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Velas first go to DF ata in national archives (Archivo de la Nación) in Mexico City, as confirmed by the highest genealogical material in Madrid, ascertains the first members of the Vela family arrived the modern day DF (Distrito Federal) ARAMBULA around 1531 when it was first known as the Tenotchitlan. The rest is history for the Vela family descendants, other land grantees and their posterity. The Republic of Mexico, having gained independence from Spain after 300 years and having lost Texas at San Jacinto (1836), saw the Vela names appear in the record as owners of Spanish land grants that totaled 170,922 acres. Tenotchitlan, meanwhile, seemed but a bad dream from the past. Ten years before history recorded the first Vela name, (1531), the region had been overrun by Hernando Cortez and his military followers. History tells how the natives outnumbered the invading Spaniards, but the peninsulares were riding horses and were well armed with muskets and cannons. Cortes was born in Medellin, Spain, in 1485. He was a brash young man, almost 20, when he first sailed to the New World, the Caribbean islands in the Gulf of Mexico. He set sail for Mesoamerica from the Dominicana and Cuba. Materials in the national archives include narratives entries by Cortes about his 11 ships, the sailing crews and their weaponry. In the book “Mexico: Hernan Cortes, Conqueror of Mexico, 1485-1547,” the writer quoted from Spanish Crown documents wherein Diego Velasquez, governor of Mesoamerica, directs Juan de Grijalva to investigate reports the Aztecs were hoarding gold. History tells that Grijalva set sail for the mainland and returned with gold and an assortment of goods made of gold. Cortes, wanting to impress the Spanish Crown in Madrid, was game to cash in on the Aztec gold. Aboard the 11-ship flotilla, the conquistador commanded a crew of 110 sailors, 550 men, about 20 horses, several dogs, a dozen cannons and more than a hundred servants, all Cuban Indians. His sights were fixed on the Gulf coast of modern-day Veracruz, but the shifting winds took his ships in a southerly direction to coast of the Yucatan peninsula. The Cortes logs tell of having discovered a handful of white men living with the natives. The men were Spaniards who had sailed from Spain earlier. They were among survivors of a shipwreck and were taken prisoners b the naives off the coast of Yucatan. Other entries describe events wherein bands of Tabasco Indians went after the Spaniards with all kinds of crude weapons. Historians believe that the horse saved the outnumbered Spaniards from certain death. The Tabasco Indians were scared of the horses. The natives had never seen the horse, much less a man riding the animal. In all these early explorations and wars of conquest, Spanish genealogists and historians concluded some men named Vela were part of the project.
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See LAKE VIEW | PAGE 11A
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County budget shaping up By PAUL S. MARTINEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
ZAPATA — The Zapata County Commissioners Court financial consultant said there will be no deficit in the budget for 2008-2009, but at least three commissioners would still rather have a budget where the expenditures don’t exceed revenue. The budget was part of the discussion at the second public hearing on the 2008-09 tax rate last Monday. A final
decision on the tax rate and the budget is expected at the commissioners’ next meeting Sept. 8. “First off, we have no budget proposal; we have a working document to see what we need and want versus what we expect to get,” said Ramiro V. Martinez, the Zapata County budget consultant. The “working document” indicates expenditures of $27,366,170 for fiscal year 2008-2009 versus an estimated revenue of $23,382,371. But there won’t be a shortfall, Martinez said, because Zapata County
has a fund balance of more than $15.3 million. However, Precinct 1 Commissioner Jose Vela, Precinct 3 Commissioner Joseph Rathmell and Precinct 4 Commissioner Norberto Garza all said they didGUERRA n’t like the idea of using the fund balance to cover the almost $4 million in expenses superceding the revenue.
“If we keep (using fund balance) year after year, our reserves will dry up and then we’ll be in a bad predicament,” Rathmell said. “I know there is plenty of room to cut some projects and some expenses.” Zapata County approved a budget for fiscal year 2007–2008 that was about $900,000 more than its estimated revenue, with plans to make up the difference with money from the fund balance.
See BUDGET | PAGE 11A
Zapata brings $1.5M
TOP HONORS
Higher ed center moves forward By DIANA R. FUENTES LAREDO MORNING TIMES
Photo by Cuate Santos | Laredo Morning Times
Zapata South Elementary School principal Pedro Morales and assistant principal Rebecca Flores (holding banner) were joined by their faculty and staff after they were presented with the banner noting the school is a 2008 TEA Recognized School during recent kickoff festivities.
With a $1.5 million state grant now in hand, plans are moving forward on the new Zapata County Advanced Technology Center, which will be built downtown. The state money will be combined with $1.6 million in federal and local matching funds already received for a state-of-the-art educational facility. GUILLEN “This multi-use facility is primarily designed to have higher education classes — continuing education, adult education and training courses, such as the oil and gas training where we are partnering with Laredo Community College,” said Peggy Umphries Moffet, president of the Zapata County Economic Development Center. Umphries Moffet worked with state Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City,
See STATE GRANT | PAGE 11A
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
Former Principal at A.L. Benavides Ellementary, Cynthia Villarreal, and new principal Gerardo “Jerry” Montes are joined by teachers and support personnel as they display the banner proclaiming their status as 2008 TEA Recognized School during the district’s convocation ceremony at Zapata High School.
ZCISD notes Recognized schools
School taxpayers get break By PAUL S. MARTINEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
By PAUL S. MARTINEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
ou have to love what you do. That’s what a successful educator at Zapata County ISD says is needed for success. “The day you’re not going to work for fun, if you’re a teacher, is the day you need to quit the profession,” said Cynthia Villarreal, who was the principal of Arturo L. Benavides Elementary School when it earned the status of 2008 TEA Recognized School. “A dedicated teacher that invests time in studying her own capabilities and never ceases to learn, is a teacher that will be the best teacher always,” she added. A.L. Benavides Elementary was one of two ZCISD schools to be honored by the Texas Education Agency. Pedro Morales is the principal of the other Recognized school, Zapata South Elementary. Morales said he relied on researchbased programs for his school. “We looked at what worked at other schools in other areas, and applied it (at Zapata South),” he said at the ZCISD board meeting last Monday.
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“The acceptability system has become so rigorous that teachers can’t just wing it.” FORMER PRINCIPAL CYNTHIA VILLARREAL
Morales also attributed the success to his teachers and support staff. Villarreal, who now is an assistant principal at Zapata High School, said the district does a good job of instilling a strong educational foundation in its student. “We have a strong bilingual program that gives our students the components like vocabulary and comprehension development to give them the readiness to learn,” she said. Looking into the future, Villarreal said ZCISD should continue to get stronger. She thinks uniforms, which were required for the first time this school year,
should improve student performance. “(Uniforms) are a very subtle way of making every student be part of a group,” she said. Standards continue to get tougher in education, Villarreal said. At one time, certain students could be exempted from taking the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test, but that’s no longer the case. That’s why Villarreal said the most important component to good schools is good teachers. “The acceptability system in education has become so rigorous that teachers can’t just wing it,” she said. “Teachers need to know their material — if not, it’s going to show.” A Recognized status is awarded by the state when 75 percent of a school’s students pass the TAKS. A school is deemed academically Acceptable if 65 percent of its students pass the TAKS. ZCISD’s four other schools were deemed acceptable. The two Recognized schools were honored at the district’s recent opening convocation. (Paul S. Martinez may be reached at (956) 728-2529 or paul@lmtonline.com)
Zapata County residents will get some tax relief as the local school board lowered the tax rate at a school board meeting Tuesday evening. “As of August, the students and people of Zapata are the owners of their high school,” said Romeo Rodriguez, Zapata County Independent School District superintendent. “It’s because we finished paying Zapata High School that we can give this tax break.” The tax is going from $1.16 per $100 of valuation to $1.09, which is the net effective rate, the rate needed to raise the same amount of revenue when factoring in the increase in property values. The vote was unanimous. The average value of a Zapata home is $37,832; with the new tax rate, the owner of an average home would be looking at an annual tax bill of about $412, without exemptions. It took the district eight years to pays off the $14 million high school, Rodriguez said. In other action Tuesday, the school board awarded a $4 million contract to Leyendecker Construction of Laredo to
See ZCISD| PAGE 11A
Zin brief
SATURDAY,AUGUST30,2008
AROUND TEXAS | IN BRIEF
WHAT’S GOING ON SUNDAY,AUG.31
WEDNESDAY,SEPT.3 The Laredo Texas Exes will have the Longhorn Legacy Dinner tonight at 7 p.m. at the Country Club.The Exes are honoring Congressman Henry Cuellar and state District Judge Elma Salinas-Ender.
Abook sale will be held at First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave., from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Widener Room.The public is invited, and there is no admission fee.
MONDAY,SEPT.8 Zapata County Commissioners meet at 9 a.m. today at the Zapata County Courthouse. For more information, call 765-9920.
FRIDAY,SEPT.12 The Alzafar Shrine Circus will be in Zapata at the 4H Rodeo Arena today. Show times are 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $12 for children 12 years and younger; $14 for adults. Tickets are available at the Rodeo Arena on the day of the show, one hour befor show time.
SUNDAY,SEPT.14 First United Methodist Church,1220 McClelland Ave., will have an all-you-caneat spaghetti lunch today from noon to 1:30 p.m.in Fellowship Hall.The public is invited,and free-will donations are accepted.
TUESDAY,SEPT.16 Flu immunizations will be administered at Champion Care Building, 2408 Hwy 83 North, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. today in an event sponsored by H-E-B Pharmacy. No appointment is necessary. There is no cost for people with Medicare Part B (bring your Red-White-Blue Medicare Card); the vaccine is $25 for those without Medicare Part B. No prescription is necessary for those older than 14. Pneumococcal vaccine will be available at no charge for those on Medicare Part B. For more information, call the H-E-B Pharmacy at 712-8055.
MONDAY,SEPT.29 The Zapata County Chamber of Commerce has its annual membership meeting today. For more information, call 765-4871
OCT.27-30 It’s the Texas-Oklahoma Shootout fishing tournament at Falcon Lake. For more information, call 765-4871.
NOV.7 Zapata celebrates its sesquicentennial with a series of events. For more information, call 765-9920. To submit an item for the daily calendar, send the name of the event, the date, time,location and a contact phone number to editorial@lmtonline.com
To submit an item for the daily calendar, send the name of the event, the date, time, location and a contact phone number to editorial@lmtonline.com
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SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of Laredo Morning Times and those who buy LMT at newstands.The Zapata Times is inserted inside. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, PO Box 2129, Laredo,Texas 78044. Phone (956)728-2500
The Zapata Times
National Guard troops activated as Hurricane Gustav grows By JAY ROOT ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Texas Gov. Rick Perry activated nearly 5,000 National Guard troops Friday and ordered state agencies to prepare for the worst in anticipation of a hit from Hurricane Gustav. “We will continue to watch the storm closely and ramp up our efforts as conditions dictate,” Perry said. “We will be ready regardless of what Mother Nature sends our way.” Gustav was swirling near the Cayman Islands after being blamed for 71 deaths in its path. Forecasters said it could hit the U.S. Gulf Coast anywhere between the Florida Panhandle and southeast Texas. Perry has already issued a disaster declaration for 61 counties in case Gustav arrives early next week along the Texas coast, where residents have begun filling up their gas tanks and stocking up on water and supplies. President Bush also added Texas to a federal emergency declaration he had issued for Louisiana. Speaking at the state emergency command center in Austin, Perry said he had ordered the deployment of nearly 5,000 National Guard troops and might call up as many as 7,500. He also ordered search and rescue teams, state aircraft and emer-
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AROUND THE NATION | IN BRIEF
The City of Laredo has its Football Kick-off Tailgating Cook-off today. The event will be at the Civic Center grounds and Ballroom, 800 Garden St., from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Foods featured in the cook-off competition will be beef tacos, pinto beans, chicken and finger ribs. The event will also include food vendors, live music, children’s games and rides, arts and crafts, merchandise and commercial booths, a car show and football-throwing contests.Admission is free; proceeds from the various booths benefit the League of United Latin American Citizens No. 14 scholarship fund. For more information, call LULAC No. 14 at 744-3699.
SATURDAY,SEPT.6
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
gency shelters to get ready for a hurricane strike. “Our approach in Texas is to prepare for the worst and pray for the best,” said Perry, who canceled plans to attend next week’s Republican National Convention in Minnesota so he could oversee storm preparations. He said people in coastal areas should stock up on water, gasoline, batteries and other essentials before Gustav comes ashore. Elsewhere, buses began arriving in San Antonio on Friday where they will be inspected, fueled and await any evacuation orders on the Texas coast. They’ll only be deployed if local officials call for evacuations. About a quarter of the 1,000 buses ordered by the state were ready midday Friday, but the rest were expected by Saturday, said Laura Jesse, a Bexar County spokeswoman. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said Friday that Gustav had grown into a Category 1 storm, the word came on the three-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The threat prompted Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour to call for the evacuation of Katrina-scarred residents still living in trailers and other temporary housing along the state’s 70-mile coastline.
Hurricane-force winds, heavy rain hit Phoenix
Katrina’s dead entombed,Gustav looms
PHOENIX — A series of fastmoving thunderstorms packing winds of up to 100 mph plowed through the Phoenix area, leaving tens of thousands without power, damaging several airliners and collapsing a brand-new college football facility. There were no immediate reports of injuries from Thursday’s storms, which were a particularly intense episode of Arizona’s summer “monsoon” season. About 500 travelers were forced to spend the night at Sky Harbor International Airport. The airport was shut down for about an hour during the height of the storm.
NEW ORLEANS — At 9:38 a.m. on Friday, about 200 mourners rang handbells to mark the moment three years ago when New Orleans’ levees were breached by high waters from Hurricane Katrina, flooding most of the city and leading to the deaths of about 1,600 people. Eighty-five victims of the storm left unclaimed by any survivors were finally laid to rest as another deadly storm, Hurricane Gustav, strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico and threatened the city. A horsedrawn carriage carried the last seven gleaming coffins to the mausoleum on Friday.
Ex-Marine acquittal sparks debate over law SAN DIEGO — Some members of the civilian jury that acquitted a former Marine accused of war crimes in Iraq say they weren’t qualified to judge actions in combat, and military and legal experts said the case raises serious questions about whether federal prosecutors should even pursue such cases. Some jurors hugged and shook hands with Nazario, his mother and his attorneys after Nazario was cleared in the killing of four unarmed Iraqi detainees. Nazario, 28, of Riverside, Calif., was the first military veteran brought to trial under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act.
Radar searches for for missing couple SAN MARINO, Calif. — Homicide investigators used ground-penetrating radar Friday to determine if the bones of a long-vanished couple were buried in the backyard. Newlyweds Jonathan and Linda Sohus lived in the San Marino home before vanishing in 1985. In 1994, workers building a pool for the new owners unearthed a man’s bones that remain unidentified. The investigation was reignited this month with the kidnapping arrest in Baltimore of a man calling himself Clark Rockefeller, who authorities say is actually a German national named Christian Gerhartsreiter. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE WORLD | IN BRIEF
Photo by Dar Yasin | AP
Female soldiers stand guard near a barbedwire barricade during curfew in Srinagar, India, on Friday.Authorities enforced a strict curfew across the Muslim majority Kashmir to thwart planned protests after prayers on Friday.
Judge rules against rental ban
Hutchison calls McCain’s VP choice ‘bold’
Vehicle kills two adults,two toddlers
No sanctions against Russia imminent
Hurricane Gustav plows toward Caymans
DALLAS — A federal judge has issued a final judgment banning enforcement of a Dallas suburb’s rule prohibiting apartment rentals to illegal immigrants. The decision Friday by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay resolves the remaining legal issues. Lindsay has previously prevented the city from enforcing an ordinance that would have required landlords to verify tenants’ legal status. That ban from enforcing the ordinance is now permanent.
DALLAS — U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said John McCain’s choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate is a bold move designed to sway independent women voters. The seasoned senator said by choosing the little-known 44year-old governor, McCain is making it clear that he wants an “up and comer,” a vice president who represents “the next generation.” Hutchison said Friday at her Dallas home she wasn’t disappointed she was not McCain’s pick.
WEST — A man, woman and her two toddlers were hit by a vehicle and killed while walking on an Interstate 35 frontage road after their pickup broke down, authorities said. Just before 10 p.m. Thursday, the four left the pickup and began walking on the two-way frontage road when a sport-utility vehicle came over a small hill and slammed into them from behind, hurling their bodies about 100 feet. The adults appear to have been carrying the children. — Compiled from AP reports
PARIS — The European Union is not expected to imposed sanctions on Russia at a summit next week but may name a special envoy to Georgia to ensure that a cease-fire there is observed. They also said that the EU might send a high official — perhaps French President Nicolas Sarkozy — on a shuttle mission to the region. The 27 European Union leaders are scheduled to hold a summit in Brussels on Monday to discuss how to respond to the recent war between Russia and Georgia.
