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BORDER LIFE
River crossing challenges Lawmen work to keep drugs, people from being smuggled into US By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ LAREDO MORNING TIMES
Thick brush and mesquites scratch a Zapata County sheriff ’s Tahoe as it’s driven downriver along the border banks north of the town of Zapata. Once there, Sgt. Israel Alaniz pulls out an assault rifle, his preferred weapon when patrolling near the river. He begins walking the
brush on a hot afternoon. Dodging carrizo and brush is challenging. A misstep could cause someone to fall and get scratched. But that doesn’t hinder trafficking. Throughout the riverbanks, paths and trails used by smugglers to bring across people or narcotics can be seen in the area. As Alaniz walks along a bank area known as Tejon Ranch, north of La Perla,
assorted clothing and inner tubes used by crossers are left behind. Deputies have slashed tubes in the past to make sure no one uses them again. Only a stretch of the Rio Grande separates Mexico from Zapata County. Once on U.S. soil, smugglers have better chances of reaching U.S. 83. Alaniz said most of the human and drug trafficking activity occurs north of the town of Zapata
and the San Ygnacio area, where smugglers take advantage of the walking distance — sometimes a quarter of a mile or less — to reach the highway. In an area known to authorities as “Gravel Pit Road,” an island is seen on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande. Its water is sometimes so shallow, it allows smug-
See ZAPATA PAGE 10A
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Zapata jail detention officer quits Deputies: Man was driving drunk when he struck four vehicles By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A Zapata Regional Jail detention officer resigned this week after being arrested for striking four stationary vehicles while driving drunk, sheriff ’s officials say. At about 3:38 a.m. Aug. 26, Zapata County sheriff ’s deputies responded to a hit-and-run accident at Martinez Apartments in the 300 block of Glenn Street. Sgt. Israel Alaniz Jr. noticed how a domino effect had taken place affecting four vehicles — an Expedition, a BMW, a Ford F-150 King Ranch and a Ford EsDAVILA cape. No one was harmed at the wreck scene. Alaniz said witnesses stated the driver, later identi-
Photos by Ulysses S. Romero | The Zapata Times
THE ZAPATA TIMES
ANIMALS TAKE THE RING AT CIRCUS
The Zapata County Commissioners Court met Monday in special session to discuss the proposed tax rate for 2011-2012. Commissioners took no action. “It was procedural,” said County Judge Joseph Rathmell. “We were there about 10 minutes,” he said. “Before we decide on anything, we’re going to meet again
ABOVE: A tiger trainer controls five tigers as part of the Alzafar Shrine Circus’s early showing at the Zapata Rodeo grounds Wednesday afternoon. LEFT: A trainer has a dog jump an obstacle as part of the Alzafar Shrine Circus’s early showing at the Zapata Rodeo grounds Wednesday afternoon.
See RESIGNED PAGE 10A
COMMISSIONERS
Court takes no action on new tax rate By MIKE HERRERA IV
See TAXES PAGE 9A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2011
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, SEPT. 3
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A book sale will be held in the Widener Room of the First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave., from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The public is invited, and admission is free. Donated books and magazines are accepted. Call 722-1674 for more information.
MONDAY, SEPT. 5 This Labor Day weekend, the Laredo Chamber of Commerce will be hosting “one of South Texas’ best golf tournaments” today from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Laredo Country Club! Call the Laredo Chamber of Commerce at 722-9895 for information.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 6 Les Amis will have its monthly luncheon at 11:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn at 800 Garden St. Honorees are Viola Garcia, Lydia Linares, Frances Madison and Olga Hovel. Hostesses are Oralia Laurel, Leonor (Noni) Daves and Mary Perez.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 10 H.E.A.L., the second annual fitness festival, is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at Laredo North Central Park, 10202 International Blvd. The festival will include activities for people of all ages, including zumba, spinning and relay races. Well-known chefs will demonstrate healthy cooking. Healthy food will be sold. For more information, call 794-1760 or www.laredoheal.org. The Environmental Medicine and Toxicology Conference will be held from 8:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. today at the UTHSCSA Laredo Regional campus, 1937 E. Bustamante St. The conference is free for medical doctors, registered nurses, doctors of osteopathy, licensed vocational nurses, social workers, students and any other allied health care workers. For more information, call the Area Health Education Center office at 712-0037 or Rodolfo at the South Texas Environmental Education and Research office at 7537418.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 18 The first day of the two-day South Texas Archery Shootout takes place today. This will be a 3D pop-up tournament. For more information or to register, call Gil Gamez at 512-4264255.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 19 The second day of the two-day South Texas Archery Shootout takes place today.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 21 The 18th Annual Logistics and Manufacturing Association’s Symposium will be taking place today, tomorrow and Friday at Texas A&M International University. The theme, entitled “Mexico’s Top Manufacturing and Consuming Regions Utilizing Port Laredo,” will focus on the ability for transportation and communications infrastructure, port and border administration, market access, and the overall business environment to govern a port’s ability to become a leader in facilitating global supply chains. For more information, contact info@ldfonline.org.
FRIDAY, OCT 7 The first day of the three-day Bass Champs tournament takes place today. For more information or to register, call 817-439-3274 or check the website at www.basschamps.com.
Photo by LM Otero | AP
In this photo made Wednesday, a brush fire truck drives in an area destroyed by a wildfire at Possum Kingdom Lake. Two massive wildfires in four months have turned much of a picturesque North Texas lakeside community into heaps of rubble and blackened tree stumps.
Storm could bring fire By MICHAEL GRACZYK ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — Parched Texans hoping for drought relief from a tropical storm moving slowly through the Gulf of Mexico should prepare for disappointment and even the heightened threat of wildfires parts of the state, experts said Friday. Tropical Storm Lee could dump as much as 20 inches of rain once it makes landfall over Labor Day weekend. But it appeared likely Friday that Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama would bear the full brunt of the storm. Texas is enduring its worst drought since the 1950s, and its farmers and ranchers are desperate for rain. The state endured one of its hottest summers on record, and but three of its 254 counties have banned outdoor burning. It didn’t appear likely Friday that
Lee would bring much relief, and some said the winds it kicks up could actually bring more grief. “I think this one on balance is going to cause more problems than it’s going to solve,” said John Nielsen-Gammon, the Texas state climatologist. Lee “really has most of its punch on the east side,” Maureen Maiuri, a meteorologist at the Houston-based Weather Research Center, said. “There could be a chance we’re not going to get much out of it.” Given the counterclockwise circulation of tropical storms, East Texas would wind up on the dry side of the storm and get buffeted by strong northerly winds exacerbated by a wind-producing cold front also entering the state over the weekend. “The combination of dry, windy and hot adds up to fire,” Neilsen-Gammon said.
Texas regulators hail clean-air surrender
Texas website shuts down after apparent hacking
Teen charged for firing shot on school grounds
AUSTIN — The panel in charge of enforcing state environmental regulations is cheering President Barack Obama’s decision to scrap a tougher clean-air regulation. On Friday, the president yielded to bitter protests from congressional Republicans and business interests who argued the rule would kill jobs in the nation’s sputtering economy.
HOUSTON — The head of a Texas law enforcement group whose website was apparently taken over by the hacker group Anonymous said Friday that the association has taken the site down to evaluate its security. Some police departments around the state that were also the targets of Anonymous confirmed Friday the email accounts of some of their officials had been compromised, but said they believed their departmental servers had not.
MCALLEN — A 16-year-old is in custody on felony gun possession and other charges a day after firing a shot outside his high school after classes ended. McAllen Independent School District spokesman Mark May says the boy fired a pistol shot Thursday, but was quickly taken into custody by school police.
AP Interview: Tough talk from Paul on Perry MANCHESTER, N.H. — Presidential candidate Ron Paul is likening his home state opponent, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, to a “candidate of the week.” Paul, a Texas congressman, a lot has changed in Texas under Perry’s watch — and much of it isn’t good. Paul said Perry could fall just as quickly as he has risen when voters get to know him better.
AMR buying planes back from Eagle spinoff FORT WORTH — AMR Corp. said Friday it has begun buying the planes used by its American Eagle unit, which it is spinning off to AMR shareholders. AMR said in a filing Friday it began buying the 263 planes Wednesday and expects to complete the purchases by Oct. 15.
Mexican policemen cross border into West Texas EL PASO — U.S. Border Patrol agents are investigating an incident in which federal police officers from Mexico crossed into West Texas. Mexican police spokesman Jose Ramon Salinas says officers were responding Thursday to an emergency call about armed men in SUVs firing their guns on the banks of the Rio Grande but retreated when they saw it was hunters. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION
SATURDAY, OCT. 8 The second day of the three-day Bass Champs tournament takes place today. For more information or to register, call 817-439-3274 or check the website at www.basschamps.com.
SUNDAY, OCT. 9 The third day of the three-day Bass Champs tournament takes place today. For more information or to register, call 817-439-3274 or check the website at www.basschamps.com.
FRIDAY, OCT. 28 The first day of the three-day 2011 Pro/Am Event sponsored by the Couples Association of Sport Tournaments fishing tournament takes place today. For more information or to register, call 281-796-7486 or check the website at www.fishcast.com. To submit an item for the calendar, send the name of the event, the date, time, location and contact phone number to editorial@lmtonline.com.
Hiring standstill points to growing recession risk WASHINGTON — Employers added no jobs in August — an alarming setback for the economy that renewed fears of another recession and raised pressure on Washington to end the hiring standstill. Worries flared Friday after the release of the worst jobs report since September 2010. Total payrolls were unchanged, the first time since 1945 that the government reported a net job change of zero. The unemployment rate stayed at 9.1 percent. The dismal news two day before Labor Day sent stocks plunging. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 253 points, or more than 2 percent. Analysts say the economy cannot continue to expand unless hiring picks up. In the first six months of 2011, growth was measured at an annual rate of 0.7 percent.
Today is Saturday, Sept. 3, the 246th day of 2011. There are 119 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Sept. 3, 1861, during the Civil War, Confederate forces invaded the border state of Kentucky, which had declared its neutrality in the conflict; the incursion prompted the legislature to seek assistance from the Union. On this date: In 1189, England’s King Richard I (the Lion-Hearted) was crowned in Westminster Abbey. In 1783, representatives of the United States and Britain signed the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the Revolutionary War. In 1923, the United States and Mexico resumed diplomatic relations. In 1939, Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declared war on Germany, two days after the Nazi invasion of Poland. In 1943, the British Eighth Army invaded Italy during World War II. In 1951, the television soap opera “Search for Tomorrow” made its debut on CBS. In 1971, Qatar became independent of British rule. In 1976, America’s Viking 2 lander touched down on Mars to take the first close-up, color photographs of the planet’s surface. In 1978, Pope John Paul I was formally installed as leader of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1991, Academy Awardwinning director Frank Capra died in La Quinta, Calif., at age 94. Ten years ago: Four days into a world conference against racism, the United States and Israel walked out of the U.N. meeting in Durban, South Africa, accusing Arab nations of hijacking the summit as a platform to embarrass the Jewish state. It was announced that high-tech giant Hewlett-Packard was buying Compaq Computer for about $25 billion. Movie critic Pauline Kael died in Great Barrington, Mass., at age 82. St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bud Smith became the 16th rookie in modern history to throw a no-hitter, shutting down San Diego, 4-0. Five years ago: Authorities announced the capture of alQaida in Iraq’s No. 2 leader (Hamed Jumaa Farid al-Saeedi). Today’s Birthdays: “Beetle Bailey” cartoonist Mort Walker is 88. Actress Anne Jackson is 85. Actress Eileen Brennan is 79. Country singer Tompall Glaser is 78. Actress Pauline Collins is 71. Rock singer-musician Al Jardine is 69. Actress Valerie Perrine is 68. Rock musician Donald Brewer (Grand Funk Railroad) is 63. Rock guitarist Steve Jones (The Sex Pistols) is 56. Actor Steve Schirripa is 54. Actor Holt McCallany is 47. Rock singer-musician Todd Lewis is 46. Actor Charlie Sheen is 46. Singer Jennifer Paige is 38. Actress Ashley Jones is 35. Actress Nichole Hiltz is 33. Actor Nick Wechsler is 33. Actor Garrett Hedlund is 27. Olympic gold medal snowboarder Shaun White is 25. Thought for Today: “In the arts, the critic is the only independent source of information. The rest is advertising.” — Pauline Kael, American movie critic (1919-2001).
CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Business Manager, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 324-1226 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Retail Adv. Manager, Raul Cruz................... 728-2511 Classified Manager, Jesse Vicharreli ........... 728-2525 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Managing Editor, Julie Silva ...................... 728-2565 City Editor, Mary Nell Sanchez .................. 728-2543 Sports Editor, Dennis Silva II......................728-2579 Entertainment Editor, Emilio Rábago III ....... 728-2564 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavín-Castillo............ 728-2569 Photo by Reed Saxon | AP
In this Wednesday photo, some of an estimated 4,000 people wait to enter a job fair in South Los Angeles. Employers stopped adding jobs in August, an alarming setback for an economy that has struggled to grow.
Feds sue biggest US banks over risky mortgages NEW YORK — In a sweeping move, the government on Friday sued 17 financial firms, includ-
ing the largest U.S. banks, for selling Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac billions of dollars worth of mortgage-backed securities that turned toxic when the housing market collapsed. The total price tag: $196 billion. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
Local
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2011
Housing money to aid vets SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
A new $3 million program called Housing4TexasHeroes has been designed to provide temporary and permanent housing to Texas veterans and their families. Grants through the Texas Veterans Commission Fund will be available to organizations that provide housing to veterans who want to buy or repair their homes or to renovate a home to meet special needs caused by service-related disabilities. All eligible organizations
with programs that assist veterans with housing may apply for a grant from the fund. For the grant period, Housing4TexasHeroes will allocate the funds evenly into two program categories: temporary housing and permanent housing. Organizations that provide temporary housing to low income or homeless veterans, or to the dependents of veterans who are undergoing long term treatment at a medical facility in Texas, may qualify for grant funds in the temporary housing catego-
ry. Organizations that provide permanent housing, such as new home construction or housing modification for veterans requiring such modifications due to a physical disability or injury, may qualify for funds in the permanent housing category. The mission of the Texas Veterans Commission is to advocate for and provide superior service to veterans and their families in the areas of claims assistance, employment services, education benefits and grant
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
ON THE RUNWAY IN STYLE
funding. More than 200 counselors in 75 cities provide one-on-one guidance to veterans and their families to ensure they receive all the benefits to which they are entitled. Information outlining the grant objectives, selection criteria and application instructions can be found at http://www.tvc.state.tx.us/ about/current-grant-process-and-form. All grant applications for Housing4TexasHeroes must be received by the Texas Veterans Commission no by 5 p.m. Central Time Sept. 16.
County receives security funds THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata County will receive $151,014 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under Operation Stonegarden, an initiative that funds enhancements to local law enforcement border security operations. Rep. Henry Cuellar said communication among all levels of law enforcement on both sides of the border is vital to protecting U.S. cities neighboring violent cities in the northern states of Mexico, which have been plagued by drug war violence and crime. “We all know what’s happening over there, but the crime rate for the bor-
der is lower than the national average,” Cuellar said. According to a news release from Cuellar’s office, funds from Operation Stonegarden are allocated based on several factors, including threat, vulnerability, miles of border and border-specific law enforcement intelligence. In the 2011 fiscal year, more than $54 million was awarded nationally to 13 border states. Texas received $17.7 million, according to a news release. “Since 2008, Zapata County has received funds totaling $5,346,250,” the news release states. “As a border congress-
man and a member of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, seeing that border communities receive Operation Stonegarden funds, which are appropriated by Congress, is a top priority of mine,” Cuellar said. “These funds will benefit communities in Zapata by supporting and improving law enforcement coordination so that our borders remain secure.” Despite the violence across the border, the congressman said Laredo and other border cities are still safer than most mid-sized U.S. cities. Laredo Sector Border Patrol Chief Robert L. Har-
ris said the security risk can only be lowered if efforts continue to help Mexican counterparts fight cartels. Stonegarden funding has been used to increase staffing, pay overtime and purchase and use SkyWatch cameras, a mobile command center, patrol cars and other tools. The Department of Homeland Security allotted $54.9 million nationally for Operation Stonegarden’s in fiscal year 2011. The grant program has been cut in the last two years from $60 million in 2009 and 2010. The department has been administering the program since 2005.
THE BLOTTER MINOR WITH ALCOHOL Jesse Sanchez was arrested and charged with minor in possession of alcohol at about 2 a.m. Aug. 27 in the intersection of Seventh Street and Villa Avenue in the Medina Addition. Sanchez was taken to the Zapata Regional Jail. Virgil Alfaro, Daniel Flores and Avelardo Javier Hernandez were arrested and charged with minor in possession of alcohol at about 11 p.m. Aug. 27 near Sev-
enth and 10th streets and Juarez Avenue in the Medina Addition. All were taken to the Zapata Regional Jail.
man was taken to the Zapata Regional Jail.
NO DRIVER’S LICENSE
Nahibit Valadez was arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia at approximately 1:30 a.m. Aug. 28 at Aqua Bar, off U.S. 83. She was taken to the Zapata Regional Jail.
Victor Alonso Sanchez was arrested at about 10:45 p.m. Aug. 26 near Fourth Street and Miraflores Avenue in the Medina Addition. Deputies charged him with not having a driver’s license and pulling away unsafe start. The
POSSESSION
PUBLIC INTOXICATION
Saul Zuñiga Trejo was arrested and charged with public intoxication at approximately 3 a.m. Aug. 27 near Fourth and Seventh streets and Zapata Avenue in the Medina Addition. The man was taken to the Zapata Regional Jail. Jose Isabel Leal-Navarro was arrested and charged with public intoxication at about 1:30 a.m. Aug. Monday near U.S. 83 and FM 3169 in San Ygnacio. The man was taken to the Zapata Regional Jail.
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
Triana Gonzalez, 11, of Zapata, was a model in the "Field of Dreams" student style show at Mall del Norte last Sunday. The event was a fundraiser for the Imaginarium of South Texas.
Scholarships aid two graduates SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Two Zapata High School graduates have received $500 scholarships from the Zapata County Retired School Employees. The are Ricardo D. Martinez, son of Jose Luis and Araceli Martinez, and Garret A. Umphres, son of Allen and Melissa S. Umphres. Martinez will enter Texas A&M Kingsville to
RICARDO D. MARTINEZ: In chemical engineering at TAMUK. GARRET A. UMPHRES: Studying business at UT-Pan American. study chemical engineering. Umphres will enter the University of TexasPan American at Edinburg to study business.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2011
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
What can be done about America? T
here’s a specter haunting American politics: national decline. Is America on the way down, and, if so, what can be done about it? The Republicans, and Rick Perry in particular, have a reasonably strong story to tell about decline. America became great, they explain, because its citizens possessed certain vigorous virtues: self-reliance, personal responsibility, industriousness and a passion for freedom. But, over the years, government has grown and undermined these virtues. Wall Street financiers no longer have to behave prudently because they know government will bail them out. Middle-class families no longer have to practice thrift because they know they can use government to force future generations to pay for their retirements. Dads no longer have to marry the women they impregnate because government will step in and provide support. Moreover, a growing government sucked resources away from the most productive parts of the economy — innovators, entrepreneurs and workers — and redirected it to the most politically connected parts. The byzantine tax code and regulatory state has clogged the arteries of American dynamism. The current task, therefore, is, as Rick Perry says, to make the government “inconsequential” in people’s lives — to pare back the state to revive personal responsibility and private initiative. There’s much truth to this narrative. Stable societies are breeding grounds for interest groups. Over time, these interest groups use government to establish sinecures for themselves, which gradually strangle the economy they are built on — like parasitic vines around a tree. Yet as great as the need is to streamline, reform and prune the state, that will not be enough to restore America’s vigorous virtues. This is where current Republican orthodoxy is necessary but insufficient. There are certain tasks ahead that cannot be addressed simply by getting government out of the way. In the first place, there is the need to rebuild America’s human capital. The United States became the wealthiest nation on earth primarily because Americans were the best educated. That advantage has entirely eroded over the past 30 years. It will take an active government to reverse this stagnation — from prenatal and early childhood education straight up through adult technical training and investments in scientific and other research. If government is “inconsequential” in this sphere, then continued American decline is inevitable. Then there are the long-term structural problems plaguing the economy. There’s strong evidence to suggest that the rate of technological innovation has been slowing down. In addition, America is producing fewer business start-
“
DAVID BROOKS
ups. Job creation was dismal even in the seven years before the recession, when taxes were low and Republicans ran the regulatory agencies. As economist Michael Spence has argued, nearly all of the job growth over the past 20 years has been in sectors where American workers don’t have to compete with workers overseas. Meanwhile, middleclass wages have been stagnant for a generation. Inequality is rising, and society is stratifying. Americans are less likely to move in search of opportunity. Social mobility has been flat for decades, and American social mobility is no better than European social mobility. Some of these problems are exacerbated by government regulations and could be eased if government pulled back. But most of them have nothing to do with government and are related to globalization, an aging society, cultural trends and the nature of technological change. Republicans have done almost nothing to grapple with and address these deeper structural problems. Tackling them means shifting America’s economic model — tilting the playing field away from consumption toward production; away from entitlement spending and more toward investment in infrastructure, skills and technology; mitigating those forces that concentrate wealth and nurturing instead a broad-based opportunity society. These shifts cannot be done by government alone, but they can’t be done without leadership from government. Just as the Washington and Lincoln administrations actively nurtured an industrial economy, so some future American administration will have to nurture a globalized producer society. Just as FDR created a welfare model for the 20th century, some future administration will have to actively champion a sustainable welfare model for this one. Finally, there is the problem of the social fabric. Segmented societies do not thrive, nor do ones, like ours, with diminishing social trust. Nanny-state government may have helped undermine personal responsibility and the social fabric, but that doesn’t mean the older habits and arrangements will magically regrow simply by reducing government’s role. For example, there has been a tragic rise in single parenthood, across all ethnic groups, but family structures won’t spontaneously regenerate without some serious activism, from both religious and community groups and government agencies. In short, the current Republican policy of negativism — cut, cut, cut — is not enough. To restore the vigorous virtues, the nanny state will have to be cut back, but the instigator state will have to be built up. That’s the only way to ward off national decline.
COLUMN
Time to reflect on one’s labor O
n Monday, Americans throughout our country observe and celebrate Labor
Day. Labor Day is an opportunity to enjoy a long weekend away from work. And for most of us, it’ll be a time when we look to beat the torrid South Texas heat that has besieged our state. Whether it’s syrup-filled raspas, fruit-flavored paletas, scoops of ice cream or frozen slushes, something will provide a reprieve from the triple-digit temperatures this weekend. And although this is a secular celebration that honors all those who work, Labor Day weekend is also an opportunity for all of us to reflect on the meaning of human work — and specifically our work — in God’s divine plan. In the Bible, God gave the human being the mission to work together with Him in bringing the work of creation to fulfillment.
The dignity of work
“
JAMES TAMAYO
called to serve one another with the love of Christ. What does this mean? It means we love! Amid diversity and difficulty, amid possibility and promise, we serve! And the best example of this is the greatest laborer of all — Jesus Christ. Recall Jesus’ three years of public ministry. During this period, Jesus traveled throughout Judea, Samaria and Galilee preaching, teaching, and caring for the sick and the poor. What about before his public ministry? How did the Son of Man spend the majority of his time during those private years?
Carpenter
This mission shows the dignity of human work and just how central it is in the fulfillment of one’s vocation. Our primary purpose is to try to bring God’s greatest work — the human being — to perfection. Work done well gives the human being the opportunity to cultivate all the physical, intellectual and spiritual potential God has given us. We are to put to good use the talents that God has bestowed upon us for the greater good of all. As the family of God, we are
His fellow Nazarenes knew him as a carpenter following the profession of his foster-father Joseph. Jesus entered into the world of human labor to exalt human work as he prepared to redeem the human being. So great was Jesus’ respect for human labor that in his teachings and parables, he favorably mentions shepherds, farmers, servants, laborers and many more. He compares the work of the Kingdom of God to the manual labor of the sower and of the fishermen.
