ZHS RUNS TO VICTORY
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2010
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UTILITIES
MEXICO VIOLENCE
A dry 12 hours
Troops kill 30 alleged Zetas
Line break leaves residents without water one-half day By LORRAINE L. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata residents were left without water for nearly 12 hours last weekend as Zapata County officials prepare to move
operations to the new water plant. The problem arose because the old and new water plants have to run simultaneously for about three weeks during a transition period to prevent any
water production interruptions, said Carlos Treviño Jr., water plant director. “We just started producing water last week, Treviño said. The pressure of both water plants running simultaneously
built up and busted a 24-inch main transmission water line, he said. “On Sunday morning, they had a system failure on one of
See WATER PAGE 10A
By MARK WALSH ASSOCIATED PRESS
MUSIC
MONTERREY, Mexico — Mexican soldiers killed at least 30 suspected cartel members in two shootouts near the U.S. border in a region that has become one of biggest battlegrounds in the country’s drug war, authorities said Friday. Twenty-five of the suspects were killed Thursday during a raid on a building in Ciudad Mier in Tamaulipas state. The other five were killed Friday in neighboring Nuevo Leon state, during a shootout on a highway leading to the border, the Mexican Defense Department said in a statement. All 30 gunmen were believed to belong to the Zetas gang — the group suspected of killing 72 migrants nearly two weeks ago in what could be Mexico’s biggest cartel massacre to date. Violence along Mexico’s northeastern border with Texas has
See GUNMEN PAGE 10A
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Photo by Ulysses S. Romero | The Zapata Times
ABOVE: Left, Charlie Rodriguez plays the violin as the Zapata High School Mariachi practices Thursday. The group is the star of a documentary entitled “Mariachi High,” now being filmed by Ruby Lake Productions. BELOW: Sophomore Collin Moffett plays the guitarron during practice at Zapata High School on Thursday afternoon, in preparation for this year’s competitions.
READY FOR THE BIG SCREEN
Sheriff checking extortion scam By LORRAINE L. RODRIGUEZ
Mariachi group is chosen for documentary on American culture By LORRAINE L. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
As the Zapata High School Mariachi band, the reigning 3A state champions prepare for more contests, Ruby Lake Productions selected the group to star in a documentary titled “Mariachi High,” about how American children relate to their culture. As part of an endowment, a Ruby Lake Productions representative called Adrian Padilla, Mariachi director, to inform him about an idea to film students in South Texas, beginning with ZHS Mariachi band members. The production company would eventually move into the valley in search of a worthy group of students to film. A month later Padilla received the good
THE ZAPATA TIMES
news. The production company has already visited the mariachi band twice since the beginning of the school year, and will be getting about 400 hours of footage this year, he said. The ZHS Mariachi band also earned second place in the Albuquerque contest last year and graduated two of its members. In May, 11 seniors will be graduating, with many more coming in next year, Padilla said. “Our gene pool runs real deep, about 174 at the middle school and approximately 70 at the high school,” he said. The production company will follow mariachi band members in their day-to-day ac-
The Zapata County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a scam that aims to extort thousands of dollars from Zapata residents and businesses. Several people have reported receiving calls from individuals in Mexico who say the call recipient’s relatives have been arrested and are requesting large amounts of money in order to release them, Zapata County officials said. According to Sgt. Mario Elizondo, the caller attempts to convince the local resident that he is a relative. The caller then tries to make plans to visit Zapata. However, the next day, the same resident gets a call from the faux relative who
See MARIACHI PAGE 10A
See SHERIFF PAGE 10A