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands — Gustav became a hurricane again on Friday as it plowed toward Cayman Islands resorts, the start of a buildup that could take it to the U.S. Gulf Coast as a fearsome Category-3 storm. Gustav, which killed 71 people in the Caribbean, was expected to swirl through the Cayman Islands, a tiny offshore tax haven studded with resorts and cruise-ship souvenir shops, before crossing Cuba and heading into the Gulf of Mexico by Sunday. — Compiled from AP reports
TODAY IN HISTORY ASSOCIATED PRESS
Today is Saturday, Aug. 30, the 243rd day of 2008. There are 123 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Aug. 30, 1983, Guion S. Bluford Jr. became the first black American astronaut to travel in space as he blasted off aboard the Challenger. On this date: In 1797, the creator of “Frankenstein,” Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, was born in London. In 1862, Union forces were defeated by the Confederates at the Second Battle of Bull Run in Manassas, Va. In 1905, Ty Cobb made his major-league debut as a player for the Detroit Tigers, hitting a double in his first at-bat in a game against the New York Highlanders. (The Tigers won, 5-3.) In 1908, actor Fred MacMurray was born in Kankakee, Ill. In 1963, the “Hot Line” communications link between Washington and Moscow went into operation. In 1967, the Senate confirmed the appointment of Thurgood Marshall as the first black justice
on the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1991, Azerbaijan declared its independence, joining the stampede of republics seeking to secede from the Soviet Union. Ten years ago: Members of U S West’s largest union ended a 15-day strike after reaching a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract. Five years ago: A Russian submarine being towed to a scrap yard sank in a gale in the Barents Sea, killing nine of the 10-member crew. The World Trade Organization agreed to let impoverished nations import cheaper copies of patented medicines needed to fight killer diseases. Actor Charles Bronson died in Los Angeles at age 81. Inventor Robert Abplanalp, confidant of President Nixon, died in Bronxville, N.Y., at age 81. Writer Marion Hargrove died in Long Beach, Calif., at age 83. One year ago: In a serious breach of nuclear security, a B-52 bomber armed with six nuclear warheads flew cross-country unnoticed; the Air Force later punished 70 people. Taliban militants in Afghanistan released the last seven South Korean hostages.
Today’s Birthdays: Country singer Kitty Wells is 89. Opera singer Regina Resnik is 86. Actor Bill Daily is 81. Actress Elizabeth Ashley is 69. Actor Ben Jones is 67. Cartoonist R. Crumb is 65. Skier Jean-Claude Killy is 65. Actress Peggy Lipton is 61. Comedian Lewis Black is 60. Actor Timothy Bottoms is 57. Actor David Paymer is 54. Jazz musician Gerald Albright is 51. Actor Michael Chiklis is 45. Music producer Robert Clivilles is 44. Actress Michael Michele is 42. Country musician Geoff Firebaugh is 40. Country singer Sherrie Austin is 37. Actress Cameron Diaz is 36. Rock musician Leon Caffrey (Space) is 35. TV personality Lisa Ling is 35. Rock singer-musician Aaron Barrett (Reel Big Fish) is 34. Singer Rich Cronin (LFO) is 33. Rock musician Matt Taul (Tantric; Days of the New) is 30. Tennis player Andy Roddick is 26. Rock musician Ryan Ross (Panic at the Disco) is 22. Actor Cameron Finley is 21. Thought for Today: “If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German theologian (1906-1945).
Photo by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki | AP
Shown is a 2,300-year-old copper vat that contained a gold jar in which archaeologists found a gold wreath and human bones.Archaeologists say the discovery, at the ancient city of Aigai in northern Greece, is very important due to the richness of the artifacts and the unusual circumstances in which they were buried.
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SATURDAY,AUGUST30,2008
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Zapata moves to 2nd in gas production SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Courtesy photos | Special to The Zapata Times
ABOVE: UCA Cheerleader Marianna helps Marla Gutierrez, Mariela Elizondo, Brianna Contreras and Vanessa Guerra with their technique during a special summer camp. AT RIGHT: Co-Head Cheerleader Sami Jo Ochoa, left Mireli Muñoz (standing), Alyssa Alaniz (in back) and Dalia Pruneda show off a pyramid formation.
The Cheer Squad of Zapata South Elementary School has been reconstituted for the first time in at least five years, under the direction of Coach Vianey C. Martin. This summer, squad members attended a summer cheer camp taught by Universal Cheerleading
Top Five Total gas production (Mcf) by county for June Panola Zapata Johnson Freestone Tarrant
22,643,411 20,949.078 20,894,197 20,444,708 19,181,066
SOURCE: Texas Railroad Commission
The commission’s estimated final production for June 2008 is 28,363,212 barrels of crude oil and 540,874,916 Mcf (thousand cubic feet) of gas well gas. May’s preliminary figures put Freestone County in first place with 24.2 million Mcf; Panola second with 23.6 million Mcf; and Zapata in third with 21.9 million Mcf. Webb County came
Time Warner adds services SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Zapata Cheer Squad is ready SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Preliminary production figures for June show Zapata County is the second largest gas producer in the state with 20.9 million Mcf (thousand cubic feet), moving up from third place in May, according to figures released this week by the Texas Railroad Commission. First place for June went to Panola County in northeast Texas with 22.6 million Mcf. Webb County came in eighth with 14.9 million Mcf. Texas production in June 2008 came from 134,598 oil and 81,960 gas wells. Overall, Texas oil and gas wells produced 500,369,686 Mcf of gas based upon preliminary production figures, up from the June 2007 preliminary gas production total of 475,027,747 Mcf.
in ninth in May with 15.2 million Mcf. Texas natural gas reported by the commission for July 2008 is 268,702,621 Mcf compared to 368,520,043 Mcf in July 2007. The August 2008 gas storage estimate is 258,051,388 Mcf. The Commission issued a total of 2,183 original drilling permits in July 2008 compared to 1,854 in July 2007. The July total included 1,934 permits to drill new oil and gas wells, 66 to reenter existing well bores, and 183 for re-completions. Permits issued in July 2008 included 412 oil, 480 gas, 1,254 oil and gas, 41 injection, three service and two other permits. Texas preliminary June 2008 crude oil production averaged 880,380 barrels daily, up from the 872,514 barrels daily average of June 2007.
Association cheerleaders. “It was awesome,” Martin said. “We had a great time.” The camp was held at Zapata South Elementary on Aug. 2-3. The girls were taught various cheers, stunts and dances. Also during the camp, Janie Guzman was chosen as head cheerleader and Sami Jo Ochoa was named co-head cheerleader.
The first practice is Monday. "The girls are really excited," Martin said. "What we're going for is basic technique, the motion and jumps — because that's what they need to make it in middle school. "Our main goal is to support our Hawks and Merlins and promote school spirit, and show our colors."
Time Warner Cable is upgrading the cable system in Zapata and San Ygnacio to provide customers with access to HDTV, On Demand and even more entertainment options. Users also will have access to a high-speed Internet connection and digital home phone service. The upgrades and new lineup take effect Sept. 16. “This is exciting news for Zapata and San Ygnacio,” said Ed Serna, Time Warner Cable spokesman. “We are making our newest products and services available, which will undoubtedly enhance the entertainment experience for our customers.”
Road Runner High Speed Online and digital home phone services will become available in the weeks following the upgrades. As a result of the upcoming changes, Zapata and San Ygnacio customers who have subscriptions to the current Basic Service package at $40.99 per month will need to contact Time Warner Cable at (800) CABLE55 by Sept. 15 to indicate whether they want to receive the new Basic Service at $11.24 per month or add the Expanded Basic Service to their subscription for $36.75 per month. Any Basic customer who has not called by Sept. 16 will be automatically downgraded to the
new Basic Service lineup and rate of $11.24. For more information, visit www.timewarnercable.com or call (800) CABLE55. Time Warner Cable is the second-largest cable operator in the United States, with technologically advanced, well-clustered systems located mainly in five geographic areas — New York state (including New York City), the Carolinas, Ohio, southern California (including Los Angeles) and Texas. As of Dec. 31, 2007, Time Warner Cable served approximately 14.6 million customers who subscribed to one or more of its video, high-speed data and voice services.
Zopinion
SATURDAY,AUGUST30,2008
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
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OTHER VIEWS
EDITORIAL
Demos fired up about the future THE BOSTON GLOBE
arack Obama and his team have run a notably disciplined, strategic primary campaign. They know that the task for the Democratic convention here was to introduce a candidate who is not just youthful and inspiring but ready to lead. Obama was ready to pick up that challenge Thursday night. “I will restore our moral standing,” he declared, “so that America is once more the last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.” The way was prepared for Obama earlier in the week by a phalanx of Democratic stars, from Ted Kennedy to Bill Clinton. Clinton recalled that he, too, was considered “too young and too inexperienced” when he ran for president in 1992. “Barack Obama is ready to lead America and restore America’s leadership in the world,” he
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declared. Monday, Kennedy invoked the example of his brother John, who in 1960 was another young man promising a sharp new direction for the country. John Kennedy, like Obama, even took his acceptance speech outside the convention hall to a sports arena. The message was the same: This is a new day for American politics, and an invitation for all to take part. Indeed, even as Obama seeks to reassure wary voters that he has the judgment to be commander in chief, he remains loyal to the young, grassroots supporters who fueled his rise. Many got preferred seating, and an hourlong tutorial in organizing skills was held inside Invesco stadium, designed to get them “fired up” for the general election. The contrast with McCain was clear. “He is an analog candidate in a digital age,” said Massachusetts congressman Edward Markey. If campaigns are about the future, Obama’s relative youth can be a virtue.
EDITORIAL
COLUMN
McCain’s VP: inspired or desperate?
Republicans don’t feel the pain P M
y first reaction to Bill Clinton’s convention speech was sheer professional jealousy: Nobody, but nobody, has his ability to translate economic wonkery into plain, forceful English. In effect, Clinton provided an executive summary of the new Census report on income, poverty and health insurance — but he did it so eloquently, so seamlessly, that there was no sense that he was giving his audience a lecture. My second reaction was that in Clinton’s speech — as in the speeches by Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden (this column was filed before Barack Obama spoke on Thursday night) — one heard the fundamental difference between the two parties. Democrats say and, as far as I can tell, really believe that working Americans are getting a raw deal; Republicans, despite occasional attempts to sound sympathetic, basically believe that people have nothing to complain about. As it happens, the numbers support the Democrats. That Census report gives a snapshot of the economic status of American families in 2007 — that is, before the financial crisis started dragging the economy down and the unemployment rate up. It’s a given that 2008 will look much worse, so last year was as good as it will get in the Bush years. Yet working-age Americans had significantly lower median income in 2007 than they did in 2000. (The elderly, whose income is supported by Social Security — the program the Bush administration tried to kill — saw modest gains.) Meanwhile, poverty was up, and health insurance — especially the employment-based insurance on which most middleclass Americans depend — was down. But Republicans, very much including John McCain and his advisers, don’t believe there’s a problem. Former Sen. Phil Gramm made headlines, and stepped down as co-chairman of the McCain campaign, after he described America as a “nation of whiners.” But how different was that remark, really, from McCain’s own declaration that “there’s been great progress economically” — progress that’s mysteriously invisible in the actual data — during the Bush years? And Gramm, by all accounts, remains a key economic adviser to McCain. Last week John Goodman, an influential figure in Republican health care circles, explained that we shouldn’t worry about the growing number of Americans without health insurance, because there’s no such thing as being uninsured. After all, you can always get treatment at an emergency room. And Goodman — he’s the president of the National Center for Policy Analysis, an important con-
PAUL KRUGMAN servative think tank, and is often described as the “father of health savings accounts,” a central feature of the Bush administration’s health policy — wants the next president to issue an executive order prohibiting the Census Bureau from classifying anyone as uninsured. “Voila!” he says. “Problem solved.” The truth, of course, is that visiting the emergency room in a medical crisis is no substitute for regular care. Furthermore, while a hospital will treat you whether or not you can pay, it will also bill you — and the bill won’t be waived unless you’re destitute. As a result, uninsured working Americans avoid visiting emergency rooms if at all possible, because they’re terrified by the potential cost: Medical expenses are one of the prime causes of personal bankruptcy. Goodman has in the past, including in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, described himself as an adviser to the McCain campaign on health policy. The campaign now claims that he is not, in fact, an adviser. But it’s a good bet that McCain’s inner circle shares Goodman’s views. You see, Goodman’s assertion that lack of health insurance is no problem precisely echoed what President Bush said a year ago: “I mean, people have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room.” That’s because both men — like Gramm — were just saying in public what modern Republicans say when they talk to each other. Despite attempts to feign sympathy, the leaders of today’s GOP fundamentally feel that Americans complaining about their economic and health care difficulties are, well, just a bunch of whiners. And that, ultimately, even more than their policy proposals, is what defines the difference between the parties. It’s true that elected Democrats are often too cautious — and too beholden to major donors — to be as progressive as the party’s activists would like. But even in the face of a Republican Congress, Clinton succeeded in pushing forward policies, like the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, that did a lot to help working families. And what one sees on the other side is a total lack of empathy for and understanding of the problems working Americans face. Clinton, famously, felt our pain. Republicans, manifestly, don’t. And it’s hard to fix a problem if you don’t even think it exists.
THE BOSTON GLOBE
erhaps John McCain’s choice of Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate will prove to be a masterstroke of political demographics. At the least, the surprise move reveals a willingness to take a major risk. Yet gutsiness isn’t everything. In picking a first-term governor with no foreign-policy record, the Republican presidential candidate undermined his own central themes — experience and national security — and exposed the deep fault lines within his campaign. As the Republican National Convention opens next week in St. Paul, these questions linger: Is John McCain still the fabled truth
teller and maverick? Or is the Arizona senator just doing anything and everything to get himself elected president? In announcing his choice Friday, the day after Barack Obama’s acceptance speech, McCain meant to deny the Democratic nominee any post-convention bounce. And in choosing a female running mate, he clearly hoped to win over supporters of Hillary Clinton. Introducing Palin in Ohio, McCain declared that “she doesn’t let anyone tell her to sit down.” But the pick is hard to square with what Republicans have been saying all week: that Obama is too green to be president. Because Obama has bared his soul in a bestselling memoir and his decisions have been under a mi-
croscope for the last four years, voters can assess his judgment. Palin, in contrast, has next to no track record. Her ticketmate would be the oldest first-term president ever and has had health troubles in the past. McCain, meanwhile, is struggling to accommodate Palin within the logic of his campaign, which up to now stressed an existential threat from Islamic fundamentalism. When he talked Palin up as an enemy of special interests — of “those who value their privileges over their responsibilities” — he might have been Obama or Clinton. And whether McCain’s gambit will persuade Clinton supporters is a whole other matter. Palin has an intriguing biography and shows enthusiasm and
pluck, and her opposition to abortion rights and her strong embrace of the gun lobby could shore up McCain’s standing with the Republican base. But those same two positions also make her a tough sell to Democratic women. In recent weeks, McCain has tried to knock Obama off his pedestal, to redefine him not as an agent of change but as an empty celebrity or a conventional politician. But McCain is vulnerable to the same treatment — especially after his highly calculated choice of running mate. At his convention next week, McCain will have to show that, in making the compromises needed to become president, he hasn’t lost himself.
YOUR OPINION Heart transplant extends father’s ability to provide advice and showcase faith To the editor: This August marked a very special 10th birthday. It was not the typical celebration highlighted by cake, ice cream, and balloons. You see on Aug. 3, 2008 our father, Mr. Erasmo Barrientos, turned 10 years old. Yes, you are reading correctly — there is no typographical error. It was ten years ago that our valiant father opted fervently for a heart transplant. After waiting for a month, our prayers were answered. There was a donor that matched our father; so with the expertise of the 12 heart surgeons, recovery of several weeks and several more weeks of rehabilitation, our dad was finally home. We were very fortunate that our friends and family from all over the country gave us their profound support and pledged their prayers for Dad. We were also very privileged that our
dad never feared any setbacks and was willing to work throughout any consequences the operation brought forth. It is a true miracle that Dad is here with us today; however he is so humble that he credits his good bill of health to his daily regime of taking his medication, walking and eating, and lastly his profound faith to the Lord in which he never gave up. My father has taught me a new definition of truly living life especially when given another opportunity to live life. He continues to give sound advice and spiritual direction to those who seek his profound wisdom. He has been a very loving and supportive husband for 39 years; thus he claims that this is only the beginning. Why? I forgot to mention one very important factor – when my father opted for an organ transplant, he was told that at the most he
could possibly live with his human heart would be seven years. He has truly taught me how to set aside resentment and anguish that does nobody any good. Instead he has been our patriarch of reassessing and implementing positiveness that not only carries through ourselves but it can also spread to the community and who is to say to the rest of the country and world. His view of being in balance with the environment and in harmony with everyone and the Lord is quite contagious! Being a good steward as a Roman Catholic, I feel it is my right and responsibility to share this little story with you because it is very important that we realize that organ and tissue donation is a very fact of life nowadays. I am not writing to preach to
you about organ and tissue donation. However, I wanted to share this story because it gives a different prospective of how a family turned around and made a truly gift of life without asking for anything in return. That was a BIG act of generosity and showed a magnificent level of sanctity towards a human life(s) and the dignity of the person(s) that would benefit of a loved one. Therefore, I implore that we educate ourselves about how a devastating tragedy can turn into a miraculous event through organ and tissue donation. If anything, this has been a lesson of a lifetime because when all seems to fail, we should not give up so quickly but take a chance. Thanks Dad for taking that chance and Happy 10th Birthday! Signed, Veronica Barrientos
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. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No
name-calling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. This space encourages public debate of the issues of the day. We do publish “thank you” letters, but due to limited space, we ask writers to list no more than
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
10 names in such letters. Letters with more than 10 names will not be published. Mail letters to Letters to the Editor; 111 Esperanza Drive; Laredo, TX 78041. Or e-mail to editorial@lmtonline.com
10A | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2008
Marker seems to resolve question of competing Ramireños
Photo by Ulysses S. Romero | Laredo Morning Times
BY DORA MARTINEZ
COLUMN
The tale of two seemingly competing Ramireños appears to be resolved with a reading of the Texas historical marker placed on U.S. 83 five miles southeast of San Ygnacio in what is still called Ramireño today. Last week, the issue was raised of whether the town now called Falcon, south of Zapata, was at one time also known as Ramireño. The matter is compounded by the fact that both places were settled by members of the Ramirez families, who had received land grants from the King of Spain. These are founding families, the primeros.