Jesus called all his listeners, of whatever profession, to be saints. He called some to leave their fishing nets behind to proclaim the Gospel. Jesus calls us to proclaim the Gospel by witnessing to the Good News in our profession and work of manual labor as well as in our family life.
Values Most of us are called to live out our vocations and our missions in the family and in the workplace. Work is not principally about earning a paycheck but about serving and loving others. When work takes on this meaning, and we are strong in our unity by supporting one another despite differences and difficulties, the workplace is evangelized and the Kingdom of God is present in our workplace and home. We must be a family united with one another to reflect the presence and power of God in our midst. How we behave, act and decide as a family of faith is reflected in the core values of faithfulness, respect, joy and unity. I ask that each of you embrace these values with me. I want us to believe in them and to practice them in our homes, at work, in our churches and in all that we do. The fulfillment of our vocation — of God’s mission for us — is that we become saints and bring others to holiness. On this Labor Day weekend, a diligent carpenter from Nazareth greets each of us with calloused hands and asks us to undertake all our labors Todo Con Amor.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The
phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our
readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-call-
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
ing or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
State
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Fighting the wildfire fight Cop website down after hacking try
Special aircraft may help subdue endless flames in drought-stricken state ASSOCIATED PRESS
POSSUM KINGDOM LAKE, Texas — Special aircraft capable of scooping up lake water while in flight will join the fight Friday against a wildfire that has destroyed dozens of homes in a North Texas lakeside community. Three of the twin-engine, amphibious CL-215 aircraft will to be brought in to help firefighters protect against the remnants of a wildfire that has charred 6,200 acres near Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas Forest Service spokesman John Nichols said. The blaze started Tuesday and was about 50 percent contained as of late Thursday night. The fire has destroyed at least 40 homes in this vacation community about 75 miles west of Fort Worth, and comes just four months after a wildfire destroyed 160 homes in the area and burned across hundreds of thousands of acres. Nichols noted that the latest fire was affecting only a small portion of the 18,000-acre lake, particularly The Cliffs Resort on the southern shore. Most of the 310 miles of shoreline were open for Labor Day holiday vacationers, he said. Despite two devastating fires since April in the Possum Kingdom Lake area, locals expect the community to recover soon. While firefighters worked to contain the blaze Thursday, at least one construction crew was hard at work rebuilding a home that had burned down months ago. David Nicklas, Palo Pinto County’s chief executive, said it may take years, but Possum Kingdom Lake area’s once-picturesque beauty will return. “The vast majority will rebuild, and there are opportunities for people who want to buy property from those who don’t want to come back,” Nicklas said. “I think five years from now, this will be just a bad memory.” Ann M. Brown, 46, said she and her husband decided to rebuild their weekend home because they love the area and believe it will recover soon enough. “We really love the people out
By JUAN A. LOZANO ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Paul Moseley/Fort Worth Star-Telegram | AP
A helicopter drops fire retardant on a blaze on the south end of Possum Kingdom Lake on Thursday. Texas Forest Service spokesman John Nichols told The Associated Press that 39 homes have been destroyed by the blaze, which has blackened at least 6,200 acres since Tuesday. there in addition to the beauty,” said Brown, of Dallas. “The beauty is the lake and the limestone cliffs. Fire cannot take that away.” Texas is enduring its most severe drought since the 1950s, with bonedry conditions made worse by weeks of triple-digit temperatures
in many cities. Blazes have destroyed more than 5,470 square miles since mid-November, the typical start of the wildfire season. The season usually wanes in spring but has persisted this year because of unusually hot, dry conditions.
Cornyn wants investment at southern US border By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
HIDALGO — U.S. Sen. John Cornyn renewed the call for a $6 billion investment in the country’s ports of entry to improve security and the efficient flow of job-creating commerce at the U.S.-Mexico border. Cornyn, flanked by elected officials and business leaders from the Rio Grande Valley, also gave a more restrained explanation of spillover violence, which in the past he had described as “real and escalating.” “I think you’d have to draw a very clear line right along the border. And on the north of the border it’s among some of the safest cities and communities in
the nation, including where we’re standing today,” Cornyn said Tuesday under the withering heat at the Hidalgo International Bridge. “I think the American people need to be very clear ... that the border communities themselves on the United States side are very safe.” To maintain that status while allowing the 4.9 million trucks that cross the southern border every year to do so without costly delays, Cornyn proposed adding 5,000 additional Customs and Border Protection officers spread across all U.S. ports of entry. The funding also would allow expansion and modification of existing ports of entry, many of which were not designed for the newer
outbound inspections where officers search for undeclared cash and weapons headed into Mexico. Cornyn said more officers are needed. “It’s a jobs issue; it’s a security issue, but it’s vital to the economy here in the Rio Grande Valley,” he said. Many of Cornyn’s figures echo a 2007 report from the Government Accountability Office, which noted that the agency’s managers at land ports said understaffing contributed to “morale problems, fatigue, lack of backup support and safety issues when officers inspect travelers — increasing the potential that terrorists and inadmissible travelers could enter the country.”
HOUSTON — The head of a Texas law enforcement group whose website was apparently taken over by the hacker group known as Anonymous said Friday that the association has taken the site down to evaluate its security. Some police departments around the state that were also the targets of cyberattacks by Anonymous confirmed Friday the email accounts of some of their officials had been compromised, but said they believed their departmental servers had not. Anonymous appeared to take over the website address of the Texas Police Chiefs Association on Thursday, replacing its home page with one listing more than two dozen Texas law enforcement officials, including police chiefs, whose personal or work email accounts the group said had been hacked. James McLaughlin, the association’s executive director, said the group took its website offline late Thursday night and didn’t know when it would be back up. He said some of those listed were association members and others weren’t. He said their website is password-protected for members, but even then only lists names and contact information. “Technology is great. We just keep doing more and more good things with it and like anything else, more and more bad things come along,” said McLaughlin, who said the association had contacted the FBI. FBI spokeswoman Shauna Dunlap said the agency
is aware of the incident but doesn’t confirm or deny investigations. Investigator Joe Baeza, a spokesman for the Laredo Police Department, confirmed the email account of Jesus Torres, an assistant chief of police, had been hacked. “Since we depend so greatly on technology, we are all susceptible to these types of breaches,” Baeza said. Officer Damon Ing, a spokesman for the Saginaw Police Department in suburban Fort Worth, said the work email of his agency’s police chief had been hacked into. But he said the department’s computer server wasn’t compromised and the hackers didn’t get any critical information. “We’re able to learn from such an attack. (Security procedures) will be reevaluated. But it will not require a dramatic change of our security procedures,” he said. Anonymous said it targeted Texas law enforcement officials, most of whom were from police departments in small cities or school district police agencies, in retaliation for arrests of its supporters and what it sees as harassment of immigrants by authorities in the state. Dozens of arrests linked to the loose-knit international hacking collective have been made in recent weeks, including a crosscountry FBI sting earlier this summer in which 14 alleged cybercriminals were arrested. The claims about the hacking in Texas came as police in Britain arrested two men as part of a trans-Atlantic investigation into the attacks.
PAGE 6A
Zentertainment
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2011
Not much substance to low-fi ‘Apollo 18’ By MICHAEL PHILLIPS CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Lauren Guzman, 21 MISS LAREDO USA Alexander High School, 2008 Daughter of Dr. Octavio and Melissa Guzman
Victoria Bauer, 19 MISS CENTRAL LAREDO Alexander High School, 2010 Daughter of Michael and Denise Bauer
Leslie Widales, 21 MISS CENTRAL WEBB COUNTY Martin High School, 2008 Daughter of Mr. Oscar and Martha Widales
Five locals compete at Miss Texas USA Guzman leads Laredo group to Sunday pageant By EMILIO RÁBAGO III THE ZAPATA TIMES
With about four years of pageant experience, Laredoan Lauren Guzman hopes to make history Sunday when she competes in the Miss Texas USA pageant in Houston. Guzman, 21 and a 2008 graduate of the Alexander High’s Health and Science School, will compete as Miss Laredo USA after winning the local preliminary competition. Just last year, Guzman placed in the Top 5, finishing as third runner-up — it was the same pageant in which Ana Rodriguez, another Laredoan, was crowned Miss Texas USA. For Guzman, who was crowned Miss Texas Teen USA in 2008, the experience, so far, has been “crazy.” That’s because Guzman has been juggling her time between classes at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and preparing for the pageant. She and her mom have been driving back and forth from San Antonio to Houston; this past week, they made three trips. Thursday, they traveled to Houston. “It’s been crazy. It’s a lot of fun. My mom and I have gotten to bond on the road trips,” Guzman told ¿Qué Pasa? on Wednesday. “My whole family is very supportive. “It’s going down to the wire. I have to focus on school, but at the same time, I have to prepare for the pageant.” Winning Miss Teen Texas USA was something special, but Guzman has her sights on winning in the “Miss” category. Her third runner-up finish last year has given Guzman confidence for Sunday. “It was an eye-opening experience. I expected to do well, because I already had some experience at the state level,” she said.
Tricked out ride lands T.I. back in prison ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA — Grammywinning rapper T.I., who was moved to a halfway house this week after months in prison, is locked up again. The Federal Bureau of Prisons website Friday shows the rapper at the Atlanta penitentiary with a release date of Sept. 29. The 30-year-old T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, was released in Arkansas on Wednesday and made the 375-mile trip to Atlanta in a gleaming bus. T.I.’s attorney said there was an issue involving his client’s transportation.
Courtesy photos
Brenda Carrera, 19 MISS GATEWAY CITY Alexander High School, 2010 Daughter of Nestor and Patricia Mariscal
Barbara G. Falcon, 21 MISS SOUTH TEXAS United High School, 2008 Daughter of Edna Angelica Prieto
“Being third-runner up was a great feeling and I got to represent my city well.” About finishing near the top and having another Laredoan win, Guzman said it was “awesome.” “When she and I both were called as the final five, it was really nice,” she said. “I know Roel (Gonzalez, the Laredo pageant director) was really happy. Ana and I are friends and having her on stage with me made me feel so comfortable.” To prepare, Guzman, her mother, Melissa, and sister, Allison, made the trip to Las Vegas this year to watch the Miss USA competition. “When I see the girls on stage, I kind of take tips on how they move, how they walk, how they answer — certain things that they do I pick up,” Guzman said. When she was Miss Texas Teen USA, Guzman traveled to the Bahamas to compete in the national pageant. This is Guzman’s senior year at St. Mary’s, where she is studying forensic science and plans to graduate in 2012. “If I win Miss Texas USA, I have to take a sabbatical from school,” she said. “I am really excited. I am pumped, and I hope to do Laredo proud,” she said. “I am very thankful for my family and all the support.”
Guzman has been living in San Antonio since graduating from Alexander in 2008, but she has her Laredo roots well in place. “I really wanted to go as Miss Laredo. That’s where I am from. It’s my hometown,” she said. “Even if I wasn’t Miss Laredo USA, I’d go as a representative of South Laredo, Webb County, Gateway City or something. Laredo has a place in my heart; my whole family is there.” Although she’s always wanted to work as a forensic investigator, Guzman started competing in pageants because she wanted to do modeling. These days, Guzman is modeling with Page Parkes, an agency out of Houston. Earlier this month, she went to Dallas and Atlanta to model for Sherri Hill. Guzman also plans to enroll in a master’s program at Texas A&M to study entomology — the study of bugs. The pageant is Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Hilton-Americas Hotel in Houston. The four other Laredoans who will compete are: Victoria Bauer, Miss Central Laredo; Leslie Widales, Miss Central Webb County; Brenda Carrera, Miss Gateway City; and Barbara Falcon, Miss South Texas. (Emilio Rabago III may be reached at 728-2564 or erabago@lmtonline.com)
A thin but fairly diverting entry in the low-fi fakeumentary horror genre, “Apollo 18” explains what’s really on the moon and why the U.S. space program decided against further study. Why? Because a “Blair Witch Project” filmmaking seminar set up camp there first, that’s why! Spanish director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego’s exercise in “found” footage scares was produced by Timur Bekmambetov, who directed the popular assassins’ melee “Wanted,” which I hated. I didn’t hate this one at all. Like “Blair Witch” and the “Paranormal Activity” pictures, “Apollo 18” offers zero characterization and very little narrative. It’s only about its own DIY aesthetic taken to extremes, and to the limit of the audience’s interest and patience.
