The Zapata Times 8/17/2013

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STATE COURT

FEDERAL COURT

Local ring broken 16 locals get lengthy prison sentences in fed case

By MATTHEW NELSON THE ZAPATA TIMES

JAVIER REYES

Javier Reyes agrees to plea deal

LAREDO — A three-year investigation by numerous federal and state agencies into a large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering organization operating out of the Zapata area came to an end this week after 16 members were given lengthy sentences in federal prison.

The leader of the organization, Pedro Navarro Jr., 38, was

The investigation resulted in numerous arrests and seizures of marijuana and methamphetamine. sentenced to 364 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña. Navarro must also forfeit the organization’s proceeds of $18 million.

The 15 other defendants, 14 of whom are residents of the

Zapata area, were handed terms ranging from 33 months to 240 months for their various levels of involvement. The charges included possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, conspiracy to

launder money and conspiracy to import a controlled substance.

The defendants were also given supervised release terms ranging from three to five years and are all required to complete drug and alcohol treatment programs.

More than 5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 6,000 kilograms of marijuana and 5 grams of cocaine were seized

See COURT

PAGE 11A

TEXAS ARTIST

UNIQUE BARRACUDA

No jail time, as per terms of the agreement

By JJ VELASQUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES

A former Zapata County Independent School District coach accused of sexually assaulting children in two counties reached a plea agreement last week in Williamson County.

Javier Reyes, 55, has agreed to plead guilty to attempted indecency with a child by contact, a third-degree felony, according to the plea deal filed Thursday. He was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in her Round Rock home in August 2005.

In exchange for his guilty plea, Reyes will have the charge dismissed in 10 years if he complies with the terms: a $2,500 fine, no contact with the victim, registration as a sex offender and a lifetime surrender of his teaching license.

He will not be jailed in connection with the charge as per the terms of the deal.

According to the State Board of Educator Certification website, Reyes surrendered his teaching certificate Monday.

Reyes resigned from United Independent School District in February after being proposed for termination earlier this year. He was an Alexander High School coach.

He is set for a September trial in Wilson County, about 35 miles southeast of San Antonio, in connection with a separate case.

Reyes is alleged to have sexually molested a child younger than 17 years old on July 1, 2004. He was in-

Photo by Ryan Henry/The Brownsville Hearld | Associated Press

Artist Sandy Margret uses a roller to apply ink to a barracuda to create a Japanese-style print of the fish at a taxidermy shop on South Padre Island.

See PLEA DEAL PAGE 11A

PUBLIC EDUCATION

RECREATION

It’s the 3Rs and T — technology — for school

Annual fishing tourney is today

By MALENA CHARUR THE ZAPATA TIMES

The Zapata County Independent School District’s six schools — Arturo L. Benavides Elementary, Fidel & Andrea R. Villarreal Elementary, Zapata South Elementary, Zapata Middle, Zapata High and this year, the new Zapata North Elementary School — will be receiving about 3,600 students Monday, Aug. 26

as the 2013-2014 school year begins.

“We are amazed that our community has been growing and that we’re still registering students at all levels, from Pre-K to 12th (grade),” Superintendent of Schools Norma G. Garcia said by telephone Friday afternoon.

Parents who have not yet registered their children for the new school year can visit a school in their attendance zone,

complete required forms and submit immunization records, Garcia said.

In an online letter dated Aug. 22, Garcia discusses the opening of the new elementary, which is designed to hold about 600 students.

“We are in a situation that all schools received improvements, with the new Zapata North Ele-

See SCHOOL

PAGE 11A

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Children will have the opportunity to reel in the new school year in a fun way.

The most anticipated event — the third annual “Back to School Kids Fishing Tournament,” hosted by the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce and Powell Watson Toyota of Laredo — is set for today.

The tournament kicks off at 7 a.m. at Bravo Park Pond. The event is expected to end at 2

p.m.

Children ages three through 12 are welcome to participate.

Fishing poles and bait will be provided to all participants.

Awards will be offered to children who catch the heaviest fish, first through sixth place.

Besides fishing, children can play on a waterslide, moon jump and receive goodie bags, popcorn and refreshments. Also available will be brown bag

See FISHING

PAGE 11A

PAGE 2A

Zin brief CALENDAR

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013

AROUND TEXAS

TODAY IN HISTORY

SATURDAY, AUG. 17

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Back to School Kids Fishing Tournament will take place at Bravo Park Pond, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Today is Saturday, Aug. 17, the 229th day of 2013. There are 136 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On August 17, 1943, the Allied conquest of Sicily during World War II was completed as U.S. and British forces entered Messina.

On this date: In 1807, Robert Fulton’s North River Steamboat began heading up the Hudson River on its successful round trip between New York and Albany.

In 1863, Federal batteries and ships began bombarding Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor during the Civil War, but the Confederates managed to hold on despite several days of pounding.

In 1915, a mob in Cobb County, Ga., lynched Jewish businessman Leo Frank, whose death sentence for the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan had been commuted to life imprisonment. (Frank, who’d maintained his innocence, was pardoned by the state of Georgia in 1986.)

In 1942, during World War II, U.S. 8th Air Force bombers attacked German forces in Rouen, France. U.S. Marines raided a Japanese seaplane base on Makin Island.

In 1962, East German border guards shot and killed 18year-old Peter Fechter, who had attempted to cross the Berlin Wall into the western sector.

In 1969, Hurricane Camille slammed into the Mississippi coast as a Category 5 storm that was blamed for 256 U.S. deaths, three in Cuba.

In 1978, the first successful trans-Atlantic balloon flight ended as Maxie Anderson, Ben Abruzzo and Larry Newman landed their Double Eagle II outside Paris.

In 1983, lyricist Ira Gershwin died in Beverly Hills, Calif., at age 86.

In 1987, Rudolf Hess, the last member of Adolf Hitler’s inner circle, died at Spandau Prison at age 93, an apparent suicide.

Ten years ago: Federal investigators joined industry teams in the search for clues into what triggered the country’s worst power blackout in the Midwest and Northeast as the Bush administration promised to get answers and address whatever problem was found. Five years ago: At the Beijing Olympics, Michael Phelps and three teammates won the 400-meter medley relay for Phelps’ eighth gold medal. One year ago: In Moscow, a judge sentenced three punk rock-style activists, members of the band Pussy Riot, to two years in prison for hooliganism for briefly taking over a cathedral in a raucous prayer for deliverance from Russian President Vladimir Putin; the court decision drew protests around the world.

Today’s Birthdays: Actress Maureen O’Hara is 93.

Former Chinese president Jiang Zemin is 87. Author V.S. Naipaul is 81. Former MLB All-Star Boog Powell is 72. Actor Robert DeNiro is 70. Movie director Martha Coolidge is 67. Rock musician Gary Talley (The Box Tops) is 66. Rock musician Sib Hashian is 64. Actor Robert Joy is 62. International Tennis Hall of Famer Guillermo Vilas is 61. Rock singer Kevin Rowland (Dexy’s Midnight Runners) is 60.

Thought for Today: “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it.” — Edith Wharton, American author (1862-1937).

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 21 Laredo Toastmaster’s evening meeting. Public speaking and leadership are focus. Meetings held at third Wednesday of each month. http://laredotoastmasters.toastmastersclubs.org.

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

THURSDAY, AUG. 22 Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo County Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 7270589.

FRIDAY, AUG. 23 The South Texas Food Bank’s Empty Bowls VII fundraiser starts at 6 p.m. at the Laredo Energy Arena, 6700 Arena Blvd. The event will feature the band Starship and honor J.C. Martin III and James Pearl, trustees from the Lamar Bruni Vergara Trust. Table sponsorships start at $1,500. Call 324-2432.

SATURDAY, AUG. 24 6th Annual Football Tailgating Cook-Off. El Metro Park & Ride, by Hillside Road. 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Entry fee $3. $200 per team to enter cook-off competitions. Food and commercial vendors, arts and crafts, music and other entertainment. To submit cookoff application or to participate as vendor, call LULAC 14 at 286-9055.

MONDAY, AUG. 26 Ruthe B. Cowl’s Second Annual Wine & Dine for Rehab. 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Salsa’s Restaurant and Sushi Grill, 9902 McPherson Road. Features domestic and imported wines. Prepaid tickets $75 sold at Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center and Salsa’s locations. Call 722-2431.

TUESDAY, AUG. 27 The Friends of KLRN presents the 18th Annual Laredo Wine Tasting at IBC Annex Ballroom, 2416 Jacaman Rd., from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sample many different wines from around the globe paired with delicious, gourmet foods. Tickets are $100 per person and can be purchased through http:// www.klrn.org or by calling 1-800-6278193.

THURSDAY, AUG. 29 Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows: “Earth, Moon and Sun” at 4 p.m. “Extreme Planets” at 5 p.m. General admission $3. 326-3663.\ Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo County Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 7270589.

FRIDAY, AUG. 30 Registration (and socializing) for Martin High School Class of 1958 reunion. 7 p.m. Residence of Samuel and Cecilia Moreno, 405 Reynolds St. Silent auction benefiting Literacy Volunteers of Laredo. 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Studio 55 Day and Spa Saloon, 7815 McPherson Road. Tickets $10.

Bidding starts 7:30 p.m. and ends 9 p.m.

Photo by Sue Ogrocki/file | AP

Job Seeker Brett Culver, left, of Newalla, Okla., formerly of the Air Force, talks with Texas state trooper Deon Cockrell, right, at a Recruit Military job fair in Oklahoma City, on Jan. 31. Although veterans as a whole have a lower unemployment rate than the nation, veterans who served in the years following the Sept. 11 attacks are having a much harder time finding work.

Unemployment steady ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN — Recent job numbers show the Texas unemployment rate has remained virtually flat so far this year, according to figures released Friday by the Texas Workforce Commission.

The unemployment rate for July shows jobless levels were unchanged for the third consecutive month at 6.5 percent. In the prior three months — February to April — the unemployment rate stood at 6.4 percent, and in January was 6.3 percent.

Nationally, unemployment for July was 7.4 percent, a slight drop from the 7.6 percent recorded the prior month.

State officials said the Texas economy added 19,900 nonfarming jobs in July, for a total of 293,000 positions added since July 2012.

Midland had the state’s lowest unemploy-

ment rate in July at 3.5 percent. The city was followed by Odessa at 4.2 percent and Amarillo at 5.1 percent.