The Falcon version, told in a book by Elias Martinez, is brought up in good faith and among people who are kin, so it’s a good-natured discussion. The historical marker, placed on the site in 1988 by the Texas Historical Commission, seems to make it clear. According to the marker, the men of the ill-fated Mier expedition of 1842 camped at Ramireño during their march to Mexico and the settlement was also the site of U.S. military activity during the Mexican Revolution and border raiders in 1916-17. It also states the settlement
founded by Don Jose Luis Ramirez was moved in 1953 to its present site, two miles from the original Ramirez Ranch. The hand-cut sandstone Ramirez Ranch was covered by the waters of Falcon Reservoir, forcing the move. My cousin, Michael Ramirez, president of the Ramirez Family dealerships in Rio Grande City, said he, too, has heard the version about Falcon being the site of the “real” Ramireño at one time or another. Without evidence of that, however, we believe that the one and only Ramireño remains the town that carries that name today.
Javier Santos, trustee of the Fernando A. Salinas Charitable Trust in Laredo, expresses emotion during a presentation Wednesday during a donation to the Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center. The trust, through Santos, pledged $85,000.
Foundation pledges $85,000 to Ruthe B Cowle rehab center By PAUL S. MARTINEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center received a $10,500 boost Wednesday from the Fernando A. Salinas Charitable Trust. The donation brings the center into state compliance. “We pledge $85,000,” said Javier Santos, Salinas Trust trustee, to shrieks of joy and surprise from employees and community leaders gathered at the center’s conference room for a “big announcement.” In addition, the Fernando A. Salinas Trust pledged to match public donations to center for the next 14 years. “He understands what (the Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center) is,” an emotional Santos said to the audience about the 84-year-old multimillionaire, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. “And he believes in this center,” Santos added. Fernando A. Salinas Charitable Trust assists non-profit organizations in Laredo, and is seeking to expand the help it offers to other areas, including Zapata. A state mandate required the nonprofit center, which provides
services to about 200 children a day, to renovate its playground at a cost of about $74,000. The City of Laredo, County Commissioners Jerry Garza and Frank Sciaraffa, the Laredo Rotary Club and the Rotary Foundation raised $63,500, said Lillian Dickinson, chairperson of the center’s board of directors. “It was a great surprise,” Dickinson said. “We knew (Fernando A. Salinas) was going to make a donation, but we had no idea how much.” Dickinson said in Laredo, which doesn’t have a county hospital, the Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center fills the gap in many ways. The center, at 1220 Malinche Ave., offers a child development center and physical, occupational, and speech therapies to children and adults. The center also is contracted by both Laredo school districts to care for their severely disabled, medically fragile children. The center’s services are free, discounted or paid by a thirdparty depending on the need of the client, said Julie Bazan, Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center executive director. Most of the center’s clients are referrals from doctors, medical
Pot seized in Escobares ASSOCIATED PRESS
McALLEN — Border Patrol agents say they’ve seized more than 5,600 pounds of marijuana at a drug packaging operation near the Rio Grande. The agency said Thursday that the nearly three-ton seizure in the Starr County community of Escobares had an estimated street value of more than $4.5 million. The discovery came Wednes-
day when agents found two people attempting to flee a large building. Inside, agents say they found large bundles and an overwhelming aroma of marijuana, as well as packaging materials including grease buckets, saran wrap, gloves and masks. The Border Patrol says the drugs and the people who attempted to flee the area were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Boiling water scalds infant ASSOCIATED PRESS
BROWNSVILLE — A 32-yearold mother is charged with injury to a child after allegedly scalding her 8-month-old infant with boiling water. Cpl. Alonso Najera said Friday morning Margarita Cuellar Alvarado is in the Cameron County Jail on a $75,000 bond. The Brownsville Herald reports the baby is being treated at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.
Brownsville Police spokesman Jimmy Manrrique (man-REE’keh) said Alvarado, an undocumented immigrant, was arrested on Wednesday after she took her baby to the hospital. He said authorities determined the child’s injuries did not match Alvarado’s story. Police believe she waited more than a day before taking the wounded infant for medical attention. If she is convicted of the second-degree felony, Alvarado may face up to 20 years in prison.
clinics, the school districts or state agencies. Laredo Border Patrol Chief Carlos X. Carrillo attended the event Wednesday afternoon and had an announcement of his own. He said he personally spoke with Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and worked out an agreement where the senator’s office will feed applicable grant information to the center. “In the real world, you need to hire a full-time grant writer to look for these types of opportunities,” Bazan said. “Us being a nonprofit, (we) can’t afford a grant writer, and we’ll save a lot of time if we don’t have to search for them.” New York native Ruthe B. Cowl founded the center in 1948. “(Cowl) envisioned this center to be the place where people receive the therapy they need to restore their ability to function at their highest level,” Dickinson said. “And with the help of the community, we will be here for generations to come.” To donate to the Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center, call (956) 722-2431. (Paul S. Martinez may be reached at 728-2529 or paul@lmtonline.com)
UNITED WAY DONATION
Photo by Cuate Santos | Laredo Morning Times
Jerry Leal, left, United Way of Laredo president for the 2008-09 campaign, presents a Bronze Award to Elsa Martinez, assistant Principal at Villarreal Elementary, during the general session of the Zapata County Independent School District.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2008
THE ZAPATA TIMES | 11A
Rain pounds the area By NICK GEORGIOU LAREDO MORNING TIMES
Heavy rains pounded the Zapata area Friday for several hours. “We’ve had steady stream of showers and thunderstorms moving across Zapata, Brooks and Starr counties here in deep South Texas,” said Jeff Philo, lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Brownsville. “Zapata got 1 to 2 inches, with some isolated areas possibly receiving more.” Zapata County Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez said he had not heard any reports of extensive flooding or stranded motorists. Also, Olga Maldonado, American Electric Power spokeswoman, said late Friday night there appeared to be no reports of power outages. However, she said sometimes people don’t report outages. Further, the National Weather
Service issued no weather alerts for Zapata except to remind residents to be careful of flooded roadways and to “turn around, don’t drown.” Zapata residents can expect another round of showers Saturday, as can residents of numerous other areas of South Texas. Philo said the scattered and isolated thunderstorms should not be as bad as they were Friday. Rain chances will decrease Sunday, and the upper-level lowpressure system that has produced the recent heavy downpours will move west out of the area. Because of that and oncoming Hurricane Gustav, meteorologists predict the moisture will leave the area, leaving South Texas with hot and dry conditions. (Nick Georgiou may be reached at 728-2582 or nickg@lmtonline.com)
THE BLOTTER HITAND RUN A hit-and-run accident was reported at the Zapata Hawks Stadium parking lot last Saturday at 9:16 a.m.
ASSAULT An assault with injuries was reported in the 2400 block of Fresno Street last Sunday at about 12:15 a.m.
THEFT A theft of more than $50 was reported at Stripes convenience store last Sunday at about 12:54 a.m. This incident involved a
minor, according to the police report.
AUTO BURGLARY An auto burglary was reported in the 2100 block of Carla Street last Sunday at about 9:45 a.m. An auto burglary was reported in the 1800 block of 4th Street last Monday at about 7:43 a.m.
RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY A residential burglary was reported at the Lake Front Lodge last Monday at 9:13 a.m.
Bus driver reprimanded ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — A bus driver accused of punishing elementary school students by turning off the air conditioning and rolling up the windows was reprimanded Friday by the Crosby school system. Bus driver Michelle Crawford has worked for the school district since March 2007 and has no previous disciplinary record, said district spokesman Robert Tatman. Crawford has been placed on probation and will continue to drive. “She drives the bus because she loves kids and she loves to work,” said a man who answered the phone Friday night.
Parents complained to the district transportation department after seeing their children exit the bus Thursday afternoon sweaty and flushed, the Houston Chronicle reported. Tatman said the driver told department officials she was having problems with the students and told them she was going to turn off the radio until they quieted down. “That did not work,” Tatman said. “Then what happened was that she went ahead and said that she would turn off the air conditioner. You know, trying to get them to be quiet.” Parent Jennifer Colombo said she was “infuriated.”
ZCISD | Continued from Page 1A build the new Arturo L. Benavides Elementary School in San Ygnacio. Rodriguez said the new school is the final ZCISD replacement elementary. The district opened Zapata South Elementary and Fidel and Andrea R. Villarreal Elementary schools two years ago. “We’re concentrating on this idea of equitable services provided to all the children of Zapata County ISD,” he said. “That why we’re very excited the board approved this contract.” The school was designed to incorporate rock and other material from San Ygnacio to match the 19th century aesthetic of the historic town, Rodriguez said. “Since it is the focal point of (San Ygnacio) we felt it should have some of the artistic resemblance to the existing homes that are there,” Rodriguez said. “Fortunately, we were able to do that and we are very proud of this particular project.” The new elementary, which will teach about 125 children, should be ready for the 20082009 school year, Rodriguez said. The total budget for ZCISD was approved at $52,276,231. The budget included a $2,500 raise for teachers and administrators and a 6 percent raise for
Photo by Paul Martinez | Laredo Morning Times
Zapata County ISD school board members Anselmo Treviño,Veronica P.Gonzalez,Dora O.S. Martinez, Board President Jose Maria Ramirez III,Armando B. Paredes,Zachary Garza and Ricardo Ramirez stand in front of an overhead projection of a mock check written out for $14 million, the cost of Zapata High School.The high school was paid off this month. all other employees except the superintendent, Rodriguez said. With the raise, the starting salary for a ZCISD teacher is $39,500. Rodriguez makes $115,000 a year. His salary is adjusted after a yearly school board evaluation in January. ZCISD was once again designated a Chapter 41 school district, meaning the district has to share its revenue. In ZCISD’s case, it will have to give up about 30 per-
cent of its revenue — $15.7 million of its $52 million revenue. “We’re not a typical Chapter 41 district in that the average resident in Zapata makes about $17,000 or $18,000,” Rodriguez said. “But there is mineral wealth so we can’t be compared to wealthy districts like Highland Park where the actual wealth is with the homeowner.” ZCISD’s taxable property was appraised and certified by the school board at more than $3.4
billion. More than 92 percent of that sum is in mineral wealth. “We were very disappointed that this year we couldn’t reach an agreement with Laredo (ISD) United (ISD) or Region 1 to keep this money in South Texas,” Rodriguez said. “That means we are going to have to send this money back to Austin.” Also Tuesday, ZCISD entered in to a 4-year partnership with the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio to provide dental services for the youth of Zapata. Starting in October, the university will send a mobile dental vehicle to Zapata for two days a week. The only cost to the district will be in facilitating the dental crew with electricity, bathrooms and other logistical needs. The dental crew plans to care for about 20 children and young adults a day. The free program is open to school age children up to young adults at 21-years-old. “It’s a great thing to provide dental services to students and the community as a whole,” Rodriguez said. “It is a hardship for the residents of Zapata because many have to travel to Roma, Laredo, or even Guerrero for dental services or they don’t get them at all.”
In New Orleans, no shelter for those who stay By BECKY BOHRER
cuse not to leave. The state has a $7 million contract to provide 700 buses to evacuate the elderly, the sick and anyone around the region without transportation. Officials also plan to announce a curfew that will mean the arrest of anyone still on the streets after a mandatory evacuation order goes out. Police and Na-
tional Guardsman will patrol after the storm’s arrival, and Gov. Bobby Jindal has said he requested additional urban search and rescue teams. On Saturday police planned to roam neighborhoods, directing residents-in-need to pick up points. The city also planned to reach out to churches, hoping to spread the word about where the buses will pick up evacuees. But many weren’t waiting to be told to leave: Northbound traffic was heavy Friday on Interstate 55 — a major route out of the city — and backseats of some cars were stacked with clothes, boxes and bags. Gas stations around the city hummed with activity. Meanwhile, hospitals and nursing homes also began moving patients further inland. In an effort to keep track of where people go after they leave the city, officials planned to give evacuees who provided authorities their information ahead of time bar-coded bracelets containing their ID. Still, advocates for the poor worried that the message would not get to the city’s most marginalized residents — and that could spell disaster.
Reynosa, nine were granted to Vela family members by the Spanish Crown – five in Revilla, two in Camargo and two in Mier in Tamaulipas. The rest were in Texas when it was part of Coahuila. These South Texas land grants were in the counties of Starr, Zapata, Jim Hogg, and Duval. Espitia de Vela has special interest in a land grant (23,400 acres) in Jim Hogg County (Hebbronville) that belonged to Luis Vela (Agostaero del Sordo). Espitia de Vela said a legal dispute over El Sordo is on the docket of district
court in Hebbronville for Sept. 4. Eileen McKenzie Fowler, La Porte attorney, is representing the Vela interests. Fowler handled a land grant (300,000 acres) dispute in Laredo 341st District Court recently on behalf of the heirs of Joaquin Galan. Joaquin Galan married a Tomas Sanchez daughter (Josefa) in 1747. A visiting judge ruled for the Galan heirs, getting parts of the Palafox and Balconcitas acreage land grants. (Reach Odie Arambula at oarambula@stx.rr.com)
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
NEW ORLEANS — Police with bullhorns plan to go street to street this weekend with a tough message about getting out ahead of Hurricane Gustav: This time there will be no shelter of last resort. The doors to the Superdome will be locked. Those who stay will be on their own. New forecasts Friday made it increasingly clear that New Orleans will get some kind of hit — direct or indirect — by early next week. That raised the likelihood people would have to flee, and the city suggested a full-scale evacuation call could come as soon as Sunday. Those among New Orleans’ estimated 310,000 to 340,000 residents who ignore orders to leave accept ``all responsibility for themselves and their loved ones,’’ the city’s emergency preparedness director, Jerry Sneed, has warned. As Katrina approached in 2005, as many as 30,000 people who either could not or would not evacuate jammed the Louisiana Superdome and the riverfront convention center. They spent
Photo by Bill Haber | AP
Members of the Louisiana National Guard arrive at their staging area at the New Orleans Convention Center in New Orleans, on Friday.The guard has been deployed in preparation for the approaching storm Gustav. days waiting for rescue in squalid conditions. Some died. Stung by the images that flashed across the world, including the photo of an elderly woman dead in her wheelchair, her bodied covered with a blanket, officials promised to find a better way. This time, the city has taken steps to ensure no one has an ex-
LAKE VIEW | Continued from Page 1A For instance, the Estudios Genealogicos y Heraldicos materials in Madrid cited one Jorge Vela as having arrived in Nueva España in 1531. Scholars, however, are convinced the Velas were at Tenotichlan before Jorge Vela got his name in Madrid archives. The Jorge Vela in question rose from Royal interests in the region of Solana and the Valley of Santiago. In 1547, he was rewarded with land in the Chichimecas region in 1547. His parents were Domingo Vela and Maria Fernandez. Another Vela in the early histo-
ry of Nueva España was one Juan Vela, having arrived from Medellin (Badajoz) in 1539. He also participated in the Spanish conquest of Yucatan in 1541. His name appeared in Spanish archives in 1547. His parents are listed as Rodrigo Vela and Catalina Rodriguez. Juan’s wife, Juana de Aguirre, was the daughter of Diego de Villarreal, the Spaniard who conquered the Chiapas region. In the Jose Espitia de Vela family tree, Francisco Vela is regarded as the family patriarch. The family tree tells that Francisco was born
in 1625 in Cuencame in Nueva Vizcaya, present-day Durango, in Mexico. Works of leading genealogists in Mexico and Spain insist the Vela family members of northeastern Mexico (Seno Mexicano, Santander) and South Texas descend from Francisco Vela, a rancher and military captain. Francisco arrived in Cerralvo (Nuevo Leon) from Monterrey. He married Maria Ortiz in Saltillo and settled in Monterrey for 20 years. He petitioned for a land grant on May 25, 1685.
Their children are listed as sons Francisco, Santiago, Domingo, Lazaro, Diego, Pedro and Bautista and daughters Juana and Maria de la Rocha. Espitia de Vela said his research showed numerous Vela members, descendants of Francisco Vela’s children, were founding settlers of such Tamaulipas villas like Mier, Camargo, Reynosa, and Revilla (Old Guerrero) in the mid-1700s. Of the total 1767 land grants posted for the Rio Grande frontier, from Laredo downriver to
STATE GRANT | Continued from Page 1A and former state Sen. Hector Uribe, special counsel to Zapata County, on the grant. Guillen, who represents Zapata County, said the grant is the result of one of the “key pieces” of his legislative agenda. “State Sen. Judith Zaffirini and I worked together to pass HB 2235, which directed the Office of Rural Community Affairs to set up a grant program to pay for technology centers in counties of 125,000 or fewer people,” Guillen said. “It is now to paying off.”
The rural technology center is expected to make it easier for Zapata County students to work toward a degree, and even get certified in some fields. The center also will provide a variety of educational benefits for people of all ages. “This benefits the county because the center will bring needed Internet access to families that otherwise go without and offer non-credit courses for residents and business owners in subjects such as computer literacy,” Guillen added. The state representative said he also
worked closely with Zapata County Judge Rosalva Guerra and County Commissioners Jose Emilio Vela, Norberto Garza, Joseph Rathmell and Gabriel Villarreal on the project. “Without the diligent efforts of these county officials the project would not have been successful,” Guillen said. “I want to once again thank everybody involved who worked on this. “Through efforts like this, we can combine the abilities of our gifted educators with the power and impact of technology to help curb the drop out rate
in our district and give the youth of the South Texas a better educational and promising future.” The Zapata County Advanced Technology Center currently is housed in a previously vacated building at Zapata County Independent School District. It was remodeled and outfitted through grant money as well as local donations. Philanthropists Jose M. Ramirez Jr. and Maria Eva Uribe Ramirez donated $100,000 for the project, and the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Foundation also donated $100,000.