Many will find “Apollo 18” silly and derivative. It is. Yet it’s also a break from the usual hyperbolic, down-your-throat brand of silly and derivative scare movies. Under cloak of super-secrecy, three astronauts played by Lloyd Owen and Warren Christie and a third, uncredited actor — that’s how super-secret the mission is — embark on a moon mission to plant some sort of antimissile defense system up there before the Russkies do. The time is 1974. But there’s something up there, something besides the remnants of something human. I will say no more about it. The movie, written by Brian Miller, contains only a wee handful of surprises. Post-”Blair Witch,” it’s remarkable anyone can pull out these old homemovie and security-camera tropes to any sort of decent result. The reason, I think, the “paranormal activity” films in particular succeed
is simple. They take their time before sticking it to you. Precious little in our popular culture today takes time for, or with, anything. “Apollo 18” cannot satisfactorily answer the question “Wait — who’s supposed to be filming this part?” Yet Lopez-Gallego handles the sequences set inside one of the moon’s craters well enough to suggest he may have a lot of talent, some of which is on view in this green-cheese outing. —— APOLLO 18 2 1/2 stars MPAA rating: PG-13 (some disturbing sequences, and language) Cast: Lloyd Owen (Nate Walker), Warren Christie (Ben Anderson) Directed by Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego; written by Brian Miller; produced by Timur Bekmambetov and Michele Wolkoff. A Dimension Films release. Running time: 1:28
Jet Li subdues demons in fantasy action movie By COLLEEN BARRY ASSOCIATED PRESS
VENICE, Italy — Veteran action star Jet Li and action director Tony Ching are expanding their repertoire into the children’s fairy tale, but with an adult audience also in mind. Their latest movie, “The Sorcerer and the White Snake,” made its world premier out of competition at the Venice Film Festival on Friday. The movie is based on a classic Chinese fairy tale that has entered the popular consciousness as seamlessly as Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty in the West, with cast members saying they recalled hearing it first from their grandmothers. But Ching said he sought to put a modern twist on the fable by mixing action with special effects. “The idea was to blend Chinese tradition, which is martial arts, with Western technology,” Ching said in an interview. His goal was to make a movie that would ap-
peal to adults by emphasizing the film’s central love story. “I think first it’s a children’s fairy tale, but it also is about the new generation who are willing to give up everything for love,” he said. In the film, Li plays a sorcerer whose job it is to subdue demons — good or evil — and slay monsters. The White Snake, a benign demon played by Eva Huang sporting an elegant computer-generated white snake tail, takes a risk for love, using her powers to become human in her pursuit of a young herbalist whom she spies gathering flowers. The action takes place
against a fantasy-filled landscape of mystical craggy peaks and a cauldron of molten lava where Jet’s sorcerer destroys an evil demon. Ching said the challenge was to combine the action with computer graphics. “We did not want to jump from one to the other,” but fuse them, Ching said. The film is set for worldwide distribution, and Huang suggested it would help the rest of the world understand China better. “I think people who want to know China should watch this movie,” she said.
SÁBADO 3 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2011
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 7A
CLIMA
Agenda en Breve
FORTALECERÁN A CIUDAD MIER
Rescate turístico
ENTRETENIMIENTO 09/03 | LAREDO — Laredo Community College invita a visitar el Centro de Ciencias Ambientales “Lamar Bruni Vergara” el día de hoy. De 8 a.m. a 12 p.m. se trabajará en el Paso del Indio Natural Trail; y de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m. se podrá visitar las instalaciones del centro. 09/03 | LAREDO — El Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presenta Día Familiar de Película con la presentación de: “A Bug’s Life”, de Disney’s Pixar. Las presentaciones son a las 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. y 8 p.m. Costo general: 5 dólares. 09/03 | NUEVO LAREDO, México — Estación Palabra presenta “Bazar de Arte” de 12 p.m. a 5 p.m.; Festival Infantil con cuentos y actividades referentes al circo, a las 2 p.m. 09/09 | LAREDO — El Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de TAMIU invita a “Beethoven Sonatas” con Friedrich Gechter, profesor adjunto de música y piano, así como Brendan Townsend, profesor asociado de música, hoy a las 7:30 p.m. Entrada gratuita y abierta al público en general.
EXPOSICIONES 09/03 | NUEVO LAREDO, México — Exposición 2011 de academia Pintarte 2011, a las 4 p.m. en Galería Antigua Aduana y Sala Sergio Peña; Pintarte. Habrá pintura, arte objeto e instalación. 09/07 | LAREDO — Inauguración de la exposición de los mejores dibujos del XIV Concurso de Dibujo Infantil “Este es mi México”, hoy a las 6 p.m., en el Laredo Center for the Arts, 500 avenida San Agustin. 09/08 | LAREDO — “Artifacts, The Art of Hoarding” por Victor Hugo se presenta a las 7 p.m. en Caffe Dolce, 1708 calle Victoria. Una recolección de recuerdos, imágenes icónicas y ensamblaje. 09/09 | LAREDO — Hoy podrá disfrutar “Miscelánea” de Olivia Cotton, ilustración, exposición y venta de originales, en Cuadro Café, 1701 Jacaman Rd., a las 5 p.m.
TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto por Eric Gay | Associated Press
Salamandras ciegas de Texas, una especie en peligro de extinsión, pueden ser vistas en el National Fish Hatchery & Technology Center, en San Marcos.
SEQUÍA EN TEXAS Preocupan especies de región POR BETSY BLANEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
L
UBBOCK — Funcionarios federales preparaban planes para evacuar a un pequeño número de especies en peligro en Texas, en momentos en que una grave sequía reduce los niveles de las aguas y amenaza la supervivencia de la fauna en el enorme ecosistema del estado. Varios meses con una ausencia casi total de lluvias han hecho que los niveles de agua hayan caído más de la mitad en muchos ríos, lagos y otras reservas, incluyendo manantiales en Texas Hill Country, que son el único hábitat restante para algunas especies de peces pequeños, anfibios y otros animales. Si el agua continúa bajando, funcionarios del Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre se están preparando para capturar grandes muestras de las especies y llevarlas a un criadero para preservación. Esas operaciones han sido raras en el pasado, como la ordenada en el 2000 para rescatar varias especies de mejillones en Georgia, pero medidas así pudieran volverse más frecuentes si la sequía en Texas continúa durante meses o años, como
pronostican los meteorólogos. Texas es hogar de 86 especiales amenazadas y en peligro. “Sin lugar a dudas estamos preocupados”, dijo el biólogo Tom Brandt, del servicio de Pesca. “Pienso que hemos dado un nuevo paso para asegurarnos de que todo está listo. Estamos en la etapa preparatoria en estos momentos”. Las operaciones comenzarían si los niveles de aguas en dos manantiales amenazados caen por más de otro 50%, luego de reducciones similares en meses recientes. Solamente 24,38 centímetros (9,6 pulgadas) de lluvia han caído como promedio este año en Texas, un poco más que la mitad de la cantidad normal. Los peces están muriendo en lagos y ríos por falta de agua y bajos niveles de oxígeno. El crecimiento de la vegetación para hábitat de animales ha bajado drásticamente. “La flora y la fauna de Texas están adaptadas a condiciones extremas y difíciles. Sin embargo, esta sequía en particular está poniendo a prueba los límites de las poblaciones nativas”, dijo Cindy Loeffler, experta de recursos hidráulicos en el Departamento de Parques y Vida Silvestre de Texas.
Con el objetivo de poseer atractivos de calidad para el turismo nacional y extranjero que rescaten a Ciudad Mier en su denominación de “Pueblo Mágico”, autoridades anunciaron obras de infraestructura urbana y equipamiento. Igualmente, la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (SEDENA), Gobierno de Tamaulipas y Ayuntamiento de Mier, informaron que las acciones para recomposición del tejido social quedan de manifiesto con el retorno de las actividades comerciales, educativas, agrícolas y la convivencia de las familias. El Gobierno de Tamaulipas y la Administración Federal iniciarán este año la restauración del edificio donde ocurrió la batalla de 1824, en el Centro Histórico de Mier, con una inversión estimada de 4.5 millones de pesos. Esto incluirá un museo temático que conmemore, investigue y difunda los hechos acontecidos en 1824, los cuales tuvieron una influencia decisiva en las relaciones entre México y Estados Unidos de la época. También está el proyecto ejecutivo para la elaboración de la museografía, interiores y acervo del Museo de 1824, que entrará a proceso de licitación en este año. La Secretaria de Desarrollo Económico y Turismo del Estado (SEDET), Mónica González García, expresó que Mier posee un potencial turístico.
Aliento “Desde que la Secretaría de Turismo Federal (SECTUR) ha conocido estos proyectos, ha facilitado todas las acciones y los recursos para la ejecución de los trabajos”, dijo González. “La prioridad es apoyar los proyectos de infraestructura que generen
MÓNICA GONZÁLEZ GARCÍA: Dijo que Mier cuenta con potencial turístico. desarrollo y alienten la actividad turística regional”. El Gobernador Egidio Torre Cantú informó que con los trabajos de recuperación de edificios y monumentos históricos del Pueblo Mágico de Mier también se impulsa el desarrollo económico y social de los habitantes en la región. En el 2007 la SECTUR otorgó el nombramiento de “Pueblo Mágico” al municipio de Mier por el conjunto de tradiciones, arquitectura y acontecimientos históricos que posee, después de llenar los requisitos evaluados por un Comité Técnico. A raíz de su designación, Mier se constituyó en la primera población de la zona fronteriza del país en alcanzar el reconocimiento de Pueblo Mágico.
Acciones Entre las acciones destaca la presencia militar permanente en la zona ribereña, para lo cual se construye un cuartel en terreno donado por la administración estatal y es el primero de tres cuarteles. Los otros dos se ubicarán en los municipios de San Fernando y El Mante. “Vemos condiciones paulatinas de paz y tranquilidad”, dijo el General Miguel Gustavo González Cruz, de la Octava Zona Militar. “El papel más importante lo realiza la sociedad al contribuir con la cultura de la denuncia”. Con el programa Comunidades Fuertes para Todos se han reabierto más de 17 establecimientos comerciales y las familias están regresando ya que también se ofrece empleo temporal, maquinaria, recursos económicos y material para la reconstrucción de fachadas de casas y negocios.
DEPORTES 09/07 | LAREDO — El equipo de fútbol soccer femenil de TAMIU recibe a University of Incarnate Word a las 6 p.m. en la cancha universitaria. Costo general: 5 dólares. 09/07 | LAREDO — El equipo de fútbol soccer varonil de TAMIU recibe a St. Mary’s University a las 8 p.m. en la cancha universitaria. Costo general: 5 dólares.
TEATRO 09/03 | NUEVO LAREDO, México — “Resplandor” en concierto en el Teatro Lucio Blanco de la Casa de la Cultura, Lincoln 821, a las 7 p.m. Entrada gratuita. 09/03 | NUEVO LAREDO, México — Presentación de “La Última Letra”, bajo la dirección de José Hernández Tovar con el Grupo Facetas Teatro y Pantomima a las 7 p.m. en el Auditorio de Estación Palabra. Entrada libre.
VARIEDAD 09/04 | NUEVO LAREDO, México — Día Mundial del Migrante invita a las 9 a.m., Marcga Migrante en calle Paseo Colón y Ruiz Cortinez; 10 a.m., Caminata por Paseo Colón para llegar a Catedral; 11:30 a.m., Misa en Catedral del Espíritu Santo con el Obispo de la Diócesis, Gustavo Rodríguez Vega. Igualmente, de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. habrá una kermess en la Plaza Zaragoza con venta en apoyo a la Casa del Migrante. Informes en el (867) 714-5611.
