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FEDERAL BUDGET
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
No movement
House hard-liners united in budget impasse By DONNA CASSATA ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Freshman Rep. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma is one of the hard-line House conservatives demanding concessions from President Barack Obama on his health care law in exchange for ending the federal government shutdown. “We have got to get to the point where we’re working like a functional government, not like a dictatorship,” said Mullin, a 36year-old rancher and plumbing business owner who insists that the president and Senate Democrats must negotiate on an emergency spending bill to reopen the government. In Mullin’s expansive district, which stretches along eastern Oklahoma from Kansas to Texas, many constituents stand firmly behind the young Republican
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WHAT’S AFFECTED? 6A congressman even as they begin to feel the impact of the first government shutdown in 17 years. They’re unbending in their opposition to the 3-year-old health care law and endorse any effort to unravel it. “Wait it out,” Micah Thompson, a 32-year-old seminarian student and Army reservist from Canadian, Okla., advised Mullin. “It’s chicken. Someone’s got to blink first.” For Thompson, the shutdown isn’t just a political fight in Washington. His brother, an employee at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, has been furloughed. This weekend, Thompson himself faces cancellation of his Army drills and the loss of pay. Thompson knows what
he doesn’t like about the health care law. “I think it’s wrong to make someone buy something they don’t want or don’t need,” he said, referring to the requirement that millions of Americans get coverage or face a penalty. So Mullin stands firm, and he is not alone. Rebellious Republicans prevailed in pressuring Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to link undoing the health care law to the temporary spending bill and have refused to relent, now four days into a government shutdown with no end in sight. Few arguments have swayed these GOP newcomers, 71 from the tea party class of 2010 and 37 who arrived in Washington earlier this year. Many are too young to remember the last shutdown in 1995 and the political woes it created for the GOP. The party’s last two pres-
idential nominees — John McCain and Mitt Romney — have challenged the wisdom of the strategy but have been ignored. Republican senators have called the tactic dumb and a ploy but have failed to change minds. Nearly two dozen House Republicans have dissented, urging a vote on a straightforward bill to open the government, with little success. Mullin’s fellow Oklahoman, six-term Republican Rep. Tom Cole, has also counseled against the stalemate, warning repeatedly that a shutdown and government default on paying its bills “are about the only two things that could jeopardize the House majority” next year. Cole is close to Boehner and serves as a deputy whip. Says freshman Rep. Richard Hudson of North Car-
See BUDGET
PAGE 9A
SOUTH TEXAS
FULL OF MEMORIES
Zapata feels the pinch of shutdown By ALDO AMATO THE ZAPATA TIMES
More than 160 federal employees in Zapata County are expected to be affected by the recent federal government shutdown. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar released statistics Thursday highlighting the number of employees in his district who could be directly affected by the shutdown — the first in 17 years. Bexar led with nearly 31,000 employees who have either been furloughed or possibly be furloughed followed by Hidalgo at 3,350 and Webb with 3,210. The following is the number of those in Zapata County who have been furloughed or will possibly be furloughed. Department of Homeland Security: 138 Agriculture: 24 “There are more than 130,000 federal workers in Texas,” Cuellar said. “These federal employees are not nameless. They all have families who depend upon them, mortgage payments they have to make, children to take care of and bills to pay.” Sergio Moreno, local president of the National Border Patrol Council, was one of almost 100 “non-essential” Border Patrol Laredo Sector employees who received their furlough notice Tuesday. He said that although he is furloughed,
he considers himself lucky compared to others. “There are mothers out there with children who they have to take care of,” he said. “It’s a real unfortunate situation, so we’ll see how long this lasts.” The department of Homeland Security are likely to take the biggest hit nationwide. Cuellar said the 138 employees in Zapata County could be directly impacted. Representatives from U.S. Customs and Border Protection headquarters in Washington, D.C., which falls under Department of Homeland Security, could not be reached for comment Thursday. Leaders from the House of Representatives met with President Barack Obama on Wednesday evening, but no solution was reached. Cuellar blamed Tea Party lawmakers for continuing to battle over the Affordable Care Act rather than passing the annual budget. “Because of the inability of a small faction of extreme lawmakers who are holding the federal budget hostage to their partisan demands, the jobs and paychecks of 40 percent of federal employees nationwide are in jeopardy,” he said. “It is an injustice to every hardworking American to have his or her livelihood taken away.” ( Aldo Amato may be reached at 728-2538 or aamato@lmtonline.com)
SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Investigators seek help in solving crimes Photo by Todd Yates/Corpus Christi Caller-Times | AP
Bobby Galvan, owner and operator of Galvan Music Co., is surrounded by decades of photos and memorabilia from the music company and the Galvan Ballroom, which is housed upstairs. Most folks know Galvan Music Co. and its adjoined ballroom are the 1940s and 1950s Corpus Christi connection to Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Gene Krupa and Trios Los Ponchos. But what speaks louder to the city than the sounds that spill into the streets from Galvan Music Co., are the contributions from the building’s namesake that are deep-rooted in local Hispanic heritage.
Galvan family kept South Texas swinging By MIKE BAIRD
CORPUS CHRISTI CALLER-TIMES
CORPUS CHRISTI — Most folks know Galvan Music Co., and its adjoined ballroom, are the 1940s and 1950s Corpus Christi connection to Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Gene Krupa and Trios Los Ponchos. But what speaks louder to the city than the sounds that spill into the streets from Galvan Music Co., are the contributions from the building’s namesake that are deep-rooted in local Hispanic heritage. The building was constructed by family patriarch Rafael Galvan Sr. in the late 1940s. Galvan, who died at age 79 in October 1966, became a powerful political force,
according to Caller-Times archives. Yet his heirs aren’t sure how a city policeman of 20 years — the first Hispanic on the force — managed to build the ballroom building and launch other costly investments. “My wife and I often wonder how my dad accomplished such magnificent things with nine children,” Robert “Bobby” Galvan, 84, told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Bobby is the youngest of Rafael Sr.’s children and still operates the music store in the building at Agnes and 14th streets. His father also bought a theater that was the first to welcome minorities; he operated Laguna Fish and Oyster Co. with catch hauled from
Port Isabel; and owned two nightclubs: Green Lantern and Las Dos Republicas. Among these operations the elder Galvan was a founder of League of United Latin American Citizens and was one of the first Hispanics to run for public office, losing a close race for county constable. In May 1990 school board trustees unanimously agreed to name one of two elementary schools after Rafael Galvan. His name also lives on Galvan Street named for him and the Galvan House at Heritage Park. The Galvan House — built in 1908 by a Corpus Christi railroad man and moved from its Waco Street loft in 1982 — for 40 years was filled with echoes of
loud voices, music and laughter of the Galvan family. Lyndon Johnson and Lazaro Cardenas, president of Mexico in the late 1930s, were only two of the many political big shots who visited the home pre-World War II. “I recall more than once Lyndon Johnson was there,” said Rafael’s son, the late Eddie Galvan, in a 1990 article. “Many times President Cardenas would come to see my father ... When he would come to visit, he and my father would have a party that lasted for two or three days ... my father would always get us to play (music) for his special guests.”
See MUSIC PAGE 9A
By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata County Sheriff ’s investigators are seeking the community’s assistance to help them solve a couple of burglaries and a theft that occurred recently, local authorities said Friday. The announcement follows a combined total of 14 burglaries and thefts reported in the county from Sept. 25 to Thursday, according to the Sheriff ’s office media report. A spokesman could not be reached for comment regarding the rash of criminal activity. The first incident was reported Sept. 25 at the Hawk Ready Mix at 543 FM 496. It is believed the suspect or suspects stole $650 in items and $200 in damaged property. Sheriff ’s officials said the offenders stole a Skill saw, two sets of socket tools and approximately $50 in cash. The second burglary was reported Sept. 29 in
the 1900 block of Mier Avenue. Investigators said the suspects broke into a Ford F-350 belonging to Oak Lease Services. Items stolen included three 24-inch and two 48inch pipe wrenches, one 4-inch and two 2-inch thread pipes, and one 4inch and one 2-inch pipe cutters. In total, the tools had an estimated value of $1,500. A third incident was reported Tuesday in the 100 block of Sierra Vista Boulevard. Suspects made it off with a black 27-inch Sony flat screen television and a black and red lawnmower trimmer, according to sheriff ’s officials. The items stolen had a combined value of $1,800. People with information on the cases are asked to call the sheriff ’s office at 765-9960. Callers may remain anonymous. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 7282568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2013
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, OCT. 5
ASSOCIATED PRESS
First United Methodist Church will hold a used book sale, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 1220 McClelland Ave. Hardback books are $1, paperback books 50 cents, and magazines and children’s books 25 cents. Walk like MADD. Registration 7 a.m. Opening ceremonies 8 a.m. 3k run and walk 8:30 a.m. North Central Park. Adult walk or run $20; youth 5 to 21 years $15; children under 5 free. Call 740-3233. Laredo Philharmonic’s Annual Gala. 7 p.m. to midnight. St. Augustine Ballroom at La Posada Hotel. Honoree is U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar. Master of Ceremonies is Marcus A. Nelson. “Dance Hits through the Decades” by Ross & Friends. Dinner 8 p.m. Tickets $100 per person available at Cantu Interirors, from Phil board members, emailing laredophilharmonic@gmail.com or calling 236-7772. Outrun Abuse 5k Run/Walk, hosted by Kristine Meza Foundation in partnership with Battered Women’s Shelter. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in San Antonio. facebook.com/TheKristineMezaFoundation.
Today is Saturday, Oct. 5, the 278th day of 2013. There are 87 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Oct. 5, 1921, the World Series was carried on radio for the first time as Newark, N.J. station WJZ (later WABC) relayed a telephoned play-byplay account of the first game from the Polo Grounds, where the New York Giants were facing the New York Yankees, to a studio announcer who repeated the information on the air. (Although the Yankees won the opener, 3-0, the Giants won the series, 5 games to 3.) On this date: In 1892, the Dalton Gang, notorious for its train robberies, was practically wiped out while attempting to rob a pair of banks in Coffeyville, Kan. In 1910, Portugal was proclaimed a republic following the abdication of King Manuel II in the face of a coup d’etat. In 1931, Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon completed the first non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean, arriving in Washington state some 41 hours after leaving Japan. In 1941, former Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis — the first Jewish member of the nation’s highest court — died in Washington at age 84. In 1947, President Harry S. Truman delivered the first televised White House address as he spoke on the world food crisis. In 1953, Earl Warren was sworn in as the 14th chief justice of the United States, succeeding Fred M. Vinson. In 1962, The Beatles’ first hit recording, “Love Me Do,” was released in the United Kingdom by Parlophone Records. The first James Bond theatrical feature, “Dr. No” starring Sean Connery as Agent 007, premiered in London. In 1969, the British TV comedy program “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” made its debut on BBC 1. In 1970, British trade commissioner James Richard Cross was kidnapped in Canada by militant Quebec separatists; he was released the following December. Ten years ago: Israel bombed an Islamic Jihad base in Syria in the first Israeli attack deep inside Syrian territory in three decades. Five years ago: Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin defended her claim that Barack Obama “pals around with terrorists,” referring to his association on a charity board a few years earlier with 1960s radical Bill Ayers. One year ago: A month before the presidential election, unemployment fell to its lowest level, 7.8 percent, since President Barack Obama took office; some Republicans questioned whether the numbers had been manipulated. Today’s Birthdays: Actress Glynis Johns is 90. Comedian Bill Dana is 89. Actor Peter Brown is 78. College Football Hall of Fame coach Barry Switzer is 76. Rhythmand-blues singer Arlene Smith (The Chantels) is 72. Singermusician Steve Miller is 70. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, DMd., is 70. Rock singer Brian Johnson (AC/DC) is 66. Thought for Today: “America has believed that in differentiation, not in uniformity, lies the path of progress. It acted on this belief; it has advanced human happiness, and it has prospered.” — Louis D. Brandeis (1856-1941).
