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FEDERAL COURT
STATE GOVERNMENT
Attempt gets three indicted
Judge: still available
Immigrants came through Zapata, indictment states
Ruling lets Planned Parenthood stay in health program By GARY SCHARRER SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
AUSTIN — A judge granted Planned Parenthood a temporary restraining order Friday, prevent-
ing the group’s exclusion from participating in the Women’s Health Program. A trial is set for Nov. 8 with 201st state District Judge Amy Clark Meachum of Austin to hear on
Planned Parenthood’s claim that Texas’ effort to bar the group from the program is invalid under Texas law. Nearly 50,000 women rely on Planned Parenthood for basic health care through
the Women’s Health Program, “and the lawsuit today is to preserve their access to health care,” said Rochelle Tafolla, a Planned Parenthood vice president in Houston. “We are point-
ing out that there is language on the state books that says the state cannot do this when it jeopardizes
See ORDER PAGE 9A
COLLEGE LIFE
By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Three people accused of smuggling a large group of people through Zapata were indicted in federal court in Laredo this week. Laredoan Hilaria Ruby Escareño and Everardo Urbina-Ruiz and Cesar Eduardo Elias-Zapata, both of Nuevo Laredo, exico, face charges of conspiracy to transport illegal immigrants within the United States and conceal, harbor and shield illegal immigrants from detection, according to an indictment dated Tuesday. The case dates back to Oct. 2, when Homeland Security Investigations special agents received information from the Laredo North U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint about the apprehension of 27 illegal immigrants inside a false compartment of a box truck. Undocumented immigrants held as material witnesses said they had been smuggled to the U.S. side near Zapata about one month prior to the arrest. After crossing the river near Zapata, the illegal immigrants were transported to Laredo in a motor vehicle. A complaint states a total of 27
WALKING LIKE A ZOMBIE
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
See COURT PAGE 9A
A group of students make their way to the main plaza at Laredo Community College’s Fort McIntosh Campus as they participate in a Zombie Walk on Wednesday morning.
ANTIQUITIES A clay statue, one of many seized artifacts returned to Mexico, is displayed during a news conference at the Mexican Consulate in El Paso, on Thursday, More than 4,000 artifacts looted from Mexico and seized in the U.S. were returned in what experts say is one of the largest repatriations between the two countries.
4,000 archaeological relics returned to Mexico By JUAN CARLOS LLORCA ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Mark Lambie/The El Paso Times | AP
EL PASO — More than 4,000 archaeological artifacts looted from Mexico and seized in the U.S. have been returned to Mexican authorities in what experts say is one of the largest such repatriations between the countries. The items returned
Thursday mostly date from before European explorers landed in North America and include items from hunter-gatherers in pre-Columbian northern Mexico, such as stones used to grind corn, statues, figurines and copper hatchets, said Pedro Sanchez, president of the National Archaeological Council of Mexico.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents seized the relics in El Paso, Phoenix, Chicago, Denver, San Diego and San Antonio, though most of the artifacts — including items traced to a 2008 theft from a museum in Mexico — turned up in Fort Stockton, a Texas town about 230 miles southeast of El Paso. More than two dozen
pieces of pottery were seized in Kalispell, Mont., where Homeland Security agents discovered that a consignor had paid Mexican Indians to loot items from burial sites deep in the Mexican Copper Canyon in Chihuahua, Mexico, authorities said. Although most of the
See ARTIFACTS PAGE 9A
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Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, OCT. 27
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The first Zapata County Health Fair takes place from 9 a.m. through noon at the Zapata County Nutrition Center. In addition to information about cancer prevention, dental health and general nutrition, residents will be able to take advantage of information on job searching and resume writing. The Bass Champs South Region Championship takes place today and Sunday, Oct. 28. The Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will be host “Our Saturday in Space: Make-Your-Own-Robot” from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Space is limited. Entry is $20 and includes a child ticket. For more information, call 956-326-2463. The Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will show “Destination Saturn” at 2 p.m.; “Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” at 3 p.m.; “Violent Universe” at 4 p.m.; and “2012: Ancient Skies, Ancient Mysteries” at 5 p.m. Matinee shoes is $4 and general admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Premium shows are $1 more. For more information, call 956-326-3663. The Area Health Education Center will host the 28th Annual Update in Medicine Conference at the UT Health Science Center Laredo Campus from 8 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. The conference will provide continuing education credits to physicians, nurses, social workers, dieticians and all community members. For more information, contact 956-7120037.
Today is Saturday, Oct. 27, the 301st day of 2012. There are 65 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Oct. 27, 1787, the first of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays calling for ratification of the United States Constitution, was published under the pseudonym “Publius” (the essays were a collaborative effort by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay). On this date: In 1795, the United States and Spain signed the Treaty of San Lorenzo (also known as Pinckney’s Treaty), which provided for free navigation of the Mississippi River. In 1858, the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, was born in New York City. In 1880, Theodore Roosevelt married his first wife, Alice Lee. In 1886 (New Style date), the musical fantasy “A Night on Bald Mountain,” written by Modest Mussorgsky (MOH’dest muh-SAWRG’-skee) and revised after his death by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, was performed in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 1904, the first rapid transit subway, the IRT, was inaugurated in New York City. In 1938, Du Pont announced a name for its new synthetic yarn: “nylon.” In 1947, “You Bet Your Life,” starring Groucho Marx, premiered on ABC Radio. (It later became a television show on NBC.) In 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft was shot down while flying over Cuba, killing the pilot, U.S. Air Force Maj. Rudolf Anderson Jr. In 1971, the Democratic Republic of Congo was renamed the Republic of Zaire (but it went back to its previous name in 1997). In 1978, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin were named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for their progress toward achieving a Middle East accord. In 1992, Petty Officer Allen Schindler, a gay U.S. Navy sailor, was beaten to death near Sasebo Naval Base in southwestern Japan by shipmate Terry Helvey, who pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison. Ten years ago: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was elected president of Brazil in a runoff, becoming the country’s first elected leftist leader. Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith broke the NFL career rushing yardage record held by the late Walter Payton as he reached 16,728 yards in a game against the Seattle Seahawks, who won, 17-14. Today’s Birthdays: Actress Nanette Fabray is 92. Baseball Hall-of-Famer and sportscaster Ralph Kiner is 90. Actress Ruby Dee is 88. Actorcomedian John Cleese is 73. Author Maxine Hong Kingston is 72. Producer-director Ivan Reitman is 66. Rock musician Garry Tallent (Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band) is 63. Author Fran Lebowitz is 62. Actor Peter Firth is 59. Actor Robert Picardo is 59. Thought for Today: “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” — Theodore Roosevelt, American president (18581919).
MONDAY, OCT. 29 The Border Patrol will give a drug awareness presentation at Fidel and Andrea R. Villarreal Elementary School.
SATURDAY, NOV. 3. The Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will have military and veterans day: buy one ticket and get one free (must present ID). “One World, One Sky Big Bird’s Adventure” will show at 2 p.m.; “Earth, Moon, and Sun” at 3 p.m.; “2012: Ancient Skies Ancient Mysteries” at 4 p.m.; and Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” at 5 p.m. Matinee show is $4, general admission is $4 for children and $5 adults, and premium shows are $1 more. For more information, call 956-326-3663. Girl Scouts Troop No. 9111 will also be stationed at the Planetarium ticket booth, collecting non-perishable food items for Volunteers Serving the Need. The Planetarium will give a free adult ticket in exchange for five items.
MONDAY, NOV. 5 Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Laredo will host its 4th Annual Medical Mission from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at San Luis Rey Church Hall, 3502 Sanders Ave. General medical check-ups will be provided; general dental services will be provided such as cleaning and extractions; and general vision care will be offered for those needing reading glasses. Health education, physical therapy and spiritual counseling will also be made available. The services are on a first-come, firstserve basis and free to the public. For more information, contact 956-7222443.
TUESDAY, NOV. 5 The Alzheimer’s support group will meet at 7 p.m. in Meeting Room 2, Building B of the Laredo Medical Center, 1700 E. Saunders St. The support group is for family members and caregivers taking care of someone who has Alzheimer’s. For more information, call 693-9991.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7 Dr. David Eaton, the Bess Harris Jones Centennial Professor at the University of Texas’ LBJ School of Public Affairs, will present “Evolving MexicoUS Cooperation to Improve Border Water Quality” from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the TAMIU Student Center Ballroom (SC 203). Eaton speaks as part of TAMIU’s International Bank of Commerce 2012-2013 Keynote Speaker Series. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 326-2820.
THURSDAY, NOV. 8 The South Texas Food Bank Kids Café program will shine a light on Laredo armed services veterans at the Benavides Boys and Girls Club J.C. “Pepe” Trevino Gym, 500 Moctezuma, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The event celebrates Veterans Day, and veterans will be guests. For information call 956726-3120.
Photo by Wilfredo Lee | AP
American Airlines will lay off a small fraction of its mechanics, thanks to the number of workers taking advantage of a buyout offer. The airline will furlough as few as 290 mechanics, it said Friday.
Buyouts reduce layoffs ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT WORTH — So many mechanics at American Airlines are taking buyouts that the company expects it will need to lay off only a small fraction of the number it had originally planned. American officials said Friday the airline will furlough as few as 290 mechanics and parts clerks. It will eliminate the jobs of nearly 1,000 mechanics but has more than 700 vacancies that the workers can fill. American said in February that it would eliminate 4,600 jobs among mechanics and clerks as it restructured under bankruptcy protection. “From the beginning, we tried to save as many jobs as possible, especially on the aircraft maintenance side,” said James C. Little, president of the Transport Workers
Union. “I think we managed to do well compared with other airlines that went through bankruptcy.” Company spokesman Bruce Hicks said contract changes negotiated with the Transport Workers Union, including the buyouts, reduced the need for furloughs, or layoffs with rehiring rights. More than 1,500 mechanics and clerks applied for buyouts that offered from $12,500 to $22,500 to workers who agreed to leave voluntarily over the next year. “Despite the significantly reduced numbers of furloughs, involuntary separations are an unfortunate but necessary part of the restructuring process,” Hicks said. The fate of several thousand bag handlers and other ground workers is still unclearLast month, American sent layoff notices to more than 11,000 workers.