TEXAS
MÉXICO
Jurado: Piloto es inocente en muerte de inmigrante
Presidente hace a víctimas centro de atención nacional
POR JUAN A. LOZANO ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — Un jurado federal declaró inocente al piloto de un helicóptero del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de haber mentido sobre su participación en el ahogamiento de una persona que intentaba cruzar el río Bravo. El jurado declaró inocente a James Peters de un cargo de haber mentido a los investigadores federales que indagaban la muerte de Carlos Delgadillo Martínez. Un juez declaró juicio nulo en otros tres aspectos del mismo cargo. Los miembros del jurado no pudieron emitir un veredicto en tres de cuatro cargos. Peters enfrentaba la posibilidad de hasta cinco años de cárcel de haber sido declarado culpable. La fiscalía acusó al piloto de haber mentido al negar que hubiese volado a baja altura para obligar a Delgadillo y otra persona a regresar a México. Las autoridades dijeron que la turbulencia generada por las aspas del helicóptero hizo que Delgadillo se soltara de un neumático. El veredicto sobrevino después de un juicio breve cuyos testimonios duraron poco más de un día. Durante el alegato final, la fiscalía dijo al jurado que el video de vigilancia muestra claramente que Peters condujo su helicóptero sobre los inmigrantes, descendiendo hasta a 30 metros (100 pies) de un puente internacional en Laredo, Texas, en un intento por hacerlos
“
Ese día él estaba haciendo su trabajo”. THOMAS BERG, DE LA DEFENSA
regresar a México cuando trataban de ingresar a Estados Unidos el 14 de diciembre del 2005. El cadáver de Delgadillo fue hallado horas más tarde. “Peters decide tratar de hacerlos replegar, obligarlos a devolverse”, afirmó el fiscal Joseph Magliolo. “Toma acciones cada vez más agresivas contra la gente en el agua”. Los abogados de Peters, de 41 años, sostuvieron que el video no muestra claramente a qué distancia de los hombres voló el helicóptero. Thomas Berg, uno de los defensores, dijo al jurado que el piloto no mintió a los investigadores cuando le preguntaron si ese día había encontrado inmigrantes sin permiso para residir en el país y si había volado cerca del puente. Berg dijo que su defendido no voló demasiado cerca del puente y no recuerda haber volado sobre ningún individuo cerca del puente ese día. “El trabajo peligroso (que pilotos como Peters) hacen para tratar de dar seguridad a nuestra frontera es para protegerlos a ustedes”, dijo Berg a los jurados. “Ese día él estaba haciendo su trabajo”.
POR E. EDUARDO CASTILLO ASSOCIATED PRESS
MÉXICO — El presidente Felipe Calderón anunció el viernes la creación de una procuraduría social que centrará sus labores en la atención de las más de 35.000 víctimas de la violencia en México, en medio de una tenaz defensa de su estrategia contra el crimen organizado. Con motivo de su quinto y penúltimo informe de gobierno, el mandatario ofreció un discurso en el que admitió que varios lugares del país viven una “dramática situación de inseguridad” y afirmó que de no haber emprendido un combate frontal, se corría el riesgo de que el crimen organizado se apoderara del Estado e incluso lo suplantara. Lamentó que la inseguridad que padece el país haya opacado su trabajo en los ámbitos de la estabilidad económica, la cobertura universal de salud y garantizar que todos los niños tengan acceso a la educación primaria. Para el mandatario, “las víctimas deben ser el centro de nuestra atención”. Dijo que la nueva procuraduría social “va a unificar y potenciar la atención del gobierno federal a quienes han sido lastimados por la violencia de los criminales”, señaló. Pidió un minuto de
silencio por las víctimas. Calderón dijo que parte de la violencia se explica también por la vecindad con Estados Unidos, por tratarse del mayor mercado de consumo de drogas. La nueva fiscalía, añadió, también se encargará de la búsqueda de quienes han desaparecido a manos de grupos criminales y prestar asistencia a sus familiares. Dijo que la procuraduría social se integrará y operará “de la mano” de la sociedad civil. Con la procuraduría “daremos un paso fundamental para cerrar las heridas que se han abierto en el país”, dijo Calderón. Su gobierno concluirá a fines de 2012. El discurso del presidente se da un día después de que entregó por escrito su informe de gobierno al Congreso, que conforme a la ley en las próximas semanas citará a los secretarios de Estado para ampliar la información contenida. También ocurre una semana después de un ataque incendiario a un casino en el norte de país que dejó 52 víctimas y que el gobernante ha calificado como el peor atentado contra población civil inocente en la historia reciente. Calderón dijo que ha ordenado a su gobierno realizar una inspección de todos esos centros de entretenimiento para garantizar que operen conforme a la ley.
National
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2011
Obama yields to pressure to kill smog rule By JULIE PACE AND DINA CAPPIELLO ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Audrey McAvoy | AP
A crowd listens during a ceremony aboard the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Friday, marking the 66th anniversary of the end of the war. The battleship has been moored in Pearl Harbor for the past decade. It overlooks the spot where the USS Arizona sank during the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Vet: honor war survivors By AUDREY MCAVOY ASSOCIATED PRESS
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — A Marine who fought in the Battle of Okinawa urged Americans on Friday to honor those who served in World War II now, while veterans from that conflict are still alive. E. Bruce Heilman, speaking at a ceremony marking the 66th year since the end of the war, noted fewer than 2 million of the 16 million men and women who served in the war are alive. They are dying at a rate of 30,000 per month, he said. Some 20 World War II veterans boarded the now decommissioned battleship, the Missouri — the same battleship where Japanese signed surrender documents formally ending the war — to participate in this year’s ceremony in Pearl Harbor.
Heilman, who is a spokesman for the Greatest Generations Foundation, predicted not many would be able to come back in a decade’s time. “Most of those remaining, including those in the front row, will have passed on, so that few, if any, will be present for the ceremony of the 76th anniversary of the end of the Pacific War. Those of us still here will be of age 95 to 101,” Heilman said. “Therefore the importance of remembering now the sacrifices and acts of heroism representative of their service cannot be overstated.” Heilman, who is now the chancellor of the University of Richmond, joined the Marines at age 17. He was sent to Okinawa, where one of the bloodiest battles of the war was fought from April to June 1945, and served during the postwar occupa-
tion of Japan. Some 300 people — including active duty sailors, Marines, airmen and soldiers — joined the veterans at the ceremony aboard the Missouri’s teak deck. The USS Missouri was anchored in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945, when Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and Army Gen. Yoshijiro Umezu came aboard to sign the documents. Several Allied leaders, including Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Adm. Chester Nimitz, were also present at the time. The vessel, the last battleship ever built by the United States, is now a museum called the Battleship Missouri Memorial. It has been moored in Pearl Harbor for the past decade, overlooking the spot where the USS Arizona sank during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
WASHINGTON — In a dramatic reversal, President Barack Obama on Friday scrubbed a cleanair regulation that aimed to reduce health-threatening smog, yielding to bitterly protesting businesses and congressional Republicans who complained the rule would kill jobs in America’s ailing economy. Withdrawal of the proposed regulation marked the latest in a string of retreats by the president in the face of GOP opposition, and it drew quick criticism from liberals. Environmentalists, a key Obama constituency, accused him of caving to corporate polluters, and the American Lung Association threatened to restart the legal action it had begun against rules proposed by President George W. Bush. The White House has been under heavy pressure from GOP lawmakers and major industries, which have slammed the stricter standard as an unnecessary jobs killer. The Environmental Protection Agency, whose scientific advisers favored the tighter limits, had predicted the proposed change would cost up to $90 billion a year, making it one of the most expensive environmental regulations ever imposed in the U.S. However, the Clean Air Act bars the EPA from considering the costs of complying when setting public health standards. Obama said his decision was made in part to reduce regulatory burdens and uncertainty at a time of rampant questions about the strength of the U.S. economy. Underscoring the economic concerns: a new report Friday that showed the economy essentially adding no jobs in August and the unemployment rate stubbornly stuck at 9.1 percent. The regulation would have reduced concentrations of ground-level ozone, the main ingredient in smog, a powerful lung irritant that can cause asthma and other lung ailments. Smog is created when emissions
LISA JACKSON: EPA chief told to withdraw new smog rules. from cars, power and chemical plants, refineries and other factories mix in sunlight and heat. Republican lawmakers, already emboldened by Obama’s concessions on extending Bush-era tax cuts and his agreement to more than $1 trillion in spending reductions as the price for raising the nation’s debt ceiling, had pledged to try to block the stricter smog standards when they returned to Washington after Labor Day. A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, ROhio, had muted praise for the White House Friday, saying that withdrawal of the smog regulation was a good first step toward removing obstacles that are blocking business growth. “But it is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to stopping Washington Democrats’ agenda of tax hikes, more government ‘stimulus’ spending and increased regulations, which are all making it harder to create more American jobs,” said Boehner spokesman Michael Steel. Thomas Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said the move was “an enormous victory for America’s job creators, the right decision by the president and one that will help reduce the uncertainty facing businesses.” White House officials said the president’s decision was not the product of industry pressure, and they said the administration would continue to fight other efforts by Republicans to dismantle the EPA’s authority. But that was little consolation for many of the president’s supporters. The group MoveOn.org issued a scathing statement, saying Obama’s decision was one it would have expected from his Republican predecessor. The American Lung Association, which had sued the EPA over Bush’s smog standards, said it would resume its fight now that Obama was endorsing the weaker limit.
Hiring standstill points to growing recession risk By PAUL WISEMAN AND CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Employers added no jobs in August — an alarming setback for the economy that renewed fears of another recession and raised pressure on Washington to end the hiring standstill. Worries flared Friday after release of the worst jobs report since September 2010. Total payrolls were unchanged, the first time since 1945 that the government reported a net job change of zero. The unemployment rate stayed at 9.1 percent. The stock market plunged in response. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 253 points, or more than 2 percent. Analysts say the economy cannot continue to expand unless hiring picks up. In the first six months of 2011, growth was measured at an annual rate of 0.7 percent. Companies are mostly keeping their payrolls intact. They’re not laying off many workers, but they’re not hiring, either. Without more jobs to fuel consumer spending, economists say another recession would be inevitable. Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of economic growth.
Photo by Reed Saxon | AP
Job seekers fill out paperwork Wednesday on the top of a trash barrel at a job fair called the “For The People Jobs Initiative,” where job seekers met employers, job counselors, skills trainers and others, at Crenshaw Christian Center in South Los Angeles. Employers added no net workers last month and the unemployment rate was unchanged, a sign that many were nervous the U.S. economy is at risk of slipping into another recession. Like a wobbling bicycle, “you either reaccelerate or you fall over,” said James O’Sullivan, chief economist at MF Global. “Something has to give.” Consumer and business confidence was shaken this summer by the political standoff over the federal debt limit, a downgrade of long-term U.S. debt and the financial crisis in Europe. Tumbling stock prices escalated the worries.
Even before it stalled last month, job growth had been sputtering. The economy added 166,000 jobs a month in the JanuaryMarch quarter, 97,000 a month in the April-June quarter and just 43,000 a month so far in the JulySeptember period. “Underlying job growth needs to improve immediately in order to avoid a recession,” said HSBC economist Ryan Wang.
The dispiriting job numbers for August will heighten the pressure on the Federal Reserve, President Barack Obama and Congress to find ways to stimulate the economy. So far, the Fed has been reluctant to launch another round of Treasury bond purchases. Its previous bond-buying programs were intended to force down long-term interest rates, encourage borrowing
and boost stock prices. On Thursday, Obama will give a televised speech to a joint session of Congress to introduce a plan for creating jobs and spurring economic growth. Even for people who do have jobs, income growth is stalled. That will hold back their ability to spend. The only sure way to reduce the risk of recession is with more hiring, economists say.