“Their funding enabled us to get started,” Umphries Moffet said. Classes already are underway at the center’s current home. The philanthropists’ donations were in addition to $400,000 in funds provided by Zapata County as well as other money provided by the Workforce Solutions of South Texas and the Zapata CISD to match the original federal funding, secured with the help of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar. (To reach Diana R. Fuentes, e-mail dfuentes@lmtonline.com)
BUDGET | Continued from Page 1A However, the budget might yet balance without having to go into the general fund, said Martinez, a former Webb County auditor. That budget was based on collecting 95 percent in taxes, and the county has already collected more than that. In addition, a county rarely spends its entire budget, Martinez said. “We are not in the business of making a lot of money for the county,” he said. “We are in the business of taking care of the money people entrust to us through taxes.” While there are no laws to dictate how much a county should keep in its fund balance, Martinez said the rule of thumb is two months’ worth of operational expenses. For Zapata County, that would be about $4 million, Martinez said. Garza said with capital improvement projects, the county might look to partially finance some projects to maintain progress and lower the overall budget.
Rathmell said operational expenses seem to be growing faster than revenues. “We don’t want to be handcuffed in the future having to go through the loan or bond process instead of financing because of operational expenses,” Rathmell said. “I think departments might have to tighten their belts.” However, Rathmell said an across-the-board raise for county employees is not out of the question. Since the county doesn’t have a merit-based pay scale and a percentage pay increase would disproportionately benefit higher-paid employees, Rathmell said, an across-the-board raise is the best option. He said the Commissioners Court realizes the increase in the cost of living and the need for higher wages. “Everything in the budget is on the table,” he said. “We’ll see what we can afford to do and hopefully we can address some of these wage issues.” Commissioner Vela said he would prefer to cut
jobs before capital improvement projects. “We could stand to lose an employee from every department,” he said. He also said the Zapata County Regional Jail is a burdensome expense, and he likes the idea of leasing the jail to a private operator for a percentage of the profit. Within the next couple years, Zapata County will have to start paying two loans worth a combined $20 million for a new water plant and a sewage treatment facility. While the 30-year Texas Water Development Board loans are interest-free, the first year’s payment on the $14 million is more than $400,000, the commissioners discussed during the hearing. Vela also said there is some unpredictability in the natural resource industry, which makes up more than 92 percent of Zapata’s $3.4 billion tax base. The Zapata County tax rate is 73.6 cents per $100 valuation, as it has been for five years. Because of higher appraisals, however, the net effective tax
rate for 2008-2009 — that is, the tax rate that would be needed to raise the same amount of money — is 68.4 cents per $100 valuation. Still, the county plans to keep the tax rate at 73.6 cents to help fund infrastructure and other projects, officials said. With the same tax rate and the higher appraisals, the county will collect about $1.4 million more in taxes. No member of the public spoke at last Monday’s hearing. The average Zapata County home was valued at $34,402 last year, according to the Zapata County Appraisal District. At 73.6 cents per $100 valuation, the tax imposed on that home last year was about $253. With this year’s average property value increase, that $34,402 home would now be valued at $37,832. By keeping the 73.6 cents per $100 of valuation, the total tax would increase to about $278. (Paul S. Martinez may be reached at (956) 7282529 or paul@lmtonline.com)
12A | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2008
Zlife
SATURDAY,AUGUST30,2008
Kids need to learn etiquette at home DEAR MISS MANNERS — Should manners and etiquette be taught in school, and why or why not? I am asking because I read generational research into the younger generation, where it was mentioned that many in the younger generation are lacking in etiquette skills. I am noticing that every day there is an erosion in manners in society. I see it on the Internet, in public, at school, in customer service and many other places. I believe that if this were taught as part of the general-ed curriculum in each and every school in America, we would see an improvement. Do you agree or disagree with this, and why or why not? GENTLE READER — You are not a school teacher, are you? If you were, you would not be quite so blithe about giving these overworked people responsibility for yet another failing of society. In fact, teachers are already saddled with teaching manners, simply because that is a prerequisite for learning anything else. Children who cannot sit quietly and listen and who do not have respect for authority cannot learn. And a great many are showing up in school without those simple skills. Miss Manners normally sympathizes with parents, as well as with teachers. But this is a crucial part of child-rearing, and shirking it has serious repercussions for society. Furthermore, she has noticed that it is not, as is commonly believed, always the proverbial single teenaged parent with two jobs who neglects to administer this. It can equally well be two middle-aged corporate lawyers with a nanny who cannot bear to restrict their child’s freedom or spoil their quality time with him by imposing rules. The result is that teachers are trying to do parental work as well as their own. And often without the support, and perhaps even with the opposition, of the parents.
So yes, Miss Manners believes that in the present state of society, manners will have to be taught in school, although not the general refinements you would like. It will be hard enough to make and enforce rules for civilized behavior at school. DEAR MISS MANNERS — My stepdaughter’s wedding reception is at her mother’s house, and I don’t know if I’m just feeling weird about attending her reception at my husband’s ex-wife’s home. I thought it truly distasteful for her to plan that, knowing my husband and his ex’s past has not been good. I know he will go and be polite and nice, but I will have to sit there and bite my lip because all the while his ex will be telling people how they paid for everything and he did nothing. We have not been asked to help in any way but provide items for decorations. I tried to suggest a reception for her mother’s family and her fiance’s family and a smaller one with us and her father’s family closer to home (which all families are very large in number). Am I freaking out for no reason? G E N T L E R E A D E R — You have a reason, just not one that is a valid basis for complaint. Your stepdaughter must think of it merely as her mother’s house, a natural place to have one’s wedding reception (and a lot more so than a rented castle, or whatever others are doing now). It seems to Miss Manners that if your husband can manage to be polite, surely you should be able to do so. A bitten lip is preferable to a bitter family. Readers may write to Miss Manners at MissManners@unitedmedia.com, or via postal mail at United Media, 200 Madison Ave., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10016 or (in black or blue-black ink on white writing paper) to Miss Manners, in care of this newspaper. Miss Manners’ newest book is “No Vulgar Hotel: The Desire and Pursuit of Venice,” written under her real name, Judith Martin.
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MDA telethon gains strength By JASON BUCH LAREDO MORNING TIMES
Juan Molina III, an LBJ High School freshman, has been the face of muscular dystrophy in Laredo for the past seven years. During those seven years, Juan has served as the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s ambassador in Laredo, appearing annually on the association’s fundraising telethon. And he’ll be appearing on KGNS-TV again this weekend. Juan, who’s been confined to a wheelchair nearly his entire life, said he enjoys the opportunity to raise money for MDA. “I feel good because I don’t only help myself, I also help other people who also have the same thing,” he said. Sitting in an office on the second floor of LBJ High School, Juan, 14, beats out a tight tattoo on the table with his fingers. Type II spinal muscular atrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy that keeps Juan from developing new muscles, hasn’t kept him from joining the school’s band. For three weeks before school started, he was at band practice playing the xylophone. After a Wednesday interview at the high school, Juan navigated the halls of LBJ in his electric wheelchair. “He’s just going slow because dad’s here,” said Juan’s father, Juan Molina II, walking beside his son. If he weren’t there, Molina said, his son would be tearing around the halls.
The MDA Molina said the Muscular Dystrophy Association has been a great help to his family. The family became involved with the association soon after Juan’s diagnosis, three months after his first birthday. Doctors initially diagnosed Juan with type I spinal muscular atrophy and expected him to live
Foto by Cuate Santos | Laredo Morning Times
With ax in hand KGNS news anchor Tim Gutierrez and his co-anchor Ann Hutyra run pass cameraman Tito Esparza as they shoot a scene for the opening of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. only a few more months. Today, Molina says his teenage son is active in Boy Scouts and is able to play sports with his friends. After a recent game of football, Juan “got bruised up and a bloody nose out of it, but he was happy,” Molina said. Every three months, Juan attends MDA’s clinic in Laredo, Molina said. And the association has helped them pay for accessories for Juan’s electric wheelchair not covered by the family’s health insurance. MDA raises money to fund research and treatment for the more than 40 types of muscular dystrophy, said Sarah Dietrich, the association’s program coordinator for South Texas. The association has more than 80 clients in the Laredo area and offers a free clinic that provides therapy and medication to those clients, Dietrich said. The MDA clinics provide treatment such as stretching of muscles
and respiratory therapy, which can’t prevent the progression of the disease but can prevent contractures and stiffness, she said. The association also provides equipment, such as wheelchairs and braces, and medication, Claybaugh said.
Pitching in Those services are paid for through the association’s fundraising efforts, Dietrich said. Those efforts include the shamrock program, where, with help from Valero, Wendy’s and International Bank of Commerce, the association sells yellow-and-gold shamrocks to raise money. Other fundraisers are the telethon executive lockup at La Posada’s Tesoro Club and Laredo firefighters’ Fill-the-Boot program, which raised more than $40,000 this year. And, of course, there’s the telethon, hosted nationwide by
Jerry Lewis and locally by anchors from KGNS’ Pro 8 News and The CW. The telethon is in its 43rd year, and Pro 8 has been hosting the local event for more than 20 years. Pro 8 anchor Ann Hutyra, who has been on the telethon for three years now, says learning about muscular dystrophy and meeting those affected by it showed her how important raising money for MDA is. “Once you learn about all that stuff, it’s hard not to do it,” Hutyra said. “I look forward to it every year. You get to help a lot of people here locally. ” Her co-anchor, Tim Gutierrez, has been on the telethon for the last eight years. “I think initially, when you get started, you don’t realize what’s going on,” Gutierrez said.“But as you get involved, you realize you’re actually affecting lives here, people in the Laredo area that are afflicted with these neuromuscular diseases.”
Zentertainment
SATURDAY,AUGUST30,2008
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
6A
Plenty of activities for all ages on tap
Iglesias to rock arena
open the show. Tickets are available for $15 presale at Mike’s Western Wear, Casa Raul, San Ramon Music Shop, Laredo Mini-Mart, Rumors Country Patio and Guadalupe Music Store.
In what has been hailed as one of the biggest concerts at the Laredo Entertainment Center, Latin pop star Enrique Iglesias is scheduled to perform in the arena Thursday against a backdrop set said to take three full days to assemble. Aventura, a New York Citybased boy IGLESIAS group known as the “Kings of Bachata,” will open the show, which begins at 8 p.m. Tickets, with prices starting at $40, are still available at the LEC box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 712-1566 and online at www.ticketmaster.com. In concert, Iglesias is ready to prove he’s not an “average pop star.” Born in 1975, Iglesias shopped his first demo posing as a Central American unknown named Enrique Martínez. Only after landing a record contract with regional Mexican label Fonovisa did Enrique decide to use his real name. Within three years, Iglesias became the biggest-selling Spanish-language singer in the world. He has enjoyed 16 No. 1 Billboard Latin hits, more than any other artist in history. But Iglesias was ready to expand his audience beyond the Latin market. Released in 1999, “Enrique” was his first English album, and the first one recorded for Interscope. It included the megahits “Bailamos” (We Dance), “Rhythm Divine,” “Be With You” and “Could I Have This Kiss Forever,” a duet with Whitney Houston. The accolades came in no time. Iglesias has received three nominations at Premios Lo Nuestro, three Mi TRL Awards for MTV Tr3s.
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Kick-off time Are you ready for some football? The City of Laredo Parks and Leisure Services and the League of United Latin American Citizens Council No. 14 are. The two have partnered to sponsor the Football Kick-off Tailgating Cook-off on Sunday, to be held from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on the Laredo Civic Center grounds. Admission is free. The spike-worthy event will include food vendors, a disc jockey, children’s games and rides, arts and crafts vendors, merchandise and commercial booths, football-throwing contests, a car show and, of course, a cook-off, where local grillmasters and chefs will wow the judges with their special recipes for beef tacos, pinto beans, chicken and finger ribs. There will also be a Best Showmanship contest, for the booth with the most spirited football decorations, and a best Football Dog Costume contest, which participants may enter the day of the event by filling out an application and paying a $10 entry fee. The contest will be held from noon to 1 p.m.
Los Tigres to roar Legendary artist Pepe Aguilar will return to the Laredo Entertainment Center on Nov. 1 at 8 p.m., this time joined by Los Tigres Del Norte. Tickets for $83, $73, $53 and $33 go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday at the LEC box office and all Ticketmaster outlets.
Creager’s country Country artist Roger Creager is set to perform at the Casa Blanca Ballroom, 5602 E. Saunders St., beginning at 8 p.m. Thursday. Local band Mick Cruz and Diamondback will
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Classy clarinet The colorful folklore of Spain comes to life Tuesday when Laredo Community College presents world-class clarinetist Oskar Espina-Ruiz in concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center theater. Admission is free and the event is open to the public. Espina-Ruiz’s performance will showcase the music of two dances — the Zortziko and Habanera — that were pivotal during the launch of Spain’s musical renaissance.
Tech central Robbie Rivera, a worldrenowned disc jockey known to inhabit the famed club Amnesia of Spain’s party island, Ibiza, is scheduled to play a show at Laredo’s F Ultra Lounge. The show is set for Thursday, Oct. 9, at the F Ultra Lounge, 5517 McPherson Road. Tickets for $25 to $35 are available online at www.groovetickets.com.
Arts alive Take a tour through the vivid, colorful world of nature created by Billy Hassell, a Fort Worth-based artist, as the new fall exhibit “Billy Hassell: Migration” opens at Texas A&M International University’s Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Gallery on Thursday with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will remain on display through Oct. 9. Admission to the reception and the gallery is free and the event is open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday though Thursday from noon to 5 p.m.
Courtesy photo
Bert is just one of the lovable characters that will perform during “Sesame Street Live!” to be held at the Laredo Entertainment Center. Shows will be at 2 and 5:30 p.m. today and 4:30 p.m. Sunday.There will also be a special Spanish language performance at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Sesame Street in Laredo SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Kids of all ages are sure to enjoy monsters making music, especially when the monsters are the ones we know and love who live on Sesame Street. Elmo, Zoe, Big Bird and all their Sesame Street friends are taking to the stage at the Laredo Entertainment Center this weekend to share their love of music in “Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music.” Tickets are still available. The story for the show is elemental, dear friends: Jenny, an enthusiastic new music teacher, arrives on Sesame Street only to discover that her instruments are missing. Her new Muppet friends quickly come to the rescue and discover “instruments” they never knew existed: rubber duckies, trash can lids and even cookie jars.
Elmo and friends teach children that everyone can make and enjoy beautiful music together. This is an authentic “Sesame Street Live” production, featuring timeless lessons children and adults. Through the razzle-dazzle of this musical Broadway-quality production, the audience learns about patience, acceptance and teamwork. The universal appeal of a “Sesame Street Live” production continues long after preschool. Adults will appreciate the hightech stagecraft, cleverly written scripts, and music they’ll recognize and enjoy sharing with children, such as “The Hustle,” “You Should Be Dancing” and “Rockin’ Robin.” This show, entitled “Elmo Makes Music,” features nearly two dozen songs, including classics that children will love to sing along with such as “C Is for
Cookie” and “The Alphabet Song.” Shows will be held at 2 and 5:30 p.m. today and 4:30 p.m. Sunday. There will also be a special Spanish language performance at 1 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $12 and $15. A limited number of $19 Premium seats and $25 Gold Circle seats also are available. A facility fee of $1.75 will be added to all ticket prices. Additional fees and discounts may apply. For more information, call Laredo Entertainment Center at 791-9192. To charge tickets by phone, call Ticketmaster at 712-1566. Tickets also may be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit www.sesamestreetlive.com. Sesame Workshop, a nonprofit educational organization, is the single largest informal educator of young children.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2008
THE ZAPATA TIMES | 7A
ZFrontera AGENDAEN BREVE ENTRETENIMIENTO LAREDO — El Laredo Entertainment Center presenta del 29 al 31 de agosto el espectáculo infantil “Sesame Street LIVE ‘Elmo Makes Music’”. Puede adquirir boletos en la taquila del LEC ó en los expendedores de Ticketmaster, inclusive llamando al (956) 712-1566 ó en www.ticketmaster.com LAREDO —Enrique Iglesias y Aventura, Los Reyes de la Bachata, ofrecerán un recital en el Laredo Entertainment Center el 4 de septiembre a las 8 p.m. Será la primera vez que Iglesias ofrezca un recital en el LEC. Puede adquirir sus boletos en la taquilla de la arena o en los ticketmaster ó llamando al (956) 712-1566. Los precios inician en 40 dólares. Se agrega un cargo por servicio en cada boleto. LAREDO — La Ciudad de Laredo y el Concilio LULAC # 14 anunciaton que el domingo 31 de agosto será el Football Kick-Off & Tailgating Cook-Off, de 11 a.m. a 11:30 p.m. en el Civic Center Grounds & Ballroom (800 Garden). Habrá competencias, juegos, comida, música y mercancía. El objetivo es celebrar el inicio de otra temporada de football. Las ganancias se destinarán al Fondo de Becas de los LULAC. Más información llamando al 744-3699.