The highest rate in Texas was in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area at 11.3 percent, followed by Brownsville-Harlingen at 10.5 percent and Beaumont-Port Arthur at 10.2.

Commission Chairman Andres Alcantar said Texas has maintained a positive growth rate for 39 straight months. The financial services field created the most jobs in July of any sector with 9,000 new positions, he said.

Other sectors that tallied strong growth were mining and logging, information services, trade, transportation and utilities.

“Our 3.1 percent annual growth rate compares favorably to 2.1 percent for the private sector nationally,” commissioner Hope Andrade said.

Laredo man sentenced in murder, kidnap

Deputy sues homeowner who made 911 call

AG details opposition to airline merger

BROWNSVILLE — A man has been sentenced to life in prison in the death of a man kidnapped from a Brownsville restaurant.

Abraham Parra, 25, of Laredo was convicted Thursday of capital murder and aggravated kidnapping in the death of 22-yearold Reyes Bocanegra in July 2012. Parra received an automatic sentence of life without parole on the capital murder charge.

HOUSTON — A Houston-area deputy has sued the family of a man he fatally shot following a 911 call last year, alleging he and others who responded were not properly warned about the danger they faced.

In a lawsuit filed this week, Harris County sheriff ’s Deputy Brady Pullen is seeking up to $200,000 for injuries he suffered.

DALLAS — The attorney general says he’s suing to block a giant airline merger because comments by company executives show they think consolidation will lead to higher prices.

Greg Abbott said that if American and US Airways merge, they would no longer compete on nearly 200 routes touching Texas.

Teen charged with killing 6 in wreck McALLEN — A teenager accused of killing six members of a family by crashing into their SUV while fleeing a state trooper earlier this week was in jail Friday after being formally charged with six counts of murder.

Hector Ramirez, 18, of Roma, was arraigned Thursday after being released from a hospital where he was treated following the crash.

Perry taps old appointees for revamped water board AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry has made the first ever paid, fulltime appointments to the overhauled Texas Water Development Board, including one plucked from his own staff.

The three-member board announced Friday will oversee a historic restructuring of the state’s water agency that was pummeled by scrutiny in the Texas Legislature over concerns of future water scarcity.

UT regent responds to impeachment committee AUSTIN — A UT regent has responded to a Texas House committee that is considering whether to impeach him.

In a letter released Friday, an attorney for Wallace Hall said his client was just doing his job in questioning activities at the University of Texas at Austin.

House Speaker Joe Straus asked the Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations to look into Hall.

— Compiled from AP reports

SATURDAY, AUG. 31 Dinner and dance for Martin High School Class of 1958 reunion. 7 p.m. to midnight. D’Versailles Reception Hall, 5216 Tesoro Plaza. All class members and guests welcome. Contact Adelfa Mendiola Pérez at 724-3283; Rubén Chavarría at 722-1300; laredomhs58@yahoo.com.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 7 First United Methodist Church will hold a used book sale, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 1220 McClelland Ave. Hardback books are $1, paperback books 50 cents, and magazines and children’s books 25 cents.

SATURDAY, OCT. 5 First United Methodist Church will hold a used book sale, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 1220 McClelland Ave. Hardback books are $1, paperback books 50 cents, and magazines and children’s books 25 cents.

FRIDAY, OCT. 11 Registration for the Texas Team Trail Championship will take place at the Zapata Community Center, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

AROUND THE NATION UPS pilots had warnings moments before crash BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A flight recorder revealed that pilots of a UPS cargo jet that crashed short of a runway at Birmingham’s airport received warnings about their rate of descent seconds before impact.

National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt told reporters during a briefing that a recorder captured the first of two audible warnings in the cockpit 16 seconds before the sound of an impact.

The warnings indicated the A300 cargo plane was descending too rapidly, Sumwalt said, but investigators haven’t made any determination on the actual cause of the crash into an Alabama hillside.

2 Russians turn cable guys in record spacewalk CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. —

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 Matt Rourke | AP

Engineering professor Daniel Koditschek, left, and doctoral student Aaron Johnson demonstrate the X-RHex Lite robot Tuesday at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The new robot has jumping and climbing abilities.

In a record-long spacewalk, Russian cosmonauts rigged cable outside the International Space Station on Friday for a new lab due to arrive in a few months.

Fyodor Yurchikhin and Aleksandr Misurkin spent almost the entire seven-hour-plus spacewalk

routing 120 feet of power and Ethernet cable. The cable had to be unreeled, then meticulously secured to handrails and hooks.

The spacewalk lasted seven hours and 29 minutes, a full hour longer than originally planned.

— Compiled from AP reports

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Local

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013

THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A

UIL OUTSTANDING PERFORMER

Courtesy photo

The University Interscholastic League has selected Aurelio Villarreal as an outstanding performer at the 2013 Texas State Solo-Ensemble Tuba Solo Contest. He was one of 305 students out of more than 24,000 competitors who earned this recognition.

FBI seeking suspect SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

The FBI is seeking information on a possible kidnapping suspect who may be heading for Texas.

Authorities believe he may have played some role in the abduction of a woman in Panama Beach, Florida.

The unidentified man could also be in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama, according to the FBI. A news release states that, “On June 27, 2013, the woman was kidnapped, transported across state lines, threatened and sexually assaulted by her captors. She was later recovered alive.”

Courtesy image

The FBI seeks this unidentified man, a kidnapping suspect.

One of the victim’s alleged captors, Jacobo Feliciano-Francisco, age 30, also known as “Uriel Castillo-Ochoa,” or “Kiko” was

arrested and arraigned on Aug. 12. He is now in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, according to the news release.

The unidentified man is between 5 feet 3 inches or 5 feet 4 inches tall; of Hispanic race and mediumcolor skin; bald but dark; of medium build; and has tattoos on both arms. His age and weight are unknown.

The individual is considered armed and dangerous.

If anyone has any information regarding the identity or location of the unidentified man, contact the FBI Jacksonville Field Office at 904-248-7000.

THE BLOTTER ASSAULT An assault was reported at 3 a.m. Aug. 7 in the 2200 block of Carla Street.

An assault was reported at 4:14 a.m. Aug. 10 in the 1400 block of Laredo Avenue.

An assault was reported at 1:12 a.m.

Thursday by the intersection of Seventh Ave-

nue and Hidalgo Boulevard.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

BURGLARY

A disorderly conduct was reported at 12:30 a.m. Aug. 11 in the intersection of Seventh Street and Guerrero Avenue.

A burglary of habitation was reported at 5:56 p.m. Aug. 12 in the Medina Addition.

A burglary of habitation was reported at 10:31 p.m. Aug. 10 in the 5300 block of South Siesta Lane.

HIT AND RUN A hit-and-run accident was reported at

9:43 a.m. Aug. 9 at the Family Dollar on Ninth Avenue and U.S. 83.

THEFT A dog was reported stolen/missing at 6:28 p.m. Aug. 7 in the 200 block of Irene Drive.

A vehicle was reported stolen at 7:46 a.m. Wednesday on FM 3074 Road.

PAGE 4A

Zopinion

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013

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

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

Hansan trial is a test for everybody FORT HOOD — This has become more than a trial. It is a tribulation, one testing the nation that Maj. Nidal Hasan attacked when he opened fire on fellow soldiers on Nov. 5, 2009, and one Hasan continues to test during the court-martial that could lead to his death.

In his opening statement last week, Hasan said he was the shooter who killed 13 and wounded more than 30 at Fort Hood. Military law, however, bars him from pleading guilty because he faces the death penalty.

Lots of lawyers There are, in effect, three teams in the courtroom for what’s become an unusual trial: Military prosecutors who want Hasan executed, a psychiatrist defendant acting (mostly silently, so far) as his own lawyer, and three standby military lawyers in case Hasan decides he needs professional help of the legal kind.

Right now, the standby lawyers, who believe Hasan is committing suicide by trial, are seeking to be removed from the case or allowed to participate more fully.

(To confuse things further, John Galligan, the Belton lawyer representing Hasan in civil proceedings — though fired by him in 2011 for the criminal trial — told the Austin American-Statesman’s Jeremy Schwartz last week that Hasan is not on a suicide mission.)

Despite Hasan’s opening-statement admission, the Army, in statements at the end of each day’s proceedings, almost always dutifully adds something along the lines of this from last Friday’s statement: “The accused, Hasan, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.”

No emotions Monday’s session opened with Col. Tara Osborn, the judge in charge, reminding all present that the case “may provoke powerful emotions.” She warned against outbursts or head shakes “of approval or disapproval.”

Each of Monday’s 18 witnesses passed within a few feet of Hasan en route to the stand. None looked his way or acknowledged his presence, save for four who, when asked on the witness stand if they could identify the man who

“

KEN HERMAN

shot them, pointed definitively at Hasan. “That man right there,” two of them said.

Former Fort Hood nurse Shemaka Hairston struggled to keep her emotions in check. “Do you believe you’ll be able to sit through the 911 call?” prosecutor Col. Mike Mulligan asked before playing the call.

“I believe so,” said Hairston, who kept her head down and used a tissue handed her as she cried quietly while listening to it.

In a day of often harrowing testimony — “It was squirting across the room,” victim Mick Engnehl testified when asked how he knew he was bleeding — I found the most disturbing moments to be the silent ones, when prosecutors, in advance of offering them as evidence, handed Hasan small containers holding bullets recovered from victims.

Hasan, emotionless, briefly took the containers in his hand, nodded and gave them back to the prosecutor. He had no objections, just as he had no questions for any of Monday’s witnesses.

Through it all, Hasan gives the appearance of a man still awaiting his day in court. God knows what he’s going to say when his turn comes.

His statements to Fox News presage some nonsense about something involving a God who justifies acts beyond justification.

In one statement, Hasan complained that the “American democracy places the sovereignty of man over the sovereignty of All-Mighty God” and that “the religion of Islam was brought to prevail over all other religions not to be co-equal with them and certainly not to be subservient to them.”

In a footnote, he wrote, “The constitution of the United States can be seen as a man-made God competing with the AllMighty Allah’s sovereignty.”

“If I have made any mistakes, I ask for forgiveness and understanding,” he wrote.

Some people have great capacity to forgive.

But if Hasan did what he says he did, it’s hard to imagine anybody will ever really understand.

Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. Email: kherman@statesman.com.