SUNDAY, OCT. 6 Fourth Annual Blessing of All Animals. 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. St. Peter’s Plaza, Matamoros Street and Main Avenue. Pet owners bring pets in a harness, leash or cage to be blessed. Saint Francis of Assisi medals available with donation. Contact 286-7866 or birdtorres@hotmail.com.
THURSDAY, OCT. 10 Laredo Border Slam Poetry spoken word competition. 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Second and fourth Thursday of each month. Gallery 201, 513 San Bernardo Ave. Three minutes to perform, two rounds and five random judges from the audience. Cash and quirky prizes. $2 suggested donation at the door. Email Julia Orduña at juliaorduna@gmail.com or visit facebook.com/ laredoborderslam. Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 727-0589.
FRIDAY, OCT. 11 Registration for the Texas Team Trail Championship will take place at the Zapata Community Center, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
SUNDAY, OCT. 13 United Methodist Men’s semi-annual all-you-can-eat spaghetti luncheon. Noon to 1:30 p.m. Fellowship Hall, 1220 McClelland Ave. Free-will offerings accepted. Contact Sue Webber 722-1674 or fumc_office@sbcglobal.net. First United Methodist Church 12th Annual Pumpkin Patch. 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Proceeds go to Youth Ministries.
MONDAY, OCT. 14 First United Methodist Church 12th Annual Pumpkin Patch. Open Monday-Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Proceeds go to Youth Ministries.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16 International Bank of Commerce 2013-2014 Keynote Speaker Series, featuring Dr. Shannon K. O’Neil, senior fellow for Latin American Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C. 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. TAMIU Student Center Ballroom (SC 203). O’Neil will present “Two Nations Indivisible: Medico, the United Sates, and the Road Ahead.” Contact Amy Palacios at 326-2820 or cswht@tamiu.edu.
SATURDAY, NOV. 2 First United Methodist Church will hold a used book sale, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 1220 McClelland Ave. Hardback books are $1, paperback books 50 cents, and magazines and children’s books 25 cents.
SATURDAY, DEC. 7 First United Methodist Church will hold a used book sale, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 1220 McClelland Ave. Hardback books are $1, paperback books 50 cents, and magazines and children’s books 25 cents. Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location and purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.
Photo by Juan Carlos Llorca | AP
Cpl. Bastian Stuerke walks past a wall with the photos of all previous commanders of the German Air Force USA/Canada Command in Fort Bliss on Tuesday. The command was deactivated Tuesday after nearly 60 years of German presence in this west Texas post. It is the first step toward the 2017 German soldier pull out of Fort Bliss.
Command leaving Army post By JUAN CARLOS LLORCA ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT BLISS — After nearly 60 years of having a presence in the West Texas desert, the German Air Force has deactivated its USA/Canada Command. Tuesday’s deactivation is the first step toward the Germans closing its command center at Fort Bliss by 2017. The move is part of a German military reorganization. “We don’t have a cold war anymore, and you have to find which barracks are expensive and here is quite expensive,” said Sgt. Maj. Juergen Volmer, Public Affairs Officer for the Command. The command dwindled from about 40 officers in previous years to about two dozen, and only seven remained before it was officially shuttered. Some were transferred to New Mexico’s
Holloman Air Force Base, some 70 miles north of El Paso while others were sent to other bases around the U.S. where the German air force has presence. The Luftwaffe (LOOFT’-vah-fah) flight training center in Alamogordo, New Mexico, will expand its responsibilities. The air command, established in 1966, was in charge of all the German Air Force’s operations in the U.S. and Canada. Its duties were largely administrative. The Air Defense Center, the other German unit in Fort Bliss, was set up in 1956, and since then more than 50,000 German soldiers have trained there. Currently the center trains about 500 each year, about half of the maximum number of students the center saw in the 80’s. The center will start reducing personnel next year.
Museum to open exhibit on color photos
Austin may soon need water restrictions
Officials: $30M in unmet needs for blast victims
FORT WORTH — A museum exhibit illustrating how color changed the nature of photography opens this weekend at a Fort Worth museum. “Color! American Photography Transformed” opens today at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. The exhibit, which includes more than 70 photographs, will be on display through Jan. 5. It will then travel to Memphis, Tenn.
AUSTIN — A top Austin water official says Central Texas is now mired in the worst drought it has ever experienced, and warned that drastic restrictions on water use may be required. Austin Water Utility Director Greg Meszaros told the city council that banning all but hand-held outdoor watering may soon be necessary. He also mentioned possibly creating new and higher customer “drought rates.”
WEST — West Long-Term Recovery Center, a local nonprofit group coordinating aid for residents of West affected by the April fertilizer plant explosion, estimates assistance is falling short by $30 million. The shortfall is attributable to damages not covered by insurance, donations or state and federal money.
West Texas sheriff’s deputy killed in shootout
McCAMEY — Authorities say a sheriff ’s deputy has been killed in a shootout with a man at a West Texas convenience store. The Upton County Sheriff ’s Office says Billy “Bubba” Kennedy died late Wednesday at the store in McCamey, some 50 miles south of Odessa. Texas Rangers are investigating the shooting.
Retail gasoline prices tumble 4 cents
HOUSTON — Retail gasoline prices across Texas continue to fall. AAA Texas on Thursday reported the statewide average price at the pump fell 4 cents to $3.16 per gallon. It dropped by 8 cents the prior week. The average price nationally stood at $3.38.
School district ends $16M iPad plan
SUGAR LAND — A Houstonarea school district has abandoned a $16 million initiative to incorporate iPads into classroom curriculums after a consultant found problems. The Houston Chronicle reports use of the iPads was limited, managers had inadequate skills and a vendor hired to develop the learning platform had no curriculum experience. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Judge orders release of sick Guantanamo prisoner MIAMI — A federal judge in Washington has ordered the release of a mentally ill Guantanamo Bay prisoner who has been held without charge at the U.S. base in Cuba for more than 11 years. Judge Royce Lamberth issued the brief order Friday after the U.S. government dropped its opposition to his release. Ibrahim Idris suffers from ailments that include severe diabetes and schizophrenia. He was suspected of once being a fighter and courier for alQaida but diagnosed as mentally ill after his arrival in Guantanamo in January 2002.
Dead Poets founder visits 300th grave
PORTLAND, Maine — A Maine man who’s devoted himself to honoring the memory of
CONTACT US
Photo by Leah Millis/San Francisco Chronicle
Alexandria Dollar, 21, of Coloma, waits in a hammock for the first band to start during the first day of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park on Friday in San Francisco, Calif. poets from the past has now visited 300 grave sites of poets ahead of this weekend’s fourth annual Dead Poets Remembrance Day. Walter Skold of Freeport reached the milestone Monday. Skold founded the Dead Poets
Society of America and began visiting and documenting the graves of dead poets in 2009 in an effort to draw attention to dead and largely forgotten writers. He visited 150 graves in 23 states. — Compiled from AP reports
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Local
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2013
Feds accuse three men of conspiracy, possession By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Three men were arrested Tuesday on conspiracy and marijuana possession charges in Zapata County, according to federal court records. Elmer Oswaldo Campos, 36, Andrew James Escamilla, 34, and Juan Manuel Perez Jr., 38, were charged with conspiracy to distribute in excess of 100 kilograms of marijuana and possession with intent to distribute in excess of 100 kilograms of marijuana, a criminal complaint filed Thursday states. Federal documents do not show an exact figure for the amount of marijuana seized from the tractortrailer. “Agents searched the trailer and determined there to be an excess of 100 kilograms of marijuana. Escamilla, Campos and Perez were subsequently transported to the Webb County Jail,” court documents read. On Tuesday, FBI agents and task force officers established surveillance along U.S. 83 between Zapata and San Ygnacio. Federal officials
were tipped of a pneumatic tractortrailer hauling marijuana from Rio Grande Valley to Laredo. “”The source reported that there would be at least one scout vehicle traveling with the tractor-trailer,” the complaint reads. At 5:42 a.m. Tuesday, agents observed a gold 1998 Chevy pickup traveling directly in front of a tractor-trailer. The Chevy pickup and the tractor-trailer then parked at Pepe’s Gas Station in San Ygnacio and later departed. A Department of Public Safety trooper pulled over the tractor-trailer for a traffic violation. Escamilla was the driver and he had Campos as a passenger. “During a post-Miranda interview, Escamilla later admitted that there was marijuana concealed inside the trailer and that there were four scout vehicles traveling with him,” according to court documents. Escamilla said he was contacted to drive the pot from Roma. He said an individual identified as Campos was sent to guide him through the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints. Escamilla further stated he had stayed
the night before at the Roma Inn in Roma. A man not identified in court documents picked him up and gave him a prepaid Alcatel AT&T cell phone to communicate with the escort driver. Escamilla was introduced to Campos outside the Roma Inn room. Campos had an LG prepaid phone. “Both Escamilla and Campos had missed calls from an identical phone number that called their respective phones during the time of the traffic stop by DPS,” the complaint reads. Campos claimed he went to Pepe’s Gas Station to work on an air leak and that he caught a ride back to Zapata with Escamilla. Meanwhile, other agents followed the suspected scout gold pickup to a gas station in Zapata. Perez was identified as the driver. He allegedly admitted to traveling back and forth from San Ygnacio to Zapata. “Perez said his unusual travel pattern was because of a stomach ailment,” according to court documents. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
Man indicted in pot case By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A man who was arrested Sept. 10 in Zapata for allegedly transporting 480 pounds of marijuana was indicted in federal court this week. An indictment returned Tuesday charges John Paul Lopez, 25, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. Lopez could face up to 40 years in prison, according to the indictment. Lopez opted to waive his arraignment set for Oct. 10 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga
but he did submit in writing his not guilty plea Thursday, according to court documents. On Sept. 19, U.S. Magistrate Guillermo R. Garcia ordered him detained pending trial. “The court believes that the defendant is a flight risk and a danger to the community,” a court order signed by Garcia states, adding Lopez has relatives in Mexico. The court also found that Lopez has been unemployed for about six months. Lopez’s charges date back to Sept. 10. U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted to approach a black Chevy Tahoe parked along 83 near the Starr and Zapata County line but it departed the area. Agents did
see several people running away from where the Tahoe was parked, according to court documents. Agents discovered several large bundles of suspected marijuana in the brush area. Federal officials caught up to the Tahoe in the town of Zapata and identified the driver as Lopez. He told Drug Enforcement Administration agents that he pulled over off U.S. 83 because his vehicle was having “engine issues.” Border Patrol seized 480 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $360,000, federal officials said. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
THE BLOTTER Assault An aggravated assault with a deadly weapon was reported at 10:13 a.m. Sept. 26 at the Nutrition Center along U.S. 83. An assault was reported at 3:35 p.m. Sept. 26 at Zapata High School. An assault, family violence incident was reported at 7:55 p.m. Sept. 29 in the Nickelson Addition. An assault, family violence incident was reported at 9:22 p.m. Sept. 29 in the 2300 block of Lago Vista Drive.