SÁBADO 30 de AGOSTO de 2008
Operarán gratis ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE LAREDO
NUEVO LAREDO — Niños y adultos mayores que sufren de labio leporino y paladar hendido de la región cercana a Nuevo Laredo, inclusive la frontera chica en Tamaulipas y ciudades fronterizas de Texas y Nuevo León, podrán participar en la “Campaña gratuita de corrección quirúrgica”. La presidenta del Sistema para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia en esta ciudad, Rebeca Canales de Garza Barrios dijo que es una campaña gratuita y abierta a toda la comunidad, “ando preferencia a las personas de escasos recursos y en situación vulnerable”. Para que los interesados puedan participar deben registrarse antes del 12 de septiembre en el área médica del Sistema DIF ubicado en Maclovio Herrera 2244 (en Nuevo Laredo) en horario de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m., de lunes a viernes. “Estas operaciones son de alto costo, por lo que las familias de escasos recursos no pueden asumir el gasto de las mismas, lo que conlleva a que el paciente no corrija su problema y por
vergüenza se retraiga en su hogar, alejándose de los ámbitos educativos o productivos”, dijo Canales. El tratamiento incluye la cirugía y un abordaje integral del equipo especializado para ayudar con las múltiples complicaciones que pudieran preCANALES sentarse. El procedimiento específico será determinado por el médico basándose en lo siguiente: La edad del menor/adulto mayor, su estado general de la salud y sus antecedentes médicos. La característica específica de las anomalías. La tolerancia del paciente a determinados medicamentos, procedimientos o terapias. El compromiso de otras partes o aparatos y sistemas del cuerpo. Quienes requieran ser beneficiados por este programa, pueden comunicarse al teléfono (867) 712-10-32 del Sistema DIF Nuevo Laredo. Las intervenciones quirúrgicas serán en octubre.
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OBRAS: PROGRAMA ESTATAL
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
El Gobernador de Tamaulipas, Eugenio Hernández Flores, al centro, explica a invitados una maqueta representativa del Programa Estatal de Infraestructura 20082010. Destaca la construcción del Relleno Sanitario de la Frontera Ribereña, con el apoyo de los municipios y del Banco de Desarrollo para América del Norte.
Zapata recibe subsidio
DEPORTES LAREDO — El esperado juego anual de football entre Martin y Nixon es el sábado 31 de agosto a las 7:30 p.m. en el Shirley Field de LISD. Ya puede adquirir boletos para asistir a este clásico en la Oficina del Director de Atletismo del campus de las escuelas. La entrada general es de 5 dólares y de 3 dólares para estudiantes. El asiento reservado es de 6 dólares pevio al juego. Todos los boletos en la puerta el día del evento costarán 6 dólares.
ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE LAREDO
CULTURA LAREDO — España viene a Laredo hoy con la presentación del clarinetista Oskar Espina Ruiza,en concierto, a las 7:30 p.m. en el teatro Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center. El Laredo Community College trae este evento patrocinado por el Performing Arts Department.La entrada es gratuita y abierta al público. Más información llamando al 721-5330. LAREDO — La exhibición de arte “Billy Hassell: Migration”, de pinturas e impresiones por el artista de Fort Worth, Billy Hassell tendrá su recepción de apertura el jueves 4 de septiembre, de 5 a 8 p.m. en el Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Arte Gallery de la Texas A&M International University. La entrada es gratuita y abierta al público. La exhibición ya está abierta y continuará hasta el 9 de octubre. Más información llamando a Alma Haertlein, directora de la galería en el 326.3041.
SERVICIO SOCIAL WEBB — El Departamento de Servicios Administrativos del Condado de Webb se unió al South Texas Blood & Tissue Center en una campaña de donación de sangre el día de hoy de 9 a.m. a 5 p.m. en el estacionamiento de la Webb County Courthouse, del 1000 Houston Street. Se invita al público en general, mayor de 17 años y con peso de al menos 100 libras y buena salud. Se recomienda comer y beber suficientes líquidos antes de donar. Más información llamando al 523-4143. NUEVO LAREDO — Hoy es la marcha por la paz ¡Iluminemos México! a las 6:30 p.m., desde la Plaza Hidalgo hasta la Explanada Esteban Baca Calderón. A los interesados se les solicita ir vestidos de blanco y llevar una veladora. LAREDO — El Laredo Breastfeeding Support Group invita a todas las mujeres embarazadas y madres amamantando a que asistana a la reunión mensual a las 7 p.m. del miércoles 3 de septiembre en 1101 Mier St., cerca del antiguo Mercy Hospital. Todas las interesadas en el tema pueden acudir. Los niños son bienvenidos, sin embargo, no se admiten hombres. Más información llamando al 722-5271.
EDUCACIÓN Texas A&M Internacional University anuncia que las clases estarán suspendidas el lunes 1 de septiembre,día del trabajo,y las oficinas permanecerán cerradas debido al Día del Trabajo. LCC anunció que sí tendrá clases el 1 de septiembre, Día del Trabajo. Las clases en el campus Fort McIntosh y South del Laredo Community College serán como están agendadas. Los departamentos administrativos y de instrucción también estarán abiertos. Más información llamando al 721-5140.
(Para informar acerca de eventos y actividades envíe el nombre, fecha, hora y dirección, y un número de contacto a tiempo@lmtonline.com)
8A
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno Miguel Alemán
El alcalde de Miguel Alemán, Servando López Moreno, al centro, explica a representates de los medios de comunicación, la situación en la colonia Lucha Social donde se presentó un deslave que provocó la lluvia sobre el Colector Marginal, el cual aún no entraba en operación, el 26 de agosto.
Lluvia daña infraestructura en frontera LAREDO MORNING TIMES Ha sido una semana difícil para las ciudades de la frontera chica de Tamaulipas. Miguel Alemán y Ciudad Mier reportaron daños debido a la constante lluvia que ha afectado su infraestructura. Tanto el alcalde de Miguel Alemán, Servando López Moreno, como el de Ciudad Mier, José Iván Mancias Hinojosa, han realizado recorridos por las zonas afectadas.
Miguel Alemán El principal problema resultado de la lluvia se presenta en las redes de drenaje pluvial y sanitario, dijo López Moreno. Durante un recorrido por colonias, el munícipe acompañado de personal de Obras Públicas, Comapa, Servicios Primarios, Protección Civil y Seguridad Pública y Vialidad,
dijo que “luego de la valoración de los daños (…) se repararán todas las afectaciones”. En la colonia Lucha Social se presentó un deslave que provocó el agua sobre el Colector Marginal, el cual aún no entraba en operación. López Moreno dijo que la reparación de los daños iniciará hasta que disminuya la humedad, pues muchos sectores se siguen hundiendo a caso de las condiciones del suelo. En casos como en la calle Manuel Hinojosa y Octava ocurrió un deslave mayor a grado tal de que se necesitarán grandes cantidades de tierra para rellenar ese lugar, pues es por donde baja toda el agua de la ciudad hacía el arroyo “El Buey”. “Estamos trabajando muy duro en esto, tenemos colapsado todo el drenaje, pero estamos seguros que lo vamos a solucionar pronto, pues tenemos todo el apoyo del gobernador para salir adelante con estos daños
que nos han dejado las lluvias”, dijo López. En la Colonia Solidaridad, hubo deslaves que se registraron en el barranco, donde se procedió a reforzarlo para evitar que siga el deslave por el agua.
Ciudad Mier Por su parte, Mancias Hinojosa, acompañado por personal de la Secretaría del Ayuntamiento, Obras Públicas y de Protección Civil, visitó zonas afectadas por caída de árboles, deslave de calles empedradas, afectación en carpeta asfáltica, inundaciones en calles bajas, afectaciones a parques y jardines. El domingo 24 de agosto hubo necesidad de abrir el albergue temporal (Club de Leones Fundadores) en el cual fueron albergadas 5 familias que estaban en zonas de riesgo de inundación.
Inicia operaciones nueva clínica IMSS Por MIGUEL TIMOSHENKOV LAREDO MORNING TIMES
NUEVO LAREDO — Abrió para servicio la nueva Clínica # 76 del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, al poniente de la ciudad, en la Colonia La Fe, sin protocolo ó inauguración. La clínica tiene previsto atender a unos 48 afiliados al IMSS y evitará que estos se tengan que desplazar del oeste al sector centro para recibir servicio médico, pero también podrá atender a pacientes de la región cercana a esta ciudad. Jesús Azuara Rebordea, jefe delegación de Prestaciones Médicas en Tamaulipas, dijo que los servicios médicos se irán incrementando de acuerdo a las necesidades. Con 135 trabajadores (93 por ciento del total de las plazas laborales), la clínica tendrá atención de primer nivel en medicina familiar y estomatología, cirugías endoscopios, hemodiálisis, quimioterapia y ra-
dioterapia. El equipo de trabajo lo integran 28 médicos familiares, 15 especialistas en distintas áreas, un grupo de enfermería integrado por 50 elementos, además de asistentes médicos, personal de intendencia, conservación y auxiliares universales de oficina. Desde hace aproximadamente 20 años el sector privado y de gobierno pedían se construyera esta clínica al poniente. Fue el legislador estatal José Manuel Abdala y de la Fuente quien siendo congresista federal promovió en México y con el expresidente Vicente Fox la construcción de esta clínica que ahora es una realidad. En el primer día de labores el Abdala, el jefe de gobierno, Ramón Garza Barrios y el delegado regional del IMSS, Jesús Nader Nasrallah, acompañados del director interino Dr. Alberto Gloria Rodríguez, recorrieron las instalaciones y constataron lo avanzado de la tecnología con
ZAPATA — El Representante Ryan Guillen, a través de un comunicado de prensa, anunció que al Condado de Zapata se le otorgó un subsidio del Rural Techonology Center, por la cantidad de 1,500.000 dólares, para el centro Zapata County Advanced Technology. “Esta fue una de las piezas claves de mi agenda legislativa en la 80va Sesión Legislativa”, comentó Guillen en el comunicado. “La Senadora Estatal Judith Zaffirini y yo trabajamos juntos para aprobar la H.B. 2235, la cual ordenó a la Office of Rural Community Affairs para colocar el programa de subsidio para pagar por centros tecnológicos en condados de 125,000 ó menos habitantes”. Se prevee que el centro de tecnología rural haga más sencillo para estudiantes del Condado de Zapata trabajar hacia sus especialidades, y quizá les ayude a concluir toda su carrera en algunos campos, señala el comunicado. Guillen asegura que el beneficio para el condado es debido a que el centro bringa el necesario acceso a internet a las familias que de otra manera estaríansin esto, y ofrece cursos sin-crédito para residentes y dueños de negocios en temas como literatura computacional. Guillen también destacó el apoyo y dedicación de la Juez del Condado de Zapata, Rosalva Guerra y los Comisionados del Condado, Jose Emilio Vela, Norberto Garza, Joseph Rathmell y Gabreal Villarreal, en el logro.
Habrá evento de apoyo al campo ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE LAREDO
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Nuevo Laredo
El presidente municipal Ramón Garza Barrios observa el equipo de la nueva clínica 76 del Seguro Social al poniente de Nuevo Laredo, el jueves. que fueron dotadas. El servicio en la clínica será de lunes a viernes de 8 a.m. a 8 p.m., con urgencias las 24 horas. A diferencia de la otra clínica del IMSS en Nuevo Laredo, el
edificio cuenta con servicio de Atención Médica Ambulatoria. (Puede localizar a Miguel Timoshenkov llamando al (956) 728-2583 o escribiendo a timo1@lmtonline.com)
MIGUEL ALEMÁN — Durante los festejos por el LVIII Aniversario de la Emancipación Política de Miguel Alemán, los productores pecuarios del municipio tendrán la oportunidad de adquirir sementales bovinos en el evento de “Mejoramiento Genético” dentro del programa de Apoyos para el Campo 2008. El jefe de gobierno, Servando López Moreno, exhortó a todos los productores pecuarios a inscribirse con tiempo para aprovechar las bondades de este evento. La Secretaría de Desarrollo Rural está invitando directamente a cada uno de los productores de ganado del municipio, a fin de que puedan adquirir sementales bovinos ahorrándose desde un 40 hasta un 70 por ciento del costo real. El evento de “Mejoramiento Genético” se realizará el 10 de octubre en las instalaciones de la Asociación Ganadera Local, en el poblado Los Guerra.
Zbusiness
SATURDAY,AUGUST30,2008
Stocks down on personal income data By TIM PARADIS ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Wall Street tumbled Friday after the government said personal incomes fell last month by the largest amount in nearly three years while consumer spending slowed. The Dow Jones industrial average more than 170 points, while a disappointing profit report from computer maker Dell Inc. weighed on the technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index. Meanwhile, investors charted the path of Hurricane Gustav as it heads toward the Gulf of Mexico and its oil rigs and refineries. Wall Street’s retreat following the downbeat news about consumers also comes after several days of sizable gains in stocks and on the final session before the long Labor Day weekend. Pre-holiday trading is generally light and some pullback was to be expected. Still, investors were uneasy after the Commerce Department
“My biggest concern with the income data is that we’re getting off to a weak start to the third quarter.” ECONOMIST ROBERT DYE
reported that personal incomes fell by 0.7 percent in July — well beyond the drop of 0.1 percent that analysts polled by Thomson/IFR had predicted. As expected, the government also said consumer spending rose a modest 0.2 percent. That was below the 0.6 percent increase seen in June and, accounting for rising prices, spending fell by 0.4 percent in July. Wall Street has been concerned about Americans’ ability to help the economy grow, as high prices for gas and food have strapped many household budgets. “My biggest concern with the income data is that we’re getting
off to a weak start to the third quarter,” said Robert Dye, senior economist at PNC Financial Services Group. “The income numbers are a reminder that the economy is going to look worse before it gets better.” The Dow fell 171.63, or 1.47 percent, to 11,543.55. The blue chips began trading Friday having logged a three-day advance of nearly 330 points. Broader stock indicators also lost ground. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 17.85, or 1.37 percent, to 1,282.83. The Nasdaq fell 44.12, or 1.83 percent, to 2,367.52. The week’s trading was again
marked by volatility. After tumbling Monday on worries about the credit markets and finishing mixed Tuesday, stocks rose Wednesday and Thursday. Those moves perhaps belied the quiet surrounding some trading posts. While readings on the overall economy as well as consumer confidence and demand for big-ticket manufactured goods were better than expected, trading was light all week. This prompted some observers to dismiss the market’s moves as aberrations. Declining issues outnumbered advancers Friday by nearly 2 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume came to a weak 3.14 billion shares, compared with 3.73 billion Thursday. For the week, Dow and the S&P 500 each fell 0.73 percent and the Nasdaq fell 1.95 percent. And in August, the Dow rose 1.45 percent, the S&P 500 gained 1.22 percent and the Nasdaq added 1.80 percent.
Gas prices up as Gustav threatens refineries By STEVENSON JACOBS ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Retail gas prices swung higher Friday — the first increase in 43 days — as analysts warned that a direct hit on U.S. energy infrastructure by Hurricane Gustav could send pump prices hurtling toward $5 a gallon. Meanwhile, oil prices ended the day slightly lower, falling for a second straight session. But prices fluctuated sharply as some traders feared supply disruptions and others bet the government will release supplies from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve if Gustav wreaks
havoc in the Gulf of Mexico area — home to a quarter of U.S. crude supplies and 40 percent of refining capacity. Gustav, which regained hurricane strength Friday, was spinning away from Jamaica on a course toward Gulf Coast states including Louisiana — three years to the day since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the state and tore up oil rigs and refineries. Fears of another monster storm have sent wholesale gasoline prices shooting up in the Gulf region, forcing filling stations to pass on the costs by raising pump prices ahead of Labor Day weekend. A gallon of regular gasoline jumped about
a penny overnight to a national average of $3.669, according to auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express. That’s the first increase since prices peaked at an average $4.114 a gallon on July 17, an alltime high. Jeff Rubin, chief economist at investment bank CIBC World Markets, said that record could be shattered if Gustav seriously disrupts offshore energy production. In 2005, pump prices jumped from slightly more than $2 a gallon to above $3 after Katrina and Hurricane Rita destroyed more than 100 oil platforms and damaged several refineries.
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9A
Financial snapshot
Alleged sham contract nails man ASSOCIATED PRESS
EL PASO — The FBI arrested a former El Paso school board member recently indicted on eight counts, including mail and wire fraud charges, a federal prosecutor announced Friday. Salvador “Sal” Marcos Mena Jr. was accused of scheming
with others to bilk the El Paso school district and district residents out of money by setting up a sham consulting contract, according to the indictment. In addition to mail and wire fraud, he is charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, deprivation of right to honest services and making false statements to obtain credit.
The Zapata Times SATURDAY,AUGUST30,2008
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors Hawks win season opener, 34-13 LAREDO MORNING TIMES
The Zapata Hawks began their quest in district 32-3A with a predistrict 34-13 victory over Palm View Friday night. The visiting Hawks unleashed a rushing attack spearheaded by George Gutierrez, who finished the night with three touchdowns to go alongside 87 rushing yards. New quarterback Meliton Trejo led the Hawks in rushing with 108 yards on 16 carries. Through the air he collected 69 yards, connecting on four of his six passes. Sergio Quintanilla rushed for
76 yards on 13 carries and scored Zapata’s opening score with a three yard run. Anthony Grove capped the scoring for the Hawks, braking a 57-yard td run in the fourth quarter. Nati Vasquez was good on four of his five extra-point attempts. The Hawks were in control from the get-go piling up 21 points in the first quarter. Twelve of those first quarter points came via the legs of George Gutierrez, who had three and a 13yard scoring runs. Palm View’s Jonathan Gonza-
lez broke free for a 43-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, the ensuing extra-point was missed. The Hawks took the 21-6 lead in the half. Gonzalez struck once more for Palm View in the third quarter with a two-yard scamper. This time Palm View knocked in the PAT and got within eight points at 21-13. The Hawks closed the book on Palm View in the fourth with two rushing touchdowns. The first a 57-yard run by Grove and the second an exclamatory three-yarder by Gutierrez.