EDITORIAL

Hyperloop idea is hypercool SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS

Just when you start to think maybe, just maybe, we could be losing our edge here in Silicon Valley, Elon Musk pulls an all-nighter and whips back the curtain on Hyperloop — his pipe dream, literally, of a tubular transportation system that would propel air-cushioned passenger pods at 700 miles per hour, making San Francisco to Los Angeles a halfhour hop.

Practical? Oh, who cares.

It’s cool. So cool. A flash of

brilliance that captures the spirit and the imagination of Silicon Valley. We love it.

Even if the first pod never leaves the station. Launch pad. Whatever.

But here’s the thing. It might work.

That’s where the "brilliance" part comes in.

We’ve been waiting for more than a century for the next real transportation breakthrough, on the magnitude of horse and buggy to car and steam train to 747. In Musk’s vision, his Hyperloop would cost a

fraction of high-speed rail’s price tag, partly because it could be elevated on pylons above freeway rights of way.

Engines similar to the one in Tesla’s Model S could power it, and solar panels on top of the line could more than fuel it.

Of course there’s a huge leap from on-paper brilliance to real-world construction.

And while Musk’s Tesla and private space exploration company SpaceX have overcome setbacks, they’re both a tad different from building a

COLUMN

Nuke power tries new designs

By LLEWELLYN KING HEARST NEWSPAPERS

You can build a car with three or four wheels, but mostly, you would want to do so with four for stability and marketplace acceptance. Basically, you need a wheel at each corner, after which you can do what you like. Flexibility comes in how you use the vehicle.

For nuclear power, the reverse of that truism applies. There are many, many ways of building a reactor and fueling it. But its purpose is singular: to make electricity. And making electricity is done in the time-honored way, using steam or gas to turn a turbine attached to a generator.

Around the world, some 460 reactors are electricity makers. Even allowing for events like the tsunami that struck Fukushima Daiichi in Japan, they are statistically the safest and most reliable electricity makers.

Yet they are large and built one at a time. They rely predominantly on two variations of a technology called ”light water,” originally adapted from the U.S. Navy. This has left no

room for other designs, fuels and materials.

Now there is a new movement to design and build smaller reactors that are not as wedded to the light water technology, although that is still in the game.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration calculates the demand for electricity will double by 2050, which means that the demand for nuclear-generated electricity with its carbon-free attributes should soar.

To understand the heft of a nuclear plant, which range from about 900 to 1,600 megawatts of electrical output (MWe), one needs a visual comparison. Most windmills generate 1 MWe, or a little more when the wind is blowing.

So it takes 1,000 or more windmills to do the job of just one nuclear power plant. That stark fact is why China, in environmental crisis, has the world’s largest nuclear construction program.

But the days of the behemoth light water reactor plants may be numbered.

The challenge comes from what are known as small modular reactors (SMRs), rated at under 300

MWe. Stimulated by a total of $452 million in matching funds from the U.S. Department of Energy, the race is on for these smaller reactors. Call them the new, improved, front-wheel drive reactors.

The future for these is so alluring that eight U.S.based manufacturers are competing for seed funding from the DOE for reactors that range in size from 10 MWe up to 265 Mwe. Other countries are also revved up including Argentina, China, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and South Africa.

Whatever the design, one of the big advantages the new entrants will have is that they will be wholly or partly built in factories, saving money and assuring quality.

Some designs, like those of Babcock & Wilcox (which won the first round of funding) and Westinghouse, are sophisticated adaptations of light water technology.

Others, like General Atomics’ offering, called the Energy Multiplier Module, or EM2, are at the cutting-edge of nuclear energy. It relies on a high operating temperature of 850 degrees Centigrade to in-

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

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

We want to assure

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

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

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

first-of-its-kind transit system on 100-foot pylons in the public right of way in environmentally challenging California.

Still, just seeing the plans, the theories behind them, the reasoning and the flights of imagination that pull everything together without resorting to science-fiction fantasy, the willingness to think big — it’s enough to remind us that, in Silicon Valley, we’ve still got it.

Really. We’re not done here. Not by a long shot.

DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

crease efficiency, reduce waste, and even to use nuclear waste as fuel. It is designed to work for 30 years without refueling, relying on a silicon carbide fiber ceramic that will hold the fuel pellets. ”The ceramic does not melt and if it is damaged, the material tends to heal itself,” says John Parmentola, senior vice president at General Atomics, which developed the Predator unmanned aerial vehicle and the electromagnetic launch system for aircraft carriers, which replaces the steam catapult.

Others designs include thorium fuel instead of uranium, the use of molten salt as a moderator and coolant. Three of them, including General Atomics’ design, are socalled fast reactors, where a moderator is not used to slow down the neutrons as they collide with the target atoms. Think fission on steroids.

It is as though nuclear designers have thrown off the chains of legacy and are free to dream up wondrous new machines, similar to the start of the nuclear age.

Email Llewellyn King at lking@kingpublishing.com.

Mexico

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013

Quake shakes Mexico City ASSOCIATED PRESS

MEXICO CITY — A moderate earthquake shook Mexico’s capital Friday but caused no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake in the Pacific Coast state of Guer-

rero had a preliminary magnitude of 5.4. The southern state’s government said it had initiated security protocols but did not immediately report damage or injuries.

Many office workers evacuated their buildings after the quake set off

alarms in Mexico City but Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said in a message from his Twitter account that there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Mexico City is vulnerable to distant earthquakes because much of it sits atop

the muddy sediments of drained lake beds. They jiggle like jelly when quake waves hit.

The magnitude-8.1 quake in 1985 that killed at least 6,000 people and destroyed many buildings in Mexico City was centered 250 miles away on the Pacific Coast.

Cartel begins PR push

By MARK STEVENSON ASSOCIATED PRESS

MEXICO CITY — A group of farmers and businessmen from the western state of Michoacan demanded Wednesday that the government stop sending federal police to fight a local drug cartel.

While the group denied any links to the Knights Templar cartel, its news conference in Mexico City coincided with a rare public relations push by the gang, whose leader raged against federal police in a videotaped statement posted over the weekend on social media sites.

Both the cartel and the group, which calls itself Peace with Dignity for Michoacan, also railed against “self-defense” groups set up by residents in several Michoacan towns to resist Knights Templar gunmen.

The self-defense groups say the cartel’s gunmen

Photo by Gabriela Sanchez/file | AP

A Purepecha Indian from the town of Los Reyes in Michoacan, Mexico, speaks to the press in Mexico City on July 29. subjected residents to systematic extortion demands for “protection payments.”

But the Peace with Dignity group said such payments were levied only on part of the population, such as big avocado plantations, and were helpful in some cases, or at least a necessary evil.

“We avocado farmers were getting robbed a lot” by thieves sneaking into orchards, farmer Nicolas Aguilar said. “We were told there was a payment being

collected to help with security, and since then we haven’t had any more problems with theft.”

The group also cited a list of alleged abuses by federal police, who they said were bothering local women and scaring away tourism, one of the main sources of revenue for the hilly, pine-clad state.

“We don’t want any more federal police,” said a Purepecha Indian leader, Miguel Aguilera.

That coincides with the

message from Knights Templar leader Servando “La Tuta” Gomez, who admitted to being a criminal but said his gang is defending Michoacan against rival drug gangs who he said were worse thieves.

Gomez also alleged abuses and corruption by the thousands of federal officers sent by President Enrique Peña Nieto to Michoacan in May after violence between the cartel and the self-defense groups escalated.

“They scare off tourism, they scare off investment.

They come to steal,” Gomez said of the police.

He further accused federal police of protecting and fomenting the self-defense groups, which he claimed are pawns of the rival Jalisco cartel.

It is rare for leaders of Mexico’s drug cartels to speak publicly, but Gomez has posted videos of lengthy speeches at least twice in the past.

THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A

Airline regrets ad casting call

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON ASSOCIATED PRESS

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s Aeromexico airline and its ad agency have apologized for a producer’s casting call requesting that only lightskinned people apply as actors for a television commercial.

Mexico’s population is largely dark-skinned, but Mexican television ads routinely feature lightskinned actors, sparking accusations of racial discrimination.

The commercial has not yet been made, but the casting call specified it wanted “nobody dark skinned,” only actors with “white skin.”

The Catatonia ad agency said this week that a third company that sent out the casting call had used “inappropriate” language.

“We regret this situation, which in no way reflects our thinking as a company or as individuals,” Catatonia said on its Twitter account.

Aeromexico also apologized, and blamed Catatonia for the “discriminatory attitude” of the call.

“We offer our deepest

apology and reaffirm our respect for all people, without regard to their gender, language, religion or skin color,” the airline said in a statement.

The casting call also said producers didn’t want anyone with blond hair or blue eyes.

For some social media users, the casting call confirmed what they say is a long history of implicit discrimination in Mexico.

Although most Mexicans have some Indian blood, and 6.7 million Mexicans over 5 years old speak an indigenous language, Indians have suffered racial discrimination since the Spanish conquest in the 1500s.

Blogger Tamara de Anda said Friday that she was a taken aback when she saw the casting call, and shared it on social networking sites.

“I always get these racist ads, but they’ve never been so explicit,” De Anda said.

The casting call also seemed worded to exclude anyone who doesn’t look wealthy. It sought people “with a Polanco Look,” referring to a wealthy, largely white Mexico City neighborhood.

6A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013

THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A

National

8A THE ZAPATA TIMES

Photo by Ashley Smith/The Times-News | AP

Members of the Idaho City Hotshots work on burnout operations around Pine, Idaho, on Aug. 14 where the Elk Complex lightning-caused fire continued to burn.

600 homes evacuated as Idaho wildfire burns

By JOHN MILLER AND BRADY MCCOMBS ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOISE, Idaho — Sheriff ’s deputies Friday ordered the evacuation of 600 homes near the Idaho mountain resort community of Sun Valley as a wind-driven wildfire torched its way through sage and pine trees.

The 100-square-mile Beaver Creek Fire was moving toward the Sun Valley Ski Resort, which turned on water cannons ordinarily reserved for wintertime snowmaking.

One home in an outlying valley was destroyed Thursday night, said Bronwyn Nickel, a spokeswoman for Blaine County, where the fire is burning.

More than 600 state and federal firefighters were dispatched to the blaze in the affluent resort region that’s a second home to celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis.

In addition, some private insurers have sent in their own crews to provide structural protection for homes with values that can stretch into the millions of dollars, Nickel said.