Burglary A burglary of a vehicle was reported at 2:10 p.m. Sept. 25 in the 600 block of Eagle Street. A burglary of a vehicle was reported at 2:41 p.m. Sept. 25 in the 600 block of Falcon Drive. A burglary of habitation was reported at 11:22 p.m. Sept. 25 in the 300 block of Gonzalez Street. A burglary of a building was reported at Hawk Ready Mix at about 6:20 a.m. Sept. 26. A burglary of a vehicle was reported at 8:42 a.m. Sept. 26 in the 400 block of U.S. 83. A burglary of habitation was
reported at 10:50 a.m. Sept. 27 in the 300 block of Gonzalez Street. A burglary of a vehicle was reported at 9:33 a.m. Sept. 29 in the 1900 block of Mier Avenue. A burglary of a vehicle was reported at 8:52 p.m. Wednesday in the 400 block of Ramireño Avenue.
Child abandonment A child abandonment incident was reported at 7:54 p.m. Sept. 27 in the 1300 block of Zapata Boulevard.
Theft A theft was reported at 7:23 p.m. Sept. 26 in the 500 block of FM 496 Road. A theft was reported at 10:56 a.m. Sept. 27 in the 1200 block of Weslaco Lane. A theft was reported at 10:33 a.m. Monday on Cinco de Mayo Road. A theft was reported at 4:13 p.m. Monday in San Ygnacio. A theft was reported at 10:46 a.m. Tuesday in the 100 block of Sierra Vista Lane. A theft was reported at 11:58 p.m. Wednesday in the 1700 block of North Siesta Lane.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2013
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The Wendy Davis show premieres HALTOM CITY — It’s not that it’s been a long time since I’ve seen Texas Democrats smiling optimistically, bless their ever-losing hearts, it’s just that this time they seem to mean it. Live from Haltom City: It’s Wendy Davis! And Texas Dems have the latest candidate who will lead them back to the ballot-box promised land. It’s a long shot, but this time it could happen.
Rags to riches The kickoff event was all teed up and timed for live-at-5 shots on local stations around the state as a Muleshoe tenant farmer’s grandchild told her amazing story of poverty to community college to Harvard Law School to Fort Worth City Council to Texas Senate to whatever’s next. “And that’s why today, I’m proud to announce my candidacy to be the 48th governor of the great state of Texas,” she said Thursday, bringing the crowd to full boil.
Crowded coliseum The Wiley G. Thomas Jr. Coliseum in Haltom City, the building in which she got her high school diploma 32 years ago, was packed and the stagecraft was flawless (save for a few hisses when the former TXU executive who introduced Davis mentioned the big utility company. Dems don’t like big utility companies). Davis opted not to announce at her high school, nearby Richland High School, as gubernatorial candidates sometimes do. Sometimes that works. Sometimes not. Ask Kay Bailey Hutchison how her 2010 announcement at La Marque High School foreshadowed the disaster that her campaign became. That event included a too-small crowd in a small gym and an announcer who mispronounced the school name.
Wrong town (Petty point about Davis’ event: A Wednesday advisory said it would be in Haltom, Texas, as opposed to the correct Haltom City, Texas. Please don’t let that impact your decision on whether to vote for her.) And, compared to GOP gov candidate Greg Abbott’s recent campaign announcement in the blistering San Antonio midday sun, Davis’ airconditioned, indoor event was great, bringing to mind the immortal words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., when he said, “Freon at last, Freon at last. Thank God Almighty, we have Freon at last.” Overall, Thursday’s indoor scene was just what the consultant ordered. Outside, not so much, including a nearby home with a sign saying “Wendy. Baby Killer,” a message echoed more biblically at the Birdville Church of Christ, next to the coliseum, with an electronic sign showing a baby’s face and the words “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.”
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KEN HERMAN
Among the things Davis has going for her is a Texas GOP that’s moved so far to the right that it might scare off everybody anywhere near the moderate middle. And Davis’ announcement came against a backdrop that could play into her hands.
More abortion So I’m thinking we’re going to hear some more about abortion in the next 13 months, thought it was interesting that Davis mentioned her 2011 education-related filibuster and nothing about her more recent, more famous one about abortion.
Taking advantage As I’ve said before, among the things Davis has going for her is a Texas GOP that’s moved so far to the right that it might scare off everybody anywhere near the moderate middle. And Davis’ announcement came against a D.C. backdrop that could play right into her hands — a scene in which Republicans who didn’t get their way on Obamacare have, childishly, forced the shutdown of the federal government. I never like it when folks on the losing side resort to gumming up the works. It’s unconscionable, intolerable and worthy of ballot-box backlash.
Comparison It would be like a single state senator, backed against the wall because the other side has the votes, shutting down the entire Texas Legislature by standing and talking the Capitol into paralysis. Let me end on a positive, historic note on Davis’ big day. Frankly, it’s difficult to find much in recent Texas political history that’s positive for any Democratic gubernatorial candidate, but I’ve got one.
No incumbent The 2014 gubernatorial election will be the first since 1990 in which there’s no incumbent in the race. And the last time it happened a Democratic woman won the job. Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. Email: khermanstatesman.com.
COLUMN
Am. Dream feels threatened By LLEWELLYN KING HEARST NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON — There is such a chorus from the punditocracy declaring the American Dream dead that one is scared to lay one’s head down at night. A quick Google search reveals that there are at least a dozen books declaring the end to what is the American ethos, a dream in which everyone could graduate to the middle class with a lifetime of dignified employment with a pension, and good educations for their children. Like all declines, there are many threads to the change that is wracking the country. Some of them: There has been a dislocation between the growth in productivity and the growth in wages. Hedrick Smith points this out in his excellent and detailed book, “The American Dream and Who Stole It.” The years of great national prosperity lasted from the end of World War II until it began to erode savagely toward the end of the last century. Smith dates the rot all the way back to the Carter administration, but most of us were not aware of it until much later. If the workers are not sharing in the growth in
productivity, we have severely reversed upward social mobility and the enduring belief of an immigrant people that their children would have a better life. The failure of institutions to mobilize against what was patently happening is extraordinary and, in its way, peculiarly American. Our sense of exceptionalism leads us to avoid collective action. Unionism, which has always been a force for incorporating productivity gains into wage packets, has been muted and itself has failed to grasp what is happening. While the world was changing, the unions were lost in old labor-management struggles of an irrelevant past. Management learned they no longer had to sit and take it: They could move to union-free locations like the South, and ultimately Asia. Collectively, we have watched our own decline in silence. The monied class learned how to buy Congress and turn the watchdog into the enabler of the looter. A powerful new breed of lobbyist — often men and women who had served either in Congress or as congressional aides — threw themselves into the business of making sure that the money people (the corporations and super-rich individuals) got whatever
they wanted: subsidies, light regulation, tax breaks and exemptions and, finally, light taxes. As running for office — never easy in the House with its two-year election cycle — became more expensive, elected officials became more vulnerable to campaign contributions. Now it is a giant system of bribery in which neither the bribers nor the bribed feel shame. There are willing buyers and sellers of the U.S. government as farmers buy and sell cattle. This trading money for favors is well documented in Mark Leibovich’s book, “This Town.” Everyone who works on Capitol Hill and its lobbies knows what is going on. Money is changing hands for influence, and legislation is being passed favoring big business and big money. You can buy permission to pollute, buy a change in securities laws and buy favorable tax treatment. And you can secure the minimum wage at below poverty levels. It used to be, as one long-term lobbyist explained to me, that if you wanted favors on Capitol Hill you had to assemble a large and transparent coalition of people who would benefit from the change in law that your client wanted. You had to get many
interests on board and persuade some newspaper commentators of your high purpose. Now, this veteran said, you just do it with money — in the dark, he might have added. The Chinese did not send an armada of junks to take our jobs; we exported them for shortterm gain. We embraced the myth that cheaper goods were better for our people. They are — if we have money to pay for them. The middle class, to use the vernacular of the moment, has been thrown under the bus. The tea party, briefly the hope for middle-class salvation, drank from the horn of myths spread by the monied class. Now, in their folly, they are supporting a destructive shutdown of the government, which will further damage the middle class. Of course it is not just venality that has brought us to our dreamless state: Rapid technological change and the decline in the need for whole classes of work present a serious challenge. But who is taking up the challenge? Not Congress, whose members are mostly millionaires; not the tea party; not the unions. Would you like a double espresso before bed? Email: lking@kingpublishing.com
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National
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2013
Storms threaten Midwest By DIRK LAMMERS ASSOCIATED PRESS
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Blizzards rolled into parts of Wyoming and South Dakota on Friday, bringing the snow-savvy states to an unseasonably early winter standstill and forcing a tourist town to cancel its annual Octoberfest’s polka-dancing bar crawl. The storm dumped 33 inches of snow in a part of South Dakota’s scenic Black Hills near Lead, “and it’s still coming down,” National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Helgeson said Friday afternoon. Wind gusts reached as high as 68 miles per hour just outside the weather service office in downtown Rapid City, where 8 inches of snow had accumulated, Helgeson said. In northwest Nebraska, three people were killed in an accident on snow-slicked U.S. 20 Friday morning, authorities said. The storm system also generated a tornado in Nebraska, blanketed Colorado’s northern mountains with snow and was threatening to push strong thunderstorms as far east as Wisconsin. Forecasters said the cold front would eventually combine with others to make for a wild, and probably very wet, weekend for the central U.S. and Southeast. Julie Lee said she and fellow members of her White Rose Band were accustomed to snow, just “not for the fourth of October.” They had barely unloaded their instruments in South Dakota’s Old West casino town of Deadwood before the wet, heavy snow started falling and closed part of Interstate 90, the area’s only interstate. “Our car is like an igloo,” said Lee, who sings and plays the clarinet and saxophone for her North Dakota-based polka band. “I’m glad we got everything out.” The weather, which even forecasters said was rare, prompted Deadwood offi-
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Karen forces evacuations on Gulf Coast By KEVIN MCGILL AND STACEY PLAISANCE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Steve McEnroe | AP
Zack Ruml, 20, of Rapid City, S.D, lifts a heavy crab apple tree branch off of his 1998 Pontiac Gran Prix on Friday. The branch smashed the rear window and dented the trunk of the car. Trees in the city are still fully leaved and the heavy snow is breaking trees throughout the city. Blizzards rolled into parts of Wyoming and South Dakota on Friday, bringing the snow-savvy states to an unseasonably early winter standstill. cials to postpone their annual Octoberfest, including Friday night’s dancing-andsinging pub crawl and Saturday’s Wiener Dog Races and Beer Barrel Games. But Lee said she and her accordion-playing husband, who had planned to set up in a casino bar, would entertain stranded guests because “you can only gamble for so long.” Officials were warning drivers to stay off the roads in the Black Hills and in eastern Wyoming, where reports of 5 to 10 inches of snow were common. Forecasters urged travelers to carry survival kits and to stay in their vehicles if they get stranded. “I’ve lived in Wyoming my whole life and I’ve never seen it like this this early,” Patricia Whitman, shift manager at the Flying J truck stop in Gillette, said in a telephone interview. She said her truck stop’s parking lot was full of travelers waiting out the storm. “I know several of the businesses nearby are completely closed because they can’t even get workers into work — it’s pretty nasty,”
she said. The snow also snapped tree limbs that knocked out power lines in parts of the state, causing thousands of people to lose power. It was a similar scene at the typically bustling Pilot Travel Center in western South Dakota near Rapid City, about 40 miles southwest of Deadwood. It was like a ghost town Friday morning, which store general manager John Barton attributed to drivers likely heeding forecasters’ warnings to stay off the roads. “Yesterday we were really busy,” Barton said. “I think a lot of people got ahead of it.” By Friday afternoon, South Dakota officials had closed I-90 from the Wyoming border to Wall — a 110mile stretch. No travel was advised in Rapid City, where first responders were overwhelmed with calls for stuck vehicles and downed trees and power lines making some roads impassable. Police spokeswoman Tarah Heupel said snow and ice was accumulating on traffic signals, making the lights difficult to see.