High-speed drivers running into hogs
Briton in missiles-to-Iran case to enter new plea
Fort Worth-area officer kills shoplifting suspect
SEGUIN — Drivers on Texas’ new 85-mph toll road are finding out about an obstacle local drivers have dealt with for years: hogs. At least two collisions this week on Texas Highway 130 involved drivers hitting pigs walking on the highway. A third occurred when a vehicle hit a deer. No drivers were injured.
EL PASO — A British man accused of trying to buy missile parts from undercover U.S. agents for sale to Iran is to return to federal court in El Paso to enter a new plea. Christopher Tappin pleaded not guilty after his extradition from the United Kingdom in February. He was released on a $1 million bond in April and is scheduled for trial Nov. 5.
KELLER — Police officers have shot and killed a shoplifting suspect who allegedly lunged for an officer’s gun while in custody. Keller police say they were called to a store at about 4 p.m. As police officer Johnathan Hicks led the suspect to a squad car, police say the suspect began fighting with the officer. Hicks fired his weapon four times at the man, who died at a Fort Worth hospital.
Death sought for El Paso triple-murder suspect EL PASO — Prosecutors in El Paso will seek the death penalty against a man accused of killing his estranged wife, her boyfriend and her teenage daughter. Luis Javier Solis Gonzalez is charged with capital murder in connection with the May deaths of 34-year-old Marysol Saldivar, 42-year-old Eric De Santiago and 13-year-old Cassaundra Holt. Prosecutors will seek the death penalty.
Dallas man recognized for Suspect arrested in Texas saving police officer State bomb threat DALLAS — A Dallas man has been recognized for stepping in to stop an assault on a city police officer. Dallas police say officer Billy Taylor was being attacked earlier this month outside a downtown Dallas homeless shelter. Charles Alexander saw the attack and, according to police, grabbed Jackson and pinned him down until officers could arrive.
BRYAN — A woman, Brittany Nicole Henderson, has been arrested and charged with phoning a bomb threat that forced evacuation last week of three buildings on the Texas State University campus in San Marcos. Henderson, of Bryan, has been booked into the Brazos County Jail. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Police look at Colo. teen in 2 other child cases DENVER — Police in a Colorado town where the body of a missing 10-year-old girl was found said Friday that they want to question a teenage suspect in two unsolved child enticement cases. A sketch developed in the September incidents bears some resemblance to 17-year-old Austin Sigg, who’s being held on suspicion of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the death of Jessica Ridgeway, Arvada police spokesman Sgt. Mark Nazaryk said. No suspects were identified in those incidents.
Shark falls from sky onto Calif. golf course SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. — Golf club employees in Southern California came to the rescue when a shark dropped out of the sky and flopped around on
CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Business Manager, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 324-1226 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Copy Editor, Nick Georgiou ....................... 728-2565 Managing Editor, Mary Nell Sanchez........... 728-2543 Sports Editor, Adam Geigerman..................728-2578 Spanish Editor ........................................ 728-2569 Photo by M. Spencer Green | AP
Rev. Robert Ruedebusch speaks during funeral services for former U.S. Senator and three-time presidential candidate George McGovern at the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Sciences in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Friday. the 12th tee. San Juan Hills Golf Club operations director Melissa McCormack says a course marshal found the leopard shark Monday afternoon and brought it to the clubhouse. It had puncture wounds where it appeared a bird
had snagged it from the Pacific Ocean, about five miles away. Another employee rushed the shark to the ocean where McCormack says it was very still for a few seconds before twisting around and speeding off. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
Zlocal
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Training program set for Tuesday By RICARDO R. VILLARREAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
Workforce Solutions of South Texas and the Zapata Economic Development Corporation will host an employer training program on Tuesday at the Zapata Community Center, 605 U.S. Highway 83. The program will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and lunch will
be provided. The workshop is intended to identify labor supply and demand, as well as articulate employment strengths and challenges of the region, according to Peggy Umphres Moffett, president and CEO of Zapata EDC. “This workshop is for business and industry representatives and employers,” Moffett said.
Input received will go toward an occupational study being conducted by the Workforce Solutions of South Texas Board, which oversees federal and state training funds, employment, child care and related services. More information may be obtained by calling 9-) 765-1113. (Contact Ricardo Villarreal at 7282528 or at rvillarreal@lmtonline.com)
Colonias program hosts health fair this morning By RICARDO R. VILLARREAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
Texas A&M University Colonias Program is sponsoring the first Zapata County Health Fair today from 9 a.m. to noon at the Zapata County Nutrition Center, 7th and Del Mar Street. Residents will be able to obtain information on cancer prevention, dental health and general nutri-
tion. Information on Texas Medicaid programs such as WIC, STAR and STAR Plus will also be provided as well free blood pressure checks, vital signs checks and glucose checks. In addition, flu vaccines will be administered by the Texas Department of State Health Services. “The fair is open to everyone and the health department is especially encouraging people to get the
flu vaccine,” said Maricia Perez Rodriguez, chief administrative officer of the Zapata Economic Development Corporation, an event partners. Among other services that will be available are assistance in job searching and resume writing, provided by Workforce Solutions of South Texas, and information on prescription drug interactions, provided by the Texas A&M
University Kingsville American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists. The Zapata County Health Fair is being held in honor of former State Representative Irma Rangel. More information may be obtained by calling (956) 728-0210. (Rick Villarreal may be reached at 728-2528 or rvillarreal@lmtonline.com)
Final 2 shows set at TAMIU SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Final Spanish language performances of the Laredo Theater Guild International’s “Bodas de Sangre” by iconic Spanish poet, director and dramatist Federico García Lorca are today and Sunday at Texas A&M International University. “Bodas de Sangre” is being presented by LTGI in the Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Theatre. Spanish language performances are today at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. García Lorca’s “Bodas de Sangre,” inspired by a true-life 1928 newspaper account, is set in the early 1930’s and is the most famous play of his self-described “trilogy of the Spanish earth.” It is the story of a wedding arranged between two families that turns tragic and murderous as shocking events driven by grand passion, deception, revenge, and fate unfold.
Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 for students and seniors (65plus) with valid ID at the box office one hour prior to showtime. The play is not recommended for children.
Philharmonic starts 33rd season Sunday The Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra opens its 33rd concert season, “Celebrations” with a concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, at TAMIU’s Center for the Fine & Performing Arts Recital Hall. The Sunday performance, dubbed “Celebrating Partnerships,” will feature Peter Boyer’s “Celebration Overture,” Miklo Rozsa’s “Sinfonia Concertante” and Felix Mendelssohn’s “Symphony No. 5 (Reformation), op. 107 in D. Major.” The organization is rebranding itself to reflect its purpose and focus.
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Zopinion
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Voter fraud is not good By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST
WASHINGTON — When approached at a Cosi by a stranger pushing a vote-fraud scheme, be very, very leery. Pat Moran, son of Northern Virginia Rep. Jim Moran (D), learned that the hard way this past week when conservative activists caught him on video providing advice about how one person might be able to cast ballots on behalf of a number of people in next month’s election. In the video, Moran, the field director for his father’s campaign, appears initially uneasy about the prospect of vote
fraud but goes on to suggest that forged utility bills could be used as identification. Within 24 hours of the release of the video, which was recorded by the conservative-aligned Project Veritas, Moran had resigned from his position in the campaign. "At no point did I take this person seriously," Moran said. "He struck me as being unstable and joking, and for only that reason did I humor him." Um, okay. Regardless, the damage to Moran and his father will probably be minimal. Still, becoming the national poster boy for vote fraud is never a good thing.
COLUMN COLUMN Doc likes brush with How fast can a Smart car go? Obamacare By KEN HERMAN
COX NEWSPAPERS
By FRANK CERABINO COX NEWSPAPERS
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — If you think all doctors don’t like Obamacare, you should talk to a doctor with cancer. I did. Dr. James Byrnes is a family practitioner who is the chief of the medical staff at Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach, Fla., and the former president of the Palm Beach County Medical Society. A year ago, Byrnes, 60, got diagnosed with throat cancer. Byrnes had health insurance. In fact, he made sure that all his office staff — two receptionists, a licensed practical nurse, a nurse practitioner, and a medical assistant — had health insurance. He paid for all their insurance premiums. “When I started doing it, it was like $250 a month and I thought it was no big deal,” Byrnes said. But over time, those insurance premiums tripled and he was paying about $5,000 a month to insure him and his staff. Byrnes said he had considered telling his employees that they’d have to pay for their own health insurance, but he couldn’t get himself to do it. “It would be like giving them a pay cut,” he said. So in July, he thought it was time he shopped around the insurance market to see if he could get a plan that was cheaper and better for him and his staff. But now he had throat cancer. “Without Obamacare, I don’t know if anybody would take me. They could say I’m too expensive,” he said. “But my insurance agent told me that now they couldn’t refuse me.” The health care law, formally called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is slated to take full effect in 2014. A provision of that law prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage to applicants with pre-existing medical conditions. “It bumped up my own rates considerably, but they couldn’t say, ‘No,’” Byrnes said. “And I ended up paying less overall than I did in my prior plan.” Getting lower premiums for the rest of his office
staff had more than offset the increase in his own premium. “We now have better coverage, and I’m spending $500 less a month on insurance,” he said. Byrnes said he understands why some doctors don’t like Obamacare. Doctors are being compelled to switch their records to an electronic system. For him, he said, that’s an upfront out-of-pocket cost of about $75,000 between the hardware and the training. “But we were heading in the direction of e-records anyway,” he said. “It prevents handwriting mistakes, which is a big issue for doctors, and it eliminates language problems. The goal of e-records is to improve quality and reduce errors.” And one day, it could help coordinate care better with other doctors. “That would be a major help if we didn’t have to duplicate laboratory work,” he said. Byrnes doesn’t buy the arguments about the new law bringing a more sinister and intrusive role of government in health care, though. “Some doctors don’t like a panel that isn’t elected that can determine fee schedules,” he said. “But when you talk about socialized medicine, we already have it. Insurance companies base their reimbursement schedules on Medicare.” And at Bethesda Memorial, millions of dollars a year in medical care get performed on the uninsured by emergency room doctors who know they will never be paid for what they do, he said. “We’re well off enough as a country that we should provide basic health care to everybody,” he said. “That’s a noble idea.” And he trusts the government more than the insurance companies. “With the government, at least you have a voice. You can lobby your congressman and negotiate with your government, but you can’t with a big company. They just say, ’Goodbye.’” (Frank Cerabino writes for The Palm Beach Post. E-mail: frank_cerabino@pbpost.com.)