“There are private engines that insurance companies have sent in,” she said. “They’re on site, they’re working with our local firefighters and law enforcement.”

Fire officials said strong, gusty winds, low humidity and tinder-dry vegetation created unstable conditions surrounding the Beaver Creek Fire, where a huge DC-10 tanker, capable of carrying 12,000 gallons of retardant, was among aircraft making drops on the blaze.

Jack Sibbach, a Sun Valley Resort spokesman, had to leave his home south of Ketchum on Friday. He said he watched as airplanes and helicopters made runs in roughly three-minute intervals,

dropping water and red retardant to create a barrier against flames west of U.S. Highway 75.

The resort turned on snow cannons on Bald Mountain, he said, largely to protect lodges atop the mountain, should the fire advance that far.

“The fire’s not that close to Baldy, but with the wind, you’re worrying about things sparking,” Sibbach said. “Things could jump ahead.”

Flying in separate aircraft, Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell took an aerial tour of the fire.

The towns of Ketchum, with a population of 2,700, and Sun Valley, with 1,400 people, were under preevacuation orders, with residents advised to prepare their belongings in case they are required to leave on a moment’s notice.

Fire managers “are just adding an extra layer of caution to the plan that they started last night,” said Rudy Evenson, a spokesman for the federal team overseeing the blaze.

“We have a forecast for 30 mph winds at the ridge tops.”

Southbound traffic on U.S. Highway 75 was backed up, as many residents and vacationers opted to flee the smoke. Traffic was “bumper to bumper,” Hailey resident Jane McCann told The Associated Press by phone Friday.

“The smoke is unbearable,” said McCann, who was in her car. “Today in Hailey, you couldn’t see the mountains from Main Street.”

Elsewhere in the western United States, a wildfire near a Utah mountain ski resort town that’s burned seven houses was about half-contained, allowing some evacuations to be lifted following a day of calm winds that allowed crews to gain the upper

hand.

However, about 110 homes located about 10 miles from the 2002 Olympic venue of Park City remained off-limits to their residents, as crews mopped up hot spots.

Summit County District Fire Warden Bryce Boyer said Friday there were also downed, potentially live power lines to contend with — and 500- or 1,000pound propane tanks outside the homes leaking because the valves burned.

Even homes still standing may have suffered some damage, from the intense heat.

“We want to assess the safety of those structures before we release the evacuation,” Boyer said.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013

SÁBADO 17 DE AGOSTO DE 2013

Zfrontera OPERATIVO ‘LOS LOBOS’

Agenda en Breve

Arrestan a 16

ZAPATA 08/17— Tercer “Torneo de Pesca Infantil de Regreso a Clases”, que organiza la Cámara de Comercio del Condado de Zapata y Powell Watson Toyota de Laredo a partir de las 7 a.m. en Bravo Park Pond. Se espera que el evento concluya para las 2 p.m. Pueden participar niños en edades de tres a 12. Cañas de pescar y anzuelos serán proveídos para todos los participantes.

LAREDO 08/17— Jornada Sabatina del Consulado General de México en Laredo, de 9 a.m. a 1 p.m. El Consulado General hace un llamado a las personas que requieran efectuar trámites de pasaportes, matrículas consulares, o asistencia consular en el ámbito de protección.

08/17— “Movies at the Park” celebrará la culminación del verano en un festival en el parque Independence Hills, de 4 p.m. a 10 p.m., a las 8:15 p.m. se estará proyectando la película “Los vengadores”.

08/17— Lite Productions y Laredo Center for the Arts (LCA) presentan “Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville”, de Maurine Dallas Watkins, en LCA, 500 avenida San Agustin, a las 8 p.m. Costo: 20 dólares, general; 200 dólares, mes apara seis con hros d’oeuvres y spirits. Otra función el 18 de agosto, a las 3 p.m.

08/17— Juan “El Torito” Diaz, de Houston, y Adailton De Jesús, de Brasil, se enfrentarán a 10 rounds durante la serie “Solo Boxeo Tecate” en Laredo Energy Arena.

El evento dará inicio a las 5 p.m.

08/20— Béisbol: Laredo Lemurs reciben a Sioux City Explorers en Estadio Uni-Trade a las 7:30 p.m.

08/21— Béisbol: Laredo Lemurs reciben a Sioux City Explorers en Estadio Uni-Trade a las 7:30 p.m.

08/22— Béisbol: Laredo Lemurs reciben a Sioux City Explorers en Estadio Uni-Trade a las 7:30 p.m.

08/23— Campaña para recaudación de fondos “Empty Bowls” del South Texas Food Bank, a partir de las 6 p.m. en Laredo Energy Arena. Habrá concierto a cargo de Starship Band. El costo de los boletos es de 10, 15, y 25 dólares. Informes al 324-2432.

NUEVO LAREDO, MX 08/17— Estación Palabra presenta “Charla y lecturas sobre animales fantásticos”, basada en “’Bestiario Místico” a las 3 p.m.

08/17— Compañía Teatral Amigos e Hispanic Theatre presenta “Vaselina: El Musical de tu Vida” a las 6:30 p.m. en el Teatro del Seguro Social (Belden y Reynosa). Informes escribiendo a ciateatralamigos@hotmail.com.

08/18— Proyecto Teatro presenta “Juanito y las Habichuelas Mágicas” de Benjamín Tabart, a las 12 p.m. en el Teatro del IMSS. Costo: 20 pesos.

08/18— Campeonato Internacional de Motocross “Los Dos Laredos” a partir de las 12 p.m. por la pista ubicada en el Kilómetro 4 del Boulevard Luis Donaldo Colosio, frente a las casas amarillas de la Colonia Benito Juárez. Costo: 20 pesos por adulto. Niños de 12 años y menores entran gratis.

08/23— Compañía Teatral Amigos e Hispanic Theatre presenta “Sor-Presas” a las 6:30 p.m. en el Teatro del Seguro Social (Belden y Reynosa). Informes escribiendo a ciateatralamigos@hotmail.com.

— Reportes de Tiempo de Zapata

PÁGINA 9A

Mayoría de acusados son residentes en Zapata POR MATTHEW NELSON TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Un operativo de tres años por parte de numerosas agencies federales y estatales contra una organización de tráfico de drogas y lavado de dinero a gran escala, que operaba a las afueras del área de Zapata, llegó a su final esta semana después de que se les dictara sentencia a prisión federal a 16 de sus miembros.

El líder de la organización, Pedro Navarro Jr., de 38 años de edad, fue sentenciado a 364 meses en una prisión federal por la Juez de Distrito Diana Saldaña. Navarro tendrá que renunciar a los 18 millones de dólares resultantes de

las actividades de la organización.

Los otros 15 acusados, 14 de ellos residentes del área de Zapata, recibieron sentencias que van de 33 a 240 meses como resultado del tipo de delitos en que se vieron involucrados.

Los cargos incluyen posesión de sustancias controladas con intento de distribución, conspiración para lavado de instrumentos monetarios y conspiración para importar sustancias controladas.

Los acusados también recibieron libertad supervisada en una escala que va de tres a cinco años y todos requerirán asistir a un programa de tratamiento de drogas y alcohol.

La sentencia a una prisión federal incluye al residente de Immokalee, Fla., James Lincoln Crabtree, de 30 años, por 33 meses; y, a los residentes de Zapata: Andrés “Chango” Quintero-Ortiz, de 48

años, por 127 meses; Rene Dávila, de 31 años, por 93 meses; Servando “Mariachi” Guerrero Jr., de 38 años, por 174 meses; Alex Navarro, de 23 años, por 131 meses; Sandalio Ramos, de 44 años, por 224 meses; Leonel “La Dona” Rodríguez, de 43 años, por 240 meses; Juan Luis Rivera, de 31 años, por 131 meses; Jorge Grajeda Jr., de 30 años, por 46 meses; Juan Antonio Valdez Sr., de 55 años, por 63 meses; José Luis Gonzalez-Chapa, de 24 años, por 93 meses; Judith Zamora, de 27 años, por 93 meses; Claudia Medrano, de 28 años, por 108 meses; Leonides Navarro, de 23 años, por 87 meses; y Maria Micaela Berrones, de 25 años, por 58 meses.

Más de cinco kilogramos de metanfetaminas, 6.000 kilogramos de marihuana y cinco gramos de cocaína fueron decomisados como resultado de la investigación, indi-

can documentos de la corte.

Durante la investigación de tres años, los investigadores realizaron numerosos arrestos y decomisos de marihuana y metanfetaminas.Entre el 8 de junio de 2006 y el 7 de julio de 2011, miembros de la organización realizarían el traslado de drogas desde México a través de Falcon Lake en pequeños botes y en un muelle en la casa propiedad de Navarro. Las drogas que habían sido almacenadas en casa de Navarro serían enviadas a otras áreas de Texas, y tan lejos como el Sur de Florida.

El dinero resultado de las drogas sería regresado a Zapata, y los botes regresarían nuevamente a Falcon Lake para ser entregados en México. El dinero que fue lavado llegaría a manos de los individuos que proveían las drogas para asegurar la continuidad de la operación.

EDUCACIÓN

CICLO ESCOLAR

Foto de cortesía | ZCISD

La imagen muestra cuando se avanzaba en la obra del Zapata North Elementary School, un proyecto del Zapata County Independent School District. Las clases están por iniciar en el distrito escolar el lunes 26 de agosto.

Zapata County ISD espera alrededor de 3.600 alumnos POR MALENA CHARUR TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

E

l lunes 26 de agosto, alrededor de 3.600 estudiantes de todos los niveles iniciarán clases para el próximo periodo escolar 2013-2014 en Zapata County Independent School District (ZCISD, por sus siglas).

Las seis escuelas del distrito: Arturo L. Benavides Elementary School, Fidel & Andrea R. Villarreal Elementary School, Zapata South Elementary School, Zapata Middle School, Zapata High School y, a partir de este año, la nueva Zapata North Elementary School, se encuentran listas para recibir a maestros y alumnos.

“Estamos muy asombrados que nuestra comunidad ha estado creciendo y aún continúan registrándose en todos lo niveles desde Pre-K hasta 12”, comentó en entrevista telefónica Norma G. García, superintendente de escuelas para ZCISD. Aquellos padres que aún no han realizado los trámites escolares pueden presentarse con sus hijos en la escuela que les corresponda, llenar las formas necesarias y presentar la tarjeta de vacunas para cada estudiante, informó García.