“The importance of job growth cannot be overstated,” said Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at MFR Inc. The economy needs to add roughly 250,000 jobs a month to rapidly bring down the unemployment rate. The rate has been above 9 percent in all but two months since May 2009. Roughly 14 million Americans are unemployed. The weakness was underscored by revisions to the jobs data for June and July. Collectively, those figures were lowered to show 58,000 fewer jobs added than previously thought. The downward revisions were all in government jobs. The average workweek and hourly earnings also declined in August. Cutbacks by federal, state and local governments have erased 290,000 government jobs this year, including 17,000 in August. “There is no silver lining in this one,” said Steve Blitz, senior economist at ITG Investment Research. “It is difficult to walk away from these numbers without the conclusion that the economy is simply grinding to a halt.” The unemployment rate for black men jumped a full percentage point in August to 18 percent.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
ANTONIO TREVIÑO Antonio Treviño, 91, was called home by the Lord on Friday, Aug. 26, 2011, at Rio Grande Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Rio Grande City, Texas. Born Jan. 17, 1920, in Zapata County (Capitaneno Ranch) to Filiberto and Luisa Cuellar Treviño, he lived most of his life in Zapata, Texas. Tony, as he was affectionately known to all, dropped out of school at an early age amid the Great Depression to help his father run the family ranch. On Dec. 10, 1941, Tony was inducted into the U.S. Army. After reporting to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, he was sent to California for basic training. After basic, he was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, and later in Philadelphia, Penn. By then, he was promoted to sergeant and then was sent to Georgia and Louisiana to train new recruits. He shipped overseas in October of 1944 as part of the 564th Antiaircraft Artillery and proudly served his country in England, France, Austria and Holland. Tony was honorably discharged Jan. 6, 1945, after serving four years and 26 days. In 1946 Tony married the love of his life, Evangelina Gonzalez. This
61-year marriage brought forth four daughters. Tony was employed by the USDA as a livestock inspector from 1955 until his retirement in 1978. Tony was preceded in death by his wife, Evangelina Treviño; son, Antonio Treviño, Jr.; two sisters Luisa Petrita Treviño and Adelina T. Ramirez; and three brothers Jose Manuel, Filiberto Jr. and Teodoro Treviño. He is survived by four daughters: Vilma (Arnoldo) Treviño, Vangie (Kenneth) Anderson, Thelma (James) McGuffin and Anna (David) Gonzalez; 10 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren; two brothers Anselmo and Leopoldo Treviño; and two sisters Maria Concepcion Ramirez and Luisa Lopez. The family wishes to ex-
press its most sincere appreciation and gratitude to all the members of Rio Grande City Rehabilitation and Nursing Center for three years of outstanding affection and help, to Dr. Jose Vasquez and to all the clergy who touched Dad’s life. Visitation hours were held Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession departed Monday, Aug. 29, 2011, at 9:45 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery, including full military honors by the American Legion 486 Color Guard. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.rosegardenfuneralhome.com. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 Highway 83, Zapata, TX.
Visitation was Friday, Sept. 2, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession departed Friday, Sept. 2, 2011, at 9:45 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our
Noya Deats, left and Matt Deats hold onto their dogs, Fawn, right, and Nia, as Jesus Villanueva, right, looks on near the canal where Villanueva rescued the dogs in Moxee, Wash. Villanueva, a farmworker who says he learned how to lasso 30 years ago while working on a cattle ranch in Mexico, still knows his ropes. It took Villanueva just one lasso toss for each dog to bring them ashore.
Former cowpoke saves dogs in canal ASSOCIATED PRESS
RUBEN E. REYES Ruben Reyes 82, passed away Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2011, at Laredo Specialty Hospital in Laredo, Texas. Mr. Reyes is preceded in death by his son Ruben Reyes, Jr.; brothers Heriberto Reyes, Roel Reyes and Antonio Reyes Jr.; and a brother-in-law Rodolfo Dominguez. Mr. Reyes is survived by his sons Glenn Reye and, Raymond Reyes; brother Daniel Reyes; sisters: Guillermina R. (Reynaldo) Salinas, Griselda (Omar) Gonzalez and Maude R. Dominguez; and by numerous nieces, nephews and friends. Mr. Reyes was a World War II veteran.
Photo by Andy Sawyer/Yakima Herald-Republic | AP
Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Burial services followed at Zapata County Cemetery, including full military honors by the American Legion Post 486 Color Guard. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.rosegardenfuneralhome.com. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 Highway 83, Zapata, TX.
MOXEE, Wash. — A farmworker who says he learned how to lasso 30 years ago while working on a cattle ranch in Mexico still knows his ropes. Jesus Villanueva was working Wednesday when he heard a disturbance along the Roza irrigation canal. A woman and her husband were trying to save their two dogs from being swept away in the current. The dogs couldn’t climb up the steep concrete sides of the canal. A Yakima sheriff ’s deputy had a rope but was having no luck. It took Villanueva just one lasso toss for each dog to bring them ashore. Noya Deats had run nearly three miles along the canal, trying to save her dogs while calling her husband and the
TAXES Continued from Page 1A and solicit public input.” According to the proposed budget for next fiscal year, available on the Commissioners’ Court website, the total tax rate will go from approximately $0.77 per $100 valuation to approximately $0.78, an effective increase of two cents. From this increase, Rathmell says the court expects to raise an extra half million dollars. “That money will be used to cover outstanding debt. Paving roads, the regional jail. Other outstanding obligations,” Rathmell said. Rathmell added that the $4 million shortfall in the county’s general funds un-
derscores the need for the increase, which he’d previously filed along with the entire proposed budget. “It (the budget) was a challenge this year because we lost almost $5 million in mineral valuation,” Rathmell said. “I asked all department heads to sacrifice. We were able to cut $3 million, but we’re still going to have to use part of our ($1 million) fund balance.” Because the court asked each county department to cut significantly from its budget, the commissioners themselves wanted to cut from their own budget. According to Precinct 1 Commissioner Jose Emilio Vela,
each commissioner cut $200,000 from his own precinct’s allocation of the special road and bridge fund. Multiplied by four precincts, this equals $800,000 in overall loses to Zapata’s infrastructural repair capabilities, leaving maintenance as the only recourse. “Every year gravel is washed off because of the rain, and we’d normally put caliche, but we can’t now,” said Vela. “Instead, we’ll be out there with a grater to level it. New materials aren’t going to be bought.” Aside from trying to set an example, avoiding layoffs also motivated the
court to absorb this loss from its precinct funds, according to Precinct 4 Commissioner Norbert Garza. “I wanted to fix some gutters, do other repairs in my precinct,” Garza said. “But I’m willing to put those off if it will keep someone from being laid off.” Now that the proposed budget has been filed, the next step is a hearing, set for 9 a.m. Tuesday at the County Courthouse, during which the heads of each department have one more chance to influence the budget. (Mike Herrera IV can be reached at (956) 728-2567 or mherrera@lmtonline.com.)
sheriff ’s office for help, The Yakima Herald-Republic reported. Despite signs warning folks to stay out of the canal, Deats said she has let her dogs, Fawn and Nia, off their leashes before without any problems. But when they decided to take a swim they were swept away. Deats had run about two miles when her husband Matt arrived. “I was almost throwing up at that time,” she said. “I was running and talking on the phone at that time.” Matt Deats climbed down a canal ladder, his body half submerged in the water, and reached out to grab one of the dogs. He barely touched a collar as it passed by. Fawn, a Labrador mix, seemed to be keeping her head above water. Nia, an Australian shepherd mix,
was struggling. “I was trying to figure out a safe way to try and jump in and grab them myself,” he said. “You feel hopeless — you don’t know what to do, how to handle it.” Villanueva was putting agricultural chemicals into a bin when he heard a noise and saw a deputy. He thought he heard someone say two cars were in the canal. “I thought, two cars?” the 54-year-old farm laborer said through an interpreter. He took a closer look after seeing a woman running frantically, and learned that her two dogs were in the water. After watching the deputy struggle to rope the dogs, he took the lasso and said: “Let me see.” Seconds later, he lassoed each dog, pulling them to safety.
Wardens nab man, boys shooting a bird THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata County Game Wardens Stevan Ramos and Carson Wardlow were patrolling in San Ygnacio on Aug. 18 when they saw a pickup truck stop a couple of blocks in front of them. Wardlow stopped his truck when he saw what appeared to be a gun barrel sticking out of the passenger-side window. As the wardens watched, the passenger shot twice and the driver got out to re-
trieve a white-winged dove from the bushes just off the road. The wardens quickly made contact and found that the passenger and driver were both juveniles. Their father was also in the vehicle. One citation was issued for hunting in a closed season and a warning issued for using illegal means and methods. Civil restitution was filed for one white-winged dove.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2011
HELPING MAKE LIFE PRETTY
ZAPATA Continued from Page 1A glers to walk across the river. A location called “high rest area” sits atop a cliff. Below there’s a rough path heading down to an observation area. Alaniz said people are prone to visit the area for its sightseeing since it provides a unique, panoramic view of the river.
Picnic crossers
Photo by Heng Sinith | AP
Eleven-year-old Pagna joins members of her family in collecting flowers for sale near their village of Prek Eng in the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Friday.
Courtesy photo
This photo taken by a Zapata County deputy sheriff shows the vehicle driven by Francisco Javier Davila after he allegedly ran a stop sign and struck four vehicles on Aug. 26.
RESIGNED Continued from Page 1A fied as 25-year-old Francisco Javier Davila, was observed driving in the wrong lane and disregarding a stop sign, resulting in a collision with the Expedition. Davila’s vehicle continued on the wrong way toward Texas 16. Deputies canvassing the area noticed his vehicle had a damaged side and made a traffic stop. Alaniz said deputies told Davila he had been involved in an accident. But the man claimed he was texting. Deputies noticed the alleged offender had a minor
cut on his leg and called in EMS services. But Davila refused any treatment. Alaniz said deputies used the breathalyzer on Davila, “due to his intoxicated state.” Deputies arrested Davila and charged him with driving while intoxicated and four counts of striking an unattended vehicle. Davila had worked with the sheriff ’s office as a detention officer for about five years. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
But not everything is what appears to be. Alaniz said there have been occasions when people pretend to be having a picnic, only to wait for their relatives to swim across the Rio Grande and blend in with the family. In other instances, the crossers have carried bundles. A common smuggling area in San Ygnacio is near the intersection of Grant Avenue and Treviño Street. Grant turns into a dirt path that leads to the Rio Grande. Not long ago, Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez Jr. received reports of an 18-wheeler parking at that intersection. Smugglers crossed a small aluminum boat loaded with bundles. Instead of unloading at the banks, they grabbed the boat like a coffin and carried it inside the 18wheeler. Alaniz said loaders in the San Ygnacio area hit Ranch Road 3169 and can connect to other Texas highways and rural roads. Two things hinder authorities’ response in the area. One is distance. A patrol deputy can be in Zapata and receive a call for assistance from San Ygnacio. That’s at least a 14-mile drive. Gonzalez said that gives smugglers enough time to make it to the side of the road while a vehicle waits on the fence line. They load and leave. It probably takes them
between three or four minutes to load a vehicle. The sheriff ’s office does its best with 24 deputies to cover 997 square miles on a 24-hour, seven-day basis. Perhaps the second reason why authorities don’t get there on time is the more prevalent. San Ygnacio people are afraid to report incidents, Alaniz said. Gonzalez said people fear retaliation.