FENTRESS — The grand opening of the new section of Texas 130, with the nation’s highest speed limit, offers several questions of note: 1. Will motorists be willing to pay 15 cents per mile (up to five times that for some trucks) to bypass Interstate 35, a 1950s traffic solution that’s become a 21st-century headache? 2. Is an 85-mph highway safe? 3. Can we do, say, 92ish mph without getting a ticket on the new road? 4. Can a tiny Smart car go 85 mph? Time will tell on one through three. But thanks to me, we’ve got an answer on four. There was a good crowd on the on ramp Wednesday as officials and entrepreneurs involved with the project congratulated each other. Gov. Rick Perry snipped the ribbon and the speechifying ended with David Zachry, president and CEO of Zachry Corp., a partner with a Spanish company on the project, voicing what many Texans are thinking about the new road: “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m ready to see how fast my car will go.” Me, too. My car for opening day was a Smart microcar, less than half the length of a Suburban,
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Multiple measures of injury likelihood, including those on the dummy’s head, were poor, as were measures on both legs” INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY
rented from Car2Go. My dual mission was to be among the first on the nation’s fastest highway and to see whether a Smart could go 85. Perhaps this is a boy thing. First, some safety notes. Though tiny, the Smart gets pretty good safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. There was, however, a 2009 IIHS report noting the Smart and two other microcars were “poor performers in the frontal collisions with midsize cars.” “These results,” we’re told, “reflect the laws of the physical universe.” I’m thinking you’re going to pay a hefty hourly rate for a lawyer to get you around those laws. When a big car hits a little car, the IIHS reports, “the people in the smaller, lighter vehicle will be at a disadvantage.” IIHS tested this by slamming a Mercedes C class car into a Smart. I’m no expert, but
I’d say take the Mercedes and give the points. “Multiple measures of injury likelihood, including those on the dummy’s head, were poor, as were measures on both legs,” IIHS said of the results in the Smart. So, as the dummy in the Smart, I had that going for me as I entered Texas 130 and kept an eye out for oncoming Mercedes C class vehicles. I encountered none, though there were some circling turkey vultures who apparently had read the IIHS report and were planning to dine on dummy. Let me stop here to admit this whole thing was testosterone driven. As any manly man can tell you, we feel the need for speed. And, thanks to Texas 130, we now have a place to get unprecedented legal doses of it. But the machismo factor on my little test drive was reduced by two factors
I had not considered. First, Texas 130 is in the middle of nowhere, which means no roadside features flying by to enhance the sense of speed. The second factor was a lady at the Sac N Pac in Fentress where I stopped just prior to entering Texas 130. At that moment, in my unhelmeted head, I was Mario Andretti getting my fine-tuned machine ready for the Indy 500. The feeling faded when the woman at the convenience store told me my car was “cute” and she’s thinking of getting one for her daughter. Thanks, lady. Daunted, I approached the on ramp and headed south on Texas 130, pushing the accelerator to the floor. (See exciting, manly, behind-the-wheel video at statesman.com.) Though I felt a bit beaten up later in the day, the tiny car seemed reasonably solid as the speedometer slowly moved to the right. It plateaued at 80, but I then discovered the pedal could be pushed down a bit further. And then, begrudgingly, the needle hit 85. Later, on some downgrades, it hit 94. Hey, Sac N Pac lady, pac that in your sac. (Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. Email: kherman@statesman.com.)
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phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our
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ing or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
State
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Agency OKs double electric price cap By CHRIS TOMLINSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — The Texas Public Utility Commission voted Thursday to double the cap on wholesale electricity prices over the next three years. The commission said raising prices is necessary to encourage more plant construction and prevent power outages in areas served by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. The maximum wholesale rate will rise from $4,500 a megawatt hour now to $5,000 in June, $7,000 in June 2014 and $9,000 in June 2015. In Texas’s minute-byminute market, the cap was reached only once this year and prices are normally much lower. Yet consumer groups complain
that wholesale price increases can trickle down to monthly household electric bills for most Texans. PUC Chairwoman Donna Nelson said the market needs higher prices to guarantee there is enough electricity during peak periods. She said she would also like to see the commission establish a required minimum reserve of electricity to prevent outages, but that she did not have the support of the full three-member board. State officials have warned that higher prices are needed to encourage companies to build more power plants as the Texas population grows. Industry experts say companies that operate the state’s power plants are losing money because prices are too low for most of the year and they
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We urge the commission to assess carefully the impact this decision will have on Texas ratepayers and the electricity market.” THE TEXAS COALITION FOR AFFORDABLE POWER
only make money during the hottest summer and coldest winter months. Texas customers only pay for electricity that reaches the grid, not for companies to keep spare capacity available in case of an emergency. ERCOT tries to maintain a 13.75 percent reserve, but with more demand and less generation, that will become increasingly difficult in the
future. Nelson said Thursday’s vote was only an interim step and that Texas may eventually have to adopt a system that pays power plants to maintain excess capacity, even if it’s not immediately needed. Most states have some sort of system to encourage power companies to maintain a minimum level of capacity. Commissioner Kenneth
Anderson expressed skepticism that Texas needed a system to pay for capacity. He said he preferred a system that paid customers to decrease their demand for electricity during peak periods. He pointed out that Texas only nears a dangerous level of electricity demand for 160 hours a year. Sam Newell, a PUC consultant with the Brattle Group, told the commission that raising the maximum wholesale price to $9,000 will only guarantee an 8 percent reserve capacity, increasing the risk of outages. If the commission wants to guarantee a higher reserve, it will to make more drastic changes to the market. Establishing a so-called capacity market would also increase costs, Newell said, but it would also increase
reliability. He said it was up to the commission to strike the balance between the two factors. The Texas Coalition for Affordable Power, a group of cities that purchase power on the deregulated market, welcomed the PUC decision, saying the price hike will hurt consumers less than a move to a capacity market. “We urge the commission to assess carefully the impact this decision will have on Texas ratepayers and the electricity market, and to avoid increasing costs even more through the creation of a complicated capacity market,” said Dr. Randy Moravec, the group’s executive director. The commission has oversight only over ERCOT, which covers most of Texas.
National
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
More men ID’d in case By TED SHAFFREY ASSOCIATED PRESS
KENNEBUNK, Maine — Police on Friday released another round of names of men they believe paid for sex with a woman who’s charged with using her Zumba dance studio as a front for prostitution in the seaside town. The names bring to 39 the number of men charged with engaging a prostitute. Many more names will be released in coming weeks, police say. None of the 18 men whose names were released Friday was from Kennebunk, a town of about 10,000 residents known for its beaches, sea captains’ mansions and New England charm. They came from elsewhere in Maine, New Hampshire and Boston and apparently didn’t include anyone who’s widely known. The prostitution scandal has been unfolding in slow motion, with the first 21 names released two weeks ago. The names released so far include a former mayor and the local high school ice hockey coach. The town made international headlines when dance instructor Alexis Wright was charged this month with engaging in prostitution. Police said she videotaped many of the encounters without her clients’ knowledge and kept meticulous records suggesting the sex acts generated $150,000 over 18 months. Wright, of nearby Wells, has pleaded not guilty to 106 counts including prostitution and invasion of privacy. Her business partner, insurance agent Mark Strong Sr., of Thomaston, pleaded not guilty to 59 misdemeanor counts.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
US preparing for superstorm By BROCK VERGAKIS AND WAYNE PARRY ASSOCIATED PRESS
DUCK, N.C. — A year after being walloped by Hurricane Irene, residents rushed to put away boats, harvest crops and sandbag boardwalks Friday as the Eastern Seaboard braced for a rare megastorm that experts said would cause much greater havoc. Hurricane Sandy, moving north from the Caribbean, was expected to make landfall Monday night near the Delaware coast, then hit two winter weather systems as it moves inland, creating a hybrid monster storm that could bring nearly a foot of rain, high winds and up to 2 feet of snow. Experts said the storm would be wider and stronger than last year’s Irene, which caused more than $15 billion in damage, and could rival the worst East Coast storm on record. Officials did not mince words, telling people to be prepared for several days without electricity. Jersey Shore beach towns began issuing voluntary evacuations and protecting board-
Photo by Dieu Nalio Chery | AP
Residents wade through a flooded street from Hurricane Sandy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Thursday. People along the eastern seaboard rushed preparations as Sandy heads their way. walks. Atlantic Beach casinos made contingency plans to close, and officials advised residents of floodprone areas to stay with family or be ready to leave. Airlines said to expect cancellations and waived change fees for passengers who want to reschedule. “Be forewarned,” said Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. “Assume that you will be in the midst of flooding conditions, the likes of which you may not
have seen at any of the major storms that have occurred over the last 30 years.” Many storm-seasoned residents had not begun to panic. Along North Carolina’s fragile Outer Banks, no evacuations had been ordered and ferries hadn’t yet been closed. Plenty of stores remained open and houses still featured Halloween decorations outside, as rain started to roll in. “I’ll never evacuate
again,” said Lori Hilby, manager of a natural foods market in Duck, N.C., who left her home before Hurricane Irene struck last August. “... Whenever I evacuate, I always end up somewhere and they lose power and my house is fine. So I’m always wishing I was home.” Farther north, residents were making more cautious preparations. Patrick and Heather Peters pulled into their driveway in
Bloomsburg, Pa., with a kerosene heater, 12 gallons of water, paper plates, batteries, flashlights and the last lantern on Walmart’s shelf. They’ve also rented a U-Haul in case the forecast gets worse over the weekend. “I’m not screwing around this time,” said Heather Peters, whose town was devastated last year by flooding following Hurricane Irene. Across the street, Douglas Jumper, whose first floor took on nearly 5 feet of water during Irene, was tying down his patio furniture on Friday and moving items in his wood shop to higher ground. “I’m tired. I am tired,” Jumper, who turns 58 on Saturday, said through tears. “We don’t need this again.” At a Home Depot in Freeport, on Long Island in New York, Bob Notheis bought sawhorses to put his furniture on inside his home. “I’m just worried about how bad it’s going to be with the tidal surge,” he said. “Irene was kind of rough on me and I’m just trying to prepare.”