Although early October snowfalls aren’t unusual for the region, a storm of such magnitude happens only once every decade or two on the Plains, National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Trimarchi said. “I couldn’t say when the last time we’ve had one like this. It’s been quite a while,” Trimarchi said. The cold front is moving slowly east and expanding south and will meet up with the remnants of Tropical Storm Karen on Saturday or Sunday, after that storm makes landfall along the Gulf Coast. Though much of the Midwest and Southeast may get soaked, it won’t be as devastating as past combination storms, such as Superstorm Sandy, said William Bunting, operations chief at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla. Sandy resulted from the merging of cold fronts and a tropical storm. The Midwest, especially Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa, are at most risk for large thunderstorms, tornadoes and hail, “perhaps baseballsized hail,” Bunting said.
BRAITHWAITE, La. — Pickups hauling boat trailers and flatbed trucks laden with crab traps exited vulnerable, low-lying areas of southeast Louisiana on Friday as Tropical Storm Karen headed toward the northern Gulf Coast, a late-arriving worry in what had been a slow hurricane season in the U.S. On Friday afternoon, Alabama joined Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida in declaring a state of emergency as officials and residents prepared for Karen, expected to near the central Gulf Coast on Saturday as a weak hurricane or tropical storm. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Interior Department recalled workers, furloughed because of the government shut down, to deal with the storm and help state and local agencies. Karen would be the second named storm of a quiet hurricane season to make landfall in the U.S. — the first since Tropical Storm Andrea hit Florida in June. Along with strong winds, the storm was forecast to produce rainfall of 3 to 6 inches through Sunday night. Isolated rain totals of up to 10 inches were possible. Friday afternoon, Karen was about 235 miles southsouthwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Forecast tracks showed the storm possibly crossing the southeast Louisiana coast before veering eastward toward south Alabama and the Florida panhandle. But forecasters
cautioned that the track was uncertain. “We are confident on a northeastward turn. Just not exactly sure where or when that turn will occur,” said Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami. A westward tick in the earlier forecast tracks prompted officials in Plaquemines Parish, an area inundated last year by slow-moving Hurricane Isaac, to order evacuations, mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River. The parish, home to oil field service businesses and fishing marinas, juts out into the Gulf from the state’s southeastern tip. “The jog to the west has got us concerned that wind will be piling water on the east bank levees,” said Guy Laigast, head of emergency operations in the parish. Overtopping was not expected, but the evacuations were ordered as a precaution, he said. Forecasters were not expecting Karen to stall, as Isaac did last year. Evacuations also were ordered on Grand Isle, a barrier island community where the only route out is a single flood-prone highway, and in coastal Lafourche Parish. Traffic at the mouth of the Mississippi River was stopped Friday morning in advance of the storm, and passengers aboard two Carnival Cruise ships bound for weekend arrivals in New Orleans were told they may not arrive until Monday. In New Orleans, Sheriff Marlin Gusman announced that he had moved more than 400 inmates from temporary tent facilities to safer state lockups as a precaution.
National
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2013
Tourists, homebuyers hit first, quickly ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — A government shutdown is having far-reaching consequences for some, but minimal impact on others. Mail is being delivered. Social Security and Medicare benefits continue to flow. But vacationers are being turned away from national parks and Smithsonian museums, and that’s having a ripple effect on those businesses and communities that rely on tourism. Borrowers applying for a mortgage can expect delays, particularly many low-to-moderate income borrowers and first-time homebuyers. A look at how services have been affected, and sometimes not, by Congress failing to reach an agreement averting a partial government shutdown.
Air travel Federal air traffic controllers remain on the job and airport screeners continue to funnel passengers through security checkpoints. But safety inspections of planes, pilots and aircraft repair stations by government workers have ceased because federal inspectors have been furloughed.
International travel The State Department would continue processing foreign applications for visas and U.S. applications for passports, since fees are collected to finance those services. Embassies and consulates overseas are expected to remain open and provide services for U.S. citizens abroad. A small, but undisclosed, number of employees have been furloughed from several programs, including the State Department’s Office of Inspector General and the International Boundary and Water Commission.
Benefit payments Social Security and Medicare benefits continue to be paid out, but there could be delays in processing new disability applications. Unemployment benefits are also still going out.
Federal courts Federal courts continue to operate normally and will do so until mid-October. If the shutdown continues, the judiciary would have to begin furloughs of employees whose work is not considered essential. But cases would continue to be heard. The Supreme Court also says its business will go on despite the ongoing shutdown, and the high court will hear arguments Monday and will continue do so through at least the end of next week. The Supreme Court announced on its website that its building will be open to the public during its usual hours.
Mail Deliveries continue as usual because the U.S. Postal Service receives no tax dollars for day-to-day operations. It relies on income
Photo by Alex Brandon | AP
Cathy Vu, of Annandale, Va., packs up her truck on Constitution Avenue with the National Archives, behind left, and Federal Trade Commission building behind right, on Friday, in Washington. Vu said Friday is the only day this week she has come out with the truck, that business has been bad and the politicians don’t care. A government shutdown is having far-reaching consequences for some, but minimal impact on others. from stamps and other postal fees to keep running.
Recreation All national parks are closed. Grand National Canyon National Park was shut down for only the second time since it was created in 1919. The Grand Canyon averages 18,000 tourists per day in October, which has left hotels, concessionaires and tour operators losing money by the hour. In Washington, monuments along the National Mall have been closed, as have the Smithsonian museums, including the National Zoo. Among the visitor centers that have closed: the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York, Independence Hall in Philadelphia and Alcatraz Island near San Francisco.
Health New patients are not being accepted into clinical research at the National Institutes of Health, but current patients continue to receive care. Medical research at the NIH has been disrupted as some studies have been delayed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been severely limited in spotting or investigating disease outbreaks such as the flu or that mysterious MERS virus from the Middle East.
Food safety The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say they could handle recalls and high-risk foodborne outbreaks, but they are less likely to discover them because most of the people who investigate outbreaks have been furloughed. Routine food safety inspections conducted by FDA are suspended, so most food
manufacturers won’t have to worry about periodic visits from government inspectors to make sure their facilities are clean. U.S. food inspections abroad have also been halted. USDA’s federal meat inspections are proceeding as usual, however. USDA inspectors are on the lines every day in meatpacking plants and are required to be there by law for the plants to stay open.
Education The Education Department has said that a shutdown beyond a week would “severely” curtail the cash flow to school districts, colleges and universities and vocational rehabilitation agencies that depend on department funds. For example, colleges rely on department funds to pay ongoing expenses for staff in programs for disadvantaged students. The department would not make additional details available on Friday about the number of districts, colleges and universities and vocational rehabilitation agencies that could more immediately feel the impact of a shutdown.
Food assistance The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, has enough money to operate through the end of October, according to USDA. The department distributed almost $400 million in federal unexpended and contingency dollars this week to states to cover any shortfalls. The program provides supplemental food, health care referrals and nutrition education for pregnant women, mothers and their children. School lunches and breakfasts should have enough funding to be served, USDA says, and food stamps will continue to be
distributed through October. But both programs could face shortfalls if the shutdown continues into November.
Taxes Americans would still have to pay their taxes and file federal tax returns, but the Internal Revenue Service suspended all audits. The IRS also will not be processing any tax refunds during the shutdown. Got questions? Sorry, IRS call centers will not be staffed, though automated lines are still running.
Loans Borrowers applying for a mortgage can expect delays, especially if the shutdown is prolonged. That’s because many lenders need government confirmation of applicants’ income tax returns and Social Security data. Mortgage industry officials say they expect bottlenecks on closing loans if the shutdown stretches on for more than a few days. The delays will particularly hit low- to moderateincome borrowers and firsttime homebuyers who are seeking government-insured mortgages for singlefamily homes from the Federal Housing Administration. Multifamily FHA mortgage approvals are suspended. Action on governmentbacked loans to small businesses is also suspended. It’s business as usual for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans, which are not impacted by the shutdown.
Science NASA continues to keep workers at Mission Control in Houston and elsewhere to support the International Space station, where two Americans and four others are deployed. It also exempt-
ed a robotic probe to Mars from the shutdown because time is tight to be ready for a once-every-two-year launch opportunity. The National Weather Service is forecasting weather and issuing warnings while the National Hurricane Center continues to track storms. The scientific work of the U.S. Geological Survey has been halted.