Gang claim In June, U.S. Border Patrol agents were conducting a special operation in an area called “Hobo’s Landing,” an area used to smuggle narcotics and people. An area property owner approached agents and told them that a man dressed in black and wearing a ski mask pointed a rifle at him. Agents canvassed the area and found four undocumented people. One, identified in a federal criminal complaint as Jesus Alfredo Pleitez-Aguilar, from El Salvador, claimed he worked for Los Zetas as a stash house operator in Mexico. Drug trafficking organizations’ presence is prevalent in Zapata. In June 2010, Gonzalez’s office seized several rounds of .50 caliber cartridges during a traffic stop from individuals working for Los Zetas. The ammo, along with camouflage netting and night vision equipment, was believed to be headed to Mexico. Reliable sources told Gonzalez if the ammo was not going into Mexico, there was speculation it could’ve been stockpiled along the border, in case the war in Mexico ended up in Texas. In December 2010, deputies arrested a Latin King gang member after an inspection of his vehicle yielded 30 hand gre-
nades found concealed under a spare tire. But how volatile is the situation across the border from Zapata County? Ask an out-of-town man who recently went fishing into Mexican waters on Aug. 12. Gonzalez said the man had gone into the Arroyo Salado area in Mexico, where David Michael Hartley was shot and killed by drug gang members about a year ago. The fisherman saw a man dressed in military uniform. Suddenly, about seven more men appeared at the scene. “He got scared and started heading toward the States,” Gonzalez said. A sheriff ’s incident report states a shooting occurred in Mexican waters of Falcon Lake. One round, states the report, hit the fisherman’s boat’s windshield. Unharmed, he stopped. Armed men motioned him to go to the Mexican shore. Not knowing Spanish, he expressed himself the best he could. Gonzalez said the fisherman claimed those people were Mexican soldiers, since he also saw a couple of military choppers hovering around the area. Gonzalez emphasized the incident happened in Mexican waters. “The U.S. side of Falcon Lake is relatively safe. Don’t go to Mexico. There’s no need to go,” Gonzalez added, noting the Mexican side is overrun with gang members. Most of the properties on the Mexican riverbanks have been abandoned by their owners. Gonzalez said he once talked to a Laredo man who owns a ranch in Mexico. He can’t go to his ranch anymore. It’s owned by Los Zetas. But the threat is sometimes too close to home. According to Gonzalez, the Medina Addition in the town of Zapata is
known for harboring cartel members from Mexico, thus creating a problem for the sheriff ’s office. A few months ago, the sheriff ’s office received information that Los Zetas and Gulf Cartel associates had plans to fight for the Medina Addition “plaza” or turf. “We have to deal with stuff here in the United States. It’s been happening. We’ve been able to prevent any (escalation),” Gonzalez said, noting young adults claiming to work for trafficking organizations would ram their cars at each other. Medina is a lucrative place for criminals because they can hide dope and humans. Emergency calls made from Medina range from shooting in progress, theft, drug use, reckless drivers, assaults, robberies, domestic violence and more. If there are six deputies patrolling the county, officials make sure at least three are specifically assigned to Medina. During LMT’s ridealong with the sheriff ’s office, deputies patrolled the Medina Addition. It’s 10:41 p.m. Aug. 5. A stop sign at the intersection of 16th Street and Roma Avenue shows how hostile the territory may be. Alaniz pointed to explicit messages spray-painted on the stop sign and a row of mailboxes across from the stop sign. On the other side of the stop sign, the graffiti reads, “Locos 4 Life.” Patrol continues. It’s about 11 p.m. A few people are outside their notso-attractive sheetrock or stucco-made houses or mobile homes. But the recent model, brightly polished trucks and cars parked next to those houses sure catch the attention of curious people. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 7282568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2011
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors CROSS COUNTRY
Running for a purpose Zapata boys’ cross country team has bigger objectives in mind By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Hawks’ boys cross country team has long-term goals that include a trip to the state meet in November. They know these early practice meets will only enhance their game plan and set them on
the right path. Just like a mad scientist, coach Luis Escamilla puts together the right amount of ingredients and combination on his varsity team in order to achieve what they set out to do. A core of returning lettermen mixed in with a few new faces make up the
Hawks squad that is burning to return to state. This past week, Escamilla had the Hawks take some time off from competing so they could recover from the first meet and have fresh legs heading into one of the most demanding meets in the Rio Grande Valley, the RGV Classic in
Edinburg. The Hawks will be tested from every class in the state, 1A through 5A, as some of the best teams in the Rio Grande Valley – such as Los Fresnos, Donna, Eagle Pass, Sharyland, Edinburg
HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
NFL
NFC East looks stacked
The labor of Labor Day
Cowboys have their hands full in division
L
abor Day is around the corner, officially marking the end of summer. But don’t tell that to the temperature, as it stays a cool 104 the next few days. It is a holiday where it got its origins in New York in 1882 when the Central Labor Union of New York opted to start celebrating the day. Labor Day is solely dedicated to the social and economic achievement of the American worker. Labor Day also marks the start of the NFL season and college football, so those two events get me excited. It’s taboo to wear white after Labor Day and I never really knew the reason until I was prompted to do a little research. As it turns out, it had to do with some high society circles in New York that said it was unfashionable to wear white after Labor Day. Just to go against the grain, I will be wearing some sort of white attire after Labor Day. Take that, New York high society! Labor Day also marks the annual MDA Telethon and, for the first time in many years, it will not have Jerry Lewis as the official spokesperson. Lewis stepped down this past year and I do have to say that it will not be the same without him. I recall when Labor Day had a different meaning for me as a child. I dreaded when the day came around because it marked the end of our summer and the start of school. Blah. In those days, classes did not start until after Labor Day, so we knew that when we started hearing Labor Day Weekend sales on the television or reading it in the newspaper, summer was over. The days of running around during the summer months and playing with your friends were long over. No more playing in the pool or going over to your friend’s house for a sleepover. Now our parents were shopping for our school supplies and you could never forget that box of Kleenex, because every teacher asked for one. I always wondered why they needed so many, so when I was in fifth grade I decided that I was going to write my name on it so I would know if my box got used throughout the year. As it turned out, it never did, so I decided that I was never going to ask my parents to buy
See SANDOVAL PAGE 2B
See CROSS COUNTRY PAGE 2B
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Clara Sandoval | The Zapata Times
Estella Molina and the Zapata Lady Hawks are 5-7 overall heading into district play today.
LADY HAWKS DROP THRILLER Zapata heads into district play today By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
The last tune-up before today’s opening district game against Port Isabel took the Lady Hawks to the edge on Tuesday. Zapata dropped a five set thriller, 24-26, 25-19, 22-25, 25-19 and10-15 to Crystal City to head into the district season.
Kristina De Leon led the way for the Lady Hawks with 21 kills while Shelby Bigler added 18. Estella Molina was able to control the offense and dished out 35 assists, with De Leon and Bigler being the beneficiaries. Abby Aguilar led the defense with 20 digs,
See LADY HAWKS PAGE 2B
The Philadelphia Eagles’ offseason overhaul hasn’t gone unnoticed in Green Bay. Neither has the hype that’s come along with it. While the reigning Super Bowl champion Packers are taking the Eagles seriously, they’re mildly amused at what they see as a rush to crown new conference favorites before the season starts. Given the chance, Green Bay is confident it will bring the “dream team” back to reality. “On paper, I guess they’re the ’dream team,”’ Packers linebacker Desmond Bishop said. “You’ve definitely got to go out on the field and make it happen. So we’ll see.” The Eagles positioned themselves as the Packers’ top challenger in the conference after adding a wealth of top-line talent, including cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Not to mention former Packers defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins. The Eagles aren’t the Packers’ only serious challengers in the NFC. The Chicago Bears beat the Packers for the NFC North title last year, then lost to their rivals in the NFC title game at Soldier Field. But the Bears could be poised to take a step backward unless Jay Cutler’s protection improves significantly. With a fierce defensive line, the Detroit Lions could become the Packers’ closest pursuers in the division — provided quarterback Matthew Stafford can stay healthy. The conference’s most competitive division may be the NFC South. The Atlanta Falcons drafted wide receiver Julio Jones, although it remains to be seen if they can to fix a defense that Aaron Rodgers carved up in the playoffs. The New Orleans Saints are trying to regain their Super Bowl-winning form and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear to be on the rise. Then there’s the NFC West, a division there for the taking for any team that can make even a modest improvement. The West was an afterthought last season, and there aren’t many reasons to think that will change much in the short term.
See NFC PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2011
CROSS COUNTRY Continued from Page 1B North and PSJA North – are expected to compete. Los Fresnos is expected to make a run at the state meet in 5A, while Hanna was a state qualifier last year. Escamilla knows that in order to push the pace at the meet, the Hawks needed to run in the elite division in Edinburg. A week off from racing does not mean that the team has been taking it easy in practice. On the contrary, the Hawks have been pushing the pace with every step they take on the course. Zapata has been using its off week to work on strategies and log the nec-
Los Fresnos is expected to make a run at the state meet in 5A, while Hanna was a state qualifier last year. essary miles to keep it in shape and on pace for Round Rock, site of the state meet. Escamilla approaches every meet as if it was the state meet and does not allow his team to think anything less. “They’re looking pretty good,” he said of his team. “They will be running in the elite division and are approaching the race as if
LADY HAWKS while Molina and De Leon combined for 32. The pre-season has garnished the Lady Hawks a 5-7 overall non-district record that includes wins over Laredo Cigarroa, a top contender in District 29-5A. The Lady Hawks are facing the daunting task of finding the wall of defense at the net and have been exploited in the back
it were state.” The Hawks are aiming to finish with three runners in the top 20. “These meets are getting us ready for state,” Escamilla said. “We are aiming for three in the top 20 and basically challenging our fourth through seven runners to step up. “The fifth man caps the score and determines how well we run as a team.”
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row throughout the preseason. The defense has been a major concern for coach Rosie Villarreal. “We are still having problems with our defense and I hope that we put it all together for (today),” she said. The Lady Hawks suffered a blow to the defense with the absence of senior Jackie Salinas, who has
been out of action since the Port Isabel Tourney and is not expected to make a comeback until three more weeks. Salinas is out with a sprained ankle. “Opening with Port Isabel will be a big indication as to how we will fair in district,” Villarreal said. “Everyone is 0-0 and it is a different mind-set when it comes to district.”
SANDOVAL Continued from Page 1B me a box of Kleenex for school and did not care if my new teacher required it. When my sixth grade year rolled around and the teacher asked for it at the beginning of the year, I politely declined her request. I told her if I needed to use some Kleenex, I had my own pocket pack-
age and proceed to show her. That response garnished a call to my mom, who told the teacher that I did not want to take a box of Kleenex to school and that was fine by her. This year, Labor Day will just be like any other day, as some school districts opted not to even
have it as a holiday and will have regular classes. Times have changed, and Labor Day will be clearly marked in our calendars, with fond memories of what the summer had in store for us embedded in our minds. (Clara Sandoval can be reached at sandoval.clara@gmail.com).
Photo by Tony Gutierrez | AP
In this Aug. 11 file photo, Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett gestures during a preseason game against the Denver Broncos in Arlington. Garrett will never say he’s concerned, anxious or even frustrated because he’s trying to create a positive mindset among the Dallas Cowboys. It could be considered a little thing, except there are no little things for Garrett.
Cowboys doing it the Jason Garrett way By JAIME ARON ASSOCIATED PRESS
IRVING — Jason Garrett is trying to create a positive mindset in and around the Dallas Cowboys organization. Before he’ll even answer a question that begins along the lines of, “Are you concerned about ...”, he clarifies that he’s excited about whatever that challenge may be. His consistent avoidance of those words could be considered a little thing — except, there are no little things for Jason Garrett. Everything he does is with a purpose, every move likely rooted in something he saw, did or thought of over the 21½ years he spent in pro football working his way toward this job. Players still rave about
the speech Garrett gave when he replaced Phillips in the middle of last season, with Dallas languishing at 1-7 and Romo done for the year with a broken collarbone. Super Bowl hopes were long gone, replaced by doom and gloom. Yet Garrett began implementing his way of doing things and got immediate results. Garrett’s culture change began with practices being more physical, with a quicker tempo and with referees on patrol. He had digital clocks installed throughout the building, all synchronized so there was never an excuse for being late to a meeting. He set a dress code for road trips. This season, with Garrett fully owning the job, there’s a nice, new lectern, and plenty more changes
at team headquarters — all the way down to new goalposts on the practice fields being yellow, like they are at stadiums, instead of white. “I know it’s early, but he’s got greatness written all over him,” said tight end Jason Witten. But being the most-organized team in the NFL won’t mean a thing if the Cowboys don’t even make the playoffs. The Cowboys have too many players in their prime for Garrett and Jerry Jones to admit this is a transition year, but it clearly is. “Sometimes players get evaluated based on what they’ve done in the past,” Garrett said. “You have to say ’OK, let’s take the numbers off these guys and evaluate how they’re playing right now.’”
NFC Continued from Page 1B NFC EAST The Eagles already were heavyweights in the division, and their offseason shopping spree only solidified that status — provided, of course, that Michael Vick continues to play like he did last season. Vick certainly has enough skill around him to succeed, although some shuffling along the offensive line is unsettling. The defense is a little light at linebacker but should be good enough for a serious playoff run. Nobody in Dallas was happy with the Cowboys last season, but they did go 5-3 after Jason Garrett took over as coach. The defense was miserable, and that needs to change under new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. The offense should be explosive again with Tony Romo back and healthy. The Giants have been clobbered by injuries already, ending the seasons of cornerback Terrell Thomas (knee) and defensive tackle Marvin Austin (pectoral muscle), the Giants’ second-round draft pick; first-round cornerback Prince Amukamara had foot surgery and won’t be ready to start the season. They should be good on offense, provided that their offensive line reshuffling doesn’t backfire. But are Eli Manning and company good enough to carry the team? Mike Shanahan is hoping to snap a longstanding cycle of mediocrity in Washington. The idea that he’s choosing between John Beck and Rex Grossman at quarterback, however, doesn’t indicate the team is poised for a major leap forward.