SÁBADO 27 DE OCTUBRE DE 2012
Agenda en Breve LAREDO 10/27— Segundo Festival Anual de Cosecha, de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m. en North Central Park, 10202 International Blvd. Habrá juergos, concursos, carreras, paseo en carretón, refrigerios, así como calabazas para decorar. 10/27— Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presenta: “Destination Saturn” a las 2 p.m.; “Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” a las 3 p.m.; “Violent Universe” a las 4 p.m.; y, “2012: Ancient Skies, Ancient Mysteries” a las 5 p.m. Costo general: 5 dólares; niños pagan 4 dólares. 10/27— Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara invita al evento “Our Saturday in Space: Make-Your-Own-Robot” (Nuestro Sábado en el Espacio: Elabora tu propio Robot”, de 2 p.m. a 4 p.m. Espacio limitado. Costo: 20 dólares, e incluye un boleto para niño. 10/27— Tercera Caminata Anual Zombie para celebrar el Día para Hacer la Diferencia, a las 6:30 p.m., con salida en Bender Hotel, 1416 calle Matamoros. 10/27— Caminatas Guiadas de Fantasmas es hoy a las 7:30 p.m. en Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum, 810 calle Zaragoza. Entrada es limitada, reserve su espacio llamando (956) 727-0977. Costo: 15 dólares. 10/27— El Taller de Ópera de LCC presenta la comedia musical “9 a 5: El Musical”, a las 7:30 p.m. en el teatro del Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center en el Campus Fort McIntosh. Costo: 10 dólares. Otra función el 28 de octubre a las 3 p.m. 10/27— LTGI presenta “Bodas de Sangre” de Federico García Lorca, a las 8 p.m. en el Teatro del CFPA de TAMIU. Costo: 15 dólares; 10, para estudiantes y adultos mayores. Otra función el 28 de octubre a las 3 p.m. 10/28— Laredo Phil celebra su Décimo Aniversario con el estreno de “Sinfonia Concertante” de Miklos Rosz, a las 3:30 p.m. en el Salón de Recitales del Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de TAMIU. Costo: 20 dólares. 11/01— El Campeón Mundial de Boxeo Juan Manuel “El Dinamita” Márquez estará hoy de 11:30 a.m. a 1 p.m. en el Estadio Uni-Trade, 6320 Sinatra Parkway. Costo: 50 dólares. También en una Noche de Fiesta de 6 p.m. a 8 p.m. en el Salón de Baile del Civic Center, 2400 San Bernardo. Costo: 100 dólares. Informes en www.victorestradapromotions.com 11/02— Baloncesto: Toros vs Córdoba (Mex) en Laredo Energy Arena a las 7:30 p.m. Más información en (956) 717-TORO.
NUEVO LAREDO, MX 10/27— “Zombie Walk” a las 5 p.m. desde la Plaza Hidalgo siguiendo hasta la Explanada Esteban Baca Calderón. 10/27— Estación Palabra presenta: “Festival del Horror” (lecturas dramatizadas de obras de escritores de horror, charla sobre cine de terror) a las 12 p.m.; “Bazar de Arte” a las 12 p.m.; Taller de elaboración de calaveras (con Jorge Santana) a las 3 p.m.; Festival Infantil “Halloween” a las 2 p.m. Eventos gratuitos. 10/27— El Colectivo 100 Años de Soledad invita a la obra musical en atril “Aquelarre” de la autoría de Ma. del Pilar González de Cantú a las 6 p.m. en el Teatro Lucio Blanco de la Casa de la Cultura, Nuevo Laredo. 10/28— Laberintus Arte y Cultura presena “El Principito” a las 12 p.m. en el Teatro del IMSS.
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 7A
REPORTE
Se estabiliza migración POR MARK STEVENSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
MÉXICO — El número de personas que emigraron sin permiso legal a Estados Unidos en el primer semestre de 2012 aumentó ligeramente, sugirió un nuevo reporte de investigadores estadounidenses y mexicanos, el cual dio cuenta también de un leve decremento en la cantidad de migrantes que volvieron a México. El reporte del Colegio de la Frontera Norte de México y el Instituto Tomás Rivera sobre Políticas en la Universidad del Sur de California señala que la población de inmigrantes mexicanos en Estados Unidos parece haberse estabilizado en unos 11,7 millones e podría crecer ligeramente para finales de año. Sería la primera vez que el flujo migratorio neto desde México ha aumentado desde 2007, cuando comenzó la recesión económica en Estados Unidos. “La disminución de migración indocumentada desde México, inducida por la recesión, parece haberse detenido en la primera mitad del 2012 en medio de señales de un renovado flujo hacia el norte”, dijo el estudio. El reporte difundido esta semana señala que la intensificación de las medidas para combatir la inmigra-
Foto por Delcia Lopez | Associated Press
Una Skybox de la Patrulla Fronteriza es vista cerca del Puente Internacional de Hidalgo. La inmigración ilegal ha disminuido en años recientes, indica reporte. ción no autorizada en Estados Unidos no parece haber disuadido a quienes buscan cruzar la frontera norte de México. La información se basa en sondeos realizados en cruces fronterizos en México, así como en estaciones de autobuses y aeropuertos. Utiliza también datos de Estados Unidos, sobre deportaciones y repatriaciones, así como datos demográficos. “A pesar de la evidencia de crecientes efectos psicológicos sobre
los migrantes que son repatriados, los datos disponibles sugieren que esos esfuerzos no han tenido efectos sustanciales en el tamaño de la población migrante mexicana”, señala el reporte. “Los datos disponibles sobre las tendencias de migración en 2012 sugieren que el tamaño de la población (migrante mexicana hacia Estados Unidos) podría mostrar un aumento pequeño en todo el año a menos que la economía estadouni-
dense se mantenga sin cambio o decline en el tercero y cuarto trimestres”, agrega el reporte. Rodolfo García Zamora, un experto en inmigración de la universidad estatal del estado de Zacatecas, uno de los de mayor población migrante de México, señaló que era demasiado pronto para decir que la migración sin permiso estaba repuntando, y dijo que evidencia considerable sugiere que muchos migrantes continúan regresando a México voluntariamente ante las condiciones económicas difíciles en Estados Unidos. “La evidencia que nosotros tenemos de la mayor parte de los estados de México es que sigue estancada, se sigue frenando la salida de los migrantes indocumentados de México a Estados Unidos, y que sigue creciendo el retorno de los migrantes de los Estados Unidos a México”, dijo García, señalando que aproximadamente 1.000 familias han regresado a Zacatecas en lo transcurrido de este año. Indicó que los migrantes que regresan informan a los habitantes de sus poblados sobre las difíciles condiciones al norte de la frontera. “Prefieren sobrevivir el tiempo que sea necesario hasta que se recupere el mercado laboral en EU”, agregó el experto.
SALUD
DIÓCESIS
PREVENCIÓN
Preparan servicios gratuitos para familias POR MIGUEL TIMOSHENKOV TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
Una empleada del sector salud en Tamaulipas aplica una vacuna contra la influenza a una menor de edad. Autoridades de salud están pidiendo a las familias vacunarse, para estar listos para la temporada de invierno, especialmente al radicar en la frontera norte de México.
Vacunan gratuitamente contra influenza POR MIGUEL TIMOSHENKOV TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Vacunarse contra la influenza y el Virus del Nilo está siendo el mensaje principal que está emitiendo el Sector Salud de Tamaulipas. Desde el 22 de octubre inició una campaña de vacunación gratuita, sobre todo en las ciudades que son frontera con Texas. Tan solo en Nuevo Laredo, México, autoridades esperan aplicar 31.000 dosis, reveló el Jefe de la Jurisdicción Sanitaria No. V, Gregorio Ortegón. El Secretario de Salud en Tamaulipas, Norberto Treviño Manzo, instruyó a las diferentes jurisdicciones sanitarias de Tamaulipas para reforzar las accio-
nes en contra del dengue e influenza. Se recomienda vacunarse especialmente a la población menor de cinco años, mayor de 60, mujeres embarazadas y personas que padecen hipertensión, diabetes y obesidad. La vacuna es gratuita. De 4.000 casos del Virus del Nilo que se han reportado en EU, el 35 por ciento corresponde a Texas. “Es la razón del cordón sanitario en la frontera”, dijo Ortegón. La Influenza y el Virus del Nilo tienen una sintomatología similar, pero para saber la diferencia es mejor acudir al médico en caso de síntomas como dolor de huesos, músculos o inmovilización general.
En un comunicado de prensa, Treviño, dijo que el gobierno federal envió la primera remesa de 200.390 dosis para vacunación en contra de la influenza. El sector salud contempla aplicar unas 337.760 biológicos antiinfluenza y 33.000 contra el neumococo. “Se aplicarán 150.000 vacunas a personas adultas mientras que con las restantes se inmunizará a los niños”. Para el neumococo se recibieron las primeras 13.620 vacunas. El comunica explica que la influenza A-H1N1 se ha convertido en un padecimiento estacional, ante el cual se deben tomar las medidas preventivas y cuidados propios de cualquier enfermedad de este tipo.
Médicos Misioneros de la Divina Misericordia de la Arquidiócesis de Houston-Galveston llevarán servicios de salud al Condado de Zapata, del 5 al 9 de noviembre. El objetivo es atender a familias de escasos recursos. “No pediremos información de su status migratorio ya que solo nos interesa saber su estado de salud”, dijo Rebecca Solloa, Directora Ejecutiva de los Servicios Sociales Católicos de la Diócesis de Laredo. En Zapata se ofrecerán servicios de salud físicos generales, limpiezas dentales y servicios oftalmológicos. “Serán gratuitos”, dijo Solloa en relación a los servicios a ofrecerse en instalaciones de la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes, 1609 Glenn St. “Inclusive podremos ofrecer medicamentos sin costo”. La atención será de 9 a.m. a 5 p.m. y diariamente también habrá una Misa de Sanación. “El interés de los servicios de salud para las familias de bajos recursos es preocupante”, dijo Solloa. Agregó que muchas personas deciden no acudir al médico por diversas razones, como son: desconocer que están enfermos, carecer de seguro médico y falta de recursos económicos. Si alguno de los pacientes enfrenta un problema más serio de salud, los especialistas los referirán a la Clínica Gateway en Laredo, explicó. “Será una semana laboriosa y esperamos que la comunidad haga un espacio en su tiempo y su vida para atenderse”, dijo Solloa. En el 2011 las misiones médicas atendieron alrededor de 1.200 personas.