Homeland security The majority of the Department of Homeland Security’s employees have stayed on the job, including uniformed agents and officers at the country’s borders and ports of entry, members of the Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration officers, Secret Service personnel and other law enforcement agents and officers. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employees continue to process green card applications. However, the four Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, run by DHS, have shuttered training operations for federal agents. The closure of those services could delay when newer employees with the Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection and Capitol Police can go on the job.
Law enforcement The FBI estimates that in all, about 80 percent of its employees are working around the country. The FBI has about 34,000 employees. All FBI field offices around the country and the legal attache offices around the world are staffed and are prepared to meet any immediate threats and are protecting life and property. However, activities are suspended for other, longerterm types of investigations of crimes that don’t involve an immediate threat. Training and other support func-
tions have been slashed.
Military The military’s 1.4 million active duty personnel remain on duty. About half of the Defense Department’s civilian employees were furloughed. National Guard and Reserve training has been cancelled for many units around the country.
Prisons All 116 federal prisons remain open and criminal litigation proceeds.
Veterans services Most services offered through the Department of Veterans Affairs continue because lawmakers approved money one year in advance for the VA’s health programs. Veterans are still visiting hospitals for inpatient care and getting mental health counseling at vet centers at outpatient clinics. Operators are also staffing the crisis hotline, but regional offices are not taking calls. The VA continues to process payments providing veterans compensation for disabilities and pensions. However, claims processors are no longer being required to work 20 hours of overtime per month, which VA officials say is stalling progress in reducing the disability claims backlog, which stood at 418,500 at the end of September. If the shutdown continues into late October, the VA warns that compensation and pension payments to veterans will be halted.
Work safety Federal occupational safety and health inspectors have stopped workplace inspections except in cases of imminent danger.
Official: Woman killed in DC chase was delusional By ERIC TUCKER AND JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
STAMFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut woman who was shot to death outside the U.S. Capitol after trying to ram her car through a White House barrier had been under the delusion the president was communicating with her, a federal law enforcement official said Friday. The woman’s mother said she had been suffering from postpartum depression. Miriam Carey’s killing at the hands of police Thursday was Washing-
ton’s second major spasm of deadly violence involving an apparently unstable person in 2 1/2 weeks. Interviews with some of those who knew the 34year-old woman suggested she was coming apart well before she loaded her 1year-old daughter into the car for the drive to Washington. Carey had suffered a head injury in a fall and had been fired as a dental hygienist, according to her former employer. The federal law enforcement official, who had been briefed about the investigation but was not authorized to discuss it publicly and
spoke on condition of anonymity, said investigators were interviewing Carey’s family about her mental state and examining writings found in her Stamford condominium. “We are seeing serious degradation in her mental health, certainly within the last 10 months, since December, ups and downs,” the official said. “Our working theory is her men-
tal health was a significant driver in her unexpected presence in D.C. yesterday.” Carey believed President Barack Obama was communicating to her, the official said.
“Those communications were, of course, in her head,” the official said, adding that concerns about her mental health were reported in the last year to Stamford police.
Stamford Police Chief Jonathan Fontneau said his officers had gone to Carey’s home in the past, though not in response to any crime. He gave no details.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2013
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
PÁGINA 8A
Zfrontera
Agenda en Breve LAREDO
10/05— El Centro de Ciencias Ambientales Lamar Bruni Vergara abre hoy al público. La limpieza del Paso del Indio Nature Trail inicia a las 7:30 a.m. y concluye a las 12 p.m. El centro abre para visita del público de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m. Costo: 4 dólares, adultos; 2 dólares, estudiantes y adultos mayores. 10/05— First United Methodist Church tendrá su venta de libros usados, desde las 8:30 a.m. hasta la 1 p.m. en el 1220 McClelland Ave. Libros de pasta dura: 1 dólar; pasta blanda, .50 centavos; revistas y libros infantiles, .25 centavos. 10/05— El programa One City, One Book, de la Biblioteca Pública de Laredo invita a leer “Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography–The True Story of a Black Youth’s Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa” de Mark Mathabane. Hoy habrá una discusión de 2 p.m. a 3:15 p.m. y también se presentará una película familiar de 3:30 p.m. a 5 p.m. en LPL, 1120 E. Calton Road. 10/05— Hoy es el Noveno AutMus Fest Anual en terrenos de TAMIU. El festival de música y actividades iniciará a las 4:30 p.m. Se presentará el ex vocalista de Journey, Steve Augeri, Destroyer, Chris Perez Project, Ruido Anejo, The Heroine, Vanvuker, Stella Lost, Jay D, The Shakedown, DJ Ezco y Mud River. También habrá actuación especial del Laredo Wrestling Alliance. Costo: 12 dólares. Visite www.autmusfest.com. Niños de 12 años y menores entran gratis. 10/06— LTGI y TAMIU presentan “The Crucible” (Las Brujas de Salem o El Crisol) de Arthur Miller, en el Teatro del Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de TAMIU, a las 3 p.m. Costo: 15 dólares. Otras presentaciones el 10 y 11 de octubre a las 8 p.m. 10/10— CÁNCER: “Dig Pink”, el partido femenil anual de voliból en TAMIU se celebrará a las 7 p.m. Las Dustdevils reciben a Dallas Baptist University. Costo: 5 dólares. Niños entran gratis. Estudiantes entran gratis con identificación válida. 10/10— Festival de Música de Mariachi presenta a Karen Zavala en Cigarroa High School, 2600 Zacatecas a las 9 a.m.; y, en Martin High School, 2002 San Bernardo a las 11 a.m. Posteriormente, de 7 p.m. a 9 p.m. será una cena de bienvenida para el Mariachi Vargas en María Bonita, 4615 avenida San Bernardo. 10/11— Festival de Música de Mariachi presenta concierto del Mariachi Vargas a las 7:30 p.m. en Laredo Civic Center. Evento tiene costo. 10/11— “Movies on the Patio” presenta la película mexicana “Enamorada” (1946) a las 7:30 p.m. en el patio del Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum, 810 calle Zaragoza St. Las películas son en español con subtítulos en inglés. Entrada gratuita, aunque se aceptarán donaciones. 10/11— Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán en Concierto en Laredo Civic Center a las 7:30 p.m. Adquiera sus boletos en Ticketmaster.com, en el 1-800-745-3000 o en HEB de San Daria o McPherson.
ECONOMÍA
Afectan a miles “ POR ALDO AMATO
TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Se espera que más de 3.000 empleados federales del Condado de Webb sean afectados por el reciente cierre del gobierno federal. El jueves fue el tercer día del cierre de gobierno debido a un lapso de créditos no autorizados y el primer cierre en 17 años. El Congresista de EU Henry Cuellar (D-L), emitió estadísticas de condado-a-condado el jueves, donde destacó el número de empleados que podrían verse afectados directamente por el cierre, en su distrito. El Condado de Bexar encabezó a todos los condados con cerca de 31.000 empleados que, o bien han sido colocados en permiso laboral o posiblemente serán colocados, seguido del Condado de Hidalgo (con 3.350) y por el Condado de Webb con 3.200. “Hay más de 130.000 trabajadores federales en Texas”, dijo. “Estos em-
pleados federales no son anónimos. Todos ellos tienen familias que dependen de ellos, tienen pagos hipotecarios que realizar, niños a los cuales cuidar y cuentas que pagar”. Sergio Moreno, presidente local del Consejo Nacional de Protección Fronteriza, fue uno de los casi 100 agentes “no indispensables” de Aduana y Protección Fronteriza del Sector de Laredo que recibieron la notificación de permiso laboral el jueves. Dijo que a pesar de estar en permiso laboral, se consideraba afortunado en comparación con los demás. “Hay madres de familia ahí fuera, con hijos que tienen que cuidar”, dijo. “Es una situación realmente lamentable, así que veremos cuanto tiempo dura”. El Departamento de Defensa y el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional son propensos a recibir el mayor golpe a nivel nacional. Cuellar dijo que más de 2.600 empleados de
Es una situación realmente lamentable, así que veremos cuanto tiempo dura”. SERGIO MORENO, PRESIDENTE DEL CONSEJO NACIONAL DE PROTECCIÓN FRONTERIZA EN LAREDO
ambos departamentos en el Condado de Webb podrían verse afectados directamente. Representantes de la oficina de Aduana y Protección Fronteriza en Washington D.C. no pudieron ser contactados para emitir comentarios el jueves. Los líderes de la Cámara de Representantes se reunieron con el Presidente Obama el miércoles por la noche pero no llegaron a una solución. Cuellar culpó a los legisladores de Tea Party por continuar con la batalla contra la Ley de Asisten-
cia Asequible en lugar de aprobar el presupuesto anual. “Debido a la incapacidad de una pequeña fracción de legisladores extremistas que están deteniendo como rehén al presupuesto federal con sus demandas parciales, los puestos de trabajo y los sueldos del 40 por ciento de los empleados federales del país están en peligro”, dijo Cuellar. “Es una injusticia para cada trabajador estadounidense que se le quite el sustento”. (Localice a Aldo Amato en 728-2538 o en aamato@lmtonline.com)
EU
MULTAS
AGENDA
TxDOT busca recuperar cuotas ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto por Pablo Martínez Monsivais | Associated Press
Esta foto muestra la Casa Blanca en Washington. Continúan las negociaciones para llegar a un acuerdo presupuestario
Demócratas piden fin al cierre del gobierno POR ANDREW TAYLOR Y NEDRA PICKLER ASSOCIATED PRESS
W
ASHINGTON — El presidente Barack Obama canceló su viaje a Asia y los demócratas aumentaron la presión sobre los congresistas republicanos para que contengan a su facción del Tea Party y reabran el gobierno sin precondición alguna. Los republicanos de la Cámara de Representantes dijeron que con el Congreso y el presidente presentes este fin de semana en la capital, ahora es el momento adecuado para negociar un plan que permita reanudar las labores del gobierno. “Lo único que pido es que nos sentemos, como el pueblo estadounidense esperaría que lo hiciéramos, y que hablemos sobre la reapertura del gobierno y hagamos frente a los significativos problemas que encaramos”, dijo el presidente de la mayoría republicana en la Cámara de Representantes, John Boehner, a los reporteros el viernes. “Esto no es un juego”. Los líderes republicanos dijeron el viernes que la Cámara de Representantes sesionará el sábado de forma que los republicanos puedan continuar aprobando proyectos de ley que reabrirían ciertas partes del gobierno federal. La Casa Blanca respondió con nuevas amenazas de veto y exigió que el Congreso reabra las labores de todo el gobierno federal.