En carta de bienvenida, García da a conocer la inauguración y apertura de la nueva escuela primaria Zapata North Elementary, que albergará aproximadamente 600 alumnos.

“Estamos en una situación que todas las escuelas recibieron mejoras y la nueva escuela Za-

pata North Elementary, se está abriendo con lo más moderno”, escribe García en la carta.

La construcción de un taller de soldadura y otras mejoras para la escuela Zapata High School, así como mejoras al Hawk Stadium, también son dadas a conocer en la misiva.

Igualmente se menciona la iniciativa iSucceed: Learning Anytime, Anywhere Initiative (Iniciativa para el aprendizaje en cualquier lugar y en cualquier momento) para los estudiantes y maestros de los grados 5-12, que apoya el ambiente de aprendizaje para el salón del Siglo XX1, al mismo tiempo que pretende ampliar las experiencias educacionales para lograr las demandas de los nuevos estándares de aprendizaje.

“El año pasado se invirtió dinero para comprar iPads para los alumnos de los grados 9 a 12 y el año que viene se entregarán a los niños de los grados 5-8. La razón de esto es que la tecnología es muy importante y es la manera en que los niños aprenden mejor”, indicó García, quien explicó que el sistema que utilizan en el distrito escolar está basado en la red (web base) y que varios documentos, libros, lecciones y prácticas serán envíadas por iPad. Dijo que esto también cumple con la política ecológica Going Green, pues las prácticas, investigaciones, presentaciones y tareas se estarán entregando vía esta tecnología, lo que representará un ahorro significativo en papel.

Para aquellos estudiantes que no cuenten con Internet, el distrito escolar proporcionará espa-

COMUNIDAD

cio y facilidades para que los alumnos puedan cumplir con sus deberes escolares.

La Agencia de Educación de Texas (TEA por sus siglas en inglés) reportó que el 100 por ciento de las escuelas del ZCISD recibieron una clasificación de responsabilidad que cumplía con los standards en todos los índices de responsabilidad aplicables a ellas, según se informa en el comunicado de bienvenida.

“Nos fue muy bien con la prueba del estado.

Tres de nuestras seis escuelas recibieron designaciones de distinción en las tres posibles categorías y el miércoles tendremos un evento con el comité para celebrar estas distinciones”, concluyó García.

Para concluir, ella aclaró que en el sitio de Internet del distrito escolar aparecen las listas de útiles escolares para los grados de pre-kinder 4 hasta 5. Útiles para los grados que corresponden a secundaria y preparatoria, serían dados a conocer durante el ingreso.

El código de vestuario para los estudiantes desde pre-kinder hasta el grado 12, establecido por el Zapata County Independent School District, indica que las camisetas, camisas y blusas deben ser en color guindo o dorado; los pantalones deben ser de estilo casual y pueden ser de mezclilla o de color caqui, azul marino o negro; estos mismos colores aplican para las faldas, de acuerdo al sitio de Internet del distrito escolar.

(Localice a Malena Charur en 728-2583 o en mcharur@lmtonline.com)

DEPORTES

Invitan a conferencia de salud Es hoy torneo de ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Laredo y otros condados en la frontera EU-México tienen algunos de los más altos niveles de pobreza, falta de seguro, diabetes y obesidad en el país, de acuerdo al Congresista de EU, Henry Cuellar.

“Al mismo tiempo, estas comunidades se encuentran entre las de menos asistencia en la nación con una de las tasas más bajas de médicos por capita”, dijo Cuellar.

“Si podemos encontrar, de manera exitosa, una forma de atender esta disparidad entre las necesidad y recursos para nuestras ciudades a lo largo de la frontera, será un modelo para todas las comunidades con menos asistencia en nuestra nación”.

Temas relacionados a salud, y que enfrentan las ciudades a lo largo de la frontera, estarán entre los temas que se discutirán el viernes 23 de agosto durante la octava Conferencia de Salud Fronteriza Anual.

Previamente llevada a cabo en Washington, D.C., esta es la primera ocasión que la

HENRY CUELLAR: Dijo es necesario actuar para mejorar las comunidades con menos beneficios.

pesca infantil ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

conferencia será llevada a cabo en Texas y en la frontera.

Está previsto que inicie a las 10:45 a.m. en La Posda Hotel, 1000 calle Zaragoza.

Cuellar y el Border Health Caucus/Texas Medical Association son anfitriones de la conferencia.

La conferencia presentará oradores de la Oficina de Reforma de la Salud del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de EU y de los Centros para Medicare y Medicaid, el Departamento de Salud de México, la Comisión de Salud de la Frontera EU-México, el Departamento de Salud de la Ciudad de Laredo, Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de EU, la Comisión de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Texas, Enroll America y la Asociación Médica de Texas, entre otros.

El tercer “Torneo de Pesca Infantil de Regreso a Clases”, que organiza la Cámara de Comercio del Condado de Zapata y Powell Watson Toyota de Laredo — se lleva a cabo hoy.

El torneo dará inicio a las 7 a.m. en Bravo Park Pond. Se espera que el evento concluya para las 2 p.m.

Niños en edades de tres a 12 son bienvenidos para participar. Cañas de pescar y anzuelos serán proveídos para todos los participantes.

Se ofrecerán premios para los niños que pesquen al pez más pesado, del primer al sexto lugar.

Además de pescar, los niños pueden jugar en un resbaladero de agua, brincolín y recibir golosinas, palomitas de maíz y refrigerios. También habrá actividades para los padres de familia, algunos de los cuales tendrán premios.

En los pasados dos años, el torneo ha tenido a más de 300 niños participando.

National

10A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013

Judge: Manning’s actions ‘heedless’

By DAVID DISHNEAU AND PAULINE JELINEK ASSOCIATED PRESS

FORT MEADE, Md. — The enormous leak of classified information engineered by Army Pfc. Bradley Manning was “heedless” and “imminently dangerous to others,” a military judge said Friday in a document explaining why she found him guilty of 20 counts, including six violations of the federal Espionage Act. Army Col. Denise Lind released her legal rationale, or “special findings,” as the sentencing phase of Manning’s court-martial neared its end. Lawyers will make closing arguments Monday, and Lind said she would announce the sentence as soon as Tuesday.

Manning faces up to 90 years in prison for sending more than 700,000 military and diplomatic documents, plus some battlefield video, to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks while working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq in 2010. WikiLeaks published most of the material on its website.

Lind wrote in the 10page document that Manning’s actions were wanton and reckless.

“Pfc. Manning’s conduct was of a heedless nature that made it actually and imminently dangerous to others,” she wrote.

The rules for special findings require a written rationale only for guilty verdicts. Therefore, Lind provided no explanation for her decision to acquit Manning of the most serious charge, aiding the enemy. To have won a conviction on that charge, prosecutors would have had to prove that Manning knew the information he leaked would be seen by al-Qaida members.

On the espionage convictions, for transmitting defense information, Lind found that the leaked material was both potentially damaging to the United States and “closely held,” meaning it had been classified by the appropriate authorities and remained classified at the time it was leaked. The defense had argued that much of the information Manning leaked either contained no damaging information or was already publicly known.

The lone computer fraud count on which Manning was convicted hinged on whether he knowingly exceeded his

Photo by Laura Rauch/file | AP

A sign marking the Extraterrestrial Highway is seen near Rachel, Nevada, on April 10, 2002. The ET highway was established in 1996 and runs along the eastern border of Area 51.

Area 51 declassified

By HANNAH DREIER ASSOCIATED PRESS

Image by William Hennessy/file | AP

In this courtroom sketch, Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, third from left, stands with his attorneys July 30. authorized access on a classified government network when he used his workplace computer to save the State Department cables to a CD so he could use his personal computer to transmit them to WikiLeaks.

The defense had argued that Manning was authorized to view the cables as part of his job, and that there was no prohibition on downloading or saving them. Prosecutors had argued that Manning had no authority to access such a wide range of cables since his job was narrowly focused on the threat from Shia Muslims in Iraq.

Lind drew a fine line in her legal reasoning. She said the phrase “exceeds authorized access” means Manning used the computer with authorization, and then used that access to obtain information he wasn’t entitled to obtain.

The court-martial was in session for only about 30 minutes Friday. Prosecutors presented four bits of evidence retrieved from Manning’s personal computer, mostly communications with his friend, Danny Clark, a Cambridge, Mass., computer expert.

The contents of those communications weren’t revealed in open court.

A military psychiatrist who examined Manning after his arrest testified Wednesday that Clark was unavailable to Manning when Manning leaked the material under great psychological stress, largely due to his gender-identity uncertainty at a time when gay service members were prohibited from serving openly.

Manning “felt in hindsight that if he’d been able

to talk with Danny Clark, that might have prevented these acts because he felt like, ‘If Danny had told me not to do that, I definitely wouldn’t have done that,”’ the psychiatrist, Navy Capt. David Moulton, testified.

Clark did not respond Friday to telephone and email queries from The Associated Press.

Manning apologized Wednesday for the harm he caused by leaking the information. He did not apologize, though, for exposing what he considered wrongdoing by the U.S. military and duplicitous diplomacy by the State Department.

Speaking to Manning supporters after Friday’s session, defense attorney David Coombs acknowledged that Wednesday had been a tough day for Manning because it was “family day.” There was testimony that day from Manning’s older sister and an aunt, who both spoke of his difficult childhood with an alcoholic mother and the eventual split of the family after his parents divorced. Then the soldier got to spend about an hour and a half with family after Wednesday’s session, Coombs said.

Coombs said Manning was in good spirits Friday.

The lawyer was answering questions outside the courtroom from a couple dozen supporters who had attended Friday, including queries about Manning’s apology and what Manning’s conditions of confinement were like at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., where he has been held for some of his pre-trial confinement.

LAS VEGAS — UFO buffs and believers in alien encounters are celebrating the CIA’s clearest acknowledgement yet of the existence of Area 51, the top-secret Cold War test site that has been the subject of conspiracy theories for decades.

The recently declassified documents have set many abuzz, though there’s no mention of UFO crashes, black-eyed extraterrestrials or staged moon landings.

Audrey Hewins, an Oxford, Maine, woman who runs a support group for people like her who believe they have been contacted by extraterrestrials, said she suspects the CIA is moving closer to disclosing there are space aliens on Earth.

“I’m thinking that they’re probably testing the waters now to see how mad people get about the big lie and cover-up,” she said.