Federer sweeps at U.S. Open By BEN WALKER ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Roger Federer flicked a final winner, trotted to the net and started to shake hands. Then, there was one last challenge. Playfully, Thiago Alves called for a replay review. So the man trying for his fifth straight U.S. Open title and an overmatched qualifier shared a laugh, watching together as the giant scoreboards above Arthur Ashe Stadium confirmed the call: The ball landed squarely on the line, Federer had won 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 Friday. Federer swept a guy ranked 137th, someone who spent this year in the minors and was play-
AT THE TOP OF THE HEAP
ing his first tour-level event of the season. Still, it was hardly a breeze. “The depth in men’s tennis is immense,” Federer said. On the women’s side, it’s shaping up as even more of a scramble. A day after No. 1 Ana Ivanovic lost to 188th-ranked Julie Coin, third-seeded Svetlana Kutznetsova became the latest upset victim when Katarina Srebotnik beat her 6-3, 6-7 (1), 6-3. “It can happen with everyone,” said Olympic champion Elena Dementieva, who moved into the fourth round. Novak Djokovic, Jelena Jankovic and Nikolay Davydenko also won during the day. In night matches delayed
more than an hour by rain, No. 12 Marion Bartoli defeated No. 23 Lindsay Davenport 6-1, 7-6 (3), and No. 15 Patty Schnyder beat Magdalena Rybarikova 7-6 (4), 6-4. Also, former Open champion Marat Safin lost to No. 15 Tommy Robredo, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-0. Eighth-seeded Andy Roddick played Ernests Gulbis later. Federer is down to his last chance to win a Grand Slam this year, part of a tough season that saw him lose his No. 1 ranking to Rafael Nadal. Though they well could meet in this final, Federer has not tracked his nemesis through the tournament and didn’t watch Nadal wrap up his match Thursday night in straight sets.
Rain washes out U. South scrimmage By KEITH MARTIN THE ZAPATA TIMES
With one scrimmage left on the schedule, Coach Mario Arce had one last opportunity to put the right players in place before the start of the 2008 football season. But that didn’t happen. As the rain continued to fall across the county, the Hawks’ last scheduled scrimmage against Laredo United South had to be canceled. “Because of the bad weather and the rain, we were not able to play in our last scrimmage,” Arce said. “And because of that, my coaches and I weren’t able to evaluate our players in game-like situations. So now we’re hoping that
all the right people are in place for the start of the season. “And on top of that, we’re playing against a brand new high school in La Joya, La Joya Palm View. This is the first year for their football program, and that makes it a little hard for us to prepare our players for the game.” But it’s clear to see that the Hawks are hungry for another shot at winning the district title and the playoffs. Arce and his staff have put in many hours of practice and meetings. The Hawks do have a long road ahead of them this year, being in a new district. The Hawks beat Palm View here last night, 34-13.
Spurs’ Ginobili says he needs surgery on ankle By ELIZABETH WHITE Courtesy Photo
The Zapata varsity girls cross country team won first place at the Fifth Annual South Texas Stampede cross country meet last weekend. Shown in no particular order are Michelle Garcia (captain), Maritza Garcia, Amber Guzman, Kristy Garcia, Alba Jasso and Nana Ramirez.
Hawks stampede past tough competition By KEITH MARTIN THE ZAPATA TIMES
he Zapata Hawks boys and girls cross country teams competed in the fifth annual South Texas Stampede, which took place Aug. 23 in Zapata. The meet was one of just four such events in Texas over the weekend. Dark, heavy clouds threatened to spoil the meet, which was held despite the eight inches of rain that fell. “Come rain, sleet or hail, there isn’t anything that will keep my team from doing what they love, and that’s running,” Zapata Coach Luis Escamilla said. “I’m also very proud of the job that my guys have been doing since we started our summer workouts this past June. They’re improving tremen-
T
dously from week to week, and I have very high expectations from them this year.” The Hawk varsity girls, led by Michelle Garcia, captured the team title. Other team members include Maritza Garcia, Amber Guzman, Kristy Garcia, Alba Jasso and Nana Ramirez. The varsity boys team placed second behind last year’s state qualifying team, the Progresso Red Ants. Raul Serna, a returning state qualifier, led the boys with a third-place finish. Other team members include Danny Garcia, Keith Cobb, Horacio Vela, Juan Alvarado, Chino Olvera and OJ Quintanilla. In the junior varsity division, the boys won, while the girls placed second. Other schools that attended the meet were Carrizo Springs, Hebbronville, Pro-
gresso, San Diego, St. Augustine and Rio Grande. But being in a new district this year isn’t going to be easy for the Hawks. Meet winner Progresso, which is in Zapata’s district, also won the district last year. The school also advanced to both regional and state and returns three runners from last year. But tough competition is what Escamilla says is good for his team. “Having a team like Progresso in our district will … help our team,” he said. “I have all the confidence in the world in the team that I have. They’re running smart, and they love what they do.” The Hawks will be at Round Rock next week, with trips to Corpus Christi and the Valley in weeks to come. The district meet will be Monday, Oct. 27.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili says he needs arthroscopic surgery to repair a ligament injury in his left ankle. “They’re going to operate on me,” the 31-year-old told Argentina’s La Nacion newspaper Friday. Ginobili, who helped lead Argentina to a bronze medal in the Beijing Olympics, said an MRI of the injury showed no improvement from a previous exam. “It’s the same as it was two months ago, when they did the first exam,” he said. “It’s not worse, which is important. Now, the thing is, it’s not better either, and it seems like the only way to repair it completely is arthroscopic surgery.”
Ginobili will have surgery next week in Los Angeles, said a person close to Ginobili who wanted to remain anonymous because the Spurs have not yet announced the surgery. A Spurs spokesman told The Associated Press the team has no comment. The injury hobbled Ginobili during the NBA playoffs, particularly during the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, when his signature explosiveness was visibly absent. Ginobili led the Spurs in scoring last season and won the league’s sixth man award. At the end of the season in late May, Ginobili had an injection in the ankle and said he expected it to improve quickly. Ginobili wore
See SPURS | PAGE 2B
Calm before the season for Cowboys By STEPHEN HAWKINS ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Sharon M. Steinman/Fort Worth Star-Telegram | AP
Minnesota Vikings running back Maurice Hicks (43) leaps over a tackle attempt by Dallas Cowboys cornerback Mike Jenkins (31) during the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game Thursday, in Irving.
IRVING — With Super Bowl expectations, bigname players sporting matching egos and a lot cameras filming almost everything for a reality TV show, there was plenty of potential for the Dallas Cowboys’ preseason to turn into a circus. Remember, it all started with training camp not far Hollywood, celebrities dropping by to watch “America’s Team” and five-time NBA champion Magic Johnson providing a pep talk for the season in the middle of a practice. Imagine then the surprising comment by Stephen Jones, the team’s vice president and owner’s son, “It’s been uneventful, hasn’t it?” For all the drama that could have been, the focus remained on the field instead of the possible distractions: Adam “Pacman” Jones, who was fully reinstated Thursday from his NFL suspension to play in the regular season. The spotlight-loving and popcorn-munching Terrell Owens. The ongoing romance between Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson. Any number of other potential sideshows. Coming off a 13-win season that ended again with-
out a playoff victory, the Cowboys appear to be putting all their energy into taking care of that unfinished business. “That’s just the mentality of this team this year,” Owens said. “We obviously didn’t finish the season the way we wanted to last year. This is another opportunity, another year, to erase those negative thoughts.” Tight end Jason Witten, with Owens among the 13 Pro Bowl players back from last season, said coach Wade Phillips set the tone by what he told players when they reported to California for training camp last month. “He said it the first day, ‘It’s going to be a little bit of a circus with a lot going on. But check your egos at the door, come in here and come to work,’” Witten said. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how well it has gone. ... For the most part, everybody knows what we have going, the perception of who we are. We’re eager to get out on the field.” Jones has stayed out of trouble since being traded to Dallas from Tennessee in April. The cornerbackkick returner was allowed to start practicing with the Cowboys in June, but commissioner Roger Goodell didn’t give Jones full clearance until Friday, the day of the final preseason game.
See COWBOYS | PAGE 2B
Zscores National League All Times EDT East Division W L Pct GB New York Philadelphia Florida Atlanta Washington
74 73 68 59 49
60 62 66 75 85
.552 — .541 1½ .507 6 .440 15 .366 25
Central Division W L Pct GB Chicago Milwaukee St. Louis Houston Cincinnati Pittsburgh
85 77 74 68 58 57
50 56 60 66 76 76
.630 — .579 7 .552 10½ .507 16½ .433 26½ .429 27
West Division W L Pct GB Arizona Los Angeles Colorado San Francisco San Diego
68 65 63 59 51
65 69 72 74 82
.511 — .485 3½ .467 6 .444 9 .383 17
Thursday’s Games Houston 3, Cincinnati 2 Atlanta 4, Florida 2 Washington 11, L.A. Dodgers 2 Chicago Cubs 6, Philadelphia 4 Friday’s Games Chicago Cubs 3, Philadelphia 2 Milwaukee at Pittsburgh, 7:05 p.m. N.Y. Mets at Florida, 7:10 p.m. San Francisco at Cincinnati, 7:10 p.m. Atlanta at Washington, 7:35 p.m. St. Louis at Houston, 8:05 p.m. L.A. Dodgers at Arizona, 9:40 p.m. Colorado at San Diego, 10:05 p.m. Saturday’s Games Philadelphia (Myers 7-10) at Chicago Cubs (Lilly 13-7), 3:55 p.m. Milwaukee (Suppan 9-7) at Pittsburgh (Maholm 8-7), 7:05 p.m. St. Louis (Looper 12-10) at Houston (Moehler 9-5), 7:05 p.m. N.Y. Mets (Pelfrey 13-8) at Florida (Nolasco 13-7), 7:10 p.m. Atlanta (J.Reyes 3-10) at Washington (Bergmann 2-10), 7:10 p.m. San Francisco (Correia 3-7) at Cincinnati (R.Ramirez 0-0), 7:10 p.m. L.A. Dodgers (Billingsley 12-10) at Arizona (Haren 14-6), 8:10 p.m. Colorado (Jimenez 9-11) at San Diego (Greer 0-0), 10:05 p.m. Sunday’s Games San Francisco at Cincinnati, 12:35 p.m. N.Y. Mets at Florida, 1:10 p.m. Atlanta at Washington, 1:35 p.m. Milwaukee at Pittsburgh, 1:35 p.m. St. Louis at Houston, 2:05 p.m. Philadelphia at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 p.m. Colorado at San Diego, 4:05 p.m. L.A. Dodgers at Arizona, 8:05 p.m.
American League All Times EDT East Division W L Pct GB Tampa Bay Boston New York Toronto Baltimore
81 77 71 68 63
51 56 62 65 70
.614 .579 .534 .511 .474
— 4½ 10½ 13½ 18½
Central Division W L Pct GB Chicago Minnesota Cleveland Detroit Kansas City
76 75 65 64 56
57 59 67 69 77
.571 — .560 1½ .492 10½ .481 12 .421 20
West Division W L Pct GB Los Angeles Texas Oakland Seattle
81 66 62 50
52 69 72 83
.609 — .489 16 .463 19½ .376 31
Thursday’s Games N.Y. Yankees 3, Boston 2 Tampa Bay 3, Toronto 2 Oakland 3, Minnesota 2 L.A. Angels 7, Texas 5 Friday’s Games Toronto at N.Y. Yankees, 7:05 p.m. Chicago White Sox at Boston, 7:05 p.m. Kansas City at Detroit, 7:05 p.m. Seattle at Cleveland, 7:05 p.m. Baltimore at Tampa Bay, 7:10 p.m. Minnesota at Oakland, 10:05 p.m. Texas at L.A. Angels, 10:05 p.m. Saturday’s Games Toronto (Parrish 1-0) at N.Y. Yankees (Rasner 5-9), 1:05 p.m. Seattle (Washburn 5-14) at Cleveland (Reyes 2-1), 3:55 p.m. Baltimore (D.Cabrera 8-8) at Tampa Bay (Sonnanstine 13-6), 3:55 p.m. Chicago White Sox (Buehrle 11-10) at Boston (Pauley 0-0), 7:05 p.m. Kansas City (Duckworth 1-0) at Detroit (Rogers 9-11), 7:05 p.m. Minnesota (Liriano 4-3) at Oakland (Braden 4-3), 9:05 p.m. Texas (Feldman 5-5) at L.A. Angels (Jer.Weaver 10-10), 9:05 p.m. Sunday’s Games Toronto at N.Y. Yankees, 1:05 p.m. Kansas City at Detroit, 1:05 p.m. Seattle at Cleveland, 1:05 p.m. Chicago White Sox at Boston, 1:35 p.m. Baltimore at Tampa Bay, 1:40 p.m. Texas at L.A. Angels, 3:35 p.m. Minnesota at Oakland, 4:05 p.m.
MLB leaders
NATIONAL LEAGUE
BATTING—CJones, Atlanta, .359; Pujols, St. Louis, .357; Holliday, Colorado, .340; Berkman, Houston, .333; CaLee, Houston, .314; Theriot, Chicago, .311; YMolina, St. Louis, .311. RUNS—Berkman, Houston, 100; HRamirez, Florida, 98; Holliday, Colorado, 95; JReyes, New York, 95; DWright, New York, 93; Beltran, New York, 92; Utley, Philadelphia, 90; Ludwick, St. Louis, 90. RBI—Howard, Philadelphia, 112; DWright, New York, 100; CaLee, Houston, 100; ArRamirez, Chicago, 99; Ludwick, St. Louis, 97; Berkman, Houston, 93; Delgado, New York, 93. HITS—JReyes, New York, 174; Holliday, Colorado, 156; Berkman, Houston, 156; DLee, Chicago, 155; Theriot, Chicago, 154; Pujols, St. Louis, 153; Atkins, Colorado, 152. DOUBLES—Berkman, Houston, 41; McLouth, Pittsburgh, 39; Hart, Milwaukee, 39; Young, Arizona, 38; DWright, New York, 37; Kemp, Los Angeles, 36; ArRamirez, Chicago, 36. TRIPLES—JReyes, New York, 16; FLewis, San Francisco, 11; SDrew, Arizona, 9; Rollins, Philadelphia, 9; Victorino, Philadelphia, 7; BPhillips, Cincinnati, 7; Braun, Milwaukee, 6; Loney, Los Angeles, 6; CJackson, Arizona, 6; Weeks, Milwaukee, 6. HOME RUNS—Howard, Philadelphia, 36; Dunn, Arizona, 34; Braun, Milwaukee, 33; Ludwick, St. Louis, 32; Utley, Philadelphia, 31; Burrell,
Philadelphia, 30; Delgado, New York, 30. STOLEN BASES—Taveras, Colorado, 61; JReyes, New York, 43; Pierre, Los Angeles, 38; Rollins, Philadelphia, 36; Bourn, Houston, 34; Kemp, Los Angeles, 29; HRamirez, Florida, 29; Victorino, Philadelphia, 29. PITCHING (14 Decisions)—Lincecum, San Francisco, 15-3, .833, 2.43; Webb, Arizona, 19-5, .792, 2.96; Volquez, Cincinnati, 15-5, .750, 2.80; Dempster, Chicago, 15-5, .750, 2.95; Zambrano, Chicago, 13-5, .722, 3.53; Haren, Arizona, 14-6, .700, 3.10; Wellemeyer, St. Louis, 11-5, .687, 3.87. STRIKEOUTS—Lincecum, San Francisco, 210; Billingsley, Los Angeles, 171; Haren, Arizona, 171; Hamels, Philadelphia, 168; Cain, San Francisco, 161; Dempster, Chicago, 160; JSantana, New York, 159. SAVES—BWilson, San Francisco, 36; Valverde, Houston, 35; Lidge, Philadelphia, 31; Gregg, Florida, 29; KWood, Chicago, 28; BWagner, New York, 27; Hoffman, San Diego, 27. AMERICAN LEAGUE BATTING—Bradley, Texas, .322; Kinsler, Texas, .319; Pedroia, Boston, .317; Mauer, Minnesota, .317; Youkilis, Boston, .316; Polanco, Detroit, .312; ISuzuki, Seattle, .311; Damon, New York, .311. RUNS—Kinsler, Texas, 102; Pedroia, Boston, 101; Markakis, Baltimore, 95; Quentin, Chicago, 95; BRoberts, Baltimore, 92; Granderson, Detroit, 88; Peralta, Cleveland, 86; ARodriguez, New York, 86. RBI—Hamilton, Texas, 116; Morneau, Minnesota, 103; Quentin, Chicago, 100; MiCabrera, Detroit, 100; Mora, Baltimore, 97; Huff, Baltimore, 94; Youkilis, Boston, 91. HITS—Pedroia, Boston, 174; ISuzuki, Seattle, 174; Kinsler, Texas, 165; JoLopez, Seattle, 158; BRoberts, Baltimore, 157; MiYoung, Texas, 157; Morneau, Minnesota, 156; Ibanez, Seattle, 156. DOUBLES—BRoberts, Baltimore, 46; Kinsler, Texas, 41; Markakis, Baltimore, 40; Pedroia, Boston, 40; Rios, Toronto, 40; Huff, Baltimore, 40; Ibanez, Seattle, 39. TRIPLES—Granderson, Detroit, 10; Crawford, Tampa Bay, 10; BRoberts, Baltimore, 8; Inglett, Toronto, 7; AJones, Baltimore, 6; Rios, Toronto, 6; ISuzuki, Seattle, 6. HOME RUNS—Quentin, Chicago, 36; Dye, Chicago, 32; Sizemore, Cleveland, 31; Hamilton, Texas, 29; Huff, Baltimore, 29; MiCabrera, Detroit, 28; ARodriguez, New York, 28; Thome, Chicago, 28. STOLEN BASES—Ellsbury, Boston, 41; ISuzuki, Seattle, 39; Upton, Tampa Bay, 38; Sizemore, Cleveland, 34; BRoberts, Baltimore, 33; Rios, Toronto, 30; CaGomez, Minnesota, 27. PITCHING (14 Decisions)—CLee, Cleveland, 19-2, .905, 2.43; Matsuzaka, Boston, 15-2, .882, 2.98; Perkins, Minnesota, 12-3, .800, 3.96; Galarraga, Detroit, 12-4, .750, 3.20; ESantana, Los Angeles, 13-5, .722, 3.41; Lester, Boston, 12-5, .706, 3.41; GFloyd, Chicago, 14-6, .700, 3.70. STRIKEOUTS—Burnett, Toronto, 185; ESantana, Los Angeles, 176; Halladay, Toronto, 175; JVazquez, Chicago, 163; Greinke, Kansas City, 151; FHernandez, Seattle, 147; CLee, Cleveland, 145; Beckett, Boston, 145. SAVES—FRodriguez, Los Angeles, 51; Nathan, Minnesota, 36; Papelbon, Boston, 34; Soria, Kansas City, 33; Sherrill, Baltimore, 31; MRivera, New York, 31; Percival, Tampa Bay, 27.
