker, grittier turn. The set was literally torn asunder, the hedgerows and farm fences carried away, as Boyle shifted to the industrial transformation that revolutionized Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries, the foundation for an empire that reshaped world history. Belching chimneys rose where only moments earlier sheep had trod. The Industrial Revolution also produced terrifying weapons, and Boyle built a moment of hush into his show to honor those killed in war. “This is not specific to a coun-
try; this is across all countries, and the fallen from all countries are celebrated and remembered,” he explained to reporters ahead of the ceremony. “Because, obviously, one of the penalties of this incredible force of change that happened in a hundred years was the industrialization of war, and the fallen,” he said. “You know, millions fell.” Olympic organizers separately rejected calls for a moment of silence for 11 Israeli athletes and coaches slain by Palestinian gunmen at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Two of the Israelis’ widows appealed to audience members to stand in silence when International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge rose to speak later at Friday’s ceremony. The Israeli culture and sport minister planned to do just that. The parade of nations featured
most of the roughly 10,500 athletes — some planned to stay away to save their strength for competition — marching behind the flags of the 204 nations taking part. Greece had the lead, as the spiritual home of the games, and Team Great Britain was last, as the host. The tradition of athletes marching into the stadium by nation at the opening ceremony began at London’s first Olympics, in 1908. It fell to the queen to declare the games open. Last month, the nation put on a festive Diamond Jubilee — a small test run for the games — to mark her 60 years on the throne, a reign that began shortly after London’s last Olympics, in 1948. The Olympic cauldron will be lit with a flame that was kindled May 10, at the birthplace of the anciest Olympics in Greece, from a reflection of the sun’s rays off a mirror. Since then, 8,000 torchbearers, mostly unheralded Britons, have carried the flame on a 70-day, 8,000-mile journey from toe to tip of the British Isles, whipping up enthusiasm for a $14 billion Olympics taking place during a severe recession. The identity of the last torchbearer, the one to light the cauldron, was kept secret — remarkable given the intense scrutiny at what have been called the first social media Olympics. Speculation focused on Roger Bannister, the first man to run a four-minute mile, in 1954, and on rower Steve Redgrave, among others. The show’s lighter moments included puppets drawn from British children’s literature — Captain Hook from “Peter Pan,” Cruella de Vil from “101 Dalmations” and Lord Voldemort from J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series, as well as Mary Poppins. Their appearance had a serious message, too — the importance of literacy.
Setting wows athletes By JANIE MCCAULEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Jae C. Hong | AP
Michael Phelps trains at the Aquatics Center at the Olympic Park on Monday in London. Opening ceremonies for the 2012 London Olympics were held on Friday.
2012 London Games are last for swimming legend By PAUL NEWBERRY ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON — For Michael Phelps, this is it. In his mind, there’s no doubt about it. As soon as his hand touches the wall for the final time at the London Olympics, his swimming career is over. And, really, what’s left to accomplish? “Enough is enough,” said Phelps’ longtime coach, Bob Bowman. “Come on! It’s been a very long road. A great road, no doubt, but I think at some point you have to graduate. He needs to move on to something else.” What he’s moving on to is still rather vague. Phelps wants to keep working toward his longstated goal of turning swimming into a truly mainstream sport, but he’s much better positioned to advance that cause when he’s in the water, rather than on land. He’ll probably look to expand his chain of swim schools, and there will still be plenty of work to do with his sponsors, who aren’t likely to abandon him just because he’s turned in his suit. Heck, he might turn up in Rio as a television commentator four years from now. “I’d probably need some
help,” he concedes. “I know there are some things you should and shouldn’t do on TV. It would be kind of fun. Maybe call a couple of races.” Will he be satisfied watching others compete? Can he harness that win-atall-costs mentality that carried him to gold in Beijing by a thousandth of a second when it seemed certain he was beaten in the 100meter butterfly? “I’m competitive in anything that I do,” Phelps said. “I’m sure I’ll pick up another hobby or something else that will keep me occupied for the rest of my life.” No matter what happens in London, Phelps’ legacy in the pool is largely secure. He’s won a staggering 14 gold medals, which is five more than the second-best number on the list. He’ll almost surely surpass the mark for most medals overall, coming into these Olympics just two shy of the 18 won by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina. By any measure, Phelps is the greatest swimmer the world has ever seen, and these games should secure his title at the top of the Olympic heap. Maybe that’s why he seems to be having a lot more fun in the days lead-
ing up to London than he did at Athens or Beijing, where he was under intense pressure to turn in record-breaking performances. “This is closure,” Phelps said Thursday, sitting beside Bowman in the largest conference room at the Main Press Centre. “Now it’s just a matter of how many toppings I want on my sundae.” Several hundred media packed the room, including Olympic speedskating star Apolo Anton Ohno, who’s now working for NBC and got in a question about how Phelps keeps things simple with all the distractions. Actually, he seems to be having a blast. After Phelps walked in the room, he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of all the reporters and cameras staring back at him, capturing another moment on his farewell tour. “This is the last competitive meet I’m going to have in my career,” Phelps said. “It’s big. It’s something I’ve never experienced. I’m going to have a lot of firsts and a lot of lasts this week.” He’s been relaxing in the common room of his apartment in the Olympic Village, watching episodes of “The Wire.”