Mientras tanto, el Departamento del Trabajo no emitió su informe mensual sobre el empleo para septiembre que iba a dar el viernes debido al cierre de parte del gobierno. La Casa Blanca consideró “completamente evitable” el cierre, que el viernes cumplió su cuarto día, y lamentó que la paralización esté interfiriendo con las gestiones del mandatario de promocionar el comercio y la influencia de Estados Unidos en los mercados mundiales emergentes. Los demócratas resaltaron los desacuerdos en el Partido Republicano, donde el renuente liderazgo partidista está siendo azuzado por figuras conservadoras como el senador Ted Cruz para que se enfrente con la Casa Blanca en torno al financiamiento gubernamental y la ley del seguro médico impulsada por Obama. Para restaurar las labores del gobierno federal, “hará falta cierto entendimiento en la parte republicana”, dijo la líder de la minoría demócrata en la Cámara de Representantes, Nancy Pelosi. “Es muy difícil negociar con los republicanos cuando no pueden negociar entre ellos”, declaró el viernes Pelosi al programa “This Morning” de la cadena CBS. “Este cierre podría terminar hoy”, insistió el viernes Obama al almorzar con el vicepresidente Joe Biden en un restaurante local de emparedados cerca de la Casa Blanca. “Sabemos que hay votos para ello en la cámara” ba-
NUEVO LAREDO, MX
10/05— “Fantasía Épica” una lectura y charla sobre los libros “Canción de Hielo y Fuego” y “El Señor de los Anillos”, a las 3 p.m. en Estación Palabra. Entrada gratuita. 10/06— El grupo de Teatro Laberintus presenta la obra de teatro infantil “Hansel y Gretel”, del clásico de los hermanos Grimm, a las 12 p.m. en el teatro del IMSS, en el sector centro (entre las calles Reynosa y Belden). Costo 20 pesos.
SÁBADO 5 DE OCTUBRE DE 2013
ja.
Boehner y los republicanos culparon a Obama. Indicaron que debería reconocer los fallos del “Obamacare” (como se conoce popularmente a la ley de salud promovida por el mandatario) y negociar soluciones como parte de un acuerdo para poner fin al cierre que obligó al cese laboral de unos 800.000 empleados, más de un tercio de los trabajadores civiles federales. Boehner dijo que Obama está siendo “irresponsable”. La Cámara de Representantes dominada por los republicanos continuaba encaminada el viernes a financiar ciertos organismos federales y programas uno por uno, una estrategia que rechazan Obama y el Senado dominado por los demócratas. El capellán del Senado, Barry Black, inició la sesión del viernes con un ruego a Dios para que “dé a nuestros legisladores la visión y el deseo de ver y hacer tu voluntad”. “Aparta de ellos la orgullosa tozudez que se considera por encima y más allá de cualquier crítica. Perdónalos por los errores que han cometido, inyectándoles el valor para admitir y corregir sus errores”, agregó Black. Obama mencionó una lista de problemas que podrían ocurrir de no ser ampliado el límite de endeudamiento de la deuda federal, desde retrasar los cheques de la Seguridad Social y los de invalidez a repercusiones económicas mundiales.
AUSTIN — El Departamento de Transportación anunció que está enviando notificaciones a los principales infractores de cuotas y les está dando una fecha límite para pagar sus cuentas vencidas o ser incluidos en una lista que la agencia publicará en breve. La autoridad para reportar públicamente los nombres de los infractores y otros poderes fueron proveídos por la Ley 1792 del Senado y aprobado en la reciente sesión legislativa. Los conductores deben más de 27 millones de dólares en cuotas sin pagar — dinero que será utilizado para pagar la deuda y realizar operaciones en esos caminos. “Asegurar que esas personas paguen su cuota sobre las instalaciones de Texas es lo correcto. Es injusto pedir a los usuarios y pagadores usuales de las cuotas compensar la pérdida de ganancias debido a aquellos quienes abusan del sistema”, dijo Larry Phillips, Presidente del Comité de Transportación del Congreso. “Aplaudo esta acción y estoy contento de que dinero que se recaude será destinado a pagar deudas y operaciones”. El Senador Kirk Watson, autor del SB 1792 dijo que todos los que utilizan caminos de cuota en el estado son responsables de pagar por ellos. “Infractores crónicos al final están tomando de la mayoría de los conductores que hacen las cosas bien y pagan sus cuotas”, dijo Watson. “La SB 1792 muestra lo fuerte que se siente la legislatura acerca de esos que abusan de los caminos de cuota quienes buscan un viaje gratis”. James Bass, oficial financiero en jefe para TxDOT dijo que se siente optimista acerca de que la nueva medida motivará a los infractores de cuotas a presentarse y trabajar juntos para tener un acuerdo apropiado. El principal objetivo para cobros son propietarios de unos 28.000 vehículos que cada uno ha sumado 100 cuotas sin pagar en un periodo de 12 meses. TxDOT los está contactando por carta con la opción de poder llegar a un acuerdo de pagos. Aquellos quienes no respondan al llamado, sus nombres serán dados a conocer en los sitios de internet de TxDOT y TxTag, y se compartirán con los medios de comunicación.
CONTRALORÍA
Texas recibe altas calificaciones de bonos en general ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
AUSTIN — La firma Standard & Poor’s elevó las calificaciones de los bonos de obligación general de Texas de un nivel AA+ a AAA. Las otras dos agencias que califican, Fitch Ratings y Moody’s Investers Service, ya mantenían las
más altas calificaciones para los bonos de Texas. Está es la primera vez que Texas ha recibido el bono de obligación general con la calificación más alta de las tres agencias. “Me complace que mejoró la calificación de la firma Standard & Poor’s”, dijo la Contralora de Texas, Susan
Combs. “Texas es un estado que favorece a los negocios con un fuerte mercado laboral y una mezcla diversa de industrias. “Estas calificaciones en los bonos reflejan la seguridad que Wall Street tiene en la economía de Texas, el crecimiento de ingresos del estado y disciplina en el ma-
nejo y presupuesto del dinero en efectivo”. Bonos de obligación general están respaldados por la confianza total y crédito del estado. Varias agencias del estado emiten bonos para proyectos como construcción de carreteras, infraestructura de agua, prestamos para estudiantes de colegio
y prestamos de hogares para veteranos. Las fuertes calificaciones de los bonos pueden ayudar disminuir los costos de los prestamos. Además de las más altas calificaciones en los bonos de obligación general Texas recibió el mes pasado la máxima puntuación por las notas de corto plazo.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2013
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
SIDNEY SHIVES ALVIN — Sidney Shives, 68, of Alvin, passed away Sept. 29, 2013. Sid, to all his family and friends, was born Jan. 11, 1945, to Opal and Leonard Shives. He grew up in the Rio Grande Valley and attended Zapata High School. He married his wife Beverly in July 1967 in Edinburg. Sid moved his family to Alvin in 1977 where he lived until his passing. Sid was retired from GTE and was a veteran of the U.S. Army. He was also a former member of the Alvin Community College choir and had the honor to sing at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Sid loved to hunt, fish, race stock cars, tell jokes and was an avid Houston Texans fan. Sid’s favorite greeting to others was simply “YO!” Sid liked to tell his children, and then later in life his grandchildren, that he “fought Indians on the Devils River” and that basically anything would “put hair on their chests.” Sid will be joining in heaven his loving wife, Beverly Shives; father, Leonard Shives; mother, Opal Shives; brother, Ruben Shives; sisters, Evelyn Shives; Bonnie Woodard and Annie Shives; and precious niece, Tawnya Henry. Sid is survived and will be deeply missed by his three children: Jimmy Shives, Leeann (Pete) Hernandez and Amy Shives; and his five grandchildren: Jessica Fletcher, Jennifer Fletcher, Julianne Fletcher, Janie Shives and Luke Shives. In addition, Sid is survived by his stepmother,
By CRAIG HLAVATY HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Refugia “Cookie” Ricord; loving sister, Nina Shives; brothers, Johnny (Tina) Shives, Willy (Evie) Shives, Frank (Sylvia) Shives and Don (Jovita) Shives; along with numerous nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. Visitation hours were Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. A chapel service was Friday, Oct. 4, 2013, at 11 a.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. Committal service followed at Zapata County Cemetery, including full military honors by the American Legion Post 486 Color Guard. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Loving Memory of Sidney Shives to ACC Foundation 3100 Mustang Road in Alvin, Texas 77511. Memo: Sidney Shives—Choir Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata.
Maria G. Garcia Maria G. Garcia, 96, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013, at her residence in Zapata. Ms. Garcia is preceded in death by her husband, Juan J. Garcia; sons, Romeo M. Garcia, Juan Elias Garcia and a granddaughter, Maria Elena Lopez. Ms. Garcia is survived by her daughter, Yolanda (†Eustolio) Lopez; grandchildren, Romeo M. Jr. (Lori) Garcia, Laura E. (Billy Joe) Granger, Juanita Y. Martinez, Juan Elias (Wilda) Garcia, Michael J. Garcia, Monica L. (Mario) Garcia, Maria Dahlia (Victor) Sanchez, Eustolio A. Jr. (Landie Yvonne) Lopez, Sara Alicia (Juan) Arambula, and Senaida Elena (Jim Bob) Granger; 22 greatgrandchildren and by numerous other family members. Visitation hours were held Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession
Graves’ stories researched HUNTSVILLE — Near the oldest prison in Texas lies an ornate enclosure holding two strangers and another grave strangely marked with a prisoner’s number. It’s a set of mysteries that one historian at the Texas Prison Museum wants to clear up before the facts are lost to time. “With graveyards and fading tombstones there is so much history that we don’t know,” Sandra Rogers told the Houston Chronicle. Rogers is one of many archaeological stewards for the Texas Historical Commission. People that could possibly know about the site near the Walls Unit in Huntsville are dying every day, but the former teacher is determined to crack the code. Rogers would like find out why a white inmate, 41-year-old Jim Norton, was buried in a nearby established Southside black cemetery in December 1929, with his inmate number included on his gravestone. Norton would have been buried at Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery, otherwise known as Peckerwood Hill, with other inmates but his body was claimed by his family. At the time of Norton’s death, prisoner’s graves were only marked with wooden crosses, but he was
given a tablet-style cement stone. “If he was buried by a family member, why would they include his prison number?” asks Rogers. Byrd, for whom the cemetery is named, was the assistant warden at the Walls Unit credited with rescuing the site with a massive cleanup and maintenance program in the 1960s. Under Byrd’s direction, unmarked graves were identified and crosses erected over them. Norton’s history is unique in itself. He was sent to Huntsville in the summer of 1915 and was pardoned by then-Governor James Ferguson. Norton returned to Huntsville in June 1928 on a robbery charge. His conduct record while at Walls was spotty to say the least, according to Rogers. She says she found that he racked up 2,878 hours in solitary for mugging a guard and then threatening to escape. Norton’s cause of death is still unknown. There is also the mystery of the two women buried separately from everyone else, behind Goree Farm. Lula Wyatt and S. Mendoza Sotelo are both interred inside a small ornate enclosure. According to Rogers, the pair didn’t serve time simultaneously and didn’t even know one another. Wyatt was working on a five-year
MUSIC In the years that followed, tens of thousands of listeners snapped fingers, tapped toes or bounced knees to Eddie Galvan’s big band and jazz melodies. Even more rallied to his baton beat leading Miller High School’s marching band. “Eddie Galvan could have played anywhere in the world with the best bands,” said Eddie Olivares
Sr. childhood friend and cofounder of Texas Jazz Festival, at Galvan’s funeral in 2011. “But he stayed here and brought the music world to his hometown instead.” For four generations the Galvan family has shaped the city of Corpus Christi: sidestepping racism, taking political leadership roles, and aligning with Westside business leaders to lobby
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departed Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata.