College Football Schedule All Times EDT Saturday, Aug. 30 EAST Coastal Carolina at Penn St., Noon Bowling Green at Pittsburgh, Noon Monmouth, N.J. at Rhode Island, 1 p.m. Towson at Navy, 3:30 p.m. Villanova at West Virginia, 3:30 p.m. Bryant at Cent. Connecticut St., 5 p.m. Albany, N.Y. at Massachusetts, 6 p.m. Assumption at Sacred Heart, 6 p.m. Colgate at Stony Brook, 6 p.m. SOUTH Virginia Tech at East Carolina, Noon Hawaii at Florida, 12:30 p.m. Georgia Southern at Georgia, 12:30 p.m. Birmingham-Southern at Campbell, 1 p.m. Southern Cal at Virginia, 3:30 p.m. Delaware at Maryland, 3:45 p.m. Tulsa at UAB, 4 p.m. Illinois St. at Marshall, 4:30 p.m. Appalachian St. at LSU, 5 p.m. SE Louisiana at Alcorn St., 6 p.m. Alabama St. at Florida A&M, 6 p.m. Texas College at MVSU, 6 p.m. Johnson C. Smith at N. Carolina A&T, 6 p.m. Virginia St. at Norfolk St., 6 p.m. McNeese St. at North Carolina, 6 p.m. S. Carolina St. at UCF, 6 p.m. Mississippi St. at Louisiana Tech, 6:45 p.m. Tennessee St. at Alabama A&M, 7 p.m. Louisiana-Monroe at Auburn, 7 p.m. James Madison at Duke, 7 p.m. Richmond at Elon, 7 p.m. North Greenville at Liberty, 7 p.m. Memphis at Mississippi, 7 p.m. Texas A&M Commerce at Northwestern St., 7 p.m. Jacksonville at Savannah St., 7 p.m. Tenn.-Martin at South Florida, 7 p.m. Louisiana-Lafayette at Southern Miss., 7 p.m. Webber International at The Citadel, 7 p.m. Presbyterian at Wofford, 7 p.m. Mars Hill at Furman, 7:05 p.m. Alabama at Clemson, 8 p.m. MIDWEST W. Kentucky at Indiana, Noon Maine at Iowa, Noon Syracuse at Northwestern, Noon
SATURDAY,AUGUST30,2008
Youngstown St. at Ohio St., Noon Akron at Wisconsin, Noon Utah at Michigan, 3:30 p.m. Fla. International at Kansas, 7 p.m. N. Illinois at Minnesota, 7 p.m. W. Michigan at Nebraska, 7 p.m. North Texas at Kansas St., 7:05 p.m. Boston College at Kent St., 7:30 p.m. St. Ambrose at South Dakota, 8 p.m. Illinois vs. Missouri at St. Louis, 8:30 p.m. SOUTHWEST Florida Atlantic at Texas, 7 p.m. Ark.-Monticello at Ark.-Pine Bluff, 7 p.m. W. Illinois at Arkansas, 7 p.m. Southern U. at Houston, 7 p.m. Chattanooga at Oklahoma, 7 p.m. Langston at Stephen F.Austin, 7 p.m. Arkansas St. at Texas A&M, 7 p.m. Angelo St. at Texas St., 7 p.m. E. Washington at Texas Tech, 7 p.m. Texas Southern vs. Prairie View at Houston, 8 p.m. FAR WEST S. Utah at Air Force, 2 p.m. Ohio at Wyoming, 2 p.m. Adams St. at Montana St., 3:05 p.m. Oklahoma St. at Washington St., 3:30 p.m. W. Oregon at Portland St., 4:05 p.m. N. Iowa at BYU, 6 p.m. TCU at New Mexico, 6 p.m. Idaho St. at Boise St., 8 p.m. Michigan St. at California, 8 p.m. UC Davis at San Jose St., 8 p.m. Grambling St. at Nevada, 9:05 p.m. Humboldt St. at Sacramento St., 9:05 p.m. Cal Poly at San Diego St., 9:30 p.m. Idaho at Arizona, 10 p.m. N. Arizona at Arizona St., 10 p.m. Washington at Oregon, 10 p.m. Utah St. at UNLV, 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31 SOUTH Jackson St. at Hampton, 2 p.m. Kentucky at Louisville, 3:30 p.m. Fayetteville St. at N.C. Central, 4 p.m. MIDWEST Dayton at Central St., Ohio, 5 p.m. FAR WEST Colorado St. vs. Colorado at Denver, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 1 EAST Fresno St. at Rutgers, 4:30 p.m. FAR WEST Tennessee at UCLA, 8 p.m.
CONCACAF Champions League At A Glance PRELIMINARY ROUND First Leg Tuesday, Aug. 26 Joe Public (Trindad) 2, New England (United States) 1 Tauro FC (Panama) 2, Chivas USA (United States) 0 Cruz Azul (Mexico) 6, Hankook Verdes (Belize) 0 Wednesday, Aug. 27 Montreal Impact (Canada) 1, Real Esteli (Nicaragua) 0 Alajuelense (Costa Rica) 1, Puerto Rico Islanders 1 Isidro Metapan (El Salvador) 2, Marathon (Honduras) 2, tie Thursday, Aug. 28 Harbour View (Jamaica) vs. Pumas UNAM (Mexico), ppd., hurricane Jalapa (Guatemala) 1, San Francisco FC (Panama) 0 Friday, Aug. 29 Harbour View (Jamaica) vs. Pumas UNAM (Mexico), ppd., hurricane Thursday, Sept. 4 Harbour View (Jamaica) vs. Pumas UNAM (Mexico) Second Leg Tuesday, Sept. 2 New England (United States) vs. Joe Public (Trinidad) Chivas USA (United States) vs. Tauro FC (Panama) Real Esteli (Nicaragua) vs. Montreal Impact (Canada) Wednesday, Sept. 3 Puerto Rico Islanders vs. Alajuelense (Costa Rica) Hankook Verdes (Belize) vs. Cruz Azul (Mexico) Marathon (Honduras) vs. Isidro Metapan (El Salvador) Thursday, Sept. 4 San Francisco FC (Panama) vs. Jalapa (Guatemala) Pumas UNAM (Mexico) vs. Harbour View (Jamaica) GROUP STAGE Group A Team GP W D L GF GA Pts DC United (USA) 0 0 Saprissa (CRC) 0 0 Cruz Azul-Hankook0 0 Metapan-Marathon0 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 0 0 0
0
0
0
0 0
0
0
0
0 0
Tuesday, Sept. 16 D.C. United (United States) vs. Saprissa (Costa Rica) Wednesday, Sept. 17 Isirdo Metapan-Marathon winner vs. Cruz Azul-Hankook Verdes winner Tuesday, Sept. 23 Cruz Azul-Hankook Verdes winner vs. Saprissa (Costa Rica) Wednesday, Sept. 24 Isirdo Metapan-Marathon winner vs. D.C. United (United States) Tuesday, Sept. 30 Saprissa (Costa Rica) vs. Isirdo Metapan-Marathon winner Wednesday, Oct. 1 D.C. United (United States) vs. Cruz Azul-Hankook Verdes winner Tuesday, Oct. 7 Cruz Azul-Hankook Verdes winner vs. Isirdo Metapan-Marathon winner Thursday, Oct. 9 Saprissa (Costa Rica) vs. D.C. United (United States) Tuesday, Oct. 21 Cruz Azul-Hankook Verdes winner
vs. D.C. United (United States) Thursday, Oct. 23 Isirdo Metapan-Marathon winner vs. Saprissa (Costa Rica) Tuesday, Oct. 29 D.C. United (United States) vs. Isirdo Metapan-Marathon winner Saprissa (Costa Rica) vs. Cruz Azul-Hankook Verdes winner Group B Team GP W D L GF GA Pts Houston (USA) 0 Firpo (Slv) 0 Jalapa-San Fran 0 Harbour-Pumas 0
0 0
0
0
0 0
0 0
0
0
0 0
0 0
0
0
0 0
0 0
0
0
0 0
Tuesday, Sept. 16 Jalapa-San Francisco winner vs. Harbour View-Pumas winner Wednesday, Sept. 17 Houston (United States) vs. Firpo (El Salvador) Tuesday, Sept. 23 Jalapa-San Francisco winner vs. Houston (United States) Wednesday, Sept. 24 Harbour View-Pumas winner vs. Firpo (El Salvador) Tuesday, Sept. 30 Harbour View-Pumas winner vs. Houston (United States) Thursday, Oct. 2 Firpo (El Salvador) vs. Jalapa-San Francisco winner Wednesday, Oct. 8 Houston (United States) vs. JalapaSan Francisco winner Thursday, Oct. 9 Firpo (El Salvador) vs. Habour View-Pumas winner Wednesday, Oct. 22 Houston (United States) vs. Habour View-Pumas winner Jalapa-San Francisco winner vs. Firpo (El Salvador) Tuesday, Oct. 28 Firpo (El Salvador) vs. Houston (United States) Habour View-Pumas winner vs. Jalapa-San Francisco winner Group C Team GP W D L GF GA Pts Atlante (Mex) 0 0 0 Olimpia (Hon) 0 0 0 J.Public-New England 0 0 0 Canada-Real Esteli0 0 0
0
0
0
0
0 0 0 0
0
0
0 0
0
0
0 0
Wednesday, Sept. 17 Canada-Real Esteli winner vs. Joe Public-New England winner Thursday, Sept. 18 Atlante (Mexico) vs. Olimpia or Marathon Wednesday, Sept. 24 Joe Public-New England winner vs. Olimpia or Marathon Canada-Real Esteli winner vs. Atlante (Mexico) Tuesday, Sept. 30 Atlante (Mexico) vs. Joe PublicNew England winner Thursday, Oct. 2 Olimpia or Marathon vs. CanadaReal Esteli winner Wednesday, Oct. 8 Joe Public-New England winner vs. Canada-Real Esteli winner Olimpia (Honduras) vs. Atlante (Mexico) Tuesday, Oct. 21 Canada-Real Esteli winner vs. Olimpia (Honduras) Joe Public-New England winner vs. Atlante (Mexico) Tuesday, Oct. 28 Olimpia (Honduras) vs. Joe PublicNew England winner Atlante (Mexico) vs. Canada-Real Esteli winner Group D Team GP W D L GF GA Pts Santos (Mex) 0 0 0 Municipal (Gua) 0 0 0 Alajuelense-PR Island0 0 0 Chivas USA-Tauro 0 0 0
0
0
0
0
0 0 0 0
0
0
0 0
0
0
0 0
Tuesday, Sept. 16 Alajuelense-Puerto Rico winner vs. Chivas USA-Tauro winner Wednesday, Sept. 17 Santos (Mexico) vs. Municipal (Guatemala) Tuesday, Sept. 23 Chivas USA-Tauro winner vs. Municipal (Guatemala) Thursday, Sept. 25 Alajuelense-Puerto Rico winner vs. Santos (Mexico) Wednesday, Oct. 1 Municipal (Guatemala) vs. Alajuelense-Puerto Rico winner Chivas USA-Tauro winner vs. Santos (Mexico) Tuesday, Oct. 7 Municipal (Guatemala) vs. Chivas USA-Tauro winner Wednesday, Oct. 8 Santos (Mexico) vs. AlajuelensePuerto Rico winner Wednesday, Oct. 22 Santos (Mexico) vs. Chivas USATauro winner Thursday, Oct. 23 Alajuelense-Puerto Rico winner vs. Municipal (Guatemala) Tuesday, Oct. 29 Chivas USA-Tauro winner vs. Alajuelense-Puerto Rico winner Wednesday, Oct. 30 Municipal (Guatemala) vs. Santos (Mexico) QUARTERFINALS First Leg Tuesday, Feb. 24-Thursday, Feb. 26 Pairings TBD Second Leg Tuesday, March 3-Thursday March 5 Pairings TBD SEMIFINALS First Leg Tuesday, March 17-Thursday, March 19 Pairings TBD Second Leg Tuesday, April 7-Thursday, April 9 Pairings TBD FINALS First Leg Tuesday, April 21-Thursday, April 23 Semifinal winners Second Leg Tuesday, April 28-Thursday, April 30 Semifinal winners
European Champions League All Times EDT FIRST ROUND Top two teams in each group ad vance Third-place teams advance to UEFA Cup (Home teams listed first) GROUP A GP W D L GFGA PTS Bordeaux 0 Chelsea 0 CFR Cluj 0 AS Roma 0
0 0
0
0
0 0
0
0
0 0 0 0
0 0
0
0
0 0
0 0
0
0
0 0
Tuesday, Sept. 16 Chelsea (England) vs. Bordeaux (France), 2:45 p.m. AS Roma (Italy) vs. CFR Cluj (Romania), 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1 Bordeaux vs. AS Roma, 2:45 p.m. CFR Cluj vs. Chelsea, 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22 Bordeaux vs. CFR Cluj, 2:45 p.m. Chelsea vs. AS Roma, 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4 CFR Cluj vs. Bordeaux, 2:45 p.m. AS Roma vs. Chelsea, 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26 Bordeaux vs. Chelsea, 2:45 p.m. CFR Cluj vs. AS Roma, 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9 Chelsea vs. CFR Cluj, 2:45 p.m. AS Roma vs. Bordeaux, 2:45 p.m. GROUP B GP W D L GFGA PTS Anorthis 0 Inter Milan 0 Panathinaikos 0 Werder Bremen 0
0 0
0
0
0 0
0
0
0 0 0 0
0 0
0
0
0 0
0 0
0
0
0 0
Tuesday, Sept. 16 Panathinaikos (Greece) vs. Inter Milan (Italy), 2:45 p.m. Werder Bremen (Germany) vs. Anorthosis Famagusta (Cyprus), 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1 Anorthosis Famagusta vs. Panathinaikos, 2:45 p.m. Inter Milan vs. Werder Bremen, 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22 Inter Milan vs. Anorthosis Famagusta, 2:45 p.m. Panathinaikos vs. Werder Bremen, 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4 Anorthosis Famagusta vs. Inter Milan, 2:45 p.m. Werder Bremen vs. Panathinaikos, 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26 Anorthosis Famagusta vs. Werder Bremen, 2:45 p.m. Inter Milan vs. Panathinaikos, 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9 Panathinaikos vs. Anorthosis Famagusta, 2:45 p.m. Werder Bremen vs. Inter Milan, 2:45 p.m. GROUP C GP W D L GFGA PTS Barcelona 0 Basel 0 Shakhtar Donetsk 0 Sporting Lisbon 0
0 0
0
0
0 0
0
0
0 0 0 0
0 0
0
0
0 0
0 0
0
0
0 0
Tuesday, Sept. 16 Barcelona (Spain) vs. Sporting Lisbon (Portugal), 2:45 p.m. Basel (Switzerland) vs. Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine), 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1 Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Barcelona, 2:45 p.m. Sporting Lisbon vs. Basel, 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22 Basel vs. Barcelona, 2:45 p.m. Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Sporting Lisbon, 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4 Barcelona vs. Basel, 2:45 p.m. Sporting Lisbon vs. Shakhtar Donetsk, 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26 Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Basel, 2:45 p.m. Sporting Lisbon vs. Barcelona, 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9 Barcelona vs. Shakhtar Donetsk, 2:45 p.m. Basel vs. Sporting Lisbon, 2:45 p.m.