LONDON — From Big Ben to the London Eye. From Nelson’s Column to Buckingham Palace. Every view from the Olympic beach volleyball stadium is London in all its majesty. Getting inside won’t be easy, either. Players knew they would be competing in the showcase venue of these Summer Games. And now that they’ve finally seen it in person, almost every one of them is in awe heading into Saturday’s opening matches of pool play. “It’s really perfect, that’s the only word I can say,” Swiss coach Stefan Kobal said Friday as he scouted a Russian opponent at one of six side-byside practice courts tucked among the trees and greenery. During training, a squirrel carrying a nut in its mouth scurried through the sand on one court.
Photo by Petr David Josek | AP
Sanna Keizer from the Netherlands, right, stretches during a practice session for the beach volleyball competition. A lush, picturesque park surrounds spectacular Horse Guards Parade, and to this day only Queen Elizabeth II herself can ride through one nearby gate. Not enough grandeur for you? Also right outside is Westminster Abbey. Defending gold medalist American Todd Rogers is quick to acknowledge the beach volleyball players have it better than most. “Other athletes are probably annoyed because their sport has been around 100 years and we’re the spoiled children.
From my perspective, it’s great,” Rogers said. “I think beach volleyball is just so fortunate. Over every Olympics, everyone has raved about the venue, from Sydney on. We have such a historical site.” Beach volleyball in the heart of central London will highlight Olympic competition Saturday. Two-time U.S. defending gold medalist pair Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor will be the feature match in the beach volleyball grandstand. “It’s amazing,” Walsh Jennings said.
Brazil beats Egypt, 3-2 By TALES AZZONI ASSOCIATED PRESS
CARDIFF, Wales — Gold-medal favorite Brazil scored three first-half goals then held on for a 3-2 win over Egypt in its opening Olympic match in Group C on Thursday. Rafael opened the scoring in the 16th minute, Leandro Damiao added another in the 26th and Neymar scored in the 30th to give Brazil a comfortable halftime lead before Egypt made it interesting with goals by captain Mohamed Aboutrika in the 52nd and substitute Mohamed Salah in the 76th. Brazil was able to control the rest of the game and held on for the victory, staying on track for its first gold in Olympic men’s soccer. It leads Group C along with Belarus, which beat New Zealand 1-0 in Coventry. “We got what we needed in the opening match, and
that was the victory,” Brazil coach Mano Menezes said. “We built our result with a very good performance in the first half but we couldn’t repeat it in the second, in part because Egypt improved and in part because of our own mistakes.” The Olympic tournament is the only significant soccer competition the five-time world champions haven’t conquered. Brazil earned silver medals in 1984 and 1988, and bronze ones in 1996 and 2008. Brazil is one of the few teams with many of its top players in the Olympic tournament and is one of the top contenders for the gold. Several of its players likely will be on the team that will try to win the World Cup at home in 2014. Egypt dominated the first few minutes of the match at Millennium Stadium but Brazil slowly
grabbed control. The Egyptians entered the competition trying to restore some of the country’s soccer pride nearly six months after the stadium riot that killed more than 70 people and forced the suspension of the national league. Manchester United right back Rafael scored the first goal after a perfect through ball by newly signed Chelsea playmaker Oscar. Rafael cleared a defender with one touch and fired a low left-footed shot into the net. “We showed our quality in the first half,” Rafael said. “We weren’t able to keep playing as well but in the end it was a good result.” Oscar set up the second goal too, beating a defender and the goalkeeper to a long ball lobbed into the area and sending a pass back toward Damiao, whose shot easily got past the Egyptian defender.