COMUNIDAD
Programa Colonias invita a Feria de Salud POR RICARDO R. VILLARREAL TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
El Programa Colonias de Texas A&M University se encuentra patrocinando la primer Feria de Salud del Condado de Zapata, hoy sábado de 9 a.m. a las 12 p.m. en el Centro de Nutrición del Condado de Zapata, ubicado en 7th y Del Mar Stre-
et. Los residentes podrán obtener información sobre prevención del cáncer, salud dental y nutrición en general. También se informará sobre programas del Texas Medicaid tales como WIC, STAR y STAR Plus. Otros servicios serán revisión gratuita de la presión arterial, revisión de signos
vitales y glucosa. Igualmente se administrarán vacunas contra la influenza por parte del Departamento de Servicios de Salud del Estado. “La feria está abierta a todos y el departamento de salud está conminando especialmente a las personas a que obtengan la vacuna contra la influenza”, dijo Maricia Pérez Rodríguez,
Oficial en Jefe Administrativa de la Corporación de Desarrollo Económico en Zapata, uno de los socios del evento. Entre otros servicios que estarán disponibles se encuentra asistencia en búsqueda de empleo y redacción del curriculum vitae, por parte de Workforce Solutions of South Texas, e in-
formación sobre prescripciones médicas, de parte del Texas A&M University Kingsville American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists. Más detalles llamando al (956) 728-0210. (Localice a Rick Villarreal (956) 728-2528 o en rvillarreal@lmtonline.com)
National
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
Romney: Obama ‘made problem worse’ By DAVID ESPO AND STEVE PEOPLES ASSOCIATED PRESS
AMES, Iowa — Seizing on fresh evidence of economic sluggishness, Republican challenger Mitt Romney said Friday that President Barack Obama inherited a bad situation when he took office and then “made the problem worse.” Obama looked ahead to the second term he’s hoping to win. Referring to the two top Republicans in Congress, the president said he was prepared to “wash John Boehner’s car” or “walk Mitch McConnell’s dog” if it would help complete an elusive deal to cut future deficits by trillions of dollars. The two campaign rivals faced a common danger as the end of their race came into view: a large and dangerous storm threatening to barrel up the East Coast. Romney and Vice President Joe Biden each canceled planned weekend appearances in Virginia Beach, Va. Romney was unsparing in his criticism of the man he hopes to unseat. “Despite all that he inherited, President Obama did not repair our economy, he did not save Medicare and Social Security, he did not tame the spending and borrowing, he did not reach across the aisle to bring us together,” the former Massachusetts governor said. “Four years ago, America voted for a post-partisan president, but they have seen the most political of presidents, and a Washington in gridlock because of it,” he added. The Republican challenger borrowed a theme from Obama’s successful 2008 campaign, saying he and running mate Paul Ryan “can bring real change to this country.” And he tweaked a line that former President Bill Clinton unveiled at this summer’s
Democratic National Convention, saying, “This is not the time to doubledown on trickle-down government policies that have failed us.” Democrats delighted in pointing out that Romney spoke outside Kinzler Construction Services, which benefitted from more than $650,000 in stimulus funding from the 2009 package that Obama signed into law — and the Republican nominee often criticizes. Romney campaigned in Iowa and Ohio as national polls showed a tight race. Though his aides claimed momentum, citing recent polls, Obama’s team said the president led or was tied in each of the nine battleground states where the two sides have concentrated hundreds of millions of dollars in television commercials over the past five months. Back in the White House after his long day and night and day of campaigning, Obama said he looked forward to trying to reach a deal with congressional Republicans on a sweeping budget deal if he wins reelection. Asked by radio show host Michael Smerconish if he would make the first move, the president replied, “I’ve said I’ll do whatever’s required to get this done. “And I think the key that the American people want right now is for us to tackle some big challenges that we face in a commonsense, balanced, sensible way.” That was a reference to one of his biggest differences with Romney — his insistence that tax cuts be allowed to expire at upper incomes on Dec. 31, as opposed to Romney’s insistence that they be extended. Obama has been under pressure from Romney in recent days to be more specific about a second-term agenda, and he released a 20-page pamphlet earlier
this week. He also had interviews with MTV and several battleground-state television stations on his schedule for the day. Later, in a live interview with MTV, he urged younger voters to cast their ballots, saying, “there’s no excuse” not to. “In 2000, Gore versus Bush, 537 votes changed the direction of history in a profound way and the same thing could happen,” he said. That was Bush’s contested margin of victory in Florida, the state that decided the election in a race that went to the Supreme Court. The two sides disagreed — of course — on whether the political battlefield was expanding. First Romney, then Obama, launched a modest run of television ads in Minnesota, where neither side had made a significant effort to date. The Republican’s aides claimed an opportunity to make a state competitive that had long been counted as safe for Obama. The president’s side disputed that, insisting that its ads were aimed at voters in Wisconsin, the battleground next door. Obama’s strategists appeared concerned about the impact of Romney’s persistent attacks on the president’s position on Israel, airing a commercial in the West Palm Beach, Fla., area, home to a large number of Jewish voters. “As long as I’m president of the United States, Iran will not get a nuclear weapon,” the president vows in the ad, addressing fears that Tehran would attempt to obliterate the Jewish state. The ad’s subject matter, foreign policy, was a rarity in a campaign for the White House focused largely on the economy and jobs. Romney vows to put his experience as a businessman to use to create 12 million jobs in four years.
Photo by Charles Dharapak | AP
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney waves to supporters as he steps off his campaign bus as he arrives at a campaign stop in Worthington, Ohio, on Thursday.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
Preacher to get new arms By LARRY NEUMEISTER ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — An Egyptian-born preacher charged in multiple terror plots will be outfitted next week with new prosthetic arms to replace the hooks he used before, his lawyer said Friday. Mustafa Kamel Mustafa needs all the help he can get while at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan awaiting trial, attorney Jeremy Schneider said after a hearing. Next Tuesday’s fitting, announced in court by the judge who will preside at Mustafa’s trial, will take place in a facility not constructed with the disabled in mind, Schneider said. Mustafa, widely known as Abu Hamza al-Masri, was transferred
from London earlier this month, along with four other defendants charged with terrorism offenses. He has pleaded not guilty to conspiring with some Seattle men to set up a terrorist training camp in Oregon and to helping abduct two American tourists and 14 other people in Yemen in 1998. He has said he lost his arms just below the elbows fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan. The hooks he has been using make his upper arms sore, his lawyer said. Schneider told U.S. District Judge Katherine B. Forrest that Mustafa, 54, “has an extraordinary knowledge and interest in helping with his defense” despite the challenges of being housed in a prison wing where defendants facing terrorism charges are typically held. “This defendant is going to get the
Search on for zebra mussels in state’s lakes By BILL HANNA FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
FORT WORTH — Under a boat slip at one end of the Eagle Mountain Lake Marina sits an early-warning detector to an unwanted invader. Floating under the marina are a scouring pad and temperature sensor to detect an invasive species that first showed up in the Great Lakes in the 1980s and has been slowly moving across the U.S. Zebra mussels, which push out native mussels, clog intake valves and litter shorelines with their shells, have already been found in Lake Texoma and Lake Ray Roberts. And there is fear that it’s just a matter of time before they show up in Lake Lewisville and other North Texas lakes. “Lake Lewisville is under the gun since it’s just downstream from Ray Roberts,” said UTA professor emeritus Robert McMahon. “But with the population, water transfers and boater movement in the Metroplex, all of the lakes in North Texas are vulnerable.” That makes McMahon’s job even more important as he is responsible for monitoring 14 lakes in North and East Texas. Over the next two weeks, McMahon will work the region to check those monitoring sites. Last week, he and his wife, Colette, not only checked out Eagle Mountain Lake, but Lake Bridgeport and Lake Arrowhead near Wichita Falls as well. McMahon’s initial in-
spection at Eagle Mountain Lake didn’t find anything to worry about. In the marina parking lot, he put a microscope on the bed of his Dodge pickup and examined the scouring pad and water samples. He found signs of life but nothing that looked like the invasive species. “No signs of zebra mussels,” he pronounced after a quick scan. But his work has only begun. When he gets back to the lab after his field work, there will be a far more extensive analysis and then samples will be sent off to a Colorado lab for further testing. So it may be another six weeks to two months before everybody learns whether zebra mussels have arrived at Eagle Mountain or any of the other North Texas lakes. “We’ll do far more work back in the laboratory,” McMahon said. “You really don’t expect to see anything out here but you do a quick look just in case so you can alert people as soon as possible.” Zebra mussels, which are named for their distinctive striped pattern, first showed up in Texas at Lake Texoma in April 2009, where they quickly filled bays with shells. The 2011 drought killed off a number of zebras when Texoma’s water level dropped, but they were still found in large numbers in the lake. Last fall, low levels of DNA larvae from zebras were found in Eagle Mountain and Lake Bridgeport.
appropriate resources” necessary for a fair trial, the judge said as she assigned a legal team of at least five people to assist him. “This is an almost never-ending job,” Schneider said as his client looked toward the judge. “This case occurred approximately 14 years ago covering three continents.” Schneider said researching the case will likely cause the defense team to reach out to Yemen, England and Pakistan to collect evidence. Prosecutors said 47 boxes of materials were being shipped from England. Outside court, Schneider said Mustafa was “ready, willing and able” to assist in his defense but it was difficult for attorneys to confer with him because of a barrier between them.
ARTIFACTS Continued from Page 1A items turned over are arrowheads, several are of “incalculable archaeological value,” Sanchez told The Associated Press. He said it was the biggest archaeological repatriation in terms of the number of items that the U.S has made to Mexico. U.S. officials displayed the relics at the Mexican Consulate in El Paso before handing them over during a ceremony Thursday. The artifacts will eventually be taken to the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico City, where they will be studied, cataloged and distributed to museums across Mexico. Most of the items were uncovered during a string of seizures in West Texas in 2009, following a tip about relics illegally entering the
U.S. at a border crossing in Presidio. Homeland Security special agent Dennis Ulrich said authorities executing a search warrant in Fort Stockton found the largest portion of the cache. Further investigation revealed that the two men behind the smuggling were also involved in drug trafficking from Mexico to the U.S., he said. Sanchez said some of the relics found in Fort Stockton were stolen from a private collection at the Cuatro Cienagas museum in the Mexican state of Coahuila. The items also include arrows, hunting bows and even extremely well conserved textile items such as sandals and pieces of baskets.