For a long time, U.S. government officials hesitated to acknowledge even the existence of Area 51.

The CIA history released Thursday not only refers to Area 51 by name and describes some of the aviation activities that took place there, but locates the Air Force base

on a map, along the dry Groom Lake bed.

It also talks about some cool planes.

George Washington University’s National Security Archive used a public records request to obtain the CIA history of one of Area 51’s most secret Cold War projects, the U-2 spy plane program.

National Security Archive senior fellow Jeffrey Richelson first reviewed the history in 2002, but all mentions of the country’s most mysterious military base had been redacted. So he requested the history again in 2005, hoping for more information. Sure enough, he received a version a few weeks ago with Area 51 restored.

The report is unlikely to stop the conspiracy theorists. The 407-page document still contains many redactions.

It’s not the first time the government has acknowledged the existence of the super-secret, 8,000-squaremile installation. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush referred to the “location near Groom Lake” in insisting on continued secrecy, and other government references date to the 1960s.

But Richelson is taking the document as a sign of loosening secrecy about the government’s activities in the Nevada desert.

The site is known as Area 51 among UFO aficionados because that was the base’s designation on old Nevada test site maps. The CIA history reveals that officials renamed it “Paradise Ranch” to try to lure skilled workers, who can still be seen over Las Vegas flying to and from the site on unmarked planes.

Beginning with the U-2 in the 1950s, the base has been the testing ground for top-secret aircraft, including the SR-71 Blackbird, F-117A stealth fighter and B-2 stealth bomber.

Some believe hangars also contain alien vehicles, evidence from the “Roswell incident” — the alleged 1947 crash of a UFO in New Mexico — and extraterrestrial corpses.

The CIA history mentions an “unexpected side effect” of the high-flying planes: “a tremendous increase in reports of unidentified flying objects.”

The report notes that the U-2 and Oxcart planes, which flew higher than civilians believed possible, accounted for half of UFO sightings during the 1950s and ’60s.

A likely story, said Stanton Friedman, a self-described Ufologist from Canada.

“The notion that the U-2 explains most sightings at that time is utter rot and baloney,” he said.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013

THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A

ESTELA S. SOLIS Estela S. Solis, 66, passed away on Aug. 10, 2013, at her residence in Zapata.

Mrs. Solis is preceded in death by her parents, Jose Roberto Sr. and Ofilia Salazar; niece, Baby Angela Ana Salinas; in-laws, Luis Arturo and Ernestina Solis; brother-in-law, Cosme Solis, and other relatives.

Mrs. Solis is survived by her husband of 47 years, Luis Ovidio Solis; son, Rene Ovidio Solis; daughters, Imelda Iliana (Arturo) Buruato, Irma Idalia Solis (Julian) Delgado; grandsons, Arturo Buruato Jr., Javier Alberto Buruato, Christian Carlos Buruato, Jose Felipe Espinoza III; granddaughters, Kristina Alexes (Brent) Maclaren, Sonia Annette Espinoza; great-grandson, Teagan Jay Maclaren; brothers and sisters, Edna (Luciano) Sarabia (Corpus Christi), Corina Solis (Zapata), Alicia Parra (New Braunfels), Ana Maria (Reynaldo) Salinas (Zapata), Maria S. (Martiniano) Ramirez (Zapata), Jose Roberto Salazar Jr. (Zapata), Minerva C. Salazar (Zapata), Patricia E. (Rick) Valencia (San Angelo), Luis Carlos (Cynthia) Salazar (Zapata); lifetime family friend, Diana (Jose) Araiza; brother-inlaw, Jorge (Estela) Solis (Zapata); sisters-in-law, Benilde (Jose) Trejo (Boise, Idaho), Dolores (Eduardo) Lozano (San Ygnacio), and Minerva Solis (San Ygnacio); and by numerous, nephews, nieces, friends and

other family members.

Visitation hours were held on Monday, Aug. 12, 2013, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home.

The funeral procession departed on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

The family would like to express a special thanks to Professional Hospice Care, Inc., Dr. Francisco Peña, Dr. Cesar Tula, and their staff, and to the community for their endless support and prayers to the Salazar and Solis Family. God Bless You All! Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata.

Courtesy photo

Shown is $116,480, drugs and other items seized by law enforcement personnel from a man who refused to identify himself on Wednesday afternoon. They arrested two men, identified as a father and son.

Deputies seize $116K, drugs

By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES

Zapata County Sheriff ’s deputies made a money seizure for the books, according to authorities.

Sheriff ’s officials seized approximately $116,480 south of Zapata. U.S. Border Patrol, Texas Parks and Wildlife and agents assigned to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area’s Taskforce assisted in the case.

PLEA DEAL Continued from Page 1A dicted in January on a charge of indecency with a child by contact.

A grand jury has not returned an indictment in relation with the case in Williamson County, north of Austin.

Whether on the basketball court or coaching cross country, Reyes earned plaudits for lead-

ing his squads of athletes to various titles over the years.

But his disciplinary record is riddled with incidents of alleged inappropriate behavior. His actions led to his proposal for termination in three different school districts: United, Zapata County and Roma Independent

COURT as a result of the investigation, court documents state.

The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation, dubbed Operation Los Lobos, involved the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security, Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety and Webb County Sheriff ’s Office.

During the three-year investigation, the investigation resulted in numerous arrests and seizures of marijuana and methamphetamine.

Between June 8, 2006, and July 7, 2011, members

School districts.

In 2012, claims Reyes inappropriately touched and spoke to girls on the Alexander basketball team spurred an investigation and resulted in his placement on a job improvement plan.

(JJ Velasquez may be reached at 728-2579 or jjvelasquez@lmtonline.com)

Continued from Page 1A

of the organization would transport drugs from Mexico across Falcon Lake in small boats and dock at a home owned by Navarro.

The drugs were stored in Navarro’s home and would ship to other areas of Texas, even as far as South Florida.

The money made from the drugs would funnel back to Zapata, and the boats would again cross Falcon Lake for delivery to Mexico. The laundered money would find its way to the individuals providing the drugs to ensure the operation continued.

Those sentenced to federal prison include Immokalee, Fla., resident James Lincoln Crabtree, 30, for 33

months; and Zapata residents Andres “Chango” Quintero-Ortiz, 48, for 127 months; Rene Davila, 31, for 93 months; Servando “Mariachi” Guerrero Jr., 38, for 174 months; Alex Navarro, 23, for 131 months; Sandalio Ramos, 44, for 224 months; Leonel “La Dona” Rodriguez, 43, for 240 months; Juan Luis Rivera, 31, for 131 months; Jorge Grajeda Jr., 30, for 46 months; Juan Antonio Valdez Sr., 55, for 63 months; Jose Luis Gonzalez-Chapa, 24, for 93 months; Judith Zamora, 27, for 93 months; Claudia Medrano, 28, for 108 months; Leonides Navarro, 23, for 87 months; and Maria Micaela Berrones, 25, for 58 months.

“Through hard work and teamwork (among) these law enforcement agencies, the largest money seizure in Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office history has been seized,” reads a sheriff ’s office news release issued Friday.

Deputies, along with combined law enforcement, responded to reports of a man who refused to identify himself on U.S. Highway 83 by El Tigre Island. The incident took place

FISHING lunches.

There will also be activities for parents, some of which will offer prizes.

Adult volunteers, including those from the Za-

on Wednesday at 12:32 p.m.

Deputies arrested two men, identified as father and son, on charges of possession of 7.5 pounds of marijuana and possession of 1.2 grams of cocaine. Officials also seized the $116,480. Authorities did not release the men’s names. An investigation is underway by the sheriff ’s office.

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

Continued from Page 1A

pata County Sheriff ’s Department, Zapata County Attorney’s Office, Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens, Robert’s Fish & Tackle Shop and others

SCHOOL mentary being the most modern,” Garcia writes in the letter.

The high school received a welding shop and other improvements as well as improvements to Hawk Stadium were also discussed in the letter.

Also mentioned was iSucceed: Learning Anytime, Anywhere Initiative for students and teachers in grades 5 through 12 that support learning for the 21st century while expanding educational experiences to meet the demands of new learning standards.

“Last year we invested money to buy iPads for students in grades 9 to 12, and next year these will be issued to children in grades 5-8. The reason for this is that technology is very important, and is the way that children learn best,” Garcia said, who explained that the system used in the school district is web based and that various documents, books, lessons and other items will be sent via iPads.

She said using electronic means meets the practice known as Going Green, as school work, research and presentations will be delivered electronically, which will mean saving a significant amount of paper.

will be supervising the fishing.

Over the past two years the tournament turnout has had more than 300 children participating.

Continued from Page 1A For students who do not have Internet access at home, the letter states the school district will provide facilities for students to complete homework.

The letter also stated the Texas Education Agency reported all ZCISD schools met state standards for student progress.

“We did very well on the state test.

Three of our six schools received designations of distinction in the three categories, and on Wednesday we will have an event to celebrate these achievements,” Garcia said.

Also, Garcia said the school district’s website contains supply lists for grades Pre-K4 through 5th grade. Class supply needs for middle and high school classes will be given during registration.

The district’s dress code for students state that shirts and blouses must be burgundy or gold, pants should be casual and can be denim or khaki, navy or black. The same colors would apply to skirts, according to the district’s website.

(Contact staff writer Malena Charur at 728-2583 or at mcharur@lmtonline.com. Translated by Mark Webber of the Times staff.)

12A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

Sports&Outdoors NCAA FOOTBALL

Manziel’s mess

Heisman winners can relate UT’s Williams sees similarities to A&M’s Manziel

By KIRK BOHLS AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Johnny Football was tough to take down.

Now another off-the-field problem is a much bigger threat to the quar-

AUSTIN — The freckle-faced kid with the irrepressible smile would innocently walk up to him, a picture or two or four in hand. Or a cute coed with the twinkle in her eye and, oh yeah, a mini-helmet or six or 12, would shyly approach him as well.

And Ricky Williams would see only the best of intentions.

So he’d sign away.

Until he learned the ins and outs of the business.

Much like the way Johnny Manziel has figured out in the eight bombastic months since he became the newest member of the Heisman Trophy Club, Williams discovered — if in much less painstaking and a far less public manner — that everybody wanted a piece of him. If even just an autograph or 2,000.

Williams never found himself as vulnerable as his Texas A&M counterpart, but then he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior in 1998 and then left Texas immediately to prepare for the NFL draft. Manziel won his as a 19-year-old redshirt freshman. With three years of eligibility left.