olina: “I’m more concerned about the impact of this law on the American people than I am about my re-election.” In fact, Hudson and Mullin likely have little to worry about in the next election as neither has a viable Democratic challenger in Republican-trending Southern states. In 2012, Hudson defeated conservative Democratic Rep. Larry Kissell, who managed to survive the tea party onslaught in 2010 but then lost in a district the legislature made more Republican by adding more GOP voters. Mullin won an open seat after conservative Dan Boren, one of the last remaining Southern Democrats and a constant top GOP target, decided not to run again. By political degree of difficulty, Mullin’s district
became 6 percentage points more Republican in 2012, while Hudson’s became 7 percentage points more Republican. Mullin was just 20 when he took over the family plumbing business for his ailing father. It was a life lesson he employs today. “If I would never figure out how to negotiate at the age of 20, I would have went broke, flat broke,” said Mullin, who often talks about buying his first suit when he came to Washington. “You have to know what you want and ... what you’re willing to accept when you’re going to a negotiating table.” Obama and Democrats have said they are willing to talk about changes to the health care law but not until House Republicans vote on a bill to open the government. Senate lead-
stretch for murder when she died in December 1931 at the age of 53 due to causes unknown. Sotelo didn’t arrive at the prison until the next June to serve a three-year sentence for narcotics possession. Sotelo, 32, passed away two months later that August due to heart disease. According to Rogers, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice sold the land to Elkins Lake in 1996, with six graves on the property subsequently relocated. The graves of Wyatt and Sotelo were not moved. To fill in the blanks surrounding some of the dates and faces from Texas prison history, Rogers has gone as far as placing ads in various Texas newspapers, hoping that the pictures she includes will jog someone’s memory. Sometimes it works. She’s spoken with a few inmates from the ‘50s, along with employees who may have heard something while they were incarcerated or on the payroll. So far, no one has come forward to let Rogers or anyone else at the museum know just why these three bodies were interred where they were. It’s difficult to figure out who is who in inmate photos because of the use of microfilm. Rogers doesn’t even know what Wyatt, Sotelo, and Norton looked like.
Continued from Page 1A for access from the Crosstown Expressway to their Agnes Street corridor. Perhaps most significant the patriarch’s passion for music has continued through the generations to place instruments into young hands — one child at a time. The sound of string instruments, horns and accordions still reverberate across Agnes from open glass front doors at
the music store. The Galvans’ decades of music helped Corpus Christi crossed the racial divide. “In the music business there has never been discrimination,” said Bobby Galvan, as he handed a $1 guitar pic to a Wednesday morning customer. “If a child feels music, the tune in their heart can reach beyond their expectations.”
Continued from Page 1A ers have repeatedly said they won’t negotiate with a gun to their heads. Mullin is a father of five, including 2-year-old twin girls he adopted earlier this year. The twins had been separated since they were three months old. Mullin has said he will give back his salary during the shutdown. Back in Crowder, Okla., Lonnie Anderson is cheering on Mullin in the highstakes showdown with Obama and Democrats. The 71-year-old retired nurse likes some elements of the health care law, such as the requirement for insurers to cover individuals with pre-existing conditions, and allowing young people up to age 26 to remain on their parents’ plans. But she fears that the law derided as “Obama-
care” is a path to socialism and insists that if Obama can delay some requirements such as forcing big businesses to provide health coverage for their employees or face a penalty so can Congress. “He’s been picking out the different parts of the law that he doesn’t like or going to hurt him right now and putting it off,” Anderson said. “Well, I don’t see anything wrong with us picking out things that aren’t right.” Anderson speaks fondly of Mullin, recalling a time when she met him during a campaign event, told him of her upcoming surgery and asked for his prayers. She was surprised when he stopped, held hands and prayed with her. Anderson said Mullin and the GOP “need to fight for everything they can.”
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2013
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2013
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS LONGHORNS
Late controversy Photo by Gregory Bull | AP
Dallas wide receiver Dez Bryant and the Cowboys are hoping to avoid dropping to 2-3 this season facing Denver on Sunday.
Cowboys lacking big plays By CLARENCE E. HILL JR. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
Photo by Charlie Neibergall | AP
Texas running back Johnathan Gray is tackled by Iowa State linebacker Jeremiah George, right, in a 31-30 Longhorns victory on Thursday night.
Big 12: Replay correctly upheld disputed play By JIM VERTUNO
ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — The Big 12 says its officials got it right. Or at least, there wasn’t indisputable evidence showing they got it wrong. Big 12 Supervisor of Officials Walt Anderson said Friday that the replay official at Thursday night’s game between Texas and Iowa State properly upheld a disputed fourth-quarter call that allowed the Longhorns to keep the ball after an apparent fumble near the goal line with just over 1 minute to play. Texas running back Johnathan Gray was ruled down on the Iowa State 1 as Cyclones defender Jeremiah George sprinted in the other direction with the ball. Gray had been ruled down on the
field and the game was stopped for a review. The replay official decided the ruling could not be overturned, and Texas scored the winning touchdown two plays later for a 31-30 victory. “The view I had of that gigantic screen in the north end zone showed a guy that was not down and our guy with the football,” a fuming Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads said after the game. Anderson said the replay official studied five angles of the play and “correctly determined there was no indisputable video evidence to confirm that either the ruling on the field was correct, or that the ball was loose prior to the runner being down.” Without indisputable evidence, the ruling on the field must stand, An-
derson said. “There is no question the runner ends up on the ground and there is no question than eventually an Iowa State player ends up with the ball,” Anderson said. “However, after reviewing the video evidence, it is impossible to tell with certainty when the runner loses control of the ball and at that point was he down or not.” The conference would admit a mistake, but “we do not have the video evidence to prove that one occurred,” Anderson said. Anderson also said the league is reviewing a personal foul penalty in the fourth quarter against Texas wide receiver Mike Davis, who was flagged after lunging at the knees of
IRVING — "Big-time players make big plays in big games." It’s a quote former Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders made famous in the 1990s. But it’s one that still resonates today. One caveat should be added. Big-time players make big plays in big moments. That’s certainly apropos for the Cowboys, who remain mired in the .500 malaise at 2-2, coming off back to back 8-8 seasons and now have the daunting task of facing quarterback Peyton Manning and the undefeated Denver Broncos (4-0) on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Manning is the hottest quarterback in the league, with 16 touchdowns and no interceptions in the first four games, going against a beleaguered Cowboys defense. Dallas gave up 401 yards passing to Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers in a 30-21 loss on Sunday. For the Cowboys to win and avoid falling under .500, not only will the defense need to find a way to rush the passer and cover in the secondary better than it did last week, and all season for that matter, they will need
See TEXAS PAGE 2B
See COWBOYS PAGE 2B
NFL: HOUSTON TEXANS
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Schaub looking to bounce back
A-Rod sues Selig, MLB
By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — Matt Schaub has had a tough week. It has nothing to do with fans calling for the benching of the Houston quarterback and burning his jerseys. He has learned to tune out that kind of negativity.
But he’s unhappy with his performance last week and can’t wait to get back on the field against the 49ers on Sunday to help erase the memories and get the Texans back on track. Schaub has thrown an interception for a touchdown in
See TEXANS PAGE 2B
NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS A&M
Aggies welcome their week off By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — No. 9 Texas A&M loves having a break this week. The Aggies needed some time to rest and regroup before diving back into SEC play. The week off seems like a luxury after the Aggies played 12
straight games last year after their opener was postponed by weather to what would have been an open date. “This year is a lot different,” coach Kevin Sumlin said. “Five games in, we’ve got some guys limping around. We’ve got some guys we need to get healthy for
See A&M PAGE 2B
By LARRY NEUMEISTER AND RONALD BLUM ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez sued Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig, accusing them of pursuing “vigilante justice” as part of a “witch hunt” designed to smear the character of the Yankees star and cost him tens of millions of dollars. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in New York State Supreme Court, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for what it alleges was a relentless campaign by the league and Selig to “destroy the reputation and career of Alex Rodriguez.” The lawsuit was filed during the first week of hearings in the grievance by the Major League Baseball Players Association to overturn the 211-game suspension of Rodriguez imposed by MLB on Aug. 5 for alleged violations of baseball’s drug agreement and labor contract. The suspension stemmed from baseball’s investigation of the Biogenesis of America anti-aging clinic, headed by Anthony Bosch. A decision on the grievance by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz is not likely for several months. Albert Pujols also filed a lawsuit. The Los Angeles Angels
Photo by David Karp | AP
Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has sued Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig, accusing them of pursuing “vigilante justice.” slugger sued Jack Clark on Friday over comments on a local radio show accusing the threetime NL MVP of using steroids. The lawsuit between former Cardinals stars was filed in Circuit Court in St. Louis County, where Clark lives. It seeks unspecified damages and asks for a determination and declaration that Clark’s statements are false. MLB issued a statement Friday that called Rodriguez’s actions “desperate” and said his suit was in a “clear violation” of the confidentiality provisions of the Joint Drug Agreement be-
tween MLB and the union. The suit claims Selig and MLB tried to smear the threetime AL MVP reputation to “gloss over” Selig’s past inaction on performance-enhancing drugs, which the lawsuit said had turned the “Golden Age of Baseball” into the “Golden Age of Steroids.” The lawsuit, calling baseball’s probe “faulty and prohibited,” said Selig hoped to redeem himself and secure his legacy as the “savior” of America’s pastime at
See A-ROD PAGE 2B
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Zscores
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2013
COWBOYS Continued from Page 1B help from their big-time players on offense. The latter didn’t happen Sunday when they converted only 3 of 9 third-down chances and didn’t score in the second half as the Chargers rallied from a 21-10 deficit with 20 unanswered points. The drive-killing offensive failures included dropped passes by perennial Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten and receiver Dez Bryant and a goal-line fumble by rookie receiver Terrance Williams. "You’ve got to do things to keep drives alive and take advantage of your opportunities," Witten said. For Bryant, who is considered by many to be the Cowboys’ best player as well as the most explosive weapon on offense, it was the second time in as many losses this season that he had a crucial second-half drop. The Cowboys had an early lead against the Chargers because of Bryant’s heroics. He had six catches for 81 yards, including two first-half touchdowns. It was similar to the 17-16 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 8 when Bryant had five catches for a 100 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter en route to a nine-catch, 141yard game. But there was a drop in the fourth quarter that could have broken the game open for the Cowboys. In both instances, Bryant said he took his eyes off the ball. "You talk to all your players about being consistent throughout the game," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett
Photo by Gregory Bull | AP
Photo by Charlie Neibergall | AP
Dallas wide receiver Dez Bryant leads the Cowboys with 23 catches for 282 yards and four touchdowns in 2013.