PEDRO ARROYO JR. LOPEÑO — Pedro Arroyo Jr. passed away Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012. Mr. Arroyo is survived by his wife, Flor Arroyo; children, Pedro Arroyo III, Arat Arroyo and Eli Arroyo; parents, Pedro (Sara) Arroyo; sisters, Sara Arroyo and Mariza Arroyo; brothers, Victor (Mayra) Arroyo and Ernesto (Karla) Arroyo; in-laws, Joel (Flor Estela) Robels; and by numerous nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles and many friends. Visitation was Friday, Oct. 26, 2012, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. A chapel service will be held Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012, at 10 a.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. Committal services will follow at Lopeño Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are under
ORDER Continued from Page 1A
the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. 83 Zapata, TX.
COURT Continued from Page 1A people were inside an undisclosed apartment in Laredo waiting to be taken further north into the country. According to the complaint, a day before the arrest, the group was moved to a house before being taken out in small groups and loaded into the box compartment of the box truck. Through an investigation, HSI agents identified a black Dodge Avenger suspected of being the scout vehicle for the box truck. The Dodge Avenger and the box truck crossed approximately at the same time on Oct. 2, the complaint states. On Oct. 3, agents set up surveillance at a Laredo home. Agents approached the residence and obtained consent from the renter to search the home. Inside, federal authorities found three Mexican nationals – two adults and one juvenile –
who were illegally in the country. Other people in the house were detained for questioning. Escareño said she had lent her black Dodge Avenger to a friend of hers for $50. “She knew her friend was going to San Antonio to move ‘muebles (slang for illegal aliens),’” a complaint states. Urbina-Ruiz claimed he was unaware of the human smuggling activities. Elias-Zapata, one of the adults located in a Laredo house, said his aunt, Urbina-Ruiz, had been instructed to take food to an apartment, where several undocumented people stayed. Material witnesses told agents that Escareño, Urbina-Ruiz and Elias-Zapata were the ones harboring them before their detention. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 7282568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
federal matching funds.” State leaders want to keep Planned Parenthood from receiving tax dollars because of the group’s involvement in assisting women seeking abortions. The organization that provides birth control and women’s health care lost in court Thursday when a federal appellate court denied Planned Parenthood’s request for a rehearing on their exclusion. “We think we have a really good claim,” Washington, D.C.-based lawyer Helene Krasnoff said. “We think the Legislature was incredibly clear that the Women’s Health Program was to be a Medicaid program that was 90-percent funded by the federal government, and there are multiple provisions of Texas law that say that when there’s some nonconformity with federal law, such that federal funds are no longer available, they would be inoperative.” Planned Parenthood officials said the temporary restraining order applies to federal funding for the program. Its latest suit claims the state’s “Affiliate Ban Rule” makes the provision “inoperative” if it causes Texas to lose federal matching funds for the Women’s Health Program. The federal government, which has covered 90 percent of the cost of the Women’s Health Program, declared that a rule excluding a comprehensive women’s health care provider like Planned Parenthood impermissibly restricts the rights of patients and would not be allowed in the Medicaid program. The rule will cost Texas taxpayers nearly $200 million during five years. Planned Parenthood officials say health care access for women in the program who rely on Planned Parenthood for breast and cervical cancer screenings, birth control, and testing
for sexually transmitted infections would be jeopardized if it is banned from the Texas Women’s Health Program. “If there was ever any doubt that Planned Parenthood is more concerned about its own interests than those of Texas women, there is no longer,” Gov. Rick Perry said. “Having lost on its constitutional claims, Planned Parenthood has now turned to Travis County judges in a desperate effort to find some way to keep making money off Texas taxpayers,” Perry said of the group’s state lawsuit. “In Texas, we’ve chosen to protect innocent life. We will keep fighting for life, and we will ultimately prevail.” More than one-quarter of Texas women are uninsured, and the rate of cervical cancer for women in Texas ranks in the top 10 nationally, according to Planned Parenthood. In 2005, Texas partnered with the federal government to expand access to preventive health and family planning services for low-income women through the creation of a five-year pilot program through the Medicaid program called the Women’s Health Program. Approximately 111,000 low income women received well-woman exams, contraception, screening for diabetes, high blood pressure, and breast and cervical cancer; and testing for sexually transmitted infections in calendar year 2011 through the program. The state’s Women’s Health Program now excludes clinics that are affiliates of abortion providers, even if those health centers are not directly involved with abortion services. The new rules that exclude Planned Parenthood clinics take effect Thursday. gscharrer@expressnews.net
State
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
No rush about stove By JUAN A. LOZANO ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — A woman accused of murdering four children who died last year at a fire in her home day care did not seem to be in a hurry after remembering while out shopping she had left a stove burner on, a former store manager testified Friday. Investigators have said Jessica Tata, 24, left the children alone at her home while she went shopping at a nearby Target when a fire broke out in her kitchen, killing four children and injuring three others. Tata’s attorneys argue she never intended to hurt the children, who ranged in age from 16 months to 3 years old, and that she tried to save them from the February 2011 fire. Tata is being tried on one of four felony murder counts she faces, related to the death of 16-month-old Elias Castillo. She faces up to life in prison if convicted. Ray Menzies, who was a manager at the Target, said he talked to Tata at the store after she complained about a price discrepancy over some pants she had bought the night before. Menzies told jurors after Tata finished paying for her items at 1:19 p.m., he walked her over to a nearby kiosk to have her fill out a customer survey. The exstore manager said as he talked with Tata about the survey, she suddenly remembered having left the stove on in her day care.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
Shots leave 2 dead near La Joya By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN AND JUAN CARLOS LLORCA ASSOCIATED PRESS
LA JOYA — A state trooper who fired on a pickup truck from a helicopter during a deadly chase through the desert was trying to disable the vehicle and suspected it was being used to smuggle drugs, authorities said Friday. The disclosure came a day after the incident left two illegal immigrants from Guatemala dead on an isolated gravel road near the town of La Joya. State game wardens were the first to encounter the truck Thursday. After the driver refused to stop, they radioed for help and state police responded, according to Parks and Wildlife Department spokesman Mike Cox. When the helicopter with a sharpshooter arrived, officers concluded that the truck appeared to be carrying a “typical covered drug load” on its bed and was travelling at reckless speeds, police said.
Photo by Joel Martinez/The Monitor | AP
A pick-up truck is moved from the scene of a incident after a chase between law enforcement and suspected human smugglers north of La Joya, on Thursday. After the shots were fired and the truck’s tires blown out, the driver lost control and crashed into a ditch. Eight people who were in the truck were arrested. At least seven of them were also from Guatemala. No drugs were found. The sharpshooter was placed on administrative leave, a standard procedure after such incidents. An expert on police chases said the decision to fire on the truck was “a reckless act” that served
“no legitimate law enforcement purpose.” “In 25 years following police pursuits, I hadn’t seen a situation where an officer shot a speeding vehicle from a helicopter,” said Geoffrey Alpert, professor of criminology at the University of South Carolina. Such action would be reasonable only if “you know for sure the person driving the car deserves to die and that there are no other occupants.” In general, he said, law enforcement agencies allow the use of
deadly force only when the car is being used as a weapon, not “just on a hunch,” Alpert added. The Texas Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for the agency’s policy governing the use of deadly force. Other law enforcement agencies that patrol the border say they have limits on the practice. For instance, federal Customs and Borders Protection agents “are trained to use deadly force in circumstances that pose a threat to their lives, the lives of their fellow law enforcement partners and innocent third parties,” agency spokesman Doug Mosier said. But a report presented Thursday to the United Nations by the American Civil Liberties Union said shootings and excessive force by Customs and Border Protection agents on the border have left at least 20 individuals dead or seriously hurt since January 2010. Of those, eight cases involved agents responding to reports of people throwing rocks.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors “
HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
CLARA SANDOVAL VAL
Power position
Zapata has a lot to be proud of T
Photo by Clara Sandoval | The Zapata Times
Zapata’s Sessy Mata’s (8) strong sets throughout the season helped guide the Lady Hawks to a third straight District 31-3A title and back into the playoffs.
Zapata charges back to take District 31-3A By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
Z
apata had to overcome an emotional team to claim their third district title on Oct. 16. The Lady Hawks faced Lyford, which was still recovering from the loss of their teammate, Gaby Rivera, died in an all-terrain vehicle accident in September. To add fuel to the Lady Bulldogs’ fire, it was also Rivera’s birthday.
Zapata (8-0, 21-2) came from behind to beat Lyford 3-2 (24-26, 20-25, 25-22, 25-20, 19-17) to win the District 31-3A title for the third year in a row. “It was a very intense and emotional game. Since the death of their teammate in September, they have been playing for her,” Zapata coach Rosie Villarreal said. “Lyford is a very good team, but when you add emotion like that, it makes it even deadlier. “I told the girls on Monday that it was going to be very hard to beat them on
their own court, playing for the district title, and all in honor of Gaby.” Both teams laid it on the line as Lyford took the upper hand in the first two sets, but it was Zapata that rolled behind senior hitter Kristina De Leon. “Both teams played their hearts out. I can truly say that they left everything on the court that night,” Villarreal said. “I am so very proud of my girls because they showed a lot of pride and determi-
he Hawks and Lady Hawks must be walking with an extra bounce in their step as they have been able to bring home three district titles, one on the boys’ side and two on the girls’ side. The volleyball team led by Rosie Villarreal clinched the title a few games ago to make it three in a row for the Lady Hawks. Villarreal does a remarkable job with those Lady Hawks and the results speak for themselves. Kristina De Leon never showed any signs of wearing down all season and kept her high level of play consistent, and that will attract college attention down the road. Now the Lady Hawks will work toward making a deep run in the playoffs. Zapata owned the 31-3A cross country world, coming home with four titles and high expectations at the regional meet. Zapata won the boys’ and girls’ varsity titles along with the junior varsity titles to sweep the meet. I am not sure if the Zapata can understand how rare this feat is, but both coaches, Roel Ibañez and Mike Villarreal should be lauded for bringing home the hardware. Ibañez is a rookie coach that already has two titles, as his Hawks were able to accomplish its victories by recording perfect scores. To have the varsity team accomplish one of the achievements is great, but to have a junior varsity team do the same? I am speechless. On the girls’ side Villarreal has always put together high caliber teams, sometimes spoiling Zapata by always bringing home a district title or a runner-up ti-
See DISTRICT PAGE 2B See SANDOVAL PAGE 2B
HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY
Boys fly high at District By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
Courtesy photo
The Zapata Lady Hawks varsity and junior varsity team swept through the District 31-3A cross country meets, taking first place in both.