NFC NORTH Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: The Packers didn’t make any significant additions through free agency. If they’re going to repeat, it will be largely with last year’s
AP Photo
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick (7) is shown in the second half of an NFL preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, Thursday, Aug. 25 in Philadelphia. The Eagles are sexy favorites in the NFC East. cast. Jenkins and left guard Daryn Colledge left as free agents but the Packers get back playmaking tight end Jermichael Finley, reliable running back Ryan Grant and promising young safety Morgan Burnett from injury. The Bears should be very good on defense but will have to score more to continue as contenders — and that starts with doing a much better job protecting Cutler. Drafting right tackle Gabe Carimi was a step toward that end, but perhaps not enough. Two warning signs for the Bears: They shouldn’t expect to have as much good luck with injuries as they did last season, and the new kickoff rules encouraging touchbacks (sorry, Devin Hester) could hurt them more than any other team. Instead, the Packers’ biggest challenge in the North could come from the Lions, a team ready to shed its reputation as di-
visional doormats. Already strong up front on defense with Ndamukong Suh and Kyle Vanden Bosch, the Lions will be tough to stop if rookie tackle Nick Fairley can return quickly from foot surgery. A good defensive line can cover for a suspect secondary, and they’ll have to in this case. Again, any serious run by Detroit will require Stafford to stay healthy. The Minnesota Vikings still have big-play threats on both sides of the ball. But unless Donovan McNabb is able to find some magic late in his career, it feels like this team’s window to contend is closing.
NFC SOUTH Trying to stay on top of what should be a fiercely competitive division, the Falcons went all-in with the drafting of wide receiver Julio Jones — adding yet another big-play
option for Matt Ryan. Atlanta’s addition of free agent defensive end Ray Edwards should help a defense that struggled to bring pass-rush pressure. The secondary must improve behind him. Right behind the Falcons are New Orleans and up-and-coming Tampa Bay. The Saints waved goodbye to Reggie Bush but still might be a better running team than they were last year. New Orleans signed free agent Darren Sproles and drafted Mark Ingram. The Saints also beefed up their defensive line, hoping to improve their run defense. The most intriguing team in the division could be Tampa Bay. Josh Freeman was impressive in his first year as a fulltime starter, completing 61.4 percent of his passes for 3,451 yards with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions. If Freeman’s upswing continues and other young players mature
quickly, especially up front on defense, the Bucs could contend. The Carolina Panthers have a new coach, Ron Rivera, and a new quarterback, Cam Newton. Thanks to the lockout, neither one had the benefit of an organized offseason program. Not a winning formula.
NFC WEST This division is wide open and presumably won’t take much to win — so why not the Rams? New offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has legitimate building blocks with quarterback Sam Bradford and running back Steven Jackson. They’re still thin at wide receiver and need to get better on defense. But it won’t take much improvement to grab hold of this division. The Seahawks unloaded quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and linebacker Lofa Tatupu. Now they’re bet-
ting big that there’s more to Tarvaris Jackson’s game than the quarterback showed in Minnesota. Hmm ... In Arizona, new quarterback Kevin Kolb and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald form the foundation for what could be a decent offense. But last season’s unimpressive defense must improve — and do so without Rodgers-Cromartie, the price paid to pry Kolb away from Philadelphia. Things could be rough in the short term for the 49ers, as Jim Harbaugh must adjust to life as an NFL head coach without the benefits of an organized offseason program during the lockout. And, um, Alex Smith is his quarterback. A healthy Frank Gore would help greatly on offense, and wide receiver Michael Crabtree could benefit if Harbaugh’s West Coast offense takes root. Linebacker Patrick Willis must carry the defense.
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH (with records): NFC EAST: 1) Philadelphia Eagles (12-4) 2) Dallas Cowboys (9-7) 3) New York Giants (8-8) 4) Washington Redskins (4-12) NFC NORTH: 1) Green Bay Packers (12-4) 2) Detroit Lions (9-7) 3) Chicago Bears (7-9) 4) Minnesota Vikings (511) NFC SOUTH: 1) Atlanta Falcons (11-5) 2) New Orleans Saints (10-6) 3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-6) 4) Carolina Panthers 313 NFC WEST: 1) St. Louis Rams (8-8) 2) Seattle Seahawks (8-8) 3) Arizona Cardinals (7-9) 4) San Francisco 49ers (5-11)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2011
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
HINTS BY | HELOISE Dear Readers: How is your day going? Mine is starting out nice with this “new and updated” column. For many years now, this Saturday column has been all about pets, which have such a special spot in our lives. Well, it’s time for a little change. Your favorite pet hints, from Heloise Central and you, my readers, are going to be spread throughout my daily column. However, PET PAL, where you send a photo of a beloved pet doing something silly or getting caught doing something it shouldn’t (and the photo is posted on my website: www. Heloise.com), will stay right here. So, please read on for the new, updated Heloise column. Oh, by the way, your paper may run my column on any day it wishes. Usually, the columns run on the day I have written them for. So, look for FAST FACTS on Monday, HELOISE’S KITCHENEERING on Wednesday and TRAVEL hints on Friday. Moneysaving and GREEN hints are sprinkled throughout the week. — Your friend, Heloise
NO SOAP? Dear Heloise: I read your column about washing vegetables and fruit. Why does the Food and Drug Administration recommend against using soap to wash vegetables and fruit? If properly rinsed afterward, why is this a problem? — Dave, via email Great question, Dave! It can be confusing, especially since people use the term “wash” the veggies. The FDA, the United States Department of Agriculture and other respected sources say to “wash” fruits and vegetables vigorously under cool, clean running water ONLY, while rubbing with your hands. DO NOT wash with detergent or bleach solutions, because fruits and veggies may absorb the “washing” solution. Deter-
“
HELOISE
gents and bleach are NOT intended for human consumption, and they could possibly make you sick. There have been numerous tests showing that running water and scrubbing with a vegetable brush does the job. — Heloise
PET PAL Dear Readers: Paul M. of Hammond, Ind., sent a picture of his beautiful black-and-white shorthaired cat, Anna, climbing the banister rather than the stairs. To see Anna going upstairs and view our other Pet Pals, go to www.Heloise.com and click on “Pets.” — Heloise
FRONT LOADERS Dear Heloise: For those of us who have front-load washing machines, they tend to stay “moist” inside. I use a bowl with about a half a cup of baking soda and place it in the washing machine while not in use. I pour it in with my towels prior to washing them. My washing machine stays “dry” while not in use because the baking soda absorbs the moisture, there’s no smell, and my towels come out smelling fresh. — Ginny Daly, Yorba Linda, Calif.
ICE-COLD WATER Hi, Heloise: To battle the heat and stay hydrated here in South Texas, my husband places plastic water bottles half-full of water into the freezer, and before going out and about, will top off the bottle with water. Then he has a cold drink for the car. Thanks for all your fun tips. — Jane, Hunt, Texas
DAILY CRYPTOQUOTES — Here’s how to work it:
FAMILY CIRCUS
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4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2011
Ready to rumble Rice vists UT to kick off 2011 AUSTIN — The Texas Longhorns will soon find out if all those changes behind the scenes will make a difference on the field. After last season’s 5-7 meltdown just one year after playing for the national championship, coach Mack Brown overhauled his staff, threw every position open and challenged his players to earn their spot on the roster. Texas opens the season tonight against Rice, a team the Longhorns routinely crush. But the Owls have a veteran team with an explosive offense that could disrupt the entire Texas rebuilding project if they pull off the upset. The Longhorns are unranked to start the season for the first time since 1998, Brown’s first season in Austin. Texas players say they have a lot to prove after last season’s debacle. “Things have got to change,” senior guard David Snow said. “And it’s time to change them.” One thing that didn’t change was quarterback. Garrett Gilbert, who threw 17 interceptions against just 10 touchdowns last season, won a fourway battle for the starting job in training camp. He had to fight for it. After Texas’ first scrimmage, he was bumped down to third team, then won the starting job after a better performance in the next one. Gilbert has as much to prove as anyone. The former high school all-American who was supposed to slip right into the role of Texas’ next great quarterback floundered in one of the worst Longhorns offenses in 20 years. If he struggles with turnovers against Rice, a crowd of about 100,000 will
AP Photo
This Nov. 13, 2010 file photo shows Texas Tech head coach Tommy Tuberville, left, and Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, right, shaking hands following their game in Norman, Okla.
Photo by Eric Gay | AP
In this Sept. 11, 2010, photo, Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert looks to throw against Wyoming in Austin. Gilbert has earned a second chance to be the starting quarterback at Texas.
Bobcats visit Red Raiders for opener in Lubbock By BETSY BLANEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
be wondering when backup Case McCoy, the younger brother of former Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy, will get his turn. Brown said he’ll keep it simple: If Gilbert protects the ball and gets the Longhorns into the end zone, he’ll play. Last season, Brown let Gilbert play through a five-interception road loss at Kansas State and he’ll have a much shorter leash if turnover problems continue. “If he moves the ball and scores, he’ll keep it,” Brown said. Rice coach David Bailiff expects his team will see a much better Gilbert this season. “The weight of the world was on that young man to perform last year,” Bailiff said. “I’m sure he is a lot more confident going into this year.” Gilbert is far from the only question mark for the Longhorns.
New coordinators Bryan Harsin (offense) and Manny Diaz (defense) bring their own schemes from Boise State and Mississippi State, respectively. And they are just two of the seven new coaches on staff. On offense, Texas lost two of their top three receivers from last season. A running game that was practically non-existent last year will rely heavily on often-injured senior running back Fozzy Whittaker and freshmen Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron. They’ll be running behind a line with just 36 career starts from tackle to tackle. Snow has the bulk of those with 19. For Rice to have a shot, its defense will have to be much, much better than last season. It surrendered an average of 449 yards and 38.5 points per game as the Owls finished the season 4-8.
LUBBOCK — Texas Tech won’t surprise anyone with its high-flying, pass-heavy offense these days. It will be more of the same tonight in the season-opener at home against Texas State, but there’s a twist: There’s a new quarterback and a retooled defense for the Red Raiders. Quarterback Seth Doege hasn’t played a full game since his sophomore year in high school, back when he completed 115 of 171 passes for 27 touchdowns and 2,439 yards. He also ran 78 times for three TDs and 526 yards. But that was in high school, where he tore his left and right ACL in his junior and senior years, respectively. Coach Tommy Tuberville said Doege, a junior, won the starting spot because he knows the of-
fense better than backup Jacob Karam, a sophomore. “We’re going to find out not just how good of a football player he is and how good of a leader he is,” Tuberville said. “How he can run an offense, how he can get off the ground after getting run over by a 300-pounder and making a decision 30 seconds later and getting the job done.” The two teams have never met and the Bobcats have new faces of their own. Dennis Franchione, who coached Texas State in 1990-92 when it was still known as Southwest Texas State, is back to lead the Bobcats. Tuberville and Franchione have split the two games they’ve played against one another. Tuberville’s 2001 Auburn team lost at home 31-7 to Franchione’s Alabama team. The following year, the visiting Tigers beat the Crimson Tide, 17-7.
Franchione, now coaching a Football Championship Subdivision team after 10 years at TCU, Alabama and Texas A&M, said he probably won’t announce his starting quarterback — either Tyler Arndt or Shaun Rutherford — until game time. “Sometimes in the first game you beat the enemy, and the enemy is you,” he said. “We hope that’s not true. I hope our guys are able to execute, protect the ball, play with enthusiasm and tackle well.” The Bobcats offense will be a good test for a revamped Red Raiders defense, which was near the bottom nationally in total defense last year (456.3 yards per game and ranked No. 114). Firstyear defensive coordinator Chad Glasgow will use five defensive backs. The Red Raiders defense is more athletic than last year’s squad, which was plagued with injuries, Tuberville said.