Texas running back Johnathan Gray was involved in a controversial play late in the Longhorns win on the road at Iowa State.
said. "We had limited opportunities in the second half (against the Chargers). They had three 80-yard drives in the second half. So we don’t have a lot of chances. You’ve got to make the most of those chances." Bryant agrees that those are catches he should make. He also believes he needs more opportunities to make big plays down the field. Bryant leads the Cowboys with 23 catches for 282 yards and four touchdowns. Owner Jerry Jones said he thinks Bryant can be counted on for even more, given the chance. Bryant has been held back in the second half of games by double-team coverage. Jones said the Cowboys should force it to him anyway.
"The same kind of throw you throw to him in the end zone the other day that he made that catch — he can make that catch with two people on him," Jones said. "You throw him the ball when he’s double-covered." Bryant catches the ball in traffic as well as any receiver in the league and has three jump-ball touchdowns this season. He has just three catches of 20 or more yards. "I’m confident," Bryant said. "I’m going to get it. I honestly feel like I will." Quarterback Tony Romo doesn’t deny that Bryant deserves chances down field. But the 11-year veteran quarterback has thrown eight touchdowns with one interception through four games, partly because he is
going through his reads and making calculated decisions rather than taking risky chances downfield. Romo has completed 72 percent of his passes, but he has only three completions of 25 yards or more this season, while averaging a career-low 6.7 yards per attempt. "I think everyone understands there are certain double coverages that are different than others." Romo said. "We’re going to try some things to continue to get him the ball." Sunday, against Denver, seems to be a good day for the Cowboys to let their big-time players make some big plays. "Dez is going. He’s blowing and going," Jones said. "That’s what we’ve got to have throughout the team."
A&M Continued from Page 1B the next stretch of games.” This is the first of two open weeks for the Aggies, who also are off on Nov. 16 — a week before a trip to No. 10 LSU. “I would say it’s going to be kind of weird,” running back Ben Malena said. “But this is a long season and right now during this bye week we’re just trying to refocus and regroup.” The Aggies are off to a 4-1 start with their only loss coming to top-ranked Alabama. They’ll return to SEC play next week with a trip to Ole Miss. Heisman Trophy-winner Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M’s offense are rolling as expected. The unit is fourth in the nation in total offense with 586.4 yards per game. Of course, most of that is thanks to the stellar play of Manziel in his second season as starter. The 360.6 yards Manziel is piling up per game up rank fifth in the country and he’s responsible for 102 points, third in the nation. Though his numbers are very similar to last year’s, Sumlin
Photo by Beth Hall | AP
Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans (13) and wide receiver Derel Walker (11) celebrate Evans’ touchdown against Arkansas in their win last week. sees some subtle differences in his sophomore quarterback. “He’s protecting the football and not being reckless,” Sumlin said. “What you also see is his understanding of the offense and freedom to adjust the play. He’s got some parameters, but he’s been able to get us into some good plays. Everybody talks about the quarterback calling the perfect play. That’s not what it’s about for us. His job is to keep us out of horrendous plays. He
understands that a lot more this year than in year one.” He’s thrown for 1,489 yards and 14 touchdowns with four interceptions and added 314 yards rushing with three more scores. Manziel has been helped this season by the development of Mike Evans. Evans has emerged as one of the top receivers in the country, averaging 138.2 yards receiving a game. He had 279 yards receiving against Alabama and has five touchdowns this season.
The Aggies also have been encouraged by the improvement of their running game. They relied on it to eat up the clock in the second half of their win over Arkansas. “We really displayed the diversity of our offense,” Malena said. “Many people think we’re just this spread out, air raid offense, but I think it showed the depth of our running back corps. I think all four running backs, when they got their opportunity, they did something special when they got the ball.” But the Aggies aren’t satisfied with their performance so far. That could be because they have nearly impossible goals. “The offense is definitely not where we want it to be,” offensive coordinator Clarence McKinney said. “Our goal is to score a touchdown on every possession. We haven’t done that yet. We convert about 54 percent on third down and about 80 percent in the red zone. We’d like to be 100 percent on both of those.”
TEXAS Continued from Page 1B Iowa State’s Deon Broomfield. Anderson said the play would be addressed in accord with the league’s sportsmanship and ethical conduct policy, but did not indicate if Davis would be punished. League rules allow a
player to be punished for unsportsmanlike conduct, ranging from a private reprimand to suspension from practice or games. If Davis is punished, league rules allow only the university president or chancellor may appeal.
A-ROD Continued from Page 1B the expense of Rodriguez. “Taking down Mr. Rodriguez would vividly demonstrate that Commissioner Selig had learned from the errors of his previous explicit or tacit tolerance of steroid use,” the lawsuit said. The lawsuit claimed MLB is paying Bosch $5 million in monthly installments to buy his cooperation. Federal and Florida state prosecutors are probing Bosch. “Such are the lengths that Commissioner Selig and MLB have stooped to in their witch hunt against Mr. Rodriguez — paying and protecting someone under investigation for providing steroids to minors,” the lawsuit said. It also accused Selig and the league of intimidating witnesses and providing cash for evidence and testimony. Joyce Fitzpatrick, a spokeswoman for Bosch, denied the allegations against her client. “Mr. Bosch is cooperating fully with Major League Baseball. He did request that security be provided because he feels his life is in danger,” she said. “However, the allegation that he was paid for his testimony is absolutely untrue. He hasn’t received $5, let alone $5 million.” The lawsuit said two potential sponsors — Nike Inc. and Toyota Motor Corp. — have termi-
nated negotiations with Rodriguez for potential sponsorship contracts and Rodriguez’s voice work as a hero for an animated movie, “Henry & Me,” has been cut. The movie chronicles the Yankees’ history and features baseball stars, past and present. There are two legal claims made in the suit, that MLB and Selig interfered with Rodriguez’s existing contracts and that they interfered with his prospective business relationships. Baseball’s “gratuitous leaks and public statements concerning Mr. Rodriguez’s alleged actions have ensured that Mr. Rodriguez will not secure any endorsement contracts in the future,” the lawsuit said. The suit accuses the league and Selig of planting negative stories about Rodriguez in the media and trying to muddy his name and “intentionally and maliciously” subject him to a trial in the public arena. “MLB’s public persecution of Mr. Rodriguez has known no bounds,” the lawsuit said. It said the league had repeatedly breached confidentiality itself and “went as far as to place negative news stories about Mr. Rodriguez — one of the league’s best players — on his very own website.”
TEXANS Continued from Page 1B each of his last three games. The most recent one allowed the Seahawks to tie the game in the fourth quarter of an eventual 23-20 overtime win on Sunday. He said the game was one of the lowest moments of his career, second only to Houston’s playoff loss to New England last season. “The harsh part about this business is you have to wait seven days until you can go and get that taste out of your mouth,” he said. “It’s not like other sports when you play the next night or next day. The only thing we can do as a group and me personally is go get ready to play San Francisco and go win that one.” Now back to the flaming jerseys. Schaub refused to acknowledge that the impromptu bonfires of his No. 8 jersey after Sunday’s game bothered him. But he did have a message for those people. “That’s someone’s choice,” he said. “My goal
is just to make sure, when we get done this thing at the end of the year, he’s going back out and he’s going to get one to wear.” If Schaub and the Texans are going to do that, the first thing they’ll have to do is eliminate their mistakes. Schaub’s numbers have been fine. He’s averaging almost 300 yards passing a game, which is fourth in the AFC and has thrown eight touchdown passes. The problem has been the interceptions at critical times. “You make a glaring mistake or two, it’s the difference in the winning and losing,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “Bottom line, they can’t happen and you’ve got to find a way to fix them.” As ugly as the atmosphere surrounding Schaub is outside of the stadium, it hasn’t seeped into his teammate’s feelings toward the quarterback. The Texans know that Schaub isn’t the only
one making mistakes and that it’s up to them to help make his job easier. “Everybody has bad games,” running back Arian Foster said. “Everybody has bad runs. This is the NFL. It’s not easy out there, especially at that position. He’s our quarterback. He’s our leader. I’m riding with him.” Schaub said surrounding himself with the positivity of his teammates, his wife and three small children has helped him move on. But perhaps his biggest ally in this difficult period has been Kubiak, who was a quarterback before moving on to coaching. “It just helps because he understands what we go through,” Schaub said. “He understands the daily grind that we go through physically and mentally, and how much things affect you positively and negatively. He understands the weight of the position.” Offensive coordinator Rick Dennison isn’t worried about the bad feelings
Photo by Patric Schneider | AP
Houston quarterback Matt Schaub has thrown an interception for a touchdown in the last three games as the Texans face the 49ers on Sunday. from Sunday’s game bleeding into this week. He has seen Schaub rebound from tough games before and expects him to do well this
week. Dennison went on to point out that the entire offense needs to improve against the 49ers.
“We still have to work at that consistency thing,” he said. “We’ve got to be able to make plays to finish the game out.”
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2013
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
HINTS | BY HELOISE Dear Heloise: I would like to remind people of the dangers of allowing their dogs/pets to put their heads OUT OF THE WINDOW OF A MOVING VEHICLE. It dries out their eyes and noses, which can lead to future veterinarian bills. Another hazard is the risk of small pieces of road debris being flipped up by the vehicle’s tires and getting into the eyes, noses and ears of their loved pets. Most people are not aware of this danger. So, as much as people think they are doing this with love, that love can injure or kill a pet. –– Valerie B. in New Jersey EMPTY CLOTHES HANGERS Dear Heloise: I was looking for a blouse and a pair of slacks in my closet. My hands kept grabbing empty hangers. This was frustrating and time-consuming, plus I realized the empty hangers were clogging up my closet. Now when I remove something from a hanger, I move the
empty hangers to the far left of the clothing rod. For laundry day, I grab empty hangers and take them with me to the laundry room. –– C.W., Baton Rouge, La. PANTS TOO TIGHT? Dear Heloise: I’ve shared a Heloise hint with friends and family for years –– the “ponytail rubber-band trick.” When your waistband is too tight, loop a rubber band over the button, through the buttonhole and then back over the button. Your waistband is suddenly an inch wider and much more comfortable. –– Pinky, via email UPHOLSTERY CLEANER Dear Heloise: I was using an auto upholstery cleaner (the kind of can with the brush affixed). I started to throw away the empty can when I thought to remove the brush head from the can and save it for future pet-hair removal. I gently drag it across my furniture, and it removes the pet hair. –– A Reader, via email
DENNIS THE MENACE
FAMILY CIRCUS
PEANUTS
GARFIELD
DAILY CRYPTOQUOTES — Here’s how to work it:
DILBERT
4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2013