Lady Hawks, JV girls glide at district meet By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Zapata Lady Hawks are flying high as they swept the District 31-3A meet on Monday riding the legs of junior Jazmine Garcia, who crossed the finish line in third place overall behind Lyford’s Danielle Haas and Thalia Polanco. Zapata scored 30 points to run away with the team title.
Second place went to La Grulla with 50 points and Kingsville came in third overall with 92 points. Lyford (95 points) and Raymondville (120 points) rounded out the teams at the district cross country meet. “It was nice to win it the way we did in dominant fashion; it builds confidence going into region,” Zapata girls’ coach Mike Villarreal said.
See GIRLS PAGE 2B
The Zapata boys’ cross country team can check off its first goal from its list, as the Hawks won the district title with an exclamation point. Zapata left its competition in the dust with a perfect score of 15 points to run away with the title and the first seven spots at the District 31-3A meet in Rio Grande City on Monday. The closest competitor was Raymondville with 57 points, followed by Kingsville (86 points), RGC La Grulla (104 points) and Lyford (121 points). “For me it was an awesome experience it is my first district title as a head coach. I was very proud of the kids,” Zapata boys’ coach Roel Ibañez said. “We won the Meet of Champions in the Valley and district hopefully we can carry the momentum into regionals and advance to state.” Seeing the Hawks cross the finish line one through seven was a sight all coaches would love to experience and Ibañez
Courtesy photo
The Zapata boys cross country team swept first place as a team in the District 31-3A meet. The team is made up by (from left) Jose Garcia (1095), Carlos Rodriguez (1094), Heriberto Perez (1096), Romeo Morales(1098), Jerome Cabugos(1097), Luis Garza (1093) and Sam Camacho (1099). was able to accomplish that in his first year as the head coach. “It was at the two-mile marker that the kids were coming off an area that I couldn’t see them. Then I saw Luis (Garza) and the Jose (Garcia) and then all maroon and I could feel my excitement, and at that point I was like, ‘I am going to win my first district title,’” he said. Junior Luis Garza who has been the driving force for the team won the individual boys’ title and was clocked at 17:17.
Garza was closely followed by teammates Jose Garcia (second, 17:33), Carlos Rodriguez (third, 17:48), Sammy Camacho (fourth, 18:01), Jerome Cabugos (fifth, 18:09), Heri Perez (sixth, 18:10) and Romeo Morales (seventh, 18:15). Now the Hawks will work toward the regional meet in San Antonio on Nov. 3 in order to fulfill their goal of returning to the state meet on Nov. 10 in Round Rock.
See BOYS PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
No. 22 Ags hunt Auburn By JOHN ZENOR ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUBURN, Ala. — Texas A&M has flourished in a new offense, and quarterback Johnny Manziel has become an instant sensation. The Auburn Tigers switched quarterbacks and offensive gears, too, with disastrous results. The 22nd-ranked Aggies (5-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) land their high-flying offense in Auburn Saturday night against the Tigers, who haven’t managed to take off even after eight weeks languishing on the runway. The quarterback play pretty much sums up how things have gone for both teams. Manziel is only a redshirt freshman but already has a cool nickname, Johnny Football, and close to Cam Newton-like stats for the SEC’s top offense. “He’s a young guy that really is very mature beyond his years,” Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. “If you just watch his film, he’s got really an uncanny ability to just get a feel for the game and the pass rush. He sees things and he’s got just great vision for the field, and he extends plays. I’ve counted sometimes when he’s stood back there for 10 seconds before he ever made a move. That’s a long time for a quarterback. “They help him a good
Photo by Tom Reel | San Antonio Express-News Photo by Karen Warren | Houston Chronicle
Longhorn quarterback David Ash will lead Texas against the Kansas Jayhawks today.
Texas A&M hopes to bounce back from a loss last week to LSU. This week the Aggies take on Auburn on the road. bit with getting him in the right plays, which takes a lot off of a young quarterback. All those things combined, I think that’s why you’re seeing this offense being pretty high octane.” Auburn (1-6, 0-5) has turned to Clint Moseley at quarterback the past two games after Kiehl Frazier struggled with mistakes and sluggish decision-making for the league’s worst offense. The results haven’t changed much, and the Tigers are off to their worst start in six decades two years after Newton ran and passed them to a national title with a no-huddle offense. Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin insists he’s wary about a team that has repeatedly wilted in the fourth quarter. “This is a prideful pro-
gram two years off of a national championship,” Sumlin said. “If you look at recruiting rankings, they’ve had three straight top-10 recruiting classes. There are a lot of good players on this team. And this is one of the storied programs in college football. There’s tradition and pride. They’re playing at home and we’re going to get their best shot. “A wounded animal is a lot of times the most dangerous.” Auburn is planted in 118th nationally in total offense and one spot worse in scoring offense, out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams. The Tigers have also been victimized for numerous negative plays and go against national sack leader Damontre Moore.
UT stays focused on KU By DAVE SKRETTA ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Texas doesn’t have any intention of overlooking Kansas on Saturday. It doesn’t matter that the Jayhawks have only won one game, or that they were blown out last week by Oklahoma, or that there’s an unproven freshman quarterback under center. The Longhorns haven’t proven they can overlook anybody. “I told our team that we’re not good enough to beat anybody unless we play our best,” Texas coach Mack Brown said. “We have to play at high intensity. We’ve got to practice at high intensity. And we understand that this league is the best it’s ever been.” Of course, if there is a team that can be neglected, Kansas may be the safest bet. The Jayhawks (1-6, 0-4 Big 12) have allowed at least 20 points in every game
this season against teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision. They allowed 50 or more to Kansas State and Oklahoma, and haven’t scored more than 24 since a season-opening win over South Dakota State. That’s part of the reason coach Charlie Weis made a change at quarterback. Michael Cummings will get his second straight chance under center against the Longhorns (5-2, 2-2), taking over on a more permanent basis from fifth-year senior Dayne Crist. The Jayhawks are averaging a leaguelow 10.8 points through their first four Big 12 games, nearly 10 points fewer than Iowa State, the next-worst team. They’re averaging 17.3 points for the season, eighth-worst among the 120 teams in the country. All of which bodes well for a struggling Texas defense. The Longhorns are giving up nearly 50 points a game against league foes, and are last in the Big 12 against the run, allowing more than 266 yards per game.
Tour: Lance, teammates need to pay back money By GRAHAM DUNBAR ASSOCIATED PRESS
GENEVA — The seven Tour de France titles stripped from Lance Armstrong will not be awarded to any riders, and the American cyclist and his teammates should return their prize money, the sport’s governing body said Friday. Acknowledging “a cloud of suspicion would remain hanging over this dark period,” the UCI said the list of Tour winners will remain blank for the years from 1999 to 2005. “This might appear
harsh for those who rode clean (but) they would understand there was little honor to be gained in reallocating places,” the UCI said after a board meeting in Geneva. The UCI said Armstrong and “all other affected riders” in the case should return their prize money. That amounts to almost $4 million in Tour money from Armstrong. Armstrong attorney Sean Breen declined comment. The cycling body also ordered an independent, outside investigation to examine allegations about
persons caught for the UCI’s conduct doping were no and its relationship longer able to take with Armstrong part in the sport, inraised by the U.S. cluding as part of an Anti-Doping Agency entourage,” the UCI report that detailed said in a statement. systematic cheating A potentially exby the Texan and his ARMSTRONG plosive defamation teammates. In the report, UCI is accused of suit filed by the UCI, its making a financial deal president Pat McQuaid from Armstrong to cover and predecessor Hein Verup a suspicious doping bruggen against Irish journalist and former Tour test. Riders and officials in- rider Paul Kimmage has volved in doping programs been put on hold, the will also be targeted by the board said. Kimmage was scheduled inquiry commission. “Part of the independent com- to defend his claims that mission’s remit would be cycling’s leaders protected to find ways to ensure that Armstrong at a Dec. 12
DISTRICT Continued from Page 1B nation to fight and come from behind after losing the first two games to win the match.” De Leon displayed one of her best games of the season, leading the offense with 26 kills to terrorize Lyford’s defense and keep Zapata afloat in crucial moments. Vanessa Martinez, Celia Rathmell and Jeana Jasso combined for 15 kills to help De Leon on the offensive end. Feeding the ball to the hitters was setter Sessy Mata, who recorded 29 assists in those long rallies. Helping Mata was setter Gaby Gutierrez with 10 as-
sists. “With the win on Tuesday, we are District Champs,” Villarreal said. “It is the third time in a row that the Lady Hawks are district champs.” The playoffs and who the Lady Hawks play will be determined later this week. ZAPATA STATS: Vanessa Martinez (six service aces, six digs), Abby Aguilar (two service aces, 20 digs), Anissa Garcia (14 digs), Clari Villarreal (six digs), De Leon (six digs, four blocks), Jeana Jasso (five digs), Celia Rathmell (three blocks) and Mata (five digs).
hearing in Vevey, Switzerland. Kimmage has received more than $70,000 in donations from cycling fans to fight his case. Armstrong’s expulsion from the sport he dominated was confirmed Monday when the UCI acknowledged the USADA findings that his teams ran “the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen.” Friday’s meeting of the UCI board was a necessary legal step to confirm a seven-year hole in the Tour de France roll of honor. “UCI is determined to
GIRLS Continued from Page 1B Six of Zapata’s runners placed in the top 10 to secure the district title and a trip to the regional meet in San Antonio, where it will face stiff competition as an obstacle on the way to its goal of heading to the state meet. Scoring for Zapata were Raquel Almaguer (fifth place, 13:38), Joyce Garcia (sixth, 13:46), Erica Hernandez (seventh, 13:50), Jannet Chapa (ninth, 13:56) and Cassie Pena (10th, 14:00). La Grulla was nipping at Zapata’s heels until the mile mark, where the Lady Hawks pulled away. “At the mile mark I knew that the team going to win the title,” Villarreal said. The Lady Hawks did not run their best race, according to Villarreal, and will put everything on the line when they run the regional meet.