Friday’s European Cups (Home teams listed first) European Super Cup At Monte Carlo, Monaco Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia) 2, Manchester United (England) 1
UEFA Cup Draw MONTE CARLO, Monaco (AP) — Draw Friday for the 2008-09 UEFA Cup (home teams for first leg listed first): First Round First leg Sept. 18, second leg Oct. 2 APOEL Nicosia (Cyprus) vs. Schalke (Germany) Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands) vs. Borac (Serbia) Austria Vienna (Austria) vs. Lech Poznan (Poland) Banik Ostrava (Czech Republic) vs. Spartak Moscow (Russia) Bellinzona (Switzerland) vs. Galatasaray (Turkey) Borussia Dortmund (Germany) vs. Udinese (Italy) Braga (Portugal) vs. Artmedia Petrzalka (Slovakia) Brann (Norway) vs. Deportivo La Coruna (Spain) Brondby (Denmark) vs. Rosenborg (Norway) Cherno More Varna (Bulgaria) vs. Stuttgart (Germany) Copenhagen (Denmark) vs. Moscow (Russia) Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) vs. Sparta Prague (Czech Republic) Everton (England) vs. Standard Liege (Belgium) Feyenoord (Netherlands) vs. Kalmar (Sweden) Hamburg (Germany) vs. Unirea Valahorum Urziceni (Romania)
Hapoel Tel-Aviv (Israel) vs. Saint Etienne (France) Hertha Berlin (Germany) vs. St. Patricks (Ireland) Kayserispor (Turkey) vs. Paris Saint-Germain (France) Litex Lovech (Bulgaria) vs. Aston Villa (England) MSK Zilina (Slovakia) vs. Levski Sofia (Bulgaria) Manchester City (England) vs. Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus) Maritimo (Portugal) vs. Valencia (Spain) Metalist Kharkiv (Ukraine) vs. Besiktas (Turkey) AC Milan (Italy) vs. Zurich (Switzerland) NEC Breda (Netherlands) vs. Dinamo Bucharest (Romania) Nancy (France) vs. Motherwell (Scotland) Napoli (Italy) vs. Benfica (Portugal) Nordsjaelland (Denmark) vs. Olympiakos (Greece) Politehnica Timisoara (Romania) vs. Partizan Belgrade (Serbia) Portsmouth (England) vs. Guimaraes (Portugal) Racing Santander (Spain) vs. Honka Espoo (Finland) Rennes (France) vs. Twente (Netherlands) Sampdoria (Italy) vs. Kaunas (Lithuania) Sevilla (Spain) vs. Salzburg (Austria) Slaven Koprivnica (Croatia) vs. CSKA Moscow (Russia) Slavia Prague (Czech Republic) vs. Vaslui (Romania) Tottenham (England) vs. Wisla Krakow (Poland) Vitoria Setubal (Portugal) vs. Heerenveen (Netherlands) Wolfsburg (Germany) vs. Rapid Bucharest (Romania) Young Boys Berne (Switzerland) vs. Club Brugge (Belgium)
U.S. Open At The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center New York Purse: $20.657 million Surface: Hard-Outdoor Singles Men Second Round Fernando Gonzalez (11), Chile, def. Bobby Reynolds, U.S., 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-4. Nikolay Davydenko (5), Russia, def. Agustin Calleri, Argentina, 6-4, 64, 7-6 (2). Dmitry Tursunov (26), Russia, def. Victor Hanescu, Romania, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. Jarkko Nieminen, Finland, def. Ivo Minar, Czech Republic, 6-7 (2), 3-6, 64, 6-3, 6-2. Gilles Muller, Luxembourg, def. Tommy Haas, Germany, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-3. Roger Federer (2), Switzerland, def. Thiago Alves, Brazil, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4. Marin Cilic (30), Croatia, def. Robby Ginepri, U.S., 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5. Nicolas Almagro (18), Spain, def. Sam Warburg, U.S., 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Igor Andreev (23), Russia, def. Jeremy Chardy, France, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-3. Novak Djokovic (3), Serbia, def. Robert Kendrick, U.S., 7-6 (8), 6-4, 6-4. Fernando Verdasco (13), Spain, def. Rui Machado, Portugal, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-0. Women Third Round Jelena Jankovic (2), Serbia, def. Zheng Jie, China, 7-5, 7-5. Li Na, China, def. Ekaterina Makarova, Russia, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. Elena Dementieva (5), Russia, def. Anne Keothavong, Britain, 6-3, 6-4. Katarina Srebotnik (28), Slovenia, def. Svetlana Kuznetsova (3), Russia, 6-3, 6-7 (1), 6-3. Caroline Wozniacki (21), Denmark, def. Victoria Azarenka (14), Belarus, 6-4, 6-4. Sybille Bammer (29), Austria, def. Tatiana Perebiynis, Ukraine, 6-3, 6-0. Doubles Men Second Round Rik de Voest, South Africa/Ashley Fisher, Australia, def. Pablo Cuevas, Uruguay/Luis Horna (12), Peru, 7-6 (3), 6-2. Lukas Dlouhy, Czech Republic/Leander Paes (7), India, def. Eduardo Schwank, Argentina/Potito Starace, Italy, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. Marcelo Melo/Andre Sa (15), Brazil, def. Jurgen Melzer, Austria/Rainer Schuettler, Germany, 6-3, 7-6 (0). Maximo Gonzalez/Juan Monaco, Argentina, def. Amer Delic/Alex Kuznetsov, U.S., 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. Mahesh Bhupathi, India/Mark Knowles (4), Bahamas, def. Yves Allegro, Switzerland/Horia Tecau, Romania, 6-3, 6-3. Martin Damm/Pavel Vizner (11), Czech Republic, def. Michael McClune/Kaes Van’t Hof, U.S., 6-0, 6-0. Christopher Kas/Philipp Petzschner, Germany, def. Jonas Bjorkman, Sweden/Kevin Ullyett (5), Zimbabwe, 6-7 (2), 6-1, 7-6 (3). Daniel Nestor, Canada/Nenad Zimonjic (1), Serbia, def. Ross Hutchins/Andy Murray, Britain, 7-5, 36, 7-6 (2). Women Second Round Janette Husarova, Slovakia/Peng Shuai (11), China, def. Liga Dekmeijere, Latvia/Tsvetana Pironkova, Bulgaria, 7-5, 6-1. Julie Ditty/Carly Gullickson, U.S., def. Tathiana Garbin, Italy/Tamira Paszek, Austria, 7-5, 6-4. Klaudia Jans/Alicja Rosolska, Poland, def. Sorana Cirstea/Monica Niculescu, Romania, 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-2. Stephanie Foretz/Camille Pin, France, def. Tracy Lin/Riza Zalameda, U.S., 6-3, 6-3. Tatiana Poutchek, Belarus/Anastasia Rodionova, Australia, def. Nuria Llagostera Vives/Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (14), Spain, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Dominika Cibulkova, Slovakia/Virginie Razzano, France, def. Iveta Benesova, Czech Republic/Galina Voskoboeva (12), Russia, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
2B
SPORT SHORTS Casa Blanca Open for Labor Day Casa Blanca Golf Course will be open on Labor Day (Monday) from 7 a.m.–7 p.m.
Laredo Adult Baseball League Team and individual registration for the Laredo Adult Baseball League will start Monday. There are three divisions: Major/Open (young adults up to 34 year olds), Veterans (35-47 year olds) and Masters (48-years plus). For more information, contact Marco Escamilla at 333-9005 or Jesse Montemayor at 333-6935. (5). Marina Erakovic, New Zealand/Jelena Kostanic Tosic, Croatia, def. Maria Elena Camerin, Italy/Gisela Dulko, Argentina, 6-4, 6-3. Cara Black, Zimbabwe/Liezel Huber (1), U.S., def. Lucie Hradecka/Renata Voracova, Czech Republic, 6-4, 61. Mixed First Round Rennae Stubbs, Australia/Robert Lindstedt, Sweden, def. Nathalie Dechy, France/Andy Ram (8), Israel, 6-4, 6-4. Flavia Pennetta, Italy/Dusan Vemic, Serbia, def. Janette Husarova, Slovakia/Jeff Coetzee, South Africa, 6-1, 6-1. Elena Vesnina, Russia/Mariusz Fyrstenberg, Poland, def. Yan Zi, China/Mark Knowles (7), Bahamas, 7-6 (7), 2-3, retired. Jill Craybas/Eric Butorac, U.S., def. Ai Sugiyama, Japan/Kevin Ullyett (3), Zimbabwe, 6-4, 6-4. Nadia Petrova, Russia/Jonas Bjorkman, Sweden, def. Anna Chakvetadze, Russia/Max Mirnyi, Belarus, 6-3, 6-1.
Transactions BASEBALL Major League Baseball MLB—Suspended New York Yankees minor league RHP Justo Arias and LHP Rafael Martinez and Chicago Cubs minor league RHP Jhon Rodriguez for 50 games each for testing positive for banned substances. The suspensions will be effective at the start of next season. American League BOSTON RED SOX—Placed RHP Josh Beckett on the 15-day DL, retroactive to August 18. Placed 1B Sean Casey on the 15-day DL, retroactive to August 20. Purchased the contract of C David Ross from Pawtucket (IL). Transferred SS Julio Lugo from the 15- to the 60-day DL. CLEVELAND INDIANS—Activated C Victor Martinez from the 15-day DL. Designated INF Andy Gonzalez for assignment. National League ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS—Activated OF Justin Upton from the 15day DL. Recalled RHP Max Scherzer from Tucson (PCL). Optioned OF Alex Romero and RHP Leo Rosales to Tucson. ATLANTA BRAVES—Added RHP Elmer Dessens to the 25-man roster. Optioned RHP Charlie Morton to Richmond (IL). SAN DIEGO PADRES—Placed OF Scott Hairston on the 15-day DL. Recalled RHP Cla Meredith from Portland (PCL). Purchased the contracts of RHP Josh Geer and OF Will Venable from Portland. Sent RHP Josh Banks outright to Portland. Announced LHP Wil Ledezma has been claimed off outright waivers by Arizona. WASHINGTON NATIONALS—Sent RHP Brian Sanches and RHP Chris Schroder outright to Columbus (IL). American Association SHREVEPORT SPORTS—Traded INF Ron Fenwick to Lancaster (Atlantic) for a player to be named. Can-Am League NEW JERSEY JACKALS—Released INF David Urias. QUEBEC CAPITALES—Released RHP Gabe Ribas. Eastern League
TRENTON THUNDER—Announced RHP Victor Zambrano was assigned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (IL) and that LHP Zach Kroenke was assigned to the team from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Golden League CALGARY VIPERS—Agreed to terms with OF Richard Austin and 1B-OF Kit Pellow. ST. GEORGE ROADRUNNERS— Agreed to terms with C Kyle Wells and RHP Kevin Cooper. Northern League KANSAS CITY T-BONES—Released LHP Chris Shaver. BASKETBALL National Basketball Association NEW YORK KNICKS—Acquired F Patrick Ewing Jr. from Houston for the draft rights to C Frederic Weis. FOOTBALL National Football League CAROLINA PANTHERS—Acquired QB Josh McCown from Miami for an undisclosed draft pick. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS—Released T Steve Fifita, OL Jimmy Martin, CB Jeff Shoate and TE Jonathan Stupar. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS—Placed WR Adrian Arrington on injured reserve. Terminated the contract of S Lance Schulters. Waived DE Jeremy Geathers, TE Ronnie Ghent, DE Marcus Pittman, S David Roach, G Isaiah Ross and T Brian Stamper. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES—Released WR Bam Childress, CB Therrian Fontenot, CB Nick Graham, WR Jamal Jones, S Marcus Paschal, OL Stefan Rodgers and LB Pago Tagofau. Waived/injured RB Ryan Moats. ST. LOUIS RAMS—Released WR Marques Hagans, S Jerome Carter, WR Matt Caddell, TE Nick Cleaver, CB Tanard Davis, CB Cortney Grixby, LB Marcus Riley, C Donovan Raiola, DT Henry Smith and DT Willie Williams. HOCKEY National Hockey League COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS— Signed F Maksim Mayorov. LACROSSE National Lacrosse League CALGARY ROUGHNECKS— Signed D Brad McDonald to a oneyear contract. SAN JOSE STEALTH—Traded G Anthony Cosmo to Chicago for G Matt Roik and a 2008 first-round draft pick. Traded D Paul Dawson to Boston for F Peter Veltman. SOCCER Major League Soccer NEW YORK RED BULLS—Signed F Sainey Touray to a developmental contract. Moved MF Sinisa Ubiparipovic to the senior roster. COLLEGE METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC CONFERENCE—Named Chris Herring administrative fellow for championships, Alison Adamski administrative fellow for compliance and Christian Arnold administrative fellow for marketing. BARUCH—Named Temi Arijeloye women’s assistant cross country coach. LYCOMING—Named Erica Brown women’s lacrosse coach and Dan Lazorka softball coach. N.J. CITY—Named John Ricca men’s assistant soccer coach. PRINCETON—Named Steve Dolan men’s cross country coach. TRINITY, TEXAS—Named Butch Newman director of tennis and Ryan
SP U RS | Continued from Page 1B a walking boot for several weeks starting in June after an MRI showed a ligament to be five times the size of the one in his other foot. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had urged Ginobili not to compete in the Olympics unless the injury improved. He not only competed in the games, but also carried the flag for Argentina in the opening ceremonies in Beijing. During Argentina’s semifinal game against eventual gold-medal winner United States, Ginobili hobbled off the court during the first quarter after apparently aggravating the injury. He did not play in Argentina’s bronze-medal win over Lithuania. “Aside from this situation, I’m comfortable with the situation,” he said. “My plan was to be part of the Olympic games, and I knew that if I suffered from pain they would have to operate. This isn’t something that took me by surprise.”
C OW B OYS | Continued from Page 1B Even while waiting for the ruling on whether he would be allowed to play this season, some of the biggest suspense surrounding Jones during camp really had nothing to do with off-field problems that plagued his past and led to the suspension that caused him to miss all of last season with the Titans. Instead, the uncertainty was over whether “Pacman” could field another punt while already cradling five footballs. (He did, though he said he’s caught eight before). Owens is content with a new contract that pushed his deal through 2011 rather than expiring after this season. The 34-yearold receiver who desperately wants a Super Bowl title also talks often about his good relationships with “Coach Wade” — who calls Owens by his name rather than referring to him as “the player”
like the previous coach — and Romo, who has thrown him 25 touchdown passes the past two seasons since replacing Drew Bledsoe at quarterback. While Romo spent much of the offseason working on different throwing techniques, the two-time Pro Bowler still has become as much a staple in entertainment magazines and Web sites as in sports ones because of his starlet girlfriend. The sometimes sensational coverage of his personal life, which Romo generally doesn’t talk about, helps him keep things in perspective. “People’s perceptions, they roll with that stuff over and over and you just have to try and keep a level head about it all,” Romo said. “But for us, we don’t add to it. We don’t all talk about whatever happened in Adam Jones’ past or critique his lifestyle, or Terrell
Owens and what he’s wearing, even though it’s exotic and crazy sometimes. “We play a game and we enjoy it,” Romo said. “We just talk about that sometimes. It helps.” Part of their conversation is how to make up for the missed opportunity last season, when after matching a team record with 13 victories and earning the NFC’s top seed, Dallas didn’t win a playoff game. The Cowboys have now gone 12 seasons since their last Super Bowl championship, 11 without winning a game in the postseason. It actually took an earthquake to shake things up during training camp, but even that measured as only a minor tremor. The lack of drama and intrigue among the players probably isn’t exactly what HBO executives had in mind when they decided to highlight the Cowboys again on
their “Hard Knocks” series. Those cameras will be gone and the final episode of the series will air before the Sept. 7 season opener at Cleveland. “Everybody has done a great job as far as interacting when they need to with the cameras, but at the same time, when it’s time to focus on football, then we’re playing football,” Owens said. They have done an even better job of maintaining a determined calm about what they need to do on the field. “We handled things well when we had a lot of odd games and Dallas Cowboys-type games last year,” Phillips said. “They handled that well and going into it last year we had a lot of high expectations, maybe not from everybody, but from us. We’re going through the same thing.” After breaking camp in California and spending a week in
Denver, the Cowboys returned home, where nearly 25,000 people showed up at Texas Stadium to watch the team go through a midweek practice without pads. There is always plenty of attention on the Cowboys, whom Phillips often refers to as a bunch of “characters with character.” It is also a veteran group that knows what it has to do now. “Wade wants you go be who
you are, wants your personality to show,” Witten said. “But the team’s got to be first and I think everybody’s bought into that. We’ve got something to prove. “The most impressive thing for me is being able to put last year behind us and move forward because none of that matters now,” he said. “It’s a new season.” And so far, a surprisingly calm one.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2008
THE ZAPATA TIMES | 3B
HINTS BY HELOISE Dear Readers: Bringing a FISH into your home is no less of a responsibility than having a cat or dog. Whether it is a $2 guppy or a $10 angelfish, it deserves the same quality of care, regardless of the price tag. It would be wise to invest in an HELOISE aquarium book to learn about the proper care of the fish you are going to buy. It is important to learn how big your fish will get before purchasing an aquarium. Quite often, pet owners have fish that become aggressive because they have grown too large for their aquarium. If you have multiple species, be sure to find out if they are passive or aggressive, and do not mix the two. Only introduce fish that are compatible with each other. A fast-growing fish will need a larger aquarium than a fish that remains small. — Heloise
HOROSCOPES | BY FRANCIS DRAKE ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Think about ways to improve your job and your attitude toward your work. Think about ways to improve your health. (That’s what to do with today’s New Moon.) TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You love the finer things in life. This is the best day all year for you to scrutinize the kind of balance you have between play and pleasure versus work, obligations and responsibilities. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Are you happy with your home environment? Are you happy with your family relationships? What can you do to improve your domestic life? CANCER (June 21 to July 22) No man is an island. Communication with others is important. What can you do to improve your style of communicating with others, especially relatives and siblings? LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22) You’re the last of the big-time spenders. What can you do to boost your earnings and reduce your debt? Think about this today.
VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22) Today is the only New Moon that occurs in your sign all year. What can you do to improve your appearance and create a better first impression when others meet you? LIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22) We all have a spiritual side, whether we acknowledge it to ourselves and others or not. This is a good day to think about what you believe in to guide your choices in life. SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) Do you hang out with quality people? Do you like your friends? Your friends influence your mind, and your mind makes your choices about the future. That’s why friends are important! SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21) Others notice you today. However, for you, it’s the perfect day to think about how you can improve your relationships with authority figures — parents, teachers and bosses. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19) What can you do to improve your education or your training for your job? You’re never too old to continue learning.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18) Each New Moon is the perfect time to make resolutions to improve something. How can you improve your debt scene? What can you do to reduce your debt? PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20) Think of ways to improve your closest friendships and partnerships? Remember: In a successful relationship, you must be as good for your partner as he or she is for you. YOU BORN TODAY You’re reliable. No matter what imaginative flights of fancy you pursue, your feet are on the ground. You’re excellent with money, and you’re a good organizer. You know how to take care of yourself and your loved ones. During this year, you’ll make an important decision, which will lead to building or constructing something next year. Birthdate of: Warren Buffett, billionaire/philanthropist; Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, novelist; Cameron Diaz, actress.
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4B | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2008