To protect Manziel from unwanted intru-

See MANZIEL PAGE 2B

See TEXAS PAGE 2B

Photo by Karen Warren | Houston Chronicle

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) takes a break during a drill during Texas A&M’s workout on Aug. 5 in College Station.

Allegations, events threaten Aggies QB

By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS

COLLEGE STATION — An uncanny ability to escape trouble helped make Johnny Manziel a Heisman

Trophy winner.

Whether it was an arrest that could have gotten him booted from Texas A&M before he even played a game or a swarming SEC defense trying to bury him in the backfield,

Can anyone stand up?

By PAUL NEWBERRY

COMMENTARY

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo by Gerald Herbert

Alabama head coach Nick Saban celebrates with his team after defeating LSU 21-0 in the the BCS National Championship game in New Orleans.

ATLANTA — Can somebody — anybody! — please stand up to that bully down South.

The college football season hasn’t even started yet, but we already feel like we know the outcome.

The SEC is up here.

SOCCER: ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Everyone else is down here.

Frankly, it’s getting a little boring.

Sport requires drama, suspense, some degree of uncertainty to truly capture our attention.

In this sport, though, we’ve got the closest thing

to a sure bet. Come January, we all know there’s likely to be another Southeastern Conference team standing in the middle of that confetti at the Rose Bowl, collecting the league’s eighth straight national title.

Once again, the SEC has an embarrassment of riches: the best offensive player (Texas A&M quarter-

back and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel), the best defensive player (South Carolina end Jadeveon Clowney), the best coach (Alabama’s Nick Saban), and — oh, yeah — the best team (Saban’s mighty Crimson Tide, winner of three crowns in the last four years and heavily

See NEWBERRY PAGE 2B

NFL PRESEASON: COWBOYS AT CARDINALS

Photo by Shizuo Kambayashi | AP

Manchester United’s manager David Moyes, center, will manage his first match in charge of the Red Devils today.

Season starts without Fergie

Photo by Matt York | AP

Dallas Cowboys take on the Arizona Cardinals today in Glendale, Ariz.

By ROB HARRIS ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON — For English football, it has long seemed unthinkable: a league season starting without the finger-jabbing, combative colossus of management on the touchlines.

Alex Ferguson will be a bystander for the first time since 1986, watching from afar as Manchester United starts its pursuit of a record-extending 21st English title.

David Moyes now carries

that responsibility.

Widely admired during 11 years at Everton despite failing to collect a major honor, Moyes was handpicked by Ferguson in the biggest decision — gamble, perhaps — taken by the owning Glazer family.

“People are asking whether we can win the trophy again. Can we still be champions?” captain Nemanja Vidic acknowledged.

Although he openly flirted with United in the months before Ferguson’s retirement was publicly dis-

closed, Jose Mourinho — one of the most talented but temperamental managers of his generation — wasn’t approached for the job.

The charismatic Portuguese is back in the Premier League, though, after six years collecting trophies with Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

Claiming to have mellowed since leaving Chelsea after a fall-out, Mourinho is widely expected to return to his combustible self once

See PREMIER LEAGUE PAGE 2B

Game offers NFL chances

By SCHUYLER DIXON ASSOCIATED PRESS

OXNARD, Calif. — In his preseason debut, George Selvie played as if he was an answer for the injury problems the Dallas Cowboys have had at defensive end.

In his second game, the fourth-year player looked more like someone who was out of a job when training camp started.

Selvie gets another preseason start

Saturday at Arizona in what he figures might be his last good chance to make it in the NFL. Tyrann Mathieu has been a camp sensation in his first shot with the Cardinals. The former LSU star will start at safety in place of the injured Rashad Johnson. The rookie sat out last season after the Tigers kicked him off the team over failed drug tests.

See COWBOYS PAGE 2B

PAGE 2B

Zscores

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013

MANZIEL Continued from Page 1B terback’s future. After a whirlwind season where he came from obscurity to become the biggest star in college football and the first freshman to win the Heisman, the question is: Will there be a follow-up?

Allegations that he received payment for autographs could threaten his eligibility along with A&M’s championship hopes, and have some in College Station fed up with his antics.

Most in this town built around the university and its football program are nervously waiting for the results of an NCAA investigation that ESPN has reported is about whether Manziel was paid for signing hundreds of autographs for memorabilia brokers during the offseason.

Coach Kevin Sumlin tried not to make too much out of what could be a season-altering situation.

He pointed out that last year most expected the Aggies to struggle in their first year in the Southeastern Conference.

“We had a cloud over our heads last season, no one thought we could win any games,” he said. “Every year you’ve got a challenge.”

Regardless of the outcome of the investigation,

it has already distracted from what was expected to be a big year for the Aggies. They’re coming off an 11-2 record, highlighted

by Manziel leading Texas A&M to an upset win at No. 1 Alabama. The rematch in College Station is Sept. 14.

Manziel’s lawyer has said he believes Manziel will play in Texas A&M’s season opener against Rice on Aug. 31 — even if the investigation is ongoing. Ultimately, though, it could be up to Texas A&M to decide whether they want to play a player who could later be ruled ineligible.

Sumlin wouldn’t speculate on whether Manziel will play in the opener and said that a lot of people would be involved in that decision.

That question is certainly the hottest topic in College Station and perhaps in all of college football.

The web site TexAgs.com, a site that caters to diehard Aggie fans, has a poll on its home page asking whether Manziel will play in Week 1. Sixty-eight percent of the 4,000 people who voted think he will, but there are also plenty of Aggie fans who believe he shouldn’t.

They believe that A&M should keep him out to

avoid facing possible sanctions for the program down the road.

“Holding this program and the school’s reputation hostage to the immaturity and incredibly bad judgment of young Johnny is just stupid,” a fan posted on a TexAgs.com forum about the issue. “Whether he took money or not, he put A&M in a really bad situation when it had the world by the tail.”

Sumlin has been cagey during camp concerning the quarterback situation.

But he did say that the Aggies “have to have a contingency plan for what happens at quarterback.”

He also said he alternates giving different quarterbacks more snaps each day at practice.

Manziel hasn’t spoken to the reporters since SEC media days, but he has addressed his past mistakes, including his arrest last year, previously. Manziel was arrested last summer after a bar fight near campus and charged with disorderly conduct, possession of the fake ID and failure to identify himself to police. It was an incident that put him in danger of being suspended from school and left him having to earn the starting job in fall camp.

Manziel admitted this

TEXAS Continued from Page 1B June that he failed to identify himself to police following the altercation. As part of a plea deal, other charges against the 20year-old, including disorderly conduct, were dismissed, and it looked like Manziel’s trouble was behind him.

It had already been an eventful offseason, filled with road trips to Las Vegas, celebrity mingling with LeBron James and rapper Drake, and early exits from the Manning Passing Academy and a University of Texas frat party. His tweets made news.

His latest trouble has many wondering if he has moved forward. But Sumlin and his teammates are standing behind Manziel, with the coach saying that the recent allegations “come with the territory of a high-profile player.”

Manziel hasn’t tweeted since Aug. 1, but his last post quoted lines from Drake’s new song “All me,” that said “I ain’t perfect” and asks people to “stop hatin.”’

Considering the summer he’s had, his affinity for that song might be seen as odd.

“Got everything, I got everything. I cannot complain, I cannot,” Drake croons on the chorus.

NEWBERRY Continued from Page 1B favored to claim another).

Yawn.

For the good of college football, somebody needs to end this reign of terror.

Sure, dynasties are a whole lot of fun for those on the right side of history, but they’re not the best way to keep the rest of us engaged. It is surely no coincidence that average attendance this past season was down 1.3 percent from 2005, the last time a team not from the SEC finished No. 1, and a more troubling 3.3 percent from its record high in 2008.

For now, look for more of the same.

The SEC could have as many as five teams (Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Florida) in the top 10 when the first Associated Press poll of the season comes out on Saturday. LSU is right in the mix, too.

There are those who choose to bury their head in the sand when it comes to the SEC. A few weeks ago, Nebraska coach Bo Pelini took offense at anyone suggesting the SEC was head and shoulders above every

other conference. Alabama, for sure, but not the entire conference.

“I guarantee there are a lot of teams in the SEC that aren’t Alabama that wish they were Nebraska, that wish they were Michigan, wish they were Ohio State,” Pelini said, “so don’t talk to me about the SEC.” That sort of denial isn’t going to get it done.

Not when anyone can match up to the SEC in two crucial areas: quarterback and defense.

It starts with Manziel, the game’s most dynamic player, assuming he isn’t sidelined by an investigation into whether he got paid for doling out his autograph (the guess here is that Johnny Football beats the rap). Alabama is led by AJ McCarron, who has done nothing but win championships since taking over as the Tide’s QB. Georgia has Aaron Murray, a fifth-year senior who surprisingly passed on a chance to enter the NFL draft after guiding the Bulldogs to the cusp of the national title game last season.

Clowney would surely be in the pros by now if he wasn’t required to spend one more year in college. If anyone needs a refresher on just how good this guy is, check in with former Michigan running back Vincent Smith, assuming he’s finally coherent after taking the season’s most vicious hit in the Outback Bowl, one which sent both the ball and his helmet flying.

In a sense, Clowney is the exaggerated prototype for the kind of player that makes SEC defenses stand apart from everyone else.

In this league, it seems, everyone is just a few pounds bigger, a little bit stronger, a step quicker. Manti Te’o might’ve been a stud at Notre Dame, but his performance in the national title game — most of it spent on his back as Alabama romped to a 42-14 victory — showed he would’ve been just another player in the SEC. If there was any hope the Crimson Tide might back off the throttle just a bit, Saban shot that down just minutes after his team had finished its destruction of

the Fighting Irish. He said the celebration would last all of 24 hours, then he’d be back in the office getting ready to win another championship.

Saban sounded totally devoid of joy, just a man on an insatiable quest to knock down anyone in his path. He is the perfect symbol for the SEC, which saps a little more joy from this game with each passing season, a league on cruise control while everyone else is struggling mightily just to get off the ground.

Please don’t put us through that again.

Can you help us out, Ohio State? The Buckeyes at least have a coach, Urban Meyer, who knew how to win in the SEC and clearly doesn’t mind cutting a few corners.