“Boy, they have not shown signs of not being where we want to be; all they have to do is show up and run at their utmost potential next weekend no holding back,” he said. Now the Lady Hawks await the regional meet on Nov. 3 in San Antonio. “We’re anxious to get it over with. The wait is killing me,” Villarreal said of the regional meet. “We have a legit chance to advance and medal at state, but first we must get past this hurdle and take care of business in San Antonio. This is a special team; I want the best for them.”
Junior Varsity The Lady Hawks also swept the junior varsity division with Angela Darnell taking home the individual
SANDOVAL Continued from Page 1B tle and taking teams to the regional and state meets. People forget how hard it is to do this year after year but Villarreal manages to put together great teams. But a coach is only as good as his runners, and the Lady Hawks have bought into his system that. The Lady Hawks haven’t stopped working hard to accomplish their mission at the district meet, never losing focus on Oct. 22 because they knew in order to advance; they had to invest the time. Zapata came home with two titles, but have bigger fish to fry at the regional meet. Zapata should be proud of these three teams because everyone is starting to understand that this community is putting together a great athletic program. It must be great to be a Hawk. (Clara Sandoval can be reached at Sandoval.Clara@Gmail.com)
turn around this painful episode in the history of our sport,” McQuaid said in a statement. “We will take whatever actions are deemed necessary by the independent commission and we will put cycling back on track.” As well as leaving the Tour winner’s list blank from 1999-2005, the UCI agreed “not to award victories to any other rider or upgrade other placings in any of the affected events.” Other stage-race titles lost by Armstrong include the 2001 Tour of Switzerland and Dauphine Libere in 2002 and ‘03.
girls’ title with a time of 14:44. Zapata scored 24 points and beat La Grulla (35 points) to complete the sweep of the titles for Zapata. “Seeing the kids sweep the team titles in the varsity and junior varsity division in the boys’ and girls’ races was priceless. These kids that have been training since June 4.” Villarreal said. Scoring for the JV Lady Hawks were Norma Ramirez (third place), Daniela Vela (fifth place), Maria Rodriguez (seventh place), Alma Perez (eighth place) Alondra Lara (ninth place), Bianca Ponce (10th place) , Corina Martinez (11th place), Kassandra Galvan (13th place), Andrea Reyes (16th place), Melina Juarez (19th place), Kaloni Kafusi (22nd place), Kayla Hinojosa (23rd place) and Casey Hinojosa (25th place).
BOYS Continued from Page 1B
Courtesy photo
This photo shows all four Zapata cross country teams after they achieved the unlikely by sweeping first place honors in the District 31-4A cross country meets.
Zapata also swept the sub-varsity meet as the junior varsity took home the title with a perfect score of 15 points to become one of the few teams this year to sweep the varsity and junior varsity district meet with a perfect score. “Scoring 15 points, that was the icing on the cake,” Ibañez said. “It felt great and hearing it from the other coaches as to how great our cross country program was. I am really proud of all my kids from the freshmen to my seniors.” Roberto Salinas ran away with the individual title to be crowned the boys JV champion while Danny Hinojosa came in second place. Omar Alfaro crossed the finish line in third place and was followed by Jose Hernandez (fourth place), Luis Lerma (fifth place), Alex Martinez (sixth place), Jose Morales (10th place), Hector Leduc (12th place), Maycol Mendoza (13th place), Leandro Hinojosa (15th place), Joe Alvarado (17th place) Carlos Romero (20th place) and Cody Stedman (21st place).
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
HINTS | BY HELOISE I WANT HEALTHY NAILS! Dear Heloise: My nails tend to peel and crack, but I don’t want to get artificial nails, which might make my nail beds more brittle than they already are. I’d like HEALTHY NAILS. What can I do? — Cait E. in Philadelphia This is a classic Heloise Hint that has left many with beautiful, strong nails. Treat them with white (otherwise known as colorless or decolorized) iodine. Before running out to a big chain drugstore, call around, especially to local or independent pharmacies, and ask the pharmacist if the store has iodine available. It may be kept behind the counter in some states, or your pharmacist may be able to order it for you if you ask. If all else fails, check online using a search engine and typing in the words “white iodine.” To treat damaged nails, use a cotton swab or a nailpolish brush (cleaned thoroughly with nail-polish remover) to spread colorless iodine on JUST the tips of your nails. After doing this daily for one week, begin to use the iodine only once a week. Continue until you see that your nails are getting stronger. While using white iodine,
“
HELOISE
DO NOT use hydrogen peroxide or any products that contain hydrogen peroxide, or you will end up with yellow or orange fingertips. Remember, when cleaning up around the house, use rubber gloves to protect your hands and nails. — Heloise HANDY TONGS Dear Heloise: To keep tongs from getting tangled in my utensil drawer, I cut a paper-towel tube the right length and slide the tongs inside. Love your column in the Houston Chronicle! — Jonna C. in Houston Jonna, great hint! Tongs are handy for turning meatballs when cooking. Don’t have a meatball recipe? Try my Heloise’s Spicy Swedish Meatballs — they are delicious. To receive a copy of this and other Heloise favorites, like Shrimp Dijon and Southwestern Veggie Rice, simply send $3 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (65 cents) envelope to: Heloise/ Main Dishes, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Make an extra batch of meatballs and freeze them in a lined egg carton. — Heloise
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Texans take AFC’s best mark into bye
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
Cowboys reeling from loss of Lee
By KRISTIE RIEKEN
By SCHUYLER DIXON
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — The Texans needed a win over Baltimore to enter their bye with the AFC’s best record. The lopsided victory gave them that, and clearly separated them from the secondplace Ravens and the rest of the conference. Still, the Texans (6-1) know they can’t be too impressed with what they’ve accomplished so far. “You can’t look at the big picture because when you get too far ahead of yourself, that’s when bad things happen,” Andre Johnson said. But with a dominant defense allowing the second fewest points in the AFC coupled with the secondhighest scoring offense in the conference, they’ve become the team to beat in the AFC. Aside from Houston and Baltimore, New England (4-3) is the only AFC team with more than three wins. Houston will get a shot at the Patriots on Dec. 10. The Texans are well on their way to winning a second-straight AFC South title with a three-game lead over second-place Indianapolis (3-3). Houston’s only loss this season was to the NFC’s Green Bay Packers. Their average margin of victory in their six wins, all over AFC teams, is more than 17.6 points this season. With a goal of reaching the Super Bowl a season after making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, the Texans are well aware of the importance of AFC supremacy. “That’s what you work for,” defensive end J.J. Watt said. “That’s why we put in all the time and the effort. I think it’s a testament to the way we attack each week.
IRVING — Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was optimistic enough after a loss in Baltimore to say his team could evolve into a Super Bowl contender “not next year — this year.” His tune and tone changed a bit when the Cowboys lost star linebacker Sean Lee to a season-ending toe injury this week. He all but declared the team’s leading tackler irreplaceable. “That’s a setback,” Jones said. “The old adage that it gives someone else a chance to show what they’ve got doesn’t necessarily apply here because he’s a proven differencemaker out there.” Jones said all this with the Cowboys facing one of their biggest games of the year on Sunday. The NFC East-leading Giants will be in town, boasting the NFL’s second-rated offense and eager to avenge a season-opening loss to Dallas. The Cowboys also have to play the second straight game without their best running back, DeMarco Murray. The team isn’t saying when Murray will return from a foot injury sustained in the Baltimore game two weeks ago, although Jones said he didn’t think it would be long-term. “I’ve said all along I think this team has an opportunity to be a contender, but the one exception that I made was ... sitting as we’re sitting right now health-wise, injury can make a difference and does in the NFL,” said Jones, whose 90-year-old mother, Arminta Jones, died this week. Lee sustained ligament
Photo by Dave Einsel | AP
The Houston Texans and J.J. Watt enter this week’s bye with top marks in the AFC. We have the mentality of focus and preparation. Nobody ever gets complacent. Nobody ever feels safe. Nobody ever feels that we’re where we want to be at yet. Everybody knows what the main goal is and we’re not there yet, so we’re going to work to get there.” The outstanding play of Watt, who is in his second season, has been a big part of Houston’s defensive success. He leads the NFL in sacks with 9 1/2 and he’s tied for second in the league in passes defended with 10. The Texans are second in the AFC in yards allowed (283), interceptions (9) and sacks (21). There was some concern a week ago after Houston lost 42-24 to the Packers in its first game without linebacker Brian Cushing, who is out for the season with a knee injury. But the defense bounced back on Sunday when the unit held Baltimore to a season-low 176 yards. “It was right after a tough loss, a bad loss,” line-
backer Brooks Reed said. “So to have a game like that really boosted our confidence back up again, kind of reassured us as players and the coaches that we do have something special.” Of course, Houston’s offense has certainly held its own to complement the defensive success. Arian Foster leads the NFL with 659 yards rushing and Owen Daniels is third in yards receiving for a tight end with 416. Quarterback Matt Schaub has rebounded from a broken foot that kept him out of Houston’s postseason run last year to throw for 1,650 yards and 10 touchdowns. But more important than his statistics has been the way he’s led the Texans this season. “He’s managed the game,” offensive coordinator Rick Dennison said. “He gets our guys going. I think he’s stepped up leadership wise. I think he’s done a tremendous job.” The Texans return from their bye next week to host Buffalo.
Photo by Bill Kostroun | AP
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee (50) was lost for the season after suffering a toe injury. damage in his right big toe in last weekend’s 19-14 win at Carolina, and surgery is scheduled for next week. He said he will be sidelined three to four months but should be healthy by February — in time for offseason workouts. Coach Jason Garrett and his teammates expect Lee to be an active participant in practice and on game day, and the thirdyear pro out of Penn State indicated as much Thursday. “You have to be positive because if you’re negative you’re not going to get any better,” said Lee, who missed a year in college with a knee injury and sat
out part of last season with a dislocated wrist before finishing the season in a cast. “As frustrating as it is, there’s no getting around it.” Bruce Carter will take over Lee’s spot and the defensive play-calling for the Cowboys, while Dan Connor, Lee’s close friend and former Penn State teammate, will slide into Carter’s spot. Connor signed as a free agent after four years at Carolina. “I think everybody is going to miss him,” Carter said. “He really took the job serious. That’s something I’ve got to step up as a player for myself. I don’t want to let those other guys down.”