What about you, Louisville? The Cardinals certainly have a championship-caliber quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater, and put quite a whippin’ on Florida in the Sugar Bowl.

Oregon?

Stanford?

Somebody?

At this point, we’ll take anybody.

PREMIER LEAGUE Continued from Page 1B the season begins and produce the touchline tantrums Ferguson can no longer provide.

Just a week into the season, the 50-year-old managers will get a chance to size each other up in a match that could set the tone for the opening weeks, with United hosting Chelsea.

“That game will not decide who is going to be champions,” Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic said. “But it will decide a lot of things about the confidence.”

By then, the Blues may have gained an edge by having played an extra game. United will only have played once — its title defense begins Saturday at Swansea, following last weekend’s 2-0 win over Wigan in the Community Shield.

Ill-feeling between the sides has been inflamed by Chelsea’s hostile pursuit of United striker Wayne Rooney.

Mourinho insists he’s not engaging in “mind games” with Moyes, but has still offered a few pointed words of advice.

“One of the most difficult things in the club is to create a victory culture, where you walk through

the door and you smell the success, you smell confidence, you smell self-esteem,” said Mourinho, who has won league titles in England, Spain, Italy and Portugal. “David is in a big club and that is a big help — everybody knows how to win. Of course, it is up to him now.”

With the spotlight on Mourinho and Moyes, Manuel Pellegrini has been able to make a quiet start to his first job in English management.

The 59-year-old Chilean left Malaga for Manchester City after Roberto Mancini was fired for failing to follow up the 2011-12 Premier League title with a single trophy last season, finishing 11 points behind United in second.

Talk of dressing room disharmony has melted away as Pellegrini started to re-shape the squad, spending more than $130 million on strikers Stevan Jovetic and Alvaro Negredo, midfielder Fernandinho and winger Jesus Navas.

Such a lavish outlay was easily affordable for the oilrich Abu Dhabi ownership, but the spending could pose a challenge in complying with UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations,

a requirement of playing in the Champions League.

By contrast, United failed in its pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas, and even more ambitious thoughts of bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford from Madrid.

Chelsea might have missed out on Rooney, but around $40 million has still been spent on signing striker Andre Schuerrle and midfielder Marco van Ginkel.

As for Arsenal, which finished behind Chelsea in fourth, not a penny has been spent. That’s despite chief executive Ivan Gazidis raising the hopes of fans in June by pledging to “escalate” spending.

Moves to entice Luis Suarez from Liverpool for more than $60 million have been rebuffed by Liverpool, which is insisting that the Uruguay striker honor his contract after the club backed him through racism and biting controversies.

The Gunners have seen north London rival Tottenham invest $65 million in the squad, although manager Andre Villa-Boas could still be faced with losing arguably the league’s most potent player

in Gareth Bale before the transfer window closes Sept. 2.

Real Madrid’s pursuit of the Wales forward threatens to destabilize Tottenham in the opening weeks of the season unless quickly resolved.

Bale would be leaving a Premier League that will feature two Welsh teams for the first time after Cardiff gained promotion to join Swansea, which will find it hard to repeat last season’s 11th-place finish and League Cup success.

The Cardiff-Swansea derby is shaping up to be one of the fieriest fixtures of the season.

New rights TV deals will generate around $8.5 billion over the next three years, with a record share of $90 million per season guaranteed for even the bottom team — and it is newcomers Crystal Palace, Cardiff and Hull who are tipped to go straight back down.

Another landmark, highlighting the global allure, will be when Southampton’s Victor Wanyama becomes the first player in the Premier League from Kenya, making the African nation the 100th country from outside Britain to be represented in a game.

sions, a source familiar with Texas A&M’s inner workings said the school drafted an autograph policy about 1 1/2 pages long after checking with officials at Florida, Texas and elsewhere to learn how to handle the avalanche of attention.

It’s clear that Manziel brought much of this drama on himself and now is caught up in an NCAA investigation trying to determine whether he accepted thousands of dollars to sign items for as many as six brokers. Did the school do enough to protect him or did he even want protection?

The school even spent half a million dollars for national newspaper ads, billboards and commercials after Manziel won the Heisman, but Jason Cook, A&M’s senior associate athletic director, said no state funds or tuition money was used. The source told the Austin American-Statesman that it was $900,000.

But autograph brokers have always been a problem, moreso now in this social media age when access is easier.

“They can be very, very persistent and a real nuisance,” said John Bianco, Texas’ associate athletics director for media relations. “They’ll be at every awards event and BCS bowl games, anywhere high-profile players and coaches are. It’s crazy.

Some of them will fly around the country, and you’ll see the same guys at a bunch of different events. They’re at the airports when you land and there when you return.

“Some of them have their kids, a nephew or an attractive woman that they’ll send to ask for the autograph. Shoot, they’ll even pay someone to go ask. You can tell because they’ll be off to the side somewhere taking a picture so they can get an autograph authenticated.”

With the help of UT’s sports information staff, Williams got a crash course in Everybody’s Got an Angle 101. Texas was smart to look after its marquee players.

On trips to award events, Bianco rarely left Williams’ side. Texas also takes a UT and an Austin

policeman and a former Texas Ranger on road trips for security.

For bowl games, Bianco frequently had to change Williams’ rooms, making him hard for them to find. A simple trip to the lobby was a big no-no. “I told Vince Young not to go down there alone,” Bianco said.

“Once he did, he got mobbed and called me, going ’Help.”’

When Texas played at bowl games, Bianco dreamed up names so he could check Williams into hotels under assumed identities.

Errick Lynne. Ricky’s real first two names.

Patrick Henry. After Williams’ San Diego high school.

Walker Doak. Inverted name of the running back great and namesake of the award Williams won.

Coolio Runner. After a rapper named Coolio and a 1990s movie about Jamaica’s first Olympic bobsled team called “Cool Runnings.”

“The real shame in it is that these guys can ruin the true fan experience,” Texas coach Mack Brown said. “They’ll dress up like a fan, get pushy and even bump the young kids out of the way to try to get something to sell.

It’s sad because our kids really enjoying signing things and taking pictures for our fans and especially kids. It’s sad because you see more and more schools talking about not allowing their student-athletes to sign anything anymore.”

Williams knows the value of an autograph, especially that of a Heisman winner. He now signs at autograph sessions about five times a year and receives $20 an autograph. He can sign about 500 items.

“I’ll sign for about two hours and walk away with $10,000,” he said.

“But they give me a W-9 to fill out, too.”

So he’s a bit reluctant to bite the hands that feed him.

“If I were a college coach,” he said, “I might think something ought to be done. But I benefit from it. So I can’t complain about it.”

COWBOYS Continued from Page 1B Mathieu had a 12-yard sack, a tackle for loss, a pass defended, two special teams tackles and a 24-yard punt return in his NFL debut last week, a 17-0 preseason victory at Green Bay. Selvie wasn’t quite that dominant a week earlier in the Hall of Fame game, a 24-20 Dallas victory against Miami.

But he had two sacks, made a great read on a bootleg to disrupt a play and forced Matt Moore to throw early when DeVonte Holloman returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown.

“He looks like he has played in this league before,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “He had a really good performance.

But he’s got to come back again and keep doing what he was doing.”

That was a little more difficult when Selvie ended up running with the first team and faced starters five days later at Oakland. He didn’t record a tackle — although he didn’t get as many plays because of his move up the depth chart.

The Cowboys signed Selvie three days into camp after backup Tyrone Crawford tore an Achilles tendon in the first full practice and Anthony Spencer, the starter at left end in the new four-man front, was forced to miss the rest of camp for arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

Selvie was working behind Brandon Bass, an undrafted player in his second year, until his play against the Dolphins.

“You’ve got to produce,”

Selvie said. “If you don’t produce, I might be sitting at home again and know that I might not get another call.”

Selvie was a seventhround pick by St. Louis in 2010 out of South Florida, where he had nearly 70 tackles for loss and 29 sacks in four seasons. He played in all 16 games as a rookie for the Rams, but was among the final cuts a year later.

Since then, he’s appeared in 20 games while bouncing from Carolina to Jacksonville and then Tampa Bay, which cut him before he could get on the field.

“The last few years have been a roller coaster ride,” the 26-year-old Selvie said.

“I think you grow and you learn. I think I’m a better player. I didn’t want to be just a camp body. I’m not a camp body player, so I’ve got to go out there and show them what I’ve got.”

Mathieu, a Heisman Trophy finalist in his second season with LSU in 2011, was a first-round talent who dropped to the third round.

The 21-year-old was mostly a cornerback and special teams star with the Tigers, but safety has been the 5foot-9, 186-pound Mathieu’s predominant spot in camp with the Cardinals.

“You just go out and make plays,” Mathieu said.

“I don’t think there’s any science to it. Physical characteristics will play its part in certain situations but for the most part, it’s all about making plays and being in the right spot at the right time.”

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013

THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B

HINTS | BY HELOISE Packing Pills for a Trip Dear Heloise: I recently went on a monthlong trip and needed some way of taking a MONTH’S SUPPLY OF PILLS sorted by daily doses.

In the pharmacy, next to the weekly pillboxes, I found a package of 50 small (3 inches by 2 1/2 inches) zipper-top clearplastic pill bags, each having a place on the outside where the date could be written with a pen. I then put the bags holding the pills into a quart-size zippered bag. — C.M. Stone in Houston Although this sounds like a good idea, keep in mind a few points. If you are flying, the Transportation Security Administration has specific guidelines regarding prescription medications. The rule states: “Passengers are allowed to bring medications in pill or other solid form through security screening checkpoints in unlimited amounts, as long as they are screened.

TSA does not require pas-

“

HELOISE

sengers to have medications in prescription bottles, but states have individual laws regarding the labeling of prescription medication with which passengers need to comply. Passengers should inform officers of medications and separate them from other belongings before screening begins.”

So, plan to manage your medications, whatever your mode of transportation — plane, train, boat, bus or vehicle. — Heloise PET PAL Dear Readers: Dave and Gerdy Wyatt of Huntsville, Ala., sent in a photo of their cat, who likes to catch moths. The Wyatts say, “Our cat will jump or stretch to the limit to catch a moth.” To see this cute cat, visit my website at www.Heloise.com and click on “Pets.” — Heloise

DENNIS THE MENACE

FAMILY CIRCUS

PEANUTS

GARFIELD

DAILY CRYPTOQUOTES — Here’s how to work it:

DILBERT

4B THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013